GreenFleet 95

TEST FIAT 500

2016 CV SHOW

www.greenfleet.net

GF NOTTINGHAM

ISSUE 95

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

SCOTTISH CHARGE

An update on the electric vehicle charging network in Scotland EXPERT PANEL

EXPERT PANEL: TELEMATICS Professional advice and discussion on the latest cases of vehicle telematics hacking and vulnerability COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

CLEANER COMMERCIALS The rise in low carbon commercial vehicles continues: Euro VI and alternative fuel solutions will push progress ROAD TEST VMOTO E-MAX 120LD+ 4KW ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE

Making green plans for the nation’s vans The inaugural Commercial GreenFleet event is on 1 July.

Read the preview on page 41

AW AR D

6

S

2

01

PUT YOUR

BEST FLEET

FORWARD BIK

FROM

15% MPG

COMBINED UP TO

83.1 C02

To find out more and to book a test drive go to fiat.co.uk/fleet or call our business centre free on 0808 168 6796

EMISSIONS FROM

88g/km

fiat.co.uk /fleet

Fuel consumption figures for the Fiat range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 29.7 (9.5) – 68.9 (4.1); Extra Urban 46.3 (6.1) – 97.4 (2.9); Combined 38.2 (7.4) – 83.1 (3.4). CO2 emissions 171 – 88 g/km. Fuel consumption and CO figures based on standard EU tests for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. Vehicles shown are New Fiat 500 2

Lounge, Fiat 500L Trekking and Fiat 500X Cross.

www.greenfleet.net

GF NOTTINGHAM

ISSUE 95

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

SCOTTISH CHARGE

Making green plans for the nation’s vans The inaugural Commercial GreenFleet event is on 1 July.

Read the preview on page 41

An update on the electric vehicle charging network in Scotland EXPERT PANEL

EXPERT PANEL: TELEMATICS Professional advice and discussion on the latest cases of vehicle telematics hacking and vulnerability COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

CLEANER COMMERCIALS The rise in low carbon commercial vehicles continues: Euro VI and alternative fuel solutions will push progress ROAD TEST VMOTO E-MAX 120LD+ 4KW ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE

Visit v fleet.t green ative video rm for info tent on t con tal flee nmen enviro agement man

Comment

TEST FIAT 500

2016 CV SHOW

Follow and interact with us on Twitter: @GreenFleetNews

Cleaner commercials Organisations such as the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership have witnessed progress in the sector when it comes to cleaner commercial vehicles, with Euro VI engines now being adopted and an increase in alternative fuels.

It would appear that’s just as well, as research conducted by The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has recommended that the EU must introduce CO2 limits for heavy duty vehicles. The organisation reports that new US fuel economy standards will see American tractor trailers take the lead ahead of their European counterparts and be the most fuel efficient in the world by 2020. However, the ICCT suggests that if new limits were introduced, commercial vehicles in Europe could see their fuel economy improve by 27 per cent as soon as 2025, rising to 40 per cent by 2030.

The inaugural Commercial GreenFleet event is on 1 July. Read the preview on page 41

The commercial vehicle market has not experienced the same low emission take-up as the car sector, partly, I suspect, due to the nature of the vehicles themselves.

On a smaller scale than the ICCT report, the first Commercial GreenFleet event aims to help educate commercial vehicle operators and organisations around the West Midlands about the alternative technologies on the market that can help combat the area’s air quality issues. Interested? Find out more by turning to page 41.

This issue sees the first in a new series of features in which we ask leaders in an industry sector for their opinion and insights on a selected topic. The first concerns the subject of telematics security. See what our expert panel had to say on the issues and solutions surrounding this delicate matter starting on page 16.

Enjoy the issue.

Richard Gooding, acting editor

! ONLINE ! IN PRINT ! MOBILE ! FACE-TO-FACE If you would like to receive 10 issues of GreenFleet magazine for £200 a year, please contact Public Sector Information Limited, 226 High Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055 GreenFleet® would like to thank the following organisations for their support:

PUBLISHED BY PUBLIC SECTOR INFORMATION LIMITED

226 High Rd, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055 Fax: 020 8532 0066 Web: www.psi-media.co.uk ACTING EDITOR Richard Gooding EDITOR Angela Pisanu ASSISTANT EDITOR Michael Lyons EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Tommy Newell, Rachel Brooks PRODUCTION CONTROL Sofie Owen PRODUCTION DESIGN Jacqueline Lawford, Jo Golding WEB PRODUCTION Victoria Leftwich PUBLISHER George Petrou ACCOUNT MANAGER Kylie Glover ADMINISTRATION Vickie Hopkins REPRODUCTION & PRINT Argent Media

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Volume 95 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

3

DISCOVERY SPORT TD4 SE FROM £379 A MONTH +VAT*

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LOWER EMISSIONS From 129g/km CO2 (25% BIK) HIGHER FUEL ECONOMY Up to 57.7mpg LOWER INSURANCE RATING From Group 24

What’s more, with its surprisingly affordable price and competitive running cost, the Discovery Sport is now within easy reach of your business.

Offer based on a 36 month Business Contract Hire agreement, 10,000 miles per annum with an initial rental of £2,274 +VAT. VAT payable at 20%. Model pictured (including optional metallic paint) from £387 a month +VAT, plus initial rental in advance of £2,274 +VAT. Search Discovery Sport Fleet and Business offers

Official Fuel Consumption Figures for the Discovery Sport range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 44.1 (6.4) – 50.4 (5.6), Extra Urban 60.1 (4.7) – 62.8 (4.5), Combined 53.3 (5.3) – 57.7 (4.9). CO2 emissions 139 – 129 g/km. Official EU Test Figures.

For comparison purposes only. Real world figures may differ. *Important Information, Business users only. Discovery Sport 2.0L TD4 180HP Manual 4WD SE Tech standard specification, non-maintained. Excess mileage charges apply (at 10.2p per mile +VAT). Vehicle must be returned in good condition to avoid further charges. Contract Hire subject to status. This promotion cannot be used together with other manufacturer’s promotions and is subject to availability at participating Retailers only for new vehicles ordered by 30th June 2016. Lex Autolease Limited trading as Land Rover Contract Hire, Heathside Park, Heathside Park Road, Stockport SK3 0RB. Model shown is the Discovery Sport 2.0L TD4 180HP Manual 4WD SE Tech with optional metallic paint.

Contents

Contents GreenFleet 95 09

09 News

41 Commercial GreenFleet

16 Expert panel: Telematics

43 GreenFleet West

Calls for truck CO2 limit; three new hydrogen refuelling stations; and UK pricing for Tesla Model X revealed

With greater connectivity comes greater risk. GreenFleet and our inaugural expert panel examine the latest cases of vehicle telematics hacking

21 Telematics

27

GreenFleet analyses the latest Crown Commercial Service vehicle telematics agreement to help the public sector improve fleet safety and efficiency

27 Electric vehicles

Douglas Robertson, of the Electric Vehicle Association Scotland, discusses the latest news regarding the Public Electric Vehicle Charging Network

31 Automechanika

With many exhibitors having rebooked, along with new tier one manufacturers committing to 2017, GreenFleet reviews Birmingham’s Automechanika show

33 Commercial vehicles: LowCVP 33

The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership’s Andy Eastlake evaluates the progress towards a greener commercial vehicle sector and what to expect for the rest of 2016

37 Commercial vehicles: CV Show

This year’s Commercial Vehicle Show took place from 26-28 April. GreenFleet reflects upon the main talking points

With GreenFleet’s first commercial vehicle event taking place at St Andrews Stadium on 1 July, we look forward to what is in store for visitors Following their own government funding in January, GreenFleet examines how GreenFleet West helped increase Bristol’s reputation as a growing green vehicle force

45 GreenFleet Nottingham On 8 June, Nottingham played host to the third in the four-event series of electric and plug-in fleet vehicle events.

GreenFleet shares its success stories

46 Road test: Fiat 500

Richard Gooding finds that the new Fiat 500 is complemented by new equipment and technology, and that its engines offer efficient fun

48 Road test: DS 5 Prestige BlueHDi 150 GreenFleet discovers low emissions and touches of sumptuous aviation style in the DS 5 Prestige BlueHDi 150

50 Road test: Vmoto E-Max 120LD+

Karl O’Sullivan takes a ride on the Vmoto E-Max 120LD+ and discusses its potential savings and its suitability to the urban delivery industry

52 PHEV diary: month five With increased mileage and more efficient economy figures, Richard Gooding updates readers on the fifth month of his PHEV journey

46

45

50

GreenFleet magazine

www.greenfleet.net Volume 95 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

5

THE NEW ALFA GIULIETTA TECNICA. GEARED TOWARDS BUSINESS. The New Alfa Giulietta Tecnica has plenty to catch the eye. Its evolved, sporty exterior includes free metallic paint and privacy glass, while the new stylish interior is now even more refined.

The long list of standard features include dual zone climate control, front and rear parking sensors and the new Uconnect LIVE service that keeps you connected to your world with real-time traffic reports, music, news and the latest social network feeds.

TM

CO2 from 99g/km

BIK from 19%

MPG up to 74.3

P11D from £19,195

For more information, call our Business Centre free on 0808 168 7152 or email alfaromeo.fleet@alfaromeo.com

Model shown is the Alfa Giulietta 1.6 JTDM-2 120 hp Tecnica at £19,250 OTR including Alfa White Paint. Range of official fuel consumption figures for the Giulietta Tecnica range: Urban 55.4 – 60.1 mpg (5.1 – 4.7 I/100km); Extra Urban 74.3 – 88.3 mpg (3.8 – 3.2 I/100km); Combined 65.7 – 74.3 mpg (4.3 – 3.8 I/100km). CO2 emissions 113 – 99 g/km. Fuel consumption and CO2 figures are obtained for comparative purposes in accordance with EC directives/regulations and may not be representative of real-life driving conditions. Factors such as driving style, weather and road conditions may also have a significant effect on fuel consumption.

News

INDUSTRY INVESTMENT

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Tesla reveals UK pricing for Model X

Daimler to invest more than €7 billion in ‘green’ technologies Daimler has announced that it plans to invest more than €7 billion in green technologies within the next two years.

Announcing the increased investment, Daimler also committed to offer its entire model range in both internal combustion and electric battery powered options.

To help facilitate this shift to greener transport solutions, the manufacturer is working to develop a dedicated vehicles architecture for battery electric vehicles, which is scheduled to be launched before 2020.

Dr Thomas Weber, member of the board of management of Daimler AG, group research and Mercedes-Benz cars development, said: “We will invest €14.5 billion in research and development in the next two years alone – more than half of it will again be spent on ‘green’ technologies. Just for our passenger cars, we are talking about €5.4 billion. As a matter of fact, no other manufacturer offers a comparable range of electrified vehicles and solutions in the field of electric mobility.

“The spectrum ranges from the smart city runabout and attractive Mercedes-Benz passenger cars to buses, coaches, and trucks of the Fuso brand. We will electrify all Mercedes-Benz passenger car model series step by step.”

As part of these plans, Mercedes-Benz will launch the GLC F-CELL in 2017, which will stand as the world’s first production

plug-in hydrogen hybrid. The GLC F-CELL will be unique in the way it pairs both hydrogen and plug-in power. It will feature a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain, which sees energy generated by a fuel cell stack.

However, the 9kWh lithium-ion battery will also serve as an additional energy source for the electric motor, which can be charged externally via plug-in technology.

Daimler has said that fuel cell technology will be an ‘integral part’ of its powertrain strategy moving forward due to some ‘obvious’ benefits over battery powered electric vehicles. These include longer operating ranges and shorter refuelling stops, which Daimler believes makes fuel cell technology suitable for a broad range of possible uses ranging from passenger cars to urban buses.

In addition to the innovative F-CELL, Daimler has also confirmed that it will reveal its much awaited long-distance electric vehicle (EV) at the Paris Motor Show in October, claiming the car will compete with Tesla’s Model X SUV. A prototype of the electric vehicle is expected to be on display, which the German manufacturer has suggested will come with a 310-mile range, although details of when it is actually expected to hit roads still remain unclear.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/zefy487

BIOFUEL

Nissan announces e-bio fuel cell plans Nissan has announced that it is researching and developing a new e-bio fuel cell vehicle power system.

The solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system will run on bio-ethanol electric power and will be the first of its kind designed for automotive use.

The e-bio fuel cell utilises hydrogen transformed from fuel via a reformer and atmospheric oxygen, with the subsequent electrochemical reaction producing electricity to power the vehicle.

Nissan claims that the system will have greater power efficiency compared to conventional systems, thanks to its SOFC

power source, allowing ranges similar to petrol powered cars, but retaining electric drive benefits such as silent drive, linear start-up and brisk acceleration.

The bio-ethanol used to power the system can be sourced from materials such as sugar cane and corn and Nissan claims that, while there are CO2 emissions from an e-bio fuel cell, these are offset by the growing process of these materials, allowing the vehicles to have a ‘carbon neutral cycle’.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/hzqouzu

The Model X configurator is now live on the Tesla website, confirming the UK pricing for the electric SUV. Prices for the entry level 75 D start at £71,900, which offers a range of 259 miles, acceleration from 0-60mph in 6.0 seconds and a top speed of 130mph.

The 90 D boasts a longer range of 303 miles, paired with a top speed of 155mph and acceleration of 0-60mph in 4.8 seconds.

However, the improved performance will cost prospective buyers an additional £10,500, with prices starting from £82,400.

The P 90 D performance option matches the top speed of the 90 D at 155mph, but offers an improved acceleration of 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds, which can be improved to 3.2 seconds with Ludicrous mode. The improved performance does come at a cost, as range is cut to 290 miles, while prices start from £99,800.

Buyers also have the option to upgrade to a six seat interior, for an additional £2,550, as well as a seven seat option for £3,400. Other options include Autopilot Convenience Features, for an extra £2,200, or the Subzero Weather Package for £850.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/zj2wvef

AUTONOMOUS DRIVING

New driverless pods unveiled at Automechanika RDM Group unveiled new driverless pods at the Automechanika show in Birmingham.

The ‘Pod Zero’ range is designed to suit local city transport and areas inaccessible to other transport, such as airports and university campuses. With a top speed of 15mph and a range of 60 miles, they are aimed at ‘last mile’ journeys and are intended to be used in pedestrian areas as opposed to on roads.

The pods will come in two, four and eight seat variations and have been designed to accommodate wheelchairs.

David Keene, CEO of RDM Group, said: “Pod Zero represents the next generation of pod and features different drivetrain, steering systems and a new striking interior that is dominated by video screens that can play adverts, information videos or just become neutral to showcase the view from outside.” !Automechanika show review, page 31 READ MORE tinyurl.com/zpmrnuz

Volume 95 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

7

PEUGEOT 10 8.

I T ’ S P R A C T I C A L LY Y O U R S .

BIK from just £22 / Up to 68.9mpg / CO2 Emissions from 95g/km Visit business.peugeot.co.uk or call 0800 285 1705*.

PEUGEOT 108

PERSONALITY

Official Fuel Consumption in MPG (l/100km) and CO2 emissions (g/km) for the 108 Range are: Urban 52.3 – 56.5 (5.4 – 5.0), Extra Urban 74.3 – 78.5 (3.8 – 3.6), Combined 65.7–68.9 (4.3 – 4.1) and CO2 99 – 95 (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. *Calls to 0800 numbers are free of charge from all consumer landlines and mobile phones. If you are calling from a business phone, you should check with your provider whether there will be a charge for calling.

News

GOVERNMENT FUNDING

AIR QUALITY

Stoke-on-Trent City Council to invest £2.7m in greener vehicles

£7.8m for Scotland’s Low Carbon Transport Loan Fund The Scottish government has announced that £7.8 million is being made available to Scottish drivers through the Low Carbon Transport Loan Fund. The fund gives businesses and individuals the opportunity to apply for an interest free loan to support a move away from petrol and diesel cars to greener transport solutions.

Individuals can apply for to £35,000, while businesses can access up to £100,000, to make the switch to electric vehicles (EV).

Businesses can also use the loan for a range of other sustainable transport projects, including installing vehicle telematics, video conferencing and cycling facilities.

