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Familiar old activities have been joined by some scary new ones.

It’s come to something when not even Ethan Hunt, fictional hero of movie franchise Mission Impossible, can prevent his BMW X7 from being stolen. That’s what happened one night in August when Tom Cruise’s SUV was pinched from outside the Grand Hotel in central Birmingham, where he had been staying.

The car, which was equipped with a tracking device, was recovered three miles away a short time later. CCTV footage showed three people leaving it with a bag containing some of its contents.

The actor was reportedly furious about the incident, and we British motorists should be concerned too. At the time, a relay attack, where the car’s electronic security is fooled into believing the key fob is present, was the favoured explanation.

However, weeks later, the police don’t know exactly how it was stolen, only that its electronics were compromised.

The incident appears to show that for all their sophistication, today’s cars are seemingly as easy to steal as their forebears were in the 1990s, when more than 300,000 were pinched each year in England and Wales.

In 2020, ‘only’ 89,000 cars were stolen, 24,000 down on 2019 – a fall credited to fewer journeys being undertaken during the lockdowns, as well as to improved vehicle security, heightened public awareness and more effective policing. For example, West Midlands Police says that it has identified and closed down more than 100 chop shops – where stolen cars are broken for parts by organised gangs – in the past 18 months.

That’s the good news, but the bad news is that last year’s figure is still 20,000 higher than that from 2013. Indeed, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) recently reported a 3.1% year-on-year rise in vehicle crime between May and June.

It’s a confusing picture, but not as confusing as the methods criminals employ to steal, and steal from, cars. Here, we survey the state of affairs…

Thefts of and from vehicles: the numbers

85% of thefts happen during the night, and 39% happen on the owner’s home street

72% of stolen vehicles are never returned to owner

30% of stolen vehicles are written off

The entry method in 44% of thefts is opening unlocked doors, with 36% being by manipulation of a remote-locking signal

39% of items stolen from vehicles are valuables

37% of stolen vehicles are more than one year old but less than five years old

The most commonly reported emotional impact of vehicle-related theft is annoyance, at 76%

Figures courtesy of the Office for National Statistics, from Crime Survey for England and Wales, April 2019 to March 2020

Electronic compromise is the term for gaining control of a vehicle by hacking into its electronic systems. Relay attack is one of the best-known methods: a criminal holds a device against the door of the car, amplifying the security signal that the vehicle transmits.

Another stands near the owner’s home with a device that relays a pairing signal from the vehicle owner’s key to the accomplice, who then opens the car’s door and starts the engine. Relay attacks often take place on a vehicle owner’s driveway.

In a disturbing twist, it appears that some crooks are now disabling home owners’ wi-fi to prevent doorbell video footage being captured as evidence.

The NPCC says that relay attacks accounted for a large share of the increase in vehicle crime during May and June 2021. How large can be gauged by the fact that in 2020, 93% of the vehicles recorded as stolen by Tracker, a vehicle tracking company, were taken as a result of a relay attack.

Thankfully, car makers are fighting back. In 2019, Ford introduced ‘sleeping key fobs’, which become deactivated when not in use, on the Fiesta and Focus, and earlier this year extended the technology to the Kuga and Puma. These can’t be activated by a relay device. Since their introduction, Fiesta thefts have fallen by two-thirds.

Other forms of electronic compromise include having an additional key programmed to the vehicle, manipulating the car’s electronics via the on-board diagnostics port and swapping out the vehicle’s engine control unit. Many of the devices that thieves use are available to buy online.

Pleasingly, there’s little honour among criminals, as a security source explained: “A contact told us that he broke into a new Range Rover with a system that he had purchased for £12,000.

It enabled him to get into the vehicle, but it didn’t have the promised firmware that would allow him to start it. He’s now worried that if he returns the device for the update, he might not get it back.”

Have your car’s windows etched with its registration and VIN.

