News released last week shows that petrol prices on the forecourts have risen by 20p a litre since the beginning of 2009, and so the average tank will now cost £11 more to fill up than it did at the end of 2008.
If prices continue rising at this rate, they could top £1.05 a litre by the end of the month, putting serious strain on drivers wallets before any rises in fuel duty are announced at the beginning of September, pushing prices up even further.
And to make matters even worse, if VAT returns to its normal rate of 17.5% at the end of this year, prices could rocket to as much as £1.20 a litre.
For those who drive a lot or commute to work, taking the hit on these prices seems unavoidable. But we’re sure a second massive rise in petrol prices in two years will leave occasional drivers wondering if the rising costs of running a car make it worthwhile to have one sat on their driveway losing value.
All of you WhizzGo members will surely be feeling quite pleased about only having to pay for a car when you need one, but anyone that hasn’t yet joined could definitely take advantage of our low rates when all other car costs seem to be rising. And we promise we won’t put our prices up!
Photo by Matt Gibson
Posted in: Uncategorized.
Figures released this week show that the Government’s scrappage scheme, brought in to stimulate the ailing car production market, has been a success with 154,297 cars bought since it was introduced earlier this year. And, pleasingly, the data also shows that the scheme has led to a number of greener vehicles being purchased.
Data also revealed that new cars bought under the scheme have 25% lower CO2 emissions than the cars that have been scrapped. While this figure could have been predicted, as cars scrapped were at least 10 years old and therefore would have had significantly higher emissions than newer models on the market, it does seem to be encouraging consumers to invest in greener vehicles.
But will encouraging people to buy cars, whether they are low emission or not, mean a low emission future for the country? Here at WhizzGo, we are trying to take cars off the road by encouraging an alternative to private car use and we’ve always believed that rather than trying to save the car production market as a whole, they should invest in new technologies that could see a brighter future for the UK’s transport infrastructure as a whole.
Posted in: Business Car Rental, Government, Green Cars, Sustainability, UK drivers, Uncategorized.
Tagged: car industry · emissions · Government · green vehicles · scrappage scheme
Following our blog post about councils introducing schemes to charge businesses for their parking spaces , it seems things have taken a step forward with Nottingham City Council set to introduce the scheme in 2012.
It will see all firms with more than 11 staff parking spaces being charged £250 a year for each space, with the company then left to decide whether to pass the cost onto the staff or to absorb it themselves. Other councils considering the proposal at the moment are Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, Newcastle, Birmingham and Bristol, all cities which have car club provisions.
This raises the question of whether it is fair to impose levies on businesses, or whether councils should look to other schemes which promote sustainable transport rather than punishing car drivers? Here at WhizzGo, we certainly hope that by providing an alternative to private vehicles, we can encourage businesses to use more sustainable transport wherever possible.
Posted in: Parking, Uncategorized.
Tagged: business car parking charges · car clubs · councils · Nottingham
There was shock in the world of Formula One yesterday, with news that BMW are pulling out of racing to concentrate on environmental campaigns.
BMW, who will put out of Formula One at the end of the 2009 season, will be focusing on sustainability and environmental compatibility.
Commentators have blamed poor results over the last few seasons, however following on from Honda’s withdrawal in December, could this be the death knell for the F1? And with the car industry struggling, the huge investment that racing requires could be better allocated to technologies that will benefit all consumers and ensure a sustainable future for the motor industry.
Posted in: Green Cars, Sustainability.
Tagged: BMW · Formula One · Honda · Sustainability
Last week in Manchester, an expert panel sat through a number of ideas designed to combat climate change. The Guardian, working with the Manchester International Festival decided to open up the floodgates and allow some of the more creative amongst us to submit their ideas for tackling global warming. Ranging from the more outrageous concepts to models that are already fully functioning, now the Guardian are giving the public the chance to vote for their top idea for inclusion into the Manchester Report, which will be circulated to leading policy makers. Click here to see all 20 ideas, and go here to place your vote.
