Vauxhall Insignia to ‘read’ speed limit signs

Vauxhall’s upcoming Insignia will be the first car with a system that can ‘read’ speed limit signs and warn the driver. The optional new technology, combined with a lane departure warning system, will become available from 2009 on the Insignia and is expected to be rolled out on future new…

Porsche experience centre set to open

Porsche GB is set to open its new multi-million pound customer experience centre at the famous Silverstone motor racing circuit by early September. Construction is almost complete at the circular building, which resembles a Porsche dealership, alongside the Hanger straight at the circuit. As well as providing present and future…

Volkswagen boss claims CO2 targets are attainable

Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn says that the European Union’s goal to cut average CO2 emissions to 120 g/km by 2015 is ‘realistic and achievable’. Mr Winterkorn said his goal was to develop a Volkswagen Golf that ran on three to four litres per 100 km, though he did not…

Home working is rocketing in popularity.

Fuel prices, congestion, better telecommunications technology and corporate policies aimed at reducing CO2 emissions are all leading to employers becoming increasingly willing to allow employees to work from home. Even Government departments are getting in on the act with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) becoming…

SAIC gets ready to start MG Rover production

Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation will begin manufacturing of the MG Rover at the Longbridge plant in Birmingham in August or September. The company says it has established a 40-strong UK dealer network in readiness for sales to start. SAIC says that initial production will be ‘modest’, but will step it…

Record fuel price increases in June

Record rises in the price of both petrol and diesel have been measured by the AA, overtaking last month’s record increases. With the price of crude oil reaching nearly $140 a barrel, the AA says that nationally, unleaded petrol prices rose by 5.6p per litre to 118.2p (5.37 a gallon)…

Fuel tanker drivers settle pay dispute

Fuel tanker drivers supplying Shell forecourts across the UK have ended their pay dispute lifting the threat of a second four-day strike scheduled to start on Friday (June 20). The drivers, employed by haulage firms Hoyer UK and Suckling Transport to deliver fuel to the forecourts, returned to work yesterday…

Fuel strike disruption continues as peace talks resume

Shell tanker drivers were due to return to work at 6am tomorrow (Tuesday, June 17) following a four-day strike. However, the drivers, who work for two companies contracted to the oil company, Hoyer UK and Suckling Transport, are due to walkout again for four days in pursuit of a pay…

Low emission cars are key part of Tories’ ‘green’ agenda

Hydrogen fuel cell and battery powered cars are a key part of Tory leader David Cameron’s environmental plans to both strengthen the economy and help tackle the rising cost of living. In a speech to environmental leaders, Mr Cameron outlined what he called ‘our Blue/Green Charter’, which included pledges to:…

Bentley recalls thousands of cars

Bentley is recalling 33,155 cars after discovering a design fault that could lead to them catching fire. The problem with four Continental models, which can cost £137,500, means that owners must take their car to their dealer to have a defective fuel filter modified. The recall affects a total of…

Raw material costs put tyre prices under pressure

Tyre manufacturer Bridgestone has become the latest producer to increase tyre prices to UK motorists more steeply that on the continent. Blaming higher raw material and import costs, the world’s leading tyre maker is raising tyre prices across Europe for the second time in months. UK drivers face price increases…

Tata Motors to buy Hummer?

Indian vehicle manufacturer Tata Motors, which recently completed its acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover, has approached shareholders to ask for permission to raise a £1.5 billion war chest to fund further acquisitions. It is believed that potential targets could include Hummer, the General Motors’ owned company that was put…

Talks to avert fuel tanker drivers’ strike continue

Talks to prevent a four-day strike starting tomorrow (Friday, June 13) by tanker drivers who deliver fuel for Shell continued today (Thursday, June 12). Members of the Unite union representing more than 600 drivers met their employers to try to find a resolution to the pay dispute yesterday (Wednesday) but…

New cars sales not as bad as first predicted, says Barclays

Barclays has revised its full-year new car sales forecast upwards, despite predicting a tough period of trading in the latter half of the year. Forecasts for the UK economy have been revised down in recent months as the effects of the disruption in financial markets on the wider economy become…

