Ignition Magazine New Zealand | November 2021

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DRIVELIFE REVIEWS 2021 Renault Megane R.S. Trophy 300

ADVANCED DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS How they operate, individually & collectively

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CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2021

David Fraser Group CEO

CEO’s message

Whether we like it or not (and many don’t) and whether we’re ready for it or not (and most of us aren’t), our industry is on the verge of a permanent change, led by the switch to electric vehicles (EVs).

EVs are going to forever alter the way our workshops look, the equipment we need to operate, and the training our people need to do their jobs.

According to a recent major analysis of the automotive aftermarket for light vehicles by McKinsey , electric vehicles will make up between 18 and 26 per cent of the global car parc by 2030. I acknowledge it’s easy to dismiss that figure. After all, we’re probably talking about less than a quarter of the market, we’re talking eight years away, and it’s a global figure when Australia (in particular) is moving at a snail’s pace on electric vehicle adoption. But it’s the indicators from the car manufacturers that matter. They’re providing the pipeline of vehicles that will eventually emerge onto the aftermarket, and many of them are all-in on electric.

It’s going to take a new generation of workshops to service this new generation of cars. Earlier this year less than 20 per cent of Members told State of the Nation they either were, or would be, ready to service EVs. While only one in four Members said EVs were a challenge for this industry, that’s up on last year, so there is clear evidence of a growing anxiety about the potential for EVs to disrupt our business models. If you’re looking at the horizon and you’re worried, and you’re not doing anything about it, then you’re right to worry. EVs are a game changer. As McKinsey & Co points out, “electrification means a whole new suite of car components, requiring technical competencies and capabilities. At the same time, some conventional parts will become increasingly marginal and ultimately vanish. EVs have fewer moving parts, less wear and tear and, thus, significantly lower maintenance costs.”

But there’s still plenty of opportunity for workshops to make money servicing the vehicles of the future. EVs will still need tyres, suspension systems and wiper blades, but the next generation of workshops will need less motor oil and fewer spare clutches, transmissions and exhausts, and more expertise with HV and LV batteries. The services we charge for, what we charge and the way we charge might change, even though customer service costs are projected to stay the same. This change is also seen in the equipment and training we need to do our jobs.

It might all still seem a long way off, but as business owners we need to have one eye on the horizon now, to make sure we make the right investments for the future. If we don’t we’ll be left playing catch-up with our competitors who have embraced the challenge of becoming a next-generation workshop.

You can find out more from the McKinsey & Co "Making every part count" report by visiting mckinsey.com

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8 2021 Renault Megane R.S. Trophy 300

12 Future Ride

The Emira is Lotus’ new supercharged 3.5-litre 289 kW power (400 hp) V6

14 Automechanika

Automechanika Frankfurt, finally returned in 2021

16 Member Ride 18 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems

How they operate – both individually and collectively

22 Change your workshop life

Yours in cooperation,

With these tools and resources

David Fraser

vehicle fleet

Group CEO

24 New Zealand What's changing?

CAPRICORN IGNITION NOVEMBER 2021 3

NEWS

CAPRICORN’S LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT RECIPIENT

CONGRATULATIONS ROB MILDENHALL Capricorn’s National Panel Manager, Rob Mildenhall, was recently awarded the National Collision Repairer Lifetime Achievement Award.

The National Collision Repairer Lifetime Achievement Awards are held every year to recognise key industry influencers who have helped to shape, build and disrupt the collision repair industry since the second half of the twentieth century.

Rob was inducted for his commitment to the collision repair industry across multiple nations for over 20 years. He has championed safe and proper repairs, building the bridge between manufacturers, suppliers and independent body shops and raising the profile of the industry.

Rob continues to represent his Members at a wide variety of industry events, has contributed to numerous industry publications and led the 2019 Futures Collide Forum. In his nomination, David Newton-Ross (a 2009 inductee) spoke highly of Rob’s knowledge, commitment and passion for developing a stronger, better collision repair sector.

From everyone at Capricorn, we would like to wish Rob a big congratulations on his welldeserved achievement.

To find out more about the National Collision Repairer’s Lifetime Achievement Awards, visit nationalcollisionrepairer.com.au

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Both Members and non-Members felt it was important to choose a provider that understands their industry and has a reasonable premium or contribution cost and easy-to-understand coverage.

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Contact Capricorn Risk Services 0800 555 303 I info@capricornrisk.com I capricorn.coop/risk Products sold through Capricorn Risk Services Pty Ltd (NZBN 9429041139813) include discretionary risk protection and general insurance products. Discretionary risk protection is issued out of Australia by Capricorn Mutual Ltd. Before deciding to acquire discretionary risk protection you should consider the Product Disclosure Statement to see if it is appropriate for you. This can be obtained from Capricorn Risk Services Pty Ltd by phoning 0800 555 303 via email info@capricornrisk.com or by visiting website capricornrisk.com. General insurance products are issued by a range of insurers and are available through Capricorn Risk Services Pty Ltd as a member broker of PSC Connect NZ Limited. Capricorn Risk Services Pty Ltd is a registered financial services provider (390446) and a corporate Authorised Representative (No. 460893) of Capricorn Mutual Ltd (AFSL 230038).

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The insurance protection you need, and you might not have yet If you thought cyber criminals took a break throughout Covid-19, it might be time to think again.

Over the last 12 months, a cybercrime report was made every 8 minutes in Australia, an increase of nearly 13% from the previous financial year. Also, one in three New Zealanders have reportedly fallen victim to cybercrime.

Aside from people feeling shocked that this could happen, cybercrime is causing a big economic impact too, with financial losses now totalling more than AUD$33 billion in Australia and NZD$198 million in New Zealand in the last financial year.

And cybercriminals aren’t just targeting large businesses. According to the Australian Cyber Security Centre, small businesses made a higher number of cybercrime reports; however, medium-sized businesses had the largest reported losses due to cybercrime, losing on average AUD$33,442 per cybercrime report over AUD $14,000 more than the average loss for large businesses.

Why are they targeting small and medium businesses? Often because small to medium businesses don’t have sophisticated IT security systems often found in larger companies.

Haydn from Alltorque Diesel in Western Australia fell victim to a type of cybercrime called ‘business email compromise’ which now accounts for approximately AUD $80 million of all cybercrimes. Two months ago, cyber criminals intercepted emails between Haydn and a customer, allowing the criminals to impersonate Alltorque Diesel.

The criminals sent emails to a customer explaining Haydn had changed the business bank accounts. They had even managed to set

up a false bank account in Alltorque Diesel’s name, making them seem legitimate.

Haydn noticed that something was wrong when the customer missed a payment, something that seemed off, as the customer regularly paid on time. When he rang to enquire, the customer explained about the bank account change.

After reports to the cyber fraud squad, and multiple bank claims later, Haydn has had to wear half of the cost of the transaction. He is transitioning away from the old email address, even though it is a Microsoft account and he thought it would be secure.

Ransomware also remains one of the most disruptive threats to businesses, with an increase of over 15% over the last 12 months.

Peter from BP Tanawha in Queensland discovered just how disruptive ransomware can be.

Around two years ago, cyber criminals were able to shut down Peter’s petrol station by getting access to his systems through TeamViewer or email. The criminals held two points of sale, back office and petrol pumps hostage through the use of ransomware .

What started as demands for $2,800 soon grew to over $48,000. After receiving support to clear his system on a Friday, Peter thought he was clear, before he arrived to work on Monday and the same smiley face and countdown appeared demanding money again.

As all of his IT systems were integrated, Peter has had to replace all of his hardware and software, as well as wear the cost of the interruption to his business. He was surprised cyber criminals would be interested in hacking a business like his.

