Rob Hull, Motoring Editor

Rob has been Motoring Editor across Daily Mail and ThisisMoney since 2021 having joined as Motoring Reporter in September 2015. He's been writing about the automotive sector for 20 years and specialises in all things that impact motorists in Britain. He previously worked at consumer watchdog Which? as a Senior Researcher overseeing vehicle testing and the UK's largest survey of car drivers. Before that, Rob was a reporter, road tester and serial crasher at Motorcycle News (MCN).

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There won't be enough mechanics to service EVs by 2035, experts warn

03/10/23 09:36

Lawrence Whittaker (pictured right), CEO at used car warranty provider WarrantyWise, says there is an urgent need to ramp-up the number of mechanic and garage technicians to fix EVs when they go wrong and to maintain them for the future. His concern is that failing to increase qualified mechanic numbers could spark a rise in premiums on warranties and also delays to repairs....read

Road deaths up 10% in a year: 'Chilling' UK figures show one in five weren't wearing seatbelts
03/10/23 05:00
In 2022, some 1,711 people lost their lives due to crashes on our roads, up from 1,558 fatalities the year before, the Department for Transport confirmed.
- 249 comments
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Most and least reliable cars revealed: Huge poll finds hybrids are most dependable - is your car among the best or worst?
27/09/23 11:01
Here are the most and least reliable brands - and the models in each sector you should be considering, and avoiding, when hunting for your next car.
Row brews in the car industry as firms face £15,000 fines for missing electric vehicle quotas
21/09/23 11:21
Row brewing within the car industry as manufacturers are told they must meet EV targets from the new year - despite decision to delay ban on polluting cars until 2035.
- 416 comments
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Car firms will still be forced to sell more electric vehicles every year despite petrol and diesel ban delay
21/09/23 03:54
Ministers today said it will come into force in January, claiming the electric car sales targets for motor firms will be confirmed 'very soon'.
Volvo to end production of diesel cars within months - but has already ditched them from its UK line-up
21/09/23 12:31
While other countries will be able to snap-up a new diesel model from this brand between now and the start of the new year, Britons will struggle to get their hands on one today.
Five major mistakes you must avoid when buying a second-hand car - or it could cost you THOUSANDS
21/09/23 05:00
With drivers having to fork out on higher-priced used cars and needing to secure sales quicker to beat the competition, it can be easy for buyers to make mistakes. But some are very costly indeed.
How the motor industry and electric vehicle experts reacted to Rishi Sunak's move to delay the 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars
20/09/23 05:38
The delay to the deadline for sales of new fossil fuel cars has sparked a wave of frustrated responses from within the automotive industry.
Which brands WON'T be selling you a petrol and diesel car from 2030?
20/09/23 01:26
Rishi Sunak has confirmed a shock postponement to the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars. These are the brands that have already committed to only selling electric cars in the UK from 2030.
VW revamps its best-selling car: How much the new Tiguan will cost - and what buyers will get
19/09/23 04:28
Third-generation Tiguan is due to hit showrooms from next year and among its raft of changes includes a plug-in hybrid powertrain that offers three times the average UK daily mileage in electric-only mode.
- 129 comments
- 29 shares
Cars with the most MOT fail rates so far in 2023 revealed
19/09/23 11:20
New data has revealed which car models and brands are most - and least - likely to fail an MOT, with a French family hatchback having the worst record of all with half flunking the annual test.
Car dealers don't expect 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles to go ahead as planned
19/09/23 05:00
Two-thirds (66%) of dealers responded to a survey believe the ban will be delayed. A further one in five (18%) think it will be scrapped altogether.
Pothole-related breakdowns surge in August and AA blames rain 'hiding them from drivers'
18/09/23 11:44
The breakdown assistance provider attended 48,994 callouts last month to vehicles stranded due to faults believed to have been caused by potholes. That is 13% more than in August 2022.
When will electric cars get close to a 1,000-mile range? Japan's biggest car maker has the answer
16/09/23 05:00
Toyota has outlined its battery technology roadmap that will see a boost in range. It says its EVs will go further than petrol cars between refills by 2027 - and much further from 2028.
Used car buyers beware! These are the most commonly clocked 'nearly new' brands as sellers hide true mileage
15/09/23 05:00
One in 14 one-year-old - often referred to as 'nearly new' - cars advertised for sale in the last year have been 'clocked' to hide their true mileage, according to new data.
