LOGISTICS provider Pentalver has formed a partnership to launch a new vehicle pre-clearance facility for New Zealand and other overseas markets to capitalise on the growing export market for second-hand cars.

The company is working with global vehicle logistics specialist Autohub and international inspection company JEVIC, with the join venture based at Pentalver’s depot in Felixstowe.

It will principally process the export of second-hand cars to New Zealand, an market which is globally worth approximately �160million a year, but will also cater for other export markets.

New Zealand has some of the world’s toughest biosecurity regulations and requires that every vehicle entering the country must be thoroughly inspected for any possible biosecurity contamination, both internally and externally.

A structural Inspection is also completed on each vehicle on behalf of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA), which includes inspection of the underside of the vehicle and all energy management areas.

Increasingly stringent emissions regulations for new and used vehicles entering New Zealand have prompted the growth of this market for used vehicles from UK.

Further planned changes will increase that demand with 2016 being proposed by NZTA as a date for euro 5 emissions compliance to be mandatory. Current domestic market vehicles in Japan are not produced to euro 5 or equivalent standard and so a large proportion of new vehicles being registered in Japan will be unsuitable for sale in New Zealand as a used vehicle when they come to the end of their first ownership cycle in Japan.

More than 50% of new vehicles currently registered in Japan are Hybrid vehicles, which do not suit the general NZ profile, with a further 20% being micro cars which are also unsuitable and not able to comply for NZ registration.

The UK is the only one other market in the world that de-fleets enough compliant, right hand drive vehicles suitable for the NZ market.

The Felixstowe facility, which also handlesRoad Worthiness Inspections to allow the export of vehicles to some east African countries as well as opening up other potential markets, offers exporters is a simple one-stop service, with the vehicle being delivered to port, inspected and exported in the shortest possible time.

Benefits of the inspections being completed in the UK include savings in time and costs upon arrival in New Zealand and the assurance for the exporter and importer of the vehicles condition.

Pentalver managing director Chris Lawrenson said: “I am delighted to announce our joint venture with Autohub and JEVIC, which is a first for the UK and demonstrates how we work with our clients to provide tailored, effective solutions, no matter what the requirement.”

John Davies, nanaging director at Autohub, added: “This is a rare example of a growing export market, with specialised companies like Pentalver, Authohub and JEVIC creating innovative solutions to ensure they are able to react to changing markets and market conditions.

“Over the last year we have seen a sharp increase in UK exports of second-hand cars to New Zealand. The facility has the capacity to process over 30,000 cars per year, which means we are geared up to handle significant growth, whilst capitalising on the cost savings involved in processing the vehicles in the UK as they wait for exportation. ”