He says he has always been careful when accessing emails and files on the internet, and he checks in regularly with his software partners for updates to security protocols. Nonetheless it really can happen to anyone, and Peter has spoken to a few local businesses who have had similar attacks on their IT infrastructure.

If you don’t have IT security in place, we highly recommend you speak to a specialist as soon as possible to set up your first line of defence.

You may as well make it as hard as possible for criminals to get into your system.

The other step we encourage every Member to take is purchasing cyber insurance. If you do fall victim to a cyberattack it is important to act fast, and having cyber insurance allows you to do just that. Depending on your policy, cyber insurance may cover: • Loss of revenue from interrupted business • Hiring negotiators and paying a ransom • Recovering and replacing records or data • Liability and third-party loss • Defence of legal claims • Preventing further attacks.

Having cyber insurance gives you access to IT specialists who can access your IT system, stop any further damage, and attempt to undo the damage done by the criminals.

The policies are relatively inexpensive, and although they won’t prevent an attack from happening, they can make all the difference in keeping the costs involved in the cleanup under control. It may be a worthwhile investment for your business.

To find out more about cyber insurance, contact your Risk Account Manager today or visit capricorn.coop/risk

Contact Capricorn Risk Services 0800 555 303 I info@capricornrisk.com I capricorn.coop/risk Products sold through Capricorn Risk Services Pty Ltd (NZBN 9429041139813) include discretionary risk protection and general insurance products. Discretionary risk protection is issued out of Australia by Capricorn Mutual Ltd. Before deciding to acquire discretionary risk protection you should consider the Product Disclosure Statement to see if it is appropriate for you. This can be obtained from Capricorn Risk Services Pty Ltd by phoning 0800 555 303 via email info@capricornrisk.com or by visiting website capricornrisk.com. General insurance products are issued by a range of insurers and are available through Capricorn Risk Services Pty Ltd as a member broker of PSC Connect NZ Limited. Capricorn Risk Services Pty Ltd is a registered financial services provider (390446) and a corporate Authorised Representative (No. 460893) of Capricorn Mutual Ltd (AFSL 230038).

CAPRICORN IGNITION NOVEMBER 2021 7

DRIVELIFE

2021 RENAULT MEGANE R.S. Trophy 300 Written by DriveLife online

It’s too easy to forget the Renault Megane R.S. Trophy 300 when you think of a hot hatch.

Others instantly spring to mind, like the VW Golf R, Honda Civic Type R, and Hyundai i30N, with the Megane coming through later as an “oh, and I forgot the Megane R.S.” So then, you have to ask yourself: can the 2021 version of the Megane R.S. Trophy hold a candle to that mainstay that is the Golf R, let alone those cap-on-backwards whippersnappers like the Type R and i30N? Now that we’ve made it to Level 2 of Lockdown, DriveLife spent a week with the 2021 Renault Megane R.S. Trophy 300.

THE RANGE Typing in 2021 Renault Megane R.S. Trophy 300 every time I want to mention this car is going to get boring, so from here on it’s known as the Megane, or R.S. You get the idea. The ‘300’ part of the name refers to the number of horsepower that this engine makes — an impressive number for an 1800 cc motor.

Model choices? Manual or automatic, that’s your choice right there. Yep, there’s just one model of Megane R.S. Trophy available in New Zealand, so that makes your choices lots easier.

The manual has 20 less Nm of torque than the automatic, but otherwise all other specs are almost the same, namely

‘4CONTROL’ (four-wheel steering), 19” Jerez R.S. alloy wheels, an integrated 9.3” central touchscreen display, Bose audio system, Cup chassis with four hydraulic compression stops including Torsen limited-slip differential, red brake callipers, custom springs/shock absorbers, Launch Control, front and rear parking sensors, rear-view camera, cruise control/ speed limiter, hill start assist, tyre pressure monitoring system, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capability, sat nav, electric folding and heated door mirrors, autodown electric windows, dual-zone AC, keyless entry and start, automatic wipers, automatic headlights, an R.S. perforated nappa steering wheel and gear lever knob with R.S. airbag cover, R.S. sports seats with integrated headrests, chrome-plated Renault Sport front door sills, Alcantara

8 CAPRICORN IGNITION NOVEMBER 2021

R.S. black upholstery with red contrast stitching, and a 7” active driver’s display screen.

You don’t get Launch Control with the manual version, and it has a manual handbrake. The automatic comes with alloy steering wheel paddles, MultiChange Down (an advanced downshift system), and an electronic parking brake (with Auto-Hold system).

Power comes from a 1.8-litre inline fourcylinder petrol engine, which manages an outstanding 221 kW of power and 420 Nm of torque (400 Nm in the manual version). The turbocharger has ceramic ball bearings to help it spin more freely.

The automatic gearbox is a 6-speed dual-

clutch (DCT) unit, and the manual is also a 6-speed. Prices range from $65,990 for the manual to $68,990 for the automatic.

Renault suggests fuel economy for the automatic to be 8.0L/100 km, and 8.3L/100 km for the manual.

Check out the Renault New Zealand website for more Megane R.S. information.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS All I could do was hope that Renault New Zealand would deliver a test car in either of the Renault Sport colours; Sirius Yellow, or even better still, Orange Tonic. For me, these are the only two colours for the Megane RS. As you can see, our test car is Orange Tonic, and it looks superb. It’s hard to see in the photos, but in the sunlight this car changes colours slightly with a bit of pearl coming through in the paint. Don’t fear if you think I’ve gone mad if the car simply looks orange to you – in the flesh, it’s a different colour.

The 2021 version of this car has sharper lines all over, and it looks far better for it. Up front, there’s an ‘F1 blade’, widened wheel arches, and lateral air extractor vents. With those R.S. LED 3-function lights (fog, cornering and long-range) it looks sharp as hell and certainly hits the sporty mark full-on. The rear of the car is just as good with a central exhaust, rear spoiler and diffuser. It looks the business from behind and that central exhaust is a treat.

Then there are the rims. While our test car was fitted with the standard rims, to me that looked amazing. The red-painted spokes, the design – everything about these wheels is totally awesome.

THE INTERIOR A partly flat-bottom steering wheel greets you as you open the R.S.’s door. It’s perforated nappa, chunky, and small and has a double-diamond R.S. badge on the lower spoke. Actually, as you open the door, firstly you’ll see the huge chrome-plated

Renault Sport sill covers. Then the stainlesssteel pedals catch your eye, along with a massive stainless-steel left-foot rest.

Adding to the sportiness is red stitching on the steering wheel, seats, gearshift gaiter, doors and console. All seatbelts have a red stripe running through the centre of them, just in case you weren’t sure this is a sports car.

Renault has added fake carbon fibre trim around the cabin, and this includes the doors – to the point of some padded pieces on the doors that are made to look like carbon fibre too. All the trim looks wellmade, well-finished and fits well, with no misalignment or ugly gaps.

If that’s not enough to say Renault Sport, look at the seats: fixed-headrest sports seats with massive bolsters, along with a bright red RS logo at the top. There’s no power adjustment for the seats. You can adjust the height manually, but the only extra for the seats is that they are heated. The seats are finished in Alcantara, which is perfect for holding you in place. That Alcantara is also on top of the centre console lid.

Everything is black inside the R.S. so those dabs of red are really needed. It’s a pretty dark cabin, and without the optional sunroof can feel a little claustrophobic.

Rear legroom is very average, and headroom is not too generous. Still, rearseat passengers also get access to two USB ports, as well as two air vents.

The boot is enormous at 434 litres – that’s over double the size of a Corolla hatch.

