Daily Motor News – Tuesday 12 May 2026 

“While Ford vehicles remain the most stolen, we are seeing increases in other brands – particularly Mitsubishi – which is a clear reminder that criminals are constantly adapting,” said West Midlands PCC Simon Foster. “That is why I will continue to hold policing to account to tackle vehicle crime and call on vehicle manufacturers to continue to strengthen security measures, helping to better protect drivers and reduce opportunities for crime.” Read more

Agents, robots, and us: How AI reshapes work and skills in Europe 

Artificial intelligence and automation are reshaping how work is done across advanced economies. In Europe, the stakes are particularly high. The region faces a shrinking and aging workforce, persistent labour shortages, and slower productivity growth than peers such as the United States. Sustaining competitiveness and living standards will depend on the effective integration of people and technology. Read more

Intact Insurance launches new Claims Charter 

Intact Insurance has today launched a new ‘Claims Charter’, a series of clear and measurable commitments designed to give brokers greater confidence and consistency in how claims are handled by the insurer. Read more

IAM RoadSmart calls for ‘cheese cutter’ cable barriers to be replaced with a more motorcyclist friendly option 

New figures show that almost 150 miles of cable barriers – which pose a safety threat to motorcyclists – remain on England’s roads. The cable barriers are known for their ‘cheese cutter’ effect on bikers unlucky enough to hit them on collision while any unprotected posts that hold the wires in place can cause major trauma to those who hit them at high speed. Read more

Court Reassigns Impact Damage Claim to Band 3 Under the Fixed Recoverable Costs Regime 

Since its implementation in October 2023, the Fixed Recoverable Costs (‘FRC’) regime has provided a fertile ground for satellite litigation, given the lack of clarity as to what parties can expect to recover in any given situation. While the present position is contrary to the intended outcome of the FRC regime, some trends are becoming clearer as decisions are handed down. Read more

West Midlands sees 15.5% drop in vehicle theft as PCC highlights continued progress 

Vehicle theft across the West Midlands has fallen by 15.5% over the past two years, Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Simon Foster has announced. The latest data shows that 12,196 vehicle theft offences were recorded in 2025 – down 8.8% from 13,375 in 2024, and a significant reduction from 14,441 offences in 2023. The figures demonstrate a sustained downward trend in vehicle crime across the region. Read more

Sharp rise in stolen and cloned plates 

New research by Churchill motor insurance reveals an alarming rise in stolen and cloned number plates across the UK. Between 2021 and 2025, reports of stolen number plates more than doubled, rising by 119% to 7,381. Over the same period, notifications of cloned number plates increased by 53% to 11,394. In 2025 alone, stolen plate reports were up 30% year on year. Read more

EVs charge up used car market with record sales 

The UK’s used car market was flat during the first quarter of the year, down just -0.2% as 2,016,232 vehicles changed hands, according to the latest figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Read more

Cloud-based Bosch system advances predictive road hazard detection across global fleets 

Bosch has announced that its cloud-based road hazard service is being used in millions of passenger and commercial vehicles worldwide, including vehicles from BMW Group. The service uses continuously updated data from multiple sources to alert drivers to potential road hazards, such as fog or black ice. Bosch said it plans to expand the availability of the service to additional BMW vehicles over the next few years. Read more

Commentary | Q1 Used Car Transactions 

“The real story is how the market’s evolving, particularly in terms of electrification. Used EV transactions are up, and market share is rising. That mirrors what we’re seeing on our platform, where nearly one in four used car enquiries are for sub-five-year-old electric models.” Ian Plummer, Chief Customer Officer, AutoTrader. Read more

Europe’s EV investments approach €200 billion, according to new automotive data 

Europe’s electric vehicle transition is rapidly scaling into one of the largest industrial transformations in decades, with nearly €200 billion committed across the EV ecosystem. However, growing policy uncertainty – particularly around the EU’s 2035 zero-emission target – is raising concerns about whether this momentum can be sustained. Read more

Ford’s new battery container is here to take on the Tesla Megapack 

After trying and failing to overtake Tesla in electric car sales, Ford has now officially entered the battery energy storage market with a new subsidiary called Ford Energy. The company’s first product, the DC block, will compete directly with Tesla’s Megapack. Read more

Tesla waves goodbye to Model S And Model X as the last cars roll off the line 

For 14 years, the Tesla Model S set the benchmark of what defines a luxury EV. The Model X brought those qualities to a bigger, three-row form factor for the last 11. Despite constant competition and slipping sales, the two models have remained a core part of Tesla’s lineup. The Model S era finally came to an end on Saturday as the last cars rolled off the assembly line in Fremont, California. Read more

UK GDP growth to slow in 2026 amid global energy supply disruption 

The conflict in the Middle East is forecast to weigh on the UK economy and exacerbate longstanding national challenges related to consumer spending and energy prices, according to the new EY UK Economic Outlook. Read more

Carpenters: strength, grace and three decades of advocacy 

Some people carry a quiet power – the kind that brings warmth into even the hardest of conversations. Amanda Marshall, File Handler / Litigation Executive in our Intermediate Track Team (IMT), is one of those people. Understanding Amanda’s impact means starting with the story that shaped her into the extraordinary file handler she is today. Read more

The IMI welcomes Prime Minister’s ambition for young people – but calls for urgent apprenticeship reform to make it a reality 

The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) today welcomed the Prime Minister’s commitment to ensuring every young person can ‘go as far as their talent or effort will take them’.  Read more

How driving test booking is changing for learner drivers 

From 12 May, there will be changes to how you book your driving test. The changes are aimed at reducing long waiting lists of up to six months, and preventing slots from being bulk-bought by bots and firms who resell them to learner drivers at inflated prices. Read more

Thatcham Research has appointed Rich Tomlinson as Insurance Sector Director, effective Monday 11 May 2026. Rich will lead the organisation’s Insurance Vertical, reporting directly to Chief Executive Jonathan Hewett. The role has been created alongside Thatcham Research’s Automotive and Repair Verticals, led by Ben Townsend and Dean Lander respectively.  

Komoo, part of Steer Automotive Group, is expanding its UK network with three new sites opening this week. The three site expansion includes a second location in Edinburgh, a new on-site facility at Birmingham Airport, and a second Aberdeen site. 

A driverless taxi company has apologised after one of its cars repeatedly reversed out of an east London cul-de-sac in the early hours, making a loud noise. Residents of Elder Street in Spitalfields said a Waymo car had been waking everyone up with a “ridiculous mixture of a reversing noise and siren sound” at about 04:00 BST most days last week. Read more

Following a period of significant growth, SSP has announced plans for an organisational restructure designed to streamline how it serves the insurance market in the UK & Ireland and internationally. From 1 July 2026, SSP will operate as two separate business entities: SSP UK & Ireland, led by Martyn Mathews (MD), will focus on serving brokers, insurers and MGAs across the UK and Ireland, with growth targeted through strategic M&A and expansion into emerging segments such as the MGA market. SSP Worldwide, led by Stuart Redfearn (MD), will serve markets across APAC, Africa, North America and the Caribbean.