18 minute read
Diesel is dead…or is it?
NEW CHEVROLET REMANUFACTURING FACILITY PRODUCES 5000TH SILVERADO
Just weeks after opening the new facility, GMSV has been able to celebrate this exciting milestone
The team at GMSV has celebrated a significant milestone in the marque’s short history, only weeks after the opening of a brand-new dedicated Chevrolet Silverado remanufacturing facility at Dandenong. “We’re excited to announce that the 5,000th Silverado has just emerged from the remanufacturing process,” GMSV Director, Joanne Stogiannis, said. “This achievement coincides with GMSV’s second birthday, so this is a remarkable achievement for a new brand in Australia and New Zealand. “It goes to show there is considerable desire amongst enthusiasts for the latest in a V8powered full-size pick-up truck with impressive towing ability and passenger comfort.”
The new, larger facility opened in August and, running as a dedicated line, is already delivering a more seamless operation. “The new dedicated remanufacturing facility will enable improved flexibility and capacity, with a significant increase in the number of Silverado’s coming off the line,” Joanne said. “It is particularly timely to have this new facility up and running as we recently announced Australia and New Zealand will be receiving a new MY23 Silverado 1500 range due mid-2023, including Chevrolet’s new flagship off-road truck, the first-ever Silverado ZR2. “We are confident that we will be in a position to better cater for the anticipated demand associated with the launch of these new Silverado 1500’s and the ever-popular Silverado HD.” For more information, visit www.gmspecialtyvehicles.com As we approach the end of 2022, the conversation around electric vehicles in Australia is gaining momentum. The federal government is reviewing submissions around its proposed strategy, and an increasing number of manufacturers are announcing their shift away from ICE. This surely then means that the aftermarket should start reducing its focus on servicing these vehicles, doesn’t it? Looking at the data for diesel vehicles, this is definitely not the case. Diesel’s share of sales keeps increasing, going from 29 percent in 2015, to more than a third of YTD sales. More than 350,000 diesel vehicles were sold in six of the past seven years, with the COVIDimpacted 2020 sales year the only one under this threshold. Over this period, we’ve had more years where diesel sales exceeded 400,000 units than ones where they didn’t hit 350,000. Looking to the future, we expect this trend to continue until at least 2025 off the back of Australia’s love for utes. While several manufacturers have announced the development (or even launch) of electric utes, broad availability is still well a long way off. A number of questions still remain about their range when fully loaded, towing, etc. This means that while we do expect sales to decline once we move beyond 2025, more than 300,000 diesel sales are forecast in both 2026 and 2027.
We also need to consider the impact these vehicles have as they feed into the broader car parc. From 2015 – 2021, this has grown from 3.5m vehicles up to 5.3m, and we forecast almost one million more diesel vehicles entering the parc by 2027 off the back of the strong sales trajectory. This means that by 2027, there will be more than two million diesel vehicles on Australian roads that are under 10 years old. Given the working life of our vehicles can extend out beyond 20 years, they’ve potentially got another decade or more of service before reaching end of life.
DIESEL IS DEAD… OR IS IT?
In this article, ACA Research takes a look at the question of whether the aftermarket should be reducing its focus on ICE vehicles
The key takeaway of this piece is that despite the coming shift to electric vehicles, Australian consumers and fleets will be investing significant sums of money into servicing and maintaining these diesel vehicles well beyond 2030. This can provide us with a level of comfort when it comes to investing in training and equipment for diesel service. We do however need to remember the importance of understanding our local car parc, and how it is changing over time. Various resources from the AAAA can help with this, with the car parc data providing a snapshot of the local community, and the quarterly dashboards talking to trends in new vehicle sales. Also, make sure to keep an eye out for the next upgrade to the car parc tool, which is currently in development. This column was prepared for AAAA Magazine by ACA Research, the AAAA’s partner in the AAAA Aftermarket Dashboard which is delivered to AAAA members each quarter. For more information about their services, visit www.acaresearch.com.au or contact Ben Selwyn on bselwyn@acaresearch.com.au
SWAN IGNITION COILS ON-SHOW
The brand was part of the 2022 Parts 4 trade show recently
