Fleet World April 2014 by Fleet World Group

contents 10

How the Budget will affect your fleet.

The future fleet stars on display at Geneva.

eSafetyAware and the fleet safety benefits...

Meet the bigger and better new MINI.

Managing Editor Ross Durkin ross@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Publisher Jerry Ramsdale jerry@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Editor Steve Moody steve@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Deputy Editor Alex Grant alex@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Business Editor Natalie Middleton natalie@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Features Editor Katie Beck katie@fleetworldgroup.co.uk VFW Editor Dan Gilkes dan@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Sales Director Anne Dopson anne@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Sales Executives Darren Brett darren@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Claire Lake claire@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Circulation Manager Tracy Howell tracy@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Head of Production Luke Wikner luke@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Designers Tina Ries tina@fleetworldgroup.co.uk

Samantha Hargreaves sam@fleetworldgroup.co.uk

Published by Stag Publications Ltd, 18 Alban Park, Hatfield Road, St Albans, Herts, AL4 0JJ tel +44 (0)1727 739160 fax +44 (0)1727 739169 email fw@fleetworldgroup.co.uk web fleetworld.co.uk

All you and your drivers need to know about parking fines...

SEAT’s director on the rise of the Leon.

VAN FLEETW RLD

CV Show preview, Telematics & tracking, Renault Kangoo Z.E.

STAG Publications

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fleetworld.co.uk / 03

fleetreview This month, editor Steve Moody looks at what effect the recent Budget will have, why fleet sales are on a high and Mitsubishi’s foray into the PHEV market.

Budget brought stability It was good to see in the Budget that the Government announced company car tax rates up to 2019, and heartening to see that they are listening to industry bodies such as ACFO and the BVRLA. Although some people seem to get a bit too caught up in headlines of percentage point changes and how that might adversely affect employees’ liability and attitude to company cars, the fact remains that company cars are still exceptional value for money, whether the bands move up or down a few percentage points. Ask yourself: how many employees of yours would notice the slight change in their monthly pay, and even more so, know why it has changed? More important for the market than shifts from one BIK band to another each year is stability: the knowledge that the system is going to stay the same and that, all things being equal, choosing a company car now is still going to be better value over the next three or four years than going into the market and buying one privately. See page 60 for the UK Fleet Forum experts’ views on the Budget.

Fleet sales are flying Fleet registrations showed an impressive 13.5% increase last month, contributing to an overall rise of 17.7% in the new car market. In total, 194,955 fleet units were registered in March compared to 171,726 for the same month last year, according to the SMMT.

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The sub-25 “Business” sector also saw a sharp rise, with the figure of 23,209 registrations up 23.4% on the 18,809 recorded for March 2013. Meanwhile private registrations were up 20.8%. I’ve spoken to a lot of fleets, dealers and manufacturers and they are all saying there is less pre-registration activity going on than last year as Europe slowly starts to awaken from its economic slumber. So we can infer that there is a lot of good business being done, and the economy is really picking up. That’s great news.

PHEV price will unnerve carmakers

It’s not often Mitsubishi makes a splash in the fleet market, but the price of its new plug-in Outlander – pretty much the same as the diesel version once the Government grant has been applied – will cause a few other carmakers to peer worriedly at their pricing strategies. At nearly £45,000, Volvo’s V60 plug-in costs £5,000 more after the grant than the next-most expensive model in the range. Having spoken to other manufacturers in Geneva, they are looking to price these cars at the same level as highend diesels, and accept the margin hit. If they don’t follow Mitsubishi’s approach, they just won’t sell and the market will never grow.

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

Ford NEWS New Ford Focus a connectivity tour de force THE advanced new Ford Focus, on sale in the second half of this year, is the first European Ford to offer the voice-activated in-car connectivity system SYNC 2. SYNC 2’s eight-inch colour touch screen and advanced voice control means easier access to audio, navigation (an option), climate control and compatible mobile phones. Its navigation system offers a split-screen display for the first time in Europe with detailed intersections, spoken street names, 3D highway junction and landmark views, plus Michelin guides. More intuitive than the original SYNC, it enables drivers to issue simpler “one-shot” navigation destinations. Saying “I’m hungry” will bring up a list of local restaurants, for example. It is the first Ford to offer hands-free Perpendicular Parking, that helps drivers reverse into spaces alongside other cars, and also debuts Cross Traffic Alert and Park-Out Assist, that help manoeuvre out of parking spaces. Ford’s MyKey technology will be offered for the first time, enabling the programming of a key – usually for younger drivers – that restricts top speed, reduces maximum audio volume, and can disable it altogether if driver and passengers are not using safety belts. Adaptive Front Lighting adjusts the new Bi-Xenon HID headlamps to best suit the road layout, altering headlight beam angle and intensity depending on speed, steering angle and distance to an object in front. The cost of ownership will benefit from fuel economy improvements, including the Dagenham-built 120 PS 1.5-litre diesel PowerShift which will offer a 19 per cent improvement compared with today’s equivalent.

inbrief

Sevenoaks connects with Transit The all-new Ford Transit Connect, International Van of the Year 2014, is the continued vehicle of choice for Sevenoaks District Council, replacing the Kent council’s previous generation Transit Connect which provided a reliable service for 10 years. The council, which has an annual replacement programme of more than 25 Fords, looks for vehicles which are operationally effective, fuel efficient and with minimum vehicle emissions. The Transit Connect offers a choice of advanced engines including the award-winning 1.0 litre three-cylinder EcoBoost petrol unit.

Ford’s arctic double

Fiesta broadens appeal with new engines THE Ford Fiesta continues building on its position as the UK’s best-selling car with the launch of two new powertrains. Ford now offers a 100PS version of the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine with advanced, six speed dual-clutch Ford PowerShift automatic transmission – delivering 114g/km CO2 and 57.7mpg. PowerShift uses electronically controlled twin-clutch technology to shift between gears. Drivers have the option of full automatic or sport automatic modes or of selecting gears manually. The 1.0 litre EcoBoost engine combines cutting-edge technologies including direct fuel injection, turbocharging and variable valve timing to deliver the power of a larger engine with the fuel efficiency of a smaller engine. Also new to the Fiesta range is an 80PS 1.0L petrol engine, which shares some of the EcoBoost technologies, delivering 99g/km CO2 and 65.7mpg.

For further information on any vehicle in the Ford range please contact the Ford Business Centre on 08457 23 23 23, email info@fordfleet.co.uk, or visit www.ford.co.uk/fordfleet

Ford News Feature // 05

Ford achieved a landmark double victory in the Arctic Van Test , with the all-new Ford Transit and Transit Connect first in their classes after the punishing fiveday ordeal that subjects vehicles and drivers to extreme challenges in ice, cold and snow, in the frozen north of Finland – where temperatures can drop as low as -50 C. “They were clear winners in very slippery conditions – a great advantage when frozen roads can be found anywhere, and not just on the test track,” said Heikki Laurell, whose magazine organises the annual event.

The new C-Class. Beautifully calculated. Just 104g /km* CO2.

A Daimler Brand

The numbers work.

Official government fuel consumption figures in mpg (litres per 100km) for the new C-Class Saloon range: urban 41.5 (6.8)â&#x20AC;&#x201C;58.9 for comparison purposes and actual performance will depend on driving style, road conditions and other non-technical factors. The new C-Class range starts from ÂŁ26,855.00 on-the-road. *Model featured is a Some combinations of features/options may not be available. Please contact your local Retailer for availability. Prices correct at time of print 04/14.

(4.8), extra urban 64.2 (4.4)–83.1 (3.4), combined 53.3 (5.3)–70.6 (4.0). CO2 emissions: 123-103 g/km. Official EU-regulated test data are provided new C 220 BlueTEC Sport Saloon at £29,495.00 on-the-road with metallic paint at £645.00 (on-the-road price includes VAT, delivery, 12 months’ Road Fund Licence, number plates, first registration fee and fuel).

inbusiness

Streamlined new motoring agency to cut fleet costs

fleetweet

@CobraUKLtd

oads minister Stephen Hammond has launched a new motoring agency combining the former Driving Standards Agency (DSA) and Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), aimed at creating a more streamlined operation and cutting costs by £10.2m in its first year - savings which could be passed on to fleets. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) launched on April 1, following a consultation process last year addressing how the Government’s motoring agencies could be made more efficient, more consistent and easier for fleets to work with. It employs more than 4,000 staff, and will be responsible for all driver and vehicle testing, operator licensing and supervising the MOT test. Minimising staff movements, reducing the number of test sites and increasing the number of digital transactions will help achieve £8.1m savings for former DSA services, and £2.1m for former VOSA operations, as well as a 25% cut in the agency’s CO2 emissions compared to 2009-2010 levels. Stephen Hammond said: ‘By bringing testing and standards services into a single organisation we will make life easier for customers and potentially reduce the fees we charge.’ Toby Poston, BVRLA head of communications, added: 'The BVRLA has long called for a more joined-up approach to delivering motoring services, and we are pleased that the government is recognising the benefits of pooling resources within its agencies. We look forward to working with the DVSA, and welcome any move which will reduce the administrative burdens on our members.'

a few soundbites from a month in fleet

Official Twitter account for security and telematics specialist Cobra UK

The average new car in the UK now emits 128.3g/km CO2, already two years ahead of the 2015 EU targets of 130g/km CO2

@JamieFretwell Jamie Fretwell, media & communications officer, BVRLA

Govt. says it supports Ultra Low Emission Vehicles. Drivers of EVs currently pay no company car tax, but will pay 13% in 2018 #Budget2014

@ecodriveEV Ecodrive EV, Electric Vehicle specialist consultancy to OEMs, dealers and fleets

#Mitsubishi #Outlander #PHEV also available high spec GX4/GX4hs at price parity with diesel (or more equipment) with low costs

New fuel cards launched

@ARIFleetUK

Reduced running costs for fleet are claimed for two new fuel cards, both launched during March. Barclaycard Business Solutions has partnered with The Miles Consultancy (TMC) to launch a new fuel card that could help companies cut an average of a quarter off their business fuel costs whilst also offering 99% UK coverage and no transaction charges. Dubbed Fuel+, the new fuel card has already been piloted with 30 corporate clients including supermarket brand Morrisons, which reported a £700,000 reduction in its like-for-like fuel spend in its first year with Fuel+. The fuel card is now being made available to all organisations with large vehicle fleets (with a fuel spend of more than £500k) and there are plans to roll it out to smaller fleets in due course. Meanwhile a new fixed-price fuel card has been launched by specialist oil trading company Portland to offer small to mid-sized car and van fleets the chance to achieve the same benefits as larger fleets, including fixed price fuel. The Portland fixed-price fuel card is available to use at 1,500 sites across the UK via the UK Fuels Network, including all branches of Morrisons and Tesco. The card enables customers to agree one price for diesel no matter where they may operate in the UK. This price – which is based on the week’s national average retail price – is then fixed for a period of up to 52 weeks.

Official Twitter account for ARI Fleet UK

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Car accidents 17% more likely today RT @AutoExpress Mondays are officially the worst day in the week for accidents

@teorichards Tom Richards, automotive PR, PFPR Communications

I had an economy driving lesson once and saw my fuel bills cut by about a third as a result #Testimonial #FuelDiet

@CleanAirLondon Simon Birkett, Founder and Director of Clean Air in London

Told by a leading scientist that #SaharaDust is just 5% of the #airpollution hitting the UK. Rest is ours and from Continental Europe

@ZenithVehicles Official Twitter account for Zenith

Good news for the UK car manufacturing industry as Jaguar Land Rover invests £45 million at Halewood factory.

business.peugeot.co.uk /New308

MAKE THIS THE YEAR YOU IMPROVE YOUR GOLF

NEW PEUGEOT 308 WINNER

Download our ‘New 308 in 3D’ app and activate it by scanning the car in this advert. For more information visit peugeot.co.uk/308app The New Peugeot 308 stacks up extremely well against the competition. See for yourself at peugeotcompare.co.uk which uses independent data provided by KWIKcarcost. And now there’s even more to set it apart as it’s recently been crowned Car of the Year. Discover its winning combination of style, dynamic driving experience, class-leading CO2 efficiency and quality. Visit business.peugeot.co.uk/New308 or call 02476 884 644 for more information. Official Fuel Consumption in mpg (l/100km) and CO2 emissions (g/km) for the 308 Range are: Urban 35.8 (7.9) – 80.7 (3.5), Extra Urban 61.4 (4.6) – 97.4 (2.9), Combined 48.7 (5.8) – 91.1 (3.1) and CO2 134-82 (g/km). MPG figures are achieved under official EU test conditions, intended as a guide for comparative purposes only, and may not reflect actual on-the-road driving conditions. Model shown is a 308 Feline with 18” Saphir alloy wheels.

NEW PEUGEOT 308

inbusiness

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BUDGET 2014 what’s in it for you? Last month saw George Osborne deliver his fifth Budget, pledging that it would be for a “resilient economy” with “savers at the centre”. But what were the outcomes for fleets? Natalie Middleton reports. Fuel Duty Freeze Previously announced in the Autumn Statement, this was confirmed. However, there were no signs of the much called for cut in fuel duty, bringing condemnation from the RAC on what it termed as ‘effectively a tax on virtually every British business that uses vehicles’. Outcome: No change for now but still uncertainty for the future – a cut in fuel duty would enable fleets to plan ahead to utilise the cash flow boost.

Fuel Benefit Charge (FBC) On 6th April 2014 the car and van fuel benefit charge multipliers will rise to £21,700 and £581 respectively, and will increase again, in line with inflation from 6th April 2015. Outcome: This will put increased pressure on fleets and drivers to turn away from free private fuel as it increasingly becomes a false economy. For fleets/drivers not using “free fuel”, it will also put the focus keeping accurate and detailed records of private mileage so the employer can demonstrate that all fuel for private mileage is refunded to the employer.

Company Car Tax (CCT): The Chancellor announced a 2% increase in Benefit in Kind (BiK) tax for 2017-18 and 2018-19. The move means that the CCT bands for cars emitting over 75g/km will increase 2% to a maximum of 37% for both these years. As a result of the changes, the differentials between the three bands below 95g/km will narrow although this will happen one year later than previously announced. In 2017-18 there will be a 4 percentage point differential between them, reducing to 3 percentage points in 2018-19 and 2 percentage points in 201920 in line with the Budget 2013 announcement. The rates mean that low-emission cars, such as EVs, with emissions up to 50g/km, such as an electric car, will see a series of stepped increases, from paying 0% Benefit-in-Kind tax in 2013/14 and 2014/15 to 5% in 2015/16, 7% in 2016/17, 9% in 2017/18 and 13% in 2018/19. Outcome: The delayed increase in the BiK rates for low and zero-emission vehicles is helpful but fleet drivers/fleets will still see a sharp rise in BiK/Class 1A NIC from next year. However, the move to a five-year BiK announcement cycle at least brings certainty to fleets looking to plan ahead – particularly those running vehicles on longer replacement cycles.

Van Benefit Charge (VBC) The first increase in the VBC since 2008 will take effect from 6th April 2014 when it will rise to £3,090. It will increase again, in line with inflation from 6th April 2015. Vans with zero emissions will be taxed with effect from April 2015, but the full van benefit charge will not apply until April 2020, as the charge will be phased in gradually. Outcome: Increased costs for both employers offering and employees using vans on private journeys. For those not paying VBC, there will be the same pressures as before, for both employers and employees, to be able to prove this to HMRC if needed. Tax simplification The Chancellor also announced that, in response to the OTS review of employee benefits and expenses, the Government would consult on four simplifications including abolishing the £8,500 threshold, voluntary payrolling of benefits, a trivial benefits exemption and a general exemption for nontaxable expenses. Outcome: Although these measures should reduce the burden of administration placed on employers, they fall short of the radical long-term measures designed to dramatically simplify employment tax compliance suggested by the OTS. Jeff Whitcombe, BCF Wessex.

Capital Allowances: Tax breaks for zero emission vans have been extended under the Government’s Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) scheme. The scheme, launched in April 2010, means businesses are able to claim for the cost of purchasing goods vehicles operating with zero emissions and had been due to expire in March 2015. However, the scheme will now be extended until April 2018 but will only be available to businesses that do not claim the Government's Plug-in Van Grant. Outcome: A welcome break for fleets running zeroemission goods vehicles.

Vehicle Excise Duty: The Chancellor also announced that Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) rates for cars, motorcycles and the main rates for vans will increase by inflation from April 2014 when a rolling 40year exemption will be introduced for classic cars. He also confirmed that as announced at Autumn Statement 2013, motorists would no longer need a paper tax disc with effect from 1 October 2014. Outcome: Increase in VED rates will come as no surprise – further incentivising fleets to cut bills by opting for loweremission vehicles. However, abolition of paper tax disc will, says the BVRLA, save the Government around £3m a year with savings of £10m for fleet operators.

fleetworld.co.uk / 11

bites as bad as The new BMW 2 Series Coupé represents a sporty yet efficient proposition for the corporate driver. Featuring a new chassis with a longer wheelbase and wider track than the BMW 1 Series, the new model provides traditional BMW agility and driving dynamics. Boasting the latest technologies as standard, the new model includes; BMW Emergency Call, Bluetooth hands-free facility with USB audio interface and Rear Park Distance Control, while achieving up to 64.2mpg (combined) and keeping CO2 emissions down to as little as 117g/km.

To find out more visit www.bmwcorporate.co.uk or call 0800 777 113.

THE NEW BMW 2 SERIES COUPÉ. UP TO 64.2MPG (COMBINED). FROM 117G/KM CO2. Official Fuel Economy Figures for the BMW 2 Series Coupé range: Urban 25.9–52.3mpg (10.9–5.4l/100km). Extra Urban 47.1-72.4mpg (6.4-3.9l/100km). Combined 34.9–64.2mpg (8.1-4.4l/100km). CO2 Emissions 189-117g/km Figures may vary depending on driving style and conditions.

BMW Corporate Sales

bmwcorporate.co.uk Tel: 0800 777 113

it barks.

The Ultimate Driving Machine

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Q &A

Peter Bridgen, managing director of Keyfuels, tells Natalie Middleton about the diesel discounts being offered to car and van fleets under the new Allstar Premier Programme. What is it? Allstar Premier Programme is a two-card solution and it brings together the fantastic network of Allstar, which we’ve got already and is in nearly 8,000 sites right across the UK, with Keyfuels’ network of about 1,700 sites, which are within the Allstar network. The idea here is to bring convenience, control and now savings to our customers and prospects. We think we can save our customers up to about 4p per litre on diesel – significant savings there. What size fleets is it suitable for? Any fleet can use this product and that’s the beauty of it. If they want a certain product that delivers convenience, control and fuel savings for them, they can use this. The other thing about it is that it’s single billing, so whilst there’s two cards here, they’ll deliver one invoice to the customer for both types of transaction, and also single data delivery. Why is it only aimed at diesel vehicles? The last figures we looked at showed something like 92% of our fleet customers using the Allstar card operate diesel. And so petrol is very, very small in comparison. The other thing is that Keyfuels transaction works on the Keyfuels commercial bunkering concept, which is on-the-road bunkering where we put stock or fuel in sites and you can’t do that with petrol. But frankly we don’t see that as an issue because the majority of cars these days are diesel as opposed to petrol. Why does it need to be based on two cards? There are some technical difficulties in developing one card. And some network difficulties as well. But two cards we don’t see any difficulties with from the customer’s

UK connecting the UK’s fleet community ~ Formerly Fleet Academy

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point of view because they’re already asking for it for one thing and we have new support products available, including an online fuel finder, sat nav downloads and a new mobile app, which will tell them actually where to use each card and where they can make savings. We’ve taken quite a lot of time over developing this to a level where we make it as easy to use and as intuitive for the customer as we possibly can. Would you have any comments on the issues of last year with the new transaction fees and IT problems? Are you looking to draw a line under that and move on with new developments? I think we are really, yes. Obviously we’d like to draw a line under it. I think the vast majority of our customers understand why we introduced fees. And you know it shows with the amount of customers that are staying put with us. For us to be able to deliver now our Allstar Premier Programme to help our customers out and save on costs, that’s the important thing and that’s what we want to do going forwards. You say that you’re planning to roll out other innovative developments this year. Any hints on them? We think we’ve got some exciting things to come. We already launched the Supermarket Fuel Card a little while ago. We’ve got this Allstar Premier Programme, which is intended to save our customers and prospects on fuel, and our business mileage monitor, which splits business mileage out from private in HMRC-ready materials. Going forwards we want to enhance the services we provide. We want to deliver more security and so forth. It’s a complete set of products and services that we are offering fleets and we will continue to enhance this.

