Yokohama UK appoints Peter Fairlie as CEO
Following his departure from Prometeon last month, Peter Fairlie has been named as the new CEO of Yokohama HPT Ltd and will officially join the company on 13 July 2022.
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IMI aids repairers to achieve updated British Standard
Bodyshops and accident repair specialists across Britain will soon have their say on the revised British Standard for Bodyshops, BS10125, which is undergoing its first major review since 2014. The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has been working tirelessly with industry peers to ensure individuals will be able to meet the new standard with confidence, whilst keeping pace with the substantial changes to the design and manufacture of vehicles. Technical advancements include ADAS, powertrain electrification and increased vehicle connectivity. Critically, the IMI has developed a brand new Continuous Professional Development (CPD) framework, which will help ensure bodyshop owners can achieve and sustain the new professional standard for all of their employees.
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‘Futureproof your business’ with Point S
Point S Tyre & Autocare, the independent tyre dealer and car maintenance network, has pledged to help independent garages and tyre dealers to futureproof their business. The network says its goal is to grow strategically, working with ambitious members who share the brand’s mission: to build a network of professional, profitable businesses that are equipped to compete in the rapidly evolving automotive market.
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UK replacement 17”-plus tyre market increasing in value, size – GfK
GfK data shows that the 17” and above UK tyre replacement market continues to offer both increased volume and value. While the 19” and above segment retains the characteristics of specialised fitments, the top two fitments account for more than one-fifth of replacement tyres sized 17-18”.
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Chinese truck tyre tariffs to persist in UK?
The European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) judgement that the European Union’s anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs should be annulled has been welcomed by many of those responsible for distributing these products across the continent. Yet for importers of these products in post-Brexit United Kingdom, the truck tyre tariffs introduced by the European Commission appear to be persisting. Speaking to representatives of the Imported Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ITMA), the association whose members are most directly concerned with these tariffs, Tyres & Accessories now understands that the UK’s Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) does not intend to annul the tariffs since the ECJ’s judgement does not apply legally in the UK, even considering the view that the tariffs were implemented improperly under EC law. It follows that the status quo on these tariffs will be maintained, at least until the TRA reaches tyres in its review of the lengthy list of trade remedies inherited from the UK’s time as a member of the EU. Until such a review takes place, the tariffs will continue to apply until at least November 2023, and UK importers are effectively blocked from joining European colleagues in ending and recouping duties found to be improperly implemented.
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Commercial vehicles reach record share of vehicles on road
The number of commercial vehicles on Britain’s roads has reached the highest level in history, according to the latest annual Motorparc data, published by the SMMT. Some 5,483,319 vans, trucks, buses and coaches were recorded in operation at the end of 2021, a 4.1 per cent increase on the previous year. Working vehicles now comprise 13.5 per cent of the 40,506,971-strong national fleet following a bumper year for van registrations and a return to growth for trucks and buses.
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New van registrations fall for fifth consecutive month as supply squeeze continues
UK light commercial vehicle (LCV) registrations recorded their fifth consecutive month of decline in May, falling -25.1 per cent to 22,000 units, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Although the fall is amplified in comparison with last year, which saw the highest May registrations total in history, the market was still some -21.5 per cent below the pre-pandemic average as component shortages restricted production and therefore delivery.
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Supply shortages mean May car registrations down by 20 per cent
New UK car registrations fell -20.6 per cent to 124,394 units in the second weakest May since 1992, after the 2020 pandemic-hit market, as supply shortages continued to hamper new purchases and the fulfilment of existing orders, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The decline, compared with the first full month of reopened showrooms in May last year, demonstrates the impact of continued global supply chain disruptions, with the market -32.3 per cent below the 2019 pre-pandemic level despite strong order books.
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School of Thought partners with UK Garage and Bodyshop Event to fight skills gap issues
The UK Garage and Bodyshop Event will feature education initiative School of Thought, as statistics reveal that the automotive aftermarket industry is facing the imminent retirement of up to 40 per cent of its workforce. School of Thought is a collective that works with schools, colleges, and automotive employers to raise the profile of career opportunities in the sector.
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IMI appoints new head of diversity task force
Endorsing its continued commitment to embrace Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) within the automotive sector, the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has appointed Vijayacittā Harvey as interim head of the organisation’s diversity task force. Established in March 2021 - led by IMI president, Professor Jim Saker and IMI chief operating officer, Lesley Woolley - the diversity task force set out to understand how the motor industry can be a more attractive place to work in for all and bring EDI to the forefront of automotive businesses.
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UK 5p fuel duty cut passed on in full, but Exchequer gets 2p extra since Spring Statement
Commenting on recent rises in the price of fuel, Gordon Balmer, executive director of the Petrol Retailers Association, said: “Despite all fuel retailers passing on the 5p cut in fuel duty after the Spring Statement, wholesale fuel prices have continued to rise. This has resulted in a tightening of margins for petrol retailers, while the Exchequer has benefitted from substantially higher VAT receipts. For every 10p that the price rises, the Chancellor claims back an extra 2p in VAT.
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Max Coates wins in Mini Challenge at Brands Hatch
Racing driver Max Coates – who is sponsored by ignition and sensor specialist NGK – grabbed his first win of the Quaife Mini Challenge season in a dramatic final race of the weekend at Brands Hatch. In his Primex Plastics sponsored car, Yorkshireman Max Coates was the fastest driver in damp and wet conditions in Sunday’s two races as the hot hatch race series supported the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) at the Kent venue.
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Repxpert live training proves a hit in Bridgend
Schaeffler’s Repxpert Academy Live training event returned on Saturday 21 May, with a tremendously successful event held at Bridgend College STEAM Academy, where both professional vehicle technicians and garage owners took full advantage of a full day of comprehensive training sessions and workshop demonstrations.
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Prometeon groups UK and Nordic tyre markets following MD’s departure
Prometeon UK managing director Peter Fairlie is set to leave the company on 8 July 2022 to “embrace new professional opportunities”. In a statement announcing the news and organisational changes, Prometeon thanked Fairlie for “services rendered over the past three years and wishe[d] him every success in his future endeavours.”
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‘The target is full digitisation’ – Direct Tyre Management’s growing fleet tyre influence
An ice cream van was parked in front of the door when Tyres & Accessories visited Direct Tyre Management’s (DTM) new Blackpool headquarters in mid-May. At the same time, staff were presented with sticks of rock, buckets and spades and were enjoying food together. The reason? The DTM team were celebrating the official opening of the company’s Blackpool HQ and executives were welcoming staff to the new location a few miles up the road from the previous offices in Skelmersdale. Beyond the team-building benefits of the celebrations, the relocation itself illustrates how DTM has developed from a niche player into a fast-growing digital fleet technology business. Tyres & Accessories met with chief technology officer Dominic Clark and sales manager Simon Makin in order to find out more.
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