News - Page 2246

TAX-based incentives for fleets to clean up their emissions, including the latest Vehicle Excise Duty proposals, have been attacked by opposition MPs in the House of Commons as a danger to fleets, the car industry and the country's prosperity. The Government has announced in its consultation document on Vehicle Excise Duty that it plans to offer £50 discounts for the cleanest, smallest vehicles, but the industry is demanding what taxation it has in store for the other end of the scale.

THE Government has stepped up its efforts to lead by example in its calls for fleets and business to adopt more environmentally-friendly practices. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has announced that green ministers in each of the Government's departments will have to produce annual reports showing their progress in encouraging environmentally-friendly thinking.

THE European Parliament has voted to stop paying its 626 members an annual £50,000 lump sum to cover their car and rail travel expenditure. MEPs were entitled to this allowance even if they made no official trips by either car or train.

THE tide of grey imports sweeping the UK will continue until the Government and motor industry remove the 'gentlemen's agreement' which restricts the volume of new Japanese cars coming via official channels to the UK. This quota, which terminates at the end of next year, limits the import of Japanese-built cars to just 7% of the UK market, but has failed to protect British manufacturers and has penalised UK consumers, according to Subaru UK.

FLEET operations and vehicle fleet management are two key areas to be focussed on by Nottingham Business School's new Centre for Automotive Industries Management. The centre will be headed by Professor Peter Cooke, formerly director of the Centre for Automotive Management at Henley Management College.

FAST-expanding credit hire and credit repair services company Helphire Group has announced further growth plans with the proposed acquisition of Countrywide Assistance. Half-year results revealed turnover and profits have rocketed by about 100% compared with the same period last year.

FLEETS can play a major part in cracking down on the 'ringing' of stolen vehicles and insurance write-offs by making sure all cars and vans only go to salvage operators recognised by a new trade organisation. The British Vehicle Salvage Federation has been launched as an association to regulate the salvage industry and guard against cowboy operators.

PHH Vehicle Management has launched a new on-line telephone service to cut down the time it takes to receive fuel cards amid predictions of an upsurge in their use. The FastTrack application service promises customers a wait of just 48 hours between applying for a card and receiving, compared to several weeks using normal channels.

DAIHATSU is looking to go out with a bang with the existing Move range, offering a bigger engine, improved specification and better fuel economy all at the same price. The vehicles will be replaced in March of next year by the new Move, but until then Daihatsu is certain the changes to the existing line-up will see a further increase on already booming sales in both corporate and retail sectors.

NATIONAL Car Rental has broadened its range of products with the introduction of a new motorcycle rental service, offering more than 1,000 machines on its fleet as part of its 'Total Solution' initiative. The service offers corporate customers a choice of models from five motorcycle categories which range from 50cc mopeds through to 1,000cc superbikes and tourers.

TOYOTA has secured a solus deal with the Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service to supply its officers with cars. Officers will be able to choose from across the whole range of Toyota vehicles in the UK market, which will be supplied through Toyota's contract hire scheme, initially on a three-year term.

CAR alarms and audio group Toad has moved into profit for the first time since its shares began trading on the Stock Exchange four years ago. It returned an operating profit of £890,000 for the six months to the end of September, compared to a £1.12 million loss for the same period last year. Turnover increased to £17 million (1997: £2.88 million).

NATIONAL Car Rental has launched a new long term rental product called AutoFlex for hire periods of more than 90 days. AutoFlex gives customers the opportunity to terminate a contract at a month's notice without penalty.

ILL-HEALTH has forced Norfolk County Council's car scheme manager and former Fleet News Fleet Manager of the Year finalist Stuart Young to retire. Young has stepped down from his post due to severe arthritis.

THE Government should not be hitting British company fleets with extra financial burdens when effective public transport is not yet available. Nigel Stead, managing director of VELO, was speaking at a reception to mark the opening of VELO's new site for the north of England in Harrogate.

FLEETS can now place their order for February next year delivery of the range-topping Volkswagen Golf five-door V5, available with either a manual or automatic transmission. Priced at £18,895 on-the-road for the manual and £19,720 for the automatic, the V5 has the new five-cylinder Volkswagen engine under the bonnet, the first of its kind to be fitted to a car.

