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“As part of testing the process, we’ve
taken the vehicle through the whole
insurance work昀氀ow, from a Vehicle
Damage Assessor (VDA) report; to
provision of repair data from the VM, to
ordering parts to be at the repair shop
on time; to the repair itself, including
aspects such as paint codes to ensure
the 昀椀nish the customer sees is what
they’d expect, to the manufacturer’s
standard.
“It has been great to collaborate with
XPENG throughout the process to
demonstrate how VRR assessments
work. We chose a willing Chinese
brand because there’s still a view in this
market that they can’t be repaired. The
project proves they can. XPENG and
IM Group can now provide insurers and
consumers with con昀椀dence that, if the
worst happens, their cars will be 昀椀xed.”
GRANULAR INSIGHTS INTO
RISK AND REPAIR
One standout insight from the XPENG
G6 repair process was the identi昀椀cation
of missing hazard warning labels.
These weren’t stocked in the UK, but
thanks to VRR’s early-stage detection,
this seemingly innocuous issue was
detected on day one and IM Group
had plenty of time to 昀氀y the items
in from China meaning there was no
impact on overall repair times.
“If VRR’s assessment process is
followed in full, taking the right steps,
you have a wholly audited approach
to delivering a fully 昀椀xed vehicle,” said
Ben. “Do the right things and that will
be re昀氀ected in the assessment score.
Insurers can then understand levels of
risk and make the right decisions.”
As a result of this collaboration, XPENG
has agreed to integrate its vehicle
repair methods into our escribe portal.
Having these details available in just a
couple of clicks makes life much easier
for bodyshops while also providing
greater visibility to VDAs, our insurer
members and others.
XPENG will be integrating its vehicle repair methods into Thatcham’s escribe portal in the wake of the collaboration.
We’re also grateful to Steer
Automotive Group for their expertise,
which has resulted in a compelling
case study we’ll present at industry
events such as the recent Kinetic’25 to
showcase the power of VRR.
INDUSTRY COLLABORATION IN
ACTION
Ben concluded: “The UK’s independent
repair network has been serving
insurance businesses for around a
century. They have the process down
to a tee at a reasonable cost. This
was a great example. Steer did a very
good job, supported by IM Group, at
identifying and ordering required parts
– making sure everything was in the
right place at the right time.”
Chris Dore, Group Operations Director
at Steer Automotive Group, added:
“We were pleased to collaborate with
Thatcham Research on the XPENG
repair scenario project.
“As a trusted partner, Thatcham
Research provides a controlled
environment where we can rigorously
assess the repairability, accessibility
and safety of new vehicle technologies.
This project offered valuable
real-world insight, allowing us to
validate methods and highlight the
critical role of parts availability and
accurate repair data.
“Initiatives like this directly support
our commitment to delivering safe,
ef昀椀cient, and manufacturer-approved
repairs across our network.”
William Brown, Managing Director at
XPENG UK and International Motors
Limited, said: “Going through this
key-to-key process with Thatcham
Research has demonstrated the vital
roles of parts supply and logistics,
especially for newer brands to joining
this market.
“We were very pleased with the result
as it proved that our all-electric XPENG
G6 can be repaired ef昀椀ciently and
returned to the road quickly and
cost-effectively.”
At a time when many insurance
businesses still approach new
vehicle risks with a level of caution,
the automotive industry should be
reassured that by taking the right steps
from the outset repair can be handled
in the most ef昀椀cient and effective way
possible – using VRR to steer calmly
through confusion and complexity.
Thatcham Research partnered with XPENG, its distributor IM Group and Steer Automotive Group to assess and stress-test the VRR framework in real-world conditions.
www.iaea-online.org/news/the-assessor | AUTUMN 2025 | THE ASSESSORS JOURNAL
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