By Martin Hill, Group Director of Strategic Partnerships
This latest Dealer Insight provides a fascinating assessment of the potential for ground-breaking thinking and technology. In our rapidly evolving market, the combination of the pandemic, ambitious Government commitments to cut carbon emissions and a better informed, empowered and protected customer have and will continue to drive change in car retailing. Norton Way is developing something fresh and smart that embraces change positively.
Norton Way Group, which is owned by the Marubeni Corporation, one of the largest general trading companies in Japan, operates a portfolio of franchises across Hertfordshire and West London. In many ways, Norton Way looks like a classic regional car retailing business; however, the unique nature of a Japanese trading company is their investment in a diverse range of markets. In Marubeni’s case, this includes businesses specialising in leading-edge energy/solar energy. It has enabled Norton Way to develop a ground-breaking energy infrastructure.
As Neal Grainger, Norton Way Groups, financial director, outlines, combining solar power collection with the harvesting of electric power from forecourt EV stock can help meet a dealer’s electricity needs. It is an elegantly simple initiative, optimising and, in essence, ‘recycling’ energy to reduce the business’ carbon footprint. In the longer term, it will also cut costs.
With the Climate Change Conference due to take place in Glasgow in November and a rapidly increasing focus on the environment, cars and carbon emissions are sure to be in the public eye prominently. Norton Way’s initiative is a timely prompt; all of us in the retail motor industry has a part to play in demonstrating positive change. Being greener and leaner can be good for the environment and our businesses; it is precisely why at AutoProtect, we are commitment to developing products, such as dedicated warranty and Gap for the EV market.
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