Car Dealer Magazine: Issue 193

It can be a bit depressing when so much work is over in a few hours. This year’s Car Dealer Live has been in the making since, well, the inaugural event in 2023. No sooner had the Car Dealer team returned home from it 12 months ago than work began on booking the very best speakers and guests to make 2024’s event even better.

Despite months of preparation, though, you never really know how well received the event will be until you open those doors to let your audience in – the doors, in this case, being those of the British Motor Museum in Gaydon. We had 270 guests – mostly dealers, I should add – sitting in that audience, and it’s tremendously humbling that so many deemed our event so worthwhile to attend.

If you weren’t able to attend, then we have a special section in this magazine in which we report on the key messages that were made. We had a selection of research papers revealed at the event, too, with Google choosing Car Dealer Live to make its first pitch to dealers for its new vehicle ads offering. This issue will give you most of what you may have missed, but to get a real flavour of the day – including some very lively and fascinating panel discussions with some of the most respected and opinionated dealers in the industry – you should head over to cardealerlive.co.uk and buy a replay ticket.

A date has already been set for next year’s conference – Car Dealer Live will return to the British Motor Museum on March 13, 2025 – and yes, you guessed it, we have already started to plan it. But we are very keen to hear how we can improve it and make the day even more worthwhile to you, so if you have any ideas then please email me or James Baggott – our contact details are on the left of this column.

Elsewhere in this issue, I have a drive of Peugeot’s major new electric car, the E-3008, and there’s all the latest news, including Cazoo’s shock announcement that it’ll stop selling cars – which, incidentally, broke on the afternoon before Car Dealer Live, making for some lively debates at the event.

As always, we really appreciate all the support that you give us to allow us to put on events such as Car Dealer Live and report daily on the industry that we love.

I hope you enjoy this issue of the magazine.

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This year is set to be an electric vehicle battleground, with tough ZEV mandate targets for car manufacturers and, in turn, their dealer networks.

A DAY TO REMEMBER WITH TOP INTERVIEWS AS WELL AS EXCLUSIVE RESEARCH CONFERENCE

Our Car Dealer Live conference this year built on last year’s smash-hit inaugural event to be an even bigger success as nearly 300 people flocked to the British Motor Museum in Gaydon to find out what the future holds, via exclusive research and insights from top names within the automotive industry.

The day-long conference – headline-partnered by Auto Trader and supported by Cox Automotive, iVendi, Automotive Transformation Group and Google – sold out in the run-up to the day, with 10% of ticket proceeds going to automotive charity Ben.

There were keynote interviews with Peter Vardy and Peter Waddell, and we also chatted to other big names in the car dealer business from franchised dealers to leading independents, luxury car dealers to car manufacturer bosses, giving delegates the chance to listen, learn and discover new trends to help shape their car dealership.

In his opening address, Car Dealer editor-in-chief James Baggott told the attendees: ‘We’re entering this year with a number of headwinds. The economy is bumping along with no great growth, interest rates are yet to drop, and while inflation looks like it may have peaked, it’s still proving pretty stubborn. And that’s before we get on to the car industry.’

He added: ‘This year is set to be an electric vehicle battleground, with tough ZEV mandate targets for car manufacturers and, in turn, their dealer networks. And that comes at a time when many consumers appear to be turning their backs on the technology. Then there’s agency sales. And used cars will never be far from the headlines.’

They were just some of the topics covered during the conference, and this special 12-page section relives the big day. Now we begin planning for Car Dealer Live 2025!

Baggott welcomes the delegates to Car Dealer Live 2024

Car Dealer Live reporting team

Jack Williams Dave Brown

Rebecca Chaplin

James Batchelor

Photography by Kevin Bennett

James Baggott

Car Dealer editor-in-chief

James

PETER VARDY, CEO, PETER VARDY GROUP

Change in business model was prompted by tumbling margins

Automotive titan Peter Vardy says the influx of cheap EVs from China was a major factor in his dealer empire changing its business model as he opened up on some of the difficult decisions facing his business over recent times.

Issues with used car supply saw Peter Vardy close several of its used car supermarkets last year, sparking a change of approach by the business in the new and used markets.

Several members of his workforce have left the company as a result of the closures and Vardy, a devout Christian and charity campaigner, was candid about the human impact of letting staff go.

He said: ‘Business changes are difficult and I think that if part of your ethos is “giving back”, then part of your ethos is also looking after your staff. When you do see people leave the business

because you can’t continue to give them a job, that’s a really difficult thing to do.

‘We haven’t made those decisions lightly. When you are valuing people, which is what we are trying to do, letting them go is very difficult emotionally, but I’m 100% confident in the decisions we’ve made on the data that I can see.’

The outfit has now switched its focus to premium brands as apposed to volume cars, and Vardy explained the reasoning behind the decision, saying the high price of EVs was eating into new car margins, meaning it no longer made sense to focus on volume brands. He also addressed some of the more colourful rumours that had been swirling round about him and his company. ‘There’s been a rumour that I’ve cloned my house in Scotland and rebuilt it in Australia,’ he

KEYNOTE INTERVIEW

PETER WADDELL, CEO, BIG MOTORING WORLD

I offered to buy 3,500 Cazoo cars as soon as I heard it was exiting sales

Peter Waddell made an offer to buy Cazoo’s used stock after the online disruptor pulled out of second-hand car sales in favour of becoming a marketplace.

The story was on everybody’s lips at the conference, with attendees and speakers all eager to give their views. Among them was Waddell, who revealed that former Cazoo boss Alex Chesterman had unsuccessfully tried to buy his business ‘many, many years ago’.

Waddell told the audience that he moved fast to get his hands on the Cazoo stock, with a team of buyers working to secure the cars.

‘I phoned in the first minute I heard and offered to buy 3,500,’ he said.

‘At the moment, I’ve currently got six buyers going through all the whole stock list now. I’m

going to buy them.’ But despite being willing to do a deal for the cars, Waddell was less keen when asked if he’d be advertising stock on Cazoo’s new marketplace and laughed at the question.

‘What do you think?’ he said. ‘We won’t be advertising our cars with Cazoo. We’re quite happy with Auto Trader.

‘Many people have tried. I think the only people who will possibly do it is Google, because you have to go to them first before Auto Trader.’

During the interview, he also candidly opened up about his difficult beginnings in life, with his heartbreaking childhood being a huge motivator in his career success.

Waddell revealed that he was abused by his mother until he was four and that she also tried to kill him. He then spent most of his childhood in the

joked. ‘It has been an interesting time and we are looking at changing the business.’

He added: ‘If you look at what’s happening with electric vehicles, the price of the cars is going up and up and up and consumers can’t afford that with the charging as well. I think there is a serious issue in volume new cars with electric vehicles, because if it becomes a price war, which it has, the only winner there will be the Chinese.’

care system and became homeless at 16. ‘At the age of 16 I became a tramp and I begged for food.

‘When I was sitting on that bench, I wanted to be someone. I wanted to be someone that left society with something.’

The day after the conference, it was announced that Waddell was taking a leave of absence from Big Motoring World, which he strenuously denied.

Peter Vardy addresses the attendees

Peter Waddell in jovial mood at the event

RESEARCH SESSION

2024 used car market could be strongest since before pandemic

If the current rate of used car sales continues, 2024 could be the best year for the secondhand car market since before the pandemic.

That’s according to research by Auto Trader, delivered exclusively to Car Dealer Live attendees.

The advertising marketplace gave an overview of the sector so far in 2024 and took a look at the forces of change dealers will soon be facing.

Chief operating officer Catherine Faiers said all the market indicators the firm was seeing so far in 2024 were positive.

‘If the current transaction rate that we’re seeing continues, we would expect 2024 to be one of the highest, if not the highest, used car transaction markets that we’ve seen since 2019.

‘Demand is currently tracking up about 7%, supply is up 3%, we’ve seen record-breaking audiences on our platform, and we’ve seen strong speed of sale. So observations look good.’

Faiers said consumers were confident, too. The firm surveys 25,000 used car buyers each year and she said the latest results showed ‘a lot of positivity’ around affordability.

However, Faiers admitted it was a different picture depending on what stock dealers focus on. Three-to-five-year-old cars are in short supply

because of the reduced sales during Covid, while the number of used EVs on the market has rocketed – there are some 15 times more than in 2019.

Faiers encouraged dealers not to follow ‘what is happening at auctions’ and instead to price their cars by working back from what they can sell them for.

She was joined on stage by Wink Cars co-founder Joanna Smith. The relatively new used car dealership was started just over two years ago and was a runner-up in the newcomer category at the Used Car Awards 2023.

Smith said she priced her cars using Auto Trader’s data and wasn’t afraid to pay over Cap prices if she could see there was still a ‘decent margin in the car’.

Faiers also explained to dealers during the session the opportunity that used EVs represent.

She said many had had their fingers burned by the huge price drops electric cars suffered last year, but added that as EVs reached price parity with their petrol and diesel equivalents, consumers were increasingly keen to buy.

Smith agreed that the EV data clearly pointed to an opportunity but said she’d been scared of selling electric cars so far by some ‘big bills’ with problematic hybrids.

INDEPENDENT DEALER PANEL

How did specialist EV dealers survive used price drops in sector?

One of the biggest topics in the automotive world last year was the plummeting prices of used EVs.

So how did the price drops affect those who couldn’t just switch to purely selling ICE vehicles?

Estelle Miller, co-founder of EV Experts, admitted that the losses had been ‘harder and more brutal’ than anyone predicted.

She also pointed to Elon Musk slashing £8,000 off the price of new Teslas, leading to residual drop-offs in the used market.

‘We only sell electric cars so we didn’t have a Q4 depreciation pain – we had an H1 depreciation pain last year!’ she said.

‘A lot of our cars are under five years old, because obviously there was a huge number of new models coming to the market from 2020 onwards, so one of the things we really had to focus on during that time was reducing the time between purchase and forecourt advertising. When cars are depreciating that fast, you’ve got to have a really short period of time between purchase and on the forecourt.’

Miller also told how the shortage of technicians was having an impact.

‘We have had to reduce the number of manufacturers’ products that we support and what we have on our forecourt, because some haven’t been able to process recalls or repairs in a timeframe that’s going to work for you.’

TURN TO PAGE 10 FOR MORE COVERAGE

Estelle Miller is flanked by Solo Cars director James McConville, left, and Carbase COO Alex Jones

Auto Trader chief operating officer Catherine Faiers, left, was joined by Wink Cars co-founder Joanna Smith SPONSORED BY AUTO TRADER

As you navigate the new retailing landscape... We’ll be by your side.

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LUXURY CAR PANEL

Friends and family are biggest influence on buyers of used cars

Family and friends are the biggest influence on people when it comes to buying a used car.

That was one of the key findings from exclusive research presented by connected motor retail tech specialist iVendi. It polled 1,000 used car buyers, delving into their experiences and preferences, and when asked by Car Dealer associate editor James Batchelor what influenced online buyers the most, iVendi CEO James Tew told delegates: ‘There was a clear winner – friends and family.’

They came in at 61% – massively ahead of second-placed online reviews at 31%. ‘That was a bit of a surprise,’ said Tew. ‘I knew that they were influential, but not to the tune of 61%.’

Tew also said that iVendi had looked at how much of the process could be put online while keeping customers happy, since online reduced operational costs.

‘It’s much cheaper to build a website than it does a showroom,’ he said.

Asked by Batchelor if the data chimed with his business and whether he’d seen a shift to online since the pandemic, Sibley concurred, saying: ‘Definitely. The conversions and applicants that have come through is really high, so it’s definitely good.’

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FULL IVENDI WHITE PAPER

Tew commented that the pandemic had been an unusual time for the industry with a huge acceleration in online sales.

He said Cazoo had normalised the concept of online sales, but quickly added that that was the only thing fow which he’d give it credit.

Tew told how iVendi accelerated the connection between online journeys and showrooms during the pandemic, and he was joined on stage by Redgate Lodge MD Scott Sibley who, he said, adopted it very quickly and became hugely successful on the back of it.

Tew also stressed that dealers needed to raise the prominence of finance on their websites.

‘Unfortunately, a lot of the website providers that have used our tools in the past and our competitors’ tools have just literally got a full-page advert and slapped it on at the bottom, because that was the best place to put it – but it’s the wrong place.

‘If you make that vehicle affordable and people like that car because they’re looking at it, they will typically go to buy it and other information becomes a lot less relevant. So I think from a prioritisation point of view it needs to be right up there with the vehicle price.’

‘Electric cars? I hate them!’ says luxury car dealer Hartley

Straight-talking luxury car dealer Tom Hartley had a simple message for the Car Dealer Live audience: ‘Sorry guys – but I hate electric cars!’

He was part of the luxury dealer panel session, joined by Tom Jaconelli, head of buying and marketing at Romans International and a director of the business, and H.R. Owen chief technical officer Brett Ward. Explaining his lack of enthusiasm for electric cars, Hartley – recipient of the Lifetime Achievement trophy at the 2021 Car Dealer Used Car Awards – said: ‘They’re just not for me. I like to smell the petrol… I like to hear the engine and the noise. Supercar buyers are performance car buyers and enthusiasts – and I’m not an electric person.’

