Energy Act 2004

Chapter 5U.K.Renewable transport fuel obligations

124Imposition of renewable transport fuel obligationsU.K.

(1)The Secretary of State may by order impose on each transport fuel supplier of a specified description the obligation mentioned in subsection (2) (a “renewable transport fuel obligation”).

(2)That obligation is an obligation, for each specified period, for the supplier to produce to the Administrator, by the specified date, evidence which—

(a)is of the specified kind and in the specified form; and

(b)shows that during the specified period the specified amount of renewable transport fuel was supplied at or for delivery to places in the United Kingdom.

(3)An order under subsection (1) is referred to in this Chapter as an “RTF order”.

(4)Before making an RTF order the Secretary of State must consult such persons appearing to him to represent persons whose interests will be affected by the order, and such other persons, as he considers appropriate.

(5)The power to make an RTF order is subject to the affirmative resolution procedure.

[F1125Appointment of the AdministratorU.K.

(1)For the purposes of provision made by or under this Chapter, an RTF order may—

(a)establish a body corporate, and

(b)appoint that body as the Administrator.

(2)An RTF order may—

(a)make provision for the appointment of members of the body;

(b)make provision in relation to the staffing of the body;

(c)make provision in relation to the expenditure of the body;

(d)make provision regulating the procedure of the body;

(e)make any other provision that the Secretary of State considers appropriate for purposes connected with the establishment and maintenance of the body.

(3)The provision that may be made by an RTF order by virtue of this section includes, in particular, provision conferring discretions on—

(a)the Secretary of State;

(b)the body itself; or

(c)members or staff of the body.

125AGeneral functions of the AdministratorU.K.

(1)An RTF order may—

(a)confer or impose powers and duties on the Administrator for purposes connected with the implementation of provision made by or under this Chapter;

(b)confer discretions on the Administrator in relation to the making of determinations under such an order and otherwise in relation to the Administrator's powers and duties; and

(c)impose duties on transport fuel suppliers for purposes connected with the Administrator's powers and duties (including, in particular, duties framed by reference to determinations made by the Administrator).

(2)It is the duty of the Administrator to promote the supply of renewable transport fuel whose production, supply or use—

(a)causes or contributes to the reduction of carbon emissions, and

(b)contributes to sustainable development or the protection or enhancement of the environment generally.

125BFunctions of the Administrator: supplementaryU.K.

(1)The powers that may be conferred on the Administrator by virtue of section 125A(1) include, in particular—

(a)power to require a transport fuel supplier to provide the Administrator with such information as the Administrator may require for purposes connected with the carrying out of the Administrator's functions;

(b)power to impose requirements as to the form in which such information must be provided and as to the period within which it must be provided;

(c)power to imposes charges of specified amounts on transport fuel suppliers.

(2)The Secretary of State may give written directions to the Administrator about the exercise of any power conferred on the Administrator by virtue of subsection (1)(a) or (b).

(3)The power to give directions under subsection (2) includes power to vary or revoke the directions.

(4)The Administrator must comply with any directions given under that subsection.

(5)Sums received by the Administrator by virtue of provision within subsection (1)(c)—

(a)where the Administrator is the Secretary of State, must be paid into the Consolidated Fund, and

(b)otherwise, must be used for the purpose of meeting costs incurred in carrying out the Administrator's functions.

(6)The Secretary of State may make grants to the Administrator on such terms as the Secretary of State may determine.

125CTransfer of functions to new AdministratorU.K.

(1)The Secretary of State may by order—

(a)appoint a person as the Administrator (“the new Administrator”) in place of a person previously so appointed by order under this Chapter (“the old Administrator”), and

(b)provide for the transfer of the functions of the old Administrator to the new Administrator.

(2)Only the following persons may be appointed as the Administrator by order under this section—

(a)the Secretary of State;

(b)a body or other person established or appointed by or under any enactment to carry out other functions;

(c)a body corporate established by the order for appointment as the Administrator.

(3)An order under this section that establishes a body for appointment as the Administrator may make any provision that may be made by an RTF order by virtue of section 125.

