Month: March 2023

The government is looking to clamp down on poorly repaired roads by fining utility companies if they leave highways in a poor state after work has been carried out.

Currently, the government says it inspects ‘about 30 per cent’ of street works following utility companies carrying out repairs. However, the new regulations, coming into force tomorrow (April 1) will see all companies initially inspected, and based on their performance, those carrying out good repairs will be visited less, while the worse-performing will be visited more.

Utility companies will be fined £50 per defect inspection, but if a follow-up visit is needed, they will be charged a further £150. The government hopes this will ‘incentivise companies to perform better to avoid incurring high financial charges’.

The average failure rate for street works carried out by utility companies stands out at nine per cent, but the worst-performing firms are said to have a failed inspection rate as high as 63 per cent. Telecom companies will be targeted in particular, as this is said to be the ‘worst performing segment’.

RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: “Potholes not only cause expensive damage to vehicles but are potentially lethal to those on two wheels. Utility companies have a responsibility to ensure roads are properly repaired after carrying out essential maintenance, but unfortunately far too many roads are left in a substandard condition.

“Introducing new regulations to encourage repairs to be done to a higher standard the first time around will benefit all road users.”

As part of the changes, utility firms will also be required to provide the Department for Transport’s ‘street manager service’ with live information on where and when works are being carried out. This information then feeds into navigation apps to provide more accurate travel information for drivers.

The UK government has detailed a new ‘credits’ system that will let EV-dominant manufacturers ‘trade’ allowances to help firms lagging behind on electrification.

It has launched a final consultation on its proposed zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, seeking views on how to manage petrol and diesel vehicles between now and 2030, when sales of new cars and vans using the fossil fuels are to be banned.

The proposal says that from 2024, car manufacturers will have to sell a certain percentage of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), with the proportion increasing each year in the run-up to 2030.

In 2024, each car manufacturer must have a 22 per cent share of EVs (they accounted for a 16.6 per cent mix in 2022), increasing to 80 per cent by 2030. For new vans, the government wants to see a 10 per cent EV mix among manufacturers in 2024, rising to 70 per cent by 2030.

Manufacturers selling fewer than 2,500 cars every year in the UK would be exempt, with the government ‘recognising their smaller contribution to emissions and more limited resources’.

The proposed EV rules will initially be based on a ‘credit’ system, with manufacturers able to ‘freely trade’ allowances with other car firms ‘for any price’ if they exceed their EV mix until 2026. To qualify as a ZEV – the term the government uses – models must ‘emit no CO2 at the exhaust’ and have a ‘minimum range of 120 miles’.

Manufacturers selling EVs to car clubs will also earn additional credits under the proposals, with the government saying these vehicle-sharing schemes can ‘decongest our roads and offer a zero-emission transport solution to a wider set of users’.

Car makers unable to meet their targets, even with credits, will be fined, with the government proposing a steep £15,000 for every non-electric car and £18,000 per non-electric van they miss their target by.

The government plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans that don’t feature any kind of electrification by 2030, before moving to EV-only models from 2035 onwards.

It doesn’t, however, look to be following the EU’s position of permitting vehicles running on e-fuels after 2035 – something for which Germany strongly campaigned. An agreement reached on March 28 is set to allow combustion engines to be allowed in EU countries after the 2035 deadline. The government’s 56-page consultation document contains no mention of ‘e-fuels’, though.

The decision for the UK to stick with its original EV plans and not embrace e-fuels has been welcomed by many, with Ginny Buckley, founder of EV website Electrifying.com, praising the government for ‘pressing ahead’ with the proposals.

She said: “In recent months, it seems some manufacturers who haven’t made the investment in electric powertrains have been trying to change the rules around the 2030 petrol and diesel ban.

“This isn’t fair on others who have been working towards this for some time now, so I’m pleased to see the government isn’t succumbing to pressure from those who haven’t done their ‘homework’.

“In any case, we’re moving in the right direction by pressing ahead with plans and not watering down the rules like our European counterparts, who seem to be using inefficient e-fuels as a distraction.”

The government today also launched a £381m Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure fund, alongside an extra £15m for the On-Street Residential Charging Scheme, to support installing tens of thousands of new chargers across the country. It says this’ll ensure that the UK’s charging network can support the increasing number of EV drivers and those considering making the switch.

The government has today (March 30) announced £381m of funding for new ‘local’ electric car chargers.

