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The furore over the rise in ticket prices for Oasis concerts should teach government ministers how their interventions can have unintended consequences.
That is, when there is a high demand for a product in limited supply (such as fans wanting to see Noel and Liam Gallagher), prices go up.
Under the Government’s “ZEV Mandate” on zero-emission vehicles, carmakers are being told that 22 per cent of cars sold this year must be electric (with this percentage rising to 80 per cent by 2030) or face fines of £15,000 per car.
Mad about it: The furore over rising Oasis concert ticket prices should teach government ministers how their interventions can have unintended consequences
As a result, automakers are now reducing or rationing supply of in-demand hybrid and gasoline cars.
Robert Forrester, chief executive of Vertu Motors, said this week: “It’s almost as if we can’t supply the cars that people want.”
Renault 5 crowned
Meanwhile, the new all-electric Renault 5 has been crowned world champion at the annual Best Car of the Year awards (bestcarsoftheyear.com).
Ahead of its launch at next month’s Paris motor show, it was also named best electric car by an international jury and by votes from visitors to the recent British Motor Show in Farnborough, where the contenders were on display.
CARS AND MOTORING: TEST
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This £100,000 Volvo has me crazy: The EX90 SUV driven - VW Touareg is a luxury SUV at a lower price: why is it so unpopular?
- We tested the new MG HS: the British favourite affordable family SUV
- We tested the £15,000 Dacia Spring – the CHEAPEST new electric vehicle in the UK
- Suitable for UK climates – you can enjoy the Mercedes CLE Cabrio all year round
- Kia’s affordable Picanto offers fun, agile driving in the big city
- MG Cyberster review: A convertible EV that costs £60,000 and is fun to drive
- Eurocup-winning Renault Scenic E-Tech receives Ray Massey’s vote
- Ford Explorer: Is the £40,000 electric SUV a good buy for UK drivers?
- Polestar 3: Will the Tesla Model Y now have a real fight ahead of it?
- Lotus Eletre is an electric rival to the Lamborghini Urus: the hyper-SUV tested
- Dacia’s new Duster is here: has it lost its value for money?
- Alfa Romeo Tonale test: can this SUV deliver sporty excitement?
- In a world of SUVs, can the VW Passat revitalise the family car market?
- Ineos Quartermaster review: the new premium city van
- The Peugeot e-3008 is attractive, agile and has a range of 326 miles.
- We tested the new £165,000 Aston Martin Vantage: is it better than a Ferrari?
- Can BMW harness the magic of the original Mini in a Chinese-made electric vehicle?
- Is this the ultimate convertible supertourer? Aston Martin DB12 Volante
- The new Fiat 600e EV family car is here, but should we wait for the hybrid?
- VW Tiguan review: the brand’s best-selling SUV is back, but is it better?
- Should you consider the Mini Countryman EV instead of the petrol model?
- Another BMW goes electric: we test the new iX2 against its gasoline rival, the X2
- The 2024 Range Rover Evoque Plug-in Hybrid Is a Local Winner
- Brits’ favourite car DRIVEN: We analyse the best-selling Ford Puma
- BMW’s i5 EV offers supercar performance in an executive saloon package
- We drove the £76,000 Kia EV9 – the all-electric rival to Korea’s Range Rover
- Was the three-decade wait for the BMW M3 Touring worth it? Our review
- Has Britain’s most popular small car just gotten a whole lot better? The new Corsa
- Volvo EX30 review: Sweden’s new ‘green’ pocket rocket SUV rivals Tesla
- Is Renault’s new Austral E-Tech SUV the complete package? We tested it
- The Audi Q8 is annoyingly good for a “sporty” coupe-like SUV
- The Ferrari Roma Spider costs £210,000 – here’s what you get for your money
- China’s all-electric BYD Dolphin comes ashore – we test it on UK roads
- Our epic road test through Denmark and Sweden with the new Polestar 2
- The new Abarth 500e convertible is an exceptional luxury: it is electric and sporty
- Honda’s new CR-V is bigger than its predecessor, but is it better?
- We beat the new Bond to test his new car: Aston Martin DB12 review
- At the wheel of the Rolls-Royce Spectre: we test the new EV Roller
- Skoda’s crown jewel: the superb L&K 4×4 Estate with extras
- Maserati Grecale test: the SUV with 50% of sales expected to go to women
- Dacia’s budget seven-seat family car! The £18,000 Jogger put to the test
- This Q8 is simply great: we tested the new Audi Sportback e-tron
- Enter the dragon! BYD Atto EV is the Chinese company’s first British model
- Ferrari’s first four-door estate car: new £313,000 Purosangue driven
- Thrills without frills: The £31,000 MG5 is one of the cheapest family EVs
- The Renault Arkana ticks all the boxes that Britons look for when buying a car
- Can Peugeot’s stylish 408 hybrid crossover make it big in the UK? We test it
- We drive the Civic Type R, the rebellious bad boy of the Honda range
- Rolls Royce Spectre: What is it like to drive the first ELECTRIC Rolls Royce?
- Ineos Grenadier Driven: Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Defender for £69,000
- Can you live with a miniature Citroën Ami? Seven tasks in seven days
- Don’t get me big! Is the “smaller” Volvo XC60 all the SUV you need?
- We pampered some passengers in the new £211k Bentley Bentayga
- A new kind of Buzz! VW’s electric MPV still has the feel of a hippie camper van
- A car for all seasons: a 965-kilometre round trip in the Peugeot 3008 GT PHEV
- Feline fun: Funky Cat is the new all-electric car from China’s Ora
- Skoda’s zero-emission hero: the Enyaq IV vRS is its flagship electric SUV
- Toyota’s modern marvel: the GR86 sports coupe is here… and it’s brilliant
- Perfect for power outages: Kia’s new Niro EV can power your freezer
- Retro Bus: We put VW’s new ID Buzz through its paces on UK roads
- Want a family electric car that won’t break the bank? MG4 EV Review for £24,000
- The new 11th generation of the Honda Civic hits the market
- French luxury: the elegant Peugeot 308 SW Estate attracts admiring glances
- Vauxhall reaches for the stars with latest Astra – we drove it
- Driving in conditions: we test the new Citroën C5X on the hottest day of the year
- Options, options: there are three types of Kia Niro: we tested the PHEV
- Pininfarina’s £2m Battista accelerates faster than a fighter jet
- The torque-packed Grand Juke: Nissan’s new British-made hybrid compact SUV
- A supercar with ultra-green credentials: McLaren Artura hybrid tested
- Subaru’s cautious return: we test the new all-wheel drive Outback
- The Cupra Born sports car offers a taste of Spain. We drive the electric hatchback
- Driving the fastest luxury SUV on the planet: Aston Martin DBX 707
- Royal Range Rover hits the road: We test drive the new £100,000 luxury SUV
- We’re heading to the Arctic Circle to test the £400,000 Rolls-Royce Spectre EV
- BMW goes crazy for photos: the 2 Series Active Tourer has a built-in selfie camera
- It may be red, but the Ferrari 296 GTB is definitely a green supercar.
- Testing a pre-production VW ID Buzz ahead of the electric camper’s debut
- Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s off-roader DRIVEN: We test the new Ineos Grenadier
