Charlie plays a key role in setting the news agenda for the automotive industry.
He regularly features in Autocar’s traditional news pages, covering the new car launches and technological developments poised to reshape the industry in the coming years.
He joined Autocar in July 2022 after a nine-month stint as an apprentice with sister publication, What Car?. He's contributed to The Intercooler, and placed second in Hagerty’s 2019 Young Writer competition with a MG Metro 6R4 feature.
Before he joined the automotive media, Charlie studied History at the University of Winchester, where he specialised in the impact of more accessible mobility on 20th Century Europe.
Charlie is an expert in:
- The UK’s car industry
- Electrification and alternative fuels
- Learning to drive
- New car news
- Electric car news
- Start-up news
Charlie Martin Q&A
What was your biggest news story?
I was proud to be among the first to notice that the EU’s proposed legislation banning sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035 – as it read in February 2023, before e-fuels took hold of the news agenda – included an exemption for low-volume manufacturers. I was soon on the phone to some of the UK’s most influential marques (Ariel, BAC and Morgan, to name a few) about the lifeline they had been given and my reporting was quickly circulated among the wider automotive media; a real moment of personal pride.
What’s the best car you’ve ever driven?
My Fiat Panda 100HP. It’s perfectly proportioned for the cut and thrust of traffic in suburban London, where even a Ford Focus can feel ungainly; with a revvy 1.4-litre four-pot that makes much fuss at entirely safe and sensible speeds. Sport mode amplifies the fun by forcing you to keep the rev counter on the boil – drop below 2500rpm and the whole car bucks like it’s about to stall.
What will the car industry look like in 20 years?
It would be great if public transport provisions massively improved, freeing the roads of traffic for those who actively want to drive. As for those of us who are enthusiastic drivers, I imagine that the majority of us will be behind the wheel of comfortable, short-range city cars for daily use, with a classic oil-burner tucked away for the weekends. This might be run on less carbon-intensive sustainable fuels, or even on hydrogen, depending on how quickly the renewable energy infrastructure develops. Alternatively, it might be a lightweight electric sports car like the Caterham Project V, but fitted with toys to boost engagement, like Toyota's faux-manual gearbox for EVs.
