Coronavirus Thread (Off Topic, Politics) (231 Viewers)

[Astute]

demand for new cars in UK down 97% in April compared to last April. Not surprising but still staggering.

Certainly not surprising when we are supposedly not allowed to go out to buy non essentials. Most people have had their pay reduced or work ended.

And I can't see them getting anywhere near back ti the previous levels for a long time. Most cars are 'sold' as hire arrangements. Look at how many people have been left with contracts they now can't afford. Can't see that many being desperate to take out new contracts once their present one runs out. On top of that a lot of people will lose their present income. The car industry is the one I see as being hit the hardest.

 

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[clint van damme]

About 500 work at my plant. If we can't keep 6 ft apart the job stops. It doesn't restart until we can work out some kind of solution. Mechanical aids have made a lot if 2 man jobs a 1 man job previously. We are now back up to full production even after a lot are off work as they have or a family member has underlying health issues. And the measures put in place are much stricter than the government seems to be suggesting.

Is the problem at your place a lack of space, the kind of work you do or is it just a management thing?

just lack of guidance I think. The plant is basically shut so it shouldn't be a problem. Some of it was due to contractors who were carrying out maintenance work, for example there were 3 blokes huddled round a laptop doing some diagnostics on a machine.
I don't normally work in this plant, ours is a lot smaller so social distancing should be easier but I still don't think it will be done correctly.

 

[clint van damme]

Certainly not surprising when we are supposedly not allowed to go out to buy non essentials. Most people have had their pay reduced or work ended.

And I can't see them getting anywhere near back ti the previous levels for a long time. Most cars are 'sold' as hire arrangements. Look at how many people have been left with contracts they now can't afford. Can't see that many being desperate to take out new contracts once their present one runs out. On top of that a lot of people will lose their present income. The car industry is the one I see as being hit the hardest.

that's my take. Obviously my post just referred to UK sales but I don't think the picture will be much better in the majority of other markets.

 

[Astute]

just lack of guidance I think. The plant is basically shut so it shouldn't be a problem. Some of it was due to contractors who were carrying out maintenance work, for example there were 3 blokes huddled round a laptop doing some diagnostics on a machine.
I don't normally work in this plant, ours is a lot smaller so social distancing should be easier but I still don't think it will be done correctly.

So a management thing then. Hopefully they will have a plan put together before you open up properly that includes distancing and better hygiene facilities. It helps knowing you are much safer at work than most other places like shopping for instance.

 

[clint van damme]

So a management thing then. Hopefully they will have a plan put together before you open up properly that includes distancing and better hygiene facilities. It helps knowing you are much safer at work than most other places like shopping for instance.

I think by the time we start full production again the lock down will have been lifted in other areas of society and there will be clear guidelines issued regarding workplace PPE and distancing etc.

 

[Astute]

that's my take. Obviously my post just referred to UK sales but I don't think the picture will be much better in the majority of other markets.

To me the more expensive an item the more the effect on sales. Nobody needs a new car. If anything go about 3 years old for less than half the price on average.

But in 3 years time there will be a lack of used cars at that age. Values will go up. Maybe that is when new sales will also go up. It is all guesswork ATM. Not good news for me as have been planning a big upgrade in 3 years for my retirement. I drive older but reliable cars. Volvo V70 D5 presently. Now 12 years old but drives like new. Get out after my normal 800 mile journey feeling better than many cars nipping to the shop.

 

[Astute]

I think by the time we start full production again the lock down will have been lifted in other areas of society and there will be clear guidelines issued regarding workplace PPE and distancing etc.

They have given guidelines. But done in the normal Tory way. More suggestions than orders. They suggest distancing. They suggest better hygiene facilities. About time they grew a pair and did the right thing even if it means the rich owners have to pay. Strangely enough the typical Tory voter.....

 

[clint van damme]

To me the more expensive an item the more the effect on sales. Nobody needs a new car. If anything go about 3 years old for less than half the price on average.

But in 3 years time there will be a lack of used cars at that age. Values will go up. Maybe that is when new sales will also go up. It is all guesswork ATM. Not good news for me as have been planning a big upgrade in 3 years for my retirement. I drive older but reliable cars. Volvo V70 D5 presently. Now 12 years old but drives like new. Get out after my normal 800 mile journey feeling better than many cars nipping to the shop.

Apparently showrooms have reopened in China but they're not doing any business. It's going to have a huge knock on affect.

 

[Grendel]

that's my take. Obviously my post just referred to UK sales but I don't think the picture will be much better in the majority of other markets.

Retailers are all closed

 

[fernandopartridge]

Never doing that walk again, legs are like jelly now.
Just under 5 miles of hill walking as i got carried away and just kept going then realised how far i had gone.
Never seen so many happy, smiling people though. So many good vibes

Glad to hear they're gradually loosening things, the sunshine will do everybody the world of good. Places in Spain are not really designed for constant indoor living with the small windows etc.
Anto Ryan has been streaming stuff on YouTube, my father in law was watching him the other week.

Sent from my ELE-L29 using Tapatalk

 

[The coventrian]

Apparently showrooms have reopened in China but they're not doing any business. It's going to have a huge knock on affect.

