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August 3, 2020

Volkswagen launches new United value edition range

The new Toyota Yaris is now on sale in the UK with the firm offering 42 months’ 0 percent finance with monthly costs starting from £189.

The three-year and six-month finance deal is on the mid-grade Yaris Hybrid Design, which costs from £20,970 on the road.

Toyota asks for a £4,311 deposit, and then takes £189 a month for 42 months, with a guaranteed future value of £8,910.

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Not only will customers save on finance costs, they’ll also pay less in running costs: the new Yaris Hybrid is 22 percent more fuel-efficient, cutting monthly fuel bills.

All models are well equipped too, with the entry-level Yaris Hybrid Icon coming with 7.0-inch touchscreen, 16-inch alloys, automatic air con, reversing camera and the Toyota Safety Sense active safety kit.

Yaris Hybrid Design, likely to be the best-seller, adds machined alloys, a larger 8.0-inch touchscreen, LED lights, rear privacy glass and a sportier instrument display.

Yaris Hybrid Dynamic has 17-inch alloys, front sports seats, dual-zone climate control, JBL premium sound system and part-synthetic leather upholstery.

Yaris Hybrid Excel, meanwhile, has auto-fold door mirrors, blind spot monitor and ‘intelligent clearance sonars’ with auto-braking.

Yaris Hybrid Launch Edition

The new fourth-generation Toyota Yaris is available in special launch Edition guise.

This is painted in Tokyo Fusion Red with an Eclipse Black Pearlescent bi-tone finish – it’s the colour pictured here.

Based on Dynamic, it includes auto-fold door mirrors, blind spot monitor, a 10.0-inch colour head-up display, auto-dim rear-view mirror and clear blue ambient interior lighting.

The Yaris Hybrid Launch Edition costs £24,005: expensive, until you clock that the bi-tone paint finish alone is worth £1,180…

2020 Toyota Yaris prices

Yaris Hybrid Icon: £19,910
Yaris Hybrid Design: £20,970
Yaris Hybrid Dynamic: £21,920
Yaris Hybrid Excel: £22,220
Yaris Hybrid Launch Edition: £24,005

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Servicing an electric car: what you need to know

By

Ethan Jupp

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July 31, 2020

2

Sales of electric cars rocketed 186 percent in 2020, to nearly seven percent of all new car sales. And as EVs become more popular, many people have questions about maintaining them

Obviously, there are no oil changes, spark plugs or fuel filters to worry about. Nor indeed an exhaust emissions test.

So what exactly does servicing an EV involve? And will it be cheaper than a conventional petrol or diesel car?

Electric car servicing costs

Powertrain maintenance should, in theory, cost much less for an EV than a combustion car – simply because there is less work and fewer parts involved.

We looked at market leader Tesla’s website, which lists the following procedures under ‘recommended maintenance service’:

Cabin air filter (every two years)
High-efficiency particulate air filter (every three years)
Brake fluid test (every two years)
Air conditioning (between two and six years, depending on model)
Brake calipers (every 12 months or 12,500 miles in cold weather regions)

It also says these checks are non-essential, even for maintaining the warranty. If there’s an issue with a car, Tesla can flag it up remotely and prompt maintenance as and when needed.

Car servicing website ClickMechanic highlights that electric car brakes usually last longer, too. That’s because regenerative braking, used to harvest deceleration energy and top up the batteries, saves on disc and pad wear.

Electric car maintenance essentials

Tyres
Brakes
Lights
Wipers
Wheel alignment/tracking
Suspension
Cabin filtration

**What electric cars don’t need**

Oil changes
Spark plugs
Belt changes
Coolant changes
Air filters
Transmission oil changes

What about electric car batteries?

Here’s the big question for many people. The reality is that EV batteries seem to be holding up well. The battery and drive unit in Teslas is warrantied for eight years or at least 100,000 miles. Kia also applies its famous seven-year/100,000 warranty to both electric cars (such as the e-Niro) and their batteries.

For the Tesla Model 3 – now one of the UK’s best-selling cars – Tesla claims a minimum of 70 percent battery capacity retention over that same period.

Early Nissan Leaf owners, some of whom bought their cars nearly 10 years ago, are reporting more than 90 percent battery capacity retention.

