GM confirms key investment

General Motors has announced strategic investment into UVeye, which provides advanced vehicle diagnostic systems.

It has made the investment through GM Ventures, which supports start-ups developing innovative technologies around electric vehicles, autonomy and connectivity.

As part of the commercial agreement, the two companies will work on a variety of vehicle-inspection technology projects involving used-car auctions, fleet operations and automotive dealership sales. GM will also explore to expansion of UVeye’s automated high-speed systems – which use artificial intelligence, machine-learning and high-definition camera technologies to check tires, underbody components and vehicle exteriors for defects, missing parts and other safety-related issues – into its 4,000-plus dealerships.

John Roth, VP Customer Care and Aftersales, GM Global, said, “We are on a journey to create the best customer service experience possible and the implementation of UVeye into our dealership service lanes helps us do that, providing real-time, consistent and accurate feedback to our customers will help us ensure they are getting the best performance out of their vehicle.”

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Silverlake powers up with Team BRIT

Bodyshop | Environment | Mobility | People | Supplier | Vehicle Repair | Words

30-04-2025

WTW and Audatex collaborate on cost forecaster

A new solution has been released that predicts the impact inflation will have on repair costs.

The technology combines repair data from Audatex with machine learning and historical data analysis from experts at WTW to deliver unparalleled granularity.

Critically, the forecasts reflect the variety within the UK car parc. Previously, insurers applied a single inflationary figure across the board, but this solution forecasts rising costs for different vehicle categories and fuel types.

Stephen Cox, Head of Data Partnerships, Insurance Consulting, and Technology, at WTW, said, “This tool offers insurers a significant competitive advantage. In such a volatile market, access to accurate cost predictions gives underwriters the ability to avoid underpriced business, while also making their service more attractive to those consumers who will no longer face prices that are unduly high owing to being based on an average of all vehicles.”

Tom Hart, Head of Account Management at Solera Audatex, said, “By making it possible to differentiate inflationary allowances between vehicle makes and models, this new price inflation tool allows insurers to boost their bottom line and offer more competitive pricing to customers.”

AW showcases Careers for Life

AW Repair Group has published the latest episodes in its Career for Life series, which highlights the career opportunities that exist within AW Repair Group.

The most recent releases showcase the very different career paths of two Vehicle Damage Assessors.

Senior VDA Niel Harmston joined the company 22 years ago in parts procurement and has progressed successfully through the company, sharing his experience with colleagues throughout the business.

He said, “I am happy and proud to share everything I know. AW has a great apprenticeship programme and is always keen on personal development and internal career progression.”

Meanwhile, Radu Barcaru has been a VDA for four years after a previous career in Romania as a lawyer.

He said, “I am a lawyer by degree but I choose cars. Cars don’t lie, they show you what their faults are.”

ARC360 News Round-Up: Friday 24 June 2022

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Countdown on for Motor Claims Showcase Event

ILC and ARC360 are set to bring the motor claims sector together at the inaugural Motor Claims Showcase event – a new event format for the sector.

Headline sponsored by Enterprise Rent-A-Car, along with fellow sponsors EDAM Group, Control Expert and Procurato, as well as ILC and ARC360’s impressive line-up of Corporate Partners the event takes place on Wednesday 29 June at the CBS Arena, Coventry.

AW showcases Careers for Life

AW Repair Group has published the latest episodes in its Career for Life series, which highlights the career opportunities that exist within AW Repair Group.

WTW and Audatex collaborate on cost forecaster

A new solution has been released that predicts the impact inflation will have on repair costs.

The technology combines repair data from Audatex with machine learning and historical data analysis from experts at WTW to deliver unparalleled granularity.

Audatex upgrades MVM solution

Audatex has added vehicle valuation data from eBay-owned Motors.co.uk and cap hpi to its Market Value Manager solution.

By incorporating data from an even wider pool of sources, it will help insurers to accurately calculate the pre-accident value of a vehicle and offer settlements that are up-to-date and in line with Financial Conduct Authority policies.

