Tristan Shale-Hester

Q Why has EV range dropped?

MY electric car has an official range of around 300 miles, and I generally get 280 miles from a charge. This has recently dropped to 200 miles, though. Can you explain why? GP, E-mail

A

THE range is probably dropping as winter bites. EVs have an ideal operating temperature of 25 degrees Centigrade, with battery chemistries not responding well to cold. You’re more likely to use the heater in winter, too, further affecting range. It may be worth asking your dealer to perform a health check on your car, though.

Q My lower Legend tax hopes

I WANT to buy a 2008 Honda Legend, but its high CO2 emissions mean it costs almost £600 a year to tax. Is there any chance the road tax rules will change for older cars? James Evans, E-mail

THE CO2-based annual road tax system, which ran from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017, is unlikely to be retrospectively changed. A £325 cap exists for cars registered before 23 March 2006, but the KB1 Legend didn’t arrive in the UK until July 2006, so you’re likely to be stuck paying £570 a year in tax if you want one.

Insight from the industry

Q I DRIVE a fairly elderly hatchback that I can fit in my garage, but have checked the size of the current version and it’s too big to go in. Why have cars become so much larger?

A

ADVANCES in crash protection, such as crumple zones, necessitate larger cars. Plus as people have become bigger over the years, cars have also grown. Car manufacturers also compete with rivals by offering larger cars in the same class, leading to segment growth.