Techwatch: Interesting developments for UK motor retailing

The monthly Techwatch feature by Automotive Management outlines some of the last month's highlights in motor retail technological developments.

By Alex Wright

Carwow Group has launched a new ‘Find a Car’ service on Auto Express that gives retailers, brands and leasing firms instant access to millions of more high-intent new and used car buyers.

The service, powered by Carwow, enables in-market buyers to discover, research and secure their next car within the newly-rebranded Auto Express website, which reaches more than 44 million unique visitors each year. Any new and used cars advertised on Carwow will now be automatically promoted to Auto Express customers, providing access to an additional, large and highly-engaged audience. 

For car brands, the new service will also provide access to innovative integrated advertising and e-commerce solutions hosted on Auto Express, helping them engage with millions more consumers throughout the car-changing funnel. 

This latest offering by the Carwow Group complements the recently-launched Auto Express ‘Sell my Car’ service, through which all cars listed by private sellers are now being displayed in Carwow’s daily online auctions for retailers. 

John Veichmanis, chief executive officer at Carwow, said: “Auto Express is the UK’s largest weekly automotive publication and one of the leading sources for news and reviews. This launch further enhances our ability to connect retailers and brands with millions of high-quality customers throughout their car-changing journey.

“Around 80% of the audience is unique to Auto Express versus Carwow. When combined with the Carwow audience, it extends the reach for our retailer and brand partners to almost seven million unique users per month. Following our recent ‘car-changing is life-changing’ brand campaign and the September plate-change campaign, it underlines how we are investing in reaching new and broader audiences.” 

Cap HPI has re-engineered its National Mileage Register (NMR) investigation process to provide a faster and more efficient service for dealerships that will help protect car buyers from mileage tampering, or “clocking”.

Cap HPI’s enhanced service now integrates 500 million records from more than 20 industry sources, including the DVLA, insurance claims, V5 documents and leasing companies, to provide a comprehensive defence against fraudulent activity.

The service, part of the HPI Check, can help identify and address potential mileage tampering in vehicles, enabling dealers to comply with legal obligations and to protect buyers.

John Dennis, UK sales director at Cap HPI, said: “The new approach is faster and more reliable than the previous process. It also gives users clearer data, helping them evaluate and manage risk. By saving dealers time and money through increased efficiency, we’ve created a service that supports both compliance and operational goals.”

The re-engineered NMR service compares a vehicle’s current mileage against the NMR database to verify accuracy. Developed in partnership with Trading Standards, the process ensures recorded mileage reflects the true distance travelled based on available data.

Trading Standards advises dealers to supplement the NMR check with additional diligence, such as obtaining a signed mileage declaration from the current owner; carrying out a physical inspection of the vehicle to confirm its condition aligns with the recorded mileage; and reviewing its MOT and service history.

Hyundai luxury brand Genesis is testing 48-volt Metal-Coated Heated Glass, to improve winter driving safety and support the evolution of autonomous vehicles.

The technology, which rapidly clears frost and moisture from windscreens, has been designed to make winter motoring safer and more efficient. Genesis’ Metal-Coated Heated Glass can clear 100% of frost within just five minutes, even in sub-zero temperatures as low as -18°C - a threefold improvement over conventional systems, which can take 15 minutes or longer.

A dedicated 48-volt system, designed exclusively for the windscreen defrosting and demisting functions, converts energy from the vehicle’s 800-volt electrical system. The technology passes current through a transparent, 20-layer metal coating applied to the windscreen.

Modern vehicles rely on sensors embedded in windscreens to collect key data for autonomous systems, including cameras, radar and LiDAR. But frost, ice or condensation can compromise these systems, jeopardising their reliability.

By ensuring a consistently clean and clear windscreen surface, Genesis’ innovative technology guarantees optimal performance for autonomous vehicle sensors, creating safer and more dependable conditions for self-driving cars.

The technology also delivers a solar reflection function, blocking at least 60% of total solar energy and, therefore, helps reduce cabin temperatures by 2-3°C during hot summer months.

In addition to defrosting efficiency, Metal-Coated Heated Glass eliminates the need for visible tungsten wires often found in traditional heated windscreens, which can obstruct the driver’s view, crucial for head-up displays and emerging augmented reality navigation systems.

“Genesis cars are designed to make journeys as easy and comfortable as possible all year round, but safety and convenience become paramount in colder temperatures,” said Tyrone Johnson, managing director of Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Centre. “After being the first to introduce facial recognition technology on the Genesis GV60 last year, we’re proud to be showcasing another technological innovation with Metal-Coated Heated Glass, designed to efficiently and effortlessly deal with cold conditions for our customers.”

Already tested on its electric GV70 and GV60 models, Genesis has yet to confirm the timeline for introducing Metal-Coated Heated Glass into its production vehicles. Hyundai Motor Group has filed patents for the technology across major global markets, ensuring its readiness for future applications.