Government ministers have announced their plans to help nationalise ultra-low emission cars with grants of up to £5,000 on offer for nine new models.

The Transport Secretary Philip Hammond and Business Minister Mark Prisk also announced five additional regions will be installing local charging points making it easier for electric car owners to recharge.

This move comes after the party successfully bid for a share of a £20 million fund.

If you already own an electric car or are considering buying a more environmentally friendly motor but are worried about the cost of upkeep and the availability of car parts, look at online stockists for an idea of price.

The first nine cars to be eligible for the eco-friendly grants are: Mitsubishi iMiEV, smart for two electric drive, Peugeot jON, Citroen CZero, Nissan Leaf, Tata Vista EV, Toyota Prius Plug-in, Vauxhall Ampera and Chevrolet Volt.  More are expected to be eligible next year.

“A few years ago, ultra-low emission cars with mass market appeal appeared just a pipe dream,” commented Philip Hammond, Transport Secretary.

“The British public has in the past shown it’s ready to embrace new technology and take practical steps to adopt a lifestyle kinder to the environment.”

From 1^st January 2011 motorists will be able to receive the new grant which could cut the cost of an eligible car by a quarter.

Green Car Parts Online

While electric cars are still in their infancy they are becoming a more popular form of transport as the country takes on board the need to cut carbon emissions.

This means that car parts will be coming down in price as competition continues to grow in this market.

Online stockists often offer discounts on electric car parts as they are able to hold a large supply and send them out to anywhere in the country instead of relying on local business.

Men and women have been reported to have different types of car accidents new research suggests.

The study by Diamond, women’s car insurance specialist, showed women are more likely to damage cars parts from an accident in a car park, on bumps, roundabouts and prangs at traffic lights.

Men are more likely to be involved in a head on collision, drive their car up or down an embankment, or hit a crash barrier.

Over two million accidents over five years were analysed in the study and the insurance provider suggest the differences could be due to men driving more aggressively, making them more likely to lose control.

Women meanwhile were shown to have their car broken into more often, perhaps due to leaving their handbag or other valuable items on show within the car.

Men’s cars were more likely to catch fire than women’s; are more likely to drive through a flood and, somewhat surprisingly, have made more claims for fuel contamination than their female counterparts.

Women in comparison are more easily distracted than men behind the wheel of the car.

“Possibly men drive faster and more aggressively than women, while women are more easily distracted than men behind the wheel of a car,” said Simon Lewis, Diamond’s managing director.

“It’s very strange that men’s cars are more likely to catch fire than women’s.  I can’t explain why that would happen.”

Replacing Damaged Car Parts

If you have damaged certain car parts following an accident or due to wear and tear from bumps in the road or potholes, it is worth looking online to get replacement car parts for a good price.

It is important to replace or repair damaged car parts, even if the accident has caused just a dent in the bumper, as this will cause the bumper to protect the car less the next time it may happen.

Swansea drivers top the list of the most disrespectful drivers in the UK while those in Southampton are the most courteous on the road.

The study by AXA Motor Insurance included seven live observation tests of red light behaviour, indicating correctly at roundabouts and allowing pedestrians to pass at zebra crossings.

Those driving in Swansea showed the least respect for other road users and pedestrians on the way to work and on the drive home.

Only half of Swansea drivers stopped at a red light compared to 85 percent in Leeds, a third did not stop for pedestrians at zebra crossings and almost three quarters failed to use indicator car parts when necessary, while over a quarter did not indicate at all.

“It’s generally supposed that Londoners are the worst drivers when it comes to showing manners so it’s surprising to find that it’s actually Swansea residents that top the disrespectful list,” said Tina Shortle from AXA car insurance.

Southampton drivers in the meantime were so courteous on the road 74 percent even let buses pull out and 87 percent let pedestrians cross at zebra crossings.

No drivers in the study from Southampton parked in a disabled space at a supermarket car park unlawfully and only 17 percent used a parent and child space without having a child compared to 68 percent in Coventry.

Disrespectful Driving Causes Accidents

Almost four in ten drivers involved in the 222,100 accidents said they were frightened or angered by other drivers in the critical moments before a crash.  More than one in five said another driver had been ignoring road rules and signs.

Car Parts for Damaged Cars

If your car has been involved in an accident recently and requires a replacement car part it is advised to look online for a good deal.

Many online stockists have a large supply of quality parts suitable for many different model cars and can be delivered to anywhere in the country,

Car theft continues to threaten unbeknown motorists, as new research highlights increased cases of vehicle theft occurred last spring. Find the best value car parts online now.

