Despite lower mileage being accrued during lockdown, drivers have continued to spend on car repairs, new data analysis has shown, with a 104% spike in coil spring replacements among the headline figures.

Franchised dealers are being encouraged expand their aftersales side to include multi-brand repair and maintenance to capitalise on the growing used car segment.

 Jaguar will be an all-EV brand by 2025, Jaguar Land Rover revealed earlier this week. Six pure electric variants are penciled in for the Land Rover range by 2030 as well. To achieve its aims, the company intends to invest around £2.5bn a year on vehicle technology.

 Motul has teamed up with US car manufacturer Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus in a new partnership that will include its new Hypercar, among other projects.

A car design competition for secondary school students has been launched by the IMI, just in time for half-term.

A garage that was conned out of £1,060 in a cheque fraud perpetrated by one of its mechanics saw the scammer sentenced recently.

The first quarter of the 2020/21 academic year saw a 63% drop compared to the same period for 2019/20. With this week (8-14 February) having been National Apprenticeship Week, which ran with a theme of ‘Build the Future’, the IMI has been urging  employers to re-engage with apprentice schemes.

The Original Equipment Suppliers Aftermarket Association (OESAA) is offering 4,000 ‘We’ve Got You Covered’ packs to workshops.

The Autotech Group has launched a brand-new company division - Autotech Academy – which has been created to help newly college-qualified technicians to get on the automotive career ladder.

45% of car owners believe the MOT should eventually consider how the electricity used to charge an EV has been generated, with the figure rising to 51% among owners of cars less than three years old, a new survey from Kwik Fit has found.

Bookings for MOTs through price comparison site BookMyGarage showed a 90% year-on-year increase during the MOT Exemption as drivers time-shifted their Spring and Summer MOTs into the Autumn and Winter, in a trend that is expected to be repeated at the end of 2021, and in years to come.

Repeated lockdowns and shaky consumer confidence have been identified as key reasons for used car sales dropping by 14.9% in 2020 according to the latest figures from the SMMT. 6,752,959 second-hand cars were sold during the year, 1,182,146 less than in 2019, making 2020 the slowest year for the second-hand market since 2012.

Nine million motorists may not know when their MOT is due, as a survey has suggested there may be widespread confusion on the topic among drivers as a result of the MOT Exemption.

The impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on consumer behaviour should be the catalyst to encourage garages to take digital marketing and online lead generation really seriously,  Eurorepar Car Service has suggested.

Garages that have taken out loans under the government’s Coronavirus  business bounce back scheme can now spread the repayment period, via “pay-as-you-grow” measures announced by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak on Friday (5 February).

Snap-on is offering live IMI-accredited online training for users of its APOLLO-D8 tools.

New car sales fell by 39.5% in January, with the 90,249 vehicles sold during the month providing the worst start to a year since 1970, the latest figures from the SMMT have revealed.

More than 55% of drivers are thinking about buying an electric car according to new research from AX.

Garages looking to gear up for ADAS can now take advantage of some bundle offers from Delphi Technologies on its recently-launched modular ADAS calibration kit, with a two-day training course included with each bundle.

 Top Technician is kicking off 2021 with an accelerated version that will mean five more techs in the semi-final

A record 1.27 million vehicles failed their MOT in the 2019/2020 period due to emissions, with diesels seeing a 240% failure rise compared to just 37% for petrol vehicles.

COVID-19 was one of the main reasons for car production in Britain falling by 29.3% to 920,928 units in 2020, making it the worst year for UK car-making since 1984, according to figures from the SMMT.

Bradford-based Express Automotive UK has won a £2,000 technology bundle from the still-ongoing £20,000 TRICO prize giveaway.   Faisal Butt of Express Automotive claimed TRICO’s main prize, which included a TV, tablet, soundbar, Echo Dot, Beats headphones and fitness watch.   Faisal said: “I’m absolutely thrilled about winning the top prize, excited beyond words!”   As well as the main prize, TRICO’s £20,000 giveaway included gift vouchers, hampers, hotel breaks, football shirts and TRICO stock packs.

The Klarius Group of Companies raised over £15,491 in support of Douglas Macmillan Hospice, a.k.a Dougie Mac in 2020.

The steering and suspension range from Excel Automotive Group (EAG)  is now available through A1 Motor Stores across the UK.
 
EAG Managing Director Adrian Lamb, said: “We’re thrilled to announce this new partnership, A1 has an incredible reputation in the industry and we’re sure that its members will benefit from stocking our products.
 
A1 Operations Director Simon Salloway added: “A1 is delighted to be partnering with EAG, who we feel can add another string to the bow for our members. I’m confident that their wealth of experience will help our member increase market share in this sector.”

LKQ Euro Car Parts has updated CarSys, its cloud-based GMS, which was originally launched last year.

