The boss of one of the leading car manufacturers has voiced his concerns at the idea of a total ban on combustion engines. Speaking at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Carlos Tavares, the head of PSA Peugeot Citroen and Vauxhall/Opel, has accused governments of putting the entire car industry at risk with their plans to focus almost solely on electric vehicles as the cars of the future.
Jobs at risk
In his speech, Tavares stated that governments dictating technology will create considerable strife within the motor industry. More than that, it will put finances and jobs at risk. It could even lead to new health and safety issues that future governments will be solely responsible for.
He said that we are moving from a “technology neutral era” to an “instruction to go electric.” This shift is at the expense of other technologies, such as the highly efficient PSA Hybrid Air system. The focus on only electric vehicles puts the scientific responsibility firmly into the hands of governments. As such, if in two or three decades, there are problems with health or safety issues due to this switch to electric, governments will need to face the consequences of their narrow outlook.
Unsustainable industry
The Portuguese car boss also criticised the current heavily subsidised market for electric cars. He argued that this is a poor basis for dictating their adoption. It could risk profitability and therefore jobs for car manufacturers. In fact, Tavares went so far as to say that it could even impact the sustainability of the entire motor industry:
“If you have ministers in Europe who say they will forbid the use of internal combustion engines, then I have to comply and we will have to transform, re-engineer and retrain. But if electrification is not profitable in future, we all have a problem,”
He also called for a wider debate on the question of the forced move to electric cars from an affordability perspective. Electric vehicles cost more than their petrol or diesel equivalents, meaning that fewer people could be able to afford a car in future. This is a much wider social issue and one that should be open for discussion.
Practical concerns
In addition to worries about the overall effect of the switch to electric, others are more concerned about the practical concerns associated with electric cars. One example is the question of what we should do with the lithium-ion batteries in cars once they run out. Tiny lithium-ion batteries are in use in many devices and already use a lot of resources – around $2 billion in metals and minerals in 2015 alone. Most of these end up in landfill sites or sit unused in devices around the home.
The battery in a car is obviously much bigger and will last a lot longer. However, there is still a suspected limit of around 8-10 years for each battery. This will mean that the already spiralling demand for the components for these batteries will rapidly increase as more electric cars reach the road. This will increase prices for raw materials. Cobalt, for example, has risen 80% in the last year. It also raises the question of how we dispose of batteries that have reached the end of their life without negatively impacting the environment.
Power infrastructure
The other big consideration is the infrastructure needed to power these cars. Estimates say that billions will be needed to create new power plants, grid network and charging points for electric vehicles. Some predict local power shortages when the ban on petrol and diesel cars come into force.
Overnight charging should make the process more manageable, but there is still a lot of work to be done if electric cars are going to become the dominant force on the UK’s roads.
Is government policy pushing us towards electric vehicles when we should be considering other options? Will the car industry – and the power grid – be able to cope with the mass electrification of our cars? As ever, share your views below.
New research from Oponeo has revealed which cities in the UK are the most car friendly. The research analysed everything from vehicle maintenance costs and safety to how easy the cities are to commute through. The results may well surprise you!
Top of the table was the Scottish city Glasgow, which the research found to be the most car-friendly city in the UK. It was closely followed by Leeds and Sheffield. At the other end of the scale, Cardiff, Liverpool and London were found to be the UK’s least car-friendly cities. Oponeo’s Giles Kirkland comments,
“Driving in big cities, especially old cities which were never developed with cars in mind, is no easy feat anywhere these days. However, there are places which are more car-friendly than others. To see which cities are doing well in this regard, we took into account criteria such as road safety, the price of fuel, insurance and parking. Some of the results came as a surprise: I used to live in Bristol and thought the traffic there was rather slow – now I know it’s the second best in the country!
“What isn’t surprising is the greatest loser of all – London. It’s the slowest, most expensive and least comfortable city in the UK for drivers. Public transport or bikes are definitely better alternatives for Londoners.”
