Monday, December 23, 2013
Jardine to invest £40m in network development
Seat Appoints Fleet Chief
SEAT UK has appointed Peter McDonald as its new head of fleet, starting next month. He moves from his current role with the company as head of planning.
Mr McDonald, who is Australian, joined the Volkswagen Group 12 years ago. He is a past head of planning for VW in China, and established SEAT UK’s planning department five years ago.
DATED: 23.12.2013
FEED: ARM
Willcox returns to Nissan
Paul Willcox has returned to Nissan to win promotion. In September, he left his post as European head of sales and marketing after 21 years with the company and joined Volkswagen as UK managing director.
VW announced on Friday that Mr Willcox was to leave the company immediately. And minutes later Nissan issued a statement that he had rejoined them as its new European chairman.
The move fills a vacancy that Nissan’s global boss Carlos Ghosn created last month in a management reshuffle. Mr Willcox takes over from Trevor Mann, who becomes his new boss as Nissan’s global Chief Performance Officer.
After four years at Peugeot, Mr Willcox joined Nissan in 1992. His jobs have included a stint as UK managing director between 2008 and 2011.
At Volkswagen, Paul Willis to fill the MD’s post. He returns from China, where he was CEO sales and marketing for Skoda.
DATED: 23.12.2013
FEED: ARM
Mercedes to boost used car advertising
Mercedes is to significantly increase its advertising spend on used cars in 2014, and will ask retailers to follow its lead.
Speaking at the FLA’s annual motor conference last month, Mercedes’ cars UK managing director Gary Savage, said: “As a global brand we’ve not got used cars at the front of our minds. We spend around £70m a year on advertising, and only £1.5m of that is on used cars. In 2014, that’s going to change and our national media spend on used cars will be much higher and we’re going to ask our retailers to increase their investment too.”
Mercedes is increasing its investment in used car advertising because of the increasing number of sales through its PCP scheme.
“In 2010, 40% of private sales were on PCP, in 2013 that figure is 90%, our strong RVs make it a good offer and we now simply talk about the monthly PCP rate when selling a car. PCP cars are now starting to come back to the market. They come back to us and we have to manage the RVs,” he added.
Mr Savage said that Mercedes has around 129,000 cars on PCP contracts and that the Mercedes Benz Retail Group is the biggest retailer of these cars.
DATED: 23.12.2013
FEED: ARM
Volkswagen gives the e-up! a voice
As Volkswagen UK prepares to launch its first electric vehicle - the e-up! city car - in January, here's a video for anyone who wants to know what e-mobility sounds like:
Called "The streets sound different. e-mobility by Volkswagen." the video takes an entertaining look at the advantages of electric vehicles, which usually move through the streets emission-free and almost silently. Volkswagen's world champion of efficiency, however, was fitted with hidden loudspeakers as it made its way through the Swedish capital of Stockholm. The vocalist and beatbox artist Fatih Sahin surprised passersby from the rear seat of the e-up! with his humorous imitations of driving noise.
The drive through Stockholm triggered a great deal of attention from amazed passersby. Buskers spontaneously accompanied the e-up! on its journey with their guitars and flutes, adding to the relaxed atmosphere. People in the streets turned their heads in surprise and pulled out their smartphones to record the unusual event in video clips and photos.
Volkswagen also videoed the reaction in Sweden to e-up!'s unusual journey. The film called "The streets sound different. e-mobility by Volkswagen." was produced by the DDB Tribal interactive agency. The creative minds were inspired by Think Blue., Volkswagen's approach to ecological sustainability. The video is available on the "MyVolkswagen" YouTube channel at youtube.com/myvolkswagen as well as the Volkswagen Think Blue. website at volkswagen.com/thinkblue and the e-mobility platform at volkswagen.com/emobility.
DATED: 23.12.2013
FEED: HA
Half a billion pounds parking fines profit
- a tax on business too
The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has stated today that the half a billion pound profit for councils in England generated by parking fines last year, is a "tax on business too."
FTA was responding to the publication by the RAC Foundation today which reported figures recording record profits made by English local authorities for parking fines - known as Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs). The report showed that in 2012-13 a surplus of £594m was made from parking activities.
The Association noted that as well as the private motorist, and said that these funds are raised by fining delivery companies who are trying to supply the goods that towns and cities need to keep functioning.
FTA's Head of Urban Logistics Christopher Snelling commented:
"This isn't just about parking - it also comes from loading and unloading. Many of our members are incorrectly fined as authorities are too eager to judge that they are parked when in fact they are in the legitimate process of delivering to local businesses. Many fines are also issued incorrectly when we had every right to be delivering in that location. These fines amount to a stealth tax on local businesses in these areas."
FTA's own PCN Survey 2012 revealed a 50 per cent leap in the number of penalty charge notices (PCNs) being issued in London, and recorded a rise in costs of deliveries which was directly related to the increase in the number of PCNs issued on the capital's roads.
Mr Snelling continued:
"Authorities should not use the money made to support their general revenue as this gives them a perverse incentive not to help companies be able to deliver successfully. Instead the money should be channelled into improving loading space and parking availability and to improving the quality of enforcement, so that haulage companies are helped to make deliveries safe and efficient, to benefit the local economy."
Figures for the current financial year are expected to be even higher: budgets submitted to the Government by councils suggest it could stand at about £632 million.
DATED: 23.12.2013
FEED: HA
Anders-Sundt Jensen to be Head of Marketing Communications with the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand
Anders-Sundt Jensen to be Head of Marketing Communications with the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand
- Giovanni Perosino to head Marketing Communications at Audi
After studying economics, Anders-Sundt Jensen started his career with AEG in 1989. In 1994, he moved to Mercedes-Benz, where he held various responsible positions, including Head of Global Marketing & Sales of smart GmbH. From 2008, he was Head of Global Brand Communications with Mercedes-Benz.
Giovanni Perosino, who holds a degree in economics, started his career with Bacardi-Martini B.V. in 1992 as a marketing manager. From 1999, he was Head of Marketing with Fila Holding. In 2001, he moved to a responsible position with Lancia. He was Head of Marketing Communications of the Fiat brand from 2005 and of the Fiat Group from 2009. In 2010, Perosino joined the Volkswagen Group as Head of Marketing Communications of the Volkswagen brand.
DATED: 23.12.2013
FEED: HA
