Cardiff has abandoned a plan to charge some motorists entering the city. The emissions tax was part of a £32m plan to reduce air pollution and congestion in the city but after public consultation was judged it would penalise the owners of older cars and simply spread pollution to other parts of the city, so alternative proposals include more bus and cycle lanes with the introduction of … [Read more...]
European car prices face rise but Japanese go down
Some european cars will rise in price under the Government’s proposed post-Brexit tariffs structures. The new tariff regime would mark a shift in favour of products from non-EU countries. Even so, they mean 82% of imports from the EU would be tariff-free, down from 100% now, while 92% percent from the rest of the world would pay no border duty, up from 56%. Under the plan, the UK car … [Read more...]
Motor industry dispels myths on road to Brexit
As the clock ticks towards a deadline for Brexit, the UK automotive industry outlines its views on ‘no deal’ impact, as Parliament debates the meaningful vote. Many commentators and politicians cite the automotive industry in Brexit discussions so, as Parliament debates the meaningful vote, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has published a clear rebuttal of some of the many … [Read more...]
UK new car sales soar as Geneva show opens
As the Geneva motor show opens, figures show UK car sales beat expectations and rose 1.4 percent February, boosted by rising sales of petrol and alternative-fuelled cars, according to the SMMT. Sales rose to 81,969 units from 80,805 in February 2018. In Wales, sales went up 6.44% last month and eased the year so far to a 1.98% increase with 2,396 registrations in what is a short month … [Read more...]
Welsh sales steady as diesel cars ground and AFVs take off
Sales of hybrid and electric cars soared over 26% last month and slowed the fall in registrations of recent months, according to figures from the car makers. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders say registrations were only 1.6% down in January at 161,013 new cars, with private buyers leading the way as business and fleet models continued to fall. In Wales, registrations were almost … [Read more...]
Car production & investment sharply down – SMMT
British car production fell by 9 percent last year - the most since the recession ten years ago. Analysis by the SMMT suggests investment slumped by nearly half due to fears about Brexit, said the SMMT. Volumes have also been hit by a crackdown on diesel, tougher emissions rules disrupting new vehicle supply and a slowdown in China, the world’s no. 1 autos market. Last year saw the fall … [Read more...]
Dealers doubts over stocking pile up
Findings from the Close Brothers Motor Finance’s Dealer Satisfaction Survey reveal 95% are confident about business prospects in the market for 2019, up from 93% last year. Of these, six in ten (60%) are ‘very confident’ about the business outlook for the year ahead. However, while the broad picture is one of confidence, there were some issues that have become more prominent in the last … [Read more...]
Welsh car sales held up well in 2018
New car sales in Wales last year did better than most other parts of Britain, show figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, writes Robin Roberts. Twelve months saw 79,936 new cars registered in Wales - led by Ford - compared to 82,753 in 2017, a 3.4% dip and only Northern Ireland faired better with 3.35% decline on a smaller total of 52,533 in 2018 under 54,356 sales a year … [Read more...]
Welsh car buyers spur sales
Welsh car buyers and dealers have bucked the UK trend and pushed up new car registrations in November by 1.03% to 5,579 models. This compares to a rise of 7.1% in Scotland with 12,407 new cars and 3,8% in Northern Ireland 3,253 while a decline of 4.1 %was experienced in England when figures dipped to 137,039, so the market in the UK went down overall by 2.98%. British new car sales fell by … [Read more...]
Used car sales steady after new cars collapse
Britain’s used car market remained near recent record highs in the third quarter of 2018, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Despite a sales dip of -2.1% compared with the same period in 2017, there were 2,057,457 used transactions in Q3, with August the quarter’s best-selling month and the Ford Fiesta was most popular with 93,260 sold. Buyers continued flocking to … [Read more...]