Mercier steps into key Ageas role

Ageas has announced Neil Mercier as Head of Standard Motor, taking over from Rob Clark.

Mercier, who will report to Glyn Hughes, Director of Personal Lines Underwriting & Pricing, will manage and develop the underwriting strategy for Ageas’s standard motor portfolio.

Lawyers investigating AutoRestore redundancies

Law firm Simpson Millar is investigating allegations that AutoRestore staff at its Northamptonshire headquarters were made redundant earlier this month before proper consultations could take place.

Simpson Millar claims a number of former AutoRestore employees have contacted them saying their contracts were terminated without warning. Some have also said they were told they would not be paid for work already done.

Fix Auto franchise expands in the Midlands

Fix Auto UK has announced that Fix Auto Wolverhampton has joined its network.

The repair centre has been developed by MG Accident Repair Centre owner Denver Hughes, who bought a new 7,000 sqft site opposite his existing bodyshop specifically for the Fix Auto network.

Special feature: best practices with Marcos Malzone, Solera & Stephen Long, Covea

New technologies and new entrants to market are pushing back the boundaries of customer service and bringing disruption to what best practice in the sector looks like. As such, the market is in a constant state of flux and businesses are having to rethink their entire strategies to remain relevant.

We spoke separately to ARC360 corporate partner Solera Audatex and insurance partner Covea about what they consider to be key to best practice, and how they are evolving their own services to support an ever-changing market.

Copart CEO receives industry accolade

CEO of Copart UK & Ireland Jane Pocock has been recognised in the 2022 Autocar Great Women in the British Car Industry Top 100.

On the right track

Sherwin-Williams has published its 2021 Sustainability Report: Building on the Good. The report reveals that it collected more than a million gallons of paint for recycling in 2021, and has halved the employee injury rate by 50% since 2015.

Solera unveils triage innovation

Solera has released Qapter Intelligent Triage, a new AI-based solution that should improve the speed and accuracy of triage. The solution uses machine learning to assess images of damaged vehicles and then guide claims handlers towards next steps.

Autocraft Express secures Kitemark

Autocraft Express Telford has become the first ChipsAway franchise to be awarded the BS10125 Kitemark. It secured accreditation following a successful stage 2 audit by Anthony Green.

RWC secures Nissan training contract

Nissan has appointed Milton Keynes-based training company RWC to produce a range of bespoke technical training videos. The videos will feature the entire Nissan range and be made available exclusively to Nissan’s approved bodyshop network.

NHTSA publishes initial self-driving findings

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is part of the US Department of Transport, has published data from a series of collisions involving vehicles with various levels of autonomy.

The data was provided by vehicle manufacturers after the NHTSA issued a standing order last summer to submit such data in an effort to understand how best to progress with the continued introduction of self-driving cars to public roads.

Redwood agrees third VM deal

Redwood Materials’ mission to create a circular supply chain for electric vehicle batteries in both Europe and North America is gathering pace after it signed a contract with its third vehicle manufacturer.

After announcing it would collect and recycle EV batteries for both Ford and Volvo, it has now signed a similar agreement with Toyota.

RACQ announces flood of settlements

RACQ in Australia has announced that it has now finalised more than 90% of the 2,667 motor claims it received following the February floods. The majority have been finalised through total loss cash settlements, with more than $100m paid out in claim payments.

Ben brings back breakfast of champions

Automotive charity Ben has announced the return of it Big Breakfast fundraising event.

The week-long campaign will kick off on 10 October to coincide with World Mental Health Day, with companies again urged to raise valuable funds by putting on breakfast spreads for colleagues and customers.

REGISTER NOW… 
webinARC – supply chains
1.30pm Wednesday 20 July      
   

In this webinARC we look at the evolution of the vehicle incident repair supply chain as it faces some major challenges in light of global market forces. Specifically, we focus our attentions on parts supply and explore the options available.

Countdown on for Motor Claims Showcase Event

ILC and ARC360 are set to bring the motor claims sector together at the inaugural Motor Claims Showcase event – a new event format for the sector.

