Brexit is on a fast-track to becoming one of the nation’s greatest disasters or triumphs, depending on your viewpoint. Even now, it’s a political hot-topic that that is contentiously debated up and down the country. With the vote being so tight, whatever the outcome half the country would’ve been celebrating and the other half not.

Whatever the rights or wrongs of it, it’s here and it’s happening, being driven by a desire to be free of bureaucratic red-tape imposed on us by the EU. And yet, if we reach a ‘no deal’ on the process, we may find ourselves with yet more red-tape – the International Driving Permit being just one small element.

International driving

Currently, British residents need an International Driving Permit (IDP) if they intend to drive in certain countries such as the United Arab Emirates, it’s essentially just an official multi-language translation of your regular licence, that’s recognised throughout the 140+ countries that aren’t covered with any EU agreement, it can’t be used as a standalone licence, and will only be issued to full UK driving licence holders.

With regulations as they stand now, drivers can jump in their car and take a trip to France, Germany … anywhere in Europe, with nothing more than a tank full of fuel and a passport, but if the Government can’t reach a deal with BREXIT, drivers will need an IDP for travelling throughout Europe too.

Whilst this doesn’t sound disastrous, and at just £5.50 (currently) for twelve months, it’s not going to break the bank, but as with a number of government systems, the infrastructure behind it could fail us.

The IDP system

It’s estimated that just 100,000 International Driving Permits are issued annually at the moment, this is done through the Post Office, at the counter or by mail – there’s no online system for it. To satisfy the 100,000 demand, 89 branches of the Post Office can offer this service, that’s throughout the country.

Latest figures suggest that should we need to have an IDP to drive in Europe, it could affect around 7 million motorists.

We’re told that the Department for Transport are looking to upgrade the systems and put plans in place to handle the surge in numbers, with estimates saying that around 4,500 Post Offices could be upgraded to offer the IDP service, but as with most government announcements, no set date or figures have been issued, which could lead to a backlog or delay.

Applications

You can apply for an IDP up to three months in advance of travel, but remember that it’s also valid for twelve months, so maybe if you’re planning on taking a driving trip abroad this year, it could just be worth applying for one shortly, before the rush happens. In the event of us reaching an agreement with Brexit, and you not needing an IDP, you’ve lost £5.50, but equally, you may just save your holiday.

To apply for an International Driving Permit, you’ll need to locate your nearest branch offering the service, you’ll also need a full UK Driving Licence, £5.50, a signed passport photo and proof of identification, such as a passport.

The application process takes around 5 minutes.

The industry

Regardless of what deals are reached, you can guarantee that there will be more disturbances for the UK motorist following on from Brexit, the IDP could just be the tip of the iceberg. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) have stated that additional EU tariffs on cars could add around £2.7 billion to imports, and £1.8 billion to exports, with the import tariffs adding around £1,500 to the list price of any car imported from the continent.

Other studies have said that typically, most ‘British’ cars have around 70% of European components in them (which does include UK components) – around 1,100 lorry loads of components arrive daily from Europe, so prices could still rise regardless of agreements, but in the worst case scenario, British automotive companies could move their manufacturing facilities abroad, with Eastern Europe being favoured.

Whatever the future may hold, PetrolPrices will be the first to bring you the news regarding any impact on the motorist, hopefully an agreement will be reached that should mean we don’t suffer financially, and the Government won’t see this as a way to further stealth tax our vehicles.

Would having an IDP be an issue for you? Do you feel that BREXIT will affect the motorist in other ways? What would happen to the UK car industry if prices were raised by £1,500 for each car? Let us know your thoughts.

PetrolPrices recently wondered, as we’ve looked at the prices across the country for fuel many times, what the difference in cost across the country was like for parking. We’ve written about parking before and many people have mentioned to us the cost of parking and how ridiculous it can be. With this in mind, we set out to document the maximum cost of parking per hour of all council owned car parks and on-street parking across England.

Motorists are continually seen as the target for local authorities and Government that need propping up; a number of councils are facing increasing cuts to their budgets, particularly Social Care, and as recently as March, Northampton County Council effectively stated they were bankrupt, and other councils are close to following them. The Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) has stated that as many as half of the local councils could raise their parking charges in the next few months, by as much as 45%, and Sunday charges haven’t been ruled out.

