The Mini Electric supermini now comes with an added incentive for those thinking about buying one.
Customers who order a Mini Electric before 31 March 2023 will receive a free home charging wallbox.
The offer includes installation of the wallbox by Pod Point, Mini’s official EV charging partner. It applies to vehicles bought via Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and Personal Contract Hire (PCH) finance.
Home charging solved
Pod Point will supply a home wallbox capable of topping up the Mini Electric from 0-80 percent battery charge in just three hours.
Using a dedicated wallbox for charging is faster than a domestic three-pin plug socket. It also allows Mini owners to access the Pod Point smartphone app.
In line with the latest smart charging legislation, the Pod Point app means Mini Electric owners can schedule charging for off-peak hours. It can also be used to track charging activity, add up costs and view usage history.
Installation of the free wallbox needs to take place before 31 March 2024, and is subject to the buyer’s home wiring being up to the relevant standards.
Big benefits for Mini owners
Customers who already have a wallbox for home charging do not miss out, however. Mini offers the option of a £750 deposit contribution instead of the wallbox.
All Mini Electric owners are eligible for free 12-month access to the Mini Charging service. This allows access to more than 11,000 public chargepoints in the UK, including Ionity and Instavolt rapid charging devices.
Prices for the Mini Electric start from £29,000, which includes satellite navigation, a digital dashboard and smartphone connectivity as standard.
Fitted with a 32.6kWh battery, the Mini Electric is officially capable of covering up to 145 miles when fully charged.
The third Monday in January is designated ‘Blue Monday’ – officially the most depressing day of the year, thanks to long nights, damp weather and the post-Christmas blues.
Even if you enjoy driving, spending long hours in the car may also worsen your mood and pose risks to your health, including through stress and a poor diet.
With Blue Monday in mind, we’ve put together some easy-to-follow tips for staying healthy, happy and safe on the road.
Take some time for yourself
One of the nice things about a long commute is you have time to yourself. How you keep your mind busy, while of course paying attention to driving, can be the difference between a bad journey and a good one.
Time for reflection is helpful, without the distraction of text messages, social media and so on. Enjoy the downtime and you’ll hit the ground running when you arrive at work.
Long commutes are also the perfect opportunity to educate yourself with audiobooks, podcasts and music. You could learn a language, develop a new interest, or work your way through every album Bob Dylan has ever recorded. Just us? OK, fine.
Make your commute more fun
It may sound obvious, and maybe a bit silly, but a good first port of call for a pick-me-up on the road is putting on your favourite tunes and having a good singalong.
A study by Nature Research found that listening to ‘heroic’ music can up your mood. Line up that Bonnie Tyler album. Just us again? Hmmm.
Listening to music too loudly can get you in trouble, though. Bradford council tried to pass a law that would see drivers playing loud music fined £100.
Dare we suggest the right car could also boost your driving enjoyment? Thankfully, that doesn’t mean spending lots of money: a second-hand Mazda MX-5 or Volkswagen Golf GTI will make any commute more fun.
Take up a hobby
Being crafty around your commute can free up time. Finish work at half-five, but the traffic doesn’t disappear until seven? Get a gym membership near to your office, so you can either get in early or leave late. Either way, that hour-and-a-half commute might shrink to 50 minutes if you devote a bit of time to your fitness.
The other plus-points are well known. Burning calories will keep you healthy, and a bit of exercise releases good endorphins. A good mood, made better by clear morning or evening roads, is a win-win.
Work in the city? Break up your commute by leaving your car on the outskirts, then walking or taking public transport. It could save you time, money (depending on where you are) and boost your mood. A bit more exercise is rarely a bad thing.
Give yourself enough time
Needless to say, a rushed drive is a stressful drive – and you’re more likely to make poor decisions behind the wheel. Get ahead of the traffic, roadworks and any other obstacles by leaving with time to spare.
Then there’s the obvious problem of the law. Driving carelessly can land you with a fine and penalty points on your licence. The job of operating the car should always be top of your priority list.
Keep your car tidy
We’ve saved the nagging for the end, but it’s necessary all the same. Maintain the place where you spend several hours of your day, and your mood and health will likely improve.
From crumbs to clutter, you’re better off without it all. Have a good clear-out and rediscover your car’s cabin.
With 15 January designated as ‘National Pothole Day’, insurance company Admiral has revealed the huge increase in cars suffering pothole damage.
Analysis of the company’s data, has found that claims made for damage caused by potholes have risen by more than one-third (34 percent) since 2016.
