Friday, March 19, 2010
Sarah goes to great heights for BEN
Sarah Sillars, Executive Chair of the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), and her daughter Rachael have started training to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for BEN.
Sarah and Rachael will be taking on the challenge on 17 September 2010 and are hoping to raise £10,000 for the charity which provides care and support to people with a connection to the automotive and related industries in the UK and Ireland. Sarah became a board member of BEN in 2009 and has been Chief Executive of the IMI since 2002.
Speaking of her climb, Sarah said;
"I have been a huge fan of BEN for the last 10 years and it is the IMI's dedicated charity. Now that I have joined the BEN Board I thought I should put myself out of my comfort zone and try to raise some money for them. I like a challenge and there seemed a compelling case to trek Kilimanjaro - to show people that I really am prepared to go the extra mile for BEN.
"I am delighted that my daughter Rachael, who also works in the industry, for Sytner, will be with me. She knows how tough it's going to be - she did Everest Base Camp last year. Rachael said she experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. I haven't been to a gym for over 10 years, so a 6 month training programme is called for. I started training Wednesday - the trainer says I need to train a lot! Think of us on September 17th, when we start our adventure."
DATED: 19.03.10
FEED: GG
Electric motoring to be assessed
The potential market for electric vehicles is to be examined by experts from the University of Aberdeen.
The UK is on the verge of a major push to become a leading player in the development of electric motoring.
Funding from the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) has been awarded to the university's Centre for Transport Research to explore the way forward.
Costs and potential motorist concerns about the technology will be among the issues being examined.
The experts will explore who will buy and use these types of vehicles.
The outcome of the study will be used for an ETI evaluation of consumer attitudes.
Dr Jillian Anable, who is leading the Aberdeen study, said: "Identifying the key factors which will influence consumers to purchase electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will be crucial to successfully rolling out the concept to the wider market.
"Our research will focus on building a profile of the types of people who would buy this kind of vehicle - from their attitudes, through to their age groups and whether they live rurally or in the city.
"We also need to understand whether people might use these vehicles differently to the ones they own now."
She added: "The practicalities of using an electric vehicle will be explored looking at, for example, how long people are willing to wait for the vehicle to charge and whether they are most likely to charge them at home, at the supermarket or at work.
"We hope our research - which will take place throughout the UK - will identify the type of person who may become an early or future adopter of the technology."
DATED: 19.03.10
FEED: GG
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Second hand car dealers must comply with law or face action, OFT states
The OFT has identified a number of concerns in the £24bn second hand car dealer market and is set to crack down on dealers who break the law.
The OFT has today published its market study into second hand car sales by franchised and independent dealers which finds the market is often not working well for consumers. The OFT believes that the relevant legislation is sufficient but more needs to be done to ensure dealers are aware of the law, consumers are aware of their rights, and dealers who fail to comply face a real threat of effective enforcement action by Trading Standards and the OFT.
The OFT's report finds that:
- The vast majority of all second hand car faults come to light in the first three months, suggesting many second hand cars sold may not be of satisfactory quality, and are consequently the dealer's responsibility to fix. Despite this, nearly 30 per cent of buyers surveyed who contacted their dealer about a problem said they did not have problems rectified. Consumers who had this problem spend an estimated £425 each, or £85 million per year in total, fixing unresolved faults that are the dealer's obligation to correct.
- Consumers could potentially over-pay to the tune of around £580million a year as a result of illegal clocking, which involves adjusting a vehicle to show false mileage. The OFT's study concludes that legitimate reasons for adjusting a vehicle's mileage are very rare, but despite this has identified 50 businesses openly offering 'mileage correction services'. The report makes a number of recommendations aimed at reducing this problem.
- Some dealers may be in breach of the law by pretending to be private sellers to evade their legal obligations to consumers, often to offload unsafe or clocked cars, which the OFT estimates accounts for more than £40 million of second hand car sales annually.
- One in eleven car dealers rely on illegal disclaimers about the car's history and condition, such as that a car is 'sold as seen' or 'No Refund'.
- Many dealers fail to disclose what mechanical and other pre-sale checks they have carried out. The OFT also found one in four dealers failed to supply sufficient information about the vehicle.
