GF100 MOST INFLUENTIAL
One hundred stand-out figures recognised for decarbonising
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Welcome to the first GREENFLEET of the year, which hosts the very special GF100 Most Influential list. Now in its seventh year, the GF100 is our pick of the stand-out individuals that have made a positive impact on the fleet decarbonisation agenda over the year.
These individuals demonstrate a strong appetite and determination to eliminate fleet and transport emissions, against a challenging backdrop of supply chain issues, charging infrastructure limitations, high energy costs, and financial pressures. What’s more, these individuals willingly share their knowledge and experiences with others, to help drive up the adoption of zero-emission vehicles.
As the sector moves on at a rapid pace, the GF100 list becomes increasingly more difficult to decide, with so many leading lights that deserve to be recognised. As such, there has been considerable movement on the list, with some 30 new entrants appearing this year. Congratulations to all those on the list!
Elsewhere in the magazine, we look at the winners of the 2022 GREENFLEET Awards, delve into the details of London’s new scrappage scheme, and Ellie Skinner from the Geospatial Commission explores how location data can overcome challenges to siting chargepoints.
Angela Pisanu, editor
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07 News
Battery electric van registrations up 53.5 per cent in January; Chargepoint rollout not keeping pace with EV growth, warns SMMT; and Royal Mail passes milestone of 4,000 electric vans
11 Charging Infrastructure
The recent Geospatial Commission report identified how better use of location data can help overcome four key challenges to siting chargepoints: modelling future demand, finding suitable sites, creating a seamless consumer experience and tracking rollout. Ellie Skinner, Senior Policy Advisor at the Geospatial Commission, explores these four points
14 London Scrappage Scheme
Following on from the decision to expand London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) London-wide in August this year, a new scrappage scheme worth £110 million has been launched. It will offer support to charities, sole traders and SME businesses to replace or retrofit their non-compliant vehicles
16 Mobility
Carla Stockton-Jones, UK Managing Director of Stagecoach – co-founders of the Urban Mobility Partnership, discusses the challenge of enticing motorists out of their cars and why the solution lies in partnership and a multi-modal approach
21 GF100: Most Influential GREENFLEET’s pick of the leading figures in fleet and transport decarbonisation
45 GREENFLEET Awards
The winners of the 2022 GREENFLEET Awards, which took place on 8 December, demonstrated the pioneering work and efforts of those decarbonising the fleet and transport sector
52 Roundtable Review
The latest roundtable, which took place at the British Motor Museum on 8 December, explored the business case for electric vehicles, the importance of data, operational change and innovation to support EV adoption
54 Road test - First Drive:
The 2022 GreenFleet Electric Vehicle Manufacturer of the Year, MG Motor UK hopes to entice drivers into its MG4 EV with a very tempting combination of value, equipment, tech and range. Richard Gooding finds out if the all-new electric hatchback has what it takes to succeed
The E-Transit takes the template of Ford’s hugely successful and globally recognised LCV, and turns it into a zero emissions vehicle aimed at fleets looking for lower running costs. Richard Gooding drives the current GreenFleet Vehicle of the Year and discovers both it and its new connected ecosystem carries electric van standards forward
59 Interview: FedEx
FedEx Express has set a global target for 50 per cent of all newly-procured parcel pickup and delivery vehicles to be electric by 2025, rising to 100 per cent by 2030. Vinay D’Souza discusses progress towards these targets, and other ways the company is becoming more sustainable
62
Heavy goods vehicles are the hardest to fully decarbonise. But with targets to phase out new diesel trucks, this sector has received considerable focus. We sum up the latest innovations in decarbonising the heavy goods vehicle sector
demand. This must include binding targets on the rollout of van-suitable charging infrastructure to give drivers and operators the confidence that they will be able to charge affordably whenever and wherever they need. Similarly, maintaining purchase incentives as part of a long-term approach will be essential, given the additional costs of these new technologies and the need to accelerate zero emission fleet renewal.
According to the latest SMMT figures, January saw record UK deliveries of battery electric vans for the month, up 53.5 per cent to 993 units, accounting for one in 22 vans joining UK roads.
The trend is set to continue, with the latest market outlook anticipating 2023 BEV uptake to rise by 64.5 per cent to some 28,000 units.
Overall, UK new van registrations rose 25.8 per cent in January, the first month of growth since September 2022.
The total LCV market is also set to grow this year, with 321,000 van registrations targeted, amounting to an uplift of 13.9 per cent – with a market value of more than £13 billion, a £1.5 billion increase on 2022. The SMMT says that to maintain the UK’s position as the second largest van market in Europe, while meeting escalating targets for sales of new zero emission vans from 2024 to 2030, the UK needs an equally ambitious plan to drive
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “The LCV sector is already delivering growth for the UK in 2023, bucking the recessional economic trends. Manufacturers have invested billions to bring choice to the market, especially in electrified vehicles, so harnessing this momentum will be essential to an increasingly green recovery. Accelerating electric van uptake means delivering infrastructure and incentives to give every van operator the confidence to make the switch.”
Electric vehicle charge point network InstaVolt has announced it will be undertaking an extensive upgrade programme to over 200 of its existing ChargePoint CPE250 chargers across the network.
The 50kW chargers will be upgraded, making each charger capable of outputting up to 125kW, significantly reducing charging times.
The upgrades aim to be finalised by the end of March 2023. Customers will be able to track progress of the upgrades via InstaVolt’s social media channels, and the newly upgraded chargers can be identified using InstaVolt’s charger map, the InstaVolt app or on digital EV platforms such as Zap-Map.
Adrian Keen, CEO of InstaVolt says: “With this round of upgrades, drivers will experience faster rates of charging on our popular CPE250 chargers, subject to their car being able to accept greater than 50kW. This will reduce charging times and allow drivers to get back on the road sooner.
“The majority of EVs on the road will benefit from this upgrade. With most of our CPE250s located next to convenience retail, and roadside food and drinks outlets including operators such as Costa Coffee and McDonald’s, this is another example of InstaVolt perfectly matching charging speeds to dwell time and providing an even better experience for its drivers.”
“The upgrades also benefit our fleet customers and is another great step to support the electrification of future fleets, reducing charging times and getting drivers back on the road quickly”.
According to the latest SMMT figures, electric vehicles continued their growth in January, but the organisation is warning that chargepoint rollout is failing to keep pace with demand.
Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) comprised 14.4 per cent of new car registrations, increasing volumes by 40.6 per cent. Meanwhile, battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations rose 19.8 per cent to reach 17,294 units, or 13.1 per cent of new registrations – slightly below the average recorded for 2022. Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) recorded a 0.7 per cent rise, although their share fell to 6.9 per cent of new cars reaching the road. As a result, one in five new cars registered in the month came with a plug.
During Q4 2022, the ratio of new chargepoint installations to new plug-in car registrations dropped to one for every 62 –a significant fall compared with the same quarter last year, when the ratio was 1:42. As
a result, in 2022, one standard public charger was installed for every 53 new plug-in cars registered, the weakest ratio since 2020. The SMMT says that mandating rollout targets for infrastructure and regulating service standards would give drivers certainty they can always find a working, available charger. Infrastructure must be built ahead of demand or else poor provision risks delaying the electric transition. The organisation also says that the upcoming Budget should be an opportunity to implement measures that support the transition. Reducing VAT on public chargepoint use from 20 per cent to five per cent in line with home charging would ensure more affordable access for all and underpin a fair net zero transition.
Government should also review proposals to graft a Vehicle Excise Duty regime designed for fossil fuel cars onto zero emission vehicles (ZEVs). The higher production costs associated with electric vehicles means that currently more than half of all available BEVs would be subject to the expensive car supplement due to apply to ZEVs from 2025. While it is right that all drivers pay their fair share, existing plans would unfairly penalise those making the switch, and risk disincentivising the market at the time when EV uptake should be encouraged. Government should also tackle other fiscal blocks to uptake by raising recommended business mileage rates.
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Distribution company CitySprint has announced the expansion of their electric vehicle (EV) fleet with the acquisition of 40 new electric vans from vehicle manufacturer Maxus.
The new electric vans, which have a range of up to 213 miles on a full battery, will add to CitySprint’s expanding green fleet to offer customers a range of sustainable delivery options.
They have been strategically deployed across the UK with the aim of helping to reduce pollution levels in key cities in which CitySprint operates, including London, Leeds, Bristol, Manchester, Southampton and Birmingham. With the expansion of Low and Ultra-Low Emission Zones in cities across the UK, the electric vans will be a valuable addition to CitySprint’s existing fleet and will play a part in ensuring the business continues to offer its customers a seamless and premium sustainable experience year-round.
Mark Footman, Chief Operating Officer at CitySprint commented: “At CitySprint, we have always acknowledged that, due to the nature of our work, we — and the logistics industry as a whole — have an important role to play in lowering emissions. For us, doing the right thing for the environment, the communities in which we work and for the people who live, work and play in these communities is vital. That’s why we are constantly looking for ways to further strengthen our existing green fleet across the UK.
“Our new electric vans will help us to reduce our environmental impact in the cities in which we operate and is a step in the right direction for us to achieve our aim of having a fleet of over 200 green vehicles across the major cities we work in the next 2 years.”
As a result of this acquisition, CitySprint’s electric vehicle fleet now comprises of 43 electric vans, 24 cargo bikes, six electric motorbikes and
The government must not delay on enforcing an effective zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) mandate to maintain momentum in EV sales, a report from New AutoMotive has found.
Despite the exponential growth of EVs, more than four in five of all new car registrations in 2022 were petrol or diesel vehicles – which will be polluting British roads for years to come.
The report finds that it is essential the government continues to support the switch to electric through ambitious public policy.
An effective ZEV mandate which drives new EV sales – rather than simply a backstop – is crucial. The details of the mandate are being finalised this year and should be introduced in early 2024.
Ben Nelmes, CEO at New AutoMotive, said: “2022 was a historic year for the transition to greener, cleaner transport in the UK. Electric cars provided the only growth in sales in the UK car market, as more and more motorists made the switch to access the running-cost savings EVs offer.”
“The final consultations for the UK’s Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate are due to take place imminently. These discussions are of critical importance, as the final form of the mandate will be crucial to delivering a timely and equitable transition to electric vehicles that benefits all motorists, as well as UK business.”
“The UK government must not delay the implementation of the mandate or water down targets – doing so will only delay motorists’ access to the running cost savings that come from switching to an electric car. An ambitious mandate would ensure the supply of EVs – both vans and cars - to the UK, reducing waiting times and reducing upfront costs, and thus driving the country’s EV transition to new heights.”
“Any watering down of targets would simply reward manufacturers that are failing to electrify, and slow down the pace of the transition. In 2023, the government must drive forward and capitalise on the significant momentum the transition has built up. Neither complacency nor vested interests can not be allowed to slow down the journey to electrified transport.”
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four electric bicycles, with the business continuing to explore ways to further grow this in the year ahead. This news follows the announcement last year that CitySprint has achieved carbon neutral status – 18 months ahead of schedule.
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ELECTRIC VANS
Commercial vehicle manufacturer MAXUS has launched its 2023 scrappage programme, offering drivers the opportunity to switch to electric and save up to £14,000 on a new zero-emission MAXUS vehicle, plus a free home or workplace charger.
Drivers can trade-in a registered vehicle at any MAXUS dealership around the UK for money off a brand-new fully-electric MAXUS vehicle, including the e DELIVER 9 and e DELIVER 3 LCV vans, or its newest additions, the T90EV pickup and MIFA 9 MPV, which launched last year.
The scheme is available from the 27th January until the 31st of August 2023, providing drivers with an opportunity to upgrade their existing vehicle while making a considerable saving on standard retail prices.
Mark Barrett, General Manager of Harris MAXUS said: “MAXUS recognises that it has a key role to play in accelerating the switch to electric driving. Our new scrappage scheme has been created to encourage the transition to zero emission transport, helping drivers make the switch while simultaneously removing older and higher emission vehicles from our roads. There has never been a better time to pick up a MAXUS electric vehicle, this scrappage programme is an incredible opportunity to upgrade your transportation, make the move to electric and access the latest technology and battery technology available, which in the case of the MIFA 9 offers a range of up to 323 miles (NEDC) on a single charge.”
As part of this scrappage scheme, a free Indra or Easee chargepoint charger will be provided with every vehicle purchased, offering the convenience of a home or workplace charge so drivers can save time and money on powering their vehicle battery.
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So far, more than 100 delivery offices across the country have made the transition to move to either full or part electric deliveries and collections. The first site that went live with an all-electric fleet was Bristol in June 2021 with Norwich expected to be our seventh all-electric delivery office this month.
Royal Mail has passed the milestone of 4,000 electric vehicles across its delivery and collection fleet, with the 4,000th electric vehicle deployed at Blackpool Delivery Office. Blackpool Delivery Office will, over the coming months, have 90 electric vehicles on site with all delivery and collection functions operated by a fully electric fleet.
MP for Blackpool North & Cleveleys, Paul Maynard, who made a visit to see the see the fleet in operation, said: “Decarbonisation can often seem a remote concept to many of us, so it was great to see Royal Mail demonstrating it on the ground in my constituency. Posties across the Fylde Coast do a fantastic job, and they can keep on doing that with a reduced impact on the environment thanks to this new electric fleet. I look forward to the time when Blackpool goes all-electric.”
Neil Barritt, Blackpool Customer Office Manager, said: “It’s been great to have the opportunity to be leading the way in the rollout of Royal Mail’s new electric fleet. The new vans will become a familiar site on the streets of Blackpool and our posties are really excited about doing their bit to reduce air and noise pollution in the town. As a company, we pride ourselves with having the lowest reported CO2e emissions per parcel amongst major UK delivery companies and showcasing the way to achieving a more sustainable future for our fleet & our planet.” Royal Mail’s next goal is achieving 5,000 vehicles by end of Spring 2023.
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The government has announced £32.5 million funding for industrial industries, such as construction, mining and quarrying, to move away from using red diesel, also known as gas oil, which is a type of fossil fuel commonly used for off-road, heavy-duty vehicles and machinery, such as bulldozers and cranes.
The funding is being made available through the second phase of the Red Diesel Replacement Competition, which supports projects that seek to develop red diesel alternatives. The £32.5 million package will support three to five demonstration projects that participated in Phase 1 of the programme.
This next phase of funding will support industry to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, while also helping to cut industry emissions and energy costs, supporting the UK’s commitment to transition
away from red diesel to help meet its climate change and air quality targets.
The funding follows £6.7 million funding provided to 17 winners under Phase 1 of the competition, in areas covering electrification, e-fuels and green hydrogen, as well as technologies that capture and store energy which would ordinarily be wasted from a vehicle or machine.
Examples of previous winners from Phase 1 included MAHLE Powertrain in Northampton, who will be working in partnership with The University of Nottingham and Clean Air Power. They will build two prototype engines capable of running on ammonia and hydrogen, with the aim of providing a pathway for the sustainable use of heavy-duty engines. They received £425,072.
CATAGEN in Belfast received £787,700 for two projects; an e-fuel generator to develop e-diesel, and a novel hydrogen compressor.
ULEMCo in Liverpool, working with Skanska and Building Research Establishment (BRE), received £418,613 to develop and deploy a H2ICED® combustion engine for onsite construction equipment, a world first in converting a piling machine (used in the construction industry) to run on hydrogen fuel.
Another recipient was Steamology Motion in Salisbury, who received £364,717 to build a prototype demonstrator of their high power, zero-emission steam turbine drivetrain, proving a viable red diesel engine replacement technology.
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Newcastle and Gateshead Clean Air Zone now live
The new Clean Air Zone in Newcastle and Gateshead has now come into effect, having launched on Monday 30 January. Non-compliant taxis, buses, coaches and HGVs will face charges to drive into the zone. Private cars are not affected by the Clean Air Zone and do not have to pay any charges. Drivers of non-compliant vehicles who enter the Clean Air Zone will not be sent a notification reminding them to pay. Instead, drivers are asked to check if their vehicle is affected and if they are required to pay to do so online or over the telephone. Payments can be made any time from six days before a journey, on the day of travel or by 11:59pm on the sixth day after driving in the zone. If a charge is not paid drivers may receive a penalty charge notice (PCN).
Affected drivers are encouraged to also be aware of whether their journey takes them within the Clean Air Zone boundary so that they know whether they need to pay. The zone covers most of Newcastle city centre as well as routes across the Tyne, Swing, High Level and Redheugh bridges. Road signs with the Clean Air logo mark all the entrances to the CAZ and further signs are in place in all directions, to warn drivers on approaching routes. There is also an interactive map of the Clean Air Zone available online so that people can check before they travel.
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The government has hit its target to switch over a quarter of its central fleet cars to ultralow emission vehicles (ULEV).
As set out in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ Greening government commitments in 2021 to 2025, the government was required to transition a minimum of a quarter of its car fleet to ultralow emission vehicles by the end of 2022. As of the latest data from September, 25.5 per cent of all central government cars were ultra-low emission vehicles, reaching the target three months ahead of schedule.
Technology and Decarbonisation Minister Jesse Norman said: “As the UK moves
MOBILITY
towards a cleaner transport network, the government is doing its part, with over 25 per cent of its central car fleet being battery-powered three months earlier than planned.
“It’s critical that progress in decarbonising fleets is matched elsewhere. We will continue to forge ahead, to complete the switch by 2027 and help make the UK a world leader in decarbonisation.”
The target is just a first milestone as government looks to decarbonise the entirety of its central car and van fleet to zero emission vehicles by 2027.
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Hertz and Uber have announced a European expansion to their successful North American partnership, where Hertz will make up to 25,000 electric vehicles (EVs) available to Uber drivers in European capital cities by 2025.
The partnership in North America has already benefited tens of thousands of drivers on the Uber platform. To date, nearly 50,000 drivers have rented a Tesla through this programme, completing more than 24 million fully-electric trips and over 260 million electric miles.
The European expansion of the partnership will begin in Hertz Europe’s London base in January 2023 and aims to expand to other European capitals, such as Paris and Amsterdam, throughout the year and beyond.
Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber CEO, said: “As the largest mobility platform in the world, we know that our impact goes beyond our technology. Climate change is the most urgent global challenge which we must all tackle together – now
is the time to accelerate. Expanding our partnership with Hertz into Europe will significantly boost our transition to zero-emissions, helping drivers reduce running costs and cleaning up urban transport. We aim to become a fully electric platform across Europe by 2030.”
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Welcome
a new government department with a ‘Z for Zero’
As I write, news is breaking of the Prime Minister’s reorganisation of the government department formerly known as BEIS. I know some will welcome this as they never quite worked out how to pronounce the acronym, but with the new Department for Energy Security and Net Zero I think I’ll wait for an official steer rather than speculating on ‘DESNZ’.
And whilst tumult in government is rarely helpful in the short term, the appearance of ‘Net Zero’ in the new department’s name sends a clear and compelling message about direction. Couple that with the integration of energy which is the vital sector link (who said DECC?) and a Secretary of State only recently departed from transport, there should be greater policy alignment to support the decarbonisation agenda, which is encouraging.
Perhaps it’s the other key piece of news in the headlines this week that also illustrates the need for change. Britishvolt, the UK battery startup, is to be bought by an Australian firm after a very public and depressing fall into administration just a few weeks ago. It led to calls for a different kind of industrial strategy and to criticism of BEIS (despite having ‘industrial strategy’ in its name) for not providing sufficient support. Giving a whole departmental responsibility to Science, Innovation and Technology separate from the new Business and Trade Department may enable clearer segregation of these technology levels and production challenges.
It’s crucial that the UK develops the industrial capability to retain and support our automotive sector. Indeed, a decade ago, the Automotive Council presented the consensus view of five strategic technologies for UK automotive, publishing ‘roadmaps’ with ‘energy storage and management’ being an important one. Not all the predictions made then have turned out quite as forecast (it’s an interesting read) but battery research and development has indeed been a UK strength. But now, with demand burgeoning for batteries from every sector of automotive (from mopeds to trucks), the urgent need for batteries (and indeed power electronics motors and drives) must focus our industrial manufacturing minds as sharply as our research and innovation ones have been.
So, with three new departments and an alphabet soup of letters and acronyms, ES&NZ, SI&T, B&T and ES&NZ, we have an ecosystem to support net zero transport from technology and innovation to business and energy. But in the current set-up, there’s one crucial letter missing from the Cabinet table! Who will represent ‘M’ for ‘Manufacturing’.
