An interesting 12 months awaits, but Government has to be more transparent

“This year we will see Euro NCAP ratings introduced for autonomous systems”

THE first week of a new year usually marks the point where we start to regret those resolutions made on 31 December. Promises of marathons are now reconsidered, and a ban on beer seems harsh.

But there were some pledges made in 2017 that are likely to stick.

From 1 April, for example, new diesel cars not meeting Euro 6 emissions standards under both laboratory and new, real-driving emissions (RDE) step 2 tests will move up a vehicle excise duty (VED) band for first-year fees. This is the second time that road tax has changed in 12 months, and the rules are expected to affect more than two million cars from 2018 to 2020.

This year we will also see new Euro NCAP ratings introduced for autonomous systems on new cars. This was a story that Auto Express broke in 2017, and from mid-2018 tech such as lane assist will get Basic, Advanced or Superior ratings from Euro NCAP.

These two announcements were symbolic of the motoring landscape in 2017, where the automotive sector moved towards electrification and autonomy, while the Government punished diesel drivers with tax and parking charge hikes. We want more of the former than the latter in 2018.

There are two things I’d like the Government to commit to this year. The first is greater investment in road policing. The second is more clarity on Brexit: how exactly will it affect the UK’S car industry, what will the transition period be like, and which EU laws will be carried over and which will be revised? The next 12 months will be interesting…