Several major recalls have hit UK drivers recently:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If your car is affected, you\u2019ll normally get a letter in the post from the manufacturer with instructions on booking a free fix. You can also check recalls any time on the official Gov.UK recall service<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recalls are free to fix, but many owners miss them or delay repairs. If your car is affected, book it in as soon as possible to avoid risk and inconvenience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From April 2025<\/strong>, electric vehicles will no longer be exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty (car tax).<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re planning to go electric, it\u2019s worth factoring these new costs into your budget now – especially if you\u2019re looking at higher-spec models that cross the \u00a340k threshold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The government has announced a new electric car grant<\/strong> worth up to \u00a33,750<\/strong>, but it only applies to a limited list of approved models<\/strong> priced under about \u00a337,000<\/strong>. The grant scheme is divided into two tiers: some cars qualify for the full \u00a33,750 (Band 1), others for a smaller discount of \u00a31,500 (Band 2). The exact amount depends on the car\u2019s sustainability credentials and whether the manufacturer meets required criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of the first cars confirmed include the Ford Puma Gen-E<\/strong> and Ford E-Tourneo Courier<\/strong>, which qualify for the full \u00a33,750. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This list of confirmed cars is embarrassingly small at the moment. But expect this list to grow quickly. (We hope).<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re considering an electric car, it\u2019s a good idea to check whether the specific model is on the government\u2019s approved list – not all EVs will qualify under this scheme. Here\u2019s the link to the official list of vehicles currently eligible for the grant: Insurance transparency & fairness – FCA actions<\/strong> Congestion Charge (London) – proposals under consultation<\/strong> EV company-car tax (Benefit-in-Kind) – stepped increases<\/strong> With safety recalls<\/strong>, new tax rules<\/strong>, fresh incentives<\/strong>, and law changes<\/strong> all arriving at once, it\u2019s worth taking a moment to check what applies to you and your vehicle. A few minutes now could save money, keep you compliant, and help avoid unexpected problems later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Keeping on top of motoring rules and car safety can feel like a full-time job. But knowing what\u2019s changing \u2013 and what to look out for \u2013 could save you money, hassle, and even keep you safer on the road. Here are the biggest updates drivers need to know this month.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":239,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-vehicle-ownership-help"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/know-yourcar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/know-yourcar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/know-yourcar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/know-yourcar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/know-yourcar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=238"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/know-yourcar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/know-yourcar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/know-yourcar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/know-yourcar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/know-yourcar.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\n\n\n\ud83d\udcb7 New Tax Rules for EVs & Low Emission Cars<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\n\u26a1 EV Grants Back on the Table<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Gov.uk: list of cars eligible for the Electric Car Grant GOV.UK<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83d\udcdc Driving Law Changes You Might Have Missed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The FCA\u2019s \u201cno price-walking\u201d rules remain in force (renewal quotes can\u2019t exceed equivalent new-customer prices via the same channel), and regulators have tightened scrutiny of claims handling transparency<\/strong> in 2025 following a multi-firm review of rising claims costs. There\u2019s also fresh attention on premium-finance fairness<\/strong> (monthly payers) to avoid opaque extra charges. (FCA)<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
TfL is consulting on changes that include raising the daily charge from \u00a315 to \u00a318<\/strong> (target start 2 Jan 2026<\/strong>) and revising discounts (e.g. tighter rules around the cleaner-vehicle and residents\u2019 discounts). Nothing is final yet, but it\u2019s one to watch. Current operating hours remain 07:00\u201318:00 Mon\u2013Fri<\/strong> and 12:00\u201318:00 weekends\/bank holidays<\/strong>. (Transport for London<\/u>)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
From 6 April 2025<\/strong>, the BiK rate for fully electric company cars rose from 2% to 3%<\/strong>, then rises to 4% in 2026\/27<\/strong> and 5% in 2027\/28<\/strong> (confirmed by HM Treasury). Industry guidance also indicates further rises to 7% in 2028\/29<\/strong> and 9% in 2029\/30<\/strong>. (GOV.UK<\/u>)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\u2705 Staying Ahead<\/h2>\n\n\n\n