Alastair Shephard

Content Writer

Alastair Shephard | Author

Annabelle Clarke

PR Manager

Annabelle Clarke | Author

Gritters are a familiar sight in January. In the middle of a record-breaking June heatwave, less so – but if you spot one on your commute this week, don't be confused. There's a very good reason they're out. 

The AA has warned that road surfaces can soften and become sticky under extreme heat, with heavy traffic capable of causing them to rut in some places.  

In response, some councils have already begun deploying gritters, not to spread salt, but crushed stone, to protect the tarmac and maintain grip for drivers. 

Asphalt surfaces can begin to melt when road surface temperatures hit 50°C. This threshold can be reached even when air temperatures are much lower, as road surfaces absorb and retain heat during the day. 

With forecasters warning that temperatures could hit 35°C in London and above 30°C across most of southern England this week, road surfaces in the most exposed areas could reach these temperatures.  

The crushed stone spread by gritters creates a protective layer that helps prevent surface damage while also providing extra grip for vehicles travelling over softened tarmac. 

It's not just the roads that drivers need to think about this week. The RAC has urged drivers whose vehicles don't have effective air conditioning to seriously consider postponing any non-essential journeys, warning there could be a record number of breakdowns. 

If you do need to drive, keep your speed down on roads that look or feel uneven, give extra space to vehicles ahead, and check your tyres – heat accelerates pressure build-up and a tyre blowout at speed is far more likely in extreme temperatures. 

Bizarre reason you might see gritters during UK heatwave 

Bizarre reason you might see gritters this week 

Later this year passengers in the UK could be booking rides in cars with no one behind the wheel and the government is pushing ahead fast. 

In May, applications opened for operators to run self-driving taxi and bus-style services across Great Britain as part of a new pilot scheme.  

Companies including Uber and Waymo, which already completes over 500,000 autonomous rides every week across eleven US cities, have signalled their intention to bring services to UK roads this year, with London expected to be the first city to see them in action. 

Safety is at the centre of the rollout. Operators must pass strict government approval checks before any passenger sets foot in a self-driving vehicle, including assessments to ensure the technology is protected against cyber threats.  

The self-driving technology could significantly improve road safety, with human error currently contributing to 88% of collisions on UK roads. 

The bar for safety is being set deliberately high. Self-driving vehicles will need to demonstrate a higher safety standard than the average human driver before they can be approved for everyday use.  

Members of the public, road safety groups and accessibility organisations are all being invited to have their say, with a consultation open until 9 September 2026. 

Beyond safety, the government believes the technology could open up independent travel for older and disabled people who currently struggle to access transport and estimates the sector could be worth £3.7 billion annually in Britain by 2040, supporting thousands of skilled jobs in the process.

Driverless cars are almost here – are you ready? 

Bumper, the automotive payments platform, today announced the launch of Myles, a GenAI assistant built into its dealership intelligence platform, AutoBI. Myles is now being rolled out to a selected group of pilot dealer customers, marking a major step forward in how car dealerships and OEMs access and act on their data.   

Myles enables leaders and teams across dealerships to request performance analysis using natural language, and to receive insights grounded in their own AutoBI data. The assistant ships with a curated set of questions covering the metrics dealer groups review most frequently. Users can also ask anything they need to understand trends and dive deeper into performance metrics and specific verticals. 

Myles’ insights can be accessed through chat or delivered in a range of formats, including written summaries, board packs, and daily audio or video briefings tailored for senior leaders on the move. Myles empowers all users within a dealership, democratising analytics and helping users make faster and smarter decisions. 

AutoBI is a real-time insights platform used by dealer groups and manufacturers across the UK and Europe. Since joining the Bumper family, AutoBI has unlocked deeper visibility and thousands of dynamic reports that help partners drive profitability, sharpen efficiency and cut operating costs.  

Myles extends that platform by enabling users to create insights on demand using the underlying data conversationally and to receive role-specific answers without building custom reports. Bumper is now inviting forward-thinking dealer groups to join its advanced pilot programme and help shape the future of AI-driven performance insight. 

