Motoring Podcast - News Show

FOLLOW UP: MOTABILITY PAUSES BLACK BOX USE
Motability has announced that it will be pausing the ‘Drive Smart’ scheme that included fitting a black box to cars owned by those under the age of 30 leasing a car from them. Unfortunately they are not cancelling it but will amend it and try again. This discriminates against disabled drivers rather than helping them be more independent and live as active a life as possible. Click this article link here, from Disability News Service, for more.
FOLLOW UP: THE TREASURY REJECTED MINISTERIAL CALL TO DROP PUBLIC CHARGING VAT RATE
The Treasury Department stood firm in the face of calls, by ministers, to drop the VAT rate for public EV chargers to 5%. HMRC is appealing the tax tribunal that agreed it should be cut due to their own criterial making it clear it should not be charged at 20%. To read more, click this article link from Europe Says.
GOVERNMENT EXTENDS FUEL DUTY CUT
Last week the Government announced that it will be extending the fuel duty cut to the end of the year, thanks to the idiocy in the Middle East. Whilst this sounds like it should help people, there are lots of evidence that shows those who need such help the most are disproportionately affected in times like these meaning they stop driving. For personal car usage this helps only the wealthy, however in the wider transportation ecosystem this will help to keep some costs down and not add to the impact the crisis is already having. For more on the news item, click this article link from Transport News.
STELLANTIS AND DONGFENG SIGN EUROPEAN DEAL
Aston Martin had to seek more emergency funding, just two weeks ago, as it received £50 million from the consortium led by Lawrence Stroll. This is the eighth time they have had to do so, since the company launched it’s IPO in 2018. Click this Carscoops article link here for more.
There is also a link to a Top Gear article here, that goes into detail about if Stellantis’s new plan is in fact new, that we think you might find interesting.
HAS KIA AND NISSAN FIXED THEIR VULNERABILITIES IN 2 YEARS
Two years ago, security researcher Neiko Rivera, found some shocking API vulnerabilities in Kia and Nissan apps that allows easy access to vehicles he did not own. He has now followed that up, to see if improvements have been made, some have but mostly not and there’s new ones that are easily exploited and should wake the industry up (especially if combined with last week’s story about the MyAudi app). Click this YouTube link to his talk explaining what he has done and found.

On Thursday 4 June at 20:00 BST, we will be going live with a Q&A on our YouTube channel. We need your help though, send us your automotive and motoring related question you would like to hear us answer. To send one in use our Contact Page, linked to here, and put “Q&A” in the Subject Line so it does not get lost in all the spam, or any other way you can send a question to us.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -
Ferrari Luce
The internet erupted this week following Ferrari revealing their first EV, the Luce. Designed by Jony Ive and Marc Newson, the finished product has caused quite the stir. The chaps discuss this and wonder what about it makes it a Ferrari. Click this EVO article link to read more.
Mercedes-AMG GT
Last week Mercedes-AMG revealed their electric four door car, which also garnered a lot of attention, most of it negative. There is some impressive sounding tech dotted around the car, but that does require one to want to see beyond the looks, which is a big ask. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more.
Skoda Epiq
Now for something more reflective of what people want at a price that can be afforded, the Skoda Epiq. From £24,090, this is the smallest electric SUV the brand offers. Expect typically VW Group interior with Skoda touches and decent exterior looks. Click this Motoring Research article link to read more.
LUNCHTIME READ: IN DEFENCE OF LIGHTNESS
Friend of the show, Nir Kahn, has written an interesting piece on predominately defence vehicles but the trap many fall into with fixating on one aspect and ignoring others meaning opportunities go begging to make a better product. To read more, click this LinkedIn article link here.
LIST OF THE WEEK: 21 CHARMING ROVER SALOONS
This week Andrew takes a major psychological step forward and agrees to have a list that covers Rover. He has refrained for all this time because the worst car he has ever owned was a Rover and it has left deep, deep scars. Check out the Classic & Sports Car article link and see which you would have.
AND FINALLY: ARTIST JAMES STEVENS
James takes classic and iconic moments in motorsport and others, but removes the background giving that moment even more pop and power. Check out this Classic & Sports Car article link to see more, including a link to his website. Wonderful work.

FOLLOW UP: CUSTOMERS ARE NOT GETTING MG3 SEAT FIX
EuroNCAP has called on customers with MG3s to get the free fix to their seats, following the failure under testing in September 2025. A front crash test exposed the issue with one side of the driver’s seat moving forward 111.5mm, mid impact. MG has an approved solution. For more on this story, click this Carscoops article link here.
