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The Mercedes-EQ EQE achieved the highest ever score in Assisted Driving Gradings in the latest round of Euro NCAP testing.
The Gradings measure not just the safety systems in place, but the clarity of the marketing around them.
The EQE’s overall Assisted Driving rating of ‘very good’ was the best ever achieved, with an Assistance Competence score of 85%. The model also became the first to achieve a perfect Safety Back-Up result of 100%.
Matthew Avery, Chief Research Strategy Officer, Thatcham Research, said, “Mercedes is a brand that appears to be getting Assisted Driving right. Driver expectations are managed successfully thanks to appropriate naming conventions and marketing that clearly positions system function as ‘assisted’.
“The driver is encouraged to understand that it’s a team effort involving cooperative driving between motorist and machine, as opposed to becoming convinced that they can check-out completely.”
The Mercedes-EQ EQE was one of seven vehicles that went through rigorous impact protection and crash avoidance testing and a separate Assisted Driving Grading.
The Atto 3 from Chinese manufacturer BYD received a five-star rating, as did the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, BMW X1, SEAT Ibiza and VW Golf, while the Citroën C5 X and Mobilize Limo were given four-star ratings.
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Solera Audatex updated its paint materials table on Thursday, 13 October, for its Irish customers.
The updates were made to bring the table into line with recent paint manufacturer price changes, which shows an indicative average increase of 19% on the calculated paint and materials.
The company said, “These calculations are based upon updated paint material tables represented by the basket of paint brands used in our system. Please note that this is an indicative percentage for guidance purposes only, as the actual increase per job will depend on a number of factors including the specific paint operations (new part, surface, repair), paint type, and the surface to be prepared/painted (metal versus plastic).”
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Milton Keynes-based training provider RWC Training has announced a new partnership with Skillnet to deliver Ford’s Body and Paint Apprenticeship programme.
Apprentices have already embarked on their training at RWC’s state-of-the-art facilities.
The national programme will deliver a continued pipeline of qualified level 3 Vehicle Paint technicians for the UK Ford Collision Centre Network (FCCN), and open the door to many more would-be technicians.
The announcement compliments the training RWC already delivers for Ford at its Dagenham factory and at the Henry Ford Academy.
RWC founder and director Rob Ward said, “The team at RWC are extremely proud to have been appointed by Skillnet to deliver the apprenticeship scheme and develop the skills and knowledge of many young people employed across the Ford network.”
Insurance, Mobility, Supplier, Technology, vehicle sales and Words
BMW Group is collaborating with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to develop new cloud technologies that will enable it to better leverage data generated by modern and future connected vehicles.
Today there are already more than 20 million connected BMW Group vehicles on the road, sending upwards of 10 billion enquiries – around hazard detection, ADAS and OTA updates – to the cloud-based infrastructure that manages connected vehicles.
The partnership with AWS will create a self-service portal enabling BMW Group developers to access all relevant data with just a few clicks. Only BMW Group will have access to the data, with AWS only providing infrastructure and services.
Nicolai Krämer, Vice President Vehicle Connectivity Platforms, said,“We already have around 20 million extensively connected vehicles on the road today. When the ‘Neue Klasse’ is launched, our offboard cloud platform, powered by AWS, will process roughly triple the volume of vehicle data compared to the current generation of BMW models. Together with AWS, we will continue to create innovative solutions, allowing us to develop new, data-driven functions and make them available to customers faster.”
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ARC360 is offering free access for repairers to its forthcoming ‘Gaining Ground Together’ themed event taking place on Thursday 24 November at the Manufacturing Technology Centre, Coventry.
The move comes as ARC360 steps up its efforts to bring the repairer and supply chain communities together by providing a platform of collaboration and understanding for all stakeholders.
The day will include a host of ‘quickfire’ sessions focused on providing greater insight and context to market conditions. It will deliver a ‘state of the nation’ look at market data and how it actually translates to everyday operations and future planning; explore procurement and battling the challenges of rising claims inflation; and the importance and impact of ESG on the supply chain.
