FMG Repair Services opens new Bristol site

FMG Repair Services has opened a new accident repair centre just off the M4 in Bristol.

The site offers 36 repair bays, with specialist ramps for commercial vehicle repairs, dedicated aluminium repair bays and plastic repair capability.

At 22,000 sq. ft., the new facility is larger and more accessible than its previous Bristol site, allowing additional capacity and capability for vehicle repair.

The new site employs an established team of ATA-qualified technicians and also welcomes a number of new technicians to the business following a recruitment programme for the larger site.

Paul Wrigglesworth, operations director at FMG Repair Services, said: “As the vehicle repair sector continues to evolve, it’s exciting to move forward in tandem, launching another smart new facility to meet the challenges of the local market and better serve the current and future needs of our customer base.

“This new Bristol site has been proactively designed with the latest technology and greater capacity for the repair of alternative fuelled vehicles, composite body materials and driver safety systems, whilst being a bright, airy and pristine environment for our colleagues to work in.”

The business employs more than 1,500 staff UK-wide, with the capability to repair in excess of 100,000 vehicles per annum. 

E-Training World launches new module to help drivers avoid common collisions

E-Training World has released its new training module focused on avoiding collisions.

With most crashes due to human error, the training module focuses on the common reasons drivers collide with others and how to avoid them.

Rear-end collisions are the most common type of insurance claim. These collisions often occur at roundabouts, where drivers often look to the right at what is coming around the roundabout, not the car in front of them.

Junctions are also a high-risk location for rear-end collisions, especially when a vehicle is waiting to turn right but is prevented from doing so by oncoming traffic or a temporary obstruction in the road.

Graham Hurdle, managing director at E-Training World, said: “Even minor bumps and scrapes can cost companies dearly, as well as affect driver confidence.

“By completing training tailored to avoiding common collisions, drivers can become safer on the road and have fewer collisions.”

New AI invoice scanning from FleetCheck

A new artificial intelligence (AI) tool to be introduced by FleetCheck aims to enable fleet managers to scan invoices into its software in a matter of seconds.

Peter Golding, managing director at the fleet software specialist, said that the advance, which is currently undergoing customer testing, would mean thousands of hours saved every year across the company’s user base.

“When we survey our users, one of the things they find really time-consuming is manually keying all of the information on an invoice into the system,” he said.

“The new tool means it’s as fast as scanning the invoice, turning a job that would normally take an average of five minutes into one that can be completed in under 10 seconds.

“All of the important details on the document are automatically recognised from the image and populated into our system. They can then be passed directly to your company’s accounting software in the appropriate format.”

Golding says that several fleets are trialling the tool and the feedback it has received from them is extremely positive.

“It’s a really good use of AI and an example of what it can be used to achieve for fleet managers,” he added.

The new tool follows FleetCheck’s first use of AI in its Licence Assured licence checking product. Introduced in September, it allows users to upload an image of a driving licence, with its details automatically populated into the system.

Golding continued: “We learnt a lot about AI from creating the licence scanning tool, especially the fact that employing the technology is not necessarily easy. To get this to a stage where the data can be accurately extracted has taken quite some time.

“However, we’re now at a point where we can reliably examine images and identify the relevant data, and we’ll be applying the same principle not just to invoice scanning but to other documents in the coming months and years.

“It’s a question of identifying which tasks are most suited to AI and deliver maximum benefits for users.”

Aston Barclay adopts AI-powered inspection system

Aston Barclay has rolled out the Proovstation Inspection Gantry, which uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to map and process vehicle damage data on each vehicle.

The automated inspection scanner employs an AI-led process to ensure precise and consistent appraisals.

Upon entering the gantry, the vehicle undergoes a comprehensive assessment. Dedicated tyre scanners measure the wear of all four tyres, and internal lights illuminate the vehicle, enabling cameras to map the entire exterior. This process identifies chips, dents, and scratches as the vehicle drives through the gantry.

Following the inspection, the gantry processes the collected data, and within 90 seconds, the findings are transmitted to the inspector's handheld device.

The information is then fed into Aston Barclay's internal damage-appraisal engine, which calculates the cost of damage and assigns a NAMA grading to the vehicle.

Aston Barclay is currently using the system at two of its six sites, Wakefield and Donington, with plans to roll out the technology further in the coming months.

Nick Thompson, chief customer officer at Aston Barclay, said: "This pioneering technology enhances inspection accuracy and reduces the time required for inspections, helping us to improve the speed we can process our cars.

“Not only does this allow us to provide a more efficient service for our customers, but we can also ensure there is consistency for all vehicles across our centres.”

