Motoring Podcast - News Show

FOLLOW UP: SMART #2 CORRECTION During the last Special Edition, we got a few details incorrect when discussing the Smart #2. One of our listeners, Tony, kindly pointed this out to us. Thank you, as we try to be correct and if we make a mistake we like to correct it. If you want to listen to the Paris Motor Show episode, click either of these links here. To 👂 via streaming click 👉 https://www.mot...

The Paris Motor Show took place between the 12 and 18 October 2026. Alan and Andrew round up the highlights that caught their eye during the week. For Autocar’s main coverage and report, click this link here . For Average Joes’s coverage, click this link here . For a sweep by Autocar, of the new cars being shown, click this link here . To watch Tim Rodie Drives Stuff tour of the show, click this Y...

FOLLOW UP: MOTOR FINANCE REDRESS HEARING IN 2027 The date for the hearing of the two complaints into the motor finance redress scheme has been confirmed to take place between 16 and 26 February 2027. The scheme will remain in its current semi-suspended status until after the rulings. There is a potential for the ruling to not take place until the summer of 2027 with compensation expected to take p...

In this week’s show, Alan starts with a follow-up on China agreeing to limit the number of hybrid and PHV cars it imports into the EU, and discusses Porsche's forthcoming halo-vehicle and strategy announcements. Google Maps and Waze are now displaying fuel prices, Freelander is confirmed for the UK - eventually, and TfL makes a bid to regulate “robocabs” in London. In New New Car News, Alan talks...

Alan was invited to the launch of the Peugeot e208 GTi, an electric hot hatch, conveniently close to home. What does he think? Is it a worthy successor to the still-lauded 205 GTi, or is it a pretender? We discuss it in depth in this Special Edition. Alan’s also done a walk round on YouTube, so you can enjoy him pointing at things while he talks about them. You can find it here: https://youtu.be/G...

SEPTEMBER 2026 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES The SMMT announced surprisingly impressive numbers for September 2026 registrations. Astonishingly surprising numbers. One third of registrations took place in the last three days of the month. BEVs were up to 99,201 and Private figures were up nearly 14% compared to 2025. For the Top 10 models, do remember it is coming up to an earnings call for one com...

FOLLOW UP: BIG PUSH TO PROTECT UK AUTOMOTIVE RELEVANCE The campaign to push both the UK Government and EU into a favourable deal connected to the ‘Made in Europe’ regulation is gaining momentum from within the industry. The SMMT has produced a report to claims the UK industry contributes €24 billion in ‘economic activity’ across the continent. This is to try and show that be excluding the UK would...

SKODA LOSE A CEO AND VOLVO GAIN ONE Klaus Zellmer is leaving Skoda to head up Volvo. Håkan Samuelsson will hand over the reigns of the Swedish company no later than 1 October 2027 as per his contract. Zellmer had been in charge of Skoda since 2022 and with the VW Group for almost 30 years. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar article link here . Not content with appointing a new CEO, V...

FOLLOW UP: SALE OF BUGATTI COMPLETED Porsche has completed the sale of its shares in Bugatti Rimac and the Rimac Group. This has netted them around €1 billion, destinations for portions of this have already been decided with €250 million going to the pension fund. The rest helps makes the company more financially stable. If you want to learn more, click this Autonext article link here . XPENG TAKE...

FOLLOW UP: VW COST CUTTING MEASURES CONFIRMED The board of the Volkswagen Group has agreed to the restructuring plans that will include closing four plants, halving the number of models offered and an additional 50,000 roles to be culled. Additionally the Seat brand is to be retired in 2030. There is also a change in tactic with their Chinese operations, where they plan to build cars and export fr...

Lotus buys Lotus Lotus Tech has bought Lotus Advanced Technologies to become one singular Lotus once again. It’s all very complex, but thankfully there’s this story from Top Gear for reference. Hyundai and Genesis aim for massive Range Expansion Tha’s range of cars, not range of vehicles. The Korean manufacturing giant is planning 41 new cars in Europe by 2030 according to Autocar . EVs and SUVs M...

FOLLOW UP: CHECK OUT THE AND FINALLY We have, thanks to listener Farmer Jamie, both Follow Up and the And Finally all wrapped up into one. Wait till the end to find out more….. GEELY LOSES THEIR BOSS Li Shufu, the founder of Geely, has shocked many with his announcement that he is stepping down from his role as chairman of the automotive branch. An Conghui will take over the reigns of the company....

FOLLOW UP: TESLA SWEDISH STRIKE ENDS We first mentioned how Swedish Tesla workers had gone on strike, back on 21 November 2023. The dispute has come to an end after Tesla paid off all the workers who remained on strike, with severance packages. That’s one way to ‘win’. To read more, click this electrive article link here . UK GOVERNMENT BEGINS ZEV MANDATE CONSULTATION Following months of lobbying,...

