New research reveals that of the 20 million drivers who regularly use their car for journeys of between one to two miles, some 6.9 million (34%) want to switch to other travel methods. Almost one in seven car owners (13%) said they want to cycle on more of these trips, while 6% want to make more use of an electric bike. The study has been carried out for Kwik Fit, which has launched a new … [Read more...]
New car sales slowly rising
The first quarter of 2023 has been positive for UK new vehicle sales, said Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association. “It is extremely encouraging to see sales figures starting to emulate pre-pandemic trends, particularly for the plate change month of march and consecutive months of optimism and growth,” she said, commenting on the latest SMMT’s new passenger … [Read more...]
Newslines 10 October
EV drivers who charge mostly from home will see a small rise in electricity costs from 28p to 34p per kWh as part of the Government’s October Energy Price Cap. The price cap will remain in place until 2024 so it’s a good news story for those who are able to charge at home, especially as domestic electricity prices were set to rise to 52p per kWh from October 2022 with further price increases … [Read more...]
Stellantis struggling in showrooms
Franchised car dealers have been rating their manufacturers in the annual survey. An analysis of the ‘overall average score’ across all questions of the survey (6.4) put Lexus at the top with 9.2 points out of 10, followed by Mercedes (8.4) and Kia (8.4). The bottom of the table saw Fiat (3.7), Abarth (4.4), and Alfa Romeo (4.7), which is bad news for the parent Stellantis group. Sue Robinson, … [Read more...]
InstaVolt raising public charging price
EV charging network InstaVolt has raising its price 15.7% to 66ppkWh from Monday. The rise from 57ppkWh applies to all payment types and the company says the steep rise is due to the enforced 20% VAT rate on public chargers compared to just 5% levied on domestic points. Other public point providers are expected to follow suit as the electric supply industry faces enormous increases this … [Read more...]
Dismay at end of PHEV grant as fuel prices soar again
The government is today ending the plug-in car grant allowance for new orders after successfully kickstarting the UK’s electric car revolution and supporting the sale of nearly half a million electric cars. The announcement was greeted with dismay and concern by car makers, the motor dealers and charging network suppliers. It could also boost demand for used PHEVs and second hand petrol and … [Read more...]
New car sales crumble, used-models in demand
New car sales are still crumbling under the weight of supply shortages, rising costs and concerned buyers facing higher costs of living. UK new car registrations fell by -15.8% to 119,167 units in April, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Despite showrooms being open for the entire month, unlike the previous year which saw lockdown restrictions in place until 12 … [Read more...]
Government continue backing for EV knowledge training
The Government will continue support for NFDA’s Electric Vehicle Approved accreditation scheme until the end of the financial year in April 2023. The EVA accreditation scheme was developed in 2019 by the National Franchised Dealers Association to encourage retailers to enhance their expertise in the electric vehicle sector and support consumer confidence as the market moves towards EVs. The EVA … [Read more...]
Lexus, Kia and Toyota are UK’s best brands
Lexus is Britain's best brand to be selling, according to the latest poll for the National Franchised Dealers Association. It is encouraging that despite the challenges affecting our industry, franchised dealers show high levels of satisfaction around a number of key business areas, particularly current profit, margins on used cars and manufacturers’ finance programmes, said Sue Robinson, Chief … [Read more...]
Dealers expect to recruit more staff
The percentage of dealers’ looking to recruit across all business areas is significantly up from Q2 this year, reports the National Franchised Dealers Association. In particular, 77.5% are seeking to recruit sales executives over the next three months and the same percentage intend to employ technicians. Additionally, 67.5% intend to hire service advisors. Employee engagement: all dealers who … [Read more...]