Halfords Autocentres are  entering the digital radio car conversion market via a new fitting service.

Halfords Autocentres  will be introducing a pilot digital radio upgrade service featuring the Nextbase DAB Adapt range in their centres in Surrey this Autumn, ahead of a national launch across their 315 centres in the New Year.

Speaking at at Drive to Digital 2017, a radio industry conference held at the British Museum today (Tuesday 26 September 2017), Halfords Autocentres  commercial director Stefan Warhaftig  said:  “Our sister company Halfords is already the UK leader in digital car conversions and Halfords Autocentres can make the fitting of digital radios in-car even more convenient by offering to upgrade anyone’s car radio to digital when they book a service or MOT. We are delighted to be part of the Go Digital pilot in Surrey this Autumn and will look to planning an expansion of the service nationally next year.”

The digital radio car adapter market across Europe has been significantly boosted by the Norwegian switchover, the first in the world, which is underway and completes at the end of this year; the planned Switzerland switchover which is scheduled for 2020; and the UK’s on-going digital radio progress.

There are still 25 million cars on the road in the UK that do not have digital radio with drivers unable to access the extra stations available on DAB.  In major markets, such as Greater London where there are up to 100 stations available, drivers without digital radio are missing out on 70% of the available stations. 

Laurence Harrison, market development director, Digital Radio UK, added: “These initiatives and the industry investment in car conversion can establish car adapters as an important automotive category alongside satnavs and dashcams.”