Car costs by city
The cost of car insurance has been on the rise. Where you live has a big part to play in how much your premiums are. The most expensive place to insure a car out of the 12 cities included in the research is Liverpool. A middle-aged professional male there can look at spending £1,411.20 to insure his car worth £13,000.
The same individual would pay just £787.21 to insure his car in Edinburgh, which was the cheapest city to purchase car insurance. Bristol came in second cheapest at £802.26, and Leicester was the third cheapest at £857.92.
Parking costs
Another cost to consider when living in a city is the price of parking. The most expensive city to park in is, perhaps predictably, London. Parking there will set you back an average of £8.50 per hour. That’s way out in front of the second most expensive city for car parking, which is Edinburgh, at £5 per hour.
The cheapest city to park in is Birmingham, where it will cost you an average of just £1.50 to park up for an hour. Sheffield and Manchester aren’t far behind, costing just £1.60 and £1.63 per hour respectively.
One further cost that was considered during this research is the cost of having your car serviced. To service a Ford Fiesta would cost a reasonable £165.50 in an independent garage in Belfast, and £239 if you were to take it into a dealership.
In contrast to this, an independent garage in London would charge you £220.50 to service the same vehicle, while a dealership in the capital would cost a massive £337.50. One again, this is far more than the second most expensive city for a car service – Edinburgh – where an independent service would cost £174, and one carried out in a dealership would be £254.50.
Dodge the stress of commuting
The Oponeo research looked at the average speed that a car can drive through the city centre, and used this to work out which UK city would offer the quickest commute.
Someone driving through Leeds could expect to make their way across the city at an average of 24.23 mph, the fastest speed of any of the cities studied. Bristol comes in at a close second, with an average of 23.55 mph through the city.
In comparison, a motorist will only travel at an average of 13.54 mph in Edinburgh, and just 8 mph during the morning rush hour. Meanwhile, a London commuter drives at an average of 11.34 mph.
For those unfortunate enough to be driving through the city centre at 8 am, it is Manchester that records the slowest average speed, at just 1.25 mph. That’s about a third of the average person’s walking speed!
Safety first
The Oponeo study also considered safety. It considered how many traffic accidents there are per 1,000 inhabitants in each of the 12 cities included in the research.
Belfast saw the highest incidence of accidents, with 4.06 per every 1000 inhabitants. Conversely though, it also had the lowest percentage of fatal accidents out of all 12 cities.
At the other end of the scale is Manchester, which had only 1 accident for every 1,000 inhabitants . So perhaps there is an up side to those average 8 am speeds of 1.25 mph!
Glasgow tops the table
Taking all of these aspects into consideration, Glasgow comes out on top as the UK’s most car friendly location. The city is a cost effective, safe, and commuter friendly city to live and drive in.
Were you surprised by these findings? How important is car friendliness to you when it comes to the place that you live? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
To try to reduce air pollution in London, the toxicity charge, or T-charge, will come into effect on the 23 October 2017. It aims to discourage the use of older cars on the road, as these produce the most dangerous fumes.
Now, however, FairFuelUK is seeking to raise a legal challenge against the T-charge, arguing that a full public enquiry should have preceded the decision to implement it. The challenge could have implications for every major UK town and city.
What is the T-charge?
The T-charge is expected to affect up to 10,000 vehicles every weekday, so plenty of people will find themselves needing to pay it. It targets nitrogen oxide and particulate matter, as these have a negative effect on human health. This is becoming more worrying as the population of London continues to grow.
Anyone driving through London in a car, van, minibus, bus, coach or heavy goods vehicle that does not meet the Euro emissions standards will be required to pay the T-charge. This is in addition to the congestion charge that is already in place.
What will you be paying?
The minimum emission standards are Euro 4 for petrol and diesel vehicles, and Euro 3 for motorised tricycles and quadricycles. Any vehicle that does not meet these standards will be subject to the T-charge.
The charge will apply to drivers using the capital’s roads between 7 am and 6 pm Monday to Friday. The cost to those drivers will be £10 per day. The T-charge does not apply on bank holidays, or from Christmas Day to New Year’s Day.
