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.”
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: “It’s 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.”
“It is extremely positive that consumers continue to see franchised dealers as the most trustworthy place to buy their next used car; these findings indicate the crucial role that franchised dealers play in the buying process alongside the significant growth of online sales”, said Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle dealers in the UK commenting on the findings published by What Car? today, 26 May 2021.
During Mental Health Awareness Week which ran from 10 to 16 May 2021, Drive My Career announced a new “Supercharged” virtual event which will take place on 9 June 2021 to support apprentices’ mental health and wellbeing. The session follows the success of the first “Driving Inclusivity in Automotive” event held in December 2019 in partnership with dealer group Lookers. External speakers from Babcock International, Ben, the automotive charity, Lookers and the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) will be covering a number of issues related to apprentices’ wellbeing.
The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) has established NFDA Northern Ireland (NFDA NI). “The ongoing issues facing automotive retailers in Northern Ireland mean we must continue to increase our lobbying efforts to ensure the voice of the franchised vehicle dealer is heard, NFDA NI will represent the platform our industry needs to best represent dealers in Northern Ireland”, said Sue Robinson, chief executive of the NFDA.
April saw an artificial 30-fold increase of UK new car registrations compared to the same month last year, but volumes still remained -12.9 per cent lower than the 10-year average at just 141,583 new units, according to the latest figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). This year’s monthly total dwarfed that recorded in April 2020, when the first national lockdown effectively shut the country, and just 4,321 cars were registered.
The Northern Ireland Executive has announced that from 30 April all shops in Northern Ireland will be permitted to reopen, in line with a package of indicative reopening dates.
This includes car dealerships and Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers in the UK, welcomed the decision, saying that the NFDA’s lobbying efforts were instrumental in bringing it about.
With car showrooms opening today (12 April), The UK automotive retail sector signalled its readiness to get showrooms up and running with the publication of new, updated sector-specific guidance by the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) and Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) to ensure all premises are safe spaces for employees, customers and other visitors.
The car registration data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) for the month of March shows that the UK new car market recorded its first ‘growth’ since August 2020, with 29,280 more units registered during March compared to the same month last year. However, the month represents the anniversary of the first lockdown in March 2020, when the pandemic brought Britain to a standstill and registrations fell by -44.4 per cent.
The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers in the UK, carries out the Dealer Attitude Survey twice a year. The survey has taken place continuously since 1989. With a total of 2,585 responses from 32 participating dealer networks, the survey received a response rate of 59.5 per cent. “It is positive that despite the significant disruption faced by our industry over the past twelve months, dealers are, on average, fairly satisfied with the relationship with their respective manufacturers”, said Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle dealers in the UK, commenting on the results of the NFDA Dealer Attitude Survey winter 2020/2021 published on Monday 15 March 2021.
Commenting on the government’s decision to cut the Plug-in Grant for electric vehicles, Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle dealers in the UK, said: “The decision to cut the Plug-in Car Grant and Van & Truck Grant is extremely disappointing as it risks undermining the progress the UK has been making towards a zero-emission market in line with the 2030/2035 deadline set by the Government.
The UK new car market declined by -35.5 per cent in February as 28,282 fewer units were registered during a traditionally weak month for new vehicle uptake, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The industry recorded its lowest February uptake since 1959, with 51,312 new cars registered.
Despite the gloomy January figures, there are signs of optimism in the UK car industry. Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers in the UK, said that the steep fall in sales was expected as a result of the January lockdown, but she went on: “Retailers are optimistic about the year ahead, provided that dealerships will be allowed to reopen as soon as it is safe to do so.”
“Given the challenges facing businesses and the increasing importance of having a robust digital strategy in place, we are delighted to launch NFDA Engage, a new programme aimed at supporting dealers’ communication activities”, said Sue Robinson, chief executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers in the UK.
NFDA chief executive Sue Robinson met with Rachel Maclean MP, parliamentary undersecretary of state at the Department for Transport, on 28 January to discuss the Government’s ambition to end the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles by 2030 and outline the key role dealers play on the Road to Zero.
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