Fleet World December 2015

contents 07 What the Autumn Statement means for fleets, now and in the future.

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Luxury, BMW-style. Reporting from the back of the new 7 Series.

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 Fleet Consultant Ross Durkin ross@fleetworldgroup.co.uk

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Defender: The sun sets on the most iconic Land Rover of them all.

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 Warman claire@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Circulation Manager Tracy Howell tracy@fleetworldgroup.co.uk

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Head of Production Luke Wikner luke@fleetworldgroup.co.uk

Heroes Honoured: The results of EST’s Fleet Heroes Awards 2015.

Designers Tina Ries tina@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Samantha King 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

49 Just how secure is the data collected by in-car devices?

VAN FLEETW RLD

63 DRIVEN: New Nissan Navara, Vauxhall LCV Conversions, Daily rental, Risk management.

STAG Publications

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To subscribe to Fleet World visit: www.fleetworldsubscriptions.co.uk Certified circulation Jan – Dec 2014 18,000

fleetworld.co.uk / 03

fleetreview This month, editor Steve Moody considers why the Land Rover Defender’s retirement is timely, why the 3% diesel surcharge remains, and why twenty is plenty.

The future for JLR In this issue we’ve been a bit unashamed in our eulogy for the end of the production of the Land Rover Defender. Over its 67 years it has done countless hours sterling service on British fleets.

But having spent some time with Jaguar Land Rover recently, it’s clear its time is up. Life has moved on for that company, and something has had to give: with XE, XF, Discovery Sport, Evoque and F-Pace there’s just not production line space for a hand-built anachronism.

The future of JLR looks very strong, with a range of vehicles for fleet now that looks modern and well positioned.

For example, it looks less likely there will be estate versions of XE and XF because modern tastes have changed and F-Pace, Evoque and Discovery Sport do the practical job instead.

This clever product introduction has resulted in something every manufacturer in fleet craves: strong residual values and low whole-life costs. In the UK, almost all of its models are class leading.

But of course, it’s not just product that counts and by 2018 there will have been a revolution in the dealer network too. Almost half will have moved to bigger sites able to deal with the higher volumes caused by increased fleet business, and all dealers will have got a new JLR corporate look.

It really does feel like a company that has listened to fleets and corporate customers and acted on what they have said.

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The diesel surcharge: thin end of the wedge?

There’s been a spot of harrumphing about the Government deciding to keep the 3% BIK diesel surcharge for a few more years, but it indicates that on the back of the Volkswagen scandal, it has decided something has to be done.

With a review of the company car tax system due next year, these are crucial months. The industry has to prove to Number 11 that it has its house in order when it comes to emissions, or the retention of that 3% will be the least of our worries….

Brake in residential areas There are more times than not when I think Brake rather overegg the pudding when it comes to their road safety messages. Sometimes their communications seem so strident that I think they will only be happy when every car in Britain is crushed.

Nevertheless, I wholeheartedly agree with their latest ‘Go20’ campaign to make people drive at 20mph in residential areas. I believe speeding in built-up areas is by far the biggest curse on our roads, making them the most dangerous, spiteful and fuel inefficient places to drive. The current 30mph speed limits (still too high) aren’t enforced enough.

There’s a good online quiz on their website to show why driving at 20mph won’t make a scrap of difference to journey times, but will make the roads much safer. I’d urge you to send it to your drivers as a useful tool.

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

WHY HAVE ACCEPTABLE, WHEN YOU CAN HAVE EXCEPTIONAL? DISCOVER THE PEUGEOT PROFESSIONAL DIFFERENCE

“ AS A COMPANY THAT OPERATES A LARGE FLEET, THE QUALITY AND RELIABILITY OF THE PEUGEOT RANGE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US.” SUEZ (formerly SITA UK)

At Peugeot Professional we understand the challenges businesses face on a daily basis. That’s why we’re dedicated to providing great vehicles, outstanding customer service and network support to those that demand more than just a fleet provider.

Visit business.peugeot.co.uk/passion or call 0800 954 8781† and see the difference we’re already making to SUEZ and several other businesses.

Official Fuel Consumption in mpg (l/100km) and CO2 emissions (g/km) for the 308 Range are: Urban 38.2 (7.4) – 80.7 (3.5), Extra Urban 61.4 (4.6) – 97.4 (2.9), Combined 50.4 (5.6) – 91.1 (3.1) and CO 2 130 – 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. †Call charges to this number from landlines and mobile networks may vary. For information please contact your network provider. Calls may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes.

THE PASSION TO MAKE IT HAPPEN

inbusiness

Real-world fleet MPG in 2016, says PSA C

armakers and emissions data providers are putting increased focus on developing solutions to provide fleet and private car buyers with accurate real‐world fuel and emissions data.

Emissions Analytics is set to launch a new NOx scheme that will rate the real‐world emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from new cars.

The initiative will begin in early 2016 and be effective across the European Union. The accreditation is intended to comple‐ ment the forthcoming Real Driving Emissions regulations for new vehicle certification and to help buyers clearly identify the cars emitting the lowest quantities of harmful pollutants.

And PSA Peugeot Citroën has announced that it will confirm real‐world fuel economy figures on its cars from next year under a partnership with environmental campaign group Transport & Environment.

The move will also see the publication of pollutant levels including nitrogen oxides (NOx) for Euro 6 passenger vehicles by spring 2017.

The announcements follow the recent news that telematics giant Masternaut is developing a database of real‐world OEM fuel economy figures to provide fleets with accurate fuel usage per vehicle.

Mazda launches sub-100g/km 1.5-litre diesel Mazda3

M

azda is targeting fleets with a new sub‐100g/km 1.5‐litre diesel engine in the Mazda3. The 103bhp 1.5‐litre SKYACTIV‐D diesel engine is also in the Mazda2 and CX‐3, and marks the first time the Mazda3 has been available with an engine under 2.0 litres.

Equipped with a manual gearbox, the hatchback and four‐door fastback deliver 74.3mpg and 99g/km CO2 – bringing the Mazda3 under the 100g/km mark for the first time. With a claimed 42% of C‐segment sales emitting less than 100g/km, Mazda is expecting much wider demand among business users.

The new engine is available in all trim levels priced from £18,895.

Traffic volumes at highest-ever level

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otor vehicle traffic has reached its highest‐ever level in Great Britain over the last year as traffic increased for the 10th successive quarter, according to provi‐ sional Department for Transport (DfT) stats.

The data, which covers October 2014 to September 2015, found that car traffic increased by 1.7% while van traffic continued to rise faster than any other vehicle type, increasing by 6.0%.

All road classes experienced higher volumes of traffic, with traffic on rural minor roads increasing the fastest, at 5.8%. Motorway traffic increased by 2.0% to reach a record level.

DfT data also shows that morning commuting speeds on local ‘A’ roads fell 0.5% to 23.6mph.

Jaguar scoops ACFO Fleet Car of the Year title for first time

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CFO has announced the winners of its 2015 awards, with BMW and Ford sharing four of the seven titles while Jaguar scooped the Fleet Car of the Year accolade.

Voted online exclusively by the ACFO membership, the 2015 awards saw BMW take both the Environmental Initiative of the Year and Green Vehicle of the Year with the plug‐in i3.

Ford won both the Small Van of the Year and Large Van of the Year titles in line with its dominance of the van categories over the 32‐year history of the ACFO Awards.

And Jaguar won the Fleet Car of the Year Award for the first time with the all‐new XE despite only entering showrooms in June.

The DVLA retained the Fleet Service Company of the Year Award title while the Volvo XC90 won ACFO’s Fleet Safety Initiative Award for its suite of life‐saving features.

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inbusiness

Autumn Statement the key points for fleets Fleet World looks at the main points of the Chancellor's Autumn Statement, and the fleet industry's reaction.

Five-year extension of 3% diesel BiK levy

50% boost for infrastructure projects

Headline news for fleets was the announcement of the delayed removal of the 3% diesel surcharge on BiK car tax, which was set to finish as of April 2016.

Instead, the levy will be dropped from April 2021, by which point the Government says there should be new EUwide testing procedures to ensure diesel vehicles meet air quality standards under real-world conditions, as well as in the laboratory. It’s estimated that the extension will raise an additional £1.36bn in revenue over its five-year term.

The Government announced that day-to-day spending in the Department for Transport (DfT) will be cut by 37% but said capital funding of transport projects would rise by 50%. £15bn will be invested in resurfacing over 80% of the Strategic Road Network, with 1,300 miles of additional lanes to be added, funded by the Roads Fund announced during the Summer Budget, with revenue raised from Vehicle Excise Duty from 2020-21. A second Roads Investment Strategy will be published before the end of this Parliament outlining the investment.

“There will be, ACFO is certain, many fleets and company car drivers that have made vehicle choices based on the fact that they would save cash as a result of the previously announced withdrawal of the supplement.

“Over many years, ACFO has been consistent in its call for clarity and long-term decision-making so that fleets and company car drivers could plan for the future in full knowledge of what the tax burden will be. This government U-turn does not assist that process.”

John Pryor, ACFO chairman

“What will the DfT have to stop doing to achieve these savings?”

“While we welcome the announcement that companies will benefit from more efficient digital systems, the Government must not compromise on the quality or delivery of these services to save money.”

Gerry Keaney, chief executive, BVRLA

An unclarified £600m support for ULEVs £600m is being put aside to support sales and manufacturing of ultra-low emission vehicles, a target of 25% of European EVs being built in the UK. Said to save 65 million tonnes of carbon, as well as helping with air quality issues, it’s also another step towards the target of 100% zero emission vehicle sales by 2040.

However, no announcement was made on the new Plug-in Car Grant, with just weeks to go until the current flat £5,000 grant is scheduled to finish.

“The Government wants the corporate sector to drive demand for plug-in vehicles and with still no announcement on the structure of the new grant it is, once again, difficult for fleets to plan their company car decision-making long term.”

John Pryor, ACFO chairman

Tackling whiplash claims The Government said it intends to introduce measures to end the right to cash compensation for minor whiplash injuries, and will consult on the details in the New Year.

“Successful changes will remove over £1bn of direct costs of providing motoring insurance.”

Matthew Walters, head of consultancy services, LeasePlan UK

No changes to fuel duty No mention was made of any changes to fuel duty despite many campaigns for it to be lowered, although there is concern that duty increases will be introduced in the Spring Budget.

fleetworld.co.uk / 07

inbusiness

NOx fixes confirmed for VW Group diesel engines T

he Volkswagen Group has confirmed the recall work required to address the NOx emissions on its EA 189 diesel engines, with the required fixes expected to take less than an hour.

Presented to the Federal Motor Transport Authority in Germany, the updates so far concern the 1.6 and 2.0‐litre four‐ cylinder Euro 5 diesel engines, and enable all affected vehicles to comply with European emissions standards.

Recalls will begin in January and are expected to take the entire 2016 calendar year. For the 2.0‐litre engines, the fix involves a software update taking around half an hour. A mesh ‘flow trans‐ former’ will need to be fitted to 1.6‐litre diesel engines, which enables better monitoring of air flow and for the combustion process to be optimised. This is expected to take an hour.

At the time of writing, a solution for the three‐cylinder, 1.2‐ litre diesel engines is also due. This is likely to be a software update, the Volkswagen Group said, adding that courtesy cars will be provided free of charge, and that the vehicles were safe to drive in the interim.

However, European vehicles with the 3.0‐litre TDI engine, which was also alleged by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) to contain ‘defeat devices’ to cheat emissions testing, will not face the same recall as their US‐market counterparts.

Used in Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen models since 2009, the engine was found to contain three undeclared Auxiliary Emission Control Devices (AECDs), which must be corrected and presented to the EPA and CARB ahead of a recall. AECDs enable the emission

08 / fleetworld.co.uk

control system to partially or fully disable under specific conditions, such as to prevent engine damage, and are legal provided they are declared and aren't used to detect labo‐ ratory testing.

The affected software is legal in Europe, so 3.0‐litre TDI vehicles will not be recalled here.

More information on CO2 ‘irregularities’ The Group also published a list of 412,000 model year 2016 petrol and diesel cars with understated fuel consumption and CO2 figures, but has yet to identify the scale of the discrepancies.

