When you make a registration document, you must pay various taxes. Their cost varies depending on the region where you plan to register your car. However, sometimes the registration card is free of charge. In some cases, only shipping costs are payable.
If you change your address, you have a period of one month to change the address on your vehicle registration card(s) if you have several cars. If you exceed this legally set time limit, you are liable to a fine in the event of an inspection.
Thanks to the new vehicle registration system, you can apply for a vehicle registration certificate online. Alternatively, you can also contact a licensed professional.
It should be noted that the process is free of charge from the first to the third change of address. It is in the form of a label to be affixed to the vehicle registration document. Thus, for a fourth change of address you will have a new registration document. Even if it is free, you will have to pay the shipping tax.
If you choose to hire a professional (by going there or applying for a car registration online), you should know that it will be charged. But the change of address will still be free of charge.
The administration will ensure that you are issued a new vehicle registration document free of charge if yours contains errors, even though you have provided all the necessary supporting documents. However, please note that if the error affects the cost of the vehicle registration document (incorrect postcode, incorrect tax power, incorrect tax power, incorrect tax on polluting cars, etc.), as the case may be, you will have to pay the difference in the sums due or the administration will refund you once the vehicle registration document has been corrected.
It also happens that the administration does not put certain information (second name for example) on your vehicle registration. They are recorded by its services. So, this is not a mistake.
There are situations where car owners are forced to change their registration. This is particularly the case when there is usurpation of registration. This is known as a duplicate. This happens when malicious people use fake license plates to avoid controls and automatic radars. If you are a victim of such a case, you will have a new registration and you will not have to pay for your vehicle registration.
You can access the government website to find out the price of your new vehicle registration. The online simulators set up will be of great help to you to know the taxes applied in your region.
The roadworthiness test of a vehicle has several purposes. This is a mandatory step for all cars over 4 years old. The roadworthiness test must generally be carried out every 2 years at an approved centre. However, you can have your vehicle checked before it is put up for sale or before making a long journey.
More and more accidents are caused by old cars. Roadworthiness tests are a means of detecting all mechanical and technical malfunctions encountered by a vehicle. At the end of the latter, the owner must carry out the necessary repairs. Apart from its safety role, roadworthiness tests also make it possible to investigate the level of pollution emitted by a car. It must be carried out by all those who wish to sell their vehicle so that buyers can know exactly the condition of the car they want.
It is simply an examination to be carried out at a technical centre to have the condition of the vehicle checked. The controller will check the main components of the vehicle to ensure that they are working properly: steering, braking system, lighting, etc. He will also check whether the car fully complies with pollution standards. Depending on the condition of the vehicle and the number of failures detected, he may counter-check the vehicle. The main objective of roadworthiness testing is to reduce road accidents as much as possible. The French government is also counting on this measure to clean up the car fleet by limiting the circulation of old vehicles. The latter are no longer in compliance with regulations and environmental objectives.
Not all vehicles are subject to roadworthiness testing. Thus, caravans, tractors, unlicensed vehicles and 2 or 3-wheel motorcycles are exempt. Although the roadworthiness test should normally be carried out every 2 years, each owner is free to have the condition of their car checked voluntarily. This is a preventive measure. This can be done before the holidays or when you must
travel several kilometres by car. This so-called voluntary roadworthiness test is also recommended after an accident. Otherwise, if the owner notices several defective points on his car, he can go directly to a garage or technical centre to have it checked.
Daily checks are part of the good driver’s reflex. This habit is even more important if you are preparing to go far away. Three essential points deserve attention for a safe verification.
When you drive, it is important to check the elements around the wheel regularly: tires and brakes. As far as tyres are concerned, their wear and tear and inflation must be checked. To check the wear, it is enough to observe the indicator, the small band slightly raised at the bottom of the sculptures. The closer the indicator is to the surface, the more likely your car will fail, especially on wet surfaces. For inflation, the tyre pressure must always comply with the manufacturer’s instructions. Overpressure makes handling more difficult, and under pressure increases tyre wear. Once the tyres have been checked, the brake check must be carried out. To do this, the thickness of the plates must be checked, it must not be less than 3 mm. As for your hand brake, if you notice that it rises too high, more than 5 notches, before holding, you should contact a professional.
Signalling is an essential element for road safety, as it ensures your safety and that of other people and motorists. A blinking flasher will fail to signal your direction to other cars, so the driver will apply the brakes too late. The same applies to stop lights. Fortunately, checking its lights is very simple. The rhythm of the indicator on the dashboard is more intense when one of its lights does not work properly. You can also ask someone to observe the fires while you operate them. For headlamps, it is necessary to ensure that the lenses are clean for optimal lighting and to adjust their angles so as not to dazzle, but to illuminate the road.
