Paul Barker on Muck Rack

Paul Barker

Verified
United Kingdom
As seen in: Auto Express, CSO, Law360, carwow, Carbuyer, Public Utilities Fortnightly, Gear Open, Automotive Daily, RYE NEWS, Company Car Today
Editor of the rather excellent magazine Company Car Today companycartoday.co.uk though these opinions are obviously my own etc etc etc.
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work. Claim your profile
Back to Paul Barker’s profile

Articles by Paul Barker

Electric car charging costs review launched by government

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| Gear Open
The Government has launched its promised review into the cost of public charging for electric vehicles, addressing one of the key stumbling blocks for EV adoption. Rising charge costs for anyone not able to plug in at home are increasingly cited as a blocker, with ChargeUK reporting a 38 per cent rise in public cost since 2021.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Dash cams and motorhomes will now help judge UK inflation

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
Car dash cams have been elevated to household favourite status, after the Office for National Statistics added both the in-car camera tech and motorhomes to the basket of 760 items used to assess inflation via the Consumer Prices Index.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

The rise of over-the-air updates means car touchscreens are here to stay

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
A chat with some Volvo software experts last week opened up a new dimension to the modern car touchscreen debate. As someone firmly in the camp of screens having gone way too far in terms of controlling the most basic of functions, I’m a big advocate for the return of the humble button. Being able to change temperature, volume, seat heater or other functions by feel alone when behind the wheel was a pleasure that I never appreciated while we had it.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

New Volvo EX60 ride review: comfort, safety and quality, this EV has it all

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
First impressions suggest that Volvo’s confidence the EX60 will do big things for the brand is well placed. It improves on all the things the manufacturer is good at, including comfort, safety and quality. Add in new highs for range and charging speed and you’ve got a pretty compelling package. We’ll look forward to seeing if the Volvo EX60 follows through from behind the wheel.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Volvo reinvents the seat belt using new tech with “infinite” possibilities | Auto Express

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
Volvo is launching another boost to its stellar safety reputation, with world-first tech designed to slash injuries from seatbelts in accidents. The introduction of “infinite” settings for its seat belt pre-tensioners later this year is designed to protect occupants of all shapes and sizes from injuries like broken collarbones.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

No BMW iX4 or Audi Q6 rival for Volvo, EX60 isn't taking the coupe route | Auto Express

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
Volvo has rejected the idea of a rival to the BMW iX4 and Audi Q6 Sportback, with the new Volvo EX60 mid-size premium SUV instead spawning a more rugged Cross Country variant next year. The brand’s product line owner for 60-branded vehicles, Akhil Krishnan told Auto Express that while the capability is there in the platform to build a coupe model, “it is not in the plan yet”.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

New Subaru EV with Impreza spirit: brand's electric car plan explained

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
Subaru is looking to “reignite old passions” with a new halo model among seven fresh electric cars coming to the UK by the end of 2028. The brand, famous for its performance saloons and rally cars in the late nineties and early 2000s, is aiming to instil some of that sporting dynamic into its electric vehicles to rebuild enthusiasm for the niche badge.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

New Polestar 2 set for 2027 launch: young buyers targeted with EV hatch developed at “China speed”

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
An all-new Polestar 2 will be revealed in less than 12 months from now, with the Swedish brand claiming to have created the car at “China speed”, going from sign-off to development to market in a target of 30 months. The new car, which you can see in the teaser image above, will adopt a bolder and squarer version of the dual-blade headlamp design seen on the Polestar 4 and 5 models. It will be unveiled at the beginning of 2027 before reaching UK customers around mid-year.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Polestar 4 goes practical! The radical coupe-SUV with no rear window gets a sensible estate sibling | Auto Express

|
By Paul Barker Verified
Polestar’s biggest-selling model is going sensible on us, the coupe SUV Polestar 4 is being joined by a more practical estate-cum-SUV bodystyle designed to tap into the world’s love of Swedish load-luggers. Although the big news is always at the rear of estate cars, it’s especially true in this case because the teaser shot released by Polestar seems to show that the new addition, due to be revealed this summer before hitting roads by the end of the year, has a glass rear window.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

It’s time to be clear and honest about battery health on used electric cars

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
It feels increasingly like the key to the whole electric car market is getting sales of used EVs fired up, and that made me think about how to encourage second-hand buyers to look more closely at moving to EVs. We all know that, for now at least, you need to be able to home-charge for EVs to make sense, but as long as you can, a recent chat with Polestar’s UK boss, Matt Galvin, drummed home an important point.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Chinese cars are reshaping the UK market, and it’s all down to some incredibly low prices

