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European Union called on to “ramp up” hydrogen stations in the face of “severely lacking” infrastructure.

Car makers have urged the European Union to “ramp up” investment in hydrogen filling stations, as the current infrastructure is “severely lacking.”

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) says “a strategic plan for the pan-European deployment of infrastructure for fuel cell vehicles needs to be put in place”, with the organisation also calling for consideration to be given to the requirements of hydrogen lorries.

The majority of the focus on provision for alternatively fuelled vehicles has been around electric cars and their charging points, with hydrogen vehicles left behind.

Some 17 new hydrogen stations were opened in Germany last year, bringing the total number in the country to 60; that compares to roughly 25,000 EV chargers. In the UK, there are around 15,000 EV chargers, against just 17 hydrogen stations.

Critics of hydrogen cars point to their expense (the Hyundai Nexo and Toyota Mirai both cost upwards of £60,000) as well as their rarity and complexity. Generating hydrogen fuel, meanwhile, is also problematic, with the majority of the element captured using fossil fuels.

But hydrogen advocates cite the fuel’s advantages, namely that cars running on hydrogen can be refulled as quickly as models with petrol and diesel engines and offer similar range. The cars themselves produce no tailpipe emissions other than water.

Hydrogen generation methods, meanwhile, could in theory move away from fossil fuels in future years, just as electricty generation has, to some extent. Research by Auto Express, meanwhile, found that some organisations were covering higher mileage in hydrogen cars compared to EVs.

The ACEA’s director general, Eric-Mark Huitema, said: “Along with other alternatively-powered vehicles, fuel cell vehicles hold a strong potential to help make the transition to zero-emission mobility.

“But their ability to reach this potential depends on a network of hydrogen refuelling stations being built up right across Europe. Today, there are just 125 hydrogen stations in the EU, so there is much work to be done in the coming years.”

Hydrogen cars will overtake electric cars, expert claims.

Electric power for cars “has its limits” and cars will be hydrogen-powered from 2030, an automotive-industry expert has said.

Dr Felix Gress, head of corporate communications and public affairs at automotive technology firm Continental, told an audience in Germany that electric cars represent poor value for money compared to petrol or diesel alternatives.

“For the customers, it will be difficult to accept such a car in the market – you pay a higher price, you get less of a car, so it will be a tough sell.”

And, while EVs may be grabbing the headlines and industry attention, Gress predicted that focus will be reversed within a decade or so. “The fuel cell is not ready to kick in yet,” Gress added. “By 2030, we’ll see that coming, especially in passenger cars that run long distances, or trucks.”

Gress added that manufacturers need to focus on electric cars in order to lower their fleet emissions and meet upcoming regulations in various markets, many of which have plans to limit or ban the sale of new conventionally powered petrol and diesel cars.

While these motivations may be driving the automotive industry, Gress warned drivers may not actually buy electric cars large numbers, partly due to what he perceives as their inherent limitations. “The battery technology, according to our estimations, has its limits,” he admitted, adding that “it doesn’t generate enough range” for some people’s needs.

Circling back around to the topic of hydrogen vehicles, Gress said this was something Continental is considering. “Fuel cell is not out of reach, I would say. The question is when it would kick in. We are working on that area, too.”  By Graham Hill & AutoExpress

Official DVSA statistics show vast number of dangerous vehicles have deemed dangerous since the updated MoT was introduced.

Almost three million vehicles have failed their MoTs as a result of ‘dangerous’ defects, with the updated MoT test revealing the true extent of how badly maintained almost 10 per cent of Britain’s cars are.

The MoT test underwent one of the most significant shake-ups in its 59-year history in May 2018, when new defect categories (Minor, Major and Dangerous) and fresh checks were brought in.

Official data from the 12 months since those changes were introduced has revealed that 2,952,487 of the 31,285,618 vehicles submitted for their MoT failed last year due to defects that were classified as Dangerous. That means 9.4 per cent of vehicles tested had a fault that posed “a direct and immediate risk to road safety” or “a serious impact on the environment.”

The vast majority (29,537,183) of the vehicles tested were cars, with 2,769,081 (9.37 per cent) failing due to a Dangerous defect. Such faults include missing brake pads, twisted steering shafts, and exhausts that are “likely to become detached.”

