Fleet World November 2015

November 2015

FLEETW RLD All that matters in the world of fleet

Green Team Three cars break through the 100mpg barrier in the MPG Marathon

Driven

At a premium

Spotlight

Infiniti Q30 Hyundai Tucson MINI Clubman DS 4

Why businesses are turning to technology to reduce their insurance costs

First look at Toyota’s most important launch since Prius – the Mirai fleetworld.co.uk

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November 2015

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Q30: Infiniti’s smallest model yet takes on the C-segment.

FLEETW RLD All that matters in the world of fleet

What I’ve learnt: Malcolm Maycock of the Licence Bureau tells all.

Green Team Three cars break through the 100mpg barrier in the MPG Marathon

Driven

At a premium

Spotlight

Infiniti Q30 Hyundai Tucson MINI Clubman DS 4

Why businesses are turning to technology to reduce their insurance costs

First look at Toyota’s most important launch since Prius – the Mirai 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

42 Toyota Mirai gives us a glimpse of the Fuel Cell future.

Business Editor Natalie Middleton natalie@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Features Editor Katie Beck katie@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Fleet Consultant Ross Durkin ross@fleetworldgroup.co.uk VFW Editor Dan Gilkes dan@fleetworldgroup.co.uk 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

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MPG Marathon 2015: Check out the fantastic results from the UK’s premier economy driving event.

Head of Production Luke Wikner luke@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Designers Tina Ries tina@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Samantha King sam@fleetworldgroup.co.uk

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58 How technology can help fleets reduce their insurance costs.

VAN FLEETW RLD

75 DRIVEN: Vauxhall Corsavan, VW Transporter, LCV conversions, Fuel management.

VAN Fleet World LIVE Seminars.

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fleetworld.co.uk / 03

fleetreview This month, editor Steve Moody considers the ramifications of Volkswagen identifying irregularities in CO2 emissions and the brilliance of a self-parking BMW.

Volkswagen and CO2 Nagging away at the back of my mind over the past few weeks has been the thought that while the Volkswagen NOx scandal is serious, it is nothing in comparison to what would happen if it was found to be rigging CO2 figures.

So at 7.41pm on 3 November, my heart sank when I saw the title of an email which had pinged into my inbox: ‘Clarification Moving Forward: Internal Investigations at Volkswagen Identify Irregularities in CO2 levels.’

In the statement, Volkswagen said that: “Under the ongoing review of all processes and workflows in connection with diesel engines it was established that the CO2 levels and thus the fuel consumption figures for some models were set too low during the CO2 certification process. The majority of the vehicles concerned have diesel engines.”

And pretty much, that’s it, other than some waffle about transparency.

No mention of what engines are involved. No mention of the timescale of vehicles affected. No mention of which brands are affected. No mention of the level of CO2.

If you were a business looking to defleet Volkswagen Group vehicles after this announcement, how could you possibly send them to market with this Sword of Damocles potentially hanging over them, perhaps to swing any day? If you were in the process of purchasing cars or vans, how can you sign on the dotted line under the current confusion? An employee trying to choose their next company car?

Good luck.

04 / fleetworld.co.uk

I phoned Volkswagen in the UK. They were none the wiser either. Good people just hung out to dry by this brutal self-flagellation going on in Germany, with little thought for those who work for them. I’m not saying they shouldn’t have told everyone what is going on, but perhaps (if it was possible, and I understand the pressures involved mean it may not have been) waiting until there were some accompanying facts might have been useful.

Until they come clean on just how much the figures have been massaged, we have no idea of the financial implications of running VW Group cars and no idea how much tax has avoided being paid to HMRC as a result (a whole other story for another day). What influence would any major shortfall have in the Teasury’s thinking about the future of company car taxation?

It seems that in trying to cleanse itself entirely of the stench of corruption, it has adopted a scorched earth policy.

The problem is, it is getting its customers burnt in the process too.

BMW solves parking I drove a new BMW 7 Series this month, and as somebody who gets annoyed by tiny parking spaces and increasingly large cars to fit in them, its auto parking feature impressed me a lot. Using the key you can reverse it into and out of spaces remotely while you stand nearby, and then hop in or out when space allows. Brilliant! Imagine when this is applied across all cars: those staggeringly annoying door dings will be a thing of the past.

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

Ford NEWS

inbrief New Transit gains AWD versatility

Intelligent AWD enhancements for Mondeo THE all-new Ford Mondeo is one of eight Ford cars and commercial vehicles in Europe available with all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive technology – enhancing driving experience and road-holding.

Intelligent AWD delivers enhanced traction and road-holding with a seamless transition between front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive performance to provide a more secure footing on the road especially in slippery conditions.

Intelligent AWD activates when it is needed, so it can help drivers find grip in wintry conditions with minimal impact on fuel-efficiency and without affecting refinement. The system continually measures how the car’s wheels are gripping the road surface every 16 milliseconds, and can adjust power delivery to individual wheels in 100 milliseconds.

Customers can specify Intelligent All-Wheel Drive with the 150PS 2.0-litre TDCi diesel engine and six-speed manual transmission, or 180PS 2.0-litre TDCi diesel engine and six-speed PowerShift automatic transmission. It is available in Mondeo models including the new Ford Mondeo Vignale.

Mondeo’s advanced Ford technologies and comfort features include Active Park Assist with Perpendicular Parking, which enables drivers to detect suitably-sized spaces and reverse hands-free into those parallel to the road or side-to-side with other cars.

The all-new Mondeo has also debuted Ford’s new Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection technology, which can detect people in or near the road ahead, or who may cross the vehicle’s path. If the system detects a potential collision it automatically applies the brakes if the driver does not respond to warnings.

5-star safety for AWD S-MAX and Galaxy THE all-new Ford S-MAX sports activity vehicle and Galaxy people mover are available with Intelligent All-Wheel Drive with the same 2.0-litre TDCi powertrains as the all-new Mondeo.

The technologically advanced S-MAX and Galaxy – both recently awarded the maximum 5-star safety rating by Euro NCAP – are offered for the first time with second-row seat side-airbags for additional passenger side-impact protection, and also offer first and second-row seatbelt pre-tensioners with load limiters to further enhance rear passenger safety.

Both vehicles use ultra-high strength hydro-formed steel in the A-pillars, B-pillars and roof rails for enhanced side impact performance.

In addition, S-MAX and Galaxy offer Ford’s sophisticated Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection technology that can reduce the severity of some frontal collisions involving vehicles and pedestrians, or even help drivers avoid some impacts altogether.

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 Ford Transit can be equipped with Intelligent AWD for class-leading traction and dynamics, and offers a selectable AWD-Lock mode for optimised grip in extreme conditions.

Available on Ford Transit 350 L2 and L3 van, doublecab-in-van and single cab chassis cab models, Intelligent AWD senses the grip available to each wheel and actively distributes the torque from the engine to wherever it’s most effective.

Working with the vehicle’s electronic stability control system, sensors constantly evaluate data to identify low friction road surfaces, and can automatically direct more drive to the front axle.

The Ford Ranger’s driverselectable four-wheel drive (4WD) features a two-speed transfer box, and enables drivers to switch between rear-wheel drive and fourwheel drive high-range at speeds of up to 70mph. For low-speed torque or additional downhill braking in challenging terrain, drivers also can engage low-range fourwheel drive. An electronic locking rear differential also helps to improve traction in difficult conditions.

The World of Fleet

06 / fleetworld.co.uk

UK and Boris get plugged in The UK recorded Europe’s largest year-on-year increase in plug-in vehicle sales during the first nine months of 2015, despite the region’s total EV and PHEV market size almost doubling during that time. Around 21,000 units were registered, with company cars taking a major share of that number. Recognising the growing demand, London Mayor Boris Johnson helped launch the new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV at the Tokyo Motor Show recently.

fleetworld.co.uk / 07

inbusiness

Arval seals GE Capital Fleet Services deal A rval has finalised its acquisition of GE Capital Fleet Services’ activities in Europe.

The deal was first announced in June in line with GE’s plans to create a simpler, industrial company, and has also seen its US, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand fleet businesses acquired by Element Financial Corporation – Arval’s partner in North America.

The Arval agreement covers more than 160,000 vehicles in 12 European countries, of which France, Germany and the UK represent over 75%; the vehicle assets amounted to €2.4bn (£1.7bn) as of Q1 2015.

Arval said the deal propels it to the number one position in Europe in the full service vehicle leasing sector, with a leased fleet of 930,000 vehicles worldwide, in 26 countries.

In addition the Element‐Arval Global Alliance now becomes a global leader with a fleet of more than three million vehicles in 47 countries.

Philippe Bismut, CEO of Arval, said: “We are very happy to welcome colleagues and clients of European GE Capital fleet services. Our clients will now benefit from greater geographical coverage and we’ll be redoubling our efforts to ensure our service quality and provide them with expert advice. With the strength of BNP Paribas and the expertise of our local teams, Arval now becomes the number one full‐service vehicle leasing specialist in Europe. In addition, by enhancing our cooperation with Element Financial, we’re creating a stronger, more effi‐ cient worldwide network.”

Fiat confirms Tipo name for Focus rival

F

iat is to revive the Tipo name for its new C‐segment hatch, which replaces the Bravo.

Based on the Aegea saloon shown in May at the Istanbul Motor Show, the vehicle will appear first in saloon form, which launches from the end of this year across EMEA regions, before arriving in hatchback and estate bodystyles, which are due in the UK from next autumn.

The model forms part of the Fiat func‐ tional family of vehicles and will have a focus on maximising value as well as playing a key role in the fleet sector.

UK Europe’s fastest-growing plug-in market

T

he UK recorded Europe’s largest year‐on‐year increase in plug‐in vehicle sales during the first nine months of 2015, despite the region’s total EV and PHEV market size almost doubling during that time.

Figures from ACEA show the European market for electric, plug‐ in hybrid and range‐extended electric vehicles grew 79.5% year on year, from 64,235 units in the first nine months of 2014, to 115,297 units in 2015 – now totalling 1.1% of all vehicles registered.

The largest market, by volume, is still Norway with 24,996 units registered (22.2% of Norwegian vehicle registrations so far this year).

The UK is the region’s second largest (20,996) market, up from the fourth largest in 2014. Ignoring markets of under 1,000 units, it is also the fastest‐growing in percentage terms – up 138.5% on the 8,803 registered during the first nine months of 2014.

08 / fleetworld.co.uk

39% of drivers incur points driving at work

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lmost four in 10 business drivers have been given points on their licence from work‐ related driving offences, according to research from fleet telematics provider Masternaut.

In total, 39% of business drivers surveyed said that they had received points on their licence for work‐related driving misdemeanours. Almost two‐thirds (62%) of those with points were from speeding offences.

Other offences committed by business drivers include driving without reasonable consideration for other road users (15%), driving without due care or attention (14%), traffic light‐related offences (14%) and dangerous driving (10%).

All-New

Renault KADJAR Start living

7� 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 environment figures. Fuel consumption and CO2 may vary according to driving styles, road conditions and other factors. Model shown is All-

Urban 74.3 (3.8); Combined 72.4 (3.9). The official CO2 emissions are 103g/km. EU Directive Regulation 692/2008 test New Renault Kadjar Dynamique S Nav dCi 110.

renault.co.uk

inbusiness

VW scandal: now CO2 involved Matthias Müller, CEO of Volkswagen, announced irregularities in CO2 reporting, and that some cars’ figures were too low. Alex Grant reports

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nternal investigations at the Volkswagen Group have uncovered “irregularities” in the certified fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures for around 800,000 vehicles globally. Details are limited at the time of going to press, and Volkswagen Group UK has declined to comment on local effects until the scale of the problem is known. Here’s what we know so far:

It’s a voluntary admission – Volkswagen released the information based on its own internal reviews, a process of improving trans‐ parency in the wake of the NOx emission scandal. This wasn’t revealed by an external source, unlike the issues with its diesel engines.

Economy and CO2 emissions are affected – this is an admission that the official fuel and CO2 figures are over‐optimistic – it’s not related to NOx. The carmaker said it’s too early to confirm how inaccurate these are, but both have potentially large effects for fleets’ whole‐life costs.

It’s likely to be Euro-centric – Volkswagen hasn’t confirmed how many of the 800,000 vehicles are in Europe, but said “the majority” are diesel engines. Given the relatively high popularity of diesels in Europe, that’s where a large share are likely to be located.

It’s a new group of vehicles – petrol engines are included, so this isn’t only related to vehicles included in the NOx scandal. It could be an entirely different group. There are unconfirmed rumours that three and four‐cylinder diesel and Cylinder on Demand petrol engines are affected.

It won’t affect vehicle tax in the UK – The DfT confirmed in October that there will be no VED or BiK penalty for existing VW Group customers following the NOx scandal, and it’s likely that the same approach will be taken here. Volkswagen said it will work with author‐ ities to “re‐classify” vehicles with the correct CO2 and consumption figures – that’s not necessarily a recall.

The financial implications are huge – for the Volkswagen Group, anyway. It’s said the economic risk totals €2bn, and it could face legal challenges for misselling vehicles based on high fuel consumption figures and low CO2 – an important consideration when choosing a car or van.

EPA accuses VW Group of cheating on other engines and models The Volkswagen Group has denied that its 3.0‐ litre TDI engines also contain a ‘defeat device’ to cheat NOx emissions tests in the United States, following further allegations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The EPA said its investigation showed the engine was capable of recognising the start of the federal test procedure and running under a specific low‐NOx calibration to pass emis‐ sions tests. Under other driving conditions, NOx emissions were found to increase by up to nine times the EPA standard – a violation of the Clean Air Act. Around 10,000 2014 and 2015 model year Audi, Volkswagen and Porsche vehicles in the United States, and an unconfirmed number of 2016 models, are said to be affected.

The Volkswagen Group said the 3.0‐litre TDI does not feature a defeat device, but added that it will co‐operate with the investigation.

Porsche Cars North America has voluntarily withdrawn affected vehicles from sale in the United States.

WE’RE ALWAYS RIGHT BEHIND YOU IT’S OUR WAY OF PUTTING YOU IN FRONT

When it comes to vehicle leasing and fleet management, we work hard to understand our customers’ business objectives. Our team has the knowledge and expertise to deliver a first-class service to achieve those objectives.

So whatever your requirements are, we’re here to help deliver a solution that best suits you.

Keeping you one step ahead

www.aldautomotive.co.uk

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Official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the Ford S-MAX range: urban 27.4-50.4 (10.3-5.6), extra urban 43.5-61.4 (6.5-4.6), combined 35.8-56.5 (7.9-5.0). Official C02 emissions 180-129g/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.

inbusiness

VW Group: the next step How will dealers cope with the diesel emissions rectification work?

Curtis Hutchinson, editor of Motor Trader, reports.

T

he Volkswagen Group diesel emissions scandal has been grabbing headlines since it broke in late September and will continue to do so as internal investigations are conducted and legal actions are pursued to discover just how rogue software was deliberately fitted to 11 million 1.6 and 2.0-litre diesel engines to falsify emission readings under test conditions.

The ramifications for the individual brands are immense as trust has been broken and previously unblemished reputations tarnished. But what does it all mean to fleet managers who will be looking after the practicalities of making sure affected cars are modified with minimal disruption and downtime?

What we know is that the rectification work will begin in January and will run through the course of 2016 with VW Group already saying that some slippage is expected into 2017. Officially this is not a recall because under UK law a ‘recall’ relates to an urgent safety issue that requires immediate action. Instead this is rated as a ‘service action’ which can be completed over a longer period of time but is not safety related.

The scale of VW Group’s job in the UK is enormous with 1.2 million models across the VW, Audi, Skoda, SEAT and VW Commercial Vehicles brands fitted with the Type EA 189 diesel units. A high proportion of these vehicles, sold since 2008, are run by fleets ranging in size from SMEs to blue chips as well as contract hire and daily rental operators.

We haven't seen anything like this in the UK and Volkswagen Group is now working hard behind the scenes to make sure the rectification process is seamless as this is its big opportunity to rebuild trust and confidence.

This, of course, means that each brand’s dealers are now in the frontline when it comes to managing the practicalities of the process and rebuilding relationships.

Paul Willis, managing director of Volkswagen Group, shed some light on what will happen next at his grilling before the Commons Transport Select Committee in October.

He described his brands’ dealer networks as the “backbone” of his business. These are big operations which collectively employ 21,000 staff and have made substantial investments over the years to represent each brand. Dealers can be forgiven for also feeling duped by the emission fixing shenanigans as they have sold and serviced the affected vehicles in good faith; having them on-side from the outset is paramount.

14 / fleetworld.co.uk

“In the coming days my team are meeting with all the retailers to see precisely what we need to do next,” he told the committee.

“Of course we could not exist without our dealers, our retailers are the backbone of our business, and therefore it’s really important that we look after them and support them. They’re at the forefront of the pressure and questions from customers and its absolutely imperative that we work with them and help them.”

Willis clarified that around 400,000 cars fitted with the 1.6 diesel engine would need alterations to their fuel injectors as well as software changes. While those with the 2.0-litre engine will only require software updates.

There's already suggestions that the more involved work could take between five and 10 hours, although we're still awaiting the final clarification from VW Group.

Willis said vehicle owners affected by the recall will be offered loan cars by their dealers while their vehicles are being fixed.

Fortunately the latest Golf, a user-chooser fleet favourite, has been sold with the newer EA 288 engines since 2012 and is therefore unaffected.

Also with Euro 6 compliancy becoming mandatory from 1 September the Volkswagen Group brands, in common with other carmakers, had been phasing out their older Euro 5 units.

But what does this all mean to customers who had previously favoured the VW Group brands.

According to Robert Forrester, CEO of Vertu Motors, one of the UK’s biggest dealer groups, the long term impact may not be as damaging as initially thought.

“The broad sentiment is that customers want to trust the Volkswagen Group. They want to believe the best of the brand,” he said.

Vertu, which trades as Bristol Street Motors and Maclin Motors, represents all the VW Group marques but Forrester said there had been no “significant decline” in sales across the affected brands, although he did confirm that Volkswagen had taken the brunt.

Dealers now have a job to do to build bridges with customers and restore lost confidence. They know that second chances will not be forthcoming and if they do not deliver exceptional levels of care these customers will walk away come renewal time.

Brands would normally dream of welcoming 1.2 million customers into showrooms, the challenge now facing VW Group dealers is to turn adversity into opportunity.

inbusiness

E m i s s io n s s c a n d a l the tip of the iceberg The Insider finds it remarkable that more are not involved in manipulating tests.

A

s someone inclined to give opinions, it would seem odd if I didn’t say something about the recent VW emissions scandal, ignoring the elephant in the room, as they say. But in all honesty I’m struggling to get wound up about it.

First let me say that I don’t dispute that it is totally and utterly wrong to knowingly mislead the public and we could debate the moral standpoint for hours. There is no doubt that someone very high up made an outstandingly bad business decision with the potential to bring down some of our best loved car brands. But will it fall? And are VW really the only carmaker to take this route? I don’t think so.

Whilst some manufacturers have issued carefully worded press releases, the silence from others has been noticeable. Possibly VW are not alone, just the only ones who were found out – or chose to go public – so far.

And what about the American and European regulators who did not query the test results? I read a piece in a well-respected non-fleet publication which suggested that cheat devices had been around since 1994, and that unless said regulators had been on another planet for the past two decades, there was no way they wouldn’t have known that engine software was being manipulated under test conditions. As yet there is no suggestion any heads will roll from that direction.

At the time of writing, making good the issues is advised as recalls are limited to software tweaks on some models, and both software and injector fixes on others. It has been confirmed that the UK tax authorities will not amend tax contributions on affected models.

So what is the actual impact on fleet? If your cars are leased, the lease company holds the risk, congratulations. If you own them, you are watching the market with interest. However, when Joe Average buys a second-hand car – which is where most of our fleet cars end up – he wants to know if it will carry his golf clubs, the weekly shop, and the chil-

16 / fleetworld.co.uk

dren, preferably in that order. He also wants it to be economical and reliable, end of. The value of the car to him is dictated by those items, all unaffected by the current predicament. He may give a nod to the environment if it saves him road fund licence and quantities of fuel; if he was really serious on that front he’d lease the latest models, new. I don’t see secondhand values being hugely affected.

Speaking with my own drivers, at the moment none of them is remotely concerned about driving one of the affected cars now they know there is no tax disadvantage to continuing ownership. They are of course, as miffed as the rest of us about the immorality issues.

