Unfortunately there is actually only one vehicle, the Mitsubishe MIEV supermini, that is close to becoming readily available. A Government sponsored trial is about to commence with 25 drivers using the MIEV daily on British roads.

There were over 3000 applicants to take part in this trial, clearly very popular. There has been so much interest that Mitsubishi have ordered another 500 cars for 2010.

There is so much confidence in this model that both Peugeot and Citroen have signed agreements to sell the electric motors with their badges on them.

One of the key selling points of the MIEV is economy. At standard electricity rates it costs just 96p (about $1.6) to fully charge the battery. A fully charged battery will enabley the MIEV to travel between 80 and 100 miles. This enables the MIEV to travel 12,000 miles for only £115 ($183).

Another feature of the MIEV that often draws comment is how it travels silently. There have been concerns raised by road safety campaigners including advocates for the blind and elderly.

If you have never encountered an electric car before you’d be excused for expecting the performance and speed of a golf buggy. But the MIEV is capable of a top speed of 87mph, easily fast enough for any of Britains roads. But be warned, travelling at speed will quickly deplete the electricity supply.

The future for motoring is looking increasingly electric. The future looks like our roads will be full of silent, battery powered cars plugging into lamp posts to refuel on cheap electricity.

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The second hand car market is one of the few parts of the motoring industry that has grown because of the recession. The prices of second hand cars have been doing the opposite to many things in the recession, they have been rising. This may not sound very positive for the customer because you will have to pay more for used cars for sale, however, if you choose to trade in your old car, you will get alot more money for it than previously.

The main reason why the second hand car market is becoming so busy is that many people are trying to save their cash, while still having a car. In an attempt to do this, they opt for buying a second hand car rather than a brand new one. One recent thing that definately hasn’t helped the position of the new car market is that due to the recession, new car prices have actually gone up. You’d think that would be the last thing car manufacturers would want to do, however, because the current exchange rates are so poor, manufacturers are forced to raise prices.

As a result of more people opting for used cars, the demand for these second hand cars has seen a dramatic rise. As the demand for second hand motors rise, plus with the scrappage scheme resulting in more scrapped cars, the job of finding a good used car is becoming harder. Now because used car dealers are running out of cars to sell, they are offering more for trading in a car, making it sound like a better deal for car owners looking to sell.

The only downside to this is that because you are getting more money for your old car, you are having to pay more when you buy your new used car. So because the price rises are on both sides, selling and buying, you are not actually getting any extra cash for your car because you lose it when you buy a new one, but the majority of the public would still prefer to buy a second hand motor rather than a buy a Toyota straight off the production line.

The only people that look to lose out from the price rises are the customers that choose to not trade in an old car.

The largest operator of public car parks in the United Kingdom, Park Rite, say that the dimensions of parking spaces need to relate to the vehicles that the space is intended for. The current standard suggests that bays are 2.4m wide and 4.8m long. But many of todays popular cars, especially four wheel drive and people carriers, will only just fit into this space leaving no room for doors to be opened easily.

There have been reports that some car park operators have purposely made some of their parking spaces narrower in order to squeeze more vehicles into their car parks. Some of the worst offenders are reported to be certain hospital car parks, some supermarkets and some long-stay airport parking lots. There have been reports of people unable to get into their cars due to adjacent vehicles being parked so close.

So, is the problem due to the standard dimensions of parking bays or is it due to the increase in vehicle dimensions? A common and popular 4 wheel drive vehicle is the Toyota Rav4. This common four wheel drive car has a width of 1.815m, without its mirrors. If we allow around 35cm for the wing mirrors this brings the width up to 1.85m. In a parking space of 2.4m width this would leave only 0.55m or only 0.275m on either side. This leaves very little space for getting into and out of the vehicle.

The problem is worse when the car has particularly long doors, as is the case for many of today’s 3 door vehicles. The popular Renault Clio 3 Door, with its mirrors, is 2.025m. In a regular 2.4m space this would leave only 0.375m or only about 0.19m on each side for opening the doors and getting into and out of the car.

It looks like the problem is really down to the size of the cars that people are driving so perhaps car park operators need to take this into account when marking out their parking bays.

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Top Tip: Make the most of your trip by spending a night in an airport hotel before your flight. And why not enjoy the hospitality of an airport lounge before you fly.