Filed under: Humour The Freight Transport Association has slammed the Government for increasing charges at the Dartford River Crossing The first rise comes in October this year, when the toll for a heavy goods vehicle will jump by £1.30, to £5.00. Drivers using the ‘Dart-Tag’ will see their fee jump from £3.20 to £4.33. Car users will see a 50p increase. Malcolm Bingham, FTA Head of Road Network Management Policy said: “We are disappointed, as we feel that the government has not taken any notice of us at all. We had asked them to peg the Dart-Tag fee. “Any toll increase is damaging to our members, but we welcome the process of bringing in free flow tolling.” The FTA reckons that the toll plazas themselves are responsible for the majority of congestion; it costs an estimated £1 per minute per HGV to queue at the Dartford tolls.   Read more: FTA slams Dartford toll rise Go here to see the original: FTA slams Dartford toll rise

BMW has announced a recall of 3-Series vehicles from the 2012 model year. At the center of that recall is a problem with the front-seat head restraints, which don’t meet federal safety standards. In a nutshell, the government mandates that head restraints (or “headrests” as we often call them) allow a maximum downward movement of 25 millimeters… View post: 2012 BMW 3-Series Recalled For Head Restraint Flaw

This is America and the key to ending foreign oil dependence Haters matter far more than battery car advocates realize Electric cars are so Audi 5000. No they’re not. They really make sense if you objectively analyze the data. Analyze this. Only a moron would pay extra for a car that has a range of less than 100 miles. Moron? Fox News watching neanderthal. Tree hugging fascist. There, problem solved. The truth is plug-in cars don’t make sense. Neither do hybrids. If they did, Toyota would be building nothing but hybrids, but they’re not. There just isn’t enough profit in them yet. However, one day battery-powered cars will make sense, without government incentives. When is hard to predict. For instance, if the true cost of foreign oil was charged at the pump, perhaps plug-in cars — hybrids minimally — might make real, upfront financial sense already. Yet, in Europe, where gasoline and diesel cost much more, hybrids and plug-ins are faring even worse than in America. Furthermore, 100 mpg plug-in vehicles just don’t resonate with most Americans, regardless of ANY evidence that suggests that such vehicles support up to 90 percent of average American travel. Like it or not, but perception matters. It really matters. The Audi 5000 sunk Audi’s US reputation for decades. The Big 3 still haven’t fully recovered from their Asian inferiority complex. Then there’s the history of diesel, ping-bang-boom-poof cars in the US. Perception matters. But the consumer studies suggest many consumers want electric cars, right? Yeah, and consumer studies for many years now have shown that the far majority of Americans are interested in buying hybrid cars, yet most simply don’t buy them, regardless of their noble intentions. When it comes down to it, people want to do the right thing, but they don’t. Not if it costs extra money. Not if it feels like they’re somehow giving something up — such as range. The consumer data proves this without any doubt. At the end of the day, it simply doesn’t matter if plug-in cars or hybrids are perfect. It matters what consumers think about them. Unless of course, the government forces these technologies on consumers. Which is a path problematic in and of itself for...

A perfect example of American hypocrisy? America, we have an energy problem. It’s called Americans These days Republicans talk about taxes — as in no new taxes –  yet they have no problem buying gas guzzling pickup trucks subsidized with Fed funny money, which is increasing both US debt and foreign oil dependence, while becoming an indirect tax upon America’s future. Similarly, Republicans have no problem creating pollution, causing wars — all things that require massive clean up programs, military spending and, again, result in indirect taxes. Ultimately, Republicans love being the stupid monkey that doesn’t see or hear all the evil around them — that they help create. But Democrats aren’t much better. In fact, they might even be worse. They yell Union and America, but buy imports. They call cars like the Honda Civic hybrid and the Nissan Leaf two of the most intelligent purchases available in America. They know why you should buy such vehicles. It’s what a real Democrat should do –  reduce personal foreign oil dependence and CO2 footprints — but they can’t actually get themselves to pull the trigger. They won’t put their money where their mouths are. Yet, we wonder why there is an energy problem in America? Hello!? Both parties suck in the real world. It’s all just stupid hypocrisy. At least that’s my take on the latest Strategic Vision survey , which finds that Republicans love pickup trucks and convertibles, while Democrats like sexy imported cars. Republicans believe pickup trucks are the most sensible purchases. For Democrats it’s hybrid cars and plug-ins . No wonder Democrats want all kinds of tax credits for plug-in vehicles. They’ll only do the right thing if it’s obviously beneficial to them, not because they believe it’s the right thing. It’s fascism, not altruism. Democrats and socialism? Duh?! They can’t stand up for what they believe unless the government forces them to do it, or makes it personally profitable, immediately. On the other hand, Republicans don’t want any new tax credits, even for domestic natural gas production — something one would think Republicans could build a platform around, but the illusion...

