British homeowners made £24 million in 2019 by renting out their driveways and empty parking spaces.
Indeed, you could make around £1,000 a year by allowing a fellow motorist to park on your drive.
Figures from Your Parking Space show that 78,000 new driveways and spaces have been added to its portal over the last 12 months. Forget cash in the attic, there’s cash on the driveway.
Driveways are likely to be popular close to city centres and town centres, with shoppers and commuters left with a short walk. Other venues include sports stadiums, railway stations, airports and tourist destinations.
Harrison Woods, managing director at YourParkingSpace.co.uk, said: “Homeowners are seeing the financial benefits of renting out their empty driveways.
“Many are making a significant additional income with our figures showing the average annual driveway earning in 25 towns and cities is just over £1,000.
“However, it’s also businesses, schools and even churches that have unused parking spaces who are registering with Your Parking Space.
“If an empty space or driveway is in a location where there is a lack of parking, or because it could be cheaper than a traditional car park, then there will be a demand from motorists for this service.”
Renting out your driveway – the options
Your Parking Space isn’t the only company offering a ‘rent your parking space’ service. Other big names include JustPark, Parklet and Park On My Drive.
While most companies are free to join, you’ll be charged a fee or commission for successful transactions. The costs vary, so be prepared to do your homework.
Don’t base your decision on price. Consider other factors such as brand reach, website visibility and how hard the company works on your behalf.
It’s also possible to rent your driveway via Gumtree. While the costs are lower, you’ll have to do much of the legwork yourself.
As an alternative, ask your friends, family or colleagues if they know of someone who could use some convenient parking.
For more information, visit the Money Saving Expert website.
FCA, also known as Fiat-Chrysler, and PSA Group, which owns brands such as Citroen, Peugeot and Vauxhall, will merge operations to create ‘a world-class mobility company with global scale’.
In a tweet announcing the completion of the deal, FCA head of financial and corporate communications, Jeff Bennett said: “A New Day – Group PSA and FCA agree to merge. New entity will have the leadership, resources and scale to be at the forefront of a new era of sustainable mobility”.
This merger will see the new entity become the fourth-largest global car manufacturer in terms of production volume, at 8.7 million units.
A major goal of the merger, so the companies say, is to be able to invest in ‘innovative mobility solutions and cutting-edge technologies in new energy vehicles, autonomous driving and connectivity’. Shared platforms and tech development will streamline costs for both.
The company’s portfolio will be well and truly universal, covering the globe across all market segments. Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Vauxhall and Opel will be stablemates with Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Ferrari, as well as Fiat, Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler.
FCA’s passenger car offerings will be shored up with new investment, while PSA will be perfectly poised for its re-entrance into America. In theory, the merger will assist both parties where they’re weakest, helping them achieve their respective goals as well as face new challenges in a rapidly evolving motor industry.
It will be the third largest global OEM in terms of revenue, with a combined figure nearing £144.5 billion.
An expected £3.2 billion in savings should come from run-rate synergies and technology sharing.
The savings will NOT come from any plant closures on either side of the deal.
The new group will have ‘much greater geographic balance’, with its revenues now spread across the globe – 46 percent in Europe, and 43 percent in North America (2018 figures).
PSA boss Carlos Tavares will lead the new company, while John Elkann (FCA Chairman) will chair.
Some trivia
This merger isn’t unprecedented for the two groups – or, more specifically, some of the marques within them. The outgoing Fiat Punto for instance, shared a platform with previous generations of Vauxhall Corsa.
It will also be a reunion for Citroen and Maserati. The French company owned the Italian brand between 1968 and 1975. Citroen borrowed Maserati engines for its exotic SM.
In February 2020, it will be 17 years since the Congestion Charge was introduced for central London. Since then, the idea of incentivising uptake of cleaner cars has evolved.
The Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) now operates in London 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. On top of that, 20 other UK cities are now considering similar schemes to the Congestion Charge. But how has air quality evolved over the past 17 years?
Select Car Leasing has analysed air quality data collected from three points within the zone, before and after the charge was brought in. Overall, carbon monoxide levels are 60 percent lower now than they were before the charge. Likewise, nitrogen dioxide is down by 24 percent, while suphur dioxide is down 61 percent.
2021 London ULEZ expansion: motorists are already searching for compliant cars
“Our data shows that the London Congestion Charge zone has broadly achieved its aims,” the report concludes.
“Many Londoners will believe that the cost of cleaner air is certainly a price worth paying. It could be down to this success that many other congestion charges and toll roads are planned throughout the UK in the near future.”
