Commercial GreenFleet | GreenFleet 119

SCRAPPING LONDON’S OLD VANS What we know so far about the Mayor of London’s £23m van scrappage scheme

Volume 119 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

Commercial Vehicle News

COMMENT: FTA

Powering an electric transport future

Becki Kite, environment policy manager, FTA

The government has set an ambitious target to reduce UK greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050, a commendable aim fully supported by FTA and its members. But for this to be realised, we need to see a significant shift away from diesel and petrol; of the 38 million vehicles on UK’s roads, less than one percent are currently hybrid or electric.

I attended a Sustainable Road Freight Transport workshop to explore how we can drive a transition to electrified road freight transport systems, touching upon the technological, logistics, policy and economic aspects.

While the logistics sector is almost united in its belief that electricity is the favoured option for powering cars and vans, there are several concerns limiting uptake, including a lack of nationwide charging infrastructure, vehicle cost and battery range. The workshop focused on how these hurdles can be overcome.

The first consideration is cost: electric vehicles are more expensive to purchase than their fuel-based counterparts.

To overcome this, Sophie Punte, the Smart Freight Centre’s executive director, presented an option that would reduce the purchase price of an electric vehicle by 50 per cent: purchasing the vehicle but leasing the batteries. In addition to reducing the purchase costs, it would create an incentive for manufacturers to build batteries that would last longer and be easier to recycle. However, as electric vehicles become more popular, FTA believes it is likely costs will come down anyway in the long term.

The next consideration is the lack of charging infrastructure.

While many operators will leave their vans at the depot to charge overnight, public charge points are scarce; currently, there are only 13,000 points available nationwide. For many companies, this leads to ‘range anxiety’ – the concern that, with limited opportunities for recharging, a vehicle’s battery will not be sufficient to carry out the required tasks.

During the workshop, David Cebon, professor of mechanical engineering at Cambridge University, shared the results of study which found ‘top-up’ charges required a lighter, cheaper battery which required less capacity from the grid, therefore providing a workable solution for urban areas in particular.

The workshop also explored other emission-reduction solutions, such as Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS), an automotive system for recovering a moving vehicle’s kinetic energy under braking, which is then stored for later use under acceleration. The system is currently being trialled, but the results so far are promising – across various test cycles, the vehicles fitted with KERS all delivered fuel savings.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.fta.co.uk / www.lers.org.uk

DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net

ALTERNATIVE FUELS

Ocado opens its first natural gas refuelling station

Online supermarket Ocado has opened its first compressed natural gas refuelling station at its Hatfield Customer Fulfilment Centre.

The Gasrec designed and developed filling station will power Ocado’s fleet of 29 CNG biomethane trucks, which represent 20 per cent of the online retailer’s HGV fleet.

Using CNG is expected to reduce Ocado’s HGV fleet CO2 emissions by 29 per cent annually.

The facility has been designed to accommodate 80 vehicles in total, and the business plans to increase the fleet to 40 vehicles in 2019.

Ocado is the first UK retailer to fully fund the purchase of an onsite grid connected natural gas refuelling station outright, at a cost of £3m.

Graham Thomas, fleet services manager at Ocado, said: “By

investing in gas-powered vehicles, and in our first onsite refuelling station, we’re futureproofing our fleet and our business. Emissions from CNG are cleaner than Euro VI standards which start to take effect with the London Low Emissions Zone from April, and will soon be followed by a further 32 Clean Air Zones.”

The businesses have agreed a 10-year support and maintenance contract, with Ocado also announcing plans to invest in natural gas technology at future sites.

The investment in natural gas is part of Ocado’s wider strategy to explore and invest in carbonfriendly alternatives to diesel fuel.

The retailer is also testing electric and hybrid delivery vehicles.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/y7cy23fp

VAN SALES

New UK van market sees only moderate decline in 2018 The new van market has seen a moderate decline of -1.3 per cent in 2018, according to figures by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). December demand fell -8.8 per cent, representing half of the annual decline.

Performance in 2018 was boosted by the strong pickup and 4x4 models (up 4.3 per cent and 303.4 per cent respectively), meaning 3,548 more of them on the road compared with the previous year. Overall registrations of 357,325 were still enough to make 2018 the fourth best year on record, beating industry forecasts.

Fleet buying cycles, model renewal and business uncertainty have all had an impact on the market, but the December decline represents more than half of the full-year decline of -4,824 units. Small (less than 2.0t) and medium-sized vans (2.0-2.5t) were hit hardest by the annual downturn, with full-year registrations of 25,070 and 50,956 accounting for -14.7 per cent and -7.4 per cent drops respectively. Larger vans (2.5-3.5t) matched their 2017 performance with 225,891 registered, a 0 per cent change on last year.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/yattx3su

ELECTRIC VANS

Fortnum & Mason welcomes electric Renault Kangoos for city deliveries Fortnum & Mason has taken delivery of two all-electric Renault Kangoo Z.E. 33 refrigerated vans for deliveries in London.

