Author: Alex Buttle

Motorway, the UK’s fastest-growing online marketplace for used cars, today reveals record growth in transactions on its platform as buyers and sellers embrace the opportunity to buy and sell cars entirely online. 

Having paused trading during the lockdown, Motorway restarted its service for private car sellers and dealers nationwide on May 11th, along with free, no-contact transport for every transaction. It has since seen 100% week-on-week growth in transactions, achieving £4.9m in sales last week, and a record £1.39m completed on June 10th. Over 250 new dealerships have started buying cars in its daily auctions since lockdown restrictions were eased, joining over 1,000 already using the platform. This recent performance surpasses figures from before the lockdown, supporting reports that the market is surging back to life.

To respond to huge market demand, the three-year-old start-up is now expanding its 70-strong team to reach 100 by the end of the year, as it leads a drive for efficiency and online transactions in the used car market.

Motorway connects car sellers with dealerships looking to buy stock via a purely online platform, helping both parties get the best deal by removing middlemen and automating the sale process. It charges dealers a fee for each successful sale, and is free for consumers to sell their car, with each vehicle collected from their home in a contact-free transaction.

Key stats from Motorway include:

• Over 60,000 customer sale enquiries since the start of May
• £4.9m in weekly sales and a record £1.39m on a single day
• 480% increase in revenue over the past four weeks
• Sustained improvement in car sale valuations achieved in its auctions. On average, Motorway’s sellers are receiving £480 more for their cars in June than in May.
• The company is now looking to expand its 70-strong team to 100 in the next three months to help fulfil market demand for its service.

Huge demand from consumers looking to sell their cars, along with safety concerns around visiting physical dealerships, is shifting behaviour to all-online solutions, which Motorway is leading. Motorway’s model – connecting private sellers directly with dealers – results in much faster transactions for everyone. 

Tom Leathes, CEO of Motorway, says:

“We have been growing rapidly for the past twelve months as the automotive market continues its shift online. The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated that trend, and we’re now seeing unprecedented demand for our service, from car sellers and dealers alike.

“Unlike many other industries, the used car market is now looking stronger than it has been for months.  Consumers wanting a quick sale for the best price, and dealers looking to replenish their stock, are now embracing the efficiency of doing everything online with Motorway. 

“The car industry has been behind others in embracing technology, but that is changing – and there will be no return to how things were. Motorway is delighted to be at the forefront of a fundamental movement towards a better experience for the long term. We look forward to continuing to drive technology to help the used car industry get back on the road.”

“With ballooning sales and a surge in new dealers signing up, Motorway’s experience suggests strong growth ahead in the used car market. Motorway expects this trend to continue through 2020 as both car sellers and dealers adapt to the post-Covid market with a much greater focus on efficiency, speed and transparency.”

Almost three-quarters of a million MOT tests* were still carried out in April 2020, despite the government giving motorists a six-month MOT holiday from 30th March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

An FOI request made by Motorway to the DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency), revealed that 746,157 MOTs took place across the UK in April.  

The number of tests were down 80% on the previous month – with 3,723,524 motorists taking their vehicles in for an MOT in March. Just over 3.5 million MOTs were carried out in April 2019. 

Perth in Central Scotland saw the biggest drop in MOTs last month, with tests down 85.7% compared to March. Inverness saw 85.6% fewer MOTs in April vs March.

More than 20,000 motorists in the Birmingham area (21,324) took their vehicles in for an MOT in April, and 18,170 tests were carried out by garages in the ‘S’ postcode area (Sheffield) last month.

Despite testing falling significantly in April, it’s surprising there were still almost 750,000 inspections carried out last month, after the government announced an MOT holiday.

Any motorists with an MOT due from 30th March have automatically been given a six-month extension. However, vehicles still have to be kept in a roadworthy condition, with garages remaining open for essential repair works.

