Motorists downsizing as a result of fuel price increase

The latest Used Car Market Report from British Car Auctions (BCA) reveals half of respondents feel they will be forced to change to a more fuel-efficient car or alter their driving habits as a result of continued fuel price increases.

The leading vehicle remarketing company found that a fifth of respondents felt the need to downsize or change their driving habits once fuel hit £1.30 per litre and by the time the price of fuel hits the £1.50 per litre mark a further 15 per cent of motorists will be in the same boat.

As MPs recently debated in the House of Commons about a deferred annual increase of 3p per litre, 39 per cent of respondents said they would cut fuel duty if they could influence the nation’s transport and motoring strategies.

The number of two-car households in the UK is also on the decline with the report showing this figure had fallen by five per cent in the last 12 months.

Fuel consumption is now a top priority for motorists. 27 per cent of those surveyed in the BCA Used Car Market Report said they would pay more attention to fuel economy when choosing their next vehicle.

If you have a vehicle that's approaching its end-of-life period due to its age or poor fuel efficiency the safest thing to do is to take the car to a car recycling facility such as the one here at ASM Auto Recycling.

Every year two million end-of-life vehicles are scrapped in the UK in an effort to remove and store potentially harmful toxins from older vehicles, in accordance with the European ELV directive.

Nevertheless, vehicle dismantling is not just about retrieving harmful toxins and casting aside the shell of the vehicle, which is particularly important to note for those looking to scrap my car for cash. We carefully remove all recyclable car parts to ensure they can be sold on, giving motorists an additional option to paying the premium for a brand new part from a dealership.

RAC ‘comfortable in principle’ with new 80mph motorway limits

UK motoring organisation, RAC has given its backing "in principle" to raising the national motorway speed limit from 70mph to 80mph, in spite of the angry reactions from environmentalists and road safety groups.

However, the RAC spokeswoman did bring up one or two caveats that may require some consideration by the authorities.

She said: "The concern is: how will it be enforced? If people now routinely go at 80mph, will they go at 90mph? We think 80mph is reasonably safe, but if it crept up much more than that I think it could be a concern."

That issue is reinforced by Edmund King, president of the AA, who reveals almost two-thirds of all AA members supported the new 80mph motorway limits, but only if the limit was properly enforced.

Mr King added: "Currently, the de facto speed limit on motorways is 80mph. You will rarely, if ever, get stopped by a police officer if you’re driving at 80mph ... if people feel they can interpret speed limits in their own little fashion like that then, I believe, they give themselves more leeway in urban areas and at lower speeds. And I don’t think that’s right."

Environmental groups put forward a plausible argument that driving at 80mph consumes 25 per cent more fuel than driving at 70mph – with car emissions potentially increasing rather than declining.

This would go against all the good work that goes into the de-pollution of motor vehicles each and every day. Two million end-of-life vehicles are processed in the UK each year in order to remove and store potential toxins such as fuel, oils and brake fluids that could prove harmful to the environment.

At ASM Auto Recycling our state-of-the-art car recycling workshop means we are fully equipped to enable the safe and efficient dismantling and cleaning of any motor vehicle within the requirements of the European ELV Directive.

Nissan responds to Top Gear criticism over the Leaf

Japanese motor manufacturers Nissan have responded to claims by Top Gear presenter, Jeremy Clarkson that electric cars "are not the future".

Clarkson spent several hours 'stranded' in Lincoln as he waited for his Nissan Leaf electric vehicle to re-charge.

However, Nissan used a telematics device to prove that the battery in Clarkson’s Nissan Leaf was charged to only 40 per cent when he set off on his journey.

Nissan insisted the vehicle had been delivered to the BBC fully charged for the show, with enough power for at least 100 miles, rather than the 30 miles driven by Clarkson before the battery was flat.

Andy Palmer, Nissan’s executive vice-president told The Times that the episode had been misleading to viewers interested in owning an eco-friendly electric powered vehicle.

When pressed on the issue, Top Gear made no apologies for the way in which the Leaf was portrayed. Presenter, Clarkson replied that he was attempting to show the difficulties one would face when running out of electricity in the Leaf.

The Nissan Leaf is available to purchase on the UK market for around £31,000 – a significant sum of money, but motorists should take into account the greatly reduced running costs with no fuel, vehicle tax or congestion charges for motorists in the London area, which will all save money in the long run.

The de-pollution of fuel vehicles is incredibly important to meet CO2 emission reduction targets as stipulated by the ELV directive.

The vehicle de-pollution of end-of-life vehicles enables businesses such as ASM Auto Recycling to recover all positive components of a vehicle, whilst recycling and re-using fuels, oils, coolants and any other metal components that are not potentially harmful to the environment.

Meanwhile it is equally important to ensure the negative elements of a fuel vehicle are destroyed safely and in accordance with UK legislation.

Recycling plans on the go for the Nissan LEAF battery

Car manufacturers Nissan are working hard on plans to recycle its LEAF battery, giving it a second life within the power generation industry.

The LEAF battery within an end-of-life vehicle is thought to be far too valuable to simply be crushed and melted down for scrap; hence Nissan’s planning to find a new use for its power.

Aside from simply reusing the battery in another vehicle, the LEAF battery is also likely to be used for excess power from renewable sources; most notably solar and wind generation.

A fully charged battery inside a LEAF is said to hold enough energy to power a three-bedroom property for up to three days. Therefore its potential to retain electricity generated by solar and wind power is particularly interesting.

Jerry Hardcastle, vice president of vehicle design & development at Nissan Technical Centre Europe, said: “The Nissan LEAF has only just been launched, but we have to think now about how we will dispose of the car when it comes to the end of its life.

“Although the LEAF is designed to last as long as any conventional car, some batteries will become available from accident-damaged cars sooner and we must manage the use of the parts now.

At ASM Auto Recycling we are also focused on providing an efficient auto recycling and vehicle dismantling service to vehicle owners in the UK.

Our state-of-the-art de-pollution rigs ensure the recycling of abandoned and end-of-life vehicles in accordance with the European ELV Directive.

Every year two million end-of-life vehicles are processed in the UK to remove potential toxins. ASM Auto Recycling aims to maintain this ‘green’ de-pollution service, whilst ensuring our used car parts department is healthily stocked with guaranteed parts for almost any vehicle, anywhere in the world!