Electric vehicle (EV) buyers face a £3,400 price hike from the start of next year unless post-Brexit trade rules are delayed, an automotive industry body has said.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has called on the UK and EU to postpone the implementation of tougher rules of origin requirements on EV batteries.

Tariffs of 10% are due to be imposed on exports of electric cars between the UK and EU from January 1 if at least 45% of their value does not originate in the UK or EU.

Manufacturers will struggle to meet that threshold as battery production within Europe has not increased as quickly as hoped.

The SMMT estimated the tariffs could result in an average price rise of £3,400 on EU-manufactured pure battery electric vehicles bought in the UK.

Nearly half (49%) of all pure battery electric vehicles bought by UK buyers are from the EU.

The SMMT said conventional petrol and diesel vehicles would escape tariffs, which would “have the perverse effect of incentivising the purchase of fossil fuel-powered vehicles”.

It described a three-year delay in implementing the new rules of origin requirements as “a pragmatic solution” as it would allow time for European battery production to ramp up.

Speaking before an SMMT virtual global trade conference, the organisation’s chief executive Mike Hawes said: “UK automotive is a trading powerhouse delivering billions to the British economy, exporting vehicles and parts around the world, creating high value jobs and driving growth nationwide.

“Our manufacturers have shown incredible resilience amid multiple challenges in recent years, but unnecessary, unworkable and ill-timed rules of origin will only serve to set back the recovery and disincentivise the very vehicles we want to sell.

“Not only would consumers be out of pocket, but the industrial competitiveness of the UK and continental industries would be undermined.

“A three-year delay is a simple, common-sense solution which must be agreed urgently.”

A Government spokesperson said: “We need a joint UK-EU solution to avoid consumers facing tariffs on electric vehicles from 2024 which do not apply to petrol and diesel cars.

“We have raised this with the European Commission and industry and are ready to work with them to find a solution within the existing structure of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The UK remains one of the best locations in the world for automotive manufacturing.”

Two ads for Nissan’s Qashqai hybrid model have been banned for failing to make sufficiently clear the extent to which it needed petrol to run.

The first TV ad, seen in May and September, opened with small text stating: “*e-Power comprises a 100% electric motor-driven system, powered by a lithium ion battery and a petrol engine.”

The ad featured stylised footage of a car driving through a city at night while a voiceover said: “Who said electrification can’t spark excitement when unplugged?”

The second TV ad, seen in June, included an additional closing shot depicting DC superhero The Flash running around two Nissan cars and leaving a trail of sparks in his wake, with a voiceover stating: “Nissan Qashqai and X-Trail with e-Power. Get your own electrical superpower like The Flash.”

Four viewers complained this did not make the car’s source of power sufficiently clear.

Nissan said the ad made clear that the vehicle was part of their “e-Power” range that was neither hybrid nor fully electric but used a petrol engine and lithium-ion battery to power an electric motor which solely turned the wheels.

This was different from conventional hybrids where the wheels were powered by a petrol engine, electric motor, or a combination of both.

Nissan said the ads were no longer being broadcast in the form complained of, and that in future they would include additional wording to clarify that the vehicle was not a fully electric vehicle and required petrol to fuel the electric motor.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said viewers would understand the ads to mean that the car used “e-Power”, a new, electric technology that did not require it to be plugged in in the same way as electric-powered vehicles.

While the ad did not include any explicit claims in relation to the car’s environmental impact, the ASA said consumers were likely to understand that the car was a better choice for the environment than traditionally fuelled vehicles.

“However, because the ads did not make sufficiently clear the nature of the vehicle’s power source and because it required petrol to power the electric motor, which would produce tailpipe emissions, we considered that the ads were also misleading in this regard,” the ASA said.

“We concluded that the ads did not make sufficiently clear the extent to which the car required petrol and were therefore misleading,” the watchdog concluded.

It ruled that the ads must not appear again in their current form, adding: “We told Nissan to ensure that their future ads made sufficiently clear the nature of a vehicle’s power source.”

Nissan said: “We are disappointed with the ruling made by the ASA although of course we will respect their decision.

“We remain fully committed to helping our customers understand the different technologies available to them, including hybrid, e-Power and full electric. e-Power uses a petrol engine and a lithium-ion battery to power an electric motor. The electric motor alone drives the wheels, providing a uniquely exciting technology that brings customers who are not quite ready for a fully electric vehicle as close to the excitement of EV driving as possible.”

