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TomTom Business Solutions announces innovative partnership with insurance firm
TomTom has teamed up with insurance broker Motaquote for the launch of "Fair Pay Insurance" – a product that rewards "good" drivers with lower premiums.

New Honda Civic Review
SECTOR Lower Medium PRICE €16,950 – €30,250 FUEL 5.1 – 8.7l/100km CO2 110 – 148g/km Whether it’s a design you love or hate,the outgoing Civic was a revolution forHonda’s styling when it

New Kia Optima Review
The Optima has been on sale in North America since 2010 and it seems that US buyers just can’t get enough of it. Sales arerunning

Residual value confidence eases after an upbeat year
Having reported a +5.3% increase in its forecasted RVs for the 12 months, Germany showed only a +0.3% rise between October and December, with the UK

International Credentials
Born in Ireland and raised in Scotland, Liam Donnelly has had a varied international career. As well as roles in the offshore, airport and food

Nissan sales for Europe hike 15% in January
In a flat market, Nissan increased its monthly share by 0.6% to 4.2% overall in January, with locally-produced models accounting for nearly 80% of sales.

Leaseplan Corporation N.V. appoints new member to supervisory board
As Supervisory Board member, Mr Möhle will join the Credit Committee. The appointment has been approved by both the shareholders of LeasePlan Corporation N.V. and the

An electric future…
That said, the Volt is actually a hybrid car using a small petrol engine to power the drive motor once the stored energy in the

An empowered approach to powertrain choices – Part 2
If we look at the European company car fleet in general diesel is the predominant fuel type, followed by petrol. In countries such as the US, Australia

An empowered approach to powertrain choices – Part 1
Ask any leet operator about the main challenges that they’re facing at the moment and the chances are that going greener would be in the top ive, along

Carmakers to face €10bn fine for missing EU carbon targets
So said the European Environment Agency (EEA) in a recent report that also showed a number of manufacturers will also be subjected to fines adding up to €10bn if

New Ford Fusion shows future Mondeo
Looking similar to the Evos concept car unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September, the Fusion features Ford’s latest family styling and goes on sale

The all-new i40: Style meets practicality
Not only does the i40 offer a package of powertrains, equipment and technology tailored for European tastes but by taking a new approach to the

Vodafone deploys DriveSafe to help reduce text/phone-related road accidents
Now, SMS services and infrastructure vendor Telsis is first in the world with an all-phones service, DriveSafe, that can lessen the temptation many people feel

Steering in the right direction: wheel and tyre choice cuts C02 emissions
The revelation in November that a new international treaty on climate change will be delayed until 2020 at the earliest means that the actions of

Avis Budget UK appoints new managing director, effective March 1 2012
Kaye started her career in the car rental business in 1997 with Budget Rent a Car, successfully leading both car and truck rental sales organisations.

Renault-Nissan alliance record 10.3% global sales increase on 2010
Sales rose for the third consecutive year. Renault sold 2,722,062 units worldwide, up 3.6% from 2010, whereas Nissan sold 4,669,981 units, up 14.4%. As a

Ford set challenging target to reduce European waste and slash water bills
The company said it will significantly increase the proportion of waste recycled and reused while cutting landfill waste by 70%. That means a reduction in

EURO NCAP publishes "Best in Class" vehicles 2011
Last year, Euro NCAP published the results for 53 new car models available on the European market, among which were the first commercially available Electric Vehicles. Eleven

2013 Range Rover to debut carmaker’s new technology
Land Rover began testing hybrid technology at the end of 2010 with the Range_e prototype. Based on the Range Rover Sport, this adds an electric

Innovative HIRIKO EV to launch in Spain next year
The HIRIKO is a compact electric vehicle, approximately the same size as a modern-day SMART, however, distinguishes itself amongst its competitors by its ability to

Ford Focus range to get "EcoBoost" as new efficient engine to go on sale
The industry-first EcoBoost engine delivers performance to rival a traditional 1.6-litre engine with significantly improved fuel efficiency and class-leading ultra-low CO2 emissions. The 1.0-litre, three-cylinder

Audi chairman: 'There is no alternative to the Euro'
Representatives from business, politics and science met for the 42nd time in the Swiss winter resort to discuss a better and more environmental future. Stadler

Toyota delivers 400,000th hybrid in Europe
Auris Hybrid, the first full hybrid power Toyota to be built in Europe, has been manufactured at Burnaston since 2010 and has helped build the

European residual values ease after positive twelve months
Having reported a +5.3% increase in its forecasted RVs for the 12 months, Germany showed only a +0.3% rise between October and December, with the

