UK Government plans to outlaw modification of any road vehicle or non-road vehicle?

[Den]

Lifted this from the LEC Forum:-

Future of transport regulatory review: modernising vehicle standards

Seeks views on areas of vehicle standards regulation that are outdated, a barrier to innovation or not designed with new technologies and business models in mind.

www.gov.uk

The “anti tampering” proposals are on page 11 of this document:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1021000/future-of-transport-regulatory-review-modernising-vehicle-standards-print-version.pdf

 

[Mknight702]

Nanny says that you may drive a Honda Jazz painted in the Government approved beige, however, if you so much as hang an air freshener on the rear view mirror it's off to jail for you. How dare you even think about adding stripes, and as for track day tyres it's up against the wall for you.

 

[VL3X]

This has been rumored in the states for many years, but has certainly gotten more serious these past couple. Over a decade ago, California passed a law requiring all intakes to be CARB (California Air Resources Board) approved in order to pass their state inspections. K&N and others now sell intakes with CARB stickers. This was just the beginning as just this past year, APR and other major aftermarket tuners have stopped selling their catless downpipes and "stage 2" software to comply with US emissions regulations. I even heard some rumors of tuner shops being "raided" and fined by the EPA.

EV is the future and the future is now. Although things like factory farming contribute far more greenhouse gases than our sportscars do overall and most tunes actually lean out the a/f mixture to burn cleaner and results in better fuel economy, the ICE aftermarket car scene will continue to be restricted and fined until it no longer exists. I dont necessarily see tuned ICE cars being completely illegal in my lifetime, but I do expect heavy taxes, fines, and expensive fuel prices for sure!

The good? Well, EV is better for our environment and health in the long run. EV vehicles have lots of potential and have 100% torque off the line. These manufacturers just need to work on driver engagement and handling of these heavy machines... maybe Lotus will unveil something amazing these next few years!

 

[SteveB]

This has been rumored in the states for many years, but has certainly gotten more serious these past couple. Over a decade ago, California passed a law requiring all intakes to be CARB (California Air Resources Board) approved in order to pass their state inspections. K&N and others now sell intakes with CARB stickers. This was just the beginning as just this past year, APR and other major aftermarket tuners have stopped selling their catless downpipes and "stage 2" software to comply with US emissions regulations. I even heard some rumors of tuner shops being "raided" and fined by the EPA.

EV is the future and the future is now. Although things like factory farming contribute far more greenhouse gases than our sportscars do overall and most tunes actually lean out the a/f mixture to burn cleaner and results in better fuel economy, the ICE aftermarket car scene will continue to be restricted and fined until it no longer exists. I dont necessarily see tuned ICE cars being completely illegal in my lifetime, but I do expect heavy taxes, fines, and expensive fuel prices for sure!

The good? Well, EV is better for our environment and health in the long run. EV vehicles have lots of potential and have 100% torque off the line. These manufacturers just need to work on driver engagement and handling of these heavy machines... maybe Lotus will unveil something amazing these next few years!

I think you may be missing the full impact of this proposed legislation. Whilst undoubtedly the UK government will use this to discourage (and generate revenues via fines) any after-sale modifications that might lessen environmental controls imposed upon car manufacturers (such as ECU re-mapping) the implications are much wider.

The proposed legislation changes would also apply to non-road vehicles - perhaps an attempt to prevent farmers tinkering with their tractors - but could also apply to race vehicles. Imagine if race cars could not be modified or tuned in any way after purchasing from a manufacturer, or constructors/privateers were prevented from building or tuning their own race vehicles unless government approved as fully compliant with environmental legislation? This would spell the end of motor racing as we know it.

There are also numerous mentions of autonomous vehicles. On the face of it the thought of someone hacking into a cars systems forcing it to drive over the nearest cliff deserves some attention. But this is another step down the road of removing all driver inputs (other than entering the intended destination) and preventing any modifications to regain control.

