The post-Brexit economic outlook, developments in vehicle autonomy and the impact of the government’s 2035 electric vehicle (EV) target are all due to be discussed at the next Vehicle Remarketing Association (VRA) meeting.
Sam Watkins, chair of the VRA, which represents organisations that process 1.5m used cars and vans every year, said: “The old Chinese proverb about ‘May you live in interesting times’ seems to sum up the motor industry at the moment. There is so much change taking place against an economic backdrop that remains uncertain – despite a strong start to the year.
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“What we are trying to achieve with this member meeting is provide a general overview of some of the emerging trends – economic, EVs and autonomy – and give our members sufficient information to be able to identify where they will need to change their approach to the market and, hopefully, also be able to spot new opportunities to maximise.”
Lee Swinerd, managing director at KPMG Advisory, will discuss the economic outlook in the wake of the Brexit, including the impact on the automotive industry from a manufacturer, dealer, supply chain and remarketing perspective.
Jon Butler, partner at Geldards, will offer an update on autonomous vehicles, showing how the UK is ahead of the curve in the market. Issues covered will include insurance, different levels of autonomous vehicles, cyber-security, product liability and ownership of data.
An explanation of the shift to e-mobility will be provided by Ade Thomas, chief sustainability officer at Green.TV, looking at key drivers including climate change, EU fines for CO2 emissions, political campaigning and company car benefit in taxation.
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By GlobalDataSam added that the resurgence of the VRA was continuing apace, following its highly successful seminar in November, which was attended by almost 200 delegates.
“We’re now regularly getting 40-50 members to our meetings and there is a definite sense of momentum surrounding the organisation at the moment as businesses across the remarketing sector aim to make sense of the proliferation of challenges that the current market presents. Our role is to help equip them to make better decisions.”