But it remains to be seen what happens when the recalls are under way, and that’s where I can see potential difficulty. If injectors are being re-worked, presumably this must affect fuel consumption, one assumes for worse rather than in a good way. What do you do then if your drivers complain they are getting less miles to the gallon, in a car you provided to them and where they had no choice in the matter?

If we avoid submitting a car for the recall, will that car in fact increase in value, because its tax remains low but with good fuel economy? Will HMRC ask for a list of those cars on which the recall hasn’t been done and insist those owners pay more tax?

Far too complicated.

Will the authorities fine VW and insist the money is paid to the Revenue? How much? Should we all stop buying what are actually rather good cars? Yet something must be done to discourage other companies from taking similarly fraudulent actions. How big will the discouragement need to be? It’s not in anyone’s interest to make VW bankrupt as then everyone’s cars are worthless, unemployment rises both within the company and its associated contractors.

So it’s ‘wait and see’, but with the winter season now upon us, I daresay we will uncover more incidences of skating on thin ice.

inbusiness

What I’ve learnt Malcolm Maycock, managing director of the Licence Bureau, on the pros and cons of a police background and working with government.

Dealing with people The police force taught me a number of skill sets at the outset of my working life for which I am most grateful.

Dealing with people at their worst in very stressful and sometimes life-threatening situations has kept the dayto-day stresses of business life in perspective. You often need to sit back and really take an objective view.

Honesty and integrity I have learnt over the years that honesty and integrity are two of the most endearing attributes a person can have. Once lost, they are gone forever, so if you want to be respected then this is a crucial lesson you must abide by. I think this is how I would like to be remembered.

Know who you are dealing with The downside of my police training is my tendency to see the worst in people or have doubts about them. I have learnt in my business life not to be over cautious but to never deal on face value. Knowledge is king and to understand the needs of others is extremely important.

Running a business This provides huge pleasure and enjoyment. We now have over 30 staff at Licence Bureau and to see individuals grow is a huge pleasure and one you learn from every day. That said, the main lesson is never to stand still and to continually work on the business and strive to move forward at every opportunity that is presented. This is what I would constantly drum into myself as an 18-year-old.

Working with government I first went to the DVLA in 2000 and finally agreed the three-year consent form with them in 2003, which subsequently became the industry standard. Government is a very complicated beast that requires nurturing and is definitely a marathon and not a sprint. I have had the pleasure of meeting some fabulous characters in that time far removed from what you may expect.

trading places

in

in

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New appointment at VWFS Volkswagen Financial Services has appointed Iker Lazzari in the newly created role of head of sales and marketing.

The role has been implemented as part of the company’s drive to grow market share in the corporate and SME fleet market.

“The business already has all the fundamental elements and offerings needed for it to become the major player in the fleet market,” said Lazzari.

TMC recruits chief information officer The Miles Consultancy has announced the appointment of Charlie Appleby as chief information officer.

The company offers mileage capture, auditing and control services for fleets operating across Europe and the role will see Appleby develop and implement IT and development strategies, enabling TMC to offer fleet managers greater control and visibility over their firms’ mileage and mobility spend.

Marc Trollet appointed MiX Telematics MD MiX Telematics Europe has announced plans to grow its European operations following the appointment of Marc Trollet as managing director.

Prior to joining MiX Telematics, Trollet was managing director France & VP channels EMEA at Masternaut. He has also held vice president and general management roles at Motorola and Celestica.

fleetworld.co.uk / 17

inbusiness

Tesla Autopilot Tesla’s first step towards driverless vehicles is more than just an assistance package, explains Alex Grant.

What is it?

The first major delivery of Tesla’s autonomous vehicle functions for the Model S and Model X. Autopilot is said to take control of the tedious and dangerous aspects of the journey, as per its aviation namesake, but ultimately leaves the driver in charge of the car.

What can it do?

Since last October, Tesla has offered its cars with forward radar and camera systems, 12 long-range ultrasonic sensors which have a 16-foot range around the car, and a digitally-controlled braking system. These enable it to monitor its surroundings while travelling, and are combined with GPS data layered over detailed maps, even including separate motorway lanes.

Autopilot is part of an over-the-air software update, using the sensors and cameras to add a number of semiautonomous features. Some are familiar, such as steering into parking spaces, helping to avoid collisions, lane-keeping and active cruise control. Tesla’s system can also change lanes with a tap of the indicator once it detects a suitable gap, and pre-warn of side collisions or vehicles in too-close proximity.

What makes this unique?

It’ll keep evolving. The system will learn, based on realtime data from the way drivers interact with it, how to use the road better. Because the Model S and Model X software is updated over the air, features available from launch can be fine-tuned and rolled out very quickly.

The carmaker also has hinted that it will progressively add more functionality with future versions. In the long term, combined with other features, the car could drive itself out of the garage, remotely opening then closing the door, then park on the driveway, warming the cabin ready for your commute.

VAUXHALL’S WHISPER DIESEL

THE QUIET REVOLUTION CONTINUES Our range of ‘Whisper Diesel’ engines speak for themselves.

Unmistakably quiet and refined, the new range of powertrains combine exceptionally smooth power delivery with money saving economy. And with CO2 emissions starting ng from m 82g/km, 82g/k / m,, the Vauxhall ‘Whisper Diesel’ range offers outstanding tanding ng efficiency efficiency. cyy.

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Official Government Test Environmental Data. Fuel consumption figures mpg (litres/100km) and CO 2 emissions (g/km).

Whisper Diesel range: Combined 46.3 (6.1) – 91.2 (3.1). CO 2 emissions 161 – 82g/km.

2015 Fleet World’s annual Cup of Golf took place this year at the prestigious Brockett Hall in Hertfordshire. A closely fought contest was won by team Toyota (above).

Congratulations to all this year’s competitors and bring on 2016!

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CO2 82g/km† COMBINED

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MPG 91.2mpg† UP TO

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Discover Whisper Diesel at www.vauxhall.co.uk/whisperdiesel

† = 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. * = 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 (October 2015). The vehicles illustrated may not necessarily represent the correct final UK specification and not all the features or options described are available on every model.

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Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme

F

rom December 2015 medium and large businesses in the UK will be required to comply with the Environment Agency’s Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS), an initiative to help businesses cut their energy use by identifying opportunities for greater energy efficiency. Ahead of the deadline, fleet managers need to be fully aware of the scheme’s implications and ensure they have taken the necessary measures to comply.

Getting up to speed with ESOS • First, fleets must work out whether they are required to take part in the scheme. In short, if a company meets the ESOS definition of a ‘large UK undertaking’, they are subject to ESOS and must comply.

• An integral part of the ESOS process focuses on transport and travel. Fleet managers are required to produce a report showing their fleet’s total energy usage over a 12-month period – of which fuel consumption is likely to be a significant factor. Fleet managers can find out more about what they need to include in this report on the Environment Agency’s website.

• Once the report is completed, the next step is to put forward a plan outlining opportunities for cutting energy usage alongside an estimate of how much any improvements will cost to implement.

• The report will then need to be updated and submitted every four years.

Calculating your fleet’s energy consumption Completing the ESOS audit will allow fleets to identify unnecessary energy usage and in doing so help them devise a way to reduce their overall fuel expenditure - but this process is not as straight forward as it sounds.

Calculating overall energy consumption is a lot more complicated than reading utility bills. ESOS only requires business mileage to be submitted and separating this figure from any personal staff costs requires a sophisticated mileage capture system. It’s not enough to simply know how much employees have spent on fuel. Fleet managers must report energy expenditure in terms of fuel volume, meaning they need to calculate how many litres drivers bought and used, based on the manufacturer’s mpg of the vehicles in the fleet.

Without a simple way to collate the required data, ESOS compliance can be an administrative headache, and not complying can incur a penalty of up to £50,000. However, there are solutions in place.

Barclaycard Fuel+, which uses The Miles Consultancy’s Mileage Capture and Audit system, is built around unique micro auditing logic and reporting that tracks drivers’ habits over time. This technology means fleet managers can be sure that business mileage is being logged accurately, making it simpler to extrapolate relevant data. The Fuel+ card also helps ensure mileage records comply with HMRC VAT regulations by combining fuel consumption and pump prices with mileage figures and vehicle-specific mpg stats.

Dependable data can save businesses time and money on a daily basis. With the roll-out of ESOS, the importance of accurate reporting is set to become even more valuable. Complying with government regulations will help fleet managers secure greater efficiency in their fleets and will ultimately drive down costs – a win-win for both the bottom line and the environment.

g fleet e k

Vector Smartwatches Vector reckons a smartwatch should offer useful data without blurring its ability to tell the time. Its new range comprises classicallystyled rectangular or round-faced watches with a choice of straps, all of which are compatible with iOS, Android and Windows smartphones. Notifications can be dismissed with the flick of a wrist, the display personalised via an app and the battery lasts 30 days.

Price: From £219, see Vectorwatch.com

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 Wrapped in a thin, lightweight metal frame, Samsung’s latest tablet series features an 8.0 or 9.7-inch high-resolution Super AMOLED display with a 4:3 aspect ratio to minimise scrolling in landscape mode. It’s equipped with Microsoft Office Solutions on its 32GB on-board memory, which can be extended by up to 128GB, making it easy to take your work on the road.

Price: From £319, see samsung.com/uk for details

Piece Sick of carrying two phones around?

Roughly the same size as a credit card, Piece is a Bluetooth-paired device which enables a second number to dial through to your main phone – you only need one handset. It charges from a common Micro USB slot offering four hours of talk time and 150 hours on standby.

Price: £60 from piece4sim.com

apps of the month

ReBoard

Momondo

Omnifocus

Multitasking redefined, ReBoard lets you control background apps without switching – for example, entering diary appointments or to-do items while browsing your e-mails. It also includes an advanced search function compatible with Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive and Slack, as well as translation, local businesses and your music library.

Price: Free from iTunes Store

Possibly the most interesting use of historic flight price data on the internet, Momondo shows the cheapest way to travel with clear graphs reflecting the price differences. Not only does this show airlines and airports, but it’ll predict the cheapest week of the year, the lowest priced day and even the time of day when it’s best to book. Clever stuff.

Price: Free from Google Play, iTunes Store

A powerful cloud-based task management package which syncs everything from work meetings to shopping lists and personal notes between your Mac, iPhone and Apple Watch. It lets you sort things into as many sub-folders as you want, notifying and organising tasks based on your location, people and even your energy level, as well as entering them via Siri or e-mails.

Price: £29.99 from iTunes Store

24 / fleetworld.co.uk

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...

motorway speeding

Source: RAC Business

The majority of company car drivers regularly speed on motorways and would support a rise in the motorway speed limit, the results of a recent survey by RAC Business suggest.

In total, 81% of company car drivers surveyed admitted to regularly breaking the 70mph motorway speed limit, compared to 69% of private motorists.

But when asked if they considered themselves to be a lawabiding driver, 90% of business drivers said yes.

64% of company car drivers would support a national speed limit increase to 80mph.

Commenting on the findings, Jenny Powley, corporate business sales director at RAC Business, said: “When you drive as part of your working day and are running late for meetings, it can be very tempting to break the speed limit. It’s worth reminding drivers that the risks associated with speeding can far outweigh the time saved. After all, driving at 80mph instead of 70mph will only save you six seconds a mile, or 10 minutes over 100 miles.”

46% of business drivers admitted that they regularly hit speeds of 80mph on a motorway, with a further 5% admitting to reaching 90mph.

SME rental market Small businesses play a key role in the take-up of car rental services, the findings of a new study by Avis UK and the Guild of Travel Management Companies reveal.

Source: Avis UK and the Guild of Travel Management Companies

In terms of company size, the study revealed that small businesses (Between 1 – 50 people), equate to nearly 30% of the UK rental market.

Out of 22 business sectors surveyed, the most frequent users of car rental services were made up of manufacturing (11%), education (10%) and Information Technology (8%).

67% of respondents identifying cost as “very important” in their decision-making process, alongside 24/7 emergency assistance (60%), speed of service (58%) and the ability to book online (51%).

The majority of rentals, especially those in the UK, were for short periods (one day or 2 – 7 days) with only 24% of rentals in the UK and 37% of rentals abroad having a duration of 8+ days.

The most frequent collection points of rental cars collected outside of the UK for international trips were found to be in Spain (18%), France (16%), the United States (14%) and Germany (6%).

26 / fleetworld.co.uk

security of keyless cars

Source: TRACKER

As major manufacturers come under the spotlight following reports that vehicles may be vulnerable to keyless thefts, the results of a recent survey by TRACKER suggest that motorists are becoming increasingly concerned about the security of keyless technology.

Stolen vehicle recovery specialist TRACKER asked motorists about the issue, and found that 70% said they would think twice before buying a keyless car, to avoid being a target for car hackers.

TRACKER also asked respondents about extra security precautions. The most popular precaution was a Stolen Vehicle Recovery System (SVR), with 40% selecting this option.

A steering wheel lock was the second most popular with 30%, while a ‘connection protection device’, which is a steel box designed to cover the onboard diagnostic port, was popular with 25% of respondents.

Some car security devices have been found to be vulnerable to ‘close-range wireless communication’ attacks, which clones a key’s built-in immobilisers.

This means cars can be unlocked remotely, without their owners’ knowledge.

According to reports, VW and Audi were the main manufacturers affected.

end of BST

Source: LaptopsDirect.co.uk

Research released following the end of British Summer Time (BST) has revealed that a significant proportion of drivers have been involved in an unreported incident during the winter months.

In a survey of 1,000 car drivers, 33% told technology supplier LaptopsDirect.co.uk that they had been involved in an incident with another driver at this time of year, which they haven’t reported to the police or their insurer.

24% more British drivers admitted that they have had a near miss during GMT, compared to the summer months.

Men are more likely to have near misses than women during the winter months – with 74% confessing to having done so.

Commenting on the findings, Mark Kelly, marketing manager at LaptopsDirect.co.uk, said: “The fact that so many drivers are admitting to having been involved in unreported incidents suggests a real need for motorists to be able to collect evidence if they’ve been involved in a collision that wasn’t their fault. We saw a 364% rise in sales of dash cams before the start of October, suggesting many motorists are now prepared for the nights drawing in.”

for the latest daily news from the fleet industry, visit fleetworld.co.uk fleetworld.co.uk / 27

Infiniti Q30 Alex Grant finds out if Infiniti’s smallest model yet has what it takes to rival the premium C-segment.

SECTOR Lower Medium PRICE £20,550–£33,890 FUEL 32.5–68.9mpg CO2 108–156g/km

W

ith a range largely developed around North American preferences for big saloons and high performance petrol hybrids, Infiniti’s slow start in Europe isn’t much of a surprise. But the Q30, which puts the Japanese luxury brand into the premium C‐segment, is here to change that.

Setting its crosshair on the A3, 1 Series and A‐Class, the Q30 is a global car developed to European tastes, built at Nissan’s plant in Sunderland and launching with plenty of ambition.

Infiniti hasn’t put numbers on its sales aspirations but it’s hoping to double its UK volumes year on year for the near future. The Q30, and platform‐shared QX30 crossover coming next year, are likely to make up the bulk of that growth.

Granted, we’re still talking relatively small volumes compared to the established premium brands, but this has a big role to play. Infiniti suffers a little from a lack of visi‐ bility in Europe, which the Q30 has the power to change, and residual values are competitive this time. It’s a step in the right direction, and those distinctive swoopy bodylines will certainly help it get noticed.

Mercedes‐Benz products. However, it’s well built, the 368‐ A new name this might be, but the mechanical side of the litre cargo capacity is above average and there’s plenty of Q30 is familiar. Thanks to a partnership between the Renault‐ legroom (though limited headroom) in the back.

Nissan Alliance and Daimler, it’s on the same Thankfully, with 18‐inch wheels as the small‐ compact car platform as the A‐Class and about est option, the A‐Class hasn’t donated its spine‐ FLEET FACT the same size as a GLA overall, with a similarly breaking suspension to the Q30. Infiniti has raised ride height. Not that you’d know it from developed its own steering setup, and offset the the outside ‐ only the fake C‐pillar window hints raised ride height with rebound springs to All global that Infiniti hasn’t had quite the engineering avoid excessive body roll. The standard and the Infiniti Q30s freedom it would’ve from a scratch‐built car. lower, stiffer Sport suspension packages are will be built in The same can’t be said inside, though, where similarly firm, but less prone to crashing over Sunderland. raiding of the Daimler parts bin is much more poor surfaces than the A‐Class without much obvious. Most of the switchgear, the instru‐ pitching and rolling while cornering. Wind ments and bits of the lower half of the dashboard are out of noise is very noticeable at motorway speeds, though. the A‐Class, the gearstick is from an SL, and Sport versions Fleets are expected to account for half of UK volume, and even get the tombstone‐shaped seats fitted to most small the most popular engine will probably be the 110bhp Renault‐Nissan 1.5‐litre diesel. It’s a good fit, relatively quiet while cruising and with plenty of low‐rev pep to belie its modest power output, but the most efficient version emits 108g/km CO2, in a segment where rivals are well under 100g/km.

Extra power comes from the Daimler‐sourced 168bhp 2.1‐litre diesel, diesel (badged as a 2.2‐litre), offered with a dual‐clutch gearbox and optional four‐wheel drive. It’s considerably quieter than in any compact Mercedes‐Benz, but it’s still gravelly and doesn’t feel as lively as it sounds on paper. Eco and Sport driving modes for the dual‐clutch gearbox either make it too lethargic or too sensitive.

With that said, the Q30 feels a premium choice and its relatively low volumes and distinctly non‐German styling should make this an exclusive company car option, too.

Infiniti desperately needs the dealer coverage to get the proverbial bums on seats, but this latest newcomer to the premium compact segment shouldn’t have too many prob‐ lems selling itself once they’re there.

30 / fleetworld.co.uk

what we think highlights 1.5-litre Renault-Nissan diesel is available with manual and dual-clutch transmissions Navigation is a ÂŁ1,400 upgrade on the fleet-favourite Premium trim Raised ride height, larger than segment average cargo capacity

Still a leftfield choice, but a well-engineered combination of Renault-Nissan and Daimler expertise which somehow manages not to feel like a German try-hard. But with a handful of dealers and limited brand awareness, the biggest battle is luring drivers away from the usual suspects. A sub-100g/km diesel would have helped.

key fleet model Infiniti Q30 1.5d Premium fleetworld.co.uk / 31

Range Rover Evoque 2.0 eD4/TD4

The ever-popular SUV is perfect for user-choosers with its new diesel engine, says Alex Grant.

SECTOR Crossover PRICE £30,200–£47,800 FUEL 55.4–67.3mpg CO2 109–134g/km

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he fastest�selling Land Rover of all time, there’s no questioning the revolutionary effect that the Range Rover Evoque has had on the brand’s image. This not only spearheaded a modern new style, but it’s shifted over 400,000 cars globally in four years, with 80% of buyers new to the brand.

But that demand has primarily been retailâ€?driven. Land Rover sees a strong userâ€?chooser appetite for the Evoque but, despite rock solid residuals, its eet potential has been held back by its ageing 2.2â€?litre diesel engine. While this was the most eďŹƒcient Land Rover to date, rangeâ€?lowest CO2 emissions of 133g/km weren’t a good starting point.

Introduced as part of a very subtle mid�life update, the new 2.0�litre diesel engine changes everything. It’s offered with 150bhp and 180bhp, the latter getting four�wheel drive with the option of a nine�speed automatic gearbox, and means all bar one diesel Evoque come under 130g/km.

This puts it on par with rivals in four�wheel drive, but the Range Rover’s big advantage comes from the two� wheel drive E�Capability version. Marked out by a blue badge, this returns 67.3mpg with 109g/km CO2 emissions for the Coupe, while the bigger�selling five�door comes in at 65.7mpg and 113g/km – only the GLA rivals this.

It makes a huge difference. Considerably quieter and

smoother than its predecessor, with a wide power band and real�world fuel economy easily between 50 and 55mpg on the motorway, the short�throw six�speed gearbox and car� like agility make it feel light and sporty, despite the lethargic straight�line performance. Longer service intervals, 21,000 rather than 16,000 miles, will also help get it noticed.

Jaguar Land Rover has big plans in fleet, targeting a 45% share of its global product mix going to corporate cus� tomers. Combining high aspirational quality with excellent new engines such as this suggest it will have no problems getting there.

