Impact of COVID-19 on motor industry?

SachaJ · 15-03-2020 1:29pm #1

https://autovistagroup.com/news-and-insights/automotive-industry-cowered-covid-19

Interesting read. I was due to change the car this month, perhaps as soon as next week, but I'm giving serious thought to pushing out for a few months. Already I've seen notes of people losing jobs in Ireland, Norwegian Airlines laying off 50% of staff temporarily which would suggest Irish airlines could follow suit (& the DAA), pubs closing, tourism sector will surely be down etc. I was made redundant as a direct result of SARS in 2003 so aware of what could be coming.

I think it's going to be a rocky few months.

Cushtie · 15-03-2020 1:39pm

SachaJ wrote: »

https://autovistagroup.com/news-and-insights/automotive-industry-cowered-covid-19

Interesting read. I was due to change the car this month, perhaps as soon as next week, but I'm giving serious thought to pushing out for a few months. Already I've seen notes of people losing jobs in Ireland, Norwegian Airlines laying off 50% of staff temporarily which would suggest Irish airlines could follow suit (& the DAA), pubs closing, tourism sector will surely be down etc. I was made redundant as a direct result of SARS in 2003 so aware of what could be coming.

I think it's going to be a rocky few months.

Working in the Industry. I think it will be pretty serious. Expecting layoff / redundancy. Working from home currently but not sure if there will be anything to go back to.

greasepalm · 15-03-2020 1:42pm

Yep unknown what is coming and for how long,bank past me has around 3500 staff and many working from home and how quiet the road is now .Many of them get car serviced with us and bookings are very slim next week.If the pub closes i will have outsource my lunch elsewhere.If the motor factors get hit and have to close.Plenty of places shutting up shop hoping it wont be too long before reopening,so to anyone out there BE SAFE.

Tzardine · 15-03-2020 1:44pm

Picking up new car tomorrow from dealer. Have been waiting 4 months on it to be built. Been all sorts of delays along the way.

I have a feeling that the dealer wont open in the morning - it would be typical of my luck.

SachaJ · 15-03-2020 1:45pm

I'm in financial services and we're all instructed to work from home. That's about 2000 staff that are not commuting, buying lunch, using their cars (buying petrol diesel) etc.

Cushtie · 15-03-2020 1:46pm

Tzardine wrote: »

Picking up new car tomorrow from dealer. Have been waiting 4 months on it to be built. Been all sorts of delays along the way.

I have a feeling that the dealer wont open in the morning - it would be typical of my luck.

Give them a call. There will be someone there I'd say. Any dealer will be anxious to complete deals on the current environment.

BarryD2 · 15-03-2020 1:47pm

People will still need to get around when all this blows over. Think a substantial ‘carbon tax’ on petrol & diesel might be ushered in on back of this though. Especially with current drop in oil prices. Convenient timing to get over the backlash and passed off as dealing with virus issues.

greasepalm · 15-03-2020 1:49pm

Check on their website for updates

73bc61lyohr0mu · 15-03-2020 1:50pm

I deliver car parts to a certain chain. I was talking to the lads in the warehouse in Dublin the other day and they were saying their branches in the Midlands and west could close for a while as nobody is getting parts to get their car fixed...

recyclebin · 15-03-2020 2:03pm

There will be very few industries that will not be effected by COVID-19. Everything bar the essentials will be closed down for a good while I think.

Idbatterim · 15-03-2020 2:11pm

who the hell would buy a new car now? short of being retired etc with guaranteed income and lump sum of cash etc...

Lantus · 15-03-2020 2:41pm

Bigger recession than 08 coming. Massive disruption to business and economies will touch everyone. Debt levels being carried by business and individuals is higher than 12 years ago.

