First flying car goes on sale
The world’s first commercial road and air legal flying car has gone on sale, but with a hefty price tag. Dutch manufacturer PAL-V has revealed details of the PAL-V Liberty, a concept that first debuted in 2012. It costs around £425,000, more expensive than 26 Ford Fiestas. The price of the flying car includes flight instruction sessions, power heating and other personalisation options.
Continue ReadingMay LCV market declines
The light commercial vehicle market (LCV) declined in May following a period of exceptionally strong demand, according to figures released by SMMT. 26,982 new vans hit British roads in May, representing a fall of 5.3 per cent.
Continue ReadingUK car registrations decline in May – SMMT figures
After hitting record peaks in 2016 and early 2017, the UK’s new car market saw a significant decline in May. New passenger car registrations declined 8.5 per cent, with a total of 186,265 units. In 2017 overall, the market is 0.6 per cent lower than last year, with more than 1.1 million cars registered between January and May. Alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) continued their impressive 2017 growth in May, 46.7 per cent higher than in 2016, with a total of 8,258 AFVs registered making 47,936 so far this year. The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) argued that the general election’s short-term impact on consumer confidence has been the key factor, and that medium term prospects remain good for another record-setting year. However KPMG analysts were more taciturn, suggesting car manufacturers have turned their attentions to Europe and expecting a steady decline in 2017.
Continue ReadingApril car registrations down across Europe
New car registration figures published by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) show that a total of 1,191,034 units were registered in the EU in April 2017, 6.6 per cent less than the year before. Most major markets saw a decrease: the UK’s market dropped by 19.8 per cent, followed by Germany (-8.0 per cent), France (-6.0 per cent), and Italy (-4.6 per cent). Among the largest markets only Spain grew by 1.1 per cent.
Continue ReadingApril new car registrations show a ‘significant decline’ says SMMT
Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that the UK new car market experienced a significant decline in April, following exceptional growth in the previous month as buyers brought forward purchases ahead of the switch to new VED rates, which came into force on 1 April 2017. The figures show that 152,076 new cars were registered in April, a -19.8 per cent decline.
Continue ReadingClose, but not yet in the top 20 – tyre retailers pushing forward
By definition, the top 20 ranking focuses its attention on the 20 largest retail chains in a given year. However, it would be wrong to assume that there aren’t equally important changes outside the top 20. Take the next five positions for example, there have also been significant changes in the fifth tier (positions 21 to 25 inclusive). And, with some 20,000 points of sale where tyres can be bought in total (including garages), all 25 positions only account for the top 10 per cent of the overall market. With that in mind, let’s take a look at those that just missed out on the attention of being in the top 20.
Continue ReadingUK tyre retail: Second tier growth continues
The 2017 tyre retail ranking continues the trend of recent years when it comes to the second group of five leading retail chains. For the last few years we have seen this “second tier” group grow steadily towards the top tier.
Continue ReadingProtyre is fastest growing UK retail chain for 2nd straight year
The 2017 edition of Tyres & Accessories’ annual retail report shows that the overall number of branches controlled by the top 20 retail chains continues to grow. However, that is just part of the story and the data shows that there have actually been significant movements in every tier of the top 20. Perhaps the clearest observation is that Micheldever’s Protyre retail chain is once again the fastest growing in the UK – a title it claims in 2017 for the second consecutive year. Meanwhile, Goodyear’s HiQ franchise network is the top 20’s fastest faller – something that suggests the first changes in the make-up of the top five since we started tracking the UK retail landscape could take place before the year is out.
Continue ReadingEU car market 11.2% up in March
March 2017 car registrations in the European Union reached 1,891,583 units in March 2017 according to figures published by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), continuing the upward trend seen in the first quarter of the year.
Continue ReadingUK motorcycle registrations down 12.6% in March
UK motorcycle registrations have dropped again in March, usually a strong month as new number plates are released and the riding season begins in earnest. Stephen Latham, head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) said dealers had expected the market to be up, “however registrations were down -12.6 per cent - a huge drop of 2,103 machines compared with March last year.”
Continue ReadingMotorcycle registrations fall in February
The Motor Cycle Industry Association has released the February figures for motorcycle registrations. Commenting on the figures, Stephen Latham, Head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) which represents motorcycle retailers across the UK, said: “Following a surge in pre-registrations of Euro 3 machines in December, registrations were down in February -21.6 per cent compared with the same period last year.”
Continue ReadingBrand Finance: Bridgestone the most valuable tyre brand
Even through raw material costs are on the rise and these are driving up tyre prices, eight of the ten tyre brands deemed most valuable by Brand Finance have seen their brand values rise during the past year.
Continue ReadingTyre manufacturers ready for CV Show between 2016 growth and 2017 flux
April 2017’s CV Show looks set to mark an important event in the tyre business year, with a strong showing for the industry reflecting both the resilience shown in the UK commercial vehicle sector in 2016 and the potential opportunities offered by the coming period of political change. SMMT registration figures reveal that 2016 was a better year than might have been expected in the haulage and people transportation segments.
Continue ReadingFebruary LCV market fall was “not unexpected” says SMMT
The new light commercial vehicle market declined in February, falling -4.3 per cent to 13,291 registrations, according to SMMT. The downturn follows an exceptionally strong performance in 2016, when the sector recorded an eight-year high in registrations.
Continue ReadingRecord sales of AFVs in February as overall market dips slightly
The UK new car market remained steady in February, dipping just -0.3 per cent, according to figures released by SMMT. 83,115 vehicles were registered in traditionally one of the quietest months of the year ahead of the number plate change in March. Fleets drove the market, with 45,699 cars registered, up 3.3 per cent, while private demand fell -4.4 per cent to 36,018 units and business registrations declined -5.3 per cent to 1,398.
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