News - Page 2096

VAUXHALL has made the final changes to its fleet operations following a restructuring programme which began in March 2000. Linda Unsworth has become fleet marketing manager and effectively replaces Keith Michaels, who has been promoted to sales operations manager.

CAR rental company Avis Europe saw pre-tax profits fall last year as the effect of residual value falls and rows over credit hire bills hit the firm. Pre-tax profits fell from £111 million to £85 million last year, on turnover which increased from £671.1 million to £747.7 million.

A WEALTH of top industry speakers has been lined up for this year's 2001 Fleet News Budget Briefing, to be held on March 16 at Sopwell House Hotel, St Albans, Hertfordshire. The event aims to clarify points made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown in Budget speech on Wednesday, March 7, which will herald some of the most important changes to affect the fleet industry in its history, including CO2-based company car tax, which will come into force in 2002.

JUST 315 cars were pre-registered in January, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

CORNWALL Healthcare NHS Trust is staging its second 'Fuelling the Future - Transport and Alternative Fuels in the Public Sector' event on June 13 at the Millbrook Proving Ground, Bedfordshire.

AVERAGE fuel prices fell over the past six months, ARVAL PHH has revealed in its latest fuel report, but diesel prices remained the same.

NISSAN has denied reports that it will soon decide to build the next generation Almera alongside the Micra at its Sunderland plant. A national newspaper claimed the manufacturer, which recently decided to choose its factory in the North East to build the next Micra, will decide to continue Almera production there.

HYUNDAI is the latest car manufacturer to pull out of this year's London Motor Show at Earl's Court.

THE Midlands region of ACFO is appealing for a volunteer to become secretary for the group's bi-monthly meetings. The meeting, due to be held on February 15, was cancelled because a secretary could not be found.

VOLVO has launched a new internet marketing campaign for the new S60 compact executive saloon.

DAIHATSU has launched its first official UK website to coincide with the sales launch of its new YRV compact car.

THE Autostop Fleet Network has announced January as its most successful month yet with 100 dealers and 21 fleets joining the programme.

A FUELS, emissions and air quality seminar is to examine key environmental issues facing fleets and their suppliers. Among the speakers at the event, to be held at the National Motorcycle Museum near Birmingham, on Tuesday, February 20, will be Malcolm Fergusson, senior fellow of the Institute for European Environmental Policy.

A CHANGE in manufacturing policy at Chrysler is set to turn Britain into the US company's biggest European market. Moves to revitalise the ailing carmaker will result in a full line-up of right hand drive specification models being made available in the UK from the end of 2004, Fleet NewsNet can reveal.

A RECORD-breaking deal for electric vehicles worth more than £500,000 has been signed between Hull City Council and Peugeot. The deal, for 40 electric 106 and Partner vans, comes just over a year after the previous largest deal when the Nottinghamshire Millennium Electric Vehicles Project acquired 32 electric vehicles from Peugeot.

RENAULT and Nissan are poised to introduce two advanced new compact power units as part of moves to capture greater shares of Europe's expanding market for diesel cars. Fleet NewsNet understands that work on a common rail, 1.5-litre turbodiesel engine is nearing completion and that development of a 1.2-litre version is at an advanced stage.

SWEEPING changes aimed at putting Chrysler Corporation back on the road to profitability have delayed the UK introduction of a high performance version of the Neon saloon. The troubled American car manufacturer spelled out more details about its future and gave more information about its new structure following the announcement earlier this year that it was due to close six factories and make 26,000 people redundant.

ELECTRONICS giant Panasonic is to create one of the largest hybrid vehicle fleets in the country after agreeing to lease six Toyota Prius models. The Prius, which can achieve fuel economy of more than 57.6mpg on the combined cycle and 61.4mpg in town, has already proved a massive hit with drivers in Toyota's home country, with at least 40,000 sold since it was launched as the world's first mass-produced hybrid in 1997.

INTENSE debate over the future performance of residual values is gripping the fleet industry, amid predictions that a strong start to the year could be short-lived. Manheim Auctions is predicting that prices could fall back in March and April and that fleets may have just weeks to make the most of the current high demand for used cars.

THE Jaguar X-type has thrown down the gauntlet to the BMW 3- series by having the highest residual values of its sector for three years/60,000 miles, according to Glass's Information Services. The X-type will retain 50.5% of its value while rivals, including Audi's A4, BMW 3-series and the Lexus IS200, all hold about 48% of their value over the same period, the March issue of Glass's Guide reveals.

MANHEIM OnLine, the electronic disposal arm of Manheim Auctions, has announced an exclusive alliance with DaimlerChrysler UK for the online remarketing of Mercedes-Benz Used Cars. The deal will cover the sales of all Mercedes-Benz UK and Mercedes-Benz Financial Services used vehicles and was announced at a prestige sale held at Manheim Auctions Coventry.

INTERNET car benefits company eDefined, which offers an alternative disposal route for ex-fleet cars, claims it can now access one million potential customers. The firm provides used cars as a company benefit to closed groups of employees using vehicles sourced from various fleet operators, daily rental firms and leasing operations.

A SALOON version of the Skoda Fabia is being shown for the first time at Geneva, and follows the recently-launched Fabia estate. The saloon is as long as the estate and has more luggage space than the hatchback.

VAUXHALL will be presenting some high-performance cars at the Geneva Motor Show, through its sister company, Opel. Among them will be a Zafira using the 188bhp engine from the Astra Coupe Turbo, making it Europe's fastest MPV with a 0-60mph time of eight seconds and a top speed of 137mph.

MG Rover is giving the Rover 75 estate, called Tourer, its official public debut at the Geneva Motor Show.

VAUXHALL'S new Corsavan hits the road this month with a price tag the same as the outgoing model and the lowest insurance rating of any van on the road. Three versions are on offer - the 1.2i at £8,245 ex-VAT, the 1.7Di at £8,670 and the 1.7DTi at £8,970.

INTERNATIONAL developer Taylor Woodrow has taken delivery of 16 new Mercedes-Benz Vito vans worth £250,000. The vehicles have been supplied by Lancaster Hertford.

EPL Access, based in Cambridgeshire, has taken delivery of 12 new Iveco Daily City Trucks fitted with Niftylift hydraulic platforms which reach a height of 12.5 metres.

WIRRAL Metropolitan Borough Council is to take on 29 LDV vehicles in a six-figure deal. The order will contain Convoys, Hi-Loaders and minibuses.

BRITISH van maker LDV is looking forward to a successful year in 2001 after recording a 6.5% sales increase last year. While market share remained at 10.1%, total van sales were 15,015 vehicles - 1,866 Cubs, 2,253 Pilots and 10,015 Convoys.