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We all know that the more electric vehicles on our roads in the UK the greater the demand for public charge points. Even with public charge points you will need a domestic charge point as the cost of charging an electric car using a public charge point pushes up the cost per mile.

When the fuel stations started to introduce fast chargers they were charging an introductory rate which was roughly half price. Once they increased the rates the cost per mile was higher for an electric car than a petrol or diesel car. Whilst local authority installed charge points should be cheaper they will still be more expensive than domestic chargers.

However, London has decided to assist motorists and encourage the purchase of electric cars by converting lamp posts into EV charge points as part of a £300,000 project. The points can deliver charge rates of up to 7.7Kw, and are being installed at 50 lamp posts in Southwark.

The charge points are being supplied by char.gy and funded by Go Ultra Low City Scheme. The chargers can be accessed by EV drivers on pay-as-you-go basis. Poppy Welch from Go Ultra Low said she wants to see, ‘All new street lighting columns include charging points’ in areas with on-street parking. By Graham Hill

Over the last few years, we have seen more company car drivers opt for car allowances rather than replace their current company car with another. For many companies, this is a nightmare. Because whilst an employee is using his own car for business it becomes part of what is known as a grey fleet.

This means that at the time the employee is driving on company business it is the responsibility of the company to ensure that the car is safe and legal along with the driver (health and safety at work). This makes life difficult for businesses who have to ensure that cars are serviced properly and on time. That they are legal with legal tyres and current MOT if applicable. The car must be properly insured for business use and for the carrying of company tools, stock or equipment.

Companies also have a problem with car selection as employees are more likely to use their car allowance for a used executive or maybe a sports car than a car selected by the company that often equates to the status of the employee or the use for which the car is to be used. Some employees would be happy to drive an old car allowing them to take some of their allowance and use it to pay for holidays. This may not portray the correct company image.

The company, therefore, has to decide whether the payment of a car allowance should come with conditions such as type, make, age, safety levels etc of the car selected by the employee. It can become an administration nightmare.

Company responsibilities apply even if an employee drops off post each evening and receives a mileage allowance. From the Government’s point of view, whilst they collect income tax against car allowance payments they are currently losing fortunes as drivers opt for used cars. The vast majority of company cars are new cars which means that the Government can collect VAT, first registration tax, from employees Benefit In Kind Tax and from employers NI.

This ridiculous situation has come about because of the greed of the Government when setting BIK tax levels. In 2018/19 if you drove an electric or hydrogen-powered car emitting no CO2 whatsoever you would still have a BIK bill of 13% of the list price of the car. In the current year 2019/2020 that actually increases to 16% with most petrol cars falling within a band of 19% – 21%. In 2020/2021 we finally see zero-emission cars drop to 2% but petrol cars will increase to 21% – 25%.

Worst of all is the fact that the Government hasn’t released rates for 2021/2022 so if you were to take a company car now on a 3-year lease you wouldn’t have a clue as to what you would be paying in that tax year.

The whole thing is a disaster for both the Treasury and for companies that run company cars. It’s about time the Government got its focus back on the day to day running of the country than Brexit and electing a leader. By Graham Hill

Having just posted huge losses of £3.6 billion and with Land Rover languishing at the bottom of the reliability charts and Jaguar not far behind they are now into more expense as they issue a major recall of 44,000 cars that may be emitting more Carbon Dioxide than was recorded in Official certification.

The recall covers versions of the Jaguar XF, XE, E-Pace, F-Pace and F-Type as well as the Land Rover Discovery, Discovery Sport and Range Rover Sport, Evoque andVelar, made between 2016 and 2019 with petrol and diesel engines.

JLR will contact owners to book their cars into their local dealer for repairs to be carried out free of charge. The recall came just weeks after the Land Rover Discovery TD6outperformed a number of other cars in independent real-world pollution tests thanks to the impressively low levels of nitrogen oxide emissions it produced. By Graham Hill

Incorrect emissions tests could attract some massive EU fines, hopefully, this action will avoid the possibility of the added pain of fines. By Graham Hill

I read with interest the case of Alexia Ohene as reported in What Car. Alexia bought a used  car but sadly 14 days after taking delivery the car developed a problem with its clutch. The garage agreed to take the car back to repair but couldn’t take it for 5 days due to a backlog in the workshops. However, they offered Alexia a loan car but he would have to collect the car which he couldn’t.