London problems

The City of London has some of the highest property prices in Europe per metre2, analysts tell us that space is a commodity, and as such, should be paid for at the market rate to make use of it. Councils tell us that it is part of the congestion charge effect, and they’re raising prices to combat the levels of air pollution created by cars. Motorists will tell you that finding a space in London isn’t easy, and trying to avoid paying additional charges after Congestion and T-Charge means further driving, more congestion and more pollution.

Up until 2004, there were strict requirements for parking space provisions for any new build in London, meaning that the city could only grow or develop as the space warranted; no parking provision, no building. Once those regulations were abolished, the average parking space ratio for residential housing blocks fell from 1.1 spaces to 0.6, thereby putting a greater emphasis and strain on the on-street and council owned parking facilities.

If the analysts are correct, and we should pay market value for on-street space, then we’re paying for exactly that – the space. If the space is occupied, it can’t be used, so why do certain vehicles have to pay up to 50% more for the space, whilst others get it free? (Westminster introduced a ‘D-Charge’ in which pre-2015 diesel vehicles pay a flat 50% extra). A diesel car is as pollution-free as the most modern and cleanest of the ULE vehicles when they’re parked.

£8 per hour for diesels

The London Borough of Islington charges a standard rate of £6 per hour for parking, although diesel drivers face a further surcharge of £2 per hour, regardless of how modern the diesel is. Without the diesel surcharge, the City of Westminster tops the list with a fee of £7.26 per hour.

Compare that to the district of Blaby in Leicestershire, parking charges are a maximum of £0.15 per hour, or the thirty plus areas that still offer free parking. At least 50 of the UK councils make zero profit from parking charges, some even run at a loss to help support trade and businesses in the local area.

The top 10 most expensive places were:

1. Islington – £6 + £2 diesel charge
2. Westminster – £7.26
3. Camden – £5.55
4. Kensington and Chelsea – £4.90
5. Tower Hamlets – £4.60
6. Oxford – £4.50
7. Nottingham – £4.40
8. Thanet – £4.00
9. St Edmundsbury – £4.00
10. Lambeth – £4.00

Data shows the maximum cost per hour for either on-street or off-street parking in a council charged area. This data does not take in private car parks in any town.

It is also worth noting that the Brighton and Hove also charged a maximum of £4 an hour.

Cheaper for green vehicles

A number of cities have recently introduced free parking for the drivers of green vehicles, and some car park operators are looking to slash fees by 20% for the same, and yet given that an electric or hybrid vehicle has the same footprint, weight and capacity to occupy a parking space as a regular vehicle, and therefore the same ‘wear & tear’ properties, surely they should be paying the same? Electric vehicles by their very nature are expensive, whilst they now may be a viable alternative for the fossil-fuelled vehicles, that’s only the case if the consumer can afford to take that choice; penalising drivers for not being able to afford a newer and more expensive car is unjust.

Forcing the motorist from the city centres will have further impact; high street shopping is already on the decline – a 2.2% drop in September 2017 for the year, although December 2017 saw that figure rise to 3.5%, analysts tell us that the drop is due to internet shopping, yet out-of-town retail parks continue to enjoy year on year growth. Could high parking charges and added congestion charges, T-Charges, ULEZs be having an impact on the high street?

Motorists targeted as cash cows

Could these staggeringly high parking charges be part of a ‘make hay whilst the sun shines’ strategy by the local authorities? With experts predicting that the high street will evolve into a place of leisure with bars, clubs, restaurants etc, the traffic and congestion problem (and therefore, the pollution problem) will lessen.

Treating the motorist as a simple but effective means to make short-term money is a near-sighted policy and will only result in a catch-22 situation; towns will lose footfall, leading to loss of business, reduced revenue stream for any local authority (rents, rates and additional spend), increased expenditure on public transport infrastructure, and a need to find the lost revenue from other avenues – the ‘car’ will be a no-go zone thanks to being effectively forced off the road. And yet still they continue to add stealth taxes on every aspect of car ownership.

As one of the biggest resources to help the motorist, PetrolPrices would like to see an investigation into the policy decisions made regarding parking charges and pricing, with particular respect to geographic variations, and justifiable amounts; why does providing a single parking space in London cost 50 times more than elsewhere in the country? Particularly when it’s on-street parking rather than a dedicated facility.

What’s the parking cost like near you? How do you overcome the cost of parking? Let us know below

J. D Power, the world leader and trusted advisor in consumer insights and brand performance has released their 2018 UK Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) and there have been big changes since last year.

