Latest news with #Aroads
Daily Mail
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Signs for EV chargers to be fitted on major UK roads
Motorists have been told to expect new signs popping up at the side of roads in the not-too-distant future. The Department for Transport has confirmed the signage will shortly begin to appear on A-roads in England to support drivers of one particular type of vehicle. Unique EV charging signage has been confirmed by the Transport Secretary to point owners of battery cars to the nearest public charging hubs dotted across the nation's major road network. There are more than 300 of these charging hubs in England, each with six or more 'rapid' 50kW-plus charging device, many of which also have 'ultra-rapid' chargers that can bolster a compatible EV's battery from 10 to 80 per cent in around half an hour. They are typically located on or near motorways or major roads where short charging times are at a premium and typically have at least a coffee shop attached. Funding for signage is part of an increase in Government spending announced by ministers over the weekend, which will see £63million rolled out to bolster EV charging, including a £25million scheme for local authorities to install cables that run beneath pavements to allow drivers living in flats and terraced houses to charge at home safely. Tomorrow, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is expected to reveal the reintroduction of an EV purchase grant in an effort to accelerate waning demand. Officials hope the introduction of EV charging road signs along with the range of other measures will encourage more drivers to switch to electric motoring. Concerns over the ability to recharge EVs on long journeys have been blamed for some motorists being reluctant to move on from petrol or diesel cars. The DfT has yet to confirm what the new roadside furniture directing people to EV charging hubs will look like. Currently, there's little signage to show EV owners where hubs are located - or how much they'll be paying to charge at motorway service stations. In 2021, EG Group became the first chargepoint operator to introduce forecourt poles with per unit charging prices at its ultra-rapid chargers. By last year, 50 of its sites had pricing information displayed on filling station-style totem poles. Alexander said the Government's new measures will make it 'easier and cheaper' to own an EV. The £25million residential street charging scheme is a major factor in this, as the ability to safely run EV charging cables under the footpath - preventing a trip hazard for pedestrians - should attract more people to EV ownership because they will be able to access cheaper household electricity rates for recharging, rather than using more expensive public chargers. The latest AA Recharge Report for May shows that the typical EV owner who can charge at home using a domestic energy tariff pays just 6.1p per mile. In contrast, those forced to use even the slowest public devices are paying nearly double that (11.3p) while those using rapid devices can be paying as much as 19.6p per mile. The AA said that - based on average unleaded prices in May - a petrol car owner is forking out only 11.6 a mile. Based on the savings estimated by the DfT, drivers can save up to £1,500 annually by charging an EV at home, compared with running a petrol or diesel car. The Transport Secretary added: 'We know access to charging is a barrier for people thinking of making the switch, and we are tackling that head-on so that everyone – whether or not they have a driveway – can access the benefits of going electric.' AA president Edmund King welcomed the introduction of dedicated public EV charging signage, saying there are more chargers available than people realise but they are 'often hidden in plain sight'. He added: 'Increasing signs for the public network is vital to help the EV transition as it will create confidence for drivers both now and in the future.' Delvin Lane, chief executive of charging company InstaVolt, said the introduction of charging signage on major roads is a 'crucial step'. He added: 'For years, we have emphasised that the UK's public EV infrastructure, so critical to mass adoption, is already largely in place, and now this signage will finally showcase it to drivers in a visible, accessible way.' Tom Middleditch, head of electric mobility at Europcar Mobility Group UK, said that it's own research in 2024 found that 89 percent of EV drivers and 73 per cent of non-EV drivers wanted to see the roll out of EV charging signage on A roads and motorways. 'The DfT's announcement will help address the fact that more often than not the infrastructure is available – it's just that motorists don't see the signs for it,' he said. New EV grant on its way? A new EV grant - thought to be worth around £640million - could mean money off the price of some fully electric cars. It would see the return of purchase subsidies for the first time since 2022, when the former government prematurely terminated the Plug-in Car Grant - which had been available to EV buyers since 2011. Appearing on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, Heidi Alexander said: 'We know the high upfront purchase cost of EVs is something people are wary about. 'We've got to be honest and say there are a lot of people out there who think that EVs are just for the very wealthiest.
