Aftermarket July/August 2022 Issue

JULY/AUGUST 2022 AFTERMARKET 11 www.aftermarketonline.net younger people that are secondary markets; Families with two cars, or those who would have been two-car families in the past. There are car clubs in their area because of the expense and convenience of a second car. They replace it with a car club, as with the insurance etc that second car became more of a liability. I think the lockdown has really reinforced that, especially with hybrid working.” Decision If car sharing became the majority choice, what would garages do? Obviously, garages do fleet work, but for most, the business model is based around an owner/user being in control of their vehicle and making decisions about the servicing and repairs. Some repairers will do fleet work for car hire companies and fleets, so is this where the opportunity would be here? We asked Richard how Co Wheels deals with servicing and repairs: “We have our own team of cleaner checkers who do all of the essential safety checks. They are the ones who top up the fluids, check out any warning lights. They will go to do all of the checks every fortnight, like every owner should do, but don't get around to. They have a schedule. They come from the trade. They also identify issues with the car.” Servicing and repairs are undertaken at dealers in the MG and Mitsubishi networks. “If you look at the dealerships,” said Richard, many are small independents or businesses who have got it as a second or third franchise.” Electric EVs are a good option for this model, as we saw with Zipcar. What does Richard think? “From our point of view, it fits ideally with what we're looking for as we move to electric for as much as the fleet as we possibly can. Obviously, the whole point of a car club is really the environmental sustainability.” On how the club is helping in this regard, Richard added: “The average car in the U.K is eight to 10 years old, so it's 13 to 15 years old before it will go off the road. We're putting cleaner, newer cars on the road. We're putting EVs on the road for people who would be years away from actually owning an EV. We're making them affordable.” According to Richard, for garages looking for additional income streams, teaming up with a car club could be a good way to generate passive income. “For on-street parking, you've talking years to actually get it arranged. As a result, we’re always exploring opportunities, looking for new partners, for people who have forecourts or parking spaces. “A lot of car dealers put their cars on the fleet, for people who want more than a round-the-block test-drive. You go to the car club, just book it and use it for the weekend.” Richard concluded: “It is fair to say that driving is more expensive now than ever before. From rising fuel costs to hefty repairs, drivers are facing pricey bills that are affecting the enjoyment of their car travels. Is it not the right time to make the most of car sharing services? “ Final thought All businesses need to consider prevailing trends, and how they could affect them in two, five or even 10 years time. Changing attitudes to transport and ownership create new threats, but also new opportunities for garages. Ultra Low Emission Zones cause problems for older cars. Meanwhile, car sharing presents its own challenge, but it could be something garages can embrace on some levels, working into part of their overall offering, becoming local mobility hubs along the way. We're putting EVs on the road for people who would be years away from actually owning an EV. We're making them affordable ” ssociation ent A quipm ge E a e Gar Th 5 e 194 c ds sin dar y stan dustr s of In older e Uph d ! r ation c edit cr or his ac f gin our en y Ask eer a IS Y . Y ent A For peace of mind always use a Garage Equipm ssociation member. GEA accredited engineers work to an industry code of conduct our assurance their skills and knowledge have been independently assessed. OUR EQUIPMENT ENGINEER GEA ACCREDITED? Th www.gea.co.uk xpDat GEA ACCREDITED ENGINEER Name Company Discipline E e IDNumber XX123456 XX123456 XX123456 XX123456 XX123456