Month: July 2021

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In this episode of the ARC360 Podcast we talk with Donna Scully, director/owner of Carpenters Group about whole host of subject matters – from how she started out within the legal profession to how she has helped propel Carpenters Group to where they are today.

She shares her thoughts on the evolution of the sector and provides her ideas on how claims could be positively impacted for the future.

Road use back to pre-pandemic levels

Road vehicle usage for June stood at an average of 98% on weekdays and 109% at weekends compared to pre-pandemic levels according to Department of Transport statistics.

Specifically, car use stood at an average of 94% during weekdays and 105% for weekends over the month period.

Meanwhile, research by Kwik-Fit highlighted 5.1m drivers are spending more on weekend trips as they don’t think they will be having a big summer holiday this year, with the same number making up for lost time with weekend trips to see family and friends. Some 4.3m drivers say the risk of catching Covid on public transport is leading them to opt for the car at weekends more often than they did previously.

Repair volumes back to 93% of 2019 levels

Vehicle repair volumes were at 93% of 2019 levels for June, finishing with 137,000 repairs for the month, according to Trend Tracker.

Based on Audatex data, the insight shows a 20% month-on-month (May 2021 Vs June 2021) uplift in repair volumes.

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ARC360 on demand – Wednesday 14 July – takes a closer look at the challenges currently faced across the supply chain and provides an indepth insight into what it might mean for the claims sector.

The impact of EVs – share your thoughts

Trend Tracker, in conjunction with ARC360 and NBRA, has released a survey on the readiness of the industry to manage the rapidly increasing electrification of the UK’s car parc.

Click here to complete the survey.

Those participating will receive 20% off Trend Tracker’s latest ‘Emerging from Covid-19’ report and the forthcoming EV report.

Repairers reveal Tesla approvals

iRG (Pontypridd) and The Vella Group (Skelmersdale) have both announced securing Tesla approval.

Meanwhile, iRG has also opened iRG Wolverhampton, a 6,000sqft facility focusing on express repair.

Copart backs AutoRaise efforts

Copart is the latest company to partner with vehicle repair industry charity – AutoRaise.

As a Bronze Partner Copart will help support the vital work the charity carries out on behalf of the vehicle repair sector, with a specific focus on helping Copart’s own approved repair network to invest in apprenticeships.

Volvo focuses on real time data

Volvo Cars is looking to process data from cars in real time, if customers choose to share data, to help make its cars safer.

By allowing customers to choose and be a part of improving safety levels and traffic safety in this way, Volvo Cars can make continuous and much faster improvements to its cars, constantly improving safety levels. This data would include continuous inputs on the car’s environment from sensors such as the high-resolution LiDAR delivered by technology company Luminar.

Thanks to the data generated from Volvo drivers around the globe, engineers would be able to validate autonomous drive (AD) features for specific geographic locations much quicker with updates to existing systems and new features rolled out via over-the-air-updates.

To process the real-time traffic data, Volvo Cars and Zenseact are investing in a data factory that will contain more than 200 PebiBytes (225 million gigabytes) of data within the next few years.

Ford teams up with By Miles

Ford has partnered with pay-per-mile car insurance provider By Miles, making use of connected data direct from the vehicles embedded modem – FordPass Connect.

“The way we travel has undergone a huge shift that could well have a long-lasting impact. We want to champion the changing needs of drivers who continue to work from home,” said Mark Harvey, director, Enterprise Connectivity, Ford of Europe. “Working with By Miles, we aim to use connected vehicle data to help deliver a full suite of innovative new products and services for our customers.”

The collaboration with By Miles, which fully launches later this year, is one of the first of several partnerships to be announced across Europe that will be enabled by Ford’s connected vehicle technology.

SMMT goes ‘Full Throttle’

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has launched a new, ambitious plan, ‘Full Throttle: Driving UK Automotive Competitiveness’, to secure the future of one of Britain’s most important industries.

The plan explains how government can deliver manufacturing competitiveness in the transition to net-zero, calling for a ‘Build Back Better Fund’; 60 GWh of gigafactory capacity; and 2.3 million charge points by 2030.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “The next few years represent a critical period for the sector. The pace of technological change is accelerating and the competition more ferocious. If we are to secure vehicle manufacturing in this country, with all the benefits to society that it brings, decisions need to be made today.”

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The ARC360 on demand ‘Mobility Special’ will lift the lid on the changing landscape for mobility – from modern technologies and human behaviours, to connectivity and future concepts – exploring just what it all means to those involved in the insurance claims sector.