This week also sees the announcement of the Greenfleet GF100 for 2023. Unfortunately I’m not able to be there this year but will try to keep up with the countdown from my holiday travels!
Good luck to all and thank you to all those on the final list for the great work and enthusiasm you bring to this sector. It’s a celebration of people who make things happen by working together, which is what Partnership (and Zemo) are all about.
www.zemo.org.uk
(Get long-term rental discounts now at sixt.co.uk/logistics)
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Latest and sustainable models
Close to where you are
The recent Geospatial Commission report identified how better use of location data can help overcome four key challenges to siting chargepoints: modelling future demand, finding suitable sites, creating a seamless consumer experience and tracking rollout. Ellie
Senior Policy Advisor at the Geospatial Commission, explores these four points
The UK government has set an ambitious agenda to decarbonise the entire transport system and put us firmly on a path to net zero by 2050. The transition to zero emission vehicles is driving progress towards net zero, with increasing numbers of motorists making the switch to electric vehicles. Last December, there were over 42,000 new registrations, 32.9 percent of all new car registrations that month according to ZapMap.
The clock is ticking: from 2030, sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles will be banned. Comprehensive, responsive and accessible EV charging infrastructure
that drivers of today and tomorrow can depend on is critical to growing the number of electric vehicles on the road in the UK. Easy access to a chargepoint that can deliver a smooth consumer experience is required to successfully enable this transition. The government estimates that 300,000 chargepoints will be needed by 2030, a significant increase from today’s 37,000. While the government continues to invest in delivering the total sum of chargepoints we need, the public and private sector will also need to address where chargepoints are located. In December the Geospatial Commission, an expert committee within the Cabinet Office,
Skinner,published a report setting out how location data – the record of what we do and where we do it – can accelerate EV chargepoint rollout to more parts of the UK. Our report identifies how better use of location data can help overcome four key challenges to siting chargepoints: modelling future demand, finding suitable sites, creating a seamless consumer experience and tracking rollout.
We found that location data can help local authorities understand current and future demand for chargepoints. For example, where there are clusters of households without access to off-street parking there will be greater demand. Modelling chargepoint demand can help public authorities identify E
The locationfoundreportthat data can help local understandauthorities current and future demand for chargepoints
the right number, type and locations of public chargepoints. By bringing together data on existing chargepoints, travel patterns and infrastructure constraints, the public sector can more efficiently and effectively plan, procure and rollout chargepoints. Demand modelling could provide the evidence base to develop the investment case to set commercial terms which balance the need for equitable provision and making sustainable returns.
Once demand has been established, the next stage is assessing whether sites are suitable for chargepoint installation. Location data can accelerate this process, helping planners identify optimal sites for where chargepoints can be installed to avoid wasted effort. Location data can speed up site selection by improving our understanding of energy capacity and identifying site constraints, hazards and opportunities on the kerbside.
According to CI&T (formally Somo), one in five non-EV drivers say that having to research the location of chargepoints
when on a long journey is stopping them from switching. The market will drive improvements in the consumer experience. Making chargepoint location data more FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) can encourage innovation in the private sector which will then improve how current EV drivers interact with the chargepoint network, creating a more seamless experience for them and building the confidence of prospective owners.
The UK government has a vision for a chargepoint network that reaches everyone, everywhere. The right use of location data can drive this transition and help the government to monitor rollout and identify where demand is not being met.
The Geospatial Commission will continue to work with other government departments to support local authorities and others to make better, evidence-led, decisions through the use of location data so that public chargepoints are made accessible to everybody, everywhere. L
The Association for Geographic Information (AGI), the UK membership organisation for companies and individuals working in the geospatial sector, hosted a roundtable to discuss opportunities for geospatial to build a chargepoint network that works for everyone, everywhere. The findings from the event were used to support the Geospatial Commission’s policy development, which has culminated with the publication of ‘Getting to the Point: Accelerating EV chargepoint rollout through geospatial data’.
The report proposes that to build a chargepoint network that can work for everyone, chargepoints must be rolled out where they are needed for today and tomorrow. Location data is key to building the right infrastructure in the right places, giving confidence to current and future EV owners that they can efficiently reach their destination. The report identifies how location data can help model future demand, select suitable sites, create a seamless consumer experience and track rollout.
The roundtable event, held as part of the AGI’s Annual Conference GeoCom, was chaired by Geospatial Commission commissioner Dr Steve Unger and convened 13 organisations from across government and industry, including ConnectedKerb, GeoPlace, Google, NHS, Ordnance Survey, TfL and ZapMap.
Ian Maxfield, Associate Director of Geospatial Services at NHS South, Central and West, who took part in the discussions, said: “A staggering 3.5 per cent of all road travel in England relates to patients, visitors, staff and suppliers to the NHS. We know effective take up of zero-emission vehicles will require a comprehensive electric charging infrastructure across the NHS estate but this must happen in parallel with a wider rollout in the community.”
Once demand has been established, the next stage is assessing whether sites are suitable for chargepoint installation. Location data can accelerate this process, helping planners identify optimal sites for where chargepoints can be installed to avoid wasted effort
Following on from the decision to expand London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) London-wide in August this year, a new scrappage scheme worth £110 million has been launched. It will offer support to sole traders, SME businesses and charities to replace or retrofit their non-compliant vehicles
London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will be expanding across all London boroughs from 29 August 2023. To support businesses affected, a new scrappage scheme worth £110 million has been launched. It will offer support to charities, sole traders and SME businesses to replace or retrofit their noncompliant vehicles, as well support for lower income residents and disabled Londoners.
The scheme will also offer discounts on subscriptions, rentals and purchases of bicycles, e-bikes, cargo bikes, cars and vans from certain companies, such as Brompton, Enterprise and Santander Cycles.
Charities, sole traders and business with 10 or fewer employees registered in London can apply to scrap a van (£5,000 grant) or a minibus (£7,000 grant), retrofit certain vans or minibuses (£5,000 grant) or scrap and replace a van or minibus with a fully electric vehicle (£7,500 or £9,500 grant respectively).
The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is expanding across all London boroughs from 29 August 2023. If a vehicle does not meet the emissions standards, drivers could face a daily charge of £12.50.
The £10 annual fee to register a vehicle for Auto Pay – which let drivers who register their vehicles avoid the risk of forgetting to pay the daily ULEZ charge and incurring a penalty charge, has been scrapped. And the value of the ULEZ and Congestion
Charge penalty charges have increased from £160 to £180, although they are reduced by 50 per cent if paid within 14 days.
The Mayor of London’s scrappage scheme is designed to support eligible sole traders, micro businesses and charities to replace polluting vehicles that don’t meet the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) emissions standards.
For micro businesses to be eligible, they need to have 10 or fewer employees, and show up to £632,000 turnover, or up to £316,000 balance sheet total in the preceding and current financial year. They must also have Companies House registration as an active company or VAT registered within the 32 London boroughs or City of London.
A sole trader is eligible if they are self-employed and own and operate a business within the 32 London boroughs or the City of London.
Charities must be registered with the Charities Commission as active within the 32 London boroughs or the City of London.
Vehicles eligible to be scrapped under the scheme include light vans, up to and including 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight, or a minibus that is up to and including 5 tonnes gross weight. They must be registered to an eligible organisation for more than 12 calendar months before the start of the scrappage scheme on 30 January 2023. The vehicle must be registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in the name of the business, sole trader or charity. If the vehicle is registered to an employee, director of the micro business or trustee of a charity, the applicant will need to provide confirmation of their link to the organisation. The vehicle must also be insured for business use, certified with valid road tax and MOT, and ULEZ noncompliant (this includes pre-Euro 6 diesel vehicles and pre-Euro 4 petrol vehicles).
A replacement vehicle must be a fully electric light van, up to and including 3.5 tonnes, or a fully electric minibus, up to and including 5 tonnes gross weight.
The vehicle can be purchased or on a hire/ lease contract that is at least two years
long. The replacement vehicle must also be the same body type (van or minibus) as the vehicle that was scrapped. For vehicles that are intended to be retrofitted, they must be on the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS) register. Applicants will need to find their vehicle’s make and model on this list to make sure it can be retrofitted. It must also be retrofitted by a CVRAS-approved company with an approved emissions reduction system.
Several organisations are providing offers and promotions to support the scrappage scheme. They include other mobility options such as hire and/or subscription services for bikes, cargo bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters. There are also discounts on car clubs with vehicles which meet the ULEZ emissions standard. Commercial vehicle manufacturer IVECO has announced it will be contributing £1,000 to buyers of its eDAILY electric van, when purchased using London’s new scrappage scheme.
MAXUS meanwhile has launched its own scrappage programme, offering drivers the opportunity to switch to electric and save up to £14,000 on a new zero-emission MAXUS vehicle, plus a free home or workplace charger.
Londoners receiving certain meanstested benefits and non-means-tested disability benefits can apply for cash grants of up to £2,000 to scrap their non-compliant cars or motorcycles. As a new feature, successful applicants can choose to receive a higher value package comprised of up to two free annual bus and tram passes and a lower cash grant. Disabled people who want to scrap or retrofit a non-compliant wheelchair accessible vehicle will be able to apply for grants of £5,000 to reflect the higher cost of these vehicles. Disabled people can also apply for a nominated driver who lives at a different address if they do not drive themselves. There is also further support for disabled people, through new and extended grace periods, but they must be applied for.
The scrappage scheme is designed to support eligible sole traders, micro businesses and charities to pollutingreplace vehicles
The two new grace periods provide exemptions until October 2027 for recipients of certain disability benefits (or their nominated driver) and for all wheelchair accessible vehicles and some vehicles with other adaptations. The grace periods are available to all eligible people or a nominated driver regardless of whether they live in London, and they will apply to the current ULEZ zone as well.
The new disabled benefits grace period means that anyone who receives benefits that automatically make them eligible for a blue badge will also qualify for the new grace period.
It’s well reported that poor air quality has numerous negative effects on people’s health. It is linked to illnesses such as cancer, asthma and lung disease, and there is a higher risk of dementia in older people. Air pollution even contributes to the premature death of thousands of Londoners every year.
Numbers also suggest that the greatest number of deaths related to air pollution occur in outer London areas. That’s why the ULEZ is expanding across all London boroughs.
Already around 94 per cent of vehicles seen driving in inner and central London, and 85 per cent of vehicles seen driving in outer London meet ULEZ standards, meaning the vast majority of drivers will not need to pay.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “I took the difficult decision to expand the ULEZ because it will save lives, help tackle the climate crisis and reduce congestion. We have made huge progress in central and inner London but there is much more to do in outer London.
“Clean air is a fundamental human right –and everyone deserves to breathe clean air including those in outer London. Around 4,000 Londoners are dying prematurely each year due to toxic air, with the greatest number of deaths attributable to air pollution in London’s outer boroughs. It is causing people to develop
life-changing illnesses, such as cancer, lung disease, dementia and asthma, and leading to children growing up with stunted lungs.
“We need to get the most highly polluting vehicles off our roads, which are damaging the health of all Londoners, including drivers. The rising cost of living has been a key consideration for me, which is why we are launching this new and improved scrappage scheme – the biggest ever – to help low-income and disabled Londoners, businesses, sole traders and charities switch to cleaner vehicles, or support them to make the most of other transport options.
“The health of Londoners must come first and I know that expanding the ULEZ Londonwide, alongside this £110m scrappage scheme, will help us to continue building a greener, fairer and healthier London for everyone.” L FURTHER
London Scrappage SchemeCarla Stockton-Jones, UK Managing Director of Stagecoach – co-founders of the Urban Mobility Partnership – discusses the challenge of enticing motorists out of their cars, and why the solution lies in partnership and a multi-modal approach
When Stagecoach and Enterprise cofounded the Urban Mobility Partnership back in 2019, it was with a shared ambition to deliver more sustainable mobility in towns and cities across the UK.
It may have seemed strange to some that a public transport operator and a car hire and car share business would be working together, but the rationale has always been very clear. The old and inefficient transport model of car ownership and the damage congestion does to our economy, air quality in our communities, and our global environment, is not sustainable.
We both understood that delivering a stepchange in the shift from owned cars to sustainable mobility needed partnership, and no one mode offered a complete solution.
The Urban Mobility Partnership now has members representing a range of other modes too, from cycling to micro mobility, as well as experts in the transport value chain, such as e-ticketing and the planning system where decisions directly influence transport choices by consumers.
Much of the conversation around green mobility, including at the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow, has been around new technology. Stagecoach, for its part, is targeting a zero emission UK bus fleet by 2035.
In 2023, we are planning to increase our electric bus fleet by over 85 per cent as we continue our journey towards being a net zero business. We already operate one of Europe’s biggest e-bus fleets in Manchester, and in the year ahead, we will be increasing our electric bus fleet from 184 buses to 343. Stagecoach will also be launching the first all-electric city bus networks in the UK in Inverness and Perth in the first quarter of 2023.
But as the UK Committee on Climate Change has made clear, technology is only part of the solution to transport’s big carbon footprint, the majority of which comes from petrol and diesel cars. A significant proportion of the emissions reduction needed to deliver the country’s net zero ambitions will have to come from real and lasting behaviour change.
Changing behaviour
We need to change how we travel, moving people away from cars to walking, cycling and wheeling, and public transport, as well as accessing more efficient car share and car hire where necessary. Since the turn of the year, the UK Government has launched a £2 single fares
scheme on buses across England, which runs until the end of March. This is a great opportunity to convince people of the benefits of getting out of their cars and onto the bus, the most used form of public transport with the biggest reach in local communities. But the lure of cheap fares is only one part of a tailored and partnership approach
Consumercarriedresearch out by Stagecoach shows that most people are open to using their car less
that is needed to get people to consider another way to travel and address the road congestion that is on the rise once again.
Britons are undoubtedly wedded to their cars – whether commuting for work, taking children to school, shopping for groceries or seeing friends, cars are the way people make most of the journeys in their lives. This is because it seems like the most cost effective and practical option for the journeys we are making. It is arguably embedded in our behaviour. Yet despite this, consumer research carried out by Stagecoach shows that most people are open to using their car less. Already some people have responded to rising fuel prices by using their car less and taking journeys by other means.
While we are Britain’s biggest bus and coach operator, we are unashamedly in favour of people having the widest choice possible when it comes to how they make journeys. We recognise that cars will still be essential for some journeys, but for other journeys, there may be some alternatives such as bus, rail, or active travel.
We carried out consumer research with over 4,000 people across the country to understand more about how best to deliver modal shift. Our report – Every journey makes a difference: how we can support people switch how they travel – sets out the financial, environmental and community benefits of reduced car use and calls for co-ordinated action from government, councils and transport operators. It found that the majority of motorists are open to using their car less. Motorists are most open to reducing car usage for the school run (+34 per cent net openness rating) or personal leisure activity (+22 per cent net openness rating) like going to the gym. Some types
of motorists were also more open to making the switch. They tend to be younger (+36 per cent score), live in urban areas (+28 per cent) or make shorter journeys (+21 per cent). But people need to be incentivised to make the change and our research shows the important role local and central government policy can play in driving a big shift in how people make journeys. Some 51 per cent of the people we interviewed want councils to take action to encourage people to move away from using their cars and instead use other modes of transport. There’s a definite payback in terms of tackling congestion, air quality and climate change. Even more powerful is the finding, against the backdrop of the current cost-of-living crisis, that by replacing some journeys by public transport or active travel, motorists could save up to £6,000 a year. Councils can deliver the greatest change by adopting blended policies, maximising consumer savings and benefits to the environment and communities. Introducing policies that dissuade car usage and fund making public transport more affordable, accessible and convenient are more effective and secure greater local support. For example, introducing a Clean Air Zone and lower bus fares leads to over half of motorists saying they would drive much less often for work (52 per cent) and social (53 per cent) or leisure activities (52 per cent).
Our research has clear lessons both for all key stakeholders in the system: central and local authority policy makers; businesses, who have a major role to play in encouraging and supporting their employees to use more sustainable travel options; and mobility providers who provide the transport networks consumers can access.
The real key to this is working in partnership. It’s not about simply penalising car users or just discouraging car use – in fact no single mode has the complete solution. We don’t need everyone to change how they make every journey, but each journey that people do switch would have a tangible difference.
It’s about coming up with an integrated multi-modal plan across private and public sector that encourages and incentivises people to use the right mode of transport for the right journey. And the potential prize is huge: over 1 billion miles of car journeys and nearly 400,000 tonnes of CO2 could be removed from Britain’s roads each week. Let’s make 2023 a year of action to make it happen. L
A significant proportion of the emissions reduction needed to deliver the country’s net zero ambitions will have to come from real and lasting behaviour change
Understanding where to start on your electrification journey can be difficult, and getting it wrong can be catastrophic to your business. There are many factors to be considered when making the decision to electrify your business vehicles, as outlined here
For fleet managers, the looming deadline for the sale of fossil fuel vehicles is a worry. From matching milage, to vehicle selection, to charging operations, it can be a minefield. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Utilising your vehicle data with bespoke transition advice and targeted charge point roll out, your journey to electric can be smoother than an EV’s take-off. Street Fleet can create a tailored plan for your fleet that you and your drivers can trust. Go electric, confidently.
Understanding where to start on your electrification journey can be difficult. Just because a vehicle’s milage is somewhat low, doesn’t necessarily mean it is easy to electrify, and getting it wrong can be catastrophic to your business. There are so many factors that should be considered when making the decision to electrify your business vehicles.
The miles your vehicles do on a daily basis should not be the only determining factor for if you should electrify today, but it should be the first thing you consider.
Using telematics data, Street Fleet will be able to quantify daily duty cycles for every vehicle to help you understand which vehicles are low-hanging fruit to electrify, and which ones are more difficult. We can provide world leading telematics devices through our partner Geotab, or use existing data should it be available.
It’s well known that EVs can’t be recharged as quickly as existing fossil fuel vehicles. This means that any spent time charging on the job is wasted time, especially if you’re having to do it every day.
By starting the day every day with a full charge, your electrification feasibility increases. We believe that efficiently using vehicle dwell times is the most effective way to charge and keep your fleet moving. Street Fleet makes this possible through our partner Liberty Charge by installing public and semi-public charging infrastructure in locations selected to meet your driver’s needs. We also have the capability to install home charging should that be your preferred option.
Whilst cost is currently a limiting factor for many businesses when considering
electrification, there is a government deadline fast approaching and the cost landscape is only going to get more difficult. Being cost-efficient is crucial, and in many cases going electric could actually be a costeffective solution. The growing number and size of low emission zones in UK cities certainly is a concern, as is the rising cost of fuel and energy. Understanding your total cost of ownership is essential. With Street Fleet we can assess your costs across a multitude of inputs to compare the cost of running an ICE vehicle to that of shifting to electric. The results will provide a clear strategy to take forward to be as cost effective as possible whilst achieving lower emissions across your fleet.
The Shift Street Fleet is the perfect end-to-end solution to partner you to electrification. By taking a data driven approach and rolling out charging infrastructure where you need it most, we can guarantee a bespoke journey for your day-to-day operations. Regular insight as to which vehicles can most easily electrify will be provided, as we help to make this shift possible. In addition, the headache of business disruption can be mitigated with our ability to roll out charging infrastructure in public, at depot and at home – whichever is most appropriate for each vehicle.
At the end of the day, ease of use is critical to ensure your drivers can do
their job as easily, if not more easily, than before.
By working with Street Fleet, we minimise your effort and improve the chances of success in the journey to electrification. The first output you get by working with us is an electrification assessment and guide, including which vehicles can electrify, what replacements should be chosen and where we can roll out infrastructure to meet your needs. We can offer this assessment for a one-off fee or a rolling subscription which can be tailored to include telematics and access to charging infrastructure. Following this, should you choose to electrify your vehicles, we work on your behalf to get the charging operations in place ready for your switch. After this first iteration, we provide ongoing electrification support and access to further charging infrastructure specifically suited to meet your business needs. Carbon offsetting for vehicles that you are not yet ready to electrify is an additional key service that we can also provide. L
The latest addition to Allego’s vast European public charging network will be the ultra-fast EV charging hub at Stadium MK. This soon-to-be-operable site will provide for three dual-socket 300kW chargers, amounting to six ultra-fast charge points, and represents Allego’s first ultra-fast EV charging hub in the UK and its first charging hub at an elite sporting venue
to do so. This is where Allego are well placed to support, offering a fully-funded model, to help both businesses and local authorities realise this crucial part of their strategy.
