Former Cooper Avon managers James Weekley, Matthew Vincent join Nova Motorsport team
Nova Motorsport has continued its recruitment of former Cooper Avon managers previously based at the companys erstwhile European headquarters in Melksham. James Weekley, former general manager at Avon Tyres Motorsport, leads Nova Motorsport as commercial director. Ex-Cooper Tire/Avon Motorsport product technology manager Matthew Vincent has also become Novas senior product category manager. The two appointees join Paul Coates, Cooper Tire/Avon Motorsport general manager, whose appointment was previously announced, and who has become Novas contracts manager. The experienced team has been assembled by founder and managing director of the brand’s parent company, SPC Group, Paul Hallas.
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Autotech Group announces new leadership structure
Last September Autotech Group founder Gavin White revealed his brain tumour diagnosis. Now commenting that he is continuing treatment and “doctors remain pleased with my progress”, at that time, White also announced that succession plans for Autotech Group, due for implementation in 2024, would be accelerated. Now, the Autotech Group has announced that Simon King has been formally appointed to the position of company CEO and an executive team has been implemented.
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Peter Duckworth dies
NTDA Honorary Life Member Peter Duckworth died on Friday 23 February 2024 whilst on holiday in Gran Canaria. Tyres & Accessories learnt of Peter Duckworth’s passing via NTDA chief executive Stefan Hay, who gave this tribute:
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ETB, Britannia hit platinum customer service levels for second successive year
ETB Autocentres and Britannia Tyres have been awarded the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award for 2024, in honour of the retail experience created for their customers over the past 12 months. The tyre retail and autocentre chains qualified for the independent award after recording more than 50 ratings of between 4.5 and 4.9 between 1 January and 31 December 2023. The networks received the same award in 2022, upgrading their gold standard performance in 2021. ETB and Britannia said the awards validate a their work to create a memorable experience for motorists over the past 12 months.
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Many MOT testers still need to take Annual Assessment
The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has reminded MOT testers that they must take their Annual Assessment before the 31 March deadline. Testers will face new checks if they miss this deadline. As of 8 January 2024, MOT testers are required to submit a recent basic DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check if they are returning after being lapsed or suspended from testing – this includes being suspended for not completing your annual assessment. The IMI said an estimated 73 per cent had yet to complete their assessment with just two months to go before the deadline.
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Automotive apprenticeship starts in England rise for first time since pandemic
According to new analysis from the automotive industry’s professional body, the IMI, the first quarter of the current academic year saw a significant milestone in automotive apprenticeships. With the highest number of new enrolments since before the Covid-19 pandemic, starts have seen a 9 per cent rise compared to the 2022-23 academic year. “This uplift indicates a renewed interest in both the automotive sector generally and apprenticeships as an entry route, both of which are critical to build the talent pipeline for the future”, explained Emma Carrigy, Research Manager at the IMI.
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60,000th electric van joins UK roads as LCV demand continues to grow
UK demand for new light commercial vehicles (LCVs) grew by 8.4 per cent with 23,962 vehicles joining businesses and company fleets across Britain during January, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The increase marks 13 consecutive months of growth and the highest January total since 2021, reflecting the growing role of vans in Britain’s economy, from local trades and deliveries to national retailers.
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The Blend 2024 calls for conference speakers
The Blend has extended an invitation for industry insiders to share their insights and expertise by speaking at this years hotly-anticipated independent garage annual conference and networking event. The 2024 event takes place at the Eastside Rooms in Birmingham on Saturday, 28 September. Building on the success of last years conference, The Blend is eager to inject fresh perspectives by introducing new speakers.
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Garage’s ‘best “employee” works 24/7’
An independent garage in Uckfield, East Sussex has seen a significant rise in new customers and its online bookings double since launching its new website. Uckfield Motor Services says its online strategy is also attracting the work it wants most; the ‘clean’ profitable jobs such as servicing, MOTs, brakes, and clutches. Director Edward Cockill appointed aftermarket website provider, Garage Services Online 12 months ago. He said: “At least 20 per cent of our customers book in their vehicle online via our website, and it’s growing all the time.”
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66% of surveyed drivers wouldn’t consider buying an EV – Refused Car Finance
Around two-thirds of non-EV drivers say they will still not be switching to an electric car any time soon. A recent survey conducted by Refused Car Finance shows a number of customers said they would not consider buying an electric car as their next vehicle. Consumers who did not already own an EV were asked whether they would consider an electric car in the future and the vast majority of these surveyed individuals said they would not. Electric cars are heavily promoted to be better for the environment, cheaper to run and improve fuel efficiency but the survey suggests these incentives are not enough for UK drivers to make the switch. The main concerns for this group of drivers were the cost of buying an EV, the mileage capacity of EVs and the availability of charging points in the UK.
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Growth in the used car market and used electric reaches record levels
“2023 proved to be a healthy year for the used car market, seeing four straight quarters of growth and growth of 5.1 per cent on 2022.”, said Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), commenting on the latest SMMT’s used car figures. The UK’s used car market has grown by 6.9 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2023, with 1,679,116 transactions. The year as a whole saw transactions up 5.1 per cent from 2022 to 7,242,692 transactions. Used battery electric vehicles (BEVs) saw an impressive 90.9 per cent growth for a 1.6 per cent market share in 2023 whilst plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) experienced 25.1 per cent growth and hybrids (HEVs) increased by 40.0 per cent.
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2024 starts off strongly for powered two wheelers, electric adoption remains slow
“With the final months of 2023 signalling a challenging time for motorcycle sales it is promising to see a turnaround as we enter 2024. It is encouraging to see these positive sales when we look at the current economic climate and the impact of the usual winter months.” says Symon Cook, Head of National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA), commenting on the latest MCIA registration figures.
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Ring asks “Has price replaced safety in the aftermarket?”
Ring, the automotive lighting and auto electrics supplier, has a state of the art lighting laboratory located at its headquarters in Leeds, UK, and while testing a range of bulbs in the industry has found worrying results, including bulbs that are not road legal. The laboratory team does not only test Ring and OSRAM’s own products, but also products from other automotive lighting companies to see how the quality compares and if it meets the legal standards. Recently, the company has found some worrying trends that there are bulbs being sold in the UK that are not compliant with current legislation and are therefore, not road legal.
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Truck donations allow Transaid to support HGV driver training in Zambia
Two heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) which had previously operated in the UK will help train hundreds of new and existing truck drivers in Zambia, having entered service at the Industrial Training Centre (ITC) in Lusaka, after being donated by supporters of Transaid. This contributes to an ongoing partnership between Transaid and the ITC which aims to improve road safety across the country, having first teamed up in 2008 and together trained more than 22,000 drivers during the 15-year period.
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Horiba Mira secures Euro NCAP accreditation for active safety testing
Horiba Mira proving grounds in Warwickshire has extended its European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) accreditation to conduct official active safety system testing on passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. The facility is globally recognised as a leader in vehicle safety engineering, with a long-standing association with Euro NCAP. It has been accredited for passive safety testing since 2012 and is currently supporting the development of the organisation’s new heavy truck rating scheme testing protocols.
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