Author: PA Media

Average fuel prices have risen by more than 3p per litre in three weeks, new analysis shows.

The RAC said the average price of a litre of petrol increased by 3.2p from 140.0p on January 29 to 143.3p on Monday.

Diesel prices have also surged by 4.0p per litre over the same period, from 148.0p to 152.0p.

It follows a three-month downward trend in fuel prices up to mid-January.

The pump price hikes have been attributed to a jump in the price of oil, which has been trading above 80 US dollars a barrel for most of the last four weeks.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “News that fuel prices have bottomed out and are now on the rise again is bad for drivers, and possibly the economy and future inflation rates too.

“While we’re not expecting prices to shoot up dramatically, it appears that oil is trading up, which in the absence of a stronger pound means wholesale fuel is costing more for retailers to buy in.

“The result is higher prices at the pump and more expense for the every-day driver.

“The Red Sea attacks by Houthi rebels, which are forcing tankers to avoid the Suez Canal and instead go round South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, are clearly playing their part, but so have global refinery maintenance closures, the start of America’s driving season and UK retailers buying more fuel stocks ahead of the Budget to protect against a possible fuel duty hike by the Chancellor.

“Despite these factors, we ought not to see forecourt prices go up too much more from where they are today, but a lot depends on how much margin the biggest retailers decide to take,” Mr Williams added.

Nissan is hoping buyers can fall in love again with the Juke by choosing Valentine’s Day to reveal a revised version.

The updated Juke receives a whole host of interior tweaks, a new trim level and paint colours to keep the Juke desirable in the competitive crossover segment.

Chief among the interior changes is a new infotainment screen. It now measures 12.3 inches in size and has been angled towards the driver to ‘enhance the cockpit-feeling which Juke customers really like’, says Nissan.

The system’s home screen has been redesigned allowing the driver to configure different widgets for functions they use most frequently, there’s improved voice recognition, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have been added, and the system can even play videos from a USB when the car is stationary.

N-Connecta models and above get a new 12.3-inch TFT screen instead of traditional dials, which allow the driver to change between two different designs and cycle through a mixture of information, such as eco-drive performance, tyre pressure monitoring, sat-nav mapping and fuel economy.

Nissan has also made a number of subtle improvements to the interior, including adding USB-A and USB-C charging points in the front and back, wireless phone charging for N-Connecta models and above, and a larger glovebox.

The safety equipment has been updated, too, with the standard fitment of Intelligent Driver Alertness, and there’s a higher resolution reversing camera for all trim levels.

The mid-life refresh also sees a new N-Sport trim level which adds a black roof, wheels, door mirrors, wheel arch inserts, grille and A-and B-pillars, and yellow detailing inside. Yellow also returns to the Juke’s colour palette, now called ‘Iconic Yellow’, while a new Pearl White shade has been added along with a ‘sparklier’ Pearl Black.

Engine choices remain as before, so there’s the option of a 112bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol, and a 141bhp hybrid which pairs a 93bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine with a 48bhp electric motor.

Nissan has axed the Acenta trim level with the range now starting with Acenta Premium, while the new N-Sport trim level shares top billing with Tekna+. Prices have risen by £900 with the range now starting from £23,485 and the new Juke will go on sale at the beginning of March.

Adverts for the expansion of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) made misleading claims about pollution levels across the capital and inside cars, a watchdog has found.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said claims made by Transport for London (TfL), which runs Ulez, that levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) had reduced by almost half as a result of the scheme were not based on measurements of air quality taken before and after it was implemented, as listeners of the radio ad might expect.

Instead, TfL based its claim on calculating the difference between current air quality measurements and a “non-Ulez scenario”, but without qualifying this for listeners and likely misleading them, the ASA found.

The ASA also upheld complaints about claims in a second TfL ad that most deaths related to air pollution “actually” occurred in outer London, when this was in fact based on modelled estimates.

The ASA said the ad was likely to mislead listeners because it did not explain the basis of the claim.

In a separate ruling, the ASA found a claim made in a radio ad by the Greater London Authority that “according to research, one of the most polluted places in London is inside your car” was misleading.

The ASA said evidence provided by the GLA did establish that car users were exposed to air pollution when inside their vehicle and that it could be higher than when using other forms of transport.