The actual cost of repairs after pothole encounters has also jumped, increasing by an average of 16 percent. Admiral blames this on higher-tech vehicles requiring more specialist attention, along with an overall rise in the cost of car repairs.
Winter woes for drivers
December’s cold snap is expected to bring more pothole misery to UK roads, with freeze-thaw action likely to worsen existing cracks in tarmac surfaces.
Admiral notes that the ‘Beast from the East’ winter storm brought a 102 percent surge in pothole claims.
January to March is typically already the worst period for pothole-related claims. The first quarter of the year usually accounts for more than one-third (36 percent) of annual pothole claims.
Lorna Connelly, Head of Claims at Admiral, explains: “Over the last seven years we’ve seen an average of over 700 pothole-related claims a year.
“In years with extreme cold snaps, we always see an increase – for example, in 2018 when we had the ‘Beast from the East’, this increased to over 1,000 claims.
“We expect the thaw following the December cold snap will result in a spike in claims this year, too.”
How to claim for pothole damage
Lorna Connelley adds: “You can always try to claim compensation for any damage caused to your car, through whoever is responsible for the road you were driving on, although there is no guarantee you will be successful.”
Admiral has produced a step-by-step guide on how to claim compensation for damage caused by potholes. This includes advice to:
Collect as much evidence as possible. This should include a photograph of the pothole, along with details of the time, date, and location where the damage occurred. A mechanic’s written report on the damage will help, too.
Find out who is responsible. Different authorities have responsibility for different roads, so it is vital to contact the right one. Drivers can request copies of maintenance schedules to show potholes have not been addressed properly.
Report your claim. Many local authorities have online forms for this, but be sure to include as much information as possible.
Once submitted, a local authority or other organisation may make an offer of compensation. Be prepared to argue for more if this does not adequately cover the damage caused.
If your claim is rejected, drivers can opt to pursue the matter through court. However, this is potentially an expensive and time-consuming process, so best reserved for the most serious levels of damage.
Admiral notes that there is the option to claim on your car insurance for damage, should you have comprehensive cover. This should be weighed against the cost of your insurance excess, along with the effect on any no-claims bonus applied.
The Jeep Avenger has been named European Car of the Year 2023 at the Brussels Motor Show.
The Avenger won by a clear margin over seven other finalists, which included the Kia Niro, Nissan Ariya, Peugeot 408, Renault Austral, Subaru Solterra and Toyota BZ4X, and the Volkswagen ID.Buzz.
57 Car of the Year jurors voted for the Jeep – ensuring the brand won on its first ever entry into the award.
The electric Jeep Avenger arrives in the UK later this year, as the smallest-ever Jeep, and the brand’s first pure electric vehicle.
The Jeep Avenger succeeds the Kia EV6 as the latest Car of the Year – meaning a pure electric car scoops the award for the second year running.
This year, the European Car of the Year organisation celebrates its 60th anniversary; the first competition was held back in 1964.
The new Mazda MX-30 R-EV plug-in hybrid heralds the revival of the rotary engine as an ingenious alternative for drivers who want an electric car, but require a longer range.
Revealed at the 2023 Brussels Motor Show, the new Mazda MX-30 R-EV is available to order now with prices starting from £31,250 – exactly the same as the fully electric Mazda MX-30 EV.
Capable of 53 miles on electric power only, the addition of the rotary engine and a 50-litre petrol tank gives the new Mazda MX-30 R-EV an overall range of more than 370 miles.
This is considerably better than the 124-mile range of the Mazda MX-30 EV.
UK deliveries start in the summer and, to celebrate the return of the rotary engine, there is a launch edition Mazda MX-30 R-EV Edition R. This has unique rotary-inspired details and costs £37,895.
Mazda MX-30 R-EV: Extending the range
Instead of a 35.5kWh battery, the Mazda MX-30 R-EV uses a 17.8kWh battery – exactly half the size. This saves both weight and cost.
However, because rotary engines are so compact, Mazda has been able to fit an 830cc single-rotor petrol engine alongside the generator and motor within the engine bay.
It’s incredibly compact and lightweight, so the Mazda MX-30 R-EV plug-in hybrid weighs almost the same as the pure electric version.
What’s more, the rotary engine acts solely as a generator, creating electricity to power the motor.
There is no mechanical connection between the engine and the wheels, meaning the MX-30 R-EV always feels like a smooth, fast-reacting electric car to drive.
