Daily Motor News – Monday 22 September 2025 

Today’s round-up highlights the complex and evolving risks facing insurers, repairers, and automotive manufacturers. 

Allianz UK revealed a significant 34% rise in detected insurance fraud, totalling £92.6m in the first half of 2025 alone – a stark reminder of the scale and sophistication of fraudulent activity in today’s market. 

Meanwhile, Repairify has flagged a spike in theft-related damage affecting Toyota and Lexus models, leading to an uptick in high-cost electrical repairs. On a wider global scale, China’s electric vehicle insurance market is reportedly struggling to manage chronic underwriting losses due to rapidly shifting risk patterns. 

Closer to home, JLR’s cyber incident serves as a warning for businesses to prioritise resilience in increasingly connected environments, while Steer Automotive Group has secured operations at Collision Repair Ltd, safeguarding jobs and continuity. 

Finally, with the launch of TyreSafe’s young driver campaign, road safety once again comes into sharp focus – an important reminder that a better tomorrow is built through education, prevention and collaboration. 

Allianz UK detects frauds totalling £93m in first half of 2025 

Leading insurer Allianz UK uncovered more than 15,800 instances of insurance fraud across personal, commercial and specialty lines worth a total of £92.6m in the first half of 2025 – up 34% (£68.9m) on the same period in 2024. Read more

Repairify issues warning over rise in Toyota and Lexus theft-related repairs 

Repairify has alerted workshops to a surge in thefts targeting Toyota and Lexus vehicles, resulting in increasingly complex and costly wiring repairs. Read more

China’s EV Boom Saddles Its Auto Insurers With Chronic Losses 

China’s giant electric vehicle insurance market is flailing. Losses are piling up, as companies’ risk models haven’t kept up with changes in vehicle economics and driver behaviours. Read more

Intoxicated pedestrian denied compensation in Scottish court 

The Keoghs Scotland team has successfully defended a pedestrian claim for our client Right Choice Insurance Broker on behalf of their insured client. The trial, held in the All-Scotland Sheriff Personal Injury Court at Edinburgh, lasted three days and we successfully argued that the pursuer had failed to prove that the accident was caused by the fault and negligence of the insured. Read more

Aid mission returns to Ukraine for eighth time 

John Green, Director of Product & Service Delivery at Robertsons, has once again joined forces with The Basing Trust to deliver life-saving support to war-affected regions of Ukraine. Read more

JLR shutdown a ‘wake up call’ for cyber resilience 

The shutdown affecting car giant Jaguar Land Rover following a cyber attack should come as a “wake up call” for other companies, a business professor said. David Bailey, Professor of Business Economics at the University of Birmingham, said JLR, which has plants in Solihull, Wolverhampton and Merseyside, had been unable to make any cars this month. He estimated to the lost output to be about 24,000 vehicles. Read more

Ford’s Puma Gen-E powers up following full government grant 

The new car market is experiencing a welcome rise in consumer demand this month, with Autotrader reporting a 4% increase in visits to its new car platform both YoY and MoM, fuelled by the compelling combination of the September plate change, increased discounts, and the Government’s £650 million Electric Car Grant (ECG).  Read more

Yangwang U9 Xtreme hits 308mph, becomes world’s fastest ever production car 

It’s official: the Yangwang U9 Xtreme (formerly called the Track Edition) is now the fastest production car in the world, having hit 308.4mph at ATP Papenburg’s high speed oval in Germany. Read more

Position paper – Infrastructure requirements of urban buses, interurban buses and coaches 

With the 2030 CO2 reduction targets for heavy-duty vehicles, including buses and coaches, approaching swiftly, vehicle manufacturers’ ability to meet them depends on the rapid deployment of suitable charging and refuelling infrastructure. It must focus on locations where these vehicles regularly operate, along major highways but most importantly also at depots, bus stations and hubs, and tourist destinations. Read more

Supply chain disruption risk jumps for automotive sector 

European automotive sector firms faced 379 supply chain disruption incidents last year, up from 268 in 2016, according to a report from insurance broker JLT. Read more

Steer Automotive Group acquires Collision Repair Ltd 

Steer Automotive Group Ltd has acquired the assets and transfer of employees from Collision Repair Ltd, out of administration. The deal secures the future of the business and preserves the 19 jobs that were at risk. Read more

Day’s Fleet extends SMR contract with Fleet Assist 

Day’s Fleet has renewed its service, maintenance and repair (SMR) partnership with Fleet Assist for a further three years. The leasing and fleet management firm, which has over 8,500 vehicles on the road, uses a range of Fleet Assist services to streamline SMR, including its managed network of 5,200-garages and over 600 mobile service vans. Read more

TyreSafe launches flagship young driver campaign in support of THINK! 

TyreSafe, the UK’s only charity dedicated to raising awareness of tyre safety, has launched its flagship Young Driver Campaign warning that just two illegal tyres could cost new drivers their licence. Read more

Philip Briggs has started a new role as President at the Institute of Automotive Engineer Assessors. 

Fash Vaziri has rejoined Endeavour Automotive Ltd as Head of Business for Volvo Carsa Letchworth and a new facility in Knebworth. 

Amplify EV has announced a new strategic partnership with Fuuse, designed to support local authorities and public charge point owners across Scotland. Read more