Daily Motor News – Thursday 16 January 2025

Insight

Richard Billyeald, chief research & operations officer at Thatcham Research, said: “There are many competing safety imperatives for carmakers to contend with, from designing front end structures that are compatible with other vehicles and consider Vulnerable Road User safety to striking the right balance between achieving good ADAS performance during testing and in the real world. The good news is that the vehicles in the What Car? Safety Award shortlist broadly demonstrate that it is possible to implement ADAS effectively without compromising the driving experience.” Full story

Vehicle pothole repair bill hits record high

Long-term investment is needed after the total cost of fixing vehicles damaged by a “pothole plague” hit a record high. New figures from the AA show the overall UK repair bill for affected cars in 2024 was £579m – up from £474m the year before and the highest total on record. The increase in fixing vehicles happened because of a leap in average repair bills, which went from £250 in 2023 to £300 in 2024. Full story

What’s in store for the insurance industry in 2025?

As we step into the new year, the insurance industry faces yet another year of transformation. With a challenging economic and geopolitical landscape, continued opportunities for innovation, and the ever-present demands of navigating compliance and regulatory obligations, insurers must remain agile and pro-active if they are to stay ahead of the competition. Full story

Brake announces new strategic partnership with Seeing Machines

Brake has announced a new strategic partnership with driver monitoring technology provider Seeing Machines. Seeing Machines provides vital funding for Brake’s campaign work, calling for evidence-based solutions to address key areas of road risk, including changes to legislation and Government policy so we can all use roads safely, whoever we are and however we travel. Full story

PACTS Expertise: E-scooter safety

PACTS has urged the government to take immediate action to address dangerous and illegal private e-scooter use. This includes issuing clear information to the public that it is illegal to use a private e-scooter on public roads and in almost all public places, taking action against retailers who fail to properly inform customers of the risks of private e-scooters, and supporting the police in taking enforcement action against illegal and unsafe use. Full story

Leading police figures back call for lower drink drive limit

The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners’ (APCC) has joined the call for a reduction in the legal blood alcohol limit for drivers.England, Wales, and Northern Ireland currently have the highest legal BAC (blood alcohol content) limit for driving in Europe, at 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. The Scottish limit was lowered to 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood in December 2014. Full story

Implementation of ADAS technology continues to improve, as Thatcham Research announces safest car of the year shortlist

Automotive Risk Intelligence company Thatcham Research is today revealing the contenders for the 2025 What Car? Safety Award, with this year’s shortlist representing the safest vehicles available on UK roads.

The vehicles were chosen by Thatcham Research, Euro NCAP and What Car? judges based on Euro NCAP safety test scores alongside other criteria such as expected market volume. Full story

Used car market stability set to continue, says Cap HPI

The UK’s used car market is stable with only a slight decline in January so far and Cap HPI is seeing signs of strength in the market that should come to fruition in the coming weeks. Cap HPI’s analysis that there has only been a modest 0.1% decline in average values for the month-to-date, which aligns closely with historical trends. Full story

Euro NCAP reveals Best in Class cars tested in 2024

Euro NCAP has revealed its Best in Class cars – the safest models it tested in 2024. In 2024, five cars from China, Germany, and Japan set the standard for vehicle safety. Best in Class winners included the Skoda Superb and Volkswagen Passat, the Mazda CX-80 and the ZEEKR X. The most outstanding performance was set by the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, which topped the overall safety score of cars tested last year. Full story

Stellantis reports quarter four 2024 consolidated shipment estimates

Stellantis has published global quarterly consolidated shipment estimates and provided commentary on related business trends. Consolidated shipments for the three months ending December 31, 2024, were an estimated 1,395 thousand units, representing a nine per cent decline versus the same period in 2023. Full story

BMW UK leads premium market with record electric vehicles ales in 2024

BMW Group UK has wrapped up 2024 with a strong performance, securing its place as the leader in the UK premium car market. BMW registered 125,265 cars, a 12% increase compared to the previous year. This performance gave BMW UK a 22.6% share of the segment. Fully electric models made up 26.9% of BMW’s sales—a growth of 18% year-on-year. Full story

US ban on Chinese auto tech signals decisive split in global market

One of the last acts of President Joe Biden’s administration is to engineer a split in the global auto market. Washington imposed a ban on the sale and import of connected cars and related technology from China. Concerns over data security are compelling. That means the policy is likely to last – and could catch on elsewhere. Full story

Driving Toward a More Resilient Future – Copart’s ESG Commitment

Copart has published its 2024 ESG Report, which states how our global operations have enabled the avoidance of more than 12 million metric tons of CO2e during the past financial year by extending the life cycle of vehicles and harvesting green parts. 

In addition to sustainability successes, the report also illustrates a range of different ways in which our business supports communities, customers, and teammates, and always operates in an ethical and honest manner. Full story

Allianz reveals Risk Barometer

Cyber, business interruption and natural catastrophes are the risks of most concern for businesses globally in the Allianz Risk Barometer 2025. In an increasingly volatile and interconnected risk landscape, companies and their insurance partners must take a holistic view of risk and, continually work to invest in and build resilience, even if the short-term nature of business decisions, world events, and the cost-of-living crisis makes this more challenging than ever. Full story

Automotive Collision Repair Services Market Expected to Hit US$ 230.4 Billion by 2033

According to Persistence Market Research, the global automotive collision repair services market generated revenues of US$ 132.1 billion in 2023. Propelled by increasing customer expectations for vehicle longevity and advancements in repair techniques, the market is projected to reach US$ 230.4 billion by 2033, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4% from 2023 to 2033. Full story

Fix Auto UK has reaffirmed its commitment to driving meaningful and measurable change by joining the Automotive 30% Club as Silver Members. This significant milestone places Managing Director Ian Pugh among 72 forward-thinking CEOs and MDs across the automotive industry, all dedicated to the shared goal of ensuring at least 30 per cent of key leadership and decision-making roles are held by women.

New Image Body Repair has opened a new bodyshop in Norwich. This business aims to put more emphasis on repairing commercial vehicles including vans, taxis, campervans, and motorhomes.

Legacy acquisition specialist DARAG Group has agreed to acquire the run-off portfolio of wefox Insurance. This portfolio includes motor damage and third party liability, private liability, as well as property business across Germany, Italy and Switzerland.