Following numerous complaints from consumers about unrealistic fuel economy data, the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) is reviewing the Type Approval for a "significant" number of models of cars. Apparently, all FIAT models fitted with the new 0.9l TA engine will be included in this review. There is concern that the officially published figures are unrepresentative of typical production vehicles and that this may render the existing VCA data misleading both to potential customers and to the regulatory bodies responsible for tax and benefit-in-kind (BIK) calculations. This is now being treated as "a matter of urgency" by the VCA as this may constitute a violation of EU rules on fair competition.
A number of cars have been secretly purchased at random and taken to the Millbrook proving ground in Bedfordshire, where detailed testing has been taking place "over the past few weeks". Following these tests, the VCA expect to make a number of changes to the official car data website and it is expected that all new cars registered after midnight on the date the changes come into effect will be taxed at the newly-applicable rates.
At the time of posting this, the official VCA website has been taken down for updates:
http://carfueldata.direct.gov.uk/
so it would seem that would-be 500TA owners have little time to lose.
It is still unclear whether cars already registered will be affected, but as with older cars now, there will probably be an exemption - so get your orders in quickly, folks, particularly if you plan on claiming an exemption from congestion charging.
A number of cars have been secretly purchased at random and taken to the Millbrook proving ground in Bedfordshire, where detailed testing has been taking place "over the past few weeks". Following these tests, the VCA expect to make a number of changes to the official car data website and it is expected that all new cars registered after midnight on the date the changes come into effect will be taxed at the newly-applicable rates.
At the time of posting this, the official VCA website has been taken down for updates:
http://carfueldata.direct.gov.uk/
so it would seem that would-be 500TA owners have little time to lose.
It is still unclear whether cars already registered will be affected, but as with older cars now, there will probably be an exemption - so get your orders in quickly, folks, particularly if you plan on claiming an exemption from congestion charging.
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