The following table shows postcode areas with the largest drop in MOTs in April vs March 2020

Postcode	Postcode Area	MOTs – March 2020	MOTs – April 2020	% drop in test numbers
PH	Perth	11,535	1,654	85.7%
IV	Inverness	16,419	2,369	85.6%
CA	Carlisle	22,317	3,456	84.5%
LD	Llandrindod Wells	3,370	529	84.3%
PA	Paisley	17,542	2,765	84.2%
CH	Chester	42,734	7,005	83.6%
SA	Swansea	49,074	8,229	83.2%
SY	Shrewsbury	25,495	4,304	83.1%
UB	Southall	17,717	2,996	83.1%
BR	Bromley	13,846	2,343	83.1%

The following table shows postcode areas where the most MOTs were carried out in April 2020

Postcode	Postcode Area	MOTs – April 2020
B	Birmingham	21,324
S	Sheffield	18,170
NG	Nottingham	15,115
BS	Bristol	14,246
PE	Peterborough	12,988

Alex Buttle, director of Motorway comments: 

“These figures from the DVSA show that despite motorists having the opportunity to postpone their MOT test, many have chosen not to do so. There could be a number of reasons why; with general car maintenance, ongoing value and safety issues likely at the forefront of many drivers’ minds.

“Saying that, the number of MOTs in April was still substantially lower than March figures, and we expect to see a similar low level of testing in May, as lockdown restrictions have only been eased slightly this month.

“From a cost point of view, cash strapped car owners might consider delaying their MOT for the full six months, but the reality is that the cost of a test is small compared to the human cost if you’re driving a car that has a serious fault or defect.

“Motorists will often have their vehicle serviced at the same time as the MOT, and delaying the test could also mean delaying the annual service, which could flag up mechanical and safety issues that need to be addressed urgently.

“Many garages are still open for MOTs, and anyone driving an older vehicle, which tend to be more susceptible to problems due to wear and tear, might be wise to take their car in close to the original MOT date to give it a full check and service. It will give them the peace of mind that it’s in good condition and mechanically sound at the present time.

”And if owners are looking to protect the value of their car for selling in the future, then a heavily-delayed MOT may be an issue for some buyers. 

“To boost your offer when you sell to a dealer on our website at Motorway.co.uk, we recommend main-dealer servicing and regular MOTs. 

“Even if you can delay, it may be more cost efficient to get the MOT done sooner rather than later to protect your car’s ongoing value.”

Motorway, the UK’s fastest-growing marketplace for used cars, today resumes its service for private car sellers and dealers nationwide on its, having paused its daily auctions since the coronavirus lockdown was announced. 

Dealers looking to replenish their stock with premium used cars direct from private sellers will now be able to take part in Motorway’s daily auctions, with thousands of cars listed every month. 

In response to COVID-19, Motorway is also launching a new no-contact transport service that puts safety first – providing easy inspection, collection and delivery of cars to dealers in a fast and cost-effective way. 

Motorway was founded three years ago to help simplify the process of used car transactions, all online and without the traditional middlemen involved. The platform allows private car sellers to value and profile their car, and it is then listed in online dealer auctions running daily on its website. 

Motorway is now not just the fastest way to get a great deal, but also the safest. Instead of driving to auctions and coming into close contact with other people, Motorway’s transport service has been designed with the safety of dealers and transport partners in mind, keeping everyone safe and compliant with government regulations. 

To celebrate the launch of its new transport service and help its dealers get back in business, Motorway is offering two free vehicle collections for every dealer on the platform – worth over £500.

Tom Leathes, CEO of Motorway, says:

“We’re in unprecedented times in the used car industry. As everyone looks to start trading again after the lockdown, we have adapted our service to ensure Motorway is the best possible platform for dealers to buy the best cars quickly, cost-effectively and safely.

We know that dealers will now be sourcing more of their stock online, rather than driving to auctions. And to help dealers with that transition, we’re now offering every dealer – whether existing or new to Motorway – free transportation for their first two purchases on the platform.

Having been an online-only service since we launched in 2017, Motorway is uniquely positioned to support dealers in more efficient stock-acquisition processes as we enter a new era of technology-enabled trading.”

The free transport offer will run from May 11 2020 and will be valid for all dealers until 30 June 2020. All collections carried out by Motorway’s transport service will be completed in accordance with Motorway’s contact-free code of conduct, which includes guidelines on how to inspect, collect and purchase cars safely and contact-free.

We are excited to announce that we have launched a new radio advert today across commercial UK radio.

The ad features a voiceover by Neil Morrissey, one of the UK’s most well-known actors. Neil is familiar from numerous TV programmes including Men Behaving Badly, Line Of Duty, The Night Manager, Skins and Bob The Builder.

The creative called ‘All In One Place’, puts you in the heart of a live car auction where the amount of money you get offered for your vehicle keeps on going up and up.

