Tag Archives: UK

News

Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5: Plugging Into a £1500 Boost

It’s official — the Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5 have just become a bit more wallet-friendly. Thanks to the UK’s revived Electric Car Grant (ECG), the German brand’s mid-size electric SUVs now qualify for a tidy £1500 discount, nudging prices down to a more tempting £35,495 for the entry-level variant.

That might not sound like much in the world of five-figure EVs, but in car-finance terms, it’s the difference between “hmm, maybe” and “go on then, where do I sign?”.

Volkswagen joins the affordable EV club

The grant applies to Pure Essential, Pure Match, and Pro Essential trims — the more rationally specced ID.4s and ID.5s. That means you can choose between a 168bhp single-motor, rear-drive setup with a 52 kWh battery (good for 221 miles), or a 282bhp twin-motor, all-wheel-drive configuration hooked up to the larger 77 kWh pack, stretching range to a healthier 339 miles.

It’s a pretty compelling mix: proper family-friendly space, decent shove, and the reassurance that you can make it from London to Leeds without playing charging-station roulette.

Volkswagen now has three cars on the ECG roster, joining the ID.3, which slipped under the price threshold earlier this summer and now starts at under £30k. For a brand often accused of letting its EVs hover just above the “sensible money” line, that’s a refreshing change of strategy.

The green light from Westminster

So what’s the catch? Eligibility isn’t just about price tags. The ECG is part of a broader government initiative to promote cleaner motoring, with technical and sustainability criteria baked in — covering everything from component sourcing to manufacturing emissions and shipping.

Out of the 38 electric models currently cleared for the grant, only the Ford Puma Gen-E and E-Tourneo Courier qualify for the higher £3750 level. But even the lower grant tier has been moving metal: the government reckons 20,000 EVs sold last month were ECG-supported.

That’s music to the ears of Keir Mather, the UK’s newly minted Decarbonisation Minister. At just 27, he’s the youngest cabinet minister in two centuries — and now has the unenviable job of steering Britain’s electrified future. His message? Simple. “We want your next car to be electric.”

Charging ahead

To be fair, there are signs it’s working. September saw record-breaking EV sales — more than 70,000 in one month — and the national charging network has just sailed past 83,000 public points, with 100,000 more planned.

So if you’ve been hovering on the fence, waiting for a sign from above (or from Wolfsburg), this might be it. The ID.4 and ID.5 are still unmistakably Volkswagens — solid, sensible, slightly conservative — but now they’re wearing a price tag that looks just a bit more rebellious.

Maybe the electric revolution isn’t coming. Maybe it’s already parked on your driveway — and now it costs £1500 less.

Source: Volkswagen

NEW CARS

Toyota FT-Me: Britain’s Smallest Revolution

Toyota’s latest project is proof that the future of British motoring might just fit in your garden shed. Meet the FT-Me, a pint-sized electric runabout that’s inching its way from concept to production reality — and yes, it could be built right here in Derbyshire.

Thanks to a £15 million investment from the UK government, Toyota’s quirky little urban EV has been given the green light for a deeper feasibility study. The plan? To turn the adorable FT-Me Concept into something you could actually buy (and possibly park inside your living room).

Microlino, meet the Sensei

Toyota is pitching the FT-Me as a rival to the Citroën Ami and Microlino, which means it’ll fall under the same L6e quadricycle regulations — a fancy way of saying “don’t expect Nürburgring lap times.” Power will be limited to a humble 8bhp, with a top speed of just 28mph.

That might sound glacial, but this isn’t about speed. It’s about smart, sustainable, low-impact mobility for the cities of tomorrow — the kind of thing you’d use to nip from your flat to the farmer’s market without leaving a carbon footprint the size of Yorkshire.

Built in Burnaston, born for the city

If all goes to plan, production will take place at Toyota’s Burnaston plant — the same site that’s been turning out Corollas for decades. The project will see Toyota team up with a trio of very British collaborators:

  • Elm, the maker of the Evolv electric delivery van (the FT-Me will borrow some of its tech),
  • Savcor, who’ll provide a solar-panelled roof capable of recovering up to 19 miles of range per day, and
  • the University of Derby, which will study how drivers actually use this titchy EV in the real world.

Toyota’s UK boss Dariusz Mikolajczak calls it “a cutting-edge battery-electric vehicle that addresses the growing demand for sustainable urban mobility.” Translation: this could be your next city car, provided your city has more coffee shops than motorways.

A £30 million leap into the small lane

This whole endeavour is backed by the Drive35 programme — a £2.5 billion pot designed to help Britain’s car industry go zero-emission. One string attached: manufacturers have to match at least 50% of the funding. In Toyota’s case, that means it’s likely putting up most of the £30.3 million total investment itself.

Not bad for a machine roughly the size of a dishwasher.

So what’s it really about?

Toyota’s been talking about the “mobility ecosystem” for years — a sprawling vision of cars, scooters, and pods that all connect, communicate, and coexist. The FT-Me is a small but significant jigsaw piece in that puzzle, a symbol of the brand’s willingness to explore every corner of future transport — even the teeny-tiny ones.

And while an 8bhp microcar might not set your pulse racing, there’s something undeniably cool about the idea of one of the world’s biggest carmakers betting big on something so small. It’s daring, it’s daft, and it might just redefine what we mean by “British-built.”

Source: Autocar

News

Bentley Rolls Out Bespoke Insurance Service for UK Customers

Few brands understand the art of curating luxury ownership like Bentley. Now, the 106-year-old marque is extending that ethos beyond handcrafted cabins and twin-turbo W12s into something far less glamorous, but just as essential: insurance.

Earlier this week, Bentley Motors announced the launch of its first-ever bespoke insurance program, available exclusively to Bentley owners in the UK. Operated through Bentley Financial Services, the new product offers coverage that’s as carefully tailored as the cars themselves, whether you’re driving a brand-new Bentayga EWB or a cherished first-generation Continental GT.

To make it happen, Bentley partnered with two heavyweights. Chubb European Group SA, a specialist in insuring high-value assets, serves as the underwriter, while Carbon Insurance Brokers—part of the Connexus group—handles administration and claims. Together, they promise the same seamless service Bentley buyers expect when picking out wood veneers or commissioning Mulliner to match their luggage.

The insurance program comes in three flavors:

  • Annual Cover – a full-year policy built specifically around Bentley vehicles.
  • Five-Day Complimentary Drive Away Insurance – instant coverage for new or used cars purchased from an authorized Bentley retailer, designed to bridge the gap until full insurance is in place.
  • Heritage Cover – tailored protection for the brand’s classics, from early 20th-century icons to the Continental GT that redefined modern luxury coupes in 2003.

For Bentley, this isn’t just about another revenue stream. It’s about reinforcing a holistic ownership journey—cars, service, lifestyle, and now insurance—all wrapped in the same promise of exclusivity and attention to detail.

Because when you’re driving a Bentley, the last thing you want to worry about is paperwork.

Source: Bentley