Mobility Archives - Page 44 of 75

EV supply could outstrip demand

13 October 2023

Environment, Mobility, People, Supplier, vehicle sales and Words

Sales of EVs could slow following the government’s decision to delay the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035, according to David Borland, EY UK & Ireland Automotive Lead.

Commenting after the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reported a 21% year-on-year increase in registrations during September, he said the outlook for the automotive industry in the UK was positive.

The country overtook France to become the world’s eighth largest vehicle manufacturer, and signs are encouraging that this will continue with investments in plants in Somerset, Oxford, Swindon and Ellesmere Port.

However, David said: “The UK government’s decision to move the ICE sales ban from 2030 to 2035 was a significant and unexpected move. The shift in policy may have a negative impact on consumer demand for EVs in the short term, as well as potentially affecting demand from fleet operators as both groups work out what the changes mean for them.

“There is a risk that with OEMs, retailers and charge point operators all having invested significant capital in anticipation of a 2030 ICE sales ban, the policy shift could see supply outstripping demand.”

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ARC360 News – Friday 6 October 2023

6 October 2023

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

ARC360 and ILC support Work Wellfest event

ARC360 and ILC have joined forces with Corporate Partners Entegral and Gemini Accident Repair Group to launch Work WellFest across the vehicle accident repair and motor claims sectors.

The virtual wellbeing festival has been created to coincide with World Mental Health Day on Tuesday 10 October 2023 and will feature a cross-section of virtual events designed to meet the needs of all colleagues and industry peers.

Gemini to summit Snowdon for Ben

Thirty colleagues from Gemini Accident Repair Centres will summit Mount Snowdon to raise funds for automotive charity Ben.

With more than £1,600 already raised, they will take on the challenge on 14 October.

Ben announces Race Across Britain

Automotive charity Ben has announced a new fundraising challenge – Race Across Britain – which will take place over three days next February.

Supported by LKQ Euro Car Parts, Race Across Britain will see up to 50 pairs of automotive industry colleagues challenged to reach various checkpoints from 26-28 February.

New car sales surge 21%

Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that the UK new car market grew for the 14^th month in a row in September, up 21% to 272,610 registrations.

Meanwhile, the new light commercial vehicle market grew for the ninth month in a row, up 28.1% to 44,760 units.

Fix Auto Chelmsford unveils new site

Fix Auto Chelmsford has moved to a new state-of-the-art repair centre a full month ahead of schedule.

The new facility is expected to increase capacity by 25% to nearly 150 jobs per month.

Perfect 10 for Komoo

Komoo has unveiled its 10th site. Komoo Sheffield is a 10,000 sqft facility dedicated to supporting fleet and rental customers for both car and commercial repair.

IMI supports AR development

The IMI has donated assisted reality headsets to 18 colleges and training providers nationwide.

The initiative has been launched in collaboration with Autotech Connect and RealWear.

Trend Tracker announces Chartwell as Corporate Partner

Trend Tracker has announced that the UK’s number one super-brand bodyshop, Chartwell, as a Platinum Corporate Partner.

IMI calls for further training support

The IMI has welcomed the government’s ‘Plan for Drivers’, which aims to ease some of the pressure points on motorists, but has urged the government to back it up with support for repair training to ensure the industry has the skills to keep cars on the road.

IAEA adopts hybrid supply chain

The Institute of Automotive Engineer Assessors (IAEA) has announced it is undergoing significant operational changes that will see it end its long partnership with Plenham and develop a hybrid supply chain model that will tap into the resources of multiple provider partners.

It has engaged with a number of industry organisations and providers as it seeks to modernise operations and underpin its commitment to be compliant and transparent with all governing and legislative bodies.

John Lewis withdraws EV insurance

John Lewis Financial Services is suspending new insurance coverage and renewals for electric car owners. Underwritten by Covea, the policies are being withdrawn due to spiralling repair costs.

MotorEasy reports 370% rise EV warranties

MotorEasy has reported a 370% increase in warranty claims for electric vehicles over the past three years.

UK government announces ZEV mandate revisions

The UK government has revised targets of its Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, which requires manufacturers to sell an increasing number of zero-emission vehicles each year.

Revised targets stipulate that 22% of new cars sold in 2024 must be zero emission, as was previously the case. This will increase each year and by 2030 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans must be zero emission. This will rise to 100% by 2035.

