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ARC360 News – Friday, 30 August 2024

30 August 2024

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

Bodyshop Briefs

The NBRA has announced the finalists for this year’s Greener Bodyshop Awards. The ceremony takes place on 10 September at The Coventry Building Society Arena. Read more
Fix Auto Reading is the latest franchise partner from within the Fix Auto UK network to successfully gain its PAS 2060 accreditation. Meanwhile, Kent-based RS Dawe has joined the network. Read more
Liam Kenny Motor Body Repairs in Eynsham has successfully transitioned to BS10125:2022 during a recent audit.
The Steer Automotive VIP Awards is celebrating its second birthday this month. The ‘Value in Practice’ awards were introduced in August 2022 to recognise colleagues showing integrity, excellence or innovation, with winners announced every three months. Read more

Industry News

Getting in shape to win more business

In an era of consolidation within the automotive aftermarket repair sector, there are still opportunities for growth for businesses not interested in acquisition. That was the message of a panel debate, ‘Getting in shape to win more business’, which took place at ARC360’sFuture Vehicle Technology themed conference. Read more

Vacancy Rate Tracker: Automotive vacancies heading in the wrong direction

Despite some success at cutting vacancy numbers earlier in the year, July 2024 saw the automotive sector return to top spot in the ‘Vacancies by Sector’ chart, overtaking hospitality. Read more

IMI announces changes to executive board

The Institute of the Motor Industry has announced the strategic transition of its executive team. During this period of transition, the board has appointed Kevin Finn, who has been chair of the IMI since 2020, in the newly created role of Executive Chair. Azlina Bulmer has been appointed as Managing Director with responsibility for the overall management, organisation and staffing of the IMI. Read more

BASF Performance Materials co-creates the sustainable future with its customers

BASF’s Performance Materials division has revealed its strategic roadmap towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and highlighted key milestones on the way to a circular economy. Read more

Automotive charity Ben celebrates successes

Automotive charity Ben has highlighted its successes and current campaigns in its latest newsletter. It has revealed that since April 2023 it has supported 5,040 individuals, which is a two per cent increase on the previous year, with 2,829 interventions delivered, a 17% rise on the previous year. Read more

NWVA fundraiser for DEBRA

NWVA will be taking to the pitch against Morelli Group with industry leaders and customers and a few football legends from the past, for an 11-a-side football match on 15 October 2024 at London Stadium. Read more

Drivers told to prepare for rise in fuel duty

Drivers across the UK are being warned to expect a rise in fuel duty in the Government’s upcoming Autumn Budget. Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer has already stated that there is a £22 billion ‘black hole’ in public finances. It will be down to Chancellor Rachel Reeves to tell the country how this will be achieved, but there is guaranteed to be an announcement on the future of fuel duty. Read more

PartsXchange partners Vehicle Image Assessors

PartsXchange has announced a new partnership with Vehicle Image Assessors, which specialises in providing meticulous and accurate vehicle damage assessment services. Read more

Time to deliver for UK Automotive

In little more than a week the UK Parliament returns with a busy legislative agenda. High amongst its priorities will be measures to stimulate economic growth and the automotive sector can be the driver of that change. The SMMT has said it will work with the government to ensure delivery matches ambition. Read more

Nearly a third of young drivers admit to filming themselves behind the wheel for social media likes

Nearly a third of young drivers admit to taking pictures or video footage at the wheel to upload and show off on social media while driving. Research of 1,000 18 to 26-year-olds with a full driving licence revealed some of the riskiest things they’ve done behind the wheel, including texting and racing friends on public roads. Read more

VM News

Car production dips while CV output soars

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has reported that UK car production decreased by 14% in July, while commercial vehicle output soared 71.7%. Read more

SMMT figures revealed that 65,478 vehicles were produced in the month, with electric vehicle output down 18.6%. However, after four months of decline, production of commercial vehicles climbed to 15,252 units. Read more

Bentley first car manufacturer to join global body for responsibly-sourced leather

Bentley Motors has become the first automotive member of Leather Naturally, the global voice of the sustainable leather industry. The international, Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) is dedicated to promoting the use of certified, properly-sourced leather as a natural by-product of a responsible circular economy. Read more

