News - Page 2119

DAILY rental firms are warning fleet managers they could face hefty bills after drivers abandoned hire cars during the crisis, while others hired additional vehicles only to drain their tanks and refuel their own vehicles. Fleets will remain responsible for vehicles that have not been returned to the rental firm on time, the industry warned.

THE internet proved an ideal way for auction houses to keep business moving with customers, who were unable to reach physical auctions because of the lack of fuel.

BRITAIN'S biggest diesel car manufacturer has renewed its calls on the Government to end its 'anti-diesel' stance. With the Government considering levying a 3% tax penalty on employees driving a diesel company car when the new carbon dioxide emissions-based tax system is introduced on April 6, 2002, Peugeot has used the fuel crisis to renew its attack.

HEALTH service fleets were forced to cut back journeys as a result of the blockades. A statement released by the Department of Health said: 'It is all very well for those organising the blockades to claim they are letting out fuel for emergency services but it's no use having an ambulance full of fuel if the drivers, paramedics and hospital staff cannot get to work.'

THE fuel shortage has been hailed as a 'major step forward' in establishing gas-powered vehicles as a real force in fleets. Jonathan Murray, manager of transport for the Energy Saving Trust, which runs the Powershift programme, said the fuel crisis could have a positive effect on fleets.

THE current wave of contract hire and fleet management company mergers and takeovers is the tip of an iceberg of major structural change still to come, according to a new report from Nottingham Business School.

DRASTIC changes in the law must be introduced by Government to curb the dangers posed by delivery van fleets serving the new internet home-shopping boom. Legislation should treat vans as lorries, not cars, and van drivers should have the same qualifications as HGV drivers before they can get behind the wheel, according to David Smith, managing director of Lex Transfleet.

MERCEDES-Benz will take the wraps off its all-new C-class Coupe and a heavily revised 4x4 G-class at the Paris Motor Show at the end of the month. The four-seater, two-door sports car will go on sale here next spring with the choice of three engines, while the off-roader will be available from May 2001 with a V8 common rail diesel and two petrol units.

FORD is launching a 'hot' 141 mph version of its new Ford Mondeo at next month's British International Motor Show in Birmingham. Featuring a revised 170PS version of the Mondeo's proven 2.5 litre Duratec V6 engine, the Zetec S boasts a 0 - 62 mph time of 8.7 seconds.

A FIVE-door version of Mitsubishi's Shogun Pinin will make its debut at this month's Paris Motor Show before going on sale here on January 1.

NISSAN has introduced a range of dual-fuel liquefied petroleum gas-powered Almera and Primera models. Available on Almera 1.8 SE five-door and Primera 1.8 S and SE five-door and 1.8 S and SE estate models, the conversion adds £1,997.50 to the vehicles' list price.

FIAT is to launch a rival to Renault's Kangoo and the Citroen Berlingo at this month's Paris Motor Show. The Doblo and its LCV variant, the Cargo, will go on sale here early next year with a choice of 26 body configurations - three-, four- or five-doors and two specification levels - SX and ELX (basic and SX for the Cargo).

THE Government has been attacked as the only one in Europe not to support Friday's European Car Free Day. Ten local authorities throughout Britain, including five in the London area are supporting the event, which is expected to involve 60 million people throughout Europe this year in 860 towns.

MAJOR cost savings compared with petrol and diesel could lead to an explosion of bi-fuelled vehicles on UK fleets in 2001, an industry expert predicts. Conversion specialist LPG Systems believes cash, rather than environmental considerations, will drive up new registration growth from this year's estimated 16,000 car and light commercial units to as high as 40,000.

SEPTEMBER new car sales could be up to 80,000 units lower than expected as buyers fail to respond to price cuts and new legislation to reduce self-registration begins to bite. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders claims that September new car sales could total almost 400,000 units - September last year saw 386,999 cars registered - but Glass's Information Services says that X-registration sales got off to a slow start.

A DRIVER training programme aimed at motorists stopped for motoring offences could be adapted to equip fleet drivers with the skills to avoid accidents. The move by Nottingham City Council comes amid renewed warnings that fleets can no longer take a back seat when it comes to drivers' safety because of the risks of rocketing insurance costs and legal bills.

COMPANY car drivers could face extra charges on road tolls following a ruling by the European Court of Justice which has ruled that VAT should be charged on tolls of privately funded crossings.

COMMUTERS are being urged to 'dump the pump and get a modem' as world fuel prices reach a 10-year high and the cost of congestion to the economy soars to £1.9 billion by 2010. After Britain's fuel crisis stranded commuters at home, the RAC Foundation said using a modem would enable many motorists to continue to work and would help reduce traffic growth by up to 45% long term.

PREDICTIONS that the Toyota Prius will sell 2,000 units a year in the UK alone when it goes on sale in October have prompted a search for cash at the Government-funded Powershift programme. The scheme, which provides grants for fleets to buy clean-fuelled vehicles, could only fund half the vehicles that Toyota expects to sell in the next year and is now searching for the cash to meet the expected higher demand.

THE spring 2001 launch of MG variants of the Rover 75 will spearhead an attack on the executive fleet market. As the newly renamed MG Rover Group struggles to make its presence felt in the UK fleet market, the manufacturer says it will not undertake fleet business unless it is profitable.

WITH Britain grinding to a halt as fuel pumps ran dry, Vauxhall's sister company Holden showcased a hydrogen-fuelled zero-emission concept vehicle based on the Zafira mini-MPV at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games which opened on Friday.

A NATIONAL anti-euro campaign has been backed by Alun Cathcart, non-executive chairman of Avis Europe. The company's former chief executive signed up to the No campaign - an escalation of the campaign launched by Business for Sterling and New Europe - in his role as chairman of Selfridges.

AUTOGLASS is trialling a new internet-based booking system for glass replacement in the first of a series of new hi-tech services to be offered to customers. Fleet drivers and managers will be able to book their cars in for glass replacement or repair over the internet via the Autoglass website.

DEALERSHIP groups are upbeat about their sales prospects following the Department of Trade and Industry's publication of The Supply of New Cars Order 2000 aimed at encouraging vehicle manufacturers to cut car prices. Among half-year results from dealer groups, the Manchester-based Quicks Group said while it was difficult to predict the impact of the Order on final quarter trading, the company's September order intake was 'encouraging' following weaker than expected trading in July and August.

BRITAIN'S most reliable cars are the Hyundai Accent and Toyota RAV 4, while the least reliable is the Jaguar XJ followed by the Peugeot 106, Land Rover Discovery and the old-style BMW 3-series, according to a survey by the Consumers' Association.

THE UK arm of internet hardware giant Cisco Systems has ordered Honda Civic 1.6 SE five-doors for the third year running for its latest graduate recruits.

SCHNEIDER Electric has announced a review of its fleet requirements and chose BCH Vehicle Management to help them do so. When vehicles within Schneider Electric's 600-plus fleet come up for renewal, drivers are being offered a chance to take up a personal contract purchase plan through BCH's AutoChoice.

AUTOMOTIVE Leasing has been awarded the contract to supply and manage Coventry-based Applied Chemicals' fleet of 52 vehicles.

VAUXHALL has supplied Sussex Ambulance Service with eight new Vectras to be converted to rapid response vehicles. The order has subsequently led to 27 rapid response vehicles being purchased by other ambulance services in the south-east.

FUEL tankers are back on the road again in most parts of the country after fuel protesters voluntarily ended their week-long blockade - but most experts are predicting that it will take several weeks before normality is restored.