SMTA Monthly Bulletin February 2023

Your monthly news round-up of the Scottish Motor Industry

FEBRUARY 2023

SMTA ANNOUNCEMENT –EDDIE THOMSON AS SMTA VICE PRESIDENT

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Eddie Thomson as Vice President of the SMTA. Eddie will assume the role of President of the association on the 17th of May at the Annual General Meeting.

Sandy Burgess, Chief Executive of the SMTA, commented “Eddie has held a number of very high-profile positions within the remarketing sector and as such is a well-known and respected member of the automotive community across the UK. I look forward to working with Eddie and drawing on his extensive remarketing knowledge and experience for the good of our membership and the sector in Scotland.”

Graham Greenwood, the current SMTA President added “Since joining the SMTA’s Board of Directors, Eddie has made many positive contributions to benefit the association and I am therefore very pleased to announce that he has accepted the position of Vice President. Eddie brings with him a huge amount of experience in the Remarketing Industry at a senior level, this knowledge is most helpful to the SMTA board and all its members as the sector continues to evolve.”

Motor Trade Association

The approved insurance broker to the Scottish

MOT JOINT SEMINARS 2023

PLACES ARE LIMITED - BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW!

Bringing you the latest updates direct from the DVSA

DUNDEE

Tuesday 21st March, Best Western Invercarse Hotel, Dundee, DD2 1PG

GLASGOW

Tuesday 28th March

GTG, 1330 South St, Glasgow G14 0BJ

SMTA Member & Dingbro User

£19 Per Person

ABERDEEN

Wednesday 22nd March

Village Hotel, Kingswells, Aberdeen AB15 8PJ

EDINBURGH

Wednesday 29th March

GTG, Lochend Ind. Estate, Newbridge EH28 8PL

PRICES

SMTA Member only or Dingbro User only

£23 Per Person

INVERNESS

Thursday 23rd March

Kingsmill Hotel, Inverness IV2 3LP

PERTH

Thursday 30th March

Huntingtower Hotel, Perth PH1 3JT

Non SMTA Member or Non Dingbro User

£30 Per Person

Seminars start at 6pm with refreshments and light buffet included in the ticket price

BOOK ONLINE AT BIT.LY/MOT-SEMINARS

OR SCAN THE QR CODE WITH A SMART DEVICE

LOW EMISSION ZONE (LEZ) GLASGOW COMES INTO FORCE IN 1 JUNE 2023

GLASGOW'S LEZ WILL:

y operate continuously, 24 hours a day, all year round

y cover an area of the city centre bounded by the M8 motorway to the north and west, the River Clyde to the south and Saltmarket/High Street to the east

y issue a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) to the registered keeper of a vehicle that enters the LEZ and does not comply with the minimum emission standards

y identify non-compliant vehicles entering the zone by using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR)

cameras

y be enforced from 1 June 2023 - we will not issue PCNs until this date

y apply to all vehicles entering the zone, except those entitled to an exemption (this includes blue badge holders) and those vehicles unaffected by LEZ requirements (motorcycles and mopeds)

PETROL/DIESEL VEHICLES:

Emission standards for LEZs in Scotland have been set nationally - these are:

y Euro 4 for petrol vehicles

y Euro 6 for diesel vehicles

y Euro IV for heavy duty petrol vehicles such as buses/coaches and HGVs

y Euro VI for heavy duty diesel vehicles such as buses/coaches and HGVs

ELECTRIC VEHICLES:

Fully electric vehicles comply with LEZ requirements in Scotland.

PENALTIES

y Set at national level by the Scottish Government for consistency across cities, the initial penalty charge for all noncompliant vehicles entering a LEZ in Scotland will be £60 - reduced by 50% if it is paid within 14 days.

y A scheme surcharge means that the penalty amount will double with each subsequent breach of the rules detected in the same LEZ.

y Penalty charges are capped at £480 for cars and light goods vehicles, and £960 for buses and HGVs. Where there are no further breaches of the rules detected within the 90 days following a previous violation, the surcharge rate is reset to the base tier of charge which is £60.

ALL VEHICLES ENTERING THE CITY CENTRE ZONE AREA WILL NEED TO MEET THE LESSPOLLUTING EMISSION STANDARDS OR FACE A PENALTY CHARGE.