Park in a well-lit place and, if on your driveway, facing your house so that the thief will have to reverse the car.

If your car has keyless entry, check if you can disable the system; and if not, if a software update is available enabling you to.

Block the key signal by storing it in a Faraday pouch or a tin lined with metallic foil.

Fit an ECU security cradle.

Have your car’s security system updated to accept only two keys.

Fit a mechanical lock, such as a gearstick or steering-wheel lock.

Catalytic converter theft

If you think relay attacks on driveways are audacious, catalytic converter thefts are in another league. Many are done in broad daylight by the roadside and even in supermarket car parks.

The thieves are after the precious metals that the converters contain and which, having passed through various hands, fetch astronomical sums on the open market.

According to figures obtained from police forces in England and Wales by the BBC, 13,000 converters were recorded stolen in 2019, compared with 2000 the year before.

Last April, Ageas, one of the UK’s biggest car insurers, reported a steep rise in converter thefts during lockdown, stating they accounted for around a third of all theft claims (before lockdown, it was a fifth).

However, good news may be on the horizon. Converter thefts peaked this March, with 3245 recorded. The next month, the British Transport Police co-ordinated a multi-agency operation to tackle the problem. More than 1000 stolen converters were recovered and more than 50 people were arrested. Since then, thefts have declined steadily, with only 1378 recorded in July.

The NPCC credits improved liaison between forces for the reduction, as well as a new national database of stolen converters marked with an invisible special formula that contains a unique reference code. Developed by Smartwater Group, the high- temperature-resistant product can be applied to the converter when the vehicle is in a workshop for servicing or an MOT test.

 “On its own, marking a converter won’t prevent its theft,” says Mark Silvester, a West Midlands Police crime prevention manager. “However, when, for example, we find converters in chop shops or in the back of a car, the unique codes identify them as stolen, identify their owners and help us to build a trail that can lead to convictions and discourage further thefts.”

Stay safe

Park your car in your garage or else in such a way that it’s hard to access its converter (for example, parked tightly between other cars).

Fit a Thatcham-approved alarm with a tilt function that senses vehicle movement.

Fit a security device such as a Catloc or Catclamp.

Have your converter watermarked and advertise this fact on the car’s window.

Although thieves will operate in daylight, try to park your car in a well-lit area that’s overlooked.

Key theft

According to Neil Thomas, director of investigative services at AX Innovation, a fleet management company, you’re unlikely to have your car key stolen from your house. “Many criminals who steal cars to order are reluctant to enter their victim’s home,” he says. “Such crooks call themselves twoccers, which stands for taking without consent, and don’t regard themselves as burglars.” That’s a comfort, then. Even so, it does happen. Indeed, one of Thomas’s neighbours woke up recently to finda thief standing on his landing, demanding his car keys…

Mark Silvester says that programming a key fob to unlock and start a car is another method of attack: “The equipment is freely available but, generally speaking, most vehicle ECUs won’t accept more than three keys being assigned to the car. Ask your main dealer to update the car’s ECU such that it won’t recognise a third key.”

Stay Safe

Leave your car key downstairs. Better it’s seen than the burglar coming to you to get it.

Have your car’s ECU updated to recognise only two keys.

Views from a victim

Two years ago, David (not his real name) was confronted in his home by a gang demanding the keys to his BMW. “It was one o’clock in the morning,” he says. “As I opened the bedroom door, I was confronted by three people wearing balaclavas.”

David handed over the keys and in a few seconds his car and the gang had gone. “The police arrived in minutes and tracked my X5 hitting the ANPR cameras as it went up the M6 before it vanished. I never got it back.”

David says the experience has had a huge emotional impact on him and made him more risk-averse and security-conscious. “People should check the layers of deterrent they have,” he says. “For example, when I see cars pointing out of a driveway, I think how stealable that is. You have to think like a thief.”

