Industry Headlines

Toyota Australia invests $100 million to trim new-car delivery times

Toyota Australia has taken the step of transforming its former car-assembly site in Melbourne into a $100 million pre-delivery mega centre that aims to trim delivery times for new vehicles. Preparing a new car ahead of customer handover typically takes dealerships hours, days, or weeks depending on the options fitted to each vehicle. However, with the pre-delivery process now on an industrial scale, Toyota Australia can put the finishing touches on up to 270 vehicles a day – one car every two minutes rolling off robotized inspection lines – before they are sent to showrooms ready for customer handovers.

LDV Launches Australia’s first electric Ute

There is absolutely no doubting Australia’s affection for light utility vehicles, popularly known as Utes. Every month the list of top five new vehicle sales contains at least of couple of Utes, with Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger generally topping the list.

Now, finally, the first electric Ute is on offer in Australia – with the launch and unveiling of the LDV eT60, with an 88.5kWh battery, a modest 330kms of range – and an eye-watering drive away price of $88,431 for tradies, or $92,000 for other mortals

JAS Oceania Training Team a hit with heavy vehicle aftermarket

JAS Oceania’s auto electrical diagnostics and parts/equipment training has grown significantly since the program was officially launched at the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Expo in April 2022.

Industry specific training programs have been designed and conducted by JAS Oceania using the experience of one of Australia’s last true auto electrical specialists in the market, taking advantage of the training team’s more than 85 years of auto electrical industry experience.

CMV Truck & Bus acquires Warrnambool Truck & Trailer repairs

CMV Truck & Bus has entered an agreement to acquire Warrnambool Truck & Trailer Repairs in Warrnambool, Victoria. arrnambool Truck & Trailer Repairs has been representing CMV Truck & Bus in the region for both parts supply and servicing and repairs of Mack Trucks, UD Trucks and Volvo Trucks and Buses over the past 12 years. CMV Truck & Bus operates dealerships in Clayton, Dandenong, Derrimut, Epping, Shepparton, Traralgon and Wodonga, along with a Training Institute at Derrimut.

Parts manufacturers say agriculture needs legal right to repair

The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) has reaffirmed its support of the agricultural industry’s right to repair fight

Earlier this month, John Deere announced it had signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the American Farm Federation acknowledging that farmers should have the ability to take their equipment to a repairer of their choice to fix the problem or repair the machinery themselves.

Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association Dashboard. Presented by ACA Research. Copyright © 2023.

Australian company Infinitev reuses and repurposes hybrid, EV batteries

A Melbourne-based startup called Infinitev has embarked on programs to refurbish end-of-life hybrid (HEV) and electric vehicle (EV) batteries for re-use in mobility or static storage. Rather than wasting a battery pack, often it’s possible to replace only the defective cells with an eye to the (slowly) burgeoning circular economy. After all, batteries may be considered faulty with 70-80 per cent of their storage remaining under OEM warranty provisions, usually after six to eight years of service..