Daily Motor News – Wednesday 8 April 2026 

Motor claims leaders unite as ARC360 countdown continues 

With ARC360 2026 fast approaching, the UK’s leading voices in motor claims and vehicle repair are preparing to gather at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon on 21 May. As the sector faces rapid technological and operational change, this flagship ILC event offers an unparalleled opportunity for collaboration across the entire motor ecosystem. Read more

10 minutes with… Eddie Longworth, CEO, e2e Total Loss Claims Management 

In a fast-moving sector like insurance claims, the sharpest minds are often too busy to sit still – which is why we invited Eddie Longworth, CEO of e2e Total Loss Claims Management to give us 10 minutes of honesty, perspective, and insight… Read more

24 million Brits could be overpaying for insurance through auto-renewal 

While making savings is still top of the agenda for many cash-strapped households, new research from Go.Compare has revealed that nearly half of Brits surveyed (45%) don’t bother shopping around for insurance products when their renewal is due – meaning as many as 24 million people across the UK could be overpaying. Read more

Marsh McLennan Agency acquires Seitz Insurance Agency 

Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA), a business of Marsh, today announced the acquisition of Seitz Insurance Agency, a Sidney, Montana-based independent agency. Terms were not disclosed. Read more

Motor insurer beats claim despite driver’s ‘too busy’ remark to police 

A UK insurer defeated a negligence claim despite the driver telling police at the scene he was “too busy” watching for traffic to notice pedestrians. The High Court dismissed Rai v Advantage Insurance Company Ltd (t/a Hastings Insurance) on April 2, 2026, finding the claimant failed to prove the driver breached his duty of care – even though his own words, captured on police body-worn camera, appeared to suggest otherwise. Read more

Steer launches Derby Admiral site 

Steer Automotive Group has launched Steer Derby Admiral, its second co-branded repair centre with Admiral Group Plc. The site transforms its Derby Prestige location into a dedicated facility for Admiral policyholders, supporting a more streamlined repair journey. Read more

Ranked: The World’s Biggest EV Makers 

BYD is now the world’s biggest EV maker, with 2.56 million deliveries between August 2024 and August 2025. That put the Chinese automaker well ahead of Geely and Tesla, underscoring how quickly the global EV leaderboard is changing. Read more

Chery and Geely pivot to HEV in 2026 with 2L fuel claims, challenging Toyota’s hybrid dominance 

Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) have re-emerged as a strategic focus for Chinese automakers in 2026, with companies including Changan, Geely, and Chery announcing new systems and products, according to 36kr. Read more

Jaecoo 7 becomes UK’s best-selling car in March 

The Jaecoo 7 was the UK’s best-selling new car in March, beating regular chart-toppers the Ford Puma, Nissan Qashqai and Kia Sportage. A total of 10,064 examples of the Chinese crossover were registered last month, compared with 9193 Pumas, 8718 Qashqais and 7310 Sportages. Read more

Vehicle tech reliability rankings 

New research from temporary car insurance provider Tempcover has identified which vehicle manufacturers are most and least associated with technology-related MOT failures and recalls, highlighting the growing impact of in-car systems on overall vehicle reliability. Read more

Chris Rea’s Porsche 911 and classic Fiat 500 converted to an EV to be sold at auction five months after his death at 74 

Two collectable models from Chris Rea’s personal garage will go under the hammer in May, some five months after the late rock legend’s untimely death at 74. Rea, who passed away on 22 December after a short illness, was known to be a huge petrol head, amassing a fleet made up of Ferraris, Lotus, Caterhams, and Land Rovers. Read more

EVs should be as repairable as ICE, Thatcham Research says 

Electric vehicles should be as easy to repair as traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. That’s the view of the U.K.’s leading vehicle assessment body, Thatcham Research, which announced its New Electric Vehicle Blueprint paper in a March 6 release. Read more

AND-E streamlines processes to deliver significant improvements in Total Loss settlements 

Supporting key brands including Toyota, Lexus and Kwik Fit, AND-E (Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Europe) is reshaping how Total Loss claims are handled to give customers faster resolution at a time when they are particularly vulnerable. Through a combination of predictive analytics, advanced vehicle valuation tools and a customer-focused operational review, the company has accelerated every step of the process – enabling settlement of Total Loss claims within one day. Read more

AI is All Around You: Powering Every Step of Collision Repair 

The collision repair industry is no stranger to transformation, but the pace of change today is something else entirely. In a recent CIECA educational webinar, key industry leaders gathered to discuss one of the most talked-about topics in the world today: Artificial Intelligence. Read more

Mark Hicks has started a new position as UK Claims Manager at Hadron Insurance.