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As leasing companies and manufacturers try to increase take up of all EV’s the bigger premium cars are suffering massive drops when used according to a report by Fleet News. The question is how can it be addressed?

 

Residual values for used electric vehicles (EVs) are progressing at different rates with prices for cheaper models strengthening in the last 24 months.

 

Values for models under £17,000 at one year and 10,000 miles have seen an uplift while those for premium EVs are weaker.

 

Data from Cap HPI shows that models including the Citroen C-Zero and Peugeot iON have seen residual values improve in the last two years. In November 2017, a one-year-old and 10,000 mile Citroen C-Zero was worth around £6,000 and today a similar example is valued at more than £11,000.

 

Premium EVs remain a challenge due to the high cost new, which translates to the vehicle looking expensive when entering the used market. Models such as Jaguar I-Pace, Audi E-Tron and Tesla Model X have all seen values reduce in the past few months.

 

Chris Plumb, senior valuations editor at Cap HPI, said: “It’s clear that there is a growing market for a used BEV at a particular price point perhaps for use as a second car for city commutes. We expect to see demand continue to increase as clean air zones are rolled out across the country and the range of product widens.

 

“The premium models represent a different proposition, often with longer ranges and more features, the high purchase price at new is yet to translate in the used sector.”

 

A BMW i8 coupe is worth around £20,000 less at one year old and 10,000 miles than it was two years ago. Equally the Jaguar iPace has seen values drop by around £10,000 in the last 12 months.

 

As volumes of EVs increase in the market some mainstream models have seen pressure and values drop. The VW eGolf and Nissan Leaf have seen values decline following an increase in volumes of two-year-old product, in particular, models with a smaller battery.

 

“Over time, used values have stabilised and now perform against the same market pressures as their petrol counterparts,” Plumb said.

 

“As supply and demand shift we see pressure on some models and, in some cases, values appreciate on others. We expect dozens of new models in 2020 and it will only bring more choice to the used buyer.”

