Blogs

We are finalising some thoughts at the moment for our Spring Members’ Meeting in Berlin in a couple weeks’ time.  We have a range of interesting topics to cover including an agency update, the progress of the Chinese brands into Europe and the question of whether independent aftermarket players need scale to survive – a topic that I touched on ...

BYD finished last year with record-breaking annual sales of 3 million vehicles. It signals the global ambition of the manufacturer as it expands its range and geographic footprint. December saw sales of 341,043 units, a 45% increase, and 3,024,417 vehicles sold throughout the year, a remarkable 61.9% surge from the previous year. In the UK, to date, BYD has only ...

Welcome to the first Motor Trader for 2024 and the big issues of the day. First up: EV Mandate. The coming 12 months will be so critical for EV sales and carmakers ramp up production and put in place their ZEV target strategies. Dealers have raised reservations about prospects for EV sales in 2024. The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) ...

A couple of years ago I expressed my  bewilderment that Cazoo had been floated on the US stock exchange with a valuation of $8 billion. That’s eight thousand million dollars! An outrageous ticket when substantial car retail groups, with an international presence, brand recognition and significant profitability were valued at less than 5% of that sum. Founding an automotive technology ...

It was disappointing, but perhaps not a surprise, that Personal Contract Hire (PCH) demand for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) experienced something of a rollercoaster ride last year. Our own enquiry data saw a considerable fall in demand – down 33% compared to 2022 – with petrol being the most popular drivetrain holding just over 70% of total enquires. Consumer demand ...

The final quarter of 2023 has been a revealing period for the US car dealership industry, marked by resilience and strategic agility amidst ongoing challenges. The earnings presentations from Penske Automotive Group, Group 1 Automotive, Sonic Automotive, Lithia Motors, and AutoNation offer a panoramic view of the sector’s health and future direction. This analysis delves into their operational performances, strategic ...

ICDP was recently invited by the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) to facilitate a workshop with their members on the subject of meeting the so-called ZEV Mandate in the UK.  This is legislation specific to the UK which mandates a given percentage of sales of zero electric vehicles (ZEVs), which in practice means battery electric vehicles (BEVs) between ...

We spend a lot of time talking about customer data, personalised marketing and the potential of AI.  From our point of view looking at the motor industry, we see the opportunity to reduce cost of distribution and grow ancillary revenues by working the customer database harder, and coming up with marketing communications that feel very personal, give the client a ...

I have read and heard quite a lot of comment recently about the challenges that the Chinese new entrant brands (with the notable exception of MG) are having in getting sales traction in Europe. Dealers are signing up to the available franchises, but then not rushing to actually open the showrooms or move from a temporary multi-brand site to a ...

It seems a long time since the holiday break…  We’re already more than half way through the first month, and in the UK there are Easter eggs in the shops.  The first couple weeks back have been pretty action-packed with a mix of research and consultancy activity, but across all of that one of the common themes that has emerged ...