This 10 percent shortfall in performance isn’t too dissimilar from what you might expect from a petrol engine after a decade of use.

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DVLA warns of onging delays for motorists

By

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July 30, 2020

Most accidents happen on slower roads

The DVLA has warned motorists using its services of significant delays due to the the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, a spokesperson stressed to Motoring Research that this is only for paper services and applications: DVLA online services are working as normal.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) maintains the registration and licensing of drivers and vehicles, and the collection of road tax (VED).

“Paper applications sent to our office in Swansea will take longer to process as they must be dealt with in person on site, where we are working with reduced numbers to meet social distancing requirements,” a spokesperson told Motoring Research.

The 2 metre social distancing measures in Wales have resulted in a reduced number of staff on site.

Motorists should remain patient, says the DVLA, even if the delay is stretching into weeks.

“If you’ve already made an application, we will process this and return any documentation as quickly as possible.”

DVLA online

The DVLA says that its online services have not been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Since March, the organisation has processed more than 18 million online transactions.

For the fastest response, motorists should go online and fill in the necessary details, rather than sending paperwork to the DVLA in Swansea.

Motorists can access a range of services online, with a V5C log book address change being the most recent service added.

The organisation says its most popular online services are:

All the DVLA online services are available and a spokesperson assured Motoring Research that “online applications will be processed quicker than paper applications”.

Drivers aged 70 and over

Motorists who are aged 70 and over need to renew their driving licence every three years.

A spokesperson at the DVLA told Motoring Research that some drivers applying to renew “may be able to drive while the DVLA is considering their application, providing they have a current driving licence and they have not been told by their doctor or optician that they should not drive”.

Full information is available online to see if you can drive while your application is with the DVLA.

SORN spike

Many drivers opted to take their cars off the road during the lockdown, registering the car with a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN).

Motorists get a refund for any full months of remaining VED car tax, so there has been a spike in the number of SORN applications this year. Click here to tell the DVLA you’re taking your car off the road.

VED refunds are being processed as normal, insists the DVLA.

During the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the DVLA restricted its telephone contact centre to key workers only.

This restriction has now been lifted, but officials still request that “while demand is very high, please only call our contact centre if it is urgent”.

The DVLA contact centre is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 1pm, and 2pm to 7pm.

It is also open on Saturdays between 8am and 2pm, but is closed on Sundays. Contact details can be found here.

This piece was updated on 30 July with more information for drivers aged 70 and over

Are you struggling to access DVLA services? Let us know in the comments below

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Highway Code: cyclists could get priority on the roads

By

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July 30, 2020

‘Untold damage’ caused by 4×4 drivers in Shropshire

Cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders could be given greater protection as part of proposed changes to the Highway Code.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has issued a consultation document seeking views on the proposals, which are designed to improve road safety for vulnerable road users. It’s not a full-scale revision of the Highway Code. Instead, the changes focus on three main areas:

Introducing a ‘hierarchy of road users’ that ensures those road users who can do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat they may pose to others.
Clarifying existing rules on pedestrian priority on pavements and that drivers and riders should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross the road.
Establishing guidance on safe passing distances and speeds when overtaking cyclists or horse riders, and enduring that they have priority at junctions when travelling straight ahead.

‘Considerable new text’

The rules for cyclists are likely to stimulate the most discussion. The DfT says “there is considerable new text within this chapter” of the Highway Code to ensure the safety of cyclists.

This comes amid the announcement of a government scheme offering £50 bike repair vouchers to cyclists in England. The Fix Your Bike Vouchers scheme website was “taken offline by the Energy Saving Trust following high levels of interest”.

The proposed changes clarify the position on cyclists riding two abreast, while informing motorists that cyclists should be given priority on a roundabout. Drivers are also told to give cyclists “at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car”.

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Crucially, cyclists will be able to ride two abreast or more and will be encouraged to ride in the centre of their lane in the following situations:

On quiet roads or streets. If a faster vehicle comes up behind you, move to the left to enable them to overtake, if you can do so safely.
In slower-moving traffic. Move over to the left if you can do so safely so that faster vehicles behind you can overtake when the traffic around you starts to flow more freely.
At the approach to junctions or road narrowing where it would be unsafe for drivers to overtake you.

