ARC360 News – Friday, 17 August 2024

16 August 2024

Bodyshop, Environment, Finance, Insurance, Mobility, People, Salvage, Supplier, Technology, Training, Vehicle Repair, vehicle sales, wellbeing and Words

Bodyshop Briefs

MG Cannon Dorchester has retained Mazda approval after its latest compliance standards audit.
Crash care centre Hitchin Ltd has passed its BS10125 audit.
Newbridge Accident Repair Centre (London) Ltd has successfully transitioned to BS 10125:2022.
FMG Repair Services will open its 67^th site in Dundee in the autumn.
XL Motors is now an official Nissan Approved Bodyshop.
Milton Keynes-based Perfect Paint MK has celebrated its 23^rd anniversary.
The top repair centres in the Stellantis approved network have been announced. The Northern Region Winners were Camerons Motor Group, Burrows ARC Doncaster, and Drive Darlington. The Central Region winners were Fylde Coast ARC, M&M Vehicle Repairs Stoke-on-Trent, and Mustoes Specialist Vehicle Body Repairs, while the Southern Region Winners were Barretts of Canterbury, Cougar ARC, and Liam Kenny Motor Body Repairs.

Industry News

The new dynamics in insurance claims

Co-operation with the supply chain was the fundamental message of a session entitled, ‘The new dynamics in insurance claims’, which took place at ARC360’s Future Vehicle Technology themed conference recently. Read more

ClaimsTech: Notification of loss in motor

The use of digital technology to handle first notification of loss has been compared in both scale and transformative impact to the switch to telephony 30 years ago. Read more

Repair costs outstrip inflation

Repair costs rose faster than inflation between July 2023 and 2024, according to Trend Tracker’s latest monthly report on the status of the UK vehicle incident repair market. Read more

NWVA extends West Ham United partnership

NWVA has extended its partnership with West Ham United as the club’s Official Vehicle Recovery Partner. Read more

NWVA to kick off Bob Linwood Trophy charity match

Nationwide Vehicle Assistance (NWVA) has announced it will play a charity football match against Morelli Masters to raise funds for the charity, DEBRA UK. Read more

Audatex UK Data Updated

In their latest data release D4.78 they’ve added 29 new and updated 92 model sheets to their industry leading vehicle database. Read more

Generation gap in ‘car confidence’ amongst UK drivers revealed

With the arrival of the new ‘74’ vehicle registration just around the corner, aCensuswide poll of 1,000 UK drivers commissioned by The Motor Ombudsman has revealed generational differences in consumer ‘Car Confidence’ when it comes to buying and owning a vehicle. Read more

Manufacturers increasingly refusing longer-term claims on older vehicles

A growing number of older vehicles within fleets means manufacturers are increasingly refusing longer-term, out-of-warranty claims, according to the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP). Read more

Tracker helps uncover 37 illegal chop shops

During the first six months of 2024, joint operations between stolen vehicle recovery expert Tracker Network and UK police forces have uncovered 37 illegal ‘chop shops’ nationwide that were being used to strip and dismantle stolen cars. Read more

Morelli Group joins NBRA

Morelli Group has joined the NBRA as a Gold Supplier Member. Read more

GT Motive Launches New Service to Drive Sustainable Vehicle Repairs

GT Motive, a leading provider of claims management and estimation solutions, is proud to announce the launch of an innovative consultancy service designed to analyze and manage CO2 emissions associated with vehicle repairs. Read more

Copart announces Andover expansion

Online vehicle remarketing and recycling company Copart UK is set to significantly boost vehicle storage capacity in the Southwest with a new Andover Operation Centre. Read more

SYNETIQ raises more than £6k for charity

SYNETIQ, an IAA company and one of the UK’s leading integrated vehicle salvage, dismantling and recycling companies, has completed the Tough Mudder challenge, raising over £6,162 for ANDYSMANCLUB. Read more

Phase two of the IMI’s ‘There’s More to Motor’ campaign sees exceptional performance

Two months into the second phase of the IMI There’s More to Motor digital campaign, considerable success is being achieved to tackle the automotive sector’s significant skills gap. Highly focused targeting in key UK regions where automotive vacancies are highest has resulted in conversions already reaching close to 6,000. Read more

Concern about the dire state of the nation’s local roads reaches record levels

Drivers’ despair with the woeful state of Britain’s local roads – those which make up 98% of all roads – has reached the highest level ever, scathing new figures from the RAC show. Read more

Fraudulent tractor theft claim uncovered

A man has been sentenced after he unsuccessfully made a ‘wheely’ big claim on insurance for a stolen tractor, when it had actually been repossessed by a finance company. Read more

Chessington, Stockport join GSF’s branches lineup

GSF Car Parts is continuing its network expansion with the opening of an additional two branches — in Chessington and Stockport. Read more

