From the Crow’s Nest is a new regular monthly feature in Heads-Up in which we give a short overview of what is happening in our industry, as well as some nice to know statistics.
• Right to Repair Campaign launched in South Africa
May 2015 saw the launch of the Right to Repair Campaign in South Africa. This is a Brussels-based international company that focuses on the vehicle owner’s right to repair their vehicle in the independent automotive aftermarket.
This action was brought about by the trend in the manufacturing process of new cars whereby data would no longer be stored in the vehicle but rather on a centralised server, controlled by the manufacturer. What this means in practice is that the independent aftermarket industry will no longer have the access nor the ability to do standalone diagnostics, unless given access by the manufacturer.
Volvo SA is the first manufacturer that only allows the emissions data to be kept in their latest models' on-board memory, as legislation prohibits them from keeping this information on a centralised server.
Right to Repair sees this action, as the manufacturer wanting to control the lucrative aftermarket industry and have full control of their vehicles during the vehicle’s lifespan.
This action also impacts on the customer’s freedom of choice, especially after the expiry of the manufacturers’ warranty or service plan.
These actions by the manufacturer is bad news for the consumer and economy, as motorists are now forced to rely on the vehicle manufacturer being the exclusive source for parts and repair services for the aftermarket care of their vehicles.
We believe motorists should be able to choose what is done to their property and who executes the work on what is, after all, their car.
We will be watching this space with interest.
Read more about it here.
• Selling data for May 2015
For the first time since the acquisition of Wheels Web by Lightstone Group, we are able to supply meaningful information to Members with regards to sales and trends within the IDA environment.
Top five passenger vehicle sales per manufacturer
1. Volkswagen
2. Toyota
3. BMW
4. Ford
5. Mercedes-Benz
Top three commercial vehicle sales per manufacturer
1. NP200 1.6 pu/sc
2. HILUX 2.5 D-4D pu/sc
3. CHEV UTILITY 1.4s pu.
Top ten derivatives sales:
FIGO 1.4 AMBIENTE
POLO GP 1.2 TSI TRENDLINE (66KW)
POLO 1.4 COMFORTLINE 5DR
NP200 1.6 P/U S/C
POLO GP 1.2 TSI COMFORTLINE (66KW)
POLO VIVO 1.4 TRENDLINE 5DR
COROLLA 1.3 PROFESSIONAL
FORTUNER 3.0D-4D R/B A/T
POLO VIVO GP 1.4 CONCEPTLINE 5DR
NP200 1.6 A/C P/U S/C
The average age of used vehicles sold in the month of May 2015 was 2.9 years. |