Join the debate... theukfleetforum.co.uk

inbusiness

Shock low cost of plug-in Outlander puts Mitsubishi in fleet frame

itsubishi is looking to attract company car drivers with its new plug-in hybrid Outlander SUV, which it says can save employees and companies many thousands of pounds. The new car, which uses a suite of batteries to give it a 30 mile range and four-wheel drive ability before a 2.0-litre petrol engine kicks in, is rated at 44g/km of CO 2, and crucially has little price premium over the diesel version, unlike the Volvo V60 PHEV which costs nearly £45,000 after the Government grant. The entry level Outlander starts at £28,249 after the grant, and with 5% BiK to pay, no congestion charge, no VED, 100% write down allowance in the first year and lowered NICs, managing director Lance Bradley believes the firm have a good chance of attracting fleets. ‘Higher rate tax payers could only pay just over £600 a year in tax for an Outlander, and that could be a saving over three years of £7,000-11,000 in tax over many of its rivals,’ he said. ‘It’s a game changer for us, and the fact there is no compromise on cabin or boot space and the range of up to 32 miles, means that for many drivers it could be the perfect company car. We’re very excited about the opportunities for the car, and are actively talking to fleets about the possibilities for it.’ The Outlander has an official combined MPG of

148mpg, although in real world conditions Mitsubishi are saying that drivers who regularly do more than around 100 miles a day may be better off with a diesel option. However, with the ability to charge at work and overnight, commuters may hardly use any petrol. Residuals have been predicted at the same level as the diesel version, and Bradley is happy about that. ‘One of the messages we’re trying to get across about this car is that although it is a plug-in hybrid, it should be treated as just another SUV. It’s not odd, or unusual, or a risk, in any way so for the RV guides to have given a ﬁgure the same as the diesel is very pleasing for us.’ Quick Driving Verdict ‘The Outlander PHEV is one of the most significant cars to launch in the UK this year: good EV range, smooth changeover to petrol when needed and with no feeling that you’re driving anything out of the ordinary. For company car drivers looking for a vehicle around £30,000, this has to be a major consideration now. And the price has laid down a gauntlet to the rest of the EV makers to start selling their cars at real world prices. The Outlander PHEV was launched as FW goes to press. For a full review, see next month’s issue.’ Steve Moody

fleetworld.co.uk / 15

THE NEW MINI. THE NEW ORIGINAL.

The all new MINI Hatch builds upon the success of its heritage, with the MINI Cooper D providing class-leading performance and efficiency, as well as the lowest CO2 emissions of any equivalent model above 100hp at 92gkm. All-new three and four-cylinder engines and automatic gearboxes with Auto Start-Stop also mean that two models within the range exceed 80mpg on the combined cycle, while still delivering MINIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hallmark go-kart handling. Standard specification includes DAB digital radio, heated mirrors and washer jets, USB audio interface and keyless go.

To find out how to give your business an advantage, visit www.minicorporate.co.uk or call 0800 777 113. Official Fuel Economy Figures for the MINI Hatch Range: Urban 36.7-72.4 mpg (7.7-3.9 l/100km). Extra Urban 58.9-91.1 mpg (4.8-3.1 l/100km). Combined 48.7-83.1 mpg (5.8-3.4 l/100km). CO2 Emissions 136-89 g/km. Figures may vary depending on driving style and conditions.

MINI Corporate Sales

inbusiness

Thinking locally How has JCT600, one of the UK's biggest regional dealer groups, turned around its local fleet fortunes? Curtis Hutchinson, editor of Motor Trader reports.

radford-based JCT600, one of the biggest and most respected of the regional groups, is already seeing the benefit of a renewed dealer focus on local fleet. Last year its fleet division sold 11,200 vehicles, worth around £200 million, which equated to a yearon-year leap of 28%. In the first three months of 2014 it has already achieved year on year sales growth of 23%. It expects to sell 13,000 units this year rising to 20,000 by 2018. While the group already operates the JCT600 Contracts contract hire and leasing business, these figures relate purely to its fleet division which sells cars through its dealers and brokers. As a business JCT600 has a strong local name. Established 60 years ago it is still family run and represents 19 carmakers ranging from Kia to Bentley and operates exclusively across Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and the North East. However, to achieve its planned growth it will be serving the needs of fleets outside of its traditional heartland. ‘The growth of the division is part of an ambitious five year strategy which includes establishing ourselves as the fleet dealer of choice locally, regionally and, long term, nationally,’ says Neill Richards, JCT600’s fleet sales director. ‘We have already made tremendous progress and are well on our way to reaching our target of delivering 20,000 vehicles by 2018.’ Richards is a fleet industry stalwart having cut his teeth knocking on the doors of local businesses for Kwik Fit Fleet, followed by regional fleet positions at Skoda before joining Fiat Group as corporate sales manager. He joined JCT600 at the end of 2012 from the RAC where he was the new business manager of fleet. He brings a manufacturer’s fleet perspective to retailing, has already delivered some impressive results and is set to fulfil the group’s ambitious target. His appointment acknowledged an area of the business in need of improvement. ‘Local fleet business is massively important for us. Historically we haven’t been as smart as we could have been in fleet. It’s a complicated market and there was no expertise to develop it.’ Richards said the group was heavily dependent on

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repeat business from long term fleet customers and specialist brokers selling its cars into firms. This meant fleet was a steady but not growing business. Prospecting is now the name of the game with the group employing 17 business development managers, each dedicated to a cluster of its main fleet brands, whose job it is to win new business while retaining existing clients. These report into three fleet hubs which handle all their administration enabling them to build relationships with local businesses. Richards says the group now has a methodical consultative approach which differentiates it from other groups. This means if a customer is particularly interested in Mercedes cars they will still conduct a full consultation which might reveal a need for vans and that lead will be passed to the teams looking after Vauxhall, Peugeot and Volkswagen. ‘Local businesses are massively important to us. We built our group on local people whether they are individuals or businesses and we work in partnership with them, but we now have the infrastructure in place to really look after them at another level.’ The group operates a new fleet charter heavily focused on delivering satisfaction, something dealers often talk about in regards to their retail customers but not necessarily their business ones. ‘It’s not just about how we treat our fleet customers, in terms of honesty and transparency; it’s about returning calls within an hour and getting customers booked in within 48 hours.’ Central to the approach is doing the basics well and delivering them in a consistent manner; obvious retailing best practice too often forgotten or neglected by some dealers. ‘By default fleet customers are more complicated and demanding than retail ones but that's not something we can’t sort out; it’s not difficult.’ To prove the point JCT600 supplies fleet services to a number of leading contract hire and leasing companies and is subjected to their stringent checks and balances. ‘A major leasing company will measure us on a monthly basis to see how we perform and we constantly get upper quartile scores. If we can do that we can certainly look after local fleet business.’

BiK 15%† FROM

COMBINED

MPG 76.3mpg* UP TO

An incredibly efficient 76.3mpg – and just 98g/km emissions.

CO2 98g/km* FROM

BEAUTIFUL EFFICIENCY

P11D £16,244 FROM

NEW INSIGNIA

Efficient by nature, New Insignia delivers class-leading CO2 emissions of just 98g/km and an incredible 76.3mpg (combined)*. This sensational economy also comes with superb standard features such as alloy wheels, Bluetooth®, cruise control, CD/MP3 player and USB connectivity.

Transform your business at: www.vauxhallfleet.co.uk/beautifultechnology Book your FREE** 3 Day Test Drive at www.vauxhallfleet.co.uk/testdrive or call 0870 240 4848

VAUXHALL FLEET Visit www.vauxhall.co.uk/fleet

Official Government Test Environmental Data. Fuel consumption figures mpg (litres/100km) and CO2 emissions (g/km). New Insignia range: Urban 24.8 (11.4)-62.8 (4.5), Extra-urban 46.3 (6.1)-88.3 (3.2), Combined 34.9 (8.1)-76.3 (3.7). CO2 emissions 189-98g/km.

Official EU-regulated test data are provided for comparison purposes and actual performance will depend on driving style, road conditions and other non-technical factors. † = 2014-15 tax year. General Motors UK Limited, trading as Vauxhall Motors, does not offer tax advice and recommends that all Company Car Drivers consult their own accountant with regards to their particular tax position. ** = Excludes fuel and lubricants; congestion charges; parking and speeding fines and the £250 insurance excess (if applicable). 3 Day Test Drive vehicles are subject to availability and terms and conditions apply. Please refer to www.3daytestdrive.co.uk for full terms and conditions. Drivers must be 25 years or older and is available for Mainland UK only. All figures quoted correct at time of publication (April 2014).

inbusiness

More eyes on the road With autonomous emergency braking systems likely to become mandatory, Alex Grant finds out how the eSafetyAware programme is driving home the benefits to fleets ahead of time. What is it? An important step towards potentially driverless vehicles, autonomous braking builds on the existing Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), which will become mandatory in Europe from November this year, adding extra sensors to respond more quickly to potential dangers ahead. The eSafetyAware campaign (run in the UK by RoadSafe, Thatcham Research and component manufacturer Bosch), is targeting fleet decision makers to drive wider knowledge and acceptance of driver assistance systems through handson demonstrations before they become mandatory.

How does it work? ESP is an electronic system which detects a loss of traction at one of the wheels, and can then individually brake each corner of the car to avoid a skid. It’s not a new technology, but mandating it not only in Europe, but the United States, Japan and Australia creates a platform for other systems to take control of braking functions. Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) uses a forward-facing radar, laser (LIDAR) or camera to monitor the distance to other vehicles and the speed at which they are travelling. If the sensors detect a slower moving object or pedestrian ahead, they can pre-prime, then automatically apply the brakes to reduce the severity of a collision or avoid it altogether at low speeds. Though these are usually discussed in relation to eradicating accidents at less than 20mph – which Bosch says account for 75% of all collisions – the technology behind forms the basis of automatic cruise control and some can be used to prewarn the driver then actively brake the vehicle at motorway speeds if it is approaching a slower moving vehicle or traffic jam. Networked further, camera-based systems can read road signs for in-car displays and monitor road markings for active lane-keeping, while the latest parking assistance systems can utilise autonomous braking to take full control of the manoeuvre rather than just steering into a space.

20 / fleetworld.co.uk

The results: In a German study, analysed by Bosch, 20% of rear-end shunts were caused by braking too late, 49% by not braking sufficiently and 31% by not braking at all. Euro NCAP says AEB reduced accident rates by 27%, while the United States Insurance Instutute for Highway Safety reported a 15% drop in claims for vehicles fitted with the technology. But adoption is slow, with 82.6% of 2013 model year vehicles not offering AEB as an option. Bosch sees the insurance industry as the main driver of wider adoption, with incentives of up to 10% already available and Euro NCAP including driver assistance systems in its results from next year.

inbusiness

What lies beneath? The Insider has delved into the murky world of repairing crashed cars...

f you run company vehicles, I bet you have been faced with the scenario where a car is involved in an accident, but repairable, yet the driver is adamant he or she doesn’t want it back. And that’s a right dilemma. Who am I to force them to continue driving a vehicle, the safety of which they feel has been compromised? What if I do persuade them to take it and somehow they are involved in a second major incident, because the car didn’t hold up so well, and are hurt? Aside from the moral issue, you can bet there would be financial implications for the company, possibly resulting in a massive insurance claim and perhaps bad publicity. Sometimes you know damn well the driver has been looking for an excuse to offload the vehicle and choose something else, but if you refuse the request, they simply throw the health and safety line at you, and so it’s easier to cave in and reallocate them something else. And then you are stuck with a car which, frequently, no-one else wants either. In the retail market, a survey of 1500 motorists found that nearly half replaced a car following even minor damage, and 15% took the write off money and didn’t replace the car at all. The inference was that there was a lack of confidence in the repaired vehicle, although equally it may just be a need to cut down on costs, or changing personal circumstances. But the repair industry listened to concerns about poorly repaired vehicles. When the PAS (Publicly Available Specification) 125 accreditation was proposed, about seven years ago, I took a tour of Thatcham, where I was amazed by the challenges of safely fitting together several differing metals, in order to avoid a weaker end product. I came away wondering why I had made so much fuss about minor overspray on a panel when there could be so much worse lurking underneath, and I would have no idea. The purpose of PAS 125 was to specify safe vehicle damage repair processes, and it is now over-

seen by a committee drawn widely from key members of the repair community. However it is a voluntary code and of course there are seasoned bodyshop repairers who protest that they have repaired cars for years, kept themselves up to date with new processes, and don’t see why should they bother with all the additional auditing and cost. Others accept that accreditation by an industry standard is key to obtaining customer confidence and use it as a differentiator in a competitive marketplace. To some extent, I can see the problem from both sides of the fence. Insurance companies are being pressed to squeeze premiums yet pay for safe repairs. Repairers are encouraged to spend money on accreditation as well as constantly tooling up for new ways of working. Then the accident management companies come along, acting in fleets’ best interests, and expect them to have all of the standards but at no extra cost to the customer. There are too many parties with an interest at stake. PAS 125 licence holders are regularly audited to ensure continuing compliance in line with an accredited quality management system. The system was embraced, and developed, and is now continuing to evolve into a full British Standard which will carry the BSI Kitemark. All the time the industry looks after itself effectively, there should be no need for further government regulation. So it’s disappointing that whilst all that good work is happening, the issues of poor repair by any old Joe who fancies setting up as a bodyshop (as opposed to a decent repairer who chooses not to take up PAS125), are being passed from pillar to post as no-one will take responsibility for a clamp down. I’d like to think this is less of a problem for fleet, where professionalism dictates appointing quality suppliers, but those poorly-repaired vehicles may still shunt into ours out on the open road and the results aren’t going to be pretty.

fleetworld.co.uk / 21

g fleet e k

Dunhill Car Grille Cufflinks Prestigio MultiPad 4 Diamond 7.85 3G Low on price but high on spec, with a quad-core processor, 7.85-inch display and long-life battery, Prestigio’s latest Android-powered Multipad looks a bit of a bargain. The thin aluminium case is available in black and white, each with a choice of 16 or 32GB of internal memory and the ability to connect USB flash drives and memory cards for extra capacity. Price: From £179, see uk.prestigio.com for suppliers

OtterBox Commuter Series Wallet Case In a world filled with smartphone cases, this one still stands out. The rear section slides downwards, revealing a hidden compartment capable of holding three credit cards and a banknote, which clicks to lock closed. Fitments are available for the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S4. Price: £34.99 from otterbox.co.uk

Available in chrome or black with an optional matching tiebar, dunhill’s stainless steel cufflinks are designed to mimic radiator grilles and form part of its famed Motorities heritage brand. Each bar of the grille is separated by a gap, showing the wearer’s shirt underneath. Price: £130 from dunhill.co.uk

PNY PowerPack 7800 With smartphones and tablets now taking care of the bulk of on-the-road work time, it’s never been more important to carry a backup power source for those emergency situations. Encased in a brushed aluminium case with a digital capacity display, PNY’s universal PowerPack range offers up to three additional charges and can connect to two devices simultaneously via USB ports. Price: £35.80 see pny.eu for suppliers

apps of the month

Office for iPad

Jawbone UP24

SwiftKey Note

Microsoft Office, comprising Word, Excel and PowerPoint, is now available for the Apple iPad. Free to download, it offers on-thego access to cloud-based documents, with the option to edit and create new files for those with an Office 365 subscription. All of the apps are designed for the iPad’s user interface, and PowerPoint includes a touchoperated laser pointer function. Price: Free from iTunes Store

UP tracks movements, sleep patterns, moods and eating habits via a Bluetooth-connected rubbercoated multi-colour wristband. It can warn if the user has been idle for too long, set alarms for the right part of a sleep cycle and help set goals for healthier living. The platform will also be compatible with other apps in the near future. Price: Wristband £53.89 from amazon.co.uk, app free from iTunes Store and Google Play

Android users have been able to benefit from SwiftKey’s excellent predictive text function for some time, but the app is now available for the iPhone and iPad. SwiftKey Note learns how you construct sentences and tailors its predictive text around this, meaning it’s easy to take notes as quickly as you think. Everything is also automatically backed up to the cloud, via Evernote. Price: Free from iTunes Store

24 / fleetworld.co.uk

Less fuel in. More miles out. Go further with the new Honda engine.

CR-V 1.6 Diesel

Civic 1.6 Diesel

Civic Tourer 1.6 Diesel

• Low fuel costs 62.8 mpg

• Low fuel costs 78.5 mpg

• Low fuel costs 74.3 mpg

• 119 g/km CO2

• 94 g/km CO2

• 9 9 g/km CO2

• Band C VED

• Zero VED

• BIK rate from 19%

• BIK rate from 14%

• BIK rate from 15%

• Two wheel drive

• Insurance group from 15E

honda.co.uk/corporate Fuel consumption figures for the Honda range in mpg (l/100km): Urban Cycle 23.2 – 70.6 (12.2 – 4.0), Extra Urban 40.4 – 85.6 (7.0 – 3.3), Combined 32.5 – 78.5 (8.7 – 3.6). CO2 emissions 201 – 94g/km. Fuel consumption figures sourced from official EU-regulated laboratory test results, are provided for comparison purposes and may not reflect real-life driving experience. Models shown for illustrative purposes: Civic 1.6 i-DTEC S in optional White Orchid Pearl, CR-V 1.6 i-DTEC S in optional Passion Red Pearl and Civic Tourer 1.6 i-DTEC SE Plus in optional Twilight Blue Metallic.

BAROMETER Making sense of the surveys

We’ve pulled together the pertinent points from the myriad of research done in the fleet industry this month to give you a clearer view of what’s really going on...

“selfies” at the wheel Despite incontrovertible proof of the dangers of using mobile phones while driving, research from confused.com has revealed that many drivers are unable to resist the temptation to update social media accounts from behind the wheel. 36% of the motorists surveyed have used their mobile phone when driving, with almost 9% suffering an accident after using their mobile at the wheel.

The price comparison website also discovered that in a recent 30-day period, 287 tweets were tagged with #drivingselfie and #drivingselfies. Source: confused.com

Staggeringly, 7% of drivers admitted to taken photograph of themselves while driving, known as a “selfie”, and 4% have used the social media app Snapchat to send photos to friends. Despite so many drivers flouting the law, only 8% say they have actually been caught by police using their phone behind the wheel. Of those who have been caught, 57% admit to continuing to use their phone while driving after their brush with the law.

fleet maintenance issues Poor maintenance is causing van fleets to take more unscheduled “pit stops” due to mechanical issues than car fleets, a new survey carried out by Autoglass has revealed. 33% of van fleets surveyed admitted that their drivers had made an unscheduled stop in the last month compared to just 16% of car fleets. Only 27% of all fleets regularly perform maintenance checks, with 58% relying solely on servicing to pick up problems, and 13% on driver reports alone. 54% of fleet managers surveyed said that the main cause of unexpected time off the road for emergency repairs is general wear and tear. The research also found that van fleets spend twice as much as car fleets on maintenance each year – £1,392 versus £687. On average, the operational cost of a van fleet vehicle being off the road for one day is £726, compared to £588 for predominantly car fleets.

26 / fleetworld.co.uk

Source: Autoglass

fleet driver fines Motoring fines racked up by fleet car and van drivers rose 15% in value last year, reaching over £8m, according to the annual Company Driver Fines and Penalties survey from Lex Autolease. However, the data, which is compiled from Lex Autolease’s fleet of 275,000 vehicles, shows that despite this rise in fines, the total number of offences committed rose by only 2.7% in 2013. The number of company drivers caught using bus lanes leapt by 25%, from 11,732 in 2012 to 14,698 last year. General traffic-related offences, such as entering a box junction or stopping in a red route, fell by -17%. Offences such as speeding, dangerous driving and driving whilst on a mobile phone increased by just 2% to 34,495 fines in 2013. The study also showed that a large number of company drivers were caught out by Transport for London’s decision to reduce its Congestion Charge exemption threshold to vehicles emitting less than 75g/km. The change resulted in a 21% increase in the number of drivers penalised for non-payment of the charge compared to the previous year, from 9,150 fines in 2012 to 11,102 fines in 2013.

Source: Lex Autolease

EVs as company cars ‘The last thing drivers have the time to do is spend time looking for a recharging point, hoping it is free and then waiting for a minimum charge to take place... For now, hybrids and range extenders offer the most practical solution until battery technology improves substantially.’

New research from the Leasedrive Group has found that the vast majority of drivers would be put off choosing an EV as their next company car due to issues with lack of knowledge, range and the charging infrastructure. In a survey of 534 drivers by the vehicle management specialist, only 16% said that they would consider an EV. Of the 420 who provided reasons for their decision, 35% stated lack of range as the main reason behind their decision not to opt for an EV next time around. Lack of knowledge (13%) and lack of an adequate re-charging infrastructure (12%) were the next most cited reasons. Roddy Graham at the Leasedrive Group said: ‘It certainly comes as no surprise that the biggest reason for not considering an electric vehicle as a next company car is range. Unless drivers regularly travel in an urban area or between two closely connected urban areas, they are unlikely to consider an EV as their main vehicle. Source: Leasedrive Group

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

Geneva 2014 Highlights

Geneva roundup

Steve Moody reports on all the news and star cars from the major European show.

Jaguar Jaguar’s new 3 Series challenger will be called the XE, the firm has revealed. With an all-aluminium monocoque and a new range of engines it is claimed to offer emissions below 100g/km. It’s still a while off though, with a reveal towards the end of this year and full roll out in the middle of 2015.

Renault The new Twingo was one of the stars of the show. Ridiculously cute, brilliantly packaged (thanks to the engine tucked away under the boot floor) and boasting the turning circle and handling of a gnat, this little Renault has the potential to be a great car.

Audi Audi’s new TT will have emissions as low as 110g/km, when in diesel form. The firm promises the new model will be sportier than the current car (even the diesel does 0-62mph in seven seconds) thanks to new suspension and greater use of aluminium in construction. Visually, there are no real surprises, but then if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it is Audi’s mantra.

