Policy
Dealers want a £4,000 scrappage scheme, twice the 2009 payout
A survey of 60 dealers puts the most popular scrappage allowance at £4,000, with used electric cars included and a 10-year age limit on trade-ins.
Policy
Europe has cut its 2035 car target to 87.5%, and Britain's decision is still open
MEPs have cut the EU's 2035 car CO2 target from 100% to 87.5% and the van target to 80%, while the UK's own ZEV mandate review is still waiting on a decision.
Used market
Britain's best-selling car keeps owners waiting more than a week for repairs
The Jaecoo 7 was Britain's best-selling car in October, yet 65% of its faults keep owners off the road for more than a week, and insurers stay wary.
Policy
Ministers are set to cut the 2030 electric car target to about 60% this week
Government sources say Louise Haigh will sign off a 60% electric car target for 2030 this week, with the mandate's flexibilities extended to 2034.
Policy
Brent fell 16% in a week, and petrol gave back 1.3p a litre
Brent's steepest week since 2020 took 16% off crude while the UK average petrol price moved 1.3p. What the gap means for the cost of a fill-up.
Used market
Vauxhall tells owners of five older models to stop driving over Takata airbags
Vauxhall has issued a stop-drive notice for the Astra H, Astravan, Astra Twin Top, Vectra and Signum, with up to 82,000 cars still awaiting a free airbag repair.
New cars
Volkswagen has capped 5,000 UK electric cars at 80% charge, with no fix date
Volkswagen's battery recall covers about 5,000 UK ID.3, ID.4 and ID.7 cars, limited to 80% charge since mid-October, costing up to 70 miles of range.
Used market
The average car sold at auction for £7,244 in October, 5% less than a year ago
BCA's October average fell 1% to £7,244, 5% below a year ago and 2.5% further under guide price, while trade buyer numbers passed 10,800 for the first time.
New cars
The rate rise lands where 89% of private new car sales are financed
Bank Rate rose to 4% on 5 November, the first increase since 2023. With 89% of private new car sales financed, the monthly cost of a car is being repriced.
Charging
The £190m motorway charging plan has not yet shown it will add chargers
The CMA's subsidy unit says OZEV's £190m motorway charging plan rests on evidence it has not produced, with five gaps to close and key terms still open.
New cars
Electric cars reached 32% of October sales, five points behind petrol
October registrations rose 5.4% to 152,730. Battery electric cars took 32.0% of the market against petrol's 37.2%, leaving the year short of its 33% target.
Policy
Record electric van sales still leave a mandate gap that doubles by 2028
Electric van registrations rose 58.0% to a record 3,369 in October, a 12.9% share against a 24% mandate. SMMT's own outlook has the gap doubling by 2028.
Policy
Pickup registrations have halved, and the Ford Ranger takes half of what remains
Pickup registrations are down 52.9% this year to 14,936, with the Ford Ranger accounting for 51% of them, while the wider van market grew 11.4% in October.
New cars
Dacia's £17,995 Sandero hybrid is Britain's cheapest full hybrid, and the payback takes eight years
Dacia's Sandero hybrid starts at £17,995, £2,000 under the MG3 Hybrid+. At average mileage the £2,230 premium over the petrol car takes eight years to repay.
New cars
Jaguar names 19 showrooms for a brand that registered eight cars this year
Jaguar will sell its electric cars from 19 UK sites run by 12 dealer groups, down from 83 in 2023, after eight registrations in the first nine months of 2026.
New cars
Vauxhall passes 100,000 electric sales, on course for its biggest year yet
Vauxhall passed 100,000 UK electric sales with a Grandland in Nuneaton. Its 16,508 in ten months is a record pace, though its market share slipped.
Used market
Barclays begins early car finance settlements, with one month to decide
Barclays Partner Finance will offer early settlements to some customers whose commission complaints were acknowledged by 1 October 2026, and the FCA has set the terms.
New carsAll →
- Honda cuts CR-V and ZR-V prices, landing one trim under the £40,000 tax line3 November 2026
- Vauxhall hands its design to Citroen's chief as Mark Adams retires2 November 2026
- Volkswagen has paused the electric Golf because it cannot afford the work1 November 2026
- Mazda has dropped the Skyactiv-X engine from the Mazda331 October 2026
- Geely's first year in Britain: 15,264 cars, 80 sites and a target that doubles30 October 2026
- Volkswagen's profit fell 98.7% and its electric cars are part of the reason30 October 2026
PolicyAll →
- MPs want a tariff plan for Chinese cars and a firewall for connected vehicles2 November 2026
- Euro 7 is confirmed for 2027 and the battery test is the real change31 October 2026
- Budget 2026 for drivers: fuel duty frozen to July, eVED fleshed out, £100 million for on-street charging28 October 2026
- Two-thirds of drivers are cutting back as pump prices approach record levels27 October 2026
- Burnham steps back from the 2030 electric car target as the cabinet splits25 October 2026
- London's new minicabs would have to be electric from 2028 under TfL's plan24 October 2026
ChargingAll →
- £38m depot charging window misses its opening date3 November 2026
- Public chargers would have to pass a cyber security standard under new plans1 November 2026
- Octopus offers fleets up to 30% off public charging, and the maths explains why22 October 2026
- From tomorrow, charging without a driveway gets a planning route20 October 2026
- A Cheaper Week at the Plug: Home Charging After the VAT Cut6 October 2026
- The energy price cap is live: what it means at the plug1 October 2026
Used marketAll →
- Motor Ombudsman turns 10 with half of complaints turned away2 November 2026
- Used electric vans are gaining value while diesel vans slide1 November 2026
- Used hybrid stock is closing on 100,000 cars31 October 2026
- Used car values fell again in October, and electric cars were the only ones to rise29 October 2026
- Used EV values are rising while the rest of the market falls, and 300 miles is the number23 October 2026
- Vertu's first half: where a car dealer actually makes its money15 October 2026
GuidesAll →
- The turning circle: why PDCA still drives continuous improvement3 November 2026
- MOT testers must now accept approved LED bulbs in halogen headlamps14 October 2026
- Diesel slips back below £2, and the maths has not caught up10 October 2026
- Diesel Reaches Two Pounds a Litre: What It Costs You Now2 October 2026
- The grant shelf this autumn: what the money actually buys1 October 2026
- Why the Cheapest New Electric Cars Use a Different Battery30 September 2026