There are 20 further zones being considered across the United Kingdom. Glasgow, York and Leeds are confirmed to be following London.
Cities where schemes have been proposed include Newcastle upon Tyne, Manchester, Warrington, Birmingham, Sheffield, Oxford, Bristol, and Bath. Bristol has all but confirmed an outright ban of diesel-powered private cars in certain parts of its city centre. Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen have proposals to follow in Glasgow’s footsteps for Scotland.
As for where could jump on the ULEZ bandwagon? Derby, Cambridge, Cardiff, Slough, Reading and Fareham are all possibles, according to Select Car Leasing.
84 percent of drivers oppose city diesel bans
The hope is these zones will encourage drivers to sell their petrol- and diesel-powered cars, and buy EVs. That means eventually, a great deal of cars paying minimal road and fuel taxes. At present, these represent a £28.8 billion revenue stream. Select Car Leasing suggests three possible options: taxing electric cars more heavily, putting duty on electricity and introducing more tolls. Whatever happens, the government will have to raise the funds sooner or later.
The new Vauxhall Corsa will not offer any individual optional extras apart from paint colour and a spare wheel, as the British brand looks to simplify things for car buyers.
The many thousands of configurations available with the outgoing Corsa have been cut, with Vauxhall instead offering a handful of upgrade packs for key variants.
These bundle individual options together, making things easier and offering better value – as the packs cost less than choosing the options individually.
“The old Corsa had over 3,000 different configurations,” said Vauxhall brand manager Zoe Peacock. “We’ve cut the confusion and bundled options into three packs – Nav, Premium and Nav Premium.”
Vauxhall isn’t doing this just to make things easier for customers and retailers, though. It also helps the firm manage CO2 emissions.
“The previous system made it very hard to control range CO2 emissions,” said Peacock. Under new WLTP fuel economy regulations, each individual option has an effect on CO2.
The amounts are small, but they start to add up – and it’s almost impossible to manage on an ongoing basis.
Given how, from 2020, car makers have to meet strict range-average CO2 targets or face hefty fines, Vauxhall made the decision to simplify things for its UK best-seller.
And, far from being disappointed, Peacock feels customers will react positively: “It’s going to be interesting to see if it encourages greater options uptake.”
2020 Vauxhall Corsa options
The 2020 Vauxhall Corsa is offered in SE, SRi, Elite Nav and Ultimate Nav guises. The core best-sellers will be SE and SRi – and it’s these two variants that offer the three new upgrade packs.
Nav is the most affordable (£740 on SE, £500 on SRi), and, as its name suggests, adds on satellite navigation.
Premium is £780 on SE, £1,240 on SRi, and incudes luxuries such as heated front seats, auto wipers and heated steering wheel. Nav Premium combines the best of both.
Otherwise, the only option with the new Corsa is paint colour: Navy Blue is free, while the other seven hues range from £340 to £650.
The firm will also sell a 15-inch emergency spare wheel for £110.
Renault now offers a five-year, 100,000-mile warranty on all new cars sold in the UK from 18 December 2019.
The French firm’s new warranty package improves its previous three-year, 60,000-mile warranty. It applies to all passenger cars – and every version of the new Clio, even those already registered.
Both fleet and retail customers benefit from the new 5-year warranty. Indeed, the first two years actually have an unlimited mileage limit. It’s for the final three years that the 100,000-mile cap is added.
The all-electric Zoe (pictured above) and Twizy are included in the five-year warranty offer, too.
Vincent Tourette, MD of Renault UK said: “Renault is deeply committed to the quality and reliability of its products and this extended cover reinforces the confidence that both we and our customers have in our vehicles.”
Renault’s three-year roadside assistance package for all new car buyers remains unchanged, though. The mileage limit is 100,000 for its electric vehicles and the latest Koleos, 60,000 miles for all other models.
The improved package means Renault now offers one of the best new car warranties in the UK, matching the five-year deal of Hyundai and Toyota.
However, Kia, MG and SsangYong still lead the way, each with a seven-year warranty – limited to 80,000 miles by MG, 100,000 miles by Kia, and a stonking 150,000 miles by SsangYong.
The electric car race is gathering pace. Gone are the days when the electric car market was dominated by a few manufacturers. By this time next year, a host of new names will have joined the all-electric party, including Volkswagen, Honda and Ford.
Here, we’ve assembled some of the most exciting new electric cars, ranging from affordable superminis to expensive supercars. Ladies and gentlemen, charge your glasses as we toast the electric new year.
