FUELLING CHANGE October 2018

FUELLING CHANGE UNPICKING THE COMPLEXITY OF MULTI-FUEL FLEETS

SUPPLIED WITH THE OCTOBER 2018 ISSUE OF

VENTURE INTO SUCCESS. WITH THE NEW BMW 225xe PREMIUM ACTIVE TOURER.

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The Ultimate Driving Machine

The new BMW 225xe Premium Active Tourer is equipped to adapt to whatever challenge comes your way.

With trim options including Sport Premium and M Sport Premium, it offers extraordinary practicality without compromising on style.

With standard LED headlights, the BMW 225xe Premium Active Tourer offers superior vision. And with its striking lines and impressive kidney grille, it’s a car that’s quick to make a

great impression. Sporty, dynamic, and sophisticated, it has the attitude of a classic BMW with an electric twist.

Then there’s the premium interior complete with panoramic sunroof.

Offering both ample room and superior comfort, it creates a relaxing drive for those commuter miles. There’s also plenty of space for luggage thanks to folding rear and passenger backrests, while heated seats and front and rear Park Distance Control are standard.

When it comes to handling tricky and unexpected situations, this car thrives.

Coming with BMW xDrive as standard, the intelligent all-wheel drive system automatically adapts to changes in driving conditions by rebalancing power between the wheels, achieving maximum traction on any road surface.

This is a car built for tough terrains.

FROM:

UP TO:

57g/km

16% 113

CO2 emissions

BIK

MPG (combined)

Visit: bmw.co.uk/225xePremium

'JHVSFT BSF PCUBJOFE JO B TUBOEBSEJTFE UFTU DZDMF %VSJOH UIF UFTU QMVH JO IZCSJE WFIJDMFT VTFE B DPNCJOBUJPO PG CBUUFSZ QPXFS BOE QFUSPM GVFM BGUFS UIF CBUUFSZ IBE CFFO GVMMZ DIBSHFE "MM čś‘ HVSFT BSF intended for comparisons between vehicles and may not be representative of what a user achieves under usual driving conditions. Plug-in hybrid vehicles require mains electricity for charging. Metallic paint optional on 225xe Premium Sport and M Sport models.

FUELLING CHANGE ALEX GRANT EDITOR

CONTENTS TREND-SETTING...

E

very month, the SMMT releases registration figures for the UK car market, and pundits get to work analysing what those numbers say about the state of the industry. It’s a barometer for business and public confidence and attitudes to different fuel types, and typically as regular as a heartbeat due to biannual plate changes and the Christmas and summer holiday dips.

It is almost impossible to draw such conclusions from this year’s data, which paints a picture of both the industry and consumers frantically coming to terms with rapid technological and legislative change. In the wake of negative press and shifting taxation around diesel, there’s a phasing in of new standards for fuel consumption and pollutant emissions, and rapid acceleration of alternative drivetrains to consider. And that’s before you factor Brexit into the mix.

This supplement pulls together expert views from across the industry, with the aim of helping operators get a clear view of what’s happening now, and what’s on the horizon. Trends might by harder to spot, but the way out of this confusing era might not be as complicated as you expect.

FUELLING CHANGE UNPICKING THE COMPLEXITY OF MULTI-FUEL FLEETS

SUPPLIED WITH THE OCTOBER 2018 ISSUE OF

Published by Stag Publications Ltd, 18 Alban Park, Hatfield Road, St Albans, Herts, AL4 0JJ tel +44 (0)1727 739160 fax +44 (0)1727 739169 email fw@fleetworldgroup.co.uk web fleetworld.co.uk

06 KNOW YOUR LIMITS: WLTP, RDE AND EURO 6 EXPLAINED

12 COULD NEW TECHNOLOGY

15 DATA CAPTURE: THE TECHNOLOGY

18 DOING THE MATHS: ADDRESSING THE

MAXIMISING FLEETS' FUEL ECONOMY

20 WHERE NEXT? HOW MANUFACTURERS

WILL TAILOR THEIR RANGES TO FUEL TRENDS

REVIVE THE MARKET FOR DIESEL?

CHALLENGE OF PHEV MILEAGE RATES

24 CHANGE OF SERVICE: IS THERE A FUTURE FOR THE SERVICE STATION?

YOUR CLIENTS ARE LOOKING FOR FRESH THINKING. WHY NOT SHOW UP IN SOME?

The Honda Civic

Class-leading boot space, SENSINGTM safety technology (including Lane Departure Warning), plus impressively low CO2 emissions (93g/km) and excellent fuel economy (80.7mpg). Just a few of the great ideas that make the new Civic a smart addition to your eet.

Request your 48 hour demo at Honda today.

Call us on 0345 200 8000 or visit honda.co.uk/civic eet Fuel consumption figures for the 17YM Civic Diesel in mpg (l/100km): Urban Cycle 78.5 (3.6), Extra Urban 83.1 (3.4), Combined 80.7 (3.5). CO 2 emissions: 93g/km. Fuel consumption figures sourced from official EU-regulated laboratory test results, are provided for comparison purposes and may not reflect real-life driving experiences.

II WLTP II

KNOW YOUR LIMITS ACRONYM OVERLOAD THE BASICS

Manufacturers are facing unprecedented regulatory pressure to cut CO2 and pollutant levels for new and forthcoming models, the staged implementation of which is confusing at best. There are three topics that fleets need to be aware of.

WORLDWIDE HARMONISED LIGHT VEHICLES TEST PROCEDURE (WLTP) Headlines about the widening gap between brochure and ‘real-world’ fuel economy figures are nothing new. In 2017, the International Council on Clean Transportation reported a 42% average difference, based on a study of 1.1m European vehicles – up from 25% in 2011, and 10% in 2011. An issue attributed to the New European Drive Cycle (NEDC) used to measure fuel economy and CO2 emissions for new cars.

The NEDC was replaced on 1 September 2017. WLTP is a longer, higher-load test cycle, designed to be more realistic than its predecessor, and carmakers had 12 months to re-test their model ranges under the new regime. Because this also reflects the impact of options, that process has involved putting every combination of trim, equipment, bodystyle and engine through testing.

The EU said it expected a 10-20% rise in official fuel consumption and CO2 emissions as a result.

06 FUELLING CHANGE

The transition to stricter fuel economy and emissions standards are unravelling a baffling array of overlapping regulations. Alex Grant outlines the key facts fleets need to be aware of, and the challenges they could pose.

