Service, maintenance and repair issues mean that fleets are facing excessive vehicle off-road time, the Association of Fleet Professionals is reporting. Paul Hollick, chair, said AFP members buying SMR were regularly reporting a range of problems. Some of these, such as parts supply, were felt to be outside the control of suppliers - but others, including levels of communication, were more … [Read more...]
Fleets warned over accelerated EV tyre wear
Fleet managers should be prepared for altered tyre wear rates on electric company cars and vans. As increasing numbers of fleets move to electric, the balance of SMR spend will alter, argues ATS Euromaster. EVs are expected to cost less to service, thanks in part to fewer moving parts and the absence of requirements such as oil changes, but tyre life expectancy is likely to change compared with … [Read more...]
EV batteries’ life expectency misunderstood
More than half of consumers “hugely overestimate” the time it takes for used electric car batteries to lose range, according to April’s Startline Used Car Tracker. Asked to estimate typical range loss after five years, 56% said they expected the fall to be 30% or more. In fact, research shows the real world result is likely to be less than half this figure. The average degradation for … [Read more...]
Motorists returning to dealerships away from online
The cost of living crisis is driving car buyers away from online purchases and into dealerships – with many expecting to bag a better deal by meeting the retailer in person, new research shows. April’s Startline Used Car Tracker reports that 55% of people have become less likely to buy a car online because of pressure on personal finances with 31% preferring to view the vehicle in person and 17% … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: GWM Funky Cat 1st Edition
The UK’s electric car revolution is becoming a bloody affair. From initially resisting the new technology on cost grounds including writing off established investments in petrol and diesel engine technology and having to develop hybrid or pure electric powertrains, along with making tens of thousands of workers redundant, manufacturers have struggled to convince buyers into showrooms or on-line … [Read more...]
Dealers putting brakes on buying EVs
Dealer margins are being squeezed as despite strong demand it is proving difficult to push retail prices up, according tp CAP HPI. This is due to consumers cost-of-living concerns and high used car prices from increases since the start of COVID, and especially in 2021 when values increased by c.30% on average. Plus there is strong competition from other physical and online retailers. When you … [Read more...]
Suzuki dramatically extend warranty
Suzuki is moving to a longer 100,000 miles warranty. As ‘The Trusted Car brand for those who are proud to be different’ Suzuki GB PLC is very pleased to announce the imminent introduction of its Service Activated Warranty Scheme. Launching to customers on 3 April, Service Activated Warranty is offered once the vehicle reaches the end of its manufacturer warranty period of three years / 60,000 … [Read more...]
KIA is king say dealers but PSA are pitiful
Kia is the highest rated marque by dealers in their annual showroom and business survey while PSA Group companies were among the lowest. The all-important question ‘how would you rate your manufacturer overall on a scale of 1 to 10?’ returned an average of 6.5, on par with six months ago. Kia (9.3), Lexus (9.2), and Mini (8.8) were the top performers whilst Vauxhall (3.7), Jaguar (3.7), and … [Read more...]
Used fleet-evs are slowly shifting
Ex-fleet electric vehicles are taking more than twice as long to sell as internal combustion engine models, according to new data from epyx, but the situation could change relatively quickly, the company added. Figures drawn from its 1link Disposal Network platform show that petrol cars and vans are taking an average of 10 days to sell, and diesel 11 but EVs 25. The trend remains the same when … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Second look Toyota Auris TR 1.6
With new car prices skyrocketing and delivery times close behind them, it’s little wonder the used car market has taken off as well. Nationally, approximately three second-hand cars change hands for every new car sold, sometimes it’s a higher ratio in densely populated areas such as South Wales or the Midlands where it might be 6:1. No wonder the used car dealers are rubbing their hands but … [Read more...]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 10
- Next Page »