News - Page 2113

THE new BMW 3-series Compact - which will be the fifth and final member of the premium upper version of the 3-series line-up - goes on sale in the UK next summer.

SAAB has uprated its 2.2TiD engine in its 9-3 turbodiesel range so it produces almost 9% more power and 8% more torque, while fuel consumption remains unchanged at 45.6 mpg and CO2 emissions at 164 g/km.

TOYOTA'S new Celica 190 is now on sale with what the company claims to be the world's most hi-tech engine for £20,495 on-the-road. It uses a new version of the 1.8-litre engine which pumps out more than 100bhp per litre.

FORD is to abandon production of the Cougar with sales ending early next year. It was launched in November 1998 and to date more than 12,000 models have been sold in the UK with more than 34,000 sold across Europe.

ALFA Romeo's striking new lower medium contender - the 147 - has followed in the footsteps of its bigger brother - the 156 - by taking the 2001 Car of the Year award.

FLEET NewsNet and sister publication Fleet News are giving readers the chance to get involved in the forthcoming Fleet News UK Congress by putting forward their opinions to the politicians and industry experts participating in this major event.

THE Government faces a barrage of criticism for plunging manufacturers into confusion following an eleventh hour policy decision in its bid to develop cleaner engines to cut emissions levels for fleets.

FLEETS could help prevent the floods and severe weather currently battering parts of England from becoming more frequent and severe, a senior environmental campaigner has claimed. Roger Higman, senior campaigner for atmosphere and transport at Friends of the Earth, said fleets which adopt clean vehicles or alternative transport will help cut emissions of the greenhouse gases which cause the climate to change.

THE market for cleaner fuelled vehicles is expected to grow rapidly over the next few years according to alternative fuels programme Powershift. The budget for Powershift grants has risen from under £1 million five years ago to more than £10 million this year, and a market survey by the Government-backed agency predicts the cleaner fuelled vehicle market to grow from around 15,000 units in 2000 to more than 50,000 in 2002.

INTERNET shopping could boost traffic volumes by 20% over the next few years, according to motor industry analysts. Professor Peter Cooke head of the Centre for Automotive Industries Management, Nottingham Trent University, suggested that organisations should reserve a handful of workplace parking spaces for service vehicles to cut down on-street obstructions.

DEMAND for alternatively- fuelled vehicles will double next year and could lead to a £20 million boost for the Government-sponsored Powershift programme.

FLEET chiefs and company car drivers have been told that it is 'business as usual' in the UK by Daewoo's corporate sales chief Graham Howes.

VOLKSWAGEN has emerged as the favourite to replace stricken Daewoo as the British specialist van maker's partner in developing a new range of light commercial vehicles and a deal could be signed before Christmas.

IRON Chancellor Gordon Brown's cuts in clean fuel duty are just one aspect of a comprehensive package of incentives designed to encourage more environmentally enlightened business travel .

CHANCELLOR Brown also addressed the issue of reimbursing employees for using their own cars on business – and flagged up further changes in the future. The two lower bands will be abolished and replaced with a fixed rate of 40 pence per mile for the first 4,000 miles.

COMPANIES must invest in qualified in-house fleet managers to avoid rocketing costs amid the most challenging times in the history of the company car - simply outsourcing control will not be solve the problem, the industry is being warned.

THE Confederation of British Industry has listed more than 50 'priority transport projects' to help get Britain moving. The list was unveiled at the CBI's annual national conference on Tuesday following nominations by CBI regional directors after consultation with members.

FLEETS are relying on bunkered fuel to ensure vehicles remain mobile if Monday's threatened fuel protests hit supplies. Although companies and agencies which survived the last round of fuel protests have taken extra precautions, others could still see their fleets grind to a halt if the protesters embark on round two of their campaign for pump price cuts.

FLEET sales dropped for the fifth consecutive month in October with the 2.6% year-on-year rise in new car sales entirely due to private buyers returning to showrooms after a spate of price cuts, new models and improved warranty and servicing packages.

VAN sales increased year-on-year in October with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders attributing the rise to the strength of the UK economy in general but particularly to a steady growth in home delivery work.

VAUXHALL is to relocate its fleet operation, currently in seven different locations around the UK, into a new fleet centre at its Luton headquarters next month. The merging into one location of the 200-strong fleet team includes the formation of an 80-strong customer care team under newly appointed customer care manager Paul Adler.

MAINTENANCE standards of cars, taxis and light vans have been described as 'worrying' by Transport and Environment Minister Lord Whitty following a random survey. The Vehicle Inspectorate checked 3,304 cars and taxis and 2,085 vans and found that 12.4% of cars and taxis and 17.5% of vans surveyed failed to meet minimum standards of roadworthiness.

HM Customs & Excise is going 'green' following its latest deal with Peugeot which sees the addition of three 106 electric cars and three electric Partner vans to its fleet as part of the Government's initiative to promote 'green' transport.

KEY partners in the bid to launch the first congestion charging scheme in the country in London have spoken out against mayor Ken Livingstone's plans. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster City Council have raised concerns that road-user charging will adversely affect the life of Londoners. Their comments come as the boroughs launch a major public consultation which will influence views on charging.

THE Government will admit that future new car price comparisons which will reveal UK vehicles to still being more expensive than their continental Europe equivalents are due to currency fluctuations and tax issues and not 'Rip-off' Britain.

AVIS Group Holdings, the New York-based rental company which has a 20% stake in PHH Europe has reported third quarter profits of $48.4 million on revenue virtually unchanged at £1.1 billion.

KWIK-FIT is the first member of the V Prompt tyre recycling programme following the presentation of a certificate to chairman and chief executive Sir Tom Farmer by the scheme's founder, Waste Tyre Solutions.

A NEW series of regional workshops for fleets is being held by Powershift, part of the Energy Saving Trust and established to promote markets for clean fuel vehicles.

UTILITY companies may have to pay up to £1,000 a day to dig holes in the road in the future, following a House of Lords amendment to the Transport Bill now making its way through Parliament. The move is part of an RAC Foundation campaign to encourage the Government to charge utility companies for the inconvenience their holes in the road cause to road users.

REDROW Homes has decided to replace its fleet of 500 cars with Vauxhall Zafiras, Astras and Vectras. Under a single badge agreement, Vauxhall has supplied Redrow Homes with 94 cars and another 100 are expected to arrive by September 2001.