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A logistics company has proved it was not liable for a collision with a Lamborghini using dashcam footage.

The crash, involving a Leicestershire-based Crouch Logistics vehicle working on a UPS contract, occurred in Northampton on November 27.

Amio Talio, the Lamborghini Driver, claimed the UPS vehicle “came out of nowhere” and crashed into his £180,000 Huracan.

His car collided with the Crouch Transport vehicle and then hit another parked car.

The Camera Telematics’ Street Angel device fitted to the Crouch Logistics van captured the incident and the footage was able to prove that the driver was not at fault and therefore not liable for what could have been a very expensive insurance settlement.

Chris Crouch, managing director of Crouch Logistics, said: “Our decision to install Street Angel on our fleet of vehicles has been completely vindicated by the performance of the Camera Telematics’ kit in determining who was liable for the accident – particularly as the Lamborghini driver contested that the UPS driver was at fault. Having accurate footage from Street Angel proved in court that the Lamborghini driver was liable for the accident. and that the UPS driver was in the clear.”

Street Angel works by using 4G connectivity to continually record video evidence of the journey and the vehicle’s surroundings on to the internal memory. It uses accelerometers to measure g-force in all directions to detect any impact or harsh event, such as braking or cornering.

When the g-force parameter is breached the device instantly uploads a video clip of the event to the cloud while generating an instant email alert to the fleet manager notifying them of the event.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Electric vehicle (EV) drivers can pay more than four times as much for the same amount of electricity when they use different public chargers, new research reveals.

A study carried out by What Car? has highlighted that charging a BMW iX3, with an 80kWh battery, from 10%-80% could cost between £9.32 and £40.66, as a result of the different tariffs and charges offered across the UK charging network.

BP’s Pulse 7.4kW pay-as-you-go tariff was the cheapest found, with a charge costing £9.32 for the iX3, at a cost of £0.18 per kWh.

While other providers were found to offer cheaper kWh rates, they often required a subscription fee or one-off payment, which inflated prices.

With a subscription, these networks would help owners save money in the long run. However, charging up at home is still the cheapest option, with the 10-80% boost for the iX3’s batteries costing £7.25.

Source London Flexi (7.4kW) delivered the most expensive charge in the study, costing £40.66 – despite providing the same 7.4kW charging speed as BP Pulse.

Available to London residents in Camden, Kensington & Chelsea, and Westminster, the charge included a £10 one-off sign-up fee and £0.073 per minute tariff.

The network’s 7.4kW chargers automatically stop charging a fee after four hours for cars being charged up between 8pm and 7pm, so an overnight charge for the iX3 on the Flexi tariff would cost £27.52, including the initial £10 fee.

The one-off fee also makes the first daytime charge on a 22kW Source London Flexi subscription expensive at £38.79. That said, subsequent charges are more affordable and frequent users will recoup the cost of the initial fee. It’s also important to note that Source London only charges its highest rates in the three London boroughs listed above; prices are lower elsewhere and many of its chargers are free to use.

A spokesperson for the company said: “Source London is the only network to include on-street parking in its usage fees. This gives our members the ability to park anywhere in London, including Central London, without having to pay any additional on-street parking fees which would often have to be paid separately at other locations.”

Outside London, Ionity’s rapid 350kW network proved most expensive, with a £0.69 per kWh fee to use its rapid chargers. The 80% charge would take just 35 minutes, though, compared with more than seven hours using a slower 7.4kW charger.

What Car? editor Steve Huntingford said: “Unlike petrol and diesel prices, which are relatively stable across the country, tariffs for the UK’s public charging network can vary wildly due to different electricity and subscription fees. Our research highlights the importance of doing your research before you leave home to find the most cost-effective way to make your journey.”

The findings follow the launch of a Government consultation to investigate ways to improve the public charging experience for drivers.

Among the key points is a proposal that charge point operators have to make pricing information more readily available, along with location and power output data.