“FEW FLEETS WOULD HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THE RDE TEST BEFORE LAST YEAR'S BUDGET.”

REAL DRIVING EMISSIONS (RDE) Few fleets would have been aware of the RDE test before last year’s Budget made it a core component of diesel taxation. This is an on-road test, using portable equipment to measure and compare harmful emissions to the laboratory-derived results, and there is a tightening ‘conformity factor’ requiring those two figures to gradually align.

RDE1 allows vehicles to emit 2.1 times more pollutants on the road, and becomes mandatory for all new cars from 1 September 2019. From 1 January 2020, newly-homologated cars move to RDE2, with a limit of 1.5 times more pollutants on the road, and this applies to all new cars two years later. RDE2 compliant diesels will be exempt from the 4% Benefit-in-Kind surcharge.

EURO 6C, 6D TEMP, AND 6D Fleets will already be familiar with the ‘Euro’ emissions standards, introduced in 1992. But Euro 6 – notable for almost closing the gap between diesel and petrol NOx emissions – isn’t a onestage process, and it is also linked to the roll-out of WLTP and RDE. Light commercial vehicle deadlines are 12 months later than those for passenger cars, outlined below: Phase

Test cycle RDE

Type approvals from

New car sales from

Euro 6b

NEDC

N/A

September 2014

September 2015

Euro 6c

WLTP

N/A

September 2017

September 2018

Euro 6d Temp

WLTP

RDE1

September 2017

September 2019

Euro 6d

WLTP

RDE2

January 2020

January 2022

FUELLING CHANGE 07

II WLTP II

CONFUSION & CORRELATION: THE STORY SO FAR The phase-in process has been underway for more than a year, and the fallout reflects how confusing this has become for manufacturers, dealers and end-users.

THE GHOST OF NEDC The EU has tasked manufacturers with ongoing improvements in average CO2 emissions for new cars – 2021’s target is 95g/km, with financial penalties for those who don’t conform. But previous limits have been set using the NEDC and, as WLTP is much tougher, manufacturers are still producing NEDC data for comparative purposes. This data is generated using software called CO2MPAS, which converts WLTP figures to an ‘NEDC Correlated’ (or ‘NEDC Equivalent’) value.

So WLTP-tested vehicles will, for now, have two sets of fuel economy and CO2 data – WLTP and NEDC Correlated. To limit disruption, the DVLA has confirmed that the latter will continue to appear on vehicles’ V5 documents, and HM Treasury will use NEDC figures as a basis for vehicle excise duty and company car tax until April 2020. In theory, that means business and private motorists don’t have to pay much attention to WLTP yet.

WLTP testing involves higher loads Unfortunately, this data and higher speeds than NEDC doesn’t seem ‘correlated’ at all. Manufacturers have been busy re-testing their model ranges this year, releasing fuel economy and CO2 figures which are at times significantly higher than mechanically identical cars sold last year. Given that vehicle tax is based on CO2 emissions in the UK, and that there has been no allowance for the gap between the two sets of data, it’s led to rising costs just as HM Treasury introduced penalties for diesel vehicles.

These gaps are significant. Jato Dynamics data reflects a 9.6g/km average rise in CO2 emissions, with mid-size SUVs up 16.7g/km. And the full WLTP figures – which are likely to be higher still – have not been made public for most vehicles yet.

08 FUELLING CHANGE

Rupert Russell, director of Carmen Data, says this reflects the very binary conversion process: “WLTP testing is more comprehensive than NEDC and has fewer loopholes. The CO2MPAS tool will only adjust for official differences and not the flexibilities that manufacturers learned to exploit over decades of NEDC testing.”

SPOTTING THE TRENDS A tax system allowing for NEDC Correlated figures isn’t easy to put in place, because the results vary. Earlier this year, Cap HPI studied more than 600 vehicles, finding that this half-way-house data was disproportionately affecting fleet-weighted drivetrains. There was an average 12.6% rise for diesels, and 27.3% increase for plug-in hybrids, while petrol vehicles were up 7.3% and hybrids up 7.8%.

There are few trends even within those sub-sets, as product manager, Beth Davies explains: “WLTP is having a varied impact across all sectors, and it’s clear that no one sector is more affected than any other. The data shows the impact varies by model and even derivatives in a model range. Equally, no drivetrain is predominately impacted over another.”

Fleets can’t necessarily view NEDC Correlated data as a sign of its WLTP performance, either. Russell warns that this depends on how effectively CO2MPAS has converted the figures back, adding that it would be hard to judge which have got off most lightly from the conversion.

“There is wide variability, and few examples of published WLTP figures,” he says. “However, using the Mazda6 as an example, it seems that if the CO2MPAS tool works well, a

large jump [from NEDC to] NEDC Correlated means there will be a small jump from NEDC Correlated to WLTP. And vice versa if the tool works properly.”

Some manufacturers have also used WLTP re-testing as an opportunity to perform mechanical upgrades to meet Euro 6d Temp requirements – including conforming to RDE1 limits.

Selective Catalytic Reduction (AdBlue) is becoming widespread to improve on-road performance, and many of the latest petrol engines feature particulate filters. Both can affect fuel economy and CO2 emissions.

Simon Staton, director of client management at Venson, says this has a knock-on effect for businesses: “It is highly likely that fleet operators will have to reconsider their CO2 thresholds, monthly allowances and vehicle choice lists.

Coupled with this, there is the financial implications for both the employer and the employee.”

TESTING TIMES Shifting legislation has led to upheaval of new car sales across Europe. Many early WLTP-tested cars had a CO2 disadvantage from moving to NEDC Correlated data, while broader model ranges (or slower-responding manufacturers) have come up against the 31 August deadline for re-testing. Only a limited volume of pre-WLTP cars (2,000 units, or up to 10% of 2017’s volume) can legally be sold after this date, and only if they were built before 1 June. EVs are exempt.

Carmakers have planned for this, prioritising the most popular cars and in some cases temporarily removing slower-selling variants from the range, while Zenith removed pre-WLTP cars from its order books to avoid disruption. The rush to register time-sensitive stock is evident in SMMT figures: up 23.1% year on year in August, before dropping 20.5% in September.

DEAL OR NO DEAL...

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? Brexit might seem like a pathway out of complicated EU-led emissions legislation, but it’s worth keeping an eye on plans from Brussels. Even in a ‘no deal’ scenario, the EU’s framework will be adopted in the UK until a new system is put in place. The government’s aim is to be “at least as ambitious” as targets set by its closest neighbour, and the short-term picture suggests the two markets will be aligned for some time yet.