Revealed as part of a wider ‘transport decarbonisation’ package, the government has set up the £381m ‘local electric vehicle infrastructure (LEVI) fund. An additional £15m has also been put aside for residential on-street chargers.

The government says that the two schemes will ‘support the installation of tens and thousands of new chargers across the country’.

Each region is allocated a set amount of money to put towards new chargers, with the South East receiving the most at £54m, while the North East is receiving £22m. The money is also split into local authorities, with London receiving by far the largest share of funds with £36m. Rutland will receive the smallest share of £257,000.

Technology and decarbonisation minister Jesse Norman said: “As today’s announcements show, the government is doing more than ever to help the UK move away from petrol and diesel and towards electric vehicles.

“That means investing in charging infrastructure and giving a clear direction to manufacturers, so they can roll out new electric vehicles faster and more efficiently. Overall, the UK is leading the way in decarbonising transport, a sector that is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases.”

The government has also today announced its proposals for a ‘zero emissions vehicle mandate’. Kicking into effect in 2024, car manufacturers will be required to meet a certain percentage of fully-electric sales, but will be able to ‘trade credits’ with more EV-dominant carmakers in order to still meet criteria.

Manufacturers that do not meet this certain share, even with credits, face fines of up to £18,000 per vehicle they miss their target by.

While the extra funding for chargers has been welcomed, many are calling on the government to set out yearly targets for the number of EV points to be installed.

RAC electric vehicles spokesman Simon Williams said: “Extra funding for charging infrastructure is welcome as we know around a third of all homes in the UK don’t have a driveway for a chargepoint to be installed, which makes switching to an electric vehicle less straightforward.

“With the government imposing a mandate for zero-emission vehicle sales on manufacturers, it seems logical that this should be matched by targets for local authorities and charging networks to install a certain number of chargepoints, to meet demand from the expected increase in electric vehicles on the road.”

Lamborghini has unveiled its new flagship supercar – the Revuelto.

It’s equipped with the Italian firm’s first plug-in hybrid V12 engine, which combines the 12-cylinder petrol engine with three electric motors that are coupled to a 3.8kWh battery.

It can be charged either via a plug or directly from the engine, with the former taking around 30 minutes and the latter around six minutes to fully charge.

Combined, this setup produces 1,000bhp and results in a 0-60mph time of under 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 217mph. It’ll also manage the zero to 124mph sprint in just seven seconds flat.

The exterior has distinctive Y-shape daytime running lights, while the V12 is celebrated by being fully exposed. Inside, there are many references to that exterior ‘Y’ design trait, while much of the cabin is centred around the driver. Lamborghini calls this its ‘space-ship’ design and it’s this which encloses the central air vents and 8.4-inch vertical touchscreen.

Plus, there’s a 9.1-inch display ahead of the passenger which mirrors the information relayed on the driver’s 12.3-inch digital cockpit. There’s also a clever ‘swipe’ function which means that driver or passenger can ‘move’ applications from the central screen to their respective displays.

The steering wheel is also packed with functions, with buttons mounted on it to activate the indicators and lights. Four rotors change which driving mode is selected, and these can be tweaked without the need for the driver to take their hands away from the wheel.

Lamborghini says that the Revuelto is also more spacious than the outgoing Aventador Ultimae, with extra headroom and legroom. Plus, there’s extra room behind the seats which is able, according to Lamborghini, to accommodate items ‘up to the size of a golf bag’.

Carbon fibre is used across the dashboard, while there’s also a combination of leather and a special Corsa-Tex fabric made from recycled polyester via a water-based production process.

Lamborghini has yet to announce a price for the Revuelto, but expect it to far exceed the £365,000 required for the previous equivalent Aventador.

Learner drivers should soon be able to access tests more easily following changes to the booking system which aim to tackle the backlog.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) said it is altering the system to discourage drivers from booking tests before they are ready, which will free up slots for those who are.

Tests were banned over lockdown, with the resulting backlog forcing drivers to wait months before getting the chance to lose their L-plates.

According to the DVSA’s data from February 2023, around 53% of tests are failed, and examiners are having to physically intervene in more than 12% of tests for safety reasons.

The DVSA plans to extend the period that those who fail their test have to wait before booking another test from 10 to 28 days, and extend the notice period during which a cancelled car test will result in a lost fee from three to 10 days.

The measures aim to discourage learner drivers who are not ready to take a test from booking one, and will come into effect in the summer.

Loveday Ryder, chief executive of the DVSA, urged learner drivers to check the agency’s website for advice before booking a test.

