Hankook Tire says it is excited to announce its first appearance at the Moscow International Automobile Salon. The company’s reports that its exhibition space (booth 430 in hall 12 for those of you planning to visit) has been custom designed for this show and reflects the growing importance of the Russian and CIS markets for the company’s future business strategy.
Stapleton's recently added 22 new vans to add to its delivery fleet. In an investment worth over £600,000, Stapleton’s expanded the fleet with the addition of six Mercedes Benz Sprinter Panel Vans, seven Renault New Master Panel Vans and nine Isuzu 7.5 tonne trucks.
Stapleton’s are amongst the first in the UK to receive Renault’s New Master Panel Van. Liveried with the company’s corporate identity each of these vans will go straight into the company’s ever growing fleet, providing customers with a twice-a-day, same-day or next-day nationwide delivery service.
Kwik-Fit has named Peter Lambert as its new sales director for Kwik Fit Fleet. Effective 2 August, Lambert replace Mike Wise who has decided to “explore other opportunities.” Reporting directly to Kwik-Fit Group Chief Executive Ian Fraser, the focus of the role will reportedly be to build on Kwik-Fit Fleet’s traditional tyre business through further expanding its Service, MOT and repair sales, reflecting the strategy that has been successfully rolled out within its retail operation.
Peter Lambert has 25 years experience in the UK motor industry and during this time he has held a variety of roles with Ford, Toyota and DaimlerChrysler. At DaimlerChrysler he was sales and marketing director for Mercedes-Benz Vans and managing director of Chrysler UK. More recently he was managing director for Rossetts Commercials, the Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle dealer for Sussex and Surrey.
With Autodata reporting that over 30 per cent of vehicles on the road have front or rear wheel alignment problems leading to premature tyre wear and replacement, its not a surprise the company believes its new Wheel Alignment manual will assist garage profitability.
Kwik-Fit Fleet is introducing the Bosch range of braking components at all of its UK centres. The addition of Bosch brake pads and discs to the line-up of products offered by Kwik-Fit Fleet comes at a time when demand for is company car and van service maintenance and repair work at Kwik-Fit centres is reaching record levels, the company notes. Indeed, Kwik-Fit reports that during the first four months of 2010, its fleet vehicle servicing was up 65 per cent and company car and van MoT work up almost 60 per cent on a like for like basis over the same period in 2009.
ATS Euromaster has announced a new promotion o small businesses operating between five and 50 company cars or vans (up to 3.5 tonnes). The company will give the first 500 companies – who are not already ATS-E customers – to contact their local centre manager a complimentary tyre safety inspection for their fleet. The fast-fitter, which has over 380 centres and 1,000 mobile service vans operating across the UK, will also undertake the first tyre repair it identifies per fleet free of charge.
On April 1, new regulations covering the use of winter tyres will take effect in New Zealand. The new requirements included in the Land Transport: Tyres and Wheels Amendment Rule prohibit the mixing of winter tyres with other types of tyres on the same vehicle. This ban applies to passenger cars, 4x4s, vans, small buses and light commercial vehicles.
The last chapter in the extremely well documented scrappage scheme draws to an end today with car manufacturers calling last orders on Tuesday 30 March and the government releasing figures relating to the effects of scheme. Apparently the scheme, which offered around £2000 to motorists in exchange for them trading their car in for a new one, has helped some 400,000 customers to buy a new motor since it began.
The latest figures show that scrappage contributed to approximately one fifth of all new car registrations since the scheme started. Half (54%) of scrappage buyers surveyed had never bought a new car before and more than half (56%) of those surveyed said they would not have bought any vehicle at this time if the scrappage scheme had not been introduced.
In March 2010 Beissbarth received the "2010 German National Award for Outstanding and Innovative Achievement in the Field of Trade" from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology for its ‘Easy 3D’ chassis alignment system. The Beissbarth system received the favourable attention of a panel of representatives from numerous German trade organisations on the basis of its speed, simplicity to operate and the small space required for its use. The award was presented to Silke Spitzer, head of technology at Beissbarth GmbH, during a trade fair on March 7.
Hankook is the recipient of more tyre test kudos, this time from Europe’s largest specialist recreational vehicle magazine, Germany’s Promobil. The publication has released the results of its annual tyre test (Issue 4/2010), and has awarded first place to Hankook Radial RA14. The Promobil evaluation examined ten brand-name tyres currently available in the popular 235/65 R16C size, which is suitable for vehicles including the VW Crafter and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (the second of these was used as the test vehicle during the comparative evaluation).
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson announced today (12 March) that the government has agreed a €300 million (£270m) loan guarantee with GME Europe. Agreed under the government’s Automotive Assistance Programme, the British loan guarantee will be joined by extra support from GM in the US and other European government. According to the business secretary’s office, the guarantee is designed to help secure the company’s operations in Britain and the rest of Europe and follows “detailed and highly complex talks between the Government and GM.”
Kumho Tyres reports that late last year it began supplying its Radial 857 light commercial vehicle tyre in size 235/65 R16C 115/113R as original equipment for the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (NCV3). The Radial 857 is Kumho’s latest tyre for vans and similar vehicles, and the manufacturer states it offers excellent handling properties, a strengthened casing and high mileage.
Improved fleet driver communication and enhanced data information for contract hire and leasing company customers are the two key advantages Kwik-Fit Fleet says will be gained from its new web-enabled Service 24 initiative. The recently installed Service24 software handles and co-ordinates driver bookings for vehicle servicing, maintenance and repair to be carried out either through Kwik-Fit Fleet’s own network or motor manufacturers’ franchises; glass replacement; breakdown assistance and vehicle recovery and vehicle hire for all Kwik-Fit Fleet’s leasing customers.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says February saw an increase in the number of new van registrations in the UK; up 26.1 per cent on the same month in 2009 to 8,978, raising the 2010 year-to-date total to 20,524 – 8.8 per cent up on January-February last year. However, truck sales continued their downward trajectory, totalling 1,370 in February, over a third down on the same month in 2009 (-36.6 per cent). Sales were also sluggish in January, leaving new truck registrations in 2010 43.7 per cent down from the same stage in 2009. In total, truck and van sales combined were 11.5 per cent up for February year-on-year, but 2.5 per cent down in year to date figures.
Two of Britain’s largest suppliers to the nation’s company car and van market, Kwik-Fit Fleet and Lex Autolease, have signed what Kwik-Fit believes to be the most valuable fast-fit deal in UK fleet industry history. The three-year solus contract, estimated to be worth at least £150 million over its duration, will see Kwik-Fit Fleet supply and manage all tyre repair and replacement plus deliver a range of ancillary services, including vehicle servicing and MoTs, to the Lex Autolease fleet of more than 300,000 vehicles. The fast-fit provider won the contract, which goes live on March 1, in a competitive tender.
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