What’s more, because system power output is 170hp, rather than the 145hp of the electric version, it accelerates a little faster: 0-62mph takes 9.1 seconds.
For those who want to stick with battery power, the 53-mile pure electric range can be boosted via 50kW DC chargers, with a 20-80 percent charge taking 25 minutes.
There are three driving modes. Normal sticks in EV mode as long as possible, but will switch on the engine when the driver demands more power than the battery can deliver.
EV mode, meanwhile, uses electric power until the battery is drained. And a Charge mode can save electric power for later, in increments of 10 percent.
Mazda MX-30 R-EV: A tax-friendly choice
In the official WLTP fuel consumption test, the new Mazda MX-30 R-EV averages 282.5mpg.
Of course, as with all plug-in hybrids, this figure is meaningless. But it does result in a CO2 emissions figure of just 21g/km, which most certainly isn’t.
It equates to a low Benefit-in-Kind tax rating of eight percent, which is hugely significant to high-mileage company car drivers (although it’s worth noting the pure electric version has a BiK rating of just two percent).
For those not yet able to go electric, the new Mazda MX-30 R-EV is a great, fuel-saving stepping stone, with the long range that fleet drivers demand.
Mazda MX-30 R-EV: Return of the rotary
Mazda has been making rotary engines for more than 50 years. The concept is a core part of the firm’s DNA, and its ingenious engineers jumped at the chance to bring it back, a decade after the final rotary-engined Mazda RX-8 sports car was produced.
Not only are rotary engines extremely compact, they are also uncannily smooth – meaning the vibration-free silence of an electric car won’t be spoiled even when the engine is running.
The new Mazda MX-30 R-EV has an 830cc single-rotor engine; this contrasts with the 654cc twin-rotor unit in the RX-8.
It is such a compact powerplant that, when combined with the electric motor and generator, the package measures less than 840mm wide – so it can use the same body frame as the Mazda MX-30 EV.
Because it acts purely as a generator, as a series hybrid, it doesn’t need a gearbox either, saving further weight.
The new Mazda MX-30 R-EV engine uses direct fuel injection, boosting efficiency and emissions, as well as an exhaust gas recirculation system.
Mazda also insists the rotor tip seals are extremely wear-resistant, while the sides of the rotor housing are coated with a plasma spray to reduce wear and friction.
Mazda MX-30 R-EV Edition R
The special edition Mazda MX-30 R-EV Edition R has bespoke badging, depicting a rotor with the letter ‘e’ accented in orange. It also comes with unique Maroon Rouge Metallic side pillars, on top of a black base colour.
The Edition R’s key fob has horizontal edges that curve at the same angle as the sides of the rotor – while the sculpted slides are 2.5mm wide, the same as the rotor tip seals. It’s gloss-coated and also marked out with the Edition R rotor logo.
The seat headrests and floor mats feature the Edition R logo, too.
Mazda MX-30 R-EV prices
Entry-level Mazda MX-30 R-EV prices are identical to the Mazda MX-30 EV.
As you move up to top-spec Makato models, it does cost a little more, but the difference is less than £500 – because this version comes as standard with an adaptor allowing owners to power devices via a three-pin plug.
There are three core trim levels, plus the limited-run Edition R launch model, as detailed here:
The new Acura Integra has been crowned the 2023 North American Car of the Year (NACTOY) winner at an event in Pontiac, Michigan.
It’s an excellent achievement for the reborn Integra, which had to impress a panel of 50 professional automotive journalists.
The judges are drawn from print, online, radio and television outlets in the United States and Canada, and they all cast votes on the three finalists.
Prizes were also handed out for the North American Truck of the Year, along with the top Utility vehicle.
Return of the iconic Integra
The Acura Integra started with success on its side, being based upon the latest Honda Civic that took the Car of the Year trophy in 2022.
However, the judging panel assessed the Integra on its own merits, praising its styling and fun driving experience. The option to combine a six-speed manual gearbox with the 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol engine also added to the appeal.
In the final of the 2023 NACTOY competition, the Acura Integra faced the Nissan Z coupe and the four-door Genesis G80 EV.
Charm, nostalgia and affordability all helped the Integra edge ahead, becoming Acura’s second winner in the NACTOY Awards.
Ford keeps on truckin’
Ford has enjoyed plenty of success in the Truck of the Year category, with various iterations of the F-150 pickup truck emerging as winners. Last year saw the compact Maverick claim the top truck award.
