At Halfway Toyota in Howick, workshop foreman Devesh Saamcharan stole a march on his Japanese colleagues in the Toyota Motor Corporation when he assembled a few foot-operated, hand-sanitiser dispensers back in May 2020.
The dispenser proved to be a novelty in May, before it became commonplace in dealers across South Africa.
Toyota announced recently that its Kamigo Parts Centre in Japan will be making up to 2 500 sanitiser stands a month, which are to be sold or leased to dealers in Japan from December onwards.
Saamcharan told Dealerfloor he built his stands as strong but as cheaply as possible, using wood and old clutch housings that he salvaged at the dealership. To this he added only a few new bolts, making it a very cost-effective solution for the dealership.
The sturdy stands are in daily use at the busy Halfway dealership, but despite being stepped on many times a day, are still cleaning hands as fast as the bottles can squirt.
As fuel prices continue to climb across South Africa, many motorists are beginning to question whether owning a car still makes financial sense. With in-land petrol prices now at R26.63 a litre and diesel costs rising sharply in May, transport expenses are placing growing pressure on household budgets.
Pinewood.AI has added two new embedded modules to its Business Intelligence Solution, giving dealers and OEMs greater insight into financial performance and the customer journey, it says.
Two new off-grid, solar-powered charging stations for electric vehicles (EV) have been switched on as part of the Zero Carbon Charge (CHARGE) network.
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I have bad reflexes. I was once run over by a car being pushed by two guys
Woody Allen
Taking on the challenge of restoring a legacy brand to a stronger position in South Africa is now the focus for Dealer Principal David Venter and his team at Mazda The Glen in the south of Johannesburg.
Twenty-seven Lepas dealerships are now open across South Africa, and the brand is already planning more.
Stellantis South Africa announced the opening of a new SCW Mobility Group dealership in Cape Town, bringing seven of its leading automotive brands under one roof, Alfa Romeo, Citroën, Fiat, Jeep, Leapmotor, Opel, and Peugeot.