More than 600,000 British drivers face disqualification with “one touch of their phone”, a road safety charity has warned.

Analysis of official data obtained by IAM RoadSmart found that 547,287 drivers had six points on their licence as of August 5, and a further 94,088 had nine points.

The punishment for illegally using a mobile phone behind the wheel was toughened in 2017.

Those caught face six penalty points and a £200 fine.

Drivers who accumulate 12 or more points within three years are usually handed a six-month ban.

Varying amounts of points are handed out for motoring offences, such as three for using a vehicle with defective brakes, between three and six for speeding and 10 for drug-driving.

The number of drivers with six and nine points on their licence was 6% and 8% higher than a year earlier respectively.

The figures are based on analysis of a response to a freedom of information request to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) shared with the PA news agency.

Virtually all hand-held use of mobile phones on Britain’s roads is banned.

A loophole allowing drivers to escape punishment for hand-held phone use if they were taking a photograph or playing a game was closed by new legislation in March last year.

Department for Transport statistics show 22 people were killed and a further 148 were badly hurt in crashes on Britain’s roads in 2022 where a driver using a mobile phone was a contributory factor.

IAM RoadSmart director of policy, campaigns and standards Nicholas Lyes said: “It is astounding that there are more half a million drivers just one touch of their phone away from a driving ban.

“Anyone with six points on their licence that is tempted to text or take a selfie on their phone is not only risking a ban but is a potential danger to themselves and other road users.

“A pinging phone can be a massive distraction, so it is best to put it out of sight, out of reach and on silent.

“Drivers with any number of points on their licence – but especially those with six or nine – should not only evaluate their driving skills but think about the risk a driving ban could have on their livelihoods.

“Thankfully, education and training courses can play a role in making people safer drivers, along with changing behaviours and attitudes.

“There is a widely held suspicion that driving standards are deteriorating.

“The worrying jump in the number of people with points on their licence should be a wake-up call to the Government to roll out new enforcement measures and publish their updated road safety strategy.”

Some cyclists frequently use footage recorded by their head cameras to report illegal mobile use to police.

Michael van Erp, who runs the CyclingMikey YouTube channel, said he has reported 1,555 drivers for motoring offences since 2019, resulting in a total of 2,161 penalty points being handed out.

Annual revenues from council parking operations in England have reached nearly £1 billion, new figures show.

AA analysis of Government data published on Thursday found that English local authorities made a surplus of £962 million in the 2022/23 financial year.

That comprised of £673 million from on-street parking and £289 million from car parks.

The total for both types of parking was just £318 million during the previous 12 months, which was affected by coronavirus travel restrictions.

In 2018/19, before the pandemic, councils recorded a surplus of £936 million, which included £364 million from car parks.

AA head of roads policy Jack Cousens said: “Once again, official statistics show that councils have turned parking into a huge cash cow, not just a service to stimulate local trade and support workers and visitors.

“However, the nearly £75 million, or 20% crash in the surplus from car parks must be particularly worrying for cash-strapped councils.

“While the Covid fallout such as people working from home and the economic downturn are factors in the decline, hikes in parking charges by councils have contributed and helped to drive more shoppers online.

“In effect, many local authorities are killing the goose that lays the golden egg.”

Councils’ parking management involves operational costs but money is received through charges and fines.

A spokesman for the Local Government Association, which represents councils in England and Wales, said: “Income raised through parking charges is spent on running parking services.

“Any surplus is spent on essential transport projects, including fixing the £14 billion road repairs backlog, reducing congestion, tackling poor air quality and supporting local bus services.

“Motorists can avoid fines by ensuring they observe parking and traffic rules that are only there to help all drivers get around and find parking safely, smoothly and fairly.”

The proportion of new cars registered last month that were battery electric was lower than a year earlier, new figures show.

Just 16.6% of registrations in September were pure electric compared with 16.9% in the same month in 2022, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said.

At least 22% of new cars sold by manufacturers in the UK next year must be zero emission under the Government’s zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) mandate.

The decline in the market share of battery electric new cars last month was driven by a 14.3% decrease in registrations by private buyers.

Purchases for fleets rose by 50.6%.

