Daily Motor News – Monday 13 October 2025 

This week’s round-up reflects a sector grappling with systemic challenges while embracing innovation and opportunity across mobility, insurance and automotive. 

Thatcham Research hosted Chinese manufacturers Chery, Omoda and Jaecoo, spotlighting the rapid evolution of global vehicle design and the UK’s role in shaping safer, more efficient mobility systems (ARC360). 

Meanwhile, Road Safety Week 2025 will promote the theme ‘Safe Vehicles Save Lives’, as Brake urges adoption of mandatory safety tech (Hastings Group). 

In claims, Lloyds Banking Group has set aside a further £800m, estimating total exposure in the motor finance compensation scandal could approach £2bn (BBC). Emissions lawsuits, rising insurance costs and poor renewal practices continue to shape market dynamics. 

The impact of the government’s electric car grant is now being felt, with a sharp rise in EV interest from UK buyers (Autotrader). And a campaign to tackle illegal ‘ghost plates’ has progressed to parliamentary inquiry stage, strengthening efforts to combat vehicle crime (West Midlands PCC). 

Amid uncertainty, stories of innovation and resilience continue to shape a better tomorrow. 

Mobility disruption and design: Thatcham Research hosts Chery showcase 

Thatcham Research has underlined the pace of transformation within the global mobility sector during a two-day showcase at its facility in Berkshire, welcoming representatives from Chinese automotive brands Chery, Omoda and Jaecoo. Read more

Safe Vehicles Save Lives – Brake calls for mandatory safety technology for Road Safety Week 2025 

Brake, the road safety charity, is pleased to announce that this year’s Road Safety Week will take place from 16–22 November, with the theme Safe Vehicles Save Lives. Read more

Carmakers go on trial over emissions cheat claims 

A major lawsuit against five leading carmakers accused of cheating on emissions tests has started at the High Court. The trial is the latest chapter of what has become known as the “dieselgate” scandal, with the companies facing allegations they used software to allow their cars to reduce emissions of harmful gases under test conditions. Read more

Lloyds warns car finance scandal could cost it £2bn 

Lloyds Banking Group is setting aside an additional £800m for car finance compensation claims, bringing the total amount allocated by the bank for redress to nearly £2bn. The company said that the number of eligible claims is expected to be higher than previously thought. Read more

UK motor insurance profitability: Analysing 2024 market financial results 

We present the results of our analyses of the performance of the UK motor market for the year ending 31 December 2024, along with commentary on market issues up to the publication date. Our report focuses on the two Solvency II lines of business covering motor insurance: motor vehicle liability and other motor. The analyses rely mainly on information contained in the quantitative reporting templates in the 2024 year-end solvency and financial condition reports of UK motor insurers. Read more

Car insurance auto-renewal costs drivers £560m a year 

New analysis of trends in the car insurance industry finds nearly half of UK drivers still allow their policy to renew automatically. Some 47 percent of drivers let their car insurance policy continue unchanged during 2024: a slight fall from 52 percent in 2021.  Read more

Bentley Financial Services launches bespoke UK insurance service 

Bentley Motors has launched its first ever bespoke insurance service dedicated exclusively for Bentley customers in the UK. On behalf of Bentley Financial Services, the new product offers comprehensive coverage tailored to the driver that can cover all new and used Bentley models from the luxury marque’s 106-year history.  Read more

In the face of global fragmentation, insurers are pillars of resilience in a world of polycrisis 

The 12th edition of the Future Risks Report, the product of the AXA and Ipsos partnership, reveals an unprecedented surge in the sense of fragmentation and vulnerability in the face of global risks. In this context, AXA, a global insurance leader, calls for turning uncertainty into action by accelerating the emergence of concrete solutions and by strengthening prevention. Read more

Consumer interest in EVs surges following launch of Government Electric Car Grant 

The UK public has viewed electric vehicle (EV) adverts 4.5 million times since the Government launched its £3,750 Electric Car Grant three months ago – marking the biggest surge of interest in greener vehicles since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 sent energy prices soaring. Read more

Aston Martin marks 70-year bond with Newport Pagnell 

Car maker Aston Martin has won a place “in the hearts and minds” of the town where it was based for 70 years, its company historian has said. The luxury brand marked the anniversary of opening a factory in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, in 1955. Read more

Futureproofing automotive with AI 

Profitably building and selling cars is no longer straightforward. Supply chains are costly, consumer demands are rising, and technology moves fast. To stay ahead, the automotive industry must adapt, and AI offers a way forward. Its potential is becoming clear in three areas: more efficient production, smarter driving systems, and customer experiences that enable new business models. Read more

Major breakthrough in PCC and MP ‘ghost plates’ campaign as parliamentary inquiry launched 

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Simon Foster and local MP Sarah Coombes have welcomed the launch of a new Parliamentary Vehicle Registration Plate Inquiry as a major milestone in their long-running campaign to crack down on illegal ‘ghost plates’. Read more

‘I became a mechanic after fixing my car via YouTube’ 

A primary school teacher said she decided to switch careers to the automotive and mechanic industry after fixing the wing mirror on her electric vehicle with the help of online video tutorials. Grace Campbell, 28, from south Staffordshire, said she had previously been put off going into the field because it was male-dominated, but learning how to fix her car gave her confidence and she enrolled on a course. Read more

EIT Urban Mobility recognised in European Commission’s first progress report on cycling 

On 1 October 2025, the European Commission released its first progress report on the European Declaration on Cycling, presented to the Council and the European Parliament and officially launched during the Urban Mobility Days 2025. The report, based on the work of the Expert Group on Urban Mobility (EGUM), highlights achievements and next steps in making cycling a greener, healthier, and more inclusive mode of transport across Europe. Read more

Green procurement and tariff resilience: Strategies from Canadian auto suppliers for U.S. automakers 

US: The 2025 Canada-U.S. automotive trade dispute has proved to be one of the most serious supply chain interruptions in recent history. Since 25% vehicle and auto-parts tariffs were introduced in April 2025, small-scale auto parts (SSAP) suppliers from Canada, who are key partners to major U.S.-based automakers, are facing unprecedented challenges (Department of Finance Canada, 2025). Read more

Private equity business, Sun European Partners LLP has acquired Hilton Coachworks. The acquisition is consistent with Sun European’s buy-and-build strategy – adding high-quality, specialised businesses with strong free cash flow conversion, that expand operational scale and capabilities. Read more

The IFB is shining a light on the growing risk of identity theft being used to commit insurance fraud, as part of its policy fraud hotspots campaign. Read more