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
It’s been another landmark week for the Chinese car brands in the UK market, as their relentless march continues. First, sales numbers. In the January new-car sales figures, brands that weren’t even selling cars here little more than two years ago – BYD, Chery, Omoda, Jaecoo and Leapmotor – now account for around 10 per cent of new-car registrations. Bundle closely related siblings Chery, Jaecoo and Omoda together, and only Kia and Volkswagen outsold them – which defies conventional wisdom.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Driving a convertible car is one of the joys of life, even in the UK

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
We Brits can be a bit of a strange bunch with our car choices. Just look at the number of small sports car firms that have come and gone over the years as an example of our love of an oddity and willingness to embrace something different, fun and slightly illogical. For a country so obsessed with how bad the weather is, we have historically bought a frankly absurd number of convertibles.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

UK roads are no longer among the safest so the Road Safety Strategy was long overdue

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
The Department for Transport’s long-awaited Road Safety Strategy was finally published last week: 60 pages sprawling into many areas of drivers’ lives, with the noble and necessary goal of making a dent in the 1,600 people killed and 27,865 people seriously injured on our roads in 2024. The UK has vacated its podium place among Europe’s top countries for road safety in recent years, with 22 states having done a better job of reducing casualties over the past decade.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Polestar calls for used electric car grants to add a spark to the market

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
The Government is missing a “big opportunity” to boost demand for electric vehicles by not offering grants to used EV buyers, according to Polestar’s UK managing director Matt Galvin, who said manufacturers are “not really being listened to” by decision-makers. ”It’s a really big missed opportunity,” Galvin told Auto Express.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

What do car journalists drive? The cars our experts spent their own cash on

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
Here at Auto Express we pride ourselves on the sheer variety of cars we cover - from superminis to supercars. The cars we run at home are almost as varied (supercars aside, sadly), so here’s where we’ve put our money. The ages of our cars are fairly broad, from a classic of the seventies to a two-year-old EV. Many are tasked with different duties, too, from carting around dogs to thrilling us on B-road blasts. A balance of head and heart has gone into each purchase.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

2026 is the year people really start to care about Chinese cars

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
Is 2026 the time people start to actually care about Chinese cars? That sounds a bit odd when we’re looking back on a year where BYD registered more cars than MINI, Tesla or Mazda, Jaecoo jumped ahead of Honda and SEAT, and Omoda shifted more metal than Suzuki. But how much do those buyers actually care about the badge on the front of the car? At the moment too many Chinese brands are basically interchangeable anonymous SUVs loaded with tech and priced very attractively.
Open in Who Shared View Duplicates (2) Issue with article?

Jaguar had lost the battle with BMW, Audi and Mercedes, it needed to do something bold

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
Sometimes in this job you have moments that feel special, and a big one came this week when Auto Express was invited into the secret take-your-phone-away bit of Jaguar’s HQ. It was in the wake of a flurry of publicity around the sudden departure of Gerry McGovern, the head of design credited with responsibility for the new direction that caused controversy when the Type 00 concept car was revealed last year.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

We tried Jaguar's leap-of-faith luxury GT coupe, and the big cat's made a soft landing | Auto Express

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
Jaguar isn’t trying to make a sports car, but a comfortable, long-distance, high-performance GT. It’s still early days, but from our experience over several miles of challenging test track, there are definite reasons to be positive. Jaguar’s future starts here. Which is why Auto Express was invited into the inner sanctum of its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, for a passenger ride in one of next year’s most important new cars, the £120,000, 1,000bhp four-door GT.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Return of the Picasso! Radical Citroen ELO concept hints at next-gen MPV

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
Citroen has revealed a cheeky people-carrier concept that hints at a new generation of practical small cars with clever interior space. The Citroen ELO concept, which takes its name in a rather contrived way from the second letter of the words rest, play and work, is only slightly longer than the latest C3 supermini, but has a McLaren F1-style central driver’s seat for a spacious, commanding driving position.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

