Simulcast, Manheim Remarketing’s trade-only simultaneous online broadcast of physical auctions, has sold nearly £130 million worth of cars, vans, trucks, motorbikes and plant since the beginning of the year. What is most surprising is that the products sold come in all shapes and sizes with prices ranging from £10 to £165,000.

Car prices ranged from £10 for a 1989 Citroen 2CV to £165,000 for a 2007 Lamborghini Murcielago, van prices ranged from £200 for a 1999 LDV 400 3.5t 2.5D to £25,000 for a 2007 Ford Transit 350 RWD TDCi while heavy goods vehicle and trailer prices ranged from £225 for a Don Bur single axle 25ft curtainside trailer to £34,600 for a 2002 Mercedes-Benz Actros 3235 8×4. The cheapest motorbike sold was a 2008 Yamaha YZFR 125 for £800 and the most expensive a 2008 Harley Davidson VRSCR Steer Rod for £7,000. Cheapest plant sold was a storage container for £20 with the most expensive plant a 07 plate JCB 3CX Sitemaster which sold for £27,000.

When compared with the first six months of 2009 the total number of products sold via Simulcast has increased by 12%. However there have been significant increases in several car price bands including numbers of vehicles sold up to £500 increasing by 55%, cars costing £1,000 to £1,999 up by 75% and cars above £20,000 up by 92%.

Mike Pilkington, Managing Director, Manheim Remarketing said: “The vast range of products sold via Simulcast never ceases to amaze me. I can understand how buyers may feel comfortable to bid for a relatively new, averagely priced car, van or truck but buyer confidence in the process is based on the trust that is underpinned by the information supplied by Manheim Auctions. Buying a car for less than £500, a van for £25,000 or a truck for more than £34,000 without actually seeing it in the flesh or touching it is testament to the level of confidence that our buyers have in Simulcast, which has been carefully nurtured over many years.”

The potential six-month wait applies to models such as the in-demand Audi TT Roadster as well as a number of other models from the German marque (see table below).

However, personal internet car buying services, such as Outside Lane, can help consumers beat the queue for models by scouring the country for available vehicles that meet motorists’ requirements.

As a result, of the new car waiting lists more car buyers are turning to nearly-new models, which is where Outside Lane helps motorists to find the car of their dreams.

It’s a view shared by David Ross, new cars Editor at motoring website honestjohn.co.uk, who says motorists can avoid the queues by buying pre-registered.

He explained: “While many people may be put off this option as they will not get the exact specification they desire, they will get their new car in a matter of days rather than months. And buying a pre-registered model not only slashes the waiting times, but also the price. Despite the fact these cars are basically new with a few additional miles on the clock, prices are considerably lower than buying brand new.”

Average UK New Car Waiting Times

The survey of 4,000, from OnePoll, showed that of those who had dozed off on the road, 69% were overweight, a major cause of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) – a common disorder.

As many as 700,000 people in the UK could suffer from sleep apnoea, which disrupts sleep and causes acute tiredness. It is treatable, yet many drivers seem to be ignorant of what it is, and how to spot the symptoms, it is claimed.

At a Parliamentary reception, road safety charity Brake called for a campaign to alert all drivers to the importance of adequate sleep, and the need for an immediate visit to the GP if OSA is suspected. An estimated 265 deaths are caused each year by tired drivers – that’s five every week – but that could be just the tip of the iceberg.

MPs from all major parties – including Norman Lamb (Liberal Democrats and political advisor to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg), Peter Bottomley (Conservative) and Meg Munn (Labour) – backed the awareness drive.

Professor Anthony Leeds, of Cambridge Weight Plan, said sleep apnoea caused snoring, interrupted by pauses in breathing, and choking and gasping during sleep – and obesity was a big risk factor with professional drivers likely to be the worst affected.

He said: “And yet a solution is available – recent evidence in the British Medical Journal showed effective weight reduction could improve a high proportion of those affected by severe or moderate sleep apnoea (26 out of 30) in a relatively short time.”

Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive of Brake, said: “It is horrifying to think that so many people who drive for work may be vulnerable to sleep apnoea. We need policy-makers to work with companies to ensure employees are not putting themselves and others in danger. But drivers themselves must also take responsibility. Getting behind the wheel when you haven’t had sufficient sleep can be deadly.”

Anyone with the following tell-tale signs of sleep apnoea should see their doctor, says Brake:

• Daytime sleepiness with episodes of falling asleep while driving or operating machinery
• Choking or gasping during sleep and/or loud snoring
• Frequent awakenings to restart breathing during the night
• Frequent silences during sleep (due to stopping breathing) reported by a partner.

