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Tesla joins Motor Claims Showcase line-up
Tesla’s business operations manager – EMEA Body Repair, Craig Plant is the latest addition to the speaker line-up for the ILC/ARC360 Motor Claims Showcase event taking place on 29 June at the CBS Arena, Coventry.
The inaugural showcase event – headline sponsored by Enterprise – will see Craig join fellow panellists: Neil Bayton, head of partnerships – UK, Trustpilot; Gill Nowell, head of Electric Vehicles, ElectriX; Natalie Spurrier, technical claims director, The AA; and Dave Sargeant, managing director, Gemini Accident Repair Centres.
Gemini celebrates class of 2022
Gemini Accident Repair Group has announced that its first group of 17 Level 3 apprentices have completed their end-point assessments.
They will now take up various multiskilled positions throughout the company.
Gemini introduced its apprenticeship programme in 2017, covering MET, panel and paint, as well as a raft of additional qualifications around electric vehicles, ADAS, BS weld testing, and refrigerant handling.
iRG enhances sustainability solution with BASF partnership
Innovative Repair Group (iRG) has announced a new partnership with BASF’s premium refinish brand, R-M Automotive Refinish which will accelerate its strategy of sustainable operations.
Following a successful trial, its Pontypridd repair centre will now adopt the R-M Agilis waterborne basecoat system.
Audatex enhances Agile collaboration
Audatex has announced that automotive insurtech Agile Developments is launching a new app that will use Audatex data to help determine at FNOL if a vehicle is repairable or a total loss.
The app is being launched to identify total losses earlier in the process and therefore reduce the number of vehicles going into the repair network. By capturing the relevant data and claims information quickly and easily, it is expected to speed up the claim, mitigate losses while also helping to reduce fraud.
Price index reveals premiums increase
The latest Confused.com Car Insurance Price Index produced in association with WTW has found that car insurance prices rose for the second quarter in a row. Its data revealed that average prices rose by 3.8% in the first quarter of 2022 – and 2.2% over the last 12 months.
Average prices by the end of March were up to £550, with every age group apart from 17-year-olds seeing premiums increase.
Copart introduces new wellness initiative
Copart marked Mental Health Awareness Week 2022 by announcing the launch of a new Mental Health First Aider programme.
The initiative is being launched in partnership with St John Ambulance, and will see one teammate from each of the company’s 19 UK locations attend a two-day course in recognising and supporting colleagues with mental health issues.
Premiums down after FCA pricing rules
Motor insurance has fallen to its lowest level in nearly seven years, according to the ABI’s latest Motor Insurance Tracker.
It found that the average premium dropped five per cent in the first quarter of 2022 to £416, the lowest average price since the third quarter of 2015.
Fix Auto UK launches mental health support initiative
Fix Auto UK has launched a major new initiative to support colleagues overcome mental health challenges.
To mark Mental Health Awareness Week, Fix Auto announced that every repair centre in its network will train at least one person to be a qualified mental health first aider.
BASF announces return of paint finals
BASF’s premium automotive refinish paint brand R-M will host the International Best Painter Contest Final at its Refinish Competence Centre in France from 28-30 June. Ten national winners from around the world will take part in the competition, which is being held for the first time since 2016.
Meanwhile, BMW has become the first vehicle manufacturer to select BASF’s sustainable systems, the CathoGuard 800 ReSource e-coat and the iGloss matt ReSource clearcoat. It will use CathoGurad at its plants in Leipzig, Germany, and Rosslyn, South Africa and the iGloss solution throughout Europe.
AW releases docuseries double-bill
AW Repair Group has released a new double-bill feature as part of its Career for Life docuseries, which celebrates mentoring, development and engagement within its workforce.
Motorcare off to a flying start
Motorcare North West has celebrated a successful first month in business, with vibrant work volumes marking a successful start to operations. The business is also continuing the process of rebranding and recruitment, with vacancies in management and on the shopfloor.
Operations, Sales and Marketing Manager Jason Donohoe said, “It’s already been some ride and I can’t wait to see how we shape up next month.”
Qashqai tops latest safety ratings
The Nissan Qashqai scored highest in the latest round of Euro NCAP testing, which assessed four new models with ‘Level 2’ assisted driving systems.
It scored 74% for assistance competence and 93% for safety back-up to achieve a ‘very good’ result overall.
Used car market rallies after 2021
The UK’s used car market increased 5.1% in the first quarter of 2022, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). It recorded 1,774,351 transactions in the first three months of the year, up 86,596 on the same period in 2021.
The rise was driven by a buoyant market in January and February, when used car sales rose 17.7% and 7.4% respectively before a 6.8% decline in March.
Cazoo continues European expansion
Cazoo has followed recent launches in France and Germany by introducing its services to Spain. The online retailer was founded in 2018 and after selling more than 65,000 cars in the UK has embarked on a large-scale expansion throughout Europe.
Alex Chesterman, Founder and CEO of Cazoo, said,“We have a great team in Spain and look forward to delivering the best car buying experience to consumers across the Spanish market.”
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webinARC – products, equipment & services: 1.30pm Wednesday 25 May
In this webinARC we explore the latest developments in repair products, equipment and services and ask our bodyshop representatives just what makes their businesses ‘tick’.
Featuring some of the UK’s fastest growing and leading bodyshops.