Paz Sharma, managing director Allego UK
Pan-EU public EV charging network
Allego delivers public EV charging solutions for all types and models of electric vehicles, facilitating consumers, businesses, and urban infrastructures across 16 European countries, and counting, having already established one of Europe’s largest networks comprising of just under 40,000 public charge points. Being a pioneering company, Allego continually strives to make EV charging easier, more convenient, and more enjoyable for all.
Allego are not new to the UK. With 48 onstreet charge points already installed in the London Borough of Hackney in 2022 to provide residents with greener transport options, and a further 80 in the neighbouring London Borough of Newham in 2021, a total of 128 new public charge points have been rolled out by Allego in London in the last 18 months.
Strategic funding of ultra-fast charging
Developments in EV driving have reached a point where it is paramount to keep expanding an ultra-fast charging network, rolling out at a fast pace. Recent reporting shows UK sales of electric vehicles overtook diesel cars for the first time in 2022. While EV sales growth is encouraging, there are concerns about the pace of delivery for charging infrastructure. We find ourselves at the foot of a new strategic wave for charging infrastructure and planning. In other words: It no longer suffices to follow consumer demand with the charge points we place. Far from it! If we want to remain consumer centric in our endeavours, we need to step up and create room for strategic charging hubs in our urban and business planning. This is where Allego makes the difference.
Local authorities as well as businesses and landowners have made great strides in recent years to install on-street charging solutions to support areas where it is difficult to install home charging, as well installing chargers on their own premises and in public car parks. However, they are increasingly recognising a gap in ultra-fast charging supply, and are looking to plug this gap to support EV drivers on the move, but have little funding available
partnerships for ultra fast charging hubs
One example of this is at Stadium MK. Since opening in 2007, this football ground in Milton Keynes, is the home ground of EFL League One team Milton Keynes Dons. The stadium holds a capacity of 30,500 with two tiers, and the design meets UEFA’s Elite Stadium specifications. In addition to association football, the stadium occasionally hosts rugby union and music concerts. Allego’s new ultra-fast EV charging hub is uniquely designed and configured to be fully accessible to all users, the hub at this location will also cater to wheelchair users with facilities such as lower payment screens and wider parking bays, making them easy to use for everyone. The ultrafast charge points that have been installed enable visitors to Stadium MK, and passing traffic as well as residents of the local area to charge their electric vehicle when they need, and in no more than 10-15 minutes.
Easy, convenient, and enjoyable for all Interoperability is one of the key features
Allego is proud of, always considering the EV driver centric to the type of solution on offer. Allego’s proven experience in delivering EV charging infrastructure, means EV drivers will have access to the latest in ultra-fast charging technology, with no subscription fees, just a simple tap of a credit/debit card for convenience.
“Working with Stadium MK in delivering this initiative is a fundamental first step forward in our plans to expand our ultra-fast EV-charging network in the UK, and giving the public greater confidence that they can charge their electric vehicle when and where they need,” says Paz Sharma, managing director of Allego UK. “The partnership also resonated well with Stadium MK and their ambition to reduce carbon emissions and contribute to a more sustainable future for everyone.”
The Allego network is set to expand rapidly over the next five years and beyond. Working with both private landowners and local authorities, the company is keen to invest an estimated 100 million pounds in ultra-fast EV charging infrastructure across the UK and Ireland. As part of the expansion in the UK, Allego are expected to open new ultra-fast EV charging hubs in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland later this year. L
FURTHER INFORMATION
www.allego.co.uk
Sponsored by
fleet and transport
We’re delighted to be supporting the GreenFleet 100 Most Influential once again, as we recognise the leading lights, driving the fleet sector to net zero emissions –congratulations to all those who have made the rankings, we salute you!
The drive to lower and zero carbon transportation will continue to be at the very top of every organisation’s strategic agenda for the coming years. We’re currently receiving a large number of client enquiries seeking assistance on their decarbonisation journey.
As we know, the passenger car and light commercial sector is very much focused on electrification, while for heavy commercial vehicles the path to net zero is more split with a myriad of potential solutions and a range of voices arguing for battery or hydrogen or fuel cell or HVO or LNG, or CNG (you get the picture). The prevailing anxiety and confusion in the market is perfectly understandable.
Fleet operators are in an unenviable position. It’s fair to say, pretty much all the technical implementations currently available to them for commercial vehicle acquisition (particularly heavies), infrastructure and operation are transient technologies. We’re fairly certain, by the proposed new sale implementation dates, the pace of technical development will mean the market offerings will look a lot different, as many of the current technological barriers overcome.
In the meantime, and this is the biggest problem as we see it, fleet users will be faced with a dramatic period of uncertainty and operational challenge. Those looking at their future buying patterns today will be driven by a consumer and corporate requirement to embrace the vehicles with zero or low carbon credentials, while managing those vehicles through the transition from fossil fuels to zero emission types and ensuring the service to their customers doesn’t falter.
We have been working with many clients who, having completed the modelling to electrify their fleets, have recognised they will need to make some drastic changes in their distribution patterns if they want to fully decarbonize their supply chain. And currently we are dealing with the first movers, the trailblazers in the sector
who have already started their planning. The scale of electrifying the UK vehicle fleet should not be underestimated – our work has only just begun. While the fleet sector has been through many challenges before, those changes didn’t involve a switch to a completely new energy source, infrastructure requirement and a rethink of operational duty cycles to meet new weight to battery discharge rates. These new variables, combined with managing the current ICE fleet, brings a new level of complexity to fleet operations during the switch over.
It’s our belief the fleet sector is going to need support to manage all these variables, particularly as we journey through the transition of running a mixed fleet of fossil fuel and zero carbon fuel types. Our algorithms have been designed to deal with the multiple inputs of fuel types, range and refuelling/recharging, as well as all the normal demands of a current operation to give fleets the peace of mind they are well placed to start their journey to net zero. For the here and now, our algorithms will ensure you are running your current vehicles to maximum efficiency. As fleets look to
introduce new vehicle types into their organisation, be it gas, electric, hydrogen fuel cell or a new tech we haven’t thought of yet, we are able to assist in the fleet modelling and forecasting to ensure the right procurement choices are made. We have already advised a number of customers shifting their fleet to electric, identifying the correct place and application for the electric vehicles and charge points in order to match the mission and vehicle duty cycles. Working with our partners we can also optimise charging and the charge points reducing range anxieties and maximising fleet efficiency.
Take the plunge
The transition from diesel to electric or, in time, hydrogen, is not optional. The fleet operators’ only choice is whether to use the tools available to ensure a successful transition. We believe the industry is fast approaching a time where customers will have to jump with both feet into smart optimisation because the complexity of the issues facing them will demand it. Running a mixed fuel fleet with different refuelling requirements, range expectations and weight to energy discharge rates depending on that fuel, combined with all the other variables of running an efficient transport fleet, will require a smart optimisation solution. Our message is simple: Optimise first and take the immediate advantages; plan your transition to decarbonisation through evidenced based analysis then transform your business to ensure maximise productivity with minimal carbon impact.L
FURTHER INFORMATION
www.thealgorithmpeople.co.uk
During the fuel crisis of 2022 when many companies were parking up their LNG trucks because of the cost of gas, Paul continued to use the fleet because he believes being green is the right thing to do. In 2022, Nicholls Transport were appointed Green Ambassadors by IVECO – and are one of only two listed on its worldwide website. Paul is also investing in electric vans and electric forklifts.
Emma has over ten years’ experience in the fleet industry, having worked at places such as Mitie, Thames Water and DriveTech before joining VWFS as Senior Fleet Consultant. Emma is also Deputy Chair of the AFP’s Fleet Risk & Compliance Committee, and an enthusiastic EV advocate.
As GREENFLEET’S current Private Sector Fleet Manager of the Year, Aaron is committed to making Speedy’s fleet as eco-friendly as possible. As well as adopting electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, Aaron leads other green innovations, such as bringing in the industry’s first 27t full EV plant bodied vehicle.
Steve has achieved great success in moving Gloucestershire Constabulary’s fleet in to the 21st century, adopting alternatively-fuelled and electric vehicles. Steve is also the Chair of the National Association of Police Fleet Managers’ environment board and is working to support other emergency services in their transition to alternative fuels.
Matt’s impressive work pushing the boundaries of what is possible in fleet decarbonisation at Nottingham City Council resulted in the council winning GREENFLEET’s Public Sector Commercial Fleet of the Year Award in 2022.
GREENFLEET Ambassador Kate Armitage has been a strong advocate of the electrification of transport since 2010, heading up the EV Team at EDF Energy, and subsequently as Projects Director at Route Monkey. Kate has been involved in a range of ground-breaking projects including the recharging infrastructure for the London 2012 Olympic electric vehicle fleet.
Kate is the co-founder and CEO of ChargeSafe, which aims to make the public charging experience safe and accessible by delivering a 5-star rating system. She has won over many companies, who have agreed to bring clear improvements and standards to their networks. She has been described as engaging with the sector with “energy, enthusiasm and a big smile”.
In his previous role at London Fire Brigade, Matthew was responsible for setting up the Ultra Low Emission Fleet Programme, to establish a move towards a zero emission fleet. Matthew also managed the Zero Emission Pumping Appliance Project, developing the UK’s first zero emission capable pumping appliance. Matthew is now director of BEAT, which helps organisations decarbonise.
Jonny uses his in-depth knowledge of electric vehicles gained over the years to help the fleet industry make the smooth EV transition. Career highlights include being awarded Nissan’s Prestigious Global EV CEO Award in 2016, and starting the much-loved EV Cafe during the first lockdown, so that the EV-switch momentum could continue.
John is a massive champion of the electric transition, and has been banging the drum about EV adoption for over a decade. He has policy experience, gained with the Scottish Government, and has worked with brands such as the AA, BMW, Renault, Nissan, Go Ultra Low, and LeasePlan on their sustainability plans. John has also been a driving force within The EV Cafe, supporting UK fleets move towards electrification.
Simon’s achievements at Mitie, delivering the company’s EV transition and wider sustainability agenda, led him to win GREENFLEET’S Outstanding Achievement Award in 2021. Simon is now a partner at edenseven Sustainability Consultancy which delivers sustainability strategies and fleet transformation.
Through the last two years, S-J has led the way in harmonising OVO’s fleet and influencing drivers into the EV space. By year end of 2022, she will have put over 550 new electric commercial vehicles onto the fleet, with 66 per cent of all vehicles being BEV. S-J picked up an EV Champion Award at the 2022 GREENFLEET Awards, while the fleet at OVO was awarded the Private Sector Commercial Fleet of the Year accolade. E
Gary has spent over three years at Urban Foresight, overseeing electric mobility projects across the globe. These range from infrastructure delivery to fleet electrification strategies, supporting local authorities to plan and deploy solutions. He previously led Dundee City Council in its EV ambitions, and during his time there, the council had the UK’s largest local authority fleet of electric vehicles.
Linda has been described as a pioneer in EV roaming and interoperability, and is passionate about tackling the access barriers to charging. She founded East Green Energy in 2006 and built the EV Driver network of public EV charging points in the East of England. Her consultancy EV Driver is continuing to advise businesses on the EV transition.
Amanda champions the use of hydrogen as a zeroemission fuel, through innovating at ULEMCo and through her work as chair of the UK Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association. One of ULEMCo’s latest innovations is a hydrogen dual-fuel conversion of a waste collection truck in which HVO is used rather than diesel.
Experienced fleet manager David is ensuring that Evri’s fleet comprising 1,615 vehicles is as green as possible, with the use of biomethane CNG trucks, which make up 50% of its core tractor fleet, and electric vans to support its ParcelShop network.
Daniel is CEO of the newly established company Fleete, which provides electric vehicle infrastructure to operators of electric commercial vehicles, using a charging-as-a-service model. Daniel brings 17 years experience in the low carbon energy sector to this role, and is a Chartered Energy Engineer.
83 Toby Butler
Prior to joining ubitricity, Toby led Shell’s work in the EV charging sphere, including managing the team that implemented the first Shell rapid charger in the UK. As managing director of ubitricity - a Shell owned company, Toby pushes the company forwards in its mission to provide simple EV charging for everyone.
82 h Dr Chris Jardine,
Chris is a well-regarded expert in EV charging and renewable energy.
Joju won the Charging Infrastructure Provider of the Year title at the 2022 GREENFLEET Awards, in recognition of the company’s commitment to helping the public and blue light sector with their EV infrastructure plans. In the past year, Joju has enjoyed exceptional growth and completed 1,300 projects.
Tim understands the needs of fleets in the fast changing world of mobility and alternative fuels. ALD Automotive continues to help fleets with their electric ambitions, having recently helped Wiltshire council with their electrification plans. ALD is due to complete the acquisition of LeasePlan in Q1 2023.
Richard continues to push Connected Kerb’s innovation in the on-street charging space. The company recently led the first-ever trial of smart metered on-street EV chargers, known as the Agile Streets initiative, which won the Best Consumer Proposition Award at the EVIES.
IVECO continues to be experts in alternatively fuelled vehicles, having innovated in this area for over two and a half decades. 2022 saw the hotly anticipated arrival of the electric eDaily, which has a range of up to 249 miles. And on the heavy goods vehicle side, IVECO’s natural gas solutions continue to prove popular with leading UK fleets.
Dan leads Enterprise Car Club as it continues with its mission to help the UK move to greener mobility solutions. Enterprise Car Club has dozens of partnerships with councils, combined authorities and train operators, and has a hydrogen car clubs at Tees Valley Airport.
Webfleet Solutions’ EV expert Richard Parker has over 20 years’ experience in the fleet industry and specialises in improving fleet performance through data and digital solutions. He is keen to share his knowledge to help businesses decarbonise their fleet.
Mike Potter is always exploring new and pioneering ways to support the UK’s transition to zero and ultra-low carbon transport. He has been involved in innovative research initiatives, such as the Electric Nation Vehicle-to-Grid project and EV-elocity.
Guy launched Zaptec into the UK market and is driving the company as it strives to make charging solitons easier for users. Guy comes from a solid EV background, having previously worked for Siemens as head of sales for electromobility and at InstaVolt as Business Development Manager.
With James as CEO, the EVA successfully led a campaign for better driver rights, and pushed for the strongest regulations on charger data, price transparency and easier payments. James set up the REA’s EV Forum when he was director of policy at the trade body, and also worked in the Cabinet Office on the UK’s COP26 transport policy.
Ian has overseen Osprey’s growth in 2022, doubling the number of Osprey rapid charge points to over 500. The network continues to be well regarded, earning the ‘EV Driver Recommended’ title on Zap Map’s annual EV charging survey. Ian has also been praised for his pioneering approach to partnerships which is helping shape the charging landscape.
Niall co-founded Paua, which has succeeded in ensuring that the public charging network is able to properly serve fleet business customers. The app and card allow business drivers to find, charge, and pay for charging and gives fleet managers the ability to monitor all transactions. As a result, Paua won GREENFLEET’S IT Innovation Award in 2022.
At the end of 2022, Graham’s role at green hydrogen company ITM Power changed from CEO to a senior strategic role. During his time as CEO, Graham broke the company into new markets, forged industrial partnerships, and oversaw equity fundraisers of almost £500 million. In 2021, ITM opened the world’s largest electrolyser manufacturing facility.
Tanya continues to lead Scania’s sustainability work in the UK, across the manufacturer’s truck, bus, coach and power operations. In recognition of her environmental transport work, Tanya is also on the board of Zemo Partnership.
Tom has solid fleet-decarbonisation credentials - from co-founding Green Tomato cars – a green taxi company that was well ahead of the curve, to being director of EVs at OVO. Tom now runs ChargeLight, a company that uses lamppost infrastructure for EV charging.
David has been at the forefront of fleet sustainability for more than 16 years. Notable career moments include helping design and deliver the DfT’s Plugged in Fleets Initiative when he was at the EST, and leading the fleet sustainability activities for Arval UK. He is also a member of the EV working group for the BVRLA and on the EV committee for the Association of Fleet Professionals. E
Last year was a year of change for Electric Vehicles (EV), one where we saw the termination of the Plug-In Car Grant (PICG) and Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS). More recently, electric vehicles, vans and cars have been hit by the introduction of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED).
It’s also been the year where the impending alarm of climate change has been once again underlined. Last year’s United Nations COP27 conference in Sharm El Sheikh reaffirmed calls for urgent action from leaders around the world.
It is clear electric vehicles present an incredible opportunity to help fleets meet their sustainability goals and create a better world for us all. Overall, the transition to zero-emission transport networks requires investment and attention. For that, it’s imperative to ensure that electric is a compelling and preferable alternative.
As we take time to reflect, and look ahead to opportunities for 2023 and beyond, now is the time to consider how we pave the path for a truly sustainable future – one that is conducive to leaving behind a positive environmental legacy. We also need to demonstrate the best innovations and solutions our sector has to offer the world. Part of that reflection is recognising those figures instrumental to the awareness and adoption of fleet electrification and the wider transport sustainability mission. For that reason, Geotab is proud to support the GreenFleet 100 Most Influential initiative. L FURTHER INFORMATION
www.geotab.com/uk
Arnold Clark has opened its new Innovation Centre in England, following the successful launch of the first in Scotland. The Stafford Innovation Centre has more than 45 electric vehicles for visitors to test-drive. What’s more Arnold Clark is to become Scotland’s sole BYD electric vehicle retailer this year
Despite supply challenges, through Ron Santiago’s focus, the company has maintained a comprehensive fleet through strong manufacturer partnerships and sourcing vehicles from new suppliers. Electric and sustainable vehicles were continually added to the fleet in 2022, and now 75% of Europcar’s company car vehicle orders for its own employees are EV and 15% are hybrid.
Owain is passionate about improving the sustainability of Oxford Direct Services’ transport service through overseeing a new fleet management system, improving fleet policies and practices and significantly growing the amount of electric vehicles within the fleet.
CNG Fuels continues to be Europe’s leading supplier of biomethane for transport, and its tenth HGV refuelling station, located in Castleford, has now opened. Aldi is the latest major brand to use the site, among many other household brands, including Royal Mail, Waitrose, and Warburtons.
Leading a dedicated alternative fuels team at Rivus, Sarah works with customers and suppliers to find solutions to reduce emissions. In recognition of her dedication to alternative fuels, Sarah won an AFV Champion award at the 2022 GREENFLEET Awards.
James was promoted to Sales Director in July in recognition to his dedication to sustainable mobility solutions. James worked to upskill sales staff in sustainability and established a carbon offsetting scheme - which was used to fully offset the emissions from GREENFLEET’s Great British EV Rally. James uses his position to push sustainability to customers and colleagues across Europe.
Following the rebrand from Daimler Fleet Manager to Athlon UK, Patricia Wolfe’s strong leadership has helped build the company from the ground up. Athlon continues to deliver the most sustainable and tailor-made mobility solutions for its customers.
Quentin Willson spearheads the FairCharge campaign, which is pushing the issues of charging costs, infrastructure, charging times and EV access to the forefront of the political agenda. One of its key priorities is to tackle the issue of EV drivers without home-charging paying four times the rate of VAT for their electricity from public onstreet networks.
Colin has had a long and respected career in automotive, most notably 17 years with Nissan. He continues to lead Zero Carbon Futures, which is now part of Newcastle University, and he also leads Faraday Institution North East, which brings together multiple bodies in the battery innovation ecosystem.
Edward guides Geotab on its mission to help companies accelerate their carbon reduction and to scale their sustainability efforts. In September 2022, Geotab became the first dedicated telematics company to have its emissions reduction targets validated and approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
Over the last twelve months, Carlos has continued to drive Renault Trucks’ leadership in the zero and low-carbon transport industry. Carlos has personally supported customers’ transitions to zero tailpipe emissions transport and regularly shares his insights and vision at key events and on social media.
Mercedes-Benz continues to push ahead with its electrification plans, with eight cars in the Mercedes-EQ all-electric range. The car maker has also announced plans for a branded, global high-power charging network across key markets, including Europe.