- 434 comments
- 25 shares
Car makers accused of prioritising expensive electric SUVs for profit over small affordable cars
14/09/23 12:17
Manufacturers could sell compact EVs built in Europe for £21,000 but instead are focusing on large SUVs offering greater margins, say campaigners.
Cheap Chinese electric cars under investigation by the EU
14/09/23 11:13
EU car makers say Chinese EV firms are gaining an unfair 'competitive edge' thanks to their government-subsidised cheaper prices.
Cutest car collection for sale: You will fall in love with at least one of these adorable vehicles
14/09/23 05:00
We pick our seven favourite examples from the 93 being offered to buyers at the RM Sotheby's St. Moritz sale on Friday 15 September. Which is your favourite?
- 82 comments
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The school parking rules every parent needs to know to avoid hefty fines
13/09/23 10:37
Drivers need to know about different road markings and their rules, as well as being aware of bans on idling your car's engine outside certain schools.
Road maintenance in England hits four-year low - and damage caused to vehicles costs drivers an average of £922 to fix
13/09/23 08:55
The number of miles of local roads resurfaced in the 2021/22 financial year was down 29% compared to four years earlier, the RAC says following analysis of Government data.
Drivers are being 'suffocated' by clean air Britain: Four in five don't know the emission standard of their car let alone rules for different zones across the UK
11/09/23 11:01
Poll of 3,000 UK-based drivers found that only 56% know what the ULEZ is, while fewer than one in five understood the rules for Oxford's more stringent ZEZ.
BMW to manufacture next-generation electric Minis in Oxford - fresh boost for Britain's car industry to secure thousands of jobs
11/09/23 06:02
The German-owned brand will pump £600m investment to transform Mini's Cowley factory - a move described by BMW and the Government as 'a vote of confidence in Britain'.
BP opens UK's largest charging hub in Birmingham that can charge 180 EVs at a time
08/09/23 03:04
Called a gigahub, it has been created by BP Pulse at the NEC in Birmingham and claims the be the 'largest charging station' in the UK.
- 275 comments
- 3 shares
Lotus reveals its next electric vehicle - the Emeya 'hyper GT'
08/09/23 01:12
It is Lotus' third battery-powered model - a four-dour 'hyper GT' with almost 900bhp. It is set to go head-to-head with Tesla's Model S Plaid and the Porsche Taycan Turbo S from next year.
Rise in illegal car chop shops revealed - and one Ford model is now at high risk of being stolen, experts warn
08/09/23 07:42
In the first six months of the year, more than 30 'chop shops' where stolen cars are broken down for spares have been closed down as raids on these illegal 'businesses' are set to double in 2023.
Massive car maker says it sees petrol vehicles being on our roads until 2050
08/09/23 05:00
One of the world's biggest car makers Stellantis has said that its petrol and diesel cars sold between now and 2029 could still be on the road 20 years later.
Manual Mini Cooper is dead as model of car made famous by The Italian Job will now only to be sold with automatic gearboxes
07/09/23 11:49
Manual Mini Coopers (pictured in The Italian Job film) are officially dead as the car manufacturer has revealed they will only be selling models with automatic gearboxes in the future.
- 189 comments
- 26 shares
New ULEZ-style rules for parking in Bath branded 'stealth tax on motorists' amid mounting fury at measures that will see diesel drivers charged MORE for using council car parks
07/09/23 03:52
The majority of current car park customers in Bath city centre - 66 per cent - will see additional charges, according to council estimates, with one driver branding it 'just another way... to tax motorists'.
ULEZ-style rules for car parks in Bath: Council introduces variable-rate parking charges based on a vehicle's emissions
07/09/23 01:56
The ULEZ-style rules will see owners of all diesel cars and some high-emission petrols charged more to use council-owned car parks. Some could see hourly costs rise from £1.70 to £2.50.
- 1507 comments
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Older drivers, women and low-income motorists 'face being left behind by rush to go electric'
06/09/23 11:29
Experts said the three groups were most at risk of being frozen out of the transition amid the soaring cost of electric vehicles, piling pressure on ministers.
- 402 comments
- 24 shares
Inside the UK's first electric vehicle-only factory in the North West where production begins this week
06/09/23 11:01
The Ellesmere Port factory, which first opened in 1963 and for over 40 years and had been the production home for Vauxhall's Astra, has become the country's first EV-only plant following a £100m investment.
