Fleet World March 2016

March 2016

FLEETW RLD All that matters in the world of fleet

NEW

Driven

Plug-in XC90 Astra Sports Tourer

Geneva

All the future fleet stars

Report

Is Osborne killing the company car?

PRIUS

Greener than ever

Register for the show at...

www.thefleetshow.co.uk

THE GREATEST SHOW IN FLEET

Wednesday 11th May 2016 Silverstone fleetworld.co.uk

contents 08

Is Chancellor Osborne killing the company car?

34

March 2016

On the road in Volvo’s impressive XC90 Plug-in hybrid.

FLEETW RLD All that matters in the world of fleet

Driven

NEW

Plug-in XC90 Astra Sports Tourer

Geneva

All the future fleet stars

Report

Is Osborne killing the company car?

PRIUS

Greener than ever

Register for the show at...

www.thefleetshow.co.uk

THE GREATEST SHOW IN FLEET

Wednesday 11th May 2016 Silverstone fleetworld.co.uk

Publisher Jerry Ramsdale jerry@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Editor Steve Moody steve@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Deputy Editor Alex Grant alex@fleetworldgroup.co.uk

46

A Day in the Life of Manheim’s Russ White.

Business Editor Natalie Middleton natalie@fleetworldgroup.co.uk

48

Features Editor Katie Beck katie@fleetworldgroup.co.uk

Thatcham’s work behind the scenes to reduce fleet risk.

Fleet Consultant Ross Durkin ross@fleetworldgroup.co.uk VFW Editor Dan Gilkes dan@fleetworldgroup.co.uk

52

INTERVIEW: ALD Automotive’s MD, Mel Dawson on the secrets of the company’s understated success.

Sales Director Anne Dopson anne@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Sales Executives Darren Brett darren@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Claire Warman claire@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Circulation Manager Tracy Howell tracy@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Head of Production Luke Wikner luke@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Designers Tina Ries tina@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Samantha King sam@fleetworldgroup.co.uk

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

VAN FLEETW RLD

58

How new technology is making cars safer and more habitable.

69

Latest LCV news, Previewing the CV Show 2016, Volkswagen Caddy, Nissan Navara, Risk management.

STAG Publications

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To subscribe to Fleet World visit: www.fleetworldsubscriptions.co.uk Certified circulation Jan – Dec 2015 18,052

fleetworld.co.uk / 03

fleetreview This month, editor Steve Moody berates the maddening increase in automation and subsequent maddening increase in fines, while being struck by the Crossover takeover...

Fines are going to rise According to research by Lex Autolease, there has been a huge leap in the number of penalty fines, and I’m not surprised. The problem is automation.

Cars are tracked and photographed, and numberplates are recognised wherever we go. If you drive a lot, especially on the UK’s congested and stressful road system, it is pretty hard to stick to the rules all the time, and the second you slip up, you get pinged.

The automated Dart Charge is one such system. Introduced to improve the flow of traffic over and under the Dartford Crossing, it is now too easy after a long day’s work to forget to pay it when you get home. I know – I’ve done it.

Sometimes the old ways – in this case a toll booth – are the best, and endless automation of things just means more complication, not simplification.

I have spoken to chauffeurs who work in London and they moan about the thousands of cameras tracking their every move, which mean they cannot even stop to pick up and drop off clients on red routes for fear of getting fines.

Just coming to a halt for a few seconds costs them dear. Stopping people doing their jobs by stopping them stopping: how is that helping?

The problem is that it is too easy just to stick up cameras, make up some arcane rules, sit back and watch the money roll in. And unfortunately for fleets, it is never going to get any easier

Wednesday 11th May 2016 Silverstone

04 / fleetworld.co.uk

and the number of fines is not going to lessen. The genie is out of the bottle.

Bad drivers damage business

Don’t miss out on all the latest daily news! Visit fleetworld.co.uk

Almost two-thirds of British motorists are less inclined to do business with companies whose drivers drive unsafely or discourteously, research by TomTom Telematics has found.

As you well know, drivers are your advocates, and especially so van drivers. If they are haring about with your company’s logo on the side, causing chaos, it must have an impact on your business. It got me thinking: the ‘How’s my driving?’ stickers seem to have disappeared. Perhaps it is time for a reintroduction.

Crossovers here to stay I was at the Geneva Motor Show recently and what struck me was the number of SUVs and crossovers being launched.

Even cars that weren’t SUVs or crossovers are being styled like them. In fact, the only carmaker in the world who has publicly said it won’t produce one is Ferrari.

The shift to crossovers comes at the expense of all other sectors, and while the C-sector hatchback, so popular with fleets, is still the biggest in terms of absolute volume, it can’t be that long before the crossover is the principle car of choice.

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face to face with the fleet industry

Ford NEWS

inbrief

First class travel with Mondeo Vignale

New Mustang spearheads high-performance range FORD expects to sell 41,000 performance cars, including Mustang, Focus RS, Focus ST and Fiesta ST, in Europe this year.

The new Ford Mustang, which brings world class performance and refinement while embracing half a century of heritage and status as a global icon, offers outstanding power options and a sophisticated new chassis.

It is available with Ford’s 5.0-litre V8 engine delivering 416PS and reaching 62 mph in 4.8sec, or the more fuel-efficient 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine delivering 317PS and reaching 62mph in 5.8sec.

These high performance engines are supported by a standard Performance Pack in Europe that delivers uprated brakes and cooling for highspeed driving. A sophisticated chassis and body structure, and advanced technology including selectable Drive Modes and Track Apps, also help optimise driving dynamics to deliver the sporty experience Ford Mustang customers demand.

Two thirds of UK orders for the new Ford Mustang are for the V8 engine, and a third for the EcoBoost unit, with manual transmission accounting for 54 per cent of orders and automatic 46 per cent. A little over 80 per cent of orders are for the fastback bodystyle and 20 per cent for the stylish Mustang convertible.

The most popular colour is Race Red at 20 per cent, with Magnetic and Shadow Black close behind; the most popular trim colour is Ebony, specified in almost 80 per cent of orders.

Focus RS heats up the hot hatch set A new era for fast Fords is dawning with the start of production of the all-new Focus RS. It is one of 12 new performance vehicles Ford will bring to customers globally through 2020.

Developed by a team of Ford Performance engineers in Europe and the U.S., Focus RS is powered by a specially engineered version of Ford’s new 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine delivering maximum power of 350PS and sprinting from 0-62 mph in 4.7sec, making the high-performance hatchback the fastest accelerating Ford RS model ever.

The Focus RS pioneers innovative Ford Performance All Wheel Drive with Dynamic Torque Vectoring for a new level of handling, grip and cornering speed. Selectable Drive Modes – including an industry-first Drift Mode that allows controlled oversteer drifts.

For further information on any vehicle in the Ford range please contact the Ford Business Centre on 03457 23 23 23, email flinform@ford.com, or visit www.ford.co.uk/fordfleet

Ford News Feature // 05

The new Ford Mondeo Vignale is the first in a new range of upscale, hand-finished Ford Vignale vehicles. It will be joined in mid-year by the S-MAX Vignale and later by the Ford Edge Vignale.

The Ford Mondeo Vignale delivers superior refinement, with the European debut of Ford’s Active Noise Cancellation, enhanced sound insulation and integral link rear suspension.

Its specification includes Pedestrian Detection, Intelligent AllWheel Drive, and bi-turbo 2.0-litre TDCi and hybrid powertrains.

Driver assistance technologies and equipment include Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection which can reduce the severity of some frontal collisions, or help avoid some impacts altogether.

Also available: • SYNC 2 enables drivers to operate phone, entertainment, climate and navigation systems using simple language • Active Park Assist featuring Perpendicular Parking enables drivers to detect and reverse hands-free into parking spaces • Traffic Sign Recognition provides speed limit, cancellation signs and overtaking restrictions • Active City Stop will apply automatic braking to mitigate or avoid a collision with a vehicle ahead at speeds of up to 25 mph • Ford Dynamic LED headlights Comfort and convenience features include a power-adjustable, memory-equipped steering column, power tailgate, heated steering wheel and industry-first Inflatable Rear Seatbelts.

DIARY DATE

THE GREATEST SHOW IN FLEET

SILVERSTONE CIRCUIT

11TH MAY 2016

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inbusiness

Is Osborne killing the company car?

As the UK fleet industry readies itself for the 2016 Budget, the BVRLA has urged the Treasury to “stop punishing company car drivers”. Is the Government’s attitude pushing away both businesses and drivers from company cars? By Natalie Middleton and Katie Beck.

F

or over four decades now, the company car has been regarded as the epitome of work perks, providing many employees with an incentive to stay in a current job or to jump ship to a new firm.

But according to the BVRLA, since George Osborne became Chancellor in 2013, company car drivers have been hit by a series of tax increases that are both “unfair and unsignposted”.

And as a result the organisation says that it’s seen 30,000 fewer employees taking a car as part of their work package during this period – with many turning to grey fleet.

Chief executive Jerry Keaney has said that the Chancellor must use the Budget to reverse some of the damaging deci‐ sions he has made recently. This includes the U‐turn on the 3% diesel supplement and the changes to the BiK bandings, which the BVRLA says needs a rethink to help offer a greater incentive for users of ultra‐low emission vehicles (ULEVs).

In fact, the association calculates that the effect of the 2% increase in Company Car Tax from 2017‐18 and the delay in removing the 3% diesel supplement will cost the average company car driver an additional £626.94 in 2017‐18, and an extra £882.26 in 2018‐19 compared to what they paid in 2013‐14.

Rethinking diesel surcharge John Pryor, chairman of ACFO, agrees with the BVRLA that the Government’s decision on the 3% diesel supplement needs a rethink.

He adds: “There are many fleets and company car drivers that made vehicle choices based on the fact that they would save cash as a result of the previously announced with‐ drawal of the supplement.

“The decision to retain the 3% supplement was a knee‐ jerk reaction to an issue external to the tax system. That does not aid long‐term company car policy planning and undermines fleet confidence in the Government.”

Looking across the fleet industry in general, Pryor adds: “The Government should not just analyse the structure of the CO 2‐based company car BiK tax regime, but all surrounding issues including mileage rates and grey fleet.

08 / fleetworld.co.uk

“There must be a level playing field so employers and employees can clearly see the benefits of a company‐ supplied car versus the cost associated with a grey fleet car.”

Paul Parkinson, managing director of contract hire and leasing broker intermediary Synergy Automotive and BVRLA committee member, says there is clear evidence of drivers’ dissatisfaction with BiK tax levels – particularly the diesel supplement U‐turn and increases at the lower end of the emissions table.

Parkinson also said that the delay to the abolition of the diesel supplement could cost the Government dearly as well as drivers.

“For example, if just 5% of the 940,000 company car drivers (2013/2014 HMRC figures) leave by 2021, the anticipated additional £1.36bn raised by keeping the 3% supplement could decline by over 40% – some £560m, shrinking net tax gain to just over £700 million.

“This could lead to further BiK rises, prompting yet more drivers to opt‐out – leaving a significant hole in treasury incomes, with remaining essential user drivers footing the bill.”

Tipping point for drivers James Reardon, head of KPMG CarWISE, agrees that the turn‐ around on the diesel supplement and rising BiK rates will “push tens of thousands of company car drivers to a crucial tipping point where it is cheaper to simply run their own car.

In turn, employers will increasingly have to offer a cash alter‐ native and will need to run down ageing fleets”.

He adds: “In recent years, beneficial tax rates have boosted the sale of electric and hybrid vehicles. Over the next four years the planned company car tax changes might lead to fewer low emission cars being sold, potentially undermining the Government’s wider climate change goals.”

And Phil Harrold, partner in the automotive practice at KPMG, is in agreement that the company car driver is bearing the effects of changing taxation policies.

He explains: “The Chancellor uses taxes for two purposes: firstly to raise revenue and secondly as an instru‐ ment of policy. However we’ve seen that policy rotate around over the years, and this has challenged both fleet operators and company car drivers. For example, at one

stage policies were in place to encourage diesels but more recently, as sentiments have changed, we’re seeing increasing disincentives towards diesels.

“As technology increasingly advances, the likelihood is we’ll see an increased take‐up of electric cars and hybrids.

The logical argument from the company car provider’s standpoint must be, “Look, we’ve done what you asked us to and we’re providing cleaner and safer vehicles.”

“However, as the Chancellor looks to balance his Budget he may well say, “Well here’s my large pot of money from company cars, they’re getting cleaner so my tax take is going down so I’ve actually got to build that tax take.”

“Ultimately, he needs to raise money and the sources are not always popular.”

Government’s actions part of long term plan Jeff Whitcombe, director at BCF Wessex – specialists in business car financing and taxation, has a different take.

He says: “Every year, around the time of the Budget, I'm reminded about the famous phrase coined by Oscar Wilde about "a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing".

“Why? Because, every year, around the time of the Budget, I read headlines bemoaning the increase in company car tax.

“Anyone who has analysed HMRC's BiK statistics should understand that the Chancellor is following a long term programme to increase the tax yield from company car drivers.

“But by continually focusing on the cost of a company car, commentators fail to recognise the true value of a company car. What's more, contrary to popular belief, the BiK percentage for the average company car has hardly changed since 2002, when the current basis of company car tax was introduced.

“Because manufacturers have strived to reduce CO2 emis‐ sions without compromising performance or refinement, modern cars are better for the environment, have greater fuel efficiency and offer company car drivers better value for money. As the below tables show, in 2016 the BiK due on two modern company cars is barely higher than it was on their 2002 equivalent, and is significantly lower in real terms.

“So, coming back to Oscar Wilde and the difference between price and value, if our focus is constantly on the increasing taxation of company cars perhaps the reduction in the number of company car drivers will become a self‐ fulfilling prophecy. If we focus on the value of a company car, perhaps we can preserve a Great British tradition.”

John Messore, managing partner at tax and technology firm Innovation LLP, also says that government policy is shaped by its ‘green’ agenda and environmental commitments, but still needs to raise the most taxes possible without compro‐ mising their election pledge to not increase personal taxa‐ tion or NIC rates.

He comments: “Whilst we have seen a 30,000 net reduc‐ tion in company car users in the last two years, in percentage terms this is only about 1% or 2% per annum.

“Also as car carbon emissions do come down we have nonetheless seen the taxable CO2 percentage go up such that if you had a 120g/km petrol car in 2012 you were taxed at 10% but by 2019 that will be 25%.

“With diesel we will have 28% tax and the recent announcement in the Autumn Statement which retained the 3% diesel levy (up to 2021) will negatively impact four out of five company car drivers.

“To penalise company car drivers because of the slow speed of EU emissions testing seems unfair. Those drivers who also receive a private fuel benefit will be penalised on two fronts by the retention of the 3% supplement.”

2002/03

P11D

CO2 (g/km)

BiK (%)

BiK (£)

Income tax at 40%

Real term equivalent

Volvo S60 2.4 D5 SE

£22,770

171

19

£4,326

£1,731

£2,336

Volvo V70 2.4 D5 SE

£25,945

177

20

£5,189

£2,076

£2,802

2016/17

P11D

CO2 (g/km)

BiK (%)

BiK (£)

Income tax at 40%

Real term equivalent

Volvo S60 D3 [150] Business Edition

£22,740

102

20

£4,548

£1,819

£1,819

Volvo V70 D3 [150] Business Edition

£25,940

108

21

£5,447

£2,179

£2,179

“

Ultimately, the Chancellor needs to raise money and the sources are not always popular.

“

Balancing policies

fleetworld.co.uk / 09

inbusiness

Fleet fines and penalties see sharp rise

T

he bill for company car drivers’ motoring fines and penalties rose 17% in 2015 to £11.1m, with significant rises for parking and bus lane infringements as well as for the Dart Charge.

According to figures from Lex Autolease compiled from 317,000 company vehicles, almost half of the penalties came from drivers committing minor traffic offences, such as stop‐ ping in a box junction, with £4.2m worth of fines being issued to almost 25,000 drivers.

Company drivers also accrued £5.5m in fines for parking (£4.4m) and bus lane infringements (£1.1m) in 2015, up 39% and 58% respectively since 2012.

In total, company drivers committed 53,231 more offences

in 2015 than in 2014, bringing the overall figure to 198,186.

This is an increase of more than a third (37%) and is consid‐ erably higher than previous year on year increases (3% from 2012‐3, and 17% from 2013‐4).

Lex said the rise is due in the main to the introduction of the Dart Charge at the end of 2014. The charge accounted for more than 17% of the total offences during 2015, with almost 35,000 drivers falling foul of the new payment system. A lack of driver awareness about the newly introduced legislation has cost businesses dear – a total of £474,497 in its first year.

Overall, since 2012, the cost to businesses of fines has increased by 58%, when the bill came in at a considerably lower £7m.

Astra is Car of the Year

Leasing broker volumes rise 27%

auxhall’s new Astra has been named European Car of the Year 2016.

“We’re delighted the Astra has been recognised for yet another award,” said Rory Harvey, Vauxhall’s chairman and managing director. “To be named European Car of the Year by judges throughout Europe is a testament to the hard work that has gone into the Astra. This is the new model’s first full year of sales, and it has already been well‐received.”

The Astra’s win marks the fifth Car of the Year title for Opel/Vauxhall. The previous winners were the Astra Mk2, Omega A, Insignia and Ampera.

easing volumes through brokers soared by more than a quarter last year thanks to increased SME business and personal contract hire.

BVRLA data shows leasing brokers were respon‐ sible for 208,006 vehicles and combined car and van volumes grew by 27% over the course of 2015.

Leasing brokers’ total car volumes increased by 24% to 148,819 units, while van leasing volumes increased by 36% to 59,187 units. Much of this growth was driven by personal contract hire, which has seen its share of leasing broker business rise to 39% in 2015 from 22% back in 2012. Personal contract hire accounted for 48% of all new agree‐ ments signed by leasing brokers last year.

Business contract hire enjoyed a 61% share of leasing brokers’ business.

Mike Potter, chairman of the BVRLA’s Leasing Broker Committee, said: “This growth shows the prominent role brokers are playing in the fleet industry. Whether it’s cars for personal customers or vans for businesses, brokers are increasingly being called upon to provide access to affordable vehicle finance.”

V

L

MOBILITY HAS NEVER BEEN SO SMART YOUR OPTIONS ARE CHANGING When it comes to vehicle leasing and fleet management, we work hard to understand our customers’ business objectives. We know cleaner, greener, cost effective and sustainable business mobility is high on your agenda and we are here to help. Whatever your requirements are, we’re here to help deliver a solution that best suits you.

Keeping you one step ahead.

06 / fleetworld.co.uk

smart.mobility@aldautomotive.com www.aldautomotive.co.uk

inbusiness

Premium choice You can't go wrong by choosing a German marque, or can you?

Curtis Hutchinson, editor of Motor Trader, looks at some repair quotes.

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o-one’s ever been fired for sourcing German cars for their company’s fleet. As well as being desirable for user-choosers, especially those with an eye for what looks good on their drives, they have gilt-edged whole life costs which makes them more than acceptable to the company bean counters.

The desirability of the German brands is reflected in the annual new car sales figures with competition between the three fierce. Last year saw BMW outsell Audi by just 685 units with a grand total of 167,391 registrations; the previous year Audi outsold BMW by over 10,000. Meanwhile, Mercedes is far from content with its third place with sales up last year by a staggering 16.7% to 145,254.

To put this into context the triumvirate were traditionally seen as occupying a rarefied niche outside of the mainstream. However, they now occupy a position where individually they outsell most of the old fleet volume players, including Peugeot and Renault, as well as Korean brands such as Hyundai and Kia which have been chipping away at fleets for many years.

Indeed, when it comes to recruitment and retention tools the offer of a prestige German brand for middle managers and above is pretty much a pre-requisite.

So while no-one’s been fired for sourcing German company cars, there could be some awkward questions asked about whether or not the right brand has been chosen thanks to some revealing new research on the repair costs charged by the brands.

