Company News from yesinsurance

This area of the site is dedicated to journalists. Enquiries from journalists should be directed to:

Paul Purdy at yesinsurance.co.uk

Tel: 01422 232528

Email: paul.purdy@yesinsurance.co.uk

Trevor Gardiner at Meridian Corporate Communications

Tel: 020 7736 1552

Email: trevor.gardiner@meridiangroup.co.uk

 

11 June 2008 Oil Crisis Spells End For Gas-Guzzlers, Says Motor Insurer

Researchers at yesinsurance.co.uk, the UK motor insurance provider, say that the combination of record petrol prices and the onset of an economic downturn are about to bring about a dramatic shift towards alternative-fuel vehicles - both among consumers and manufacturers.

"Latest SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) figures show that UK demand for gas-guzzling 4x4s fell by 18% in the year to May, with Land Rover sales down by 32%," said Paul Purdy of yesinsurance.co.uk.

"In America, where petrol costs around a third of the UK price, we are seeing manufacturers moving away from SUV production towards more fuel-efficient vehicles," he said.

The yesinsurance research says that there will be five significant changes in the UK motoring market over the next five to ten years:

• Fewer SUVs: Decreasing demand for SUVs and other gas-guzzling vehicles as the effects of high oil prices and worsening economic conditions bite deeper.
• Electric vehicles: A shift in the priorities of motor manufacturers towards the launch of a new range of electric vehicles.
• Battery replacement: The launch of battery replacement schemes at service stations, to replace refuelling with petrol.
• Diesel: Maintenance of demand for diesel-powered vehicles over the next three years (diesel accounted for almost 45% of the market in May, compared with just 15% in 1998). Longer term, a gradual decline in diesel and petrol usage as alternative fuels gain ground.
• Greater mix of fuel types: An increase in the mix of alternatively-fuelled vehicles on UK roads, with electric vehicles showing the fastest rate of growth.

"In April, UK demand for alternatively fuelled vehicles rose by 14.4% in the year-to-date. Longer-term we are expecting the rising cost of fuel to shift consumer and manufacturer attention to this sector of the market. Our research indicates that electric vehicles will be a significant growth area," said Paul Purdy.

"Nissan plans to launch a battery-powered car in the US in 2010 and by 2012 Renault-Nissan will be providing a complete range of electric vehicles in every large car market," he said.

Whilst battery-powered vehicles are zero-emission, they depend partly on electricity generated by power stations. However, the insurer says that total emissions from this source will be much lower, as a mix of wind, wave and nuclear technology, rather than fossil fuels, will be behind much of the increase in electricity generation.

"Advances in technology indicate that manufacturers will soon be producing batteries that considerably extend the range of miles that can be driven on one charge," said Paul Purdy.

"We consequently expect to see the introduction of battery replacement schemes, where drivers replace their batteries with freshly charged ones at service stations, rather than filling up with petrol," he said.

The insurer says that whilst the general level of risk is expected to be similar to that for conventional vehicles, the introduction of electric vehicles could lead to an increase in the number of accidents with pedestrians, due to the quietness of the engine. Manufacturers will consequently need to find a way of generating sound that can warn people that a vehicle is approaching.

Overall repair costs are likely to be slightly higher when the sector first takes off, but longer term are expected to be as good, if not better, than those for conventional petrol-driven vehicles.

"The demise of the petrol engine will be the equivalent of moving from steam to electric trains," said Paul Purdy.

14 May 2008Big Rise In Thefts Of Catalytic Converters From Cars, Says Insurer

A large increase in thefts of catalytic converters from cars has been reported by insurer yesinsurance.co.uk.

"Catalytic converters are attractive to criminals because they are expensive, easy to access and contain rare metals such as platinum, which have been rocketing in price recently," said Paul Purdy of yesinsurance.co.uk. (more...)

25 March 2008Next Weekend's Clock Change Should Be Permanent, According To Research

Latest research on road accidents suggests that this coming weekend should be the last time Britain changes its clocks, according to one of the UK's leading motor insurers. (more...)

11 March 2008Insurer Disputes Research On Phone Use By Drivers

Latest Department of Transport figures which show a reduction in the number of drivers using mobile phones, are giving a misleading impression that road safety is improving, according to a statement issued today by motor insurer yesinsurance.co.uk. (more...)

22 January 2008Motorcycles Now Over 50 Times As Dangerous As Cars, Says Motor Insurer

Latest figures show that road accidents kill almost half as many motorcycle riders as car drivers and passengers, even though motorcycles account for less than 4% of vehicles on Britain's roads, according to motor insurer yesinsurance.co.uk. (more...)

11 December 2007 UK Should Move Clocks Forward To Cut Winter Road Deaths

UK road deaths could be cut by 6% - around 200 people a year - if we put clocks forward rather than back each winter, according to figures released today by insurer yesinsurance.co.uk. (more...)

27 November 2007 Drivers Waste £395 On Fuel Says Insurer

Drivers in the UK are wasting an average of £375 a year on fuel and emitting an extra 1 tonne of CO2 into the atmosphere through inefficient driving, according to a statement issued today by car insurer yesinsurance.co.uk. (more...)

