Daily Motor News – Thursday 08 May 2025 

Insurance Ireland Chief Executive Moyagh Murdock: “Aside from inflation, there are issues still to be addressed which would take further cost out of the claims environment. The trend of settling claims through the more expensive litigated route continues to add significant cost, despite the fact that it doesn’t add to the levels of awards the claimant receives via either the Injuries Resolution Board process or directly settling claims with insurers.” Read more

Confused.com car insurance price index – Q1 2025 

The average cost of car insurance in the UK is now £777, according to the latest car insurance price index by Confused.com, powered by WTW. The latest figure of £777, is £164 (-17%) cheaper compared to the average cost of car insurance in March 2024. Read more

Motor insurance costs rose by 9% in first half of last year 

Ireland: The average cost of a motor insurance policy increased by 9% (€49) during the first half of last year, when compared with the first six months in 2023. Latest figures from the Central Bank’s National Claims Information Database show that the average premium increased from €567 to €616 over the period. Read more

Seven ways you can ‘accidentally’ invalidate car insurance – including a common practical accessory 

Car insurance is far from cheap right now. According to Confused.com’s latest index – based on quotes given to drivers rather than prices paid - the average cost of motor premiums in the opening three months of the year tallied at £777. Read more

Battery experts warn electric car fires will increase unless decades-old technology is improved 

Battery experts have sounded the alarm on a rise in the number of electric car fires, predicting there could be 25,000 instances per year by 2030. While evidence shows they are currently far less frequent than infernos involving internal combustion engine (ICE) cars, they pose major safety concerns as EV fires are far more dangerous. Read more

Major hurdles persist on Europe’s road to zero-emission vehicles new quarterly report finds 

Transport & Mobility Leuven (TML) has published its first set of quarterly key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the EU automotive sector’s progress toward zero-emission mobility for cars and vans. Read more

iPhone maker announces plan to build Mitsubishi EVs 

Foxconn, the maker of Apple’s iPhones, has announced plans to produce electric vehicles (EV) for Japanese car giant Mitsubishi Motors. Under the agreement in principle, a Foxconn joint venture will design and build cars in Taiwan for Mitsubishi. Read more

Chinese automakers adjust terminology to clarify assisted driving standards 

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers are adjusting promotional terminology for advanced driving systems, replacing terms like “intelligent driving” with descriptions such as “assisted driving” to align with stricter regulatory definitions.  Read more

Driving licence 2025: those who don’t understand AI will fail 

Switzerland: From July 2025, it will no longer be enough to simply be able to drive – learner drivers will have to understand and correctly use modern driver assistance systems and AI technologies. The driving test will therefore become a “technology test” – with far-reaching consequences for candidates, driving schools and examiners. Read more

BMW Mini cuts 180 temporary jobs at plant 

Mini said it had taken the “difficult decision” to cut 180 of its temporary workers at one of its plants. The BMW Group said the “recent adjustment” at Mini Plant Oxford was a “long-planned measure” to align its workforce with “current business requirements”. Read more

A new fully charged EV battery in five minutes: Are China’s swap stations the future of electric cars? 

At a battery swap station near the Beijing Olympics Sports Centre, the owner of a Nio car watches as a fully charged battery is placed into his vehicle. The station’s staff drive his car onto a platform with an integrated system which removes the depleted battery from beneath the car and loads it a fresh one. The whole process takes no more than five minutes. Read more

PONY AI Inc. and Uber Announce Strategic Partnership to Advance Autonomous Mobility 

US: Pony AI Inc, a global leader in achieving large-scale commercialization of autonomous mobility, and Uber Technologies, Inc, today announced a strategic partnership to deploy Pony.ai’s Robotaxis onto the Uber platform. Read more

Roadzen Partners with One of the World’s Largest Telematics Providers to Launch Connected Vehicle Protection in the UK 

Roadzen Inc, a global leader in AI at the intersection of insurance and mobility, announced today that its wholly owned UK-based subsidiary, Global Insurance Management Limited, has partnered with one of the world’s largest telematics providers to deliver an integrated, technology-led vehicle protection solution for the UK automotive retail and finance markets. Read more

Where AI Meets Automotive: Laird Unveils Powerful Next-Gen Claims Intelligence 

Laird Assessors, a pioneer in vehicle damage assessment and claims technology, has today announced a series of powerful upgrades to its Automotive Intelligence services, positioning the firm at the forefront of AI-driven innovation in the motor claims industry. Read more

Powerful women: what does it take to get to the top?  

Episode nine of the new Auto Trader podcast Women in the driving seat, hosted by Editorial Director, award-winning motoring journalist Erin Baker is released today. The series aims to rip up the rule book on the female-empowerment narrative by sharing personal as well as professional experiences, examining the space where both collide, and the challenges, fears and successes happen.  Read more

Good Practice of the Month – May 2025 awarded to Easy Drivers Cycling School (Austria) for improving pedestrian safety through targeted safety courses 

Austria: Our May spotlight features the pedestrian safety courses developed by Easy Drivers Cycling School in Graz, Austria. This initiative aims to address critical gaps in traffic education among pedestrians, especially children and people with disabilities, through hands-on training and targeted courses.  Read more

Kinetic Partners with Chilton Auto Body to Launch New Digital Repair Hub in the San Francisco Bay Area 

US: Kinetic, an automotive infrastructure company that delivers digital repair and servicing for modern vehicles through its growing network of service hubs, today announced it has partnered with Chilton Auto Body, one of the Bay Area’s most respected collision repair networks, with 20 locations across Northern California. As part of the new partnership, Kinetic will open its first Kinetic Hub in the Bay Area, a 10,000-square-foot facility located at 171 Industrial Road in San Carlos, which will initially serve customers from five Chilton Auto Body locations. Read more

This National Walking Month, Ben, the automotive industry charity, is calling on everyone in the automotive community to lace up their walking shoes and step up for two major walking events – the Thames Bridges Trek and the Kiltwalk. Read more