The European Commission has launched an investigation into the subsidies handed to Chinese carmakers by the state, warning of unfair competition against European manufacturers.

There’s a growing emergence of Chinese car firms looking to enter the European market, often being incentivised to do so by the Chinese state. As a result, these electric cars often undercut the price of cars from elsewhere and are set to grow in popularity as a result.

With many European car firms worried about being priced out of the market, the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has today (September 13) announced an anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric cars.

In her annual State of the European Union address, von der Leyen said: “Global markets are now flooded with cheaper Chinese electric cars. And their price is kept artificially low by huge state subsidies. This is distorting our market, and as we do not accept this distortion from the inside of our market, we do not accept it from the outside.

“So I can announce today that the Commission is launching an anti-subsidy investigation into electric vehicles coming from China. Europe is open to competition, but not for a race to the bottom. We must defend ourselves against unfair practices.”

What the probe will entail remains unclear, however, it could see levies imposed against Chinese electric cars to make the prices more closely aligned with European cars.

Despite the warning, von der Leyen added: “But equally it’s vital to keep open lines of communication and dialogue in China, because there are topics where we can and have to cooperate. De-risk not decouple, this will be my approach with the Chinese leadership at the EU China summit later this year.

The range of Chinese car brands currently operating in Europe is vast, including BYD, GWM Ora, NOP and Xpeng to name just a handful, with many more planned to enter the region in the coming years.

The boss of Peugeot and Vauxhall owner Stellantis, Carlos Tavares, has previously warned of a ‘terrible fight’ with Chinese car firms owing to the ‘significant’ difference in price between models from Europe and those in China.

Resurfacing and treating of England’s local roads has fallen to a four-year low, new figures show.

Just 1,123 miles of roads were surfaced in the 2021/22 financial year, according to RAC analysis of Government data.

That was down 29% compared with four years earlier, when the total was 1,588.

The reduction was even sharper for surface dressing, which is a much cheaper technique that helps prevent the need for full resurfacing.

This was carried out on 3,551 in 2021/22, a 34% drop from 5,345 in 2017/18.

Of the 153 roads authorities included in the latest data, 31% did no resurfacing while 51% failed to carry out any surface dressing.

The RAC said the figures demonstrate the need for the Government to change the way it funds local roads maintenance.

It wants a proportion of the money raised through fuel duty to be ringfenced to give councils certainty over long-term funding.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “These figures paint an incredibly stark picture of road maintenance in England and confirm our worst fears about the overall decline in the state of the country’s roads.

“While the Government has made more money available to authorities to fill potholes, it’s the general reduction in road improvement work that’s causing potholes to appear in the first place.

“It’s abundantly clear that councils in so many areas are barely scratching the surface when it comes to getting their roads up to a reasonable standard, and indeed the fact that such a large proportion haven’t done any surface dressing or resurfacing at all over a 12-month period really does say it all.

“Resurfacing is expensive but for some roads this will be the only course of action as they have fallen into such bad condition that nothing else can save them.

“Having said that, we urge authorities to make greater use of surface dressing and other preventative treatments which can be used successfully to improve surfaces and extend the lives of roads.”

Shaun Davies, who chairs the Local Government Association, said: “Decades of reductions in funding from central Government to local road repair budgets has left councils facing the biggest ever local roads repair backlog.

“This has been compounded by recent extreme weather as well as rising inflation, pushing up the cost of materials such as bitumen.

“In order to support motorists, the Government should take this opportunity to work with councils to develop a long-term, fully-funded programme to bring our roads up to scratch.”

A Department for Transport spokeswoman said: “It’s for local authorities to maintain their highways, and to help them do that we’re investing more than £5 billion from 2020 to 2025, with an extra £200 million announced at the Budget in March, to resurface roads up and down the country.

“We’ve also brought in new rules to clamp down on utility companies leaving potholes behind after carrying out street works.”

The cost of bringing pothole-plagued local roads in England and Wales up to scratch has been estimated at £14 billion.

The Government increased its Potholes Fund, which provides money to councils in England to tackle the issue – by £200 million to £700 million for the current financial year.

Paul Boss, chief executive of industry body the Road Surface Treatments Association, said: “Proactive surface treatment maintenance programmes, backed up by a risk-based approach to resurfacing the worst roads, have been proven to keep roads in better condition for longer, and that’s why private road operators use them.

“Vitally, they help to prevent damage caused by the freeze-thaw cycle where water gets into defects in surfaces, freezes and expands, causing cracks and potholes.

