lol-lol

No, far too tight to pay the extra for the bigger battery and have just not needed it as the smaller battery still does 260 mile range and on the very unusual occasion I need a few more miles I just stop at one of the 90,000 odd chargers a get a few kwh just to get me home to the very cheap home charging. Smaller battery versions are cheaper to buy, usually better dynamically due to the less weight, cheaper tyres etc.

Germany has reintroduced the EV grant system. Not as generous as before and looking very much like the UK's EV Grant system. Think it is for EVs of less than 45k Euros and is a €4k grant so basically the German government will still get a net tax receipt based on the VAT collection. Should help their ailing car industry though specifically on those smaller cars as well as for other EU car makers including Tesla Berlin. Chinese cars being whacked with the massive EU AntiDumping tax. UK being targeted by Chinese such as a MG4 Long Range for £20k. Would not want one but that is cheap !

My Scenic is 1822 Kgs not 1906 Kgs. Weighs the same amount or full of fuel if you had most of a tank I suspect weight would be almost identical. Concern about SUVs is their high front ends in hitting pedestrians, cyclist etc I understand. Also to try and get those diesels without the better two stage NOX reduction and whose real NOX is higher the 60 mg/km or even 80 mg/km. Whilst it is denied the level or cleanness of emissions is going to risey from Euro 6 I believe it is only a matter of time, ie 2028 or later, that the NOX emissions minimum standard will be raised to Euro 7 standards for London and other major cities if not an outright ban of diesels from cities during working hours at least. Think you were looking at the large battery Scenic rather than my 60/65 kwh version.

Far too many Chrlsea tractors around that need to be wacked for several reasons ie Bigger danger to cyclists, pedestrians and other road users. Doing more road damage General worse emissions Oft near the edges, or over, the parking boxes they are suppose to fit in Could be a good extra revenue raiser Make traffic queues longer Is increased charges enough of a dis-incentive or do we need more of a big stick. Bring on the K cars.

Very good friend of mine, 6 foot 5", use to get in the old Mini fine, after removing the bump stops and pushing drivers seat right back. Could not put anyone behind the driver but could use front passenger seat and rear passenger seat. I found the exterior size of the car has surprisingly little bearing on driver and front passenger space. Whilst disappointed with European Car of the Year 2025 Renault 5 rear passenger space to be honest I travel 90% plus on my own or with 1 passenger who goes in the front. I have the European Car of the Year 2024 Renault Scenic for when I need 5 large driver/passenger spaces, which is not usually for 5 large adults as that would exceed the GVW of the cars with its mere, but average, 523 kgs between Kerb and GVW, but those little one, ie grand children, need rear space for their car seats. Low weight, even with their accoutrements, prams, strollers etc, but good rear seat space is nice. So back to thinking about the CoTY 2025 R5, yes compromised in rear seat space and I would not like to be back there for more than a few minutes. Hope the wee electric Twingo has good front seat space like the R5, back seats will be rubbish to those of us over 6 foot but fine for children and petite persons but the cost saving in buying and running would be huge compared to running another sizeable car like the Scenic when I already have one for the team bus.

As I said before the mark 1 Superb was probably the worst of 15 Skodas i had, apart from it's 1.9D engine, 130 hp version. Handled like a barge. Stretched Passat chassis i gather but they did not bother to adjust the suspension. They got better but all well felt the Octy was the better car, at least for me a 6 foot one and passengers smaller than me. Superb did get better all round performance it seemed. Would have had a 280 hp 4x4 as Octy never got that underpinning.

The Paris weight triggering of extra parking charge gave EVs a massive 400 kg weight concession over ICE. As a multiple EV owner I am happy to have parity with ICE on charge weight either for extra parking charges or VED. German and German derivative cars ie SEAT, CUPRA and Skoda do appear heavy compared to French, Chinese, Korean and US EVs of tge same class. I am being kind if I said that it is because of their extra quality and proper to cars tgat could be driving at over 160 kph on Autobahns. Or they could be just designed without weight reduction being an important facet to VAG etc.

