112021

www.aftermarketonline.net NOVEMBER 2021 AFTERMARKET 47 the shelf and available in a matter of weeks. Because of this, Autoelectro is able to introduce product quickly. It can provide a quality, remanufactured product to OE specification, at a competitive price. What’s more, it’s likely that it’s the only alternative source for a part to the OE dealer, whose prices are likely to be substantially more expensive than the remanufactured component.” On the environmental front, he observed: “There’s a lot of speculation on the impact of the climate and whether remanufacturing can play its part. While there are elements of the original unit that will be unsalvageable and scrapped, a reasonable proportion of the components will be reused, minimising wastage. The influence of remanufacturing is definitely growing as well. In Europe, for example, it was predicted back in 2016 that the European remanufacturing industry could grow to € 90 billion by 2030 – compared to the € 30 billion it was estimated to be already and around only 2% growth of the new manufacturing market. “Fundamentally, the workshop owner or manager makes the buying decision, and those decisions are likely to be made on different parameters compared to what the vehicle owner’s might be. For example, the workshop may use price competitiveness as its priority, while the owner may consider other criteria, such as the environment. Last year, a YouGov survey, commissioned by the Carbon Trust, found a high level of consumer support for carbon labelling and the sharing of data on the carbon emissions created during the manufacturing of products, allowing customers to make more knowledgeable purchasing decisions. Public interest is evidently increasing. However, in the automotive industry, I don’t think it does enough to promote or convey that environmental message. At all levels, from manufacturer/remanufacturer, distributor and workshop, I don’t believe enough emphasis is being placed on the environmental implications of vehicle servicing and repair. “EVs appear to be the priority, but I’m worried that not enough attention is being put on the infrastructure and whole life emissions of electric vehicles. For immediate environmental wins, using remanufactured components would be a great starting point. I think workshops could upsell to customers on the premise that remanufacturing is environmentally-friendly and they offer products on that basis. However, I understand the challenges they face on price competitiveness, and, as such, the lure of copy products, the manufacture of which has implications for the environment.” Responsible Nick added: “The process of remanufacturing falls within the category of ‘environmentally-friendly’, but Autoelectro has always tried to add to that, to become more responsible, like the re-use of packaging materials. Autoelectro has been recognised in the past as well, by winning the Green Apple Environment Award in 2015, an internationally renowned campaign to find the greenest companies, councils and communities.”