The 30 used electric cars that plunged in price most in the past turbulent year for EV owners
06/09/23 08:32
We reveal the 30 electric cars that have nosedived most, all of the, shedding in excess of 30% of their value a year ago, with the worst affected plummeting by more than half its average 2022 price.
Britain's uneven spread of electric car rapid chargers exposed
05/09/23 01:47
The Orkney Islands has only a few hundred electric vehicle owners but still has the second highest concentration of rapid EV chargers of anywhere in the UK, according to analysis of official figures.
Electric cars bag record highest share of sales - one in five new motors registered in August were EVs
05/09/23 11:42
The combined growth in electric and hybrid vehicle sales sparked the lowest share of petrol and diesel purchases, with just 62.2% of cars registered powered by a combustion engine.
- 389 comments
- 3 shares
Mercedes Concept CLA previews its 'hypermiler' EV that can do a Brighton to Edinburgh run
04/09/23 01:18
The Concept CLA has been unveiled by Mercedes at the 2023 Munich motor show. It previews the forthcoming electric CLA due to go into production form in the next 12 months.
Volkswagen ID.GTI concept is the electric spiritual successor to the iconic Golf hot hatch
03/09/23 06:30
It comes exactly 48 years on from the world debut of the original Golf GTI... though bosses at the German brand say it is 'just a show car' for now but could be in showrooms by 2027.
Tesla upgrades the Model 3 - here are the 10 best new features
01/09/23 12:41
Tesla says the Model 3 'has not departed from what made it a global best-seller: delivering great range and efficiency with sports-car performance and handling at an approachable price point'.
- 426 comments
- 11 shares
Who is more likely to have a private number plate, drivers in the north or south? We reveal all as the new 73 plate arrives in September
01/09/23 09:03
Are motorists in the north or south more likely to have a private plate? A new study claims to have the answer as This is Money explains what the arrival of the 73 plate means to motorists.
- 321 comments
- 26 shares
The 10 used electric and hybrid cars that have fallen in price most in the previous three months
31/08/23 11:01
AA Cars says interest in EVs is cooling. In the first six months of the year, the volume of searches for electric cars on its site has fallen by half. We reveal the 10 dropping in value most from April to June.
Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is the Italian brand's last combustion supercar
31/08/23 12:25
With prices starting in the region of £1.7million, it won't be cheap. In fact, it's the most expensive Alfa Romeo of all time. But that won't matter to you and me, because we can't have one.
Chinese car firm BYD to install a surprising feature in its new models - but will it put you on a Highway to Hell?
31/08/23 08:24
BYD, one of the world's biggest makers of electric vehicles, has teamed up with a Canadian tech firm in a move that will see its future cars sold with a new accessory...
A fifth of drivers living in cities across Britain with clean air zones like ULEZ are forced to sell their cars and vans
31/08/23 05:00
One in five motorists living in cities with clean air zones - including the Birmingham CAZ and Glasgow LEZ - have either sold or are being forced against their wishes to sell vehicles.
New VW Passat will be its last traditional family car launched with a petrol engine before it goes electric
30/08/23 10:01
As VW accelerates its shift towards EVs, this is the last non-SUV, family-friendly model brought to market before the brand sells only cars running on batteries from 2033.
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Lamborghini's Lanzador previews its first ELECTRIC model - ten things you need to know
18/08/23 05:45
Lamborghini's jacked-up sports car concept with two doors and four seats has been unveiled at Monterey Car Week to showcase its direction when it is forced to switch to battery power.
Pininfarina B95 roofless hypercar is the sexiest electric vehicle yet - but it's not cheap
18/08/23 08:32
The near-silent performance car has been hailed 'the world's first pure-electric, open top hyper Barchetta', boasting a 0-to-60mph time under 2 secs and a top speed in excess of 186mph.
Vintage Ford that starred in an 80s hit movie heads to auction
17/08/23 03:34
A 1939 Ford 91A V8 that featured in a groundbreaking eighties movie is being sold at auction from the end of this week.
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REVEALED: Used diesel cars that have gone UP in value in the last year
17/08/23 02:49
EXCLUSIVE: Campaigners call them 'dirty' and makers are ditching them from line-ups, but there is still demand on the used market for diesels.
