The nationwide lockdown owing to coronavirus has now lasted for seven weeks. This means most of you have not been able to drive your cars over these past 50 days. While you stay safe at your home, your cars too require special care and if you leave them alone there might be fat service and repair bills waiting for you once you take your set of wheels out post the lockdown. Read on to know how you can ensure that your car too stays in the best of health till the lockdown period ends.
To maintain your cars which have now not moved for a long time, you need to take a variety of measures. To keep the battery of the car charged, the car should be started once every week, at least for 10 minutes. This will ensure that the battery doesn’t exhaust itself. Additionally, the car should be parked in a safe spot in the house or building premises. Moreover, it is also important to preserve the functionality of its internal components. Therefore, using a tyre stopper or putting the car in gear is a more efficient way of parking the car than using the handbrake as it can jam the brake if engaged in the car park position for a prolonged period of time. It is also recommended that you should move the car forwards and backwards to keep it from remaining immobile for too long and avoiding flat spots on tyres.
To reduce the effect of changing weather on the vehicle, the fuel tank of the car should be kept full to avoid moisture from settling in. Regular sanitisation and periodical checks of the interior and car parts such as the steering wheel are also important to maintain regular hygiene and ensure that the components are functioning. Additionally, the interiors can be kept clean by vacuuming the carpets and mats and wiping car parts such as door handles with regular cleaning solution or disinfectant. The wiper arms should also be in an uplifted position. Lastly, using a car cover will protect the car from getting affected by external factors and avoid the layering of dust on the exterior of the vehicle.
All said and done, it is also important to follow personal hygiene habits such as washing your hands before and after cleaning the car. Social distancing is also the key so of you do need to take the car out it is important to know that not more than 2 passengers apart from the driver are allowed to sit inside the vehicle. Wearing of masks too is compulsory when you step out. Almost all automobile manufacturers in the country for the benefit of the consumers have now extended their free warranty, extended warranty and service periods. Wherever these contracts were expiring during the lockdown, the customers now have the option of availing these facilities for an extra period once the lockdown ends. And in case your documents like driving licence, permits and third-party insurance were expiring during the lockdown even those dates have been extended by the government.
Studies conducted in the recent times suggest that health and safety concerns will continue to shape consumer behaviour even after this crisis subsides. There will be a marked preference for individual mobility over public and shared modes of transport. Global consultancy firm Capgemini surveyed more than 11,000 consumers from 11 countries representing 62% of global annual vehicle sales and found that in India 57% of consumer respondents are considering purchasing a car in 2020. It has been observed that globally 44% of the potential buyers are below the age group of 35 years. India at 58% ranks second only to China (65%) in this category.
The findings unveil that (75%) of the global consumers who intend to make a purchase in 2020 said that it is because of ownership that gives them a greater control of hygiene. Additionally, it has been observed that Indian consumers want to minimize dealer visits and make more use of online channels. Compared to pre-Covid levels, consumers have made a significant shift to digital modes of interaction. The study highlights 70% of Indian consumers respondents would prefer to avoid dealership visits to compare financing and deals.