Car Make	Car Model	Monthly Rental From (+ VAT)	Business or Personal
Hyundai	Tucson 1.6GDi Petrol 132bhp SE Nav 5Dr Manual + Metallic Paint	£214	B&P
VW	Golf 1.5TSi 130ps Match Edition 5Dr Manual in Urano Grey	£177	B&P
VW	Golf 1.5TSi 130ps Match Edition 5Dr Manual in Metallic	£190	B&P
Seat	Leon 1.5TSi 130ps FR 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£184	B&P
Seat	Leon 1.5TSi 150ps FR 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£179	B&P
Skoda	Kamiq 1.0TSi 115ps SE 5Dr Manual in Solid Paint + Spare Wheel	£179	B&P
MG	1.5VTi-Tech Exclusive 5Dr Manual in Solid Paint	£144	B&P
Nissan	X-Trail 1.7DCi N-Connecta 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£232	B&P
BMW	X3 2.0D M-Sport 5Dr Auto in Metallic + Sun Protection (Privacy) Glass	£334	B&P
Kia	Stonic 1.4MPI 98ps ‘2’ 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£166	B&P
Jeep	Compass 2.0 Multijet II 140 Longitude 4×4 5Dr Manual in Solid Paint	£204	B&P
Seat	Arona 1.0TSi 115ps SE Tech 5Dr DSG Auto + Metallic	£193	B&P
VW	T-Cross 1.0TSi 95ps SE 5Dr Manual in Solid Paint	£219	B&P
VW	Golf 1.6TDi 115ps GT Edition 5Dr Manual in Urano Grey	£195	B&P
VW	Golf 1.6TDi 115ps Match Edition 5Dr Manual in Urano Grey	£212	B&P
Kia	XCeed 1.0T-GDi Petrol 118bhp 2 ISG 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£183	B&P
Mazda	3 2.0 Petrol 122ps SEL Lux 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£180	B&P
Mazda	3 2.0 Petrol 122ps GT Sport 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£203	B&P
Mazda	3 2.0 Petrol 122ps Sport Lux 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£189	B&P
Audi	A4 35TDi Black Edition 4Dr Saloon S-Tronic Auto in Mythos or Daytona	£278	B&P
Land Rover	Evoque D150 S 2WD 5Dr Manual in Solid Paint	£287	B&P
Volvo	XC40 1.5 T5 PHEV Hybrid 262 R-Design 5Dr Auto + Metallic	£379	B&P
Volvo	V60 T8 PHEV Hybrid 390 AWD R-Design 5Dr Auto + Metallic	£479	B&P
Volvo	V90 T8 PHEV Hybrid 390 AWD R-Design 5Dr Auto + Metallic	£469	B&P
Volvo	XC60 T8 PHEV Hybrid 390 R-Design 5Dr Auto + Metallic	£480	B&P
Volvo	XC90 T8 PHEV Hybrid 390 AWD R-Design 5Dr Auto + Metallic	£529	B&P
VW	Golf 1.5TSi 130ps Match Edition 5Dr Manual in Urano Grey	£177	B&P
Nissan	Qashqai 1.3DiG-T 160 Tekna Plus 5Dr Auto + Metallic	£250	B&P
Mercedes	A180 Petrol AMG Line 5Dr Auto + Executive Pack in Cosmos Black	£246	B&P
Mercedes	GLA180 Petrol Urban Edition 5Dr Auto	£232	B&P
Mercedes	GLA200 Petrol AMG Line Edition 5Dr Auto + Plus Pack + Night Pack	£316	B&P
Mercedes	GLC220d Sport 4Matic 5Dr Auto Various Colours	£297	B&P
Mercedes	GLE300d AMG Line 4Matic 5Dr Auto Obsidium Black & Brilliant Blue	£481	B&P
Volvo	V60T5 250ps R-Design 5Dr Estate Auto in Onyx Black	£302	B&P
Citroen	C5 Aircross 1.6 Puretech 180 Flair Plus 5Dr EAT Auto + Metallic	£213	B&P
VW	Tiguan 2.0TDi 150 Match 4Motion 5Dr DSG Auto in Urano Grey	£261	B&P
Ford	Fiesta 1.1 85 Zetec (Nav) 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£148	B&P
Mitsubishi	Outlander 2.4l Petrol PHEV Design 5Dr Auto (MY20	£297	B&P
Mitsubishi	Outlander 2.4l Petrol PHEV Dynamic 5Dr Auto (MY20	£302	B&P
VW	Arteon 2.0TSi 190 Elegance 5Dr DSG Auto in Urano Grey	£273	B&P
VW	Arteon 2.0TSi 190 R-Line 5Dr DSG Auto in Urano Grey	£279	B&P
Skoda	Scala 1.0TSi 95ps SEL 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£171	B&P
VW	eGolf 35kWh Electric Vehicle 5Dr Auto + Metallic	£224	B&P
Hyundai	Ioniq 100Kw 38kWh Electric Vehicle Premium 5Dr Auto + Metallic (2020)	£225	B&P
Audi	Q8 50TDi Quattro S Line 5Dr Tiptronic + Metallic  (List £68,000)	£598	B&P
Nissan	Navara 2.3dCi 190PS 4WD TT Pickup Manual Solid	£259	B&P
Nissan	Navara 2.3dCi 190PS 4WD TT Pickup Manual Metallic	£278	B&P
Nissan	Navara 2.3dCi 190PS 4WD TT Pickup Auto Metallic	£293	B&P
Citroen	Berlingo 1.5 Blue HDi 1000kg 100ps Enterprise Van Manual + Ply Lining	£185	B&P
Volvo	XC90 2.0T8 390 Plug-In-Hybrid AWD 5Dr Geartronic + Met (List £68,000)	£530	B&P
Nissan	Qashqai 1.3DiG-T 140ps Acenta Premium 5Dr Manual Solid Paint	£194	B&P
Hyundai	i40 1.6CRDi 115 SE Nav 5Dr Estate Manual + Metallic	£222	B&P
VW	Tiguan 2.0TDi 150ps Match 2WD 5Dr Manual in Urano Grey	£218	B&P
VW	Tiguan 2.0TDi 150ps Match 4WD 5Dr Auto in Urano Grey	£248	B&P
