VFT: Protect the free parts market

VFT: Protect the free parts market

“Around 50 percent of vehicle repairs are carried out in brand-independent workshops,” says Walter Birner, VFT chairman, emphasizing the importance of the segment. "It is therefore absolutely necessary that there continues to be a free market of workshops and parts dealers. Only these enable repairs at fair prices and thus affordable mobility for a very large number of people," he emphasizes against the background of threatening competition-restrictive regulations in Europe, such as the block exemption regulation. The European association of the Automotive Aftermarket, i.e. the independent automotive parts dealers and workshops (FIGIEFA: Fédération Internationale des Grossistes, Importateurs & Exportateurs en Fournitures Automobiles), elected Walter Birner as Vice President on June 17, 2021. As chairman of the VFT (Association of Independent Automotive Parts Dealers in Austria), he is the representative of Austria in this European association, which has members from a total of 18 countries.

Quality at fair prices

"There is often still a misconception that independent parts dealers do not use original parts. The opposite is the case. Vehicle manufacturers largely have their parts produced by third parties. And it is precisely from these that the independent parts dealers also obtain their spare parts and thus guarantee that the original branded replacement parts are always installed," says Birner. The approximately 4,500 independent workshops in Austria, like the branded workshops, use equivalent products. This means that customers in independent workshops receive absolutely equivalent installation services. 

Preservation makes more sense than replacing

“Looking at the entire life cycle of a vehicle – from production to disposal – it is better to repair and maintain a vehicle than to replace it with a new one,” Walter Birner is convinced. High-quality spare parts can extend the life cycle of a vehicle while improving environmental standards. “Care, service, repair, these are the three most important points to keep a vehicle technically in good condition and in accordance with the standards.” Cars must therefore be repairable. In many industries it has become common practice to design products in such a way that repair is no longer possible. “This is a waste of resources,” warns Walter Birner of false developments. Therefore, vehicles must be built so that they can be remanufactured.

Promote circular economy, repair more sustainably 

Significantly less energy is used in remanufacturing compared to new production. At the same time, no new raw materials are required. Regardless of the type of drive, it is important to reprocess previously used parts professionally and to a high quality and bring them back into the usage cycle.