GreenFleet 99

EXPERT PANEL EVs

FLEET INTERVIEW

www.greenfleet.net

ELECTRIC BIKE FLEETS

ISSUE 99

EXPERT PANEL

LEASING & CONTRACT HIRE How the industry can help with fleet management and drive down emissions COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

DRIVING BEST PRACTICE

The new standard from FORS is its greenest yet

GREENFLEET AWARDS

WINNERS REVEALED The greenest fleets, individuals and organisations were recognised at the 19th annual awards ROAD TEST RENAULT KADJAR DCI 110

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GreenFleet is proud to reach the 100 issue milestone in January 2017 – and will be producing a ‘special edition’ that will be a must-keep issue for all those in fleet.

100 10 0 0 Within this special edition we will be looking back at the 1GreenFleet 0 magazine from issues 1 to 99, in particular how the fleet industry has evolved throughout this period with a timeline of key events and technical advancements.

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We will also be looking ahead to what issues 101-199 and the next 10 years will have in store, with a view into the future developments of sustainable fleet technologies.

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GF100 Most Influential

Make sure you receive the next issue of GreenFleet, celebrating 100 issues of sustainable fleet advances and development.

This prestigious 100-name report will showcase the key influencers, and those whose actions and guidance have made the greatest impact in both the short and long terms.

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0 0 1 There is great anticipation

GREY FLE

ET COMM

ERCIAL

VEHICLE

S GREEN BUS

100

100

FLEETS

for this upcoming list – make sure you receive your 100th issue of GreenFleet.

www.g reenfleet .net ISSUE 97

FUEL CA RDS

CON FUELTSROLLING PEND

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FLEET INTERVIEW

www.greenfleet.net

ELECTRIC BIKE FLEETS

ISSUE 99

EXPERT PANEL

LEASING & CONTRACT HIRE How the industry can help with fleet management and drive down emissions COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

DRIVING BEST PRACTICE The new standard from FORS is its greenest yet

GREENFLEET AWARDS

WINNERS REVEALED The greenest fleets, individuals and organisations were recognised at the 19th annual awards ROAD TEST RENAULT KADJAR DCI 110

Visit t.tv nflee video e e r g e v ti a rm for info tent on t con tal flee nmen enviro agement man

Comment

EXPERT PANEL EVs

Follow and interact with us on Twitter: @GreenFleetNews

Applauding green effort This November saw another GreenFleet Awards draw to a close, with 20 awards going to individuals and organisations that have made a real difference in the world of environmental fleet management and green transport.

17 November

2016

With news that the UK broke the law by failing to tackle illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide air pollution as quickly as possible – and a new deadline of July 2017 given for the new plans – we are likely to see more stringent policies put in place to reduce air pollutants.

Read about the winners of the 2016 GreenFleet Awards on p27

This may include more Clean Air Zones throughout the country, which will see the most polluting vehicles, like old buses, taxis, coaches and lorries, discouraged from entering the zone through charges.

These, plus any other regulations that come into effect, may put more pressure on fleets, especially those operating in and out of major cities. But the industry is proving to be quite resilient and innovative in working out cleaner and more efficient ways to operate, as the GreenFleet Award winners show.

Find out who those winners were and read the full review of the 2016 GreenFleet Awards on page 27 of this issue.

Angela Pisanu, editor

P ONLINE P IN PRINT P MOBILE P 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 EDITOR Angela Pisanu FEATURES AND ROAD TEST EDITOR Richard Gooding ASSISTANT EDITOR Tommy Newell 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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GreenFleet is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (which regulates the UK’s magazine and newspaper industry). We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice and are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism. If you think that we have not met those standards and want to make a complaint please contact Michael Lyons or Angela Pisanu on 0208 532 0055. If we are unable to resolve your complaint, or if you would like more information about IPSO or the Editors’ Code, contact IPSO on 0300 123 2220 or visit www.ipso.co.uk

Volume 99 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

3

FIESTA ST-LINE INTRODUCING THE NEW

Your adrenaline’s rushing, and you haven’t even stepped inside the car yet.

A full body styling kit, 17" Rock Metallic alloys and a sports interior.

The ST-Line has all the practicality of a Ford Fiesta with the exhilarating styling of a performance car. There’s just one thing left to do – start the engine.

To find out how Ford can help your business go further, call the Ford Business Centre on 0345 723 2323.

FORD FIESTA ST-LINE £15,740 - £17,440

18% - 16%

104-94g/km

62.8-78.5

Official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for Ford Fiesta ST-Line range: urban 50.4-65.7 (5.6-4.3), extra urban 72.4-88.3 (3.9-3.2), combined 62.8-78.5 (4.5-3.6).

Official CO2 emissions 104-94g/km.

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

Contents

Contents GreenFleet 99 09 News

18

£390m for ULEVs announced in Autumn Statement; UK air quality plan given July 2017 deadline; GreenFleet Awards 2016 winners announced

18 Expert panel: Leasing How can leasing and contract hire firms help with the wider role of fleet management? And what role does the industry play in driving down emissions? We ask our new expert panel for their views

22 Fleet interview: University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge’s estate management team operates several electric vehicles and has pledged to have half of its fleet electric by 2021.

GreenFleet catches up with Christine Leonard to find out the benefits and challenges of running an electric fleet

22

27 GreenFleet Awards 2016 Edgbaston Cricket Stadium once again played host to this year’s GreenFleet Awards, which saw comedian Dominic Holland present over 20 awards to organisations and individuals in recognition of their contribution to green road transport and environmental fleet management

27 40

40 Expert panel: EVs

Following the launch of the Department of Transport’s consultation into making charge points more accessible, GreenFleet’s expert panelists give their views on the key factors that will shape the electric vehicle market’s development in the near future

46 Commercial vehicles

NOx and particulate matter, noise, alternative fuels, tyres and fuel management all come under the spotlight in the updated standard from the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS).

Anne Johnson, FORS operations director, explains what has changed to make this the greenest standard yet

48 Fuel cards

Continuing the discussion on fuel cards, our expert panelists examine how telematics is making fuel card data more meaningful, what ‘add-on’ services buyers should look out for, and how payment methods are advancing

52 Electric motorcycle fleets

A plug-in grant for electric scooters and motorcycles was announced in October. Stevie Muir from the Motorcycle Industry Association explains how the grants work and how electric two‑wheelers work well in certain fleets

54 Road test: Renault Kadjar Dynamique S Nav dCi 110

With low emissions and latest‑generation dCi engines, Richard Gooding examines if the Renault Kadjar C-segment crossover is destined for fleet success

56 EV diary: month two The Nissan Leaf 30kWh’s range continues to be plentiful, the electric vehicle charging infrastructure less so. But welcome economy and running tips could go some way to help, reports Richard Gooding

52

54

GreenFleet magazine

www.greenfleet.net Volume 99 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

5

Compare the tax savings of running a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV as your company car against these market leaders.

OUTLANDER PHEV GX4H AUTO

HONDA CR-V EX AUTO

BMW X3 XDRIVE 30D SE AUTO

AUDI Q5 S-LINE PLUS AUTO

MERCEDES E250 SE 7G-TRONIC

COST OF THE CAR - P11D VALUE

£38,899

£32,125

£40,210

£39,805

£37,675

GOVERNMENT GRANT REDUCTION

£2,500

£0

£0

£0

£0

£36,399

£32,125

£40,210

£39,805

£37,675

CO2 EMISSIONS G/KM

42

179

156

157

147

BENEFIT IN KIND RATE

7%

32%

31%

31%

26%

VEHICLE BENEFIT CHARGE WITHOUT FUEL PROVIDED

£1,089

£4,112

£4,986

£4,936

£3,918

THE EXTRA TAX YOU PAY VS PHEV (40% TAXPAYER)

–

£3,023

£3,897

£3,847

£2,829

£1,711

£6,954

£7,739

£7,689

£6,227

–

£5,243

£6,028

£5,978

£4,516

ADJUSTED FINAL PRICE

VEHICLE BENEFIT CHARGE WITH FUEL PROVIDED THE EXTRA TAX YOU PAY VS PHEV (40% TAXPAYER)

10

Find out more. Search PHEV | Visit mitsubishi-cars.co.uk to find your nearest dealer

PHEV Manufacturer of the Year

PHEV Manufacturer of the Year Outstanding Achievement Award

THE MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV SAVE £1,000s ON YOUR COMPANY CAR FLEET

1

With luxuriously smooth driving dynamics, the intelligent Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV decides when it’s more efficient to use petrol or electricity, giving it the ability to deliver a staggering 156mpg2. And with ultra-low CO2 emissions there are significant savings that your business can make. You’ll be able to write down 100% of the cost of an Outlander in year one3, saving £1,000s in Corporation Tax4 – and you’ll save money on your associated Class 1a National Insurance Contributions5. Business users will only pay 7% Benefit in Kind taxation6 and the Outlander PHEV is exempt from Road Tax and the London Congestion Charge7. The battery can be charged in just a few hours via a domestic plug socket8, a free Chargemaster Homecharge unit9 or one of over 8,500 Charge Points found across the UK. There’s even £2,500 off the list price through the Government Plug-in Car Grant which means an Outlander PHEV will cost you from just £31,74910.

We call this Intelligent Motion.

Compare the corporation tax savings of a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV against a typical company car.

TYPICAL VEHICLE

OUTLANDER PHEV

PROFIT BEFORE TAX (PBT)

£100,000

£100,000

20%

20%

£36,500

£36,39910

TAX RATE LIST PRICE OF VEHICLE CAPITAL ALLOWANCE CAPITAL ALLOWANCE (£)

8%3

100%

£2,920

£36,399

TAXABLE PROFIT (ON £100,000 PBT)

£97,080

£63,601

CORPORATION TAX (NO VEHICLE PURCHASE)

£20,000

£20,000

CORPORATION TAX (WITH VEHICLE PURCHASE)

£19,416

£12,720

£584

£7,280

SAVING DUE TO CAPITAL ALLOWANCE

THE MITSUBISHI

OUTLANDER PHEV THE UK’s #1 SELLING PLUG-IN HYBRID

FROM £31,749 - £42,999

Including £2,500 Government Plug-in Car Grant10

BUYING A PHEV WILL SAVE YOU A TOTAL OF £6,696 IN CORPORATION TAX (YEAR 1)

1. Outlander PHEV GX4h compared with Honda CR-V, BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Mercedes E-Class – average saving £5,665 for a 40% taxpayer. The savings for business drivers with a company fuel card are higher.

2. Official EU MPG test figure shown as a guide for comparative purposes and is based on the vehicle being charged from mains electricity. This may not reflect real driving results.

3. Outlander PHEV qualifies as low CO2 emissions vehicle for the purpose of Capital Allowances. 8% write down allowance used for comparison. 4. Savings achieved due to lower Profits Chargeable to Corporation Tax (PCTCT). 5. Class 1a NI only payable on 7% of list price compared to 25%+ average. 6. 7% BIK rate for the 2016/17 tax year. 7. Congestion Charge application required, subject to administrative fee. 8. Domestic plug charge: 5 hours, 16 Amp home charge point: 3.5 hours, 80% rapid charge: 30mins. 9. For more information, visit mitsubishi-cars.co.uk/chargepoint 10. Prices shown include the Government Plug-in Car Grant and VAT (at 20%), but exclude First Registration Fee. Model shown is an Outlander PHEV GX4hs at £38,499 including the Government Plug-in Car Grant.

On The Road prices range from £31,804 to £43,054 and include VED, First Registration Fee and the Government Plug-in Car Grant. Metallic/pearlescent paint extra. Prices correct at time of going to print. For more information about the Government Plug-in Car Grant please visit www.gov.uk/plug-in-car-van-grants. The Government Plug-in Car Grant is subject to change at any time, without prior notice.

Outlander PHEV range fuel consumption in mpg (ltrs/100km): Full Battery Charge: no fuel used, Depleted Battery Charge: 51.4mpg (5.5), Weighted Average: 156.9mpg (1.8), CO2 emissions: 42 g/km.

amore 5” touchscreen with navigation

UConnect LIVE service

Air conditioning 440 litre boot capacity

ROOM FOR AMBITION Rear parking sensors Adaptive cruise control

16” alloy wheels Front seat central armrest

FOR LESS 16,940 P11D

CO2 From 89g/km

MPG Up to 83.1

BIK 18%

You don’t have to spend a lot to get a lot from the new Fiat Tipo Elite edition. Spot on whether you’re running a fleet or financing one, because your drivers will enjoy getting loads of kit and Italian style as standard.

And you’ll appreciate low running costs. Now that’s amore.

To find out more call our business centre free on 0808 168 6796.

new

ELITE fiat.co.uk /fleet

Fuel consumption figures for the new Fiat Tipo Elite range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 68.9 (4.1) - 70.6 (4.0); Extra Urban 88.3 (3.2) – 94.2 (3.0); Combined 80.7 (3.5) – 83.1 (3.4). CO2 emissions 92 – 89 g/km. Fuel consumption and CO2 figures based on standard EU tests for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. Model shown is

Fiat Tipo Elite Hatchback at £16,995 OTR.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Phillip Hammond announced £390 million of investment for ULEVS in the Government’s Autumn Statement

£390m for ULEVs announced in Autumn Statement Chancellor of the Exchequer Phillip Hammond has announced plans to invest £390 million to support ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs), renewable fuels and connected and autonomous vehicles by 2020-21.

The funding was confirmed in the Autumn Statement, which outlined that £80 million would go towards ULEV charging infrastructure. In addition to this, £150 million has been earmarked to support the adoption of low emission buses and taxis, with £20 million for the development of alternative aviation and

heavy goods vehicle fuels and £100 million for new UK CAV testing infrastructure.

The Autumns Statement also included plans to encourage businesses to adopt electric vehicles by offering 100 per cent first-year allowances to companies investing in charge‑points for electric vehicles until March 2019.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/hasp47w

STRATEGY

Volkswagen’s future includes ‘massive investments’ in e-mobility and connectivity Volkswagen (VW) has announced its strategy for the next decade with the launch of the TRANSFORM 2025+ programme, which the manufacturer has confirmed will ‘comprehensively reposition itself’ in the market.

The transformation is planned to come in three phases. Phase one will run up to 2020 and will see the brand entirely restructure its core business and complete a transformation along the entire value stream.

Phase two, running up to 2025, is when VW intends to ‘take the lead in e-mobility’ on the basis of its regained strength as a leading, profitable volume manufacturer, while phase three will run after 2025, when VW intends to ‘play a key role in shaping the major transformation in the industry’ and achieve a ‘leading role in the new world of mobility by 2030’.

E-mobility is planned to be a part of the VW ‘brand core’, with the

manufacturer financing an ‘e-mobility offensive’ by discontinuing certain low-volume, low-earning conventional models, which it believes will releases funds in excess of €2.5 billion.

Brande CEO Dr Herbert Diess said: “From 2020, we will be launching our major e-mobility offensive.

As a volume manufacturer, we intend to play a key role in the breakthrough of the electric car.

“We are not aiming for niche products but for the heart of the automobile market. By 2025, we want to sell a million electric cars per year and to be the world market leader in e-mobility.

Our future electric cars will be the new trademark of Volkswagen.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/z768lsf

News

FUNDING

PARKING

Dundee City Council gives EV drivers free city parking Electric vehicle drivers will be able to park for free in all Dundee City Council car parks, the council has said.

Owners need to register with the council to have free use of multi-storey car parks and will also be added to the permit scheme for street level council car parks.

Once signed up, the car’s registration number will be put into the Automatic Number Plate Recognition system to enable the barrier to lift on arrival and departure.

Hybrid electric vehicles, which are not eligible for the scheme, will still be able to plug in and recharge for free when parked at a designated charging bay.

The scheme goes live on 5 December.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/zc7jqky

EV CHARGING

Free EV charging at Birmingham and Luton airport carparks Airport parking provider Airparks has partnered with Pod Point to offer free electric vehicle (EV) charging at both Birmingham and Luton airports.

The chargers will be available to customers using Airparks’ off-airport sites and should be available from the end of November.

Erik Fairbairn, CEO of POD Point, said: “This move makes sense for all parties. It gives EV drivers a clear destination of choice for secured off airport parking. This new partnership is an indicator of our expanding network and a further step towards our target of having a POD Point everywhere people park for an hour or more by 2020.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/h45enx8

Volume 99 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

9

We deliver, so you deliver

X

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.

As Britain’s largest breakdown provider* we can get your business back on the road fast.

So you can keep delivering a top-notch service to your customers.

For AA Business Breakdown Cover call 0800 294 2994 quoting 0747 or visit theAA.com/business

AA Business Breakdown Cover 0800 294 2994 quoting 0747 theAA.com/business

AA Tyres 0800 810 0980 tyres.theAA.com

Fleet Risk Management from AA DriveTech e: TellMeMore@AAdrivetech.com

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

AA Key Assist e: Fleet.Enquiries@theAA.com

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

AIR POLLUTION

UK air quality plan given July 2017 deadline The Government must produce an improved air quality ruling by July 2017 to bring pollution within legal limits, a High Court judge has ruled.

The announcement comes after a High Court ruling found that the Government broke the law by failing to tackle illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) air pollution as quickly as possible‎earlier this month.

The Government has until 24 April 2017 to produce a draft plan with a final version due by 31 July 2017.

The judge also told the Government to publish the technical data on which it was basing its plans. The original judgment in the case ruled that Defra had used over‑optimistic estimates of future emissions from diesel cars.

The original air quality plan proposed six clean air zones in London, Birmingham, Derby, Southampton, Nottingham, and Leeds. During the hearing, the judge suggested

the government might need to include Glasgow and the government’s lawyer, Ian Rogers QC, also mentioned South Wales.

Alan Andrews, air quality lawyer for ClientEarth, the environmental lawyers that started the case against the government, commented: “A total of 37 out of 43 zones in the UK have illegal levels of air pollution. The Government will now have to show it has the ambition necessary to tackle the problem. If they are at all serious about complying with the court order, a national network of clean air zones must be part of their plans, which means including the dirtiest diesel cars and creating far more than the current six which are planned. Otherwise, the risk is the problem will just be pushed elsewhere.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/hrhxunl

AIR POLLUTION

London Mayor calls on VW to pay £2.5 million compensation

Sadiq Khan has written to VW Group asking for £2.5m to compensate for lost Congestion Charge revenue after the ‘Dieselgate’ emissions scandal.

Transport for London has calculated the £2.5m figure from the number of drivers of affected VW vehicles claiming a discount for which they were not entitled.

In a letter written to Paul Willis, managing director of Volkswagen Group United Kingdom Limited, the Mayor also asked to “set out the steps you will take to fully compensate Londoners who have bought

VW vehicles in good faith.”

He also questioned why a ‘buy-back’ option has not yet been offered to London VW owners, and details on what further action VW will take to reduce the pollution caused by their vehicles in London.

The funding would be used to raise awareness and reduce exposure to air pollution at schools located in some of the most polluted parts of London.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/zw92xn7

LowCVP’s Andy Eastlake

Green fleets – it’s about great people as well as the right policies I’m writing this as we resurface after another excellent GreenFleet Awards night at Edgbaston.

This year the LowCVP was shortlisted for an award in the innovation category. While we didn’t take the crown for that – Perpetual V2G were the worthy winners for their excellent refrigeration system power supply solution – what struck me most about the evening was what an important function events like this perform in allowing us to take time out to celebrate the people that drive the shift to lower carbon transport out there in the real world.

