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Manufacturers report 2013 sales boom

CAR MANUFACTURERS are reporting strong surges in sales for 2013, with one mainstream brand up by more than 55%. So far Ford, Vauxhall, Skoda, MG, Lexus, Renault, Audi and Mercedes have all reported excellent sales performance, with Mercedes having passed the 100,000 registrations per year mark for the first time in the UK. Largely thanks to the introduction of the Dacia brand this year, the Renault Group has seen a 55.3% rise in sales, to 63,319 units.

Support For Fuel Duty Pothole Plan

MORE than four in five people would support a plan in which money raised from fuel duty was used to repair potholed roads, research has found. Support is highest in eastern England, Wales and Yorkshire and Humberside, according to a survey by the Local Government Association (LGA). The LGA said the Treasury got £33 billion a year from fuel duty, while the Government was spending just under £2 billion a year on maintaining and improving roads over the next five years.

Video: Tesla Model S Alpha undergoes on-track testing

The electric-car wizards at Tesla have released a sneak peek of the upcoming Tesla Model S Alpha undergoing on-track drive testing. The video provides a quick glimpse of three eerily quiet sedans, but not much more. Scintillating it's not, but it's nice to see the Model S Alpha sedan getting closer to production.