(4)An order under this section may provide for the transfer of staff of the old Administrator, and of any property, rights or liabilities to which the old Administrator is entitled or subject, to the new Administrator and may, in particular—

(a)provide for the transfer of any property, rights or liabilities to have effect subject to exceptions or reservations specified in or determined under the order;

(b)provide for the creation of interests in, or rights over, property transferred or retained or for the creation of new rights and liabilities;

(c)provide for the order to have effect in spite of anything that would prevent or restrict the transfer of the property, rights or liabilities otherwise than by the order.

(5)The order may, in particular—

(a)provide for anything done by or in relation to the old Administrator to have effect as if done by or in relation to the new Administrator;

(b)permit anything (which may include legal proceedings) which is in the process of being done by or in relation to the old Administrator when the transfer takes effect to be continued by or in relation to the new Administrator;

(c)provide for a reference to the old Administrator in an instrument or other document to be treated as a reference to the new Administrator;

(d)where the old Administrator was established by order under this Chapter, make provision for the dissolution of the old Administrator;

(e)make such modifications of any enactment relating to the old Administrator or the new Administrator as the Secretary of State considers appropriate for the purpose of facilitating the transfer.

(6)An order under this section that provides for the transfer of staff of the old Administrator to the new Administrator must make provision for the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 to apply to the transfer.

(7)Subject to subsection (8), an order under this section is subject to the negative resolution procedure.

(8)The power to make an order under this section is subject to the affirmative resolution procedure if the order—

(a)contains provision by virtue of subsection (2)(c), or

(b)makes any modification of an enactment contained in—

(i)an Act of Parliament,

(ii)an Act of the Scottish Parliament,

(iii)a Measure or Act of the National Assembly for Wales, or

(iv)Northern Ireland legislation.]

126Determinations of amounts of transport fuelU.K.

(1)An RTF order may make provision about how amounts of transport fuel are to be counted or determined for the purposes of provision made by or under this Chapter.

(2)The provision that may be made by virtue of this section includes, in particular—

(a)provision for amounts of renewable transport fuel to count towards discharging a renewable transport fuel obligation for a period only if the fuel is of a specified description;

(b)provision for amounts of renewable transport fuel of a specified description to count towards discharging such an obligation only up to a specified amount;

(c)provision for such an obligation not to be treated as discharged unless a specified minimum amount of renewable transport fuel of a specified description has been counted towards its discharge;

(d)provision for only such proportion of any renewable transport fuel of a specified description as is attributable to a specified substance, source of energy, method, process or other matter to count towards discharging such an obligation;

(e)provision as to how that proportion is to be determined;

(f)provision for an amount of renewable transport fuel of a specified description to count towards discharging such an obligation only if, or to the extent that, specified conditions are satisfied in relation to its supply, the person by or to whom it was supplied or the place at or for delivery to which it was supplied;

(g)provision for evidence produced by a supplier in relation to any fuel not to count for the purposes of his renewable transport fuel obligation for a period if evidence in relation to the same fuel has previously been produced (whether by him or by another supplier);

(h)provision for evidence produced by a supplier in relation to any fuel not to count for those purposes if, after the supply to which the evidence relates, the fuel is supplied by any person at or for delivery to a place outside the United Kingdom or a specified part of the United Kingdom;

(i)provision about the measurement of amounts of different descriptions of transport fuel;

(j)provision for units of transport fuel of a specified description to count for more or less than the same units of transport fuel of other descriptions;

(k)provision about how measurements in different units of different descriptions of transport fuel are to be aggregated;

(l)provision for the application of presumptions where specified matters are shown.

(3)The provision that may be made by virtue of this section also includes, in particular, provision which—

(a)is made having regard to one or more of the effects mentioned in subsection (4) (whether in the United Kingdom or elsewhere); or

(b)requires regard to be had to one or more such effects.

(4)Those effects are the effects of the production, supply or use of fuel of a particular description on—

(a)carbon emissions;

(b)agriculture;

(c)other economic activities;

(d)sustainable development; or

(e)the environment generally.

[F2(5)If an RTF order makes provision for the counting or determination of amounts of transport fuel for the purposes of provision made by or under this Chapter by reference to any document, it may provide for references to the document to have effect as references to it as revised or re-issued from time to time.