Charlie’s company EO continues to make waves in the UK charging market and beyond. EO’s latest generation of commercial and home electric vehicle chargers feature improved operating platforms and are compliant with new smart charging regulations. EO has also designed, manufactured and installed a network of charging stations for Amazon’s electric fleet.
Know in the industry as the man with the electric-van know-how, Paul has over 30 years in the automotive sector. Notable career moments include helping launch the Mercedes electric Vito in 2008 and heading up the electrification strategy for vehicle broker, Vanarama. At EV Essentials, Paul works to help fleets with their electric vehicle roll outs. Paul is also a valued member of The EV Café.
Christian is cementing Volvo Trucks’ position in the UK and Ireland as sustainability pioneers in the heavy goods sector. The company already has electric heavy haulage trucks on UK roads and is planning to roll out customer testing of its hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks in 2025.
Akira is responsible for delivering the growth strategy of the bp Pulse fast charging network, driving forward the product pipeline and creating a seamless digital customer experience. He was previously vice president for new business execution within bp’s future mobility & solutions division and has worked within bp for 20 years.
As head of fleet at Crown Commercial Service, Tammy helps the public sector procure more sustainable vehicles and services at best value. Prior to the CCS, she had over 20 years of fleet experience in the private sector, where she was responsible for the procurement and management of a fleet of around 1,500 vehicles.
Lee Brown is now Managing Director of Grosvenor Leasing, moving on from his role as head of 0Zone – the company’s green solution for fleets transitioning to electric and low emission fleets. Lee is the person to go to for advice on the impact of ultra-low emission and electric vehicles on operations and finances. E
As a brand that strives to go the extra mile for its customers, we are helping drivers make the move to electric motoring through innovation, unparalleled vehicle range, support and education.
Manufactured by SAIC and distributed in the UK by Harris MAXUS, we offer a full range of electric vehicles, each of which have benefitted from SAIC’s billion-dollar investment into battery technology and innovation.
Over the past number of years, MAXUS has launched a number of premium electric vehicles to market. In addition to our awardwinning flagship eLCVs, the 3 DELIVER 3 and e DELIVER 9, last year, we also launched the T90 EV, the UK’s first fully electric pickup truck, as well as an all-electric MPV in the shape of the MIFA 9 – bringing MAXUS to a new cohort of customers.
Cutting down on fuel costs and reducing carbon emissions are front of mind issues for businesses everywhere right now. If you’re considering making the switch to electric, we recommend reaching out to your local MAXUS dealer today where you can avail of our free business advice service.
This service provides business owners and fleet managers with a realistic evaluation of where they are on their journey to greener motoring and what they should do next, providing a step-bystep guide to ensure that the move is as seamless as possible.
We have also launched a brand-new scrappage scheme allowing savings of up to £14,000 on a new electric van. Available until the 31st August 2023, this scrappage scheme will provide drivers with an opportunity to upgrade their existing vehicle, transition to electric and make great savings. VAT allowance and a free home or workplace charger are also included. L FURTHER
At Maxus, we are driving the transition to greener motoringMark Barrett, General Manager, Harris MAXUS
Fleet sustainability starts with optimising what you have. Geotab can help with:
• Preventative maintenance monitoring
• Minimising fuel consumption and idling
• Reducing CO2 emissions
• Fleet electrification planning
www.geotab.com/uk/fleet-sustainability
Fiona has been Octopus EV CEO since May 2017. Already established in Salary Sacrifice, under Fiona’s stewardship, the company broadened its offer in 2022. Alongside the work Octopus is doing to get more EVs into the UK market, Fiona is an electric vehicle champion and campaigner for the sector, using her connections and networks to support others.
Appointed Fleet Director at Nissan GB in November 2021, Csaba’s arrival followed the announcement of the Nissan EV36Zero project, an Electric Vehicle Hub and EV manufacturing ecosystem centred around the company’s Sunderland plant. 2022 saw the launch of the all-new Ariya, Nissan’s first ground-up EV since the LEAF, which is already proving popular with fleets.
Working at Renault Group for over five years, Guillaume has been Renault Group UK CEO since January 2022 and has had many reasons to celebrate. Renault’s UK electrified car sales increased from 32 to 57 per cent year-onyear in 2022, and the French company is now one of the UK’s top five HEV sales manufacturers. Notable 2022 launches include the Megane E-Tech Electric car and the new Kangoo E-Tech Electric van.
Building on the arrival of the IONIQ 5 in 2021, its sister model, the IONIQ 6, was unveiled in 2022. Featuring the same 400V and 800V charging technology, its ‘streamliner’ shape makes it distinctive. Other electrified models such as the Tucson helped Hyundai receive a commended Fleet Car Manufacturer of the Year nomination at the GREENFLEET Awards.
Volvo Cars’ global sales of fully electric cars increased from 3.7 per cent in 2021 to 10.9 per cent in 2022. Other highlights include the unveiling of the new seven-seat EX90 EV, which has a potential range of up to 373 miles. In the UK, Kristian has helped launch the Volvo Fleet and Business Online portal to help fleet and business customers.
A previous GREENFLEET Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Champion in 2020, Jon has been a key AFV player at Toyota GB since 2018. He manages the manufacturer’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell Programme, contributes to strategic policy development, and oversees the sales, relationship management, commercialisation and communication of the Mirai FCEV. At the end of 2022, Toyota announced it is heading up a Government-funded consortium project to develop a prototype hydrogen fuel cell Hilux pick-up.
James took up the role to look after Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK’s entire eConsulting business in August 2021. With 20 years’ experience in the industry, he is not only responsible for its comprehensive electrification plan, but also manages the eTruck portfolio. Wins for 2022 included the first orders for right-hand drive versions of the battery-electric eActros and the accolade of 2022 GREENFLEET HGV Manufacturer of the Year for the second year running.
Ashley is passionate about speeding up the transition to electric vehicles for fleets, and believes that simplifying EV charging payments is a key part of this. Started just three years ago, the Mina EV charging payment solution is the UK’s only platform which allows fleet and business electric vehicles to be charged at home, work or on the road, with just a single monthly invoice. Mina now has 31 employees, and has helped Openreach, OVO Energy, Mitie and EQUANS to switch their fleets to EVs.
Dean has spent more than 25 years in the motor industry and was named a GREENFLEET EV Champion in 2021. His electric vehicle knowledge and dedication to EVs allows him to advise on infrastructure, maintenance, and procurement. Dean delivers new product and services innovation, and generates new business while maintaining existing contracts. Dean will shortly be moving to a new position at Vital EV Solutions.
Roger has been in the automotive sector for 35 years, concentrating on EVs for the past 15 years. Championing companies, technologies and notable people in the sector, Roger has almost 300,000 followers on LinkedIn for his ongoing EV narrative. A consultant, event host and keynote speaker, Roger is a ‘Top Voice’ on the LinkedIn platform, and his material attracts over one million views every quarter.
Gill has been an EV advocate for over a decade. Much of her early work on EV-grid integration projects supported major legislative change, and she co-founded the Electric Vehicle Association (EVA) England in lockdown 2020. LV= is the first major insurer in the UK to offer an endto-end solution for fleets making the switch to an EV through its ElectriX proposition, and in her current role, Gill oversees the company’s EVrelated communications.
Chris became CEO of BMW Group UK and Ireland in 2021. In 2022, BMW’s worldwide EV sales increased 107.7 per cent from 2021, and during Chris’ first full year in post, there has been a three-fold rise in UK registrations of BMW EVs. Accounting for 11 per cent of the UK EV market, one in five BMWs registered last year was fully electric, and in the corporate sector this rose to one in three. BMW Group UK is the current GREENFLEET PHEV Manufacturer of the Year. E
Transport is the second most polluting sector in the world, contributing to a quarter of all CO2 emissions on the planet – and within the transport industry, roads are responsible for three-quarters of that transport pollution alone. Our industry has a responsibility – and a tremendous opportunity – to shape the future of transportation. At Geotab, we have a relentless focus on helping organisations to help themselves transition to a low carbon future, whether that’s turning to data to enhance vehicle and driver efficiency or examining the case for a transition to a fully-electric fleet.
Transitioning to electric
In September last year, we unveiled research examining the case for transitioning to electric amongst fleets across Europe, comprising
46,000 Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) lightduty vehicles overall, and comparing them against their battery-electric counterparts with real-world electric vehicle performance data. This data comes from Geotab’s Electric Vehicle Suitability Assessment (EVSA): a powerful tool that applies existing fleet telematics data against performance data from realworld EVs, thereby creating a blueprint for electrification, and ultimately helping our customers understand how the switch to electric can work for their specific situation. Our findings concluded that nearly 60 per cent could switch to electric immediately and save nearly £218 million in the process. Similarly, whilst examining the sustainability impact of transitioning, the saving per vehicle equates to cutting an average of more than five tonnes of tailpipe carbon emissions per vehicle. Across all the vehicles we analysed,
it equates to carbon sequestered by 2.6 million tree seedlings grown for 10 years. Collectively we’ll continue to overcome growing pains amid the zero-emission transition. Just as the UK with its ‘stop sale’ deadline of 2030, countries around the world are continuing to put deadlines in place to ban the sale of new diesel and petrol vehicles from our roads. However, in the face of the ongoing energy crisis, there remains a clear need to encourage and accelerate EV adoption. Eventually, the population of EVs will overtake traditional fuel-based models – however, we hope to see continued investment in governmentissued incentive programmes to ensure this transition is as compelling as possible. Besides incentives, we’ll continue to see innovations in EV infrastructure and power management, from faster DC charging rates for vehicles, off-street charging, and increased experimentation in all-new power delivery systems such as rapid battery swapping. Longer term, it’s going to be interesting to see how power storage continues to evolve with some manufacturers already experimenting with solid-state solutions for vehicles.
Looking ahead, we’ll continue to see developments in vehicle ownership and usage – from subscription services to shortterm hire. Shared mobility is an exciting and growing trend in the mobility space, giving more people access to vehicles on a per-need basis. So too is the rise of vehicle subscriptions, giving users more flexibility in the types of vehicles they drive and how often they change up to different models depending on their evolving needs. The implications of these are notable for fleet operators, where ongoing maintenance and telematics become imperative to ensure maximised uptime for customers. In the case of EVs, too, these new ownership and usage models are a fantastic way to showcase the technology to more drivers and ultimately increase ongoing interest and adoption.
Sustainability – both environmentally and economically – will continue to dominate, particularly within the context of today’s challenges. The motor industry has borne this notably these past couple years with a persistent supply crunch. Fleet operators are thinking longer term and considering vehicles that will have to run further – there will be more focus on how data can help reduce the carbon footprint of these vehicles, increase vehicle utilisation, and reduce ongoing maintenance requirements. L
At Geotab, we have a relentless focus on helping organisations to help themselves transition to a low carbon future, whether that’s turning to data to enhance vehicle and driver efficiency or examining the case for a transition to a fully-electric fleet
Chris has worked for the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust for over six years. He sponsors all major fleet projects for the trust, and is developing an ultra low emission, emergency response fleet. The trust took delivery of its first new EVs in June 2022, as part of a £16.6 million investment into a greener vehicle fleet. Chris scooped the 2022 Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year title at the GREENFLEET awards, along with Rob MacIntosh.
Previously technical director for sustainable transport at engineering firm Ricardo, in 2021 Denis brought his greener transport skills to the online retailer, which has rapidly introduced electric vehicles into its worldwide delivery fleets. In 2019, Amazon ordered 100,000 allelectric Rivian-built vans, since added to with fleets of Mercedes-Benz eSprinters and long-haul Volvo electric trucks. In the UK, Amazon has expanded its e-cargo bike fleet, with the launch of three further micro mobility delivery hubs.
Alfonso believes that leasing is one of the key pillars in the transition to electric vehicles, and he is a renowned advocate of EV adoption. Against a backdrop of industry supply issues, Alfonso has made it his mission to maximise EV access. Under his leadership LeasePlan has unveiled its EV Salary Sacrifice product, and repositioned the LeasePlan Flexible proposition to focus on EVs, as well as enriching its EV Education Hub with 50 pieces of content and free digital tools. LeasePlan is the current GREENFLEET Leasing Company of the Year.
Rob joined Royal Mail as Fleet Director in March 2022, a few months after the British postal service announced a 10-fold increase in the number of EVs in its fleet, with plans to introduce 3,000 additional electric vans. In August 2022, 2,000 new Peugeot e-Expert and e-Partner vans marked a significant step towards its aim of having 5,500 electric vehicles on fleet by Spring 2023. In January 2023, the 4,000th EV milestone was met.
Fraser has been leading Dundee City Council’s charge to zero emissions since 2010. A frequent EV panelist and speaker, he heads up the development and implementation of EVs and their charging infrastructure. Dundee has one of the highest concentrations of EVs of any UK city, and around 27 per cent of the council’s fleet is electric. What’s more, a significant amount of the city’s taxis are EVs.
A previous 2018 GREENFLEET EV Champion, Sara is no stranger to the GF100 Most Influential list, first appearing in 2019 and then every year since. Her energetic passion for zero emission mobility has seen her lead teams at Elmtronics and Foot Anstey LLP, and drive up ULEV uptake during her time at North Somerset Council. Sara’s extensive EV background is contributing to Paythru’s mission to making parking, paying, and charging easier.
Writer, broadcaster and actor Robert Llewellyn is the founder of EV channel Fully Charged, which focuses on the future of electric vehicles and clean energy. Fully Charged has a significant video presence on YouTube, a weekly podcast, and headline events not only in the UK, but also Europe, Australia, Canada and the US.
The Algorithm People, which was co-founded by Colin in 2018, is now rebranding to ‘Optimize’ to coincide with its new algorithm release. Securing £2.2 million of funding, the latest developments include a suite of new optimisation algorithms based upon artificial intelligence and machine learning, with the aim of accelerating fleet decarbonisation and generating further fleet efficiencies.
Simon is playing a key role in driving the adoption of EV charging infrastructure by fleets. He has pioneered a consultative sales approach that is unique in the EV charging industry and has spearheaded significant year-on-year growth in Mer’s B2B division. Highlights for Mer over the last year include a 110% increase in the total number of installed chargers, and key client wins such as IKEA and Asda.
A high profile Fleet Management Consultant for over two decades, Chris set up Lex Autolease’s plug-in vehicle proposition, and has helped some fleets reach over 40 per cent zero emission vehicle penetration. Chris also leads on Lex Autolease’s thought leadership, writing white papers and ‘How-to’ guides, speaking at industry events and webinars. He is also proud to have been named in the GF100 list for the last five years.
EV charging infrastructure provider InstaVolt was founded in 2016, and has close to 600 operational rapid – 50 to 150kW – chargers in the UK, right across the country. The company has won numerous EV industry awards, and was the first network to introduce contactless payment. Targeting 5,000 installed chargers by 2024/25, InstaVolt has recently announced plans to double the number of rapid points at its Banbury site to 32. E
Infrastructure Provider of the Year award in 2021, SWARCO has built on that success in 2022. Two rapid EV chargers have been installed at Maengwyn Street car park in Machynlleth, Powys, with plans to install 35 50kW rapid chargers at 18 sites across four Welsh Local Authority areas. The company has also partnered with Cornwall Council to supply, install and maintain EV charging points.
Previously the Managing Director of Vauxhall Motors, Paul took up his new role for the wider Stellantis group in 2022. The past year has seen some notable first electrified vehicle launches for the group. Alfa Romeo has launched the Tonale Plug-In Hybrid Q4, its first PHEV, and Abarth and Jeep have unveiled their first EVs: the 500e and Avenger respectively. Additionally, a range of hydrogen fuel cell-powered e-LCVs have been announced across the group, going on sale later this year. At the 2022 GREENFLEET Awards, Stellantis Group brand Peugeot won the Fleet Car Manufacturer of the Year prize.
It has been a busy year for Kia. The new version of the very popular electric Niro was introduced, while Hilti GB and the East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust added the old model to their vehicle parcs. The new fleet Kia Business Service Promise was also rolled out across the dealer network, and the company passed the annual 100,000 UK sales record for the first time.
Sam’s commitment to improving the climate by facilitating the transition to EVs is well known and widely respected. Since GRIDSERVE opened the first Electric Forecourt in Braintree, Essex, a site has opened in Norwich, with others at Gatwick Airport and Plymouth locations approved. Additionally, the recent opening of the company’s 13th Electric Super Hub at Pease Pottage has bolstered the number of GRIDSERVE high power charging sites. Sam is also a valued member of the EV Café.
At Ocado Group for over eight years, Graham continues to drive the company’s natural gas truck activity. The first retailer in the UK to self-fund its on-site natural gas refuelling station, its Gasrec-operated Hatfield CFC site is optimised to refuel over 80 trucks per day. In 2022, the company continued to add CNG cabs to its natural gas fleet.
Playing a central part in decarbonising the John Lewis Partnership’s HGV fleet for over a decade, Justin also leads the whole vehicle parc of 5,500 vehicles of all sizes. One of his key focuses is decarbonising the fleet through transitioning 4,000 cars, vans and light trucks to EV, along with the 600 heavy duty, long distance trucks to biomethane of which 340 have so far been transitioned.
Head of Sustainability at deliver y services provider DPD since November 2021, Olly leads the company’s strategy to become the UK’s leader in sustainable delivery. In January 2020 DPD had 149 EVs, that number rising to over 1,500 in January 2022. By the end of 2023, DPD’s Vision 30 is to enable zero emission deliveries in 30 towns and cities, servicing 25% of the UK population and over 100 million parcels.
Previously Commercial Director for MG Rover Group in the UK, Guy has been at the forefront of MG’s return in the 2020s. Now with a focus on pure electric drivetrains, during the first nine months of 2022 MG sold over 38,300 cars, making it the UK’s 12th bestselling manufacturer, with the MG5 EV the UK’s fifth most popular EV. Celebrating this growth, MG Motor UK is the 2022 GREENFLEET Electric Vehicle Manufacturer of the Year.
At Ford Motor Company for 17 years, Lisa moved to the Managing Director role of Ford’s UK arm in 2020. The new all-electric Ford E-Transit helped Ford end 2022 on a high, scooping the GREENFLEET Vehicle of the Year award. The e-LCV focus has been a notable one for Ford during 2022, with the announcement of the connected Ford Pro ecosystem, and the launches of the E-Transit Custom, of which the current family is the best-selling LCV in the UK.
Paul Hollick is chair of the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) – the not-for-profit body that supports, educates and trains the corporate fleet industry – and oversees the output of seven individual committees. He also leads the organisation’s extensive conference, training and webinar programmes. In 2022 he also added the Managing Director role of Lighfoot to his CV, in which he helps the company reach more fleets with its driver training software and telematics.
GREENFLEET’S LCV Manufacturer of the Year winner, Maxus, enjoyed another busy year in 2022. Not only did the company launch the new T90EV, an electric light commercial pickup truck with a range of 220 miles from its 88.55kWh battery and 150kW motor, but the electric LCV company also launched an extensive EV Support Programme to both encourage and support fleet buyers to switch to EVs, subsidising over 2,000 eDeliver 9 vans.
Re-joining Volkswagen Group UK in January 2019, Alex Smith was previously Director of Volkswagen Passenger Cars UK. Building on the 2021 successes for the UK arm of the German manufacturer, 2022 gave more reasons to celebrate. The number one car brand in the UK for sales, the ID.3 made the top 10 best-selling EVs list, and new arrivals in the shape of the ID.5 coupé-SUV and the campervan-referencing ID. Buzz wowed EV light commercial drivers.
President of the Automobile Association since 2008, Edmund is a true electric vehicle advocate. He speaks at EV and transport-focused events and webinars, and lobbies and campaigns passionately on all forms of safety and environmental issues. Also a visiting Professor of Transport at Newcastle University, Edmund represents the AA on motoring think tanks, the government’s Motorists’ Forum, and on working groups. He called for more accessible charge points for electric vehicles as one of his campaign points in 2022.
Alex joined Mitie in 2021, bringing extensive experience in the energy transition and decarbonisation of transport. Leading the E-Mobility and EV business within Mitie Energy, Alex works with Mitie clients on carbon reduction, fleet electrification, and the development of associated charging infrastructure. Mitie has recently secured a £4.3 million contract to install around 250 EV charge points at more than 120 job centres for the Department for Work and Pensions, and it was crowned Private Sector Car Fleet of the Year at the 2022 GREENFLEET Awards.