Humza Yousaf, Minister for Transport and the Islands, said: “The Scottish government has set a clear vision of freeing Scotland’s towns, cities and communities from the damaging emissions of fossil-fuelled vehicles by 2050. Our aim is to help support the

move to low carbon road transport by getting more electric vehicles on the road and make the existing fleet more efficient.

“This investment in interest free loans presents a significant increase on previous years funding and presents a fantastic opportunity for those who have been seriously considering purchasing an electric vehicle. Making the switch to electric, enables businesses and individuals to make a direct contribution to local air quality, whilst also improving the health and well-being of our communities.”

Applications are now open and will be accepted up to 31 March 2017. !Read about the current state of the Scottish EV charging network on page 27 READ MORE tinyurl.com/jc8sxu2

HYDROGEN

€5m boost for UK hydrogen refuelling Three new hydrogen fuelling station assets will be deployed across the UK to expand the national infrastructure and support the roll out of fuel cell vehicles.

The move comes as part of the Hydrogen Mobility Europe 2 (H2ME2) programme funded by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) under Horizon 2020.

ITM Power will receive €5.06 million to develop the three new dual pressure hydrogen refuelling station assets in the UK, which will make up part of an additional 20 stations scheduled to be erected across Europe.

The project aims to coordinate European activities and help support the early roll-out of hydrogen vehicles across the continent, with the hopes of confirming that the technical and commercial readiness of fuel cell vehicles, as well as identifying any gaps that may prevent full commercialisation.

In addition to building refuelling infrastructure, H2ME2 is also looking to deploy 1,195 hydrogen vehicles, trebling the existing European fleet.

Ben Madden, director, element energy and project coordinator for H2ME2, said: “Today marks a significant day in the

future of European transport. Our aim has been to help bring the key businesses and public bodies investing in hydrogen mobility in Europe together to work on the common goal of making hydrogen-fuelled transport a reality in Europe.

“Hydrogen Mobility Europe will demonstrate the use of hydrogen in the hands of a wide range of vehicle drivers from across Europe all of whom value the long range, low carbon and low emission driving offered by the technology. Understanding these customers will allow the sector to plan for the accelerated deployment of this important technology.”

Dr Rachel Smith, executive director, of ITM Power UK, said: “We are very excited about the role the project will play in deploying hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, passenger and commercial fuel cell electric vehicles in the UK and demonstrating the system benefits generated by using electrolytic hydrogen solutions in UK grid operations.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/jep2jnt

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is set to invest £2.7 million in greener vehicles in a bid to cut emissions.

The move will see the council abandon some of its diesel vans by replacing them with fully electric vehicles (EV) to help improve air quality in the city. Electric charging points will also be installed at council depots.

The investment will see 13 electric cars, four electric tippers, 10 electric minibuses and 30 electric ride-on mowers added to the council’s fleet. Furthermore, seven refuse trucks will be purchased in a £266,000 per year revenue spend.

Councillor Terry Follows, cabinet member for greener city, development and leisure, said: “This will be the largest investment in front line vehicles the council has made in the last five years. These vehicles will be more efficient, meaning we can provide the best service possible to our residents. We will be buying a number of electric vehicles which is a positive step towards reducing pollution.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/gq7t35d

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Tesla reintroduces Model S 60 Tesla has reintroduced the Model S 60kWh option, which was dropped back in 2015.

When Tesla first released the Model S it was available in 40, 60 and 85kWh versions.

The 40 was dropped in 2013, followed by the 60 in 2015, as Tesla gradually introduced larger battery options.

The re-released Model S 60 will come with rear-wheel drive and have a starting price of £53,400, while the all-wheel drive Model S 60D will start from £57,800.

The Model S 60 has an estimated range of 210 miles, a top speed of 130 mph and 0-60mph acceleration in 5.5 seconds, while the Model S 60D offers a slightly increased range of 218 miles and a faster acceleration from 0-60mph in 5.2 seconds.

The vehicles will also come equipped with the option to upgrade to 75kWh via a software update. This is due to the fact that the 60hWk options are actually equipped with a 75kWh pack, but software is limited to 60kWh. The upgrade increases the top-speed to 140mph, but will cost drivers an extra £7,850.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/z3rewen

Volume 95 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

9

We deliver, so you deliver

The complete fleet package from the AA When it comes to business, you’ll want a service you can rely on. Cue the AA. From lost keys to accident management, whatever the problem, we can handle it.

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AA Tyres 0800 810 0980 tyres.theAA.com

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AA Fuel Assist e: FuelAssistEnquiries@theAA.com 0800 072 6870

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AA Accident Management e: AAAccidentManagement @theAA.com

*Source: Mintel – UK vehicle recovery report, September 2015.

Automobile Association Insurance Services Limited is an insurance intermediary authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered Office: Fanum House, Basing View, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 4EA. Registered in England and Wales number 2414212.

News

CHARGING SPEEDS

EV charging speeds could triple within a year The CHAdeMO Association, whose charging standard is used by manufacturers such as Kia, Mitsubishi, Nissan and PSA Group, has announced an amendment that could see electric vehicle (EV) charging speeds triple within the next year.

CHAdeMO has said that the plans are designed to prepare charging units for the next generation of EVs with higher battery capacities and would see the current maximum output of 50kW increased to 150kW. Though some charging points may need upgrades to support the higher outputs, the association maintains that there will be no need to change connectors and the 150kW points will still be able to charge older vehicles at 50kW or below.

The first chargers are expected

to be ready by early 2017 and CHAdeMO has said that research into higher power chargers up to 350kW have already begun.

Dave Yoshida, CHAdeMO’s secretary general, said: “One of the purposes of the association is to evolve CHAdeMO protocol so that it can better respond to market needs. We see a movement towards mass market EVs with higher capacity batteries and we, as the association of fast charging protocol, prepare for it by working on the high power protocol. This will enable faster deployment of the high power charging infrastructure, in preparation for EVs that can charge with higher power.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/jqnslgu

CAR SHARING

Volkswagen enters partnership with Zipcar Volkswagen has announced a new partnership with car sharing network Zipcar to bring the Golf GTE to the streets of London.

The deal will see a total of 50 low emission Golf GTEs rolled out across the capital, which will be available to Zipcar members from £7 per hour.

The Golf GTE is powered by a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain, with an all electric range of up to 31 miles and fuel efficiency of up to 166mpg.

The ‘Zipwagen’ initiative comes as part of Volkswagen’s focus on new technologies and the new ways in which cars are being used by customers.

Rod McLeod, head of marketing at Volkswagen UK, said: “Volkswagen is once again demonstrating its forward thinking with this exciting new Zipwagen initiative. We are already leading the way in terms of product technology and the new car buying experience – from clicks right through to collection – but this partnership with Zipcar shows that we are also providing attractive solutions to increasing numbers of inner-city residents who want to use cars on demand in preference to

actually owning one. Engaging low or no-emission driving in the city, allied to the well-established quality and practicality of today’s Volkswagen Golf, means I expect the Zipwagen initiative to prove extremely popular and look forward to seeing the 50 Golf GTEs involved in the scheme out and about on the streets of London in the weeks and months ahead.”

Mark Walker, Zipcar UK general manager, said: “The Volkswagen Golf GTE is ideal for Zipcar members and ideal for London.

Volkswagen’s innovative plug-in hybrid technology means the best of both worlds: zero-emission driving in the city, combined with total flexibility for driving long distances.

“Thanks to our Zipwagen partnership, Zipcar members will be able to drive this leading-edge, premium car for just £7 per hour and, once they have done so, I’m confident they will become positive advocates for electric driving in the city.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/hemm7c5

LowCVP’s Andy Eastlake Efficient, intelligent and autonomous – can new technologies change the outlook for transport carbon?

Hardly a day goes by without more news about autonomous, automated or ‘intelligent’ vehicles and how they are going to transform future mobility. Certainly new technology is already changing the way people move around: witness the dramatic growth of Uber in London and many other cities, the introduction of BMW’s Drive Now and Bolloré Group’s Bluecity electric car sharing scheme which are following in some of the tracks laid by Liftshare, now one of the ‘grandparents’ of one branch of the ‘new mobility’.

But what will the impacts of these potentially dramatic changes in the way we will be moving around have on carbon emissions and local pollution, and how should policy makers be responding to the opportunities and challenges? And what might the impacts be in terms of fleet ownership and management?

Certainly increased autonomy and increased vehicle utilisation – facilitated by new information technologies, including smartphones – have great potential to improve efficiency in how we move around. We should be able to service our mobility requirements with fewer vehicles, operating more efficiently. But could there be possible down-sides too? If we no longer had to drive the car to work (because it drives itself) and could catch up with our emails en route, would we drive our cars more, for example?

The LowCVP has asked the Institute for Transport Studies at Leeds University to prepare a ‘thinkpiece’ to help open up the discussion on these sort of questions and provide some early suggestions as to how policy makers might want to plan for a future in which new technologies enable us to maximise emissions improvements. Their paper will be presented at the LowCVP Conference on 30 June at the Olympic Park in London and a short print version published alongside.

It is key, of course, that wherever vehicles are on the ‘autonomous spectrum’ and however their operation is managed, that they operate with the best available and cleanest technology. Electric power is clearly set to be one of the main propulsion solutions of the future. But what impact is the growing demand from electric vehicles going to have on the UK’s powergrid? What can be done to minimise the costs of this big transformation?

The Energy Technology Institute has been wrestling with some of these questions in producing their Consumers, Vehicles and Energy Integration (CVEI) project and this will be a focal point for expert discussion on 30 June. The event will also focus on how UK ‘plc’ is placed to benefit from the low carbon automotive and related technologies of the future and look at technology options for other road transport sectors where electrification is not such a practical option. I hope to see you there.

FURTHER INFORMATION The LowCVP Conference takes place on 30 June at Here East, Olympic Park, London. It is held in association with ‘Make the Future London’, a festival of ideas and innovation, where a drinks reception will be held after the Conference. More details and bookings: www.lowcvp.org.uk/events/conference16

Volume 95 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

11

Commercial Vehicle News

EMISSIONS

SERVICING

ICCT calls on EU to introduce CO2 limits for trucks

Asda extends Mercedes-Benz partnership with dedicated managed workshop

The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has called on the EU to introduce CO2 limits for heavy duty vehicles.

Currently, the EU has no CO2 limits for heavy duty vehicles and the ICCT says that thanks to new US fuel economy standards, American tractor trailers will take over European tractor trailers as the most fuel efficient in the world by 2020.

Research conducted by the ICCT suggests that, if new limits were to be introduced, fuel economy could be improved by 27 per cent by 2025, and up to 40 per cent better by 2030.

The ICCT has said that for the EU to meet its 2030 climate targets it must do more to improve efficiency in the freight

Asda has extended its partnership with Mercedes-Benz with the opening of a dedicated managed workshop to support its home shopping fleet.

Mercedes-Benz Dealer Group Rygor has opened the workshop, based in Heston, West London, which will service the supermarket chain’s home shopping vehicles operating in the surrounding area.

It will be manned by three of Rygor’s Mercedes-Benz technicians and will initially service 50 vehicles, although it has the capacity to extend this to at least 200 vans in the long term.

Jon Parry, Asda’s vice president of logistics, said: “Strategically, this is a very important

sector, as trucks currently make up 25 per cent of on-road fuel use and carbon emissions, despite making up less than five per cent of all vehicles on the road.

William Todts, freight director at Transport and Environment, said: “CO2 standards for trucks make shipping goods cheaper while cutting emissions and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.

That’s why member states, MEPs and business have all called on the EU to introduce truck fuel economy standards. The time has come for the Commission to make a move. There are no more excuses for inaction.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/jyvckyf

HYDROGEN

development for Asda. We’re tremendously excited about the prospects for improved efficiency, vehicle uptime and reduced operating costs as a result of this collaboration with Mercedes-Benz.”

Steve Bridge, managing director, Mercedes-Benz Vans, said: “We’re delighted that Asda continues to put its faith in our vehicles and our promise of the finest quality back-up. The UK is playing a leading role in the home shopping revolution, and we’re proud to be working hand-in-hand with one of the sector’s biggest names.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/jq24vpo

SERVICING

Dunfermline Press

Volkswagen expands Van Centre network

Fife council introduces hydrogen hybrid bin lorries Fife council is introducing two hybrid hydrogen/diesel bin lorries.

The hybrid lorries will be used in densely-populated urban areas in a bid to help improve poor air quality.

ULEMCo carried out the conversion on the two Heil Farid vehicles, adapting them to run on both hydrogen and diesel.

The project will also see the conversion of five Ford Transit vans and ten Renault HyKangoo vans to hybrid electric and hydrogen fuel cell operation.

Councillor Lesley Laird, deputy leader and executive spokesperson for economy and planning, said: “Fife is leading the way in clean energy. We envisage

12

Levenmouth Community Energy Partnership becoming home to one of Europe’s largest fleet of hydrogen dual-fuel vehicles. I want to thank the partnership for all their hard work bringing this innovative project to life.”

Amanda Lyne, managing director of ULEMCo, said: “This is a global first for hydrogen vehicles and a really great example of the innovative approach that is needed to deliver the low carbon and low emission vehicles of the future.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/jqehf35

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Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has expanded its Van Centre network to 98 outlets, including 73 full dedicated Van Centres and 25 additional authorised repairers.

A new Van Centre has opened in St Helier, Jersey, offering both sales and service, along with a delivery point and authorised repairer in St Martin, Guernsey, which will offer support to Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles owners.

The new sites mean that customers in the Channel Islands now have access to the complete Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles sales and aftersales services.

Additionally, a major investment in the Robinsons Van Centre in Norwich has seen the site double in size, which Volkswagen hopes will help to enhance the customer experience – offering

additional room for the service team and greater car parking spaces at the Van Centre.

Richard Blunden, national network development manager for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said: “The new and transformed sites in our network ensure we can provide the best levels of service to our customers. The recent growth in the network demonstrates the ongoing confidence our investors have in the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand.

“The all-new sites on Jersey and Guernsey will give the residents access to our specialist commercial vehicle experts and aftersales services, which in turn help keep their businesses moving forward.”

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Commercial Vehicle News

FREIGHT TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION

VEHICLE REGISTRATIONS

Record new van registrations for May The UK saw a record number of new van registrations for the month of May, with more than 28,000 hitting British roads – the most ever recorded for the month and represents a 1.9 per cent rise in demand.

The May registrations are echoed by strong year-to-date figures, with a 2.9 per cent rise in demand. Heavy vans saw the largest growth, at 13.3 per cent, followed by pick-ups, which saw a rise of 9.6 per cent.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said: “Although May was a record breaking month for the

UK’s light commercial vehicle market, the pace of growth is easing and is indicative of the performance we anticipate this year following the very high levels of demand seen in 2015.

“Providing there are no political or economic shocks to business confidence over the coming months, we expect the LCV sector’s good health to prevail during the remainder of 2016 as consumer appetite for online deliveries continues to grow.”

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TELEMATICS

TomTom launches new app for truck drivers

TomTom has announced that its trip planning app ‘MyDrive’ will now be available to truck drivers.

The app allows professional drivers to plan truck-specific journeys and customise them with preferred roads or stops, including fuel and rest stops, as well as community Points of Interest.

Journey’s can be synced to a TomTom Trucker navigation device, with speed camera alerts and real-time traffic updates delivered en route.

Corinne Vigreux, managing director, TomTom Consumer, said: “The innovative combination of truck-specific routing, with insanely accurate TomTom Traffic information, is designed to help save time and increase efficiency.

Drivers will know the best time to depart, so when they get in their vehicle, they’re ready to go.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/j6nqmpa

FTA voluntary scheme outperforming industry on carbon reduction FTA’s latest Logistics Carbon Review 2016 reveals that members of the Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme (LCRS) are making significant progress in reducing carbon emissions compared to the average across the rest of the logistics industry.

Photo shows (left to right): Duncan Price from DfT, Andy Mathias of Bridgestone, Rachael Dillon and Karen Dee from FTA

The report was launched at a special meeting of FTA’s Logistics Carbon Working Group attended by scheme members, LCRS industry partner Bridgestone, the Department for Transport (DfT) and Centre for Sustainable Road Freight.

Through the scheme, businesses are demonstrating their commitment to and focus on initiatives which deliver carbon reductions, such as improving fuel efficiency and optimising fleet operations.