Government to spend £90m cutting A14 congestion

Drivers on the A14, which links the Midlands with the east coast ports, are to benefit from more reliable and safer journeys as Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly announced the go-ahead for an £89.5m project to install new jam-busting technology on the route. The scheme will deliver improvements over a total…

Credit crunch could force bank-owned leasing companies out of sector

The credit crunch could force some of the leasing industry’s big players out of the market, according to Jon Walden, boss of UK contract hire firm Lex. Speaking to BusinessCar: Mr Walden said: “We could see one or two of the top 10 decide to exit the leasing industry. It…

Petrol sales fall 20% as drivers feel the squeeze: home working takes off

Motorists are shunning their cars following record rises in the price of fuel, according to the International Energy Agency. The organisation has reported that ‘British motorists are clearly driving less’ following a doubling of crude oil prices in the last 12 months. Petrol retailers have reported that fuel sales have…

Inquiry to be held into Britain’s ‘worst road’

A three-day inquiry is to be held into traffic delays on the A12 in Essex, which has been billed as Britain’s ‘worst road’. The heavily congested road, which runs between London and Great Yarmouth, carries more than 86,000 vehicles a day ad is regularly closed for roadworks. Voted the worst…

Cars could be powered by sugar within a decade

Low pollution cars powered by hydrogen produced from plant sugar could be on the road within 10 years, according to biochemists in the United States. They have developed a process that combines plant sugars with a cocktail of enzymes to produce hydrogen and small amounts of carbon dioxide. The researchers…

Sat-navs threaten damage to ancient buildings

Satellite navigation systems are posing a threat to Britain’s ancient bridges, roads and buildings as increasing numbers of drivers are directed to use lanes and country roads never designed for heavy vehicles. Examples of damage highlighted in the latest issue of Cornerstone, the members’ magazine of SPAB (The Society for…

Rethink of ‘VW law’ insufficient, says Brussels

The German Government’s proposed changes to the controversial law that protects Europe’s largest carmaker, Volkswagen against hostile takeovers do not go far enough, according to the European Commission. EU internal market commissioner Charlie McCreevy has written to the German Government saying that proposed changes to the so-called ‘VW law’ were…

Daimler predicts sales slowdown

Global car sales will rise by 2% this year, but tighter economic conditions will hit European and United States’ volumes, according to Daimler. Growth in countries such as China, Russia and India has helped carmakers stave off the impact of the slowdown in sales, particularly in the US. However, Daimler…

Portsmouth drives forward with city-wide 20 mph zone

Portsmouth has today (Tuesday, March 25) become the first city in Britain to introduce a wide-ranging 20 mph speed limit. A total of 1,200 residential streets are included in the scheme, which is being closely monitored by other local authorities with Norwich City Council exploring a similar initiative. The scheme…

Car costs soar under Labour

The cost of running a family car has risen to almost £2,200 a year - a 56% increase since Labour came to power, according to an analysis of the rising expense of everyday living from the House of Commons library. It now costs an average of 2,197 to maintain, service,…

Government targets tired company car drivers with new campaign

Company car drivers are one of the major targets of a new Government campaign aimed at cracking down on the number of road crashes involving tired motorists. Driver tiredness accounts for around one fifth of accidents on major roads, and is responsible for around 300 deaths per year on the…

Fuel desert fears over fill-up crisis

Parts of the UK are at risk of becoming fuel deserts with nowhere for motorists to fill up their cars after it emerged that the number of filling stations has fallen to its lowest level since 1913. Then there were around 10,100 places for motorists to fill up. Today, however,…

Profits halve at Pendragon as competition hits margins

Profits at Britain’s largest car dealership group, Pendragon, halved for the 12 months to December 31, 2007 as the market became ever-more competitive putting pressure on margins. The company reported pre-tax profits before exceptionals of £34.8 million (2006: £69.4m) on static revenue of £5.1 billion. Chief executive Trevor Finn said:…

Graphic warnings of road dangers displayed on new signs

Drivers on the M42 in the West Midlands will be the first in the country to be warned about traffic conditions and dangers ahead of them via digital picture messages on overhead signs. They will be introduced this week on an 11-mile stretch of the motorway by the Highways Agency…