Daily Motor News – Friday 7 August 2026

ILC ARTICLE

7th August 2026

UK brokers heading into Q4 negotiations should pay attention to that combination, because a good half-year for insurers built largely on quiet weather isn’t the same thing as evidence that today’s soft pricing has staying power. Read more

Turning research into repair intelligence

For many years, Thatcham Research has been recognised as one of the automotive industry’s leading sources of technical knowledge, research and vehicle intelligence. Speaking on the Showcase Stage at ILC’s repair sector event – ARC360 2026, Sean Richardson, Content & Research Marketing Lead at Thatcham Research, introduced delegates to AIQ, a new platform designed to bring much of that information together and make it more accessible to both insurers and repairers. Read more

Go.Compare launches short-term insurance comparison service for learner drivers

Go. Compare car insurance has announced the launch of its new short-term learner driver comparison service. The company has partnered with Comparison Creator to become the first comparison site to offer a dedicated panel of insurers for learner drivers, providing quotes from leading insurance brands. Read more

Markel Launches New One-Stop Broker Portal

Markel UK has launched Markel Hub, a new broker portal bringing quotes, client management, renewals, mid-term adjustments, claims and specialist support together under one login. Designed around the way brokers work, the platform aims to make trading with Markel simpler, faster and more efficient. Read more

Millions of UK drivers face ‘insurance penalty’ with bills £273 higher

UK drivers are being slapped with a car insurance penalty, with some motorists paying up to £273 more than they need to. New analysis shows that electric car owners paying for their car insurance are paying more for cover than those taking advantage of salary sacrifice schemes. Read more

Insurers have been raking it in in the first half this year. Here’s what that means for Q4 renewals

A wall of half-year results landed internationally in the last 24hrs, from Zurich to Allstate, Swiss Re to Liberty Mutual. The pattern repeats almost line by line: profits up, catastrophe losses down, and reinsurers making noticeably less money on every renewal than they did twelve months ago. Read more

**Strong demand following early order opening: BMW Plant Munich launches BMW i3* series production with steep ramp-up curve**

Series production of the new BMW i3 gets underway today at BMW Group Plant Munich. The BMW i3 has been available for order since mid-June, with high demand leading to a steep ramp-up curve at the plant. Read more

Honda still down as Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi restore auto production after Japan’s deadly earthquake

Honda’s two Japanese assembly plants will remain shut through mid-August as the automaker struggles to secure parts from a damaged supplier, even as rivals Toyota, Nissan and Mitsubishi came back this week following the country’s deadly July 28 earthquake. Read more

Kia Starts EV3 Production, World-First V2V Service in Mexico

South Korean automaker Kia has officially launched production of its EV3 crossover in Mexico, introducing the country’s first domestically manufactured 100% electric vehicle alongside a comprehensive charging ecosystem that features the company’s first global vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) mobile charging service. Read more

Cargo Theft Losses More Than Double to $304 Million in Q2 Despite a Drop in Thefts, Driven by High-Value Metals and Technology Heists

Verisk CargoNet records 677 incidents in the second quarter of 2026, down 26 percent year over year, while sophisticated cargo theft schemes more than doubled estimated losses. Read more

Repairify is Founding Member of Remote Service Supplier Community

Repairify, the UK’s only true full-service diagnostics and calibration provider, has announced its role as a founding member of the newly established Remote Service Supplier (RSS) Community, reinforcing its commitment to supporting independent workshops as vehicle technology becomes increasingly complex. Read more

Europe’s ports fell into the dwell trap in 2025 and are building a dwell economy out of it

Nine of the 12 European ports that reported CY2025 finished-vehicle volumes directly to Automotive Logistics handled fewer vehicles than in 2024. Yet those same ports also describe slower terminal rotation, and operators say conditions have tightened further through 2026. Read more

Altilium secures a patent for its EcoCathode battery recycling process

The UK Intellectual Property Office has granted Altilium a patent, the company’s first, covering the process behind its EcoCathode battery recycling technology. The grant gives the clean-tech company protection over the method that it plans to scale from pilot operations to commercial production. Read more

ERS is celebrating Lyn Phillips’ remarkable 50 years with the business, having joined as a school leaver in 1976 and spent five decades building his career in Claims. His milestone recognises a career defined by loyalty, expertise and commitment to colleagues and customers through decades of change at ERS. Read more

Arch Insurance International has appointed James Barrett as Deputy Active Underwriter for Lloyd’s Syndicate 2012, alongside an expanded role as Head of Specialty Casualty. Barrett, who joined Arch in 2018, will help lead the syndicate’s strategy and performance while continuing to oversee its cyber and healthcare portfolios. Read more