JLR FINANCIAL RESULTS
JLR posted a loss of £244 million, for the last financial year. The company was impacted by the cyber attack, tariffs, a dwindling Chinese market for Western cars and the transition of Jaguar. The company has also stated that it will be seeking to cut around £1.7 million in costs over the next two years. You can read more by clicking this Autocar article link here.
JAGUAR NAME THEIR FIRST NEW CAR OF REBRAND
Jaguar has named the electric GT due to be launched this year, the Type 01. Apparently, this ties into their heritage, for example the D-Type and E-Type. If you wish to read more, including the incredibly incisive comment from Hyfrith, click this Autocar article link here.
ASTON MARTIN SOUGHT MORE NEW FINANCING
Aston Martin had to seek more emergency funding, just two weeks ago, as it received £50 million from the consortium led by Lawrence Stroll. This is the eighth time they have had to do so, since the company launched it’s IPO in 2018. Click this Carscoops article link here for more.
STELLANTIS AND DONGFENG SIGN CHINA DEAL
Stellantis has signed a deal with Dongfeng to build two new Peugeot and two new Jeep vehicles in China, for the local market as well as export. This is the first step on the company’s new strategy of building partnerships in markets to help expand globally. For more on this, click the Autocar article link here.
XPENG IN TALKS WITH VW OVER BUYING EUROPEAN FACTORY
Xpeng is the latest Chinese brand to seek to buy a European factory from a local market manufacturer, this time via Volkswagen. The two companies already work with each other, as VW is using Xpeng’s software-defined platform for their Chinese market vehicles. To read more about this story, click this EV Powered article link here.
RULES BENT FOR SOME EV VANS
The Government has changed rules for EV vans plated to 4.25 tonnes, which aligns the requirements for running them to those of a 3.5 tonne vehicle. This removes the need for a yearly MOT, the use of tachographs by drivers and more. You can find out more, by clicking this Professional Van article link here.
AUDI USE UNIQUE IDENTIFIER FOR APP THAT ALL CAN SEE
The myAudi app and service has been found to be using the VIN of cars as the unique identifier for authorisation purposes. This means anyone who can read the VIN, which is displayed for all to see, can gain access to that vehicle via the app and mobile service. There are more issues as well, but CARIAD has addressed some of them. However, they have not acknowledged the work of the researcher or paid them a bounty which is unacceptable behaviour from a company like the Volkswagen Group. You can read more, by clicking Andrea Pierini’s blog post on what he found here.
If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -
Volkswagen ID Polo GTI
VW has revealed the ID Polo GTI, including specifications. Recognisable as a Polo this will come with 52kWh battery, giving 223bhp via a single motor, meaning a 0-62mph time of 6.8 seconds and topping out at 109mph. The price is expected to start around £33,500. Click this Autocar article to read more.
Volkswagen ID Buzz
VW are updating the ID Buzz in line with the rest of their range in terms of the interior, infotainment and the return of physical buttons. Additionally, one pedal driving is now possible. The battery and drivetrain specifications remain the same. Click this EV Powered article link here to read more.
Renault 4 Plein Sud and JP4x4 concept
You get an extra bonus this week as there were two announcements from Renault, for their 4. One you will be able to buy, whilst the other is a cool concept. Apologies for Andrew murdering the pronunciation of Plein Sud, but ignoring that it is essentially a full length canvas sunroof harking back to the time when manufacturers made such things. Looks great and will add some fun to the ownership. Click this Motoring Research article link here for more.
The JP4x4 concept is a sort of beach buggy pick-up mashup. Looks fun and cool and it is great to see a brand experimenting like this, especially considering the market conditions at this time. Click this Motoring Research article link for more.
LUNCHTIME READ: RENAISSANCE MAN
For a change our recommendation to you is not an adventure or something whimsical but an interview with the new European head of design for Stellantis, Gilles Vidal. He talks at about the challenges that Stellantis have and how he hopes to help shape their future. We have, particularly in the last few weeks, discussed the company and how it can drag itself out of the mire it is in, therefore we thought it would be interesting for you to read what one of the most important people they have think they can. Click this Autocar article link here for more.
LIST OF THE WEEK: 25 CARS THAT ARE 60 IN 2026
Once again we bring you a slideshow that might cause you to refuse to believe in the passage of time, as Classic & Sports Car has 25 cars that hit 60 years old this year. Click the link here to see what your options are.