If you are unsure of whether you’ll need to pay the T-charge for your vehicle, you can check your vehicle registration certificate (V5C), which displays the emissions standard that the vehicle is classed as.
If your vehicle doesn’t meet the Euro emissions standards, and you fail to pay the T-charge, you will be sent a penalty charge notice for £130. This will be reduced to £65 if it is paid within 14 days.
The T-charge has recently come under fire from FairFuelUK. The organisation has described the Mayor of London’s decision to implement this charge as unlawful and unfair. This is because FairFuelUK doesn’t believe that drivers should be penalised for driving older petrol and diesel cars. The campaigning organisation feels that a full public enquiry should have been carried out before the decision to roll out the T-charge was made.
FairFuelUK has now launched a crowd funding campaign to raise money for a two-part legal challenge against the T-charge. This would firstly see it ask the Mayor of London to change his mind about introducing the T-charge. Secondly, it would ask the Prime Minister and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) to investigate how else London could reduce pollution.
Learning from other countries
The T-charge may seem like a harsh idea. However, examples from around the world show that Londoners could actually have it worse. Paris, for example, has banned all cars registered before 1997 from using city centre roads between 8 am and 8 pm on weekdays in a bid to reduce pollution.
Similarly, the Mayors of Mexico City, Madrid and Athens are currently looking at banning all diesel cars from their city centres by 2025.
If the T-charge is a success in London, it is thought that it will be rolled out to 25 other UK towns and cities. These include Birmingham, Nottingham, Southampton and Derby, which will start by charging older lorries, taxis and coaches by 2019.
With legal issues against the T-charge being raised before it has even been implemented, the future of the charge is far from certain. However, one thing is for sure – urgent thought needs to be put into how else pollution can be lowered in the UK’s major towns and cities, whether this has to do with penalising certain motorists or not.
What can we do to reduce pollution in our city centres without penalising motorists? Or is charging drivers based on their vehicle type the only viable solution? Leave a comment below.
Just when it seemed that the situation for diesel car manufacturers couldn’t get any worse, a new study has revealed that even the newest diesels are more polluting than we thought. The study calls into question why European regulators continue to favour diesel over petrol, despite vast evidence that this isn’t the best option.
More polluting
The study was conducted by Transport & Environment (T&E), an organisation based in Brussels that lobbies for sustainable transport. Its findings said that the typical diesel car emits 42.65 tonnes of carbon dioxide across its lifecycle. That’s 3.65 tonnes more than a petrol car.
T&E says that the research “debunks carmakers’ claims” that diesel cars are the best way for countries to hit their climate targets, as they are not only more polluting than petrol, but the pollutants they emit are more harmful. These include nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, as well as more CO2 than petrol cars. They also cost €2,000-3,000 more to buy. The findings call into question the usefulness of the recently announced diesel scrappage schemes, where many car manufacturers are offering discounts off new diesels for customers who trade in older models.
Declining sales
The sale of diesel cars has been in steady decline since regulators in the US uncovered the Volkswagen emissions scandal two years ago. This discovery led to much closer scrutiny of the claims made about the environmental friendliness of the diesels. It has lead to many cities considering a ban on diesel vehicles.
According to JP Morgan, the result has been a dramatic reduction in the diesel share of the market. This is on track to go from half to one-third by 2020. Carmakers still fight for diesel’s clean credentials, however, with Daimler chief executive Dieter Zetsche saying that they emit 15-20% less CO2 than equivalent petrol cars.
Different story
The research conducted by T&E seems to paint a different picture. Its study found that diesels only emit less CO2 when regulators narrowly look at the emissions from tailpipes. The study looked at the lifecycle analysis, including the production of the car, sourcing of fuel and materials for manufacturing, car usage and recycling of components.
Based on this thorough analysis, it found three reasons why diesels were more polluting:
Diesel fuel undergoes a more intensive refining process
Diesel combusts at higher temperatures, so components are heavier and more robust to handle this
Diesel fuel is cheaper, so drivers tend to use their vehicles more
This coincides with a report from the journal Nature, which looked at the number of deaths caused by diesel cars following the so-called Dieselgate scandal. The researchers calculated deaths in Norway, Sweden, Austria and the Netherlands. They concluded that around 10,000 deaths every year could be attributed to small particle pollution that comes from light duty diesel vehicles.