Asked if there was a role for electric cars in the luxury market, Jaconelli said: ‘They do have their place, I think. A lot of our clients have fleets of cars, so there can be a place for an electric car within that fleet.

‘Having said that, our clients are 90% pure petrolheads. They want to feel the engine running, they want to hear the exhaust.’

Separately, Ward summed up in one word how his company prices cars –‘Carefully’. He continued: ‘The price of some of the models we sell can change over the course of a weekend, let alone a year. We have very experienced managers and buyers within the business.’

TURN TO PAGE 12 FOR MORE COVERAGE

Tom Hartley, left, Tom Jaconelli, centre, and Brett Ward at Car Dealer Live SPONSORED

James Tew addresses the audience at Car Dealer Live 2024 as Scott Sibley, right, and James Batchelor listen intently

STEP INTO THE FUTURE OF VEHICLE BUYING!

The latest white paper from iVendi, “Driving Future Success: Five Key Trends in Online Vehicle Retail” uncovers the exciting changes shaping the consumer journey.

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There’s a Move Towards Online Sales

Data revealed a significant shift towards digital vehicle sales, and the acceleration is faster than many industry experts expected. 74% surveyed expect to use online methods for their next purchase, driven by younger demographics and women, whilst physical dealerships are still relied upon for some in-person interaction.

Offering Vehicle Finance Online Drives Sales

Offering online finance boosts sales. Nearly half of consumers we spoke to look to vehicle retailers for finance options, and finance placement on the website is key!

Online sales reign supreme among vehicle buyers, with 75% expressing greater satisfaction online compared to traditional methods. Online transactions seamlessly fit into daily life. Convenience and easy access to information drive online engagement, simplifying the buying experience.

Consumer satisfaction has soared since the introduction of Consumer Duty regulations. Positive feedback reflects increased confidence in selecting finance products, understanding the process, perceiving fair value, and trusting personal information handling, bolstering consumer trust and satisfaction.

While our research highlighted search tools as the most useful, tools like finance calculators, part exchange and reservation tools stand out for addressing real-world needs effectively.

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iVendi is the market leader in connected vehicle retailing technology, creating digital products that help consumers to buy and finance vehicles more easily and retailers to sell them more efficiently, both online and in the showroom. Through our platform, we see transactions from around five million consumers every month, working with thousands of car, van, and motorcycle retailers, alongside motor manufacturers and leading finance providers.

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RESEARCH SESSION

Diesel heading for 3% of used market share by 2028 in shock prediction

Car dealers need to look beyond the headlines and study the finer details to ensure they’re one step ahead of a rapidly changing used car market.

That was the overall message of Cox Automotive’s fascinating white paper session at Car Dealer Live 2024, where the company published its industry-first, four-year used car market forecast by fuel type.

Car Dealer’s James Batchelor was joined by Cox’s insight and strategy director, Philip Nothard, along with Greenhous regional retail director Danny Minshall and Suzuki GB director Dale Wyatt.

The speakers took part in a vibrant discussion about used electric cars, demand for used hybrids and EVs, and how dealers can play their part in helping consumers switch to electrified models.

However, Cox’s shocking prediction concerned diesel cars. Its research found that in the period 2024-27, EV share of registrations will grow by 160% by 2028 versus 2020-23 volumes to 2.3m units or 28% of sales, while hybrids will represent 25% of registrations, with two million units sold.

That growth will come at a significant cost for diesel and petrol derivatives, with diesel share over the four years forecast to shrink to just 3%,

with 62,000 units registered in 2027, while petrol, with 3.5 million registrations over the four years, will fall to just a 35% share by 2028.

Nothard said: ‘The registration of the millionth EV in the UK is an important milestone in the transition to zero-emission motoring.

‘But with two in every five new cars joining the UK car parc this year forecast to be EV or hybrid, and with that proportion destined to grow rapidly in future years, the dynamics in the used market over the next four years will arguably rival the complexity and impact of those experienced during the pandemic.’

The change comes on the back of a new car market that contracted by almost a third in the four years between January 2020 and December 2023 when compared with the equivalent period 2016-19, equalling a loss of 3.1m cars. Nothard said: ‘It’s almost impossible to overstate the shift in the UK car parc over the past four years and how that change will continue to accelerate.’

The registration of the millionth EV in the UK is an important milestone.

Philip Nothard Cox Automotive

CAR MANUFACTURER PANEL

Senior execs hit out over government’s approach to EVs

Apanel of carmakers hit out at the government for a lack of support when it comes to electrification, amid a ‘frustrating’ Budget for the EV sector.

Top execs from BYD, Nio and Stellantis were critical of the government’s approach to electrification and urged more clarity.

Nio UK managing director Matt Galvin said a likely new government at the next election could offer a sea change.

He told host James Batchelor: ‘Obviously the Budget is frustrating. With a new government that is going to come in, I think they’re probably going to have some points to prove and hopefully they’ll bring some good news for the EV industry.’

Mark Blundell, UK marketing manager at BYD UK, said of the 2030 ban being pushed back to 2035: ‘It’s a tricky one. I think we just need consistency. They need to have a deadline and stick to it.’

Nicola Dobson, used vehicle operations director at Stellantis, said: ‘Objectives are there for a reason and we fully support the objectives in terms of the 2035 ban, but I just think we need a bit more support in that as well.

‘Manufacturers can produce the vehicles to meet the [ZEV mandate] requirements but we also need additional support from government and infrastructure providers.

‘They need targets to put that infrastructure in place to build that demand. We can build the vehicles but we need incentives.’

TURN TO PAGE 14 FOR MORE COVERAGE

From left: Matt Galvin, Mark Blundell and Nicola Dobson

From left: Philip Nothard, Danny Minshall and Dale Wyatt on stage at Car Dealer Live 2024

SPONSORED BY COX AUTOMOTIVE

FOUR-WARNED IS FOREARMED

FUEL-TYPE FORECAST 2024-2027

PHILIP NOTHARD, INSIGHT DIRECTOR

The UK car market is set to undergo a radical change by 2028 according to the latest Cox Automotive new and used car market forecast. A dramatic decline in new diesel cars and a reduction in petrol registrations will have a profound impact on the used market.

The forecast – which includes fuel-type breakdowns for the first time - indicates that in the period 2024-27, EV share of registrations will grow 160% vs 2020-23 volumes to 2.3 million units or 28% of sales. Hybrid will represent 25% of registrations, with two million units sold.

Diesel share over the four years will shrink to just 3%, with 62k units registered in 2027, while petrol, with 3.5 million registrations over the four years, will fall 12% to just a 35% share by 2028.

Philip Nothard, Insight Director, Cox Automotive says: “The registration of the millionth EV in the UK is an important milestone in the transition to zero-emission motoring. But with two in every five new cars joining the UK car parc this year forecast to be EV or hybrid, and with that proportion destined to grow rapidly in future years, dynamics in the used market over the next four years will arguably rival the complexity and impact of those experienced during the pandemic.”

This change comes on the back of a new car market that

contracted by almost a third in the four years between January 2020 and December 2023, when compared to the equivalent period 2016-19, a loss of 3.1 million cars. The composition of the UK car parc has also changed. In 2016, EV claimed just 0.4% share and hybrid took 3%. By 2019, this had risen to 1.6% and 6%, respectively, and by the end of 2023, their share had each shot up to 17% and 20%.

In the period 2016-19, ICE cars made up 95% of new car registrations. That number fell to 71% in the period 202023, a loss of 4.6 million cars. The ICE decline accelerated throughout this period, dropping from an 83% market share in 2020 to 64% in 2023. Cox Automotive forecasts a further drop of 35% between now and the end of 2027, meaning just 784,000 new ICE vehicles will hit the road in 2027 versus the 1.2 million recorded in 2023.

Philip continues: “It’s almost impossible to overstate the shift in the UK car parc over the past four years and how that change will continue to accelerate. Today’s parc for cars aged 0-4 years differs significantly from 2020 and will contrast even more so in 2028.”

READ OUR FULL FOUR-YEAR FORECAST HERE:

SPONSORED BY THE AUTOMOTIVE TRANSFORMATION GROUP

UK’s electric vehicle market ‘could be bloodbath’ this year

The EV market in the UK could become a ‘bloodbath’ during 2024, according to one of the Car Dealer Live speakers.

The warning came from Chris Wiseman, MD of Wessex Garages, which has recently added the Chinese EV brand Ora to the portfolio of manufacturers it represents.

He was one of the three franchised dealer panellists, joined by Sue Corkin, operations director at Chorley Group, and Robin Luscombe, group managing director of Luscombe Motors.

Wiseman stressed that the pricing of EVs was a key factor in achieving volume. ‘We can talk about the infrastructure, we can talk about home chargers and costs and everything else, but it’s going to be driven by cost of entry [for the consumer].

‘Chinese brands are well placed to come into the UK with a very competitive pricing message. I don’t think they are at the moment because they are pricing to a basket of cars that currently exists here.

‘If that model changes and they want to flick the switch and talk about volume, the danger is the OEMs in this country will not have the margins in their cars to compete.

‘Then there’s the tariff situation and whether that comes into play – so there could be a bloodbath this year on EVs.’

Electrification, cost-efficiency and agency among top dealer concerns

Agency sales, electrification and costefficiency are among car dealers’ biggest concerns for the year ahead.

That’s according to Automotive Transformation Group’s white paper session at Car Dealer Live.

The company used the conference to publish its thoughts on the biggest challenges facing retailers in 2024. Car Dealer’s James Batchelor was joined on stage for the session by ATG CEO Tim Smith, as well as Ben Athow, head of marketing and digital transformation at Norton Way Motors.

The trio chatted about what dealers will be facing in the coming months and how they can navigate some of the industry’s biggest challenges.

In its paper –entitled ‘Cruising through industry challenges: a blueprint for omnichannel success in 2024’ – ATG identified five key concerns for dealers.

They were ‘agency’, ‘evolving compliance pressures’, ‘electrification’, ‘consolidation and consumer demand’ and ‘cost and operational efficiency’.

On agency, ATG’s research found that while there was ‘evidently headwinds in terms of rolling out agency’, brands that have adopted the model saw their market share drop.

The paper points to the example of Mercedes, which saw its share of the UK market drop to 3.8% in the opening month of 2023, versus 5.5% over the same period in 2022. The brand’s sales also reduced by 20% year on year.

Meanwhile, during the same period, other key players that hadn’t implemented the new sales model were reporting market shares of 5.9% (BMW) and 6.8% (Audi).

When it came to electrification, ATG noted that the majority of the 2,000 dealers it surveyed mentioned the issue as a point of concern in 2024.

However, the firm’s experts believe that while the challenge is ‘noteworthy’, retailers will see fleet and local business sales compensate for a potential lack of private consumer appetite.

Smith said: ‘There are things you can control and there are things you can’t control, and I think for us it’s about looking at anything that we can hopefully have an impact on.

‘I just think operational costs are really about making your business – your dealership – work as effectively as possible.

‘It’s about putting individuals, resources, your capital to its absolute best use in terms of its yield, its return and its profitability.’

Sue Corkin, Chris Wiseman, centre, and Robin Luscombe at the conference

James Batchelor, left, with Tim Smith, centre, and Ben Athow

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KEYNOTE INTERVIEW

STRATEGIST, GOOGLE

Dealers must do more to stop young people ‘falling out of love with cars’

Google says that car dealers need to do more to appeal to the next generation of buyers amid a worrying trend of young people ‘falling out of love’ with cars.

The warning came during an enlightening keynote interview with Mohammad Mubashir Lone – a senior multichannel strategist at Google. He said OEMs and dealers needed to put more effort into grabbing younger buyers.

Attendees were told that messaging was failing to establish an ’emotional’ connection, leading to a lack of interest. ‘They are your consumers of the future at all levels, from the more affordable level with smaller cheaper cars all the way through to 10 to 20 years’ time, when they are going to be the ones buying from the luxury panellists. It concerns me in a way,’ he told Car Dealer’s James Baggott.

give that emotional element. There is a video I saw on YouTube with Richard Hammond talking about what cars mean to him in terms of the freedom they provide and the experiences we have in them. I feel like a lot of young people are missing out on that at the moment because of the messaging, because that connection emotionally isn’t there.’

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‘I feel like young people are falling out of love with cars, and as someone who, as a kid, was obsessed with cars of all types – from vans to supercars – I find that there is more effort and more deliberate work needed from dealers and OEMs to connect to younger audiences and

When Lone was pressed for evidence of his claims, he pointed to recent research carried out across Europe, which highlights the scale of the problem.

He added: ‘There is some interesting research Europe-wide that has been done on this, especially when you look at the reasons why.

‘Economics, the insurance, the cost of it – they all play a role, but a recent study found that 54% of 18-to-24-year-olds said they would be open to just using public transport or a non-car life.

‘I really do think there is a substantial opportunity for brands and dealers, as we’ve seen through social media, to build those connections with young people.’

Economics, the insurance, the cost of it – they all play a role.

Mohammad Lone

WITH GOOGLE’S MOHAMMAD LONE

How do Google’s Vehicle Ads work?

Car dealers need to provide a feed of stock from their website to Google. A number of partners can already do this, so dealers need to speak to their DMS companies or website providers to help.