Working out of its Piccadilly store and newly-opened Royal Exchange outpost in the heart of the City, the electric, specially converted light commercial vehicles replace Fortnum & Mason’s previous Kangoo Z.E., which the store has used since 2015. The additional vans will enable Fortnum & Mason to service the increasing number of customers opting for convenient delivery of in-store purchases.

Fortnum & Mason chose to specify its new Renault Kangoo Z.E. 33 vans with refrigerator conversions in order to ensure that customers’ fresh food purchases arrive in pristine condition.

By using the Renault Kangoo Z.E. 33 for the basis of its refrigerator vehicles, Fortnum & Mason is not only eliminating CO2 emissions from the exhaust, but also those that would be created

from using an on-board diesel generator to power the chiller.

David Woodroof, logistics manager, Fortnum & Mason, said: “We are immensely proud of our heritage, but Fortnum’s has survived for 311 years by constantly innovating – and so we are always looking for new ways to progress, particularly when it comes to our sustainability strategies.

The Renault Kangoo Z.E. will play a part in our drive towards more environmentally friendly operations.

Since 2015 it has proved a valuable, reliable, and highly efficient asset and its electric drivetrain is perfect for the role. While the actual mileage our vans cover is low, the driving conditions are demanding, but the Kangoo Z.E. overcomes a lot of the issues you would have with a conventionally-engined van, while also being significantly cheaper to run and maintain.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/yb63cn73

AWARDS

Nominations open for FTA’s Van Excellence Awards in February The Van Excellence scheme, ran by the FTA, will be holding a new awards lunch in Birmingham on 7 February.

The Van Excellence Honours Lunch, sponsored by MercedesBenz Vans, will recognise and reward the van operators who have made a significant contribution to the van industry.

The nominations are now open and close on 25 January 2019.

The FTA’s Mark Cartwright, said: “The Van Excellence Honours Lunch will celebrate the ‘best of the best’ in the van industry; the businesses and individuals that consistently place safety and compliance at the heart of their operations and are at the heart of so many businesses across the country, and internationally.

With the van industry growing so fast, it is important to recognise and reward the operators leading the way in excellence and setting a high standard for others to follow.

“Whether operating a large fleet or a single vehicle, all van operators committed to quality and excellence should enter these awards or nominate an esteemed peer.

It’s time van operators are acknowledged for the essential, and highly versatile, role they play to the UK economy.”

With the exception of the ‘Van Hero of the Year’ award, which is open to all, the following categories are open to Van Excellence Accredited Operators only: Making a Difference; Putting Drivers First; Helping the Community; Using Technology for Good; Keeping your Show on the Road; and Winning at Wellbeing.

The awards take place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Birmingham on 7 February 2019.

Visit the link below for details on how to enter.

The latest from LoCITY’s James Smith It’s three years since the inception of LoCITY. Whilst progress has been slower than some would’ve preferred, and some concerns remain unanswered, it looks like early 2019 will see some critical progress.

James Smith,

programme The Mayor’s EV manager, Infrastructure Taskforce LoCITY which has brought together representatives from business, energy, infrastructure, government and London boroughs will be publishing a delivery plan in Spring 2019 with recommendations around how, when and where to increase London’s electric vehicle infrastructure up until 2025. Commercial operators should feel the benefits of this collaborative initiative. More overall charge points will undoubtedly reduce range anxiety, but suitably located and readily available charging will directly enable businesses to profitably use zero emission vehicles. Collaboration across all authorities will be key to unlocking further progress.

Conveniently 2019 will also see an increase in the range of zero emission trucks and vans available for purchase.

In a demand driven market let’s hope manufacturers feel confident to supply enough units to the UK. The Mercedes-Benz Vans eSprinter and eVito are due to arrive mid-year. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles are launching the eCrafter to target urban deliveries and the lightest vehicle in their truck portfolio with an electric version of the MAN TGE. Volvo’s truck range will also grow, with FE and FL electric models supporting cleaner city operations, such as waste collection. Slightly longer term, LDV looks set to deliver a new offering, the EV31, which will form the basis for a new smaller van due to arrive in 2020.

It wouldn’t be a LoCITY article if I didn’t mention the Ultra Low Emission Zone. The ULEZ is going live in April but now is the time to plan for going beyond, especially if you operate across inner London. By October 2021 we expect to see a number of zero emission zones alongside the ULEZ that will be 18 times bigger than the one being introduced this April. London is going to be a very different place to operate by 2021.