The Government says that this is essential for ensuring costs are fair, for driving competition, and for increasing the confidence of both existing EV drivers and those considering making the switch.

Cost of charging a BMW iX3 (80kWh), according to What Car?’s study:

Cost of charging a BMW iX3 (80kWh), according to What Car?’s study:

Network and tariff	Monthly fee (£)	Fee per charge (£)	Cost per kWh (£/kWh)	Total 10-80% charge cost (£)
Source London Flexi (7.4kW)*	0.00	0.00	0.073 per min	40.66
Source London Flexi (22kW)*	0.00	0.00	0.13 per min	38.79
Ionity (350kW)	0.00	0.00	0.69	35.74
Source London PAYG (7.4kW)	0.00	0.00	0.084 per min	35.28
Source London Full (7.4kW)	4.00	0.00	0.05 per min	25.00
Source London PAYG (22kW)	0.00	0.00	0.157 per min	22.18
BP Pulse subscription (150kW)	7.85	0.00	0.27	21.84
BP Pulse PAYG (150kW)	0.00	0.00	0.42	21.76
BP Pulse PAYG contactless (150kW)	0.00	0.00	0.42	21.76
Shell Recharge (43kW, 50kW)	0.00	0.00	0.39	20.20
ESB subscription London (50kW)	4.99	0.00	0.28	19.49
Source London Full (22kW)	4.00	0.00	0.109 per min	19.40
Osprey (22kW to 50kW)	0.00	0.00	0.36	18.65
Instavolt (50kW)	0.00	0.00	0.35	18.13
Geniepoint London (43kW, 50kW)	0.00	1.80	0.30	17.34
Char.gy PAYG (7kW)	0.00	0.00	0.33	17.09
Ubitricity SmartCable Membership (7.4kW)	7.99	0.19	0.16	16.57
Geniepoint Rapid (43kW, 50kW)	0.00	1.00	0.30	16.54
ESB contactless London (50kW)	0.00	0.50	0.30	16.04
Geniepoint (7kW, 22kW)	0.00	0.50	0.30	16.04
BP Pulse subscription (50kW)	7.85	0.00	0.15	15.62
BP Pulse PAYG contactless (50kW)	0.00	0.00	0.30	15.54
Ecotricity (43kW, 50kW)	0.00	0.00	0.30	15.54
ESB PAYG London (50kW)	0.00	0.00	0.30	15.54
BP Pulse subscription (7kW)	7.85	0.00	0.12	14.07
BP Pulse PAYG (50kW)	0.00	0.00	0.25	12.95
Ubitricity PAYG (7.4kW)	0.00	0.00	0.24	12.43
Pod Point (43kW, 50kW)	0.00	0.00	0.23	11.91
BP Pulse PAYG (7.4kW)	0.00	0.00	0.18	9.32

*£10 sign-up fee, the cost per minute on 7.4kW chargers is capped at four hours between 8pm and 7am, making overnight charging cheaper

Winter conditions can reduce the range of a battery electric vehicle by up to 40%, participants in the Optimise Prime EV trial have reported.

The Ofgem-funded programme is the world’s largest commercial EV project and aims to discover how the UK’s electricity infrastructure will cope with the mass adoption of EVs, as well as how businesses can accelerate their transition.

It features three fleet partners – Royal Mail, Centrica and Uber – who each have different operating modes, as well as Hitachi and electricity distribution networks UK Power Network and Scottish and Southern Electricity networks.

James Rooney, fleet engineer at Centrica, said: “In 2014, we took on some Nissan eNV200s and they were a really good van in the summer, not so good in the winter.

““Bearing in mind this is old tech, we could get 70 miles out of them in the summer but in winter that could be down to 40 miles with a mix of what the cold does to the battery in terms of potency as  well as the driver using the heaters.

“It’s less of a problem now with battery preconditioning and liquid-cooled batteries, but we certainly see a seasonal disparity.”

Royal Mail has had a similar experience. “We introduced our first 100 EVs throughout 2018/19 so we’ve had them for a couple of winters now,” says Anna Pearson, fleet innovation and environment manager at Royal Mail.