Google uses these feeds to create display ads that sit at the top of a user’s search in a familiar shopping-style carousel.

Users searching for local used cars – with terms as wide as ‘BMW X3’ – will be served up the ads and if they click on them they’ll be sent through to the car dealer’s website. The ad showcases a picture, price and some basic details on the Google search page.

The more quality you put in, the better quality you get out. So, for example, make sure you input high-quality assets of your vehicles.

Inputting as many different angles as possible is also incredibly important. It helps your campaigns perform and it helps your campaigns be cost-efficient.

What happens after that?

Once a user is on a car’s landing page on a dealer’s website, the dealer can then choose what to push to the customer, eg, test-drive bookings, a call or directions to the dealership.

Dealers need to set their calls to action and tell Google what is most important to them so they can track performance.

What type of stock does it support?

It caters for new and used cars. Google uses AI in the format so you can feed it with images, logos, videos and other details and it’ll produce your ad in the right style to customers across its platforms.

Should Google Vehicle Ads replace other advertising media that car dealers use?

It could complement the likes of Auto Trader advertising but the difference here is that people use Google as part of their daily lives.

Car dealers shouldn’t change their existing advertising but test with Vehicle Ads instead.

The audience was told that Google advertising was intended to be a ‘profit centre’ for partners.

Which dealers are being accepted on to the closed beta test?

While no specifics were given of who is currently on the test, Google has been looking for a mix of car manufacturers, dealer groups, marketplaces and independent dealers.

They need to be open to new products and willing to test, learn and give feedback.

Dealers can apply to be part of the test via their Google account manager.

James Baggott chats to Google’s Mohammad Lone MOHAMMAD LONE, SENIOR OMNICHANNEL

Microlino has big ambitions for sales across UK

It’s a small car aiming for a big future – and it’ll be arriving in the UK this spring.

One of the most eye-catching vehicles on show at Car Dealer Live was an example of a Microlino EV.

The microcar is already proving popular across mainland Europe, with more than 3,000 sales to date –all of them achieved in a single year.

Manufacturered by Switzerlandbased Micro Mobility Systems, its arrival on our shores is approaching fast – and more UK dealer partners are being sought to make sure its launch here is a success.

Micro Mobility Systems was founded by Wim Ouboter, inventor of the world-famous Micro Scooter.

For such a diminutive car, Microlino has a lot to offer. It can be charged from a household outlet in as little as four hours and boasts more than eight cubic feet of storage space – equivalent to two suitcases.

Its footprint is roughly a third the size of most conventional EVs, and speaking to Car Dealer, chief marketing officer Merlin Ouboter –Wim’s son – said: ‘It’s an alternative mobility solution and in the UK this category is not really represented at all.

‘Microlino is something new, and I think there are a lot of people who understand that it could be a perfect second or third car.’

IN PICTURES

The Microlino EV created a lot of interest at Car Dealer Live

MAKE SURE YOU VOTE FOR THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS

• Car Dealer Power is your chance to honour the top suppliers

• Car manufacturers are given rankings

• Survey only takes a few minutes to complete

by James Batchelor @JRRBatchelor

HThe MG4 was named Car of the Year in 2023, with the Volkswagen ID.Buzz and BMW i7 highly commended

ave you had your say in Car Dealer Power 2024 yet? We launched this year’s survey last month and the response so far has been incredible! These awards shine the spotlight on the best suppliers and manufacturers in the automotive business and they’re unique because they’re voted for by those who matter the most… the dealers.

Car Dealer Power is your golden opportunity to honour the suppliers who have done you proud over the past year, as well as the car manufacturers that you think are the best to represent.

It only takes a few minutes to fill out the survey form, so don’t miss out. Last year, we received well over 1,000 entries, making Car Dealer Power a highly important event in the motor trade.

Winners and highly commended firms were named in 19 supplier categories, with the best car manufacturers to represent and the Car of the Year also being revealed.

From the best protection firms to finance providers, all supplier sectors are covered, allowing dealers to air their views on the best – and the worst. This year sees the same number of supplier categories – check out the details in the panel on the right – and you can watch the video of last year’s awards here.

Car Dealer editor-in-chief James Baggott said: ‘We always look forward to finding out what car dealers think of their suppliers and the manufacturers – it’s a true barometer of the industry and some real surprises often emerge!’

Any car dealer can vote in the Car Dealer Power awards, while independents can skip straight to naming the best suppliers to do business with.

The MG4 was named the Car Dealer Power Car of the Year – as voted for by dealers no matter what brand they represented – with the ID. Buzz and BMW i7 being highly commended.

Meanwhile, in the manufacturers section, Toyota made a stunning rise to the top of the table, knocking Kia off the perch after three consecutive wins.

Kia finished second and BMW third, while Honda was the biggest riser, leaping by 15 places from 21st in 2022 to sixth last year.

Jaguar was named the worst manufacturer to represent for the second year running.

The Car Dealer Power 2024 survey closes on Friday, May 17 and the awards will be announced via a special video on our website on Wednesday, June 26.

Don’t delay – vote today!

EXPENSIVE VEHICLES, FRAUD AND GHOST BROKERS – MODERN PERILS OF MOTOR TRADE INSURANCE

Car dealers are having to dig deeper and deeper for their policies, with premiums rising by 40%. Craig Cheetham looks into the reasons why it’s getting increasingly expensive.

Car dealers across the UK are facing higher insurance premiums than ever following a wholesale rise in premium costs, along with a larger amount of misrepresentation in claims and policy details.

While non-trade consumers have seen premiums rise by over 48% on average since 2021, premium increases in the motor trade have generally been a bit lower –but they have still seen a 40% rise.

According to comparison site Utility Saving Expert, the current average motor trade insurance premium in the UK cost £776 by the end of 2023, compared with £554 in 2022. Many traders, particularly those in high-risk areas, are paying much higher premiums than that, however, with some insurers even refusing to offer motor trade cover in ‘blackspot’ areas, such as those where ‘cash-for-crash’ scams are common.

‘Due to cash-for-crash claims, some areas are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain competitive quotations for,’ said Michael Peacock, sales director at market broker Jensten Motor Trade. ‘Some example postcodes for this include B25, B34, B8, BD7 and BD3. Unfortunately, motor traders within these locations are finding it increasingly difficult to manage the costs of insurance.’

Another reason why traders are having to pay more to insure their stock is the vast increase in car values and the cost of repair when damage does occur.

Grant Richards, a motor trade and fraud adjustment specialist who works for a claims management company in the Midlands, said: ‘One thing we’ve seen a lot of in the past couple of years – and certainly since used car prices increased during the pandemic – is the value of claims has shot up. Cars are more expensive than they were and that means claims are, too. When they’re written off, insurers are paying out against a higher valuation.’

But despite car values increasing, the number of cars written off per year remains as high as ever, with almost 400,000 vehicles (or 1 in 83 cars) being written off each year.

‘It’s the expensive, newer vehicles that have the biggest impact, and many of them are uneconomical to repair as they’re so much more expensive to get parts for – electrical systems and vehicles with a battery-electric powertrain in particular,’ said Richards.

‘The fact remains that the cost of claims, be it for write-offs or repairs, has gone up. Insurers work on a basis of actuarial risk and have profit margins factored into that, so it’s no surprise that these extras costs are absorbed by the customer.’

Richards also observed that a number of motor trade insurers are now getting quite particular about proof of trading following a surge in the number of ‘ghost brokers’.

‘People take out a motor trade policy and then use it to put multiple cars on it so they appear on the Motor Insurance Database (MID), with some even going as far as to operate as fake brokers themselves. It’s an increasing problem so don’t be surprised if your insurer wants to see proof of sales or working in the trade before offering you terms.’

Rob Creedon, the managing director of Jensten Motor Trade, said: ‘Once ghost brokers are discovered, the policies and MID access are cancelled, and this can also result in customers’ vehicles being removed from the MID and the individuals being stopped by the police.’

One thing we’ve seen a lot of in the past couple of years – and certainly since used car prices increased during the pandemic – is the value of claims has shot up.

Grant Richards Motor trade and fraud adjustment specialist

GAMECHANGING DAILY ONLINE AUCTIONS

Never miss a deal with 1,000s of fresh vehicles every week.

Are electric cars now just cars or still worlds apart from petrol and diesel?

There always comes a time when new technology is no longer so jaw-droppingly different and becomes the norm. Think of the iPod or Netflix and you’ll know what I mean. But is the same true with electric cars?

One manufacturer boss certainly believes so. Sitting next to him at dinner during the press launch of his firm’s newest electric SUV recently, he told me how we should no longer think of electric cars as different to petrol and diesel cars.

The fact that the Tesla is costing less to run every month is a triple-sized, booze-filled cherry on the cake.

The car in question ‘is just a family car,’ he said. ‘The fact that it’s powered by electricity should make no difference.’

Now, sure, you might be thinking he’s bound to say that. He is in the business of selling cars after all, and – more importantly – he’s used to putting a good spin on things when surrounded by a table of moderately drunk journalists. That’s true, but I can promise you he was firmly of the belief that we’re now at that tipping point between new technology becoming just the way things are done from now onwards.

Interested in this, I probed further. He wants his dealers to be in the position where they can have a conversation with a customer just like they used to in the old days of just petrol and diesel cars. By that I mean the customer says they need a car that has space for the kids and the dog and are told: ‘Ah yes, here you are. How about our top-selling SUV?’ It shouldn’t matter if the car is refilled with diesel or electricity; the car is sold based on its attributes such as whether the boot is big enough, its affordability and so on.

I’m not convinced, though. In this job, plenty of people ask you what car they should buy next, and while electric cars are mentioned on their consideration lists, they’re included because it’s seen as ‘the right thing to do’ and not because EVs are on level terms with petrol and diesel cars.

The one (and very large) exception are company car drivers. You only need to look at the monthly registrations data to see that the entire growth of pure-electric cars (or ‘BEVs’ in industry speak) over the past few months has come entirely from business people and fleets. And why wouldn’t you choose a Tesla Model 3 over a BMW 320d when the sums add up? Even if perhaps you do occasionally find it difficult to charge up, the fact that the Tesla is costing less to run every month is a triple-sized, booze-filled cherry on the cake, surely?

But in the private sector? No chance. There’s still too much scepticism over electric cars for people to see them as the equal of traditional combustion-engined cars. Their questionings may be dismissed by EV-angelists but the numbers currently back it up. Whether it’s because electric cars are currently too expensive, or there are doubts that the charging network isn’t reliable enough, electric cars are still seen as electric cars and will be for some time yet.

From a manufacturer’s point of view (a carmaker that sells petrol, diesels, hybrids and EVs, you understand), they want customers to walk into a showroom, ask for a family car and think little of the fact that it may well be powered by electricity – that would be the dream ticket. With the government’s strict ZEV mandate already causing a few headaches and with the requirements set to get even harder next year, carmakers need customers to confidently choose electric cars. Undoubtedly, there is a growing acceptance of electric cars, but is it happening quickly enough?

Big Mike

OUR MAN ON THE INSIDE SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON THE CAR BUSINESS

My part-ex Honda was stolen – but it was me that the police came round to arrest

If you’re in the motor trade then the sheer nature of our business means that at some point each of us is likely to have been a victim of car crime.

Indeed, it’s pretty rife in the current economic climate – more so than in recent times. Just last year, I had the headache of trying to find 17 replacement catalytic converters after some thieving rotbags came around at the dead of night and helped themselves to the cats off the majority of my sales cars.

I didn’t notice until right at the end of the day when I had a test drive appointment on a Toyota Avensis and I went to fire it up ready for the customer, only to be greeted by a cacophonous roar from underneath. So, I looked at the rest of my cars to find that virtually everything with a petrol engine was devoid of a catalytic converter.

Naturally, I checked my CCTV and there they were at 3.15am with a trolley jack and angle grinder, but with little police presence in the area there was nobody there to catch them in the act and my CCTV was useless, as they’d turned up in a Transit Tipper with fake plates and both of the blighters were wearing Rishi Sunak masks. It’s not the first time I’ve felt like I’ve been completely done over by the prime minister, but that pales into insignificance when compared with me almost getting arrested for having one of my own cars stolen a couple of weeks ago.

I’m justly quite angry about this, but less so than I was at the time, as I’m informed the culprits were caught red-handed a couple of weeks later while trying to liberate a Toyota Rav4 from the driveway of a professional dog trainer. If anyone deserved a bite on the arse from a rottweiler it was them. My old pal Fluffy (a past star of this column) passed on a few years ago, but I like to think he was with them in spirit, helping himself to a mouthful of burglar’s butt.

Anyway, I digress. The story goes like this. I’d been clearing the garden as it’s getting to the time of year where Herself likes to get out there with her bulbs and pot plants, so I took an appropriate vehicle home to help out with the inevitable tip runs. And with a drive to the dump in mind, I also took the opportunity to clear away some of my own rubbish – namely a battered old filing cabinet and broken office chair.

Who is Big Mike?

Well, that would be telling. What we can say is he’s had more than 40 years in the car trade so has probably forgotten more about it than we’re likely to know.

