Daily Motor News – Thursday 26 February 2026 

Vehicle repair sector leaders commit to ARC360 2026 

ARC360 2026 is set to welcome key insurers, vehicle manufacturers, repairers and leading suppliers when it returns to the British Motor Museum, Gaydon, on Thursday 21 May, reinforcing its position as a key meeting point for the motor claims and vehicle repair community. Read more 

FCA: A smarter approach to communicating our regulatory priorities 

The FCA has launched its new Regulatory Priorities reports, starting with the insurance sector. This marks a new approach that will help to transform our supervision and streamline regulation. Read more

The UK Car Insurance Market Is Not One Market, It’s Eight 

Car insurance pricing has become increasingly complex as insurers have adopted richer data sources and more advanced modelling techniques. The premium a consumer receives is now shaped by thousands of interacting variables – behavioural, geographic, economic and competitive.  Read more

AXA: Full Year 2025 Earnings 

Thomas Buberl, Chief Executive Officer of AXA: “In 2025, AXA delivered another year of very strong performance, with +9% earnings growth in our core businesses excluding AXA IM. We have taken advantage of these excellent results to further enhance reserve prudence.” Read more

Not even potholes will hold up self-driving cars, UK firm predicts 

British self-driving startup Wayve has said it is confident its technology will allow autonomous vehicles to “really drive anywhere”, including on the UK’s sometimes pothole-blighted roads. Read more

Car Insurance Deflation Slows Sharply as Young Drivers and London Diverge from National Trend 

Quoted car insurance premiums fell 3.3% in the 12 months to the end of January 2026. This compares to 9.1% annual deflation recorded three months earlier. Read more

FCA enforcement of the Consumer Duty – What do we know? 

The publication of the FCA’s first Enforcement Watch attracted significant attention. FCA Co-head of Enforcement Therese Chambers had been at pains in recent speeches to emphasise that, whilst the number of published outcomes might have dropped, plenty of enforcement activity was taking place “behind the scenes.” Enforcement Watch represented the first real articulation of what that behind-the-scenes activity looks like. Read more

Potholes on motorway a ‘death waiting to happen’ 

Lives are being put in danger by potholes on a Lancashire motorway, a senior councillor has claimed. Azhar Ali said the M65 between Burnley and Colne was “riddled” with defects and drivers were having to swerve around them at high speed. Read more

MGA launches commercial HGV motor breakdown insurance 

‘We continue to support brokers with innovative add-on solutions and the delivery of first-class claims services,’ says managing director. Read more

New car interest ramps up ahead of plate change as Renault 5 sparks retro revival in EV market 

With the highly anticipated ‘26 plate change just around the corner, consumers have been responding enthusiastically as Autotrader reports that the volume of visits to its new car platform in February increased 28% month-on-month (MoM) and 3% year-on-year (YoY). Read more

Self-driving tech startup Wayve raises $1.2B from Nvidia, Uber, and three automakers 

Wayve’s self-driving tech has attracted a diverse set of investors in the company’s latest $1.2 billion funding round, including three automakers, top venture and institutional firms, and returning backers Microsoft, Nvidia, and Uber. The total raise could reach $1.5 billion thanks to another $300 million from Uber contingent on deploying robotaxis, beginning in London. Read more

BMW drops Level 3 ADAS as industry backing ebbs away 

BMW has confirmed it will discontinue Personal Pilot L3—its SAE Level 3 autonomous driving system—as part of the 7 Series facelift expected in late April 2026. According to German outlet Automobilwoche, it will be replaced by a new SAE Level 2++ advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) first introduced on the iX3, slashing the cost of autonomy on the 7 Series from €6,000 (US$7,100) to around €1,450. Read more

Grant boost to cover almost half the cost of installing EV chargers for households and businesses 

Renters, flat owners, homeowners without driveways and businesses will be able to save up to £500 when installing electric vehicle (EV) charge points, thanks to an over 40% increase in chargepoint grant amounts announced today (25 February 2026).  Read more

Government petition response: Reduce Vehicle Excise Duty by 50% for vehicles aged 20 to 39 years 

The Government has no plans to reduce Vehicle Excise Duty liabilities for vehicles aged 20 to 39 years. The Government keeps all taxes under review and the Chancellor makes decisions at fiscal events. Read more

ILC launches Better Tomorrow following landmark Mobility In Insurance Conference

ILC has officially launched Better Tomorrow – the post-event publication capturing the key insights, themes and strategic discussions from the inaugural Mobility in Insurance Conference 2025. Read more 

AkzoNobel’s 2025 annual report published online 

AkzoNobel has published its digital Report 2025, which paints a comprehensive picture of the company’s performance and ongoing transformation. Read more

RAC named as one of UK’s Best Employers by Financial Times 

The RAC has today been named one of the UK’s Best Employers by the Financial Times. Now in its second edition, the UK’s Best Employers 2026 ranking, produced in collaboration with global data and research company Statista, highlights organisations that demonstrate a strong commitment to creating positive, engaging, and inspiring workplaces. Read more

Ian Lilley has been appointed Director Automotive at Cazana Automotive Data Intelligence. 

Chip giant Nvidia has reported record annual revenue of $215.9bn (£159.1bn), despite a wave of investor scepticism about the massive amounts of money being spent on artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Read more

With effect from 1 January 2026, Tony Baker, Head of Repair Operations, and Liam O’Brien, Head of Finance, have been appointed as Directors of Motofix Accident Repair Centres.