30 / fleetworld.co.uk

Skoda Skoda’s concept cars have a habit of turning up in production, and so the VisionC five door coupe should be hitting the road within a couple of years. It’s a very good looking car, with Skoda saying design is now a high priority for its models. It’s a very confident brand these days.

Mercedes-Benz The new S-Class Coupe is a thing of beauty, managing to be both vast and elegant at the same time, which is not always an easy trick. Elsewhere on the stand, the new C-Class is shaping up nicely, and there are rumours a plug-in hybrid is not far off either.

Volkswagen When the plug-in Golf goes on sale later in the year, it is expected that prices will be about £2,000 higher than the equivalent traditionally-powered model. In this case, that’s the Golf GTD and GTI: although it will do 30 miles on battery power alone, the GTE also has 204bhp.

BMW BMW is going launch crazy this year, with new model introductions into double figures. Cars fleets may well be interested in include the Active Tourer MPV, X4 and X6 SUV, 4 Series GT and of course the M3 and M4 if tax saving isn’t high on your priority list.

Citroën In the plastic, the C4 Cactus looks a brilliant car. The Airbumps that protect its flanks are a characterful addition and don’t look too odd either. The cabin is clean and simple and the overall package has a lovely, simple feel to it. If company car drivers take to its innovative combination of practicality and styling it could be a real winner for the brand.

fleetworld.co.uk / 31

MINI Hatch Improving on a much-loved model is tough, but MINI has managed it, thinks Craig Thomas. SECTOR Supermini PRICE £13,750–£18,650 FUEL 80.7–49.6mpg CO2 92–133g/km

INI sold 22,682 units of its Hatch model last year – even though it was on its way out of production – taking the total UK sales since its re-introduction under BMW’s aegis in 2001 to 389,343. So can this new model, with a brand new platform, a new range of engines and a complete redesign keep up the success story? The design that has won so many hearts (and sales) is still very much in evidence, with the trademark grille, clamshell bonnet, circular headlights and the black edging at the bottom of its body retained, but subtly tweaked. The new MINI has been stretched slightly, with an extra 98mm added to the length, 26mm to the width and 12mm to the height of the car. These might sound like relatively small increases, but the effects are significant: the interior feels tangibly more spacious and adding 51 litres to the boot capacity helps make it more practical than ever (not something the MINI has ever been renowned for). All in all, the effect is that the MINI hasn’t just grown: Another major change is the range of engines. The One it is also more grown-up. and Cooper variants are fitted with all-new three-cylinThat’s especially true of the cabin. When the MINI was der 1.5-litre petrol units, with the spicier Cooper S getreintroduced in 2001, the quirky pod-like ting a four-cylinder 2.0-litre. The Cooper S is instrument panel was original and appealing, an entertaining, fizzy little thing, all pops, FLEET FACT but it has somewhat lost its lustre, especially bangs and burbles, with the 189bhp making as the speedometer’s positioning in the it something of a firecracker (0-62mph is MINI expects centre console was awkward. MINI has thereachieved in just 6.8 seconds). fore thankfully reformulated the steering The more fleet-friendly diesel Cooper D 15% of MINI column-mounted instrument cluster, placing also gets a new three-cylinder 1.5-litre Hatch sales to go the rev counter, speedo and fuel level engine, which, once it gets going, is superbly to fleet buyers. together in front of the driver. There’s also an refined and responsive, with plenty of low(optional) 8.8-inch TFT display in the circudown torque and enough performance for it lar centre console, below which there are fewer switches to overtake comfortably while cruising on the motorway. – the electric window controls finally having been moved, MINI has always made great play of the car’s go kartmore conventionally, to the doors. like handling, so fans of it will be pleased to learn that it’s now even better. Still nimble, well balanced, with pointily accurate steering and bundles of grip, it is highly engaging to drive. But now the suspension has also been significantly upgraded, so the body is better controlled and the ride is supple and compliant, and able to soak up any scarred and rutted surfaces with alacrity. This is perhaps the most significant way in which the new MINI feels more grown-up, as it is smoother and more comfortable than ever on the road, while retaining its involving handling characteristics. BMW’s MINI has built on the iconic – an overused word these days, but apposite in this instance – reputation of the original. This latest generation, with its new maturity and levels of efficiency, will take that reputation to another level, its desirability boosting sales figures even further.

32 / fleetworld.co.uk

what we think highlights

The superb handling of previous versions has been not only retained, but improved, as has the suspension, which now makes the MINI a comfortable car to ride in. Add a refined and frugal three-cylinder engine and the MINI Cooper D is the complete supermini package for fleet customers.

The Cooper D shaves half a second off its 0-62mph time (down to 9.2 seconds). At the same time, CO2 emissions have been reduced to 92g/km and fuel consumption has risen to 80.7mpg. The increased size means an extra 19mm legroom and 84mm shoulder room in the rear, plus 12mm headroom in the front.

key fleet model MINI Cooper D fleetworld.co.uk / 33

Mercedes-Benz C-Class There's no better place to sit, if you can ignore the engine sound, says Ryan Borroff. SECTOR Compact executive PRICE £26,855–£35,510 FUEL 53.3–70.6mpg CO2 103–128g/km

he C-Class is the biggest seller in the MercedesBenz range with most of its sales going to the company car market. So it’s keen to keep its fleet buyers on board with the C-Class latest model, and it reckons on doing so by offering an even more luxurious package than before. Cars in this market have been getting progressively higher quality for some years now but this C-Class feels like a leap ahead in terms of prestige and style: it is the most elegant car in its class. For years Mercedes-Benz cars have been very conservative in terms of their styling. With this model that period is officially over. Inside is where this C-Class really shines. Mercedes has responded to criticism of the interior quality of the outgoing model and as a result it is way ahead of its competitors. For those racking up many motorway miles each year, there simply isn't a more comfortable, more classy electric hybrid, each with automatic transmission. place to sit in this segment, and it is more spacious too. Mercedes claims an average fuel consumption reduction The daunting array of buttons that defined Mercedes of 20% across the range. In the business car market the products for so long, is gone and has been replaced by a automatic version of the C220 BlueTEC 7-inch infotainment screen that owes so diesel will be the biggest seller and in terms much to the design of Apple’s iPad it ought to FLEET FACT of running costs the figures are impressive. be credited at the back of the glovebox manIt emits just 103g/km of CO2 and as much as ual. Operation is via a familiar rotary dial Sub-100g/km 70.6mpg on the combined cycle. Considering controller augmented by a touchpad which this is a car that’s capable of sprinting from 1.6-litre diesel offers numerical and lexical input, although 0-62mph in 7.7 seconds and has 168bhp to we’re not entirely sure it’s needed and can be will follow later summon, it clearly offers a good combination ignored almost entirely. The touchpad can this year. of attributes. also get in the way when changing gear in Mercedes-Benz may be claiming it’s the manual models. sportiest C-Class yet, but it’s still no match for the BMW Five powertrain options will be offered in the UK: 3 Series in terms of engagement, but in terms of the ride a C200 diesel-electric and petrol, each with a manual it is, perhaps, more reminiscent of a higher end Mercedes gearbox, and a C220 and C250 diesel and a C300 diesel and is the first car in this segment to get air suspension. What we can say is that the suspension offers a comfortable and civilised ride and stiffens nicely particularly in the Sport+ setting, which could be important if you’re moving from a BMW 3 Series. As far as we can tell the downsides of C220 ownership will be few. Where the car does disappoint is in the noisiness of its engine. It is gruff and constant, unless you crank up the optional Burmeister audio system to drown it out, it may be something which could remain disconcertingly present. But it is really the only dampener on an otherwise quite excellent car. By elevating the user experience so highly by creating that class-leading interior it somehow makes that ill-mannered engine much more difficult to accept.

34 / fleetworld.co.uk

what we think

highlights Exceptional interior quality Comfortable ride

The C220 BlueTEC model is aimed at the fleet market and promises low running costs and unprecedented levels of luxury. Despite significant improvements itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still clearly a car set up for comfort rather than excitement and the C220 is not as refined as it could be due to a discordant-sounding engine.

Great running costs

key fleet model Mercedes-Benz C220 BlueTEC SE

fleetworld.co.uk / 35

Sponsored feature

Game changer The new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. ractical, real-world electric motoring in a full SUV, with huge reductions in company car costs and no range anxiety: Mitsubishi’s remarkable new Outlander PHEV has just become the default company car option, irrespective of class. Ignoring the Outlander PHEV’s company car credentials would be a serious mistake. This one really is a game changer. You owe it to yourself to read at least some of what follows. Here’s a few Outlander PHEV facts: Price: from £28,249 (post-grant) Benefit in Kind tax rate: 5% Vehicle Excise Duty: £0 London Congestion Charging: £0 CO2 emissions: 44g/km Pure EV range: 32 miles Pure EV + Petrol range: 514 miles These are the sort of numbers a futurologist might tentatively predict for a tiny city car ten years from now. All the more extraordinary, then, that the Outlander PHEV not only achieves these numbers now, in 2014, but that it does so as a lavishly-equipped SUV with no restrictions on interior or boot space. If you’re a company car user, the benefits of running this new breed of electric hybrid are nothing short of startling. Here’s a taster. The BIK and fuel card tax ratings for similarlysized diesel SUVs are typically 30% or

more. For an Outlander PHEV, they are 5%. For company owners and fleet managers choosing Outlander PHEVs, there’s a 100% Capital Allowance first year write down on the purchase, and lower National Insurance Contributions for PHEV users. For any driver, Outlander PHEV running costs can be not just low, but radically low. Fuel consumption is incredible. The official EU figure is 148mpg, but if your daily journey is less than 32 miles it could be considerably more than that. Longer journeys, such as a motorway trip will reduce this, but still return impressive figures. Unlike the average electric vehicle, there’s no danger of ‘running out of juice’ as long as you’ve got some petrol in the tank. Here, at last, is a hybrid car that really does offers ultra-cheap motoring without compromise to comfort, practicality or performance, and without the dreaded spectre of range anxiety. How does it do it? The PHEV’s secret isn’t under the bonnet. It’s under the floor. This car was designed from the outset to run on electric power (which also explains the uninterrupted cabin and boot space compared to just about every other EV on the market). There is a conventional engine up front, a refined, quiet and lightweight 2.0-litre petrol unit, but after that, everything changes. This engine’s primary role isn’t to drive the car but a generator. This charges an array of underfloor batteries powering two direct-drive electric motors: one on the front wheels, the other on the back. As long as there’s sufficient charge in the batteries, the electric motors will work on their own for speeds up to 75mph. If the engine does need to kick

in at any point to top up the batteries, it will, but you’re unlikely to notice it happening. The transition between electric and petrol is uncannily seamless and all but undetectable. No allowances whatsoever need to be made to your driving style. The car will always choose the most efficient mode for you. Generally, that will be EV mode at lower speeds, and electric motors supported by the engine at higher speeds. You can dial up a higher rate of battery regeneration by flipping one of the steering wheel paddles to recoup more power during deceleration, which brings the bonus of reducing brake wear. In every other respect, driving a PHEV is exactly like driving a normal SUV, albeit a very comfortable, safe (5-star Euro NCAP rated) and powerful one. From 0-60mph it’s quicker than the already impressively rapid 2.2 diesel auto Outlander, with the instant shove of electric power just a toe-twitch away. You can let the car look after its own charging through normal driving, charge it by plugging it into a high-speed charger (installed for free* at your house by British Gas), or, if you know you’re going somewhere where the ability to run on EV power would be useful, you can charge the batteries to 80% capacity in just 30 minutes simply by letting the engine idle. You can even remotely control the charging process (and pre-heat or pre-cool the vehicle) through a free-to-download iOS or Android app. From a full charge, which takes only 3-4 hours from zero (using cheap Economy 7 electricity if you do it overnight), the Outlander PHEV will run for up to 32 miles on electric power alone. So, if your total daily commute is less than, say, 30 miles (which most commutes are), or if it’s less than that distance one way and you have access to a

recharging point near your work – there are thousands in the UK now – you could in theory find yourself never actually using the PHEV’s petrol engine. Should you end up in that category of ‘electric-only’ user, there’d be no need to worry about the engine falling into disrepair through sheer lack of use. It stays in good health by starting itself up every now and then. What we already know about EV power is that it’s quiet. The Outlander is so quiet that an Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System chimes in at speeds below 22mph to warn pedestrians of its presence. The PHEV handles surprisingly well too, thanks in no small part to the lowering of the Outlander’s centre of gravity by the batteries’ underfloor location. Perhaps the best thing about this extraordinary machine is just how ordinary it is in everyday use. Being a Mitsubishi, it’s a proper offroader running a SuperAll Wheel Control (S-AWC) permanent 4WD system with a lock mode for the really gooey stuff. Towing capacity is an impressive 1500kg. Its 463-litre cargo volume is almost identical to the diesel Outlander’s. Every Mitsubishi dealer will be able to service the PHEV. You won’t have to search out specialists, as is the norm for many other EVs. There really is no downside to Outlander PHEV ownership. Or is there? No, there isn’t. The price is often the part where things go a bit Pete Tong. As we all know, electric vehicles and hybrids are expensive, even after you take into account the £5,000 Plug-In Car Grant thrown in by the Government. But this is another area in which the Outlander PHEV is genuinely exciting. Because it was designed from day one for this EV application, it passes on no additional development costs to the end user (you). That means Mitsubishi is able to give it a price tag with no hybrid premium. The GX3 version of the diesel Outlander 2.2 DI-D Auto is £28,249. After the Government grant, the cost of the equivalent GX3h version of the PHEV – which comes with an automatic gearbox, remote-controlled keyless entry, leatherwrapped steering wheel and gear knob, cruise control, dual-zone climate control, automatic headlights and wipers, electric windows, 18-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, rear privacy glass, USB port, iPod compatibility and Bluetooth connection – is £28,249. The same price. Which is very possibly the most exciting news in motoring so far this year, if not this decade. Higher specified GX4h and GX4hs versions are also available. If you want an Outlander PHEV, you’ll need to move quickly. It’s already a huge success in mainland Europe – and it’s really not that hard to see why.

Mitsubishi Outlander

Honda CR-V

BMW X3

Audi Q3

Mercedes E-Class

GX4h Auto

EX Auto

Xdrive SE Auto

S-Line Plus Auto

SE Estate Auto

Cost of the car - P11d value

£37,899

£33,995

£34,500

£34,595

£36,005

Government grant reduction

£5,000

£0

£32,899

£33,995

£34,500

£34,595

£36,005

Cost comparison

Adjusted final price CO2 emissions g/km

180

138

156

140

Benefit in kind rate

32%

23%

27%

24%

Vehicle benefit charge without fuel provided

£758

£4,351

£3,174

£3,736

£3,456

Tax saving per year without fuel (40% taxpayer)

-£3,593

-£2,416

-£2,978

-£2,698

£1,192

£7,129

£5,170

£6,080

£5,539

-£5,937

-£3,978

-£4,888

-£4,347

Vehicle benefit charge with fuel provided Tax saving per year with fuel (40% taxpayer)

* Subject to survey

Outlander PHEV range fuel consumption in mpg (ltrs/100km): Full Battery Charge: infinite, Depleted Battery Charge: 48mpg (5.9), Weighted Average: 148mpg (1.9), CO2 Emissions: 44 g/km.

Pop in and see your local dealer for more information or visit

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Lexus CT 200h

Phil Huff finds out if Lexus has been able to iron out the flaws in its big-selling hybrid hatchback. SECTOR Lower medium PRICE £21,995–£30,995 FUEL 68.9–74.3mpg CO2 87–94g/km

he original CT 200h was released to tempt younger still not enough to completely isolate tyre roar. and more numerous buyers to the Lexus brand, and The engineers have also addressed the ride issues it worked, becoming the biggest selling part of the through a stiffer chassis, which allows the spring rates to be range. However, that success wasn’t achieved without reduced and the anti-roll bar to be adjusted, creating a some criticism along the way. softer and more compliant ride. A firm ride was the chief problem, but accusing fingers The CT remains one of the firmest cars in its class. It were also pointed towards a lack of performance and indifskips across potholes around the city, while on country ferent handling. roads the firm handling come into its own and it settles This mid-term facelift aims to fix many of the issues down nicely on the motorway. raised, with countless modifications under the skin, but The firm ride suggests this could be a sporty hatchback, the most noticeable changes occur on the outside. Most but the steering could feel more connected to the road, apparent is the “spindle” grille that making it a more rewarding drive. dominates the front end and brings the The 98bhp 1.8-litre petrol engine and CT in line with the latest Lexus models. 81bhp electric motor are retained. They A change to the fog light surrounds, a are attached to a modified CVT gearbox new rear bumper that emphasises the that now behaves in a more straightforbroad stance, and some new aero bits ward fashion which improves the overfinish off the exterior changes. all driving experience. There’s the most subtle of makeovers The CT does have one trump card to inside, with a new steering wheel being play; with low CO2 emissions and a strong price point, P11d values and BiK the most obvious change. A new iDriverates are kept exceptionally low, making style rotary control takes care of climate, this a potential fleet driver’s favourite. Bluetooth and navigation functions while In the entry-level S specification, with those who’ve spent extra for the Premium its 15-inch wheels, CO2 emissions have Navigation system get an additional 4.2dropped to a low 82g/km and the list inch screen in the instrument panel. Despite its obvious price has been reduced by £1,500. Spec Beyond that, it's more of the same, flaws, the fact that the for spec, the CT is cheaper than each of which means there’s a stylish and CT 200h is now even its key rivals, while also sitting at least exceptionally well built cabin that’s 4% lower on the BiK banding. generously equipped. All models more efficient, slightly The new business-friendly Advance receive climate control, Bluetooth, quieter and more grade adds cruise control, Sat Nav, heated automatic wipers and USB and aux-in comfortable means it’s seats, privacy glass, and larger wheels connectivity. Extra sound proofing is worthy of consideration. for £4,000, while retaining the 11% BiK also in place in the rear wheel arches to band, as does the fast-looking F-Sport. reduce noise in the cabin, but there’s

what we think

38 / fleetworld.co.uk

renault.co.uk

RENAULT CLIO

Renault Clio, inspired by love (the love of saving a few pounds). Renault Clio Dynamique MediaNav ENERGY dCi 90 S&S Eco delivers a combined mpg of up to 88.3 and CO2 emissions of 83g/km. So you’ve no excuse for not going that extra mile to close the deal. Talking of closing deals, did we mention its touchscreen navigation, cruise control with speed limiter and Bluetooth and iPod connectivity?

Visit renault.co.uk/business or call the Renault Business Team on 0800 040 7344

Model shown is a Clio Dynamique S MediaNav. The official consumption figures in mpg (I/100km) for the Renault Clio core range are: Urban 40.4 (7) – 78.5 (3.6); Extra Urban 60.1 (4.7) – 94.2 (3.0); Combined 51.4 (5.5) – 88.3 (3.2). The official CO2 emissions for the range are 127-83g/km. EU Directive and Regulation 692/2008 test environment figures. Fuel consumption and CO2 may vary according to driving styles, road conditions and other factors. Warranty applies to new vehicles up to a period of 4 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first (first 2 years unlimited mileage). Renault Assistance Roadside Cover is provided in association with the AA. Cover from months 0 to 36 includes assistance at the roadside and at home, national recovery, onward travel and European cover. Cover from months 37 to 48 includes Roadside and Homestart (including a local tow to an authorised Renault dealer). The provider of this cover is the Automobile Association Limited. Please refer to participating dealer for details.

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MPG Marathon

Fiat 500L Beats Edition Danny Cobbs discovers new more powerful engines and speakers in the 500L. SECTOR Crossover PRICE £14,999–£23,899 FUEL 48.7–55.4mpg CO2 134–153g/km

wo new engines – one diesel, the other petrol – plus the addition of a new range-topping trim, the Beats Edition, has done much to freshen up Fiat’s compact MPV, the 500L. There’s a choice between either a 1.4-litre T-Jet petrol unit or a more powerful version of the 1.6-litre MultiJet diesel. Both are four-cylinder units, both push out equal amounts of power, 118bhp, and both will be available across the range. Out of the two, it’s the new 118bhp diesel which holds the most appeal, costing £500 more than its lesserpowered diesel brother. Once driven, it becomes apparent the additional expense is a worthwhile investment. The

extra power is generated from a variable-geometry turbocharger, and while an further 14bhp doesn’t sound like much it gives the 500L a real sense of urgency, much more than its published performance ﬁgures would ﬁrst indicate. That’s not to say the T-Jet is not worth considering. It is by far the more refined unit, and will cost around £1000 less than the diesel. It is also 110kg lighter than the MultiJet, and is slightly nimbler as a result. Nonetheless, it’s actually a third less fuel efficient – 40.9mpg with 159g/km CO2 for the T-Jet verses 61.4mpg and 120g/km CO2 for that of the MultiJet. All test cars showcased the Beats Edition trim, based on the part-time four-wheel drive Trekking spec 500L, which has never lacked for standard equipment. The Beats Edition, for a premium of around £1,600, adds even more kit. The most noticeable part of this package is the BeatsAudio system; a seven-speaker, 520W, eight-channel DSP amplifier, which has been developed specifically for this car by Dr. Dre (not a PhD in engineering or medicine, but rather the music producer and rapper). But this is a no brainer. If you’re not too fussed about your in-car entertainment system, then your money would be better spent opting for the 500L Trekking with the 118bhp MultiJet engine.