The car in question was an old Honda CR-V that I’d taken in as a part-ex – straight, functional, petrol and cheap (and also wearing an aftermarket catalytic converter as a result of the aforementioned scrotes). The driveway at home was full – as it so often is, being an overspill for my forecourt – so I parked it down a quiet side road, where it would remain for a while while I plucked up the courage to don my gardening gloves.

But before I’d even dug a spade in the ground, two police officers turned up at my door to arrest me. My offence? Fly-tipping.

Apparently, an old filing cabinet had been found abandoned in a

I didn’t notice until right at the end of the day when I had a test drive appointment on a Toyota Avensis and I went to fire it up.

country lane about 15 miles away from our village and inside it remained a few envelopes addressed to me at my work location that had somehow disappeared down the back of the drawers (I always did wonder what had become of my 2016 tax return). The powers-that-be had put two and two together and asked me if I was also responsible for the knackered office chair, as if so it would be better to admit to it now than it later be identified as mine in court. The penny dropped very quickly.

I took the officers for a walk to show them where I’d last seen said filing cabinet, knowing full well by this point that the Honda CR-V wouldn’t be there. It wasn’t.

Explaining that I was the victim here and not the suspect, I was given a crime number by the local constabulary for the disappearing Honda (for which I never claimed anyway, as its £600 stand-in value was only £100 more than my insurance excess) and told me that if I went and removed the filing cabinet and suspicious chair from the ditch in which they’d taken up residence, there would be no further action. How kind of them.

A fortnight later, my CR-V turned up. After the Toyota owner’s rottweilers had finished playing with them, the culprits were taken into custody. Their plan had been to go hare-coursing and they were helping themselves to the old Rav4 as they’d just destroyed their previous vehicle, a CR-V, which had been abandoned in a ditch not a million miles away from my office furniture.

Anyway, I can’t remain angry for long as I have to dash out. I have a filing cabinet to pick up.

Their plan had been to go hare-coursing and they were helping themselves to the old Rav4 as they’d just destroyed their previous vehicle, a CR-V.

CAR NEWS ROUND-UP

RENAULT

5 E-Tech preserves concept looks while bringing claimed range of up to 249 miles

RENAULT’S striking new 5 has been revealed in production-ready form, bringing a number of battery and power options.

The compact EV, which is expected to arrive in the UK during the first quarter of 2025, harks back to the iconic Renault 5, which was produced

DACIA

Manufacturers have been refining their models and producing new ones. We look at some of the results... Spring arrives with focus on lightness

DACIA has unveiled its new electric Spring that shuns the current trend for big batteries in favour of a more lightweight, efficient approach.

It features a compact 28.8kWh battery – considerably smaller than those on most of the current crop of electric vehicles – which will return a range of up to 137 miles, regardless of trim.

Dacia says this range is ‘more than sufficient’ for customers, who travel 23 miles per day on average. Plus, at 984kg in top specification, the Spring is the only electric vehicle in Europe that comes in at under one tonne.

between 1972 and 1985. This latest version aims to preserve the focus on the efficiency of the original while introducing a far higher level of technology and features. Expected to arrive with an entry price of under £25,000, the new 5 is underpinned by a platform known as Ampr Small,

which allows the car to maximise space while keeping the exterior proportions compact. There are two batteries – 40kWh or 52kWh –plus three motors, delivering 94bhp, 121bhp and 148bhp. Renault claims a range of up to 186 miles for the 40kWh car or 249 miles for the 52kWh.

ASTON MARTIN

Updated Vantage can reach 202mph after power boost

ASTON MARTIN has unveiled a heavily updated version of its Vantage sports car – the entry point to the firm’s line-up.

Key to the changes is a significantly more powerful 656bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, representing a 153bhp increase. The torque figure also jumps by 115Nm to 800Nm.

This allows for a 0-60mph time of just 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 202mph. The drive is delivered to the rear wheels through an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox as well.

Production is due to begin in Gaydon in March, with first deliveries expected to begin in time for the summer.

ALPINE

A290 undergoes cold-weather testing

ALPINE’S upcoming A290 electric hot hatch has been pushed to its limits in the cold temperatures of Sweden during recent tests.

Showcased wearing light camouflage, the new A290 – which will be fully unveiled in June – is undergoing the final stages of testing to allow engineers to fine-tune the driving characteristics of the new electric hatchback.

Alpine has also been testing the on-board equipment to ensure it can cope with very cold temperatures.

NISSAN

Revised Juke aims straight for heart

NISSAN is hoping buyers can fall in love again with the Juke after choosing Valentine’s Day to reveal a revised version.

The updated Juke receives a whole host of interior tweaks, a new trim level and colours to keep it desirable in the crossover segment.

Chief among the interior changes is a new infotainment screen. It now measures 12.3 inches in size and has been angled towards the driver to ‘enhance the cockpit feeling which Juke customers really like’, says Nissan.

VOLKSWAGEN

Tourer variant makes ID.7 more practical

VOLKSWAGEN has added to its flourishing line-up of ID electric vehicles with a more practical version of its ID.7 – the Tourer.

It’ll join a small number of electric estate cars when it arrives in the UK this summer, with a 605-litre boot bringing a reasonable 73-litre jump in capacity over the standard ID.7. This luggage room can also be increased to 1,714 litres with the rear seats flat – up from the 1,586 in the regular car. The Tourer will also be available with a new 86kWh battery returning a claimed 427 miles of range.

Ypsilon electric hatchback marks return after 29 years

ITALIAN car brand Lancia is making a comeback with its striking new Ypsilon – an electric hatchback boasting a 250-mile range. Lancia is best known for rallying, but no Lancia-badged models have been sold in the UK since 1995, and although the firm has continued to sell since, it’s primarily been in its native Italian market.

However, the marque is now making an eye-catching return with its new Ypsilon. Boasting a dramatic front lighting signature and cool ‘Y-designed’ alloy wheels, it’ll launch in a special limited-edition Cassina form, restricted to 1,906 examples to mark the year Lancia was founded.

SKODA

Facelifted Octavia revealed with upgraded engines and ChatGPT

SKODA has revealed an updated version of its popular Octavia, which brings significant technology upgrades and nextgeneration engines.

Styling changes are fairly small, and include subtly redesigned bumpers, an updated version grille and new matrix LED headlights. Moving inside, the Octavia is available with the option of a larger 13-inch touchscreen. Skoda will soon introduce the AI ChatGPT chatbot into its own voice assistant.

Power outputs range from 114bhp in the entry-level 1.5-litre petrol or 2.0-litre diesel, increasing to 262bhp with the

3 is coming to the UK priced from £29,995 SERES

THE new Seres 3 is heading to UK showrooms this spring with prices starting from £29,995. It makes the Chinesemade EV one of the cheapest battery-powered SUVs on the market, undercutting rivals such as the MG ZS EV.

Two specifications will be available – Active and Spirit – with both versions getting 18-inch alloy wheels plus front and rear LED lights. Step up to Spirit grade – priced from £31,995 – for extras such as a panoramic sunroof and wireless phone charging.

E-hybrids added to Panamera range

PORSCHE has expanded its Panamera line-up with two new plug-in hybrid models.

The Panamera 4 e-Hybrid and 4S e-Hybrid have a 2.9-litre twinturbocharged V6 engine, with 464bhp being developed in the former and 537bhp in the latter.

The 4 will go from 0-60mph in 3.9 seconds while the more powerful 4S shaves that time down to 3.5 seconds.

Both offer a claimed pure electric range of up to 59 miles.

Prices start from £90,300 for the 4 and £102,100 for the 4S.

LANCIA

End of road for Phil Weaver Automotive

TOP used car dealership Phil Weaver Automotive is closing after six years.

The award-winning Prestonbased independent business was established in March 2018 and named Retailer of the Year by Auto Trader last year, while in 2022 it scooped Auto Trader’s Customer Choice trophy.

IMDA founder member Weaver told Car Dealer the lease on the site was coming up for renewal and a change to the terms had prompted his decision, but he vowed he'd be back elsewhere.

APPLICATION

Norwich Audi looks to supersize

NORWICH Audi has submitted plans to expand its dealership on the Meridian Business Park near the A47.

It would see a large extension to the rear of the building, adding to both the existing showroom and workshop.

If approved, it’ll also add a new entrance and exit for vehicles. The dealership is part of US-based Group 1 Automotive, which announced in January that it’ll be cutting some 10% of its workforce in the UK

Image: Google Street View

HERE ARE TASTERS OF STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

NEWS DIGEST

Nissan dealership’s open day is teddy-tastic affair for two charities, thanks to cuddly donations

A NISSAN dealership in West Yorkshire held an open day that saw teddy bears go on a charitable journey. As part of the celebration to thank Halifax Nissan colleagues, families, customers and the community, people were asked to donate a teddy in lieu of an entry fee. All the collected bears were packed into a Nissan Ariya and donated to Calderdale Lighthouse and Mothershare Halifax, both of which help families in need. General manager Kristian Spear said: ‘It was wonderful to see the joy on children’s faces.’ Four-year-old Alaizah Khan is pictured with the cuddly toys

REDEVELOPMENT KARTING

LSH Auto site to host BYD and Mercedes

LSH Auto is turning its MercedesBenz showroom in Tamworth into a site that will also include BYD.

The dealership started life in 1966, with the current showroom built in the 1980s. It’s now being redeveloped to form two new stateof-the-art showrooms – one for each brand. The work is costing an unspecified amount and is expected to take 12 months.

Pictured is a CGI image of how the BYD site will look

Undoubtedly, there is a growing acceptance of electric cars, but is it happening quickly enough?

James Batchelor p21

Porsche Centre backs junior hotshot Jayan

PORSCHE Centre Preston has partnered with top kart racer Jayan Prakash – who’s already a national champion and only eight years old!

Jayan won the Global Karting League Bambino National Championship last year – his first year of competitive karting – and will compete in the Cadet Class this year, where karts can hit 60mph. MD Tom Fox said: ‘Jayan is fearless and fast. We’re excited to partner him on his journey and watch him develop.’

‘The Peugeot E-3008 is a deeply desirable electric SUV with a bold design’

Cazoo is halting used car sales and plans to become advertising marketplace

by James Baggott @CarDealerEd

Cazoo plans to end the sale of used cars and become an online advertising marketplace to rival the likes of Auto Trader and Motors.

In a bombshell announcement to investors on March 6, Cazoo said it would be ‘transitioning to a pure play automotive marketplace’.

The used car dealer said it would be ‘unwinding’ its stock from that day and selling it via retail and wholesale channels.

It will also make further job cuts – following the large swathes of redundancies it announced last year – as it moves to being a marketplace.

Cazoo said it would be exiting fulfilment operations and reducing headcount to focus on its e-commerce technology platform, proprietary data, brand, plus digital marketing and commercial functions. The number of job losses isn't yet known.

The online used car dealer also said CEO Paul Whitehead – who was appointed in April 2023 –would step down at the end of March and that it was exploring options to delist its shares.

The announcement follows the shake-up of the board and founder and former CEO Alex Chesterman’s departure in December when the financially troubled company restructured its debt in a deal that saw its $630m borrowings converted to just $200m.

Chesterman angered used car dealers when he arrived on the motor trade scene, labelling them ‘sharp-elbowed salesmen’ and claiming that the traditional method of selling cars was ‘flawed on every level’.

The Zoopla and LoveFilm founder also lambasted dealers for only offering ‘sevenminute test drives’ and claimed buying a car from a dealership was ‘inconvenient’. It now appears the used car business expects those same car dealers to put their hands in their pockets to advertise on its site.

Whitehead said: ‘Transitioning Cazoo to a pure-play automotive marketplace business model leverages our key advantages: the nationally recognised and trusted Cazoo brand and the Cazoo ecommerce technology platform.

‘We can now offer the UK’s 13,000 car dealers the chance to put their forecourt stock in front of the one million potential customers on average who visit the Cazoo website every month.'

Following its debt/equity exchange last year, Cazoo said it would stay listed on the NYSE until at least March 20, 2024 but would have no obligation to remain listed or registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission after then.

Reacting to the news, David Kendrick, CEO of chartered accountants UHY Hacker Young, told Car Dealer: ‘This really isn’t a surprise – the business has been teetering on the brink for some while, and clearly the consumer does not like the model they have created.

‘This step is simply to preserve any value left in the brand. However, taking on Auto Trader is a brave move – they are a hugely strong brand and people have tried before and failed!

‘For me, it’s only a matter of time before someone buys the Cazoo brand for a very low value.’

‘We’re not looking to compete with Auto Trader,’ staff are told by CEO

CAZOO staff have been told it doesn’t plan to compete with Auto Trader but instead become a ‘strong number two’.

During an ‘all-hands’ call with employees – the contents of which were leaked to Car Dealer – staff asked if it was really possible for the firm to ‘take on the might of Auto Trader’.

A staff member, who wished to remain anonymous, told Car Dealer: ‘CEO Paul Whitehead went over the reasons behind the decision [to stop selling used cars and become an advertising website] and opened up a Q&A session for employees.

‘When asked “Can we really compete with Auto Trader?” during the Q&A, Paul responded with the fact the intention is not to compete with Auto Trader.

‘He asked us to look at other sectors, such as property, where there’s a strong number one and then usually a strong number two and three. With our traffic and car-buying aspects, they believe there is space in the UK market for a strong number two.’