Carjacking

You might think carjacking is something that happens only in other countries, but three years ago in Birmingham, a motorist who stopped his car to move wheelie bins blocking his path wasset on by baton-wielding thugs who forced him out of the vehicle before taking it. It was one of a series of carjackings that occurred in or near the city the same year.

Other techniques the criminals used included waiting near the victim’s house to attack them and grab their keys; and encouraging victims to stop their car by pretending to be broken down, bumping their car from behind or flashing their headlights.

In a concerted effort to quash the city’s carjacking epidemic, the police made 600 arrests in just a few weeks.

Stay Safe

Be suspicious of anything blocking your path, headlights flashing you to stop or groups of people lingering nearby.

Reverse into a parking space so you can leave easily and quickly, as well as see who is around you.

Change your parking place regularly.

Have your keys to hand so that you can quickly enter the vehicle and lock it from the inside.

Make sure you unlock only the driver’s door.

Always lock the car when, for example, paying for fuel.

Always allow sufficient space between you and the car in front so that you can pull away quickly.

Theft of belongings

In the league table of vehicle crime, theft from a car is still number one. In the past, it occurred because cars were easy to break into or windows were left open, but today it can be because the car is simply unlocked. “Check your fob has done its job,” says Mark Silvester.

“Not all cars signal that they’re locked or unlocked. It can be hard to check, too, because, depending on the model, it may unlock as you pull the handle. Mirrors that fold in and indicators that flash are a good indication that a car is locked.” Meanwhile, the old advice about not leaving valuables on view remains as valid as ever: “A lot of car crime is opportunistic. Leaving valuables on display is an open invitation.”

Stay safe

When locking your car, make sure by checking that the indicators flash or that the door mirrors have folded in.

Ensure the windows are closed.

Keep valuables including portable sat-navs out of sight.

Park in a well-lit, overlooked or busy area.

By Graham Hill thanks to Autocar

Char.gy has launched a 12-month wireless charging trial in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, with peer-to-peer car sharing platform Hiyacar.

The trial will use 10 Renault Zoe battery electric vehicles and is a collaborative effort between Buckinghamshire Council, Milton Keynes Council, London Borough of Redbridge, the University of Warwick, the Open University, IPT Technology, and additional support from Hiyacar.

Funding has come from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and Innovate UK.

Char.gy, which has developed the wireless technology with IPT Technology, hopes the trial will pave the way for the future of urban wireless EV charging.

It says the new charging solution will mean that in the near future, those without access to private charging via garages, driveways or other off-street parking options will be able to charge their vehicles efficiently and cable-free.

Char.gy’s wireless charging works via an electrical induction charging pad installed in the ground. In the trial this is fitted in a dedicated parking spot in Liston Road car park.

Existing EVs do not have wireless charging capabilities built in, the 10 Hiyacar Zoes have been fitted with an aftermarket induction charging kit. They can be booked through the Hiyacar app.

Nine additional trials will take place in other locations around Buckinghamshire, as well as Milton Keynes.

Drivers who rent an EV during the trial will be contacte by the Open University for their feedback on their experience to gauge the success of this charging solution from the drivers’ perspectives.

Other trials of wireless charging technology are also taking place in the UK.

In another OZEV-funded project, nine electric taxis with take part in a trial in Nottingham. They will be available on the city’s streets for hail by the general public as they capture data, including journey distances and battery level.

All the vehicles will be adorned in a new green and blue livery to promote the WiCET (Wireless Charging of Electric Taxis) branding. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Boris Johnson is urged to protect Britain’s classic cars industry amid new eco regulations, with campaigners warning 100,000 jobs could be at risk

• Angry campaigners say the classic car industry is at risk from green regulations
• They say the industry is being targeted by complex rules on import and exports
• The Historic and Classic Vehicles Alliance is being launched today to help issue

Boris Johnson is being urged to save Britain’s world-leading historical and classic car industry from green regulations and bureaucracy.