Used car prices soften

Data from cap hpi has revealed that used car values fell by their largest amount since 2008 in September. Values fell by 1.9%, an average of £420, at the three-year, 60,000-mile point, while values at the one-year age point dropped by 1.6%, or £575.

However, used car prices remain at an unprecedented level despite these modest falls, tracking at some 25-30% more than in 2021.

CHO partners with Percayso in anti-fraud measures

Percayso Inform is developing a new anti-fraud platform for members of the Credit Hire Organisation (CHO).

The platform, which will be officially launched at the CHO’s annual conference on 12 October, will enable subscribers to screen claims in order to manage and identify fraudulent activity.

Fixico and Xtract announce digital partnership

Digital FNOL provider Xtract is partnering with digital car repair management platform Fixico to deliver a fully integrated solution for insurance companies and commercial fleets looking to combine telematics-based incident and repair management.

Markerstudy Broking and RAC enhance SME insurance offering

Markerstudy Broking has partnered with the RAC to offer a suite of SME insurance products to customers.

RAC Business Insurance enables customers to manage their insurance needs in one place.

AI solution driving up fraud detection

A new AI-powered counter fraud solution from the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) has resulted in a six-fold increase in fraud investigations carried out by insurers since it was launched a year ago.

About 40 insurance fraud networks are being detected every week.

People

Steve Thompson will step down from his position as AutoRaise Vice Chairman after five successful years championing the accident repair industry charity.

Simon Allen has been appointed as Bodyshop Manager at Steer Automotive Group.

L&I Eaton ARC has named Tony Robson as Bodyshop Manager.

The Vella Group Repair Centres has appointed Jonny Haynes as Senior Business Analyst.

Chris Telford has been named Senior Staff Motor Engineer at Quantum Technical.

KECO Body Repair Products has named Jennifer Phillips as Training Development Manager.

Annie Milner has been appointed Head of Technical Excellence at Belron.

Hastings Direct has named Nadim Ahmed as Motor Engineer.

Claire Nesbit has been appointed as Claims supplier specialist at esure Group.

Cogent Hire has appointed Luke Le Sauteur to the new role of commercial director.

Admiral Group has named Fiona Muldoon as an Independent Non-Executive Director.

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Fix Auto Chelmsford unveils new site

6 October 2023

Mobility, People, Supplier, Vehicle Repair and Words

Fix Auto Chelmsford has relocated to a new 8,000 sqft state-of-the-art new repair centre a month ahead of schedule.

The new site is expected to increase repair capacity by 25% to about 150 jobs per month.

The move was accelerated when the spraybooth at the previous site went down.

Owner Danny Ashwell said, “With all the major amenities and facilities installed, all was going to plan and we’d set a moving in date for the end of October. But when our existing spraybooth went down, pushing the move through seemed the obvious solution to maintain our level of workload even though I knew we had a mountain to climb to get it all done.

“Fortunately, the team got right behind it and worked tirelessly to make it happen. I couldn’t be prouder.”

Ian Pugh, Managing Director for Fix Auto UK, said, “What Danny and his team are achieving is totally inspiring. He laid out some bold plans 18 months ago and you must applaud his determination to keep to his script. When faced with a daunting challenge to complete the work needed on his new site and then relocate the business within days rather than weeks is a mighty achievement and is a credit to all involved.”

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IAEA adopts ‘hybrid’ supply chain

5 October 2023

Bodyshop, Mobility, People, Vehicle Repair, vehicle sales and Words

IAEA President David Punter said, “With our review and planned changes, it was clear that there was no single provider who could allow us to progress the way we were planning.

“Whilst all potential suppliers had a good coverage and experience, we have taken the decision to use a hybrid model going forward, which will allow us to utilise the skillset at ITAS training to further our support and operational model and technical capabilities, and also use an independent accountant to manage our day to day and operational accounting duties.

“The exiting team at Plenham have been very supportive during the transition period, and their support over the last decade has been memorable.”

Email and phone numbers remain the same, while the IAEA is now in the process of reviewing its website to reflect operational changes.

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Government announces ZEV mandate revisions

29 September 2023

Environment, Mobility, Supplier, vehicle sales and Words

The UK government has revised targets of its Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, which requires manufacturers to sell an increasing number of zero-emission vehicles each year.

Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealer Association (NFDA), said, “These ambitious registration targets will create a difficult trading environment in conjunction with the recent decision to push back the ban of petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030 to 2035.

“Franchised dealers will have to continue to push for electric vehicles to meet these targets whilst the recent five-year delay will likely damage consumers demand for electric vehicles. To adopt a pragmatic approach to net-zero targets, NFDA strongly urges the government to introduce attractive incentives to make electric vehicles more accessible for less-affluent motorists.”

She continued, “For vans, NFDA embraces the revised trajectories. This adjustment better aligns with market demand and establishes more attainable objectives within the sector.”

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ARC360 News – Friday, 29 September 2023

29 September 2023

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

Repairers return to traditional business model

Enterprise Rent-A-Car believes the complexity of modern vehicles is prompting bodyshops to refocus on their core function of repairing cars.

Read the full article here.

Industry interview: Claire Hart, National Sales Manager, Entegral

Innovation within vehicle repair has changed everything from tooling to training to methods. Keeping track of the evolution is no small challenge for time-pressed bodyshops. Here, Entegral National Sales Manager Claire Hart explains how the right Bodyshop Management System can ease the pressure on repairers and improve efficiencies.

Read the full article here.

ZEV mandate targets revised

The UK Government has revised targets of its Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, which requires manufacturers to sell an increasing number of zero-emission vehicles each year.

Gemini sets the standard with group-wide certification

Gemini Accident Repair Centres has announced that all its 30 sites have now achieved the BS10125 vehicle repair standard.

Gemini Plymouth was the latest to be accredited, achieving the standard just three months after launch.

Work WellFest agenda looks well

ARC360 and ILC have joined forces with Corporate Partners Entegral and Gemini Accident Repair Group to launch Work WellFest to coincide with World Mental Health Day on Tuesday 10 October 2023.

The cross-section of virtual events is designed to meet the needs of all colleagues and industry peers are set to include interviews with Gemini ARC’s Dave Sargeant and radio presenter Ryan Swain, and even a yoga session.

Gemini continues apprenticeship commitment

Gemini ARC has underlined its commitment to developing new talent and future-proofing its business by welcoming its ninth cohort of multi-skill apprentices to Emtec College.

Fix Auto UK marks mental health milestone

Fix Auto UK has marked a significant wellbeing milestone after its 100^th colleague completed their Mental Health First Aid England course.

The training was introduced 18 months ago with the aim of ensuring every franchise partner in the network has at least two qualified Mental Health First Aiders on site.

Vertu gears up for Yeovil launch

Vertu Motors is set to cut the ribbon on its new repair centre. Based in Yeovil, the site is JLR, BMW and Volvo approved.

Parkway to unveil new site

Parkway Prestige has announced it will open a brand new accident repair centre in the first quarter of next year. The Manchester-based business is now recruiting.

Avant announces Glasurit partnership

Avant Repair Network has named Glasurit UK as its preferred supplier for automotive refinish products.

Ipswich ARC announces ADAS investment

Ipswich ARC and Gold Windscreens are now ADAS capable after investing in the installation of diagnostic tooling and equipment from Repairify Europe.

Stellantis in seventh heaven

Stellantis held its seventh specialist training event of the year as part of its UK Accident Repair Programme.

Supported by Robert Snook at Business Success Global, the sessions supported network members maximise their potential and develop relationships with local retail dealerships.

RWC Training launches new site

RWC Training has unveiled its latest training facility. The new Milton Keynes site offers increased capacity and is equipped to deliver training courses and qualifications in paint, panel, MET, glazing, ADAS, EVs and welding.

Plunky’s All Stars score for charity

Steve Plunkett’s Plunky’s All Stars charity football match raised £21,709.52 for Norfolk hospice Tapping House. The charity initiative has now raised more than £93,000 over the past nine years.

IMI warns of training downshift

The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has warned that the government’s decision to delay the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035 could have a negative impact on skills training.

Steve Nash, IMI CEO, believes there is a now a serious risk that automotive aftermarket services will not be ready to handle EVs safely in the future as a result of a stalling of investment in skills and infrastructure.

Used car prices soften slightly

Data from cap hpi has revealed that used car values fell by their largest amount since 2008 in September.