“The colder and darker conditions means we have to use the heaters and lights more, and we have seen a drop in range.

“We’ve probably seen a drop of about 25% to 30%, definitely. That obviously depends on how the vehicle is being driven as well.” By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The Government wants charge point operators to make charging an electric vehicle (EV) no different to fuelling a petrol or diesel car.

A consultation, launched by Department for Transport (DfT) over the weekend, outlines a series of measures it believes could transform the charge point experience for EV drivers.

Key is interoperability, with the Government suggesting customers should be able to make a contactless payment, without having to download an app.

The consultation – The consumer experience at public electric vehicle charge points – also reveals how the Government wants to improve charge point reliability by forcing operators to respond to faults quickly and provide a 24/7 helpline for drivers.

“Standardisation to a pence-per-kilowatt hour (kWh) basis will enable a simpler pricing framework for all users.”

Furthermore, it is proposing charge point operators have to make pricing information more readily available, along with location and power output data.

The Government says that this is essential for ensuring costs are fair, for driving competition, and for increasing the confidence of both existing EV drivers and those considering making the switch.

“These proposals will ensure that it’s as easy – or even easier – for drivers to charge their car as it is to refuel a petrol or diesel vehicle,” said the Department for Transport (DfT).

The consultation is also seeking evidence on three emerging policy areas: accessibility for disabled consumers; weatherproofing and lighting; and signage.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: “In simple terms, drivers want charge points to be as easy and simple to use as a fuel pump.

“They don’t want to have a multitude of apps or membership cards, but the ability to simply understand how much it will cost them and pay by card.”

EV charge point pricing

By opening up chargepoint data, the Government believes it will enable the development of consumer-friendly apps and improve consumer experience.

It will also reduce costs by encouraging competition and innovation, and support system planning across the transport and electricity sectors, it says.

Fleet operators and company car drivers have long argued for a far simpler payment system for charge points.

The Association of Fleet Professionals, when ACFO, highlighted how ‘charge point anxiety’ could thwart the wider adoption of EVs.

“We would caution against interventions that would stymie innovation that will benefit consumers,” Daniel Brown, REA

The consultation says that consumers should be able to understand and compare pricing offers across the UK network to select the best available price, as is currently the case for petrol and diesel vehicles.

“Standardisation to a pence-per-kilowatt hour (kWh) basis will enable a simpler pricing framework for all users,” it adds. “Providers would still be able to offer a range of bundled services tariffs.”

It’s an approach which, it says, will ensure alignment with the energy sector and the price of electricity used across the network, helping consumers compare how much they are paying at home with how much they are paying when they use the public charging network.

The Government says it is also essential that the charge point network is maintained, and faults are repaired quickly, to ensure a minimum 99% reliability across the charging infrastructure.

Daniel Brown, head of transport at the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA), believes an open, reliable, and “simple-to-navigate” charging network is crucial to keep the confidence of drivers and fleets and take EVs into the mainstream.

“We welcome Government setting baseline expectations and ‘guard rails’ for the industry to deliver on,” he said.

“The EV charging sector, however, is a complex blend of telecoms, electricity provision, payments, real estate, and hardware and we would caution against interventions that would stymie innovation that will benefit consumers and be the backbone of emerging British brands.”

The consultation was launched at the same time as the DfT announced it would be expanding the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) to include small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and the charity sector for the first time.

In addition, it said that the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS), which provides up to £350 towards a charge point, will continue next year and be expanded to target people in rented and leasehold accommodation.

The consultation will run until April 10, 2021. Fleets can respond using the online form.

There will also be consultation workshops running throughout the consultation period. Anybody interested in attending these events, can contact consumerofferconsult@olev.gov.uk.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has outlined its electrification strategy which will see Jaguar offer an entirely electric model line-up by 2025.

The Reimagine strategy was revealed by the car maker’s new CEO Thierry Bollore on Feb 15^th 2021.