Skoda	Kodiaq 2.0TDi SE 5Dr 5Seat DSG Auto + Metallic	£242	B&P
Skoda	Karoq 1.5TSi SEL 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£243	B&P
Citroen	C5 Aircross 1.5 Blue HDi 130 Flair 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£194	B&P
Skoda	Octavia 1.5TSi 150ps SEL 5Dr Hatch Manual + Metallic	£218	B&P
Skoda	Octavia 1.5TSi 150ps SEL 5Dr Hatch Auto + Metallic	£227	B&P
Seat	Ateca 1.0TSi 115ps SE Tech 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£183	B&P
BMW	X1 2.0i M-Sport 5Dr Auto + Metallic + Sun Protection Glass + Apple CarPlay	£278	B&P
Seat	Arona 1.0TSi 95ps SE Tech 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£156	B&P
Seat	Ibiza 1.0TSi 95ps FR 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£156	B&P
Seat	Leon 1.5TSi 150ps FR 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£180	B&P
Honda	Civic 1.0VTEC Turbo SE 5Dr Manual Solid Paint	£194	B&P
Volvo	XC60 T4 Edition 5Dr Auto + Metallic	£269	Business
Mazda	6 2.0 Petrol Skyactiv-G 145 SS SE-L Lux Nav+ 4Dr Sal Manual – Solid Paint	£204	B&P
VW	Touareg 3.0TDi 231ps SE-L 5Dr Auto in White (Metallic Extra)	£325	B&P
VW	Touareg 3.0TDi 286ps SE-L 5Dr Auto + Metallic	£357	B&P
VW	Touareg 3.0TDi 231ps R-Line Tech 5Dr Auto White + Keyless Entry & Boot	£433	B&P
Mercedes	CLA 200 Or 220 Petrol AMG Line 4Dr Coupe Auto	£315	B&P
Mercedes	GLE 300d AMG Line 4Matic 5Dr 5Seat SUV Auto In Brilliant Blue	£520	B&P
Mercedes	GLE 350d AMG Line 4Matic 5Dr 7Seat SUV Auto + Premium Pack	£614	B&P
Mercedes	GLC220d AMG Line 4Matic 5Dr SUV Auto in Jupiter Red or Cosmos Black	£369	B&P
Volvo	XC60 T4 Petrol Edition 5Dr SUV Auto + Metallic Paint + Winter Pack	£287	B&P
Nissan	X-Trail 1.7DCi 150 Acenta Premium 2WD 5Dr 7Seat Manual + Metallic	£246	B&P
Hyundai	Tucson 1.6GDi Petrol SE Nav 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£191	B&P
Kia	Sportage 1.6GDi Petrol ‘2’ Nav 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£204	B&P
Audi	A3 30TFSi SE Technik 5Dr Manual Solid Paint (Metallic Extra)	£185	B&P
Audi	A3 30TFSi S-Line 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£210	B&P
Audi	A3 30TFSi Black Edition 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£203	B&P
Renault	Capture TCe Iconic 90 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£148	B&P
Renault	Capture TCe GT Line 90 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£177	B&P
BMW	320i M-Sport 4Dr Sal Auto + Metallic + Sun Protection Glass (New Shape)	£284	B&P
Mercedes	GLC 220d AMG Line 4Matic 5Dr Auto in Various Colours Pre-Reg	£343	B&P
Skoda	Octavia 1.6TDi 115ps SE Technology 5Dr Hatch Manual + Metallic	£182	B&P
Skoda	Octavia 1.6TDi 115ps SE Technology 5Dr Estate Manual + Metallic	£193	B&P
Skoda	Scala 1.0TSi 95ps SE 5Dr Hatch With Solid Paint	£143	B&P
Skoda	Scala 1.0TSi 95ps SE-L 5Dr Hatch With Solid Paint	£157	B&P
Skoda	Kodiaq 1.5TSi 150ps SE-L 2WD 5Dr 7Seat SUV DSG Auto in Energy Blue	£207	B&P
Seat	Arona 1.6TDi 95ps SE Tech Lux 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£156	B&P
Seat	Ibiza 1.0TSi 95ps SE Technology 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£146	B&P
Seat	Leon 2.0TDi 150ps FR 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£170	B&P
Tesla	Model 3 Standard Plus 4Dr Auto in Pearl White (Other Colours)	£423	B&P
Mercedes	A180 Petrol AMG Line 5Dr Auto in Various Colours	£259	B&P
Audi	Q5 45TFSi S-Line Quattro 5Dr S-Tronic + Metallic + Tech Pack	£358	B&P
Audi	Q5 40TDi S-Line Quattro 5Dr S-Tronic + Metallic + Tech Pack	£349	B&P
Audi	A6 40TDi Sport 4Dr Saloon S-Tronic + Metallic	£300	B&P
Audi	A6 40TDi S-Line 4Dr Saloon S-Tronic + Metallic	£333	B&P
Audi	A6 40TDi Black Edition 4Dr Saloon S-Tronic + Metallic	£361	B&P
Audi	A6 40TDi Sport 5Dr Avant Estate S-Tronic + Metallic	£324	B&P
Audi	A6 40TDi S-Line 5Dr Avant Estate S-Tronic + Metallic	£342	B&P
Land Rover	Evoque D150 2WD 5Dr Manual in Solid Paint	£259	B&P
BMW	X5 30D M-Sport xDrive 5Dr Auto + Metallic + Sun Protection Glass	£507	B&P
Mini	Countryman 2.0 Petrol Cooper S Sport 5Dr Manual + Metallic	£226	B&P
BMW	730d LCI G11 4Dr Saloon Auto inc Metallic (OTR £70,000)	£545	B&P
BMW	745e 3.0 Plug-In Hybrid LCI G11 4Dr Sal Auto inc Metallic (OTR £77,000)	£605	B&P