He, therefore, decided to reject the car as he had the car less than 30 days, something he is fully entitled to do under the Consumer Rights Act. When he mentioned this to the dealer he was met with a shower of abuse and threats to take him to court. They insisted that he keep the car saying that it would be stupid to reject it and they would deduct a mileage charge for the miles he covered and the cost of fitting some bumper protectors that the customer had requested.

The car had undergone a new MOT, service and inspection prior to collection so the clutch problem should have been identified and this failure of a major component was certainly grounds for rejection. What Car suggested, and I agree, that Alexia, shouldn’t get into an argument but simply send a formal letter to the dealer, by recorded delivery, simply stating that he wishes to reject the car as a result of suffering the failure of a major component within the first 30 days of ownership, quoting the Consumer Rights Act.

The dealer had no right to charge for mileage use and if the bumper protectors could be removed without damage there should be no charge for removing them. They then go on to say that if the customer still has problems that he should contact Trading Standards – again I agree but you now have to contact trading standards through the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, not a major issue but it takes longer.

They then suggested that the customer contact the Motor Ombudsman, something I don’t recommend as dispute resolution. You can only have your complaint listened to if the dealer is signed up to the Motor Ombudsman which is paid for by the very companies that are signed up. Think you’ll get a favourable solution? In my opinion a complete waste of time.

What he should have done in the circumstances is pay a deposit of say £100 on a credit card. This means that under the terms of the Consumer Credit Act you can now get the credit card company to take back the car as under Section 75 they are jointly and severally liable for the quality of the car. And if you don’t get a result from the credit card company you can take it up with the much fairer Financial Ombudsman.

It’s a shame that the motor magazines don’t go quite far enough or have enough knowledge when coming up with solutions. By Graham Hill

Whilst the three biggest problems preventing drivers from making the switch, i.e. price of cars, range and charging infrastructure a new challenge has emerged. If an electric or plug-in hybrid car breaks down or is involved in an accident it needs specialist recovery. Fleet News has investigated the implications.

The two main issues are battery complications and the fact that electric vehicles (EV’s) cannot be towed or moved unless the car can be switched on to enable the car to be put into neutral, freeing up the wheels that will be locked in gear.

To reduce the risk of battery fires or electrocution, most EVs use circuit breakers that disconnect the high-voltage system if an impact is detected.

The emergency services will also seek to disconnect any high-voltage components on electric vehicles if they are required to attend. These added complications  mean recovery firms can have a tougher job of collecting these often heavy vehicles.

When a BMW i3 operated by Speedy Services was involved in a collision, it took 15 hours for the vehicle to be recovered by the company’s appointed recovery agent, the AA.

“When the first AA man turned up, he said he didn’t know anything about electric vehicles,” said Gareth Jones, transport compliance manager at Speedy Services.

“A second man arrived later. He was concerned that the battery was damaged and there could be a health and safety issue around transporting hazardous materials.”

The i3 was immobile because there was no power to it.  Jones said they couldn’t disengage the handbrake and the electric motor was locked, so the wheels wouldn’t turn.

A third AA vehicle – a flatbed truck with a winch – was able to recover the car. But the operator first had to work out the weight of the car and the angle it would need to be pulled at, to see if the winch was powerful enough.

“The operator had to literally drag the car up onto a flatbed truck. It was the most annoying day,” said Jones. Speedy Services has been operating three BMW i3s, which have been converted into vans, for the past two years. This incident was the first the fleet encountered.

“We were flabbergasted that companies like the AA seemed unaware of how to deal with it,” said Jones.

“I don’t think the UK is geared up to recover vehicles of this type yet. It hasn’t put us off EVs though. We’ve all got to move forwards and embracing new technology is a core part of our business. What we have to do is look at how we are going to stop it happening again.”

In a statement, the AA said all its patrols are trained to work safely on EVs. However, it did point out that where EVs suffer damage in the event of an accident, there could
be additional health and safety considerations before recovering the vehicle. This may require further risk assessments or equipment. In order to make the scene safe, it may also include specialist support for road traffic collisions.

The Institute of Vehicle Recovery (IVR) delivers specialist training to enable recovery firms to handle electrified vehicles correctly. It has seen a lot of demand for its EV course.

Mark Hartell, vice-chairman of the IVR, said: “It is vital that all technicians, and those responsible for sending them out, appreciate the hazards and specialist knowledge required to recover this type of vehicle.”

Jones advises fleet operators to ensure that recovery firms are aware they are being called to deal with an electric vehicle, whether directly or through an accident management provider.