THE Audi A4 is to undergo a subtle facelift with changes to its exterior and interior styling, but no alterations under the bonnet. Changes to the exterior will see redesigned bumpers with integral fog lights, new door handles, exterior mirrors and side rubbing strips.

AUTOLEASE has handed responsibility for the disposal of its van fleet to CMA Gloucester following a number of successful sales at the centre. Central Motor Auctions will offer both ex-contract hire and fleet management vans in a special branded section at the dedicated sales held at Gloucester.

THE leasing industry is celebrating a £20 million VAT reprieve, after winning a three-year battle with HM Customs & Excise in the Court of Appeal. Customs introduced new rules and tightened legislation to block a company car scheme which is costing it £20 million in lost revenue within 24 hours of the verdict.

THREE of Britain's captains of industry have given powerful backing to the importance of fleet manager training. Amid claims of complacency among some fleet managers and a lack of support from companies, backing for fleet manager training and skills development has come from Ford of Britain chairman and managing director Ian McAllister, Kwik-Fit chairman and chief executive Sir Tom Farmer and John Coward, president of the Retail Motor Industry Federation.

RUMOURS are sweeping the UK fleet industry that Churchfields Vehicle Rentals is up for sale. The firm, based in Farnborough, Hampshire, runs a combination of corporately owned and franchised outlets, and earlier this year announced its intention to double its 2,000-strong fleet within a matter of months.

A £5 million investment programme in alternatively-fuelled vehicles has been launched by the Department of Social Security to make it the largest green fleet in the Government. More than 200 vehicles in the fleet will be running on liquefied petroleum gas and petrol by the new millennium, when a review of their progress will be made.

THE Government has been accused of leaving fleets in the dark over changes to benefit-in-kind rules which remove an important tax penalty for drivers of alternatively-fuelled vehicles. Since April 6 this year, the extra cost of converting or purchasing a clean-fuelled vehicle running on liquefied petroleum gas or compressed natural gas does not need to be included in a driver's benefit-in-kind tax calculation.

VOLKSWAGEN is pioneering an innovative way to promote its Passat saloon by offering top leasing companies support on residual values. The scheme does not provide a residual value guarantee, but will underwrite any shortfall between a leasing company's forecasts and Volkswagen's higher predictions.

UK motor retailing is heading for a radical shake-up, after Ford bought a stake in 15 dealerships, and Tesco was rumoured to be planning to sell cars. A spokesman for Tesco said the supermarket giant had 'no current plans' to retail cars, but added that 'you can never say never'.

PHARMACEUTICAL giant Schering-Plough has signed a pan-European deal for its 1,660-strong fleet across five countries with the Interleasing global leasing and fleet management alliance. Interleasing partners, which include Arriva Automotive Solutions in the UK, will provide fleet management for Schering-Plough's UK fleet, finance lease and fleet management in Germany, and contract hire-type arrangements in France, Italy and Spain.

BMW has launched a drive to carve a new niche in the four-wheel-drive sector with its X5 Sports Activity Vehicle and has released first official pictures of its new 3-series coupe. The X5 will make its world debut at the Detroit Motor Show in January next year and is expected to reach Britain towards the middle of the year 2000.

THE European Union Commission has approved a £25 million grant by the UK Department of Trade and Industry to help fund a strategic partnership between Birmingham-based van maker LDV and Korean manufacturer Daewoo. The official EU green light means the companies can forge ahead with plans to design and build an integrated range of medium and heavy light commercial vehicle.

FEARS that legislative overload may lead the Government to put transport initiatives on a back-burner have led environmental lobby group Transport 2000 Trust to demand immediate company car tax reform. The pressure group says it is responding to rumours that Tuesday's Queen's Speech will see Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott accused of failing to keep promises made in July's integrated transport white paper.

MANUFACTURERS have accused the Government of failing to recognise the huge environmental progress they have made in producing cleaner new vehicles and engines. Car makers have already signed an agreement with the European Commission to reduce average emissions from their new cars to 140 grammes of CO2 per kilometre by 2008.