Hydroelectric vehicles ‘increasingly recognised’ as a viable future motoring option

There is evidence to suggest the UK government is putting its weight behind the future of hydrogen-powered cars as a viable motoring reality.

The government has teamed up with a number of major companies involved in alternative fuels to drive a new project, UKH2Mobility.

The project is set to receive £400 million in funding from the government – a figure that is expected to be matched by investment and hours from some of the leading utilities, gas and car manufacturing companies.

UKH2Mobility is expected to draw expertise from partners such as Toyota, Vauxhall, Nissan and Diamler in terms of technology sharing. Meanwhile industrial gas experts, Air Products and Air Liquide, along with Scottish and Southern energy, will also be contributing to the scheme.

Minister of Business, Mark Prisk believes the success of this project could enable the UK to set itself up as a global leader in manufacturing cars powered by hydrogen cells.

"Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles are increasingly being recognised as one of the viable options as we move to a lower carbon motoring future," he said.

"They are highly efficient, can be fuelled in minutes, travel an equivalent range to a conventional combustion engine, and have zero tail-pipe emissions."

According to Henri Winand, chief executive of Intelligent Energy, the technology is already there to make hydrogen-powered cars a reality.

He said: "We now need to look at how we can make these elements, together with the hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, work most effectively to enable the UK to take full advantage of hydrogen as a transport fuel, stimulating inward investment, GDP growth and securing and creating new jobs."

Adopting safe technologies to our nation’s roads is important to look after the wider environment. Vehicle de-pollution is an increasingly pertinent process to achieve required levels of materials recycling and recovery as stipulated by the ELV Directive.

Consequently, at ASM Auto Recycling we have invested over £2,500,000 to ensure our sites meet all requirements to minimise the risk of pollution to the environment with recycled car parts and efficient vehicle dismantling.

Folding electric car prototype launched in Spain

An innovative folding electric car prototype that folds into itself to save parking space was launched in Spain last month.

The EU-endorsed two-seater vehicle, called the Hiriko, is a result of a unique partnership between Basque businesses, the Spanish government and US experts, MIT Media Lab.

"Robot" in-wheel electric motors drive each wheel independently making for extra manoeuvrability, while the rear of the capsule-shaped car can fold underneath its chassis to free up valuable car parking space in major Spanish towns and cities.

The Hiriko is said to have just two-thirds of the carbon footprint of a Smart car and the project’s leaders hope this will spark interest in electric car transportation in other cities, with trials expected in Bilbao, Malmo and Boston later this year.

There is very little that’s conventional about the Hiriko, with driver and passenger both entering and leaving the car via a single door at the front. Meanwhile the traditional steering wheel is also replaced by a "haptic" joystick-style steering device.

Ryan Chin, researcher behind the concept developed within the MIT labs in the 1980s, said: "I call this mobility on demand. Hiriko’s technology and green footprint is five times better than you find in today’s Smart cars."

Commercial versions of the vehicle are expected to be available come spring 2013, with Madrid backing the project with €15 million in grants for vehicles that are expected to cost €12,500 each to build.

Electric vehicles are just one of the ways drivers can look after the wider environment. Owners of end-of-life petrol or diesel cars can scrap their cars for cash in a safe and efficient manner. Vehicle dismantling is not a new phenomenon. At ASM Auto Recycling we have been dismantling, cleaning and recycling used cars for over 20 years and are now regarded as one of the UK’s most modern and professional used car parts recyclers.

Amendments to driving theory test welcomed by DIA

Recent changes to the UK driving theory test have been welcomed by a leading motoring body, as the government aims to prevent motorists from becoming another "accident statistic".

The Driving Instructors Association (DIA) believes the decision to no longer use pre-published questions in the theory test will help motorists understand how to apply theory to their driving and improve their perception of hazardous situations on the roads and act accordingly.

Steve Garrod, DIA general manager, believed the fact drivers could no longer memorise theory test questions would make them safer drivers in the long run.

"Drivers’ knowledge of the Highway Code has been on the decline since the theory test was first introduced in 1996, with very few people ever opening a copy," he said.

The amendments made by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) could also prove to help younger, inexperienced motorists secure cheaper car insurance quotes. By forcing newly qualified drivers to think about applying the rules of the Highway Code as opposed to memorising a test book, it should improve their overall competence at the wheel.

It was revealed last month insurance claims made for single car accidents involving young drivers totals £20 million.

Mr Starling, director of general insurance at the Association of British Insurers (ABI), cited figures showing as many as 20 per cent of young motorists have been involved in an accident. The ABI also noted that of all deaths among young adults, a staggering 74 per cent are caused on the roads.

Unfortunately, with the number of road accidents showing no signs of abating there is a growing need for the retrieval of salvage and damage-repairable vehicles. At ASM Auto Recycling our vehicle transport service is the safest, most efficient way of taking salvage cars to our depots ready to be processed for dismantling and recycling in accordance with the European ELV Directive. 


Image: hvaldez1

Plans unveiled for UK’s first national road pricing scheme

A new charge is set to be introduced by the UK government, with foreign lorry drivers having to pay £10 a day to use British roads as part of the first UK road pricing scheme.

The idea behind the charge is to try and level the playing field between British and continental lorry drivers, as Brits already get charged for driving abroad.

Haulage experts believe this will require all lorries to be fitted with a tacking box that can be monitored via satellite. However, UK hauliers are also likely to have to pay the charge but will be reimbursed in the form of either reduced tax disc costs or fuel duty.

At present other countries in the EU charge lorries a maximum of 16 euros a day and the UK government is keen to level its figures in line with their European counterparts.

Roads Minister, Mike Penning, said: "Each year there are around 1.5 million trips to the UK by foreign registered lorries – but none of them pay to use our roads, leaving UK businesses and taxpayers to foot the bill.

"A lorry road user charge would ensure that all hauliers who use our roads are contributing to their cost, regardless of where they are from – helping UK hauliers to get a fairer deal and increasing employment and promoting growth in the UK."

Road user charging is designed to help the government boost its coffers without putting the nation’s economy at risk. Car scrappage remains an area for UK road users to improve their understanding, with significant savings to be made as well as protecting the wider environment.


Image: pzado

Reversing costing drivers up to £409 million each year

A recent study has shown that the act of reversing vehicles hits motorists hard to the tune of £409 million each year.

The research conducted by Accident Exchange revealed that not only is reversing uneconomical, around 200,000 reversing accidents also occur each year – a staggering equivalent of 500 reversing accidents every single day.

The vehicle accident specialists also noted that the average repair costs for a reversing accident amounted to £2,123. Reversing accidents are said to amount to around 8 per cent of the total vehicle accidents in the UK.

Almost 2.5 million car accidents occurred in 2010 and data from the Department of Transportation (DfT) found that 38 per cent of these accidents were recorded as a result of a failure to check the whereabouts of the other vehicle involved.

The increase of reversing accidents has been blamed on increasing congestion as well as an over-reliance on modern technology such as parking and reversing cameras. Our blog piece earlier this month revealed how out-of-date satnavs cause accidents and confusion for motorists and lorry drivers.

If you have a damage-repairable vehicle as a result of a car accident and you don’t want to pay a premium to restore your car to roadworthy condition, why not try our extensive used car parts department at ASM Auto Recycling.

If you know your way around a car bonnet and are capable of repairing your own car you will see used car parts as a cost-effective solution, particularly if you own a low-value second-hand vehicle.

Many of our recycled car parts are also available on a same day/next day parts delivery service, meaning we can come to your aid if your car fails you at short notice.