The 2.0 CDTi engine produces 160 PS at 4,000 rpm, with maximum torque at 350 Nm at 1,750 rpm. The top-of-the-line diesel accelerates to 60 mph in 9.8 seconds and allows a top speed of 130 mph. Combined cycle fuel consumption is 47.1 mpg on the Sports Tourer 4×4. The engine is available with a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.

A rare combination in this market sector, the Insignia CDTi 4×4 hits British showrooms in September this year.

Vauxhall’s adaptive 4×4 system was previously only available with the Insignia 2.0 and 2.8 litre petrol engines.

The new smarter fuels – Shell FuelSave Unleaded and Diesel – are claimed to herald a breakthrough in fuels technology and contain Shell’s most advanced fuel economy formula to date.

They were launched today (Wednesday, July 21) at forecourts across the UK and replace regular Shell Unleaded and Shell Diesel. Shell claims the launches of the fuels make the oil giant the first company in the UK to offer customers a fuel that can help vehicles to be more fuel efficient – without having to pay any more.

To help lead the nation in driving fuel efficiently, Shell has challenged Ashes cricket hero, ‘Freddie’ Flintoff, to train motorists via a specially-designed course of online fuel saving tips available at www.shell.co.uk/freddieschallenge.

Drivers can learn how to save fuel as well as money, plus register for the chance to win free fuel for a year.

The innovation behind the new fuels lies in the in-built ‘efficiency improver’. In the case of Shell FuelSave Unleaded, these combine to reduce energy losses by lubricating parts of the engine where oils are less effective. For Shell FuelSave Diesel, it is designed to ignite and burn more effectively than regular diesel, which helps lead to more effective combustion in the engine.

Melanie Lane, head of UK retail for Shell, said: “In these cost-conscious times, it’s not surprising that our customers want to save fuel and cut driving costs.”

The car will make its world debut at the Moscow Motor Show in August and the European version will then appear at the Paris Motor Show in October when specification and engine choice will be revealed.

The complete equipment list, which will be revealed at a later date, places the emphasis on innovation and travelling comfort, says Renault, and includes a dual-mode air ioniser with double fragrance diffuser, triple-zone climate control, a massaging driver’s seat, Bose Premium audio and Renault hands-free card.

In a statement, Renault said the model’s specification would deliver ‘a truly high-end package’ that will position it as the flagship of its international saloon car range.

The car is expected to go on sale around the turn of the year.

The study discovered that not only are motorists letting poor tyre pressure affect their bank balance, but more than 370 million litres of fuel are being wasted each year.

Now, the Michelin ‘Fill Up With Air’ team is taking to the road to offer free tyre checks to help improve safety and reduce vehicle carbon dioxide emissions, while also helping motorists save cash as incorrectly inflated tyres can mean that they wear out more quickly.

A Michelin spokesman said: “Based on the findings of Michelin’s 2009 campaign, if all of the cars in the UK were running on correctly inflated tyres then motorists would save more than £440m and more than 370 million litres of fuel a year. As a result, CO₂ emissions would also be reduced by almost one million tonnes.

“Michelin’s 2010, ‘Fill Up With Air’ campaign is going to be the biggest to date with more than 50 locations included in the tour. It really is a matter of life and death and people should learn to check their tyres regularly and thoroughly which is what we can help them to do. Tyres that are under inflated can cause poor handling on the road and potentially lead to serious accidents and put lives at risk.”

Last year the Michelin campaign team inspected tyres on more than 5,000 cars and the results showed that some motorists were not taking tyre maintenance seriously.
The ‘Fill Up with Air’ roadshow will be touring the UK and Ireland until October. Further information is available at www.michelin.com

The warranty was introduced today (Tuesday, June 1) and its launch follows worldwide publicity following the recall of millions of vehicles earlier this year.

Its introduction also follows Toyota’s ‘Your Choice, Our Promise’ spring campaign, which offered customers the choice of an extended warranty or three years’ free servicing on their new car.

“Our new five-year warranty is tangible evidence of our commitment to quality and to our customers – both those who are loyal to the brand, and those who are considering switching to Toyota for their next car,” said Miguel Fonseca, Toyota GB managing director.

“By taking this major initiative we are giving our customers complete peace of mind. We want to reassure them that, in choosing a Toyota, they are getting the best in quality, reliability and durability.”

The new five-year/100,000-mile manufacturer’s warranty builds on Toyota’s established three-year/60,000-mile warranty.