The research comes from WhoCanFixMyCar.com, the specialist servicing and repairs website, which boasts 7,500 member garages, including many franchised dealerships, generating over 35,000 monthly quotes for drivers whose cars need attention. The findings are particularly significant for smaller SME type fleets where cars may be operated outside of their three year manufacturer warranty cover and owned outright because their residual values are so good.

Back in 2014 WhoCanFixMyCar.com caused something of a stir when it analysed the repair costs of the three premium brands and identified Audis as being the more expensive to repair and Mercedes the cheapest. It’s had another look for 2015, only this time it was able to draw upon more data as its repair network has grown. The headline finding is that Audis are now ‘significantly’ more expensive to repair outside of their warranty than the other two.

“Our data shows Audi repairs to be 12% pricier than the average across the three brands and 26% higher

14 / fleetworld.co.uk

than the average Mercedes repair estimate,” said Alex Rose, marketing director of WhoCanFixMyCar.com.

“It’s a concerning statistic for owners and fans of the Ingolstadt-based brand, particularly with the results so consistent with our 2014 study, which showed a 15% increase versus average and a 31% hike compared to Mercedes.”

The average estimate for an Audi repair was £250, compared with around £220 for BMW and just under £200 for Mercedes. Bear in mind these figures are costs for retail repairs as well, so aren’t necessarily indicative of actual fleet costs under more competitive maintenance deals, but they indicate a general trend.

So what is it that causes the difference across the three brands and is it related to one particular model?

Apparently not.

“The trend doesn’t vary across the core model categories, whether A3, A4 or A6, there’s a clear pattern: Audi repair quotes are higher than the equivalent BMW or Mercedes; typically by an amount comparable to the overall brand average,” said Rose.

While the findings show Mercedes consistently registering the lowest estimated repair bills compared with its two rivals, fleet managers should note that the A-Class is just as expensive as a E-Class to repair. Both the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series attracted lower rates than their bigger stablemates.

The research pinpoints exactly why Audi is more expensive. Although all three brands record comparable average quote pricing for the most regularly required work – such as servicing, new batteries, brakes and exhaust system (where Audi quotes are actually the lowest) – the real gaps open up when requesting less-frequent repair types, such as clutch replacement, cam-belt replacement and issues with central locking.

For example the average transmission repair quote, which was most commonly clutch-related, was £94 dearer on an Audi than a Mercedes. While both water pump replacement and fuel pump replacement showed Audi repair quotes to be 18% higher than the class average.

More significantly for most fleets are the findings on bodywork repair which is not covered by the warranty. Here Audi leads the way with the average quote coming in at around £360, compared with around £320 for BMW and £310 for Mercedes.

So there you have it. If you own German company cars then they become expensive to maintain, especially if they have four rings on the grille.

inbusiness

Quantifying the unquantifiables The Insider is looking at a new driver beahviour product for his fleet: but what unexpected twists will it throw up?

I

don’t know about you, but I really enjoy evaluating a new product and trying to make a business case for it, and then seeing how other consequences of its use might come into play to give added value.

I’m currently looking at a new product which should help our drivers improve their behaviour, using some weird reverse psychology. The costs, as negotiated, are quite straightforward, but working out the cost in terms of benefit is much harder.

Clearly the vendor puts forward their most optimistic case studies, often citing companies who have seen massive savings, largely because they had absolutely no risk management in place before.

Whilst we know we are already driving savings, benefitting from eco-driving courses and mileage capture, sadly we are like many other fleets in that the unknown quantity is the nut behind the wheel.

Room for improvement, in other words. But the question is, how much?

I can see that improved driver behaviour will lead to even better fuel consumption, and I know the cost of my fuel purchase. So that saving is easy to quantify, and if (when) the cost of fuel rises again the saving will be even better. I know the bent metal cost of our accidents, and the proportion which are fault versus non-fault; taking a view on the likely percentage drop in both, emanating from a smoother driving style and greater awareness, is more difficult. Based on our existing record, I suspect the drop will be half the maximum proposed by the vendor. Still a good saving though.

But it’s the costs beyond that which get more difficult to quantify. For instance, if we have less at fault accidents, we will require fewer short term hire cars and associated unrecoverable costs; again, I can have a stab at that figure.

Related loss of productivity will depend on the potential productivity of those most likely to stop having accidents, and their level within the company. There must be an algorithm for this kind

18 / fleetworld.co.uk

of stuff but it’s escaping me at the moment. Shall we even start to think about time off work, costs of hiring in staff, or the stress on those picking up extra work to cover absent colleagues?

Then there is the issue of eloquently communicating the new procedures, and the dangers of not effectively combatting the inevitable resistance. In this case I’m told drivers will hate the system for a brief initial period and that then it will become second nature. Wrongly communicated, and with even a sniff of a suggestion of Big Brother, we will have a whole load of worry on our hands, completely unquantifiable.

So if I think this latest venture is a really good idea, my business case has to make the figures look good, and if you report to a Finance Director who sees things only in terms of black and white on a page, it becomes doubly difficult because of all the unquantifiables. If you report into Human Resources, they will get the emotive reasoning, and the product is easier to sell.

Looking on the bright side, as I said at the top, new ideas can bring other unexpected benefits too. For instance, when we rolled out our mileage capture product, a great side effect was the ability to see which employees were visiting which customers and when; whether people from different departments were going in to see them separately, but might have a better effect making a joint visit; who wasn’t getting seen at all, and who was having trouble getting out of bed in the morning. That was on top of cutting out optimistically calculated business mileage, bringing in the necessity for accurate and timely submission of information by all drivers, and a great audit tool to prove compliance to HMRC. So if we decide to take this new product, what will be the additional upsides? Fewer penalty charge notices to administer – well that must be a good thing. But also a very visible message to our customers and employees alike that we are looking after our drivers’ welfare in a positive way.

inbusiness

What I’ve learnt Selwyn Cooper, head of business sales, Volvo Car UK, on the importance of understanding all elements of a proposal from the outset and the ability of offspring to always accept a free meal out.

Acting as the head of business sales Looking back over my 20 years with Volvo, I’ve been fortunate enough to work across all departments within the organisation to embed fleet and business sales as a cornerstone of our brand’s growth. It has meant working with my leadership team to steer the business through massive change, to deliver our business goals. In that time I’ve witnessed the fleet business transform beyond all recognition too.

Regulations have tightened. Emissions have tumbled and, most importantly, fleet drivers have become more discerning.

Important lessons During my career I’ve learnt that time stands still for no one, whoever you may be. The key timeline in any transaction, be it business or personal, is the one of the person who ultimately makes the decision to accept what you want. As such, it’s critical to understand their timeline and work within it. It’s no good supplying the best product the day after the buyer has placed the contract with someone else.

Understanding others Always try to understand the personality style of who you are dealing with as this will be essential when conducting business. Trying to convince a quantitative person with qualitative arguments is hard work and will more often than not get you nowhere.

Once you appreciate someone’s personality style, it’s best to quickly understand where people’s entry point on knowledge of your specialist subject lies. For example, if you pitch it too low, you risk patronising

FIN fleet in numbers

someone – too high and you’ve lost them completely.

You could have a wealth of knowledge on a subject but fail to present yourself and your business in the correct way, which can affect relationships going forward.

Forward planning You (or at least I do) get so much more work done before lunchtime rather than after. As such, plan to complete the difficult tasks before the mundane/easy ones to ensure you’re fully engaged with what needs to be done. If the challenges aren’t tackled first, they’ll carry forward onto tomorrow’s to do list and before you know it, they become a problem.

In terms of any business transaction, ensure all the fundamentals of the proposal or brief are understood early. Don’t wait until the detailed contracts come through to unearth or impose conditions to you which are not understood at the outset. This will impact people’s perceptions of you from the beginning so never be afraid to ask questions!

Everyday life Spend a little time each day considering how lucky you are to be alive and to live in relative comfort.

Celebrate it, enjoy your successes and learn from the mistakes but also find some time to think of those less fortunate and try to do something, however small, to help if you can.

I think one of the most important life lessons I have learnt is that while my daughters will grow up and make successful careers of their own, they’ll never refuse a family dinner when Dad is paying!

89g/km 800% Reduced CO2 emissions for Volvo V40 as part of mid-life updates.

Increase in drug drive arrests since new drug driving laws were introduced in March 2015.

SOURCE: DfT

SOURCE: Volvo

20 / fleetworld.co.uk

All-New

Renault KADJAR Awarded What Car? and Auto Express 5-star ratings.

A great track record off the beaten track.

Touchscreen Multimedia System with Satellite Navigation Personalised Digital Dashboard Front and Rear Parking Sensors

To book your test drive, call the Renault Business Hub on 0800 731 7066 today.

The official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the All-New Renault Kadjar Dynamique S Nav dCi 110 are: Urban 67.3 (4.2); Extra Urban 74.3 (3.8); Combined 72.4 (3.9). The official CO2 emissions are 103g/km. EU Directive Regulation 692/2008 test environment figures. Fuel consumption and CO2 may vary according to driving styles, and road conditions and other factors. Model shown is All-New Renault Kadjar Dynamique S Nav dCi 110.

BAROMETER Making sense of the surveys

We’ve pulled together the pertinent points from the myriad of research done in the fleet industry this month to give you a clearer view of what’s really going on...

disclosure of points

Source: RAC Insurance

The results of a new survey conducted by RAC Insurance suggest that the vast majority of drivers would not voluntarily disclose to their employer or a third party that they had received penalty points.

87% of business drivers surveyed admitted that they would not inform their employer if they picked up licence points.

18% revealed that they would not inform their insurer if penalty points were issued to them.

25% of motorists who already had penalty points revealed that they had not informed any organisation about their transgression.

effective safety systems

The RAC explained that the implications of not declaring penalty points are serious, with motorists risking having a worthless insurance policy, and hefty penalties from the police. If they were to be involved in an accident they could then face further penalty points, an unlimited fine and be disqualified from driving. The police could even seize and potentially destroy the uninsured vehicle.

Source: IIHS

New research by the IIHS (Insurance Institute of Highway Safety) has revealed how effective safety systems such as AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking) can be in reducing the number and severity of rear-end crashes.

For the study, researchers looked at police-reported rear-end crashes in 22 states during 2010-14 involving Acura, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Subaru and Volvo vehicles with optional front crash prevention. The crash rates of vehicles equipped with the technology were compared with the crash rates of the same models without front crash prevention.

The IIHS research comes on the back of research carried out by Euro NCAP and ANCAP, the independent safety bodies for Europe and Australasia, which showed a 38% overall reduction in real-world, rear-end crashes for vehicles fitted with low speed AEB compared to a sample of equivalent vehicles with no AEB.

22 / fleetworld.co.uk

Using police-reported data, IIHS found that vehicles with AEB installed were 40% less likely to be involved in a rear-end collision, on average.

Forward collision warning alone was found to cut rear-end crashes by 23%.

The autobrake systems were found to greatly reduce the number of crashes resulting in moderate to serious injury.

company car perks

Source: OSV

Company cars still retain their prestige as a job perk, new research conducted by leasing and finance specialists OSV suggests.

33% of employees questioned said that the best perk their job could offer was a company car.

For 19% of workers, a company car was the deciding factor when taking a job, and 16% stated that not having a company car was a deal-breaker.

When asked why a company car is considered such a perk, 41% of respondents said it provides an opportunity to drive a car they wouldn’t ordinarily aspire to, whether through personal or financial issues.

However, only 10% of businesses said they will be looking to invest more into fleet cars in the next 12 months.

OSV joint-company director, Andrew Kirkley commented: “Experience has shown me that my business is only as good and strong as the people I employ to work in it. If enhancing the perks I can offer will give me the edge over my competitors, then in my view it’s money well spent.”

SUV sales soar SUVs are now the best-selling models in Europe, new data has found. The research

by JATO Dynamics shows that SUVs outsold the traditional subcompact and compact segments, posting an increase of 24% at 3.2 million units.

Source: JATO Dynamics

SUV registrations grew in all of the 29 countries analysed, with the UK posting the highest volume increase (26%) from 501,200 units in 2014 to 630,400 in 2015.

Portugal, Spain, Denmark, Croatia and Greece all posted more than 40% growth last year.

Overall, SUV market share grew from 20% in 2014 to 23% in 2015, leaving the subcompacts in second position with a 22% share, and the compact segment third with 21%.

JATO added that SUV growth was partly driven by small SUVs, which contributed almost 38% of total SUV segment registrations in 2015.

However, despite their strong growth, they were still behind the compact SUVs, which accounted for 40% of the total at 1.28 million units.

The Renault Captur is the segment leader in small SUV sales.

JATO’s research also showed the segments that declined in 2015, with large estates down 1%, MPVs down 2% and luxury saloons down 6%.

for the latest daily news from the fleet industry, visit fleetworld.co.uk fleetworld.co.uk / 23

A BMW WITH JUST 5% BIK TAX. BUSINESS AND PLEASURE IN PERFECT HARMONY. The new BMW 225xe Active Tourer combines the exceptional driving that you’d expect from a BMW with buttoned-down business practicality.

Petrol and electric hybrid power mean an attractive 141.2 mpg and CO2 emissions that fall below the 50 g/km tax bracket. With xDrive, our intelligent four-wheel drive system, you can enjoy excellent BMW driving dynamics, no matter what the road conditions.

The BMW 225xe also benefits from the BMW ConnectedDrive App, allowing you to connect to the car with your smartphone. This lets you stay in contact with clients, download notes and emails, as well as plan the most efficient route. Your office is now wherever you are.

Visit bmw.co.uk/2serieshybrid

THE NEW BMW 225xe PLUG-IN HYBRID. Official fuel economy figures for the new BMW 225xe Active Tourer: Combined 134.5 - 141.2 mpg (2.1 - 2.0l/100 km). CO2 emissions

The new BMW 225xe

bmw.co.uk/business

49 - 46 g/km. Figures may vary depending on driving style and conditions. From April 2016 BIK tax 7%.

The Ultimate Driving Machine

inbusiness

Getting a grip Audi reckons it’s cracked the best features of two and four-wheel drive with its new quattro technology. Alex Grant finds out how it works.

What is it?

A new quattro four-wheel drive system for Audis with longitudinally-mounted engines – so the A4 and larger vehicles – targeting fuel economy and CO 2 emissions close to a two-wheel drive version.

winding road route, there was no perceptible difference between the two – the car seamlessly engages four-wheel drive before the driver even knows they need it.

The claims?

How does it work?

Traditionally, quattro-equipped Audis have had permanent four-wheel drive, with 60% of the power and torque directed to the rear axle. If one of the wheels starts to slip, a mechanical centre differential automatically directs power to the corners with the most grip – up to 70% to the front, or 85% to the rear, as required.

The drawback, in dry conditions, is that the engine is still working to turn the propshaft (which connects the two axles), the rear differential and the driveshafts, with an obvious effect on fuel economy. And that’s something Audi wants to claw back.

This new system works differently. There’s a clutch at the back of the gearbox which can decouple the propshaft, and another which separates the driveshafts from the rear differential. This means the car runs in two-wheel drive when there’s plenty of grip, with only minimal drag from the unused parts of the drivetrain. If it needs extra traction – for example, on a patch of snow or mud – the drivetrain reconnects quickly and the clutches brings idle components up to speed to avoid any shudder as it does so.

But this isn’t just a reactive system. Audi wanted it to feel as sure-footed as traditional quattro technology, so it stays in four-wheel drive when driven aggressively and can even predict when extra traction might be needed based on ambient conditions, ESC sensors and driver inputs. On a

26 / fleetworld.co.uk

Audi is targeting class-best fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions for this system. It’s said that this offers a fuel economy benefit of around 0.3l/100km on the combined cycle compared to the outgoing system – equivalent to around 5-7g/km of CO2. The advantages are weighted towards motorway driving, where most of the journey is typically in two-wheel drive.

Further ahead, it’s reckoned that the technology could even be integrated with Audi’s detailed navigation system.

Knowing the topography, weather conditions and severity of corners ahead, the car could pre-plan not only opportunities to freewheel, but it could also switch to fourwheel drive in advance.

When?

The new quattro system will form part of Audi’s Ultra lineup, fitted to its most efficient engines, while performance cars will still use the traditional technology. This starts with the new A4 Allroad, only on the 2.0 TFSI petrol engine with S-tronic transmission at first, but will be available on diesel engines and manual gearboxes within a year, starting with the next-generation Q5. As there are no sheet metal changes required, it’s an easy retrofit for current-generation cars. With fleets accounting for half of all A4 quattro volume in the UK, there’s a potentially large business opportunity for it.

FOLLOW YOUR HEART WITHOUT ABANDONING YOUR COMMON SENSE

MASERATI GHIBLI DIESEL. STARTING FROM £49,160 You know you have always wanted to own a Maserati. Now there is absolutely nothing to hold you back.

The Ghibli Diesel is every inch a Maserati, featuring a gorgeous, coupé-like silhouette, luxury leather interior and with its economical yet potent diesel engine, 8-speed ZF automatic transmission, there are also plenty of rational reasons to justify your decision. www.maserati.co.uk

Official fuel consumption figures for Maserati Ghibli Diesel in mpg (l/100km): Urban 36.7 (7.7), Extra Urban 57.6 (4.9), Combined 47.9 (5.9).

CO2 emissions 158 g/km. Fuel consumption and CO2 figures are based on standard EU tests for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. Model shown is a Maserati Ghibli Diesel at £54,611 On The Road including optional pearlescent paint at £1,776 and 21” Titano alloy wheels at £3,675.

inbusiness

Protecting your fleet against fuel card fraud John Bostock, account development director at Barclaycard, looks at how Chip and PIN provides the key to keeping your fleet secure.

T

he continued development of Chip and PIN technology over the last few years can help fleet managers mitigate against the threat of fraud, both in purchasing and using fuel. By taking advantage of the full capabilities of Chip and PIN cards, fleet managers can ensure they have another tool in their arsenal to help protect and enhance their business.

Making payments more secure Chip and PIN is proven to be a more secure method of payment and since its introduction to the consumer payments market, face-to-face card fraud has plummeted 72%*. Thanks to an increasing number of payment providers embracing this technology, fleet managers are now able to capitalise on its benefits at all stages of fuel buying.

These newer, more advanced Chip and PIN fuel cards, such as Barclaycard Fuel+, combine a microchip that helps to ensure the card is genuine, and a personalised identification system, which prevents almost all misuse by third parties. As a chip card is also easier to monitor, it can be blocked immediately should any unusual activity occur.

Because the card does not usually need to be handled by third parties, it is also more difficult to clone. This helps fleet managers protect their business against organised fraudsters, who have been known to enlist cashiers to ‘skim’ cards under the counter before return-

ing them to the customer, so that the card can be cloned and sold on as a prepaid fuel card.

Providing greater visibility Fleet managers can also use Chip and PIN to gain deeper insight into how their fuel is used. Some payment cards offer a detailed level of audit, helpful for identifying card misuse. Low-level misuse such as occasional personal expenditure can often go unnoticed, and whilst there is often a perception that such small-scale schemes aren’t worth tackling, they can end up costing businesses hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The Barclaycard Fuel+ card, with its sophisticated Mileage Capture and Audit system, provides accurate monitoring of mileage claims to prevent this, and should something go wrong, the card can be blocked or cancelled straight away.

This unique mileage audit system, which produces reports on pence-per-mile and driver efficiency among others, enables fleet managers to not only protect against misuse, but to also pinpoint opportunities for optimising fuel spend.

Whilst the threat of fuel card fraud is not going away, the new generation of fuel payment solutions can certainly help fleet managers to track spending more closely and spot fraud if it occurs. Ultimately, this will not only result in significant savings on fuel expenditure every year, but will also help fleet managers to leverage data to help streamline fuel purchasing and usage.

*Source: ‘Fraud the Facts 2014’ Financial Fraud Action report, May 2014.

28 / fleetworld.co.uk

PURELY BENEFICIAL The Volvo V60 isn’t simply designed for your business, but for the people within it, too. For instance, its Air Quality System recognises when outside air is contaminated and closes the intake, so the cleaner interior air is recirculated. Clean air is understood to not only improve driver alertness, but also reduce the effects of allergies. And when coupled with the Business Edition benefits below, everyone can breathe easy.

