Consumer news
More utility company fines for overrunning roadworks will boost road repair budgets
More utility company fines for overrunning roadworks will boost road repair budgets
Bank holiday and weekend roadworks overruns are to be targeted by proposed new legislation
15 Jan 2024
Sainsburys plugs-in to the EV charging market with its own Smart Charge brand
Sainsburys plugs-in to the EV charging market with its own Smart Charge brand
The new Smart Charge brand will put the supermarket among the top five ultra-rapid charging providers in the UK
12 Jan 2024
Dazzling car headlights are a problem for 90% of UK drivers
Dazzling car headlights are a problem for 90% of UK drivers
The glare from increasingly powerful car headlamps sparks calls for government action
10 Jan 2024
Could BT’s green boxes get a new lease of life as on-street chargers?
Could BT’s green boxes get a new lease of life as on-street chargers?
Pilot project aims to ‘upcycle’ 60,000 existing cabinets as part of the EV charging revolution
8 Jan 2024
Will fuel duty rise along with VED car tax in the April budget?
Will fuel duty rise along with VED car tax in the April budget?
Analysts say treasury projections assume a 5p rise in fuel duty next March, with car tax also rising with inflation
5 Jan 2024
Fat supermarket fuel price margins gobble up driver savings
Fat supermarket fuel price margins gobble up driver savings
Supermarkets hold drivers over a barrel, but independent garages show the way with lower prices
5 Jan 2024
Should you learn to drive a manual or automatic? There’s definitely a trend!
Should you learn to drive a manual or automatic? There’s definitely a trend!
EV sales are increasing, but does it make sense for learners to take an ‘auto only’ driving test?
4 Jan 2024
‘ZEV Mandate’ electric car sales targets become law
‘ZEV Mandate’ electric car sales targets become law
22 per cent of all new cars sold must be electric from today, rising to 80 per cent by 2030
3 Jan 2024
UK government falls short of motorway electric car charging target
UK government falls short of motorway electric car charging target
A major EV infrastructure target is missed as less than four in 10 motorway service stations have six or more rapid chargers.
2 Jan 2024
Gov cash for Vehicle-to-grid EV tech could save families £100s on electricity bills
Gov cash for Vehicle-to-grid EV tech could save families £100s on electricity bills
The government is pumping £4.8m into ‘Vehicle-to-Everything tech’, allowing EV owners to use stored battery energy most efficiently
20 Dec 2023
Range Rover offers in-house insurance scheme to fight theft fears
Range Rover offers in-house insurance scheme to fight theft fears
JLR-owned brand continues its battle against a wave of car crime hitting luxury cars
19 Dec 2023
Car park crashes: prepare for chaos on 23 December
Car park crashes: prepare for chaos on 23 December
Stressed-out shoppers using crowded car parks means the number of costly collisions could soar
19 Dec 2023
Xmas cheer for drivers as petrol set to dip below 140p per litre
Xmas cheer for drivers as petrol set to dip below 140p per litre
We’re already enjoying a two-year low, but further falls are expected according to RAC Fuel Watch
18 Dec 2023
Smart motorways are safer, unless your car breaks down
Smart motorways are safer, unless your car breaks down
New National Highways stats show increased dangers following breakdowns on smart motorways, but improved safety overall
15 Dec 2023
Ford Focus gains dubious honour as UK’s ‘most scrapped car’
Ford Focus gains dubious honour as UK’s ‘most scrapped car’
2023 car scrappage stats released by a leading recycler show the UK’s most scrapped cars and what they are worth.
14 Dec 2023
What should you do if your car breaks down on the motorway?
What should you do if your car breaks down on the motorway?
A new survey reveals that three-quarters of drivers would put themselves at risk by not following recommended safety advice
14 Dec 2023
£100 pavement parking fines to be enforced in Scotland from today
£100 pavement parking fines to be enforced in Scotland from today
Parking with your wheels on the kerb can now cost £100 north of the border - will England’s lawmakers follow suit?