So far, 1.4, 1.6 and 2.0‐litre diesel engines with power outputs from 75bhp to 237bhp are said to be affected, as well as 1.0, 1.2, 1.4, 1.8 and 2.0‐litre turbocharged petrols. Affected models comprise the Audi A1, SEAT Ibiza and Leon, Skoda Fabia, Rapid, Yeti, Octavia and Superb, and Volkswagen Polo, Golf, Golf Cabriolet, Golf SV, Jetta, Scirocco, Tiguan, Touran, CC and Passat. Not all vehicles with the engines are listed.

The group said it had notified the relevant authori‐ ties, importers and trading partners, adding that it was already in dialogue with the financial and fiscal authorities to accept liability for any tax shortfalls.

inbusiness

Q &A Following the acquisition of GE Capital, Arval’s managing director Benoit Dilly talks to Fleet World about what customers can expect, and whether there will be further expansion.

What does the acquisition bring to Arval’s proposition?

What we are putting together are two companies, both in good shape, and what we get from GE is a focus on the mid-corporate fleets, whereas Arval is much further spread from SME to large corporate. So it’s a good fit in terms of portfolio.

In terms of product both entities do contract hire, midterm rental, insurance, salary sacrifice, consulting, so it’s the best of the two worlds. It’s a case of spending the time we need taking on board all the experience GE has.

What should customers expect?

One of our priorities is that we want to ensure continuity for GE employees and customers. In the coming months they shouldn’t expect massive changes.

Instead we will be focusing on integration and transition, the additional benefits the deal brings and ensuring relationship management is unaffected.

What we’re buying is a very valuable portfolio of

customer that broadly looks like it has been wellmanaged. We’ve got an office in Manchester where GE employees are based, and there is no rush to move anything to Swindon with Arval.

Are there further plans for expansion?

There is an ambitious growth plan, but if there are more acquisitions to come, I have no idea. Keep in mind that Arval has grown 30,000 units in the last 26 months alone. We are able to do organic growth and acquisition, and we work hard, so we’re growing on both sides of the business: SME and large corporates, where we have relaunched our offering and won some good deals.

The GE business we bought in the UK has 28,000 units, and put together with Arval’s current strength of 117,000, gives altogether 145,000, putting us up there with LeasePlan and Alphabet in a group of three behind Lex.

trading places

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Skoda announces latest fleet appointments Skoda has appointed three new members of staff to its fleet sales team, including a new national fleet sales manager, Kerry Clark, as well as two new area sales managers, Eric Ekins and Hannah Cockayne.

Kerry Clark joins from within the Volkswagen Group and will look to ensure that Skoda maximises its corporate sales offering across the country under her new role. Meanwhile, Eric Ekins will oversee Midlands & Northern Ireland and Hannah Cockayne will cover London & Home Counties.

LeasePlan recruits new brand director for Automotive Leasing LeasePlan UK has appointed Oliver Boots as its new brand director at Automotive Leasing.

Boots takes over the role at LeasePlan’s specialist public sector division from his current position as head of product services within the Business Development Division. Previously he held the role of general manager supplier management within the Operations Division at LeasePlan UK. He will report directly to the commercial director, Jo Elms and replaces Tim Meadows.

New national public sector & Motability manager at FCA Neil McNicholl has been appointed

by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to the role of national public sector & Motability manager.

McNicholl previously worked at Motability Operations in various sales and marketing roles, most recently as manufacturer account manager.

In his new role, he takes over responsibility for working in partnership with Motability Operations to provide FCA vehicles to the Motability Scheme, helping to grow sales and looking at ways to further improve customer experience.

fleetworld.co.uk / 09

All-New

Renault KADJAR Start living

7” Touchscreen Multimedia System with Satellite Navigation Personalised Digital Dashboard Front and Rear Parking Sensors

To book your test drive, call the Renault Business Hub on 0800 731 7066 today.

The official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the All-New Renault Kadjar Dynamique S Nav dCi 110 are: Urban 67.3 (4.2); Extra environment figures. Fuel consumption and CO2 may vary according to driving styles, road conditions and other factors. Model shown is All-

Urban 74.3 (3.8); Combined 72.4 (3.9). The official CO2 emissions are 103g/km. EU Directive Regulation 692/2008 test New Renault Kadjar Dynamique S Nav dCi 110.

renault.co.uk

inbusiness

Reasons to be cheerful Kia dealers are happier than most and will be even happier once they start selling the Optima PHEV to business customers.

Curtis Hutchinson, editor of Motor Trader, reports.

E

ver wondered what dealers think of the car brands they represent? Clearly you would rather your drivers take their cars to a dealer who is fired up about their brand, rather than one who feels they are not reaping the full benefits of their relationship and are probably looking around for another sign to hang over their door.

Twice a year the National Franchised Dealers Association poll the views of their members to see exactly what they like and dislike about the car brands they represent; this is the good, bad and ugly without spin.

Carmakers use the NFDA's Dealer Attitude Survey to benchmark their performances against key competitors and some directors are incentivised upon securing a good showing. It's a big deal.

As a piece of research it is impressive in its length and depth with dealers invited to rate the brands they represent with points out of 10. The areas researched range from the current and future profitability of the car brand and the margins they set on new cars, the level of investment required of dealers and the frequency of new products to whether they would recommend the franchise to others. The killer question though takes into account everything: How would you rate your manufacturer overall?

So which brands would you expect to do well here?

Naturally the prestige brands do rather well with Mercedes topping the list followed by BMW and Lexus; although Audi is rated seventh, Land Rover tenth, while Jaguar languishes just four places from the bottom at number 25! Just for the record the worst performer was, somewhat surprisingly, Skoda followed by Alfa Romeo and Volkswagen, a worrying signal for the brand as this was before ‘Dieselgate’.

However, one brand which consistently does well in the NFDA surveys is Kia. Scoring above average in every category and achieving a respectable fourth placing overall, the brand has some of the chirpiest dealers in the country.

This is good news for fleets who maybe took a bit of a flyer on Kia when it was an up and coming budget Korean brand more suited to the consumer end of the market. However, all that has changed with its seven year warranty, which is still the best in the business, it's delivery of desirable looking cars and the stepping up of European car production in Slovakia.

"We take the results in the NDFA survey seriously and look at ways that we can improve our services to the dealers and ensure that they can further trust the brand," said Simon Hetherington, business development director at Kia Motors UK.

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"In the current climate we are listening to our dealers and working on maintaining our positive relationships with them."

Kia is clearly delighted with its rating and will see it as a useful stepping stone to achieve its recently stated ambition of taking the green car leadership by 2020.

Although this is a global ambition, the UK company car sector will play an important role in helping it to achieve this target.

Presently the brand only offers sub-100g/km options across its Rio and Cee'd ranges and the zero emission electric plug-in version of its Soul. The brand has done a reasonable job establishing a fledgling Soul EV network and will have 19 participating dealers across the UK by the end of this year. Significantly these dealers are not all city-based, with smaller rural sites outside St Austell in the south west and Coatbridge in Scotland, part of the expanding network.

"By expanding our EV specialist dealer network, we are giving a wider range of customers across the UK the opportunity to go electric. The EV is not just an urban vehicle and the breadth of our network demonstrates that," said Ian Wilson, Kia's national franchise manager.

However, this number will need to grow significantly to meet Kia's global ambitions which includes 11 new green models by 2020 ranging from hybrids and plugin hybrids to battery-electric and fuel cell-electric, many of which will come to the UK. First up will be a fleet-friendly model to challenge the Toyota Prius; a plug-in hybrid versions of the new generation Optima, Kia's D-segment saloon. The model will be Kia's first hybrid to be sold in the UK and will bear the PHEV designation made popular by Mitsubishi.

Sales will start before the end of next year but the wait looks as though it might be worth it. With its new 2.0-litre four-cylinder GDI petrol engine paired with a 50 kW electric motor and 9.8 kWh lithium-polymer battery back, the emphasis is on high performance and ultra low emissions. The brand claims a 27 mile range in pure electric mode, a combined figure of around 119mpg and a sub-three hour charging time.

Meanwhile user-choosers will be pleased with the inbuilt differentiation over the new generation of dieselonly Optimas that go on sale in January, with the PHEV boasting an active grille, with neat opening and closing vents, different front and rear bumpers, feature chrome and an EcoPlugin badge.

Kia's ambitious green thinking is likely to strike a chord with fleets and will potentially give dealers another reason to be cheerful.

CHIP & PIN SECURITY? MAKE IT PART OF YOUR ONE WORLD.

ONE CUSTOMER. ONE CARD. ONE FLEET SOLUTION. Imagine a fuel card that gives you the peace of mind of Chip & PIN security.

Introducing Allstar One. A bespoke management solution shaped entirely around your fleet’s needs, no matter how big or small.

As well as the security benefits of Chip & PIN technology, you’ll also have access to the UK’s largest fuel network of 7,600 fuel sites, of which 1,780 are discounted diesel sites. Choose to use your card just for fuel or enhance your card with the ability to pay for glass repair and replacement, M6 Toll, servicing, roadside repair, tyres and much more, whilst enjoying significant savings. What’s more, because all transactions are on one, consolidated, HMRC compliant invoice, you’ll be able to dramatically reduce your administrative burden.

To find out more about how to shape your One world, call us today on 0845 619 6322 or visit www.allstarcard.co.uk

one

inbusiness

Driving less, living more This month, The Insider has been banging the road safety drum, with surprisingly positive reactions from the staff.

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s I write this, our company has been making an effort to support Road Safety Week, with initiatives targeted at our own employees. And I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the good feedback. Road Safety Week is an annual initiative run by charitable organisation Brake, in their words, to stimulate community involvement in road safety year round.

Given its proximity to Christmas, first up was the circulation of some alcoholic drinks unit calculators.

We chose some colourful wheels with a central pointer, showing both the number of alcohol units and calories in a range of sixteen drinks of varying size and alcoholic volume. We sent ours with a special message designed to make people take a look. Judging by the exclamations of surprise in some quarters, people were surprised just how many units were contained in their favourite tipple. So that one definitely hit the mark. I’m hoping these wheels will find their way into people’s homes and onwards to friends, spreading the message about drink driving. You can buy them from www.drinkaware.co.uk.

Next up was a driving simulator, simply a PlayStation with a steering wheel attached to it, and whatever driving game took the fancy of the participants – mostly some ridiculous police chase game. Other than avid gamers, most people had their hands full managing to drive at all; but the actual idea was for them to simulate driving whilst I then fired increasingly and alternately stupid or difficult questions at them via a mobile phone, along with sending them the occasional text.

Most people then went to bits completely, and the more serious message behind the playfulness was not lost on them. The point about this idea was that the PlayStation element attracted a different, and younger crowd than would have been reached had we offered something more serious. Of course they would all now like a PlayStation located in the breakout area on a permanent basis.

And our third message for the week was to direct

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people towards the short driving video offered as part of the Think! campaign. In the video you are in a car as it proceeds through a built up area. You are asked to note all the pedestrians you see and keep a running points total, the points score varying according to their different coloured t-shirts, while tapping the keyboard space bar every time you are questioned by the phone caller who rabbits on in the background of the video, more or less throughout.

It’s much more difficult than it looks and again, brilliantly illustrates distraction. I found the video at think.direct.gov.uk/drivingchallenge. I know lots of our staff have watched this because they’ve been emailing to say they simply can’t believe how many of the telephone questions they missed. So again, the message has been received.

In one week we’ve reached a significant number of people with two strong messages. None of the ideas cost much money, and they were not too time-precious either, but I’m really pleased with the impact. To my knowledge, it’s the first time we have participated in an active way.

Fired up by this success, and as our offices are located on a route with multiple nearby schools, I think our next target should be a banner along the front wall illustrating the overall stopping distance from 30 miles per hour. That would provide a thinking point for schoolchildren as well as drivers.

Brake’s key message this year was actually “Drive Less Live More”, encouraging us to leave the car at home where possible and get out more on our feet or bicycles. That may be more difficult in the business community, but as a company which has just spent a small fortune on improved video conferencing facilities, we are hoping to play our part and reduce business mileage over time. As we keep good mileage records (and yes our ESOS transport and energy audits were submitted in time for the December 5 deadline) we look forward to monitoring the results.