FOLLOW UP: QUESTION FROM LAST LIVESTREAM With last week’s livestream round up of Recharging Round Britain, we missed one question out. We fix that now. To listen to the audio version of the livestream, click this link here . To watch the livestream, click this YouTube link here . FOLLOW UP: ASTON MARTIN IN FIGHT WITH CREDITORS More details have come to light with the plans Aston Martin have to res...

We completed the Recharging Round Britain road-trip on the 18 July 2026, after six days trying to, sort of, replicate the EV trip we undertook a decade ago. This is the audio from our livestream where we summarised what we got up to this time. Hear why we did this in the first place, the route, the charging, the car, the calculated costs and how we got on with our I-Spy book! CHARGING SPONSOR Than...

FOLLOW UP: VW RESULTS FOR H1 OF 2026 ARE BAD The headline figures for Volkswagen Group’s first half of 2026 financial results make for grim reading. There is a 11.6% drop in profits, despite revenue almost matching 2025. China was a big disappointment, but should not have been a surprise. Company claims cost savings are working already and the plans, which we are yet to know the full details, will...

FOLLOW UP: COURT MAINLY RULES IN FAVOUR OF OEMS IN UK DIESELGATE TRIAL A UK judge has found mostly in favour of car manufacturers in the claims against them regarding defeat devices being fitted to cars between 2012 and 2017. The judge’s decision is based on her decision that a defeat device needs to be deliberately installed to create a different driving operation if it senses it is in test condi...

DAY 6 Today, Saturday 18 July 2026, we continued with Day 6 of Recharging Round Britain the final leg, where we are trying to, as closely as we can, recreate the route we undertook nearly a decade ago. Hear how we got on yesterday to the final destination of Fort William and today as we travelled from Fort William, via Bothwell services, Tebay services, Killington Lakes services, Blackpool and the...

DAY 5 Today, Friday 17 July 2026, we continued with Day 5 of Recharging Round Britain, where we are trying to, as closely as we can, recreate the route we undertook nearly a decade ago. Hear how we got on today as we travelled from Inverness, via Wick, John o’Groats, Tongue, Lairg, Ullapool and hopefully ending up at Fort William. CHARGING SPONSOR Thanks to our charging sponsor, GRIDSERVE, They ha...

DAY 4 Today, Thursday 16 July 2026, we continued with Day 4 of Recharging Round Britain, and we returned to trying to, as closely as we can, recreate the route we undertook nearly a decade ago. Hear how we got on today as we travelled from Washington, via Kinross, Perth, Aberdeen to eventually arrive at Inverness. CHARGING SPONSOR Thanks to our charging sponsor, GRIDSERVE, They have an EV charging...

DAY 3 Today, Wednesday 15 July 2026, we continued with Day 3 of Recharging Round Britain, and this is where we do not try as closely as we can to recreate the route we undertook nearly a decade ago. Hear how we got on today as we travelled from Folkestone, via Toddington, Tibshelf services, Markham Vale, Wetherby to our hotel in Washington. CHARGING SPONSOR Thanks to our charging sponsor, GRIDSERV...

DAY 2 Today, Tuesday July 2026, we continued with Day 2 of Recharging Round Britain, where we try as closely as we can to recreate the route we undertook nearly a decade ago. Hear how we got on today as we travelled from Bodmin, via Falmouth, Exeter, Southampton, Cobham Services eventually to our hotel in Folkestone. CHARGING SPONSOR Thanks to our charging sponsor, GRIDSERVE, They have an EV charg...

DAY 1 Today, Monday 13 July 2026, we began Recharging Round Britain, where we try as closely as we can to recreate the route we undertook nearly a decade ago. Hear our daily updates as we find out what has changed, if anything, to the infrastructure, electric car technology and if its easier or not to do this harebrained adventure. CHARGING SPONSOR Thanks to our charging sponsor, GRIDSERVE, They h...

FOLLOW UP: MOTOR FINANCE COMPENSATION SCHEME PAUSED In what should be a surprise to no one following the story, thanks to the legal challenges of the Financial Conduct Authority’s proposed compensation scheme for customers who were impacted by illegal practices by those who arranged their finance, that this has now been partially paused. Companies are to proceed with claims as far as they can befo...

FOLLOW UP: UK GOVERNMENT CANS CAR PARK SOLAR CANOPIES After reviewing a consultation on new outdoor large car parks should be required to fit solar panel canopies the Government has decided to shelve the idea. Costs and differing site conditions were used as excuses, in the responses, to the concept. To read more, click this East Anglia Bylines article link here . VW NOW CONSIDERING 100,000 JOB LO...