Motoring Podcast - News Show

FOLLOW UP: EU INDUSTRIAL ACCELERATOR ACT REVEALEDThe EU Commission has unveiled the draft Industrial Accelerator Act, which is aimed at making Europe a powerhouse and self contained when it comes to green energy related industries, including automotive. To read more about the proposals, click this electrive article link here.By the fact that so much of the act is pointed inwards to EU countries, this has caused fear in the UK automotive industry that they will be penalised thanks to the idiocy of Brexit. Nissan has declared if there is not agreement on UK built cars then it will close Sunderland. Click this Autocar article for more.FEBRUARY 2026 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESSMMT released the new car registration figures for February 2026 and there was a surprising number of vehicles registered, with this being the best February since 2004. BEV market share is no where near where it needs to be as it sits at 22%, lower than last year, with the mandate requirement of 33%. SMMT called on the Government to urgently look at the mandate in the face of market reality. You can learn more, by clicking this SMMT article link here.TRIBUNAL SHOWS PUBLIC CHARGING VAT SHOULD BE 5%In a tax tribunal, Deloitte proved how the public charging VAT rate should only be 5%, using HMRC’s own rules. The use, by an individual, of no more than 1000kWh over a month is classified as “personal use”. To go over this, using public charging, would be very difficult in a EV. To find out more, click this EV Powered article link here.TESLA EU CO2 POOL USERS DECLINEThe EU allows car companies to buy and sell CO2 credits so that companies can avoid hefty fines for not meeting average fleet levels. Tesla has benefited hugely from this, however that is now changing as Toyota and Stellantis leave their pool. If you wish to read more, click this electrive article link here.SUZUKI BUYS SOLID-STATE BATTERY FIRMSuzuki has bought Kanadevia, a company that has been developing solid-state batteries for 20 years. This is a great move by one of the smaller Japanese brands and if batteries can be made affordable at scale, this will help them be competitive or even steal a march on others. Click this electrive article link here, to read more.WRIGHTBUS SELLS 31 EBUSES TO THE ISLE OF WHITEWrightbus is providing 31 double decker electric buses for use on the Isle of White. Using funding from a combination of local and central government schemes, they will help move the islands public transport to being a cleaner service. You can read more by clicking this electrive article link here.ELECQ HIT BY CYBER ATTACKELECQ, a Chinese home and business smart charger company, has been hacked with customer details being accessed. They operate in the UK and Europe and have informed data protection organisations. The company state that their chargers and systems are working and are protected. For more on this story, click the link here from The Register.If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Genesis GV60 MagmaGenesis has revealed their first performance car that we can buy, with the very orange GV60 Magma. Sharing a lot of the underpinnings with the Hyundai Ioniq 5N expect similar levels of go and stop. Click this EV Powered article link to read more.GM Specialty Vehicles UK launchedGM Specialty Vehicles UK will be importing the large and “luxury” models from the General Motors stables. Think along the lines of the Suburban, Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Silverado. The cars will be left hand drive but all requirements to be UK legal will be undertaken by dealership Clive Sutton. Click this Motoring Research article link for more.Lamborghini Lanzador killed offBefore the Lanzandor even made it to market, it has been killed off. The official statement is that it is due to a lack of customer demand for such a vehicle. But it was to share the underpinnings from Porsche but they canned their development meaning Lamborghini would not have anything to make the car from. Click this Motoring Research article to learn more.LUNCHTIME READ: THE GREAT DISGRACEHagerty supply the article we are recommending that you read this week, thanks to Jim Magill for suggesting it! The piece discusses the shocking state of our roads and how that has impacted people’s desire to drive. Click the link here to read it for yourself.LIST OF THE WEEK: 25 OF THE COOLEST MID-ENGINED CONCEPT CARS THAT NEVER MADE PRODUCTIONTop Gear is where we are pointing you to for the List of the Week. And boy, is it a CRACKER! Check out 25 concept cars and try to pick on from this wonderful list. Click here to get overwhelmed by the options!AND FINALLY: CAR SONGSaturday Night Live has produced a song that shows the wider population have had enough with silly and dangerous door handles. Click this YouTube link to see for yourself.

FOLLOW UP: FIRST FLEXIS MODELS CONFIRMATIONThanks to Phil Huff, from Professional Van, who heard our plea for facts about the Flexis electric van models we can bring you a link from one of his sites that confirms which vans Renault will be bringing. The first three will be the Trafic, Estafette and Geolette E-Tech. Click this link to read more from Professional Van.HUGE LOSS FOR STELLANTIS IN 2025Stellantis making a loss should not surprise anyone but maybe the scale of it might. The company posted their first loss since forming in 2021, of $26.3 billion. Much of this is due to the write-down they undertook in changing product plans. The new leadership team say that steps they have taken are positive showing signs, with cash being freed up. If you want to find our more, click this Yahoo!Finance article link here.ASTON MARTIN TO REDUCE WORKFORCE2025 was another tough year for Aston Martin, with profits falling by 36%. Tariffs are taking much of the blame for the drop. To counter this, the company has said it is looking to reduce the workforce by 20%, similar to the cut of 170 jobs this time last year. For more on this story, click this Autocar article link here.TESLA SUES CALIFORNIA OVER RULINGTesla has removed all mention of “Autopilot” from advertising material, following a ruling by the California Department of Motor Vehicles that it was deceptive marketing. This prevented them being banned from selling cars for 30 days, however, they have now sued the DMV to get this overturned. To read more, click this Yahoo!Finance article link here.UK GOV TRACKED PHONE USERS TO SEE IF THEY HAD AN EVThe Department for Transport (DfT) asked O2 to monitor their network users to try and establish if they were EV users and if so what were their habits and routines. O2 also supplies the network for Tesco Mobile and Sky Mobile. After two years the study was ended with the conclusion being this type of data was not sufficient to conclude if someone was an EV owner or not. For more on this, click this Yahoo!News article link here.HOME EV CHARGER GRANT EXTENDEDThe UK Government has extended the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant another year and increased the amount to £500. Those without driveways, including renters and businesses can apply for the grant to help with the installation of charge points. This amount apparently covers nearly half the average cost of installation. Click this Autocar article to read more.If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -UK Car of the Year 2026 WinnerCongratulations to Renault as the 5 E-Tech wins the overall prize of UK Car of the Year 2026. 20 of the 33 judges chose the car as their pick. You can read all about it by clicking this UK Driver link and going to pages 22-23. Once you’ve finished do check out the rest of the digital magazine, which is the official UK Car of the Year publication!Lepas L8New to the UK, Lepas has confirmed their first model here will be the L8. Expected to rival the likes of the Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4 with the expectation being they will beat them on price. Details are thin on the ground as the company will announce them “in the coming weeks”. Click this Autocar article to learn more.Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio QuadrifoglioIn a new segment titled Old Cars Undead News, we have to talk about the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio that the brand are bringing back to the UK. The successors were supposed to be full EVs but Stellantis, like many, is finding that customer uptake is not at the pace anticipated, or in the case of the US the Government has flipped it’s requirements. Whilst re-engineering takes place to allow for hybrid powertrains to be fitted to the upcoming models the pure combustion engined versions will go back on sale into 2027. Click this Autocar article for more.Honda Civic recallHonda Civics built between 2017 an 2022 are being recalled in the UK due to an issue that could lead to a wheel falling off the vehicle whilst being driven. 46, 152 cars are covered in the UK, with more being affected abroad. Click this Autocar article for more.LUNCHTIME READ: JELLY MOULD THEORYOur recommendation is from Hagerty and Alex Wakefield, discussing the idea that all cars look the same. Whilst its easy to say that they do, is that true? Click this link to read more.LIST OF THE WEEK: THESE ARE THE 50 GREATEST CARS OF THE 1980SGet yourself a huge hit of nostalgia, if you are of a certain age, as Top Gear bring what they think are the greatest 50 cars from the 80s. Do you agree with Andrew and Alan’s choices? Click this link to see what you could select.AND FINALLY: TOUR OF JLR CLASSICSThe Goodwood & Racing YouTube channel visit the JLR Classic division to find out their ethos, what they do and have a peak at some of the vehicles they have. Click this link to enjoy.

