How to kill Covid-19 in your car in 7 minutes

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March 27, 2021

With the end of lockdown potentially in sight, many are looking forward to driving further afield.

The ‘stay at home’ rule ends on 29 March, but many restrictions remain in place. You should continue to work from home if possible and minimise your number of journeys. Travel abroad will continue to be outlawed, except in certain circumstances.

There remains specific guidance for private cars and other vehicles. This can be split into four categories: plan your journey, car sharing, on your journey and completing your journey. These are summarised as follows:

Plan your journey
- Plan your route, including any breaks, before setting off
- Check that your vehicle is roadworthy. This is especially important if you haven’t used it for several weeks
- People from a household or support bubble can travel together in a vehicle
- You should wear a face mask in an enclosed space where social distancing isn’t possible
- Make a list of items to take with you
- Only travel into, out of and within areas under local lockdown if essential
Car sharing
- Avoid car sharing with people from other households or support bubbles
- Share transport with the same people each time
- Open windows for ventilation
- Travel side by side or behind people
- Face away from each other
- Consider seating arrangements to maximise distance between people in the vehicle
- Clean your car between journeys using standard cleaning products
- Ask the driver and passengers to wear a face mask
On your journey
- Expect more pedestrians and cyclists, especially at peak times
- Limit the time you spent a garages, petrol stations and motorway services. Use contactless for payments
- Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds or sanitise your hands often
Completing your journey
- Wash your hands or sanitise your hands again

‘Open up the windows’

As has been widely reported, Covid-19 isn’t just spread via coughs and sneezes. Even talking and breathing has the potential to spread the virus, especially in a confined space. This is a potential problem in a car.

As this USA Today article explains, a car’s cabin is cocooned from the outside world. Every gap has been sealed to improve the sound installation and to reduce the amount of wind and road noise entering the cabin. The ventilation rate is quite low.

‘When the windows are closed, SARS-CoV-2 (in fine aerosol particles) accumulates in the car cabin,’ it says.

‘With each new cough, the concentration builds up with no significant dilution happening. But even cracking one window open just three inches can keep this at bay.

‘So the next time you’re in the car — be it your own vehicle with others or in a taxi, Uber or Lyft — it’s all the same advice: Open up the windows just a bit, even if everyone is feeling fine.’

Neutralise Covid-19 in seven minutes

You should also consider using a spray designed to neutralise the coronavirus. The disinfectant, which costs £12.49, breaks down and kills Covid-19 bacteria. It’s distributed throughout the vehicle via the ventilation system, with the active ingredient spread across all surfaces.

The aptly-named CV1 Shot comes in a one shot canister which should be placed in the passenger footwell. With the ventilation system on full and the doors shut, the job is complete in seven minutes. After this, the doors should be opened for five minutes to fully ventilate the cabin.

Helen Robinson at Euro Car Parts, said: “As many people will be spending more and more time on the roads over the next few weeks, we are pleased to offer a product that will help eliminate the transmission of the virus within our vehicles.

“Returning to the roads will be daunting for many, but hopefully, the CV1 Shot helps to provide some reassurance that our cars can be safe places.”

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Auto Trader launches part-exchange price guarantee

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Richard Aucock

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March 26, 2021

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Auto Trader has launched a guaranteed part-exchange tool which gives car buyers an instant and haggle-free online price for their old vehicle.

Underwritten by auction house Manheim, the guaranteed part-exchange service aims to speed up the online car buying process, and help retailers capitalise on sales opportunities.

The online part-exchange price can be generated directly from within the car dealer’s adverts, further boosting customer convenience.

Retailers can either take the part-exchange vehicle for their own forecourts to sell as a used vehicle, or dispose of it through Manheim auctions.

“The part-exchange process represents a common pain-point for both retailers and consumers, which often results in wasted time and energy, as well as missed sales opportunities,” said Auto Trader commercial product director Karolina Edwards-Smajda.

“Our objective was to create a more efficient solution which significantly improves the consumer user experience, and in doing so, helps retailers sell more vehicles, more profitability.”

The price guarantee effectively switches a traditionally challenging process into a sales channel in its own right, she said.

It also enables car buyers to complete the whole process from home, as consumers increasingly embrace click and collect and home delivery for big ticket items such as cars.

“The service marks an important step in our commitment to support retailers with their digital retailing ambitions and complements the blended retailing experience many consumers have come to expect,” said Ms. Edwards-Smajda.

Auto Trader is now encouraging retailers to sign up for the guaranteed part-exchange tool by offering their first 60 days free.

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F1’s Jenson Button to sign off Radford cars at bespoke U.S. racetrack

By

Richard Aucock

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March 26, 2021

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Rejuvenated retro British brand Radford has announced it will have access to its own racetrack in North America – for 2009 World Champion and Radford partner Jenson Button to personally sign off each car it builds.