The DfT has ruled that manufacturers must introWLTP testing involves higher loads and higher speeds than NEDC duce full WLTP fuel economy figures in promotional material from January 2019, in line with the EU’s recommended timeframe. There will still be a ‘combined’ (or weighted combined, accommodating electricity use for PHEVs) cycle figure, but the familiar ‘urban’ or ‘extra-urban’ data is replaced by four figures derived from different speeds; ‘low’, ‘medium’, ‘high’ and ‘extra-high’.

WLTP CO2 figures will be published around a year later, ahead of tax reforms from April 2020. In the meantime, cars will have NEDC Correlated CO2 figures and unrelated WLTP fuel economy. This could mean two cars with identical fuel economy have different CO2 figures and tax bands, or vice versa. Although it’s confusing, this does mean fleets get earlier access to the more realistic fuel economy information, and can make more accurate total cost of ownership calculations.

Russell believes much of the confusion could have been avoided: “The government should have moved straight to WLTP and reduced the tax thresholds for WLTP-tested vehicles. The CO2MPAS tool was designed for fleet averaging, not individual cars.”

In the meantime, the EU has voted in favour of 20% reduction on 2021’s 95g/km CO2 average by 2025, and 40% by 2030, with sub-50g/km cars to be 20% and 35% of sales respectively by those deadlines. On-road CO2 testing is also on the cards, and RDE3 will further tighten the conformity factor for new models. This at least sets at a benchmark for the UK, while also steering R&D of new models sold in the region. However, as compliance for combustion engines becomes more difficult, fleets would be well advised to get used to the battery-powered alternatives.

FUELLING CHANGE 09

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Launched earlier this year with the Arona compact SUV, Easy Move is structured around a three-stage ordering process. Drivers simply pick an engine, a trim level and a colour – metallic and bi-colour options are free of charge, and popular equipment is included as standard. With no optional extras, it’s easy to get a clear view of CO2 emissions, P11d values and tax costs for the version they choose.

Already popular with dealers, leasing companies and customers, Easy Move is now offered across the range. It means the entire SEAT line-up offers all the style and technology drivers want, with low P11d pricing and low running costs, helped by efficient engines and residual values that recognise the exact specification of the car. Fixed trim levels also mean it’s possible for company car drivers to take advantage of SEAT UK’s unique four-day test drive programme and experience the exact model they’re considering before they place an order.

Easy for Fleets The Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) marks the biggest shift in economy testing in decades. It offers a more representative indication of real-world fuel economy and CO2 emissions, and results granular enough to show how individual options can affect the running costs of new cars. From the 1st September 2018, all new cars have to have been re-tested under the new regime.

However, the move to WLTP also makes the decision-making process far more complicated for fleets and drivers. Aside from the P11d implications of adding equipment, individual options could change CO2 emissions and thus company car tax and the vehicle’s grading on choice lists. It also makes it harder for fleet managers to predict total cost of ownership versus the base-spec car.

Easy Move unties fleets from this complexity. With only six versions and no options to affect the CO2 figure, fleet customers can get a clear indication of what their chosen specification will cost. And re-testing the SEAT model range under WLTP has reflected excellent real-world fuel consumption, with only small increases in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared to the old regime. With total cost of ownership calculators included on SEAT’s extensive fleet website, drivers and fleet managers have all the information they need to make the right decision, available at their fingertips.

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II DIESEL II

DIESEL CLEANS UP Although Honda is introducing hybrids, it still sees its 1.6-litre diesel engine having a key role for fleets buying the Civic.

The anti-diesel headlines of recent years often overlook the progress that has been made in cleaning up oil-burners’ acts. Craig Thomas looks at the realistic prospects for the fuel in our Road to Zero future

12 FUELLING CHANGE

NOx-reducing technology, such as Selective Catalytic Reduction, is becoming more common.

T

he market for diesel cars – and diesel as a fuel – all changed in September 2015. Prior to that, diesel-fuelled vehicles held sway in monthly sales figures, with around 50% of the market: today, they’re hovering just under 30%. Supposedly, that’s largely thanks to Volkswagen.

Except, of course, there was something rotten in the state of diesel long before the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) slapped a violation notice of on the Volkswagen Group, after the discovery of ‘defeat devices’ that enabled diesel-engined cars to cheat on emissions tests. There were already warnings about diesel NOx and particulate emissions, and their effect on air quality (especially in cities), but they had been largely overlooked or ignored. Dieselgate opened the floodgates, though, and the public and environmental campaigners demanded change.

CLEANER DIESELS Plans were already in place for improvements to emissions testing before the Volkswagen revelations, but these became newsworthy and the introduction of Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) and Real Driving Emissions (RDE) has focused the minds of everyone on the automotive industry – and its customers in the fleet sector.

So does diesel have a future, or are the improvements in smaller, turbocharged petrol engines going to be sufficient to tide us over until hybrids have usable electric-only ranges or – in the next decade or so – we can switch to fully electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles?

Reports of diesel’s demise are certainly premature, if you speak to engineers involved in developing new powertrains.

They’ve been busy in recent years meeting the challenges of the current Euro 6 standard – which will continue as additional WLTP and RDE regulations come into force. But the feeling in the engineering community seems to be that the new diesel standards are already a major improvement, so the next stage is targeting other pollutants.

Jon Andersson, global technical expert for emissions measurements and standards at Ricardo – a global strategic engineering and environmental consultancy – told us: “WLTP has created a load of extra challenges. Some of those are around things like evaporative emissions, but there are also

new pollutants coming. In addition to the historical pollutants – hydrocarbons, CO, particulate matter, particulate number, nitrogen oxide, NOx – in the future we will see a whole series of new species that have to be controlled.

“It's not entirely certain what those will be, but they will include, for example, ammonia and nitrogen dioxide, and partly oxidised species such as formaldehyde and others. We know that there's going to be an extension to the sweep of emissions that we have to control and that, in itself, is a whole series of new challenges that we're getting to grips with at the moment.

“On the diesel side, there’s much less focus on the engine.

There are still some tweaks being made to engine efficiency, but it's much more focused on after-treatment. I think what we're seeing from the OEMs is a move towards a really robust lean NOx trap and a selective catalytic reduction system (SCR) filter solution, with sufficient SCR volumes to allow good NOx control at high speed, low speed and even the most progressive low-temperature urban conditions.