The experience is explained as being just like selling with Motorway – the comparison site to sell your car!

We are really pleased with the concept and production and would like to thank Neil Morrissey for his voiceover work and Space City who produced the advert from start to finish.

You can hear the ad airing on commercial radio stations within the Global and Bauer Media groups throughout 2020. The campaign was planned by Rocket and Mark Helm Media.

Listen to the ad by clicking here.

Exeter is the UK’s greenest motoring hotspot, with the fastest growth in ULEV ownership since 2018, up more than 150%, according to DVLA registration data analysed by Motorway.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) submission was made by Motorway.co.uk to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in December 2019, requesting the most up-to-date figures on Ultra Low Emissions Vehicles (ULEVs) registered in the UK. ULEV figures include all-electric vehicles, electric range-extender vehicles and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).

The latest figures*, broken down by region and local authority, reveals the total number of ULEVs registered in the Exeter local authority, as of Q3 2019, was 1,194. This compares to just 464 in Q3 2018; that’s an increase of 157%. Next on the list is Warwick, where the take-up of ULEVs has more than doubled (128%) over the same period.

ULEV is the term used to describe any vehicle that uses low carbon technologies, emits less than 75g of CO2/km from the tailpipe and is capable of operating in zero tailpipe emission zone for a range of at least 10 miles (SMMT). ULEVs range from pure electric vehicles and fuel cell electric vehicles, to plug-in hybrids and extended range electric vehicles.

According to FOI data, seven of the top ten local authorities for ULEV registrations since 2018, are London boroughs, with Newham and Waltham Forest seeing annual growth of 114% and 82% respectively. At the bottom of the green motoring table are Sunderland and Wychavon, a district in Worcestershire, where ULEV numbers have grown less than 7% over the past 12 months.

The following table shows the ten local authorities that have seen the fastest growth in ULEV registrations, 2019 vs 2018.

Local Authority	Number of ULEVs registered (Q3-2018)	Number of ULEVs registered (Q3-2019)	% Increase in ULEVs
Exeter	464	1,194	157.3%
Warwick	414	943	127.8%
Newham	307	657	114.0%
Waltham Forest	330	602	82.4%
Redbridge	525	948	80.6%
Islington	570	1,026	80.0%
Tower Hamlets	559	1,003	79.4%
South Northamptonshire	320	571	78.4%
Barking & Dagenham	255	449	76.1%
Enfield	549	958	74.5%

The following table shows the ten local authorities – excluding London boroughs – that have seen the fastest growth in ULEV registrations, 2019 vs 2018.

Local Authority	Number of ULEVs registered (Q3-2018)	Number of ULEVs registered (Q3-2019)	% Increase in ULEVs
Exeter	464	1,194	157.3%
Warwick	414	943	127.8%
South Northamptonshire	320	571	78.4%
Weymouth	58	96	65.5%
Broxbourne	133	220	65.4%
Bury	262	420	60.3%
Mendip	227	357	57.3%
Mid Sussex	424	665	56.8%
Stevenage	95	148	55.8%
Solihull	1,481	2,296	55.0%

The following table shows the ten local authorities that have seen the slowest growth in ULEV registrations, 2019 vs 2018.

Local Authority	Number of ULEVs registered (Q3-2018)	Number of ULEVs registered (Q3-2019)	% Increase in ULEVs
Sunderland	340	362	6.5%
Wychavon	444	474	6.8%
Milton Keynes	6,445	6,896	7.0%
Copeland	78	84	7.7%
Barrow-in-Furness	52	56	7.7%
North Warwickshire	165	180	9.1%
Huntingdonshire	782	856	9.5%
Neath Port Talbot	90	99	10.0%
Stratford-on-Avon	371	414	11.6%
Stoke-on-Trent	317	357	12.6%

Regions

Renfrewshire is the most prolific region for ULEV registrations with green motor ownership rising by  almost three quarters since 2018, up 71.1% between Q3 2018 and Q3 2019. This compares with growth of just 5.8% in the Gloucestershire region over the same period.

The following table shows the top regions (excluding London) for ULEV ownership, 2019 vs 2018.