There’s no spare under the floor, instead you get a 12-volt pump, which is placed next to the Bose Acoustic Wave System.

THE DRIVE It doesn’t take very far in this car for you to realise this ain’t no namby-pamby, wannabe race car. The steering is heavy, the ride is

jiggly and it makes all sorts of noises in any gear in any drive mode. In a short distance, you get the feeling that this is a race car for the road, and not a road car you might take to the track, and it’s a lot rawer than something like the Type R or i30N. Starting the car, it reverts to ‘My Sense’ mode every time. My Sense is a programmable drive mode, but you can also tweak the other drive modes, just not to the same extent.

So, if you have the exhaust set to Race in My Sense, you are going to get burbles and bangs on start-up. Is that what I did? Totally.

Did the neighbours complain? Very much.

The other drive modes are Sport, Race, and Save (Eco mode to you and me).

There’s a good list of things you can tweak in the settings for drive modes, with each mode having a limited set that you can actually change. Settings you can edit include powertrain, 4Control, engine sound, exhaust sound, lighting, AC, and throttle response. An example of editing the settings is Save mode: you can only adjust AC and lighting in this mode. I actually had to refer to the manual to check out some of the settings for drive modes, and the instructions weren’t in the actual car’s manual; I had to look in the Multimedia manual to find them. Weird.

While you can simply press the drive mode button to change modes, you have to manually select Race mode on the central screen. The reason for this is that it disables traction control, and with 300 horsepower through the front wheels, you need it. I did test the car a few times in Race mode, and man, it’s a handful. Massive torque steer, lots of wheelspin, and lots of fun. While this may sound a bit scary, for me the overall experience of the R.S. was that it took me back to the 80s with front-wheel drive cars with turbochargers and not much else.

Those cars forced you to actually drive them, otherwise, they would bite you in the ass.

The R.S. is very much the same as those early turbo-performance cars but with far better

The contents of and any opinions contained in this article do not reflect the opinions of Capricorn Society Ltd and Capricorn makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or reliability of any C A P R I C O R N I G N I T I O N N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 1 9 material in this article.

the seat heater buttons. They have just two settings, compared to three on most cars. The two settings should be named ‘thermonuclear’ for the hottest setting and ‘boil’ for the lower setting. These things can cook a chicken on a long trip.

Speaking of long trips, on my last day with the R.S. I decided to head to Manfeild racetrack to take my photos. This would also give me a chance to take the car on a reasonably long trip, including boring Highway 1 on the way to Feilding, and then across the Paihiatua Track and back home via Highway 2, Masterton and the Remutaka Hill.

handling capabilities. It demands respect and it demands a driver who can handle a car as raw as the R.S. This is not a car for someone overconfident in their abilities, or a younger, less-experienced driver. While it’s not a rocket ship – 0-100 km/h takes 5.7 seconds – the overall performance is stunning. Midrange passing is a blur, and the engine doesn’t stop giving its all until the 6,500 rpm redline.

It does have a Torsen limited-slip differential, and that’s essential. Grip on hard acceleration is surprising. Yes, there will be axle tramp, but the car gets the power down. The proof of this is when you switch to Race mode with no ESC and then there’s hell to pay. While it may feel raw to drive, electronics assist this car to get its power onto the tarmac.

From the driver’s seat, there are some nice, clear gauges. It’s an active dash, so you can change the style of the dash to suit your drive mode. Sport mode sees a big rev counter dead centre, while Race mode changes the rev counter into a bar-type unit, which is not good at all, being too hard to read in a hurry. You can customise the dash to whatever you want in each drive mode, so that means you can change that Race mode dash to something more readable.

I left Wellington in light traffic and the drive north was a breeze. It gave me time to reflect on what the Megane R.S. doesn’t have for its $68K price tag. You only get standard cruise – not adaptive – there’s no blind-spot monitoring, no wireless phone charging, no electric seats, no lumbar adjust.

But I didn’t care. The more I came to realise the R.S. is a race car for the road, having luxuries like adaptive cruise control seems like performance-zapping extravagance.

At times, I ran the car in Save (eco) mode to see how it went. This wasn’t an issue.

With a reasonably lightweight at 1,450 Kg and 420 Nm of torque peaking at a low 2,4000 rpm, Save mode was too easy.

When in Save mode, you get a green leaf on the dash that grows bigger and bigger, like an automotive version of Pinocchio. I will admit to making the tree grow large on the drive to Feilding as the R.S. and I simply cruised along.

Around the outside of that slightly flatbottomed steering wheel are the paddle shifters. They are huge, rising up into the air so there’s no chance of missing them on a spirited drive, or on the track. But they don’t move with the steering wheel, which is a real shame. I often found myself reaching for them mid-bend, only to find they weren’t there.

The centre display is nice and clear too, and a good size as well. The resolution is excellent, although it can lag a little between screens. Below the screen are 1 0 CAPRICORN IGNITION NOVEMBER 2021

I was concerned about how comfortable the seats might be on a long trip. They look and feel firm and unforgiving. But to my surprise, on my whole 400 km day of driving, I had no aches or pains or anything else. They were excellent.

Rear visibility is not great, with big headrests and a narrow rear window. For some reason this reminded me of the movie Gumball Rally, where Franco says, “What's-a behind me is not important”, and then throws the mirror away. That’s what the R.S. can do to your mentality.

After 2.5 hours, I arrived at Manfeild racetrack, and they graciously allowed me to drive around the track to find a spot to take photos. I wasn’t allowed to ‘race’ around the track but stopping on the back straight on the way to my photo spot means that I could test out Launch Control. The R.S. isn’t easy to get into Launch Control.

The process is to select either Sport or Race mode and hold both paddles until ‘Launch mode ready’ appears in orange on the dash. Then foot on the brake until ‘Launch Control’ goes green, then off with the paddles, down with the gas pedal, and when you are ready, release the brake. In Sport mode (with ESC on) it shot forward very nicely, the power being sent down to that smooth tarmac. I tried again in Race mode, and this was a different story. Lots of wheelspin – but reined in early on – and much forward momentum. While it’s not the fastest kid on the block to 100 km/h, the way it does it in Launch Control makes it a lot of fun.

Continuing on around the track, this car sits flat. I thought the Honda Civic Type R was the king of flat cornering in a frontwheel drive, but I think there’s a new king.

The Megane R.S. carves through corners like – and I hate to say this overused statement – like it’s on rails. Part of that –

DRIVELIFE

2021 RENAULT MEGANE

and I really noticed this on the track – is likely down to the 4Control, or 4-wheel steering. You can actually feel it working as you get the car quickly around the bends, racetrack or road. This also aids the turn-in, and the turn-in on the R.S. is excellent.

I had concerns that the hard-riding side of this car would mean some skipping on bumpy corners, but the rebound damping on the R.S. is excellent. Even mid-corner bumps would not unsettle the car in the slightest. Grip on corners is also excellent, with those Bridgestone Potenza tyres at 245/35/19 holding on to the last.

For a front-wheel drive car, the R.S. is outstanding in the handling department.

As expected, there’s rev-matching in Sport or Race mode, and the exhaust sounds are both stupendous and childish.

Aside from the handling, the noises that this car makes also trump the Type R by a very long way. I expect there’s going to be a few Honda Type R owners with their windows down, listening as a Megane R.S. drives past. They will be jealous, especially since this is a real weakness of the Type R. The engine in this Renault is easily as smooth as the Type R or i30N as well; right out to the redline it sounds great and is extremely smooth at any revs.

