About 400 jobs are going at the MINI plant, Cowley, Oxford. The company said it’s halving its contracting force following a slump in demand for the models in the coronavirus lockdown. Learners have to contend with another collapse of the DVSA on-line driving test booking system. It failed within hours of being restarted after the lockdown and then again this week when it was restored after … [Read more...]
Retail News
Tradelines 26 August
China's Nio car company, which mostly makes crossover electric models from US design and engineering centres' input, plans to launch its range in Europe in 2021. The company is also heavily involved in battery to grid systems to maximise income and technology. McLaren Automotive will introduce a new, flexible, lightweight vehicle tub for its next generation of electrified supercars. The new … [Read more...]
Pre-registered cars challenge 1 September newcomers
Huge savings on nearly-new 2020-registered cars are putting pressure on new car sales targets for next week’s registration plate change. Online car supermarket BuyaCar.co.uk is reporting savings of up to 42% compared with list price for 2020 cars, often with as little as 10 miles on the clock. Tough times for dealers, who are facing the biggest decline in new car sales for decades, spell good … [Read more...]
Auto-renew at your own peril
With the September peak of car insurance renewals, GoCompare is warning about letting a policy auto-renew without checking for a better deal. One in five motorists allowed their insurer to auto-renew their policy without seeing if they could get the same cover for less money compared with 15% in February 2020. Number of drivers auto-renewing is worth £6.7 Million, its highest level since … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Skoda Octavia SE L First Edition Estate
We live in a 24/7 world, expect everything to work at any time and not let us down. One guide to choosing a good car is looking at what police, ambulance and taxi companies use because they are on the road 24/7 and one of the most prolific of vehicles is the Skoda Octavia Estate. Without being whincingly expensive to buy and run they fulfill their roles and deliver mile after mile, year after … [Read more...]
Newslines 21 August
Ford has commissioned custom tyres that can leave key water safety messages imprinted on stretches of sand as part of a new initiative with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. The custom tyres have been designed to leave 3 key water safety messages in the sand, including ‘float to live’, ‘no inflatables’, and ‘emergency? call 999’. Each year Brits spend over five and a half million hours … [Read more...]
Tradelines 19 August
Daimler has reached agreements costing nearly £2.3 Billion to settle civil investigations by US regulators and lawsuits from vehicle owners stemming from a probe into software to cheat diesel emissions tests. The settlements address civil and environmental claims tied to 250,000 U.S. diesel passenger cars and vans and include claims from the Environmental Protection Agency, Justice … [Read more...]
Tips for buying a used car this September
We’ve seen a lot of changes over the past few months and one that stands out is the increase in motorists opting for a used car rather than fork out on an expensive newer model. With the Government continuing to discourage commuters using public transport as a result of the Coronavirus, car repair and service comparison site www.Autoadvisor.co.uk looked at how more people are purchasing – and … [Read more...]
Easy on the evs as more look at trials
A try before you buy scheme for electric vehicles could be what’s needed to dispel the lingering concerns surrounding the technology, finds a new study. A survey of 2,025 UK drivers conducted by Auto Trader reveals that 70% of UK motorists would be interested in leasing an electric vehicle for a 2 to 3 year prolonged test-drive, getting to grips with the features and technology before committing … [Read more...]
Newslines 18 August
Aston Martin is celebrating the release of the 25th James Bond film with two exclusive 007 special editions inspired by the cars featured in No Time to Die due November. This new collaboration between Aston Martin and EON Productions, sees new 007 editions of the Aston Martin Vantage and DBS Superleggera alongside no fewer than four iconic Aston Martin sports cars: the iconic DB5; the … [Read more...]