On 18 September, FIEA was pleased to bring together 20 delegates from across Europe and Africa at Thatcham Research in the UK for a technical day focusing on some of the major developments shaping the automotive, repair and vehicle assessment sectors.
The programme covered a wide range of topics:
- Megacasting – new body structures and the questions they raise around repairability and replacement.
- EV Insurability – the challenges surrounding the repairability, batteries, repair costs and insurability of electric vehicles.
- Vehicle Risk Rating (VRR) – Thatcham’s new approach to assessing vehicle risk across five areas: Damage, Repair, Safety, Security & Performance.
- Self-Driving Vehicles – developments in automated driving and their potential impact on liability, insurance and vehicle repair.
- Trends impacting the future of repair – from changing accident volumes and market consolidation to new vehicle manufacturers, technology, sustainability and, perhaps most importantly, the growing skills gap.
One message came through clearly: as vehicles evolve, so does the role of the automotive expert.
New vehicle architectures, electrification, ADAS, data, automation and new repair methods are all creating new challenges and requiring our profession to continuously develop its knowledge and skills.
A big thank you to Thatcham Research for the warm welcome, the excellent presentations and the open discussions.
We would also like to express our sincere thanks to The Institute of Automotive Engineer Assessors (IAEA) for its remarkable teamwork in preparing the event, under the leadership of Philip Briggs.
Finally, our thanks go to all FIEA delegates for their presence and active contribution to the discussions, under the guidance of its President, Jacques Trassoudaine.
A highly valuable day, providing an excellent opportunity to look ahead at the challenges and opportunities facing our profession and to consider the future of automotive assessment.