The biggest change for drivers this November is one you won't notice, because Chancellor John Healey froze fuel duty in last week's Budget, which means the 3p a litre rise that was due in January is off. Beyond that, Prime Minister Andy Burnham meets EU leaders in Brussels on 20 November, where tariffs on Chinese-built cars are expected to come up, and the government has confirmed Euro 7 emissions rules for new cars, though those don't start until November 2027. London's new pedicab rules, which came in on 30 October, round things off.
Fuel duty frozen in the Budget
Healey confirmed the freeze in his Autumn Budget on 28 October, so the 5p a litre cut that drivers have had since 2022 stays in place for now, and he said it would carry on "through the winter and spring to July". With diesel still close to £2 a litre, that saves you about £2 on every 55-litre fill-up compared with the January rise going ahead.
The Budget also extended the VAT cut on household electricity to July 2027, which Carwow reckons is worth about £50 a year to a typical household and makes charging an electric car at home a little cheaper still. For company car drivers, electric car benefit-in-kind tax has now been set at 10% for 2030/31, and the 3p a mile pay-per-mile charge for electric cars is still due to start in April 2028.
Could Chinese cars cost more after the UK-EU summit?
This is the one to watch if you're thinking about a BYD, Jaecoo, Omoda or MG. Chinese brands took about 23% of the UK new car market in September, according to SMMT figures, and the Jaecoo 7 was Britain's best-selling car that month. Right now, the UK charges only its standard 10% import duty on Chinese-built cars, while the EU adds extra duties on Chinese electric cars of between 7.8% for Tesla's Shanghai-built cars and 35.3% for SAIC, which owns MG, with BYD paying 17% and Geely 18.8%.
The Financial Times reported in September that Brussels wants the UK to move closer to those rules, partly so the UK doesn't become a back door for cheap Chinese cars into Europe, and in return British firms could benefit from the EU's planned "Made in Europe" rules. Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has called the decision "finely balanced", pointing to the risk of China hitting back at British exports, and a government spokesperson told GB News that trade measures are set "based only on the UK's economic interests". Nothing has been agreed, so there's no reason to rush an order through, but if tariffs do come, Chinese electric cars are the ones likely to be affected.
Euro 7 emissions rules confirmed, but not until 2027
You may have read that Euro 7 starts this month, but in Britain it doesn't. The government confirmed on 27 October that every new car and van registered in Great Britain must meet Euro 7 from 29 November 2027, and it decided against setting an earlier date for brand-new models, which is what the EU is doing from 29 November this year. Euro 7 is the first emissions standard to cover electric cars as well as petrol and diesel, because it also takes in brake dust and tyre wear, and dates for lorries, buses and coaches haven't been set yet.
For most drivers it changes nothing you'll notice before 2027, and it doesn't affect the car you already own.
New rules for London pedicabs
If you've ever been stung by a pedicab in the West End, TfL's new licensing rules came in on 30 October, with fares capped at a £5 base charge, £1 a minute and £3 for each extra passenger. Drivers need a licence, a DBS check and either a full driving licence or a theory test certificate, and loudspeakers mounted on pedicabs are banned.
Our verdict
November is much quieter for drivers than the headlines suggest, because the only change you'll actually feel is the fuel duty rise that isn't happening. The 20 November summit is the date to keep an eye on, since it could start the process of making Chinese cars more expensive, but until a decision is made, a good deal on a BYD or Jaecoo today is still a good deal.