Month: March 2023

Nearly 700,000 car drivers in London will face a daily £12.50 ultra low emission zone (Ulez) fee when the scheme expands, according to new analysis.

The RAC, which carried out the research, said the expansion of the zone from August 29 will have a “massive financial impact on motorists and businesses”.

It comes a day after Transport for London (TfL) claimed that nine out of 10 cars seen driving in outer London on an average day meet the Ulez standards, so will not be liable for the charge.

It also said that many drivers are switching from older, more polluting vehicles ahead of the expansion.

The zone is currently limited to the area within London’s North and South Circular roads, but Mayor Sadiq Khan has decided to expand it to cover the whole of the capital, claiming this will boost air quality.

Most diesel cars registered before September 2015 and petrol cars registered prior to January 2006 are liable for the charge.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency figures obtained by the RAC show that 691,559 licensed cars in the whole of London fall into one of those categories.

This does not take into account other vehicles such as vans and lorries, or vehicles which enter London from neighbouring counties such as Essex, Hertfordshire, Surrey and Kent.

RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: “Cleaning up London’s air should undoubtedly be a priority, but the sheer number of vehicles that don’t meet Ulez emissions standards in Greater London suggests there will be a massive financial impact on motorists and businesses through having to fork out £12.50 every day they drive in the zone.

“We desperately need more co-ordination between the mayor and the Government to help small businesses, tradespeople, NHS staff and carers who have no choice but to drive into the expanded Ulez for work purposes from outside Greater London.

“Consideration should also be given to those who work at night when public transport is greatly reduced in the outer boroughs.”

TfL is running a scrappage scheme for vehicles that do not comply with the Ulez standards.

It includes payments of up to £2,000 for eligible drivers such as those on low incomes or the disabled scrapping a car, and up to £9,500 for charities, sole traders and small businesses scrapping or retrofitting vans and minibuses.

Mr Lyes urged Mr Khan to consider delaying charges by a year for certain key workers, or a scheme where TfL partners with a leasing company to provide discounted Ulez-compliant vehicles to small businesses and traders.

He went on: “Changing to a compliant vehicle at such short notice simply won’t be something many will be able to afford, especially during a cost-of-living crisis and at a time when second-hand car prices are so high.

“We need more creativity from London’s mayor and his team to help people out as the current scrappage scheme is akin to using a plughole to drain an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

“It’s simply not big enough for the scale of the job.”

Mr Khan said on Thursday that the aim of the Ulez is to “get the most polluting vehicles off our roads in order to protect both the health of Londoners and our environment”.

He went on: “People, businesses and charities understand the impact of air pollution on health and are preparing for the change.

“It’s now just one in 10 cars seen driving in outer London that aren’t Ulez compliant – a fantastic result.

“We expect the number of compliant vehicles to go up even more as people prepare for the expansion, but we know there is more to do to ensure every Londoner can breathe cleaner air.

“For drivers of the very few non-compliant vehicles, I have launched the biggest scrappage scheme ever.”

A fifth more drivers caught committing road offences were allowed to take retraining courses to avoid prosecution last year.

Some 1.8 million motorists completed a course in 2022 as an alternative to fines and possible penalty points, according to figures from UK Road Offender Education seen by the PA news agency.

That is up from 1.5 million during the previous year and represents the highest annual total in records dating back to 2014.

Motoring research charity the RAC Foundation said it is “vital” the courses lower reoffending rates.

More than four out of five (83%) of last year’s attendees went on speed awareness courses, which aim to help people identify speed limits and recognise the potential consequences of driving too fast.

The courses – which can be taken at a venue or online – cost up to £95 and last two hours and 45 minutes.

Department for Transport figures show speed was a contributory factor in one in six fatal crashes on Britain’s roads in 2021.

The second most attended course in 2022 focuses on motorway driving, with a 49% increase in participants from 113,000 in 2021 to 169,000 last year.

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: “The long-term rise in course attendees has coincided with an increase in the total number of speeding offences detected in England and Wales, up from 1.9 million in 2013 to nearly 2.9 million in 2021.

“Research has suggested reoffending rates are lower amongst people who have attended a speed awareness course than those who have been prosecuted.

“It is vital the same holds true for the wide array of courses now being run for other offences.

“That is something those running the scheme should be monitoring.”

UK Road Offender Education is a private not-for-profit company which administers the National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme (Ndors) on behalf of police forces.

Courses are run by a combination of private companies, councils and police forces across the UK.

A driver who has committed what is deemed a minor offence may be given the opportunity to participate at the discretion of the local chief constable.

