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H1 European registrations back to pre-crisis levels
European car registrations put in their strongest H1 performance since 2007 but there are signs of a slowdown in growth.
PSA completes acquisition of Opel/Vauxhall
GM has closed the sale of Opel/Vauxhall to the PSA Group for €2.2bn, creating the second largest carmaker in Europe with a market share of 17%
EU commercial vehicle registrations rise 4.2% in first half
EU demand for commercial vehicles saw modest growth in June, helping to drive the first half market up by 4.2%.
White Clarke Group appoints new EVP operations for Americas
Nick Ockwell has joined White Clarke Group as executive vice president of operations for the Americas. Ockwell’s appointment is part of the Group’s renewed focus
Electric MINI hatch due in 2019
MINI will launch its first electric vehicle in 2019, based on the three-door hatchback.
Melanie Schillinger named new COO at Alphabet International
Alphabet International has appointed Melanie Schillinger as chief operations officer with effect from 1 September.
Audi to offer software update for 850,000 diesels
Audi is running a voluntary recall of up to 850,000 diesel cars worldwide to install new software on V6 and V8 TDI engines.
Spotlight: Mercedes X-Class makes its worldwide debut
Mercedes-Benz has taken the covers off its all-new 4×4 double cab pick-up, the X-Class, and it goes on sale in the UK this November with
Volvo takes steps towards electric future with Geely tie-up
Volvo is to set up a new technology joint venture with Chinese car group Geely to accelerate plans to develop cars fully or partly based
BMW’s Ian Robertson to retire in 2018
Ian Robertson, current Board of Management member for BMW sales, will hand over responsibilities to Pieter Nota in January 2018, after nearly a decade of service.
Road Test: Skoda Kodiaq
Skoda practicality in a fashionable SUV – the Kodiaq can’t go far wrong, says Alex Grant.
Calls for non-compliant diesels to be decommissioned
Transport ministers across Europe are being warned that they need to take more action on non-compliant diesel vehicles, including removing them from sale, to curb
Daimler to offer NOx-reducing software update for 3m diesels
Daimler will offer a free software upgrade for around three million diesel vehicles, said to curb harmful nitrogen-oxide (NOx) emissions in real-world use.
Shell to offer EV charging in the Netherlands and UK
Selected Shell service stations in the Netherlands and the UK are to gain rapid charging points for electric vehicles, due to go live by the
Manheim boosts presence in Brazil with auction centre aquisitions
Manheim has acquired Pacto São Paulo aution centre, located in Ibaté, approximately 250 km from São Paulo, Brazil. The company has also formed a commercial
Vehicle tracking trial could accelerate US fleet management market
A new vehicle tracking solution believed to be ready to transform the fleet management market in the US has gone on trial.
SEAT pilots shared mobility initiative
SEAT has partnered with start-up Shotl and transport operator Moventis to test a shuttle service for a month near Barcelona.
Europcar faces €33.8m repair overcharge scandal
Europcar has admitted it may have overcharged consumers by around €33.8m in the UK following alleged repair overcharges.
Esso Card to cut time taken for VAT reclaim
Esso Card fuel card customers could receive VAT and excise duty reimbursements in just two weeks from receipt of their invoice – rather than months – under the launch of a new system.
Jaguar E-Pace crossover to rival Evoque
Jaguar is to enter the compact crossover class later this year, with the new E-Pace challenging cars such as the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and
Hyundai: 30 new models by 2021, 14 electrified vehicles by 2020
Aiming to become the number one Asian car brand in Europe, Hyundai Motor is planning a large-scale model offensive over the next five years, targeting
LeasePlan USA names senior vice president of operations
Juan Perez has been appointed to lead LeasePlan USA’s operations team as senior vice president of operations.
German true fleet market continues roller coaster ride
The 2017 vicissitudes of Germany’s true fleet market continued in June, which saw a slight dip according to Dataforce.