Pete Williams, RAC road safety spokesman, said: “Our approach to EVs and hybrids is consistent with how we deal with conventional petrol and diesel vehicles. In the event of an accident, if requested to recover an EV vehicle by the fleet manager, we would send a flatbed lorry.

“EVs present a particular challenge as most cannot be towed normally and should be transported with all wheels off the ground. It is a similar situation with many other modern vehicles, including crossovers, SUVs, 4x4s, pick-ups, vans and automatics.

“In response, we have developed our new All-Wheels-Up equipment that effectively brings flatbed recovery capability to our standard long-wheel based orange patrol vans. To date, 600 have been equipped with this new kit. So a single van can recover an EV – saving the driver valuable time.”

The total number of fully electric cars registered in the UK rose by 59% last year, accounting for about 1% of total sales. Plug-in hybrids are more popular, making up 2.8% of sales.

A recent survey by Kia found that 87% of fleet managers have encountered increased demand for electrified vehicles, but the majority feel that the cars won’t be suitable for another two to five years.

Kia’s Fleet Green Perspectives Report found that 65% of fleets operate plug-in vehicles, an increase of 27% in the past year.

It seems that we need to go much further if we are to convince drivers to embrace EV’s and move across from petrol and diesel cars. We only seem to be scratching the surface and paying lip service to those who want to live in a cleaner environment. By Graham Hill

At the start of 2019, rumours swept the internet that speed camera tolerances on certain motorways were so strict, they would issue tickets if drivers exceeded the 70mph limit by just 1mph.

This would have been worrying had you not read my report last week on the accuracy of car speedo’s.

The stories  and rumours turned out to be untrue and unfounded. But rather than allow misinformation about speed camera ‘thresholds’ to circulate unchecked, Auto Express asked the UK’s 45 police forces via Freedom of Information requests how strictly their 3,224 speed cameras enforce limits.

The majority of the forces that responded to Auto Express said their cameras would only activate when drivers exceed the speed limit by 10 per cent plus 2mph, in line with prosecution guidelines from the Association of Chief Police Officers.

This means cameras won’t issue tickets until someone is driving at 35mph or more in a 30mph limit, or 79mph or more on the motorway, for example.

The Metropolitan Police, which uses a less strict, 10 per cent plus 3mph threshold, say this is “a proportional response to the high volumes of traffic” in the capital. Lancashire Police also sets its cameras so that they activate at 10 per cent plus 3mph, and says that this has been done “to ensure greater tolerance or discretion”.

A number of forces wouldn’t tell us their camera thresholds, arguing that knowledge of these would encourage drivers to speed. All police forces that told us their thresholds said these applied to both fixed and average speed cameras.

Speed camera thresholds across the UK

I should make it clear that this in no way should encourage drivers to break speed limits as they realise they have a ‘free allowance’. Especially in built-up areas and areas close to schools and homes for the elderly.

Personally, I would like to see greater enforcement of the ‘Keep Left’ rules. Far too often I see cars hogging the outside lane of motorways causing frustrated drivers to either undertake or end up flashing the car in front potentially leading to road rage. By Graham Hill

The Motoring Ombudsman (not to be confused with the Financial Ombudsman) has revealed that few drivers are aware that they can extend their manufacturer’s warranty beyond the initial period. Really? If that’s the case a few dealership salesmen should be sacked!

Anyway, they found that more than half of all participants in a recent survey didn’t know that you can extend the manufacturers warranty. 32% were not aware that you can use an independent provider, you don’t have to take the manufacturer’s warranty.

This is quite important as more people are opting for 4 and even 5 year agreements in order to reduce the costs. In most cases that takes you beyond the manufacturer’s warranty period but whether you take an extended manufacturer’s warranty or take one from an independent provider make sure you check what you are covered for.

Also, if you decide to take out a 4 or 5 year PCP or PCH remember that you have other costs to take into account. Often new cars come with a breakdown service for the first 3 years which would need to be renewed or replaced. Service and maintenance costs increase as more items need to be replaced or renewed. Then there are often connectivity services and subscriptions that need to be renewed such as Sat Nav updates and alerts.

So what may seem like a good deal over say 4 years compared to 3 years, saving £20 per month could easily be eaten up by the added costs in the 4^th year. Graham Hill

Drivers who ignore lane closures on motorways marked with a red ‘X’ will be handed a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of £100 fine and three penalty points from June 10 2019.