“My guess is that with the after-treatment solutions on diesel and gasoline that we will have at the end of the Euro 6d, before we transition to the full WLTP, we probably won't have to do too much with diesel after-treatment, because we will already have virtually all the capabilities in place.”

FUELLING CHANGE 13

II DIESEL II Volvo is one of several manufacturers who have confirmed they will drop diesel to focus on electrification.

THE HURRY FOR HYBRIDS? The progress of diesel technology is clearly good news, but the concern is that it will do little to persuade those who have jettisoned diesel in favour of petrol – which could prove problematic for the carmakers who have based their long-term emissions reduction plans on the basis of diesel playing a more significant role.

Ken Pendlebury, Ricardo’s director for technical consulting, outlined this secondary effect, saying: “To meet with the next generation of CO2 legislation, a lot of the OEMs in Europe were relying on 50% penetration of diesel engines and even a small shift back to gasoline means a fairly radical rethink of methods to improve the CO2 of gasoline engines. A consequence is that companies such as Volvo are saying that all their powertrains will be electrified moving forward and this is, to a certain extent, a dash to hybridisation.”

It's clear that what the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders refers to as alternatively fuelled vehicles (AFVs) – which incorporates hybrids, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), battery electric vehicles (EVs) and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs) – are increasing in popularity, with fleets buying in (literally) to the new technologies. They still only account for 8% of the overall car market, so there’s a long way to go before the government’s 2040 target for the ending of petrol and diesel vehicle sales.

The increase in AFVs will undoubtedly be helped by the numerous new PHEVs that carmakers have launched and will continue to launch in the next few years. There could well be a hiccup in sales as the switchover from old NEDC emissions testing figures to WLTP figures makes them less attractive than they previously were – official economy numbers in excess of 130mpg will be a thing of the past – but we could see developments in battery capacity to give them longer electric-only ranges that will add to their appeal.

Major manufacturers such as Volkswagen, MercedesBenz and BMW are also planning to introduce new EV models and sub-brands to their line-ups in the next two or

14 FUELLING CHANGE

three years that will help popularise battery cars, especially when they have real-world ranges of 250-300 miles.

In the meantime, however, there’s still a place for diesel, as Andy Eastlake, managing director of the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership explained: “If you are doing 40,000 miles a year in a car, a diesel is still probably the right thing to choose, from a low carbon perspective and efficiency.

“Some of the background discussions in getting the government’s Road to Zero strategy out were around how we acknowledge the role of diesel and the role that it has to play in the near and medium term, while not undermining the importance of pushing the electrification or zeroemissions agenda.

“So, it's absolutely part of the agenda and the fact that we are progressing on looking at renewable and sustainable diesel solutions, and developing the after-treatment for diesel, is an acknowledgment that there's still a role to play there. Nobody's suggesting we stop development of diesel, because we're going to need combustion fuels in a number of applications for a long time to come.

“In the car sector, I think there's certainly a focus on electrification and zero emissions in city centres, short journeys, and trying to get people to adopt that in far greater numbers where it's appropriate for them.

“But we do have to acknowledge and accept that there are a number of applications where diesel is still arguably the right choice to make right now, particularly with the latest generation as of Euro 6d, where those diesels are, from an air-quality perspective, down at the levels that petrol vehicles are delivering.”

Automotive technology – irrespective of the type powertrain in the vehicle – will continue to develop cleaner, more efficient engines to help reduce emissions and improve air quality. Diesel will play a part in that progress for some time to come, so fleet owners should ignore the more lurid headlines and remain confident that it can still be the right choice for them.

II FLEET DATA II

DATA CAPTURE Connected car technology is delivering granular data which can help maximise fleet efficiencies. Curtis Hutchinson reports.

Big data is getting bigger. It’s the nature of the beast. Until recently connected cars were a novelty, now they are the norm and this shift is helping transform how they can be utilised by businesses to optimise fleet operations.

Telematics in cars is not new, it has been used for many years to inform diagnostic tests during servicing, maintenance and repair jobs. But now, with added internet connectivity, the way data can be processed has been transformed with real-time analytics on how and where cars are being operated.

In 2016 there were around four million connected cars in the UK, according to research by Statisa, the online business development portal; the study forecasts penetration will rise to 19.5 million by 2022. Whether drivers like it or not, their cars are no longer self-contained metal boxes but highly sophisticated platforms generating, transmitting and receiving business critical data. However, processing this extra layer of data can be a burden for anyone in charge of fleet operations, a job function already awash with data.

FUELLING CHANGE 15

II FLEET DATA II

THE NEED FOR AGGREGATION The best way to manage all this data is to have it neatly aggregated; something contract hire, leasing and fleet management companies offer as a matter of course.

Paul Hollick, managing director of The Miles Consultancy (TMC), the business mobility specialist, advocates data aggregation, saying fleets who fail to do this are missing out on the benefits.

“Typically the client doesn’t have the resources to do that much with the information from a single telematics supplier, and the issue is compounded where multiple devices are fitted across the fleet. There’s no harmonisation of data, and the configurations of alerts and events tend to be set up differently for each type of device,” he says.

With fleet managers often juggling multiple job functions the need for aggregated data becomes even more essential if any efficiencies are to be achieved.

“Data gathering is key for businesses and has the power to transform fleet operations; the richer the data available, the more a vehicle operator can get control over their expenses,” says Paul Holland, chief commercial officer at

Fleetcor, the fuel card provider.

“Data is invaluable in streamlining processes for fleet operators, gathering insight and saving them time. This frees them up to concentrate on more strategic operational roles within their company.”

TANGIBLE BENEFITS So how are fleets achieving tangible benefits from utilising the data produced by telematics?

Edward Kulperger, VP for Europe at Geotab, the fleet management and telematics specialist, says data is being used to better inform vehicle choice as decisions can be made on actual usage; a process which is becoming more important as fleets consider electric alternatives.

“Telematics data is one of the most robust options available for businesses, providing valuable fleet insights and helping to reduce fuel and harmful gaseous emissions; all while aiding in increasing profitability,” he says.

“Rich vehicle data can be used to compare vehicles within a fleet to help target improvement areas, such as benchmarking for fuel and gaseous emissions reduction. Telematics data

TACKLING CONGESTION ONE of the main bugbears of company car drivers is traffic congestion and the pressure it puts on them to arrive on time for meetings.

