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5 Ways To Save Money On Car Repairs
By Nkem Ndem
Owning a car is one of the most expensive aspects of many Nigerians’ yearly spending. A car is the 2nd largest purchase that most consumers in Nigeria make, after a home. But, it’s a fact that costs never stop when you own a vehicle. Aside from insurance and fuel costs which are certainly a big part of the total cost of owning a car each year, car repairs can be extremely costly for car owners. No matter where you live, you can expect to pay some money on necessary car repairs. Preventative maintenance is very important, but it can still be pricey.
Generally, car repairs can be particularly detrimental to a budget when they are unexpected; it can help to budget ahead of time and plan for common repairs. Jumia Travel lists some smart moves to save serious money on car repairs.
If your car is still under warranty, take it back to the dealer for free repairs
Most new vehicles and even some Tokunbo cars sold in Nigeria come with 1-3 years warranty that covers most almost everything. Ensure you know the specifics of your warranty and take advantage of it as most time, they cover free repairs at your dealership.
Fix it yourself if you can
Car repairs may seem complicated but many of the maintenance and auto repair jobs are still simple enough that you can do them yourself. Almost anyone should be able to change their own wiper blades, replace their air filter, change their oil, replace a headlight, change a battery, or even replace belts as long as they have the required tools. Even more, YouTube is a great resource for finding videos that explain how to repair many car issues. In a case where the problem is beyond your capabilities, though, take it to a shop as fixing it blindingly can cause more damage and eventually incur more costs.
Have a mechanic you trust
A major reason why many Nigerians spend a lot of money on repairs is because they patronize a mechanic who is either fraudulent or does not know the intricacies of the job. Ensure you do not patronize random mechanics at different times, entrust your vehicle to a mechanic or repair shop you can trust and try to go to the particular garage or mechanic each time you need something fixed that you can’t fix yourself. Becoming a regular customer endears you to them and they would even do some free jobs for you at times. If you don’t know of a good mechanic, try asking friends or family for a recommendation.
Skip maintenance that you don’t actually need
When you buy a car, the vendor (especially if he has given you warranty) will inform you that there are basic car maintenance procedures you have to complete at intervals, but the truth is, while regular preventative maintenance on your car will actually save you money, not all maintenance needs to be done as often as the service centers suggest. For instance, spark plugs also don’t need to be changed very often and the car oil doesn’t need to be changed every 3,000 miles.
Use local shops instead of brand chains
Most people believe that going to the car brand’s repair would ensure they get their car properly repaired. But while these places might be ok, they can be quite expensive when it comes to the small mechanical jobs and services. Also, they tend to not provide the level of service that many local shops will provide. Local shops tend to provide a better service, get the job done right in shorter time, and are economical on price.
Nkem Ndem is a PR Associate at Jumia Travel.
By Adedapo Adesanya
A new report has shown that more than 90 per cent of electric motorcycles sold in sub-Saharan Africa are not built for African conditions as the continent battles infrastructural challenges.
The Charging Ahead – Accelerating e-mobility in Africa Report from the Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities (PREO) programme forecasts that electric motorcycles are set to be a dominant force in sub-Saharan Africa’s sustainable mobility transformation, but continued investment in start-ups tackling barriers across the value chain will be critical to maximising the full potential.
It was revealed that Sub-Saharan Africa, where Nigeria belongs, remains largely reliant on internal combustion engine (ICE) motorcycles for transportation and employment opportunities. Infrastructural challenges force underdeveloped regions to rely on two-wheeler vehicles.
The reliance on ICE motorcycles comes with relatively high running costs and long-term environmental implications from the use of fossil fuels.
The report showed that as concerns around fossil fuel-powered vehicles grow, opportunities for alternative solutions that will decrease carbon emissions remain, adding that the electric motorcycle sector presents a viable solution to the challenges caused by high-emitting, costly ICE vehicles.
The report outlines the market opportunity for e-motorcycles to become a driving force in the African e-mobility sector as, according to an analysis by Mordor Intelligence, the market for motorcycles in Africa was worth $3.65 billion in 2021 and is projected to grow to $5.07 billion by 2027.