(6)The Secretary of State may give written directions to the Administrator about the exercise of any of the Administrator's functions in connection with the counting or determination of amounts of transport fuel for the purposes of provision made by or under this Chapter.

(7)The power to give directions under subsection (6) includes power to vary or revoke the directions.

(8)The Administrator must comply with any directions given under that subsection.]

127Renewable transport fuel certificatesU.K.

(1)An RTF order may make provision for the Administrator to issue certificates to transport fuel suppliers (“RTF certificates”).

(2)An RTF certificate is to certify—

(a)that the supplier to whom it is issued has supplied the amount of renewable transport fuel stated in the certificate;

(b)that that amount of such fuel was supplied by him during the period stated in the certificate;

(c)that that amount of such fuel was supplied by him during that period at or for delivery to a place in the United Kingdom or in the part of the United Kingdom stated in the certificate; and

(d)the other specified facts.

(3)Such a certificate may be issued to a supplier only if—

(a)he applies for it in the specified manner;

(b)his application includes evidence of the specified kind and in the specified form; and

(c)the other specified conditions are satisfied.

(4)An RTF order may authorise transfers of RTF certificates (whether for a consideration or otherwise) between persons of specified descriptions.

(5)Such an order may also provide that such a transfer is not to be effective unless—

(a)the specified details of it have been notified to the Administrator in the specified manner and within the specified time; and

(b)the other specified requirements have been complied with.

(6)If a supplier produces an RTF certificate to the Administrator, it is to count for the purposes of section 124(2) as sufficient evidence of the facts certified.

(7)An RTF order may provide that, in specified circumstances, evidence produced by virtue of subsection (6) may count to the specified extent towards the discharge of a renewable transport fuel obligation for a period even if it is produced after the time by which evidence had to be produced for the purposes of that obligation.

(8)Such an order may also provide that, in specified circumstances, evidence produced by virtue of subsection (6) may count to the specified extent towards the discharge of a renewable transport fuel obligation for a period that is later than the period stated in the certificate in question in accordance with subsection (2)(b).

128Discharge of obligation by paymentU.K.

(1)An RTF order may provide that a person who does not wholly discharge his renewable transport fuel obligation for a period by the production of evidence must pay the Administrator the specified sum within the specified period.

(2)The provision that may be made by virtue of subsection (1) includes, in particular, provision—

(a)for the specified sum to increase, in cases where that sum is not paid within a specified period, at the specified rate until it is paid or until the occurrence of a specified event;

(b)for specified amounts to be adjusted from time to time for inflation in the specified manner;

(c)for the repayment of sums in cases where provision made by virtue of section 127(7) applies in relation to a person;

(d)prohibiting the Administrator from taking steps to recover the specified sum or a part of that sum if specified conditions are satisfied.

(3)Provision within subsection (2)(b) may refer, in particular, to a specified index or to other data, including any index or data as modified from time to time after the coming into force of the order.

(4)An RTF order may provide that, in a case in which the amount of payments by virtue of subsection (1) which the Administrator has received by the specified time in respect of renewable transport fuel obligations for any period falls short of the amount due in respect of that period, the persons who—

(a)were subject to renewable transport fuel obligations for that period, and

(b)are of a specified description,

must, within the specified period and in the specified circumstances, each make a payment (or further payment) to the Administrator of an amount calculated in the specified manner.

(5)The provision that may be made by virtue of subsection (4) includes, in particular, provision for the making of adjustments and repayments after a requirement to make payments has already arisen.

[F3(6)Where the Administrator is the Secretary of State—

(a)sums received by the Administrator by virtue of this section must be paid into the Consolidated Fund, and

(b)an RTF order may make provision for sums to be paid by the Administrator to transport fuel suppliers, or to transport fuel suppliers of a specified description, in accordance with the specified system of allocation.

(7)Such an order must contain provision ensuring that the total of the sums so paid by the Administrator does not at any time exceed the total of the sums so received by the Administrator up to that time.

(8)Where the Administrator is a person other than the Secretary of State, an RTF order may—

(a)require the Administrator to use, to the specified extent, sums received by the Administrator by virtue of this section for the purpose of meeting costs incurred in carrying out the Administrator's functions, or

(b)require the Administrator to pay, to the specified extent, sums so received to the Secretary of State.