FOLLOW UP: JUDGE UPHOLDS HUGE AWARD AGAINST TESLAIn August 2025 a jury awarded a payout against Tesla of $243 million, for their partial responsibility in a fatal crash where Autopilot was in use. Tesla appealed this but that has been rejected. The expectation is they will appeal again. To read more, click this article link from TechCrunch.EU TO BRING IN RULES BENEFITTING EUROPEAN BUILT EVSThe European Union (EU) is working on legislation that would push for any state subsidies or incentives to be tied to EVs being made in Europe. The likelihood is that a vehicle will have to contain parts, excepting the battery, that have been 70% made in the EU. If you wish to learn more, click this electrive article link here.The news has caused concern in the UK, as this would mean cars made here would not meet the criteria for state incentives. You can read about this by clicking the link here from Modern Diplomacy.RENAULT TAKES FULL CONTROL OF FLEXISRenault has now taken full control of the electric light commercial vehicle company it created a joint-venture with Volvo Group and CMA CGM to form. Renault has agreed to buy out the 55% that the two other partners held, but the Volvo Group will remain a ‘strategic partner’. For more on this story, click this electrive link here.AUDI GETS A NEW CTOGeoffrey Bouquot is leaving Audi and his role as Chief Technology Officer, after only a year. He will be replaced by Rouven Mohr, who is Lamborghini’s CTO, to become Head of Technical Development. The wording of the electrive article is quite interesting, you can see more for yourself by clicking this link here.STAGECOACH BRINGS MORE EBUSES TO DEVONStagecoach is bringing 110 electric buses to Devon, working on routes from Tobay, Barnstable and Exeter. Let’s hope they have measured the road widths and checked this time! To read more, click this electrive article link here.TFL AWARD RAPID CHARGER CONTRACTTotalEnergies has been awarded the contract for installing 43 rapid charge points across London. These will be a mix of 100 and 200kW power. You can find out more by clicking this electrive article link here.If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Omoda 5 SHS-SOmoda are bringing a hybrid version of the 5 model to the UK, from March 2026. Called the 5 SHS-S, which stands for “Super Hybrid System - Hybrid”. Priced at £25,740 this undercuts the Nissan Qasqai by around £5,000. The company makes it clear the electric capability of this is to aid economy and efficiency. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.Audi RS5The old RS4 is now the RS5 due to the change in naming conventions from Audi. That’s not the only new thing, the car is a plug-in hybrid too, bringing 630bhp to help propel the 2,370kg vehicle from 0-62 in 3.6 seconds. All this can be yours, starting from £89,400. Click this Autocar article to find out more about the technical details, including the size of the exhausts.Bertone RunaboutFive decades after the Runabout concept was first shown off Bertone are finally making this a real car. Prices start at £400,000 and underneath is a Lotus Exige, which is an impressive base to mount the utterly gorgeous body on top. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: ANDREAS MINDT TAKES VW GROUP ROLEAndreas Mindt has been promoted from leading the Volkswagen brand design team to overseeing the Group’s design future. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.LUNCHTIME WATCH: RENAULT 5 - THEN AND NOWSiôn Hudson, of the Morsels and Motors You Tube channel, has a video running through the history of the Renault 5, from the original to the new EV version of today. Fabulous video with great insight into the design cue that have made it through or that we thought were always there! Click the link here to watch.LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST MOTORING EVENTS FOR CAR ENTHUSIASTS IN 2026Motoring Research has compiled a list of the high profile motoring related events you can attend during 2026. With the weather and everything else being so grim and unrelenting, we all need something to look forward to. Click this link here and work out which one you are going to attend later in the year.AND FINALLY: IDEAS FOR PLANNING A ROAD TRIPContinuing on the theme of looking forward to escaping from reality for a little while, we are suggesting you read a Hagerty article with five ways in which you could plan a road trip. Click this link here and once again, get planning!

FOLLOW UP: OX DELIVERS ENTERS LIQUIDATIONObviously on the day we published last week’s episode the news came out that OX Delivers had failed to find the funding it needed and has entered recievership. Thanks to listener Suzie Richards for sending the article link confirming this. You can read more, by clicking this link from The Business Desk here.FORD POSTS ANOTHER BIG LOSSFord has announced their financial results for 2025, with $8.2 billion in losses. A large portion of this being a write-down in the final quarter after the US changed their national policy on electric vehicles. The results for the final quarter of 2025 was a $11.1 billion loss. Adding to the gloom, BYD outsold Ford on the global market. To read more, click this Auotcar article link here.STELLANTIS BRINGING BACK DIESELSStellantis are bringing back some diesel models, in Europe, following their pivot from an electrified centric future. They have added Peugeot 308, Opel Astra and DS 4 options, on top of which Opel Combo Van, Citroën Berliongo and Peugeot Rifter. To read more on this, click the electrive article link here.BMW RECALL ANNOUNCEDBMW is recalling 575,000 cars, globally, due to starter motor issue that could result in a fire. In the UK 24,732 cars are affected by this recall, with BMW stating that the car is not to be left unattended if the engine is running. Click this Autocar article link here to find out which cars are involved.BE.EV EXPANDS THROUGH ACQUISITIONBe.EV, the UK public charging network, has expanded by aquiring the UK arm of the European charging network Mer. By doing so, they have added 450 sites, with 1600 charge bays. For more on this, click the electrive link here.HARROW TO INSTALL 500 CHARGE POINTS IN BOROUGHOnce again the neglected South East is getting some charge points, this time in the London Borough of Harrow. 500 on-street charge points are to be installed char.gy and the project will be completed by October 2026. Click this electrive article link to read more.KENT TO INSTALL 10,000 ON-STREET CHARGERSMore good news for the South East, as the disparity of charge points compared to the rest of the country will hopefully be one step closer to being rectified as Kent County Council announce that 10,000 on-street chargers are to be installed across the county dependent on demand and suitability. You can read more, by clicking this electrive article link here.If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Mazda 6eMazda has now released details for the UK version of the electric 6e, coming in the summer. Priced from £38,995, it will be rear wheel drive and is in fastback form. Maximum range is 348 miles and if you can find a suitable charger 10-80% charging can happen in 24 minutes. Unfortunately, Mazda have followed the current trend for ditching physical switches, which is a disappointment. Click this Autocar article link to read more.BYD Atto 3BYD has updated their Atto 3 SUV, by moving the electric motor to the rear and increasing the battery capacity to 74.8 kWh that increases the range up to 317 miles. Click this Autocar article link to read more.Volvo P1800ES restomodNiels van Roij has created a new division, for his design company, called Autoforma, which will build restomod designs. Their first is one based on the Volvo PS1800ES. Adding a T5 Volvo engine helps boost the appeal of the car. Click this Motoring Research article link here, to read more.To visit the Autoforma website, click this link here.LUNCHTIME READ: FROM PARIS TO TOKYOThe recommendation this week is about how a chap took an ancient Peugeot 104 from Paris to China. This is a fabulous read and reminds us all how much the car does enable us to do. To read more, click this Top Gear article link here.LIST OF THE WEEK: 25 carS that are 40 in 2026Classic & Sports Car provide the article we are referring to this week. For some of us, this may be a case of utter depression or having to live with total denial that some of these cars are 40 years. Click the link here to see your options for which one upsets you the most!AND FINALLY: FUSION ARTRemaining with Classic & Sports Car, we are suggesting you should check out this article about artist John A Frye, who blends his skills as an illustrator and industrial designer to produce work that blends different types of vehicles to produce cars with a retro futuristic vibe. All brilliant stuff. Click this article link, to read more.To visit John’s own website, click this link.