The overall new car market increased by 21.0% in September with 272,610 vehicles registered.

September is traditionally a strong month for car sales due to the introduction of new number plates.

Under the ZEV mandate, manufacturers that fail to meet thresholds and do not make use of flexibilities – such as carrying over allowances from previous years – will be required to pay the Government £15,000 per polluting car sold above the limits.

Last month, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delayed the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2030 to 2035.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “A bumper September means the new car market remains strong despite economic challenges.

“However, with tougher EV targets for manufacturers coming into force next year, we need to accelerate the transition, encouraging all motorists to make the switch.

“This means adding carrots to the stick – creating private purchase incentives aligned with business benefits, equalising on-street charging VAT with off-street domestic rates, and mandating charge point rollout in line with how electric vehicle sales are now to be dictated.

“The forthcoming Autumn Statement is the perfect opportunity to create the conditions that will deliver the zero-emission mobility essential to our shared net-zero ambition.”

Ian Plummer, commercial director at online vehicle marketplace Auto Trader, said: “The big question is how some players in the industry reach 22% by the end of next year under the new ZEV sales mandate.

“Many face a difficult choice between selling fewer petrol and diesel vehicles, paying hefty fines or buying credits from all-electric new market entrants such as BYD, Tesla and Polestar.

“To square that circle, we could see prices come down to encourage consumer demand further.”

Alex Buttle, co-founder of used car marketplace Motorway.co.uk, said: “The majority of EV registrations are still from fleet users taking advantage of the favourable benefits offered to company car buyers.

“If the Government could now provide similar incentives to private buyers, we could see EV sales surge even further and the switchover accelerate in the run up to 2035.”

RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: “We believe it’s vital the Government shows its commitment to zero-emission driving and doing its bit to sustain demand by stimulating the less expensive end of the new electric car market.

“A refreshed plug-in car grant would go a long way towards helping more drivers switch to electric cars sooner.”

The average price of the UK’s most popular used cars fell by 1.4 per cent in the third quarter of 2023.

Analysis by AA Cars shows that despite the fall, average prices for the most searched-for cars remain 3.4 per cent higher than last year. The average price of the ‘most popular cars’ stands at £16,736 through July, August and September, contrasting the average price of £16,182 from a year prior.

It does, however, represent a decrease compared with the £16,965 average price recorded during April, May and June of this year.

The Mercedes C-Class saw the largest annual fall in price, dropping by 10.36 per cent to £19,225 from £21,424. In contrast, prices for the Kia Sportage increased by 13.9 per cent to £19,267 from £16,913 a year ago.

Prices for the Ford Fiesta – which has now been discontinued – fell on a quarterly basis but still remained higher than a year ago. The average price for the compact model now stands at £11,148, up from £10,851 a year ago.

Mark Oakley, director of AA Cars, said: “The average price of the UK’s most popular used cars continues to fall.

“Although prices on average are still higher than last year, this is not the case for every model and there are some great deals available for drivers prioritising good value for money.

“For drivers considering a greener car, this might be a good time to start looking. Ever greater numbers of EVs and hybrids are entering the second-hand market each month, boosting supply and choice and pushing down prices. Switching to a green vehicle can be a great way to future-proof yourself as more cities roll-out or expand clean air zones, not to mention saving on fuel bills.”

Prices for the 20 most popular electric vehicles and hybrids fell by seven per cent between the second and third quarters of 2023, with the average price for the most popular models listed by AA Cars standing at £19,932, down from £22,021 in the previous quarter. The fall in EV prices comes despite the demand for used battery-powered models soaring, with SMMT data showing that sales are up 81.8 per cent compared with a year ago.

The BBC has denied reports it has axed Top Gear after presenter and former cricketer Andrew Flintoff was injured during filming last year.

The Sun reported on Friday that the BBC has told production staff to look for other work following the incident at the show’s test track Dunsfold Aerodrome last December.

A BBC spokesperson told the PA news agency: “A decision on the timing of future Top Gear shows will be made in due course with BBC Content.”

Former England captain Flintoff, 45, widely known by his nickname Freddie, was filmed on Wednesday speaking publicly for the first time since the accident in a clip released by England Cricket on social media.

In the video, where he awarded an England cap to spin bowler Tom Hartley, Flintoff said: “It gives me so much pleasure to share what is going to be a day Tom that you’re going to remember for the rest of your life.”