Ben and Melanie co-founded Zap-Map, the award-winning EV charging website and app in June 2014. Seen as the authority on the UK’s public charging network, around 70 per cent of all EV drivers are registered users. In 2022 Zap-Map raised £9 million in a Series A fundraising round, with investment from Fleetcor and Good Energy. A big raft of new partner announcements include Allstar, Just Charge, Mer, Motability Operations, Nissan GB, the RAC, Select Car Leasing, and Tusker.
19-year veteran of the DfT, Bob is a professional engineer with 20 years’ experience of evidence-based policy development and delivery in the public and private sectors. He has been Deputy Director of the Decarbonisation Strategy since 2021. Among the DfT’s decarbonisation projects are the Decarbonising Local Roads competition, which has awarded £30 million of government funding to seven innovative, UK net zero projects, as well as a £7 million tech fund to decarbonise freight and boost innovation.
Lorna has experience in complex and large fleets with between 2,00049,000-plus vehicles, and has looked after the fleet of National Grid for over three years. Switching to low emission vehicles is a big part of the National Grid’s commitment to reaching net zero by 2050. Recipient of the GREENFLEET Award for Outstanding Achievement in 2022, Lorna is ensuring that the company’s pool of light-duty vehicles will move to a 100 per cent electric fleet by 2030. Previously, Lorna has led on several electric vehicle related projects including Optimise Prime, and is a board member of the Association of Fleet Professionals.
Toddington’s pioneering parents introduced some of the first commercial solar energy and battery storage solutions over 40 years ago, so a career in sustainable energy was never going to be an inappropriate avenue for him to explore. GRIDSERVE was created in September 2017 to deliver that sustainable energy to customers, and its most notable successes include the birth of 100 per cent Electric Forecourts. The first of this series of high-powered EV recharging stations opened in Braintree, Essex in the autumn of 2020, with another site at Norwich welcoming EV drivers in 2022. A total of 100 locations are planned, adding to the motorway service sites that GRIDSERVE operates following its takeover of Ecotricity’s Electric Highway. This network expanded greatly in 2022, with all legacy motorway chargers now replaced.
Logistics UK is the UK’s only organisation which represents all sectors of the logistics industry. Denise has been at the company for over four years, and specialises in vans, urban policy, London Lorry Control Scheme, electric vehicles, as well as water freight in London. She helps deliver Logistics UK’s policy agenda on all urban and environmental issues, proactively leading policy work on vans and commercial vehicle electrification, charging regimes, decarbonisation, access restrictions, regulatory requirements, and transport and planning issues. This involves discussion forums, information services, and publications, as well as liaison with Logistics UK members, communication to external audiences, and briefing members on policy and regulatory issues that impact their business. In 2022, Logistics UK welcomed its 20,000th member.
An electric vehicle driver herself, Joint Head Natasha Robinson leads OZEV, formerly the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), alongside Gary Cooke and Katie Black. Remaining a joint unit between the UK Government’s Department for Transport and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, in 2022, against a backdrop of double-digit EV registrations, OZEV announced a £1.6 billion government fund to expand the UK charging network. Around 300,000 public chargers are expected to be installed by 2030. This was in addition to a new pilot scheme backed by £20 million of both government and industry funding to install more than 1,000 new electric vehicle charge points in nine local authorities. This new focus on charging saw the Plug-in Car Grant discontinued, but the scheme helped increase EV sales from less than 1,000 in 2011 to almost 100,000 in the first five months of 2022. E
Webfleet is at the forefront of EV adoption, giving you the right tools to get the full value from your electric vehicles. Our comprehensive platform is continuously evolving to help you effectively oversee your EV fleet operation for the long term. With Webfleet, you can continue confidently towards a goal of net-zero emissions.
Mike has been one of the leading influential voices of the UK motor industry since 2013, and there was positive news to be reported in 2022. UK registrations of battery electric vehicles were up over 40 per cent on 2021 figures, with 267,203 cars registered. Hybrids reported a 27.6 per cent rise, while PHEVs were down by around 11 per cent. The electric van segment also had reason to celebrate, with registrations up 31.2 per cent. Representing the UK’s auto industry, Mike continuously fights to tackle issues faced by vehicle manufacturers, such as the global shortage of semiconductors; and the impact of supply chain pauses in China due to Covid lockdowns. He is also calling for a strategy to drive the rapid upscaling of UK battery production and the shift to electric vehicles.
Mike Thornton has been at the Energy Saving Trust (EST) for over 20 years, heading up the organisation’s vital work to address the climate emergency for almost three years. The EST aims to deliver a zero carbon society through carbon emissions reduction in all areas, and Mike has over three decades’ experience in the environmental, energy efficiency, transport and recycling sectors. Chair of the Scottish Power Foundation and the Scottish government’s Heat Pump Sector Deal expert advisory group, Mike is a member of the Climate Emergency Response Group (CERG) which informs the Scottish government. EST initiatives in 2022 included free electric vehicle courses in England for SMEs and the self-employed, where attendees learned about EVs to see if they could be the next choice for their business. The EST is now also leading the Clean Van Commitment, which is a public pledge for fleet operators to speed up the switch to zero tailpipe emission vans and set an example for sustainable leadership.
Throughout 2022, Gerry continued to lead the BVRLA, which represents over 1,000 companies engaged in vehicle rental, leasing and fleet management. Together, BVRLA members are responsible for a combined fleet of four million cars, vans and trucks. The association works with policymakers, public sector agencies, regulators, and numerous other stakeholders to ensure road transport delivers environmental, social and economic benefits. BVRLA members are leading the charge to decarbonise road transport, set to register 400,000 new battery electric cars and vans per year by 2025, and in 2022 the BVRLA published a new Fleet Charging Guide for local authorities. It also hosted its Fleets in Charge conference, campaigned to keep BIK rates for EVs as low as possible with its #SeeTheBenefit activity, and announced that battery electric now leads petrol to become the most popular fuel type on the BVRLA’s leasing fleet. E
Ali Argall, Tusker’s Business Development Director, talks of how businesses don’t have to compromise their green agendas during the current cost of living crisis.
Sustainability received a greater focus than ever before during the pandemic, and we’re seeing more and more companies wanting to reduce their carbon footprints, while still meeting their business objectives. Offsetting, as well as tree planting and conservation efforts, can be costly ways to reduce carbon outputs, which, at a time when budgets and benefits are more of a focus than for many years previously.
As a result, more companies than ever before are launching a salary sacrifice car benefit scheme with Tusker, who, as a betterthan-carbon-neutral supplier, are helping companies remove their grey fleet concerns, help their employees into safer vehicles and maximise the shift into electric vehicles in an affordable way.
Salary sacrifice schemes have been instrumental in driving down emissions – Tusker’s fleet has average emissions of 18g/km and is well on its way to achieving a zero-emission fleet before the target of 2030. More than 80 per cent of current new car orders are for electric vehicles, while another 10 per cent are ultra-low emission vehicles. Regardless of the emissions, all Tusker’s vehicles have the tailpipe emissions fully offset as we drive towards further electric vehicle adoption.
The scheme is effective in helping people make the switch when compared to other leasing products – the cost of second hand cars, coupled with the large deposits often required by traditional PCP or PCH leases. This is outpricing a large number of employees from getting an electric or low emission vehicle, at a time when cost efficient, as well as environmentally-friendly vehicles, are the future.
The car benefit scheme offers a way for more people to drive an electric vehicle, than would otherwise be able to, meeting both the targets for companies to reduce their carbon footprints, while also providing a sought-after benefit. L
FURTHER INFORMATION
www.tuskerdirect.com
Leading the Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell technologies (Cenex) for the past 15 years, Robert is a wellknown figure in the clean-vehicle industry with an extensive knowledge and expertise of EV infrastructure. Cenex is a not-for-profit organisation and undertakes research and consultancy projects for public and private sector clients to aid the transition to a low carbon economy. Cenex is involved in areas such as emerging business models for EV deployment, Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G), large-scale hydrogen vehicle and infrastructure deployment, and low carbon HGV and truck technology dissemination. Cenex’s well-regarded Cenex-LCV and Cenex-CAM events are held at UTAC Millbrook every autumn. The 2022 Cenex-LCV event showcased the Battery Electric Truck Trial (BETT) funded by DfT, highlighting zero emission heavy duty transport options. Other notable Cenex achievements during the past year include the OZEV-awarded continued management of both the National Chargepoint Registry and Chargepoint Audits schemes, as well as a pilot low carbon road transport training event.
Andy Eastlake’s face will be familiar to most people who have worked in the low carbon fleet industry, as he has been involved with it for almost 20 years. The Zemo Partnership (formerly the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership) is focused on zero emission transport, and once again Andy and his team skilfully navigated a very busy period during 2022. The organisation launched a joint government-industry action plan for zero emission Powered Light Vehicles (PLVs) in the UK in collaboration with the Motor Cycle Industry Association – with a display of PLVs at the Cenex-LCV event – and strengthened its Renewable Fuels Assurance Scheme for higher blend renewable fuels, which was a highly commended 2022 GREENFLEET Industry Innovation award entry. An EV battery recycling webinar with panel speakers attracted over 100 delegates, and Zemo was appointed to lead a three-year DfT research programme into the emissions from HGV auxiliary engines. This year will see the organisation celebrate its 20th anniversary, working closely with members to reduce road transport emissions and influencing government. Andy is a well-like and respected authority on transport decarbonisation.
Graeme is a well-respected and experienced senior leader in energy, infrastructure and clean transport, with over two decades working in the power, renewable energy and utilities sectors. He has been described as having a keen listening ear and a willingness to share advice in order to drive forward transport decarbonisation. Now Global Solutions Director at Jacobs, until January 2023, Graeme was the focal point for the National Grid’s work on EVs. Alongside leading and coordinating the work relating to the UK regulated business of National Grid, he led the decarbonisation of transport project. This has helped the UK government, as well as both the energy and automotive industries transition towards zero emission vehicles. Alongside Head of Fleet Lorna McAtear in tenth place, he is the second figure from National Grid to be included in the 2022 GF100 Most Influential. It’s nothing new for Graeme, though, as he has featured in the prestigious list three times since 2020. However, this fourth entry marks the first time he has deservedly climbed to the top spot. As an organisation, National Grid is supporting all low carbon alternatives, and is technology agnostic to support all decarbonisation solutions, regardless of technology and fuel.
supports for EV drivers and accelerate the mass roll out of the EV charging infrastructure or be prepared to miss its 2030 targets.
Maxus’ commitment to EV At MAXUS, we want to be part of the solution in the fight against climate change. In 2022, MAXUS vehicle registrations grew by 52 per cent, versus 2021, with 38 per cent of overall sales attributable to MAXUS’ zero-emission range of vehicles.
Over the past number of years, MAXUS has launched a number of premium electric vehicles to market. In addition to our award-winning flagship eLCVs, the 3 DELIVER 3 and e DELIVER 9, last year, we also launched the T90 EV, the UK’s first fully electric pickup truck, as well as an all-electric MPV in the shape of the MIFA 9 – bringing MAXUS to a new cohort of customers.
Transport remains one of the largest carbon-emitting sectors in the UK, despite the transition to zero emission motoring picking up speed in recent years.
For the first month of 2023, SMMT reported a 53.5 per cent1 increase in electric van registrations, compared to January 2022. Meanwhile, electric car registrations rose 19.8 per cent2 in January 2023, compared to the same time last year.
While this is certainly a positive start to the year, there is no denying that the industry and market are in a fragile position due falling consumer confidence spurred on by the challenging economic climate and higher living costs.
Notwithstanding these issues, as an industry, we are cautiously optimistic about 2023, but the market is on thin ice where mass electric adoption is concerned as the green gap widens and charging infrastructure continues to stall.
It is evident that the UK Government needs to do more if the progress we have made in the transition to EV is to be maintained.
The current administration needs to take proactive steps to support drivers and help them bridge the affordability gap between EVs and fossil-fuel vehicles. However, in December, it announced that excise duty taxes will be charged on electric vehicles from 2025 onwards. This decision
to tax EVs is a regressive step that will only widen this gap and slow the pace of EV adoption over the coming years.
On top of this, there is currently no grant for plug-in cars in the UK and the grant for electric vans has been significantly reduced over the past two years. Currently, buyers of small electric vans can (under 2.5 tonnes) can receive a maximum grant of 35 per cent off the list price, capped at £2,500. For bigger vans the cap is £5,000.
The reduction in grants has made buying an electric vehicle more expensive. Along with the anticipated introduction of electric vehicle tax in 2025, and fluctuating energy prices, the benefits of owning an electric vehicle have been reduced dramatically.
In addition, the increase of electric vehicles on UK roads has outpaced the rollout of public charging infrastructure. In January, there was approximately 37,8513 public charging points accounted for in the UK, this is a long way from the government’s targets of 300,000 public chargers in 2030.
Right now, the UK Government is finalising its Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate. This mandate will be crucial to delivering a timely transition to electric vehicles. Ahead of its publication, we must stress that now is not the time to take the foot off the pedal when it comes to encouraging drivers to make the switch to electric. Harris MAXUS urges the government to re-introduce greater financial
But having a great range of electric vehicles is not enough to encourage drivers to make the switch. At Harris MAXUS, we take our role as sustainability champions seriously and understand that combining efforts between public and private sectors can make a huge impact on the transition to electric motoring.
That is why this year, we launched a brand-new scrappage scheme, providing drivers with an opportunity to upgrade their existing vehicle while making a considerable saving on standard retail prices. Not only will this encourage the transition to zero emission transport by helping drivers make the switch, but this scheme will simultaneously remove older and higher emission vehicles from UK roads. L
The Harris Group is a leading importer and distributor of commercial vehicles with a firm focus on technological innovation and the next generation of clean vehicles driving more sustainable motoring. As the sole distributor for the MAXUS diesel and electric range of vehicles in right-hand drive markets in Europe, Harris MAXUS delivers a significant number of vehicles every week to an extensive network of more than 50 dealers across the UK. FURTHER
Graeme Cooper former Head of Future Markets, National Grid
Andy Eastlake Chief Executive Officer, Zemo Partnership
Robert Evans Chief Executive Officer, Cenex
Gerry Keaney Chief Executive, BVRLA
Mike Thornton Chief Executive, Energy Saving Trust
Mike Hawes Chief Executive, SMMT
Natasha Robinson Joint Head, OZEV
Denise Beedell Policy Manager for Vans and Urban, Logistics UK
Toddington Harper CEO, GRIDSERVE
Lorna McAtear Head of Fleet, National Grid
Bob Moran Deputy Director, Decarbonisation Strategy, DfT
Dr Ben Lane and Melanie Shufflebotham Co-founders, Zap Map
Alex Avila Head of Plan Zero Consulting and e-Mobility, Mitie
Edmund King OBE President, the AA
Alex Smith Managing Director, Volkswagen Group UK
Mark Barrett General Manager, Harris Maxus
Paul Hollick Chairman, The Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) and MD at Lightfoot
Lisa Brankin Managing Director, Ford of Britain
Guy Pigounakis Commercial Director at MG Motor UK
Olly Craughan Head of Sustainability, DPD UK
Justin Laney Fleet Manager, John Lewis Partnership
Graham Thomas Fleet Operations Manager, Ocado
Sam Clarke Chief Vehicle Officer at GRIDSERVE
Paul Philpott President & CEO, Kia Motors
Paul Willcox Senior Vice President and Group MD at Stellantis
Justin Meyer Managing Director, SWARCO Smart Charging
Adrian Keen Chief Executive Officer at InstaVolt
Chris Chandler Principal Consultant, Lex Autolease
Simon Tate Sales Director, Mer Fleet Solutions
Colin Ferguson Chief Executive Officer at Optimize (The Algorithm People)
Robert Llewellyn Founder, Fully Charged
Sara Sloman Chief Strategy Officer, Paythru
Fraser Crichton Corporate Fleet Operations Manager, Dundee City Council
Rob Fowler Fleet Director, Royal Mail
Alfonso Martinez Managing Director, LeasePlan UK
Denis Naberezhnykh Sustainable Transport Technology and Innovation Manager, Amazon
Chris Rutherford Next Generation Ambulance Program Lead at London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Chris Brownridge Chief Executive Officer, BMW Group UK
Gill Nowell Head of EV Communications, LV= General Insurance / ElectriX
Roger Atkins Founder at Electric Vehicles Outlook
Dean Hedger New Business Development Manager, The AA
Ashley Tate Chief Executive Officer, Mina
James Venables Head of Future Sustainability, Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK
Jon Hunt Alternative Fuels Manager, Toyota GB
Kristian Elvefors Managing Director, Volvo Car UK
Ashley Andrew Managing Director, Hyundai Motor UK
Guillaume Sicard CEO, Renault Group UK
Csaba Vincze Fleet Director, Nissan
Fiona Howarth CEO, Octopus EV
Lee Brown Managing Director, The Grosvenor Group
Tammy Carter Head of Fleet, Crown Commercial Service
Akira Kirton Vice President, bp pulse UK
Christian Coolsaet Managing Director, Volvo Trucks UK
Paul Kirby eLCV Expert, EV Essentials
Charlie Jardine Founder and CEO, EO Charging
Gary Savage Managing Director, Mercedes-Benz UK
Carlos Rodrigues Managing Director, Renault Trucks UK
Edward Kulperger Senior Vice President, Geotab
Prof Colin Herron Professor of Practice, Newcastle University
Quentin Willson Motoring journalist and lobbyist
Patricia Wolfe Managing Director, Athlon
James Dewhurst Sales Director, Webfleet
Sarah Gray Head of EV & AFV, Rivus
Philip Fjeld Co-Founder and CEO, CNG Fuels
Owain Pearce Transport Manager, Oxford Direct Services
Ron Santiago Managing Director, Europcar Mobility Group UK
Jim Graham Group Finance Director, Arnold Clark
David Watts Fleet Product Manager - Electric Vehicles, Volkswagen Financial Services (UK)
Tom Pakenham Managing Director, ChargeLight
Tanya Neech Head of Sustainability, Scania UK
Graham Cooley Strategy Consultant, ITM Power
Niall Riddell Co-Founder and CEO, Paua
Ian Johnston CEO, Osprey Charging Network
James Court CEO of EVA England
Guy Haydon UK Managing Director, Zaptec
Mike Potter CEO, DriveElectric and CrowdCharge
Richard Parker Corporate Sales Manager, Webfleet Solutions
Dan Gursel Head, Enterprise Car Club UK
Vincenzo Nicolò Business Director, IVECO
Richard Turnbull Head of Innovation at Connected Kerb
Tim Laver Managing Director, ALD Automotive
Dr Chris Jardine Technical Director at Joju
Toby Butler Managing Director - ubitricity UK
Daniel Bentham CEO, Fleete
David Landy Head of Fleet, EVRi
Amanda Lyne Managing Director, ULEMCo
Linda Grave Founder & CEO at EV Driver
Gary McRae Head of Electric Mobility, Urban Foresight
S-J Mitchell Senior Fleet & Supply Chain Manager at OVO Energy
Simon King Partner, edensevenr
John Curtis Director Of Operations, The EV Café
Jonny Berry Head of Decarbonisation, Novuna Vehicle Solutions and founder of The EV Café
Matthew Dear Director, BEAT - Better Environment And Transport
Kate Tyrrell CEO, ChargeSafe
Kate Armitage Director, Kate Armitage Consulting
Matt Ralfe Innovation & Change Manager at Nottingham City Council
Steve Imm Head of Transport Services at Gloucestershire Constabulary
Aaron Powell Fleet Director, Speedy Services
Emma Loveday Senior Fleet Consultant, Volkswagen Financial Services
Paul Nicholls Managing Director at Nicholls Transport
Having recently launched salary sacrifice schemes with household names such as EDF, Siemens, Anglian Water and ScottishPower, opening the scheme to more than 1,500 companies across the UK, Tusker continue to prove that salary sacrifice is more popular than ever before
integration of the benefit and Tusker was found to be the strongest candidate. Tusker’s own impressive sustainability record, allied to its suite of lifestyle protection packages were highly attractive.”
“The implementation process was very smooth with Tusker, and the level of employee engagement already has been excellent. At Siemens, we have a well-established employee benefits scheme and this benefit has been a successful addition to our offering – it is aligned to our wider sustainability focus and is an inclusive benefit.” Added Amy.
Businesses from SMEs to large corporates, as well as the public sector, continue to see the benefit of providing the car scheme to help employees make the switch to electric vehicles.
