Fleet use of independent garages is around a quarter higher for company cars and vans aged four years old compared to their one year old counterparts, shows research. New data from epyx shows that buying of service, maintenance and repair (SMR) shifts from 30% independent garage and 70% franchise dealer at 1-2 years old to 35%/65% at 2-3 years old, 40%/60% at 3-4 years old and 38%/62% at four … [Read more...]
Fleet discounts driving slight rise in new car registrations
October’s new car market grew by 14.3% to reach 153,529 registrations, 7.2% above pre-pandemic levels and marking the best performance for the month since 2018, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The 15th month of consecutive growth was driven almost entirely by large fleet registrations, which grew 28.8% to reach 87,479 units. Private demand was stable at 62,915 … [Read more...]
Fleets warned of possible Chinese burn
Fleets need to check new entrant Chinese manufacturers for credibility before committing to buying their vehicles, FleetCheck is warning. Peter Golding, managing director at the fleet management software company, said that electric vehicle manufacturers from China were undergoing a period of rapid consolidation, and that some were likely to export simply as a survival strategy. “The Financial … [Read more...]
EVs price fall expected as fleets change
Second hand electric cars and vans are expected to dramatically fall in price as businesses contracts roll-over. According to independent transport research group New Automotive, companies now run around 475,000 electric cars, and 200,000 plug-in hybrids, most of which will be held for 2-4 years before being resold into the second-hand market for 50% of the original value. Thanks to … [Read more...]
Logistics UK is just the job for apprenticeships
Logistics UK is delighted that it has been Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register approved and is now able to provide government-funded apprenticeship training. Initially launching the Level Three ‘Transport Operations Supervisor’ programme In January 2024, further courses are expected to be announced in the coming months. The business group welcomes the opportunity to further support … [Read more...]
Service bookings taking longer
Lead times for fleet service, maintenance and repair have risen by more than 57% since the start of the pandemic, according to new data from epyx. In January 2020, the average time between when a company car or van booking was created to when the vehicle went in for work was 8.11 days - but today stands at 12.76 days. This data is taken from epyx’s 1link Service Network platform, which is used … [Read more...]
KIA is king but Stellantis is hopeless, say traders
Kia is the best and Stellantis the worst brands to be selling, say car dealers. The NFDA Dealer Attitude Survey was conducted last month and asked franchised dealers questions about the on-going business relationship with their respective manufacturers. It brought 2,531 responses from 32 franchised networks, equating to a joint record response rate of 68%. The 2023 Summer Survey showed a general … [Read more...]
EV vans confusion needs clarification
Ongoing confusion over regulations surrounding 4.25 tonne electric vans mean that the Association of Fleet Professionals is urging fleets to “step up” lobbying of the Office for Zero Emissions Vehicles and the Driver Vehicle Standards Authority. In 2019, a special concession was created by the Department of Transport (DFT) for electric vans. Normally, an individual with a standard B licence would … [Read more...]
Car making declines in UK, not good for EVs either
UK car production fell -9.7% in August, following six consecutive months of growth, as 45,052 models rolled off factory lines, according to the latest figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Typically the smallest volume month of the year with often variable summer shutdowns which can lead to large percentage variations, August’s output was in part affected by … [Read more...]
Newslines 3 October
In the week prior to Rishi Sunak’s announcement that the ban would be pushed back from 2030 to 2035, 42% of drivers planning to buy a new car said they expected it to be a low emissions either fully electric or hybrid. Following the announcement, Kwik Fit’s researchers asked the nation’s drivers the same question and found that the proportion planning to opt for a low emissions vehicle has now … [Read more...]