Category: Car stuff
GEM welcomes tougher mobile phone laws at the wheel
Road and breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Assist has welcomed the government announcement that the law on the use of a mobile phone while driving is to be strengthened from 2022. Under the revised legislation, drivers who use hand-held phones in any way while at the wheel will face a fine of £200 and six points…
Government to close loophole that allows drivers to play mobile games
Police will soon be able to prosecute drivers using a hand-held mobile phone at the wheel more easily, with the government tightening existing laws in order to improve road safety. It is already illegal to text or make a phone call (other than in an emergency) using a hand-held device while driving However, because of…
Mercedes adds fingerprint recognition for in-car payments
From spring 2022, Visa's technology will allow Mercedes-Benz customers in Europe to pay for goods and services by using their fingerprint in the car. Purchases can then be made directly through the car’s head unit, or MBUX. The solution is anticipated to be available in other markets globally at a later stage. In-car commerce has…
Bentley travels 455 miles across Iceland on renewable power
Using only energy from waste straw and the power of the planet, an engineering prototype of the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid has driven 733 km (455 miles) across Iceland in a single stint. The journey, claims Bentley, is validation both of the grand touring range of Bentley’s new Hybrid – the second to be launched…
Jaguar Land Rover uses blockchain to ensure sustainable leather supply
Jaguar Land Rover has trialled the use of secure blockchain technology to ensure full transparency within a sustainable leather supply chain. In a world-first, Jaguar Land Rover has partnered with supply chain traceability provider Circulor, leading UK leather manufacturer Bridge of Weir Leather Company and the University of Nottingham to trial the use of traceability…
Citroen send Hybrid owners ‘Plug-in reminders’
With immediate effect, customers who drive C5 Aircross SUV Hybrid will be notified by ‘Plug-in Reminders’ to help further optimise the efficiency of their Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. The notifications, which come in the form of a message on the touchscreen, have been designed to ensure that drivers can take full advantage of the efficiency benefits…
Ford’s brain research could detect drivers nodding off at wheel
Ford is trialling new brain research that could ultimately lead to a faster and more accurate way to detect when the driver is starting to switch off behind wheel. Alerting drivers who are tired or distracted far earlier could help keep drivers, passengers and other road users safe, with driver fatigue cited as a contributing…
Top 10 most valuable James Bond cars: Spy Who Loved Me Lotus Esprit tops list
It was Auric Goldfinger in the 1964 James Bond movie who was said to have the Midas touch, but classic car insurance company Hagerty has found that just an association with the spy franchise is enough to make car values soar. Its valuation analysts compared the values of real Bond cars which were used during…
Ford and Hermes announce Secure Delivery to Vehicle pilot
Ford and Hermes UK have announced a Secure Delivery to Vehicle pilot which will enable parcels to be delivered directly to vehicles located at the owner’s home address. Launched in selected areas of the UK this month, the delivery to vehicle option is offered to customers with FordPass, expanding the range of connected services already…
Ford uses AI to develop ‘RoadSafe’ technology
Want to know where the hazards are in the road when you are driving? Ford has developed the “RoadSafe” concept, which could alert drivers to higher risk locations and make the insight available to local authorities to do something about them. Ford’s “RoadSafe” technology uses an algorithm to crunch anonymised data from sources including connected…