CLIMB MOUNTAINS, LOWER COSTS

CO

2 FROM

115g/km

MPG

BIK

UP TO

FROM

64.2

21%

JEEP RENEGADE ®

To book a test drive call our Business Centre on 01753 519442 or email us at fleet@jeep-comms.co.uk

OFFICIAL FUEL CONSUMPTION FIGURES FOR JEEP RENEGADE RANGE MPG (L/100KM): EXTRA URBAN 47.9 (5.9) – 70.6 (4.0), URBAN 32.5 (8.7) – 55.4 (5.1), COMBINED 40.9 (6.9) – 64.2 (4.4), CO 2 EMISSIONS: 160 – 115 G/KM. Fuel consumption and CO2 figures are obtained for comparative purposes in accordance with EC directives/regulations and may not be representative of real-life driving conditions. Factors such as driving style, weather and road conditions may also have a significant effect on fuel consumption. Model shown is a Jeep Renegade Limited. Jeep ® is a registered trademark of FCA US LLC.

inbusiness

What I’ve learnt Fleet Hire sales director Nick Poole on why industry qualifications are important in developing your people and how having a mentor has helped him.

Valuing the power of qualifications One of the things we at Fleet Hire are passionate about is the development of our people. We use an array of training courses from a number of external organisations to help develop our people and give them the appropriate skill-sets for the jobs they do. The bodies we use include the BVRLA, the ICFM, ACFO and the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management, and we make sure that our people attend relevant courses that suit their job roles. That way they can all talk to each other in the same language, as well as recognising the key drivers in the fleet industry and developing a better understanding of what their clients actually need. This has proved very successful and has helped our people develop to the desired level of competency.

Benefits of a life coach I’ve been in the fleet industry for the last 25 years in a variety of sales roles with two companies, Ryland Multifleet and Fleet Hire. One of the things I’ve found that has really worked for me in that time is the use of a mentor. This has proved very beneficial in helping me understand my own strengths and weaknesses, to work to them, and to look at myself in a completely different way. I’ve been doing this for the last five years with someone who is from outside the fleet industry but is very experienced in business; the fact that they are able to look at things in an external and objective way has proved enormously helpful.

Always employ the best people This is one of our mantras – even if it means appointing someone you think might actually be better than you are! If they do well, then the business does well.

This approach has served us well over the years and has actually led to some of our biggest business wins.

We also try and match our staff to our customers and select the right person for the right opportunity to ensure that we, and they, get the most from it.

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Let your people grow Always listen to your people and don’t impose your own will on them. Let them develop their own ideas and run with them, although don’t be afraid to offer good quality input. Give them the space to grow and try not to employ ‘yes’ men or women. Too much micro-management and red tape can stifle creativity, so try and understand what your people are good at and let them develop and grow accordingly.

Keep quiet and listen to your customers Business sales often involve a bit of ego and self assurance, but it’s important that you don’t let that get in the way of what your customers actually require. The best salespeople are those who don’t talk all the time but who really listen to their customers and understand fully what their requirements are. They put themselves in the minds of their customers and try and imagine what ‘good’ looks like from their perspective.

For example, outsourcing typically looks different for each customer – if you ask them individually, they always have different answers. That’s why we always sell bespoke outsourcing services and never off-theshelf packages: because every customer is different.

Maintain the right work-life balance At Fleet Hire, we are a strong advocate of maintaining the correct work–life balance. While it is important to work hard, it’s also important to have a strong social and family side outside of work. It’s also important that there is a healthy, happy working environment. I’ve worked in places where there has been all stick and no carrot and these are very unpleasant places indeed. So it’s important to bring in the right people who make the right cultural fit and who can contribute to a good team spirit. We have a very low staff turnover so our people have all got to know each other, they know how each other works and they all get on well – key ingredients for a happy and successful business.

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

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

Read Nick’s storyy at quittcluub.oorg.u uk

Nick Orme, CEO, Itec

brilliant for business

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

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...

work-related driving offences

Source: Masternaut

Almost four in ten business drivers have been given points on their licence from work-related driving offences, according to data provided by telematics specialist Masternaut.

39% of the 2,000 business drivers surveyed admitted that they had received points on their licence for work-related driving misdemeanours.

62% of those with points were from speeding offences.

Other offences committed included driving without reasonable consideration for other road users (15%), driving without due care or attention (14%), traffic light-related offences (14%) and dangerous driving (10%).

Business drivers with points on their licence were found to have accrued an average of seven points from work-related offences.

Fleet Attitudes report There is a growing confidence in the fleet sector despite managers’ operational concerns, the results of the latest Fleet Market Attitudes Report by Kia Motors suggest.

Commenting on the findings, Steve Towe of Masternaut, said: “There’s a worrying number of business drivers on our roads who are driving in a manner that is serious enough for them to have points put on their licence. Telematics can help towards reducing the number of points accrued by drivers on the job.

By providing coaching and instant in-cab feedback, telematics can go a long way to reducing the number of points accumulated by drivers on the road, making them safer drivers in the process.”

Source: Kia Motors

97% of respondents said that they felt confident in the country’s economic growth, with 71% agreeing that this affects their business.

The average company’s fleet size was found to have increased by 4% in the last five years, with demand for fleet services increasing by 3% since last year.

The majority of the UK car market’s growth came from the fleet sector, which is up by 11% year-to-date, with fleet accounting for 53% of the total volume, according to SMMT figures.

When looking at challenges that fleet managers face, 49% reported a lack of time to handle all queries, with 24% claiming there is a lack of resources. 17% admitted budget worries when it comes to servicing their fleet.

The report also revealed that hybrids and EVs are becoming part of the consideration as more models become available. However, in order to consider changing their organisation’s entire fleet to eco-friendly models, respondents said it would be a requirement to save an average of £483 on fuel costs each car, per year.

18 / fleetworld.co.uk

reaction to ULEZ charges According to a recent RAC Business survey of 500 fleets, almost a quarter of UK firms would prefer to pay a charge than invest in upgraded fleets to operate in clean air zones.

Source: RAC Business

27% of businesses surveyed said that they already run fleets that comply with the standards required by London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which is planned to go live progressively from 2018.

However, 23% of firms with fleets that are not yet compliant said they believed it would cost less to accept a charge than it would to upgrade their vehicles.

9% said they could not afford to upgrade in order to avoid the charges, and 5% said they would have to operate their business outside of the ULEZ. RAC Business corporate sales director, Jenny Powley, commented: “A lorry driving into central London once a week would cost a business an extra £5,200 a year, and a car making a daily trip would cost the business an extra £3,000 per year in charges. It’s a false economy to think you might save money by not ensuring your fleet is ready, but we can see that smaller businesses in particular will have concerns about the cost implication.”

impact of emissions scandal

Source: Venson Automotive Solutions

The majority of car owners would seek financial compensation for emissions cheating, according to a new survey from fleet management company Venson Automotive Solutions.

Released as the Volkswagen emissions scandal continues, the research found that higher-income earners said they were most likely to seek compensation; 78% of those people earning an income of more than £20k per annum agreed with this statement, as did 84% of those earning more than £40k per annum.

When asked who they think should be responsible for validating vehicle emissions testing, 51% said an independent body.

25% said that the government had a duty to motorists in validating testing, whilst manufacturers got the lowest vote.

However, 55% of respondents said they would still consider a diesel in the future, suggesting the majority of drivers are undeterred by the scandal.

Commenting on the findings, Samantha Roff, managing director of Venson Automotive Solutions, said: “It’s interesting to note that the vast majority of our respondents would seek compensation if their car was impacted by the emissions issue. With news reports suggesting that over a million diesel vehicles in the UK, are involved in the scandal, manufacturers could be facing hefty compensation bills.”

for the latest daily news from the fleet industry, visit fleetworld.co.uk fleetworld.co.uk / 19

inbusiness

Marginal Gains Audi is introducing a number of electric-based mild hybrid technologies over the new few years that will make its cars more efficient, and better to drive at the same time. Steve Moody reports.

The next big step in efficiency will be in electrical systems and mild hybrids that help to make cars more economical and offer lower running costs. In the next few years, every Audi on sale will be a mild hybrid in some form or other, using high voltage electrical systems to power faster and earlier-acting start-stop systems, make turbochargers work more efficiently and quickly, and take the pressure off the engine of running air conditioning units.

Audi mild hybrid engines of the future will use electric compressors alongside turbos to help efficiency.

The 48-volt electrical system It might sound a fairly dry subject but cars running 48-volt electrical systems, rather than the current 12-volt setup, will transform the way they operate, without overtly changing the character of the car.

Mild hybrids using small lithium ion batteries and a 48-volt set-up will be seen first on a new Audi model next year. This allows technology such as electrically driven compressors and the electromechanical active roll stabilisations. Compressors can be used to remove turbo lag by feeding air into the system earlier, helping performance but also making the turbo work more efficiently to improve economy.

Electromechanical active roll stabilisation uses an electric motor to decouple two halves of the stabiliser, meaning in a straight line the car rides more comfortably. In bends, the motors stiffen the stabilizer for roll-free bends. When on a bumpy road and opposing wheels are moving independently of each other, the system can recuperate energy too.

Audi also intends to convert auxiliaries such as pumps and superchargers for the engine, transmission and air conditioning system to 48 volts. Currently they are driven hydraulically or by the combustion engine, but if operated electrically, they can be controlled even more effectively according to demand; they would also be lighter and more compact. The same applies to large static convenience consumers such as window heating or sound systems.

Wireless charging Audi is hoping to launch wireless charging for its e-tron cars in 2017. The driver approaches a plate on the floor connected to the electricity grid, when radio contact between the car and plate is made. They can they see a display in order to park precisely over the top, although in future iterations this will be done remotely.

An electromagnetic field created by the plate induces the charging in the car, making the system completely safe for nearby humans or animals, allowing quick and easy charging of hybrids or EVs.

Shock absorbers that create electricity Engineers at Audi are developing a system whereby each movement of the suspension is transferred through an arm which absorbs the force and transfers it through gears into an electric motor.

The energy created by this movement can then be fed into the system to help power various functions on the car, saving fuel. According to early estimates (the application could make it onto production models in around five years’ time) it could save up to 5g/km of CO2 on a bumpy country road.

Cars such as Audi's e-tron quattro concept could be recharged just by parking over an inductive plate.

22 / fleetworld.co.uk

g fleet e k

Celluon Epic Laser Keyboard Epic turns any flat surface into a keyboard, projecting laser-rendered full-sized keys and tracking your finger movements for quick typing.

Small enough to slip into your pocket, it pairs with most tablets and smartphones via Bluetooth and includes a mouse trackpad feature too.

Price: £78 from amazon.co.uk

TAG Heuer Connected Smartwatch Swiss watchmaking combined with the Silicon Valley expertise of Intel and Google, TAG Heuer’s first smartwatch layers information from apps over digital versions of the brand’s instantly recognisable Carrera dials. It’s water resistant, the face is customisable, protected by sapphire crystal with a light, tough titanium case and offered with a choice of seven coloured straps.

Price: £1,100 from tagheuer.co.uk iPad Pro The most powerful iPad ever made bridges the gap between tablets and laptops. Its 12.9-inch Retina display, highperformance processor and 10-hour battery life are designed for working hard, and the optional Apple Pencil and full-size Smart Keyboard add precision for business users. There are three metallic finishes, capacities up to 128GB and a range of cases to choose from.

Price: £679-£899 from apple.com/uk

apps of the month

Whym

Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock

PDF Expert

Designed for difficult situations where limited knowledge of a foreign language won’t cut it, Whym is a live translation service accessed via an app. Just tap the language you need, and it connects you to a fluent human translator in the UK. There’s a 69p monthly charge, including five minutes of talk time which can be topped up, and it’s likely that an iOS version will follow.

Price: Free from Google Play

Using your phone’s on-board sensors, this clever app tracks movement as you sleep, self-configuring itself based on past data to work out how well you’re resting. The results can be presented and compared to the rest of the world, sorted based on external factors and used for an alarm clock which only wakes you when you’re sleeping lightly, curbing early-start drowsiness.

Price: Free from Google Play, iTunes Store

Built for tablet and smartphone use, PDF Expert lets you read, highlight, annotate and sign PDF files in the palm of your hand. It’s designed to handle large files, works with cloud-based backup services and your e-mail folders, and enables password and encryption of your files.

A low-cost tool perfect for working on the move.

Price: £3.99 from iTunes Store

fleetworld.co.uk / 23

DIARY DATE

THE GREATEST SHOW IN FLEET

SILVERSTONE CIRCUIT

11TH MAY 2016

Find out more at thefleetshow.co.uk

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FEATURE Fleet advice

Ask the EXPERTS Our panel of experts answers your latest fleet conundrums...

Gavin Davies

Alex Baker

Head of Indirect Sales

Managing Director

Alphabet

Fleet Innovations

“I have had some bad experiences of brokers in the past, but we need some new cars. Are standards in the sector improving?”