To support this transition the Mayor recently announced a £23 million scheme to help smaller businesses scrap older, more polluting vans and switch to cleaner vehicles. The fund will support those who have vans that do not comply with the ULEZ standards but drive into the zone regularly.

This is a positive step to help London’s micro-businesses, so if you are considering the scheme then why not think ahead and go for an alternatively fuelled vehicle. More information on the scheme will be announced over the next few weeks. If you want to know more about this scheme and the latest vehicles then register [https://locityroadshows. co.uk/locityroadshows2018/en/page/home] to come along to our next LoCITY event on 20 March at Kempton Park.

FURTHER INFORMATION

READ MORE

www.locity.org.uk

fta.co.uk/vanexawards

Volume 119 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

Commercial Vehicle News

COMMENT: LoCITY

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With just three months to go until London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) becomes operational, LoCITY is continuing to prepare the capital’s commercial vehicle operators modules and 1,700 attendees to our classroom training, so it heartening to see our message getting out across the industry.

Are your vehicles compliant?

LoCITY is also advising everyone to check their vehicle’s compliance with the ULEZ emission standards, especially those early Euro 6 models, using Transport for London’s (TfL) online checking tool. 1.5 million checks have already been completed. However, if you think a vehicle is wrongly classified, please contact TfL via the website, so issues can be resolved before the scheme launches.

Vehicles which don’t meet the new, tighter exhaust emission standards will have to pay a daily charge (£12.50 for cars, vans and motorcycles, £100 for buses, coaches

and lorries) to travel within the zone. Please remember that the Congestion Charge will be unchanged by the introduction of the ULEZ or any clean air zones and will continue to apply for all eligible vehicles entering the zone between 07:00 and 18:00, Monday to Friday.

A change to the FORS standard A major change for LoCITY in 2019 is our inclusion within Version 5 of the FORS Standard which is effective from 14 January.

Organisations with Bronze, Silver or Gold audit(s) must meet all version 5 requirements by this date. FORS have included new mandatory training requirements for Silver

The Mayor’s recent announcement of a van scrappage scheme to help small businesses is testament to the work being done by LoCITY to support its members and Gold levels to reflect a greater emphasis on environmental impact and awareness. For silver the LoCITY Time to clean up eLearning module must have been completed within the past 24 months and for Gold the Professional LoCITY Driving classroom training course or FORS Approved environmental awareness training course should have been completed within the past five years. These are light touch courses and we’ll be refreshing the content over the first part of the year, especially relevant for those who are coming back to the modules for a second time.

Since launch we’ve had nearly 34 thousand people complete the two LoCITY e-learning

scrutinised as the impact of cleaner fleets is felt in town centres across London.

Finally we’d like to thank all of the operators, manufacturers, and fleet managers who donated time to attend or support our work last year. TfL recognises that an industry engagement programme like LoCITY is only as successful as those willing to participate.

We continue to work hard on your behalf and hope to see you this year too. L FURTHER INFORMATION For more information, visit www.locity.org.uk

Volume 119 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

Written by James Smith, programme manager, LoCITY

January. The month of broken new years resolutions and the pitfalls of a post-Xmas diet. So what is LoCITY looking to achieve in 2019 and how will we achieve our goals?

LoCITY has been doing its part to make sure commercial drivers are prepared for launch of the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in London.

Throughout 2018 our quarterly working groups, roadshows and annual conference contained speakers highlighting ways to go beyond the ULEZ compliance.

The ULEZ is just the first step in a chain of events which will change how commercial vehicles will need to operate across inner London. The zone will be 18 times bigger by 2021 so it is a central part of the Mayor’s long term plan to tackle London’s toxic air and address the health impact of poor air quality.

It’s only three months until launch so more than 300 ULEZ signs have been installed across central London warning drivers at entry points of the Congestion Charge zone, where the ULEZ will operate 24/7/365.

Better benefits 2019 is the midpoint of the LoCITY programme. As such we procured some independent member research so a few of you may have received a phone call asking your opinion on us. We are collating the results but still have heard a clear steer on how to move forward. This year we’ll be looking to improve our overall offering to members so it’s clear what benefits are involved in engaging with LoCITY. Providing better, more targeted networking opportunities and a stronger support system for members is key. If time is spent attending our events, using our website, reading the material or inputting data into our tools then we must make sure it provides the results you need to make better decisions. A stronger focus on what businesses need to feel more confident in sinking investment into new vehicles is critical as well as lobbying manufacturers and suppliers for appropriate infrastructure and stock. Ultimately we are providing policy support for businesses struggling to make a change and a platform for those who have successfully integrated alternative fuels.

