Mitsubishi has announced the pricing and specifications of its first electric model, the i-MiEV.

They will cost £33,699 including VAT, but any orders delivered to customers from January next year will benefit from the government’s incentive scheme, which will give them £5,000 off the price.

One of the main selling points of the electric vehicle is its low-running costs.

Buyers can also benefit from additional perks such as an exemption from the congestion charge and free parking across many boroughs in London and some cities, including Milton Keynes.

It also boasts the ability to travel 12,000 miles for only £115 and low servicing costs as well as road tax exemption.

Recently, the government announced a new initiative which is aimed at encouraging buyers to purchase cars in the ultra-low carbon sector.

From January 2011 until 2014, the purchase of an eligible plug-in hybrid or electric vehicle will land the buyer with £5,000 off, which will reduce vehicle costs by up to 25 per cent.

Consumer confidence is boosted by the voluntary accreditation technicians can undergo through the Automotive Technician Accreditation (ATA) scheme.

More than 80 per cent of the population in the UK cannot tell the difference between a good technician and a bad one, according to a recent survey.

The voluntary ATA scheme, which has just accredited its 20,000th technician, hopes its initiative will enable motorists to feel more confident about repairs in the automotive industry.

Technicians who take part in the scheme have to prove their competence through a series of tests of their auto skills.

They are then bound by an ethical code of conduct after becoming accredited through the initiative.

Despite only starting five years ago, each day ten new members gain their ATA award.

Executive chair of the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), Sarah Sillars OBE, said consumer demand for honest technicians was evident from how successful the scheme had proved to be.

In the wake of Kwik-Fit research showing the number of motorists suffering punctures, the leading fast-fit tyre supplier has launched a new range of tyres with free guarantee and puncture repair.

New research from the company showed the cost of UK’s damaged roads.

Some 28 per cent of motorists have suffered either a puncture or flat tyre over the past year.

It is estimated that £300 million has been spent on repairing tyre damage by the 8.5 million motorists that have been affected in the last 12 months.

According to the poll, London is the worst area in the country, with four out of ten motorists there suffering a flat in the past year, which is double the rate in the East Midlands.

Kwik-Fit is offering a new range of Marangoni tyres to drivers, which can save them money, giving motorists free puncture repair and road hazard guarantee.

Repairable punctures including re-balancing, valves and nitrogen refill, are all free-of-charge.

Starting from £38 per tyre, Kwik-Fit has an offer until the end of March, which gives customers a ten per cent discount when they purchase two tyres from the range and 20 per cent off when they buy four.

Some 27 per cent of the UK public avoid servicing their car, it has been revealed in a new poll.

People were questioned on the everyday tasks they tend to put off and why they procrastinated about them, by the survey, which was commissioned by the after sales team at Vauxhall.

The least popular activity for Britons was DIY, which 42 per cent of the 1,000 participants in the survey admit to putting off.

Second place went to exercise, which 32 per cent try to avoid doing.

Car servicing in East Anglia was voted the worst activity for the region’s residents, with 33 per cent managing to avoid doing it.

The majority of people (69 per cent) chose to focus on more interesting activities than the task in hand, while 57 per cent of those surveyed said concerns over cost were behind their reason to procrastinate, according to the Vauxhall survey.

A £270 million loan guarantee was given to the manufacturer last week by the UK government to revive the brand.

Around 2,000 jobs will be safeguarded at Vauxhall’s north-west production plant and the loan is also expected to secure other operations in the UK.

Mazda has introduced new offers to its showrooms, hoped to boost post-scrappage sales for the manufacturer.

Customers can receive up to £2,000 off a new Mazda without having to trade in a used car.

It is the latest in a line of brands to offer incentives for new car
buyers as the government-funded initiative draws to a close at the end of this month.

The difference with the Mazda scheme is that motorists do not need an old vehicle to qualify for it.

During the government scrappage scheme, Mazda sold an additional 10,000 cars.

The brand experienced its third most successful year in 2009 since the company first came to Britain in the 1960s. Its retail market share was 2.4 per cent, the highest ever recorded.

Some manufacturers, including Mazda, have already sold their allocated allowance through the scrappage scheme before the official end on March 31st.