Headline sponsored by Enterprise Rent-A-Car, along with fellow sponsors EDAM Group, Control Expert and Procurato, as well as ILC and ARC360’s impressive line-up of Corporate Partners (see below) the event takes place on Wednesday 29 June at the CBS Arena, Coventry.

The special event will bring together the leading individuals and brands from across the sector and beyond, for a day of keynote addresses, partner showcases, interactive exhibitor displays, a next generation ‘meet and greet’ session and networking.

The full agenda includes the likes of The Vella Group, Ageas, Thatcham Research, and Tesla amongst many others taking to the main stage, while e2e, CAPS and Davies Group will all present their latest insights and innovations in the showcase area.

Throughout the day some 30 exhibition stands will be featured within the main hall including ACG, ICE Technologies, Emtec and Kube Partners alongside ILC and ARC360 Corporate Partners.

Mark Hadaway, ILC Managing Director and co-founder of ARC360 said, “The Motor Claims Showcase Event aims to provide the sector with something new – an event that offers choice and the freedom to choose.

“Whether it be hearing about how AI and data science is impacting insurance courtesy of Abacai, to gaining insight into the latest repair product innovations or interacting with ‘next generation’ peers, the Motor Claims Showcase has something for everyone involved in the motor claims sector and firmly supports our ‘better tomorrow’ ethos.”

To book your ticket to the Motor Claims Showcase Event 2022, click here.

The day’s events will also be followed by ILC Corporate Partner Gemini Accident Repair Centre’s apprentice awards 2022.

ILC would like to thank its motor Corporate Partners: AkzoNobel; Audatex; Autoglass; CAPS; Carpenters Group; Copart; Davies Group; e2e; Entegral; Enterprise Rent-A-Car; Gemini ARC; GT Motive; The Green Parts Specialists; IAA; Innovation Group; S&G Response; Sherwin Williams; and thingco.

ARC360 would like to thank its Corporate Partners: Audatex; BASF; BMS; CAPS; Copart; EMACS; Entegral; Enterprise Rent-A-Car; Innovation Group; Mirka; NWVA; S&G Response; and Sherwin Williams, as well as Partners asTech; The Green Parts Specialists; Indasa; and Prasco UK.

Audatex upgrades MVM solution

Audatex has added vehicle valuation data from eBay-owned Motors.co.uk and cap hpi to its Market Value Manager solution.

By incorporating data from an even wider pool of sources, it will help insurers to accurately calculate the pre-accident value of a vehicle and offer settlements that are up-to-date and in line with Financial Conduct Authority policies.

Christopher Wright, Vice President – North Europe, Solera, said, “Our aim is to ensure MVM contains the most comprehensive data in order to deliver a highly accurate solution for the market.

“In such a turbulent market, insurers need composite data to ensure that their valuations are accurate, valid and timely. We now offer multiple data points, including real time information, based on which insurers can make their decision

Derren Martin, Director of Valuations, cap hpi, said, “Real-time live data is paramount for insurers to ensure they offer fair settlement to customers and maintain their profit margin. Continuing world events have added so much strain and complication to the new and used car market that vehicle values are now changing constantly during the course of the month. Our award-winning valuations data helps lower risk in these ever-changing times.”

Ben brings back breakfast of champions

Automotive charity Ben has announced the return of it Big Breakfast fundraising event.

The week-long campaign will kick off on 10 October to coincide with World Mental Health Day, with companies again urged to raise valuable funds by putting on breakfast spreads for colleagues and customers.

Matt Wigginton, Director of Partnerships, Engagement & Income at Ben, said: “Over 200 locations took part in last year’s inaugural Ben’s Big Breakfast so we knew we had to bring it back in 2022.

“The Big Breakfast is such a simple way to raise funds, but it’s also an important reminder to check in with our colleagues. Having a chat over a cup of coffee in the morning could make such a difference to someone’s day without you even realising it. Often, people are suffering in silence, thinking that nobody has noticed or cares about them. A small gesture like catching up over a cuppa could change that. It could be the first step to them opening up, or reaching out to Ben for help.”

