In a sector under pressure to be at the forefront of the green transition, more time is what it’ll take to get us there, say drivers. Research by Close Brothers Motor Finance found that almost a third (30%) of British motorists feel that the delay to the new petrol and diesel vehicle ban will allow for more time for an expansion in electric vehicle infrastructure and improvement in … [Read more...]
Renewable fuels are answer to ev shortcomings
Climate protection solutions are urgently needed in road transport and politicians must make a clear commitment to renewable fuels, according to a learned German body. Slumping new registration figures, consumer reluctance and increasing doubts among vehicle manufacturers indicate the all-electric approach to passenger cars promoted by European and German legislators has failed, accoding to … [Read more...]
EV toll-tax opposed to encourage greener motoring
More than half of motorists are against a new proposal to make electric vehicle drivers pay six pence per mile to counter a tax shortfall compared to petrol and diesel cars. July’s Startline Used Car Tracker shows 55% believe such a move would not be fair while 40% say that EV tax should be kept low by the government in order to encourage take-up. Also, 22% don’t like the idea of road pricing for … [Read more...]
Government damaging confusion over cleaner vehicles
This week’s government ambivalence over the longstanding 2030 EV sales deadline is potentially “damaging for fleets” who are committed to electrification, says FleetCheck. Peter Golding (below), managing director at the leading fleet software provider, said that prime minister Rishi Sunak’s equivocation when asked about the deadline by an interviewer had set alarm bells ringing across the … [Read more...]
Used fleet-evs are slowly shifting
Ex-fleet electric vehicles are taking more than twice as long to sell as internal combustion engine models, according to new data from epyx, but the situation could change relatively quickly, the company added. Figures drawn from its 1link Disposal Network platform show that petrol cars and vans are taking an average of 10 days to sell, and diesel 11 but EVs 25. The trend remains the same when … [Read more...]
EU Automotive trails rest of the world, warns boss
Ahead of the unveiling of the Green Deal Industry Plan, Luca de Meo, President of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association and Renault Group CEO, is urged EU leaders to put in place an ambitious and structured automotive industrial policy, to rival those of other world regions. Concerned about the EU industry’s eroding competitiveness on the global stage, Mr de Meo (above) made this … [Read more...]
Winter will drive up fuel costs
Poor fuel efficiency caused by cold weather over winter will cost car drivers an extra £1.7bn, new research by Go.Compare Car Insurance has revealed. All vehicles will require more energy to run during the colder months, leaving Brits with yet another extra expenditure during a period of rapid inflation and economic uncertainty. Many factors lead to vehicles being less energy efficient in colder … [Read more...]
It’s getting tougher for Welsh automotive sector
The UK Automotive industry is unlikely to return to previous high levels of production and component suppliers in Wales must look elsewhere to survive, delegates to the Autolink 2022 conference were told yesterday. The gloomy outlook and warning was given by Prof Ian Henry, managing director of AutoAnalysis and a HM Government advisor on the motor industry speaking at the annual Welsh Automotive … [Read more...]
Newslines 27 June
As wholesale fuel prices are falling the prices have climbed over the weekend. RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said, “A litre of unleaded broke records again when it averaged 191.05p on Sunday, taking a fall tank over £105. Diesel also reached another high point on Saturday with an average price of 199.09p, which makes a full 55-litre family car fill-up £109.42. We are struggling to see how … [Read more...]
First drive: All new Kia Sportage arrives
Having given our readers a static view sneaky peek of the all-new Kia Sportage last November at a Kia UK media test driving event for other models in the range, this week we got behind the wheel of this important mid-sized SUV family favourite, writes David Miles. Here is a quick specification résumé of the all-new Sportage UK line-up: It is the fifth generation Sportage with the original … [Read more...]