New Nissan Micra is only the start of ‘bold and impactful’ design future

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
Nissan is pledging to be “bold and impactful” with its future design direction, with the vice president of Nissan Design Europe Giovanny Arroba telling Auto Express that it’s time for the brand to be a “leader” again. Having worked for Nissan since 2000, Arroba said he has; “ a similar feeling to when I started in the company, where we have to be bold and impactful to be a leader in the market”.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Stop comparing EV charging times to petrol fill-ups, they're already quick enough

|
By Paul Barker Verified
How fast do you need to be able to charge an electric car? Is charging quickly necessary, and how often would you actually need an EV that can charge in the time it takes to refuel a petrol car? Or will we accept that different tech means a different way of life? Because owning an electric car IS different.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Hyundai’s EV holy grail is the 3-minute battery charge | Auto Express

|
By Paul Barker Verified
Electric vehicle charge speed has to keep developing until it matches the time needed to refuel a petrol car, even if only to give drivers reassurance rather than because they actually need the functionality. That’s according to the boss of Hyundai’s new European development centre, Tyrone Johnson. “The expectation from customers is that it will take three minutes to fill a car, the same as it does with an internal-combustion engine,” Johnson told Auto Express.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

New Vauxhall Frontera Electric 2025 review: adequate SUV is saved by its price

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
The entry-level Vauxhall Frontera Electric offers impressive space and equipment for the money, especially with the Government grant, although you can see where cost has been taken out. The driving experience is adequate, and range really isn’t great, but the biggest strength is its keen pricing. The fashion of reviving old brand names reached the Vauxhall Frontera this year –  formerly a chunky and slightly crude off-roader sold through the 1990s and beyond.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Vauxhall needs to be bold and exciting if it's to survive

|
By Paul Barker Verified
Vauxhall seems to be entering a pivotal period that could dictate the long-term future of the British (though not British-owned) brand one way or the other. The well documented rise of Chinese entrants to the new-car market is squeezing the mainstream in particular, although Vauxhall is so-far seemingly more resilient than some. While the market was up 4.3 per cent over the first nine months of this year, Vauxhall is slightly ahead at 4.8 per cent, with more than 66,000 cars registered.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Toyota’s latest EV has almost 400 miles of range, but the CH-R+ is far from perfect | Auto Express

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
While the Toyota C-HR+ might lack a stand-out reason to put it top of the class, it offers a tidy driving experience, has a very strong range figure, decent interior quality and looks smart enough without grabbing attention too much. It’s not the cheapest in the class and neither rear space and comfort or interior stowage are impressive, but it’s a very solid and sensible choice.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Manufacturers aren’t selling enough electric cars, and that’s excellent news for buyers

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
As we head into the final quarter of 2025, some brands will be eyeing their electric-vehicle sales and how close they are to Government targets. And that means there should be some enticing deals around. For every main car company, 28 per cent of its UK sales in 2025 have to be EVs to avoid hefty fines. But over the first eight months of the year, the actual figure was well off the target, at 21.9 per cent.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

The Dacia Hipster concept could be the small EV we need

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
It makes perfect sense that Dacia is the first brand to come up with an interesting and tangible take on what could be the next big breakthrough in small cars – the £13k EV. The company most well known for affordable small models and, lately, increasingly larger ones, is a firm Auto Express favourite for its ability to offer appealing options for those on a budget. As such, its latest concept – the Hipster – is one that should be taken seriously.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

New Jaecoo 5 2025 review: latest Chinese SUV majors in space and value

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
The Jaecoo 5 should, and likely will, find love from the kind of buyer that appreciates the equipment and space it offers for the money. Both are top-notch, while the interior quality and tech are at a higher level than you’d expect at this price point. But the driving experience, especially the petrol engine, really lets things down in terms of performance, refinement and efficiency, which is where the top European competition such as the Skoda Kamiq and the Nissan Juke, offer better options.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

If we don't have more traffic police, driving in Britain is going to get even worse

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
The revelation that road policing numbers are at a 10-year low may not be a surprise, but it should concern all law-abiding motorists. The scourge of our roads are the people who think that the rules don’t apply to them. I’m not talking about doing 75mph or 80mph on the motorway – although that is, of course, against the law and therefore wrong – but those who don’t have insurance, a roadworthy vehicle or even a licence.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Is this the new Peugeot 208? Polygon Concept ready to drop major hints on new supermini

|
By Paul Barker Verified
Peugeot has given a huge hint to what its next-generation 208 hatchback will look like with the striking Polygon Concept. Revealed in this single teaser image ahead of a full unveiling on 12 November, the car brings Peugeot’s steer-by-wire Hypersquare technology closer to production, with the squared steering wheel clearly visible through the huge windscreen. According to Peugeot, the concept has a “feline futuristic design” and demonstrates the brand’s vision of the future.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