The i plug-in can be good for your wallet long term The right mix of cost and fuel economy So, you need a new ride and cost-effectiveness is your key benchmark. That means long term thinking. The only way to squeeze the most out of an automotive purchase is to think long term, and if you’re going to think long term, then you need to factor in long term costs of ownership. Thus, the best two cars for higher gas prices, with long term cost-effectiveness and cheap upfront costs as the key metrics, are the Mitsubish i and the Toyota Prius c. Neither of these two cars take the award because of stunning looks or performance, but both make a ton of financial sense. Thanks to federal tax credits, the Mitsubishi i fits well on this list. Add state credits in places like California and the long term cost-effectiveness of the i for urban commuters cannot be challenged by other compact and subcompact competitors. Yes, the i has range limitations and the best savings requires daily off-peak charging, but for a basic urban commuting car, the i offers great long term value thanks to to government assistance. However, many refuse the range anxiety associated with plug-ins like the i and, or, they don’t have the ability to charge during off-peak hours. For these buyers, the Prius c offers fantastic long term cost-effectiveness, especially for urban commuters, and the government doesn’t even need to cut a check for this hybrid investment. When it comes to money, whether making it or saving it, the savvy investor thinks long term, and if you’re willing to think long term, the i and c help spell out smart choICe when it comes to the best cars for higher gas prices. Not interested in hybrids and plug-ins? Check out the best fuel efficient cars for the money . Go here to see the original:  Overall savings: The two best cars for higher gas prices

This is the Morning Shift , our one-stop daily roundup of all the auto news that’s actually important — all in one place at 9:00 AM. Or, you could spend all day waiting for other sites to parcel it out to you one story at a time. Isn’t your time more important? More » View original here: 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK, Gas Hits $6 In Alaska, And GM Talks About Government Money [The Morning Shift] View original here:  2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK, Gas Hits $6 In Alaska, And GM Talks About Government Money [The Morning Shift]

A BMW spokesperson has confirmed to us that the manufacturer will have to lower its fuel-economy estimates for the 2012 328i automatic . The numbers drop from 24 mpg in the city and 36 on the highway to 23/33. Why the new figures all of a sudden? It has to do with the EPA’s fuel-economy validation process. To get a car rated, Automakers run it through the EPA’s testing procedures and then submit their own fuel-economy numbers to the government agency. (For a full explanation of the EPA’s testing procedures—and how complicated they are—read our story, The Truth About EPA City/Highway MPG Estimates .) In most cases, the EPA takes those numbers from the manufacturer and declares them official; sometimes, however, the agency will test a car itself. Ultimately, only about 15 percent of all cars sold in the U.S. are actually tested by the EPA, and the new 2012 328i with the automatic transmission is one of those cars. A BMW representative told us the EPA tested the exact car the automaker used in its tests in Munich: a U.S.-spec 2012 328i with the eight-speed automatic. As prescribed by the EPA, fuel-economy testing takes place indoors in a controlled environment. The car is strapped to a dyno, and specific EPA-approved fuel is used during the five test cycles: city, highway, aggressive highway, hot city, and cold city. As to the sizable discrepancy in this case, there’s really no way to explain the differences in the ratings without BMW or the EPA opening up, and we don’t expect that to happen any time soon. According to BMW, the 2012 328i auto can’t be re-tested until the 2013 model year per EPA regulations. Until then, BMW will advertise the EPA’s lower 23/33 mpg estimates for the automatic-equipped 328i. As for the six-speed manual 328i, it keeps its 23/34 mpg figures. We see this as another opportunity to make a case for the stick, our 3-series transmission of choice. Here is the original: Fuel-Economy Ratings for 2012 BMW 328i Automatic Drop After EPA Tests Produce Lower Figures Read the original post: Fuel-Economy Ratings for 2012 BMW 328i Automatic Drop After EPA Tests Produce Lower Figures