According to research by TomTom Telematics, congestion in 2017 cost UK businesses £915 million in lost productivity. The research also showed how congestion increases the average time a vehicle spends on the road by 129 hours a year, yet the company said this can be avoided by fleets making better use of data.

“Traffic remains a serious issue for business and the resulting delays have potential implications for productivity, customer service standards and even employee wellbeing,” says Beverley Wise, TomTom Telematics’ director for UK and Ireland.

“Unfortunately, congestion levels continue to rise, and the UK economy is paying the price for this at a time when the landscape is already challenging enough.

“But, although solutions to the wider traffic problem are incredibly complex, businesses can take action now to mitigate its effect by using data to develop smarter working schedules and shift patterns that help employees avoid driving at peak times.

“Telematics can help in the move towards a more dynamic model of routing and scheduling that uses data on traffic and journey times to develop plans that minimise time on the road and can be quickly adapted in reaction to delays or changing circumstances.”

16 FUELLING CHANGE

can be leveraged to understand vehicle usage and when a fleet’s vehicles may be transitioned to electric, considering such factors as range anxiety, usage and optimal charging.”

Data on real-world driving patterns can also be used to help make informed decisions on the cost-effectiveness of switching from a diesel vehicle to a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), something Hollick at TMC confirms is a popular request as user-choosers consider ways of reducing their tax liability.

“Switching to PHEV is a frequently asked analysis. Predominantly the analysis proves that PHEVs do not work for the company but do work incredibly well for the driver whose main usage is business-related with limited private mileage.”

This is where data is being used to track just how often PHEVs are charged, something anecdotal evidence suggests is a rarity.

“We have seen that in pretty much all cases, PHEVs are not used efficiently. The real-life mpg that we report, based on mileage and fuel usage, shows that they have never been near a charging cable. Normally this would mean that employees need a diesel or petrol vehicle rather than a PHEV due to excessive motorway driving and the percentage of long distances.

“Companies like us can take the data for each vehicle and driver and make recommendations where an alternative vehicle would be more appropriate; possibly an Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) or a vehicle that is performing well for other employees with similar journey profiles.”

Usage data is empowering fleet managers and userchoosers to select the most cost-effective vehicles for individual requirements.

“Telematics can help give managers a clear idea as to whether new vehicles are suitable for their fleets,” says Paul O’Dowd, head of sales at In-car Cleverness, Accident Exchange’s telematics arm.

“The needs of every fleet are different, so to find out if a new vehicle is going to suit your business’ needs, it’s worth testing. With telematics, fleet managers can assess the performance of new vehicles on a trial basis and quickly decide as to whether they will be a fit for their business needs.”

THE HR FACTOR Where data and people are involved there’s also an important HR issue to address. Some employees may be suspicious of systems producing data on their locations and driving styles, so gaining buy-in needs to be addressed.

“Fundamentally, there are real benefits to the driver with regards to employee welfare and health. If employees, unions and works councils can understand the intrinsic benefits to their staff in managing this data properly, then there’s no difficulty with buy-in,” says Hollick.

“Where telematics is used as big brother, then it becomes more difficult to create success. A high degree of analysis can be achieved without any reference to the individual driver.”

Hollick maintains the recent introduction of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) should act as a way to reassure staff. “GDPR helps ensure the driver provides consent for only the data to be used for its intended purpose,” he explains.

If connected car data is aggregated and combined with total cost of ownership calculations, it can be used to source the most appropriate vehicles for individual and fleet needs, maximising efficiencies and driving down costs.

CASE STUDY FARMDROP FARMDROP is a farm-to-table grocer, supplying local and sustainably produced food via an online platform. As a company with a strong brand ethic, it adopted a Geotab telematics platform to achieve zero-emission deliveries in London, Bristol and Bath.

Mike Pearson, head of growth for Farmdrop, says: “Our mission is to fix the food chain and so reducing emissions from food delivery is important to us. That’s why we use 100% electric delivery vehicles wherever possible.

“Geotab’s technology lets us know where our vans are, and how they are driven, saving us both time and money.”

By analysing usage data the firm has seen a 33% drop in incidents of poor driving and a 27% reduction in the kW per mile usage.

“WE HAVE SEEN THAT IN PRETTY MUCH ALL CASES, PHEVS ARE NOT USED EFFICIENTLY. THE REAL-LIFE MPG THAT WE REPORT, BASED ON MILEAGE AND FUEL USAGE, SHOWS THAT THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN NEAR A CHARGING CABLE.” FUELLING CHANGE 17

II AFR RATES II

PLUG-IN OR PULL THE PLUG With some drivers not using the electric part of their hybrid cars, how can fleet managers encourage them to plug-in? Julian Kirk reports

D

emand for plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) is increasing, as drivers look to take advantage of company car tax incentives, but not all of them are being used properly.

Without regular charging, PHEVs rely more heavily on their combustion engines, with no hope of meeting official economy figures on the road. Fleet consultancy TMC’s data found that the average plug-in hybrid is returning 45mpg – way behind the claimed average of 130mpg.

Despite the Government announcing a 4ppm Advisory Fuel Rate (AFR) for pure electric vehicles, PHEVs are left with a generic system whereby employees can claim on the petrol or diesel rate. The fallout? Increased expenses claims and extra cost for businesses.

We asked key figures what they would advise companies to do to maintain uptake of PHEVs and keep a check on fuel reimbursement costs…

KEEP USING THE AFR SYSTEM Arval UK fleet consultant David Watts thinks that the AFRs are “probably right” and warns that veering away from them potentially opens a company up to scrutiny.

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“When running on electric only, PHEVs are less efficient than pure electric cars and so cost approximately 6ppm, compared to 4ppm for a pure electric. Also, when running on petrol or diesel they will be less efficient than the equivalent petrol or diesel car due to the weight of the battery and motor, and so will cost more than the AFR,” he says.

“If fleets choose to pay anything different from the AFR, they will potentially open themselves up to driver conflict because they will have to justify the new rate. It is very difficult to calculate what the actual rate should be, as it depends on such a wide variety of factors - the type and length of the journey, the electric capability of the car, additional passengers or other weight carried, whether the driver is able to charge – and even the weather.”

Watts believes the next generation of PHEVs, offering between 50 and 70 miles of battery range, will be the point at which they noticeably impact on journey costs for fleets.

