Alastair Shephard

Content Writer

Annabelle Clarke

PR Manager

Annabelle Clarke | Author

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

Octopus Energy and Andersen EV have partnered to give drivers six months of free home EV charging. 

Delivered through Octopus Energy’s Intelligent Octopus Go tariff, the offer applies to anyone purchasing an Andersen charger from 1 March 2026. 

The offer could save EV drivers around 4,370 miles of free driving during the six-month period – the equivalent to an estimated £221 in savings. 

Octopus Energy’s smart EV tariff takes advantage of off-peak rates and renewable-led off-peak electricity. 

The launch aligns with the March ‘26 registration plate change to support new EV owners setting up home charging for the first time. 

The promotion covers Andersen EV’s full charger lineup, including Andersen A3, Andersen A2, and Andersen Quartz (compact model). 

Richard Sephton, Head of EV Partnerships at Octopus Energy, said: "Andersen is accelerating the EV transition by bundling the cost-saving power of Intelligent Octopus Go into its charger range.  

“By offering this as a bundled solution, EV drivers will unlock hundreds of pounds in annual savings that smart tariffs provide, delivering a premium charging experience that pays for itself." 

The news follows a promotion by the government to 

increase EV charger grants from £350 to £500

 covering almost of the cost of a typical installation. 

UK energy provider announces 6 months of free EV charging

Rising car maintenance costs are leaving workshops with a growing volume of partially completed safety-critical repairs, according to 

Bumper’s Automotive Aftersales Report 2025/26

Analysis from AutoBI, Bumper’s business intelligence arm, shows that in 70% of vehicle health checks (VHCs) where ‘red’ safety critical issues were identified, drivers did not authorise all of the urgent items recommended by the technician. The pattern points to a widening conversion rate challenge for franchised retailers as motorists manage shrinking household budgets. 

The report reveals the average repair bill has climbed to £597.48, the highest in five years and up 26% since 2021.  

With nearly half of motorists (47%) saying the cost of living is affecting their ability to maintain their car, 47% of affected drivers are choosing not to approve advisory (‘amber’) VHC items. Meanwhile, 38% of affected drivers are delaying recommended repairs, and 21% are skipping scheduled services, creating significant challenges for workshop conversion rates. 

Among drivers who declined urgent (‘red’) work this year, 46% said they couldn’t afford it and 33% said the work itself was too expensive. 

With more cost-pressured drivers keeping cars longer (91%) and shifting towards independents for lower-cost work (59%), the pressure on dealership aftersales retention continues to intensify. 

“Cost is still a critical decision factor for motorists and it’s worrying that so many drivers are having to leave urgent repairs unfinished because of affordability concerns,” said Jack Allman, CCO and Co-Founder at Bumper.  

“These figures underline the need for greater support to help drivers manage repair costs and get back on the road as swiftly and safely as possible. Dealerships must continue to balance competitive pricing with value-led propositions, transparent cost structures and flexible payment options to help drivers say yes to necessary work.” 

Most drivers leave workshops with urgent repairs incomplete as affordability pressures persist, Bumper report reveals

Most drivers leave workshops with urgent repairs incomplete as affordability pressures persist

The government has announced an increase in its EV charge point grant for renters, flat owners, businesses and households without a driveway. 

Until March 2027, drivers could save half the typical cost of an EV charger installation with the government’s grant, which has now increased from £350 to £500. 

The change will allow EV owners to access cheaper electricity rates at home or at work for as little as 2p per mile – the equivalent of Birmingham to London for £3.50. 

Increased access to charging at homes and businesses is part of a wider plan to gear drivers up for the upcoming “EV revolution”.  

The latest figures show access to domestic charging can save EV owners up to £1,400, compared with standard petrol vehicles. 

Schools will be eligible for a grant of up to £2,000 per socket, helping to build on the 3,700 sockets already installed. 

Another government scheme aimed at increasing adoption, the £2 million Electric Car Grant, has previously helped 55,000 drivers save thousands when purchasing a new electric vehicle. 

Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation Minister, Keir Mather said:  

“We’re taking action to make EV ownership the affordable choice for everyone – not just those with driveways. Bigger grants mean families, flat owners, renters and small businesses can now install a charger for almost half the usual cost, with home charging costing as little as 2p a mile. 

“Combined with our Electric Car Grant which has saved over 55,000 drivers thousands off the price of a new EV whilst boosting sales for carmakers, and record funding for our national public charging network, we’re backing the EV revolution for drivers, businesses, and industry.” 

Drivers could save half the cost of EV charger installation with new government grant boost

Grant boost could save half the cost of EV charger install

FT1000: Europe’s Fastest-Growing Companies 2026

The automotive fintech ranks at number 36 in the Fintech, Financial Services & Insurance category of the Financial Times’ prestigious list of Europe’s fastest-growing companies – and number 328 overall.

The inclusion comes after a year of impressive growth for Bumper, which last year expanded its suite of payment products with the launch of the UK’s first payments orchestration platform built for automotive, 

. Bumper Pro enables dealerships to combine in-store and online payments into a single platform – simplifying payments management, lowering costs and giving clearer visibility into sales and aftersales performance.

James Jackson, CEO and Co-Founder at Bumper

, said: “It’s an honour to be listed in the FT1000 for the sixth year in a row. The ranking follows another remarkable year of growth for Bumper – we surpassed £1.5bn in GMV, raised a further £8 million in funding and launched our new payments orchestration platform, Bumper Pro. We have ambitious plans for the year ahead and look forward to supporting even more dealerships to drive operational efficiency and reduce financial friction for their customers.”

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