However, the GLA had not directly compared pollution inside a car in London with other locations around the city, meaning it had not been adequately substantiated and was likely to mislead listeners.

The ASA, which received a total of 504 complaints about six TfL ads for Ulez and 38 complaints about the GLA ad – only some of which were upheld – stressed that it was not its role to rule on the validity of Ulez, but rather to assess whether claims made in the ads were presented alongside robust evidence.

The watchdog has told both TfL and the GLA to ensure that claims relate to relevant evidence more closely in future.

TfL said it was “disappointed” with the ASA’s ruling, adding that scientific analysis based on modelled scenarios and estimates was “standard practice” in the scientific community and central government.

A spokeswoman said: “The ASA did not challenge the science. Its ruling centres around a minor technical point in some ads. We will take this into account when drafting the wording and referencing in any future adverts.

“The science is absolutely clear about the significant harm of air pollution on people’s health and that estimated premature deaths from air pollution are higher in outer London than in inner London.

“It is also clear from robust scientific assessment that the central London Ulez was key to almost halving the nitrous oxide emissions in the original Ulez area.

“The expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone is playing a crucial role in the reduction of air pollution – improving air quality for everyone in London and reducing the harms to health associated with vehicle emissions.”

A spokesman for London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: “The ASA is not challenging the science behind the advertisement, and we are confident that it contains nothing misleading. The advert went through a robust policy and industry approval process.

“Studies from global institutions have shown that exposure to air pollution, even at low levels, is very damaging to people’s health. We are satisfied with the science behind the claim and how we presented it.”

Urgent action must be taken by the Government to remove barriers to the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), according to a House of Lords report.

A combination of higher purchase costs, insufficient charging infrastructure and mixed messaging are putting some people off from making the switch to electric motoring, peers warned.

The report from the Environment and Climate Change Committee urged ministers to instil confidence in consumers to ditch petrol and diesel cars.

One option it suggested is to incentivise purchases of used EVs by creating an industry standard assessment of the condition and likely future degradation of their batteries.

Other recommendations included ensuring the rollout of EV charging infrastructure is not delayed by “out-dated regulation”, and taking action to tackle “misinformation” about electric motoring.

Baroness Parminter, who chaired the inquiry, said: “Surface transport is the UK’s highest emitting sector for CO2, with passenger cars responsible for over half those emissions.

“The evidence we received shows the Government must do more – and quickly – to get people to adopt EVs.

“If it fails to heed our recommendations, the UK won’t reap the significant benefits of better air quality and will lag in the slow lane for tackling climate change.”

EVs are more expensive to buy than their petrol and diesel equivalents, and there is an “insufficient range of affordable EVs”, the report stated.

The upfront cost of EVs, including second-hand cars, is “a significant barrier to consumer adoption”, the committee said.

Peers described the UK’s removal of purchase incentives to support private buyers as “premature”.

They also suggested that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s speech announcing the delay in the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035 – in which he said achieving net zero “is going to be hard” – was an example of “emphasising the costs while failing to stress the benefits”.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “For many people, an electric car offers the prospect of cheap motoring once they have left the showroom.

“The key is the recharging process, especially when drivers are away from home.

“Plugging in at a public charge point needs to be as simple and straightforward as visiting a forecourt selling petrol and diesel, and at the moment the multitude of systems and tariffs on offer means it isn’t.

“Convenience and consistency must triumph over complexity.”

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said on Monday that the millionth pure battery electric new car was registered in the UK in January.

It warned that market growth is currently dependent on businesses and fleets, and urged the Treasury to use next month’s Budget to temporarily halve VAT on purchases of new EVs.

The Government announced on Monday that schools in England will be able to apply for grants to buy and install electric vehicle chargers.

State-funded schools and other learning institutions will have access to a grant providing up to 75% of the cost to install chargers, with funding available for up to £2,500 per socket.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “After more than a decade of Government grants and tax incentives, the number of electric cars on our roads has significantly increased, with over a million now on UK roads.

“We are continuing to support the switch to electric with more than £2 billion, seeing a 45% increase in public chargepoints since January last year, putting us on track to install 300,000 public chargepoints by 2030.