Campaigners are warning the Prime Minister, an ex-motoring columnist, that 100,000 jobs depend on the heritage sector, which has a turnover worth £18.3billion a year from international sales.

They say the industry is ‘in peril’ due to unfairly targeted environmental regulations and complex new rules for exporting and importing cars and parts to and from the EU.

Campaigners are setting up the Historic and Classic Vehicles Alliance trade group to fight for workers including engineers, specialist restorers, dealers and parts suppliers. They hope to keep alive a sector that prizes cars from everyday Fords to luxury Rolls-Royces.

The alliance, supported by Tory MP and former transport minister Nus Ghani, also aims to highlight how the UK’s three million classic cars are relatively green and sustainable because they are maintained through quality craftsmanship.

Recently launched the alliance said: ‘More than 100,000 jobs are in peril as a combination of bureaucracy and poorly-focused environmental legislation threatens Britain’s world leading classic vehicle industry.

Tory MP and former transport minister Nus Ghani supports the newly formed alliance

‘With economic revival a top priority as the UK strives to recover from the Covid pandemic, highly-skilled engineers, restorers, craftsmen and parts suppliers face uncertainty over their livelihoods.’

It added: ‘Many businesses and owners find themselves trapped in a bureaucratic nightmare as they navigate red tape surrounding the movement of vehicles and parts for sales, restoration, competition preparation and events.’

The sector’s contribution to the UK economy is huge, it says.

The three million classic and historical cars on UK roads are valued at over £12billion, support 113,000 jobs, create an annual international trade turnover worth £18.3billion, and generate around £3billion tax revenue to the exchequer to help fund schools, hospitals, roads, transport and other public spending.

Significantly, the industry is spread ‘the length and breadth of the country’ with clusters of specialists operating in the West Midlands, Lancashire, Kent and Sussex – and only 5% of activity based in London, it points out: ‘The trade, in which British craft skills and engineering excellence lead the world, supports around 113,000 jobs in thousands of specialist small businesses and supply chain firms. It also provides training places and apprenticeship schemes, giving opportunities to young people’.

The new alliance also aims to ‘bust the myths and popular misconceptions’ surrounding classic cars pointing out that the well-maintained vehicles are relatively green and sustainable because they prolong the life of great pieces of craftsmanship ‘rather than surrendering to built-in obsolescence.’

They are typically better maintained and driven sparingly – around 16 times a year covering an average 1,200 miles – and producing just a fifth (20%) of CO2 emissions from using a computer and a mobile phone for a year.  By Graham Hill thanks to The Daily Mail

Latest DVLA list of banned UK registrations reveals which 71-plates are too rude for the road.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has released its latest list of banned number plates, revealing which 71-reg combinations are deemed too offensive to be seen on the UK’s roads.

Registrations referring to the Covid-19 pandemic aren’t allowed this time around, with CO71 VD, CO71 ONA, CO71 RNA and AN71 VAX all on the list of suppressed plates. Combinations with connotations of violence have also been banned, including BR71 GUN, BR71 KLL and BR71 WAR.

There also appears to be a ban on overt or potentially offensive political statements made in number plates – drivers aren’t allowed to display EU71 BAD, FA71 ST, AN71 USA, TA71 BAN or any combination starting with NA71.

It’s hard to fathom why someone may want PR71 CK, BA71 ARD or AS71 HOL on show at each end of their car, but nevertheless these have also been forbidden as a precaution, along with EA71 NOB, EA71 POO and FR71 GGN.

Some serious thought goes into deciding which number plates need to go on the DVLA’s list of suppressed registrations. Twice a year, the public body tasks its best and brightest with finding every combination of the newly released format that shouldn’t see the light of day.

The criteria for plates to be banned is if they “may cause offence, embarrassment or are in poor taste”. The DVLA points out that it’s only a small minority of combinations that end up on the suppressed list, with the vast majority of registrations being publicly available.

