People who are looking to buy a used vehicle or hire cars from a firm in the UK are being warned to do their homework first to ensure that 'clocking' has not taken place. Clocking involves a vehicle's mileage reader being tampered with, so that it displays a lower mileage then the car has actually traveled. This practice is surprising not illegal in Britain, though some groups are campaigning to make it so.

Until the government does take cation, there are ways that consumers can avoid purchasing or renting a clocked vehicle. For one thing, people should only rent vehicles from reputable car hire firms or buy them from trustworthy dealers. Those who buy privately should always be sure they conduct a full and independent vehicle history check. Statistics from the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency revealed that clocking is a relatively common problem, with one in 39 cars having their mileage altered.

Ethanol cars have been touted as a futuristic and clean technology that can eventually lead to energy independence for the US. The 551 page Energy Policy Act of 2005 includes a provision which mandated that starting in 2006, the average gallon of gas will contain 2.78 percent ethanol. While it is a relatively low percentage, it was still viewed as a gift to the farm states, as it ratchets up the ethanol quota over time, nearly doubling it over the next six years.

This will take it from 4 billion gallons in 2006 to 7.5 billion by 2012. The idea is simple, to use ethanol to stretch more miles out of every barrel of oil the US imports form unstable parts of the world. This is not energy independence, but it is seen as a step in that direction. Unlike other alternative fuels, no vehicle modifications are needed for the mandated ethanol content. It should burn well in all gasoline burners already on the road.

Ethanol futures advanced for a second day in Chicago trading on concerns that flooding in the Midwest will damage the corn crop and thus raise the production costs for the fuel. The gasoline additive tends to move in tandem with its primary production input, so it followed corn prices higher on Friday as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast an above-average risk of flooding for parts of the "corn belt".

Denatured ethanol for April delivery surged 8.2 cents, or 3.4 percent to $2.485 a gallon on the CBOT. Futures prices are up 57 percent over the past year. Ethanol soared even higher in cash market trading, as corn for May delivery jumped 5.7% to $6.835 a bushel in Chicago. One bushel of corn makes about 2.75 gallons of ethanol.