Jenson Button relaunches Radford cars – with help from Lotus

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May 5, 2021

Reborn coachbuilding company Radford has revealed the first details of its new car – and the British coachbuilder is getting help from Lotus.

Radford will use Lotus technology for the underpinnings, then add its own bespoke body on top.

Radford was founded in 1948 as Harold Radford Coachbuilders Ltd. Projects included the Bentley Countryman and fibreglass bodywork for the prototype Ford GT40.

The company later became famous for custom Bentleys and Minis – Beatles manager Brian Epstein commissioned Radford to create one-off Minis for the Fab Four.

Earlier this year, F1 champion Jenson Button announced he would bring back the name, alongside car builder Ant Anstead, designer Mark Stubbs and business adviser Roger Behle.

Button is taking a hands-on approach to leading the business. In March, he confirmed he would personally sign off each car the firm builds at a racetrack in America.

Few details are known about the new model at this stage, but the company said it would reveal the car in full later in 2021, with order books opening ‘very soon’.

‘It will drive like nothing else’

Jenson Button said: “We’re already hard at work developing this car and the driving experience will be different and very special. It’s going to be truly analogue and thoroughly engaging, but with all the refinements that you would expect from a Radford.

“It will drive like nothing else. There is a purity to driving that is lost in many cars of today. I will ensure we create a driver’s car, a trait that is embedded within the DNA of all Lotus cars.”

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April new car sales in ‘artificial’ 3,000% increase as showrooms reopen

By

Richard Aucock

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May 5, 2021

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New car registrations grew 3,176 percent in April 2021 as showrooms reopened – but the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has urged caution at this ‘artificial’ figure.

Lockdown closures in April 2020 saw just 4,321 new cars registered, mainly to essential workers.

Last month’s volumes remain 12.9 percent down on the 10-year average, with 141,583 new cars registered. They are also lower than April 2019.

Private car buyers have been returning to retailers since they reopened on 12 April, shown by a more than doubling of market share.

Last year in April, just 871 retail cars were sold: last month, this rocketed more than 7,000 percent to almost 62,000 cars.

Even so, demand from consumers is still 14.5 percent down on the 10-year average.

The SMMT has also pointed out that pure electric car sales were, unusually, beaten by plug-in hybrid (PHEV) volumes. April’s registrations were also lower than the Q1 2021 average, following cuts to the Plug-in Car Grant.

Pure electric cars are now expected to count for 8.9 percent of new car registrations in 2021, down from an earlier forecast of 9.3 percent.

‘Light at the end of the tunnel’

“After one of the darkest years in automotive history, there is light at the end of the tunnel,” said SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes.

“A full recovery for the sector is still some way off, but with showrooms open and consumers able to test drive the latest, cleanest models, the industry can begin to rebuild.”

The SMMT has revised its full year forecasts upwards, on the back of the vaccine rollout, from 1.83 million vehicles to 1.86 million new cars.

“Market confidence is improving, and we now expect to finish the year in a slightly better position than anticipated in February, largely thanks to the more upbeat business and consumer confidence created by the successful vaccine rollout.

“That confidence should also translate into another record year for electric vehicles, which will likely account for more than one in seven new car registrations.”

April 2021 best-selling cars

The Vauxhall Corsa is once again Britain’s best-selling new car. Year to date, it has clocked up more than 16,000 registrations – putting clear space between it and last year’s favourite new car, the Ford Fiesta.

The Corsa has been Britain’s best-selling car for eight of the past 12 months.

Surprisingly, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class came out second, ahead of the Ford Fiesta and the increasingly popular Ford Puma SUV.

The Volkswagen Golf family hatch rounded out the top five, while the Ford Kuga crept into 10th place to make it four Fords in the UK’s top 10 best-selling cars.

Top 10 best-sellers: April 2021

1: Vauxhall Corsa

2: Mercedes-Benz A-Class

3: Ford Fiesta

4: Ford Puma

5: Volkswagen Golf

6: Ford Focus

7: Audi A3

8: Kia Sportage

9: Volkswagen Polo

10: Ford Kuga

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New Rugby motorway services opens with 24 EV charging points

By

Daniel Puddicombe

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May 5, 2021

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A new motorway service area has opened near Rugby, at junction one on the M6 – and it contains 24 ultra-rapid electric car charging points.

