Waymo accelerates London rollout despite US safety probe Tech Waymo is stepping up preparations for its UK rollout after its driverless vehicles were spotted on the streets of London, as the Alphabet-owned firm faces safety scrutiny in the US. The self-driving vehicle firm has confirmed it is testing its robotaxis in the capital ahead of a planned passenger launch this year, marking its second [...]
Fines for uninsured drivers could rise under new plans Politics Uninsured drivers may face higher fines and tougher penalties under new government plans to improve road safety and reduce the cost of car insurance. Under current rules, an uninsured driver may face a £300 fine and six points on their licence, which is less than the average annual insurance premium. The government is seeking to [...]
Driverless taxis will make black cabs extinct – and that’s no bad thing Opinion The imminent advent of ‘robo taxis’ may well be the final nail in the coffin of the London cab trade, suggests James Ford By all accounts, a London cabbie’s lot is not a happy one. You may get to drive around the capital in one of the great transport icons (the black cab is up [...]
Musk’s robotaxi launch: Can Tesla rival Waymo? June 23, 2025 Tesla has kicked off its long-promised robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, using a small fleet of modified Model Ys. The rollout, which began on Sunday, represents the company’s first paid, passenger-carrying trial – and a critical test of its camera-only self-driving vision. The service is limited to geo-fenced neighbourhoods, avoids airports and complex intersections, and [...]
Best cars of 2024 – From the new Aston Martin Vantage to the McLaren Artura Spider December 13, 2024 The car industry is facing strong headwinds, from import tariffs to mandated EV sales targets. Despite it all, though, 2024 has produced some genuinely exciting new cars, many of which we were lucky enough to drive. This isn’t a round-up of the ‘best’ cars of the year; many of the vehicles listed here are totally [...]
I drove a Rolls-Royce Spectre through a super storm December 9, 2024 It’s chucking it down in the airport pick-up zone, the soundtrack a cacophony of announcements, slamming doors, rat-a-tatting wheelie-suitcases, flapping umbrellas and the dull drone of aircraft taking off and landing. The waiting Rolls-Royce’s door closes behind me, and, cosseted inside a shell of black and Tango-orange, things are dramatically different. Rolls-Royce enjoyed record sales [...]
Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge review: Embrace the darkness December 2, 2024 Carbon fibre? In a Cullinan? More often seen in supercars, this lightweight, man-made material looks slightly incongruous inside a 2.7-tonne SUV. The goal here isn’t to save a few grams, though. Rather than fit-for-purpose functionality, this is craftsmanship in carbon fibre. Each of the 23 carbon trim pieces has been woven into a repeating geometric [...]
Land Rover Defender by Onyx Vans review: Passport to adventure November 12, 2024 While driving behind a caravan being towed along a narrow country road, it struck me what makes this Defender, converted by Onyx Vans, a unique vehicle. Unlike the grey SUVs also headed to our campsite, each one dragging what looked like an oversized fridge through the hedgerows, I was aboard an icon without any white [...]
Porsche Panamera GTS 2024 review: A sports car for all the family November 11, 2024 Stonking V8 engines without electrical assistance have suddenly become an endangered species. Not long ago, all of Germany’s super saloons followed this recipe; now the BMW M5 has become a plug-in hybrid, while the Mercedes-AMG E63 has thundered off into the sunset, replaced by the E53 and its hybridised straight-six. Aside from the (largely forgotten) [...]
Porsche Macan EV review: Popular performance SUV goes electric October 15, 2024 You’ll note the title of this review refers to the ‘Porsche Macan EV’. In truth, this car is just the ‘Macan’ – a clean-sheet new SUV intended to replace the long-serving combustion car. However, the market’s less-than-ravenous appetite for EVs has forced a rethink. So, for now at least, Porsche will continue selling the petrol-powered [...]