Automechanika Birmingham postponed till June 2023
Automechanika Birmingham has been moved to June 2023, maintaining its alternation with Automechanika Frankfurt, which recently moved its full form to September 2022 due to ongoing international travel restrictions following the coronavirus pandemic. Organisers of Automechanika Birmingham, Messe Frankfurt UK, report that they made the decision following “close discussion with exhibitors and other key stakeholders in the UK aftermarket”.
Continue ReadingVehicle SORN numbers up 9% during pandemic
Kwik Fit has taken a look at data published by the government and notes that the pandemic was responsible for an additional quarter of a million cars being taken off UK roads. The automotive servicing and repair company reached this conclusion after comparing the number of vehicles officially off road with a registered SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) in the last quarter of 2020 with figures for the final quarter of 2019.
Continue ReadingHankook presenting new tyre solutions at 2021 CV Show
This summer, Hankook Tyre UK will exhibit its growing range of truck, bus and van tyres, including the new Laufenn truck tyre range, at the Commercial Vehicle Show. The UK’s largest and most comprehensive road transport and commercial vehicle event will take place between 31 August and 2 September; Hankook can be found in Hall 5, at stand 5B50.
Continue ReadingIndustry works together on Zambian driver simulator
Four big names from the transport and logistics sector have come together to supply an HGV driver training simulator for the Industrial Training Centre (ITC) in Zambia, which Transaid has partnered with since 2008 to help meet the country’s growing demand for professional driver training.
Continue ReadingTyreWatch makes Innovation shortlist at Motor Transport Awards
The Motor Transport Awards have announced the shortlist of finalists for 2021 and TyreWatch has been nominated as one of the contenders for the innovation award. Says the MTA: “With an incredibly strong field of entries, our judges have been able to recognise 52 outstanding companies who have been able to demonstrate innovation and excellence.” Established over 5 years ago in Basingstoke, TyreWatch is an evolving digital tyre management platform which uses remote telematics technology to monitor and manage the wheels and tyres of ‘connected’ vehicles.
Continue ReadingMotorcycle registrations stabilise in May
“Power Two Wheelers (PTWs) have shown a positive year-on-year increase of 340 per cent (13,398 units), however it is important to note that dealers were in the midst of a national lockdown and restricted trading during the same period last year”, said Paddy O’Connell, Head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) which represents PTW dealers in the UK, commenting on the latest figures from the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA).
Continue ReadingHalfords runs £5000 best home garage competition
We’ve all seen the meme. Mechanic hourly rate: Standard - £100; £175 if you watch; and £200 if you worked on it first! Nevertheless, with 40 per cent of people spending more time in their garage during lockdown than before, Halfords is running a “best home garage” competition. The prize? £5000 cash and a “Halfords Ultimate Garage Bundle”.
Continue ReadingTomato Tyres utilises e-jobsheet
Slough-based Tomato Tyres is integrating CAM International’s e-jobsheet tablet app for truck, bus, van and car tyre servicing. When work is conducted by Tomato Tyres’ technicians on fleet vehicles, e-jobsheet will enable job data to be passed automatically via TiDaeX as it is completed on the tablet, including a copy of the job card, signatures and any photos provided.
Continue ReadingMay van registration figures ‘clear indicator’ of growing economic confidence
Commenting on the SMMT’s figures for LCV registrations in May, Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) said: “It is extremely positive to see that light commercial vehicle registrations continued their upward trend with record sales in May, as increased confidence in the sector continues post lockdown.”
Continue Reading‘Great relief’ but recovery ‘might be slower’ than expected – analysts on car sales
Car registration figures may offer some relief for the embattled sector, but analysts have warned the recovery might be slower than first hoped. Andrew Burn, managing director and head of automotive at Interpath Advisory (formerly KPMG Restructuring), said of the May SMMT registration figures: “The latest registration figures will come as great relief to the sector given the tumultuous challenges it is grappling with. The numbers reflect the first full month of showroom openings, with volumes back to circa 2012 levels. The question now is where volumes will settle once we have moved beyond the pandemic and the new norms are established.
Continue ReadingCar registrations ‘incredibly encouraging’ comments Carwow
Sepi Arani, director of OEM at the UK’s largest new car marketplace and comparison site www.carwow.co.uk, gives his thoughts on the May SMMT car registration figures and the EV takeover: “Its incredibly encouraging to see new car registrations on the rise and with EV’s taking a 13.8 per cent share of the registrations in 2021 so far, despite the naysayers, EV adoption is happening faster than many give credit for.
Continue ReadingCautious recovery in new car registrations during May
With the year’s first full month of showroom openings, new car registrations in May reached 156,737 units, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The total represents an almost eightfold increase on the same month last year, but is down -14.7 per cent on pre-pandemic May 2019, and -13.2 per cent on the 10-year May average.
Continue ReadingHalfords Autocentres joins NTDA
Halfords Autocentres has joined the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA), bringing all of its 358 branches into the NTDA network. The NTDA has also confirmed that in line with the ‘Rules of the Association’, Halfords Autocentres will also have two representatives joining the NTDA’s executive council, the governing body of the association.
Continue ReadingRH Claydon appoints new business development manager
Matthew Warren joined the team at RH Claydon (RHC) on 1 June 2021, taking on the role of business development manager for East Anglia and the South Midlands area. Warren previously worked as a national account manager at Tructyre and has many years of experience in the tyre industry.
Continue ReadingStapleton’s exclusive brands offer high performance tyres
Stapleton’s (Tyre Services) is conservatively optimistic for the summer months thanks to its exclusive brands, which offer particularly strong UHP tyres in the mid-range. Korean manufacturer Nexen Tire is due to begin shipping new N’Fera and N’Blue tyres to the UK imminently, while the latest tyres from Maxxis have helped the Taiwan-based brand to its best year of independent tyre test results ever in 2020.
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