Trials of wireless car chargers will take place in London, the Midlands and Scotland. Residential areas, car parks and taxi ranks will be getting induction pads to test the new wire-free way of charging your electric car.
The idea comes from British firm Connected Kerb, which will be trialling the technology in the UK in the spring, and then overseas from the middle of this year. The road surface pads work by emitting an alternating electromagnetic field, which charges a car when it’s parked on top.
If you’re worried about compatibility, wireless induction charging is a technology being heavily investigated by OEMs for current and future models. It’s also thought that a retro-fit induction charging kit shouldn’t be difficult to devise.
“Vehicle manufacturers are increasingly including induction charging technology in their new models,” said Connected Kerb chief executive, Chris Pateman-Jones.
“At present there are only a handful of induction-enabled electric vehicle charge points. We aim to change that.”
Combatting the clutter and enabling more motorists
Pateman-Jones told the Daily Mail that inductive charging is the way forward. They could de-clutter parking bays and charge points with no need for cumbersome call boxes and reams of cables. It’s neater, more attractive, and safer for disabled motorists and pedestrians to whom trailing cables have previously posed a risk. For those worried about how effective the chargers will be, they are said to be comparable in performance.
“Longer term, induction charging will be the path to electrification of all parking bays without the street furniture and cable clutter that dominates EV charge point technology today.”
Connected Kerb is already in the business of making car charging more compact. It has a range of kerbside chargers that are more space efficient. The Armadillo (pictured) and the limpet are small packages, made from recycled car tyres. They sit on the kerb, and on a wall respectively. The next step is to close in on a two-dimensional charging solution.
Most car manufacturers who talk about broadening their remit into personal mobility show off scooters or autonomous pods. Not Aston Martin. With the help of Airbus, the British brand has just launched a helicopter.
The ACH130 Aston Martin Edition is the first fruit of a partnership between Aston and Airbus Corporate Helicopters. There are four signature designs available, comprising four external liveries with complementary Aston Martin-spec cabins.
Believe it or not, this is the second of two aerospace collaborations for Aston over the last couple of months. At the end of November, the marque revealed the DBS Superleggera Concorde edition.
The helicopter pictured is Stirling Green, with a gradient into Jet Black and Skyfall Silver highlighting. Other liveries available include Xenon Grey, Arizona and Ultramarine Black.
On the inside, Aston’s influence is obvious. Beautifully-appointed Oxford tan leather seating comes with the Aston wings embossed on the headrests. Matching bags and Alcantara highlights throughout the cabin complete the look. Jumping from your DBS Superleggera to your ACH130, you’ll feel right at home. Other cabin colours include Pure Black, Cormorant and Ivory.
To mark out each limited edition example, there will be a special plaque on the instrument panel, with the partnership logos, a serial number and even the owner’s name if they wish.
The tallest building in Miami will be an Aston Martin
“We have our own set of automotive design principles but in recent years we have been learning how to apply our principles to other areas of design, such as architecture, motorcycles and now helicopters,” said Aston Martin Vice President and CCO, Marek Reichman.
“This first application of our design practices to a helicopter posed a number of interesting challenges but we have enjoyed working through them. Beauty is of vital importance to Aston Martin and to our customers and we think the ACH130 Aston Martin Edition is an inherently beautiful machine. It provided a wonderful canvas for our team to work on so we now look forward to seeing everybody’s reaction.”
Indeed, Aston has been putting out the feelers in markets beyond cars for a little while. It’s collaborated on a submarine, a motorcycle and even an apartment building in Miami. Aston wants to be known as a luxury brand, full-stop.
Now all we need to know is whether Mr Bond will be getting one in No Time To Die…
Answering the prayers of many a Raptor enthusiast could be Ford Australia, which is rumoured to be preparing a Mustang V8 engine swap for the Ford Ranger Raptor.
At present, the Baja-bashing pick-up comes with a four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel engine. That’s not about to change in the UK, sadly.
However, if the claim by Wheels magazine is correct, diesel-powered Raptors down under will be offered with a V8 instead. These won’t come courtesy of Ford itself, but via an external engineering outfit.
Sound unlikely? Well, consider that Holden has been selling right-hand-drive Chevrolet Camaros in Australia for the past year. They don’t come like that from Chevy. Rather, Holden’s HSV performance division converts them for Australian consumption.
Although the Ranger Raptor V8 won’t be in-house, that doesn’t mean it won’t be official. It’s claimed the car will be up to showroom safety and durability standards, sold via Ford dealers and come with a five-year warranty.
