We are all looking for ways to cut our expenses; therefore we've compiled a list of cars that are currently road tax free, see below for details...

TAX
Every UK registered vehicle must be taxed if it is used or kept on a public road. If the vehicle is kept off-road it must be taxed or a SORN declaration must be completed (Statutory Off Road Notification). If you fail to have your vehicle taxed or SORN then it could be clamped, impounded or even crushed, you'll also receive an automatic penalty of £80 and a minimum fine of £1000.

To tax your car you'll need the licence renewal notice or your registration certificate (V5C) with the new keeper's section filled out if you've just bought the vehicle, a valid MOT test certificate (for vehicles older than 3 years old) & valid insurance cover. You'll also need the fee for your tax, which is dependent on which tax band your vehicle sits in. Tax is calculated by the amount of CO2 your vehicle emits (applies to vehicles registered from 1st March 2001). See below for Tax free vehicles and for further information see the Direct Gov website: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle

A valid tax disc must always be displayed in your vehicle, on the passenger side of the vehicle's windscreen.  If you fail to display a current tax disc you could be subjected to a penalty fine of up to £200 - there is an exemption for vehicles that are taxed online allowing ample time for the tax disc to arrive in the post, this is till the 5th working day of the month, but this exemption only applies if you apply for the tax before the current tax disc runs out.

Lastly, don't forget to inform the DVLA if you sell, scrap, transfer or export your car, otherwise you'll still be held responsible for taxing the vehicle even though you no longer have it.

TAX BANDS
Your vehicle's Road Tax is priced according to when the vehicle was registered and which Tax Band your vehicle sits in. If your vehicle was registered before 1st March 2001 then your tax will be based on the vehicle's engine size i.e. for vehicles that have an engine size smaller than 1549 cc your tax will be £135.00 per year, for vehicles with an engine size greater than this it'll be £220.00 per year.

For cars that are registered on or after 1st March 2001 your road tax will be based on the fuel type and CO2 emissions. Vehicles with CO2 emissions lower than 100 g/km are in Tax Band A which is free of charge, see below for a list of vehicles. Vehicles with alternative fuel types i.e. LPG may be discounted. For vehicles that are registered on or after 1st April 2010 a lower 1st year road tax rate is applicable, for a full list of tax bands and details visit: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/

FRENCH ‘TAX BAND A' VEHICLES

Click the models for details

CITROEN C1 (April 2012)

- 1.0i 68 Petrol, 3 door - CO2 emissions: 99

- 1.0i 68 Petrol, 5 door - CO2 emissions: 99

CITROEN C3

- E-Hdi 70 Airdream EGS, 1398 Diesel - CO2 emissions: 87

- E-Hdi 110 Airdream, 1560 Diesel - CO2 emissions: 99

- E-Hdi 90 Airdream, 1560 Diesel - CO2 emissions: 98

- Hdi 70, 1398 Diesel - CO2 emissions: 99

CITROEN C4

- E-Hdi 110 Airdream EGS6, 1560 Diesel - CO2 emissions: 98

CITROEN DS3

- E-Hdi 90 Airdream, 1560 Diesel - CO2 emissions: 95

CITROEN DS3

- E-Hdi 110 Airdream, 1560 Diesel - CO2 emissions: 99


PEUGEOT 207 (August 2009 onwards)

- 1.6 Hdi (Diesel) FAP (92 bhp) Oxygo - CO2 emissions: 98

RENAULT CLIO

- 1.5 Dci 88 ECO, 1461 Diesel - CO2 emissions: 94

RENAULT MEGANE

- Coupe: Dci 110 Stop Start, 1461 Diesel - CO2 emissions: 90

- Hatchback: Dci 110 Stop Start, 1461 Diesel - CO2 emissions: 90

- Sport Tourer (2011): Dci 110 Stop Start, 1461 Diesel - CO2 emissions: 90

For a detailed list of other vehicles that are exempt from road tax see: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/TaxationClasses

Road Tax Band B vehicles are free for the first year, then £20 p/year thereafter. For a list of Tax band B vehicles go to the Direct Gov Website.