One check that every vehicle owner must do every morning is to check the condition of the fluids. Checking the coolant is the key, its level must be within the limits indicated on the jar. Afterwards, check the engine oil, brake and power steering fluids. Once these are in order, you can focus your attention on the windshield washer. In all cases, you must respect the minimum and maximum fluid limits. If the level is too low, it accelerates the wear of the parts, too high, it is the distribution network that may burst under pressure.
To ensure the proper functioning of your vehicle, you must choose an engine oil that is perfectly adapted to it to lubricate it. In addition to contributing to engine cooling, it also keeps the engine clean and prevents wear and tear on its components. It therefore helps to guarantee the life of the engine. So how to choose the right engine oil for your car? The point.
The viscosity index is the first element you should consider when choosing the engine oil for your vehicle. If you own a vehicle with a recent engine, choose an oil with a viscosity index of 5w30 or 5w40. This type of oil is also recommended for motorists who tend to put a lot of stress on their cars and heavy rollers. Semi-synthetic oils, with a viscosity index of 10w40, are suitable for mixed routes. Like synthetic oils, they also optimize the cold start of the engine. Mineral oils (15w40) are recommended for older petrol cars or for diesel vehicles without turbocharging. With this oil, a regular auto oil change is essential.
When choosing the right engine oil to maintain your car, it is also important to consider the standards adapted to your vehicle type. To do this, you can seek the advice of a professional or simply rely on your car’s manual. The standards on the back of the engine oil cans give you an idea of their performance and give you a clear idea of the type of engine for which they are recommended. These indications also make it possible to know if they comply with recommendations specific to a manufacturer.
There are many brands of motor oil and prices vary considerably from one brand to another. Generally, 100% synthetic oils are more expensive than semi-synthetic or mineral oils. In addition to prices, it is also necessary to inquire about the level of additive injected by manufacturers into each engine oil. Oils with a high number of additives are the most expensive. You are not obliged to turn to any brand or to the one recommended by your car manufacturer. Simply make sure you choose an engine oil that perfectly meets its recommendations to ensure the durability of your engine. If you have any doubts, do not hesitate to seek professional advice.
Prices are falling, range is increasing, models are multiplying on the market, the electric car is attracting more and more interest. And even if the offer of electric cars is less extensive than that of combustion-powered cars, it is often difficult for a novice to find his way around when choosing his electric car. Autonomy, equipment, … These are the main criteria to consider when making the right choice.
Battery life is probably the number one criterion to consider when choosing an electric car. Currently, the average range of an electric car is 140 km, although some top-of-the-range brands announce a range of up to 400 km. It should also be noted that there is still a slight difference between the autonomy proposed by the manufacturers and the autonomy in real conditions. The battery life depends on its capacity, but also on the way each user drives and of course on the weather conditions. Indeed, a low temperature (in winter) lowers the vehicle’s performance, not to mention the use of energy-intensive heating. As with combustion-powered cars, sporty driving will increase battery consumption.
The recharging part is also an important aspect when buying an electric car. There are two things to consider. First, the charger on board the car, whose power defines the speed of the vehicle’s charging time. The standard on all cars is 3 kW, but some brands offer a power of 7 kW as standard or optional or even 22 kW. Secondly, a quick connector in Combo or CHAdeMO will allow a fast recharge of up to 80% in 30 minutes, essential for those who regularly make long journeys.
When choosing an electric car, we focus mainly on range, battery capacity, charging and we tend to forget that a car is also the different equipment that will be used all day long (sunroof, Apple Car Play, driving assistance, reversing radar, GPS navigation, etc.) which are just as important. Since winter temperatures affect the car’s performance, it would be interesting to opt for the heat pump option, which is much less energy consuming than a normal heating system. The same goes for heated seats, which allow better concentration of heat to reduce consumption. A check list would be ideal so that you don’t forget the equipment you want to equip your vehicle with.
Recharging stations allow the battery of an electric vehicle to be recharged according to its power level and public charging stations deliver a higher power resulting in a reduction in charging time. The electric car is perceived as an alternative to thermal cars but are the cost of recharging as well as energy consumption advantageous to highlight them?