Reoffending drivers cannot complete the same course again within three years.

A record one in 25 driving licence holders in Britain is aged 80 or above, leading to renewed calls for regular eye tests for motorists.

Some 1.6 million people with a licence are in that age category, according to PA news agency analysis of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) figures.

That is up from 1.4 million two years ago and accounts for 4% of all drivers with a full licence, the most in records dating back to 2012.

Responding to the increase, motoring research charity the RAC Foundation urged the Government to introduce “compulsory eye tests for all drivers” during licence renewals.

A recent YouGov survey indicated that 65% of British adults would support drivers aged 70 or above having to retake a practical test every three years to keep their licence.

Drivers are not subjected to mandatory tests or health checks after obtaining their licence no matter how old they become, although they are required to inform the DVLA if they are no longer fit to drive.

Department for Transport (DfT) figures show older drivers involved in serious crashes are more likely to have failed to look properly than younger motorists.

The error contributed to 30% of incidents in which at least one person was killed or seriously injured on Britain’s roads between 2016 and 2021 involving drivers aged over 70.

That is compared with 22% for younger drivers.

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said he does not support people being required to take another full driving test when they reach a certain age.

But he believes there is a “strong case” for introducing a fitness to drive assessment for older motorists which focuses on “the visual, mental and physical skills needed to carry on driving safely”.

He added: “We do back compulsory eye tests for all drivers when they renew their photocard licences.”

Licences must be renewed every three years once the holder reaches 70, compared with every 10 years up to that point.

The process does not involve any tests.

Mr Gooding said older drivers tend to “know their limitations” and are good at “self-regulating” when they take to the road, such as avoiding driving at night or during the busiest times of day.

He went on: “Many families can and do play their part by having that difficult discussion with an elderly loved one who might need to vacate the driver’s seat.

“Hanging up the keys is a huge decision for anyone who relies on the independence driving brings but it is something that will face all of us lucky to live to a ripe old age.”

Earlier this month, a coroner called for mandatory checks on older drivers to be considered after a woman using a pedestrian crossing was struck and killed by a car driven by a 95-year-old man who had passed a red light.

Kathleen Fancourt, 89, was using a mobility scooter when the incident happened in Chichester, West Sussex, in September 2021.

West Sussex senior coroner Penelope Schofield sent a report to Transport Secretary Mark Harper and DVLA chief executive Julie Lennard which stated: “In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken… at present there is no upper legal limit for drivers.”

She added: “There is a concern that if no checks are carried out a driver may be oblivious to their enduring medical condition.”

Drivers aged 70 or above were behind the wheel of cars involved in 2,410 crashes on Britain’s roads in 2021 in which at least one person was killed or seriously injured.

That represents 10% of all such crashes where drivers’ ages is known.

Drivers aged 70 or above make up 14% of all licence holders.

The Duke of Richmond, organiser of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, says he is focussed on making his petrol-powered events more sustainable.

The man behind the popular motorsport events says he wants to promote the ‘joy of second hand’ as he looks to boost his shows’ environmental credentials.

Speaking to the PA news agency, the duke said he believed Goodwood’s motorsport events could ‘definitely become carbon neutral soon’ thanks to efforts made elsewhere across his estate.

He said: “There is a whole thrust at Goodwood around sustainability – it has always been a major thing for us across the estate.

“We’ve got a huge organic farm, we’ve planted 75,000 trees, we run a whacking great biomass generator for all our electricity and we’re running biofuels for our generators at the events.

“So, could Goodwood deliver a carbon neutral event? Absolutely, because we’re doing so much on the other side.”

The duke says his Revival event – which celebrates historic racing and vintage lifestyles – is also the perfect example of Goodwood’s sustainability drive.

“It’s much better to keep an old car going than buy a new one,” he said. “That is far more sustainable – keeping cars on the road, rather than scrapping them.

“Second hand is cool. It’s now seen as the chic thing to do, from second-hand clothes to second-hand cars, and I think the Revival is the biggest second-hand event in the world. We’re proud of that.”

The duke, whose grandfather opened the Goodwood Motor Circuit in 1948, is celebrating 75 years of motorsport at his events in 2023.

As he looks ahead to the shows that will increasingly feature more electric cars, he says he has mixed feelings about their impact – despite admitting he has invested in a number of unnamed electric car companies himself.

“The whole EV (electric vehicle) thing is great – it’s super fast, and it’s fun, but electric cars are all the same to me,” he added.

“They are going to move you around from A to B, and they’re fantastically efficient and a lot of it is good fun, but it’s not the same thing.