Innovative Networkfleet fuel card unveiled
In partnership with Wright Express, the leading provider of fleet cards, the Networkfleet Fuel Card tracks precise information on all fuel purchases and includes comprehensive

European light vehicle demand to fall in 2012 as economy weakens
Falk Frey, a senior vice president in Moody's Corporate Finance Group, said: 'We now expect a 6.2% decline to 13.4 million units in 2012, compared

Standardised EU tyre label to be introduced in November 2012
Intended to give consumers essential information to help them when choosing new tyres, the EU Label will be given values from A-G, excluding D to

Bentley Continental GTC makes international debut in Doha, Qatar
The all new Bentley GTC Convertible features an even more spacious and sumptuous hand-crafted cabin, with soft-touch leather hides, an extensive range of wood veneers,

More than one million motorists breath tested last month in Europe-wide police campaign
Pasi Kemppainen (Inset), TISPOL president, said: 'The co-operation of a record number of European countries in this action is a firm endorsement of how seriously police

7,200 arrested as part of of festive drink/drug-drive campaign
DCC Davenport said: 'During the crackdown nearly 157,000 people were stopped and tested. Despite clear messages that driving whilst under the influence of drink or

Automotive manufacturing in 2011 driven up by record export levels
Paul Everitt, SMMT chief executive, said: 'UK vehicle and engine production continues to lead the manufacturing recovery with increased output and exports taking a record-breaking

Chrysler and Fiat CEO talks to press about upcoming Dart launch

EIB provides EUR180m loan to fund Renault EV development
The funding will be deployed at Renault’s facilities in France, where it will be used to develop the group’s electric vehicle expertise, establish new processes

December 2011
Registration figures for December can be viewed by clicking on the following links: Car Van

Alphabet International shakes-up management after ING Car Lease acquisition
From now on, the company will be led by two CEOs, Norbert van den Eijnden and Ed Frederiks. This division is in line with German

ADAS Goes Mainstream: Frost & Sullivan Projects Nearly 40% of Compact Vehicles in Europe to Have ADAS by 2018
According to Frost & Sullivan, technological developments such as the integration of radar and camera as well as sensor fusion between multiple applications are enabling

Honda President and CEO announces plans to expand luxury Acura brand
The demand for large, luxury, performance vehicles in these markets perfectly matches the Acura brand attributes. It is planned to introduce the Acura brand to

Sixt opens fourth US branch at Orlando International Airport, Florida
The new regional outlet will be the European rental provider’s fourth location in the United States, supplementing branches at Miami International Airport, Fort Lauderdale Airport

ACEA assigns Harrie Schippers as chairman of commercial vehicle board for 2012
Harrie Schippers was elected President of DAF Trucks in 2010 and is Vice President of parent company PACCAR. Since he joined DAF Trucks in 1986,

2012 new car demand to fall in Czech Republic, says new report
So says BMI in a new report entitled “Czech Republic Autos Report Q1 2012”. In the report, available through companiesandmarkets.com, BMI comments that although it

Suzuki SX4 4WD
As extreme European winters become more widespread, the popularity of cars that can adequately handle such conditions grows. Not everyone wants a full-blown 4×4 off-roader,

Enterprise Rent-A-Car launches mobile booking sites for European operations
This follows a 155% increase in mobile site viewings and a massive 238% increase in reservations made through Enterprise via mobiles from 2010 to 2011.

From management tool to an omnipresent technology
The move means that not only will fleets be able to use telemetry to optimise vehicle running and for security, but that the technology will

A business solution that stacks the decks in your favour
This autumn saw the confessions of self-proclaimed London-based market trader Alessio Rastani make him an overnight internet sensation. Jaws collectively dropped when Rastani appeared on

Jordi Vila Onses, General Manager of Nissan Europe discusses the company's growth strategy
For a brand that’s already achieving a 2.9% market share in the European fleet market, Nissan is far from being a minor player. But as

European Leasing Markets Enjoy a Stable Quarter
Forecasted residual values remained consistent across the six nations surveyed in the latest experteye European Leasing Index. Portugal reported the highest rise, albeit at only

Enhanced service and expansion: Alphabet and ING Car Lease’s merger priorities
Announced in July last year, Alphabet’s acquisition of ING Car Lease is set to create a goliath in the European leasing sector. The transaction gives

Different horses for different courses
Looking across Europe there is a plethora of methods employed by the industry to remarket used vehicles within the trade, without taking into account all

Predicting the Future – a focus on the Middle East
In my last column I talked about the challenges of residual value forecasting and management in the Middle East and how that contributes to limited

The evolutionary path towards global mobility
In a presentation to a number of large national and international fleet owners recently, Fleet Logistics’ Tobias Kern outlined six natural pillars of fleet evolution
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