Hopefully theres some way that all the countries that have been affected by this can sue the arse off China. People losing their lives,jobs,homes through no fault of there own etc is disgraceful. China need to pay for what they unleashed on the world.

 

[The coventrian]

To me the more expensive an item the more the effect on sales. Nobody needs a new car. If anything go about 3 years old for less than half the price on average.

But in 3 years time there will be a lack of used cars at that age. Values will go up. Maybe that is when new sales will also go up. It is all guesswork ATM. Not good news for me as have been planning a big upgrade in 3 years for my retirement. I drive older but reliable cars. Volvo V70 D5 presently. Now 12 years old but drives like new. Get out after my normal 800 mile journey feeling better than many cars nipping to the shop.

Surely if nobody bought a new car then there would be no 2nd hand ones?

 

[Grendel]

Surely if nobody bought a new car then there would be no 2nd hand ones?

Also those cars in the used chain would rise in value. It will take a few months but the car industry will recover

 

[clint van damme]

Retailers are all closed

most are open according to this article:

Dealerships reopen but await more traffic

it also says they're operating at levels between 35 and 57 percent which while not good is better than I was told.

 

[David O'Day]

Now if I called him a Taig fair enough. But I didn’t. And to be fair I still apologised to Sickboy some time later for calling him Grendulls performing monkey which he accepted. Gracefully. Besides, I’m a card carrying taig ...er, I mean Irish man myself these days.

I call myself a taig and a fenian, we've reclaimed those words

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[Grendel]

most are open according to this article:

Dealerships reopen but await more traffic

it also says they're operating at levels between 35 and 57 percent which while not good is better than I was told.

I was talking Uk

 

[thekidfromstrettoncamp]

People who normaly commute into the London by train or tube and don't like the conditions may be some of the people who restart the car market

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Hopefully theres some way that all the countries that have been affected by this can sue the arse off China. People losing their lives,jobs,homes through no fault of there own etc is disgraceful. China need to pay for what they unleashed on the world.

'Contagious illness spreads' is not a lawsuit.

 

[Grendel]

'Contagious illness spreads' is not a lawsuit.

To be fair a form of backlash not just from the us is gathering pace

 

[David O'Day]

Excess deaths for week ending 24th April still 11k over average

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[Deleted member 5849]

To be fair a form of backlash not just from the us is gathering pace

Easy to find a bogeyman, stops people having to look inwardly.

But hey, we know that kind of thing works, alas.

 

[Sick Boy]

Presumably all other countries would be liable for things like Swine Flu, BSE, etc.

 

[Grendel]

Easy to find a bogeyman, stops people having to look inwardly.

But hey, we know that kind of thing works, alas.

Even Germany are evaluating investment and future relations

 

[The coventrian]

Easy to find a bogeyman, stops people having to look inwardly.

But hey, we know that kind of thing works, alas.

Er hello,where did this virus originate from? I guess it wasnt done on purpose though was it.......or like china kept it a secret......

 

[clint van damme]

I was talking Uk

oh right, yeah, just really brought it home seeing it it in black and white.

 

[Astute]

Surely if nobody bought a new car then there would be no 2nd hand ones?

Which is why I said in 3 years time a 3 year old car will be worth much more than now. All 2nd hand values will go up. So then it will be worth looking at new again. And hopefully the world economy will be back on track by then.

 

[SIR ERNIE]

To be fair a form of backlash not just from the us is gathering pace

It's happening already. One of my customers, a leading national discount store chain, is actively encouraging approaches from UK manufacturers and suggesting products prominently state ‘Made in UK’ on the packaging. This is a company whose stores have become increasingly dependent over many years on goods from China. They now want to significantly reduce that reliance to simplify logistics and in anticipation of customer backlash.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Er hello,where did this virus originate from? I guess it wasnt done on purpose though was it.......or like china kept it a secret......

Er hello, it's a virus.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Even Germany are evaluating investment and future relations

Interesting you hold Germany up as the gold standard we shjould aspire to...

 

[The coventrian]

Which is why I said in 3 years time a 3 year old car will be worth much more than now. All 2nd hand values will go up. So then it will be worth looking at new again. And hopefully the world economy will be back on track by then.

I hear what your saying but that would put thousands on the dole. At our place they build about 8 months in advance so all the cars built are sold. Unless theyve all been cancelled then I imagine when we go back the powers that be will want them caught back and out the door asap to get some cash in the bank.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Presumably all other countries would be liable for things like Swine Flu, BSE, etc.

Quite. Perhaps we should retrospectively pay all those indiginous populations who we wiped out by spreading our western diseases.

 

[Ring Of Steel]

Er hello,where did this virus originate from? I guess it wasnt done on purpose though was it.......or like china kept it a secret......

If we're looking for countries to foot the bill for damage caused, I look forward to Boris rolling out a reparations schedule starting with India and Kenya, just as phase one of making things right for the amount of people this country has murdered down the years.

 

[Sick Boy]

Makes me laugh that people go on about boycotting China on social media...from their iPhone haha

 

[The coventrian]

Er hello, it's a virus.

Point missed completely as usual.

 

[jimmyhillsfanclub]

Interesting that France now states their first case was back in 2019.....adding more weight to the argument that it was here, spreading & mis-diagnosed throughout January....

France's first coronavirus case 'was in December'