Region	Number of ULEVs registered (Q3-2018)	Number of ULEVs registered (Q4-2019)	% Increase in ULEVs
Renfrewshire	1,857	3,178	71.1%
Devon	1,834	3,053	66.5%
Essex	2,554	3,743	46.6%
South Yorkshire	2,623	3,828	45.9%
Warwickshire	1,700	2,476	45.6%

Alex Buttle, director and spokesperson at Motorway comments:

“These figures show a huge disparity between areas that are embracing greener motoring and areas where take-up of ULEVs is in the slow lane. They highlight the need to focus not just at a national level, but also to confront issues at a regional level in areas where ULEV take-up is lagging behind. The government is now under tremendous pressure to encourage motorists to move to electric cars and other forms of ultra-low emissions vehicles in time for the 2040 switchover. 

“According to recent SMMT figures, 10% of UK new car sales are now in the alternative fuel categories (including electric and hybrid variants combined), however, pure electric registrations still only make up around 2% of the total number of new car sales. 

“While they are cheap to run and most owners are keen to drive less-polluting cars, too many people who rely on their vehicles for work and leisure, are holding off making the switch while there are question marks around the charging infrastructure and the initial outlay of moving to an EV.

“Now that we’re leaving the EU on 31st January, the government can finally turn its attention back to domestic matters, and hopefully that includes ensuring momentum is not lost on our “Road to Zero” emissions. 

“With consumer confidence low and with the domestic auto industry suffering, is now the time for the government to introduce EV purchase subsidies to help consumers make the leap to electric? The ball is firmly in its court.”

We are extremely proud to announce that Motorway was awarded ‘highly commended’ for the ‘Used Car Product of the Year’ award at the CarDealer Used Car Awards 2019 this week.

The awards were presented at The Brewery, London by Mike Brewer, star of Discovery Channel TV show Wheeler Dealers on Monday 25th November.

Motorway started in 2017 with a big vision: build a better car market for everyone. Earlier this year we launched Motorway foe dealers, helping quality dealers get instant access to the best used car stock, direct from private sellers, without the middlemen.

It’s fantastic to be awarded by one of the UK’s top motor trade publications and we are thrilled to be recognised in the motor industry for the progress we’ve made in such a short period of time.

We have some amazing new features to release in coming months that’ll make using Motorway easier and more efficient than ever. We can’t wait for 2020.

Thank you to all our buying partners for being part of Motorway and making it what it is.

Congrats to all the winners!

• FOI request reveals more than 2,000,000 drivers have paid the ULEZ charge
• Over 30,000 drivers have received more than one PCN for non-payment of the ULEZ charge
• Worst offending driver has received 81 PCNs for non-payment of the ULEZ daily charge

More than 2,000,000 drivers have paid the ULEZ daily charge, and over 250,000 penalty charge notices (PCNs) have been handed out to drivers for non-payment of the charge, since it was launched in London in April, according to research by Motorway.

The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charge is paid by drivers whose vehicles fail the tough new exhaust emissions standards introduced in central London, to help improve air quality.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request made by Motorway.co.uk in September to Transport for London (TfL), revealed that 223,952 penalty notices were handed out between May 11 and August 31, to drivers of high polluting vehicles who failed to pay the central London toxic air levy.

Almost 32,000 drivers (31,783) have received more than one penalty ticket since ULEZ was launched and the worst offender has amassed a staggering 81 penalty notices between May 11 and August 31, which could mean she has had to pay fines up to £13,000. 

Car, motorcycle and van drivers who fail to pay the daily charge of £12,50, face a £160 fine, or £80 if paid within a fortnight. While, HGV and coach drivers, who have to pay a higher daily charge of £100, face a £1000 fine, or £500 if paid within 14  days.

Transport for London confirmed that until 10 May they issued warning notices rather than PCNs, because the ULEZ scheme was new.

Motorway.co.uk research found that over two million vehicles (2,124,404) have paid the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charge between launch and August 31, generating almost £31 million for TfL. Of this, £25.9 million was paid by car, motorcycle and van drivers (ULEZ Low charge of £12.50) and £4.8 million by HGV and coach drivers (ULEZ High charge of £100). 

The following table shows the number of charges purchased per month between 8 April and 31 August 2019, broken down by high (HGVs and coaches) and low (cars, motorcycles and vans) ULEZ categories:

Month	ULEZ High	ULEZ Low	Total
April	8,301	337,812	346,113
May	11,864	484,843	496,707
June	10,195	459,572	469,767
July	10,504	453,973	464,477
August	7,236	340,104	347,340
Total	48,100	2,076,304	2,124,404

The following table lists the total revenue raised per month from charges purchased between 8 April and 31 August 2019, broken down by high and low categories.

