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Saab sale finalised, with electric 9-3 due within two years
Under the deal, which was completed on 31st August, NEVS has owns main assets of Saab Automobile AB, Saab Automobile Powertrain AB and Saab Automobile

Better Place opens first Battery Switch Station in the Netherlands
Initially just for use by the fleet of 10 Renault Fluence Z.E. taxis, operated by Dutch private hire operators Connexion, Bios and TCA, the station

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Russia adds a second shift
The decision was made in April earlier this year and follows the outstanding sales results and high evaluation of the Camry sedan in the Russian

Leasing index show further deterioration
The results of the Q2 2012 Index show a continued deterioration across all indicators compared to the same quarter of the previous year, with the

Ford Focus ST
SECTOR Lower Medium PRICE €28,000 (approx) FUEL 7.24l/100km CO2 169g/km Fleets are no stranger to fast Fords, in Europe or North America, but historically, the

New dawn for the rising sun
Japan can trace its history as a vehicle producing nation back to the early part of the 20th Century. Subsequent development involved co-operative ventures with

New Panda 4×4 to gain TwinAir Turbo petrol engine
Panda 4×4 sits on the same wheelbase and has the same track width front and rear as the two wheel drive system. It uses a

Citroen DS3 Cabrio revealed
DS3 Cabriolet features a full-length retractable fabric roof, which can be opened half way along the roof, all the way to the boot spoiler, and

BMW ActiveHybrid 3
SECTOR Compact Executive PRICE €52,300–€55,200 FUEL 5.9l/100km CO2 139g/km It must be difficult for car manufacturers, attempting to cater for ever-changing global demand as it’s

Crossing Continents
John Bailey has risen through his family auction company in Bristol, UK to his current position as President of Manheim’s International Operations. He may still

Audi A6 Allroad
SECTOR Executive PRICE €54,600 – €62,100 (approx) FUEL 6.10 –8.9l/100km CO2 159 – 206g/km A friend of mine had a first generation Audi A6 Allroad

Mercedes unveils middleweights
It seems that being the first to wheel out a Euro6 compliant engine (mandatory from 2014) in March last year was not enough for Georg

All-electric Infiniti compact saloon to go on sale in 2014
Previously shown at the New York International Auto Show in April, the LE Concept is roughly the same size as a BMW 3 Series, and

Are large CO2 cuts realistic for fleets?
Uncertain economies, high energy prices, the need to contain costs – no business has to look far to find good reasons to implement an effective

Alfa Romeo MiTo Twinair
SECTOR Super Mini PRICE €18,000 – €19,500 (approx) FUEL 4.2l/100km CO2 98g/km The Fiat Powertrain Technologies (FPT) baby is continuing its march across the Fiat

TomTom launches navigation app for Android devices
The new app, which is set for release in October, will feature TomTom navigation, map and traffic technologies such as on-board maps, IQ Routes and

Toyota Prius Plus
SECTOR Compact MPV PRICE €30,000 – €38,000 FUEL 4.1 – 4.4l/100km CO2 96 – 101g/km Three generations into the Prius’s life cycle and hybrid technology

Stunning new Mazda6 unveiled
Jeff Guyton, Mazda Motors Europe president, told Fleet World at the unveiling of the car at the Moscow Motor Show that he believed the Mazda6

Latest Euro NCAP results announced
The Volvo V40 was named as the all-time top scorer in its segment, achieving a 98% rating for adult occupant protection and 88% for pedestrian

LeasePlan reports strong six months
LeasePlan, the world's leading fleet and vehicle management company, today published its interim results for the first half of 2012. Highlights of the results include:

Toyota joins Indianapolis smart charging project
Beginning in early 2013 and expected to last a year, the project is aimed at examining how scheduling of charging times can reduce demand spikes

Škoda continues growth in July
From January through July 2012, Škoda sales rose by a total of 8.1 per cent year-on-year to 565,600 (January through July 2011: 523,200). “We managed to

Volkswagen Group increases sales in period to July
The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand handed over 1.05 (1.02; +2.5 per cent) million vehicles to customers on the overall European market in the first seven

Land Rover reveals upgrades for 2013 Freelander
Engine options are carried forward from the outgoing car, comprising of a 148bhp TD4, which returns 45.6mpg and emits 165g/km CO2, and the 187bhp SD4

Zipcar boosts efficiency of Houston City hybrid fleet
Funded by the State Energy Conservation Office American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Transportation Program, the technology will be used to make sure vehicles are utilised

Toyota assesses roll-out of Japanese recharging network
Until now, charging points have been funded by the owners of the locations where they are installed. As part of the trial, TMC said it