It’s very easy to be dazzled by the array of exciting technologies that emerge almost every week, with ever more capable electrified vehicles and creative hybrid solutions, technology for monitoring and advising fleet operations, or phone based apps for the user, driver or manager. It’s easy from where we sit too, to get bogged down or side-tracked by the intricacies of policies designed to encourage low carbon vehicle adoption.

But great technologies and sensible policies on their own don’t deliver the emissions reductions (and cost savings) needed. It takes great people behind these products and initiatives to make the difference at each link in the chain. It’s about dogged people often taking a risk, not just accepting the easy answer or being put off by the first difficulty. From the inventors all the way through to the people financing the products and vehicles, to the marketers searching for the key messages, what ultimately makes the difference are a few forward-looking and determined individuals.

People, of course, can play a less constructive role. From the user, to the fleet manager through to the finance director or CEO, there is the potential to scupper the best prepared green strategy much more easily than it can be made a roaring success.

So, looking round the room at the GreenFleet Awards ceremony among the friends and familiar faces, it seems to me that what linked them was the personal desire to make a difference, not just to accept the status quo or the easiest course but to make and implement a personal commitment to drive positive change.

Many of the awards winners last night – as of LowCVP’s own Low Carbon Champions Awards – provided inspirational stories. It’s incumbent upon us at the LowCVP, and colleagues working in the policy space, to live up to their inspiring examples; not to ‘follow the crowd’ but to forge ahead and implement the most innovative and creative policies needed to make the UK a clear leader in the adoption of low emission vehicles. But every now and then we should also make time to celebrate and toast the “great people making greener fleets.”

FURTHER INFORMATION For more information on the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, visit: www.lowcvp.org.uk

Volume 99 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

11

GreenFleet Awards 2016 winners announced This year’s GreenFleet Awards saw Comedian Dominic Holland present over 20 awards to organisations and individuals from the fleet and motor industries in recognition of their contribution to environmental fleet management.

Royal Mail was a big winner on the night, picking up the Outstanding Achievement Award in recognition of the firm’s dedication to improving efficiency over its 500 year history.

The Fleet Car Manufacturer of the Year Award was arguably the most competitive category of them all. In the end, Toyota claimed the prize for its fuel-efficient fleet

options, with hybrid derivatives across its range and even a hydrogen offering as well.

The success of the Leaf, which has recently been enhanced with a 30kWh option, helped Nissan to secure Electric Vehicle Manufacturer of the Year, while Fiat took home the City Car Manufacturer of the Year Award.

Representatives from Jersey Post all left with a smile on their face safter picking up the Private Sector Fleet of The Year (small to medium size) Award.

E Read the full event review on page 27 READ MORE tinyurl.com/h4m77fj

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Toyota shifts focus to EVs with new venture company Toyota has announced plans to launch an ‘in-house’ venture company that will be responsible for the development of electric vehicles (EVs).

The announcement marks a big shift in direction for the Japanese manufacturer, which had previously focused on the development of hybrid and hydrogen powertrains and is yet to produce a long-range pure EV. Although the firm believes the hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are the ideal ‘eco-car’ for the future, different energy and infrastructure issues around the world, alongside regulations to

grow zero‑emission vehicles, have heightened the need for product line-ups that can respond to various situations.

Toyota will continue to promote fuel cell vehicles as an alternative means of achieving zero emissions, but this will now be done alongside its new focus to commercialise EVs. The new venture company will reportedly operate as a virtual organisation and be independent from other internal structural organisations.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/hvslzg4

The AA drives the role of technology for the fleet market In the UK operational fleet market, it is clear that telemetry has been the most widely adopted technological innovation in recent years.

The Operational Fleet Insight Report 2016, produced

by Populus and delivered in conjunction with BT Fleet and The AA, recently revealed that 74 per cent of fleets containing 100 plus vehicles are now using telematics.

Such usage is particularly high in the IT and transportation industries, and still common with construction and manufacturing sectors. Looking even further ahead, the research also found that 59 per cent of all fleet managers say they are likely to increase their spending on telematics in the next few years.

Historically used for basic vehicle-tracking, telematics systems are now helping companies to run their fleets more efficiently.

This translates to cost savings, better use of vehicles and route planning. It also provides safer working conditions for employees.

Connected-car technology is critical to the next phase of innovation for vehicles, and The AA has invested significant resources in making sure that we are prepared for the wide scale adoption that is expected to occur.

Through extensive trials, The AA is deploying telematics that both pre-empt and diagnose breakdowns, improve deployment of appropriate assistance and enable more accurate and faster services. In addition, we have immediately looked at the way tracking of information on driving could allow the provision of cheaper car insurance for fleet managers.

Vehicle manufacturers are increasingly embracing connected‑car technology and fleet intelligence. The AA continues to build on its strong relationships with approximately 70 per cent of the UK’s manufacturers to make the most of the opportunities that this technology presents.

Fleet managers are undoubtedly sold on the idea of telematics.

It offers a tantalising opportunity and the future cannot come quickly enough in terms of having more sophisticated technology to generate real insight from the data it presents.

The AA is committed to providing simple, easy to understand, actionable information that does not overwhelm fleet managers or drivers. We aim to remove the burden of reporting from the customer and instead provide easy to install devices, telephone tutorials, straightforward dashboard and advanced driver apps, that make the use of telematics even more desirable.

The AA is determined to be at the heart of these advances and we are already pushing boundaries when developing the most sophisticated technology to ensure customers are benefiting from the possibilities it presents.

FURTHER INFORMATION For further information, contact Stuart Thomas on 0800 55 11 88 or stuart.thomas@theAA.com

HYDROGEN

£4m hydrogen fuel cell tech centre for Manchester A £4 million hub will be opened at Manchester Metropolitan University, making the latest equipment available to SMEs to develop advanced hydrogen fuel cells.

The Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre (MFCIC) will produce advanced materials for fuel cells and next generation energy storage,

News

AWARDS

Author: Stuart Thomas, head of fleet services, The AA

utilising nanomaterials and 3D printing for example. It will also play a part in planning a hydrogen and fuel cell infrastructure for the region.

The fuel cells will power cars as well as homes.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/zv6765u

Volume 99 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

13

Commercial Vehicle News

REFUSE TRUCKS

ELECTRIC VANS

Madrid City Council acquires gas-powered waste collection trucks

Electric, self-driving van revealed by Oxfordshire‑based company Charge

Madrid City Council in Spain has added 109 Iveco Stralis heavy-duty trucks powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) to its waste collection fleet.

The vehicles include 90 Stralis AD260S33YPS CNG models, featuring a 19m3 Ros Roca collector, and 19 AD190S33/P CNG models, each with a 12 m3 Ros Roca collector. These vehicles are produced exclusively at the Iveco plant in Madrid.

Natural gas (or methane) is stored in a gaseous state at a pressure of 200 bar, which the regulator reduces in two stages, before the gas is injected into the engine. The fuel is much cleaner than fossil fuels and generates 95% less particulate matter emissions than diesel, 35 per cent less

NOx and 10% less CO2 – the equivalent of 85 tonnes every year. What’s more, the engine is also 50 to 75 per cent quieter than the Euro VI diesel engine, as the Stralis CNG reduces noise pollution by between 3 and 6 decibels in comparison with other trucks in the same performance class.

Natural gas engines are also more economical to run.

They ensure fuel savings of 40 per cent, achieving a Total Cost Of Ownership (TCO) that is 10 per cent lower than their diesel equivalent, but without decreasing their transport capacity or increasing their greenhouse effect or air pollution levels.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/zpqez5t

Fuso Canter E-Cell makes UK debut

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new EV legislation globally including Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s new “Direct Vision Standard” for lorries, helping to make London’s streets significantly safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

The van has a simple design, and Charge say it takes one person just four hours to build an entire Charge truck.

Currently in development, the Charge vehicles will go on sale next year.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/zm5evcl

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

ELECTRIC HGV

Fuso Tuck’s new all-electric Canter E-Cell has made its UK debut at the 2016 Freight in the City Expo.

The zero-emission truck is powered by four lithium-ion batteries with a total capacity of 48kWh, which provide a range of approximately 62 miles between charges.

It is based on the 6.0 tonne Fuso Canter chassis and will be marketed as ideal for urban deliveries, with a body and payload allowance of 3.0 tonnes.

The E-Cell was first unveiled back in 2010 and has since

Unveiled at the Wired 2016 conference, the Charge van has an electric range of 100 miles, but is capable of 500 miles when in ‘dual mode’.

The vehicles are built using ultra-lightweight composite materials that significantly reduce the weight of the vehicle. All vehicles are autonomous ready, for when self-driving regulations allow, and receive updates over the air like a smart phone.

Charge develops trucks in a range of sizes from 3.5 Tonnes to 26 Tonnes.

Charge’s trucks will also meet

undergone a series of customer trials in real world conditions. This included a year-long trial of eight vehicles in Lisbon in 2014-15.

Over the 12-month trial period they collectively covered 50,000km, cutting CO2 emissions by 37 per cent compared to a diesel engine, with operational cost savings of €1,000 per 10,000km (£900 per 6,213 miles).

READ MORE tinyurl.com/hggam5h

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

LowCVP launches new Low Emissions Bus Guide The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) has launched a new Low Emission Bus (LEB) Guide to help bus operators and local authorities better understand the capabilities and benefits of the low emissions fuels and technologies available.

The new guide aims to be a vital reference point that can equip bus operators and local authorities with the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions, encouraging them to consider adopting appropriate low emission technologies and the associated infrastructure needed to support it.

The LEB Guide covers a range of technologies including: electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, electrified ancillaries, hydrogen fuel cell, biomethane, renewable diesel and retrofit selective catalytic reduction.

It outlines both the emissions performance and

the operational and financial factors fleet operators should consider when procuring new buses, including case studies of real-world bus operators.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/zw962v5

Commercial Vehicle News

FREIGHT TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION

ELECTRIC TRUCKS

Iceland to trial electric delivery truck Iceland will be trialling an electric 5.5-tonne Paneltex truck for its home deliveries.

The trial is part of a £38 million initiative funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency.

Iceland will use a Paneltex all-electric truck on a 5.5t Isuzu chassis for the project and use Route Monkey’s EV optimisation algorithms for journey planning. Sunamp’s cold storage technology will maintain the required ambient temperature in the vehicle’s cargo area, and The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) will be in charge of disseminating project results.

The Sunamp system has a better power to weight ratio and is more efficient than using Li-Ion batteries, helping to increase the vehicle’s payload capabilities by reducing the size of the traction battery pack.

This trial builds on Sunamp’s research and development, under previous Innovate UK

funding of heat batteries, for heating and air conditioning in electric cars and buses, with benefits in extending the useful range of these EVs at low cost.

Route Monkey’s EVOS software optimises EV range by calculating factors such as route topography and scheduling deliveries of heavier loads at the beginning of the day.

For this trial, Route Monkey’s dynamic optimisation of the demonstrator will include the capabilities to react to traffic congestion, factor in weather conditions, and – in case of emergency – schedule a top-up charge of the batteries and cold storage Heat Batteries at the nearest available charging point.

Trakm8’s telematics will provide real-time data including monitoring the ambient temperature and battery state of charge.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/jpt5rs2

ELECTRIC REFUSE TRUCKS

BYD unveils electric refuse truck with 100-mile range BYD, the Chinese electric automaker, has unveiled a 3.9-ton battery-powered truck it says is capable of traveling 100 miles on electric power.

The truck not only reduces tailpipe emission, but it also significantly reduces noise pollution. Additionally, as refuse trucks do a lot of braking, the regenerative braking system is put to good use.

The company worked with Wayne Engineering

for the features related to waste management.

Details of the electric powertrain were not revealed, but for reference, BYD equipped its class 8 electric truck with a 188kWh battery pack. Details on when the truck will be available have not been revealed.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/hhhms7f

Centre for Sustainable Road Freight – helping industry decarbonise Never has there been Rachael Dillon, more pressure on the climate road freight industry to change focus on reducing carbon policy manager, emissions and helping to FTA improve air quality. The Centre for Sustainable Road Freight (SRF) is a unique collaboration between Cambridge and Heriot Watt Universities and the freight industry to develop technical and operational solutions to make road freight economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.

Set up in 2012 with a major five-year grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Centre has developed a comprehensive research programme of over 20 collaborative research projects; combining road freight vehicle expertise from Cambridge University and logistics expertise from Heriot Watt University, supported by insight from operators in the freight and logistics sector.

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) is a consortium member of the SRF and recently took part in the Centre’s first press briefing alongside other partners to publicise the success of the programme to date. The event provided an insight into the Centre’s research and its impact on helping industry to decarbonise. As research is set by consortium members, the Centre seeks to answer the relevant questions that industry needs to know. Projects have focused on aerodynamics, dual‑fuel HGV research and eco-driver training to name but a few.

The SRF has also launched a web-based support tool to help operators decide on the best measures to save fuel and carbon emissions within their fleet. Known as the SRF Optimiser, it is free to use and models the effects of 29 carbon reduction measures including driver behaviour, use of aerodynamics and using alternative fuels. The aim is to allow operators to calculate real cost and carbon savings based on their personalised fleet data. This is really important as the tool gives tailored advice to operators whatever their size of fleet. It is a really good starting point for businesses who are looking to find ways to reduce fuel and carbon. The tool was developed by SRF, with input from FTA and other consortium members. It will also complement FTA’s Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme which helps operators to record and report carbon emissions from freight. The Centre’s research also supports the UK Government in achieving their commitment of an 80 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050. It produced a full assessment of the scope for demand-size measures to reduce logistics emissions for the Committee on Climate Change’s fifth carbon budget report.

As the Department for Transport (DfT) plans to publish its Freight Carbon Review by the end of the year and we will see the publication of the Government’s new Carbon Plan, it is great to have a research centre exclusively focused on projects to assess how freight can decarbonise. By bringing together academia, freight operators, manufacturers, technology suppliers and policy advisers, we have the expertise and the opportunity to identify what research is needed and to put the results into actual practice.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.csrf.ac.uk www.fta.co.uk

Volume 99 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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A BUSINESS SENSE OF ADVENTURE.

CO

2 FROM

115g/km

MPG

BIK

UP TO

FROM

64.2

23%

JEEP RANGE ®

To book a test drive call our Business Centre free on 0808 168 5440 or email us at jeep-fieet@ fcagroup.com OFFICIAL FUEL CONSUMPTION FIGURES FOR JEEP RANGE MPG (L/100KM): EXTRA URBAN 29.4 (9.6) – 70.6 (4.0), URBAN 13.9 (20.3) – 55.4 (5.1), COMBINED

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. Jeep ® is a

jeep.co.uk/fieet 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

registered trademark of FCA US LLC.

How can leasing and contract hire firms help with the wider role of fleet management? And what role does the industry play in driving down emissions? We ask our new expert panel for their views Fleet management as a role has evolved over the years. Legislative changes, duty of care responsibilities, tight budgets, lowering emissions, and evolving technology have made the position much more strategic and demanding.

Legislation and policies in the automotive industry change rapidly. The government is currently consulting on proposed tax changes on company cars, there are new VED bands coming into effect in 2017, the grants for electric vehicles have changed, and Ultra Low Emission Zones will be popping up in urban centres across the UK. Even the most seasoned fleet manager may have trouble keeping up and making sure their operations run as cost effectively during times of transition.

The contract hire and leasing industry moves with the changes, adapting their expertise and services to not only offer vehicles and funding, but other services that can help organisations with the wider role of fleet management, such as maintenance management, arranging insurance, mileage management and monitoring vehicle efficiency. Leasing companies also offer consultancy to make sure fleets run as efficiently as they can.

“Legislative changes are never far-away in this fast-moving environment and can have far-reaching effects,” explains Chris Chandler, principal consultant at Lex Autolease. “A leasing company can help a business to stay on top of these and build contingency plans where necessary. Fundamentally, leasing companies need to be a source of expert knowledge and become trusted advisors for their customer’s fleet and travel operations and take a proactive and leading role.”

Shaun Sadlier, head of consulting at Arval believes that consultancy is an important part in what they offer their customers: “We support our customers to identify and deliver a range of fleet strategies which meet their specific needs and priorities. Common areas of focus include fleet efficiency, cost management, a reduction in environmental impact, compliance with duty of care requirements, and driver satisfaction.”

“Effective consultancy projects will always result in a set of recommendations which deliver tangible outcomes and benefits for the customer. This can range from cost or

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Shaun Sadlier, head of consulting, Arval Shaun Sadlier leads the Arval Consultancy Team which supports the company’s car and van customers to identify and implement bespoke strategies which meet their fleet objectives. He has 28 years of industry experience, and has been with Arval since January 2000, most recently spending 12 years as an international business manager

Judith Eadie, account director – Scotland and Northern Ireland, Automotive Leasing Judith Eadie is account director for LeasePlan’s Public Sector specialist brand Automotive Leasing. Based in Stirling, Judith works with public sector organisations across Scotland and Northern Ireland. GreenFleet Award Winner and EV Champion, Judith has delivered many sustainable and low emission fleet solutions

Chris Chandler, principal consultant at Lex Autolease A fleet management consultant for 20 years, pushing the agenda for cleaner vehicles has been at the heart of Chris’ time in the industry. At Lex Autolease, Chris set up the plug-in vehicle proposition which saw the Lex Autolease plug-in fleet increase to over 6,000 vehicles, and the introduction of a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle CO2 savings through to an improvement in driver satisfaction or safety performance.”

Filling the knowledge gaps There are many cases where the responsibility of a fleet lies in the hands of another department, such as HR or finance, where there could be gaps in knowledge, and where fleet management can be a juggling act with other duties. In these instances, using a leasing or contract hire firm to aid with fleet management can be very beneficial.

Lex Autolease’s Chris Chandler says: “A combination of the green agenda and evolving vehicle technologies is changing the automotive landscape. When you consider that for many companies the person with responsibility for the fleet may not be a traditional fleet manager, but could

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

be a compensation and benefits or HR manager with relatively little automotive or fleet knowledge, a leasing company has perhaps a far broader role today on fleet management than it has done historically.

It has the expertise and knowledge to help a business build a fleet policy that is fit for purpose and cost-effective.”

Echoing this thought, Judith Eadie, account director at Automotive Leasing believes outsourcing all or some of fleet management can allow organisations to focus their time on more crucial tasks. She says: “Leasing companies have access to expertise and technology that a company might not have and, as a result, certain areas of management might be completely outsourced to a leasing company in order to maximise the positive impacts that a company vehicle can have.

Icon made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com

Expert Panel: Leasing

EXPERT PANEL LEASING

Driving down emissions The leasing and contract hire industry plays a significant role in driving down road emissions by helping the UK adopt cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles.

The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association’s latest quarterly survey of its leasing members found that almost one in 20 (4.7 per cent) of all new leased cars registered in the final quarter of 2015 was a plug-in, ahead of the market penetration achieved across all new registrations, which stood at 1.3 per cent.

Over 25 per cent of lease cars now sit in VED band A (sub-100g/km CO2) while the overall market share for all new cars sold in 2015 stands at 20 per cent.

The survey also showed that the average lease car added to a BVRLA member fleet in 2015 emitted just 112.6g/km CO2, more than seven per cent less than the average new car registered in 2015.

Shaun Sadlier from Arval says: “Purely by leasing brand new vehicles, the industry is introducing cars and vans delivering better fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions onto the roads.”