That said, drivers who were hoping to have BO71 LOX, FA71 NNY or GU71 LTY attached to their vehicles will be disappointed this time round, as will those wanting PE71 RVT, TT71 XXX or HA71 SH.

The DVLA sent the newly updated list of banned number plates to Auto Express under a freedom of information request. By Graham Hill thanks to Auto Express

New product: Breath Alcohol Tester – Kenwood Car Audio CAX-AD100

KENWOOD’s premium analyser is quick to respond and has a highly accurate measurement. The sensor is heated to accelerate the reaction, plus heating removes dirt and impurities adhering to the sensor.   

Supports straw method and open blow method 2-way measurement

Supports 2-way measurement of straw method and open blow method. The straw method is less affected by the environment than the open blow method that blows exhaled air directly. This enables more accurate measurement.

Stylish design & compact design

Compact design that fits in one hand with a clean and slim design, so you can easily use it at home, or when you are on a business trips.The sensor cover has to be closed when you are not using the unit, so it protects the highly sensitive sensor.

5000 times long-term sensor and life notification function

The sensor can measure up to as many as 5000 times. When you exceed this amount of measurements, the sensor replacement mark will flash to inform you of the lifestatus.   

Measurement timing Electronic sound

At the time of measurement, the countdown of the digital display starts, and the timing is notified by electronic sound.   

LCD display of alcohol value during exhalation

Clear measurement is possible with a digital display from 0,00mg / l without cutting the low concentration area of alcohol

* 0.05mg / l or less is displayed as 0.05 mg / l   

Power saving design and automatic power off function

Power-saving design that can measure 1200 times with 2 AA alkaline batteries. Even if the power is left on, the power will be turned off automatically after 1 minute, so you avoid depleted batteries.  By Graham Hill thanks to Kenwood

Lake District National Park has installed a network of 28 electric vehicle charging points across its locations.

The chargers will not only support its own fleet of BMW i3s but are also open to the public. The move is one of Lake District National Park Authority’s low carbon projects to promote a cleaner and more sustainable environment across the Lake District.

To support its fleet electrification plans, Lake District National Park Authority appointed AMP EV to install Rolec’s range of AC fast and DC rapid chargers.

Emma Moody, lead strategy advisor for recreational & sustainable transport at Lake District National Park Authority said: “We are showcasing what can be done in terms of travelling more sustainably and are leading by example by using electric vehicles for our staff to get out and about in the Lake District.

“We ask visitors to travel to and around the Lake District in a more environmentally friendly way, and this improved network of charging points throughout the Park makes travelling by electric vehicle easier and more convenient.” By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

A new device has been developed to prevent vehicles from aquaplaning and losing traction control due to adverse road conditions.

The Run Dry Traction System (RDTS) works by firing a jet of compressed gas close to the front of the wheel, removing surface water in front of the tyre to ensure the vehicle has a dry patch of road ahead, to ensure grip is not compromised by road contaminants such as water, sand and gravel.

The device has been developed by Professor Mike Blundell and Ravi Ranjan from Coventry University’s Research Centre for Future Transport and Cities, following a two-year research project.

Professor Mike Blundell, professor of vehicle dynamics and impact at Coventry University, said: “Our tests demonstrate that RDTS has the potential to make a huge impact on vehicle safety in a whole host of conditions.

“The prospect of producing something that could even save lives on the road is extremely exciting and after some initial success with testing, we’re now eager to look into manufacturing potential and further research to take this concept to the next level.

“A device like this really could be the difference between life and death if it can help vehicles to stop safely within certain distances and that’s why we’re so keen to continue developing this concept.”

The prototype product aims to prevent aquaplaning and loss of traction in a variety of road conditions.

Aquaplaning, also referred to as hydroplaning, happens when a layer of surface water builds up between a vehicle’s tyres and the road surface, leading to a complete loss of grip.

