The shift away from diesel has more drivers planning to choose an eco-friendly car than ever before, says AA Cars. Looking at people who have used its site, nearly a quarter (22%) claim they are ready to make the switch despite a lot of confusion over Government policies. The AA-Populus poll of over 20,000 drivers shows that this would be a dramatic increase from the 2% of drivers who … [Read more...]
News
Road safety push for cyclists and walkers
Safety group IAM RoadSmart said proposals announced to shake up the Highway Code to make motorists always give way to pedestrians and cyclists do not go far enough. It says there is a need to include longer-term measures to keep drivers and cyclists segregated in a safer cycling environment and for schools to include the subject in curricula. In a move designed to boost the … [Read more...]
Newslines 19 October
A Hyundai Nexo hydrogen car has cleaned up some of the Capital’s dirtiest roads in a test in conjunction with University College London. The car, which goes on UK sale next year, actually filters the air intake and removes harmful micro-elements and pushes out a cleaner exhaust than ingested air. Poland has become a dumping ground for diesel cars which can no longer enter some European … [Read more...]
Auto-industry on brink of disaster without deal
Ahead of this evening’s Brexit summit, Europe’s auto manufacturers and suppliers have come together to issue a stark warning on the potentially far-reaching impacts of a no-deal scenario on their sector, which would threaten their very business model. Automobile production plants – be they in the EU27 or the UK – receive and fit millions of parts into vehicles every day. All manufacturers rely … [Read more...]
Fleets unprepared for Brexit fallout
The fleet industry needs to start encouraging a sector-wide conversation about Brexit in order to make preparations, says Meridian Vehicle Solutions. Phil Jerome, managing director at the medium term rental specialist, said that he understood the current lack of dialogue given the ongoing absence of clarity about exactly what form leaving the EU would take. However, with only a few months … [Read more...]
VW camper holds strong residuals for “staycations”
Owners of Volkswagen California camper vans are sitting pretty after data from automotive experts reveals that the vehicles are experiencing very little depreciation, making them a much sought after investment for motorists who love life on the road. Based on the 2.0 California TDI BlueMotion Tech Beach 150 5dr DSG model (1767 plat), the depreciation is 3% of its original cost new (£44,022) … [Read more...]
EVs spark big savings in service
Motorists will get an eco-dividend thanks to lower service and maintenance costs for electric vehicles against their petrol equivalents. A new study from automotive data experts cap hpi shows on average service and maintenance costs are 23% lower for electric vehicles than petrol vehicles over three years and 60,000 miles. The gap widens for smaller vehicles. A Renault Zoe will cost £1,100 … [Read more...]
Cars that read your mind are just around the corner
Driverless cars will become smoother and more intuitive after scientists developed technology to make them behave like humans. One of the stumbling blocks with autonomous cars has been their inability to interpret visual cues from pedestrians, making them overly cautious. So when a person begins to cross the street but changes their mind a driverless car might just just stop and wait. But … [Read more...]
Newslines 16 October
Nissan has postponed pay talks with unions at its Sunderland plant until terms of the Brexit deal are clear. Reuters reported car makers are considering options if there is a poor deal for manufacturing including possible production decreases and suspension of lines while logistics and economics are clarified in the spring. Plans to develop the 1,000mph Bloodhound car have halted. It has … [Read more...]
Ford warn over “no-deal Brexit” future for Bridgend plant
A no-deal Brexit "would be pretty disastrous" for British industry and could affect the future of Ford Bridgend Engine Plant, the company’s European boss has told the BBC. Steven Armstrong told the BBC he was "still confident" a tariff-free frictionless trade deal would be done but a no-deal outcome would "force us to think about what our future investment strategy for the UK would … [Read more...]