UK Motoring insights https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/ Data-led stories on UK fuel prices, cars, MOT tests, roads, road safety and electric vehicles, each built from official datasets. en-gb Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/brand/logo-512.png UK Motoring insights https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/ What are Britain's busiest roads, and where is traffic growing? https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/busiest-roads-uk/ https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/busiest-roads-uk/ The M25 between junctions 13 and 14 carried an estimated 209,610 vehicles a day in 2025, Britain's busiest stretch. The busiest roads and the fastest-growing ones. Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT UK Motoring editorial team Roads Bar chart of average vehicles a day along each road in 2025: M25 145,590, M60 131,422, M1 115,234, A282 107,017, M27 105,676, M56 104,912. Where is fuel cheapest in the UK? https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/cheapest-petrol-uk/ https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/cheapest-petrol-uk/ Petrol was 14.2p a litre cheaper in Rossendale than in the Western Isles and West Berkshire. The cheapest nations, council areas, brands and forecourts in the UK. Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Chris Richards Fuel Bar chart of average petrol prices by council area on 17 September 2026: Rossendale 165.7p, Gloucester 165.9p, Cheltenham 166.3p, Tandridge 178.7p, West Berkshire and the Western Isles 179.9p a litre. How fast are Chinese car brands growing in Britain? https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/chinese-car-brands-uk/ https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/chinese-car-brands-uk/ Chinese brands took 11.6% of first car registrations in Great Britain in the last 12 months, up from 5.4%. BYD now has more registrations than Tesla or Land Rover. Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT UK Motoring editorial team Registrations Bar chart of Chinese brands’ share of cars registered for the first time in Great Britain: 5.4% in the 12 months to March 2025 and 11.6% in the 12 months to March 2026. Which cars are disappearing from Britain's roads? https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/disappearing-cars-uk/ https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/disappearing-cars-uk/ Just 1,719 Ford Sierras are still licensed in Great Britain, against 1,060,846 at the end of 1994. The fastest-vanishing cars and the old favourites nearly gone. Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT UK Motoring editorial team Cars Bar chart of licensed Ford Sierras in Great Britain: 1,060,846 at the end of 1994, 702,893 in 1998, 260,015 in 2002, 40,785 in 2006, 8,500 in 2010 and 1,719 in March 2026. Where is the easiest and hardest place to pass your driving test? https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/easiest-hardest-driving-test-centres/ https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/easiest-hardest-driving-test-centres/ Melton Mowbray passed 69.66% of car tests in 2025/26 and Wolverhampton 34.26%, a 35.4-point gap. Pass rates for every busy test centre in Great Britain. Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT UK Motoring editorial team Driving tests Bar chart of car driving test pass rates in 2025/26: Melton Mowbray 69.7%, Barrow-in-Furness 69.6%, Dorchester 69.0%, Great Britain 50.0%, Wednesbury 35.0%, Wolverhampton 34.3%. Which used cars are most and least reliable at their MOT? https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/most-reliable-used-cars/ https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/most-reliable-used-cars/ Cars first registered in 2015 passed 72.6% of MOTs in 2025, but the Honda Jazz passed 83.6% and the Renault Clio 55.6%. The best and worst used cars for their age. Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT UK Motoring editorial team Reliability Bar chart of first-time MOT pass rates in 2025 for cars first registered in 2015: Honda Jazz 83.6%, Toyota Aygo 80.1%, all 2015 cars 72.6%, Mercedes-Benz A-Class 72.0%, Ford Fiesta 64.9%, Renault Clio 55.6%. How much more do motorway services charge for fuel? https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/motorway-services-fuel-prices/ https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/motorway-services-fuel-prices/ Motorway forecourts charged 21.7p a litre more for petrol than supermarkets, adding £11.94 to a 55-litre fill. The cheapest and dearest services, from every UK forecourt. Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Chris Richards Fuel Bar chart of average petrol prices on 17 September 2026: supermarkets 168.8p, other forecourts 172.5p, motorway services 190.6p a litre. How has the fuel of Britain's new cars changed? https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/new-car-fuel-types-uk/ https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/new-car-fuel-types-uk/ One in three cars registered new in Great Britain in early 2026 plugged in, while petrol's share fell from 39.6% to 26.8% in under two years. Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT UK Motoring editorial team Registrations Bar chart of fuel shares of cars registered for the first time in Great Britain in January to March 2026: hybrid 35.1%, electric or plug-in hybrid 33.8%, petrol 26.8%, diesel 4.4%. Is super unleaded worth the extra over E10? https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/super-unleaded-vs-e10/ https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/super-unleaded-vs-e10/ Super unleaded cost 17.2p a litre more than E10, adding £9.46 to a 55-litre tank. The gap by brand, nation and forecourt, and what GOV.UK says about E10. Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Chris Richards Fuel Bar chart of UK average fuel prices on 17 September 2026: E10 petrol 171.8p, super unleaded 189.0p, standard diesel 194.8p and premium diesel 214.3p a litre. Drivers pay £11.94 more at motorway services, and 6 other things Britain's motoring data reveals https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/uk-motoring-data-findings/ https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/uk-motoring-data-findings/ Motorway fuel costs £11.94 more a tank, Chinese brands take 11.6% of new cars and 1,719 Ford Sierras remain. Seven findings from the UK's official motoring data. Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Chris Richards News Bar chart of average petrol prices on 17 September 2026: supermarkets 168.8p, other forecourts 172.5p and motorway services 190.6p a litre. Is the UK ready for electric cars? Where its public EV chargers are https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/where-are-uk-ev-chargers/ https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/where-are-uk-ev-chargers/ The UK had 121,171 public EV chargers on 1 July 2026, up 10% in a year. London has 345.1 per 100,000 people and Northern Ireland 60.0. Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT UK Motoring editorial team EV Bar chart of public EV chargers in the UK: 110,132 on 1 July 2025, 114,486 in October 2025, 116,052 in January 2026, 119,080 in April 2026 and 121,171 on 1 July 2026. Who is most at risk on Britain's roads? https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/who-is-most-at-risk-on-uk-roads/ https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/who-is-most-at-risk-on-uk-roads/ Motorcyclists were 1 in 4 of the 1,538 people killed on Britain's roads in 2025. Casualties by road user, and the council areas with the highest collision rates. Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT UK Motoring editorial team Road safety Bar chart of people killed on Britain's roads in 2025 by road user: car occupants 626, motorcyclists 386, pedestrians 364, cyclists 79, e-scooter users 10. Why do cars fail their MOT, and which checks prevent it? https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/why-cars-fail-mot/ https://www.ukmotoring.co.uk/insights/why-cars-fail-mot/ 36.8% of failed car MOTs in 2025 involved a lighting or electrical fault, ahead of suspension, tyres and brakes. The commonest failures and the checks that prevent them. Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT UK Motoring editorial team MOT Bar chart of the share of failed car MOT tests in 2025 with a defect in each category: lamps and electrical 36.8%, suspension 32.4%, tyres 23.5%, brakes 21.8%, visibility 15.2%, noise, emissions and leaks 11.0%.