It found that values deccreased by 1.9%, an average of £420, at the three-year, 60,000-mile point. Meanwhile, values at the one-year age point dropped by 1.6%, or £575.

Nissan supercharges EV shift

Nissan is pressing ahead with a €40m investment at two sites, London-based Nissan Design Europe and the nearby Nissan Technical Centre Europe, that are supporting its ambition of selling only all-electric vehicles in Europe by 2030.

Today EVs represent 16% of Nissan’s total sales in Europe.

SYNETIQ celebrates dismantling skills certification

SYNETIQ has become the first UK vehicle recycler to complete an Institute of Motor Industry-accredited course in EV dismantling.

The course is the country’s first dismantling-specific training based on national occupational standards and teaches delegates how to make high voltage vehicles safe and how to remove high voltage components and batteries after the vehicle has been made safe.

Thatcham Research shares insights with Covea

Thatcham Research recently hosted members from Covea Insurance at its Gamston Aviation testing facility.

The interactive session with Principal Engineer, ADAS, Yousif Al-Ani, explored a wide range of topics crucial to the evolution of vehicle technology and safety, while live demonstrations showcased AEB/ACC features, offered real-time driver monitoring data, and highlighted both the capabilities and limitations of BlueCruise.

evolvAD trial advances automotion

The latest autonomous driving research project, evolvAD, has officially got underway.

Backed by partners including Nissan and the UK government, the 21-month project will test autonomous and connected car technologies in both urban and rural environments.

Funky Cat purrs to five-star rating

GWM ORA’s Funky Cat has achieved a five-star rating by Green NCAP, which measures a car according to clean air, energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Funky Cat scored an overall 97%, with a 10 out of 10 mark for fuel efficiency in both cold and warm starts.

eBay unveils parts guarantee solution

eBay has introduced a new ‘Assured Fit’ guarantee to help the industry find the right part for their repair.

Users simply enter their vehicle information using eBay’s newly-enhanced MyGarage function, which will automatically select the part of accessory suited to that make and model.

BASF supports portable charging solution

BASF has supported the development of a new portable charging system by LAPP. The Mobility Dock features BASF’s innovative engineering plastic, Ultramid.

Mirka unveils latest in belt innovation

Mirka has unveiled a new range of surface conditioning belts.

Robust and adaptive for high quality finishes, the belts are suitable for manufacturing, restoration, panel beating and bodyshop applications.

WorldSkills entries open

Entries are now open for the WorldSkills UK Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Heroes Awards.

Categories include: Initiative of the Year, Network of the Year, Rising Star, Inclusive Skills Development, Pioneer Award, Role Model, Skills Competition Advocate, and Skills Competition Diversity Champion.

Production dips 9.7% in August

UK car production fell 9.7% in August after six months of steady growth. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has reported that 45,052 units were manufactured during the month.

However, manufacturing of green vehicles was up 2.8% while commercial vehicle (CV) manufacturing grew 8.6% to 6,600 units, the best August figure for 11 years.

UK considers new speed camera technology

New camera technology which can identify if a driver brakes hard before speed cameras and then speeds up again could be introduced in the UK after a successful trial in Spain.

The technology has been developed by dashcam manufacturer and safety campaign group Road Angel.

Interest wanes in EVs

Research from Auto Trader has revealed that the number of people considering buying an electric car has fallen sharply since 2021.

It found that 37% of car buyers say they are unlikely to ever buy an EV, up from 21% in 2021, while 39% say they might buy an EV by 2035, which is 10% lower than in 2021.

Ambulance Fleet ARC secures van repair certification

VBRA Commercial has announced that Bristol Ambulance Fleet ARC has been awarded the VBRA Structural Elite Van Standard. The standard recognises continued high standards in van repairs.

Training critical despite 2030 delay

Warrantywise has urged the industry to see beyond the 2030 delay and concentrate on developing EV skills.

Lawrence Whittaker, CEO, said, “We don’t have the talent to look after the EVs of today, and we’re not doing enough to prepare for the future, regardless of if that’s 2030 or 2035.”

UK drivers tempted by e-bike affordability

Nearly half of UK drivers are considering using e-bikes in conjunction with their cars.

According to research carried out by Auto Trader, 47% of those surveyed are open to the idea of mixing car usage with e-bikes.