• 98g/km CO 2 • 17% BIK • Up to 76.3mpg (combined) • City Safety system • Sensus Connect with Navigation HUMAN MADE FOR BUSINESS DISCOVER MORE VISIT VOLVOCARS.CO.UK /V60AIR

The Volvo V60 D2 Business Edition. From only £209* per month + VAT on Business Contract Hire.

• Initial rental of £1,254 + VAT • 36-month agreement • 10,000 miles per annum • VAT payable at 20% • Excess mileage charges apply Official fuel consumption for the Volvo V60 D2 Business Edition manual in MPG (l/100km): Urban 67.3 (4.2), Extra Urban 80.7 (3.5), Combined 76.3 (3.7). CO2 emissions 98g/km. MPG figures are obtained from laboratory testing intended for comparisons between vehicles and may not reflect real driving results. *Important information: Business users only. Subject to status. You will not own the vehicle. Vehicle must be returned in good condition to avoid further charges. Excess mileage of 10.20p + VAT per mile.

Subject to availability at participating dealers for vehicles registered 01/01/2016 to 31/03/2016. Not available with other promotions. Provided by Lex Autolease Ltd trading as Volvo Car Leasing, SK3 9RB.

Toyota Prius Toyota’s hybrid figurehead offers frugality as extraordinary as its styling, says Alex Grant.

SECTOR Upper Medium PRICE £23,295–£27,450 FUEL 85.6–94.1mpg CO2 70–76g/km

A

rguably launched before its time, the first Prius was a 20th Century solution to 21st Century problems.

Years before legislation twisted the arms of other brands, it gave Toyota a platform to lead on CO2 figures and air quality, and it’s spearheaded big changes.

While others relied on diesel, hybrid is a core technol‐ ogy for Toyota and Lexus. The two brands accounted for almost 90% of last year’s 44,580 hybrid registrations in the UK, offering the technology in everything from super‐ minis to luxury SUVs. Since the oddball first‐generation Prius, hybrids have become a normal part of the range.

But the Prius has slipped into the sidelines. Peaking at over 10,000 UK sales in 2010, only 3,361, plus a few hundred plug‐in versions, were registered last year, while the Yaris and Auris took the top spots. Toyota appears to be comfort‐ able with that, now showcasing its spearhead hybrid in a swooping, sharply‐creased, futuristic body. It’s not targeting large volumes, and makes no effort to blend in.

The drivetrain is an evolution of the outgoing car. Its 1.8‐ litre petrol engine warms up faster and is industry‐lead‐ driver’s car. It’s the first on a new modular platform, with ing in its ability to avoid wasting energy as heat, the two a much stiffer structure, a lower centre of gravity and a electric motor‐generators are smaller and lighter and sportier seating position than before. Not enough to lure weight has been shed from all of the hybrid GT86 drivers out of their coupes, but the Prius system to avoid intruding on cabin space. feels much more like the D‐segment car it’s FLEET FACT But the big difference is the way they’re claimed to be. Ride quality is supple, the used. Although slightly less powerful than controls reassuringly weighty, the cabin before, the drivetrain leans on electric power wraps around the driver and it feels far more This is the as much as possible. Throttle responses are sure‐footed while cornering. first Prius sharper, the engine is quieter and less prone The cabin is radically different, with the capable of to droning under load, and it can coast at up swathes of hard, textured grey plastic towing a trailer. to 68mph just using electricity. It’s become replaced by colour displays, consistent fonts much easier to keep the petrol engine from and phosphor blue illumination, accented whirring into life, and in turn the Prius is effortlessly with chrome and gloss. It’s still unmistakeably a Prius, but thrifty on the motorway as well in its urban comfort zone. finally on par with rivals in terms of quality and design, Toyota has also acknowledged its shortcomings as a only let down by a clunky navigation system.

Toyota reckons half of UK volume will be the entry‐level Active trim, which comes equipped with dual‐zone climate control, DAB radio and a selection of driver assistance technologies, but not the ‘soft‐touch cabin’ listed on other trim levels.

With around three quarters going to fleets, two Business Edition versions can target user‐choosers with their addi‐ tional assistance and comfort features, but it’s only the more expensive of the two which gets navigation and park‐ ing sensors. The top two trim levels can be downgraded to 15‐inch wheels, reducing the price by £400 and bringing it back to the headline 70g/km CO2 emissions.

And that’s really the point. The Prius is one of only two cars without a mains‐rechargeable battery to emit less than 75g/km – the other is the much smaller Yaris Hybrid.

It remains a showcase for hybrid technology, rather than a mass‐market car in the UK, but beneath that striking exte‐ rior, perhaps the most remarkable quality is how normal it’s become to drive.

30 / fleetworld.co.uk

what we think highlights Up to 97.4mpg urban fuel economy, on 15-inch wheels Better to drive, motorway efficiency now benchmarking eco diesels Lower, larger boot with up to 502-litre capacity

Effortlessly efficient and much better to drive, the pioneering Prius is continuing to set the standard for hybrids in the UK. A well-rounded alternative to the often-flaky real-world economy of a plug-in hybrid, for those who can live with the outlandish styling.

key fleet model Toyota Prius Active

fleetworld.co.uk / 31

Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer

Still a great workhorse, but with a much-needed injection of desirability, says Alex Grant.

SECTOR Lower Medium PRICE £16,585–£24,810 FUEL 45.6–83.1mpg CO2 86–142g/km

F

or generations, Vauxhall has carved out a niche for the Astra estate within its fleet offering. Four out of five sell to businesses, often deployed as a capa‐ cious workhorse for end‐users prioritising practicality over the car park cachet of a crossover.

But it’s not only soft‐roaders which are challenging that patch. The Focus Estate is still the biggest seller, but the Octavia has taken second place in the UK. So Vaux‐ hall’s latest Astra Sports Tourer is targeting cheaper running costs and an upmarket feel to broaden its appeal.

“VAUXHALL’S NEW CLASS LEADER.” YES, IT’S AN ASTRA.

P11D FROM £15,240 | CO 2 FROM 88G/KM | MPG UP TO 85.6MPG

SEARCH NEW ASTRA BUSINESS

Official Government Test Environmental Data. New Astra range fuel consumption figures mpg (litres/100km): Urban: 35.3 (8.0)-74.3 (3.8), Extra-urban: 55.4 (5.1)-91.1 (3.1), Combined: 45.6 (6.2)-85.6 (3.3). CO2 emissions: 142-88g/km.

Sharing the hatchback’s huge generational improve‐ ments will certainly help. Widespread weight reduction means it offers the same performance with smaller, more fuel efficient engines, as well as downsizing tyres and brakes to cut running costs. Insurance groups are lower, and P11d pricing has come down across most of the range.

That lightness is noticeable on the road. It’s agile with‐ out needing heavily‐sprung suspension, now riding and handling like the best in the class.

As in the hatch, all versions have a de‐cluttered dashboard with improved material quality and a neat touchscreen setup including Apple and Android connec‐ tivity, in both cases capable of streaming their native navigation apps as if they were built into the car. The clever OnStar system is standard equipment on to SRi and Elite models.

Practicality remains the big selling point, though, and Vauxhall has maximised the available space within a near‐identical footprint. The boot holds 540 litres, 1,630 with the rear bench folded, which is significantly more than the Focus, but smaller than the Octavia – a bigger car overall. There’s no step over the folded rear bench, no intrusion from chassis braces or suspension and a 1.7‐ metre maximum load length.

However, the Astra lacks clever features. So there’s no under‐floor storage and folding passenger seat as on the Octavia, only Elite versions have additional handles to drop the rear bench from the back of the boot, and the new hands‐free powered tailgate is an option on top of the non‐standard keyless entry.

Most UK cars will get one of the three 1.6‐litre diesel engines, weighted towards the 108bhp version offered on all trim levels. This returns up to 78.5mpg and 96g/km, or 83.1mpg and 89g/km with the £500 ecoFLEX package. There’s a small economy compromise for the larger wheels on SRi and Elite models, but, at up to 80.7mpg and 92g/km, both are impressively frugal.

As are the other engine options. The 134bhp 1.6‐litre diesel offers 2.0‐litre performance and up to 74.3mpg, while the 1.0‐litre turbocharged petrol comes in at 65.7mpg and 100g/km (or 97g/km with the Easytronic gearbox). The latter is surprisingly potent and very tax efficient, though perhaps not the best fit for drivers regu‐ larly stretching the Astra’s load‐carrying abilities.

Its potential to radically alter its sales mix is lower than the hatchback, but the workhorse of the range now looks, feels and drives much better than its predecessor, with‐ out compromising its best‐loved qualities.

“VAUXHALL’S NEW CLASS LEADER” - SOURCE: WHAT CAR? DECEMBER 2015.

Official EU-regulated test data are provided for comparison purposes and actual performance will depend on driving style, road conditions and other non-technical factors. 2015-16 tax year. General Motors UK Limited, trading as Vauxhall Motors, does not offer tax advice and recommends that all Company Car Drivers consult their own accountant with regards to their particular tax position. * = Terms and conditions apply and vehicles are subject to availability. Please call 0870 240 4848 for full details. All figures quoted correct at time of going to press (February 2016).

Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine The XC90 T8 has the same advantages, and limitations, as other large plug-ins, explains Alex Grant.

SECTOR Large SUV PRICE £57,350–£63,600 FUEL 134.5mpg CO2 49g/km

T

taken with a pinch of salt and, not unique to the XC90, the he figures behind Volvo’s first plug‐in hybrid SUV read claimed 134.5mpg should be viewed as a little arbitrary. like a recipe for easy success in upper‐echelon Plugged in regularly and used mostly for short commutes, company car fleets. So it should come as no surprise drivers could see at least that. On long journeys with no that it’s already outselling the brand’s UK allocation. recharging, it’ll function as a 2.3‐tonne petrol hybrid – At 25% of the UK XC90 order bank, it’s over twice the though that’s perhaps more of an environmental considera‐ anticipated share and the 2016 model year is sold out. This tion than a cost one for many end‐users. will outsell the V60 Plug‐in Hybrid several times over, heav‐ Real‐world economy is helped by the Volvo’s ability to ily weighted towards fleets, particularly director‐level driv‐ cruise at up to 78mph just using electricity, though that will ers and business owners seeking tax‐stretching luxury. blunt the range considerably. The motor can also assist the There are some similarities to the V60. The XC90 uses a petrol engine at up to 109mph, lightening the load and conventional engine – petrol, this time – to power the front cutting fuel consumption even when the wheels, while the rear axle is electric, battery is depleted, rather than becoming supplied by a mains‐rechargeable a heavy ballast. That’s just as well, lithium‐ion battery. This produces because the XC90 takes at least two and a 407bhp, four‐wheel drive and offers a half hours to fully charge – motorway top‐ 27‐mile electric range. ups are a wasted effort.

However, this isn’t a conversion. The Rein in your expectations about XC90 was designed around alternative performance. The Volvo’s 407bhp gives it drivetrains, so the packaging is much effortless, linear acceleration rather than neater than the V60. There’s no loss of boot adrenaline‐pumping straight‐line pace. space, it still has seven seats and the battery It’s quick off the mark, the supercharged is in a well‐protected compartment in the and turbocharged petrol engine and elec‐ transmission tunnel. Apart from the charg‐ tric torque giving surprising urgency. ing port on the wing, it’s hard to tell.

However, plentiful supercharger whine But it’s the cost benefits that are the under load doesn’t mask the coarse four‐ biggest selling point; a 100% first year Understated and luxuricylinder engine note. capital allowance, 20% relief on corpo‐ ous, the T8 is a strong The main compromise is ride quality. ration tax and low National Insurance cost proposition, even Volvo had to re‐tune the shock absorbers contributions, while drivers get to take and anti‐roll bars in the T8, and the ordi‐ advantage of 7% BiK liability (compared compared to similar plugnarily comfortable steel‐sprung suspen‐ to 29% for the D5 diesel). Most UK cars in hybrids, but real-world sion has become incongruously fidgety. won’t qualify for the new price‐capped fuel economy relies on Easily solved, with the £2,150 air suspen‐ £2,500 Plug‐in Car Grant, but that simply being deployed correctly. sion offering a far more luxurious ride, won’t matter to most customers. even on large wheels. It’s a must‐have.

Modern fuel economy figures can be

what we think

34 / fleetworld.co.uk

DS 3

Light updates for a car which has a big job to do, says Alex Grant.

SECTOR Supermini PRICE £13,995–£24,795 FUEL 52.3–83.1mpg CO2 87–125g/km

a

lthough the DS 3 is the last ex‐Citroën to be de‐chevroned, doing so is the most important step this car has made since its 2010 launch. The once unlikely‐sounding rival to the MINI and Fiat 500 hasn’t just made the French premium brand possible, it’s now the car that’ll help get DS noticed.

It has form. Charming, fun to drive, and with low CO2 on its side, Citroën has found homes for 390,000 of them globally, with over a quarter in its largest market – the UK. This is exactly the well‐targeted, aspirational car DS needs to succeed – and, with the next all‐new car not due until 2018, it has to be.

So the applecart is predictably upright. There are no sheet metal changes, just a new grille and front bumper, while the interior is pitching for the tech‐savvy with its high‐resolution version of PSA’s touchscreen system, deleting 20 physical buttons. Though it’s starting to feel its age, modern smartphone connectivity with Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink does a lot to lift what was already a neatly designed cabin.

The line‐up comprises Chic, Elegance and Prestige versions, with diesels from £15,895. Range‐lowest CO2 comes from the BlueHDI 100 diesel, which is a great fit,

but the cheaper 110bhp and 130bhp three‐cylinder petrols are 105g/km or less. The Cabrio adds £2,300 over the equivalent hatchback, with a neat fabric roof which can retract at motorway speeds. There’s no loss of cabin space, but a 100% reduction in rear visibility with it fully reclined, and restricted access to the otherwise respectably generous boot.

Granted, the ride is a little firm, and perhaps five doors would help broaden its appeal, but the DS 3 struck a chord at launch and this light refresh can’t do it, or DS, any harm.

We’ve done a lot of thinking too Chances are, keeping running costs low and drivers happy are what occupy you most. Same goes for us.

It’s why we redesigned the Civic’s rear wing. So now it not only looks sportier, but saves up to 5mpg.

Great minds really do think alike.

Discover more clever thinking at www.honda.co.uk/civicfleet

Fuel consumption figures for the Civic range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 37.2 – 70.6 (7.6 – 4.0), Extra Urban 54.3 – 85.6 (5.2 – 3.3), Combined

32 /46.3 fleetworld. o.uk– 3.6). CO 2 emissions: 145 – 94 g/km. Fuel consumption figures sourced from official EU-regulated laboratory test results, – 78.5 c (6.1 are provided for comparison purposes and may not reflect real-life driving experience.

Model Shown: Civic 1.6 i-DTEC SR Manual in Brilliant Sporty Blue Metallic.

SWOTTeam This month the SWOT Team analyses the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for the new Toyota RAV4 Hybrid against its closest rivals. Here is what they have to say...

Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

GA A long-standing ‘safe’ choice – quality and reliability are a real draw for some, and ties with hybrid technology instil confidence too.

GA The safe image doesn’t suit everyone…

GA Already established, and the hybrid is up with the cleanest on the market.

GA Smaller rivals and competitive deals from the Germans will drag many in that direction, even if it hits their pocket harder

AC Hybrid technology is established and quiet cruising is a welcome change from diesel engines. 115g/km CO2 is BiK friendly, especially if you prefer an automatic. Generous five-year warranty, and Business Edition is well equipped.

MJ Fresh new ‘family’ looks, though distinctly RAV, are good, but interior improvements are a greater change.

Combined 194bhp gives a respectable 0-62mph of 8.4 seconds. Improved NVH, long warranty, and low BiK. MJ The interior is nicer since its recent refresh, and the hybrid suits this car.

36 / fleetworld.co.uk

AC Not a car for enthusiastic drivers, the CVT gearbox means the engine revs race up when you put your foot down and petrol and diesel models handle better. I struggled to get real-world economy anywhere near the official figures. The interior, though much improved, has lots of cheap feeling plastics.

MJ Range in EV mode is very short – it really needs to be a plug-in. CVT transmission is never the best, and you have to accept that any heavy acceleration quickly takes you off EV power.

MW Despite clever technology, green-ness, and reasonable MPG, there will be those who want to play safe and buy a diesel.

AC Quiet and relaxing around town, and the only automatic achieving these figures, the RAV4 offers something different. However, the CR-V matches its CO2 emissions and, if you don’t mind having a manual gearbox, then its diesel engine would prove to be more frugal.

There are more and more people interested in hybrids, though, and the ongoing war against diesels may help.

MJ Toyota sold 209,000 hybrids in Europe in 2015, and 86,000 RAV4s, so this is an important car and the second best-selling SUV globally.

MW This could change people’s minds about thirsty, dirty off-roaders.

AC Diesel alternatives are a threat, especially for those covering long miles, so the RAV4 could struggle to find as many homes as Toyota would wish. There’s also a threat that it will be overlooked.

MJ Ignoring emissions, drivers like the torque and economy of modern diesels, so changing that will take time – a BMWsourced diesel is also available.

EV range needs to improve – PHEV seems the only option, perhaps until fuel cells arrive!

MW This sector is growing like wildfire. We have to hope that used demand is as high as new sales, or there will be a lot of these cars on used forecourts in future, and prices could suffer.

Martin Ward (MW) Manufacturer Relationship Manager, CAP

Toyota RAV4 Hybrid

Gavin Amos (GA) Head of Valuations, CDL Vehicle Information Services

Mark Jowsey (MJ) Director, KeeResources KWIKcarcost

Strengths GA A safe choice, renowned reliability.

AC BiK-efficient for drivers wanting an automatic.

MJ Long warranty, improved interior.

MW Hybrid suits the RAV4.

Strengths

Honda CR-V SE 1.6 i-DTEC 2WD Navi

GA Clean and economical.

AC Good engine with the manual transmission.

MJ Well built, efficient, good to drive and cost effective.

MW Good looks and improved interior.

Standard equipment: • DAB radio/CD with BT, 2x USB, Aux, HDMI • Sat nav, 7-inch touchscreen • Cruise control • Front/rear parking sensors • Reversing camera • Dual-zone climate control • 17-inch alloy wheels • Auto lights, wipers, dimmer • AEB Optional equipment: • Metallic paint £550

GA Desirability, dearest of the bunch.

AC Not the greatest interior.

MJ Slightly ‘MPV’ styling. 158bhp model is better value.

MW Suffers from an image problem.

OTR: £27,230 P11D: £27,175 Fuel: 64.2mpg CO2: 115g/km RV*: £10,325 (38%) BiK: 21% SMR: £2,078 Fuel costs: £4,293 Insurance: £3,555 Finance: £3,669 NI: £2,588 VED: £60 Cost per month: £921

Strengths

Nissan X-Trail Acenta dCi 130 2WD (5-seat)

GA Competitive pricing, makes a lot of sense.

AC Huge interior and boot space.

MJ Low insurance groups. Spacious.

MW Good value, a tempting D-sector alternative.

Standard equipment: • DAB radio/CD with BT, USB, Aux • Five-inch touchscreen • Cruise control with speed limiter • Front and rear parking sensors • Dual-zone climate control • 17-inch alloy wheels • Auto lights, wipers, dimmer • Panoramic roof Optional equipment: • Metallic paint £550 • Seven seats £900

GA Overshadowed by Qashqai.

AC Lacks individuality next to Qashqai.

MJ Only one diesel engine.

More crossover than SUV. MW Too similar to Qashqai?

OTR: £25,255 P11D: £25,200 Fuel: 57.6mpg CO2: 129g/km RV*: £9,950 (40%) BiK: 23% SMR: £2,384 Fuel costs: £4,785 Insurance: £3,000 Finance: £3,402 NI: £2,608 VED: £220 Cost per month: £881

Strengths

Jeep Cherokee Longitude 2.0 140 FWD

Weaknesses

Jeep Cherokee

Standard equipment: • DAB radio/CD, BT, USB, Aux • Sat nav, 7-inch touchscreen • Cruise control • Reversing camera • Dual-zone climate control • 17-inch alloy wheels • Auto lights, wipers, dimmer • Powered tailgate, keyless entry/start Optional equipment: • Metallic paint £495 • Parking sensors (front/rear) £495

GA Too safe?

