Author: Ryan Hayes

The Department for Transport has opened applications for operators seeking to run self-driving taxi, bus and private hire-style services across United Kingdom, marking the first time commercial autonomous passenger transport services will be permitted on public roads in Great Britain under British legislation. The pilot programme, announced on May 22, 2026, is expected to enable passenger bookings for autonomous transport services later this year. According to the government, operators will be required to undergo regulatory approval processes covering vehicle safety and cyber-security standards, while also securing local authorization from transport authorities including Transport for London where applicable. The scheme follows…

Cupra has opened pre-orders in the United Kingdom for its all-electric Raval compact hatchback, with prices starting at £23,785 for the entry-level Origin version. The Raval is built on the Volkswagen Group MEB+ electric vehicle platform and becomes one of the first production models to use the updated architecture. The model is Cupra’s third battery-electric vehicle following the Cupra Born and Cupra Tavascan. First customer deliveries in the UK are expected later this year. The Origin trim combines a 37kWh battery pack with a 115PS electric motor and offers a WLTP driving range of up to 186 miles. Higher-specification variants…

Kia is reportedly preparing to launch its entry-level electric vehicle, the Kia EV1, in 2028 with a starting price of between 20,000 euros ($22,000) and 22,000 euros in Europe, according to comments attributed to a senior company executive. British automotive publication Auto Express reported that Ted Lee, executive vice president and head of global operations at Kia, said the EV1 is expected to launch at around 20,000 euros in mainland Europe and approximately £17,000 in the United Kingdom. The report said Hyundai Motor Group is jointly developing a new electric vehicle architecture for both Kia and Hyundai entry-level EVs. According…

Toyota has announced UK pricing and specifications for the ninth-generation Toyota Hilux BEV, marking the debut of the company’s first fully electric Hilux model. The battery-electric pickup will start at £57,845 in the UK before application of the government’s £5,000 plug-in van grant, reducing the effective entry price to £52,845. Toyota said order books for the electric Hilux will open on June 1, with first customer deliveries scheduled to begin later the same month. The company will offer the Hilux BEV in two trim levels, Icon and Invincible. The higher-specification Invincible version is priced from £60,695 before government incentives. The…

Peugeot has released UK pricing and specifications for its updated 408 lineup, including the fully electric Peugeot E-408, as the automaker expands its electrified vehicle range in the British market. The revised 408 family includes hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric variants. Peugeot said prices for the hybrid model start at £31,995, while the all-electric E-408 begins at £34,195 before application of the UK government’s £1,500 Electric Car Grant, reducing the effective entry price to £32,695. The updated E-408, first unveiled in January, is equipped with a 58-kWh battery paired with a 157-kW electric motor producing 343 Nm of torque. According…

Jaguar has revealed the name of its upcoming all-electric grand tourer, confirming that the new four-door model will be called the Type 01 as part of the company’s transition into a new electric-era lineup. The British brand, owned by JLR, said the “Type” designation references Jaguar’s historic naming tradition dating back to the 1951 C-Type race car, while the “0” symbolizes electric propulsion and zero-emission driving. The “1” identifies the model as the first vehicle in Jaguar’s next-generation electric portfolio. Jaguar Managing Director Rawdon Glover said the company aimed to combine its heritage with a redesigned electric future. “We have…

BYD is preparing overseas expansion plans for the second-generation Yuan Plus electric SUV, which the company intends to market internationally under the name Atto 5. The updated model was first unveiled at the Beijing Auto Show in April. According to a report from Auto Trader NZ, New Zealand will become the first international market where BYD has officially confirmed the launch of the vehicle as the Atto 5, with sales scheduled to begin in 2027. The new naming strategy positions the vehicle above the current Atto 3, which is the international name used for the first-generation Yuan Plus in most…

First Bus has launched a smart charging trial for electric buses in Glasgow aimed at coordinating vehicle charging with periods of surplus renewable electricity generation. The trial, described as the first of its kind for electric buses in the United Kingdom, is being carried out in partnership with Optimo Energy and will later expand to First Bus’s depot in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. See also: First Bus Launches Fully Electric Fleet in Essex With £25.8 Million Investment The initiative uses Optimo Energy’s platform to optimise charging schedules based on real-time grid conditions while ensuring buses remain ready for daily operations. Charging…

Nissan will close one of two production lines at its vehicle plant in Sunderland, England, as part of a broader restructuring effort aimed at improving operational efficiency in Europe. The company said the production line shutdown is expected to take place during the second half of 2026, although an exact date has not been announced. Nissan currently manufactures the Nissan Qashqai, Nissan Juke, and third-generation Nissan Leaf at the Sunderland facility. From 2027, the plant is also scheduled to begin production of battery-electric versions of the Juke and Qashqai, expanding the site’s electric vehicle lineup to three fully electric model…

Motor Fuel Group (MFG) has connected its MFG EV Power network to Hubject’s Plug&Charge infrastructure, enabling automatic authentication for electric vehicle (EV) drivers across thousands of charging points in the United Kingdom. The integration went live on May 1, 2026, following more than a year of technical development. It covers approximately 2,000 rapid and ultra-rapid charging points across MFG’s network, marking one of the largest single activations of Plug&Charge technology to date. See also: Windrose and Hubject Partner to Enable Plug&Charge for Electric Trucks MFG EV Power, which operates across more than 500 locations in the UK, offers chargers ranging…