Flintoff also touched on the incident and added: “They’ll (England Cricket team) share the good times with you, the successes. But as I found over the past few months, they’ll be there in the hardest times of your life, they will stand next to you.”

Filming for series 34 of Top Gear was halted after the accident, and the BBC said in March that it would be inappropriate to resume making the series at that time following an internal investigation into what happened.

Flintoff’s son Corey said at the time he was “lucky to be alive” and described it as a “pretty nasty crash”.

Former sports star Flintoff began presenting Top Gear in 2019.

Mike Brewer, the star of television’s Wheeler Dealers series, has opened up about the numerous death threats and ‘tirade of abuse’ he has received online.

Brewer, who is celebrating 20 years of Wheeler Dealers this year, explained in a Car Dealer Magazine video: “I’ve had death threats. Regularly, people threaten to rape my wife and daughter and murder me. People say they’re outside my house. I’ve actually had people at my gate.

“I wake up every day to a tirade of abuse. It happens every single day.”

Wheeler Dealers has now entered its 21st season, reaching 200 million-plus people worldwide. However, this success has been tempered by a lot of online hate.

“When you’ve got a global show that reaches more than 200m people, you’re gonna have a tiny percentage of those people take umbrage at the fact that you’re successful,’ said the 59-year-old.

“People take umbrage at that and get jealous of it. So they revert to social media and tell me what they think of me, and the abuse does hurt.

“It does affect me, and it affects my mental health. But fortunately, I’ve got a really strong family and a very strong, loving wife. And I’ve got a great team of people around me that know simply what you read online isn’t true.”

He added: “I struggle. Personally, I may drink a bit too much to try and numb the pain. And that manifests itself in weight. And then that manifests itself in people just being abusive and cruel about size online. But it’s a vicious circle. And unfortunately, this is the world we live in.”

The new season of Wheeler Dealers starts on Discovery Plus on Friday, October 6, and Brewer touched upon some of the early days of the hit series.

“When we started to make the first season of Wheeler Dealers, I always felt we were just making it up as we went along,” he explained.

“I was being offered Top Gear at the time, I’d just come off the back of Driven, as well as Deals on Wheels on Channel 4 and I really thought this would just be a bit of a stop gap in between.

“I knew that it had some kind of presence and legs then. And here I am, we’re just about to start the 21st season 20 years later and I’m still doing it. It’s incredible.”

Music mogul and TV star Simon Cowell has become one of the first owners of an electric reincarnation of the classic Mini.

Cowell is a well-known petrolhead, owning models from Bugatti, Rolls-Royce and Ferrari over the years, but is switching to electric power for his latest car.

Called the Mini eMastered, it’s made by David Brown Automotive, which heavily customises the classic model and now fits it with a modern electric powertrain. Cowell is one of the first to take delivery of the firm’s latest creation, with the celebrity’s version inspired by James Bond.

The exterior colour combination is inspired by a Lotus Esprit that appeared in the James Bond film ‘A View to a Kill’. Painted in a similar paint colour to the film car, the Mini also features ‘Turbo’ branding and gold alloy wheels.

Cowell’s own Rolls-Royce Phantom provided the inspiration for the interior of the Mini, which comes with white leather upholstery and a walnut dashboard, he described it as a ‘Mini Rolls’.

Cowell originally owned the ‘Remastered’ Mini with a petrol engine, but said it lacked the ‘go-kart feel’, so returned it to David Brown to have an electric powertrain fitted instead.

David Brown Automotive says the car has been ‘built from the ground up over the course of hundreds of hours’.

The Mini uses a small 96bhp electric motor, that allows for a top speed limited to 92mph, while a compact 18.8kWh battery allows for a predicted range of around 110 miles.

Speaking after taking delivery of the electric Mini, Cowell said: “This has always been my dream car. It was on my wish list, one day I wanted to have a classic Mini. Then I read about this company, and I thought, I’ve got to have one of these.

“Of all the cars I’ve had in my life, this is my favourite. This is a keeper. I’ve never really kept cars, I don’t have a collection. I’ve had a lot of cars but I’ve always sold them. This one I will always, always keep.”

No price has been given for Cowell’s particular car, but prices for the Mini eMastered by David Brown Automotive start from £125,000.