6:50 am, October 10, 2025
JLR vehicle production restarts in Solihull after cyber attack
Jaguar Land Rover has restarted Range Rover production lines in Solihull, with plans for all its manufacturing sites to be back up and running by the end of next week as it recovers from a major cyber attack.
The carmaker said about 6,500 employees were back working at the Solihull site in the West Midlands on Thursday, following the phased restart of production on Wednesday after it was suspended for more than a month due to the hack.
It said the remaining production lines in Solihull, which make the Range Rover Velar SUV, will come back on stream next Monday, alongside vehicle manufacturing operations in Halewood, Merseyside.
Lenders warn of bigger hit to finances from £11bn car loan compensation plan
The UK’s biggest car finance lenders have warned over a heavier hit to their finances as the sector prepares to foot a bill of £11bn under a watchdog’s proposed compensation scheme.
Lloyds Banking Group and Close Brothers both said they were expecting to have to put aside more money to cover costs related to the mis-selling saga.
Shares in the lenders were falling on Thursday as a result.
Kia trials new ‘battery passport’ which could help make used EV purchases easier
Kia is currently trialling a new ‘battery passport’ which would allow EV buyers to see a clearer picture of a car’s battery health and remaining range.
As part of the trial, Kia has equipped a used EV3 with cell monitors which can provide real-time data on the current health of the car’s battery.
The Korean brand says that it enables ‘real-time repair diagnostics and end-to-end traceability across the battery’s lifecycle’. As a result, Kia says that this will lead to EV drivers getting cars with ‘an extended battery life’ as well as ‘more affordable maintenance’.
FTSE 100 falls from record highs as Lloyds and HSBC struggle
Falls in heavyweight lenders HSBC Holdings and Lloyds Banking Group saw the FTSE 100 fall from recent record highs on Thursday.
The FTSE 100 index closed down 39.47 points, 0.4%, at 9,509.40. The FTSE 250 ended up 11 points, 0.1%, at 22,052.83, and the AIM All-Share fell 2.32 points, 0.3%, to 793.70.
In European equities on Thursday, the Cac 40 in Paris closed down 0.2% while the Dax 40 in Frankfurt ended up 0.1%.
Administrator at GVE London resigns after just 22 days as supercar dealer’s finances are laid bare
GVE London’s administrator, Farheen Qureshi, has resigned after just 22 days in the role. FRP Advisory’s Arvindar Jit Singh and David Hinrichsen have taken over, with creditors owed around £1.15m and investigations now underway.
Group 1 Automotive posts eye-watering £26m loss as true cost of Inchcape deal is revealed
Group 1 Automotive UK plunged to a £26.16m pre-tax loss in 2024, down from a £41.74m profit the previous year. The £346m Inchcape acquisition drove costs of £32.2m, despite turnover surging to £3.23bn and dealership numbers doubling.
Motorpoint expecting profits to rise as firm ‘significantly outperforms the wider market’
Motorpoint has posted record half-year sales of £648m – up 15% year-on-year – with profits expected to hit £3.6m, an 80% rise. Retail volumes grew 8.9%, outperforming the wider used car market.
Carwow names Land Rover as ‘most profitable’ used car brand as dealers enjoy sky-high margins
Land Rover models delivered the highest used car dealer profits in Q3, Carwow data shows. Dealers made an average margin of £3,671 per car, with the Range Rover Sport topping models at £5,306 profit potential.
Marsh Wall toasts ‘another successful year’ despite car dealer reporting dip in profits
Marsh Wall, trading as Berry Group, reported a strong 2024 with turnover up 7% to £441.9m. Pre-tax profit dipped slightly to £6.72m, impacted by BMW and Mini recalls, but EBITDA rose to £9.38m.
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UK signs £350m deal to supply India with air defence missiles and launchers
The UK has signed a £350m deal to supply the Indian Army with air defence missiles and launchers.
The lightweight-multirole missiles will be made in Northern Ireland, securing more than 700 jobs, the Ministry of Defence said.
The same type of weapon is already being manufactured for Ukraine at the Thales plant in east Belfast.
Ex-Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood charged with rape and sexual assault
Former Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood has been charged with rape and sexual assault.
The Metropolitan Police said the 68-year-old is accused of offences against seven different women as young as 17 years old.
He is charged with four counts of rape, nine counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault, the force said.
Weather outlook…
The UK will today see a mix of clouds and sunny spells, with temperatures peaking around 14–15 °C and dipping to 7–8 °C overnight.
Expect mostly dry conditions, though a brief shower can’t be ruled out.
Overall, a crisp and fair autumn day.
