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…

Samsara, the pioneer of the Connected Operations® Platform, has joined forces with Driving for Better Business, a free-to-access business engagement programme from National Highways, to improve road safety and help organisations better manage fleet risk. Driving for Better Business aims to improve work related road safety by promoting good risk management practices and demonstrating the business benefits of managing drivers and vehicles in line with current industry good practice. Samsara works with some of the world’s largest organisations that depend on physical operations to increase the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of their operations. Samsara’s customers operate across a wide range of industries including,…

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…

AI Generated Descriptions and Vehicle Highlights now available to all retailers through Portal and Auto Trader Connect Follows November launch of Smart Image Management which is already being utilised by over 7,100 retailers to optimise their adverts every day. Advanced AI powered by Auto Trader Intelligence, underpinned by more than 80m visits and circa 619m combined search minutes every month, as well as 1.6m daily vehicle observations. 26th February 2025 – Auto Trader is giving retailers direct access to its wealth of data and insights with the launch of two brand-new AI (artificial intelligence) powered tools as part of its…