(9)Sums so received which are not dealt with in accordance with provision made under subsection (8) must be paid by the Administrator to transport fuel suppliers, or to transport fuel suppliers of a specified description, in accordance with the specified system of allocation.

(10)The Secretary of State must pay sums received by the Secretary of State by virtue of provision made under subsection (8)(b) into the Consolidated Fund.]

129Imposition of civil penaltiesU.K.

(1)An RTF order may—

(a)designate a provision made by or under this Chapter for the purposes of this section; and

(b)provide that a person is to be liable to a civil penalty if—

(i)he contravenes that provision; and

(ii)any other specified conditions are satisfied.

(2)Where the Administrator is satisfied that a person (the “defaulter”) is so liable, he may give a notice to the defaulter in the specified manner (a “civil penalty notice”) imposing on the defaulter a penalty of such amount as the Administrator considers appropriate.

(3)That penalty must not exceed the lesser of—

(a)the specified amount; and

(b)the amount equal to ten per cent of the turnover, as determined in the specified manner, of the specified business of the defaulter.

(4)The civil penalty notice must—

(a)set out the Administrator’s reasons for deciding that the defaulter is liable to a penalty;

(b)state the amount of the penalty that is being imposed;

(c)set out a date before which the penalty must be paid to the Administrator;

(d)describe how payment may be made;

(e)explain the steps that the defaulter may take if he objects to the penalty; and

(f)set out and explain the powers of the Administrator to enforce the penalty.

(5)The date for the payment of the penalty must not be less than 14 days after the giving of the civil penalty notice.

(6)A penalty imposed by virtue of this section must be paid to the Administrator—

(a)by the date set out in the civil penalty notice by which it is imposed; and

(b)in a manner described in that notice.

[F4(7)Sums received by the Administrator by virtue of this section—

(a)where the Administrator is the Secretary of State, must be paid into the Consolidated Fund, and

(b)otherwise, must be paid to the Secretary of State, who must pay them into the Consolidated Fund.]

130Objections to civil penaltiesU.K.

(1)A person to whom a civil penalty notice is given may give notice to the Administrator that he objects to the penalty on one or both of the following grounds—

(a)that he is not liable to pay it;

(b)that the amount of the penalty is too high.

(2)The notice of objection—

(a)must set out the grounds of the objection and the objector’s reasons for objecting on those grounds; and

(b)must be given to the Administrator in the specified manner and within the specified period after the giving of the civil penalty notice.

(3)The Administrator must consider a notice of objection given in accordance with this section and may then—

(a)cancel the penalty;

(b)reduce it;

(c)increase it; or

(d)confirm it.

(4)The Administrator must not enforce a penalty in respect of which he has received a notice of objection before he has notified the objector of the outcome of his consideration of the objection.

(5)That notification of the outcome of his consideration must be given, in the specified manner—

(a)before the end of the specified period; or

(b)within such longer period as he may agree with the objector.

(6)Where, on consideration of an objection, the Administrator increases the penalty, he must give the objector a new civil penalty notice; and, where he reduces it, the notification mentioned in subsection (5) must set out the reduced amount.

131Appeals against civil penaltiesU.K.

(1)A person to whom a civil penalty notice is given may appeal to the court on one or both of the following grounds—

(a)that he is not liable to pay the penalty;

(b)that the amount of the penalty is too high.

(2)An appeal under this section must be brought within such period after the giving of the civil penalty notice as may be set out in rules of court.

(3)On an appeal under this section, the court may—

(a)allow the appeal and cancel the penalty;

(b)allow the appeal and reduce the penalty; or

(c)dismiss the appeal.

(4)An appeal under this section is to be by way of a rehearing of the Administrator’s decision to impose the penalty.

(5)The matters to which the court may have regard when determining an appeal under this section include all matters that the court considers relevant, including—

(a)matters of which the Administrator was unaware when he made his decision; and

(b)matters which (apart from this subsection) the court would be prevented from having regard to by virtue of rules of court.

(6)An appeal under this section may be brought in relation to a penalty irrespective of whether a notice of objection under section 130 has been given in respect of that penalty or whether there has been an increase or reduction under that section.