I haven’t mentioned it yet, but it’s time: the steering feel on this car is the best I’ve had for a very long time. You feel every bump on the road (or track) through that wheel, and that makes it so much easier to drive it on the limit, knowing exactly what’s happening up front. Yes, it makes for heavier steering at all speeds, but the payoff is worth it. The steering is very quick too, as you’d expect. It absolutely nails the whole “I’m a real race car” feeling.

ECONOMY

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INTERIOR

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PERFORMANCE

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SAFETY

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STYLING

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On the track, I used the paddles for manual gear changes. As mentioned, this isn’t ideal since they are fixed. The gearbox on the whole is excellent. With the dual clutch, you still get that slowness away at low speeds while the clutches disengage. But on the move, it’s a dream, with lightningquick changes in Sport and Race modes.

Of course, each change up is met with a bang from the exhaust if you are using full throttle. Race car much? I loved this aspect of the car, and it was one of the reasons I wasn’t so concerned it wasn’t a manual.

CONS

The brakes are quite large, at 355 mm discs for the front and 290 mm for the rear and red Brembo brake callipers front and rear.

The braking power is there, but for me the pedal was a bit too soft and lacking in feeling. This was the one area where I felt the Megane had not nailed the whole racecar effect. I see other owners and motoring journalists not mentioning the same thing, so perhaps it was just our test car.

Where the Type R and i30N can easily be used as a daily driver, not so much the Megane R.S. 300 Trophy. It’s brutal, but in a good way. This is a car to leave in the garage for a bit of fun on a sunny weekend, preferably with a few twisty roads thrown in. Got time to take it to the track? Even better.

Renault suggests that the car should use around 8.0 litres of premium (only) fuel for every 100 km driven. After driving 900 kilometres in this car, my result was 9.0.

Higher? Sure, but still very impressive when you consider the performance of this car.

THE PROS & CONS PROS • • • • • • • • •

Engine noise Exhaust noise Handling Steering Mid-range acceleration Absolute fun factor Surprising grip for FWD Sits flat through the bends Amazing turn-in

• • • • •

Hard ride (understandably) Paddle shifter mounting No HUD Torque steer & axle tramp Not for rookie drivers

THE VERDICT

However, after my trip to the track and back, it wasn’t all bad – but I knew the Type R would have been an easier drive.

But the R.S. isn’t about easy. It’s about being a driver, taking control and getting the most from the car.

So what about the manual option?

Honestly, I know the auto is going to be quicker and more economical, but give me a gear lever any day. I think it could only help the fun factor in this car. At least we have a manual option in New Zealand; I see some other countries are stuck with an automatic only.

This car rides hard, sounds loud, looks amazing, and goes like hell around corners. What more could you want?

The contents of and any opinions contained in this article do not reflect the opinions of Capricorn Society Ltd and Capricorn makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or reliability of any material in this article.

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FUTURE RIDE

Enjoy a double date If Lotus, the car manufacturer, was choosing a photo for its Tinder profile, it’d probably pick an image of its next-generation electric endurance racer, the E-R9.

And why wouldn’t they. It’s stunning. Sleek.

Sexy. Dramatic. “It’s partly driven like a car, and partly flown like a fighter jet,” says Lotus chief aerodynamicist, Richard Hill.

How’s that for a profile title? You’d swipe right, right?

The E-R9 isn’t quite here yet. Lotus says it’ll be ready for the racetrack in 2030. Its design builds on technology already integrated into the Evija (Lotus’ “pure electric hypercar”) including an advanced electric drivetrain, enhanced with torque-vectoring, which powers each wheel independently.

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The expectation is that by 2030 the industry will have created mixed cell chemistry batteries that provide world-beating energy density and power density, and they’ll have the ability to “hot-swap” batteries during pit stops.

So, that’s what’s under the bonnet (or what Lotus hopes will be under the bonnet). But for the sake of our fantasy automotive Tinder profile analogy, it’s the look of the E-R9 that matters—those aerodynamic sweeps and curves.

Lotus says the E-R9 will have “morphing” body panels, or “active surface that can change their shape and attitude to airflow either at the press of a button by the driver or automatically according to performance sensor inputs”.

These will “deliver minimum drag on the straights and maximum downforce on corners”.

with Lotus’ latest What about the fighter jet part?

“Vertical control surfaces at the rear would generate aerodynamic forces to help the car change direction, without limitations of grip at the tyre control patch,” Lotus claims. So, there you have it: a tail wing, like a plane.

While we might be swiping right on the E-R9, in reality, it’s not swiping right on you. It’s unobtainable. That future you’re imagining together is a pipedream, not a reality. You’re not a match. (It’s probably a catfish, anyway.)

On the other hand, the Lotus Emira could well be a match. It’s every bit as beautiful and has plenty of personality—you’d still swipe right.

The Emira is Lotus’ new supercharged 3.5-litre 289 kW power (400 hp) V6. It comes with a sixspeed manual transmission as standard, with an optional six-speed auto with paddle shift.

It has been developed on a new lightweight bonded aluminium chassis, rides on 20-inch ultra-lightweight V-spoke forged alloy wheels, and has LED lights all round, a titanium exhaust finisher, heated power-fold door mirrors and rear parking sensors.

The seats are heated and it has climate control and cruise control, keyless start and selectable drive modes. It does zero to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds and has a top speed of 290 km/h.

The Emira is Lotus’ first new series production model in more than a decade and it’s set to rival the Porsche 718 Cayman. It’s being released onto the market next autumn. When you see it, you should probably swipe right. You wouldn’t want to miss out on the Emira if it’s a match.

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A VERY DIFFERENT AUTOMECHANIKA IN 2021

By Paul Marinelli

One and a half years after its last scheduled date was cancelled, the world’s largest automotive aftermarket trade fair, Automechanika Frankfurt, finally returned in 2021, albeit in a much smaller physical manner than over the past 25 biennial events.

Normally attracting more than 5,000 global exhibitors, the 2021 event held from September 14 to 16 saw a total of 388 companies take part, with only 53% of the exhibitors taking part personally at the Frankfurt showgrounds. The remainder took part online.

Normally this big daddy of global automotive aftermarket exhibition events would use more than 13 multi-level exhibition halls along with many large outdoor areas, welcoming more than 160,000 visitors from all over the world across five days.

Known as Automechanika Digital Plus for 2021, the pandemic-affected event saw Automechanika merged with Hypermotion, the world-leading technology, urban logistics and mobility concepts, intelligent supply chains and alternative drive technologies expo.

This year’s event saw 10,000 visitors take part from 70 countries, both in person and online.

More than two-thirds of all registered visitors made use of the many new Automechanika digital features including live streams, intelligent matchmaking events between suppliers and distributors, and one-on-one video calls.

This new way of running trade shows saw a total of 25,000 online interactions take place over the shortened three-day event, with 21,000 views of exhibitor streams and 1,600 video calls made. While representing a mere fraction of the business-generating activities that these industry events are world famous for, it did herald the return and the resilience of the global automotive aftermarket business despite the major disruptions placed in front of it by the pandemic.

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"Automechanika Frankfurt plans to return to its world-leading live exhibition format from September 13 to 17, 2022" According to Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt, organisers of Automechanika, “Finally, exhibitors and trade visitors had the opportunity to get together in person again and make new contacts, both onsite at the exhibition grounds and by using the digital event platform with international industry players.

“Following a long dry spell, the familiar trade fair feeling was quickly established, only this time it was with masks and a requirement that people be vaccinated, tested or recovered. It was a good warm-up for Automechanika Frankfurt next year,” Mr Braun said.