The study uncovered many more reports of problems from premium brand car owners than from those who drive volume brand vehicles and the problem is in-vehicle technology.

A clear winner

The J. D Power Vehicle Dependability Study — now in its fourth year — examines issues by the original owners of vehicles after one to three years of ownership and looks at those problems experienced within the past 12 months.

This UK VDS, conducted between February and April of this year, used the responses of 13,536 owners of new vehicles registered between February 2015-February 2017.

The top 13 best-performing cars in the UK are volume brands, with Hyundai ranking the highest—an improvement on an already superb fifth place, in 2017, and it doesn’t stop there for the Korean car manufacturer, who ranked well in the segment categories, too.

Hyundai i10 came top in the rankings for Best City Car, with the Hyundai i20 placing second in the Best Small Car category, and the brand ranked third highest for the Best Compact Car, with their Hyundai i30.

2018 Nameplate VDS Ranking

Problems per 100 vehicles (PP100)

Hyundai 78
Suzuki 87
Kia 94
Skoda 97
Nissan 100
SEAT 102
Dacia 105
Peugeot 107
Toyota 109
Vauxhall 113
Honda 115
Ford 116
Volkswagen 119
Mercedes-Benz 124
Mazda 127
Industry Average – 128
Jaguar 137
Volvo 138
Renault 139
Mini 153
Citroen 164
Land Rover 169
Audi 175
Fiat 177
BMW 192

What is the study measuring?

The principal measure of vehicle reliability involves the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100). The lower the score, the greater the quality of the vehicle and Hyundai ranked highest here, too, with a score of 78 PP100. Mercedes-Benz (124 PP100), ranked 14th overall on the 2018 VDS and were the highest-ranking premium brand of vehicle.

J. D Power examined 177 problems from eight categories, including features, controls, displays, engine, and transmission.

The Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Index measures satisfaction of car owners on a 1000 point scale. The industry average is 767, yet when any of the 10 most severe problems with in-vehicle technology occur, the APEAL index drops by 5-13%.

Fifty-four per cent of drivers of cars where none of the top 10 problems occurred said they ‘definitely will’ buy or lease the same brand of car again compared to only 37% of drivers who encountered one of the top 10 highest-severity problems.

Technology malfunctions

New and emerging in-vehicle technologies are wonderful when they work, but owners of premium cars report in-vehicle technology malfunctions, which continue for 12-36 months of vehicle ownership or lease.

Among the six most common owner-reported problems in the UK VDS included pairing and connectivity issues with Bluetooth devices, commands not being recognised with voice recognition technology, and—although not a commonplace problem—issues with engine and transmission continue to be of concern for motorists, due to their costly and sometimes dangerous consequences when they fail.

Despite the technological advancements made within the automotive industry, the biggest problem drivers face is of engines not starting.

Part of the reason premium brand vehicle owners are reporting more car problems is that the premium brand manufacturers are incorporating ever more complex features into their models, and, as we know, the more features something has, the greater the opportunity for things to go wrong.

Josh Halliburton, Head of European Operations at J.D. Power said, “Automotive systems are more complex than they’ve ever been and premium brands especially are incorporating autonomous driving building blocks—adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, automatic braking—into their models.

“It’s imperative for manufacturers to address this issue in order to improve the level of consumer trust in the technology.”

It’s worth noting, that as the 2018 models aren’t in the study, we don’t have a complete take on the current vehicle reliability situation and of improvements that manufacturers may have since made.

Will you switch brands?

Overall, the study gives motorists a good idea of the car brands that are most reliable and those who aren’t doing so well. Comparing results from the 2017 VDS also highlights which car manufacturers are improving and who hasn’t had a good year for complaints.

Take Romanian manufacturer, Dacia, for example. In 2017, they ranked 21st overall, with 151 (PP100). In the 2018 VDS, they’re in sixth place, scoring an impressive 105 (PP100). On the other end of the scale, the Swedish manufacturer, Volvo has fallen from an amazing joint first place, in 2017, with a score of 83 (PP100) to now having a score of 138 in 2018 and placing 17th, overall.

BMW, despite seeing a slight improvement in the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles in the past 12 months, have remained at an unimpressive last place for vehicle reliability.

The results of the study are, perhaps, most useful to those motorists who buy cars less than three years old, but whether we buy new or older cars, many drivers will have both their favourite brands and those they avoid.

Car brands develop stereotyped identities and we don’t always choose a certain brand after examining accurate and current information, but get swayed by a mixture of experience with a model of car and information—correct or not—we pick up along the way.