Whilst electric vehicle adoption is growing in the UK, some organisations are still reluctant to invest due to concerns over range anxiety and a limited charging infrastructure. Many may be unsure if an EV will fit their business requirements, and may be put off by a higher up front cost. The leasing and contract hire industry can help by educating organisations on the benefits of electric and ultra low-emission vehicles, and addressing any concerns. They can help them find vehicles that will fit their business needs, explain the whole life costs, and take any risk out of owning an electric vehicle.

Chris Chandler from Lex Autolease explains: “The leasing and contract hire industry provides its customers with robust guidance and technical knowledge as to both the introduction of new plug-in technologies and the continued improvements of traditional fuels. Ensuring the correct technology is used for the right application, and that fleet policies, including fuel policies, are suitable for their introduction, is key.”

Shaun Sadlier from Arval agrees, saying that “leasing companies have an important role to play in educating and advising businesses on new vehicle technologies, the environmental benefit that they can bring, and the circumstances in which they are best deployed.”

Britain’s grey fleet comprises 14 million cars – 40 per cent of all vehicles on the road. These cars are on average 8.2 years old and collectively emit 3.6 million tonnes of CO2 per year and 8,156 tonnes of NOx. Giving employees leased vehicles can help take some of these old, polluting vehicles off the road, replacing them with new, lower CO2 models. What’s more, new vehicles have more safety features, helping with duty of care responsibilities towards drivers.

Summarising the issue with grey fleet, Judith Eadie from Automotive Leasing says: “Generally, it’s not economically friendly, safe or cost effective to use a personal vehicle for work purposes. The reality is employers are legally responsible for employees driving for work, regardless of who owns the vehicle and so they should consider cost-effective alternatives such as teleconferencing, public transport, car clubs, hire or lease cars.

“Leasing companies have access to insight into vehicles that individual drivers might not. This macro view allows them to help organisations track the performance of their fleet. Any vehicles that are not performing in a way that is economically friendly can be repaired or removed accordingly –

sing The lea oves ym industr changes, e with th ting their adap nd services ea expertishelp firms to et with fle ent em manag

and using its supplier network vehicle downtime can be minimised.”

Looking towards 2050 In December 2015, the UK was one of 13 international members of the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Alliance to sign a commitment to promote cleaner motoring and slash transport emissions, including an agreement to make all passenger vehicle sales zero emission vehicles by 2050. So what needs to happen for this to become a reality, and what role will the leasing and contract hire play?

The range of electric vehicles, and the somewhat limited charging infrastructure are the biggest barriers for Shaun Sadlier from Arval, although he says things are improving: “We are starting to see the manufacturers announce some significant improvements in vehicle range making plug-in vehicles a more practical option and this improvement in battery capability will need to continue.”

“The network for refuelling or recharging needs to grow, irrespective of whether this is for electric or hydrogen powertrains. It needs to be fast and convenient for drivers to refuel, particularly those on long journeys which many employees will regularly carry out, particularly sales teams.”

Aside from the practicalities of range and infrastructure, our panelists agree E

Expert Panel: Leasing

There are various services available to help with tasks such as adding a vehicle to the Motor Insurance Database, sorting out vehicle tax or arranging an MOT test.

With these time drainers removed, office managers and other decision makers have more time to focus on their main job.”

Grey fleet According to a report from the Energy Saving Trust, commissioned by the BVRLA,

Volume 99 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Expert Panel: Leasing

Expert final thoughts

 that education again plays a key role in other ways of travelling aside from car, and getting people to buy into electric. viewing mobility as a service. This could “The industry’s challenge is to educate include a mix of car sharing, car clubs, and motorists as to which new fuel technology public transport. Car clubs are particularly is the most suited to their driving styles and popular in cities where traditional car patterns,” explains Chris Chandler from Lex ownership may not be practical due to Autolease. “Rather than questions about parking restrictions and congestion zones. brand style and image, drivers should be Another major way the industry is changing asking what sort of vehicle technology is the advent of self-driving cars. Whilst it may is the best for the kind of driving they seem like an idea way off in the future, trials do. By working in partnership, industry are happening today to test their viability. bodies, suppliers and manufacturers can “With autonomous, or semi-autonomous, raise awareness of the potential of new vehicles on the horizon, this is arguably vehicle technology and help motorists the greatest transition for drivers in 100 find what works best for them.” years,” says Shaun Sadlier from Arval. “For Shaun Sadlier from Arval agrees, adding: this reason, businesses will rely heavily on “As a leasing company we have a key role to their leasing provider to cut through the play in supporting and advising our information available and the vast customers on the implementation choice, to advise them on the Just and efficient usage of best solutions to meet their alternatively fuelled vehicles. business objectives today, s low icle a In doing this our customers and in the future.” h e nv will get the best from Chris Chandler from emissio gy evolves, o these vehicles which Lex Autolease says: l o d techn icies aroun in turn will drive “Fully autonomous l further adoption.” vehicles are also the po are moving “Leasing companies them his is where increasingly a near‑term need to be in a position reality, with huge T quickly. sing industry potential for changing to test, demonstrate and report back on the infrastructure and the lea tep up to the latest technologies legislation of our roads. can s late so that they can provide “In-car connectivity is the p practical advice to customers. also becoming more important That’s precisely why we are taking with many new drivers more part in a new trial to operate and lease a interested in the vehicle’s connectivity small number of hydrogen vehicles.” potential than the badge on the bonnet.”

Going back to the changing policies Sharing her vision of future mobility, and incentives surrounding zero and Judith Eadie from Automotive Leasing ultra low emission vehicles, Judith Eadie says: “One thing’s for certain, the car will from Automotive Leasing says: “Just like remain king. But urbanisation is set to the technology inside these vehicles, the grow and technology will drive continuous policies around them are moving quickly. transformation, which means the palette of This is where the leasing industry can step mobility solutions and individuals’ attitudes up to the plate. As well as working with toward them will also continue to change.” manufacturers to provide customers with “It’s inevitable that over the next access to ULEVs, leasing companies can five‑to-ten years we will continue to see a use their expertise to educate them about demand for the use of vehicles, spurred by any changes in policy and offer advice.” a combination of development to include individual-focused solutions that will make Where is the industry going? cars easier to access than ever before. For Alongside the evolution of zero and ultra example, Uber has grown almost 40-fold low emission vehicles, there are other over the last four years and new ride sharing changes happening in the automotive companies like GoMore allow individuals easy industry. People are beginning to look at access to cars to get them from A-B.” L

20

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

Shaun Sadlier With autonomous, or semi-autonomous, vehicles on the horizon this is arguably the greatest transition for drivers in 100 years. For this reason, businesses will rely heavily on their leasing provider to cut through the information available and the vast choice, to advise them on the best solutions to meet their business objectives today, and in the future.

However, some things won’t change – despite the dynamic landscape that we operate in, businesses will remain focused on areas like fleet efficiency, cost management, employee recruitment and retention and duty of care – the difference will come through the solutions that we offer.

Judith Eadie By 2025, we expect to see the number of cars on the road increase from 1.2 to 2 billion, bringing with it growth in the number of issues that impact the globe – infrastructure, road congestion and carbon emissions, among others. Collaboration is essential for our transport industry to evolve and become future-proof. In order to address the potential issues and threats, stakeholders will have to work together to provide solutions that keep all needs addressed.

So, alongside government, auto manufacturers and other stakeholders, the leasing industry will have to play their part in helping this transformation take shape.

Chris Chandler New fuel types and vehicle technologies are going to be the major game changers into the future.

Legislation is driving cleaner vehicles, and the desire for more connected vehicles and tech within cars such as autonomous driving is challenging existing legislation. Our role in this ever‑changing environment remains constant. Through our depth and breadth of knowledge and expertise, we advise our customers on the most effective and cost‑efficient vehicle and fleet policy to suit their specific business and driver needs – no matter whether in the future that vehicle is a hydrogen fuel‑cell‑powered, driverless car or a pure electric van.

Industry Comment ADVERTORIAL

Expert opinion: Optimisation on demand Flexible, scalable and above all, affordable - what’s not to like about the ‘Software as a Service’ model? Colin Ferguson, CEO of Route Monkey, examines how optimisation on demand offers new opportunities for fleets The word ‘revolutionary’ is often over-used, but we are undoubtedly living through a Big Data revolution. The key question for fleets is how to make Big Data work for you – and we believe that the answer lies in optimisation.

Telematics, the connected car and the Internet of Things are converging to generate levels of data that would have seemed impossible a decade ago. As part of the Trakm8 Group, Route Monkey is at the leading edge of these developments.

Today, fleet managers have unprecedented access to precise information on the location, condition, and performance of every vehicle, as well as data on driver behaviour. The challenge, of course, is two‑fold: firstly, not to drown in data so that it actually inhibits your operations; and secondly, how to make the best use of the mountain of information at your fingertips.

Make Big Data work for you The good news is that fleet optimisation thrives on data. The more information you can feed into the optimisation algorithms, the better the results. The data gathered by telematics in particular enables solutions like Route Monkey to accurately analyse your fleet’s operations. Our powerful algorithms can then assign vehicles, drivers and schedules in the most efficient way possible.

This process is fully automated – the telematics sends data via our middleware to the optimisation algorithms, which crunch the numbers to schedule your fleet. Data collection, analysis and optimisation are all delivered without any intensive human resource required.

Software as a Service Until now, the procurement options for optimisation were limited. Typically, providers request an up-front payment, plus an annual licence fee. Hosting can be on your own servers, or in the Cloud with access through a web portal. The downside is that

this payment model is not always viable or cost‑effective, particularly for smaller fleets.

Increasingly, solutions are available via the Software as a Service (SaaS) model, also referred to as on-demand software. Instead of paying a licence fee, users pay a monthly subscription, which can rise or fall depending on how often you use the software and which features you are using. It can even be a completely pay-as-you-go (PAYG) service.

Many organisations already use this pay-as-you-go procurement model for back-office applications such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions, payroll, and even accounting. At Route Monkey, we believe the SaaS model is the key to unlocking the potential for smaller fleets to benefit from optimisation.

Optimisation on demand Working with our parent company, Trakm8, we are developing optimisation on demand, which we believe will make the benefits of fleet scheduling accessible to all. Fleet managers will be able to log into a website, upload their fleet data and receive optimised scheduling, all with just a few mouse clicks.

The PAYG element of on-demand optimisation gives smaller fleets much more flexibility, helping to ensure that you only pay for the service when you need it. Payment options could include a per‑mile or per-vehicle basis. With mileage savings typically in excess of 10 per cent, PAYG can give even the smallest fleets an immediate return on investment.

The potential operational benefits are also magnified for smaller companies.

For example, a fleet with very simple and defined operations would not need optimisation on most days. However it could now access optimisation for periods when operations are more complex, such as multi-drop collections and deliveries.

Another fleet might require basic optimisation on most days, with the scalability to add more complex features on a PAYG basis.

There are even wider applications that

Colin Ferguson

Colin Ferguson is CEO of Route Monkey, a leading provider of fleet optimisation solutions that is part of the Trakm8 Group.

A former transport operator, Colin founded Route Monkey to create algorithms that drive significant savings for fleets. It developed the world’s first electric vehicle optimisation software and remains an acknowledged global leader in this field. could prove invaluable. A company pitching for new business could access on-demand optimisation to predict what additional resource would be required to deliver the contract, thereby helping to inform your price points and service level agreements.

In 2015, Route Monkey saved its customers an estimated total 38,844,000 miles and a corresponding 26,258 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Imagine what we can achieve in 2017 by making the software accessible to all fleets?

Call it revolutionary, call it transformative, or call it disruptive technology. Whatever you call it, on-demand optimisation is coming – and it has the potential to change fleet management forever. L FURTHER INFORMATION For further details on how Route Monkey can help optimise your fleet, or to find out more about free benchmarking, contact 0845 643 5731 or visit www.routemonkey.com

Volume 99 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Fleet Interview

Cutting carbon in Cambridge The University of Cambridge’s estate management team operates several electric vehicles and has pledged to have half of its fleet electric by 2021. GreenFleet catches up with Christine Leonard to find out the benefits and challenges of running an electric fleet Explain a little about the university’s fleet.

The University of Cambridge has several fleets, of which estate management has the largest. Most of these vehicles are used in the provision of operational maintenance and soft FM, with a pool of five cars. In 2011, Sarah Foreman, the head of estate

22

facilities, reduced the estate management fleet size by 16, to 48 light commercial vehicles and five cars. I continued to work to reduce the impact of the fleet on the City’s environment following my recruitment in 2012. At that

time, the fleet had two electric vehicles, used by the University Messenger Service. There had been no fleet strategy in place when Sarah arrived and a large proportion of the vehicles were in need of replacement.

How did you begin the process of ‘greening’ the university’s fleet?

The Sustainable Fleet Management Policy (2015) aims to reduce environmental impact through a combination of cleaner vehicles and fuels, fuel-efficient operation and driving; and by reducing the amount of road traffic it generates. In doing so the fleet minimises fuel and vehicle costs and improves the safety and the welfare of employees while reducing its exposure to the problems of congestion.

The strategy will also help meet the requirements of other

Gainingow aL Go Ultr y status n Compa lped the has he ss case busine asing the e for incr ric fleet elect

organisational policies for example, environmental policy, business efficiency, health and safety, and corporate social responsibility.

The first step to understanding the optimisation of the fleet was to install vehicle telematics. The ‘trackers’ were fitted in May 2014 and continue to provide data on mileage and routes as well as utilisation.

In 2015, six new electric vans and one grounds utility vehicle joined the fleet. With a target of 50 per cent electric by 2021 for

the estate management fleet, a further seven electric vans have been procured this year.

Which electric vehicles do you operate and why were they chosen?

The vehicles are chosen against the specification of the service managers. This will include payload, capacity and the availability of local servicing, as well as good value in terms of capital and running costs.

We have eight Renault Kangoo Z.E.s which

The Go Ultra Low Companies initiative has been endorsed by government and the automotive industry, and recognises organisations that are leading the electric motoring revolution by using electric vehicles (EVs), and pledging to buy even more.

Public and private sector organisations that already use EVs, or offer them to employees as company cars, are eligible for Go Ultra Low Company status, providing there’s a commitment for EVs to make up at least five per cent of their vehicle fleet by 2020.

Fleet Interview

The Sustainable Fleet Management Policy (2015) aims to reduce environmental impact through a combination of cleaner vehicles and fuels, fuel-efficient operation and driving; and by reducing the amount of road traffic it generates

What is Go Ultra Low status?

are used where payload is not an issue.

We also have seven Nissan e-NV200 vans, two of which have been converted to chiller vans. The Nissans are E

The estates team at the university has seven Nissan e-NV200 vans, two of which have been converted to chiller vans. The Nissans are used where larger vehicles with the capacity for higher payloads are required 23

Fleet Interview

The installation of a weighbridge at the site will remove any risk of overloading the new vehicles. The lack of engine noise took a little getting used to, as did the regenerative braking  used where larger vehicles with the capacity for higher payloads for M&E operations and catering are required.

One Polaris Goupil pick-up truck, which is used by the grounds team, fits the requirement for a small utility vehicle.

Were there any barriers that had to be overcome before purchasing EVs? The original Kangoos had proven to be reliable and the staff enjoyed driving them. However, the idea of bringing electric vehicles into the operational teams wasn’t accepted in the early days. The drivers were persuaded by arranging trial vehicles so they were able to try them out for a week or so.

The cost of installing charging units was greatly reduced through our electrical engineers installing them for me and linking them to the Building Management System so that the use of electricity is metered. The plug-in fleet grants have helped with the initial purchasing cost and gaining Go Ultra Low Company status has helped in the business case for increasing the electric fleet.

How do the drivers view the EVs now?

The drivers are very happy with the new vans. What’s more, service managers are fully committed to further reducing the impact of our operations through redesigning the racking and reducing the load through lightweight materials and through removing unnecessary tools and equipment from the vans.

The installation of a weighbridge at the site will remove any risk of overloading the new vehicles. The lack of engine noise took a little getting used to, as did the regenerative braking.

Describe a typical day of one of your electric vehicles.

The estate maintenance vehicles are used mainly within the city boundary to transport the team and their tools and equipment to service the estate’s grounds and 350+ buildings. Because the mileage is low, EVs are helping to overcome the issue with diesel particulate filters and the regeneration problems caused by short journeys.

Most of the vans are charged at the Laundry Farm site on the edge of the city and are on trickle feed due to the capacity of the power source to the site. Timers are being installed to take advantage of low cost, overnight tariffs to bring further savings to running costs and environmental impact.

How much have you saved on fuel costs and carbon emissions?

A saving of 2,330 litres of fuel (£3,190) and 5,979 kg of

Trialling ith sw the vanforce will rk the wo llay their help a d check fears anehicle the v iness s suits bu ds nee

What advice would you give to other organisations thinking of buying electric vehicles?

There is a lot to consider and one of my concerns is the unknown residual value of the EVs when the time comes to replace them, especially if the plug-in grants are diminished.

Trialling the vans with the workforce will help allay their fears and check the vehicle suits business needs.

Make sure you install meters to help reporting and future business cases. I’m really pleased that the University of Cambridge is helping to lead the way and very proud of our Go Ultra Low status. L CO2 have been calculated in one financial year.

What are your future plans?

We have been approached about introducing

Christine Leonard is senior technical support manager for the estate management department at the University of Cambridge.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.cam.ac.uk

Fleet Interview

hydrogen fuel to the fleet and it is something we would consider when the fuel is more widely available.

However, given the short nature of the university journeys, the investment would have to prove to be of value.

An assessment of further capacity at Laundry Farm will show whether we can increase the electric fleet to the desired 50 per cent and I would love to install solar power to help make that possible.

BMW Fleet & Business Sales

bmw.co.uk/business

PHEV MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR.

Combining the reduced emissions of BMW’s electric eDrive system with the aesthetics of some BMW fleet favourites, the BMW iPerformance range offers everything you would expect from BMW with the benefits of lower running costs. CO2 emissions start at just 44g/km, keeping both business and driver in-pocket, without compromising on standard conveniences such as BMW Navigation, BluetoothŽ and Park Distance Control.

To find out more, visit bmw.co.uk/phev

Official fuel economy figures for the BMW range: Urban 15.3-72.4mpg (18.4-3.9 l/100km).

Extra Urban 29.4-91.1mpg (9.6-3.1 l/100km). Combined 22.0-470.8mpg (12.8-0.06 l/100km).

CO2 emissions 294-0g/km. Figures may vary depending on driving style and conditions.

The Ultimate Driving Machine

GreenFleet Awards

A celebration of environmental efforts Edgbaston Cricket Stadium once again played host to this year’s GreenFleet Awards, which saw comedian Dominic Holland present over 20 awards to organisations and individuals in recognition of their contribution to green road transport and environmental fleet management 2016 marked the 19th year of the GreenFleet Awards, bringing together leaders of the fleet and motor industries to celebrate the brilliant work being done to reduce the environmental impacts of fleet and promote the ever‑developing low-emission technology available.

This year’s awards came amidst a renewed focus on zero-emission transport from the government, with the £35 million funding for ultra-low emission cities announced in March, which will be made available to cities who demonstrate the potential to showcase ultra low emission vehicles in a local area.

In addition to this, Chancellor of the Exchequer Phillip Hammond officially announced plans to invest £390 million to support ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs), renewable fuels and connected and autonomous vehicles by 2020-21.

The funding was confirmed in the

Autumn Statement, which outlined that £80 million would go towards ULEV charging infrastructure.