The Department for Transport has announced plans to expand electric vehicle charging access by easing rules on cross-pavement installations, as part of a broader push to accelerate the shift to clean energy in the United Kingdom. Under the proposed legislation, homeowners would be allowed to install charging cables through a channel embedded in the pavement outside their property without requiring planning permission. The measure would bring cross-pavement charging under permitted development rights, simplifying installation for households without private driveways. The move is intended to support wider adoption of EVs, particularly among urban residents who rely on street parking. It also…

Volkswagen has introduced technical updates for its ID.4 and ID.5 electric vehicles in the United Kingdom, including revised battery capacities, efficiency improvements and vehicle-to-load functionality. The automaker said selected variants of both models now feature higher-capacity battery packs, extended driving range and updated equipment levels. For ID.4 and ID.5 Pure variants, net battery capacity has been increased from 52 kWh to 58 kWh, while other trims now use battery packs with 79 kWh net capacity instead of the previous 77 kWh to 79 kWh range. Volkswagen said the larger battery in certain variants increases driving range by up to 40…

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said the UK new car market grew 6.6% year-on-year in March, reaching 380,627 registrations, its strongest performance since 2019, driven largely by private demand. Battery-electric vehicle (BEV) registrations hit a record 86,120 units during the month, up 24.2% from a year earlier, while total electrified vehicle volumes—including hybrids and plug-in hybrids—reached 196,059 units. Private registrations rose 10.1% to 162,470 units, while fleet demand increased 3.5% to 208,853 units. Business registrations climbed 18.8% to 9,304 units, according to SMMT data. Despite the record BEV volumes, electric cars accounted for 22.6% of total registrations in…

Kia said more of its electric vehicles now qualify for the UK government’s Electric Car Grant (ECG), including the Kia EV3 and a newly introduced Kia EV4 ‘Motion’ variant, as the company expands its presence in the country’s subsidized EV segment. The ECG scheme provides a £1,500 reduction on the on-the-road price of eligible electric vehicles and is available to both retail and fleet buyers. Kia said the EV3 qualifies for the grant for the first time, with both ‘Air’ and ‘GT-Line’ trims included. With the subsidy applied, the EV3 ‘Air’ Standard Range, equipped with a 58.3 kWh battery, is…

South Korean automaker Kia has announced UK pricing and specifications for the EV2, its smallest electric vehicle to date, as the company expands its battery-electric line-up in Europe. The B-segment SUV will start at £27,995 for the ‘Air’ variant with a 61.0 kWh battery, or £24,245 with a £3,750 reservation saving, which Kia said is designed to reflect the potential UK government Electric Car Grant if approved. Reservations are now open, with first customer deliveries expected later in 2026. Additional variants include the ‘First Edition’, priced from £28,495 (or £26,995 with a £1,500 saving), while the ‘GT-Line’ and ‘GT-Line S’…

German automaker BMW has introduced the iX3 40 in the United Kingdom as a more affordable entry point into its next-generation Neue Klasse electric SUV range, with prices starting at £53,250 and first deliveries scheduled for the summer. The iX3 40 follows the earlier rollout of the iX3 50 xDrive, priced at £58,755, and was announced in the UK one day after its debut in Germany. Despite the lower price, BMW said the new variant maintains the same standard equipment and core features as the higher-spec model, underscoring its strategy to broaden access to its latest electric vehicle platform. The…

The Go-Ahead Group and Oxfordshire County Council have jointly invested more than £5.1 million to introduce 13 additional electric buses in Oxfordshire, expanding zero-emission transport services beyond Oxford city into surrounding communities. The new fleet, operated by the Oxford Bus Company, includes nine large single-deckers and four smaller vehicles manufactured by Wrightbus and Alexander Dennis. The buses are being deployed on regional routes linking areas such as Abingdon, Great Milton, Wytham, Bicester and Chesterton, with the first vehicles already entering service. Funding for the rollout comprises £3.9 million from Go-Ahead and £1.2 million from the council through its Vehicle Improvement…

London is assessing potential new charges for sport utility vehicles (SUVs) as part of its Vision Zero strategy to improve road safety, the BBC reported, citing concerns over vehicle size and urban traffic risks. The Vision Zero plan, led by city authorities, outlines the growing impact of larger vehicles on urban infrastructure and safety. It notes that around half of new cars are now too wide for standard on-street parking spaces, reflecting a broader shift in vehicle design and consumer preference. City Hall analysis indicates that larger vehicles occupy more road space, reduce visibility at junctions and crossings, and limit…

The UK Government has announced a £1 billion funding package to support the adoption of electric vans and trucks, aiming to reduce costs for businesses and accelerate the decarbonisation of road transport. The funding will be distributed through two programmes: the Zero Emissions Truck and Van scheme and the Depot Charging Scheme. Together, they are designed to address key barriers to electrification, including high upfront vehicle costs and limited charging infrastructure. Under the vehicle subsidy programme, businesses can receive grants covering up to 40% of the purchase price of electric trucks, with a maximum of £81,000 per vehicle for heavy-duty…

The Hackney Council has launched the first nine rapid electric vehicle chargers as part of a broader plan to install more than 50 units across the borough by 2030. The chargers, supplied and operated by ESB Energy, offer up to 100 kW of charging power and are designed to deliver approximately 30-minute charging sessions. The rollout is aimed particularly at residents who do not have access to private home charging. Each charging unit is installed in a dedicated parking bay large enough to accommodate delivery vans and commercial vehicles, reflecting a focus on both residential and business users. Access to…