Nearly half of motorists planning to buy a car in the next year would be prepared to pay more to skip waiting lists caused by supply chain problems, according to research from Close Brothers Motor Finance.
It follows a fifth consecutive month of decline in registrations in August, which the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders attributes to ongoing global supply chain issues, predominantly the lack of semiconductors and exacerbated by Covid lockdowns in key manufacturing and logistics centres in China, plus disruption from the war in Ukraine.
The unprecedented rise in energy costs over the past six months, without prompt and suitable help, will for many in the automotive retail industry prove an extremely difficult burden, said Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association.
Sue Robinson added, “Supporting the industry at this moment in time will give businesses the time they need to renegotiate contract prices which better reflect the increasing energy costs.
Despite the ongoing improvement of the country’s charging network, concerns over the ability to charge vehicles dominate the list of factors why some UK businesses are delaying car and van electrification, according to the latest Arval Mobility Observatory research.
Companies that have not yet adopted any electric vehicles were asked their reasons why in the survey. The top answer was not enough public charging points (50%) and they also listed no charging solution at an employee’s offices (40%) or at an employee’s home (35%), yet only 12% responded that employees are reluctant to drive electric vehicles.
The UK’s leading independent road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart, has highlighted the need to ensure that the government, and car makers, prioritise training for drivers in its evidence to a House of Commons Transport Committee Inquiry.
The government recently outlined its plans for self-driving vehicles to be rolled out on UK roads from 2025, with some vehicles with self-driving features operating on motorways as soon as next year and IAM RoadSmart has urged the House of Commons Transport Committee to make sure that autonomous vehicles do not negatively impact road safety or impose restrictions on drivers.
Scrap Car Comparison surveyed 2,000 people to discover what turns them off and on when it comes to getting behind the wheel.
BMW came out as the car brand that puts people off a potential partner the most, followed by Fiats and Skodas, while Mercedes proved the biggest turn-on.
Pirelli UK has officially teamed up with Prostate Cancer UK for an inaugural charity partnership, helping to secure a future where lives are not limited by the most common cancer in men.
Pirelli UK is passionate about supporting Prostate Cancer UK’s research into better tests and treatments for prostate cancer, helping men get diagnosed earlier. There is a striking statistic that more than 47,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year – that’s 129 men every day.
Google should not only reverse its changes to its airline emissions calculator, but expand it to cover other forms of transport.
The tech giant has been accused of ‘airbrushing’ the impact of flying on the environment after it removed key drivers of climate change from its online carbon flight calculator and Nawaz Haq, Executive Director at British fuel tech company SulNOx Group Plc, which is working on solutions to help decarbonise transport and industry, criticised the move and said not only should Google reverse its decision, but it should make similar calculators available for other journey types.