The circuit, now renamed Radford Racing School Arizona, USA, is where Button will put each bespoke creation through its paces.

It will also be the centre of dynamic development for all future Radford models, and where owners will be able to receive tuition and guidance on how to get the best from their bespoke creations.

Radford is a British coachbuilder that famously built four bespoke Minis for the Beatles in the 1960s.

It has been revitalised under the leadership of TV’s Ant Antstead, F1’s Jenson Button, car designer Mark Stubbs and business adviser Roger Behle.

Stig Investments, which bought the circuit follow the bankruptcy of former resident, the famous Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, has granted Radford access to the well-loved circuit.

“Great engineering is only achieved through obsession over every detail and marginal gains,” said Jenson Button.

“A race track is the perfect environment for this… and it’s also my happy place, of course.”

The company confirmed the first car is already in development, with more news due to be revealed soon.

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Government approach to EVs ‘a game of snakes and ladders’

By

Richard Aucock

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March 25, 2021

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The government has been criticised for its patchy and inconsistent approach to electric car adoption, with SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes declaring it “a game of snakes and ladders”.

Although the government has urged the phase-out of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 – the most onerous target for any industry – recent cuts to the Plug-in Car Grant are the latest hurdle faced by car manufacturers.

While ministers say they are working with industry, said Mr Hawes, “for automotive, the policy is just ‘end the sale’.

“The government seems to have the automotive industry in its sights, but seems to have lost sight of the one vital player in this deal: the consumer.”

This is reflected in the take-up of electric cars, with private buyers registering just 4.6 percent of electric vehicles in 2020, compared to 8.7 percent for fleets and businesses.

Generous tax-saving incentives are driving the uptake of electric company cars – as incentives for private car buyers are cut back.

Car firms are rapidly stepping up the launch of new electric cars and the government now needs to match the industry’s ambitions rather than slashing retail incentives, said Mr Hawes.

Nearly one in two car buyers say they won’t be ready to drive an EV by 2030 – and many believe that, because of cost and a lack of infrastructure, they will never drive one.

The SMMT has now produced a blueprint to help retail uptake of electric cars, focused on fairer incentives and a “dramatically expanded” public charging infrastructure.

‘Cut VAT for EVs’

The automotive industry trade body is calling on the government to not only maintain, rather than cut again, the current £2,500 Plug-in Car Grant, but also exempt consumer EVs from VAT.

This could increase uptake by almost two-thirds by 2026, compared with current predictions.

Public charge points also need to rapidly grow in number: the SMMT predicts that more than 700 a day need to be installed between now and 2030.

The current installation rate is just 42 a day.

“To deliver an electric revolution that is affordable, achievable and accessible to all by 2030, government and other stakeholders must put ordinary drivers at the heart of policy and planning,” said Mr Hawes.

“We need incentives to tempt consumers, infrastructure that is robust and charging points that provide reassurance.

“A clear and collaborative strategy engaging all would ensure the UK remains an attractive place both to manufacture and market electric vehicles, helping us achieve our net zero ambition.”

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Halfords offers MOTs for £1

By

Richard Aucock

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March 25, 2021

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Motorists will be able to get an MOT for £1 from Halfords – if they buy a 10-litre bucket to wash their car first.

The unique offer is aimed at motorists returning to the road after the early 2021 lockdown, which begins to ease from 29 March.

Buying any retail product from a Halfords store, or online at halfords.com, qualifies car owners for the offer, which they can redeem at more than 350 Halfords Autocentres.

RELATED: Simple and essential checks before your car MOT test

Halfords insists it really does mean any retail product: those who don’t want a £1 bucket could buy a £1.99 car air freshener instead.

Car owners redeem the offer by booking their MOT online.

The standard price for an MOT is £39.85.

The offer runs from 25 March to 19 April 2021, and has been timed to coincide with the end of the ‘stay at home’ rule on 29 March.

“It’s clear from our research that MOT tests are one of the biggest expenses that drivers face,” said Halfords Autocentres MD Andy Randall.

March is one of the busiest times for testing, he added. “The MOT test remains the best way to ensure vehicles are safe to drive.”

Halfords research has found that one in five cars has been driven without a valid MOT – with a quarter of motorists admitting they’d done so for up to six months.

Almost two in three said this was because they’d simply forgotten, although a third said it was because they couldn’t afford the test.

Some motorists mistakenly said they drove without a valid MOT “because there was a grace period”, of indeterminate length.

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Tesla Model 3 discounted by £2,500… but only for March

By

Gavin Braithwaite-Smith

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March 24, 2021

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Tesla has responded to the recent changes to the Plug-in Car Grant by offering a discount to Model 3 buyers.