Treatments for covit 19 are 4 to 6 months off and the vaccine 12 to 18. Challenging times ahead......

road_high · 15-03-2020 2:49pm

Unfortunately one of the first industries to be affected. No one will be buying cars at all in the current circumstances And travel will be greatly reduced meaning far less for supply and service aspects of the industry.
If I was in the market for a new car I’d be holding onto my cash and seeing how this all unfolds. Very tough for anyone involved but hopefully it’ll pass and regain the business once things return to normal.

road_high · 15-03-2020 2:51pm

recyclebin wrote: »

There will be very few industries that will not be effected by COVID-19. Everything bar the essentials will be closed down for a good while I think.

Basic food supplies will be a boom as will anything medical related but unfortunately everything else will suffer

cnoc · 15-03-2020 2:56pm

FAO: BarryD2.

Great to see you advocating further taxes on motorists. People are facing a very uncertain future - not more sanctions. Jobs losses are mounting, not to mention those who have already contacted the virus.

road_high · 15-03-2020 3:13pm

BarryD2 wrote: »

People will still need to get around when all this blows over. Think a substantial ‘carbon tax’ on petrol & diesel might be ushered in on back of this though. Especially with current drop in oil prices. Convenient timing to get over the backlash and passed off as dealing with virus issues.

That would be insanity. The very last thing individuals and business need is the imposition of more unnecessary stealth taxes. I think governments will be trying to stimulate demand not kill it off.
All this climate change hysteria and vegan bollix will be taking a long overdue backseat as the basics of survival rightly take priority k

Toyotafanboi · 15-03-2020 3:52pm

It's very hard to know. I think the industry at large would have been happy to make it to the end of Q1 but the reality is we probably wont quite make that now (based on the hearsay of a larger lockdown announcement coming).

Friday was a busy day in our workshops and we didnt experience any cancellations for next week but that doesn't mean that people just won't show.

That being said, we had made the decision on Friday to be more selective in the work that we take in the short term, keeping taking service work essentially as it can be turned around same say and see how the next few days pass but to politely decline any long term diagnostic work/ crash repairs etc that might end up marooned on site if we have to walk away at short notice. Sales looking to deliver any finalised deals early this week and get the cars offsite.

It isn't really an industry where you can work from home. Personally I expect to work Monday and Wednesday on site, probably work from home then for approx a week after that wrapping up paperwork then probably laid off and back to a reduced working week in a few months. I dont know what's actually going to happen as we are taking it day by day but that's my gut at the minute.

Nobody knows though, could still be working away this day fortnight (hopefully not). Dealers would open Christmas day if the staff wouldnt protest and customers would still turn up to shop, it's a funny industry like that. The next few days will tell a lot.

BarryD2 · 15-03-2020 4:02pm

cnoc wrote: »

Great to see you advocating further taxes on motorists. People are facing a very uncertain future - not more sanctions. Jobs losses are mounting, not to mention those who have already contacted the virus.

No advocating it - just predicting hike in fuel taxes as a probability. From states POV, it would kill two birds with one stone - raise funds to offset losses from other revenue streams and to be seen to 'do something' on the carbon problem. Would be sold as an emergency measure to combat the virus, bit like USC was for the financial shock. Possibility of taking advantage of temporary fall in oil prices, so actual pump prices would only rise back to where they were a week or two ago. Of course, when oil prices rise again then fuel costs would soar but did you ever see a fuel tax hike rescinded??

mickdw · 15-03-2020 5:53pm

I long said things needed a major reset worldwide given the nonsense thats going around - animals being protected before gumans, green this, carbon that, tax everyone bullsh1t.
I hope this virus can push the green bullsh1t back a generation.

PaulRyan97 · 15-03-2020 7:32pm

mickdw wrote: »

I long said things needed a major reset worldwide given the nonsense thats going around - animals being protected before gumans, green this, carbon that, tax everyone bullsh1t.
I hope this virus can push the green bullsh1t back a generation.