After a three-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Parts 4 trade show returned in 2022 at the Rydges Hotel in Sydney. Swan Ignition Coils debuted as an exhibitor at the show this year after becoming a preferred supplier for the Parts 4 group earlier in May. “Prior to the trade show, we had already been supplying our ignition coils to Parts 4 retailers and had received great feedback on our range and high quality, but we saw that the mutually beneficial relationship could be nurtured with other members,” Swan Ignition Coils Marketing Manager, Steve Butrakoski, said. The Parts 4 Automotive Group was founded in March 2001 and consisted of only eight Victorian stores. The founders were frustrated by their current arrangement with suppliers as they were being dictated to regarding stock and advertising. So, they decided to find a better way to empower themselves and other independent retailers into a position that would give them an even playing field when it comes to purchasing and negotiating power. Today, the group has expanded Australia wide to consist of ninety-six independently run retail stores and sixty-four preferred suppliers. “For us at Swan Ignition Coils, trade shows are not a new experience. We have been exhibiting our range at the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Expo (AAAE) for the past six years,” Steve said. “During a meeting with Kim Mamouney (Parts 4 Business Development Manager) at this year’s AAAE, we were so amazed with what the group had achieved and what it could offer us as a preferred supplier, that we submitted our application. “Although the Parts 4 Trade Show is on a smaller scale, we were very impressed with the organisation and outcome of the event. “During the Parts 4 Trade Show, we were fortunate enough to make such a positive impact that we gained many new customers (which we prefer to call partners). Subsequently, due to the traction of our positive feedback, we have gained Parts 4 partners that had not even attended the Trade Show. “Our larger partnerships have enabled our Australian-owned and Trademark-registered brand to find its way into more and more vehicles on the Australian road. “Our ignition coils are even making their mark on international roads as we are ever expanding our international presence, with partners in New Zealand and other individual global locations. “Our presence on the global stage may broaden as there is the possibility that we will exhibit at next year’s AAPEX in Las Vegas and Automechanika in Birmingham. These two events will further help cement Swan as a genuine brand in the ignition coil sector. So, watch out for next year’s updates.” The automotive mechanical industry can contact their local Parts 4 store (www.parts4.com.au) to request the Swan Ignition Coil range, while Parts 4 retailers, along with other retailers, can find the range on both OSCAR and Techdoc or can contact Swan Ignition Coils direct on 03 9336 2889. For more information, visit www.swancoils.com.au
ANCAP BUILDS ON TEST AND RATING CRITERIA FOR 2023
The next step-change in vehicle safety rating criteria will take effect from next year as ANCAP, Australasia’s independent voice on vehicle safety, broadens its test and rating criteria. From January 2023 ANCAP, which shares common test and rating protocols with its European counterpart Euro NCAP, will expand its criteria by adding new and updated tests and assessments to its star rating regime to incentivise a continued high level of safety offered to Australian, New Zealand and European car buyers. These changes form part of ANCAP and Euro NCAP’s regular regime enhancements which encourage continual safety improvements every few years. The previous step-change in criteria took effect from January 2020. “Our 2023 requirements build upon our existing criteria to promote further vehicle safety improvements and address some of the ongoing challenges on our roads,” ANCAP Chief Executive Officer, Carla Hoorweg, said. ANCAP’s expanded 2023 test and assessment criteria will include new areas such as the ability of a vehicle to avoid a crash with a motorcyclist, child presence detection, and vehicle submergence. Several existing assessment areas will also be enhanced, including: • a heighted focus on vehicle-to-vehicle compatibility (introducing a potential 8.00 point penalty compared with the current 4.00 point penalty); • a 10 percent increase to the star rating thresholds for Vulnerable Road User
Protection; • the assessment of direct driver monitoring systems to manage driver inattention and fatigue; and • an expansion of autonomous emergency braking test scenarios to include additional night-time tests and child pedestrian avoidance tests when a vehicle is in reverse. “Vehicles, and the safety technologies within them, are continuing to evolve, and our test criteria are too,” Carla said. “Physical protection in a crash, and the ability to actively avoid a crash are both essential elements to achieve a high ANCAP safety rating, and this approach will continue from 2023.” The requirements set for each star rating level are designed to encourage vehicles that provide a good balance of passive safety – how well a vehicle will protect you and your occupants if you have a crash, and active safety – the ability of a vehicle to prevent or minimise the outcomes of a crash through active collision avoidance systems. For more information, visit www.ancap.com.au
AUSTRALIA’S CAR EMISSIONS FLATLINE AS EVS TAKE-OFF