In addition to this, £150 million has been earmarked to support the adoption of low emission buses and taxis, with £20 million for the development of alternative aviation and heavy goods vehicle fuels and £100 million for new UK CAV testing infrastructure.

with city‑friendly zero local emissions.

It packs a 75 KWh lithium-ion phosphate battery and comes in a choice of short and long wheelbase panel van configurations and a custom-built chassis cab option. China’s first all-electric van made its debut at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham.

The EV80 was available to view as MC Ruben welcomed guests to a selection of drinks. Also on display in the reception hall was Fiat’s 500, Tipo and Ducato, as well as the BMW 740Le xDrive, the Mini Clubman and the UK’s best-selling plug-in, the Mitsubishi Outlander. E

The evening kicke pre-din d off with a n sponso er reception manufa red by van LDV ha cturers LDV. s the UK returned to with EV80 the

A warm welcome The evening kicked off with a pre-dinner reception sponsored by van manufacturers LDV. LDV has returned to the UK with the EV80, an all-electric van that promises a 215-mile range, combined

l-electric LDV’s al n EV80 va range a promises s ile 5 of 21 m

Volume 99 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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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

 Renault showcased its pure-electric Zoe, with Nissan’s Leaf and e-NV200 also on hand.

After guests were treated to a three course meal, the GreenFleet Awards’ headline sponsor Green Motion started the official proceedings with a presentation about how it is looking to change the vehicle rental and leasing market for the better by offering customers lower CO2 options and offering first class customer service.

Richard Lowden, founder and CEO, explained how Green Motion, which is currently operating in 26 countries, is working to expand its reach while keeping carbon reduction and customer service at the heart of the company.

The reigns were then handed over to comedian Dominic Holland, who took us to the business end of the night – the awards themselves.

Awarding excellence Royal Mail was a big winner on the night, picking up the Outstanding Achievement Award in recognition of the firm’s dedication to improving efficiency over its 500‑year history.

The firm has constantly embraced new ways of working to deliver mail faster and more efficiently, from horse-drawn carriages in the late 1700s, steam-driven packet ships in the early 1800s, trains in 1911 and planes in 1918. The present day sees Royal Mail’s fleet of around 47,000 road vehicles deliver mail to 29 million addresses across the country, six days a week. The firm strives to drive down emissions by reducing air miles, introducing telematics and driver training, as well as trialling electric delivery vans, with more green initiatives in the pipeline too.

Car clubs and rentals A new category for 2016 was Car Club of the Year Award, with Co-Wheels scooping the prize to become the inaugural winners. Co‑wheels is now the only independently‑owned national car club, and delivers its service in over 60 locations across the UK. 75 electric cars are now available to hire by the hour in 20 towns and cities.

Founders Pierre Fox, Richard Falconer and Paul Balmont set up Co-Wheels as a social enterprise which is annually assessed against transparent criteria, upheld by an independent certification panel. In June this year it became the first car club to receive ‘Go Ultra Low Company’ status, with over 40 per cent of its UK fleet either electric or hybrid. The first car club to introduce wheelchair accessible vehicles into its fleet has held the Social Enterprise Gold Mark for over five years for being able to demonstrate an excellent standard of practice in business ethics.

Meanwhile, Green Motion fended off competition from Europcar and Electric Blue to once again be named the Rental Car Company of the Year, in recognition of its continuous work to improve efficiency and have the lowest environmental impact possible.

Established in 2007, Green Motion is currently present in 26 countries and is concentrating on the further strengthening of its home market of the UK. The company continues to work closely with some of the

world’s largest manufacturers, including Citroen, Toyota, Honda, Lexus and BMW to procure vehicles that are at the cutting edge of environmental technology. The all‑electric Nissan Leaf is available to hire in several branches, while sub 100g/km cars and vans are commonplace in its fleet, as are a range of filtered diesels and hybrids.

The company has concentrated on ensuring that the principle activities of its business have the lowest impact on the environment as possible, with each installation adhering to a list of environmental specifications from power generation through to shop fitting materials and paper use.

All hail the taxi More and more taxi companies are beginning to realise the benefits of electric vehicles, meaning the Private Hire/Taxi Company of the Year Award was fiercely contested. In the end E-Connect cars came out on top, in recognition of the great work they have done to offer zero‑emission journeys with a fully electric car fleet.

Starting with five Nissan Leaf Teknas in January of 2014, the fleet has now grown to 55 vehicles and clients are now able to book an executive option with the Tesla model S, as well as a business class with the top of the range Leaf. Whilst most trips are less than five miles, journeys as far afield as Cardiff and Hereford have E

A new category for 2016 was Car Club of the Year Award, with Co-Wheels scooping the prize to become the inaugural winners Co-Wheels won the inaugural Car Club of the Year Award, and was handed its prize

by GreenFleet Events and Sponsorship Executive Rosario Surace (far right) and awards host Dominic Holland (far left)

City Car Manufacturer of the Year: Fiat EV Manufacturer of the Year: Nissan Fleet Car Manufacturer of the Year: Toyota LCV Manufacturer of the Year: Renault

GreenFleet Awards

Winners at a glance

LGV Manufacturer of the Year: Iveco PHEV Manufacturer of the Year: BMW Private Sector Fleet of the Year (Small to Medium): Jersey Post Private Sector Fleet of the Year (Medium to Large): Microsoft Private Sector Fleet Manager of the Year: Alan Baker – Galliford Try Public Sector Fleet of the Year (Small to Medium): University of Cambridge Public Sector Fleet of the Year (Medium to Large): London Fire Brigade Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year: John Gorton – Kent and Essex Police Industry Innovation Award: Perpetual V2G IT Innovation Award: Route Monkey Rental Company of the Year: Green Motion Vehicle Rental Leasing Company of the Year: Alphabet Car Club of the Year: Co-Wheels Private Hire / Taxi Company of the Year: E-Connect Cars Outstanding Achievement Award: Royal Mail EV Champions: Chris Ramsey, Plug in Adventures Poppy Welch, Go Ultra Low Matthew Morgan, The Phoenix Works Katie Colledge-Price, Microsoft Douglas Robertson, EVAS

Volume 99 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

29

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The LPS unit harvests otherwise waste 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.

A number of Sainsbury’s Click and Collect vans have already had the systems installed and are reporting a fuel saving of £7140 per annum per vehicle and a carbon saving of 17,800 kg. Further to that the adaptability of the solution means that it can not only be used to remove the need for engine idling, but also to replace environmentally unfriendly lead acid batteries and noisy, Co2 emitting generators.

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City Car Manufacturer of the Year Mini / Smart / Hyundai / Fiat / Skoda Electric Vehicle Manufacturer of the Year BMW / Mahindra / Kia / Renault / LDV

GreenFleet Awards

Commended organisations

Fleet Car Manufacturer of the Year BMW / Volvo / Kia / Nissan / Hyundai LCV Manufacturer of the Year Mitsubishi / Peugeot / Fiat Professional / Nissan / LDV LGV Manufacturer of the Year Volvo Trucks / DAF / Scania / Isuzu PHEV Manufacturer of the Year Volvo / Kia / Mitsubishi / Volkswagen

Green Motion collected the Rental Company of the Year award from GreenFleet editor Angela Pisanu (far right)

Private Sector Fleet of the Year (S-M) E-Connect Cars / Vital Energi / Powerstar / Wego Couriers

Recognising innovation is a key part of the GreenFleet Awards, as new ideas put into practice is at the core of improving efficiency and offering solutions to environmental fleet management customers that don’t have a dedicated fleet manager, Alphabet has developed a range of outsourced products and services which enable its customers to focus on their core business while delivering greater flexibility and more efficient mobility for their employees.

The company has also gained an Investors in People Silver Award – one of the few to achieve this at the first time of application.

Independent surveys recorded a 2.2 per cent increase in overall customer satisfaction and a 2.4 per cent increase in customer loyalty.

 been undertaken using the Tesla.

In January 2016, E-Connect cars completed a successful crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube. Over 200 investors supported the use of electric vehicles as taxis and together raised nearly half a million pounds, part of which was used to extend rapid charging infrastructure.

The Leasing Company of the Year Award went to Alphabet, whose electric fleet grew by 385 per cent and in August this year reached a total of 5,085 EVs and PHEVs. It can also boast the impressive statistic that almost 10 per cent of the 23,109 plug-in grant-eligible cars and vans registered in the first eight months of 2016 are funded by or leased from Alphabet.

Alphabet’s multi-user AlphaCity CarSharing vehicles will cover more than one million miles, with each car being shared by an average of 27 individual ‘mobility users’ via RFID cards. Improvements to AlphaCity include a zero emission Electric Vehicle version using the BMW i3.

To better serve the 30 per cent of its

Industry innovation Recognising innovation is a key part of the GreenFleet Awards, as new ideas put into practice is at the core of improving efficiency and offering solutions to environmental fleet management.

Route Monkey was recognised for its efforts, picking up the IT Innovation Award, sponsored by Green Motion.

Route Monkey creates complex algorithms to deliver scheduling and route optimisation solutions for fleets. In 2015, Route Monkey estimates that it saved its customers a total 38,844,000 miles and a corresponding 26,258 tonnes of CO2 emissions. The system can provide real time dynamic scheduling and can comfortably deal with the addition of last-minute jobs or delays and road closures caused by road traffic accidents.

Route Monkey’s EVOS solution is the first software to optimise ULEVs and the first that can schedule mixed fleets containing conventional and low carbon vehicles.

The GreenFleet Award for Industry Innovation was handed over to Perpetual V2G, which has developed a patented lithium-ion power supply which works by E

Private Sector Fleet of the Year (M-L) Speedy Asset Services / Britvic / Galliford Try / Gnewt Cargo Private Sector Fleet Manager of the Year Will Smith (Britvic) / Chris Beattie (WEGO Couriers) / Darren Moon (Jersey Post) Public Sector Fleet of the Year (S-M) University of Birmingham / Oxford City Council / Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust Public Sector Fleet of the Year (M-L) Fife Council / South East Coast Ambulance / Gateshead Council / Essex & Kent Police / Leeds City Council Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year Tom Henderson (Fife Council) Graham Telfer (Gateshead Council) Mark Armstrong-Read (Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust) Ian Bourton (Oxford City Council Industry Innovation Award Everwarm / LowCVP/ Elm EV / BMW / Fleetdrive Electric / Alphabet IT Innovation Award Chevin Fleet / Geotab / Emissions Analytics / Rolec EV Rental Company of the Year Europcar / Electric Blue Ltd Leasing Company of the Year Fleetdrive Electric / Leaseplan/ Automotive Leasing Car Club of the Year E-Car Club / Zip Car Private Hire / Taxi Company of the Year Addison Lee / Green Tomato Cars Streamline Cars (York)

Volume 99 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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T H E I C O N R E LOA D E D

BEAUCONOMICS IS making cost-effective look sexy

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

fiat.co.uk Fuel consumption figures for Fiat 500 Range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 51.4 (5.5) – 68.9 (4.1); Extra Urban 65.7 (4.3) – 94.2 (3.0); Combined 60.1 (4.7) – 83.1 (3.4). CO2 emissions 110 – 88 g/km. Fuel consumption and CO figures based on standard EU tests for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results.

2

GreenFleet Awards

 capturing energy that would otherwise be wasted during a vehicle’s drive time.

This application can be seen in refrigerated vehicles that require engine idle for power.

The system eliminates the need for this, powering the refrigeration unit from the battery as soon as the engine is turned off.

Manufacturers While innovation drives forward efficiency, fleets will always be limited by the performance of their vehicles. This year at the GreenFleet Awards a wide range of manufacturers were recognised for their continuous efforts to produce improved vehicles, that offer lower emission options without sacrificing performance.

This can be especially tricky for manufacturers attempting to produce ‘green’ large goods vehicles, but this year’s winner Iveco has surpassed itself with the new Stralis NP, which some are calling the ‘greenest truck the world has ever seen.’

Running on compressed and liquid natural gas, at its heart is the Iveco Cursor 9 Natural Power Euro VI engine, which delivers the same power and torque output as its diesel equivalent. It is the first natural gas truck with a 12-speed automated gearbox, with the Eurotronic transmission guaranteeing lower fuel consumption and the LNG-only version boasting a record range autonomy of 1,500km.

With Euro VI engines now a must, all van manufacturers have had to come up with vehicles that comply, and as a result, the LCV manufacturer of the Year category was very

While innovation drives forward efficiency, fleets will always be limited by the performance of their vehicles hard to judge. After long deliberation, Renault was named this year’s winner after seeing its LCV market share for the first half of 2016 go up one percentage point on the same period in 2015. That itself was a record, but a particular success story was sales of the Trafic van, which has proved as popular as ever with business

users across the UK with 8,722 of the third generation model being sold in the first half of 2016 – almost 40 per cent up on the last year.

Steve Wilson, head of LCV, Groupe Renault UK said: “We’re extremely proud to have received this award from GreenFleet. Renault’s LCVs are some of the cleanest in the E

University of Cambridge’s estates team scoops Public Sector Fleet of the Year award I was at the airport in Edinburgh when I took the call to let me know the University of Cambridge had been entered into the 2016 GreenFleet Awards for the Public Sector Fleet of the Year (small to medium) category.

It turns out that we were put forward by GreenFleet’s research and editorial teams.

I was really excited to find out that we had been shortlisted and that we could attend the awards in Birmingham.

Gaining Go Ultra Low status had seemed recognition enough for the introduction of the EVs and the other initiatives were ‘just part of the job’, as I saw it; to ensure excellent health & safety and good value for the University.

Leading up to the award ceremony, there was a lot of excitement from my team and colleagues who have done so much to support me in the role and also from the guys who had posed by their EVs for the photograph in the GreenFleet interview in November’s issue. On arriving at the hotel in Birmingham, it was great to bump

into people from other organisations who were attending the event at Edgbaston.

The evening was excellent and it was so nice to meet people from the fleet world that I had done business with but hadn’t previously met. So, after an excellent dinner, good wine and lots of fun, the awards were announced. When the compare Dominic Holland mentioned some facts and figures that I recognised as our carbon savings for the year, I began to feel hopeful and was delighted when he said the

University of Cambridge had won the category!

The Head of Estate Facilities announced the award in the all team meeting and it was welcomed with a feeling of pride. The workforce had put aside their initial concerns about EVs, worked with the trial vehicles, given the feedback I needed to get the right vehicles in, accepted the trackers, embraced the training and they had gained recognition.

Winning this award is good for me personally, as I gain confidence in fleet management and continue to present the business case for greening the fleet. Maybe it’s time to press harder for those solar panels!

Christine Leonard is the senior technical support manager for the estate management department at the University of Cambridge.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.cam.ac.uk

Volume 99 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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READY TO BREAK WITH CONVENTION?

The choice is yours from city cars, to SUVs, executive coupés and more.

Put our world leading hybrids to the test and call 0344 701 6186 or visit toyotalexusfleet.co.uk/convention

FLEET CAR MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR

GreenFleet Awards

2016 GreenFleet Award winners celebrate their success

Fiat was named the urer City Car Manufact of the Year

The GreenFleet Awards also takes pride in recognising the efforts of fleets of every size from the private and public sector that go above an beyond to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impacts  industry, and by offering the 100 per cent electric Kangoo Van Z.E. and innovative Twizy Cargo, we also provide a unique‑to‑the‑segment option for those who are looking to make their fleets kinder to the environment. The award win is further proof of the popularity of Renault’s LCV line-up in the UK after a large number of fleet operator wins this year.”

The City Car Manufacturer of the Year Award, sponsored by Green Motion, went to Fiat for its iconic 500 model as well as the newly-launched Tipo hatchback. The 500 has received further tweaks to make it an even more attractive proposition for emissionsconscious fleets. Both versions of the 900cc TwinAir petrol engine are available with start/ stop technology, while the 1.3 litre Multijet Diesel variant and a 1.2 litre eco petrol version both provide sub‑90g/km emissions for zero road tax and reduce BIK from 17 per cent to 14 per cent.

The Fiat Tipo 1.6 MultiJet II meanwhile

has a combined cycle fuel consumption figure and CO2 emissions of 76.3mpg and 98g/km respectively.

Pure EVs and plug-in hybrids Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are becoming an increasingly popular choice for drivers who want the benefits of an electric vehicle but still appreciate the inclusion of a combustion engine alongside.

This year’s winner BMW made a big impact on this market in 2016 and now has no fewer than five different models for fleets to choose from. Extensive discussions were conducted with fleets ahead of the market introduction of the BMW 330e Saloon. This plug-in hybrid offers an official combined fuel consumption of 148.7mpg and CO2 emissions of 44g/km. March 2016 also saw the launch of the BMW 225xe Active Tourer.

In pure electric mode, the car can travel up to 25 miles and reach up to 78mph, emission‑free and with zero fuel consumption.

ooped BMW sc EV the PH turer Manufac ar of the Ye

The GreenFleet judges are delighted to see the Electric Vehicle Manufacturer of the Year category become more and more competitive every year, as manufactures respond to the rising fleet demand.

Nissan picked up the Award, sponsored

by Green Motion, in recognition for its continued work to take electric motoring to the masses with its flagship EV, the Leaf.

This year saw the success story of the Leaf continue, with Nissan shifting over 250,000 units since its introduction in 2010. The unique manufacturing plant in Sunderland, which builds the car for supply to 23 markets, completed the build of its 50,000th Leaf earlier this year. Recent enhancements include the addition of a 30kWh battery, which offers a significant 26 per cent increase in driving range.

Receiving the award, Karl Anders, national EV manager for fleet at Nissan Motor (GB), said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have won this prestigious award for the second time in succession. We pride ourselves in leading the way in the fleet industry with our EV range, and this award is great recognition of our continued effort.”

The Fleet Car Manufacturer of the Year Award, sponsored by the ‘Home of the Arrive’n’Drive’, Rockingham, was arguably the most competitive category of them all.

In the end, Toyota claimed the prize for its broad range of fuel-efficient fleet options. E Volume 99 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

35

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The greenest fleets The GreenFleet Awards also takes pride in recognising the efforts of fleets of every size from the private and public sector that go above an beyond to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impacts.

The Public Sector Fleet of the Year Award (small – medium) went to the very deserving University of Cambridge.

Plug-in cars and vans form an increasingly important part of Cambridge University estate management’s fleet, and it was one of the first organisations in the UK to receive ‘Go Ultra Low Company’ status. In 2015 six new electric vans and one grounds utility vehicle joined the fleet. With a target of 50 per cent electric by 2021, a further five electric vans have been procured and the catering section was provided with two EV chiller conversions in October. Along with an advanced driver training programme for our regular drivers, a saving of 2,330 litres of fuel of (£3,190) and 5,979 kg of CO2 in one financial year has been achieved.

The Public Sector Fleet of the Year Award in the medium-large category, sponsored by

GreenFleet Awards

 The range of hybrid models available from Toyota has increased and now includes the Yaris, Auris and RAV4 SUV, with all but the RAV available in sub 100g/km CO2 versions.

With the Prius still the first option as a fuel efficient small passenger transport vehicle, the addition of a seven seater variation is sure to sustain this. In all, seven hybrid models provide fleet managers with plenty of choice.

Royal Mail picked up the Outstanding Achievement Award in recognition of the firm’s dedication to improving efficiency over its 500‑year history

Automotive Leasing, went to the London Fire Brigade. This year the Brigade changed its diesel fleet of 66 ‘blue lighted’ pool cars to 52 range extender electric BMW i3 and five plug in hybrid cars, making it the largest i3 fleet in the UK. This has greatly reduced CO2 emissions from 119g/km to 13g/km and NOx from 149mg/km to 2mg/km for the i3s. Telematics are also being introduced on all frontline vehicles.

