This author has yet to write their bio.Meanwhile lets just say that we are proud Peter Gardner contributed a whooping 43 entries.
Drive My Career is the employment initiative launched by the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) in 2018. Drive My Career polls its target audience regularly to investigate their perception of the automotive sector and, more recently, the impact that Covid-19 has had on employment.
UK car production fell in September, with output down -5.0 per cent, to register the worst performance for the month in 25 years, according to the latest figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Factories turned out 114,732 cars, a decline of some 6,000 units on the same month in 2019, as companies continued to wrestle with the uncertain economic and political environment and Covid-related challenging global market conditions.
The Philips brand launched into the workshop lighting sector a decade ago, having extensively researched what workshop professionals needed by way of lighting. The range of Philips lights for the workshop has long included a headlamp – in addition to the Philips penlights, handhelds, multi-unit systems, under-bonnet and stand lights. Lumileds, who are responsible for developing, manufacturing and marketing all of Philips Automotive products, are constantly researching the market and developing new products – the latest of which is the new Philips HL22M motion-sensing, rechargeable headlamp.
The Petrol Retailers and Car Wash Associations represent the 5,350 independent forecourt operators and specialist car wash companies across the UK. This covers 65 per cent of the total fuel outlets (PFS). Many of these sites have Automated Car Washes (ACW). The PRA does not represent the standalone Hand Car Washes (HCW), which on occasion may breach Covid-19 regulations as well as ones covering tax, employment and the environment.
Torsus has revealed the Praetorian School Bus, an extreme and special-made version the durable, heavy-duty and versatile Praetorian intended for the toughest school run routes in the world.The Praetorian is based on an upgraded heavy-duty MAN chassis and is powered by MAN engines and drivetrain. The School Bus edition of the vehicle features uprated off-road Michelin tyres and coating on body parts meaning that Praetorian is engineered to take on any terrain, anywhere in the world.
Following the news that the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) reported a year-on-year decline of 38.76 per cent in vehicle production over the past nine months, Bakar Sadik Agwan, Senior Automotive Consulting Analyst at data and analytics company GlobalData, says: “Thailand, a key automotive production hub in Asia, is struggling hard to recover from the slumped vehicle production output. Vehicle production, both for domestic sales and exports, has been witnessing a downward trend since 2019.
For hauliers, fuel consumption is of paramount performance and fuel is one of the major costs for fleets. Just how much of an effect tyres can have in keeping costs down was illustrated recently when tyres from Michelin’s X Line Energy range – designed for fleets seeking the lowest possible carbon footprint – were fitted to two Volvo trucks which have set new fuel efficiency records on demanding press road tests in the UK.
The National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA), which represents motorcycle dealers in the UK, is introducing its ‘Safe to Ride’ campaign. The purpose of the campaign, says NMDA head Paddy O’Connell, is to “promote the use of motorcycles as an ideal alternative to public transport.”
For motorists in many countries on mainland Europe, changing your tyres for winter conditions used to be a matter of routine. At one time, as winter approached, the summer tyres were put into storage and the set of winter tyres was fitted. But recently, more and more cars are being shod with all-season tyres that – as the name suggests – work well all year round. In this article, Pirelli explains the difference between winter and all-season rubber and why it is important to choose the right tyre.
The Independent Garage Association (IGA) has been shortlisted for the ‘COVID Champion Award’ at the 2021 Learning Awards, for the support they have given to garages throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This award is a new category for 2021, created to honour and pay tribute to those that have shown great strength and a deep passion for helping others during the COVID-19 pandemic.
An international TV legend in the automotive sector is convinced of Liqui Moly’s quality and now shares his knowledge in short social media clips: Edd China – TV presenter, inventor, gearhead and cult figure. Many people are familiar with Edd China from the TV series “Wheeler Dealers”, broadcast on the Discovery Channel. Here he repaired, improved and restored old cars to a fixed budget. But he is also world famous for his YouTube videos. In these, Edd not only demonstrates his technical know-how and craftsmanship, but also embarks on unusual and entertaining projects, such as the “world’s fastest sofa”.
Test World, the Millbrook-owned tyre and vehicle testing facility based in Northern Finland, is poised for re-opening with a full programme of outdoor winter testing as the first snowfalls signal the onset of winter. Located 300km north of the Arctic Circle, Test World’s outdoor facilities include a 20km track at its Airport Proving Ground and 80km of track at the Mellatracks Proving Ground.
Europe’s car makers are mostly on track to meet more stringent 2020-21 EU carbon emission targets, helped by a subsidy-fuelled boom in electric vehicle sales, pooled carbon-dioxide emissions credits and incremental gains in conventional engine technology. European credit ratings agency Scope Ratings says that the chances of any of original equipment manufacturers incurring heavy fines for missing the EU’s carbon-dioxide target of 95g/km for 2020-21 are low, even though not all OEMs will meet the regulatory threshold for average fleet emissions.
Portsmouth International Port now has the capability to power electric vehicles at a green and cost-effective rate thanks to battery manufacturer, GS Yuasa. Expert engineers have successfully installed their industry-leading lead acid and lithium-ion batteries into a cutting-edge dual chemical battery system.
The Magna Tyres Group has announced the launch of a new tool for dealers – the Magna tyres Portal. The company has steadily built up an extensive global dealership network and the new portal is Magna’s response to the dealers’ growing need for product details, marketing materials and technical information to be readily available. As the product range has expanded, so has the demand from the market for this information to be available online 24/7.