A full transition to electric cars isn't going to be easy

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
A couple of things have surfaced recently that illustrate just how hard the full transition to electric cars is going to be. Firstly, anyone who wants to tow is going to have a bit of a nightmare. Think back to the summer and the number of caravans on the road, and you’ll understand the scale of the problem if they all have to charge every 100 miles or so.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Red hot new Subaru EV to reignite Impreza spirit

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
Subaru is looking to “reignite old passions” with a new halo model among seven fresh electric cars coming to the UK by the end of 2028. The brand, famous for its performance saloons and rally cars in the late nineties and early 2000s, is aiming to instil some of that sporting dynamic into its electric vehicles to rebuild enthusiasm for the niche badge.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Το Hyundai Concept THREE θα μπορούσε να καταργήσει μια για πάντα την οθόνη αφής

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| motorone.gr
Η Hyundai πιθανότατα θα είναι ένας από τους πρώτους κατασκευαστές που θα αρχίσει να εγκαταλείπει τις οθόνες αφής στα αυτοκίνητά της, καθώς το τελευταίο της πρωτότυπο, το Concept THREE θα σηματοδοτήσει την απομάκρυνση από τα βασικά χειριστήρια αφής και φωνητικών εντολών, στα μελλοντικά αυτοκίνητα παραγωγής. Το Concept ΤHREE διαθέτει μια σειρά από widget τα οποία, όπως και στις κινητές συσκευές, προσαρμόζονται στις ανάγκες του χρήστη.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Talking to you car? Mercedes agentic AI is coming and it wants to have a chat

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
The changes in how drivers interact with their cars are going to be “mind-blowing” thanks to the impact of AI and how it integrates with the new breed of so-called software-defined vehicles, according to Mercedes' chief software officer Magnus Ostberg.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Hyundai Concept Three could kill the touchscreen once and for all

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
Hyundai could be one of the first manufacturers to wean itself off increasing touchscreen dependence, with its latest Concept Three show car signalling its future production car development and a move away from touch and voice-activated core controls.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

A new breed of EVs? EU paves the way for small, affordable electric cars

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
The European Union has signalled its intentions to help introduce a new breed of more affordable electric vehicles by announcing it will work with car makers on a scheme to help develop cheaper models.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Trip to France shows how horribly UK drivers are treated

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
Summer holiday season meant I recently spent a couple of weeks in France, and the difference in how drivers there are treated, and how they act, was stark. I’ll start with where they get it right, and the big one is parking. Out and about every day, from town to beach to shopping centre, we didn’t have to pay for parking once. Head down to Camber Sands in East Sussex on the south coast of England for more than three hours and you’re looking at £24.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

People love hot hatches and Hyundai isn't about to disappoint them | Auto Express

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
Hyundai has hinted that a hot Ioniq 3 N is in the pipeline, with the Concept Three, revealed at the Munich Motor Show this week, containing several thinly veiled hints about the car’s future. “The concept is quite sporty, and obviously you have heritage with N brand,” Hyundai’s European boss Xavier Martinet told Auto Express.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Sexy new Renault Clio cranks up the old va va voom

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
The new Renault Clio has a tough act to follow, but the 2027 arrival of an angular new model looks well-placed to continue the success of the small hatch, which is still Europe’s best-selling car in 2025, despite its advancing years.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

New Mercedes C-Class: is this the biggest, brightest grille of them all? | Auto Express

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
The new Mercedes GLC was no one-off flash in the pan it seems, with the firm confirming its bold new front-end lighting signature will also sit proud on the next-generation Mercedes C-Class saloon when it launches next year. The shadowy teaser picture reveals the shape of the forthcoming C-Class with EQ Technologies, which will be built on the new Mercedes-Benz Electric Architecture (MB.EA) platform.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Best Practices for Cased Transmission Foundations

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| Public Utilities Fortnightly Verified
Burns & McDonnell held its Transmission Symposium with the theme, Power Progress, at its World Headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri from April 29 - May 1. The informative symposium focused on exploring challenges, regulations, trends, and innovative ideas in the electrical transmission industry. Because there are few industry-level opportunities to explore the details of electrical transmission, this symposium provided opportunities to discuss and learn from practical experience.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

