This expansion reflects a growing local demand for sustainable transport and a shift toward technology-led automotive brands. By diversifying its partnerships, the group aims to offer West and East Yorkshire drivers more variety as the industry moves away from traditional petrol and diesel models.

The new Leeds showroom will be located at JCT600 Approved South Leeds and is expected to create six new jobs for the city. Meanwhile, the Hull site at Priory Tec Park in Hessle follows a wider reorganisation of the group’s operations in the area to create a dedicated hub for electric mobility.

Both locations will provide full sales and servicing support for the XPENG G6, an electric SUV known for its intelligent onboard software and energy efficiency. More models from the manufacturer are expected to join the UK lineup later this year as the brand establishes its European footprint.

The move follows the recent opening of a Changan EV dealership and a new used vehicle centre at the same Hull business park earlier this month. These combined investments signal a high level of confidence in the evolving car market across the North of England.

John Tordoff, executive chairman at JCT600, said: “This is an important step in the continued development of our business. Expanding our partnerships with new and innovative EV brands ensures we are well positioned for the future and able to offer customers across Yorkshire greater choice as the market continues to evolve.”

Jonny Miller, XPENG UK sales director, commented: “2026 will be a year of growth for XPENG UK. The new XPENG G6 arrives in showrooms shortly, and we have more exciting new models coming later this year. We are very pleased to appoint JCT600 in Leeds and Hull, signalling our intent to grow our retailer coverage in key locations this year.”

The noodle bar welcomed customers for the first time on Monday 4 August with an opening day event that included 100 free medium Chopstix boxes and 1,000 free spring rolls.

Located on King Edward Street in the city centre, the restaurant seats up to 40 diners and is open every day from 10:30am to 10pm. The launch has also created 25 new jobs in Hull.

Chopstix serves a mix of takeaway favourites such as Sweet & Sour Chicken and Salt ‘N’ Pepper Chicken, along with dishes like Firecracker Chicken with garlic and chilli, Chicken Katsu Curry and the signature Caramel Drizzle Chicken. Customers can eat in, take away or order for delivery through the Chopstix website, app, or platforms including Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat.

Rob Burns, Marketing Director at Chopstix, said: “We’re so thrilled to be bringing some big, bold flavours for the thousands of eager flavour cravers, and bringing Chopstix to Hull. Everywhere we open a new store, we’re always thrilled with the response; so many people are looking for a quick, tasty and affordable option for lunch and on-the-go food that can scratch the itch for those fresh flavours that you get with our food. It’s a really exciting time for our business as a whole, and we’re excited to welcome our Hull fans to the store when we open our doors on the 4th August.”

The opening adds to Chopstix’s growing presence across the UK, as it continues to bring its menu to more city centres.

79 Lowgate, which was built in 1881, is in a prominent position on Guildhall Road overlooking Queens Gardens, and has now been transformed into a modern new office building.

Up to 175 staff in Hull City Council’s social services teams, will now relocate there from Brunswick House on Beverley Road and other local offices, as part of the council’s ambition to bring its staff into one central area known as the Guildhall campus.

The work was carried out by Yorkshire construction firm, Hobson & Porter, which won the contract via the YORBuild2 framework and as part of the procurement process, the contractor was actively involved in developing the design prior to work starting.

Hobson & Porter has now completely refurbished and reconfigured the five-storey building, complete with new staircases, changing rooms, showers and kitchen facilities on every floor. In addition, a new contemporary steel framed glass atrium has been built linking 79 Lowgate to the adjacent Warehouse 8 building.

The building now benefits from wheelchair friendly level access and a new lift has been installed. An original spiral staircase, which is protected by a preservation order and leads up to the building’s iconic turret, has also been restored.

Energy saving initiatives include rooftop solar panels, an energy efficient heating system and intelligent LED lighting. Finally, external improvements have been carried out to both 76 and 78 Lowgate, as well as at Warehouse 8 fronting Queens Gardens.

79 Lowgate was originally the headquarters of wine and spirits merchant Samuel Mason. More recently it was used as the City Record Office by Hull City Council, but has sat empty since 2010, when the archives were transferred to the Hull History Centre.

Paul McKenzie, site manager from Hobson & Porter, who led the 12-month project, said: “The age and condition of 79 Lowgate meant we faced a number of challenges on this project. We needed to work with expert craftspeople to carefully preserve the building’s historic features, whilst combining the latest construction techniques and energy efficient technology, which made it a rare project to work on.

“It’s very rewarding to be able to repurpose a building for the 21^st century, while maintaining all the architectural heritage and elegance that makes 79 Lowgate so special.

“This included everything from restoring the spindles and handrails on the spiral staircase up to the turret, which was originally a lookout for boats coming into Hull loaded with wine and spirits, through to discovering the original cobbled loading bay when we dug down at the rear of the building. We then painstakingly removed and re-laid this to create an interesting feature on the corner of Guildhall Road.

“Ultimately this project has both protected and modernised part of Hull’s history and brought one of the city’s landmarks back to life, as well as creating a state-of-the-art office environment for Hull City Council, so it’s definitely a job that everyone involved can be very proud of.”

Councillor Paul Drake-Davis, portfolio holder for economic and business regeneration at Hull City Council, said: “The investment to restore this historic building will not only make this part of the city look nicer, but it will also see council staff at the heart of the city centre. Hopefully, the restoration will give something back to the local economy that’s been hit so hard in recent years.”