“With mobility becoming increasingly duller in the future, classic cars and the joy that they bring will be niche, but it will probably get stronger.”

Bentley saw its profits soar to a record €708m (£623.7m) in 2022 in what has been described as a ‘milestone’ year for the British luxury car brand.

Announced today (March 16), this operating profit was a sharp 82 per cent increase of €319m (£281m) on its 2021 figure of €389m (£342.5m). The firm also turned over €3.38bn (£2.98bn) in 2022 – up €539m (£475m), or 19 per cent, on the €2.85bn of revenue during the same period in 2021.

Bentley also delivered its most cars yet last year, with 15,174 cars being sold worldwide – a 3.5 per cent increase on 2021’s total of 14,659 and the first time it’s achieved more than 15,000 sales in a year.

The Crewe-based firm says its significant profit increase was a result of its 20.9 per cent return-on-sales figure – its highest ever – as customers had chosen ‘higher specification derivatives’ and opted for the brand’s limited-edition and coach-built Mulliner models.

Speaking to Car Dealer, Jan-Henrik Lafrentz, board member for finance at Bentley, said: “Very clearly, the main driver [of the company’s profit] is the value per car.

“We are in the market where we offer interesting options, interesting specifications, interesting versions of personalisation to our customers, and they’re happy to step in, they’re happy to go that route.”

The Bentayga SUV remained the manufacturer’s most popular model, accounting for 42 per cent of sales, with the Flying Spur saloon taking up 28 per cent and the Continental GT and Convertible models making up the final 30 per cent.

Adrian Hallmark, chairman and CEO of Bentley Motors, said: “Since the low point of 2018, the whole team at Crewe has been working intensively to restructure the business model, in parallel with launching successive segment-leading new models and features. Last year marked a milestone in this journey.

“An almost €1billion (£880m) profit turnaround has been achieved since 2018, despite an unprecedented period of disruptions and crises including Brexit, Covid, semiconductor supply, Ukraine and UK economic instability.”

He added: “We will maintain focus on customer value rather than sales volume and adapt our plan according to the emerging market situation. However, our well-balanced export success, disciplined cost-management structure and ability to maximise personalisation in an industrialised way, driving profitability, are good foundations to continue this success.”

Bentley is now undertaking the tricky task of evolving from producing internal combustion engines to EVs. Earlier this year, the firm announced that it would stop producing its famous W12 engine in 2024. But while Bentley already offers a choice of plug-in hybrid models, its first EV isn’t expected until 2026.

Bentley’s figures form part of the huge €7.6bn (£6.7bn) profit that the Volkswagen Group’s premium brands recorded in 2022, which also included Audi, Lamborghini and Ducati.

The Government’s ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2030 could be ‘difficult’ to achieve, believes the Duke of Richmond.

Speaking to the PA news agency at the launch of Goodwood’s motorsport events for 2023, the Duke expressed his concerns over the ambitious target to transition to electric cars.

He said: “Can we deliver enough clean energy to fire up all these cars by that time? And can we begin to deliver the infrastructure needed to keep them all powered up? That looks difficult to me.”

The Government is banning the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and the sale of hybrids by 2035.

The Duke said he was concerned the charging infrastructure in the UK would not be ready to meet the 2030 target.

“Can they get the infrastructure in? There’s so little support for it at the moment,” he added.

The Duke also raised concern at the level of support the Government is giving the UK motor industry.

“It’s definitely not getting the support,” he said. “It’s such an important industry.

“But the writing’s on the wall – these great brands are slowly going to be producing their cars elsewhere.

“They [car manufacturers] will still be making cars and we’ll still be buying them, but sadly they will not be made here any more because we’re not making it attractive enough.”

Goodwood will be celebrating 75 years of motorsport at the estate near Chichester, West Sussex, in 2023 with special events planned at the Festival of Speed, Revival and Members’ Meeting.

The Duke said electric cars will play a large part in all of the events, including showcasing future technology at the Festival of Speed and how classic cars can be reinvigorated with electric powertrains at the Revival.

However, he remains unconvinced about electric cars – despite revealing he had invested in unnamed electric car companies himself.

The Duke added: “Our Electric Avenue [part of the Festival of Speed] will be the biggest EV event in the world. EVs fit into Goodwood’s events very powerfully as we look to the past, present and, most importantly, the future.

“I think mobility is a joy. And a car, the whole opera of that, the whole experience of the thing, is a joy.

