The balance of stocking diesel, petrol, hybrid and alternative fuel used cars is set to become a more important issue for dealers over the course of 2018, says the Vehicle Remarketing Association. The trade body, which represents members that are involved in the remarketing of more than 1.5m vehicles per year in total, says that the process is likely to be relatively measured but also unavoidable.
The recent rise in fuel prices in the UK is likely to see more fluctuation, but predictions suggest that diesel may continue to rise ahead of petrol. “Much of the sharp upswing in the UK wholesale cost of petrol, caused by a big surge of global prices in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, was absorbed by retailers such that average pump prices only rose by just over 2.0pp,” commented Brian Madderson, chairman of the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA).
The UK government has decided to ban the sale of both new petrol and new diesel cars from 2040. The goal isn’t as ambitious as Norway’s, which aims to do the same by 2025. India thinks it can do it by 2031. And France is on par with the UK, also aiming to ban sales of new combustion engine-based cars by 2040. However, in the UK at least, electric cars sales currently represent less than 1 per cent of new registrations. Therefore a lot has to happen between now and 2040 for this new rule to become reality. What is clear is that there is now real legislative momentum in favour of electric vehicles in the UK and that this will have an inevitable impact on OE suppliers, and in turn the UK replacement tyre market, especially in three key areas: weight, torque and rolling resistance.
Today the government launched its “UK plan for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations”. And with it came the decision to ban the sale of both new petrol and new diesel cars from 2040. However, electric cars sales currently represent less than 1 per cent of new registrations. Therefore a lot has to happen between now and 2040 for this new rule to become reality. What is clear is that there is now real legislative momentum in favour of electric vehicles in the UK and that this will have an inevitable impact on OE suppliers and in turn the UK replacement tyre market.
The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) has announced that Brian Madderson has agreed to continue his role as Chairman of the Association, following a meeting with PRA Executive Committee.
Madderson comments, “Since 2010, the PRA has retained 90 per cent of the top 50 independent petrol retailers in membership, with sites numbering ing over 3,000. Regional committees have been established in both Northern Ireland and Scotland, and we have formed positive relations with key government officials and politicians in all four home countries.
The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) has raised their concerns following news that a UK police force has declared that driving away from a petrol station without paying for fuel is no longer considered a crime. Devon and Cornwall Police said it would not investigate such incidents unless there was obvious proof of criminal intent – such as false number plates – and the force has blamed government cuts for the decision.
The National Franchised Dealers Association has revealed that petrol sales fell 10 per cent in March to a record low of 1.31bn litres. The month followed growth of around four per cent in February, when drivers took advantage of prices 22p per litre lower than the year before.
Just last week Energy Minister Amber Rudd raised the prospect of petrol costing less than £1.00/litre ahead of the general election as crude prices continued to fall. However from a low point of $45/barrel for Brent Crude in mid-January, there has been a significant rally back to $54/barrel this week. The point is that this makes is less likely that fuel will get as low as a pound a litre any time soon.
The RAC is urgently calling on fuel retailers to pass on further savings in the wholesale price brought about by the continued fall in world oil prices. This overdue cut would reduce the biggest cost of motoring just in time for Christmas, says the organisation. The RAC’s monitoring of fuel prices shows there is scope […]
A month from now, 40 electric racing cars will line up on the grid at the inaugural Formula E Championship race in Beijing. Each of the tyres that take to the track on 13 September will be fitted with identical tyres that were specifically developed for the competition. In a Michelin-hosted Q&A session, the company’s motorsport director Pascal Couasnon explains that the decision that all cars should run on Pilot Sport EV tyres was not simply a strategic option in technology terms; he says it was also an obvious choice.
While Pirelli’s recent sale of a 13 per cent shareholding to Russian petrochemical giant Rosneft brings it access to 2,800 petrol station/tyre points of sale, some industry observers are also warning that the political environment and the deal itself are on shaky ground. On the one hand the collaboration is expected to put Pirelli on a par with the premium leader in Russia, Finnish tyremaker Nokian Renkaat, in terms of a distribution network size there is more than one way to skin a cat in terms of distribution and other factors could end up affecting Pirelli’s overall sales targets. The company is set to publish its full year 2013 results this evening, along with its 2014 outlook commentary.
British chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne has opted to freeze fuel duty as part of his 2014 budget statement, given today (19 March) in the House of Commons. Arguably the most tyre-specific announcement after the freezing of fuel duty was the news that an extra £200 million for pothole maintenance.
Bosch Mahle Turbo Systems (BMTS) has founded a wholly owned subsidiary in the People’s Republic of China. The company will be called Bosch Mahle Turbo Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. and the HQ is currently being built on the Mahle premises at the Shanghai location. In a first stage it will mainly produce turbochargers for petrol engines destined for the Chinese market in a new building covering 5,000 square metres.
According to statistics published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), new car registrations in the UK rose 7.6 per cent year-on-year. Last year’s best-seller the Ford Fiesta retained the top ranking in January 2014, with 9,072 units registered during the month. Ford also occupied the number two position, with Focus registrations reaching 5,333 units, while the Vauxhall Corsa was the third best-selling car in the UK, with 4,470 units registered.
“As Australia’s largest supermarkets cease making fuel offers after a watchdog deems that offering customers discounted petrol is a threat to competition, it is imperative that the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) re-open their investigation into the UK fuel market” said Brian Madderson, Petrol Retailers’ Association Chairman.
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