The end of March marks the end of the scrappage scheme, with a massive 330,000 cars sold since it began. Introduced last year to help the economic crysis, the scrappage scheme has helped motor traders sell so many cars that now that the country is finally out of a recession, the economic growth is hoped to continue. With the huge amount of cars sold means that the emissions of cars on the road has greatly decreased which is a positive move forward.

The scheme was extended twice since its introduction in May last year to continue to help struggling motor traders. But with the credit crunch now over and economy on the rise, its time for it to end. Visit Broadsure Direct if you would like a quote on motor trade insurance and fill out our form online!

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A new survey carried out recently shows the locations of the highest percentage of uninsured drivers. These are the locations where the highest number of drivers have an IN10 on their license, this is the conviction code for driving without motor insurance. The town with the highest percentage was Sanquhar, Dumfriesshire which was around 28% of drivers had the IN10 conviction code. Coming in a close second with 24% was HebdenBridge, West Yorkshire. Out of the top 10, the last on the list was Notting Hill in London at 12%. Its good to see that no Kent towns made it to the top 10. If any driver is caught driving without motor insurance, there is a chance of a £200 fine and 6 points on your license, in worse cases, it could mean the car will get impounded and then a £150 collection fee.

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After selling very little Hummer vehicles last year and a recent deal with a chinese car manufacturer falling through, dealer General Motors are deciding to slowly end the brand.

It hasn’t been a good year and traders have not been selling many vehicles in general but this is just another brand affected by the economic climate. General Motors (or GM for short) are going to discuss with its dealers and employees how to end the business in a safe manner and eventually end the Hummer brand. For all existing customers with Hummers, there will still be warranty services available and will continue throughout the warranty periods. Check back here for more motor trade information.

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It has been unveiled recently that with some Renault dealers reaching high number of sales, Renault are going to launch their own Renault Sport dealerships, trading specifically with Renault Sport models such as the Clio Sport, Megane Sport and Twingo Sport. 11 locations have been chosen and customers can benefit from very knowledgeable staff and even the possibility to be invited to track days. The dealerships hope to be trading by the beginning of March.

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With manufacturers such as Toyota having to recall the latest model of their Prius because of anti lock braking faults, Motor Traders are likely to have some very unhappy clients on their hands. Of course that’s not the only recall that Toyota are having to make, the accelerator pedals on some of their latest models are sticking, meaning yet another headache for motor traders. As both of these faults are being well publicised, the uk customer is going to become even more irate than normal.

For the motor trader this is going to be a problem but can also be looked at as an opportunity. Because these problems are major issues, the motor trade has a chance to show how good its service is to its customers; as its not directly the motor traders fault. Giving a good service to its customers throughout this time could prove benefitial to the motor trader.

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A new year marks the beginning a whole new selection of motor shows. Its not long to go for the first one, based in Detroit, USA.

In 2010 we are expecting to most definately hear about the electric cars finally coming to be on sale but most definately the introduction of even more hybrid cars. In the new year, i’m sure there are going to be plenty of manufacturers showcasing what they have to offer in the electric car world and the hybrids. In the Detroit show there are going to be some big names showing off their fancy new hybrid cars. Volvo for one are going to be introducing their full electric car to come up against the BMW Active E which can be found here. Not much is known yet about the Volvo, all we do know is that its range is that of around 90 miles and can accelerate faster than a snail.

Honda are also going to introduce their new range of hybrid vehicles, promising to look sporty and drive sporty too! The biggest shock and talk of the show is no doubtly going to be the new 4 x 4 Mini Beachcomber. With totally new lights, grille, height and odd scoups in the bonnet, this car surely cannot be put into production at its current look, but we’ll see when its unveiled.

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A confusing plan put forward by Andy Burnham has put a lot of speculation into why Hospital car parks are not free in the UK. He claims that there is a scheme to make parking free for inpatients and their visitors that are staying for a long period of time. Patients that have regular appointments are looking to have their parking charges capped or removed completely.

Clearly the argument is that Hospital car parks are free in Scotland & Wales now, why shouldn’t they be in England? Making up the money is going to be tough for the NHS, especially as they are already in financial difficulty. As yet, a final decision hasn’t been made so watch this space.

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Coming next year to the UK, the “1 Series Active E” is BMWs first Electric Coupe. Its only limited to 90Mph but its a massive test for BMW to see if it can really take off over here. Only a few will be able to get their hands on the car but if all goes well, its ready to be put into full production. Because of its 170bhp engine, the 0-60 speed is pretty impressive, under 9 seconds.

With a ‘fast charging’ point, the car only takes 3 hours to charge the battery which gives users around 100 miles. The people that are able to get their hands on the car will have to fork out nearly £600 a month to lease it (insurance included we expect) plus what ever it will cost to keep it fully charged.

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With electric cars becoming more and more popular now, fleet managers are having to consider moving over the electric car for their fleets.

To try and push the electric car in the fleet market, there are lots of benefits that are being enforced. This includes saving a significant amount of money as electric cars are exempt from road tax and reduce costs for national insurance. The electric cars themselves are going to go down in price, as much as the thousands not hundreds. At the moment the electric car isn’t quite practical enough with questions being asked about charging stations and the how long the cars can run for. The government is going to lose millions on making the necessary arrangements for car tax etc. as well as installing charging stations at garages and homes.

I believe that these issues will be addressed and fleet managers will be more inclined to move to electric vehicles but at the moment it just doesn’t seem practical.

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Not sheduled for release until 2011, the new (and orange) McLaren MP4 is looking stunning as you would expect. Inspired by the McLaren F1 cars, its shape and looks are going to match the power that is yet to be unveiled. The technology coming with this car is going to be completely unique. The gear changing system, the way the doors open are all going to give owners something truely special.

An adaptation of the paddle gear box has be redesigned and included behind the steering wheel, to change up a gear you push with the right hand and to change down a gear you pull the other side, neat eh?

Good news about the supercar is that there is an estimate of 4,500 being made, making many owners very happy (those that can afford one, and the insurance).

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