AC Real-world economy, CVT whine.

MJ Short EV range, only for light-footed use.

MW Drivers could still want a diesel.

Weaknesses

Nissan X-Trail

Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Business Edition+ OTR: £26,195 P11D: £26,140 Fuel: 57.6mpg CO2: 115g/km RV*: £8,700 (33%) BiK: 18% SMR: £2,425 Fuel costs: £4,830 Insurance: £4,440 Finance: £3,529 NI: £2,164 VED: £40 Cost per month: £970

Weaknesses

Honda CR-V

Andy Cutler (AC) UK Car Editor, Forecast Values Glass’s

GA Jeep heritage, a credible alternative.

AC Brand strength and status.

MJ Good to drive, comfortable and well-equipped.

MW Fashionable Jeep badges, well built.

Weaknesses

GA Far from the cleanest in this segment.

AC Smallest car and highest CO2.

MJ Low awareness. 139g/km will limit its corporate appeal.

MW Could be stigmatised as an upmarket Fiat. High CO2.

OTR: £26,095 P11D: £25,910 Fuel: 53.3mpg CO2: 139g/km RV*: £9,075 (35%) BiK: 25% SMR: £2,535 Fuel costs: £5,171 Insurance: £3,750 Finance: £3,498 NI: £2,896 VED: £390 Cost per month: £976

Standard equipment: • DAB radio/CD, BT, USB, Aux-in • Five-inch touchscreen • Cruise control • Rear parking sensors • Dual-zone climate control • 17-inch alloy wheels • Folding passenger seat Optional equipment: • Metallic paint £650 • Sat nav, 8.4-inch screen £1,800 • Front parking sensors, active stop £750

* 3yr/60k

fleetworld.co.uk / 37

THE NEW ITALIAN CROSSOVER Fuel consumption figures for Fiat 500X range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 32.5 (8.7) – 61.4 (4.6); Extra Urban 49.6 (5.7) – 74.3 (3.8); Combined 42.2 (6.7) – 68.9 (4.1). CO2 emissions 157 – 107 g/km. Fuel consumption and CO2 figures based on standard EU tests for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. *Uconnect™ LIVE systems, where available, require a data enabled smartphone to use. Image shown is Fiat 500X Cross Plus.

BIK

FROM

19%

MPG

COMBINED UP TO

68.9

C02

EMISSIONS FROM

107g/km

KEYLESS ENTRY • CRUISE CONTROL • REAR PARKING SENSORS *UCONNECT™ 5” TOUCHSCREEN WITH BLUETOOTH

To find out more and to book a test drive go to fiat.co.uk/fleet or call our business centre free on 0808 168 6898

fiat.co.uk /fleet

Geneva 2016 Highlights

Swiss Watch

Readying for a new financial year, the world’s carmakers revealed their plans for 2016 at the Geneva Motor Show.

By Steve Moody and Alex Grant.

Ford aims for one more purchase Ford is broadening its Vignale range, showing the S-MAX, Edge and a five-door Mondeo alongside a concept version of the new Kuga. But Ford of Britain chairman, Andy Barratt, said the brand is not trying to be premium.

“Ford is very happy with what it is, and our customers are very happy with our products,” he explained. “All we are trying to do is give them the option of staying with us for one more purchase, instead of moving on to premium brands.

“We know we can sell cars at a higher transaction price – our performance products have shown that – and so we believe that a beautifully made SUV or Mondeo gives fleet customers that extra option to stay within the brand for a while longer.”

Nissan plans SME assault

Audi enters new segment with the Q2

After a year of healthy growth, with the Qashqai recording a 24% uplift, Nissan is concentrating on mid-size businesses as an area for expansion, according to UK managing director, Jim Wright.

The company sold 165,000 vehicles last year, the seventh-largest volume in the UK, and Wright believes there’s more to come. A new fleet sales team will launch this Spring, concentrating on SMEs. “It’s up to us to put feet on the ground, to get out and see these businesses and show them what great products and services we have,” he said.

Despite a seemingly endless number of new cars coming out of Ingolstadt, the Q2 is Audi’s first new segment entry for five years. Arriving in the UK from November, the B-segment crossover is slightly shorter than a three-door A3 and will be a key user-chooser car with almost half going to businesses.

It’s big on personalisation, including a range of colours for the C-pillar ‘blade’, and launches with two diesel and three petrol engines, though the group’s modular platform means it could also get e-tron versions if Audi sees fit.

40 / fleetworld.co.uk

Geneva 2016 Highlights Renault’s momentous day Revealing the stylish new Scenic MPV and Megane Sport Tourer at Geneva, Renault has completed a turnaround plan which has replaced the entire line-up. Indeed, the Twizy electric two-seater, launched in 2012, is now its oldest model.

According to Renault UK’s managing director, Ken Ramirez, introducing the two models will mirror the highly successful programme used to launch the Kadjar, with a long lead-in allowing fleets plenty of time to assess the vehicle and its whole-life costs. The firm was looking at some longer demonstrator periods specifically for fleet managers, he added.

Vauxhall targets end-users

Mitsubishi’s remarkable rise continues Mitsubishi sold nearly 14,000 Outlander PHEVs this financial year. With no sign of demand slowing it will launch five new SUVs and crossovers in the next five years, each taking electrification and four-wheel drive still further.

The B-segment eX-Concept, with a 250-mile EV range, illustrates its belief that the technology will become even more mainstream in the UK, irrespective of grant subsidies, and UK MD Lance Bradley believes this will give even more fleet opportunities.

“Because we are more agile than a lot of firms in Europe, we can be creative in tailoring ‘mobility solutions’ for individual businesses, and that’s something we are seeing a lot more of, when firms want cars that are green, illustrate their commitment to the environment and still get the job done. In the future, as our range expands, that offering will become even stronger,” he said.

Vauxhall is anticipating a retail-weighted sales growth this year, largely helped by the resurgent Astra, but chairman and managing director Rory Harvey sees similar opportunities among user-choosers with the latest models.

That’ll be helped by a refreshed Mokka, though there are no immediate plans to launch a larger crossover alongside it, while the Ampera-e EV is under consideration for the UK market – signs of a broadening range.

“I’ve been with GM for 26 years, in the last five I’ve seen more change than in the previous 20, and we’ll see more change in the next two years than in the last five,” he said.

Familiar names return to Fiat Fiat is dividing its range into two families – one for designfocused products such as the 500, the other aimed at offering high value, practical motoring. The latter is key for its fleet plans, reviving the Tipo name as a hatchback and estate from September, while the former re-introduces the 124 namplate as a sub-£20,000 roadster based on the Mazda MX-5.

Skoda and SEAT cross over Skoda and SEAT see their forthcoming crossovers as core products. The SEAT Ateca, priced from £17,995, is market ready, described by brand president Luca de Meo as a way to “drive forward the success of the range.” Meanwhile, Skoda unveiled the VisionS concept as a preview of its forthcoming large SUV, likely to be named Kodiak, which goes on sale next year.

42 / fleetworld.co.uk

Takes you to your office.

Wherever it may be.

FORD MONDEO

Intelligent All-Wheel Drive P11D

BIK

CO 2

MPG

£20,440 - £29,310

14% - 30%

176 - 94g/km

37.2-78.5

COMBINED

Official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the Ford Mondeo range: urban 27.2-100.9 (10.4-2.8), extra urban 47.9-85.6 (5.9-3.3), combined 37.2-78.5 (7.6-3.6). Official C02 emissions 176-94g/km.

The mpg figures quoted are sourced from official EU-regulated test results (EU Directive and Regulation 692/2008), are provided for comparability purposes and may not reflect your actual driving experience.

Vehicle shown is the Ford Mondeo Titanium 2.0 180PS TDCi with optional Ruby Red special metallic paint, 19˝alloy wheels, panoramic roof, and LED Adaptive Lighting.

Geneva 2016 Highlights

Volkswagen loosens up Volkswagen is focusing on faster decision-making, with more autonomy and responsibility for individual markets, more emotionally appealing products and new EV products, according to CEO of passenger cars, Dr Herbert Diess.

As the firm continues its soul searching following the emissions scandal, Diess said it is reinventing the way it does business; “We are looking at who we are and what we do, we are taking far-reaching decisions, we are breaking new ground and looking for new ideas. We know Volkswagen as some making up to do and we are confident we can win back the trust of our customers.”

Hybrid means business for Hyundai and Kia With a new cee’d, Sportage and a broader Optima range, Kia sees big growth in its fleet presence this year.

Particularly for the first ever Optima Sportwagon, due in Q4 and expected to multiply the brand’s D-sector presence up to eight fold.

Meanwhile, the Niro hybrid crossover slots in below the Sportage, emitting less than 89g/km CO2, and a 37g/km Optima PHEV is due this winter – potentially in both bodystyles. With sister brand Hyundai bringing its Prius-rivalling hybrid, PHEV and EV Ioniq hatchback to market in 2016, the Korean brands are out to start challenging the Japanese dominance of this technology.

Swindon’s Civic goes global For a hint of how Honda’s next Civic will look in production form, have a look at the US-market model launched late last year. Production of the tenth-generation hatchback will stay in Swindon but export markets will include the US, where it will be sold alongside the new coupe and saloon versions built there. Wider, lower and longer than the current Civic, it will debut 1.0 and 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engines, and a revised 1.6-litre diesel.

Conquest goals for Toyota’s hybrid crossover Aiming for emotional desirability, the C-HR’s concept car styling is a leaf out of Lexus’s book. The sub-RAV4 crossover features 1.2-litre turbo petrol and 1.8-litre hybrid drivetrains with CO2 emissions from 90g/km, and launches in the UK later this year.

“This is not another concept,” said Toyota’s EVP for sales and marketing, Karl Schlicht. “This is the real production C-HR. A car that will change the face of Toyota. It is designed to appeal to an entirely new type of customer.”

44 / fleetworld.co.uk

CLIMB MOUNTAINS, LOWER COSTS

CO

2 FROM

115g/km

MPG

BIK

UP TO

FROM

64.2

21%

JEEP RENEGADE ®

To book a test drive call our Business Centre free on 0808 168 5840 or email us at fleet@jeep-comms.co.uk

OFFICIAL FUEL CONSUMPTION FIGURES FOR JEEP RENEGADE RANGE MPG (L/100KM): EXTRA URBAN 47.9 (5.9) – 70.6 (4.0), URBAN 32.5 (8.7) – 55.4 (5.1), COMBINED 40.9 (6.9) – 64.2 (4.4), CO 2 EMISSIONS: 160 – 115 G/KM. Fuel consumption and CO2 figures are obtained for comparative purposes in accordance with EC directives/regulations and may not be representative of real-life driving conditions. Factors such as driving style, weather and road conditions may also have a significant effect on fuel consumption. Model shown is a Jeep Renegade Limited. Jeep ® is a registered trademark of FCA US LLC.

DAYIN THE LIFE...

Russ White > group auctioneer, Manheim

Ready to sell Russ White prepares for another busy day at auction.

46 / fleetworld.co.uk

Russ White, group auctioneer at Manheim, talks to Katie Beck about the buzz of being on the rostrum, and the next big trends at auction.

Nationwide auction network As a group auctioneer at Manheim I engage in pre‐sale activity, trying to get bids on vehicles and placing vehicles, and checking catalogues when needed.

After the sale itself – which is the most visible part of my role – I carry out various bits of reporting around the sale before moving onto the next auction, wherever that may be!

I have auctioneered at nearly all of our 17 auction centres and as group auctioneers we can go as far north as Manheim Shotts, and then all the way down to Manheim Plymouth. That said, this is normally for holiday or sickness cover and we have a monthly rota where we attend the same auctions on a regular basis.

Adrenaline rush Auctions are daily Monday to Friday, including evening sales throughout the week. Average sales can range from over 125 cars per hall, right up to our recent Colchester mega‐sale for BMW, where we sold 1,012 cars – over 250 per lane.

The best thing about my job, apart from the different characters we meet, is the auctioneering itself. Is it the best job in the world? Yes, completely and utterly. If you’ve auctioneered once and you get the buzz and passion from it, I don’t think there are too many jobs to rival the feeling of standing on the rostrum in front of a packed room.

Auctioneers Academy Training for me when I started was on the job, taking at least 12 months before being allowed to sell any fleet or dealer cars on the rostrum. Today, as far as we know, Manheim has the only dedicated auctioneer training programme in the UK – the Auctioneers Academy – so there is more structure to training.

Being a good auctioneer really comes down to your attitude and having a passion for the job – managing both buyers’ and vendors’ expectations is challenging but being straight‐talking and honest is always the best way to approach any situation, in my opinion.

Keeping on-trend There are typical seasonal trends, so 4x4s tend to spike prior to winter weather and the same two/three months prior to summer, convertibles start to gather momentum. Alternatively‐ fuelled vehicles are also starting to come off lease now, and we’re seeing a lot more electric and hybrid vehicles come up to auction, especially with local council and London emissions compliancy changing and adjustments in the export market.

As far as recent trends it’s really all about the colours now, with white being the colour of choice for many months. I have to stop myself saying, “In the Russell White” as I need new material!

Who knows what the next colour will be? My guess is that red could be the future colour of choice.

Time for something different The specification of a vehicle can really affect how well it sells; leather, satellite navigation, and transmission type – and of course colour – can make a big difference to car values. Lack of spec can have a dramatic effect to a car’s auction value.

As for the upper end of auction values, selling a Rolls‐Royce Phantom Drophead at £330,000 when they first came out has been the highlight so far! I also love selling anything limited edition and different, and anything classic that makes you say, “I’ve not seen one of those for a while”. If it’s an MG Metro, Maestro or Montego, well they get the royal auctioneering treatment! fleetworld.co.uk / 47

FEATURE Risk Management

Safety

in numbers

A vital part of Europe’s automotive industry since 1969, insuranceowned independent organisation Thatcham has played a huge role in reducing running costs for fleets. Alex Grant finds out how.

A simpler repair

E

ach year, Thatcham puts around 40 vehicles through a three‐to‐six week assessment, finding the most efficient way to repair them after an acci‐ dent. Although this might sound like a peripheral concern to fleets, the benefits go beyond the bodyshop industry.

All new models are launched with a set of repair methods; instructions for bodyshops to return the car to its origi‐ nal condition and safety performance.

But they’re often inconsistent in the way they present data, and can be costly – up to £5,000 per manufacturer.

That’s where Thatcham can help. For nearly 50 years, it’s developed its own, insurer‐approved methods, aimed at streamlining the process. Data is presented in a standardised format, showing not only how to dismantle and repair the car, but listing parts to order in advance and showing potential break‐ ages and safety hazards. It’s all tailored towards common damage and work‐ shop equipment, and offered at a more reasonable £1,600 per year.

Speed is of the element: “On volume selling vehicles, which are therefore

48 / fleetworld.co.uk

likely to have higher repair volume, we would conduct an extremely detailed repair analysis and methodology on all areas of the car,” explains Dean Lander, head of operations at Thatcham. “On vehicles that sell less volume it may be decided that the best way of ensuring that the method is available as quickly as possible would be to look at producing

repair methods initially on the most commonly damaged areas of the car.”

Andrew Hooker, future vehicle engi‐ neer, says this has become significantly more challenging recently, particularly regarding the need for diagnostic equipment on modern vehicles. It’s common for cars to need computer resets or recalibration, now including items such as steering wheel angle sensors, radar and cameras for safety equipment and capacitors for Stop/Start systems.

And that’s just the start, Hooker explains: “The last decade has seen a marked increase in new technologies including the use of high strength steels and composite materials, such as carbon fibre, in vehicle construction; the increasing popularity of both hybrid and fully electric vehicles and the use of more advanced sensor and camera systems as the enabler for a wide range of Advanced Driver Assist Systems. As these safety systems become even more advanced and with the advent of inter‐ net connectivity we will continue to see rapid change.”

“One reason we’re so keen to promote Autonomous Emergency Braking is that it’s actively reducing whiplash claims” Matthew Avery, director of research, Thatcham

Safer, and more secure

T

hatcham’s extensive technical knowledge has led it to be a contributor to the insurance Group Rating system since the 1980s, taking over administration in 2001. Its work informs 70% of the data used to rate a new car, which means the organi‐ sation has a deciding role in the cost of premiums – something manufacturers can’t ignore if they want to remain competitive.

This isn’t just based on performance or desirability, vulnerability to expen‐ sive repairs is a factor. Good bumper skin design, for example, can avoid more expensive repair of other panels, while energy‐absorbing parts behind can protect the structure of the car. Smart design goes beyond aesthetics; it affects whole‐life costs too.

However, repairs are becoming more expensive, says Landers: “This is partly due to new technology, for example Xenon headlamps. In one example the cost of a headlamp on the highest trim level is over £800 ‐ where at the lowest trim level it is a far more reasonable £275. This can clearly have a significant

impact on the overall cost of repair and, in the case of headlamps, this obviously relates to a particularly vulnerable area, which is very likely to sustain some level of damage in a crash.”

Arguably, though, Thatcham’s best‐ known work relates to vehicle security.

The Group Rating system has been instru‐ mental in encouraging much higher levels of factory‐fitted equipment, and it’s had a significant effect. Annual vehicle thefts reduced from 600,000 to 100,000 since the organisation began assessing security systems in the mid‐1990s, saving an annual £300m per year in claims.

Savings which are reflected in premiums.

However, while that’s cut the oppor‐ tunists out, the ongoing challenge is ‘professional’ gangs with specialist equipment to hack into on‐board diag‐ nostic (OBD) ports and programme new keys. Thatcham recently began assessing the security of diagnostic ports, advising manufacturers on ways to encrypt access and also accrediting physical shields which stop people getting at the port in the first place. It’s also the latest member of the Cyber Security Consortium for Connected Vehicles, readying itself for an industry with products which are likely to become progressively more vulnera‐ ble to cyber attack.

fleetworld.co.uk / 49

→

FEATURE Risk Management

From Passive, to Active

→

O

ne of a handful of Euro NCAP‐approved test centres, Thatcham has a role in deciding the safety ratings of new vehicles – still a vital component of the decision‐making process for fleet and private buyers. It’s also been instrumental in introducing new test procedures in its time as a member.

Among them, the organisation is working to protect occupants against whiplash, an injury which costs insurers £2bn per year in claims. Testing showed well‐designed headrests can offer 40% better protection than a bad one, according to director of research, Matthew Avery, while rear‐seat headrests have been included in the Euro NCAP test since 2014.

However, reducing whiplash claims is more complicated, Avery adds: “There hasn’t been a huge reduction, it’s a diffi‐ cult problem. A lot are fraudulent and insurers say it’s the claims culture which is responsible. One reason we’re so keen to promote Autonomous Emergency Braking is that it’s actively reducing whiplash claims. Those are benefits we can

prove; it’s preventing the crash in the first place.”

But AEB is almost always optional, and fleet take‐up is lower than in privately‐owned vehicles. Avery says studies have shown it can reduce crash rates by 45%, but the extra cost is problem‐ atic as it’s not reflected in residual values. But the insurance industry is recognising the benefits with reduced premiums, of up to 10%, which could start to change attitudes.

It’s the start of a longer road towards driverless cars.

Thatcham is part of the Autonomous Driving for Insurance group, formed with the ABI, which is bringing insurers together to get better understanding of the benefits and challenges of this technology, ahead of the first hands‐free regulations arriving in 2018. Chief among which, it’s working out a streamlined way to work out liability – avoiding lengthy, expensive legal battles – after an accident. So, while new technology might be making repairs more complicated, it could also be a vital component of reducing the risk of an accident happening in the first place.

