The Independent Garage Association is calling upon the automotive industry to provide their insights on apprenticeship opportunities within the sector. The feedback gathered will be important in lobbying for increased support and resources from government agencies to promote apprentice recruitment and training within the Automotive sector. A skilled workforce is undeniably the lifeblood of any … [Read more...]
Parts, people and processes are slowing repairs
Service, maintenance and repair issues mean that fleets are facing excessive vehicle off-road time, the Association of Fleet Professionals is reporting. Paul Hollick, chair, said AFP members buying SMR were regularly reporting a range of problems. Some of these, such as parts supply, were felt to be outside the control of suppliers - but others, including levels of communication, were more … [Read more...]
Call for urgent open-sourcing of vehicle data
Pressure is mounting to compel vehicle makers to put technical data into an open source. A unique and broad alliance of consumer groups, automotive suppliers, leasing and rental industries, aftermarket operators, vehicle dealers, authorised and independent workshops, data publishers, and insurers have joined forces to call on Commissioner Thierry Breton to urgently bring forward long-planned … [Read more...]
Welsh councils filling more potholes at higher costs
This year’s Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance survey makes bleak reading, with worsening carriageway conditions and mounting costs set to spell more misery for road users. The ALARM survey, published today by the Asphalt Industry Alliance, reports that local authority highway teams in England and Wales only received around two-thirds of what they needed to stop our local roads from further … [Read more...]
Safety and higher emissions issues from older vehicles
A time-bomb in safety and environmental issues is on our roads. With a shortage of new cars and cost of switching to electric vehicles holding back sales, the average age of the UK car park has risen to 8.7 years. That's a rise of 12 months in the last decade and with the brakes on new business and models coming through it is believed the average age might soon exceed 10 years, the oldest it has … [Read more...]
ATS ramp up EV skills training & service
The ATS Euromaster network of tyre and maintenance centres has been upskilled to ensure technicians can work on both hybrid and electric vehicles safely. Technicians have been trained in line with industry standards, set by IMI, as part of a phased roll out by the tyre service and maintenance provider. This ensures it can meet the challenge of working on both vehicle types safely, in … [Read more...]
Classic car owners concerns over new ‘tampering law’
A recent survey shows 84 per cent of classic and specialist car owners are against the Department for Transport’s anti-tampering proposals that would outlaw tampering with a system, part or component of a vehicle intended or adapted to be used on the road. The poll by classic and enthusiast vehicle insurance specialist, Footman James, shows that 84 per cent of the 4,500 respondents are opposed to … [Read more...]
Fleet budgets challenged as hires are extended
Service, maintenance and repair budgets are being severely challenged as fleets are forced to run vehicles for longer, with no end in sight to the immediate lack of vehicle availability due to the semiconductor crisis. According to tyre and maintenance provider ATS Euromaster, both fleets and leasing companies are having to juggle new car availability against extended rentals and increased … [Read more...]
Rising used costs push up accident & write-off payouts
Surging used cr prices have created an unexpected problem when accidents happen, accoding to the National Body Repairers Association. “Following claims that a surge in the price of second-hand cars is driving up the cost of accident repair claims, the NBRA agrees that there is a danger that some insurers may not recognise this fact, and instead will simply think that repairers are charging too … [Read more...]
The automotive industry braces for long Covid
Long Covid is about to hit the car industry with increased warranty costs expected in months or years to come, says Renee Stephens, Vice-President of We Predict automotive analysts. If current and past trends are any indication, the global pandemic has implications to change what automakers and suppliers see in their warranties as they continue to ramp up operations, with the potential for … [Read more...]