This can occur with as little as 2-3mm of standing water on the road surface when vehicles are travelling at a variety of speeds and is a leading cause of road traffic accidents. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The average price of a litre of petrol and diesel rose in September to make a tank £12 more expensive than a year ago, according to new RAC Fuel Watch data.

Unleaded increased by 1.5p to 136.83p while diesel rose by 2.5p to 139.25p, making the price of petrol 22p a litre more expensive than a year ago (114.61p 30 September 2020) and diesel 21p dearer (118.10p).

RAC said both fuels are at prices last seen eight years ago in autumn 2013, with petrol only being 5.65p off the all-time high of 142.48p and diesel 8.68p off the record of 147.93p.

The rise at the pumps has not been driven by the fuel delivery crisis but by a 10.65% increase in the price of oil from $71.29 to $78.88 throughout September, said the RAC.

Simon Williams, fuel spokesman at the RAC, said: “Not only are motorists struggling to put fuel in their vehicles, but they are also having to pay through the nose for it as the rising cost of a barrel of oil is causing further pain at the pumps.

“As life moves ever closer to normal as the world gets to grips with Covid-19, demand for oil is outpacing supply, and with producer group OPEC+ deciding on Monday not to release more oil, the barrel price has now broken through the $80-mark for the first time in more than three years.

“This looks likely to spell further misery for drivers at the pumps as we head towards Christmas, especially as some analysts are predicting the price could even hit $90 before the end of the year.

“If this were to happen, we could see the average price of unleaded hit a new record of around 143p per litre. Diesel would shoot up to 145p which is only 3p off the record high of 147.93 in April 2021.”

According to the RAC, for those who have filled up a 55-litre family car with petrol at the end of September, they would have paid £75.26 – up 85p in September and £12.22 on 12 months ago.

A full tank of diesel is now £76.59 – up £1.40 in September and £11.63 more than a year ago, the data found.

The RAC said prices at four major supermarkets were 4p a litre cheaper than the UK average while at motorway services they were 15p more expensive for petrol at 151.55p and 156.35p for diesel.

Asda sold the cheapest unleaded at 132p while Sainsbury’s offered the lowest price diesel at 134.28p.

Williams added: “Drivers have had to endure the average price of petrol going up for 10 out of the last 12 months and now, because of the supply crisis, many have had great difficulty getting hold of it just so they can go about their daily lives.

“While we’ve heard of some smaller retailers taking advantage of the situation by charging very high prices for their fuel, these cases appear to be few and far between, with most retailers acting responsibly.

“As forecourts’ fuel stocks return to normal drivers will inevitably switch from worrying about whether they can get the petrol or diesel they need to just how much a fill-up is costing them.

Regional pump prices

Unleaded	01/09/2021	30/09/2021	Change
UK average	135.29	136.83	1.54
East	135.88	137.03	1.15
East Midlands	134.90	136.49	1.59
London	136.21	137.91	1.70
North East	133.70	135.79	2.09
North West	134.87	137.04	2.17
Northern Ireland	132.02	133.56	1.54
Scotland	135.22	135.99	0.77
South East	136.09	137.98	1.89
South West	135.71	137.27	1.56
Wales	134.67	136.01	1.34
West Midlands	135.18	136.49	1.31
Yorkshire and The Humber	134.28	136.29	2.01

Diesel	01/09/2021	30/09/2021	Change
UK average	136.71	139.25	2.54
East	137.38	139.58	2.20
East Midlands	136.27	138.65	2.38
London	137.46	139.95	2.49
North East	135.44	138.10	2.66
North West	136.38	138.97	2.59
Northern Ireland	132.78	135.46	2.68
Scotland	136.50	138.89	2.39
South East	137.77	140.34	2.57
South West	137.28	139.69	2.41
Wales	136.37	138.92	2.55
West Midlands	136.83	139.20	2.37
Yorkshire and The Humber	136.09	139.03	2.94

By Graham Hill thanks to RAC & Fleet News

The semiconductor shortage is being blamed for poor fleet and business new car registrations, with the company car market recording a 43.4% year-on-year fall, new figures suggest.