JANUARY 2026 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESNew car registrations rose 3.4% compared to January 2025. In what is typically a slow month, BEVs rose in total numbers but lost market share compared to a year ago. The industry is not confident it will meet the mandate target of 33% for 2026, when it comes to zero emission vehicles. The calls for the Government to re-evaluate the ZEV mandate grow in volume and validity. Click this article link, from SMMT, to read more.STELLANTIS WRITES-DOWN €22 BILLIONOn Friday, last week, Stellantis shocked the markets by announcing that they had written down €22 billion in a pivot from their EV focus. They have made the move as buyer interest is less than previous assumptions stated. You can read more, by clicking this Yahoo! Finance article link here.Also announced was the news that the company are selling their 49% stake in NextStar Energy to LG Energy Solution. NextStar Energy was a joint venture between the two companies where Canada’s first large battery factory was to be built. If you want to find out more, click this Yahoo! Finance article link here.Automotive Cells (ACC), which is backed by Stellantis, has stated that the planned battery factories in Italy and Germany will no longer be built. They have been on pause for some time. Click this Yahoo! Finance article link here, to read more.JLR 2025 Q4 RESULTS ANNOUNCEDThere is little shock that JLR announced a loss for the final three months of 2025, thanks to the fallout from the cyber attack. The company suffered a £310 million loss, with revenues down 39%. The cost of the attack has risen to £260 million. If you wish to learn more, click this EVO article link here.TOYOTA GETS A NEW CEOToyota announced that they have appointed Kenta Kon, currently the Chief Financial Officer, as the new CEO from 1 April 2026. Koji Sato, who has only been in the role for three years, will move to the role of Vice-Chairman and Chief Industrial Officer. Details are yet to be made clear as to why this change is happening. To read more, click this electrive article link here.OX DELIVERS IN RISK OF LIQUIDATIONOx Delivers is the company that makes the OX, a low-cost flat pack electric truck, stated that they will go into liquidation on 5 February 2026 unless urgent investment can be found. There is no news on whether this has actually happened or not. A franchise, OX Rwanda, will continue to operate. Click this Autocar article link for more.EZO CHARGERS ROLLING OUT TO NORTHERN SCOTLANDEZO has started their project of doubling the charging infrastructure of north and north-east Scotland. Initial steps are converting 177 ChargePlace Scotland chargers to the EZO network. These are the first steps of a 20 year contract, awarded via the Scottish Government’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund. To read more on this story, click this electrive article link here.If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Lepas brand coming to the UKChery are adding to their stable of brands in the UK by bringing Lepas to join Jaecoo, Omoda and Chery UK. Using the same platforms they intend to bring crossovers with combustion, hybrid and battery electric powertrains. Click this Motor Trader article link for more.Kia Niro updatedKia has updated the Niro, with the ‘Opposites United’ design language, meaning it will align with the rest of the range. The interior also gets the latest layout and technology. Powertrains will continue to be hybrid, PHEV and EV. Prices and technology details will be announced next month. Click this Autocar article link, for more.Ferrari Luce interiorFerrari has shown off some of the interior of their new EV, called the Luce. This has been designed by the Jony Ive’s company. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.LUNCHTIME READ: FOTUGRAPHYAntony Ingram has written this week’s recommendation, explaining how to take better photographs of your car. This is especially helpful for anyone who wishes to submit their application to be part of the Festival of the Unexceptional Concours de l’Ordinaire. Click the link here to see more.LIST OF THE WEEK: THE FINEST MID-ENGINED MARVELSAutocar, once again, supplies the slideshow for you to check out, this week covering mid engned cars. Do you agree with the chap’s choices? Click this link to read more.AND FINALLY: WALK THE RAC RALLYAuto Shenanigans walks part of the RAC Rally, in Wales, whilst reminiscing about Colin Mcrae. Click this YouTube link here to see what the stages look like now.

FOLLOW UP: MORE DRAMA FOR RECALLED EX30 OWNERSVolvo is now telling owners not to leave their Extended Range and Twin Motor models unattended when charging indoors or undercover. This is additional to informing them not to charge past 70%. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.NORTHERN IRELAND BRINGS IN GRADUATED LICENSESCome October 1 if you live in Northern Ireland and are a newly licensed driver under the age of 24, you will only be allowed to carry one passenger aged between 14 and 20 for the first six months after passing. This is a first for the UK, with the British Government stating they have no plans to do similar. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.AMPERE TO BE REINTEGRATED INTO RENAULT GROUPAmpere, which is the electric and software division is to be reintegrated into the Renault Group after being split off three years ago. Renault fully own the company anyway, after releasing Nissan and Mitsubishi from their obligations to it. If you wish to learn more, click this electrive article link here.VW GROUP CANCELS US FACTORYOliver Blume, VW Group CEO, has stated that they cannot afford to build the planned Audi plant in the US with the planned tariffs. He said that negotiations have not been fruitful and as a result the costs of the tariffs has been in the region of €2.1 billion making large investments unfeasible. To read more on this, click the link here to a Yahoo! Finance story.ELECTRIC FREIGHTWAY OPENS EHGV CHARGING HUBSElectric Freightway, part of Gridserve, has opened their first HGV charging hubs, at Extra Baldock and Moto Exeter. Baldock has six and Exeter four dedicated charging bays. They intend to open another five sites. You can find out more by clicking this electrive link here.CHERY TO OPEN EUROPEAN COMMERCIAL VEHICLE HQChery, the Chinese vehicle manufacturer, are going to open their European commercial vehicle HQ in Halewood, England. Details of the time frame and the exact location are yet to be confirmed. This will be where their R&D departments are located. Click this Autocar link for more.Additionally, there are reports of Chinese car companies looking to use the spare capacity of UK factories to build their vehicles, including Chery utilising it’s joint venture partner JLR’s facilities. For more on this, click this Autocar article link here.ELECTRIC BUSES TOO BIG FOR SOME DEVON ROUTESStagecoach has stopped using electric buses on Park Road and Hartop Road, in Torquay, due to being too large to safely operate. It is not all bad news for the South West, as the company is bringing electric buses to Torbay. You can read more on this story, by clicking this electrive article link here.ALL POST-2020 VOLVO CARS TO GET LATEST UI UPDATEVolvo will roll out an over the air update to all of its post 2020 cars that will give them the latest generation UI. Click this Autocar article link, to read more.AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES BLINDLY FOLLOW SIGN INSTRUCTIONSResearchers have demonstrated that autonomous vehicles and drones, using embodied AI, are easily tricked by taking a sign instruction over the actual conditions and environment. Work is ongoing to come up with solutions to this problem. To find out ore, click this article link from The Register.If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Hyundai Ioniq 6 NHyundai are going give a second electric model the N treatment, this time the Ioniq 6. Sharing the same architecture as the 5N we can expect similar power and range. This time however, the car will be a super saloon. Prices start below £70,000 too. Click this EV Powered article link here.UK Car of the Year 2026 category winnersAndrew was unable to be on the show last week because he was at the driving day for the UK Car of the Year awards. The category winners have been announced and from that list the 33 judges will cast their vote for the car they deem the best. The overall winner will be announced on 26 February 2026. To see the list of category winners, click this Motoring Research article link here.You can also read the latest edition of UK Driver, the UK Car of the Year publication by clicking this link here.Tesla axe the Model S and X and lose their Director of Vehicle Operations and EngineeringFinally Tesla has called time on the Model S and X. The Model S is arguably one of the most important cars of the 21st century. But they are both long in the tooth and the company is turning its focus on humanoid robots and their self driving vehicle. Click this Autocar link to read more on this.Benjamin Bate, the Director of Vehicle Operations and Engineering is leaving the company after eight years. He is apparently also leaving the automotive industry. Click this electrive article to read more.DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: PORSCHE GAIN A DESIGNERPorsche has announced that Tobias Sühlmann will be taking up the position of head of design that is being vacated by Michael Mauer who is leaving the company after 21 years. This will mean that now McLaren are on the hunt for a new designer. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.LUNCHTIME WATCH: SPARK MOMENTS - PART 2Hagerty bring the second part of two articles written by Charlotte Vowden, who has spoken to enthusiasts to find out how they got into the classic car scene and how to inspire the next generation of drivers to join. This is a wonderful piece which we strongly recommend you read and share or take on board some of the suggestions and see if we can all encourage more to become interested in the classic car scene. Click this link to read more.LIST OF THE WEEK: 24 TOTALLY CHARMING CARSAutocar are not lying with the headline to this week’s list. Do you agree with the chap’s choices? What would you select above all the others? Click the link here to check out your options.AND FINALLY: LANDS END TO JOHN O’GROATS THE OLD WAYThank you, to Daniel Puddicombe, for sharing this article with us. Click this link to a Telegraph piece where Ralph Messenger explains how he travelled the length of the country in his Austin 12/4 to raise money for the Motor Neuron Disease Charity.

