Anyone in the UK fancy swapping their 15" wheels for my 17" wheels...?!

Really. My Business Edition on 15" seems fine, or is it just after a CR-V? (66.8 mpg. Yay)!

 

I'm fairly sure that here in the UK the DVLA will not permit anything which alters the emissions of a vehicle without the registration document being changed to show the different emissions

 

Is it just me, or is the UK a little over the top, in saying going to the 17" tires increases emissions? I can see the logic, but is the actual difference so insignificant as to be LOST in the noise of other variables?

I know this is off-topic, UK regulations are what they are. But just seems worth noting. I switch from 215/45R17 OEM's to 195/65R15 snow tires every winter, full disclosure. Fuel economy doesn't see to change. The snow tires are GreenX Michelin X-Ice2, the OEM's Michelin Pilot HX mxm4, also showing the GreenX label, at least on our OEM's.

 

If that is so, how do the Mike Brewer/Edd China/Wheeler Dealer-type shops operate in the UK?

 

Any exterior alterations such as the colour of a vehicle have to be entered in the registration document and on the national database as do alterations to engine CC etc,
Car insurance companies want to know every detail of any alterations also as an excuse to charge more

 

What capnbirdseye said above this, but I would add that UK govt banding of vehicles is based on exhaust emissions and I don't think anyone without super powers of vision can see those in real time. It requires standardised testing on a rolling road with an exhaust gas analyser and it is here that the difference between 15" and 17" wheels becomes significant. The difference may be as little as a few parts per million, BUT in the the eyes of our elected representatives, it can affect the grade of vehicle taxation applied annually. Money always talks loudest!

 

But the emission bandings of vehicles only applies to the manufacturer, the owner can change the wheels, stick a turbo on or anything that is not in the registration document, doesn't matter if it affects the emissions as long as they inform their insurer (so they can add a premium to the insurance policy), or the insurance may become invalid.

 

From next year everything in the Uk changes and even zero emission cars will have to pay a hefty fee for five years if the vehicle cost over £40,000
Tax rates for vehicles registered before 1st April
2017 will not be affected by this change.
• Only M1, M1SP and M1G type approved vehicles
are impacted by these changes (for definitions
of vehicles included in these changes see
table 1 below).
• The way in which tax is calculated for all other
vehicle types will not be changing.
• All vehicles (M1, M1SP and M1G) with zero
emissions will be exempt from the standard
rate of vehicle tax. All other vehicles will pay
a standard rate of £140 a year.
• An additional rate will be added to the vehicle
tax for all new vehicles with a list price of over
£40,000. This additional rate of £310 will be
payable each year for 5 years from the end of the
first vehicle licence. After the 5 year period the
standard rate will apply.
• Zero emission vehicles will have a standard rate of
£0 but if the list price is over £40,000 they will pay
the additional rate of £310 a year for 5 years.
• Multi stage build M1SP and M1G vehicles without

 

It says on the GOV.UK website you have to tell them and in some cases allow inspection:
Changes you need to update
You must update your V5C if you change any of the following:

• colour
• engine
• cylinder capacity (cc)
• fuel type
• chassis or bodyshell (replaced or modified)
• seating capacity
• weight of a large vehicle, eg goods vehicle or campervan

Changes that may need inspection
You must also update your V5C if you change any of the following:

• wheel plan
• body type, eg you convert a van to a campervan or ’motor caravan’ (DVLA gives a body type description based on the vehicle’s external appearance)
• vehicle identification number (VIN)
• chassis number
• frame number for motorbikes

DVLA will tell you if they need to inspect the change.

 

That may be so, but after 3 years an mot test can fail you for bad emissions.

 

You're talking to a guy who's been eating chili for 3 days now.

 

Not on the Prius, the Prius is exempt from the emissions test: Emissions testing - GOV.UK

 

But no mention of wheel size or adding a turbo there.

 

New Prius owners will still get some grace, the Prius is an "alternative fuel" vehicle (according to the V5), so the VED will be £130 from year 2 not £140, £10 off, whoopee .