“Reimagine will see us transition to being an electric-first business. By the end of the decade we will have achieved that goal, nameplate by nameplate every model will be available with full battery power,” he said.

Currently the only fully electric model offered by JLR is the Jaguar I-Pace. It has recently launched a wide range of plug-in hybrid variants across some of its most popular models including the Evoque and Discovery Sport, however.

Bollore confirmed there will be six all-electric Land Rovers within the existing Range Rover, Discovery and Defender families by 2030, with the first launching in 2024. Land Rover models will continue to be offered with a mixture of powertrains, including plug-in hybrid, until 2036.

Jaguar will only sell electric cars by 2025, but the revised model range will not include the replacement XJ that was due to launch this year. That project has now been cancelled, although Bollore hinted that the model name could be retained for future use.

No further details have been given on how the existing range of Jaguar models, such as the recently facelifted XE, XF and F-Pace, will be affected between now an 2025, but a statement issued by JLR outlining the new strategy said: “By the middle of the decade Jaguar will have undergone a renaissance to emerge as a pure electric luxury brand with a dramatically beautiful new portfolio of emotionally engaging designs and pioneering next-generation technologies.”

The brand expects 60% of Land Rovers will be sold with zero-emission powertrains by 2030 and will begin to phase out diesel engines from its model range from 2026. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Van drivers are risking a fine of up to £5,000 and potentially invalidating their insurance for not safely securing their dogs while driving to work, according to research by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

The study revealed that two-in-five 41% of van drivers who own dogs prefer to take them to work, but a third admitted to not restraining them securely, which can lead to distractions.

Rule 57 of the Highway Code states that pets must be “suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you, or themselves, if you stop quickly”.

The punishment for failing to secure a dog safely can range from up to £1,000 for driving without proper control but can be increased to £5,000 and nine points for careless driving, says Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

Kate Thompson, head of marketing at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, explained: “After such an extended period at home last year, we know that, now more than ever, van drivers don’t want to leave their dogs at home or with dogsitters when they go to work.

“It is important to be aware, however, of the risks attached whether it is distractions while driving and near misses or the possible fines attached to driving with unrestrained pets.”

There are a number of ways to safely secure your pet in the van including a comfortably sized seat-belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage or in the boot behind a dog-guard.

The Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles research found men are more likely to take their pets to work than women, while those working in London and Northern Ireland are most likely to bring their pets to work in their vans.

Van drivers in East Anglia are more inclined to leave their dogs at home than any other region.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

 Ultra-rapid charge points are proving popular with usage increasing five-fold over the past year, according to a new report from Zap-Map.

In 2020, it found that 16% of electric vehicle (EV) drivers used ultra-rapid chargers, up from 3% the year before.

Over the past 12 months, the roll-out of these charge points has been stepped up significantly, with 788 ultra-rapid chargers now installed across the country, up from 476 at the end of 2019.

The average charge time from an ultra-rapid charger is half that of a standard 50-kilowatt rapid charger, with the majority of the latest EV models such as VW ID range, Jaguar I-Pace, Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Kona and Vauxhall Corsa-e, able to take advantage of these higher charge speeds. 

Zap-Map also found that the 50-kilowatt rapid chargers remain the most popular – 64% of respondents use these devices which can add 100 miles of range in around 25 mins.

Dr Ben Lane, co-founder and chief technical officer at Zap-Map, said: “This new report comes at a crucial time for the EV market.

“Competition among car manufacturers and charge point operators is becoming fierce and the industry is growing fast. The insights in this year’s wide-ranging report show that EV drivers are adapting to changes in the market.

“One of the clear conclusions is the importance of having a robust and reliable charging network. As the number of EVs continues its upward march, it’s vital that drivers are offered the simplest and smoothest experience possible.”

The Zap-Map report, which surveyed 2,200 EV drivers, also showed how drivers are now using the public network.

The survey found that while 83% of EV drivers regularly charge at home, 90% also use the public charging network, with 39% using the public network at least once a week.