FACE TO FACE: Thatcham at Fleet Show 2016 With experts on-hand and a selection of new vehicles to test, Thatcham is offering a unique opportunity for Fleet Show 2016 attendees to sample the latest technology for themselves, and to discover how it can offer real benefits for their business. To find out more, visit thefleetshow.co.uk

50 / fleetworld.co.uk

QUITTING LETS NICK BREATHE EASY

Aiming to halve corporate emissions and save £140,000* on contract hire and fuel.

By quitting a conventional fleet for petrol full hybrids, Nick is helping to cut Itec’s CO2, NOx and particulate emissions by 50%. Thanks to lower BIK, drivers will also pocket average tax savings worth £1,200 each over the next three years. And, as contract hire and fuel costs will also fall by £140,000, Nick can breathe easy too.

Read Nick’s story at toyotalexusfleet.co.uk

* Saving based on switching original VW diesel fleet to Toyota and Lexus hybrids.

INTERVIEW Mel Dawson, ALD Automotive

Softly spoken ALD Automotive has seen huge growth and 2016 is shaping up to be one of the biggest years in its history. But it is not a company that likes to shout about its success, Steve Moody finds.

A

ctions speak louder than words – it’s not exactly a new code to live by, but the amount of hot air often expelled by business people looking to claim how fabulous and groundbreaking their company or product is suggests that it’s not a concept followed as often as it should be.

There’s no danger of that happening at ALD Automotive though. One of the biggest and most successful leasing companies in the country, and the world for that matter, it makes no grand claims for itself, offers no grandiose sweep‐ ing statements of intent. It just gets on with the job.

The actions do speak loudly, though. In the last four years its fleet in the UK has grown by over 50,000 vehicles from 72,000 to 123,000 vehicles. And that has been achieved through organic growth, not acquisition. On top of those figures, it will be relocating at the end of this year to a smart new purpose‐built office complex just outside Bristol.

Clearly things are going extremely well. One of the core elements of this success is the people who work for ALD, and the length they have been there. Since moving to its current offices, following a management buy out in 1995, many of the employees have been there all along. The management team, headed by Mel Dawson, are similarly long serving, and it’s that quiet confidence born of long‐acquired experience filtering down from the top that makes the company what it is.

While ALD might not be the most bombastic when it comes to telling everybody what it is up to, that not to say it is conservative or old fashioned. The company has been a market leader in telematics, having started the ProFleet programme way back in 2003, and so it now has huge expe‐ rience in what businesses want in terms of journey and vehicle data management.

And Dawson says there is a huge amount of work going on, mostly behind the scenes, to ensure that what the company offers its customers is market‐leading.

“We are constantly looking at everything that we do, taking every business practice apart to see how it can be improved,” he says. “So although on the surface, at the level at which our customers deal might seem the same, in order to get to that point there has been a huge amount of back office work going on, whether it be dealing with customer queries to ensure response times are quicker or developing an enhanced payment process to ensure our dealer part‐ ners are paid more efficiently when they deliver one of our funded vehicles.

Everything has to be looked at constantly to ensure that every element of the proposition works well, with the result that our customers get even better service.”

Dawson believes that only when you know your customers’ operations at a granular level can you really help them to improve their fleet operation.

52 / fleetworld.co.uk

“In the leasing industry, there’s far too much emphasis on the rental price, and not enough on usership or the total cost of ownership. It’s all very well for a business to think they’ve got a great leasing deal at, say £300 a month for a car, but if that car is only being used 60% of the time, then about £100 of that rental is being wasted. So our job is to understand what a business, and its employees, needs in terms of vehi‐ cle provision, and advise how they can do it better.

“Over the years, thanks to our telematics provision and the fact that we have seen how fleets operate down to a very detailed level, I believe we’ve become good at doing this, and at acting in a very consultative way.”

In the future, the challenge will be to take this even further, Dawson believes, to offer a complete package of solutions for all mobility needs. But that’s for the mid‐term.

The next steps are what will happen when ALD move lock, stock and barrel into its new building. The new offices will have a high proportion of electric charging points, for exam‐ ple, because the firm believes it needs to offer its staff and visitors all manner of travel options.

Obviously it is an exciting change, and almost 300 staff are certainly looking forward to the smart new surroundings, but we talk about the dangers too.

“As a company, we pride ourselves on our customer service.

Those high standards come about because the various depart‐ ments in the company link together extremely well. We’ve been in this building for 20 years, and so everyone knows how everything operates, and where to go and who to speak to when an issue needs dealing with. When you move into a new building, you have to ensure that process is not affected.

“So we have been spending a huge amount of time plan‐ ning this, so that the move enhances the way we operate, allowing our employees to work together even better to deliver for our customers. I’m confident this will happen, but it is something we are very aware of.”

It all goes to suggest a business that is quietly confident in the way it goes to market. A huge year for ALD beck‐ ons. But don’t expect much trumpeting or fanfares while it goes about it.

Building for the future ALD’s new HQ

“We are constantly looking at everything that we do, taking every business practice apart to see how it can be improved.�

fleetworld.co.uk / 53

MANAGEMENT Fleet World Round Table in association with SPONSORED BY

Fuel, fraud, drivers & cards The experts...

Our round table between fleet managers, fuel management experts and consultants, in association with Barclaycard and TMC, produced some interesting discussion and talking points on how best to manage fuel, HMRC, driver behaviour and procurement.

Here are some of the highlights and pertinent points raised: ON FRAUDULENT CLAIMS The group discussed how to manage driv‐ ers’ fuel spending, and how to ensure they are claiming for their business miles and not acting fraudulently with spurious claims.

Andrew Saunders reckoned the poten‐ tial for fraud is high if fleets are not care‐ ful. He said: “With a lot of fuel cards, the retailer is duty, but not legally, bound to put in mileage and a registration. But, they can put in any details, making it easy for a worker to manipulate the system, back‐to‐ back fuelling vehicles for example. Once the fuel is in the vehicle I find a lot of fore‐ courts aren’t bothered.

“So we’ve brought in telemetry, smart card systems and reporting structures to try and get the fundamentals right and cut a lot of this behaviour out.”

Georgina Smith agreed and said she had put in place systems to pick up on excep‐ tional claims. She said: “We’ve found that with TMC’s solution they hold data on fuel tank capacity and track it against fuel purchases. Anything fraudulent gets picked up very quickly. The classic case you hear about is an employee who leaves and doesn’t hand back the card, because it hasn’t been managed.”

Gemma Icke from TMC agreed and said getting mileage was key: “You have to have the process in place in that case. If there’s no mileage that should raise questions

54 / fleetworld.co.uk

Steve Moody, editor, Fleet World Georgina Smith, fleet manager, Healthcare at Home Andrew Saunders, head of fleet, McGinley Gemma Icke, account manager, TMC Peter Bonney, fleet controller, Salvation Army Sue Davies, vice president, Barclaycard Fuel + Maria Yanev, senior manager, total reward, Kao UK Helen Moore, fleet consultant, Enery Saving Trust David Rawlings, director, BCF Wessex Consultants John Inches, head of account development, Barclaycard Fuel + Katya Godin, Kao UK

internally. We’ll flag up fuel spend with no mileage data against it. I think it’s being aware of what the guidelines are.”

ON GETTING ACCURATE DATA Peter Bonney wants to get more accurate data to ensure that his organisation is not over‐paying on fuel. He said: “We’re using ‘pay and reclaim’ at the moment but the issue of over‐claiming mileage is an area for misuse. We’ve not used fuel cards but what is driving us towards them is that we moved to HMRC AFRs, having used our own rate, but calculating your own rate and defending it is difficult, so we’ve had to bite the bullet with fuel cards.”

“A lot of people don’t see it as theft, just adding a few miles on. But it is,” added David Rawlings.

“We’ve brought in telemetry, smart card systems and reporting structures to try to cut misfuelling behaviour out.”

Andrew Saunders, McGinley

Sue Davies believes that without timeliness and accuracy when making mileage claims, errors can creep in to data, even if drivers’ inten‐ tions are honest.

“When capturing data at point of sale, the driver has got to remember the odometer reading correctly then give the right figure, then the attendant has to key it in correctly,” she said.

“Here are three areas in which errors could occur. This is a different issue from filling more than one car. So there’s fraud and negligence.”

“The problem is, with organisations becoming leaner, there’s no way a company can analyse their mileage claims themselves,” said Katya Godin.

“It just takes up too much time, person‐ nel and costs too much money. Where I started was I wanted a provider who can link reporting of the mileage with the fuel card then do the analysis behind the scenes.”

“We find drivers often tot mileages up to fives and 10s as it’s easier to add up.

But that extra mileage soon adds up.

You need to really look at every journey.

We measure postcode to postcode now, and it’s much better. If there’s a prob‐ lem TMC will pick it up,” Smith added.

“Changing behaviour is hard,” said Icke. “We’ve found it’s best to take driv‐

ers in a completely new direction, remove the old process, tell them the new data will be audited, and so the new behaviour is put in place straight away.”

USING FUEL MANAGEMENT TO SPOT WIDER TRENDS Working with a number of fleets that use Barclaycard and TMC for fuel management, Gemma Icke has found you can analyse fuel use to spot wider risk trend. “We’ve seen that if you can say: “You’ve got a colleague in the same car, and he’s 14ppm and you're at 20ppm”, almost always you’ll find that the person you are talking to is using a lot of fuel, is overfilling, putting in random mileage and is more prone to accidents.

That comes just from analysing the fuel use.”

“Yes, when you have more accurate fuel management, it has a knock‐on effect in every aspect because they understand you are watching them more closely, as fleet managers you have to look at this,” agreed Smith.

“We’ve started to give travel passes for urban work, rather than using the car, and that was off the back of looking at mileage.

It was a big realisation to us from the fuel card mileage reports we were getting. You do start looking at hard facts.”

“So many fleets say we are ditching private fuel so we’re going to get rid of fuel cards completely, but we say no, the best

way is to keep the cards and get as much data as you can because that gives you a route to influencing your drivers in positive way,” added Helen Moore. “It’s got to be based on solid accurate data, how they drive, where the fuel is purchased. Having the odometer reading on the bill gives you so much more power, but so many fleets can’t connect the data and make sense of it.”

ON HMRC & VAT COMPLIANCE Everyone round the table agreed that having robust fuel data and strong report‐ ing systems helps with VAT compliance and back‐up in case of a HMRC investigation.

David Rawlings reckoned that HMRC will often look at how VAT on fuel is managed to check how robust a firm’s accounting procedures are. He said: “There’s a lot of incorrect VAT treatment on fuel, because it needs to be policed and you have this element of personal use that can be hard to manage on a local level by the employer let alone at a global level by HMRC, and its one of the spot checks that HMRC use to see if there are potentially wider problems.

“They’re not checking it, they’re just asking what you do. If you don’t know what you’re doing with VAT, it probably indicates wider problems.”

These concerns resulted in Maria Yanev bringing in a fuel card provider. “We weren’t compliant with HMRC and we had to change

one way or another,” she said. “HMRC wants good presentable data to show what your doing. You can employ a lot of people to present the data for when it is required by HMRC, but that is expensive.

“Its one of our recommendations that VAT links back to the fuel card, as that makes life easier,” said Icke. “There are scenarios where firms are claiming the whole amount when they should only apply the business, and some that don’t recover it at all because they don’t have the data to do it.”

Georgina Smith resolved issues her firm had using fuel cards. She explained: “Our fuel card provider does all our reporting for us, and it goes through to our finance department and it seems very straight‐forward. So it’s not an area I need to be concerned about now, thank goodness!”

“We weren’t compliant with HMRC and we had to change one way or another.”

Maria Yanev, Kao UK

fleetworld.co.uk / 55

FEATURE Fleet advice

Ask the EXPERTS Our panel of experts answers your latest fleet conundrums...

Mohsen Mohseninia

John Messore

Vice President for International Market Development Aeris Communications

Senior Partner

“What is the ‘Internet of Things’ and what issues will it present for fleets?”

“Many of our staff have a private fuel benefit, which seems expensive and we are looking to remove it. What do we need to consider?”

GF, Engineering, Huddersfield.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is where all devices are connected and interdependent, and security is a significant issue fleet and telematics providers need to take seriously. Just recently, another major car manufacturer had a security loophole exploited where hackers were able to take control of an automobile remotely.

This is a reminder that anything connected to the Internet is hackable. Today’s connected businesses need to give serious thought what steps must be taken to secure their mission-critical systems. Not only do businesses stand to lose valuable time, resources and data, but a major security breach can lead to irreparable damage to consumer trust.

Unlike securing an enterprise network, securing an IoT system requires looking at the security of a vast ecosystem of devices, connections, and data. Designing IoT security into your business is the wise thing to do and taking into consideration future scale and longterm use will help avoid major pitfalls surrounding Internet of Things security.

Building authentication into devices from the start and making sure data is secure at all points along the transmission process will go a long way to helping secure the Internet of Things.

Each connected device may produce millions of bits of data that’s transmitted, collected, analysed, and stored, and security should be considered at each step.

IoT security must also be able to scale, as a simple deployment today may turn into hundreds or thousands of devices in the near future.

Finally, long-term planning is crucial for secure devices.

Upgrades may not always be easy with IoT devices because of how they’re deeply integrated into processes and systems. It is critical to take into consideration overthe-air security updates or upgrades that need to be done during regular maintenance.

56 / fleetworld.co.uk

Innovation Professional Services Ltd

TS, manufacturing company, Manchester.

Private fuel is still a popular benefit according to HMRC figures with 200,000 of the 940,000 company drivers still receiving this benefit.

The leasing company mantra has previously been to simply remove it. But there are many things to consider as well as there being simple, but much smarter alternatives to the traditional approach of a full buy-out or removal.

• Any removal of private fuel could be viewed adversely by staff who see it as a gradual erosion of benefits.

• For some staff with long commutes it is actually a very tax efficient perk.

• There could be a cash flow impact on any staff if fuel cards were removed and employees could end up with more admin on a ‘pay and reclaim’ basis.

• If mileage records are not accurate and supportable there could be adverse HMRC tax risks.

• Cars, fuel prices and personal circumstance can fluctuate so that any decision which seems logical one tax year could give you the wrong (more costly) result in a subsequent year.

There are smarter ways to remove the cost of free fuel without the pain and downside of unilaterally removing fuel cards. But you will need to have an HMRC compliant mileage capture system to make it easy, quick and accurate for drivers to record mileages.

The starting point is a proper review of each driver to see what (if anything) the private fuel benefit is costing with a view to identifying the right answer for each individual.

in association with

nissan.co.uk/fleet

Jonathan Hewett

Barry Beeston

Head of Strategy Octo Telematics

Corporate Sales Director Nissan Motor GB

“Does the recent crash of a Google car prove autonomous cars are still a long way off?”

“What are manufacturers doing to deliver a better service to the SME market?”

LT, Online Media, London.

DF, Distribution, Crawley.

The advent of autonomous cars could revolutionise transportation, offering a safer, more fuel-efficient and comfortable experience. However, the recent crash between a municipal bus and Google’s self-driving Lexus RX450h in California demonstrates that we still have numerous hurdles to overcome on the path to a driverless future.

Experts acknowl- It could be decades edge it could be before regulators allow decades before regulators allow vehicles vehicles to be built withto be built without out manual controls. manual controls, and it is possible that during the transition period when conventional and self-driving vehicles would share the road, safety might actually worsen. It’s clear that throughout this journey, the insurance industry will play an important role, supporting this evolution by providing data driven insurance at every stage.

Some might argue that if autonomous cars become ‘crashless’, we may not need motor insurance. But this viewpoint is overstated. A January 2015 study by the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute said it is not clear whether a self-driving vehicle would ever perform more safely than an experienced driver.

More likely, autonomous cars will significantly reduce the number of accidents that occur, meaning less claims but requiring more sophisticated assessment. As autonomous cars are driven by navigational data provided by a series of sensors, any accident will require software and hardware analysis to understand why it occurred and analogous to ‘black box’ flight recorders in aviation. Therefore telematics-based insurance policies will be critical in the technology driven future.”

As part of a major reorganisation and strengthening of Nissan’s fleet operations over the past twelve months, we have taken a number of steps to ensure all businesses, both large and small, experience the same high levels of customer service.

Perhaps the biggest single step so far has been the appointment of a team of five Dealer Fleet Managers (DFMs) to support and develop our nationwide network of specialist Business Centres and the local fleet specialists (LFSs) we have working within them. The objective of this team is to ensure our Business Centre network is adequately resourced to meet the needs of our local business customers.

The appointment of the new DFMs was just a small part of a larger package of improvements. Nissan’s entire Business Centre proposition was relaunched in summer 2015; including new systems and tools, upgraded training for our LFSs, the launch of a comprehensive fleet ‘promise’ and a new fleet menu pricing programme. This was later complimented with the new 5-year manufacturer warranty on all LCV products*, including NP300 Navara, which won the International Pick-Up Award 2016.

We haven’t stopped there. Nissan has recognised there is a very important group of business customers operating fleets between 50 and 200 vehicles, who are not always served adequately by either the dealer network or the manufacturer directly. We are introducing a new mid-sized fleet team from April 2016. This new specialist team (9 field based and 9 back office) will work in full partnership with the Business Centre network to offer in-depth and expert support to SME customers whenever it’s required. Combined with the already successful corporate sales team (now focusing on 200 plus sized fleets) Nissan is able to offer all customers excellent service. *Excludes e-NV200

fleetworld.co.uk / 57

FEATURE Vehicle interiors

Safe and Sound Active noise cancelling technology has the potential to make driving quieter, but also safer and more efficient, Chris Pickering reports.

A

ctive noise cancellation is the latest tool in the car industry’s quest to improve refinement and make cars less stressful places to be for company car drivers.

It works on a similar principle to noise cancelling headphones, feeding signals through the stereo to boost or supress certain frequencies.

The physics behind it is actually quite simple. Soundwaves are a series of peaks and troughs; when two peaks collide the overall volume will increase, but if a

58 / fleetworld.co.uk

peak coincides with a trough then the two signals cancel each other out.

Noise cancellation systems use a digi‐ tal signal processor (DSP) to analyse the unwanted soundwaves and produce a mirror image, matched to the same frequency. They work in much the same way as the noise enhancement systems increasingly found in high performance cars, except here the effect is reversed.

Predictably, it’s a lot harder in practice than it sounds in theory, particularly when you’ve got a whole car to deal with.

For a start, the sound comes from a range of sources, transmitted to various parts of the cabin through a complex network of different paths. As each soundwave travels, the peaks and troughs occur at different points, so without careful design, a system that makes things quieter for the driver could increase noise levels for the passengers.

Likewise, the design needs to be care‐ fully matched to the cabin’s acoustics, otherwise opening a window or folding the rear seats could destroy the benefits.

Art of Noise By monitoring sound waves entering the cabin, the system can counteract them using opposite frequencies from the car's audio system.

Engine noise is the easiest to address as the sound can be predicted quite accurately simply by looking at speed and load data from the ECU. In theory, you don’t need any acoustic input at all.

Even so, most manufacturers use micro‐ phones strategically placed around the cabin to provide additional monitoring.

Road noise is harder to tackle.

Harman is thought to be the only supplier offering this functionality at present, and its system uses a series of accelerometers mounted on the chassis and the suspension to pick up oscilla‐ tions from the tyres as they’re transmit‐ ted through to the cabin. Using this approach the company claims to have achieved peak reductions of up to 10dB for road noise, while evidence suggests as much as 20dB is possible for certain frequencies of engine noise. It’s worth remembering that these reductions apply to specific harmonics, though.

Averaged over the whole frequency range the effect is less pronounced.

As noise cancellation becomes more affordable and more advanced we’re likely to see its use increasing. Audi has employed this technology for several years on its flagship models, while brands like Ford, Infiniti and Fiat‐

Chrysler are starting to embrace it too.

It’s not simply about comfort, either.

Recent studies suggest that reducing cabin noise delays the onset of driver fatigue, which is the primary cause of around one‐in‐four serious accidents.

What’s more, cancelling out noise elec‐ tronically could allow manufacturers to reduce weight by shedding a significant amount of sound deadening material – potentially enough to result in tangible benefits to fuel economy and CO2.