The report shows that members have collectively made progress in reducing carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions between 2005 and 2014 and the scheme is on track to meet its carbon reduction target of an eight per cent reduction by 2015 based on 2010 levels. By 2014, the average level of carbon per vehicle kilometre had reduced by over 17 per cent since 2005, while between 2013 and 2014 there was a reduction of 3.7 per cent. 2015 data will be reported next year.

Scheme membership has grown to 120 companies, accounting for over 84,000 commercial vehicles (HGVs and vans). It represents a broad range of businesses including third-party logistics companies, retailers, waste firms, builders’ merchants and local authorities.

Crucial evidence The LCRS has been providing crucial evidence to government that the sector can make a contribution to national carbon reduction targets.

This has been especially important recently as DfT has been undertaking a Freight Carbon Review assessing how industry will reduce emissions up to 2030. Policy recommendations will be made this summer. LCRS evidence has been invaluable but our influence will be even stronger with increased member numbers.

It is also important for businesses to acknowledge the effects of carbon emissions on the environment and we would encourage other organisations to join LCRS so they too can better manage the emissions from freight transport. We can then all play our part in contributing to national carbon reduction targets.

LCRS is free to join and open to all companies with at least one commercial vehicle (HGV or van).

FURTHER INFORMATION For further details on how to the join the LCRS or to download a copy of the report see: www.fta.co.uk/lcrs or contact rdillon@fta.co.uk

Volume 95 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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A BUSINESS SENSE OF ADVENTURE.

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jeep.co.uk/fleet 20.9 (13.5) – 64.2 (4.4), CO2 EMISSIONS: 315 TO 115 G/KM. Fuel consumption and CO2 figures are obtained for comparative purposes in accordance with EC directives/regulations Volume 95 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Expert Panel

EXPERT PANEL TELEMATICS Cyber security concerns are increasing as the fleet industry embraces greater connectivity.

GreenFleet and our inaugural expert panel examine the latest cases of vehicle telematics hacking and how the industry is reacting to address the growing concern

Yon Copitch, managing director, Traffilog

Nick Walker, managing director, RAC Telematics

Martin Kadhim, director, Lightfoot Partnership

Annie Reddaway, project director, TU-Automotive

Yon brings a wealth of relevant market experience to the Traffilog team. Having joined Traffilog in 2007 with knowledge from within the telematics industry, Yon assisted in the creation of hugely successful distribution partners in the Nordic and Russian regions, before progressing to become managing director

Nick joined the RAC Telematics team at the start of 2015. His role as managing director has helped take the business into a period of rapid growth in sales and customer focused solutions, and has seen the company achieve a top-tier market position with over 400 per cent growth in year-on-year unit sales

Martin has extensive knowledge in IT, advertising and is passionate about the use of technology and psychology to improve driver behaviour, lower costs and reduce harmful emissions. He has been a pioneer in the sector since 2006, playing a key role in the development, evolution and commercial growth of Lightfoot

Annie Reddaway leads TU-Automotive’s research into mobility and last year founded its automotive cyber security portfolio. Her main areas of expertise include connected car, cyber security, mobility and infotainment. For the last two years, Annie has co-organised the TU-Automotive Detroit Conference & Exhibition

Most modern vehicles, particularly electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, have a remote telematics system, which enables the driver to carry out a range of functions with speed and ease. Telematics is becoming popularised across the globe, and nowhere more so than where large fleets are being used.

Businesses are being encouraged, and in some cases legally forced, to monitor, examine and lower the fuel consumption of their fleets. This is where telematics influences the running of fleets – increasing fuel efficiency and identifying potential cost savings.

Telematics also assists with journey logging, vehicle health (mileage, battery conditions), collision detection and driver behaviour. Research group Gartner has predicted that by the end of the decade, some 250 million vehicles will be directly

16

connected to the Internet, putting weight behind the opinion that vehicles are fast becoming technology on wheels.

However, with each technological advance, the chance of risk grows, and unlike technology in computer hacking – the effects can be physical, if not more dangerous. And this is not something that the industry is unaware of.

Martin Kadhim, Lightfoot Partnership director, addresses his company’s concerns to the latest hacking capabilities, by saying: “We are very aware that there are people out there targeting all kinds of connected devices and we are very mindful of the need to provide customers with a reliable and secure product.

Custom telematics solutions can be effectively locked down from unauthorised external access with careful security planning.”

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Recent media publicity However, if companies remain oblivious, ignorant or uninterested in the threat of telematics hacking, recent examples should refocus attention. This month, it was revealed that the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV was vulnerable to hacking that could disable the security alarm via the on-board Wi-Fi. The Japanese car manufacturer discovered that its unusual method of connecting the mobile app to the car left it exposed and unprotected.

According to Pen Test, the computer security consultants who undertook the tests, most remote control apps for cars work using a web service hosted by the manufacturer on their service provider. Users can then connect to the vehicle using GSM to a module on the car, enabling drivers to communicate with the car from virtually anywhere over mobile data.

truck could do as little as disrupt delivery timings, to much more like stealing data or controlling the brakes and shutting down the vehicle with an aim of hijacking. Each disruption is an invasion of privacy, a danger to the driver, and a risk to the company.

Yon Copitch, managing director at Traffilog, explains: “Telematics has understandably raised many moral questions about privacy.

Telematics doesn’t equal an end to privacy.

There’s no link between a telematics provider informing companies on their drivers’ habits, to the government knowing your whereabouts, or your partner finding out about an affair.

“Telematics is increasingly common in commercial fleets, looking to save money on fuel, accident reduction and efficiency.

The immediate danger of hacking is for the devices that are not installed and are plug and play devices with mobile applications to monitor the data. Hackers are targeting smartphone technology and telematics companies will need to be increasingly vigilant when introducing smartphone apps to report on fleets.”

Spanish security researcher Jose Carlos Norte wrote a detailed blog post in March analysing how he was able to find thousands of vulnerable telematics

tics Telema ingly s is increaon in comm l fleets, rcia comme g to save lookin on fuel, money reduction t accidenefficiency and

units using a scanning software engine called Shodan that scans, and exposes, Internet-connected devices.

He said: “Anyone can connect and interact with the device. But what really scares me is that it’s connected to the CAN bus (the vehicle’s internal controller area network) of the vehicle. These are big vehicles with a lot of mass, and having an attacker manipulate the CAN bus to make one stop in the road would be super dangerous.”

Norte added: “It is possible to monitor and control float trucks, public bus or delivery vans from the Internet, obtaining their speed, position, and a lot of other parameters. You can even control some parameters of the vehicle or hack into the CAN bus of the vehicle remotely.”

The Daimler Highway Pilot Connect system, which uses a Wi-Fi-controlled platooning system to save fuel, is claimed to contain tight security protocols. Daimler is among a group of leading truck manufacturers arguing for new connected trucks to be built ‘from the ground up’ so as to use a single, fully integrated platform.

So is your vehicle only as safe and secure as the gadget you are connecting it with?

Annie Reddaway, project director at TU-Automotive, says that hacking capabilities are a high priority that need addressing.

She commented: “A lot of work is being done !

Expert Panel

The Outlander, however, uses a different system whereby there is a Wi-Fi access point on the vehicle. Pen Test said this design is probably manufactured differently to most in order to save on production costs, but unfortunately carries some serious security issues. During investigations, Pen Test were able to hack the car and successfully turn the lights on and off, as well as the air conditioning and the heating, which can be used to drain the battery. Additionally, the testers were able to manipulate the charging programme, forcing the car to charge up on premium rate electricity.

Possibly a more worrying revelation was that the testers were able to geolocate Outlanders through their unique SSIDs, meaning thieves or hackers could easily locate a car that is of interest to them. The testers also managed to disable the theft alarm which they described as ‘shocking’ and said ‘should not be possible’.

Should this be as concerning as it sounds, or is the Outlander PHEV hacking a wake up call to address security weaknesses?

Worryingly, Mitsubishi were not the first high profile and publicised hacking case, but merely the latest in a growing trend. Last year, security experts Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek, alongside Wired magazine, demonstrated how they could hack into a Jeep Cherokee and control its most vital functions. They did this simply using a Kyocera Android smartphone as a Wi-Fi hotspot connected to a MacBook laptop. The industry should be concerned about the minimal amount of technology that was required to overcome the car’s systems.

Nick Walker, RAC Telematics managing director, said: “Any form of security breach should be a concern to the industry. Hacking in our sector can be both at the platform part of the solution where data is stored, or more recently what we have seen is hacking into vehicles through connected car or telematics system. We, as like any telematics provider, have an obligation and responsibility to prevent hacking at any level.”

Testing your luck in a truck?

In GreenFleet 93, we looked in detail at the self-driving truck platoons that were trialled in Europe in April, focusing upon the environmental benefits and the possibility of platoon projects becoming a mainstay on British roads. One aspect of the technology that we didn’t consider at the time is the cyber security threats that may feature more regularly. While there are no serious examples of long-haul truck hacking, it would be foolish to think that new technologies did not bring new risks.

Companies that operate long distance truck fleets are more in need of gadgets than most. Saving fuel is profitable, combatting fatigue is imperative and monitoring general driving behaviours is popular.

With each new device, the surface area of hacking capability increases. Hacking of a

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Expert Panel

Every u time yo xities ple add commake-up to the icle, you of a vehversely con easier t i e k a m ally to digit s acces

! to convince companies from within and without to invest in cyber security and software management. Risk is currently relatively small; few connected cars are on the road and there are few financial incentives for hackers to go after cars. But it is the technology being worked on now to be rolled out over the next few years that manufacturers are concerned about.

“There’s also a recognition of the need to make the entire supply chain aware that they need to design and build in cyber security. The big challenge is that the hacking threat is always evolving, so it’s a case of not only securing systems for today’s threats but also for unknown future threats that haven’t even been developed yet.”

Digitally accessible The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has said that more than half the cars sold in the UK in 2015 – some 1.5 million – had Internet-connected safety systems. The number of gadgets and applications available to vehicle manufacturers is increasing at an alarming rate, with most cars having between 50

18

and 60 computers on board. Sensors in the engines to monitor performance and emission outputs, video technology to assist with parking and collision avoidance and even awareness systems to help tackle driver fatigue – each individual gadget informs the driver, and in some cases their insurance company or fleet operator, how they can become safer drivers, more fuel efficient, conscientious or even simply slower on the roads.

Every time that you add complexities to the make-up of the vehicle, you conversely make it easier to digitally gain access. The more systems, the more areas to exploit.

Vehicles contain dozens of electronic control units and an excess of lines of code, that are used to control brakes, wipers and steering – among others. This is before the Internet is taken into account.

A report by the Software Engineering Institute at America’s Carnegie Mellon University, titled On Board Diagnostics: Risks and Vulnerabilities of the Connected Vehicle, examined the situation in March this year. The report dictates the common

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architectural issues with devices, threat modelling and recommendations to limit the risk of cyber attack to your vehicle.

In the report, Dan Klinedinst and Christopher King examine the threat posed by OBD-II ports.

It says: “With the advent of the smartphone revolution and increased miniaturisation, startups and existing vehicle aftermarket manufacturers have developed devices that attach to the on-board diagnostic (OBD-II) port that is present in all modern cars (OTAQ, 1996). This port has traditionally been used by mechanics to download diagnostic data and run tests, but there is a market emerging to allow car owners to access the same data via their mobile device or even over the Internet.

These OBD-II ports provide raw access to the CAN bus, potentially allowing direct manipulation of CAN traffic in the vehicle.”

It is important to remember that every company will address concerns differently, and Annie Reddaway uses the American model to demonstrate this. She says: “Individually, companies have different approaches.

Some are buying up start-ups (such as Harman’s acquisition of TowerSec), some are building up cyber security teams, some are disseminating experts throughout different departments, most are also bringing in third party help from researchers and consultants.

“In the USA, the industry is working

closely with the government (DOT, NHTSA), to bring in standards and legislation.

They have also set up an Auto-ISAC (Information Sharing and Analysis Center), which involves all key automakers working in the USA, and soon will include Tier 1 suppliers too, which is an unprecedented level of collaboration within the industry.

Through the ISAC, members can share any vulnerabilities, risks and information.”

Moving forward Nick Walker believes that hacking capabilities need to be given appropriate priority – more than it is currently receiving.

Discussing his personal intention to address the issue, he said: “Data security is a top priority for us as a business generally and within the telematics team. We are entrusted with customer data and have a responsibility to ensure that trust is not broken. All elements of our solution are rigorously tested against hacking threats and risk before they are deployed into customers’ vehicles.”

Another recurring response to hacking concerns is the need for collaboration. In January, the US Department of Transportation urged the automotive industry to share information and work with researchers to tackle potential car hack attacks, while the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration set out safety principles for the year. A number of major manufacturers signed up to the principles, including Volvo, Ford, Mercedes-Benz and General Motors.

When we asked Martin Kadhim about collaboration, he suggested that safeguarding is essential. He commented: “Ensuring we have in place the necessary safeguards to keep our customers’ data and equipment secure is an absolute top priority and will remain central to everything we do with the product both now and in the future.”

He continued to discuss the necessary improvements to standards: “Transfer of non-encrypted sensitive data and a lack of safeguards stopping unauthorised remote access to equipment appear to be the leading weaknesses in network-connected devices such as telematics devices.

Improvements such as desensitisation, SSL encryption, and closure of unsecured ports are the first steps to adherence to standards such as ISO/IEC 27001:2013 and the heightened requirements of the European General Data Protection Regulation.”

This belief also formed part of Nick Walker’s view of how the industry can combat the issue, assuring that standards need higher importance. He said: “There are standards in place for security, but standards alone are not sufficient. As technology develops, so does hacking. We at the RAC run penetration tests on a regular basis to look for any weaknesses and immediately address any identified risk.”

In the UK, BT offered a hack testing service, called BT Assure Ethical Hacking for Vehicles (AEHV), in a bid to bring its ‘expertise’ to the growing connected car industry and to help protect vehicles from cyber threats. BT AEHV probes access points on a vehicle, including wireless and mobile connections, navigation equipment and entertainment systems.

Hubertus von Roenne, vice president for global industry practices at BT Global Services, said: “Vehicles are now connected devices, confronting manufacturers and suppliers with a whole new world of security challenges.

We use the expertise and knowledge of our ethical hacking consultants to identify these vulnerabilities before others do.

“The proliferation of these technologies raises concerns about the ability of hackers to gain access to and control of the essential functions and features of those vehicles and for others to use information on drivers’ habits for commercial purposes without the drivers’ knowledge or consent.

Security and integrity of data is of critical importance to prevent unauthorised access or remote hijacking of a vehicle.”

Ethical hacking Another area of comfort should be that hacking is not a new threat. Although relatively unknown in the fleet industry, other sectors have experienced and overcome remote attacks. Ethical hackers, those who have the knowledge of criminal hackers but with the intention of working against the crime, help to identify vulnerabilities and insightful workings that can be crucial in prevention.

It is also important to remember that the high publicity hacking cases that grabbed media headlines were undertaken by researchers who dedicated a lot of time into their operations. The researchers were there to expose vulnerabilities, not take advantage of them. The hacking that has taken place is a warning, a complication, and a threat, but not a disaster. While the threat of illegal, intentional and harmful hacking is a long-shot, which some might deem hypothetical, the alarming speed at which new technology is being produced, imported and manufactured in cars should be cause for concern.

This understanding is shared by Annie Reddaway, who says that: “To date, hacking has not been for malicious intent but to raise awareness of the issue and has been carried out by security researchers open to working with the industry. The likelihood of a breach is currently relatively small but the consequences are huge for driver safety, privacy and for businesses too. The less reported part of automotive cyber security is software integrity – any errors here could have a dangerous impact if it affects vehicle functionality and safety.”

The technology would have one day been labelled as hypothetical, but now is integrated in every vehicle, on every dashboard, in every brake system and under every bonnet.

The accessibility to hack technology will soon catch up, and the industry must be ready to plug the holes it is beginning to see. The speed at which the industry intends to make vehicles more intelligent must not compromise the speed at which they ensure safety. The industry has seemed reluctant to discuss vulnerabilities, but surely it is only a matter of time before that changes. !

FURTHER INFORMATION

Yon Copitch The industry can and must improve its security and the threat of hacking by sharing their experiences and working together to provide security against the risks. It is important to the industry as a whole as any potential hack will create a fear and loss of faith from the users of telematics which will result in a detrimental public relations across the industry.