In a shock announcement, the government reduced the grant to £2,500 and lowered the list price threshold from £50,000 to £35,000. As a result, the Tesla Model 3 is excluded from the government scheme.

With a starting price of £43,500, the Model 3 is the most affordable Tesla, but the Performance model costs just shy of £60,000.

Tesla’s website states that customers ordering a Model 3 in March will receive a £2,500 discount. The reduction is only applicable for cars ordered after 18 March 2021 and delivered before 1 April 2021.

The small print makes for interesting reading, however: Tesla cannot guarantee delivery before 1 April 2021 “due to external circumstances or your order timing”. The car “must be delivered. But we cannot guarantee delivery”.

£3,000 discount on new MG EV

In a similar move, MG said it would honour the original £3,000 Plug-in Car Grant discount until 31 March 2021.

All MG electric cars fall under the £35,000 limit, but the company says it is “topping up the support level to its previous level for all customers who order a new MG EV in March 2021”.

Guy Pigounakis, MG’s commercial director, said: “While we welcome any news that encourages people to buy affordable electric cars, for it to come in the middle of the toughest March trading conditions ever is a blow to customers.

“At MG, we believe in ensuring our customers are as happy as they can be with their new cars and in recognition that many of them will have made the decision to buy an MG EV with the £3,000 grant funding in mind, we have decided to honour that for all purchasers who order a new MG ZS Electric or MG5 EV for delivery before the end of this month.”

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Award-winning Ringbrothers Mustang up for auction

By

John Redfern

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March 23, 2021

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Mike and Jim Ring have become world-renowned for their show-stopping custom car builds.

Auction website Bring a Trailer is currently hosting the sale of a special Ringbrothers creation, which appeared at the 2012 SEMA Show.

Built in collaboration with Ford, the 2013 Mustang GT known as ‘Switchback’ was given Special Recognition for Outstanding Achievement in Design.

Designed and built in Wisconsin

Based in Spring Green, Wisconsin, Ringbrothers has developed a reputation for building some of the most exciting modified cars.

Creating cars to appear at the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas has been central to the company’s increased recognition. Switchback is one of these important builds, with numerous bespoke touches that gained attention amongst hundreds of other exhibits.

It now makes for a rare opportunity to own a true award-winning modified Mustang. The professional photography featured here demonstrates Switchback’s visual impact.

More than just another Mustang show car

The exterior changes to Switchback are extensive, including a custom Ringbrothers-designed aero kit. Made from lightweight carbon fiber, it includes a unique hood that has interchangeable inserts.

Billet aluminum was used to create new side vents, with a deep front splitter adding to the overall aggression. The bodywork is painted in a distinctive Nissan Cefiro Gray.

A bespoke set of 20-inch HRE wheels were made for Switchback, with upgraded Baer brakes fitted behind them. The seller has added adjustable Pedders eXtreme xA coilover suspension.

Extra ponies under the hood

Beneath the custom hood is where the most extreme changes have been made to Switchback. A previous owner replaced the regular Coyote V-8 engine, swapping it for a Ford Performance Aluminator 5.0-liter V-8.

The modifications made previously by Ringbrothes have also been reinstalled. These include a ProCharger P-1SC-1 supercharger, and a Flowmaster exhaust system with new headers.

A dynamometer session in October 2020 recorded a substantial peak output of 506 horsepower, along with 440 lb-ft of torque.

Interior upgrades included, too

Although not quite as dramatic as the exterior transformation, Switchback also benefited from a custom interior makeover. The front seats were finished by Upholstery Unlimited, with black leather and yellow accents.

Ringbrothers removed the rear seats from the Mustang, and replaced them with a full-size spare wheel. Air conditioning, and a Passport radar detector, are also present.

Total mileage for Switchback is recorded as 9,200 miles, with 600 of them added by the selling dealer.

The dealer notes that the handbrake is inoperable due to the custom exhaust, and tuning may be required for the car to pass future smog tests in California.

Prepare for big bids

Switchback is clearly not a regular 2013 Ford Mustang GT, with the unique Ringbrothers additions set to push the price much higher.

Bring a Trailer has featured several sales for vehicles made by the brothers from Wisconsin, with the cheapest selling for $265,000. A modified Ringbrothers Chevrolet K5 Blazer, auctioned for charity in April 2020, achieved $300,000 last year.

Bidding on Switchback is open until Monday, March 29, with Bring a Trailer community interest already rising.

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New Fiat 500 drivers to be rewarded for green driving with cryptocurrency

By

Richard Aucock

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March 23, 2021

0

Fiat has partnered up with the Kiri cryptocurrency to reward new electric 500 drivers for eco driving.

