Councils across the Black Country are encouraging older drivers to sign up to free road safety courses being held across the region in 2025. The next course for drivers aged 60 and over in Walsall will take place at Walsall Arena and Arts Centre, Bloxwich, on Tuesday 11 March 2025. An additional course will be held at The Wheelhouse, Wolverhampton Cricket Club, on Wednesday 14 May 2025, for drivers who cannot attend the first date. “ For many mature drivers, being able to drive provides real independence. These sessions are offered in partnership with our neighbouring Black Country authorities, West…

Renault Group unveiled its autonomous vehicle strategy[2] and launched, for the very first time in Europe, with its partner WeRide, an open-road experimentation, with two autonomous miniBuses running during the Roland-Garros tennis international. With 1,000 km covered and nearly 700 people transported, this first full-scale test demonstrated the maturity of the technology as well as the relevance of this passenger transport solution. Following this successful experimentation, many mobility players (local authorities, transport operators, private site managers, etc.) have shown their interest in operating this solution in their territories. New experimentations are already underway across Europe, such as in Zurich (Switzerland),…

Kia is now a proud partner for the inaugural season of the new professional Surrey women’s cricket team, colloquially known as the Three Feathers. The partnership comes after 15 years of Kia sponsorship of the Surrey County Cricket Club (Surrey CCC) men’s team. Kia has provided long-standing support for women’s cricket, which started in 2013 with the supply of cars to the National England Women’s Cricket Team. Since 2011 Kia UK has been the headline sponsor of Surrey County Cricket Club and its home-turf, the iconic Kia Oval. The latest overall sponsorship was extended for five years, to 2029. This…

Bentley Motors has welcomed three exceptional, world-leading musical artists to its Crewe headquarters to design a one-of-a-kind Continental GTC, commissioned to honour female empowerment and collaboration. Celebrated organist and conductor Anna Lapwood MBE, world-renowned virtuoso cellist and composer Tina Guo, and Sister Bliss of legendary dance music group Faithless, joined forces to create a bespoke Bentley that embodies creativity, craftsmanship, and inclusivity. This special commission is part of Bentley’s Extraordinary Women programme, an initiative dedicated to championing gender equality, fostering inclusion, and empowering women globally. Bentley Motors invited these exceptional artists to join the programme in recognition of their remarkable…

The first Transporter – T1 for short – went into production on 8 March 1950. It has since become the most successful commercial vehicle with the longest production run in Europe to date. The first VW Bus of 1950 has now become three product lines in 2025: the Transporter/Caravelle, Multivan/California and ID. Buzz/ID. Buzz Cargo. Production of the T2 started in the Hanover plant in 1967. Its wide range of variants and robust properties made it a worldwide success. In 1979, the third generation of the Transporter was pioneering in terms of technology. Catalytic converter, turbodiesel and all-wheel drive were…

GROWTH HAS SURGED for dealers using the latest AI-powered ‘chatbots’ to convert customer enquiries into leads, according to new analysis. Even Christmas Day and New Year’s Day saw a significant appetite among customers for ‘chatting’ with the latest generation of advanced dealer bots developed by AI tech specialists AutoConverse, new figures reveal. Last month saw a 43% increase in customer conversations with dealer chatbots compared with January 2024 – with a conversion rate of more than 48%. This means that almost half of all interactions between customers and bots resulted in a concrete lead for the sale of a product…

BYD UK and Arval UK are pleased to announce the arrival of BYD Lease providing UK customers with nearly 50 years of vehicle leasing expertise for the UK’s fastest growing car brand of 2024. The BYD model range has grown to four new models in 18 months – with the SEALION 7 arriving soon – all of which are now available via BYD Lease. Steve Beattie, Sales & Marketing Director, BYD UK, commented: “The introduction of BYD Lease is a big step for our growth in the UK. As one of the top leasing companies in the UK, we’re very…

ERIC PLATFORD: 25 FEBRUARY 1883 – 20 NOVEMBER 1938 A brief overview of the life and career of Eric Platford, born 25 February 1883 Played a fundamental role in testing and developing early Rolls-Royce models Racing success strengthened Rolls-Royce’s status as ‘the best car in the world’ Aero-engine expertise made him a key figure in the first successful transatlantic flight Greatly respected by Royce, and the first holder of the official title of Chief Tester “Having played a role which was central and fundamental to the marque’s early successes, Eric Platford earned the right to be recognised amongst his better…

18% of Brits believe you cannot take an EV charger when moving home 17% think an EV can be manual 14% believe EVs cannot drive through water Younger generations are most likely to believe in EV myths, while older generations remain more sceptical Steve Beattie, Sales and Marketing Director at BYD UK, debunks the most common EV myths and explains why education is so important during the transition to electric vehicles Almost one in five (18%) Brits believe that you cannot take an electric vehicle (EV) charger with you when moving house, according to new research by BYD UK. EVs…

Subaru UK has announced the development of its dealer network, with five new strategic retailer appointments across England and Wales. The appointments during Q1 2025 enhance the brand’s coverage in key regional areas, building on Subaru’s momentum of recent years, and reinforcing its commitment to future growth. The latest additions to the retailer network – which has built a reputation for sustained excellence and dedication over decades – will enable more customers than ever before to have easy access to Subaru’s personalised dealership experience. This strategically planned network development follows a successful 2024 for the brand, which saw Subaru pass…