“This week alone we have made chargepoints more accessible, with the first councils starting to receive part of the £381 million local electric vehicle infrastructure fund alongside new grants to install chargepoints in state schools and nurseries.”

Ginny Buckley, founder of EV marketplace Electrifying.com, said: “The peers on this committee have pulled no punches in this report.

“We’ve consistently said that improvements to incentives, infrastructure and information are essential if we are to meet net zero targets and leave no-one behind on the journey.

“This report clearly shows that the House of Lords agrees with us.”

The millionth pure battery electric new car has been registered in the UK, industry figures show.

This milestone was reached in January, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said.

Only around 674,000 pure battery electric cars were licensed for use in the UK by the end of 2022.

The SMMT expects pure battery electrics to account for more than one in five new cars registered this year.

The Government’s zero emission vehicles (ZEV) mandate means at least 22% of new cars sold by each manufacturer in the UK this year must be zero emission, which generally means battery electric vehicles.

This threshold will rise annually until it reaches 100% by 2035.

The SMMT is calling on the Treasury to temporarily halve VAT on new pure battery electric cars to encourage more people to make the switch from conventionally fuelled vehicles.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “It’s taken just over 20 years to reach our million EV milestone but with the right policies, we can double down on that success in just another two.

“Market growth is currently dependent on businesses and fleets.

“Government must, therefore, use the upcoming Budget to support private EV buyers, temporarily halving VAT to cut carbon, drive economic growth and help everyone make the switch.

“Manufacturers have been asked to supply the vehicles. We now ask Government to help consumers buy the vehicles on which net zero depends.”

Ian Plummer, commercial director at online vehicle marketplace Auto Trader, said: “Britain’s millionth new electric vehicle sale is a real milestone moment for the market.

“Considering the pressure on car manufacturers to meet a 22% electric vehicle sales target under the ZEV (zero-emission vehicles) mandate this year, it’s a good time to be an electric vehicle buyer with some manufacturers offering EV discounts as high as 40%.

“Electric vehicles may account for one in five sales this year, but there is still more ministers can do.

“Equalising the VAT on private and public charging points would boost running-cost savings and encourage more people to make the switch to electric.”

SMMT figures show 142,876 new cars were registered last month, an 8.2% increase from January 2023.

The Government announced on Monday that schools in England will be able to apply for grants to buy and install electric vehicle chargers.

State-funded schools and other learning institutions will have access to a grant providing up to 75% of the cost to install chargers, with funding available for up to £2,500 per socket.

The chargers would be available for staff and visitors, but Department for Transport officials said the scheme could also help schools generate revenue by making the power outlets accessible to the public.

Parisians voted on Sunday to muscle 4x4s off the French capital’s streets by making them much more expensive to park from the autumn, the latest leg in a drive by Socialist Mayor Anne Hidalgo to make the host city for this year’s Olympic Games greener.

More than 54% of the votes cast in the low-turnout election supported the measure to triple parking fees for large 4×4, or SUV, drivers from out of town to 18 euros (£15.45) per hour in the city’s centre, according to official results.

Only 5.7% of the 1.3 million eligible voters cast ballots at the 39 voting stations around the city.

In get-out-the-vote posts on social media, Ms Hidalgo argued that the vehicles take up too much space on narrow Parisian streets, are too polluting and “threaten our health and our planet”, and cause more traffic accidents than smaller cars.

The additional fees will come into force from September 1, she said.

“The time has come to break with this tendency for cars that are always bigger, taller, wider,” she said. “You have the power to take back ownership of our streets.”

The cost for non-residents to park 4x4s in Paris’s central districts, in the arrondissements numbered 1 through 11, would soar to 18 euros per hour for the first two hours, compared with six euros per hour for smaller cars.

After that, parking would become increasingly punitive. A six-hour stay with a 4×4 would cost 225 euros (£192.52), compared with 75 euros for smaller vehicles.

Away from the heart of the city, in Paris’s outer arrondissements 12 to 20, an out-of-town 4×4 driver would pay 12 euros per hour for the first two hours, progressively rising to 150 euros for six hours.

The mini-referendum was open to Parisians registered to vote. The question they were asked was: “For or against the creation of a specific rate for the parking of heavy, bulky, polluting individual cars?”

