News - Page 2280

COMPANY car drivers are willing to convert to alternatively fuelled vehicles if costs are similar to petrol cars, according to a Lease Plan survey.

THE motor industry is to hit back at the anti-car environmental lobby with a major campaign designed to prove there is a healthy way forward for the car.

FORD will offer its own version of the Amercian dream early next year in the shape of the all-new Lincoln LS.

FORD has launched a dedicated fleet internet site for its customers.

RENAULT has launched a new 1.9-litre direct injection turbodiesel engine which will initially be available in Megane hatchback, Classic and Scenic models from next month.

TRIALS of £10 toll charges for drivers coming into Leicester have failed to stop motorists heading for the city centre.

THE RAC has confirmed that it is considering moving to demutualised status.

PEUGEOT has unveiled a unique industry-first scheme which guarantees the fuel consumption of its cars.

VAUXHALL has secured a solus deal with the Alto Group, which supplies and services photocopiers and faxes, to replace its 135-strong mixed fleet.

RENAULT has released the first details of its new Laguna which will be officially launched in Britain on May 7.

POLICE fleet policies have been singled out for praise in an otherwise damning report on police procurement practices.

THE RAC has switched fuelcard suppliers for most of its 2,200-strong fleet to the diesel bunkering Keyfuels system.

FLEET pressures lie at the heart of the poor showing by volume manufacturers in the 1998 JD Power UK Car Customer Satisfaction Study, and could be jeopardising the safety of company car drivers.

WINDSCREEN replacement to football club-owning Silver Shield Group has reported pre-tax losses of £197,078 for the six months to November 30, 1997.

NEW safety regulations for minibuses are set to pose enormous problems for fleets with older vehicles.

GOVERNMENT departments are introducing cycling initiatives and reviewing the number of parking spaces available to staff in line with advice issued to them in the Guide to Green Transport Plans.

MERCEDES-Benz has added a 2.8-litre V6 engine to its V-class people-carrier line-up and increased equipment levels on all models.

DESPITE growing competition from rivals trying to muscle in on the business car sector, Ford is bullish about its future in fleet.

MITSUBISHI is to launch direct injection diesel engines in Japan late next year and they are scheduled to be launched in the UK after the year 2000.

FLEETS are understandably wary of all-singing, all-dancing hot hatches.

THE three-year petrol pump price war looks set to intensify with the launch this week of a lowest price guarantee by Jet.

ROVER Group has announced an operating profit of £31 million for 1997, compared to losses of £29 million in 1996.

VOLKSWAGEN has not given up the battle to buy British luxury car maker Rolls-Royce despite acceptance of a £340 million deal for the up-for-sale company by BMW.

FLEET sales topped the 100,000 mark for the first time for any month - excluding August - in March with most of the major manufacturers increasing volumes year-on-year.

DEALER group Alexander Holdings plc, parent of Alexander Contract Rentals, is in formal discussions with potential buyers.

THE 10 franchised networks expressing the most confidence in perceived value of their franchise, according to the 17th twice-yearly Retail Motor Industry Federation's National Franchised Dealers Association 'Dealer Attitude Survey' are: BMW, Jaguar, Chrysler Jeep, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Toyota and Volvo.

MASTERDRIVE Leasing and Rental has secured a deal with accident repair specialist Howard Basford for 200 Ford Kas on contract hire for a year.

JAGUAR has launched a new advanced driver training course to help buyers of new Jaguar and Daimler cars hone their driving skills.

GAS pipeline company Transco is embarking on one of the UK's biggest yet defensive driver training initiatives, covering 11,000 company drivers.

THE Government has set up a special review panel to investigate green taxes to curb energy use by companies.