IMI stars set for WorldSkills finals

The IMI has announced that IMI Skills Competition finalists David and Miguel have made it through to WorldSkills Lyon 2024. David is an autobody repair specialist and Miguel is a paint technician. Read more

VM News

Toyota Open Labs advances mobility with first cohort of start-ups

Toyota Open Labs has announced the first start-up companies selected for its new open innovation platform: Andyamo, Okeenea, Genny Mobility, hlpy, Hive Power and Shippeo. Read more

Nissan trialing cool paint technology

Nissan has been trialing an innovative automotive paint aimed at helping lower a vehicle’s ambient cabin temperature in summer and reduce the energy usage of the air-conditioning system. Read more

Zeekr passes milestone of 300,000 all-electric vehicle deliveries

Global electric mobility technology brand Zeekr has delivered more than 300,000 EVs worldwide. This milestone, reached on August 1, has been achieved only 33 months since the brand delivered its first vehicle. Read more

People

Unipart Group has appointed Dr Bryan Jackson CBE to the role of Non-Executive Chair, meanwhile the business has announced that its Executive Chairman John Neill will retire after 50 years’ service.
Automotive industry charity Ben has promoted Rachel Clift from Health & Wellbeing Director to CEO.
Gavin Ruddick, COO of Steer Automotive Group, has joined the Automotive 30% Club as a silver member.
National Sales Director for Morelli Group Mark Moring has agreed to become an ambassador for charity DEBRA UK.

More Insights

ARC360 Conference 2025: Unpacking the future of claims and collision repair

16-04-2025

Repair sector urged to act now to secure apprenticeship talents

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The new dynamics in insurance claims

16 August 2024

Bodyshop, Environment, Finance, Insurance, Mobility, People, Salvage, Supplier, Technology, Vehicle Repair, vehicle sales and Words

Apart from greater efficiencies, cost savings and improved sustainability, the session emphasised how important the supply chain is in helping insurers achieve Consumer Duty compliance.

Taking part in the panel discussion were Andrew Jobling, Supply Chain Lead, UKGI Supply Chain, Aviva; Ulrike Lucas, Head of Procurement and Supply, Allianz Claims, Allianz; and Dawn Marsden, Head of Claims Supplier Management and Engineering Services, esure.

Consumer Duty

Andrew said, “Consumer Duty has reared its head again because we’ve got to provide our annual summary to the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority). For us, it means producing good outcomes for our customers in every facet of the claim and then being able to evidence it to the FCA.

“Ultimately, it’s our supply chain that delivers the service and there is a big requirement to evidence the quality of that service. So, if you aren’t already being asked for more evidence, that is 100% coming because it is a critical part of Consumer Duty.”

Dawn agreed and said a symbiotic relationship between insurers and their repair network had to be a primary objective.

She said, “We need to collaborate more. Repairers aren’t regulated but insurers are and although we can outsource the repair we can’t outsource our obligations. That means we need to work together. We need to support those repairers we share data with in terms of security from cyberattack for example, and they need to support us with managing our regulatory requirements.

“There is also a challenge around rising costs and the need to bring premiums down. That will also require more efficiency and working together. But that goes two ways; we want them to challenge us back. So, where we’re doing things that might be creating inefficiencies, talk to us and let’s work through it together.”

Encouragingly though, Ulrike said she had noticed improved collaboration throughout the industry and was hopeful this new approach was here to stay.

She said, “The old days of the confrontational relationships are over. I really hope that this collaborative model is here to stay because we need each other. But it needs to spread across the wider supply chain to take friction out of the process whenever we can. There is definitely more to explore in the wider ecosystem.”

Trends

Meanwhile, other industry trends include falling volumes caused in part by the cost-of-living crisis. Dawn revealed that esure had seen a circa 20% drop in volumes, with many customers opting for higher excesses to reduce premiums.

She said, “A lot of customers are choosing excesses at £600-plus, so they aren’t claiming. There has also been an increase in total loss ratios driven by high salvage and repair costs. We’ve been up near 40% total loss ratio, although that’s dropped back in the last month so that should bring some of the volume back.”

One solution to reduce repair costs is using more green parts. This can also go some way to combating any lingering challenges in parts supply while helping organisations meet their sustainability goals.

Andrew said that alongside developing strategic partnerships around EV battery recycling, Aviva was also refocussing its attention on its green parts programme.

Ulrike added, “Parts availability has improved but the skills shortage is still a problem and it is very competitive. That drives up labour costs which links back to the premium debate and cost-of-living pressures leading to higher excesses and lower volumes. We need to invest more in skills as an industry. There are good examples of repairers investing in their workforce but it’s not widespread enough. We can support them by offering long-term partnerships to support their planning and stability.”

Communication

Meanwhile, better communication is not just an external focus. Dawn said the challenges in the market today have driven closer collaboration between separate departments within insurers, which is helping to improve both customer service and profitability.

