Tim Barnes-Clay
Tim Barnes-Clay is a freelance motoring journalist and broadcaster who covers new cars and brand strategy for Regit, with a particular focus on electric newcomers and executive-led launch coverage. His work links detailed test drives with conversations at manufacturer launch events, giving equal weight to how a vehicle drives and how the brand plans to position it. Across reviews and interviews, he concentrates on the shift to electrification and the way fast-growing manufacturers, including new entrants, are trying to win over buyers.
Car Reviews from Peugeot e-408 to Aston Martin DB12
At Regit, Barnes-Clay produces expert car reviews that range from mass-market models to high-performance sports cars. Recent pieces include an in-depth review of the Peugeot e-408, where he examines value for money, battery capacity, driving range and charging speed alongside day-to-day usability.
He applies the same structured approach to cars such as the Hyundai Bayon, Chery Tiggo 8 and MG IM6, analysing powertrains, efficiency, practicality and pricing in clear, concise language. His review of the Aston Martin DB12 shows he treats prestige models with the same methodical attention to performance, comfort and purpose as more accessible vehicles, rather than as lifestyle objects.
Across these reviews his distinguishing trait is consistency: each article translates technical specifications and launch claims into concrete benefits and trade-offs for drivers.
Interviews with Leaders of Fast-Growing Brands
Barnes-Clay also writes interview-led features that centre on senior figures at automotive brands. In his coverage of Zeekr, he sits down with Zeekr Europe chief executive Lothar Schupet to explore premium positioning, competition with established players and the company’s plans for rapid expansion. He conducts a similar conversation with Alpine executive Bruno Hohmann around the launch of the A390 GTS, focusing on the marque’s heritage, its electric future and how a family performance car should be defined.
His BYD coverage includes interviews with Bono Ge and Steve Beattie, where he probes BYD’s rise from battery maker to automotive brand, the role of plug-in hybrids and the company’s growth plans in the UK. He brings the same approach to Leapmotor and Xpeng, using Q&A formats to draw out pricing strategies, range solutions and market-entry tactics.
These pieces are characterised by direct questions about product, powertrain and customer appeal, rather than broader corporate messaging.
Focus on Electric Vehicles and New Entrants
A recurring strand in Barnes-Clay’s work is the coverage of electric vehicles and new-market brands. His reviews of the Peugeot e-408 and Chery Tiggo 8, and his articles on models like the BYD Atto 2 DM-i and Xpeng L03, show a repeated emphasis on battery size, real-world range, charging capabilities and hybrid systems.
He writes repeatedly about Chinese and other newcomer marques, including BYD, Leapmotor, Xpeng, Zeekr and Chery, treating them as mainstream contenders rather than curiosities. In interviews he asks executives to address concerns around range, charging infrastructure and pricing, while in reviews he tests whether launch promises hold up on the road.
This combination of technical scrutiny and strategic questioning gives his electric-vehicle coverage a distinct edge over routine launch write-ups.
Launch Events and Regit Role
Barnes-Clay frequently reports from manufacturer media launches, using first-drive access and direct conversations with product managers to shape his stories. At events for cars such as the Leapmotor B03X, Alpine A390 GTS and Volkswagen Transporter Sportline, he blends driving impressions with detailed discussion of trim levels, performance figures and forthcoming variants, including hybrid and fully electric versions. His role at Regit is long-standing, and he has been contributing car reviews and news features to the masthead since 2017. Away from Regit, he has written for major outlets such as British GQ, extending his motoring coverage beyond one platform while continuing to focus on cars and the culture around them.
Taken together, his portfolio positions him as a specialist on new-model launches and the strategies of brands pushing into electric and premium segments.
4 more automobile journalists.
Adrian Leung
Adrian Leung is a writer at Car News China who applies an electrical and computer engineering background to technically dense coverage of China’s fast-moving electric vehicle market. He focuses on new-energy models, from mainstream family EVs to concept cars, explaining battery systems, drivetrains, and on-board technology with clear numbers and straightforward descriptions. His Sunday China Drive columns look at how specific models fit real-world motoring and household budgets, balancing space, comfort, and affordability. Across launch and revision stories, he tracks BEV and EREV variants, exact dates, horsepower, range, and pricing to show where each EV sits in the broader market. He brings the same detailed focus to concept vehicles, using battery and range data plus component-level and chassis detail to treat them as complete engineering objects.
Alan Dowds
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Alan Feldberg
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Alastair Crooks
Alastair Crooks is a senior news reporter at Auto Express who covers both new cars and the infrastructure that will support them, tying factory-scale developments to driveway-level reviews. He focuses on electric cars, mainstream launches and UK pricing, reporting on new and electrified models entering the market, their spec, positioning and what they change for buyers. His road tests of SUVs and saloons assess ride, range, interior space, value and running costs, with clear, sometimes blunt verdicts backed by specifics rather than general impressions. He writes news, reviews, features and occasional opinion columns on driving behaviour and in-car tech, drawing on his background as a car salesman, his degree in journalism and his enthusiast experience at car shows and track days. Some of his work also appears in magazine-style formats.