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Will optional extras affect the amount of VED I pay?

- Tristan Shale-Hester Got any car queries? Tristan_Shale-Hester@dennis.co.uk

AQAQAIF I buy a new car that costs more than £40,000 because of optional extras, will I have to pay the £325 VED surcharge in years two to six? Also, if I have a towbar fitted, will the manufactur­er warranty be affected?

GE, E-mail

ON the first point, optional extras do count towards a new car’s list price. As such, if you chose a £35,000 car and then added £10,000 of optional extras, for example, you would have to pay the £325 VED surcharge in years two to six. Second, a dealer-fit towbar shouldn’t affect the manufactur­er warranty. The dealer should be able to confirm this, but check the warranty yourself and get it confirmed in writing just in case.

Can the UK’s electric-vehicle infrastruc­ture keep up?

WHEN electric cars outsell those powered by petrol and diesel, how will the UK’s EV charging infrastruc­ture cope? EV charging points aren’t as numerous as petrol pumps, and need to be used for longer.

Colin Brown, E-mail

GIVEN that the average UK driver covers 20 miles a day, a weekly charge will be enough for most. Proponents also suggest thinking of EVs like a mobile phone, because small, regular charges work as well as full ones. Infrastruc­ture appears to be keeping pace with EV growth, with chargers popping up at more and more supermarke­ts and gyms, for example. Battery and charging tech developmen­ts will also play their part between now and 2035.

I keep getting fobbed off by my dealer about a new key

I HAVE been waiting four and a half months for a replacemen­t key for my Jaguar F-Pace. Despite promises, I still haven’t received it. How do I put pressure on the dealer to get a key organised as soon as possible? Keith Gibson, E-mail

DEALERS and parts suppliers are under a great deal of pressure at the moment, to the extent that new cars from Jaguar Land Rover are only being supplied with one key due to shortages. If you’re not having any luck with the dealer, you could try contacting Jaguar’s central customer services directly – although bear in mind that because you already have one key and are waiting for a second one, the answer might just be to sit tight and wait a little longer.

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