Do the results of the study match up to how you feel about certain brands of cars? What information do you use when deciding which vehicle to buy or lease? Are you an owner of a premium car with in-vehicle technology problems? Tell us in the comments.

Another day, another report on how the UK Government are ‘leading the charge’ on Electric Vehicle Infrastructure. It has been suggested that this new strategy from the Government will be the most significant technological advancement since the creation of the internal combustion engine, which is most certainly a bold claim.

We reported back in May that the infrastructure isn’t in place to cope with demand, and while it’s true that updates to the Road to Zero strategy have included infrastructure, they’ve mainly focused on charging points and charging technology.

However, with the Government targeting at least 50% of all new car sales to be Ultra Low Emission (ULE) by 2030, how will they manage that? Currently, the number of cars registered for road use is around 30 million.

The Road to Zero

The UK will be hosting the first ever Zero Emission Vehicle summit later this year in Birmingham. In attendance will be policy makers, industry experts, academia and financial institutions with the goal of providing a platform for the experts and senior government officials from around the world to meet, discuss and produce strategies for the future of zero-emission vehicles, placing the UK at the forefront.

Is it possible that this latest news has been influenced by the need to show the UK’s credentials in the fight against pollution against the court case that the EU brought against the UK earlier this year? The EU took the UK and five other major polluters to the European Court of Justice in May after they failed to meet both the 2005 and 2010 EU directives.

The government has already committed to investing around £1.5 billion in Ultra Low Emission vehicles by 2020, and the infrastructure to support them, but with just one charging spot for every nine vehicles currently, how far will that money go? With around 150,000 ULE vehicles using the road network currently, what happens when we get to 5 million? Not forgetting that the Government are looking toward the 15 million mark by 2030.

Future plans

This latest report revealed that discussions are taking place regarding the infrastructure and how we can fully optimise the situation. Some of the proposals included:

• Have charging points included in all new house builds
• New lampposts built to incorporate charging points
• The launch of new £400m Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund
• Creation of a £40m programme to develop wireless and on-street charging tech
• A scheme for business with electric vehicle owners to claim up to £500 for the installation of a charging point

In theory, this sounds like an excellent way forward, but there are two details not yet mentioned; the proposals are ideas, not planned actions with a set start date, and a potentially more significant problem – the supply network.

Supply network problems

The increase in demand for electricity in 2030 due to electric cars could reach as high as 8GW; this is an additional figure to the current peak of 60GW. To put that in perspective, the new Hinckley Point nuclear power station will provide a further 3.2GW to the national grid. Reports say that at present, as few as six cars charging could lead to a localised power outage at peak times, and Energy UK have said that being able to cut the power off at times of peak load and demand is preferable than investing in new cables across the country. There are also suggestions of tariffs for peak charging times, which are first thing in the morning and late evening.

Energy analysts have predicted that with just 33% of new car sales being a fully electric vehicle in 2035, they would account for around 3% of the total energy demand and that there would be a need for an additional 400,000 charging points at the cost of £30bn. The government are targeting a minimum of 50% of areas having charging points, but have said they’d like to get that as high as 70%, and that’s at current levels of charge/output – what happens as the battery technology develops to greater levels of power, therefore requiring more electricity?

All electric

Even for die-hard internal combustion fans, the prospect of electric vehicles is now a genuine and viable alternative – performance levels are similar to their counterparts, the range is usable in the real world. Experts predict that when battery prices fall to £95 – £120 per kWh (currently around £145), prices should be comparable to a traditionally powered vehicle; when mass production started in about 2010, that figure was closer to £750 per kWh.

Perhaps the only thing that’s keeping everyone from rushing out and buying one is the charging situation – many of us don’t have off-street parking, and public charging stations can be an inconvenience, and while that’s the case, the Government don’t need to worry too much about the generation of power. Hence the statements made ahead of the Zero Emission Vehicle summit – giving details of potential solutions to problems that don’t yet exist rather than finding solutions to the very real problem of power generation.

BP believes electric is the way forward, and recently bought Chargemaster, the UK’s biggest charging network to help invest in the future. This echoes a move by Shell last year when they purchased Chargemaster rival NewMotion. With big oil going electric, the government introducing such schemes seems a bit late.

What do you think of the Road to Zero strategy? Should the Government place more emphasis on creating solutions for power generation? More to the point – is this latest ‘report’ hype ahead of the summit? Let us know in the comments.

