Category Archives: Motoring News

chemical factory fire threatens Global car production

April 20, 2012   Sean

A fire in a chemical factory in Germany has put car manufacturers on red alert – because the chemical it produces is critical to braking systems. The factory is owned by a company called Evonik and it manufactures an obscure chemical called CDT, which in turns makes a resin called PA-12. Brake and fuel lines are made out of this resin, and something like one-third of the global supply has, literally, gone up in smoke.
Read More

CO2 gulf between old and new cars widens

April 18, 2012   Sean

Figures by the SMMT demonstrate that the average new car is now 18 percent more efficient than the average car on the road, showing  just how far car companies have come in the battle to lower emissions.Since the year 2000, new car emissions (as in, the average CO2 emissions of all the cars sold) have fallen by 23%; in 2011, emissions dropped by a significant 4.2% compared to 2010.
Read More

Insurers slammed for extortionate admin fees

April 17, 2012   Sean

Some insurance companies are charging ‘extortionate’ fees for a driver to change minor details on a car policy, a study by Which?  has found. The consumer magazine investigated car and home insurance company administration fees after complaints from consumers.It found that Hastings was charging customers £35 to change a surname on a policy, while Axa and Swiftcover were charging £30 for minor changes including transferring the policy to a new car or changing address.
Read More

US Government wants fix for “unintended acceleration”

April 17, 2012   Sean

The US government’s safety agency (National Traffic Safety Highway Administration) wants all new cars to have a “brake override” feature, so that if drivers hit both accelerator and brake pedal, the engine will return to idle automatically. This follows the controversy over allegations of Toyotas experiencing unintended acceleration. Now the US government has confirmed that it has not been able to substantiate a single case against Toyota. However, it believes driver error can lead to too many cases of hitting both pedals together and it wants car companies to make it impossible for both pedals to activate at the same time.
Read More

Renault Twizy now on sale

April 16, 2012   Sean

Renault’s eye-catching Twizy electric two-seater is now on sale in the UK, priced from £6,690.If you are wondering how Renault can sell an electric anything for that price, when the Nissan Leaf is £26K, the answer is that buyers also have to lease the batteries for £45 per month over three years. The wacky two seat Twizy (or one seat plus a 50 litre shopping bag) is certainly the most distinctive way of getting around town: even a pink Ferrari is unlikely to get as much attention. However, the Twizy would struggle to keep up with a Ferrari: the top speed is 50 mph, thanks to a 17 bhp electric motor giving a range of 60 miles.
Read More
« Older posts
Newer posts »