THERE’S going to be an almighty rush to buy or lease new cars before March 31st, as the new vehicle licensing system, announced two years ago, only applies to those bought after April 2017. The recent record sales figures suggest that it’s already started with just ten weeks to go.

The licensing changes are apparently a response to the government’s revenue reduction following its attempts to reduce CO2 emissions.

Currently a car with emissions below 100 grams/km pays nothing, from 101-110 it’s £20, and then rises steeply with 121-130 at £110, and so on. So small engine cars, with low emissions, were popular, particularly as the rate stayed the same year after year.

But from April 1st it will be more complicated for new cars. The pattern of paying more for more CO2 emissions will continue, but only for one year.

Thus zero emissions, only from fully electric cars, will still cost nothing, but then 1-50 grams will be £10, 76-90 at £100, 101-110 at £140, 131-150 a jump to £200, then 151-170 £300, 171-190 £800, 226-255 £1,700 and over 255 it will be £2,000.

That does look as though the big CO2 producers are really going to be challenged, but it all changes after the first year, and all engine sizes, big and small, then pay the same - £140.

So it’s really £140 for a car producing 10 grms of CO2 per/km as well as one producing 200, and that means less encouragement to buy a small car. The only extra will be an annual supplement of £310 for cars costing over £40,000, and that only for five years.

It’s clear that the UK car fleet will now produce more CO2 than previously, particularly as cars now last longer.

The only hope is a steep rise in fuel prices to reduce mileage.