She explained, “One of the shift changes that I have seen is working a lot closer with our underwriting team. That means making sure that whatever vehicles we are underwriting, they understand the claims process and we have repair methodologies available.

“We’ve never had those conversations before. Previously, traditional insurers underwrote whatever they wanted and claims had to deal with the problems down the line. But now we don’t underwrite vehicles that we can’t repair or we can’t get parts for.”

This, added Andrew, is all part of improving communication and sharing data to deliver better outcomes.

He said there is a genuine commitment at Aviva to develop a win/win relationship with its repairers and the best use of data is fundamental to delivering that.

“We need to embrace it,” he said, “but the same approach needs to be taken by the whole industry. We need manufacturers to join the data journey too.”

ARC360’s Future Vehicle Technology conference was held at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Coventry, sponsored by Activate Group and Thatcham Research along with vehicle manufacturer – Stellantis, and supported by Corporate Partners: BASF, CAPS, Entegral, Enterprise, Mirka, Nationwide Vehicle Assistance, S&G Response, Solera Audatex; along with Partners: e2e, Gemini ARC, Prasco and Repairify.

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Tracker helps uncover 37 illegal chop shops

15 August 2024

Bodyshop, Finance, Insurance, People, vehicle sales and Words

Alarmingly, this figure is over two-thirds of the way to reaching 2023’s total of 55.

In 2020 Tracker helped police shut down just two chop shops but that figure jumped significantly in recent years and continues to rise. The steady increases come as the price of new replacement parts for cars continues to grow dramatically.

The chop shop locations were uncovered as a direct result of Tracker’s combination of VHF with GPS/GSM technology covertly fitted to stolen vehicles. As well as recovering large numbers of Tracker installed stolen vehicles, the discovery and closure of the chop shops also uncovered hundreds of other stolen vehicles.

Clive Wain, Head of Police Liaison at Tracker, said: “These criminals are stealing vehicles to order to strip them for parts which they can then sell-on for eye-watering sums on the black market. It’s not only the domestic market where parts achieve big ticket prices. Thieves will often ship stolen parts overseas too, to places like Africa and the Middle East where they can be sold even more lucratively.

“Determined career criminals are a hard nut to crack and whilst we work hand-in-hand with police daily to find and shut down illegal chop shops, the lucrative nature of the ‘business’ means they spring up again. And thieves are getting wise. Chop shops have typically been tucked away in industrial parks or in plain sight as legitimate bodyshops, but we have seen an increasing number of unusual sites being used to hide stolen vehicles and parts, such as agricultural greenhouses.”

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Manufacturers increasingly refusing longer-term claims on older vehicles

13 August 2024

Bodyshop, Environment, Finance, Insurance, Mobility, People, Salvage, Vehicle Repair, vehicle sales and Words

A growing number of older vehicles within fleets means manufacturers are increasingly refusing longer-term, out-of-warranty claims, according to the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP).

The organisation says that with vans especially now being operated into six, seven and eight years, a range of claims issues are emerging that are creating intensive debate between manufacturers and fleets.

Paul Hollick, APF Chair, said, “In the wake of the pandemic and subsequent vehicle shortages, many fleets were forced into extending their replacement cycles substantially and quite a few are continuing to operate aged vehicles even though supply is much improved.

“What fleets have learnt is that it is possible to keep vans on the road in safe and efficient condition for much longer than previously thought. However, this is also generating a new series of questions around maintenance and longer-term claims.

“Especially, manufacturers have historically tended to honour out-of-warranty claims on a goodwill basis if parts failed within recommended replacement schedules. Now, we are starting to see instances of these being refused for what look like debatable reasons, even if the vehicles in question have ostensibly complete service records.”

He continued, “The argument for running older vehicles is essentially that while keeping them on the road is expensive, it outweighs the cost of a replacement vehicle. If manufacturers begin to refuse claims of this kind, the maths behind that thinking may start to shift.

“A further point to consider is that the rate of change stipulated by the ZEV Mandate means fleets are often making choices not between replacing an older diesel van with a newer one, but with an electric vehicle (EV). There are complex decisions to be made about balancing the cost of keeping the older vehicle on the road with an EV that is probably less operationally efficient.”

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ARC360 News – Friday, 9 August 2024

9 August 2024

Bodyshop, Environment, Finance, Insurance, Mobility, People, Salvage, Supplier, Technology, Vehicle Repair, vehicle sales, wellbeing and Words

Bodyshop Briefs

Last month Steer Automotive Group launched its first Advanced Panel Apprentice training course in collaboration with supply partners LKQ Corporation.
Autocraft Telford secured a 100% pass at its latest BSI audit.
CarComm Coachworks has retained its NBRA Elite Truck and Van Standard and BS10125 certification.
Coachwork Renovations has recently passed its latest BSi Kitemark BS10125 audit.

