Are changing demands putting greater strain on parts, leading to younger vehicles seeing starters and alternators fail earlier than expected? That seems to be the case according to WAI UK Managing Director Richard Welland: “While the rotating electrics market is consistent in terms of seasonal trends – alternator failures increase by 44% during winter – we are seeing a greater demand for products found on newer vehicles.” He continued: “On certain new makes and models, starter motor and alternator failure of the original part fitted to the vehicle is becoming more common and occurring earlier than previously. The units fitted to these vehicles are often smaller but the demands on such units are incredibly high. As a result, the pace in which we bring new parts to market has dramatically increased and as 52 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2023 ROTATING ELECTRICS www.aftermarketonline.net such our product development intensified. In the first two months of the year we have brought to market 70 new rotating electrics units to meet this demand. “For example, we have introduced new alternator references for the 2021-onwards Dacia Sandero and the 2020-onwards Renault Clio, and starter motors for the 2018-onwards Nissan Qashqai, the Mazda 3 from 2014 to 2019 and Honda Civic X from 2018 onwards. We’re working closely with our distributors to ensure the parts they have available are working hard for them and meet the demands from garages, achieving our goal of being ‘First to Market’ and ensuring the entire automotive aftermarket supply chain benefits.” On the manufacturing process, Richard added: “WAI components are manufactured at the company’s Transpo Electronics plant to provide complete control over quality. Innovation and excellence are at the core of WAI’s design Above: Autoelectro has for almost four decades supplied remanufactured starter motors and alternators into the UK aftermarket GETTING AROUND TO IT As the way vehicles are made to work changes, many systems including starters and alternators are experiencing new pressures
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