BMW 420d SE Convertible Don’t expect to see many in the company car park, but envy the few that do drive one, says Ryan Borroff. SECTOR Convertible PRICE £36,675 FUEL 53.3 mpg CO2 138g/km

ou might not expect a premium droptop as elegant as this latest 4 Series Convertible to be a big seller in the ﬂeet market, yet BMW believes a third of the 4,500 cars destined for the UK will go to corporate drivers. Of these as much as 70% will be the most economical 420d model which uses a 181bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine oﬀering 138g/km and combined cycle economy of 53.3mpg. Progress is brisk and assured and ride quality is excellent, even on broken Spanish roads, with a responsive, comfortable and competent feeling to the overall driving experience. With the roof down and wind deflector up there is surprisingly little wind and road noise even at motorway speeds and the sound of the diesel engine remains comfortably remote most of the time. The cabin is no-nonsense, comfortable and stylish, though as conservative as we’ve come to expect from BMW. There’s plenty of room up front and boot and rear passenger space is adequate even for adults. The electrically adjustable front seats now have integrated retractable seat belts and are extremely comfortable. Two features in particular ease the compromises that a convertible roof inevitably brings. The three-piece folding roof folds in 20 seconds at the rather too pedestrian speed of 8mph or less. Once stowed, a button push in the

boot lid raises the folded roof back out of the way so that luggage can be placed in the boot without having to open the roof again. The wind deflector is stored in a special compartment behind the rear seats so that the limited 220 litres (roof stowed) to 370 litres (roof up) of boot space isn’t reduced further. Inevitably such a complex roof increases weight so this BMW 4 Series was always going to excel as a cruiser rather than a sports car. Quite how much it excels is impressive and there are few rivals which can match these qualities in such a stylish package. fleetworld.co.uk / 41

flashback a look back at the company cars of yesteryear

model Audi 100 (C3)

era 1982-1990

UK sales 48,705 successor Audi 100/A6 (C4)

onsidering Audi was the UK’s fourth biggestselling brand in 2013, and is a mainstay of the premium sector, it’s almost hard to imagine that when the 100 arrived in 1982 the brand was still trying to establish itself in a market dominated by BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Yet there’s a familiar sense of innovation to be found with this third-generation model. The 100’s three-box shape was wind tunnel tested and developed in five separate pieces to avoid rivals catching up with what was, at the time, revolutionary aerodynamics. Production-first flush-fitting windows, flat plastic hubcaps, under-body panels and a streamlined flow of air into the engine bay helped it to become the most aerodynamic car not on sale at launch – claimed to be 30% better than the class average. Streamlining resulted in a number of advantages – it gave Audi a higher top speed than competitors, ideal for Autobahn cruising, while allowing the 100 to extract greater performance and economy from smaller engines. High efficiency, a tank range of up to 625 miles and low wind noise at motorway speeds made it an ideal long-distance executive car, the most aerodynamic models (featuring narrower tyres) were marked out by a Cd 0.30 badge in the rear windows. All were qualities which helped Audi to beat fellow streamlined newcomer the Ford Sierra to the European Car of the Year title in 1983, but the 100 wasn’t

42 / fleetworld.co.uk

without faults. The aerodynamic upgrades had resulted in compromised airflow into the cabin – air conditioning was a necessity for warm weather. Audi continued to innovate throughout the 100’s lifespan, including a fully galvanised body from 1986 and the new Procon-Ten safety system as an option from 1984. Short for Programmed-ContractionTension it used the rearward motion of the drivetrain in an impact to pull the steering column away from the driver and reduce slack in the seatbelts. The 100 also debuted the first Avant estate, rather than a five-door hatchback, setting out the formula for the now popular premium lifestyle estate car still popular in the A6. Launch engines comprised 1.8 and 2.2-litre petrol engines, with four and five cylinders respectively, and both were available with a 4+E overdrive gearbox to stretch fuel economy a little further. But Audi broke new ground with its diesel engines – the 100 was the first to use a five-cylinder turbodiesel, initially a 2.0-litre unit capable of a still impressive 51.4mpg at 56mpg but also Audi’s first TDI. The 2.5 TDI arrived shortly before the C3 was replaced in 1990, its direct injection technology now commonplace and a backbone of Audi’s success in fleet. So the 100 may not have been Audi’s most iconic model, but it set out the foundations of a growth era for the brand in terms of styling, innovation and technology, which has since helped it to become the UK’s biggest premium brand.

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SPOTLIGHT New Ford Focus

Beating the best Unveiled at the Mobile World Congress, the new Ford Focus goes high tech and upmarket as it strengthens its position at the top of the global C-Segment. Alex Grant finds out how you make the world’s best-selling car even better.

appeal Improving on a best-seller isn’t easy, so Ford identified the areas where the Focus appealed to existing customers and combined this with feedback about rival cars. The most noticeable upgrade is the exterior styling, which gains the upmarket new front end from the 2011 Evos concept, matching the Fiesta and next Mondeo, while the tail lamps have been slimmed down from the outgoing car. The Focus is also renowned as a driver’s car. This latest model features a stiffer front end and revised suspension settings to improve handling, while the electronic power steering and stability programme have been retuned for drivers. Passengers haven’t been ignored, either – the Focus gains thicker glass and more substantial sound deadening throughout as part of this update.

engines The entire engine range is now Euro 6 compliant, previewing units which will be used throughout the Ford line-up. These include a new 1.5-litre TDCi diesel with either 93 or 118bhp, and 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol in 148 or 178bhp guises, augmented by a 1.6-litre petrol, a 148bhp 2.0 TDCi and the award-winning 1.0litre EcoBoost which now emits 99g/km CO2. Further engines will follow during 2015, including a 103bhp Econetic model based on the 1.5 TDCi and offering range-lowest CO2 emissions for fuel-burning models. The 143bhp Focus Electric and a refreshed Focus ST will also join the range shortly after launch, but there are no plans to follow rivals with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain, as found in the CMAX Energi with which this shares a platform.

44 / fleetworld.co.uk

technology Ford’s aimed for in-car technology levels to among the best in this segment, while making it simpler to use. Drivers familiar with the old car will notice the much simpler dashboard, which has done away with the multitude of buttons in favour of an eight-inch touch screen. This also uses the latest SYNC 2 technology with an intuitive voice control – just tell the car you’re hungry, and it’ll find the nearest restaurants. Driver assistance systems have also been bolstered, the new car gaining a more advanced parking programme which can drive in and out of parallel or reverse spaces while monitoring approaching traffic. New adaptive cruise control offers the ability to brake the car automatically at up to 31mph – up from 18mph in the old car – as well as slowing it at motorway speeds if the driver isn’t paying attention.

what we think...

FLEET FACT Ford builds a New Focus every 90 seconds, sold in one of 140 markets.

The spearhead of Ford’s “World Car” movement, the Focus now has the difficult task of meeting the diverse requirements of a global customer base without dropping standards in the tough European C-segment. Ford has solved some of the more challenging design cues of the outgoing car with this latest update, including the cluttered dashboard, while lifting material quality and sharpening the drive. The result – a less divisive style while strengthening the car’s best qualities, both will be helpful when it arrives here in Q4 of this year. AG

fleetworld.co.uk / 45

SWOTTeam This month the SWOT Team analyses the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for the new Volvo V60 D4 Drive-E against its closest rivals. Here is what they have to say...

Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

AC On average the P11d price is over £6,000 lower than these rivals. The Volvo would cost the 40% taxpayer over £2,000 less in BiK over three years.

AC Boot size with the seats up is over 50 litres smaller than all of the others here. Dynamically it doesn’t come close to the BMW but, as an estate version, not everyone will be looking for the dynamic side as much as the comfort side.

AC A lot of people will see this as a really tempting offer because money talks. Many drivers vote with their wallets and lower CO2 emissions and P11d values means more money in their pockets.

AC Obviously the race is now on with the rival vehicles for them to produce similar figures in their cars and of course this will certainly impact on the Volvo.

MJ Aggressive pricing, high power, very low CO2 plus relevant specification puts Volvo right in the mix with the established players. At 99g/km and 74.3mpg it leads this group and post-Budget would offer Employer NI savings of at least £800 over three years. AS Volvo has a strong offering here with best in class CO2 emissions and a very competitive list price. Quality and safety credentials put it right up there with the best. MW A wonderful package for the company car driver. It looks different, spec is high and CO2 unbelievable.

46 / fleetworld.co.uk

MJ Lacks the standard leather upholstery of the Audi and BMW, although the price should allow this to be added and still show good savings. Load volume is smaller than the peer group with no power tailgate.

MJ A real opportunity for Volvo to pick up new corporate drivers with big savings on BiK taxation and this will help expose the brand. Priced to sell, this car is very competitive – relevant in economically sensitive times!

AS To play in the prestige sector is always a big ask because you are dealing with buyer perception.

AS The Volvo not only beats the competition here with its fleet friendly capabilities, it is also more unique than, for example, the BMW which is de-stabilising its prestige status with volume.

MW Volvo engine badging is just too complicated. With the all-new 2.0-litre engines that are not really known or easily identifiable Volvo is asking for problems.

MW The V60 is a virtual unknown but if fleet buyers get to know about it, and realise the value it offers and its green credentials it could find its way onto many user-chooser lists.

MJ Few people familiar with Volvo’s current products would doubt how competitive their cars are, but getting that message to a wider audience is the key task in hand. V60 might actually be a little too cheap to attract the attention of some buyers. AS The prestige sector is about to run into the same problems that Ford and Vauxhall had 15 years ago, bigger and bigger discounts. MW This whole sector is being nibbled away at by the more useable, practical mini-SUVs which offer much more, and often for less money. Educating customers about the engine badging will continue to be a marketing headache for Volvo.

Martin Ward (MW) Manufacturer Relationship Manager, CAP

Alan Senior (AS) Director, Vehicle Information Publishing

Volvo V60

Mark Jowsey (MJ) Commercial Director, KeeResources KwikCarCost

Strengths

AC Most power, lowest P11d and BiK here. MJ Priced to sell, low running costs and good for brand exposure. AS More unique than the Germans. MW An attractive option for drivers.

Strengths

Audi A4 Avant SE Technik 2.0 TDI ultra

AC Very stylish with great interior. MJ Comprehensive equipment levels ensure SE Technik dominates A4 sales. AS Refined, good spec, strong image. MW Great level of standard equipment, the best looking and most practical?

AC Due a change soon, beginning to age. MJ Close to replacement. AS Looking a little dated now. MW The Audi is looking a bit dated now, despite the recent major facelift.

OTR: £30,620 P11D: £30,565 Fuel: 64.2mpg CO2: 114g/km RV*: £10,850 (36%) BiK: 17% SMR: £2,610 Fuel costs: £5,825 Insurance: £3,885 Finance: £4,126 NI: £2,320 VED: £60 Cost per month: £1,072

Strengths

BMW 320d ED Business Touring

AC Dynamically the best of the bunch. MJ Spacious and benefits from 320d ED’s established reputation. AS Still a favourite and a safe choice. MW Packed full of useful goodies.

Standard equipment: • DAB Radio/CD • Bluetooth, USB and aux-in • Three-zone climate control • Cruise control • Front and rear parking sensors • Satellite navigation • Metallic paint • Leather upholstery • Powered tailgate Optional equipment: • Xenon headlights £800 • Heated/cooled front seats £1,875

AC Not as competitive now, pricey. MJ Growth in volumes means potentially less exclusivity. AS Too many around. MW Others have caught up on CO2 and MPG, model range too complicated.

OTR: £31,475 P11D: £31,420 Fuel: 65.7mpg CO2: 112g/km RV*: £11,500 (37%) BiK: 17% SMR: £2,185 Fuel costs: £5,692 Insurance: £4,350 Finance: £4,242 NI: £2,385 VED: £60 Cost per month: £1,080

Strengths

Mercedes-Benz C220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Executive SE

Weaknesses

Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate

Standard equipment: • DAB Radio/CD • Bluetooth, USB and aux inputs • Climate control • Cruise control with speed limiter • Rear parking sensors • Sat nav with Sensus Connect • Dual-zone climate control Optional equipment: • Metallic paint £625 • Leather upholstery £1,350 • Auto park and front sensors £525 • Xenons, heated seats £1,150

AC Badge status of German rivals is still a threat. MJ Too cheap to attract buyers’ attention? AS Needs to beat newcomers on spec. MW Complicated engine badging.

Weaknesses

BMW 3 Series Touring

Volvo V60 D4 Business Edition OTR: £24,395 P11D: £24,340 Fuel: 74.3mpg CO2: 99g/km RV*: £9,325 (38%) BiK: 14% SMR: £2,819 Fuel costs: £5,033 Insurance: £3,885 Finance: £3,286 NI: £1,545 VED: £0 Cost per month: £879

Weaknesses

Audi A4 Avant

Andy Cutler (AC) UK Car Editor – Forecast Values Glass’s

AC The second most competitive on BIK, but miles behind the Volvo. MJ Aspirational badge, well engineered with high levels of safety equipment and good load space. AS Classy three-pointed star, with good deals available.

Weaknesses

AC Dated, dynamically not the best. MJ Engine refinement is not great. Sat nav optional, leather not available. AS Much improved new model out soon.

OTR: £30,170 P11D: £30,115 Fuel: 65.7mpg CO2: 114g/km RV*: £10,388 (34%) BiK: 17% SMR: £2,203 Fuel costs: £5,692 Insurance: £4,440 Finance: £4,066 NI: £2,286 VED: £60 Cost per month: £1,070

Standard equipment: • DAB Radio/CD with apps • Bluetooth and USB • Dual zone climate control • Cruise control with auto brake • Rear parking sensors • Satellite navigation • Leather upholstery with heated front seats • Powered tailgate Optional equipment: • Metallic paint £645 • Xenon headlights £710

Standard equipment: • Radio/CD • Bluetooth and USB • Dual zone climate control • Cruise control with speed limiter • Artificial leather upholstery • Powered tailgate • Front and rear parking sensors Optional equipment: • Metallic paint £645 • DAB Radio £335 • Satellite navigation £495 • Bi-Xenon headlights £1,195

* 3yr/60k

fleetworld.co.uk / 47

FEATURE Parking Fines

PENALTY

SAVE While the BVRLA has done its bit making parking fines easier to administrate, the number of tickets are still on the rise. Danny Cobbs investigates why.

50 / fleetworld.co.uk

‘According to local authorities’ budgets for 2012-13, councils generated a combined parking fine profit of £594m, a 5% increase on the previous year.’

ome things, it seems, never change. On 19th September 1960, when Dr Thomas Creighton responded to an emergency call to a patient with a suspected heart attack at a West End London hotel, he could never have imagined he would be making motoring history, as well as trying to save a life. After administering treatment to the victim, Dr Creighton returned to his Ford Popular to ind he had been issued with a parking ticket, and became the very irst person in the UK to receive an enforcement ticket (it should be noted that when it was discovered Dr Creighton had been ticketed, there was such a public outcry that he was subsequently let off). Roll the clock forward 54 years and, apart from the uniform, nothing much has changed. We, the motorists, are still seen as lucrative and easy prey for cash-hungry councils and unscrupulous landowners. Proving this point even further, according to local authorities’ budgets for 2012-13, councils generated a combined pro it of £594m, a 5% increase on the previous year. And, according to igures calculated by the RAC Foundation through annual returns submitted by councils to the Department for Communities and Local Government, the London borough of Westminster (where it all started in 1960) generated the highest car parking surplus in Britain, of £39.7m. It was followed by Kensington & Chelsea in west London (£30.44m) and Camden in north London (£23m). Outside the capital, Brighton (£16.25m), Nottingham (£11.79m) and Manchester (£8.78m) generated the most pro it in the top 10 regions. However, these igures do give ammunition to MP’s who are calling for councils to publish annual parking charge reports to show where the revenue is coming from and how it is being spent. Louise Ellman, the chairman of the House of Commons Transport Committee, has said the use of parking charges and ines to raise revenue was “neither acceptable nor legal”. The committee report also recommends that drivers should be given “ ive minutes’ grace” after their pay and display tickets expire before being issued infringement notices. Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said parking ines needed to proportionate and urged councils to be more transparent. ‘Parking can be big business for the councils, with English local authorities making a huge pro it between them last year. We should see most parking offences for what they are. Not crimes

fleetworld.co.uk / 51

FEATURE Parking Fines

PENALTY SAVE ¡

but misdemeanours and we need enforcement that re lects this. We need proportionality and transparency. At the very least all councils should publish an annual report outlining what their parking policy is, how charges are set and where the surplus goes.’ But even if MPs can bring councils to task over parking ine revenues it will do little to quash the growing number of landowners from issuing their own tickets. It’s easy to believe these are genuine, of icial ines. They certainly look the part, mimicking the appearance of a genuine Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). Even their wording has the tone to give the impression it is a legal document, stating in no uncertain terms that if it’s not paid then the whole weight of the judiciary system will be landing on your doorstep. What’s more, because the DVLA will, for a fee, divulge the details of a car’s registered keeper, they can easily follow their threats with actions. To the uninitiated then, a yellow and black checkered ticket slapped onto a car windscreen does infer a criminal law has been broken, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Parking on private land remains a civil matter. Increasingly, these supposed “ ines” have been issued by thirdparty parking management companies who spend their days being employed by the suchlike of supermarkets, retail parks and hospitals to ensure no one outstays their welcome. And that’s fair enough. Show a

‘To the uninitiated, a yellow and black checkered ticket slapped onto a car windscreen does infer a criminal law has been broken, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.’

PIN £594m parking in numbers

Local authority profit from parking tickets in 2012-13.

63%

The percentage of successful appeals against tickets.

52 / fleetworld.co.uk

motorist free parking and they’ll be parkedup for days. Put in place parking restrictions, and the possibility of a hefty ine, and it’ll certainly concentrate the mind. UK contract law backs this up. When a motorist parks in a privately-owned car park, they are agreeing to enter into an unspoken contract with the landowner. The landowner allows a car to be parked on their land and the motorist agrees to meet the landowner’s conditions by paying, or staying not longer than the stated time limit. By paying, or leaving within the permitted time allocation, the contract has been ful illed by both parties and there isn’t an issue. However, by overstaying or not paying, or parking in a reserved area, the landowner can argue the contract has been broken, and impose a parking ine. Where the legal waters become muddied, and this system starts to fall apart, is the way it shows a bias towards those issuing the private tickets. Even though there is a trade body, the British Parking Authority (BPA), the management of car parks is largely an unregulated industry and allows anyone to set up in business and legally charge what they want, which, inevitably, they do. So, not only can the landowner set their own levy, they now don’t even need ield operatives to issue the tickets. More and more of these irms are now employing the

Westminster Council’s income from tickets in 2012-13.

The increase in tickets issued over the previous year.