The event will also include an exclusive look at the latest technology to be deployed within the technician training environment.
Mark Hadaway, co-founder of ARC360 said, “ARC360 has been developed around the core theme of Gaining Ground Together. Offering access to November’s event, at no cost, to repairers is very much a part of that approach in providing a platform for insight and knowledge sharing to support the long-term sustainability of the sector.”
ARC360 is supported by Corporate Partners: Solera Audatex; BASF; BMS; CAPS; Copart; EMACS; Entegral; Enterprise; Innovation Group; Mirka; Nationwide Vehicle Recovery Assistance; and S&G; along with Partners: Repairify; The Green Parts Specialists; Indasa; and Prasco UK; and Associate Partners: Gemini ARC; Trend Tracker; and Thatcham Research.
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ARC360 offers free access to repairers
ARC360 is offering free access for repairers to its forthcoming ‘Gaining Ground Together’ themed event taking place on Thursday 24 November at the Manufacturing Technology Centre, Coventry.
The move comes as ARC360 steps up its efforts to bring the repairer and supply chain communities together by providing a platform of collaboration and understanding for all stakeholders.
Innovation Group provides claims and technology solutions to the insurance and automotive industries. It says the deal will support further innovations as well as the continued roll-out of Gateway, its digital claims management solution that connects all stakeholders on a single, independent platform.
Motor Claims Conference provides high-level insights
It will consider applications from anyone within the vehicle repair industry but is particularly keen to appoint experienced professionals from automotive sectors such as education, marketing and management.
FuelActive works by drawing fuel from near the surface of the tank, avoiding contamination from water and sediment that settles near the bottom. This reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by as much as five per cent.
The London-based smart repairer, which has seen revenues grow fourfold in the last 18 months, employs skilled technicians empowered to use their own expertise and experience to estimate repair costs and timings and price jobs accordingly.
Director Paul Cunningham said, “Slough run an incredible business and thoroughly deserve the award. We work closely together and share best practice, so sharing the award seemed the obvious thing to do.”
Meanwhile, Fix Auto UK franchise partners were also shortlisted in the Single Site Bodyshop of the Year category (Fix Auto Penzance and Fix Auto Redhill), the Advanced Technologies Technician category (Ian Phillips of Fix Auto Redhill) and VDA of the Year (Mark Thomas, Fix Auto Mid Devon).
Introduced ease the burden of rising repair costs, the fee will remain in place from October until March, when it will be reviewed in line with market conditions.
Mark Green, Allianz Claims Supply Chain Manager, said, “As we head towards winter where there is general industry uncertainty and volatility, we are pleased to announce that Allianz will be introducing an Energy and Inflation support fee for all new repair instructions.”
Chris Ryder, Network Director, Avant, said, “The Energy & Inflation supplement will be a much welcome shot in the arm to our repairer partners.”
Environment, People, Salvage, Supplier, Technology and Words
UK salvage and remarketing experts Copart has completed a six-month trial of FuelActive, a new solution that delivers 92% cleaner fuel to engines.
FuelActive works by drawing fuel from near the surface of the tank, avoiding contamination from water and sediment that settles near the bottom. This reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by as much as five per cent.
Phil Briggs, Director of Operation Centres, Transport & Engineering at Copart, said: “This FuelActive trial is yet another ‘Greenest Fleet on the Street’ initiative we are exploring as part of our Plan-Net-Zero commitment, which is designed to address all aspects of our operations against our ambition of achieving carbon neutrality in the shortest possible timescale.
“We’ve already made significant investment into the latest telematics and camera technology across our transport fleet, providing unique data and insight into driving styles and fuel consumption, and we’re actively exploring the option of hydrogen fuelled vehicles going forwards.
“The initial findings from the trial are very positive and we look forward to sharing the results after further analysis.”