First look at mystery Maserati electric supercar due in 2020
Volkswagen ID.3
It might not be the most exciting new electric car, but it’s what the Volkswagen ID.3 can do for the entire industry that’s most intriguing. Volkswagen claims it will have the same impact as the Beetle and the Golf – hence the ID.3 name – and it will be interesting to see if it has any impact on sales of the new Mk8 Golf. Up to 341 miles of range is available, with top-end first edition cars available from £35,000.
Volvo XC40 Recharge
Volvo’s first all-electric car combines a 0-62 mph time of 4.9 seconds with an EV driving range of nearly 250 miles. The XC40 Recharge P8 AWD has two electric motors, giving a total output of 408 horsepower. Total battery capacity is 75 kWh, and Volvo says the batteries will recharge from zero to 80 percent in 40 minutes. It’s the first of a new range of all-electric Volvos, with the company launching one a year between now and 2025.
Audi E-tron Sportback 55
The Audi E-tron Sportback 55 follows the e-tron SUV as the company’s second all-electric vehicle. Improved aerodynamics add 6.2 miles to the range, giving a figure of 277 miles. Audi says maintaining keen dynamics and a sense of luxury are more important than maximum range, while the 615 litres of luggage capacity means the E-tron Sportback is as practical as more conventional rivals.
Ford Mustang Mach-E
The fact that this iconic Ford has gone electric continues to raise a few eyebrows, but the use of the Mustang name makes sense. As does the fact that it’s an electric SUV, because that’s what the world wants. Available with a choice of two batteries and three power outputs, the Mach-E could offer up to 370 miles of electric range. It’s packed with the latest tech, while practicality is guaranteed thanks to a large 402-litre boot and a 100-litre ‘frunk’.
Honda e
We’ve driven a Honda e in prototype form. Our verdict: “It’s as appealing to drive as it is to look at and sit in. It looks characterful, and its on-road performance is distinctive too, particularly the comfort, the quietness, and the turning circle.” Post-grant prices start from £26,160 for the 100 kW version, while the 113 kW version costs £28,660. Alternatively, Honda e finance starts from £299 per month.
Mini Electric
The new Mini Electric is open for ordering with deliveries expected in March 2020. With an on-the-road price of £24,400 (after the grant) the Mini is cheaper than the Honda e, but the driving range is a similarly limited 124 miles. The compact 32.5 kWh battery has been used to keep the weight down, with Mini keen to preserve the famous ‘go-kart’ handling characteristics.
Peugeot e-208
The Peugeot e-208 is more expensive than the Honda e and Mini Electric, but its 217-mile range is more impressive. It costs upwards of £25,050 after the plug-in car grant, although the top-spec e-208 GT is priced at £29,250. Unlike the Renault Zoe, which is built from the ground up as an electric car, the e-208 shares much in common with the more conventional Peugeot 208.
Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo
Hot on the heels of the Porsche Taycan, the new Cross Turismo variant will arrive in 2020. Not much is known about the Cross Turismo, other than the fact that it’s an estate version of the Taycan electric sports car and it will arrive as a 2021 model year EV. The current Taycan range (pictured) kicks off with the £83,000 Taycan 4S, while the flagship Turbo S costs £139,000.
Seat el-Born
The el-Born will follow the Mii Electric as Seat’s second all-electric production car. It made its debut as a concept at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, but Volkswagen will be keen to give the platform-sharing ID.3 some breathing space before launching the Seat. It will offer an all-electric range of up to 261 miles, with a price tag in the region of £26,000. As it’s a Seat, you can expect some sporty touches, including sports seats and a driver-focused dashboard.
Tesla Model Y
Officially, the Tesla Model Y isn’t expected to appear in the UK until 2021 or 2022, but North American customers are likely to get their hands on the seven-seat SUV as early as next year. Tesla is promising up to 336 miles of electric range from the Long Range AWD model, while the Performance edition will offer 298 miles and a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds. If the Model 3 is anything to go by, anticipation will be high.
Vauxhall Corsa-e
The Vauxhall Corsa-e is available for a competitive £295 on a four-year personal lease contract after a £5,310 initial rental. Alternatively, you can get a guaranteed £2,000 part-exchange allowance on your old car. The 50kWh battery in the Corsa-e offers 205 miles of electric range, although this can be extended by a further 40 percent by using a special eco mode.
BMW iX3
The BMW Concept iX3 was unveiled at last year’s Beijing Motor Show. BMW is promising a range of more than 249 miles from a 70 kWh battery, along with a newly-developed Charging Control Unit for accessing the latest fast charging points. Unlike the i3 and i8, the iX3 is based on existing architecture and is being developed alongside the i4 four-door coupe.