THE CHINESE CAR FIRMS COMING TO THE UK AND HOW THEY PLAN TO SELL CARS

China is quite comfortably the largest car market on the planet. In 2022, almost 27m new cars were sold there, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

It’s increasingly a market that Western car firms are designing vehicles for first and foremost. But Chinese car makers are now looking to do the opposite, and are setting their sights on Europe – some are even already here.

While the country’s carmakers got a bad reputation for building some copycat versions of popular vehicles a decade ago, Chinese automotive companies have progressed at an alarming rate.

Over the coming years there are a number of Chinese carmakers looking to arrive on UK shores.

GWM ORA

You might remember Great Wall Motors (GWM) in the UK about a decade ago. It was the first Chinese car brand to ever sell vehicles in Britain with its Steed pick-up. An underwhelming choice, at best.

But GWM is now back in the UK, and selling models under its ‘Ora’ nameplate. Currently selling a single model – the curiously-named Funky Cat – this electric hatchback boasts a 193-mile range and a £31,995 starting price.

BYD

BYD, standing for Build Your Dreams, is likely a brand you’ve never heard of. But it is a major deal on a global level, producing more ‘Zero Emission Vehicles’ – including hybrid and electric cars – than any other firm.

CHERY

Chery is another brand that likely doesn’t ring any bells, but again, this is a firm that’s already made a big footprint in other corners of the world, and is China’s largest car exporter.

Chery is set to make its entrance to the UK soon, confirming in a recent interview, that it hoped to start selling cars in Europe in 2024.

Read the full article at CarDealer Magazine

CONSULTATION ON YEAR 4 MOT START GETS DEADLINE EXTENSION FOR TRADE INPUT

and the forecast impact on serious road casualty rates would be minimal.

DfT also wants to hear suggestions for changes to what is included in the MOT test.

The deadline has shifted from February 28, which would have given the motor industry just six weeks to complete its responses, to March 22.

In January the DfT launched the consultation on potential changes to the MOT requirements, such as changing the point

at which the first MOT for a light vehicle is required from three years since registration, the current point, to four years or even five.

Four years is the DfT's preference, and its consultation paper highlighted the cost to the UK of the first MOT, its low failure rate as vehicle quality has improved since the 1960s,

After pressure from the industry, the DfT has now said the MOT consultation will now not close until 11.45pm on March 22.

Read the full article at AM Online

The current consultation on plans to change the MOT test has been extended after the motortrade lobbied the Department for Transport (DfT).

SMTA MEMBER RECEIVES SPECIAL AWARD FROM ISUZU

Andrew McGlone, the MD of Eaglesham Garage in Glasgow, received his Special Appreciation Award at the 2023 dealer conference and awards, held in Manchester and hosted by actor and former EastEnders star Shaun Williamson.

The award recognises a person’s long-term efforts to perform well in their dealership, displaying the utmost commitment to the brand.

Andrew McGlone said: ‘It gives me great pleasure to say that since beginning my close work with the Isuzu brand, I have seen the network expand firsthand into what I can only characterise now as a vast family.

‘Receiving this award is such an honour, as it not only celebrates my history with the brand but also recognises me as a pivotal member of this growing family. ‘I am overjoyed to be accepting this award,

Read the full article at CarDealer Magazine

CAR RETAILERS FEAR FOR SURVIVAL AHEAD OF ENERGY COST SUPPORT 'CLIFF EDGE'

Ahead of a March “cliff edge” in Government support which could see some bills rise by as much as 80%, 38% of respondents to the latest Forecourt Foresight research from Close Brothers Motor Finance said their business will struggle to survive without further assistance.

Of those, 35% stated that their business won’t survive if energy costs remain high.

Close Brothers’ findings come just five months after car retailers told AM they were preparing to “wear jackets in the showroom” ahead of former Prime Minister Liz Truss’s pledge of support in October.

Read the full article at AM Online

AUTO TRADER: USED CAR PRICES UP AGAIN IN FEBRUARY BUT EV PRICES CONTINUE TO TUMBLE

Used car prices are continuing to rise with yet another month of growth recorded by Auto Trader.

Average retail used car prices have risen 0.7 per cent in February compared to January, says the used car marketplace.

The average price of a used car advertised for sale on the classified advert site now stands at £17,880 – up 1.7 per cent on February 2022.

This annual growth is on top of the huge 32 per cent rise recorded this time last year. While the rate of used car price growth has fallen back in the last year, there has been no crash in used car prices.