Lawyers investigating AutoRestore redundancies

Law firm Simpson Millar is investigating allegations that AutoRestore staff at its Northamptonshire headquarters were made redundant earlier this month before proper consultations could take place.

Simpson Millar claims a number of former AutoRestore employees have contacted them saying their contracts were terminated without warning. Some have also said they were told they would not be paid for work already done.

Simpson Millar has now launched an eligibility checker, enabling former employees to establish if they might be eligible to claim.

Anita North, an employment law expert at Simpson Millar, said: “We have spoken to a number of people who have been directly affected as a result of job losses at the company’s Northamptonshire headquarters, and we are in the early stages of investigating whether more should have done to consult with staff.”

Although the AutoRestore website is still live, according to Companies House records of the appointment of administrators Turpin Barker Armstrong Insolvency Practitioners were filed on Monday 20 June.

North added, “Regardless of whether a company is struggling financially, it does have a duty under current employment law legislation to carry out a proper consultation with staff at risk of redundancy. Where that does not happen, employees can bring a claim for a Protective Award.”   

Special feature: best practices with Marcos Malzone, Solera & Stephen Long, Covea

New technologies and new entrants to market are pushing back the boundaries of customer service and bringing disruption to what best practice in the sector looks like. As such, the market is in a constant state of flux and businesses are having to rethink their entire strategies to remain relevant.

We spoke separately to ARC360 corporate partner Solera Audatex and insurance partner Covea about what they consider to be key to best practice, and how they are evolving their own services to support an ever-changing market.

Can you give us a brief insight into how you are working with the wider industry to introduce best practice?

Marcos Malzone, VP Product Marketing at Solera: At Solera Audatex, we are continuously exploring new ways to work with the wider industry to streamline the repair process. In fact, we have recently partnered with eBay as a method to integrate alternative parts procurement channels in order to mitigate the disruption in the automotive supply chain.

We are rapidly introducing digital customer engagement technologies to maximise value and experiences as well as AI-enabled solutions that are designed to reduce cycle times, overcome staff shortages and contribute to the reduction in CO2 emissions.

Stephen Long, Director of Operations, Covea: For us, FNOL is critical and needs to constantly progress in order to remain relevant and effective in the future. Customer demands and expectations continuously evolve, technology presents new ways to digitise, integrate, make decisions and automate through the FNOL journey. From a claims perspective, FNOL represents the single most important interaction in the claims journey so how providers can blend these aspects together and understand when to let the technology lead versus when to introduce human intervention will differentiate the best providers and also drive the best claims outcomes for customers and insurers.

How are you helping bodyshops manage fluctuations in volume?

MM: It has been a turbulent past couple of years for bodyshops and market consolidation has proven to be a key driver of change. As a result, insurers and work providers aligned on the work provision front, making it difficult for repairers to deliver against contracted volumes. With this, payment terms and labour rates remain a challenge, only exacerbated by the pandemic.

The growing shortage of skilled labour coupled with longer repair times impacting our customer experience metric, CSAT, means bodyshops must adapt to the current trading conditions and innovate to leverage opportunities.

Solera Audatex will soon be bringing ‘Intelligent Offers’ to the UK market, a consumer-led self-service solution for retail jobs and small repairs to help combat these issues. Customers will be asked via email or text message to submit photos using a simple Guided Image capture tool on their smartphones and get a preliminary repair estimate in under three minutes. This can drive additional repair volume and increase job profitability as it involves lower expenses.

SL: Due to the long-standing nature of our repair network we understand that at this busy time it’s critical for us to remove any friction points and allow networks to focus on completing customer repairs. Our priority is to continue to work tirelessly to ensure nothing from our side holds up the repair, ie, when the repairer needs to get hold of us they can get direct access to the right decision-makers and also that we’re being proactive in directing the right car onto the right track in light of the challenges of parts and skills availability.

How are you adapting your services to suit market trends?

MM: Damage estimating is typically a process prone to errors and subjectivity, affecting shop profitability and overall cycle times when the process is not executed efficiently. In addition, the issue has been compounded by a shortage of experienced damage appraisers.