WHY HAVE ACCEPTABLE, WHEN YOU CAN HAVE EXCEPTIONAL? DISCOVER THE PEUGEOT PROFESSIONAL DIFFERENCE

“ AS A COMPANY THAT OPERATES A LARGE FLEET, THE QUALITY AND RELIABILITY OF THE PEUGEOT RANGE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US.� SUEZ (formerly SITA UK)

At Peugeot Professional we understand the challenges businesses face on a daily basis. That’s why we’re dedicated to providing great vehicles, ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Visit business.peugeot.co.uk/passion or call 0800 954 8781

! !

Official Fuel Consumption in mpg (l/100km) and CO2 emissions (g/km) for the 308 Range are: Urban 38.2 (7.4) – 80.7 (3.5), Extra Urban 61.4 (4.6) – 97.4 (2.9), Combined 50.4 (5.6) – 91.1 (3.1) and CO 2 130 – 82 (g/km).

MPG figures are achieved under official EU test conditions, intended as a guide for comparative purposes only, and may not reflect actual on-the-road driving conditions. †Call charges to this number from landlines and mobile networks may vary. For information please contact your network provider. Calls may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes.

THE PASSION TO MAKE IT HAPPEN

SsangYong Tivoli

A credible contender in a fast-growing segment should raise SsangYong’s profile, says Alex Grant.

SECTOR Crossover PRICE £12,950–£19,500 FUEL 39.2–65.7mpg CO2 113–167g/km

K

orean manufacturer SsangYong might be a small player in the UK but, with the Tivoli crossover, it’s aiming for the fastest‐growing segment and hoping to bring plenty of new customers to the brand.

This is a great fit for a company with a focus on all‐wheel drive, positioned below the Korando but catering for a very different audience. The Tivoli is geared towards customers who value rugged design with high fuel economy rather than towing ability, and who want high‐grade equipment for mid‐ grade prices. So sales are expected to be top‐weighted.

Brand awareness is still relatively low, but this has plenty of selling points. The 1.6‐litre diesel undercuts its direct rivals, and running costs look competitive. Developed in‐ house, it consumes 65.7mpg and emits 113g/km with two‐ wheel drive, or 60.1mpg and 123g/km with four‐wheel drive. Both are respectable for a car without Stop/Start.

On the road, it makes very little noise while cruising and offers a wide spread of usable torque. Ride quality is firm but not uncomfortable and it doesn’t pitch or roll around while cornering and braking, though a bit more steering feedback in Sport mode would be welcome to make it feel more natural to drive.

Fleet‐friendly options are limited, though. There’s a smooth six‐speed automatic on offer, but it carries a heavy

CO2 penalty – even two‐wheel drive versions return 51.4mpg and emit 146g/km CO2.

The cabin is a little dated in terms of design, materials and its black‐on‐orange LCD displays, but the optional nav‐ igation system does a lot to modernise it. There’s plenty of space for passengers, and the optional under‐floor stor‐ age bins make for a very versatile boot space too.

Most importantly, the Tivoli looks modern and rugged, and offers the raised driving position customers want from a crossover. With keen pricing and competitive running costs, SsangYong has a very credible contender here.

DS 4

Can a step away from niches help DS conquest premium hatch buyers? Alex Grant finds out.

SECTOR Lower Medium PRICE £19,495–£26,495 FUEL 47.9–74.3mpg CO2 100–138g/km

h

centre at high speeds, yet also over‐weighted and slow istory suggests DS might have a journey ahead of around town. Ride quality is rough on large wheels, but it muscling in on the premium brands. And, of its that’s never been a deal‐breaker in this segment, and three‐car model range, the DS 4 probably has the there’s a lot of wind noise on the motorway. furthest to travel.

The Crossback is a little softer, but also £1,500 more Mostly because of a lack of identity. While the DS 3 and expensive than the equivalent Prestige hatch, which costs 5 are clearly defined, the DS 4’s unusual crossover‐coupe‐ £1,000 more than the entry‐level Elegance trim. However, hatchback blend is an odd fit against traditional German it doesn’t roll as much as it looks like it would and the hatchbacks. Close visual links to the Citroën C4, marketed body cladding stops the huge arch gap looking so incon‐ as a value‐led car, can’t have helped either. gruous. Both get the semi off‐road traction control But there are no double chevron badges here, and DS is system as used on the Peugeot 3008. making better use of its mid‐sized offering while bespoke We tested the DS 4 with two engines new products are under development.

– the 210bhp 1.6‐litre turbocharged So the updated DS 4 has become a two‐ petrol and 180bhp 2.0‐litre diesel with car range, one dropped 25mm in ride DS’s new automatic gearbox. The latter height to become a premium hatch‐ bodes well for the 150bhp version DS back, and the other raised 5mm with has high hopes for – it’s very quiet roofbars and body cladding to define it unless pushed and CO 2 emissions as a semi‐crossover. aren’t far off the BlueHDI 120.

It’s the former which DS sees as the It still shares too much with the C4, conquest opportunity in the UK, though. The cabin’s satin silver accents expected to account for two thirds of and optional soft leather are at least as volume with a much higher mix of the high quality as rivals, but it otherwise top Prestige trim and 150bhp 2.0‐litre feels a lot like the Citroën’s. Rear seat diesel, instead of the 1.6‐litre BlueHDI headroom is good, but visibility is 120 which has been the most popular poor, the windows don’t open and the engine to date.

The start of a long unusual door frame shape can whack Ride height makes a big difference, the journey for the DS 4. unsuspecting passengers in the chest.

DS 4 looks far more muscular without Premium in places, but The real sticking point is desirability. the huge arch gaps. DS also has its own Premium brands sell on aspirational steering and suspension setup, and starting to show its age values, and the DS 4 isn’t quite there there’s been a noticeable attempt to against a segment full of yet. There are promising signs – DS 3 offer the weight of controls and stiffness newer, clearly defined and 5 among them – and a better range in ride that the German hatches provide. premium hatches. structure should help, but this still has But it doesn’t quite marry up. The some catching up to do. steering is too sensitive around dead

what we think

34 / fleetworld.co.uk

Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai’s new Tucson is a quality small SUV with a very attractive price. By Danny Cobbs.

SECTOR Crossover PRICE £18,695–£32,345 FUEL 37.2–61.7mpg CO2 119–177g/km

T

360 litres. A lower boot sill height, plus a two‐level floor he commitment and bullish attitude Hyundai has and a stowable cargo screen also increases practicality shown over the past few years to compete as a cred‐ over many of its rivals, including the Nissan Qashqai – the ible and global car manufacturer is finally paying car it will probably be mostly judged against. dividends. And the new Tucson is further evidence that Hyundai has always made a persuasive case for itself by they no longer need to prove they can match most Euro‐ offering generous amounts of standard equipment, and pean standards – it has been doing that since they first this car is no different and there are five trim levels to launched the i30 in 2007. choose from: S, SE, SE Nav, Premium and Premium SE. On sale now and replacing the ageing ix35, Hyundai has Given its high‐riding stance, the Tucson drives incredibly positioned this latest model so it straddles both ends of the well and shows plenty of composure through the corners. highly competitive C‐SUV segment. Prices will start at The steering is a bit odd though, particularly when the £18,695 for the base two‐wheel drive petrol model, and Lane Keeping Assist System (standard stretch past £32k mark for the top‐spec on SE trim and above) is on, as a default 2.0‐litre CRDi 4WD tested here. So, function, causing it to keep pushing for there’s no denying that the Tucson is constant adjustments. priced to sell. But where the ix35 needed The new 1.6‐litre turbo petrol and more value on its side to win buyers over, 1.7‐litre diesel engines are front‐wheel this car will do that on its merits alone. drive only, while the 2.0‐litre diesel A new signature hexagonal grille, long engines (available in two outputs; bonnet and strong horizontal lines flow‐ 134bhp and 181bhp) and a higher‐ ing from the wheel arches provide an powered 1.6‐litre T‐GDi benefit from an instant and visual reference to the electronically‐controlled four‐wheel Tucson’s design language. It speaks drive system. directly to the style‐conscious, whichever The latter works really well. But demographic they happen to fall into. unless a lifestyle dictates an all‐wheel The Tucson’s overall length is about drive system, then it’s the blend of front‐ the same as a typical family hatchback, Clearly built to steal sales wheel drive, performance and efficiency although at nearly 4.5 metres long it’s by from under the noses which will make the smallest diesel in no means a small car. of the market leaders, the range the most desirable option for Now 30mm wider and 65mm longer fleet buyers, and ultimately Hyundai’s than its predecessor, it has given back‐ and from what we’ve volume seller. It’s outright pace is good seat passengers even more space than seen thus far, there’s for an SUV of this size and weight, too – before. Boot space has also increased, to little reason to believe 0‐62mph in 13.7 seconds, a top speed of 513 litres with the seats up. That beats they won’t succeed.

109 mph, 61.7 mg and the all‐important the 470 litres offered by the Volkswagen CO2 emissions rating of 119g/km.

Tiguan and trounces the Ford Kuga’s

what we think

38 / fleetworld.co.uk

N E W

T H E I C O N RELOADED

BEAUCONOMICS IS Trimming costs without losing trim

BIK

MPG

CO2

FROM

UP TO

FROM

13%

74.3

COMBINED

88 g/km

TO FIND OUT MORE AND TO BOOK A TEST DRIVE GO TO FIAT.CO.UK/FLEET OR CALL OUR BUSINESS CENTRE ON 01753 519442

fiat.co.uk Fuel consumption figures for new Fiat 500 range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 51.4 (5.5) – 65.7 (4.3); Extra Urban 65.7 (4.3) – 83.1 (3.4); Combined 60.1 (4.7) – 74.3 (3.8). CO2 emissions 110 – 88 g/km. Fuel consumption and CO2 figures based on standard EU tests for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results.

MINI Clubman Is the new Clubman a genuine family hatch corporate contender? Steve Moody investigates.

SECTOR Lower medium PRICE £19,995–£24,255 FUEL 48.7–68.9mpg CO2 109–144g/km

W

New to MINI is an eight‐speed Steptronic transmission, hen businesses are thinking about a Golf or Focus‐ available as an option on the Cooper S, Cooper D and the sized car for their fleet, it would be highly irregular Cooper SD Clubman. for MINI to come into the reckoning. However, this This will not be a high volume fleet car, even if many of might well be about to change with the new MINI Clubman. the metrics point to its suitability. Brownridge reckons But it is going to take some work, as MINI director Chris that corporate sales are only around 15% of MINI sales, Brownridge recognises. but may rise only as high as 25% within a few years (still He said: “This is the first real car in this segment for us. a third of BMW 1 Series sales and a seventh of Gold It does all the rational stuff that a family hatch does, but numbers), making this very much a user chooser car, with we believe offers something unique in the sector. It is strong residuals, unique character and sporty handling fresh, innovative and different, and we will have to estab‐ central to the offering. lish its credentials.”

The new MINI Cooper D Clubman we It certainly looks unique, and this will drove should be very strong on that front, be the biggest challenge MINI has to over‐ featuring a 2.0‐litre engine – installed in a come to get it onto choice lists and under MINI for the first time and with 150bhp – consideration. The fact that the Clubman and OTR pricing from £22,265. retains all the strong MINI design cues, It drives exactly as you would expect of but with a stretched wheelbase and a MINI, which means wonderfully snicky extremely long roofline confuses the eye: gearbox, excellently supportive seats, it appears at first glance as an estate sharp steering and stiff suspension. In verso8ns of a standard small MINI. this car, the diesel engine is also very well However, measurements suggest installed, sounding gruff rather than otherwise. The Clubman is the same rattly and quiet in a cruise, and the cabin length as a Golf (give or take a millimetre is a little more grown‐up than in the or two), slightly lower, yet slightly wider. smaller car, and flees more everyday You must avail yourself of these facts to usable as a result. convince your eye.

Drives well, has lots of As a MINI, there are of course some The latest generation of MINI Twin‐ standard spec, a strong quirky elements. Gone is the suicide side Power Turbo Technology engines have diesel engine and is a door to be replaced by more standard been installed under the bonnet, with items, but the two rear boot doors offer a four units available from launch – the quirky alternative to solution nobody else has thought of, MINI Cooper Clubman, MINI Cooper D a Golf or A3. It should while the MINI Excitement Pack features Clubman, MINI Cooper S Clubman and be popular among an light display activated when unlock‐ MINI Cooper SD Clubman. CO2 emissions user choosers. are as low as 109g/km, with fuel econ‐ ing the car that projects the MINI logo omy of up to 68.9mpg. onto the ground on the driver’s side.

what we think

40 / fleetworld.co.uk

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Living room Compact, clever and packed with Honda’s latest technology, new Jazz is perfect for your drivers’ work-life balance.

Work Downsizing doesn’t have to mean making do. The new Jazz is generously equipped from its £13,495 entry point, including air conditioning, cruise control, and Honda City Brake Active as standard. Honda Connect infotainment, with smartphone-like pinch and swipe controls for minimal distraction, along with Honda's Driver Assistance Safety Pack as standard from the SE trim, while Garmin satellite navigation with Eco Routing is an affordable option.

All versions are powered by a new 100bhp 1.3-litre i-VTEC petrol engine. Taken from Honda’s environmentally-conscious Earth Dreams Technology range, this provides the performance of the 1.4-litre in the previous generation, with the fuel economy of the 1.2. Choose from the optional Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) or a short-shift six-speed manual, and the Jazz returns up to 61.4mpg with CO2 emissions of 106g/km, while strong residual values provide low running costs for drivers and fleets alike.

Life Measuring only four metres from bumper to bumper, the Jazz is a masterpiece of space efficiency. A car combining the agility, manoeuvrability and ease of parking from a supermini, with the interior space and versatility of a much larger MPV. Its longer wheelbase maximises leg and shoulder room for occupants, while the 354-litre boot is accessed via a wide tailgate and low load lip.

Unparalleled interior flexibility is offered with Honda’s unique Magic Seats. Packaging the fuel tank under the front seats offers a wide range of seating and cargo-carrying combinations to suit your drivers’ needs.

The rear bench folds upwards, enabling loading from the footwells to the roof, or dropped flat offering objects up to 1.5 metres in length. Fold the front seat, and the Jazz provides almost 2.5 metres of cargo area from the tailgate to the dashboard, or extra space for passengers to get comfortable on long journeys.

For more information visit honda.co.uk/cars/corporatesales

SPOTLIGHT Toyota Mirai

Green King Driven using electricity, fuelled by hydrogen and emitting only water vapour, the Mirai is Toyota’s most important launch since the original Prius. Alex Grant drives it.

How it works Toyota believes hydrogen fuel cells will be as important as hybrid technology, now widely used across the automotive industry. It promises a lot – a 300-mile range replenished in less than five minutes, with water vapour as its only exhaust emission. Many of the patents are being provided to other manufacturers to accelerate development, and BMW’s first hydrogen fuel cell car will use technology shared with Toyota.

The process is similar to reverse electrolysis.

Hydrogen is drawn into the fuel cell ‘stack’ under the front seats where it’s split into positive and negative ions using a catalytic membrane. Electrons are passed through a circuit, creating electricity which is used to drive the front wheels via a motor. The hydrogen combines with oxygen from the air to produce water vapour.

Otherwise, it functions a little like a hybrid.

There’s a battery behind the rear bench which can recuperate enough energy to power the electric motor under low loads, in turn reducing hydrogen consumption as a hybrid would curb petrol consumption. That there’s a family resemblance to the forthcoming Prius is no coincidence.

Sales and range structure The Mirai is available in one, high-spec version and can be bought outright for £66,000. However, most UK customers are expected to take out the £750 per month four-year lease, which includes fuel, servicing and maintenance and 24/7 assistance. After four years, they will be re-sold or re-leased.

Infrastructure is the biggest limiting factor. Hydrogen is dispensed at two pressures, and the Mirai requires the higher of these, enabling it to carry more ‘fuel’ and thus offer a longer range. There are only three UK filling stations that offer this, though this will double by the end of Q1 2016. Toyota expects to register 12 UK Mirais by the end of November, with a fleet-weighted annual volume of between 50 and 100 units evenly spread across Europe’s four launch markets through its life cycle.

42 / fleetworld.co.uk

FLEET FACT Mirai is the Japanese word for “future”.

On the road Driving the Mirai will feel familiar for anyone who has spent time in a Toyota or Lexus hybrid. There’s a short gearstick on the centre console with simulated engine braking, a large display screen across the top of its swopping leather-wrapped dashboard, and the electric motor delivers its 152bhp smoothly and effortlessly up to motorway speeds. It drives like a very quiet Prius.

However, it’s as luxurious as a large Lexus. Ride quality is excellent, wind noise almost non-existent and there’s only faint tyre roar at speed – only a few slightly sub-par hard cabin plastics belie its purchase price. Toyota has leased two Mirais to London-based private hire operator Green Tomato Cars and, from the sofa-like comfort of the two-seat rear bench, it should get passengers talking.

What we think...

The Mirai’s distinctive styling is a moot point, but the technology underneath is impressive. A clever and impeccably executed luxury car which shows how market-ready hydrogen fuel cells have become. The forward-thinking businesses adopting this technology early have a fascinating few years ahead of them. AG

fleetworld.co.uk / 43

BUSINESS IS TOUGH. SO ARE WE.

CO2

MPG

BIK

115g/km

UP TO

64.2

FROM

FROM

21%

JEEP RANGE ®

For more information and to book a test drive call our Business Centre on 01753 519442 or email us at fleet@jeep-comms.co.uk OFFICIAL FUEL CONSUMPTION FIGURES FOR JEEP RANGE MPG (L/100KM): EXTRA URBAN 29.4 (9.6) – 70.6 (4.0), URBAN 13.9 (20.3) – 55.4 (5.1), COMBINED 20.9 (13.5) – 64.2 (4.4), CO2 EMISSIONS: 315 TO 115 G/KM. effect on fuel consumption. Jeep ® is a registered trademark of FCA US LLC.

jeep.co.uk/fleet Fuel consumption and CO 2 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

MPG marathon

MPG MARATHON 2015

201 5

46 / fleetworld.co.uk

Fuel disclosure Ever wondered just how economical your fleet cars could be?

The 2015 MPG Marathon – in partnership with Barclaycard Fuel+ in association with TMC – provided some remarkable pointers.

fleetworld.co.uk / 47

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MPG marathon

MPG MARATHON 2015

2015

→

The challenge

Glorious autumnal sunshine greeted the fleet of challengers in the 2015 MPG Marathon in the Cotswolds.

As usual, it was an eclectic field, with two-seater Caterhams, sports cars and even a 21 year old Mondeo among the more typical competitors. With manufacturers’ claimed fuel economy a hot topic in the national news the results of the Marathon were even more keenly anticipated than usual – and in perfect weather the skilled drivers didn’t disappoint – proving that with the right technical knowledge of the vehicle and plenty of driving skill some amazing results can be obtained.

Driver’s tales

W

Steve Moody Citroën C4 Cactus PureTech 110

MPG result 63.91

ith eco‐Jedi John Kendall in a diesel C4 Cactus, and us in a three–cylinder petrol version, I was expecting to be embarrassed, especially on the long drawn‐out hills of the Cotswolds.

It didn’t start well, when the first bar on our digital fuel display went west after 15 miles. At that rate, we would need refueling near the end. There was another difficulty too: the Cactus doesn’t have a rev counter, which is fairly

The MPG Marathon has very specific guidelines and rules to ensure fair play and results that have relevance in the real world.

The distance covered in the 2015 MPG Marathon, was approximately 370 miles over two days, and competitors had to visit a number of fixed locations in order, within a certain period of time, although the route taken between these points was the choice of individual competitors.

Each competitor’s journey was monitored via a TRACKER satellite tracking unit fitted in every vehicle, and the amount of fuel used was independently measured by the RAC. The route started and finished each day in at the stately Heythrop Park Hotel near Oxford, and wound its way through the Cotswolds, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Hampshire.

The entered cars and vans have to be standard production versions, with no modifications, deletions or additions, while drivers must stick to the Highway Code at all times, and complete the course in a set time – ensuring they can’t crawl along at unrealistic speeds.

At the end of the MPG Marathon, the vehicles’ fuel tanks are brimmed by the RAC, the mileage logged and the MPG of each competitor is calculated.

Official MPG 60.10

Difference 3.81

% improvement 6.34

Official CO2 107

important for eco driving as it allows you to accurately change gear just before the turbo comes on boost. And there’s only five gears in this model too. A long‐legged sixth might have been handy.

