UK new car registrations rose by 15.0% in February as 58,994 new cars joined Britain’s roads, said the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The rise of 7,682 units was in comparison with the same month in 2021, when the pandemic shut car showrooms across the UK. Despite this positive performance, registrations are down -25.9% on pre-pandemic levels, as vehicle supply remains constrained by … [Read more...]
Drivers being nudged towards electric cars with wider choice
Fleets are opening up their choice lists to increase adoption of electric cars, while limiting petrol and diesel options, to ‘nudge’ drivers towards zero-emission vehicles, says Arval UK. The sustainable fleet and mobility company has been supporting organisations to revise their vehicle policies to include a broader choice of manufacturers, opening up access to more electric vehicles (EVs) and … [Read more...]
Newslines 21 February
Silverstone Auctions will include a world-famous car linked to ‘rally royalty’ in its spectacular 2022 Season Opener at The RAF Museum London on 5 and 6 March. The 2001 Ford Focus World Rally Car driven by the legendary late Colin McRae, with its iconic Y4 FMC plates, promises to be one of the most crowd-pulling rally stars of this glittering auction and is likely to exceed £350,000. The number … [Read more...]
Newslines 17 February
Pricing and specification for the Mazda2 Hybrid has been announced. Arriving in the UK in May, and available to order now, the Mazda2 Hybrid will be offered across three trim grades: Pure, Agile and Select with prices from £20,300 as a result of a joint venture with Toyota, who will make the car and badge it as a Mazda. Kia UK Limited has won the Feefo ‘Gold Trusted Service’ award for a … [Read more...]
Car-makers call for charging points Czar
The UK automotive industry has today published a new seven-point plan to ensure every driver in Britain can benefit from an electric vehicle charging network that is affordable, available and accessible to all. The plan, designed to drive collaboration between government, industry and all other stakeholders, calls for mandated targets for infrastructure rollout, backed by an independent … [Read more...]
EVs big savings with off-peak charging over petrol & diesel
EV motorists will have an advantage over drivers with petrol or diesel cars following the energy price hike, say experts at Select Car Leasing. With the energy price cap rising, Brits are expected to see their energy bills skyrocket by 54%. This, combined with rising fuel costs which have hit all-time records for petrol and diesel, means many motorists across the UK will be out of pocket come … [Read more...]
Massive boost needed for ev points, says report
There will be 130 million electric vehicles on Europe's roads by 2035, said Ernst & Young and the electricity industry trade association Eurelectric. The current total of 5 million will accelerate to 65 million over the next eight years but then double in the following five years. “It took us 10 years to install 400,000 chargers,” says Serge Colle, EY's global energy and … [Read more...]
Used cars bounce back led by hybrids
The UK’s used car market grew by 11.5% to 7,530,956 transactions in 2021, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. It reported 777,997 more cars changed hands than in 2020, a year which was even more badly affected by Covid lockdowns and unsettled consumer and business confidence. Despite this growth, the 2021 performance was still -5.5% below the pre-pandemic five-year … [Read more...]
EV sales offer hope as new car market staggers
New car registrations in Wales rose the most in mainland Britain last month, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufactuers and Traders. Welsh showrooms saw 4,166 new cars leaving in 2022 compared to 2,654 as the year started in 2021, a 56.97% jump. The latest figures from the SMMT show that 115,087 new cars were registered in January, some 24,838 more than the same month last year, … [Read more...]
£10,700 average claim by motorists for EV complaints
Dealers and software are failing buyers of electric cars, says The Motor Ombudsman. It's dedicated to the automotive sector, and has reported that a third (33%) of disputes submitted by consumers in relation to the purchase or ownership of an electric vehicle, to its dispute resolution service in 2021, were due to an issue at the point of sale, or because of the customer service they had … [Read more...]