(7)In this section “the court” means—

(a)in England and Wales or Northern Ireland, the High Court; and

(b)in Scotland, the Court of Session.

[F5131ADisclosure of information held by Revenue and CustomsU.K.

(1)This section applies to information held by or on behalf of the Commissioners for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs in connection with their functions under or by virtue of the Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979.

(2)Such information may be disclosed to—

(a)the Administrator, or

(b)an authorised person,

for the purposes of or in connection with the Administrator's functions.

(3)In this Chapter “authorised person” means a person who—

(a)provides services to, or exercises functions on behalf of, the Administrator, and

(b)is authorised by the Administrator to receive information to which this section applies.

(4)The Administrator may authorise such a person to receive information to which this section applies either generally or for a specific purpose.

131BFurther disclosure of informationU.K.

(1)This section applies to information disclosed under section 131A, other than information which is also provided to the Administrator or an authorised person otherwise than under that section.

(2)Information to which this section applies may not be disclosed—

(a)by the Administrator,

(b)by an authorised person, or

(c)by any other person who obtains it in the course of providing services to, or exercising functions on behalf of, the Administrator,

except as permitted by the following provisions of this section.

(3)Subsection (2) does not apply to a disclosure made—

(a)by the Administrator to an authorised person,

(b)by an authorised person to the Administrator, or

(c)by an authorised person to another authorised person,

for the purposes of, or in connection with, the discharge of the Administrator's functions.

(4)Subsection (2) does not apply to a disclosure if it is—

(a)authorised by an enactment,

(b)made in pursuance of an order of a court,

(c)made for the purposes of a criminal investigation or criminal proceedings (whether or not within the United Kingdom) relating to a matter in respect of which the Administrator has functions,

(d)made for the purposes of civil proceedings (whether or not within the United Kingdom) relating to a matter in respect of which the Administrator has functions,

(e)made with the consent of the Commissioners for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, or

(f)made with the consent of each person to whom the information relates.

131CWrongful disclosureU.K.

(1)A person commits an offence if—

(a)he discloses information about a person in contravention of section 131B(2), and

(b)the person's identity is specified in the disclosure or can be deduced from it.

(2)In subsection (1) “information about a person” means revenue and customs information relating to a person within the meaning of section 19(2) of the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005 (wrongful disclosure).

(3)It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under this section to prove that he reasonably believed—

(a)that the disclosure was lawful, or

(b)that the information had already and lawfully been made available to the public.

(4)A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—

(a)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine or both, or

(b)on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months or a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or both.

(5)A prosecution for an offence under this section—

(a)may be brought in England and Wales only with the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions;

(b)may be brought in Northern Ireland only with the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland.

[F6(5A)In the application of this section in England and Wales the reference in subsection (4)(b) to twelve months is to be read as a reference to the general limit in a magistrates’ court (or in relation to an offence committed before 2 May 2022, to six months).]

(6)In the application of this section—

F7(a). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(b)in Northern Ireland,

the reference in subsection (4)(b) to twelve months is to be read as a reference to six months.]

[F8131DRecycled carbon fuel and nuclear-derived fuelU.K.

(1)An RTF order may—

(a)designate as recycled carbon fuel a description of liquid or gaseous fuel which is produced wholly from waste derived from a fossil source of energy;

(b)designate as nuclear-derived fuel a description of liquid or gaseous fuel which is produced wholly using, or by a process powered wholly by, nuclear fuel.

(2)Where a designation under subsection (1) is in force, the recycled carbon fuel or nuclear-derived fuel is to be treated for the purposes of this Chapter and any RTF order as renewable transport fuel.]

132Interpretation of Chapter 5 of Part 2U.K.

