The Labour-led Welsh Government wants to further clamp down on drivers. It has published a long awaited anti-air pollution proposal which would see heavily polluting vehicles paying to use some of Wales' busiest roads under a new law. The Welsh government said it would only happen if 50mph zones fail to reduce emissions. Sections of the M4 near Newport and the A470 at Pontypridd have been … [Read more...]
M4 & A470 tolling plan by Welsh Government
Welsh Government is considering tolling parts of the M4 and A470 to discourage older vehicles emitting harmful nitrogen dioxide. It has surveyed users and asked how their travel plans could change if cars were charged between £3 and £8 and light vans £6 to £12.50 with lorries up to £50 a day to use the M4 around Newport and A470 at Upper Boat where 50mph limits have been introduced to slow … [Read more...]
Newslines 3 November
Demand for used cars is 15% higher than it was at this time last year, coinciding with a decline in sales of new cars, says AA Cars. Drivers’ interest in used cars spiked to 9.1%above pre-pandemic levels when forecourts re-opened in June, but the new analysis shows that demand has continued to pick up since then with searches on the AA Cars platform in September an average4% higher than they were … [Read more...]
Diesel engines get another knock
The European Parliament voted to end to the “licence to pollute” carmakers managed to obtain in the midst of the Dieselgate scandal. European sustainable mobility body Transport & Environment welcomed this outcome and called on EU governments to support this decision in the negotiations to come with MEPs. In 2016, carmakers managed to convince the EU Commission and Member States they were … [Read more...]
Steel yourself for a greener road ahead
Everyone wants to play their part, however small, in protecting the planet for future generations. But we all still have to live and work in the modern world with its work, family, social and financial considerations. That usually means needing access to at least one car for most households. Car buyers look closely at running costs and most assume a fuel-efficient vehicle will also be … [Read more...]
SUV sales pushing up pollution, say environmentalists
Carbon pollution from new cars increased again last year, by 1.3% on average, according to the EU’s environmental watchdog, the EEA. Green group Transport & Environment said the repeated rise in car CO2 is due to manufacturers continuing to sell highly-polluting SUVs until the last possible moment before pushing cleaner models to comply with the 2020/21 climate target. The provisional data … [Read more...]
Tradelines 24 June
Nissan and Renault have been dragged into a new law suit over alleged illegal emissions and defeat testing devices in UK cars. Up to 1.4 million cars could be involved claims law firm Harcus Parker, nearly all diesel but also 100,000 petrol engines, but the car makers have denied the claim and said they have fully complied with testing legislation. Italy is poised to guarantee the equivalent of … [Read more...]
Air pollution warning over CV19 easing
Easing the lockdown and more commuting will lead to a rapid rise in air pollution, say engineers. In response to the news that the need to return to the workplace could see an increase in car use and a rebound in CO2 emissions following a reduction due to Covid-19 lockdown, Dr Jenifer Baxter, Chief Engineer at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers said, “The Institution has for many years … [Read more...]
Real world emissions show cleanest cars and vans
New real-world data on vehicle emissions will allow revitalisation of an automotive industry and global economy devastated by the COVID-19 outbreak but with cleaner air and reduced impact on climate change. The AIR Index at airindex.com identifies the cleanest cars to give buyers confidence to switch to cleaner vehicles and restore the automotive industry badly impacted by the pandemic. The … [Read more...]
SUVs are driving up pollution, claim
The demand for sports utility vehicles is threatening the UK’s attempts to clean up the transport sector. Sales of new SUVs now outnumber electric vehicle sales at a rate of 37 to 1. In its 2019 annual Review of Energy Policy, published yesterday, the UK Energy Research Centre examines some of the challenges of meeting the 2050 net zero emissions target. The Review highlights how the trend … [Read more...]