The study also found that, if diesel cars emitted the same amount of NOx as petrol equivalents, some 4,000 out of 5,000 premature deaths would have been avoided. Countries such as Italy, Germany and France see the highest number of these deaths due to their higher populations and the high number of diesel vehicles in their national fleets.
Biased regulations
T&E blamed the biased regulations and taxes present in many countries for the problems with diesel vehicles, rather than the manufacturers. For example, tax on diesel is less than on petrol. This makes it 10-40% cheaper across many European countries. Only the UK doesn’t have this tax gap. T&E called for the EU to stop pouring money into a ‘niche 20th-century technology.’ it championed a technology neutral approach, with fair fuel and vehicle taxes across the board.
Will these new findings heap further misery on the diesel vehicle industry? Are they likely to put you off buying a new diesel? Leave a comment to share your view.
People in Britain have been struggling with the rising cost of living for some time. In August, the situation worsened when fuel prices shot up faster than wages, meaning that people are feeling the pinch more than ever.
Over the summer, motorists have been enjoying lower fuel prices. These falling prices have been keeping inflation down, which has offset the rising cost of food and clothing. However, August saw petrol and diesel prices on the rise again. This meant that inflation increased from 2.6% to 2.9% in the last month, which is higher than the predicted jump to 2.8%.
Economists have suggested that this rise in inflation could be partly due to retailers increasing their prices as a result of the value of the pound decreasing following the Brexit vote. This is because import and export costs have increased. The price of transportation has also shot up, due to the growth in fuel costs.
Rising prices
Some of the numbers that have come out of the latest inflation figures make for grim reading:
Petrol – up 5.1%
Coffee – up 5.1%
Clothes – up 5.1%
Oils and fats – up 5.9%
Electricity – up 9%
Fish – up 9.6%
The costs of airfares, second hand cars, toys and games have fallen in price, which has brought the inflation average down to 2.9%. However, these are less likely to be items that you would find yourself purchasing on a regular basis, meaning that families’ regular monthly budgets are likely to feel particularly hard hit.
The real cost of driving to work
The figures have also revealed that driving to work now costs people 5% more year on year. However, wage increases are not keeping up – the value of real wages is actually falling. This may seem surprising given the fall of the unemployment rate to 4.3%, the lowest it has been in over four decades, but it seems that many are not getting paid in line with the cost of living, as often the jobs are both low skilled and low paid.
(Credit – Pixabay)
Another reason why the wage increase may be being suppressed is because of companies like Amazon, Uber, and Netflix. These have disrupted the way that these particular industries traditionally work, and this has had an effect on the way in which people are paid.
2.9% is the joint highest that inflation has been in the past five years, and the Bank of England expects that it may rise to 3% in October. Wages have only risen by 2.1% over the past year. This means that people have less to spend each month. That’s why many are finding it difficult to afford everything that they need in order to live a comfortable life.
The future of fuel prices
The price of petrol is a strong indicator of whether inflation will rise or fall. As such, it’s worth using the PetrolPrices app to keep your eye on the price at the pumps. This can give an indication of how prices for other items will be changing too, not just the cost of what you’re putting into your tank.
Predictions suggest that people will continue to struggle with the cost of living for the next few quarters, but that wages will start to overtake inflation next year. This is because it is expected that the impact of the recent failure of the pound will start to fade, providing relief for cash-strapped drivers and families up and down the country.
Have you noticed the rising price of fuel biting into your budget? Do you believe that wages will finally overtake inflation in 2018? Share your thoughts via the comments section below.
The future is just around the corner. The DRIVEN project has announced the first three self-driving cars that it will be using to trial this innovative technology over the next two years on UK roads. The cars will be driven on public roads around Oxford initially. They they will make trips from Oxford to London. DRIVEN is hoping that the cars will have made several journeys between Oxford and London by 2019.