The OFT has produced new guidance for the car industry providing clarity on the Sale of Goods Act and Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations. Though it is hoped this guidance improves business practices in the market and reduces complaints, if matters don't improve, the market study has provided the OFT with clear enforcement priorities.
Heather Clayton, Senior Director of the Office of Fair Trading's Consumer group, said:
'Buying a second hand car is an expensive purchase for many people. Many dealers provide high standards of service and comply fully with the law but there continues to be high numbers of complaints to Consumer Direct which are often due to dealers refusing to deal with legitimate complaints or provide appropriate redress.
'We are issuing OFT's guidance to the industry and expect all second hand car dealers to be aware of their legal obligations. Along with our Trading Standards partners, we will take action against those dealers who continue to ignore the law.'
The market study was prompted by consistently high numbers of consumer complaints. Last year saw a rise of five per cent in complaints about second hand car sales with nearly 72,000 consumers reporting problems to the OFT-operated advice service Consumer Direct, making it the most complained about sector.
Paul Williams, RMI Chairman commented:
'We have been working closely with the OFT on its current investigation into the used car industry. We strongly encourage car buyers to go to a reputable garage that is a member of the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI) as we are confident in the standards of excellence that our members deliver. Should any problems unexpectedly arise we also offer conciliation services to assist both consumers and garages. We fully support the OFT in its effort to ensure dealers are aware of the law and that these laws are effectively enforced.'
DATED: 18.03.10
FEED: GG
UK to produce Nissan electric car
Nissan is to build its new electric car - the Leaf - at its Sunderland plant, the Japanese company has announced.
Hundreds of jobs are expected to be safeguarded once production begins in 2013 - part of a £420m investment in electric cars.
The investment is backed by a £20.7m government grant and up to £220m from the European Investment Bank.
Ministers have also backed Ford's planned £1.5bn investment in cleaner engines with £360m in loan guarantees.
'Vote of confidence'
About 50,000 Nissan Leaf hatchbacks, which run entirely on lithium-ion batteries, will roll off the Sunderland production line a year.
Lord Mandelson said the development was a "fantastic vote of confidence" in the plant and its "excellent workforce".
Trevor Mann at Nissan said the government had played "quite a significant role" in the carmaker's decision to build the Leaf in Sunderland.
"Not just in monetary terms, but also setting its stall out in terms of the infrastructure [needed to power electric cars]."
Sunderland had already been named as the site to produce Nissan's electric car batteries, creating 350 new jobs. About 60,000 batteries will be made there when production begins next month.
Lord Mandelson said: "By working together we can achieve our aim of making the UK a world-leader in ultra-low carbon vehicles."
Nissan said the Leaf hatchback would be the world's first affordable, mass-produced, zero-emission car.
Nissan senior vice president Andy Palmer said the car would go on sale later this year and the UK was the third country to produce the car after Japan and the United States.
Nissan's Sunderland plant is the UK's largest car factory, employing 4,000 people and producing about a third of the cars made in the UK.
It was founded in 1984 and built its five millionth vehicle in June 2008.
The car battery programme has already seen Nissan invest £179m there.
Last year, Nissan's chief executive Carlos Ghosn underlined his company's commitment to its electric cars programme.
"The electric car will account for 10% of the global market in 10 years," he told BBC News.
The firm has not yet revealed how much the Leaf will cost.
'Major investor'
Ford's plans involve an investment of more than £1.5bn in six projects across four sites.
They will safeguard about 2,800 skilled jobs at its research centre in Dunton, Essex, and its factories in Dagenham, Essex, Southampton and Bridgend in South Wales.
About a quarter of all Ford engines worldwide and over half of its diesel engines are produced in the UK.
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said: "Ford is a major investor in research and development in the UK. The government stands ready and willing to support these innovative R&D projects backed by a highly skilled workforce."
DATED: 18.03.10
FEED: GG
Dealers need to go back to basics for survival in 2010
Dealers need to consider a back to basics approach to ensure they survive what could be their toughest year of trading during 2010.
A series of potentially profit-crushing issues face dealers this year, including the end of scrappage, the ongoing impact of recession on buying trends, difficulties with funding, rising VAT and the potential impact of the first-year road tax.
Together, they represent an immense challenge to dealers who will have to rely on their own skills and business management expertise to remain profitable and secure maximum market share.