“HMRC would like to look into our mileage records and I am worried that some of my drivers could be fudging their claims – what should I be looking for?”

TR, insurance services, Wolverhampton.

BG, engineering, Newcastle.

Vehicle inance brokers have always been an important sector of the leasing market, particularly for customers in the SME sector. The broker market, which accounts for a signi icant number of SME leasing deals, contains many well‐established companies with loyal, well‐served customer bases. However, on the other hand, the image persists of an industry whose overall outlook is essentially short term, focused on price, promotions and volume.

Barriers to entry into the broker market were histori‐ cally fairly low, making it arguably too easy for anyone to set up shop as a vehicle inance broker. There was no guar‐ antee that entrants had the knowledge and expertise needed to not only do the deal correctly, but also support their customers once the deal was done.

But the broker industry is now starting to grow up and shed the negative aspects of its image. First, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is putting real muscle on the bones of the principles of Treating Customers Fairly (TCF). The FCA's stance is raising both the bar and responsibilities for would‐be entrants: the days of getting a consumer credit licence and entering the sector with nothing more than a website and – perhaps – the best of intentions, are over.

Second, there is growing The broker industry is push back, especially among smaller, well‐estab‐ now starting to grow up lished brokers, against the and shed the negative trend for lenders to priori‐ aspects of its image. tise sales volume at the expense of lexibility and partnership in their relationships with brokers. That is why the quality versus quantity conundrum is at the fore‐ front of our thinking when considering the development of a partner programme such as Alphabet Partner.

26 / fleetworld.co.uk

HMRC have never been known for simplicity, and when it comes to mileage expenses there is no clearly de ined format but instead a series of rules and guidance to help you get it right.

This handy check list will give you some of the key areas to look out for.

Does your mileage form contain all the required information? You should have each and every trip itemised to include date, start/end address, trip reason and the accurate mileage of the journeys.

Is it checked for accuracy? Any managers checking claims need to understand they are approving mileage and not simply signing it off.

Does it feel right? HMRC feel that the average busi‐ ness/personal mileage split should be around 60/40.

Clearly, it’s perfectly legitimate for many leets to run at something closer to 80/20 but it needs to be justi iable.

Any phantom trips? These tend to be where an employee makes up a business trip that has never actu‐ ally happened ‘an aberration of their imagination’. It is more prevalent in leets that provide fuel cards where drivers are looking to reduce their personal mileage.

Does the driver need a new map? Go to Google Maps, type in a start and end address and get a suggested route and mileage, review 100 claims from drivers doing the same trip and you often ind wild vari‐ ations in the recorded mileage.

Fat ingers? We all do it, miss a key or press the wrong key and get a typo. Is it a 631 mile trip from Coventry to Stoke instead of the actual distance of 63.1…

Nice round numbers? Many drivers will round jour‐ neys up to the nearest zero which will stand out like a sore thumb in any review by HMRC.

in association with

nissan.co.uk/fleet

Andrew Leech

Mark Middleton

Director

National LCV and Business Centre Manager Nissan Motor GB

Fleet Evolution

“Some of my drivers have asked about fitting winter tyres. Are they worthwhile?”

GL, Printers, Cardiff.

“Some of our drivers require both cars and LCVs. I know pick-ups have come a long way, but can they truly fulfil a multi-purpose role?”

DM, contract manager, South Shields.

This depends, but they are not as cost prohibitive as you may think. If your employees do low mileage in inner city areas it’s probably a dif icult investment to justify but if your cars will require more than one set of tyres during its life with you then I really feel it’s a no‐brainer.

Winter tyres are not just for the snow. In tempera‐ tures of below 7°C degrees they signi icantly outper‐ form normal tyres in grip and braking distance. They do cost slightly more but the price differential is minimal.

If you have to change tyres in life anyway then the only real additional cost is the tyre change, and poten‐ tially, storage. For our salary sacri ice car drivers for example the monthly difference is less than £10.

With winter tyres everything still works. Last time I was on a snowboarding holiday my people carrier with winter tyres happily made it up the snowy hills of Austria.

That said, to think of the suitability for snow in the UK is largely missing the point of winter tyres, for four to ive months of the year it’s a small investment for safety and of course the potential boost in productivity should the snow arrive and the rest of the UK grind to a halt.

The investment could be less than the cost of a take‐ out coffee a month if you can store the spare tyres your‐ self, and with Continental claiming that when driving at 18mph on ice, normal tyres take 11 metres more to stop I feel winter tyres are a worthwhile investment.

But then I would: I have them on my car and my wife’s car every winter.

Pick‐ups have come a long way in recent years and, if you’re looking for a vehicle that’s up to any job, a pick‐up could be a great addition to your leet.

At Nissan, our new NP300 Navara ‐ winner of the 2016 International Pick‐up of the Year title – has been designed from the wheels up to appeal to leet customers and company car drivers as much as it does to traditional pick‐ up users. Pick‐ups need to have pulling power and carry‐ ing capacity, and NP300 Navara can tow up to 3,500kg and has a one tonne payload. It also boasts a fantastic four‐ wheel drive system and great off‐road ability.

Power, capacity and off‐road ability are some of the attributes that have historically made pick‐ups uncom‐ fortable vehicles that are expensive to run, and unap‐ pealing to company car drivers.

With this in mind, Nissan’s designers and engineers included many irst‐in‐class advances on NP300 Navara, including the state‐of‐the‐art lightweight 5‐link rear suspension system making for a more comfortable driv‐ ing experience. Nissan’s award‐winning safety features such as Around View Monitor (AVM) and Forward Emer‐ gency Braking (FEB), have also been introduced to further improve drivability and practicality.

Cost wise, there are bene its as well. The new 2.3‐litre dCi engine is 24% more ef icient than the unit it replaces, and is the most economical in its sector. NP300 Navara owners are predicted to save up to €1,500 in fuel costs alone when compared to the previous model over three years / 60,000km.

Fleet operators will also appreciate the ive year / 100,000 mile manufacturer warranty – a sign of our con i‐ dence in the product and a real indication again of just how far pick‐ups have come. Nissan’s Business Centre network is also on hand to provide after sales and business support.

fleetworld.co.uk / 27

BMW 7 Series Steve Moody reports from the back of the luxuriously appointed new BMW flagship.

SECTOR Luxury Saloon PRICE £64,530–£76,320 FUEL 60.1–35.3mpg CO2 124–186g/km

T

he BMW 7 Series’ biggest problem has always been the Mercedes‐Benz S‐Class. While BMW tended to pitch its big saloon as the drivers’ choice in the sector, the Mercedes‐Benz stuck to its tried and trusted formula as a corporate wafter. The result is that the S‐Class is the ubiquitous choice and the BMW some‐ thing of an afterthought.

So after years of banging its head against the glass ceiling, finally BMW has changed its strategy and gone for a car resolutely aimed at those in the back, rather than in the front.

That’s not to say this is merely a bloated barge with some big sofas in it though. It’s a technological tour de force, with its body partially made of carbon fibre to save weight, laser headlights, some innovative autonomous driving features, adaptive suspension and a range of internet‐based systems that effectively turn the car into a boardroom on the move.

And that is where most of the vast amount of attention has been lavished, for this new car is a phenomenal place swipe recognition function for the driver, for example, to sit and muse your next takeover or buyout. Seemingly works perfectly well for taking and ending telephone no expense has been spared, with a new line of even calls, once you get the hang of where to put your hand in higher quality leathers and trims than before thin air for the sensors to register the move‐ and fine stitching that would make a Bentley ment, but is it really noticeably easier than FLEET FACT craftsman weep. While the S‐Class cabin is using buttons? Probably not. more baroque, shiny and ostentatious, the 7 But as has always been the case with the 7 Series is sharp, muted and more corporate.

Series, it tends to be an early adopter of tech‐ BMW offers a Seats massage in all manner of direction nology that then finds its way into other cars in 4-year /120,000 and strengths, while there is even a workout the range, with more useful developments. The mile finance pack- key, which is about the size of a small phone, routine for the stressed backseat exec. Such age for chauffeurs. with its own screen for remote functions, can is a level of luxury BMW has lathered on this car, that you can heat up various armrests, be used to reverse the car and out of tight should individual elbows be feeling the cold. spaces, with driver and occupants stood outside looking on.

Some of the technology seems clever, although not As for the way it drives, should the mood take? Well, obviously solving a problem that previously existed. The it feels much more wafty than previously, while the latest generation of 265bhp three‐litre straight six diesel engines work with a seamless gearbox to provide power that barely intrudes on the occupants’ serenity. If you really want to know, the 7 can still get up a mountain road at a rapid rate, and would leave an S‐Class wallow‐ ing. But it is now far closer to its rival in everyday plush, relaxed living.

The intent of this car to attract fleets and business customers is also evident in the excellent running cost package BMW is offering. Mindful that these cars often run outside of the profiles leasing companies are comfortable with, BMW has put together a Chauffeur Programme with a four year/120,000 mile finance pack‐ age that includes like‐for‐like replacement car in many situations and out of hours servicing.

The price is competitive too, all things being relative of course, and the 7 Series comes well stacked with pretty much everything you could want in a car of this type for its £64,530 base price.

28 / fleetworld.co.uk

what we think

highlights CO2 from 124g/km Four-wheel drive available for the first time

Finally a 7 Series that has been pitched perfectly at its target market, with some attractive pricing plans for fleets too. It’s a luxurious, beautifully built limousine for lounging in, rather than the massive sports car of previous incarnations.

Long wheelbase model has a ÂŁ3,950 premium Plug-in hybrid version due next year

key fleet model BMW 730Ld

fleetworld.co.uk / 29

Volkswagen Passat GTE Plug-in petrol/electric Passat offers impressive technology, at a price. By Julian Kirk.

SECTOR Upper Medium PRICE From £38,000 (before grant) FUEL 166mpg CO2 39g/km

VAUXHALL’S WHISPER DIESEL

THE QUIET REVOLUTION CONTINUES Our range of ‘Whisper Diesel’ engines speak for themselves.

Unmistakably quiet and refined, the new range of powertrains combine exceptionally smooth power delivery with money saving economy. And with CO2 emissions starting ng from m 88g/km, 88g/k / m,, the Vauxhall ‘Whisper Diesel’ range offers outstanding efficiency. tanding ng efficiency cyy.

VAUXHALL FLEET Call 0870 010 0651 | visit www.vauxhall.co.uk/fleet

Be first in line for your FREE* 3-day test drive.

Visit www.vauxhall3DTD.co.uk or call 0870 240 4848

Official Government Test Environmental Data. Fuel consumption figures mpg (litres/100km) and CO2 emissions (g/km).

Whisper Diesel range: Urban 34.4 (8.2) – 74.3 (3.8), Extra Urban 58.9 (4.8) – 91.1 (3.1), Combined 46.3 (6.1) – 85.6 (3.3). CO2 emissions 161 – 88g/km.

I

fear that the new Passat GTE may go down in history in the chapter marked ‘Passat slow sellers’. Not because it’s not a good car (it’s actually very impressive) but the problem is that the Passat GTE is really quite expensive, even with the grant applied.

I hope this is not the case because the Passat GTE is a car which deserves to succeed. While I’m not sure if the GTE badg‐ ing sits as comfortably on the Passat as it does on the Golf, there’s no doubting the technical excellence under the metal.

The 1.4‐litre direct injection TSI petrol engine musters 156bhp and combines with an electric motor to offer total output of 218bhp. Drive is channelled through a six‐speed DSG gearbox, offering headline figures of 0‐62mph in 7.4 seconds (0.2 seconds longer in the estate), and a top speed of 140mph. Of more relevance is a top speed of 81mph in pure electric mode and up to 31 miles of electric range (although not simulta‐ neously). And thanks to the quirks of Euroland economy testing, the Passat offers a claimed 166mpg and CO2 emis‐ sions of 39g/km. As a result, Volkswagen claims a GTE can go more than 680 miles

on a single tank of fuel and using up all the battery charge.

And it would be a pleasant, stress‐free 680 miles, too, because the GTE offers all of the comfort that its regular diesel stablemates do. Despite the added weight of the hybrid system and batteries (an extra 200kg over a diesel), the GTE still rides as beautifully as a regular model, suppressing bumps and providing a composed platform for long distance work. It also lives up to the ‘GT’ part of its badging with quick steering and a balanced chassis. But it is the general refinement which impresses most, with wind and tyre noise reduced to a whisper inside the cabin.