More and more companies are moving to salary sacrifice and market leaders, Tusker, not only because of their sustainability focus and the fact their scheme is better than carbonneutral, but also thanks to the robust range of employer and employee protections. During times of uncertainty in particular, these are crucial for many companies as they cover both the employee and employer for major lifestyle changes, including redundancy, resignation and long term sickness. It means companies are able to offer the benefit without fear of being left with the cost of cars, should their employees leave the organisation.
For ScottishPower, leading the response to climate change and working to achieve Net Zero is a key corporate priority, but so also is the provision of great benefits to their employees. The scheme is on track to deliver more than 250 new EVs by the end of 2023, and ScottishPower calculates that it will have saved an astonishing 500 tonnes of CO2 by the end of the year, just from cars on the Tusker scheme alone.
Jenny McCosh, Benefits Manager at ScottishPower commented: “By working with Tusker we have been able to offer the ultimate in flexibility and affordability to ScottishPower employees, it’s another
way the company can assist employees in driving the greenest cars, while reducing our CO2 emissions at the same time.”
Salary sacrifice is a great way of encouraging drivers to adopt more environmentally friendly modes of transport, giving confidence to the industry that the environmental and economic benefits that it gives to the UK’s drivers is recognised by the Government, attracting only two per cent Benefit in Kind each year until 2025, and then one per cent additionally each year until 2028. Similarly, Siemens, the leading technology company, is enjoying record engagement from its employees on the launch of its salary sacrifice company car benefit scheme, implemented by Tusker. L aunched with the aims of increasing its corporate sustainability and aiding as many employees as possible to enjoy the use of a brand new, affordable and environmentallyfriendly car, Siemens introduced the car benefit scheme to include more of its employees than would have been possible with a traditional company car policy.
Amy Vokes, EMEA Compensation and Benefits Professional at Siemens, commented: “The launch of our new EV Salary Sacrifice benefit forms part of our global drive towards ever greater sustainability. The tender process involved a range of departments within Siemens to ensure a complete
While many are facing rising living costs, Tusker’s drivers are using salary sacrifice car benefit schemes to access new and environmentally friendly vehicles at affordable prices. Not only are there great savings for Tusker drivers for their new car, the scheme also includes of insurance, breakdown cover, replacement tyres, servicing, maintenance, windscreens and MOTs. And with a fixed monthly amount, the car benefit scheme ensures savings on electric cars are guaranteed and unexpected car expenses are a thing of the past.
Additionally, with prices in the used car market at an all-time high, and personal leasing products often requiring a significant deposit, salary sacrifice continues to provide an affordable way for drivers to get into a brand new electric car.
Plus, Tusker offers employees a wide range of cars to suit all budgets including both built to order models and those available at short notice, thanks to its arriving soon page, Tusker offers excellent choice and value ensuring that employees can move to a new electric car, in just a few weeks. L
The winners of the 2022 GREENFLEET Awards, which took place on 8 December, demonstrated the pioneering work and efforts of those decarbonising the fleet and transport sector
The 2022 GREENFLEET Awards, sponsored by the Algorithm People (now Optimize), took place on 8 December at the British Motor Museum in Warwick.
Amongst the winners were pioneering fleet operators that have risen to the environmental challenge, as well as the companies that help them. There was individual recognition too, with fleet manager awards, together with the coveted EV and AFV Champions.
For the second year, GREENFLEET also announced its Vehicle of the Year award. The 2022 winner was Ford Pro E-Transit, which is now the UK’s best-selling commercial vehicle and has a range of up to 197 miles and a payload of up to 1,711kg.
The awards were presented by comedian Gary Delaney after a networking drinks reception, sponosred by Harris Maxus, and a three course dinner.
Nottingham City Council scooped the Public Sector Commercial Fleet of the Year award, Sponsored by Fleete. Since 2016, the council has pushed the boundaries of what is possible with a 475-strong municipal fleet containing
multiple specialist vehicles. The council now has 243 electric vehicles, including an electric minibus, sweeper, cage tipper and OEM RCV. The savings have been significant –£921,000 and 1,162t CO2 p/a – and an expected £9.8m and 12,470t CO2 over their lifetime. The council has also invested in other innovations, including the UK’s first publicly-funded EV-only vehicle maintenance workshop, 40 vehicleto-grid charge points, solar panels on depot roofs and a 500kw battery storage solution.
The Private Sector Commercial Fleet of the Year award, sponsored by The Algorithm People (now Optimize), went to OVO Energy for significantly growing its zero emission fleet. In 2018, OVO had 46 electric vans on its fleet, alongside its first electric car. In four short years, the company ended 2022 with over 630 electric vans and over 60 electric cars. This means 66 per cent
of the total fleet are EVs, and 65 per cent of which are electric vans. Overall, OVO Energy defleeted over 710 ICE vans in 2022. OVO also uses fully sustainable wraps that can be recycled at end of life and repurposes the racking units from older vans.
The Public & Charity Sector Car Fleet of the Year, Sponsored by AssetWorks, went to environmental charity Changeworks for maintaining the growth of its fleet while simultaneously decreasing its total emissions from 41t CO2e to 28t CO2e, saving 13t of CO2e in a year.
The fleet has 25 vehicles, including hybrid electric vehicles, battery electric vehicles and ebikes.
Through a partnership with Connected Kerb, Changeworks has doubled the number of charge points from six to 13, resulting in the Edinburgh head office fleet now being entirely electric. Changeworks has also begun the roll out of home charge points for E
weretheAmongstwinnerspioneering fleet operators that have risen to the environmental challenge
remote workers. Despite the lengthy lead times, Changeworks increased the number of BEVs in their fleet from 15 per cent to 52 per cent, bridging the gap by hiring cars from Electric Zoo and continuing a close relationship with leasing company Ogilvie. This has seen average fleet emissions drop from 82g/km to 46g/km per vehicle.
Mitie was awarded the Private Sector Car Fleet of the Year accolade, sponsored by The AA, for consistently exceeding its emission-reduction targets. Mitie’s fleet currently comprises of 6,994 vehicles, of which 2,643 are electric, meaning Mitie has a 38 per cent zero-carbon electric vehicle (EV) fleet, one of the largest pure electric fleets in the UK. Mitie is already ahead of schedule for its aim to have a 45 per cent zero-carbon fleet by March 2023. Mitie’s fleet currently comprises 2,952 passenger vehicles and 4,042 commercial goods vehicles. On average, each vehicle travelled 17,000 miles and each ICE vehicle emitted 6 tonnes of CO2e in FY22. Mitie’s 2,643 EVs prevent 15,858 tonnes of carbon from polluting the environment annually. As Mitie’s fleet makes up 94 per cent of its operational emissions, transitioning to EVs has significantly contributed to Mitie reducing its emissions intensity by 43 per cent to 5.28 tonnes.
The Private Sector Fleet Manager of the Year, sponsored by Synetiq, was presented to Aaron Powell from Speedy Asset Services for putting the fleet on its environmental journey. Since E
Mitie was awarded the Private Sector Car Fleet of the Year accolade, sponsored by The AA, for consistently exceeding its emission-reduction targets. Mitie is already ahead of schedule for its aim to have a 45 per cent zero-carbon fleet by March 2023
joining the business, Aaron’s objective was to reduce the company’s overall carbon foot print. Aaron has completely changed the company car list from diesel vehicles to full EV and PHEV vehicles, as well as implementing the roll out of EV chargers at its locations. Speedy now has chargers at over 10 sites, with a plan to have them in every location by the end of 2023. Aaron has also brought in the industry first 27t full EV plant bodied vehicle which is based out of its new innovation centre in Milton Keynes and will operate on the HS2 contract. Aaron has also worked with the body conversion company to design the industry first chassis cab half box half curtain vehicle. This vehicle will allow Speedy to deliver its kit in all weathers dry and securely. The first vehicle is a mild hybrid diesel version but a version based on the Maxus E Delivery 9 chassis cab is also being worked on. The Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year, sponsored by Rivus Fleet Solutions, went to two individuals that are responsible for pioneering work at London Ambulance Service – Chris Rutherford and Rob MacIntosh. Ambulances are the core vehicles at London Ambulance Service, with over 500 operating in London covering up to 50,000 miles per annum. The ambulances currently weigh five tons and are diesel powered. Following a significant investment and huge amount of innovation, London Ambulance Service has reduced the weight down to 3.5 tons,
saving 30 per cent of the exhaust emissions. London Ambulance Service has purchased 59 lightweight ambulances and four fully electric ambulances, as well as 42 Ford Mustang Mach-E fully electric response cars. This is set to make it the largest fully electric response fleet in the country. The vehicles will be capable of up to 330 miles on a single charge and can add 73 miles of range with a 10 minute high powered charge. The savings in fuel could be as high as £4,800 per car per annum.
Innovation in the sector White Motorcycle Concepts won the GREENFLEET Award for Industry Innovation for its Aerodynamic First Responder Hybrid Motorcycle. Born from the desire to reduce the motorcycle industry’s CO2, White Motorcycle Concepts’ first patented innovation is a unrestricted duct through a motorcycle’s centre, reducing drag by up to 70 per cent against the current world leader. White Motorcycle Concepts has engineered this duct into a first responder motorcycle, reducing drag (25 per cent), enabling the motorcycle to go further for the same input. The company has also added a detachable battery 5kW electric drive system, supplementing the 300cc petrol engine at low speed where it’s most efficient, then bleeding out the electric drive the higher the speed, where the aerodynamic benefit takes over, meaning
the batteries don’t drain really quickly. The overall result is a reduction in CO2 by up to 44 per cent and a fuel efficiency of 104mpg. What’s more, all aerodynamic parts are constructed from recycled aerospace carbon fibre. The detachable batteries also provide a portable power source, which, in the field, can be used, for example to charge laptops or mobile phones. A foldable 10,000 lumen light can also be used for unlit road areas or where there is little light at a crime scene.
Paua won the IT Innovation Award for the Paua app and card, which allows drivers to find, charge, and pay for charging on public infrastructure networks. The app allows drivers to find out if a charge point is active, the connector type, the charging speed, the costs, and the availability. Paua provides a 100 per cent renewables guarantee and a fleet manager dashboard to monitor all transactions; plus fleet managers can receive a single VAT ready itemised bill for accounting.
The Charging Infrastructure Provider of the Year, sponsored by Paythru, was awarded to Joju Charging in recognition of its exceptional growth, increasing projects sold by 230 per cent and meeting increased demand by expanding the company by 30 per cent.
Joju works with 100 different local authorities, councils, and other public bodies and in the past year has complete 1,300 projects - a mix of fast and rapid
chargers in fleet and visitor charge points, as well as public car parks and on-street. They also impressed through their work with bluelight sector which traditionally have sensitive sites. With 1,300 charge points installed this year, Joju reports to have saved 3300 tCO2e per year, at an average 10kWh charge per day. Assuming a 50:50 mix of diesel and electric cars, the charging at the EVCPs have saved 8.3 tonnes of NOx emissions and 400 kg PM10s.
The HGV Manufacturer of the Year accolade was awarded to Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK. With three new battery-electric trucks announced in 2022, and one coming in 42 different configurations, Mercedes-Benz Trucks are continuing to push the boundaries of what’s possible in HGV electrification. With more electric trucks entering UK fleets this year, plus an eConsulting service that supports customers on their eMobility journey, they were the worthy winner of HGV Manufacturer of the Year.
Maxus (Harris Automotive Distributors), meanwhile were awarded the LCV Manufacturer of the Year title. Since June 2020, Maxus has launched three eLCVs to market, the T90EV, an electric commercial pickup, plus two electric commercial vans, the eDeliver 3 and eDeliver 9. In 2022, Maxus launched a multimillion EV Support Programme to encourage and support fleet buyers to switch to electric motoring. To incentivise the switch to electric, 2,000 eDeliver 9 vans have been subsidised.
The hotly contended Electric Vehicle Manufacturer of the Year award, sponsored by Tusker, was presented to MG Motor, which has gone from strength to strength in 2022. Already popular with fleet drivers thanks to the all-electric ZS compact SUV and MG5 EV estate, as well as the MG HS PHEV, the brand sold over 38,300 cars in the first nine months of 2022, making it the UK’s 12th most popular manufacturer. This looks set to continue with what is arguably the launch of the company’s most important car in recent times, the MG4 EV. A family hatchback, the MG4 EV is built on a new and bespoke EV chassis – the Modular Scalable Platform (MSP) and has a range between 218 miles and 281 miles, depending on type.
The PHEV Manufacturer of the Year accolade was awarded to BMW for bolstering its plug-in hybrid models. The very popular 3 Series has been relaunched with styling and technology updates. The two-wheel drive 330e, and allwheel drive 330e xDrive offer CO2 emissions
of 30-37 and 33-42g/km respectively. The completely re-engineered and restyled 2 Series Active Tourer features, like the 3 Series, a raft of mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid engines. The 230e xDrive and 225e xDrive Active Tourer PHEVs use BMW’s fifth-generation eDrive technology, with an electric motor acting on the rear wheels while a three-cylinder petrol engine drives the front wheels. Electric range has been increased to up to 49 miles on the WLTP cycle. These new additions mean BMW’s plug-in hybrid family of cars now numbers eight individual, different models.
Peugeot meanwhile won the Fleet Car Manufacturer of the Year in recognition of its wide range of electric cars and fleet orders in 2022. The e-208, GreenFleet’s 2021 Vehicle of the Year, has joined the fleets of the AA Driving School and Onto, while the e-2008 SUV has also joined the Onto car parc, as well as being embraced by the Furniture Village fleet, which has ordered 25 cars. The e-208 has also been updated itself, E
Winning the Private Sector Fleet Manager of the Year title at the prestigious GreenFleet awards at the British motor museum was a fantastic achievement: It was a great night, with lots of familiar faces from around the fleet industry, it is also a great networking event. There was a great vibe of positive energy and anticipation, which was fantastic!
As well as winning Private Sector Fleet Manager, Speedy Services were also shortlisted for the Private Sector Commercial Fleet of the Year. We were amongst some amazing companies and inspirational individuals. To just be there as finalists was a huge achievement in itself.
Winning awards raises not only my profile but Speedy Services, our logo is shown on
the night and used in marketing material. It’s easy to focus on day-to-day challenges, but reflection is vital. Not only does it make you feel proud, it also helps you figure out what you do well, but this can only happen when you have a great team behind you, and backing from the senior people at Speedy.
Someone asked me last week what I got out of the awards? There are so many positives to entering the GreenFleet awards regardless of winning. The process forces you to reflect on your goals and, the positives and to think of new ideas on sustainability, which is something that we all must get better at.
I love helping people with my ideas and experience – collaborating with others in a similar position to share advice, expertise and thoughts to help each other succeed. We will definitely be entering the 2023 GreenFleet awards, as we have some fantastic ways to save carbon emissions coming soon.
Speedy has two Maxus e Delivery 3s and two Maxus E delivery 9 chassis cabs in operation, as well as 150 Ford E transits on order, as part of efforts to convert more
than half of its 1,100-unit-strong commercial fleet to electric or hybrid units by 2025. Based on trials with Ford Pro UK, Speedy has placed an order with Ford for 100 of its E-Transits, which are used to deliver and collect its top 350 core products across the UK and ROI. This has a solar panel roof to save the EV mileage range when using the beacons and tail lift on this vehicles. Speedy has also ordered 50 3.5-tonne E-Transit panel vans, again fitted with solar panel roofs. For its smaller deliveries and collections, Speedy has invested in the Maxus eDELIVER 3 which also has a solar panel roof. These vehicles will cut CO2e emissions by around 1,280 tonnes a year. L
The HGV Manufacturer of the Year accolade was awarded to Mercedes-Benz Trucks. With three new electric trucks announced in 2022, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is continuing to push the boundaries of what’s possible in HGV electrification
with 15 per cent more power and 10.5 per cent more electric driving range. Using the motor from the all-new and allelectric e-308 which will arrive in 2023, power rises to 154bhp, and driving range increases to a distance of up to 248 miles (WLTP). Usable battery capacity also increases from 46.6kWh to 48.1kWh.
The Ford E-Transit became GREENFLEET’s Vehicle of the Year, Sponsored by The Algorithm People (now Optimize). The Ford Pro E-Transit offers a comprehensive specification and advanced technologies including a standard 68kWh usable battery capacity, providing a WLTP range of up to 197 miles, with a payload of up to 1,711kg on the van model. The family totals 25 van, double-cab-in-van and chassis cab variants with multiple lengths, roof heights, and GVMs. Priced from £48,0458 (ex VAT) the purchase price for the E-Transit Leader L2H2 350 is £990 lower than the equivalent diesel.
The Leasing Company of the Year was awarded to LeasePlan UK for expanding its services, enabling fleets to go green. LeasePlan has expanded its flagship offering to include LeasePlan Flexible, which is an EV-focused, mid-term rental proposition, with a digital showroom where customers can self-serve through vehicle-selection and contract e-signing. From 2,661 vehicles in 2021, the LeasePlan Flexible fleet has grown to 4,092 vehicles and is
predicted to exceed 6,000 vehicles by end-2022 – a 125 per cent increase. Another new addition is EV Salary Sacrifice – a new online portal that focuses on helping drivers transition to EVs through a dedicated hub and the ability to add a home ChargePoint, with the cost spread across the contract term. The past year has also seen the launch of the EV Education Hub - an online resource providing an EV one-stop shop. Europcar Mobility Group UK meanwhile scooped the Mobility Provider of the Year title for continuing to add electric and sustainable vehicles to its fleet. Seventy-five per cent of Europcar’s company car vehicle orders for its own employees are EV and 15 per cent are hybrid. The average CO2 for this fleet is 17g, compared to 114g 12 months ago. What’s more, Europcar’s Flex long-term rental gives business owners the ability to manage operational costs as well as providing the opportunity to ‘try before you buy’ on new motoring technology. The ‘Europcar electric van experience’ demo programme for the Mercedes-Benz eVito van also gives customers the EV experience. The company was recently awarded the EcoVadis Platinum medal and became the first mobility provider to have its carbon reduction objectives approved by Science Based Targets initiative and upgraded to AAA by MSCI Inc.
Each year, the EV Champion awards recognise individuals working in the fleet, transport
and automotive industries that have championed the cause of electric vehicle uptake. These individuals are passionate about EV technology, work to overcome any challenges, and share their experience with others. This in turn has has a positive effect on driving up EV adoption.
The EV Champions for 2022 were Sam Clarke from Gridserve, Oliver Craughan from DPD UK, S-J Mitchell from OVO Energy, Bill Laidlaw from Maxus UK, Linda Grave from EV Driver, and John Curtis from EV Café.
The AFV Champions, meanwhile, who fight the case for alternative fuels, went to Gloria Esposito from Zemo Partnership, Gareth Healy from Redcar & Cleveland Council, and Sarah Gray from Rivus.
Lorna McAtear, head of fleet at the National Grid, won the GREENFLEET Award for Outstanding Achievement for her tireless efforts to decarbonise electric vehicles and share her experience with others. Having worked at several major organisations and led on several electric vehicle related projects, including Optimise Prime, Lorna joined National Grid in August 2019 as fleet manager. She is also a board member of the Association of Fleet Professionals. L
www.events.greenfleet.net/
With transport accounting for a significant proportion of global CO2 emissions, Europcar Mobility Group UK is committed to helping businesses be part of the solution to the climate crisis by offering a range of solutions that improve mobility efficiency. From low and zero emissions cars and vans to flexible vehicle usage, Europcar is helping organisations develop robust environmental policies for present and future operations
Despite recent supply challenges, Europcar’s main priority has been – and will continue to be – to maintain a comprehensive fleet through strong manufacturer partnerships. Throughout 2022, electric and sustainable vehicles were added to the fleet including 100 LEVC VN5 electric vans, more than 200 Tesla Model 3s and the Mercedes EQB. Over 3,000 MG ZS and HS range are also being added to the fleet including EV models.
