Daily Motor News – Thursday 15 January 2026 

‘Demand for EVs between business and retail customers remains worlds apart, as new BETA data (insights from BVRLA members without the longstanding, substantive history of the report’s wider data sets) reveals – 83% of salary sacrifice cars are battery electric, as are 47% of BCH cars, but only 18% of PCH cars.’ BVRLA Leasing Outlook – January 2026. Read more

Only one in ten UK consumers would go electric for their next vehicle

The latest Global Automotive Consumer Study by Deloitte found that only one in ten (11%) UK consumers would choose to go fully electric with a battery electric vehicle (BEV), up from 8% in 2025. However, when looking at those planning to buy a new vehicle, this rises to 19%, compared to just 5% targeting the used market. Read more

Drivers hit financially harder than ever by vehicle repairs caused by pothole damage

Drivers across the UK are being hit harder than ever by the cost of pothole damage, as new analysis released on National Pothole Day (Thursday 15 January) reveals the total financial impact of potholes on vehicles rose to an estimated £589 million in 2025, up from £579 million in 2024 and £474 million in 2023. Read more

Insurance industry launches ‘Total Signposting’ initiative to improve access for consumers

The British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) and the ABI have launched a new voluntary industry-wide Total Signposting Commitment. It aims to make it easier for retail customers to find suitable insurance, and improve financial resilience. Read more

AI is not replacing insurers – it’s finally making insurance human again

Every insurer talks about AI. Few actually use it to solve the messy, human problems that define our business. Understanding complex risks, helping customers at two in the morning or removing the friction from repetitive workflows are still very human challenges. Read more

Airline Insurance Claims Review 2025: The lessons learned

Some headlines have questioned the aviation industry’s safety record during 2025, but the reality is more nuanced. Claims remain near long term averages against a fast-growing demand for air travel. Read more

Report – Vehicles on European roads 2026

ACEA’s “Vehicles on European Roads” report provides key data, including average vehicle age, vehicle power types, vehicle ownership patterns, and more essential information for understanding the automotive sector landscape. Read more

Leasing Continues Upward Trajectory Despite Squeezed Margins

The UK’s vehicle leasing sector continues to deliver volume growth in the face of a flatlining national economy, with the BVRLA’s latest Leasing Outlook Report showing an 8% growth in leased vehicles year on year. As the lease fleet edges ever closer to the two-million vehicle mark (1.98m), the growth comes with a warning from the sector that volume growth is at the expense of margins, something expected to worsen in 2026. Read more

Tesla will only offer subscriptions for Full Self-Driving (Supervised) going forward

Tesla is removing the option to pay a one-time fee for its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) driver assistance software, CEO Elon Musk announced Wednesday. Going forward, the only way to access the feature will be through a monthly subscription. Read more

Europe’s hour of truth: Turning dialogue into delivery for automotive suppliers 

‘We must build on this momentum to ensure that the implementation of the proposals is pragmatic and flexible.’ Matthias Zink, CLEPA President and CEO Powertrain & Chassis, Schaeffler. Read more

Powering Progress: have times changed?

Episode 23 of the Autotrader 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

Driver shortage in the UK: Don’t let your team fall behind

Despite rising unemployment across the UK the shortage of qualified commercial vehicle drivers remains challenging. Figures supplied by the DVLA in a recent report suggest that the UK may have lost over 117,000 qualified drivers in the last year alone, based on lapsed driver qualification cards (DQC’s), equating to 1 in 6 drivers having not renewed this essential qualification. Read more

UK economy grew by 0.3% in November, beating forecasts

The UK economy grew by a faster-than-expected 0.3% in November after car production rebounded and the services sector got a boost. Growth was driven by an increase in industrial output, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, helped by the return to production at Jaguar Land Rover’s facilities following the cyber-attack at the carmaker. Read more

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a review into its approach to assessing rivalry-enhancing efficiencies in mergers, as part of its ongoing commitment to support growth, investment, and business confidence across the UK economy. Read more

A consultation on a Speed Limit Review has been launched by the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) in Northern Ireland. Read more

The European Road Safety Charter, has shared two new short explainer videos that help clarify who it is and how it works to improve road safety across Europe. Read more

EIT Urban Mobility is proud to announce that its portfolio company. Lumen has won the CTA Foundation Pitch Competition for Accessibility at CES 2026, one of the world’s most influential technology events. The Romanian deep-tech startup was recognised for its innovative AI-powered smart glasses that assist blind and visually impaired people in navigating urban environments safely, hands-free, and independently. Read more

Rail remains one of the most energy-efficient ways to move people and goods, yet diesel still dominates many routes. Hydrogen, battery, and hybrid solutions offer a path to net zero – but economic, technical, and infrastructure hurdles remain. Read more

People across the North West are set to benefit from a brand new line between Liverpool and Manchester as major new government plans are unveiled to unlock billions of pounds of economic potential. Read more