News

Boris Johnson has been urged by Volvo to review the criteria for exemption from the London congestion charge. According to the car maker, the fact that hybrid cars do not have to pay the £8 per day charge is outdated and unfair due to the number of conventionally-powered low-carbon vehicles on the roads that do pay the levy. Stuart Kerr,...

Bus travel in England could become greener thanks to a new government scheme. A £30 million fund is available to councils and bus operators so that they can buy fuel-efficient vehicles. Lord Adonis, the transport secretary, said: “For the sake of our environment and the air quality in our towns and cities it’s important to encourage the...

Following a drop in sales over the last year, Aston Martin may enter what it describes as the ‘luxury commuter’ car market with the launch of the Cygnet, a green runabout built around the Toyota iQ city car. The existing range sells for upwards of £100,000, but the cygnet would most likely sell for less than £20,000. The company says the...

Police in Grampian have criticised the driving of some young motorists after 28 cases of careless or drink-driving over the last weekend, describing it as ‘madness’. Leslie Harrold, road safety manager for Grampian police, said that it was lucky no one had been killed in these incidents, one of which included a motorist travelling at...

Britain is to become the first country in Europe to build hybrid cars following a decision by Toyota to start production of the Auris at its Burnaston plant near Derby. The Sunday Times newspaper reports that production is expected to start at the end of this year. The Auris hybrid shares its chassis, 1.8litre petrol engine and electric...

The ETA no longer offers a new car warranty for electric cars, however ETA Breakdown Cover now includes FREE Auto Repair, which pays up to £500 per year for repairs and labour costs following a breakdown attended by its recovery agents. Engine problems, snapped fan belts, worn out suspension – the range of mechanical faults at the root of a...

Cyclists in Carlisle have staged a demonstration over the region’s cycle lanes. Around 30 people took to the roads during rush hour in a bid to convince authorities to implement better facilities for those using this form of transport. Mark Lloyd, one of those who was part of the ride, said that the aim was to make people “more aware of...

Commuters will have the chance of a greener trip to work after the government announced £5 million of funding to improve cycle storage facilities at Britain’s major railway stations. Lord Andrew Adonis, secretary of state for transport, said a recent visit to Holland highlighted the superiority of their bicycle facilities, a situation he...

After four years of design and development, Swiss adventurer Bertrand Piccard today unveils the solar-powered aircraft with which he plans to demonstrate the potential of renewable energies by circumnavigating the globe. It will be the world’s first manned solar-powered aircraft. The Solar Impulse HB-SIA prototype has a wing span of 61m,...

The government will definitely not go ahead with plans national road charging – a system of ‘pay-as-you-go’ driving which had once been a flagship policy. The transport minister, Lord Adonis, said: “It will not be in the manifesto for the next election. This is not the time to be putting this before the British people. I don’t believe as...