Excuses duly rolled out, the Cactus is an excellent car for this sort of caper. It’s not a car that wants to be rushed, with pliable suspension, light steering and big, soft chairs. In fact, it’s a pleasure to be gently tootling about in.

Also, the sat nav is superb. Not having the skills (or forward planning) of some of the hypermilers, I’d chosen to just use the eco mode of the system rather than pore over a map for days beforehand and it plotted us a cunning course.

Often we were behind other competitors when the sat nav diverted us elsewhere, and we found ourselves significantly ahead of them a few miles later.

With its small engine, the C4 doesn’t have an obvious natu‐ ral cruising speed as diesels running on a wave of torque do, and that probably cost us in the end. But I was actually pretty impressed with our result, because we didn’t hang about, and the light, airy Cactus meant the Marathon wasn’t a trial of endurance as sometimes it can be.

The fuel gauge stayed resolutely still after that first dip, and while our final result might not have been headline‐worthy, it felt a very achievable result in day‐to‐day driving.

→ 48 / 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 quitclub.org.uk

Nick Orme, CEO, Itec

brilliant for business

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

MPG marathon

MPG MARATHON 2015

2015

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Driver’s tales

Mark Nichol Ford Mondeo 1.8i LX

MPG result 41.67

M

y 1994 Ford Mondeo 1.8i LX hatchback – on plastic wheel trims, with a slightly different shade of blue for every interior panel and velour seats soaked with the remnants of 1,000 service station meals – was the best car in this year’s MPG Marathon.

I say best. Technically it was the worst, but on this occasion it really was a case of the taking part that counted. I knew we were never going to win, and with a 41.7mpg average it was a good 18mpg away from even the second‐last placed Caterham.

Driver’s tales

I

Dan Gilkes Renault Trafic SL27 dCi 120

MPG result 57.65

n some ways, tackling the MPG Marathon for the second time in a similar vehicle adds to the pressure, as you know what it should be capable of. Last year we managed a hard‐fought 55.5mpg in the 120hp twin‐turbo Renault Trafic, a 16% improvement on Renault’s claimed combined figure.

Topping that would be no easy task.

Navigator Ray Penford was once again armed with maps and potential route print‐outs, while both built‐in and stick‐

50 / fleetworld.co.uk

Official MPG 37.70

Difference 3.97

% improvement 10.54

Official CO2 N/A

But mine was the car, as the archetypal fleet vehicles of the era, everyone seemed most interested in: the 2015 Mondeo Hybrid also competing provided a fascinating like‐ for‐like glimpse at two decades of change.

And how it has. Long story short, the Mondeo Hybrid is about twice as efficient, despite being much heavier, and much more refined, and much better equipped and much bigger.

This is what the MPG Marathon should be about – meas‐ uring progress. Fuel might be twice the price it was in 1994 (about 52p per litre then), but few would have predicted an 80mpg petrol‐electric three‐box mainstream family car back then. A flying car, perhaps, but this, no.

And I’m willing to bet that I had more fun than anybody else driving. For a start, having no real‐time mpg information liber‐ ated me to improve efficiency simply by driving a bit slower than normal; last year, in a new Audi A3, the constant taunting of the digital mpg readout made it genuinely stressful.

But more than that, it was a reminder that they just don’t make cars like this any more. Obvious, yes, but you forget how much the word ‘sport’ has ruined comfort. The sports suspen‐ sion, sports seats and massive sporty wheels that most cars are furnished with today are ruinous to ride quality.

Replace ‘sport’ for ‘squidgy’ and you’re back in 1994. Soft seats, small wheels and body roll made this the most comfortable 380‐odd miles I’ve done for a long time.

Official MPG 47.90

Difference 9.75

% improvement 20.35

Official CO2 155

on sat navs completed our rather relaxed preparations. The van had been a long‐termer for another magazine over the previous 12 months, providing us with a well run‐in engine and transmission.

You might think that the Cotswolds are relatively flat, but that’s not so and we were soon in among the hills, our running consumption figure dropping gradually throughout the first day. By the end of day one the trip computer said 61mpg. Perhaps the second day would be easier?

It was not to be. If anything day two proved to be even more undulating, while our efforts were not helped by a couple of unexpected route extensions, as we missed the odd turn. Despite willing the Trafic on, by the time we returned to base the overall figure had dropped depressingly below the 60mpg mark. We handed the keys to the RAC filling team and could only wait rather gloomily for the results.

What a surprise then to find that we were not only the number one van again, but had smashed last year’s combined figure, recording a strong 57.65mpg, a 20.35% improvement over Renault’s figure. Ours wasn’t the longest route either, so we obviously weren’t alone in missing the odd signpost!

The Trafic never missed a beat and provided a comfort‐ able place to spend the two days. So, is 60mpg really a possi‐ bility for next year?

Most efficient fleet driver Retired fleet manager Doug Powell won the new title of ‘most efficient fleet driver’ at this year’s MPG Marathon. Driving a BMW 320d ED Sport Saloon, with co-driver and navigator Richard Holt, Powell clocked up an overall mpg of 72.65 – 10.57% better than the official 65.7mpg combined cycle figure.

Powell and Holt were in one of five BMW 320d EDs taking part in the contest for fleet managers and company car drivers within the main event. In second place was the pairing of Kevin Booker and Les Stiff, who achieved an overall mpg of 72.44mpg. Overall, the drivers of the five BMWs taking part, which achieved an average improvement in fuel consumption of 6.71%.

Powell said: “Eco-driving is all about planning and anticipating ahead, with as light a touch on the throttle as possible.

You need to try and keep the car rolling at all times, especially when approaching traffic lights when you need to ease off well in advance, so that ideally you arrive just as the light turns to green. Under the rules which allow you to navigate between two fixed points, Richard and I had worked out our route beforehand to avoid the centre of all towns and any potential traffic jams. Overall, it was a great Marathon with excellent weather and a keenly fought contest,” he said.

Find out more at

ALD Automotive • Fleet World MPG marathon 201 5

MPG Marathon

Driver’s tales

1

www.thempgmarathon.co.uk

promoting smarter driving for better business

John Kendall Citroën C4 Cactus BlueHDi 110

MPG result 103.28

03.28mpg! The first time that regular co‐driver Paul Nieuwenhuis and I have come back with a three‐figure result in all the years we have been taking part and we have driven in each MPG Marathon except the first. Our entry this year was, like last year, in a Citroën C4 Cactus, but this time we drove a Feel BlueHDi 100 model. Last year’s Cactus

Official MPG 83.10

Difference 20.18

% improvement 24.87

Official CO2 87

was an Airdream variant and we struggled to improve on the 91.1mpg combined fuel consumption.

This year our more ‘standard’ Cactus gave us 83.1mpg to improve on and our 24.29% improvement was enough to give us third place in the best outright MPG category.

The routes differ each year and it is up to us to devise the route that we think is best. The weather was near perfect, warm autumn days with virtually no wind, but this was offset by some particularly tough sections over the two days. For tough, read hills and sections which meant we had to pick up speed, the enemy of the hyper‐mile style driving needed to bust 100mpg. The few long downhill stretches that can stretch those miles usually ended in a 30mph sign and braking is the last thing we needed to be doing. Where there’s a downhill section it’s usually followed by a corresponding uphill struggle that takes a bite out of fuel consumption no matter what you do.

In the end we were beaten into third place by a thimble full of fuel by old rivals John Kerswill and Ian McKean driv‐ ing a Mazda2 1.5 diesel. We actually used less fuel – 17.23 litres to their 17.59 – 0.36 litres less. But the Mazda covered 400.16 miles to our 391.46 giving them 103.42mpg. A difference as close as that could be due to one set of traffic lights…

fleetworld.co.uk / 51

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MPG marathon

MPG MARATHON 2015

2015

→ Choosing the right route...

Essential to efficient driving is choosing a route that allows you to keep moving, avoiding congestion and steep hills. MPG Marathon competitors have to navigate between certain points in a specific time, but they can decide what roads they take to get there. As these traces supplied by TRACKER show, drivers have a number of different strategies.

Day 1 Day 2

Alyson Marlow @alysonmarlow Great weather conditions today for the #MPGmarathon – and fuel economy in the #Mazda2 looking good so far.

BMW 320d

BMW 320d

Next Green Car @nextgreencar Citroën Berlingo

We did it! Great run today and all parked up at @FleetworldMPG #MPGmarathon. Thanks @GKLUK for sharing the driving

Honda Civic Tourer

Ford Mondeo mk1

MPG Marathon FACT

Mercedes- Benz Vito (RAC Patrol)

All participating vehicles were again fitted with TRACKER tracking equipment so that event organisers knew exactly where each car was and how far it had travelled.

→ 52 / fleetworld.co.uk

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MPG marathon

MPG MARATHON 2015

2015

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Winner’s tale

A

Mick Linford Peugeot 208 BlueHDi

MPG result 104.5

fter 14 years as motorsport manager for Peugeot, it’s a bit embarrassing to gain a reputation for driving slowly! But the MPG Marathon is still a fiercely fought competition and it’s one that I revel in.

The car drove beautifully and certainly felt like it had more power than the 75bhp quoted, but this wasn’t about power. And although I spend a few days getting used to the

54 / fleetworld.co.uk

Official MPG 80.70

Difference 23.90

% improvement 29.49

Official CO2 90

characteristics of the engine prior to the event, without the strict event controls, it was difficult to assess exactly what was achievable.

My co‐driver Jemma Champion and I spent the evening before the start studying OS maps to decide upon which route to take. Hills, towns and built up areas were all taken into account before making a decision.

Our first day went well until the last section where the dash fuel computer display suddenly started showing consider‐ ably less on the instant reading. This lasted for all of the last section and I was getting ‘stressed’ (polite description, ask Jemma). This turned out to be the DPF regenerating so at the end of day one, I was not optimistic at all.

Day two ran better with instant readings soon back to normal, but the average still not up to the quoted combined figure. I was very concerned to say the least.

Not sure I could have done any better, though other traffic keeping out of our way would have helped!

At final top up, feeling pretty down, we were told 16.76 litres, for the 385.25 miles covered, equalling 104.5mpg. I was ecstatic. Going from a perceived (by me) poor result to an overall win within two minutes made our day. Thank good‐ ness some fuel computers read low rather than optimistic!

It was great to win for Peugeot and a pleasure to drive the car.

Driver’s tales

C

Richard Aucock Audi TT Sport TDI Ultra

MPG result 64.82

oming so soon after the Volkswagen emissions scandal broke, some of the quips about my car for the Marathon, an Audi TT TDI, were perhaps inevitable. No, we would‐ n’t be cheating. Yes, we’d keep all four wheels rolling and the doors closed. No, we won’t be taping up the panel gaps. Groan.

But dieselgate was actually quite a timely scandal, because it had quickly evolved from being about emissions to the offi‐ cial fuel economy test cycles themselves. Namely, how people simply can’t meet them in real‐world driving. Well, this was a

Official MPG 62.8

Difference 2.02

% improvement 3.81

Official CO2 116

real world (ish) test, and we planned to not only meet them, but beat ‘em. Yes, even in a VW Group TDI. Besides, as cool cars to do a fuel economy challenge in, an Audi TT is pretty high on the list. We wouldn’t even have swapped it for the Caterham; we had nice comfy seats, see.

And DAB. And a roof. And, in theory, a super‐grippy chassis and sportily low centre of gravity to make the best of a key factor in driving economically – not losing momentum.

So it proved. Of all the cars there, the TT seemed most adept at batting through corners without troubling the brake lights. You look far ahead anyway when driving economically: we had to look way, way into the distance, to make sure there were no corners and sauntering cars we’d quickly hurtle up to. And they say MPG Marathoning is dull: straight bits apart, this was like a two‐day qualifying lap.

Looking back, maybe we could have driven a bit more slowly in between, but we wanted to keep it as real world as possible. People were asking us, can you actually hit official figures with a VW Group TDI? No point averaging 29.9mph and telling them you can.

We instead averaged a perfectly decent 38mph. And aver‐ aged 65mpg, better than the official figure by a jolly fine 3.2%.

Given how we really rather enjoyed it and didn’t feel at all frustrated after two days of MPG maxing, we’ll take that.

Find out more at www.thempgmarathon.co.uk Eloise Peabody-Rolf @EloisePR98 Thank you for the opportunity and tips for @RoryCarmichael and myself! Great experience!

Richard Aucock @richardaucock How accurate is tank-brimming?

Thanks to @RAC_Business, very accurate... #MPGMarathon

→ fleetworld.co.uk / 55

MPG marathon

MPG MARATHON 2015

201 5

With the right technical knowledge of the vehicle and plenty of driving skill some amazing results can be obtained.

the winners Best outright fuel consumption > Cars Peugeot 208 Active BlueHDi 75

104.50mpg

2nd Mazda 2 1.5 105PS Sport Nav Diesel

103.42mpg

3rd CitroĂŤn C4 Cactus Feel BlueHDi 100

103.28mpg

1st

56 / fleetworld.co.uk

ALD Automotive • Fleet World

MPG Marathon

MPG marathon

the results

promoting smarter driving for better business

201 5

% MPG combined improvement

Drivers

Model

MPG figure

Richard Aucock & Paul Jackson

Audi TT Sport TDI Ultra

64.82

62.80

3.21%

116

Tim Anderson & Andrew Benfield

BMW F30 320d ED Sport Saloon B470 2.0d Auto

66.20

68.90

-3.92%

104

Ian Beveridge & Paul Kittrick

BMW F30 320d ED Sport Saloon B470 2.0d Auto

63.87

68.90

-7.30%

104

Rosemary Homer & Nick Chapman

BMW F30 320d ED Sport Saloon B470 2.0d Auto

66.90

68.90

-2.90%

108

Kevin Booker & Les Stiff

BMW F30 320d ED Sport Saloon B470 2.0d Manual

72.44

65.70

10.26%

108

Doug Powell & Richard Holt

BMW F30 320d ED Sport Saloon B470 2.0d Manual

72.65

65.70

10.57%

108

John Mahoney & Katie Beck

Caterham Seven 160 Weather

56.78

57.60

2.48%

114

John Kendall & Paul Nieuwenhuis

Citroën C4 Cactus Feel BlueHDi 100

103.28

83.10

24.29%

87

Steve Moody & Jenna Alsos

Citroën C4 Cactus Flair PureTech 110

63.91

60.10

6.34%

107

Mark Nichol & Alex Grant

Ford Mondeo 1.8i LX

41.67

37.70

10.54%

174

Andy Dawson & Andrew Marriott

Ford Mondeo Hybrid

80.79

67.30

20.04%

99

Eloise Peabody-Rolf & Rory Carmichael

Honda Civic 1.6 i-DTEC SE

93.81

78.50

19.51%

94

Fergal McGrath & Rick Rowles

Honda Civic Tourer 1.6 i-DTEC

90.46

72.40

24.94%

103

Paul Clifton & Shaun Cronin

Honda CR-V 1.6 i-DTEC SE (2WD)

84.34

64.20

31.37%

115

Pete Taylor & Tony O'Keeffe

Jaguar XE SE 2.0d 163PS

77.72

75.00

3.63%

99

Andrew Andersz & Alison Marlow

Mazda 2 1.5 105PS Sport Nav Diesel

94.16

83.10

13.31%

89

John Kerswill & Ian McKean

Mazda 2 1.5 105PS Sport Nav Diesel

103.42

83.10

24.45%

89

Mick Linford & Jemma Champion

Peugeot 208 Active BlueHDi 75

104.50

80.70

29.49%

90

CO2 g/km

Vans Neil McIntee & Peter Thompson

Citroën Berlingo BlueHDi 100 S/S L2750LX

68.64

67.30

1.98%

111

Ben Wilson & Zainab Rahman

Mercedes-Benz Vito LWB 116CDI Bluetec

47.57

47.10

1.01%

166

Dan Gilkes & Ray Penford

Renault Trafic SL27 Energy dCi 120 Sport

57.65

47.90

20.35%

155

MpkWh

Cost

Electric

Mileage Total kWh

Jerry Clist & Chris Britton

BMW i3 Range Extender

408.24

105.60

3.87

£14.33

Sam Young & Chris Lilly

Kia Soul EV

370.96

139.70

2.66

£19.56

Best % improvement > Cars 1st Honda CR-V 1.6 i-DTEC SE (2WD) 2nd Peugeot 208 Active BlueHDi 75 3rd Mazda 2 1.5 105PS Sport Nav Diesel

31.37% 29.49% 24.45%

FEATURE Fleet Insurance

Premium approach Businesses are increasingly turning to technology to reduce their insurance costs. Katie Beck reports.

58 / fleetworld.co.uk

The Association of British Insurers estimates that £11bn was spent on car insurance last year, and from the end of this year, fleets will be hit by a 3.5% hike in insurance premium tax. As a result more organisations than ever before are now investing in the latest in-vehicle technology and telematics services in an attempt to bring premiums down.

Usage-based insurance The usage‐based insurance (UBI) or pay as you drive (PAYD) insurance models are expected to be used by 36% of all insurers by 2020, and a number of lead‐ ing insurance companies, including Admiral, Allianz and Direct Line – already use ‘black box’ telematics units to offer bespoke insurance premiums based on driver performance.

Black box telematics systems collect vehicle data and help set premiums based on the type of vehicle used, meas‐ ured against time, distance covered, driver behaviour and location. UBI differs from traditional insurance by attempting to differentiate and reward ‘safe’ drivers, offering lower premiums and/or a no‐claims bonus after a sustained period of safe and careful driv‐ ing behaviour is logged.

“Telematics technology has the poten‐ tial to shake up the motor insurance industry,” explains Nick Walker, manag‐ ing director of RAC Telematics. “Until recently, UBI has mostly been aimed at the young driver consumer market. But this is changing and the benefits are now being recognised by business. By analysing the stress on the brakes, the average speeds and the health of key components and parts, the insurer will understand a lot more about how the policy holder is driving the car and the condition of the car.”

Regular analysis of telematics data allows insurers to gain a clearer

“UBI or PAYD insurance models are expected to be used by 36% of all insurers by 2020.”

picture of the risk profile of individual drivers, helping to set appropriate premiums and recommend driver training where needed to further improve driver skills. Some black box suppliers claim use of the units can reduce premiums by up to 30%, saving up to £1,000 in extreme cases.

Top down support Creating a culture of safe driving in the workplace is vital if a fleet hopes to decrease accident rates and benefit from reduced insurance premiums, as Nicholas Kitchen, head of casualty and motor at insurance firm Zurich, explains; “Often too much emphasis is placed on training, but if the driver is then subject to operational and/or management pressure to achieve a business objective, and they have to take risks to do so (an example would be unrealistic delivery schedules or appointments), then they are still going to have collisions.

“Rather than the drivers themselves it is their line managers who probably need training first, to give them the tools and skills needed to engage with their direct reports, understand the risks faced and conduct driver debriefs follow‐ ing incidents or collisions.

“Probably the biggest obstacle preventing the wider adoption of telem‐ atics is the need for managers to do something with the data, whether this is logging on to a Management Information System or using exception reports. With‐ out manager engagement, employees are unlikely to modify their driving in the medium to long term.”

Car servicing and repair company Kwik Fit recently fitted telematics devices to eight company cars driven by managers responsible for the Kwik Fit Mobile operation. Explaining why the fitting of telematics units to managers’ vehicles was important to the company, fleet operations director Simon Lucas, says: “Kwik Fit believes it is one of the first organisations to fit telematics to company cars at management level.

Telematics has a role to play in improv‐ ing driving behaviour and having equipped the Mobile vans, we are now equipping management cars. My car will be the first to be equipped, so I am lead‐ ing by example.”

Risks increase in the winter months

According to motor insurance provider Accident Exchange, there are more than 258,000 vehicles written off annually, with a value of almost £2bn. More than one in 10 car crashes result in a total loss, with accidents found to be more prevalent in November than any other month of the year, with the final quarter notching up 30% of the annual total. An analysis of 40,000 car insurance claims handled by Accident Exchange revealed a clear summer/winter divide of the frequency of serious accidents, with the summer months – May, June and July, seeing the fewest total losses.

The higher frequency of accidents in the winter months, and November in particular, can be attributed in part to the change from BST to GMT and a higher percentage of rush hour traffic travelling in the dark. This results in reduced visibility and the increased potential for drivers to be dazzled by the headlights of oncoming traffic, as well as exposure to adverse weather conditions such as heavy rain and ice.

