Car Salvage

The coalition government has been accused of shying away from investment that is vital to the development of greener car technology by a leading motor expert.

Ben Lane, managing director of WhatGreenCar, claimed that the government had back-tracked from what it had initially committed for the cause of manufacturing vehicles which have a lower rate of carbon emissions.

He said: "I am disappointed that the coalition is only guaranteeing £43 million for consumer grants, when the original announcement was for £230 million."

"The original amount, which would have subsided over 40,000 vehicles, was a highly significant game-changer."

His comments follow in the wake of announcement made by the Department for Transport that it would part-fund purchases of greener vehicles in order to boost the uptake of newer environmentally-friendly technology.

The government will be providing a grant of up to as much as £5,000 to motorists who are looking to buy either an all-electric car, or a plug-in hybrid vehicle or even one that is powered by hydrogen.

Salvaged car drivers who indulge in a spot or two of motor repairing will gain from attending the National Restoration Show.

Packed with rare car parts and all the modern tools, car enthusiasts will no doubt pick some valuable advice and tips while mingling in the crowds.

Those who are involved in long-time projects of restoring classic cars may come across that vital missing part at the event, which boasts a varied stock of car parts.

Also on display will be on-going car projects by several motoring clubs, with friendly experts on the side brimming with helpful knowledge regarding a particular car brand.

The event will also provide visitors a chance to sell their own car for a nominal fee of £30. It is set to take place on at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, on Sunday October 24th.

This year Beaulieu will be organising the International Autojumble on the grounds of the National Motor Museum.

A brand new innovation in bearings is set to revolutionise power steering in electric vehicles (EPS).

Developed by motor specialists Nexteer Automotive, the polyamide eccentric rack bearing claims better NVH performance than the yoke-styled bearings.

The innovation forms part of the experts’ consistent efforts towards helping manufacturers lower the carbon emission generated by their vehicles.

Nexteer has recommended that using electric power steering rather than a hydraulic system would significantly reduce emissions.

Laurent Bresson, Nexteer Automotive’s executive director for Europe, said: "Our eccentric rack bearing recently entered production in the EPS system for the premium B-segment Citroen DS3.

"The eccentric rack bearing is compatible with all our EPS systems that are based on a rack and pinion gear, whether it’s single-pinion, dual-pinion or belt-drive. We expect other applications to follow."

In other news, auto parts manufacturer Fuso introduced the first double-clutch transmission designed for commercial vehicles.

Fear over a steering-related problem has led Toyota to recall 348 units of the older Land Cruiser Amazon model.

The Japanese auto manufacturer announced that the defect is only likely to be encountered in a small number of cars.

Buyers looking to buy a used Land Cruiser Amazon should check whether the salvaged car was manufactured between July of 2002 and September of 2006 or not. It was during that time period that Toyota produced the faulty vehicles.

Owners will be instructed to take their vehicles to their nearest Toyota service centres where the defective parts will be replaced with improved ones at no extra cost to the owner. The repair session is estimated to take only two hours and drivers have been urged by the manufacturer not to overlook the problem.

Recently, Toyota announced that its sale figures for Prius in Europe had hit 200,000 reflecting the growing uptake of greener car technology.

A revision of the pricing system has led to uncertainties in iron-ore market with producers and consumers trying to find a better replacement model.

Cliff Natural Resources is presently amid talks with consumers in order to finalise how they would like to pay for the important raw material, reported Bloomberg.

In recent times, BHP Billiton Ltd has moved for a shift from annual fixed prices to contract-based costing. This would allow the company to benefit from rising prices of coal and iron-ore sooner rather than later.

Car salvage breakers have to keep an eye out to see how these cost fluctuations affect the price of steel in the near future.

As of 10:00 (BST) on July 29th the asking price for steel was registered at $458 per MT, reflecting a slip from the prices quoted earlier this week.

In the meantime, aluminium recorded an asking price of $2,059.00 per MT, while Tin was available for $19,410.00 per MT.

Earlier this week, tin peaked to its highest level since the sale prices of September 2008.