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Is diesel really dead? The used diesel cars that INCREASED in value most in a year
17/08/23 07:41
EXCLUSIVE: Campaigners call them 'dirty' and makers are ditching them from line-ups, but there is still demand on the used market for diesels.
Vintage Ford that starred in 1980s hit film is being sold at auction
17/08/23 05:00
A 1939 Ford 91A V8 that featured in a groundbreaking eighties movie is being sold at auction from the end of this week - but do you recognise it from the big screen?
- 79 comments
- 17 shares
Motorists want noise cameras across the UK to catch drivers of offensively loud vehicles
16/08/23 11:03
Nearly three out in five drivers would welcome the arrive of noise-detection cameras in their areas to crackdown on illegally loud vehicles, a new study has found.
Over two thirds of councils have no plans to install residential on-street chargers for electric cars
15/08/23 05:01
Of all the councils across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, only 69% have installed on-street chargers, despite there being Government funds available to them to tap into.
Why are petrol and diesel prices rising again?
14/08/23 12:35
Diesel reached an average of 150.61p on Sunday, having last been above that level on 21 May. Petrol rose to 149.13p-a-litre at the weekend, an average last seen on 4 February.
- 255 comments
- 70 shares
Convictions for driving with defective car parts hits decade high
11/08/23 10:12
Analysis of Ministry of Justice data reveals that 12,349 drivers racked up offences for getting behind the wheel with illegal tyres and worn brakes in 2022.
- 269 comments
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Demand for vehicle scrapping soars in London as ULEZ expansion nears - how many perfectly good cars will go to waste?
10/08/23 01:26
There are major concerns about the waste culture of scrappage schemes, which promote destroying perfectly good, reliable vehicles and will have a damning impact on the classic car sector.
The ten fastest depreciating second-hand cars revealed - and they are all electric
10/08/23 05:00
According to AutoTrader, all 10 of the most-depreciating used cars last month were all electric - we reveal the battery models that have shed the most value.
BMW i7 Protection is the first armoured electric car that can withstand gunfire and grenade attacks
09/08/23 05:54
The armoured EV comes equipped with protective glass and bodywork that can withstand gunfire and a reinforced chassis and protective shell that can protect occupants against explosives.
- 283 comments
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British drivers in France risk a £154 fine if they don't abide by French vehicle rule
08/08/23 11:36
Holidaymakers driving through parts of France this summer could face a fine of £58, which rises to £154 if not paid within 45 days, if they fail to display this emissions item on their car
Londoners £3,200 better off selling their older cars than using Sadiq Khan's ULEZ scrappage scheme
08/08/23 03:58
Carwow revealed that Londoners who flogged non-compliant motors on its platform in July received an average of £5,200 in July - more than double the £2,000 scrappage scheme amount.
Motorists will stop buying new petrol and diesel cars as early as 2028, green think tank forecasts
08/08/23 02:33
Think tank New AutoMotive says consumers will stop buying combustion engine vehicles one to two years earlier than the ban is due to come into force.
Glasgow LEZ scheme that bans older cars dubbed a 'dead duck' as it faces fresh legal challenge
08/08/23 10:09
Glasgow businesses are leading a backlash against the city's Low Emission Zone (LEZ) as the council's own data suggests it is no longer necessary to improve air pollution levels.
- 236 comments
- 170 shares
Fisker Ronin is a super-EV with 1,000bhp and a claimed range of 600 miles
07/08/23 04:12
It won't be cheap though, with boss Henrik Fisker providing a ballpark price tag that will make it more expensive than most new Ferraris.
How many cars registered in Uxbridge are ULEZ compliant ahead of zone expansion this month?
07/08/23 01:55
When Labour narrowly lost out on the Uxbridge by-election last month, leader Sir Kier Starmer blamed Sadiq Khan's hated ULEZ expansion. But how many cars in the borough are exempt from the charge?
Drivers hit with higher parking charges for paying in cash by Lib Dem council in move branded 'discriminatory'
07/08/23 12:00
Sutton Council, in south London, sparked widespread fury and was urged by the Government to reconsider its policy, while the RAC described the measure as 'discriminatory'.
- 164 comments
- 53 shares
End of an era for the Volvo estate: How a staple for British families since 1954 that sold more than six million models worldwide is being axed after waning in popularity
03/08/23 10:58
It's the end of an era as the Swedish manufacturer has culled all saloon and estate models from its UK line-up with immediate effect due to waning popularity.