Digital shift drives online new vehicle sales

Automotive e-commerce company Drivvn has seen vehicle sales grow by 257% from £709 million in 2022 to £2.2 billion in 2023.

The company now supports 14 automotive brands in 10 countries across Europe and has expanded its customer base into the fleet sector.

The pace of e-commerce growth continues to accelerate as Drivvn's latest online store achieved £100m in sales in its first two months.

Peter Brown (pictured above), chief executive of Drivvn, said: "We now work with OEMs, fleet companies and dealers to improve sales conversion, and our goal is to become the largest global provider of automotive e-commerce solutions.

“Our modular approach ensures that our technology can be quickly deployed to improve any aspect of the online sales journey from vehicle comparators to finance options."

Based in Warwick and offices across Europe, the team at Drivvn has grown from 40 to 55 in the past 12 months as the company invests in its development capacity, data insight and client management.

The e-commerce company counts Audi, Citroen, Fiat, Ford, Opel, Peugeot, Vauxhall, Volvo and VW as its clients.

Over the past 12 months, it has also launched new channels for Motability and has just delivered its first multi-brand leasing solution.

Here Technologies named by Uber as a global location provider

Here Technologies and Uber Technologies have announced a long-term collaboration to enhance Uber’s mapping capabilities globally for rideshare and food deliveries.

The agreement builds on Here and Uber’s existing partnership and will help bring further advanced location-aware tools and functions to the Uber platform.

“The mapping capability is key to creating a fast and intuitive experience for on-demand mobility and delivery solutions,” said Ajay Dalvi, senior director of business development at Uber.

“Ultimately, it’s all about ensuring end-users, from drivers to couriers to consumers, have the best possible experience when they’re using the Uber apps.

“In a fast-moving world, Uber’s partnership with Here helps enable Uber to remain a leader in this space with heightened fresh and accurate data, and we’re excited to continue building with them.”

Uber and Here are also exploring new ways to bring additional location-based tools to continue to grow the capabilities of the Uber platform.

Successful first year of trading celebrated by Drive Fuze

Car subscription provider and technology platform Drive Fuze has celebrated a successful first year of trading.

Drive Fuze launched in January last year and now has a fleet of vehicles out on subscription.

It is now offering its modular software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution out to manufacturers, dealers, leasing and rental companies looking to offer their own branded subscription products – a key growth area for the business in the year ahead. 

The Drive Fuze board – assembled by chairman Nick Rothwell, former chairman and CEO of Ford Credit Europe and former board director and founder’s advisor at Bipi – has extensive experience in managing car deliveries, collections, fines, repairs and servicing.

To date, the business has been run from Thurleigh Airfield Business Park, where its fleet will continue to be based, along with its operations teams.

Its footprint has expanded to include new premises at Milton Keynes, now home to its customer service, marketing, technology and finance departments.

Tony Bramall is the former shareholder and chairman of CD Bramall and co-founder of Bramall and Jones – and recently sold his significant share in dealer group, Lookers.

He has invested in Drive Fuze alongside the four founding members chairman Nick Rothwell, CEO Martin Parsons, CTO Richard Baker and Simon Withey, owner of Hudson Kapel 101 Ltd and co-founder of SMH Fleet Solutions.

Peter Jones is the investor representative on the board of Drive Fuze and former commercial director at Rover and Inchcape. Other roles held include former MD of C D Bramall, co-founder of Bramall & Jones, former CEO of Lookers PLC, and former chair of Vertu Motor Group.

Both Jones and Bramall bring extensive motor industry knowledge and experience and are actively supporting the founding team.

Jones said: “I am incredibly excited to be a part of Drive Fuze, because I’m confident that the team has the automotive and tech expertise – and a unique, best-in-class end to end solution – needed to unlock the massive potential in the market.”

Bramall added: “We have an excellent team at Drive Fuze headed by ex-European Ford Credit lead Nick Rothwell who sat on the Bipi Board prior to its sale, and I’m confident it will prove to be very successful.”

James Birch was previously managing director at Leasys and is now chief operating officer at Drive Fuze, concluded: “All-inclusive subscriptions are a fairer and more transparent option for drivers, who are choosing the car they want, rather than the deal they’ve been sold, and who can change cars without hefty fees should their circumstances change.

“The strength of our consumer fleet is proof of concept for our proposition. Now we’re in talks with dealers, leasing providers and rental companies about using our software and operational capability as a new way to bring in revenue and make their assets work harder. I was looking for a solution like this in my previous role and couldn’t find anything in the market that was suitable.

“We’ve got big things coming in 2024. Our new head office gives us headroom for continued growth as we grow our B2C and B2B business next year and beyond.”