Precisely a third of all cars submitted for their MoT in the 12 months since the test changed failed due to Major or Dangerous faults, far higher than the 17 per cent of failing motorbikes, and 29.7 per cent of minibuses. Worryingly, though, 40.9 per cent of goods vehicles with a weight of between two and 37 tonnes failed their test, with over 13 per cent doing so because of a Dangerous fault.

And officials from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), which is responsible for administering the MoT, are concerned that the number of vehicles with dangerous faults is likely to be even higher.

Neil Barlow, the DVSA’s head of vehicle engineering explained: “With a quarter of cars turning up late for MOT every year, that means there are lots of potentially dangerous vehicles badly in need of inspection.”

“We urge people to sign up to our free MOT reminder service so they get their MOTs done on time, helping keep Britain’s roads safe.”

The most common cause of an MoT failure in the 12 months from May 2018 were problems with suspension components (these caused 18.3 per cent of failures), followed by issues with lights and electrical equipment (14.9 per cent) and brake problems (8.8 per cent).

By Graham Hill, Thanks To AutoExpress

Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps is apparently set to finally agree to increase the speed limit to 80mph. The issue has caused disagreement from all quarters over the years resulting in the decision being kicked into the long grass. But the entrance of a new argument has caused the issue to be raised again and look like the new limit may finally be adopted.

The new entrant into the equation is the increase in electric cars now using the motorways. One of the main reasons for not adopting the increased speed limit was the amount of extra CO2 spewed out by petrol and diesel cars at higher speeds. But this argument falls away as electric cars increase.

The other major argument is safety. The public and safety groups fear that accidents will increase if the limit is increased. But this ignores the fact that our motorways are the safest roads in the UK whilst being the fastest so the logical conclusion is that speed cannot be the biggest contributing factor to accidents.

Motorways are built for high speed, they are generally better maintained, straighter with fewer hills to climb. So an increase of 10mph will make motorways no more dangerous. Accidents on motorways are more often down to weather conditions such as snow, ice, fog, rain and wind rather than driving too fast.

Modern cars have masses of safety equipment fitted, set to increase next year as a result of EU rules making it compulsory for more safety equipment to be fitted as standard next year. The real problem is poor driving competency, driving too close to cars in front, how to handle aquaplaning and which way to steer when the rear tyres lose all grip.

With new smart motorways doing away with hard shoulders and even those with hard shoulders confusing drivers who are unaware of the rules if you break down, safety campaigners should concentrate on education rather than fighting an increase in speed limit. Over to you Mr Shapps – let’s get this done?  By Graham Hill

We tend to hear a lot about the dangers of a no-deal Brexit from the perspective of UK business but how worried are European manufacturers of a no-deal Brexit? Are they as worried as our own manufacturers and what are the dangers being faced by the biggest car manufacturers, the Germans?

According to the Sunday Telegraph the quick answer is that they are petrified, especially the largest manufacturer in the world VW. Their factory in Wolfsburg, Germany employs a massive 50,000 workers. It runs three independent power stations and one corridor alone is over 1 mile long. Workers on the factory floor use bicycles to get about.

So having finally recovered from the Dieselgate scandal the last thing they need are the challenges of the loss of the free trade agreements that would follow a no-deal Brexit. Last month the German car manufacturers joined other European manufacturers who released a joint statement warning that a no-deal Brexit would have ‘seismic’ and ‘devastating’ consequences for the sector.

In another report produced earlier this year it was suggested that as many as 100,000 motor industry jobs would be at risk in the auto sector in Germany and that the European economy would suffer badly but that the UK economy would suffer even more. Concerns over the just-in-time supply chain of parts in both directions are of major concern, disrupting manufacturing both in the UK and in Europe in the event of a no-deal.

Having said this there is a strong belief that the onus is on the UK to come up with some proposals that would prevent Brexit. A view that isn’t shared by Boris and co. There seems a disconnect between the view of European inhabitants who talk highly of Britain and our trading partnership and their EU representatives.