Filed under: Latest News The Peugeot Ion and Citroen C-Zero electric cars have both had their prices cut by approximately £7,000. Both models now cost £21,216 after the government’s £5,000 grant. The price cuts were pretty well inevitable, as the Peugeot/Citroen twins were the same price as the Nissan Leaf, which was not a viable situation. The Leaf is a family car, whereas the Ion/C-Zero are basically city cars converted to run on batteries. In fact the “French” models are actually Mitsubishis , made in Japan. That is part of the problem: with the strong yen, Japan is about the last place you would want to be making a small car. The slow start to electric vehicle sales in the UK (even the technologically excellent Leaf only sold 635 units last year), means that Peugeot/Citroen had to either cut prices or leave the market. Although prices are still fairly high, Peugeot/Citroen are offering monthly rental at £249 per month, which could be affordable to more drivers. In addition, the number of sales outlets is being increased from 11 to 21. Citroen has confirmed it will also be bringing its Berlingo electric van to the UK in 2013, most likely with a Peugeot equivalent.   Original post: Peugeot and Citroen cut electric car prices Read more from the original source: Peugeot and Citroen cut electric car prices

Filed under: Consumer Figures obtained by a Labour MP show that the amount of fines charged by private car parks has increased more than fourfold in the last five years. Nick Smith, MP for Blaenau Gwent, discovered that fines have increased from £21 million to £93 million during this period. His research followed a string of complaints from constituents about a car park run by Excel Parking Services. The most common complaint about private car parks revolves around machines which require drivers to enter their number plate details. Many drivers report having paid for their parking , but still getting a fine because the number plate details had not been entered correctly. Speaking to the Daily Mirror , the MP said, ” I do not believe that British drivers are becoming less law-abiding. “Drivers want to pay what they owe, but in too many cases this is made too difficult by parking companies. “Some motorists believe that some car park operators are only interested in penalising the motorist at every single opportunity for the most trivial infraction of their contractual terms and conditions because that’s where they make their money.” Excel said in a statement: “Great attention to detail is taken when specifying sign schedules for car parks managed by Excel Parking and every effort is made to position such signs in the most prominent user friendly locations.” Apparently the number of requests made by private car parks to the DVLA for driver details (without which they cannot issue fines), rose from 272,215 in the year 2006-2007 to 1,167,713 in 2011. It certainly seems a bit unlikely that the British public is four times as likely to try and evade legitimate parking fees as it was five years ago.   Read more here: Private parking fines soar The rest is here:  Private parking fines soar

Is cheaper energy the goal to US energy independence? Mitt Romney attacks “gas hike trio” For a long time I was a big advocate of the gas tax. Higher gasoline prices seemed the only way to push consumers towards embracing fuel efficiency. However, it’s obvious that gasoline taxes are a combustible political issue, and just not the path to energy independence. Voters just won’t allow it. And Mitt Romney is trying to use this reality to attack the Obama administration over higher gasoline prices and related rhetoric, but should gasoline prices be the focus of energy policy? More to the point, is cheap gasoline, or energy, synonymous with energy security and US energy independence? Certainly, it is true that the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of the Interior and the EPA administrator — the gas hike trio — have suggested the need for higher energy prices to help shape consumer behavior, just as I did in the past. However, I think they’d argue that long term, they were also concurrently offering technologies that would offset these higher costs. Anyway, I’d like to ask Mitt Romney if he believes that cheap gasoline is the best path to US energy security and independence and, subsequently, what’s the best path to long term cheap energy. Oddly enough, I’ve come to believe that cheap energy is the path to energy independence. That’s right, is. However, unlike Mitt — I’m assuming — I believe that sustainable long term cheaper energy prices are completely dependent upon innovation and technology, not just natural resources. While I can agree with Mitt that ‘drill, baby, drill’ is a part of the equation, I don’t believe that a singular focus on drilling is the key to either cheap energy or energy independence. In fact, I’d argue it’s the antithesis of sustainable, cheap energy. Even the oil and natural gas renaissance in the US today is the result of technological innovations, not just tapping into natural resources. That same innovative mentality will also lead to technologies that reduce the need for oil and natural gas, cost-effectively. In fact, today, it can be argued that such technologies are already cost-effective in many situations, if we think long...