£39.7 million

same methods used by local councils, such as Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems, which takes a date and timestamped picture of the alleged breach of contract. The irst the driver gets to know about it is when a very of icial looking letter arrives through the post, demanding money, and supported by a grainy black and white photograph, the number plate digitally enhanced to ensure there can be no mistake. Paul Watters, the head of roads policy for the AA, said: ‘CCTV has fuelled an unfair culture of mass-ticketing instead of a deterrent. It has gone too far – and some streets are really raking it in. In terms of higher car parking charges, not only are they not cost-effective but it can have a damaging effect on visitors to a region of tourism.’ By seemingly having the law on their side, even unfairly issued tickets tend to get paid without quibble. If the car is leased or rented, the hire company, as the registered keepers, will, in the first instance, get sent the demands. This actually leaves the leasing company in an invidious position and they normally pay

up on behalf of the driver, avoiding any unnecessary nastiness to them or their customer. Plus, they also know the driver is obliged, under the terms of their contract, to reimburse them for any parking fines. The BVRLA and the British Parking Association have recently agreed a new arrangement which would help reduce the administrative burden for leasing and rental members. BVRLA members should now only be contacted for customer contact details, and are no longer be required to provide a copy of the contract unless the customer disputes that they were not renting or leasing the vehicle at that time. BVRLA legal and policy director, Jay Parmar said: ‘Any proposals which would reduce the volume of parking charges received by our members is bene icial, especially as it would help reduce the growing administrative burden and associated costs in handling such matters.’ But it would come as no surprise to Dr Creighton to learn that civil enforcement of icers (CEOs) still get it wrong. A total of 54,806 motorists appealed against tickets at the London Parking and Traf ic Appeal

Service last year and 63% were overturned. Whether it is a privately issued ticket or one from a local council, if the motorist feels it is unfair – even after it has been paid – there is an appeal procedure to follow. From the date of issue, there is a 28-day window of opportunity to appeal (an appeal can be staged after that date, or indeed, if the ine has already been paid, but it would need to be an exceptional circumstance for it to be taken seriously). Firstly, everything needs to be put into writing – belt and braces: email and post outlining why, in your opinion, it’s been unfairly issued, supported by any photographs which will assist in your defence, or witness statements, and sent to the address printed on the ticket. Also, make sure from the outset to ask for the ine to be suspended or frozen at the lower level until there is a resolution of the dispute. Most council’s will agree, but be warned, some may not. If the matter remains unresolved, the next and inal step is for the case to be heard in front of an independent adjudicator. When cases end up in front of the independent adjudicator it is surprising how many are simply not contested. In one sixmonth period of 2010, Lambeth Council did not bother to contest nearly half of its 2,700 cases. More surprisingly is that since October 2012, more than 14,700 people have launched appeals using this system, with 45% winning their cases. Unfortunately, the appeal process against tickets issued from a non-approved BPA operator is a little less transparent. These are the bully boys and need to be treated as such. If, after you’ve written to them, furnished them with any mitigating circumstances, or evidence to prove your defence, and they still reject your claim, it is up to them to take the next step; which would be to sue in the local County Court to reclaim the ine. So you can do one of two things: pay up or take a more militant approach: do absolutely nothing and wait for the papers in the post demanding payment – often they don’t follow through. And, as we all know; bullies don’t like confrontation. Until the coalition Government makes good on its promise to end the war on the motorist, it will be left to us to ight for ourselves. In a non-physical way, obviously.

fleetworld.co.uk / 53

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The brand is keen to reinvest on the back of the Leon success story. So there will be more cars in the future.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

54 / fleetworld.co.uk

INTERVIEW Neil Williamson, SEAT

The Leon roars SEAT’s director Neil Williamson on the brand’s record year and plans for fleet expansion in 2014. By Steve Moody.

eil Williamson is sitting on SEAT’s stylish Geneva show stand, and he’s in a good mood. With good reason. Having been head of SEAT in the UK for just over a year, he’s probably thinking his timing is spot on: last year saw a record-breaking resurgence for the brand, with the new Leon range doing remarkably well. He says: ‘We’ve seen big growth in the market, which was 11% up overall, but the good thing is we were 18% up in total, which we were delighted with. A lot of that was on the back of strong retail sales but our fleet volumes have been improving with new Leon. This year is the year of fleet and we’re getting stuck into good quality volume. And we’ve put some pretty meaty targets in. ‘The brand sold 45,000 cars last year and fleet was 17,000 of that. In terms of market share we’d like to equalise those numbers. Our market share was around 2% last year and we’d like to not be over-indexed in retail or fleet and this year it pretty much is where we want it. But as with everything, it’s a balancing act.’ Globally, things are going well too, despite the economic pressures in its Spanish home market and some lacklustre sales performances after the downturn. With a major upswing in sales demand and production, SEAT closed 2013 with the highest revenue in its history, having posted a turnover of 6,473 million euros – 6.3% more than the previous year. With more than 102,000 units delivered worldwide (+44.4%), the Leon is the reason for SEAT’s 2013 sales performance, as overall sales reached 355,000 units, which is an increase of 10.6%. The five-door version, which was the model sold all year, became the brand’s best-selling model in several markets including the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy and Turkey. Crucially, SEAT is now exporting 83% of its output, compared to 75% in 2009, and with Spain’s economy looking lame for years to come, less dependence on its home market can only be positive for the brand. This strategy is paying off in 2014. In January and February 2014, Leon registrations increased by 46% globally compared to the same period in 2013 and 18,700 units were sold. Furthermore, more than 20,000 orders have already been placed for the Leon ST since production began in the final quarter of 2013. So why such a concentration on fleet this year? ‘Well, we have complete range of Leon: three door, five door and ST, and the ST has really opened some doors for us,’ says Williamson. ‘We have been pleasantly and relatively surprised by how many fleets have said “right, now you’ve got five door and the estate, let’s talk”.

‘I think the thing is the ST looks great and that estate car segment can look a bit utilitarian, but it carries over many of the design cues of three and five door, and so far we’ve achieved 300% of our targets – three times as many STs as we thought and so we’ve taken more cars from factory. And what it has meant is that fleets which were closed to us before are now open, and I’ve been really surprised at the type of business: single badge and user chooser fleets. The last fleet car we had that had that type of fleet draw was the Exeo and the ST really gives us something to talk about. ‘The key will be doing good quality business. You could accuse us in the past of doing too much short term, but we’re not doing that any more, and while we’ll always do some rental because everybody does, we’re looking to grow our volumes through the leasing companies, user chooser fleets and restricted badge deals. What we’ve seen recently is that we’re pushing the French out a bit, with our broader range of cars. ‘But we still need to get on more lists, but the driver demand for Leon drives demand upwards to fleet decision-makers too.’ Williamson is not averse to doing big volume deals, such as the major British Gas account the firm won, if the figures stack up. He says: ‘If there is single badge stuff and the discount is reasonable, then we’ll look to do some of that as well. The key is two to three year good quality business so that those cars then become good used cars for our dealers. ‘We have a new fleet guy in Peter McDonald who started at the beginning of the year. Peter was in the SEAT team already as head of planning, and I appointed him into the fleet role and he’s really got the team motivated and on a high, and they really see this year as a big one for fleet. ‘And the brand is keen to reinvest on the back of the Leon success story. So there will be more cars in the future, and we’re looking at all the options to grow the portfolio.’ Although sales of Leon are strong, it is a brand in need of more models to reduce its dependence on two or three core products, and SEAT has confirmed it will produce a new compact SUV, which will come to market in 2016. The firm has been working on design and development at its Martorell facility for almost two years, and it should broaden the brand’s appeal in the company car heartland. As SEAT has proved, when it gets a car right, buyers are won over by the combination of SEAT value and VW Group quality. ‘People want to buy Leons and that’s the driver that has transformed our business. Last year we had our fingers crossed, with the new five door early in the year, the three door in the summer and ST later, and in some months now we’re the fourth biggest seller after Golf, Focus and Astra which is brilliant and proves Leon is a proper volume fleet car.’

fleetworld.co.uk / 55

FEATURE Risk Management

How risky are your drivers? Working drivers get a bad reputation, but are they really as dangerous as people claim? Katie Beck investigates the truth behind the headlines.

Pressure of deadlines In a recent study conducted by MiX Telematics, a global provider of leet and mobile asset management solutions, 63% of all drivers surveyed admitted to speeding while driving for work, with

2500 Number of casualties

Higher average skill level First, the good news. Research carried out by IAM Drive and Survive suggests that drivers who use a vehicle as part of their job are consistently involved in fewer serious accidents than drivers who use a vehicle for ordinary commuting purposes or in their own time, possibly due a higher average skill level resulting from many hours at the wheel. According to IAM, KSI (killed or seriously injured) casualties for drivers who commute to/from work but do not drive for business were 30% higher in 2012 than for drivers who use a vehicle during the working day. The number of KSIs involving business drivers also fell consistently every year from 2007 – despite an increase in the number of cars on the road. Although evidence suggests KSI rates may be lower for business drivers, the number of overall incidents involving those

driving for work is still worryingly high; ‘Company drivers who drive more than 80% of their annual mileage on work related journeys have more than 50% more accidents than similar drivers who do no work related mileage,’ reveals Helen Fisk at ALD Automotive. But when you consider that, on average, business drivers cover around 20,000 miles a year (with van and professional drivers covering considerably more), compared to a private driver average of 10,000 miles, it brings these igures into perspective – the accident rate is elevated because exposure to risk is so much higher.

Driving as part of work reported casualties (2007-2012)

2000 1500

Killed

1000 Seriously injured

500

Total 2007

2500

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Commuting to/from work reported casualties (2007-2012)

2000 1500

Killed

1000 Seriously injured

500

Total

0 2007

56 / fleetworld.co.uk

more than a third (34%) admitting to speeding every week. Drivers overwhelmingly cited “pressure to meet schedules” as the main reason for speeding, with a number of respondents even admitted to taking risks on the road in order to meet deadlines. As well as being an indicator of poor management and a lack of duty of care towards staff, it is claimed that employees who regularly break the law by speeding are an indicator of insuf icient driver training policies. Drivers who are not coached are considerably more likely to be involved in an incident on the road, causing signi icant inancial, legislative and human impact. According to TomTom Business Solutions, 71% of UK companies do not provide regular training for drivers. Could more could be done by the industry to educate drivers about the risk factors involved?

Number of casualties

Bad reputation It has been approximated that up to a third of all road traf ic accidents in the UK involve somebody who is driving for work. The Department for Transport (DfT) estimates this may account for as many as 20 fatalities and 250 serious injuries every week – a statistic the leet industry is working hard to bring down. But could operators be doing more to make roads safer for their employees and the general public? As is to be expected with such a litigious subject, there is a great deal of contradictory evidence about the cause of accidents. Some analysts argue that the statistics stem from reckless driving behaviour and poor management, while others maintain they are a tragic, but unavoidable, consequence of increased exposure to risk.

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

‘One of the greatest barriers to education is the sense of elitism some fleet drivers feel on the road.’

Driver training One of the greatest barriers to education is the sense of elitism some leet drivers feel on the road - the idea that covering higher annual mileage somehow means they have more experience behind the wheel than the “average” driver and are less likely to be involved in a collision. ‘It is not that simple though – consider that one of the few things that humans do consistently is to make mistakes, and those business drivers are exposed to the mistakes of others for far longer and are therefore more likely to be involved in a crash,’ explains John Davidge, head of leet

technical at Cardinus Risk Management. ‘In truth, few drivers in the UK learn to drive – practically, they learn to pass a test. Learning to drive comes later as they start inding out how much they simply don’t know – often at an employer’s expense!’ As well as increasing their accident risk, drivers who have not been trained often incur a number of “knock-on” expenses including tyres and brakes needing to be replaced more often, more end-of-contract vehicle damage and more speeding ine. ‘Manufacturers spend huge amounts of time and money designing much more ef icient vehicles, but so much of the possible improvements are wasted if the driver cannot match the technology of his vehicle –

education and understanding is the key,’ concluded Davidge. Corporate responsibility Despite the serious implications that a road accident involving an employee can have, many leet managers are worryingly unaware of the scope of what constitutes death by dangerous driving and the penalties the offence can carry. So says Allianz Commercial, who recently launched a White Paper document aimed at educating corporations about the importance of their staff being alert and law-abiding while driving for business. Under sentencing guidelines, a driver can face up to 14 years behind bars for death by

fleetworld.co.uk / 57

FEATURE Risk Management

How risky are your drivers? ¡

dangerous driving. A survey carried out in conjunction with the White Paper revealed that not only did 46% of leet managers and company car drivers not know what legally constitutes dangerous driving, over 50% said they did not know the penalties for this offence. Lili Oliver, head of motor prosecutions at DAC Beachcroft – with whom the White Paper document was co-ordinated, explains: ‘It is crucial that drivers understand that criminal law will hold them responsible for the decisions they make behind the wheel. It is particularly true when using electronic equipment which has a potential to distract them and affect their driving because court considers this as increasing the culpability and the severity of any driving offence.’ Oliver added that death by dangerous or careless driving offences face one the highest rates of conviction by trial by jury, second only to child offences.

Reputational damage The report also highlighted that only 16% of leet managers are aware of the business implications if an employee was involved in an accident. These could include investigation into working hours and conditions to determine corporate liability for the incident; encouraging sales people to take calls while driving between meetings, for example. Organisations risk reputational damage, an investigation by Health and Safety Executive and, potentially, a charge of corporate manslaughter if judges rule that poor management had a hand in the cause of an incident. Speaking about the indings, Jonathan Dye, head of motor at Allianz Commercial, says: ‘Over the last few years we have seen a clamp down on dangerous and careless driving and the introduction of harsh new penalties. 'What our report highlights is the lack

of awareness of the changes amongst leet managers and business owners. For that reason, leet managers must properly educate drivers and ensure they have procedures in place to protect not only those individuals but also members of the public and other road users.' Legal support According to TomTom Business Solutions, 39% of companies do not have systems or procedures in place to manage driver fatigue, and almost a quarter admit that they are not fully aware of their exact requirements for managing road risk. This leaves corporations open to the threat of legal action in the event of an incident involving an employee, as well as putting drivers at risk when out on the road. Richard Hill at AA DriveTech adds: ‘The annual risk of dying in a road acci-

Will cars save more lives than training in the future?

ince traf ic accidents are overwhelmingly a result of human error – as much as 90% according to some estimates, autonomous safety features have logically become a R&D focus for automotive engineers. Manufacturers have produced a raft of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) programmed to monitor driver activity; including Lane Keep Assist, Blind Spot Warning Systems, Road Sign Recognition and even autonomous parking – all designed to reduce the potential for human error and support motorists in the event of an incident. Building trust in autonomous technologies is a challenge, however. According to KPMG’s 2012 report – “Self driving cars: The next revolution”, when Antilock Braking Systems (ABS) were irst introduced, negative publicity and poor consumer education delayed mass-market adoption. Similarly, when Electronic Stability Control (ESC) systems were rolled out, consumers did not fully understand how to make use of the technology. On the road, however, these systems delivered a clear, quanti iable reduction in fatalities. In its 2009 analysis of the effectiveness of vehicle safety features, the National Highway Traf ic Safety Administration found that four-wheel

58 / fleetworld.co.uk

ABS and ESC reduced passenger car collisions by an average of 14%. Run-off road collisions fell by 44%, and culpable involvement with other vehicles fell by 28% for cars using the safety features. Once consumers understood how these systems worked, widespread adoption of ABS and more effective use of ESC followed. The Safe Road Trains for the Environment project (SARTRE), led by Ricardo UK Ltd and funded by the European Commission, aims to take things even further, offering a vision of autonomously driven vehicles linked up to “driving trains”. Whilst the proposal sounds futuristic, SARTRE claims these systems could be ready to launch on European roads within ive years. The “driving trains” would involve a professional driver leading a vehicle platoon, for instance in a truck. All the following vehicles would be driven autonomously at speeds of up to 60mph – in some cases with no more than a four-metre gap between them – thanks to a blend of present and new technology. This would result in the near eradication of the risk of human error, it is claimed, and allow employees to conduct business conversations or catch up with emails behind the wheel in a safe and risk-free environment.

dent while driving for business reasons is signi icantly greater than the risk of dying as a result of all other workplace accidents, and as such it is imperative that driver safety is taken seriously.’ There are an estimated three million company cars on the roads and roughly one in three will be involved in an accident each year. It is therefore imperative that employees are supported in the event of a collision – and Allianz advises that companies provide an emergency contact point, either within the organisation or through an insurer. Having legal advice is not admission of fault, but support from an experienced solicitor can make a signi icant difference to the outcome of an incident, both for the driver in question and their employer.

Surveillance While it is important to have procedures in place to support drivers if the worst should happen, telematics and surveillance technologies can help to ensure things never get that far. Only 36% of businesses polled by TomTom monitor driver performance as a means of assessing and reducing risk, with less than a quarter of those (22%) using technology to do so. ‘Duty of Care can often be viewed as a complex issue but that does not need to be the case, especially given the variety of tools available to identify and manage risk factors,’ explains Giles Margerison, sales director at TomTom Business Solutions. ‘Fleet management technology, for example, provides access to a wealth of actionable data which allows management to

quickly identify areas of risk and take action to implement best practice.’ Technologies designed to monitor driver behaviour are offered by a multitude of risk management specialists, and are either hardwired into the cab or moved between vehicles as a portable device. These systems monitor a range of factors to build up an accurate picture of a drivers’ behaviour behind the wheel, and are designed to help drivers improve their driving style, fuel efficiency and, crucially, safety behind the wheel. Using the telematics data gathered from these systems, leet managers can pinpoint the drivers most at risk of being involved in a collision, perhaps due to their penchant for speeding or late braking, and arrange for driver training sessions to lower the exposure to risk.

MANAGEMENT UK Fleet Forum

UK connecting the UK’s fleet community ~ Formerly Fleet Academy

Join the Budget 2014 David Rawlings, Director, BCF Wessex

Fleet World magazine’s UK Fleet Forum – formerly Fleet Academy – provides a forum where fleet industry experts can exchange views on a wide range of topics, from taxation to speeding fines. At the heart of the UK Fleet Forum is a team of fleet professionals who play a key role in the industry, either as fleet managers, consultants or fleet suppliers. These fleet experts provide a regular feed of information that is posted on the website forum in the form of discussion topics. Typical areas of interest include, but are not limited to: taxation, finance and accounting, legislation, environmental issues, fleet safety, insurance, fleet management, supply issues and security. Fleet suppliers are permitted to respond to queries if it is felt that their response represents honest and impartial advice. This aspect of the service is strictly moderated in order to ensure that the quality of information provided remains of the highest standard. We have already attracted a strong network of fleet professionals, and our expert contributors have submitted a number of thought provoking discussion topics, a few of which are previewed to the right. We hope you will consider joining us in this exciting new venture into the world of fleet. To find out more about the UK Fleet Forum and request membership, please visit:

theukfleetforum.co.uk 60 / fleetworld.co.uk

In light of the Budget announcement in March, we’ve been following the reactions and are not surprised by how critical the response of some organisations within the fleet industry have been to the measures announced by the Chancellor. Although there’s been a great deal of emphasis on the increased taxation of company cars, especially electric cars and other ultra-low emission vehicles – “ULEVs” – in BCF Wessex’s Budget summary, we reiterated our view that company cars continue to offer exceptional value for employees. Average emissions of new cars registered in the UK in 2001 was 177g/km, which equated to an appropriate percentage of 18% (for petrol cars) when the CO2 emissions basis was introduced in 2002. In its latest report on the CO2 emissions of new cars the SMMT said that average emissions at the end of 2013 were 128g/km, which will give rise to an appropriate percentage of 18% (for petrol cars) in 2014/15. But how much tax will a company car driver pay in 2014/15 on a typical, diesel company car which has a list price of £25,000 and emissions of 94g/km? With an appropriate percentage of 14% (including the diesel supplement) the benefit in kind will be £3,500 meaning the tax due from a basic and higher rate taxpayer will be: • Basic rate taxpayer – £700 for the year or £58 per month • Higher rate taxpayer – £1,400 for the year or £117 per month A basic rate taxpayer could buy, maintain and insure this car personally or pay just £58 per month to drive the same car as a fully expensed company car. For a similar petrol or hybrid car the monthly tax charge will be just £46 per month. For a typical electric car with a list price of £25,000 no income tax will be due until April 2015, when the monthly charge will be £21 for a basic rate taxpayer. By 2018/19 when the appropriate percentage for the most efficient ULEVs (including electric cars) will be 13%, a basic rate taxpayer’s monthly tax charge for a fully expensed car will be only £54.

debate...

in association with

Meet the experts... We can’t deny that tax due on company cars will increase and the proposed increases over the next few years might appear discouraging to drivers and their employers. But by taking just a few minutes to focus on the value of company cars, the picture is much brighter. Even when the appropriate percentage has risen to 13%, for a basic rate taxpayer the effective rate of tax on a fully expensed company car is just 2.6% of the list price per annum; compare this to the current tax and NICs on salary of 32%. In our view, company cars will continue to offer exceptional value to employees.

A Head of Fleet replied...

Damian James, Head of Operations, Bracknell Forest Council Damian has been involved in transport since 1998. He joined Bracknell Forest Council in 2005 and is now the council’s head of operations. He has set up an integrated transport unit which manages fleet, school transport, social care transport, pool cars, dial-a-ride, grey fleet and community transport. He has project managed the implementation of a telematics system and has spoken at numerous national and international events. He achieved his Masters of Business Administration in 2008, holds a Certiﬁcate of Professional Competence in road transport management and is also a director and national chairman of ACFO.

I agree. So often overlooked when you see the impending 2% BiK rise per year on the same car you have now (provoking emotion about ‘even more tax to pay’), just think about what it would cost to run your own car with the entire cost risk basket in your hands. This is apart from funding the upfront finance if purchasing, or the long term commitment for personal lease on the assumption nothing changes in your employment or personal life. The AA publish some useful figures each year and the real cost per mile is frightening. If you want to feel a little more relaxed check the season ticket prices for a train commute and then add car parking and your own car to it. It is costing more and that is painful, but maybe just realise it is getting to realistic levels to drive a shiny new car replaced every three to four years and with almost no other cost to worry about. I try to!

Martin Wilson, Fleet Director, Hyundai UK

Natalie Middleton, Business Editor, Fleet World replied...

Peter joined Baker Tilly after his time as a senior consultant with Whitechapel, the employee car ownership arm of Lloyds TSB autolease. Prior to Whitechapel, Peter was an employment taxes specialist with PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young and spent a number of years as an investigations team leader with HMRC. His work includes negotiations with HMRC on car benefit taxation, advising on employee flexible benefit and expenses, and salary sacrifice scheme design and implementation.

Totally agree with the comments – the company car remains an absolute no-brainer choice given both the low cost and the hassle-free factor with running one compared to taking the cash. That said, the latest changes announced in the Budget do provided added impetus to do the maths on forthcoming costs using whole-life figures to avoid nasty surprises in future years.

Martin has been fleet director of Hyundai UK since January 2013. His early career began at Lombard’s motor finance division between 1994 and 1998, while still finding time to play as a contracted semi-professional rugby player for Newcastle Falcons. He moved to Jaguar in 1998, working up to corporate sales manager for Jaguar Land Rover. Following this, Martin moved to Hyundai in 2007, joining as regional corporate sales manager. He held several other senior sales positions before being promoted to fleet director.