Hyundai Motor Unveils New ‘Hyundai Way’ Strategy

Hyundai Motor Company hosted its 2024 CEO Investor Day, unveiling its new mid- to long-term strategy, the ‘Hyundai Way’.At the event, the company disclosed its commitment to enhancing its electric vehicle (EV) and hybrid competitiveness, advancing its battery and autonomous vehicle technologies, and expanding its vision as an energy mobilizer. Read more

smart #5 World Premiere: The First-Ever Premium Mid-Size SUV from smart

smart, the all-electric automotive brand, has unveiled the all-new smart #5 at the world premiere event in Byron Bay, Australia. With a super-charging function delivering 70% of battery capacity in 15 minutes, the model offers a range of around 500 miles and full ADAS technologies. Read more

Five wins for Volkswagen in What Car? Electric Car Awards

Volkswagen is celebrating after taking five What Car? Electric Car wins, including the Golf 1.5 TSI eHybrid winning Best Hybrid Family Car, the Passat 1.5 TSI eHybrid winning Best Hybrid Estate Car, the Golf GTE being named Best Used Hybrid Family Car, the Passat GTE named Best Used Hybrid Estate Car, and the ID.3 58 kWh winning Best Used Electric Family Car. Read more

People

Chloe Porter is leaving Zurich UK after 14 years to join Hastings Direct as Head of Total Loss and Engineering.
Ted Williams has started a new position as Global Director of Business Services at Sherwin-Williams.
Michael Massey has announced he will be returning as a judge at the National Paint Championships during Automechanika UK 2025.
Kevern Thompson is joining the senior leadership team of Thao Group to oversee its growing bodyshop portfolio.

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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Getting in shape to win more business

30 August 2024

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

In an era of consolidation within the automotive aftermarket repair sector, there are still opportunities for growth for businesses not interested in acquisition.

That was the message of a panel debate, ‘Getting in shape to win more business’, which took place at ARC360’s Future Vehicle Technology themed conference held at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Coventry last month.

Taking part in the conversation were Chris Ashworth, Founder, ILC; Dawn Marsden, Head of Claims, Supplier Management and Engineering Services, esure; and Robert Snook, CEO, Business Success Global, who all shared their insights into how bodyshops can continue to thrive going forward.

Resource

Robert said that increasing profitability did not have to be about a broader footprint, but making more of what it already in place.

He said, “Business growth is something we get suckered into and we think to achieve it we have to get bigger. But there is growth around what you do now and you should look at that first. It’s around vision, intent, and culture. They are the sources of the revenue stream and that is where growth and tomorrow’s profit will come from.”

To achieve this, he urged businesses to focus on three things, capability, functionality and capacity.

Without the capability to action a plan, it is doomed to failure. Businesses also need to consider the type of work they do and where they can improve to become ‘world beaters’, while capacity, Robert added, was not about doing more work but ensuring you are gaining the most profit from the work you already do.

He explained, “All work streams are available, you just have to decide which one to target. You need to know who your customer is and, more importantly, who your customer is not. If you target a customer who your business is not set up to serve you will always play second fiddle, so stopping is more important than starting. Don’t just do more work. Understand what you need to stop doing so you can focus more energy on what you can be the best at.”

Efficiency

Meanwhile, Dawn said that the first step to growing profitability is removing wastage and inefficiency from processes. That involves greater collaboration to ensure there is no duplications of work.

Selecting partners who are aligned to your goals is therefore critical. For esure, that is digitalisation.

Dawn said, “We want a repair partner who wants to grow their business, but in line with our own goals. We want to be a leading digital insurer. Repairers are delivering our customer service so if they can’t interact with us and our customer in the way we want it’s not going to work.

“Our reputation depends on them, so goals need to be aligned when selecting a partner. And, of course, we need to know they are sustainable and will still be there in five years.”

Chris agreed that when it comes to achieving growth, repairers need to be astute in which work providers they select as partners. He said that ultimately sales is the key to growth and the work provider will act as the repairer’s sales team, so they need to ensure they are working for networks that will bring in volume.

He said, “If you work for a network, pay attention to the contract. Take more time to understand who you are working for and to really understand the profitability of that account. Pick networks that are going to be winners because they will be your sales team.”

Technology

One of the most critical aspects of a developing a successful partnership in today’s marketplace is technology. Dawn explained that alongside digital capability, esure would seek repair partners able to meet their needs around EVs, while Chris revealed that some dealerships in Germany who still have attached bodyshops are getting 22% of their work via manufacturer apps.

However, he urged the industry to work together to deliver more integration and connectivity so repairers are not asked to operate different systems for each work provider.

