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The largest supplier of parts, training and equipment in the UK and Irish automotive aftermarket has reported that demand for the IMI-accredited EV and hybrid training it offers has increased by more than 300% in just two years.
So far in 2022, LKQ Euro Car Parts – through its LKQ Academy – has already trained more than 1,280 technicians to work with pure electric and hybrid vehicles.
Another 500 EV and hybrid training seats have already been booked this year, and there are more than 300 additional spaces still available – across more than 20 LKQ Academy locations throughout the UK and Ireland.
The number of seats filled in 2022 to date – with four months still to go – represents more than a 300% increase on 2020’s annual total.
Since the start of 2020, LKQ Euro Car Parts has upskilled more than 3,000 technicians working in independent garages to work with hybrids and EVs.
Bob Wiffen, workshop solutions director at LKQ Euro Car Parts said: “We understand that small businesses are having a difficult time at the moment, and are doing everything we can to support.
“But while there are undoubtably challenges to deal with in the present, aftermarket operators have to have one eye on the future. And critically, the future has arrived.
“Hybrids are increasingly commonplace in the independent aftermarket, and EVs won’t be far behind, once they start coming out of warranty at scale.
“Independent garages are already widely acknowledged to be ahead of the dealerships on quality of service and value for money.
“Now is the time to upskill, so that they can keep pace with a customer base that’s evolving. Those that move first will enjoy a competitive advantage locally, at least for the time being.”
According to LKQ Euro Car Parts, effective marketing is key – to all garages, but especially those with a point of difference when it comes to maintaining vehicles with zero-emission capability.
As well as retaining existing customers that trade up to the latest, cleanest, greenest technologies – workshops that promote their expertise in working with battery-powered vehicles can win business from their competitors.
The LKQ Academy has committed to training more than 2,000 technicians in EV and hybrid service, maintenance and repair in 2023, and is launching two new courses: EV troubleshooting and HV Battery Repair.
For more information, visit www.lkqacademy.com. Unlimited access to training is available for just £999 + VAT per person.
LKQ Euro Car Parts has added Wynn’s E10 Protector to its product range, to help the independent aftermarket counter concerns around the new fuel.
E10 unleaded petrol – which contains up to 10 per cent renewable ethanol – was introduced in the UK at the start of September, to align with European standards and help reduce carbon emissions.
While most car owners are unlikely to notice a difference, the RAC recently reported that there could be as many as 600,000 vehicles on our roads that are not compatible with E10 fuel – typically that have older engines or fuel systems.
When filled with E10, these vehicles’ fuel systems can suffer from corrosion and blockages over time due to the fuel’s higher ethanol levels – problems that can be prevented with a dose of Wynn’s E10 Protector each time the vehicle is refuelled.
The treatment also cleans – and keeps clean – injectors and intake valves, lubricates and protects the entire fuel system, stabilises the fuel and prevents oxidation, and restores engine performance and fuel economy.
Colin Cottrell, marketing director at LKQ Euro Car Parts, said: “The addition of Wynn’s E10 Protector reflects our focus on product quality, and commitment to ensuring the independent garages we support can service every vehicle to the highest standard.
“The E10 Protector represents a great opportunity for garages to drive loyalty and trust – first by fixing a problem caused by E10 use, and then by sending the customer away with a solution that will stop it from happening again.”
To help technicians effectively diagnose faults caused by E10 petrol, LKQ Euro Car Parts also offers a range of diagnostic tools, providing the capability to pinpoint the reason for a breakdown or running issue.
And its Payment Assist scheme, which allows drivers to pay for unexpected repair bills in instalments, is designed to help garages resolve potentially high-value failures and get their customers back on the road.
Colin Cottrell added: “Our range of diagnostic machines helps to take guesswork out of the equation when assessing a fault, which in this case could easily be confused with battery or other engine-related failures.
