FOLLOW UP: FCA CONFIRM FINANCE MIS-SELLING REDRESS

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has confirmed the details for the redress scheme, following finance mis-selling to car buyers. Less people will be eligible to claim, as somehow they have deemed that dealer direct to manufacturer finance was not liable to the same issues as was found to be open to abuse. However, the average payout will be higher than expected, at £829. For more on this, click the Autocar article link here.

JLR FIND A NEW STRATEGY CHIEF

Tata exec, Balaje Rajan, has become the chief strategy officer for JLR. This move indicates a tighter alignment with between the companies. We can expect more platform sharing plus electrification and software development being closer aligned. You can read more about this, by click the Autocar India article link here.

JLR HALTS PRODUCTION AT SOLIHULL

JLR has halted production at the Solihull plant, due to a problem with their supply chain, specifically one supplier. We do not know who the supplier is, nor what the part is. This pausing of production dovetails into a planned shutdown over the Easter period. Click this Business Maters article link here, to read more.

£1B FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO HELP E-LORRIES AND E-VANS

The UK Government rolled out two initiatives to help the transition to zero emission lorries and vans. First is the Zero Emissions Truck and Van Grant, with the second being the Depot Charging Scheme. The aim is to assist with two of the major blocks for companies switching, costs to buy and lack of infrastructure. For more details, click this EV Powered article link here.

AFEELA CANCELLED BY HONDA AND SONY

The joint-venture between Honda and Sony, called Afeela, has been cancelled following Honda’s decision to can their 0 Series EVs. This is no real surprise as the project was going to use a lot of the 0 Series technology and platform. If you wish to read more, click this Top Gear article link here.

VW TO RECALL NEARLY 100,000 EVS WORLD WIDE

The German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has stated that the VW Group must recall 94,031 ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo, plus Cupra Born vehicles, globally, built between 7 February 2022 and 23 August 2024. The vehicle batteries do not meet the agreed specification and might produce reduced driving range as well as there being a risk of fire. Click this electrive article link for more information.

BRING A TRAILER COMING TO THE UK

The US auction site, Bring a Trailer, is coming to the UK. Last year the company $1.7 billion in sales and now sees this as the right time to bring their way of doing things to the UK classics market. For more on this story, click this link to a Motoring Research article.

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 Striker

Dacia has revealed what we are told is an estate, but it is not, its a crossover. Going up against the likes of the Skoda Octavia, it is aligned with the Bigster. Details are very thin on the ground, including what the interior looks like. Click this Autocar article to see more about this handsome looking car.

Jeep Easter Safari Concepts

That time of year has rolled around again where Jeep go off on an Easter Safari, in Moab Desert, with their tricked out cars. Always a treat to see what they have come up with, this year is no different. Click this Carscoops article to see more.

Mika Mino

The Miko Mino is designed with the core philosophy of small and light. A collaboration between friend of the show Nir Kahn and Robin Hall, they are pursuing this core axiom with lazer focus. To find out more about this idea, click here for an EV Powered exclusive article.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE AUTOMOBILE AS AN APPLIANCE

Driven to Write provide the article we are recommending you read whilst enjoying your lunch this week. Often it is said, on this show, how cars are becoming appliances to most, but what if that idea was the basis for a concept that was explored? Find out more, by clicking this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE 20 GREATEST WEDGES

We all like concept cars, but one way to make them much cooler is for one to be wedge shaped. Well, Top Gear are not content with that, how about 20 wedge shaped concept cars? Click this link to check out your options.

AND FINALLY: HOW DIRTY IS THE A1?

Listener’s discretion is needed with this week’s recommendation. Auto Shenanigins is asking the question many of us have wondered, why are there so many adult stores on the A1? Click this YouTube link to find out.

FOLLOW UP: MCGOVERN OFFICIALLY LEAVING JLR

Following an ‘is he/isn’t he’ saga which started back at the beginning of December 2025, Gerry McGovern is officially leaving JLR at the end of March 2026. He will be starting his own consultancy. Details are almost non-existent outside of that. Click this Autocar article for the story.

AUDI MAKES £2.9 BILLION PROFIT

As expected, more brands from within the Volkswagen Group have been announcing their financial results for 2025. Audi, despite it being a difficult year, managed to make a £2.9 billion profit, from a revenue of £56.6 billion. This was all done whilst fewer overall vehicles were delivered. To read more, click this Autocar article.

BENTLEY TO CUT JOBS

Bentley had a difficult 2026 and as a result are going to shed 150 jobs. Some are open positions they won't fill but the rest will come from office based roles. Additionally they have had to tweak their product plans partly due to Porsche postponing their platform development. If you want to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

ROLLS ROYCE NOT GOING 100% EV FROM 2030

Rolls Royce has announced that it will no longer be producing EVs exclusively, from 2030. They state that customer wishes mean that they will still offer internal combustion engine options. For more on this, click this link here to take you an EV Powered article.