The concept behind this year’s Automechanika, an in-person trade fair supplemented by the ability to participate digitally, was well-received by exhibitors and visitors alike. The hybrid format enabled participation by international visitors who were unable to travel and for those who were able to attend, to deal face to face with manufacturers, marketers and distributors after being forced apart for such a long time.

Automechanika 2021 has also accelerated the trend towards digitalisation in the global automotive aftermarket. Although this was a forced situation, the clear effect of it is that digitalisation is making huge strides in the operation of independent automotive repair workshops across Europe and the world. As the response that the online component of this trade fair proved, more

workshops are taking advantage of opportunities that are made available to them online.

Christian Schwer, National Sales Manager of Liqui Moly, sums up the effectiveness of this year’s Automechanika Frankfurt, “During these unusual pandemic times, this year’s smaller Automechanika presented us with a chance to reopen communications with our customers, to be on location and make our presence felt as we resume in-person encounters. After all, business is done between people, and we believe that communication is everything. Without it, nothing is possible and that will remain true in future. Automechanika is the platform for the innovations and new technologies that we must all come to grips with not only as suppliers, but also as customers and as an industry. That was Automechanika’s role in the past, and that is what Automechanika continues to represent for us today.”

Automechanika Frankfurt plans to return to its worldleading live exhibition format from September 13 to 17, 2022. Australia’s major automotive aftermarket industry exhibition, the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Expo, is scheduled to return to Melbourne from April 7 to 9, 2022, after a similarly long absence.

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HOLLYWOOD ending for Geoff and his dad’s old Firebird If you haven’t yet seen Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, you’re missing a trick: the cars are very much the stars of this Quentin Tarantino film. They by far outshine Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and even Margot Robbie.

Among those starring cars is a stunning 1968 Pontiac Firebird, painted in a yellow hue called “Mayfair Maize”.

But even Hollywood couldn’t have come up with a story and a starring role for a Firebird that matches the one we’ve been told by Capricorn Member Kim Licari of Knoxfield Automotive Repairs, in Wantirna South, Victoria.

Her husband, Geoff, has been a motor mechanic for more than 30 years and the couple have owned the Knoxfield workshop for 23. Geoff grew up in the automotive industry: his father, Vic, was a motor mechanic and owned various service stations and workshops around Geelong.

And it’s a scene starring Geoff and his dad where our movie opens.

“When Geoff was around five years old, his dad had a 1968 Pontiac Firebird Convertible,” Kim said. “Geoff has many fond memories of this car — mostly of sitting on his dad’s lap ‘driving’ the car.

“Geoff also says that the love and memories he had for that car is what made him want to become a motor mechanic.”

But like any good Hollywood script, what really sets our story in motion is a shocking incident that turns everything on its head.

“Back in the 1970s when Vic owned the Firebird, he had it parked on the nature strip out the front of his

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house in Geelong,” Kim said. “Unfortunately, one night a drunk driver crashed into the back of the car and pushed it into a tree. This accident caused some very extensive and expensive damage to the Firebird and the driver did not have any insurance, so Vic did not get any payment to fix the car.

“Vic tried to have some of the panel damage repaired, but between work commitments and financial reasons was never able to afford to get it fixed properly and get the Pontiac back on the road.”

The Firebird was all there, but it was in pieces. Parts and panels were in boxes where it sat, with a cover over it, in Vic’s garage for many years. But Geoff was determined it wouldn’t stay that way.

“Geoff always wanted to get that Firebird, his dream car, back on the road,” Kim said. “When Geoff and I were in our early twenties, Geoff asked his dad if he could buy the Firebird off him so he could restore it.

“As Vic never had the money or time to do this himself, he agreed for Geoff to purchase the car on the proviso that when he restored it, he would then sell it to use the money to buy our first house.” So, in 1994, the couple purchased the car for $5000.

With the help of a couple of mates — one a panel beater, one a spray painter — and with Geoff a motor mechanic, they spent endless hours in Geoff’s cousin’s garage restoring the Firebird. Once restored it had a rebuilt engine, new paintwork, a new interior and a new convertible roof fitted.

“This rebuilt car was such a dream come true for Geoff and his dad. It was so great to see all of Geoff’s hard work pay off.”

The couple kept the car for a couple of years, during which time Geoff took it to car shows and it played a key role in several weddings. But then, in 1996, the inevitable day came. Geoff and Kim wanted to buy a house — and Geoff needed to keep his promise to his Dad. The couple sold the Firebird, raising almost $30,000 for a deposit on their first home.

MEMBER RIDE

“Geoff has always regretted that sale,” Kim said. “He always missed that car — to the point that he purchased another Pontiac Firebird at one stage. It was not the same, so he only hung onto it for a short period of time and sold it.”

But fear not, movie buffs — here comes your Hollywood ending!

It’s the year 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic is causing chaos around the world.

Businesses are shuttered thanks to lockdowns. At home, in Victoria, Geoff is scrolling through Facebook and various car websites when he spots the very car he’s been pining for all these years — his dad’s old Firebird.

It’s in South Australia, and it’s for sale.

Geoff immediately messaged the seller and confirmed by checking the VIN that it was, in fact, the same vehicle. They then spent hours sharing information about the car before Geoff told the seller he wanted it and he’d pay the asking price of $45,000.

But this Hollywood script still had one last twist for Geoff and Kim: the pandemic meant borders were closed. Geoff couldn’t collect the Firebird without having to self-isolate for two weeks in South Australia and then another two weeks in Victoria when he got home.

In the end, he organised for a freight company to pick up and deliver the car.

Finally, Geoff and his Firebird were reunited. Since he’d last seen her, she’d had a new crate motor installed. Other than that, she looked just as she had when Geoff last saw her. She had only done about 15,000 miles in the intervening 25 years.

“The key was still on the same Pontiac keyring that Geoff had given to the original buyer who had purchased it from us,” Kim said.

Since having the car back, Geoff has rebuilt and upgraded the motor, updated the rims and tyres, and replaced the bonnet.

“He wants to do a total body restoration at some stage, but for now he is just so happy to have it back in the family, where it will continue to stay — as he has no intention of ever selling it again!” Kim said.

Now that is a “happily ever after” worthy of a Hollywood film.

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Advanced Driver Assistance Systems While we are all familiar with the term ADAS, it is likely that there are still a great many of us who are not fully across the entire suite of systems and how they operate – both individually and collectively.

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), as the name suggests, are installed to assist the driver in the safe operation of a vehicle. Of course, there are various definitions of driver assistance. The U.S. Society of Automotive Engineers provides a succinct summary highlighting the progression from driver assistance to driver automation as the systems become more complex. This is shown in Figure 1.

If you’re thinking that the driver assistance system “won’t affect me” – it probably already has, as these interconnected systems are well and truly operational. The latest estimate is that ADAS is installed in more than 300 models from various manufacturers currently operating in our market.

ADAS is, of course, not just a feature of luxury vehicles; it is now standard equipment on base model, everyday family cars and its use is growing daily. As a consequence, the calibration of ADAS is becoming an increasingly important factor for collision repairers and we need to understand some of the key points and our responsibilities when dealing with these systems.

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combinations of the two, plus the need for diagnostic tools to access the system to perform the calibration. Recalibration of these systems is required following — amongst other processes — the repair of the body that mounts the radar, changing the windscreen, changing and/or repairing the suspension, chassis repairs that may have changed the geometry in any way, sensor replacements, and even adjusting the wheel alignment can all impact the performance of ADAS,” added Erickson.