Industry News

Motor premiums fall for the first time in two years

The average motor insurance premium fell by 2% in April to June compared to the first quarter of 2024, according to the latest data from the Association of British Insurers (ABI). Read more

UK corporate car sales greener than many countries in Europe

New analysis by Transport & Environment has found that the UK is outperforming many European countries in the electrification of new corporate cars. Read more

Fix Auto UK announces HR partnership with Connor

Fix Auto UK has launched a unique partnership that will ensure each franchise partner has leading human resources support service. Read more

Global EV sales hit record highs in 2024

Since the beginning of 2024, it has been widely reported that EV sales are ‘slowing’, ‘falling’ or have even ‘crashed’ and this has become accepted as a truth. Read more

NBRA welcomes Solera Audatex as a gold supplier member

The National Body Repair Association (NBRA) and Vehicle Builders and Repairers Association (VBRA) have announced that Solera Audatex, one of the UK’s leading estimating software systems, has joined as a Gold Supplier member. Read more

3,000 EV technician shortfall predicted by 2031

The IMI’s latest EV TechSafe certification data shows that 58,800 technicians are now qualified to work on electric vehicles, representing 24% of the UK automotive workforce. Read more

Brake puts road victims at the heart of road safety week 2024

Brake has revealed the theme and dates for Road Safety Week, its biggest annual road safety campaign. Read more

Used EVs are now cheaper than petrol or diesel equivalents

HPI data shows that average retail prices of EVs are cheaper than petrol and diesel vehicles by around 8.5% at three years and rising to 14% at four years. Read more

AA Underwriting extends vehicle data partnership with Percayso

AA Underwriting Ltd has enhanced its data enrichment capabilities across its private motor insurance business by extending its existing relationship with Percayso Inform. Read more

Motor premiums fall – but 300,000 still driving without insurance

Whilst car insurance premiums have fallen for the first time in two years, the impact of rising costs year-on-year are still to hit those yet to renew their insurance in 2024. Read more

SYNETIQ signs recycling deal with Cyclic Materials

IAA company SYNETIQ is collaborating with Cyclic Materials to recycle electric motors. Read more

Chinese electric car giant deploys robot factory workers

A Chinese luxury electric car maker has deployed humanoid robots in its factories for the first time. Read more

Aluminium crisis hits car makers

Europe and beyond, particularly in the car industry, is facing a new crisis, namely that of aluminium. Read more

How government EV sales targets are forcing car makers to use drastic tactics to inflate numbers

Car makers are having to resort to tactics ‘not seen in the industry for 40 years’ in a ploy to increase EV sales in order to meet binding targets to set out by the Government, an industry insider has exclusively told This is Money. Read more

Morelli Group joins NBRA

Morelli Group has joined the NBRA as a Gold Supplier Member. Read more

EVs drive surge in used car sales

The UK’s used car market has grown for the sixth consecutive quarter, rising 7.2% in Q2, according to the latest figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Read more

SYNETIQ’s Fundraising Efforts Surpass £6,100

SYNETIQ, an IAA company and one of the UK’s leading integrated vehicle salvage, dismantling, and recycling companies, proudly announces the successful completion of the Tough Mudder challenge by its dedicated team. Read more

Page Automotive Group Joins NBRA as Newest Members

The National Body Repair Association (NBRA) is thrilled to welcome Page Automotive Group as our newest members. With eight sites across the south of the UK and over 100 years of history, Page Automotive Group has now been operating under new ownership since March 2022. Read more

VM News

Mercedes-Benz Vans launches ‘Vantasy Football’ to bring lonely van drivers together through sport

Mercedes-Benz Vans and ex-Sky Sports football pundit Chris Kamara today launch Vantasy Football, the UK’s first five-a-side football tournament to bring van drivers together through team sport to improve their mental wellbeing. Read more

JLR ups spending by £3bn to hedge against slowing EV uptake

JLR has increased its five-year investment plan from £15 billion to £18bn after the slower-than-predicted EV take-up forced it to boost spending on platforms that allow combustion engines as well as electric powertrains. Read more

Nissan, Honda join forces to research vehicle technologies

The two companies believe that software, autonomous driving, connectivity and AI will determine the value of vehicles in the future. Read more

Geely gains recognition as a global automotive innovation leader

Geely announces that it has been recognized as the most innovative automotive manufacturer group among Chinese brands and second in the world. Read more

Refreshed 2025 Acura RDX Gains Sophisticated New Styling, Cabin Updates and Enhanced Technology

Acura has introduced its refreshed RDX performance SUV that takes the brand’s popular 5-passenger SUV to an even higher level with sophisticated styling, updated cabin and enhanced technology. Read more