Meanwhile, John Gorton of Kent & Essex Police was thrilled to take home the Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year Award, sponsored by Everwarm.

John is responsible for a huge fleet that deploys from 150 locations, across 3,075 square miles. Under his leadership, Transport

Services has already delivered over £3 million in fleet savings alone. As a proactive member of the National Association of Police Fleet Managers, John engages in several national working groups, including the standardisation of UK police vehicles.

His commercial focus has captured the attention of both Chief Officer Boards, who have asked John to support the wider savings agenda using the same core fleet management principles and technology.

Representatives from Jersey Post all left with a smile on their face after picking up the Private Sector Fleet of The Year (small to medium size) Award, sponsored by Routemonkey.

It was recognised after E

Gateshead Council: implementing a wide range of carbon reduction initiatives Gateshead Council was delighted to be recognised at the 2016 Greenfleet Awards. We are pleased that our efforts to improve the environmental performance of the fleet have been acknowledged with commendations in categories for Public Sector Fleet of the Year and Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year. Fleet Manager Graham Telfer and his team have worked hard over the last 20 years to introduce a wide range of carbon reduction initiatives in addition to implementing environmental policies and procedures.

Our commitment to the purchase, operation and trial of low carbon vehicles (in additional to installing features such as Euro 6 engines and speed limiting) has been a major factor in continual yearly reductions in fuel use (15 per cent reduction in the past four years). Today Gateshead operates 10 electric transit vans, three electric cars and 12 hybrid tippers. A Nissan Leaf electric car has recently been purchased as a replacement for the mayor’s vehicle.

We have introduced various vehicle monitoring systems to optimise vehicle

routes, highlight vehicle idling, reduce harsh braking/cornering and promote good driving. A recently installed fuel system also provides detailed analysis of fuel use and mpg statistics.

As well as the ‘vehicle’, we have also looked at Gateshead’s drivers. Programmes of education/instruction for drivers and managers have been implemented, including the embedding of green fleet messages in training and assessment sessions. Drivers are encouraged to embrace environmental awareness through a system of driver assessment and monitoring.

Gateshead has been involved in the

Department of Transport’s Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Programme since inception.

Graham Telfer has also been instrumental in the installation of a Power Park three bay canopy solar powered charging station at our Civic Centre car park to service electric cars.

These vehicles are utilised to replace grey fleet journeys.

‘Electrobay’ charging posts have also been set up throughout the borough in partnership with the Plugged in Places initiative.

Gateshead will look to continue reducing carbon emissions across the fleet and we look forward to the challenge of continuing our work to spread good practice and encourage the sharing of ideas and resources, despite the pressures of the current financial climate. Currently we are involved in the ZERE Project to help deliver a new class of range extended electric vehicles using hydrogen fuel cell technology.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.gateshead.gov.uk

Volume 99 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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“I would like to take this opportunity thank GreenFleet and everyone involved with my nominations for EV Champion 2016, It is extremely nice to be recognised by your peers for simply following and supporting your passion. While I did not create Plug in Adventures to pursue awards, it has certainly given me a sense of pride and drives me to ensure 2017 is bigger, bolder and better for all of my amazing followers out there.

Car club of the year

The UK’s only independent national car hire operator ✓ Telematic fleet management services

Plug In Adventures was founded by Chris in 2011 and was born from a combined love of adventure and electric vehicles. Its aim is to engage with the public in unique and different ways, working with organisations and EV Manufacturers to champion all things EV-related. If you would Plug in Adventures to assist your organisation, please feel free to get in touch.” info@pluginadventure.com

✓ Flexible pool car solutions ✓ Partnerships with over 50 public sector organisations ✓ Electric and hybrid vehicle specialists.

co-wheels.org.uk

Jersey Post is delighted to win the Green Fleet Private Sector of the Year Award (Small to Medium) for our successful transition to electric vehicles.

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01534 616616 business@jerseypost.com www.jerseypost.com

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Private sector fleets The Private Sector Fleet Award in the medium to large category, sponsored by Alphabet, was scooped up by tech giant Microsoft.

Always a keen proponent of green technology, Microsoft has made a serious commitment to the environmental benefits of ULEVs over the past five years. More than one in ten (12 per cent) of its entire UK company car fleet is now hybrid or fully electric (60 out of 520 cars). This figure is expected to double to nearly a quarter (24 per cent or 120 cars)

by April 2017. The equivalent figure amongst the grey fleet is five per cent and rising.

Alan Baker of Galliford Try was named the Private Sector Fleet Manager of the Year, sponsored by Mahindra. Alan manages

The Private Sector Fleet Award in the medium to large category, sponsored by Alphabet, was scooped up by tech giant Microsoft a central hire and service desk that is challenged with providing the right vehicle to cope with the varied requirements of a diverse Group of Companies from the tip of Cornwall to the Shetland Isles. Various procurement options keep environmental considerations at the forefront.

By clearly demonstrating whole life costs to users, the average CO2 across the company car fleet of 2,400 vehicles is now just 101g/km today. Nearly 10 per cent of the fleet are plug-in hybrids, with 115 Mitsubishi Outlanders as well as an increasing number of Golf GTEs and Tesla cars. These are suitable for staff who drive up 20,000 miles per year and can be charged at a number of company locations. Due to the dedicated focus of Alan, in recent years Galliford Try has already hit the target of at least five per cent of vehicles being electric by 2020.

EV Champions Also recognised on the night were the GreenFleet Awards 2016 ‘EV Champions’.

The five awards were handed out to individuals who go above and beyond to ‘champion the EV cause’.

The first up was Chris Ramsey of Plug In Adventures, who has travelled all over

GreenFleet Awards

 adding all-electric postal vans to its fleet in the form of the Nissan e-NV200. The purchase followed an extensive 18-month trial, working with the local Nissan dealer.

The addition of the advanced all-electric vans will reduce Jersey Post’s carbon footprint by 35 tonnes a year, with each Nissan e-NV200 producing just 0.1 tonne of CO2 per year.

The model offers a 4.2m3 capacity and an impressive 703kg payload. Nissan’s 100,000 miles warranty also influenced Jersey Post’s purchasing decision, and it plans to replace all vehicles with EVs as they come to end of life.

And if picking up the award wasn’t enough, the team from Jersey Post were also the lucky winners of the night’s prize draw, which saw them leave with a brand new EV80 all-electric van from LDV to trial for a year.

Europe in an EV and has even managed Edinburgh to Monaco, and then back to London in two days in a BMW i3.

Next up was Douglas Robertson, who since returning from his day job has embarked on an ‘EV mission’ and is currently the chair of the Electric Vehicle Association of Scotland.

Katie Colledge-Price was also handed an EV Champion Award, for her work overseeing the integration of EVs in to a very ‘high-powered’ fleet at Microsoft.

The fourth EV Champion was Matthew Morgan from the Phoneix works, who not only sells EVs but installs charge points, too, and has had a huge impact on charging infrastructure up North.

The last winner was Go Ultra Low’s Poppy Welch, who unfortunately could not be there on the night. Charged with encouraging the uptake and use of ULEVs, Poppy’s impact can be seen nationwide as a result of her work in championing EVs as efficient and practical options for fleets and private buyers alike. L FURTHER INFORMATION events.greenfleet.net/awards

The 2016 GreenFleet Awards EV Champions were given their prizes by GreenFleet Events Manager Colin Boyton (far right) and host Dominic Holland (far left)

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Expert Panel: Electric Vehicles

EXPERT PANEL ELECTRIC VEHICLES Following the launch of the Department of Transport’s consultation into making charge points more accessible, GreenFleet’s expert panelists give their views on the key factors that will shape the electric vehicle market’s development in the near future

Ross Harris, business development manager, Chargemaster Plc Ross Harris is responsible for Chargemaster’s business development activities in Scotland but previous to this Ross spent three years working with Transport Scotland and the Energy Saving Trust on developing the ChargePlace Scotland project, Scotland’s EV charging network

Gary Stirling, operations support manager, Everwarm

Poppy Welch, head of the Go Ultra Low campaign

Gary has grown Everwarm’s electric vehicle charge point sector from strength to strength. He has worked with charge point manufacturers and with various schemes and has been key in developing the current EVCP infrastructure. He has managed installations at high-profile locations including the House of Commons

Poppy started her career in communications at top advertising agency J Walter Thompson, working on the global Vodafone business.

After a number of different roles in advertising, she went client side at Vodafone UK. After leave to have children, she returned to head up the Go Ultra Low campaign at SMMT in July 2015

The government appears to have reaffirmed its commitment to a zero emission future with the Department for Transport (DfT) launching a consultation on a series of measures that will make electric vehicle (EV) charge points more accessible.

The measures, due to be included in the Modern Transport Bill, aim to make it easier for drivers to recharge as demand for EVs increases and include ensuring drivers can easily access charge points without the need for multiple memberships from individual providers, which was a key barrier identified by our panelists in GreenFleet 97.

They also call for more powers to set common standards for all public charge points to ensure electric car owners can recharge anywhere, anytime, as well as making consumer pricing information for electricity and hydrogen fuels consistent and transparent.

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Additionally, the consultation sought views on how to make information about the location of public charging stations more accessible to the public, which could potentially be achieved via an online database and through mobile phone apps.

Charging infrastructure We asked our panelists what they thought the outcome of the consultation will be, and if they saw charge point accessibility as a major factor in the uptake of EVs. Chargemaster’s Ross Harris doesn’t necessarily think that the issue of charge point accessibility is a major factor in someone’s decision to make the transition to an EV, claiming research suggests it is a “relatively minor element of a prospective EV purchaser’s decision making.”

However, Ross does believe it can be a factor in determining driver’s subsequent

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Sander van der Veen, country manager UK, the New Motion Sander has a strong belief that it is this generation that needs to solve climate change, which is what gets him out of bed every day. Trained as an engineer, his previous experiences include strategy consulting as well as launching a startup in South East Asia. Sander is UK country manager at EV charging company the New Motion

user experience. He said: “A recent survey

by ZapMap showed that the vast majority of EV users (93 per cent) already use public charge points in the UK, with 25 per cent of those surveyed using the public network more than once a week. I’m convinced that this is because unlike mainland Europe the UK benefits from only having a small number of major network operators. From my time at Transport Scotland working on the Charge Place Scotland network I witnessed first-hand the benefits large networks bring EV drivers in improved and simplified accessibility.

“I would therefore expect the DfT’s consultation to encourage interoperability between networks – such as the arrangements we have already introduced between the Chargemaster Polar Plus and CYC networks, which account for around 55 per cent of the public charging infrastructure in the UK.”

Whole-life costs While charge point accessibility is often raised as a common concern for prospective EV drivers, a potential benefit that is often overlooked is whole-life costs.

Another clear benefit of EVs is the fact they have less moving parts, which can lead to a great deal of potential savings.

As Sander explains: “There are not that many parts in an electric car motor that can wear out and, when they do, they are relatively simple to replace.”

Sander highlights that there are for key areas where drivers can look to make potential savings: oil changes; brake systems; spark plugs and wiring; and engine and transmission repairs.

While oil changes are the most common form of maintenance necessary with internal combustion engine (ICE) cars, Sander notes that Pure EVs ‘do not need to take into account oil changes as a maintenance cost’. Additionally, while brake system maintenance can be costly in any car, Sander

points out that the regenerative braking found in electric cars “makes these repairs far fewer than what they are in gas cars.”

Also, cost association with spark plugs and wiring start at zero for any EVs in operation, as they are simply not found in the vehicles.

Gary shares Sander’s viewpoint, explaining that EVs have fewer moving parts which are “a lot simpler to replace” and can lead to reduced engineer costs.

He says: “There is no need for fluids or fluid disposal systems because there is no oil or power steering fluid, brake pads require less attention as the vehicles require less friction on the brakes to stop, there is also no clutch.”

Gary goes on to argue that more needs to be done to stress these facts to potential EV drivers, as many do not consider factors such as reduced running costs, no road tax, and saving money on servicing.

Ross also feels that both private and fleet buyers “often fail to consider” the whole-life costs of EV ownership.

He believes “more could and should be done to make the public aware of the holistic cost savings presented by EV ownership,” as the slightly higher purchase price of an EV is “more than mitigated” by not just fuel savings, but also the reliability and subsequent reduced need for servicing and maintenance.

Poppy offers up the Renault Zoe as a great example of how much can be saved, as the service costs for an electric Zoe are typically 30 per cent lower than a petrol Clio. This means that over a two‑year period, a Clio would cost £234 to service, compared to £158 for a Zoe.

a 3-year PCP finance deal for just £175 customer deposit, £1000 dealer deposit contribution and monthly payments of just £175 with 3.9 per cent representative APR. Mitsubishi has taken similar steps to make its Outlander PHEV an attractive used-car option, offering the plug-in hybrid as part of its new approved used car programme, with a pre-owned 2015 model starting from £199 a month and a used 2016 model starting from £299.

For Poppy, the future looks bright for the secondhand EV market. She says: “Residual values for electric vehicles are improving all the time, and continue to the close the gap, or even surpass, their conventionally-fuelled counterparts – the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid is the perfect example.

Future residual value success depends on the second and third owners of an EV and we know that our vehicle manufacturer partners in Go Ultra Low are dedicated to developing used car remarketing offerings that highlight the value of used EVs. From a technology perspective, we understand that the reliability of the Nissan Leaf and its long-term battery performance has allayed fears of battery life issues for the industry as a whole.”

Gary put forward the Tesla Model S as a good example of an EV that retains its value.

It currently has a value retention of 83 per cent, 71 per cent and 57 per cent after one, two and three years respectively, which, according to Gary, is ‘much higher’ than any petroleum fuelled car in its category.

Gary does acknowledge there are concerns around the secondhand EV market, citing long term battery performance as the main problem, however he believes this can be somewhat mitigated by battery leasing schemes currently offered.

Sander thinks that eventually EVs will ‘be a large share of the market’ and believes that secondhand dealers need E

Expert Panel: Electric Vehicles

Everwarm’s Gary Stirling shares Ross’s view that increased interoperability will play a factor in user experience, as it “makes the EV drivers’ journey easier.”

Gary believes that the decision is “long overdue” in the UK, especially when compared to places like Norway and Holland where this service has been offered for years.

While Ross didn’t think charge point accessibility was essential in influencing someone to buy an EV, Gary firmly believes that the “growth of the EV market is dependent on the growth of the charging infrastructure,” and he thinks that the measures being considered by the DfT will go “a long way” to help that growth.

While more than 90 per cent of charging currently takes place at home, Poppy Welch, head of Go Ultra Low, suggests that consumers and businesses need confidence that public charge points are accessible “when and wherever they might need them.”

According to Poppy, perceptions about charging still act as one of the biggest barriers when it comes to EV uptake. She takes a positive view on the DfT’s consultation: “Everyone wants charge points that are easy to find and easy to use. The government’s consultation is an important opportunity to hear views on how best it can support this. As the number of EVs on our roads increases, so too does the importance of ensuring consumers can rely on a publicly accessible and affordable network that is convenient and easy to access.”

In the mind of Sander van der Veen from The New Motion, charge point accessibility “is closely tied to range anxiety” and it is therefore “very important to make all public charge points as accessible as possible.” Sander describes a open shared network across competitors as the “ideal goal”, but he does expect “pushback from some networks.” Nevertheless, Sander is still confident that “common sense will prevail over competitiveness” in the end, leading to networks that are open to roaming across the UK.

A relative as n unknowinto the ve we mo the residual s future iand how the value dhand EV secon will take market ape sh

Residual value A relative unknown as we move into the future is the residual value and how the secondhand EV market will take shape.

Nissan has recently launched a used car campaign for the Leaf, offering customers a used Nissan LEAF 24kWh Acenta on

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Expert Panel: Electric Vehicles

Expert final thoughts  to start being educated on what this means for the cars they are selling.

He also believes that batteries will be a key consideration for secondhand buyers: “It’s realistic to say that one day in the near future dealers will need to provide guarantees on the battery to address concerns from the prospective owners. Another option would be to offer a completely new battery and sell the used battery to stationary storage company.

That would soften the impact on the price of the new battery for the secondhand car.”

According to Ross, early evidence suggests that EVs are holding their value “relatively well,” although he admits that residual values and the secondhand market are still “something of an unknown.”

Looking towards the future, Ross believes that concerns such as battery lifecycle should “lessen over time” as car manufacturers improve their capacity and durability. He added: “Even now, the level of degradation a battery would suffer over the lifecycle of a vehicle is actually so low that once we move on to battery ranges of 200+ miles, this concern should all but evaporate.”

Ross also believes that another potential benefit of the resale market for EVs growing is that many more prospective drivers in lower income brackets will be able to take their first steps into the EV ownership.

Autonomous driving It appears that developments in electric vehicles are becoming increasingly linked with autonomous technologies, with most new electric vehicle concepts featuring some kind of driverless capability and a large proportion manufacturers aligning their future mobility plans along the lines of both e-mobility and increasingly connected cars.

This was on full display at the Paris Motor Show, which saw Volkswagen unveil its I.D. all-electric concept. Billed as ‘an electric car for a new era’, the I.D. features a host of automated driving focus, with the German manufacturer confirmed that a fully autonomous ‘I.D. Pilot’ mode will be available from 2025.

It was a similar story for Mercedes-Benz, which unveiled the Generation EQ. The Generation EQ was presented as the first of a ‘new generation’ of EVs from Mercedes-Benz, which will based on an architecture developed specifically for battery-electric models.

As with the Volkswagen I.D.,the Generation Q features the latest driver assistance features. At the Show, Dr Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, said: “The mobility of the future at Mercedes-Benz will stand on four pillars: Connected, Autonomous, Shared und Electric. ‘Generation EQ’ is the logical fusion of all four pillars. The emission‑free automobile is the future. And our new EQ brand goes far beyond electric vehicles. EQ stands for a comprehensive electric ecosystem of services, technologies and innovations.”

Zetsche seemingly confirms that the future development of Mercedes‑Benz electric vehicles will go hand in hand with developments in connected and autonomous technologies.

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This is a trend that can also be seen from Tesla. which recently announced that all new vehicles produced in its factory will now have the hardware needed for fully autonomous driving, as it believes that self-driving vehicles will play a ‘crucial role’ in improving transportation safety and accelerating the world’s transition to a sustainable future.

Letting go of the wheel Sander describes it as a “remarkable achievement” that Tesla has “succeeded to link autonomous driving to electric vehicles in the minds of the general public,” but he believes there is “no real connection” between the two, as driverless capabilities can be applied to any type of vehicle.

Despite this lack if connection, Sander does expect autonomous driving to become more prevalent “in the next five years” as “one of the integral links for the future of mobility.”

Ross is a little more sceptical of the speed at which we will start to see a greater roll out of driverless vehicles, as he thinks “we are still some way off them being a major part of the personal transportation solution.”

Based on his experience in the world of EVs, Ross knows that people can be resistant to change. He believes that overcoming the public’s reliance on traditional fuels will come “a long time before” they are ready to “give up their steering wheel,” but he does believe that in the future EVs will indeed be at the forefront of new vehicle technologies.

He explains: “I think in the short to medium term what we are likely to see are more driver assist functions. In recent years we have seen functions such as cruise control and park assist become standard features in most new cars. I think further evolution in this vein is likely to play a major part in the future of EVs, as the very nature of the industry dictates the need to be at the forefront of new vehicle technologies.”