While you generally don’t notice the mechanics of the powertrain, the system does sometimes forget its refined manners – if you floor the accelerator both power sources kick in and make that annoying ‘wheeeeeee’ noise that you get on cars fitted with a CVT gearbox.

This is perhaps the only real fault you can level at the GTE, other than cost.

With prices starting at around £38,000 before grant, the GTE is an expensive way to reduce your company car tax bill.

FROM

CO2 88g/km† COMBINED

UP TO

MPG 85.6mpg† UP TO

POWER 170PS

Discover Whisper Diesel at www.vauxhall.co.uk/whisperdiesel

† = 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. * = Terms and conditions apply and vehicles are subject to availability. Please call 0870 240 4848 for full details. All figures quoted correct at time of going to press (November 2015). The vehicles illustrated may not necessarily represent the correct final UK specification and not all the features or options described are available on every model.

Nissan LEAF 30kWh Cutting-edge battery technology means the LEAF is back at the head of the EV pack, says Alex Grant.

*LEAF 24kWh priced from £20,790-£26,340 after PiCG

SECTOR Lower Medium PRICE £24,490-£27,940 (after Plug-in Car Grant)* RANGE 155 miles CO2 0g/km

i

distances with hardly any degradation and barely a hand‐ t’s indicative of the relatively low consumer under‐ standing of EV technology that the most important ful of the 200,000 sold globally have suffered battery faults.

Test routes speak volumes, and it’s not uncommon for update for the Nissan LEAF since its 2011 launch isn’t marked out by unique exterior styling or even a badge. economical vehicles to be launched on glass‐smooth, incline‐free roads around Amsterdam. But Nissan pitted Already taking 25% of the European EV market, Nissan has targeted extra usability. That adds a larger capacity journalists against 95 miles of urban, rural and highway roads including the Col de Turini mountain pass in south‐ battery as a £1,600 upgrade on Acenta and Tekna trims.

Capable of storing 25% more energy than the 24kWh unit ern France. Most returned with around a third of the battery charge remaining, which implies a real‐world range used to date, the 30kWh battery offers a 155‐mile range under NEDC conditions. Tesla and BYD aside, that’s the of around 115‐120 miles should be easily achievable.

Of course, it’s worth considering that a larger battery longest in the industry – an easy benefit to understand.

Granted, that still won’t make this will also lengthen the time needed to fully charge. This takes around ten ideal for every‐day long‐distance drivers, but it is significant. Real‐world gains of hours on the slowest 3kW charging points, but the £1,150 upgrade to a 20‐25 miles mean journeys which would have ended with sweaty palms are now 6.6kW on‐board charger cuts that down to five hours. Both versions include comfortably within reach. It makes petrol or diesel easier to live without, cables for public and home charging.

All LEAFs include DC rapid charging and Nissan reckons most UK buyers will go for the larger battery. using the most widely available connec‐ tion in the UK and, as the cells are able The upgrade is a result of four years of additional battery development. Improve‐ to take full power for longer than the 24kWh battery, an 80% charge is still ments to the cell chemistry and electrode materials have improved energy density, possible in around half an hour. With the extra range, drivers should need to spend so there’s no increase in the physical size of the battery pack and only a 21kg weight less time waiting at motorway services.

Already well-loved, a They should also spend less time gain, despite the larger capacity. large range increase Durability has also improved ‐ the looking for somewhere to plug in – the means a wider cross2016 model year adding a new Nissan‐ battery is now warrantied to retain at Connect EV infotainment system with least 75% of its capacity for eight years section of drivers will an improved smartphone app and real‐ and 100,000 miles, rather than five years be able to consider time charging point information. Again, and 60,000 miles. That’s well beyond the world’s best-selling adding confidence for drivers, as well as most fleet replacement cycles, but shows electric car. removing one of the biggest frustrations the confidence Nissan has in the technol‐ of the outgoing model. ogy. In reality, many cover much longer

what we think

32 / fleetworld.co.uk

BIK

FROM

13% MPG COMBINED 78.5 C02 UP TO

EMISSIONS FROM

88g/km

fiat.co.uk /fleet

SPOTLIGHT Volvo S90

New ground Renewing Volvo’s presence in the executive segment, the S90 is out to address all the criticisms of the S80 while luring buyers out of its most popular former rivals, explains Alex Grant.

The segment The XC90 began the Volvo’s four-year plan to replace its entire range, focused around 40, 60 and 90 ‘clusters’ with saloon, hatchback or estate, and crossover models under consideration for each.

So the S90, an executive saloon, replaces the S80, while the forthcoming estate version, the V90, will replace the V70 and XC70 too.

It’s designed to make the range easier to understand.

Sales ambitions are cautious, at around 2,000 S90s per year in the UK – though that’s compared to 600 for the S80. It’s a halo product, largely aimed at the U.S., and, as that’s where the money will be made on it, there’s no need for residual-damaging discounts or big sales targets. Volvo isn’t putting numbers on the V90 yet, but it’d be a safe bet that the estate will be the larger volume seller in the UK.

Engines All of the S90’s engines will be four-cylinder, turbocharged units, paired with either six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmissions. These will include a T6 petrol, likely to be a small seller in the UK, with the volume weighted towards the 190bhp D4 and 235bhp D5 diesels. The most efficient version will be the D4 Manual, which is aiming for under 109g/km CO2 emissions and 68.9mpg – enough to put the S90 among the most efficient cars in its class, despite being one of the largest.

Volvo also sees fleet potential for the 403bhp T8 Twin Engine, a petrol plug-in hybrid which emits 44g/km CO2, on the back of its strong Benefit-in-Kind position. A fleet-weighted 25% of XC90 orders so far have taken this drivetrain, which features an electric motor at the rear with a petrol engine driving the front wheels, and orders are stretching into the 2017 model year.

34 / fleetworld.co.uk

Technology and equipment The S90 – and thus V90 – will get the same range structure as the XC90, comprising Momentum, Inscription and R-Design versions. All UK cars will feature all-LED headlights, satellite navigation and leather upholstery, based on advice from the residual value guides. Expect a Cross Country version to follow, certainly in the V90, replacing the XC70 which has been a popular car with armed police units.

Most of the technology is shared with the XC90, including a multitude of active safety systems, but adding a City Safety feature with animal detection, and Pilot Assist which actively keeps the car within lane markings at up to 80mph – a step towards autonomous driving, Volvo says. The instrument cluster can be all-digital, and it shares the SUV’s infotainment system, with cloud-based apps and internet-connected services.

What we think...

FLEET FACT Volvo is aiming for 60,000 UK sales by 2020 – it sold 41,000 in 2014.

The outgoing S80 never really found its niche in the UK. So it’s a cautious return, and the lack of pressure on volume should help to build residual values. A consistent model range and distinctive, modern styling which delivers on its recent concept cars can only open new doors, not to mention starting conversations which will create wider opportunities for Volvo. This might not be a volume seller, but it’s an important addition. AG

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SWOTTeam This month the SWOT Team analyses the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for the new Land Rover Discovery Sport against its closest rivals. Here is what they have to say...

Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

GA Another success story for JLR, even following the stillpopular Freelander. Impressive rear legroom, improved quality and seven-seats will keep this up with the Germans for years to come.

GA Ageing engine at launch was criticised for refinement in the motoring press which will have knocked user confidence, but that has been addressed with the new unit.

CO2 isn’t class-leading even though the car is all-new.

GA Land Rover has an opportunity to conquer this sector. Even though emissions aren’t top of the class, many users will overlook that for the badge.

GA The Germans won’t sit back and relax - the main concern is Mercedes, which is just entering this sector. If GLC gets a warm welcome then it could dent Land Rover’s potential.

AC Builds on the success of recent Range Rovers, with a USP of seven seats. New Ingenium engine is quieter and more economical, so it can appeal in a financial sense as well as aesthetically.

The Land Rover is very much in demand, which should bode well for RVs. MJ Land Rover’s reputation for 4x4s is well-deserved. If Evoque is about style then this car is about the versatility that SUV buyers want.

MW Very different to the Freelander it (indirectly) replaces. But it is handsome.

36 / fleetworld.co.uk

AC Some of the interior build quality isn’t quite as good as it could be. The purchase price is at the higher end but not by much, and you do get the added seats.

Common in this segment, the ride can feel a little firm.

MJ Not simply a Freelander replacement and Land Rover may need to educate potential customers to some degree!

MW It may be just a little too different to the Freelander, which could put off some traditional buyers.

AC There is an opportunity to grab customers who have previously gone elsewhere for seven seats, or even downsized from larger premium models which have them. This is so much better than the Freelander and will attract more customers from the German premium brands.

MJ Freelander 2 was an underrated product, but this will compete head-on with the German brands. Versatility is a key strength, and the standard seven seat configuration (except 148bhp cars) should win business from MPV drivers.

MW It’s a Land Rover - the opportunities to sell it worldwide are huge.

AC Premium brands aside, there are obvious threats from some of the more volume based brands where you can get more for your money and still have the seven-seat option, such as Hyundai and Kia. MJ Core competition is very strong and operating costs for this group are incredibly close. Personal preference will be a key factor. Only the 148bhp version is under the 130g/km threshold.

MW There are so many great cars to chose from in this sector. Similar cars, from nonpremium manufactures could pinch some sales.

Martin Ward (MW) Manufacturer Relationship Manager, CAP

Gavin Amos (GA) Head of Valuations, CDL Vehicle Information Services

Land Rover Discovery Sport

Mark Jowsey (MJ) Director, KeeResources KWIKcarcost

Strengths GA Rear legroom, seven-seat versatility.

AC Strong brand at the moment, economical and quiet.

MJ Versatile, drives well, genuine off-roader.

MW Looks good, different to Freelander.

GA Launch engine was unrefined.

AC Interior quality.

MJ Customer education needed.

MW Could put off Freelander buyers.

Strengths

Mercedes-Benz GLC 250 d 4MATIC AMG Line

GA Class-leading MPG and CO2, and a new entrant.

AC Nice interior, quiet.

MJ GLK replacement, finally available in the UK. Excellent CO2 & performance.

MW Lowest CO2, best MPG.

GA Lack of awareness, for now.

AC Not as fun to drive.

MJ Needs to aim for conquests to avoid selling against Mercs.

MW A bit unknown, under-promoted.

Strengths

Audi Q5 S line Plus 2.0 TDI quattro S tronic

GA Desirable badge, and ageing well.

AC Great interior.

MJ Very competent SUV. Refined and spacious.

MW A firm favourite both new and used. Looks good value.

Standard equipment: • DAB/CD with Bluetooth, USB • Sat nav with 7-inch display • Cruise control with speed limiter • Parking sensors, rev. camera • Park assist • Heated artificial leather upholstery, electric adjustment • Climate control • Powered tailgate • LED Headlights Optional equipment: • Metallic paint £645

GA A little long in the tooth. High C02.

AC Firm ride.

MJ More conservative styling than some competitors.

MW CO2 figures a little on the high side.

OTR: £39,590 P11D: £39,355 Fuel: 47.1mpg CO2: 157g/km RV*: £16,525 (42%) BiK: 29% SMR: £3,924 Fuel costs: £6,367 Insurance: £4,125 Finance: £5,313 NI: £4,725 VED: £540 Cost per month: £1,330

Strengths

BMW X3 xDrive20d M Sport Auto

Weaknesses

BMW X3

Standard equipment: • DAB/CD with Bluetooth, USB • Sat nav with 8-inch touchscreen • Cruise control • Front/rear parking sensors, reversing camera • Heated and electric leather • Dual-zone climate control • Powered tailgate • Seven seats • Panoramic sunroof Optional equipment: • Metallic paint £600

OTR: £39,470 P11D: £39,540 Fuel: 56.5mpg CO2: 129g/km RV*: £17,700 (45%) BiK: 23% SMR: £3,103 Fuel costs: £5,307 Insurance: £5,220 Finance: £5,338 NI: £3,765 VED: £220 Cost per month: £1,246

Weaknesses

Audi Q5

Land Rover Discovery Sport HSE TD4 Auto OTR: £39,400 P11D: £39,215 Fuel: 53.3mpg CO2: 139g/km RV*: £16,875 (43%) BiK: 25% SMR: £3,116 Fuel costs: £5,626 Insurance: £4,125 Finance: £5,294 NI: £4,059 VED: £390 Cost per month: £1,250

Weaknesses

Mercedes-Benz GLC

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

GA Great to drive, as practical as Q5, strong RVs. AC Good to drive, efficient and spacious.