Month	ULEZ High	ULEZ Low	Total
Apr	£ 830,100.00	£ 4,222,650.00	£ 5,052,750.00
May	£ 1,186,400.00	£ 6,060,537.50	£ 7,246,937.50
Jun	£ 1,019,500.00	£ 5,744,650.00	£ 6,764,150.00
Jul	£ 1,050,400.00	£ 5,674,662.50	£ 6,725,062.50
Aug	£ 723,600.00	£ 4,251,300.00	£ 4,974,900.00
Total	£ 4,810,000.00	£ 25,953,800.00	£ 30,763,800.00

The table provided here shows how many PCNs we issued per month for non-payment of the ULEZ daily charge between 11 May and 31 August.

Month	PCN
May	41,008
June	74,630
July	67,386
August	40,928
Total	223,952

The table below shows the total revenue raised per month from PCNs issued between 11 May and 31 August 2019 broken down by high and low categories.

These figures do not take account of the costs of running the scheme and therefore show revenue raised rather than net income.

Month	Sum of Amount Paid
May	£ 2,509,618.50
June	£ 3,896,540.50
July	£ 3,067,243.49
August	£ 1,148,599.50
Total	£ 10,622,001.99

Alex Buttle, director of Motorway comments: 

“Judging by the drop in polluting cars being driven in central London since ULEZ was launched in April and a general fall in traffic, it feels like the scheme is doing its job.

“Something had to be done with London facing a public health crisis. The electric car switch-over can’t come quick enough, but until it does, ULEZ shows there is a genuine commitment to tackle London’s toxic air. And that commitment is proving successful.

“While ULEZ was not about generating money for councils, it has nevertheless brought in more than £40m in charges and penalty notices in the six months since launch. 

“Schemes like ULEZ should always be about the health and well-being of people living in major urban areas.”

“Although pollution levels are still unacceptably high in the capital, the success of ULEZ proves that similar clean air zones can and should be urgently rolled out across the country.”

• An FOI request reveals that Westminster has the highest concentration of EV charging points with 1.47 per 1000 population
• Bexley is the only London borough with no public charging points
• Milton Keynes has the highest concentration of EV charging points of any other UK town/city (excluding London), with 0.83 per 1000 population 
• Hull, Northampton, Mansfield and Swansea have no public charging points
• Note: Charging points on private land weren’t considered for this research

The London borough of Westminster has 375 public electric vehicle (EV) charging points, more than anywhere else in the country, according to research by Motorway.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request to all London boroughs and major UK town and city councils, made by Motorway, reveals that Westminster, one of the wealthiest areas in the country, also has the highest concentration of EV charging points with 1.47 per 1000 population. The council say they plan to have 468 public charging points installed by the end of the year.

Three other boroughs – Richmond upon Thames, Hammersmith & Fulham and Wandsworth – each have more than 200 public electric vehicle charging points. While, Bexley is the only borough which hasn’t installed any public charging points to date, although the council plans to have 13 points operational by the end of the year.

Outside London, Milton Keynes, with a population of 230,000, has the highest concentration of EV charging points, with 0.83 per 1000 population, and 192 points across the town. Nottingham with 215 charging points has more than any other UK town/city.

Kingston Upon Hull, Mansfield, Northampton and Swansea currently have no public electric vehicle charging points. These are all major towns with more than 150,000 population.

The government recently announced a £400 million investment in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, with half funded by private sector partners. It hopes to have 5,000 rapid charging points operational by 2024.

The following table shows the UK towns/cities (excluding London) with the highest and lowest concentration of public EV charging points.

Town/City	Population	Number of EV charging  points – current	EV charging points per 1000 population
Milton  Keynes	229,941	192	0.83
Aberdeen	196,904	100	0.51
Newcastle upon Tyne	192,382	75	0.39
Coventry	185,426	122	0.34
Nottingham	326,474	215	0.29
Edinburgh	239,142	130	0.28
Mansfield	171,958	0	0.00
Northampton	215,963	0	0.00
Swansea	300,352	0	0.00
Kingston upon Hull	314,018	0	0.00

The following table shows London boroughs with the highest concentration of EV charging points.