The Electric Car Grant has shot the UK car industry in the foot

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
Talk about a great way to ruin good news. With electric car take-up growing far more slowly than required to hit the Government’s ZEV mandate targets, the car industry has been crying out for incentives to help boost interest in what is still very much new tech to most drivers.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Toyota GR Corolla hot hatch is on the way to the UK

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
Toyota is lining up its rally-bred GR Corolla for UK launch in the next 18 months, with the four-wheel drive hot hatch expected to join the much-lauded GR Yaris on UK roads. The Japanese brand has previously confirmed that the 296bhp Corolla will enter production at Toyota's UK plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire next year to help address lengthy global waiting lists, but is yet to say that the car, currently built only at a single factory in Japan, will be sold in Europe.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Why is the UK Government funding this futuristic tiny Toyota? | Auto Express

|
By Richard Ingram Verified, Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
Toyota is edging ever closer to revealing a production version of its FT-Me concept, thanks to newly announced UK government funding. The undisclosed sum will accelerate the “feasibility study for a lightweight battery-electric vehicle”, which will be led by Toyota Manufacturing UK in Derby. The study will feature a consortium of partners including ELM Mobility Ltd – a designer and producer of purpose-designed, last-mile urban delivery vehicles.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

New Toyota C-HR+ expands brand’s all-electric line up, going on sale from £34,495

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
It’s been a busy year for Toyota, away from the crazy GR GT supercar there has been plenty of family-oriented new metal like the Urban Cruiser, updated bZ4X and the all-electric C-HR+ arriving on the scene. The pricing for the latter car has just been announced. On sale from 6 January, the new C-HR+ shares almost nothing bar its name with the hybrid and plug-in hybrid C-HR. It gives Toyota a foothold in the electric C-segment SUV market against the Skoda Elroq, Kia EV3 and Renault Scenic.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

New all-electric Toyota C-HR+ revealed to challenge the Renault Scenic

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| shorturl.at
The final model in a hat-trick of electric Toyotas has been unveiled, with the C-HR+ slotting in between the forthcoming Urban Cruiser and updated bZ4X. Sharing almost nothing bar the name with the popular hybrid and plug-in hybrid C-HR, despite the similar coupé-like silhouette, the Toyota C-HR+ will arrive in the UK late this year with a pair of battery options and three power levels, stretching from 165bhp all the way up to 338bhp in the range-topping all-wheel-drive car.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

Dacia’s baby EV due in 16 months with a tiny £15k price tag

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| shorturl.at
Budget brand Dacia will launch a new £15k small electric car next summer, with Renault Group boss Luca de Meo confirming that the car will be built in Europe on the same platform as the new Renault Twingo. De Meo claimed the car will be developed in just 16 months, beating the 21 months that it’ll take the Twingo to go from green light to production.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

BYD Dolphin Review 2025 | Performance & Pricing

|
By Paul Barker Verified, Mat Watson
| carwow
The Dolphin is a well-priced, well-equipped and practical electric hatchback, although you don’t get auto wipers and some of the interior materials aren’t quite as soft-touch as they look Buy or lease the BYD Dolphin at a price you’ll love We take the hassle and haggle out of car buying by finding you great deals from local and national dealers RRP £26,195 - £31,695 Avg.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?

New Jaguar Type 00 concept revealed as British brand pushes towards a luxury EV future

|
By Paul Barker Verified
| shorturl.at
Jaguar’s future is finally clearer after the British brand unveiled the Type 00 concept car at Miami Art Week. After weeks of controversy surrounding its rebranding, new direction and new logos, Jaguar will be hoping that the reveal of the Type 00 will shift the focus back on to its plans to transition to an all-electric luxury car manufacturer.
Open in Who Shared View Duplicates (2) Issue with article?

Groundbreaking new Jaguar GT: huge price, power and plans for the 4-door EV revealed

|
By Ellis Hyde Verified, Paul Barker Verified
| buff.ly
The courageous new dawn for Jaguar grows nearer as its groundbreaking four-door GT will finally be revealed to the world in the summer of 2026, Auto Express can confirm, but before then our exclusive image offers a sneak peek at what the era-defining EV will look like. The car may not have been revealed in 2025, as was originally intended, but Jaguar’s new beginning continues to rapidly gather pace.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?
Show More
 •  Privacy  •  Terms  •  Security and Legal  •   •   •   • 

© 2026 Muck Rack

SOC 2® Certified