 

[PaulP]

Well look how much freedom has been given up over the last years. Shouldn’t surprise they will take more and more….

 

[Wolfram]

So I don't think they properly defined 'tampering' but read in the broadest way this seems to say original manufacturer parts only... cue monopolies and hugely-inflated prices....

But the inexorable lurch towards removing the driver from the equation continues, and many think (and want) it will eventually become illegal to drive a car on the road yourself.

 

[VL3X]

The proposed legislation changes would also apply to non-road vehicles - perhaps an attempt to prevent farmers tinkering with their tractors - but could also apply to race vehicles. Imagine if race cars could not be modified or tuned in any way after purchasing from a manufacturer, or constructors/privateers were prevented from building or tuning their own race vehicles unless government approved as fully compliant with environmental legislation? This would spell the end of motor racing as we know it.

Well yeah, this has been coming for motorsports for a long time too. Vehicles like the Porsche 918, McLaren P1, and LaFerrari are a result of these companies exploring hybrid and electric potential. Back in 2019, VW announced they are ceasing all non-electric motorsports racing.. this means no official VW, no Lamborghini, no Porsche, no Bugatti, no Duacti, etc. But hey, the VW ID.R is freakin awesome!

 

[TomE]

It looks like my post-apocalyptic Mad Max vision of chasing down petrol tankers and fighting for scraps of fuel for the last of our analogue fossil-fueled cars is going to come, but without the apocalypse.

I mentioned before about buying enough land to bury a fuel storage tank. Then running a secret car club where we did early mornings runs on the few remaining roads not reserved for autonomous vehicles. I think I'm going to have to adjust that plan and buy enough land to have a private road on it!

 

[Bilbao-Emira]

It looks like my post-apocalyptic Mad Max vision of chasing down petrol tankers and fighting for scraps of fuel for the last of our analogue fossil-fueled cars is going to come, but without the apocalypse.

I mentioned before about buying enough land to bury a fuel storage tank. Then running a secret car club where we did early mornings runs on the few remaining roads not reserved for autonomous vehicles. I think I'm going to have to adjust that plan and buy enough land to have a private road on it!

let's just buy a refinery for our own use, all we have to do is build the track around!

 

[GarrethN]

This has been rumored in the states for many years, but has certainly gotten more serious these past couple. Over a decade ago, California passed a law requiring all intakes to be CARB (California Air Resources Board) approved in order to pass their state inspections. K&N and others now sell intakes with CARB stickers. This was just the beginning as just this past year, APR and other major aftermarket tuners have stopped selling their catless downpipes and "stage 2" software to comply with US emissions regulations. I even heard some rumors of tuner shops being "raided" and fined by the EPA.

EV is the future and the future is now. Although things like factory farming contribute far more greenhouse gases than our sportscars do overall and most tunes actually lean out the a/f mixture to burn cleaner and results in better fuel economy, the ICE aftermarket car scene will continue to be restricted and fined until it no longer exists. I dont necessarily see tuned ICE cars being completely illegal in my lifetime, but I do expect heavy taxes, fines, and expensive fuel prices for sure!

The good? Well, EV is better for our environment and health in the long run. EV vehicles have lots of potential and have 100% torque off the line. These manufacturers just need to work on driver engagement and handling of these heavy machines... maybe Lotus will unveil something amazing these next few years!

If you take the overall carbon footprint of an EV, they aren’t remotely good for the environment, they just fit the current agenda.

EV cars only have a lower footprint from the point of delivery to the customer. The amount used in their assembly seems to be overlooked by the world“s policy makers. Let’s forget about the raw materials mined in Africa by children, then shipped around the world just to make the batteries. Then there isnt the infrastructure capable of running a world on electric vehicles only and there certainly aren’t enough power stations to plug them all in to. Perhaps they’ve decided the solution is for us all to grind to a halt…….