The Mayor’s recent announcement of a £23 million van scrappage scheme to help small businesses is testament to the work being done by LoCITY to ensure support is available for members. We just hope that those making a change are futureproofing their vehicle choice and considering where the city will be in three to five years time. For that reason LoCITY’s petitioning cannot be restricted to vehicles. Non-tailpipe commercial emissions will become progressively more

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LoCITY, London and beyond

Commercial GreenFleet

A van scrappage scheme for the capital A £23 million van scrappage scheme has been announced in London to help small business owners upgrade to cleaner vans in preparation for the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) Businesses in London with fewer than ten employees will be eligible for funding to scrap their vans that do not meet the emission standards set by the new Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).

The van scrappage scheme, which was announced by the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan in December 2018, is planned to be in place before the ULEZ comes into operation, on 8 April 2019. £23 million has been put aside by the Mayor to help small business upgrade their vans to cleaner, emission-compliant vehicles.

Further details of the scheme have yet to be announced, while City Hall and TfL are working out how the money could be spent most effectively.

Sadiq Khan has also asked ministers to match-fund the scheme with £23 million of government money, proposing that it is funded either from the £245 million National Clean Air Fund or from Highways England’s £75 million air quality fund.

The Mayor’s office says this would enable City Hall to put in place further scrappage support for other Londoners, including those on low incomes, and charity vehicles. It would also give ministers the evidence they need to judge scrappage proposals from other cities, and demonstrate the transformational benefits of a truly national scrappage fund.

For diesel vans, the Euro 6 standard was mandated for all new vehicles sold from September 2016. But for secondhand vehicles, the tool can check if the vehicle meets the ULEZ standard.

More than 300 ULEZ warning signs are currently being installed across central London. The signs warn drivers at all entry points to the zone, and on a number of key approach routes, to ensure their vehicle meets the tough new emission standards.

These are complemented by posters and digital banners across the whole TfL network, a social media campaign and adverts across print, radio and online video.

Support for small businesses Commenting on the van scrappage scheme for London, Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “Some small businesses that cannot afford to switch their vans to cleaner Euro 6s have been taking the hit from higher road use charges and simply passing on the extra costs to their customers. This scrappage scheme gives them a route to cleaner vehicles, an escape from air quality charges, the chance to stay competitive in their trades and businesses, reduce customer costs and above all the means to cut street-level pollution.”

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “Vans criss-cross the Preparing for ULEZ capital making journeys that are crucial for The ULEZ will come into effect in the current London’s economy. They are likely to cover central London Congestion Charge Zone on more miles per day than a car simply driving 8 April 2019 and will replace the current to and from a single place of work. Helping Toxicity Charge. Vehicles will need to meet smaller businesses, with limited cash flow, tighter exhaust emission standards or pay trade up to newer cleaner vehicles faster a daily charge (£12.50 for cars, vans and than they could do otherwise makes sense.” motorcycles, £100 for busses, coaches Gerry Keaney, chief executive of the and lorries) to travel within the zone. The BVRLA, said: “It is great that the Mayor is Congestion Charge will be unchanged providing extra financial support for by the introduction of ULEZ and upgrading vans, which are an will continue to apply for all essential tool for so many eligible vehicles entering the SMEs operating in London.

The van Congestion Charge zone.

More and more firms scrappa With three months to go are choosing to lease g e s cheme until the launch London’s because it provides an i to be in s planned Ultra Low Emission Zone affordable, fixed cost p (ULEZ), Sadiq Khan has way of accessing the the ULElace before urged London’s drivers latest low-emission Z c o mes into op and business owners vehicles. The BVRLA eration who drive in the zone and its members o n 8 April to check whether their look forward to 2019 vehicles comply with the working with the GLA required emissions standards. on its plans to remove They can do this by using older, more polluting TfL’s online checking tool to vans from London’s roads. see if their vehicle will meet ULEZ’s “Vehicle rental and car clubs will tough, new emissions standards. also play a vital role in helping businesses

DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net

and individuals make the shift to cleaner, ULEZ-compliant motoring from April 2019.”

Sue Terpilowski OBE, London Policy Chair, Federation of Small Businesses, said: “We are delighted that the Mayor is announcing a fund to support micro businesses looking to scrap their older diesel vehicles. FSB has long argued that tackling air quality is a critical issue for London and we have been vocal with the Mayor to approach this brave new Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) world with ‘carrot-based incentives’ to aid struggling small firms who are faced with changing an expensive vehicle stock – many of whom are facing damagingly high costs of doing business in the capital.” L FURTHER INFORMATION www.london.gov.uk