“Surface dressing, which is the most well-known treatment, maximises life expectancy by making roads last three to four times longer than without the preventative treatment, and with very little carbon generation.”

Opponents of London’s ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) expansion have started targeting a fleet of camera vans attempting to enforce the rules.

Images posted on social media show some of the vans have been daubed with graffiti, had their cameras covered by bags and their tyres deflated.

One was photographed being rescued by a recovery truck.

More than 4,000 people have joined a Facebook group encouraging people to report sightings of the vans.

The vehicles are being deployed as many fixed Ulez cameras have been put out of use by opponents of the scheme, known as Blade Runners.

Ulez cameras use automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology to identify vehicles.

People who drive in the zone with a non-compliant vehicle and fail to pay the £12.50 daily fee are initially being sent warning letters.

In the coming weeks TfL is expected to begin issuing £180 fines, reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days.

A Transport for London (TfL) spokesman said: “Vandalism is unacceptable and all incidents on our network are reported to the police for investigation.

“Criminal damage to Ulez cameras or vehicles puts the perpetrators at risk of prosecution and injury, while simultaneously risking the safety of the public.

“Camera vandalism will not stop the Ulez operating London-wide.

“All vandalised cameras are repaired or replaced as soon as possible.

“We have an extensive camera network which is sufficient to support the effective operation of the scheme.

“Anyone driving a non-compliant vehicle within the expanded zone will be detected and we advise everyone to check whether their vehicle is compliant and to consider the various support that is available to help transition to greener modes of transport.”

There were 510 crimes relating to Ulez cameras reported between the start of April and the end of August, figures released by the Metropolitan Police show.

Two arrests have been made, with one person charged and bailed and the other case discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who made the decision to expand Ulez to the whole of London from August 29, previously warned people attacking cameras that “protest should be lawful, safe and peaceful”, adding: “It is really important to stay on the right side of the law.”

The controversial new 20mph speed limit in Wales will save lives and money, the First Minister has insisted, as he rejected calls to pause the rollout for residential roads.

Mark Drakeford said cutting speed from 30mph to 20mph would protect lives and claimed it would save the NHS in Wales £92 million a year.

On September 17 Wales will follow Spain, which made a similar change in 2019, and has since reported a fall in urban road deaths.

Most roads in Wales that are currently 30mph will become 20mph, although councils do have discretion to impose exemptions.

The Welsh Conservatives, who are opposed to the rollout, have tabled a motion in the Senedd this week to scrap the policy.

Speaking at a Welsh Government press conference, the First Minister defended the £32 million cost and said it would save the NHS three times as much a year.

“This is a manifesto commitment of the Labour Party, and it was in our election manifesto,” Mr Drakeford said.

“Politicians are very often criticised for not keeping their promises and this is a promise that we will be keeping here in Wales.

“We will invest around £32 million in one-off expenditure and that one-off money will save £92 million every single year in the NHS.

“We will be paid back many, many times over for the investment that we are making.

“I’m reinforced in my belief that it is the right thing to do from the experience we see elsewhere in the world.

“Spain, which has had this policy in place over recent years, have seen a 20% reduction in urban deaths on the roads.”

Mr Drakeford said Wales had led the way in delivering “progressive” policies and cited the example of introducing deemed consent for organ donation.

“While I understand that all change is challenging, I’m also confident that once it’s there and people get used to it, people will find the advantages of it,” he said.

“Just as other changes in the field of road transport – the breathalyser, seatbelt wearing, other speed limits controversial in that time – are completely accepted now.

“Wales has often led the way in progressive policies. We are used to them being controversial at the time that we introduced them.

“When we changed the law in relation to organ donation, no other part of the UK was willing to do the same thing. Now every part of the UK does so.

“I’m reconciled to a period of turbulence when you make a change but I also confident that once the policy is operating people will see that it is a sensible and progressive thing to do.

“It will prevent accidents, it will save lives, and it will be absolutely worth doing.”

There have been reports of the new signs being defaced in areas including Conwy, Gwynedd, Newport, Torfaen, Wrexham and Flintshire.

The Conservatives cited Welsh Government documents that estimate the cost to Welsh economy of increased journey times from lower average vehicle speeds at anywhere between £2.7 billion and £8.9 billion.

Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Senedd Conservatives, said: “Mark Drakeford said flippantly that the £33 million cost of blanket 20mph limits were a ‘small cost to pay’, but again failed to mention the up to £8.9 billion hit to the Welsh economy as outlined in his own explanatory papers, which is absolutely not a small cost given current economic pressures.

