New two-year partnership follows on from the motoring association’s successful support of 2020’s live event
The motoring association MotorEasy has agreed a two-year partnership that builds on its sponsorship of the 2020 event – the last held live prior to the pandemic.
As part of the agreement, MotorEasy will also sponsor the annual What Car? Reliability Survey.
The What Car? Car of the Year Awards has a 45-year history and is one of the most eagerly anticipated events in the UK’s automotive calendar, with the 2022 ceremony taking place on Thursday 20 January. The event was purely virtual in 2021. However, for 2022 it will return to the Grosvenor House, Park Lane. During the intervening period, MotorEasy has cemented its position as the UK’s fastest growing motoring association by doubling the number of members managing their cars via its online platform.
CEO Duncan McClure Fisher said: “The pandemic proved an interesting time for us as a business. While sales of our core products including warranties, GAP insurance, alloy and cosmetic cover initially took a hit, they recovered fast by mid 2020.” McClure Fisher attributes the upturn to motorists keeping their vehicles for longer, while car dealerships managed the challenge of lockdown and subsequent supply chain shortages. With the market stagnated, MotorEasy saw an increase in car owners taking out warranties and other protection products, rather than trading-in or selling their vehicles. Its online car management platform is now used by more than 600,000 motorists. As well as buying car protection products, 3,000 motorists use the platform to book servicing, MOTs and repairs every month.
McClure Fisher added: “We provide our members with a digital garage where they can build a service history on their vehicle, while receiving reminders on important dates such as tax and MOT renewal. Since our launch in 2016, we have created a network of more than 10,000 garage and workshop partners, enabling us to offer our members cut-price, high value servicing, MOTs and repairs. It’s a win-win for garages and consumers – our workshop partners get more business while we save money, time and hassle for our customers. Our ultimate aim is to provide UK motorists with the best products at the best price.”
What Car? editor Steve Huntingford said: “We are delighted to be working with MotorEasy. As a company dedicated to making motoring as hassle free as possible, its values chime perfectly with What Car?'s. Our Car of the Year Awards are the culmination of 12 months of testing, and set the highest standard for the automotive industry."
In addition to naming the overall Car of the Year, the 2022 What Car? Awards will recognise the very best models in the following categories: Small Car, Family Car, Hot Hatch, Small SUV, Family SUV, Large SUV, MPV, Estate Car, Pick-up, Plug-in Hybrid, Small Electric Car, Large Electric car, Electric SUV, Executive Car, Luxury Car, Luxury SUV, Coupé, Convertible, Sports Car, Sports SUV and Performance Car.
MotorEasy’s two-year partnership also includes sponsorship of the What Car? Reliability Index. McClure Fisher said: “The What Car? Reliability Index dovetails neatly with car reliability data that we collect through warranty claims and repair bookings. Our data also provides a unique insight into people’s relationship with their cars – how long they keep them, when they’re likely to replace their tyres, service intervals by make and model.”
Commenting on sponsoring the What Car? Awards, McClure Fisher said: “We’re thrilled to be sponsoring the event again. It’s a fantastic celebration of the ever-evolving automotive industry. We’re also proud to be championing an industry when so many are managing the challenge of business transformation, from manufacturers deciding on the shift to electrification and autonomy through to workshop technicians grappling with new electric drivetrains.”