Please Note: B&C (proof) means that if you are making a personal application you need to be able to prove with a letter that you receive car allowance from your company. You cannot have the rate as a consumer if you don’t receive a car allowance. B&C means that the same rate is available for all businesses and all consumers. The rates shown above are mainly 9 rentals in advance. For more information click the line below.

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

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

There are many similarities between the way that consumers are assessed when taking out car insurance and taking out finance. The main similarity is that decisions are based on either inaccurate or inadequate data and what could be described as illegally biased interpretations.

 

I will be talking more about the inadequacies of the finance systems in due course but in the meantime the following appeared in Saturday’s Mail regarding Insurance premiums.

 

Researchers at Which created a series of scenarios to see how much they would be quoted on Confused.com and MoneySupermarket.com. In one, the driver had damaged his car, but had not claimed for the repairs. Two of the cheapest quotes – from Hastings Direct and Churchill – wrongly guessed the driver had made a claim as a result and factored this into the quote.

 

When this was corrected, Hastings Direct lowered its premium by £10, but Churchill made a reduction of £207 – a cut of more than 25 per cent.

 

Which? also found that while it is compulsory to declare all recent driving incidents, not all comparison sites let you specify which, if any, led to claims, resulting in some incorrect assumptions.

 

Which? previously showed how some insurers offer discounts of as much as 15 per cent for using a dashcam, however many comparison websites did not. Seemingly irrelevant questions about lifestyle and personal circumstances also affect quotes.

 

For example, they were on average 4 per cent cheaper for homeowners and 4 per cent more for divorcees – apparently based on the assumption a divorcee is more likely to have an accident.

