State of the Nation
The automotive aftermarket is facing a trying time as repair inflation and the cost of living start to bite, but winners and losers are starting to emerge.
Speaking during a ‘State of the Nation’ address at ARC360’s Gaining Ground Together event, which was held at The Manufacturing Technology Centre on Thursday, 24 November, Paul Sell, Director at Trend Tracker, revealed the extent of the economic downturn and how it is impacting both consumers and industry.
The how and why of business development
To understand the value of business development in the automotive industry, imagine how an organisation would have been left behind by its competitors if it had not moved on in the past five years in terms of products, processes, services and skills – or the irrelevance of that same business if it fails to move on in the next five years.
But what exactly is business development and how is it achieved? Typically, it takes place in four ways: Organically; Strategically; Internally; and Partnerships
Celebrity football legend added to ILC Motor Lunch teamsheet
Winner of multiple honours with Everton and Manchester City; a key member of England’s UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 championship winning squad; two-time Olympian; and now Queen of the Jungle – football supremo, Jill Scott MBE will be special guest the ILC Motor Networking Lunch 2023.
The event, headline sponsored by Enterprises along with Gold Sponsor Nationwide Vehicle Recovery Assistance and Silver Sponsors Avant Consult Ltd; EDAM; and Repairify takes place on Friday 20 January 2023 and will see over 450 guests from across the sector gather to network with peers and help raise funds in support of ILC’s charity partner – Rainbow Trust.
Thatcham Research joins hydrogen consortium
Thatcham Research is working with a consortium of industry specialists to develop a hydrogen version of the Toyota Hilux pick-up.
It will assess the repair and safety implications of any adaptations made to the standard Hilux while also making development recommendations to ensure strong passive and active safety performance.
Revised repair standard published
The updated British Standard dealing with the safe and consistent repair of vehicles has been published.
The fully revised BS 10125:2022, which was first published as PAS 125 in 2006, specifies the repair requirements for both fixed and mobile sites and has been updated to address new technologies that have entered the market.
The repair sector is now assessing what process changes need to be implemented as it transitions to compliance.
Car production enjoys October bounce
UK car production rose 7.4% in October to 69,524 units while the production of commercial vehicles was up 10.7% to 8,740, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
Meanwhile, UK production of battery electric (BEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and hybrid (HEV) vehicles rose by 20.3% to 24,115 units.
Trend Tracker takes industry temperature
Trend Tracker has published The UK Motor Claims and Body Repair Market Report 2022-2023, which provides both macro and micro analysis of the UK automotive incident repair market.
At more than 300 pages with nearly 100 individual graphs, the comprehensive report takes insights from industry leaders and stakeholders representing all sectors, providing the most forensic analysis of the current state of the industry.
IMI Skills Competition winners announced
The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has announced the winners of its 2022 Skills Competition.
More than 500 students and apprentices took part throughout the year across four categories – Light Vehicle Technology, Body Repair, Refinishing and Heavy Vehicle – with 23 winners emerging from the two-day finals held at Cardiff and Vale College.
Copart’s acquisition of Hills under review
The Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) is seeking reassurance about how Copart’s proposed acquisition of Hills Motor will impact the salvage market in the UK before deciding whether to approve the deal.
Its Phase 1 investigation concluded that the companies are close competitors in the vehicle salvage market as they both compete for national contracts – sometimes the same contracts. As such, it has expressed concern that the transaction could lead to a loss of competition in the supply of salvage services and salvage vehicles.
UK returns to WorldSkills top 10
The UK climbed back into the top 10 at this year’s WorldSkills 2022 Special Edition, which took place in Salzburg, Austria.
Team UK won a handful of medals across a range of categories, include a bronze in Car Painting, while also excelling in digital skills, cyber security and web technologies.
UK/US drivers divided by automation
New research has revealed a stark contrast in US and UK driver attitudes toward automated vehicles.
Trust in Automation, delivered by Thatcham Research, found that 81% of US drivers saw a benefit to self-driving or autonomous technology compared to 73% in the UK, while 11% of US drivers said they would buy a car with self-driving capability as soon as it was available compared to just four per cent of UK drivers.
Nutshell a new name in UK motor insurance
BGL Insurance (BGLi) has announced nutshell, a new digital-first motor insurance brand in the UK that is being launched in partnership with Covéa.
The move signifies an exclusive long-term joint venture combining Covéa’s underwriting and claims management expertise with BGLi’s pricing, customer service, digital distribution and tech capabilities.
Automated parking becomes a commercial reality
Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority has green-lighted the Mercedes-Benz/Bosch automated parking system in a parking garage at Stuttgart Airport.
Thatcham Research has welcomed the news with cautious optimism.
Chief Research Strategy Officer Matthew Avery said, “There needs to be clarity for the UK insurance market since the carmaker will be liable if there’s a collision.”
Industry-first Diversity and Inclusion Charter published
Leading automotive brands have rallied together to launch the sector’s first Automotive Diversity & Inclusion Charter.
The founding signatories, representing a fifth of the sector’s manufacturing workforce, are pledging a collective, public commitment to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce that is reflective of wider society.
Six of the best for Komoo
Komoo has unveiled its sixth site. Based in Doncaster, the fully functional bodyshop will complement the services provided by Komoo’s repair Qubes.
Perfect score for Perfect Paint
Perfect Paint Centres has received a 100% score in its most recent audit from Volkswagen Group.
The audit reviews internal paperwork, compliance, processes, equipment, and staff training.
BMW makes biomass breakthrough in matte paints
BMW Group is predicting it will reduce CO2 emissions by 15,000 tonnes between now and 2030 after becoming the first automotive manufacturer to use matte paints made from biomass instead of crude oil in its European plants.
Wejo secures deeper Ford collaboration
Wejo has expanded its partnership with Ford. Through its connected vehicle data it helps clients understand and improve driver behaviour while also enhancing road safety.
Wejo announced in June it was delivering its services to Ford in Europe but will now extend that to all Ford sites in the US as well.
Feature interview: Rhys Williams, Group Growth Director, Davies
Here, we speak to Rhys Williams, Group Growth Director, Davies, to find out what business development means to him and how Davies are evolving to meet changing demands.
People
Komoo has appointed Jordan Ashmore as Group Bodyshop Manager.
Reuben Abbott has joined Sandal BMW as Bodyshop Manager.
Enterprise Holdings has named Craig Cartledge as Assistant Vice President EU Commercial & Technical Replacement Sales.
Repairify has appointed Rob Neale as Operations and Workshop Manager.