THATCHAM SPLITS FROM EURONCAP

Thatcham, after 22 years in partnership, are splitting from EuroNCAP and developing their own systems for testing car safety systems. They mention real world safety quite a bit and also how they believe the technology should not be intrusive and annoying. Time will tell if they can deliver on this. Click this link here to read more from Autocar.

EU RELAXES CO2 RULES FOR LORRIES

The EU has listened to lorry manufacturers and softened the requirements of their fleets, in terms of CO2 emissions. Whilst the fixed jumps, from the interim targets at 2025, 2030 and 2040 still stand, the intervening years will not have moving requirements. This means, if a brand manages to exceed the target they can carry over that extra to the next year, thus companies are rewarded for pushing. If you want to find out more, click this electrive article link here.

LYTEN BUYS MORE OF NORTHVOLT

Lyten, a US based company, has continued to purchase operations from the collapsed Northvolt electric car battery and recycling company, this time they have bought the Swedish battery recycling facility at Skellefteå. For more about this story, click this electrive article link here.

FRESH ZEBRA FUNDING MADE AVAILABLE

The Government has announced a new raft of funding for the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) to a total of £73.2 million. There are 10 areas across England that will receive money to help pay for infrastructure and electric buses. To read more, click this electrive article link here.

FIRST YEAR ZEV MANADATE REPORT

The UK Government has finally published their report on compliance with the car and van zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate for 2024. No brand has been fined as all reached the required minimums through a combination of registration numbers and purchasing credits from others who had exceeded the requirements. 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 PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -BMW i3

After much teasing BMW has finally taken the wraps off their i3 electric saloon. Boasting an astonishing range of up to 559 miles, with looks, both inside and out, that have divided opinion but cannot be trusted as we have only been given heavily rendered images so far. Further details are to be announced later, including the price. Click this Motoring Research article link here for more.

DS No7

The latest Stellantis brand to utilise the mid sized SUV platform is DS, being the premium one of the group they will be charging a suitable price, above their sister brands. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

KGM Musso EV

KGM are bringing their first electric pickup to the UK from May 2026. With four wheel drive and payload capacity of 690kgs, the vehicle will have a maximum range of 240 miles. This is the fourth four wheel drive pickup for the UK market and it will be competitively priced at £42, 495 (inclusive of VAT and £2,500 Plug0In Van Grant). Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: INSIDE GM’S DECISION TO HELP RESTORE A RARE EV1 FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER

GM have seemed like a company embaressed by their pioneering EV1 which was available to the public on a strict leasing deal for two years in the later 1990s, with many examples having been destroyed and recycled. However, one person has managed to legally get hold of a damaged EV1 and is in the process of restoring it. GM heard and instead of deploying a fleet of lawyers to stop this their President heard and has ordered the company to help. Click this article link here from The Drive to find out more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: FORGOTTEN CARS OF THE 1990S

Autocar are where we are sending you this week. They have a slideshow dedicated to cars you might well have forgotten, if you are not Alan. Do you agree with chaps choices? Click this link here to see what your options are.

AND FINALLY: WALKING AROUND AND POINTING AT THINGS

This week we are recommending you click this HubNut YouTube video link to check out their interesting spots from the NEC Restoration Show. As ever, this is a lovely, relaxed film that will allow all of us who missed out to experience the sights and sounds of last weekend.

SMMT URGES GOVERNMENT TO REVIEW ZEV MANDATE

During the SMMT Electrified event, held last week, the call went out for an urgent review of the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate, as the reality is far below the assumptions that went into the amount of registrations demanded each year. Government representative immediately poured cold water on that hope, though. A review will not begin until 2027. For more on this story, click this EV Powered article link here.

NEW RENAULT STRATEGY ANNOUNCED

Renault Group’s new strategy will be called Futuready. Using the previous as the basis they will now launch 36 new models by 2030. These will be split across European and global markets. The three brands will continue to exploit what they do well and what customers expect from them. Additionally, a lot of talk is about technology and their partnership with Google. Click this Autocar article here, for more.

SEAT AND CUPRA 2025 SALES ARE IMPRESSIVE

Seat and Cupra had very impressive sales figures for 2025, but that did not translate to much of a profit thanks to tariffs and capex investment costs. Tariffs were imposed by the EU on Chinese made EVs, this hit the Tavascan as the company chose to not pass the costs onto customers. They are also investing in a new battery factory, developing new models and updating existing. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

VW GROUP ANNOUNCE MORE HUGE COST CUTS

After a very rough 2025, the Volkswagen Group has posted an operating profit of 2.8%, which equates to €8.9 billion in revenue. The company announced there would be a new (or is it?) cost cutting drive, which will include up to 50,000 job loses. The aim is for cost savings around €6 billion per year by 2030. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

HONDA SCRAPS NEW EV MODELS

Honda has cancelled the launch of the 0 Series Saloon and SUV. They make it explicitly clear they are blaming the United States change in policy when it comes to EVs. They expect the write-down will cost them between £1.6 and £2.7 billion, this year, with more to come in 2026-27. Additionally, their products in other markets are not meeting customer requirements. You can find out further information by clicking this Autocar article link here.