The vote follows another consultation last year on whether to ban for-hire electric scooters. The 15,000 opinion-dividing mini-machines were subsequently banished from Paris streets after nearly 90% of the 103,000 voters rejected e-scooters.

More bike lanes are being added for the July 26-Aug. 11 Olympics and Paralympic Games that follow.

City Hall says that 4×4 collisions with pedestrians are twice as deadly than accidents involving smaller cars. It notes that two-thirds of Parisians now do not own a car.

City Hall’s proposed ramped-up parking prices would apply to conventional or hybrid-engined 4x4s from out of town that weigh 1.6 tons or more and two tons or more if they are fully electric.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper has told Mayor of London Sadiq Khan there is no “legal barrier” to cars being donated to Ukraine through the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) scrappage scheme.

Mr Khan asked the Cabinet minister in December to enable 4x4s and other suitable vehicles that would otherwise be scrapped to be sent to Ukraine.

The mayor had previously made it clear he did not believe altering the Ulez scheme for exporting vehicles would be possible under current laws.

Mr Harper wrote a letter to Mr Khan on Wednesday which stated: “We do not consider there to be any legal barrier to allowing vehicles to be donated to Ukraine.

“You have identified legal obstacles that relate to the processes and design of your scheme and DfT (Department for Transport) and DLUHC (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) officials have been working with TfL (Transport for London) to identify routes to overcome these.”

Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, reportedly wrote to his London counterpart to suggest donating vehicles as part of the scrappage scheme to assist with Ukraine’s war effort against Russia.

The average price paid for motor insurance in the final quarter of 2023 was around a third, or £157 in cash terms, higher compared with a year earlier, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI).

Between October 1 and December 31 2023, the average price paid for private motor cover was £627, up from £470 during the same period a year earlier.

The ABI pointed to surging costs for insurers, such as longer repair times, higher repair costs, and the rising price of replacement vehicles.

Rising repair costs are due to a mixture of the price of labour, energy costs, and vehicles becoming more sophisticated, with electric vehicles requiring more specialist expertise to repair, the ABI said.

Its motor insurance premium tracker analyses nearly 28 million policies sold in a year and is based on the price customers pay for their cover rather than what they are quoted.

Mervyn Skeet, the ABI’s director of general insurance policy, said: “We’re acutely aware of the impact that rising motor insurance premiums continue to have on motorists.

“Rising repair costs and other factors outside of insurers’ control mean there is no single action that could bring down premiums. However, we are determined to do all we can to put the brake on.

“We are working with our members to understand what actions can be taken to help motorists manage costs. The cost of paying monthly (premium finance) is one of a number of topics we continue to discuss with our members and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

“We’ve also been very clear, and continue to underline, that cutting insurance premium tax would provide immediate relief for stretched consumers.”

The ABI estimates that insurance premium tax currently adds around £67 to the average motor premium. The tax is levied on insurers but the cost is passed on to customers through the prices they pay.

Recent research by consumer group Which? indicated that in September 2023 those paying monthly for an annual policy faced paying around £309 more on average over the year than those paying in one go.

Younger motorists, who often pay the highest premiums, may be more likely to pay monthly, Which? said.

Specialist brokers may be able to help people who are finding it hard to get insurance. The British Insurance Brokers’ Association can help put people in touch with a specialist broker.

A Financial Conduct Authority spokesman said previously that the body has already told insurers they must ensure their products provide fair value and it expects firms to continue to support customers in financial difficulty and reflect on whether they can do more to support people with lower financial resilience.

Fewer than a fifth (18%) of drivers think Highway Code changes made two years ago improved safety for pedestrians, a survey suggests.

The poll of 2,500 UK drivers commissioned by the RAC also indicated that 31% think pedestrians face even greater danger at junctions since the amendments.

The Highway Code, which contains advice and rules for people using Britain’s roads, was amended by the Department for Transport (DfT) on January 29 2022 to provide more protection for vulnerable road users.

It stated that traffic turning at junctions should give way when pedestrians are crossing or waiting to cross the road.

Less than a quarter (23%) of respondents to the RAC survey said they always do this, while 19% admitted they do not stop very often and 6% said they never do.

The Government’s latest road casualty statistics show 30% of pedestrian fatalities on Britain’s roads occur at junctions.

