It is never a given that the price of a gadget includes the battery.

But in the world of car dealers, it seems selling the battery separately from the car it will power is a bad idea.

“Buying the car and leasing the battery would add confusion,” explains Simon Thomas, senior vice president, sales and marketing, at Nissan International.

The Japanese carmaker hopes to steal a march on its rivals in the race towards electric motoring when its Leaf electric car hits the road later this year.

So Nissan has ditched an earlier idea of leasing the battery to address any concerns about their life and quality.

“We didn’t think it was the right model for consumers,” said Mr Thomas.

Instead, the company has announced the on-the-road prices it will charge for its first electric car when it goes on sale in Europe later this year.

In most markets in Europe, the Leaf will cost less than 30,000 euros – in the UK the price will be £23,350 – once various government subsidies have been taken into account.

There might be areas when driving where you can scrimp and save but car insurance is not one of them. However, it doesn’t have to break the bank you just need to be clever about it.

Always shop around. I am sure when you took out car insurance for the first time, you looked for the best deal, so why not now. Don’t assume that your current insurances will offer you the best deal.

You will also save money by buying online. There are lots of websites that compare different companies, allowing you to enter your details only once and look for the best quote.

Go back to basics – when you buy a new car, think about the engine size. The faster and bigger the car, the higher the insurance premiums.

If you can park your car on a driveway or in a garage you will bring down the quote. Those that reduce the risk of damage to their car are rewarded with cheaper insurance. So make sure you have an alarm or immobiliser fitted, keep your mileage as low as possible – perhaps walk to the corner shop and make sure the car is always locked, it only takes a second for a thief to pounce.

If you are a safe and careful driver, you could consider upping the excess. If you agree to a higher excess, it can reduce you premiums by hundreds.

Natasha Simper of Britannia Driving School said: “Although we all like to save a few pounds, it is important not to compromise on adequate cover. It might seem like a good idea not to take out legal cover or protection for claims against uninsured drivers, but in the end it will cost you a fortune financially and emotionally.”

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Pass plus is aimed a new drivers to improve their driving, make them safe and skilful drivers and to gain more experience.

The DSA (Driving Standards Agency) along with insurance companies and driving instructors feel that although a new driver has the competence to pass the test, it would benefit them to take pass plus and deal with new situations.

There is no test to complete the pass plus, the instructor will assess your driving throughout and grade you.

The course is divided into six modules and they are listed as followed:

Driving around town

Complex junctions, public transport and lots of starting and stopping to contend with…

Assessed on: Observation and judgement / Consideration for other road users / Spatial awareness / Typical features of urban roads

All Weather driving

Come rain, snow, mist or sunshine you need to be prepared.

Assessed on: Vision – see and be seen / Skidding and avoidance / Speed and stopping distances

Countryside

Watch out for the tractors and the horses…

Assessed on: Rural hazards such as sharp bends and narrow lanes / Overtaking / Observation skills

Night time driving

Can you see me?

Assessed on: Vehicle lighting and use / Speed and stopping distances / Visibility / Parking

Dual Carriageways

Check your signs – are you travelling at the correct speed.

Assessed on: Joining, turning & leaving / Forward Planning / Overtaking

Motorways

The dreaded motorway…

Assessed on: Joining & leaving / Forward Planning and observation / Overtaking / Breakdowns and safety

Natasha Simper of Britannia Driving School said: “Britannia offers pass plus to new pupils as well as existing pupils. More details can be found on our website by clicking on the pass plus link. What are you waiting for!?”

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Car and van sales could be better than had been feared this year, the motor industry suggested this week.

Although car sales will still dip by about 3.6 per cent compared to last year’s figures, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has revised its initial, gloomy, 2010 forecast by 5.6 per cent, following better than expected first-quarter sales.

Total car sales should now total about 1.92 million for 2010, with new van registrations hitting 202,000, about 8.6 per cent better than the SMMT forecast earlier this year.

The SMMT said its revisions reflected increased confidence and stability and a sustained level of consumer demand.

SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt said: “Our latest forecasts reflect the better than expected results in the first quarter and improving consumer confidence. The coming months will be challenging now that the scrappage scheme has ended, but industry remains cautiously optimistic.

Former glamour model Katie Price is grabbing headlines for all the wrong reasons today after she was pulled over by police for allegedly being caught using a mobile phone while driving.

A Sunday newspaper was informed that Ms Price was nabbed by cops while driving her pink horse box along the A23 in Sussex earlier this year.