 

It also found that the way drivers describe their job title can influence premiums.

 

When the driver called himself a painter (working in art), his cheapest was £372, but when he listed himself as an artist, it fell to £343.

 

Which? Money editor Jenny Ross, said: ‘To beat these quirks compare different routes for buying insurance, look at various levels of cover from different providers, and shop around every year.’

 

Confused.com said the findings will help them work with insurers to improve their quote process. MoneySuperMarket said: ‘We work with insurers to make sure we ask the right questions, however we do not control how insurers interpret our data.

 

‘We don’t ask customers to supply the cost of a recent claim as this is often something they will not know – for example, costs may have been paid direct by an insurance firm to a garage for repairs.’

 

Hastings Direct said: ‘When the customer clicks through to our website, we do give the option to check their data which would enable them to specify further.’

 

Churchill said: ‘Anyone purchasing through a comparison website can still phone their preferred company to provide any further detail.’ By Graham Hill thanks to Which? And The Daily Mail

Number plate offences are at a five-year high, so just how easy is it to buy a dodgy plate and what is the DVLA doing about it?

The UK’s number plate system is wide open to abuse because of the easy availability of fake plates online, while the number of traffic stops for missing or dodgy plates reached a five-year high in 2018, Auto Express can exclusively reveal.

 

In two linked investigations, we asked police how many number plate offences they had issued tickets for between 2014 and 2018; separately, then we ordered three sets of number plates from online suppliers, all of which were delivered no questions asked, and would be illegal to display on the road.

 

• How to transfer a number plate from one car to another

 

Official data obtained by Auto Express via Freedom of Information requests shows that police issued 9,170 tickets for number plate offences last year across the UK, the highest figure in the past five years.

 

Number plate offences

2014    8,635

2015    7,662

2016    7,671

2017    8,247

2018    9,170

A total of 41,385 stops were made by police between 2014 and 2018, with officers issuing 11 per cent more tickets last year compared with 2017 for number plates not meeting regulations, or plates that were missing from vehicles altogether. London’s Metropolitan police issued the most tickets or rectification notices for dodgy plates (4,411) over the past five years, with Northern Ireland police issuing the second highest number of tickets (4,005).

 

What’s the penalty?

 

Motorists can be issued with a Traffic Offence Reports (TOR) or a Vehicle Defect Rectification Scheme (VDRS) notice (escaping a penalty if the fault is fixed within 14 days) for various offences related to number plates, including missing or obscured plates, and plates not conforming to regulations.

 

Top forces for number plate offences

Police force     Offences (2014-18)

Metropolitan   4,411

Police Servic of Northern Ireland       4,005

West Yorkshire           3,501

Humberside     2,652

North Wales    2,274

Of the 35 police forces to respond to our request, 23 provided offence codes, revealing that roughly 70 per cent of stops made for number plate offences are for driving or keeping a vehicle “when the registration mark fails to conform to regulations”. Number plates not meeting regulations could contain improperly placed characters, be made up using an unofficial font, or have colour-capped screws placed in their characters to change how the plate reads.

 

What do the authorities say?

 

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) told us that all number plate suppliers based in the UK “must be registered with DVLA and must conduct checks before supplying number plates”. The organisation added,“It is an offence to not request the required documentation from the customer [or] keep a record of the transaction, or to supply a non-compliant number plate.”

 

However, at least two of the suppliers we ordered plates from are based in Jersey and they may not be breaking the law there, because it is a separate jurisdiction from the UK.

 

The DVLA told us: “Our officers conduct intelligence-led enforcement activities to tackle a wide range of offences, to investigate and, where necessary, prosecute suppliers – including those who trade illegally using the internet.” The organisation also highlighted that drivers who alter the appearance of their plates face a fine of up to £1,000 and risk having their personalised registrations confiscated.