The trial is part of an ongoing strategy of sustainability, which has already seen Copart ensure Euro VI compliancy across its transporter fleet, invest in JCB loaders with lower fuel consumption and emissions, invest in single and three-car transporters to enhance efficiency and partner with HGVC to deliver carbon neutral training to its drivers.
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AutoRaise is looking to support further growth by appointing new members to its Board of Trustees.
It will consider applications from anyone within the vehicle repair industry but is particularly keen to appoint experienced professionals from automotive sectors such as education, marketing and management.
It said, “Some of the current Board of Trustees have continued in their tenure for longer than was required; this was to ensure both the smooth running of the charity and to get AutoRaise into an enviable financial position post pandemic. It is now time to welcome some new like-minded industry professionals who can give their support, experience, and a little time to secure the objectives of the charity.
“AutoRaise will engage with all applicants to assess the candidate’s suitability, experience and skill set against the available roles. Successful applicants will be formally elected as officers of the charity and be allocated key responsibilities within a specific Trustee role with a level of expectancy around activity and input.”
The charity dedicated to promoting apprenticeships within the industry is also seeking volunteers to offer occasional support for specific projects, campaigns, initiatives, and events.
Anyone interested is invited to email Jennifer Evans at jen.evans@autoraise.co.uk before Friday, 28 October 2022.
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ILC’s Exclusive Motor Claims Conference took place last week at London’s tallest event space, providing the perfect opportunity for a high-level overview of developments across the market.
Headline sponsored by Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and sponsored by EDAM Group and LexisNexis Risk Solutions, the event covered a host of topics from the rise of insurtechs to credit hire, movements within the repair sector and shared opinions on challenges across the sector.
Hosted by ILC MD, Mark Hadaway the day got underway with a fascinating insight into ‘Motor Insurance in a Modern World’ documenting the rise of insurtech Marshmallow courtesy of Insurance Director, Paula (Coulthard) Griffiths.
Paula highlighted how behind the ‘tech’ element of Marshmallow sits “predominantly ‘non-insurance people’ with a relentless focus on customer experience” which combined with an ongoing appetite for research and development has provided solid grounding for the insurers exponential growth.
Panel sessions offering highly candid discussions around credit hire, personal injury and data insights all provided deeply insightful aspects to the agenda and gave the sense the industry was increasingly invested in understanding the internal challenges and opportunities that exist.
An ‘open session’ – using slido audience participation technology – also ensured all attendees had their say on some of the hottest topics of the day – 80% suggesting that the industry was yet to settle into a ‘new normal’.
The day also included two fireside type interviews – one with Richard Steer, CEO of rapidly expanding Steer Automotive Group and another with Geoff Carter, CEO of Sabre Insurance. Both offered highly engaging insights into their respective business operations and views of the sector, as well as hinting at further positive advances in the future.
Concluding the event, Mark said, “There is no doubt with all that is happening economically, politically and geopolitically we find ourselves in very uncertain times yet from what we have heard today the industry is evolving to ensure it is fit for purpose with the agility to cater for future customer needs.”
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Allianz X, the digital investment arm of Allianz Group, will acquire Innovation Group subject to regulatory approval.
Innovation Group provides claims and technology solutions to the insurance and automotive industries. It says the deal will support further innovations as well as the continued roll-out of Gateway, its digital claims management solution that connects all stakeholders on a single, independent platform.
With more than 1,200 clients across the globe, Innovation Group will maintain its operational independence, brand and culture following the deal.
Tim Griffiths, CEO of Innovation Group, said, “Allianz X’s support will accelerate the roll-out of our industry-leading platform, Gateway, open up new opportunities for growth and enable us to deliver market-leading services for our clients. We are delighted to have the backing of Allianz X as we enter the next phase of our development.”
Dr. Nazim Cetin, CEO of Allianz X, said, “Innovation Group’s digital solutions bring together all the relevant parties and data to facilitate smooth, efficient and transparent claims management, from first notification of loss to repair and settlement, which is what the market is increasingly demanding. It’s a future-ready business with lots of potential and we want to help unleash it.”
