HPI
HPI is the UK's leading vehicle history check provider, founded in 1938 and now a Solera subsidiary, offering vehicle checks, valuations, MOT history, and B2B data API services to consumers, car dealers, and automotive platforms across the UK.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1938
- HeadquartersLeeds, United Kingdom
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What HPI does
HPI Ltd. is the UK's longest-running vehicle history check provider, founded in 1938 and now operating as a subsidiary of Solera, the global automotive, home ownership, and digital identity data conglomerate. The company aggregates vehicle data from authoritative UK sources - including the DVLA, Police National Computer, MIAFTR, SMMT, finance houses, and insurers - and combines this with its proprietary National Mileage Register (over 200 million recorded mileage readings) and a database of over 7 million current finance agreements to deliver vehicle checks covering up to 80 data points per vehicle. Core products include the flagship HPI Check (with a £30,000 data guarantee), free supporting tools (Valuation, MOT Check, TCO Calculator, Safety Recall), verification modules (VIN, Logbook, Import/Export), the consumer myhpi app, and a developer-facing Vehicle Data API.
The business operates three distinct go-to-market motions: direct-to-consumer via hpicheck.com (per-transaction report fees), a dedicated trade portal at trade.hpi.co.uk (recurring dealer subscriptions with bulk-check capability), and B2B API partnerships (pay-as-you-go to subscription pricing) with platforms including AA, Confused.com, eBay, Gumtree, What Car?, Shpock, and Carwow. Customer segments span individual car buyers and sellers, automotive dealers (franchise, independent, and car supermarkets), and B2B API partners across marketplaces, insurance, and automotive services. The freemium model (free valuation, MOT history, and TCO tools) drives funnel acquisition, while the paid HPI Check and trade/API subscriptions are the monetized layer. HPI has been recognized as 'Best Car Check Provider' at the Car Dealer Power Awards for ten consecutive years (2013-2023) and merged with CAP Automotive in 2015 to strengthen its valuation capabilities.
HPI firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HPI
- Legal name
- HPI Ltd.
- Website
- https://hpi.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1938
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- HPI is the UK's leading vehicle history check provider, founded in 1938 and now a Solera subsidiary, offering vehicle checks, valuations, MOT history, and B2B data API services to consumers, car dealers, and automotive platforms across the UK.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
HPI industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Automotive Data and Vehicle History Services
- NAICS
- Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Vehicle Inspection, Grading & Condition Reporting Services (TLABAKAE)
Keywords
Where HPI is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Leeds
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
HPI business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- HPI Check Vehicle History Reports: Paid vehicle history check reports sold directly to consumers and trade customers. Report includes stolen check, finance check, write-off check, mileage verification, MOT history, valuation, and up to 80 data points.
- Vehicle Data API Access: B2B API access for developers and automotive businesses with flexible pricing from pay-as-you-go to subscription services for vehicle data integration.
- Trade Customer Accounts: Dedicated trade portal with account management for car dealers and automotive industry professionals requiring bulk vehicle checks.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free valuation with 4 market values |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free MOT History Check |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Total Cost of Ownership Calculator |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | HPI Check paid vehicle history report |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Vehicle Data API |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
HPI product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HPI provides vehicle history checks, valuations, and automotive data services in the UK. The flagship HPI Check aggregates data from the DVLA, Police National Computer, finance companies, insurers, and the proprietary National Mileage Register to produce a single comprehensive vehicle history report containing approximately 80 data points. The company also delivers vehicle valuations, MOT history, total cost of ownership data, safety recall checks, and exposes this data through a B2B Vehicle Data API and a trade portal for automotive dealers.
Product overview
HPI offers a unified vehicle intelligence platform built around the core HPI Check product, which provides comprehensive vehicle history verification for UK cars, vans, and motorcycles. The product portfolio includes core check services (HPI Check with up to 80 data points and £30,000 guarantee), free supporting tools (Valuation, MOT Check, TCO Check, Safety Recall Checks), verification modules (VIN Check, Logbook Check, Import/Export Check), a developer-facing Vehicle Data API, and the consumer myhpi app for personal vehicle management. The HPI Check Car Buyer's Guide provides educational content, while the Multicheck bundle enables batch vehicle checking. All services draw from extensive data sources including DVLA, Police National Computer, finance companies, insurance companies, SMMT, and the National Mileage Register (200+ million mileage records). The company was founded in 1938 and became part of Solera in 2015.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- National Mileage Register: A service operated by HPI Ltd. used to research and confirm previous mileages on vehicles; currently holds in excess of 200 million mileage readings.
Products and services
- HPI Check Flagship paid vehicle history check report aggregating data from the DVLA, Police National Computer, finance companies, insurers, and the National Mileage Register into approximately 80 data points, designed for individual UK consumers buying a used vehicle and supported by a £30,000 data guarantee.
- Vehicle Data API B2B API product that exposes HPI vehicle history, valuation, and specification data programmatically so enterprises such as comparison sites, finance providers, insurers, fleet operators, and automotive software vendors can embed UK vehicle data directly into their own platforms.
- myhpi App Consumer mobile and web application that provides individual users with access to HPI vehicle history checks, valuations, and other vehicle tools from a single interface.
- Free Vehicle Valuation Free standalone tool that gives individual consumers an estimated market value for a vehicle based on its make, model, age, and mileage, used to support used-car buying and selling decisions.
