Daily Motor News – Wednesday 25 September

High Mobility integrates Volkswagen Group vehicle data

High Mobility is an authorised data marketplace partner for Volkswagen Group Info Services. This partnership provides access to a wide range of live vehicle data, including mileage, consumption, geolocation, and vehicle maintenance information, supporting various use cases. With all major European brands available, the High Mobility platform is the ideal access point for next-generation fleet operations and advanced fleet management solutions. Full story

Ageas Sustainability Day: Advancing Automotive Sustainability

On Wednesday 31 July 2024, the AkzoNobel Automotive Training Centre in Didcot hosted Ageas’s Sustainability Day, an event dedicated to exploring sustainability within the automotive industry. The event commenced with an address by Paul Llewelyn, Head of Ageas Motor Claims, who emphasised the importance of sustainable solutions from industry suppliers. This set the stage for a day filled with insightful presentations and practical demonstrations. Full story

Insurance industry detects £1bn worth of fraudulent claims

Cracking down on insurance fraud remains a top priority for the industry according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI) as its latest figures reveal £1.1bn worth of fraudulent claims were detected last year, up four per cent on 2022. Full story

US to ban Chinese tech in cars

The US is planning to ban certain hardware and software made in China and Russia from cars, trucks and buses in the US due to security risks.

Officials said they were worried that the technology in question, used for autonomous driving and to connect cars to other networks, could allow enemies to “remotely manipulate cars on American roads”. Full story

Call for lower insurance premiums after dramatic drop in High Court claims

Insurers have been called on to slash their premiums after official figures showed a dramatic fall in the number of injuries cases being heard by the High Court.

The annual report of the Courts Service shows there was a 29pc reduction in the number of personal injury cases being heard by the High Court last year when compared with the previous year. Full story

Are EVs and Hybrids more expensive to insure Vs ICE vehicles? Mercury Insurance expert explains

With a variety of powertrain options on the market, consumers who are shopping for a new vehicle have a lot to mull over these days. Buy another internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle? Go fully electric? What about a hybrid? Regardless of vehicle type, it’s important for shoppers to understand the total cost of ownership before making a commitment, as this will help minimize unexpected expenses and headaches down the road. Full story

New tariffs challenge Chinese BEVs

Recent press commentary has focused on Chinese brands looking to expand into the UK and Europe. Over 30 million new and 350 million used vehicles are sold yearly in China, representing a new car market 13x larger than the UK. Chinese OEMs see the UK and Europe as potential markets for expansion; the European market sells, on average, 15 million used vehicles a year, and the UK is the second-largest market in Europe, with an average of about 2.3 million new vehicles sold (2019). Full story

How buses are going autonomous

John Birtwistle, Head of Policy at First Bus, gives MotorPro the lowdown on the groundbreaking Mi-Link project – the UK’s first ever fully electric autonomous bus service – and what it means for public transportation. Full story

How technology, including AI, gives claims investigators an edge

Putting the ‘art’ in artificial intelligence, Zurich Insurance Group is using sophisticated technology paired with human intuition to detect claims fraud. There’s never a dull moment in a job that might include spotting theft, and even catching the odd murderer. Full story

Australia: AAMI releases a special Decade of Driving Report, as part of its Crash Index 2024

Suncorp’s national insurer AAMI has released a special Decade of Driving Report as part of its annual Crash Index. The report examines 10 years of claims data to find trends of the past, so we can look forward to the future to see how we can improve road safety for all Australians. Full story

US: Auto insurance, transportation costs continue to hike up inflation as the Fed cuts interest rates

The US Department of Transportation reports that motor vehicle insurance has continued to contribute to inflation at 17.6% in August 2024 — the greatest contribution since July 2016 (recordkeeping of this statistic began in 2012).

Motor vehicle insurance became the No. 1 transportation contributor to inflation in December 2022 and, as of August 2024, remains the top contributor. Full story