Latest Auto News, Updates , New Car Reviews at Air Pirates

There are many reasons why any of us can benefit from green cars, particularly in Australia, but when it gets down to it, the reality is that green cars are just not appearing in use like they are in other countries around the world. From lower running costs, getting lower car insurance quotes and knowing that your car is not a part of eating up our planet, there are many reasons to turn to green cars, but lets look at some of the reasons why they are not being used in much in Australia.

Lacking real government support. It was only in in late 2008 when the Australian Government increased the GCIF (Green Car Investment Fund) from 500 million dollars to 1.3 billion dollars, running over 9 years. However, now that we are in 2011, it is a completely different story. It was cut by 200 million in the 2011 budget, leaving 790 million unallocated. With another recent cut, the funding pool has fallen to 590 million – of which a large proportion has apparently been allocated although this information is not being disclosed.

Poor design by government – on purpose? The reality is that the Australian Government’s funding scheme GCIF has been badly and poorly designed. Perhaps it was made to look and sound good, but the reality is that it has attracted only a small number of allocations – because the application criteria has excluded many companies, particularly those who could not afford the start-up investment cost. What we have seen is so-called commitment on paper, that is being slashed, and then it is still not a real option for many companies. There is no point to make a big deal about funding, and then make it practically an impossibility for most of the companies to get it.

No consumer incentive. What are the incentives that the Australian government is offering to consumers? Australia is rapidly falling behind many countries in the world. The government could be offering a range of subsidies to industry, and offering a variety of cash-back programs or tax incentives for car related products such as car insurance and registration. Is it happening? Simple answer, no.

High cost. The cost of eco-friendly cars is still drastically high in Australia and it is not even a matter of choice for the average Australian family – whom just does not have 40,000 dollars to spend on a car. Australia is becoming an eco-car backwater.

Hybrid only. The only cars that we are really seeing on the market are hybrids. Compared to other countries, Australia is falling far behind. All of these cars are small and they are only useful if you live in a city and then you should probably use public transport or a bicycle.

Read the rest of this entry »

We all are aware on how the dollar in the United States and the dollar in Australia is almost the same; however, the cost of the cars in Australia are way more expensive than the cars in the United States. Most of the Australians know why they cost more and why a car loan is often necessary, but others, especially the tourists, always wonder why the cars in Australia cost a lot of money. This question is often asked by people around the world, as the cars in Australia are said to probably be the most expensive in the entire world. The price of cars in Australia are actually 3 times more than the cars in America, which is why it has become a very asked question lately. A Lexus LS460 costs about $66,230 in the United Stated, while it costs about $191, 200 in Australia. The difference is very big despite the fact that the dollar in the U.S. and Australia happen to be the exact same.

Why Do Cars Cost More In Australia?

-Taxes

One of the main reasons why the cars in Australia are way more expensive than the cars in other places is that Australians happens to pay much more taxes compared to the other people in different countries. Australia actually has a very small market, as they only have about a million every year for their vehicle market, while the United Stated has over 13 million every single year. Essentially, you will just get a certain discount when you buy in volume. Australia also places lots of tax on luxury cars, and they are well known for imposing lots of tax cars.

-Wages

People in Australia also get paid way more than the people in the United States, which means the cars aren’t really expensive for the people in Australia. The average Australian makes about $56,950 every year, while the average American would only make about $46,326 every year. The cars are more expensive since Australians are paid more. Surprisingly, over 50% of the people in America are actually getting paid less than $50,000, which is why their cars happens to be much cheaper than the cars in Australia.

-Quality and Reliable Cars

The cars in Australia are also very expensive because they are reliable and are also made with quality. The reason why the cars in America are cheap is that, they often aren’t very reliable. The cars in Australia really have much higher and reliable standard equipment, which is why they cost much more in Australia. Even if the cars in the United States are cheaper, they aren’t as reliable as the cars in Australia, which is why they are worth more.

So, if you were wondering why the cars in Australia cost more than most countries, then the information above must have answered those questions. Even though the dollar in the United States and Australia are pretty much the same, the two countries still have very huge differences when it comes to the cars they sell. Australia has more reliable cars and the people there also get paid more than the Americans do and so, their cars end up becoming more expensive.

With the added pressures now-a-days on the average driver to sell their cars and go green I discuss why you should go green rather than use an SUV or gas-guzzling monster and a few tips to help make your driving greener.