It could also help the motor industry address new challenges. One area is to improve the perceived quality of ‘down‐ sized’ two or three cylinder engines, which can sound quite industrial in their natural state. Another is to mask the use of cylinder deactivation – a concept first employed on big V8s and V12s, which is now filtering right down to three cylinder engines. Likewise, it could help to disguise use of the combustion engine on hybrids or range‐ extended electric vehicles.

It’s relatively early days at present, and it has to be said some noise‐manip‐ ulation systems work better than others. Nonetheless, it presents an intriguing option for car makers facing a rapidly changing world.

fleetworld.co.uk / 59

→

FEATURE Vehicle interiors

Clean Air Air ionisers can boost concentration by improving oxygen absorption.

→

In a better place As well as noise cancellation, other innovations are being combined to help keep drivers safer.

New technology is fundamentally changing the way we spend time in cars, from infotainment systems to control of the vehicle itself.

Perhaps the most far‐reaching implications come from the growing use of mobile internet connections. Streaming music services like Apple CarPlay and Spotify now allow drivers to take their favourite playlists with them from vehicle to vehicle, but that’s just the start. Data from social media and calendar apps will give the car unprecedented access to the driver’s likes and dislikes, allowing it to personalise everything from music selection to route guidance. Always listen to a specific type of music on the way to the gym? Very soon the car will be able to spot where you’re heading and shuffle the media player accordingly.

It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to put your feet up and watch Netflix while this is happening – at least not for the foreseeable future. Nonetheless, manufacturers are looking into ways of helping the driver to do more without distraction. BMW’s Connected Drive system, for instance, will now read text messages and emails aloud, even allow‐ ing you to dictate replies.

Beyond that, there’s a whole barrage of tech‐ nology aimed at helping drivers to relax and de‐ stress. Mood lighting, for instance, helps to tailor the ambience of the cabin by providing subtle areas of illumination, without creating a specific, identifiable light source that might distract the driver.

Air purifiers with user‐selectable scent cartridges aim – quite literally – to improve the

60 / fleetworld.co.uk

“Streaming music services like Apple CarPlay and Spotify now allow drivers to take their favourite playlists with them from vehicle to vehicle, but that’s just the start.”

atmosphere inside the cabin. The BMW 7‐Series even has an air ioniser; this emits negatively charged ions, which bind onto dust particles and cause them to stick to positively charged surfaces.

It provides an advanced form of air filtration, but there’s evidence to suggest that inhaling nega‐ tively charged ions may also improve the body’s ability to absorb oxygen, boosting concentration and alertness. Some scientists even claim it could help fight depression and seasonal affective disorder.

For a more hands‐on approach, an increasing number of manufacturers are turning to massage seats, along with ever more sophisticated heat‐ ing and ventilation systems within the seat itself.

It might not be long before the driver becomes an integral part of this technology, either. French firm Faurecia has produced a seat that was able to monitor the driver’s heartbeat and breathing patterns using piezoelectric sensors embedded in the seat cushions. From this, it can monitor the driver’s health and stress levels.

In an extreme case, that means a car with an automatic driving function could raise the alarm and bring itself safely to a halt if the driver suffered a heart attack. In day‐to‐day use it would be able to monitor their emotional state and automatically trigger soothing functions like massage seats. That may sound far‐fetched, but Faurecia says this technology could be on the market by 2020.

The impact of these functions may be modest in isolation, but combined they have the poten‐ tial to make a big difference. The car of the future will be smarter, more efficient and more comfort‐ able and a less stressful environment for company car drivers to spend their time in.

advertisement feature

Providing a complete picture of driver risk ARI looks at how its latest developments could help organisations take a best practice approach to managing and improving driver risk and road safety.

D

riving is one of the most dangerous work-related Brake’s Fleet Safety Awards, outlining not only ARI’s activities that most people in the UK do. According to commitment to road safety, but the difference Riskmaster estimates, up to one in three road crashes involves a makes to its clients. vehicle being driven for work. Without a comprehensive To provide increased capabilities, updates to the Riskmaster process to manage and control the risks, businesses risk solution include an enhanced range of training offered to target leaving themselves wide open not only to the increased costs high-risk drivers, with specialised on-the-road training also of employee road accidents but also the possibility of available through our external training partners. As a result, a prosecution under Corporate Manslaughter and Health and comprehensive range of areas are covered such as speed Safety legislation. awareness, seat belts and mobile phones.

ARI – part of the largest privately held fleet management ARI’s continued investment in Riskmaster has also seen company in the world – recognised the need for a best the integration of real-time driver data into its central data practice approach to road risk management that constantly warehouse to maintain a live driver risk profile. Areas covered evolves to take in the latest technologies and thinking. include DVLA/DVLNI licence check information; telematics To that end, ARI’s Riskmaster driver risk management and fuel data; accident history and fines/motoring offences, system has been significantly updated to name but a few. to give fleet managers complete These improved data integration visibility of driver risk and ultimately capabilities also mean that fleet managers improve road safety. can now benefit from real-time Now in its eleventh year, the Riskmaster information via a number of new system has already received a large dashboards and reports to give complete number of awards and general acclaim for visibility of driver risk and fleet safety. its pioneering approach to fleet road These include: safety. But the last three years have also • Riskmaster dashboard (driver permit seen ARI’s US-based parent company status, client decisions); invest significantly in Riskmaster to • Driver compliance dashboard (telematics, further enhance its capabilities. The skills assessment, MOT expiry); and results have been so successful in the UK • Licence checking dashboard (completion “Fleet managers that a global launch will soon follow. status, endorsements). can now receive Key to the premise of the Riskmaster As a further key benefit, ARI can also complete visibility service is its ‘Permit to Drive’ feature, provide its clients with fully customisable which manages driver compliance Management Information (MI) reports, of driver risk through through an online application process including Driver Risk Assessment Status; ARI's updated driver that includes risk profile assessment and Overdue/Non Completion Of Online Risk risk management document verification. Without providing Assessment and High Risk Drivers. system, Riskmaster.” all the relevant details, drivers will not As a result of the latest changes, Riskmaster receive a Permit to Drive and cannot drive now provides up-to-the-minute visibility of on company business. Drivers who do driver risk and fleet compliance, supported complete the process receive a ‘points’ score that identifies by the expertise offered by ARI’s dedicated Risk team. their risk profile. As a result of the process, drivers who have By offering a unique way to assess driver risk coupled with a demonstrated a level of risk will undergo bespoke training to comprehensive range of training solutions for drivers and statetarget the areas of concern. of-the-art data integration and reporting capabilities, The ‘Permit to Drive’ concept has been recognised over the Riskmaster offers a truly innovative and market-leading years with a number of awards, most recently including the product, ensuring that road safety is at the forefront of every 2015 Fleet Safety Product Award at road safety charity fleet manager and driver’s mind.

To learn more about ARI’s risk management service please call 0844 8000 700 and speak to the sales team, email sales@arifleet.co.uk or visit www.arifleet.co.uk

MARKET OVERVIEW Daily Rental

Are you a rental, leasing or broker company?

How many vehicles does your company operate?

How many rental locations does your company have?

Do you offer flexible medium-term rental?

Does a driver get given a proof of condition receipt on handing back their hire car?

Do you have a rapid check-in system?

Do you have relationships with charging infrastructure supplies for EV’s?

Do you offer an on-line billing facility?

Do you offer an on-line management reporting facility?

Can a driver guarantee a specific make & model of car when booking?

Do you charge a fee for non-cancelled bookings?

Do you charge excess mileage rates on pre-agreed contracts?

Do you offer hybrid & Electric Cars?

Do you offer an hourly rate for hire?

FLEETW RLD

Arnold Clark Car & Van Rental

Rental

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Europcar UK Group

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50.7k

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Nexus Vehicle Rental

Broker

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Thrifty Car and Van Rental

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Arnold Clark Car & Van Rental

Europcar

Arnold Clark Car & Van Rental is one of the UK’s largest, independently owned rental companies with over 40 years’ experience providing long and short-term tailor-made economical fleet solutions.

We have a nationwide, multi-franchise fleet in 37 branches throughout the UK. Close manufacturer relationships mean we can offer competitive rates on a range of up-to-date vehicles.

We have packages to suit all industry sectors, providing fleet solutions tailored to meet each client’s needs.

We have an online booking facility available for retail and corporate clients. Our business customers can also benefit from dedicated online management reporting.

Europcar UK Group provides access to the UK’s leading fleet of over 50,700 cars and vans, through its network of more than 250 locations across the UK and 140 countries worldwide. With a proven track record of innovation, great service delivery and a quality fleet, Europcar offers flexible short term and long term products to suit all business requirements. These include delivery and collection, diesel only models, corporate loyalty programmes and a range of payment options. Plus innovative online solutions help businesses monitor and manage vehicle use and support cost efficiencies, duty of care responsibilities as well as address environmental concerns.

Contact: Sales Team car.rental.sales@arnoldclark.com www.arnoldclarkrental.com

Contact: Europcar Business Team businesssolutions@europcar.co.uk www.europcar.co.uk

Tel: 01786 468700

Tel: 01162 173531

Nexus Vehicle Rental As the leading provider of corporate vehicle rental in the UK, we are the only supplier that can offer you any vehicle, anytime, anywhere! Our online booking system can now make reservations in under 10 seconds – saving you time. With over 500,000 rental vehicles available in over 2,000 rental locations, there is always a vehicle available to meet your needs.

Thrifty Car and Van Rental

Driven by quality We are constantly improving our systems and services to meet the evolving needs of our customers. We’ve achieved internationally recognised certifications in the ISO Quality Management and ISO Information Security Management standards and were awarded ‘Best Customer Focus’ in the 2014 Best Business Awards.

Thrifty Car and Van Rental has 96 UK locations, offering a full range of cars, commercials, 4x4s and luxury vehicles. Thrifty has a dedicated Central Reservation Team, providing an immediate response to enquiries and offering highly competitive rates, with access to a quality fleet of vehicles nationwide and an efficient delivery and collection service. Fast, accurate billing and detailed management information is available along with a dedicated account manager. For longer-term car hire, Thrifty’s Flexi Fleet programme enables customers to rent vehicles on a short to medium term basis without being tied into a long term commitment.

Contact: Dean Rose dean.rose@nexusrental.co.uk

Contact: Caroline Gallagher caroline.gallagher@thrifty.co.uk

62 / fleetworld.co.uk

Tel: 07525 323067 www.nexusrental.co.uk

Tel: 01494 751615 www.thrifty.co.uk

our fleet Ensto Chago Station FOLLOWING a year where plug-in sales doubled in the UK, the Fleet World office is ready to accommodate the ever-increasing number of hybrid and fully-electric models with our own charging point, supplied by Finnish company Ensto.

Workplace charging is a vital ingredient for businesses chasing genuine environmental performance. A U.S. study last year, of 4,000 Nissan LEAFs and 1,800 Chevrolet Volts, showed drivers were able to average almost 25% more miles annually if they had the ability to plug in while at the office. So, whether it enables more people to switch, or plugin hybrid drivers to use liquid fuel less often, topping up at work makes a big difference.

Our unit is part of Ensto’s Chago range, finished in the trademark weatherproof stainless steel that’s made the company’s charging points popular with high-end installations at business and residential properties in recent years. It’s a wall-mounted unit offering up to three-phase, 22kw, charging, though pedestal versions are also available.

As this is outdoors, and unattended overnight, we’ve got the reassurance that it’s also tamperproof. The charging ports – Type 2 AC and a three-pin socket – are behind an electronically locked cover accessed via an RFID-enabled keyfob, and only the person who’s charging can re-open it. There’s also a simple three-colour LED status light at the top, showing when it’s ready, charging or faulty.

Because of the tags, we’re also able to track usage. There’s a built-in SIM card uploading data which can be accessed remotely, so we can see who’s using it and how much energy they’ve drawn down. This should mean we’ve got plenty of information to report as our plug-in fleet grows over the coming months.

Alex Grant

BMW X1 xDrive20d Sport Auto LIKE Alex Grant I’m puzzled by the X1’s spec – LED headlamps, but these are not adaptive, cruise control, but also not adaptive, despite the autonomous emergency

braking, which uses the same software…

It was inevitable that BMW would bring front-wheel-drive technology to BMW models - provided by the 2-series. There is only so far that any manufacturer can go with retro models like the MINI. The latest X1 uses the 2-series drivetrain and although our model is an X-Drive with selectable four-wheel-drive, the engine sits comfortable sideways under the bonnet, a sight to freeze the blood of died in the wool BMW aficionados.

But all similarly sized crossover/SUV rivals are front-wheel-drive based and as you might expect, BMW makes a pretty

impressive job of it. With 188hp to play with there’s plenty of performance – made effortless by the eight-speed auto box. I’m not convinced by the car’s handling in four-wheel drive so usually choose front-wheel-drive ECO-PRO mode.

It even manages a reasonable sized boot and good rear seat accommodation, which not all rivals offer. My major disappointment is with the level of road noise, which verges on the unacceptable on some surfaces. I blame the Pirelli Cinturato P7 run-flats. Otherwise the engine refinement is impressive and wind noise is low.

John Kendall fleetworld.co.uk / 63

our fleet Mitsubishi L200 2.4 DI-D 4WD Barbarian Double Cab Auto ONE of the big surprises of living with the L200 over the last five months has been its long-distance cruising ability, not

something that I would ever have said of the last generation truck. Our Series 5 L200 is equipped with the optional fivespeed automatic transmission, which in combination with its powerful 2.4-litre engine obviously helps to make life easy out on the road, but much of the credit for its mile-eating comfort has to be laid at the squab of its front seats.

Looking like something from a Keaton-era Batman suit, the ribbed leather chairs in our Barbarian-spec L200 come with two-stage heating and electric adjustment, though no memory

function. Perhaps surprisingly there is no lumbar adjustment either, though the seat base can be tilted to suit.

No matter, they simply support superbly, with enough lateral grip to hold you in place through the corners and when tackling bumpy off-road tracks. Despite big improvements in ride quality, a pick-up is never going to offer limo-like serenity.

However though feeling fairly firm when you first climb in, the L200’s seats soak up the bumps really well, making all-day use a more than realistic proposition.

Dan Gilkes

Kia Sorento 2.2 CRDI KX-2 Manual

AFTER a few months behind the wheel of the Sorento, it’s easy to forget that this is actually quite a hefty car but I’m soon reminded when it’s time to park in a diminutive town centre space and then slither out before attempting to extract the kids.

But actually behind the wheel, the Kia feels far from cumbersome. In urban areas, the standard parking sensors, reversing camera and light steering make the Sorento easy to park for such a big car – even though more advanced features such as park assist and a 360degree surround-view cameras are the preserve of the top-spec KX-4 model. And I remain impressed by the tight turning circle, which makes the Sorento highly manoeuvrable.

Unfortunately I’ve had two occasions where the 7-inch touchscreen on our KX-2 model, which is used

64 / fleetworld.co.uk

for the sat nav, heating, sound system and Bluetooth, has crashed so I haven’t been able to see what I’m updating although thankfully it’s either been sorted within a few minutes or after I restarted the car.

I’ve also been making much use of the sat nav itself. I have to say that the traffic alerts are very up to date – every time, bar one, that I’ve discounted its warnings of traffic jams, I’ve been caught out and left fuming at myself.

I’m also appreciative of the sat nav’s very clear layout for directions, with a large image and prominent arrows showing which lanes to take on motorways and dual carriageways. The fact that it always clearly queues up the directions for the next three turns is also a blessing and I’m finding it increasingly indispensable – a bit like the car itself.

Natalie Middleton

Renault Kadjar Dynamique S Nav dCi 110

Skoda Superb 2.0 TDI SE Business I have yet to see many other new Superbs on the roads, which is something of a surprise. The big Skoda has been a big success and by all accounts the company is working hard to meet demand.

Indeed having carried a high business mileage friend in the Superb recently, he approached our local dealer to enquire about the estate version.

Unfortunately is seems that he’ll have to join an increasingly long list of prospective customers, with a wait stretching well into the summer.

It’s not hard to see why, however. When it comes to tackling the miles with enviable amounts of space for front and rear passengers, plus incredible fuel economy and low BiK figures, the Superb has got the job covered.

Dan Gilkes

Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi Zetec Estate ONE the best things about the current lower fuel prices is that I have been able to do something which I used to do years ago, and that is simply go for a drive.

Living in Hertfordshire there are a lot of great scenic routes you can drive through, and I have been able to enjoy taking our current long termer out for some great leisure trips, rather than just the standard motorway work commutes. For me the comfort the Mondeo offers is perfect. It is like someone put my living room armchair into the car for me. Added to great road handling, which is vital when driving around some of the bendy country roads here, I really cant find a fault yet with the Mondeo.

Darren Brett

ANYONE who has spent any length of time behind the wheel of Nissan’s ubiquitous Qashqai will feel instantly at home in Renault’s Kadjar. In fact, it’s hard to see how the SUV can fail to impress fleets – competitive front-end pricing, impressively low CO2 (99g/km) and high economy (72.4mpg combined and 66mpg by my right foot), good looks and all the practicality end-users require from a car with this kind of footprint. So it’s no surprise that Renault is sitting on a very healthy order bank.

We’ve specified our Kadjar in a trim that is probably the most representative of cars most fleets will be ordering – that’s to say with the refined 1.5-litre dCi 110 engine and in Dynamique S Nav trim – which combines Renault’s intuitive satellite navigation with the user-friendly (with the possible exception of an easy scrolling function for regular Bluetooth users) R-Link infotainment system. Our car also has the no-cost smaller wheel option, which keeps CO2 under 100g/km as well as improving the ride quality and avoiding potentially expensive repairs.

And we’re very glad we have…the Kadjar has comfortable seats and feels extremely well put together but its ride is clearly tuned towards dynamic excellence – which it does very well – rather than out and out comfort. Dynamique S Nav also gives front and rear parking sensors which I would consider to be essential on cars with a high waistline and inevitably compromised rear visibility, especially with the possible added distraction of bickering children in the back seat.

The Captur-on-steroids looks do actually translate into a notably more substantial car than its stablemate. Everything just feels that much more premium and it’s clear that the brand’s recent quality drive has yielded some impressive results. From where we’re sitting, the Kadjar impresses on just about every level, which is a real feather in Renault’s fleet cap.

Luke Wikner

OTR PRICE £22,395 POWER 109bhp @ 4,000rpm TORQUE 192lb.ft @ 2,000rpm 0-62mph 11.9 seconds TOP SPEED 113mph COMBINED MPG 72.4mpg CO2 99g/km (17% BiK)

the figures

fleetworld.co.uk / 65

our fleet Mazda CX-5 2.2d Sport Nav (2WD) IF this year’s Geneva Motor Show is anything to go by, it doesn’t look like the appetite for crossovers and SUVs is likely to slow down any time soon. So it’s ironic that, on my way to the airport, I had a refresher course in what makes these cars such a great choice.

There’s no easy way to get to Heathrow from Hertfordshire. So our CX-5 kickstarted Geneva week transporting four adults and their luggage around to the long-stay car park via a busy section of Monday morning M25. Away from the empty winding roads of car adverts, this is the reality most UK business vehicles have to face.

So it speaks volumes that my three passengers all commented just how easy the CX-5 made the journey. There’s plenty of head and legroom front and rear, without the shallow window line that can make some crossovers feel quite claustrophobic. The boot is huge, with a wide load floor and unobstructed access, and the seats are excellent.

SUPPLIER

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Sandwiched between lanes of crawling traffic, I personally rate the raised driving position that’s often a selling point for cars like this. Especially as it doesn’t also mean living with clumsy body roll. The CX-5 feels like a hatchback, rather than an SUV, when it’s agility and fuel economy rather than space that’s most desired. We’re regularly seeing figures in the mid-50s to the gallon on a mixed route.

A tempting package? Most definitely.

Like the many future customers of cars making their debut in Switzerland this year, it’s a recipe for years of happy driving.