Fiat 500e
Fiat is investing heavily in the development of the new 500e electric car, including a new production line in Italy. Production is set to begin in the second quarter of next year, after its debut at the Geneva Motor Show, with the plant capable of building up to 80,000 all-electric 500s a year. Given the popularity of the conventional 500 (pictured), this could be one of the most important EVs of 2020.
Maserati supercar
Maserati has revealed images of a mid-engined prototype testing on roads near its factory in Italy. Little is known about the car, aside from the fact that the “engine is 100 percent Maserati” and its likely to be unveiled in May 2020. What’s it doing in this gallery? Well, there are rumours that an electric version will appear in the future, although the launch car is more likely to be electrified rather than fully electric.
Mercedes-Benz EQV
The Mercedes-Benz EQV electric people carrier made its debut at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show. The company claims the EQV will offer a range of up to 251 miles, which is impressive for an eight-seat electric MPV. It also features a 1,030-litre load area. Still want seven-seat Tesla Model X?
Peugeot e-2008
If the e-208 is too small, Peugeot has a ready-made alternative in the e-2008 SUV. It offers a range of up to 193 miles, while refilling to 80 percent takes 30 minutes when using a 100 kW fast-charger. Standard equipment is high, and prices start from around £28,500 after the plug-in car grant.
Pininfarina Battista
Deliveries of the Pininfarina Battista will begin in 2020. Only 150 will be built in Italy, carrying a rumoured £2 million price tag. Producing 1,900 hp – and faster than a Formula One car from zero to 60 mph – it will travel almost 280 miles on a single charge. The Mahindra-owned company will launch three EVs over the next three years, two of which will be SUVs.
Skoda Citigo e iV
The new Skoda Citigo e iV went on sale on 10 December and will cost from £16,995. This is after the plug-in car grant and is based on the entry-level SE. The all-electric Citigo offers a driving range of between 140 and 170 miles, while the top-spec SE L can be charged using a CCS cable connected to a 40kW DC fast charger. First deliveries are expected early next year.
Jaguar XJ
The all-electric Jaguar XJ represents a new era for the flagship saloon. Production of the current XJ (pictured) has come to an end, but Jaguar has announced plans to build a range of electrified cars at its Castle Bromwich plant in Birmingham. The electric XJ is expected to arrive in 2020, with Jaguar using its experience in creating the I-Pace SUV.
The most in-demand vehicles for theft in 2019 have been revealed, based on what criminals might be paid when they sell them.
The figures come from vehicle protection provider, AX. Car thefts have risen from 75,308 annually in 2013-2014 to 112,000 in 2017-2018: a rise of 50 percent in five years.
As we’ve previously reported, a large driver of this increase is the proliferation of keyless theft.
Premium brands such as Audi, BMW, Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz dominate the ‘shopping lists’ of car thieves.
In fact, the AX list of most-wanted cars is composed exclusively of models from those brands. Remember, these aren’t necessarily the cars that are stolen the most, but those thieves can best profit from.
‘A’ models from Audi, ranging from the A1 to the A5, have a post-theft value of just £1,000. Models from BMW, from the 2 Series through to the 5 Series, can go for between £1,500 and £1,800. The Mercedes C-Class undercuts them slightly, retailing for between £1,000 and £1,500.
Large SUVs are the big-ticket items for thieves, though. The BMW X5 has a post-theft value of between £1,800 and £2,000.
Likewise, a Range Rover goes for between £1,500 and £2,000. The performance SVR variant, like anything from Mercedes-AMG, can fetch between £2,000 and £3,000.
“We know how the criminals operate but, with the UK theft figures in mind, it’s a sharp reminder of the problem car owners and the industry faces,” said Neil Thomas, director of investigative services at AX.
“The list is quite shocking, despite my 30 years working in the police force. Business and private owners alike are affected by the increase in thefts, so it’s paramount to take precautions to avoid being targeted, or ensure vehicles have robust covert technology so that they can be recovered.”
The exclusive McLaren Beverly Hills dealership has revealed details of three special bespoke examples of the Senna XP hypercar.
Built by the McLaren Special Operations team, each of the three cars features a design that pays tribute to Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna.
Along with providing a name for McLaren’s most recent Ultimate Series car, Senna also won three F1 World Championships driving for the British team. Key events from his time with the racing outfit are celebrated with these cars.
Master of Monaco
The Monaco Grand Prix is the toughest test for any Formula 1 driver. Senna took six wins on the streets of Monte Carlo, demonstrating his immense talent.
All three of the Senna XP cars feature an exposed carbon body with a gloss finish applied. Details based on the flags from the countries which hosted Senna’s greatest moments are then applied by hand to the rear wing and other external trim.