Exactly what spec the V8 Raptor would have beyond the engine swap is unknown, although expect some further upgrades to compliment its new, more muscular heart.
The current Ranger can actually trace its roots to Australia. The ‘T6’ architecture that underpins the Ranger and Ford Everest SUV was partly developed by Ford’s Antipodean arm.
Needless to say, this project is very much focused on Australian buyers. Much as you might want a V8 Raptor in the UK, you’ll need to prove it by importing one personally.
The Citroen C1 now comes with a year’s free insurance for new car buyers aged between 19 and 75 years of age.
Both cash buyers and PCP finance customers get the free insurance offer, which is open to all retail buyers (albeit with some eligibility restrictions for those with driving convictions or claims).
Every C1 variant apart from the entry-level Touch grade is included in the offer – and both regular and Airscape convertible roof models come with the deal.
Citroen says the C1 is particularly popular amongst new drivers who have just passed their test: free insurance is likely to make the city car even more appealing, potentially saving them a four-figure sum.
Eurig Druce, Citroen UK sales director, said: “This offer has been designed in particular to offer a helping hand to younger drivers, whose insurance costs are usually higher.
“By covering these costs we hope to get as many young drivers into a safer, brand new car that they can be proud of.”
Citroen has sold more than 70,000 C1s in the UK so far – and the firm adds that, “unlike several competitors in the segment”, full-length curtain airbags are standard.
Druce called them an “all-important” piece of safety equipment, given the smallest Citroen’s natural city-driving focus.
The cheapest Citroen C1 available with a year’s free insurance is the three-door Feel variant, priced from £12,320.
A new report has revealed the UK’s most serviced cars of 2019. In other words, the cars that generated the most aftersales work.
The Vauxhall Corsa D, built between 2006 and 2014, takes the top spot – one of four Vauxhall cars in the top 10.
It’s the same story internationally, with the Opel Corsa finishing ahead of the Ford Focus and Nissan Qashqai.
The study is based on the 85,000 workshops subscribed to Autodata, the company behind the report. Globally, the most accessed service modules are engine oil, technical specifications and camshaft drive systems.
Rod Williams, managing director of Autodata, said: “Autodata’s continuous evolution of the product enables us to provide customers with increasingly valuable technical resources.
“Data from our extensive global database allows us to see where the demand for content exists so that we can provide the most in-demand and up-to-date information to workshops.”
Top ten most serviced cars in the UK
Vauxhall/Opel Corsa D (2006-2014)
Ford Fiesta (2013)
Ford Focus (2004/2008)
Vauxhall/Opel Astra J (2009-2015)
Ford Fiesta (2008)
Fiat 500/500C (2007-)
Vauxhall/Opel Insignia A (2008-2017)
Ford Focus (2011)
Vauxhall/Opel Astra H (2004-2009)
Nissan Qashqai/Qashqai+2 (2006-2013)
With the models combined, Ford is the most serviced manufacturer in the UK, while the Ford Transit (2006) is the most serviced van. The Honda CBR is the most serviced motorcycle.
Automotive Management has studied the data and discovered that national brands dominate servicing in their respective countries. In Germany, all top 10 positions were filled by German cars, and it was the same for French cars in France.
In Italy, 50 percent of the cars in the top 10 were Italian, while 70 percent of the top 10 cars in Sweden were Swedish, with Volvo taking the top three slots.
Back in the UK, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV was the most serviced hybrid vehicle, while the Nissan Leaf took the honours in the electric segment. The Tesla Model S finished second.
Parents will spend four days of 2020 getting their children out of the house and into the car.
This is according to new research, which also shows that children aged 2-3 are the most difficult to get into the car.
It should come as no surprise to discover that the daily routine makes 30 percent of parents late for work. Indeed, mums and dads are, on average, 11 minutes late for work because of troublesome children.
Something to look forward to when the children go back to school next week…
What’s causing the delays? The research puts it down to children taking too long to put shoes and coats on.
London children are the worst, with parents wrestling with shoes, coats and car seats for an average of 18.2 minutes – twice a day. At the opposite end of the scale, children in East Anglia are little darlings, costing their parents a mere 7.82 minutes.
Rob Fryer, head of product at Seat UK, the company behind the research, said: “It won’t be a surprise to parents of young children that getting into the car and setting off on a journey, however long or short, is such a challenge.
“Whether it’s last-minute toilet trips or deciding which of their toys they’d like to take in the car with them, children can make the job of leaving the house seem daunting.“
How can parents speed up the process of getting the children locked and loaded in the car? The promise of sweets works, apparently, although parents should probably favour fruit-based snacks, rather than risk a sugar rush.