If you are thinking of buying an electric car here are some of the pros and cons which may be of interest to you...

The concept of electric cars being futuristic and space-like is no longer the case, although some can be, take the twizy for example which are small and compact making them easy to park and ideal for the city. There are also conventional family cars like the fluence which are spacious and have plenty of boot space. Therefore, depending on the desired use of the vehicle there could be a suitable electric car for you.  For more information on the twizy and fluence see www.renault-ze.com.

Advantages! 

Fuel Costs (Charging costs) - On average it takes 6 - 8 hours for the battery to reach full capacity which can be charged from a conventional household plug socket. A full battery can range from 30miles (lead acid) to 245 miles (lithium ion). Most manufacturers are producing cars with a range of about 100 miles. There is also a network of publically available free electric car charging points in the UK. Lakeside shopping centre Thurrock, Essex is the only local charging point which you can conveniently use whilst shopping. However, there are hundreds across the country and150+ charging points in London alone making the cost of fuelling an electric car extremely attractive.

Savings - there are financial incentives for using an electric car such as no congestion charge in London, no road tax, free or discounted parking and free charging bays.

Recyclable - many electric car designers take into consideration the impact they have on the environment and ensure they make the cars recyclable, they also use recycled materials to build the cars.

Noise - electric cars are extremely quiet. They've even introduced artificial noises to ensure those with visual impairments can hear them.

Energy & Emissions - electric cars produce zero CO2 emissions when running, they don't emit nitrous oxide or other particle emissions either. However, they can only be regarded as zero emissions if they obtain their power from a renewable source. So if you charge your battery at home and your house is powered from a non-renewable source, then you are still creating emissions. Electric engines are more efficient, so even if you do charge the battery from a non-renewable source, it still only produces halve the amount of CO2 compared to a conventional engine. 

Health - petrol and diesel engines create a toxic mix of exhaust fumes, although in recent years fuels have improved and leaded petrol has been banned in the UK, they still contain a range of chemicals which are not good for the environment or the human health.  Electric cars produce none of these! 

disadvantages!

Speed - high performance electric cars can reach up to 85-90 mph, on the other hand, the average electric car available in the UK will only comfortably reach 50-55 mph. 

Costs - the upfront purchase cost of a new or used electric car is more expensive in comparison to its petrol or diesel counterpart. Go to www.renault-ze.com to see Renault's new range of electric cars called the ZE range, some of which are conventional but not all!

Distance -the range is affected by many different factors such as the battery, the weight of the vehicle, type of driving and the conditions.  However, electric cars are relatively limited in how far they can go on one full charge but you can extend this with top up charging. Also, cold temperatures will affect the battery life as with any battery.

Batteries - as above, batteries have a fairly short trip life, they can only be recharged so many times before they require replacement - they are expensive to replace and they contain toxic chemicals that must be handled properly.  These batteries do not run out without warning though, you will notice before they completely stop as a result of lack of power and sluggishness.

Charging time - the full recharge time for batteries can be upwards of 7-8 hours, however most batteries can achieve 80% in around 2.5 hours, this is still a lot slower than filling up a conventional car!

Lack of Infrastructure - Charging points, availability, maintenance and servicing are all concentrated in the cities (In the UK, London). To keep electric cars in warranty you'll have to take it to the dealer or a specialist but these at the moment are scarce. For them to be practical they'll need to be able to make longer journeys by having available facilities to recharge and the process needs to be quicker as you do when filling up a conventional car. 

Electricity demand - Electricity generation in this country is not fully environmentally friendly as it stands. At the present time the UK grid could not support the demand for electric if everyone was to buy an electric car.

Finding the right tyres for your car and ensuring they are to a satisfactory and legal standard is essential for keeping you safe on the road, and by doing this it will also improve your driving experience.