Expert Panel

Expert final thoughts

Nick Walker Standards should apply across all potential hacking risk areas and include regular checks, and dictate how those checks are run. As telematics develops to include more sophisticated devices, data feeds and apps, standards need to develop to keep pace as well as ensure customers can have faith in the technology. The RAC has even run penetration tests on its recently released smartphone apps, for example, to maximise protection of customer data. The reality is you would think each provider is hyper-sensitive to any potential data breaches as without that high level of protection, they are not likely to keep customers for long if they do suffer a hacking issue.

Martin Kadhim Lightfoot would welcome a more collaborative approach from the industry including, for example, an open discussion and the agreement of a set of industry wide standards. This should apply not only to security concerns but to the whole issue of data collection, storage and sharing to ensure fair and transparent policies for all our customers.

Annie Reddaway The industry is still looking for a car-specific solution that fits the product’s specificity, development and lifecycle. Over-the-air update capability is one that is looked to as a way of delivering security updates, like for your computer or your phone, and many automakers and looking to implement this. But the industry is definitely starting to take steps in the right direction, and many were already being taken behind the scenes before high profile hacks hit the headline.

The industry just needs to be more open and collaborate as much as possible.

www.greenfleet.net

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Advertisement Feature

ACHIEVEMENT OF COST, ENVIRONMENTAL AND SAFETY BENEFITS The Environment Agency deployed vehicle telematics and achieved significant cost, environmental and safety benefits. Traffilog is the leading provider of integrated technology for vehicle and driver risk management. With experience gained from more than 17 billion kilometres in 28 countries, Traffilog has honed its solution to minimise vehicle risk, and maximise customer savings Traffilog has formed many strategic partnerships with insurance companies, brokers, leasing companies and third party technology providers, to offer fleet managers a truly comprehensive transport risk management solution, with proven benefits.

Founded in 2003 and surprised by the poor service and limited technology available by existing companies, Traffilog built strong foundations. The company quickly developed in the UK with companies like Close Brothers, National Express Group and United Utilities and then expanded into the Republic of Ireland. ESB, the Irish energy supplier, award Traffilog UK the telematics contract for all its 2,300 vehicles. Northern Ireland Water quickly followed their example and others joined the bandwagon in the UK as well. Now employing over 50 staff, Traffilog UK has built the foundations that will undoubtedly see Yon and his team grow Traffilog UK substantially in 2012.

The Environment Agency is an executive non-departmental public body responsible to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Our principal aims are to protect and improve the environment, to promote sustainable development. create better places for people and wildlife and support sustainable development.

The Environment Agency was created by the Environment Act in 1995 and came into existence in 1996. It has the responsibility of the whole of England and Wales but with specifically designated border arrangements with Scotland covering the catchment of the River Tweed.

driver safety as well as reviewing fleet asset utilisation and promoting efficient use.

Together, Traffilog and the Environment Agency have established a strong working partnership, embedding the Traffilog systems into their business and evolving processes and policies to maximise the benefits from this technology and information.

This programme has delivered a strong platform for further technical development and innovations to be leveraged towards safer and more efficient ways of working.

The overall volume of safety events triggered

by Environment Agency vehicles has dropped by 53 per cent over the recent five-month period, since the ‘end of journey feedback’ and ‘monthly performance reports’ have been activated and supplied to drivers.

‘Miles per gallon’ improvements have also been found between the month prior to activation and the month immediately following. These fuel efficiency improvements occurred throughout the operational areas with an average total of 10.7 per cent MPG improvement identified when comparing the month before activation with the month after.

‘High level acceleration’ safety events have dramatically reduced month on month since activated on the system, showing a total reduction of 69 per cent in these events between November 2015 and March 2016.

The reduction in this specific safety event aligns with the MPG improvements which

The requirement Traffilog UK were awarded a contract to deliver a telematics solution to the Environment Agency in September 2014.

The scope of this programme covered the installation of advanced telematics technology into a broad range of fleet assets from cars and vans, plant and critical response equipment.

The solution The Traffilog system has been provided to the Agency with managers and fleet staff trained in how to use it to support their work.

The programme focus has been on improving

20

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have also been seen as the system has been activated for each EA regional area.

Throughout the previous five months there has been a sizeable reduction in the number of turning and braking safety events triggered, showing 60 per cent fewer occurring in March 2016 than in November 2015. Continued monitoring of the MPG, driver intervention and engagement is now in progress to maintain and enhance improvements and cost savings.

Asset recognition The rollout of telematics across the Environment Agency fleet is also helping to identify underutilised assets as well as identifying the location of critical equipment for incident response.

The training of managers in the Traffilog system, broad communications and driver engagement has ensured that safe and efficient use of fleet assets remains a key part of the Environment Agency culture. Please note that fuel comparisons were made using only vehicles which were able to provide actual fuel usage readings from the vehicle’s on-board computer, this is around 50 per cent of the overall fleet usage and as such considered to be reflective of the entire fleet. !

FURTHER INFORMATION Please contact Traffilog UK directly on 0208 236 0545 or sales@traffiloguk.com

The Crown Commercial Service has launched a vehicle telematics agreement to help the public sector improve fleet safety and efficiency. GreenFleet analyses the framework agreement In May 2016 the Crown Commercial Service (CCS), the government department that provides commercial services and financial savings to the public sector, launched its latest framework agreement to help the public sector improve fleet safety and efficiency.

In a statement the CCS said it was ‘seeking to establish a pan-government framework agreement for the provision of vehicle telematics goods and services to vehicles which are based and/or travelling throughout the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, including the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and into Europe.’

The agreement, which was published on 4 May, has been designed to help organisations manage their fleets more effectively by improving safety and efficiency through the use of telematics technology. The CCS has claimed that through the realisation of such benefits, the public sector organisation should be able to save £3 for every £1 invested.

The importance of telematics Telematics is currently used to allow fleet managers to monitor aspects of their fleet such as fuel consumption, vehicle tracking and driver behaviour, in order to identify ways

to make significant cost savings.

An important part of mature fleet management is the collection and analysis of vehicle telematics data to reduce fleet costs, support employers’ duty of care obligations, increase productivity, improve vehicle security, manage legislative compliance and reduce carbon footprints.

Vehicle telematics also supports the whole life cost management of vehicles by providing live, operational data.

Telematics

Driving towards savings for the public sector

By establishing an agreement for vehicle telematics for public sector organisations, the sector will see a range of benefits.

Advantages include encouraging vehicle tracking which supports the management of risk involved in driver safety (including two-way communication), work planning and vehicle usage.

In particular, by enabling fleet managers to have a better understanding of driver behaviour, they can help improve safety by identifying driver habits and can subsequently source appropriate training needs.

The agreement also offers the potential to achieve a reduction of insurance premiums as well as a reduction in emissions through effective driver behaviour management, fuel consumption efficiency and future vehicle selection. It aids whole life cost analysis and management by tracking servicing, maintenance and repair costs on vehicles.

Furthermore, for vehicles which are in private user schemes, the telematics agreement can help distinguish between operational and private use to help with expenses and tax returns; and supports duty of care and regulatory compliance.

According to the CCS, the vast majority of vehicles to be utilised under the framework will be cars and light commercial vehicles.

However, suppliers will be required to provide data recording devices and associated equipment which are suitable for fitting into other types of vehicle including agricultural, construction equipment, plant and boats.

The value of savings With regards to the savings methodology, the CCS explained the £3:£1 claim is based on the efficiencies and reduction in expenditure achieved in your fleet budget through things like: a reduction in fuel consumption; maximising vehicle usage; a reduction in accidents; and a reduction in insurance premiums.

The original tender documents from the contract have suggested that the total value of the framework could reach between £10.8 million and £24.3 million.

Starting on the 25 April 2016, the agreement is due to reach completion on the 25 April 2020.

Currently, only a limited number of manufacturers install telematics technology in their vehicles as standards. However given the rise of mobile Android and Apple apps, a black box is no longer necessary to gain access to the advantages of telematics. Nonetheless it has been pointed out that phone apps could be a potential distraction, especially as the phone needs to be in the vehicle to work. !

It is d predicte end the that by decade, of the cent of 75 per oduced will pr vehiclessome level of have ectivity to conn ternet the in

The lots and benefits of the agreement The deal has been developed in partnership with police, ambulance, local government and central government customers and features a range of suppliers, including small and medium sized businesses.

The 11 suppliers covered under the agreement includes LD Automotive; APD Communications; Ashwoods; E-Pire; EDC Systems (trading as Traffilog UK); Exeros Technologies; FMG Support; Greenroad Technologies UK; L and A consultants; and Ctrack. In addition, public bodies will be able to call off services from suppliers on the framework for the four year life of the contract.

Volume 95 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

21

pays to be green with our advanced ITItPAYS TO BE GREEN WITH OUR telematics solution TRAFFILOG ADVANCED TELEMATICS SOLUTION Come and see us on stand G21 at this year’s

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! A growing need for data In an interview with the Finanical Times, Ralph Morton, editorial director of Business Car Manager, advised that the use of telematics is set to grow considerably over the next few years. It is predicted that by the end of the decade, 75 per cent of vehicles produced will have some level of connectivity to the internet.

Morton said: “All our intelligence suggests that monitoring by telematics is increasingly

accepted as a fact of life and the benefits more fully understood. Vehicles also generate data on how they are being driven – perhaps too much acceleration or speeding – allowing companies to take intelligent decisions about driver training and to the benefit of fuel consumption and accident reduction.

“Reasons for breakdown and likely component failure rates can also be identified. Evermore importantly, it also

allows fleets to demonstrate to insurers the levels of safety they have achieved, with the potential for reduced premiums.” " FURTHER INFORMATION www.gov.uk/government/news/ vehicle-telematics-agreement-toimprove-safety-and-save-moneyfor-the-public-sector

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Volume 95 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

25

The Scottish Government started to roll out the Public Electric Vehicle Charging Network in 2011 and it is estimated that a total of around £12.5 million has been spent on the supply and installation of this infrastructure, up to June 2016.

This investment has resulted in roughly 550-600 ‘destination charger units’ of either 7kW or 7/22kW power outputs (referred to here as ‘posts’) and roughly 150 ‘rapid charger units’ (referred to here as ‘rapids’) of 43/50kW power outputs. The latter are a mix of twin (AC and CHAdeMO DC) and triple (AC, CSS, and CHAdeMO DC) units. A further investment from the Scottish Government of around £7 million has been used to install home chargers as an incentive to encourage public uptake of EVs. In addition to the above government funded infrastructure, several commercial charging networks have been set up.

Ecotricity started to roll out their network of twin and triple rapid chargers in 2013 and now has roughly eight to 10 units installed around Scotland, and Tesla has more recently started in 2016 to roll out their network which is believed to be now around eight to 10 ‘superchargers’ of 100kW power output (these can only be accessed by Tesla owners).

population (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, and Stirling). In the past 12 months more than 70 new ‘rapid’ units have been installed largely to fill in the gaps between the initial units and thus to open up more routes to EV drivers/owners; this has resulted in many more longer trips now being possible around the country.

There is a planned proposal to have ‘rapid’ units at no more than 35 miles apart around the country’s road network. Most of the ‘rapid’ units have been installed on land owned by the local authorities, although this may well change in the near future when OLEV funding requirements are better understood.

The government’s

ty Ecotrici roll to started network ir out the and triple of twin hargers in rapid c d now has n 2013 a 8-10 units roughlyed around install tland Sco

Rapid adoption The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) has committed some funding (thought to be around £3 million for Scotland) to help promote the use of electric vehicles as taxis around the UK, and Scotland should see that funding coming through soon.

Most government funded installations have been single ‘rapid’ units or groups of up to five ‘posts’ with a handful of installations e.g.

Broxden in Perth, Ingliston and Fountainpark in Edinburgh being a mixture of both types.

The government’s strategy on ‘rapid’ units to-date has been to use their allocated funding to provide as much cover as possible around the country’s road network with the initial emphasis having been on the major trunk roads between the larger centres of

strategy on ‘posts’ to-date has been to provide these in car parks owned by the local authorities, or at commercial properties like hotels and restaurants. The government funded network is managed currently by ChargeYourCar (CYC) and this management contract is due up for renewal this summer.

The User Requirements for an EV Public Charging Network An EV user’s main requirements of the network can be summarised by the four ‘R’s: readily available; reliable; robust; and rapidly commissioned. It is wise to take the main requirements in turn: Readily Available – national coverage providing the correct units for each type of demand at appropriate locations (13A sockets, ‘posts’, and ‘rapids’). Clearly the !

Written by Douglas Robertson, chair, Electric Vehicle Association Scotland

The Scottish Government started to roll out the Public Electric Vehicle Charging Network in 2011. Douglas Robertson, of the Electric Vehicle Association Scotland, discusses the current requirements and the savings to date

Electric Vehicles

An update on the current electric vehicle charging network in Scotland

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! network size has grown dramatically in the past 12 months but there are routes throughout Scotland which are still not easily accessible to EV drivers/owners.

Reliable – all units must work first time, every time, for every user. This is not always the case, with the main issues being poor communication signals in the more rural areas and the insidious issue of ‘unauthorised user’ creating an equipment fault which in turn is caused by the database of users on each unit being wiped clean every time the unit is powered down for whatever reason (servicing or maintenance).

Robust – if a unit fails, then there needs to be back-up at hand, either a ‘rapid’ or a ‘post’, preferably in ‘hubs’ with multi-unit installations. Currently most installations are of single units, therefore any ‘Phase 2’ for the network must include for multi-unit installations with perhaps extra ‘back-up’ being provided by the installation of the simpler ‘posts’ beside each rapid ’hubs’ with a mix of units is the way forward for ‘Phase 2’.

Rapidly Commissioned – an enforced fixed time between installation and full operation within one month. A reasonably period of say one month between installation and full operation (post commissioning) should be possible. However, some units, such as Killin and Balloch, have taken over 18 months to become fully operational and indeed other units have suffered poor reliability during their first few months operation. Both of these issues need to be resolved as soon as possible.

Current issues with secondary requirements An EV user’s secondary requirements of the network can be summarised by the three ‘P’s: protection; publicity; and punishment.

It is equally wise to take the main requirements in turn: Protection – for the user, service personnel, and the fragile equipment. This should include lighting and canopies in order to enhance the charging experience. Very few rapid units have any lighting and canopies which means the users face driving rain or snow and a relatively inhospitable environment when charging, service personnel have to erect protective tents during bad weather, and the fragile equipment is subjected to the ingress of driving rain and snow which can cause equipment failures.

Most bicycle racks in public car parks are protected by shelters or canopies and certainly the majority of petrol/diesel pumps and their users are protected by adequate lighting and canopies.

Publicity – very few ‘way-finding’ signs

direct users from the major roads to the charging sites and little on-site signage has been installed. There are plenty of charger maps available online but most are not kept up-to-date. EVAS members try to keep their charger map as up-to-date as possible.

Punishment – penalty signs defining the fines for the mis-use of charging spaces (similar to those for ‘disabled’ spaces) to stop ‘bay-blocking’ by ICE vehicles. Virtually no ‘penalty’ signage has been installed.

Conclusions The current Public Charging Network in Scotland must only be considered as ‘Phase 1’ and any ‘Phase 2’ must include the provision of ‘hubs’ at en route charging locations with mixes of ‘rapids’ and ‘posts’ with a minimum of two ‘rapids’ and one ‘post’ – these should be concentrated along the major routes initially but spread out around the country so that robustness can be improved across the whole network.

Additionally, ‘Phase 2’ must also include: the removal of the two main charger unit issues of poor communication and ‘unauthorised user’ faults; the reduction in the time taken between installation and full operation of units down to say a one month period; the provision of better lighting and canopies at all charger locations; the provision of ‘way-finding’ and site signage; and the provision of ‘penalty’ signs to deter ‘bay-blocking’. " FURTHER INFORMATION

The number of public electric car chargers in Scotland is rocketing – and could overtake the declining number of independent petrol stations in the near future.

Electric Vehicles

The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) has committed some funding (thought to be around £3 million for Scotland) to help promote the use of electric vehicles as taxis around the UK, and Scotland should see that funding coming through soon

Electric car charges on the rise in Scotland

That’s according to The Scotsman, which reports there are more than 550 charging points across the country, while non-supermarket petrol stations have dropped below 700.