Trades union leaders in Germany are concerned about the future of their members’ jobs. Only a Brexit deal will give them any level of comfort but they still support the EU-27 and support their position stating that they, in Europe, should remain united. By Graham Hill

European think tank claims ‘carmakers’ strategy to promote sales of inefficient, higher-emitting SUVs” is making CO2 targets hard to hit.

The popularity of relatively heavy, unaerodynamic SUVs is to blame for the recent rise in new-car carbon dioxide emissions not, as has often been reported, the falling popularity of diesel cars, according to a European think tank.

Industry figures show the average CO2 emissions of a new car rose by 2.9 per cent in 2018. European new-car CO2 emissions have also increased following years of decline, falling by nearly 22g/km between 2010 and 2016, but subsequently increasing by a provisional 2g/km in 2018.

Carmakers and environmental experts have often cited the falling popularity of diesel cars – which emit less CO2 than their petrol equivalents – as key to this bucked trend. But the European Federation for Transport and Environment think tank, more commonly known as Transport and Environment, says “contrary to carmakers’ claims”, the SUV “sales boom” has increased average CO2 emissions by 2.6g/km since 2013, with falling diesel sales responsible for a mere 0.25g/km rise.

The average emissions of the cars produced by manufacturers must be 95g/km by 2021, with penalties of €95 per g/km, per car, for companies not meeting those targets. Potentially huge fines have seen Fiat Chrysler team up with electric car firm Tesla to ‘share’ CO2 emissions.

Transport and Environment warns that “EU carmakers are only halfway to achieving their 2021 CO2 target…This is explained by carmakers’ strategy to promote sales of inefficient, higher-emitting SUVs”. Transport and Environment also claims carmakers have decided to “delay the investments into clean technologies required to meet the car CO2 law (in force since 2009) until the last moment.”

In July last year, the UK Government’s environmental watchdog made similar claims about SUVs, but this latest report puts firm figures on how much of a rise SUVs are reportedly responsible for.

SUVs find favour with buyers for various reasons, including ease of access for those with reduced mobility; convenience for parents who would have to stoop to strap their children into child seats in a conventional car; and the added road presence some motorists feel they have.

Visibility from the high driver’s seat of an SUV can also be improved compared to a conventional hatchback or saloon but, with SUVs making up just 7 per cent of the new-car market in 2009, 36 per cent today, and a predicted 40 per cent by 2021, that height advantage is likely to soon diminish as Europe’s pool of vehicles grows in stature.

Toyota is highlighted by the report as being the company best-placed to meet its CO2 target thanks to the fact that 56 per cent of its European sales are petrol-electric hybrids. The Renault Nissan Alliance is also in a strong position, mainly, according to the report “due to an early focus on sales of EVs such as the Nissan Leaf and the Renault Zoe.” Volkswagen, it is said, “could comply through a variety of tools such as improvements to combustion engines (new petrol engine and mild hybridisation of the new Golf) and a big ramp up of EVs through its all-electric ID.3.”

Firms most at risk of struggling with the 95g/km target include Honda and Ford, with Hyundai-Kia also highlighted as a possible concern. Transport and Environment says, however, that Hyundai and Kia have “recently begun a significant ramp-up of its EV and hybrid portfolio and sales.” The authors also consider that “Fiat-Chrysler would likely not be able to meet its target but will now comply thanks to its pooling arrangement with Tesla.”

Julia Poliscanova, Transport and Environment’s director of clean vehicles, criticised car makers for not doing enough to reduce emissions, but predicted: “We are going to see good quality, affordable EVs in the next year or two, not ten, and that’s excellent news for consumers who’ll be saving lots of money at the pump.”  By Graham Hill with the help of Auto Express

The Transport Select Committee calls for ‘nationwide ban’ on pavement parking to prevent pedestrians from being put in danger.

Drivers should be banned from parking on pavements so that pedestrians are not put in danger and vulnerable people, such as the elderly and the disabled, don’t feel trapped in their homes, MPs have said.

A Transport Select Committee report has concluded that the Government should implement a ‘nationwide ban’ on pavement parking across England, with room in the legislation for the Secretary of State for Transport to allow local authorities to make exemptions in their respective areas.