Peter Minchinton, Tax Specialist, Baker Tilly

fleetworld.co.uk / 61

FEATURE Taxation & Funding

Cleaning up data in Excel Professor Colin Tourick introduces pivot tables: ideal for analysing large amounts of data in Excel.

ast month we imagined that you manage a vehicle fleet and maintain a spreadsheet that lists the charges your contract hire company has made for end-of-contract damage over recent years. You needed to calculate

the total cost of these charges by driver but there were problems with the data. So we saw how to clean up the data so that you could then sub-total all of these charges for each driver. Excel offers you many ways to analyse

data. Sub-totalling works just fine if you want the answer to just one question, say ‘How much have we paid for damage recharges, by driver?’ But what if you then want to ask more questions, such as ‘What’s the total by depart-

TABLE 1 A

Date

Reg No

Driver name

Department Ref

Model

Damage

Cost

2010

EG57CHO

Jenny Macintyre

KLL

VOLVO V70 Estate 2.4 D5 SE

Exhaust

£136

2010

AB06123

Len De Vere

FIN

MERCEDES C220CDi 4dr

Wheel

£135

2010

EA06PFA

Mary Adams

FIN

BMW 320D SE AUTO

Engine

£120

2010

AU57TDS

Peter Butts

KLL

MERCEDES C220CDi 4dr

Bodywork

£555

2010

ER57USM

Rose Aarons

LOP

AUDI A3 5dr Sportback

Exhaust

£872

2010

BH57SPK

Wilson Varley

FIN

BMW MINI 1.6 Cooper 3DR

Interior damage

£971

2011

DS58PWW

Andrew Parent

LOP

MERCEDES C220CDi 4dr

Bodywork

£425

2011

FF58YHV

Hugh Roberts

LOP

AUDI A4 2.0TDi

Tyres

£227

2011

BD58AHP

Paul Kalms

LOP

VW PASSAT 2.0TDi

Missing part

£643

2011

WY58KEM

Peter Jarvis

LOP

VW GOLF 5dr 2.0GT TDi Sport 170

Bodywork

£333

2011

LA58KER

Robert Turnbull

KRE

AUDI A4 2.0TDi

Wheel

£313

2012

YN59RYL

Graham Wayne

PES

AUDI A4 2.0TDi

Engine

£245

2012

DF09UJN

Nicky Blonde

LOP

AUDI A4 2.0TDi

Bodywork

£235

2012

YA59USG

Thomas Carlisle

PPO

BMW MINI 1.6 Cooper 3DR

Interior damage

£265

2013

LK60PAW

Alan Jones

AAG

AUDI A4 2.0TDi

Bodywork

£456

2013

PG10APH

Andrew Parent

LOP

MERCEDES C220CDi 4dr

Exhaust

£298

2013

YU09SRT

Cash Ora

FIN

VW GOLF 5dr 2.0GT TDi Sport 170

Interior damage

£354

2013

GH10PLL

Harlan Adams

PPO

LAND ROVER R/R Sport 2.7 TDV6

Interior damage

£225

2013

AY10HYV

Hugh Roberts

LOP

AUDI A4 2.0TDi

Bodywork

£398

2013

GL60KDE

Jenny Macintyre

KLL

VOLVO V70 Estate 2.4 D5 SE

Tyres

£642

2013

LM10WOS

Joanna Kahn

KRE

BMW MINI 1.6 Cooper 3DR

Interior damage

£198

2013

DA10JER

Peter Anthony

AAG

VW GOLF 5dr 2.0GT TDi Sport 170

Tyres

£654

2013

HA10HAH

Peter Butts

KLL

MERCEDES C220CDi 4dr

Missing key

£555

2013

FG10GAH

Wilson Varley

FIN

BMW MINI 1.6 Cooper 3DR

Interior damage

£233

2014

HE10LAL

Joby Farrell

FIN

VOLVO V70 Estate 2.4 D5 SE

Interior damage

£489

2014

FT60MAR

Mary Adams

FIN

BMW 320D SE AUTO

Exhaust

£325

2014

AH11ASP

Paul Kalms

LOP

VW PASSAT 2.0TDi

Missing part

£643

2014

SH60PRS

Rose Aarons

LOP

AUDI A3 5dr Sportback

Interior damage

£198

62 / fleetworld.co.uk

£11,143

TABLE 3

TABLE 2 ment?’, ‘What’s the total by year?’, ‘What’s the total cost by type of damage?’, and ‘What’s the total cost by driver, split between different types of recharge?’. To do this sort of analysis you could re-sort your Excel spreadsheet multiple times, or produce several different spreadsheets, but it’s much better to make use of a powerful Excel tool pivot tables. So this month we’re going to start learning how to pivot. To keep things manageable (and visible on the page) we’ll do our work on this small spreadsheet, although pivot tables are at their most impressive when analysing large amounts of data. Notice in Table 1 that we have two entries for some drivers. First we want to calculate how much we have spent in end-of-contract damage charges, by driver. Click Input>Pivot Table and a dialogue box pops up. This is a “wizard” and it will help you through the next steps. (This assumes you’re using Excel 2010. In earlier editions of Excel you’ll need to click Data>Pivot Table and PivotChart report to bring up the same wizard). Click inside cell A1, drag down to cell G29 and click the Existing Worksheet ratio button on the wizard. A new sheet will appear in your Excel workbook (probably called Sheet 1). We want to have a summary of costs by driver name. If you click on Driver Name in the Field List this will appear in the Row Labels field and if you then click on Cost that will appear in Values field. And as if by magic you’ll have produced a summary of costs by driver, which will look like this (Table 2). Next we want to work out total cost by department. Easy. Just unclick Driver Name and click Department in

Row Labels

Alan Jones

456

Andrew Parent

723

Cash Ora

354

Graham Wayne

245

Harlan Adams

225

Hugh Roberts

625

Jenny Macintyre

778

Joanna Kahn

198

Joby Farrell

489

Len De Vere

135

Mary Adams

445

Nicky Blonde

235

Paul Kalms

Peter Anthony

Peter Butts

Sum of Cost £ 3

Sum of Date

Sum of Cost £

56337

11143

What’s actually happened is that Excel didn’t recognise 2010, 2011 etc as dates: it thought they were just numbers and added them up. So 56,337 is the total of all the numbers in column A. Not helpful, but you can easily correct for this. Notice that in the Values section of the Field List, Sum Of Date appears. So it’s adding up the dates, which is not what we want. Drag Sum Of Date over to Row Labels and you’ll get this result: TABLE 4 B

Row Labels

1286

2010

2789

654

2011

1941

1110

2012

745

2013

4013

2014

1655

Grand Total

11143

Peter Jarvis

333

Robert Turnbull

313

Rose Aarons

Thomas Carlisle

Wilson Varley Grand Total

A 3

Sum of Cost £

1070 265

TABLE 5 A

1204 11143

the Field List. Note the dropdown arrow in cell A3. Click on this and you’ll be given the option to exclude some departments if you wish. To produce totals by year, unclick Department in the Field List and click Year, and you’ll get a result you weren’t expecting. Rather than giving you the costs by year it gives you this:

Row Labels

Bodywork

Engine

365

Exhaust

1631

Interior damage

2933

Missing key

555 1286

Missing part

Tyres

Wheel

Grand Total

Sum of Cost £ 2402

1523 448 11143

fleetworld.co.uk / 63

FEATURE Taxation & Funding

be offered the chance to filter costs by vehicle model (cell B1). Click the dropdown in B1, chose the Audi A4 2.0TDi and you’ll have produced a list of the different types of damage recharges that have been incurred, totalled by damage type. If in the Field List you now drag Damage into Column Labels, Driver Name

Are you enjoying pivoting? It’s incredibly easy and saves a lot of work. Excel does all the work for you. Finally, we wanted to work out the total cost incurred by type of damage. Just unclick Date in the Field List and click Damage and what you’ll get is in Table 5. In the Field Table, if you now drag Model into the Report Filter field you’ll

into Row Labels and Sum of Cost into Values, you'll get this spreadsheet. You can play around with pivot tables to your heart’s content. Just try dragging the field labels around in the Field List and see what happens. And there we have it. Pivot tables. A wonderful, powerful Excel tool that’s easy to learn and quite a lot of fun to use.

TABLE 6 3 4

Sum of Cost £

Column Labels

Row Labels

Bodywork

Engine

Exhaust

Interior damage

Missing Key

Missing Part

Tyres

Wheel

Grand Total

Alan Jones

456

Andrew Parent

425

Cash Ora

Graham Wayne

Harlan Adams

Hugh Roberts

Jenny Macintyre

Joanna Kahn

198

Joby Farrell

489

Len De Vere

Mary Adams

Nicky Blonde

Paul Kalms

Peter Anthony

Peter Butts

555

Peter Jarvis

333

Robert Turnbull

Rose Aarons

Thomas Carlisle

Wilson Varley

Grand Total

64 / fleetworld.co.uk

456 298

723 354

354

245

245 225

225

398 136

227

625

642

778

135 120

325

445

235

235 1286

1286 654

654

555

1110 333 313

872

2402

135

365

1631

313

198

1070

265

1204

2933

555

1286

1523

448

11143

MARKET OVERVIEW Contract Hire, Finance & Leasing

ALD Automotive

Alphabet

ALD Automotive is the second largest vehicle leasing operation in Europe and manages over 1,000,000 vehicles across 37 countries worldwide. Within the UK, ALD finances and manages over 97,000 vehicles, providing customers with total fleet management flexibility from pure financing of cars and vans to comprehensive outsourcing operations. Established in 1958, ALD UK has over 55 years’ experience in vehicle funding and ancillary support services within both corporate and consumer markets. ALD is widely recognised as one of the industry’s leading service providers, with a proven portfolio of innovative, award-winning products for major PLCs, small businesses and individual drivers alike. ALD hold ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 accreditation.

Alphabet are a leading provider of Business Mobility. With both car and commercial vehicle funding and management expertise, we are committed to excellence in everything we do. We are driven by creativity, future vision and the passionate commitment of our employees. We help our customers in both the public and private sectors, to enjoy higher productivity and efficiency from their vehicles and drivers. We also offer a wealth of experience in affinity and salary sacrifice schemes, solidly supported by a comprehensive portfolio of products and services ranging from corporate car sharing to risk management and strategic consultancy. Based in Hook, Hampshire and Leeds, West Yorkshire, we manage over 120,000 fleet vehicles in the UK while internationally Alphabet operates in 19 countries and supplies over 500,000 vehicles.

Contact: Ian Turner

Tel: 0870 00 111 81 ian.turner@aldautomotive.com www.aldautomotive.co.uk

Arnold Clark Vehicle Management

Vehicle Management

Arnold Clark Vehicle Management is a family run, privately owned vehicle leasing company. We are the largest dealerbased leasing company in the country, and we provide a comprehensive portfolio of funding products and management services to clients right across the UK. As a totally independent business, you can always rely on us to provide sound, unbiased advice. We have a characteristic no-nonsense business style and a reputation for delivering a uniquely personal leasing experience. We help corporate clients, small businesses and Government departments realise genuine savings and improvements in productivity. We listen, and we’d welcome the change to work with you.

Contact: Calum Ewart calum.ewart@acvm.co.uk

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

Contact: Mark Cubbon mark.cubbon@alphabet.co.uk

Tel: 0870 50 50 110 www.alphabet.co.uk

Fleet Alliance Limited Fleet Alliance is an award winning fleet management provider, offering contract hire, leasing and a complete range of fleet solutions. We manage in the excess of 14,000 vehicles on behalf of corporate clients. Our market-leading Fleet 360 model provides the best combination of products and advice delivered through our cloud-based fleet management system e-fleet and dedicated smartphone app e-fleet mobile. Recent awards include: • Top 5 UK Best Place to Work • National Business Awards: Customer Focus (Finalist) • National Business Awards: Employer of the Year (Finalist) • Scottish Business Awards: Employer of the Year (Highly Commended)

Contact: Grant Boardman Tel: 0845 601 8407 grant.boardman@fleetalliance.co.uk www.fleetalliance.co.uk

JCT600 Contracts Limited

Days Contract Hire

JCT600 Contracts provides a range of leasing and fleet management services on a cost effective basis to a broad spread of discerning clients. With a highly trained and experienced team using sophisticated systems the company is able to meet the increasing demands of its customers whilst offering the highest level of personalised service. The company has one of the industry’s leading client retention rates at around 80% demonstrating that its services are widely appreciated. Continuous efforts ensure improved value and the careful development of new products. The company’s financial strength and strategy for controlled growth bode well for future success.

Days Contract Hire is established as one of the UK’s leading independent contract hire companies, offering a personal approach to bespoke fleet solutions. Tailoring services to the public and private sector for over 25 years, Days are able to offer impartial advice as they are completely independent of any bank or manufacturer. As well as Contract Hire, Days are able to offer a short term Flexi Hire service and a host of ancillary services to assist in the management of fleets all of which is supported by industry leading technology and client facing systems.

Contact: Rob Kellock rob.kellock@jct600.co.uk

Contact: Neil Vaughan neilvaughan@days.co.uk

66 / fleetworld.co.uk

Tel: 0113 250 0060 www. jct600contracts.co.uk

Tel: 0845 217 2608 www.dayscontracthire.co.uk

FLEETW RLD Lex Autolease

Marshall Leasing

Lex Autolease is the UK’s leading fleet management and funding specialist, helping companies large and small to lease vehicles. Companies all over the UK trust us to take care of their vehicle leasing. We have in excess of 270,000 vehicles under management, making us the UK's largest leasing company. But in a competitive market, saying we’re biggest isn’t enough. It’s our ability to deliver excellent customer service that makes our customers happy. Our approach is to develop a true partnership with businesses and public sector organisations, working side by side with you to help you face the challenges of running a fleet.

Marshall Leasing offers an independent choice and focus on fleet advice for clients who are seeking an alternative to the large dominant volume orientated providers. Marshall Leasing are part of privately owned Marshall who own dealer group MMG which operates over 70 franchised dealerships, representing 24 different manufacturer brands, with a turnover of £1bn per annum. MMG sell 50,000 vehicles and maintain over 450,000 in its workshops. Marshall also manage the RAF’s Hercules fleet and own / operate Cambridge Airport through their Marshall Aerospace and Defence group.

Contact: Jane Kendall Tel: 0845 769 7381 marketing@lexautolease.co.uk www.lexautolease.co.uk

Contact: Richard Baird enquiry@marshall-leasing.co.uk www.marshall-leasing.co.uk

Ogilvie Fleet Ltd Our commitment to existing and prospective clients is that we will ALWAYS provide industry leading service. Our recent award wins undeniably prove our words: 2013 FleetEye CSi Award for "Highest Customer Satisfaction Levels" *WINNER* 2012 FN50 "Customer Service Award - Team" *WINNER* 2012 Business Car Techies Awards *HIGHLY COMMENDED* 2012 Fleet News "Customer Service Award" *WINNER* 2012 FleetEye CSi Award for "Highest Customer Satisfaction Levels" *WINNER* 2012 Fleet News "Best New Product or Service (Ogilvie MiFleet)" *FINALIST* 2012 Fleet News "Reader Recommended" Contract Hire Company *SHORTLISTED* 2012 Scottish Business Awards "Customer Focus" Category *NOMINEE* 2011 FleetEye CSi Award for "Highest Customer Satisfaction Levels" *WINNER* We’re proud to serve our clients and our doors are always open to new customers.

Contact: Ashley Crookes Ashley.crookes@ogilvie.co.uk

sgfleet

sgfleet is a professional fleet management company which combines international expertise with local knowledge. Our strategy is to work in partnership with our clients to identify and manage all the component parts of operating a vehicle fleet and to pro-actively manage these. We are committed to helping our customers run their fleets as efficiently as possible to reduce risk and drive down costs. We provide a full range of fleet management and funding products, including a unique salary sacrifice structure, which does not create any scheme risk for employers. Robust systems with industry leading on line reporting functionality and capability underpin our proposition.

Contact: Paul Webb pwebb@sgfleet.com

Tel: 0845 1540721 www.sgfleet.com

Tel: 0330 333 5677 www.ogilvie-fleet.co.uk

Volkswagen Group Leasing

Venson Automotive Solutions Limited Venson is a hands-on fleet management specialist with a proven track record in reducing fleet costs and increasing vehicle availability. It’s our level of experience, knowledge and service that allows us to give you the kind of impartial advice that has real financial returns whether your business is in the private, public, not-for-profit or emergency services sector. From sourcing the right vehicles to funding, maintaining and delivering commercial vehicle fit-outs, we handle every aspect and we don’t let our clients down, our 98% retention rate is testament to that. Get in touch, reserve a free fleet audit and drive your business in a new direction.

Contact: Alan McCleave sales@venson.com

Tel: 01480 414541

Tel: 08444 99 1402 www.venson.com

Volkswagen Group Leasing is the corporate and fleet leasing arm of Volkswagen Financial Services, which is part of the Volkswagen Group UK. In addition to providing the full range of Volkswagen Group vehicles, including Volkswagen, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Audi, ŠKODA and SEAT, it can also source other manufacturers’ vehicles. As well as supplying and financing vehicles on leasing and contract hire agreements, it offers daily rental, fleet management services, fuel card, accident management support and duty of care management. It works with both private and public sector organisations and supports fleets in both the small to medium sized enterprise market through to the large corporate market.

Contact: Matt Niles or Jonathan Wise Tel: 0870 333 2229 vglenquiries@vwfs.co.uk www.makingleasingsimple.co.uk

fleetworld.co.uk / 67

Do you offer an open discloure/ profit sharing option? Do you offer bespoke total cost of ownership? Do you offer integrated telematics solutions?

Do you offer an ECOS / COP scheme?

Do you have a dedicated phonebased facility for small fleets? Do you offer an on-line solution for managing a grey fleet? Do you offer a dedicated account management team?

Do you offer a salary sacrifice sheme?

Do you offer pooled mileage as standard? Do you offer a fleet management option for non-funded vehicles?

Lex Autolease Will you provide a bespoke Internet/Intranet site for major clients?

Key to services

Approximately how many vehicles does your company operate?

MARKET OVERVIEW Contract Hire, Finance & Leasing

ALD Automotive 97k

Alphabet 121k

Arnold Clark Vehicle Management 41k

Days Contract Hire 9.8k free mileage management

Fleet Alliance Limited 14k

JCT600 Contracts Ltd 7k

Leasedrive Group 40k

270k

Marshall Leasing 6k

Ogilvie Fleet Ltd

10.5k

sgfleet

2.5k

Venson Automotive Solutions Limited

11.5k

Volkswagen Group Leasing

72k+

Service provided

Service unavailable

68 / fleetworld.co.uk

VAN Fleet World

Fleet World

International Fleet World

EV Fleet World

MPG Marathon

VAN FLEETW RLD

vanfleetworld.co.uk

THE online resource for fleet decision-makers

Join us on Linkedin Fleet World Group

our fleet Mercedes-Benz E300 BlueTEC Hybrid SE Estate IN among all the talk of downsizing, the oldfashioned virtues of space are often forgotten. With dog and kids to cart about, downsizing just isn’t an option for me, and even previous long term cars such as the 5 Series Touring and Q5 have on occasion felt a bit on the cramped side. There’s no chance whatsoever of that though with the E-Class because despite its hi-tech, and brilliant, powertrain it remains resolutely a trusty estate in the classic tradition. In other words, it is designed to carry vast amounts of stuff. In fact, only the Skoda Superb comes close in terms of volume. Handily ours is fitted with rails in the boot which means I have divided it into a one third/two thirds space so that shopping bags and the like don’t roll about. As any good seaman will tell you, stowing your hold properly is vital for a well-handling ship and I can’t bear things bouncing about when I’m driving.

the figures

Talking of thing bouncing about, the kids are being kept quiet and still by the rear seat entertainment. It’s a rather indulgent option but the cordless headphones and built in system is much tidier than those ones with wires all over the place you can buy in Halfords, and a remote control in the front ensures they are always able to skip the scary bits in Mary Poppins or Jungle Book. Not that I realised there were scary bits, mind. So the big Merc is proving a perfect car for the family, and still returning more than 50mpg on long journeys. In fact, so good is it that I promise to spend the next month trying to be mean and find fault with it. I will report back with my swingeing criticisms in the next issue. Wish me luck... Steve Moody

OTR PRICE £41,670 POWER 201bhp @ 4,200rpm (+27bhp electric motor) TORQUE 369lb.ft @ 1,600–1,800rpm 0-62mph 7.8 seconds TOP SPEED 144mph COMBINED MPG 62.8mpg CO2 119g/km (19% BiK)

Ford Kuga 1.6T EcoBoost Titanium

LAUNCHED in 2013, five years after the original model, the latest iteration of the Kuga brings a number of new technologies and increased space as the carmaker creates a global mid-size SUV to meet needs both here and across the pond.