At present, only a police officer catching drivers in the act can issue the FPN but the new Road Traffic Offenders (Prescribed Devices) Order 2019 was passed on May 13.

The enforcement will mirror motorway speeding offences. By this it means that the police force where the incident took place will issue the penalty.

Edmund King, AA president says; “Although it has taken far too long, this is a welcome measure to improve safety on motorways.

“Our research shows that one in 20 drivers continue to drive in red X lanes even when they’ve seen it, and so far Highways England has written warning letters to over 180,000 drivers about their actions.

“Red X’s are put up to warn of an obstruction, so drivers must get out of the lane when they see them. We have had several incidents recently where AA members’ cars have been hit in a live lane on ‘smart’ motorways.”

Since the beginning of 2017, Highways England has issued over 180,000 warning letters to drivers who have ignored the signs in an attempt to stamp out the behaviour. This clearly hasn’t worked so more extreme measures were called for. By Graham Hill

Thatcham Research that carries out safety tests on behalf of Euro NCAP have now started carrying out tests that tell drivers how easy it is to break into their cars.

The ratings are ’Superior’, ‘Good’, ‘Poor’ and ‘Unacceptable’. The ratings are awarded based on how well a car performs in a range of security tests. Tey include one that identifies how vulnerable cars are to digital ‘hack’ in keyless cars.

11 cars have been tested so far, of which 5 were rated as ‘poor’. There are Ford Mondeo executive car, Toyota Corolla family hatchback, Lexus UX and Hyundai Nexus SUV and Kia ProCeed Estate.

At the top of the scale rated as ‘Superior’, were Jaguar XE Saloon, Range Rover Evoque, Audi eTron and Porsche Macan SUV’s along with the Mercedes B Class MPV. The Suzuki Jimny small SUV was the only car to be rated ‘Unacceptable’.

According to Thatcham’s Technical Officer, Richard Billyeald, the Jimny was given the rating as a result of, ‘This car scores consistently badly across all criteria, missing some fundamental security features that consumers might rightly be fitted to a new car’.

Thatcham have introduced the new ratings system as a result of increased awareness of car buyers and their demand for more information on security risks. It also ties in with the increasing cost of car thefts in the UK. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) said that the cost of claims relating to vehicle theft has increased in 2018 by 29% compared to 2017 with claims running at £1 million per day.

The ABI pointed out that the main reason for the increase was the increased use of keyless entry systems and the ease with which thieves can hijack the signal from the key fob then use it to unlock and start the car.

The ABI went on to explain that drivers are worried about car theft and that the record amounts being paid out in claims ‘in part reflects the vulnerability of some cars to keyless relay theft’.

In response, the Society For Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) hit back by explaining that the automotive industry ‘takes vehicle crime extremely seriously’. It added, ‘The latest technology has helped to bring down theft dramatically during the past 20 years. However, criminals will always look for new ways to steal cars; it’s an ongoing battle and why manufacturers continue to invest billions in ever more sophisticated security features and software upgrades’. By Graham Hill

Auto Express investigated how accurate the speedometers were on 10 cars were. They did this by comparing how fast the speedos said they were going with the actual speed, revealed by a VBox meter.

Car speedometers are not allowed to ‘under-read’ – they can’t tell you that you’re going more slowly than you really are – but they are allowed to over-read by up to 10 per cent plus 6.25mph. So they could read 50.25mph at 40mph.

All the cars that were assessed were well within legal limits, although some read with near-perfect accuracy, while others over-read by 3mph. This, with the different approaches police have to enforcing limits, means some variance will always remain around speeding.

Commenting on the investigation, AA president Edmund King said it is “sensible to have some flexibility” with speed-limit enforcement, “as the last thing we need is drivers concentrating solely on the speedo and not the road”.

King added that, with speedometers becoming increasingly accurate, “Auto Express’s testing is a valid reminder to drivers not to gamble on their speedo perhaps providing some leeway”.

The speedo accuracy test explained:

The VBox is a clever piece of kit that uses a GPS signal to measure a car’s speed. It’s very accurate, gauging velocity to within 0.1km/h, so is perfect for assessing speedos.

They set their test cars to 30, 50, 60 and 70mph using the built-in speed limiter or cruise control to ensure a steady speed, then used the VBox to measure how fast they were going. This gave them a fair idea of the discrepancy between actual and indicated speed.

“Not many drivers have access to a VBox, but a separate smartphone app or sat-nav can give you an idea of how accurate your speedo is. Here are the results of the tests:

By Graham Hill & Auto Express