FINISHED!

Have you made or bought a converted vehicle if so this is for you
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aminorjourney
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Postby aminorjourney » Mon Jun 16, 2008 9:11 pm

Good luck, Christopher.

Do we get to see it on the London-Brighton if it all goes well?\\
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield

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geekygrilli
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Postby geekygrilli » Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:05 am

OMG, it gets worse...I described my course of actions in an e-mail to DVLA in an attempt to get everything clarified in writing, and got this reply:


"It may help if I explain, that vehicles registered before March 2001, pay vehicle tax according to their engine size only. If you convert a vehicle that was registered before March 2001, this would not reduce the rate of vehicle tax you currently pay for your tax. However, the V5C registration certificate should be returned to DVLA with a covering letter, for the fuel type to be amended."

Is this true? The people in the DVLA oiffice said its not an dthat the tax is free!

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aminorjourney
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Postby aminorjourney » Wed Jun 18, 2008 1:32 pm

hi Christopher. That is insane! Don't worry. I think it may be a jobsworth. I would make a personal appointment at your local DVLA office. Take along all your photographs documenting things and showing what has been replaced. If they're still telling you porkies then threaten to write to your MP and uncle Boris, who is known to like EVs.

Not to mention the fact that you're changing the engine to one wth 0cc.
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield

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Host, www.transportevolved.com

http://about.me/aminorjourney/bio

MalcolmB
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Postby MalcolmB » Wed Jun 18, 2008 1:35 pm

I don't think that's right. I changed the fuel type on my W plate (registered in 2000) motorbike to electric and picked up a free tax disc from my local DVLA office. I renewed my tax disc online this year and it came up on screen as zero duty.

The DVLA didn't even ask to see my bike when I went along to the local office, but a few weeks later I had a visit from a couple of nice policemen who said that they should have checked the VIN ID (probably because the bike had been a category C insurance write-off).

They also muttered something about the DVLA not having a clue...

Hope you manage to sort it out before you lose all your hair :)

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geekygrilli
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Postby geekygrilli » Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:27 pm

In teh same e-mail the guy even sent me a link to the DVLA website...which says:

"The vehicles exempt from tax are:

Electric vehicles
Vehicles run by electric will need to be taxed in the ‘electric vehicle’ tax class. The electric must come from an external source or an electric storage battery, which is not connected to any source of power when the vehicle is moving."


I have respectfully replied to this gentleman pointing this out, and like Nikki said, the fact that my car is 0cc.

I think they all initially assume its an LPG conversion. Ho hum, I'll get there in the end.

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aminorjourney
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Postby aminorjourney » Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:40 pm

Well, I know that it's well worth a personal visit to the DVLA. Some offices seem better than others. For what it's worth, the ones in Bristol are brilliant. They're really used to weird EV questions, and didn't have a single problem when I went in asking questions about my PHEV conversion.
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield

EVangelist and Media Relations Coordinator, www.ZeroCarbonWorld.org
Host, www.transportevolved.com

http://about.me/aminorjourney/bio

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geekygrilli
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Postby geekygrilli » Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:49 pm

I have an appointment/inspection on Tuesday at my local DVLA, but it took two visits and 5 people at DVLA Barnet to come up with a way forward, which is now contradicted by DVLA Swansea!

It was all done verbally, so I was just after something in writing with a proper procedure.

Anyway, all seems in hand now, just hope it passes the inspection. In the mean time my little car is sitting on the drive, all charged up with nowhere to go! :cry:

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aminorjourney
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Postby aminorjourney » Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:54 pm

We'll keep our fingers crossed that it's all going to go okay on Tuesday.

Hopefully they should be able to give you the disc there and then, right? What about MOT? Is that still valid?
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield

EVangelist and Media Relations Coordinator, www.ZeroCarbonWorld.org
Host, www.transportevolved.com

http://about.me/aminorjourney/bio

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qdos
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Postby qdos » Wed Jun 18, 2008 3:57 pm

DVLA offices do vary from place to place. The important thing is to be helpful and friendly. I do tend to agree with Macolm on this but there's no point in being an awkward customer as they will wrap you up in so much red tape you'll be sure to come a cropper somewhere if you kick up a fuss. Basically it's an existing road going and registered car which has hand an engine change which uses a different fuel that's all. Much the same as if you had a recon engine put in or swapped to diesel. Be helpful and don't be obstructive. Remember there's bound to be someone else following along in your tacks sooner or later. So you're representing the EV community in your area.

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geekygrilli
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Postby geekygrilli » Wed Jun 18, 2008 4:18 pm

I am being as nice as pie to them, cos I need them to help me, which is why i am venting my frustrations on here (and looking for advice)

Like you said, I don't want to blow it for me and everyone else who might be doing the same.

I think they can give me the disc there and then, and they will send the VC5 off to Swansea for me.


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