GERMANY REINTRODUCES EV CAR GRANTThe German Government has reintroduced their electric car grant that is between €1500 and €6000. Criteria for eligibility include the vehicle’s size, buyer’s earnings and family size. To find out more, click this EV Powered article link here.RENAULT BECOMES EUROPE’S NO.2 CAR COMPANYRenault Group became the No.2 car maker in Europe after a jump in sales. By doing so they overtook Toyota. They increased their sales by 7.4%, which includes light commercial vehicles. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more.BYD INCREASED BATTERY WARRANTYBYD, the Chinese EV maker, has increased the warranty for their batteries to 155,000 miles. This increases from the previous 93,000 miles but still remains at eight years. To learn more, click this Motoring Research article link here.SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES £85M TO LOW CARBON PROGRAMMESIn the 2026/27 budget, from the Scottish Government, they announce that they will be allocating £85 million to ‘low carbon programmes’, with vague language about expanding public charging and support for low emission vehicles. The details, currently, are scant and it would be unwise to get too excited until knowing more. More can be found by clicking this electrive article link here.If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Volvo EX60Volvo has unveiled their new electric SUV, the mid sized EX60. Boasting a ‘game-changing’ new platform and ‘radical in-car technology’. With a range of up to 503 miles, prices start at £56,850 and rise to £70,360. Click this Autocar article link here for more.Leapmotor B05Leapmotor has finally revealed the interior of their B05 hatchback, at the recent Brussels Motor Show. Following the trend of a minimalist space, there are virtually no physical buttons to be seen. A maximum range of 285 miles is better than the Astra Electric but much less than the VW ID.3 and Kia EV4. The brand is hoping the price will sway buyers as it is expected to start below £30,000. Exact prices and availability timings are yet to be announced. Click this EV Powered article for more.Encor S1The Encor S1 is a restomod based on the Lotus Esprit Mk1. See, restomods don’t just need to be 911s! It comes with a carbon fibre body, a 400bhp V8 and will set you back at least £500,000. It looks fantastic. Click this EVO article link here, to see more.LUNCHTIME WATCH: ALRIGHT, WHICH RICH DIPSH*TS COMMISSIONED THESE ROLLS-ROYCESWe are sharing a wonderful article from Victoria Scott, where the bespoke configurations of Rolls-Royce cars from the last year, are evaluated. Not holding back, as you will see, this is well worth your time. Click this link here to the article.LIST OF THE WEEK: TINY BUT MIGHTYHagerty, once again, brings a list that we think you will enjoy running through, being all about kei sports cars. As ever, whilst there will be a few that you do expect, there are others which are not the usual suspects. Click this link here to check out the options.AND FINALLY: HOT WHEELS BRICK SHOPHot Wheels has launched a Brick Shop Speed Series. These are cars you build yourself from plastic pieces that snap together. Sound familiar? However, these do closely resemble the real thing, unlike some we have seen. Click this PetrolBlog article link here to see more.

UK LOVES A GREY CARThe Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has released the details about the colours we selected in 2025 for new cars that were registered. Once again, claiming the top spot, grey won out. Black was second and blue rounded out the top three. To find out more, click this SMMT article link here.HONDA LIGHT UP THEIR NEW LOGOHonda has revealed their new ‘H’ logo that will adorn their electric and hybrid vehicles from 2027 onwards. This is a flat, stylised letter H that will be illuminated from behind. Click this Motor Trader article link here, to read more.MERCEDES PAUSE THEIR LEVEL 3 DRIVING SYSTEMMercedes-Benz are to pause the sale of their Level 3 automated driving system, which under certain circumstances allowed the driver to have their hands off the steering wheel and be looking away from the road. They will only be fitting Level 2 driver assistance systems to cars that previously had the L3 option. If you wish to find out more, click this electrive article link here.TESLA FSD TO BE SUBSCRIPTION ONLYTesla has announced that customers in the US will no longer be able to purchase the Full Self Driving driver assistance system outright, from the middle of February 2026. But, it can still be added to suitable cars for a subscription. To read more, click this electrive link here.UK GOVERNMENT INCREASES FUND FOR EHGV GRANTSThe UK Government is adding £18 million to the fund for electric HGV purchase grant. The amount is tiered dependent on the size of the lorry, with up to £120,000 available to help buy HGVs up over 26 tonnes. You can find out further information by clicking this electrive article link here.SOUTH EAST GET EVEN MORE EV CHARGERSCharging company Zest will be installing over 200 charging points in the Lewisham Council controlled area. Good to hear the South East is getting even more chargers - but more seriously, we need more and we need all the country to be well provided for. Click this electrive article link here for more.If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Mercedes-Benz CLA wins European COTY52 years after the German brand last won a European COTY award, they do so with their latest CLA. Second place, the Skoda Elroq, was 100 points behind. To find out more about the CLA and the European COTY awards, click this Motoring Research article link here.Skoda PeaqSkoda has revealed the name for their new seven seat electric SUV will be Peaq (pronounced “peak”). Very little else is know, although it is based on the 2022 concept the Vision S7. Click this EV Powered article link here to find out more.Geely Galaxy CruiserGeely are bringing a rival for the Defender and G-Class to the UK. Based on the concept we saw last year at the Singapore Motor Show it will be based on the Lotus Eletre PHEV. Click this Autocar article link here to find out more.LUNCHTIME WATCH: EVO COTY 2025 AWARDEVO has released the film of their Car of the Year award, for 2025. This year they chose the roads in the South of France to spend a week trying to work out which was their favourite car of the year. Oh, the humanity! Click this YouTube link here to watch the video.LIST OF THE WEEK: EARLY 90S SUPERSALOONS TO MAKE YOU SWOONHagerty brings us a list about early 1990s super saloons in which to get lost reminiscing about. Do you agree with Andrew’s choice? Click this link here to check out the options.AND FINALLY: ANDREW RITTER ARTISTWe are recommending an older Classic and Sports Car article about the artist Andrew Ritter and his cartoon style motoring related images. Fabulous work you need to check out, if you haven’t heard of him. Click here to see more.