In a similar vein, Hella Gutmann points out that it’s always essential to refer to the vehicle manufacturer’s instructions, and they too provide some scenarios when radar sensor calibration or adjustment is necessary: after radar sensor replacement or dismantling/installation, after post-accident repairs to the body geometry, after changes to the vehicle level at the front or rear axle, after a suspected impact on the sensor, if the electronic control unit (ECU) detects exceeded tolerance levels for the measuring field, or after the impact carrier has been dismantled.

It is of critical importance to understand the difference between “adjustment” and “calibration” of these sensors.

According to Gutmann, adjustment of many radar sensors can be done vertically and horizontally using two screws, similar to headlamp adjustments. This is purely a manual adjustment.

However, the CU needs to be taught the new adjusted position, which automatically calibrates the ADAS. David Erickson of Bosch Automotive Service Solutions outlines some of the components: forward-facing stereo camera, rearview cameras, long- and medium-range radar, lidar, surround cameras and ultrasound. All of these sensors input data for functions such as adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, automatic emergency braking systems, intelligent headlight control and more. Figure 2 shows that these various systems are positioned throughout the vehicle.

“The initial set-up for these systems requires a levelling device that attaches to the radar, use of a three-position radar reflection mirror, and targets to calibrate the cameras.

The processes include static and dynamic calibration,

Other generations of radar sensors are not equipped with mechanical adjustment features. If the system detects an error, or after any of the above-mentioned repairs/changes, the measuring field must be calculated again, and a compensation value configured in the ECU. In this case, calibration via the vehicle’s software and diagnostic tool is required.

I’m sure by now you’re getting the picture: returning ADAS to manufacturer specifications is critical to the safety of the vehicle and its occupants. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, according to a recent study by the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), curves in the road are posing a

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challenge to advanced driver assistance features like adaptive cruise control (ACC) and more sophisticated partial automation systems, limiting their potential safety benefits.

manipulates the steering wheel or uses the indicator, or when the system’s sensors cannot detect the lines painted on the road.

ACC deactivates when the driver applies the brakes.

ACC and more advanced partial automation that combines ACC with lane centring are often disabled on some of the sharper curves present on limited-access roads, either because drivers switch the features off or they deactivate automatically. “We know that advanced driver assistance features may help prevent crashes, but obviously they can only do so if drivers use them,” said Wen Hu, IIHS Senior Research Transportation Engineer. “The study suggests that these technologies will only be able to reach their full potential if drivers trust them to handle the curves.”

Hu highlighted: “The fact that Pilot Assist was frequently inactive on the sharpest curves is an important limitation, since the kinds of crashes lane centring could help prevent are more likely to occur on curves than on straight roads.”

ACC works like conventional cruise control, but it automatically slows the vehicle to maintain a preselected following distance from the vehicle ahead, so the driver doesn’t need to repeatedly brake and reset the system. Lane centring provides automated steering assistance designed to keep the vehicle in the middle of the lane.

Interestingly, in a separate IIHS study, police-reported crashes showed that front crash prevention cuts rear-end crash rates in half and reduces rear-end crashes involving injuries by 56%. In addition, the appropriate use of ACC could further improve these figures since it typically results in greater following distances, giving drivers more time to react to an emergency ahead.

So, there is little doubt that the introduction and application of ADAS has had a significant impact on road safety when it operates in the manner in which it was intended.

All that being said, what is the takeaway?

Hu and her co-authors used data collected by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s advanced vehicle technology consortium. Onboard data-acquisition systems collected information from two 2016 Land Rover Range Rover Evoques and two 2017 Volvo S90 vehicles driven by 39 drivers over four weeks. The Evoques were equipped with ACC, and the S90s were equipped with both ACC and Volvo’s Pilot Assist partial automation system, which combines ACC and lane centring.

The data revealed that ACC and Pilot Assist were less likely to be active as curves became sharper. In the Evoque vehicles, drivers were 72% less likely to use ACC on the sharpest curves than on straight roads. In the S90 vehicles, drivers were 75% less likely to use Pilot Assist and 66% less likely to use ACC on the sharpest curves.

However, the researchers did not determine whether the driver switched off the system or it deactivated automatically. Lane centring can automatically become suspended when the driver

For more information on different ADAS levels scan the QR code

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Essentially, it’s the repairer’s responsibility to return the vehicle to pre-accident condition and ensure that the safety systems are fully operational. How the driver uses the technology is a separate matter.

In summary, as ADAS technology continues to develop and vehicles begin to make the transition to partial autonomy, the challenge becomes even greater. Fortunately, there are several global organisations that operate in this space and can provide you with advice, solutions, equipment and training to help you navigate what appears to be an ever-increasing technology minefield.

C h a t s nce a L

Order your Gift Cards before Friday, 26 November For the best chance of delivery before Xmas.

E-Vouchers can also be ordered up until 17 December. All other physical items should be ordered by 5 November for Xmas delivery. Participation in the Capricorn Rewards Program is subject to the Capricorn Rewards Terms and Conditions available at capricorn.coop/tc

capricorn.coop/rewards The dates and times set out in this advertisement are a general guide only. No guarantee of delivery before Christmas is made and Capricorn will not be held liable for any failure to deliver items before Christmas regardless of the date on which they are ordered.

Refining your automotive service processes - by Jeff Smit

Every recurring task in an automotive workshop should have method and order to it. The kinds of vehicles being serviced in aftermarket workshops are changing all the time, but are your processes changing at the same pace? This implies that recurring tasks need to be evaluated regularly if a workshop hopes to keep up to date and run at peak efficiency.

Have you ever seen the service process involved with the servicing of an aircraft engine? It’s extremely detailed and every step is documented, for obvious reasons.

We don’t need to go to that extreme, but a position somewhere in the middle would be ideal.

Revising service processes might seem like a time-consuming chore, but doing it in an orderly fashion will be worth the effort. Workshop efficiency will improve and any recurring service issues will be resolved. As a by-product, and a real bonus, the quality of work will rise, and training new technicians will become infinitely easier.

Where to start In considering what basic service processes need to be improved, start with the jobs that irritate you the most. It might be a task that takes longer than it should or one in which mistakes consistently occur. It doesn’t really matter if at first you don’t know exactly why it bothers you – the fact that it does is enough to indicate that something isn’t working as well as it should be.

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Involve your team

Start putting together a new process

As a workshop manager or owner, you may not be directly involved with everything that happens on the workshop floor, so process improvement needs to involve your team. Those doing the work will have the best knowledge of the specifics, so you should involve them in any refinement of the job process.

Simply rearranging the task order doesn’t help. Think about the process from the start and frame it without thinking too closely about how it has been performed in the past. New approaches to the job will often emerge and could lead to significant improvements.

Workshops should never be satisfied following the same process over and over if there is a better way to do the job. Routinely ask your team members to let you know if they think a job can be done better, because staff see things from a different perspective.

You can often pick up new processes through the networks you have joined or ones that you follow.

Networks can be a good source of information. The best information comes from those who have made changes and have reported great improvements by doing so.

Something measured is more likely to be improved To make sure any new process is worth adopting, you need measurements and statistics, such as the time taken for the job and the quality of the finished job. The reasons you are thinking about refining the process will give you a clue about what to measure.

By measuring routine jobs, and tracking progress on each one, patterns will emerge that will lead to the changes that will have the biggest impact on efficiency.

What’s the current process?

Mapping out the current process is the best way to visualise it and break it down into individual steps.

This will give you a benchmark by which future improvements can be measured.

An easy way to do this is to write down every individual step associated with the service process on its own sticky note, then stick them on a whiteboard in the order in which they are performed.

Review each individual step Look at each step in the process and question it. Why is it done this way? Can it be done differently? Is there a better way?

