Daily Motor News – Monday 11 May 2026

ILC ARTICLE

11th May 2026

This week’s Daily Motor News reflects a sector continuing to adapt to the rapid pace of technological, operational and regulatory change across motor claims and automotive repair.

The growing impact of electric vehicles remains a central theme, with increasing focus on how EV adoption is reshaping repair processes, supply chains and accident management. Alongside this transformation, concerns around battery safety are also rising, with new research from QBE revealing a significant increase in lithium-ion battery fires across the UK.

Digital innovation across insurance also continues to accelerate. A new collaboration between Applied Systems, One Call and Verisk has supported the launch of Zen Insurance, highlighting ongoing investment in digital-first customer experiences and connected insurance platforms.

Within automotive, the used vehicle market continues to show resilience, with Autotrader reporting the strongest month-on-month price growth since 2021. Meanwhile, developments in advanced driver assistance systems and battery technology underline the speed at which vehicle innovation continues to evolve globally.

Across the supply chain, road safety and vehicle crime prevention remain priorities, alongside wider industry conversations around sustainability and operational resilience.

These developments reinforce a market balancing innovation, safety and affordability as the sector continues its transition toward a more connected and electrified future.

How have electric vehicles changed the UK repair market?

Over the past decade, the UK automotive landscape has undergone one of its most significant transformations in modern history. The rapid adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is reshaping not only how vehicles are driven, but how they’re repaired, managed and supported across the accident management landscape. Read more

Digital-First Insurer Zen Insurance Launches in the UK via New Applied Systems, One Call and Verisk Collaboration

One Call is launching Zen Insurance in the UK using Verisk Ignite’s end to end policy management platform, working in conjunction with Applied Systems Europe’s Applied Rating Hub to support insurer connectivity. Read more

UK fire brigades tackling lithium-ion fire every five hours

UK fire brigades are now tackling a lithium-ion battery fire once every five hours (equivalent to 4.8 fires a day), according to new research from global business insurer QBE. The number of lithium-ion battery fires continues to rise year on year, up 147% since 2022. By comparison, in 2022 fire brigades dealt with the equivalent of two lithium-ion fires a day. Read more

Legal challenges to motor finance compensation scheme – update for firms and consumers

Following the legal challenges to the FCA’s motor finance compensation scheme, it has set out further advice for firms and consumers. Read more

The six used cars that dealers won’t touch because they’re too expensive to fix – you might already own one

When shopping for a second-hand car, one of the biggest concerns for buyers is whether it might be riddled with problems and become a drain on their finances. The reliability of any vehicle – new or old – ultimately comes down to how well it has been cared for throughout its life. Read more

EU must lead global sustainability strategy with unified, market-ready standards

Newly updated industry data reveals that Europe’s 27 largest automotive suppliers have collectively reduced their Scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions by 7% between 2023 and 2024, while achieving an 87% recycling and recovery rate for production waste. Read more

Strongest month-on-month price growth since 2021 as used car market defies headwinds

According to Autotrader’s AI-powered Retail Price Index, the used car market strengthened in April, with prices rising 1.8% month-on-month (MoM) on a like-for-like basis — the fastest monthly increase since November 2021. Read more

2026 Tesla Model Y becomes first vehicle to meet NHTSA’s new ADAS safety criteria

The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced that the 2026 Tesla Model Y is the first vehicle to meet the agency’s new benchmark for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Read more

While you stop for a 30-minute charge, Nio just swapped 1 million EV batteries in a week

EVs might be getting uber-fast at charging, but there’s still one refueling method in China that makes plugging in feel as archaic as feeding your horse some oats. We’re talking about Nio’s battery swapping tech. Pull in, wait about three minutes, and leave with a fully-charged pack. It’s kind of like going to a car wash, but it gives your car a fresh battery instead of making it squeaky clean. Read more

Over 1 million vehicle checks, supported by enhanced driver data, conducted by An Garda Síochána in first 3 months of 2026

An Garda Síochána conducted more than 1 million vehicle lookups in the first 3 months of 2026, a 17.5% increase on the number of checks that took place during the same period last year. Read more

NVCRP Supports Successful Vehicle Crime Operation in Barnet

A Metropolitan Police operation, funded by the National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership (NVCRP), has resulted in seven vehicles being seized in Barnet as part of an ongoing effort to tackle vehicle theft across the borough and surrounding areas. Read more

TyreSafe Issues Urgent Warning to Equine Community as Trailer Tyre Failures Surge

TyreSafe is calling on the UK’s equine and equestrian community to take immediate action on tyre safety, as new national data highlights a rising number of preventable tyre-related breakdowns involving trailers and horseboxes. Read more

Good Practice of the Month – May 2026, awarded to Platforma VIZE 0 for establishing ‘Hazard Perception Initiative’

The European Road Safety Charter’s May spotlight features the ‘Hazard Perception Initiative’, established by Platforma VIZE 0 in Czech Republic to improve road safety for novice drivers by modernising driver licence testing through evidence-based hazard perception and prediction tools that better prepare learners for real traffic situations. Read more

Nick Sweetman has moved to the position of Assistant Vice President of Vehicle Operations for Europe at Enterprise. The role continues the oversee the UK & Ireland with the addition of the Enterprise vehicle operations in France, Germany and Spain. Vehicle operations include the management of repair and maintenance to the Enterprise fleet and the Repair Services business.

British Steel is set to be brought into public ownership, the prime minister has announced. Sir Keir Starmer said legislation would be brought forward this week to give the government powers to take “full ownership of British Steel”, subject to a public interest test. Read more

The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) Group has published findings from its Great Wealth Transfer Roundtable, warning that the financial planning profession is underprepared for the largest intergenerational transfer of wealth in UK history, estimated at £5.5 trillion by 2050. Read more