FleetCheck managing director Peter Golding agrees, citing the current electric-only range - typcially 20 to 30 miles - as having “a fairly small impact on costs”. He added: “If the technology progresses on future models and range increases

G

CULTURAL CHANGE substantially, then there is a case for revisiting this subject.”

For Mark Jowsey, director – manufacturer liaison at KeeResources, the issue centres around the sheer complexity of finding a fair AFR for PHEVs: “The issue is that the CO2 emissions assume the car starts fully charged (effectively daily) which for some users will be correct but for others will not. We then reach the question of whether the car is charged at home or at work, or whether it is at a public charge point, and how often it is charged.

“If a user is charging at public charge points then there will be evidence of the extent and frequency of charge which the company could use to support the argument for their user repaying private mileage costs at a reduced rate. This would require the agreement of the company's tax office, so then it would be time to involve tax advisers.”

Jowsey added: “I think that currently it is way too complex to find a formula [for PHEV AFRs] that would work for everyone. Nevertheless, as we see significant growth in pure EVs over the next couple of years, certainly from 2020, it seems unlikely that HMRC will want to offer further benefits beyond the Benefit-in-Kind win for the driver and National Insurance reduction for the company.”

SET YOUR OWN AFRs Lex Autolease is advising its clients to put their own interim solutions in place for PHEVs, in the hope that a standard set of rates will soon follow.

Principal consultant, Chris Chandler, explains: “Using existing AFRs for PHEVs usually means a greater fuel cost to the business for essentially more fuel-efficient ULEVs, especially when diesel vehicles are replaced by typically petrol PHEVs, where petrol AFR rates are applied.

“For example, a company car driver moving from a sub-2.0litre diesel car (AFR 12ppm) to a sub-2.0-litre petrol plug-in hybrid (15ppm) would incur an annual fuel cost increase for the business of £450, based on 15,000 business miles per year.”

Chandler recommends a lower rate for PHEVs, based on range and fuel consumption, which would encourage drivers to plug in rather than relying on the combustion engine.

“This would also discourage high mileage motorway users from taking PHEVs, which are typically much less fuel-efficient than diesels in these conditions,” he says. “It is essential to demonstrate robust working and secure approval from HMRC before implementation – working with an experienced partner throughout this process can be a big help.”

Sarah Gray, fleet consultant for ALD Automotive, agrees: “We would always suggest that with any fuel policy it’s all about encouraging the right behaviour. Using the total monthly fuel spend and splitting this by a percentage of business and private mileage has resulted in the fairest and most cost-effective outcome. This method encourages the employee to purchase fuel at the cheapest location and also charge their car to achieve the best MPG.”

FleetCheck’s Peter Golding says the first step is to monitor how vehicles are used: “Using a fuel card or telematics in conjunction with fleet software provides a very accurate means to track fuel use.

This will allow you to see how different drivers and vehicles are performing, and take managerial action where it appears the PHEVs simply aren’t being charged at all.”

Businesses should also make it clear that vehicles are to be charged at least daily, he adds: “Providing chargers at the workplace is an effective way to do this – it provides a visual check as to which employees are diligently keeping their vehicles at full charge.”

For Paul Hollick, managing director of fleet consultancy TMC, an advisory rate from HMRC remains “a long term dream” because PHEVs’ fuel characteristics are nothing like those of either combustion vehicles or EVs. The company’s fuel and mileage data, for more than 4,000 PHEVs, shows the same model can deliver between 5% less and 300% more than its official advertised economy, depending on driver behaviour and journey type.

“We recently compared real-world data on six ‘eco’ diesel cars against seven PHEVs. We found the diesels’ average realworld mpgs were 40% worse than advertised but the plug-ins’ were 200% worse. That would make a nonsense of an advisory fuel rate that was based, like the AFR rates for conventionally fuelled vehicles, on the official mpg data,” he says.

“Our data for one popular PHEV model shows the average real-world cost of petrol, VED and Class 1A NIC is actually 20ppm over 10,000 business miles, versus a theoretical calculation based on official mpg data of 5ppm.

“There is no ‘one size fits all’ recipe. We provide several clients with driver-by-driver fuel cost data and overlay the electricity costs, which the client can use to set fair reimbursement levels and (if ever needed) justify those payments to HMRC.”

ADVISORY FUEL RATES < 1.4

1.4-2.0

2.0>

Petrol

12ppm

15ppm

22ppm

Diesel

10ppm

12ppm

13ppm

Electric

4ppm flat rate

Hybrid

Use relevant petrol or diesel rate

Source: HMRC. Rates applicable from 1 September 2018

FUELLING CHANGE 19

II ELECTRIC FUTURE II

Where do we go from here?

With the UK Government signalling an end to ‘conventional’ petrol and diesel sales by 2040, Alex Grant looks at how manufacturers are re-shaping their combustion engine line-up as the market moves towards electrification.

BMW Group is predicting a medium-term ‘decline in importance’ for combustion engines, but it sees long-term potential for improvements using 48-volt ‘mild hybrid’ technology.

Year to date, its global sales include a 5.2% mix (82,977 cars) of hybrid and electric models – helped by widespread availability of plug-in hybrids across BMW and Mini brands.

Forthcoming 3 Series and X5 plug-in hybrids will offer a longer battery range, but it’s the fully-electric iX3 SUV and Mini hatch that will take the technology into the mainstream.

Fuel-cell vehicles will follow in the early 2020s, though it says cost and infrastructure will suppress volumes until 2025.

Daimler says banning diesel is a ‘big mistake’, arguing that its latest-generation engines and software updates for older vehicles are delivering reduced NOx emissions, and that they have a role to play in cutting CO2 emissions too. Next year, it will introduce diesel plug-in hybrid versions of the C-Class and E-Class, as a best-of-both-worlds offer for fleets, while also broadening its ‘mild hybrid’ offer. However, it says no emissions are better than low emissions; the EQC electric SUV marks the launch of the ‘EQ’ sub-range next year, while Smart will drop combustion engines from 2020.

FCA will stop offering diesel passenger cars from 2021, citing a harsh regulatory environment over emissions - the fuel has already been dropped from the Fiat 500, 500L and 500X. Jeep (already 60% petrol-powered across Europe’s ‘true fleet’ market), Alfa Romeo and Maserati have confirmed plans to launch plug-in hybrid and electric versions throughout their ranges, and a battery-powered 500 is coming too.

