SMTA Monthly Bulletin April 2023

Your monthly news round-up of the Scottish Motor Industry

APRIL 2023

FEMALES IN FOCUS 2023

SMTA is delighted to host our third Females in Focus lunch this year at Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow on Friday 22nd September 2023. This lunch aims to bring together women (and men!) from all across Scotland to listen to our panel of inspiring women and, we are pleased to confirm that Heather Dewar, sports journalist, TV and radio presenter will once again host our event.

Our Headline Speaker is Ann-Maree Morrison MBE who founded and ran Labels4Kids, an ecommerce labelling business, for 19 years. The business was sold in September 2022 and now with Ann-Maree’s ecommerce, Chartered Accounting and Management Consulting background she consults and mentors in Ecommerce for SMEs.

We will also be presenting our ‘Nan Lindsay Award’ at this event, Nan was SMTA’s first and so far only female

Supported by

President who sadly passed away in 2019. SMTA thought it fitting to create an award in her honour and we created the ‘Nan Lindsay Award’ which is given to an outstanding female in the trade who has established themselves as a strong woman in business who has shown ambition and leadership. A nomination form can be found on our website or contact karen. thompson@smta.co.uk for more information.

GRAND CENTRAL HOTEL, GLASGOW

FRIDAY 22ND

SEPTEMBER 2023

TICKETS

Table of 8 – £500 plus VAT

Individual tickets – £70 plus vat

To book please email: karen.thompson@smta.co.uk

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

If you would like to support this event or would like the details of all SMTA sponsorship opportunities contact: wendy.hennessy@smta.co.uk

approved insurance broker to the Scottish Motor Trade Association

The

Headline Speaker –Ann-Maree Morrison MBE

Hosted by –Heather Dewar

JLR DEALERS ‘FLABBERGASTED’ BY PLAN TO AXE LAND ROVER BRAND

Car dealers from the Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) retail network have been left “flabbergasted” by the Indian-owned carmaker’s new plan to axe its 75-year-old Land Rover brand.

Tata Automotive’s British OEM revealed yesterday (April 19) that it would ditch the Land Rover name for its range of 4x4 models, instead focussing on Jaguar, Range Rover, Defender, Discovery as part of its new House of Brands retail and marketing strategy.

It will also officially switch its official company branding to ‘JLR’, to remove reference to Land Rover, as part of a move which will spark corporate identity changes in dealerships across the UK which had been subject to a £1 billion Arch Concept corporate identity (CI) transformation in recent years.

The changes come as the OEM prepares to roll-out agency model retail and were met by

incredulous response from retailers.

A statement issued to AM by JLR this week said the "spirit" of Land Rover would live on. It said: "We want to reassure clients that Land Rover will remain the trust mark that underpins the world-leading capability offered across Range Rover, Defender and Discovery vehicles, building on 75 years of technological and engineering expertise.

"As a House of Brands, Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar, now step forward as individual marques, projecting their individual purpose, desirability, and personality. Under this approach, we will amplify the unique character of each of the

FALL IN USED EV PRICES ‘BREATHED LIFE INTO THE MARKET’, SAYS INDICATA

The used car market’s supply of electric vehicles (EV) has fallen 59.1% (100 days) in 2023 thanks to a reduction in prices, according to Indicata UK’s latest Market Watch report.

Group sales director Jon Mitchell said that a 19.9ppt average decline in prices among zero-emissions cars had triggered a decline in supply from 169 to just 69 days during the period to early April, with EVs accounting for a record 2.96% share of the used market.

A statement issued by Indicata described the trend as “extremely encouraging news

for fleets and dealers” as a fall in prices has translated into higher demand and sales, and Mitchell said: “The fall in used EV prices has certainly breathed life into the market and has helped fleets and dealers shift some aging stock.

“Dealers are prepared to buy used EVs now that prices have fallen as they represent less

brands, accelerating the delivery of our vision to be the Proud Creators of Modern Luxury.

"We are not losing the Land Rover name; its spirit is – and will continue to be – a crucial part of our DNA."

