They upset the car market, then the EV sector, and now it looks like Kia will disrupt the lucrative MPV and business categories. Kia predicted their electric PV5 Passenger model and van would reach 2,500 sales in Britain, but it has doubled that and is still climbing with just a five-seat model and very big luggage capacity. The addition of a CV derivative … [Read more...]
Rural drivers in Wales face big EV tolls
Data for the 32 Welsh constituencies shows what ev drivers in Wales can expect to pay when the new Government toll charges come in next year. A few headline figures for Wales: Combined projected annual eVED bill across all 32 Welsh constituencies: £29.1m Average per-driver annual cost across Wales: £228 (vs £79 in Cities of London and … [Read more...]
Chinese brands in public minds
Jaecoo and Omoda are the Chinese car brands with the biggest increase in consumer awareness during the last year, according to research. May’s Startline Used Car Tracker shows Jaecoo is up 19 percentage points to 34% and Omoda by 9 percentage points to 23% compared to identical research carried out in May 2025. However, the most recognised Chinese car … [Read more...]
Welsh drivers speeding down the EV route
Blaenau Gwent is leading Britain's electric car boom, recording the fastest growth in private EV ownership, with battery electric vehicle (BEV) numbers rising by almost 90% year on year, according to new analysis of Government data by AA Cars. The latest vehicle licensing data from the Department for Transport and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency shows … [Read more...]
Pump or plug points to biggest fleet challenge
Adjusting to the end of the petrol and diesel era will be the biggest challenge facing fleets during the next three years, according to new research. The 2026 Arval Fleet and Mobility Observatory reveals 38% of businesses surveyed believe adapting to restrictive public policies on use of internal combustion engined (ICE) vehicles is an issue – up from 32% … [Read more...]
Iran War fuels switch to EVs
More than nine out of 10 dealers (92%) say events such as the war in Iran make more car buyers think about switching to electric. May’s Startline Used Car Tracker shows 67% believe potential buyers are aware fuelling an electric car is potentially much cheaper than petrol or diesel, 57% that the sheer speed of fuel price rises is a factor and 21% that the … [Read more...]
EVs biggest targets for mileage clocking
New analysis from vehicle history platform carVertical shows electric models are now the most commonly clocked cars in the UK, with 3% of those checked showing evidence of mileage tampering. That puts EVs ahead of diesel cars (2.8%), petrol cars (2.5%) and hybrids (2%) and comes at a time when many households are looking for ways to cut motoring costs by … [Read more...]
Row over HMRC ev-tax charge plan
Leading voices from across the electric vehicle charging industry have reacted with anger and frustration to HMRC’s confirmation that it will appeal the First-Tier Tribunal’s ruling that public EV charging should qualify for a reduced 5% VAT rate. The ruling, which arose from a case brought by Charge My Street against HMRC, had offered hope that the … [Read more...]
Discounts driving EV sales are unsustainable, say car makers
Electric car registrations are accelerating driven by huge manufacturer discounts. The UK new car market grew by 6.6% in March, typically the busiest month of the year, with 380,627 new vehicles registered, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Registrations in Wales saw the smallest rise of just 5.85% to 12,275 cars in March … [Read more...]
Business issues warning over EV ppm tax
The Government’s proposed pay-per-mile electric vehicle duty could cost the UK’s fleet sector £260 million a year by 2028 through compliance alone, according to new analysis from the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association. The cost is based on BVRLA member data, and driven by both direct administration (£75 million) and lost productivity from … [Read more...]