The consumption of an electric car is influenced by several factors (battery capacity, driving mode and speed, etc.) determining the recharging frequencies, the unit of measurement also changes compared to gasoline vehicles, from liter per hundred kilometres (L / 100 km) to kilowatt hour per hundred kilometres (kWh / 100 km). Charging your electric car at home automatically raises the question whether the electricity bill will increase for individuals, indeed, an average consumption of 12 KWh / 100 km costs 1.76 € / 100 km, with 1.89 € / 100 km in peak hours and 1.47 € / 100 km during off-peak hours.
It is possible to configure vehicles to start charging during off-peak hours but may not be profitable if the bollard does not deliver power adapted to the battery’s power. A battery power of 20 kWh takes an average recharge time of 5h 30mn on a 3.7 kWh, 3h on a 7 kWh and 1h 15mn for a 22-kWh terminal. The price depends on the models and ranges from €500 to €1,500 in addition to the total installation costs.
Recharging an electric vehicle at a public kiosk can be free or offers subscriptions for a reduced recharging cost, the charging rates generally reach 0.25 € / 15 min at the first hour at 4 € / 15 min beyond. Combining methods reduces the cost of recharging in general, but to reduce energy bills, individuals can turn to electricity from alternative suppliers or opt for green electricity.
People wishing to take their electric cars with them are likely to fall victim to operators who can charge a fairly high price for the service, for example in England, eco-electricity amounts to £0.17 / kWh + £3 for each initiated recharge or £8.1 (about €9) for a 30 kWh tank.
Purchasing an electric vehicle is comparable to a combustion engine (with the help of the ecological bonus), it is worth significantly less than €2 / 100 km compared to combustion engines, costing €6.16 / 100 km for a diesel model and €7.44 / 100 km for gasoline in terms of energy consumption. The electric car is significantly more economical but nevertheless has a disadvantage, represented by the pollution caused by batteries.
Hybrid vehicles are equipped with a combustion engine in addition to an additional electric motor in order to reduce fuel consumption. Hybrid car models offer different features and combine two technologies to benefit from the advantages of each.
Standard hybrid cars, also known as full-hybrid cars, are the most popular model of environmentally friendly vehicles, with two engines: a main internal combustion engine and an electric one to move the vehicle at low speeds and assist during acceleration. Fuel consumption is significantly reduced, for example 5L/100 km for a Toyota Yaris hybrid, the use of advanced braking technology offers superior driving comfort (manoeuvring, silence, etc.) and allows the battery under the rear seat to be charged during braking and deceleration phases.
However, the conventional hybrid car comes with a relatively high price compared to a thermal model and requires a higher investment from the buyer since the removal of the ecological bonus. The battery has a low capacity and is characterized by a dead weight, which leads to overconsumption at high speeds and the impossibility of alternating between the use of gasoline or electricity as primary energy.
This model called “plug-in hybrid” or PHEV also has two engines, the driver can select the driving mode and the vehicle can drive at higher speeds in 100% electric mode. The battery capacity is higher compared to a conventional hybrid car and can be recharged by an external source (recharging time between 3 and 4 hours) in addition to recharging by braking. Plug-in vehicles have very low fuel consumption, 1L/100 km can operate in hybrid mode over long distances.
However, the purchase price of this model remains high (e.g. €36,900 for the rechargeable Toyota Prius) and requires more frequent maintenance due to the presence of two high-power engines. The plug-in hybrid also suffers from overconsumption at high speeds, caused by the inactivity of the electric motor.
Mild-hybrid vehicles differ from traditional hybrid cars in that their electric motor is used only to assist the main engine and cannot run exclusively on electric energy. The battery has a lighter capacity but keeps the recharging capacity by braking kinetics and is more efficient depending on the settings.
Mild-hybrid models tend to emit a higher level of carbon than conventional hybrids and the latter can only run on fossil fuels, but they still have a lower production cost compared to conventional hybrid cars.
The hybrid vehicle integrates two engine technologies to produce power while reducing environmental impact. The combustion engine and electric motor combine to deliver cleaner vehicle traffic. But the different hybrid car models each offer advantages and features that can be adapted to traffic methods.
All hybrid car models are equipped with a technology that allows the battery to be recharged during braking phases. The classic or full-hybrid hybrid car is the most popular model on the market, it is equipped with an internal combustion and electric engine to reduce fuel consumption but does not offer driving by alternating primary energy.
The plug-in hybrid model is also equipped with an internal combustion and electric engine with a large battery capacity, offering the possibility of driving in electric mode at higher speeds. The battery can be recharged by an external source and requires more frequent maintenance.
