Consumer
SUVs outselling EVs 37 to 1

SUVs outselling EVs 37 to 1
Sales of both vehicle types have grown, but 1.8 million SUVs were sold over the last four years compared with 47,000 EVs
Number of luxury cars being stolen doubles in five years

Number of luxury cars being stolen doubles in five years
There were 117 per cent more premium car thefts between January and October 2019 than in the same period of 2015
Christmas drink-driving is on the rise

Christmas drink-driving is on the rise
December drink-driving offences grew 16 per cent from 2017 to 2018, while 36 per cent of drivers are confused about the drink-drive limit
Councils rake in £930m parking surplus in 2018-19

Councils rake in £930m parking surplus in 2018-19
Councils in England made a surplus of £930 million from parking operations in 2018-19, up seven per cent on the previous financial year
League table of councils’ EV charge points publish

League table of councils’ EV charge points publish
Barrow-in-Furness Borough Council is the only local authority without any council-owned public EV chargers whatsoever
72 per cent of motorists support fines for idling drivers

72 per cent of motorists support fines for idling drivers
Seven in 10 motorists think drivers who leave their engines idling while parked should be fined
Diesel scrappage scheme

Diesel scrappage scheme
Motoring group wants English cities and the Government to each put £500 million into getting polluting cars off the road
Uber urges passengers to check for cyclists exiting cars

Uber urges passengers to check for cyclists exiting cars
Automatic warnings come as government statistics show an 18% rise in accidents caused by car doors being opened or closed
Chancellor announces £29bn road investment

Chancellor announces £29bn road investment
Sajid Javid says Government is “getting the shovels out early” on important strategic and local road projects
EV charging firms agree on single subscription model

EV charging firms agree on single subscription model
Nine charging firms in the UK and Nordic countries will allow drivers to access their networks via a single subscription
Number of fatal motorway accidents increases by a fifth

Number of fatal motorway accidents increases by a fifth
Shock rise in fatal motorway accidents prompts further scrutiny of smart motorways; Highways England admits "more that needs to be done”
MoT results reveal shocking state of Britain's cars

MoT results reveal shocking state of Britain's cars
Official DVSA statistics show vast number of dangerous vehicles have deemed dangerous since the updated MoT was introduced
Car modification: impact on insurance cover revealed

Car modification: impact on insurance cover revealed
Exclusive investigation into car modification reveals that even innocuous upgrades can affect your insurance premium
New 3D-printed glove to protect JLR workers’ hands

New 3D-printed glove to protect JLR workers’ hands
Prototype glove set to help prevent musculoskeletal disorders for production-line staff
Car makers warn of “irreversible” no-deal Brexit effects

Car makers warn of “irreversible” no-deal Brexit effects
Automotive bodies says tariffs worth £5bn could be passed on to European consumers every year if the UK leaves the EU without a deal
Death of the manual handbrake

Death of the manual handbrake
Fresh research uncovers only three in 10 new cars have a manual handbrake, with JLR, Lexus, Mercedes and Porsche going electric-only
End personal car ownership, MPs say

End personal car ownership, MPs say
UK cannot become a carbon-neutral country until personal vehicle ownership is ended, Science and Technology Committee says
Ban hands-free mobiles when driving, say MPs

Ban hands-free mobiles when driving, say MPs
Transport Select Committee recommends tougher penalties for using a handheld mobile, plus banning hands-free calls
Over 750,000 UK drivers set to be caught speeding in France

Over 750,000 UK drivers set to be caught speeding in France
Data shows 21 per cent of British motorists are not aware that France’s speed camera tolerances are lower than the UK’s
24 vehicles hit stationary cars on hard shoulder each week

24 vehicles hit stationary cars on hard shoulder each week
Between three and four vehicles crash into stationary cars on the hard shoulders of major roads every day according to new data
August is the cheapest month to buy car insurance

August is the cheapest month to buy car insurance
Motorists who renew their insurance policies in August pay 10 per cent less on average than those who renew in January
Two thirds of drivers don’t understand European road signs

Two thirds of drivers don’t understand European road signs
New research reveals 65 per cent of UK drivers don’t understand European road signs, despite 40 per cent having driven abroad
New low-spec LEVC TX Icon taxi on the way

New low-spec LEVC TX Icon taxi on the way
LEVC to build low-spec ‘Icon’ version of its TX electric taxi, while also announcing it's '100% committed’ to staying in the UK
Juddering VW Group cars: no end in sight for owners

Juddering VW Group cars: no end in sight for owners
Kangarooing issue with 1.5 TSI Evo cars has existed for seven months; VW admits to problem, but doesn’t have a fix
New tech allows electricity to be generated from tyres

New tech allows electricity to be generated from tyres
New technology could allow tyres to be used to generate electricity to power tyre pressure monitoring systems
Exclusive: number of breakdowns reaches five-year high

Exclusive: number of breakdowns reaches five-year high
Highways England records 224,225 breakdowns in 2018/19 financial year - up a fifth in two years; rise comes as average age of cars increases
Best and worst places in the UK to drive a van

Best and worst places in the UK to drive a van
Insurance data reveals North-West London has highest accident rate for vans, while Greater London as a whole is the worst for thefts
DVSA: Nissan’s approach to Qashqai emissions “unacceptable”

DVSA: Nissan’s approach to Qashqai emissions “unacceptable”
On-road tests find the Nissan Qashqai emits 17 times more NOx than lab limits; DVSA criticises brand’s decision not to address issue
£2m Government project to scan local roads for safety issues

£2m Government project to scan local roads for safety issues
£2m of funding announced for artificial intelligence to scan 96,000 miles of road for poor road markings and other issues
Volvo recalls over 500,000 vehicles due to fire risk

Volvo recalls over 500,000 vehicles due to fire risk
Volvo has found a fault with the plastic intake manifold used on its 2.0-litre diesel engine, which poses a potential fire risk
Government invests £348m in local road improvements

Government invests £348m in local road improvements
The Department for Transport is investing in two funds – worth £198m and £150m respectively – which councils can bid to access
Highways England cancels or delays one in three road schemes

Highways England cancels or delays one in three road schemes
Highways England was meant to start 112 major road schemes between 2015 and 2020, but 39 have been cancelled, paused or delayed
Over half a million IDPs bought since February

Over half a million IDPs bought since February
Drivers in the UK have spent more than £3m buying International Driving Permits since February in preparation for a no deal Brexit
Major review of roads policing launched

Major review of roads policing launched
Police and transport officials announce two-year Road Safety Action Plan amid spike in drink-drive deaths,
Jaguar Land Rover gets £500m government loan guarantee

Jaguar Land Rover gets £500m government loan guarantee
Prime Minister announces guarantee, which will help JLR secure loans to further develop electric vehicles
Skoda Parent Taxi app lets children pay fares with chores

Skoda Parent Taxi app lets children pay fares with chores
New app shows parents how many miles they’ve driven their children and says what chores they should do to pay for it