Crucially, Europcar is focused on supporting businesses on their own sustainability journeys. For many organisations they are now in a transition period, learning how EV works for their operations and Europcar is an ideal partner for this stage, helping understand the potential impact of low and zero emissions mobility. And this is vital, as recent research commissioned by Europcar found that over a third of company car drivers would quit their job if their employer fails to address climate change issues. Worryingly, 31 per cent of the drivers surveyed believe their employer is not currently taking the right actions. Although fleet users want to lead the charge into cleaner, sustainable mobility, this is a huge task when vehicle supply is limited, and overall fleet operating costs are spiralling. Addressing this challenge, Europcar is offering a long-term rental solution for electric to give businesses the chance to assess the operational and commercial impact of electric vehicle use and to satisfy driver concerns.
Available with no upfront deposit and commitment free, the Europcar long-term solutions for electric vehicles include comprehensive vehicle handover and charging instructions support, as well as charging cables and a Shell Recharge card and app – providing access to over 10,000 publicly accessible charge points across the UK. It also includes access to Tesla Superchargers for Tesla rentals and the option for CO2 reporting for valuable insight into emissions reduction.
Europcar’s partnership with Shell Recharge also gives drivers the ability to charge easily at home, work or at the roadside. This increases convenience and therefore
drivers’ inclination to select an electric vehicle over a petrol or diesel equivalent.
The Europcar vision for the future is also to offer attractive alternatives to vehicle ownership for those organisations not yet ready to move to zero. Renting vehicles when needed, rather than owning, naturally reduces mileage and the resulting environmental impact. And if the vehicle is chosen to match the needs of a specific journey this increases efficiency and reduces unnecessary emissions from driving too big a vehicle.
CO2 reduction begins ‘at home’ Europcar Mobility Group is fully committed to reducing the CO2 emissions of its own operations as well as that of its clients. Taking a holistic view and making changes across the entire business has led to a significant reduction in emissions and has inspired confidence to make further green changes in future.
Driving Europcar’s focus on maximising carbon reduction is its ‘One Sustainable Fleet’ programme. With a key target to have 20 per cent of its global fleet ‘green vehicles’ by the end of 2024, the company’s carbon reduction objectives have been approved
by the Science Based Targets initiative and upgraded to AAA by MSCI Inc. Plus, 90 per cent of Europcar’s company car vehicle orders for its own employees are EV or hybrid. The average CO2 for this fleet is 17g, compared to 114g 12 months ago.
Significant investment is also being made in its own infrastructure. There are already more than 80 EV charge points across Europcar’s UK network, with a further 120 to be added in 2023. The company is also reducing emissions in its own operations, for example by providing electric bikes across its UK network to enhance efficiency and reduce carbon emissions in its delivery and collection service. Folding e-bikes are placed in the boot of a customer’s rental vehicle to be used by the Europcar delivery driver to travel back to the branch after delivery, as well as to the customer’s address ready for collection. This initiative not only reduces CO2 emissions by at least 28,000Kg by the end of 2022, but also cuts journeys and frees up staff for other customer-facing activities. L
FURTHER INFORMATION
To find out how Europcar can help you transition to zero, visit www.europcar. co.uk/business or call 0371 384 0140.
The latest roundtable, which took place at the British Motor Museum on 8 December, explored the business case for electric vehicles, the importance of data, operational change and innovation to support EV adoption
The last GreenFleet Roundtable of 2022 took place at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon on December, and was attended by leading fleets, including London Ambulance Service and Speedy Hire, as well as industry innovators Webfleet and one of the leading UK business payments company, Allstar. We explored the importance of data, the business case for EVs, operational change and innovation to support EV adoption.
We have seen many case studies showing the positive total cost of ownership (TCO) for EVs. But in practice, achieving a competitive TCO is less straight forward for certain vehicle types and duty cycles, and even more difficult when you include the capital cost of the recharging infrastructure.
Traditionally public sector procurement has a 60-70 per cent weighting towards price; with such a strong focus on cost, it is hardly surprising that some managers are struggling to bring EVs on to the fleet. The reality is that a different approach to procurement is needed; one that gives stronger weighting to environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors and considers softer benefits such as driver health and well-being.
It is also worth considering the cost of failing to switch to low emission: we have seen that scope 3 emissions are coming into focus for many large organisations who do not want high carbon-emitting vehicles in their supply chain. As time goes on, more ICE fleets should expect to be excluded from new tenders, or fail to renew existing contracts. And as we move closer to 2030, we will see more zero emission zones (like that operating in Oxford) which could further ham-string ICE fleets.
For forward thinking fleets, obligation can become opportunity. Data from Webfleet shows that servicing and maintenance costs are lower for EVs, but for fleets operating an inhouse workshops (common for local authority and blue light fleets), it is harder to recognise these savings. However, once the hard work of staff training is completed, there is an opportunity to generate revenue by offering servicing to third party fleets; something that is being explored by a few city councils.
Consider operational change
Reducing miles travelled, and right sizing the vehicle according to the task are a couple of the basics for fleet management; something that Webfleet understands well.
Richard Parker, the company’s Corporate Sales Manager, explained that using a single telematics provider will ensure a single platform for mixed vehicle fleets and crucially a single point of insight for fleet optimisation – turning data into insight.
London Ambulance Service has gone one step further and used this insight when reviewing their shift patterns. Traditionally emergency vehicles work a 12 hour shift pattern; which often means that the whole fleet returns to depot at the same time. This shift pattern would create a huge problem for EV Charging as there simply wouldn’t be enough power at the depot to recharge the vehicles simultaneously.
Chris Rutherford, fleet modernisation lead detailed how the Service has moved to a team based working model to stagger shifts ensuring vehicles can adequately charge throughout the day or night and return to base for charging during quieter periods such as midnight to 6am.
and education is becoming increasingly important to charging. For example making sure the EV chargepoint speed is correctly matched to the vehicle’s onboard charger. There was also frustration that some drivers are unaware that the vehicles charging speed slows significantly once 80 per cent state of charge has been achieved, leading to changepoint blocking and journey delays. In the future Tom expects that drivers will receive automated push notifications that remove the complexity of planning recharging and better match the vehicle to the charging infrastructure.
By tying together vehicle data and charging assets, it is also possible to streamline EV charging processes. Allstar has expanded its reach beyond their Allstar One Electric public charging card now offering home charging reimbursements, with developments for a workplace charging solution in 2023. This enables them to provide a single point of access for fleet management, billing and reporting. Tom Rowlands, Managing Director of Global EV Solutions explained that the vision is to provide a 360 degree view of charging. Utilising the vehicle data is an important part of this, allowing fleets to monitor the battery state of charge to determine where and when the vehicle will require a recharge, be that home, work or at public chargepoints. The vehicle data can be obtained through telematics, or in the future may be available directly from the vehicle OEMs as part of connected car innovations. Either way, accessing the vehicle journey data and battery data really helps improve charging management. Our fleets have observed that driver training
Senior stakeholder buy-in (including the Chief Executive and Finance Director) is essential to ensure the financial and operational changes are put in place. Aaron Powell, Fleet Director at Speedy Asset Services agrees that this has certainly been a key success factor. Aaron has been instrumental in introducing electric HGVs and Transits into their fleet, with plans to add 150 all electric vans every year.
Speedy Asset Services is also rolling out EV charging across its 220 locations. For fleets that are struggling to gain buy-in, the advice was to consider investing in an external consultant who can provide independent analysis of the fleet, as well as develop the business case and support the procurement. An external consultant can also help gain support for the adoption to ZE vehicles from the top down. Our fleets were also encouraged to take advantage of the free resources available, such as fleet analysis and site surveys from eMobility service providers. There are also many OEMs who will provide demonstrator vehicles for one to two months, allowing a fleet to understand that nuances of range as well as charging needs. Finally, one of the best resources available to fleets is the advice and learnings of other fleets on the EV journey – something that our roundtable attendees had in abundance!
FURTHER INFORMATION
https://tinyurl.com/2jj77dxm
and charging assets, it is possible to EVstreamline processescharging
takes to succeed
What is it?
Once a maker of British sports cars, the 21st Century MG Motor UK is now owned by Chinese automotive manufacturer SAIC Motor. Already popular with fleet drivers because of the all-electric ZS compact SUV, MG5 EV estate as well as the MG HS PHEV, during the first nine months of 2022, the company was the UK’s 12th most popular car brand. The MG4 EV is arguably the manufacturer’s most important car launch in recent times. Built on a new and bespoke Modular Scalable Platform (MSP), the family hatchback has a high specification and is priced to undercut its major rivals.
What range does it have?
The MG4 EV comes with two battery choices. A 51kWh (50.8kWh usable) battery is available on entry level SE models, and gives a combined WLTP single charge driving range of 218 miles. A larger 64kWh (61.7kWh usable) battery powers the SE Long Range and Trophy Long Range versions. As their name suggests, they can travel further, up to 270 miles on the WLTP combined cycle.
How long does it take to charge?
All MG4 EVs are fitted with a 7kW on-board charger. Cars with the Standard Range battery
a 50kW charging point takes around 50 minutes. Models with the larger 64kWh battery and 135kW DC charging capability take around an hour for the same refill. Plug the MG4 EV into a domestic socket and a 10-100 per cent charge takes around 21 hours for the 51kWh models, increasing to 26 hours on those with the larger battery. A 7kW home wallbox can replenish the MG4 EV from 10-100 per cent in just under eight to around nine hours, depending on battery size.
How does it drive?
Even though the MG4 EV takes the familiar fivedoor family hatchback template it’s in no way derivative in terms of styling. Sharp features front and rear give it some individuality, and the twin aero spoilers on high-spec Trophy Long Range are distinctive touches. Add in a palette of vibrant colours and it’s very hard to mistake the MG4 EV for anything else.
Inside, MG’s newcomer takes a minimalist style, similar to that used by the Volkswagen ID.3. However, and here’s one surprise of many, the perceived quality is better. Surfaces are nice to the touch, too, and screen graphics are sharp, even if the 10.25-inch infotainment unit isn’t the easiest to navigate – both driving mode and air conditioning controls are operated through the screen. The easy-to-use rotary
smartphone cables and the wireless charging pad, which could be a little deeper.
Move off, and it’s obvious that care has been taken to get the driving experience right. The MSP platform gives the MG4 EV 50:50 weight distribution and with the motor in the rear driving the rear wheels, there’s an already built-in sense of engagement. With 203bhp and 184lb ft (250Nm) of torque – identical to the 170bhp entry level model – the MG4 EV Trophy Long Range isn’t slow, and gets up to motorway speeds quickly with very little fuss.
Overall, MG’s new family electric hatchback feels agile, engaging, and is comfortable, too. Similar to many electric cars, the ride is firm, but not jarringly so, and the MG4 EV grips the road well, almost too well for a car this affordable. The steering is quick and direct, if a little too light, but that’s a boon around town where the MG makes easy work of nipping in and out of traffic. A series of five driving modes – Eco, Sport, Snow, Custom and Normal – allow for tailoring of the driving experience, along with four levels of regenerative braking. Active grille shutters on Long Range battery models help regulate air flow and increase efficiency.
What does it cost?
Wanting to ‘disrupt’ the market, MG has
The 2022 GREENFLEET Electric Vehicle Manufacturer of the Year, MG Motor UK hopes to entice drivers into its MG4 EV with a very tempting combination of value, equipment, tech and range. Richard Gooding finds out if the all-new electric hatchback has what it
some margin. The entry level SE model starts at £26,995 and includes a 10.25-inch colour touchscreen, a seven-inch digital driver display, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity as standard.
The £29,495 SE Long Range model features the same specification as the SE – which also includes the comprehensive MG Pilot suite of driver assistance and safety technologies – but is fitted with the larger 64kWh battery. As tested here, the £32,495 MG4 EV Trophy Long Range uses the same 64kWh battery as the SE Long Range, but gains luxuries such as heated front seats and steering wheel, and additional practical features. Satellite navigation, a wireless smartphone charger, 360-degree parking camera and Bluetooth mobile phone key are all standard, as is V2L capability.
For comparison, at the time of writing, the 204bhp Volkswagen ID.3 Business with
58kWh ‘Pro Performance’ battery and a WLTPcombined all-electric range of 264 miles costs from £39,425.
How much does it cost to tax?
In common with all electric cars, the MG4 EV is currently exempt from VED charges in its first and following years of registration. For fleet drivers, MG’s electric hatchback attracts a two per cent Benefit In Kind (BIK) value under 2022-2023 company car tax rates, and this also applies for 2023-2024 and 2024-2025.
Why does my fleet need one?
MG very much sees the 4 EV as a market ‘disruptor’ and with a combination of decent electric range, lots of equipment and situp-and-take-notice prices, the newcomer has been given the weaponry to succeed. And succeed it does. The MG4 EV is a very pleasantly surprising car. For how affordable it is, its driving experience, levels of onboard technology and kit, and all-electric driving range shade most if not all of its major rivals.
There’s a reason why MG Motor UK won the 2022 GREENFLEET Electric Vehicle Manufacturer of the Year award, and with plans for the arrival of an even longer range 4 EV – as well as a performance version –there is no reason for that success to dim. And that’s all before the launch of a family of MSP-based EVs which will make the MG4 the company’s oldest model by 2024. There’s lots to look forward to from this fastmoving brand, and the brilliant MG4 EV is just the start. L
For now, the very fleet-friendly MG5 EV is the only electric car estate on the UK market, and even though it was only introduced in the late 2020, it was mildly refreshed last year. New features include revitalised front-end styling, a new interior as well as numerous tech upgrades.
Priced from £30,995 the new MG5 EV follows the same well-equipped and value lead as the MG4 EV, with a range of 250 miles, a high level of equipment, as well as the ability to tow up to 500kg, and V2L capability.
The only thing it misses out on is the MG4 EV’s new MSP chassis, which will underpin a very broad range of electric models due to be launched in the coming years. Able to support two and four-wheel drive, MSP is also future ready, allowing integration with technologies such as battery swap systems.
ENGINE: 150kW / 203bhp (RWD) electric motor and 64kWh lithium-ion battery
RANGE (WLTP, combined): 270 miles
OFFICIAL EFFICIENCY (Combined, WLTP): 3.7m/kWh
CO2: 0g/km
VED: £0 first-year, £0 thereafter
BIK: 2%
PRICE (OTR): £32,495 (including VAT, £33,190 as tested)
The E-Transit takes the template of Ford’s hugely successful and globally recognised LCV, and turns it into a zero emissions vehicle aimed at fleets looking for lower running costs.
Richard Gooding drives the current GREENFLEET Vehicle of the Year and discovers both it and its new connected ecosystem carries electric van standards forward
What is it?
Now entering its 58th year of production, the Ford Transit needs no introduction. Adapting for changing market trends over the past six decades and Europe’s best-selling light commercial vehicle for 40 years, the first zeroemissions version of Ford’s hugely successful LCV arrived in 2022.
It may have been a little late to the electric van party, but the E-Transit is the UK’s bestselling electric van in the two-tonne segment, with over 1,750 orders received in 2022. Those orders have come from delivery and distribution, supermarket and hire customers including DPD, DHL, Ocado and Speedy. The new electric Ford is also the current GREENFLEET Vehicle of the Year, one of 11 UK awards it received in 2022.
How practical is it?
The E-Transit comes in three versions. The standard panel van is available in three lengths – L2 (5,531mm), L3 (5,981mm) and L4 (6,707mm) – and two heights, H2 (2,447-2,534mm) and H3 (2,682-2,769mm).
The maximum gross payload is between
809kg and 1,711kg, while maximum load volume is between 9.5m3 and 15.1m3. The double-cab-in-van is only available in L3 guise, but with the same choice of roof heights as the panel van and a gross maximum load volume of 7.2m3. The chassis cab has a choice of L3 and L4 lengths, and a maximum gross payload of 2,090kg. Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) weights across the range vary from 3.25 tonnes to 4.25 tonnes, with wheelbase lengths of 3,300mm (L2) and 3,750mm (L3 and L4). In total, the E-Transit family numbers 25 models. As with many other electric light commercials, the E-Transit’s battery pack is mounted under the floor, so as not to impede on cargo carrying capacity and load volume. Boosting practicality, optional features include the availability of dual side loading doors, wide opening rear cargo doors with magnetic door retention (instead of 180-degree openings), as well as a whole host of bulkhead and load compartment configurations.
What range does it have?
Commercial vehicle fleet operators who choose the E-Transit have a choice of 135kW
(181bhp) or 198kW (265bhp) motors, but all versions use the same Ford 65kWh lithium-ion battery pack. For the L3 H2 350 van tested, Ford quotes a WLTP combined single charge driving distance of up to 156 miles. This increases to up to 189 miles for the L3 H2 425 198kW E-Transit, falling to 148 miles for the L4 H3 350 variant.
How long does it take to charge?
All electric Transits support 115kW DC fast charging and an 11.3kW on-board charger is fitted as standard. A 15-80 per cent battery refill takes around 35 minutes, with a 0-100 per cent 230V, 32A connection taking just under 12 hours. One very useful feature of the Ford E-Transit is an optional 2.3kW Ford Pro Power on-board power source which allows tools to be used without the need for an onsite generator.
How does it drive?
There’s very little to tell the E-Transit apart from ICE versions of Ford’s popular LCV. On the outside, changes are limited to badges and blue lines in the grille, which also houses
the charge port. Inside, the changes are even harder to spot, with only a rotary gear selector and battery level and power instrument gauges giving the game away. That’s no bad thing, though, as the Transit’s cabin has always been practical with lots of storage options as well as three-abreast seating.
All E-Transits have a 12-inch colour infotainment display featuring Ford’s new Sync 4 operating system and an integrated suite of Ford Pro solutions (see ‘Connected Commercials’ panel) and a FordPass Connect modem to optimise efficiency and help operators manage their fleets. It’s a neat set-up and works well. While not ideal, the three – ‘Eco’, ‘Normal’, and ‘Slippery’ – driving modes are controlled from the screen, allowing the driver to tailor the on-road experience in line with road or surface conditions.
On the road, the E-Transit doesn’t struggle to put down its power, the 318lb ft (430Nm) of torque getting the e-LCV up to speed with little fuss. As with the E-Transit’s smaller Transit Custom PHEV sister, when compared to a diesel van, the hugely improved refinement and lack of noise are welcome elements that are immediately noticeable. Handling is more enjoyable, too, as the Mustang Mach-E-sourced rear-mounted motor introduces independent rear suspension for more car-like responses and comfort, and the all-round driving experience of the E-Transit elevates it above its ICE siblings.
Two levels of regenerative braking are standard, with the more aggressive setting chosen by a press of the ‘L’ button on the gear selector.
What does it cost?
The UK government’s Plug-In Van Grant (PIVG) will contribute up to 35 per cent of the purchase price on electric Transits, up to a maximum of £5,000. The Ford E-Transit family starts at £48,650.83 ‘on-the-road’ excluding VAT and PIVG for the Leader L2 H2 350 panel van. A heated windscreen, air conditioning, keyless start and a metal bulkhead are all standard.
Move up to £51,840.83 (L2 H2 350) Trend trim as tested here, and you’ll gain automatic wipers, cruise control, a comprehensive suite of
driving and safety aids, front and rear parking sensors, as well as a moulded cargo floor liner.
Why does my fleet need one?
The clever trick the Ford Pro E-Transit manages to pull off is to take the multi-award-winning and successful template from the ICE Transit, and just make it better. There’s all the functionality, practicality and versatility you’ve come to know and expect, along with improved usability and refinement that a zero emissions vehicle provides.
Arriving at a time following the recently enlarged London Ultra Low Emission Zone and ahead of imminent Clean Air Zones in other major UK cities, the E-Transit is aimed squarely at fleets who prioritise minimum downtime as well as ease of use. Enjoyable to drive and operate, the trusted and wellrespected LCV now has another string to its bow, setting the template for the imminent Ford e-LCVs to come. The Ford Pro connected offering also gives fleet operators extra peace of mind, aligning with that of the vehicle itself. L
It’s not only the E-Transit itself which heralds a new era for Ford’s commercial vehicle arm – there’s now a comprehensive suite of connected fleet and digital services.
Now renamed Ford Pro, Ford’s commercial vehicle division has launched an allencompassing ecosystem with the same name. A global business, Ford Pro combines charging, financing, service, software and telematics solutions to commercial customers large and small to help them boost their productivity.
Fully integrated with digital-first solutions to simplify fleet management, the Ford Pro suite of services apply to business running ICE or electric vehicles, and even non-Ford models. Designed to increase uptime and decrease running costs, more new Ford e-LCVs are set to benefit from the services, with the arrival of all-electric Transit Custom and Tourneo Custom models later in 2023, and Transit Courier van and Tourneo Courier multipurpose vehicles in 2024.
