ARC360 News – Friday 17 July 2026

FMG Repair Services has expanded its repair network with the addition of a well-established repair centre in Hastings, strengthening its operational footprint in the Southeast and increasing capacity in an important area of high demand. Read more

Fix Auto Buckingham has become the first Fix Auto UK repairer – and only the second independent repairer in the UK – to achieve the coveted ARIES Maturity Level 5 Environmental Accreditation for the 2025 reporting period.

Fix Auto Chelmsford has become an official Volvo Approved Bodyshop.

Lauren Lyall has joined Halo as its new Head of Client Performance.

Stellantis has revealed the winners of its Stellantis Audatex Estimator of the Year – Southern Region winners. In first place was Alex Robson of M & S Accident Repairs Ltd, second went to George Christou of Brian Robson Coachworks Ltd, and joint in third were: Colin Englefield of Woodlands Bodyshop; David Harwood of Devonshire Motors Accident Repair Centre; and Carl Roweof West End Motors Bodmin.

Tom Pearson has joined Alloy Bodies Ltd as its new Operations Director.

The Stellantis Audatex Estimator of the Year – Central Region winners are: in first place, Glynn Perks of Stevens Collision Repair Specialists, in second place Adam Brough of MG Accident Repair Centre and in third Phil Chopping of Whaley Bridge Accident Repair Centre Ltd.

Mandating vehicle safety technologies in GB type approval: government response

The government intends to proceed with the package of 18 proven vehicle safety technologies for mass-produced vehicles under GB type approval. The government notes views on issues relating to: real-world performance, and usability and driver interaction for some safety systems, particularly ISA and ELKS. The government will take these points into account in finalising the policy and legislative approach. Read more

Electric Car Grant applied to more than 140,000 new EVs in first year 

More than 140,000 new EVs have been bought with the UK Government’s Electric Car Grant during the scheme’s first year, it has been announced. The grant gives a discount of either £3,750 or £1,500 off the cost of qualifying EVs, with 58 models currently eligible. Read more

Short on Time? Need Answers Fast? Meet Ford Pro AI

Fleet managers wear many hats — from human resources and dispatch to maintenance, budgeting and customer service. This mix of reactive problem-solving and highly fragmented administrative tasks can take a big chunk of time out of their working day. Read more

JLR to provide access to over one million chargers across Europe

A new partnership will enable Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar clients to use either their InControl Remote app or any future JLR apps to locate and pay monthly for over one million public chargers throughout Europe from July. Read more

Toyota, BMW, Bosch and Repsol launch real-world pilot for vehicles running on 100 per cent renewable gasoline

Toyota Motor Europe (TME), in collaboration with BMW Group, Bosch and Repsol, has announced the launch of a pioneering six-month pilot project in Spain. The pilot, which started in early July, will demonstrate the real-world potential of Vehicles running Exclusively on Eligible Fuels (VEEF). Read more

Volvo Cars Q2 2026: executing in a very challenging environment

“In this very challenging external environment, we made progress on our strategic actions,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and CEO. “This gives us the momentum and confidence that the second half of the year will improve compared to the first six months.” Read more

BMW launches vehicle configurator as a dialogue-based plugin in OpenAI’s ChatGPT

BMW is expanding its digital customer communications by making its vehicle configurator available directly via OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Using the BMW plugin in ChatGPT, customers can now engage in a natural conversation to configure their dream car. Read more

Mobility agenda broadens further 

The programme for ILC’s Mobility in Insurance Conference 2026 continues to strengthen, with further senior industry figures confirmed as the event builds an increasingly diverse line-up of expertise from across the mobility and motor claims sectors. Read more

Silverlake host U-Pick-It open day

This Saturday, 18 July, Silverlake is holding a U-Pick-It open day at its Southampton site, inviting the community to come and find out more about recycled parts and automotive recycling, while raising funds for its designated charity, the Hampshire and IOW Air Ambulance. Read more

Joint taskforce continues crack down on misleading car finance claims adverts 

The FCA, Advertising Standards Authority, Solicitors Regulation Authority and Information Commissioner’s Office are tackling the poor handling of motor finance claims by some claims companies and law firms. Read more

Working together to improve vehicle recycling

The Green Parts Specialists (GPS) are working with Coventry University/Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME) on a series of innovation projects focused on improving vehicle recycling. Together, alongside SUSTAIN Steel, GPS are exploring how to make vehicle dismantling more efficient and how to recover the maximum value from vehicle metals while retaining the highest levels of purity. Read more

Introducing Copart’s EV battery health report 

More EV and hybrid vehicles are entering the UK car parc, fuelled by the rise of more affordable Chinese brands and an and an influx of nearly- new fleet and lease vehicles. Here at Copart, we’ve seen this first-hand, with EVs and hybrids being our biggest growth area year-on-year. Read more

How consumers are reshaping the future of mobility 

Consumer expectations are changing across nearly every aspect of mobility. Economic pressures are influencing purchase decisions, new technologies are changing vehicle preferences, digital channels are altering how people buy vehicles, and disruptive transportation options, some of which are on the brink of scaling, are giving people more choice. These shifts vary across markets and customer segments, but together they are reshaping the future of mobility. Read more

RAC predicts highest number of getaway trips in four years as school’s out for summer 

More than 14m drivers will make their getaway this weekend as schools across the country close for the summer, according to new data released by the RAC. The number of leisure trips is the second highest since RAC records began in 2016, surpassed only by 2022 when the country emerged from COVID lockdown. Read more