Other changes to the Highway Code included the creation of a hierarchy of road users meaning someone driving has more responsibility to watch out for people cycling, walking or riding a horse.

There was also advice for cyclists to make themselves as visible as possible by riding in the centre of lanes on quieter roads, in slower-moving traffic and when approaching junctions.

A report by the Commons Public Accounts Committee in November 2023 warned that messaging around Highway Code changes were not communicated effectively enough to encourage public participation.

The RAC poll also indicated that 37% of drivers aged 17 to 24 think the amendments have made roads safer for vulnerable users, compared with just 13% of those aged 65 and above.

RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “When initially introduced, we welcomed the major Highway Code changes because they were set to make the roads much safer for the most vulnerable users.

“However, two years on, it’s concerning to see there’s still so much uncertainty, with most drivers not stopping for people crossing when they should and therefore many pedestrians seeing no change to their safety at junctions.

“Part of the reason may be that drivers simply don’t know that the changes have been made, least of all the consequences of ignoring them.

“Most drivers probably rarely refer to the Highway Code once they’ve passed their tests, and that’s where the problem could lie.

“We urge motorists to take another close look at the changes – either by visiting the Highway Code or RAC websites, or by picking up a printed copy.

“We’d also urge the Government to make another concerted effort in communicating the changes to all road users.”

A DfT spokesman said: “All road users must feel confident using our roads which is why we made sure the changes to the Highway Code were directly informed by a public consultation with over 20,000 responses.

“To increase awareness of the changes, we have used our Think! campaign to increase awareness and understanding of the changes over the last two years.”

– The RAC’s survey was conducted by research company Online95 in March 2023. It was weighted to be nationally representative.

Drivers caught speeding between 20mph and 30mph would not receive penalty points under a proposed law tabled in Parliament.

Conservative former minister Kit Malthouse said motorists should instead be required to attend a speed awareness course, with repeat offenders made to do the course again.

Points would still apply to those drivers who do not attend their course, Mr Malthouse said.

The former justice minister argued his proposed reform offers a “more proportionate approach” to 20mph zones and would achieve better road safety.

Most people caught speeding are handed a £100 fine and either penalty points or offered the chance to participate in a retraining course.

Introducing his Road Traffic and Street Works Bill to the Commons, Mr Malthouse said: “I propose that anybody caught speeding between 20mph and 30mph does not receive penalty points, rather they would be required to attend a speed awareness course and repeat offences would require repeat attendance at speed awareness courses.

“I should declare an interest having been myself at a speed awareness course recently, caught doing 24mph on the Embankment unwittingly – along with the Archbishop of Canterbury.

“Not at the same time or in the same vehicle, he was also done for a similar offence.

“The rollout of 20mph speed limits across the country has brought benefits in terms of road safety, but it has left many thousands of drivers disproportionately punished for straying over the limit.

“You can receive three penalty points for doing 24mph in a 20mph zone and for doing 57mph in a 50mph zone – (it) seems unfair to many and is in danger of discrediting the system.

“In addition to penalty points and a fine, drivers so punished will also face higher insurance premiums at a time when premiums are rising significantly in any event.

“As it stands it’s possible to lose you driving licence by driving at 24mph four times in three years.”

Mr Malthouse said speed awareness courses are “significantly more effective” in preventing reoffending compared with penalty points and a fine.

He added: “If our objective is to improve road safety, particularly on residential roads, then it would be more effective to put people through repeated courses, perhaps with increasing intensity and time required.

“This would be a more proportionate approach and achieve better road safety. Points would still apply for those who fail to attend courses or indeed who fail their courses.”

The Bill would also see a warning letter sent to a driver for their first moving traffic offence – such as entering a bus lane – in a particular location rather than an immediate fine.

Any roadworks on an A road should not be left unattended at any time, according to the third proposal in the Bill.

Mr Malthouse asked for the Bill to receive a second reading on April 19 although it is unlikely to make progress in its current form unless it receives Government support.

AA president Edmund King said: “All our research suggests that the vast majority of drivers benefit from speed awareness courses and would recommend them to others.

“Getting drivers to slow down is vital but in the move to reduce casualties it is more effective to educate rather than prosecute. It would be a pragmatic step to offer courses to those who contravene 20mph limits.”