Firstly, I aren’t talking about going zero emissions with an electric car although many more people are now doing this, especially in busy cities like London where electric cars do not pay the emissions tax in the centre.

Choosing Hybrid Cars?

If you were to think of a hybrid car what would you be thinking? I immediately think of the Toyota Prius I don’t know why but I do. The Toyota Prius is not the best looking car in the world and is definitely not a head turner but it can do some impressive things.

They will guarantee you over 60 miles to the gallon which on an 8.80 gallon (40 litre) tank which would give you over 500 miles to a tank is impressive, especially with the way petrol prices are rising. Some people are even using biodiesel to power their cars. This is still good for the environment.

Service Your Car

Keeping any car serviced and properly maintained is a good way to keep your emissions down if you are looking at keeping your run around rather than buying a new car. If you keep the engine tuned correctly you will also keep the optimum power for your vehicle. Basic services involve air filters, oil filters, spark plugs and changing the oil. Some people do this themselves and some opt to use a garage.

Making sure you have the right tyre pressure is a good idea too as this will help you maintain the life of your tyres. Over or under inflated tyres will have a wearing effect on different parts of your tyres so if you notice this then you should do something about it. The right tyre pressure also uses less fuel so you will be saving in the long run.

Alter Your Driving Style

Altering your driving style may also be a factor when it comes to greener driving. Accelerating and braking harshly accounts for a high amount of fuel consumption. This can be combatted with nice clean smooth acceleration and braking. This will allow you to maintain control of the vehicle better too and, with both harsh acceleration and braking, tyre wear will decrease too.

Green Cars - the Differences

So we have biodiesel, Hybrid and electric cars now-a-days. There are many differences between them all.

• Biodiesel is the name used for fatty acid alkyl esters. They use such things as: virgin vegetable oil; animal fats; algae; recycled oils. These vehicles do release more nitrous oxides than normal diesel cars.
• Plug in hybrids (PHEV) are vehicles that have additional battery power that can be used to get better fuel economy and will work on electric power alone. They do still use petrol too.
• Electric cars are generally used for local travelling as the ranges on the latest are around 100 miles. These are plugged in to charge the internal batteries. Although there are not many filling stations for electric cars there are more becoming available.

Read the rest of this entry »

We have all heard how the value of a brand new car drops by thousands of dollars as soon as it’s driven off the showroom floor. It is an unfortunate fact that the value of all vehicles will depreciate as the years go by, unless you have been lucky enough to purchase a car that becomes a collector’s item. Different makes and models depreciate at varying rates as well. It can have a significant impact on the total cost of owning a vehicle over its lifetime, making depreciation something that you need to factor in when buying a new vehicle. Just like when shopping around for car insurance, you should do some research before handing over your hard-earned dollars on a car that will disappoint when it comes to selling it down the track. Here are some tips on how to beat depreciation, or at least minimise its effect on your vehicle.

Buy second-hand

A model that is only one or two years old should cost thousands less than the original price but will come with the benefits of having travelled low kilometres and still be covered by a manufacturer’s warranty. Look for demo models as well – these are vehicles car dealers have allocated for customers to test drive and quite often they have travelled very few kilometres.

Look for sales and specials

Buying a vehicle that is “drive away, no more to pay” can save you plenty of cash. It means the dealer pays the on-road costs such as registration, stamp duty and delivery fees. End-of-year runouts and superseded models are quite often good buys as well.

Do some research

Studies have shown that cars lose on average around 14% of their value in their first year and a similar amount in their second and third years. After that it can be up to 8% per year. So when considering which car to buy, it pays to do a comparison of their depreciation value. There are plenty of websites around that offer advice and figures.

Optimise the resale value

When it comes to selling your car, it’s obvious that you want the best price. So it makes sense that the vehicle is in the best condition possible. So consider these points:
Read the rest of this entry »

The technology that goes into vehicles has changed a lot over the last 20-30 years and we have seen massive improvements such as the shift from cassette player to digital radios and CD players capable of housing six or more CDs at a time! Other changes include a massive shift towards making the vehicles safer than ever and of course the big move into the eco-friendly market.

So where is the shift going to be in the next ten or so years?

Green, Green, Green!

The market is still very much heading in the direction of making cars as eco-friendly as possible. The problem at the moment is that electric vehicles run at incredibly slow speeds and you have to charge them up on a regular basis. They are great for the city dweller but rubbish for someone that needs to drive across the country on business all of the time. There are a couple of vehicles out there that use both petroleum and electricity (Hybrid cars) they are still in need of some work before the masses start to think about them. The shift on these vehicles is only going to be pushed further and you should expect to see more and more of them appearing on roads.