This overall usage has fallen from the 2019 figure of 94%, most likely due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on driving patterns and car usage.

In addition, over 48% of respondents now charge at supermarkets, closely followed by motorway service stations (47%) and public car parks (32%).

In previous years, motorway service stations have been the most popular location types.

It is thought that the increase in the number of charge points available at supermarkets – now standing at 1631 chargers in 952 locations – combined with the availability of free charging at some of the major chains are driving this shift.

Other key findings from the report include: a new top 16 ranking of charging networks based on driver satisfaction. less than 1% want a return to petrol or diesel; and growing issues around accessibility for disabled users.

EV adoption rates surge

The Zap-Map report is published as pure EVs surged to take a 15% share of new lease car registrations in the third quarter of 2020

According to the BVRLA’s latest Quarterly Leasing Survey, plug-in and hybrid vehicles overtook diesel in gaining a 36% share of new lease car registrations during the same period and look set to overtake petrol very soon.

Nearly one-fifth of the BVRLA car leasing fleet now relies on some form of powertrain electrification as the fleet sector continues to drive the transition to cleaner road transport.

Diesel’s share of the total lease car market fell below 50% for the first time, while petrol held steady with a 34% share.

Average CO2 emissions for BVRLA car leasing fleet new registrations fell from 107g/km to 105g/km in Q3-2020, a new low and around 8% lower than the national average.

The car leasing market, excluding PCP and Motability vehicles, saw its fleet shrink by 6%, with the biggest reduction seen in the business fleet, down 8.7% year-on-year.

This decline was driven by an 11% fall in the business contract hire fleet compared to the same period of 2019. These fleet size declines were partially offset by an increase in the consumer leasing fleet, which was up 4% year-on-year. 

The LCV lease fleet continued to increase in Q3, albeit at a slower rate of 1.1% year-on-year, following two consecutive quarters of a 2.1% growth.

“Quarter three of last year delivered the long-awaited surge in BEV registrations that we expected after the introduction of the zero-rate BiK incentive,” said BVRLA chief executive, Gerry Keaney.

“A massive 21% of new business contract hire car registrations were BEVs, once again demonstrating that the company car sector is driving the transition to zero emission motoring.”

Salary sacrifice searches increase

Using Google data, research from Tesla online valuation website ‘We Love Tesla’ identified an increase in the number of drivers searching for EV charging facilities while on the move.

Local searches for ‘Electric Chargers Near Me’ increased by 2,850% between January 2020 and January 2021.

Consumers and businesses also seem to be considering making their premises more EV-friendly, with a 350% increase in searches for EV charging installations made during the same period, and a 250% increase for homeowners searching for EV charging at home.

Chris Davies, founder of We Love Tesla, said: “Brands such as Tesla were formed with the intention to show people that they do not need to compromise to drive electric, and that electric cars can be more sustainable, economical and fun to drive.”

We Love Tesla research also showed an increase in search for salary sacrifice schemes (up 550%) in 2020.

Alongside searches for ‘electric cars 2021 UK’, and ‘upcoming electric cars’ up 1,450% and 200% respectively, the data used for this research suggests that over the next 12 months we will continue to see a rise in the number of drivers considering making the switch to EV, says We Love Tesla.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The UK’s used car market fell by 14.9% in 2020, according to new figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

They show that 6,752,959 used car transactions took place, 1,182,146 fewer than in 2019, making 2020 the lowest performing year since 2012 as the pandemic dented sales.

Despite used car transactions increasing 3.7% in October, a fourth consecutive month of growth, the combination of new lockdowns and tougher restrictions across the UK later in the year saw activity tail off, with declines of 18.3% and 4.2% in November and December respectively.

Combined Q4 transactions fell by 6.2% to 1,693,138, rounding off a tough year for the sector.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said, “These figures are yet more evidence of the significant damage coronavirus has caused the automotive sector.

