Author: Timmy

If you are considering buying a new car this year then you need to decide if you want to go for an electric car. You may choose an all electric car or a hybrid car that is part fuel and part electric.

The main issue lots of people have with electric cars are that the battery doesn’t last that long and therefore doesn’t allow them to travel that far without them having to recharge it. With charging points still often quite hard to find especially in rural areas, you may have your journey disrupted.

For this reason, many car manufacturers have been looking at ways in which they can improve the battery to allow the electric vehicles to be able to cover more miles before they need to be charged again. Recently engineers have managed to create a battery that can run a lot longer and fully charges in ten minutes. This could be a game changer for the future of electric cars and make them a lot more appealing to many people.

The fact that electric cars are so much more eco friendly than petrol or diesel cars, and that alone can be enough to make some people opt for them.

All cars in the UK have to have a number plate displayed on the front and back of a car. Did you know that there are very tight rules and restrictions on what your can and cant do with your numberplate?

 The numberplate on the front of your car needs to have a white background. Anything other than a white background is not allowed and can land you with a penalty. The plate on the back of the vehicle needs to have a yellow background. All the numbers and letters on the plate need to be printed in the standard font that is allowed and italics are not permitted. You can however have 3D letters in this font if you wish.

Some people choose to buy a personalised number plate for their car. Although they can choose what they want the plate to read to an extent there are still tight restrictions on the way the numbers and letters have to be displayed. Some people try to use screws and black caps to make a letter look like another one on their number plate but this is illegal and could land you with a fine. To get a new plate printed you have to take ID and proof that you are the registered keep to the place where you want to get them done. They will be able to advise you on what is and isn’t allowed.

It may seem like such a small part of your vehicle, but the window screen wipers play a big part in the safety of the vehicle. Wipers are checked on an MOT and they will fail if they do not clear the screen effectively but you should not leave it until your MOT if you notice they are not working as well as they used to. Often to replace a set of front wiper blades costs around twenty to thirty pounds for the pair. You can usually fit them yourself quite easily but many garages or some shops will for them for you.

Ensuring that you have enough window screen wash is also essential. Driving with a dirty screen can make it really hard to see and can easily cause an accident. You should check your washer fluid levels often and top them up before going on any long journeys. If your wiper blades are ok and you have washer fluid in, it may be that your screen is too greasy. Often washer fluid Is not enough to remove it and instead you need to wash the window screen to get rid of the greasy marks which can make it really hard to see out of.

When it comes to choosing a new car, you may be limited on your options if you need it to have a certain amount of seats. As standard, most cars have 5 seats but if you have more than 3 children or 3 children that all need car seats then you will probably need to get a seven seater vehicle or a second car and be prepared to have to take two cars everywhere. This is not practical, will cost more in fuel and parking and will be an issue should one of the vehicles have to be off the road for a time.

Finding a family car can be tricky and you may worry that you will choose something that is not big enough or does not have enough safety features. If you have a limited budget then you may not be able to be too choosy of what type of vehicle you have. There are a lot less seven seater cars than five, so you may have to be prepared to make some sacrifices. You may decide that space is the most important thing as you need to be able to seat three children but also have room for the pushchair or your dog. Another factor that may be a deciding point for you is the safety. All cars are put through extremely safety tests before going on sale, but some cars perform better than others. If safety is a massive concern then you can look up the rating for the make and model of the vehicle you are looking to purchase.

All new cars that are over three years old require a valid MOT certificate. This MOT needs to be renewed each year if you wish to drive the car on the road. The MOT can be carried out up to one month prior to the expiry date whilst still honouring the anniversary, so for example if you have your MOT done one month prior to it expiring then you will actually have 13 months until it is required to be done again.

The best time to get an MOT done ideally is at least a few weeks prior to the expiry. This then allows you plenty of time to either get repairs done or to decide if you want to get rid of the car / scrap it before you go ahead with any repair work. If you leave it until the day or so before the expiry date then you are often rushed in to having to get the work done without being able to shop around for the best price. If the car still has a valid MOT then you can still drive it even if it fails (up until the expiry date) as long as the reason it failed is not considered serious.