ARC360 line-up revealed
Chris Downing, Head of Sales & Operations, Stellantis; Marc Holding, Managing Director, The Vella Group; and Victoria Turner, Executive Director, Ryemarc Group are the latest key persons of influence revealed for ARC360’s conference agenda.
Taking place on Thursday 27 June 2024 at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Coventry, the ARC360 conference is set to deliver the highest calibre of attendees, contributors and debate in the UK body repair industry event calendar.
ARC360 turns focus on new players
ARC360 hosted its fourth Breakfast Think Tank this week, when attention was turned to the growing impact of new entrants joining the UK sector.
After considering skills, electric vehicles and volumes in previous Think Tank sessions, this week the focus was trained on new entrants, and it was revealed that there are now 75 new brands with European export ambitions, with many of these coming from China.
Bodyshop Briefs
- AD Williams Vehicle Accident Repair Centres, which operates 14 sites across the south of England, has announced that its High Wycombe location has received a positive recommendation to transition to the new BSI10125:2022 standard.
- Market Drayton-based Stevens Collision Repair Specialists has passed its first unannounced BS 10125 audit with a 100% score.
- Fix Auto Dagenham Directors Chris Oliver and Paul Cunningham have raised £2,000 for the Bone Cancer Research Trust after completing the Ride100, a 100-mile cycle from London to Essex and back.
- The 2025 Fix Auto UK National Conference will once again be staged at The Vox Conference Centre within the National Exhibition Centre complex near Birmingham on 7-8 May 2025 with 3M confirmed as Presenting Partner.
Industry News
Copart unveils new data hub
Copart has unveiled its new AutoAudit Hub to support engineers meet Consumer Duty legislation around fair value for total loss settlements. The solution draws from multiple sources to provide accurate provenance checks and a pre-accident damage matrix.
Insurers resume GAP insurance sales under new guidelines
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that some firms have been permitted to resume selling Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP) insurance, but with significantly lower levels of commission.
This comes after an FCA investigation to ensure fair value in GAP insurance.
Production suffers April dip
UK car manufacturing decreased by seven per cent to 61,820 units in April, with EVs accounting for 40.5% of all production.
Meanwhile, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) also revealed that UK CV manufacturing dropped by 19.9% to 8,413 units in April.
Scotland cities introduce LEZ charges
Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh have followed Glasgow by introducing Low Emission Zone (LEZ) charges.
Charges will apply to most diesels registered before 2016 and petrol models registered before 2006.
Plastrepair unveils new training service
Plastrepair EU is now delivering its inaugural IMI Filler-less Plastic Repair Accredited training course as it moves to a hybrid business, carrying out repairs for customers itself or upskilling their colleagues to do the work in-house.
Royal appointment
Autoglym has received royal approval for the fourth successive time, meaning its products will continue to be used to clean and protect all vehicles in the Royal Household fleet.
It is one of just 145 companies and the only car care brand to be granted a Royal Warrant from His Majesty King Charles III.
G3 cuts ribbon on Bedford site
G3 Remarketing has unveiled a new auction centre in Bedford after acquiring a 14-acre site from Cazoo. The new facility provides an annual capacity of over 30,000 vehicles.
VM News
Five-star performers
Euro NCAP has announced the results for five new models.
The Volkswagen Tiguan, Maxus MIFA 7 and ZEEKR models OO1 and X have all received Green NCAP five-star ratings, while the Ford Tourneo Custom achieved four stars, rising to four if it includes upgraded safety features
JLR accelerates EV training programme
JLR has announced that more than 20,000 colleagues have now received electrification and digital training as part of its Future Skills Programme.
This includes delivering EV skills to more than 2,400 UK manufacturing employees, more than 95% of partner technicians, and nearly 3,000 engineers.
BMW unveils advanced ADAS features
BMW has released its new 3 Series Saloon and 3 Series Touring, featuring a range of advanced ADAS features.
Alongside a front collision warning system with brake intervention, cruise control with brake function and an intelligent speed assistance function, features also traffic light recognition, evasion assistance, and crossroads and wrong-way warnings.
VWG to sell £17k EVs
Volkswagen Group has announced plans to sell entry-level electric cars for around £17,000 by 2027. The move is part of the Group’s ambition to make EVs available to a wider market.
BYD partners with Goodwood Festival of Speed
BYD’s growing UK penetration will be enhanced at the Goodwood Festival of Speed from 11-14 July, when it will showcase its new plug-in hybrid SUV, the SEAL U DM-i.
Subaru, Toyota, Mazda announce joint initiative
Subaru, Toyota and Mazda have announced they will work together to develop new, more compact electric engines as part of a wider strategy to decarbonise the car parc which also includes making ICE models more compatible with various carbon-neutral (CN) fuels.
People
- Lee Berryman has started a new position as Regional Operations Manager at AD Williams.
- Daren Axon has started a new role as Regional Business Manager at Vizion Network.
- Stellantis has appointed Luca Napolitano as Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, while Olivier Bourges is new Chief Customer Experience Officer and Clara Ingen-Housz becomes head of the Global Corporate Office and Public Affairs.
- Hyundai Motor Group has named Manfred Harrer as Executive Vice President and Head of the newly established Genesis & Performance Development Tech Unit.
- Organisation Development Manager at Silverlake Automotive Recycling Tom Harvey has joined the VRA Management Committee.
- Evolution Claims Management has welcomed Sarah Kerr as Talent Development Manager.