STELLANTIS TO ADD MORE ELECTRIC VANS TO ELLESMERE PORT

Stellantis are to add more electric van production to their Ellesmere Port. The company is investing £50 million to add a new assembly line to the factory. The electric variant of the Vauxhall/Opel Vivaro will take up the newly created capacity. For more, 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 -Jaecoo 8

In May Jaecoo will be selling the 8, their range topping SUV, in the UK. Prices will start at £45,500 for the PHEV. That is a £10,000 jump over the 7 PHEV, but it does not offer a third row of seats. Click this Autocar article to find out all the details.

Caterham Seven HWM Edition

HWM is the dealership that Caterham is tied closely to but also was a racing team with their own car that Sir Sterling Moss won his first F1 race in. The latest Seven plays homage to them for this, with cars painted in the HWM Green, also the grille in the nose cone harks back to team. Click this EVO article link to learn all the details.

Mercedes-Benz VLE

Mercedes has revealed the VLE, an electric V-Class sized vehicle that is hoped will bring it new customers. Externally it has the very prominent grille and the rear looks like its been taken from a Hyundai Inonq 9. Inside the press pics show an interior that is festooned with more light strips than a Twitch streamers setup. Click this Autocar article link to find out all the details, including an impressive claimed range.

LUNCHTIME READ: TOWER OF POWER

Top Gear are where we are pointing your attention this week. Ollie Marriage brings to life his adventure with Mark Riccioni as they drove in Georgia. The writing is wonderful and the pictures are stunning, hopefully this encourages you to plan a trip, but maybe one less “tricky”. Click the link here to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: SEVEN BRILLIANT AND PERFECTLY FORMED TINY CONCEPT CARS

We stick with Top Gear as the outlet to visit, this time for seven tiny but wonderful concept cars. Do you agree with Andrew’s choice? Click this link here to see what your options are.

AND FINALLY: CARS AND FILMS

Jesús Predencio is a graphic designer who has created some wonderful, striking art involving cars, with his most famous project probably being Cars and Films. Click this Classic & Sports Car article to find out more. Additionally, at the bottom of the piece are several links to Jesús’s work which you must check out.

FOLLOW UP: EU INDUSTRIAL ACCELERATOR ACT REVEALED

The 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 FIGURES

SMMT 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 DECLINE

The 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 FIRM

Suzuki 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 WHITE

Wrightbus 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 ATTACK

ELECQ, 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 PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Genesis GV60 Magma

Genesis 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 launched

GM 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 off

Before 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 DISGRACE

Hagerty 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 PRODUCTION

Top 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 SONG

Saturday 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 CONFIRMATION

Thanks 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 2025

Stellantis 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 WORKFORCE

2025 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 RULING

Tesla 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 EV

The 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 EXTENDED

The 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 PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -UK Car of the Year 2026 Winner

Congratulations 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 L8

New 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 Quadrifoglio

In 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 recall

Honda 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 THEORY

Our 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 1980S

Get 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 CLASSICS

The 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 TESLA

In 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 EVS

The 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 FLEXIS

Renault 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 CTO

Geoffrey 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 DEVON

Stagecoach 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 CONTRACT

TotalEnergies 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 PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Omoda 5 SHS-S

Omoda 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 RS5

The 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 Runabout

Five 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 ROLE

Andreas 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 NOW

Siôn 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 2026

Motoring 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 TRIP

Continuing 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 LIQUIDATION

Obviously 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 LOSS

Ford 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 DIESELS

Stellantis 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 ANNOUNCED

BMW 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 ACQUISITION

Be.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 BOROUGH

Once 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 CHARGERS

More 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 PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Mazda 6e

Mazda 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 3

BYD 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 restomod

Niels 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 TOKYO

The 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 2026

Classic & 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 ART

Remaining 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 FIGURES

New 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 BILLION

On 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 ANNOUNCED

There 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 CEO

Toyota 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 LIQUIDATION

Ox 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 SCOTLAND

EZO 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 PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Lepas brand coming to the UK

Chery 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 updated

Kia 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 interior

Ferrari 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: FOTUGRAPHY

Antony 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 MARVELS

Autocar, 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 RALLY

Auto 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 OWNERS

Volvo 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 LICENSES

Come 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 GROUP

Ampere, 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 FACTORY

Oliver 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 HUBS

Electric 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 HQ

Chery, 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 ROUTES

Stagecoach 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 UPDATE

Volvo 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 INSTRUCTIONS

Researchers 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 PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Hyundai Ioniq 6 N

Hyundai 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 winners

Andrew 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 Engineering

Finally 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 DESIGNER

Porsche 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 2

Hagerty 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 CARS

Autocar 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 WAY

Thank 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 GRANT

The 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 COMPANY

Renault 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 WARRANTY

BYD, 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 PROGRAMMES

In 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 PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Volvo EX60

Volvo 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 B05

Leapmotor 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 S1

The 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-ROYCES

We 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 MIGHTY

Hagerty, 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 SHOP

Hot 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.