Garagist Day: The future offers opportunities 🎥

This year's Garagist Day was attended by over 800 representatives of the Swiss automotive industry.

Electromobility, sharing services, autonomous driving, connectivity - in terms of mobility, our society is facing the greatest upheavals since the invention of the automobile. This will also have a major impact on the garage business. But only those who participate in the new megatrends will stay in the game.

Human contacts are important
Electric cars require less maintenance and autonomous vehicles should - according to the idea - hardly cause any accidents. Moreover, especially in cities, owning a car is considered less and less desirable. Despair and helplessness in the garage industry? Far from it, as the large turnout of over 800 representatives of the industry at the Day of Swiss Garage Owners proved. The annual event organized by the Auto Gewerbe Verband Schweiz (AGVS) made it clear that the more digitalized our world becomes, the more important personal, human contact becomes.

The garage owner as mobility partner
The main advantage of digitization for the trade: Because many processes can be automated, the garage owner has more time for his customers. This is also important, because the many possibilities of so-called networked mobility require more and more consultation in order to find the individually optimal offer.

Consulting is the focus
AGVS Central President Urs Wernli: "It is a pleasing fact that the garage owner is the most important contact person for motorists. According to Tamedia's Auto Study 2018, 70 percent of motorists still get their advice primarily from the garage owner, and 95 percent also buy their car from him. These are encouraging figures. Especially in times of advancing digitalization, which also opens up new opportunities for the garage owner." But does the automotive industry feel the same way?

Spontaneous survey among participants
Right at the beginning of the event, moderators Patrick Rohr and Mélanie Freymond asked the guests: "How satisfied were you with the 2018 financial year?" On a scale of 1 to 6 - where 1 stood for "very bad" and 6 for "very good" - no one came forward at 1 and 2. Only at 3 were there isolated reports, at 4 there were 20 to 30, and at 5 the majority of those present raised their hands. Even at 6, many still cast their vote. So the industry is doing very well!

Parallelism of drive types harbors opportunities
After the lunch break, the second vote was taken, namely on the question: "How do you assess 2019?" Here, the picture was almost identical. Again, there was no one who came forward on 1 and 2. At 3, there were half a dozen, and at 4, the picture was mixed. Most estimated this year with a 5 and even at 6 there were again some votes.
The industry is therefore very positive about the future and is ready to take on the challenges. According to Urs Wernli, the association is assuming a parallelism of different drive systems in the longer term with a view to the next 20 years. In addition to gasoline, diesel, this also includes natural gas/biogas (CNG) and hydrogen.

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