Speaking at yesterday’s event, JLR’s new chief executive Adrian Mardell reaffirmed the business's commitment to its Reimagine strategy, which he said will reposition the company as a highly profitable electric-first, modern luxury carmaker by 2030.

JLR sought to highlight its £15 billion investment to electrify its UK car manufacturing operations in its announcements.

of a financial risk for their businesses.”

Indicata’s data showed that, despite the encouraging fall in market supply, EVs remain the slowest-selling used power train type.

The powertrain’s 69 days of supply in the market compares with petrol (40 days), diesel (43 days) and hybrid (49 days).

PRICING WORRIES MEAN BUYERS ARE SPENDING LONGER SEARCHING FOR THE NEXT CAR – EBAY MOTORS GROUP

y New study finds buyers are expecting to take more time searching for the next vehicle

y Sky-high car prices cited as reason for change in customer behaviour

y eBay Motors Group study finds women buyers take less time to search than men

Car buyers are set to spend more time searching for their next vehicle as concerns over affordability intensify, new data has shown.

A study conducted by eBay Motors Group found that more than a quarter (27 per cent) of in-market buyers expect looking for their next car to be a more time consuming experience.

According to the firm’s latest Consumer Insight Panel research, this is mostly due to rising car prices, with 44 per cent pointing to the issue.

Meanwhile, 34 per cent of those surveyed cited the need to assess running costs and a willingness to search online for the best possible deal.

There was also the issue of powertrain to

consider, with 28 per cent of the 2,000 respondents saying they wanted to take more time while they pondered switching to an electrified alternative to petrol or diesel.

Overall, buyers now expect to spend an average of 42 days searching for their next car.

Read the full article at CarDealer Magazine

AUTO TRADER CALLS FOR EV INCENTIVES TO PUT UK'S ROAD TO 2030 ‘BACK ON TRACK’

Auto Trader has called for incentives and tax breaks to make electric vehicles (EV) more affordable and put the UK Government’s plan to ban pure petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 “back on track”.

Research from the online car marketplace revealed that a 37% premium for a new EV over the alternative internal combustion engine (ICE) car – and 28% for a one-yearold used car – had combined with rising electricity costs to dent the appeal of zeroemissions personal transport.

Its Road to 2030 Report showed that, while electric car owners with a home charger can save up to £130 for every 1,000 miles by charging at off peak overnight rates, drivers using ultra rapid chargers, EVs currently cost £16 more to run.

Buyer interest in new EVs has slowed, falling

or 65% since 2022, it said, and Government’s plans to introduce vehicle excise duty road tax payments for EVs in 2025 look sent to further hamper the acceleration of adoption.

Read the full article at AM Online

MOT FORECAST VOLUMES MAY 2023

TRADE SNIPPETS

Six-in-10 motorists target car purchase in next 12 months

Article courtesy of AM Online

Chinese car brand HiPhi to launch in Europe

Article courtesy of Motortrader

Research finds next to no change in price of most popular used cars so far this year

Article courtesy of CarDealer Magazine

Shortage of water could be the next crisis for the car industry, warns Seat boss

Article courtesy of CarDealer Magazine

Vauxhall axes Astra diesel due to dwindling demand

Article courtesy of AM Online

Motor Ombudsman reports record consumer EV complaints

Article courtesy of Motortrader

TOP 10 MARQUES

10 CARS

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

ACCOUNT ENQUIRIES:

Donna Ruck – 0131 331 5510

Accounts & Admin Team Leader accounts@smta.co.uk

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

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 – 0131 331 5150

Company Secretary/Finance Manager

SCOTSURE WARRANTY:

Claims and Enquiries – 0131 331 5512

EVENTS & MEDIA ENQUIRIES:

Karen Thompson – 07922 079889

Events & Media Manager

ADVERTISING/SPONSORSHIP ENQUIRIES:

Wendy Hennessy – 07974 380140

This year's event will be held on Thursday 26th October 2023 at Hilton Glasgow.

We are delighted to announce that this year's guest speaker is Mike Brewer from TV's Wheeler Dealers.

Scottish Motor Trade Association Ltd., Palmerston House, 10 The Loan, South Queensferry EH30 9NS Telephone: 0131 331 5510

www.smta.co.uk

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