 

• Banned UK number plates

 

The National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) told us “ANPR [automatic number plate recognition] data is increasingly enabling police to identify vehicles operating on cloned plates using tools such as journey time analysis. Thisfurther informs our investigative work.” The organisation also advised that “local forces continue to offer crime prevention advice… dependent upon the particular offending seen in their locality”.

 

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: “Car cloning is on the rise and the DVLA is not doing enough to tackle online retailers. Buying banned registration plates in road-legal specifications is concerning, but more worrying

 

is the ability to lift a number plate off a website and copy it without any ownership checks.

 

“Ultimately, the buck stops with DVLA for not doing enough to tackle online retailers issuing plates to those who have no legal right to claim them.”

 

What we did

 

Cloned plate

 

We copied a registration from a BMW X5 (the most commonly stolen car in 2018, according to Tracker) offered for sale in an online classified ad.

 

We then ordered this number plate, LS15 ***, from Jersey-based My Showplates, and were not asked for any details aside from an address and credit card number during the ordering process. The plates arrived within two days. My Showplates did not respond to our requests for comment.

 

Banned plate

 

We bought the number plate BO19 CKS – a registration banned from the road by the DVLA for being too rude – from A1 Show Plates, a company with an almost identical address to My Showplates.

 

Despite selecting ‘Road Legal’ from a ‘Plate Legality’ menu, this banned plate arrived within two days, and we were not asked for documentation other than an address and credit card number. A1 Show Plates did not respond to our requests for comment.

 

Incorrectly spaced plate

 

NU02BER, a legitimate reg offered for sale by the DVLA, was supplied to us by Show Plates Direct. But we took out the space between the ‘2’ and ‘B’ when ordering the plate, making it illegal to display on the road.

 

We contacted Show Plates Direct, who initially claimed that it had “no such order for this registration or indeed payment from this E-mail address”. The firm did not reply when we provided an order number and explained to them that we used a different E-mail address to place our order.

 

The responsible vendor

While the three companies above sent us dodgy plates with no questions asked, one supplier acted in accordance with UK regulations.

 

• Most expensive personalised number plates

 

DVLA-approved, Yorkshire-based Number1Plates asked us to provide a copy of our V5C logbook, retention certificate or other proof of ownership, as well as a utility or bank bill. We did not send these documents, did not receive the dodgy plates and Number1Plates subsequently refunded our £25.97.

 

Why are fake plates bad news?

 

Police Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras may not read improperly spaced number plates, plates with incorrect fonts and those with colour-capped screws. This makes crime enforcement more difficult – although police stress that ANPR tools are becoming more sophisticated.

 

A more worrying issue is cloned plates. A criminal with a stolen car may find an identical car for sale online, get a duplicate plate made up based on the advertised car’s registration, then fit this plate to the stolen car. The advertised car won’t have been reported stolen so this cloned plate won’t activate police alerts, despite being placed on a stolen car. The number of drivers telling the DVLA that their car had been cloned has quadrupled over the past six years. By Graham Hill thanks to Auto Express

The Road Vehicles Registration and Licensing (Amendment) Regulations 2017 came into force on May 6, 2017 and drivers abroad and fleet operators, who may have either ignored them or were unaware of them would be wise to take note of them.

 

As we prepare to exit the EU it is likely we will see the Europeans take a tougher position when UK drivers are found to commit motoring offences.

 

The regulations require the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to provide details of the registered keeper of vehicles alleged to have been involved in certain motoring offences across the EU.

 

The details include name, address and date of birth; or legal status if the keeper is not an individual, as well as the make/model and chassis number of the relevant vehicle.

 

The alleged offences include failure to stop at a red light, drink-driving or driving under the influence of drugs, speeding and using a mobile phone while driving.

 

Cross-border EU prosecutions for road offences have been unusual, rare even, but these regulations may change that situation for the better from a road safety point of view.

 

Of course, for employers, there’s the risk that they have simply added another layer of bureaucracy to operations, as well as opening employees to the risk of a foreign prosecution for offences they may deny having committed.