Mercedes-Benz to start testing Level 4 self-driving cars in China

Mercedes-Benz has received approval to test autonomous cars ranked at Level 4 on the SAE scale of self-driving capability in Beijing, making it the first foreign automaker permitted to conduct such trials in China. Read more

Power to the people carriers: sales launch for the new, all-electric Toyota Proace Verso and Proace City Verso

Toyota’s Proace Verso and Proace City Verso become all-electric model ranges for 2024, benefiting from technical upgrades that increase their driving range and new equipment features that provide additional safety functions and enhanced comfort and infotainment. Read more

People

It is with great sadness that we announce the funeral of Gethyn Davies, which will take place on Friday, 30th August 2024.
Kennedys is expanding its fraud practice with the appointment of partner Ruth Needham.

More Insights

ARC360 Conference 2025: Unpacking the future of claims and collision repair

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ARC360 News – Friday 11 April 2025

11-04-2025

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Motor premiums fall – but 300,000 still driving without insurance

8 August 2024

Environment, Finance, Insurance, Mobility, People and Words

Whilst car insurance premiums have fallen for the first time in two years, the impact of rising costs year-on-year are still to hit those yet to renew their insurance in 2024.

With up to 10% of British adults not aware that motor insurance is compulsory, and an estimated 300,000 uninsured drivers on the roads every day, MIB (Motor Insurers’ Bureau) is calling on those needing to take out a new policy to make sure they remain insured, rather than face the consequences.

According to the ABI (Association of British Insurers), premiums fell by two per cent in April-June compared to the first quarter of 2024. This is the first decrease in two years.

On the face of it, this is good news. However, costs are still just £12 off the all-time high, while annual increases of up to 21% compared to 2023 renewal costs are yet to hit the wallets of those still to renew. This means around 14 million households are to be hit by a likely premium rise.

Shockingly, according to a YouGov study commissioned by MIB, 10% of the British public are not aware that motor insurance is compulsory for any vehicle used on a public road.

MIB is raising awareness of the need for continuous insurance, appropriate for the driver, vehicle and journey purpose. For those not maintaining continuous motor insurance for vehicles used on public roads, the consequences can be severe. Whilst the fixed penalty notice is £300, should the case go to court the fine is unlimited. On top of this, drivers receive six points on their licence, vehicles may be seized and even crushed, and those with endorsed licences could find they struggle during job searches and with taking out future insurance policies.

James Dalton, Chief Services Officer at MIB, said,“We know times are tough for many people right now and increased cost-of-living pressures, including motor insurance premiums, may cause more people to make the wrong decision to drive uninsured, but this is not the right way to save money.

“We are encouraging people to ensure they maintain continuous, appropriate insurance on their vehicle, whilst reminding them to look at ways to legally reduce their premiums. While we understand the challenges many are facing, our message is that driving uninsured is never worth the risk.”

More Insights

ARC360 Conference 2025: Unpacking the future of claims and collision repair

16-04-2025

Repair sector urged to act now to secure apprenticeship talents

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ARC360 News – Friday 11 April 2025

11-04-2025

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ARC360 News – Friday, 2 August 2024

2 August 2024

Bodyshop, Environment, Finance, Insurance, Mobility, People, Salvage, Supplier, Technology, Training, Vehicle Repair, vehicle sales, wellbeing and Words

Bodyshop Briefs

Steer Automotive Group has acquired Komoo, diversifying its market offering and strengthening its position in the UK automotive repair market. Read more The news follows just days after it acquired MG Cannon Group. Read more

Gemini ARC was named in Apprenticeship Top 100 Employers 2024 for the fourth year, finishing 86^th. Read more

Fix Auto UK’s presence in the North East of England has been significantly enriched following the appointment of Fix Auto Darlington. The addition is the latest by the Drive Vauxhall organisation that now has five of its eight sites fully immersed in the Fix Auto UK network. Read more

AutoRaise has donated 50 new laptops to Emtec Colleges to support apprenticeship students and future students.

Bobbie Currie of FMGRS Dumfries has won SATA’s Custom Design Spray Gun competition.

PJB Accident Repairs has worked with Gary Chew of Small Torque to launch a new website.

Exclusive Repair Network has added ERN + to its repair offering, providing a complete repair solution for super prestige vehicles post-accident.

KC Autos has secured BMW/MINI vehicle repair approval. They join a VM portfolio including JLR, VAG, Toyota/Lexus, Stellantis, and Ford.

EB Crash Repair has been given a positive recommendation to complete our transition to BS 10125:2022.

The son of Fix Auto UK Basingstoke owner Dale Morris has started a 14,000-mile solo bike ride around the world from his father’s repair site. Henry, 24, will travel through 21 countries on an epic adventure. Read more

Industry News

Today’s challenge, tomorrow’s normal?