An industry expert said: “After surviving the past year, dealers may have felt the worst was over, but there is a genuine risk the next 12 months will be just as difficult.
“In these circumstances, just doing what you have always done will not be good enough. Dealers need to constantly review their businesses and look for improvements and efficiencies wherever they can.
“In particular, dealers need to make sure they have got the basics absolutely right, as these form the foundations for success.
“With the challenges ahead, managers can feel they are being pulled in all directions, so it is important to focus on the core issues that are essential to maintaining a healthy business.”
Managers need to ensure the business is working as a coherent team, with clear goals and ambitions, he said “When the going gets tough, a professional manager owns the problem and helps, coaches and reassures his team that they can overcome the problems together.
“As departments struggle for profit, an ‘every man for himself’ culture can appear and that is simply bad for business. This is a time when managers and dealer principles will prove their value to the business.”
A series of potentially profit-crushing issues face dealers this year, including the end of scrappage, the ongoing impact of recession on buying trends, difficulties with funding, rising VAT and the potential impact of the first-year road tax.
Together, they represent an immense challenge to dealers who will have to rely on their own skills and business management expertise to remain profitable and secure maximum market share.
An industry expert said: “After surviving the past year, dealers may have felt the worst was over, but there is a genuine risk the next 12 months will be just as difficult.
“In these circumstances, just doing what you have always done will not be good enough. Dealers need to constantly review their businesses and look for improvements and efficiencies wherever they can.
“In particular, dealers need to make sure they have got the basics absolutely right, as these form the foundations for success.
“With the challenges ahead, managers can feel they are being pulled in all directions, so it is important to focus on the core issues that are essential to maintaining a healthy business.”
Managers need to ensure the business is working as a coherent team, with clear goals and ambitions, he said “When the going gets tough, a professional manager owns the problem and helps, coaches and reassures his team that they can overcome the problems together.
“As departments struggle for profit, an ‘every man for himself’ culture can appear and that is simply bad for business. This is a time when managers and dealer principles will prove their value to the business.”
http://www.profit-training.co.uk
DATED: 18.03.10
FEED: AM
Top industry achievers honoured by the IMI
The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) celebrated the achievements of automotive companies and individuals in the Skillmiles scheme at its Annual Dinner last week in the presence of the Institute's Patron, HRH Prince Michael of Kent.
In front of an audience of more than 340 industry executives who attended the prestigious annual event at The Landmark hotel in London, the awards were hosted by Sarah Sillars OBE, Executive Chair of the IMI.
The Skillmiles scheme was launched two years ago by the IMI as a pioneering way to recognise the support given to aid skills development across the automotive sector and the awards provide a meaningful way to acknowledge this support and pay tribute to those actively making a difference to the industry.
It enables the IMI, as a Professional Body and the Sector Skills Council, to demonstrate to the industry, employers and Government that many companies and individuals in our sector are making valuable contributions to raising skill levels much of which had not previously been recognised.
Six awards were presented on the night to the companies or individuals who had finished at the top of their respective categories, the winners were:
The Honda Institute - Platinum Award (Large Company)
S & B Automotive Academy - Platinum Award (Medium Company)
VBRA - Platinum Award (Small Company)
John Taylor - Platinum Award (Sole Trader)
Thatcham - Special Recognition Award
IMI Awards Limited - Outstanding Contribution Award
Speaking at the awards, Sarah Sillars said:
"Our congratulations go to all those organisations and individuals who have won awards this evening. To date there are 145 employers registered on our Skillmiles database and 118,000 Skillmiles points have been awarded this year. When we add this to the total awarded last year it's the equivalent of over £2 million worth of support from across the sector for the benefit to the industry as a whole. This is a fantastic achievement and thanks must go to all the contributors who have helped the IMI to continue to support the wider industry"
DATED: 18.03.10
FEED: GG
European car sales up in February
New car sales in Europe rose by 3.2% in February compared with the same month a year earlier, but fell almost 30% in Germany as its scrappage scheme ended.
A total of 1,000,754 new passenger cars were registered in the 28 countries monitored by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA).
Slumping sales in Germany were offset by gains in countries such as Italy and the UK which still have stimulus plans.
Toyota saw its European sales fall 20% after a massive recall hurt the brand.