“As our unemployment numbers, NHS waiting lists and education outcomes languish at the bottom of the UK league tables, Mark Drakeford should be focusing on the day job and should cancel his distracting vanity projects.

“The Welsh Conservatives would rather see the money set to be wasted on pet programmes spent on our Welsh NHS to cut the cruel two-year waits that nearly 30,000 Welsh patients still have to face, that exist nowhere else in the UK.

“Why aren’t Labour ringfencing our Welsh NHS from their damaging cuts?”

Two identical British twins are setting off on a 10,000-mile adventure in an electric car from London to Shanghai.

Devon-born Ross and Hugo Turner have undertaken several gruelling challenges including rowing the Atlantic, with the pair being motivated to travel more and adventure following Hugo sustaining a broken neck when he was 17 that led to six months of surgery.

Now, the pair are setting off from Westminster Bridge in London today (September 12) and are using the new electric MG Cyberster as wheels to get to Shanghai, China. It’s MG’s first new sports car in more than two decades, and also the first two-seat electric roadster.

The Turner twins will initially tour the UK in the Cyberster as part of a UK preview event of the car, visiting places such as Loch Lomond, Snowdonia and also MG’s birth place of Oxford.

On October 2, the proper European leg of the event will see them crossing the Channel and visiting countries such as the Netherlands, Slovakia and Spain.

Following the European part of the trip, the pair will be reunited with the electric car (which will be shipped separately) in the Middle East, starting in Jordan, before visiting countries such as Qatar and Oman, before then going into more eastern parts of Asia. This includes India, Thailand and Vietnam before making their way to Shanghai. This is where MG’s parent company SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) is based.

Hugo Turner said: “We’re going to be having to charge this car regularly as we go across the world, so that’s going to give us the perfect opportunity to experience more of the countries, the culture, the people, the foods from the places that we’re going to be travelling through. Cars like this open up adventure, and this is going to be the ultimate one.”

Over £47 million worth of motor insurance claims were rejected during the second half of 2021, new research has found.

More than 14,000 motor insurance claims were rejected between July and December 2021, with over 1.7 million claims being submitted overall. Though rejected claims accounted for just 0.8 per cent, Go Compare, which went through Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) data to make the findings, said that it still amounts to a ‘huge sum’ of money lost.

There are a number of reasons why a claim might be rejected. These include having out-of-date information – such as an expired MOT or wrong address – or filing a claim too late. As a general rule, insurers should be informed of any incident within 24 hours.

Ryan Fulthorpe, car insurance expert at Go Compare, said: “£47 million is a massive amount of money to be rejected, especially if it’s due to easily avoidable mistakes. Reading the terms and conditions of your insurance policy carefully and making all your payments on time are the two most essential things you can do to avoid having a claim rejected.

“Keep any direct debits and bank details updated to make sure you don’t accidentally miss an instalment.”

Other reasons for an insurance claim being rejected include negligent behaviour such as driving irresponsibly or not performing maintenance checks, as well as using the car for anything other than what is specified in the policy. Claims can also be rejected if the car in question has been modified and these changes haven’t been reflected in the policy details.

A spike in temperature can cause a car to react differently to normal – here’s how to make sure it’s all up to speed.

The UK is currently enjoying some last-minute hot weather, bringing a sudden burst of sunshine to many people who thought that warm temperatures were set to be a thing of the past for 2023.

But hot weather can affect cars differently and there are some different measures you can take to make sure that your vehicle works just as it should in higher temperatures. Let’s take a look.

Air conditioning

If you’re driving a car with air conditioning, then you’ll know how crucial it is at keeping your vehicle’s interior cool. However, if it isn’t blowing ice-cool when activated, there could be a number of reasons behind it.

One of the primary causes for a malfunctioning air-con system is a lack of refrigerant. This can be solved with something called a ‘re-gas’ where the levels are topped back up again. Fortunately, it’s relatively inexpensive and will have your air-con back to normal in no time.

Wipers

So it might sound strange to talk about windscreen wipers during a period of hot, dry weather but, as with most times of unseasonably warm temperatures, there’s often the chance of a heavy downpour at the end.

So rather than waiting until the moment the rain hits, test out your wipers to make sure that they’re not rubbing or failing to screen properly. If they make a squeaking noise when you use them with washer fluid, then they’ll need replacing – you’ll thank yourself later!