Comparing February prices to January, Auto Trader saw petrol cars go up by 3.3 per cent and diesel by 1.4 per cent.

However, the worrying drop in used electric

car prices has continued with average used EV prices down -9.1 per cent.

The drop in electric cars is weighing down the overall used car market performance, said the firm.

Read the full article at CarDealer Magazine

More than a third of car retailers claim that their business’ survival will be put at risk if the UK Government does not step in to provide support with their energy costs.

MOT FORECAST VOLUMES MARCH 2023

TRADE SNIPPETS

Audi TT Final Edition marks end of production after 25 years

Article courtesy of AM Online

LCV wholesale market “off to a flying start”, says Manheim

Article courtesy of Motortrader

Small British manufacturers will be exempt from EU’s upcoming ICE ban, it is confirmed

Article courtesy of CarDealer Magazine

Ford to axe 1,300 jobs in UK as part of major European restructuring plans

Article courtesy of CarDealer Magazine

Lamborghini enlists dealers and Silverstone to help mark 60th birthday

Article courtesy of AM Online

Stock surge and Tesla cuts see premium used EV values fall 13%

Article courtesy of Motortrader

TOP 10 MARQUES

DON’T FORGET TO BOOK YOUR MOT TRAINING & ASSESSMENT FOR 2022/23

The SMTA in conjunction with the IMI continues to provide availability of online learning and examination for MOT Testers for DVSA's 2022/23 training year.

Some of the areas you will need to study for Groups A and B include:

y Brake Test Procedures.

y MOT Test Procedures.

y Managing your MOT account/continuing professional development (CPD).

y MOT Inspection Manual.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

1. Do at least 3 hours of MOT tester training each year and 16 hours in 5 years.

2. Keep a record of your training.

3. Book and take your assessment.

4. Check your assessment provider has uploaded your assessment results.

If you pass the assessment, you’ll get a certificate. You’ll find this in the ‘Annual assessment certificates’ section of your MOT testing service profile. Contact your assessment provider if your results have not been recorded correctly.

If your results have not been uploaded by the end of the training year, your MOT testing account will be suspended.

YOUR TRAINING AND ASSESSMENT MUST BE COMPLETED BY 31ST MARCH 2023

To book please email nicola.thomson@smta.co.uk

SMTA member price - £52.00 (plus vat)

Non-member price - £60.00 (plus vat)

(Once payment received you will receive a code and instructions to complete this online)

OUT NOW! SMTA AUTO INSIGHT ISSUE 11

READ IT HERE

WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR GARAGE TO FEATURE IN SMTA’S MAGAZINE?

SMTA produces a quarterly magazine to all our members, if you haven’t got one yet our Territory Account Managers will be visiting your garage soon with a copy for you.

If you’d like your garage to feature please contact: karen.thompson@smta.co.uk

SMTA CONTACTS

MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES/ TRADING PARTNERS:

Norman Stirling – 07917 095014

Membership Development Manager

Marcus Lawrence – 07375 057561

Territory Account Manager, Western Region

Stuart Kennedy – 07375 057560

Territory Account Manager, Northern Region

MOT QMS ENQUIRIES

David Innes – 07789 264228

Operations Manager, Support Services

Colin Meldrum – 07917 042576

Support Services Consultant

Gordon Laing – 07799 732124

Support Services Consultant

Peter Stuart – 07729 045666

Support Services Consultant

APPRENTICE TRAINING ENQUIRIES

Fraser Miller – 07789 264229

Apprentice Training Manager

Kevin Millar – 07593 800386

Kickstart Gateway Project Manager

EMPLOYMENT LAW ENQUIRIES

Moira Gaynor – 0141 331 5150

Company Secretary/Finance Manager

SCOTSURE WARRANTY:

Claims and Enquiries – 0131 331 5512

EVENTS & MEDIA ENQUIRIES:

SAVE THE DATE

We are delighted to announce that the next dinner is being held on Thursday 26th October 2023 at Hilton Glasgow. Details of our 2023 guest speaker to be announced at a future date.

This bulletin is kindly supported by SMTA is proud to support:

Karen Thompson – 07922 079889

Events & Media Manager

ADVERTISING/SPONSORSHIP ENQUIRIES:

Wendy Hennessy – 07974 380140

Scottish Motor Trade Association Ltd., Palmerston House, 10 The Loan, South Queensferry EH30 9NS

SMTA Ltd Tel: 0131 331 5510

www.smta.co.uk