Electric car sales are charging ahead on British roads. Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show ev registrations hit a record and hybrid sales last month were higher than September 2020, the previous best for the dual fuel vehicles. It's also the first month that the Tesla Model 3 EV, pictured above, has been officially recognised in the figures after Tesla withdrew … [Read more...]
Retail
A quarter of new cars will be hybrids, say buyers
One in four UK drivers plan to opt for a hybrid car as their next vehicle purchase, according to research conducted for Close Brothers Motor Finance’s upcoming Britain Under the Bonnet Report. The fifth iteration of the report reveals that the desire to purchase a hybrid vehicle has accelerated to 26% from 21% in 2020. And this is largely stable across age groups, but highest at 28% for those … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Honda CR-V 2.0 i-MMD Hybrid
Honda is raising its game with the latest CR-V SUV, writes David Miles. Announced in December for the 2021 model year, it’s available now only with petrol electric hybrid power in 2WD or 4WD forms depending on spec level chosen. So it’s the latest 2021 model year CR-V we are reviewing with its new e:HEV branding and prices range from £30,880 for the base S spec 2WD version to £39,840 for the top … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Volkswagen Golf Life 1.0TSi 110ps
The VW Golf has often been held up as the benchmark for family hatchbacks and is frequently the best selling car in Europe, although not always in Britain, writes Robin Roberts. After the Beetle which rebuilt VW’s brand and fortune following WW2, the Golf was really the model that put the German company on the road to success in the 1970s and provided the funds for its massive … [Read more...]
Newslines 2 April
Nine out of ten Cardiff drivers don't know when they must put on headlights and are risking accidents, prosecution and penalty points as well as invalidating insurance. A survey for Uswitch found only 9.62% of Welsh drivers knew they had to turn on headlights when visibility was under 100 metres as defined in the Highway Code. The average annual car insurance premium has fallen by £55 from the … [Read more...]
Hybrid rally cars agreed for WRC from next season
All three current WRC manufacturers have embraced the sport’s exciting new hybrid era by committing to register and participate in the FIA World Rally Championship from 2022 to 2024. Hyundai, M-Sport Ford and Toyota have pledged their futures to the production car-based series, which will undergo a landmark change in 2022 when top tier cars will be powered by a mix of an electric motor and the … [Read more...]
Tax change is major opportunity for fleets
The 130% capital allowances superdeduction that comes into effect on 1 April presents a “major renewal opportunity” for van fleets, FleetCheck is forecasting. The fleet software specialist says that businesses who have been considering buying Euro 6 compliant light commercial vehicles to meet the needs of Clean Air Zones or electric and hybrid vans as they begin EV operations for the first time … [Read more...]
Tradelines 31 March
Select Car Leasing crunched the numbers and found with the introduction of connected cars in 2022, the annual average commute will reduce by 25%, equating to 55.5 hours less commuting every year. Drivers will also benefit from increased safety features such as repair hazard warnings as your car will be able to “listen” to waveforms or vibrations, analyse them and upload them to a cloud-based … [Read more...]
Good and bad cars’ survey
One of the biggest factors for drivers choosing a car will be whether the model they select can last the test of time. Fortunately for them, MotorEasy has revealed the cars that are most likely to have a breakdown. Using their own warranty data, MotorEasy analysed almost 10,000repair claims from 353 UK car models over three years, 2018-2020. Their research reveals the best and worst cars for … [Read more...]
Premiums fall for older cars
The average cost of insurance for older cars fell by £87 in 2020 as more drivers kept their existing cars rather than upgrading to a new model according to research from comparethemarket.com. Cars normally become more expensive to insure as they get older, however, the pandemic has caused a decline in premiums which has offset the usual increase. In 2020, the average premium for a car that is … [Read more...]