Gary considers himself a “huge fan of the concept of driverless capability in new electric vehicles,” but agrees with Ross that there “is still some work to do in order for it to become common place in the industry.”

Referencing the bad press Tesla has had to deal with following issues with its ‘autopilot’ function, Gary suggests that manufacturers “need to spend more time in development to ensure these kind of incident do not occur.”

Poppy believes that the increase in advanced driver assistance systems currently being deployed “will make the driving experience safer, easier, and more enjoyable” and expects to see “some cars” capable of driving themselves on motorways by as early as 2020.

On the connection between EVs ad autonomous technologies, she explains: “As the future of mobility will certainly be electric, it’s likely that we will see a convergence of trends in vehicle automation and connectivity – to the point that many assume that the ‘fully driverless car’ will be zero emissions, with smart technology to monitor range, communicate with surrounding infrastructure and improve driving efficiency.” L FURTHER INFORMATION www.greenfleet.net

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Ross Harris The concept of driverless vehicles is an interesting one but I think we are still some way off them being a major part of the personal transportation solution. From my experience in the world of EVs I know how resistant people can be to change.

I think we will overcome the public’s reliance on traditional fuels a long time before they are ready to give up their steering wheel. I think in the short to medium term what we are likely to see are more driver assist functions. I think further evolution in this vein is likely to play a major part in the future of EVs, as the very nature of the industry dictates the need to be at the forefront of new vehicle technologies.

Gary Stirling

I am a huge fan of the concept of driverless capability in new electric vehicles, however there is still some work to do in order for it to become common place in the industry. When you see a Tesla driving without any influence from the driver it looks fantastic however there is the elephant in the room, where there has been two fatalities which are claimed to be due to the ‘autopilot’ feature which Tesla boasts.

Manufacturers need to spend more time in development to ensure these kind of incidents do not occur.

Poppy Welch We are already seeing automated vehicle technology – in the form of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems – being deployed. We expect that in the early 2020s some cars will be able to drive themselves on motorways for example. As the future of mobility will certainly be electric, it’s likely that we will see a convergence of trends in vehicle automation and connectivity – to the point that many assume that the ‘fully driverless car’ will be zero emissions, with smart technology to monitor range, communicate with surrounding infrastructure and improve driving efficiency.

Sander van der Veen

It’s a remarkable achievement of Tesla that they have succeeded to link autonomous driving to electric vehicles in the minds of the general public. In reality there is no real connection here, as driverless capabilities can be applied to any type of vehicle, petrol, hybrid or electric. I do think in the next five years autonomous driving will become more prevalent in every vehicle as one of the integral links for the future of mobility.

The draft bill touches exactly upon the xoxoxoxo pain points of the infrastructure today, most notablyINFORMATION the need for having an FURTHER open charge network and (real-time) charge xxx point information availability.

Furthermore, it highlights the need for cloud‑connected smart charge points, which will help address the additional load on the electricity grid. Although all are equally important, the first two are most urgent helping provide EV drivers a simple and convenient way to access available charge points anytime, anywhere.

The current situation is more complex than it needs to be One of the largest issues in the UK EV charging market today is that even with more than 11,000 public charge points you are never sure when driving around the country if you will be able to charge your car. While I agree we also need more charge points, this problem is a direct result of how charge network operators are currently running private networks.

This significantly impacts drivers who need a single view to locate available charge points and how much it costs to charge.

Consequently, you may end up driving around with a variety of charge cards (or mobile apps) in your pocket with some even requiring paid memberships.

Then when you finally reach the charge point you need to figure out which card to use where and open the right app to find out how much you are being charged.

There is a much better solution, which currently exists in Germany, France and the Netherlands today. Enter roaming.

to. If you travelled to the continent with an EV before, this may sound familiar since an open roaming network already exists in Germany, France and Netherlands. As a driver, you simply receive a single bill from your own charge card provider and they settle all the costs behind the screens with the various other charge networks out there that you have used. It’s as simple as that.

The New Motion has pioneered the creation of the roaming network across Western Europe and as a result you can drive around and charge in majority of countries with only The New Motion charge card.

A solution is technically possible, feasible and readily available today.

The most difficult part is getting the all charge networks in the UK to agree to a common

solution. At the moment the first steps are underway to enable this. In addition, the Department for Transport also recognises the importance and aims to support a common solution through the Modern Transport Bill.

Since 2009, The New Motion has provided over 30,000 cloud-connected smart charge points and has over 80,000 registered charge cards, creating Europe’s largest publicly accessible EV charging network. Now we are bringing our expertise and technology to the UK. L

Written by Sander van der Veen

Udae nonsend icidisquid quam elisimincim facepro et et, sed A few weeks ago the Department for Transport released a consultation for quodi blaborum ut molorem aut ationse nos eumque laboribus the upcoming Modern Transport Bill. With 85,000 electric vehicles registered, et quoditiat dolo qui de volecab orerisqui nitibusdae nullacianti the bill aims to introduce new legislation to simplify and future-proof the rest, sitiatis ut idem quodi consequat facimagnime pernatemquae electric vehicle charging infrastructure to scale with expected growth nimus earibus, tem ipsaest moluptatium es net et

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An elegant 800 WORD solution EDIT to HEADLINE electric vehicle HEREdriver AS TIGHT range anxiety AS POSS

FURTHER INFORMATION Read more about The New Motion here: www.thenewmotion.com/uk

Roaming Translated to EV charging, roaming means the ability for a customer to automatically access charging services, when travelling outside the coverage area of the home network, by means of using a visited network.

In practice this simply means that as a driver, you need only one charge card or mobile app from any charge network provider that can be used to operate any public charge point in the country, regardless of which network it belongs

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Advertisement Feature

Business holds the key to mass EV uptake New research shows that more UK company car drivers would go electric, if more employers offered these vehicles Only 25 per cent of businesses currently offer electric company cars to employees, according to new research from Go Ultra Low and Sewells Research & Insight.

The survey, published at Go Ultra Low’s ‘Future of the Car Summit’, found that of those motorists who are not currently able to go electric, 69 per cent said they would be ‘likely’ to choose an EV as their next company car, if they were made available. The incidence is higher among companies who do already offer EVs to their employees, with 86 per cent of respondents saying they would be likely to consider an electric car next time around.

According to HM Revenue & Customs data, there were

940,000 company cars registered in the UK in 2014. The survey suggests nearly 700,000 of these BIK tax payers could consider joining the electric vehicle (EV) revolution, if they were given the chance by their employers.

Potential for growth This figure could be a lot higher when you consider the total number of cars registered to UK businesses. The Sewells Market Size Barometer calculated that the total UK car fleet parc in 2015 was 2.34 million cars. In the first 10 months of 2016, just over 30,000 electric cars were registered across the UK. With approximately two thirds going to British businesses, the Go Ultra Low / Sewells survey highlights

Of those ot ts n motoris ble to go ly a current , 69 per cent electric ey would be said th o choose an t ‘likely’ their next EV as any car comp

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

the significant potential for growth for electric cars in the corporate sector.

Transport Minister John Hayes said: “Low‑emission vehicles have enormous potential to usher in a new era for road transport, and we have committed £600m over this parliament as part of our plan to make them the natural choice for motorists.

“Businesses have a role to play in boosting the numbers of electric vehicles on our roads, and this survey shows that employees want to drive them. Gradually making fleets zero‑emission would improve air quality, as well as helping companies reduce their costs.

“We want to make it easier for companies to adopt these cleaner cars, and recently made £7.5 million available to workplaces who want to install chargepoints.”

Collective responsibility During her opening remarks at the Go Ultra Low Future of the Car Summit, Poppy Welch, head of Go Ultra Low, said: “Fleets and businesses represent the lion’s share of the UK’s new car buyers, so have the potential to shape the market and accelerate the UK automotive market to be entirely ‘ultra-low emission’.

“As an industry, it is our collective responsibility to give businesses confidence to be bold and realise the multiple benefits that plug-in hybrid and pure electric cars can bring, including cost savings and a carbon footprint reduction.”

Earlier this year, Go Ultra Low established the ‘Go Ultra Low Companies’ initiative, to recognise and reward public and private

sector organisations that already offer EVs to employees as company cars.

Any organisations that already use EVs, or offer them to employees as company cars, are eligible for Go Ultra Low Company status, providing there’s a commitment for EVs to make up at least five per cent of their vehicle fleet by 2020.

Since the initiative launched in May, more than 75 organisations have achieved ‘Go Ultra Low Company’ status, with Transport for London, University of Cambridge, Britvic and London Fire Brigade among those to have signed up.

During his keynote presentation at the Go Ultra Low Future of the Car Summit, Will Smith, senior reward and performance manager at Britvic, revealed that applying for Go Ultra Low status was an easy decision for the company, having already put a number of procedures in place to limit environmental impact.

“Being a Go Ultra Low Company has helped raise awareness of the various alternative fuel options out there, which has helped to increase orders for electric models.”

He explained that providing practical support for employees who select an electric vehicle or are required to use one for work is a priority for Britvic.

“We have a number of charging points at our head office, which we will be expanding to other sites over the next year or so,” he said.

“Working with our charging solution partner, we offer the same chargepoints to all employees for free who are interested in alternative fuel options,

which they can upgrade to fast charging solutions for a small cost.

“This creates the consistency of the same solution at home and at work. We also provide employees with training when they receive the vehicle, have fact sheets on charging and have various support services available if they have any questions.”

The early reactions to Britvic becoming a Go Ultra Low company have been encouraging.

“We have seen real positives in engagement,” Will said. “Running electric vehicles has had no impact on our day-today business operations, which is a real positive in itself, as it goes to show that this really is a viable alternative for business.”

Leading by example One large public sector organisation looking to go electric is Transport for London (TfL) – in 2018 it will have 120 electric vehicles in its fleet, up from 16 today.

Lilli Matson, TfL’s Head of Strategy and Outcome Planning, said: “Our fleet of electric vehicles keeps the capital moving by helping to maintain the street network and keep buses on the roads. It is essential that whilst doing this we minimise the impact on the environment. The granting of Go Ultra Low Company status is a welcome recognition of our efforts to lead by example and address the challenge of cleaning up the Capital’s toxic air.

“I would urge as many of the city’s businesses and institutions as possible to aim for this standard. Increased uptake of environmentally-friendly transport creates a virtuous circle of economies of scale, cheaper

vehicles and the creation of a mass market.”

The Go Ultra Low/Sewells company car driver survey established that employees are increasingly aware of the advantages of electric vehicles and have researched the options available in considerable depth. Of the drivers likely to consider switching to an electric company car within the next six months, almost half had gathered information on specific models on their choice lists and 38 per cent had taken a test-drive.

The top three motivations for consideration were reduced fuel costs (29 per cent), reduced CO2 emissions (22 per cent) and reduced company car tax (22 per cent).

Drivers highlighted savings on company car (BIK) tax, access to workplace charge stations and a doubling of effective range as most likely factors to persuade them to make the switch to electric.

Perceived range anxiety (82 per cent), fears of a lack of a reliable charging infrastructure (78 per cent) and perceptions of a limited choice of models (73 per cent) were cited as the biggest barriers.

“We’re working extremely hard to overcome these perceived barriers to EV uptake,” said Poppy Welch.

“More than 30 models are eligible for the plug-in car grant, and the recent announcement from Renault that the new Zoe will now able to travel 250 miles on a single charge should certainly allay many drivers fears around range anxiety.

“We know that more than 90 per cent of electric car charging takes place at home, but initiatives such as the government’s new £7.5 million investment in workplace chargepoint infrastructure will give drivers extra recharging options and addresses a perceived lack of accessible chargepoints.”

As part of the new investment, the government announced plans to make information about the location of public chargepoints more accessible to the public, potentially via an online database and through mobile phone apps, while ensuring drivers can access chargepoints without the need for multiple memberships from individual providers.

Common standards for all public chargepoints will ensure that electric car owners can recharge anywhere, anytime, including at large fuel retailers and motorway service areas. L

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Poppy Welch, head of Go Ultra Low

Sewells Research & Insight conducted detailed analysis of data from a survey of 200 drivers from corporates and SMEs operating company cars across five industry segments in October 2016.

Go Ultra Low calculated that almost 700,000 company car drivers would be likely to choose an electric car by looking at HMRC data showing that there are 940,000 company car drivers in the UK. FURTHER INFORMATION To learn more about EVs and how you can join the Go Ultra Low Companies initiative, visit GoUltraLow.com/fleet

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Commercial Vehicles

Proving your environmental commitment

Written by Anne Johnson, FORS operations director

NOx and particulate matter, noise, alternative fuels, tyres and fuel management all come under the spotlight in the updated standard from the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme. Anne Johnson, FORS operations director, explains what has changed to make this the greenest standard yet

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FORS, the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme, is a voluntary accreditation scheme which has been in existence since 2008.

Originally set up by TfL it is now under management by the FORS Community Partnership consisting of AECOM, Fleet Source and CILT, whose blend of commercial and industry based experience has helped the scheme continue to flourish.

Initially a London specific scheme to improve standards in the freight industry, it now contains members from numerous sectors, includes many types of vehicles, and companies across the country promoting best practice in accordance with the FORS Standard.

This September has marked the two-yearly review of the FORS Standard, with version 4.0 coming into force in November 2016.

Outlining the criteria which companies are measured against by FORS auditors to achieve either Bronze, Silver or Gold membership, the Standard defines the basic requirements that must be met by fleet operators wishing to become accredited members.

The audit process ensures that best practice is being demonstrated across all accredited members, and that any vehicle displaying the FORS sticker is demonstrating high standards of safety,

efficiency and environmental protection.

The FORS Governance and Standards Advisory Group (GSAG) was established by the FORS Community Partnership to ensure that the Standard is subject to continuous improvement, and remains relevant to the industry’s needs as well as being compatible with the latest legislation. As part of this remit, the group of key operators and specifiers recommend changes and improvements as well as using their technical expertise to ensure the Standard is credible and they manage the integrity of the scheme. With environmental protection of increasing concern for fleets, this has received additional focus in the latest Standard.

Updates for FORS Standard 4.0 The Bronze level of accreditation already stated that fleet operators shall monitor and manage fuel consumption, to provide the fleet with insight on fuel efficiency. Silver and Gold accredited fleets were required to designate an individual as the ‘Fuel and Emissions Champion’, responsible for environmental sustainability in the fleet, including managing the toolkit relating to fuel, CO2 and emissions. The previous Standard was designed to encourage fleets to make changes themselves, by providing them with

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

an insight into what vehicles they were using and what emissions they were producing, allowing them to track improvements by encouraging greater efficiency.

The new Standard goes even further, requiring the individual to monitor and manage fuel consumption and emissions output of the fleet, creating an increased awareness of emissions and active evaluation of fuel use.

This is done by monitoring additional indicators, NOx and Particulate Matter, as well as continuing to measure total fuel usage and transport related CO2.

Fleet operators are also now required to have a written policy and procedure to reduce instances of engine-idling, to ensure that the impact of emissions can be minimised, and to avoid the unnecessary pollutants emitted whilst the engine is idling. Operators are also encouraged to review consignments to ensure they are being moved in the most efficient manner.

Green credentials By encouraging fleets to be accountable for their emissions, FORS creates an environment in which operators are given the insight to improve. The Fuel Use Tracker, available for members online, can track the fuel usage

of up to 200 vehicles, track miles per gallon (MPG) achieved and highlight key indicators achieved through efficiency improvements.

Guidance is also available to develop ways to reduce congestion, another contributor to pollution in the capital. Training sessions are available for both drivers and transport operators, as well as toolkits and e-learning modules, to ensure that best practice is promoted throughout the entire fleet. Drivers are encouraged to upskill themselves and implement improvements, and can access e-learning online, wherever they are.

The FORS Standard in action F.R. Shadbolt & Sons is a Gold member of FORS, operating across North East London and North East Essex. Through recommended, and funded training the company has made significant improvements to its policies and procedures. The company has achieved an increased fuel efficiency of 31 per cent over the past 12 months, and all drivers have completed the Safe Urban Driving course.

Lowery Limited, the 150th Gold member of the FORS scheme, found the performance management toolkit enabled them to set targets, and helped the fleet in its target of reducing its carbon footprint and improving MPG. Wright Minimix found that implementing new policies, such as an anti-idling policy, helped it not only achieve Gold accreditation but also significantly increase MPG. With a total of 24 lorries, and working across the South West from its base in Bristol, the company found FORS’ performance management toolkit especially helpful for reducing its carbon footprint.

Future of FORS Reducing emissions is a priority for every fleet operator whether they travel in London or not, but with the Ultra Low Emission Zone coming into force in 2020, this is particularly important for fleets operating in the capital. FORS promotes best-practice for commercial vehicle operators; encouraging greener fleet operation through advice and training on driver behaviour. The result is improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions – benefits for the operator and the environment. Advice and training for transport managers helps them continually improve by broadening their skills-set and identifying efficiencies, saving the business time and money, and, ultimately, reducing the emissions footprint of the whole fleet.

FORS is in operation throughout the UK, with members across Europe as well. This year it celebrated its 4000th accredited member (Cargo Express), as well as its 500th Silver member (Neville Tilley Transport), 150th Gold member (Lowery Limited) and numerous milestones for its training programme.

For more information on the new FORS Standard 4.0, including a summary of changes and other supplementary documents please visit the FORS website. FORS has also published a new guidance document, providing information on each requirement operators need to demonstrate to the FORS auditor for each of the Bronze, Silver and Gold levels.

A comprehensive glossary of terms is provided, alongside audit checklists to allow operators to carry out a self‑assessment ahead of their initial FORS audit. L

How a change of focus can help to prevent loading bay accidents Astonishingly, the loading bay is the location for more than one in four reported accidents involving workplace transport. Tight deadlines, strict schedules and a challenging work environment with a multitude of risks all contribute to making the loading bay a high risk accident area.

Premature driveaways, where the vehicle is pulled away from the warehouse before loading has been complete, pose a very real and potentially fatal risk of injury. Even ‘no injury’ incidents can have a damaging effect on quality of service and cause significant damage. Despite the adoption of industry best practices and other safety measures, driveaway incidents still occur every year in the logistics industry, mainly due to a breakdown in communication between driver and warehouse personal.

The majority of organisations involved with loading activities on loading bays already employ stringent Safe Systems of Work (SSoW), designed to prevent driveaway incidents, such as the ‘traffic light system’, which indicates to drivers when it is safe to pull away, and ‘key on door’ protocols that deter drivers from entering their cab until load-doors are closed.

Despite these widely adopted safety measures, the fact incidents still occur with some regularity points to the fact there is a need for improvement as vulnerabilities still exist with standard operations – not least as the final decision to depart the bay remains in the hands of the driver and not the loading team.

It was this point of contention that formed the motivation for Maple, in conjunction with a leading parcel delivery company, to develop ‘SafeLoader.’

Consisting of two main components, a pneumatic valve inserted into the emergency brake line of the vehicle and a bespoke operating key which is housed within the loading depot, SafeLoader is solely operated by the warehouse staff, so even in the event of an attempted driveaway the driver will be physically unable to move the vehicle. It focuses on simplicity, so in operation the loader enters the vehicle, inserts a key into the valve, which immediately applies the vehicles brakes and temporally prevents the driver from physically releasing them again until loading is complete.

Should any attempt be made to move the vehicle, the brakes will remain ‘locked-on’, therefore prohibiting movement and ensuring the decision to depart the loading bay is switched from driver to loading team.