Introducing AI-based estimating in the claims workflow has been revolutionary in the collision repair process. Computers can now process damage photos, detect parts and damages, and prepare a first cost estimate with speed and consistency. Most importantly, it helps to reduce friction by removing the subjectivity inherent to the damage appraisal process. It is this trusted and scaled technology that the collision repair industry is looking for.

AI estimating can be instrumental in the professional and consumer self-service journeys, and this is what we are doing at Solera Audatex. By integrating visual intelligence in the estimation workflow, it is now possible to detect damages from photos in under 30 seconds and produce a pre-estimate for review in under three minutes.

How are you leveraging innovative technologies to develop your proposition?

​​MM: There is a great need for estimating to become easier, faster and consistent within the industry. For that, Solera has invested in cloud technology, product usability, and AI to help damage appraisers be able to deliver their work more efficiently and accurately.

Visual Intelligence is at the core of the AI technologies powering Qapter Intelligent Estimating. Users are able to accelerate claims decisions with our machine learning algorithms and digital tools that help policyholders report damages more accurately, predict total loss, and send the vehicle to the most qualified repairer.

With Guided Image Capture now fully integrated with the Audatex’s First Notification of Loss (FNOL) platform, AudaFNOL, its Repair versus Total Loss feature will determine whether the vehicle is repairable or a total loss. This decision is calculated using predictive analytics, based on millions of vehicle damage assessments, enabling accurate triage at FNOL. Using vehicle wireframe technology to build a consistent and high-quality library of images, Solera Audatex’s image capture technology streamlines the overall claims process from the very beginning.

We also use different photo analytics techniques to detect fraudulent cases where images don’t match up to the damaged vehicle, or when they have been manipulated or downloaded from the internet. We leverage big data and predictive analytics to help our customers to analyse trends and predict scenarios to help with future decision making.

How can strong relationships and good communication ensure the safe repair of vehicles?

SL: As noted earlier, the long-standing nature of our network is a critical factor for us and we have long-term confidence in the quality of our repairs based on historic performance. In addition, we have many controls in place that help to give us confidence that this quality happens with each and every repair and as part of a network relationship that we value. Less than two years ago, we were supporting our repairers through the lockdown which hit the industry really hard. We supported them then, and we’ll continue to support them now having every confidence in the quality of work being carried out.

How is sustainability impacting your business strategy?

SL: Like many others, Covea is following a green parts programme which supports sustainability and helps to reduce our carbon footprint. In addition, we support a repair versus replace ethos where appropriate, by ensuring fair repair times and a partnership approach to resolving issues together. We also carefully work with our supply chain to ensure audited practices in the dismantling and recycling of parts along with a proven method of offering quality assured replacement parts back into the repair cycle.

Fix Auto franchise expands in the Midlands

Fix Auto UK has announced that Fix Auto Wolverhampton has joined its network.

The repair centre has been developed by MG Accident Repair Centre owner Denver Hughes, who bought a new 7,000 sqft site opposite his existing bodyshop specifically for the Fix Auto network.

General Manager Stuart Bone said: “We have been fortunate to taste a little of what Fix Auto UK can provide a business as we’ve acted as a repairer to support the network for some time. Our owner wanted to create a standalone accident repair centre to operate as a Fix Auto franchise, so when the unit opposite to our existing site became available it allowed us to develop a separate site and so Fix Auto Wolverhampton was born.”

Ian Pugh, Managing Director of Fix Auto UK, said: “To experience the true benefits of being part of the network means coming on board as a fully branded franchise partner, it’s as clear and straightforward as that. Denver was reluctant to lose his business’s identity, which I fully respect, but wanted to join us as much as we wanted him to be part of the network. He came to us with a solution by creating Fix Auto Wolverhampton out of a neighbouring unit, and that level of commitment and determination to be part of the network really bodes well for our future.”

Fix Auto Wolverhampton joins existing Fix Auto sites in the region including Lichfield, Walsall, Wednesbury, Oldbury, Birmingham East and Kings Norton.