The UK Government’s drive towards electric cars and a low carbon future faces a bumpy journey, say experts. Car-makers said they are committed to them and invested billions but the challenge of the next nine years is “immense”, according to Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive. "We are pleased, therefore, to see Government accept the importance of hybrid transition technologies – which drivers are … [Read more...]
Tolled roads warning from motoring bodies
British motorists are likely to be facing a new national tolled roads system. The scheme is being put forward again to offset losses from falling fuel duties and taxes, which accelerated during the lockdowns. They left a £40 Billion hole in Government finances and this week it's expected and reported by national media that the tolled roads system will be unveiled in a green industry paper on … [Read more...]
Newslines 16 November
CUPRA continues to accelerate the transformation of its business and the electrification of its premium performance range, opening the order books for the new CUPRA Leon plug-in hybrid in the UK. Customers can purchase the CUPRA Leon e-HYBRID VZ2 245PS, with 1.4-litre TSI engine, 85PS electric motor and 13.1kWh battery pack, from £34,495, with order books for pure-petrol variants opening early … [Read more...]
Used electric cars now growing sales
Second-hand battery and electric cars are being sought by drivers, says the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders in their latest report on the used car market. The UK’s used car market increased by 4.4% in Q3 after two consecutive quarters of decline, according to the latest figures published today by the SMMT. During the busiest quarter since the end of 2016, some 2,168,599 transactions … [Read more...]
Drivers in line for fuel price cut
Virtually static petrol prices in October should give way to pump price cuts of up to 5p per litre within the next two weeks, according to RAC Fuel Watch, with Asda already leading the charge with a fuel price cut this morning. Although the price of a litre of petrol was practically unchanged for a second month running at a little over 114p on average last month (114.53p at the start of the … [Read more...]
“Frost Jacking” warning
With the average first day of frost striking as early as 11 November in some regions of the UK, Tracker warns motorists of the perils of ‘Frost Jacking’ and urges extra vigilance when de-icing vehicle windscreens. Over three and a half million pounds worth of stolen vehicles were recovered by Tracker between November 2019 and January 2020, the peak months for vehicle thefts and typically when … [Read more...]
Newslines 27 October
The Nissan LEAF has been named most reliable electric vehicle in a study carried out by one of Britain’s best-known warranty companies. The research by Warrantywise looked at the frequency of repairs, common faults, cost of repair and age at the time of repair. As the long nights draw in, new analysis by DS Automobiles shows that the risk of a fatal accident is five times greater between 7pm and … [Read more...]
Newslines 20 October
This year’s RAC London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is cancelled on 1 November due to Covid-19 restrictions after being staged without interruption since 1947. The event has been planned for 7 November 2021. Car dealers in Wales will have to close showrooms from Friday evening under the Welsh lockdown law. They will be allowed to run virtual showrooms and meet clients on line but actual buyer … [Read more...]
Killer drivers should have longer sentences, says survey
Two-thirds of drivers want to see increased maximum sentences for those causing death by dangerous driving, according to the RAC. On the day a Private Members’ Bill to do just that is scheduled to have its second reading in Parliament, research carried out with 2,800 drivers found that a quarter (25%) believe maximum sentences should be increased to somewhere between 15 years and a life sentence, … [Read more...]
Video calling is latest driving hazard
The rise in popularity of the likes of FaceTime, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Snapchat for video calls is posing a new and present danger on roads. Amost one-in-five (18%) of drivers aged 17-24 admit taking part in video calls while behind the wheel, figures for the RAC Report on Motoring 2020 reveal. Younger drivers are more than twice as likely to say they make or receive video calls while … [Read more...]