This could have a negative impact for drivers using black box systems in the future – American telematics company Octo Telematics recently announced a partnership with The Weather Company to refine the risk‐scoring algorithms insurance providers use to set premi‐ ums. Partnered insurers will be able to view average weather conditions and cross reference information with trip data to determine the driver’s exposure to weather‐related risk. Ice, rain, hail and snow will all increase the driver’s risk score, and while premiums won't be hiked for bad scores influenced by weather, motorists will not qualify for black box discounts if they regularly drive in adverse conditions.

fleetworld.co.uk / 59

→

FEATURE Fleet Insurance

→

Driver performance solutions The deployment of in‐cab coaching and sustained driving training can be an effective way for fleets to achieve favorable insurance premiums or no‐ claims discounts.

Information management services supplier Iron Mountain has reported a 36% reduction in insurance premiums over the past five years, following its part‐ nership with a driver behaviour software supplier.

Safe and cost‐effective driving was particularly well repre‐ sented on the fleet in 2014; with 20% fewer collisions reported versus the previous year and a 34% decrease in related costs.

Iron Mountain also reported a drop in speeding violations as a result of GreenRoad’s Speed by Speed Zone software, which has been particularly effective at decreasing instances of drivers exceeding speed limits in low‐ speed zones.

“Through clear, in‐vehicle feedback and strong change management support, speed violations dropped signifi‐ cantly,” reveals Rory Morgan, Iron Mountain’s head of logis‐ tics support, Western Europe.

“I think that averaging less than one often‐minor incident per fortnight per vehicle, for a fleet that covers eight million miles per annum, is just phenomenal but we will continue to work with the driv‐ ers to reduce this further.”

Driver safety aids

Developments in driver safety aids such as Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) are also generating opportunities for fleet oper‐ ators to improve driver safety – and there‐ fore potentially reduce their fleet premiums. AEB uses sensors to identify objects in the road ahead to warn the driver and if necessary to brake to avoid or reduce the speed of a collision.

A wide range of cars are now available with AEB in urban mode (for incidents up to 25mph), in Highway mode (for use at speeds over 20mph) or both. “The latest devices go even further and can help spot pedestrians or cyclists,” explains Simon Baker, head of commercial motor at insurance specialist AXA. “In fact, to qualify for an NCAP 5 Star rating, a car must be fitted with at least one of these so in the last year over half of all new models launched offer AEB as an Option or Standard.”

Real world data reports released by Thatcham Research Centre suggests a 38% reduction in rear end collisions and an 18% reduction in Third Party Claims from vehicles equipped with AEB Technology.

“Simply by changing the model of cars or paying a little extra for optional AEB you could start to improve your claims experience and ultimately the cost of your motor fleet insurance policy,” says Mr Baker.

While the availability of AEB is not as wide‐ spread for vans, some manufactures are start‐ ing to make the technology available – especially on smaller vans. “AEB and other advanced driver aids are starting to change the picture and will allow you to risk manage your fleet right from the point at which you decide on your vehicle replacement cycle and vehicle choices – something that is probably worth discussing with your vehicle suppliers and your insurance advisors,” Mr Baker adds.

Severity of accidents As driver assistance technology becomes more effective, Zurich’s Nicholas Kitchen believes that we should see a gradual decrease in the frequencies of many low‐speed collisions, but the severity of high‐speed collisions will be largely unaffected, potentially leading to higher claims costs when an accident does occur.

“Looking at the issue in a positive light, tech‐ nology such as AEB and Adaptive Cruise Control will certainly reduce the number of low speed incidents, but severity is likely to increase as a consequence and when something does go wrong it could tend to be bigger,” he says. “There‐ fore, the increasing use of Periodic Payment Orders (PPOs) from courts for catastrophic bodily injury claims will also significantly increase the claims costs from such events.”

Evidence for insurance claims According to a survey of 500 UK businesses by RAC Business, 18% of companies have used telematics data to prove that a driver wasn’t at fault for an insurance claim, and a further 17% have used the data to successfully appeal against a speeding fine.

“These findings point to clear benefits for fleet managers using telematics technology,” says RAC Telem‐ atics MD, Nick Walker. “Speeding fines and insurance claims can be difficult to contest and often result in fines being incorrectly imposed as well as leading to damaging increases in your insurance premiums.

“This was tested in Macclesfield Crown Court last year when telematics data was used to disprove a fraudulent insurance claim worth £54,000. Or, conversely, if a driver or employee has committed an offence but is trying to cover it up, the telematics data will show what actually happened.”

The research also shows that telematics systems can reduce fleet costs by encouraging safer driving.

Some 58% of companies reported that telematics had reduced the amount they paid in speeding fines, 47% said that they had led to a drop in insurance premiums, and 68% of firms said that telematics had cut their combined fuel bill.

60 / fleetworld.co.uk

greener fleets

How viable are electric vehicles for fleets?

Matt Dale, Special Vehicle Operations Manager at ALD Automotive, looks at the case for running electric vehicles on fleets.

W

were also key talking points for ALD’s Jerry Clist as well as his hilst historians still disagree over when the first colleague Chris Britton who drove the vehicle to and from the electric vehicle was built and who by, there’s no event in more stereotypical fleet driving conditions. doubt that – over a century on – the electric car is Their observations included how easy it was to recharge now finally making its mark on the automotive and fleet the batteries along the route – particularly on longer jour‐ industries. In fact, the latest SMMT figures show that regis‐ neys where the time taken fitted in well with the Highway trations of hybrid, plug‐in hybrids and 100% electric vehi‐ Code’s advice to have a minimum break of at least 15 min‐ cles for the first nine months of 2015 were up 48.7% on the utes after every two hours of driving. same period in 2014.

Moreover, as with many electric vehicles, the BMW i3 Although electric cars may be finally on their way to kick‐ proved fun behind the wheel, offering peak torque from zero start a motoring revolution, recent Department for revs, giving it an immediate, strong response with no dis‐ Transport research has found that some fleets remain hesi‐ cernible lag. The lack of engine noise added further appeal as tant about their take‐up, with ongoing issues over range, did the fact that it still offers plenty of space onboard, with a purchase price and a lack of knowledge/familiarity with flat loading bay too. A premium cabin and cutting‐edge exte‐ EVs leading the list of concerns. rior design mean that the driver doesn’t For many fleets, branching out into run‐ lose out here either. ning alternatively fuelled vehicles can feel Fleets needn’t lose out either ‐ purchase like a leap of faith, and there are a number prices for electric vehicles continue to fall, of areas worth considering before dismiss‐ helped by increased developments in bat‐ ing such vehicles from your plans. teries and other EV components, the cost This includes the ever‐increasing choice of such vehicles will become increasingly of models available, with more than 27 less prohibitive. And the Office for Low pure electric or plug‐in hybrid cars now Emission Vehicles (OLEV) is to provide available in the UK across a broad spec‐ ALD’s Jerry Clist with the i3 at the event more details at the Autumn Spending trum of vehicle types.

Review on how the Plug‐in Car Grant will be structured This year’s MPG Marathon also highlighted the benefits after next February, with a new tiered system on the cards. of such vehicles not only when it comes to low running Throw in other financial incentives for businesses such as costs, but also for their strong performance and versatility. reduced BiK, vehicle excise duty and enhanced capital Marking the second year that electric vehicles have taken allowances and the cost benefits start to really stack up. part, the 2015 eco driving event saw two EVs complete the Finally, continued developments from leasing companies course in virtually the same time as their conventionally will also help support the fleet market overcome any issues powered competitors, but using significantly less energy with deploying electric vehicles. This includes ALD’s Smart than even the top performers.

Mobility programme, which uses a dedicated team to provide This includes the BMW i3 range extender automatic driv‐ a holistic consultancy service to introduce more effective en by ALD Automotive maintenance controller Jerry Clist, mobility solutions across all areas of fleet operation. Solutions which covered 408.24 miles using 78.19 kilowatt‐hours of include working with fleets to analyse where alternatively electricity and only 3.04 litres of petrol – an overall energy fuelled vehicles can be utilised and then introducing them consumption equivalent to 105.6kWh, which works out as alongside initiatives including driver training and telematics the equivalent of 3p per mile. to ensure such vehicles are successfully implemented.

In comparison, the overall winners of the event, Mick For more details of how ALD’s Smart Mobility team can Linford and Jemma Champion, clocked up 104.50 mpg over‐ help you assess the suitability of alternatively fuelled vehi‐ all in a Peugeot 208 Active Blue HDi, equating to 5p per mile. cles for your fleet, please email smart.mobility@aldautoThe cost effectiveness of the BMW’s performance was a motive.com or phone 037000 111 81. major highlight, and the vehicle’s driveability and ease of use

Contact ALD Automotive:

t 037000 111 81

e smart.mobility@aldautomotive.com

w www.aldautomotive.co.uk

advertisement feature / 61

FEATURE Fleet advice

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

Mike Smith

Simon Staton

Director

Director of Client Management

Fleet Assist

Venson Automotive Solutions

“I’ve taken over our fleet and am concerned about towing safety: our systems seem really ad hoc. Should I be concerned?”

“I keep hearing the term whole-life costs, what does it mean?”

GH, food services, Barnstaple.

PL, events management, Reigate.

Modern vehicles are being fitted with an increasing array of electronic driver aids and one of the lesser well know aids is Trailer Stability which detects trailer sway when towing and uses the stability control to bring the swaying trailer back under control.

Obviously, for this important safety aid to work, the towing vehicle has to be aware that a trailer is attached.

It does this by recognising when the electric lead of the trailer is plugged into the socket on the towing vehicle.

As well as switching on the Trailer Stability, it will perform additional actions such as deactivating the rear parking sensors and the rear fog light on the towing vehicle, as these are not needed when a trailer is attached.

There are no regulations or controls over the way in which the electrics on the towing vehicle are adapted when a towbar is fitted. It is essential that when a towbar is fitted to a vehicle, the electrics are also correctly adapted using a wiring kit specifically designed to connect straight to the vehicle wiring loom.

Because there are no regulations covering this area, in order to keep the costs down, fitters will sometimes fit a universal wiring kit. These do a basic job of connecting the lights on the trailer, but do very little else.

These universal wiring kits do not plug into the vehicle wiring loom, therefore the vehicle has no way of knowing when a trailer is attached, which means it cannot activate any of the trailer related driver aids. As a result, if you do start to lose control of your trailer, the driver aid you really need at that point, is switched off, just when you need it most.

Always make sure that when you have a towbar fitted, you insist on a proper vehicle specific wiring kit. It may cost slightly more in the outset, but will probably work out much cheaper in the long run.

62 / fleetworld.co.uk

Whole-life costs represent the most effective way of operating and managing a fleet/allocation policy because they provide the best forward estimate of the real costs to the business of company cars and vans.

Whole-life costs reflect all the projected, vehiclespecific costs associated with operating a vehicle over its fleet life, including depreciation (the total difference between the original cost and the residual value projected), funding, service, maintenance and repairs, VED, insurance, fuel and Class 1A NIC payments. If the vehicle is contract hired, then the rental will normally include the depreciation, funding, service, maintenance and repairs and VED. Costs can be shown as per annum, per month, or per mile.

However, many businesses continue to use list price, monthly contract hire rates or a notional cash-based banding structure linked to an employee’s grade within the company. But, two cars which have a similar list price may be hundreds of pounds apart in whole-life costs over the benchmark three-year/60,000 mile fleet operating cycle. Multiply that ‘wrong’ decision across a 100vehicle fleet and the costs will be huge.

Whole-life costs comparisons petrol vs. diesel three years/60,000 miles: Make/Model

Fuel

WLC

List Price

Ford Focus 1.0T 125 Zetec Ecoboost Ford Focus 1.5 TDCi 120 Zetec Nissan Qashqai 1.2 Dig-T 115 Visia Nissan Qashqai 1.5 dCi 110 Visia Toyota Auris 1.6 V-Matic Icon Plus Toyota Auris 1.4D-4D Icon Plus Audi A3 1.4 TFSi 150 S Line S Tronic Audi A3 1.6 TDi 110 S Line S Tronic VW Golf 1.4 TSi 124ps Match VW Golf 1.6 TDi 110ps Match

Petrol Diesel Petrol Diesel Petrol Diesel Petrol Diesel Petrol Diesel

£12,480 £12,130 £13,133 £12,426 £14,985 £13,565 £17,289 £16,867 £14,876 £14,485

£19,040 £19,740 £18,490 £20,240 £18,610 £19,740 £26,360 £26,460 £20,900 £21,905

Source: BCF Wessex Consultants.

in association with

nissan.co.uk/fleet

Simon Elstow

Mark Wheeler

Training Manager

Fleet Sales Director

IAM Drive & Survive

Nissan Motor GB

“I have a couple of drivers who complain about discomfort in their car and are trying to change vehicle. I’d rather not. What can I do?”

“What can vehicle manufacturers do to increase safety amongst fleets?”

DM, distribution, Glasgow.

TR, agronomy consultants, Spalding

Get them a to a consultant first before you go down the route of changing cars. A growing ache in the back of my leg had led me to a meeting with Rachael Wall, a McTimoney practitioner. My interest was twofold; what are the issues and is there a compromise between a safe driving position and “sittingwell” (Rachael’s website).

It turns out that there is no compromise; it’s all about an awareness of what you need to do for both effective control and correct alignment.

Rachael has found that far from being a condition which only affects long distance drivers, like me, even local drivers suffer. They are often surprised to learn that their aches and pains are the results of an incorrect driving position.

It seems that getting the right driving position is not simply “being in control”, but requires your posture to be both properly supported and ergonomically correct.

This can mean additional supports, to give you the right position where your car seat is not best for you.

Unfortunately many car ergonomics and seats work against the correct position; typically forcing tall drivers to splay their legs and shorter drivers to angle their seatbacks too far forward to reach the controls.

My experience in training drivers to react accurately and quickly in emergency situations has taught me how often drivers are not in the correct position for safety and control, valuing perceived comfort over proper control.

A common mistake is that many drivers can’t push the brake far enough to make best use of their ABS system and in the same way can be too far from the steering wheel to steer quickly and accurately. I have found that many drivers are very surprised by exactly how much more braking they can achieve in good conditions, as well as how much steering they can apply in an emergency situation from a correct seating position.

Vehicle safety is becoming increasingly important to manufacturers and fleets alike. This is no exception for Nissan, where the topic of vehicle safety is a global mission.

Worldwide, we are working towards a goal known as Vision Zero which aims to help reduce the number of accidents through the development of technologies which make vehicles that help to protect people.

It’s this ambition that led to the development of the awardwinning Nissan Safety Shield technologies– an innovative system that packages up to seven advanced technologies to ® set new standards for accident prevention and protection.

These technologies are already available across the Nissan range, including the Nissan Note, Juke, Pulsar, Qashqai, X-Trail and new NP300 Navara.

Around View Monitor and Forward Emergency Braking (FEB), both highly acclaimed Crossover safety features, are unique in the pick-up market and provide customers with more advanced levels of technology than ever before in the pick-up segment.

Across the range, Nissan’s Safety Shield technologies include Driver Attention Alert, Traffic Sign Recognition, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Warning, Moving Object Detection and High Beam Assist. These options have been designed to help drivers and fleet operators further minimise vehicle incidents, and therefore reduce vehicle downtime.

We understand that as well as keeping your drivers safer on the road, these technologies can help to lower insurance premiums, keeping your running costs as low as possible too.

fleetworld.co.uk / 63

MARKET OVERVIEW Fuel Management

Allstar Business Solutions

BP

Allstar Business Solutions provides a wide range of innovative fleet management solutions and services to over 38,000 businesses and 1.1 million drivers in the UK. The Allstar One card is the newest addition to the fuel card range, offering a bespoke management solution shaped entirely around customers’ business needs.

Allstar customers enjoy access to the UK’s largest fuel network of over 7,600 sites, including 1,780 discounted diesel sites. As well as benefitting from discounted diesel, servicing, windscreen repair and discounted tyres, customers will also receive all transactions on one HMRC approved invoice.

Whether you are managing a fleet of HGV’s, cars, vans or a mixed fleet, no matter what size, BP has a range of Fuel Cards to support your business.

By partnering with the UK’s favourite forecourt you can benefit from: • Better control of your spend- via fuel savings and advanced security • Our extensive and strategically located network of sites • Account management and customer service teams • Reduction in fleet administration time and cost- via online fleet management tools Our Fuel Card solutions are used by thousands of companies across multiple industries, fleet sizes and fleet types.

Find out how BP can help drive your business forward.

Tel: 0845 266 5101 fuelcardsales@allstarcard.co.uk www.allstarcard.co.uk

Barclaycard in Association with The Miles Consultancy

Tel: 0845 603 0723 BPCardsAdmin@bp.com

www.bpplus.co.uk

Fuelmate Ltd

TMC and Barclaycard provide a total fuel solution via Barclaycard Fuel+ in Association with TMC. The exciting new Fuel+ card gives you the power of integrated audited mileage capture with the ability to purchase fuel at 99% of UK filling stations, including all supermarkets. It’s the single, powerful, secure solution for consolidated corporate vehicle fuel purchasing and mileage expense management. There are NO transaction charges (although card fees may apply) and customers love our service. Winner of the 2015 Fleet World Honours Innovation in Fuel Management, Fuel+ offers multiple opportunities to control fuel and mileage expenses.

Contact: Giovanni Abbate Tel: 01270 525218 reply@themilesconsultancy.co.uk www.tmcuk.co.uk/products/fuelcard

Whether you operate locally, nationally or within Europe, Fuelmate can provide your business with the perfect solution to your fuel card needs.

Sitting within a 5th generation, family owned business we proudly deliver over 30 years of fuel card expertise to our valued customers. Fuelmate offers a wide variety of different cards from the leading networks including; Shell, BP, UK Fuels, Keyfuels, Esso, Texaco and DKV. We also offer an innovative fuel card solution designed specifically for Fleets, recently launched, Fleetmate offers a fixed price deal across all networks.

Contact: James Curtis / Andy Smith Tel: 0800 158 3582 enquiries@fuelmate.co.uk www.fuelmate.co.uk

WEX Europe Services euroShell Fuel Card With over 50 years of fuel card expertise, the euroShell card can give you greater control, convenience and security to overall save fleet managers money! The euroShell card is accepted at an extensive 3,500 stations across the UK which includes Shell, Esso, Texaco and Total sites.

Here are some of the ways the euroShell Card can help you save time and money: • control amongst their whole fleet • access to secure online invoicing • simple card management (with options to select card PINs) • generate bespoke smart alerts Please give us a call 0800 915 6022 to find out how easy it is to become a euroShell card customer and start saving now!

Tel: 0800 915 6022 info@euroshellcard.co.uk

64 / fleetworld.co.uk

www.euroshell.co.uk

As Esso’s fuel card partner in Europe, WEX Europe Services offers access to one of the largest fuelling networks in the UK. Drivers can fill up at Esso, Shell and UK Fuels sites through the Esso + fuel programme. By using their Esso or UK Fuels card, customers can choose from more than 3,600 strategically located filling stations nationwide.

This extensive network, together with competitive pricing, easy invoicing and advanced online account management tools, sets WEX Europe Services apart from its competitors.

WEX Europe Services is a joint venture between fuel card experts WEX Inc. and Radius Payment Solutions, using more than 50 years’ industry experience to offer solutions that truly put the customer’s needs first.

Tel: 0800 626 672 newaccounts@wexeuropeservices.com www.wexeuropeservices.com www.essocard.com

Barclaycard in Association with The Miles Consultancy Is your card single-branded or multi-branded?

Key to services

What is the number of filling stations at which the card is accepted?

8.45k Multi ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

All ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

-

BP 7.5k Both ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ All ✔* ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

euroShell Fuel Card 3.5k Both ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ All ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Fuelmate Ltd 7.2k Both ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ All ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Allstar Business Solutions 7.6k+ Multi ✔ ✔

✔ ✔ All ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

WEX Europe Services 3.6k Both ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ All ✔ ✔

✔

✔ Service provided

Service unavailable

_ LQIR#DJLOLW\ÀHHW FRP _ ZZZ DJLOLW\ÀHHW FRP

*PIN only

$JLOLW\ )OHHW¶V DYHUDJH H[FHVV PLOHDJH FKDUJH LV ORZHU WKDQ WKH )1 DYHUDJH

ARE YOU TIRED OF CHEAP UPFRONT DEALS WITH HIDDEN END OF CONTRACT RECHARGES? Do you offer a non-pump price agreement?

Do you charge a card fee?

