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If you’re a regular reader of my blog you’ll know that the MOT test has just changed making it a lot tougher for cars with diesel engines to get through. Even a whiff of smoke from the exhaust will, in future, be enough for the tester to fail the car if the car is diesel fitted with a DPF.

I won’t go through all the new regulations as I covered those a few weeks ago. However, latest statistics from the Diver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) showed that over 35% of vehicles failed their MOT test in the financial year 2016/7.

The reasons were quite interesting as follows:

So there you have it. The areas you should pay special attention to. By Graham Hill

If you are an F1 fan, as I am, you regularly hear of ‘marbles’ on the race track making driving difficult if you move off the driving line and into the ‘marbles’. If this has left you confused the marbles aren’t little glass balls they are particles of rubber from the tyres as they wear down.

Race tyres are made of much softer rubber than the tyres that you have fitted to your car but our normal road tyres, when they wear down, emit ‘marbles’ in the form of fine particles of rubber adding to the particulates in the air. The same happens when you brake.

Tiny particles are released as the pads wear down, not as dangerous as when the pads were made of asbestos but still bad for the environment. As a result of the particles still at fairly high levels the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has announced in its latest Clean Air Strategy that it will be looking into these particulate emissions with a view to working with International Bodies to come up with some new standards for tyres and brakes.

The aim will be to reduce the toxic, non-exhaust emissions, termed as micro-plastics, that are currently polluting the air and water. The study also called for action against older, heavily polluting diesel vehicles with proposed charges to be introduced in all major towns and cities. Frankly, anything that improves air quality is OK by me but we still need clearer guidelines from the Government regarding the dangers of diesel vs petrol – it is long overdue. By Graham Hill

Years ago I was the ‘Man To Go To’ for many middle eastern members of their various royal families when they wanted to buy anti-terror protected cars. Most were top of the range stretched or LWB Mercedes S Class. We would buy the cars from the factory and delivered to a company near Gatwick who would carry out all of the security modifications.

It generally took about 3 months, the car with its armour plated body and bullet-proof glass and special bullet-proof tyres (yes there is such a thing) ended up weighing about 4 times its original weight and cost around 4 times the original cost.

They obviously didn’t need finance but each car had to be overseen by me personally but on the bright side I made a lot of money out of each car. They generally kept the cars in garages under West End houses for use when they came over for a visit.

They tended to keep them for 2 years then part exchange for a new car. On average, after 2 years they had travelled less than 1,000 miles. It cost them a fortune but such was their paranoia regarding safety and security. Who would have thought that many years later a specialist armour plating company would modify a fairly standard family car and for it to be available from a franchised dealer (so I’ve been told)?

An anti-terrorist car in their line up – what’s it all coming to? And I’m not talking Bentley, Mercedes, BMW or Jaguar. I’m talking Skoda – a Skoda Superb Estate. The cars are modified by a British based company and takes about 4 weeks to modify but when the bodywork has been modified and the glass replaced by bulletproof glass the car will meet PAS 300 standards for ballistic and blast protection.

The modified car will weigh much more making the acceleration lower than the standard car’s, 0-60 in 8.4 seconds with the top speed dropping about 20 miles per hour. Rather than bullet-proof tyres they have modified special wheels that will still work even if the tyre is full of holes.

It seems that if you have the money you can have one but with a price tag starting from £118,688 I think I’ll pass. Although I seem to recall reading that some police forces were looking at Skoda Superbs as replacements for current cars – maybe this is why! By Graham Hill

The simple answer is no. Let’s take cars. The fact is that we have the second highest number of new car registrations in Europe. So whether we are selling into Europe or importing into the UK, from European countries, it makes commercial sense to keep consistency between all of us.

The problem is that we have always had a seat at the table when deciding on EU laws regarding safety, minimum standards and emissions. And not just a seat but a very influential seat. After exiting the EU we will have the opportunity to make our own laws and safety rules moving forward but without consistency with the EU, any changes to imports to conform to our new rules will potentially make them more expensive.

On the other hand if our rules differ UK based manufacturers will end up making cars for the UK different to those being exported from the UK into Europe. And I’m not just talking about where the steering wheel is fitted.

So will we ever be completely independent?

We will still be able to make representations in the same way that we make representations to foreign countries regarding the use of slave labour in making goods that are imported into the UK. But that isn’t as influential as sitting at the table being part of the negotiations and the decision-making process. Having said that it wouldn’t make sense for us to go our own way when it comes to meeting common objectives such as environment and protecting lives. So most experts believe that these areas, post BREXIT, will remain unchanged.

