Never during the uninterrupted 31-year/1,580-issue non-stop run of this weekly opinion column have I called for a car/motoring-related referendum. Until now. Apologies for stating the obvious, but a car, van or truck is kind of important if you’re one of the 42 million people holding a UK driving licence. With a bit of TLC, routine servicing and MoTs, our much-loved vehicles largely take care of themselves. Unlock, drive, park, lock, repeat pretty much sums up the ownership experience, right?

 

But, in turn, ‘progress’ also means that buying the fuels for those motors can be an increasingly complex, inconvenient, painful and soul-destroying exercise. Examples: after the demonisation of diesel, it has, for some haters, become an almost taboo fuel. Never mind that it enables HGVs to haul food and other essentials... or high-mileage ambulances to transport patients.