Fix Auto UK’s network of body repair centres has gained accreditation to The Motor Ombudsman’s Motor Industry Code of Practice for Service and Repair. All of Fix Auto UK’s 107 centres join more than 7,500 garages, repairers and MOT stations across the UK already signed up to the Code of Practice.

Over 2,000 techs and garages nominated in Castrol’s recent National Mechanics Month had the rare honour of having their names emblazoned on the side of the competing M-Sport Ford World Rally Championship at 2021 Rallye Monte-Carlo last weekend.

2,700 tonnes of assorted metals were saved within Bosch by remanufacturing starters and alternators in 2019  alone. It would take 590,000 beech trees to absorb the 7,400 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emitted in the production of this much new metal. Let the forest breathe.

First Stop UK is looking to continue growing in 2021, with the goal of  reaching 220 centres by 2024.

Vehicle rear-end collisions fell by 27% in 2020, according to analysis by AX, while ‘Hit while parked’ became the most common type of collision, accounting for nearly a third of the total.  

With Lockdown #3 rolling on, GMS provides are reporting a surge in garages looking to switch to online systems that enable remote access.

The IMI has collated free downloadable education lesson plans, resources and fun activities for parents dealing with Lockdown #3 home schooling.

Ben has chosen the third Monday in January, dubbed ‘Blue Monday’ in recent years, to launch its new offering of free fast-track access to mental health and wellbeing platform SilverCloud.

88% of independent garages are offering MOT collection and delivery services for clinically extremely vulnerable and self-isolating people, according to new research.

Demand for MOTs and services was seen to increase by 80% in some quarters last week following the announcement of a third national lockdown, with franchised dealers looking to capitalise on the aftermarket opportunity to offset the closure of showrooms.
 
According BookMyGarage.com, the price comparison site saw an 80% increase in MOT and service bookings compared to the same period in pre-pandemic 2020. MOT-only bookings were up by more than 50%, while 58% scheduled a full service alongside their MOT.

NGK’s BoxClever glow plug offer is coming back in February, with members of its loyalty scheme again receiving a special 50 prize points for each glow purchase instead of the usual 20 points.

Excel Automotive Group (EAG) is the latest supplier to confirm that it will remain open during the UK’s current lockdown.
 
As motor factors and workshops are staying open during the UK’s third lockdown, so will EAG to ensure its customers have access to its premium quality and cost effective ranges.
 
EAG Managing Director Adrian Lamb, said: “This is our third lockdown in the UK due to COVID-19 and most workshops have continued to operate the entire way through, so we have as well. Despite everything that’s happening, people still need to use their vehicles and if they break, they need them to be fixed promptly, safely and effectively.”
 
He added: “To further assist our customers, we’ve done a lot of work to our website and ordering system so they can order througwww.excelautomotivegroup.com – or through TecCom. If they are not already connected, they should contact us to set up these facilities, it only takes a few minutes.
 

A brand-new industry report has been published by Messe Frankfurt UK, organisers of Automechanika Birmingham.

SMP Europe says it is business as usual despite the latest lockdown, and the company is continuing to operate as normal following the latest lockdown, with a number of new developments planned in 2021 as well.

The IGA has released the Garage Guide to Working During COVID-19, to help independent garages through the latest lockdown and beyond.

The workings of ADAS systems are not just a challenge for those in the garage sector, with a warning being issued over the lack of awareness among drivers requiring an extensive training offering to prevent systems becoming a hazard.

GS Yuasa has donated £5,000 to cancer charity OddBalls, and is launching limited edition GS and Yuasa OddBalls bobble hats to help raise awareness of testicular cancer.

Ben has announced the launch of its new active virtual challenge for the whole industry; Breakout for Ben - road to £1 million.

The IMI is running a post-Brexit webinar this Thursday (14 January) looking at what the new arrangements means for automotive sector businesses, with particular focus on recruitment.

The Verification of Lubricant Specifications (VLS) has sent a case relating to a Longlife 5w30 oil to Trading Standards, following an investigation.

TechMan is urging garages to make sure they customers know there’s no MOT exemption this time, and that they must make sure that they seek an MOT for their car if it is due.

In an email sent to customers of LKQ Euro Car Parts last week, CEO Andy Hamilton confirmed that the business will remain open and operational throughout the current lockdown – as it has done previously – and explained why garages should do the same.
 
“During this lockdown, motorists will still be able to complete their MOTs and with a further 1.1m MOTs still outstanding from the 2020 extension, this will create work opportunities for garages. We are also facing an extended cold snap, which coupled with more vehicles being sat idle for longer, will see greater demand for servicing and repair, offering further potential revenue sources over the coming months,” he said.
 
The letter ended with a note of thanks to garages for their continued support, and recognition of the aftermarket’s efforts to keep the UK moving throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
 
Garages that require assistance or have any questions are advised to contact their local branch or visit www.omnipart.com