“This is quite important,” says Duncan Dollimore of Cycling UK on The Guardian website.

“There are some roads police who believe you should ride 50cm from the gutter, and that you shouldn’t be rising two abreast on a country road.”

‘Dutch Reach’

In the ‘waiting and parking’ section of the Highway Code, motorists will be advised to use the ‘Dutch Reach’ method when opening a car door. This means reaching across to open the door with the hand furthest from the door. This protects cyclists approaching from behind by ensuring you turn your body to face the window and don’t open the door too widely.

The government says the objective of the ‘hierarchy of road users’ is not to give priority to pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders in every situation’. However, it does attempt to place the road users most at risk in the event of a collision at the top of the hierarchy.

The revised Highway Code could also include references to blanket 20mph speed limits in urban areas. To reflect the car industry’s shift to electrification, there’s also specific references to electric car charging points and cables.

The consultation period will run until midnight on 27 October 2020. The full document can be found here.

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‘Untold damage’ caused by 4×4 drivers in Shropshire

By

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July 29, 2020

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A group of 4×4 drivers are being warned they could face legal proceedings after being spotted driving along a Shropshire river.

Several off-road vehicles were photographed by a member of the public who reported the group to the Environment Agency. In a tweet, Chris Bainger, Environment Agency fisheries technical specialist for Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, said “this is not okay”.

“Rivers are sensitive ecological environments, not green lanes.”

#4×4 #OffRoad enthusiasts this is not okay.
Reported by a member of the public in #Shropshire
Rivers are sensitive ecological environments not #GreenLanes. Driving down a river unnecessarily does untold damage, in this case to protected & endangered juvenile #salmon. @glass_uk pic.twitter.com/8yGm0k5jlP
— Chris Bainger (@ChrisBaingerEA) July 17, 2020

Anyone who is found to have driven along a river could be subject to criminal proceedings under the Wildlife and Countryside Act or civil proceedings for trespass. Owners of riverbanks own up to the centre point of a river. Anyone entering a river and crossing over the centre point should have permission from the owners of both banks.

‘Directly crushing any ecology’

Chris Bainger said: “Do they realise the harm they may be doing?

“They are directly crushing any ecology and while some fish like trout and larger juvenile salmon may be able to get away, small salmon won’t escape. Plus, if there are a number of vehicles following each other they are damaging the sensitive gravel on the riverbed.

“That means fish will be less able to successfully spawn later in the year, additionally the churned up sediment smothers the river bed and the small creatures that live within it. Those are an essential part of the food chain for larger aquatic wildlife in the river. The knock on effect is longer term stress on the localised environment.”

The Environment Agency is urging people with evidence of anyone driving down a river bed to contact the police. Alternatively, crimes can be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 055 111.

Earlier this month, police were searching for a green 4×4 “with loud exhaust” after it was seen “tearing up the golf course” near Telford, Shropshire.

In a tweet, Telford Police said: “We are looking for it now. There were players on the course so you can appreciate how dangerous it was.”

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Grand Prix Designs: work to start on Silverstone trackside homes

By

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July 29, 2020

McLaren and Gulf Oil reunite on road and track

This weekend, all eyes will be on Silverstone for the British Grand Prix. Two years from now, you could be watching the race from the comfort of your own trackside home.

The Escapade Silverstone development of 60 homes and a clubhouse was given planning permission at the end of last year. Work will start in October 2020 and will be completed by May 2022. Prices range from £650,000 to £1,650,000.

Homeowners will enjoy access to the clubhouse and facilities, which include state-of-the-art simulator rooms, briefing rooms, a driver-focused gym, an oxygen swimming pool and sauna, plus a restaurant, bar and private dining room.

Residents will also be able to park in a climate-controlled car storage area located just 500 metres from the edge of the Silverstone circuit.

Each residence is provided on a 125-year lease, with owners free to enjoy them up to a certain number of nights a year. As an investment, owners are forecast to receive 5-6.5 percent yield from their property, but the homes can be sold at any time.