Natural gas trucks could be an OPEC oil killer In a world economy, is OPEC part of the free market system? I’m not the biggest fan of the NAT GAS Act. Unlike many conservative Republicans whom believe that the NAT GAS act is anti-free market capitalism, however, I believe the NAT GAS Act is simply typical, band-aid style, pork-barrel legislation. I’d prefer a go big or go home attitude, such as I’ve argued in my energy plan . Nevertheless, the NAT GAS act still has some potential. It’s a step. But this idea amongst conservative Republicans that free markets will simply solve all the world’s woes simply seems asinine in my opinion. I believe in the theory of free markets, theory . That should be the general direction, but the idea that there will ever be truly free markets is just silly nonsense. And now is just not the time to be a nitpicker. It’s ironic that many hardcore conservative Republicans have no problem shopping at places like Walmart buying products built on cheap and illegal labor, currency manipulation, unfair trade practices, patent infringement,etc., and yet they demand the US government simply get out of the way of the energy markets as the solution to higher energy prices. Seriously? Is OPEC, for instance, part of their free-market plan? In fact, wouldn’t replacing OPEC oil as quickly as possible with natural gas — via the heavy duty trucking industry — do more to keep the American energy markets free and secure compared to any other act? What’s wrong with the government helping to incite such a revolution? When world energy prices are partially determined and manipulated by self-serving National Oil Companies, just how free are the energy markets regardless of any US energy policy? How many dictators have we propped up in decades past — with military force — to help ensure the “free” energy markets that favored US energy consumption completely out-of-whack compared to the rest of the world? In a perfect world, isn’t military force the antithesis of free markets? US energy consumption has NEVER been driven by free markets and that has led to massive economic imbalances throughout the US and across the globe — not to mention decades of Iron Triangle-strengthening...

Carbon Motors, the company working on a very cool purpose-built police car , has been denied its request for $310 million in Department of Energy loans. Like Fisker Automotive, Carbon had applied under the DOE’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program, which was initiated under President George W. Bush. When the DOE canceled Fisker’s loans , company boss Henrik Fisker said his firm was being used as a “political football” in an election year. That Carbon’s loan application was denied a week later just underscores the point. General Motors and Chrysler, as well as Aptera and several other startups, have also had their loan applications denied since a scandal broke with a DOE-funding solar energy company called Solyndra. Many members of Congress are eager to position themselves as fiscally responsible, and saying they are reducing the government’s expenses by hundreds of millions of dollars may impress their constituents. We believe that Carbon Motors now is seeking private sources of funding so that it can proceed with plans to build the E7 police car. The company is prohibited by law from commenting on its fundraising efforts, but a statement posted on its web site said “Carbon Motors will continue the fight.” This writer feels that these politicians are making an enormous mistake. Carbon and Fisker both presented solid business plans to produce new, fuel-efficient vehicles in the U.S. A major percentage of research and development in many high-tech fields depends on government assistance—which, unlike these loans, often come in the form of grants—and the alternative-propulsion auto industry should be seen the same way. Carbon Motors makes a particularly compelling case, since the car it is planning to build will be sold exclusively to publicly funded police departments. If the E7 police car delivers on Carbon’s promises that it will be safer for police, have lower running costs, and last longer than converted passenger cars, it would result in bigger financial savings for taxpayers down the road. More here: Carbon Motors Denied Government Loan for Building Its E7 Police Car Read more from the original source: Carbon Motors Denied Government Loan for Building Its E7 Police Car