70 / fleetworld.co.uk

From first impressions there’s also a lot here to meet fleet needs. We’re driving the 1.6T EcoBoost engine in 148bhp FWD guise, which, at 154g/km and 42.8mpg combined, is not far off the 53.3mpg and 139g/km of the 138bhp 2.0 TDCI diesel but with a £1,400 cheaper price tag. Unlike the diesel, it also comes with Start/Stop too. With the Kuga arriving on our fleet as spring lands on these shores, I’m not sad be driving the FWD version – economy figures for the 4WD 1.6T EcoBoost rise to 179g/km and 36.7mpg whilst the figures for the 138 and 161bhp diesels also see large rises, making 4WD only

necessary for those fleets/drivers requiring all-weather capabilities. And whilst the second-generation Kuga brings looks that are not to everyone’s tastes, there are some benefits to them, including the increased aerodynamics, with the car even adding to this by automatically adjusting its Active Grille Shutter. It’s also more practical than its predecessor with an increase of 82 litres in boot space – up to 442 litres. All of which we’ll be putting to the test over the next few months – along with the optional kick-operated electric tailgate, which looks rather handy to say the least. Natalie Middleton

Mazda6 2.2D Sport Nav THE Mazda6 has returned home after a 12-month spell on our long-term fleet, and despite a glut of new activity in the upper-medium sector it still makes great sense for business users whether the decision comes down to head or heart. With the CX-5 alongside it, the Mazda6 has been a key part of the brand’s recent sales success in the UK. Both offer high residual values and low running costs which will have contributed to a 19% year-on-year sales rise in 2013, and a 60% uplift in fleet sales during the same period. With a range-wide 34% average residual value, or 35% for this model, but with sensible pricing, it’s a competitive offer. But equally important, it’s become hard not to notice. Previous generations of the Mazda6 have been far from bad looking or unpleasant to drive, but this latest version is arguably the sharpest looker in the segment. There are still a few interior parts which could be better finished, but the whole car feels properly put together and on a par with its established European rivals. Test drives won’t disappoint. The 2.2-litre diesel engine offers a good spread of pulling power and linear delivery through the rev range, and the shortthrow six-speed manual gearbox is excellent. Ride quality is a little harsh on the Sport’s larger wheels, but Mazda’s SKYACTIV technology chassis offers an upside of excellent body control and one of the most naturally-tuned, mechanical-feeling steering setups in this sector, enjoyed from an equally well-placed driving position. The Mazda6 has threats coming from all sides, including increasingly competitive premium models, low-carbon crossovers, a tightening of the Insignia range and a looming new Mondeo. But with desirability and sensible running costs on its side, it’s an option not to be overlooked. Alex Grant

the figures OTR PRICE £25,595 POWER 173bhp @ 4,500rpm TORQUE 310lb.ft @ 2,000rpm 0-62mph 7.9 seconds TOP SPEED 139mph COMBINED MPG 62.8mpg CO2 119g/km (19% BiK)

Suzuki S-Cross 1.6 DDiS SZ-T ALLGRIP THE S-Cross isn’t the most exciting car in the world. It is however a very easy car to live with on a daily basis. Despite a number of prolonged stays in airport car parks of late, the Suzuki continues to rack up the miles, passing 4,000 after just two months in our care. It is all credit to Suzuki that the miles have slipped by so painlessly, the S-Cross tackling urban crawl, cross country haul and motorway cruise with equal stress-free aplomb. The fact that the car can also pull on the wellies and cross a wet and muddy construction site, is simply a bonus. Dan Gilkes

Renault Clio 1.5 dCi Dynamique S EVERY so often, a carmaker comes up with a car that just looks and feels right and I think the new Clio is that for Renault. It really is incredibly striking from all angles, especially with the daytime running lights illuminated, and whilst other newcomers such as Peugeot’s 208 deserve plaudits for their clever packaging and chic design touches, Clio would get my vote every time. And it’s a feather in Clio’s cap that the FW team, given free choice, would happily downsize and drive the Clio on a 100-mile round business trip over larger, more expensive and theoretically more refined alternatives. Luke Wikner

fleetworld.co.uk / 71

our fleet auctions & remarketing

Vauxhall Ampera Electron

BCA Tel: 0845 600 66 44 bca.co.uk

accident management Total Accident Management Tel: 0845 078 4157 www.totalaccman.co.uk

fast fits & tyres

IT seems as though GM has poured its vast expertise in electric cars into the Ampera. It’s worth mentioning that the company has been working with EVs since at least the 1980s and that really shows. The Ampera is absolutely stuffed with innovation, which doesn’t necessarily make it attractive to fleets but it does make it one of the most complete electrically powered models on the road. The BMW i3 is now snapping at its heels, to be followed by the VW Golf GTE later this year. It has impressed me since I first drove one on the press launch nearly two years ago. It is a fine car to drive thanks to the low noise levels, fine handling, effortless,

responsive electric drive system and of course, you do not have to worry about range. Full marks to Vauxhall for coming up with a charging lead long enough for recharging from a point behind the car. Nissan and Renault, please note. I’ve had between 30 and 35 miles maximum range in cool weather, enough for regular commuting without petrol. It’s quick too, thanks to the electric motor’s high torque. I appreciate being able to drive to a city using the petrol generator, then switching to electric power where clean air is preferred. It’s a superb design, brilliantly executed. John Kendall

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

fleet insurance insureFLEET Tel: 0333 202 3133 www.insurefleet.com

driver licence checking Jaama Tel: 0844 8484 333 www.jaama.co.uk

Audi A8 SE 3.0 TDI quattro WHEN I was a young sales rep in my Vauxhall Cavalier SRi, the last thing I wanted was something like cruise control, which would have blunted my desire to go everywhere as fast as humanly possible. But advancing years (and common sense) have brought me to that time of life when a 50-mile stretch of uninterrupted “cruising” is absolute bliss. The engineers who design the more sophisticated systems featuring radar-based distance control must have a tough time balancing the rules of the Highway Code with the real-life situation that is our heavily congested motorway network. People who refuse to pull over when not overtaking make it even more of a challenge. The Audi A8’s system allows the driver to determine how far in advance they want the radar to work. Set it to the max and the drive can be a bit erratic if someone pulls into the gap you have left. Too close and there can be the odd moment of sharp braking.

72 / fleetworld.co.uk

eyecare Specsavers Corporate Eyecare Tel: 0115 933 0800 www.specsavers.co.uk/corporate

vehicle data

What’s most important though is good forward planning of overtaking manoeuvres and the maintenance of “space” around the car. I’ve found myself playing around with different driving styles recently in order to get the most from the cruise control. And I think that, if anything, my driving has probably got better. How’s that for value for money. Ross Durkin

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

rental systems & programmes White Clarke Automotive Solutions Tel: 0870 787 2211 www.whiteclarkeauto.com

FLEETW RLD SUPPLIER DIRECTORY contract hire, leasing & finance

daily rental

fleet management software

risk management

Apex Car Rental Tel: 01323 745444

Sofico Tel:0121 288 5935/07815 601622

www.apexrental.co.uk

www.soficoservices.com

Cardinus Risk Management Tel: 01733 426015

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

Maxxia 020 7520 9450 www.maxxia.co.uk

Lex Autolease

Promote your company here and online for just £500/year.

Nexus Vehicle Management Ltd Tel: 0871 984 1947 www.nexusrental.co.uk

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

ARI Fleet UK Tel: 0844 8000 700 www.arifleet.co.uk

JCT600 Contracts Limited Tel: 0113 250 0060 www.jct600contracts.co.uk

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

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

Bynx Tel: 01789 471600 www.bynx.com

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

Arnold Clark Vehicle Management

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

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

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

AA DriveTech Tel: 01256 495732

Tel: 0845 769 7381 www.lexautolease.co.uk

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

www.AAdrivetech.com/fleetsafe DriveTech

Vehicle Management

For more information, please contact Tracy Howell on 01727 739160 or email

www.cardinus.com

Pendle Vehicle Contracts Tel: 08456 025697 www.pendlelease.co.uk

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

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

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

Concept Vehicle Leasing Tel: 0800 043 2050 www.conceptvehicleleasing.co.uk

Zenith Tel: 0113 348 8667 www.zenith.co.uk

Alliance Asset Management plc Tel: 01480 475000 www.fleetcentre.com

Drive Software Solutions Tel: 01438 317731

RAC Risk Management Tel: 0870 606 2606

www.drivesoftwaresolutions.com

www.racfleetriskmanagement.co.uk

Motiva Group Tel: 0800 054 6555 www.motivagroup.co.uk

sgfleet Tel: 0845 154 0721 www.sgfleet.com

Arnold Clark Car and Van Rental Tel: 0845 702 3946

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

Roadmarque Tel: 0845 053 0331 www.roadmarque.com

tracy@fleetworldgroup.co.uk

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

Tel: 0845 815 0019 www.dayscontracthire.co.uk

www.arnoldclarkrental.com

Full listings online at fleetworld.co.uk car valeting

Venson Automotive Solutions Tel: 08444 99 1402 www.venson.com

Alliance Asset Management plc Tel: 01480 475000 www.fleetcentre.com

Val-Tech Solutions Ltd Tel: 0333 011 6540 www.val-techsolutions.co.uk

misfuelling

fuel management

AFF Tel: 0844 879 4770 www.autofuelfix.com

The Fuelcard Company Tel: 0845 073 0873 www.fuelcards.co.uk

Trakm8 Tel: 01747 858 444 www.trakm8.com

Teletrac Tel: 0870 460 5693 www.teletrac.co.uk

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

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

Quartix Ltd Tel: 0870 013 6663 www.quartix.co.uk

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

Promote your company here and online for just £500/year.

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

Shell Fuelcards Tel: 0800 7 31 31 37 www.shell.co.uk/euroshell

Fleetmatics Tel: 0800 975 4566 www.fleetmatics.co.uk

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

SageQuest Tel: 0808 163 9309 www.sage-quest.co.uk

Motrak Tel: 0800 054 6555 www.motivagroup.co.uk

Esso Fuel Cards Tel: 0800 626 672 www.essocard.com

telematics & tracking

fleetworld.co.uk / 73

fleet finance

Budgeting for all outcomes Mel Dawson, managing director of ALD Automotive, on how the latest Budget reinforces the need for joined-up thinking on both vehicle acquisition and operation.

n his fifth and possibly penultimate Budget before the General Election, Chancellor George Osborne announced changes intended to help with ‘building a resilient economy’ but bringing mixed blessings for fleets. Headline news for fleets was the announcement of the BiK rates for 2017/18 and 2018/19, marking the first time that fleets have had visibility of company car rates five years in advance. On the plus side, many fleets now know the company car tax stance for their vehicles for their whole operating cycle but the 2% increases for both the 2017/18 and 2018/19 tax years for all vehicles over 75g/km will have an obvious effect on both drivers’ tax bills and the Class 1A NIC payable by the employer. Meanwhile although the Chancellor announced that he is to maintain the differential between the three lowest company car tax rates – sub-50 g/km, 51-75 g/km and 76-94 g/km – at a higher level for longer than previously announced, the new rates still mean that drivers of lowemission cars will see a sharp increase in the BiK threshold they qualify for, for example from 0% now to 13% in 2018/19 for the lowest bracket. And even though the Budget provided confirmation of the fuel duty freeze until 2015, as previously announced in the Autumn Statement, there were no signs of the much called for cut in fuel duty. For fleets, there are two key messages from all of this – firstly that fleets should ensure they are running the most tax-efficient vehicles using the most efficient funding method for their company and secondly they should ensure that such vehicles are being run as efficiently as possible during their time on their fleet to minimise both fuel charges and other costs. From a fleet acquisition perspective, the Budget provides further evidence that organisations must revisit their fleet planning, using total cost of ownership as the platform from which the optimum vehicles for the fleet are selected. Only in this way can fleets ensure that they are adopting a holistic approach that takes into account vital taxation and environmental parameters, such as the impending BiK changes. Seeking expert advice from tax specialist can prove vital to ensuring the successful implementation of such a strategy. This is where ALD Automotive’s AutoSolutions team can Contact ALD Automotive:

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t 0870 0011181

help. This specialist division comprises experienced analysts, experts in the fields of vehicle funding and fleet choice lists, and the deployment of proven cost-effective and practical car policies over many years. Using market-leading fleet analysis technology, AutoSolutions can assess whole life costs from all manufacturers, models and derivatives as part of the CarSelector software module. This provides a conclusive picture of company and employee tax implications during vehicle selection, particularly following the Budget announcement of the forthcoming BiK rates until 2018/19. As part of its commitment to offering a holistic approach to fleet operations, AutoSolutions can also identify the most cost-effective funding mechanisms for the fleet and car benefits package using its FleetChoice module. The optimum mix of funding options will vary greatly between different companies and FleetChoice will deliver a balanced funding solution to meet individual needs. Having found the right models for the fleet, firms should look to ensure that the models continue to deliver excellent economies and ALD Automotive can also help here with a range of services and products to ensure optimum fleet running. This includes ALD Automotive’s ProFleet2 in-vehicle telematics system, which, with over 35,000 units installed and integrated seamlessly within our contract hire offer as standard to date, is unique within the marketplace. At its most basic level, ProFleet2 is proven to reduce fuel costs through accurate mileage capture, resulting in a reduction in unnecessary or private journeys. It also improves driving behaviour through greater transparency and training, resulting in lower fuel consumption. We know from experience that fleets may be funded in the most tax efficient way and use the most fuel efficient cars available, but when the keys are handed over, it’s driving behaviour which has the biggest influence on cost, risk and CO2 output. This is why tools like our ProFleet2 play a vital role in maximising fleet efficiency. For more details of how ALD Automotive can help optimise your fleet policy from acquisition to operation, please email autosolutions@aldautomotive.com or phone 0870 00 111 81.

e ukinfo@aldautomotive.com

w www.aldautomotive.co.uk

VAN FLEETW RLD

April 2014

p82 Simple to drive and economical to power, the Renault Kangoo Z.E. has a lot going for it.

at a glance driven Renault Kangoo Z.E

plus... Telematics and Tracking & CV Show Preview vanfleetworld.co.uk

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CV Show P review If last year’s Commercial Vehicle Show at the NEC was all about trucks, the 2014 event, from April 29 to May 1, looks set to be the place to see many of the latest vans. Dan Gilkes runs through some of the new metal that visitors can expect to see.

Vauxhall and Renault world premiere

Citroën and Fiat show big van updates We’ll have an opportunity to see revised Citroën Relay and Fiat Ducato vans. As yet little is known about these two, though Citroën is promising that two trim levels, two roof heights and four body lengths will be available from launch in the third quarter of the year. Citroën will also show its updated Berlingo, which benefits from further fuel economy improvements. These include the adoption of a six-speed Efficient Tronic Gearbox (ETG6) for the Berlingo Airdream model, with improved mapping and more modulated gearchanges.

Driven primarily by emissions legislation, we can expect a host of new and improved vans at this year’s show. Vauxhall and Renault will finally take the wraps off their long-awaited Vivaro and Trafic van updates. The mid-weight LCVs will get a range of new 1.6dCi diesel engines, including a twin turbocharged model that boasts a claimed 39.2mpg. Both companies will also show facelifted versions of the larger Master and Movano. Vauxhall will be exhibiting a range of converted Movanos on the stand. These will include a walk-through bulkhead delivery vehicle and a lightweight cage tipper, built with converter VFS, that offers a secure non-glazed utility cab behind the driver for storage of tools and equipment. Vauxhall will have a Combo Crew van on offer as well, alongside its irst Combo Sportive model and the largest Combo L2H2.

Plenty of vans to see and drive Visitors will get a chance to see the full Ford Transit line-up, with just the smallest Transit Courier still to be launched. The full size Transit, that we have now driven, is expected to draw the most attention on the stand and Ford will be running test drives from the show for prospective customers. Mercedes-Benz won’t launch the next Vito van until the Hannover show later this year, although visitors to the firm’s Van Experience in the summer will no doubt get a first glimpse of the revised van. There will be plenty to see on the firm’s stand though, including Citan and current Vito models, along with both Sprinter vans and chassis cab models. A separate truck stand will show Mitsubishi’s Canter Eco Hybrid 7.5-tonne truck alongside Merc’s own Atego. Visitors can expect a full range of Euro 6 heavy trucks to make an appearance at the show too.

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Racking and cooling options If you are looking for internal conversions then racking specialist Tevo will be adding to the lightweight range that it launched last year. The company will be introducing a range of lightweight drawer units, that are said to cut weight by around 20% compared to previous models. The company is also launching the Modul-Safe, a robust locker that can hold a laptop or other valuables. The safe can be free-standing or integrated into the racking system. Tevo will also show a revised gas bottle holder with an improved locking mechanism, a cable shelf specifically designed for carry cable rolls, and a heavy duty Modul-lock that can be used to lock up to three drawers at a time. Site workers using their vans as workshops may also be interested in the latest Handiwash 2 washing unit from Eberspacher, that uses 50% less energy than previous systems. Handiwash 2 has two dropdown taps for hot and cold water, a waste water collection system and an integrated water level. The unit folds flat when not in use. Eberspacher will also show the Euroengel F0720 mobile refrigeration case. This compact cooler unit has been designed to it inside a Mercedes Citan, Renault Kangoo, Peugeot Partner or CitroĂŤn Berlingo. The heavy-duty polyethylene container is suitable for perishable foodstuffs or pharmaceutical use. The chilled container can also be used in larger vans, providing mixed temperature storage. With 12V, 24V and 240V options, it is also possible to plug the unit into the mains overnight to maintain temperatures prior to the following dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s use.

Suspension for heavy loads For those looking to convert their vans below the bodywork, VB-Airsuspension will be showing a range of suspension conversion options at the show. These include uprated spring kits, already itted to both RAC and AA service vans to cope with constant heavy duty use, along with semi-air and full air suspension set-ups. VB has recently become a Premium Partner to Volkswagen, making the company the first choice supplier for Crafter and Transporter suspension conversions. The Dutch company is believed to be one of the first non-German Premium suppliers to Volkswagen. Pick-ups are the next line of focus for VB, as the company is developing a range of semi-air suspension options for pick-up customers, to improve empty ride and handling while retaining a one-tonne payload for VAT purposes. The firm has also been working with the VCA and with VOSA to ensure that its air suspension systems are fully compatible with electronic stability control systems, now that these are standard on all new vans.

See us in Hall 5

5H30

Van Racking Specialist for all makes vanfleetworld.co.uk / 79

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Technology developments show the way forward

Bodybuilders show conversions Popular LCV converter VFS will not just be present on the Vauxhall stand. The company, which has Whole Vehicle Type Approval across its full range of body conversions, continues to supply Ford with the UK Transit Dropside body. The company will now also supply dropsides to Renault, Nissan, Vauxhall and Fiat, with other manufacturers to come soon. VFS will be showing a new Luton box body at the show, that can be installed on a range of manufacturers chassis. This is the first time that the company has offered a box body and initially it will be built for the longest chassis option of each manufacturer. The lightweight GRP panel body weighs just 520kg and the company aims to be able to supply a box body and a tail lift, yet still offer a 1.0-tonne payload on a 3.5-tonne chassis. Another popular converter at the show will be Dutch firm Snoeks. The company will offer a double cab in van conversion for Ford ‘s new full size Transit. Unlike Ford’s own double cab conversion, the Snoeks set-up retains the full load length at the floor on front-wheel drive vans, as the bulkhead allows the load to pass below the rear seats. The high strength plastic bulkhead has been fully tested to offer maximum occupant protection, while the rear seat conversion is available with either three or four seats, each with armrests. The conversion can be carried out directly by Snoeks, or through any of its nine itting agents in the UK.

MiX Telematics will launch a back-to-basics entry level track and trace system at the show. Available with a 12 month contract, the MiX DataTrak offering will cost just £17.99 per month per vehicle for both hard and software. Indeed as the system is internet based there is no requirement for a customer to download additional software as it can be accessed from a PC, tablet or smartphone on a 24/7 basis. The system provides customisable real-time alerts covering vehicle status, ignition on or door open. Geofencing is also available through DataTrak with a range of tailored or standard reports available to the leet manager. Mapping is provided by GoogleMaps and the system is aimed at SME leets. Larger fleets might be better served by MiX Fleet Manager, which this year features a new interface for the user and delivers a wide range of fleet management solutions. A less familiar name to van customers, though well known in heavy truck markets, is R2C Online. The company will be showing a web-based tool for managing and controlling service, maintenance and repair work that coordinates work between fleet owners and their repairers. Called issue to invoice (i2i) this authorisation tool ensures rapid processing of service and maintenance requests to minimise downtime and reduce the number of telephone calls between fleets and their service providers.

VAN FLEETW RLD

March 2014

p82 Ford has obviously put the hours in to ensure that the Transit success story continues in the UK.