HM Revenue and Customs has published new Advisory Fuel Rates, which employers use to reimburse employees for business travel in their company cars, or when they require employees to repay the cost of fuel used for private travel.

They provide a range of rates based on engine size and fuel type and when used, are deemed to be tax-free.

The new rates, which take effect on June 1 (previous rates are in brackets) are:

Engine size            Petrol                       Diesel               LPG
1400cc or less       12p (11p)               11p (11p)        8p   (7p)
1401cc to 2000cc  15p (14p)               11p (11p)        10p (8p)
Over 2000cc          21p (20p)              16p (14p)        14p (12p)

• Petrol hybrid cars are treated as petrol cars for this purpose.

The rates, which are expected to be reviewed again in November, have gone up by 1p per mile for each category of petrol cars but have remained the same for all but the highest capacity of diesel-powered cars.

The new rates are based on petrol pump prices of 119.9p a litre and diesel prices of 121.9p a litre as of Monday (May 24) and calculated by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills. The previous AFRs were based on pump prices of 108.7p a litre for petrol and 109.9p a litre for diesel.

Earlier this year ACFO (Assoiciation of Car Fleet Operators) warned that many company car drivers were reluctant to undertake business travel because they were effectively subsidising their employer for every mile covered due to ‘low’ AFRs and the comparatively high price of fuel.

In publishing the new rates, HMRC said: ‘These rates apply to all journeys on or after June 1 until further notice, allowing them to reflect fuel prices more quickly. For one month from the date of change, employers may use either the previous or new current rates, as they choose. Employers may therefore make or require supplementary payments if they so wish, but are under no obligation to do either.’

Electric vehicles are only as ‘green’ as the electricity that charges their batteries, according to the report ‘Electric Vehicles: Charged with Potential’, which has been written by the UK’s leading engineers.

The report identifies what the Academy calls ‘the serious challenge of ensuring that the electricity supply system can cope with charging tens of millions of vehicles whilst still reducing carbon emissions from power generation’.

The engineers identify four major technical issues:

• The availability of high energy-density batteries at a price and with a long enough cycle life for electric vehicles to be economically viable
• The practicalities of charging vehicles – particularly for users without off-street parking
• The electrical distribution infrastructure to provide power to millions of charging points and
• The need for a national energy system and ‘smart grid’ that can recharge millions of electric vehicles using low-carbon electricity without overwhelming local distribution circuits.

Professor Roger Kemp of Lancaster University, chair of the Academy’s electric vehicles working group, said: “When most electricity in Britain is still generated by burning gas and coal, the difference between an electric car and a small, low-emission petrol or diesel car is negligible.

“We welcome the fact that the motor manufacturers are so ready to take on the challenge of developing mass market electric vehicles. We also welcome the new Government’s commitment to mandating charging sockets for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, but establishing these as the technology of choice for personal transport is only one aspect of what is needed to reduce transport emissions.”

The report says that if the UK is to meet its renewables targets and ensure a ‘greener’ power supply to electric cars, a range of new low-carbon energy sources will be needed, including new nuclear power stations, wind farms and tidal barrages.

There are three interrelated policy programmes that are critical to the successful introduction of electric vehicles, according to the Academy: low-carbon energy, universal broadband provision and smart electricity grids. The report says that electric vehicles can only have a serious impact on carbon emissions if the three areas of policy are already in place.

Richard Parry-Jones, a member of the working group and former group vice president of the Ford Motor Company, said: “Electric vehicles could provide a major contribution to meeting the target of an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

“However, they will only be built in mass production numbers when there is a compelling sustainable social and business model for their use to allow manufacturers to plan for a long-term market and when the new vehicles have a real carbon efficiency benefit over the latest internal combustion engines.”

As a result, the engineers conclude: “There are ways to allow electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids to take over most of the present uses of petrol and diesel vehicles but these are unlikely to develop without financial incentives for early adopters.

“In the medium term, the new Government will need to indicate how it intends to replace road fuel taxation as electric vehicles gain market share, to allow manufacturers and potential users to make informed decisions.

“A more likely alternative to widespread adoption of pure electric vehicles with their infrastructure requirement would be the plug-in hybrid. While hybrids have most of the environmental benefits of electric vehicles, they do not rely on such a comprehensive network of recharging points at multiple destinations.

“Plug-in hybrids could be adopted quickly as family cars or executive cars, leaving pure electric cars to achieve initial market penetration as second cars, doing low mileage and thus having little impact on carbon emissions.”