Kgs not Lbs ? 1 kg = 2.20462 Lbs

One chassis presumably and of course there is/was the very competent 4x4 superb, 280 hp that the police in some areas bought as a motorway / pursuit car.

Same for original Merc EQC is 2.5 tonnes unladen and has a GVW of just under 3T. No wonder it cannot even do 3 miles, ie 5 kms per kwh. Very quick accelerating car with up to 400 hp but lots of negatives including a prop shart tunnel running thru the cabin making it have no flat floor in the back seat area as it used the old ICE chassis.

What does your V5 say for Max Permissable Weight ?

My Scenic EV a massive 523 kgs between Kerb and GVW but still under 2400 for GVW. Not exactly massive. Better not fill up with screen wash too high !!

Well yes ordinary cars are often loaded way over their GVW limit. 3,4 or 5 big adults and maybe some luggage in the boot quite oft a few percent over the vehicles limit. Generally in small and even medium vehicles you only have around 500 kgs and that includes fuel luggage and passengers. On traffic exercises I have been involved in one might just get a warning for being a few percent over. I have seen 35% over the GVW when doing Anti Bootlegging exercises at Tormarton on tge M5 and at Crickade on the A417 and that is very dangerous for the occupants and other road users. You see it in elevators/ lifts. Do the maths 850 kgs and it says 12 people. Well I am 110 kgs in light clothing, add a laptop I am carrying, winter coat i could be around 120 kgs. What i hate is when the lift overloaded buzzer goes off and the little and light people around me look at me and their eyes say "well your the biggest, you get out". So embarrassing. Overloading cars is very common and sounds like might be more focus on it if it is linked to extra parking charges, more weighbridge or use of existing ones. We introduced SOLAS and weight and safety has become an much bigger issue in transportation. All car drivers and owners should ve more aware, no excuse as it is on your V5

GVW not Kerb Weight it appear to reference.

I remember from my Department of Transport time that road damage related to axle weight is to the forth power so 10% more weight does about half as much more road damage. Also, in general, survivability of cyclists and pedestrians is worse when that group is hit by these bluff SUV shaped vehicles compared to low saloons. It can really split what versions of models would get hit. My 60 kwh Scenic would be OK but the 90 kwh Scenic will get whacked. Lots of the German and mid and bigger pseudo German ie SEAT and Skoda cars would get whacked with this higher parking charge and we saw this with the Paris rules on this. They went big on this as I recall the extra charge was 3 times I think for heavy Chelsea tractors. The road damage and greater risk to others may give councils the reasons they need.

The Welsh capital heading to become the first city to charge heavy SUVs, electric ones too, extra for being SUVs..... Paris did similar a year or so ago..... https://www.aol.co.uk/news/cardiff-becomes-first-uk-council-164313745.html Cardiff council will force drivers with larger vehicles to pay more for parking, becoming the first local authority in the UK to impose a parking premium to combat the dangers of larger vehicles. Councillors voted on Thursday to approve a new parking plan for the city whereby owners of larger vehicles will be charged more for parking permits because their cars “take up more parking space and are a danger to other road users”. The plan states that vehicles that weigh more than 2,400kg fully laden will be subject to a surcharge “to encourage drivers to switch to smaller vehicles”; Sorry Graham, this includes the 2019 Kodiaq with diesel engine and auto gearbox which is 2458kgs GVW I understand. Likely to spread in to more cities. Quite clever as it picks out heavier diesel engine cars and their high NOX perhaps ? @Graham Butcher

System, audit and enforcement should be strong and economic in each part. As an HMRC issued Demand Notes for well over 10M so my cost for return had a good ratio.

When I was doing anti Bootlegging with HMRC we developed more and more useful ways of slowing down the smugglers. Of course we already had the power to seize the transporting vehicle. If it was a rental then that renter would likely be banned from renting from anyone again and small print in their rental agreement meant they were liable for restoration penalties. Also, those carrying alcohol, rather than tobacco, where oft overweight so big fines, points on licence for that. We were increasingly working with multi agencies to throw the book at such characters. But things evolve. With the Con party planning big cuts to the Civil Service it may get easier for criminals. There is lots of big data drilling going on with hmrc, bank accounts to tax returns and lots are getting caught out for under declaration and this is bringing in increasingly large amounts even if just incorrect declaration rather than "knowingly" making incorrect decision. Pay the amount owed, possibly interest charges and a fixed penalty but not so high as if HMRC can proved intent and then it is bigger fines and possible jail but jail cost us taxpayers big time. I prefer seizure of assets and spare jail.

