Will Rhodes

The Automotive Management (AM) Awards announcement dropped this week, which usually means one thing for suppliers… time to think about submissions. And here’s the bit most people won’t tell you. Great products don’t always win. Clear stories do. If you’re putting an entry together this year, here are 3 things will help you cut through: 1️⃣ Focus on impact, not features. 2️⃣ Tell an engaging before and after story. 3️⃣ Let your customers speak for you. Judges aren’t looking for another spec sheet. They want proof something actually changed for a retailer. Numbers hit harder than adjectives and a genuine customer quote beats half a page of marketing polish. Get those parts right and you instantly lift yourself above the noise. And f you want a second pair of eyes on the story, just shout... 👀

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𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙥𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙤𝙧'𝙨 𝙏03 𝙤𝙧 𝘿𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙖? 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙚? Now Britain’s cheapest EV is T03 by Leapmotor UK not the Dacia Spring. As this Chinese newcomer has undercut Dacia, launching the T03 city car at just £14,495. Exciting, isn’t it? That’s £500 cheaper than the Dacia Spring, thanks to a £1,500 self-funded “Leap-Grant” designed to mirror the UK Government’s new Electric Car Grant (ECG). Their larger C10 SUV has been discounted too by £3,750. But here it gets a little complex: While the UK’s new ECG is announced up to £3,750 off EVs under £37,000 , most Chinese manufacturers might not qualify. Because of a new emissions-based eligibility rule tied to Science-Based Targets (SBT). In short: if your EV was built in a coal-powered factory... you're likely out. Ouch! Quoting Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood: “Frankly, if you generate electricity with coal, you won’t access this grant.” So, I’m leaving a couple of questions for you: 👉 Can a coal-fueled supply chain still call itself green? OR 👉 Should clean vehicle subsidies depend on how clean the factory is, not just the product? 📌 P.S. BYD has already notified the UK government of its intent to qualify. #WWCOTY #AutomotiveWriter #WomenInAutomotive #UK #Journalist #Automotive #BYD #Leapmotor #EV

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In today’s digital-first car-buying landscape, where 95% of consumers begin their journey online, high-quality visuals are crucial for automotive sales success. Poor images can drive potential buyers away, with studies showing that 60% skip listings with subpar visuals, regardless of price or specs. High-resolution, well-lit photos increase engagement by up to 163%, build trust, and create an emotional connection—especially important for first-time or aspirational buyers. Treating online listings as digital showrooms and investing in professional photography can significantly boost leads and sales for dealerships, writes Sanjay Varnwal. https://lnkd.in/dU58Ct2h

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Kia UK reveals fully electric van Kia UK has revealed its Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) commercial vehicle plans for the UK, including a dedicated dealer network to supply sales, after sales and servicing for its products. Revealed at the Commercial Vehicle Show, the news includes the first dedicated fully electric Kia PBV to arrive in the UK, the PV5 – with pre-orders for PV5 Cargo and PV5 Passenger from today (1 May). To support the move, Kia will launch a brand-new network of dedicated professional business van centres across the country. It will begin with around 45 centres, offering sales and after sales services, and grow to 60 by the end of next year. Read the full story on the Transport + Energy website: https://lnkd.in/eZHia2te Kia Europe , Paul Philpott , Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) , Will Reeves , Paul Kirby #transport #energy #electricvans

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B2B News | Source: press release Kerv Automotive | Belgian OEM Kerv Automotive has purchased the technology and intellectual property rights from the Dutch car maker Carver. This strategic move allows Kerv Automotive to broaden its range in the market for vehicles featuring an active tilting system. More at THE PACK: https://lnkd.in/eSNvdyqd #kervautomotive #belgium #technology

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Lessons on the volatile pricing of the used EV car market, from two of the leading figures in the sector, the traditional OEM MD, James Taylor, of Nissan Motor Corporation and, new entrant, Victor Zhang, MD OMODA UK. One key take-out from the Cox Automotive Europe panel at this year's EV SUMMIT is that my work, in communications, is key to customer confidence in second hand EVs, and to, therefore, address volatile pricing. Across the two days of the summit, time and time again, EV education and communications came up as a key topic for getting the new cohort of mainstream EV consumers on board with the EV transition.