A study by Privilege Car Insurance has revealed the most expensive places to drive in Britain. While we’re aware property prices vary across Britain, it might come as a shock to discover there’s often a huge discrepancy between where you live and what car ownership is costing you.

Most expensive cities to be a car owner

The most expensive place to own a car is Liverpool, costing motorists an average of £4,009.89 each year for the privilege of driving. Contrast that to Brighton car owners who pay, on average, £2,028.26 per year on their driving costs—around half what Liverpudlians pay.

London drivers have the highest parking costs, paying an average of £246.00 each year—around 80% more than Nottingham drivers. With the most paid in parking, MOT tests, and parking fines, together with an average yearly bill of £22.53 in toll roads and congestion charges, it’s no wonder London is the second most expensive city to own a car.

Car repairs bills are a headache. What worse, though, is what you pay may depend on where you live. Motorists in Southampton pay the largest car repair bills, with an average annual bill of £178.29—a big difference to most Norwich drivers, who pay less than £100 each year to have their vehicles fixed.

Most Expensive Cities to Drive In – Ranked by Average Annual Cost

1. Liverpool: £4,009.89
2. London: £3,862.61
3. Manchester: £3,517.41
4. Birmingham: £3,424.06
5. Newcastle: £3,223.09
6. Edinburgh: £3,194.76
7. Cardiff: £3,113.19
8. Leeds: £3,088.30
9. Southampton: £2,752.60
10. Glasgow: £2,750.80
11. Sheffield: £2,710.86
12. Nottingham: £2,578.99
13. Bristol: £2,424.95
14. Plymouth: £2,395.80
15. Norwich: £2,060.78
16. Brighton: £2,028.26

Plymouth motorists pay the most in car tax, paying an average of £124.12 per year, compared to the average, yearly car tax bill of £77.46, in Cardiff.

With the risk of accidents greater in built-up areas, living in a city will often result in higher insurance costs. Liverpool drivers pay the most, with an average insurance bill of £2,072.37—double the yearly cost of £1,030.76 for the average UK driver.

Edinburgh drivers pay the most for petrol and diesel, shelling out an average of £997.78 each year—a lot more than Bristolians, who say they spend around £708.93 each year, at the pumps. The huge variation in petrol and diesel prices is something PetrolPrices.com have covered in previous articles.

Manchester made the number one place for the highest percentage of speeding fines in the last year and ranked as the third most expensive city to be a motorist.

Drivers cost-conscious when choosing car insurance

Along with finance and fuel, car insurance is in the top three most expensive motoring costs. Depending on where you live, it could be the biggest driving expense you face. The Privilege Car Insurance survey found that Liverpool was the most expensive city for car insurance, with drivers paying, on average, a huge £2,072.37 per year—almost 75% more than in Norwich, where drivers pay an average bill of £513.02 each year on car insurance premiums.

Charlotte Fielding, Head of Privilege car insurance said: “We know that motoring can put a real squeeze on household finances, so we wanted to take a closer look at the average costs in order to help drivers see where they might be able to make savings.

Fielding added: “The cost of car insurance was recently at an all-time high and while prices are now falling for the first time in two years, people are still rightly cost-conscious when purchasing their cover. However, it’s important to look at not just the price but the cover and service on offer. Cheap policies with hollow cover or that add to your stress levels when it comes to making a claim don’t represent value for money. It’s worth investing time upfront doing some research before buying car insurance.

Reducing some of those costs

Should you find yourself landed with a parking fine, pay up fast. Sometimes the fine drops by 50% if you pay up within 14 days, instead of leaving it for the usual 28 days to pay. And if someone has issued you an unjustified parking fine? MoneySavingExpert says 56% of motorists who pursued their complaints right through to the official appeals body, were successful with their claims. To reduce parking costs, consider a parking app that checks the price of nearby parking, such as Parkopedia, and see which parking companies offer apps to both tell you when your parking time is almost up and allow you to pay online—great if you’re running late!

If your car repairs need replacement parts, look into buying them yourself, online, instead of letting the garage buy them. As long as you buy the correct parts, you can save hundreds of pounds.

If you want to cut down on the price you pay for petrol or diesel, and haven’t already, download the PetrolPrices.com app and start saving, today.

Are you surprised by the cost differences between cities? Do you live in or near these areas? How does the cost of driving compare where you are? Why do you think prices vary so much across Britain? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.