For 2023, the all-electric F-150 Lightning overwhelmingly won over the jurors. Off-road ability, practicality and impressive EV performance gave the Lightning a near-landslide win over the Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 and Lordstown Endurance.
Bengt Halvorson, NACTOY judge, said: “The F-150 Lightning shows how the most familiar vehicle in American life can be made even better as an EV, and it’s fantastic.”
All-electric Utility of the Year final
The North American Utility Vehicle of the Year category encompasses SUVs, crossovers and the few remaining minivans on sale. All three of the finalists in 2023 were electric cars, demonstrating the speed of change in this sector.
With attractive styling, a large battery range and rapid performance, the jurors voted the Kia EV6 as the winning utility for 2023.
Ease of charging and a refined interior added to the EV6 package, placing it ahead of the Genesis GV60 and luxurious Cadillac Lyriq.
New data has revealed that London is once again the most congested city in the world, topping the charts for the second year in a row.
The latest INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard places London at the top of the traffic league. On average, drivers in the capital lost 156 hours due to congestion in 2022, and averaged speeds of just 10mph.
This is far ahead of the 91 hours lost by drivers in Bristol, the UK’s second-worst city for congestion, and almost double the UK average of 80 hours spent in traffic last year.
An international problem
Unsplash / Sawyer Bengtson
In the Global Traffic Scorecard, Chicago narrowly missed out on the top spot for 2022. The Windy City saw drivers spend 155 hours gridlocked in congestion last year, making for a 49 percent increase from 2021.
Paris completed the podium positions, with drivers delayed by an average of 138 hours in the French capital. This represented a one percent fall from 2021. As in Chicago, Paris drivers typically managed to reach just 11mph on urban roads.
Boston, Massachusetts and New York City completed the five worst cities for congestion, with the United States accounting for half of the top 10.
Despite a notorious reputation for traffic, Los Angeles was placed in 14th position. LA drivers spent only 95 hours in traffic during 2022.
The £9.5 billion cost of congestion
Unsplash / Jay Wennington
INRIX notes that whilst 10 areas in the UK saw increases in traffic volumes, only London saw congestion above pre-Covid levels.
The overall increase in congestion during 2022 is potentially due to higher volumes of light commercial vehicles (LCV), and heavy goods vehicles (HGV), on UK roads.
LCV traffic rose by 95 percent compared to pre-Covid days, with HGVs up by 88 percent.
With motorists in the UK losing an average of 80 hours due to congestion, INRIX has calculated this cost each driver £707 in lost time.
This equates to a total cost to the country of £9.5 billion.
The continuing cost-of-living crisis has added 25 percent to the cost of fuel for commuters, too.
The Jaguar I-Pace electric SUV has been updated for 2023 – including the launch of a new range-topping 400 Sport model.
Styling has been tweaked, specifications improved, while the core range all now boast the R-Dynamic design pack.
There are two new satin-finish metallic colours, too – a Jaguar I-Pace first. Choose from Eiger Grey or Carpathian Grey.
At the front, the Jaguar I-Pace has a smooth, closed-off grille in Atlas Grey, replacing the old gloss black ‘lozenge’ grille.
It gives the front end a cleaner look and improves its aero efficiency. There’s also a new black and silver Jaguar badge in set into the grille.
The lower body features of the 2023 Jaguar I-Pace are now body-colour instead of gloss black, and the vertical blades in the front bumper are now Atlas Grey.
Every alloy wheel option on the new Jaguar I-Pace is diamond-turned, while the 22-inch wheel option has a satin grey finish.
The Jaguar I-Pace R-Dynamic SE Black and above all feature an exterior Black Pack, with gloss black grille and window surrounds, door mirrors and rear badges.
Jaguar I-Pace 400 Sport
The new Jaguar I-Pace 400 Sport boasts a tailgate spoiler and standard 22-inch alloys.
Inside, it has slimline performance seats, with fine Windsor leather and both heating and cooling for the driver.
The Jaguar I-Pace 400 Sport also gets standard electronic air suspension with adaptive dynamics – which includes adaptive surface response, tech that automatically reacts to the road in real time.
All new Jaguar I-Pace have a 90kWh battery, giving a range of up to 292 miles.
They are able to use 100kW rapid chargers, adding 78 miles of range in 15 minutes.
Output of 400hp and all-wheel drive gives 0-60mph acceleration in 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 124mph.
The I-Pace is “our latest model to benefit from our approach of offering more curated, richer specifications,” said Jaguar executive director Nick Collins.