The government has backed the project with £8.9 million of funding. The trials also have industry support, and will eventually involve six self-driving cars taking to the roads.
Self-driving models revealed
The cars will have “Level 4 autonomy.” This means that they will travel without a driver for the majority of the time and can work without human input. The first three cars to be revealed are a white and blue 2014 Ford Fusion Titanium hybrid, a 2017 Ford Mondeo hybrid, and a Range Rover Evoque.
Each car will be decorated with the DRIVEN livery. They will be clearly branded to make other drivers and pedestrians aware of their presence. This is important, as many people have said that they have a lack of trust in self-driving cars. Making them eye-catching and obvious will hopefully encourage people to accept that they are on the roads.
(Credit – Oxbotica)
Making the self-driving cars stand out will also ensure that drivers and pedestrians are not shocked when they see one driving by, or stopped at lights or a junction, without a driver behind the wheel. In fact, people who live in the areas where the cars are being tested are already becoming familiar with the way that they look.
How do self-driving cars work?
The cars use Oxbotica’s software, Selenium, alongside a number of LIDAR sensors, computers, and cameras, to help them make their way around without human input. This combination of technology means that self-driving cars can gather and use information about their surroundings to work out where to drive and what to avoid.
Selenium was not specifically designed for cars – it also works on forklifts and cargo pods. It combines knowledge of its location with information about the local environment to create a safe path and determine the speed that it should be moving at to complete a safe journey.
By using cameras and lasers to work out where it is on the map, Selenium doesn’t require GPS. It can work out its location no matter what time of day it is, even if the weather is terrible. It uses sensors and algorithms to identify and track any obstacles that are around, including cars and pedestrians. Selenium can then work out a safe and efficient route using this information.
As Selenium doesn’t require GPS, it can work efficiently indoors and outdoors, over ground or underground. This makes it ideal for self-driving cars. The software has been created to give vehicles the intelligence to perform a variety of tasks without the help of a human, including motion control, braking, navigation, and detecting obstacles.
Laser technology
A LIDAR sensor is one that typically sits on the roof of a vehicle and produces a laser. It measures how long it takes for the laser to return in order to work out its surroundings. The sensor spins around to get a 360 degree view, making it ideal for self-driving cars.
Currently being tested at RACE’s AV test facility in Oxfordshire, the cars have been learning how to navigate roundabouts, handle tricky junctions, and cope with pedestrians and other vehicles.
The news of the self-driving cars follows the recent revelation that self-driving lorries will be loose on the UK’s major roads by 2019. Progress is marching ever forward, showing just how soon we could become used to sharing our roads with vehicles that don’t require a human presence behind the wheel.
How do you feel about self-driving vehicles? Are they the way of the future, or are we just using technology for technology’s sake? Leave a comment below to share your views.
Following the controversy over diesel car emissions, new tests have begun this month to check real-world diesel emissions on the UK’s roads.The test results will be used to crack down on polluting vehicles across the country – cars that fail can’t be sold in the UK. The testing allows for completely accurate readings on all types of diesel cars currently sold in the UK. The new tests are to combat the manipulation of the shorter, lab-based tests that were the subject of the ‘Dieselgate’ scandal that emerged in 2015.
Replacing lab tests
The new tests, launched on 1 September, assess cars on both urban and rural roads, as well as motorways. They use a new piece of measuring equipment located on the exhaust system of the car. The test is conducted over a 90-minute time span. The idea is that it will replace the current lab-based test.
The emissions test will be conducted on all diesel cars that are going to be sold to the UK market, as well as on existing models that are on the road over the coming months. The government believes that the new tests are stricter than those they replace and hopes they will stop any lingering questions from the Volkswagen ‘Dieselgate’ scandal.
(Credit – Pixabay)
Reducing NOx
The new, stricter tests will also help with the reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions from diesel cars as part of Europe-wide measures to tackle the problem. By focusing on cars with better results, the government believes that air quality can be improved, as manufacturers will test their cars with the new system rather than the old one.
