Motor Trader The award-winning and longest running UK magazine for car retailing professionals. Your first stop for News, Jobs and Reports for the motor industry.
This month we launch the first of a series of features looking at Electric Vehicles (EVs). Sales are rising, and dealers and carmakers are responding to the challenges presented, in terms of charging, infrastructure, values, battery replacement, sales and aftersales.
Motor Trader has also launched an EV channel on the website and a weekly EV e-newsletter. In October we will hold an EV summit. Details to follow.
We kick off our EV coverage with a look at the NFDA Electric Vehicle Approved (EVA) accreditation scheme, which was launched to encourage retailers to enhance their expertise in the electric vehicle sector and support consumer confidence as the market moves towards EVs. There are now over 200 dealers on the scheme.
In this issue there is the Top 50 Movers & Shakers, where we take a look at the people shaping the industry.
The individuals in this year’s Top 50 have had to contend with a wave of consolidation taking place in the sector, rocketing used car values, acute shortages of new cars caused by microchip supply constraints, the acceleration of digital and rising EV sales. Quite a year.
Dealer Insight this month looks in depth at Cotswold Motor Group, winner of the Skills and Development Award at the Motor Trader Industry Awards 2021. We check out the strategies it employed in training its staff through the pandemic, how it retains talent and how it adapts to meet new skills and development challenges.
And finally, the MT Interview looks at Pendragon and the launch of its hybrid used vehicle proposition under its CarStore brand. The hybrid purchase model blends physical and digital locations, giving customers the freedom to approach the process in the way that works best for them. On the back of this, Motor Trader spoke to CEO Bill Berman to find out more about the new proposition and his thoughts.