Daily Motor News – Wednesday 26 March

ILC ARTICLE

26th March 2025

Considering today’s Spring Statement, Toby Poston, BVRLA Chief Executive said, “The government’s oft-repeated, long-term economic priorities of stability, investment and growth are also exactly what the electric vehicle market requires. But the ambitious ZEV Mandate targets mean that these BEV market essentials need to start being delivered in the coming weeks and months, not years.” Read more

The danger of ‘cars for kids’ in new driving licence rules

The European Transport Safety Council has published a reaction to the political agreement on the revised EU rules on driving licences, which permits children as young as 15 to drive cars weighing up to 2.5t, subject to a Member State seeking permission from the European Commission.

Ellen Townsend, Policy Director, said, “This is an incredibly irresponsible decision that could see children as young as 15 driving SUVs around towns and cities across the EU in a few years. These EU changes have the potential to open up driving to millions more 15-year-old children, driving ordinary cars and SUVs that require no conversion other than a speed limiter, at up to 45 km/h.” Read more

Personal injury brief: Latest decisions – March 2025

Kennedys has examined a case in Ireland that considers the scope of the mandatory motor insurance obligation. The Supreme Court in Ireland held that the liability of a recycling company to an employee who suffered life-changing injuries while loading a wheelie bin onto a recycling truck was a liability that was required to be covered by the company’s compulsory motor insurance policy rather than its employer’s liability policy. Read more

Heritage Insurance launches new Quote & Buy system for classic car owners

Heritage Car Insurance has today announced the launch of its new Quote & Buy system, a streamlined online platform that enables customers to obtain insurance quotes for multiple classic vehicles instantly.

The first of its kind, the new system now allows users to get a quote for multiple classic cars or camper vans at once. Read more

Gang jailed for £1m car heist after boasting about their crimes online

Five men in their teens and twenties have been jailed for a car theft heist totalling nearly £1m after bragging about their crimes online. The men, thought to have been members of a car theft gang, stole luxury SUVs, cars, motorcycles and motorhomes in a crime spree across Coventry that totalled 47 offences. Read more

Alberta introduces no-fault auto insurance bill

Alberta’s provincial government has introduced Bill 47, the Automoble Insurance Act, a type of no-fault insurance that will largely eliminate litigation from the auto insurance system and provide a ‘care-first’ model designed to provide improved access to health and medical benefits. Read more

e2e Total Loss Claims Management unveils PartsMarket

e2e Total Loss Claims Management has unveiled PartsMarket, a new recycled parts platform that can automatically ‘read’ a repair estimate and match parts instantly. The automated system searches across all e2e stockists in seconds, increasing the ease and likelihood of using recycled parts, cutting costs while significantly reducing CO₂ emissions. Read more

Volkswagen Group cooperates with Valeo and Mobileye to enhance driver assistance in future MQB vehicles

Volkswagen Group is working with Valeo and Mobileye to upgrade the advanced driver assistance systems up to Level 2+ (‘enhanced partially automated driving’) in its upcoming vehicle portfolio based on the MQB platform. Launching in the next few years, this cooperation will improve safety and driving comfort in high-volume vehicles, addressing both customer expectations and regulatory requirements. Read more

US opens probe into nearly 1.3 million Ford F-150 trucks over unexpected gear shift

US: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating nearly 1.3 million Ford F-150 pickup trucks in the United States over reports of an unexpected gear downshift accompanied by a temporary rear wheel lock-up.

NHTSA said it is opening a preliminary evaluation into some Ford F-150 pickup trucks from the 2015 to 2017 model years after receiving complaints from 138 consumers. Read more

Mitsubishi Motors North America and Solera’s Redcap partner to launch Shuttle OnDemand for dealerships

Mitsubishi Motors North America is launching Shuttle OnDemand, a comprehensive service management platform powered by Solera’s RedCap. Shuttle OnDemand enables Mitsubishi dealerships to manage customer transportation, service logistics, and payments—all within a single, easy-to-use platform. Read more

Pragmatic solutions for a changing world

The fourth edition of the Geotab Sustainability and Impact Report has revealed a shift in sustainability goals, with companies now seeking immediate efficiency and cost benefits rather than taking a long-term view.

Neil Cawse, founder and CEO of Geotab, said, “Sustainability can drive both cost savings and efficiency. When these initiatives are integrated into everyday business operations, they naturally reduce environmental impact while boosting the bottom line.” Read more

February new car pre-registration figures

SMMT released figures for February pre-registrations in the UK new car market. The data shows the number of cars disposed of by vehicle manufacturers in February 2025 that were defined as pre-registrations. Read more

UK inflation rate falls to 2.8%

The UK inflation rate fell to 2.8% in the 12 months to February, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics. Read more

UK must prioritise EV manufacturing and supply chain to compete

Carol Rose-Burke, Unipart Managing Director, Manufacturing, has said that to strengthen and futureproof the UK’s automotive industry, the UK must prioritise domestic manufacturing and supply chain capabilities – this requires a focused UK-first approach that fosters collaboration through a comprehensive industrial strategy. Read more

Final Call: Showcase star apprentices in the IMI Skills Competitions 2025

The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) is making a final call for entries to the prestigious Skills Competitions 2025, with an emphasis on its Heavy Vehicle Technology and Body Repair streams as both have received fewer entries compared to last year. Read more

Behind the skills gap – 35% of apprentices drop out early

The bodyshop industry is facing a well-publicised skills crisis and while apprenticeships are recognised as a key solution to long term workforce sustainability, the sector is losing too many promising young recruits before they qualify. Read more

Experts urge government to tackle looming fuel duty black hole

The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport UK (CILT(UK)) is urging the government to start talks with experts to tackle the impending black hole in income from fuel duty which is set to get deeper with the increasing shift towards electric cars. The government currently generates £28bn annually (2023/24) from fuel duty on petrol and diesel vehicles – some of which is used to repair and improve our roads. Read more