It boggles my mind that people can still hold opinions like this nowadays. You'll be happy to hear the effects of this virus will more than likely speed up the 'green bull****', not slow it down.

pablo128 · 15-03-2020 7:37pm

I work in the motor parts distribution game. We have a container arriving from China in the morning.:eek:

Rows Grower · 15-03-2020 7:41pm

greasepalm wrote: »

Yep unknown what is coming and for how long,bank past me has around 3500 staff and many working from home and how quiet the road is now .Many of them get car serviced with us and bookings are very slim next week.If the pub closes i will have outsource my lunch elsewhere.If the motor factors get hit and have to close.Plenty of places shutting up shop hoping it wont be too long before reopening,so to anyone out there BE SAFE.

Thoughts and prayers are with you in these difficult times.

Rows Grower · 15-03-2020 7:43pm

pablo128 wrote: »

I work in the motor parts distribution game. We have a container arriving from China in the morning.:eek:

I don't think it should be a problem as the virus can't survive very long on inanimate objects.

pablo128 · 15-03-2020 7:44pm

Rows Grower wrote: »

I don't think it should be a problem as the virus can't survive very long on inanimate objects.

Yeah well hopefully there's no stowaways!:pac:

Eric Cartman · 15-03-2020 7:48pm

pablo128 wrote: »

I work in the motor parts distribution game. We have a container arriving from China in the morning.:eek:

sound like the intern is emptying it out, spraying everything with detol and getting 2 weeks off :pac:

Rows Grower · 16-03-2020 9:30am

I wonder will this become a thing and what standard it is carried out to....

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/ford-ranger-free-vehicle-medical-sanitisation-ra/22445609

mickdw · 16-03-2020 12:18pm

PaulRyan97 wrote: »

It boggles my mind that people can still hold opinions like this nowadays. You'll be happy to hear the effects of this virus will more than likely speed up the 'green bull****', not slow it down.

Well boggle away.
Its out of control some of the crap thats going on. Cows grazing in a field regarded as an environmental timebomb. In my opinion, the world should be targeting hazardous emissions such as cancer causing ones or chemical emissions from industry. Jumping on co2 as being tbe devil is a very naftow minded approach and is clearly a tax bonanza for government - did you ever hear of a tax that half the population was not only eager to pay but fighting for? And we wonder why governments push this? Tbey must be laughing their asses off.

colm_mcm · 16-03-2020 12:24pm

Rows Grower wrote: »

I wonder will this become a thing and what standard it is carried out to....

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/ford-ranger-free-vehicle-medical-sanitisation-ra/22445609

I wouldn’t be promoting this type of ‘viral’ advertising.

CianRyan · 16-03-2020 12:41pm

Rows Grower wrote: »

I wonder will this become a thing and what standard it is carried out to....

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/ford-ranger-free-vehicle-medical-sanitisation-ra/22445609

I imagine it's the same Ozone treatment we do as part of an aircon service.

Basically we have a machine that uses voltage and light to produce Ozone (O3), the car is then closed with the machine inside for 15-45 minutes and as the machine runs through it's cycle with the aircon running on recirculate.

Ozone is quite a nasty gas in high concentrations, it'll kill just about anything that's inside it if left there for about 15 minutes, viruses included. It's got a short half life though so what ever is produced decays very quickly, meaning that when you get back inside the care after the machine doing it's thing, you're just left with a light "hospitality" smell.

So while this would help get the smell of dog out of a car and yes, it may kill some viruses in the car, once you get back in and start infecting it again the process is undone.

Wibbs · 16-03-2020 4:06pm

Plus ozone is an incredibly strong oxidising agent(its why it kills bugs) and will attack plastics and other materials over time. I'd not be using it on a classic that's for sure.

ELM327 · 16-03-2020 4:14pm

Rows Grower wrote: »

I wonder will this become a thing and what standard it is carried out to....

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/ford-ranger-free-vehicle-medical-sanitisation-ra/22445609

Anyone crazy enough to spend 65k on a ford ranger needs a lot more than a sanitation!

Impact of COVID-19 on motor industry?

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