Look at the steps with fresh eyes and no bias. Think differently about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Just because something has been done a certain way for a long time doesn’t mean it’s the best way. Sometimes new steps might need to be added to the process, but generally speaking, it's best to cut the process down in size where possible.

Drafting up a new service process independent of the existing process will show any gaps between the two.

Identify those differences so that you can measure the changes that drive the biggest overall improvements.

Time to try the new process New processes developed by using this methodology may not be too different from your current process, and may not even be better. Before adopting it on the workshop floor, run through it with the leading technician.

Any service process should be used at least five times on the workshop floor to prove its value. If it falls short in some way, you will need to revisit the review.

Write it down and roll it out Throughout this process you should be writing down your progress and any revisions. At the very least, the finished process must be documented because this is what will be used to implement the changes on the workshop floor.

As well as being used to apply new processes universally in the workshop, these will be the processes used for training new technicians and will serve as a constant reminder of ‘this is the way it’s done around here’.

Monitor, watch and review Don’t stop at one process. Keep looking for the next process to improve, because technology is changing all the time. Today’s efficient process could be oldfashioned tomorrow.

Re-evaluate all your processes at regular intervals.

The process of change gets easier as the workshop becomes more efficient.

Set a goal to review two service procedures in the next month and team up with a staff member to make sure the project is completed and any changes are implemented.

Don’t assume every process is the right one. Question everything and interrogate the reasons for each step in a process and why it is done that way.

Aiming for consistent improvement within the workshop, no matter how small the improvements, is really a basic management duty for survival. Every improvement you make will deliver savings in time, effort and resourcing.

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WHAT’S CHANGING WITH THE NEW ZEALAND VEHICLE FLEET? International vehicle fleets are changing with ever-increasing speed. We give you the run-down on what’s changed in the New Zealand vehicle fleet and what you can expect in the future.

With the increasing globalisation of the world, we are seeing an increase in the number of vehicle manufacturers and vehicle types on our roads. It wasn’t long ago we were watching the rise of fuel-efficient diesels and SUVs. Today we are watching electric vehicles and sedans begin to resonate with younger customers.

It’s tough to keep up with so much change, but it’s important to know what vehicles you could be servicing in the coming years.

Knowing the average age, make and usage of the cars in your area can help you plan your marketing, manage your parts stock and assist with planning for the future.

Unlike our friends in Australia, New Zealand keeps up-to-date data of the vehicle fleet on the Ministry of Transport website.

We’ve got the quick breakdown here, but head over there to get lost in a great range of data and information that you can use in planning for your business.

So how is the vehicle fleet changing and what can we expect to see in the coming years?

Light Passenger and Light Commercial Vehicles Between 2009 and 2019 the overall fleet size has grown by 29% to over 4.3 million vehicles. This trend looks to continue, with over 42,000 new light vehicles registered in the second quarter of 2021. This is the highest number of new light vehicle registrations in over 10 years .

In their Making every part count report, McKinsey & Co predict the global car parc will grow 19% between 2019 and 2030.

Vehicle ownership continues to grow at a steady rate to 0.9 vehicles per person in 2019, a growth of over 13%.

The average age of light vehicles continues to increase, to 14.2 years in 2021. This is in comparison to the average age of Australian cars at 10.6 years. Interestingly, the West Coast have the oldest cars on average at 18.3 years, followed by the Southland region at 17.5 years.

This was a trend repeated in both the McKinsey & Co report and Capricorn’s 2021 State of the Nation report. Capricorn Members reported servicing a majority of cars manufactured between 2006 and 2015 in the most recent State of the Nation report.

Whilst McKinsey & Co expect the global car parc to continue to age, they note it could positively develop the aftermarket revenue pool.

In a similar trend to Australia, the number of diesel engine vehicles in New Zealand has continued to grow since 2011, particularly in the light commercial category, whilst alternative fuel vehicles such as electric or LPG have doubled between 2017 and 2019.

Sources: www.transport.govt.nz | www.abs.gov.au | www.mckinsey.com 24 CAPRICORN IGNITION NOVEMBER 2021

Customers are also driving more than ever, with more than 48.9 billion kilometres being driven in 2019. We anticipate this trend continuing despite lockdowns, as we all holiday at home and enjoy exploring our own backyards.

McKinsey & Co expect to see an increase of cars with higher mileage per vehicle as new shared mobility concepts could see less cars on the road, offset by each car driving more.

Electric Vehicles (EVs) In the first two quarters of 2021, 3,880 light electric vehicles were registered. This is a continuation of an upwards trend for EVs. As at August 2021, over 30,500 light electric vehicles are on the roads, more than doubling since August 2018. Globally, the share of EVs in the car parc is expected to grow from 2% in 2019 to 17.8% in 2030.

The New Zealand EV fleet primarily consists of new and used light purely electric vehicles for individual use, which seem to be more favourable to the plug-in hybrids. Again, this trend is expected to continue, with McKinsey & Co predicting battery electric vehicles will become the majority of electric vehicles sold.

However, Capricorn Members are only seeing an average of 2.5 either electric or hybrid vehicles per month. Two out of five Members are not servicing any fully electric vehicles at all, with most Members seeing more hybrid vehicles. This may be due to electric vehicle registration being concentrated in the Auckland region.

Currently, most EV models are coming from Japan, so if you think you see a lot of Nissan Leafs, you would be correct! They are by far the most popular amongst the registration data, especially amongst used registrations.

Overwhelmed? Don’t forget about CAP ezi-parts With the vehicle fleet changing rapidly, it can be confusing to know where to find your parts. CAP ezi-parts can make finding parts easier by requesting locations, parts and prices from multiple Capricorn Preferred Suppliers.

Save time by using this free service, exclusive to Capricorn Members.

To access CAP ezi-parts, log in to the myCAP Portal using your Member details and click on ‘CAP ezi-parts’ on the left-hand menu.

PREPARING YOUR FINANCES FOR CHANGE The pace of change in the world isn’t slowing down, making it hard to plan and prepare. Here are our top tips for preparing your finances for change.

The last 18 months have proven how quickly our world can change. Since Covid-19 began we’ve locked down, moved out of the office and maintained this thing called ‘social distancing.’ However, Covid-19 isn’t our first foray into paradigm shifting. For the last few decades, the world has been changing at an exponential rate.

This can make it difficult to plan and prepare for the future because so much is unclear. What’s going to impact us and our businesses? It’s scary to try to financially plan for your business, when it’s hard to keep up with the rate of change.

Being prepared can be a series of small tasks building towards a better tomorrow.

So here are our top tips for preparing your finances for change.

Inventory management

Keeping your parts inventory to the necessities reduces the outlay required for a large amount of stock and allows you to change your inventory easily. Explore your Preferred Supplier options and find ones with great delivery options, allowing you to be lean with the parts you keep in stock.

Inventory management also helps reduce the number of unused parts you keep in your workshop. We all know the ones: the parts we anticipated using but the job never came to fruition, or a superior part became available and now we have a corner of outdated parts we aren’t sure we will ever use.

Keep your parts inventory to just what you need and it will reduce the financial burden a large inventory requires. (It may also make the parts you do have in your workshop easier to find!)

Keep up to date

Everywhere we look there is something new, whether it be in cars, your smartphone or your staff. No matter where you look,

you can probably point to something that wasn’t there last year.

It’s important to try to keep up with what’s changing, even if you only have a summary. Having a general idea of what may be arriving soon will highlight your opportunities and where you need to prepare. Knowing what you may need to invest in for the near future will allow you to start financially planning for it today.

Keeping up to date on new technology will also show where you can upskill your staff. Whether on the tools or on the books, keeping your staff up to date not only helps them complete tasks quicker, but it also means you can start working on your business rather than in it.