Other tactics include playing their favourite music in the car and some kind of treat when they reach their destination. The removal of a smartphone and/or changing the wifi code is also likely to work well.
The UK Foreign Office has announced plans to switch diplomats into all-electric or hybrid cars as part of a drive to make it the “greenest diplomatic service in the world”.
Diplomats all around the world will quickly start switching to low- or zero-emission cars, with the global fleet becoming all-electric by 2030.
UK embassies in Oslo and Holy See have already replaced their cars. 30 other UK posts have cars on order and will receive their new green motors by April 2020.
The all-electric Jaguar I-Pace is going to feature heavily in the Foreign Office green fleet plans.
All embassies will also have fast-chargers installed.
“Climate change is the greatest challenge of our time,” said Foreign Office permanent under-secretary Sir Simon McDonald.
“Our fleet of flag cars is a high-profile tool for demonstrating the UK’s international leadership on climate change diplomacy.
“I want us to be the greenest diplomatic service in the world. Shifting our vehicles away from petrol to all-electric will help us achieve this.”
The Foreign Office also plans to extend the use of solar energy on its buildings, and eliminate single-use plastics across all global posts.
With 2019 now over, this is the perfect time to review just what UK motorists wanted the most over the past year.
Using data from searches and advert views, Auto Trader had compiled an array of information on the most popular cars and SUVs of the year. A nationally representative survey of 2,000 drivers was also used to gather additional information.
The results cover a range of categories, along with the ten individual models that had the most viewed adverts of all. Get ready to see just how on-trend you were with your own car searches in 2019.
Most desirable new car brands of 2019
Kicking things off is which brands were the most desirable during the year. Auto Trader has accumulated the data for all adverts viewed, with Audi coming out on top.
Audi adverts were viewed more than 4.8 million times, with BMW in second with 4.03 million views. Volkswagen came in third, whilst Mercedes-Benz took fourth place, proving that German marques remain highly desirable.
Ford was in fifth place, with Land Rover, Jaguar, Hyundai, Nissan, and Toyota completing the top ten.
Most popular hybrid cars of 2019
With environmental concerns dominating the news in 2019, interest in hybrid vehicles has increased on Auto Trader. Topping the list of the most popular hybrid cars was the Toyota Corolla, buoyed by the launch of an all-new model.
Toyota also took both second and third place, with the RAV4 Hybrid and C-HR Hybrid respectively. The Honda CR-V Hybrid could be found in fourth place, with the Kia Niro in fifth.
Most popular electric cars of 2019
With more new electric cars than ever set to hit the market in 2020, we can expect the number of Auto Trader advert views for them to grow exponentially. During 2019 it was adverts for Audi’s E-tron that topped the electric charts.
The Jaguar I-Pace was the second most-viewed electric car, with the Volkswagen e-Golf clinching the final podium place. Established EVs like the Renault Zoe and Nissan Leaf completed the top five, but the new MG ZS EV was more of a surprise in seventh.
Most popular diesel cars of 2019
Dieselgate has reduced the market share of new diesel cars dramatically, with them now accounting for less than a third of new sales. Despite that, diesel is still a relevant option for certain buyers, with the Range Rover Evoque the most viewed diesel-powered vehicle.
BMW’s 3 Series claimed second place, with the full-sized Range Rover still proving popular with diesel fans in third. SUVs accounted for seven of the top ten places, although the Mercedes-Benz V-Class is notable for taking seventh place.
Most popular petrol cars of 2019
Proving just how far the popularity of diesel has fallen, even the Ford Mustang received more searches than the previous Range Rover Evoque. With 449,422 searches, the Mustang slots into fifth place on the list of the most popular petrol-powered cars.
At the very top of the table is a more predictable story. The Volkswagen Golf takes the crown for the petrol car with the most adverts viewed, followed by the Ford Fiesta. The Ford Focus takes third, with the Volkswagen Polo in fourth.
Most popular SUVs of 2019
The popularity of SUVs continues to rise seemingly unabated, and it is Land Rover that will be happiest with the results of Auto Trader’s data. The aristocratic Range Rover sits atop the pile as the SUV with the most viewed adverts in 2019.
Following close behind is the Range Rover Sport, whilst the Range Rover Evoque can be found in third place. The Range Rover Velar was the eighth most-viewed SUV, with the Discovery Sport just behind in ninth.
Although other brands are available, Auto Trader users seemingly only have eyes for Land Rover products.
