Author: Aimee Turner
Greater than 20 apprentices across Bowker Motor Group’s dealerships in Blackburn, Bolton, and Preston are celebrating a record-breaking milestone, marking the best total variety of apprenticeships within the Lancashire dealership’s 40-year history. Bowker has significantly expanded its apprenticeship programme across multiple roles, including technical, sales, and parts operations, reinforcing its commitment to developing the subsequent generation of automotive professionals. This achievement coincides with National Apprenticeship Week 2025, running from 10-16 February. The annual event highlights the importance of apprenticeships in equipping individuals with essential skills while supporting business growth. This yr’s theme, ‘Skills for Life,’ focusses on the long-term advantages…
The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) will introduce a £250 charge for claims management corporations from April in a bid to complaints which might be well supported. Currently, the FOS says there may be “little business incentive” for these firms to bring forward only strong cases. Between April and December last yr, skilled representatives accounted for 47% of complaints submitted to the ombudsman. Nevertheless, only 26% of those cases were upheld in favour of consumers, in comparison with 38% of complaints brought directly by individuals without spending a dime. James Dipple-Johnstone, deputy chief ombudsman on the FOS, noted: “We have seen…
Significant pressure on latest and used automobile margins because of the continuing impact of the Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate has forced Vertu Motors to warn that full-year pre-tax profit will probably be substantially below market expectations. Despite energetic cost-reduction measures and despite having outperformed market trends in battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales and like-for-like retail volumes, the group said in a trading update that its lacklustre performance has been hit by record fleet sales which have significantly impacted gross margins. “The Government’s ZEV Mandate is causing severe disruption to the UK latest automobile market,” said Robert Forrester, chief executive of…
After 27 years on the helm of top 10 AM100 group Arnold Clark, Eddie Hawthorne is to step down as chief executive and group managing director on 28 March. Russell Borrie, the corporate’s current chief operating officer, has been appointed as his successor. “It’s been a privilege to steer Arnold Clark for such a protracted time period,” Hawthorne said. “I’m incredibly pleased with what we’ve achieved and of our employees, who’ve shown resilience and dedication through some difficult years. I even have full confidence within the leadership team to proceed steering the business in the correct direction.” Borrie, who will officially…
Fraudsters who removed the equivalent of 4 round trips to the moon in mileage from vehicle odometers have been sentenced following a serious investigation by Kent Trading Standards.Ryan Regan (34) and Thomas Hamilton (34), each of Broadstairs, together with Darren Cradduck (59) of Chartham, all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud on January 24 at Canterbury Crown Court.Judge Edmund Fowler handed Regan and Hamilton two-year prison terms, suspended for 2 years, while Cradduck was sentenced to 21 months, also suspended for 2 years. Each was ordered to finish 200 hours of community service. The court also awarded £32,500 in compensation, with…
Electric vehicles (EV) are demonstrating rapid improvement in reliability, with a 12 per cent lower likelihood of failure for every successive 12 months of production, in accordance with recent research by a multinational team of researchers. The team which has published its findings in Nature, analysed nearly 300 million UK Ministry of Transport (MOT) test records, documenting the ‘health’ of vehicles on Britain’s roads between 2005 and 2022. This extensive dataset enabled the team to estimate vehicle longevity and supply a comprehensive comparison of survival rates across different powertrains, including internal combustion engine vehicles (ICE) and battery electric vehicles (BEV).…
Scottish dealership group Peoples has been crowned BYD UK Retailer of the Yr, highlighting a successful first yr of partnership with the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer. The award was presented during an event in Shenzhen, China, where Peoples managing director Nicola Gilda proudly accepted the accolade. Gilda, writing on LinkedIn, said: “Have just returned from Shenzhen, China, where we were presented with BYD UK Retailer of the Yr 2024 in our first yr of partnering with BYD. Thanks to Bono Ge, Steve Beattie, Adam Harkin, and Simon Bisp for believing in us and inspiring us all of the technique…
An influential environmental group is urging the federal government to strengthen its commitment to its zero emissions goals by focusing financial support on small and reasonably priced EV models to make sure all segments of society get to learn. T&E advocates for presidency incentives to focus on small- to medium-sized EVs priced at £30,000 or less which fall into the A, B, and C segments. The group argues that prioritising affordability of those segments – that are only now scaling up in production – would expand access to EVs for middle- and lower-income households. “Ford, which has a long-standing fame…
MOT testing centre Latest Auto Tech has been fined £10,000 after a 14-year-old boy was crushed by a automotive, leading to life-changing injuries.The incident occurred on 4 May 2022, when the teenager, accompanied by an adult, was waiting for an MOT to be conducted. The pair sat in a chair positioned in front of the brake rollers. Because the MOT technician attempted to reverse a vehicle, the automotive was as a substitute driven forward off the rollers, crushing the kid against the wall.The boy sustained multiple pelvis fractures and required immediate hospital treatment. His injuries left him bed-bound for 3…
Chairman of Scottish dealership group Peoples Brian Gilda talks to AM concerning the strategic decision to expand into Chinese automotive brands BYD and Chery’s Omoda and Jaecoo, bringing to a detailed the dealership group’s exclusive relationship with the Blue Oval.Despite the challenges of Ford’s shifting business model and the shortage of suitable volume options in the electrical vehicle market, Gilda says he stays committed to Ford, leveraging the automotive maker’s robust business vehicle offering and the 42-year relationships with the manufacturer. Even so, he anticipates swift adoption and forecasts a 20-40% share for Chinese brands in his latest automotive sales…