“And we all know the whole EV thing is great – it’s super-fast and it’s fun – but they’re all the same. It’s going to move you around from A to B and a lot of it is good fun, but it isn’t the same thing.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We remain committed to phasing out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, with all new cars and vans being zero emission at the tailpipe by 2035”.

Funding to fix potholes across England will be boosted by £200 million, Jeremy Hunt has announced.

The Chancellor said the Government’s Potholes Fund – which previously provided £500 million a year to councils – will be increased to £700 million in the 2023/24 financial year.

The cost of bringing pothole-plagued local roads in England and Wales up to scratch has been estimated at £12.6 billion.

Recent analysis by the Local Government Association showed Government funding for maintaining England’s motorways and major A roads was 31 times higher per mile than for repairing local roads last year.

Delivering his Budget speech, Mr Hunt said the “wet then cold winter” resulted in him receiving “strong representations” from MPs and councillors about “the curse of potholes”.

Potholes are often formed when water that has entered cracks in the road surface freezes and expands.

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: “There won’t be a road user in the country who doesn’t dodge a pothole on a daily basis, so any extra money to help fill them in is welcome.

“However, it is worth remembering there are 190,000 miles of road in England alone so the additional £200 million is going to be thinly spread.

“We mustn’t forget that road maintenance extends beyond the road surface to things like bridges.

“Councils also need the money to shore up the thousands of sub-standard crossings our research has shown are out there.”

Rick Green, who chairs the Asphalt Industry Alliance, welcomed the additional £200 million, but described it as “a fraction of the amount” local authorities need to fix potholes.

He said: “The Chancellor is right to recognise that potholes on our local roads are a curse, but the key thing is they are not inevitable, they are the symptom of a network underfunded for many years.

“Unlike other transport networks, there is no visible long-term investment plan for local roads and, without one, road users won’t see any real improvement in structural conditions on the roads they use every day and on which all other locally-provided services rely.”

Martin Milliner, claims director at LV= General Insurance, said: “We’ve seen pothole claims rise by 11% in the last year, so investment of an extra £200 million to tackle this is welcomed.

“It will help reduce disruption on our roads and cut compensation payments.”

Skoda is testing out a new system that could help reduce the risk of accidents involving vehicles and trains at level crossings.

The new train warning software, which is being trialled by Skoda in association with Czech railway firm Leo Express, allows real-time train locations to be transmitted to the cloud, which Skoda communicates to any of its vehicles with its Traffication infotainment app.

If a driver comes up to a level crossing when a train is approaching, a warning will be shown on the central infotainment accompanied by an audible alert. In the UK, Skoda’s Traffication app already warns drivers about severe weather, cars going against the flow of traffic and bad road conditions, but it is hoped that this new train detection system could be implemented soon.

According to the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), there were 992 near misses between trains and road vehicles at level crossings in the UK between 2011 and 2021, with an average of 99 near-misses per year.

There were also 8,264 ‘instances of vehicles misusing level crossings’ by travelling over them when it was unsafe to do so between 2014 and 2021. An average of 1,181 motorists drive through level crossings when it is unsafe each year, with 621 incidents recorded from 2020 to 2021 alone. Some 1,015 incidents were recorded from 2019 to 2020.

Britain currently has close to 6,000 level crossings, yet only a third feature some form of alert to warn drivers of an oncoming train, according to Network Rail. A Freedom of Information request issued by Skoda also found that there were four collisions between trains and vehicles at level crossings in the past year alone.

Of all the things that you might think strictly don’t need changing in a car, high up there has to be the shape of a steering wheel.

Pretty much since the birth of the automobile, there has been the idea that a steering wheel is round. Sure, Audi and a few others have explored the idea of a flat-bottomed steering wheel for a ‘sportier’ feel. But the basic premise of a circular shape has remained intact.

Until now, that is, when manufacturers are seemingly running out of ideas for ‘new’ things they can do to their cars, and are, well, trying to invent the wheel.

Tesla was the first, with its boss – and now Twitter CEO – Elon Musk devising the aircraft-like ‘yoke’ as the wheel for its new Model S and X (both are yet to be introduced in the UK). But it’s not just Tesla, as Lexus is now getting in on the action.

Given that Lexus is typically quite a straight-laced manufacturer, known for its conservatism and – generally speaking – older customer base, it is quite a surprise move. That said, the Japanese firm is keen to make an impact with its first bespoke electric car, the RZ, which is being released in the UK in early summer.

So that’s why it’ll be available with a new device known as ‘One Motion’, which will be offered as an option. It’s a steer-by-wire system, which works by the steering connecting electronically with the wheels, rather than using a mechanical connection.