People

Laura Brailey has been promoted to the role of Mazda Sales Director UK, replacing Peter Allibon, who is moving to Director, Sales and Dealer Network, Europe.

Sherwin Williams Automotive Refinishes has appointed Robert Curley as Business Development Manager UK.

Martin Brown has achieved Vehicle Damage Assessor certification from The Institute of Automotive Engineer Assessors.

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Funky Cat purrs to five-star rating

28 September 2023

Environment, Insurance, Mobility, Technology, vehicle sales and Words

GWM ORA’s Funky Cat has achieved a five-star rating by Green NCAP, which measures a car according to clean air, energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Funky Cat scored an overall 97%, with a 10 out of 10 mark for fuel efficiency in both cold and warm starts.

This comes after the model achieved the highest score in the ‘Small Family Car’ category during last year’s Euro NCAP safety tests.

Toby Marshall, Managing Director GWM ORA UK, said, “Not only did ORA Funky Cat achieve a five-star green rating, it also set a new best value figure among Green NCAP tested vehicles. This rating is testament to the quality of the GWM ORA engineering teams and the work they put in to ensuring we deliver the best quality products to our customers.”

Aleksandar Damyanov, Green NCAP Technical Manager said: “Some of the vehicles tested clearly demonstrate the achievements made by industry in the quest for cleaner and less climate damaging cars…the high scores of the five-star Chinese newcomers show they are ready to compete for market share.”

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evolvAD trial advances autonomous driving evolution

28 September 2023

Mobility, People, Supplier, Technology and Words

The latest autonomous driving research project, evolvAD, has officially got underway.

Backed by partners including Nissan and the UK government, the project will test autonomous and connected car technologies in both urban and rural environments.

The 21-month project will utilise infrastructure such as CCTV in residential areas to test how vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) technologies can enhance the performance of CAVs. It will also seek to develop new V2I technologies to support the development of autonomous driving.

Vehicles will be tested in simulation and on private test tracks before the evolvAD CAVs are put through their paces on live roads.

Robert Bateman, evolvAD Project Manager and Manager of Nissan’s Research and Advanced Engineering team, Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE), said: “In our previous research projects, our team and partners have tackled highways and complex city environments. Now we move onto our next challenge – built up residential streets and rural roads.

“To bring autonomous driving to market, we must test and trial the technology on as many different road types as possible and that’s why projects like evolvAD are so important. Ultimately, we want to make driving cleaner, safer and more inclusive for everyone and we look forward to working with our consortium partners to deliver that.”

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British drivers tempted by e-bike affordability

28 September 2023

Environment, Mobility, People, Technology and Words

Nearly half of UK drivers are considering using e-bikes in conjunction with their cars.

According to research carried out by Auto Trader, 47% of those surveyed are open to the idea of mixing car usage with e-bikes.

Sales of e-bike in UK reached £210 last year, but growth has slowed down with only nine per cent of UK consumers owning one.

However, experts believe momentum will grow again during 2024 with 11% of commuters saying they are considering buying an e-bike in the next six months. This equates to 3,797,912 people.

Speed over traditional bikes was cited as a motivating factor for 52%, with fuel savings (59%), reduced public transport costs (44%) and parking savings (42%) also significant factors.

In total, 55% of car owners believe e-bikes are a viable alternative for three to five-mile journeys.

Ian Plummer, Auto Trader’s Commercial Director, said, “Having access to a car is still of great importance for consumers across the UK and many rely on this form of transportation to get around in their day-to-day life. However, our research revealed that many also recognise the benefits that micro mobility options such as e-bikes can bring both from a cost and environmental perspective, along with speed for particular types of journeys.”

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Thatcham Research shares insights with Covea

28 September 2023

Insurance, Mobility, People, Supplier, Technology, Training, Vehicle Repair and Words

Thatcham Research recently hosted members from Covea Insurance at its Gamston Aviation testing facility.

The session is part of Thatcham Research’s ambition to raise awareness about the assisted driving roadmap among manufacturers and stakeholders, while highlighting the value of harnessing the data contained within vehicles to provide driver behaviour insights that can develop safer road use.

The company said, “Thatcham Research remains steadfast in its mission to shape the future of vehicle technology, safety, security, and sustainable repair. We’re dedicated to influencing positive change in the automotive industry, and this engagement with Covea Insurance is just one of the many steps we;re taking toward that goal.”