He said, “For repairers wanting to work with networks, technological capability is critical. But the biggest challenge they have is being asked to do things seven different ways. As an industry we need to find a common denominator, so technology is not a competitive advantage or disadvantage.”

Robert agreed. He said the temptation for bodyshops is to invest in new technology simply because it is there without fully understanding how it will deliver a return on investment.

“We’re in a digital world and need to be digital,” he said, “but you have to be selective about what you want and why you need it. Don’t be suckered into buying technology just because it’s new; first establish what problem is it going to solve and for whom?”

Future

But greater technology, he continued, is no guarantee of growth. Far more important is the human element of the business.

He encouraged business owners to look at themselves first and assess their own roles, arguing that if they are leading the business well their people will follow.

He said, “People will grow the business for leaders that inspire them. If you want to grow as an organisation, grow the people and they will grow the business for you. And provide them with context, so they understand why they are doing something. You need to provide them with a vision, and then commit to it fully.”

The session concluded with each panellist providing their top three tips for growth:

Chris:

Build a good profitability calculator so you can make the right decisions about who you work with
Be curious, ask a partner what their plans are
Study the form so you pick the right partner

Dawn:

Invest in digital
Invest in people
Build trust with partners

Robert:

Create a vision so you know the end goal
Develop a robust and pressure-tested strategy
Commit to it fully

ARC360’s Future Vehicle Technology conference was sponsored by Activate Group, Thatcham Research and Stellantis, and 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.

More Insights

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ARC360 News – Friday 11 April 2025

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IMI announces changes to executive board

28 August 2024

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

The Institute of the Motor Industry has announced the strategic transition of its executive team.

The new team will provide strategic and day-to-day direction for the organisation’s 118 employees and more than 110,000 members, enabling the IMI board to begin recruiting a permanent executive team within the next 12 months.

During this period of transition, the board has appointed Kevin Finn, who has been chair of the IMI since 2020, in the newly created role of Executive Chair. Azlina Bulmer has been appointed as Managing Director with responsibility for the overall management, organisation and staffing of the IMI.

Simon Barrell has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer.

Steve Nash will remain as CEO, with a revised remit to solely focus on supporting and maintaining IMI’s external influence, before stepping down once a suitable replacement has been recruited.

Kevin Finn said: “As the professional body for people in automotive, the IMI remains committed to our community of over 110,000 members and the future success of the sector. The combination of insight and expertise from outside the industry alongside the wealth of automotive and skills experience already on our Board puts the IMI in the strongest position to help our members and the wider automotive community prepare for the challenges and opportunities ahead.

“We would also like to thank Steve Nash for his long-standing commitment, having been directly involved at the Institute for over 22 years, as Chairman, President and, since January 2013, CEO.”

Azlina Bulmer joined the IMI earlier this year as Interim Chief Operating Officer, bringing a wealth of strategic and operational experience in the professional membership space. Recent roles have included Executive Director of Membership & Engagement at the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and Director of International at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). She is also an Associate Non-Executive Director at the Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust.

Simon Barrell is a qualified chartered accountant and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. He has held various posts as Finance Director and has experience across multiple industries working in both the public and private sectors.

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ARC360 News – Friday, 23 August 2024

23 August 2024

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

Bodyshop Briefs

Gemini Accident Repair Centres has welcomed its 10^th cohort of multi-skilled apprentices, in partnership with Emtec Colleges. Meanwhile, seven colleagues have become the first in the group to achieve GOA Qualifications Level 3 ADAS.
Four more major vehicle refinishes businesses, Pennings, Alton Cars, Veetec and Impact are joining AkzoNobel’s Sustainable Repair Network, a programme launched last year to help customers in the EMEA region on their journey to becoming more sustainable and efficient. Read more
Rapid Repair Network (RRN) a leader in same day vehicle mobile repair services, has partnered with leading energy and carbon specialists ECA Business Energy to measure and validate the carbon footprint associated with each repair job conducted by their network of mobile repairers. Read more
Revive! has announced the renewal of their sponsorship with the Coventry Blaze Ice Hockey team for the 2024-25 season.
FMG Repair Services Bristol recently showcased its business to Martin Ward, CEO of parent company ZIGUP.
LD Autovogue achieved a 100% pass in its latest BSI Kitemark Accreditation audit.
Steve’s Smart Repairs, Stoke on Trent has warned drivers of telltale signs to look out of on their vehicles that indicate repairs are needed.