Last month, 94,752 new cars were registered to fleet and business, compared to 166,679 units registered in September 2020, according to new data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Year-to-date, however, new company car sales are almost 7% up on where they were this time last year, with 691,743 fleet and business registrations compared to 647,944 during the first nine months of 2020. 

Fleet and business accounted for 44% of overall new car sales during the month. Overall, 215,312 new cars were registered in September, some 34% down on September 2020’s figures.

It was the weakest UK new car market figures for September recorded since 1998 ahead of the introduction of the two-plate system in 1999.

September is typically the second busiest month of the year for the industry, but with the ongoing shortage of semiconductors impacting vehicle availability, the 2021 performance was also down 44.7% on the pre-pandemic 10-year average, SMMT figures suggest.

SMMT chief executive, Mike Hawes, said: “This is a desperately disappointing September and further evidence of the ongoing impact of the Covid pandemic on the sector.

“Despite strong demand for new vehicles over the summer, three successive months have been hit by stalled supply due to reduced semiconductor availability, especially from Asia.”

New electric vehicle uptake

September was the best month ever for new battery electric vehicle (BEV) uptake. With a market share of 15.2%, 32,721 BEVs were registered in the month.

In fact, the September performance was only around 5,000 vehilces shy of the total number registered during the whole of 2019.

Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) share also grew to 6.4%, meaning more than one in five new cars registered in September was zero-emission capable.

Meanwhile, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) grew their overall market share from 8% in 2020 to 11.6%, with 24,961 registered in the month.

Hawes said that despite supply challenges, the “rocketing uptake” of plug-in vehicles, especially battery electric cars, demonstrates the increasing demand for these new technologies.

Jamie Hamilton, automotive director and head of electric vehicles at Deloitte, said: “With battery electric vehicles outpacing even plug-in hybrid this month, this demonstrates a level of consumer confidence that the charging infrastructure will be in place.

“However, gaps still remain and a more equitable rollout of public charging points would ensure EVs are also accessible to those households without off-street parking.

“Petrol and diesel shortages may have also inadvertently created some charge anxiety, so ensuring more visible charging points will only strengthen public confidence in EV feasibility.”

Meryem Brassington, electrification propositions lead at Lex Autolease, added: “The recent fuel shortage will only have further heightened awareness of the importance of transitioning to an electric future. As EVs continue to rise in popularity, industry must work collaboratively to ensure there isn’t a tipping point of demand outstripping supply.”

Vehicle supply impact to last into 2023

All drivers whether fleet or consumer face delays of more than one year for certain new car and van models, while others are being delivered with missing features, as the global semiconductor shortage worsens.

And some automotive industry executives do not see the problem ending any time soon.

One is predicting the disruption could last until 2023. Speaking at the IAA Munich auto show last month (September 7-12), Daimler CEO Ola Kallenius said soaring demand for semiconductors means the auto industry could struggle to source enough of them throughout next year and into 2023, though the shortage should be less severe by then.

The carmaker has cut its annual sales forecast for its car division, projecting deliveries will be roughly in line with 2020, rather than up significantly.

Critics are predicting the crisis will have a greater impact on automotive than the coronavirus pandemic. Almost 95% of fleets responding to a Fleet News poll said they were experiencing vehicle delays.

Fleets are being urged to sit tight and continue to place orders for new vehicles, while also being warned that existing models may have to remain on the road for in excess of an extra 12 months.

Matthew Walters, head of consultancy services at LeasePlan, said: “The impact on fleet is pretty severe.

“Last year, we saw a number of formal extensions for companies during the worst of Covid-19 where vehicles couldn’t be delivered and where vehicles couldn’t be collected. These vehicles needed to be extended outside their primary contract term.