Light hybrids have both types of engines operating exclusively through the combustion engine, the secondary engine only supports the main engine for acceleration and starting tasks. They remain much more affordable compared to traditional hybrid cars.
Choosing a hybrid vehicle is directly perceived as an action to reduce carbon emissions in the atmosphere, in fact, driving a hybrid car helps to reduce the environmental impact of daily travel while maintaining intact transportation efficiency. Long-distance driving is achieved by alternating primary energies and offers the possibility of driving in a city exclusively based on the electric motor.
The use of lighter engines and materials makes these vehicles very fuel-efficient and maintains a relatively high market value in cases where owners decide to resell their hybrid cars.
The choice of hybrid vehicle determines the type of driving as well as the fuel economy by the fact that each model offers a driving mode adapted to their characteristics. Full-hybrid and plug-in hybrid models are mainly intended for fuel economy but come at a significantly higher price compared to mild-hybrid models, which consume slightly less fuel than a vehicle with an internal combustion engine. It should be noted, however, that the electric motor can be a dead weight for all hybrid car models and lead to overconsumption at high speeds, mainly on highways.
Battery life is an important criterion for buying or renting an electric car. But what are the factors that determine this autonomy? Find the explanations in this article.
The average range announced by the manufacturers varies between 150 km and 400 km. On the other hand, the actual battery life of an electric vehicle is between 100 km and 300 km. If we look at these figures, we can say that electric cars are more likely to be used for everyday purposes. More precisely, it is preferable to use them on short trips.
You should know that the battery is the most expensive component of an electric vehicle. It is the power of this battery that determines first and foremost the range it can provide. Thus, the larger the battery, the more powerful it is. However, this will make the vehicle heavier. On the other hand, a battery that is too light will lack power. By the way, the average weight of an electric car battery is 300 kg.
Otherwise, the range also depends on the type of battery used by the manufacturer. There are currently 4 types on the market: Lithium-ion polymer, Lithium-ion, Lithium metal polymer, Battery with electrode and electrolytes.
Then, your driving style is also to be considered. If you like speed, the risk of dry run is high. Therefore, if you want to drive several kilometres with your car, drive at a moderate speed. In addition, aggressive driving can reduce range by up to 10%. So, adopt a more economical style, that is, one that is flexible and calm.
The use of “comfort” options should be banned if you want to have more autonomy. Indeed, air conditioning and heating require the use of electric power, which will reduce the power of your battery.
Finally, it is important to know that extreme cold also affects the battery power. When the outside temperature is below 0°C, the battery no longer offers the same power. In addition, you will have to turn on the heating system. As a result, you may have a decrease in autonomy of up to 41%.
In short, the average range of an electric car depends first and foremost on the quality of its battery and other factors. You were able to see the main elements to know about this. These points will be useful before you buy an electric car.
The production of internal combustion engine vehicles is currently in constant decline in favour of electric vehicles. Indeed, for environmental reasons, these new types of vehicles are less polluting than those running on diesel or gasoline. In France, consumers are beginning to take an interest in electric vehicles. Of course, these are not yet the best-selling models, but some models are very popular. What are the best-selling electric car models in France?
All the French manufacturers have started manufacturing electric cars, whether PSA or Renault. The latter dominates the French electric car market with its “Zoé” model. The model in question is the
one that leads the sales and has been acclaimed by several French motorists. With an average range of 170 kilometres, a “Zoé” consumes only about twelve kilowatts per hundred kilometres. Its strong point is above all the driving comfort and the cost of use and maintenance, which is generally reduced. This electric vehicle is practical in town for economic reasons, but above all ecological with the exemption of certain taxes for its owner. It is available in several variants with a first production in 2012.
The choice of the French is mainly based on French cars when it comes to electric vehicles. But this does not prevent the arrival of other car brands on France. For example, the Japanese manufacturer Nissan offers an electric car model, the “Leaf”, on the French market. This model has already won over many European motorists with its range of more than 270 kilometres. In addition to being environmentally friendly, the Nissan Leaf is also equipped with intelligent driving technology that is attracting more and more motorists. For the most demanding, the Leaf E+ model is more efficient than the basic model and the latter is the most popular.
BMW has also entered the electric car market with its “i3” model. It is one of the most popular models in France because of its range of up to 300 kilometres. Equipped with eDrive technology, this car automatically recovers energy up to 50kW. Although it is an electric car, driving comfort and interior are the two criteria favoured by the French when they consider buying such vehicles.