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NEWS 🗞️ A new battery health guarantee for used #electricvehicles is helping to build confidence among UK dealers and drivers, easing concerns over battery lifespan. Motability Operations Ltd Operations, which runs the Motability Scheme, piloted the initiative on its remarketing platform, mfldirect, offering dealers the option to independently test the battery health of any EV purchased. Vehicles found to have less than 90% battery capacity could be returned at no cost. The trial saw dealer searches for EVs on the platform increase by 25%. What's more, 110 dealerships that had previously only purchased petrol or diesel vehicles have bought EVs from mfldirect for the first time. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/ehHfHQsc

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How blinkered is this industry becoming? 👀 I’m in automotive, and I’ve said it many times: we are slowly doing to this industry what retail did to the high street. We are stripping it of its real assets. And by assets, I mean people. Instead of looking at the bigger picture – the crazy overheads and bloated structures – we keep chipping away at the very roles that actually deliver the experience: • Service advisors • Technicians • Customer care teams • Valeters, drivers, reception… Meanwhile, how many layers of management do we really need to “run” a business that already has managers on the ground in the retailers doing exactly that? I see big groups announcing redundancies in customer service roles – the very people who make the difference between a good experience and a bad one. And at the same time, the “hangers-on” stay in place. We all know the reality: • You do need people to clean the cars. • You do need service advisors to look after customers. • You do need business managers who actually add value. The problem isn’t that these roles exist. The problem is that profitability is being stripped out somewhere else, and the answer always seems to be: “Cut the frontline. Make them do more with less.” The industry is slowly collapsing in on itself, and the value that’s left is being concentrated at the top. The rich get richer, and everyone else is picking up extra jobs that used to belong to three different people. At some point we have to be honest and ask: ➡️ Are we building sustainable businesses… or just short-term balance sheets? Curious to hear from others in automotive: Where are you seeing the biggest mismatch between who gets cut and who actually adds value? 🚗💬

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The wider comment on raising the MOT test fee is that the automotive aftermarket is changing rapidly and challenging outdated perceptions, thereby resetting its contract with the motorist. An increase would further support the role the sector plays in keeping the UK motoring public and millions of businesses moving on daily basis. #automotive #mot #aftermarket #motoring

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This week on the podcast we're talking WLTP. "300 miles of range!" Dealers and manufacturers promise 'Up to 300 miles' of range with your EV but it rarely - if ever - matches that. We talk about how that value is derived and why you'll probably struggle to match it (unless you're Kevin Booker MIAM - who, of course, gets a mention) We also talk about why slowing down a little won't have great impact on your journey time but will help move more towards that WLTP range. To listen to, or watch, the whole episode go to https://lnkd.in/eigTPum3 or wherever you get your podcasts Youtube: https://lnkd.in/egzNCjYg

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"Car manufacturing in the UK will be finished in five years", warns top auto industry insider. On my latest episode of When The Facts Change, Tim Tozer, the former boss of Vauxhall UK, says government's net-zero-inspired "ZEV mandate" is "killing Britain's car industry" and imports of heavily-subsidised Chinese electric vehicles will be "the kiss of death". Tozer calls for "tariffs on Chinese-made vehicles, to give our car-making industry a chance to breathe" For free preview clips and access to full half-hour episode, see link below. https://lnkd.in/enRZgTka

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www.racecube.uk Though beneficial to any road-going wheeled vehicle, RACECUBE™ wheel alignment technology is especially relevant to all forms of 4-wheeled motorsport: circuit, road or oval racing; single-seater or sports saloon cars; endurance racing or drift racers - all categories and series have the potential to improve competitive performance by using RACECUBE™. Traditional wheel alignment methods still used for many race car setups utilise wires, or 'string', mounted from frames attached to fixed points at the front and rear of a chassis and/or transmission. This method has the potential for a parallax error, where there is a dependence on the user's ability to read the measurement on a steel rule with sufficient accuracy. Typically, this occurs when comparing the fore and aft lateral distances between rim and wire. Even on a relatively large wheel rim, or setup wheel, a parallax error of 0.5mm can result in a 8 minutes of a degree error in single toe angle. RACECUBE™ differs from all other alignment systems in that it first calculates the 'effective Chassis centreline' reference frame, based on the physical position of the wheels and tyres on the ground. This effective centreline is not necessarily the same as the vehicle's body centreline which, being dependent on suspension mountings and physical chassis structural alignment, may be skewed to it. The effective Chassis centreline is the true 'car dynamics' centreline – the reference for how the wheels are actually aligned with respect to each other - and it therefore determines how the vehicle is aligned on the road.

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🚗💥 The UK new-car market is at a tipping point 💥🚗 The latest Insight Quarterly reveals some eye-opening shifts 👇 🔹 30% of June registrations crammed into the final day – pressure tactics are back. 🔹 Early-year optimism faded fast once incentives were pulled – exposing fragile demand. 🔹 New entrants now hold 3.5% share (36,500 units) – that’s a 475% surge YoY, led by BYD. 🔹 New van market sliding -11.3% YTD, with only small vans growing (+20.6%). 🔹 Manufacturers juggling ZEV targets, discounts, and registrations – but at the cost of margins. 🔹 Chinese brands aren’t just competing – they’re reshaping UK market dynamics. 📊 The question: Are we seeing a short-term distortion… or the start of a long-term reset? 👉 Read the full analysis in Insight Quarterly Issue 6 – The New Market: https://lnkd.in/gbQhcjSW #Automotive #EV #NewCars #UKAuto #MarketTrends #InsightQuarterly Cox Automotive Europe Philip Nothard

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