News - Page 2086

EXPERTS are warning fleets to lower reserves if they want to avoid facing a difficult time disposing of vehicles over the next six weeks. As the May bank holiday approaches, Andrew Shepherd, Manheim's senior group auctioneer, is warning that buyers are already well stocked and fleets could see their cars being 'cherry-picked' at auction time.

ROAD-user safety is being threatened and has led to a 50% rise in claims against local authorities for accidents and damage to vehicles as the Government continues to under-fund road maintenance, it has been claimed. With the Government raising £35 billion in road-user taxation, and local authorities spending about £1.6 billion in 2000/01 on road maintenance, a 'radical review' of Government funding has been demanded.

DAMAGE to the UK's roads, caused by the worst weather since records began, has cost motorists an estimated additional £12 million in the replacement and repair of windscreens in the last five months. The claim comes from newly renamed RAC Auto Windscreens which, in the last five months, has replaced more than 200,000 windscreens - a 14% increase over the same period in 1999/2000.

PRICES and specifications have been revealed for the new Mini, which is due in UK showrooms on July 7. The entry level Mini One will be priced at £10,300 on-the-road, while the Mini Cooper will be £11,600.

BCA Europe has launched a new wrapping service to keep defleeted company cars 'fresh' after they have been Smart Prepared. Ron Hope, European director of Smart Prepared operations, says that following a winter trial period with customers, the service is available at all BCA locations delivering the Smart Prepared service.

FLEETS with large petrol-engine 4x4s could improve the residual values of their vehicles by converting them to liquefied petroleum gas, it has been claimed. CAP Network has discovered that the gas-guzzling machines are made more affordable to future owners by undergoing the conversion, and current owners can recoup the cost of the work through lower fuel costs.

PEUGEOT has introduced a Quiksilver edition of the 206, following in the tradition established in the 106 and 806 ranges. The 206 Quiksilver includes metallic paint, body-colour bumper surrounds, door mirrors and handles, clear lens headlamps and a chrome exhaust extension, along with a sporty interior.

THE sporty version of the Chrysler Neon has gone on sale in the UK. The Neon R/T has a 2.0-litre engine tuned to 150bhp, and has a leather interior, boot spoiler, side skirts and a deep front air dam.

FIAT has introduced a range-topping version of its high-performance Punto HGT. The HGT Abarth uses the same 1.8-litre 130bhp engine as the HGT, but includes a special sports pack.

SKODA has announced more details on its high-performance Octavia RS, which will go on sale on May 12. The Octavia RS is the fastest and most powerful roadgoing car from the Czech firm and uses a 1.8-litre 20v turbocharged engine and lowered sports suspension.

ALFA Romeo's new 3.0-litre version of the Spider has just gone on sale in the UK. The Spider is powered by the same 24-valve engine used in the GTV coupe and 166 saloon.

SALES of alternative-fuelled vehicles are expected to almost triple over the next two years, with fleets leading the way. Registrations of clean-fuel vehicles hit record levels last year with just over 21,000 gas and electric/hybrid models sold.

COMPANY car drivers should be subject to working hours restrictions, according to Britain's biggest union. The Transport and General Workers' Union says high mileage company car drivers should be subjected to the European Working Time Directive which limits employees to a maximum 48 hours work a week.

FLEETS are backing calls for Government cash to encourage companies to invest in driver training and risk management schemes. But they say although financial help would be welcome, more education is needed to change attitudes at businesses which just pay lip service to risk management policies.

ACCURATE casualty figures for drivers at work involved in serious injury and fatal crashes are becoming clearer, according to researchers. Peter Davies and John Pearson, managing partner and associate partner of the Business Strategy Group, outlined findings of studies into road accidents at the At Work Road Safety Conference.

FLEETS have a major role to play in helping achieve the Government's objective of a 40% cut in serious injuries and deaths on the roads within 10 years. Transport Minister Lord Whitty told delegates at an At-Work Road Safety Conference that people 'at work' were involved in at least one quarter of road accidents, according to the early findings of the Work Related Road Safety Task Group.

A DRIVER training and risk management regime has led to a 30% reduction in insurance costs for a Midlands-based fleet. Paul Chancellor, business support manager at DSM UK, told delegates at an At Work Road Safety conference that the company's fleet accident rate fell from one in 80,000 miles to one in 550,000 miles.

RISK management experts have urged caution where companies offer cash bonuses for low accident rates. Alan Bewley, head of risk management at the RAC, warned against the schemes where companies offer drivers cash for having no accidents.

A ROW has broken out over fleet funding methods between two of the UK's largest contract hire and leasing companies. GE Capital Fleet Services says contract hire is 'over prescribed' and claims 84% of fleets of more than 60 questioned said contract hire had been over promoted to the detriment of finance lease and other acquisition methods.

LEXUS tops the 2001 UK Car Customer Satisfaction Study for the first time with three models - the LS400, the GS300 and the IS200 - in the top 10. The annual survey, now in its eighth year, was conducted by J D Power and Associates in association with BBC Top Gear and with the co-operation of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

MG ROVER has signed its largest fleet contract since the company was restructured last year, in a deal worth £10 million at showroom prices. The agreement with Compass Group UK and Ireland is part of a triple badge policy for the next three years, and all vehicles will be on contract hire with both ARVAL PHH and Tins. The other manufacturers involved are Vauxhall and Ford.

MITSUBISHI has denied it is facing problems with unsold stock after it made deals with daily rental companies to accelerate clearance. Jim Tyrrell, managing director of the Colt Car Company, which distributes Mitsubishi Cars in the UK, wrote to dealers in February telling them unsold stock stood at more than 10,000 vehicles at the end of last year and a number of vehicles had been sold to Avis and Hertz franchises.

MERCEDES-Benz dealers in the UK have issued legal proceedings against DaimlerChrysler UK, which earlier this year served one-year franchise termination notices on dealers. The dealers have been backed by the Retail Motor Industry Federation.

RESIDUAL value stability is in sight in the used car market after more than two years of collapsing vehicle values, with some sectors experiencing price increases. The claim comes from CAP Network following more than a month of evidence from various sources, including Glass's Information Services, British Car Auctions and Manheim Europe that the long spell of tumbling residual values is over.

FLEET operators should budget for driver training in the cost of a new vehicle, according to a leading provider of risk management services. Gary Spellins, managing director of RAC Business Services, said fleets which took the 'leap of faith' would reap the benefits of a service which would cut accident rates and lead to cost savings.

FLEETS are being offered a 'no win, no fee' consultancy service by GE Capital Fleet Services to prove the benefits of a thorough review to identify massive savings. Led by managing director Steve Taylor, the service is part of an innovation drive at the firm.

VEHICLE telematics and data management company Recall has won a major contract to supply its vehicle management system to all of BCH Vehicle Management's new leased vehicles. The Traffix vehicle management system will be fitted to the entire BCH fleet - currently 25,000 units - as vehicles are renewed over the next three years in a bid to drive down fleet operating costs and offer an improved service.

FLEETS will see the benefits of lower fuel prices wiped out by increases from the main oil companies and supermarkets. But fleet managers are pointing out that prices are still lower than at the beginning of the year.