After negative publicity over reports of problems with acceleration and braking in some models, the firm sold just 42,234 cars in February, compared with 53,233 the same month a year ago.
The decline in car purchases in Germany meant that Volkswagen saw sales drop by 2.2%.
In the UK, overall sales rose 26.4%, while they added 18.2% in France, 20.6% in Italy and 47% in Spain.
But sales in several eastern European countries saw a sharp fall.
DATED: 18.03.10
FEED: GG
Petrol price 'to hit record high'
UK petrol prices could hit a record average high of £1.20 a litre in the next few weeks, according to the AA.
Increases in the wholesale price of petrol since January are to blame for the rise in forecourt prices, the motoring organisation said.
It urged the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, to postpone the introduction of a planned 3p rise in petrol duty due to come in on 1 April.
The average UK price of unleaded petrol is currently just over £1.16 a litre.
The previous record UK average high for unleaded was 119.7p in July 2008, when global crude oil prices were also at an all-time high.
Regional variations
However, some petrol stations in central London - which the AA says typically have the highest petrol prices in the UK due to their limited number - are already charging £1.20.
According to price comparison website PetrolPrices.com, the BP Park Lane station beside Hyde Park was charging £1.20 a litre for unleaded on Monday.
Prices are currently even higher in parts of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, which the AA says usually have the second highest prices after central London, due to the high distribution costs.
The price of unleaded in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis was 122.8p a litre on Monday.
However, prices can be even higher at small, independent owned garages across the UK, as they cannot buy their fuel supplies in bulk.
'Inflation risk'
AA president Edmund King told the BBC: "We all know government finances are in dire straits but a 3p rise in fuel duty is not good for the economy and could fuel inflation."
He said that the cost of wholesale petrol had risen by 17% in the past month, and this had not yet been passed on fully at the pumps.
Therefore, the average price of petrol could hit £1.20 before 1 April, he said.
The AA said families now paid £52 a month more on petrol than a year ago.
'Complete disgrace'
The price of oil is a major factor in the price of petrol, and yet the current oil price of about $80 a barrel is far below the $147-a-barrel high seen in the summer of 2008, the last time petrol prices neared £1.20 a litre.
This has led many to question why petrol costs so much right now.
Lindsay Hoyle, Labour MP on the Commons business committee, told the Daily Telegraph: "Crude oil has gone up this year, but nothing like the rise in petrol prices. Motorists are being legally mugged at the forecourt by petrol companies."
He called the current high price of petrol a "complete disgrace".
Analysts said increased refining costs and the weakening of sterling against the dollar - the currency in which oil is priced - helped to explain some of the increase in petrol prices.
Mr King said a lack of refining capacity in Europe had contributed to the rise in wholesale prices.
"The oil industry needs to look at refining capacity to keep costs down," he said.
DATED: 18.03.10
FEED: GG
Taxi panels to be made in China
The maker of the black taxi cab, Manganese Bronze, says it is to move manufacturing of its TX4 vehicles' body panels and chassis to China.
The move will cost 60 jobs in Coventry in the West Midlands, the firm says.
It says the parts for the TX4 vehicles will be made in Shanghai, after a UK supplier's decision to cease production of a specialist painting process.
But it says 60% of its cabs' components will still be UK-made, and the TX4 will still be assembled in Coventry.
Manganese Bronze also announced an underlying pre-tax losses of £8.1m for 2009 compared with a loss of £6.2m in 2008.
UK vehicle sales fell from 1,951 to 1,724 in 2009, and the firm said the UK market continued to be challenging.
DATED: 18.03.10
FEED: GG
Honda recalls 410,000 cars in US
Japanese car manufacturer Honda has announced it is recalling 410,000 cars in the US because of complaints about their brakes.
The recall is of 344,000 Odyssey models and 68,000 Element vehicles made between 2007 and 2008.
Honda said it had received complaints of brake pedals that felt soft or gradually needed more pressure to work.
The action follows the much larger recall by Toyota of eight million cars worldwide over safety fears.
Honda said the brake problems were due to the gradual accumulation of air over time in a part of the braking system.
Although not all cars being recalled had been affected by the problem, the company said it was recalling "all possible units to assure all customers that their vehicles will perform correctly".
Affected customers in the US will be notified by Honda from April.
DATED: 18.03.10
FEED: GG