FOLLOW UP: UK GOVERNMENT MULLS DRIVING SAFETY CHANGESThe UK Government first mentioned it was looking at some of the rules relating to road safety, back in the summer of 2025, but now has published its Road Safety Strategy which gives more information on proposals aimed at making our roads safer. Aspects being covered at young and elderly drivers, giving councils more powers to change speed limits, technology that is fitted to cars and more. To read this story, click the Autocar article link here. If you wish to visit the Government’s page with a link to the strategy and the five consultations, click this link here.FOLLOW UP: GEELY TAKES ZEEKR OFF THE STOCK MARKETAs discussed a few months ago, Geely has taken Zeekr back to being a private company and off the stock market. To read more, click this electrive article link here.FOllow up: jlr cyberattack hit payroll infoDuring the cyberattack on JLR’s systems, information from payroll was accessed. The company has warned staff to be careful of potential phishing and fraud. Click this article link from The Register, to read more.DECEMBER AND 2025 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES2025 saw registrations creep over 2 million for the first time since 2019. Battery electric vehicles made another solid gain in December, but it was not enough on its own to get to the Government’s mandated level for the year. SMMT made it clear that the discounts the industry is funding cannot continue, especially when the financial pressures are mounting and the introduction of taxes aimed specifically at EV owners could cause some buyers to look elsewhere. If you want to read more, click this SMMT article link here.GMA LOSES A CEO BUT GAINS £90M INVESTMENTGordon Murray Automotive’s (GMA) CEO, Phil Lee, has left the company. However, Halo Cars Group has invested £90 million and had two of their officers added to the board. The company said the money will help them push forward with the model plans they have. Click this EVO article link here, for more.FORD FORCED TO TAKE A FINANCIAL HITOutside of the EU, Ford is changing plans when it comes to EVs. They are taking a £14.5 billion hit, as a result. The company says this is a “customer-driven change” but equally, the changes in policy by the US Government has had a big impact on the adoption of EVs. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.MERCEDES FINANCE SERVICES MAKES A BIG LOSSMercedes-Benz Financial Services UK made a loss of £365 million, in 2025. The main reason is setting aside £424 million to their finance mis-selling compensation fund. You can find out more, by clicking this Business Matters Magazine article link here.TESLA CANCELS CATHODE MATERIAL CONTRACTTesla has effectively cancelled a contract with L&F, a South Korean battery manufacturer, who were to supply up to $2.9 billion worth of cathode material. The contract is now worth $7000. Click this electrive article link to find out more.CHINA HAS NEW EV ENERGY CONSUMPTION RULESChina has introduced, as of 1 January 2026, new rules regarding the consumption of energy by electric vehicles. These are graded depending on the weight of the vehicle. They are the first country to do so. More on this, can be found via this electrive link here.THOUSANDS INCORRECTLY CHARGED WITH SPEEDINGThanks to a faulty software update, thousands of UK drivers have been charged with speeding incorrectly. Those who have been fined will be reimbursed and points removed from their license. Police are not using the system until they are satisfied that it is working correctly. To find out more, click this Yahoo! News article link here.BMW SOFTWARE FAULT HITS X3 STEERINGBMW steering software on some US-based X3s has a fault that causes the steering wheel and front wheels to move without any input from the driver whilst stationary. Owners can either download an OTA update or take the vehicle to their local dealer for it to be fixed. Click this Carscoops article link here.VOLVO TO RECALL SOME EX30SVolvo is in the process of setting up a recall for UK owners of EX30 Single Motor Extended Range vehicles, due to the risk of fire. There is a problem with the battery pack on this specific model that could ultimately lead to a fire. Until the recall is organised, Volvo has asked that the cars are not charged beyond 70%. You can read more on this, by clicking this EV Powered article link here.If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Alpine A390The French sports car company are coming out with a 2.1 tonne electric SUV, called the A390. There will be three trim levels on launch and various maximum ranges dependent on where the model sits in those levels. Prices are starting at £61,390. To read more about the vehicle, click this electrive article link here.Kia K4 SportswagonKia are adding an estate to their K4 hatchback model, to take on the likes of the Skoda Octavia and Peugeot 308 SW. The car is expected to have the same powertrain options and a slight increase to the price. Click this Autocar article to read more.Mitsubishi to return to the UKMitsubishi is returning to the UK with the latest Outlander PHEV and L200 pickup. The company left the market in 2021 but returns this coming summer. The main question will be can it compete in an increasingly competitive sector? If you want to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: INGENLATH RETURNS TO VOLVOThomas Ingenlath is returning to Volvo, to be the chief design officer, after a stint as CEO of Polestar. To learn more, click this Autocar article link here.DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: WAGENER LEAVES MERCEDESGordon Wagener is leaving Mercedes-Benz after 28 years at the company. He has been the Chief Design Officer for the last nine years, with his role being filled by Bastian Baudy, the head of design at Mercedes-AMG. For more on this story, click the EVO link here.LUNCHTIME READ: DRIVING THE TATA NANOAntony Ingram learns more about the Tata Nano thanks to Siôn Hudson and Jim Magill. Click this Hagerty link here, to find out how the car came to be and what it is like to drive.LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 OF THE BEST BADLY DRIVEN CARS ON UK ROADSPetrolblog supplies the first list for you to peruse, in 2026, thanks to Major Gav having to drive an awful lot of miles recently. Do you agree with Alan’s choice or do you have strong feelings about another car? Let him know! a...

Earlier in the year, Alan was invited down to the south coast to sample the then-new Hyundai Inster electric B-segment hatchback. Food was eaten, a hotel room was slept in, and an Inster was driven to the end of Portland Bill on a surprisingly long, comprehensive test route.In this Special Edition, Alan shares his thoughts on the Inster.

The 2025 Tokyo Mobility Show took place between 30 October and 9 November 2025. We sat down to run through some of the exhibits that caught our eye. Some of what is discussed is out of this world, whilst others are very much for only one person at a time.To see more about the Honda Super-one Prototype, click this Carscoops link here.For more on the BYD Racco, click this Top Gear link here.To join the chaps in their adoration of the Daihatsu Kayoibako K, click this Carscoops link here.You can see more about the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ, by clicking this Carscoop link here.Click this Top Gear link here, to read more about the Subaru STi Concept.To see more of the very attractive Mazda Vision X Coupe, click this Top Gear link here.The Lexus LS Concept take luxury MPV to the next stage, you can see more by clicking this Carscoops link here.Toyota revealed concepts that considered mobility needs of a variety of people, click this Carscoops link to see their vision for handling children. Then for those with restricted mobility, click this link to a Parametric Architecture article.Toyota had a busy show, they also presented a vehicle platform that would allow the owner to add just the elements required for their needs. Click this Autocar article link here to see more about this clever and fascinating idea.Honda explored their full catalogue of companies to show off what they are or potentially are capable of. Click this link here for the HondaJet Elite II. To see more about Honda’s reusable rocket, click this link here.