It comes as the Petrol Retailers Association warns that a third of independent petrol stations in Scotland – many located in rural areas – have closed.

Yet the number of rapid electric car chargers has doubled in the last year to 150.

The area of Torridon in the Western Highlands of Scotland is now bereft of petrol stations – but does have electric car chargers available for public use. The Torridon hotel has a regular charger available for any driver to use free of charge, while guests can make use of two Tesla Superchargers.

Co-owner Dan Rose-Bristow told the Scotsman: “We stopped selling petrol around 10 years ago as the price was too prohibitive and maintenance of the equipment was too expensive. We have seen good use of the chargers and a very positive response.”

Transport Scotland has previously said it wants to rid the country of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2050. Last year, 1,278 electric cars were sold in Scotland – more than in the previous four years combined.

www.eva-scotland.org

Volume 95 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Automechanika

Exceeding all expectations at Automechanika The success of Automechanika Birmingham is undeniable, with more than 12,000 trade visitors in the three days of 6-8 June. With the vast majority of 2016 exhibitors having rebooked, along with new tier one manufacturers committing to 2017, GreenFleet reviews this year’s show Automechanika Birmingham has established itself as the annual automotive event uniting the UK automotive trade industry.

The show was opened by Detlef Braun, member of the executive board of Messe Frankfurt, Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and Simon Albert, event director of Automechanika Birmingham with Detlef Braun cutting the ribbon in front of masses of media and visitors.

The show was supported by high ranking celebrities including current world endurance champion, Mark Webber; renowned F1 and Superbike presenter, Suzi Perry; and numbers expert and car enthusiast, Rachel Riley, all of whom had an active show presence in the first day, holding interviews and demonstrations on different exhibitors’ stands.

The seminar programme, the feature areas, ‘Workshop of the Future’ and ‘The Great British Manufacturing Stand’ as well as the exhibitor’s stands were all thriving with visitors and business was booming, with companies securing new sales and making new business relationships.

“Next year the event will continue to go from strength to strength with 35 per cent increase in stand space, a supply chain specific area and will be co-located alongside Reifen, the world leading tyre exhibition.”

Mike Hawes, of the SMMT, said: “The UK automotive supply chain and aftermarket are among the world’s most competitive and productive and Automechanika Birmingham has provided a platform to highlight the growing strength and importance of two sectors contributing £16.5 billion to the UK economy and supporting 423,000 British jobs.

“The huge number of visitors to the NEC over the show’s three days highlights this was the right event, at the right time and in the right place.”

Exhibitors and other leading associations have also praised the success of Automechanika Birmingham. Wendy Williamson, chief executive of the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation, commented: “The show has been fantastic and we’ve met up with lots of our existing members and hopefully future members as well.”

The huge f ro numbe he NEC to t visitors e three days ‘Great success’ over th s this was the Neil Hilton, head of business t h e g i highl event, at th development at Hella right me, in the Gutmann Solutions, said: “We’ve had great success in right ti t place this exhibition, because we’ve h rig

From strength to strength Simon Albert said: “We are delighted with the success of Automechanika Birmingham.

We listened to what the exhibitors and visitors wanted, and with significant investment in the marketing campaign, we delivered an all-encompassing event that exceeded all expectations. We have something unique here that the industry needed, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the overwhelming support of the exhibitors, visitors and trade partners.

been involved in the ‘Workshop of the Future’, the seminar programme, as well as holding a very popular competition for a mega macs 56, so we’ve had a busy stand and a lot of business created from being at Automechanika Birmingham.

“We’ve managed to sell the full CSC tool kit with all of the boards on the ‘Workshop of the Future’ feature area for Hella Gutmann Solutions, which demonstrates the interest the visitors have in investing in their businesses and how much this event has to offer in progressing business relations.”

247 Lighting’s Danny Kirby, head of

marketing, added: “It’s been a fantastic experience so far, it’s really highlighted our brand and it’s great to see 247 lighting among the exhibitors. We’ve met some really important business contacts and look forward to coming back next year.”

Myles Pemberton, Manbat’s marketing manager, said: “The best thing about exhibiting at Automechanika Birmingham is the opportunities we’ve received because everyone is here and everyone’s open to talking business and creating new business and relationships.

“We’ve certainly seen a lot of people interested in our stand because we have so many great brands such as Numax, Lucas and US Batteries and people are interested in our company because we’re also part of Ecobat, the world’s leading producer and recycler of lead, there are so many different connections and people to meet, it’s really exciting.”

Andrew Thomas, Voith’s sales and marketing manager, said: “Automechanika Birmingham has proven to be an amazing opportunity for gaining exposure to both VM’s and the supply chain. We have already rebooked a stand for 2017 and we look forward to the show next year.”

Sam Robinson, senior product and brand manager at Trico, commented: “Trico is one of the iconic British names in the automotive industry, Automechanika Birmingham was a new opportunity and one we felt we shouldn’t miss out on. The quantity and quality of visitors we’ve had to date, justifies that decision.” !

Automechanika Birmingham is now planning for 2017 and it is clear that the success will only continue from this year’s event, as it is evident that this exhibition is something the UK and Ireland’s automotive industry needs.

FURTHER INFORMATION For further press information please contact Gary Barak at Chicane on 01923 269490 or email: gary@chicanemarketing.co.uk

31

This time last year the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) was contemplating what our main theme to take into the LCV Event at Millbrook would be. It was becoming increasingly clear to us, and many of our partners and stakeholders, that the issue of CO2 emissions from commercial vans and trucks has been for far too long neglected. Passenger cars have been in the spotlight for many years and there’s been great progress in improving the efficiency and polluting emissions from buses too. For several reasons, these are easier ‘nuts to crack’ than commercial vehicles which come in many sizes, shapes, forms and uses.

But the broader commercial vehicle sector is responsible for around 40 per cent of road transport carbon emissions, so if we’re going to meet the emissions reduction targets – brought into even sharper focus by the landmark Paris agreement on climate change – we’re going to need progress across the board.

recently launched products at the Commercial Vehicle Show. With the backing of SAIC, one of China’s largest automotive names, LDV has introduced the EV80 full-electric van.

In London, BD Auto has begun offering full-electric versions of the Ducato and Traffic vans. With full EC whole vehicle type-approval and five-year warranties these vans are now real options for a wide range of fleets and not just as trial demonstrators. These new models, of course, join the established Nissan ENV200 and Renault Kangoo electric which have between them taken the lion’s share of the government’s Plug-in Van Grants.

In the truck sector, the UK’s Low Carbon Truck Trial is now complete and the final results for the 390 trucks trialled over the three year programme, will be shared at an event in the West Midlands on 14 July. The performance of the latest Euro VI gas-powered trucks has been reviewed by the LowCVP, with funding from the Department for Transport (DfT) and, although the results for that are not yet published, our sneak preview shows some very encouraging carbon results and the promise of more to follow.

With this renewed focus and interest in the low carbon commercial vehicle sector, the LowCVP is proud to be a partner in the inaugural Commercial GreenFleet event on 1 July in Birmingham. The arrival of such an event shows how things are really beginning to move forward in this area.

There’s plenty of new information to bring to delegates at the event, as well as new, innovative hardware to view and trial.

Low V HG carbon gained ve fuels hance: Scania e promin co have both and Ive hed a range launc -powered of gas icated ded s truck

Measuring up Against this background one of the primary questions has been how to measure the performance of a low carbon commercial vehicle and this is the challenge that the LowCVP and its members have been !

Scania CV AB

Progress for commercial vehicles The LowCVP has increasingly been turning its focus on what needs to be done to stimulate the low carbon commercial vehicle market and for it to emulate the progress now underway by cars and buses.

For last year’s LCV Show we decided that our main focus would be on ‘bigger thinking in commercial vehicles’. A year on and things have really moved forward.

New players (and some familiar names)

Rapid shifts The van sector is now facing the next iteration of emissions legislation – Euro 6 mandated from September this year – and this is certainly exercising the manufacturers with noise over ‘Dieselgate’ still ringing in their ears. I am confident that we will see a rapid shift and a sudden surge of innovation in this segment over the next couple of years.

In earlier work, the LowCVP identified three main opportunities for cutting emissions from trucks which pointed to the need for specific interventions: independent testing to validate the effectiveness of retrofit technology; conversion to the use of natural gas/biomethane; and supporting the uptake of hybrid and pure electric vehicles, particularly for use in urban environments.

In the HGV sector, the transition to the Euro VI emissions requirement is of course complete and the technologies are well established in use and (from the work LowCVP has done) showing very impressive emissions performance under every operating condition.

However, there are perhaps fewer options for decarbonising the vehicles and, certainly, full electric operation is not yet a possibility in long-haul heavy trucks. Low carbon fuels such as biomethane, biopropane or waste-derived bio diesel are gaining supporters and prominence. Scania and Iveco have launched a range of gas-powered dedicated trucks (from vans to 40-tonne artic units) and there are a range of dual-fuel conversions currently in use and under development.

Written by Andy Eastlake, managing director, Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership

The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership has witnessed some real progress in the push for a greener commercial vehicle sector. Managing director Andy Eastlake explains why 2016 will be no different and why progress should become more noticeable

Commercial Vehicles

Collaborating with the low carbon CV sector

Volume 95 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

33

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The LPS unit harvests otherwise wasted energy from the vehicle whilst in transit, this energy is then stored and can be used for a vast array of applications including powering refrigeration units, lighting, tools and more.

With clients such as Sainsbury’s Click and Collect already having systems live it has been possible to measure the efficiency of the systems and the savings that are available. As well as fuel costs being reduced, vehicle idle time can be mostly eradicated and savings of up to £7140 per annum per vehicle and a carbon saving of 17,800 kg are possible.

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The LowCVP has increasingly been turning its focus on what needs to be done to stimulate the low carbon commercial vehicle market and for it to emulate the progress now underway by cars and buses ! addressing for much of the last year.

Launching this summer is the new accreditation process, developed by the LowCVP in collaboration with a consortium of industry leaders. This test uses the latest emissions measurement equipment as specified for the vehicle certification process. By running real trucks under repeatable but representative driving conditions on UK test roads at venues such

as Millbrook and Horiba MIRA, the real emissions and fuel consumption of loaded commercial vehicles can be rapidly and cost-effectively assessed and compared. This means the performance of carbon reducing technology can be confidently validated.

Working with the Transport for London’s (TfL) LoCITY team – the new five-year industry-led programme to reduce the emissions of London’s freight and fleet

LowCVP Annual Conference, 30 June, London: www.lowcvp.org.uk/events/ conference16 Commercial GreenFleet, 1 July, Birmingham: events.greenfleet.net/commercial

Commercial Vehicles

Dates for your diary

operators – the test process is being extended to incorporate a city centre driving cycle which would be typical for a London van.

This complements three other truck cycles representing urban, regional and long haul operating characteristics, allowing a comprehensive measurement of any typical commercial vehicle driving situation.

With the ability to properly measure the carbon performance of different variants of trucks and vans, we are hopeful that we can unlock the potential for the government to much more effectively support the introduction of low carbon technology to the commercial vehicle sector and stimulate the innovation needed in the long term to decarbonise our road freight operations.

So, from last year’s aspirational ‘Bigger thinking on commercial vehicles’, we have seen some real progress and clear signs that 2016 is becoming the big year for greener trucks and vans. " FURTHER INFORMATION www.lowcvp.org.uk

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GreenFleet reflects upon the main talking points coming out of this year’s Commercial Vehicle Show, which took place over 26-28 April at Birmingham’s NEC New technology was at the forefront of this year’s Commercial Vehicle Show, as visitors got the opportunity to witness a record number of new light commercial vehicle (LCV) launches alongside the latest developments in driver management, compliance and real-time fleet administration from a variety of software and telematics suppliers.

Floor space was completely sold out as 460 exhibitors filled Halls 3a, 4 and 5 of Birmingham’s NEC, contributing to Britain’s best attended and most comprehensive road transport and logistics event.

The show has a dedicated focus on improving business relations and, as such, has no conferences or seminars interrupting valuable sales time. Visitors to the show, who were mainly fleet owners and managers with purchasing responsibilities, had unrestricted access to the large exhibitor list – ranging from manufacturers such as Peugeot and Volkswagen to trade associations like the Freight Transport Association (FTA).

This year’s show also featured the dedicated ‘Workshop’ and ‘Cool’ zones, which were designed to make it easy for visitors to find sector suppliers. The Workshop zone displayed hundreds of exhibitors spanning the whole automotive aftermarket and CV maintenance sector, while the Cool zone satisfied the special requirements of temperature controlled operators with a vast display of refrigerated transport and cold chain equipment to choose from.

Dedicated zones Workshop has become an integral part of the Commercial Vehicle Show, recognising the need for regular vehicle maintenance across passenger cars, vans and light or heavy trucks.

Hall 4 was the home of an all-encompassing shop window spanning the whole automotive aftermarket and CV maintenance sector, from OE components and replacement parts to maintenance management systems, garage, workshop and bodyshop equipment.

The area was supported by both the Garage Equipment Association (GEA) and the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) and gave visitors access to a wide array of products from the smallest to the largest car components.

The Cool zone took over Hall 3a with a huge range of refrigerated vehicles and bodywork, side by side with the latest fridge units, monitoring equipment and other products specific to cold chain operations.

It was positioned between the visitor entrances to Halls 3a and 4 to benefit from high footfall, with exhibitors at this year’s show reporting good business and expressing delight that representatives from the majority of major cold chain operators were in attendance.

Triumphant return The LDV brand made a triumphant return to the

Commercial Vehicle Show

Leading the commercial fleet sector to greener pastures show after a seven-year absence, debuting a revitalised range of light commercial vehicles. Chinese firm SAIC acquired LDV Maxus back in 2009 from Gaz of Russia and Harris Group, a Dublin based supplier of new and used commercial vehicles, has picked up the distribution rights for the new range of Chinese made vans.

The headline announcement from LDV was the unveiling of the EV80, a fully electric version of the V80 panel van. The EV80 comes equipped with a 74kWh battery and a claimed range of over 190 miles. LDV has said that the load capacity will range from 900-1,250kg, with a recharge time of around two hours.

These figures should enable the EV80 to be competitive with Nissan’s e-NV200, which will likely be its main rival, although it may still seem impractical for drivers who want quicker fill up times and need a higher load capacity.

Mark Barrett, general manager of LDV UK & Ireland, said: “The EV80 has one of the world’s highest technical specifications for a commercial vehicle in its class. With a driving range of more than 190 miles and a battery capacity of up to 75kWh, this new electric vehicle offers a greater range and shorter charging time than any of its nearest rivals on the market today.”

Liam O’Neill, vice president of the Harris Group, said: “The EV80 will appeal to many companies and organisations that take environmental protection seriously. The EV80 can actively contribute to an organisation’s efforts of becoming more socially responsible.”

As well as the EV80, LDV launched its G10 – a mid-sized panel van which is also available as an MPV. The G10 MPV has a 2.0-litre, 105bhp turbo petrol engine and comes equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission.

The LDV G10 van has a 2.0-litre direct injection turbocharged diesel engine and a lotus calibrated chassis. The MPV will be available in five, seven and nine-seat options, while the van offers easy access through two sliding doors and a rear lift tailgate. Pricing details are still unclear but are expected to be released later this year.

The e headlin ent cem announ LDV from veiling un was theV80, a fully of the Ec version of electri 80 panel the V n va

Promoting excellence The FTA had a strong presence at this year’s show and took the opportunity to announce its Truck Excellence scheme. The voluntary, industry-governed scheme follows !

Volume 95 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

37

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DEDICATED TO PROMOTING A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT | www.greenfleet.net

proof of delivery

said: “Small fleet operators wanted an affordable scheme like Van Excellence to help them maintain high standards and stay up-to-date with current laws and best practice. Being a member offers unrivalled support and information to run a safe, legal and efficient fleet.”

Big names on hand Another big name that made its presence felt at the show was Volkswagen, which was exhibiting its latest Transporter and Caddy and also announced its new Converter Recognition Programme.

The programme looks to build on company’s existing Engineered For You and Engineered To Go schemes, ensuring that Volkswagen conversions meet operators’ needs and expectations. It will effectively allow customers to access a ‘one-stop-shop’ of converted vehicles, meaning the whole vehicle can be ordered through the Van Centre.