Pasha Jam, Chief Technology Officer at Bumper, said: “AutoBI has already reshaped how dealer groups understand their performance, and the development of our AI tool, Myles, pushes that transformation even further. By turning complex, real-time data into clear, role-specific intelligence, we’re giving teams across the dealership the ability to make smarter decisions, faster. This is a major step forward for automotive retail, and we’re excited to work with progressive dealer groups through our pilot programme to drive a new era of AI-led operational excellence.”

Bumper supercharges its AutoBI data offering with introduction of AI tool, 'Myles'

 reveals that while discounting continues to dominate dealership aftersales strategies, younger drivers are beginning to drive a generational shift in expectations around price reductions. 

, nearly three-quarters (74%) of service advisors still offer discounts on repairs and services, and almost a third (31%) say their dealership has a “culture of discounting”. The practice is especially common among advisors with less than 10 years’ experience, pointing to confidence and training gaps. 

Likewise, discounts are generally still embedded in UK motorists’ expectations. Two-thirds (66%) of drivers expect a discount on their first visit, and the same proportion expect equal or greater discounting on future work. Half (50%) say they would be less likely to return if the discount level dropped. Drivers typically anticipate a 10% reduction, while EV owners often expect slightly higher concessions. 

The report warns that routine discounting can create a cycle of expectation that erodes profitability, undermines confidence in dealership pricing and weakens dealers’ value proposition around service quality.  

However, despite the prevalence of discounting, the tide may be turning. The report shows that 82% of service advisors have changed their approach to discounting over the past year. 

Data from Bumper’s business intelligence arm, 

, highlights a steady decline in average discounts applied by dealerships: 

The report finds notable differences in the expectations of younger motorists. Drivers under 35 are less likely to expect discounts (57% vs. 66% overall) and more likely to see an initial discount as a one-off goodwill gesture (34% vs. 26% overall). 

Bumper suggests this may signal a broader generational shift toward transparency, convenience and digital-led value, rather than traditional price negotiation behaviours. 

Jack Allman, Chief Commercial Officer and Co-Founder at Bumper

, commented: “Younger drivers are reshaping expectations around pricing. Many prefer straightforward, frictionless, digital-first experiences over traditional price negotiations. As that mindset becomes more widespread, it creates a real opportunity for dealers to move away from the cycle of habitual discounting and towards long-term value propositions – whether that’s service plans, flexible payment options, or more confident pricing conversations. The result is a more stable foundation for customer retention centred around trust.” 

Bumper’s Automotive Aftersales Report 2025/26

Younger Drivers Disrupting Discount Culture

Younger Drivers Disrupting Discount Culture, Bumper Report Finds 

The Jaecoo 7 has become the UK’s best-selling car in March 2026, knocking the Ford Puma off the top spot. 

The only car to exceed 10,000 sales last month, the Jaecoo 7 saw 10,064 new registrations, compared to 9,193 for the Ford Puma. 

Other top-selling cars in March were the Nissan Qashqai (8,718), Kia Sportage (7,310) and the Vauxhall Corsa (6,315). 

The Ford Puma has been the best-selling car for the last 3 years, but now faces a significant threat from Chery, the Chinese giant responsible for the Jaecoo 7.

The new sales figures mark a wider trend of drivers shifting from legacy manufacturers to newer Chinese brands, which now account for more than the market’s overall growth. 

Another Chinese car maker gaining ground is BYD. Combined, BYD and Chery’s year-to-date registrations are ahead of Volkswagen – usually the UK’s leading brand.

Chinese car knocks Ford Puma off best-selling top spot

Drivers in England will soon face fines for parking on pavements due to new powers issued to councils by the government.  

Currently, pavement parking is banned in London and Scotland, but local authorities in the rest of England can only place restrictions on certain streets. 

Now, ministers are making plans to outlaw pavement parking in the rest of the country. 

