Latest news with #NicolasRio
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Warning over growing EV graveyards as major change looms for Aussie electric car industry
A new Chinese electric vehicle sits under a tarp in a dusty Australian scrapyard. Damage to the car, although clearly visible, is relatively minor but the car has been written off. It's a scenario that has plagued some early adopters of electric vehicles in the country as challengers persist in the fledgling repair network including a lack of qualified mechanics to work on the modern cars. The BYD Atto 3 sitting under the tarp had been written off by the insurance company, ostensibly deemed too much trouble to fix. "It had only done 300 kilometres. It was basically brand new and it was rear ended," car expert Paul Maric told Yahoo News. "It had very minor rear end damage. There was no damage to the battery and no further damage to the structure of the vehicle and despite this it appears the insurer wrote off the vehicle." In the end, his electrician brother bought the car for $2,500 to repurpose the battery. Related: Warning over hidden electric car issue: 'Useless as an investment' "If you look at what is happening in electric cars in general, the repair network doesn't have the skills required at scale, and definitely not on the scale that the government wants," Maric said. "At the moment there's a lot of hoops for panel beaters to jump through to make it viable to repair an electric car, as a result of that you don't have many of them, and as a result of that it's very expensive to fix them." Nicolas Rio is the general manager at Right2Drive, a company that supplies motorists with a replacement vehicle when they're involved in an accident and it's not their fault. Because the business aims to provide a like for like replacement, it is having to stock more EVs in its fleet and is in constant contact with repairers. "We work very closely with the repair network on understanding how those processes take place," he told Yahoo. "We're starting to get more clarity on best practice, safe practice on electric vehicle repairs." He said while there is an increasing number of accredited EV repairers establishing themselves, any damage to the battery can still cause major challenges. "When there's damage to the battery that can often be a very expensive repair which may exceed the value of the car," he said. "That is a factor with electric vehicles. "But generally speaking, the repair network that supports electric vehicles is strengthening, and definitely in metropolitan areas." However there are concerns in the industry that NSW could be about to introduce a major speed bump. There is currently no coordinated national pathway for repairers to get officially certified to work on EVs. To help address that NSW Fair Trade is currently proposing changes to the state's Motor Dealers and Repairers Regulation including requiring mechanics to pass certain training courses before they're legally allowed to service and repair electric and hybrid vehicles. The changes would come into effect from July 1, and the industry says it could badly exacerbate shortages and ultimately lead to more damaged cars sitting idle in carparks and scrapyards. The CEO of the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA), Stuart Charity, warned this month that it would "reduce access to essential repair services and increase costs for NSW motorists". "We agree that technicians working on high-voltage vehicles must be trained and competent — and that's already happening. But this proposal creates a legislative barrier that will drastically reduce the number of qualified service providers overnight," he said. Maric said the changes could mean workers carrying out ordinary tasks like changing tyres would need to do the mandatory certification which "just seems outrageous". "We sometimes underplay the amount of energy stored in one of these batteries and how much can be discharged if you mishandle a high voltage cable, or if you penetrate a battery," he said. The batteries can discharge enough energy to kill someone, he added. "There are some real risks working on an electrified vehicle if you don't know what you're doing. So I agree we do need some [coordinated] licensing or training that people undertake, but there needs to be logical reasoning behind it." For now, NSW Fair Trading says no final decisions have been made as it continues consultation with the industry. According to the AAAA, fewer than 10 per cent of NSW automotive technicians are estimated to have completed any formal EV training. Meanwhile the state government is aiming for more than half of new car sales to be EVs and hybrids by 2030. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Aussie drivers urged to invoke little-known road rule in no fault accidents: 'You're legally entitled'
The average Australian driver travels more than 200 kilometres each week in their vehicle. For those who rely on their car for a daily commute, being involved in a car crash can be one of life's great inconveniences. But if the crash wasn't your fault, there's no reason you should be left without an equally good car while yours is undergoing any repairs. In fact, you're legally entitled to one. "About three in four people aren't aware of their right to drive after they're not at fault in an accident,' says Nicolas Rio, general manager at Right2Drive. "It refers actually to quite an old law — the law of demurrage," he explained, with the term being borrowed from the shipping industry and its application to road accidents has even been upheld in the High Court of Australia. "The law still holds true today... if you've been in an accident and you're not at fault, you're legally entitled to be restored to the position before the accident," Rio told Yahoo News. However, according to the company's research nearly three quarters (74 per cent) of Australian drivers are unaware of such a legally enshrined entitlement. Right2Drive claims since its inception, it has helped some 300,000 drivers with a free car across Australia and New Zealand, with the company then chasing up the insurance provider of the driver who was at fault to cover the costs of the loan car. The company has compiled data on the types of crashes it responds to, revealing the most common trouble spots for motorists. "We've got a very extensive data base of incidents and crashes from our propriety system... that represent non-fatal incidents," Rio said. One of the details from crashes in NSW, for instance, is that drivers are about three times more likely to crash in a car park (14.7 per cent) compared to a roundabout (5.6). There is one useful tip that could help you avoid being liable — reversing into car spots. That's because reversing out into a busy car park can be a common cause of crashes, and the reversing driver will almost always be deemed to be at fault. An Aussie insurance broker previously warned drivers they should reverse into a parking spot because backing out with limited vision could increase the chance they're liable