The Welsh Government will be investing £1m to create a network of car clubs to connect rural communities, says outgoing Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters. The move comes as part of plans to meet ambitious targets for reducing carbon emissions with aims for public transport, walking and cycling trips to account for 45% of journeys by 2040 and the clubs will provide an easy and … [Read more...]
Tradelines 6 March
Car makers, component suppliers and the recycling industry across Europe have criticised proposed new legislation on dismantling. A planned EU law would require the complete recycling of vehicles down to the smallest component, such as a circuit board, but the opponents say this is unrealistic, impractical and would generate more carbon emissions than would be saved by ethically disposing of the … [Read more...]
Car sales boom on eve of Budget
February’s figures reinforce the robust performance of the UK automotive sector, maintaining a strong start to 2024 and signalling a nineteenth month of consecutive growth, said Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association, commenting on the latest SMMT new passenger car registration figures. In February, a total of 84,886 new cars were registered, an increase of … [Read more...]
EV regs hit a million but petrol sales climbing too
Discounted business registrations meant Britain’s millionth battery electric car reached the road in January 2024, while the new car market grew 8.2% for the month, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The first month of the year saw 142,876 new cars registered led by the Kia Sportage (above), which repeated its success of January 2022, and an UK uplift of 10,882 units on … [Read more...]
When Mini mastered the Monte – after Welsh debut
Sixty years ago, on 21st January 1964, a BMC Mini Cooper S took the first foreign international rally win on the 33rd edition of the Monte Carlo Rally for what became one of the most versatile and successful competition cars in history. Driven by Paddy Hopkirk and navigated by Henry Liddon, the 1071 cc, 90 bhp Cooper S defeated a top class and truly international entry of 300 cars, including a … [Read more...]
BEV charge is running down
The UK new car market grew by 9.5% in November to reach 156,525 units, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, but there's a slowdown in EV interest among private buyers. In the market’s best November for four years, registrations almost returned to pre-pandemic levels, down just 96 units (-0.1%) on 2019. Registrations in Wales rose 13.7% to 5,467 … [Read more...]
Newslines 14 November
With its 300hp 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and all-wheel-drive, the new MINI John Cooper Works Countryman is coming soon. It hits 62mph in 5.4 secs., runs to a limited 155mph and has sporting chassis and driver assistance systems inc. some hands-off features, with a simplified cockpit with maximum 1450 litres luggage space. York has been shortlisted by The Toyota Mobility Foundation in … [Read more...]
Fleet discounts driving slight rise in new car registrations
October’s new car market grew by 14.3% to reach 153,529 registrations, 7.2% above pre-pandemic levels and marking the best performance for the month since 2018, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The 15th month of consecutive growth was driven almost entirely by large fleet registrations, which grew 28.8% to reach 87,479 units. Private demand was stable at 62,915 … [Read more...]
KIA is king but Stellantis is hopeless, say traders
Kia is the best and Stellantis the worst brands to be selling, say car dealers. The NFDA Dealer Attitude Survey was conducted last month and asked franchised dealers questions about the on-going business relationship with their respective manufacturers. It brought 2,531 responses from 32 franchised networks, equating to a joint record response rate of 68%. The 2023 Summer Survey showed a general … [Read more...]
Lords seeking clarity out of confusion
In response to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s net zero statement on Wednesday, Baroness Parminter, Chair of the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee, has written to Mark Harper MP, Secretary of State for the Department of Transport. In the letter, Baroness Parminter, on behalf of the cross-party committee looking into the ev sector, has asked the following questions … [Read more...]