Mike Hawes

Great piece from City AM' Guy Taylor Experts say the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)’s private sales data, which is the most widely used metric in the UK automotive industry industry, is “flawed” and “inaccurate.” They argue consumers are increasingly buying EVs using salary sacrifice schemes, which allow employees to deduct a monthly sum from their pay to lease EVs at far lower cost. “How individuals purchase EVs is often overlooked, due to the way data is represented, especially in the figures from the SMMT,” Fiona Howarth, chief executive of Octopus Electric Vehicles, told City A.M. “Let’s be clear, salary sacrifice cars are on the driveways of typical drivers – they’re used for the school run, weekly shop and family trips, so why should they be counted as fleet cars?” she said. Quentin Willson, the motoring journalist and founder of the campaign group FairCharge, said: “We need to capture accurate end user data to get a clearer picture of the split between private and fleet. The anti-EV narrative claiming that private buyer interest in EVs has waned is being supported by inaccurate data.” Mike Hawes Sam Salehi Amy Rennison Ben Nelmes New AutoMotive Octopus Energy BOLD Voodoo Dr. Andy Palmer CMG Ian Johnston ChargeUK Vicky Read Osprey Charging Network Read here: https://lnkd.in/eiKKmQ7W

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I've seen a lot of discussion about how the retail EV share of the new car market is better than the official SMMT figures suggest because consumers are using salary sacrifice schemes to buy EVs. However, if that was the case, I think you'd expect the fleet/business share of EV registrations to be even higher.

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Further to the previous post below is an overview of a couple more of the projects that Motorvait has undertaken in the past year: ✳ Ongoing consultancy agreement with a major used car retailer with the remit of increasing it’s used car retail volume 400% over a 12-month period. Clearly undertaking a project of this nature has many moving parts. From vehicle sourcing through preparation, pricing, marketing, sales and aftersales support a full review was undertaken and then recommendations made as to how to implement the growth strategy with significant milestones identified across the piece. Motorvait is well underway with this project and 9-months in within the next two months the objective will have been achieved. Further accelerate growth will then be the next objective for the business. Motorvait takes a very hands-on approach including overseeing many of the operational aspects of the business and is afraid to get deep into the weeds of a project of this nature. The shout out here has to go to the internal teams that Motorvait have worked with on this project and their support and openness to change is what has really made this project the success it is. ✳ Neil Smith (Motorvait CEO) is Board Advisor to CMe Media and has supported the launch of www.cmeautomotive.com – CMe Automotive - the fastest growing full-service automotive specialist agency in the UK.  Neil has worked closely with the founder and CEO of CMe Media and CMe Automotive Charisse Smith (nee Thomas) to build CMe Automotive to deliver both above and below the line marketing services to UK vehicle retailers. These services include digital content generation for SEO, PPC and social media. PPC campaign management, SEO strategy building, social media management, creative asset generation, radio, TV, outdoor campaign management and much, much more. All of this with a team that is well versed in UK automotive and the needs of vehicle retailers both large and small, franchise and independent. The first year has been a great success approaching a TO of £1m and the growth plans for 2024/25 are exciting backed by expansion within the team to deliver industry experts across both the sales and marketing function that are able to provide a ‘best in class’ support to an internal marketing team or act as a vehicle retailers internal/external marketing team. Part 3 (and final part to follow)...

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The light commercial vehicle market for May 2024 makes interesting reading. Take a look at my latest take on the new and used arena for #LCVs. #registrations #BEVs #topperformers #newmarket #ZEVmandate #usedmarket #LCVauctions #stocklevels ##usedvalues #averagesales #averagevalues #conversionrates #retailmarket

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MARKETING FAIL "Despite the fact that, in the not-too-distant future, all surviving mass-market OEMs are going to be mainly selling firstly electrified, then ultimately all-electric vehicles, hardly any of them (Volvo Cars’ CEO Jim Rowan’s regular assertions that BEV is simply a better technology than ICE a notable exception) actually message that these products, the future lifeblood of their companies, are better than the products they will need to leave behind. And that’s pretty odd when you think about it." The latest EV inFocus newsletter argues that, rather than expend time, effort and money lobbying to try to get next year's EU BEV targets watered down, the carmaker members of the European Automobile Manufacturers'​ Association (ACEA) might be better advised to take that lobbying cash and a sliver of their mighty marketing budgets and spend it instead on a joint advertising campaign telling the public why they should go all-electric. It also begs the question who should be responsible for encouraging buyers to consider switching to EVs. Governments? EV advocacy groups? Legacy OEMs themselves? Seems like the latter group has largely failed to do any of its share of the heavy lifting... https://lnkd.in/eAPfc-KS

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Mass control seems to have been very poor at VW; having to reduce some ID3's to 4 seaters, due to their bloat is embarrassing. Vehicle efficiency is affected by mass in 2 ways. In the brakes and in the tyres. Regeneration in electric cars and some hybrids reduces the losses felt when braking (EVs brakes last 10X as long), but the super efficiency of an electric motor means that the losses at the tire wall have a greater impact on range than before: A Tesla Model Y with 19" wheels has 390miles of range versus the 20" wheel clad version's 421 miles. Larger wheels mean that the forces coming into the body are higher. With the state of our roads unlikely to improve anytime soon, I fear our vehicle's health may be adversely affected by their obesity. https://lnkd.in/eEdu_r-8