Moto says it has spent £40 million on the new services, which has 12 350kW Ecotricity charging points and 12 Tesla Superchargers. It says the site is the largest ultra-rapid charging facility on the motorway network.

The ultra-rapid 350kW DC chargers have the capability to add up to 100 miles of range in less than five minutes and will accept contactless payment. Moto said the opening of the Rugby MSA is ‘a major milestone in Moto’s commitment to encouraging more sustainable motoring’.

The company says 28 further sites will have ultra-rapid chargers by the end of this year – and the aim is for all Moto services to have at least six ultra-rapid chargers by the end of 2022. The project is part of a long-term, £100 million investment programme.

This includes an upgrade to all existing 50kW chargers by the end of July 2021, for greater charging power ahead of increased summer holiday traffic.

Moto is planning to install a further 24 ultra-rapid charger locations at Reading, Thurrock and Exeter by the end of 2021.

Largest EV charging site

“Moto is committed to sustainable motoring and we want to play a key part in encouraging more people to have the confidence to switch into electric vehicles,” said Ken McMeikan, chief executive of Moto.

“Rugby services is the most significant first step in achieving this and we’re proud to be launching the UK’s largest EV charging site.”

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New car insurance policy caters for low-mileage drivers

By

Daniel Puddicombe

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May 4, 2021

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A new type of car insurance policy has been launched in response to changing driving habits during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Two distinct types of motorist have emerged over the past year, according to car insurer More Than: low mileage and high-mileage drivers. It has launched a new, mileage-based system aimed at those who don’t travel very far.

The Low Miler product uses a telematics device to ‘provide a fairer way of offering car insurance for those who use their cars less often or travel shorter distances’.

Low Miler customers select a mileage allowance for the year, up to a maximum of 7,000 miles, and then are sent a device that plugs into a socket inside the car. It tracks the customer’s mileage, regularly updating them on how far they have driven and allowing them to buy top-up miles if needed.

More Than says 17 percent of UK drivers expect to use their car less over the next year compared to pre-pandemic levels. Its research suggests drivers will spend more time at home (55 percent), use online deliveries more (28 percent) and change their working patterns (26 percent).

Additionally, 24 percent of UK drivers said they will be covering fewer miles on the commute to work compared with before the pandemic.

However, 30 percent intend to drive more to visit family and friends, while 28 percent expect to use their cars for more day and weekend trips.

‘Giving low-mileage drivers a fairer deal’

“How we drive and use our cars won’t be the same for some as we come out of this pandemic. With more flexible working arrangements and less commuting, some people will likely be driving less,” said Anthony Aronin, head of telematics at More Than.

“That’s why we’re launching More Than Low Miler, an innovative way of linking premiums to the miles customers drive, giving those who drive fewer miles a fairer deal.”

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New premium brand Genesis reveals UK launch plans

By

Richard Aucock

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May 4, 2021

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Genesis, the premium division of Hyundai, will launch in the UK this summer with an ‘exceptional’ direct-to the-public sales experience to take on Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

The ‘Genesis difference’ will include a dedicated Genesis Personal Assistant for every customer, recruited not from traditional car dealers but from the hospitality and high-end retail sector.

Each customer will work with their own Genesis Personal Assistant throughout the buying and ownership cycle.

The new premium brand says this will help it ‘build authentic relationships’ and ‘guarantee a stress-free experience that promotes convenience, trust and transparency’. It will also eliminate ‘chat bots’ and replace them with real people.

Genesis is promising a high number of female Genesis Personal Assistants “so our retail is representative of the world we live in”.

The first cars launched in the UK (plus Germany and Switzerland) will be the G80 saloon, a rival for the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and the similarly executive-sized GV80 SUV.

Following soon after will be the G70, a BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class alternative, and the GV70 SUV. Size-wise, Genesis models are a little larger than rivals, and the firm expects its SUVs to easily be the most popular choice in Europe.

Genesis adds that within the first year, it will launch three electrified models, including a dedicated pure electric car.