- MOT History Check Free standalone tool that allows consumers to look up the MOT test history of a UK vehicle, supporting verification before a used-car purchase.
- Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Check Free standalone calculator that estimates the total cost of ownership of a vehicle, including running costs, to help consumers compare vehicles before purchase.
- Safety Recall Check
Quantifiable outcome
- HPI identifies 109 stolen vehicles per day and 2,205 write-offs daily
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use HPI
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
HPI technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
HPI partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- NaVCIS (National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service)corePartnership to combat vehicle theft across Europe. HPI works with NaVCIS to help recover stolen finance vehicles and share intelligence on vehicle crime.
- DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency)coreData integration partner providing vehicle registration data, V5C documents, and DVLA records for vehicle verification and history checks.
- Police National Computer (PNC)coreAccess to Police National Computer for stolen vehicle verification and identification.
- SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders)coreDaily vehicle data and technical vehicle statistics provider for vehicle identification and specifications.
- MIAFTR (Motor Insurance Anti-Fraud and Theft Register)coreInsurance industry database for vehicle theft and write-off records provided by UK insurance companies.
- AutoligncoreVehicle inspection company providing independent structural examinations for written-off vehicles seeking reclassification.
- Glass'scoreIndependent industry expert providing vehicle valuation data and tracking used car values from auctions, dealer forecourts, and classified adverts.
- SoleraflagshipParent company - global leader in data and software for automotive, home ownership, and digital identity management. HPI Ltd is a Solera company.
- Finance Companies and BankscoreFinance houses, banks, and logbook loan companies notifying HPI of outstanding finance agreements on vehicles.
- Insurance CompaniescoreUK insurance companies providing Motor Insurance Fraud and Theft Register data on vehicle write-offs and theft.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
HPI competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CarVertical: Blockchain-based global vehicle history report provider operating across multiple European markets. Direct competitor to HPI's flagship vehicle history product, with overlapping data points (mileage, finance, theft, write-off) and similar D2C transaction-fee monetisation.
- Carfax: UK arm of the dominant global vehicle history brand. Competes head-to-head with HPI on used-vehicle history reports for both consumers and dealers, with broadly similar data sourcing and report scope.
- Experian AutoCheck: Experian-owned vehicle history platform offering consumer and dealer checks with US/UK coverage. Overlaps directly with HPI on report structure, pricing tier and trade-portal positioning.
- mycarcheck: UK-based vehicle history check provider competing with HPI on price and report completeness for used-car buyers and dealers in the UK domestic market.
- Total Car Check: UK consumer-focused vehicle history provider offering stolen, finance, write-off and mileage checks. Direct D2C competitor to HPI Check with similar transaction-fee pricing model.
- Glass's: Long-standing UK used-vehicle valuation provider and HPI's named data partner for valuations. Competes and complements HPI in dealer-facing used-car pricing intelligence.
Regional players
- Motorcheck (Ireland): Ireland's leading vehicle history check service. Closest international analogue to HPI but geographically distinct, operating against Irish NCT data and Irish finance/insurance sources.
Broad incumbents
- JATO Dynamics: Global automotive data provider covering specifications, pricing, registrations and market intelligence across OEMs and dealers. Competes with HPI's API/data layer at the enterprise tier for vehicle specifications and valuation data.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
HPI social profiles
Digital presenceHPI financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HPI leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
HPI funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
HPI M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about HPI
What does HPI do?
HPI provides vehicle history checks, valuations, and automotive data services in the UK. The flagship HPI Check aggregates data from the DVLA, Police National Computer, finance companies, insurers, and the proprietary National Mileage Register to produce a single comprehensive vehicle history report containing approximately 80 data points. The company also delivers vehicle valuations, MOT history, total cost of ownership data, safety recall checks, and exposes this data through a B2B Vehicle Data API and a trade portal for automotive dealers.
Is HPI a public or private company?
HPI is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was HPI founded?
HPI was founded in 1938. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is HPI based?
HPI is headquartered in Leeds, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does HPI make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. HPI Check Vehicle History Reports are the primary driver. The others are vehicle Data API Access and trade Customer Accounts.
Who are HPI's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CarVertical, Carfax, Experian AutoCheck, mycarcheck, Total Car Check and Glass's. Motorcheck (Ireland) is listed as a regional player. JATO Dynamics is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does HPI have an API?
Yes. HPI offers a Vehicle Data API providing access to comprehensive UK vehicle data including: vehicle technical data (make/model, engine capacity, torque, colour, weight), factory fitted options, used car valuations (condition adjusted, private sale, trade-in, forecourt, new values, past and future values), car finance data, insurance write-off data (including write-off date and damage category), MOT history, DVLA data, mileage information (National Mileage Register), manufacturer safety recall alerts, plate change information, recorded stolen data (Police PNC records), total cost of ownership calculations, Euro emissions standards, and imported/exported/scrapped flags. The API offers flexible pricing options from pay-as-you-go to subscription services and is fully scalable to suit projects of all shapes and sizes. Data is delivered via logical building blocks allowing pick-and-mix of data needed. Partners include AA, confused.com, eBay, Gumtree, What Car?, Shpock, and carwow. Developer documentation is at www.hpi.co.uk/vehicle-data-api.html.
What industry is HPI in?
HPI's product category is Automotive Data and Vehicle History Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLABAKAE, Vehicle Inspection, Grading & Condition Reporting Services. Its NAICS code is 54138.