A new, first-of-its-kind report by Drive Research, focused on the full User Experience journey of in-car payment systems, shows that these services have become an extremely desirable convenience feature for many drivers who would be willing to pay for access to significantly improve their driving experience and brand perception. The 2025 In-Car Payments User Experience Report presented real-world drivers in the US and Germany with two in-car payment systems and tasked them with completing the same exercises on both, before answering quantitative and qualitative survey and interview questions, to gauge their level of interest in in-car payment functionality and opinions…

Council homes in a Wednesbury neighbourhood have undergone a major refurbishment, with two new apartments also created to help provide much-needed housing. Sandwell Council and its contractor SWG Construction have completed the refurbishment and new-build project in Thorn Close, Wednesbury. SWG has revitalised 12 one-bedroom and 16 three-bedroom two-storey apartments, while also adding two brand new one-bedroom single-storey apartments within the original under-used underpasses. The project not only improves the quality of housing for residents but also enhances the surrounding environment with new landscaping, garden roofs, modernised communal spaces and upgraded facilities. Alongside the new apartments, SWG completed essential works…

Honda has launched a pawsome new technology that makes car journeys more enjoyable for cat-loving drivers. Available across the brand’s model line-up, the new Catnip Car Seats option are the purr-fect addition for drivers that regularly transport their furry friends. As all cat owners know, getting their feline friends into the car is a real challenge, especially when it ends in a visit to the vets. Wrestling them into their carry crate is hard enough, with painful cuts and scratches guaranteed. Once loaded into the car, your cat will let you know how unhappy they are with an ear-splitting soundtrack…

The London Eid Festival returned in spectacular fashion this past weekend at Westfield London, welcoming thousands of visitors from all faiths and diverse backgrounds to mark the end of Ramadan in a joyful, sunlit celebration of food, culture, and community. Taking place from Friday 4th to Sunday 6th April, the first weekend of this two-part event began with early festivalgoers arriving at Westfield Square well before the 11am opening to enjoy freshly cooked halal street food. From there, guests made their way into the central area of the Westfield mall, which had been transformed into a vibrant indoor market…

The facility, located at Grenfell Allotments, had gone unused for 10 years prior to work. To deliver the work at no cost, a collaborative approach was pulled together through Walsall Council’s Corporate Social Responsibility Programme (CSR). Barhale and sister company BCS Group provided labour, tools, PPE and signage for the project. Travis Perkins provided all the materials free of charge while Flannery Plant Hire provided a heavy plant dumper and mini digger, including transport to and from site. For groundworks, Speedy Hire provided strimmers. For the work to be carried out, vegatation had to be removed, along with the dilapidated…

Young Driver®, the UK’s foremost under-17s driver-training school, has steered clear of leasing for the first time after taking delivery of its brand-new 170-strong Suzuki Swift fleet, which will provide 150,000 driving lessons for children each year. After 15 years, 1.5 million lessons, and multiple fleet changes, Young Driver has bucked the industry norm and purchased its new fleet outright, rather than leasing the cars. Due to a combination of strong residual values for the Suzukis, and the ability for Young Driver to only offset its loan interest and depreciation against profits – rather than the entire lease payment -…

The £1.5m mass spectrometer will enable the study of proteins, lipids and metabolites in cell membranes in exceptional detail The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) awarded the funds and Dr Ivana Milic leads the Aston University research team The spectrometer will be a resource for the Midlands membrane and bioscience communities. Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence (AIME) and Aston University College of Health and Life Sciences have installed a cutting-edge mass spectrometer to study biological membranes, following a grant of £1.5m from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The research team is led by Dr Ivana…

XPENG, one of the world’s leading technology-driven automotive brands, has opened its first UK dealerships, ushering in a new era of electric mobility and marking another major milestone in its UK journey. With locations in Nottingham and Southampton now open, the first UK retail spaces arrive alongside the launch of the XPENG G6, a next-generation battery-electric premium SUV that seamlessly blends cutting-edge innovation with real-world usability. “The opening of our first UK retailers and the arrival of the XPENG G6 is a crucial moment for our business and for British car buyers,” said William Brown, Managing Director of International Motors…

Škoda is offering Elroq and Enyaq owners the opportunity to send messages to each other via an optional new feature. Designed to help busy couples and families to communicate, the new ŠkodAlert system utilises the Elroq and Enyaq’s illuminated Tech-Deck face – a fundamental design element of Škoda’s bold Modern Solid design language. The illuminated Tech-Deck face is made up of multiple rows of small LED pixels that can be programmed to spell out messages at the front of the car. The system uses the different radio frequency IDs transmitted by the vehicle’s key fobs to ensure that the correct…

Autoglym, the UK’s largest car care brand, is introducing four seductive new body-care products for those who want to look every bit as fabulous as their car. The line-up includes a Leather Care Face Balm, Cologne, Polar Wash Shower Gel, and a specially adapted formulation of Autoglym’s renowned Bodywork Shampoo and Conditioner. For tired, weather-beaten skin, the new Leather Care Face Balm nourishes and revives, no matter how deep the wrinkle. The advanced formulation leaves skin nourished, toned and – as an added benefit – more resistant to the elements. The Autoglym Cologne bottles the iconic ‘new car smell’ that…