Daily Motor News-Thursday 5 December

Allianz Partners, Uber and Indeez launch Vehicle Interruption Cover in the UK 

Allianz Partners, a leader in B2B2C assistance and insurance, and Uber, the largest ridesharing company worldwide, have joined forces to offer digital insurance and income protection for Uber drivers in the UK, orchestrated by the insurtech, Indeez. The new product ‘Vehicle Interruption Cover’ will help Uber drivers protect their income if they are unable to work because their car is off the road. Full story

Work volumes and skilled labour are key repairer challenges 

A survey of more than 100 vehicle repairers who attended this year’s Enterprise Rent-A-Car Repair Partner Event has revealed that almost half (47%) think work volumes are the biggest challenge for the repair industry. This was closely followed by skilled labour shortages, with a third (32%) of respondents saying this is their second biggest concern. Full story

Discounts drive EV growth amid wider market contraction 

Deliveries of new cars fell by -1.9% in the UK during November with 153,610 joining the road, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). It is the second consecutive monthly decline, and the third decline in four months,1 as the market contracts amid the race to meet tough EV market share targets. Full story

Driving test bosses ‘bullying’ examiners to be lenient with learners to reduce COVID backlog’ 

Driving test managers are “bullying” examiners into being lenient with learners to reduce the COVID driving test backlog, Sky News has been told. They have claimed bosses at the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) are encouraging examiners to carry out driving tests in unroadworthy cars, sometimes without valid MOTs, owned by those taking tests, instead of the examiners’ cars. Full story

Learning from road fatalities to save lives 

PACTS has published a new report which highlights significant gaps in how the UK handles learning from road traffic fatalities and calls for systemic changes to address these issues. Unlike other transport sectors, road deaths in the UK lack a central investigation body dedicated to learning from each fatal incident, limiting the ability to prevent similar tragedies in future. Full story

Self-driving cars confused by flashing emergency lights, study finds 

A fascinating new study has revealed how some camera-based automated driving systems can become confused by the flashing lights of emergency vehicles. The paper detailed how the confusion was so great that the tech was no longer able to confidently identify objects on the road. Full story

Hundreds of thousands of drivers could be invalidating insurance  

Drivers could be at risk of invalidating motor insurance by not declaring their car is fitted with a common feature that hundreds of thousands of vehicles have. Car owners are being provided unclear information when buying cover via comparison websites, with the popular feature often hidden in fine print or part of vaguely worded guidance. The item in question is a tow bar. Full story

Mercedes to develop solar paint that could revolutionise electric vehicles 

German car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz has announced plans to create a new kind of solar paint that could generate enough electricity to power a vehicle for more than 12,000km a year. The company’s engineers are researching a new type of solar modules that ‘could be seamlessly applied to the bodywork of electric vehicles (EVs)’. Full story

Union says nearly 100,000 workers joined Volkswagen strikes across Germany 

Almost 100,000 workers joined walkouts at Volkswagen’s German plants on Monday in protest at management plans to cut wages and even close sites at Europe’s biggest carmaker, the IG Metall union said, threatening further industrial action. Full story

Silverlake Automotive Recycling awarded Salvage Company of the Year 2024 

Silverlake Automotive Recycling was awarded Salvage Company of the Year for the second year in a row at the prestigious ATF Professional Vehicle Recycling Awards. The award recognised the innovation Silverlake applies to its UK-wide operations which sees the business process 33,000-plus salvage vehicles a year. Full story

REA figures show surface dressing volumes have increased since lowest reported last year 

The Road Emulsion Association (REA) has reported an increase in the manufacturing, sale, and use of bitumen emulsions for surface dressing since last year, which was the lowest reported volumes on record. Figures collected by the REA, a trade association which represents all the UK bitumen emulsion manufacturers, signify green shoots of recovery. Full story

DVSA issues warning to drivers over little-known December ‘deadline’ 

The DVSA has issued a vital warning to drivers amid Christmas period closures with new deadlines unveiled. The DVSA has unveiled its Christmas and New Year operating schedule, with motorists and road users warned to expect significant changes during Christmas. Full story

Hydrogen vehicle training workshop to boost automotive sector skills 

A new training facility that will help equip the automotive industry to meet the rising demand for hydrogen-fuelled vehicles has launched at South & City College Birmingham (SCCB). Funded by a £1.5m grant from the Office for Students, the workshop will deliver engineer training on hydrogen light vehicles, PSVs and HGVs. Full story