The report argues that pavement parking places pedestrians in danger from moving traffic or trip hazards, such as a kerb, by forcing them to step into the road to get around stationary vehicles. People with mobility issues or visual impairment and their carers are “disproportionately affected” by this.

In addition, the Committee says pavement parking exacerbates or can be a cause of social isolation and loneliness, as it makes vulnerable people feel unable to safely leave their homes or physically prevents them from doing so altogether in some cases.

The report took aim at the Government, with the Committee finding it “profoundly regrettable” that no “concrete actions” have yet been taken to tackle the issue of pavement parking.

At present, pavement parking is banned in London and Scotland is considering following suit. In 2015, the Government said it would look at the issue in England, but the resulting consultations and reviews did nothing to improve the situation.

Lillian Greenwood MP, chair of the Transport Select Committee, commented: “We are deeply concerned about the Government’s failure to act on this issue, despite long-standing promises to do so.

“We appreciate that this is a thorny problem that may be difficult to resolve to the satisfaction of all, but the Government’s inaction has left communities blighted by unsightly and obstructive pavement parking and individuals afraid or unable to leave their homes or safely navigate the streets.

“Scotland is currently legislating for a national ban, while London took action to tackle this issue 45 years ago. The Government must act to improve the situation in the rest of England and it must do so quickly.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said: “We are committed to ensuring that our roads work for everyone, but are aware that pavement parking can cause real problems for a variety of road users. This is why the Department recently concluded a review to better understand the case for changing the law, and will be announcing our next steps over the coming months.” By Graham Hill with thanks to AutoExpress

Yes they do! It’s all well and good having a car that sweeps you up to 60 miles per hour in 4 seconds but that’s no good if you can’t stop the bloody thing. OK, it may not be that bad but tests carried out by various car magazines have revealed some surprising results.

In the first place an electric car doesn’t have an engine, it has an electric motor but add in the bank of batteries and the weight shoots up making an equivalent EV much heavier that takes longer to stop even with upgraded brakes.

The next factor is the rolling resistance of the tyres. In order to maximise the efficiency of the car it must be fitted with as low rolling resistance tyres as possible. Unfortunately, this means that whilst some low rolling resistance tyres have very good grip they don’t tend to be as good as those fitted as standard to petrol and diesel cars.

Tyre technology improves constantly so the EV car manufacturers are expecting the situation to improve as new tyres developed specifically for just EV’s are launched.

Finally, there is the regenerating braking technology that takes unused energy that would normally be lost and transfers it back to the battery. These systems can be set in such a way as to slow the car down as soon as you take your foot off the accelerator. This can give the feeling of not braking so aggressively when you apply the brake.

However, this should not affect the braking in an emergency braking situation. Clearly, more work needs to be done here! By Graham Hill

Many new cars, without most drivers knowing it have a battery recharging system fitted that operates in a similar way to KERS on an F1 motor racing car. This happens because with so much draw on the battery in a modern car with climate control, audio systems, sat navs and other big users of the electrical system, including firing up the car, more power generation is required than a traditional car generator.

With so much charging and draining going on the batteries must be much more sturdy than the batteries fitted to my early cars so it’s important that you have fitted the correct quality of battery when changing it. A situation understood by an Audi TT driver who bought a used car for use mainly at the weekend.

So he bought a replacement battery from the RAC and got them to fit it. All was fine but after about 18 months and well within the warranty period the battery failed. He called out the RAC, costing him £30 as he wasn’t a member but they said if the battery was faulty they would replace the battery and refund the call-out fee.

However, when the engineer inspected the battery using their test equipment it said the battery was faulty but the diagnostic machine told the engineer not to replace it. RAC Customer Care responded to the driver’s complaint, as explained by Whatcar, in a letter that said the most probable cause of the failure was lack of use which breached their warranty as being poorly maintained.

The driver, knowing that lack of use could still drain the battery and over 18 months he had only driven 2,030 miles he put the battery on trickle charge when the battery was not in use. This was explained to Whatcar who stepped up and contacted the RAC.