It’ll face stiff competition, though, as the market is already saturated with firms working hard to compete with Auto Trader.

At this year's Car Dealer Live conference, delegates were asked by Big Motoring World’s Peter Waddell if they planned to advertise on Cazoo, but no hands were raised.

BOMBSHELL

Forecourt:

ANNOUNCEMENT

Motor Connect closing for good

USED car dealership Motor Connect has decided to close its doors for good.

Managing director Steve Corwood took to LinkedIn and Facebook to make the announcement about the Northwich-based dealership.

He cited new opportunities for his team, and that he and his family were set to remain in Spain, having moved there some time ago and established Motor Connect Mallorca. In the post, he thanked ' customers, partners and friends for their support.

RELOCATION

Sytner Maserati goes it alone

MASERATI has opened a standalone dealership in Berkshire for the luxury marque after crossing the county border.

It had shared premises with Ferrari at the grade II listed art deco Tower Garages showroom in Egham, Surrey, for 25 years but now has its own dedicated Sytner Group premises with a 14-car showroom in Ascot.

Sytner managing director Howard Rose said: ‘Moving to a standalone site in such a prime location will be tremendous for both current and future owners.'

HERE ARE TASTERS OF STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

NEWS DIGEST

Government is urged to reinstate plug-in car grant to boost EV demand as sales drop by 25%

FIAT has called on the government to reintroduce the plug-in car grant as sales of electric cars falter.

The Italian car maker has renewed its calls for support for the industry as manufacturers face hitting EV sales targets of 22% in 2024 or punishing fines of up to £15,000 per car they miss their targets by this year.

EV sales to private buyers fell by 25.1% year on year in January.

Fiat UK MD Damien Dally said: ‘More needs to be done. Consumers need further support to have a reason to make the switch to electric. The electric car market in this country is in real jeopardy.’

PRODUCTION

Stellantis Luton plant to make electric vans

STELLANTIS is to begin production of all-electric medium vans at its Luton plant in 2025.

Limited production will start next spring, making the factory the second Stellantis plant in the UK to manufacture electric vehicles, following the start of EV production at Ellesmere Port last year.

The plant will mainly make vans for the UK right-hand-drive market but will also be exporting to lefthand-drive countries.

The sheer nature of our business means that at some point each of us is likely to have been a victim of car crime.

Big Mike p22

Jobs at risk at sites after JLR pulls plug

JLR is to close JCT600's Doncaster businesses, threatening 40 jobs.

The Land Rover dealership and Jaguar service site are to shut at the end of March six years after they were acquired from Stratstone by the Car Dealer Top 100 firm. It follows a network review by JLR. CEO John Tordoff was quoted by TheBusinessDesk.com as saying: ‘Naturally, we are extremely disappointed.’ JCT600 is trying to find the staff alternative work.

JCT600

THE KEY REVEALS FROM THE GENEVA MOTOR SHOW

FLAGSHIP

Koenigsegg now on Kensington High St

SWEDISH supercar brand Koenigsegg has opened a state-ofthe-art luxury showroom in one of London’s most upmarket areas.

The dealership – on Kensington High Street – is the company’s flagship facility and will house various models from across the range. Co-owner Darren McDermott said: ‘We’re delighted to be the official dedicated distributor and service agent for the UK.’ Fellow co-owner James Walker added: ‘This marks a significant milestone for us.’

INVESTMENT

Vospers bolsters

Stellantis bond

VOSPERS has strengthened its partnership with Stellantis by redeveloping its multi-franchise site in Plymouth and adding a brand.

The Car Dealer Top 100 group already represented Fiat, Abarth and Peugeot, adding Vauxhall in 2023, but it has also invested an unspecified amount of money in overhauling the showrooms. Vospers chairman Peter Vosper said: ‘Adding Vauxhall to our family of brands was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up.’

CONSOLIDATION

Perrys sells Mazda plot for £600,000

PERRYS has agreed a £600,000 deal to sell one of its former Mazda showrooms in the north of England.

The Car Dealer Top 100 outfit has sold its vacant Blackburn Mazda site to North West Automobiles Limited, after moving out last November.

The dealership comprises a showroom with detached workshop as well as office space, in a building measuring 10,505 square feet. Perrys is consolidating all its franchised brands into a single site in Blackburn. Picture © Savills

Sturgess hooks up with EV maker BYD

STURGESS Motor Group has added EV newcomer BYD to its portfolio.

The Leicester-based family-run company has opened a sales and service site for the Chinese brand at its Aylestone Road dealership, joining Hyundai and Suzuki. Group chairman Chris Sturgess, pictured left with brand manager Jason Challis, said: ‘We are delighted to be partnered with a manufacturer that is so far ahead in terms of battery technology.’

SHAKE-UP

Evans Halshaw site drops Ford for MG

EVANS Halshaw has opened its first MG dealership as it looks to expand its portfolio of brand partners.

The firm’s Ford store in Grantham has switched to being an MG franchise as part of a shake-up for the retailer. It makes the Lincolnshire site the first new franchise to open since Lithia’s takeover of Pendragon was finalised in January. Existing staff, including head of business Alex Kohn, have been kept on. He said: ‘We are delighted to bring MG to the Evans Halshaw roster.’

SCHEME

Dick Lovett Porsche Centre can expand

THE Dick Lovett Porsche Centre in Swindon has been granted permission to extend its showroom. Council planners in the Wiltshire town gave the go-ahead for the development in Frankland Road, which will see internal floorspace on the 9,780 square metre site grow from the existing 3,100 square metres to 5,300. Another 10 jobs will be created in the process, taking the number of full-time employees to 50.

Image: Google Street View

Click on the text box for the full story

PAY: Carlos Tavares was given more than £31m in cash and equity last year for heading Stellantis – a 56% increase on 2022. It amounted to €36.49m (circa £31.17m) – 518 times the average earnings of an employee (€70,404/£60,190).

CUT: Grants for new electric taxis are being slashed by a fifth. The plug-in taxi grant was introduced in 2017 and is being extended to April 2025 – but the current rate of £7,500 will drop to £6,000 during the next financial year, said the DfT.

OUTPUT: Car production has had its best January since 2021 with manufacturing up by more than a fifth, the SMMT said. Output rose by 21% to 82,997 units. Most of the vehicles made were for export (75.8%), with overseas shipments up 11.6% to 62,938.

SUPPORT: Alan Day Motor Group is throwing its weight behind a campaign to raise £1.25m for Food Bank Aid in north London. The dealership has made a sizeable unspecified donation and is helping to spread the word as well.

JOBS: Aston Martin is recruiting 400 technicians. Car Dealer reported last year that the firm was expecting to make fewer cars. However, the marque halved its pre-tax losses and now hopes to bag some momentum with a new recruitment drive.

PEUGEOT E-3008

Power

The single electric motor produces 207bhp and 254Nm of torque with a claimed range of 326 miles.

The old 3008 was a winner for Peugeot and now the firm has launched a new version, complete with electric power. James Batchelor tries it out.

WHAT IS IT?

The second-generation – and now outgoing – 3008 showed Peugeot was back to making good-looking, well-made and practical cars. This is the tricky follow-up third-generation car that has to keep all of those traits that made the previous car a winner and take on a whole raft of impressive family SUVs on sale in 2024.

WHAT’S NEW?

Everything, to put it bluntly. There’s a new fastback-shaped body plus the firm’s latest design for the front end and a completely overhauled interior debuting the brand’s new 21-inch Panoramic ‘i-Cockpit’ twin screens. And if that wasn’t enough, it’s the first Stellantis (Peugeot’s parent firm) car to use its new bespoke electric car platform. Mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions will follow, but the pure-electric E-3008 arrives first and is the one we’re testing here.

WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET?

Until now, the largest battery you could find in an electric Peugeot was 54kWh, but the E-3008 exceeds this with 73kWh and 98kWh packs – the latter being larger than nearly every other family-sized pure-electric SUV on sale. The smaller battery powers a single 207bhp motor on the front axle or a pair of motors, one on each axle, to give all-wheel drive and 316bhp. Meanwhile, the 98kWh pack comes exclusively with a single motor and packs 227bhp. Claimed ranges are 326 miles for the 73kWh single motor and – rather amazingly – for the twin motor, too, while the 98kWh offers an impressive (if you believe the official figures) 435 miles.

WHAT’S

IT LIKE TO DRIVE?

Peugeot has some pretty fun-to-drive cars in its back catalogue but the new E-3008 isn’t one of them. The steering feels surprisingly detached from the front wheels, it’s heavy (it weighs more than 2.1 tonnes) and the 207bhp motor delivers its power in an almost lethargic way – a Tesla Model Y feels more alert. The ride, too, was a little on the jittery side but you can mostly blame our car’s 20-inch wheels for that. However, this is, after all, an SUV designed for normal family life, and when driven in a manner far more in keeping with the way most owners will handle the car, the E-3008 is a fantastically quiet, refined and very polished SUV.

THE KNOWLEDGE

Peugeot E-3008 GT

73kWh 210

Price (as tested): £49,650

Powertrain: Single electric motor

Power: 207bhp

Torque: 254Nm

Max speed: 105mph

O-60mph: 8.6 seconds

Range: 326 miles

Emissions: 0g/km CO2

HOW DOES IT LOOK?

It’s quite a triumph when an outgoing model still looks modern and fresh, and you can level that at the now old 3008. The new one move this on and features Peugeot’s latest design for the front – slimmer headlights, distinctive ‘three-claw’ day-running lights and the badge sitting large and proud in the middle of the grille. The biggest change is with the roofline, with Peugeot choosing a more curved design. Overall, we feel it’s a handsome car.

WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE

You’d expect that fashionable sloping roofline to ruin interior space, but amazingly it doesn’t. While knee room for six-footers in the back could be a bit better, headroom is good. Single motor E-3008s have exactly the same amount of boot space as the outgoing 3008 at 520 litres. It’s a useful shape and comes with the added benefit of 40:20:40 splitfolding rear seats. Upfront, though, is where the E-3008 really wows you. Again, the design is an evolution of the previous 3008’s with a bold look and the use of tactile fabrics and quality materials. The highlight is the ambient lighting that tastefully reflects its glow on the aluminium strips that surround the dashboard. The new 21-inch ‘Panoramic i-Cockpit’ consists of two crisp displays, and the infotainment system is assisted with a third screen

The interior has the wow factor with a bold look, the use of tactile fabrics and quality materials. The ambient lighting is a nice touch, too. Cabin

The Peugeot E-3008 is a deeply desirable electric SUV with a bold design, impressive battery options and an interior brimming with rich materials.

The new design has slimmer headlights with distinctive ‘three-claw’ day-running lights.

TARGET BUYERS:

Family buyers – some who have never owned an electric car before.

THE RIVALS:

Tesla Model Y

Volkswagen ID.5

Renault Scenic E-Tech

KEY SELLING POINTS:

1. Sharp exterior design

2. Comfortable ride

3. Quality and tech-rich interior

DEAL CLINCHER:

Offers a lot of electric range – if the official figures are true.

called ‘i-Toggles’. These widgets allow easy access to the system’s many functions.

WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE?

The E-3008 comes very well equipped, with entry-level Allure models getting a raft of luxuries such as the 21-inch curved display, ambient lighting, keyless entry and start, 19inch wheels, LED headlights and wireless phone charging. GT adds Alcantara trim for the seats, 20-inch wheels, heated front seats and pixel LED headlights.

WHAT DOES THE PRESS THINK?

Car Magazine said: ‘The exterior design is stunning with its rakish roofline, shimmering grille, vertical LED strips and muscular proportions. It’s just as fabulous inside. However, it’s heavy, not the most spacious, nor the most exciting and engaging to drive.’

WHAT DO WE THINK?

The Peugeot E-3008 is a deeply desirable electric SUV with a bold design, impressive battery options and an interior brimming with rich materials and good technology. While it has lost some of the old car’s more agile handling traits, it’s a plush and refined SUV that’ll no doubt be up to the task of family life. You have to pay for this, though.

HYUNDAI i10

The i10 N Line might be small in size but it’s big on character, as Jack Evans discovered when he took one for a spin.

WHAT IS IT?

It’s a sportier take on Hyundai’s smallest model, bringing some of the tweaks and touches that you’d get on the company’s full-fat ‘N’ performance models but with the excellent running costs of the standard i10.

WHAT’S NEW?

The i10 is the most compact model in Hyundai’s range. The manufacturer has also tweaked the way it sits on the road to make it slightly more engaging to drive. There are also loads of Hyundai’s latest safety systems aboard.

WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET?

It’s got a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol turbocharged unit plus a five-speed manual gearbox, with outputs that are in the realms of 1980s hot hatches. Hyundai claims 52.3mpg for fuel efficiency – and we saw well over that.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?

This car thrives on being driven with some extra commitment and with its sharp handling and well-contained body control, it’s great fun down a twisty lane. The ride can be a little fidgety at lower speeds but there’s still the excellent ‘standard’ i10 to opt for. The little i10 practically bowls along the highway and feels like a far larger car than it actually is during these times.

HOW DOES IT LOOK?