Sky News
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Sky News
'Irritating, intimidating and dangerous': New campaign as tailgating fatalities revealed
More than 140 people are killed or seriously injured in tailgating incidents in England each year, according to research. Tailgating is when a driver does not leave the proper space between themselves and the vehicle in front of them if it were to suddenly break. It is a factor in at least one in eight collisions on England's motorways and major A-roads, according to National Highways. The agency has launched a campaign aimed at tackling the dangerous behaviour. It highlighted that while 43% of drivers admit to tailgating, 60% say they are anxious when it is done to them. 1:29 The discomfort and anxiety caused by tailgating were also reflected in other common, everyday scenarios - with more than half of respondents saying they felt uncomfortable with people walking behind them on the street or on public transport, or standing directly behind them in a lift. Sheena Hague, director of road safety at National Highways, said keeping a small distance could save lives. "Tailgating isn't just irritating; it's intimidating and dangerous," she said. "Most people wouldn't dream of standing right behind someone in a queue or walking on their heels down the street, yet this is exactly what we see on our roads." 1:56 National Highways says motorists should keep a two-second gap between their car and the vehicle in front of them on dry roads, and four seconds in wet weather. Drivers caught tailgating in England face a £100 fine and three penalty points. In the event of a serious collision, they face more serious punishments, such as a driving ban or imprisonment. Shaun Helmen, chief scientist at the Transport Research Laboratory, said rethinking tailgating as an invasion of personal space might help shift "deeply ingrained driving habits". "By tapping into the universal discomfort many of us feel around an invasion of our personal space, we're not just advising drivers what to do," he said. "We're giving them a relatable life experience to help understand the impact of their actions and encouraging a lasting shift towards more mindful and safer driving behaviours."
Sky News
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Sky News
More than 140 killed or injured in tailgating incidents each year
More than 140 people are killed or seriously injured in tailgating incidents in England each year, according to research. Tailgating is when a driver does not leave the proper space between themselves and the vehicle in front of them if it were to suddenly break. It is a factor in at least one in eight collisions on England's motorways and major A-roads, according to National Highways. The agency has launched a campaign aimed at tackling the dangerous behaviour. It highlighted that while 43% of drivers admit to tailgating, 60% say they are anxious when it is done to them. 1:29 The discomfort and anxiety caused by tailgating were also reflected in other common, everyday scenarios - with more than half of respondents saying they felt uncomfortable with people walking behind them on the street or on public transport, or standing directly behind them in a lift. Sheena Hague, director of road safety at National Highways, said keeping a small distance could save lives. "Tailgating isn't just irritating; it's intimidating and dangerous," she said. "Most people wouldn't dream of standing right behind someone in a queue or walking on their heels down the street, yet this is exactly what we see on our roads." 1:56 National Highways says motorists should keep a two-second gap between their car and the vehicle in front of them on dry roads, and four seconds in wet weather. Drivers caught tailgating in England face a £100 fine and three penalty points. In the event of a serious collision, they face more serious punishments, such as a driving ban or imprisonment. Shaun Helmen, chief scientist at the Transport Research Laboratory, said rethinking tailgating as an invasion of personal space might help shift "deeply ingrained driving habits". "By tapping into the universal discomfort many of us feel around an invasion of our personal space, we're not just advising drivers what to do," he said. "We're giving them a relatable life experience to help understand the impact of their actions and encouraging a lasting shift towards more mindful and safer driving behaviours."
The Independent
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
The deadly driving act that 43 per cent of people admit to doing
More than 140 people are killed or seriously injured on England 's motorways and major A-roads each year due to tailgating, new research has revealed. The dangerous practice, when a driver does not leave proper space to safely stop if the vehicle in front of them were to suddenly brake, is identified as a factor in at least one in eight collisions across the strategic road network, according to National Highways. The agency said that while 43 per cent of drivers admit to tailgating, 60 per cent say they are anxious when it is done to them. The discomfort and anxiety caused by tailgating were also reflected in other common, everyday scenarios. More than half of the respondents felt uncomfortable with people walking directly behind them on the street or on public transport, or standing directly behind them in a lift. Sheena Hague, director of road safety at National Highways, said tailgating 'isn't just irritating; it's intimidating and dangerous,' and keeping a small distance could save lives. 'Most people wouldn't dream of standing right behind someone in a queue or walking on their heels down the street, yet this is exactly what we see on our roads,' she said. According to National Highways, motorists should keep a two-second gap between their car and the vehicle in front of them on dry roads, increasing to four seconds in wet weather. Drivers caught tailgating in England face a £100 fine and three penalty points. In the event of a serious collision, drivers risk more serious punishments such as a driving ban or imprisonment. Shaun Helmen, chief scientist at the Transport Research Laboratory, said rethinking tailgating as an invasion of personal space could help shift 'deeply ingrained driving habits'. 'By tapping into the universal discomfort many of us feel around an invasion of our personal space, we're not just advising drivers what to do,' he said. 'We're giving them a relatable life experience to help understand the impact of their actions and encouraging a lasting shift towards more mindful and safer driving behaviours.'