My old department changed the rules for selling scrap metal ie one cannot get cash ie has to be paid into an account and identify checks ie passport etc when selling metal to a metals dealer. Probably helped but then things get more creative for the thieves ie export the metal like they do with stolen cars ie to certain European countries where this seems to be commonplace.

I do say, and have had had it in mind at those times, when transitioning from having ones pay in the standard tax rate to moving to when Best solution is to have them in very public places I think like 24 hour Maccy Dees and the like. Places where public are around a lot and lots of cameras. Another solution would be to have the cable fully retracted into the charger until going into use and only then does it feed out the cable.

I don't know what is a fair share and those in lower half of income mostly do not. Real policies gave to use the tax system to get in as possible but that is clearly giving Salary Sacrifice on Pension Contributions which is probably the large buyer of UK Gilts which is used to keep the UK funded and keep paying the interest on the £3T debt that this current government inherited from the last run of fast and loose Con governments. Also the last government raised the annual amount that one can put in to the tax avoiding, at time of receipt to pay possibly another rate when finally taken, to keep the GPs working and not going part time. Back to EVs and just put 9 kwh in my rental Peugeot 308 e, will get ne back to airport with no refill charge despite being given it with 100% charge as it will be more than 70% SOC on return. Done about 250 kms in it, charge at public charger just outside my hotel, 5€, not bad for 150 miles so about 3p per mile, happy with that. Will probably do EVs for all European holidays now on. Not so sure about Canada though.

Should get it back for this Winter 25/26 as that was what was being reported. Think it will still be flawed as under the £35k or less of income i will get the Winter fuel allowance next year 26/27 even though I had got my retirement tax free lump sum of more than twice the £35k so I think there should be some other measure ie pension pot holding or the like. Tax planers could drawdown, get pensions etc of say £34.9k maybe to still get the £200, hopefully not as it's not a kings randsom and not worth doing that but a few may. UK tax system seems set to penalise anyone who had saved with tax being charged on interest on saving from as little £1k if standard tax payer or £500 if Higher rate tax payer. Thinking of a chuck of my Lump sum going on a Megane e, especially if it can get the 20% off Blue Light discount rather than just get hammered for tax on interest. Helps with the transition to Zero carbon too I suppose, will miss the Zoe.

Winter Fuel Payment are available for those of income, pension etc of less than £35k i heard. Marxism is defined as this below. Perhaps it encourages an irresponsible and lazy society? From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs" is a slogan popularized by Karl Marx in his 1875 Critique of the Gotha Programme to describe the ideal communist society. It suggests a system where people contribute to society based on their capabilities and receive what they require for their own well-being, based on free access to and distribution of goods and services. In this vision, production and distribution would be managed by the workers themselves, with no class divisions or private property.

There is a distribution curve of course and interesting the UK Government came out with 3 figures for subsistence, comfortable and luxury which wax 19k, 33k and 50k pa from memory. Based on two retirees but as we know many of us are single retirees and expenses are not half those figures above ie 10k, 17k and 25k as many costs are same if single or pair. What many have not realised is that the golden, but not perfect, 4% pension rules means one needs to achieve a pension pot of 1.25m to be in the luxury ie couple of holidays and nice car zone and even 800k pension pot (s) single or combined for comfortable living. Again the figures are there that half are not making any real savings and the other half have an average pension pot of around 150k, nowhere near enough for comfortable or luxury living. It is true that using a little money, for a cheap EV or solar panels, batteries xan really reduce those big outgoings of running a car or home. Be pleasantly surprised how many Renault Zoes there are running around here around Lisbon. Mine for the last 4 years had been such a cheap transport car.

Sounds a bit Marxist ?