ARC360 News – Friday 14 November 2025

Turners Accident Repair, a third-generation family-owned business with multiple sites across the North of England, has secured investment from an affiliate of private equity firm Sun European Partners. Read more

The UK motor repair sector is showing signs of stability following years of disruption, but major challenges remain. Speaking at ILC’s Exclusive Motor Claims Conference 2025, Chris Aplin, Head of Network Operations at Advanced Repair Network (part of Activate Group), outlined the key issues driving change in the year ahead. Read more

Steer Automotive Group has announce the acquisition of Paint Tec Fife, an established accident repair centre in Glenrothes. Read more

Thatcham Research has reached a new milestone of 120 apprentice starts this Autumn – a figure not seen in recent years for automotive bodyshop skills. Read more

Cosmetic Repair Solutions Ltd – users of Ezi Compliance System – has successfully completed its Stage 2 BSI audit with a positive recommendation at its brand new site in Newcastle Upon Tyne.

Geely Auto UK repair methods are now live on Thatcham Research’s escribe, following the launch of their very first vehicle, the Geely EX5 in the UK.

ITAS – International Technical Automotive Systems has hosted its Manufacturer and Insurer Open Day at our training facility in Milton Keynes. Read more

Alliance Automotive Group UK and Ireland has expanded its operations with the acquisition of Chesterfield-based Autosupplies which supplies garage and trade customers across the Midlands and Yorkshire. Read more

US: The number of private equity firms and other investor groups placing a bet on success in the collision industry reached a new peak this past year, according to speakers at the annual MSO Symposium, held  3 November, the day before the SEMA Show opened in Las Vegas. Read more

Bringing vehicles to customers sooner: Nissan harnesses power of AI to speed up physical vehicle tests

Nissan and Monolith have announced a three-year extension to their strategic partnership, using artificial intelligence (AI) to transform the vehicle development process and reduce the use of physical tests. The partnership contributes to Nissan’s global recovery plan, RE:Nissan which includes a focus on bringing products to customers more quickly by reducing vehicle development time and working with partners to drive innovation and operational efficiency. Read more

One year on: joint venture between Volkswagen Group and Rivian shows strong progress

One year after its inception, the joint venture “Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies” (RV Tech) is successfully collaborating with the Volkswagen Group and Rivian. The development of a state-of-the-art zonal architecture for future software-defined vehicles (SDVs) is progressing. Currently, RV Tech is preparing reference vehicles from the Volkswagen, Scout, and Audi brands with the SDV architecture for winter testing in Q1 2026. Read more

MG celebrates EV landmark

MG Motor UK has just reached an impressive landmark in its UK home market with the sale of its 100,000th electric vehicle. The milestone was met on Friday 31 October. Meanwhile, the business has also strengthened its UK presence by launching a state-of-the-art warehousing and parts distribution centre in Daventry, Northamptonshire. The new 15,000m² facility will initially employ 40 people but has further capacity to meet future demand for MG parts and services. Read more

How data scientists are shaping the future of electromobility

The BMW Group’s Gen6 high-voltage batteries are a technological leap, offering major improvements in energy density, charging speed and range. Preparations for their series production are currently underway, with the BMW Group building five new assembly sites – at Irlbach-Straßkirchen (Lower Bavaria), Debrecen (Hungary), Shenyang (China), San Luis Potosí (Mexico) and Woodruff (USA). Read more

Independent Audits of Waymo’s Safety Case and Remote Assistance Programs 

Safety transparency and accountability have always been the foundation of Waymo’s mission to be the world’s most trusted driver. Today, we’re proud to share that Waymo has become the first autonomous driving company to complete independent, third-party audits of both our remote assistance program, which helps provide contextual information to our vehicles, and our safety case program.  Read more

BEV growth continues despite future tax concerns

Battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations continue to rise in the UK, with 38,780 new BEVs registered in October 2025 – representing 25% marketshare and a 21% increase compared to October 2024. According to Gecko Risk’s November EV Data Insights, BEVs and hybrids combined outsold petrol and diesel vehicles for the month, reflecting a shifting consumer preference. Read more

Is AI steering the automotive industry in the right direction? 

Artificial intelligence is becoming totally ingrained into business. Possibly none more so than the automotive industry with autonomous cars being the most talked about. Read more

New data reveals the UK’s top uninsured driving areas 

As UK police begin a week of action to keep our roads safe, new hotspot data has uncovered the worst offending areas for uninsured driving, with Thurrock in Essex leading the pack. Data released today by MIB (Motor Insurers’ Bureau), the not-for-profit that exists to protect people from the devastation of uninsured and hit-and-run drivers, marks the start of the annual ‘Operation Drive Insured’ campaign.  Read more

Mirka unveils new DEXOS dust extractor

Mirka UK has launched the DEXOS 1230 M AFC dust extractor – a next-generation solution aimed at enhancing dust-free working environments across professional workshops. Read more

BASF Coatings launches new automotive OEM coatings plant in Muenster, Germany

BASF Coatings has successfully commissioned a state-of-the-art production plant for automotive OEM coatings at its Muenster site in Germany. The new facility is designed to produce high-runner products, namely colors that currently represent the majority of market demand, and ensure consistent product quality and enhanced production efficiency. Read more

Prasco UK expands to meet EV parts demand

Prasco UK has announced a significant investment in a new 27,000sqft facility to meet soaring demand for electric vehicle (EV) replacement parts, strengthening its position as a leading supplier of non-OE components. Read more

Ben launches festive support for automotive families

Automotive industry charity Ben has launched its 2025 Christmas Families project – a vital support initiative running until 15 December. Read more

Paul Grimbley has started a new role as Motor Engineer – Field Based at Solus – an Aviva company.

Gareth Newbery has started a new role as Business Development Manager at FixMyCar.