Anne Dopson

Europcar Tel: 0871 384 0201 www.europcar.co.uk

Promote your company here and online for just £500/year.

accident management Total Accident Management Tel: 0845 078 4157 www.totalaccman.co.uk

Selsia Vehicle Accident Centres Ltd

Vauxhall Insignia 1.6 CDTi SRi Nav VX-Line ANALYSING some CAP data on our Insignia (because buying decisions on cars such as this invariably come down to on-paper performance), reveals that the Vauxhall is carving itself a nice little niche in the uppermedium segment.

There aren’t many models which marry the most economical diesel engine in the range with one of the uppermost specification levels, so our 1.6 CDTi hatchback in SRi Nav VX-Line trim is not only enticing on the balance sheet, it also offers some extra kerbside appeal for the user-chooser buyer – both inside thanks to the satellite navigation and deeply bolstered sports seats, and outside with the bulky bodykit, big alloy wheels and darkened rear windows.

Interestingly, our Insignia undercuts the Volkswagen Passat 1.6 TDI SE Business at the front-end (about £240 less), although the Passat retains more money after the benchmark three-year/60,000-mile operating cycle – £9,325 vs £7,550. Both models fall into the 19% Benefit-in-Kind tax banding, meaning

66 / fleetworld.co.uk

company car tax bills of around £75 a month for a base-rate tax-payer.

However, the Insignia offers a healthy extra dollop of power – 134bhp compared to 118bhp in the Passat. How they compare on the road will be something I shall be analysing in-depth over the next few months as the Insignia is departing from our fleet to be replaced by a Passat 1.6 TDI. In terms of engine refinement and performance (as well as value for money), the Passat has a lot to live up to.

Julian Kirk

Tel: 0845 468 6800 www.selsia-vac.co.uk

fleet insurance Bond Lovis Insurance Brokers Tel: 08000 113 444 www.bondlovis.co.uk

insureFLEET Tel: 0333 202 3133 www.insurefleet.com

Full listings online at fleetworld.co.uk

driver licence checking Jaama Tel: 0844 8484 333 www.jaama.co.uk

FLEETW RLD SUPPLIER DIRECTORY contract hire, leasing & finance

daily rental

risk management

fleet management software

Fleet Alliance Tel: 0845 601 8407 www.fleetalliance.co.uk

Arnold Clark Vehicle Management

Tel: 0141 332 2626 www.acvm.co.uk

Europcar Tel: 0871 384 0201 www.europcar.co.uk

ARI Fleet UK Tel: 0844 8000 700 www.arifleet.co.uk

Bynx Tel: 01789 471600 www.bynx.com

Zenith Tel: 0844 848 9311 www.zenith.co.uk

sgfleet Tel: 0845 154 0721 www.sgfleet.com

Enterprise Rent-A-Car Tel: 01784 221 300 www.enterprise.co.uk

MAC GB Ltd Tel: 01745 828180 www.reduceroadrisk.com

Civica UK Ltd Tel: 0117 924 2703 www.civica.co.uk/tranman

Venson Automotive Solutions Tel: 08444 991402 www.venson.com

Promote your company here and online for just £500/year.

Budget Rent-a-Car Tel: 0844 5338 08701544 56 56 56 www.budget.co.uk

AA DriveTech Tel: 01256 495732

Enterprise Software Tel: 0161 925 2400 www.essl.co.uk

Maxxia 020 7520 9450 www.maxxia.co.uk

Arnold Clark Car & Van Rental Tel: 01786 468 700

Alphabet (GB) Limited Tel: 0870 50 50 100 www.alphabet.co.uk

www.AAdrivetech.com/fleetsafe DriveTech

www.arnoldclarkrental.com

Interactive Driving Systems Tel: 01484 551060

Drive Software Solutions Tel: 01438 317731 www.drivesoftwaresolutions.com

www.virtualriskmanager.net

Thrifty Car & Van Rental Tel: 01494 751 550 0845 815 0019

Total Leasing Solutions for your business

Telephone 0113 250 0060

www.jct600vehicleleasingsolutions.co.uk

daysfleet.com

Contract Hire a Car Tel: 0370 218 8015 www.contracthireacar.com

Tel: 0344 824 0115 www.lexautolease.co.uk

Lex Autolease

Full listings online at fleetworld.co.uk November 2014

FLEETW RLD FLEETW RLD November 2014

All that matters in

the world of fleet

www.thrifty.co.uk

SMR Autoserve Limited Tel: 0844 888 3001 www.autoserve.co.uk

fast fits & tyres

interview

interview

Michael O’Shea of

Michael O’Shea of Volkswagen

Volkswagen

stopping power

stopping power

Why fleets should

www.soficoservices.com

Roadmarque Tel: 01792 824438 www.roadmarque.com

Jaama Tel: 0844 8484 333 www.jaama.co.uk

Cardinus Risk Management Tel: 01733 426015 www.cardinus.com

Chevin Fleet Solutions Tel: 01773 821 992 www.chevinfleet.com

Bill Plant Ltd Tel: 01765 645023

Full listings online at fleetworld.co.uk

ATS Euromaster Tel: 0870 066 3624 www.atseuromaster.co.uk

All that matters in the world of fleet

check their brakes

Why fleets should check their brakes

www.billplant.co.uk

MODE MODELPUPIL LPUPIL Behind the wheel

of Tesla’s remarkable

Sofico NV

IAM Drive & Survive Tel: 0870 120 2910 www.iamdriveandsurvive.co.uk

Tel:+3292018040

fuel management

misfuelling

Model S

Behind the wheel of Tesla’s remarkable Model S

2014

2014

MPG Marathon

100mpg in real-world driving from a C-segment estate? The UK’s premier economy event sees if it’s possible...

MPG Marathon 100mpg in real-world driving from a C-segment estate?

The UK’s premier economy event sees if it’s possible...

fleetworld.co.uk fleetworld.co.uk

AFF Tel: 0844 879 4770 www.autofuelfix.com

For more information, please contact Tracy Howell on 01727 739160 or email

The Fuelcard Company Tel: 0845 073 0873 www.fuelcards.co.uk

tracy@fleetworldgroup.co.uk

telematics & tracking

Airmax Remote Limited Tel: 01932 504300 www.airmaxremote.com

TRACKER Network (UK) Limited Tel: 0845 604 6091 www.TRACKER.co.uk

BP Oil UK Ltd Tel: 0845 603 0723 www.bpplus.co.uk

Telogis Tel: 0203 005 8805 www.telogis.co.uk

Trakm8 Tel: 0330 333 4120 www.trakm8.com

euroShell Card Tel: 0800 915 6021 www.shell.co.uk/euroshell

Teletrac Navman Tel: 0345 604 8813 www.teletrac.co.uk

Promote your company here and online for just £500/year.

www.quartix.net Tel: 0870 013 6663

BOX Telematics Tel: 0330 333 4118 www.boxtelematics.com MiX Telematics Europe Tel: 0121 717 5360 www.mixtelematics.co.uk

Tel: 0345 055 8555 Ctrack www.ctrack.co.uk Fleetmatics Tel: 0800 975 4566 www.fleetmatics.co.uk

www.navmanwireless.co.uk

WEX Europe Services Tel: 0800 626 672 www.wexeuropeservices.com

fleetworld.co.uk / 67

telematics

A matter of record Rhys Harrhy, Telematics Product Manager at ALD Automotive, on how telematics technology could provide a simple way for fleets to introduce robust mileage reporting regime.

R

ecent years have seen HMRC make no bones about the fact that it’s cracking down on mileage fraud and yet it’s surprising how many fleets are still leaving themselves wide open to unscrupulous practices amongst perhaps a minority of their drivers.

Our latest research amongst 770 company car drivers found that a total of 176 – equating to just under a quarter (22.9%) – are still using handwritten logbooks to record their mileage while a further 135 (17.5% of the total) – use electronic spreadsheets. In all, that means 40% of drivers are using methods that are open to inaccuracies and fraud, not to mention being administratively cumbersome.

It’s an even bigger concern when you consider the size of the fines that HMRC can and frequently do levy on firms where mileage errors have been found. If your business is investigated by HMRC and found to have incorrect tax records, you could face a fine of up to £3,000 per annum per employee plus penalties linked to the offence. Fines can also be backdated and extrapolated across the fleet.

In fact, fines can reach six‐figure sums including back tax, Class 1A NICs and interest on non‐payment and once uncovered, the company will also likely to be subject to fur‐ ther investigations.

And it’s not just large corporates who are subject to checks; recent years have seen HMRC increase its focus on SMEs too.

When it comes to the fleet’s role in mileage keeping, HMRC is unequivocal and says “the employer should have strong internal control and management systems to ensure accuracy in the returns”.

In essence the reason for such a stringent approach is to keep a check on company car drivers who don’t receive ‘free’ private fuel from their employers, which is classed as a tax‐ able benefit. Just one mile of private fuel paid by company expenses would render the driver liable for car fuel benefit charges, with the employer also required to pay Class 1A NICs on the benefit. As such it is essential that detailed, auditable systems be in place to record journey details.

There are a number of solutions that can be used to provide comprehensive mileage capture and expense management, including fleet telematics such as ALD Automotive’s ProFleet2 system, which provides a simple, effective and accurate to measure mileage without the need for paper‐based records.

What’s more, ProFleet2 bring a number of exclusive ben‐ Contact ALD Automotive: 68 / advertisement feature

t 037000 111 81

efits to help fleets reinforce their mileage expenses process.

First launched in 2004, the award‐winning technology is unique within the marketplace and is fitted as standard by ALD Automotive as part of the vehicle lease. Access to all standard data is provided to both the driver and fleet administrator free of charge.

ProFleet2 records all journeys automatically through remote odometer readings – there’s no need to remember to switch it on as with other mileage capture methods nor can it be unplugged. The driver just needs to flag journeys as business or private use. All of this can then be managed via the online portal to access their data.

As a result, both the driver and business benefit from reduced administration times for expense claims and monthly fuel expense reconciliation.

The business also benefits from peace of mind knowing that it has accurate mileage records that meet HMRC guidelines.

Moreover the benefits of ProFleet2 are not just restricted to mileage capture and it can also help the business in a wide range of other ways.

This includes providing comprehensive fleet and cost man‐ agement data, road risk management analysis, stolen vehicle recovery and the ability to monitor and reduce your carbon footprint and fuel usage – everything you need to manage your vehicles both on a day‐to‐day and long‐term, strategic basis.

e ukinfo@aldautomotive.com

w www.aldautomotive.co.uk

VAN FLEETW RLD

March 2016

p78 Nissan’s new NV300 Navara has already scooped International Pick-up of the Year for 2016.

at a glance driven...

Nissan NV300 Navara and Volkswagen Caddy

plus...

CV Show preview, risk management and the latest van industry news

vanfleetworld.co.uk

inbusiness Renault wins Irish housing deal

N

orthern Ireland’s strategic housing authority (NIHE) has replaced its entire light commercial fleet with 85 Renault Traffics, Masters and Master Tippers. The deal follows a tender through the Crown Commercial Service with Renault winning the order on operating value and low emissions.

NIHE, which offers a range of serv‐ ices to people living in socially rented, private rented and owner occupied accommodation, will use the fleet of Renaults to provide maintenance services to more than 89,000 dwellings across Northern Ireland.

“We considered a number of vehicles through the tender, but none could rival the value or the emissions offered by Renault,” said David Roe, fleet manager at Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

“Despite the large size of the order

and our urgent request for the vehi‐ cles, all have arrived on schedule and now that we have the first few out in the field, we’ve had excellent feed‐ back from our operatives.

“Fuel economy is proving to be very impressive and the teams are espe‐ cially pleased with the quality feel of the vehicles, the level of equipment and the fact that they drive like a car.”

The 33 Trafic vans, 44 Master vans and eight master Tippers have all been ordered in Business specification. Unlike the vehicles that were replaced, the Renaults have been purchased outright.

inshort bitesize stories from a month in the van fleet world...

Urban Vito tackles traffic Mercedes-Benz Vans has launched the Vito Urban Edition, aimed at city-based van users.

Built on the rear-wheel drive, Euro 6 114 BlueTEC model, in compact, long or extra-long body styles, the Urban comes as standard with the firm’s seven-speed 7G-Tronic Plus automatic transmission.

The van also gets a Becker Map Pilot sat nav and a reversing camera as part of the standard kit.

Priced from £22,720, the Urban Edition returns up to 46.3mpg and produces 161g/km of CO2.

Van Excellence for Alphabet

Volkswagen adds to Transporter range

V

olkswagen Commercial Vehicles is introducing chassis cab versions of its latest Transporter. Available in both single and crew cab layouts, the chassis cab is currently powered by the 140hp version of VW’s Euro 5 2.0‐litre diesel engine, equipped with a six‐speed manual or seven‐speed DSG transmission.

The chassis cab can be ordered from the factory with a dropside body, offer‐ ing up to 5.2m 2 of loadspace with the single cab or 4.2m2 with the crew cab. In

70 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

single cab layout the dropside offers a maximum payload of 1,339kg.

Volkswagen has also shown a city delivery van at the Geneva Motor Show. The Caddy TGI is said to be the first van of its size to be powered by a CNG gas engine, driving through a six‐ speed DSG automated transmission.

The 1.4‐litre Euro 6 engine delivers 108hp and has compressed natural gas cylinders mounted beneath the load floor. Drivers should be able to achieve up to 390 miles in the Caddy and 530 miles of travel in the larger Caddy Maxi on CNG. CO2 emissions are just 112g/km for the smaller van with a manual gearbox, rising to 126g/km for the Caddy Maxi with DSG.

Business mobility specialist Alphabet has become a recognised partner of the FTA’s Van Excellence programme. The company has put 40 members of its commercial and account management teams through the FTA Certificate of Excellence scheme. Alphabet currently funds and manages more than 13,500 LCVs in the UK.

NV300 joins growing Nissan van line-up Nissan has finally confirmed that its replacement for the mid-weight Primaster van will be called NV300. The van, based on Renault’s Trafic, will be built by Renault at the firm’s Sandouville plant in France, boosting production at the facility by 100,000 vans over the next decade.

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show preview

CV Show preview The UK’s biggest commercial vehicle show returns to the NEC in Birmingham in April. This year it is all about the light commercial vehicle sector, with new vans and pick-ups taking centre stage. With more than 20,000 visitors expected over the three days of April 26-28, the CV Show will once again incorporate a Workshop show and a Cool section, to meet the needs of a wide range of visitors. These are just some of the attractions that will be grabbing the headlines next month...

Volkswagen Volkswagen is back at the CV Show after a number of years away, but unfortunately neither the new Amarok nor this year’s totally new Crafter will make the show.

However, both Caddy and Transporter will be on display alongside the current pick‐up and heavy van lines and VW will show a host of conversions built under a newly developed Converter Recognition Scheme.

Extending the firm’s existing Engineered To Go offer, this will include a number of models including a wheel‐ chair accessible Caddy, a Crafter tipper and a high spec‐ ification Caravelle.

Renault Renault will be concentrating on design, technology and conversions at this year’s show. Vehicles on display will range from the electric Twizy ZE commercial, through to a 17m3 rear‐drive Master van.

The show will provide UK customers with a first chance to see the 3.5‐tonne Master Passenger range, offering a choice of six or nine seats within the 3.5‐tonne GVW van design that can be driven on a car licence.

The company will also show a full range of Euro 6 engines, ready for the introduction of the updated emis‐ sions standard in September.

72 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

Ford While Ford’s Ranger pick‐up will no doubt be the big attraction on the blue oval’s stand this year, there is also big news under the bonnet of both full size Transit and the Transit Custom. Out goes the current Euro 5 2.2‐ litre engine, to be replaced in both vans by an all‐new 2.0‐litre Euro 6 unit.

The Dagenham‐built 2.0‐litre also comes in three power levels, all just above the previous models. Ford claims a 12.4% fuel consumption improvement for the 2.0‐litre engine against the 2.2‐litre, despite the increased power and torque. The use of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) also cuts NOx emissions by 55% on the Euro 6 engines.

The oil sump size has been increased, allowing Ford to stretch service intervals to two years/36,000 miles.

However the firm will continue to offer fleets an interim service, if requested, at one year/18,000 miles.

Both Transit and Transit Custom will be fitted with a 21‐litre AdBlue tank with the filler in the same flap as the diesel filler cap. This should last for up to 6,000 miles between refills. Fuel tank sizes are unchanged, which means that payloads on 3.5 tonne vans will drop by an average of 40kg. On vans below 3.5 tonnes Ford has increased gross weights to account for the addi‐ tional tank and maintain previous payloads.

Before the end of the year Ford will finally offer an automatic transmission on front wheel drive Transit and Custom models, while rear air suspension will become an option on the larger model.

The company is also set to offer what it calls a towing axle for front drive models. This lower ratio axle will be combined with a lift to a gross train weight of 6 tonnes on 3.5 tonne models. For those interested in towing, Ford will fit towing electrics at the factory, leaving customers to either opt for a Ford‐supplied towbar or fit their own, with the electrics already in place.

show preview

Citroën

Toyota

The CV Show will see the global launch of Citroën’s new mid‐weight Dispatch van range. Sharing much of its structure and body with the recently unveiled Space Tourer people‐carrier, the new Dispatch will boast three body lengths, while new front and rear axles should give additional carrying capacity.

Citroën’s BlueHDi diesel engines will power the vans, offering 95hp, 115hp and 150hp, with Stop/Start among the many features. A 22.4‐litre AdBlue tank is said to give a range of more than 9,000 miles between top‐ups, while service intervals have been extended to two years/ 25,000 miles.

The firm’s existing van lines are also upgraded this year, with the adoption of Euro 6 engines across all models in time for the September 1 introduction. For Berlingo that means a new BlueHDi 75 engine is added to the line, alongside existing EU6 100hp and 120hp models. Citroën continues to offer a Euro 6 VTi 95 petrol engine, for those that would rather run on petrol or convert to LPG. There will be two standalone Enterprise models join‐ ing the Berlingo range, based on the BlueHDi 75 L1 625 van and on the BlueHDi 100 S&S L1 850. They get air conditioning, a touchscreen audio pack, alarm, rear parking sensors and Bluetooth/USB connecting box.

Citroën is also extending its Relay Ready To Run range, with the introduction of a Plant & Go small machinery carrier, a car transporter and two additional crew van models. Built by KFS using a bespoke Al/Ko chassis, the Plant & Go transporter comes with multi‐ function bodywork, as its sideboards double as light‐ weight loading ramps. This helps to keep the kerb weight to just 1,860kg, for a payload of up to 1,640kg.

KFS also provides the 3.5‐tonne Relay car transporter conversion for Citroën, offering an even more impres‐ sive kerb weight of just 1,760kg.

The two Relay Ready To Run Enterprise crew vans are available on L1H1 and L3H2 bodies. Built by CoTrim, the crew vans have seating for the driver and five passengers with an integral moulded bulkhead between the crew compartment and the load area.

Citroën sold 430 Relay Ready To Run models in 2015 and has big plans for the scheme in 2016.

Completing the trio of manufacturers involved in the new PSA mid‐weight van, Toyota will show a second generation Proace. Where the first Proace was little more than a badging of the existing Expert/Dispatch, Toyota insists that it has played a far more integral role in the new van’s design and construction.

As with Peugeot and Citroën, Toyota will offer Proace with a choice of two wheelbases and three body lengths, plus a host of Euro 6 drivelines.

Of equal importance Toyota will finally be taking the wraps off its new Hilux pick‐up this year. The eighth generation Hilux has already been seen elsewhere in the world, where it is powered by new 2.4‐litre and 2.8‐ litre diesel engines. Fuel consumption and emissions levels should see big improvements.

As with many of its competitors, the latest Hilux will be bigger than the current model, offering improved load volume as well as carrying capacity. There is a new exter‐ nal design and the interior has been improved, with uprated equipment levels to keep pace with the market.

We should be driving both the new Proace and Hilux before the summer, though sales are not expected until later in the year. Toyota GB has appointed Gareth Matthews as its new LCV manager, and will be improving the offering from its network of fleet specialist dealers.

74 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

Peugeot Unsurprisingly PSA stablemate Peugeot will also be showing a new mid‐weight Expert van, based on the Traveller MPV. As with Citroën’s Dispatch, expect to see multiple body lengths and wheelbases, plus a full range of Euro 6 engines with SCR and AdBlue.

