Daily Motor News – Thursday 23 January 2025

“There are now more than 10,000 BYDs on the road in the UK, with 75% of these being new registrations last year. The appetite for Chinese manufacturers will no doubt be driven by price, however brand loyalty and recognition will still have a part to play. 

It should be noted that the British brand MG is controlled by Chinese state-owned manufacturer SAIC, and was in fact the most searched for EV make on Autotrader for 2024. MG is also one of the few manufacturers where average labour costs exceed that of parts costs. This perhaps indicates artificially low parts costs or indeed a deeper understanding of diagnostics required by repairers.” James Fisher, CEO of Gecko Risk, Activate Group’s EV & AFV insights partner. Full story

2024 in Motor Claims, and Projections for 2025

With 2024 now behind us, insurers have their sights set firmly on what 2025 will bring for their motor claims supply chains, repair partnerships, and policyholder expectations. 

With EVs firmly entering the mainstream, repair capacity challenges easing, and premium prices stabilising, the year ahead will likely bring new challenges, and equally opportunities for insurers and their partners to navigate. Full story

Major names revealed for ARC360 conference

Paul Llewellyn, Head of Claims (Motor), Ageas; Peter Randhawa, Director of ESG & Special Projects, Steer Automotive Group; and Victoria Turner, CEO, National Accident Repair Group are three of the major names set for ARC360’s conference agenda in May. 

Taking place on Thursday 22 May at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon – the conference is again set to deliver the most engaging and interactive automotive incident repair/motor insurance claims focused event of the year. Discussing the business-critical areas to impact the industry, ARC360 will bring together industry leaders to share experience, insight and knowledge to align with ARC360’s ethos of ‘gaining ground together’. Full story

Advice for homes and businesses ahead of Storm Éowyn

Ahead of Storm Éowyn, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) is reassuring homeowners and businesses that their insurers will be ready to help and support their customers.  

Damage caused by storms and flooding is covered by most standard home insurance and commercial business policies, and comprehensive motor insurance.  Full story

Connected Platforms will make insurance of the future ultra-personalised

Efficiency is not enough. To stay relevant, insurers must apply advanced technology to create integrated platforms that deliver real-time, customer-first support, says Sirma Boshnakova, Member of the Board of Allianz. Full story

Why car insurance policy names mean (almost) nothing

Car insurance comes in more shapes and sizes than ever before, making picking a policy a challenge.

And new Which? research shows that how firms are naming their policies isn’t necessarily helping. Full story

How to run effective road safety awareness campaigns

Are road safety campaigns efficient means to improve road safety? To this question we can answer positively and affirm that road safety campaigns are one of the tools used to enhance safety on the road, alongside me asures like legislation, enforcement, education, driver training, and technical advancements. These campaigns aim to raise awareness and foster a long-term, voluntary shift in attitudes and behaviours related to road use. By informing, persuading, and motivating individuals to rethink their beliefs and actions, road safety campaigns contribute significantly to safer roads for everyone. Full story

Reimaging insurance claimless solution with satellite data

Advancements in satellite technology are reshaping the insurance industry by enabling more accurate risk assessment, faster claims processing, and improved disaster response, providing insurers with powerful tools for better decision-making and resource allocation. Full story

Joint statement on repair in the proposed regulation on circularity requirements for vehicle design and on management of end-of-life vehicles

Vehicles have long been considered a best practice for repairability. This is no coincidence but owed to strong and consumer-friendly regulations such as the Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation, ensuring a level playing field and fair competition between manufacturers and independent aftermarket businesses. Yet, with changing technology and markets, this repairability is on the decline: reports of non-dismantlable design, unavailable spare parts or repair services, as well as challenges to repairability emerging through the increase of electronic components in vehicles show that early obsolescence is increasing in newer vehicles. Full story

Top 10: Technologies Changing the EV Landscape

The EV landscape is rapidly transforming, driven by groundbreaking technological advancements. These emerging innovations enhance vehicle performance and address key barriers to adoption, such as charging infrastructure, range anxiety and sustainability. From battery technology breakthroughs to cutting-edge software systems, the EV industry is poised to reshape transportation as we know it. Full story

Identifying corner cases: Confident, even in borderline cases

Driver assistance systems make road traffic safer, but so far mainly cover standard situations. Using artificial intelligence, Porsche Engineering is working to make identifying traffic situations that occur less frequently—known as corner cases— easier and more reliable. The aim is to improve ADAS. Full story

Copart continues to champion ED&I

As a proud champion of equality, diversity and inclusion, we encourage gender balance within the automotive industry and are proud to have strong female representation across all areas of our business, including our senior management team. 

We value a diverse workforce, and we champion fair opportunities for everyone. Full story

Automotive OEMs Face Multiple Technology Adoption Challenges

Experts At The Table: The automotive ecosystem is in the midst of significant change. OEMs and tiered providers are grappling with how to deal with legacy technology while incorporating ever-increasing levels of autonomy, electrification, and software-defined vehicle concepts, just to name a few. Full story

AB Dynamics automates ADAS testing for heavy vehicles

Automotive test solution supplier AB Dynamics has introduced automated capabilities that enable OEMs and test houses to significantly reduce the time and complexity of testing the latest ADAS protocols from Euro NCAP and NHTSA. Full story

Two thirds of drivers back mandatory retesting of senior drivers

A recent survey completed by Car insurance comparison site Uswitch has found that two thirds of UK drivers would back mandatory retesting of senior drivers. Common concerns raised as part of the survey were older drivers slower reaction times, sight issues and overall deteriorating health. Full story

Solera Audatex has announced that the Audatex UK Service Desk has expanded its support channels to include webchat. This new feature is available alongside our existing telephone, email, and self-service portal options.

The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has announced the shortlist for its Annual Awards, with winners to be announced at the IMI Annual Dinner held at the Intercontinental Hotel on Park Lane on 12th March 2025.

Kennedys has successfully completed its move in Newcastle, with the team now located in one of the city’s most prominent office buildings. 

Komoo is delighted to announce that the full organisation has achieved carbon neutrality in accordance with PAS 2060

US: Devices known as pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHBs) allow walkers who need to cross a busy road to essentially conjure up a stoplight by pressing a button. But while the devices are great at getting drivers to yield, many pedestrians don’t bother to activate them before crossing, a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows.