The Advanced Propulsion Centre is helping to lower the barriers for Small and Medium Enterprises to contribute to decarbonising the automotive sector and anchoring the supply chain in the UK. The APC provided financial and mentoring support to 87 SMEs including £86m through its Core Competitions, and its Technology Developer Accelerator Programme (TDAP) since 2013. 60 SMEs have received … [Read more...]
News
Nathaniel tops MG charts
Welsh MG dealer Nathaniel Cars, Bridgend topped the marque’s UK awards. It was judged the Dealer of the Year 2018 and also picked up the prize for best technical management team. The national dealership network was also given a preview of the forthcoming MG ZS EV and told of a new service plan for existing MG owners. … [Read more...]
Auto-businesses growing despite scares
More automotive businesses have reported turnover growth than any other sector, according to a new Business Census of business leaders’ expectations for the year ahead. The survey, conducted by global credit company Creditsafe and completed by 755 business leaders, revealed that 92% of surveyed automotive businesses grew in terms of turnover in 2018. Speaking of the results, Creditsafe’s UK … [Read more...]
Tradelines 6 February
A survey by Venson Automotive Solutions reveals that one in three (33%) company car drivers would not report minor damage to their employer – a figure which has almost doubled since 2015 when the same question was asked of company car drivers (17.5%). Overall drivers do appear to be very slightly more involved today than they were 3 years ago in keeping their car in good running condition; 57% … [Read more...]
Welsh sales steady as diesel cars ground and AFVs take off
Sales of hybrid and electric cars soared over 26% last month and slowed the fall in registrations of recent months, according to figures from the car makers. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders say registrations were only 1.6% down in January at 161,013 new cars, with private buyers leading the way as business and fleet models continued to fall. In Wales, registrations were almost … [Read more...]
Dangerous drivers and their dogs
Drivers are putting their lives at risk – as well as those of their passengers and other road users – by not strapping their dogs into their cars. Experts say if a car crashes at a speed of 40 km/h (25 mph), an unrestrained dog can develop projection forces 40 times that of its weight. At higher speed it will be still greater, possibly injuring or killing the dog or a human it hits. A poll … [Read more...]
Newslines 5 February
The new 2019 Mitsubishi Mirage is available to UK customers from £11,295. A new entry level Mirage 3 is available with a manual transmission and is £1,005 less than the outgoing Juro model and they have a 3 cylinder 1.2-litre MIVEC engine, 80hp and 106Nm torque and emit 107g/km CO2. Two plug-in versions of the new BMW 7-Series will arrive in Spring. In-line 6-cylinder petrol engine and … [Read more...]
A third of drivers break law on phones
GoCompare Car Insurance has revealed that 34% of drivers use their mobile phone illegally while in their car, with the figure rising to a shocking 58% of 18-24 year old drivers. The research reveals that more drivers are tempted to use their phone while waiting in traffic, with the number of drivers using their phone behind the wheel reducing to 25% while actually moving. However, the … [Read more...]
Ford offer VR to Bridgend workers as JLR contract expires
Ford has announced its first voluntary redundancy programme at Bridgend plant since the impending loss of its contract to build petrol engines for Jaguar Land Rover. Nearly 400 positions will be cut among hourly and salaried staff who apply ths month with reductions taking place at the end of this year when the JLR lines shut. Unions said earlier this year that about 1,000 jobs could go … [Read more...]
Used diesels dropping in price, petrols rise
The average price of a used diesel car fell by 10.3% between Q1 2017 and Q4 2018. Diesel car values dropped 5% through 2017, on the back of consistent negative news about the fuel, and new data shows that slump continued through 2018 at a near-identical rate. The analysis from car buying comparison website Motorway.co.uk also shows equivalent used petrol prices increasing 10% between Q1 … [Read more...]