Consumer news

Citroen Oli concept: design, specs and prototype review

Inspired by the spirit of the Citroen Ami, the Oli concept hints towards future vehicles with a pickup bed in the back and cardboard panels

Potholes to make 18% of roads undriveable in five years

The Asphalt Industry Alliance report warns of the worsening condition of local roads in England and Wales

Banned car number plates: the blacklisted 23-reg combinations revealed

DVLA has released the list of number plate combinations deemed too rude for the road

UK fuel duty freeze and increased pothole investment announced in 2023 Spring Budget

Chancellor freezes fuel duty once again and maintains 5p cut for another 12 months; extra £200m for pothole repairs

New overhead gantry design for UK motorways unveiled

Useful Studio wins a National Highways competition to design the next generation of motorway overhead gantry

Electric car leasing customers are being ‘overcharged’

Research claims that lease prices are out of step with the reality of EV resale values on which they are based

New car sales 2023: seventh consecutive month of growth

New car registrations rose 26.2 per cent in February 2023, with 74,441 units leaving dealer forecourts

Britishvolt electric car battery firm sold to Recharge Industries

Australian firm completes purchase of British gigafactory start-up

Solid start to the year for UK car production

Output falls by marginal 0.3 per cent in January 2023 due to structural changes

Smart motorways suffer ‘unplanned outage’

The Dynac system running the UK’s smart motorways failed for two hours on February 22 2023, leaving drivers without signage or stopped vehicle detection

Car thefts up 29% with rise expected to continue

Official figures show growing car theft incidents, with experts predicting the problem could get worse

Government expands electric car charger funding

New £56million investment announced for local electric vehicle infrastructure scheme

Clarity needed on private electric scooter laws

While rental electric scooters are legal on public roads, privately owned machines are currently restricted to use on private land

2023 BMW 5 Series nears production: all the details so far

BMW is preparing to unveil the next-generation 5 Series, that’s set to be available with both internal combustion and electric powertrains

Plug-in hybrid emissions are three times higher than official tests show

Real-world tests of plug-in hybrids suggest that official laboratory tests could be dramatically understating emissions...

UK new car registrations grow 14.7% in first month of 2023

January 2023 registrations up 14.7 per cent year-on-year as industry hopes market will recover this year

Britishvolt electric car battery firm to be bought by Australian company

Recharge Industries becomes the preferred bidder for the floundering Britishvolt gigafactory start-up

Halfords and Palmer Foundation search for new automotive apprentices

A new initiative is set to give opportunities to youngsters from disadvantaged backgrounds

Drivers think UK seat-belt laws are too soft

Seat belts became compulsory in the UK on 31 January 1983, but 40 years on many drivers think the rules are too lenient

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods continue to make money despite controversies

One council received £2million in fines from a single LTN in four months, with residents complaining of increased congestion

New Peugeot e-3008 SUV to spearhead brand’s electrification push

Peugeot is planning a big shakeup of its range, including a new all-electric Peugeot e-3008

New Vauxhall Astra GSe: high-performance hybrid now on sale

The Vauxhall Astra has received the sporty ‘GSe’ treatment, with a 222bhp plug-in hybrid powertrain

End anti-pollution 60mph motorway speed limits, say campaigners

Trial scheme reducing motorway speed limits to 60mph to tackle pollution has overrun, despite lack of evidence over effectiveness

"BritishVolt’s collapse is a disaster for the UK’s car industry"

Andy Palmer believes this could be the beginning of the end for Britain’s car industry unless some significant changes are made

Dacia sales boom in 2022 sets up electric and hybrid model push

Despite global supply chain shortages impacting the car market across the board, Dacia strengthened its sales and posted record-breaking market shares in 2022

London ULEZ expansion should be reconsidered, says Prime Minister

Rishi Sunak accuses Sadiq Khan of failing to listen to the public and going against their wishes

“Some car price rises are thanks to manufacturer greed, not just increased costs”

There are a number of economic and supply-chain issues facing car makers, but editor-in-chief Steve Fowler asks if some are just taking advantage

Britishvolt electric car battery project enters administration

Additional funding fails to save the British gigafactory start-up, with majority of 300 staff to be made redundant

Unmarked mobile speed camera van introduced by police

Northamptonshire Police admits that the unmarked van is “unusual”, but argues it will reduce road deaths and injuries

No more BMW police cars: German brand halts sales to UK forces

BMW is to prioritise sales to retail and corporate customers as supply chain issues continue to be felt

MPs consider 64mph national speed limit and Sunday car bans

The Environmental Audit Committee highlights 10-point plan for reducing oil dependency from European sustainable transport group

Electric car forecast slashed as buyers seek cheaper models

Report from Advanced Propulsion Centre suggests electric cars are too expensive for British and European consumers in the current economic climate

UK petrol and diesel prices: petrol drops below £1.50 as diesel price gap grows

After record highs in 2022, petrol and diesel prices look set to come down this year

“We must bring UK roadworks out of the dark ages” - 2023 wish list

“Current affairs editor Tristan Shale-Hester believes we could learn a thing or two from our European neighbours when it comes to building and maintaining our roads”

UK new car sales: British-built Nissan Qashqai tops 2022 chart

UK car registrations dropped by 25 in 2022, but battery electric cars are now the second most popular after petrol models

The Dartford Crossing: how to pay the Dart Charge toll and appeal a fine

Read our complete Dartford Crossing guide for when and how to pay the Dart Charge, along with guidance on appealing a fine

Volkswagen releases sketches of new 2025 ‘ID.1’ electric car

Known as the ID.1, the latest design gives a glimpse of a smaller electric car expected in 2025. 2025 release date 248-mile range Sketches reveal new design concept VW has released teaser images of its forthcoming entry-level EV supermini. After ...

2022 Kia Soul facelift expected shortly as US models receive update

A recently revealed facelift of the US-spec Kia Soul reveals styling tweaks and several revisions that are also expected on UK models later this year. Updated styling front and rear Expected later this year Revised battery expected Updates for the ...

New Audi Q5 to arrive in 2023 without electric model

Petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid engines will be the only choices for the new Audi Q5 when it arrives next year. The Audi Q5 model is set to be replaced next year with an all-new model that will be the ...

Volkswagen ID.3 GTX set to join the range in 2023

The electric hot hatchback will get dual motors and is set to be introduced during the ID3’s mid-life update next year. A high performance version of the Volkswagen ID.3 has been rumoured since the brand showcased a sportier-looking ID concept ...

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