A new report on the carbon emissions intensity of new light vehicles sold in Australia has found emissions fell by just two percent in 2021 despite a tripling of battery electric vehicle sales. Transport accounts for 18 percent of Australia’s Co2 emissions and the cars we drive are the largest contributor. Increased sales of SUVs and utes, where there are fewer choices for cleaner vehicles, are tempering Australia’s overall improvement in reducing tailpipe emissions, according to the National Transport Commission’s yearly report. The Carbon Dioxide Emissions Intensity for New Australian Light Vehicles Report for 2021 shows Australia falling further behind other countries. Of all new passenger cars sold in Australia last year, 45 percent had an emissions intensity of 160 g/km or less, compared with 90 percent of all new cars sold in Europe. The report which analyses car sales data provided by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries alongside international comparison data, found: • Sale of 4x4 and 4x2 utes increased by more than 43,000, and large SUV sales increased by around 25,000. The emissions intensity for many of these popular vehicles exceeds 210 g/ km, with no option yet in Australia to purchase an electric ute. • Half of all new car sales were SUVs, up from a quarter of all sales a decade ago. • The small vehicle segment once accounted for a quarter of all sales but today is one in 10. • Battery electric vehicles (BEV) sales nearly tripled and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles sales doubled over the same period, despite the price differential and more limited options in Australia. • If all cars sold were ‘best in class’ for emissions,
Australia’s total emissions for lighter passenger vehicles and small SUVs would have reduced by 91 percent and larger SUVs and utes reduced by 47 percent. Looking at these results, the National Transport Commission says Australia has some catching up to do with other countries. Today, battery and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles represent just 0.23 percent of the nation’s 18.4 million cars and light commercial vehicles on our roads. According to the International Energy Agency (2022), 2.8 percent of 2021 car sales in Australia were electric. Around the world, this figure was 17 percent in Europe, 16 percent in China, five percent in the United States and 4.4 percent in New Zealand. EV range anxiety is reducing with significant improvement in battery range from 200km in 2011 to a maximum of nearly 600km in 2021. Based on trends observed in other countries, increasing investment in public recharging stations, preferential tax arrangements and other incentives, and the adoption of emissions standards can lead to significant uptake in greener vehicles. The National Transport Commission is an independent statutory body charged with improving the productivity, safety and environmental performance of Australia’s road, rail and intermodal transport system. It says it continues to collaborate with all governments, stakeholders and industry to continually improve vehicle emissions reporting. For more information, visit www.ntc.gov.au
EQUIP AUTO PARIS HERALDED A SUCCESS
Organisers say the Parisian event successfully fulfilled their ambitions
With 78,280 trade members attending and nearly one thousand companies and brands exhibiting, including 45 percent who were new exhibitors, Equip Auto Paris organisers say the show has confirmed its stature as a key event for every strand of the after-sales automotive industry and services for connected mobility. Held from the 18th to the 22nd of October at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Equip Auto Paris 2022 achieved its ambitious attendance target of nearly 80,000 industry members. The geo-political crisis, pandemic and economic issues, along with the transport strike on the first day, raised fears the event would fail to live up to expectations in terms of reach, however organisers explain that Equip Auto Paris in fact attracted large numbers of institutional organisations, exhibitors and visitors, all of whom enthused over the exhibition. “Feedback from exhibitors is enthusiastic. They confirm that they experienced an unprecedented Equip Auto Paris, marked by its friendly atmosphere, high footfall and the scale of business,” Equip Auto Director, Aurélie Jouve, said. “The smiling faces we witnessed, both in the aisles and on the stands, brought further confirmation that the format and programme were highly relevant and aligned with industry needs.” The organisers of Equip Auto Paris said they were also satisfied with the international audience, with attendance by over 160 international exhibitors from 20 different countries along with 40 Top Buyers from eight countries. Equip Auto Paris also welcomed many politicians and international representatives. The Secretary of State to the Ministry of the Economy, Finances and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty tasked with Industry, Roland Lescure, officially opened the exhibition. With its sights clearly set on the future, Equip Auto, which has presented its calendar of events for 2023/2024/2025, is now preparing its new Lyon event scheduled for the 28th to the 30th of September 2023, which will be held jointly with the Lyon Motor Show. “I am very satisfied with this five-day exhibition and congratulate all the staff and exhibitors for their involvement,” Equip Auto Chairman, Philippe Baudin, said. “All week, people thronged the aisles, delighted to be there. Many have already confirmed preregistrations for Equip Auto Lyon in 2023. The gamble paid off! “We will now all get together to review the exhibition, continue to make improvements and focus on the next step. We are looking forward to meeting up at Eurexpo with the Lyon Motor Show.” For more information, visit www.equipauto.com
RACV NAMES VICTORIA’S CHEAPEST CARS FOR 2022
The findings of the latest RACV Annual Car Running Costs Survey has been released
