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Fuel forecourts have traditionally favoured petrol . But the rows of unleaded pumps could soon be replaced by black diesel ones, industry experts are warning – as derv is now more popular.
It has already outstripped petrol in litres sold, according to new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The SMMT says that motorists filled their cars with 25.5 billion litres of diesel last year – compared to 24 billion litres of petrol.
Bosses also predict registrations of diesel-powered vehicles will overtake those of petrol models by 2011 – another reason why forecourt layouts need a rethink.
Petrol Retailers Association chief Ray Holloway explained: “The ratio of diesel to petrol pumps no longer reflects the sale of the fuels. I am confident filling stations will have to change, but the huge investment required to install additional underground tanks is putting retailers off at present.”
He argued that there's even more competition for space at the pumps, too, as alternative and performance fuels become increasingly popular. Yet it's not hard to see why diesel models are booming. Our table (below) compares the cost of owning a Ford Focus in petrol and oil-burning guises.
Despite its higher list price, the diesel variant works out £117 cheaper to run over a year, when tax, fuel and retained value are considered. And the savings keep rising – after three years, the Focus TDCi will have cost £853 less to own. It also trumps the petrol car in terms of CO2 emissions, fuel consumption and power.
A Welsh businessman from Oxford has invested £34,400 to purchase the number plate WEL 5H.
The sought after plate went under the hammer at a DVLA Personalised Registrations auction held at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport , South Wales .
The purchaser, who wishes to remain anonymous, says he bought the plate to celebrate Wales ' Grand Slam rugby success and he intends to display the number on his new Mercedes CL 500 car.
WEL 5H was the first lot in a three day auction of 1500 distinctive registrations.
According to Damian Lawson, marketing manager for DVLA Personalised Registrations, "the plate sold for three times the expected value.
"And we had a nice little surprise for the lucky bidder. Joe Calzaghe helped us to promote our Welsh auction and kindly signed a number plate which we will be sending to the customer."
DVLA Personalised Registrations hold six auctions of their most distinctive registrations each year at prestigious locations around Britain .
Additionally, they offer a choice of more than 30 million registrations through their telesales scheme at fully inclusive prices starting from £250.
Full details of all registrations available can be found at dvlaregistrations.co.uk.
car faults
Britons are spending over £238m a year to fix faulty used car purchases.
Almost a third of used car buyers are failing to spot problems on the forecourt, leaving them with a lighter wallet and a financial headache.
According to research by RAC Vehicle Examinations, the faults on vehicles are often obvious with nearly a quarter of buyers who experience difficulties reporting mechanical problems within a month of ownership.
The survey also found that despite a lack of technical knowledge, only 29 per cent of car buyers paid for a professional vehicle examination and almost half of buyers spent less than half-an-hour carrying out checks on their potential purchase.
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