Hyundai has done a great job of pumping up the look of the i10 with its N Line parts. The car’s twin exhaust pipes, red accents and 16-inch alloy wheels play to the i10’s dimensions and make it into quite an attractive car with good looks from all angles.

WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE?

It’s got more headroom to deliver than you might expect. The seats up front have a decent amount of adjustability and they’re heated, too, as is the steering wheel – a welcome feature during chilly winter mornings. There are some nastier plastics but it’s all ergonomically sound.

WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE?

Above and beyond the heated elements you’ve got a full climate control system, cruise control and a reasonably sized central screen that goes beyond many other more expensive set-ups in its ability to deliver Apple CarPlay or Android Auto wirelessly, rather than via a USB cable. Rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera also make this car even more user-friendly, too.

WHAT DO WE THINK?

There’s plenty to like about the i10 N Line. It’s fun to drive, will prove cheap to run and has loads of equipment. It won’t be a great fit for drivers after something spacious with tip-top refinement, but the character and efficiency combo will be a winning blend for many.

THE KNOWLEDGE

Hyundai i10 N Line

Price (as tested): £18,520

Powertrain: 1.0-litre turbo

Power: 99bhp

Torque: 172Nm

Max speed: 115mph

0-60mph: 10.3 seconds

MPG (combined): 52.3

Emissions: 123g/km CO2

TARGET BUYERS:

People who want a small car that’s still fun to drive.

THE RIVALS:

Skoda Fabia

Toyota Aygo X Kia Picanto

KEY SELLING POINTS:

1. Low cost

2. Peppy yet efficient engine

3. Well-specified interior

DEAL CLINCHER:

The i10 doesn’t have many drawbacks. Unless you’re after a little more space, this car’s efficiency and clever interior make it easy to recommend.

Inside

The i10's seats and steering wheel are both heated – a nice touch for cold mornings.

of our audience isn’t shared with the market leader, allowing your stock to be seen by brand-new eyeballs.

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RANGE ROVER SPORT SV

Power

The 4.4-litre twinturbocharged V8 engine pumps out 626bhp and 750Nm of torque.

THE KNOWLEDGE

Range Rover

Sport SV

Price (as tested): £185,360

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8

Power: 626bhp

Torque: 750Nm

O-60mph: 3.5 seconds

Max speed: 180mph

MPG (combined): 23.7

Emissions: 270g/km CO2

The Sport SV has had loads of tech upgrades but do they combine to make a true performance SUV? Jack Evans went to Portugal to find out.

WHAT IS IT?

This is a go-faster model of its current Sport. But while it might have been tempting to bung a large engine into the Sport and leave it at that, Range Rover has given the SV a far more comprehensive series of upgrades to make it as sharp and capable as ever without losing any of the well-regarded aspects that you’d expect from a ‘traditional’ Range Rover.

WHAT’S NEW?

There are some particularly eye-catching design features – new 23-inch carbon-fibre wheels that shave 76kg off the car’s weight, a hydraulic interlinked suspension that keeps the ride controlled during all types of driving, and even ‘in-car sensory audio technology’ that can make your seat vibrate in the same tempo as the track you’re listening to.

WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET?

Range Rover hasn’t picked its 5.0-litre supercharged V8 for the SV, instead opting for the twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 that you’d find in some high-performance models from BMW. With 626bhp it makes the SV the most powerful Range Rover to date, and because of that 4.4-litre V8 it actually produces 15 per cent less CO2 than its SVR predecessor, with total output standing at 270g/km. Range Rover claims up to 23.7mpg, too, but expect that to drop considerably during spirited routes – we saw around 19mpg during mixed driving.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?

The way the SV handles lumps and bumps is remarkable – particularly for something riding on such massive wheels. We tested both the carbon and regular iron brakes, and although the latter might not have the same gravitas, they’re more than capable of bringing the SV to a hurried stop when you need to. We got the chance to test the SV around the famous Portimao circuit and it behaved in a way a heavy SUV has no reason to behave. It maintained composure and agility throughout the circuit’s bends and this translates to a very polished driving experience. It didn’t feel as brutally quick as the SVR that preceded this model but it sure is fast.

HOW DOES IT LOOK?

The standard Sport is already quite a handsome thing and Range Rover seems to know that – it hasn’t mucked about too much with the way this performance version looks. There’s

Style

The front has been given a redesign with a chunkier splitter, while the rear gets carbon-fibre badging.

the option to have a contrast bonnet – in classic SVR fashion – but there are only three exterior colours to choose from, which feels a bit limited. There’s a redesigned front end with a chunkier splitter, while around the back there’s some carbon-fibre badging to reflect this car’s sportier nature. The 23-inch carbon-fibre wheels are a big talking point and at over £3,000 for the set they aren’t cheap. Fortunately, the standard alloys still look superb while around the back the quad exhausts give an indication of the engine beating away up front.

WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE?

Some tweaks and additions have been made here and there in the transition to SV. Chief among them are the large bucket seats for those up front. There’s plenty of space in the back, too, although the bucket seats do block some visibility for whoever is in the rear. As on the standard car, there’s a little too much gloss black plastic surrounding the switchgear area and this jars slightly with the price tag of this car. The good news is the space and versatility that makes the standard Sport so usable on a day-to-day basis hasn’t been lost.

WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE?

It’s been radically upgraded mechanically versus the standard car. The tech all works superbly, with JLR’s Pivi Pro system continuing to impress with its ease of use and variety of features. We also like the driving mode button at the lower part of the steering wheel, as it allows you to quickly cycle through the different vehicle settings, while the driver assistance mode button on the wheel is a great call and makes disabling these systems much easier. But it doesn’t come cheap, as at £185,360 for the launch version, the SV costs more than double the price of a regular Range Rover Sport.

WHAT DO THE PRESS THINK?

Auto Express said: ‘The new Range Rover Sport SV boasts stunning pace while retaining the standard car’s impressive levels of comfort and off-road ability.’ Car said: ‘If you’ve developed a more cultured palate since buying your old SVR and need something that can outrun the fuzz almost anywhere in the world, the SV should be on your shortlist.’

WHAT DO WE THINK?

The Sport SV is the kind of car that die-hard sporty Range Rover fans were always calling out for. As a tip-top version of an already-popular model, you could argue that it was always going to sell – regardless of how well or poorly it was set up. However, the extensive lengths that Range Rover has gone to in order to make the SV steer, accelerate and brake as dynamically as possible must be applauded – this isn’t simply a regular Sport on fancy wheels. It may not be the last word in performance SUV sharpness, but given the level of driver involvement it delivers – particularly in a car weighing well over 2.5 tonnes – the SV is a model that you can’t help but feel impressed by.

Inside

There are some tweaks and additions to this model, which include large bucket seats up front – they block some visibility for passengers in the back, though.

The Sport SV is the kind of car that die-hard sporty Range Rover fans were always calling out for.

TARGET BUYERS:

Those drivers who want the sharpest Range Rover Sport to date.

THE RIVALS:

Aston Martin DBX707

Porsche Cayenne GT

Lamborghini Urus Performante

KEY SELLING POINTS:

1. Savage performance

2. Plenty of equipment

3 Limited-run nature

DEAL CLINCHER:

Although expensive, the Sport SV isn’t just a trim level; this is one thoroughly re-engineered and great-todrive performance SUV.

GENEVA MOTOR SHOW KEY REVEALS FROM THE

It may have been far smaller than before but this year’s event had some standout models. Cameron Richards reports.

The Geneva Motor Show returned to its traditional home this year after five years.

The famous European new car showcase was held at the Palexpo from February 26 to March 3 – but had far fewer manufacturers displaying their wares than previously.

The event was cancelled in 2020 because of the pandemic, with no show running for the following two years either. Controversially, organisers moved it to Qatar last year, but it was back once again in its eponymous city for 2024, albeit in a slimmed-down guise.

Here we look at the major brands that took part...

BYD

BYD launched in the UK in 2023 and already has three cars in its line-up.

In Geneva, it pulled the wraps off its first non-EV – the plug-in hybrid Seal U. The firm also used the event to showcase its luxury sub-brand Yangwang in Europe with the U8 electric SUV.

The Seal U is a five-seat plug-in hybrid SUV set to take on cars such as the Hyundai Tucson and Ford Kuga. Power comes from a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that is mated to a 194bhp electric motor.

The Seal U’s electric-only range hasn’t been revealed just yet.

Meanwhile, the Yangwang U8 is the firm’s answer to the Land Rover Defender and will be a plug-in hybrid that makes 1,184 bhp. It’ll come with two ground-breaking technologies:

Renault

The reborn Renault 5 was finally revealed after what felt like an eternity.

The much-anticipated electric supermini shares the same platform with the nextgeneration Nissan Micra and Leaf as well as a reborn forthcoming Renault 4.

Retro-styling alongside modern technology and an EV platform that should give an impressive range of around 250 miles make this electric supermini a tempting package.

one that Yangwang calls its e4 platform, which is the world’s first mass-produced independent drive technology platform, and the DiSus-P intelligent Hydraulic Body Control System, which helps with driver ability and capability.

The U8 will be priced about £123,000 and will have a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine alongside an electric motor to extend its range to 621 miles.

Yangwang U8

BYD Seal U

Dacia

Dacia hopes to revolutionise the world of EVs with its affordable new Spring city car – a rival for the similar-sized Fiat 500e. The Spring promises to bring 130 miles of range to buyers for around £16,000 when it arrives here later this year.

The electric vehicle market has been crying out for an affordable model for the masses and Dacia will be hoping this is it.

Lucid

Lucid doesn’t currently sell cars in the UK but they can be bought in mainland Europe. While only one EV is offered at present – the Air – Geneva saw the launch of its second model, namely the Gravity.

It’s a seven-seat electric SUV with a claimed range of 400 miles and a 120kWh battery. We’ve still to hear of any UK debut but the motor show gave us a first glimpse of this Tesla Model X rival.

Silence

Fans of tiny cars already have the Citroen Ami but they can now also lust after the Silence S04.

This new quadricycle is available to buy in the UK from £15,995 and has a 92-mile range.

The S04 is Silence’s take on the nano car segment, with ex-JLR managing director John Edwards being a founding partner of the EV brand.

MG

The latest offering from MG was in Geneva as well, with the new MG3 arriving as the Chinese-owned firm’s most recent hybrid. While most car manufacturers are focusing on EVs, the MG3 is taking a different route, with petrol-powered variants as well as a hybrid called ‘hybrid plus’ to take on rivals such as the Renault Clio and Toyota Yaris hybrid offerings.

The new MG3 gets an MG4-inspired look as well as a refreshed interior.

BUSINESS NEWS

A ROUND-UP OF WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING AROUND THE WORLD

ADMINISTRATION

Body Shop wields jobs axe and closes stores

THE Body Shop is shutting nearly half of its 198 UK shops and cutting around 270 head office jobs after the cosmetics chain fell into administration last month.

FRP Advisory said: ‘After years of unprofitability and following a full evaluation of The Body Shop’s UK business, the joint administrators have concluded that the current store portfolio mix is no longer viable.’ They added the move would ‘help re-energise The Body Shop’s iconic brand’.

MUSIC

Apple fined £1.5bn over streaming advantage

APPLE has been fined €1.8bn (circa £1.5bn) by regulators in Europe for not allowing music streaming apps such as Spotify to tell customers they can subscribe for cheaper if they don’t use its App Store.

The European Commission said Apple had abused its dominant position in the market for distributing music streaming apps, and had broken EU anti-trust rules.

LOSSES

Frasers won’t save Matches Fashion

MATCHES Fashion is being put into administration after parent company Frasers said it wouldn’t provide the money needed to keep it going. It was making ‘material losses’ and ‘consistently’ missing its target, Frasers said. In the year to the end of January 2023, it made a £33.5m loss. Frasers said the money needed to keep it running would be ‘far in excess’ of what it deems viable.

Thousands of Greggs staff to share £17.6m bonus PROFITS

AROUND 25,000 Greggs workers will share £17.6m in bonuses this month after the high street bakery chain notched up a 27% hike in annual profits.

It delivered a bumper pre-tax profit of £188.3m for 2023 – up from £148.3m the previous year –after like-for-like sales in company-managed shops jumped 13.7%.

On an underlying basis, pre-tax profits lifted 13.1% to £167.7m.

INDUSTRY VIEWS

Last year there was a court case, Baxter v Doble, which changed the whole legal scene.

Nona Bowkis Lawgistics’ head of legal services

Next 12 months

TCommunity Interest Company is set up to give subsidised court support for dealers

Lawgistics has set up a new associated company to further help car dealers.

Lawgistics Litigation for the Motor Trade CIC offers subsidised legal support for car dealers who find their cases ending up in court.

‘CIC’ stands for Community Interest Company, which are entities that offer a benefit and aren’t purely for private advantage.

Lawgistics’ CIC is managed by solicitor and head of legal services Nona Bowkis, who told Car Dealer Live: ‘Last year there was a court case, Baxter v Doble, which changed the whole legal scene. It had nothing to do with the motor trade but was a landlord-and-tenant case. However, the judgment said that organisations like us – and the lady that was offering landlord tenant services –cannot operate like that any more.

‘They cannot help people in the background, which is what Lawgistics has been doing for over 20 years with court cases.