It was introduced in May last year in an attempt to provide the new car sector with a short-term boost during the recession.

The scheme allowed new car buyers to trade in their old cars, aged at least ten years old, for a new, more environmentally-friendly and economical car.

Drivers should avoid potholes and reduce their speed to limit damage to their cars caused by potholes, Swinton has advised.

This year, during February and March, there was an increase in the number of claims lodged to Swinton, which is Britain’s largest high street insurance retailer, related to damage caused by potholes.

The leading insurance retailer saw a rise in claims for damage to tyres as well as exhausts and tracking systems, caused by the severely-deteriorated roads after one of the coldest winters on record.

Motorists could find claims to be quite costly in the long-term, according to Swinton, because it could mean they lose their no-claims bonus.

Steve Chelton, insurer development manager at Swinton, said the company had seen a large increase in the number of pothole-related claims, which got worse on roads after the cold spell.

Many of the claims had not actually been for damage caused directly by the holes but by drivers who had crashed while trying to avoid potholes on the roads.

Volkswagen, one of the UK’s largest importers of vehicles, has expanded its fixed-price service plans, extending it to cover all models in its range.

Until the end of the year, all retail customers who buy a new VW passenger car can choose to pay a one-off payment of £250, which will cover all servicing costs for the next three years, or 30,000 miles, whichever is first.

Over this period, the plan is expected to save money for customers and provides a guarantee that all work carried out is by a fully-trained VW specialist within its franchised network.

If the car is sold before the limits are reached, an added incentive is that the plan can be transferred to the new owner, which boosts the advantages of its resale.

Since 2007, VW Finance has been offering the fixed-price service plan on selected models, and the scheme is available to all retail customers whether they pay by finance or not.

The plan can be purchased up to 90 days after the first registration date of the vehicle.

The Fleet Manufacturer of the Year award has been received by Vauxhall at the annual ceremony for the Fleet News Awards, which took place this week.

One of the most coveted awards in the car industry, it is voted for entirely by independent fleet managers across the country.

The best fleets, suppliers and manufacturers in the country are rewarded at the ceremony for their work and products.

They also receive recognition for their commitment to best practice initiatives, which intend to provide environmentally-friendly, efficient and safe transport solutions to drivers.

Fleet News editor Stephen Briers, said Vauxhall had maintained its market position in an innovative way and has a strong line-up of fleet models, which led the publication’s readers to vote for the brand.

Earlier this week, it was announced that Vauxhall would receive government funding that was expected to safeguard more than 2,000 jobs at its production plant in Cheshire.

A £270 million loan guarantee has been announced by the UK government and it will be given to Vauxhall’s owner, General Motors, to secure its UK operations.

A revised, all-new version of the Doblo family car has been released by Fiat.

It is said to build on the versatility and practicality of the previous model yet boasts improved comfort and style as well as safety and running costs.

Eight versions of the Doblo, which can seat up to seven people, will be available when it goes on sale later this month.

Thanks to the extended wheelbase on the model, not only do passengers have more room but there is also more luggage storage space too.

The petrol and diesel versions of the new Doblo boast lower carbon emissions, which comply with EURO5 emission regulations.

Fiat topped the European rankings for CO2 emissions this year, for the third year running, according to data from JATO Dynamics.

Some of the lowest emissions on the continent were posted by Fiat and the Fiat Group. They have also set new standards in reducing CO2 levels across their entire range too.

The Mazda6 has received the Best Estate Car title at the Fleet News Awards ceremony that took place this week.

Judges from an independent panel of fleet experts, said that the Mazda6 had both practicality and driver appeal, with a large load volume and powerful diesel engine.

Fleet operators can get a "great value" car, at a decent price with competitive CO2 emission levels, which reduce its tax band, according to the judges.

Mazda is currently preparing for the launch of a completely revised line-up of its models over the next few weeks.

Praised for its dependability, the Mazda6 was recently awarded the What Car? Family Car of the Year award.

According to the magazine, which claims to be Britain’s largest guide for car buyers, the Mazda6 resale values were among the best in its class and that its fuel consumption is "impressively low".