TRACKER, stolen vehicle tracking and recovery specialists, showed in the second quarter – April – July, 2010 – 83 percent of cars recovered were stolen using the owner’s keys – a three percent increase from the first quarter.

Motorists should watch out for other forms of theft where only certain car parts are stolen such as tyres or wing mirrors.

The figures show nearly £3.4 million worth of cars were stolen and then recovered during this period.

The highest value vehicle stolen this year was a Rolls-Royce Phantom worth over £165,000, however a Ford Focus worth £5,000 and a Mazda worth £3,500 were also recovered highlighting the need for everyone to protect their car.

Replacing Stolen Car Parts

If you have had car parts stolen from your vehicle, such as the tyres or other external parts, you can replace them by buying low cost car parts online for less.

Spare car parts can be acquired at discount prices, ordered online or over the phone and then delivered to your front door.

“As always, we want to remind motorists, that thieves don’t just target prestige brands, especially in the current economic climate,” said Stephen Doran, TRACKER’s managing director.

“Consumers are looking for used car bargains and thieves will shift their targets to suit demand.”

The top three car models most frequently stolen and then recovered were the BMW X5 followed by the Mercedes Benz CLK and the Mercedes Benz SL.

The top 10 regions across the UK where cars were stolen from were:

1              Greater London and London

2              Greater Manchester and Manchester

3              West Midlands

4              Northampton

5              Birmingham

6              Essex

7              Slough

8              Chelmsford

9              Chester

10           Wolverhampton

The average commute time for drivers in the UK stands at 47 minutes and 48 seconds per day, a 10 year low according to new results.

The Labour Force Survey enabled the TUC to calculate that in total £339 million of working time is spent on travelling to and from work.

Driving during peak times puts a huge strain on your vehicle and also your fuel budget meaning many vehicles can suffer from over-heating requiring motorists to have to change worn out car parts more often.

Replacing Worn out Car Parts

If your car is often pushed to its limit and requires new car engine parts or tyres, it is possible to buy them and other car parts at discounted prices for less online.

Many people are also opting for environmentally friendly alternatives to the classic petrol or diesel fuelled car, with many spare engine parts for these can also be found on 247 Spares, the largest online stockist of car parts in the UK.

Between 2006 and 2009, the number of people working from home increased by 291,000, which the TUC attributes to the fall in commuter times.

“After years of increasing journey times, it’s great to see that the number of hours spent commuting to work is finally falling,” said Brendan Barber, a TUC general secretary.

Work Wise research calculated that if an average commuter driving an average car covered the average commute distance, the car would produce almost one tonne of CO2 annually.

If this figure was multiplied by the 25 million who commute in the UK every day this works out to be the equivalent of almost 50 billion one litre water bottles of CO2 emitted every day.

“Policies such as staggering work journeys, home working, and encouraging cycling and walking, are enabling staff to get to work in a better way and in the process saving time and money,” added Phil Flaxton, Work Wise UK’s chief executive.

New data reveals the top 10 car parts most likely to need replacing due to wear and tear with problems with car suspension topping the list.

Around one in three repairs recorded by Warranty Direct were due to vehicles aged between three and seven years old needing replacement suspension car parts.

Following suspension arms in the list were ball joints accounting for 3.89 percent of all repairs, steering racks with 3.88 percent, turbos with 2.18 percent, water pumps with 2.07 percent, wheel bearings with 1.86 percent and fuel pumps with 1.38 percent.

At the bottom of the list of car parts needing replacing was flywheels, accounting for 1.05 percent of all repairs, followed by injectors with 0.86 percent and automatic gearboxes with 0.38 percent.

“It’s not reasonable to expect manufacturer warranties to cover parts that wear out,” said Duncan McClure Fisher, a Warranty Direct spokesperson.

“On the flip side, motorists are not necessarily aware that, as their car gets older and wear-related failures become more frequent, they won’t necessarily be covered unless they have a policy that covers wear.”

In another study by the insurance company the cost of getting a mechanic to fix a car was shown to be on the rise again.

The survey showed some motorists are being charged up to £190 an hour while the average cost has risen by 5.81 percent to £74.82 over the last year.

Saving Money on Repairs

The research has shown owning a car has never been more expensive especially when things go wrong.

If motorists are eager to save money on replacing worn-out car parts, cheap quality parts are available to buy online at 247 Spares.

The Top 10 List:

1              Suspension arms

2              Ball joint

3              Steering rack

4              Turbo

5              Water pump

6              Wheel bearings

7              Fuel pump

8              Flywheel

9              Injector

10           Automatic Gearbox

Bosch has created a new piece of technology which alerts drivers of other cars entering their ‘blind spot’ when they are about to change lane on the motorway.