Legit Prius contender? The Volt at it's debut Did GM misjudge Main St. and the Toyota Prius? Years ago, before the debut of the Chevy Volt concept, but as rumors emerged that GM was aiming to take on the Toyota Prius, I claimed that a GM-like-Prius would be even more successful than the Prius. An American-made Prius would be a true freedom fighter, a US manufactured attack on foreign oil dependence. In fact, I argued that GM could build a whole marketing concept around this freedom-fighter vehicle. While some might argue the Chevy Volt is a such a vehicle, data coming out of the Super Bowl, suggests otherwise. According to Carwoo.com data , GM’s Chevy Volt Super Bowl commercials had no impact on the Volt. There was 0 positive lift. The Volt just isn’t resonating with most Americans, particularly those on Main St. Much of that is politics, of course, but 0 lift? Not everyone watching the Super Bowl is a gun rack toting, redneck American. Sadly, I think the Volt is facing far more serious problems, as are most plug-ins. Of course, I don’t think GM expected to resonate that much with Main St. at this point in time, at least in terms of sales. For Main St., the Volt is a halo product until costs can be drastically reduced. Bob Lutz, the co-father of the Volt along with Jon Lauckner, regularly admitted to the limited sales potential of the Volt in the interim to better batteries. He even suggested that would be the case until at least some time in the ’20’s. So, did GM make a mistake trying to leapfrog the Prius? That’s hard to say just yet, but did GM and the rest of the US auto industry make a mistake passing on hybrids — a technology almost perfected here in the US in the 90’s — when they tried to leapfrog them with fuel cell vehicles? Had GM kept its NiMH patents and beat Toyota to the Prius — as it could have — would it have been easier to survive the financial meltdown and gas crisis of 2007 -2008? While some say the collapse was just a financing issue, I did a lot of car shopping back then. As gasoline prices rose, it was striking how dead GM dealerships were compared to Toyota — a subject I wrote about back in those days. Certainly, hybrid cars probably wouldn’t have been enough...

Filed under: Consumer The average price for a litre of diesel in the UK has hit a record high of 143.05p, according to the AA and online fuel price calculator petrolprices.com. It breaks the record of 143.04p set in May 2011, and means that filling the 60-litre fuel tank of the average family car is now just under £86. Diesel cars are steadily rising in popularity, accounting for over half of all new car sales in 2010 and 2011, according to SMMT registration figures. The price of unleaded is rising too, though at 135.39p per litre on average it’s still a little way short of the 137.43p record, also set in May last year. As usual, there’s a significant difference between the lowest price a motorist will pay for a litre of fuel and the highest – so it still pays to shop around, if at all practical. The driver of a diesel car could currently pay anything between 137.9p and 155.9p per litre, while unleaded currently fluctuates from 130.9p to 145.9p. Supermarket forecourts are often the most prudent choices for a fill-up , with the major chains often offering price-per-litre reductions to customers spending a certain amount on groceries. Another fuel duty rise is planned for August, although the AA has written to the Chancellor to ask that it be postponed, as well as to urge the Government to investigate the various factors that define the price of diesel at the pumps, and put in place some protection for drivers from constant price hikes. “Although the diesel price has been influenced by refinery closures, unreliable supply into Europe and stock market speculators taking advantage of a tight market, there is no way for businesses and consumers to find out whether or not they are paying a fair price,” said the AA’s Edmund King.   Read the original here: Average diesel price hits record high More here:  Average diesel price hits record high

Filed under: Latest News Don’t like the look of literally ANY other supermini on the market? Then why not shine your gaze over to the Chrysler Ypsilon ? Known as a Lancia Ypsilon on the continent and a ‘dragged-up Fiat’ to everyone else, the Ypsilon is an aesthetically different take on the supermini genre. And now Chrysler’s launched a special edition to tempt a few more people into them.The Ypsilon Black&Red is, funnily enough, a Chrysler Ypsilon painted in black and red. Clever name, that. As well as the natty paint you also get fog lamps, black glass, body coloured side skirts and 16-inch alloys as standard. Three engines are available – a 0.9-litre TwinAir petrol, a 1.2-litre petrol or a 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel. Standard interior features are plentiful, too – black and red seats, dash and door linings, air conditioning, Blue&Me Bluetooth and a pretty awesome stereo. Prices start from £12,750 and it goes on sale this month.   More here: Special edition Chrysler Ypsilon released Read the original post:  Special edition Chrysler Ypsilon released