The_Assessor_Spring 2026 web - Flipbook - Page 8
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NORTHGATE
MOBILITY
MG3 SAFETY
RECALL REPAIR
LAUNCHED TO
CONSOLIDATE
CORPORATE
AND INSURANCE
VEHICLE HIRE AND
CLAIMS SERVICES
FOR CUSTOMERS
Northgate Mobility will
comprise Northgate
Vehicle Hire UK and
Ireland, insurance
replacement vehicle
provider Auxillis,
traf昀椀c management
and refrigerated hire
specialists Blakedale and
FridgeXpress, ChargedEV
and Principia Law.
This consolidates their capabilities under a single Northgate
Mobility business as part of the ZIGUP group.
Over a phased 12-15-month transition, Auxillis, Blakedale
and FridgeXpress will become Northgate Insurance Services,
Northgate Highways, and Northgate Temperature Controlled
respectively. ChargedEV and Principia Law will sit within
Northgate Mobility while retaining their existing company
names, with the day-to-day operations of all companies
remaining unchanged throughout the transition.
The Northgate Mobility Group of businesses will be led
by managing director Neil McCrossan (pictured), who was
previously Managing Director of Northgate UK and Ireland.
Mel Bebbington, who leads Auxillis will lead the rebranded
Northgate Insurance Services business. Jon Taylor who has
led Blakedale since the business was acquired will head up
the rebranded Northgate Highways business. Adam Naylor
who leads FridgeXpress will lead the rebranded Northgate
Temperature Controlled business.
Van Monster will remain as the group’s de昀氀eeting arm,
selling vehicles on behalf of Northgate Mobility both
physically and online.
Euro NCAP is encouraging all MG3 owners affected by a
safety recall to arrange a free repair with their local MG
dealer as soon as possible.
The recall follows independent crash testing carried out by
Euro NCAP last year, during which the MG3 experienced
a front seat rail failure in a frontal crash test. The issue
allowed the driver’s seat to become unlatched during the
impact.
Following a detailed technical review, MG agreed with
Euro NCAP’s 昀椀ndings that the issue could also occur in
real life and addressed the root cause with an improved
design that was veri昀椀ed by Euro NCAP and eliminates
any risk of the seat unlatching. The manufacturer swiftly
implemented the change to production vehicles. MG
has subsequently developed a repair for existing cars and
has worked quickly with authorities in Europe and the UK
to initiate a recall and repair campaign for affected MG3
models already sold to customers.
The repair is available free of charge through authorised
MG dealerships, and recorded owners of MG3s built
before August 2025 should already have been contacted
directly by MG.
WINN GROUP APPOINT
PETER SIMMONS
(EX AUXILLIS) AS
HEAD OF INSURANCE
STRATEGY
Winn Group has appointed Peter Simmons to Winn
Group as Head of Insurance Strategy. Peter’s most recent
role was National Sales for Auxillis. Earlier roles include
working at EDAM, Coplus, and Helphire.
TWO MILLION EVS
Britain’s two millionth all-electric car was registered in
April, according to SMMT data. “This progress has been
driven by sustained industry investment, with more than
160 competitive EV models now on sale,” said the SMMT.
The milestone was reached in a resurgent April market,
with EV registrations up 59.1%, albeit compared with an
unusually weak performance last year when the application
of VED and the Expensive Car Supplement on EVs saw
many buyers pull purchases forward to March.
JOURNAL
8
THE ASSESSORS JOURNAL | SPRING 2026 | www.iaea-online.org/news/the-assessor