Flying?

Those of you that expected the cars from Back to the Future Part II to start appearing on the roads will be disappointed to hear that this isn’t likely to happen anytime soon. The fact is that implementing cars like this isn’t impossible but it would have a massive impact on the airline industry (an industry that already took a massive hit in the last recession). A lot of governments make a lot of money from the travel companies and it doesn’t make sense for them to do it. You would also have the problem of hundreds of cars flying to the same destination and trying to land, an air traffic control nightmare! I really wish that my car leasing car had the ability to fly!

Autonomous Cars

Although having a car do all of the work for you might sound like a ridiculous idea if you look into this in more detail you will see that a vehicle has already been created. The idea, funded by Google has already produced a car that can work without any need for human operation. The car simply needs to be told where to go and will take anyone within to the destination. Due to the fact the car has sensors in the front and back you will find that crashing is impossible! Imagine if you could get a fast lease car to drive itself!

What do you think will be coming in the near future for car owners?

• UK drivers can save an average of £348 on their car insurance

• £25 savings enough to convince almost a quarter of drivers to switch policies

Moneysupermarket.com, the leading price comparison website in the UK has found that almost a quarter (around 22 per cent) of drivers in the UK would be willing to switch insurance policies for as small a saving as £25.

It was also found in the research that £78 would be the tipping point for 25 per cent of drivers, since most of them would remarkably prefer not to shop around for the cheapest car insurance at Moneysupermarket when renewal date arrives.

Image courtesy of Mukumbura via flickr creative commons

The average saving that would sway most drivers was found to be £54.33, which sits below the national average for 18-34-year-olds, who wouldn’t switch unless they could save more than £61.77. Over 55s, on the other hand, would be tempted by £50.33 as a saving on their premiums. In London, drivers would not be happy until they could save at least £71.88 on their insurance, but drivers in the south west would settle for £43.04.

Moneysupermarket conducted the research to compare its results to the average saving a driver in the UK can make with today’s prices; the total currently sits at a staggering £348 per policy.

The car insurance expert at MoneySupermarket.com, Pete Harrison, added his thoughts on the matter: “British motorists are really feeling the financial strain and are desperately looking for ways to cut costs, so its unsurprising our research has found one in five drivers are only looking for savings of £25 on their car insurance premiums to justify the move to a better value premium.

“Those drivers who are unconvinced of the merits of shopping around, and automatically renew their car insurance, could achieve above and beyond their desired saving by taking the time to scour the market. The average saving to be made by searching the car insurance market online at MoneySupermarket is £348, so motorists could in fact save themselves £293 more, certainly a welcome surprise to those who doubt the savings that can be made.”

Moneysupermarket also found that only 2 per cent of drivers would switch to get better customer service, 7 per cent would switch to be eligible for cash back offers, vouchers and extra cover and approximately 70 per cent, as expected, would switch if a significant saving was available on their premiums.

Pete Harrison added: “With motoring costs continuing to rise, and the price of car insurance making up a high percentage of that cost, it makes sense that getting a cheaper deal is the main motivation for drivers to switch their car insurance.

“Drivers can help to mitigate these costs by getting online and comparing policies to see what prices are on offer, It only takes a few minutes, so consumers should do their research to find the best deal for their situation and make the switch to start saving.”

The internet is so good for buying so many things. If you need an electrical item it is normally the first place you think of looking, and if you wanted to buy a house, most people would first look on the internet., One area though that you might not imagine is best for buying when it comes to the internet is caravans, but you would be wrong. Despite the fact that caravans have a reputation of being something that the older generation buys, this is something that is changing all the time. Now seen as an excellent lifestyle decision, owning a caravan has become very popular indeed.

If you own a caravan, this says that you are ready to leave your abode and indeed your life at any given time, and you don’t mind the ideas of dropping everything and travelling into the distance. In other words, it is an exciting thing to own and it gives you the appearance of being daring.

Whether or not that is true, you can have a lot of fun once you own one. Finding Caravans for sale is so easy. You only have to run a quick search on the internet and you will find thousands which means you will have a great choice in terms of style and price. Buying one of them is really going to release you from your safe and staid life and allow you to discover the open road and the beautiful country that you live in!