AND FINALLY: CRAZY NEW YORK FIREFIGHTER RACING
In New York there is a competition for firefighters that includes a sort of drag racing car and tasks by the firefighters clinging onto the side and back of these crazy looking vehicles. It has to be seen to be believed. Click this link here from The Autopian for more.

FOLLOW UP: FCA WARNS PAYOUT SCHEME MAY FOLD
The Financial Conduct Authority has warned that there will be a delay of unknown time frame and even the potential for the finance mis-selling scheme to be cancelled, thanks to the appeals lodged. For more information on this, click this Autocar article link here.
APRIL 2026 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES
April 2026 had the most registrations, since 2019. All except diesel market share went up, with BEV being the most impressive and ending up with an April market share of 26.2% meaning it is at 23.1% for the year so far. Once again Fleet is doing a lot of heavy lifting, although Private rose taking the year to date up to 40.1%. You can find out more, by clicking this SMMT article link here.
HONDA AUTOMOTIVE UK GETS A NEW BOSS
Michael Doyle replaces Rebecca Adamson, who moves to head up Customer Engagement for Honda Motor Europe. Doyle is coming from Honda Motor Southern Africa, where he was Vice President. Click this MotorTrader article link here, for more.
NISSAN TO MERGE SUNDERLAND PRODUCTION LINES
Nissan is consolidating production lines into one over the next year, at their Sunderland facility. This will apparently not lead to any job losses at the site. Production numbers in 2025 was nearly half that of 2019. For more on this story, click this link to read an electrive article.
PORSCHE COST CUTTING BEGINS
Porsche has announced it will close three subsidiary companies with 500 jobs going as a consequence. Cellforce Group, battery tech; Porsche eBike, electric drives for bicycles; and Cetitec GmbH, software for data communications are to be shut down. The company will now “refocus on its core business”. If you want to read more, click this Yahoo!Finance article link here.
FORD SELLING PART OF SPANISH PLANT TO GEELY
Ford is looking to sell part of their Valencia plant to Geely, which currently only makes the Kuga. This would be Geely’s first European production based. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.
VW IS RIVIAN’S LARGEST SHAREHOLDER
The Volkswagen Group has upped its stake in Rivian from 8.6% to 15.9%, making it the largest single investor in the company. This moves Amazon to second. Rivian has been hitting the milestones the original deal required, which has meant they have received $3 billion from the German company since the announcement of the investment. You can read more, by clicking this TechCrunch article link here.
If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -
Nissan X-Trail
Nissan revealed their new X-Trail, a few weeks back. The company is aiming at the likes of the Skoda Kodiaq, Kia Sorento and Peugeot 5008 with this vehicle. No technical specifications have been revealed. Click this Autocar article link to see more.
Lexus TZ
Lexus has released images of the TZ, an electric six seat SUV aimed at the Volvo EX90. The vehicle is based on the RZ platform and will have an 96kWh battery enabling a range of up to 330 miles in perfect conditions. The TZ is coming to the UK in 2027 but there are no details as to the price or final specifications. Click this Autocar article link, for more.
Morgan Supersport 400
Morgan has revealed the Supersport 400 which takes the Supersport and makes its more. The retuned B58 twin-turbo straight-six engine will produce 402bhp, bringing down the 0-62 to 3.6 seconds which is 0.2 seconds quicker than the normal version. On the road price starts at £138,883.00. Click this EVO article link here to read more.
LUNCHTIME WATCH: HOW CAR DEALERSHIPS SCAM AMERICA
Longtime listeners will have heard Alan bemoan how awful American car dealerships and the business model are. He has explained how the price is never the price you first see. But to show how really bad it is we are recommending a Wendover Productions video explaining just how dreadful they are, click this YouTube link to see more.
LIST OF THE WEEK: GREAT PEOPLE’S CARS
Autocar have a large slideshow dedicated the cars that helped bring mobility to the world. Do you agree with the choices made? What would you pick? Click this link here to see what options you have to select from.
AND FINALLY: TIME TO ASK THE DANES TO GO FRENCH
A British Engineer, Dave Collins, has created a Lego copy of the Renault 5 Turbo 3E and submitted it to Lego to be considered for making into a model the company sells. Submitted on the 15 April this has already received 8,199 votes (at the time of recording). Click this Top Gear article to read more.