In a far-reaching debate during ARC360’s Future Vehicle Technology, Chris Downing, Head of Sales and Operations, Stellantis, warned that the ZEV (zero emission vehicle) Mandate is the single biggest challenge facing manufacturers today. Read more

Sector experts join motor conference line-up

James Driscoll, Senior Claims Manager – Motor Damage and Credit Hire, Aviva; Donna Scully, Joint Owner/Director, Carpenters Group; and Stuart Sandell, Assistant Vice President Sales – UK and Ireland, Enterprise Mobility are the latest leading names to join ILC’s Exclusive Motor Claims Conference 2024 agenda. Read more

Robertsons tackles repair delays with parts solution

Robertsons is helping vehicle repairers cut costs and key-to-key times by sourcing and delivering hard-to-find parts. Read more

Parking technology proves most popular car technology

According to recent survey data gathered by insurance comparison site Uswitch, the most popular automotive technology installed on vehicles are parking sensors, with the second most popular proving to be parking cameras. Read more

WorldSkills UK partners with UVAC

WorldSkills UK has announced its first ever Higher Education partnership with the University Vocational Awards Council. Read more

Repairify set for Automechanika

Repairify will showcase its advanced vehicle diagnostic and calibration technology, spearheaded by its asTech Digital ADAS Calibration Unit, at Automechanika, which takes place from 10-14 September. Read more

Copart to expand Wisbech Operation Centre

Copart UK has announced plans to expand its Operation Centre in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. Read more

Green Parts Specialists delivers carbon literacy training

The Green Parts Specialists has announced a company-wide roll-out of carbon literacy training, led by Copart UK Ltd and accredited by The Carbon Literacy Project.

FCA announces DCA complaint pause

The Financial Conduct Authority has announced that firms will not have to respond to discretionary commission arrangement (DCA) complaints until 4 December at the earliest. Read more

AkzoNobel enhances EV safety with powder coatings range

AkzoNobel has developed new innovative powder coatings technology that provides improved electrical protection for electric vehicle battery systems. Read more

20,000 automotive vacancies still a big gap to fill

The Institute of the Motor Industry’s (IMI) latest Vacancy Rate Tracker for June 2024 data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) shows a reduction from 3.7 to 3.6 vacancies for every 100 employees. Read more

A1 ADAS Solutions Group awarded hat-trick of ISO accreditations

One of the aftermarket’s leading ADAS, diagnostic and workshop equipment businesses has become the only specialist ADAS company in the UK to achieve three ISO standards. Read more

Positive used car outlook for the rest of 2024, but big change ahead

According to the latest market analysis by Auto Trader, based on the current trajectory, the used car market is expected to perform well in the latter half of the year, with sales predicted to rise 5% year-on-year (YoY) to circa 7.6m transactions. Read more

RWC Training gains access to Ezi-Methods

RWC Training delegates and apprentices will have full access to Ezi-Methods’ vast collection of vehicle repair methods to help with their studies. Ezi-Methods offers 77,375 repair methods encompassing 63 makes of vehicles that embodies 1,100 models and 1,517 body styles. To date, more than 5.2 million repair methods have been downloaded.

VM News

Ford BlueCruise hands-free driving technology approved for customers in Europe

Ford BlueCruise hands-free driving technology can now be used in a total of 15 European countries, following approval by the European Commission. Read more

Think global – act local for local

The Neue Klasse will usher in a new era of fully electric driving at the BMW Group – the success of which will depend heavily on the production of powerful high-voltage batteries. Read more

Nissan unveils inaugural Integrated Report and new sustainability plan

Nissan published its Integrated Report 2024, which showcases the company’s business progression as it accelerates toward its Ambition 2030 vision, always with sustainability at its core. Read more

Volvo Cars global sales up six per cent in July

Volvo Cars reported global sales of 57,447 cars in July, up 6 per cent compared to the same period last year. The sales increase was primarily driven by the strong sales of our fully electric cars in Europe. Read more

XPENG announces first global Tianji XOS 5.2 OTA upgrade

XPENG Motors, a leading Chinese smart electric vehicle company, today showcased its cutting-edge advancements in AI technology during the XPENG Smart AI Technology Conference. Read more

Uber and BYD Partner to Accelerate Global EV Transition

Uber Technologies and BYD have announced a multi-year strategic partnership designed to bring 100,000 new BYD electric vehicles onto the Uber platform across key global markets. Read more

People

Nationwide Assistance Group has appointed Stephan Surmont as Group Managing Director.

Daniel Austin has been named Procurement Senior Officer at Allianz.

It is with sadness that PPG has paid tribute to its former Market Director and well respected industry figure, Gethyn Davies who passed away this week at the age of 56. Our thoughts are with Gethyn’s family, friends and colleagues.

