Arnold Clark will add its first new franchise automotive retail accomplice because it exited the Ford and Toyota networks when it turns into Scotland’s sole BYD electrical automobile (EV) retailer subsequent yr.
Chief govt Eddie Hawthorne revealed to AM that the AM100 automotive retail large will open a brand new construct dealership in Glasgow, to provide the market newcomer a “premier base”, earlier than increasing out as volumes rise.
Information of Arnold Clark’s partnership with BYD comes three months after Pendragon revealed its intention to broaden its franchise portfolio by partnering with the Chinese language electrical automobile (EV) model.
Hawthorne instructed AM: “BYD has given us the Scottish area for distribution and the preliminary dealership will probably be in Glasgow. That can give us a premier website that we will rise up and operating earlier than assessing volumes and increasing out from there.
“This will probably be a very new dealership for us. We’ve bought the location and we’re simply in discussions with the model over precisely what we have to do with it from a company identification (CI) point-of-view.
“We’ll in all probability see issues begin to come collectively within the early a part of subsequent yr.”
Hawthorne confirmed that BYD doesn’t function underneath an company mannequin franchise settlement, echoing the extra conventional method taken by fellow market newcomer Great Wall Motors’ Ora EV brand, which has already been taken on by Peter Vardy and Wessex Garages.
BYD will enter the UK with its Volkswagen ID.3 and MG4-rivalling Atto 3 SUV, Hawthorne stated, with 4 or 5 new fashions set to comply with shut behind.
BYD’s assistant basic supervisor for Europe, Brian Yang, told Auto Express that the UK community may face a problem to determine itself with only one automobile however added that state of affairs was unlikely to final for lengthy.
“Subsequent yr (2023) we’ll deliver a extra complete line-up,” he stated, “and all of these fashions will probably be made in right-hand drive.”
Among the many doubtless follow-up zero-emissions automobiles are a seven-seat SUV, known as Tang, and the Han saloon.
Arnold Clark’s transfer to undertake BYD as a brand new model accomplice comes after its shock exit from the Toyota and Ford retail networks earlier this yr.
In an interview with AM at the time, Hawthorne described the transfer, which included six Toyota dealerships and 20 Ford websites, as “a refranchising train”, stating that the group was “completely not” downsizing.
Its Ford and Toyota franchised websites have now been refranchised with exiting retail companions or reworked into Motorstore used automotive retail amenities.
Yesterday AM reported that Arnold Clark’s takeover talks with £124m turnover Cars2 – a current addition to the AM100 – had ended with the 2 events unable to succeed in an settlement.
Hawthorne instructed AM that the enterprise will push forward with plans for four new used car remarketing centres in 2023, regardless of stress from the inventory shortages impacting the sector, nevertheless.
He plans to develop an auctions enterprise following the completion of the acquisition of Glasgow’s Central Automobile Auctions enterprise earlier this yr.