London Borough	Population	Number of EV charging  points – current	EV charging points per 1000 population
Westminster (City of)	255,324	375	1.47
Richmond upon Thames	196,904	265	1.35
Hammersmith & Fulham	185,426	216	1.16
Wandsworth	326,474	250	0.77
Islington	239,142	166	0.69

N.B. Boroughs of Brent and Hillingdon did not provide figures 

The following table shows London boroughs with the lowest concentration of EV charging points.

London Borough	Population	Number of EV charging  points – current	EV charging points per 1000 population
Bexley	247,258	0	0.00
Enfield	333,869	9	0.03
Harrow	250,149	7	0.03
Newham	352,005	10	0.03
Redbridge	303,858	11	0.04

The London borough of Westminster has 375 public electric vehicle (EV) charging points, more than anywhere else in the country, according to research by Motorway.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request to all London boroughs and major UK town and city councils, made by Motorway, reveals that Westminster, one of the wealthiest areas in the country, also has the highest concentration of EV charging points with 1.47 per 1000 population. The council say they plan to have 468 public charging points installed by the end of the year.

Three other boroughs – Richmond upon Thames, Hammersmith & Fulham and Wandsworth – each have more than 200 public electric vehicle charging points. While, Bexley is the only borough which hasn’t installed any public charging points to date, although the council plans to have 13 points operational by the end of the year.

Outside London, Milton Keynes, with a population of 230,000, has the highest concentration of EV charging points, with 0.83 per 1000 population, and 192 points across the town. Nottingham with 215 charging points has more than any other UK town/city.

Kingston Upon Hull, Mansfield, Northampton and Swansea currently have no public electric vehicle charging points. These are all major towns with more than 150,000 population.

The government recently announced a £400 million investment in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, with half funded by private sector partners. It hopes to have 5,000 rapid charging points operational by 2024.

The following table shows the UK towns/cities (excluding London) with the highest and lowest concentration of public EV charging points.

Town/City	Population	Number of EV charging  points – current	EV charging points per 1000 population
Milton  Keynes	229,941	192	0.83
Aberdeen	196,904	100	0.51
Newcastle upon Tyne	192,382	75	0.39
Coventry	185,426	122	0.34
Nottingham	326,474	215	0.29
Edinburgh	239,142	130	0.28
Mansfield	171,958	0	0.00
Northampton	215,963	0	0.00
Swansea	300,352	0	0.00
Kingston upon Hull	314,018	0	0.00

The following table shows London boroughs with the highest concentration of EV charging points.

London Borough	Population	Number of EV charging  points – current	EV charging points per 1000 population
Westminster (City of)	255,324	375	1.47
Richmond upon Thames	196,904	265	1.35
Hammersmith & Fulham	185,426	216	1.16
Wandsworth	326,474	250	0.77
Islington	239,142	166	0.69

N.B. Boroughs of Brent and Hillingdon did not provide figures 

The following table shows London boroughs with the lowest concentration of EV charging points.

London Borough	Population	Number of EV charging  points – current	EV charging points per 1000 population
Bexley	247,258	0	0.00
Enfield	333,869	9	0.03
Harrow	250,149	7	0.03
Newham	352,005	10	0.03
Redbridge	303,858	11	0.04

N.B. Boroughs of Brent and Hillingdon did not provide figures

Alex Buttle, director of car selling comparison website Motorway said: 

“UK government has a mammoth task on its hands to create an EV charging infrastructure that can cope with the expected growth in electric car ownership over the next 20 years. In fact its own 2040 switchover target from fossil fuels depends on it. 

“Although we only looked at public, not private charging points (and home charging will make up a significant number of points), there will still be a huge reliance on public charging infrastructure. And it’s severely lacking at present.

“Figures supplied by local councils suggest a worrying disparity between towns and cities with the highest and lowest concentrations of charging points. While some areas have made significant progress in building a capable charging infrastructure, other areas appear to be well behind the curve. The ramifications on local economies of a substandard charging infrastructure could be severe.

“There is also a more pressing issue. The government is trying to encourage people to switch to electric cars, but many vehicle owners are reluctant to do so until they are confident that the  infrastructure is fit for purpose. 

“We carried out a survey of UK drivers recently and an inadequate charging infrastructure was the most common reason cited by respondents as to why they wouldn’t consider switching to an electric car over the next five years. 