Commenting on the Volkswagen’s return to the show, Kirsten Stagg, head of marketing, said: “It’s great timing for us to consolidate the launches of the new Caddy and Transporter, as well as to meet customers and provide opportunities for our teams and those from our dedicated Van Centre network to build relationships.

“Meeting customers at the show gives us a chance to understand their requirements and demonstrate how we can support them and their businesses.”

Ford also launched its Transit and Transit Custom vans with a new Ecoblue diesel

engine. The new 2.0 litre engine with Ecoblue unit will reportedly have an increased fuel efficiency of around 13 per cent compared to the outgoing 2.2-litre TDCi engine, with CO2 emissions from 157g/km. It will be available in 105hp, 130hp and 170hp options and is in line with the stricter Euro 6 standards due to be introduced in September 2016.

Pete Reyes, Ford of Europe’s head of commercial vehicles, said: “The challenge was to take our best-selling Transit and make it cheaper to operate, improve performance, cleaner in terms of emissions, quieter in the cabin, safer and even more durable. That’s exactly what we did with the new Transit and Transit Custom with the all-new Ford Ecoblue engine.”

Toyota’s new Hilux also made its UK debut at the show. The new model features the widest deck in its class, benefiting from a reinforced structure, redesigned floor ribs and a stronger header panel to improve its ability to carry heavy loads. It is powered by a new Euro 6 complaint 2.4-litre D-4D global diesel (GD) engine, available with a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox, which boasts an improved torque delivery and class-leading fuel economy. "

Commercial Vehicle Show

! the success of the FTA’s Van Excellence Scheme and is designed to raise standards and recognise excellence in the operation and management of large goods vehicles.

It has been developed by FTA members and stands as the only national scheme that accredits operators against the operator licence undertakings, covering areas such as operator licensing, transport management, operating centres and vehicles, maintenance systems, drivers’ hours, working time and records and good repute.

The scheme will be available to both members and non-members and will include measures to ensure all approved operators have demonstrated that they have systems in place to continue to be compliant beyond just the day of the audit.

Sally Thornley, FTA director of standards, audit and accreditation, said: “The scheme has been developed to include a modular approach, making it flexible enough to include and adapt to the changing standards of other accreditation schemes – looking to make the scheme both cost effective and future-proof.”

The FTA’s new Van Excellence Small Fleet Programme was also showcased at the show, which is aimed at operators who have 10 vans or fewer. The programme will share advice and operational procedures from top performing fleets and membership will include access to online fleet management software, electronic versions of FTA’s ‘Guide to Van Excellence’, monthly email updates and support from FTA’s Member Advice Centre.

Mark Cartwright, FTA’s head of vans,

The 2017 Commercial Vehicle Show takes place at the NEC in Birmingham on 25-27 April.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.cvshow.com

Volume 95 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Sponsored by:

GreenFleet is staging its first commercial vehicle event this year at St Andrew’s Stadium, home of Birmingham City Football Club. Here, we preview what there is to look forward to on Friday 1 July

COMMERCIAL GreenFleet

Making green plans for the nation’s vans

In association with:

Steady growth for UK van market According to figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the UK’s new van market saw steady growth last month (May 2016). Demand for new light commercial vehicles (LCV) rose 1.9 per cent, with more than 28,000 hitting British roads – the highest number on record for the month.

COMMERCIAL GreenFleet aims to help educate organisations who operate vans in and around the West Midlands area, about the alternative technologies on the market that can help combat the region’s air quality issues.

Sponsored by Alphabet, and supported by the LowCVP, the event is being put together following a DeFRA report that identified the region as the second worst in the UK in terms of air quality, with NOx from vans seen as the biggest contributor. If the organisations that operate commercial vehicles in the area can adopt greener alternatives, the problem will begin to turn around.

So, with this in mind, GreenFleet is bringing together experts that offer vehicles that have Euro VI engines, electric powertrains and even gas and hydrogen vehicles will also be showcased. Added to that will be the funding advice for leasing, together with telematics that can assist in the efficient monitoring of the vehicles’ performance.

Presentations and sessions Here’s a draft agenda of what you can expect to see covered at the event: the welcome will be presented by Jason Devoto, managing director – GreenFleet events, and then Andy Eastlake, managing director

of LowCVP, will then host a session on ‘What’s Driving Green Commercials?’ as well as ‘ULEZ, Clean Air Zones, Defining Green Trucks’.

Bob Moran of the Office for Low Emission Vehicles will detail ‘Policy Drivers, Government support, Plug-in Van Grant, Green Truck 2 Trial, and Carbon Freight Review’. Sylvia Broadley from Birmingham City Council will cover ‘Birmingham’s Connected Transport Strategy and the introduction of a Clean Air Zone’.

The ‘Low Emission Van Guide Launch’ will be presented by Steve Caroll of CENEX, before delegates get to hear a selection of fleet case studies covering electric vehicles, hydrogen and LPG and CNG vans, featuring British Gas. Our sponsor Alphabet will discuss ‘Green Commercial Vehicle Financing’, while Masternaut will address ‘Monitoring Your Van’s Performance’. These will be followed

by Green Van Fleet Case Studies on EVs, hydrogen and LPG/CNG-powered vehicles.

Visitors will also be able to take part in expert breakout sessions, witness vehicle demonstrations, engage in test drives and network during round table discussions.

As always, GreenFleet will provide breakfast, all day refreshments and a buffet lunch, and attendance is free to fleet professionals

Year-to-date figures paint a similar picture, with a 2.9 per cent rise in demand to 158,402 units in 2016. Heavy vans continue to dominate the market this year, enjoying the largest growth with a 13.3 per cent increase on 2015 and LCVs in this segment making up 62 per cent of total registrations.

Pick-ups are also fuelling the overall rise in demand – 18,674 were registered in the first five months of the year, up 9.6 per cent.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “Although May was a record breaking month for the UK’s light commercial vehicle market, the pace of growth is easing and is indicative of the performance we anticipate this year following the very high levels of demand seen in 2015. Providing there are no political or economic shocks to business confidence over the coming months, we expect the LCV sector’s good health to prevail.” operating across the West Midlands area. So, if you have more than one van, then you need to come to COMMERCIAL GreenFleet. Places are limited at this event, so please reserve your place now. !

To book your place, please email lauren.matthews@psigroupltd.co.uk or jeff.reed@psigroupltd.co.uk.

FURTHER INFORMATION events.greenfleet.net/commercial

Volume 95 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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The West of England Go Ultra Low Cities Bid

#UltraLowWest

The West of England Go Ultra Low Cities Bid

#UltraLowWest

The West of England Go Ultra Low Cities Bid

#UltraLowWest

The W

The West of England Go Ultra Low

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The West of England Go Ultra Low Cities Bid The West of West England Go UltraGo Low Cities The of England Ultra LowBid Cities Bid

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ULEV Uptake · Becoming an exemplar · Air Quality Improvement · Innovation · Linking with other schemes · Monitoring

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Giving England’s #UltraLowWest west a taste of electric zest

GreenFleet WEST

The West of England Go Ultra Low Cities Bid

Following the awarding of £7 million to help fund continued development and uptake of ULEVs across the region, GreenFleet WEST securely placed Bristol on the EV landscape.

GreenFleet reflects upon the event and the manufacturers who attended GreenFleet WEST arrived at Leigh Court, Bristol on 20 May to advise, encourage and collaborate with key decision-makers on the benefits of plug-in vehicles. The fleet show for Bristol gathered key industry players from different organisations to share and raise awareness around electric and plug in vehicles.

GreenFleet WEST was held in association with the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and Bristol City Council, along with Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Councils. A collaboration between the councils amounted to a £7 million grant, announced in January, to help fund continued development and uptake of ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEV) across the region and all four authorities plan to use the funding to convert 20-25 per cent of their light vehicles to ULEVs, which will result in massive savings on fuel bills as well as a huge reduction in the harmful emissions being pumped into the region’s airspace.

As a result, and building on the success of GreenFleet WEST 2015, Bristol became the second Go Ultra Low City to host a GreenFleet car and plug-in technology event, where businesses from across the West experienced the vehicles and technology, first-hand.

At GreenFleet WEST this year, Elm EV and Schneider Electric shared their knowledge on the specialist charging equipment they provide, while Route Monkey showed visitors how organisations could reduce fuel bills by up to 20 per cent, by using telematics to improve scheduling and routing.

Seminars Alongside OLEV and Bristol City Council, representatives from Business West and Alphabet also delivered keynote presentations on the day. Motoring journalist and TV presenter Quentin Willson chaired the seminar sessions and also delivered his own keynote presentation on ‘The future of mobility’.

After the seminar session, delegates were given the chance to break out for closed group sessions with the major electric and hybrid motor manufacturers and related companies, to discuss any electric vehicle concerns and share experiences.

standard comfort driving mode, the popular i3 more than covers the typical driving demands for commuting. If you need the reassurance of being able to drive further, a BMW i3 with a range extender increases the range to up to 186 miles.

Bristol also showcased vehicles from Nissan, the current EV and LCV Manufacturer of the Year, with the Nissan e-NV200, which is perfect if a small van is needed for your business, featuring an impressive range of 106 miles and zero CO2 emissions. This year we were also delighted to bring you one of the first showings of the Nissan e-NV200 Evalia, the seven seat option of the impressive electric van, which also has a range of 106 miles and zero CO2 emissions, plus a 30-minute rapid charge option. Both vehicles were available for test drives and proved popular with our audience.

Mitsubishi paraded the award-winning Outlander PHEV, which offers high economy at just 42g/km CO2. The Outlander’s ultra low emissions mean that it is completely exempt from VED, and has a combination of a high efficiency petrol engine and electric motors, making it capable of an impressive 156mpg.

WEST CAR AND PLUG IN TECHNOLOGY FOR THE WEST COUNTRY

AT BRISTOL - LEIGH COURT

20 MAY 2016 BRISTOL Sponsored by

In association with

EVOLUTION Bristol Following on from GreenFleet WEST, the EVOLUTION Motor Show came back to the Millennium Square on the 21 May, after its resounding success in 2015. Coming after the already established fleet event, organisers at PSi Ltd persevered with a second consumer day to allow the wider public to experience the vehicles.

This free event also saw manufacturers such as Mitsubishi, BMW and Nissan showcasing an array of low emission vehicles.

Both events were staged in association with OLEV and Bristol City Council, along with Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Councils. !

If you are a local authority and would like to discuss how we can take this informative showcase to your region, then please contact colin.boyton@psigroupltd.co.uk

www.travelwest.info

FURTHER INFORMATION

events.greenfleet.net/about-west bristol.evolutionshow.co.uk

Test drives The major motor manufacturers’ presence allowed delegates the opportunity to test drive the vehicles they have to offer. BMW’s first electric car, the i3, was available for test drives on the day, as a pure EV, and as a range-extended version. With a range of up to 100 miles in the

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Automotive Leasing Leading the way

Green Economics Finding new ways to reduce costs without putting longer term goals at risk is a real challenge. Many organisations find that whilst there may be a desire to create a sustainable low carbon fleet, delivering savings in the short and medium term becomes a higher priority.

So, do you have to choose between environmental goals and budgetary demands? Not when you talk to the right people. As environmental fleet management award winners, we can help you create and implement a green fleet policy that does far more than care for the environment. It protects your drivers, minimises risk and reduces the overall cost of running your fleet.

To find out more, just call: 0344 493 5840 Email: hello@automotive-leasing.co.uk

easiertoleaseplan.co.uk

On 8 June, Nottingham played host to the third in the four-event series of electric and plug-in fleet vehicle events. Here, GreenFleet reviews what was a very successful show Following its success in the Go Ultra Low (GUL) City Scheme bids, Nottingham City Council hosted the showcase at Nottingham Racecourse, aiming to engage with public sector organisations and local businesses, with a view to stimulating the uptake of electric and plug-in vehicles across the region.

Sponsored by leasing specialists, LeasePlan and Automotive Leasing, and hosted by Quentin Willson, the city’s first major electric vehicle showcase since becoming a GUL City was a resounding success. Around 60 key influencers and fleet decision-makers joined us on the day, all hungry for more information on the vehicles themselves, leasing options, recharging solutions, infrastructure and tariffs, as well as route optimisation.

Following keynote presentations from Caroline Nicholls, of the Office for Low Emission Vehicles, Cllr Corall Jenkins of Nottingham City Council and Judith Eadie from Automotive Leasing, delegates were then allocated a networking group and assigned an agenda that allowed them 30-minute sessions with the manufacturers and other sponsors.

Sessions with BMW, Nissan, Mitsubishi and LDV were test drive-focused, while those with LeasePlan, Routemonkey, Quentin Willson and Nottingham City Council were round table discussions.

Test drives The major electric and PHEV motor manufacturers brought along their best-selling vehicles for delegates to test drive on the day.

BMW’s first electric car, the i3, was available for test drives and delegates were impressed by the amazing range of just over 100 miles, which in the standard comfort driving mode, more than covers the typical driving demands for commuting.

Award-winning vehicles were available from Nissan, such as the e-NV200 – a perfect solution if a

e load th t Down pa p a t e Fle et Green eet.n reenfl s and e app.g g re ima for mo ntent co

small van is what’s required. Featuring an impressive range of 106 miles and zero CO2 emissions, it’s no wonder it scooped the ‘LCV Manufacturer of the Year’ gong at the 2015 GreenFleet Awards. Just as impressive was the e-NV200 Evalia, the seven-seat option, which is ideal for taxi and minicab firms, and then there was the world’s best-selling EV, the Leaf.

Now capable of 155 miles on a single charge, this impressive car is set to continue to rule the EV world, and is certain to become more of an everyday sight on the streets of Nottingham.

Mitsubishi also joined us at the show with the award-winning Outlander PHEV, which offers high economy at just 42g/km CO2. This plug-in hybrid (PHEV) has a combination of a high efficiency petrol engine and an electric battery that drives it, making it capable of an impressive 156mpg. Perfect for long journeys, it also has the 4x4 capabilities that some organisations need, which is why this car has been the best-selling PHEV ever.

And last, but certainly not least, we had a real treat for Sherwood folk.

Revealed at the recent CV Show, the new EV80 from LVD, was a UK first for the fleet industry. Back in the UK market, following huge investment from China, this old English brand is back with a huge bang. This sector has been crying out for a fully-electric large panel van, and LDV has delivered.

Capable of 130 miles, fully-laden, here at GreenFleet, we predict this van to be a real game-changer, and delegates got to be the first to actually drive the van, way ahead of its arrival on UK roads in the autumn.

Summary A day full of sunshine was brought to a close with a summary from Quentin Willson, and a prize draw.

In summing up, Willson said: “Today, we truly stand on the brink of an EV revolution.

Nottingham clearly has a

Both r jo the maric elect otor EV m and PH facturers manu along their t s brough lling vehicle best-se st drive on to te day the

Hosted by:

Sponsored by:

vision that can make them the envy of the rest of the UK, and today’s event has been a great start to what is sure to become a new-look city. And only with your help [the delegates] can this change really happen.”

Overall, GreenFleet NOTTINGHAM was a huge success, with many delegates expressing how much they had enjoyed what was a hugely informative and fully interactive day. !

If you are a local authority in UK and would like to discuss how we can bring this unique electric vehicle experience to your region to help you instigate change, then please contact Colin Boyton, GreenFleet event manager, on 0208 532 5704 or colin.boyton@psigroupltd.co.uk.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.greenfleet.net events.greenfleet.net

GreenFleet NOTTINGHAM

Knocking on the door of Nottingham’s EV uptake

Road Test

Fun is its forte With over 1,900 changes, Richard Gooding finds the new Fiat 500 offers more equipment, more technology, as well as more efficient fun from its revised range of engines

e load th t Down pa p a t e Fle et Green eet.n reenfl s and e app.g g re ima for mo ntent co

Car pictured: Fiat 500 Lounge 1.2

The new Fiat 500 was launched in 2015 and sees 1,900 changes over its predecessor

The Fiat 500 needs little introduction. The cutest of the wave of retro modern cars, it was launched in 2007, 57 years after the original Nuova 500 which helped mobilise Italy following World War II. The reborn 500’s job is not to mobilise a nation, but, rather simpler, tap into the wave of nostalgia which has seen many car ‘icons’ reborn. It has another job, too: to serve as an entry point into the current range of Fiat’s cars, and naturally by its size, also be one of the greenest. This the new 500 does with grandioso vigour, with five engines undercutting the 100g/km barrier. The 875cc TwinAir 85 Turbo Dualogic – with its clutchless manual/semi-automatic gearbox – starts the ball rolling at 88g/km.