- 132 comments
- 47 shares
New Toyota Land Cruiser: Here's how much the Land Rover Defender rival will cost
03/08/23 10:31
Thinking about buying a Defender? You might want to think again. That's because Toyota has unveiled its new Land Cruiser with retro styling and a raft of performance and tech upgrades.
Seven 'rustbucket' classic cars found in a shed after 50 years to sell for over £200k
02/08/23 12:47
The cars - which include bona fide collectible models including Jaguar E-Types, AC sports cars and a Land Rover Series I - would be worth closer to £800k had they been kept in pristine condition.
- 152 comments
- 40 shares
The Wolf of Wall Street Lamborghini Countach is heading to auction - here's how much it could make
02/08/23 10:35
The Lambo is remembered for the iconic scene where Jordan Belfort (played by DiCaprio) - high on a cocktail of drugs and alcohol - crawls into his supercar to get home.
- 36 comments
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Electric car owners celebrate 1 August as it's when 'average petrol bills surpass EV charging costs for the calendar year'
01/08/23 03:55
It estimates that the average EV owner pays £740 in charging costs per year - and drivers of combustion engine cars have today already racked up the same amount in fuel receipts.
- 193 comments
- 114 shares
Volvo now only sell SUVs in the UK: Swedish brand axes saloon and estate cars
01/08/23 11:33
One of Britain's most popular car brands has confirmed it will only sell SUVs in the immediate future as it axes its saloon and estate models from its UK line-up of new vehicles.
Britons change their cars nearly twice as frequently as European drivers, according to study
01/08/23 10:29
It means that more than half of UK drivers are likely to change their vehicle at least twice before the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030.
Festival of the Unexceptional is a mass meeting of mediocre motors - do you remember any of these unremarkable cars?
31/07/23 03:40
The Festival of the Unexceptional is the antithesis of what you think of when someone tells you they're going to a car meet. It's exclusively for mundane motors from yesterday.
Holidaying Britons are jealous of this one thing they say is far better in Europe
31/07/23 10:53
Almost three quarters (72%) of Britons polled think the condition of one thing in particular in Europe is far superior than it is in the UK.
- 379 comments
- 21 shares
Recording of Jaguar's last V8 sports car archived in the British Library as brand goes electric in 2025
31/07/23 08:21
As Jaguar moves towards a future of zero exhaust emissions and zero exhaust sounds, it has shared recordings of its last petrol sports car - the V8 F-Type - with the British Library to be archived.
There are Teslas on the road in Britain with over 300,000 miles on the clock
29/07/23 05:00
DVSA records show that there are over 700 Teslas on UK roads today with more than 100,000 miles on the clock - and the highest mileage example has more than three times that amount.
- 782 comments
- 564 shares
'Connected' cars will be able to predict accident blackspots before a crash happens
27/07/23 11:01
Data generated about manoeuvres such as harsh braking collected from 'connected' cars can be used to locate dangerous stretches of road before anyone is killed or seriously injured on them.
- 327 comments
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Britain produced 450k cars in the first half of the year as supply chain issues fade
27/07/23 11:45
UK car production rose by 11.7% in the first half of the year as supply chain issues continued to fade and June's output grew by more than a quarter, new figures show.
Here's how much British drivers have fallen out of love with convertibles in the last 20 years
27/07/23 08:29
Experts claim Britain's shift away from drop-top cars isn't just a change in attitude but due to manufacturers having fewer convertible models in their ranges.
New Lexus MPV will cost up to £113k - but it's designed for A-listers and red carpet events, not the school run
26/07/23 08:27
While 'MPV' stands for multi-purpose vehicle, think of the new Lexus LM as a 'mega pricey van'. Prices start from £89,995 in the UK and the most expensive variant is a whopping £112,995.
Range Rover believed to be owned by the Queen sells at auction - but was it really her car?
25/07/23 01:48
The special order SUV is believed to have originally been delivered in 2004 to the Royal Estate for use by the Queen and Prince Phillip in London and Balmoral with plenty of unique features.
How Chinese car brands plan to take over Britain's roads
25/07/23 09:42
Chinese brands will make a 'lasting footprint' on the UK car market in the 'not-so-distant future'. That's according to insight from carwow's commercial director, Sepi Arani.

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