Ben has unveiled a new range of programmes targeted at younger people in the sector on its digital mental health and wellbeing platform SilverCloud.

The current fuel shortages being caused by panic-buying across the UK have been cited as a reason for 19% of motorists spoken to for a new survey being more likely to buy an electric car next time.

The finalists for Top Technician 2021, who will be returning to In Town Automotive on Saturday 9 October, are as follows:

Motul is turning its attention to the Goodwood Motor Circuit and its Revival meeting at the weekend, where the company has signed a major multi-year partnership.

Garages that are not set up to service lowered cars could be missing out on a major potential income stream, with interest in lowered car alignment racing ahead across the sector according to Absolute Alignment.

Global steel shortages, increasing aluminised and stainless steel prices and in rising commodity costs, are causing pipe price volatility BM Catalysts has warned.

NGK is continuing to plan for the future, with three Venture Labs based in Tokyo, Silicon Valley and Ratingen in Germany working on a range of projects, with many having real-world applications within the automotive sphere.

Delphi Technologies Aftermarket, through BorgWarner, has launched a new offering for EVs that will enable independent garages to obtain a range of replacement parts, including combined inverter and DC/ DC converters, traction power inverter modules, and onboard chargers.

Bridgestone and electric vehicle charging provider EVBox have teamed up on a project to put in 3,500 new charging ports across Bridgestone’s European retail and service network over the next five years. The network, which will include both normal and fast-charging stations will launch in France and Italy, before expanding across to the UK, Germany, Poland and Spain, as well as other European countries.

TRICO and A1 were able to raise £6,576 for charity Speed Of Sight during the summer through a pledge to donate £1 from every sale via A1 Motor Stores.

The organisers of Automechanika Birmingham have announced a two-day live event taking place next June; The UK Garage and Bodyshop Event. Taking place on 8-9 June 2022 at the NEC Birmingham, the event will provide the opportunity to get up close with suppliers, as well as access to three training hubs and three feature areas.

Aftermarket for the Future will be the theme of the IAAF Virtual Conference 2021, taking place on Thursday 2 December.

The global semiconductor shortage resulting from the pandemic has been contraining new car production volume, and has been cited a main reason behind new car sales for August being 22% down on 2020, making it the weakest August for new car sales since 2013.

The Original Equipment Suppliers Aftermarket Association (OESAA) has teamed up with GROUPAUTO for the upcoming Autoinform Live event.

Ben has launched its own league as part of the Fantasy Premier League for the 2021-22 football season, and is encouraging automotive industry people to take part to be in with a chance to win over £1,000 in cash prizes.

To celebrate Euro 2020, WAIglobal UK launched a competition where customers signed up to a special WAI Euro 2020 app where they could predict match scores for the chance to win prizes, including AirPods, a wireless Qi Charger, wireless headphones, a Bluetooth Speaker and a Smartwatch.

Mass adoption of electric vehicles is unlikely to happen by 2030, with the fact that EVs with a real-world range of around 300 miles will not be available at the mainstream-friendly £21,620 price-point until at least that date being a major stumbling block, according to a new report by GoCompare.

Ben’s Industry Leader Challenge (ILC) fundraiser, The Climb, has been postponed to February 2022 at the earliest due to Tanzania remaining on the travel red list. However, those due to take part will instead undertake the National 3 Peaks Challenge, tackling the three highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales, from 31 October to 3 November.

The IMI is taking a lead role at the 2021 British Motor, through its sponsorship of the IMI Technology Theatre, as well as supporting the Automotive Careers Expo.  Key features on the IMI stand will include, the IMI Careers Hub, the IMI Professional Register, IMI TechSafe, VOCANTO e-learning and the Lucas Nuelle Car-Train training unit.

Electrified vehicles could make up 25% of UK vehicles by 2025, according to GiPA UK.

6,952,454 MOTs are set to expire across England, Scotland and Wales during September and October, according to the latest figures released by the DVSA. This 1.3 million increase represents a 22% rise on pre-pandemic levels.9.58 million drivers opted to take advantage of the 2020 MOT exemption and time-shifted their Spring/Summer tests into the Autumn, which has altered the pattern of testing through the year going forward.

Access to in-vehicle data by independent garages would be severely threatened if the VM-backed Extended Vehicle (ExVe) model becomes the standard, the IAAF and its European partners including FIGIEFA are continuing to warn the EU and the UK government.

The semi-finalists for Top Technician 2021 have been named.
The following mechanics will be competing in the semi-final, which is being held at In Town Automotive in Northampton on Saturday 4 September:

E10 petrol standard replaces E5 or 95 octane grade petrol at the pump from 1 September, and garages, motor factors and consumers have been racing to prepare for the switch.