More efficient The new Fiat 500 was relaunched in the summer of 2015, and is a refreshed version of the car which brought modern retro motoring

46

Lounge spec includes a five-inch touchscreen radio system

to the masses nine years ago. The previous model was a sales success, and at first glance, Fiat hasn’t tinkered about too much with its town tiddler. However, over 1,900 changes have been made, and while the external appearance of the car looks much the same, new headlamps, brightwork, LED daytime running lights, and ‘empty’ rear tail lamps lend a refreshed look.

The interior now gets Fiat’s ‘Uconnect’ infotainment systems, as well as detail changes to offer more comfort. Arguably the biggest fettling has gone on under the little Fiat’s equally diminutive bonnet: the car’s range of engines has been given a thorough going

DEDICATED TO PROMOTING A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT | www.greenfleet.net

over and has resulted in a more efficient and environmentally-attuned range of units. The new 500 is safer than the old one, too, with seven airbags and a host of active safety systems fitted as standard. Just before our Lounge TwinAir 105 test car arrived, we also spent some time in its 1.2-litre-engined sister. Normally aspirated and with 69bhp, the larger capacity engine is less frenetic – even with its five gears, one fewer than the TwinAir – but we prefer the buzzy nature of the turbocharged car.

Unusually, even though it boasts 36bhp more, the turbocharged TwinAir is greener, its 99g/km stacking up more favourably in the VED stakes than the 1.2’s 110g/km. Yes, it is more expensive to buy in the first place, but it may cost less to run, although the new ‘Eco’ version of the 1.2 (see panel) may well prove to be a formidable sibling with its lower tax rates and improved economy when compared to the standard car. A diesel-engined Fiat 500 is also now part of the new range. The 1.3 MultiJet 95 offers the same 88g/km of CO2 emissions as the TwinAir 85 Turbo Dualogic petrol, but has a stated combined cycle fuel

Five of the 0’s t 50 new Fiaundercut engines /km barrier: g the 100eanest is the the cl m TwinAir 88g/k ualogic 85 D

ENGINE:

875cc, turbocharged two-cylinder petrol / 1,242cc, four-cylinder petrol*

CO2: NOx:

99g/km / 110g/km* 0.033mg/km / 0.032mg/km*

MPG (combined):

67.3/60.1*

GF MPG (combined):

46.1/49.1*

VED:

Band A, £0 / Band B, £0 first year, £20 thereafter*

BIK:

16%/17%*

PRICE (OTR):

TwinAir 105 – £14,580 (including VAT, £16,930 as tested) / 1.2 – £12,800 (including VAT, £14,350 as tested)*

economy of 83.1mpg, the thriftiest of the new Fiat 500 range. Along with the Fiat Panda, the 500 MultiJet is the only city car available in the UK with a diesel engine. The speedometer information system is very comprehensive and mirrors data on the central touchscreen, but some of the data on doesn’t correlate between the two, which could be an issue when keeping one eye on economy.

Sense of fun There’s no denying the new Fiat 500 is a stylish little car, made all the more so with our TwinAir’s £500 optional ‘Avantgarde Bordeaux’ metallic paint, which is also seen on the coloured panel which stretches across the dashboard. Inside, as before, the new 500 takes inspiration from the Nuova 500 from the 1950s, and the cabin, like the car’s overall demeanour, has a sense of fun.

Space is at a premium, though, the new car seemingly not quite so space efficient as that original 1957 ground-breaker. The electric sunroof fitted to our car did lend a more spacious feeling, though, but the one thing it couldn’t do is extend the amount of tight legroom in the rear. However, if it was made any larger, the small Fiat wouldn’t be able to scoot through the city streets quite so easily, and that it does extremely well.

As with the 1.2, the TwinAir 105 feels nippy and darty in the urban landscape

with its light steering and small dimensions.

Both versions can handle situations out of it, too, which is something their classic predecessor had issues with, but they are ultimately at home in the city cut and thrust.

Yes, the TwinAir’s two-cylinder engine emits a fair bit of noise and the six-speed gearbox has a fair amount of transmission ‘whine’, but they give the new 500 a character similar to that of the original. The engine actually sounds a little like the early car’s rear-mounted – also two-cylinder – air-cooled unit. The manual car’s gear change is very slick, too, and the high-placed knob makes for easy shifts.

‘Eco Index’ The 0.9-litre turbocharged engine picks up well once on the move – even in top gear – and emits a rorty growl upon acceleration.

An ‘eco’ index on the right-hand side of the speedo of both cars informs of how economical the car is being driven at any given time: a more economical driving style sees the counter move higher towards the ‘100’ marker – at which point it turns green – the ultimate destination for eco-minded enthusiasts. It’s not all parsimonious fun, though: press the ’Sport’ button on the TwinAir and the (optional) seven-inch TFT screen and ‘dials’ ahead of the driver change from displaying an ‘Eco Index’, and show a ’Turbo’ gauge. The markings change to red, and the speedometer numerals change from roman to italic – now, the TwinAir shows its less fuel-efficient side, and has a briskness the 1957 car could only dream of.

Back with eco-mindedness, a Start & Stop system is standard on all new Fiat 500 models and it works well. The Italian company quotes 67.3mpg on the combined cycle for the turbocharged TwinAir: during our 339-mile test, we saw a real-world average of 46.1. The 1.2 was 3mpg more economical over the 334 miles we spent with it, not hampered by the TwinAir’s narrow power band and more frenetic gear changes.

Around town, our TwinAir’s ride felt slightly bouncy and lumpy, no doubt a result of its £180 optional 16-inch wheels. As standard, the Lounge TwinAir 105 comes with 15-inch alloy wheels (shared with the 1.2) which we suspect would make the ride a little more comfortable. Other options on both cars included an upgraded navigation TomTom navigation system, an electrochromatic rear view mirror, and automatic climate control.

All of which took the TwinAir’s price £70 short of £17,000 – a lot of money for a city car.

Tax and economy savings The cute and convivial Fiat 500 has proved extremely popular since its rebirth in 2007.

Over 1.5 million have been built at its factory in the aptly-named town of Tychy in Poland.

The little Italian car has found more than 257,000 buyers in the UK, while the 500 is now on sale in more than 100 countries around the world. The reborn 500 has not just found favour with buyers, either: Next Green Car, friends of GreenFleet, awarded the TwinAir 85 the City Car prize in its 2015 awards, just one accolade the new Fiat 500 has won since its arrival.

Technologically efficient: Fiat 500 ‘Eco’ The new Fiat 500 ‘Eco’ was launched in early 2016 and features efficiency technologies over the standard 1.2-litre version on which it is based.

Road Test

Fiat 500 Lounge TwinAir 105/Fiat 500 Lounge 1.2*

Aerodynamic enhancements, low rolling resistance tyres, a smart alternator, as well as a Start & Stop system all help reduce emissions from 110 to 99g/km. The BIK rate is also cut, from 17 to 14 per cent, while VED falls from £20 per year to £0. Fiat claims there is no drop in performance when compared to the standard 69bhp 1.2 either, so it would appear to be a win-win situation.

Available in Pop Star and Lounge trim levels, the Fiat 500 ‘Eco’ starts at £12,025 and rises to £12,900. Both ‘Eco’ models carry a £100 premium over their non-‘Eco’ counterparts, but Fiat claim this should be made up very quickly in the fuel and tax savings over the standard models. The Fiat 500 ‘Eco’ is available in both hatch and ‘convertible’ 500C models.

It’s not the ultimate eco-friendly 500, though – that accolade goes to the all-electric Fiat 500e. On sale in California and Oregon, the 500e has a range of 87 miles from its 83kW electric motor and 24kWh battery.

Although the addition of the ‘Eco’ and MultiJet diesel models broaden the new Fiat 500’s range and environmentally-friendly offerings still further, the performance of the turbocharged versions is both more accessible and ultimately more enjoyable. The extra pep and character – as well as the lower tax costs – of the pair of TwinAir models make the turbocharged cars more enjoyable than the 1.2. The larger-engined car did prove to be more economic on our test, although the Dualogic variant of the TwinAir 85 is cleaner and sits at the lowest-emitting end of the new 500 range. Whichever version of Fiat’s city car you go for, study the pricelists carefully: numerous options can make for a pricey town tot, and that would perhaps negate any promised tax and economy savings. !

FURTHER INFORMATION www.fiat.co.uk

Volume 95 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Road Test

Business class The DS 5 spearheaded the 2015 arrival of the standalone DS brand, and offers a different take on the executive car. GreenFleet also finds low emissions and touches of sumptuous aviation style Say ‘DS’ when talking about cars and most will still recall the swooping, outer-worldly and ground-breaking Citroën DS of 1955.

It was a car of firsts: the first European car to feature disc – and powered – brakes, power steering and power suspension, and for many, it still embodies the avantgarde pioneering spirit which was inherent in Citroën’s products throughout the decades from the 1950s to the 1980s.

A range of cars to build on that heritage was launched in 2010. The supermini-sized DS 3 blazed the trail, followed by the mid-sized DS 4, while the large DS 5 arrived a year later.

In a drive to push the brand upmarket, the ‘DS’ name was relaunched as a standalone marque at the 2015 Geneva motor show, but this time, it was the turn of the DS 5 to have its place in the limelight and carry the weight of the new brand on its wide shoulders. It was the first of the new DS marque models and wore its new enlarged logo with pride.

is the pair of front quarterlights either side of the windscreen which bring to mind a fighter aeroplane’s cockpit. It all works very well and lifts the DS 5 above its more mainstream MPV, estate, and executive car rivals.

‘Clean’ diesel engines As with the pre-refreshed DS 5 (there are no Citroën badges anywhere), a range of petrol and diesel engines power the large French car. With emissions ranging from 103g/km to 144g/km, there are plenty of options to choose from. Tested here is the 113g/km BlueHDi 150 S&S manual, the mid-range version of DS’ new generation of ‘clean’ diesel engines. With 147bhp and 273lb ft (370Nm) of torque, it moves the 1,700kg DS 5 with quite some vigour. Euro 6 compatible, the 1,997cc unit is refined on the move, too, although there’s no mistaking its diesel origins when idling.

The latest-generation BlueHDi engines combine ‘advanced performance with low fuel consumption and CO2 emissions’ and DS states that this is achieved by improvements in internal efficiency as well as a diamond-like coating on the efficient exhaust system. The Selective Catalytic Reduction module is also positioned ahead of the particulate filter and DS claims that this is the only after-treatment system able to reduce NOx emissions by up to 90 per cent as well as reducing CO2 emissions by up to four per cent.

For a car so large, the claimed fuel economy of 68.9mpg is impressive, but sadly our real-world figure of 48.7 fell short of the French maker’s benchmark. The stop-start system on the DS 5 only appears to function when the electronic handbrake is not applied, which seems a wasted opportunity. It’s not especially practical, either, as the car ends up rolling forward or backwards. On the plus side, an ‘Eco’ meter shows how long the stop-start system has been working while the ignition has been turned on.

As before, there is a Hybrid 4x4 version of the DS 5, which reduces CO2 emissions to 103g/km and is the cleanest of all the big DS models. Only available with a semi-automatic gearbox, the Hybrid 4x4 200 model pairs a diesel engine with an electric motor for zero-emission running, and also adds an extra boost of acceleration as well as additional traction in slippery or wet conditions.

Even with two-wheel drive, the big DS handles well for one so large, and even on

The latest sel i die BlueHDcombine engines rmance perfo w fuel with lo tion and p consummissions CO2 e

Imposing presence Although the basic shape of the DS 5 first appeared five years ago, the big, MPV-cum-coupé silhouette still has an imposing presence, especially in the Ink Blue of our test car.

Prestige models sit at the top of the two-rung DS 5 tree, and also feature LED Vision’ – xenon directional headlights – as well as scrolling LED indicators, which lend even more of a prestigious look.

All DS 5s boast a panoramic ‘cockpit roof’ which blends seamlessly into the rear window, as well as chrome grille wings, bonnet 'sabres' and chrome side trim.

The car is certainly distinctive, and like the refreshed DS 3 launched earlier this year (GreenFleet, issue 92), the revised DS 5 looks like a premium product.

CEO of the DS brand, Yves Bonnefont, states that the DS 5 is ‘a clear statement of our ambition: to revive the tradition of French premium vehicles’, and you can’t argue with the premium impression that greets you when you sink into the interior. Admittedly, the blue and black leather on our test car costs £1,390 extra, but even ignoring that, the DS 5’s cabin is stylish and sumptuous.

The ‘cockpit roof’ is named that for a reason – a central spar divides the roof and carries beautifully-machined, metallic-edged buttons which are reflected in the central tunnel in-between the two front seats. Black headlining and a substantial dashboard add to the cocooning feel. The final aircraft touch

48

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The DS 5 comes with petrol and diesel engines, ranging from 103-144g/km

18-inch wheels, the ride is well-damped.

Road noise is only present on scarred surfaces and there is barely any wind noise at all, which all adds to the premium feeling. The DS 5 is a consummate mile muncher and is a very relaxing and comfortable companion. The largest DS is practical, too, with 465 litres of boot space when the rear seats are in place.

High level of equipment As befitted our £33,340 (including options) test car, a high level of equipment is standard on the DS 5. Keyless entry, auto lights and mirrors, dual zone air conditioning, DAB radio, and DS Connect navigation are all fitted to entry-level Elegance models.

Our car’s Prestige specification added front parking sensors, a reversing camera, leather trim, a blind spot monitoring system, mood lighting, as well as electric adjustment for the driver’s seat.

All models receive a seven-inch colour touchscreen, and although the display is crisp and clear, at times it isn’t the most intuitive to navigate or very fast. The navigation system does work well, though, and the £300 optional head-up display ahead of the driver relays important speed information clearly and soon becomes very useful. The optional £550 Denon sound system sounds fantastic, too.

The DS 5 genuinely offers something different in the executive car sector, and enjoys a real feeling of quality to go with its premium image. While it may not be as ground-breaking as that original DS of 1955, it hints that the pioneering spirit of that original car hasn't quite been lost yet. !

FURTHER INFORMATION www.dsautomobiles.co.uk

DS 5 Prestige BlueHDi 150 S&S ENGINE:

1,997cc four-cylinder diesel

CO2:

113g/km

NOx:

0.036g/km

MPG (combined):

68.9

GF MPG (combined):

48.7

VED: BIK: PRICE (OTR):

Band B, £0 first year, £20 thereafter 22% £29,800 (inc VAT, £33,340 as tested)

Road Test

Blue/Black leather pack is a pricey £1,390 option

DS 5 has a host of trip computer read-outs

The big DS’ interior is stylish and makes use of sumptuous materials

Downlo GreenF ad the app.g leet app at ree for mo nfleet.net re imag es and conten t

Volume 95 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

49

Road Test Written by Karl O’Sullivan

e load th t Down a p p a t Flee .net t Green e e reenfl s and e app.g g re ima for mo ntent co

A cons

Electric motorcycles are becoming an increasingly viable transport option, with battery range, charge times and performance improving rapidly. However, this may not be enough to convert most car drivers onto two wheels. These bikes are aimed at delivery fleets looking to reduce their costs as well as individuals already on two wheels who are looking for a cleaner, more efficient alternative to commuting on a petrol scooter.

At the moment, electric motorcycles are more expensive than their similar-sized petrol counterparts, but don’t let this put you off.

Regular maintenance procedures are cut – giving it a clean and checking the brakes and tyre pressures are all that needs to be done.

For the fleet rider, this saves time on their daily checks: ensuring that the chain is correctly adjusted and oiled, and checking fuel and oil levels can be a messy job. For the commuter, checking levels and oily parts is the last thing you want to do before setting of to work.

50

Three drive modes The Vmoto E-Max 120LD+ is an electric motorcycle fitted with a gearless direct drive rear mounted 4kW motor. Offering three drive modes, ‘Eco’, ‘Normal’ and ‘Max’, with an impressive stated maximum range of around 100 miles in ‘Normal’ mode depending on riding style and terrain. The lithium-ion LiFePO4 48V 104ah battery cells are stowed in the floor of the bike just in front of the rear wheel, keeping the weight low and centred.

