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Spotlight: Ford Focus
The fourth-generation Focus is a technological showpiece, out to re-assert itself in a segment that’s still a core part of Europe’s fleet market. Alex Grant
Toyota and Suzuki to explore joint initiatives
Toyota and Suzuki are to collaborate on possible new projects for technology development, vehicle production and market development.
Citroën reveals C5 Aircross
Citroën has revealed the European version of its flagship C5 Aircross five-seat SUV, which will bring the fight to models such as the Nissan Qashqai
Volvo increases XC40 production
Volvo is ramping up production for the new XC40, citing “overwhelming demand” for its first-ever compact SUV.
Stuttgart on-demand ridesharing service to go live in June
A new on-demand ridesharing service run by Daimler’s Moovel subsidiary and the Stuttgarter Strassenbahnen AG (SSB) is to go live in Stuttgart in June following a successful
UK sets date for world-first Zero Emissions Vehicle Summit
Birmingham in the UK is to host the first-ever international Zero Emissions Vehicle Summit, which will bring together countries from across the world to further
Toyota plans for post-2020 boom in hydrogen vehicle sales
Toyota is preparing for a ten-fold increase in global fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVS) with a number of new plans.
Safety benefits of self-driving cars still a grey area
Claims that self-driving cars could avoid 90% of road deaths by eliminating drivers’ errors are unproven, and shared responsibility between robot and human drivers may
Volvo UK to offer workplace ‘Prime Now test drives’ with Amazon
Volvo Cars UK has joined forces with the Amazon Prime service to offer test drives of the V40 at customers’ homes or workplaces.
Updated Kia Sportage brings Euro 6d-TEMP engine line-up
Kia has unveiled its refreshed Sportage, which will gain a mild-hybrid diesel drivetrain as well as new technologies and a fresh design.
EU new car market puts in best performance since 2008
European new car registrations rose 9.0% to 1.34 million cars in April, marking the best performance for the month since 2008.
Europcar Group puts focus on mobility under rebrand
Europcar Group has rebranded with a new name and identity to reflect its transformation into a mobility provider.
BP invests in ultra-fast charging battery developer
An Israeli start-up that has developed an ultra-fast charging battery has secured a $20m (€16.9m/£14.8m) investment from BP Ventures.
German Federal court paves way for diesel bans
German cities are now officially allowed to ban older diesel vehicles from their streets, the German Federal court has outlined.
Opel continues move to Euro 6d-TEMP
Opel has introduced two new engines for the Astra that sit in line with the latest Euro 6d-TEMP requirements.
Munich to launch on-demand ride-sharing service
The Munich Transport Company (MVG) is introducing an on-demand ride-sharing service to “close the gaps” with existing public transport options.
German true fleet market scores highly in April
April saw the highest growth rate for the German true fleet sector since May 2017 as the overall passenger car market also saw strong growth.
Citroën UK appoints new MD
Citroën has named Karl Howkins as its new UK managing director, effective 1 June 2018.
Road Test: Volvo S90 T8
Volvo’s luxury saloon gains plug-in hybrid power, finds Jonathan Musk.
Porsche recalls 60,000 diesels
Porsche has been ordered to recall 60,000 SUVs to fix manipulated diesel engines.
EU sets out plans to become a leader in EV battery tech
The European Commission has put together a series of measures that would help Europe fight its corner in the electric vehicle battery sector, including the
Tighter CO2 targets would bring all-round benefits
Carmakers should face more stringent CO2 targets to help drive zero and low-emission vehicle developments, according to MEP Miriam Dalli.
Ford adds Waze navigation and voice control
Ford adds the ability to project Waze navigation and real-time traffic to vehicles using its SYNC AppLink touchscreen and control it through voice.
New van CO2 emissions down 4.7% in 2017
Average CO2 emissions for new vans registered in the EU fell 4.7% in 2017, latest figures from the European Environment Agency (EEA) show.