Do you offer a facility for splitting business and private mileage?

Do you provide data download into PC-based fleet management systems

Do you offer a chip and pin security system?

What types of vehicles does your cards cover?

Do you offer rebates to major fleet customers?

Do you offer a card to pay for non-fuel items?

Does your card offer pan-European coverage?

Do you offer account and database management via the Internet

Do you provide management reporting?

FLEETW RLD

* PIN only

FEATURE Taxation & Funding

The dash for diesel Although there has been little evidence of a shift in used prices or change in buying habits due to the Volkswagen scandal, Professor Colin Tourick looks at some strategic issue fleets should consider.

F

or the past few weeks the news has been full of stories about the Volkswagen scandal, and diesel engine emis‐ sions in general. This story will run and run and we can expect to hear much of vehicle recalls and refits, government action, court cases, fines, class actions, criminal investiga‐ tions and so on.

What we need to consider here are the financial ramifica‐ tions of this situation for fleet managers of this negative publicity for diesel‐engined cars. Will there be any consequences and, if so, what are these likely to be?

66 / fleetworld.co.uk

Unfortunately the word ‘diesel’ has become somewhat tarnished. The general public has come to realise that while these cars emit lower levels of carbon dioxide they emit other pollutants – particularly nitrogen oxides – and do so in higher concentrations than petrol engined cars.

Will all of this negative attention on diesel engines discour‐ age people from choosing diesel when they buy their next used car? According to a DEFRA strategy paper, the govern‐ ment needs to establish “clean air zones” by 2020 with "restrictions for certain types of vehicles”. DEFRA believes that nitrogen dioxide causes 23,500 deaths a year and a further 29,000 people are killed by diesel particulates, though there may be some overlap here.

London will already have its own ultra‐low emissions zone from 2020. Cars and small vans registered before 1 January 2006 (petrol) or 1 September 2015 (diesel) will be liable for a £12.50 daily charge. For large vans and minibuses the registration dates will be one year later, i.e. 1 January 2007 (petrol) and 1 September 2016 (diesel).

If due to these myriad factors a relatively small percentage of used car buyers decided to switch next time round from diesel to petrol or petrol hybrid the used price of diesels would fall.

Unsurprisingly as a result, the question fleet managers have been asking is “should we rethink our diesel‐only policy?”. The answer isn’t straightforward.

On the one hand it is always good fleet management prac‐ tice to review which vehicles should go onto the fleet. The rush to diesel was driven by Benefit‐in‐Kind tax, CO 2 and ‘green fleet’ considerations but in recent years manufactur‐ ers have developed very good low‐CO2 petrol‐engined vehi‐ cles that can offer a real alternative to diesel.

On the other hand the real sanctions against diesel engined vehicles aren’t going to be introduced before 2020, by which time there will be almost no Euro 5 vehicles left on company fleets. Euro 6 will see a significant reduction in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions for diesel engined vehicles, as shown in the chart below. So there’s no need for a knee‐jerk reaction.

It’s worth adding that Government policy in this area is a shambles. At the same time as we are being told that diesel engines are major polluters the BiK system encourages company car drivers to opt for diesel cars because they emit lower levels of just one particular pollutant, carbon dioxide.

And NHS budgets are under pressure. The government seems to be sending an odd message: “We don’t mind if you all have asthma, bronchitis, heart attacks or strokes so long as we can save the planet from global warming – and hang the cost to the NHS”. This is an untenable position in the long term.

But the question that people in fleet leasing and motor finance companies have been asking for the last few weeks has been “will it make any difference to used car prices?”

This is because a relatively small movement in used car values can have a disproportionately high impact on the profit these companies make. That’s important to you as a fleet manager because if leasing companies think that used car prices will go down they will increase the rentals they quote you on new leases. And if you buy (or hire purchase) your cars rather than lease them, a reduction in used car values means extra costs for you – additional depreciation.

Let’s consider a leasing company that enters into a lease on a car costing £25,000. The lease says the car must be returned after three years. Let’s assume that the leasing company believes the car will then be worth £10,000 and calculates its rentals on that basis. On a regular non‐mainte‐ nance lease to an SME client with a small fleet of cars the

leasing company might expect to make £1,000 on this car over three years. If the car can only be sold for £8,500 at the end of three years, the leasing company will have lost £500 on that car over three years.

Even worse, they will have taken £667 to profit over the first two years of the lease and will have to reverse this out in year three. A relatively small difference between the predicted and actual outcome will have created a significant dent in profits in year three.

If the sale price of used diesels generally were to fall as a result of all of this negative publicity, this would increase the rentals that leasing companies need to charge on new leases.

This would make these cars relatively more expensive and some manufacturers may elect to offer bigger up‐front discounts to encourage fleets and leasing companies to take on large numbers of cars that would otherwise have become relatively expensive in the market.

These big discounts would feed their way through to the used car market by reducing the used value of these cars.

After all, if a car is available new at a 15% discount, the start‐ ing point from which it starts to depreciate will be 85% rather than 100% of list price.

Let’s now consider a motor finance company that has financed the same model of car on a three year personal contract purchase (PCP) contract, perhaps to someone who needed the car to drive business mileage for their employer.

The same effect will happen here – the car will be worth £1,500 less than expected. If the employee decides to hand it back they will find they have no equity in the car and no deposit to put down on their next car. And the finance company will be nursing a £1,500 loss on sale.

Of course, none of this might happen, but it is a worrying situations for all concerned and one that will require a combination of close scrutiny in day‐to‐day tactical decision‐ making and long term strategic planning.

Colin Tourick Grant Thornton Professor of Automotive Management, University of Buckingham

NOX EMISSIONS OVER TIME Euro standard

All new cars registered

Petrol NOx mg/km

Diesel NOx mg/km

Diesel particulate matter mg/km

0

Oct 1993

1,000

1,600

Unlimited

1

Dec 1992

490

780

140

2

Jan 1997

250

730

100

3

Jan 2001

150

500

50

4

Jan 2006

80

250

25

5

Jan 2011

60

180

5

6

Sep 2015

60

80

5

fleetworld.co.uk / 67

our fleet Mitsubishi L200 2.4 DI-D 4WD Barbarian Double Cab Auto PERCEPTION and perspective are important factors in this job. When Fleet World editor Steve Moody, who drives the widest possible range of vehicles, handed me the keys to our long-term L200, he enthused about the amount of fun it had been to pilot over the previous month. Yet when the truck was pressed into service as a support vehicle for the MPG Marathon, fleet consultant Ross Durkin (who had recently swapped out of a Lexus) refused to spend a second day bouncing along behind the wheel.

As many fleet drivers discovered some years ago, a double-cab pick-up is not a viable replacement for a comfortable mile-eating saloon car, despite any prevailing tax benefits. If you do actually need to carry a combination of people and goods however, particularly onto construction sites or along farm tracks, there are few finer vehicles.

This is the fifth generation of Mitsubishi’s L200 and perhaps the one that moves the pick-up game further forward than any previous itera-

tion. The firm has improved the driveline, the suspension, the four-wheel drive system and the cab interior and it shows.

This generation is much easier to live with every day. The 2.4-litre diesel engine is strong yet relatively frugal, we are regularly recording low to mid-30s and it’s barely run in yet.

Mitsubishi has finally equipped the truck with a six-speed gearbox though, as befits our topspec Barbarian model’s position in the line-up, we have the auto transmission installed. Oddly though, that boasts just five gears.

It is incredibly smooth-shifting however, and kicks down rapidly when required. You get paddles behind the wheel, but they really aren’t required for rapid overtakes. They do give you the option of increasing engine braking into a roundabout though, which is sometimes welcome. No doubt they will come in handy when we head off-road too.

Dan Gilkes

the figures OTR PRICE £25,299 POWER 178bhp @ 3,500rpm TORQUE 317lb.ft @ 2,500rpm 0-62mph 11.8 seconds TOP SPEED 109mph COMBINED MPG 39.2mpg CO2 189g/km (35% BiK)

Honda Civic Tourer 1.6 i-DTEC SR EVER since Honda delivered our longterm Civic Tourer to me I’ve been happily using it for the purpose it was first designed

68 / fleetworld.co.uk

for: as a highly practical load-lugger. Only last week I maximised its vast boot space to haul the complete interior of a classic Mercedes SL to the trimmers – a car inside a car, who would have thought?

There have been numerous other shopping expeditions, too. It’s regularly used for schlepping the weekly groceries, furniture from Ikea and countless trips to the local amenity tip.

And it was the last time I did a tip run that I had this moment of realisation: I’m using this Civic as a latter-day oxen.

Don’t get me wrong, as a motorised four-

wheeled bovine it’s extremely compliant and needs little husbandry to keep it happy. But here’s the thing: when I was a lad my dad always drove estate cars.

Granted, they were a million light years less inferior to this Civic, yet the one thing they possessed, which this Honda doesn’t, is a personality. And that’s why, 14 weeks on, this Civic is still known simply as ‘the Honda’ in our household, and not Bob, like we named my dad’s Toyota Crown Custom Estate, and probably why it’ll continue to be treated as a beast of burden.

Danny Cobbs

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How to get a grip on road risk management As the Government is told to get a grip on rising numbers of road deaths and serious injuries, ARI – which won the Best Fleet Safety Product title at the 2015 Brake Fleet Safety Awards – looks at how fleets can take control of their own road risk management processes.

T

he issue of road safety has again been in the headlines out in the marketplace for changing driving culture by in recent weeks as the Government comes under fire demonstrating to individuals that they have a clear for rising numbers of road deaths and serious injuries. responsibility for their actions when driving any motor vehicle, The newly published Department for Transport Reported in particular on company business.

Road Casualties in Great Britain Annual Report for 2014 In fact, the Riskmaster solution has just recently scooped the shows that 1,775 people died on the roads, up 4% on the year Best Fleet Safety Product at the 2015 Brake Fleet Safety Awards. before, while 22,807 more were seriously injured, Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the Riskmaster representing a 5% annual increase. service is founded on the ‘permit to drive’ premise, which As a result, road safety organisations including Brake are manages driver compliance through an online application calling for the reintroduction of ambitious casualty reduction process that includes risk profile assessment and document targets, which were axed in 2010, as well as a verification, for everyone driving on company ‘vision zero’ approach whereby any number business including grey fleet. of road deaths is seen as unacceptable.

Commenting on the award, ARI’s Jason But in fact such approaches can also – and Chamberlain, Sales & Marketing Director said: should also – be effectively used by fleets as “We are delighted for Riskmaster to be part of a comprehensive road risk recognised as the industry standard for risk management policy. And that’s because for management. Our investment in Riskmaster many employees, being killed or seriously has provided our clients with a complete injured while driving on the road as part of picture of driver risk and we are delighted this their job represents the biggest occupational was recognised by the judges in such a hotlyrisk to which they are likely to be exposed. contested category.”

In fact, according to the Royal Society for Not only does Riskmaster ensure the driver the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), every plays a key role in ensuring their ‘permit to week more than 20 people are killed and 250 drive’ is issued but ARI also puts the fleet firmly are seriously injured in at-work road crashes. in control of its drivers’ performance by For fleets looking to However, as well as helping to reinforce collecting information about drivers and driver safety, a comprehensive road risk ensure compliance with vehicles and presenting it in the form of a driver management programme can bring benefits all areas associated with operating life report. This is then used for including cost savings, reduced carbon driving at work activity, management appraisal and/or intervention footprint and an increased Corporate Social such as in-car assessments or driver training. the ARI ‘Riskmaster’ Responsibility (CSR) profile by showing that Fleet managers can also quickly and simply online occupational the company recognises its legal and moral identify the risks within a fleet of drivers. Users road risk management can drill through from high-level risk areas to duty to manage drivers and work-related solution stands out in road safety. detailed driver data with a simple mouse click the marketplace This is where ARI can help. Founded in while also allowing the manipulation of online 1948 by Holman Automotive Group, ARI has reports and rapid data interrogation. grown into the largest privately held vehicle The system also highlights serious risk fleet management services company in the world and brings issues requiring immediate management intervention by extensive experience of helping fleets to develop at-work delivering alerts direct to the co-ordinator’s home page. The driving safety programmes. website’s search facilities allow co-ordinators to search for This includes in the UK where Chippenham-based ARI drivers, or vehicles using a range of criteria and also supports offers a comprehensive fleet product and services partial registration or incomplete driver details enquiries. portfolio, distinguished by award-winning fleet control and Importantly, the system, as with all ARI solutions, can be reporting technology. tailored to meet bespoke fleets’ needs and also brings the For fleets looking to ensure compliance with all areas company’s renowned in-house expertise and 24/7 support – all associated with driving at work activity, the ARI ‘Riskmaster’ of which are underpinned by ARI’s continuing commitment to online occupational road risk management solution stands investing in people, processes, and technology.

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

our fleet Mazda CX-5 2.2d Sport Nav (2WD) REAL-WORLD economy seems to be a Mazda forte now that its SKYACTIV Technology improvements have been rolled out across the range. In the last

few weeks, we’ve seen strong performances from a pair of Mazda2s entered in the MPG Marathon, and our deputy editor Alex Grant reported near-officialfigure fuel consumption in the MX-5 a few weeks ago. That’s with the roof down, too.

I’m finding the 2.2-litre diesel in our CX-5 is an impressive engine, also. It’s now fully run in and showing consistently high fuel economy despite my lack of hypermiling prowess and a mix of urban and long-distance fuel economy.

Considering it’s in a competitor set with

engine sizes going down to 1.5-litres, and without the 148bhp I’ve got access to here, it’s performing well.

I guess the challenge is making that case to fleets, for whom a 2.2-litre diesel is a very large capacity engine compared to the 2.0-litres and below segment norms. Clearly it has the performance to satisfy drivers, and the lack of the 1.5-litre diesel is perhaps less of an issue in this segment, but this is one of those cars which is well worth spending some time with to see its full benefits.

Anne Dopson

Volvo V60 D3 Manual SE Lux Nav

I have been really impressed that the fuel consumption of the V60 has remained above 50mpg since the car arrived, but now for the first time, it has dipped below – just – currently reading 49.7mpg. I think I have been helped by the prolonged dry weather, but now that winter is nearly upon us, the wet roads of autumn inevitably take their toll in bringing fuel consumption down as the tyres literally squeegee water off the surface of the road.

It might also be that with 6,977 miles showing on the clock, the engine is loosening up and I have been exploiting the 150bhp more than before. The V60 is an agile car for one of its size and even though there are more powerful diesel versions, the D3’s 150hp can give it respectable performance.

One of the things I have always liked about Swedish vehicles is the attention paid to driver comfort. When I test drove trucks, Volvo seats

were among the most comfortable and the first to have separate adjustment for the upper backrest. The V60 may not be as sophisticated as that, but the leather-covered seats make long distance driving very comfortable, while the three-stage seat heater needs to be used with caution. You can tell it was designed for a country where driving in the Arctic Circle is not uncommon.

I’m not completely convinced by the userfriendliness of the infotainment system yet. It includes a USB socket in the armrest storage compartment to connect music players, but the system still does not like playing music through the wired connection – Bluetooth streaming is the only thing that seems to work. I like the lack of a touch screen – no sticky finger marks over the display – but the menus could be more user friendly for the sat nav system.

John Kendall

OTR PRICE £32,195 POWER 150bhp @ 3,750rpm TORQUE 263lb.ft @ 1,750rpm 0-62mph 9.1 seconds TOP SPEED 130mph COMBINED MPG 70.6mpg CO2 105g/km (22% BiK)

the figures 70 / fleetworld.co.uk

Audi TT TDI S Line Ultra

Renault Captur Dynamique dCi 90 OCTOBER proved to be a relatively busy month for our Captur, what with four events for Fleet World Group, all requiring logistical support, and times like this highlight the jumpin-and-drive user-friendliness of vehicles.

A female colleague absolutely loves the way Renault’s big-selling Captur drives, and despite having to move the seat miles back to get comfortable again, I take her point. It’s really rather good. Back-to-back against some of the FW Fleet, Captur’s seats and ride comfort are a touch on the firm side, but this is a minor gripe and certainly isn’t comparing like with like.

Luke Wikner

Nissan Pulsar 1.5 dCi N-Tec THIS may sound like faint praise, but the Pulsar is a really easy car to live with.

The steering wheel-mounted controls throw up everything logically. I have spent 10 minutes searching through sub-sections to find tyre pressures in other cars, but not in the Nissan.

While searching, I discovered a disappointing 46.6mpg average – well south of the claimed 78.5mpg. Quite a hot potato at the moment, but the majority of my journeys have been lowspeed, town-based affairs.

Another disappointment is the rear parcel shelf – it slips its hinge too easily, and covers most of the rear screen. Very annoying.

Julian Kirk

I’VE always thought that a diesel Audi TT would make an excellent company car. That is, of course unless you have a family.

As the owner of such family then, it seems a bit daft to be taking ‘ownership’ of a TT for six months, you might think. You’d be right, but with the kids and all their mess packed into the wife’s car for the duration, the TT is proving an oasis of calmness and seclusion – the ideal place for me to while away time on the road.

There are two seats in the back, which I thought would prove useful enough for the few occasions I deigned to let the brood in, but their little legs aren’t quite long enough to hang over the seat squab and angle down into the footwell. So back in the wife’s car they go.

Our TT is a glorious looking thing, in Scuba Blue metallic paint (£550) and some fabulous 20-inch alloys (£850). Otherwise, our car isn’t full of kit, other than super-bright LED headlights at £950 and the Technology Pack, with Audi Connect, which is £1,795. This is supposed to let me have things like Google Maps, Twitter, In Car Wifi and the like in the TT, but it’s early days yet and being a bit of a Luddite I haven’t worked out how to get it set up. 15 minutes sat on the drive should hopefully suffice.

The one major ingredient missing from this car is parking sensors. I can’t remember the last time I had a car without them, so I’m having to do all sorts of odd things like look over my shoulder, and pay attention to what is around me when I park. The last thing I want to do is scratch that beautiful blue paintwork.

Steve Moody

the figures OTR PRICE £32,660 POWER 184bhp @ 3,500rpm TORQUE 207lb.ft @ 1,750rpm 0-62mph 7.1seconds TOP SPEED 150mph COMBINED MPG 62.8mpg CO2 116g/km (21% BiK)

fleetworld.co.uk / 71

our fleet Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi Zetec Estate A gap between my own long-termers means I’ve spent a little time with our new Mondeo this month, ironically only a few weeks after driving its direct predecessor in the MPG Marathon. It’s a reminder of just how spoilt for equipment company car drivers have become these days.

Actually, driving an early Mk1 Mondeo in fleety 1.8i LX trim is a reminder of how good drivers had it back in 1994. Ford’s Heritage Collection car is a good example, but it’s still surprisingly modern and exceptionally comfortable on long distances – particularly without the clatter and hum of a diesel engine. Enough that you could almost forgive the patchwork of blue plastics and gaudy patterned velour dotted around the cabin.

Despite a pregnant pause between the Mondeo-previewing Evos concept car and the first production models arriving on the roads, Ford’s new fleet stalwart still looks and feels fresh on the outside, and it’s starting to become a familiar sight. The only area I think it lets itself down on is cabin aesthetics, particularly compared to how impressive the outgoing car was when it launched in 2007. It’s not poor quality, but it’s a little drab.

Otherwise, it’s a huge leap forward in terms of comfort and practicality over its two-decade lifespan. Qualities it needs when it’s facing such a broad competitor base, including premium brands. After my short tenure, it’ll be interesting to see how it fares over a six-month term.

Alex Grant

SUPPLIER

DIRECTORY electric vehicle charging

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

Kia Sorento 2.2 CRDI KX-2 Manual FOLLOWING the departure of the Carens last month, we’ve now gained another Kia seven-seater in the form of the Sorento. But whereas the practical if slightly anodyne Carens could get a little lost in the crowd despite its many positives, our latest longtermer is anything but subtle.

First launched in 2002, the Sorento appeared last spring in its third-generation guise and was marked out for being longer, lower and with more occupant and cargo space. It also bears bolder styling, increased practicality and improved power and emissions.

With just one engine – a 197bhp 2.2-litre diesel with four-wheel drive – offered in the UK, there’s no points for guessing what’s under the bonnet. We’ve opted for the six-speed manual version, which brings combined fuel economy of 46.3.mpg and 161g/km compared to 42.2mpg and 177g/km for the automatic.

