The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Charitable Trust Fund has re-launched the SMMT Apprentice Support Programme, designed to help safeguard the jobs of apprentices currently working within the automotive industry. The scheme comes following the conclusion of the government-funded furlough scheme. The SMMT Apprentice Support Programme earmarks £100,000 to cover all or part of the … [Read more...]
Retail News
Tradelines 20 October
There was no substantial jump in the number of fleet MOT tests undertaken during September, despite warnings that deferrals made during the pandemic could lead to massive demand, new figures from epyx show. Using an analysis of information held on its 1link Service Network platform, the company says that there were almost 52,000 MOT tests carried out during the month. This is close to the just … [Read more...]
Suppliers face new opportunities in car sector
Britain’s car-makers and component suppliers face opportunities as the race speeds up towards a future of pure electric vehicles, delegates to the annual Autolink Conference in Cardiff were told yesterday. On the day that the UK Government announced a £620 Million grant to boost ev-sales, extend the national recharging network on-street and in homes, as well as introduce a compulsory mandate … [Read more...]
Young applying brakes to driving
Passing your driving test was once seen as a rite of passage for most youngsters, but times are changing. The number of young people getting behind the wheel now declining, research conducted by the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart, has indicated why many young people aged 17-24 have put the brakes on learning to drive. Of 1,000 young drivers … [Read more...]
Kia germinate new Ceed for 2022
Kia UK has announced pricing and specifications for the new Ceed, which has a significant range of updates for the 2022 model year. The newly upgraded model family, which comprises the Ceed five-door hatchback, Ceed Sportswagon (SW) estate, and ProCeed five-door shooting brake, introduces a range of new features and technologies, and dynamic and athletic design updates. The new model … [Read more...]
Motor industry lies at heart of world trade
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has called on government to put the automotive sector at the heart of future trade negotiations, after a new report confirms vehicles are the UK’s single most valuable goods trade export. Vehicle export revenues reached £27 billion in 2020, making them more valuable to the UK than power-generating machinery and gold, even during a year when … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Toyota Camry Excel
After 15 years out of the UK market, the new generation Toyota Camry is turning heads with its striking saloon shape. While hatchbacks and SUVs have come to dominate registrations and estate cars are few and far between, the once highly popular saloon stands out as a distinctive offering. But beauty is more than skin-deep in the Toyota Camry as it uses the Toyota New Global Architecture … [Read more...]
Hatchbacks still dominate sales but vans doing well
Hatchbacks are the most popular cars among drivers in 2021, with over a third of motorists saying a hatchback will be their vehicle of choice if they buy this year, said AA Cars. At a time of surging demand in the used car market, partly caused by the supply of new vehicles being restricted due to microchip shortages, hatchbacks remain enduringly popular and are the first choice of 35% of … [Read more...]
GoCompare say motoring costs are falling for new drivers
The overall cost of getting on the road has dropped from £6,846 in 2019 to £5,703 in 2021. A new report out today from GoCompare Car Insurance has revealed that the cost of getting a young driver on the road has fallen to a three-year low of £5,703, down from £6,071.00 in 2020 and £6,846 in 2019, representing a 20% fall over three years. The combined cost of a new motorist learning to drive, … [Read more...]
Driver shortages are just tip of logistics issues
Some 96% of UK logistics businesses are now reporting problems recruiting HGV drivers, according to results from Logistics UK’s September 2021 Performance Tracker. However, the Performance Tracker also highlighted that skills shortages are growing across the entire logistics industry, not just affecting the availability of HGV drivers. More than 13% of businesses are now reporting severe to … [Read more...]