Service, maintenance and repair issues mean that fleets are facing excessive vehicle off-road time, the Association of Fleet Professionals is reporting. Paul Hollick, chair, said AFP members buying SMR were regularly reporting a range of problems. Some of these, such as parts supply, were felt to be outside the control of suppliers - but others, including levels of communication, were more … [Read more...]
Breaking the EV myth of franchise dealers
The idea that franchise dealers are required more for electric vehicle service, maintenance and repair than their internal combustion engine counterparts is a “myth”, shows new research from epyx. Statistics taken from its 1link Service Network platform, used to manage SMR for more than four million company vehicles largely operated by leasing companies, show hardly any difference in the … [Read more...]
Plan not to fail in new business world, say Arval
Fleets should allocate time to plan ahead in 2022, when it comes to vehicle orders, rentals, and service, maintenance and repair needs, to help beat vehicle and parts shortages, Arval UK is advising. As the impact of the pandemic and semiconductor shortages continue a forward-looking approach will help the fleet and mobility company to make sure that it can secure volumes of new vehicles for its … [Read more...]
Newslines 22 December
Holiday motorists are expected to clock up 3.2bn Christmas miles to see family and friends, according to a poll of 2,500 drivers conducted by the RAC. With weather forecasts pointing to the possibility of strong winds, rain, sleet and even snow for some in time for the 25th, the fears of bad Christmas driving conditions shared by 59% of drivers might turn out to be true. Most car buyers fail to … [Read more...]
Training skills risk ev boom going flat
As EV adoption accelerates a shortfall of 35,700 technicians is predicted from 2026 if retraining isn’t urgently addressed. According to new analysis from the Institute of the Motor Industry, 90,000 automotive technicians will be required to provide sufficient workforce to service the volume of zero emissions vehicles predicted to be on UK roads by 2030 - the government’s Road to Zero … [Read more...]
2021 Garage Star Awards launched
The Motor Ombudsman dedicated to the automotive sector is launching the 2021 Garage Star Awards. It follows the success of the inaugural recognition programme last year, which saw over 800 online customer nominations for Motor Ombudsman-accredited garages and dealerships across the UK, and Cornwall-based Dukes AutoTech crowned the first national winner. During the next six … [Read more...]
RAC underwrite used evs and hybrids
A new warranty for used electric and hybrid cars is launched today by the RAC. The RAC Electric Vehicle warranty will be supplied exclusively through the 1,300-strong RAC Dealer Network and can be applied to any used electric or hybrid car up to a maximum of eight years old and with 80,000 miles on the clock at the time of purchase. Cover is available for a variety of periods up to 24 months and … [Read more...]
Toyota Yaris tops for reliability, German marques low
THE Toyota Yaris is the most reliable of the UK’s best-selling cars. From nippy city runarounds to larger family motors, British drivers have always had their favourites when it comes to getting from A to B with as little fuss as possible. Now warranty specialists MotorEasy have run the numbers on the top 10 models to see which of them really delivers in terms of swerving hefty repairs … [Read more...]
AA moves into private car leasing
The AA is launching into the mobility market, beginning with existing members. Drivers can get on the road with a new inclusive personal car lease product in partnership with LeasePlan UK. Smart Lease offers unmatched transparency and certainty, allowing drivers to see the total cost of driving a vehicle over the course of the agreement. As long as the customer meets certain qualifying criteria … [Read more...]
Keep up maintenance during lockdown
As the UK enters a third national lockdown, Kwik Fit is encouraging drivers to include some key car care measures into their lockdown routine to save their vehicles from damage. In normal years, the fact that cars make fewer journeys over the Christmas holidays always leads to a spike in battery problems in the first weeks of January, helping to make battery problems the number cause of … [Read more...]