Described as a “unique and innovative” initiative, Fiat says it’s part of efforts to treat drivers for more environmentally-friendly driving.

The digital Kiri cryptocurrency is available in Europe, and can be spent in a dedicated marketplace.

New 500 EV drivers will collect ‘KiriCoins’ in a virtual wallet within the Fiat smartphone app.

Driving data such as distance and speed are uploaded to the Kiri cloud and converted into KiriCoins.

Fiat says that when driving in an eco-manner in the city, 1km is equivalent to one KiriCoin, which are worth two euro cents.

This means that 10,000km of city driving could be worth €150, or just under £130.

Drivers with the best eco scores will be given extra rewards, such as vouchers for Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Spotify.

Fiat’s Cristiano Fiorio said the idea was to “reward the behaviours of people who respect the environment”.

Kiri Technologies was founded in the UK in 2020 and Fiat says the concept could be rolled out to other areas such as renewable energy, organic groceries and other products in the future.

The goal is to reward sustainable behaviours with a loyalty program that incentivise a green lifestyle.

Fiat adds that UK plans for KiriCoin in the UK will follow in due course.

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Ginetta is latest Yorkshire firm to target North America

By

John Redfern

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March 23, 2021

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Leeds-based sports car manufacturer Ginetta has announced the opening of a new facility in North America.

The creation of Ginetta North America will allow the company to manufacture and sell cars directly to customers on the other side of the Atlantic.

Ginetta’s American expansion sees it become the second specialist manufacturer from Yorkshire to target the United States.

Twisted Automotive, the Land Rover experts from Thirsk, North Yorkshire, established an American operation in 2019.

The new British invasion

Twisted Automotive and Ginetta are seemingly set to share more than just a fondness for Yorkshire Tea. As part of its American expansion, Ginetta has acquired a controlling interest in TMI Autotech.

Located in South Boston, Virginia, TMI Autotech hosts a 60,000 square-foot facility. This is the same location that has formed the base for Twisted Automotive’s North America operation.

TMI Autotech has also produced versions of the Ariel Atom and Nomad for U.S. customers.

It means that Ginetta will have access to an experienced outfit, familiar with producing low-volume performance cars and bespoke vehicles.

Driving a global strategy

Ginetta aims to significantly expand its presence in North America, targeting customers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Along with the G55, the company’s core offering will be the new G56 GTA racing car, developed from the successful Ginetta Academy motorsport programme.

The G56 GTA features a 270 hp Ford 3.7-l V6 engine, paddle-shift gearbox, and even air conditioning. It makes for an accessible route to develop GT racing skills, and allows drivers to follow a Ginetta pathway up the motorsport ladder.

Lawrence Tomlinson, Ginetta’s chairman, commented that: “With the creation of Ginetta North America, we will be able to provide our North American customers with a whole new level of support and service on the ground here in the US.”

He added that expansion is “a key pillar in our global growth plan”, and that details of new U.S. sales agents will be announced “in the near future”.

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Ford Fiesta is the most popular car for learner drivers

By

Gavin Braithwaite-Smith

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March 22, 2021

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The Ford Fiesta has been revealed as the nation’s most popular car for learner drivers. That’s according to a new learner driver report.

This comes as the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) prepares for driving tests to restart in England and Wales. Tests will be allowed to restart on 12 April 2021 at the earliest, although this date is subject to change.

It’s no surprise to find the Fiesta at the top of the list for learner drivers. The supermini is the UK’s best-selling car, so there’s always a ready supply of used cars to choose from. It’s also one of the best all-rounders, offering a great blend of space, efficiency and value for money.

Top 10 most common cars for learner drivers

Ford Fiesta
Vauxhall Corsa
Volkswagen Polo
Volkswagen Golf
Ford Focus
Vauxhall Astra
Mini Hatch
Fiat 500
Renault Clio
Toyota Yaris

Veygo, the company behind the learner driver report, found that it costs, on average, around £1,370 to learn to drive. Lessons account for £1,237.50 of this, based on 45 sessions at £27.50 per hour of tuition.

A provisional driving licence costs £34 online (£43 by post), while the theory and driving tests cost £23 and £62 respectively. The cost is higher for tests taken on evenings, weekends and bank holidays.

‘Lack of professional advice’

Gunnar Peters, Veygo CEO, said: “The pandemic has changed the way we learn to drive massively, with many lessons and tests being cancelled due to lockdown and many driving instructors being unable to work.

“We’ve seen increased demand for learner driver insurance for private practise as a result. This has put pressure on learner drivers, as they’ve had a lack of professional advice and relied on family members to teach them to drive.”

You can only take driving lessons with members of your household or support bubble. It must be travel for work, education or other essential journeys.

Older drivers unlikely to benefit from more education