11 Dec 2023
UK passes major milestone with 10,000 EV rapid charge points
UK passes major milestone with 10,000 EV rapid charge points
EV drivers have more charging choices than ever, and the roll-out rate continues to gather pace says Zapmap
7 Dec 2023
Electric car registrations slow despite overall new car sales growth
Electric car registrations slow despite overall new car sales growth
Pure-electric car take-up was steady in November 2023 with plug-in hybrids surging in popularity
5 Dec 2023
UK car thefts hit an all-time high with keyless car tech to blame
UK car thefts hit an all-time high with keyless car tech to blame
Car theft is at record levels in the UK according to data from LV insurance
4 Dec 2023
UK firm fitting ‘pop bang’ aftermarket exhausts fined in landmark court case
UK firm fitting ‘pop bang’ aftermarket exhausts fined in landmark court case
A successful court action against a workshop advertising and fitting non-standard exhaust parts is ‘a lesson for businesses’ from the DVSA
23 Nov 2023
Why is electric car insurance so expensive? EV vs ICE cost analysis
Why is electric car insurance so expensive? EV vs ICE cost analysis
We look into claims that electric cars face higher insurance premiums than ICE equivalents
22 Nov 2023
No help for electric car buyers in Autumn budget statement
No help for electric car buyers in Autumn budget statement
Chancellor resists calls from industry to fund EV purchase grants or reduce VAT on public charging
22 Nov 2023
What’s in the 2023 Autumn Statement for drivers? EV incentives, fuel duty or VAT on charging?
What’s in the 2023 Autumn Statement for drivers? EV incentives, fuel duty or VAT on charging?
We look at some of the options for chancellor Jeremy Hunt when he announces his plans on 22 November
21 Nov 2023
Are we at the end of the road for the spare wheel?
Are we at the end of the road for the spare wheel?
Just three per cent of new cars have a standard-fit spare in the boot, latest RAC data reveals
21 Nov 2023
HS2 billions to be poured into potholes as new road repair fund announced
HS2 billions to be poured into potholes as new road repair fund announced
Cash from the ‘biggest-ever’ road improvement budget boost will pay for 5,000 miles of new tarmac in the UK
17 Nov 2023
On-street charging gap: infrastructure needed outside London to keep pace with EV adoption
On-street charging gap: infrastructure needed outside London to keep pace with EV adoption
Vauxhall’s boss points to a wide disparity in charger coverage between UK regions outside London
16 Nov 2023
Watchdog to bite back at UK’s rip-off fuel prices
Watchdog to bite back at UK’s rip-off fuel prices
Competitions and Markets Authority gets powers to shine the spotlight on profiteering fuel station operators
15 Nov 2023
UK electric car prices are double those in China
UK electric car prices are double those in China
Widening price gap between prices of new EVs in China and the West leaves UK consumers increasingly out of pocket
9 Nov 2023
Demand for used electric cars grows
Demand for used electric cars grows
Second-hand EV sales double in last quarter, so what’s driving used demand as new electric sales falter?
9 Nov 2023
Forecourt fuel theft surges by 77 per cent, latest figures suggest
Forecourt fuel theft surges by 77 per cent, latest figures suggest
The DVLA reveals a massive spike in requests for vehicle keeper data, as filling stations battle ‘bilking’
7 Nov 2023
ULEZ expansion raises £23.6m in a month as 57,000 pay the charge
ULEZ expansion raises £23.6m in a month as 57,000 pay the charge
London’s ULEZ expansion has been in force since the end of August and new data gives us an early indication of its effect on motorists
31 Oct 2023
Luxury car ‘re-steal’ scams on the rise
Luxury car ‘re-steal’ scams on the rise
Unsuspecting buyers are being sold cloned cars, which are then being targeted by thieves again
25 Oct 2023
Driving test failures: the most common mistakes made by learner drivers
Driving test failures: the most common mistakes made by learner drivers
New drivers most likely to fail their test because of poor observation, according to DVSA statistics
24 Oct 2023
The M6 toll: prices, alternatives and how to pay
The M6 toll: prices, alternatives and how to pay
The M6 toll can save you valuable time but how much does it cost and how do you pay?
19 Oct 2023
Falling rapid charger prices put EVs in the clear vs petrol in the car running costs race
Falling rapid charger prices put EVs in the clear vs petrol in the car running costs race
It’s now more expensive to drive petrol than electric, even when using ultra-rapid chargers at peak time
18 Oct 2023