She said: “With more than half of people failing their driving test, it is clear more needs to be done to make sure learner drivers only take their test when they are fully prepared.

“These new measures will help make sure test-ready learners find appointments and give those who fail more time for more practice.

“I also urge learners to check out our Ready to Pass? website to make sure they’re ready – and delay their test if they’re not.

“This will help make more tests available and prevent them having to pay to retest.”

Alfa has developed a new concept version of its Tonale SUV designed to make travelling with children easier.

Called the Tonale Edizione Bambini, it’s a model equipped with a range of accessories to help parents out, including a built-in slide-out baby changing unit, an in-car baby monitor and a custom-made cleaning mat.

When opening the Tonale’s electric tailgate, the changing unit slides out from the parcel shelf and, when no longer needed, slides back again to ensure that it doesn’t dent boot space whatsoever.

There’s also an in-built boot organiser which, thanks to a concertina design, can be stowed away when not in use. A cleaning bag located in one of the compartments contains handy items, too, including a boot-cleaning brush, leather cleaner, tissues and wipes.

In the cabin, Alfa has fitted custom-made seat organisers which are shaped against the contours of the driver and front passenger seats. These are also made from grey leather to match the rest of the cabin, and even get their embossed Alfa Romeo logo. It includes a drinks holder, a bento box for snacks and a rattle-free pen holder.

A survey by Alfa Romeo? of 2,000 adults who drive with children between 0-11 years old also found that 55 per cent of parents reported that children complaining of boredom caused them stress while driving, which is why the Edizione Bambini gets a number of entertainment-focused features.

There are tablet holders fitted to the back of the front seats, for example, while a foldable central toy tidy helps to keep kids occupied. There’s a leather tablet holder for each rear-seat passenger, too.

A Nissan Skyline GT-R made famous by its appearance in Fast & Furious 4 with the late Paul Walker behind the wheel is set to go under the hammer at auction next month.

Due to be auctioned off in a dedicated standalone online auction hosted by Bonhams on April 28, the R34 GT-R was specially customised by Daryl Alison of Kaizo Industries to Paul Walker’s ‘personal specification’, according to Bonhams, and it’s in this guise that it’s currently offered.

Walker, who starred in a number of the Fast & Furious movies, died in November, 2013 at the age of 40 following a collision in a Porsche Carrera GT.

Special features for the Nissan include a custom roll cage, a dashboard-mounted PC and custom OMP racing bucket seats which remain in Paul Walker’s seat position to this day. Underneath the bonnet sits a 2.6-litre twin-turbocharged engine which was given a Turbonetics intercooler for even better performance.

On the outside, the GT-R was given Volk Racing RE30 wheels and an upgraded Nismo NE-1 exhaust. At Walker’s request the car was also de-stickered, with many of the car’s vinyl’s and decorations removed leaving the Bayside Blue Skyline exterior colour unspoilt.

The GT-R was heavily featured in the Fast & Furious 4 movie, which premiered in 2009, with scenes seeing it tear through the streets of Los Angeles – though many of the action sequences were conducted with one of six ‘stunt’ Skyline cars, with a body of one car mounted onto an off-road dune buggy to enable it to conduct extreme jumps.

The film star GT-R is being offered following long-term museum display and comes accompanied by a copy of the Universal Pictures rental contract. Bonhams says that an estimate is available ‘on request’. The auction will go live on Friday, April 28 before closing a week later on Friday, May 5. The GT-R can be viewed at Motorworld in Munich until April 26.

A ‘shocking’ gap in the price between petrol and diesel remains at the pumps, despite the wholesale cost of the two now matching, the RAC has stated.

The average price of petrol stands at 146.63p, according to RAC Fuel Watch, while diesel sits at 164.26p, despite the pair selling for around 114.5p on the wholesale market. The RAC also states that wholesale diesel was cheaper on two days in the last week than petrol.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “The forecourt price disparity between petrol and diesel across the UK is absolutely shocking given their wholesale prices are now virtually identical.

“At the beginning of March wholesale diesel was only 6p more expensive than petrol yet there was a 20p a litre gap between both fuels on the forecourt. Now the two fuels are identical on the wholesale market, and there’s still more than 17p difference at the pump.

“For retailers to be taking a margin of nearly 20p a litre on average throughout March, compared to the long-term average of 7p, is devastating for every driver and business that relies on diesel.”

Since the start of March, the average weekly wholesale price of diesel has fallen by 5p a litre, while unleaded has remained the same.