There will be a full line‐up of Euro 6 engines for Bipper, Partner and Boxer too, in readiness for the change in legislation on 1 September.

show preview

Iveco Iveco will be one of the few truck manufacturers at this year’s show, with its latest EuroCargo model the current International Truck of the Year. Van customers will be more interested in the growing range of Daily models, which run from 3.5‐7.2 tonnes and include both 4x2 and new 4x4 variants.

Among the premieres at the show will be the firm’s latest Daily Electric van, while its test fleet outside the halls will include three Daily vans with the Hi‐Matic eight‐ speed automatic transmission. There will also be a Daily Natural Power, with a gas engine running on CNG, that customers can try on the firm’s ride and drive circuit.

Fiat Professional Ahead of the launch of both a new mid‐weight to replace Scudo and the firm’s first 1‐tonne pick‐up this summer, Fiat Profes‐ sional will be demonstrating its impact on major fleets. The firm will once again show a range of Fiorino, Doblo and Ducato models in blue chip company colours.

Fiat will also be demonstrating its latest vehicle technolo‐ gies, including Stop/Start, EcoJet engines, Traction+ and touch‐ screen infotainment and satellite navigation systems.

TELEMATICS

Isuzu Though we won’t see the all‐new Euro 6 D‐Max until the arrival of the 2017 model towards the end of this year, Isuzu will be at the show with two more special editions of the current pick‐up. Given the speed at which the D‐ Max Blade and Fury models have sold, the firm will be making the most of its 100‐year celebrations.

The firm’s Alpha Type‐E hardtop will also be on show.

Developed to fit any double cab D‐Max the Type‐E is colour matched to the body with brushed alloy roof bars. Isuzu will also have a number of conversions on show, each developed to meet the needs of a specific industry sector.

76 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

With telematics and information gathering systems like in‐cab cameras becoming an increasingly important sector within the LCV market, there will be plenty of suppliers aiming to sign up fleets.

Jaama is making its first appearance at this year’s show. The company is making positive in‐roads into the LCV market and is offering an online defect management module for vehicle walk‐around checks. Based on its Key2 vehicle and driver management solution, the walk‐ around check module can be installed alongside modules for employee driver licence validation, accurate vehicle maintenance management, Driver CPC management and Operator Licence management features.

Vision Track is coming at telematics from a different direction, incorporating a telematic tracking function into its 3G‐compatible forward facing camera. The VT2000 is a 1080P high definition camera that sends small amounts of footage in low resolution, unless requested by a fleet manager, at which point it can transmit HD video of an incident.

The VT2000 camera can be supplied with no upfront cost and an £18/month fee, or customers can purchase the camera and opt for lower monthly costs.

MiX Telematics also has a new module on offer to telematic customers with the launch of MiX Journey Management. As part of the firm’s Fleet Manager plat‐ form, Journey Management aims to reduce business risk for operators .

The system covers everything from protection of drivers, passengers and cargo, to business reputation, service quality and compliance. It also takes into account the impact of regular journeys on the environ‐ ment and the surrounding community.

BREAKFAST WITH

THE EXPERTS Discover what the future holds for vans

Join us at The Commercial Vehicle Show on 27 April where we will explore the challenges and opportunities facing commercial fleets.

Spaces are limited, book your place today.

REGISTER NOW Email: marketing@lexautolease.co.uk Visit: lexautolease.co.uk

Nissan Navara

Nissan’s latest NV300 Navara has made a strong start with UK customers, says Dan Gilkes.

SECTOR Pick-up PRICE £18,376–£24,293 FUEL 40.3–44.9mpg CO2 169–183g/km

T

the higher trim levels, Nissan is predicting that up to 50% of his is going to be a big year for pick‐ups, with updated UK buyers will opt for the automatic transmission. models and three new manufacturers joining the sec‐ The base‐model Visia truck can be ordered in two‐wheel tor. Double cab models in particular have become drive, though it rides at the same height as the 4x4. All other increasingly popular again, with Nissan expecting a UK mar‐ Navaras are 4x4‐only, with a rear diff lock available for £417. ket of around 45,000 pick‐ups this year.

But the big news is below the body, where all double cab Nissan is the second of the major manufacturers to show models now come with a five‐link, coil sprung rear suspen‐ its hand, following the launch of the fifth generation Mit‐ sion set‐up. This greatly improves the ride comfort and road subishi L200 last summer. Nissan’s new NV300 Navara has holding, particularly when unladen. already scooped International Pick‐up of the Year for 2016 As well as regular King and Double cab models, Navara and the firm reports that expected sales volume for the first will be offered in chassis cab form, with either cab. This will three months of this year had already been placed in the allow customers to fit dedicated bodies and equipment such first month on sale. as access platforms.

Nissan has dropped the previous 2.5‐ Navara retains a payload of over 1‐ litre four‐cylinder engine and its range‐ tonne and a 3.5‐tonne towing ability, topping 3.0‐litre V6, in favour of two while combined towing and carrying versions of the 2.3‐litre motor found in capacity has been improved by 200kg. the firm’s NV400 van. A single turbo ver‐ All trim levels are well equipped, with sion with 160hp and a hefty 403Nm of even the Visia models getting the five‐ torque is available in the two lower trim link suspension and Forward Emergency levels of, Visia and Acenta.

Braking on Double cab models, manual Opt for Acenta+, N‐Connecta or the air‐con, Bluetooth, USB/Aux inputs, Hill range‐topping Tekna trim, as more than Descent Control and Hill Start Assist, plus 90% of buyers will, and you automati‐ cruise control. cally get a twin‐turbo version delivering Move up through the trim levels and 190hp and 450Nm of torque. Both technology and luxury increases, with engines come with two‐year/18,000 mile the Tekna model equipped with Nissan’s service intervals.

Improved engines, Around View Monitor, which provides a Nissan claims up to a 24% improve‐ bird’s eye view of the vehicle for parking ment in fuel consumption is possible, coil-sprung rear susand slow speed off‐roading. with a class‐leading 44.9mpg and emis‐ pension and reduced With a claimed 5% improvement in sions as low as 167g/km. A six‐speed residual values, reduced ownership costs manual gearbox is standard with both ownership costs are a and Nissan’s five‐year/100,000 mile LCV engines, while the 190hp motor can also winning combination. warranty, it’s little wonder that Navara be had with a seven‐speed automatic has made such a strong start. transmission, for an additional £1,417. In

what we think

78 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

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Volkswagen Caddy

Volkswagen is pushing ahead with EU6 engines in Caddy, Dan Gilkes tries the most popular model.

V

olkswagen had already decided to offer the latest Caddy with a choice of Euro 5 and Euro 6 diesel engines before last year’s exhaust scandal. The 102hp EU6 was to be the first available, as it was expected to grab the lion’s share of UK Caddy sales, with 75hp and 150hp engines coming on stream this year. The company has also announced that it will offer petrol engines in Caddy.

The 102hp diesel will be available in standard and dedicated BlueMotion trim on the smaller Caddy, though there is no spe‐ cific Bluemotion Caddy Maxi on offer.

That said all Caddy and Caddy Maxi vans get BlueMotion Technology, including Start/Stop, Hill Hold Assist, low rolling resistance tyres and regenerative braking.

They also come with a 9‐litre AdBlue tank beneath the bonnet, that will need refilling every 5‐6,000 miles.

The result for this Caddy Maxi in range‐ topping Highline trim, is a promised 58.8mpg combined figure, with CO 2 emis‐ sions set at 126g/km. Not too bad when you consider this 4.2m3 van can still carry a respectable 705kg payload.

The 102hp Caddy Maxi comes as standard with a five‐speed manual gearbox, though a six‐speed DSG is available as an option.

Unusually the manual returns the better fuel figures, thanks no doubt to some long gearing that sees the larger Caddy happily tackling motorways, as well as the urban beat.

While the Euro 6 engine is undoubtedly very smooth and torquey, it isn’t the qui‐ etest installation in a van, even with a full height bulkhead. Admittedly a whistling

80 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

what we think Whatever your feelings about exhaust emissions testing, there is little doubt that the Euro 6 Caddy Maxi competes at the very top of the sector.

specification MODEL

Volkswagen Caddy Maxi Highline EU6 BASIC PRICE £19,060 ENGINE 4-cyl/1,68 cc FUEL INJECTION Common-rail POWER 102hp @ 4,400rpm TORQUE 250Nm @ 1,500-2,500rpm Weights (kg) GVW 2,299 KERB WEIGHT 1,594 PAYLOAD 705 MAX TRAILER WEIGHT 1,500 Dimensions (mm) LOAD SPACE LENGTH 2,249 LOAD SPACE WIDTH 1,552 LOAD SPACE HEIGHT 1,259 LOAD VOLUME 4.2 m3 Cost considerations COMBINED CO2/MPG 126g/km/58.8mpg OIL CHANGE 1 yr/18,000 miles WARRANTY 3 yr/100,000 miles

driver’s door didn’t help, but the steering wheel‐mounted audio controls were a use‐ ful addition as the van gained speed.

The Caddy Maxi cab is a very pleasant place to spend the day though, particularly in Highline trim. All Caddy vans come with a long list of standard kit, including heated and electrically adjustable mirrors, electric windows, a DAB+ radio with Bluetooth and a host of input options.

Mid‐range Trendline trim adds a multi‐ function display, cruise control, storage under the seats, body coloured bumpers, door mirror housings and door handles, rear parking sensors and an eight‐way adjustable driver’s seat.

Our Highline model tops that with Cli‐ matic air conditioning, a leather steering wheel (upgraded to multi‐function for £702), a Light & Vision pack of auto wipers and lights plus auto dimming mirror, front fogs, a heated windscreen, a Cat 1 immo‐ biliser and 15” alloy wheels. The van also boasted Front Assist including City Emer‐ gency Braking (£288) and, rather oddly given its range‐topping status, leatherette trim (£30) that felt suspiciously like vinyl.

Easy to clean perhaps, but not a box I would have ticked.

There is no denying the Caddy Maxi is a relaxing easy drive, with comfortable adjustable seating. The revised cab layout feels built to last too, though the A4 document holder on top of the dash would benefit from a lid to cut reflections in the windscreen.

Suffice to say if the fleet manager pointed one in your direction there would be little to complain about.

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leet World readers are being asked for their help in raising funds for automotive industry charity, BEN, by completing their Fleet World/VAN Fleet World reader registrations/renewals online.

This year will once again see Dan Gilkes, industry expert and editor of VAN Fleet World, compete in the London Marathon on Sunday 24th April to raise funds for BEN, which is the UK’s dedicated charity for those who work, or have worked, in the automotive and related industries and their dependants.

Dan ran on behalf of BEN in last year’s 2015 Virgin Money London Marathon, completing the race in 4 hours 46 minutes and raising over £4,000.

And this year he’s looking to beat both the amount raised and his time, hoping to be well under four hours 30 minutes.

Already Dan has received strong support from within the motor industry but to add further funds, Stag Publications, the publisher of Fleet World/VAN Fleet World, has pledged to donate £1 for every reader registration or renewal made online...

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All fleet operators need to do to help BEN is fill out the online form* at www.fleetworldsubscriptions.co.uk Fleets can also sponsor Dan through the dedicated website... uk.virginmoneygiving.com/DanGilkes Dan commented: “BEN continues to offer incredible support to those working in the automotive and related industries. In 2015 it reached its 110th anniversary, helping more people than ever before. But to do that BEN needs more help itself, as it intends to take annual fundraising from £4.6m to £7.7m by 2020.

“Support for Virgin Money London Marathon runners is always strong and I would like to thank Fleet World, Citroën, Renault, Iveco, JCB, Isuzu Truck, Volkswagen and many others for their backing for the second year running. It literally is backing too, as once again I’ll be wearing a running shirt with all of my major supporters on the back. There is still space for more logos on this year’s shirt for any companies that would like to donate.” *Fill in your form online by Friday 29th April 2016 to donate £1 to BEN. Fleet World magazine is published monthly, and its circulation of 18,052 copies is audited throughout the year by the industry-standard Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC). Regular reader registration enables Fleet World’s circulation to be of the highest quality and helps support a great cause.

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MARKET OVERVIEW Risk Management

VAN

Do you offer on-line LCV driver appraisal?

Do you offer psychometric driver profiling?

Do you offer risk assessment for LCV’s as part of your programme?

Do you offer an on-the-road LCV driver training programme?

Do you offer a classroom-based LCV driver training programme?

Do your instructors provide a demonstration drive?

Do you offer operator licence training?

Do you offer CPC Training?

Do you offer Driver CPC Periodic Training?

Do your instructors carry out a driver eyesight test?

Do you offer a licence checking facility?

Are your training programmes Insurance Company approved?

Do you offer Post Accident Investigations training?

Do you offer e-training as part of your programme?

FLEETW RLD

AA DriveTech

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Interactive Driving Systems

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ROADMARQUE®

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Key to services ✔

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AA DriveTech

ALD Automotive

Employers have a duty of care DriveTech for staff who drive for work.

As one of the UK leaders in road risk management and driver education, AA DriveTech works with you to deliver driver risk management solutions throughout the UK. This includes ‘driving for work’ programmes, actions plans, licence validation, driver assessment (paper, on road and online) as well as in-vehicle work workshop training for all vehicle drivers including Driver CPC. Visit our website to find out what customers have achieved from implementing occupational road risk strategies with us.

Case studies include: • Center Parcs • Cordek • Feedwater • Thatcham – The Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre • Sainsbury’s Online • Shred-it

The ALD Automotive group is the second largest vehicle leasing operation in Europe and manages over 1 million vehicles across 40 countries worldwide. Within the UK ALD is widely recognised as one of the industry’s leading service providers, with a proven portfolio of award winning products for major plc’s, small businesses and individual drivers alike.

As an integral part of ALD’s product range, their award winning DriveSafe programme offers a straightforward, practical and cost effective solution to help establish a lasting road risk reduction programme for all employees who drive on business. Utilising the expertise of specialist partners, DriveSafe provides a comprehensive and co-ordinated solution, all managed under ‘one roof’ and uniquely delivered via ALD’s threesixty online portal.

Contact: Sam Harris-Jones tellmemore@AAdrivetech.com www.AAdrivetech.com/fleetsafe

Contact: Helen Fisk helen.fisk@aldautomotive.com www.aldautomotive.co.uk

Tel: 01256 495732

Tel: 0370 00 111 81

ROADMARQUE® Interactive Driving Systems Interactive Driving Systems provides research-led fleet risk management solutions.

Our Virtual Risk Manager tool is proven – with 1,000,000+ car, heavy and light commercial, bus, two wheeler and lift-truck drivers, riders and operators registered across 90+ countries.

Organisations of all types and sizes are supported to lead their people to safety, with reductions in collisions, costs and non-compliance.

The best way to experience our programs is via a live demonstration followed by a pilot study.

More information, including a number of highly successful case studies from British Telecommunications, Nestlé, Transport for London and ASDA are shown at www.virtualriskmanager.net

Contact: Andy Cuerden Tel: + 44 (0) 1484 551070 andy.cuerden@virtualriskmanager.net www.virtualriskmanager.net

82 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

Reduce risk, protect your people, save money. These are the benefits you can realise by using Roadmarque®. We understand that no two organisations’ requirements are the same.

We focus on delivering the best return on investment for you, following an analysis of your objectives.

Roadmarque® contains a number of elements: Compliance (licence check and grey fleet management), Mileage logs, communication, factual Driver Survey, Aptitude Assessment, Training recommendations / implementation.

We don’t impose a fixed programme, but provide the flexibility for you to achieve your aims and comply with legislation.

We work with organisations of all sizes delivering practical and effective solutions. As an independent provider working with many partners we guarantee that we won’t sell you what you do not need. Contact us now to find out more…

Contact: Dr Gerhard Manogg hello@roadmarque.com

Tel: 01792 824438 www.roadmarque.com

VAN SUPPLIER DIRECTORY FLEETW RLD daily rental

contract hire, leasing & finance

racking systems

tail lifts

fleet management software

Enterprise Rent-A-Car Tel: 01784 221 300 www.enterprise.co.uk

Fleet Alliance Tel: 0845 601 8407 www.fleetalliance.co.uk

Bott Ltd Tel: 01530 410600 www.bott-group.com

DEL Equipment (UK) Ltd Tel: 01993 708811 www.del-uk.com

Bynx Tel: 01789 471600 www.bynx.com

Budget Rent-a-Car Tel: 0844 5338 08701544 56 56 56 www.budget.co.uk

Alphabet (GB) Limited Tel: 0370 50 50 100 www.alphabet.co.uk

Sortimo Central Tel: 0121 511 2303 www.sortimo-central.com

Penny Hydraulics Tel: 01246 811475 www.pennyhydraulics.com

Civica UK Ltd Tel: 0117 924 2703 www.civica.co.uk/tranman

Europcar Tel: 0871 384 0201 www.europcar.co.uk

LeasePlan UK Ltd Tel: 0844 493 5810 www.leaseplan.co.uk

Tevo Limited Tel: 01628 528034 www.tevo.eu.com

Ratcliff Palfinger Ltd Tel: 01707 382880 www.ratcliffpalfinger.co.uk

Chevin Fleet Solutions Tel: 01773 821 992 www.chevinfleet.com

Avis Rent A Car Budget Rent-a-Car Tel: 0844 5000 08701544 56 56 56 www.avis.co.uk www.budget.co.uk

Zenith Tel: 0844 848 9311 www.zenith.co.uk

automatic transmissions

Arnold Clark Vehicle Management

Stephens Engineering Automatics Limited Tel: 01920 462530 www.stephensengineering.co.uk

Tel: 0141 332 2626 www.acvm.co.uk

Lex Autolease Tel: 0344 824 0115 www.lexautolease.co.uk

Full listings online at

conversions Clarks Vehicle Conversions fleetworld.co.uk Tel: 0845 319 2787 www.van-conversion.co.uk

STEPS

TRACKER Network (UK) Limited Tel: 0845 604 6091 www.TRACKER.co.uk

www.quartix.net

Tel: 0345 055 8555 Ctrack www.ctrack.co.uk Teletrac Navman Tel: 0345 604 8813 www.teletrac.co.uk www.navmanwireless.co.uk

Trakm8 Tel: 0330 333 4120 www.trakm8.com

Tel: 0870 013 6663

fleetworld.co.uk

Full listings online at

telematics & tracking

Volkswagen Group Leasing Tel: 0870 333 2229 www.volkswagengroupleasing.co.uk

Venson Automotive Solutions Tel: 08444 991402 www.venson.com

Mycompanyfleet Tel: 0845 077 7760 www.mycompanyfleet.co.uk

vehicle data International Decision Systems Tel: 01256 302 000 www.idsdata.co.uk

Full listings online at

fleetworld.co.uk risk management

Promote your company here and online for just £400/year.

Roadmarque Tel: 01792 824438 www.roadmarque.com

fuel management

euroShell Card Tel: 0800 915 6021 www.shell.co.uk/euroshell

IAM Drive & Survive Tel: 0870 120 2910 www.iamdriveandsurvive.co.uk

WEX Europe Services Tel: 0800 626 672 www.wexeuropeservices.com

BP Oil UK Ltd Tel: 0845 603 0723 www.bpplus.co.uk

Bill Plant Ltd Tel: 01765 645023

AVS Steps Ltd

Tel: 01939 235900 www.avssteps.co.uk

EV FLEET WORLD Tel: 01727 739160 www.evfleetworld.co.uk

www.billplant.co.uk

fast-fits & tyres ATS Euromaster Tel: 0870 066 3624 www.atseuromaster.co.uk

Full listings online at

fleetworld.co.uk

vehicle ventilation

accident management

Flettner Ventilator Ltd Tel: 020 8200 2321 www.flettner.co.uk

Total Accident Management Tel: 0845 078 4157 www.totalaccman.co.uk

VAN FLEETW RLD SUPPLIER DIRECTORY For more information, please contact Tracy Howell on 01727 739160 or email tracy@fleetworldgroup.co.uk vanfleetworld.co.uk / 83