MJ Bigger than you'd think, but drives like a car MW Still popular, good standard spec.

Weaknesses GA Doesn’t have the same desirability.

AC Interior is a little plain, firm ride.

MJ X4 may steal some sales!

Competition greater than ever.

MW Do people want something different?

OTR: £38,440 P11D: £38,255 Fuel: 54.3mpg CO2: 136g/km RV*: £17,075 (45%) BiK: 25% SMR: £3,515 Fuel costs: £5,522 Insurance: £4,350 Finance: £5,164 NI: £3,959 VED: £390 Cost per month: £1,226

Standard equipment: • DAB/DVD/SD/HDD with Bluetooth, USB, • Sat nav with 6.5-inch display • Cruise control • Front and rear parking sensors • Nappa leather upholstery • Three-zone climate control • Metallic paint Optional equipment: • Powered tailgate £385 • Panoramic roof £1,125 • Heated seats £300

Standard equipment: • DAB/CD with Bluetooth, USB • Sat nav with 8.8-inch screen • Cruise control with speed limiter • Front and rear parking sensors • Heated leather upholstery • Dual-zone climate control • Powered tailgate Optional equipment: • Metallic paint £645 • Panoramic sunroof £1,190 • Reversing camera £330

* 3yr/60k

fleetworld.co.uk / 37

FEATURE Land Rover Defender

A farewell to arms As the final vehicles leave the Solihull assembly line, Alex Grant finds out what’s made the Land Rover Defender and its predecessors such an invaluable tool for British fleets.

38 / fleetworld.co.uk

I

t began, as the best ideas tend to, with a personal need. Maurice Wilks, an engineer at Rover and brother of managing director Spencer Wilks, had spotted a gap in the market for a vehicle which could function as a light‐ duty tractor and a car. A durable, simple commercial vehicle for the farming commu‐ nity, based on his experience using a tired Willys Jeep on his own land.

From a sketch in the sand at Anglesey’s Red Wharf Bay, the idea progressed through proto‐ types and pre‐production cars during 1947, put through their paces on the Hebridean island of Islay. The car eventually known as the Series I made its public debut at the Amster‐ dam Motor Show the following year.

Priced at £450, it was almost unchanged from Wilks’s original idea, powered by a torquey 50bhp 1.6‐litre petrol engine with low‐ratio gearing for off‐road use and a Power Take‐Off which enabled it to run belt‐driven farming equipment. Its aluminium body panels, originally used due to steel shortages, were also lightweight and rust resistant and inished in shades of army‐surplus green.

Rover initially expected to sell only 50 a week.

The lack of a crystal ball may have been a blessing given Rover’s eventual fate, but it could‐ n’t have misjudged it more. Multiple wheelbases and the Power Take‐Off found favour with public and private sector customers, making it incred‐ ibly adaptable. The Land Rover quickly overtook Rover production volumes, eventually ousting the SD1 from Solihull in 1980.

It’s survived Rover, Leyland Group, British Leyland, British Aerospace, BMW, Ford and lived on into Tata Motors ownership, outlast‐ ing its parent company by more than a decade and selling over two million vehicles world‐ wide. With 2015 marking the end of produc‐ tion, we found out what’s given the Defender such long‐lasting popularity, told by the people who build, sell and use it.

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FEATURE Land Rover Defender

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Land Rover lineage Series I (1948-1958) 211,500 built Launched with an aluminium body over an 80‐inch wheelbase, using a 1.5‐litre petrol engine and Power Take‐Offs for farming equipment. 2.0‐litre engine and 86/107‐inch versions followed.

Series II/IIA (1958-1971) 549,311 built Introduced rounder shoulder lines and porthole windows, both retained until 2015, as well as 2.25‐litre petrol and diesel engines. Wing‐ mounted headlights and deeper sill panels arrived in 1969.

Series III (1971-1985) 538,862 built The irst Land Rover with a plastic grille, full‐size dashboard and driver‐side instruments, upgrades also included a synchro‐ mesh gearbox and the irst lifestyle‐focused County versions.

Ninety, One Ten, 127/130 (1984-1990) 155,334 built A heavy update, with a full‐length bonnet, one‐piece windscreen, arch extensions, Range Rover‐like permanent 4WD, coil springs and a modern interior. New engines and irst 130‐inch from 1985.

Defender (1990-2015) 583,196 built Launch 107bhp 200TDi engine offers high‐speed cruising and economical towing.

Ford 2.4‐litre diesel added with a bonnet bulge in 2007 (replaced with a 2.2 in 2012) with major interior updates.

40 / fleetworld.co.uk

BUILDING the Defender Michael Bishop, senior instructor, Land Rover Experience Solihull Rover had barely started produc‐ tion in Lode Lane, Solihull, when the Series I left the line in 1948.

With limited aspirations, it’s unlikely anyone would’ve fore‐ seen that car’s mechanically and visually close descendent last a human lifespan at the same site.

“We have 15 base varieties of Defender and four chassis options and the Defender 110 can have a heavy duty chassis for pick up versions,” explains Land Rover historian Michael Bishop, also an off‐road instructor and tour guide at the factory. “We have, since 1948, produced a huge variety of different variations. Military and civilian have been available showing the adaptability of the original design, through to the latest three limited editions.”

Some 450 staff, including three generations of one family, built the Defender, tucked in alongside the automation of the other vehicles – now including Jaguars – also manufac‐ tured there. Bishop says the build process hasn’t changed signi icantly in that time.

“It has become a little quicker, as technology can be used for items like bleeding the brakes, which are done by a machine where they used to be done manually,” he says. “The vehicles go through a rolling road to test that they are fully operational. That used to be a test on an internal test track on the Solihull site.”

But some things haven’t changed: “Its never‐ending appeal comes from three original key features, ease of four‐wheel drive functionality, being extremely adaptable and lastly how much fun it can be to use,” he says.

SELLING the Defender Jeremy Hicks, MD of Jaguar Land Rover “We always describe Defender as the vehicle you can use and abuse,” says Jeremy Hicks. “It’s a really durable workhorse that can do anything, particularly in challenging environments. It ful illed, right from the beginning, a really, really practical purpose.

That’s why it continues to be really desirable amongst the business community.”

Serving everywhere farms to frontlines, Hicks says its simplicity and 3.5‐tonne towing abil‐ ity has made it indespensible – 70% are repeat orders, and lifespans are often above average.

“It de ies the logic of most leet operating principles. Most look at ideal ownership spans ideally up to three years and 60,000 miles, and at that time maintenance costs start to ramp up. Defender customers are happy to keep them on and keep them going.

“Easy maintenance is a big thing. It’s a very simple vehicle. Farmers love it because after you finish using it you can get the hose pipe out and hose it down... inside… and they love that.”

So much so that, Hicks says, a chunk of the inal months of production have been taken up with stockpiling. Some customers are keen to make sure they’ve got vehicles to last them when it’s no longer available.

Which must give its eventual replacement big shoes to ill? “When we launched this generation Range Rover, the feedback we got was – and this is a Land Rover truth – don’t change it, just make it better. Don’t change the recipe, just make it better in terms of what you provide. That’s what drives us,” says Hicks.

USING the Defender Mike Street, chairman, SHB Hire Ltd

E

ven including the enthusiast community, few people outside Land Rover’s payroll know Defenders as well as Mike Street. Chairman of SHB Hire, he’s not only one of the longest‐standing business customers, but the 1,200 Defenders on his books is the largest leet outside the British Army.

“They were well‐suited to cross‐country work, and there was a lot of it,” he explains. “They’re also good at towing, so even if you’re not using them off road they’re very good for moving heavy equipment.”

Starting out as a plant manager for the family building busi‐ ness, a role he continued after his father passed away, hiring Land Rovers was a natural progression. A life‐changer which began in 1968, with a friend’s frustration at not being able to get vehicles fast enough. Street managed to persuade his boss to let him hire Land Rovers through the business, if he owned the cars.

“I scrounged £150 and hired it out for £7.10 per week, I remem‐ ber that clearly,” he says. “It broke down virtually every day!”

Helped by expansion of the UK’s oil and natural gas pipelines, seismic surveys and open‐cast coal mining, business boomed.

Customer demands were as diverse as war reporting, Hollywood ilm crews and constructing the motorway network ‐ ironically, Britain’s best‐known off‐roader was instrumental in laying the foundations of the UK’s busiest on‐road routes.

SHB now operates 14,000 vehicles, from buggies to artics, at 14 depots from Ayrshire to its Hampshire headquarters. But the Defender, particularly the 110, still has a large role, albeit mostly ful illed by standard cars, getting only metallic paint and County packs for easy resale. SHB also has around 40 classic Land Rovers, dating back to 1948, for specialist hire.

It’s a far cry from early demands on the leet: “We used to run

welding sets, generating sets, big powerful winches, we’d have workshop bodies, even on the hard tops we quite often used to have lift‐up sides,” says Street.

“The market has changed a hell of a lot. Nowadays contractors use Transit vans, either with under‐ loor compressors or they tow one. They need bigger storage for carrying the kit, the Land Rover couldn’t carry a lot plus it’s an expensive vehicle.”

Often‐ laky Leyland‐era cars didn’t help: “Land Rover was redacted, it lost its way, lost the market, which is a terrible shame,” he says.

“When they brought out the Series III the reverse gear had a 12‐hour operating life. In the pipelines they used to drive along then reverse back out again. We were forever replacing gear‐ boxes. Someone like us offering to hire them including the main‐ tenance they were well pleased with, because they were very heavy maintenance vehicles.

“We used to change gearboxes and clutches on site, and we’d buy Series IIs to take the gearboxes out for the Series IIIs, because they had a stronger reverse gear. They’re a lot more reliable now.”

It’s also not short of rivals: “Three years ago our Japanese 4x4 leet became bigger than our Land Rover leet. The double‐cab pickup is the most common vehicle now – the Land Rover version is very expensive and not that comfortable. We’re already having cherry pickers itted to Hiluxes, and Isuzu D‐Max, so they’ve taken that market.”

But it’s still in demand, and SHB is stockpiling run‐out cars, with 630 on order and plans to make them last until a replace‐ ment is launched. Street has one key demand: “It would’ve been nice if it had been a separate chassis, so that you could modify them, but we hear that’s not likely to happen.”

fleetworld.co.uk / 41

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FEATURE Land Rover Defender

→ USING the Defender

UK Power Networks

The Environment Agency With heavy equipment and near‐inaccessible locations, the Envi‐ ronment Agency (and its predecessors) have a relationship with Land Rover which dates back to 1989. It’s an invaluable tool for the ield teams, says Emily Buckley of the corporate assets team.

“It had a presence when attending incidents and could work in the varying situations in which we operate. One of their key bene‐ its to us was their ability to tow 3,500kg, this was invaluable when required to tow pumps to site during looding incidents,” she says.

The Agency runs 283 Defenders, mostly 110s but with a few 130s featuring full‐height workshops or Luton bodies, and a handful of 90s which are used to tow boats. Typically they’re deployed on sites which are only accessible via river banks, farm tracks and estuaries.

“Not only did it have a good ground clearance, but also the abil‐ ity to get through deep water. This was especially bene icial when deploying pumps in times of an emergency.”

But, in the short term, production closure is forcing them to look elsewhere: “We have already put in a new order for Isuzus, as they are the nearest match with regard to capability, the means to adapt to our business needs and they have a towing capacity which will enable us to move equipment around between our sites,” says Buckley.

“Our current operational performance is industry‐lead‐ ing and this year we are on course to record our best ever results for reducing the frequency and duration of power cuts. The Land Rover’s ability to get to some of the most inhospitable places is essential to us in order that we can transport engineers and materials to where they are most needed,” says transport leet manager Ricki Sayer.

Despite multiple ownership changes at UK Power Networks, that ability has made Land Rovers a leet staple for over 35 years. There are 110 Defenders on leet, mostly 110s with heavy‐duty suspension and side rollers used for moving overhead and underground repair equipment but also accessing remote substations. Elsewhere its stock of 130s, equipped with Ariel platforms for working at height, have been a vital part of its strong safety record.

“It would be wrong to say it’s always been plain sailing, there have been some testing times along the way and in recent times the cab layout and ergonomics has become an increasing focus of attention. This could, we feel, have been remodelled to add improvements over the years.”

However, it’s proving a tough vehicle to replace: “The abil‐ ity of this vehicle to be used off road has been outstanding.