Garages should see staff shortages due to self-isolation requirements start to lessen from today, due to COVID-19 rule changes that include those who have received two doses of as vaccine no longer being required to self-isolate if they have been identified as having been in close contact with someone who has tested positive.

Garages need to prepare for the growing busy period in the second half of 2021 to make sure they can take advantage of the opportunities, and not be overwhelmed by the workload, GiPA’s Q2 report has suggested.

Independent garages could soon see a boom, as used car sales increased by a massive 108.6% in the second quarter of 2021 according to the latest figures from the SMMT, with older cars making up the vast majority. In fact, only 12.7% of all used cars sold during the three-month period were under three years old, the lowest on record.

Hella Gutmann Solutions (HGS) has teamed up with Pro-Align to provide a combined solution for wheel alignment and ADAS camera and radar calibration.

The combined onslaught of the pingdemic and the ongoing worldwide semiconductor shortage managed to push new car sales down by 29.5% compared with 2020, making it the weakest July since 1998, according to the latest figures from the SMMT.

Ben is to undertake its first ever Big Breakfast fundraiser in October. The event runs for a week, starting on Monday 4 October and ending on World Mental Health Day on Sunday 10 October.

Garages and all other businesses still using the furlough scheme have since yesterday (Sunday 1 August) been required to make larger contributions towards paying their staff.

A MOT surge in the Autumn will be a fact of life for at least a decade, according to a new analysis of the relevant data performed by Continental Tyres.

11% of drivers planning to change their car expect its replacement to be fully electric, up from 8% in 2020 according to new research. When including hybrids, the research from Kwik Fit shows that the number looking for a low emission vehicle next time rises to 37%, a up from from 33% a year ago.

LKQ Euro Car Parts has called on the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to urgently clarify its plans for what will replace the EU’s Motor Vehicle Block Exemptions (MVBER), which expire in 2023. While the European Commission is consulting industry within the EU, LKQ Euro Car Parts says the CMA is yet to properly engage with the issue in the UK.

With 618,903 people in England and Wales instructed to self-isolate in just one week up to 14 July, the automotive sector will not be immune from the impact the NHS COVID-19 app is having on the wider society.

Staffing levels in garages over the summer could hit critically low levels, with the number of people being instructed to self-isolate through the NHS COVID-19 app rising rapidly.

VARTA has said that the inevitable positive outcome of joining the Original Equipment Suppliers Aftermarket Association (OESAA) in 2019 made the decision “a no-brainer.”

One of the semi-finalists in this year’s Top Technician competition has been named as Kia’s world champion EV technician, winning the Gold Medal in the Kia EV Skill World Cup 2021, beating rivals from 14 other countries while also hopefully putting him in good stead for this year’s TT diagnostic smackdown.

75% of the 200 companies exhibiting at this year’s Automechanika Frankfurt Digital Plus will have physical stands at the showground, the organisers have revealed.

TechMan is giving away a free 12-month subscription of its garage management system as part of a prize package worth more than £1,200.

Banner has introduced a new 50 Ah Running Bull AGM, a starter battery compatible with models including as the Suzuki Swift/Splash, Vauxhall Adam, Hyundai Kona and Kia Stonic. Meanwhile, in what is a European aftermarket first for Banner, the Running Bull AGM 55001 part number is currently installed in the BWM i8 as a back-up.

Commenting on the development, Banner Batteries Country Manager Lee Quinney said: “The importance of AGM and EFB battery technology continues to gain momentum in the UK aftermarket and we are confident that the new Running Bull part number will help consolidate Banner’s position within what is an increasingly important sector. The new-to-range AGM not only exemplifies Banner’s standing as a complete solutions provider, it once again reflects Banner’s prominent reputation within the OE arena.”

In addition, Banner is continuing to promote its VRM battery application guide, available from www.bannerbatteryfinder.co.uk

New car sales were up 28% in June, with 186,128 sold during the month according to the latest figures from the SMMT, although the ongoing impact of the pandemic is still being felt, as well as the the global semiconductor shortage which is limiting supply.

Garages should see overall work levels settle towards pre-pandemic levels as new research shows weekend traffic levels above pre-Coronavirus levels, while weekday traffic remains lightly below where it was previously.

The EV market in the UK got a major boost this week, with Nissan’s revealing it will build its new EV at its plant in Sunderland, with a battery plant in the plan too.

Garages and all other businesses still accessing the furlough scheme to pay staff are required to begin contributing from today (Thursday 1 July).

The pandemic has helped turn van servicing, maintenance and repairs into a serious growth area, and garages should not pass up on the opportunity, according to LKQ Euro Car Parts

North-West recyclers BIG ATOM recently processed its one millionth tyre in just three years in its first step towards a fully sustainable operation.

The IAAF Annual Conference will be virtual again this year, the industry and country continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Federation’s Annual Dinner currently set to return in December 2022.