NEWS

UK to be Euro EV leader

UK motorists will play a key role in the electric car future as makers say our market has the most potential in Europe. Various Government incentives have already created a fertile environment for electric cars, and the benefits of this are starting to hit our roads. ‘The UK electric car market is going to drive [...]

	43mpg target for vans
NEW vans sold from 2014 will have to meet tough green rules demanding a fleet average of 42.8mpg. The EC proposals are part of wider laws to reduce the environmental impact of vans. This will also cut the average CO2 from van makers’ fleet average to 175g/km – tough enough to be met with resistance [...]

	Mazda thriving in EU
MAZDA has given UK car dealers an insight into its European performance, by revealing broad sales figures. It seems the UK wasn’t the only region setting sales records last month: Portugal, Turkey and Tunisia were also at it. The Mazda2 and Mazda3 led this charge – which saw no less than 16 EU countries report [...]

	German Chancellor blast
GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel has accused GM of a ‘conflict of interest’ over the sale of its European division. The parent company of Vauxhall cannot decide between one of two bids for the European operations – either Canada’s Magna, or Belgium’s RHJ. Merkel told German TV the conflict of interest was due to Magna’s offer [...]

	GM sale chief negotiator
GM Group vice president John Smith has taken the unusual step of speaking out on the sale of Vauxhall. Following what he describes as ‘misleading’ coverage regarding the sale of GM Europe, Smith has clarified proceedings to date: • Best and final offers received on July 28 • Input from German and other European Governments, [...]

		Vauxhall bankruptcy fear
		VAUXHALL could go bankrupt if a buyer isn’t found for General Motors’ European division, come reports from the weekend. Bloomberg says the Opel trust negotiating the sale does not now want the company to be sold to Canada’s Magna. This is despite the firm previously appearing to be the preferred new owner. Issues are said [...]
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		Vauxhall battle down to 2
		GENERAL Motors has so far failed to reach a decision on to whom it’s going to sell its European operations. But it has confirmed that the future owners of Vauxhall should either be Magna International or RHJ. ‘We have agreed to continue detailed talks with both Magna and RHJ to secure Opel’s future,’ said GM [...]
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		Smaller car trend
		CAR buyers are choosing smaller cars, due to economic and environmental pressures, plus scrappage incentives. JATO Consult has clear evidence of the trend, following an extensive study into the market. Car manufacturers are responding to such downsizing by offering higher-specification models, in order to retain profit margins for car dealers. Buyers switching from larger models [...]
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		Car market recovery?
		EUROPEAN new car sales figures for May have been released – and show tentative signs of recovery. While the new car market is down 13.1 percent year-to-date, this is a 2.4 percent improvement on declines the previous month. It is scrappage that is being thanked for this. Germany was up nearly 40 percent in May [...]
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		VW Golf tops Euro sales
		VOLKSWAGEN’S new Golf 6 hatch has stolen the European best-seller crown back from the Ford Fiesta. And it’s a double win for Volkswagen. The brand is also Europe’s best-seller overall, too. Ford didn’t cede the title without a fight, though. Year to date sales are up nearly 20 percent, and an exceptional April saw them [...]
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		Fiesta tops EU pile!
		FORD’S Fiesta has just taken the overall European sales number one slot from the Volkswagen Golf. A massive March sales increase of over 15 per cent has seen the Ford supermini conquer in an otherwise depressed market. First quarter European sales are down by 16.9 percent, reports JATO Dynamics, as the recession bites further into [...]
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