Such real-world testing was behind the original discovery that a number of Euro 6 diesel cars were emitting some six times more NOx in real world conditions than in lab tests.
Fixing the results
Models that were involved in the scandal had been purposefully engineered to skew their CO2 and NOx outputs in order for the vehicles to be classed as low-emitting. Other cars show that, when tested for longer periods (usually more than 20 minutes), their results became much higher. This would mean that they would pass the lab test, but emit higher levels of pollutants thereafter.
Transport Minister Paul Maynard said that the new tests are aimed at improving air quality around the country. From 2020, councils will be given new powers to enforce tougher restrictions on vehicles shown to be the highest polluters. The tests will help to meet rigorous new standards on the roads before the new rules come into place.
Diesel scrappage
The new tests come as more manufacturers report that they are offering scrappage schemes for their diesel models in an effort to deal with the problem for the public.
Hyundai is offering £1,500-5,000 off new vehicles to drivers who scrap Euro 1-4 emission rated vehicles registered before 31 December 2009. The vehicle must have been owned for at least 90 days. Fiat is offering up to £5,300 off any Fiat, Alfa Romeo or Jeep model as part of its scrappage scheme.
Other manufacturers to jump on the scrappage bandwagon include VW, Nissan, Renault, Audi, Toyota and Vauxhall. They are offering a range of different deals for diesel car owners. In addition to vague noises from the government about a scrappage scheme implemented by local councils, these offers may incentivise people to switch to hybrid or even electric vehicles in further efforts to reduce pollution on the roads.
The measures are all aimed at meeting the government plan to ban the sale of pure combustion engine cars from 2040, something that some car manufacturers believe is entirely unnecessary, as the market is already naturally heading that way.
Will live emissions testing on our roads lead to another diesel scandal? Are we doing enough to tackle air pollution? Leave a comment below to share your views.
For many Britons, a trip to Europe is part of their vacation routine. Driving on the continent is a convenient and economical way to travel. However, many drivers don’t realise that the rules around speeding in different European countries are very different than here in the UK. In fact, UK drivers could face fines of up to £640 from hidden speed cameras as they travel through Europe.
Changing rules
The new fine came into force in May this year, after a two-year exemption held by the UK came to an end. This had previously protected UK drivers from the full extent of fines and prosecution for speeding while driving on the continent. It means that countries can now track down British drivers when they return home.
The EU directive covers a total of eight motoring offences. These range from speeding to using a mobile phone while driving and failing to wear a seatbelt. Previously, the rules meant UK motorists would only face a fine when they were stopped roadside by the police, or if they hired a car from that country.
Now, the new rules allow European countries to get driver details through the DVLA database, which holds records on some 40 million vehicles. This allows countries to find the driver and send the fine.
Different rules
Bizarrely, as things stand, the UK cannot do the same – foreign drivers caught speeding here can use a legal loophole to escape fines and punishment. This is because the directive is based on the idea that the vehicle’s registered owner is the one responsible for fines. However, in the UK it is the driver of the vehicle who receives the fine.
Motoring editor at Confused.com, Amanda Stretton, warned that drivers on the continent should be very aware of the traffic laws when driving there. This is even more important now European countries have the right to pursue drivers once they’re back home. Stretton advises,
“Now that authorities in EU countries can pursue UK drivers committing these offences, we hope motorists are extra careful to avoid breaking the rules.
“We’d advise all those hoping to take a trip to Europe this year to research the local driving rules and requirements before travelling.”
Speed camera rules
Speed cameras here in the UK have to be installed under specific circumstances. The driver must have a chance to see the camera and take action on their speed accordingly. However, the situation on the continent is very different.
In the Netherlands, for example, speed cameras are routinely hidden in wheelie bins on bin collection day. The aim is to catch drivers speeding or breaking other rules while driving on residential streets. In Spain, unmarked cars are used to mount speeding cameras that record information as they travel – with no way for drivers to know they are being filmed. Meanwhile in France, cameras are purposefully positioned in places that people can’t see, such as on the back of bridges.