Top Gear
03-06-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Nissan Ariya Driving, Engines & Performance
The 302bhp one has more of a spring in its step, and manages the 0-62mph sprint in 5.7 seconds. It's not going to squeeze the breath from your lungs, but there's significant out-of-corner power and strong A-road overtaking potential. Tractors, beware. Let's start with the cheapest powertrain – small battery, front driven. It means acceleration that's less in absolute terms than, say, a 2.0-litre non-sporty petrol crossover, but the point is – as with any EV – it's always there for you. No waiting for turbo boost or downshifts. So it's adequate unless you're being ambitious up hills. Still, there's good dry road traction even in the FWD version and it resists understeer unless you heave it into a tight bend, where you suddenly feel the Ariya's mass. In faster corners it's got a nice neutral feel. On a motorway it sits stable and true. The steering is progressively weighted in the normal drive mode, and accurate. Sports mode has an inconsistent weighting. Neither has any feel for the tyre grip, but that's par for this kind of car. Nope. As with any other EV, neither max regeneration nor e-pedal will give you any more miles to play with: they're just different ways of accessing the same retardation. Even in coasting mode, pressing the brake pedal starts by giving regen, and then when that's used up it brings the pads onto the discs. The brake pedal is nice and progressive, the regeneration and friction blending seamlessly. You can also switch to e-pedal drive, Nissan's system for upping the regen to the extent you'll come to a full stop without touching the brakes at all. It's relaxing in town, as you don't have to shuffle your foot constantly. The 4WD one is neutral under power, and is more involving to carve through medium-speed corners than most rivals. You can feel each tyre doing its work, as it uses the torque vectoring to quell understeer. Besides, its steering and brakes have less rubbery slack than the class norm. The bigger battery one with four-wheel drive can tow a 1,500kg braked trailer, which is unusual for an EV. Can't imagine what that does to your range, mind. Noted. Is it comfy? The ride is quite like a Qashqai's: fairly taut, with a bit of high frequency spring. It copes well with most undulations, and the tyres are normally quiet. But it doesn't like sharp ridges or potholes. Nissan pioneered Level 2 driver assist (fancy cruise control) with its ProPilot system, and it's fitted as standard on all but the entry-level Engage trim. Works well, keeping the car in lane and following the vehicle in front. New tweaks include capacitive sensors in the steering wheel so it knows your hands are on: no need to give a little 'I'm here' twitch every 15 seconds or so. That's a relief. Indeed. Also the steering assistance is calibrated more naturally: if you're in the middle lane overtaking a truck, it will move slightly to the right to keep further away from the truck. The car will slow down when the navigation knows a sharper curve is coming up. Talking of long journeys the DC intake is a reasonably brisk 130kW, well able to take advantage of rapid chargers. The base car charges at 7kW on home AC or public points, which means flat to full overnight. But you'd never go quite flat. With the bigger battery that will take 13 hours. And anyway the big battery also comes with a 22kW on-board charger, cutting it to about four hours on a public three-phase AC socket, increasingly common in car parks. What about the fast one? Ah, you mean the Ariya Nismo. It's based on the dual motor AWD version of the Ariya, only power is up to 429bhp, an increase of 128 horses. Torque remains the same at 443lb ft but it gets a new 60:40 rear bias, while zero to 62mph is seen off in five seconds flat. The steering and suspension have also been retuned, with a new front stabiliser bar and stiffer springs (by three per cent at the front, 10 at the rear). The brakes remain standard, although the ABS has been recalibrated, which in tandem with the grippier Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres lowers stopping distances by eight per cent. Those tyres and the extra power give the range a good kicking though – you're down to 261 miles of WLTP here, and we got a disappointing 2.7 mi/kWh out of the car in mild weather, which works out at 235 miles of range. Not much to write home about then? The Nismo doesn't feel noticeably quicker than the regular dual motor Ariya, even in Nismo mode, which it needs to be in to unlock maximum power and the rear bias delivery. Nor does it offer any more dynamic engagement (or any more faux noise), so it's no more rewarding to drive. Hmm. And the ride – already quite firm on the standard car – is simply too harsh for a family crossover. It grips gamely round fast, flowing bends, aided by the fancy torque vectoring system, but it's very sensitive to road surfaces and prone to wheelspin. And you'll be quickly reminded that it's a 2.2-tonne behemoth if you throw it into a corner with too much gusto. At which point not upgrading the brakes feels like an oversight. Honestly, Nismo-Line might have been more apt.