We’re also driving the KX-2 trim version – one up from the entry-level KX-1 but bearing a good amount of kit. Standard features include 18-inch alloys, automatic lights, rain

72 / fleetworld.co.uk

sensing wipers, electrically folding mirrors, leather upholstery, heated steering wheel, cruise control and speed limiter, front and rear sensors and a reversing camera system and a seven-inch touchscreen sat nav, to list but just some of the highlights. All models come with seven seats too.

First impressions are very good. This is a big car with a big presence. It also majors on cabin comfort and with plenty of boot and passenger space, we look forward to testing it over the coming months.

Natalie Middleton

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

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

Bluedrop Services Ltd Tel: 01706 658608 www.bluedropservices.co.uk

insureFLEET Tel: 0333 202 3133 www.insurefleet.com

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 Drive Software Solutions Tel: 01438 317731

sgfleet Tel: 0845 154 0721 www.sgfleet.com

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

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

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

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

Maxxia 020 7520 9450 www.maxxia.co.uk

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

Roadmarque Tel: 01792 824438 www.roadmarque.com

Arnold Clark Car & Van Rental Tel: 01786 468 700

Cardinus Risk Management Tel: 01733 426015

Tel: 0845 815 0018 www.dayscontracthire.co.uk

www.arnoldclarkrental.com

www.cardinus.com

Lex Autolease

Thrifty Car & Van Rental Tel: 01494 751 550

Bill Plant Ltd Tel: 01765 645023

www.thrifty.co.uk

www.billplant.co.uk

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

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

Volkswagen Group Leasing Tel: 0870 333 2229

SMR

www.volkswagengroupleasing.co.uk

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

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

Civica Tranman Tel: 01454 874002 www.civica.co.uk/tranman

AA DriveTech Tel: 01256 495732

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

Total Leasing Solutions for your business

www.drivesoftwaresolutions.com

Sofico NV Tel:+3292018040

www.soficoservices.com

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

Telephone 0113 250 0060

www.jct600vehicleleasingsolutions.co.uk

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

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

Arnold Clark Vehicle Management

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

Tel: 0845 603 4590 www.acvm.co.uk Vehicle Management

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

Full listings online at fleetworld.co.uk _

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November 2014

FLEETW RLD FLEETW RLD November 2014

All that matters in

the world of fleet

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

www.AAdrivetech.com/fleetsafe DriveTech

All that matters in the world of fleet

interview

Michael O’Shea of

interview Michael O’Shea of Volkswagen

Volkswagen

Interactive Driving Systems Tel: 01484 551060

stopping power

Why fleets should

stopping power

check their brakes

Why fleets should check their brakes

MODE MODEL PUPIL LPUPIL Behind the wheel

of Tesla’s remarkable

Model S

misfuelling

www.virtualriskmanager.net

Full listings online at fleetworld.co.uk fuel management

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

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

Teletrac, a Trafficmaster company Tel: 0345 604 8813 www.teletrac.co.uk

TRACKER Network UK Limited Tel: 0845 602 3981 www.TRACKER.co.uk

Trakm8 Tel: 0330 333 4120 www.trakm8.com

www.quartix.net

MiX Telematics Europe Tel: 0121 717 5360 www.mixtelematics.co.uk

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

Navman Wireless UK Ltd Tel: 0845 521 1188 www.navmanwireless.co.uk

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

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

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

Tel: 0870 013 6663 Fleetmatics Tel: 0800 975 4566 www.fleetmatics.co.uk

BOX Telematics Tel: 0330 333 4118 www.boxtelematics.com

Tel: 0345 055 8555 Ctrack www.ctrack.co.uk

fleetworld.co.uk / 73

Fleet World Group

International Fleet World

The Fleet Show

EV Fleet World

fleetworld.co.uk

THE online resource for fleet decision-makers

Follow us on Twitter @FleetWorldGroup

Join us on Linkedin Fleet World Group

MPG Marathon

VAN

November 2015

FLEETW RLD

p86

at a glance driven...

Vauxhall Corsavan Volkswagen Transporter

For those who put more emphasis on the driving experience, Corsavan has much to offer.

plus...

Mercedes-Benz van conversions, Telematics & VAN Fleet World Live

vanfleetworld.co.uk

inbusiness

Ford extends Connect drivelines

ins s ho r t

F

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

ord has expanded the range of engines and transmissions available in Transit Connect, with the introduction of more powerful Euro 6 diesels and a Powershift automatic transmission.

While the Euro 5 1.6‐litre motors are still available, Ford is now offering the Euro 6 1.5‐litre diesel with 100hp and 250Nm of torque or 120hp with 270Nm. The lower powered engine comes with a five‐speed manual gear‐ box while the 120hp gets a six‐speed box. Customers will also be able to spec‐ ify a six‐speed Powershift automatic for the first time with the higher‐powered engine.

The 100hp is available with an optional fuel economy pack, including Auto‐Start‐Stop, Active Grille Shutter, battery management and smart regenerative charging, while the 120hp has the Auto‐Start‐Stop system as standard. The new 120hp engine with the

auto transmission offers a claimed 56.6mpg with 129g/km of CO2.

Transit Connect is also being offered with a host of technology options from Ford’s car line. These include SYNC 2, with a 6” colour touchscreen and voice control of audio, navigation, climate control and phone functions. Also offered for the first time are Traffic Sign Recognition, which provides the driver with current speed limits and overtak‐ ing restriction information, Blind Spot Information, Lane Keeping Alert and Lane Keeping Aid.

ighways England is to invest £11bn over the next five years to reduce death and serious injury across England’s strategic road network.

Despite having the safest motorways in Europe, Highways England is aiming for a 40% reduction in deaths and serious injuries on the network by 2020.

“By 2040 no‐one will be harmed by travelling or working on our road network,” said senior road safety policy advisor Katherine Wilson‐Ellis.

While the strategic road network under Highways England’s control covers just 4% of the country’s roads, it carries a high proportion of traffic.

There has been an increase in LCV accidents since 2010, though that is to some extent to be expected as there are 15.8% more vans on the roads. In 2014 alone, she claimed that 22% of LCV acci‐ dents were down to the driver not look‐ ing, 17% related to poor judgement of speed, while 10% were caused by vehi‐ cles following too closely.

76 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

Jarvie Plant Group has added 30 Renault Master Wellbuses to its plant and accommodation rental fleet. The Scottish firm is one of the first to take the type-approved conversion that was first seen at this year’s CV Show.

Based on the long wheelbase, medium roof Master van, the eightseat Wellbus meets full M1 regulations. Its rear section is heated and can be power washed down thanks to a durable spray-on coating.

Cameras added to KwikFit vans

Highways England invests in safety

H

Jarvie opts for Master Wellbus

“Not only do we record when a vehi‐ cle has an incident, we record the regis‐ tration,” she said.

“We’ve started to look at those vehi‐ cles involved in multiple incidents.”

Indeed in 2014 Highways England recorded more than 400 LCVs that been involved in multiple incidents on the network and has a three‐point plan to improve safety. It involves safer roads, for which it takes responsibility to improve signage, increase the use of average speed cameras and improve the safety of verges. The second point is safer vehicles, which are now being equipped with colli‐ sion avoidance technology and autonomous driving features.

The third crucial part of the equation is safer people, which requires compli‐ ance, education and an improvement in driver behaviour.

“We will provide a safe road network.

What we need is you to provide safe vehicles and we all need to ensure safe drivers,” said Ms Wilson‐Ellis.

Fast fit specialist Kwik Fit is equipping its 200-strong fleet of mobile vans with front, rear and cab-facing cameras, to improve safety and security of technicians. The vans have already been supplied with telematic systems.

“Our primary reason for installing the cameras is to reduce the company’s exposure to fraudulent insurance claims,” said fleet operations director Simon Lucas.

“Unfortunately, crash for cash scams are all too frequent. However, there is clear evidence that if vehicles are fitted with video recording cameras the risk reduces.”

Hubbard grows in new premises Refrigeration specialist Hubbard Products is relocating to larger premises at Europark, Ipswich.

The firm has been based at its present site in nearby Otley for 42 years, but increasing collaboration with retailers and vehicle refrigeration developers has led to a requirement for more space.

inbusiness

MAN to share Volkswagen Crafter

inshort

m

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

AN Truck & Bus, one of the two truck manufacturers that are owned by Volkswagen along with Scania, has announced that it will offer a full range of light commercial vehicles from 3.0 tonnes up. LCVs between 3.0 tonnes and the firm’s traditional 7.5‐tonne starting point will be built by Volkswagen alongside the new Crafter, at the firm’s new factory in Poland.

The light commercials, to be known as MAN TGE models, will be launched in 2016 and available to customers from early 2017.

“By launching the MAN light commercial vehicle positioned below our MAN TGL light truck range, we are

entering a new business area,” said CEO Joachm Drees.

“Many of our customers with heavy commercial vehicles in their fleets have a requirement for light commer‐ cial vehicles as well, so the MAN TGE constitutes a smart enhancement to our already established vehicle range.

“We know exactly what our customers need and which areas they operate in, and the vehicle solutions and bodies we will offer them will be a perfect fit to their needs and appli‐ cations. Professional service and also a wide range of solutions from our well established truck business will set standards in this weight range.”

Renault Trucks business ready

r

enault Trucks is launching a Ready For Business range of pre‐bodied Luton, tipper and dropside vehicles, based on the Renault Master chassis.

The vehicles will be converted by body‐ builder VFS Southampton with full Euro‐ pean type approval and can be ordered from stock or with very short lead times.

The Master Dropside delivers a payload in excess of 1.3 tonnes using a steel VFS body up to 4.4m in length.

The vehicle features removable corner posts, a front bulkhead ladder rack and aluminium side boards. Towing equip‐ ment, a taillift and working at height safety rails are all available as options.

The Master Luton comes with a 20m3 load volume and a payload

above 1‐tonne, even with a tail lift fitted. Master tipper models come with up to 3.2m body lengths and use a five‐stage underfloor tipping ram.

“Designed with customers in mind, our Ready for Business range provides the ideal specification for a multitude of applications,” said Richard Chamberlain, LCV manager at Renault Trucks.

“This pre‐converted range, ready for work and with competitive prices, low maintenance costs and extended service intervals, together with the back‐up and support of our network of commercial vehicle workshops, is an attractive, busi‐ ness‐focused offer for van operators.”

EA opts for Ford Transit AWD vans The Environment Agency has ordered 55 all-wheel drive Ford Transit vans to assist its coastal protection and flood management teams across England. The 350 AWD models have been converted

by Bott with racking for tools and light bars, with some of the Transits converted to welfare units equipped with lavatories and heating.

“Our work inevitably requires us to visit rural areas where access can be a bit of a challenge,” said Dale Eynon, head of fleet services.

“While we need vehicles which can get our staff off road, we don’t have a need for massive, carbonheavy 4x4s. The AWD Transit is an ideal combination.”

Partnership for van drivers TomTom has announced a deal with Eliocity, part of the Mobivia Group and creator of the Xee connected vehicles solution, to bring to market a platform designed to offer LCV drivers a better way to communicate, locate and work together. The combination of TomTom Bridge and Eliocity will make it easier to use light commercial vehicles, as drivers will be able to communicate with colleagues in real time and locate their position using GPS.

More HGV drivers needed says RHA The Road Haulage Association has issued a warning that consumers could see empty shelves this Christmas due to a chronic shortage of HGV drivers.

“We are short of between 45,000 and 50,000 drivers and the situation is getting worse,” said RHA chief executive Richard Burnett.

“Our industry is the life blood of our economy. The government can and must do more to help with this driver shortage crisis.”

78 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

THE UK’S LARGEST FUEL NETWORK? MAKE IT PART OF YOUR ONE WORLD.

ONE CUSTOMER. ONE CARD. ONE FLEET SOLUTION. Imagine a fuel card that gives your drivers access to over 7,600 fuel sites around the UK. Introducing Allstar One. A bespoke management solution shaped entirely around your fleet’s needs, no matter how big or small.

As well as access to the UK’s largest fuel network with 7,600 fuel sites, of which 1,780 are discounted diesel sites, you’ll also benefit from the security of Chip & PIN technology. Choose to use your card just for fuel or enhance your card with the ability to pay for glass repair and replacement, M6 Toll, servicing, roadside repair, tyres and much more, whilst enjoying significant savings. What’s more, because all transactions are on one, consolidated, HMRC compliant invoice, you’ll be able to dramatically reduce your administrative burden.

To find out more about how to shape your One world, call us today on 0845 619 6322 or visit www.allstarcard.co.uk

one

FEATURE Conversions

Ready to roll

Mercedes-Benz looks set to introduce an approved LCV conversions programme, says Bill Stephens.

I

n a bid to attract smaller fleets, Mercedes is investigat‐ ing a manufacturer‐backed approved bodybuilding offering. The German manufacturer is currently the only mainstream LCV brand without such a scheme.

“We're now seriously investigating the possibility,” said van product executive, Adam Pointer.

The programme is likely to mirror one already operating in other European markets. A total of around 200 specialised converters have been appointed as VanPartners on the other side of the Channel, as the result of meeting a series of tough standards laid down by the manufacturer. They address everything from build quality to product liability.

A mere 10 have achieved the more‐demanding VanSolu‐ tion accolade, although that number will grow says Mercedes. Their conversions are marketed through dealers with a single invoice covering both the conversion and the vehicle it is based on.

“With a single‐invoice transaction we conduct an exten‐ sive examination to ensure that the entire vehicle fulfils our brand and warranty promise,” said Peter Strobach, head of the Mercedes‐Benz Bodybuilder Centre in Germany.

Mr Strobach was speaking in Hamburg at the TecForum 2015 exhibition of Mercedes‐based conversions. While the majority were sourced from the other side of the Channel, British companies present included Hull‐based tempera‐ ture‐controlled body builder Paneltex. Overseas names familiar to a UK audience included Bott, with a long‐wheel‐ base Sprinter 313CDI kitted out as a mobile workshop for the MV Agusta motorcycle racing team.

Any British scheme will have to involve converters with a UK presence, says Pointer and in the first instance is likely to concentrate on dropsides, tippers, boxes and Lutons.

“We probably won’t include refrigerated conversions because the requirements of customers vary so much,” he said.

In introducing a one‐stop‐shop scheme Mercedes will be attempting to target firms who do not employ full‐time fleet engineers with the ability to specify bodies and therefore may be willing to buy vehicles with off‐the‐peg conversions.

“I’m thinking about businesses where the finance director

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ends up being responsible for the vans,” Mr Pointer said.

Until now most of the circa 6,000 Sprinter chassis cabs the manufacturer sells annually have gone to big fleets, those operated by the supermarkets for example, that have in‐ house engineering departments and do not need or want their hands held. Supplying more Sprinters to SMEs will leave Mercedes volumes less vulnerable to the risk that one of the big retailers will decide to switch to another manufacturer.

TecForum 2015 hosted several highly‐specialised conver‐ sions likely to have a global appeal, though not as part of a one‐stop programme. They included a mobile X‐ray machine, sourced from American Science & Engi‐ neering and installed in a 5.0‐tonne Sprinter along with its own generator and monitoring screen.

With a highly‐focused beam just a few millimetres wide and emitting a low dose of radiation it can detect illegal immi‐ grants hiding in a truck. All the Sprinter driver needs to do is drive slowly past the truck with the machine turned on.

Being put through its paces on a specially‐created dock‐ side off‐road course was a Sprinter converted into a 6x6 by Oberaigner. It is designed to appeal to operators who want something with a lot more capability than a 4x4 pick‐up but cannot justify acquiring a Unimog.

A 7.0‐tonner with permanent all‐wheel‐drive and a 4.0‐ tonne payload capacity, it is available in the UK, primarily through southern Mercedes‐Benz dealer Rossetts.

AUTOMATED BOX FOR CITAN Mercedes also used the event to unveil a petrol‐powered Euro 6 Citan 112, equipped with an optional 6G‐DCT twin‐clutch gearbox, which can be used in either automatic or manual mode. It will arrive in the UK in the first quarter of next year.

It is a box that delivers power seamlessly with no jerk‐ iness or hesitation, as a brief test drive showed. Execu‐ tives were unfortunately unable to say if the box will be available with a diesel engine.

We’ve got what you need.

• Fleet Policy Advice • Duty of Care • Vehicle Acquisition • Funding • Grey fleet management • Salary Sacrifice • Maintenance and Servicing • Vehicle Rental • Accident Management • Workshop Management • Vehicle Conversions

You talk, we listen There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach at Venson. We sit down and listen to what you have to say and then we build a fleet programme to meet your financial and operational objectives. That’s because our customers are at the heart of everything we do. We put you first, which means you always feel like the most important person. On top of that, we continually develop new services and give you nothing but the best in customer care. All of which results in a true sense of partnership.

To find out more call 08444 99 1402, email: sales@venson.com or visit www.venson.com

PROTECT YOUR LIVELIHOOD WITH A

Halo Road Angel is helping to protect those who drive for a living with their brand new accident camera; Road Angel Halo. Complete with both front and rear units, HD resolution & real-time recording, Halo will help to protect you, your customers & company status by providing reliable footage when you need it most.

Recording modes: Real-time mode – Records any journey you make and simply saves the footage as you go Event mode – Activates when an incident occurs during realtime recording and saves the footage separately

Why choose Road Angel Halo?

• Provides both forward and rear facing cameras to catch an accident at either angle • Downloadable footage to be viewed on a computer

Manual mode - Double click the end button during real time recording to manually create an event file

• HD camera resolution • Provides real time, event, manual and parking modes to cover an accident in almost any scenario • Mounts easily to your vehicles windscreen • Built in GPS with Google maps to see exactly where an incident took place • Optional sound recording with privacy button for customer benefit • Sound recording allows for more reliable evidence in a claim

Parking mode – Activates when the ignition is switched off and records if any movement is detected whilst away from your vehicle

High definition resolution

G-Force sensor

Built in GPS with Google Maps

Optional sound recording

For more information and to order Call us on 01327 855586 or visit www.roadangelgroup.com

THE AWARD WINNING VAUXHALL VIVARO

When you combine cutting-edge design, advanced BiTurbo engines (that provide more power, torque and economy) and the class-leading load length of FlexCargo, it’s no wonder the Vauxhall Vivaro has just picked up another award.

Call 0345 740 0777 or visit vauxhall.co.uk/vivaro

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES The Wheels of Business Model shown includes FlexCargo, not available on all models.

SHOW VAN Fleet World Live

Talking Sense VAN Fleet World Live provided a chance for fleet managers to meet with suppliers, drive a wide range of current vans on the road and to attend three stimulating and thought-provoking seminars.

SAFETY & SECURITY Superintendent Paul Keasey, head of the National Roads Policing Intelligence Forum Health and safety should always be a priority for fleet managers, but security must also be a major considera‐ tion. That is the opinion of Superintendent Paul Keasey, head of the National Roads Policing Intelligence Forum.

“Be aware that your vehicle and your equipment are commodities that an organised crime group will look for,” he said.

“Vans are also now a vehicle that can be used to trans‐ port people illegally.”

Superintendent Keasey is keen to create an environ‐ ment where operators, law enforcement agencies and other sector partners can discuss and share knowledge, with the purpose of creating a more secure and safer environment for LCV operation.

84 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

One of the items discussed was the use of technology, both to safeguard vehicles, but also to facilitate theft. Super‐ intendent Keasey urged fleet managers to use telematic sys‐ tems to check if van drivers are leaving vehicles idling while they make deliveries, reminding them that a vehicle may not be insured if the keys are left in the ignition.

“I’m really interested in the telematic and new technol‐ ogy element,” he said.

However he also warned that organised crime gangs now have scanners capable of copying keyless entry codes from driver’s keys, allowing thieves to steal the vehicle without actually having the key. This may not be much of a problem for the majority of vans yet, but keyless entry is appearing on upmarket 4x4s and pick‐ups and will undoubtedly filter down to vans in due course.

This also begs a question though, that if a company con‐ siders it gross misconduct to lose a van by leaving the keys in it, how do they treat theft if the driver still has the keys in their pocket? More importantly perhaps, how would your insurance company deal with such a theft?

The use of telematics goes further than theft prevention and recovery though, with the majority of companies using telematics to assess driver behaviour for fuel con‐ sumption and accident prevention. Superintendent Keasey also mentioned that insurers are increasingly pushing for the fitment of in‐cab cameras, both to record accidents and driving behaviour outside the vehicle, but also driver‐facing cameras to assess driver performance behind the wheel.