“IN 2021 WE WILL HAVE FIVE FULLY-ELECTRIC CORE MODELS. THIS UNDERLINES OUR STRONG COMMITMENT TO FUTURE MOBILITY.” Harald Krüger, Chairman of the Board of Management, BMW AG

20 FUELLING CHANGE

Ford is rolling out new cylinder-on-demand EcoBoost petrol and EcoBlue diesel engines in its new models, but UK head of fleet, Owen Gregory, says there’s growing interest in the Mondeo Hybrid with UK businesses. The company more than doubled its global electric mobility investment earlier this year. A Transit PHEV, Mustang hybrid and 16 full EVs are due by 2022.

Jaguar Land Rover will offer fully electric, plug-in hybrid and ‘mild hybrid’ versions of every new model launching from 2020 onwards, following on from the I-Pace electric SUV which debuted this year. It says these will be offered alongside ‘ultra-clean petrol and diesel engines’.

Kia says 45% of its European sales are diesel-powered, adding that combustion engines have an ongoing role despite growing demand for electrification. It’s adding a 48-volt ‘mild hybrid’ system to the 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre diesel engines in the Sportage and Ceed and will introduce all-new petrol and diesel units between now and 2022. Hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles are already available.

Honda’s global engine output is 97% petrol so, although it sees a role for diesel in the new Civic and updated HR-V, it will be phased out with new launches. A petrol hybrid CR-V and production version of the Urban EV concept are due in 2019, while European tests of the Clarity Fuel Cell are ongoing.

Hyundai UK president and CEO, Tony Whitehorn, says fleet demand is growing for plug-in hybrids, but the company doesn’t expect diesel engines to fall out of favour yet. It has hybrid, electric and fuel cell vehicles in the range already, but a new ‘family’ of petrol and six diesel engines is due by 2022, and the company claims internal combustion engines will still have a strong market presence in 2025.

Infiniti’s forthcoming QX50 SUV debuts a turbocharged petrol engine with a variable compression ratio, enabling it to prioritise high power or efficiency based on driver behaviour.

Older models still use a Daimler-sourced 2.2-litre diesel, but a range of electric and range-extended electric models are en route, expected to account for half of its global volume by 2025.

Mazda believes 80% of cars will still have a combustion engine in 2035, so it is targeting ongoing improvements in the base technology before adding electrification. Next year, it will introduce the first Skyactiv-X petrol engines, using compression combustion similar to a diesel engine to improve efficiency and responsiveness, and all-new diesels will follow in 2020. The target is lower well-to-wheel CO2 emissions than an electric car. But it isn’t dismissing plug-ins – an electric vehicle with an optional rotary engine range extender is due in 2019, and plug-in hybrids will launch in 2021.

MG won’t be reintroducing diesel into its range. By 2021, the MG3 supermini will be joined by one electric and two plug-in hybrid SUVs, each with petrol alternatives, and an electric sports car.

PSA Group will include electric or hybrid versions in every new model launch starting next year, with all five of its brands (Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Vauxhall and Opel) due to have electrified products in every segment by 2025. The roll-out will be quick, with eight plug-in hybrids and seven EVs due by the end of the decade, including a battery-powered Corsa. PSA is also doubling production of its PureTech three-cylinder petrol engines in France, as well as expanding capacity with new factories in Poland and Hungary, to meet growing demand.

FUELLING CHANGE 21

II ELECTRIC FUTURE II

Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi set out a five-year plan in 2017, which will move 75% of its global products onto shared drivetrains. This will include EVs with 400-mile ranges and 30% cheaper batteries, and alliance-wide use of Mitsubishi’s plug-in hybrid technology.

Combustion engines are still seen as a vital component, but with a diminished role for diesel. Nissan says the fuel has a place in the range for the short term, but will phase it out in favour of electric and hybrid technology as new models launch – likely to be complete by 2025. By that point, Nissan expects half of its European sales to be electric. Renault is developing 'affordable' hybrids and new petrol engines, recognising waning demand for diesel, but it also sees fully-electric cars as the best solution and is investing in increased supply.

SsangYong will introduce mild hybrid petrol drivetrains with the 2019 Korando SUV. It will launch a similarlysized electric SUV in 2020, with four-wheel drive and a 280-mile range.

Suzuki no longer offers diesel engines in the UK, citing a 97% petrol mix and growing acceptance of petrol in fleet. Efficient petrol engines and ‘mild hybrids’ are the near-future focus.

Volkswagen Group says petrol and diesel will continue to be vital despite plans for range-wide electrification over the next decade. Ongoing development includes equipping all diesel engines with selective catalytic reduction (AdBlue), particulate filters for all petrol engines and investment in synthetic petrol and diesel fuel, produced using hydropower, which it says can make the combustion engine carbon-neutral.

By 2030, the Group will introduce 50 electric and 30 plug-in hybrid vehicles across its portfolio, including Lamborghini and Bugatti products, and anticipates around a quarter of its global sales will be plug-ins by that point. A dedicated, modular, electric vehicle platform will debut with a new Volkswagen in 2020, said to be as significant a technological shift as the original Golf replacing the Beetle in 1974. Seat will also launch a car based on the platform, alongside a plug-in hybrid Leon, while Audi and Porsche have co-developed a bespoke platform for electric sports cars.

Toyota and Lexus will only sell petrol and hybrid passenger cars in Europe by the end of this year, citing low demand for its diesel products. In 2017, hybrids accounted for 45% of Toyota’s UK sales, compared to 7% for diesel, while Lexus was 99% hybrid and hasn’t had diesel engines since 2012.

Between January and August 2018, Toyota had also registered 29 Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

“THE FUTURE OF MOBILITY IS ELECTRIC. WE HAVE BEEN INVESTING FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS NOW. WE WERE PIONEERS YESTERDAY, WE ARE LEADERS TODAY.” Renault Group chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn

22 FUELLING CHANGE

Volvo has launched its last ever diesel car, the new V60 estate, with all future models set to be offered with ‘mild hybrid’ petrol, plug-in hybrid or fully electric drivetrains.

Significantly, in Europe, this would mean the replacement for the V40 hatchback would have no diesel option, but the technology is likely to be available for most, if not all, of the seven-year lifespan of the recently-launched V60, XC60 and XC40. Volvo’s first electric car will launch in 2019.

READY WHEN YOU ARE

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II THE FUTURE OF SERVICE STATIONS II

Change of Service As we head into a decarbonised future, what is the fate of the filling stations where we currently fill up on fuel?

Craig Thomas looks at how forecourts could transform.