Industry News

Operations suspended at Ford National Distribution Centre

The NBRA has reported that the Ford National Distribution Centre in Daventry has had to suspend its picking and packing operations during a cleaning operation after a low percentage of white asbestos was found during an on-site survey. Read more

The changing landscape of repair operations

As consolidation of the sector continues apace, some of the secrets to a successful strategy of acquisition were revealed during a session entitled ‘The changing landscape of repair operations’, heldat ARC360’s Future Vehicle Technology themed conference. Sharing the stage were Marc Holding, Managing Director, The Vella Group; and Victoria Turner, Executive Director, Ryemarc Group. Read more

S&G Response marks World Entrepreneurs’ Day

S&G Response celebrated World Entrepreneurs’ Day by interviewing three company directors, Andy Whatmough, Nik Griffiths, and Nick Stone, about their experiences in the industry. Read more

Supply will never be the same again

Millions of lost new car sales as a result of the pandemic and the shift towards electric have forever altered the make-up of cars on the road. Initially impacting the new car market, these dynamics have knock-on implications for the used market and have consequences for the cars sourced, priced and sold by retailers. Read more

Auto Raise new MD visits Emtec

Auto Raise Managing Director Emma Speed has celebrated the partnership with Emtec by visiting the learning provider to see the educational initiatives and innovative work being done there to support the next generation of automotive professionals. Read more

FCA calls for more evidence from insurers

The Financial Conduct Authority has said that although insurers and brokers have improved governance and oversight of how products are designed, managed, reviewed, and distributed, many can still not evidence fair value and good outcomes. Read more

SYNETIQ technicians achieve success in HEVRA training

SYNETIQ, an IAA company and one of the UK’s leading integrated vehicle salvage, dismantling, and recycling companies, has announced that its mechanical vehicle technicians have successfully completed their HEVRA (Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Repair Alliance) training. Read more

Thatcham Research helps fire service handle EVs

Thatcham Research recently welcomed Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) to its Berkshire HQ to enhance its crews’ incident response approach to modern vehicles. The Thatcham Research crash team provided and prepared a modern vehicle, previously used for research projects and safety tests, to simulate real-life emergency scenarios. Read more

1,000 more council insurance claims year-on-year largely driven by pothole claims

Nottinghamshire County Council has reported a significant increase in public liability claims over the past year, largely driven by a surge in complaints related to pothole damage on the county’s roads. Read more

‘In 60 seconds the car was started and stolen’

Drivers have spoken out about the cost of car crime as figures show more than one million motor vehicle theft offences have been recorded in England and Wales in a decade. Read more

HGV sales show modest growth

New heavy goods vehicle (HGV) registrations rose 2.6% in Q2 2024, reversing the decline recorded in the first quarter of the year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Read more

However, EY has warned of challenges around electrification of the sector, with just 65 zero emissions sold in the second quarter, representing just 0.56% of the overall market. Read more

How written-off cars are dangerously resold for profit

A new investigation has revealed that cars written off following accidents are being repaired and resold, but in some cases the repairs have weakened the structure, leaving drivers and passengers vulnerable to serious injury in the event of another incident. Read more

City of Wolverhampton College automotive students land permanent roles

Students who studied for automotive qualifications at City of Wolverhampton College are celebrating after getting jobs with a leading motor vehicle dealer. Read more

Increased car usage provides growth opportunities for independent garages

The Independent Garage Association (IGA) has said that new figures from the Department of Transport revealing that car usage has now exceeded pre-pandemic levels highlight the opportunities available to independent garages. Read more

TrustFord charity fishing match raises over £4,000 for Cancer Research UK

TrustFord raised over £4,000 for Cancer Research UK with its annual fishing match at the start of August. The event was held at Messingham Sands Fishery, Scunthorpe. Read more

Researchers collaborate on best practices for automation research

Researchers from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have joined colleagues from academia and the automated vehicle and insurance industries in issuing a set of best practices for future evaluations of highly automated vehicles. Read more

Meet the humanoid robots who could be building the next generation of BMWs

BMW claims to have successfully tested the use of humanoid robots at one its vehicle manufacturing plants in the USA. Read more

NFDA launches industry recruitment drive

The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) has launched its latest Drive My Career campaign, #EVolveYourCareer, intended to encourage more people into the sector. Read more

VM News

Stellantis adds grilles to Eurorepar parts range

Following the successful launch of Eurorepar’s own brand front and rear bumpers earlier this year, the range has now been extended to include a number of front bumper grilles for popular models across the Stellantis passenger car and commercial vehicle brands. Read more