“I genuinely believe in today’s society that the profes‐ sional van driver is critical to allow the legitimate busi‐ ness to operate as efficiently, effectively and productively as possible,” said Superintendent Keasey.

FLEETW RLD

LCV PROFESSIONALISM Mark Cartwright, head of vans at the FTA Increasing professionalism within the van business is the main aim of the Freight Transport Association’s (FTA) Van Excellence programme. In its Van Excellence Report 2015/16, the association stressed that strong leadership and professionalism are key to improving the image of the sector.

The scheme currently has more than 100 member companies, many of whom are household names. How‐ ever, as the report shows, more than 50% of the 3.6m vans working within the UK are operated by sole traders and smaller companies and it is these smaller firms that the FTA is keen to reach.

“Van Excellence has been embraced by the industry as a valuable initiative to enhance standards of van opera‐ tor compliance and celebrate those who demonstrate excellence,” said Mr Cartwright.

“The report reinforces this message, recording achievements so far and highlighting the economic and social value of van fleets, which are indispensible to the UK economy.”

Part of the problem, according to Mr Cartwright, is that when you ask a truck driver what they do for a liv‐ ing, they will say HGV driver. Ask the majority of van drivers and you will hear plumber, courier, electrician and numerous other trades. A van is for many, simply another tool that is used as part of their work.

He is keen to point out though, that when they are behind the wheel of that LCV, they are a professional van driver. One initiative that the FTA is promoting is the Van Excellence Certificate of Driver Competence course.

While a Driver CPC is now mandatory for HGV drivers, there is no legislation in place for lighter goods vehicle operatives. By providing a van‐related Driver CPC, Van Excellence is hoping to take a step forward for van pro‐ fessionalism.

Elements covered include fitness to drive, pre‐use vehi‐ cle inspections, vehicle loading and safety of loads, rules of the road and the ambassadorial role of the van driver.

“Van fleet operators have called on the FTA to develop a course that is aimed at the development of training and qual‐ ifications designed to meet these needs,” said Mr Cartwright.

“It is essential to improve the image of the van driver in order to demonstrate a real commitment to operate in a safe, professional, considerate and compliant manner.

“The response to the course from attendees has been fantastic. Their enthusiasm and praise demonstrate how important professionalising the role of a van driver is to the industry.”

TYRE SAFETY Stuart Jackson, chairman of TyreSafe Around one in four vehicles on the road have an illegal or bor‐ derline tyre fitted, according to research by tyre industry associ‐ ation TyreSafe. Chairman Stuart Jackson says that 989 of the 2,458 accidents that resulted in a kill or serious injury (KSI) last year in the UK, involved vehicles with illegal or defective tyres.

Indeed tyres accounted for 2.2m MOT failures last year, with 36% of all vehicle defects being tyre related.

Research into vans in particular showed that 22% of those inspected had an illegal tyre, 41% were border‐

line, while just 37% has more than 2mm of tread remain‐ ing. That means that of the vans inspected an incredible 62.5% had illegal or borderline tyres fitted.

Yet fleet managers and drivers should be aware that if caught, the resulting fine can be as much as £2,500 and three points on the driver’s licence. And that is per tyre!

TyreSafe is launching a new van tyre initiative in the coming months to educate fleet operators and van driv‐ ers. The association is also however working more closely with the police to ensure that there is more enforcement of existing tyre safety legislation. There have been 15,000 convictions over the last three years in the UK for tyre‐ related offences.

“That number is going to grow,” warned Mr Jackson.

vanfleetworld.co.uk / 85

Vauxhall Corsavan

Vauxhall’s latest Corsavan delivers in both the load area and the driving seat, says Dan Gilkes.

T

he compact car‐derived market is some‐ thing of a niche these days, with Vaux‐ hall and Ford the main contenders, offering Corsavan and Fiesta Van respectively.

For those that want a small van that literally drives like a car though, these compact LCVs remain an attractive proposition.

The fifth generation Corsavan has moved the game forward again, adopting a host of new technologies from Vauxhall’s car range.

Despite the additional weight imposed by Euro 6 engines, the van also promises lower fuel consumption and emissions, with increased carrying capacity.

The most efficient ecoFLEX models are said to be good for an incredible 88.3mpg, while even this range‐topping Sportive van posts a combined fuel figure of 74.3mpg. CO2 emissions are a credible 101g/km, dropping to just 84g/km for the ecoFLEX model.

What’s more, those figures actually seem to be quite achievable. In general everyday driving, including a mix of local mileage and higher speed motorway work, the Corsavan delivered a very frugal 65mpg, thanks in part to a very active standard Start/Stop system.

A bit of light‐footed eco driving would easily have seen that rise into the low 70s.

It’s a very pleasant van to drive too. The 1.3‐litre diesel engine pushes out a spirited 95hp, with 210Nm of torque to keep things moving. Unlike lesser models you get six gears in the manual box with the Sportive, which makes for both rapid acceleration and relaxed cruising.

You would expect such a compact van to be nippy in town and it doesn’t disappoint, darting for gaps in the traffic at every

86 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

what we think Most fleets will probably head towards a high cube design, even at this light weight. But for those who put more emphasis on the driving experience, Corsavan has much to offer.

specification MODEL

Vauxhall Corsavan Sportive 1.3CDTi S/S BASIC PRICE £14,738 ENGINE 4-cyl/1,2488cc FUEL INJECTION Common-rail POWER 95hp @ 3,750rpm TORQUE 210Nm @ 1,500-3,000rpm Weights (kg) GVW 1,695 KERB WEIGHT 1,152 PAYLOAD 543 MAX TRAILER WEIGHT 1,250 Dimensions (mm) LOAD SPACE LENGTH 1,257 LOAD SPACE WIDTH 1,264 LOAD HEIGHT 921 LOAD VOLUME 0.92m3 Cost considerations COMBINED CO2/MPG 101g/km/74.3mpg OIL CHANGE 1 yr/20,000 miles WARRANTY 3 yr/60,000 miles

opportunity. What was less expected was its long distance comfort and the relatively smooth ride, even when unladen.

As befitting its status in the range, the increasingly popular Sportive model comes packed with equipment, though even the base model is packed with useful tech. A heated windscreen, auto wipers and lights, electric windows and heated door mirrors, air‐con, cruise control, sports seats, LED daytime running lights, 16‐inch alloys, ESP, Hill Start Assist, six airbags, Bluetooth streaming, DAB, the list goes on.

Our test van was also equipped with Vauxhall’s Intellilink infotainment system (£750), that lets you connect to your Apple or Android smartphone and use a range of apps directly from the touchscreen. This replaces a built‐in sat nav, as long as you have the necessary smartphone to work with the van.

The only slight negative in the cab was the red and piano black dash, that comes as part of the Sportive pack. It is both reflec‐ tive in strong sunlight and a magnet for sticky fingerprints.

Despite all of the additional gear that comes with this latest generation Corsavan, the compact Vauxhall retains a very useful 543kg payload in Sportive trim. There is 0.92m3 of load volume on offer too, with a surprisingly useful load area length of 1,257mm to the half height bulkhead. The load area is also relatively easy to access.

Corsavan accounts for around 7.4% of Vaux‐ hall’s UK van sales, with 2,400 of the compact LCVs sold in 2014. It’s easy to see why 64% of those sales are to retail customers.

MARKET OVERVIEW Telematics & Tracking

Airmax Remote Limited

Ctrack

Market leader in the supply of innovative solutions as Telematics Service Provider to the Public and Private sectors; helping customers to remotely manage their fleet to maximise cost reductions and secure an ROI. Airmax Remote Limited specialises Driver Profiling and Remote Vehicle Diagnostics. Our expertise provide tailored Software as a Service (SaaS), including location based services and vehicle CANbus data.

With a proven track record, installing 250,000 systems since 1986, our robust system is tailored for simple deployment enabling a companywide ethos for continuous improvement. The solution we provide for our clients address; • Operational Improvements, including Utilisation and Visibility that assist with Deployment of fleet asset • Driver Profiling to identify and proactively performance manage driver behaviour • Duty of Care Compliance to look after your drivers and reduce fleet risk • Vehicle Diagnostics for proactive Maintainence to reduce your SMR costs.

Ctrack is one of the leading providers of vehicle tracking and telematics systems with nearly one million units deployed with fleet customers worldwide. The company has become partner of choice for a wide range of private and public sector customers, helping overcome some of the most common and difficult challenges facing the fleet sector.

Ctrack delivers real advantage by enabling fleets of all sizes to address business critical performance issues as a result of greater operational visibility, control and efficiency. Some of the many benefits of Ctrack include: Improve fuel efficiency; validate overtime claims, eliminate unauthorised vehicle use; better driver behaviour, increase jobs per day; enhance service levels; reduce environmental impact; and achieve Duty of Care and legislative compliance.

Contact: Richard Perham sales@airmaxgroup.com

Tel: 01932 504300 www.airmaxremote.com

Contact: Steve Thomas steve.thomas@ctrack.co.uk

Tel: 0345 055 8555 www.ctrack.co.uk

In-Car Cleverness

Motrak Fleet Monitoring Motrak is set to introduce in-cab safety cameras to its asset-tracking system to create the ultimate fleet monitoring solution.

The move will establish a new dimension in risk management strategy by providing a seamless umbrella of preventative and protective technology.

The Motrak system is already in record demand after being redeveloped to integrate fuel card data – providing fleet managers with precise costs per mile.

Innovative software also features mileage capture, route overlay, driver league tables, traffic warnings and excess mileage alerts that can each be tailored to individual customers.

Motrak helps reduce costs, mitigate risk and increase efficiency with flexible pricing plans, free installation and exceptional levels of service.

Contact: Paul Holdcroft paul.holdcroft@motivagroup.co.uk

Tel: 01782 221100 www.motrak.co.uk

In-Car Cleverness is a leading-edge telematics solution from the AIS Group, now featuring new business upgrades.

The development of an interchangeable device brings easy access to information on any fleet vehicle, while the device’s customisable firmware also allows businesses to tailor the data they record according to their individual requirements.

The device reads accurate data from the engine management system via the OBD port without interfering with diagnostic procedures or warranty issues.

As well as vehicle tracking, driver behaviour, journey reports and CO2 measurements, In-Car Cleverness provides remote vehicle fault diagnostics, accurate fuel measurement/mileages, service countdowns and digital accident reconstruction.

In-Car Cleverness also benefits from an iPhone/Android app and a 24/7 support centre.

Contact: Paul O’Dowd Tel: 01675 435169/07824 143561 Paul.O'Dowd@incarcleverness.co.uk www.onboard.co.uk

Navman Wireless Navman Wireless is one of the world's largest fleet management providers monitoring more than 220,000 vehicles owned by over 17,000 organisations worldwide. The company ignited the industry by making real-time fleet monitoring and vehicle tracking accessible to all and reinvented the industry with the game changing M-Nav, the first combined fleet tracking, messaging and satellite navigation system. Navman Wireless products and services are designed to give businesses instant access to vehicle location and driver behavior information and are proven to reduce fleet running costs, increase business productivity, enhance customer service and improve driver safety. Navman Wireless continues to lead the vehicle and fleet tracking software evolution with its market leading OnlineAVL vehicle tracking platform and is defining the future of connected vehicle technology with its driver behavior monitoring technology and advanced remote applications.

Contact: Sales Team info@navmanwireless.co.uk

88 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

Tel: 0845 521 1133 www.navmanwireless.co.uk

TRACKER Network (UK) Ltd TRACKER is the UK’s number one supplier of vehicle tracking services, with over a million systems installed to date and is part of the Tantalum Corporation, one of Europe’s top ‘connected vehicle’ companies, ranked 14th in the 2015 Sunday Times Hiscox Tech Track 100. Its award winning fleet telematics solutions embrace groundbreaking technology to allow businesses to operate their commercial fleet at maximum efficiency. Placing an emphasis on the relevance and usability of data, not the volume, TRACKER’s systems ensure businesses have the right level of fleet usage information needed to make informed decisions to improve efficiencies, boost profitability and ultimately increasing their own customer satisfaction levels.

Additionally, driving styles can be monitored to ensure best practice is maintained and they comply with duty of care regulations.

Contact: TRACKER Sales Team business@tracker.co.uk

Tel: 0845 604 6091 www.tracker.co.uk

VAN Do you offer a management app/web tool for smartphones or tablets?

Do you provide web services for third party integration?

Does your system take live & real time information direct from the vehicle’s onboard management system such as idle time & RPM?

Does your management software offer dashboard reporting?

Does your management software offer real-time accurate arrival times?

Does your system offer driver behaviour analysis?

Service unavailable

Does your system offer two-way communication/job dispatch facility?

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Can the Police locate the stolen vehicle using your system?

Service provided

Does your system alert the controller if vehicles stray from their pre-set route?

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Does your system allow the geographical “ring fencing” of particular locations?

Key to services

Does your system have the facility to send alerts by text message in the event of a security alert?

Is it possible to fit sensors to load area doors to detect unauthorised cargo area access?

FLEETW RLD

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Navman Wireless

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Quartix Ltd

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Motrak Fleet Monitoring

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Teletrac, a Trafficmaster Company

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TRACKER Network (UK) Ltd

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Trakm8

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Quartix Ltd

Quartix has grown to become one of the UK's most respected vehicle tracking companies. With a network of over 200 experienced engineers, the awardwinning Quartix system is available throughout the UK. More than 7,000 customers across a wide range of sectors currently use the online service, including government organisations, housing associations, construction firms, hospital trusts, the emergency services, and SMEs and large British brands. The company's unique, own design tracking system has been installed in over 200,000 vehicles.

Quartix has also established itself as a leading provider of telematics for the UK’s pay-as-you-drive insurance market.

Teletrac, a Trafficmaster Company

Teletrac’s Fleet Director® is the most advanced and interactive fleet automation software on the market, equipped with easy-to-use navigation and safety capabilities. With innovative features that include on-board navigation, lane guidance and two-way messaging, it is the premier software for fleet tracking intelligence.

Tracking more than 250,000 vehicles globally, Teletrac saves fleet owners time and money while reducing their carbon footprint. Teletrac customers report up to 30% lower fuel usage, an average of 15% less driver overtime, 12% higher productivity and less unauthorised vehicle use.

Trakm8 are the only providers in the UK to own and offer the complete telematics solution through their fleet management software and RoadHawk camera technology.

This gives customers an enhanced view of their fleet and its’ overall driver behaviour through both information gathered by telematics such as location, speed and idling, as well as video evidence of any incidences that occur.

Customers of RoadHawk have found the products particularly useful when dealing with suspected ‘crash for cash’ scams as the video evidence recorded has served well in prosecuting a number of criminals since it was launched in 2011.

Contact: Dan Catterall Tel: 01686 624 575 dan.catterall@quartix.net www.quartix.net

Contact: Mark O’Neill Tel: 0345 604 8813 fleetsales@teletrac.co.uk www.teletrac.co.uk

Contact: Nathan Piper Tel: 0330 333 4120 npiper@trakm8.com www.trakm8.com

Trakm8

vanfleetworld.co.uk / 89

Volkswagen Transporter

Volkswagen is pulling forward EU6 engines in Transporter, as Dan Gilkes tries the first 102hp model.

L

et’s face it, Euro 5 engine emissions are hardly top of the list of topics when talking to VW these days. How‐ ever when the firm unveiled its sixth gener‐ ation Transporter earlier this year, it had already announced the first Euro 6 motor to be offered.

Volkswagen went with the 102hp engine, as that has long been the popular choice in the previous generation van. It will be joined, probably slightly sooner than planned now, by EU6 versions of the 84hp motor along with new 150hp and 204hp engines, replacing the previous 140hp and 180hp models.

The 102hp powerplant still only comes with a five‐speed manual gearbox, though the spread of ratios copes well with a full range of driving conditions. Volkswagen claims that the Euro 6 motor offers up to 10.2mpg more than the previous generation, a claimed 47.9mpg for this model, while cut‐ ting CO2 emissions by 45g/km to 153g/km.

This has been achieved through the use of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) with an AdBlue additive, Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF).

All T6 Transporter models now come as standard with BlueMotion Technology fea‐ tures such as Start/Stop, low rolling resist‐ ance tyres and regenerative braking.

The Euro 6 vans also get a 10‐litre smaller fuel tank, down to 70‐litres, to allow for the additional weight of the AdBlue tank and dosing system. You can order the 80‐litre tank if preferred, but you will take a hit on available payload.

That said, at 1,245kg on a 3.2‐tonne van,

90 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

what we think Volkswagen may be under scrutiny at present, but the current crisis will do little to blunt the appeal of its most popular van. In Euro 6 form, Transporter has taken another step forwards.

specification MODEL

Volkswagen Transporter T32 Highline EU6 102hp BASIC PRICE £23,875 ENGINE 4-cyl/1,968cc FUEL INJECTION Common-rail POWER 102hp @ 3,750rpm TORQUE 250Nm @ 1,500-2,750rpm Weights (kg) GVW 3,200 KERB WEIGHT 1,955 PAYLOAD 1,245 MAX TRAILER WEIGHT 2,200 Dimensions (mm) LOAD SPACE LENGTH 2,572 LOAD SPACE WIDTH 1,700 LOAD HEIGHT 1,410 LOAD VOLUME 5.8m3 Cost considerations COMBINED CO2/MPG 153g/km/47.9mpg OIL CHANGE 2 yr/25,000 miles WARRANTY 3 yr/100,000 miles

this Transporter has plenty of load carrying ability to play with, especially given that it is a Highline model that’s loaded with spec‐ ification. Not that lower trim levels are par‐ ticularly hard done by. All T6 Transporters come with Bluetooth, multi‐function trip computer, DAB radio with five‐inch touch‐ screen, Aux and USB connections, electri‐ cally heated and adjustable door mirrors, electric windows and a host of driver assis‐ tance systems, including Automatic Post‐ Collision Braking, Driver Alert, Electronic Differential Lock, ESP, Hill Hold, remote locking and a Thatcham Cat 2 immobiliser.

There is too much specification in the Highline van to list here, as indeed there should be given the fairly hefty price. Suf‐ fice to say though that the Transporter cab is a very nice place to spend the day what‐ ever the trim level, offering a quiet, com‐ fortable drive on any type of road.

The new dash layout looks smart, though open‐fronted trays and cubbies tend to result in pens and paperwork being scat‐ tered on the cab floor before long. The A4 compartment on top of the dash could do with a cover too, to prevent reflections in the windscreen. That aside, there is little wrong with the T6 cab and few drivers will complain if asked to drive one.

There should be few complaints from the fleet office either, given the improved fuel consumption on offer and the potential residual values that Transporter continues to command.

With variable service intervals of up to 25,000 miles/two years, total cost of ownership should remain low.

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

Arnold Clark Vehicle Management

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

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

Bynx Tel: 01789 471600 www.bynx.com

Tel: 0845 603 4590 www.acvm.co.uk Vehicle Management

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

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

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

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

Civica Tranman Tel: 01454 874002 www.civica.co.uk/tranman

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

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

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

Penny Hydraulics Tel: 01246 811475 www.pennyhydraulics.com

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

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

Trakm8 Tel: 0330 333 4120 www.trakm8.com

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

automatic transmissions

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

Navman Wireless UK Ltd Tel: 0845 521 1188 www.navmanwireless.co.uk

Teletrac, a Trafficmaster company Tel: 0345 604 8813 www.teletrac.co.uk

fast-fits & tyres

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

TRACKER Network UK Limited Tel: 0845 602 3981 www.TRACKER.co.uk

TomTom Business Solutions Tel: 020 7255 9774 www.tomtom.com/business

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

telematics & tracking

Full listings online at

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

STEPS

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

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

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

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

Tel: 0345 055 8555 Ctrack www.ctrack.co.uk

fuel management

www.quartix.net Tel: 0870 013 6663

risk management

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

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

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

Roadmarque Tel: 01792 824438 www.roadmarque.com

AVS Steps Ltd

Tel: 01939 235900 www.avssteps.co.uk

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

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

insurance Bluedrop Services Ltd Tel: 01706 658608 www.bluedropservices.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 / 91

WHEREVER YOU NEED TO BE WE’LL GET YOU THERE

We recognise that your organisation has its own unique set of priorities and goals.

Whether you need one vehicle or one thousand, we’ll keep your drivers on the road with a tailored and flexible solution that meets your business needs. From complex outsourcing to employee car ownership and salary sacrifice schemes, ALD will drive you there with a solution that evolves as your needs change and grow.

Keeping you one step ahead. www.aldautomotive.co.uk