“Now we’re in a situation moving into next year where, as an industry, we are likely to see an extension programme again.

“I think it’s a similar period of activity with our customers now, to help them understand what it means for their current order bank, when their orders will be delivered and what that means for their replacement cycles.

“The customer still needs to place orders for vehicles to get themselves in the queue and we are working with them and being open and frank as to when those vehicles are going to be delivered.”

By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Police are appealing to fleet workshops, garages and MOT test centres to support a new initiative targeting the theft of catalytic converters and other components.

The SmartWater Group, which is spearheading the new, policebacked scheme, wants them to become accredited registration hubs, after the unique identifier proved to be a deterrent.

In a recent SmartWater trial with the National Infrastructure Crime Reduction Partnership (NICRP) and the British Transport Police (BTP), thefts of catalytic converters more than halved.

Thefts peaked in March, when 3,245 catalytic converters were stolen, but they have been declining since, with 1,378 recorded in July – a 57% fall. Key to that decrease was a joint operation codenamed Goldiron, which recovered more than 1,000 stolen catalytic converters in April.

The operation, which was coordinated by the British Transport Police (BTP) and involved experts from SmartWater’s intelligence unit, the Centre for Infrastructure and Asset Protection (CIAP), also resulted in more than 50 arrests.

Over a five-day period, officers and partner agencies visited 926 sites, stopped 664 vehicles, recovered 1,037 stolen catalytic converters and 297 items of stolen property and identified 244 offences.

Rachael Oakley, director at CIAP, says SmartWater is a “highly-proven deterrent to criminals and rogue scrap metal dealers as it makes stolen parts too hot to handle”.

The heat-resistant solution, which is invisible to the naked eye but glows yellow under UV light, leaves a long lasting and unique identifier.

Oakley explained: “The combination of the materials that is put into the solution makes each individual vial unique.

“The registration of this bottle is what’s key. Every item marked with SmartWater is registered on our database.”

NATIONAL SMARTWATER DATABASE

It can be applied by brush in 10 minutes and only a fragment of SmartWater is required to link it to a specific vehicle on the ‘National Asset Database’, which is operated by CIAP on behalf of the police.

NICRP lead and BTP Superintendent, Mark Cleland, said: “Thanks to the support of the Home Office in creating the NICRP, our joint working with SmartWater and other industry partners, and the drive by enforcement partners across the UK, we have made a real impact in tackling metal and catalytic converter crime.

“While arrests continue to be made, it is the preventative approach through the forensic marking of catalytic converters that gives motorists the opportunity to protect their property and stop the crime in the first place.”

Catalytic converters have been targeted because they contain a honeycomb coated with precious metals such as platinum, palladium and rhodium which help to filter harmful gases from the vehicles’ exhaust systems.

The RAC says that when the global value of these metals increases it usually leads to a spike in thefts. Prices of rhodium hit a record high earlier this year, up more than 200% since March 2020.

In an effort to deter criminals from targeting Toyota’s cars, the carmaker joined forces with police and SmartWater earlier this year to covertly mark the catalytic converters on more than 100,000 cars.

The initiative is costing Toyota more than £1 million and will be provided to existing owners for free.

Oakley, who met the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) with the British Transport Police to discuss the initiative, believes other manufacturers are watching with interest.

OTHER SMARTWATER APPLICATIONS

She also told Fleet News that, while catalytic converters were a focus, the forensic marking could be applied to other high-value vehicle components, which could be targeted by criminal gangs.

She explained: “We can basically react to where there might be a crime spike or a trend and if fleets are asking us to help with solutions, we can look at what we can do to make sure SmartWater can assist with that.

“Criminals will move quickly; the prices of precious metals will start to come down and they’ll move on to something else.

“What we’re seeing is that’s likely to be something like hybrid batteries or electric vehicle cables.

“We’d like to get ahead of the game by putting in the preventive measures to stop these crimes becoming the issue that catalytic converter crime has become.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News