He also teased the future of Jaguar, which remains clouded in mystery.
“We’re applying the know-how from our electrified vehicle programmes and accelerated technological development enabled by our collaborative partners with the Jaguar TCS Racing Team to reimagine Jaguar as an all-electric modern luxury brand from 2025.”
Bentley delivered 15,174 cars in 2022 – a 4 percent increase on 2021 and the first time Bentley has ever sold more than 15,000 cars in a single year.
Demand for the Bentley Bentayga drove the sales growth; it accounted for more than 4 in 10 Bentley sales, with order take higher than ever despite it being in its sixth year.
Bentley says it is the best-selling luxury SUV in the world.
The Bentley Flying Spur made up the remaining 28 percent of sales. The launch of the new Flying Spur Hybrid helped here: almost 1 in 3 cars sold globally are now electrified (and 2 in 3 of UK Flying Spur are hybrid – more than anywhere else in the world).
Third consecutive record
“The business overcame significant headwinds,” said chairman and CEO Adrian Hallmark, “and demonstrated great resilience to deliver the third consecutive record sales year.”
The launch of electrified hybrid models “demonstrates the path the luxury sector is heading, and we are positioned firmly at the forefront.
“These numbers are validation that we not only lead the sector in sales and market share, but also investment in electric technologies and commitment to being net carbon neutral in 2030.”
Grant Shapps is the UK’s Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. For most of his ministerial career, though, Shapps was Secretary of State for Transport – a position he held in Boris Johnson’s government from 2019 until 2022.
Shapps is also the local MP for Welwyn Hatfield, a seat he has held since the 2005 general election.
Born in Hertfordshire in 1968, Shapps studied Business and Finance in Manchester and founded his own printing company at the age of 21. He is married with three children.
Shapps has an interest in electric cars and owns a Tesla Model 3. He also holds a pilot’s licence and lists ‘general aviation’ as a pastime. Interestingly, his cousin is Mick Jones, lead guitarist in legendary punk band, The Clash.
Grant Shapps on electric cars
Shapps took delivery of his then-£44,000 Tesla Model 3 in 2019, having been on the waiting list for two years. In an interview with Peter Tarry for the Sunday Times Magazine, he explained why he bought an EV:
“I’d never driven a Tesla, but knew I wanted to go electric. I’m a bit of a geek and always ahead on gadgets. My phone, for instance, was wireless charging before wireless chargers were commonplace.
“I ordered a Tesla Model 3 with self-driving function (a £5,800 option). Tesla has promised that it will upload the AI (artificial intelligence) for it later in the year. As well as the potential to speed up, slow down and change lane, it will also stop at traffic lights, T-junctions and so on.“
Proving he’s a man of varied taste (and indeed judgement), Shapps has also owned a Chrysler Crossfire and Grand Voyager, plus a “wonderful” Lotus Elan M100.
Grant Shapps on the petrol and diesel ban
As Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps said he wanted to “normalise electric cars as being the way forward”.
In late 2020, he announced the ending of new petrol and diesel car sales in the UK by 2030. He introduced green number plates to mark out electric vehicles soon afterwards.
His government’s plan will also see all non-hybrid cars and vans banned from sale after 2035.
Justifying the bringing forward of the petrol and diesel ban, Grant Shapps said: “The UK is going further and faster than any other major economy to decarbonise transport, harnessing the power of clean, green technology to end the UK’s contribution to climate change by 2050.”
Grant Shapps on EV charging
In November 2021, Grant Shapps revealed the design for what he hopes will become the UK’s “iconic” EV chargepoint.
He said: “We want to make electric cars the new normal, and ensuring drivers have convenient places to charge is key to that.”
However, while he pledged a further £300 million of funding for EV charging infrastructure, this generosity no longer extends to the purchase of electric cars. The government announced in summer 2022 that the £1,500 Plug-in Car Grant had ended with immediate effect.
Grant Shapps on smart motorways
The national rollout of smart motorways has been put on hold after they were linked with an increase in the number of deaths and a 20-fold increase in the number of near-misses.
Speaking in the House of Commons in 2020, Shapps said: “The stretch of the M20 and all other stretches that are currently being worked on will not be opened until we have the outcome of the stocktake.
“The question is, are smart motorways less safe than the rest of the motorway network? For me, the answer is that we must make them at least as safe, if not safer, otherwise they can’t continue.”
A final fact about Grant Shapps? His karaoke speciality is apparently Rapper’s Delight by The Sugarhill Gang. So now you know.