I also agree with others that we should come away with a free trade agreement. Unlike the free trade agreements between the EU and Canada, that took a painfully long time to agree with the main sticking point – a cheese made by Greece I believe and being called the same name in Canada. That sort of argument shouldn’t exist so it should be fairly simple because we already have a free trade agreement as part of the Customs Union and Single Market Agreements which will end as it stops us negotiating trade agreements with non-EU countries.

But, as I see it, the free trade agreement part of the Customs Union could simply be modified with a few accommodations to keep everyone happy. If we can’t achieve a solution it is estimated that new cars from Europe will cost 10% more and components 4.5% more.

As an old friend of mine, Gerry Keaney, CEO of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), pointed out, if we don’t get a trade deal it will not only affect the cost of cars but also the cost of service and repairs, insurance costs and ultimately inflation and productivity. I’m sure the negotiators have the message loud and clear – we must come out of Europe with a tariff-free trade agreement. By Graham Hill

I remember when the Government announced that they were going to scrap the paper Road Fund Licence. I don’t think that there was anyone who thought that it was a good idea and could immediately see that those who didn’t like to pay for their road tax would be encouraged to do it even more.

The fact is that the number of untaxed cars on the road has increased by threefold losing the Government £107 million per annum in revenue. The latest stats produced by the Department for Transport shows that 1.8% of cars on the road are untaxed compared with 1.4% in 2015 and 0.6% in 2013, the year before the Government did away with the paper tax disc.

The figures equate to775,000 vehicles on UK roads without tax. That was an incredibly good idea then. At the time the change took place the Government suggested that it would lose £10 million whilst drivers got used to the changes. It is actually over 10 times more.

An RAC spokesman said that ‘It appears that the paper tax disc acted as a visual reminder to prompt drivers into renewing their road fund licence.’ ‘Arguably, more drivers are now prepared to try their luck and see if they can get away with not paying any road tax at all or are simply forgetting to re-tax their vehicle.’  By Graham Hill

Most people are not aware of the way their car is set up to deal with a puncture. According to tyre maker, Continental drivers suffer a puncture once every 44,000 miles or 5 years. And much has happened over that period if you haven’t suffered a puncture over the last 5 year period.

Some drivers still think that they have a full sized spare in the boot and are shocked to find that there is just a puncture repair kit. Unfortunately, they only get to find this out when they get a puncture. It would, therefore, be wise to check as you never know when you will suffer a puncture.

The reason why we’ve moved to tyre repair kits via skinny emergency spares from full-sized spares is given as the need to reduce the weight of cars in order to improve fuel consumption.  and reduce emissions. In fact, it is probably more to do with cost as a repair kit costs about £20 whilst a wheel and tyre will cost the manufacturer more than £100.

Some manufacturers will allow a skinny spare for an extra charge with space in the boot. To give the situation some perspective What Car carried out a survey of 251 new car models and found just 8% had full sized spares, space savers were standard on 30% and tyre repair kits were fitted to 55%. The rest were fitted with run-flat tyres.

So how does a repair kit work? Most consist of a sealant that is squirted into the punctured tyre via the valve with the help of a compressor connected to an in-car 12v socket. What they don’t always make clear is that you must drive the car soon after you’ve inflated the tyre in order to spread the sealant around the inside of the tyre.

You should be able to drive the car for up to 300 miles which should be ample to get out of trouble and to a tyre repairer in order to have the puncture repaired. The problem with the sealant is that it only works in one in five punctures. If the hole is more than 5mm wide or in the sidewall it won’t work.

The tyre will also deflate a day after repair. The sealant may also prevent the tyre from being repaired. Only if it is water based will you be able to repair the puncture as the repairer can flush out the sealant. Currently, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Seat, Suzuki, VW and Volvo have repair kits in their cars that are water-based.

If you wanted to have a space saver wheel instead of the repair kit, research showed that only 52% of the cars that had a repair kit could have the repair kit swopped for a space saver wheel. Prices vary from £30 on a Kia Picanto to £275 on an Alfa Romeo Stelio SUV.

Space savers are only meant to be used temporarily, they only have 3mm of tread and whilst they shouldn’t be driven above 50mph there is no limit as to how far you can travel on these skinny wheels. Finally, there are run-flat tyres. They have extra-stiff sidewalls that are designed to resist the effects of deflation so you can continue your journey after a puncture.

Unfortunately, they are more expensive to buy and following a puncture you will need to change the tyre rather than have the tyre repaired. Some tyre fitters will repair run-flats but the manufacturers advise against it. They also make the ride firmer so you should test drive the car first before buying. You may find the ride too firm.