Pavement parking can make it difficult for pedestrians with mobility issues or parents with prams to walk on the path without going into the road. The new plans are intended to make streets safer for all road users. 

Fines for pavement parking in London are typically around £100. The new rules will give councils the power to set their own penalties. 

Local Transport Minister, Lilian Greenwood, said: 

“Clear pavements are essential for people to move around safely and independently, whether that’s a parent with a pushchair, someone using a wheelchair, or a blind or partially sighted person. 

“That’s why we’re giving local authorities the power to crack down on problem pavement parking, allowing more people to travel easily and safely and get to where they need to go.” 

The new powers are expected to come into in 2026.

Drivers could soon face fines up to £100 for pavement parking

Since the start of the conflict in Iran, the cost of fuel has increased across the UK, with Northern Ireland the worst-affected area for both petrol and diesel. 

 February, the cost of diesel in the region has jumped by 38%, and petrol has risen by 21%. 

The North West, Wales, and the North East are also among the worst-affected areas for both increases in petrol and diesel. 

Regions worst affected by petrol increases 

Regions worst affected by diesel increases 

 February when Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz due to US and Israeli airstrikes. 

Normally used to ship 20% of the world’s oil supply, the stoppage has caused wholesale oil prices to soar which is now impacting drivers at the pump. 

Since the start of the conflict, the cost of filling up a typical 55-litre car has risen from £73.05 to £86.05 for petrol and £78.31 to £104.31 for diesel.

The UK areas hit hardest by fuel price increases

Bumper, the automotive payments platform, has announced a new board appointment, welcoming fintech titan Richard Davies, CEO at Allica Bank. 

Davies has served on the boards of four of the UK’s six fastest growing fintech unicorns, bringing extensive high growth leadership experience. 

Under Davies’ leadership, Allica Bank was named the fastest growing technology company in the UK in both 2023 and 2024 in the Deloitte Fast 50, and the second fastest growing company in Europe by the Financial Times in 2025.  

Before joining Allica, Davies served as Group COO at Revolut, overseeing its expansion from five to 15 million customers and its entry into new markets including Australia, Singapore and the US. During his tenure, Revolut raised $500m in its Series D funding round. 

Davies has also held senior appointments at major banks, including serving as the inaugural CEO at OakNorth Bank, CCO of the UK Commercial Bank at HSBC, and in senior leadership positions at Barclays. 

As a Non-Executive Director, Davies recently spent four years on the group board of Zepz, the global remittance payments fintech, which owns WorldRemit and SendWave. 

Drawing on his high growth fintech experience, Davies will advise on strategy, governance and commercial expansion as Bumper continues to scale across Europe. 

Bumper was recently named in the FT1000: Europe’s Fastest-Growing Companies 2026. The inclusion marks Bumper’s sixth year in a row being recognised as one of the fastest growing businesses in Europe. 

Bumper has ambitious growth plans for the year ahead, including the upcoming launch of its first interest-bearing finance product, PayLonger, in the UK. The product will allow drivers to spread larger car repair bills over a longer period – complementing Bumper’s industry-leading interest-free Buy Now, Pay Later offering. 

James Jackson, CEO and Co-Founder at Bumper, said: “We are delighted to welcome Richard to Bumper’s board. His track record in helping scale some of the UK’s most successful fintech businesses will be invaluable as we continue our rapid growth across Europe. Richard brings deep strategic insight and a proven ability to guide high growth technology companies, and we look forward to benefiting from his experience as we continue to drive innovation across the automotive payments ecosystem.” 

Richard Davies said: “Bumper is scaling rapidly and advancing its position as a key technology partner for automotive retailers. Its powerful platform, innovation capabilities and clear strategic vision make it a compelling business to support as it enters its next phase of growth. I am excited to join the board and look forward to helping accelerate Bumper’s continued impact across the automotive payments landscape.” 

Bumper accelerates growth plans with addition of fintech titan Richard Davies to its board

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