No Genesis dealers

The direct sales model – which includes transparent, no-haggle prices plus home delivery and pick-up at every step – means there won’t be traditional Genesis dealers springing up across Europe.

Instead, the firm will launch with three physical Genesis Studios. There’s one in Westfield London, plus two more in Munich and Zurich.

Every customer also gets a five-year care plan ‘with no hidden extras’.

The Genesis five-year Care Plan includes:

Warranty
Servicing
Roadside assistance
Courtesy car
Mapping and over-the-air software updates

“We are excited to bring such a strong range of globally recognised products to the region,” said new Genesis Motor Europe MD Dominique Boesch.

“Genesis is already well-known for its impeccably high standards in design, technology, safety and reliability. However, it is our mission to offer so much more than just great products.

“We know that customers today crave experiences, and the onus is on us as a premium luxury brand to deliver a service which provides both convenience and exceptional hospitality to our customers.

“That is how we will stand apart.”

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Global electric car sales grew by 40 percent in 2020

By

Daniel Puddicombe

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May 2, 2021

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The global electric vehicle market grew substantially in 2020, despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the automotive industry.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), a record three million EVs were registered worldwide last year, a 41 percent increase versus 2019. By comparison, the global car market contracted by 16 percent in 2020.

Electric cars’ strong momentum has continued into this year, with sales in the first quarter of 2021 reaching nearly two and half times their level a year earlier, said the IEA.

In total, more than 10 million electric cars are now on the world’s roads. That’s in addition to one million electric vans, trucks and buses.

Europe overtakes China for first time

For the first time last year, Europe overtook China as the centre of the global electric car market. EV registrations in Europe more than doubled to 1.4 million during the year, while in China they increased by nine percent to 1.2 million.

The IEA says that, based on the current trajectory, the number of electric cars, vans, heavy trucks and buses on the road worldwide could reach 145 million by 2030. However, the global fleet could reach 230 million if governments ‘accelerate efforts to reach international climate and energy goals’.

“While they can’t do the job alone, electric vehicles have an indispensable role to play in reaching net-zero emissions worldwide,” said Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA.

“Current sales trends are very encouraging, but our shared climate and energy goals call for even faster market uptake. Governments should now be doing the essential groundwork to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles by using economic recovery packages to invest in battery manufacturing and the development of widespread and reliable charging infrastructure.”

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Government should discount EVs by a third… in return for road charging

By

Daniel Puddicombe

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April 30, 2021

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A new report urges the government to offer a third off the price of new electric cars – in exchange for participating in a road charging trial.

The Recharging Britain’s Roads Policy report by Greener Transport Solutions, a not-for-profit group overseen by academics, advocates charging road users per mile by the end of this decade. It warned the government faces losing a huge amount of tax revenue from fuel duty and road tax, as drivers increasingly transition to electric cars.

The Treasury collects just over £40 billion in vehicle taxes, with £28 billion from fuel duty, £6 billion on VAT from fuel and another £6.5 billion from vehicle excise duty (VED). EV drivers do not pay fuel duty or VED.

The report – written by David Begg, a former transport advisor to the government, and Claire Haigh, the founder of Greener Transport Solutions – warned a widespread adoption of EVs could be slowed if the government introduced a pay-per-mile scheme without warning.

It suggests gradually phasing in the programme from 2022, with a pilot scheme in a city with a Clean Air Zone. The government could then offer a third off the price of EVs costing up to £35,000, in exchange for the driver committing to pay the new road user charge in 2023.

EVs risk ‘locking in car dependency’

While the report said road charging would be an effective way to claw back lost fuel duty revenue, it warned the transition to EVs risked ‘locking in car dependency’ and claimed this could push up congestion by 30 percent.

‘The risk is that in lowering the cost of motoring, electrification will increase car use and congestion, and make mode shift to public transport and active travel harder to deliver,” says the report.

‘If we electrify the car fleet without sorting out how to transition away from fuel duty, road traffic could increase by 30 percent.’

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1 in 10 with Covid MOT extensions ‘don’t know when test is due’

By

Daniel Puddicombe

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April 30, 2021

0

One in 10 drivers who received an MOT extension for their car during the first coronavirus lockdown are unaware when this expires, according to new data.