With so many people suffering blowouts as a result of potholes it is recommended that you have a spare in the car, even if it’s just a space saver. By Graham Hill

Franchised Dealers More Professional Than Garages: Surprisingly a survey carried out by the National Franchised Dealer Association found that franchised dealers (52%) were more professional than National Chains (24%) and Independent Garages (21%). 46% thought franchised dealers were knowledgeable and reputable with 41% believing they’re reliable. 90% of respondents think that franchised dealerships are the best place to buy a new car and 87% think it’s the best place to have your car serviced. 45% said independents were friendly and 42% called them good value. I’m sure the report wasn’t biased in the slightest!

UK Roads: According to the AA 46% of motorists say that mainland Europe has better roads than the UK.

Car Thefts: Between 2012 and 2016 there were 3,696 convictions for car theft in the UK according to insurance company Churchill. This represents about 50% of those charged.

Car Faults: According to Green Flag drivers wait on average 10 weeks before addressing car faults.

Misidentified Dashboard Symbols: According to Buyacar.co.uk the dashboard symbols that cause most confusion are: Speed Limiter (60%), Stop/Start System (60%), Head-Up-Display (38%), Lane Keeping Assist (25%), Heated Steering Wheel (10%).

The Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) is causing all sorts of problems in the industry. As we get closer to 1^st September, after which all cars registered must meet the WLTP (real world) emissions tests, there is a fear that there will be a large number of cars that don’t meet the tests and will need to be scrapped.

The chances are that cars that are not sold and in stock will be pre-registered and sold at highly discounted prices. The real concern for manufacturers is cars that are delayed in transit as a result of cars now being built all over the world now.

Most other European countries have allowed a period of grace to avoid this situation but the UK Government has not announced any allowance so far. Whilst this is likely to be good news for those taking cars in September that have been pre-registered in August, we are suffering from a lack of cars available in the meantime.

If they believe that their cars may fail the emissions tests manufacturers are holding back production until their cars have been approved in case modifications need to be carried out before they can start production again. Whilst it may be tempting to hold back in order to ‘bag a bargain’ in August/September there is no guarantee that there will be cars about that manufacturers will want to heavily discount.

Especially if the deadline is extended taking away the pressure to pre-register. My advice is to take a car now if you see a deal that you like rather than take the risk. A bird in the hand and all that. By Graham Hill

I’ve been banging on about the problems being caused by the new real-world emissions tests introduced last September for weeks now.

Supplies of stock cars are drying up and manufacturers are either quoting very long deliveries or closing their order books altogether, for the moment, till they know that their cars have been approved.

In order for things to get back to normal, the manufacturers need to have their cars approved or at least know what modifications need to be carried out on their production lines in order to meet the target emissions.

I’m repeating myself but it’s important everyone, with car replacements coming up, is aware of the issues.

But here’s the shocker. The Government is now anal about NOx emissions but the two worst performers were petrol engine cars, Ford Fiesta and Nissan Qashqai.

According to a report in the Times, the Fiesta was 4 times over the lab test limit for NOx emissions whilst the Qashqai was 10 times over.

So whilst diesels have been targetted by the Greens for spewing out masses of NOx’s it turns out that some petrol engines are worse than diesel-powered cars. It’s all, in the words of President Trump, fake news.

The fact is that the NOx scares have put buyers off diesel cars in their droves. I should add that Nissan and Ford responded.

Nissan said that the existing engine, which was compliant under the old rules, would be replaced this summer. Ford responded by announcing also that the car selected for testing was last of an old model which has now been replaced with significant changes to the emissions after-treatment system bringing emissions into line. By Graham Hill

Jason Lloyd is MD of www.petrolprices.com. He recently commented on a report/map published by insurer Admiral of fuel usage across 16 Western European Countries.

It reveals that petrol is Europe’s most popular fuel with the Netherlands topping the list and the UK coming in at 6^th place.

The UK uses slightly more petrol than diesel with a split of 49% petrol and 47.5% diesel which pretty much reverses the situation of about a year ago.

The UK comes 10^th in the diesel usage chart with Ireland top of the list. Italy leads the Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) chart with the UK hardly using any at all.

Norway leads the way when it comes to Electric Vehicles (EV) and Hybrids at 39.2% in combined usage.

The change in Norway over the last 3 years has been amazing, leaving most other countries behind. A series of tax breaks has made electric vehicles cheaper to buy.

EV users also have access to cheap electricity for charging, free parking and road tolls and free use of bus lanes.

Whilst the UK has been fairly bold in announcing that there will be no petrol or diesel cars sold after 2040 we are badly lagging behind other countries when it comes to EV and hybrid sales.

They really need to follow Norway’s lead if they are to mean what they say and offer enough incentives to make buying an EV, in the words of Jason Lloyd, ‘a no brainer’. By Graham Hill