Logistics UK slams Government inaction

Logistics UK warns that the Government is running out of time if it wishes to meet the targets it has set on reducing the CO2 output from Transport.

Michelle Gardner, deputy director of policy at Logistics UK, said: “Figures released by the Department for Transport (DfT) showed that as of October 2022, the total number of public electric vehicle chargepoints across the UK was 34,637. This falls woefully short of the 300,000 target the DfT has set for 2030, and it is vital that the pace of public charging installation increases to ensure targets are met in time for the phase-out dates of diesel and petrol vans and cars. It is also crucial that commercial vehicles – which typically require larger bays, longer reaching cables and a rapid-charging ability – are considered throughout installation to ensure that the logistics industry can continue to efficiently deliver to every sector of the UK economy.

“There is also a current lack of clarity regarding the best transition method for heavier vehicles, including low carbon fuels (LCFs), overhead electric cables on key routes and hydrogen. While trials are underway, these will take time and as a result, the lack of certainty is making it harder for businesses to plan future investment, especially as significant infrastructure will be needed to support alternative fuels and technologies. Logistics UK will continue to work with its members, and government, to seek solutions.”

“Truckfile continues to be much more than a tool to help us keep our Earned Recognition status, though. It’s now an indispensable aid in keeping our fleet operation running smoothly, and has wider benefits too”

Paul Gibbard, Transport Manager at CRS Building Supplies

Compliance. Done digitally.

Driver Check, Fleet & Workshop Management www.truckfile.co.uk

FleetCheck checks EV efficiencies

A range of new tools giving fleets the means to measure the efficiency of electric vehicles (EVs) has been added by FleetCheck to its fleet management software.

They allow businesses to record charging information and measure it against the real world performance of electric cars and vans, generating reports ranging from individual vehicles to the entire fleet.

Peter Golding, managing director at FleetCheck, said: “The increase in the cost of charging seen over the last year or so, combined with a growing realisation that efficiency varies quite widely from one EV model to another, are behind these changes.

“Fleets want to know more about which charging options and which vehicles are costing them the most money so they can take action. For almost all operators, it’s a relatively new area, and they are looking for reliable information and clear reporting.

“The new tools we have introduced provide this, enabling data to be imported directly from external sources or entered manually, so that the reporting on each vehicle provides an accurate picture of fuel costs and use.”

Peter said that the remedial measures undertaken by fleets where EV fuel costs were felt to be excessive were essentially the same as for petrol or diesel vehicles.

“The variables that need to be investigated are almost identical – is the fuel being acquired at the best cost? Is there a fault with the vehicle? Is the driver too aggressive on the road?

“In our view, fleets are very much starting to think about EV charging in exactly the same way as fuelling internal-combustion engine vehicles, and the solutions they are applying – from specifying where fuel can be bought to encouraging better driving –are much the same.”