7 November 2007 Fire Engines Should Be Yellow, Says Insurer

A call for UK fire engines to be painted yellow rather than red was issued today by insurance provider yesinsurance.co.uk. (more...)

23 October 2007Black Set To Replace Silver As Most Popular Car Colour

Latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) indicate that research conducted at the end of last year, which predicted that black would replace silver as the most popular car colour, is beginning to come true. (more...)

2 October 2007UK Should Take Lead From Arnie On Phones And Driving, Says Insurer

A new law preventing teenage motorists from using a mobile phone whilst driving, which was introduced last month by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, should be adapted for use in the UK, according to car insurer, yesinsurance.co.uk. (more...)

18 September 2007Hands-Free Phones Can Be As Dangerous As Drink-Driving, Says Insurer

Up to 8 million drivers in the UK may be taking risks that can equal those of drink-driving, simply by using hands-free mobile phones, according to car insurer, yesinsurance.co.uk. (more...)

14 August 2007Research Shows That 80% Of Drivers Break Law On Motorway Speeding

Research published today indicates that 80% of UK drivers break the law on motorway speeding when driving their car, with men being far more likely to do this than women. (more...)

31 July 2007Insurer Launches Lift Sharing Scheme

As part of its drive to encourage greener motoring, insurance provider yesinsurance.co.uk today launches a campaign to encourage motorists to share their cars. (more...)

20 March 2007 Research Shows Men And Women Disagree Over Who Is Best Driver

Research published today by online insurance provider yesinsurance.co.uk reveals that men think they are better drivers than women – even though statistics prove the opposite. (more...)

13 March 2007 Insurer Publishes Top Tips For Buying A Used Car

Online insurance provider yesinsurance.co.uk today publishes a list of 10 top tips for purchasing a used car. (more...)

20 February 2007Marathon Runners To Battle Fire And Ice As Global Warming Campaign Launches

A new campaign against global warming is launched today (20 February), as its two founders set off to compete in temperatures ranging from +40C down to -30C in the world’s hottest and coldest marathons – in the Sahara and at the North Pole. (more...)

23 January 2007Red Cars Are Safest — And Most Dangerous — Says Research

Research undertaken among 4,000 UK motorists last month by insurance provider yesinsurance.co.uk reveals confusion among drivers about which car colours are the safest. Red was voted as both the safest and most dangerous colour. (more...)

16 January 2007Insurer To Perform First Major Test Of Safety Camera Warning System

The UK’s first full-scale test of the benefits of an in-car safety camera and accident blackspot warning system is being launched on 1st February by insurance provider yesinsurance.co.uk. (more...)

9 January 2007Black Is The New Silver, Says Research On Car Colours

Whilst silver is currently the most popular colour for new cars, research conducted last month among 4,000 UK motorists reveals that it may soon be replaced by black. (more...)

05 December 2006 "Avoid New Cars," Says Insurer

For most British drivers, buying a new car is a waste of money, according to a warning issued today by insurance provider, yesinsurance.co.uk.

The company says that the immediate depreciation which a car suffers when it is driven away from the showroom, which can be up to 15% of its initial value, means that the purchaser will always make a large financial loss when they eventually come to sell it. (more...)

07 November 2006 Stern Review Prompts Insurer To Boost Support For Hybrid Vehicles

Following the launch last week of the Stern review on climate change, online insurance provider, yesinsurance.co.uk, announced today that it is increasing its contribution to the UK's first cashback scheme to encourage greener driving, which it launched last month. (more...)

01 November 2006 Research reveals drivers think their cars are human

Over half the UK population think of their car as being of a particular sex and 17% go as far as to name it, according to research results released today.

Conducted among 4,000 UK drivers by online insurer, yesinsurance.co.uk, the research reveals that over a third (36%) of the UK population think their car is female, whilst 16% say it is male.

One in twenty women say that they have given their car a name, compared with one in ten men. (more...)

04 October 2006 Research says Brits like to say "Yes"

Research conducted among 4,000 people at the end of last month by car insurer, yesinsurance.co.uk, reveals a staggering 68 per cent of Brits have had sex in a car, whilst an overwhelming 81 per cent of couples have set out on the journey of love, but have restrained themselves before going the whole distance. (more...)

03 October 2006 Insurer Launches Cashback Scheme for Hybrid Vehicles

The UK’s first cashback scheme to encourage greener driving is launched next week by the online insurance provider, yesinsurance.co.uk.

The scheme, which launches on Monday 11 September, provides a £40 incentive for owners of hybrid vehicles who take out motor insurance with yesinsurance.co.uk.

Half of the £40 incentive will be paid back to the driver of the hybrid vehicle, whilst the other half will be donated to the carbon offsetting organisation Climate Care. (more...)

01 September 2006 40% Motor Insurance Price Rises Will Encourage Shift to Online Insurers

23 August 2006 Long Tail Theory Will Benefit Personal Finance Sector

08 August 2006 Insurer Lists Tips for Environmental Driving