Escapade Living CEO, Will Tindall, said: “We’re delighted to be working with such a world-renowned venue as Silverstone for our first development. Escapade Living creates destinations that are entirely of their surroundings, while also providing owners with the opportunity to make a return on unique world-class property. The residences overlook arguably the most exciting complex of corners on all of the F1 calendar.

“In our opinion, real luxury doesn’t feel expensive; it feels comfortable and natural. That’s what Escapade Silverstone provides. And more than that, it is completely integrated with the circuit – an authentic experience borne out of the world’s foremost racetrack and, as a finished product, baked into it.

“The millions watching Silverstone’s Grand Prix double bill will do so virtually. But as the world unlocks, thousands will return to Silverstone to share the joy and spectacle of speed. When they do, we hope Escapade will be the ultimate place to stay as a guest, or as an owner.”

Stuart Pringle, managing director, Silverstone Circuits, added: “Silverstone has always been a centre of excellence from a racing, technology and engineering perspective. But we aim to be a global, all-weather destination, welcoming guests from around the world on a daily basis to enjoy motorsport together, and to do it in surroundings which enrich that experience.

“We are delighted to be working with Escapade Living in creating a peerless hospitality experience. Escapade Silverstone will enable motorsport lovers to buy residences right on the edge of the circuit. For us, its immersive, bespoke, guest-led offering hails the dawn of something special.”

Reserve your property today and you could be enjoying one of the best seats in the house at the 2022 British Grand Prix. It has to be better than spending a few hours on the A43 in Northamptonshire.

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McLaren and Gulf Oil reunite on road and track

By

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July 28, 2020

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McLaren and Gulf Oil have signed a multi-year partnership that revives a collaboration first started in 1968.

Gulf branding will appear on the McLaren Formula 1 racing car from this weekend’s British Grand Prix.

It features on the engine cover and rear-view mirrors, and also the racewear of the team and drivers, including Brit Lando Norris.

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Gulf will, from 2021, also become the choice oil supplier for McLaren Automotive’s road cars.

The company will recommend the supercars are filled with Gulf lubricants and run on Gulf fuel.

What’s more, a “small and exclusive” number of customers will be given the option to have their McLaren supercar painted in a Gulf livery modelled on the Le Mans 24 Hours podium-placing McLaren F1 GTR racer (pictured above).

This will be a guaranteed collectible for those lucky enough to get the opportunity.

“Like McLaren, the Gulf name is synonymous around the world with technical excellence and innovation and the excitement of going racing and motoring,” said McLaren Automotive CEO Mike Flewitt.

“Every supercar will have Gulf fuel and lubricants when it leaves the McLaren Production Centre and I know our customers will be thrilled to be able to work with our in-house bespoke team on the option of being one of the few to be able to personalise their McLaren supercar in the iconic Gulf livery.”

McLaren first partnered with Gulf in 1968, winning together both in F1 and the Can-Am series. The collaboration lasted until 1973.

Gulf and McLaren were reunited in the 1990s with the McLaren F1 GTR, which ran Gulf colours throughout the decade.

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Car finance customers to save millions as FCA bans discretionary commission

By

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July 28, 2020

Fuel duty revenue plunges £2.4bn during lockdown

Customer and dealer checking a finance agreement

Car finance commission linked to the interest rate paid by customers will be banned in early 2021 by the Financial Conduct Authority.

So-called discretionary commission models allow some car dealers and finance brokers to increase the interest rate paid by a customer.

They receive more commission as a result.

This, however, costs customers more: previous estimates suggest £500m of customer harm may have been caused by discretionary commission models.

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“Widespread use of this type of commission creates an incentive for brokers to act against customers’ interest,” said the FCA.

The FCA estimates the ban, which comes into force on 28 January 2021, will save car finance customers £165m a year.

Christopher Woolard, FCA’s interim chief executive, said: “By banning this type of commission, where brokers are rewarded for charging consumers higher rates, we will increase competition and protect consumers.”

Car finance customers will also receive more comprehensive information about the commission they are paying to the dealer or broker.

Earlier in July, the FCA also extended payment freezes for car finance customers struggling due to the coronavirus crisis for a further three months.

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Fuel duty revenue plunges £2.4 billion during lockdown

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July 28, 2020