Lockdown gets Brits to embrace more sustainable lifestyle

Last week Auto Trader revealed new research that found two thirds (63%) of Brits are embracing and focussing on leading a more sustainable lifestyle as a result of the pandemic and prolonged lockdown.

The research found that one in five Brits (21%) is planning to stop using petrol and diesel cars and is considering purchasing an electric vehicle (EV) or alternative fuel vehicle (AFV). It also revealed that 60% of Auto Trader’s customers who don’t currently own an EV or AFV believe they will own one within the next five years.

Many Brits in the market for an electric car are looking forward to forecourts reopening next week as 60% of the 2,000 Brits surveyed say they would not make the leap to actually buy their first electric or alternative fuel vehicle without first seeing and trying the car.

Research carried out by the European Energy Agency found that, even when taking into account electricity generation, the carbon emissions of an electric car are around 17% to 30% lower than that of a petrol or diesel car.

Auto Trader also predicts that the sale of new AFVs could overtake new petrol and diesel cars by 2024.

While it accepts that new electric cars are more expensive to purchase than petrol models, with the average EV hatchback costing around £11,000 more than the average petrol hatchback, EVs are much cheaper to run. The cost to drive an electric car 100 miles is around £5 to £8, whereas in a diesel or petrol car it would cost between £14 and £17. Auto Trader has seen a five-fold rise in used electric cars, so it won’t be long before there are electric and alternative fuel vehicle options for drivers of all budgets.

Innovative new app stores important motoring documents

Pocket Box is a new free mobile app for motorists that securely stores and organises all of the paperwork associated with your vehicle and gives helpful reminders of key dates such as MOT and  road tax renewal dates, so you are not caught unaware.

The app is simple to use, and documents can either be uploaded digitally or scanned in with the camera on your mobile phone or smart device. All your car’s data is fully encrypted and stored with security protocols similar to online banking systems and can be accessed as and when required, without having to try and remember where you filed all those important bits of paperwork and documents.

The Pocket Box app works for any vehicle and helps you stay on top of key dates such as when your car’s MOT is due and road tax needs to be renewed. It also includes insurance, warranty and service reminders. If you have a few cars in your household, the multiple vehicles Pocket Box will help manage them all for you.

Newry tech entrepreneur Jim Finnegan, who founded the company said:

“It’s one of those problems that you don’t even think about until the moment that you need a document or miss a date – and then it’s an issue. Where did you “file” that particular piece of info or vehicle document? We’ve all done it. Pocket Box is designed to keep everything nice and handy, and secure! These days we use our phones for absolutely everything, so adding in the ability to manage all of the dates and documents for your vehicle seems like an easy step. You can use your smartphone’s camera to scan in your driving licence and other documents and the app will set up a list of tasks to ensure you stay roadworthy and legal”.

There have already been almost 10,000 downloads of the Pocket Box app which is free to download and available on both Google and Apple App stores. For more information, please visit www.pocketbox.co.uk.

Volta Zero continues European tour with Spanish debut

Leading full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer Volta Trucks is making its Spanish debut as it continues its tour of important, sustainability-focused European cities. Their visit to Spain follows successful French customer events, with more than 300 individual vehicle demonstrations that have taken place over the last month or so. To support their Spanish visit, Volta Trucks has just launched a new Spanish website: www.voltatrucks.com/es.