More Insights

ARC360 Conference 2025: Unpacking the future of claims and collision repair

16-04-2025

Repair sector urged to act now to secure apprenticeship talents

14-04-2025

ARC360 News – Friday 11 April 2025

11-04-2025

Corporate Partners

Partners

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Today’s challenge, tomorrow’s normal?

2 August 2024

Bodyshop, Environment, Finance, Insurance, Mobility, People, Supplier, Technology, Training, Vehicle Repair, vehicle sales and Words

The ZEV Mandate sets EV targets around the proportion of total sales each manufacturer has to meet annually. The targets increase incrementally to 80% of total sales by 2030 and 100% by 2035.

Chris, who was joined on stage by Activate Group Director of Product Pete Thompson, said, “The ZEV Mandate is the biggest threat to our industry from a manufacturer point of view that we’re facing today. The target this year is 22% and the fines are huge for failing to comply; £15,000 for each car and £18,000 per van. So you can see they are prohibitive from a volume manufacturer perspective.”

He warned that the number of BEVs (battery electric vehicles) a manufacturer sells will have a ‘direct’ impact on the number of petrol and diesel models it makes available to market, with the very real possibility of manufacturers being put under pressure to restrict ICE (internal combustion engine) models to customers, either retail or fleet.

Chris continued, “At the current YTD sales mix, we now have to sell approximately one BEV car to sell three ICE cars. We are absolutely facing the prospect at the end of the year of telling customers they may have to wait until 2025 to take delivery unless it’s a BEV..”

Production

Meanwhile, he revealed that the ZEV Mandate is having a substantial impact on production in the UK. Stellantis has invested £100m in its Ellesmere Port to support EV production, and its Luton plant will be electrified next year.

However, he suggested that if natural demand for BEV does not increase in order to meet targets, there is a fear that some difficult decisions may have to be taken in regard to UK production.

Chris said, “If manufacturers are not selling the volume and not making the profit, ultimately you have to consider shutting the doors to right-size production capacity against sales. That’s the level of seriousness that we’re facing at the moment from a from a manufacturing point of view.”

Repairers

Manufacturers are not the only ones facing the implications of EVs. Pete said that he had created a word cloud from recent articles considering EVs and the two words most prominent were ‘fear’ and ‘uncertainty’.

Activate Group handles about 80,000 repairs a year. Only six or seven per cent of them are EVs, which the group is able to take in its stride. But that doesn’t mean there is not concern among its customers.

Pete said, “The questions we’re getting from fleets are around vehicle off-road times, average repair costs, green parts availability and overall repair times. We are reaching out to get additional data because our customers, whether they be fleet or insurance, are asking.”

Possibly the most significant issue around EVs now is higher repair costs. It is well-established that EV repairs are more expensive than their ICE counterparts, and these costs were only going to increase.

Pete explained, “The biggest challenge with EVs is the lack of aftermarket and green parts at this moment in time for the majority of models. We manage that through the Activate Parts side of our business.”

The other pressing issue is a lack of skills. This impacts the entire car parc but is most acute when it comes to EV repairs.

Pete said, “There is a technician shortage in general, and specifically when it comes to repairing EVs. So when you look at repair capacity, it’s also the capability and as an industry we need to ensure we are investing in this area.”

Costs

To help manage costs, he suggested that FNOL (first notification of loss) has never been more important in ensuring the right jobs are triaged to the right repairers and the correct processes are followed ‘first time’ to prevent delays.

He said, “If you get it right first time, you got your best chance of controlling the cost of claim. With Consumer Duty, we need to ensure the customer is always at the centre of whatever technical decision we make, but we need to consider how much can we realistically automate?

“Accurate triage will help us down the line and if we can routinely deal with the easy-to-do stuff, we can apply more time to the more complex cases where ADAS functionality is involved for example.

“We know it takes longer to repair vehicles with more advanced technology, so we need to make more time in the claims journey by making data-led decisions earlier. And you can do that by automating the simple cases and allowing experienced handlers to manage the complex ones.”

Meanwhile, manufacturers also have a role to play in reducing costs, and Chris said that Stellantis is trying to soften the financial strain through a number of initiatives around green parts, battery remanufacturing, and battery repair.

He said, “We’ve invested in a platform for green parts across Europe and will start working with some UK recyclers soon. We’re now also working with European recyclers to get hold of the end-of-life vehicle and bring it back into our manufacturing chain, whether that is reusing or remanufacturing the parts and then recycling materials.”

Future

Looking ahead, they agreed that the traditional car ownership model could change with more and more customers opting to lease instead of buy.

One opportunity this can create is around manufacturing cars with components that can be updated at the end of the lease.

Chris explained, “As a manufacturer we can take that car back and upgrade it. We might put an updated battery in it or an updated infotainment system or change the front bumpers.”

The other key factor going forward would be data. Pre-collision data from connected cars can enhance claims following a collision by determining immediately if it is a fault or non-fault claim, while good use of data can also be used to support better decision-making throughout the supply chain.