As with any enhancement to safe systems of work, it is designed to encourage the continued adoption of best practice but its presence minimises risk and improves overall safety.

Commercial Vehicles

FORS, the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme, is a voluntary accreditation scheme which has been in existence since 2008. Originally set up by TfL it is now under management by the FORS Community Partnership

FURTHER INFORMATION For more information on how you can protect your employees against premature driveaways, visit www.maplefleetservices.co.uk or contact them directly for a working demonstration by calling: 0161 429 1580 or email: sales@maplefleetservices.co.uk

FURTHER INFORMATION www.fors-online.org.uk/cms/new-standard

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Fuel Cards

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

FUEL CARDS Continuing the discussion on fuel cards, our expert panelists examine how telematics is making fuel card data more meaningful, what ‘add-on’ services buyers should look out for, and how payment methods are advancing With fuel being an expensive part of running a fleet, organisations have to be able to monitor and control the fuel that staff use. But collecting receipts and expense forms, and paying back with petty cash, can be a time-consuming admin headache.

Plus there is the risk that drivers round up mileage or add in fuel for personal usage.

With a fuel card, a driver can charge the cost of fuel directly to an account paid by their employer. The vehicle registration number and mileage are recorded at the time of transaction, and the invoice gives information on where, when and what time fuel was purchased, as well as what type of fuel and how much it cost.

This method cuts out the paperwork burden, and the invoice data gives a good snapshot of a fleet’s fuel consumption performance.

Being able to access your account online at any time is a major administrative advantage for Bryan Glazier from Wex: “Online servicing is almost a given nowadays and is the one place where everything relating to your fuel card account can be found. This helps you stay in control of your fuel management.”

For further visibility into a fleet’s performance, many fuel card suppliers will be able to provide management reporting.

Andrew Goodwin from Certas Energy says: “Alongside basic fuel consumption data, some fuel card providers are now able to tailor information to produce specific reports that a fleet manager requires. At Certas Energy for example, our account managers are able to work with companies to produce bespoke reports giving the exact information that a fleet managers is looking for.”

Telematics With the growth of technology, many fuel cards providers allow their products to be integrated with telematics, which can give real-time access to data on vehicle location, mileage and driver style. This round-the-clock visibility into a fleet’s performance means employers can identify areas where a fleet is performing inefficiently, right down to individual vehicles and drivers. They can then put in place corrective action, such as driver training, better routing, or more efficient vehicles.

Charlotte Lecoutour from AS24 believes that using a fuel card with telematics means organisations can delve deeper into their fuel cost analyses and identify what factors are leading to a higher fuel consumption. She

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Andrew Goodwin, sales and operations manager, Certas Energy Andrew has worked for Certas Energy since April 2008 in a variety of roles all around the development of fuel cards. He is now responsible for the growth and development of the Certas Energy bunker site network and has extensive knowledge of the fuel card industry Gertjan Breij, director, DKV Euro Service Benelux Gertjan Breij was appointed director of DKV Euro Service Benelux B.V. in 2011. Gertjan is responsible for general management and to grow the company. Gertjan is charged with the business operations covering the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, England and Ireland Bryan Glazier, UK sales manager, WEX Europe Services Bryan has worked in the fuel card industry since the mid‑1990s in key roles for Esso Petroleum Company, Limited and WEX Europe Services. Bryan has experience of most western European fuel card markets, and worked with fleets in the capacity of a fuel card supplier Charlotte Lecoutour, managing director of AS24 UK and Ireland Charlotte Lecoutour started in Total group ten years ago in sales and marketing positions. In 2014 she joined AS24, an affiliate of Total specialising in providing mobility solutions to road hauliers. She was in charge of digital operations for two years before her current role

says: “Integrating fuels cards with telematics allows transport companies to go deeper in their fuel costs analysis. For instance, when a higher consumption of fuel might have different explanation, telematics can help to give some indicators on the probable cause, such as inefficient driving style, fraud, tyres issue, and so on.”

Andrew Goodwin from Certas Energy says: “Integrating telematics alongside fuel cards not only helps to reduce fuel costs but also enables improved vehicle efficiency as it ensures that fleet vehicles are taking the most direct route between jobs as the location of

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

the vehicles can be tracked in real time. It can also aid with improved driver behaviour as telematics can report on poor driving – severity of speeding, braking, harsh acceleration and idle time. Accurate MPG and location of a fleet vehicle assists with fraud detection by reducing unauthorised vehicle use.”

Bryan Glazier from Wex points to the safety and security benefits: “Because you are monitoring locations, status and behaviours, you can improve driver skill, reduce insurance and potentially reduce accidents. Therefore, not only are you managing your fuel costs and your fleet, you’re also

Fuel Cards

taking responsibility for supporting your drivers and supporting their journeys.”

Better control Having some control over where and when staff fill up is a significant benefit to having a fuel card. Many providers allow organisations to set limits on usage, for example, to get drivers to fill up at supermarkets with lower-cost fuel, rather than motorway services with premium priced fuel.

Andrew Goodwin explains how it works at Certas Energy: “We provide the ControlMAX solution which enables fleet managers to control where, when and how much fuel drivers can draw, increasing their ability to manage fuel costs more effectively and efficiently. Fleet managers can create a bespoke set of rules for their fleets which can be applied to their account in real time. Fleet managers are able to define rules to state whether a transaction will be approved or declined, maximum transaction values, maximum fuel spends in a day or week and a ceiling on the number of transactions per day/week. Managers can also control the number of sites a driver can use each day, the day of the week, and the times that they are allowed to fill up.”

Added services With many fuel card providers, it’s not just fuel that users can buy, but a host of other related products and services. Charlotte Lecoutour from AS24 says: “Fuel cards operators have developed a full range of ‘mobility services’

such as payment of tolls, parking and taxes, as well as tools to control, manage, analyse and predict fuel/tolls expenses. They can also offer VAT recovery, truck tracking, driving efficiency, and breakdown assistance.”

Agreeing with this concept of offering ‘mobility’ as a package, Gertjan Breij from DKV says: “Our philosophy now really tends towards introducing a mobility card, enabling the customer cashless payment of hotel costs, railway tickets and parking fees for instance. Additional services may contribute towards operational excellence.

Consider, in this respect, VAT refunding services, tolls service, customs clearance services or 24-hr truck service.”

Adding to this, Bryan Glazier from Wex says: “To make journeys easier, many providers offer additional purchase options such as Lubricants, vehicles accessories, car washes, food and refreshments – to keep your fleet and your driver on the road. Additional payment options include toll payments and in some countries you have the ability to buy bulk fuels and pay for alternative travel methods such as trains.”

such as chip and pin, contactless technology, fast internet payments, and smart phone payments. So how has the fuel card industry responded – and what does the future hold for fuel-card payment methods?

Although Certas Energy has introduced contactless technology at a number of its bunker sites, Andrew Goodwin believes that the fuel card industry is ‘behind the times’. He says: “We have seen a change in recent times, but the difficulty can be that the payment platform for fuel card suppliers needs to be consistent and make refuelling as convenient and quickly as possible which is why traditional methods, which have been used by drivers for a period of time, are sometimes preferred.”

Gertjan Breij from DKV agrees that the current payment infrastructure will still be around for a while: “The infrastructure for the fuel card is currently the most widespread. It will therefore probably not disappear overnight. But still, the card is already being replaced in many places – by smartphones and contactless chips, as is the case for electric and hybrid vehicles.

After a transitional period of three to seven years, this trend will be firmly established as an additional payment method.” E

er “Whethless contactrtphone ma cards, s virtual or, digital – s n o i t transac nts will soon payme a strong get the place inry” indust

Changing the way we pay In the past decade the payments industry has changed thanks to technology advances,

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Fuel Cards

Expert final thoughts Andrew Goodwin Telematics are becoming ever more important from a fleet management perspective from just recording the basics such as fuel consumption, through to more in depth analysis.

Telematics have given greater insights into fleet operations helping to improve efficiency and drive down costs. The potential gains of having an effective system are numerous. At Certas Energy, the solution we offer to customers helps them to keep in control of their fleet, drive fuel efficiency, improve duty of care and optimise staff performance.

Having some control over where and when staff fill up is a significant benefit to having a fuel card. Many providers allow organisations to set limits on usage, for example, to get drivers to fill up at supermarkets with lower-cost fuel, rather than motorway services with high prices  Meanwhile, Charlotte Lecoutour from AS24 believes that: “Whatever the business model – contactless cards, smartphone, virtual transactions – digital payments will definitely get a strong place in the industry, provided that the same level of service regarding security and management easiness is provided.”

Bryan Glazier from Wex believes that more convenient ways to pay make life easier for the driver: “Opportunities for enriching drivers day to day activities can become even easier, with the development of app payments and contactless technology.

Additionally technological developments into chip and pin and contactless payments, plus the opportunity to report cards lost or stolen means a reduction in unusual transitions and hopefully increased security.”

A green future On the 20 July 2016, the European Commission published its strategy for low emission mobility. It detailed plans to speed up the deployment of low emission alternative energy for transport, such as electricity, hydrogen, advanced biofuels and renewable synthetic fuels, as well as removing obstacles to electric vehicle adoption. It also outlined plans for Europe to accelerate the transition towards low and zero-emission vehicles.

What’s more, in December 2015, the UK was one of 13 international members of the

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Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Alliance to sign a commitment to cut transport emissions, including an agreement to make all passenger vehicle sales zero emission vehicles by 2050.

With such a push for greener, alternative fuels, what does this mean for the oil industry?

Andrew Goodwin from Certas Energy believes that the short term involves conventional fuels becoming more environmentally friendly.

He says: “Technological advances are making current diesel engines more efficient through SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) and AdBlue helping to reduce emissions of oxides of nitrogen from the exhaust of UK diesel vehicles.

SCR technology is one of the most cost-effective and fuel-efficient technologies available to help reduce diesel engine emissions.”

He continues: “In the UK the majority of our transport fuel comes from oil derivatives.

Alternative fuel products such as paraffinic fuels, a new generation of cleaner transport fuels, will be fundamental to the transport industry. Certas Energy can now offer Shell GTL (Gas-to-Liquids) fuel; a fuel produced from natural gas that can help to reduce local emissions in conventional diesel engines.”

For Gertjan Breij from DKV, fuelling can be made greener in the short term by carbon offsetting. Some fuel card providers do this, and mean members contribute to certified environmental projects through fuel card transactions. L

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

Gertjan Breij We believe that in the future our role will be twofold: the first goal is making services available based on important data. For example through routes, upcoming driving and rest periods, filling levels of diesel tanks with the recommendation of a low‑cost diesel pump en route and more. In the future, schedulers will no longer have to pay attention to such things, they will run automatically.

And the system has a solution whatever the issue. Whoever has the best network will be in the lead.

For this reason, our second goal is to collaborate with operators of other data platforms.

Bryan Glazier The combination of fuel cards with telematics is seamless.

You get immediate access to vehicle and drivers in real time, no matter what your fleet size or business demands. Plus, you gain additional advantages such as improved driver skill, reduced insurance and potentially a reduction in accidents. This is because you are monitoring locations, status and behaviours.

Not only are you managing your fuel costs and your fleet you’re also taking responsibility for supporting your drivers and supporting their journeys.

Charlotte Lecoutour Fuel is now only part the offer. Fuel cards operators have developed a full range of ‘mobility services’ such as payment of tolls, parking and taxes and tools to control, manage, analyse and predict fuel/tolls expenses. They can also offer VAT recovery, truck tracking, driving efficiency, and breakdown assistance. Integrating fuels cards with telematics allows you to go deeper in your fuel costs analysis.

Case Study

Operating lean whilst operating green DKV Euro Service is a market leading service provider for transport businesses. Whilst the company is best known for their DKV CARD, selected Fuel Card of the Year for the commercial carriage of goods and passengers for the twelfth time, the services DKV provides go further than this. For 80 years DKV has been constantly reinventing their services portfolio to support transport businesses to operate leaner, meaner and greener.

DKV products and services help the haulier to operate lean. For DKV, lean stands for improving profitability and simplifying processes along with avoiding administration overheads. This is not just achieved with the DKV CARD but with all DKV products. E.g. DKV offers clients ‘one contract and one invoice’ for all their costs. DKV also offers route planning modules and VAT-refund solutions that maximise efficiency and increase liquidity. In addition, DKV strongly supports the introduction of EETS – which paves the way for one interoperable toll box for the whole of Europe, which will further enable transport businesses to operate leaner.

One of the main goals for many transport businesses is the reduction of CO2 emissions. In order to support this goal, DKV offers its customers the DKV CARD CLIMATE. This is DKV’s climate neutral fuel card, allowing your fleet to drive 100 percent CO2 neutral.

At the same time customers benefit from all the advantages the DKV CARD offers, such as access to the largest supply network in the industry with 60,000 brand‑independent acceptance points in 42 European countries.

To make this commitment recognisable DKV and non‑profit foundation myclimate (www.myclimate.org) offer a certificate. This attests to the complete offsetting of CO2 emissions. The customer contributes to that by investing a specific amount with every litre drawn into climate projects with Gold Standard. By means of the DKV CARD CLIMATE, DKV customers have offset around 8,000 tonnes CO2 in 2015 alone.

DKV is always on the forefront of new developments, supporting the transport business towards a lean, meaningful and green operation.

FURTHER INFORMATION 0800 3160465 www.dkv-euroservice.com/gb/

Apply now!

Does global warming really leave you cold?

Fuel up CO2 neutral with the DKV CARD CLIMATE. Now fully compensate the CO2 emissions originating from your fuel usage by using the DKV CARD CLIMATE. The DKV CARD CLIMATE is a joint non-profit project by DKV Euro Service and myclimate.

Find out more at dkv-euroservice.com/card-climate

your partner for effective climate protection – both global and local

_AZ_Climate_86x255_rz_GB.indd 1

20.08.16 18:37

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Electric Motorcycle Fleets Written by Stevie Muir, the Motorcycle Industry Association

Emission-free, two-wheeled mobility A plug-in grant for electric scooters and motorcycles was announced in October. Stevie Muir from the Motorcycle Industry Association explains how the grants work and how electric two‑wheelers work well in certain fleets Over the past few years, electric cars have grabbed the lion’s share of any column inches about EVs and also all of the available grants.

However, in October, it was announced that money is to be ring-fenced to make a ‘plug in grant’ available for electricpowered two wheelers (PTWs). Manufacturers with eligible models have been invited to register them with the government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV).

The grant will operate in the same way as for cars, with the grant value being deducted from the price of the vehicle at the point of sale by the dealership. For motorcycles and scooters this means the price of a qualifying vehicle will be reduced by £1,500 or 20 per cent of the total purchase cost (screen price), whichever is the smaller number. This is particularly good news for fleet operators, who can combine the specific benefits of using PTWs with a reduction in emissions, saving time and money. Indeed, many businesses are waking up to this, as insurance data shows quotes for business use for PTWs is up 11 per cent so far this year.

Parking is often free r or cheapes and you for PTWusually can r ch close u m t e g end to your tion destina

Charging One of the little known advantages of electric PTWs over electric cars is that they can be charged anywhere. You don’t need to fit special infrastructure into your businesses premises, or into staff homes. They can be plugged into ordinary sockets, and being lighter than cars, tend to charge up much quicker.

“From flat to fully charged takes three hours, and a charge of 80 per cent can be achieved after just two hours and 15 minutes,” explained Scott Grimsdall, who is national Marketing and PR Manager for BMW. BMW has been quick off the mark to register its C Evolution electric scooter with OLEV, and is waiting for confirmation that it will be eligible. Next year, BMW will launch a ‘Long Range’ version of the scooter, which should go 160km/100 miles on a single charge.

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Operating costs With ‘fuel’ costing the equivalent of a penny a mile and less moving parts to go wrong than on cars, operating costs look very attractive, especially when you combine these savings with the benefits which apply to all PTWs. For example parking is often cheaper or free and you can usually get much

closer to your end destination. “This can add savings of up to £1,200 per vehicle when based on an annual city centre car park season ticket,” explained Andy Pumphry, who looks after fleet vehicles for Yamaha.

“Saving journey time is perhaps the most potent feature of swapping to PTWs for business use,” says Phil Griffin from Artisan scooters. Filtering offers a huge time advantage, unique to motorcycles and scooters and many bus lanes are open to motorcyclists too. “They can easily cut through static queues of traffic, making door to door journeys significantly more efficient than for cars and vans,” he added.

The capacity to filter is the reason why many emergency services use PTWs, from Blood Bikers, who transport vital NHS products between hospitals, to the AA breakdown riders. Police have obviously been long time users of motorcycles and it seems some forces are now looking at switching to electric, since BMW has a scooter currently being evaluated by a UK force. On mainland Europe, police are already embracing the electric revolution. Erik Huisinga, who is European sales manager for Zero Motorcycles says emergency services in several countries have already switched to Zero bikes: “In Europe, we currently have police

bikes in use in Belgium, France, Spain and Italy. We are working on deals with the roadside assistance in Holland and ambulance services in various countries.”

Another advantage of two wheels is that they can get into places cars can’t reach, especially the Zero, which has on and off-road capabilities.

“It’s not just the cost and time savings that can be made that make electric bikes more flexible,” added Huisinga, “It’s the way our bikes can be used. They can be ridden in forests, pedestrian zones (for police) and of course low/zero emission areas, which is increasingly important in city centres.” Zero has also applied to be included in the grant and has leasing arrangements in place.

High quality products Obviously one of the aims of making funds available to subsidise electric motorcycles is to encourage high quality product within the sector. The OLEV website states that for a motorcycle to qualify for the grant scheme, it must meet certain criteria, including a good battery life with a minimum of five years warranty. It must also be at least 50kg in weight (without batteries) and capable of going at least 40 kilometres an hour (25mph).

It must not be converted or modified, but Zero Police bikes are in use in Belgium, France, Spain and Italy

Electric Motorcycle Fleets

BMW has registered its C Evolution electric scooter with OLEV for the PTW ‘plug-in grant’, and is waiting confirmation it will be eligible

The OLEV website states that for a motorcycle to qualify for the grant scheme, it must meet certain criteria, including a good battery life with a minimum of five years warranty must have gained ‘type approval’ as an electric motorcycle or moped and be registered with the DVLA. Its rider must have a relevant license, along with insurance and needs to comply with the same rules as motorcycles.

Wearing a helmet is of course compulsory and there is a good range of high quality personal protective clothing on the market, using high tech fabrics, as well as traditional leather.

The safety of riders will be foremost in any fleet operator’s mind and recent innovations include personal airbag jackets, which have taken off in the equestrian world and are now gaining popularity for discerning motorcyclists.

Motorcycle manufacturers are also looking at vehicle to vehicle technology – to make sure PTWs are part of the ‘connected’ future.

Training “Ensuring fleet riders are well trained is also key to keeping them safe on the road,” says Karen Cole, safety and training director for the Motorcycle Industry Association. “Finding high quality motorcycle training partners has been made considerably easier recently, with the introduction of a framework to measure and signpost good trainers.”

Karen has been involved in introducing the Motorcycle Industry Accreditation Centre (MCIAC), which only awards its ‘accreditation’ to qualifying training schools.

These meet strict criteria, which exceeds DVSA requirements and ‘accreditation’ is maintained through annual inspection and by surveying every single customer who learns with an accredited school.

Transport for London has launched a project to make sure each London borough has an MCIAC ‘accredited’ training school, to help improve access to excellent training, which is useful to know for

those operating around the capital.