To go see the page on Lego Ideas and vote, click this link here.

FOLLOW UP: MORE APPEAL AGAINST FCA RULING
Following the deadline passing for appealing against the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) plans for compensation following the car finance industry breaking the law, there are now three lenders fighting back. Mercedes-Benz Financial Services join VW Financial Servcices and CA Auto Finance. The companies have declined to clarify to the public why they have made the move. To find out more, click this link from MoneySavingExpert.
TOYOTA SUPPLIERS HIT BY IRAN CRISIS
Toyota has announced that their suppliers have already begun to state they are feeling the effect of the Iran crisis with warnings that parts will not be delivered at the time expected. Toyota and their suppliers have already downgraded their expectations on 2026 production numbers. Click this CBT News article link here for more.
LAMBORGHINI GETS A NEW CTO
Fermín Soneira is leaving heading up of AUDI, the Chinese only off-shoot of Audi, to take up the role as Chief Technology Officer for Lamborghini. Fred Schulze will replace Soneira. For more on this story, click the electrive article link here.
EV CHARGING GRID VULNERABILITY DEMONSTRATED
At BlackHat Asia, a large cybersecurity and research conference, the vulnerable nature of EV charging networks and shared e-bikes was demonstrated. Companies are being accused of putting customer convenience ahead of security. One possible scenario is the ability to remotely disable an entire city’s EV charging network. You can learn more by clicking this link, from The Register, here.
MG TO BUILD CARS IN SPAIN
MG has chosen Spain as the location for their European car factory, over Hungary. By doing this they should avoid any tariffs or agreed minimum price requirements that are to apply with cars coming to Europe from China. Click this EVPowered article link here, to read more.
HONGQI IN TALKS WITH STELLANTIS ABOUT SPANISH FACTORY
The Chinese car maker, Hongqi, is in discussions with Stellantis about using capacity at their Spanish factory to build their cars in Europe, also taking advantage of avoiding extra financial penalties. Both parties are tight lipped on the matter. If you wish to find out more, click this Carscoops article link here.
AUDI RECALLING 96,000 CARS WORLDWIDE
Audi is recalling 96,180 e-tron quattros and Q8 e-trons, due to a potential brake issue. The fault is a lose screw that may prevent full braking ability in cars built from the 2 February 2018 until 11 June 2024. To read more, click this electrive article link here.
If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -
Freelander 8
JRL and Chery have revealed their first concept from their joint-venture for the Freelander brand. Unsurprisingly, this is an electric SUV with a hint or two of the original Freelander and some of the JLR back catalogue. Initially this will be launched in China but then to other international markets, including the UK. We don’t really know much about the specs or what the final look will be. Click this Autocar article link to learn more.
For information on timings of the Freelander hitting markets outside of China, click this EV Powered article link here.
BMW 7 Series
BMW have given the 7 Series a facelift. Specs have improved with a longer range possible. The interior has also had a spruce up. For more on this, click this Autocar link here.
Old Car Dead News: GWM Ora 03
The car formally known as the GWM Ora Funky Cat is no longer going to be sold in the UK. Never a big seller, whether it was the looks or name that put people off. GWM is reviewing their strategy in the UK and are looking to bring more offerings here. Click this electrive article link here for more.
LUNCHTIME READ: COMPETING CARS FROM THE SAME DESIGNER
Not big enough to be a List of the Week it is still a fab article to have a read through and check out some designer’s work where they competed against their own designs. Click here to read the Hagerty article.
LIST OF THE WEEK: 23 SPACE INSPIRED CAR NAMES
Classic & Sports Car provide the slideshow this week, all around the theme of space related car names. Click this link here to see if you agree with the choices made on the show. Thank you to listener, Damien Scully for sending the link our way, very much appreciated.
AND FINALLY: HOW TO DRIVE IN JAPAN FROM THE MIDLANDS
The racing game Forza Horizon 6 is about to launch on the Xbox and PC, with Playstation following later in the year. This iteration is set on the roads of Japan and include a lot of JDM cars. In a collaboration with the British Motor Museum there will be a Horizon Festival on 23 May 2026 on site, where there will be live music, food trucks, gaming vans (to try out the game) and drifting demonstrations. Click this Motoring Research article to find out more, including how to book your tickets.

Alan was invited to the BYD Sealion DM-i launch. In this episode he tells us all about his first impressions of the car as well as give us some background on the company.
If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST