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Global automotive sales in focus: June
Established automotive markets were mostly responsible for a 4.2% increase in sales in June, while South America and Eastern Europe struggled. By John Challen.
LeasePlan grows profits and global fleet
LeasePlan has reported strong underlying net result growth in Q2 as well as an increase in its serviced fleet.
VW Group to recall plug-ins over poisonous materials
The Volkswagen Group has notified Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) of a potential recall of its plug-in vehicles, having discovered poisonous cadmium in part
CO2 rises growing for NEDC Correlated cars
Popular fleet segments including medium and large SUVs are being hit by the largest increases in CO2 under the new WLTP fuel economy cycle –
Lex Autolease MD set to retire
Tim Porter is to retire from UK leasing giant Lex Autolease in late October after some five years as managing director.
Trakm8 expands into new manufacturing facility
Tracking firm Trakm8 has invested in a new manufacturing facility in the UK as it looks to increase production capacity in response to demand.
Rob Thomas joins DS Automobiles in new UK sales director role
DS Automobiles has appointed Rob Thomas as to the newly created role of UK sales director.
Leasys names new CEO
Leasys has appointed Alberto Grippo as its new chief executive officer as it announces a number of other changes.
British Army awards signs up National Windscreens for fleet
The UK’s Ministry of Defence has chosen National Windscreens as the sole supplier for windscreen repair, replacement and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) calibration requirements
Ubeeqo to double Paris car sharing fleet and add EVs
Europcar is to ramp up its Ubeeqo car-sharing offering in the Ile-de-France region to show drivers the benefits of switching away from car ownership.
Manufacturer Profile: Nissan
From electric cars to popular crossovers, Nissan has observed a miraculous recovery from its near-bankruptcy in 1999. Today, it is part of the world’s largest
Alphabet expands in Serbia
Fleets in Serbia can now access Alphabet’s range of operational leasing and financial leasing products thanks to the leasing giant’s latest partnership.
Italian true fleet market returns to growth
Following a dip in May, the Italian true fleet market returned to growth in June, albeit with a modest increase of 0.6%.
True Fleet accelerates in France in June
True fleet in France has grown once more, following last month’s loss.
Honda launches EV smart charging trial
Honda has begun trials of a system which will automatically charge electric vehicles based on drivers’ usage patterns and the real-time load on the electrical
First Drive: Volkswagen Touareg
The new tech-laden Touareg aims to continue its fleet appeal. By Jonathan Musk.
Mazda rolls out Apple CarPlay upgrade
Mazda is introducing Apple CarPlay connectivity as an upgrade for new and existing vehicles with the MZD Connect infotainment system.
EU car market booms, despite diesel fears
With 8.66m cars registered between January and June 2018, the European car market recorded its best H1 performance of the century, according to figures from
LeasePlan launches CarNext used car service
LeasePlan has launched its CarNext service in the UK – a digital platform enabling the leasing giant to sell, lease or offer subscription-based usership for
Stuttgart to introduce Euro 5 diesel ban next year
The city of Stuttgart in Germany is being told to update its air quality plans to include a ban on Euro 5 diesels by September
First ever A-Class Sedan revealed
Mercedes-Benz will launch its first ever A-Class Sedan in Europe later this year, said to offer class-leading rear headroom and CO2 emissions from 107g/km.
Weaker Pound boosts Irish import market
Exports of British-registered used cars to Ireland have increased almost 50% since the EU Referendum, said to be due to the weaker Pound, according to
Mazda CX-5 gets AdBlue system to cut NOx
Mazda UK has updated the CX-5’s 2.2-litre diesel engines in line with the facelifted Mazda6, adding NOx-reducing Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) to its best-seller for
Fears car sharing could become a criminal’s playground
A number of security issues that can potentially allow criminals to take control of shared vehicles has been uncovered by Kaspersky Lab.
First Drive: Jaguar I-Pace
Does Jaguar’s first electric car meet expectations? Jonathan Musk finds out…
Former FCA chief executive Sergio Marchionne, dies aged 66
Former chief executive of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), Sergio Marchionne, has died in hospital aged 66.
Immediate driving bans in Paris implemented
Driving bans in the low emission zone of Paris and its agglomeration have been implemented for today and tomorrow, following high levels of pollution in
BP extends BPme fuel payments app to include fuel cards
BP’s fuel payment app BPme now accepts fuel card payments, which the firm says saves time for both fleet managers and drivers, as well as a
New powers to help UK develop ‘world-leading EV charging network’
The UK’s race to build a world-leading national charging network has taken a major step forwards as the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act receives Royal
WLTP uncertainty could hit UK used car market, warns VRA
Current stability in the used car market could be hit by uncertainty surrounding WLTP, hitting company cars in particular.
Aggressive driving could undermine air quality standards
More work is needed to understand the impact of aggressive and ‘unusual’ driving events on vehicle emissions to avoid impacting on air quality goals.
Country focus: UK
Jon Mitchell, group sales director for Autorola UK, discusses growth of used cars and consumer finance in the UK and how online is becoming the
UK rental and leasing sector brings in £49bn a year, BVRLA report shows
The vehicle rental and leasing industry contributes around £49bn per year to the UK economy while playing a major role in supporting domestic vehicle and
Europcar joins Mobility as a Service Alliance
Europcar Mobility Group is reinforcing its work to position itself as a key mobility provider by joining the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) Alliance.
Virtuo car club launches in London
Car club firm Virtuo has launched a scheme in London, marking its expansion into the UK.
Ford Focus and Volvo XC40 score five-star Euro NCAP ratings
The new Volvo XC40 and Ford Focus have both achieved the maximum five-star Euro NCAP safety rating while being commended for their Autonomous Emergency Braking
EU car registrations up 2.9% in H1 following record June
The European new car market grew by 2.9% for the first six months of the year on the back of a record performance in June.
British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association pledges on ULEVs
The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) has pledged that its members will rapidly increase their plug-in vehicle take-up to support the UK’s Road to
Spanish true fleet sector continues to shine
The Spanish true fleet market continues to expand at a double-digit rate, according to latest figures from Dataforce.
First Drive: Citroën C4 Cactus
There are some pleasant surprises behind the quirky C4 Cactus’s restyle, explains Alex Grant.
Interview: BCA’s European CEO Jean-Roch Piat on cross-border remarketing
BCA’s new European CEO Jean-Roch Piat talks to Curtis Hutchinson about how the business is delivering a cross-border remarketing service for fleets.
Lyreco to manage its 1,150-strong fleet with FleetWave
Lyreco, a large-scale provider of office supplies in France, is to deploy fleet management software from Chevin Fleet Solutions to manage more than 1,000 vehicles
Arval launches electric vehicle service
Arval has debuted a new electric vehicle offer in France to help support fleets looking to go greener.
Nissan signs up to Autorola’s Indicata
Nissan GB has purchased Autorola’s Indicata real-time online used vehicle management system to help support its national used car sales strategy and its dealers locally.
EVBox acquires France’s EVTronic
EVBox has acquired French fast and ultra-fast charging station manufacturer EVTronic for an undisclosed amount.
Paragon routing software links with more telematics solutions
Paragon Software Systems’ routing and scheduling software is now connected with more than 40 different vehicle tracking systems, and more technology partnerships are due to
ALD and Axa France team up for all-in-one offering
ALD has partnered with Axa France to launch a combined long-term lease and all-risks insurance product.
Stuttgart’s ban on older diesels branded ‘sloppy’
Stuttgart, the home of Mercedes and Porsche, is to become the latest city in Germany to introduce a ban on some diesel vehicles – but
Sixt creates new sales division for global fleets
Sixt has launched a new sales division that will be able to advise global fleets on the firm’s mobility services.
ALD retains EcoVadis gold label for CSR commitments
EcoVadis, a specialist business sustainability ratings for global supply chains, has renewed ALD Automotive’s Gold status in recognition of its performance in CSR commitments internationally.
Manufacturer Profile: Toyota
Regarded as being at the forefront of innovation, Toyota has led from the front with electrification and hybrid sales reached more than 1.5 million in