The vehicle weighs a whopping 7.5tonnes with one source claiming that “there wasn’t much trouble identifying the driver – the horsebox isn’t exactly subtle”.

Should she be found guilty of the alleged offence then the 31-year-old model, formerly known as Jordan, could face a fine of up to £2,500 and three penalty points on her licence.

The source also claimed that she has hired the services of celebrity lawyer Nick Freeman who has earned the nickname “Mr Loophole” for getting celebrity clients off the hook for motoring offences.

More and more accidents are happening due to the misuse of signals.

Driving can be difficult enough at the best of times without other road users deliberately or accidently signalling when it is not safe to do so.

How many of you have flashed another driver to signal them to pull out of a road or to go ahead of you? I bet a lot of you have answered yes, but how many of you have taken responsibility for that vehicle and checked that it is safe to do so.

Many drivers will take your signalling as an instruction and the danger with this, is they act before checking it is safe to go.

Using signals not illustrated in the Highway Code can lead to very dangerous driving habits. It is not just cars and their drivers that can suffer its pedestrians also.

Most driving examiners will instantly fail somebody sitting on test if they wave or flash somebody regardless of the situation. Taking the test is not just about passing, but about learning safe skills for life.

It is possible that nobody will be affected by you giving way, that you get a thank you and it eases the traffic flow however, the same action could have dismal consequences. Could you live with yourself!?

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Hackney cabs in the UK are traditionally black however, they now come in a variety of colours with many of them carrying advertisements.

To become a cabbie, drivers have to pass a test called The Knowledge to demonstrate they have a good understanding of London’s roads.

There are currently around 21,000 black cabs in London however, it is not just the UK that have them, many countries around the world use the London taxi model, with the United States being a big buyer.

A company in China called Geely have produced their own version of the black cab, which is thought to be more comfortable and luxurious. They are promoting the product here in the UK and there are plans to update our cabs.

Should London black cabs stay as we know them as they symbolise Britannia or should we update the look?

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YOUNG drivers might be less likely to crash after passing their test if their parents sit in on driving lessons.

That’s one conclusion to be drawn from the Staffordshire Young Driver Coaching Programme, which found that parents’ involvement in driving lessons also helped to cut out the age-old quarrels between learner drivers and the mums and dads who offer private practice.

An evaluation of the project, which was carried out as part of the RoSPA/BNFL scholarship scheme, found that an accompanying resource pack also proved vital to producing better, safer drivers.
Although the study, by Staffordshire County Council and the University of Keele, did not quantify long-term goals such as reduced crash rates, it did highlight the kind of good practice – such as parents sitting in on lessons – that RoSPA hopes might enable those aims to be achieved.

A quarter of all approved driving instructors in Staffordshire signed up to the scheme, which saw 20 families taking part. As well as parents recording progress in the learner’s training book, they also received guides about how to support the lessons conducted by the instructor.

POLICE will target motorists with high visibility patrols throughout May, after it was revealed more people are likely to be killed or seriously injured on the roads of Merseyside this month.

Each May, Merseyside Police sees an increase in the number of casualties among child pedestrians, cyclists aged eleven to 16, drivers and passengers in motor vehicles and motorcyclists.

Since 2006, 221 people were either killed or seriously injured on the roads of Merseyside during May, compared with 185 in April and 197 in June.

Last May, 59 people were killed or seriously injured compared with 46 in April and 36 in June.

Half of all those killed, or sustained life-changing injuries, are drivers and passengers in cars, with 41 per cent of those being young people aged 17 to 25.

Chief inspector Chris Markey, from Merseyside Police’s Roads Policing Unit, said: “The number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads of Merseyside comes at a huge cost in terms of human tragedy and financial impact.

Many pregnant mothers find themselves in a position where learning to drive seems ever more important. However, they are worried about the stress it can cause and whether driving schools will take them out.

Fear not…Britannia asks mums-to-be to follow some simple advise when making the decision to take driving lessons or continue driving.

Do you feel comfortable wearing a seat belt? Wearing a seat belt does not harm the baby and it is a legal requirement to wear it at all times. You should wear the strap as low as possible under the bump.

Can your bump fit behind the steering wheel without affecting the movement of the wheel? As long as the individual feels comfortable behind the wheel there is no reason why they should not drive.

Can you reach the pedals? If not there are ways to resolve this, for instance buying pedal extenders.

If you answered yes to all of the above, there is nothing stopping you enjoying the freedom of driving or embarking on obtaining your full drivers licence.

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