‘So we had to change everything, because either we stopped helping our dealers with their court cases – which would have wasted all the intellectual capital and experience that we

present

he next 12 months present a ‘very good opportunity’ for dealers to up their sales and improve customer service, one finance company has said.

Source: Cap HPI, December 2023

Oodle Car Finance believes dealers will be able to take advantage of a predicted uplift in consumer confidence, while also focusing on getting the basics right such as offering

have here – or find a way to do that within the regulatory framework.

‘The CIC option was perfect because that’s what we are. We look after our motor trade community, we’re part of that community, and by setting up with that structure it meant we could continue to provide that legal help for court cases.’

She added: ‘Not only that, but we could go further and put ourselves on record, which means telling the court that we’re acting for that client – we are managing everything for them. And we offer this service at a subsidised rate as well, which is really good.’

Joining Bowkis on Car Dealer Live was Lawgistics managing director Joel Combes, who said: ‘A CIC is not allowed to make a profit, and if it does, that profit goes back into the community. We feel this isn’t a profit-making exercise.

‘Lawgistics is all about keeping people out of court, while the Lawgistics CIC is for when the unfortunate happens and a dealer has to go to court.

‘We are renowned for winning cases, so this CIC is a good fit for us.’

‘very good opportunity’ to increase sales

great customer service. ‘2024 is going to be interesting,’ Oodle Car Finance MD and co-founder Phil Williams said.

‘I think interest rates will start to ease. That will bring back consumer confidence and we will see that demand for used cars come back again. I think there’s going to be a very good opportunity for dealers in 2024.

‘More money is likely to be going into consumers’ pockets, and some of the demands consumers have had during 2023 are likely to dissipate.

‘So it’s a good time for dealers to be thinking hard about what they buy, but also making sure they maintain advertising so when the upturn comes they’re ready to take advantage.’

WE’RE AWARD-WINNING THANKS TO YOU!

This year we’ve won not one, but three awards - an achievement that we are all very proud of.

Our customers voted First Response Finance as the ‘Best Car Finance Provider’ in the Consumer Credit Awards 2022 for the second consecutive year. In addition to that, we’ve won the prestigious ‘Firm of the Year’ award!

The second recognition came from our dealer partners who voted us ‘Finance Provider of the Year (Sub-Prime)’ in the Car Dealer Power Awards. We are honoured to have won this award 8 times!

Vans, cars, motorbikes - it doesn't matter what type of vehicle we’re financing, our award-winning service remains the same.

FINANCE NEWS

ACCOUNTS

Lloyds sets aside £450m for FCA’s probe into car finance

by Jack Williams @JournoJack25

Lloyds Banking Group has put aside £450m to cover potential costs of a major review into historic car finance selling practices.

Car Dealer reported in January that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) was investigating cases of finance houses not paying out compensation to customers over nowbanned ‘discretionary commission arrangements’.

Since then, consumer champion Martin Lewis has set up a free reclaim tool and guide, which has been flooded with inquiries.

The Times has been studying the bank’s latest set of accounts, which show that the group, which owns motor finance provider Black Horse, exceeded expectations to make a pre-tax profit of £7.5bn, surging by 56% versus the £4.8bn it made in 2022.

The accounts also revealed that bosses have put aside £450m for ‘remediation’ – or compensation – to cover potential operational and admin costs, which are expected as a result of the FCA’s investigation.

Lloyds said it was too early to say what the scale of the redress could be, and that it welcomed the watchdog’s investigation to get clarity.

‘There remains significant uncertainty as to the extent of any misconduct and customer loss, if any, the nature of any remediation action, if required, and its timing,’ the bank said.

But Lloyds’ chief financial officer, William Chalmers, stressed that the car finance probe was ‘not like prior remediations’, when asked by reporters whether he thought it showed any similarities to the PPI mis-selling scandal, said the PA news agency.

Lloyds had to pay billions of pounds to compensate customers who were mis-sold payment protection insurance from the mid-1990s.

STATISTICS

Market fell by 3% in volume and value in January

CONSUMER car finance new business fell by 3% in volume and value in January versus the same month last year, according to latest figures from the Finance & Leasing Association.

Meanwhile, in the year to January 2024, new business value and volume dropped by 5% and 6% respectively, versus the same period in 2023.

The consumer new car finance market reported a decrease in new business in January of 9% by value and 16% by volume versus January 2023, while in the 12 months to January 2024, new business volumes were 6% lower than in the same period over the preceding 12 months and 2% lower by value.

However, the consumer used car finance market enjoyed a growth in new business in January of 1% by both value and volume compared with the same month in 2023, while in the 12 months to January 2024, new business volumes were 6% lower than in the same period in 2023 and 7% lower by value.

The FLA expects the overall market to grow by 2% in 2024 to reach just over £40bn.

TIME

From Terminator to tech: AI’s impact on the motor trade

On 16th August 1991, Arnold Schwarzenegger donned the leather jacket and sunglasses for the second time for the cinematic release of the film Terminator 2 – a film franchise that was built around the idea of a human-built AI that had gone rogue and deemed humanity a threat that needed to be terminated!

Nearly 33 years and a few missteps with the film franchise later, humanity, I am happy to say, is still alive and kicking. It wasn’t until a year or so ago that the subject of AI also resurfaced and started featuring heavily in the news and mainstream media. Much of the coverage has been negative, with many sharing their doubts about its applications and some even proclaiming, much like the Terminator films, that it will be the end of us all!

I have used AI a lot, and personally, I think the ‘end is nigh’ thinking is going a little overboard. AI is not as good as some would have you believe, but that doesn’t mean I think the motor trade should ignore it either.

Car manufacturers are already incorporating AI into their production lines to become more efficient, embedding AI into the next generation of self-driving cars, and trying to find ways to improve the car-buying experience. AI isn’t just for large companies, though; anyone can use it, whether you employ 10,000 people or a handful. There are many ways that you can use AI to help in the daily running of your dealership. If you’ve not used AI before and aren’t sure where to start, try asking it to rewrite the descriptions of your cars that you have for sale. Simply ask an AI such as ChatGPT to rewrite one of your adverts to make it more engaging for customers, and then decide if you want to use what it suggests.

Many dealerships are also using AI to analyse what stock they’re selling, how long certain models take to sell, which are the most profitable and what stock they should consider buying when visiting the auctions, too.

AI does have its limitations, but I believe it should be considered as a tool that can enhance what you already do and just make certain things simpler, save time and even increase profits in some instances.

While I don’t think Terminator 2’s Judgment Day is going to happen anytime soon, AI isn’t going anywhere – and it’s a tool that many in the motor trade should start investigating, because if you don’t, you can bet your competitors will!

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Henson Motor Group

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SUPPLIER NEWS

A ROUND-UP OF WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING ACROSS THE UK

MOTORS

CLOSE BROTHERS MOTOR FINANCE

HAGGLING over the price of a car is what customers most hate about the buying process.

That’s according to Motors’ latest Digital Touchpoints survey, which asked 3,000 in-market online buyers about the top pain points.

Price negotiations came top, with 43% finding the process difficult.

Making sense of pricing was a worry for a quarter, while 23% said understanding and arranging finance made them uncomfortable.

STARTLINE

Dealers back call for European ‘kei’ vehicle Buyers hate haggling the most, poll finds

DEALERS have backed calls for a new class of small cars to be introduced across Europe that attract lower taxes, insurance and parking costs, new research shows.

Ninety-three per cent of 61 car retailers polled in February’s Startline Used Car Tracker supported the idea, based on Japanese ‘kei’ cars and mooted by the ACEA.

Seventy-two per cent said the move would allow more people to buy and drive a car.

Car ownership becoming unaffordable – survey

THE cost of running a car is becoming unaffordable and sparking concern among motorists, according to new research from Close Brothers Motor Finance.

More than six in 10 (62%) of 2,007 drivers polled believe cars are getting out of their reach, with 70% stating there are too many additional costs when it comes to the day-to-day running of vehicles, such as vehicle tax, insurance hikes and road charging schemes such as Ulez.

AI is not as good as some would have you believe, but that doesn’t mean I think the motor trade should ignore it either.

MOTORWAY

New transport offering is launched for retailers

USED car marketplace Motorway has launched an enhanced end-to-end transportation product that it says improves appraisal quality, speed and service levels.

IVENDI

WebShop tech goes out to German showrooms

Richard Pygott p43

Motorway Move is powered by new technologies Motorway Collect and Motorway Dispatch, with dealers able to book vehicle deliveries on Motorway Pro.

Motorway said that alongside this, it’ll be providing more competitive rates to give better value. (Sponsored)

IVENDI’S new WebShop technology has been launched for German dealers that use Bank Deutsches Kraftfahrzeuggewerbe GmbH (BDK) as their motor finance partner. It delivers a complete off-the-shelf motor retail e-commerce service.

James Tew, CEO at iVendi, said: ‘This technology is being made available across BDK’s dealers and we’re looking forward to seeing the results it helps deliver for the company and its partners.’

New car market records strongest February for 20 years but private sales fall by 2.6%

by James Batchelor @JRRBatchelor

The UK new car market enjoyed its strongest February for 20 years, latest figures from the SMMT show. Registrations were up 14% on February 2023, with a total of 84,886 cars hitting the roads. February 2004 saw 91,460 registrations.

It was the 19th consecutive month of growth which, says the SMMT, has been driven primarily by fleets purchasing new vehicles. Moreover, the data shows fleets were responsible for the entirety of February’s 14% rise.

Private registrations continued to struggle, though, recording a 2.6% drop.

Plug-in hybrids saw the largest growth in the month, rising by 29.1%, while hybrids jumped by 12.1% and battery-electric vehicles rose by 21.8% to take a 17.7% share.

The SMMT reiterated its plea for ‘fairer’ taxation of EVs ahead of the Budget on March 6. It urged chancellor Jeremy Hunt to halve VAT on the purchase of new EVs and make public charging ‘as easy and affordable as plugging in at home’.

The industry body said that a faster, fairer market transition depended on more private buyers switching but the lack of significant incentives was holding back many of them.

Meanwhile, leading car makers, energy firms and campaigners have signed an open letter to Hunt calling for VAT to be slashed on public charging points.

Currently, electric car owners who charge at home pay 5% on their energy bill. But those without driveways have to rely on public chargers so are hit with the full 20% VAT rate and the price difference between home and public charging is now a major barrier to EV adoption, the signatories said.

The Ford Puma is the year-to-date best-seller with 6,736 registrations, followed by the Kia Sportage (6,187) and Nissan Qashqai (5,624).

What the industry says

Growth in EV sales is encouraging Incentives are needed Market is holding up well to challenge

Year-on-year growth in EV sales is encouraging but this is thanks to buoyant fleet sales, as growing numbers of drivers take advantage of benefit-in-kind and salarysacrifice schemes to overcome the electric upfront price barrier.

Ian Plummer, Auto Trader

Private car buyers urgently need more support to switch to electric – if the government announces incentives for prospective EV drivers as well as plans to improve the charging infrastructure in the Budget, sales could really start to power up. Alex Buttle, Motorway.co.uk

Ongoing pressure on household budgets and a higher cost of car finance mean it’s still a difficult economic period for many people wanting to buy a new car and a challenge for those trying to sell them. Overall, the UK market continues to hold up relatively well to this challenge, boosted by a flowing supply of new vehicles, discounting on many forecourts and export demand.

Richard Peberdy,

KPMG

Fourteen months of growth in a row

news: p48

LCV NEWS

Market enjoys its best February for 26 years

by John Bowman john@blackballmedia.co.uk

DEMAND for new LCVs grew by 2.2% in February to 17,934 units, marking 14 months of growth in a row.

REGISTRATIONS OF NEW

VEHICLES

THAN 3.5 TONNES

That’s according to latest figures from the SMMT, which said that while February is traditionally a lower volume month, the rise represented the best February performance since 1998, when 18,044 units were registered.

But February saw a drop in registrations of battery-electric vans weighing up to 3.5 tonnes. They fell by 119 units to 847 units, taking a 4.7% market share – down from 5.5% a year ago. The Ford Transit was February’s best seller at 1,838 units, followed by its Custom stablemate at 1,611 sales and the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter at 1,325.

REGISTRATIONS OF NEW COMMERCIAL VEHICLES 3.5  TONNES TO 6.0  TONNES

SUPPLIERS GUIDE

LOOKING FOR A MOTOR TRADE SUPPLIER? YOU CAN FIND THE DETAILS OF SELECTED COMPANIES HERE

Auctions & Trade-To-Trade Sales

BCA

W: bca.co.uk

T: 0344 875 3480

E: customerservices@bca.com

Info: BCA’s remarketing programmes deliver volume, choice and availability for buyers, and speed, efficiency and market-leading returns for sellers.

Automotive E-Commerce

ATG

W: atg.auto

T: 0844 264 3519

Info: Leading provider of retailing solutions, Automotive Transformation Group maximises sales for retailers, OEMs, financiers and fleet suppliers by making car buying easier for their consumers.

Data

Real World Analytics

W: realworldanalytics.com

T: 0808 1890 617

E: auto@realworldanalytics.com

Info: We are a SaaS-based data analytics solution provider for multisite dealers. Our business intelligence tools help customers make faster and better decisions.