Earlier in the year Andrew was invited, by Kia, to attend the Milan Design Week and their Eclipse of Perceptions exhibition. In this they showed off the Concept EV2, the PV5 electric van in passenger form and the PV5 WKNDR concept.You can hear about all three and listen to the designers involved as they tell you more about the vehicles and ideas behind them. Do note, that the interview took place at the exhibition, therefore the sound quality is different.Special thanks to Kia and their photographer for supplying the majority of the photos you see. The copywrite to the images lies with Kia and the Motoring Podcast, dependent on who took them, they cannot be reproduced without permission.

FOLLOW UP: JLR SILENCE BRIEFLY BROKEN10 days after the story first came to light that Gerry McGovern, the design chief of JLR, had unceremoniously left the company, they state that isn’t the case and nothing else. No further details, no explanation, nothing. Instead of clearing things up, this has only caused more confusion. Click this Autoevolution article link here to read more. FOLLOW UP: CRIT’AIR STICKERS STILL NEEDED IN FRANCEDue to the chaotic nature of French politics, currently, the proposed legislation that would have removed clean air zones from the country’s cities has not been passed into law. Therefore, we are warning all that intend to visit the country in the next few months to make sure they have the appropriate stickers and paperwork. If you wish to read more, click this link from The Connexion. FORD SIGNS DEAL WITH RENAULT Ford has signed a deal with Renault that will mean the Blue Oval will be gaining the small electric car platform from the French firm. This will allow them to create more affordable EVs following how badly their larger electric SUVs are doing in the marketplace. Click this Autocar article link here to read more. BMW GETS A NEW CEOBMW has announced that they have chosen their production expert, Milan Nedeljković, to take over departing Oliver Zipse’s role as CEO. The change will officially take place on 14 May 2026. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here. MERCEDES-AMG GETS A NEW CEO Mercedes-AMG has announced Stefan Weckbach will be taking over the role of CEO after leaving Porsche, where he headed up the Taycan product line. To read further about this, click this Autocar link here. ITALDESIGN SOLD TO A LITTLE KNOWN US FIRMAudi has sold their stake in ItalDesign to a US firm that most will not have heard of, named UST. It is difficult to understand, via their website, exactly what it is they do too. Lamborghini retains their shares. Click this Carscoops article link here, to read more about this story. EU MOVES ON 2035 ICE BAN REQUIREMENTSFollowing hard lobbying from both nations and the automotive industry the EU is proposing some tweaks to the legislation regarding 2035 ICE bans. To read the first rumblings of this matter, click here for an electrive article link. To find out the apparent shift in the EU’s position, click this Autocar link here. RENAULT HITS THE BRAKES ON MOBILIZE PROJECTSRenault has halted most projects that are part of the Mobilize division, with the rest being reduced in scope and size. For more on this, click this electrive article link here. If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Vauxhall AstraThe Vauxhall Astra is getting an update, with the external visuals being brought in line with the rest of the range. Additionally a slightly larger battery pack is being fitted which will result in up to an extra 22 miles of range. Click this Autocar article link here to read more. Lexus LFA conceptBased on the same ‘core technologies’ as the Toyota GR GT, we discussed last week, Lexus has revealed their LFA concept. This is an all electric two-seater coupe. Details are still scant and the vehicle is clearly more of a real concept than production ready one. Click this Top Gear article link to read more. Citroën ELO concept:Citroën has revealed, once again, a small, clever concept that showcases many useful and interesting aspects that would make this MPV a real treat for families and the likes. Unfortunately it won’t get built but to see more about it, click this Autocar article link here. LUNCHTIME READ: GERRY MCGOVERN WAS A LARGER THAN LIFE CHARACTER AT JLRFriend of the show, Matteo Licata, has written a wonderfully balance piece on Hagerty’s website all about JLR’s design chief Gerry McGovern. As the situation is as clear as mud, this is well worth your time in reading it. Click this link here to see more. LIST OF THE WEEK: BEST CHEAP CLASSIC CARS TO BUY IN 2026Honest John has provided the list for you to choose from, this week. Do you agree with Alan’s choice? Don’t forget to let us know. To read more, click this link here.AND FINALLY: GYMKHANA 2025 TIMES 2There is a new Gymkhana set in Australia and powered by a restomod Subaru Brat. Not only that, but we are recommending you watch this video first, to warm you up, from the Mighty Car Mods channel, as they appear in the Hoonigan video too. Click here to see that. To watch the full Hoonigan video, click this link here.

FOLLOW UP: MOTOR FINANCE CLAIMS TO RESTARTThe Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is restarting finance mis-selling claims on 31 May 2026, which is earlier than previously announced. The FCA states this should be enough time for companies to ready their compensation schemes. You can find out more, by clicking this Motor Trade article link here. NOVEMBER 2025 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESThe SMMT has released the new car registration figures for November 2025. The overall market dropped 1.6%, year on year. Battery electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid numbers all rose, with petrol and diesel dropping. Fleet once again is the major market, at 61% of all registrations, whilst Private and Business make up the rest. Click this link to see more, from SMMT. VAUXHALL LOSE THEIR MD Steve Catlin has left his role as managing director of Vauxhall, after only eight months in charge. Citing “personal reasons”, his seat will be taken over by Stellantis UK managing director Eurig Druce. If you wish to find out more, click this Motor Trader article link here. ZIPCAR PAUSES UK OPERATIONS DUE TO LOSSESZipcar, a car sharing company operating in the UK but is US based, is pausing all operations in this country due to £11.7 million loss in 2024. Blaming charging costs, insurance and larger than expected depreciation the company has opened a consultation with employees. Additionally, from 2 January 2026 EVs will be liable for the Congestion Charge in central London. To read more, click this Autocar article here. BEE NETWORK SPEEDS UP EV FLEET SIZETransport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is investing £65 million to enable more of the bus fleet to be electric as well as move the train-tram development for one particular corridor. If you would like to find out more, click this Sustainable Bus article link here. ROYAL MAIL GAINS ELECTRIC HGVS FOR MIDLANDS AND NORTH WESTRoyal Mail is going to use electric HGVs at their North West and Midlands hubs, delivering between the hubs and mail centres. They will be utilising eight vehicles which will replace diesel versions. You can read more, by clicking this edie article link here. NEW ‘WOMEN IN AUTOMOTIVE’ JOURNAL LAUNCHEDRygor Group, a car retail company, has launched a ‘Women in Automotive’ journal, to help inspire, inform and empower women and girls where they hopefully pursue a career in the automotive world. Women from across the company, as well as partners such as Ben, The Automotive Charity and Motor Trader, have had their advice published. If you want to find out more, click this Motor Trader article link here. If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Mercedes-Benz GLBMercedes has released information about their new GLB SUV that will come with the option of EV or hybrid petrol powertrains. Utilising the MMA compact cars architecture, even though it is a seven seat vehicle. Prices are expected to be around £41,000 for the hybrid and around £50,000 for the EV. Click this Autocar article link to find out more. Toyota GR GTToyota surprised us all with the unveiling of ‘a race car for the road’, which they back up by also showing off an FIA GT3 spec version. Power comes from a new V8 combined with a hybrid powertrain that will give a boost rather than any electric only running. This large two seater coupe’s design is all about function rather than form. Click this EVO article link here for more information. Hyundai Crater conceptHyundai revealed a rugged off-road concept, from their XRT range, at the LA Mobility Show. This is a small SUV that is designed for adventure and looks great. There is no indication as to how much will make it to future models but we’d love to see this in production. Click this Top Gear article link for more. DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: GERRY MCGOVERN LEAVES JLRLast week shocking reports started to swirl around the internet, that Gerry McGovern had been unceremoniously kicked out of JLR. A week later we are none the wiser as to what has actually gone on and why. The silence is a worry as it is allowing the rumour mill to come up with a variety of possible stories. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar article link here. LUNCHTIME READ: UNFINISHEDNew to us outlet, Alloy, is where we are linking you to this week as Tim Stevens discusses how what he saw previously in software and gaming is being mirrored by software in cars and this is not a good thing. To read our recommendation, click this link here. LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP 10 MISUNDERSTOOD CLASSICSHagerty provides the thought provoking list, this week. Possibly challenging you to reconsider your opinion on ten classics. Click this link here to see your options. AND FINALLY: AUTO DIDAKT MERCEDES SL REVIEWAuto Didakt reviews the Mercedes-Benz SL (R129). Always an enjoyable and educational event, click this YouTube link to enjoy.

