Growth in Car Registrations
UK new car registrations grew by 26.2% in February as 74,441 new cars joined Britain’s roads, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
While February is typically low volume ahead of the March plate change, this year it marked the seventh month of consecutive growth as easing supply chain shortages steered the market closer to pre-pandemic levels, down just -6.5% on the same month in 2020.
Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) recorded the most significant growth of all fuel types, up 40.0%, followed by petrol, up 35.8% with a 56.9% market share, while diesel registrations fell by -7.0%. Zero emission capable vehicles, meanwhile, continued their upward trend, with plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) rising 1.0% and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) posting another strong month, up 18.2% to account for one in six new UK car registrations.
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£7 million tech fund to decarbonise freight and boost innovation
The Department for Transport has announced a £7million fund for innovative technology to decarbonise freight and improve transport links. The funding will allow scaling up and rolling out of innovative technology across the industry.
The freight innovation fund is being awarded to up to 36 small and medium-sized enterprises. They will work with industry-leading companies, to develop innovations to make freight more efficient, resilient and greener. As well as ways to improve how freight moves between rail, road and maritime.
The fund will allow innovators to test their ideas and ways of working to unlock effiencies and emissions reductions across the sector.
Roads Minister Richard Holden said: "This fund will accelerate new ideas and technologies, helping to develop a future pipeline of innovations that can be rolled out to create jobs and allow everyone to get their goods faster and easier."
Some more national news and views which you may find of interest:
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