Surprisingly, the bike only weights 165kg, which is not too far off the petrol equivalent.

I ride around 8,000 miles per year on a 500cc motorcycle which fits my needs perfectly: good performance, with around 70mpg achieved riding on occasional short journeys. Most of my rides

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are around 50+ miles with large sections of motorways, so when I was handed the keys to the E-Max, it couldn’t have been any different to what I was used to. At first I was a little sceptical, it looked good, but would it feel too heavy and was it going to be slow?

g Offerin three s, Pleasurable ode x m experience e v i r d a M Operating the E-Max E o ot 120LD+ is pretty straight the Vm + has an forward, just hop on, D L 0 12 tated s insert the key and e v i s s impre um range twist the throttle. There is no clutch or gears to maxim 0 miles worry about, making this 0 of 1 motorcycle easy to ride with

little experience. Riding the E-Max felt no different to petrol scooters I’ve ridden in the past. In fact, around town it was a more pleasurable experience. A smooth quiet ride, with no vibration from sitting

Road Test

Vmoto E-Max 120LD+ ENGINE:

4kW electric motor, 5.9kWh lithium-ion battery

CO2:

0g/km

RANGE

75-100 miles

CHARGING TIME: VED: TOP SPEED: WEIGHT: PRICE:

8-9 hours £0 45mph (‘Max’ mode) 165kg

£3,995 (excluding VAT)

The E-Max 120LD+ is at the top of the Vmoto e-bike range and costs £3,995

charged ignment

Vmoto E-Max 120LD+ has a range of between 75-100 miles depending on driving mode

Electric motorcycles could be the perfect answer for urban delivery fleets wanting to cut both emissions and costs.

Karl O’Sullivan takes a ride on the Vmoto E-Max 120LD+ on an engine, and not having the hassle of stopping at a fuel station was an added bonus.

Initially I kept it in ‘Max’ mode, but soon learnt to switch it to ‘Normal’ mode in traffic or when in a 30mph zone – the maximum speed in normal mode. That’s the beauty with this machine, you can adjust the mode to suit the driving conditions, increasing the range if necessary. I didn’t bother with ‘Eco’ mode as this was just too slow, limiting the bike to around 20mph. However, if you really need the extra range and are riding in congested areas, switching to ‘Eco’ mode would eke out every possible mile from the machine.

The model on test is priced at £3,995 plus VAT, but that does include a large 450mm x 400m x 450mm rear top box with a carrying capacity of up to 150kgs. Other top boxes can be fitted depending on customer requirements. There is a small storage compartment under the seat which is suitable for a small bag, along with a luggage hook that can hold up to 3kg.

Performance and range The E-Max feels at home riding around the city, filtering through the traffic effortlessly. It is easy to park, and is free from charges in most towns and cities.

However, taking the E-Max out of its comfort zone is a little different. I managed a top speed of around 45mph on the open road, which feels fast enough on twisty B-roads, but daunting on faster A-roads.

But to be fair, this is not what this bike is designed to do – I’m sure it would be easy enough to extend the top speed but this would dramatically reduce the range.

Therefore, I think the balance between performance and range is spot on.

Charging the Vmoto is simple: simply pop up the seat and plug in the lead from the bike to a normal plug socket.

On a single charge I comfortably managed over 65 miles driving mostly in ‘Max’ mode at top speed and the battery still had over 15 per cent of its charge left. Range

anxiety shouldn’t be a problem for most.

There are plans for a rapid charger in the near future, so for fleet riders who maybe need that extra range, a quick charge in between deliveries or at lunch would suffice.

The E-Max offers a substantial scope for savings, with an average monthly commute of 15 miles per day costing around £2.20, that’s less than a penny per mile. Even compared to a petrol scooter achieving 125mpg, that’s a saving of over £120 per year. If you are tempted to swap from four wheels to two, you could save nearly £500 per year, and that’s for a relatively short journey.

Factor in the savings on tax, insurance and servicing costs, and the Vmoto really adds up. In addition to the E-Max 120LD+, Vmoto also offers the £1,830 plus VAT 37-mile range 1kW City 80L ,as well as the £3,120 plus VAT 50-mile range E-Max 120L. Significant saving An electric motorcycle may not be for everyone, but if you are already riding around town on two wheels, the Vmoto is definitely worth a look. Test rides can be arranged at two dealerships in London.

For an electric motorcycle of this size in this price range, the top speed and range are impressive.

If most of my journeys were around town in built-up areas, I would seriously consider swapping my petrol motorcycle for the E-Max as I would save almost £600 on fuel and servicing, and that’s based on riding just 8,000 miles per year.

For a large delivery fleet this would represent an even more significant saving. !

FURTHER INFORMATION vmoto-uk.com

Volume 95 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

51

PHEV Diary

MONTH FIVE

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

Written by Richard Gooding

The highest monhtly mileage tally, and the most efficient economy figure are two major highlights of the fifth month with our Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. A security vulnerability is the only downside paddles in earnest. Whereas before I’d leave Going on the mileage figures alone, it’s been the car in ‘B5’ mode (the fiercest regenerative the busiest month yet for our Mitsubishi braking setting) and let it shake off speed Outlander PHEV. Over 1,258 miles have when it needed to, the past few weeks have passed under the big SUV’s wheels in seen me choose ‘B3’ for most of the month five, with, once again, a large time I’m driving, changing ‘up’ proportion of them on the UK’s when I approach a junction A-road and motorway network. y B or obstacle which would A disproportionately large g n i require the Outlander number of journeys adopt racing b to come to a stop. It larger than my regular m e l l an a g attitude, clearly works, and is trips to the office have definitely a better and necessitated three trips chargin chieved a more enjoyable way to to filling stations to e g w eatin b drive the plug-in SUV. brim the Outlander’s , g p You not only feel more tank with petrol. The 157.7msubishi’s involved in the driving cost? £116.36, around £3 Mit ure process, g fi l but you have more than last month. a i c offi more fun trying to outwit the traffic and judge when to take All-embracing your foot off the accelerator and let charging attitude the car – hopefully – roll to a stop. I don’t However, despite the trio of fill-ups, one think that’s all that had made a difference figure which has unbelievably improved is to this month’s impressive figures, though. our average, real-world economy figure.

This month, for the first time, we’ve eclipsed No obstacle Mitsubishi’s claimed economy figure of I have a feeling that the warmer weather has 156mpg. That’s right, in the real world, with played more than its part, too. At least two careful use and adopting an all-embracing journeys home from the office this month charging attitude, we achieved 157.71mpg, have been achieved in all-electric mode only. beating the Japanese company’s official That’s never happened before. My shortest figure by a whopping 1.71mpg. commute is around 25 miles, and with the Part of the reason for the uplift in economy full 32 miles of range displayed (another first could be down to the fact that I’ve recently since the car arrived), the distance proved started to use the steering wheel-mounted

Going Stateside: Outlander PHEV to hit the US Already a phenonmenal sales success in the UK and Europe, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is due to hit the US for the 2017 model year.

The big plug-in Mitsubishi SUV has never been sold Stateside, and the final details for the US market cars are still being finalised. It’s unknown as yet exactly what changes will be made, but it’s understood that a new battery will form part of the American specification.

Shown at the New York International Auto Show in March 2016, a ‘prototype’ debuted on the Mitsubishi stand and previewed the new model for potential US buyers. Online reports suggest that although the 12kWh battery pack may remain, both driveability and range may be improved and more specifically suited to US driving conditions.

Reports suggest that the car will be specifically tailored to the US market, and although the ‘Save’ function should remain, according to Green Car Reports, a pure-EV mode may make an appearance as well as a

52

system which decides how to split any remaining charge.

One significant change will be the omission of a CHAdeMO quick-charging facility, but the 4WD lock will stay. An auxilliary AC power source is also being considered. The US Outlander PHEV is also rumoured to be specified with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, something the UK and European version desperately needs.

Exact specifications will arrive later in the summer. Read more: bit.ly/1UajeyI

DEDICATED TO PROMOTING A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT | www.greenfleet.net

no obstacle to the total zero-emissions journey, and I was rewarded with a ‘---.-’ figure in the miles per gallon display. I was also quietly proud of the 990.4mpg which appeared at the end of one particularly urban-flavoured trip. One interesting point: I have heard of other Outlander PHEV drivers whose cars have informed them of a 33-mile range, which is actually higher than that of the 32 which Mitsubishi claims.

But with any highs, you have to accept the lows, too – if the Outlander PHEV doesn’t visit an electric car charging point often enough, it’s just a petrol-powered, quite heavy SUV with a mid-30s mpg drinking habit.

The lowest figure this month? 30.5mpg – I wasn’t quite so pleased with that one...

Other stats? Average electricity consumption

ad the Downlo app at t e le F n t Gree eet.ne reenfl s and .g p p a e g a im re for mo t conten

Security flaw The news broke this month that the Outlander PHEV has a serious security flaw and is vulnerable to hacking through its Wi-Fi system as discovered by independent specialists.

Available to smartphone users as a Wi-Fi network, a hacked system allows the control of various functions which are accessed through the smartphone app available to owners of the car. More worryingly, though, the alarm can be disabled allowing for easy theft of the car, and individual Outlander PHEVs can be located.

The battery can also be drained of charge and charging settings themselves can be adjusted.

As initially recommended, I immediately de-registered WV65 YUO’s VIN number from my app – accessed through the app’s ‘Cancel VIN Registration’ feature – but this only ‘fixes’ the problem in the short-term.

A longer term solution is to re-engineer the

Wi-Fi’s AP client connection, and Mitsubishi acted quickly and is working with all the concerned parties to resolve the issue as fast as it can. The company is keen to point out that the app is limited in its functions and that ‘without the remote control device, the car cannot be started and driven away.’

If you’re an Outlander PHEV owner or driver I’d like to hear from you, so please do get in touch. Email richard.gooding@ psigroupltd.co.uk or ping me a message on Twitter at @richgoodingcom. !

Vociferous use of the steering wheel paddles for regenerative braking has helped increase fuel economy

PHEV Diary

of 3.53 mile/kWh has been the highest since the test started back in February, while the 72 per cent of time I’ve spent this month ‘EV’ driving is the second-highest figure since WV65 YUO was delivered.

Logbook: month five 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GX4hs ENGINE:

1,998cc four-cylinder petrol with 2 x 60kW electric motors and 12kWh battery

CO2:

42g/km

RANGE

32.5 miles (electric only), 541 miles (hybrid mode)

PRICE (OTR):

£38,499 (inc VAT, after government PiCG grant, £39,549 as tested)

DATE ACQUIRED:

February 2016

MILES THIS MONTH:

1,258

OUR MPG:

157.71

OFFICIAL MPG: OUR ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION:

156 3.53 miles/kWh

FUEL COSTS THIS MONTH: £116.36 COSTS THIS MONTH:

£0

The Outlander PHEV has been making friends with wildlife again this month

Jonathan Musk

The Outlander PHEV has been exposed as having a Wi-Fi/app security flaw which leaves it open to hacking

Volume 95 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

53

Product Finder

AXIS200 WHEEL ALIGNERS

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The Haweka Axis systems are user friendly, quick to use and very accurate.

Contact us today to find out how Haweka can reduce your carbon footprint.

FLEET MANAGEMENT REPORTING

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HYDROGEN VEHICLES

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Ulemco Ltd The Quay, 12 Princes Pararde, Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 1BG Tel: 01928 787179 info@ulemco.com / www.ulemco.com ULEMCo Ltd offer services to convert commercial vehicles to run on hydrogen.

Services include the supply & installation of a safely engineered retrofit, warranty and VSO certificate. H2ICED™ vans, have verified emissions at 59g/km CO2. Advice, consultancy and the supply of hydrogen refuelling capability can also be provided.

AD INDEX The publishers accept no responsibility for errors or omissions in this free service

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54

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Automotive Leasing Leading the way

Green Economics Finding new ways to reduce costs without putting longer term goals at risk is a real challenge. Many organisations find that whilst there may be a desire to create a sustainable low carbon fleet, delivering savings in the short and medium term becomes a higher priority.

So, do you have to choose between environmental goals and budgetary demands? Not when you talk to the right people. As environmental fleet management award winners, we can help you create and implement a green fleet policy that does far more than care for the environment. It protects your drivers, minimises risk and reduces the overall cost of running your fleet.

To find out more, just call: 0344 493 5840 Email: hello@automotive-leasing.co.uk

easiertoleaseplan.co.uk

QUITTING LETS NICK BREATHE EASY

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

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

Read Nick’s story at toyotalexusfleet.co.uk

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

ALL-NEW F-PACE

ABOVE ALL, IT’S A JAGUAR. www.greenfleet.net

ISSUE 95

JAGUAR’S FIRST PERFORMANCE SUV The arrival of All-New F-PACE is imminent and with it comes a stunning resumé.

Bringing together exhilarating power with everyday practicality and efficiency, the All-New F-PACE boasts impressive characteristics for any fleet. If it’s an energetic addition to your team you’re after, with 0-60mph in just 5.1 seconds*, you’ve found it. *F-PACE S 3.0 litre V6 Petrol AWD.

IMPRESSIVE INTERIOR SPACE Sit in the All-New F-PACE and you’ll know you’ve arrived.

The interior epitomises sophistication – being both sporty and elegant at once. In the back, there’s seating for three adults to park themselves comfortably with the 40:20:40 rear seat folding configuration offering extra versatility.

And it’s 650-litre* boot space is class leading. *When Tyre Repair System is fitted.

DYNAMIC DRIVING PERFORMANCE As you’d expect from a Jaguar, the All-New F-PACE has a distinctive feel on the road. Advanced engines deliver performance and efficiency while its Lightweight Aluminium Architecture enables agile handling. Combined with advanced dynamic driving technologies, it all adds up to one thing – a thrilling performance.

EFFICIENT INGENIUM ENGINES When the world demanded green, our answer was the Ingenium engine. After an investment of £500 million, Ingenium engines maximise performance and environmental sustainability while driving down running costs. In the All-New F-PACE, this results in fuel emissions as low as 129g/km, fuel economy up to 57.7mpg and an impressive 21,000 miles – or two years – between services.

STAY CONNECTED WITH INCONTROL TOUCH Managing your business on the move is becoming increasingly important. Enter InControl Touch – our new digital platform that connects you to a bespoke suite of apps and services to help you manage your business effectively while out of the office and give you unprecedented control of your in-car environment.

LIGHTWEIGHT ALUMINIUM ARCHITECTURE Our Lightweight Aluminium Architecture is the foundation on which the All-New F-PACE is built. The architecture is stiff and strong, offering excellent protection to all occupants, while its reduced weight boosts efficiency and enhances handling and braking.

F-PACE is among the lightest cars in its class* offering a weight distribution with a near perfect 50:50* balance for a sporting performance and an impeccable ride. *Model and engine dependent

To find out more, contact the Jaguar Fleet and Business Centre on 0845 600 2214.

Model shown F-PACE First Edition. Official fuel consumption for the All-New Jaguar F-PACE range in mpg (l/100km): Urban: 23.2-49.6 (12.2-5.7); Extra Urban 39.8-62.8 (7.1-4.5); Combined 31.7-57.7 (8.9-4.9). CO 2 Emissions 209-129 (g/km). Official EU Test Figures. For comparison purposes only. Real world figures may differ.

ALL–NEW JAGUAR F-PACE

As Jaguar’s first performance SUV, the All-New F-PACE blends power with technology and practicality – the perfect combination for any fleet.

Our advanced Ingenium engines and Lightweight Aluminium Architecture help reduce CO2 emissions and fuel consumption, without compromising on the performance Jaguar is renowned for.

Add to that sharp looks, nimble handling and its class-leading 650-litre* boot space and it’s easy to see why F-PACE will be one of your company’s highest performers.

To find out more, contact the Jaguar Fleet and Business Centre on 0845 600 2214.

*When Tyre Repair System is fitted. Model shown F-PACE First Edition. Official fuel consumption for the All-New Jaguar F-PACE range in mpg (l/100km): Urban: 23.2-49.6 (12.2-5.7); Extra Urban 39.8-62.8 (7.1-4.5); Combined 31.7-57.7 (8.9-4.9). CO2 Emissions 209-129 (g/km). Official EU Test Figures. For comparison purposes only. Real world figures may differ.