In the UK you are required by law to replace your tyres when the tread depth reaches 1.6mm or less and they must not have any cuts, bulges or cord/ply showing.

If you are uncertain of what condition your tyres are in, check with your local garage and they’ll advise you accordingly.

FINDING THE RIGHT TYRE
Before looking for new tyres you need to find out what type and size of tyre your vehicle requires, you can find the recommended tyre size and road speed in your vehicle’s manufacturer’s specifications.  If you don’t have this information, then refer to the size on the tyre sidewall or consult your local garage.

It’s important to note that although a tyre’s brand name may not be well known that does not necessarily mean the tyre build quality is poor and although two different sized tyres may be of the same brand that does not guarantee they are of the same quality. In the EU tyres are not required to have a wear rating as they are in America. It may be beneficial to buy tyres that are marketed for America as well as the EU, thus have a wear rating e.g. Nexen Tyres.

Please note: if you have bought a second hand car there is no guarantee that the tyres on the vehicle are to the manufacturer’s recommendation therefore, if you are ever in doubt consult your local garage.

See below for an explanation of what the writing on your vehicle‘s tyres means:

205/65 R 95 V

205: This is the width of the tyre tread in millimetres

65:  Is the height of the sidewall as a percentage of the tyre tread, in this instance 65% of 205mm

R: R stands for radial; this is the construction of the tyre

16: The diameter of the tyre’s inner rim in inches

95: Is the load rating of the tyre, this is the weight the tyre is designed to support.

V: This letter refers to the maximum speed the tyre is designed to withstand when the vehicle if fully loaded (see below for the most common speed rating lettering)

S – 112 mph

T – 118 mph

H - 130 mph

V – 149 mph

Z – 150+ mph

W – 168 mph

Y – 186 mph

WHAT TYRES DO YOU REQUIRE?
If you drive a few thousand miles a year, mostly in a rural area, and never drive over 100mph then standard tyres in mid-price range should suffice. However, if you normally travel on motorways or at speed, finding the right tyre with an extended tread life will allow you to avoid changing your tyres as often, saving you money and time in the long run. Consult your local garage for advice.

Another factor to take into consideration, when finding the right type of tyre for your vehicle, is the typical weather for your location. In the UK, rain and wet weather is common, so it is best to find tyres that are well suited to provide good grip in this type of weather and still perform well.

ADVICE: It is good practice to rotate the tyres in the best condition to the front of your vehicle, this is because the majority of vehicles are front wheel drive, therefore the front wheels tend to wear faster as they are do a larger amount of work compared to the rear i.e. steer and do most of the braking.

NEW EU TYRE LABELLING REGULATION (EC 1222/2009) As of 1st November 2012, all tyres manufactured after 1st July 2012 are required to have a rating for 1 - Fuel efficiency, 2 -Wet grip and 3 – External rolling noise.

Fuel Efficiency – this is graded using a scale of A – G. ‘A’ being the most efficient and ‘G’ being the least efficient. [‘D’ is not used in this grading].

Wet Grip, also known as braking performance on a wet road – is graded using a scale of A – G. ‘A’ being shortest braking distance and ‘G’ being longest. [‘D’ & ‘G’ are not used in this grading].

External Rolling Noise – this is measured in decibels (dB) and categorised in 3 classes which are illustrated by 3 waves. 1 wave being a quieter tyre and 3 being louder. 

Spare Tyres Is a spare tyre part of the MOT test? The simple answer is no, however under the Road Traffic Act it is illegal to carry a defective spare tyre.

Space saver tyres are legal to carry as a spare and to use on the vehicle in the short-term, ie until it is convenient to get a replacement tyre fitted, but if the vehicle is presented for an MOT with a space saver tyre fitted then it would fail as a result.

If the spare tyre is suspended in a cage under the vehicle these can be subject to theft and there are some excellent locking devices which can be fitted to eliminate this problem.