EU car registrations put in best performance in a decade
Car registrations across the EU saw modest growth in June but volumes are almost back to pre-recession levels and show the market’s best performance in
TomTom and Cisco partnership to generate real-time roadside data
TomTom and Cisco are working on what they call “ultra-fast lane level traffic technology” that will provide real-time roadside data to cut congestion and aid
European new car market to be all-electric by 2035, report claims
All new passenger cars sold in Europe could be electric by 2035, with driver concerns with charging infrastructure, range anxiety and pricing about to be overcome,
Opel Astra scoops ‘Best Economical Diesel 2017’ trophy
The Opel Astra 1.6 CDTI has taken the title of ‘Best Economical Diesel 2017’ as well as scooping the Green Mobility Trophy 2017.
Spanish true fleet registration record highest growth rate of the year
The Spanish fleet sector continues to see double-digit growth with the June rate of 19.5% marking the highest growth rate for the year so far.
Goodyear designs concept tyre for autonomous electric vehicle fleets
Goodyear has unveiled a concept tyre designed for future-generation autonomous electric ride-sharing vehicles in urban areas.
Facelifted Ford Transit Custom gets 148g/km Econetic model
Ford has updated its Transit Custom van for 2018 with new styling as well as the launch of a 148g/km Econetic version that paves the
Shared mobility could more than halve CO2 emissions in cities, research suggests
Replacing private cars in a city with shared mobility services could substantially reduce CO2 emissions as well as traffic volumes while also reducing parking issues.
UK true fleet remains in negative territory for another month
True fleet registrations in the UK continued to decline last month, latest figures from Dataforce show.
New Audi A8 unveiled
Audi has revealed its fourth-generation A8, which will debut a large number of high-tech developments for fleets when it goes on sale in September.
Renault and Sanef work on toll barrier solution for autonomous vehicles
The Renault Group and French motorway operator Sanef have announced that they’re working on a solution that will enable autonomous vehicles to pass through toll
Applications for 2017 PRAISE Awards and Conference open
Fleets can now enter this year’s PRAISE awards, which will recognise those companies are the forefront of fleet safety.
Volvo to launch five fully electric cars between 2019 and 2021
Volvo’s line-up will gain five fully electric cars – including two high-performance models – by 2021 in line with its plans to use electric motors
PSA acquisition of Vauxhall/Opel given green light
EU antitrust authorities have approved the proposed acquisition of GM’s Opel/Vauxhall automotive business by PSA Group.
Renault and Brilliance China Automotive to create Chinese LCV venture
The Renault Group and Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Limited (CBA) are to create a joint venture in China to produce and sell LCVs.
Renault forms autonomous vehicle JV with Oktal
Renault is to accelerate its development and testing of autonomous vehicles under a new joint venture for autonomous vehicle simulation.
SEAT Ibiza sets ‘new supermini safety benchmark’
Euro NCAP has released its latest safety ratings, including for the new SEAT Ibiza, which sets “a new benchmark in safety for the supermini price
Continental to push driverless mobility plans with EasyMile stake
Continental is taking a minority share in French autonomous driving company EasyMile as it pushes ahead with plans for the development of driverless mobility.
Volkswagen returns to Iran after 17-year gap
Volkswagen is to start selling cars in Iran after more than 17 years away from the market.
First Drive: Volvo XC60
John Challen gets behind the wheel of the latest Swedish SUV.
New tech could halve time taken to find parking spot
A new app that could cut the time taken to find parking by up to 50% in cities has launched.
Country profile: Brazil’s on the road to recovery
Autorola Brazil – through its online inspection and remarketing portal – is helping combat corruption, says country manager Marly Fialho Kierulf.
French true fleet market shows first signs of growth for 2017
After four consecutive months of declining volumes, the French true fleet market has finally come back into growth with +5.1% over May 2016.
Sofico outlines latest technical updates at customer forum
Sofico customers have been updated on the latest technical innovations and company partnerships at the firm’s annual Customer Forum.
Volkswagen cars to start communicating traffic risks from 2019
Volkswagen will start fitting its cars with connected technology that will enable vehicles to tell each other of traffic risks.
EU car registrations rise but three-door hatchbacks continue decline
European new car registrations returned to growth in May, driven by double-digit increases in many of the major markets.
Chevin scores fleet deals in Congo and Australia
Chevin Fleet Solutions has completed new deals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Australia as it reports rapid international growth.
Country profile: Turkish delight as used market booms
Recent tax increases in Turkey have affected both the new and used markets. Autorola Turkey’s country manager Oguzhan Saygi looks at the impact of these
