Automotive

No other kind of transport yet matches the private car for convenience. This is the main reason why the congestion problem won’t go away. We can manage the problem but, to reduce or get rid of it entirely seems impossible. Experts suggest it’s time for a congestion charge. But is there a more creative way to limit congestion? Read More

Did you know car recalls in Australia have tripled in 7 years to 2019? Manufacturers recalled some 230 vehicles in 2019, not including the Takata airbag crisis. Have we lost the ability to manufacture quality cars? If a brand new car still has loose wheel nuts, is it safe to buy a new car? Read More

Around a quarter of Australian drivers now record all their car trips on dashcams. Their main reason for using them is to help with any future insurance claims. Around half want to be able to report road rage and incidents while their cars are parked. Since road rage and bad driving seem to be increasing, it looks like dashcam use will too. Read More

Sales of new vehicles in Australia have been tumbling for 18 consecutive months. This means car dealers really have to know what their customers want when buying a car. A recent survey suggests they could learn more about their needs and the channels they prefer to use. For example, are we actually ready to buy cars online? Read More

Do you know the total costs of owning your car? Royal Automobile Association (RAA) says the average weekly cost of running a car in 2019 is $228, up from $218 in 2018. While most people need their vehicle only 5% of the time, it still costs them around $12,000 a year. Read More

Australians pay more than $1.4 million in interest on car loans every day and owe $148 billion in consumer debt. They borrowed more than $8 billion in 2017 alone to buy new cars, mostly SUVs and light commercials. Now the shine is going off both car sales and car debt. Read More

There was a time when all cars ran on combustion engines, we all desired to own one and we drove our own exclusively. All that is changing. Private car sales in all western countries will plateau and plummet. Transport will transform. Peak Car is the time when many people will finally get out of their cars. Read More

Would you give up using your car in exchange for travel credit? A local trial in the UK is about to find out. It’s a subtle, typically British move towards nudging cars off the road. Many cities in the world have already moved towards car bans, for example, Vancouver has already met its 2020 active transit target. Meanwhile, Sydney has done nothing. Read More

Buying a new car is a very different process from what it used to be. Online shopping sites have not only put retailers out of business, but created new expectations about how we buy cars. In Australia, there are 3,500 dealerships, some owned by families and some by larger businesses. Is there still a role for the dealership? Read More

If we were not influenced by car ads, the industry would not pay for them. It’s the fourth largest spender in Australia on TV advertising ($341.5 million in 2016). However, some ads walk a fine line between promoting an exciting car and encouraging speeding or reckless driving. This is where the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) steps in. Read More