for a fender bender. The Insurance Council of Australia has previously confirmed to Yahoo News Australia the little-known fact, that in most cases the reversing driver is automatically deemed to be the at-fault. But Rio said there are rare cases where that rule doesn't hold. "We definitely have instances where people have been reversing and are not at fault," he said. "If someone opens a car door into a reversing vehicle, they [the reversing car] are not at fault," he said, for example. The NSW focused data also showed rear-end collisions are the most common type of road crash at nearly 34 per cent of accidents, while single-lane roads were the most dangerous spots, accounting for nearly a quarter of crashes, followed by multi-lane roads, car parks, traffic lights, intersections and roundabouts. This week is National Road Safety Week with the annual initiative bringing together government bodies and road safety organisations to address the high costs of road collisions and work to reduce them. Professor Stuart Newstead, Director of the Monash University Accident Research Centre, on Monday highlighted the boon that has come from increased safety features and technology from car manufacturers. 🚘 New camera trial to target drivers breaching road rule in 'real-time' 🔋 Big shift on Aussie roads as electric car market hits 'major milestone' 🚦 Little-known traffic light hack to hit coveted 'green wave' "Vehicle safety improvements have played a major role in reducing road trauma over the past 50 years. Safer vehicles not only protect occupants during crashes but increasingly help prevent crashes altogether," he said. "However, there is still significant opportunity to reduce road trauma by encouraging safer vehicle choices, especially among younger and older drivers," he added. Earlier this year, Yahoo highlighted research that showed young drivers can be overrepresented in road fatalities, in part because they are more likely to purchase older, less safe vehicles. Budget-conscious young drivers often prioritise affordability over safety features, leading them to purchase cars with outdated braking systems, lower crash safety ratings, and worn-out components. "A key focus during National Road Safety Week should be how we can unlock this remaining potential [of vehicle improvements] to save lives," Prof Stuart said. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Aussie drivers reminded of little-known road rule that can score you a free car
The average Australian driver travels more than 200 kilometres each week in their vehicle. For those who rely on their car for a daily commute, being involved in a car crash can be one of life's great inconveniences. But if the crash wasn't your fault, there's no reason you should be left without an equally good car while yours is undergoing any repairs. In fact, you're legally entitled to one. "About three in four people aren't aware of their right to drive after they're not at fault in an accident,' says Nicolas Rio, general manager at Right2Drive. "It refers actually to quite an old law — the law of demurrage," he explained, with the term being borrowed from the shipping industry and its application to road accidents has even been upheld in the High Court of Australia. "The law still holds true today... if you've been in an accident and you're not at fault, you're legally entitled to be restored to the position before the accident," Rio told Yahoo News. However, according to the company's research nearly three quarters (74 per cent) of Australian drivers are unaware of such a legally enshrined entitlement. Right2Drive claims since its inception, it has helped some 300,000 drivers with a free car across Australia and New Zealand, with the company then chasing up the insurance provider of the driver who was at fault to cover the costs of the loan car. The company has compiled data on the types of crashes it responds to, revealing the most common trouble spots for motorists. "We've got a very extensive data base of incidents and crashes from our propriety system... that represent non-fatal incidents," Rio said. One of the details from crashes in NSW, for instance, is that drivers are about three times more likely to crash in a car park (14.7 per cent) compared to a roundabout (5.6). There is one useful tip that could help you avoid being liable — reversing into car spots. That's because reversing out into a busy car park can be a common cause of crashes, and the reversing driver will almost always be deemed to be at fault. An Aussie insurance broker previously warned drivers they should reverse into a parking spot because backing out with limited vision could increase the chance they're liable for a fender bender. The Insurance Council of Australia has previously confirmed to Yahoo News Australia the little-known fact, that in most cases the reversing driver is automatically deemed to be the at-fault. But Rio said there are rare cases where that rule doesn't hold. "We definitely have instances where people have been reversing and are not at fault," he said. "If someone opens a car door into a reversing vehicle, they [the reversing car] are not at fault," he said, for example. The NSW focused data also showed rear-end collisions are the most common type of road crash at nearly 34 per cent of accidents, while single-lane roads were the most dangerous spots, accounting for nearly a quarter of crashes, followed by multi-lane roads, car parks, traffic lights, intersections and roundabouts. This week is National Road Safety Week with the annual initiative bringing together government bodies and road safety organisations to address the high costs of road collisions and work to reduce them. Professor Stuart Newstead, Director of the Monash University Accident Research Centre, on Monday highlighted the boon that has come from increased safety features and technology from car manufacturers. 🚘 New camera trial to target drivers breaching road rule in 'real-time' 🔋 Big shift on Aussie roads as electric car market hits 'major milestone' 🚦 Little-known traffic light hack to hit coveted 'green wave' "Vehicle safety improvements have played a major role in reducing road trauma over the past 50 years. Safer vehicles not only protect occupants during crashes but increasingly help prevent crashes altogether," he said. "However, there is still significant opportunity to reduce road trauma by encouraging safer vehicle choices, especially among younger and older drivers," he added. Earlier this year, Yahoo highlighted research that showed young drivers can be overrepresented in road fatalities, in part because they are more likely to purchase older, less safe vehicles. Budget-conscious young drivers often prioritise affordability over safety features, leading them to purchase cars with outdated braking systems, lower crash safety ratings, and worn-out components. "A key focus during National Road Safety Week should be how we can unlock this remaining potential [of vehicle improvements] to save lives," Prof Stuart said. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