Polestar presents Olympic winners with gold models

Polestar has presented gold-painted vehicles to Olympic gold medal winners swimmer Sarah Sjöström and pole vaulter Armand Duplantis. Read more

New Forest National Park & BMW UK enhance partnership

The New Forest National Park Authority and BMW UK have celebrated a milestone in its partnership, as a new twin electric vehicle (EV) charging point officially went live in the National Park. Read more

Golf is crowned ‘Best Car of the Half Century’

The Volkswagen Golf has been voted as ‘Best Car of the Half Century’ as part of the Best Cars of the Year – The New Car World Championships. Read more

People

Auto Raise has announced that Emma Speed has been appointed as new Managing Director.
LKQ UK & Ireland has strengthened its top team with the appointment of Tony Shearer as Chief Operating Officer, Matt Robinson as B2B Trade Director, and Adam Ince as Divisional Director.
Steer Automotive Group apprentice Miguel Harvey has been selected to join Team UK at WorldSkills Lyon 2024 along with David McKeown of James McKeown Accident Repair. Miguel will compete in Car Painting, with David in Autobody Repair.
ACG has appointed Chris Potts as its latest Business Development Manager.
Scott Payne has been appointed as Group Business Development Manager at The Pennings Group.
HB Accident Repair Network has promoted Cathy Taylor to HB Customer Service Manager.

More Insights

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Corporate Partners

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Associate Partners

Thatcham Research helps fire service handle EVs

22 August 2024

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

Thatcham Research recently welcomed Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) to its Berkshire HQ to enhance its crews’ incident response approach to modern vehicles.

The Thatcham Research crash team provided and prepared a modern vehicle, previously used for research projects and safety tests, to simulate real-life emergency scenarios.

Initially, the electric vehicle was placed on its side to allow first responders to practice a ‘rapid extrication’ scenario when the High Voltage (HV) battery had gone into thermal runaway. This can occur when the HV battery in an EV is damaged or experiences an internal failure and begins to burn.

During thermal runaway, the EV battery will burn at an accelerated rate and become extremely hot, presenting a challenging situation for our emergency services.

This simulated scenario helped the RBFRS crews refine their techniques for quickly and safely rescuing occupants from a damaged EV.

Following this, the crews experimented with new equipment designed to improve rescue operations and more effectively deal with some of the high tensile steels found in newer vehicles.

Firefighters on Green Watch practiced removing the roof of the car and pushing the dashboard away from the occupants’ legs, ensuring they could efficiently free trapped individuals in various collision scenarios.

Sean Hoad, Senior Engineer for passive safety & instrumentation at automotive risk intelligence company Thatcham Research, said, “I am pleased we could support the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service. As the number of EVs on our roads increases each year, undertaking training like this is a crucial step in ensuring that our emergency services remain prepared and protected.

“Thatcham Research is proud to offer its facilities and expertise to first responders, helping them to understand the types of technologies found on modern vehicles and the safest way to work with them.”

“Electric Vehicles, for example, require unique training on safe handling techniques following a road traffic collision. Time is of the essence in the immediate aftermath of a road traffic collision, so it’s vital that first responders are confident when working around high voltage vehicles, including how to ensure the vehicle is powered down and the location of safe cutting points.”

Adam Brailsford, Watch Manager at Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said, “This training exercise allowed our Green Watch crews from Wokingham and Theale fire stations to test our operational response to incidents involving Electric Vehicles and similar, emerging vehicle technologies.

“I would like to thank the staff at Thatcham Research for allowing us to use their testing facilities to undertake this important training exercise and I look forward to sharing our findings more widely across the Service.”

More Insights

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

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ARC360 News – Friday 11 April 2025

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Corporate Partners

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Stellantis adds grilles to Eurorepar parts range

19 August 2024

Bodyshop, Mobility, Salvage, Supplier, Vehicle Repair, vehicle sales and Words

As with the initial launch of bumpers, the new bumper grilles range have been designed specifically for vehicles no longer in production and over five years old, and are priced extremely competitively, as a cheaper alternative to OEs, for aging, lower value vehicles.

The launch includes a minimum two-year warranty on all parts, competitive pricing about 42% less than OE parts, and ordering via Audatex, GT Estimate & PartsLink24.

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Corporate Partners

Partners

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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

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Corporate Partners

Partners

Associate Partners

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.”