The average price of petrol shot up by 3.5p to 120p a litre in January – a price last seen the day before the first Covid-19 lockdown on 22 March 2020 and the third consecutive monthly increase, says RAC Fuel Watch. Diesel also went up by more than 3p a litre from 120.05p to 123.43p (3.38p), making for the second rise in as many months. Both fuels, however, are still around 7p a litre cheaper … [Read more...]
Volvo XC60 range widens
Volvo's award-winning XC60 mid-size SUV is now available with a full range of electrified powertrains. The former World Car of the Year is offered purely with hybrid power, from mild-hybrid petrols and diesels to petrol-electric plug-in hybrids. Every mild-hybrid powertrain in the XC60 range combines a powerful 2.0-litre engine with a 48-volt battery and a KERS kinetic energy recovery system to … [Read more...]
Call for new thinking towards net zero challenge
The UK automotive sector is a valuable asset to the UK economy, generating £82bn and providing 832,000 jobs in the UK, said Matt Western MP, chair of the all party parliamentary motor group. Writing the forward to a new report on Government plans to reach net zero carbon by 2050, which will be a huge challenge for society and industry in Britain, he said there is no silver bullet to kill the … [Read more...]
Petrol still dominates buyers’ preferences
Pre-lockdown, some 32% of UK drivers were planning to buy an alternative fuelled vehicle as their next car purchase, according to a report from Close Brothers Motor Finance. Drivers are continuing to shy away from traditional fuel types, with 21% planning on buying a hybrid car, and 11% opting for electric. Despite electric surging in popularity, petrol remains the most popular choice of fuel … [Read more...]
Petrol peak passes as ev points rise
The rise in electric charging points is steadily rising and possibly indicates that petrol and diesel sales have peaked. Government figures this week showed that at 1 July 2020, there were 18,265 public electric vehicle charging devices available in the UK. Of these, 3,206 were rapid devices.Since 2015, the number of public charging devices has grown by nearly five times to July 2020, with … [Read more...]
New car sales edge upwards
New car sales have started a slow recovery. British new car registrations fell by 35% in June as many dealerships reopened after coronavirus lockdown measures were lifted, but the Welsh and Scottish showrooms' openings were delayed until the end of the month and this affected figures. A total 145,377 new cars were registered in June, leaving accumulated figures down by nearly a half, according … [Read more...]
Fuel prices collapse but there’s a warning as well
Amid exceptional circumstances, UK petrol prices fell by their largest margin in 12 years in March, triggered by a complete collapse in the world oil price, says the latest RAC Fuel Watch report. While the price of a barrel of crude oil began the month above $50, by the end of March it had plummeted by 66% to under $18, its lowest level in 18 years. This was due to a combination of plunging … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Ford Mondeo Vignale 5dr
Size can make a world of a difference to buyers and that’s where the Ford Mondeo packs them in, writes Robin Roberts. It has consistently won awards for its internal dimensions, roominess and popularity with families and business users and it’s easy to see why. The trend towards compact cars has seen the Mondeo segment shrink in numbers if not individual dimensions, but if you really … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Vauxhall Astra Hatch 1.5 Turbo D 122hp
The revised British built Vauxhall Astra has arrived in showrooms and that's good news for the 25% of Brits who have either owned or driven one since the Mark 1 appeared in 1979, writes David Miles. Since then through seven generations covering 40 years over three million have been sold in the UK, 30,000 of them in 2018. Now a major refresh sees the Vauxhall Astra continue with five door Hatch … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: VW Passat SEL 190 estate
Volkswagen’s golden oldie Passat is a treasure. From its launch in 1973 it is now the VW with the longest-lived name-plate after the Beetle went out of production this year and it even predates the Golf name by a year. With over 30 million sold worldwide in 46 years, the Passat is the best-selling mid-size car in the world after seven versions have been launched. The enhanced eighth generation … [Read more...]