However, to accelerate progress in the e-mobility sector and meet the demands of a rapidly expanding customer base for two-wheelers, there are a number of challenges that need to be addressed. These include improving the availability of durable hardware, reliable charging infrastructure, and access to high-quality battery solutions.
Also, poor grid infrastructure means baseline electricity access is not reliable enough to support renewable battery recharge networks, and the electricity supply is weak.
In addition, high-quality battery suppliers prioritise global buyers able to order at volume, which leaves small start-ups out of the picture.
Speaking on this, Mr Jon Lane, PREO Programme Director, comments: “Investing in e-motorcycles provides a path to more sustainable and equitable growth across African communities and addresses the urgent issue of climate change.
“Through our work with several start-ups, we have identified opportunities for a full ecosystem of solutions that address challenges across the value chain. We hope this report demonstrates the impressive progress being made by companies in the e-mobility sector and will act as a call for investors, policymakers, and partners to engage and collaborate to help meet the scale of the challenge.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Lagos state government has announced a full return to the price of all bus rapid transit (BRT), Standard, and FLM with effective from Saturday, April 1.
In a notice seen by Business Post on Tuesday, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) said it would be reverting all its regulated buses fare to a 100 per cent rate.
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, had on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, approved a 50 per cent slash in bus fares following the cash crunch brought about by the recent currency swap.
Now, following the supreme court and federal government’s pronouncements on the use of old notes alongside the new notes and return of stability to the system, “the 50 per cent rebate is hereby discontinued,” it said.
“Consequently, bus fares return to pre-50% slash rate effective Saturday, 1st April 2023,” the statement added.
The development was received with mild concerns from commuters and residents who said the move was political at best.
Recall that the Governor was declared the winner of Saturday, March 18, governorship election in the state after winning 19 of the 20 local government councils in the state, scoring 762,134 votes.
His closest rival, Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party, scored 312,329 votes, while Mr Olajide Adediran of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) got 62,449 votes.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A new 5,000m² vehicle assembly facility located near the Port of Tema in Accra has been opened by Volkswagen as part of its commitment to the development of the automotive industry in Ghana.
Volkswagen was the first automotive company to be registered under the Ghana Automotive Development Programme (GADP), and this new investment strengthened the brand’s presence in the country and the region.
Recall that in August 2020, Volkswagen awarded an assembly contract to Universal Motors Limited (UML) as its licenced importer in the West African country.
But with this latest development, Volkswagen will take over the new vehicle assembly responsibility from UML, which assembled models such as Tiguan, Teramont, Passat, Polo, Amarok and T-Cross on behalf of Volkswagen using Semi-Knocked Down (SKD) assembly kits imported from South Africa.
“Ghana is an important market for our Sub-Saharan Africa expansion plans, especially in West Africa, where we have identified opportunities of developing a collaborative automotive industry hub amongst the countries in the region.
“The hub concept will ensure that each country with an automotive development policy or economic interest in the automotive industry has an important role to play in the supply value chain. We believe AfCFTA will be the catalyst which will unlock trade barriers and promote regional collaboration amongst the countries,” the Chairperson and Managing Director of Volkswagen Group South Africa, Ms Martina Biene, said.
“Volkswagen is fully committed to Ghana and in supporting its industrial transformation agenda despite the current economic challenges facing the country. We are here for the long haul.
“Our company believes in long-term investments which are nurtured through mutual relationships with like-minded partners.
“Ghana’s commitment to the development of its automotive industry is evident in the GADP, which is still the blueprint automotive policy in the region in terms of creating an enabling environment for the establishment of an automotive industry in Sub-Saharan Africa,” Ms Biene added.
Ghana is the fourth Volkswagen assembly location in Sub-Saharan Africa. The other locations are in South Africa, where Volkswagen has been manufacturing vehicles for over 72 years, as well as Kenya and Rwanda.
Volkswagen has a presence in 17 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, where it sells passenger and commercial vehicles through licensed importers.
“As the last frontier for the global development of the automotive industry, Sub-Saharan Africa has become very important for the sustainability of Volkswagen. We are therefore accelerating our growth strategy on the continent by playing a pioneering and leading role in the development of the automotive industry,” commented Ms Biene.
