The IGA is asking government to extend business rates relief to independent garages, as they work to keep the country’s cars on the road through the Coronavirus outbreak 

Automotive sector organisations continue to offer support to the garage sector, as the UK enters its second week of partial lockdown due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

A Liverpool car dealer caught coming back into the UK with over £1m of cocaine hidden in his Subaru Impreza was sentenced to nine years in prison last month, after being unanimously found guilty by a jury at Canterbury Crown Court in less than an hour.

 Garages that are struggling as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic could be supported by temporary changes to the insolvency system.

More aftermarket suppliers are confirming that they will continue to support their customers during the Coronavirus outbreak.

Technicians and mechanics who are self-employed will soon have a level of support comparable with that offered to employees as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak.

TechMan is advising its customers that it will be continuing to provide services and support for its garage management system while Coronavirus restrictions are in place.

The IGA is raising concerns to the government about the impact of extending MOTs for six months, and instead proposes an initial six-week MOT extension period, which could then be reviewed on a weekly basis.

Within hours of the six-month MOT exemption being announced yesterday by DfT, (25 March), garages saw an 80% rise in MOT bookings through online platform BookMyGarage.

Ben is reaching out to those struggling in the midst of the Coronavirus outbreak, with a new statement on how the organisation can help, as well as new dedicated webpages for providing support during Covid-19.

Automotive continues to play its part in the fight against Coronavirus, with Bosch announcing it has developed a rapid test for Covid-19 through its Healthcare Solutions subsidiary.

 Independent garages could end up bearing the brunt of any overflow repair demand from franchised dealer customers, as elements of the UK dealer networks shut both repair workshops and as well as their car showrooms.

 Aftermarket suppliers are continuing to look at the Coronavirus outbreak, and decide how best to support their customers while balancing responsibility for staff. Some are opting to remain open, while others are looking to temporarily close their doors.

From Monday (30 March), DVSA has announced that MOT due dates for cars, motorcycles and light vans will be extended by six months, in order to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Garages are among the essential businesses that are being allowed to remain open, following the introduction of more stringent restrictions to help fight the Coronavirus pandemic.

The automotive sector could soon be doing more than just fixing vehicles in the fight against Coronavirus, with companies gearing up to manufacture ventilators.

 Self-employed mechanics could see Coronavirus government support increase, with MPs looking to ramp up support for the self-employed.

Garages could lose some members of staff for at least three months from now, due to government advising those with serious health conditions to self-isolate as soon as possible.

 Garage staff are  likely to qualify as key workers whose children are still able to attend school from Monday (23 March), following the general closure of schools across the UK.

Garages that find themselves struggling because of the impact of the Coronavirus outbreak have the opportunity to seek major government support in paying staff wages.

Due to the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak, the semi-finals and finals for Top Technician and Top Garage 2020 are being delayed until later in the year. The Top Technician and Top Garage Awards Evening, which is held in the evening immediately following the finals for both competitions, will also be pushed back until 17 October 2020. 

The UK automotive sector continues to monitor the potential for disruption, as the Coronavirus outbreak continues.

Petrol with a higher bioethanol content could be sold in the UK from next year. The government is consulting on whether E10, which has 10% bioethanol content, should become the new standard grade of petrol. The E5 grade, containing 5% bioethanol, has a higher carbon content. The Department for Transport says the move could reduce transport CO2 emissions by 750,000 per year.

The Parts Alliance has launched ‘The Original Experience’. Throughout March and April, garage customers will receive ‘Original Experience’ scratch cards with each purchase of Delphi brake pads, MANN-FILTER cabin and oil filters, Comma 5 litre Performance Motor Oil and NGK spark plug sets.

Tetrosyl has teamed up with Ciceley Motorsport, and has unveiled its plans for their 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship campaign (BTCC).

As part of its 2020 centenary commemorations, the IMI is aiming to raise £100,000 for automotive industry support charity Ben, while also setting itself the goal of increasing its membership to 100,000 by the end of the 2020/2021 financial year. Current membership is 72,000.

An investigation by the UK’s Verification of Lubricant Specifications (VLS) has led ATIEL, the representative body for manufacturers and marketers in the European lubricants industry, to change its quality management policy. Following the investigation. ATIEL member products are now included in compliance programmes for the first time.

Almost half of MOT testers have yet to undertake their annual training, with the deadline only a few weeks away, the DVSA has warned.

A ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles could come even sooner than expected, with government now saying it intends to bring the deadline forward to 2035 – or even earlier if possible.

The Parts Alliance has entered into partnership with Petronas Lubricants International (PLI) to supply its Syntium range of oil into the UK aftermarket.

Electric cars and new vehicle tech continued to capture the worldwide imagination as 2020 began. Both were the focus of attention at the CES electronics show, held in Las Vegas last month. While Sony surprise-launched its own prototype car at the show, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the Vision AVTR (Advanced Vehicle Transformation), created in conjunction with the team behind the film AVATAR.

Garages could see EV numbers grow following the announcement that government funding for the installation of chargepoints on residential streets will double to £10 million in 2021.

Snap-on has launched a new UK YouTube channel. Videos featured on the channel include in-depth platform training modules as well as the Diagnostic Quick Tips series.

Ben is increasing and enhancing its range of digital services for automotive industry people seeking support with mental health and wellbeing issues including stress, anxiety and depression.

Motorists continued to hold onto their existing cars last year, with the latest figures showing that new car sales were down 2.4% in 2019. The high degree of political and economic uncertainty is being seen as the likeliest cause.

Euro Car Parts has returned to Top Technician and Top Garage, becoming a sponsor for the 2020 competitions. 

2019’s Ben Ball, held at the Roundhouse, helped raise over £87,000 for Ben last week.

Textar has launched a new anti-counterfeit safety seal for its packaging.

 A court case where directors from Klarius were due to standing trial for selling non-type-approved emissions products was thrown out by the Judge at Manchester Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday 3 December).

Ben has launched its latest Industry Survey to ask the automotive community about the biggest health and wellbeing challenges they face.The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete and is confidential and anonymous.

The British Motor Show is returning in 2020, with an all-new venue and organising committee. Based at Farnborough International, Hampshire, the show sees the return of a national British Motor Show that will include all the traditional elements, but also a number of new, live and interactive features.

Unigloves has launched an enhanced version of its website.   unigloves.co.uk features information on its range of nitrile, latex and hybrid disposable gloves. Updates include 360° spin images, product comparison feature and where to buy, in addition to product-specific technical and performance data. The new site also allows users to request free samples, find out about its glove audit service and access resources such as an industrial glove glossary.

The aftermarket team at Delphi Technologies has been busy raising money for Myton Hospice in Warwick, a charity dedicated to helping terminally ill people and their families. This year the company donated more than £4,000 thanks to a combination of monthly contributions from staff salaries and dedicated company events, such as afternoon teas.

 The IGA has produced an all-round ADAS guide for its membership.

 Garages can take advantage of significant Black Friday discounts today (29 November) with Denso, as the manufacturer has cut prices on six websites.

New figures from the SMMT show that if the UK faced trade tariffs following Brexit, the result would decimate UK car manufacturing, with 1.5 million vehicles lost by 2024 at a cost of £42.7 billion.

Bosch is buying Unipart Group’s workshop programmes in the UK, for an undisclosed price.

The Motor Ombudsman has launched a new search facility on its Garage Finder to allow drivers to easily find and identify accredited businesses that service and repair electric vehicles.

 HELLA has released the 2020 edition of its workshop calendar, which features images of a variety of garages around the globe.