New safety tech to be mandated by EU
Advanced safety features such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and intelligent speed assistance (ISA) will be fitted as standard on new cars by 2021 under
EU takes six nations to highest court over air pollution
The UK and five other countries are being referred to the European Court of Justice over ongoing failures to tackle air pollution.
Mazda debuts new 1.8-litre diesel engine
Mazda has debuted its new 1.8-litre diesel engine in the updated CX-3 compact SUV, which is now available to order in Japan ahead of its European
EU car demand rockets
Passenger car registrations in the EU showed strong growth in April following March’s decline, helping to drive the year-to-date performance.
Smart tyre check ramps get international launch
Drivers can now use a new service to digitally check tyre pressures on scanner ramps at car parks.
Volvo begins phasing out diesel engines
Volvo will not fit a diesel engine to the new S60 saloon, with all subsequent launches also due to only be available with electric or
UK true fleet records positive growth
True Fleet recorded its first positive numbers in 13 months with a 6.3% rise, according to latest Dataforce figures.
SUV demand drives Spanish true fleet market
The Spanish car market continues to see strong growth in 2018, recording its fourth month of growth.
Sixt launches in Sardinia
Sixt is continuing its expansion into Italy by launching on the island of Sardinia.
VW and Seat confirm seatbelt recall
Volkswagen and Seat have announced recalls for a number of models in their small car ranges due to an issue with seatbelt safety.
LeasePlan Germany appoints new commercial director
LeasePlan Germany has named Jürgen Petschenka as commercial director for large fleets and international fleets.
Fleetcompetence Group names Matthias Engel as global sales director
German and global fleet industry specialist Matthias Engel has joined Fleetcompetence Group as global sales director.
Scrappage schemes could worsen air quality, research shows
Proposed scrappage schemes could have a negative impact on air quality while also not benefiting CO2 reduction targets if they are not properly planned, according
London ‘Zero Emission Zones’ due by 2020
London could get its first electric vehicle only ‘Zero Emission Zones’ by 2020, aimed at improving air quality and driving uptake of cleaner travel, as
Ebbon-Dacs to launch moDel solution for Europe
Ebbon-Dacs has said it’s working on a multi-lingual version of its moDel vehicle movement management platform.
UPS and Arrival to roll out electric delivery fleet
UPS is to deploy a fleet of 35 electric delivery trucks in London and Paris, working with UK manufacturer Arrival.
PSA Group to axe Opel OnStar service
PSA Group is pulling the plug on the Opel/Vauxhall OnStar service in Europe, discontinuing it in new vehicles from January 2019, and closing it altogether
Spanish fleets to test Transit PHEV
Ford is adding a second city to its Transit Custom plug-in hybrid trial, with a fleet set to roll out in the Spanish city of
Tighter limits for WLTP and RDE tests
EU Member States have voted in favour of tighter limits on for cars and vans tested under the latest WLTP and RDE fuel consumption and emissions testing,
Nissan to phase out diesel engines by 2025
Nissan has become the latest manufacturer to confirm it will drop diesel engines from its line-up, as it pushes ahead with plug-in hybrid and fully
Audi software “irregularities” affect 60,000 diesel cars
Audi has suspended deliveries of certain diesel-powered A6 and A7 models, as it develops a software update to rectify “irregularities” with the engine management on
First Drive: Volkswagen T-Roc
Volkswagen has big plans for its compact crossover, says Alex Grant.
Russian true fleet market scores double-digit growth in Q1
Russian new car registrations saw strong growth for the first quarter of 2018 with the growth also seen in the true fleet sector.
Volvo to offer integrated Google Maps app
Volvo will integrate apps including Google Maps into its next-generation infotainment system, as the carmaker moves to Android software.
Former TomTom executive joins Microlise
Microlise has appointed former TomTom executive Luke Olsen as its new director of sales for Asia Pacific.
Electric Kia Niro revealed with 300-mile range
Kia is equipping the Niro compact SUV with a fully electric drivetrain, with the longest-range version travelling almost 300 miles between charges.
Porsche adds plug-in power to new Cayenne
Porsche has added plug-in hybrid power to the Cayenne SUV model range.