DMS

DealerDesk

W: dealerdesk.co.uk

E: contact@dealerdesk.co.uk

Info: Modernise your stock management, advertising, communication, sales and website. DealerDesk provides you with easyto-use tools designed to simplify your dealership management.

Finance

Blue Motor Finance

W: blue.co.uk

T: 020 3005 9331

E: dealersupport@blue.co.uk

Info: Blue is transforming the car finance market, making car ownership simple and flexible and providing motor traders with access to essential finance.

Finance

Close Brothers

Motor Finance

W: closemotorfinance.co.uk/

Info: Close Brothers Motor Finance are a specialist finance provider, working with over 8,000 dealer partners to offer flexible finance solutions for car, motorcycle and LCV customers.

Finance

First Response

W: dealer.firstresponsefinance.co.uk

T: 0115 671 1755

E: marketing@frfl.co.uk

Info: First Response is an awardwinning UK finance company providing simple financial solutions. Get in touch and let us help increase your profits.

Finance

Forza Finance

W: forzafinance.co.uk

T: 01245 245678

Info: Benefit from Forza Finance’s expertise, choice of products and lenders. Their personal approach will help you achieve higher levels of finance penetration and, ultimately, sell more cars.

HR & People Management

HR Manager

W: hrmanager.co.uk

T: 01480 455500

E: info@hrmanager.co.uk

Info: HR Manager is Lawgistics’ new digital compliance portal designed to assist employers in managing their legal obligations, responsibilities and duties.

Insurance

Tradesure

W: tradesureinsurance.co.uk

T: 0121 248 9313

Info: Providing motor trade insurance to full- and part-time motor traders in the UK, the Tradesure team are reliable professionals who know how to help you.

Key Control

Traka

W: traka-automotive.com

T: 0333 355 3726

E: automotive@traka.com

Info: Bespoke software and electronic key management cabinets to deliver the most effective solution to dealerships to manage their keys and vehicles.

Lead Management

GardX AD-Vantage

W: gardx.co.uk/gardx-ad-vantage

T: 01243 376426

E: goforaspin@gardx.co.uk

Info: The award-winning 360 service offers an engaging display of the vehicle while additionally presenting profitable F&I products to a consumer.

Lead Management

iVendi

W: ivendi.com

T: 0330 229 0028

E: tellmemore@ivendi.com

Info: iVendi delivers a fully connected platform that engages consumers, converts buyers and manages transactions of vehicles online and in the showroom.

Legal & Compliance

Lawgistics

W: lawgistics.co.uk

T: 01480 455500

E: sales@lawgistics.co.uk

Info: The legal experts for the motor trade, giving advice and support to our industry for over 15 years. Not anti-consumer, just pro-trader.

Marketing, PR & Video

OnCue Communications

W: oncuecomms.com

T: 020 8125 3880

Info: We are a leading provider of PR, video and events services to the automotive industry. The PR team has a proven track record of securing high-value, big-impact media coverage.

Marketing, PR & Video

Marketing Delivery

W: marketingdelivery.co.uk/

T: 01892 599911

E: get.in.touch@marketingdelivery.co.uk

Info: Our SocialStock helps target prospects with tailored stock remarketing and social media advertising tools, and automated lead capture for Facebook.

Oil & Lubricants

Mobil™

W: mobil.co.uk

T: 0800 0857 420

Info: Whether using Mobil 1™ or Mobil Super™, Mobil™ engine oils meet or exceed the latest standards of the oil industry and vehicle manufacturers.

Recruitment

WeRecruit Auto

W: werecruitauto.co.uk

T: 01603 550041

Info: Permanent recruitment – here to assist businesses within the automotive sector find the best fit for their company in terms of skillset, experience and culture.

Trade Bodies

Ben

W: ben.org.uk

T: 0808 131 1333

Info: Ben is a not-for-profit organisation that partners with the automotive industry to provide support for life to its people and their families.

Vehicle Photography

Dealer 360

W: dealer360.co.uk

T: 01270 780855

E: nicky.spratt@ukturntables.com

Info: UK makers of photo booths incorporating our turntables for car, van and motorcycle dealers. Our software controls turntable and cameras – a onestop solution.

Vehicle Tracking

Meta Trak

W: metatrak.co.uk

T: 020 8867 2340

E: enquiries@metatrak.co.uk

Info: Total vehicle security. Clever tracking technology, advanced immobilisation, 24/7 monitoring and an easy-to-use app. Security. Connectivity. Peace of mind.

Warranty Providers

AutoProtect

W: autoprotect.co.uk

T: 01279 406888

E: sales@autoprotect.net

Info: AutoProtect offers a full portfolio of award-winning protection products, including GAP. We lead the market with an ‘Excellent’ rating on Trustpilot.

Warranty Providers

Car Care Plan

W: carcareplan.com

T: 0344 573 8000

Info: Car Care Plan is a leading provider of motor protection products, trusted around the world to deliver quality protection with integrity and a customer-oriented outlook.

Warranty Providers

Centurion Warranties

W: centurionwarranties.co.uk

T: 0800 368 7420

E: support@cwuk.net

Info: Centurion offers comprehensive aftermarket warranty solutions to motor dealers across the UK who sell first-owned vehicles through to high-end, prestige and sports cars.

Warranty Providers

Händler Protect

W: handlerprotect.com

T: 0800 088 7889

E: sales@handlerprotect.com

Info: Händler Protect is an exclusive dealer warranty provider. Proud to partner and represent more than 1,000-plus ‘active’ independent motor dealers across the UK each month.

Warranty Providers

Warrantywise

W: warrantywise.co.uk/dealer

T: 0800 001 4551

E: dealers@warrantywise.co.uk

Info: Warrantywise sells over 100,000 warranties per year.

Quentin Willson personally designed

Warrantywise to be the UK’s best used car warranty.

Warranty Providers

WMS

W: wmsgroup.co.uk

T: 01844 293810

E: sales@wmsgroup.co.uk

Info: Open 24/7, we offer award-winning warranty products for FCA- and non-FCA-registered dealerships.

Website Design & Digital Marketing

Bluesky Interactive

W: blueskyinteractive.co.uk

T: 01926 651000

Info: Bluesky Interactive drive dealer websites and digital marketing forward thanks to game-changing innovation, the latest technology and our exceptional relationships with our clients.

Website Design & Digital Marketing

Haswent

W: haswent.com

T: 020 3920 6164

E: hello@haswent.com

Info: Composer is a next-gen automotive platform. You have extensive stock management options, and you’ll gain a brilliantly responsive new website.

Website Design & Digital Marketing

Spidersnet

W: spidersnet.co.uk

T: 01273 837749

E: hello@spidersnet.co.uk

Info: Websites that are designed to increase the number of customers for dealers. We have solutions for all budgets and needs. All solutions include our DMS Autopromotor.

GENESIS GV60

Thinking about travelling on the continent in an electric car? Jack Evans tested the GV60 during just such a journey.

Long-distance jaunts across the continent normally include some large stretches of highway driving, which tends to be the secret nemesis of the battery-powered car. EVs don’t like travelling at high speeds for long durations, as it puts their motors under greater stress, which is why you’ll often see the range slide away in impressive fashion when you’re driving at motorway speeds.

So when a trip to Antwerp just before Christmas in ‘my’ new Genesis GV60 long-termer was proposed, I was a little nervous to say the least.

Thankfully, an overnight stay at a hotel near Folkestone – with an on-site charger to use – meant I started the trip with a usefully full battery, albeit one showing a range of just over 220 miles, which was somewhat off the claimed total range of 289 miles from this dualmotor Sport Plus variant. Still, the spirit of adventure remaining strong, I got to the Channel Tunnel, aboard the train and into France without any real issue.

The distance between Calais and Antwerp is 126 miles, but nearly all of this is on the highway and I was wondering how much this would eat into the GV60’s range.

But the GV60 carried along at a decent lick with little bother, and a clever automatic heating system that maintains a temperature without too much battery charge-reducing stress on the system meant I didn’t have to sit there in the chill to preserve range.

The GV60 nailed the journey straight to Antwerp on one charge. Parked up and on charge once again at the hotel in the centre of the city, I had a dawdle round the Christmas markets while the Genesis topped up overnight.

Having these destination chargers is a complete game-changer in the EV racket, as coming back to your car the following morning having had it completely charged makes such a difference.

Having a full ‘tank’ meant that straying off the direct route back to the tunnel and checking out the ‘must-stop’ location of Bruges didn’t cause me a moment’s worry about charging – there were even some handy 7kW ‘fast’ chargers at the car park we used. It seemed a shame not to plug in and top up again, so with a flash of the card we were trickling away to make up the energy we’d lost between Antwerp and Bruges.

Sufficiently full of Belgian food, it was time to sweep back towards Calais. By the time I reached the tunnel, the GV60 wasn’t looking like it would get me all the way home to Chichester, so I managed to hook up to a rapid charger right by the FlexiPlus terminal, which boosted the car’s range to more than enough to travel homewards.

Getting on to the UK’s motorways always feels like a disappointment to me. Over in France and Belgium, the roads are smooth and well looked after, whereas the first few stretches of Kent motorway have an almost lunar-like quality to them.

Still, the GV60’s ride is good enough to shake off the worst of the potholes, and with an incredible 483bhp available through the twin motors of this Genesis, I managed to get back with plenty of charge and in good time, too.

It was my first big drive in the Genesis but it was one that I needn’t have worried about –I’ll definitely be keen to get back across the Channel whenever I can in the GV60.

The GV60 next to its larger GV70 stablemate

THE KNOWLEDGE

Genesis GV60 Sport Plus

Price (as tested): £67,505

Powertrain: Dual electric motors with 77.4kWh battery

Power: 483bhp

Torque: 700Nm

0-60mph: 3.8 seconds

Top speed: 146mph

Range: 289 miles

Max charge rate: 350kW

Mileage: 7,867 miles

This month’s highlight:

Loving the clever automatic heating system that preserves the car’s range while keeping out the chill.

Charging is remarkably widespread in France and Belgium

The C5 X is one of the quirkier cars in Citroen’s range

CITROEN C5 X

Driving the C5 X has been a largely positive experience, but Nigel Swan has had a couple of issues with it.

It’s been a busy start to the year for our long-term Citroen C5 X and one thing’s for sure –it’s settled into life as the video support car pretty well.

Normally when a long-termer arrives, you learn pretty quickly what elements of it that you’re really going to get on with and which ones you’re going to find frustrating, and so far it’s mainly only positive with this quirky French hybrid.

Having the flexibility of a petrol engine and power from a battery too means that I’m spending less time at the petrol pumps. A lot of my shorter journeys in the C5 X are around town – a mix of taking pooch to the beach, running to the gym and football or popping to the shops for supplies.

I’ve now got into a routine of pulling the car into an outdoor three-pin plug when I get back from a drive, which tops the battery up overnight, meaning petrol-free driving when pottering around town. Not only is that good for the wallet, but it also makes me feel like I’m doing my bit for the environment. Obviously, the costs are passed on to my electricity bill, but I’ve been keeping tabs on my monthly statement and I haven’t really noticed any big changes.

On average, I’m getting around 30 miles of petrol-free driving, which is more than enough for my everyday use. The only thing I’ve found is that when I go on trips a little further afield, I haven’t really been anywhere that I can plug the car in, so essentially the petrol engine is working that little bit harder carrying those heavy batteries around.

The benefits of having the ability to plug into a charger as well as having a petrol engine became evident when I caught up with a friend recently, meeting them about an hour away from our respective houses. They have a Renault Zoe, and while I was able to drive to and from our meeting place with relatively little planning, they had to completely work out their journey and it took twice as long to factor in charging times.

I’ll be honest, though – I’m not taking full advantage of the charging infrastructure just yet. However, while on a recent shoot at Nissan’s R&D centre in the Midlands, I was able to plug it into the charging stations there, which gave it a bit of a boost.

So it’s pretty clear that if you’re in the market for a car where there’s going to be a balance of town driving and some motorway work, then the C5 X should definitely be worth considering. If you’re mainly going to be using it on longer journeys, though, then the 1.6-litre petrol would make more sense.

I think there are only two things that have really frustrated me but nothing I’d consider damning. The first is the boot, which is a good size and shape, offering 485 litres of room for luggage, but that’s 60 litres fewer than the non-hybrid version, since it’s quite shallow as it slopes. The other mild frustration is the infotainment screen, which is a bit slow to respond, and some of the commands and controls aren’t as intuitive as you’d find in some of the best systems in this class. Oh, and one more thing, although it’s more of an annoyance to my neighbours than to me... Every time I walk past the car with the keys in my pockets, it unlocks the car then beeps before locking – not ideal at 4am when I’m leaving early for a shoot and have to take the bins out and walk past it a few times.

Price (as tested): £27,790

Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol with electric motor

Power: 222bhp

Torque: 360Nm

0-60mph: 7.7 seconds

Top speed: 145mph

Economy: 186.2-236.2mpg

Emissions: 30g/km CO2

Mileage: 7,105 miles

This month’s highlight:

Getting around 30 miles of petrol-free driving –more than enough for my everyday use.

A good amount of range comes from a full battery

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