“A worst-case scenario here is that garages see an increase in fuel part failures such as pumps, filters and even injectors as a result of E10 use. To support them and their customers, we have reviewed our stock and pricing on all of these parts to ensure we have the right part, at the right price, available immediately.”
For more information, contact your designated LKQ Euro Car Parts account manager, get in touch with your local branch, or visit https://omnipart.eurocarparts.com/
As part of its ongoing commitment to decarbonisation, LKQ Euro Car Parts has launched an electric vehicle (EV) trial on the Isle of Wight.
The trial will see an electric Vauxhall Vivaro and an electric Renault Kangoo join the island’s fleet for six months, with two charge points installed to power them.
The Isle of Wight was chosen for the trial following a review of LKQ Euro Car Parts’ national fleet, taking into account charge point infrastructure, to identify branches with vans whose typical mileage is suited to the range and capability of an EV. Vehicles on the island typically cover approximately 70 miles per day, making it the ideal location from which to test and learn from new technology.
Vauxhall and Renault have sent digital training resources to the LKQ Euro Car Parts team on the Isle of Wight, for drivers to complete before starting the trial. The team will then monitor how the vehicles are performing throughout the six months, with a view to ultimately electrifying the remainder of the island’s fleet and increasing the number of charge points.
Tony Shearer, Director of Branch Operations Excellence at LKQ Euro Car Parts, said: “Moving our commercial fleet of around 2,800 vehicles to EVs isn’t going to happen overnight, but battery technology and charging infrastructure are improving all the time.
“Our plan is to make the transition as and when EVs can seamlessly move into job roles that previously belonged to petrol and diesel vehicles, so that our commitment to reducing emissions comes to life with no impact on the effectiveness of our operation – and with no changes to the service levels our customers expect.
“Our size, scale and commitment to logistics excellence means we can get parts to every area of the UK on the same day, and in most cases, within the hour. We recognise that as market leader, we have a big role to play in pioneering the adoption of the latest vehicle technology on our fleet, which over time, could make a big contribution to the country’s net zero ambitions.”
As battery powered vehicles become increasingly common on our roads – with hybrids already present in the independent aftermarket, and EVs to follow – LKQ Euro Car Parts is urging garages to invest in the skills and resources they need to service and repair them.
To find out more about the specialist hybrid and EV training and equipment available from LKQ Euro Car Parts, visit omnipart.eurocarparts.com.
The collaboration between LKQ Euro Car Parts and Clarios (VARTA®) batteries has reached another milestone in its journey to highlight VARTA start-stop batteries to UK garages, with easy-to-use fitting guides now available to customers online.
The battery and data teams at LKQ Euro Car Parts and VARTA have worked closely to create the comprehensive fitting instructions, which are now available to LKQ Euro Car Parts’ customers through its Omnipart trade portal. The guides have been created to further support technicians, providing them with the most up to date information and guidelines to give them peace of mind when fitting a VARTA battery.
The free-to-access instructions are now available for nearly every make and model of car and show a step-by-step guide of where the battery is located, and which battery is recommended for the vehicle. In addition, there are images to help illustrate the process, all backed up by data directly from the vehicle manufacturers.
The project was underlined by a strategic pan-European and global partnership between the two companies, both leaders in their respective fields.
Colin Cottrell, Marketing Director at LKQ Euro Car Parts commented: “The addition of these fitting instructions to our Omnipart platform will further enhance the support we give to independent aftermarket garages, helping them to take advantage of more complex battery fitments, which in the past might have remained in the OE service domain.”
“With start-stop cars now regularly entering independent garages, it’s vitally important workshops have easy access to the very best support. The VARTA battery fitment guides, in collaboration with the Battery Experts at VARTA, provide the best-in-class accessibility and detailed step-by-step instructions – so a technician can confidently complete the job.”
A spokesperson at Clarios added: “It is our aim to provide the best support to the UK garage trade in these testing times, and we’re delighted that more and more workshops will now be getting the guidance they need to accurately replace batteries in the most reliable and time-efficient way possible.”