The invention uses ultrasonic sensors to gauge when a car enters this zone as problems have arisen with vision of these areas due to the more aerodynamic shapes modern day cars are made in.

Named the Side View Assist, this new car part has been globally debuted in the new Citroen C4 and shows similarities with the Bosch parking aid and parking assistant device.

The technology registers objects three metres to the side and diagonally to the rear of the vehicle which means it covers the areas in the blind spot.

When a vehicle is detected the signal if first checked for plausibility by the system’s electronics before it then warns the driver either optically and then acoustically if the driver fails to react.

The sensors are attached to the sides of the vehicle on the front and back bumpers where the two rear-side sensors monitor the blind spot while the front sensors are used for plausibility checks.

The optical warning is shown with a light signal in the side mirror on the same side of which the object is being detected.

The system can work at speeds between 10 and 140kph so it is aimed to help drivers on urban roads and highways and on multi-lane roads where speed limits are in place.  While the system warns drivers of their current actions it does not intervene.

Car Parts

As this new system aims to help drivers changing lanes to prevent accidents happening, if your car has been involved in an RTC and requires replacement car parts 247 Spares will have a suitable piece.

Not only do we have the largest online stock of car parts but we are currently offering them at discounted prices.

Adventurer Mac Mackenney is to lead a team of three drivers in a Land Rover Discovery 2 journey from London to Cape Town in an attempt to beat the world record set in 1963.

Travelling a total of 10,000 miles and passing through 20 countries in less than 13 days all the way from London, England to Cape Town, South Africa in support of charity Help for Heroes the journey promises to be a real adventure.

Set to start on 17th October, the current record the team hopes to beat for travel from London to Cape Town stands at 13 days, eight hours and 48 minutes and was set by Eric Jackson in a Ford Cortina GT in 1963.

The attempt, supported by Chevron Lubricants, is a challenging one due to the inhospitable areas and difficult road conditions the men and machine will cross. Land Rover Car Parts will be high in demand if the four by four diesel engine motor smashes the World Record as many motorists nationwide will be keen to follow in their tracks and spruce up their Land Rovers.

The Discovery 2 will use the latest Havoline lubricants and fuel additives to provide maximum fuel economy and engine protection on vehicle parts. The Land Rover will need to be fine tuned for the cold nights, extreme heat during the day and around the clock driving.

Mac Mackenney runs Max Adventure which is a specialist adventure and expedition logistics company, and his team includes Christ Rawlings who will navigate and mechanic Steve Mackenney.

Commencing from the RAC Club in Pall Mall, the finish line is at the AA building in the centre of Cape Town.

Affordable Land Rover Car Parts

If adventure driving is your hobby, or a challenge you are keen to start with your Land Rover, be sure the vehicle is as up to the test as you are. Quality Land Rover Car Parts for optimum performance can be purchased online with 247 Spares at discount prices. Search for car parts, order them, and have them delivered directly to your door without leaving the comfort of your armchair.

The Royal Society of the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has set up a free online toolkit to enable employers to improve the skills of young people who drive for work.

Fleet, human resources or health and safety managers will run the workshops for 17 to 24-year-olds who drive as part of their job.

The workshops are designed to address a range of issues that have been raised by both employers and young people in a study conducted by the RoSPA at the start of its two-year long Young Drivers at Work project.

Groups of ten to 15 participants will take part in the scheme, which will also cover some of the main causes of accidents as well as allowing the young people to share their own experiences of driving for work.

The idea is for the participants to work with their employers in order to discuss any strategies that could be developed to improve driving safety.

"We are extremely proud of the highly-practical outcome of our project which addresses some of the fundamental skills needed for safe driving and encourages self-reflection," said Duncan Vernon, road safety manager for England at RoSPA, which is a registered charity that promotes safety and the prevention of accidents.

Skoda has recommended that drivers think about cleaning up their air conditioning systems before the warm weather hits the UK.

Cleaning the system rids it of microbiological growths that can lead to unpleasant odours in the vehicle.

These micro-organisms tend to become trapped in the evaporator fins of the air conditioning unit during the life of the car.

Deodorising products only mask the foul smell but do not tackle the problem of the bacteria presence.

Expert aftersales teams at Skoda retailers across the country can offer customers a treatment to rid their cars of the bacteria.

"It is quick, inexpensive and the car is ready for use very soon after treatment," said John Bower, Skoda head of aftersales.

Recently, Skoda revealed that it had posted record car sales last year, making it one of very few manufacturers to withstand the effects of the economic downturn.

The brand sold 1.4 per cent cars more than in 2008, supplying customers with 684,224 models in total.