 

In real terms, there are some business considerations for those with a European reach. One of these could be the requirement to engage with foreign justice systems – language barriers and cultural differences may present a challenge, for example.

 

Larger operators may have been able to task in-house legal teams with managing this role, but smaller players may need to find external support – and, of course, this will come at a cost.

 

Another consideration is the interplay between employee relations and the regulations.

 

Businesses will need to ensure their employment contracts and handbooks are up to date, and that their procedures for managing employees accused/convicted of criminal offences abroad are adequate.

 

Operators should also consider their position with regards to supporting (or otherwise) accused employees with legal assistance – especially if a guilty verdict would have a significant impact on the employee’s ability to continue in their role.

 

For those travelling abroad in their own cars, it is important to have insurance cover in the case of a foreign prosecution. Not all insurance policies, even with legal cover, will defend the insured whilst abroad. Check with your insurer. By Graham Hill with thanks to Fleet News.

With the new number plate about to be launched on the 1^st September, what do the numbers and letters mean? Thanks to AOL online we have the following explanation:

 

If you’ve ever looked at a car, you will know what a licence plate is. They exist for each individual car on the road to have a unique identity, allowing information on the car to be pulled up for a huge number of reasons.

 

To the untrained eye, a licence plate may seem like nothing more than a random combination of characters — but there is in fact logic and reasoning to its format. Looking to learn what the meaning behind a UK plate is? Read on…

 

Here, we’ll be focusing on the licence plate format introduced in 2001. Made up of seven characters split into two sections (except for NI), the UK licence plate is pretty simple. Two letters start the registration, immediately followed by two numbers with a space separating this sequence from the final three characters.

 

Though the two letters at the start of the licence plate may seem a bit like gibberish, there’s actually a method to them. These indicate where in the UK a car is first registered. The very first letter indicates the region — for example, Y represents Yorkshire, L represents London and S represents Scotland. Following that, the second letter indicates which DVLA office within the region the registration is made.

 

Up next, the numbers on a licence plate indicate when a car is first registered — with this identifier changing every six months.

 

Cars registered between March and August use the last two digits of the year itself. For example, a 17 plate car will have first come onto UK roads in that period in 2017. When it comes to new cars registered between September and February, 50 is added to that value preceding it — meaning a car coming onto the roads in that period for 2017/18 would be designated with a 67 plate.

 

So we’ve established the first four characters on a licence plate are more than just gibberish, but what about the final three? Well, those are in fact random.

 

This is to distinguish cars from those registered in the same time period at the same DVLA office and can be any combination of letters from 24 of the alphabet’s 26 — with I and Q excluded. Some combinations are also manually prevented from circulation in order to prevent any that may appear as offensive.

 

So there you have it. But if you are looking to impress your neighbours with a new car on your drive or outside your front door better take the car in August rather than September. I reported a few years ago that British Car Auctions found that a car registered on say a 19 plate, as it would be this month, can fetch an extra £400 in auction than a car registered a year later on a 69 (snigger) plate.

 

The reason they gave for this was that car dealers prefer to have cars with number plates that mean something. i.e. the year plate such as 19 than a plate that many potential buyers wouldn’t understand when driving past. So if you want to be seen to be driving an obviously brand new car, go for the year number plate from 1^st March to 31^st August. By Graham Hill

A report released earlier this year resulted in the recall of a number of Jaguar and Landrover models after it was found that they emitted more CO2 than was recorded in the official certification.

 

At a time when the group is struggling financially the recall, whilst expensive, was nothing like the costs and fines that were imposed on the VW Group. Did someone play down the findings to give Jaguar a chance to instigate the recall?

 

Here’s the report from the BBC:

 

Jaguar Land Rover is recalling 44,000 cars in the UK over carbon dioxide emissions, the car maker has said.

 

Regulators found 10 models were emitting more of the greenhouse gas than they had been certified to emit.

