Daily Motor News-Friday 6 December

Direct Line accepts improved Aviva bid 

Direct Line has accepted an improved £3.6bn offer from Aviva. The two insurers have reached a preliminary agreement which values Direct Line at 275p per share. This is the third offer made by Aviva, after initial offers of 250p and 261p per share were rejected in the last week. Full story

Advice for homeowners and businesses ahead of Storm Darragh 

Ahead of Storm Darragh, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) is reassuring homeowners and businesses that their insurers will be ready to help and support their customers.  Damage caused by storms and flooding is covered by most standard home insurance and commercial business policies, and comprehensive motor insurance.  Full story

How swarm data is paving the way for automated driving and road safety 

Connected Friction, a project by CARIAD and its Swedish subsidiary NIRA, collects real-time data on road slipperiness, roughness, and weather conditions across Europe and North America. This project allows vehicles to share critical safety data with each other, benefiting not just individual drivers but entire road systems. Full story

AkzoNobel embarks on £2.5m investment in global network of Automotive Training Centres  

AkzoNobel has embarked on a multi-million-euro global programme to expand and upgrade its network of Automotive Training Centres (ATCs) to further upskill painters, bodyshop managers and OEM engineers on a new generation of coatings and technologies to support the industry in delivering a more sustainable future.  Full story

Home premiums rise while motor policies continue downward trajectory  

The latest General Insurance Pricing Index from Pearson Ham Group has revealed that home insurance premiums rose by 0.4% in November while motor premiums dropped by 2.2%. November’s dip in motor premiums meant policy prices have now decreased eight months in a row with year-on-year decreases recorded at 15%.  Full story

NEXUS to offer Solera’s dynamic routing solution to all members 

Solera, the global leader in vehicle lifecycle management, has announced a new strategic partnership with NEXUS Automotive International. The new global partnership will give NEXUS members access to Solera’s cutting-edge Roadnet Anywhere dynamic routing solution, designed to optimise operations, reduce costs, and lower carbon emissions. Full story

Insights from the FISITA World Mobility Summit  

Speaking at the FISITA World Mobility Summit at the GM R&D centre in Warren Michigan, USA, Ben Townsend, Head of Automotive, Thatcham Research, highlighted the critical role that insurance plays in sustainability, pointing out that sustainability has always been at the very core of insurance – it only exists to enable the continuation of an insured activity following a loss, making said activity sustainable. Full story

UK skills crisis to worsen as small businesses unable to take on apprentices, think tank warns 

The Social Market Foundation – a cross-party think tank – has warned government to fix the issues preventing small businesses from fully embracing apprenticeships, particularly in skilled trades. At present, government data shows that for every apprentice vacancy, nearly two young people are interested, potentially leaving many without placements. Full story

UK tops European markets for used EV retail stability 

The retail used BEV sector in the UK remains the most stable of the 13 major European countries in INDICATA’s monthly Market Watch report. The report shows used BEV sales taking a 4.8% share of the UK market while zero emission cars accounted for 5.1% of used car stock sitting on dealer forecourts, which shows retail supply and demand are currently well matched. Full story

UK hits “peak petrol” in 2024 

The UK has reached “peak petrol” as the number of petrol cars on the road tumbles by almost half over the next decade, according to Auto Trader analysis. The forecasts from the UK’s leading online vehicle platform show the number of petrol cars in the UK’s car parc of 32.8m vehicles is set to decline from the current 18.7m to just 11.1m by 2034 as drivers move towards electric vehicles. Full story

IAM RoadSmart issues advisory ahead of Storm Darragh 

IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy and Standards Nicholas Lyes said, “Strong winds associated with Storm Darragh are likely to make driving and riding conditions difficult and potentially dangerous. We would advise avoiding travelling in the worst of the weather. If you do need to travel, motorists should exercise caution when passing high-sided vehicles on exposed routes and can expect strong winds to impact steering. There is also the risk of flying debris and obstructions on the road, so staying alert is vital.” Full story

New EV prices falling slower than expected, VRA told 

The upfront price of new EVs in the UK is now not expected to reach parity with petrol and diesel cars until 2027 – later than previously expected. That’s according to David Bailey, professor of business economics at Birmingham Business School, who said that the central issue was the cost of producing batteries. Full story

Toyota expands network in Europe 

Toyota Insurance Services has announced that Belgium has joined its expanding network in Europe. Full story