Working on your business means you can start preparing for the future and planning how you are going to structure your finances to thrive.

If you aren’t sure where to start, have a chat with your accountant. They can often recommend a financial advisor who can help with planning for the future. You can also check out the Purple Pages for financial advisors in your zone if you would like to chat to someone with automotive experience.

Fine-tune your processes

Most financial management software or accounting suites have a range of addons or plug-ins that can help make getting the paperwork done easier. Make sure to investigate which ones could work for you and start upskilling your staff to use them.

This gives you and your staff time to spend on the tasks which add the most value to your business.

If you’re looking for extra flexibility with your cash flow, don’t be scared to investigate your payment options with different business partners. For example, you could organise to pay some business bills weekly or fortnightly, spreading out the cost and making month end a little smoother. Lots of companies have a range of options, so don’t feel shy to ask for a payment solution

which works for you.

Spend some of that extra time you now have getting comfortable with your Profit and Loss (P&L) or Income Statement. Your P&L can tell you a lot about the health of your business and where you may need to adjust your approach. However, it can take some time to understand, so don’t forget to contact your accountant or financial advisor if you need help.

Keep business purchases as efficient as possible by putting as many purchases as possible through your Capricorn Trade Account. Not only do you get Capricorn Bonus Points, but you save administration time with everything appearing on one statement. To see what else you can put on your trade account, check out the Purple Pages for everything from trailer parts to financial advisors to solar panels. If it’s in your business, it’s in the Purple Pages.

Plan ahead

Some events come around every year, no matter how much we wish time would slow down. Events like tax time and Christmas happen at the same time every year, so factor them into your planning. If you know you are going to be slower over the Christmas period, or your tax will be due in July, make sure to consider this when planning.

If you know you’re going to need to invest in new equipment, make sure to start early.

You can contact Capricorn Finance well before your purchase to find out what you’re eligible to borrow and whether you can be pre-approved. Then you know where you stand before exploring your equipment options.

Capricorn Members have easy access to a range of stress-free finance options to help their business grow. We’re committed to putting our Members first, which is why we strive to simplify the process of investing in new capital equipment.

Visit capricorn.coop/equipment-finance for more information.

This article does not, nor is it intended to, constitute legal, financial or other independent professional advice. Please consult your professional adviser before relying on any information contained herein. Capricorn Finance offers business equipment finance through Capricorn Society Limited (NZBN 9429038593185). Fees & charges, terms & conditions and lending criteria apply.

CAPRICORN CLASSIFIEDS Classifieds Advertising Guidelines • The Capricorn Classifieds are for Capricorn Members only to advertise. Payment is to be organised between advertiser and purchaser.

• Parts or equipment that relate to your business only may be advertised.

• Businesses for sale may be advertised.

• Cars for sale cannot be advertised.

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• Depending on the number received, your classified may

not appear immediately.

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Mechanical Workshop, Port Macquarie Great opportunity to take successful business to the next level. One of town’s longest serving and best located workshops – four hoists, extremely well equipped, call Maca for more info. 0414 850 365.

Jaguar/Landrover Wrecking Business for sale, in Outer Eastern Melbourne.

Established for 40 years. New and Used parts.

All equipment inc Hoists, Forklift, Ford Ute, Shelving/Racking, Tools, Office Computers. $75,000 plus stock Ph: 0427270542

Mechanical Workshop, Melbourne VIC Est. in 1962 with current owner for 12yrs, located in Bayside, mechanical service & sales, very prominent loc. Owner retiring. Ph: 0411 460 460

Mechanical Workshop, Woodford Qld Fully equip family business servicing the community since 1995. Well established customer base, large 4 bay shed (long lease available) 3 hoists, office, amenities and wash bay. Enquiries 0408767366 or dawnevandriver@hotmail.com

Mechanical & Tyre Service.

79 Woods Street DONALD VIC 3480 Established business of 29+ years. Prominent position in centre of town, covering large rural area. Plenty of area for growth. WIWO. Building not included. Building Leased Owner Retiring. $145,000 plus stock Phone 03 54971 202

Auto Electrical business in Northern Victoria. Well established business with large customer base. Includes service vehicle, tools, air conditioning equipment. Freehold available. $190,000 plus SAV. Contact Lee 03 5452 1813.

Auto Electrical Business For Sale Armidale Northern NSW Long lease or option to purchase strata premises. Currently two auto electricians very busy. Massive potential. $120k + stock.

Owner retiring but available for handover.

Phone Richard 0427 751 703

Mechanical, Radiator Repair and Parts Supply Business For Sale Gold Coast. Long established, RACQ Approved, Strong Client Base, High Turnover with great potential to expand. Currently managed, also fantastic opportunity for owner operator. Call Alex 0459 424 777

Auto Air Conditioning and Auto Electrical business in Central Bendigo area.

Established 30+years. High turnover, long lease available. Plant and Equipment. Owners retiring. Phone Dianne 0438020857

Automotive Workshop Eastern Suburbs Melbourne. Established business of 35+ years.

Mechanical servicing and repairs. Prominent location close to major shopping centre. 4 Hoists & equipment Expression of interest Call Russell 0417339617

Fully Equipped Mechanical Workshop For Sale Established 30+ years. Specialising in Italian cars. Thomastown location. Strong customer base. Long lease available. Phone Sandra 0417392998 Business for sale Clermont Motors Central QLD. Includes commercial and 4wd parts, truck and trailer parts, tyres, windscreens, batteries. Customer base consists of mining, farming, grazing, transport and retail clients Growth potential within the region. 1400m purpose built workshop which includes pits, hoists, 3 offices, warehouse, retail display area Email: reception@clermontmotors.com.au Mechanical Workshop, Alexandra Victoria.

Well established business of 10 years with exceptional turnover and profits. WIWO. Rent or freehold options available. All reasonable offers considered. Contact 0409514502 Mechanical Workshop, Yatala Region, QLD 3 Bay fully equipped workshop. Established 1995 with very loyal customer base & various fleet customers. Excellent reputation. New 5 year lease. Phone Alan Minshull 0407 002 148 Mechanical Workshop for sale, Outer Eastern Melbourne. Specialized in German Cars, Family Business for 30 years, Owner retiring, Huge potential to expand, Long lease available, Call: Klaus 0466527707

Email: ignition@capricorn.coop

Publisher's General Disclaimer All information, material and content contained in this edition of Ignition is provided or sourced by Capricorn Society Limited (“Capricorn”) for general information only and is not intended to be advice or comment on any particular matter or subject.

Before acting on any information, you should consider the relevance of it to your own circumstances and, if necessary, take professional advice. Capricorn makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or reliability of any material (including, without limitation, any third-party supplier advertisement in respect of which Capricorn merely acts as a conduit) included in this edition of Ignition. To the fullest extent permitted by law Capricorn, its officers, employees, agents and representatives disclaim any and all liability to you or any other person for any loss or damage whatsoever connected with: (i) reliance on material in Ignition; or (ii) inaccuracy, error or omission in material in Ignition. Capricorn, Stronger With Capricorn, Ignition, Capricorn Travel, Capricorn Mutual and the boomerangs device are trademarks or registered trademarks of Capricorn. If you have any news or information that you think would be of interest to your fellow Members, please send the information to Capricorn via email ignition@capricorn.coop.

2 6 CAPRICORN IGNITION NOVEMBER 2021

Capricorn Society Limited ACN 008 347 313 Postal Address: Locked Bag 3003, West Perth WA 6872 Registered Office New Zealand: PO Box 91567 Victoria Street West Auckland 1142 Phone 0800 401 444

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