For the Master of Monaco car, this means red and white highlights being applied. The interior also features red seat trim, red tint for the exposed carbon trim, and a special 1 of 1 dedication plaque.
Lap of the Gods
One of the singlest greatest examples of the abilities possessed by Ayrton Senna came at the 1993 European Grand Prix. Held at Donington Park in the United Kingdom, Senna started fifth on the grid ahead of the race in the rain.
The Brazilian driver ended the first lap in the lead, having simply outdriven the competition in the demanding conditions. He would go on to win the race by more than 1 minute ahead of Damon Hill in second.
The Senna XP Lap of the Gods car wears a large Union Jack across the rear wing. All three cars have bespoke painted brake calipers, plus unique accelerator pedals and a steering wheel with a unique 12 o’clock marker.
Home Victory (Vitória em casa)
The final car of the trio, Home Victory, pays tribute to one of Senna’s greatest wins. At the 1991 Brazilian Grand Prix, with his McLaren stuck in sixth gear by the end of the race, Senna still went on to cross the finish line in first place.
With a Brazilian flag on the wing, combined with yellow and green exterior detailing, Home Victory certainly stands out. The interior is also resplendent in green, with the custom work to create the cars having taken some 780 hours.
The Senna XP models are created from the initial prototype and test models made by McLaren, and are in addition to the 500 production examples. Each Senna XP has been rebuilt, and uses a 789 horsepower twin-turbo V-8 engine.
Prices are set to be accordingly high, with each example having a MSRP of $1,435,328 (£1.88 m). The cars can only be purchased through the McLaren Beverly Hills dealership.
Despite the Senna being limited to 500 initial examples, McLaren has already produced a number of variations. The Senna GTR, a track-only version, saw 75 examples made, whilst the recently announced McLaren Elva will essentially be an open-top version of the Senna.
Younger car buyers aged 18-24 years old take less than two weeks to search for and buy a new car – but those aged 45 and over spend more than six weeks reaching a decision.
The research has been revealed in a study by eBay Motors Group, which clearly identified the link between time spent and the buyer’s age.
The average time spent searching for a new car is 40.5 days, or just over five weeks.
“A third of all purchasers take six weeks or longer,” said eBay Motors’ Dermot Kelleher.
Male and female car buyers are evenly matched, taking 41 and 40 days respectively.
800 miles of roadworks will be suspended for Christmas
So why do youngsters take so much less time to buy a car? It’s either because of life events or the simplicity of the deal, said Kelleher.
“Customers under 25 spend less than two weeks searching with many being first time buyers without trade-ins to sort out.
“Nearly two-thirds of buyers under 35 say purchases are driven by imminent life events, including becoming a parent or needing a car for school-age children.
“These buyers are in a hurry and typically spend less than a month searching for a car.”
Fisker Inc. has confirmed that Electrify America will be the charging network of choice for the forthcoming Ocean SUV.
The company states this will give Fisker drivers access to the biggest fast-charging network for electric vehicles across the United States, plus a bespoke charging experience.
Those interested in the electric SUV now also know when they will get a first look at the full prototype. Fisker will reveal the Ocean at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show, which takes place next month.
Welcome to our network
Key to Fisker’s partnership with Electrify America is a promise that charging the Ocean at one of their stations will be quick and painless. Fisker states that Electrify America chargers will automatically recognize Ocean SUVs, simplifying the process and allowing automated payments.
This is similar to how the Tesla Supercharger network operates.
Electrify America currently plans to expand its network to 800 separate charging sites, with 3,500 chargers in total, by December 2021. The company has also signed agreements with manufacturers including Ford, Audi, Porsche, and Harley Davidson to allow customers to use their network.
The Fisker Ocean will be sold with a ‘complimentary mileage’ package, allowing drivers a limited amount of free charging. With an 80 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, Fisker states the Ocean can be charged to offer 200 miles of range with a 30 minute fast charge.
California dreamin’ on such a winter’s day
Ahead of the big reveal on January 7th at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show, Fisker has also promised a special treat next week for those who have reserved an Ocean via the Fisker Flexee mobile app.
Fisker plans to display a feature of the Ocean SUV that will allow “passengers to experience the sun, fresh air and an open feeling without being in a convertible”, that it calls ‘California Mode’. The special mode will be standard on all versions of the Fisker Ocean expect the entry-level base trim.
The first production models of the Ocean are scheduled to be completed in late 2021, with Fisker setting a target of 2022 to deliver the electric SUV in higher volumes.