“Market growth at the start of the year was welcome but quickly stifled by the first lockdown as showrooms closed across the country, a picture that was repeated with the subsequent lockdowns in November and, indeed, into 2021.”

Alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) bucked the trend, however, with 144,225 of these models sold during the year, an increase of 5.2%, with their market share rising to 2.1%.

Used battery electric vehicles (BEVs) saw their transactions increase by 29.7% to 19,184 units, but still only a fraction of all activity at 0.3%.

The market for hybrids (HEVs) also rose, by 4.7%, while demand for plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) fell by 5%.

Meanwhile, used diesel and petrol car transactions also fell, by 15.5% and 15.2% respectively, yet combined were still equivalent to some 6.6 million units finding new owners.

Last year, all used car segments experienced declines, however superminis remained the most popular choice with 2.2 million units purchased, accounting for 32% of all transactions.

Lower medium cars were the next most traded segment, with 1.8 million sales to take 27% market share. Luxury Saloon (-5.8%), dual purpose (-7.2%) and specialist sports (-8.4%) saw more modest declines with a combined 1,084,504 transactions.   

Hawes continued: “The priority now must be to allow car showrooms to re-open as soon as restrictions are eased.

“This will not only help the used market recover, supporting jobs and livelihoods and providing individuals with the personal mobility they need at a time when guidance is against using public or shared transport, but it will also enable the latest and cleanest vehicles to filter through to second owners and keep society moving.”

Black was number one in the colour charts, with just over 1.4 million models in the shade changing hands with silver and blue completing the podium line-up.

Grey, which was the top selling new car colour in 2020, only managed fourth place.

Some buyers looked to add a brighter note to their used purchase, with 4,018 pink, 6,510 turquoise and 23,427 gold cars snapped up during the year.

Karen Hilton, chief commercial Officer at Heycar, said: “Although the figures show an overall decline in used car transactions, the market was showing signs of growth and positivity towards the end of the year – especially when compared with new car registrations.

“It’s impossible to overstate the importance of this to car dealers after the year all of us have just gone through.”

Data from Heycar shows that the most popular styles of vehicle actually increased in value year on year, with the asking price of estate cars up 10% on average, SUVs up 9% and hatchbacks, the most popular style of all, increasing by 1% on January 2020.

Hilton continued: “This clearly demonstrates the strength of the used car market and is a tribute to the dealerships who kept going through the pandemic and lockdowns, ensuring stock was available to those who wanted a change of car.

“It is also interesting to note that demand for used diesel cars is very much on the rise. Between January and December, we recorded a 23.2% increase in searches for diesel cars on the Heycar site, alongside a 22.5% rise in customers looking for petrol vehicles. Electric cars saw a more modest uplift of just 10”.”

At the same time, Heycar has also seen a drop in diesel car prices over the past four months (October – December 2020) of 2.5%.

“There are a couple of possible reasons for this increase in demand and both are linked to the pandemic,” said Hilton. “First, people are looking for affordable alternatives to public transport going forward and second, with the UK summer holiday being firmly on the cards for most of us in 2021, families are choosing the best options for them when it comes to clocking up longer distances.”

Used values remained strong

The National Association of Motor Auctions (NAMA) have told their trade body that internal combustion engine vehicle values have remained strong during the recent lockdown.

NAMA has found that 90% of respondents believe both petrol and diesel values would remain strong or further increase.

Auctioneers also say first time conversion rates are performing well, with 67% expecting rates to increase over the next month, with the remaining 33% expecting them to stay the same.

Further, 90% of motor auctions have found that their on-line sales are ‘up considerably’ from this time last year.

Louise Wallis, head of NAMA, said: “In line with expectations, petrol and diesel values have remained extremely strong.

“The strong values, coupled with robust conversation rates, demonstrate that there is an appetite for vehicles at auction.

“As consumer confidence remains high, we anticipate there will be significant pent-up demand for stock once lockdown restrictions are eased.”

Motor auctions have continued to operate through the Covid lockdowns by offering on-line auctions to customers who want to dispose of stock or to source vehicles to fulfil customer demand.