 

The car maker will contact owners to arrange repairs, a JLR spokeswoman said.

 

JLR is facing a number of challenges at the moment, including a slump in demand for diesel cars and a sales slowdown in China.

 

The firm said it was a voluntary recall of certain 2016-2019 MY Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles fitted with two litre diesel or petrol engines.

 

The affected models are:

 

Some two-litre 2016 to 2018 Land Rover Discovery and Discovery Sport cars

Certain two litre Range Rover Evoque, Sport, and Velar cars

Jaguar E-Pace, F-Pace, F-Type, XE and XF cars.

Most models are petrol, while some are diesel.

 

Some of the models will need physical repairs in a dealership, while some will need software updates, the spokeswoman said.

 

“The modifications made to affected vehicles will be made free of charge and every effort will be made to minimise inconvenience to the customer during the short time required for the work to be carried out,” the firm added.

 

In January the firm confirmed it is cutting 4,500 jobs, with the substantial majority coming from its 40,000 strong UK workforce.

 

The firm has complained about uncertainty caused by Brexit.

 

Emissions have come under more scrutiny since Volkswagen’s diesel scandal.

 

Investors are pursuing the German car giant for about €9.2bn (£8.2bn) in damages, claiming the company should have come clean sooner about falsifying emissions data. By Graham Hill

Failure to wear a seatbelt could result in penalty points as well as a fine, under new road safety plans being considered by the Government.

 

The Government is considering issuing penalty points to drivers who fail to wear a seatbelt as part of a new road safety action plan aimed at reducing the number of deaths on the UK’s roads.

 

Despite the fact that, in 2017, 27 per cent of car deaths involved people who were not wearing a seatbelt, the punishment for committing the offence in England, Scotland and Wales is just a fine of £100, which can be increased to a maximum of £500 if the case goes to court.

 

Now, the Department for Transport (DfT) is considering introducing penalty points for such an offence, as part of a package of 74 potential actions to improve road safety in the UK. This follows a report from the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) calling for Great Britain to adopt the same rules as Northern Ireland, where drivers who don’t wear a seatbelt are handed three penalty points.

 

Another key area of focus in the DfT’s plan is rural roads, for which an advisory panel will be set up to look at how rural road safety can be boosted via the improvement of roads and traffic signs, as well as by tackling issues around speed limits and enforcement.

 

The DfT has broken down some of its other plans by which age groups they will affect. For children, a £225,000 grant has been given to Good Egg Safety to deliver a safety training programme for retailers to help parents correctly fit baby and child seats.

 

Research will also be commissioned into whether mobile phone use among young pedestrians leads to an increased risk of road collisions, as well as how children aged seven to 18 with special educational needs and cognitive disabilities can be taught to understand the dangers near roads.

 

For young adults, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is developing a behavioural change campaign designed to encourage learner drivers to broaden their experience by using more rural roads and driving at night before taking their test.

 

One in four people killed on road not wearing a seatbelt

 

There will also be research into the benefits of Graduated Driving Licences, while THINK! will continue campaigning against drink-driving, mobile phone use while driving, speedin and passenger distraction.

 

With adults in mind, the DfT will be looking at the feasibility of alcolocks, while a greater focus on roads policing will be spearheaded by a two-year project with the Home Office and National Police Chiefs’ Council to identify best practice and gaps in services to see how policing can be improved.

 

Finally, for older drivers, RoadSafe has been given £50,000 to deliver a digital platform to share best practice to reduce road safety risks for elderly road users.

 

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “Today’s action plan is a key milestone in our road safety work and sets out the important steps we are taking to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads.”

 

Steve Barrett, head of car insurance for Direct Line, commented: “Through better enforcement and greater public awareness, we can hopefully increase seat belt wearing rates and reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roads.”

 

David Davies, executive director of PACTS, added that it was “unusual to find a road safety measure with so much benefit and no downsides”.By Graham Hill thanks to Auto Express