ARC360 goes Back to the Future
ARC360 is heading Back to the Future as it makes a return to physical events on Thursday 25 November 2021 at the British Motor Museum.
Under the ARC360 banner of Gaining Ground Together and themed Back to the Future, the experiential event will create an environment for collaboration, interaction and innovative thinking.
Thatcham Research partners with ILC & ARC360
I Love Claims and ARC360 is delighted to announce Thatcham Research as its latest Insurer and Industry Body Partner.
The partnership will further support I Love Claims’ ambition to help individuals and companies operating within the insurance claims industry to ‘be better tomorrow’ through what we experience today.
Thatcham Research’s Dean Lander, head of repair sector services, said, “With our longstanding relationship with ILC, and over more recent years ARC360, it makes perfect sense to take the next step in becoming an Insurance and industry body partner.”
Repairify to unify automotive brands
Repairify has announced it will align its automotive brands to become a global leader in technology and intelligence serving the collision, mechanical and dealership sectors.
Unified under the tagline, ‘Driven by Repairify’, automotive brands asTech, adasThink, BlueDriver, FleetGenix, Mobile Tech RX and RED will align in the pursuit of improving and developing vehicle care, performance and safety through a combination of OEM and OEM-compatible tools and data.
BASF agrees environmental partnership with ECA
BASF’s Automotive Refinish division has underpinned its commitment to achieving net zero status by 2050 by appointing ECA Business Energy as an environmental partner.
ECA Business Energy, which has been working with the automotive sector to help businesses achieve PAS 2060 status, will help BASF’s Coating division achieve carbon neutral growth until 2030.
The partnership will also see ECA Business Energy recommend BASF brands Glasurit and R-M to all bodyshops it is supporting to achieve their environmental targets.
AutoRaise Rally return confirmed
AutoRaise has confirmed the AutoRaise Rally will return in 2022 after a two-year Covid-enforced break. Taking place from 21-23 September, the Rally will start in Stratford and then follow a route through Wales, with overnight stops in Aberystwyth and Cardiff.
Rules will remain unchanged, with teams able to enter a Banger or a Classic. Teams will be asked to make a £500 deposit to enter and expected to raise at least that amount again for the charity.
Anyone interested can email. Entries close on 14 March.
Polestar adds Fix sites to approved network
Polestar has identified Fix Auto Blackburn and Fix Auto Dagenham as among the first bodshops in the UK to begin the journey towards achieving approved repairer status. They have been selected on the strength of the service they provide to Polestar’s parent company, Volvo.
Steve Plunkett, Volvo and Polestar’s body and paint programme development manager, said: “Polestar is now firmly established here in the UK. It’s a brand that is growing at a phenomenal pace and we are having to effectively play catch-up by providing owners with a network of approved repairers who meet the demands and requirements laid out by years of service to motorists by Volvo.”
Meanwhile, Fix Auto UK has appointed Rob Pugh to head up its division of owned repair centres. The 25-year-old takes up the position of head of commercial for Fix Auto UK (Owned Sites) with immediate effect.
SBS strengthens team
Smart Bodyshop Solutions Exeter has appointed Gavin Barefoot as operations team manager. Steve Heardson has also joined the group, which has increased capacity ahead of schedule.
Gavin, who brings with him a wealth of experience, said, “I am extremely happy and excited to join a dynamic and forward-thinking bodyshop group. Here’s to continued growth and evolution.”
No end in sight for high car prices
Inflated used car prices are expected to continue into 2022 as the disrupted supply of new vehicles continues to impact the sector.
The Cox Automotive and Grant Thornton Automotive Insight Report found that a shortage of new cars entering the market has resulted in drivers holding onto their vehicles for longer, raising demand for used cars.
The report also predicted that online car buying is here to stay, while drivers are moving away from ownership to short-term lease and subscription offers, driven by the growth in electric vehicles, which often come with finance options.
Cazoo continues commercial vehicle plans
Cazoo is acquiring Vans365 ahead of plans to introduce commercial vehicles to its online retail proposition later this year.
Based in Bristol, Vans365 buys and sells hundreds of commercial vehicles each month with revenues this year expected to reach £14m.
The deal is valued at £6.5m and subject to FCA approval.
UK’s largest EV battery Gigafactory announced
The UK’s largest Gigafactory developing batteries for electric vehicles is being built in Coventry.
The West Midlands Gigafactory, a public private joint venture between Coventry City Council and Coventry Airport, will be the size of 74 football fields and directly create 6,000 highly skilled jobs as well as thousands more in the supply chain.
Following an investment of £2.5bn, it will begin production in 2025.
Tesla launches new insurance package
Tesla has launched a new car insurance model in Texas. CEO Elon Musk made the announcement at a recent shareholder’s meeting.
Tesla already offers insurance in California, but its Texas offering is substantially different as it is based solely on a driver safety score that is calculated on a daily basis according to the following factors: forward-collision warnings, hard braking, aggressive turning, unsafe following, and forced autopilot disengagement.
Meanwhile, Tesla has also been granted approval to develop a 29-mile network of tunnels under Las Vegas. Serviced by a fleet of Teslas, the underground network is intended to reduce congestion.
Catch up…
Watch the showreel of ILC’s first ever Exclusive Motor Claims Conference.
The event included a spectacular line-up of speakers from across the industry, discussing the day’s most pressing topics including understanding data, evolving market dynamics, legislative reforms, and the many moving parts needing to fit together to provide a seamless motor claims journey.