What happens when there is a serious accident on a motorway in winter? EV’s can’t sit with the heating on for three hours, so you either freeze, take plenty of emergency blankets in the boot (trunk) or run out of battery ( which then needs a guy with a diesel generator to come along and give you a boost)

Hmmmmm, the future’s electric alright !!

 

[TomE]

let's just buy a refinery for our own use, all we have to do is build the track around!

You’re right, I need to think on a grander scale!

My old boss bought a refinery. A relative owns an oil field and some rigs… 💡

 

[Maurice R]

You’re right, I need to think on a grander scale!

My old boss bought a refinery. A relative owns an oil field and some rigs… 💡

You can all move to Texas we have tons inexpensive land and gas. Not that many restrictions.
one of my sons owns 50 acres but can chip in and buy 100 or more acres

 

[Mike-engel]

This has been rumored in the states for many years, but has certainly gotten more serious these past couple. Over a decade ago, California passed a law requiring all intakes to be CARB (California Air Resources Board) approved in order to pass their state inspections. K&N and others now sell intakes with CARB stickers. This was just the beginning as just this past year, APR and other major aftermarket tuners have stopped selling their catless downpipes and "stage 2" software to comply with US emissions regulations. I even heard some rumors of tuner shops being "raided" and fined by the EPA.

EV is the future and the future is now. Although things like factory farming contribute far more greenhouse gases than our sportscars do overall and most tunes actually lean out the a/f mixture to burn cleaner and results in better fuel economy, the ICE aftermarket car scene will continue to be restricted and fined until it no longer exists. I dont necessarily see tuned ICE cars being completely illegal in my lifetime, but I do expect heavy taxes, fines, and expensive fuel prices for sure!

The good? Well, EV is better for our environment and health in the long run. EV vehicles have lots of potential and have 100% torque off the line. These manufacturers just need to work on driver engagement and handling of these heavy machines... maybe Lotus will unveil something amazing these next few years!

You know, it’s not at all clear to me that EVs are actually that much better for the environment. It’s only true if the source of the power used to charge these cars does not involve the combustion of fossil fuels. Solar power, wind, etc simply are not adequate to the task. So that gives you things like nuclear power, or coal, or petroleum from drilling or fracking, etc. Driving an EVORA charted by energy from a coal-fired power plant, whose coal comes from less than environmentally safe processes, seems to me just as damaging as running an ICE. I’m all for having a clean environment, but often the green folks don’t actually think things through. When it comes to energy, there is no free lunch. But like so many other things, going green has become just one more form of virtue signaling a a way to cancel alternatives. At the same time, it’s one more way of unilateral disarmament in a competitive world. Our global environment won’t change from these measures unless everyone participates. And there’s no evidence that this will ever happen. When I was a kid, the push for EVs was because we were going to run out of petroleum. After all, it comes from decaying dinosaurs. When that all turned out to be untrue, then EVs were deemed necessary to prevent us all from drowning as the polar ice caps melt from global warming (of course preceded by arguments that we were on the verge of a new ice age). How silly these people are. All this apocalyptic nonsense. The arrogance of it all is laughable. Just keep driving your cars. Enjoy them for the beautiful objects they are. If you want to drive an EV, great. Do it for the amazing torque and exhilarating acceleration. But if you think you are saving the world you are just fooling yourself. There will always be another apocalypse just around the corner.

 

[Mike-engel]

I meant “driving an EV charged by………”. Darn spell check.

 

[Den]

IMO the root cause of all these environmental concerns is over population which is still growing! More people = More pollution

 

[Den]

Anyway, back on topic, surely this legislation would only be enforced to cars that are produced after it is implemented and not retrospectively?

 

[Mike-engel]

Anyway, back on topic, surely this legislation would only be enforced to cars that are produced after it is implemented and not retrospectively?

I wouldn’t assume any such thing. Combine zealotry with a government’ insatiable desire for your money and I bet they will find a way to go after your ride unless regular people say ENOUGH! I hope I’m wrong, but recent history would argue I’m not.