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Automated Vehicles Act becomes law https://lnkd.in/dCqtnC_J Self-driving vehicles could be on British roads by 2026, after the Automated Vehicles (AV) Act received Royal Assent and was signed into UK law. Announced in the King’s Speech, the AV Act enables advanced technology to drive vehicles on British roads by setting out a new regulatory framework for the self-driving industry. The law will require self-driving vehicles to achieve a level of safety at least as high as careful and competent human drivers, as well as meeting safety checks before being allowed onto roads. Read more on Landor LINKS Ltd's EVolution Magazine website: https://lnkd.in/dXs2AbJy #AVs #selfdriving #autonomousvehicles #cars #law

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Used car prices RISE in September as EVs lead the charge with 1% surge, according to latest date from Cap HPI. – Used car prices go up for all fuel types in September – Strong and stable used car market continues  – First time used EV prices have risen in two years Watch our video interview with Derren Martin in the post below https://lnkd.in/evqKjH_e

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Electric vehicles should be charged a pay-per-mile tax, the Campaign for Better Transport has urged the Chancellor ahead of the Budget. It believes a 2p-per-km tax would generate £850m from #EV #drivers for the public sector. We're at a very interesting time in roads policy. Anti-roads and anti-#motoring campaigners have historically opposed roads on grounds of #pollution. Yet with public sector alarm growing amid predictions of shrinking fuel duty #tax revenues, claims that cars should be subject to sin taxes because they're bad for the #environment (at the tailpipe, anyway) are going to crumble away. We're left with a blunt truth: the Treasury wants cash from taxpayers and #motorists are a dead easy target. Buying EVs won't change this. Details on the latest EV tax idea: https://lnkd.in/ee4QmMKF

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Are UK electric vehicle sales on track to meet the rising ZEV Mandate targets? Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that BEV sales surpassed the 22% mandate for the first time in August, making up 22.6% of new car sales. However, while this is a positive step, overall BEV sales in 2024 remain below the target. What more could be done to ensure next year’s threshold, set to increase to 25%, is met? #ElectricVehicles #BEV #ZeroEmissions #ZEVMandate #Sustainability #GreenTransport #UKAutomotive https://lnkd.in/erEZ_hR6

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Nissan has recommitted to selling only zero-emission electric cars by 2030 in Britain and Europe despite a volatile sales market in which the growth in registrations of battery vehicles has caused leading rivals to rein back on their pledges. The Japanese company said it is also on track for a £3 billion redevelopment of its plant in Sunderland, to construct a third battery-producing gigafactory on the site, and by 2030 to be assembling the next generation of its pioneering Nissan Leaf all-electric car and zero-emission versions of its Qashqai and Juke models

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Whenever you see an article about the UK EV market / ZEV mandate, it's worth recalling this handy tracker from New AutoMotive showing progress towards the targets by each manufacturer. Strange to say, the companies complaining hardest tend to be those furthest from their goals… Also worth noting New Automotive's point that the 22% ZEV for this year amounts to only around 18.5% once you take flexibilities into account

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Almost all motorists (96 per cent) say solving the potholes crisis should be the number one priority for the new Labour government, according to new research. August’s Startline Used Car Tracker also shows that 92 per cent would like to see fairer fuel prices, 91 per cent lower insurance costs, 85 per cent better public transport and 81 per cent more road building to ease congestion. https://lnkd.in/dD22dTPE

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APPOINTMENTS: Andrew Brumley appointed head of Ford Motor Company’s Dunton center Andrew Brumley has been appointed as the new head of Ford’s #Dunton product development center in Essex, UK. Brumley, the chief engineer for vehicle hardware engineering, will oversee the integration of physical and digital attributes in future #Transit and #Tourneo vehicles. The Dunton campus employs over 3,200 engineers and commercial vehicle specialists. Ford is focusing on #electrification and incorporating new software and services into its vehicles, which demands new skills and engineering specializations. To support this, the company has established four major education outreach partnerships to increase interest in science, technology, engineering and math (#STEM) among young people. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eQef9FRM #Automotive #AutomotiveTesting #Engineering #AutomotiveIndustry #AutomotiveEngineering #Mobility #Technology #Transportation #AutoTestMag #AutoTestExpo #AutoTestNovi #AutoTestEurope #AutoTestIndia #AutoTestChina #AutoTestKorea #ukimediaevents

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This week we are joined by CAR’s Industry Analyst Elizabeth (Lisa) Krusemark PhD, who discusses Nissan and Tesla safety recalls and automakers unveiling new EV lineups. "The number of recalls for electric vehicles, ADAS, and OTA updates has nearly doubled in the last couple of years. As vehicle recalls become increasingly diverse and complex, it is even more important to provide consumers with clarity about the methods used to complete recall repairs." Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gSJkabnV

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Rosy picture for used car prices as June chalks up a minor 0.1% fall in values - Used car market remains stable in June - Experts predict July may even see a rise - Poor performing EVs drag average used car prices down overall - Top 10 biggest rising and falling used car prices also revealed Thanks to Derren Martin for chatting to me again for a long-overdue video catch up. Watch our chat in the post below and read the latest on the used car market. https://lnkd.in/ewsCgkDH

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