“Brexit is understandably at the top of the government’s agenda at the moment, but it’s in danger of taking its eyes off this huge infrastructure challenge, and a public that has no faith in the charging programme,  is unlikely to buy into the idea of early switching.”

This week we were proud to launch our first radio ad for commercial UK radio.

Like our TV ad, it features a cheeky sat nav with a mind of its own which once again helpfully suggests Motorway as the fast and easy way to sell your car.

The advert explains how you could get up to £1,000 more by using Motorway to compare offers.

You can hear it airing on commercial radio stations including Absolute Radio and talkSPORT throughout 2019.

We are really proud of the finished recording and would like to thank Space City who produced it working with MNC, as well as voiceover artists Elizabeth Saary and Paul Seed.

Listen to the new Motorway radio ad below:

• In 2019 so far, more than 42,000 people have had their driving licences medically revoked
• Over 7,000 drivers had their licences revoked because of seizures or blackouts
• Alcohol (5,450) is the most common reason for a licence to be medically revoked
• Almost 1,000 domestic vehicle drivers have had licences revoked for sleep conditions, including narcolepsy
• In the past 18 months, almost 1,000 bus or lorry drivers had their licences revoked due to blackouts or a sleep-related condition

More than 360,000 UK drivers (363,280) have had their driving licences revoked for medical reasons in the past five years, according to DVLA data analysed by Motorway.

Numbers peaked in 2018, with 73,724 driving licences medically revoked. Over 300,000 motorcycle and car drivers (307,414) have had their licences revoked on medical grounds since the start of 2014, while 55,866 lorry or bus drivers have had licences cancelled.

So far this year, more than 40,000 UK drivers (42,467) have had their driving licences revoked on medical grounds.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request made to the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) in August 2019 by Motorway.co.uk, reveals that 36,310 car or motorcycle licences (Group 1) and 6,157 lorry or bus licences (Group 2) have been medically revoked in 2019 to date.

Of these, almost two-thirds (65%) of drivers were 50 years old or over. More than 800 teenage drivers (829) have had their licences medically revoked.

Alcohol (5,450) is the most common reason for the DVLA to medically revoke a driving licence. More than 7,000 drivers (7,159) have had their driving licences cancelled this year for seizures or blackouts.

Just under 3,000 motorcycle or car drivers (2,865) have had their licences revoked in the past 18 months for sleep related conditions, including narcolepsy.

And worryingly, DVLA figures on larger vehicles reveal that almost 1,000 bus or lorry drivers (920) have had their licences revoked over the past 18 months because of blackouts or a sleep condition.

If a driver has their licence revoked on medical grounds, they can reapply for their licence once their doctor says they meet the medical standards for driving.

The rules are different if a driver voluntarily surrenders their licence. Under these circumstances, you can drive while your licence is being renewed if; you have the support of your doctor, a valid licence, you only drive under the conditions of the previous licence, you’re not disqualified, your last licence wasn’t revoked and your application is less than 12 months old.

The following table shows the most common reasons why the DVLA revoked a driving licence on medical grounds (2019):

Medical condition	Number of licences revoked	% of all medical licence revocations
Alcohol	5,450	15.0%
Seizures	5,417	14.9%
Eyesight	4,534	12.5%
Memory problems	4,175	11.5%
Mental health	3,268	9.0%
Neurological	3,041	8.4%
Cardiac	2,228	6.1%
Drugs	1,770	4.9%
Blackouts	1,742	4.8%
Diabetes	1,176	3.2%

The following table shows the number of driving licences medically revoked in the past five years (2014 to 2019 to date):

Year	Number of licences medically revoked (Group 1 & 2)
2014	48,941
2015	55,753
2016	72,019
2017	70,376
2018	73,724
2019  (to date)	42,467

Alex Buttle, director of Motorway comments:

“These figures make for quite frightening reading, but they could be just the tip of the iceberg. How many people are driving with a medical condition and haven’t informed the authorities?

You can be fined up to £1,000 if you don’t tell the DVLA about a medical condition that affects your driving, but is that really a strong enough deterrent?

“With so many of us reliant on our cars for work and pleasure, there will be drivers on the road who think it’s worth the risk to keep quiet because handing in their driving licence could mean losing their mobility, their job and not seeing their family and friends.”