Most popular estate cars of 2019
With SUVs becoming the default option for many buyers, the humble estate has fallen to being an also-ran when it comes to new cars. Yet choosing a station wagon instead of an SUV still matter to some buyers, with adverts for the Ford Focus estate being viewed the most of all.
Following behind in second place is the Audi A6 Avant, with the Volkswagen Golf Estate completing the top three. The Golf’s platform-sharing brethren of the Seat Leon ST and Skoda Octavia appear in fourth and fifth position.
Most popular coupes of 2019
Sporty two-door coupes saw greater advert views than estate cars, suggesting UK motorists are searching for driving fun rather than practicality. At the top of the tree is BMW’s new flagship 8 Series coupe, which saw the release of an even quicker Competition version in 2019.
With broad appeal, the blue-collar Ford Mustang is the second most-searched for coupe. BMW also takes the final podium position, with the M4 edging ahead of the Audi R8 for third place.
Variety can be found throughout the top ten with the Lotus Exige in seventh, and the Nissan GT-R in tenth.
Most popular saloons of 2019
BMW may produce far more than just saloons now, but the core of its range is seemingly still popular in the UK. Loved by business users and personal buyers, the BMW 3 Series was the four-door model with its adverts viewed the most in 2019.
The high-performance BMW M5 can be found in second, although the 5 Series on which it is based was strangely only in ninth position. Smaller executive saloons were more desirable, with the Alfa Romeo Giulia in third place, followed by the Jaguar XE in fourth.
Most popular hatchbacks of 2019
With broad appeal, hatchbacks continue to be the most popular bodystyle for UK drivers. The best-sellers list is frequently packed with hatchbacks, and this means adverts for them are suitably in favour.
The Volkswagen Golf, with a range that stretches from humble models to 300 hp performance machines, was the hatchback with the most viewed adverts. In second place is the Ford Fiesta supermini, with the Blue Oval also in third with the Focus.
Most important new car features of 2019
Modern cars are packed with more technology and features than ever before, as buyers expect a high level of specification. Auto Trader researched exactly which features buyers stated were most important to them when buying a new car.
Air conditioning was the most important feature for 52% of buyers, with electric windows desirable to just under half of those asked. A spacious boot and satellite navigation were tied in third place on 41%, with parking sensors desirable to 40% of buyers.
Most desirable new car colours of 2019
Choosing a colour is one of the most exciting parts of the new car buying experience for many. The past decade has been dominated by monochromatic colours, as buyers opt for conservative hues. It should therefore be no surprise that black was the most popular colour, with 21% making it their most desired option.
Closely behind in second place was blue, with 19% of buyers favouring it. Silver remains desirable to 16%, followed by red which is the top preference for 11% of buyers.
White may have started the decade as one of the most popular colours, but now it is only desirable to 10% of people.
Top 10 most popular car searches of 2019
10: Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Now we move into the top ten most popular cars searched for in 2019, beginning with the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. UK motorists have been drawn towards premium brands throughout the past decade, so its inclusion should not be a shock.
With 460,924 advert views during 2019, the C-Class is solidly in tenth place. The compact executive model comes in saloon, estate, coupe, and cabriolet formats, offering a model for every taste. A broad range of engines, including hybrid options, covers all the bases.
9: Volkswagen Polo
Based on the most recent sales figures, the Volkswagen Polo was the ninth best-selling car during 2019. It should therefore be no surprise that, with 463,548 advert views, the Polo was also the ninth most popular car on Auto Trader.
Volkswagen’s supermini manages to hold universal appeal, with the upmarket badge being a key part of the appeal. As we will see, it manages to be upstaged on this list by another Volkswagen.
8: Range Rover Evoque
Launched at the end of 2018, the latest Range Rover Evoque continues with the successful theme of its predecessor. Amassing 525,550 advert views during 2019, the smallest member of the Range Rover family is the first of three models from the brand to feature in the top ten.
Along with being the most desirable diesel-powered model of 2019, eighth place is impressive for such a boxfresh model. It clearly demonstrates the desirability of the compact premium SUV.
7: Mercedes-Benz A-Class
The UK’s love for all things premium continues, with the smallest Mercedes-Benz model accounting for 541,700 Auto Trader advert views during 2019. The A-Class has been a popular seller throughout the year, meaning seventh place here is to be expected.
Along with the Mercedes-Benz badge, the A-Class features an upmarket interior with technology that would shame cars from several classes above.
6: BMW 3 Series
Sixth place on the most-viewed Auto Trader adverts of 2019 goes to the BMW 3 Series. A total of 562,623 views covers both the saloon and estate versions of the 3 Series.
