www.aftermarketonline.net NOVEMBER 2023 AFTERMARKET 3 CONTENTS BUSINESS 8 Big issue: Government ICE rollback 12 Michael Shaikly: The price is right? 16 Solera: Aftermarket evolution 18 Parts shipping: The riddle of steel? 20 Fix Auto UK: Mental health awareness TECHNICAL 22 Aftermarket of the future 24 Frank Massey: A month in the life 26 Neil Currie: Santa Fe (diagnostic) trail 28 TotalEnergies: Getting to Green 30 Repairify: Rise of Chinese EVs TOP TECHNICIAN/TOP GARAGE 31 Top Technician and Top Garage 2023 finals IN FOCUS 40 Steering and suspension 42 Filters 44 Clutch and transmission 46 Bodyshop Equipment 48 Motor factors 50 Remanufactured components PLUS... 53 Competition/General products 54 On the Road: ISN Europe 56 Are friends (with benefits) electric? 58 EVs and hybrids 60 Point S: Time for change 62 Training update 64 Recruitment 66 Teabreak ROLL WITH IT Editor | Alex Wells alex@aftermarket.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 345 Head of Sales | Angela Lyus angela@aftermarket.co.uk | +44 (0) 7823 736 629 Managing Director | Ryan Fuller ryan.fuller@dfamedia.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 340 Contributors Bill Brower | Wayne Daniel | Alok Dubey | Neil Kennett | Frank Massey | Martin Pinnell-Brown | Michael Shaikly | David Valentyne | Del Williams Operations Manager | Emma Godden-Wood emma.godden-wood@dfamedia.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 340 Marketing Executive | Hope Jepson hope.jepson@dfamedia.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 371081 Finance Department accounts@dfamedia.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 340 Chief Executive | Ian Atkinson ian.atkinson@dfamedia.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 340 Published by | DFA Aftermarket Media Ltd 192 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1BE Alex Wells, Editor Average net circulation July 2021 to June 2022 19,073 @aftermarketmagazine @aftermarket01 @aftermarketmagazine ISSN 2516-9149 Aftermarket is published 10 times a year and is sent free of charge to applicants meeting the publisher’s criteria. All others may subscribe at £60 per anum, £120 Europe and £150 rest of the world. While every care is taken to provide accurate information, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or ommisions, no matter how caused. All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior consent of the publisher. The views of contributors do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. Copyright: DFA Media Group 2023. As is often the case when putting together a monthly magazine, the big news story I would have wanted for the October edition broke at the exact moment I signed the whole thing off and sent it to the printers. The story in question was, of course, the Government’s decision to delay the ban on the sale of new internal combustion engine vehicles by five years. This was one of a number of measures that were characterised in some quarters as a softening on the UK’s Net Zero stance. The response from the motor industry has been widely critical, particularly in the case of vehicle manufacturers. It is not surprising. After all, they had a relatively small window to shift over to an all-EV offering, and were busily dismantling their existing ranges, and now it’s all five years further away. A case in point would be Ford, who when faced with the fast-approaching EV cliff-edge, opted to drop its best-selling and, dare I invoke an over-used word, iconic Fiesta. Now, it turns out they could have had another few years of supermini money rolling in. No wonder they are annoyed. What of this end of the sector though? Garages have been eyeing up the EV and hybrid opportunity for some time now, with many taking the plunge and investing in the necessary kit and training so they can service and repair this growing segment of the car parc. Sector organisations have also been urging businesses to upskill their technicians. IMI figures have provided an ever-morestark reminder of how wide the skills gap is here, and it has been getting bigger every month. Was all this in vain? In a word, no. One of the worries around pushing back to 2035 is that this could cause confusion in the market, and put people off buying an electric car. However, those who are able to afford an EV, and are set-up to live with one in terms of having the ability to charge it are likely to still want to get one. Independent garages that are already set up to work with EVs and hybrids have been used to a mixed picture for some time now. Even leading-edge EV businesses like Cleevely EV in Cheltenham still work on internal combustion engine vehicles too. For this sector, it should be a case of rolling with the change. While some parts of the industry are going to find this policy shift a major problem, for the independent garage sector, it should be a case of focusing investment based on the local market, and adapting as is necessary. So, the same as every day. I can already hear the planning taking place at your team meetings: “Gee Brain – What are we gonna do tonight?” “Same thing we do every night Pinky – Try to take over the world!” For a full look at the industry’s reaction on this, turn to Big Issue on pages 8-11 Yet again, this is something we will be able to discuss at The Aftermarket Event, taking place at Farnborough International next October. With around 150 exhibitors and a pair of live arenas providing info, skills and discussion, this will certainly be on the menu on 2 October and 3 October 2024. For more information, go to pages 14-15. Lastly, on Saturday 14 October, the Top Technician and Top Garage Finals took place with the Awards Evening taking place that evening. It was a fantastic day for everyone, and a great night too. To find out the winners, and everything that took place, turn to pages 31-38 for our full-coverage spread. Enjoy!
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