GS Yuasa has announced that the firm has met its mid-term emission reduction and environmental targets as part of its response to climate change. The battery manufacturer has committed to reducing emissions by 30 per cent before 2030.
Delphi Technologies has added brakes for Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai as part of its European aftermarket range, parts the company describes as first-to-market.
Arnold Clark Autoparts has begun rolling out its new trade website, meaning customers in Glasgow can now access the group’s wide product range. While the new trade website is currently available for Arnold Clark Autoparts Glasgow customers, it will be coming to other branches soon.
LKQ Corporation, the parent company of LKQ Euro Car Parts, is seeking to divest GSF Car Parts (GSF) following its acquisition of the factor’s Canadian owner, Uni-Select. With the transaction subject to the receipt of anti-trust clearance in the UK, LKQ Corporation made the offer as part of its application for the UK competition authority’s approval. In the interim, LKQ Corporation will not be involved in the day-to-day running of the GSF business with the existing management team remaining in place and the organisation ringfenced from LKQ. LKQ announced its plan to acquire Uni-Select for around US$2.1 billion on 27 February.
LKQ Euro Car Parts will be the headline sponsor of the first Automechanika Birmingham Garage Awards, hosted by the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF). Celebrating outstanding achievements across the garage sector as well as the federation’s lobbying activity, the awards will be held on the evening of Wednesday 7 June at Hilton Metropole NEC. The event coincides with the automotive aftermarket trade exhibition, Automechanika Birmingham, where LKQ Euro Car Parts promises “an eye-catching display”. Award nominations are now open; you can submit your nominations here.
The expansion of Bridgestone Enliten into the replacement tyre market will commence in Europe this year with the launch of Bridgestone Turanza 6 and Duravis Van products featuring the technology. The tyre maker plans to debut a total of eight Enliten products for the European aftermarket in 2023, a figure representing around five per cent of all Bridgestone passenger car and light commercial vehicle tyres in the European replacement market.
Mahle Aftermarket has promoted its UK general manager Andy Lees within its senior leadership team, in a combined role that will see him lead aftermarket operations in western Europe. While Lees’ responsibilities expand with his promotion to head of Western Europe Aftermarket (MESW), he will remain in his role as UK general manager, overseeing relationships with valued customers across the country and guide the company’s UK aftermarket strategy.
Delphi Technologies, a brand of BorgWarner Inc, will be a partner supporter of the 2023 Top Garage and Top Technician competitions. Top Technician, created by Aftermarket magazine in 2002, seeks to identify, develop and celebrate skills-excellence amongst the elite of UK garage technicians. Added in 2018, Top Garage seeks to shine a light on national examples of business best-practice.
The Independent Garage Association (IGA) has written to the Department for Transport (DfT), urgently requesting an extension to their consultation proposing changes to the MOT frequency and other MOT enhancements.
New analysis of DVSA MOT test data shows that faulty tyres accounted for 13 per cent of failures between July and September 2022. Of all failures, 27 per cent are “dangerous”. Previous analyses of MOT failure data have found that tyres account for between 8 per cent and 22 of all MOT failures. And therefore the latest figures represent long-term median tyre-related failure rates. Since industry sources generally agree that MOTs generate around 20 per cent of total annual UK tyre replacement sales, however you count it, MOTs have a significant impact on tyre maintenance and therefore road safety.
BorgWarner brand Delphi Technologies has launched its new Masters of Motion hub aimed at independent garage technicians. The company said the launch heralds a “sustained campaign to support technicians and workshops even more closely.” The availability of qualified technicians adequately prepared for the rapid changes in the car parc, including the rise of electric vehicles and increasingly complex advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), is one of the key challenges currently facing the automotive aftermarket.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has launched a public consultation on the future of MOTs in Great Britain, which closes at 11:59pm on 28 February 2023. According to the DfT, “Views are being sought to update MOT testing for cars, motorbikes and vans to ensure roadworthiness checks continue to balance costs on motorists while ensuring road safety, keeping up with advances in vehicle technology, and tackling vehicle emissions.” But the short story is that they are once again proposing to “change the date at which the first MOT for new light vehicles is required from 3 to 4 years” under the guise of saving “motorists across Great Britain around £100 million a year in MOT fees” based on a £40 MOT.
Halfords Group plc (Halfords)’s third-quarter 2023 trading update for the 13 weeks to 30 December 2022 show that group revenue grew 38.3 per cent and like-for-like group sales were up 12.6 per cent compared with 2020 levels. Other headlines included the news that Halfords’s services business represents 50.3 per cent of group revenue, and B2B, which includes the Avayler system 28.2 per cent. At the same time, Halfords hailed its “strong Commercial Fleet performance”, with this part of the business growing 138 per cent year-on-year. However, the company reduced its full-year 2023 underlying profit before tax (PBT) guidance from £60 million to £50 million.
Automotive component distributor Magneti Marelli Parts and Services has joined as the latest addition to the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) membership. The trade body’s service membership has continued to grow throughout the year and the latest expansion sees the Italian company, with its strong heritage in the automotive industry, joining to support the Federation’s lobbying initiatives and industry networking events.
The RMI Academy of Automotive Skills is opening a new training site in Cheltenham, offering a comprehensive range of MOT, electric vehicle and technical training to local automotive businesses.
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