The visual difference, however, is that it looks like someone has hacksawed away at a steering wheel, getting rid of the top and bottom to create this odd-shaped device. We shouldn’t really call it a wheel at all. It’s littered with buttons while there are stubby little indicator and wiper stalks attached to it. These features turn with it, rather than being fixed like a ‘normal’ steering wheel.

You might be wondering what on earth the point is, and we won’t pretend we didn’t think the same at first. The whole idea, Lexus says, is that it “requires less steering effort”. This is because the steering ratio changes depending on speed – not a new concept – but one that’s been exaggerated here.

Normally, when doing a sharp turn, or when parking, there would be a need to put lots of ‘lock’ on the wheel, but because of how it’s been designed, a small steering input has a big effect when it comes to the angle that the wheels turn. It means that lock-to-lock, it doesn’t even need one turn, and there’s no need to overlap your hands or shuffle them around. In contrast, a regular car with power steering normally needs 2.5 to 3.5 turns to go lock-to-lock.

But does it work? Well, surprisingly yes. At first, the experience is bizarre. It’s like jumping behind the wheel for the first time at 17. When negotiating a junction or mini roundabout, the feeling of hardly having to move the wheel to make a big turn is truly odd. But you learn to realise it’s a novel idea, and it means you can always leave two hands sensible positioned on the wheel, regardless of the manoeuvre. At higher speeds, the system really doesn’t feel much different to any other steering setup.

If you’ve got any doubts about the safety of the system – and the way it works electronically, specifically because this is an EV – it’s worth noting that Lexus has engineered a “fail-safe” provision, which can supply an emergency power supply that automatically engages should the system lose its power supply. Just the fact this has had to be considered is madness, it must be said.

The drawbacks? Well, we reckon it will take more than a test drive to understand how it works and appreciate the benefits. Many likely won’t get on with the shape and weird feeling of it at first, and it’s probably why few customers will actually end up choosing it. Lexus also hasn’t said how much it will cost as an option, but given the expense and effort that will have gone into its development, it’s unlikely to be cheap. The RZ isn’t a cheap car, it must be said, with prices starting from £62,500, rising to £72,500 for a top-spec model.

We also couldn’t get on with the indicators. Going around a roundabout, you find yourself spending time trying to find the stalks rather than concentrating on the road. There’s a sharp lip at the top of the wheel that’s quite unpleasant too, while the trim at the bottom of the ‘rim’ feels especially cheap.

This ‘One Motion’ wheel is still a few years away from being available on production cars, with Lexus only saying it will introduce it “by 2025”. Up until then the RZ will be supplied with a ‘normal’ setup. Has the wheel been reinvented? Well, the firm has given it a good go. But there are some things that don’t need changing. A steering wheel is one of them.

Protesters will find it harder to climb motorway gantries built using a new design, National Highways said.

The roadside structures will be “more resilient to trespassers” as steps for maintenance crews will be inside pillars rather than outside, according to the government-owned company.

Gantries above the M25 were repeatedly scaled by Just Stop Oil activists in November last year, bringing traffic on the UK’s busiest motorway to a halt.

The structures are used to display vital information to drivers, such as speed limits, journey times and warnings of safety hazards.

National Highways, which is responsible for England’s motorways and major A roads, held a competition to replace existing designs.

It said: “Although security issues did not form part of the original specification, the new design will be more resilient to trespassers due to entry being concealed within the pillars, making it more difficult to access without authorisation.”

The winning entry was produced by London-based architecture company Useful Studio.

It was selected for its “simplicity and elegance”.

The gantries will have a lower carbon footprint compared with current designs as they use less steel.

National Highways executive director for operations, Duncan Smith said: “Existing designs tend to emphasise function over form.

“Our challenge is to create innovative structures that can accommodate the required signage and equipment that are more sympathetic to the environment.

“In selecting Useful Studio as the winner, the judging panel admired the simplicity and elegance of the pared-back design approach.”

Roads minister Richard Holden said: “Congratulations to Useful Studio and National Highways for their success in creating a modern, secure design that is set to redefine the look and feel of our motorways and roads.

“Their innovative approach is bound to improve the daily journeys of countless motorists while also contributing to a more sustainable future.”

Useful Studio will work with National Highways to develop its design concept.

It is expected to become the standard design for new gantries in around two years.

The competition was part of a wider push to beautify motorways and major A-roads.

Design guidance published by National Highways in July last year included recommendations such as “minimising clutter” and providing “clues” about how to drive.