In the end the driver was reimbursed the callout and the cost of a new battery but as we expect people to use their cars less and use public transport more surely the manufacturers should look at this situation and make batteries that hold their charge better and ensure that unnecessary systems shut down when the car is parked.

In the meantime, whether it’s a warranty, insurance policy or finance agreement it’s important to read them and understand all the terms and conditions. This is something that I’m campaigning for, better pre-contract information. The driver should have been made aware of this key piece of information before taking the battery.

By Graham Hill

As the number of stolen cars fitted with keyless entry continue to hit the headlines causing drivers with the system fitted to their cars to have sleepless nights whilst others of us are paying for the cars stolen in increased premiums.

Some have taken to fitting steering locks each time they leave their cars but some manufacturers have started taking steps to avoid crooks being able to pick up signals coming from your ‘key’ indoors, then transmitting the signal to a colleague by the car then gaining entry to the car and driving away.

Ford have brought out a simple switch, whereby you can disable the keyless entry but as one owner found, having bought his desirable Focus ST just before the switch was fitted it can’t be retro-fitted.

But all is not lost. There are pouches and boxes that you can put your ‘key’ into that will block the signal and if you’re brave apparently you can put it in the microwave but don’t forget it’s in there as any metal could blow up your microwave or if plastic it will melt.

Ford, along with other manufacturers have come up with a new keyless key that uses sensor technology. Called the sleeping key fob it is still to be launched but when released Ford drivers will be able to buy the new style fobs for £65 per key (Fiesta) and £72 per key (Focus) with no mention of any other models.

A sensor in the fob detects that there has been no movement for more than 40 seconds and disables it so it no longer emits a signal. Whilst the new keys should have been available in May Whatcar reported that the keys were still not available in their October edition.

Other manufacturers are working on similar replacements so contact your local dealer for an update if you are still concerned about crooks gaining entry to your car using keyless signals.

By Graham Hill

As we see a mass push to turn motorways with hard shoulders into Smart Motorways, Highways England has revealed the costs to motorists.

Each camera on new “smart” sections of Britain’s motorways is expected to rack up £600,000 in fines every year.

Disobedient drivers will be slapped with £100 fines and three penalty points under the controversial new system being laid out by road chiefs.

So many motorists are expected to be pounded by the punishment that police are recruiting more staff to deal with the extra workload.

One of Britain’s biggest police forces, Thames Valley, is taking on an extra 15 civilians to process all the fines expected when Highways England switches on the smart sections of the M4 and M40 later this year.

The move has prompted complaints that drivers are being milked for cash under the new system.

Smart sections use variable speed limits and the hard shoulder as an extra lane during busy periods to control traffic and improve safety.

There have already been calls for smart motorways to be scrapped after four people were killed on one stretch of the M1 as there was no safe place to stop.

AA president Edmund King said: “If more resources were put into making the gantry signs accurate and the variable speeds right for the conditions, you might not need more resources for enforcement.

“Accurate technology and more consistent and appropriate speed limits would actually reduce the levels of fines.

“Any ‘income’ from fines should go into making these roads safer by sorting technology and doubling the number of lay-bys.”

The huge numbers expected to be caught by the automatic cameras – either for breaking the speed limit or straying into lanes that have been temporarily closed with a red ‘X’ gantry sign – are revealed in a report by Thames Valley police.

It said of the smart motorways which will be introduced later in the year: “It is anticipated that the M40 and M4 will each capture 30,000 infringements per year.”

A Highways England spokesman said: “There are around 150 speed camera sites on smart motorways; normally one between each junction.

“They are clearly signed and are bright yellow for visibility. The vast majority of drivers on smart motorways drive within the speed limit.”

There are already more than 200 miles of smart motorway in the UK, including London, Birmingham and the North.

Advice by Highways England reported in the Sun is as follows:

 How to safely drive on a smart motorway

Highways England gives the following advice when driving on a smart motorway:

• Never drive under a red “X”
• Keep to the speed limit shown on the gantries
• A solid white line indicates the hard shoulder – don’t drive in it unless directed
• A broken white line indicates a normal running lane
• Use the refuge areas for emergencies if there’s no hard shoulder
• Put your hazard lights on if you break down

By Graham Hill and the help of The Sun.