Avoiding the cameras
There are steps that drivers can take to help reduce their level of risk. Technology means that they can now identify the position of stationary cameras, even when they’re hidden. Drivesmart Pro has recently added some 20,000 European locations to its speed camera database, allowing drivers visiting the continent to get the same kind of forewarning as in the UK. The software can also detect cameras up to 600m away and warn drivers to reduce speed accordingly. PetrolPrices members are currently able to enjoy a 30% reduction on the price of the Drivesmart Pro, making it just £89.99.
The company has said that the software will be updated every fortnight. Thus, as new cameras are added or existing ones relocated, the information will remain up-to-date and accurate. This helps drivers have insider knowledge of camera locations, which can save them from massive fines.
However, note that using a speed camera detector of any type is illegal in France and carries a €1,500 fine. In Germany it is illegal to have any form of speed camera detector in a moving vehicle. In other parts of Europe, GPS speed camera detectors like the Drivesmart Pro are legal to use, but Driversmart does advise to check the laws in the relevant country before purchasing and using.
The new DriveSmart Pro speed camera detection system is now available for 30% off the usual price, at just £89.99. It allows you to get advance warning that there is a speed camera on your route. That way, you can avoid those increased fines, points on your licence and the need to attend a speed awareness course.
What measures will you be taking to protect yourself from fines when next driving in Europe? Is it right that European countries can fine UK drivers for speeding by gleaning information from the DVLA? Share you views in the comments section below.
The personalised number plate market is booming. More and more people want to exhibit their ‘individuality’ on the front and back of their cars. However, new research by MoneySuperMarket has revealed that drivers with personalised plates might be getting more than they bargained for – including six times as many speeding tickets as drivers with regular number plates.
What’s in a name?
The MoneySuperMarket research found that a third of Brits consider those with personalised plates to be posers, but this hasn’t slowed demand for the so-called vanity plates. According to number plate dealer National Numbers’ search data, first names are some of the most sought after personalised number plates. The most popular are ‘BEN’ (5,318), ‘JOE’ (4,171), ‘MAC’ (3,261), ‘ALI’ (2,960) and ‘LOU’ (2,780).
It doesn’t even have to be your first name – it can be someone else’s; 93 people searched for the number plate ‘TRUMP’ over the past 12 months!
The average cost of a vanity plate is £512, though prices for particularly prized plates can rise much higher. As we revealed in our recent news item, the most expensive plate bought in the UK was ’25 O’ which came with the eye-watering price tag of £518,480.
Even that pales into insignificance compared with the latest number plate purchase by Chinese-Australian billionaire and avid number plate collector Peter Tseng. Tseng just splashed out a whopping £1.5 million (A$2.45 million) on a rare number 4 plate from New South Wales, following a bidding war with another collector. Tseng arrived sporting a number 2 plate on his red Ferrari and apparently calmly kept his hand in the air throughout the entire auction.
(Credit – PetrolPrices)
Car brands attract attention
With the DVLA’s September number plate auction approaching, fans of personalised plates will be on the hunt for the most exciting options available. A surprising number of drivers seek inspiration based on the car that they own. According to National Numbers, the most popular brand-based searches include ‘MERCEDES’ (1,328 searches), ‘JAG’ (2,719 searches) and ‘BMW’ (4,396 searches).
Meanwhile, MoneySuperMarket’s recent survey has found that it is BMW and Audi drivers who top the list of those who are most likely to own personalised plates.
Offensive number plates
According to National Numbers’ research, potty-mouthed plates are also popular in the UK. In fact, there were more searches over the past 12 months for offensive plates than for those relating to people we cherish. For instance, the word ‘F**K’ was searched for 40% more than ‘MUM.’ In fact, over 2,000 people looked up the popular swear word, compared to more than 1,400 for ‘MUM’ and 1,700 for ‘DAD.’