The latest seventh-generation of the 3 Series saloon went on sale in March 2019, followed by the Touring estate in June. More cabin space, greater technology, and new engines will have helped generate interest.
5: Range Rover Sport
It may have been on sale since 2013, but the Range Rover Sport seems to show no sign of diminishing interest. With 591,323 views of Auto Trader adverts during 2019, it was the fifth most-popular new vehicle for the year.
Engine options for the Range Rover Sport span four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, through to the impressive 575 hp supercharged V8 unit in the SVR model.
4: Range Rover
Even more desirable than the Range Rover Sport is the top-of-the-line version in the Land Rover hierarchy. The full-size luxury model received 617,085 advert views during 2019, placing it fourth in the overall list.
Auto Trader does not state how many of those views translated into sales. So this may be buyers genuinely interested in a Range Rover, or simply the idle dreaming of those wondering how to spend a hypothetical win on the National Lottery.
3: Ford Fiesta
Less likely to be the result of fantasy daydreams, the Ford Fiesta was the clear best-selling model in the UK during 2019. With 721,306 advert views, it finishes third on the Auto Trader list.
Affordable, practical, and enjoyable to drive should make the Fiesta’s inclusion here no major surprise. The limited edition Performance version of the Fiesta ST hot hatch is also likely to have driven even more interest during 2019.
2: Ford Focus
With both second and third places on the list, Ford must be fairly pleased with the results of the Auto Trader data. The larger Focus hatchback outperformed the Fiesta by a substantial amount, with an impressive 846,212 advert views in 2019.
The family hatchback was certainly popular, but what did it lose out to?
1: Volkswagen Golf
For the second year in a row, the Volkswagen Golf takes the top spot as the UK’s most popular model of new car. Of the more than 38 million Auto Trader adverts viewed during 2019, the Golf accounted for 1,307,303 of them alone.
Given the huge variety of new car models for sale in the UK, seeing the Golf account for so many advert views is a considerable demonstration of its popularity. This is more remarkable, taking into account the replacement eight-generation Golf was launched during the year.
The big question will be whether the new Golf can make it a hat trick in 2020.
The push for eco-friendly cars is extending far beyond what comes out of tailpipes.
Animal welfare charity, Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has been putting pressure on the car industry to find alternatives to leather for some time.
Now it’s using ‘Veganuary’, when many people forgo meat and animal products for a month, to highlight the issue.
Peta says some of the biggest players in the car industry are listening and taking action, including Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Ford, and Tesla.
The Model 3 and Model Y, Tesla’s first high-volume models, will be completely vegan while Volkswagen will offer leather- and wool-free cabins in its ID.3 and e-Up electric cars. Ford’s Mustang Mach-E is continuing the eco-friendly trend. It’s not only electric, but eco-friendly on the inside.
Mercedes-Benz and Bentley are also looking to the future, with Peta’s help. The Vision EQS Concept – a preview for future luxury Mercedes models – uses recycled plastic-based Nappa leather.
Likewise, the exotic Bentley EXP100GT Concept uses vegan grape leather. Yes, you read that right: Bentley is investigating using run-off from the wine industry to furnish its luxurious GTs, limousines and SUVs.
Flying Bee: Bentley bees are making honey
Swathes of models from Honda, Hyundai and Kia all have eco-conscious interior appointment options. Even Chevrolet, in everything from the Cruze to the Silverado, offers the option to be, as Peta says, ‘fully loaded with compassion’.
Having a vegan option in a selection of cars from a selection of brands seems positive, but Peta wants to go all the way. In a post on its website, the charity says ‘We won’t stop until all car companies use only 100 percent leather-free and vegan interiors”.
Highways England has revealed its latest gadget to help speed up roadworks – an autonomous robot that helps cut the time it takes to paint white lines.
Developed by contractor WJ, the robotic pre-marker uses precise positioning technology to mark out where white lines need to be painted.
It recently marked up an eight-mile section of the M6 motorway in Staffordshire in four hours. Two engineers would normally take more than a week to do the same job.
Pre-marking roads for white lines is a tiresome job; humans have to calculate where the markings need to be, then walk miles to bend down and spray or chalk them onto the road.
This is both dangerous and arduous, increasing the risk of back injuries.
The robot is proving increasingly popular with Highways England contractors: it has worked on the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement, plus the M4, the M1 and the M60.
“We’re always looking at innovative new ways of working,” said Julian Lamb, A14 construction director. “With safety our top priority, the time savings the robot can provide, coupled with removing our operatives from a potentially hazardous situation, make it a great solution”
Lamb added Highways England has also been working with the manufacturers of a self-driving dumper truck on the A14 project.