UK AUTUMN BUDGET ANNOUNCED The UK Government finally announced the autumn Budget, after weeks of leaks and rumours. There was some motoring related aspects, most notable being from 2028 new electric and plug-in hybrid car drivers will have to pay-per-mile which is additional to previously announced measures. How this is to be run has yet to be decided, with a consultation being conducted in early 2026.More money is being allocated the Electric Car Grant, increasing the pot by a further £1.3 billion. Additionally, the luxury car tax will increase, only for EVs, to £50,000, following a lot of lobbying by industry. Click this EV Powered article link here, to read more. MOTABILITY FORCED TO REMOVE PREMIUM CARS FROM SCHEMEThanks to a dishonest and disgusting campaign, that attacked those with extra mobility needs, Motability has been forced to removed premium brand vehicles from their scheme before the Government caved to such abhorrent pressure and pushed to remove nice things from a segment of society. There are many reasons, both factual and moral, why this did not need to happen. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more. NCAP TO REVISE ADAS TESTING As this show has stated many times, along with others in the automotive media, the current raft of ADAS safety systems are not fit for use on public roads. NCAP has announced they are revising the testing standards and procedures for them. After admitting they are not good enough, by the way they will now be tested, NCAP is finally doing something. To read more, click this Autocar article link here. SOUTHEND-ON-SEA GETS BIG CHARGER BOOSTEV charging company Zest has been selected to install 3,000 public charging points across the city. This will be a mix of on-street chargers in lamp posts, as well as fast and rapid charging stations. If you want to read more, click this electrive article link here. NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE GETS SOME NEW CHARGERSBeliev has been chosen to install up to 470 fast and rapid chargers across the region, over the coming years. Very limited details have been revealed, such as some of the charging stations will be fitted to some ‘key’ car parks. To learn more, click this electrive article link here. GOVERNMENT DECIDES PHYSICS DOESN’T APPLY TO E-VANSThe UK Government, following hard lobbying by fleet operators who didn’t pay attention to details, is going to reclassify electric vans in a way that removes them from being classified as HGVs, even though they are overweight. One of the key elements of doing this will be not requiring a first year MOT. In the same week as it was shown that a quarter of all vans fail their first MOT. For more on the reclassification of e-vans, click this electrive article link here. To learn about one aspect that makes this a very dumb idea, click this Motoring Research article link here. If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Dacia JoggerDacia are updating the seven seat, affordable family car for only £25 more than the outgoing version. The revisions include external and internal design features, plus revised technology to match the rest of the range. Click this Top Gear article link here to read more. Renault Traffic E-TechRenault has shown the world their new electric van, the Traffic E-Tech. With ranges from nearly 217 miles all the way up to 278, there is flexibility across trims. There will be a two tonne towing weight and a load capacity of 1.25 tonnes. 15-80% charging is expected to be 20 minutes if the right charger and environmental conditions are met. Click this EV Powered article link here to read more. Genesis Magma GT ConceptGenesis wants to go GT racing, or more specifically set up the ability to enable customer racing, which they announced with the Magma GT Concept. They will need to build 200 road going versions to be eligible to join GT racing series. This is not the final design as that is still being worked on but will largely remain the same when finally revealed. Click this Top Gear article link to read more.LUNCHTIME WATCH: PROJECT BINKY EPISODE 42The ongoing and lengthy project run by Richard Brunning and Nik Blackhurst, turning a rusty old Mini into a monster version of itself continues with the latest video. Episode 42 sees them tackle more jobs on the interior. Click this YouTube link to see more. LIST OF THE WEEK: 31 TIMES HONDA GOT IT RIGHTOnce again Classic & Sports Car provides the list we are recommending you lose some time to by checking out some of the best Honda cars. Do you agree with the chap’s choices? What would you pick, if you could have any from the list? Click this link here to see your options.AND FINALLY: RENAULT AUCTIONS OFF THE VAULTOn December 7 2025, Renault will be selling off a huge number of cars from their vault. These include models, concepts and motor racing vehicles. Think of this as a second List of the Week. There are some stunning and evocative cars to check out. To see more, click this Carscoops article link which has a number of slideshows embedded in it.

One last solo show from Alan before Andrew returns and regular service resumes.This week, we have a follow-up on the Dutch/Chinese Chip Wars and the prices of the new Nissan Leaf.New news includes management changes at Gordon Murray Group, VW’s Chief Strategist making an exit, Hyundai opening a new testing centre in Germany, Bollinger Motors shutting up shop, and Wrightbus covering EV buses into, err, EV buses.New Car News includes the MG S6 EV, the Jeep Recon, and the crazy-powerful Porsche Cayenne Electric.In Points of Interest we look at the moments people become interested in “automotive stuff”, we have a list of 20 affordable coachbuilt cars, and we round off with a look at the Hot Wheels Legands finalists.

It’s another solo show from Alan this week, and it starts with a follow-up on JLR’s financial situation following the recent cyber attack. New news this week involves Stellantis cancelling contracts to EV raw materials, the possibility that TVR will twitch back to life, calls for the government to support used EV values for fleets, while one fleet provider is trying to make them more attractive through a salary sacrifice scheme. Meanwhile, one EV charging provider is installing ANPR to combat ICE-ing at its chargers. Lastly, Amazon has ordered a lot of electric HGVs for its UK operations.New New Car News covers the Bentley Continental GT Supersports, Maserati and Alfa twinning-up, and Mitsubishi Motors in a proposed return to the UK market.Points of Interest include part 3 of the Citroen DS story, and a list of 10 winter-friendly modern classics.And Finally, we see if Ed March can finish his ridiculous mini-JEEP adventure.

It’s a solo show from Alan this week, and starts with lots of Follow Up. The FCA has extended the motor finance redress consultation, the UK car industry shows UKGov the high price of ending ECOS, and China has made an exception for some Nexperia chips.New News this week includes New Car Registration Figures for October, profit analysis for Bentley and Lamborghini, a new boss at Caterham, and cybersecurity gaps in Chinese buses.New New Car News looks at the just-unveiled Renault Twingo, some likely fleet favourites from BYD and a lot of shiny stuff at SEMA.Points of Interest bring us Jim and Siôn’s epic charity adventure, and some lovely models from Autocar. We end up on a steamy story of an And Finally.