WE’RE all ready for a period of huge upheaval, right? It’s become something of a mantra that the next few decades will prove to be a period of huge change, as the decarbonisation of road transport and automation change what we drive, how we drive or even if we drive. The publication of the Government’s

24 FUELLING CHANGE

Road to Zero Strategy earlier in the summer cemented existing predictions about how quickly we’re going to have to transition out of petrol and diesel vehicles and into plug-in hybrid, hydrogen and battery electric vehicles: 2040 is the date we’re aiming for, but ambitious targets for 2030 are also now being mooted.

“OVER 60% OF THE INDEPENDENTS NOW HAVE SOME FORM OF SINGLEBRANDED CONVENIENCE STORE IN THEIR FORECOURT” Brian Madderson, chairman, PRA

Everything about our experience of using cars and vans is going to change. How quickly that change takes place is open to debate, but there’s little doubt that the times they are, as Bob Dylan put it, a changin’. Many of our driving routines and habits will also change, including visits to a filling station once we no longer need fuel to feed an internal combustion engine.

Indeed, the filling station should itself become redundant, a roadside remnant of times past. No fill-ups, no filling station.

After all, it's a declining sector, anyway: in 2000 there were around 14,500 filling stations in the UK, which has shrunk to around 8,400, with 300-400 closing every year, up until five years ago. There’s clearly no future in fuel.

Well, not necessarily. The rate of filling station closures has eased and the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) estimates that 2018 will see fewer closures than at any time since the turn of the millennium. And the potential for a change of use as sales of petrol and diesel fall, offers the sector a chance to get some of that disruption action that everybody seems to be talking about these days.

Filling stations are already changing, offering a range of additional services in response to the changing habits of their customers. As Brian Madderson, chairman of the PRA, explained to us: “The consumer has changed their shopping habits a lot. Our members have been able to latch on to this change and over 60% of the independents now have some form of single-branded convenience store in their forecourt.

“So whereas 10 years ago the fuel was the prominent provider of margin for the business, that's no longer the case. The shop now often provides more margin to the business than fuel.

“Across the UK, they've been able to reinvent themselves and become not just a refuelling station. In the old days, they used to have a tiny little shop: you might remember a kiosk selling lubricants and chewing gum. Then they became slightly bigger with CTN (confectionary, tobacco, and news).

Today they're even bigger, as full-blown 24-hour, seven-daya-week convenience stores.

“A lot of them sell alcohol. A lot of them have cash machines. And a lot of them even have some kind of food-togo franchise like Subway, Gregg’s, Starbucks, Costa Coffee, or Burger King, so today's modern filling station is satisfying a lot of their customers’ desires.”

Filling stations have played to consumers’ desire for convenience – which has been a profitable exercise for them: forecourt shoppers trend to prioritise convenience over price, so fuel retailers are often able to generate double the margins of their high-street counterparts, according to research from Investment Week.

So we’ll continue to go to filling stations, because they’re a habit, a convenient place for us to visit to fulfil a range of needs.

But will we still be refuelling there? Madderson thinks that petrol and diesel will still be offered for some time to come.

“At the moment, there isn't any money to be made out of electric vehicles and charging them,” he told us. “So the forecourts are selectively putting in charging points, or the means to put in charging points if they're building new sites, or knocking down and rebuilding old sites. Relatively few are putting in charging points on existing sites because they're concerned that these could take away parking space for real customers, i.e. people who are going into the shop and consuming food if it's a food-to-go operation, or into the shop to buy convenience food.

“Some of the motorway service areas now have charging points. Welcome Break has a lot invested in charging points for Tesla vehicles right across their portfolio. And they're hardly used. There's a long way to go before this alternative fuels market really takes off.”

BP is one fuel company that isn’t taking any chances, though. In June, it announced that it was buying Chargemaster, the UK’s largest electric vehicle (EV) charging company.

FUELLING CHANGE 25

II THE FUTURE OF SERVICE STATIONS II

The rise of electric vehicles is likely to encourage service stations to offer facilities for drivers staying longer.

At the time of the purchase, Tufan Erginbilgic, chief executive of BP Downstream, said: “At BP we believe that fast and convenient charging is critical to support the successful adoption of electric vehicles. Combining BP’s and Chargemaster’s complementary expertise, experience and assets is an important step towards offering fast and ultra-fast charging at BP sites across the UK, and to BP becoming the leading provider of energy to low-carbon vehicles, on the road or at home.”

The philosophy underpinning the deal is that BP believes that as adoption of EVs accelerates over the next decade and beyond, drivers will need access to conveniently located fast and ultra-fast charging stations. With over 1,200 service stations across the country, BP thinks that its UK retail network is well positioned to provide the access that drivers will want. The new BP Chargemaster brand is therefore planning the rollout of an ultra-fast charging infrastructure, including 150kW rapid chargers capable of delivering 100 miles of range in just 10 minutes, with the first chargers on forecourts appearing in the next 12 months.

In order to facilitate these rapid chargers, there will have to be changes to the electricity supply infrastructure, too.

National Grid is already looking at what the impact an increase in electric vehicles will have on power supply. Pete Abson, public affairs and policy senior manager at the National Grid, spoke recently at a Renewable Energy

26 FUELLING CHANGE

Association event about the organisation’s plans to facilitate the expansion of charging. It realises that home charging won’t suit all EV drivers, so it's looking at enabling infrastructure changes that will make more destination charging possible. Upgrading the supply at locations such as motorway service stations is one aim, enabling them to be sufficiently future-proofed for 350kW ultra-rapid fast chargers to be built in the future. Who pays for these upgrades is, however, still unclear at the moment.

Of course, BP – and the other fuel suppliers, such as Shell with its Recharge service, that are also investing in EV charging – will want drivers to stay longer than 10 minutes, so we could see petrol stations being redesigned to offer even more services. A greater emphasis could be placed on tempting drivers out of their cars, with the likes of Amazon lockers, dry cleaning and pharmacies, all of which have been trialled recently.

And fleet drivers could be attracted by business services such as meeting rooms or quiet rooms that can be used to make phone calls, or catch up on emails that have arrived in inboxes since setting off on the road.

Whatever shape filling stations take – and whatever services they offer to drivers – in our zero-emission, decarbonised future, you can be sure of one thing: there will be plenty of opportunities for us to continue spending money at them.

For all your fleet electric vehicle needs and to stay up to date with the latest news and developments, visit

evfleetworld.co.uk @EVFleetWorld

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