Daily Motor News – Friday 30 January 2026  

Thatcham Research rides in autonomous taxi  

Two of Thatcham Research’s team have documented their ride in a Waymo selfdriving robotaxi. Tom Leggett and Yousif Al-Ani experienced Waymo’s Level 4 autonomous robotaxis firsthand. No driver, no controls, just pure automated mobility on real public roads. Read more

AI Live Testing: How it can support safe and responsible AI deployment 

Exactly how deep AI’s impact on our economy will go is still up for grabs. Building trust, including through having the appropriate governance and accountability processes in place, is integral to accelerating its adoption in UK financial markets. Read more

ARC360 2026: Insurance and repair leaders unite to drive progress 

More than 70 senior insurance figures are set to join a cross-section of the vehicle repair ecosystem at ARC360 2026, taking place Thursday 21 May at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon. Read more

Gracechurch Announces 2026 Service Quality Marque Achievers 

Gracechurch, the independent insurance research consultancy, has awarded four separate Service Quality Marque (SQM) accreditations in 2026, covering London Market insurers and UK Regional Market insurers across claims and underwriting disciplines. Read more

Kennedys: Casualty insights – January 2026 

The latest edition of Casualty insights is now available. In this issue, our global liability defense team share perspectives on the trends shaping casualty risks and claims, including insights from our recent global casualty webinar, key developments in the UK and Ireland, guidance from Hong Kong on managing claims by vexatious litigants in person, and views from North America on how mock trials can strengthen strategy and client relationships. Read more

Ageas UK enhances leadership team with appointment of Chief Technology Officer and creation of Chief of Staff role 

Ageas UK today announces two senior appointments that further build on the strengths of its leadership team and support its ongoing transformation and integration plans. The appointments are: Jason Selby as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Katie Davies as Chief of Staff. Read more

South Australia road death toll puts crash patterns under insurer spotlight 

South Australia’s rising road toll at the start of 2026, together with recent insurer and survey data on crash patterns and distracted driving, is drawing closer scrutiny from motor insurers, brokers, and risk managers to how, where, and when crashes are occurring. Read more

Vehicle production in the UK falls to 73-year low 

British car, van, truck and bus production fell to its lowest level since 1952 last year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Its chief executive Mike Hawes said it had been “the toughest year in a generation”, with output hit by a major cyberattack at Jaguar Land Rover, the closure of Vauxhall’s plant in Luton and deep uncertainty over US trade policy. Read more

Some Volvo EX30 owners warned not to charge indoors unattended 

Owners of Single Motor Extended Range and Twin Motor Performance versions of the Volvo EX30 have been instructed not to leave their cars unattended while charging indoors or in covered areas, due to a battery fire risk. Read more

BMW Group and Encory launch innovative direct recycling of battery raw materials 

What’s an efficient way of keeping battery raw materials in the material cycle? Mechanical recycling that avoids energy-intensive treatment. The BMW Group shows how it’s done – at its newly commissioned Cell Recycling Competence Centre (CRCC) in Salching. The innovative direct recycling technique was developed and implemented with strong regional partners and creates real added value for sustainable electromobility. Read more

Resilient global economy – growth expected to remain virtually unchanged in 2026 

Despite tremendous geopolitical risks, continuing solid growth is expected for the global economy in 2026. In its economic outlook for the current year, Munich Re expects real GDP growth of 2.7%, similar to the previous year and in line with the average for the past ten years. However, the downside risks clearly outweigh the potential for higher growth. Geopolitical risks and the high level of uncertainty surrounding US economic and trade policy take centre stage. Read more

Consumer confidence drops to lowest level in two years 

Consumer confidence fell by 1.1 percentage points during the final quarter of 2025 from -10% in Q3 2025 to -11.1%, according to the latest Deloitte Consumer Tracker. The fall in confidence, which is based on responses from 3,200 UK consumers aged 18+, was driven by a drop in five of the six measures included in the index. Read more

ESG 2.0: Where ‘value’ meets ‘values’ 

As boards convene for their first meetings of 2026, directors face a global landscape defined by competition and fragmentation. At the World Economic Forum annual meeting, dialogue will centre on five critical themes: cooperation in a contested world; unlocking new sources of growth; investing in people; innovation at scale; and building prosperity within planetary boundaries. Read more

Top 10 Insights to Accelerate Your AI Strategy in 2026 

It is unlikely you went a day last year without reading a headline that included AI – whether it was a new technological advancement or model release, the rise of agents, questions around the future of work, or high-profile AI blunders and successes. Read more

Pothole potluck: UK road conditions now in the international spotlight, as potholes are cited in concerns over transporting the Bayeux Tapestry 

New research has revealed that Staffordshire County Council could be the slowest at repairing potholes across England and Wales. Based on the findings, the Midlands council took an average of 209.6 days to repair potholes between 2022 and 2024 – the slowest response time out of the councils which provided data. Read more