Williams added: “As the supermarkets buy so frequently they have had plenty of time to pass on the lower prices they are benefitting from on the wholesale market to drivers at the pumps, but they remain totally resolute in their refusal to cut their prices substantially which is nothing short of scandalous, particularly in a cost-of-living crisis.

“The sole national retailer prepared to buck this trend appears to be membership-only chain Costco, which is charging just under 150p a litre for diesel at the moment.”

Cuts to off-peak ultra-rapid charging costs have made electric cars cheaper to “fuel” than a petrol vehicle for some drivers, according to figures from the AA.

The time of day and the charging provider are the key factors which determine whether the driver can get the lower prices, it added.

The February 2023 AA EV Recharge Report shows an 8p/kWh reduction in off-peak ultra-rapid charging makes electric cars cheaper to fuel but notes that some are available outside 6pm to 8pm while other chargers switch to off-peak only after 8pm.

The charging of electric vehicles (EVs) away from homes had sometimes been seen as more expensive per mile than driving with petrol, but lower electricity costs could be reversing that trend, according to the AA motoring organisation.

It found the average cost of off-peak charging has dropped from 60p/kWh to 52p/kWh, while peak charging for these speeds is also cheaper, having fallen from 74p/kWh to 67p/kWh.

The AA also found that the cost of slow charging has gone up with flat-rate fixed prices rising from 34p/kWh to 37p/kWh.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy, said: “EV owners are still reaping the benefits of cheaper per mile motoring, and this could improve further if energy costs are to fall later in the year.

“The recent shift in peak and off-peak charging prices for ultra-rapid devices provides brilliant value for money, especially with Easter just around the corner.”

The AA is calling for investment to improve the public charging network.

It fears the UK will miss an aim to have 300,000 publicly available charging units to be installed by 2030 without more action to help local councils, EV charging companies and energy providers to deliver the infrastructure.

Public charging carries a VAT rate of 20%, but domestic energy use is 5%.

Cutting the VAT on public charging to 5% could help the 40% of households that do not have any form of off-street parking and rely on the public charging network, according to the AA, which said that “a golden opportunity to boost the EV revolution” was missed in the Budget.

Mr Cousens believes that new EV sales are “only increasing” and an expansion of the EV charging network needs to occur.

He added that “with around 40,000 devices currently in the ground, we will need so see a monumental shift in installations over the coming years”.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We‘ve put more than £2bn into accelerating the transition to electric vehicles and, alongside industry, have supported the installation of over 37,000 publicly available chargepoints – and we expect the network to expand tenfold by the end of the decade.

“Today a driver is never more than 25 miles away from a rapid chargepoint anywhere along England’s motorways major A roads.”

Germany has reached an agreement with the European Union, ending a dispute over whether internal combustion engine (ICE) cars could be allowed after 2035.

The European Union’s plan to ban all new cars that weren’t fully electric by 2035 was put on hold earlier this month after Germany and Italy strongly opposed the decision.

The European Council was forced to postpone the final vote on March 3 after fearing it would be blocked by the two countries, which demanded other types of sustainable fuels be allowed after this date.

However, Germany has now said it has reached an ‘agreement’ over allowing man-made e-fuels, which are able to power a traditional combustion engine, even after 2035.

Frans Timmermans, executive vice president of the European Green Deal, tweeted: “We have found an agreement with Germany on the future use of e-fuels in cars.

“We will work now on getting the CO2 standards for cars regulation adopted as soon as possible, and the Commission will follow-up swiftly with the necessary legal steps to implement it.”

The changes mean that the final vote on the legislation is now expected to be passed. Italy is said to still oppose the rules, as the country wants to allow vehicles to run on biofuels, made from materials such as wood waste. However, Italy’s votes alone will not be enough to stop the vote from going through.

Volker Wissing, Germany’s Minister for Transport, tweeted: “The way is clear: Europe remains technology-neutral. Vehicles with combustion engines can also be newly registered after 2035 if they only use CO2-neutral fuels.

“We secure opportunities for Europe by retaining important options for climate-neutral and affordable mobility.”

German manufacturer Porsche is a strong proponent of e-fuels, with the firm keen to ensure that its sports cars can still be run with conventional engines. While the brand already sells its electric Taycan, and has various other EVs in its pipeline, it’s one of the few car brands that has not committed to going fully electric by a certain date and is a key partner in an e-fuel manufacturing facility in Chile.

The vote for the amended legislation is now set to take place tomorrow (March 28).