Lockdown 2: The Sequel - Where Do We Stand?

Lockdown 2: The Sequel – Where Do We Stand?

Here, we look at how the coronavirus outbreak has affected us as a business, and the car leasing market.

The coronavirus outbreak and lockdown have impacted on every part of our lives, and there’s still some uncertainty over where we stand, particularly when it comes to our vehicles. The good news is, we continue to trade online, and you can still apply for a car lease during this lockdown.

The first wave of Covid-19 hit us as hard as any other business, and we had to cope along with the rest of the world. All of our vehicle manufacturing, shipping, and all non-essential journeys ceased, making it impossible to trade at all. This gave us more time to help our customers as much as possible. We were able to delay/re-arrange any collection, inspection or delivery and we could assist with a 3-month payment break for those needing it. Whilst we didn’t trade, and earned no revenue – we continued to be here when you needed us.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) data revealed that the new car market declined 97.3% during lockdown. We were not surprised.

The good news for us was, as restrictions eased, we experienced a rapid rate of recovery following the automotive industry’s collapse. As we could not sell or move any vehicles for a while, we had a lot to catch up on.

In one day alone in May, enquiry levels within the industry were up 812% from the lowest point of lockdown. We experienced record weeks throughout June and July, mainly due to zero trade for the months beforehand.

Electric vehicles have been of particular interest to buyers, with enquiries increasing 148% over the same period last year. Our new Carbon Offsetting Scheme is also gaining traction, with interest from those where an electric vehicle doesn’t suit their needs or budget, and those not ready to take the plunge into the world of electric cars just yet.

As I said above, you can still apply for a car lease during the pandemic. If you’re new to leasing, have a read through our personal or business lease pages to see if leasing is right for you. You can also check out our carbon neutral driving page to see how we can help the environment whilst we’re at it.

Most of our process is online too – the application, including any finance checks and paperwork is completed via email, with only the original documents that require posting back, you can even do this whilst out for your daily exercise – no human contact is needed. When your finances have been approved and paperwork signed, we arrange a socially distanced, covid-safe delivery to you.

As we head into Lockdown 2, restrictions seem a little less drastic as before. We are still taking strong measures to ensure compliance, but most importantly the safety of our customers, suppliers, drivers, and salespeople. We will be taking no risks, and taking each day as it comes.

We continue to trade as close to normality as possible during this lockdown, so please do get in touch for any vehicle needs.

We are still here, and we will be when this is all over.

For now, I wish you all my very best during the second lockdown. Good health to you, your friends and families, and a genuine offer of my support whenever you need it.

David

Managing Director