This penchant for profanity is seemingly endless, according to National Numbers, with the highlights/lowlights including:
’S**T’ – 687 searches
‘XXX’ – 1,077 searches
‘D*CK’ – 1,424 searches
‘F**K’ – 2,081 searches
The DVLA takes a very dim view of offensive plates. It has recently been on a culling tour of its number plate database, as the new 67 plate comes online. That said, it doesn’t always work. Successful outbreaks of expletives have included ‘U TO2SER’ on a Lambo and ‘M1LFS’ on a Transit.
It’s worth pointing out that the DVLA reserves the right to scrap your plate if a one-off should make it past quality control. For instance, poor Alan Clarke was gutted to have his number plate ‘BO11 LUX’ withdrawn by the DVLA (though he could bid for ‘TE51 CLE,’ which can currently be found dangling from the back of a UK Corvette).
Autonomy of a plate
For those of us who prefer to stick to what we are given by our car dealer, what do the numbers and letters actually stand for on a plate? The first two letters signify where the vehicle was registered. This is divided into two parts – the first letter is for the region such as B for Birmingham or S for Scotland (see the complete list here). The second represents the DLVA office within the region where the vehicle was registered.
The two numbers in the middle of the plate represent how old the car is, while the final three letters are typically a random selection. The system used for number plate creation offers enough combinations to keep the DVLA producing plates until 2051.
How much would you be willing to spend on a personalised plate? Or are such vanity plates just a waste of money? Let us know your views below.
The RAC has warned that the UK could see petrol prices rise above those of diesel in the next few days and weeks as a result of the disruption caused by Hurricane Harvey in the main oil-producing regions of the US. It is predicting that the price of unleaded could rise by as much as 4 pence per litre, taking average prices above the 121 pence mark.
This kind of price hasn’t been seen since December 2014. It is due to one-quarter of the oil refining capacity of America being offline due to the devastation caused by the hurricane. Added to that, demand in the US for petrol has increased, which can also drive up prices.
Average prices
According to RAC spokesman Pete Williams, these issues are already affecting the forecourts in the UK. The average price of petrol stood at 117.29 pence per litre at the end of August, while the diesel price was 118.14 pence. However, this is likely to rise over coming days to 121 pence for unleaded and around 118.5 pence for diesel.
This would make it the first time this year that the average price of unleaded would be higher than that of diesel. Experts also think the price is liable to stay at these rates for some time, until the oil industry is able to get back to full production levels.
Seasonal factors
Experts are also quick to point out that the effect of Hurricane Harvey isn’t as severe as that of Hurricane Katrina, which struck over the August bank holiday weekend in 2005. Katrina added 5 pence per litre to the price of petrol within a matter of a few days. The price dropped back down a few days later.
While Katrina destroyed the infrastructure used to create the petrol, Harvey has only caused infrastructure to be shut down temporarily.
Prices were already rising in August due to seasonal factors and a general increase in the price of a barrel of crude oil, which reached £40 a barrel by the end of the month. In the US, demand for petrol would also be higher than normal due to the Labor Day weekend.
The crude oil price per barrel on the 6th September 2017 was at 48.88 per barrel.
(Credit – Gas Station Damages, US Dept. of Defense)
How to avoid the increases
There are things that you can do the avoid the increases as much as possible. For starters, use the PetrolPrices service to find out where in your area has the cheapest fuel. This is often the supermarkets. Be sure to avoid places that are more expensive – motorway services are usually the priciest places to fill up. If you’re taking a long trip, remember to fill up at your local supermarket station before you set off.
In addition, regular maintenance can help keep your car working in top condition, which can help minimize petrol consumption. Small touches, such as having properly inflated tyres, wheels that are aligned and regularly servicing spark plugs and filters, can help the car run at peak efficiency and thus use less fuel.
Even reducing what you leave in the car can help it run better and use less fuel. If you’re just driving to the shops or around town, look at what is in the boot and see if there is anything you can leave behind. According to the RAC, you can save around 2% of fuel for every 50kg you remove from the car. Don’t leave behind essentials such as safety equipment, but look at what else you carry around and might not need.
Have you already seen the affects of Hurricane Harvey at the pumps? What tactics do you use to reduce your fuel spend? Let us know by leaving a comment.