RACV says the survey has revealed Victoria’s cheapest car to own and operate is the MG3 Core light Hatch, costing motorists $734.84 per month. The MG3 Core was closely followed by the Kia Picanto S and the Suzuki Baleno GL, at $746.31 and $804.87 per month respectively. For more than 50 years, RACV’s Car Running Costs Survey has taken an in-depth look at Australia’s newest and best-selling models, providing data on the overall cost of ownership. Factored into the survey are variables including purchase price, loan repayments, registration, insurance, fuel or electric vehicle charging costs, tyres, servicing and repairs and auto club membership – all averaged out over five years. There are 11 vehicle categories and more than 80 models included in the survey. Despite having risen by more than $100 per month on last year, the RACV found the MG3 Core light hatchback to be the nation’s cheapest car to own and operate for the second year running. Last year’s Car Running Costs Survey showed that Victoria’s cheapest car, the MG3 Core light Hatch, cost $625.50 per month to own and operate. Calculations from the survey are based on private vehicle ownership and the average distance travelled by Victorian motorists, which is 15,000 kilometres per year. RACV Head of Policy, James Williams said the survey confirmed what Victorians would be keenly aware of – the cost of owning a car has gone up across the board. “It would surprise no one to see that the cost of owning and operating a car has risen, given the trends we have seen in fuel prices,” James said. The survey shows that fuel is the second biggest expense for car owners, accounting for 13 percent. Purchase price is the biggest upfront expense, accounting for 80 percent of a car’s ongoing costs. “When you factor in the growing price of used cars and the improved fuel efficiency and safety ratings of new cars, there is a very good argument to take a close look at the more affordable models outlined in the survey,” James said. The survey also showed that Toyota was a leader in affordability for small and medium-sized cars, with the Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport ($950.93) leading the small car category, while the Toyota Camry Ascent Sedan ($1,123.26) led mediumsized cars. For more information, visit www.racv.com.au
SEGMENT Light cars Small cars Medium-sized cars People movers Electric cars Small SUV Medium SUV Large SUV All-terrain vehicle (4x4) Light commercial (4x2) Light commercial (4x4) CHEAPEST VEHICLE MG3 Core 1.5 4sp auto hatch Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport 2.0 CVT hatch Toyota Camry Ascent Sedan 2.5 8sp auto petrol Hyundai Staria 3.5 V6 FWD 8SP auto MG ZS EV Kia Stonic S 1.4 6sp auto FWD Toyota RAV4 GXL 2.0 FWD CVT Subaru Outback 2.5 AWD CVT MY23 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GLX 2.4 t/dsl 8sp auto Mitsubishi Triton GLX 2.4 T/dsl 6sp auto 4X2 dual cab pickup GWM Cannon 2.0 T/dsl 4x4 8 sp auto dual-cab pickup MONTHLY RUNNING COST $734.84 $950.93 $1,123.26 $1,563.65 $1,149.00 $905.89 $1,245.08 $1,415.43 $1,563.51 $1,419.23 $1,451.05
FIA SMART DRIVING CHALLENGE HERALDED A SUCCESS
The Automechanika Frankfurt subevent promoted safe and sustainable driving
Automechanika Frankfurt identified the smartest driver among its exhibitors and visitors who participated in an FIA Smart Driving Challenge (FIA SDC) Subevent and by doing so, organisers say the show has contributed to promoting safe and eco-friendly driving. Together with the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and the Swedish Artificial Intelligence (AI) and insurtech company Greater Than, Automechanika Frankfurt invited participants to join the FIA SDC Subevent during May and June, in the lead-up to the trade fair. On average, participants achieved a CO2 saving of nine percent through their driving during the pre-challenge and the challenge, and positively contributed to cleaner roads. The winning driver, Alexandre Stricher, achieved an impressive CO2 saving of 33 percent and was awarded a prize during a dedicated ceremony that took place at Automechanika Frankfurt. “As we are an international meeting place for key players in the automotive aftermarket industry, sustainability is high on our agenda,” Automechanika Frankfurt Director, Olaf Mußhoff, said. “Taking part in this challenge helped us to raise awareness of the importance of a safe, sustainable driving style and enhanced our own international event networking by engaging exhibitors and visitors alike in the months prior to the event.” The goal of Automechanika Frankfurt’s FIA SDC Subevent was to help exhibitors and visitors assess their impact on road safety and CO2 emissions when at the wheel and invite them to adopt smart driving in an enjoyable way. “Partnering with leading international events such as Automechanika Frankfurt is the perfect opportunity to encourage key players in the industry to demonstrate the importance of safe and sustainable driving,” FIA Secretary General for Automobile Mobility and Tourism ad interim, Onika Miller, said. “We need to work together and act quickly to improve our road environments, save lives and tackle climate change.” The FIA SDC, developed by Greater Than and the FIA, is the world’s first challenge rewarding smart skills at the wheel. It is a global competition where everyday drivers can challenge each other and themselves to become smarter on the road. Companies, Mobility Clubs and other organisations can join the FIA SDC and launch their own challenges to encourage employees, members, sponsors, or users of any kind, to adopt a safer and more sustainable driving behaviour. By joining, motorists can quickly learn how to drive smarter, lower their environmental impact and reduce their risk of being involved in a crash thanks to the analysis of their driving patterns in real-time carried out by the AI technology used in the challenge and developed by Greater Than. For more information, visit www.automechanika.messefrankfurt.com
