Electric vehicle battery repair and the fallout from motor finance discretionary commission arrangements (DCAs) will be the key subjects under discussion at the first Vehicle Remarketing Association (VRA) meeting of 2025.

The event will include a look at EV battery repair technology

The event takes place at the Meriden, Warwickshire offices of VRA member Epyx on Thursday 6 February and will include speakers such as Ashley Minors of motor trade insurance specialist Boswell Aftermarket, talking about his company’s experience with EV battery repair technology, as well as trends in the wider motor insurance sector.

David Gray from Cox Automotive’s EV Battery Solutions will discuss emerging in-life services, such as diagnostics, repair and remanufacturing that help extend the lifespan of EV batteries.

Meanwhile, Chris Plumb of Cap HPI will provide an overview of the current state of the new and used car and van markets.

Philip Nothard, chair at the VRA, said: “As more and more EVs start to appear on the used market, the possibility of battery repair is becoming an increasingly salient topic. Obviously, the cost of replacing a damaged battery is prohibitive and will often lead to a vehicle being scrapped. The emergence of cost-effective repair solutions is therefore something of genuine interest to the remarketing sector.”

The meeting will also include a talk from VRA member Anthea Coulter of Equiniti on the practical aspects of managing the recent court of appeal decision on motor finance DCAs for the remarketing sector.

Nothard commented: “We’re looking forward to hearing about the impact of the court of appeal decision on DCAs at a real-world level. While we’re hopeful that changes will be made by the Supreme Court as a result of the Close Brothers appeal, dealers and others in remarketing are having to deal with the situation as it stands.”

He added that VRA membership had continued to grow in 2024, with the organisation probably enjoying its highest-ever level of engagement with the remarketing sector.

“We now have almost 60 members and attracted almost 200 people to our annual seminar at Warwick University in November. There is a genuine buzz around the organisation at the moment and that’s something that is very much noticeable at these member meetings, with very high quality presentations and discussion.

“We’d urge anyone who is interested in the VRA to come along and find out what we’re all about.”

For more details about the VRA and attending meetings, please email info@thevra.co.uk.