Pete concluded, “One of the challenges is how we can make more data-informed decisions to help repairers in our network who are considering becoming EV capable or getting vehicle manufacturer approval.

“But data can be used to support all our customers. If there is uncertainty and fear, we have to remove that and sharing data, and being transparent is one of the key parts of that.”

ARC360’s Future Vehicle Technology was held at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Coventry, supported by Corporate Partners: BASF, CAPS, Copart, Entegral, Enterprise, Mirka, Nationwide Vehicle Assistance, S&G Response, Solera Audatex; along with Partners: e2e, Gemini ARC, Repairify and Prasco. The event was sponsored by Activate Group and Thatcham Research along with vehicle manufacturer – Stellantis.

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Steer Automotive acquires Komoo

1 August 2024

Bodyshop, Environment, Finance, Insurance, Mobility, People, Supplier, Vehicle Repair and Words

Steer Automotive Group has acquired Komoo, diversifying its market offering and strengthening its position in the UK automotive repair market.

Komoo, with its established network of fleet repair sites located near airports and vehicle storage hubs, brings extensive expertise in providing rapid, high-quality repair services, supporting vehicle rental and corporate fleet customer bases. These strategically positioned sites enable Komoo to offer swift and efficient repair services, minimising downtime for clients. Their proximity to major transportation hubs allows for seamless logistics, ensuring that vehicles can be serviced and returned to operation quickly.

The acquisition of Komoo aligns with Steer’s vision of becoming a leading provider of superior automotive repair services across a wider market, providing strategic diversification in the repair market.

Carl Henderson, Managing Director of Komoo, Dale Peart, Director of Komoo and Jordan Ashmore, Operations Director, remain at the helm of the company, supported by Steer, to focus on providing outstanding repair services to the fleet and vehicle rental market.

Carl Henderson said, “Becoming part of Steer Automotive Group marks a significant step forward for Komoo. This integration will enable us to leverage Steer’s extensive resources, enhancing our ability to deliver rapid, high-quality repair services to a broader customer base. We are eager to begin this new chapter and contribute to Steer’s growth and success.”

Richard Steer, Chief Executive of Steer Automotive Group, added, “We firstly want to extend a huge welcome to our new colleagues at Komoo. The acquisition will boost our repair capabilities, expand our service footprint and diversify our market presence, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of the automotive repair sector and continue to meet the evolving needs of our clients and our industry.”

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Ford BlueCruise hands-free driving technology approved for customers in Europe

1 August 2024

Bodyshop, Insurance, Mobility, People, Supplier, Technology, vehicle sales and Words

Ford BlueCruise hands-free driving technology can now be used in a total of 15 European countries, following approval by the European Commission.

This unlocks access to more than 82,744 miles of designated highways across Europe, called Blue Zones, allowing customers to take a road trip across multiple countries.

For example, a customer can use BlueCruise across six countries travelling from Sweden down to Italy, covering almost 1,864 miles and spending 25-plus hours driving hands-free.

The Level 2 ‘hands-off, eyes-on’ advanced driver assistance system is now also the most widely available system of its kind in Europe with BlueCruise available and approved for customers to purchase on all new Mustang Mach-E vehicles sold in a total of 20 countries globally.

Additionally, current owners with earlier model year Mustang Mach-E vehicles in select countries will be eligible to receive a software update in the future to activate BlueCruise.³

In 2023, BlueCruise was the first system of its kind to gain approval when it launched in Great Britain, becoming the first advanced driver assistance system to deliver true hands-free driving at highway speeds in Europe. In Spain, Ford was also the first automaker to give customers the ability to drive hands-free on the highway.

Ashley Lambrix, BlueCruise General Manager, Ford Motor Company, said, “We believe BlueCruise can make highway driving easier and more enjoyable whether you are in stop-and-go traffic or on a long road trip, and with this recent ruling it will allow us to offer even more customers access to BlueCruise across Europe. Expanding the availability of Blue Zones beyond Great Britain, Germany and Spain is also a huge milestone for us, allowing customers to use BlueCruise for a multi-country road trip.”

When BlueCruise is engaged, the system controls the steering, acceleration, braking, lane positioning and safe distances from the vehicle ahead by monitoring the road markings, speed signs and evolving traffic conditions, from highway speeds right down to a complete halt in traffic jams. Drivers using BlueCruise in Blue Zones can drive with their hands off the steering wheel so long as they continue to pay attention to the road ahead.

To ensure drivers keep their eyes on the road while their hands are off the wheel, a driver-facing camera located below the instrument cluster checks the driver’s eye gaze and head position – even when they are wearing sunglasses.

Customers can enjoy a 90-day free trial and then activate an annual or monthly subscription, which they can cancel or renew at any time.