GROSS PAYLOAD: 816.3kg
LOAD VOLUME: 11.5m3
ENGINE: 181bhp / 135kW electric motor and 68kWh lithium-ion battery
CO2: 0g/km
RANGE (WLTP): 156 miles
VED: £0
PRICE (OTR ex VAT, exc PiVG): £52,640.83 (£53,390.83 as tested)
www.ford.co.uk/
FedEx Express has set a global target for 50 per cent of all newly-procured parcel pickup and delivery vehicles to be electric by 2025, rising to 100 per cent by 2030. Vinay D’Souza, Senior Vice President for Planning and Engineering at FedEx Express Europe, discusses progress towards these targets, and other ways the company is becoming more sustainable
Could you tell us about FedEx Express Europe’s electrification roadmap? What targets have been set?
In March 2021, FedEx Corp announced a goal to achieve carbon-neutral operations, globally, by the year 2040. One of the areas benefitting from our initial $2bn investment is the electrification of our FedEx Express parcel pick-up and delivery (PUD) fleet. Our transition to a fully electric PUD fleet will follow a phased procurement approach – with a goal that 50 per cent of all newly procured PUD vehicles to be electric by 2025, rising to 100 per cent of new PUD vehicle orders by 2030. Alongside electrification of parcel pick-up and delivery vehicles, we’re combining a variety of low or zero emissions solutions, such as e-cargo bikes, for the first and final mile. This means we remain focused on proactively driving down carbon emissions in the near-term, keeping carbon-neutral operations as our end goal, and ensuring that how we get there is not limited to the electrification of our PUD fleet
How far are you into the electrification of your road fleet?
When it comes to our sustainability efforts, we’re already building on some solid foundations and approaches rooted in practicality. Whether these have been reducing fuel consumption, replacing vehicles and technologies to modernise our fleet, or adopting innovative solutions that are on the cusp of revolutionising our industry, we have long strived to decouple our business growth from our carbon emissions. With over 210,000 motorised vehicles globally, we are undoubtedly at the beginning of a major transition period. Electrification technologies are now sufficiently mature enough for segments of the market to meet the moment. We introduced our first electric vehicle, powered by a lead-acid battery, in California in 1994, and in 2003 we were the first delivery company to use hybrid vehicles for pickup and delivery. But now we are preparing for electrification at scale, which brings a range of complexities and considerations beyond the vehicles themselves, like adequate infrastructure.
Could you tell us about the charging infrastructure you have installed, and what your future charging plans are?
We recently announced the procurement of 114 electric vehicle charging points across six European facilities, as we ready them to support the needs of our future fleet. Additional electric vehicle infrastructure will be rolled out in cities in the Nordics and Italy, and later additional cities in France and Germany as we work to ready over 100 facilities in Europe for electric PUD operations, following our near-term roadmap to 2025.
What have the challenges been in electrifying your fleet?
We have more than 4,000 alternative fuel vehicles already in operation in our global fleet, including more than 3,000 electric light commercial vehicles for first and final mile. The constant evaluation of new solutions and technologies and considered periods of testing lay the groundwork for solid foundations on which to scale. Adopting electrification, as a technology of choice, across the FedEx Express PUD fleet involves a thorough period of analysis – of energy consumption and capacity, forecasted future energy needs and supply of renewable energy sources, and then physically installing the infrastructure across facilities to support E
With over motorised210,000vehicles globally, we are undoubtedly at the beginning of a major transition period
and fuel this fleet. On top of this, the roadmap of investments and implementations must remain agile and responsive to constantly evolving climate-agendas and the external landscape of environmental regulations. Have these challenges been overcome or are there still barriers to overcome for the future, perhaps with electrifying HGVs?
When it comes to electrification as a way to achieve carbon-neutral ground operations, PUD is the portion of our fleet where we anticipate we’ll see the most comprehensive shift to a single technology. For linehaul trucks in particular, promising technologies are still being developed that may prove as equally viable as electrification. In November 2022, we began using a renewable diesel fuel on some of our European road network routes, with trucks leaving from our road hub in the Netherlands. Since the fuel is currently only available in the Netherlands, widespread adoption of this diesel is limited
to select routes leaving Netherlands into France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Sweden and Poland. We’re exploring similar alternative fuel solutions in additional countries, that may allow us to scale up our adoption of renewable diesels, which are made from organic matter and waste materials rather than fossil fuel sources.
What measures do you have in place to green last mile deliveries?
Many European cities are striving to increase liveability, reduce congestion, improve air quality, and promote active modes of mobility and transport, such as cycling. As well as adopting Responsible Consumption and Production (United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal12) and supporting Climate Action (United Nations’ SDG13) both within and beyond our business, our first and final mile operations are critical to how we can support Sustainable Cities and Communities (United Nations’ SDG11). One area we are already very active is the addition of e-cargo bikes – alongside and
occasionally working in collaboration with low or zero-emission vehicles. We’ve already added more than 70 e-cargo bikes to permanent operations in more than 17 locations across Europe. Our mix of three and four-wheel e-Cargo bikes in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cambridge, and Norwich are already providing an efficient and popular solution for environmentally friendly urban delivery.
What advice would you give to other logistics operators looking to achieve net zero emissions?
Transportation is a challenging sector when it comes to decarbonisation – with linehaul trucking and aviation being particularly difficult to achieve significant, near-term emissions reductions. Therefore, to move towards carbon-neutral logistics, it’s important to firstly know exactly where your operational emissions are stemming from and then make decisions with strategic intent to move to reduce them. It’s important to do what you can in the near term by adopting already available solutions while also engaging in innovation and development of future technologies beyond your own business. By convening stakeholders across academia and science, the public and private sectors and through charitable collaborations with non-government organisations, organisations of any size can play a role in transitioning the wider logistics sector towards low or zero-emissions.
Explore the ways we’re taking action, both inside and beyond our business, at fedex.com/sustainability
We’ve already added more than 70 e-cargo bikes to permanent operations in more than 17 locations across Europe. Our mix of three and four-wheel e-Cargo bikes in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cambridge, and Norwich are already providing an efficient and popular solution
Heavy goods vehicles are the hardest to fully decarbonise. But with targets to phase out new fossil fuel trucks, this sector has received considerable focus. We sum up the latest innovations in greening the heavy goods vehicle sector
Battery electric vehicles hold strong potential for decarbonising heavy goods, yet are currently limited by challenges. With shorter ranges than passenger vehicles due to their size and weight, limited charging infrastructure, long charge times, and the high cost of vehicles, the decarbonisation of such vehicles is lagging behind smaller types.
Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) also hold much promise, as ranges are longer and refuelling is quick. But the technology suffers from a lack of fuelling sites and lack of cost-effective vehicles. With the government aiming to phase out the sale of new fossil fuel HGVs by 2035 – or possibly 2040 for certain vehicles and use cases, the race is on to find viable ways to decarbonise the heavy goods sector, and there is lots of innovation occuring.
British electric vehicle manufacturer Tevva has secured European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval for its 7.5 tonne battery-electric truck. This means that Tevva can start producing and selling in volume across the UK and Europe and represents the key regulatory step in the development and commercialisation of all vehicles, including electric trucks.
The first mass produced electric trucks have started to be delivered from their UK base and will be received by customers including Expect Distribution, Travis Perkins and Royal Mail. The company expects to sell up to 1,000 electric trucks in 2023.
Tevva’s 7.5t electric truck offers up to 140 miles from its 105 kWh battery on a single charge, and is ideal for last-mile and urban delivery fleets. It will be followed later in 2023 by a 7.5t hydrogen-electric truck, which benefits from a hydrogen range-extender that enhances vehicle range to up to 354 miles.
Volta Trucks meanwhile has announced that series production of Volta Zeros are due to start rolling off the line of the company’s contract manufacturing facility in Steyr, Austria, in early Q2 2023. The Volta Zero is a full-electric 16-tonne vehicle with a range of 95-125 miles.
Volta Trucks and Siemens Smart Infrastructure have recently agreed to work together to simplify and de-risk commercial fleet electrification.
The partnership will bring together Volta Trucks’ Truck as a Service offer and Siemens’ experience in electric vehicle support solutions. This includes software control systems, facility electrification, charging infrastructure, energy management, building equipment and project finance. The partnership will seek to support Volta Trucks’ customers by providing infrastructure for full electrification aligned with their operational needs.
To address charging during long haul, European journeys, an
corridor” has been built along a 372 mile stretch of the RhineAlpine corridor across Germany.
Built by bp pulse, the six public charging locations have ultra-fast 300kw charge points aimed at E-Trucks. They have been built on one of the busiest road freight routes in Europe, connecting key North Sea ports in Belgium and the Netherlands with the Mediterranean port of Genoa in Italy.
The new chargers have been installed on Aral retail sites in Germany between the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan area and the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region. Aral is bp’s German retail brand. In the next six months, two additional locations are scheduled to open on Aral retail sites to complete the new charging corridor.
phasetargetsWithto out the sale of new fossil
able to cover over 372 miles across Germany along one of European’s major road transport routes.
The 300kw charging stations are each capable of charging more than 20 E-Trucks, per charger each day. An E-Truck’s range can reach up to 124 miles in around 45-minutes using the ultra-fast charge points.
Nigel Head, EV Truck Director, Europe, bp pulse, said: “By electrifying this stretch of the Rhine-Alpine corridor with ultrafast charging, bp is enabling EV Truck charging beyond “back to base” whilst rapidly learning customer insights which will directly inform our longer-term European network and proposition.”
“By beginning the roll-out of a dedicated charging network for freight operators and fleets, with a focus on major logistics corridors, bp is supporting the electrification of medium and heavy-duty vehicles, decarbonising the movement of goods, as well as people.
“Ultra-fast charging in the right locations, combined with depot and destination charging, is critical infrastructure to accelerate the electrification transition, unlocking the economic and environmental benefits of low-carbon commercial road freight and transport.”
Hydrogen
Hydrogen has been recognised as a good zero emission solution for long haul heavy goods
it more effective for use in larger commercial vehicles. However, to make hydrogen a viable alternative fuel, much must be done to improve the limited fuelling infrastructure and to achieve cost parity with diesel trucks.
To help drive the country’s hydrogen ambitions, the government has appointed Jane Toogood as the UK’s first Hydrogen Champion Jane, who is Chief Executive of Catalyst Technologies at Johnson Matthey, will play a vital role in bringing industry and government together to realise the government’s hydrogen ambitions – including supporting up to 10GW of hydrogen production capacity by 2030, aiming to run annual allocation rounds for electrolytic hydrogen, and designing, by 2025, new business models for hydrogen transport and storage infrastructure. Industry is rapidly innovating hydrogen transport solutions. British firm Tevva will soon be launching its 7.5t hydrogen-electric truck, which benefits from a hydrogen range-extender that enhances vehicle range to up to 354 miles. It will be the first vehicle of its kind to be manufactured, designed and mass-produced in the UK. Tevva says that adding a hydrogen fuel cell system to its battery-electric HGV design, the truck will deliver a zero-emission solutions that will work for most fleet operators across various industries and sectors. Also in the UK, the Hub2Hub consortium led by Hydrogen Vehicle Systems has been awarded £6.6 million to develop
The Hub2Hub consortium will create a self-driving heavy goods tractor unit, which will begin vehicles trials with ASDA in 2024. It’s hoped that the cost savings an autonomous lorry could provide will speed up the adoption of zero-emissions vehicles by the freight sector, reducing the industry’s contribution to climate change.
The £12 million venture has been selected by the Centre for Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) as a recipient for its joint industry and government-funded project with the aim of showcasing the potential of autonomy in the transportation sector with unprecedented levels of efficiency, safety and operational cost savings for logistics operators, as well as providing new employment opportunities.
The consortium, made up of HVS, Fusion Processing Ltd and ASDA, will build two prototype vehicles that will allow Level 4 autonomous-driving.
The first hydrogen-electric HGV prototype will be fitted with a driver’s cab and tested on the road in autonomous operation, using the Fusion Processing’s Automated Drive System, CAVStar, with a human safety driver at the wheel.
The second prototype will have the driver’s cab removed and replaced by an aerodynamic fairing. During the project this vehicle will be evaluated on test tracks, with the CAVStar system in this application allowing a remote human driver, located in a control hub, to operate the vehicle.
Together these two prototypes point to an optimised future logistics system where vehicles could be operated in autonomous mode on a hub-to-hub route, with a remote driver then taking control to drive the vehicle from the hub to its end destination. Not only will the HGVs decarbonise the freight sector, it will expedite the development of Hub-to-Hub automated driving technology. Fusion’s collaboration in the project will see the development and integration of its advanced CAVstar system where a fusion of vision systems, AI and route planning can deliver a fully autonomous vehicle that takes over from a human driver and hands back control at pre-determined hubs on a route.
GP JOULE, located in Germany, has announced its intention to order 100 Nikola Tre hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles, which will be manufactured by a joint venture between Nikola and Iveco Group. Thirty of the initial 100 Nikola Tre FCEVs are expected to be delivered to GP JOULE within 2024. This will be followed by the delivery of the remaining 70 vehicles in 2025, with the possibility for GP JOULE to acquire them through GATE - Green & Advanced Transport Ecosystem - Iveco Group’s all-inclusive electric truck rental model. IVECO will provide the essential maintenance and service functions.
The order is subject to GP JOULE’s successful application for KsNI funding, Germany’s programme to support the acquisition of vehicles with alternative, climate-friendly powertrains. L
An evolution of The Facilities Event, The Workplace Event on 25-27 April brings together workplace professionals from facilities, HR, technology, real estate, transport, design, and architecture to share best practice, expertise and ideas to create effective working environments
The Workplace Event is the home for workplace and facilities innovation. An evolution of The Facilities Event, it brings together workplace professionals and practitioners from facilities, HR, technology, real estate, design, architecture, consultants, and advisors to share best practice, expertise and ideas to create effective working environments, employee experience and drive optimum organisational performance.
The three-day event from 25-27 April 2023 at the NEC Birmingham comprises a Workplace Leaders’ Summit, Workplace Leaders Top 50, Knowledge Hub seminar programmes, exhibition, and a Wellbeing Village.
Following the successful launch last year, The Workplace Event will have its own dedicated hall, and will introduce themed zones –workplace design, workplace technology, wellbeing and culture and workplace services. Helping delegates navigate around the halls, and themed zones will have its own dedicated content programme. Focused on these key areas, presentations will highlight
the solutions organisations need to enhance facility and workplace performance. The Workplace Event is free to attend and is part of The Security & Security Series. Co-located with The Security Event, The Fire Safety Event, The Health & Safety Event, National Cyber Security Show and NEW for 2023 Professional Security Officer Live.
The Workplace Leaders Top 50 New for 2023, The Workplace Event introduces the Workplace Leaders Top 50. This honours the individuals who make the workplace such an inspiring and resourceful sector, it is one of the cornerstones of activities that celebrate the industry. This is the influential and celebratory list of inspiring leaders, innovators, pioneers, and changemakers of the workplace today. Award categories include Thought Leader, Innovator, Inspiring Leader, Driver of Cultural Change, Young Pioneer and Unsung Hero. Nominated by fellow workplace and FM peers, and judged by our esteemed advisory council. Winners announced at The Workplace Leaders Summit.
The Workplace Leaders Summit
The Workplace Leaders Summit sponsored by Emcor runs all day from 25-17 April 2023. This will feature influential speakers and high-level content specifically curated to present transformational ideas, aid proactive conversations and deliver actionable takeaways in order for attendees to reshape the workplace experience and facilities management of tomorrow. Bringing together practitioners from multiple disciplines to discuss and explore the current challenges facing the workplace with different focus topics each day.
Day one will be focussing on VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous). The global events of the past five years have sent shockwaves through all corners of our lives. Brexit, the pandemic, and the war in Ukraine; all of them have contributed to a number of unpredictable and difficult-to-manage challenges in the workplace and facilities sector. The morning session will explore how organisations are navigating a VUCA world.
Returning for 2023 the Hackathon hosted by Perry Timms and his team will guide visitors through an array of challenges outlined in the morning and provide solutions.
On day two of the summit the programme will imagine a new future. Collating ideas shared over the last two days discussing what the future of work will look like and how best to support that? Visitors will also explore new business models, new mindsets, new strategies and new tactics. This is a commitment to shaping the future, not waiting for it to happen. A fun finish to wrap up the day commences with Have I Got Workplace News For You where two panels of workplace experts are put through their paces in a quiz based on the infamous BBC programme. Filled with drinks, laughs and insights gathered as the day comes to a close.
Finally, on day three visitors will focus on how equipped we are for the digitisation of the workplace? What innovations exist that can move the dial? How are jobs going to change and how will it change the working lives of people? This morning’s sessions will explore the cutting edge of technological advances and assess their implications for the workplace community and the employees they serve. To close the final day we welcome back the Workplace Geeks podcast who will be bringing their show to ours as they interview a globally leading academic on the implications of technology on the way we work and how organisations support that work.
Tristan Norman, group director, The Workplace Event, said: “We are very proud of the exceptional speakers that are joining us to launch our first Workplace Event. Following a lengthy period of turbulence, it is critical we have the best-in-class speaker line up to help organisations forge ahead and create the best workplace experience possible as we enter a new era.”
As well as the comprehensive three-day Workplace Leaders’ Summit programme the Workplace Event will include: the Knowledge Hubs, a free-to-attend seminar programme showcasing all the cutting-edge products and technologies that will enhance facility and workplace performance. A mixture of presentations, live demonstrations, and workshops, to gain practical insight and know-
how so attendees can enhance their workspace, employee performance and business potential; a curated exhibition bringing together workplace interiors and design companies, digital technology, facilities services and building management providers, and more to help elevate workplace strategy and performance; and The Wellbeing Village proudly sponsored by Conker Living where visitors can rest and restore with interactive well-being initiatives, quiet spaces, and the opportunity to speak to leaders in the field about how workplace wellbeing can make a difference to organisations.
The Workplace Data Census will be making a return to The Workplace Event which dives deep into the current usage and output of workplace data. The results of the survey will map how organisations are capturing and utilising the various data opportunities in today’s workplaces and develop a robust understanding of the value placed on it by business leaders.
CPD accredited content
The seminar programme at the show will be offering CPD points, providing the opportunity for professionals to build their career portfolio and personal development. 16 content theatres will be on offer covering all the topical and business essentials visitors will need to upskill, learn best practice and advance their industry insights. Notable key speakers include Mrs Figen Murray OBE - Martyns Law Campaigner, Philip Grindell - CEO Defuse, Kate Bright CSyP, CInstLM,
FRSA - CEO Umbra International and TEDx Speaker, Mike Povey, Vice President/ Corporate Services Europe- VISA, Mark Catchlove, Global Insight Director, MillerKnoll and many more.
Hosted buyers programme
To meet the business needs of workplace professionals, CONNECT+ Live will return for another fantastic year of specialised networking. Matching the visitor’s buying requirements and needs with carefully curated exhibitors, the CONNECT+ Live team of matchmaking experts will fast-track access to key suppliers. Visitors can save valuable time and effort by making invaluable contacts through this outstanding and ever-popular hosted meeting programme.
Back by popular demand, two networking reception drinks from 4:00pm on days 1 and 2 will take place across all the shows. Taking place at the Networking Café, this is the perfect opportunity to unwind and meet industry peers and professionals, enjoy a drink with friends and colleagues, and make those vital new connections in an informal and affable setting. At The Workplace Event, the Workplace Leaders Top 50 Awards will be presented celebrating the top inspirational leaders that are making a difference in the workplace and facilities management.
One pass, six shows, one unmissable opportunity
Registration is now open for The Safety & Security Event Series - The Security Event, Professional Security Officer Live, The Fire Safety Event, The Health & Safety Event, The Workplace Event and National Cyber Security Show. Free to attend, the series of events are guaranteed to maximise your time and investment in improving your business operations in all things security, fire safety, health and safety, and workplace/ facilities management. We also offer free parking for all visitors, saving you time and money, and giving you the flexibility to travel safely to and from the event across the full three days of the show.L
Millions of people are at risk of the deadly consequences of conflict in Ukraine.
People are fleeing their homes and families are being separated. Many are going without food or clean water.
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Photo © Michael Kappeler/dpa