Visit us at the CV Show on Stand 4A18 80 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

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Fleet Academy, Risk Management & LCV Round Table 2014 vanfleetworld.co.uk

Renault Kangoo Z.E. Renault’s Kangoo Z.E. continues to impress. Dan Gilkes tries Phase II.

t’s fair to say that take-up of electric vans in the UK has been somewhat slow, glacial even. Initial cost, range anxiety, reduced payload concerns and residual value insomnia all conspire to push fleets away from electric van manufacturers. Yet new models are on the way, with Nissan promising its e-NV200 and both Peugeot and Citroën showing electric vans at last year’s CV Show, though we’ve yet to see any of these on the road yet. For the time being, Renault remains the undisputed champion of the electric van, with Kangoo Z.E. now in its second generation, thanks to the Phase II facelift applied to all Kangoo models last year, and UK sales well into three figures. The Z.E. has the same bluff front end as its diesel stablemates, with the over-sized Renault diamond taking pride of place between the massive headlights. While Renault says there have been no specific running gear changes with the facelift, the company admits that it has been refining and honing the driveline since its launch some years ago. Certainly it seems that regenerative braking force has been toned down from the last time we drove a Kangoo Z.E., gently slowing the LCV rather than throwing you into your seatbelt as soon as you lift off the throttle pedal. The van activates the brake lights when regenerative braking is working too, to warn vehicles behind that you are slowing. Driving Kangoo Z.E. is as simple as ever. Simply turn the key until you get a green GO message on the dash, slide the auto transmission lever into D and push the right hand pedal for forward travel.

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what we think For a low mileage urban operation, with regular depot over-night parking, the Kangoo Z.E. makes a lot of sense. Simple to drive and economical to power, it has a lot going for it.

specification MODEL Renault Kangoo Z.E. ML20 BASIC PRICE £12,995 ENGINE Synchronous electric motor FUEL INJECTION n/a POWER 60hp TORQUE 226Nm Weights (kg) GVW 2,146 KERB WEIGHT 1,426 PAYLOAD 650 Dimensions (mm) LOAD SPACE LENGTH 1,731 LOAD SPACE WIDTH 1,223 LOAD SPACE HEIGHT 1,188 LOAD HEIGHT (unladen) 588 LOAD VOLUME 3.4m3 Cost considerations FUEL TANK CAPACITY n/a CO2 EMISSIONS 0g/km SERVICE INTERVALS 12,500 in first year then 2yr/25,000 miles WARRANTY 4 yr/100,000 miles

Though using an auto lever, the electric motor won’t hold the van on a hill or creep forwards like an auto box diesel. It really is simple to drive though, accelerating briskly, thanks to the full 226Nm of torque being available from standstill. Unfortunately our test van was sporting a folding mesh bulkhead and fold-flat passenger seat, so there was quite a bit of noise from the rear wheels. There is little more than an electrical whine from the front. A full metal bulkhead has the secondary benefit of allowing the van to warm up much faster on a cold morning too, as you aren’t heating the rear compartment as well as the cab. The van offers the full 3.4m3 of load volume and the same 650kg payload as its diesel counterpart. What’s more, the government does now include the vans in the Plug-in Van Grant scheme, so it is possible to claim back 20% of the purchase cost of the Kangoo Z.E., making it a more palatable £12,995 plus the VAT. You do have to rent the battery pack, but in some ways that provides peace of mind – Renault will repair or replace the batteries if they fall below 75% capacity for the life of the vehicle. Renting also provides a known running cost for the life of the vehicle. Other than that ownership costs should be relatively low, with cheap electrical overnight charging and very little maintenance required at service time. There’s a fairly comprehensive warranty attached too, plus that guarantee of battery life. The only real ly in the ointment is that there is virtually no used van market for electric vehicles, making it hard to put a residual value on the Kangoo Z.E.

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Advanced technology brings fleet industry breakthroughs Building on its solid reputation for new technology that answers the need for faster, more in-depth vehicle fleet management data, ARI Fleet UK has launched the latest version of its cutting-edge fleet management system, ARI insights®.

or the fast-paced fleet industry, having the right information at your fingertips to enable you to make informed decisions on your fleet operation and costs is vital. To that end, ARI Fleet UK – part of the largest privately held fleet management company in the world – has rolled out a cutting-edge fleet management system, ARI insights®, to its entire customer base. With over 65 years in the fleet management industry – including over 25 in the UK – ARI Fleet UK is focused on delivering actionable data quickly. With industry-leading fast response times and a format that draws on a spectrum of sources, fleet professionals are able to make decisions that drive efficiency while saving time and money. Designed by ARI, insights® delivers a comprehensive view of an entire fleet at a high level through bespoke dashboards, alerts and KPIs. Users can even drill down to see the details of a specific transaction. This manage-by-exception process gives fleet managers a convenient and effective resource for handling vehicle-related tasks and responsibilities to optimise fleet performance, control fleet operating costs and boost company productivity. ARI's one-of-a-kind fleet management system provides access to vital information at the touch of a button. The system collects, integrates and analyses critical vehicle and driver data from various sources, presenting it in an easy-to-read dashboard format that is customisable by fleet managers, helping them to improve overall fleet performance and achieve the lowest possible total cost of ownership (TCO) within their fleet. The latest version also introduces integrated fuel data capture, telematics analysis and additional customisable fields to give fleet managers a more detailed breakdown into how their vehicles and drivers are performing across the entire fleet. ARI Fleet UK also offers ARI analytics™, an analytical and predictive business intelligence tool that uses in-memory technology supported by SAP to allow for high-speed processing and reporting of data. Thanks to advances in in-memory technology, ARI analytics™ processes data 3,600 times faster than any system on the market today. Compared to ordinary reporting software, the result is tighter control of budget, fleet operations and total cost of ownership, alongside the simultaneous elimination of guesswork and errors.

See it in action to believe it – contact ARI. Visit the www.arifleet.co.uk or call 0844 8000 700 and speak to the sales team.

BESPOKE SOLUTIONS THROUGH CUSTOMER FOCUS But not only is ARI Fleet UK a pioneer on award-winning fleet control and reporting technology – it also leads the way when it comes to customer support. ARI recognises that it is vital to work closely with customers to solve complex problems with fleet vehicles, as shown by the roll-out programme for insights®. To ensure the new system provides the most feature-rich and user-friendly platform on the market, ARI Fleet UK has adopted a partnership approach with its customers to understand their specific requirements and incorporate new features into the system. Feedback from customers has shown that the new and improved insights® system is already delivering positive results and ARI looks forward to receiving further feedback from them over the coming months. ARI Fleet UK’s bespoke approach to customer working is underpinned by its excellent staff who are key to its success. Reinforcing its support to customers, ARI’s staff are trained through internal programmes to develop them, in turn creating a motivated, knowledgeable and hardworking team delivering the highest quality customer service. The result is a fleet management specialist that provides the technology know-how of a global fleet management leader with the flexible, close working approach normally associated with smaller firms. For ARI’s fleet customers this translates into business insight and optimal lifecycle analysis, best-in-class services and high-powered technology to drive vehicle fleet efficiency up and costs down, uncovering as much value as your fleet can deliver.

Vauxhall COMBO

BEST IN CLASS. AGAIN. COMMERCIAL VEHICLES The Wheels of Business Call 0845 740 0777 or visit www.vauxhall.co.uk/vans

LIGHT VAN

MARKET OVERVIEW Telematics & Tracking Ctrack

In-Car Cleverness Limited

Ctrack provides advanced vehicle tracking and telematics solutions that deliver immediate benefits and financial returns resulting from the ability to better manage a fleet operation. These tools provide added visibility and control that comes from knowing the exact locations and status of vehicles in real-time. Suitable for fleets of all sizes, Ctrack delivers real advantage by reducing fuel consumption; validating overtime claims; eliminating unauthorised out-of-hours vehicle use; monitoring driver behaviour; achieving more jobs per employee; enhancing service levels; supporting environmental compliance; and increasing protection against vehicle theft. Ctrack is part of DigiCore Holdings, a global company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange with more than 750,000 tracking systems fitted in 56 countries across five continents.

In-Car Cleverness (ICC) is a fourth generation telematics solution. It is part of the AIS Group Plc, a £100M vehicle mobility business. The uniqueness of ICC lies in its ability to read accurate data from the engine management system via the OBD port, but does not interfere with diagnostic procedures or warranty issues. As well as the basic outputs of a telemetry device such as vehicle tracking/tracing, driver behaviour, journey reports, CO2 measurements, ICC also provides remote vehicle fault diagnostics, accurate fuel measurement/mileages, service countdowns plus the forensic reconstruction of an accident. There is also an iPhone/android app. ICC is supported by a 24/7 call centre and the product is competitively priced.

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

Contact: Tim Eaves Tel: 08700 053 690/07917 707165 Tim.Eaves@incarcleverness.co.uk www.onboard.co.uk

Tel: 0845 055 8555 www.ctrack.co.uk

Navman Wireless Motrak Fleet Monitoring The addition of fuel card technology helps make Motrak, a new next-generation telematics system, stand out from the crowd. Devised by vehicle solutions business Motiva Group, Motrak has been redeveloped for 2014 and can now integrate fuel card data to give fleet managers precise costs per mile. Innovative internet-based software also features mileage capture, route overlay, driver league tables, traffic warnings and excess mileage alerts that can each be tailored to individual customers. Motrak helps reduce costs, mitigate risk and increase efficiency with flexible pricing plans, free installation and exceptional levels of service. Contact: Paul Holdcroft Tel: 01782 221100 paul.holdcroft@motivagroup.co.uk www.motrak.co.uk

Navman Wireless, the UK’s most chosen vehicle tracking and telematics specialist, ignited the industry by making real time fleet monitoring accessible to all and reinvented the industry with the game changing M-Nav, the first combined fleet tracking, messaging and satellite navigation system. Its products are designed to give managers instant access to vehicle location and driver behaviour information and are proven to reduce fleet running costs, increase business productivity, enhance customer service and improve driver safety. Navman Wireless continues to lead the vehicle tracking evolution with its Online AVL technology and has recently reinvented driver performance monitoring with its Smart Telematics solution. Contact: Sales Team info@navmanwireless.co.uk www.navmanwireless.co.uk

Tel: 0845 521 1133

Quattro Telematics Quartix Ltd With tracking experience based on over 100,000 units installed in the fleet and insurance sectors, Quartix has established itself as one of the most respected vehicle tracking suppliers since its inception in 2001. The award-winning system’s wide range of telematics-based features gives fleet managers the tools to improve efficiency and reduce operational costs. Ginsters, one of the country’s premier makers and distributors of savoury pasties, is using Quartix vehicle tracking to greatly reduce outgoing fuel costs throughout their fleet of vehicles. In just a six-week period, the system reduced the company’s fuel consumption by a substantial 18%. Contact: Dale Lewis enquiries@quartix.net

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Tel: 0870 0136663 www.quartix.co.uk

Preferred service providers for Geotab and Garmin tracking, Mobileye driver safety and Skyguard lone-worker protection. Our mission is simple: to provide each of our clients the best solutions coupled with the highest level of support, ensuring that the solution fulfils its role as an integral part of their business. Working closely with our technology partners we can offer unique and totally customised solutions to fulfil any requirements. Geotab’s award-winning GO6 device, still the world’s only fully expandable “plug ’n play” telematics platform, enables users to grow and adapt the solution in line with the changing needs of their business. Contact: Russell Cockerton into@quattrotelematics.com www.quattrotelematics.com

Tel: 01628 854 439

VAN FLEETW RLD

TomTom Telematics

Teletrac, a Trafficmaster Company Teletrac’s Fleet Director® is the most advanced and interactive fleet automation software on the market, equipped with easy-to-use navigation and safety capabilities. With innovative features that include on-board navigation, lane guidance and two-way messaging, it is the premier software for fleet tracking intelligence. Tracking more than 250,000 vehicles globally, Teletrac saves fleet owners time and money while reducing their carbon footprint. Teletrac customers report up to 30% lower fuel usage, an average of 15% less driver overtime, 12% higher productivity and less unauthorised vehicle use. Contact: Mark O’Neill fleetsales@teletrac.co.uk

Tel: 0845 604 8813 www.teletrac.co.uk

TomTom Telematics are world leaders in bringing efficiency to commercial fleets. We help over 27,000 customers with over 330,000 vehicles maximise efficiency every day. TomTom WEBFLEET gives you the visibility you need to maintain control of your vehicles and drivers, whilst cutting cost, improving productivity, boosting customer service, complying with legislation and reducing carbon footprint through monitoring driver behaviour. This helps you run greener, safer and more efficient vehicles, and gives you a great return on investment. www.tomtom.com/business Contact: Giles Margerison uk.business@tomtom.com www.business.tomtom.com

Tel: 0207 2559774

TRACKER Network (UK) Limited TRACKER is the UK’s number one supplier of vehicle tracking services, with over a million systems installed to date. Award winning TRACKER Fleet uses groundbreaking patented technology to allow businesses to operate at maximum efficiency. Cost savings are provided as TRACKER Fleet highlights fuel inefficiencies and reduces overtime claims. Additionally, driving styles can be monitored to ensure best practices and compliance with duty of care. Additionally, TRACKER Locate systems can help recover vans which have been stolen with valuable tools inside, preventing prolonged inconvenience and expense. Operating across a wide range of industries, TRACKER provides the knowledge and experience you would expect, coupled with support you can rely on for a smooth running and efficient fleet.

Trakm8 is a leading technology provider; designer and developer of GPRS based hardware and software to the vehicle tracking and security market. Trakm8's products allow vehicles and drivers to be monitored, allowing organisations to manage deliveries and services, or track stolen vehicles down to five metres. Trakm8 offer an established fuel saving solution which is designed to reduce a fleets CO2 emissions and save money off their fuel bill. Savings between 10%-20% have been achieved through changing the drivers behavior via our on board driver feedback display. To find out more please contact us.

Contact: TRACKER Sales Team enquiries@tracker.co.uk www.tracker.co.uk

Contact: Jon Law info@trakm8.com www.trakm8.com

Tel: 0500 090909

Trakm8

Tel: +44 (0) 1747 858 444

THE online resource for fleet decision-makers... internationalfleetworld.com

fleetworld.co.uk vanfleetworld.co.uk

vanfleetworld.co.uk / 87

Is it possible to fit sensors to load area doors to detect unauthorised cargo area access? Does your system have the facility to send alerts by text message in the event of a security alert? Does your system alert the controller if vehicles stray from their pre-set route? Can the Police locate the stolen vehicle using your system? Is it possible to immobilise a vehicle via your system? Does your system offer two- way communication/job dispatch facility? Does your system offer driver behaviour analysis? Does your management software offer real-time accurate arrival times? Does your management software offer dashboard reporting? Does your system take live & real time information direct from the vehicle’s onboard management system such as idle time & RPM? Do you provide web services for third party integration?

Key to services

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

MARKET OVERVIEW Telematics & Tracking FLEETW RLD

Crystal Ball Ltd

Ctrack

In-Car Cleverness Limited

Motrak Fleet Monitoring

Navman Wireless

Quartix Ltd

Quattro Telematics

RAM Tracking

Trakm8

Teletrac, a Trafficmaster Company

Telogis

TomTom Telematics

TRACKER Network (UK) Limited

Trimble

Service provided

Service unavailable

88 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

VAN

THE UK’S BIGGEST COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SHOW The number one road transport and logistics event in Britain, catering for every operator’s business needs, the CV Show has become the leading meeting place for suppliers and operators alike – a true one stop shop for the industry. Located at the NEC, at the heart of the motorway network, the CV Show is open from 8.30 to 5.30 April 29 - May 1.

www.cvshow.com

GET YOUR FREE TICKET REGISTER TODAY WWW.CVSHOW.COM Exhibitor enquiries call +44 (0) 1634 261 262

ontheroad Anthony Ffrench-Constant wonders if it is time to regularly test the ability of older drivers.

hen was the last time that, as a passenger, you genuinely believed your last moment had come? For sheer unmitigated terror over a protracted period of time, nothing, but nothing, will ever come close to the two day eternity spent blubbering in the back seat of my octogenarian great aunt’s Renault 5 en route to her retirement bungalow in Marbella. A first glimpse of her hapless hatchback should have been warning enough. It was white, with a black driver’s door. Diverse dents and divots cratered every surface, including, mysteriously, the roof. Most bizarrely, the front was festooned with a row of deep, jagged indentations reminiscent of tasting, and subsequent rejection, by a Great White Shark. The door was black because my great aunt reversed onto a dual carriageway and was promptly rear-ended. She opened said door to find out what all the fuss was about, and it was torn off by a passing lorry. The teeth marks, we’ll come to… By the end of the first day’s journey south, I was a gibbering wreck. She smeared across France – built-up areas a vicious blur of petrified pedestrians and exploding poultry – at speeds of which I was previously unaware a Renault 5 was capable. She slowed for traffic only when it robbed her of daylight, assaulting the brake pedal as you would a cockroach. I quickly gave up the effort of retrieving my tonsils from the glovebox. I think I may have actually screamed when, car shuddering in fourth gear for the duration, she overtook one of my favourite oxymorons, a luxury coach, through an interminable sequence of blind, uphill hairpin bends in the Pyrenees; a process so terrifyingly protracted that my cousin had ample time to climb into the back and take up smoking. And those teeth marks? It transpired the dotty doyen lived high above the coast, and thought it “terrific fun” to switch off the ignition and coast the last hundred yards downhill before sweeping sharply right between stout concrete gateposts. A swift inventory of indentations

Whilst welcome indeed, the ever courteous and considerate IAM’s proposals remain over-laden with the word “voluntary”.

90 / fleetworld.co.uk

confirmed that she’d clearly had a good half dozen stabs at this before realising that pulling the key from the ignition locked the steering. Now, I mention all this not only because it reminds me of just how good it is to be alive, but also because, with more than four million drivers over 70 years old on UK roads today (a figure set to rise to 5.8m by 2032), the Institute of Advanced Motorists recently called on the Government to introduce a national strategy of driving health checks. Within the current system of triennial license renewal after 70, such checks are purely voluntary, requiring that you effectively sign your own driving death-warrant via a DVLA form listing myriad ailments that might park you up permanently. Fat chance. Anyone living in my Mudfordshire village foolish enough to ‘fess up will find fabulous automotive freedom instantly replaced by one bus a day to the local market town. A bus, I should add, which never appears to manage the return journey; an interesting way to quietly leech the elderly from your community. My dad, now an octogenarian facing precisely this predicament, was a GP all his working life. He tells me that the only way he could, in his professional capacity, get someone patently lethal off the roads was to shop them to the DVLA. This, inevitably laden with guilt about the sudden and maximum security-dramatic narrowing of horizons he was instigating, he occasionally did. Yup... Her too... Thing is, whilst welcome indeed, the ever courteous and considerate IAM’s proposals remain over-laden with the word “voluntary”; polite pussyfooting which continues to place the emphasis on self-regulation. This, I fear (unless rural public transport improves out of recognition overnight), will never work. Nor would the costly and vastly unwieldy exercise of retaking the driving test every three years. Let’s face it, faced with said chore, many of us much younger might struggle. However draconian it may seem, then, the simplest solution is, surely, the compulsory appendage to every license renewal request of a GP’s report on the health (both mental and physical) of the applicant, specifically addressing their fitness to drive. Arguments for? My great aunt and thousands like her. Arguments against? The brutal curtailment of freedom.

VAN SUPPLIER DIRECTORY FLEETW RLD auctions & remarketing

contract hire, leasing & finance

racking systems

tail lifts

fleet management software

BCA Tel: 0845 600 66 44 bca.co.uk

Zenith Tel: 0113 348 8667 www.zenith.co.uk

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

Penny Hydraulics Tel: 01246 811475 www.pennyhydraulics.com

Bynx Tel: 01789 471600 www.bynx.com

Arnold Clark Vehicle Management

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

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

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

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

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

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

Full listings online at

fleetworld.co.uk daily rental Apex Van Rental Tel: 01323 745444

Tel: 0141 332 2626 www.acvm.co.uk Vehicle Management

UKVANLEASING

www.apexrental.co.uk

Tel: 01708 511071 www.ukvanleasing.co.uk

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

Tel: 0845 769 7381 www.lexautolease.co.uk

Lex Autolease

For more information, please contact Tracy Howell on 01727 739160 or email tracy@fleetworldgroup.co.uk

telematics & tracking Nexus Vehicle Management Ltd Tel: 0871 984 1947 www.nexusrental.co.uk

Avis Rent A Car Tel: 0844 544 5000 www.avis.co.uk

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

Venson Automotive Solutions Tel: 08444 99 1402 www.venson.com

Tel: 0845 055 8555 Ctrack www.ctrack.co.uk TomTom Business Solutions Tel: 020 7255 9774 www.tomtom.com/business

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

Teletrac Tel: 0870 460 5693 www.teletrac.co.uk

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

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

Full listings online at

fleetworld.co.uk risk management

Trakm8 Tel: 01747 858 444 www.trakm8.com

Quartix Ltd Tel: 0870 013 6663 www.quartix.co.uk

Roadmarque Tel: 0845 053 0331 www.roadmarque.com

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

fuel management

Shell Fuelcards Tel: 0800 7 31 31 37 www.shell.co.uk/euroshell

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

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

Esso Fuel Cards Tel: 0800 626 672 www.essocard.com

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

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

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

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

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

Full listings online at

fleetworld.co.uk vehicle ventilation

accident management

Flettner Ventilator Ltd Tel: 020 8200 2321 www.flettner.co.uk

Total Accident Management Tel: 0845 078 4157 www.totalaccman.co.uk

Promote your company here and online for just Â£400/year.

VAN FLEETW RLD SUPPLIER DIRECTORY For more information, please contact Tracy Howell on 01727 739160 or email tracy@fleetworldgroup.co.uk vanfleetworld.co.uk / 91

Conception : Chaïkana - Crédits photos : Thinkstock

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