During the first national lockdown, the government automatically extended MOTs for six months to allow key workers to travel to work, and to help people access essential food and medicine during the Covid-19 outbreak.

The six-month MOT extension only applied to MOT tests due between 30 March 2020 and 31 July 2020 – so the extended MOT certificates expired on 31 January 2021.

Comparison site Gocompare – which undertook the survey – says 13 percent of drivers can’t remember when their car is due its MOT. Eight percent of drivers polled also said they were also worried about the Covid infection risk from attending a garage..

Many are driving without a valid MOT

The claims from the Gocompare survey follow on from research conducted by fast-fit chain Kwik Fit, which estimated that up to two million cars could be on the road without a valid MOT.

Gocompare also found the majority – 58 percent – of motorists get stressed about putting their car through its MOT. The cost of potential repairs causes the most sleepless nights (22 percent), while a fifth are concerned about being ripped-off.

“If your car’s MOT has expired, it’s illegal to drive it on the road and you could be prosecuted for doing so. The only exception allowed would be if you’d already booked an MOT and were driving to the test, which you would have to prove to the police,” said Lee Griffin, CEO of Gocompare.

“The penalty for driving a car without a valid MOT is a fine of up to £1,000. If the car is found to have a dangerous fault, the penalty rises to £2,500 and three penalty points for ‘using a vehicle in a dangerous condition’. Drivers caught without an up-to-date MOT also risk invalidating their car insurance.”

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JCB Pothole Pro repairs roads in just 8 minutes

By

Daniel Puddicombe

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April 29, 2021

0

Digger company JCB has completed a ‘successful trial’ of its Pothole Pro repair machine on the M6 motorway.

The British firm said its new Pothole Pro can repair a damaged road in just eight minutes. A spokeswoman for the company told Motoring Research this is a huge improvement over the manual process. She explained that Stoke City Council takes an average of one hour to fill a pothole.

The all-in-one machine is equipped with a cutter, sweeper/bucket and hydraulic cropping tool. It can cut defects, crop pothole edges and clean holes, streamlining tasks that would normally be completed by hand.

JCB claims the machine can repair up to 250 square metres per day, equivalent to 700 potholes per month. It also has a 25mph top speed, which enables it to move from site to site easily.

The trial was part of a ‘national demonstration programme to show how the innovative machine repairs potholes permanently’. The Pothole Pole repaired the M6 motorway between junctions 14 and 15 during two routine night-time lane closures.

‘It filled potholes so quickly, we ran out of tar’

“The JCB Pothole Pro really did live up to expectations in the fast lane of the M6. It filled the potholes so quickly that we ran out of tar,” claimed Ben Rawding, a member of the product team at JCB.

“It was done so quickly and efficiently, it could have filled so many more holes. The main thing is that repairs were done rapidly and permanently by the JCB Pothole Pro.”

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12,000 learners could lose their licences after passing the driving test

By

Daniel Puddicombe

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April 29, 2021

0

Just over 12,000 learner drivers could lose their licence as soon as they pass their test, new data has suggested.

Freedom of Information requests submitted by leasing company Moneyshake to the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency (DVLA) found 10,639 learner drivers have between seven and nine points on their provisional licence, while 1,803 have 10 or more points.

Points on a provisional are carried over to a full licence. If a learner gets six or more points within two years of passing their test, their licence will be revoked.

To avoid a licence being cancelled straight away, a newly-qualified driver would need to wait for the points to expire before taking their test, Moneyshake said. Endorsements stay on your driving record for four years, going up to 11 years for the most serious offences.

Female drivers have fewer points

The leasing comparison site also found that 52,802 men already have points on their provisional licence, compared with just 12,252 women. Female learners have ‘significantly fewer points across every point category’, the firm added, suggesting they’re safer on the roads and will be better drivers when they pass the test.

When broken down by age group, learners in their twenties are the worst for having penalty points before passing their test, with the DVLA data showing that 26,552 provisional licence holders in this age group already have one or more endorsements on their driving record.

Those in their sixties are the least likely to have points on their provisional licence, with just 2,183 learners having endorsements.

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