Washer fluid

Since we’re on the subject of cleaning a windscreen, it’s a good time to think about topping up your washer fluid. Dry weather tends to bring dust and this can quickly accumulate on your windscreen – particularly overnight – and make it harder to see out.

It’s why ensuring that you’ve got plenty of washer fluid is essential. Most cars have the filler spout under the bonnet, usually signified by a blue cap. Make sure you top it up with proper washer fluid, too, as it helps lubricate parts of the system far better than just water.

Tyres

If you’re planning on making the most of the warm weather and travel a little further afield than usual then it’s a good time to check your tyres. They’re a crucial part of your car’s setup, of course, and any issues with them could prove dangerous in the future.

Check the sidewalls – the sides of the tyre – for any cracks or splitting and make sure no nails or thorns have lodged in there either. You’ll need to make sure that the tyre’s treads meet the legal limit in the UK – 1.6mm – and you can do this by inserting a 20p coin into the grooves. If the outer band is covered by the tyre then they’re good to go – see the band and they’ll need replacing right away.

Coolant

Coolant is your car’s way of maintaining the correct temperature. That’s why you’ll need to make sure that your vehicle has the right amount of coolant in it, or there’s a risk of overheating and causing damage to the engine.

Most cars have their coolant reservoirs under the bonnet, with a gauge on the side of the ‘bottle’ indicating minimum and maximum levels. If yours is low, top it up with an appropriate coolant or, if you have any concerns, you should ask a trained professional to do it for you.

The current transition to electric cars is ‘unequal’ and doesn’t favour all groups of people from making the switch to a fully electric vehicle.

That’s according to Marc Palmer, brand director at Auto Trader, who told a House of Lords inquiry today that the current switchover to electric vehicles was ‘fragile’ although there was significant progress in the fleet market.

Palmer stated, however, that the changeover process is ‘unequal’, with the vast majority of electric cars driven by those in more affluent areas with access to off-street parking, which allows for easier charging.

“There are three core groups being left behind – those over 55, women and those lower-income households. We see a real risk of them being left behind in the transition.”

He added that ‘a change in lifestyle is what’s holding a lot of people back’.

He was speaking as part of a panel during the Environment and Climate Change Committee Inquiry into Electric Vehicles today (September 6) alongside other industry leaders from outfits such as Motors.co.uk, the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association and Zipcar.

Palmer said that current government targets were ‘achievable but it’ll require action’, adding that they were seeing progress in the sales of electric vehicles overall. A new mandate is set to be enforced soon that will require manufacturers to sell a certain proportion of fully electric vehicles – 22 per cent by 2024, 80 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2035.

Demand for electrified vehicles grew in August, with figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders showing that nearly two out of every five of the 85,657 new vehicles sold during the month was a battery-powered model.

BMW has given an idea of what its next generation of vehicles could look like via its ‘Vision Neue Klasse’ design concept.

It’s being incorporated into a vehicle which showcases a whole new design for BMW. It’s a car which has been ‘pared down to the essentials’, according to BMW, though continues to have some of the brand’s trademark design features such as the front kidney grille and a Hofmeister kink of the side window graphic.

It also sits alongside existing concepts – the i Vision Circular and i Vision Dee – to create a trio of models that point towards BMW’s future vehicles. It’s the Vision Neue Klasse, however, which is said to be the one that is closest to a full production vehicle. It’s expected that BMW will produce a road-going version by 2025.

Inside, there’s the next generation of BMW’s iDrive system while a greater use of recycled materials aims to help bring down the car’s carbon footprint. Underneath is an electric powertrain, too.

Frank Weber, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Development, said: “30 per cent more range, 30 per cent faster charging, 25 per cent more efficiency – the Neue Klasse represents a major technological leap that will take EfficientDynamics to new heights. The same applies to its design – which could not be any more futuristic,

“With the Neue Klasse, we have embarked on the biggest investment in the company’s history. We are not just writing the next chapter of BMW; we’re writing a whole new book. That’s why the Neue Klasse will certainly impact all model generations.”

The Vision Vehicle uses 21-inch aerodynamic wheels which hark back to the cross-spoke versions used in motorsport, while the exterior has been finished in an off-yellow colour. This is then contrasted by black side skirts and bumpers.

Inside, there’s a new interpretation of BMW’s iDrive system with the Panoramic Vision. Key information is projected at the driver’s line of sight across the entire width of the windscreen, while both driver and front passenger will be able to interact with this information. BMW says that drivers will be able to change the information they’re seeing on the central display via gesture control, too.