BMW launches EV sharing in San Francisco
The service, a joint venture between rental company Sixt and BMW Group, launched in Germany in June 2011 using conventionally-powered vehicle and has since grown

New Auris revealed ahead of Paris show debut
New Auris is the latest part of Toyota’s product refresh. In response to customer feedback, this has included rolling out a new family “face” across

Toyota Prius receives maximum five star rating in 2012 German ADAC EcoTest
In April of this year, ADAC presented the more stringent criteria for the EcoTest. A new feature is the inclusion of the Worldwide Harmonized Light

Jaguar adds all wheel drive to XF and XJ
All wheel drive versions will be offered with the 340hp 3.0-litre V6 supercharged petrol engine, and North America, Russia, China and Continental Europe are expected

JLR Halewood implements 24 Hour shift to meet global demand for Evoque
Since its launch in July 2011, the Range Rover Evoque has achieved worldwide sales success, with nearly 88,000 vehicles sold in more than 170 markets.

Frost & Sullivan: Agressive expansion strategy key to growth in EMEA's Hybrid and Electric market
This will be particularly true for the transit bus segment, which is expected to experience proliferation of competitors, both on the original equipment manufacturer (OEM)

New MD for Business Lease Slovakia
Björn takes the place of Richard Heijnsbroek, who started his new role as managing director of Business Lease Poland on August 1 2012. Van den

Jaguar F-Type set for unveiling on world stage in Paris
The F-TYPE will be launched as a convertible with a choice of three petrol engines: 340PS and 380PS versions of Jaguar’s all-new 3.0-litre supercharged V6,

Nissan announces European sales figures for July
With monthly overall customer demand down 3.8% compared to July 2011, Nissan maintained its market share above 3.9% supported by strong sales in Eastern markets

National Windscreens expands into Europe
This means that National Windscreens customers can call the UK call centre from anywhere in Europe and expect the same high level of service as

BMW Group records best-ever July sales month
With a total of 135,537 (prev. yr. 129,102) BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand vehicles delivered worldwide last month, the company increased its sales by 5.0%

Hudson appointed CEO of Manheim's Australian Remarketing operations
Hudson joins Manheim from Aston Barclay where he was managing director for almost two years. His global experience includes time in senior management at LeasePlan,

Renault to increase engine production in Brazil by 25%
The plant, inaugurated in 1999 at the Ayrton Senna production site in Curitiba, has already manufactured nearly 2.5m engines, of which 335,813 in 2011. The

French ban for speed camera detection devices
‘The device doesn't need to be in use at the time you're stopped either,’ said AA DriveTech's Marketing director, David Richards. ‘Mere possession of a

Ford developing "virtual manufacturing facility"
This will enable the company to improve quality and cut costs in real world manufacturing facilities by creating and analysing computer simulations of vehicle production

Volkswagen Group opens new Chinese manufacturing facility
Heizmann, who already gave the green light for the new plant in July 2010, underlined the good cooperation with the Chinese partners throughout the entire

Volkswagen Group continues growth despite growing challenges
‘We can be satisfied with our performance in the first six months,’ said Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen

Strong half-year results for Kia
Sales were up in all regions apart from the Korean domestic market, with Europe recording a 24.5% increase to 170,000 – compared to 137,000 in

SKODA stays on growth course during H1 of 2012
‘SKODA’s growth strategy has led to positive results in the first half of this year,’ said SKODA chief executive officer, Winfried Vahland. ‘We have grown

GM developing WiFi accident prevention technology for vehicles
The feature relies on Wi-Fi Direct, the peer-to-peer wireless standard that allows devices like some smartphones to communicate directly with each other rather than through

France puts focus on electromobility to save domestic car industry
Announced by the French minister of industrial recovery, Arnaud Montebourg, the Automobile Plan is designed to sustain production, employment and R&D within France, backed by

Nissan announces €1.17bn operating profit for Q1 2012
Compared with the first quarter of 2011, operating profit declined 20% due to the worsening foreign exchange impact of an abnormally strong yen, along with

EU commercial registrations down 10.8% over H1 but rise in June
Italy (-29.8%) and Spain (-28.7%) faced a double-digit downturn, while France (-0.8%) and the UK (+0.2%) remained relatively stable. Germany was the only major market

Kia Carens concept ready for world premiere in Paris
With a completely fresh, sleek, cab-forward design, lower roofline, longer wheelbase, larger wheels and chrome beltline accent, the new Carens has been conceived around the

All-new Mazda6 set for world premiere in Moscow
The new Mazda6 sedan is the second model in Mazda’s “new generation” of products which incorporate both the full range of SKYACTIV technologies and the