Northamptonshire County Council has also encouraged its local trainers to become MCIAC accredited as part of the council’s Motorcycle Northants project, which encourages motorcycles as a sustainable transport choice. It is the first council in the UK to actively encourage and facilitate motorcycling in a joined up way, making sure its riders are supported in their transport choice with access to good trainers. As a county which relies heavily on the logistics industry, this is a far sighted plan to encourage a modal shift towards PTWs to keep its road network free from increasing congestion.

Well-being There is of course an additional benefit in terms of well-being, which is that riders tend to enjoy their journeys far more.

A one‑off survey by the Office for National Statistics revealed that those who rode a motorcycle, scooter or moped to work did not experience any negative effect on well‑being, in contrast to those who walked, drove, took the bus or cycled, who all experienced an adverse effect after just 15 minutes.

All these developments help make electric PTWs a smart choice for fleet operators.

“Electric mobility for businesses is here to stay, irrespective of how many wheels are involved,” says Andrew Benfield, group director of Transport at the Energy Saving Trust. “They (PTWs) are a key part of the mobility mix, particularly in cities affected by congestion and air pollution and we look forward to helping organisations understand how these vehicles can work in their fleets.” L FURTHER INFORMATION www.mcia.co.uk

Volume 99 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Road Test Written by Richard Gooding

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ROAD TEST

Renault Kadjar Dynamique S Nav dCi 110 Conceived as a global car, the Renault Kadjar is one of the more recent entries into the busy C-segment crossover market. With low emissions and latest-generation dCi engines, Richard Gooding examines if it is destined for fleet success What is it?

It’s surprising that the Renault Kadjar only arrived in 2015: based on the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s ‘Common Module Family’ (CMF) vehicle architecture which also underpins the Nissan Qashqai, it’s an eminently sensible move by the French company to enter the booming crossover market with a car which shares many unseen components with one of its Japanese bedfellow’s most popular models. And that’s not to do the Kadjar a disservice – the Qashqai is a very capable and very popular car, so if the Kadjar has inherited some of its cousin’s DNA, then all for the good.

Building on the looks of the smaller and staggeringly popular Captur mini-SUV (GreenFleet issue 84), the Kadjar embraces Renault’s current design language with a prominently striking front end, flowing haunches and a Clio-like rear. Available in both

two and four-wheel drive versions with both manual and automatic transmissions, and with emissions starting at 99g/km thanks to the company’s proven 110bhp dCi engine, the Kadjar is now an established C-segment crossover player. Other obvious rivals the Kadjar can count in its sights include the Ford Kuga, Hyundai Tucson and Volkswagen Tiguan.

How does it drive?

Renault claims that the range of petrol and diesel engines fitted to the Kadjar are “advanced, reliable and low on consumption”. Latest-generation injection, regenerative braking, and stop/start systems, as well as downsizing and friction reduction technologies certainly seem to bear this out. The

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

108bhp Euro 6 four‑cylinder dCi 110 engine will be familiar to Renault and Nissan drivers past, and with 191lb ft/260Nm of torque available at 1,750rpm, the 1,380kg Kadjar Dynamique S Nav feels relatively swift, reaching 62mph from rest in 11.9 seconds. At speed the familiar diesel unit is refined enough – cruising at motorway legal limits the engine is spinning at only 2,000rpm – with only marginal levels of noise entering the cabin.

That cabin is cushioned from the outside world by a suspension set-up which delivers a comfortable ride, and with a lolloping – but not unengaging – nature, the Kadjar is 2 a relaxed motorway companion. Bumps and other road imperfections

With CO ns emissio , the km of 99g/ namique S Dy Kadjar dCi 110 Nav o VED slips intd A Ban

How economical is it?

Renault quotes an official combined cycle fuel economy figure of 74.3mpg for Kadjars with 17-inch wheels, and 72.4mpg for models with 19-inch rims. Our test car was fitted with the smaller wheels in keeping with its greener demeanour, and over our 549-mile test, achieved a real-world average fuel return of 58.7mpg. For comparison, last year we spent 375 miles in the Nissan Qashqai n-tec+ with the same engine (GreenFleet issue 84), and returned an average of 51.1mpg.

Overall, there’s very little in it, then – both manufacturers quote the same official fuel economy figure, too – with the pair of French and Japanese-badged cars recording credible economy figures for their size.

The Kadjar Dynamique S Nav also features an ‘Eco’ mode to further improve efficiency while cruising. A feature which optimises fuel consumption, it limits the power consuming sources such as the heating and air conditioning and is easily switched on or off depending on the drivers’ need.

What does it cost?

The Kadjar range spans five trim levels – Expression+, Dynamique Nav, Dynamique S Nav, Signature Nav and Signature S Nav – with prices starting at £19,145 OTR for the petrol-engined Expression+ TCe 130 with 126g/km of CO2. The Dynamique S Nav dCi 110 sits in the middle of the big Renault’s range at £23,645, while

Swoopy flowing styling makes the Kadjar stand out from its crossover competition

The Renault Kadjar’s cabin is of good quality and is well-equipped

The Re nault K adjar’s infotain sy ment displays stem record s an many d ifferent d eco valu es

Eco technologies help the Kadjar make the most of economy

ENGINE:

1,461cc, four-cylinder diesel

CO2:

Road Test

are barely transmitted into the car, and very minimal road noise can be heard. Should it be taken off straight roads, though, the Kadjar acquits itself extremely well. It grips on gamely through corners and exhibits little body roll, feeling composed and easily placeable on the road thanks to nicely-weighted steering.

The interior reflects the comfortable ride, and is an equally relaxed place to be. The plastics and quality are a step up on the Captur, with fewer cheap-looking surfaces on show, but while there are links to other smaller Renaults in its design DNA, the overall style is a little blander than its relatives. There’s no denying the Kadjar’s spaciousness, though: there’s plenty of room for a family, and at 472 litres with the rear seats in place, the boot is on the larger side when compared to its rivals.

The seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system in the centre of the dashboard has a landscape rather than a portrait orientation as with current thinking from the French manufacturer, but it responds well, and comes with satellite navigation as standard. It also displays all sorts of eco information, such as the driver’s acceleration, anticipation, and gear change ‘scores’, to help improve fuel consumption.

There is an overall eco ‘score evolution’, too, so the environmentally‑friendliness of any particular trip can be compared against values from a number of previous journeys.

Renault Kadjar Dynamique S Nav dCi 110 99g/km

NOx:

0.053g/km

MPG (combined):

74.3

GF MPG (combined):

58.7

VED:

Band A, £0

BIK:

20%

PRICE (OTR):

£23,645 (inc VAT, £24,290 as tested)

the range tops out with the Signature S Nav dCi 130 4WD at £28,845. The roughly comparable Nissan Qashqai N-Connecta dCi 110 starts at £24,210.

Kit count is good on the Dynamique S Nav. Standard equipment includes automatic dual zone climate control, automatic headlights and wipers, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, front fog lights, lane departure and traffic sign recognition safety systems, LED daytime running lights, roof rails, seven‑inch R-Link 2 infotainment system with satellite navigation and TomTom Live real-time traffic and data services/Bluetooth/ DAB/USB, Arkamys ‘3D’ 4x35W sound system, and seven-inch TFT digital dashboard display.

Optional equipment on our test car included Cosmos Blue metallic paint at £545, an emergency spare wheel at £100 and the no‑cost option of ‘Athena’ 17‑inch wheels for improved economy. The standard wheels fitted on Dynamique S Nav cars are ‘Apollo’ diamond‑cut rims, which look fantastic. The downside is that CO2 emissions rise to 103g/km, which pops this version of the Kadjar into VED Band B, one group higher than the smaller-rimmed car.

How much does it cost to tax?

With CO2 emissions of 99g/km, the Kadjar Dynamique S Nav dCi 110 slips into Band A, the cheapest rate of vehicle excise duty. Therefore, this version of the Kadjar currently costs £0 first year and the same annually thereafter as VED bands are currently divided. Benefit in Kind values for the Kadjar range from 19 to 25 per cent, with the Dynamique S Nav dCi 110’s 20 per cent sitting around the lower end of that scale.

Why does my fleet need one?

The Renault Kadjar is a good value and handsomely-proportioned addition to the C-segment crossover market. In Dynamique S Nav dCi 110 trim it is good to drive, offers more than reasonable economy and has plenty of equipment. Specify the smaller wheels, though, to benefit from the sub-100g/km of CO2 emissions and corresponding low rates of tax, which further strengthen the Kadjar’s case for both fleets and families, and should ensure Renault’s continued crossover success. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.renault.co.uk

Volume 99 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

55

EV Diary

MONTH TWO

Nissan Leaf Tekna 30kWh

Written by Richard Gooding

The Nissan leaf 30kWh’s range continues to be plentiful, the electric vehicle charging infrastructure less so. But economy and running tips could go some way to help, reports Richard Gooding

Although it was one of the first mass‑market electric cars, the Nissan Leaf has become the world’s best-selling electric car for other reasons, too, and ease of use is most likely to be one of them. The second month of life with the zero-emission Nissan has been even more fuss-free than the first, and initial acclimatisation over, the most enjoyable so far.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the car is the way you can just jump in it and go.

Yes, of course you still need to plan ahead and make sure you have enough range for your anticipated journey, but otherwise press the ‘Power’ button and away you go.

It’s surprisingly quick and second nature charging becomes, too. I mentioned in the last report (GreenFleet issue 98) that I was charging most evenings at home now that the colder and darker weather has descended upon us, and that has still been the case over the past three to four weeks.

But it’s a simple thing to remember if you’re organised enough: just plug the car in as you would your mobile phone. If there’s been allowable time before bed, I’ve used the 7kW charge point on the side of the house, if not, I’ve been plugging in to our domestic socket

Available range rose to a high of 132 miles at the start of October

the driver in the car is well‑documented using the three-pin EVSE cable which comes knowledge within EV owners’ circles. The with the car. Charging is roughly working simple fact of the matter is that less energy out at £1.04 per charge according to the is used when the heated driver’s seat NissanConnect smartphone app, although and heated steering wheel are turned on our energy bill seems to have increased by rather than the air conditioning, which around 50 per cent since the Leaf – and the zaps both valuable energy and dents Outlander PHEV before it – arrived. energy economy.

The unit cost is correct in the app, I’ve also found out another though, so the jury is still out The valuable tip: don’t drive the on why those costs don’t car with the ‘Eco’ button quite correlate... We have second f o on all the time. Advised recently had a smart energy h t n o m by 2016 GreenFleet EV meter installed, though, e h t so might have a truer life with n Nissan Champion (see page 39) Douglas Robertson, picture of things soon. issio zero‑emen even more chair of the Electric Vehicle Association Extremely useful has be -free than of Scotland, Douglas The NissanConnect app is ss u f t reports that leaving the still proving to be extremely the firs ‘Eco’ button switched on, useful, both as a record of the car is continually trying to the car’s use, and as a remote feed energy back into the battery, control for setting the pre‑heating therefore using more energy and potentially system before I leave on particularly frosty affecting the theoretical range. Douglas or damp mornings. One thing that is worth advises to leave the car in the default ‘D’ remembering, though, is to turn on the mode and driving in the usual careful manner, heated driver’s seat the night before if but to move into ‘B’ mode (for additional its not on already, and you’ll be sure of a regenerative braking) when needed. warm behind the following morning when I have to say, I’ve only used it towards you get into the car... Of course, the use of the deadline of this report, but said heating functions when there is only

EV Diary

Logbook: month two 2016 Nissan Leaf Tekna 30kWh

Lack of time and poor infrastructure has meant OY65 HTN hasn’t been rapid charged yet, but it can benefit the car long-term

ENGINE:

80kW AC synchronous electric motor, 30kWh lithium-ion battery

CO2:

0g/km

RANGE PRICE (OTR):

155 miles £27,380 (inc VAT, after government PiCG)

DATE ACQUIRED:

September 2016

MILES THIS MONTH: ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION:

150 Wh/mile

GF ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION:

3.6 miles/kWh

CHARGING COSTS THIS MONTH: COSTS THIS MONTH:

Infrastructure black holes As with all EVs, though, much more planning is needed when it comes to longer journeys, simply because of the charging stops needed to top-up the battery. Of course, this varies depending on the journey, but I’ve missed out on taking the electric Nissan on three longer journeys during the past month.

The stay-at-homes weren’t a result of the car’s range however – although that has now topped out at 132 miles – but more the infrastructure which refuels it on the move.

My family lives in Suffolk, the next county up from my home in Essex, and at 90 miles, is close to what the Leaf is displaying as a safe almost maximum range now that the colder weather has set in. This means that en-route to my folks, I’d have to charge on the way to guarantee a return journey should there be no easy way to charge via a domestic socket once I reached my destination, and therefore risk getting stuck and running out of power coming home.

It shouldn’t be difficult, especially with two options for rapid charging on the A12 heading north, but one is only 20 miles away from Chelmsford at Colchester (too close to replenish enough charge to get back to that charger again on the return leg), while the other unit at Capel St Mary just outside Ipswich was reporting errors on the Zap-Map smartphone app, and once again would be a little too close for comfort. I planned to do the whole 180 miles in one day and not stay overnight, and I didn’t want to get caught out

or have 30 minutes to spare coming home after 10pm, as it would take me two hours to get back home across the county border.

So, call me a chicken, but I didn’t risk it.

It was a similar situation on a another East Anglian trip further north to Norwich.

Once again, a lack of infrastructure put paid to taking the Leaf to the city of Colmans Mustard and The Canaries, and so my ICE car made the journey instead. A further long‑distance trip to Farnborough was showing a long queue of traffic on the M25, and even though I was passing untold levels of charge points on the motorways compared to the East Anglian wilds of the weekends before, I had a plane to catch and really didn’t want to miss it, so once again, the ICE car took the hit and made the trip.

I’d like to point out that on none of those proposed journeys was it the car’s fault.

There are still sadly a small number of occasions – lack of time for charging and infrastructure black holes – when an electric car just isn’t suitable. However, on the other occasions when it they are, though, they’re brilliant, and the Leaf enjoyably is.

Battery chemistry So far then, I’ve not managed to rapid charge ‘our’ Leaf, but it can benefit the car, as Douglas Robertson explains: “The new 30kWh Leaf is totally different to the older 24kWh car. The battery chemistry is different, so when you first start a rapid charge (even from very low temperatures of -2 degrees C), the battery pack heats up by two bars, which means it charges much quicker and obviously has the added benefit of going further even in the winter, so you should get summer range throughout the year.”

An interesting thought, and one borne out by numerous sources (bit.ly/2fELwVc).

If you’re a Nissan Leaf (24 or 30kWh) 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. L

£23.43 £0

Heated steering wheel and front seats are a boon in colder weather as they are are much more energy efficient than climate control

Now that the colder and wintry weather has arrived. charging is needed most evenings

NissanConnect app shows a great deal of useful informaiton and can be used to pre-heat

it does appear to work. My energy economy rose from an average of 3.6 miles/kWh to 3.9 miles/kWh, and available range didn’t drop as severely as it had before. Previously, OY65 HTN was using around 10 miles more range than my distance needed once the journeys started to be completed in the dark, so a little extra planning was needed. Of course, I still need to plan, but the range deficit appeared to be less once Douglas’ tip was implemented.

1,150

Volume 99 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

57

Product Finder

HYDROGEN VEHICLES

CLAIMS MANAGEMENT

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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.

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58

BMW 26 Citroen 24, 25 Co-Wheels 38 DKV Euroservice 51 Fiat 8, 32 Ford 4 Gateshead Council 37 Go Ultra Low 44, 45 Iveco 36 Jeep 16, 17 Jersey Post 38 Leaseplan 28

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

Maple Fleet Services 47 Mitsubishi 6, 7 Perpetual 30 Plug In Adventures 38 Route Monkey 21 Seat 12 The AA 10, 13 The New Motion 43 Toyota OBC, 34 University of Cambridge 25 Wex Europe Services IBC

JAGUAR XE

THE BUSINESS CASE IS JUST AS POWERFUL

www.greenfleet.net

Model shown: XE S with optional metallic Italian Racing Red paint.

ISSUE 99

JAGUAR XE

BUILT FOR BUSINESS

THE POWER OF EFFICIENCY The Jaguar XE creates a powerful impression instantly.

But beneath those lithe, muscular lines lies an equally potent argument for fleet managers.

Value is built in to the core of the XE, thanks to the Lightweight Aluminium Architecture. Add Jaguar’s state-of-the-art Ingenium engines and you have the most efficient sports saloon we’ve ever put on the road. Fuel consumption for the XE 2.0 Diesel 163PS RWD manual is impressive, achieving up to 75mpg and CO 2 emissions are as low as 99g/km.

DRIVING DOWN YOUR COSTS Built to compete as a fleet car, the XE’s price is as attractive as its looks. The saloon’s eye-catching efficiency translates into real tax benefits and service intervals as long as 21,000 miles keep maintenance costs in check. Resale rates and insurance group ratings are competitive too.

The Jaguar XE R-Sport is available from £259 a month +VAT.* Jaguar Business Centre 0845 600 2214.

Offer based on a 36 month Business Contract Hire agreement, 10,000 miles per annum with an initial rental of £1,554 +VAT. VAT payable at 20%.

Model shown: XE 2.0D R-Sport 180PS RWD (including optional metallic paint and 18” Silver Matrix alloy wheels) from £274.08 a month +VAT, plus initial rental of £1,644.48. *Important Information, Business users only. XE 2.0D R-Sport 180PS RWD 17MY standard specifi cation, non-maintained. Excess mileage charges apply (at 9.7p 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 registered by 31st December 2016. Contract Hire provided by Jaguar Contract Hire, a trading style of Lex Autolease Limited, Heathside Park, Heathside Park Road, Stockport SK3 0RB.

JAGUAR XE

POWERFUL PERFORMANCE

Model shown: XE 2.0D R-Sport 180PS RWD with optional metallic Italian Racing Red paint and 19” Star 5-twin spoke alloy wheels.

THE ATTRACTION OF POWER XE’s power runs deeper than its assertive looks.

Touch the start button and the promise of the car’s looks is delivered as the turbocharged engine leaps to life.

The Lightweight Aluminium frame allows for impeccable handling and a distinctively sporty drive, while optional features of AWD and Adaptive Dynamics marshal the XE’s formidable power through tight turns and on uneven roads.

It is an unmistakably exhilarating driver experience.

This is a Jaguar from tip to tailpipe.

POWER AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Built with the business user in mind, the Jaguar XE keeps you at the centre of power with InControl Touch. Manage your business whilst out of the office and keep you and your XE linked to the wider world – all of the power is yours.

With power comes responsibility and the Jaguar XE makes a convincing safety case. Driver assistance features like Lane Departure Warning keep you in line if attention drifts and the multiple safety awards plus 5-star Euro NCAP rating speak for the car’s impressive safety profile.

Jaguar Business Centre 0845 600 2214.

PUT THE POWER OF XE TO WORK JAGUAR BUSINESS CENTRE 0845 600 2214

Model shown: XE S with optional metallic Italian Racing Red paint and 20� Propeller alloy wheels.

Official fuel consumption for the Jaguar XE range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 24.4-64.2 (11.6-4.4); Extra Urban 46.3-83.1 (6.1-3.4); Combined 34.9-75.0 (8.1-3.8). CO2 Emissions 194-99 (g/km). Official EU Test Figures.

For comparison purposes only. Real world figures may differ.