FOLLOW UP: MATT WINDLE OFFICIALLY LEAVES LOTUSBack in August we said that Matt Windle had resigned as Lotus Europe CEO, but actually he was on a ‘leave of absence’. However, he has now officially announced that he has left Lotus after eight and a half years with the company. You can read more, including the challenges facing the sports car maker, by clicking this EVO article link here. VW GROUP PROFITS PLUNGEVolkswagen Group has announced their financial results for the first nine months of 2025 and they are bad. With a 58% drop in profits, described as “unsustainable” by the company, at €5.4 billion and a pre-tax profit margin of 2.3%. The usual reasons were given, Chinese market drop, tariffs and the slowdown in electrified transition with Porsche’s write-down also being mentioned. To fix this they will be ensuring their cost cutting measures really take effect. Click this Autocar article for more. MERCEDES-BENZ PROFITS PLUNGEMercedes-Benz’s third quarter profits fell by 30.8%, surprisingly this was better than analysts expected. The company said the results were in line with their adjusted projection, from earlier in the year. To find out more click this Yahoo!Finance article link here. POLESTAR AT RISK OF STOCK MARKET DE-LISTINGPolestar are running the risk of being de-listed from the Nasdaq stock market due to their share price falling below the accepted minimum requirement. Their share price is below one dollar and they have until 29 April to get it above the threshold or will be removed from the index. Click this Carscoops article link here for more. UK ELECTRIC MOTOR START UP PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENTAdvanced Electric Machines, a UK based start up that is developing electric motors without using rare earths, has announced a partnership with a significant automotive supplier. If you wish to learn more, click this electrive article link here. FRANCE OPENS INDUCTIVE CHARGING ROADLocated near Angervilliers, close to Paris, a stretch of motorway has been adapted to provide inductive charging to vehicles travelling along the road. The section is 1.5 kilometres long. For more on this, click this link here to read an electrive article. NEW FRENCH GOVERNMENT BACKED EV SCHEME POPULARThe French Government has reopened their EV leasing scheme aimed at less well off households. In the space of four weeks it has reached over 41,500 applications and will be closed once it hits 50,000. To read more, click this electrive article link here. EV DRIVER TRACKER YEAR 1The Department for Transport commissioned an investigation into the habits of UK electric vehicle drivers to find out what the reality is. The first of these reports has been published and it is illuminating. Also the tone and direction of the narrative around the ‘discourse’ is made clear due to who is an EV driver and their circumstances. Additionally, some of the claims made by many turn out to not be reflected in the data collated. Everyone involved in discussing EVs needs to read and fully understand the information as it can help the transition to zero emission vehicles but only if all concerned start being honest and open. Click this link here to read the findings. If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Honda PreludeIn the last week, the embargoes of driving the new Honda Prelude have lifted. This is a two door coupe based on the Civic, which enters the market at a strange time. We applaud that it is not yet another SUV but are curious who this is for. Irrespective of that we hope it finds an audience and is successful. Click this Autocar review to learn more. Smart #5Smart are bringing their largest vehicle to date, the #5, to the UK starting at a fraction under £40,000. This electric SUV is going up against the likes of the Skoda Enyaq and Hyundai Ioniq 5. There are a host of trims and powertrain options all the way up to a Brabus version that tops the range. Click this EV Powered article to learn more. Seat Ibiza and AronaSeat are facelifting the Ibiza and Arona, now that the VW Group realise the brand adds to the bottom line in a positive way. Once again the Spanish company is doing a lot with so little and these will continue to be popular models. Click this Top Gear article link here to find out more. LUNCHTIME READ: LA DÉESSE - BEYOND THE MYTH - EPISODE TWOFollowing on from last week, your recommended reading this week is, again, from Driven to Write. This is the second part of Patrick le Quément series on the Citroën DS and it’s history. Click the link here to read more. LIST OF THE WEEK: 26 TIMES MAZDA GOT IT RIGHTClassic & Sports Car has compiled a slideshow with 26 wonderful examples from the Japanese company’s back catalogue. Do you agree with the choices? What would you pick instead, if not? Click this link to view the options. AND FINALLY: DON’T SHELVE THAT IDEAStu Bird brings you a video about the Citroën Visa parcelshelf that is actually quite clever. Do click the YouTube link here to learn more and be entertained.

FOLLOW UP: IMPACT OF JLR SHUTDOWNProfessor David Bailey has written up a piece on Blogs from the Blackstuff following a report from the Cyber Monitoring Centre (CMC), which outlines the cost of the JLR shutdown and it is large. The estimated cost is in the region of £1.9 billion but could be as high as £2.1 billion. Over 5,000 businesses were affected. The CMC hopes businesses, the Government and insurers to learn lessons. To read more, click this article link here. NEW CHIP CRISIS LOOMINGAnother week and another example of how crucial China is to making things. This time there is a spat between Dutch and the Chinese Governments over the chip maker Nexperia after the Chinese CEO was removed and the European country took control of the company. They supply a lot of the car industry, particularly the electric car making segment. China has restricted exports of their chips, which means the company cannot guarantee reliable supply. For more on this story, click this link to an electrive article here. PORSCHE PROFITS PLUMMET AGAINPorsche has released their financial results for the last quarter and they are, once again, poor. They had an operating loss of €966 million, with return on sales for the year dropping to just 0.2% after being 14.1% the year before. Click this Piston Heads article link here, for more. FORD EUROPE FINDS A NEW BOSSFord Europe are to get a new president, Jim Baumbick, who moves from global head of product development and head of advanced product development. He takes the reigns on 1 November 2025. The role has been vacant for some time. If you want to read more, click this electrive article link here. UK GOVERNMENT HELP TOYOTA BUILD A CARToyota is receiving £15 million investment from the UK Government to explore the feasibility of bringing their FT-Me Concept to market. Think IQ size and it being a quadracycle, with the idea of it being used in high density urban areas. You can find out more, by clicking this Autocar article link here. WAYMO SELF-DRIVING CARS TO TEST IN LONDONWaymo is bringing some of their autonomous vehicles to London, to take part in a Government backed trial. They will join Uber, in the spring. For more on this story, click this Autocar link. For some context, here is a link to a Bluesky thread that demonstrates had bad Waymo is at autonomous driving (and it is the least worst at it!). LORDS PUSH FOR ACCESSIBILITY AT EV CHARGERSThe House of Lords has backed an amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, that would make accessibility standards legally binding for EV chargers if approved in the House of Commons. Click this link from EV Powered to read more. If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Geely EX5Geely, the parent company of Volvo, Polestar and Lotus, is coming to the UK with it’s own vehicles. They start with the EX5, an electric SUV. They will be offering incredible discounts from the outset to entice buyers. Click this Autocar article link here to read more. Chery Tiggo 9Chery is bringing a new PHEV with seven seats and up to 91 miles of electric only range, all for £43,105. There will be a 1.5 litre petrol engine mated to their ‘Super Hybrid’ system, to give 422bhp, which seems excessive for a family car. Click this Autocar article link here to read more. BYD Atto 2 DM-i Super HybridThe first compact PHEV for the UK market will arrive in 2026, from BYD. Whilst information is scant, the claims are about 56 miles of electric only range and a total range up to around 633 miles. The company hopes to temp buyers with the fact it is the only PHEV in this segment. Click this EV Powered link for more. DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: ALEXANDRE MALVAL JOINS RENAULTAlexandre Malval is joining Renault as vice president of design, for the brand. He moves from Mercedes-Benz, where he was the head of the International Design Centre. To find out more, click this Car Design News article link here. LUNCHTIME READ: LA DÉESSE - BEYOND THE MYTHYour recommended reading this week is from Driven to Write. Patrick le Quément is bringing part one of a series on the Citroën DS and it’s history. As ever the writing is fantastic and so are the accompanying images that dot the piece. Click here to read this wonderful piece. LIST OF THE WEEK: SAME CAR DIFFERENT NAMEWe return to Autocar and they bring a slideshow about cars that were sold by different manufacturers. Do you agree with the choices? What would you pick? Click here to see what is on offer. AND FINALLY: THE CANNOLI-BALL RUN 2025Jim and Siôn from AlsoDriven are o going to undertake a mad caper whilst raising money for MIND charity. Click this YouTube video link to see more, including how to donate if you are able to!