Its chassis and drivetrain stand the test of time – reliable, strong and repairable too. It will be a hard act to follow.”

British Red Cross Land Rover donated its irst vehicle to the British Red Cross in 1954, a long‐ wheelbase Series I modi ied to work as a mobile clinic and dispensary. Trav‐ elling 17,000 cross‐desert miles, it treated more than 5,000 patients and kick‐started what remains a strong relationship – including short‐term vehi‐ cle loans during emergencies.

It’s put the Defender and its predecessors into a wide variety of roles around the world. That could be supporting the homeless residents of Rome, moving volunteers and staff for water and sanitation projects in Nige‐ ria, or even working as an ambulance with the UK’s emergency services during severe weather, explains Catherine Mackenzie, the organisation’s senior corporate partnerships executive.

“Our humanitarian and disaster relief work means we frequently face challenging weather and dif icult terrain, and we often need to reach remote areas where roads are impassable or non‐existent. It is therefore imperative that all the vehicles we use are up to the challenge of tackling demanding conditions. At times like these when our services are in demand from people in crisis situations, we need our leet to be consistently reliable,” she says.

And there’s still a long‐running role for the car after production inishes.

“We will continue using our Defenders; our leet already contains a variety of models from different manufacturers, which gives us the capability we need in challenging situations.”

42 / fleetworld.co.uk

DRIVING the Defender

Defender 90 Heritage Edition

A modern classic with heritage links that go far beyond a retro paint job, says Alex Grant.

SECTOR 4x4 PRICE £30,900 FUEL 27.7mpg CO2 266g/km

R

etro culture may have spawned some occasionally dubious re‐imaginings, but the Defender Heritage Edition which marks the end of production couldn’t have closer ties to its inspiration. This isn’t just an homage, it’s modern technology under genuine 1940s engineering.

That’s a bloodline which makes all the more sense driven back‐to‐back with a Series I ‐ such as the oldest member of SHB’s 1,200‐strong Land Rover leet. The Defender might feel like a throw‐ back, but even its smattering of creature comforts – carpets, air conditioning, electric windows – are decades ahead of the bare metal, vinyl and solitary metal bar the Series 1 has for a dashboard.

However, nothing drives like a Defender, and that’s down to its lineage. The Series I’s three‐seat layout shows up in the oddly outboard controls 67 years later. There’s still no elbow room with the window closed – problematic with a truck‐sized steering wheel – the handbrake hasn’t moved from the footwell and extending the headroom has made the latest Defender almost a foot taller than a Range Rover, not to mention a stretch to climb into.

The cabin tells a tale of previous parent compa‐ nies, with its spindly early‐1980s British Leyland steering column controls, Ford switches and vents and instruments from the Discovery. There are still indents for window winders and under‐wind‐ screen air vents, redundant scars resulting from new technology.

Where the Series I was basically a van, the latest 90 has space for four – its rear seats folding up

against the sliding rear windows. Passengers have to get in through the tailgate, another quirk, but there’s a respectable load area with lashing points in the back and, elbow space aside, the front seats are quite comfortable on long journeys.

Land Rover says 30% of Defenders regularly tow, and 80% go off road at least weekly. It’s worlds away from the Range Rover’s technology, but the 500mm maximum wading depth, 250mm ground clearance under the differentials and choice of high, low and diff‐locked modes selected by the second transmission lever can set it up for most terrain.

The trade‐off is agricultural on‐road manners. Its 120bhp 2.2‐litre diesel engine is lively at low speeds, features an anti‐stall mechanism for climb‐ ing hills, and the long sixth gear means it’s happy on the motorway. But it lets out a coarse snarl under load, with gearchanges akin to a signal box, vicious suspension rebound and slow steering.

Of course, the Heritage Edition’s sand‐coloured seating means it’s more of a road car. But the unique metallic paint, body‐coloured steel wheels and grille, silver bumpers and hinges pay such a stylish homage to the Series I that it’s a genuine head‐turner on‐road. It’s a detailed special edition, but that’s expected for Discovery Sport money.

But the Defender has long sold on familiarity, simplicity and nostalgia, and this is the spearhead of that. Modern rivals might do the rough stuff just as well, but with the world turning to autonomous cars, connectivity and soft‐touch plastics, the orig‐ inal Land Rover’s passing marks the end of a clas‐ sic and characterful era.

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fleetworld.co.uk / 43

FEATURE Land Rover Defender

→

The future...

“We went out to customers and the single piece of feedback we got from them was: don’t change it, just make it better.”

Jeremy Hicks, MD, Jaguar Land Rover

44 / fleetworld.co.uk

EVENTS Fleet Hero Awards

Green miles Marking its tenth year, the Energy Saving Trust’s 2015 Fleet Hero Awards sought to recognise the public and private sector fleets blazing a trail for greener, safer and more cost-efficient transport.

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fleetworld.co.uk / 45

EVENTS Fleet Hero Awards

→ And the winners were...

(Andrew Jones MP with Anthony Meehan of Bath and North East Somerset Council.

Grey Fleet Management Bath and North East Somerset Council Andrew Jones MP with Andrew Brown and Steven Thompson of West Yorkshire Police.

Public Sector Fleet West Yorkshire Police Retaining the title for a second year, West Yorkshire Police’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact, despite the speci ic requirements of its leet, continued to impress. Low‐emission vehicles are being supported by CO2 monitoring, eco‐driver training and fuel cost reduction strategies, which have delivered carbon savings of over 2,747 tonnes over the last ive years.

Over ive years, Bath and North East Somerset Coun‐ cil has delivered a 42% reduction in grey leet mileage through a comprehensive action plan. Staff travel roadshows are proving popular, and the coun‐ cil’s mileage claim system helps to plan journeys ef iciently. Introducing a car club and electric vans, and encouraging sub‐100g/km vehicles through a salary sacri ice scheme can only continue this.

Andrew Jones MP with Joanne Barwell and Lorraine Gerrard of Chevin and Jerry Ramsdale of Fleet World.

Low Carbon Fleet Supplier Chevin Fleet Solutions

Andrew Jones MP with Michael Swinhoe, Luke Stanbridge and Bill Oliver of Z-Tech and Helen Fisk of ALD Automotive.

Business Sector Fleet Z-Tech Control Systems

Now available for mobile devices, the FleetWave leet management software offers a detailed view of vehicles’ environmental performance. This includes live moni‐ toring of real‐world fuel consumption benchmarked against factory igures, cost centres and individual driv‐ ers, and whole‐life cost analysis of electric vehicles to show where they can be deployed effectively.

An expanding business, Z‐Tech’s fleet has increased 30% over the last year, yet it’s still deliv‐ ering impressive savings. Adopting an in‐house scheduling tool is claimed to have cut CO2 by 20%, as well as improving staff efficiency, and the company has begun using ULEVs and smaller commercial vehicles to reduce costs and carbon output, helped by a strong management buy‐in.

Andrew Jones MP with Sam Clarke of Gnewt Cargo.

Plugged-in Fleets Gnewt Cargo Already a showcase for using electric vehicles as a core part of the business, Gnewt Cargo’s 100% elec‐ tric van leet is now targeting improvements beyond the noise, CO2 and pollutant emissions reductions it’s achieved to date. A new telematics system has reduced the mileage travelled by 83% per parcel, per year, and drivers are monitored and trained to maximise energy ef iciency.

46 / fleetworld.co.uk

Andrew Jones MP with Philip Thompson and Matt Green of Carlsberg.

Andrew Jones MP with Alistair Clarke of eConnect Cars.

Eco-Driving Carlsberg

Plug-in Taxi or Private Hire Initiative eConnect Cars

Carlsberg’s fleet of 290 heavy goods vehicles covers 14 million kilometres every year, so the company has targeted improvements in driver behaviour.

Implementing a telematics system, backed by weekly monitoring, driver training and league tables to get staff involved, has delivered £551,000 of fuel savings, as well as cutting fuel use by 482,000 litres since 2010. An impressive result.

Launched in January 2014, London’s first all‐elec‐ tric executive chauffeur company now has a fleet of 25 vehicles including the Tesla Model S. Backed by energy‐efficient driver training, it’s already saved a claimed 64 tonnes of CO2 compared to using TX4 black cabs, and recently began a part‐ nership with First Great Western to offer transfers from Paddington station into the city centre.

Air Quality Initiative London Boroughs of Hackney, Islington and Tower Hamlets Andrew Jones MP with Caroline O’Donovan and Oliver Taggart of O’Donovan Waste Disposal.

Commercial Vehicle Management O’Donovan Waste Disposal A third consecutive win for O’Donovan Waste Disposal, awarded for its long‐term, consistent approach to reducing vehicle emissions. Led by an efficiency ‘Champion’, the company’s monitoring and in‐house training schemes have become an example for others, and trials of safety‐optimised vehicles are underway, improving cyclist visibility and reducing accident rates too.

Targeting reductions in NOx and particulate matter, the boroughs established a partnership working with local businesses to reduce journeys and adopt sustainable practices. The project introduced freight consolidation, encouraged the use of ULEVs, car clubs and low or zero‐emission private hire irms, as well as issuing travel plans and grants to promote cycling, walking and public transport use.

Andrew Jones MP with Chris Chandler of Lex Autolease.

Ginny Buckley with Dave Tuckett of BMW UK.

Low Emission Vehicle Manufacturer BMW Group UK BMW has done much to champion ultra‐low emission vehicles in recent years, combining the technology with its premium ownership experience and focus on driver enjoyment. The i range is supported by a range of mobil‐ ity services and route planning software to make it easy for drivers to make the switch to electric mobility, and it’s been proactive at explaining bene its to drivers too.

Unsung (Fleet) Hero Chris Chandler, Lex Autolease Principal consultant Chris Chandler has been instrumental in improving the environmental performance of road transport. His work includes laying the foundations of CO2‐based company car tax and VED, and he’s remained an ambassador of clean vehicle technologies, since assisting with the Energy Saving Trust’s Motorvate and Green Fleet Review Programmes, and establishing Lex’s ULEV proposition, which has led to 2,800 joining the company’s fleet. fleetworld.co.uk / 47

FEATURE Telematics

Data, Now-ubiquitous in-car tech means it is easier than ever to stay connected and monitor vehicle and driver performance remotely. But just how secure is the data collected by in-car devices, and has the connected car become the latest target for hackers? Katies Beck investigates.

Personal Data

“A considerable amount of sensitive data could be accessed by anyone using the vehicle, creating serious data security issues for fleets.”

Connected services are becoming more common in the latest infotainment systems, including emails, calendars, social media and downloadable apps – potentially with accounts containing banking. Most leet cars are at least capa‐ ble of storing phone books and call lists transmitted via Bluetooth, and often previous destinations used by the satellite navigation.

It’s a considerable amount of sensitive data, which could be accessed by anyone using the vehicle (with or without the owner’s consent), creating serious data security issues for leets. The industry has been vocal in its concern about the high frequency of end of contract vehicles being returned with personal data still accessible, and the potential risk of this being extracted by subsequent keep‐ ers; “Initially vehicles were itted with satellite navigation devices and returned vehicles frequently contained a stream of addresses,” explains Martin Hughes, remarketing director of contract hire and leasing specialist, Activa Contracts.

“Now drivers are plugging their smartphones into car multi‐media systems and conducting a wide range of business. The issue is that these systems are mini computers and retain a vast amount of information, and much of it is likely to be private or business con idential.

fleetworld.co.uk / 49

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FEATURE Telematics

“We advise drivers returning their company cars to → ensure the system is back to its factory setting, thereby deleting all information,” he adds.

Smartphone connectivity does have an advantage, though.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are designed to offer the same operating system in any brand of car, effectively mirroring a simpli ied version of the smartphone operating system on the dashboard for instant user familiarity.

The added security benefit is that these do not trans‐ fer any data to the car – once the phone is unplugged, the data goes with it. Certainly a solution for improv‐ ing data security for pool and hire vehicles, but also likely to become more popular with drivers as it becomes more widespread.

What is transferred?

The Federation Internationale De L’automobile (FIA Region I) – a consumer body representing the interests of motorists across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, recently published an infographic that highlights the scale of data new vehicles are able track and transmit.

Updating legislation In an attempt to alleviate some of these concerns, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) unveiled its new ‘statement of intent’ regarding connected car technology at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

ACEA’s members – who include the majority of manufac‐ turers operating in Europe, pledged to adopt ive key prin‐ ciples of data protection to which the industry will adhere; including transparency about the third parties information may be shared with, and the identity of the company, or group of companies, that govern data processing.