Posted in: Sustainability, Uncategorized.
Tagged: Guardian · Manchester International Festive · Manchester Report
World leaders, including Gordon Brown and Barack Obama, are meeting this week in the Italian city of L’Aquila to agree new targets for limiting global warming and carbon emissions. The second day of negotiations today will open up discussions with Brazil, India, China, Mexico and South Africa, the developing nations who the G8 say have a vital role in reducing worldwide emissions.
G8 leaders have set out proposals for the richer countries to reduce their emissions by 80%, with the world reducing emissions by 50% by 2050. However, developing nations have been critical of these targets, and believe the richer nations should agree on more ambitious mid-term targets to be achieved by 2020.
Leaders are hoping to agree a deal before the Copenhagen summit later this year, which will set out the framework to reduce carbon emissions after 2012.
However, time seems to be running out for the nations to agree on the specific targets they need to set. At WhizzGo, we’re all hoping that world leaders can reach an agreement that won’t compromise the ambitious targets needed to limit global warming and carbon emissions, and which will see the necessary investment and commitment from all countries involved. We’ll certainly be watching the developments closely over the coming days.
Posted in: Government, Green Cars, Sustainability, Uncategorized.
Tagged: carbon emissions · Copenhagen Summit · G8 · global warming · l'Aquila
This morning, the BBC reported that eight car making groups have won a £25 million grant from the government to fund the next generation of greener, cleaner cars. Manufacturers such as Peugeot, Toyota, Mini and Mitsubishi have all begun creating a range of cars which will form the next step in low carbon technology.
The new generation of electric cars will be able to drive up to 80 miles when fully charged, and the cars will take 6 hours to charge fully. Although the current £20,000 starting price for the least expensive car in the range may be prohibitive, the technological improvements will ensure electric vehicles become a tempting option to many more people.
But are electric cars really as green as they are made out to be? Until the grid they run off becomes more sustainable, they are only marginally more environmentally friendly than their petrol counterparts. But the government investment does indicate a significant commitment to replacing our gas guzzlers with a greener alternative. What do you think; is this just greenwash from car manufacturers or is a significant step forward for the UK’s drivers?
Posted in: Government, Green Cars, Sustainability.
Tagged: BBC · electric cars · Mitsubishi · petrol · Peugeot · Toyota
The Environmental Transport Assocation (ETA) this week revealed the UK’s hotspots for the angriest drivers, showing that drivers in the Midlands and Wales were found to be the most stressed drivers in the country, although more drivers in London have had their cars deliberately rammed into than anywhere else in the country. Drivers in Scotland were the least stressed drivers, and those in Northern England were least likely to be involved in a road range accident.
However, the ETA discovered that although driver stress differed around the country, motorists from every region were found to be in need of “green driving techniques” to help them stay calm. Aggressive driving not only increases danger on the roads but also lowers fuel efficiency.
In order to become a safer driver and improve fuel consumption you should avoid harsh acceleration and braking to save fuel, reduce wear and tear and feel more relaxed, and look as far up the road as possible
For more information about safer driving, visit the ETA website or read some tips on our website.
Posted in: UK drivers.
Tagged: angry drivers · car insurance · Environmental Transport Association · ETA · green driving · safer driving
This week is Green Transport Week, and the ETA is asking you to take measures to reconsider your car use. Why not keep a diary this week of the trips you’re making in your car this week. For all those of under two miles; were they really necessary? Could you have walked or cycled instead? And if there is a reason you couldn’t have walked or cycled, is there anything that could be done about it? Try to get your local council involved in supporting safe cycle paths and pavements.
Even if you’re not ready to give up your car quite yet, use this week as an opportunity to assess your car use and think what you could do to cut down on it in the future.
Posted in: Sustainability.
Tagged: car use · council · Green Transport Week
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