By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

As many as four out of five drivers are risking giving away sensitive personal data when they sell their car, according to Which? I would add that the same applies to those handing cars back at the end of a contract hire agreement or PCP.

As cars and their media/information systems become more complex, the consumer group is warning that the majority of drivers are failing to take steps to remove their own information before selling or returning a car.

Most modern cars feature some form of smartphone pairing which syncronises data between phones and the car. This can involve the transfer of information stored on the phone, including contacts’ details, message history, the driver’s home and work addresses and even Wi-Fi codes.

A survey by Which? found that more than half (54 per cent) of drivers had linked their phone to their car but a similar proportion (51 per cent) didn’t unsync their device before selling the vehicle and 31 per cent took no steps to remove their personal information from the car.

Privacy risks

Of the 14,000 drivers questioned for the survey, 79 per cent said they didn’t follow the manufacturer’s instructions on deleting data and resetting the infotainment system prior to selling their car.

Which?’s experts have warned that failing to do so could leave private information accessible to any subsequent owners of the car, allowing them to see everything from your text messages to the contact details of your friends and family.

They also raised concerns over connected car apps that allow owners to access car information, lock and unlock it and even start the engine via their phone, warning that failing to revoke permissions for these apps could leave a car accessible to previous owners.

Harry Rose, editor of Which? Magazine, said: “If cars are not treated the same as a smartphone, tablet or other connected devices when it comes to data security, motorists risk giving away a treasure trove of information about themselves when they decide to sell their car.

“Manufacturers must do much more to prioritise customers’ personal privacy so that drivers fully understand how much data their vehicle could be harbouring and how to delete this information in order to eradicate these risks.”

Chris Harris, technical director at transport technology firm Thales commented: “When selling a car, we’re usually quick to remove our possessions – whether that’s CDs, a roof rack, or personalised seat covers. However, many of us are failing to remove our more ‘invisible’ possessions, and with cars becoming increasingly connected, they are swiftly becoming a hotbed for potentially lucrative sensitive data, including addresses, recent calls, and birthdays.

“The majority of us wouldn’t be comfortable sharing this kind of information with complete strangers, so it’s concerning to see consumers unwittingly hand this data across.”

How to keep your data safe

Chris Harris’s quick tips for keeping your data safe when selling or returning your car:

1. Consider all the places where your personal information may be stored, and find out from the car’s manual how to delete or erase it. Most of us wouldn’t be comfortable sharing our address, contacts and recent messages with a complete stranger, but that’s effectively what we’re doing by not clearing sensitive data from our cars.

2. Go through any accounts or apps that you may have connected to the vehicle and ensure you’ve logged out and removed any saved data. You won’t want the new owner benefiting from services you’ve subscribed to – and just as importantly, the new owner probably won’t be too grateful when your app unknowingly starts to control their new vehicle.

3. Finally, check for old-school methods of storing data. Did you have a USB stick or CD in the glovebox with music you were playing in the car? What else might that memory stick have had on it? Even files you thought you had deleted can often be recovered from hard drives and USB sticks.

By Graham Hill thanks to Which?

The Government has marked the first anniversary of Brexit by removing the EU flag from all UK driving licences and number plate designs.

Existing licences and number plates will still be valid; the new versions will be issued to everyone renewing a licence or getting one for the first time.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps said: “Changing the designs of our driving licences and number plates is a historic moment for British motorists, and a reassertion of our independence from the EU one year on from our departure.

“Looking to the future, whether it’s for work or for holidays abroad, these changes mean that those who want to drive in the EU can continue to do so with ease.”

The new designs coincide with the beginning of a number of agreements recently made between the UK and member states for British drivers.

Thanks to these agreements, UK drivers who hold photocard licences will not need an international driving permit to drive in any of the 27 EU member states, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland or Liechtenstein.

UK drivers will also not need to display a GB sticker in most EU countries if their number plate has GB or GB with a Union Flag on it.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News