News - Page 1904

MANHEIM AUCTIONS is transferring fleet sales from its Gloucester centre after announcing plans to invest more than £2 million in the site in a bid to create Europe's largest commercial vehicle auction house.

FORD franchised dealers will get a new online authorisation system after the manufacturer signed up to the Epyx 1Link Service Network.

THE Stafford branch of Age Concern has taken delivery of three specially converted 3.5-tonne LDV Convoy diesel minibuses for transporting passengers to day care centres.

TOYOTA has launched its sixth hybrid-powered vehicle – a full-size MPV for the Japanese market.

VAUXHALL has revised the Agila and included a new 1.0-litre twinport engine in the range, offering improved performance and fuel economy.

LAND Rover has made several changes under the skin of the Discovery for the 2004 model year, with the addition of ISOFIX child seat attachments across the range.

THE London congestion charge system has led a city-based paper merchant to introduce an online fleet management system to track its fleet of 510 vehicles.

A RISE in used car sales could be attributed to the fact that fleets are using alternative re-marketing routes to the traditional auction, industry experts have claimed.

RETAIL demand for the Mini has led to an increase in used car values for the marque as retail customers shun waiting lists for new models.

FLEETS should be putting their vehicles through fleet-only auctions because trade buyers buy with more confidence from them, pushing conversion rates and prices up.

BCA says its new online Auction View Instant Purchase service is providing fleet operators with a valuable additional opportunity to remarket stock.

Many leasing companies are reporting an increasing number of extensions to leases at the moment. The trend is to move from three years to 48 months.

The recent high-profile coverage of the Alliance & Leicester's findings on used car values certainly generated plenty of response around the trade. Although the original story looked like a potential threat to confidence the response from the trade press – including Fleet News – was excellent.

Two years on from the introduction of today's car registration system there is still confusion among the public over how it works and, indeed, why it was even introduced. Although it was designed as an easy-to-follow system it seems to be proving just the opposite.

MEMBERS of the German government have called for an increase in diesel fuel tax in a move that, if given the go-ahead, will drive up fleet costs.

GE Fleet has made Mary McNamara its new head of European operations.

NEW car sales in 2003 are still on track to be the second highest on record – and latest figures suggest fleet demand has recovered through the second quarter of the year.

A WELSH estate agency has new additions to its fleet after taking delivery of 14 MINI Coopers sporting the agency's logo with a giant Welsh flag emblazoned on the roof.

COMPANY car drivers could enjoy virtually lorry-free conditions on the new M6 toll road after two-thirds of haulage firms announced they would boycott the road.

GOODWOOD Fleet Management will fine tune Capital Radio's fleet after securing a contract with the national radio group.

AUDI'S hi-tech new Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) has been launched in the UK with the company claiming the biggest advance in technology for nearly 100 years.

Motorists falling asleep behind the wheel are believed to cause about 20% of all road accidents.

EXPRESS delivery company Initial City Link has been supplied with an extra 23 vehicles for its fleet.

FLEET drivers with 2000 to 2003 Ford Transit vans are being offered an improvement to the security system on their vehicles.

NATIONAL Car Rental is urging Transport for London (TfL) to reverse its decision not to give London citizens a 90% discount on the capital's congestion charge if they use a rental vehicle.

CHRYSLER'S Voyager MPV has racked up 30,000 sales in the UK since it was introduced six years ago.

THE Fleet News Hit for Six conference, sponsored by Mazda, will examine six areas essential for the safe and efficient running of a fleet

ONE of Britain's best-known names in stolen vehicle tracking and recovery was a late arrival in the burgeoning market for telematics vehicle asset management systems.

CARS are no longer considered luxury items in Spain, but for the Spanish Government they are a very good source of revenue.

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