Stellantis becomes first ARC360 Vehicle Manufacturer Partner
Stellantis – a constellation of 14 iconic automotive brands and two mobility arms – has become the first ARC360 Vehicle Manufacturer Partner.
As a result, Stellantis will be working closely with ARC360 across all its activities helping to shape content, sharing insights and supporting events. It also means Stellantis branding will appear as a Vehicle Manufacturer Partner on all ARC360 marketing activities alongside its Corporate and Insurer Partners.
ARC360 conference ‘gaining ground together’
ARC360’s ‘future technology’ themed conference is gaining ground as a growing number of sector stakeholders confirm their presence at the event.
Taking place on Thursday 27 June 2024 at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Coventry, the event will follow up on last year’s highly acclaimed specialist electric vehicle (EV) event to further explore just how technology is shaping the future of the industry.
Saga and Steer join New Generation agenda
Andy Cain, Head of Claims – Customer Operations at Saga plc and Nicky Sutherland, Director of People & Culture at Steer Automotive Group are the latest key names set to join ILC’s New Generation in Claim Conference.
Sponsored by Carpenters Group and Enterprise, and supported by recently announced Ambassadors: Activate Group; Gemini Accident Repair Centres; Kennedys Law; and S&G Response, the New Generation in Claims Conference 2024 takes place on 25 April at etc venues Manchester.
Bodyshop Briefs
- Fix Auto Lichfield owner Andy Johnson completed the formidable 3,000km Panda Raid driving challenge across the Moroccan desert and raised an impressive £12,000 for a Birmingham Children’s Hospital charity in the process. For anyone wishing to support Andy and Sam’s exploits, please visit the Carter The Brave Just Giving Page; https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/carterthebrave
- Mustoe’s Specialist Vehicle Body Repairs has once again achieved PAS 2060 status.
- Foray Motor Group has transitioned to the new BS10125:2022 standard.
- M&A Coachworks has rejoined the network of Lotus Approved Bodyshops after a five-year absence.
- Direct Line Group’s flagship Technology Centre in Birmingham hosted Chief Executive Adam Winslow recently, when he witnessed first-hand the cutting-edge innovations taking place.
- The overall winners in the Steer Apprentice Skills competition have been announced, with Nathan Hoe from Steer Sleaford and David Lindert from Steer Romford taking top honours in Automotive Body Repair and Automotive Refinishing respectively.
Industry News
Repair volumes tell a complex tale
While there has been a fall in repair volumes during February, the evidence on the ground can be slightly different according to where in the UK you are and what sort of work you do.
According to data by Trend Tracker, volumes fell significantly from January to February, but January saw a marked increase on December and, taken together, volumes over the first two months of this year were actually four per cent higher than the same period in 2023.
Government decision will ‘exacerbate’ skill crisis
New immigration requirements that come into force on 4 April, raising the salary threshold for skilled workers coming to the UK from £26,200 to £38,700, could exacerbate an already extreme skills crisis in the industry, according to the National Body Repair Association (NBRA).
The NBRA is ‘deeply concerned’ that these requirements will exclude a raft of new talent that could otherwise have boosted the UK automotive workforce.
BASF boss shares battery recycling insights
Director of Business Management Battery Recycling at BASF Julian Proelss has discussed battery innovation and explained how BASF is ‘closing the supply chain loop’ in the latest episode of S&P Global’s Energy Evolution podcast.
PartsXchange partners with LKQ Academy
PartsXchange has announced a new training partnership with LKQ Academy. The partnership continues PartsXchange’s journey to becoming a one-stop hub for its users.
Symach launches EV refinishing solution
Symach has unveiled a new refinishing solution tailored to electric vehicles.
Its Cutting-Edge DryTronic Infrared Technology offers a safer, more energy-efficient alternative to conventional drying methods, directly curing vehicle coatings without generating excessive heat.
H&S revealed as number one risk
A new report by WTW and Clyde & Co has revealed that health and safety is the number one risk concern for directors.
It was cited as the prime worry for 84% of respondents, followed by cyber-attack (79%).
Autoglym joins eBay
eBay has announced that UK car cleaning product manufacturers Autoglym has launched a dedicated store on its platform.
Ball tickets now available
Automotive charity Ben has announced that tickets are now available for its annual industry celebration, the Ben Ball.
Taking place at Old Billingsgate Market on 11 December and supported by Auto Trader, the theme for this year’s event is the roaring 20s.
Autotech skills survey reveals substantial challenges
Autotech Recruit’s annual Automotive Recruitment Trends Survey, carried out between December and January, has revealed that 52% of respondents said a lack of skills was impacting their ability to meet demand and 56% said it reduced their ability to maximise profitability.
Vehicle technician was cited as the most difficult job role to fill by 70% of respondents.
Leon roars into first place
New data from Auto Trader has revealed that the SEAT Leon is the fastest-selling used car in the UK, taking an average of 10 days to leave retailers’ forecourts. That is more than twice as quick as the overall average of 26 days.
The Vauxhall Crossland and Vauxhall Grandland X were ranked second and third.
Vizion introduces BYD EVs
Vizion Drive is now delivering the first BYD electric vehicles to the sector.
Featuring the latest innovations, the BYD Dolphin is available on a monthly rental basis as both a management and a courtesy vehicle.
BMW 5 Series tops infotainment charts
What Car? has ranked the top 20 car infotainment systems on the market, with the BMW 5 Series coming out on top with an overall score of 87%. Touchscreen and voice control features were tested on a range of models to determine the outcome.
VM News
Vauxhall boss calls for EV funding support
The Managing Director of Vauxhall James Taylor has written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak calling for more financial support for private EV buyers.
In a letter published in The Sun, he calls for VAT on public charging to be reduced from 20% to five per cent ‘so people who can’t charge at home pay the same tax as those who have a driveway.’
JLR launches EV recruitment drive
JLR is recruiting 250 electrification engineers for its Gaydon and Whitley sites. This includes more than 40 battery experts to work in advanced energy storage systems, battery cell design, and cell stack assemblies.
Stellantis backs LiDAR startup
Stellantis Ventures is investing in SteerLight, which develops new generation high-performance LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensing technology.
Its technology senses the surrounding environment in three dimensions with higher resolution and precision, and at a lower volume production cost.
Fisker receives financing boost
Fisker has received nearly £119m additional funding from an existing investor.
Meanwhile, negotiations continue with a vehicle manufacturer to develop one or more electric platforms. The deal would also include investment.
Škoda reveals sustainability successes
Škoda has published its Sustainability Report alongside its Annual Report for the first time.
The report revealed its carbon footprint per car had reduced from 41.2 tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2018 to 38 tonnes this year. It plans to reduce that further to 24.7 tonnes by 2030.
Volkswagen Group enhances Mobileye collaboration
Volkswagen has expanded its autonomous vehicle technology development collaboration with Mobileye.
The two companies will work together to develop new self-driving functions such as automated overtaking on multi-lane highways and automated navigation around roundabouts.
People
- Nick Spiers has been appointed Network’s Global VP of Strategic Operations
- Tomas Dawe has been appointed Junior Software Developer at Charles Trent.
- Gavin White has taken an Automotive Ambassador role with Activate Business Finance.
- FMG Repair Services has appointed Howard Jordan as ATA VDA Vehicle Damage Assessor.
- Kevern Thompson has been appointed Chief Executive Officer at WhoCanFixMyCar.
- Craig Salter, who is part of The Institute of Automotive Engineer Assessors, has joined Freedom Assessors.
