Daily Motor News – Thursday 24 July 2025 

“Recent conversations with more than one insurer suggests that there is a desire to increase the final returns being earned from total loss/salvage and at the same time there is also increasing pressure on repairers because of runaway parts, labour, and paint inflation. However, simply squeezing the cost base (suppliers) is a tactic with a natural end point and a limited shelf life.” Eddie Longworth, CEO, e2e Total Loss Claims Management. Read more

Next steps for self-driving vehicles as future passengers help shape self-driving vehicles law 

The public and industry are being encouraged to help shape the future of self-driving vehicles, as they are invited to offer their views to make them safe and accessible before the first services become available next year. Read more

E-scooter legislation on the horizon 

In the three years since ACSO produced its report on e-scooters, the Department for Transport has sat on its hands, perhaps putting them in the too-hard-to-handle category. Now it seems as though a new consultation is afoot. Read more

How innovation drives sustainability in insurance claims management 

The circular economy is one of the major solutions to our ongoing and accelerating climate and nature crisis. Why? Because materials stay in the economic circle as long as possible – so circularity turns waste into a resource, eases overextraction of natural resources and reduces carbon emissions drastically. Costs will also go down the more markets for recycled parts are growing. Ideally, product design already incorporates the reusability and recyclability of various materials. Read more

Pickup warning: what the sharp increase in hilux thefts tells us about modern vehicle crime 

The UK’s largest owner-managed loss adjusting and claims solutions group, QuestGates, has released eye-catching research into newer vehicle theft trends. While overall UK vehicle thefts were down 4.5% last year, thefts of less than 3 years old models rose by 6.6%, according to the comparison of DVLA data for 2023 and 2024. Read more

Mobility in Insurance 2025 conference continues to build   

ILC’s inaugural Mobility in Insurance Conference 2025, taking place on Thursday 16 October at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon is continuing to build with new leading names added to both agenda and sponsor line-up.  Read more

New car registrations: -1.9% in H1 2025; battery-electric 15.6% market share 

Up until June 2025, battery-electric cars accounted for 15.6% of the EU market share, an increase from the low baseline of 12.5% in H1 2024. Hybrid-electric car registrations continue to surge, capturing 34.8% of the market, remaining the preferred choice among EU consumers. Meanwhile, the combined market share of petrol and diesel cars fell to 37.8%, down from 48.2% over the same period in 2024. Read more

UK vehicle production falls but foundations set for recovery 

UK new vehicle manufacturing declined by -11.9% to 417,232 units in the first six months of the year, according to the latest figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Read more

Tesla pledges to make cheaper cars as problems mount 

Tesla has said it will build cheaper cars and win approval for its self-driving software in Europe this year after seeing sales fall at the sharpest rate for a decade. Read more

China issues ethical guidelines for autonomous driving technology 

China’s science and technology ministry on Wednesday issued ethical guidelines for autonomous driving technology, requiring developers to prioritise user safety and refrain from spreading false information when publishing research results. Read more

Two additional models earn highest IIHS award 

US: Two midsize luxury SUVs, the all-electric 2025 Tesla Model Y and the 2025 Volvo XC90 Plug-In Hybrid, earn Top Safety Pick+ awards in the latest batch of vehicle ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Read more

How to deliver a new generation of combined total loss and repair solutions 

Why don’t insurers, or their designated claims management agents, purchase repair and total loss services in the same process? Using the same (but expanded) Request for Proposal (RFP) documents and considering the joint service supply as a single total package?   Read more

Consumer confidence rises to highest level in a year but big split across age groups 

PwC’s latest Consumer Sentiment Survey shows consumers are feeling more confident this summer after dropping three times in the past year. However, this improvement was concentrated in two segments of the population – the 25 to 34-year-olds and those in the highest socio-economic group – reflecting a divergence between other demographic groups. Meanwhile, the findings also show that consumers across the board remain concerned about inflation and their job security. Read more

TRL, in partnership with the World Bank, is proud to announce the next-generation Highway Development and Management Model (HDM-5), a vital upgrade to the world’s most widely adopted tool for road transport planning and investment evaluation. Read more

TyreSafe, the UK’s leading tyre safety charity, has announced the launch of its Ultimate Guide to Agricultural Tyres to mark this year’s Farm Safety Week (21–25 July), in partnership with Tilly Pass, the Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies), and Micheldever. Read more

Efforts are under way to require companies in the U.K., including in Northern Ireland, to become more transparent about employee pay, in order to close gaps based on gender, ethnicity and disability. Read more