(1)In this Chapter—

• [F9“Administrator” means the person for the time being appointed as the Administrator by order under this Chapter; ]

• [F10“authorised person” has the meaning given by section 131A(3); ]

• “biofuel” means liquid or gaseous fuel that is produced wholly from biomass;

• “blended biofuel” means liquid or gaseous fuel consisting of a blend of biofuel and fossil fuel;

• “civil penalty notice” has the meaning given by section 129(2);

• [F10“enactment” includes—

  (a)

  an enactment contained in subordinate legislation,

  (b)

  an enactment contained in, or in an instrument made under, an Act of the Scottish Parliament,

  (c)

  an enactment contained in, or in an instrument made under, Northern Ireland legislation, and

  (d)

  an enactment contained in, or in an instrument made under, a Measure or Act of the National Assembly for Wales;]

• “renewable transport fuel” means—

  (a)

  biofuel;

  (b)

  blended biofuel;

  (c)

  any solid, liquid or gaseous fuel (other than fossil fuel or nuclear fuel) which is produced—

  (i)

  wholly by energy from a renewable source; or

  (ii)

  wholly by a process powered wholly by such energy; or

  (d)

  any solid, liquid or gaseous fuel which is of a description of fuel designated by an RTF order as renewable transport fuel;

• “renewable transport fuel obligation” has the meaning given by section 124(1);

• “RTF order” has the meaning given by section 124(3);

• “specified” means specified in, or determined in accordance with, an RTF order;

• “supply” means, in relation to fuel, the supply of that fuel to any person with a view to its being used (whether by that person or persons to whom it is subsequently supplied) wholly or primarily for transport purposes;

• “transport fuel” means—

  (a)

  renewable transport fuel;

  (b)

  fossil fuel; or

  (c)

  any solid, liquid or gaseous fuel that is neither renewable transport fuel nor fossil fuel;

• “transport fuel supplier” means a person who, in the course of any business of his, supplies transport fuel at or for delivery to places in the United Kingdom.

(2)For the purposes of this section a process powered by electricity that was generated by energy from a particular source is to be treated as being powered by energy from that source.

[F11(3)For the purposes of this section fuel is used for transport purposes if—

(a)it is used as fuel for one or more of the following—

(i)any mode of transport, including vehicles, vessels, aircraft and trains;

(ii)recreational craft which do not normally operate at sea;

(iii)F12... tractors;

(iv)non-road mobile machinery, including inland waterway vessels which do not normally operate at sea; or

(b)it is used for producing fuel that is intended to be so used.]

[F13(3A)For the purposes of subsection (3) “sea”—

(a)includes tidal rivers and estuaries;

(b)does not include—

(i)non-tidal rivers and canals where the significant wave height could not be expected to exceed 0.6 metres at any time; and

(ii)lakes and lochs where the significant wave height could not be expected to exceed 1.2 metres at any time.]

(4)In this section—

• F14...

• “biomass” means the biodegradeable portion of a specified product, waste or residue;

• “fossil fuel” has the same meaning as in [F15section 32M] of the 1989 Act;

• [F16“inland waterway vessel” means an inland waterway vessel, within the meaning given by Article 3(c) of the 2016 Directive, to which that Directive applies (see Article 2 of the 2016 Directive); and in this definition “the 2016 Directive” means Directive EU 2016/1629 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 September 2016 laying down technical requirements for inland waterway vessels;]

• [F17“non-road mobile machinery” means non-road mobile machinery, within the meaning given by Article 3(1) of the 2016 Regulation, which has installed in it an engine within a category set out in paragraph 1 of Article 4 of that Regulation; and in this definition “the 2016 Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2016/1628 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 September 2016 on requirements relating to gaseous and particulate pollutant emission limits and type-approval for internal combustion engines for non-road mobile machinery;]

• [F18“recreational craft” has the meaning given by Article 3(2) of Directive 2013/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 on recreational craft and personal watercraft;]

• [F19“renewable source”, in relation to energy, means any of the following non-fossil sources of energy, namely wind, the sun, aerothermal sources, geothermal sources, water (including hydrothermal sources, waves and tides) and biomass (including landfill gas, sewage treatment plant gas and biogases), where—

  (a)

  “aerothermal” means energy stored in the form of heat in the ambient air;

  (b)

  “geothermal” means energy stored in the form of heat beneath the surface of solid earth; and

  (c)

  “hydrothermal” means energy stored in the form of heat in surface water;]

• [F20“tractor” has the meaning given by Article 3(8) of Regulation (EU) No 167/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 February 2013 on the approval and market surveillance of agricultural and forestry vehicles.]