ACEA asserted that its members already adhere to strict legislation regarding data protection, including the ability for customers to de‐activate the geolocation functionality unless the information is tracked by features such as eCall, and the fact that ‘personal’ data is retained for the shortest possible time before being rendered anonymous or deleted.

As well as helping to build trust with consumers, this desire to offer improved transparency is also motivated by the forthcoming tightening of EU legislation. The immi‐ nent amendments to the EU Data Protection Regulation will require manufacturers to prove that they have obtained informed consent from all relevant data subjects for the extraction of data collected by connected cars, or face ines of up to 5% of global annual turnover, or €100m (£70.4m), whichever is greater.

Exposure to data hacking

Automatic transfer A range of data is constantly transmitted by connected cars.

The investigation of the data transferred by two connected vehicles found that, in addition to vehicle data, information synced from the driver’s mobile phone is also tracked and transmitted back to the manufacturer – with‐ out the driver’s explicit consent.

FIA found that, when a new car is purchased, the contract often includes a clause allowing the automatic transfer of data to the manufacturer’s proprietary supplier network. The organisation is lobbying for informed consent about access to personal and vehicle data, and the transfer of data ownership back to the driver.

The key data security concern for fleets here is not so much the threat of hacking; as these networks are as secure as can be, but the issue of potentially sensitive data being transferred to a network of organisations without the driver’s explicit consent, and leveraged to solicit for unwanted services. With an estimated 60% of all new vehicles capable of connecting to the internet from 2016, manufacturers are under increasingly strong consumer pressure to be open about the way data is used and shared.

50 / fleetworld.co.uk

Despite the vast sums being invested to protect data being extracted by unauthorised sources, one undeniable issue remains – if a criminal is determined to gain access there is a good chance they will eventually ind a way to do it.

“However, you have to pose the question, why would anyone want to do this?” asks Ashley Sowerby, managing director of leet management company, Chevin Fleet Solu‐ tions. “There are obvious examples, such as someone perhaps wanting to gain access to a goods vehicle carrying something valuable but, really, traditional ways of getting in are faster and easier.

“There is the possibility of malicious behaviour, but we are into an area of extreme criminality that very few leets are likely to encounter, if any.”

Any reputable in‐car technology supplier should be able to provide details of the anti‐hacking measures and data protection safeguards already in place to help alleviate concerns about security.

Black box security Recent high‐pro ile incidents in which hackers have demonstrated their ability to seize control of vehicle components (including the brakes and steering) via devices connected to the On‐Board Diagnostics (OBDII) port have led to a degree of uncertainty about the secu‐ rity of telematics technology, and the con identiality of data collected. However, the industry has been quick to point out that many of these OBDII port hacks have been undertaken as academic research, with no instances currently recorded in the UK.

“Every vehicle sold since 1996 has one OBDII port,” explains Mark Canning, director of product & inte‐ gration services at telematics solutions provider, In Car Cleverness. “It enables monitoring of emissions, mileage, speed and mechanical condition, and any activated warning lights when a problem is detected.

Workshop technicians can ‘communicate’ with a vehicle via its OBDII port in order to detect faults.

“Claims of successful vehicle hacking through the OBDII port should be treated with caution; special‐ ist knowledge about that vehicle would be required to affect such an event, and the vehicle communica‐ tions and any plugged in devices (such as black boxes) would need to be unencrypted in‐ light and at rest to gain any access,” he adds.

All modern telematics units offer varying levels of data encryption to protect against such attacks, with safe guards in place to ensure data encryption remains activate. “Our products have, by design, several features that ensure that the OBDII vehicle data port cannot be accessed directly by outside parties,” con irms Martin Bramwell, director at In Car Cleverness.

Separation of data Because all data collected by the OBDII port relates to vehicle status, telematics units do not present a security issue for leets – personal or potentially sensitive data is collected.

“Personal driver or business information is not stored in our black box, and it’s actually pretty dif icult to access the vehicle data stored on the telematics device due to heavy encryption,” con irms Nick Walker, managing director of RAC Business. “Data is deliberately kept separate, with any personal or sensitive business information con ined to the online platform and not accessible through the in‐car device.”

Issues of data security will become more complex as in‐car connectivity gains greater prominence, and criminals re ine their techniques. “To help prevent unauthorised access, you need to ensure that your telematics or other systems provider puts in place some basic security methods,” concludes Ashley Sowerby. “Think of it in the same way as you might protect your home from thieves. The truth is that a determined person will always get into the house but most criminals are looking for an easy target, so if you it an alarm and window locks, they will probably move on to the next property.”

PROTECT YOUR LIVELIHOOD WITH A

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Recording modes: Real-time mode – Records any journey you make and simply saves the footage as you go Event mode – Activates when an incident occurs during realtime recording and saves the footage separately

Why choose Road Angel Halo?

• Provides both forward and rear facing cameras to catch an accident at either angle • Downloadable footage to be viewed on a computer

Manual mode - Double click the end button during real time recording to manually create an event file

• HD camera resolution • Provides real time, event, manual and parking modes to cover an accident in almost any scenario • Mounts easily to your vehicles windscreen • Built in GPS with Google maps to see exactly where an incident took place • Optional sound recording with privacy button for customer benefit • Sound recording allows for more reliable evidence in a claim

Parking mode – Activates when the ignition is switched off and records if any movement is detected whilst away from your vehicle

High definition resolution

G-Force sensor

Built in GPS with Google Maps

Optional sound recording

For more information and to order Call us on 01327 855586 or visit www.roadangelgroup.com

FEATURE Taxation & Funding

Tax variation clauses Do you know what’s in the small print of your leasing agreement?

Professor Colin Tourick explains what its means.

T

his article deals with lease accounting, taxation and discounted cash flow, three topics that may well induce you to flip the page and move on. However, please read on, at least for the next few paragraphs, before deciding whether to do so.

The International Accounting Standards Board plans to introduce a new standard for lease accounting by 31 Decem‐ ber. We already know that it will call for the capitalisation of leased assets by lessees. In other words, contract hire will have to appear on the client’s balance sheet, if they are a listed company. It’s also a fair bet that HMRC will change the tax rules to bring them in line with the accounting rules. We don’t know what changes they have in mind – or whether these will apply to existing contracts or only new contracts – but this will become clear in due course.

As you are a reader of Fleet World there is a fair chance that you lease your cars, either on contract hire or finance lease. Nestled in the small print in your leasing agreement there is likely to be a clause that says something like: “We have calculated the Rental on the assumption that the tax rates and rules will remain unchanged during the lease.

Should this assumption prove to be incorrect we will increase or reduce the Rental in order to maintain our after tax rate of return.”

The next clause may say that any adjustment can be made after the lease has ended.

These clauses – tax variation clauses – are quite common but don’t get much attention because the business tax and capital allowance rules and rates for cars have remained static for so many years.

The plan is for the new accounting standard to be effective from 1 January 2019, which means that the accounting (and probably the tax) rules will change during the life of any four year car lease that commenced this year. So this seems to be a good time to discuss tax variation clauses.

Perhaps the most straightforward type of tax variation arises when the rate of VAT changes during the life of a contract hire agreement. The leasing company will have recovered input VAT when buying the car and has to account for output VAT when the car is sold.

Let’s assume they expected the car to sell for £6,000. That’s a net sales price of £5,000 plus £1,000 of output VAT at 20%.

52 / fleetworld.co.uk

Let’s assume now that the rate of VAT changes to 25% mid‐ term and that the car sells for £6,000. The leasing company has to pay HMRC £1,200 as output VAT rather than £1,000 (£6,000 × 25 ÷ 125 = £1,200). They would therefore be £200 out of pocket compared to the original estimate. The tax vari‐ ation clause allows them to recover this from their client once the car has been sold.

Now let’s imagine instead that part way through the lease the government amends the rule that gives lessees tax relief on lease rentals. They announce that as all leases are now capitalised on lessees’ balance sheets they must be treated for tax purposes as if the client had bought the cars. So the lessee now has the right to claim capital allowances rather than the lessor. This would be a fundamental change to the way that the leasing company is taxed on the transaction and would therefore bring the tax variation clause into play.

The leasing company would need to adjust to the rentals mid‐term; increasing these if the new tax rules reduce their return or reducing them if the changes increase their return.

Which raises questions – how would they calculate this mid‐term rental change and how would you be able to check that the new rental is correct?

The basic approach they would take is as follows. This example will ignore maintenance costs and other services.

When they calculated the original rental the leasing company took into account: 1. The cost of the car (net of any discounts they would receive) 2. Any deposit or initial rentals you were due to pay (e.g. three rentals up front) 3. The anticipated sale price of the car at the end of the lease 4. Their cost of money 5. The contribution they planned to make on the deal. They might have called this ‘margin over cost of money’, ‘fees’, ‘overhead contribution’ or ‘profit’ but here we’ll just call it ‘contribution’ and assume it’s expressed as a margin over cost of money. In other words, if cost of money is 3% p.a. this margin might be an additional say 2% p.a.

6. The tax relief they would have received on their cost of money 7. The capital allowances they would have received each year 8. The tax payable on the rentals (corporation tax for a limited company, income tax for a sole trader or partnership).

The tax variation clause says that if tax rates or rules change they will increase or reduce the rental in order to maintain their after tax rate of return. This is item ive above – contribution – net of tax.

If the tax rules change and the leas‐ ing company no longer received capital allowances, this would change item seven above – capital allowances. If they no longer received the benefit of capital allowances this would alter their cash flows. They might have to borrow slightly more, so this would affect items four and six – cost of money and the tax relief on this cost.

The best way to visualise this is to imagine that you are looking at a spreadsheet that shows, for each month of the contract, the cash flows the leasing company expected when it entered into the lease, i.e. items one to eight. Using discounted cash flow (DCF) techniques – which we have discussed in these articles many times – the spreadsheet would show the rental the leasing company had agreed to charge that would allow it to make its required contribution over the life of the agreement.

Then imagine a second spreadsheet showing the revised cash flows taking into account the new tax rules. Using DCF again the spreadsheet would be used to calculate the revised rentals the leasing company would need to charge in future to allow it to make the contribution it originally expected.

The leasing company should be will‐ ing to provide you with these two spreadsheets or similar calculations to allow you to check the revised rental they are requesting.

“Tax variation clauses are quite common but don’t get much attention because the business tax and capital allowance rules and rates for cars have remained static for so many years.”

Just to reiterate, we don’t know if or when any tax changes will be intro‐ duced, what effect they will have or whether they will apply to existing leases or just new ones. But this does seem to be a good time to remember that in most cases a change in the rules will trigger the tax variation clauses contained in most lease agreements.

Colin Tourick Grant Thornton Professor of Automotive Management, University of Buckingham

fleetworld.co.uk / 53

MARKET OVERVIEW Fleet Management Software

Bynx

Chevin Fleet Solutions

Bynx is a market-leading developer of software solutions for vehicle management. bynxFLEET enables leasing, fleet management and rental operators to manage vehicles, contracts, transactions and drivers and control lifecycle costs. Customers are able to retain asset value, engage with stakeholders online. bynxFLEET provides a platform, plus the tools and applications required to run every aspect of a vehicle business whether the fleet is owned or managed on someone else’s behalf. The product utilises functionality to automate and streamline processing and enables greater productivity, efficiency and utilisation. bynxNET improves the user experience and communication between dealers, customers, suppliers and drivers by bringing it all online.

Chevin Fleet Solutions is the leading global provider of dedicated fleet management software. Their multiple award winning software, Chevin FleetWave®, is a webbased system used by fleet operations across the globe, proven to help businesses measure and reduce costs, improve operational efficiency, reduce administrative resource, and ensure compliance & risk requirements are met.

FleetWave is designed to meet the demands of any type of operation from any sector, by providing extremely flexible software configurations. The systems manages the whole lifecycle of a fleet, from initial acquisition of a vehicle, through to the deployment, operating expenses, incidents, work orders, maintenance, legal requirements and finally disposal. This includes businesses with cars, vans, commercial vehicles, heavy machinery, plant and associated assets. Covering nearly every aspects of managing the vehicles, assets, drivers, workforce and even workshops that make up the operation.

Contact: Gary Jefferies sales @bynx.com

Tel: 01789 471600 www.bynx.com

Contact: David Gladding Sales@chevinfleet.co.uk

Tel: 01773 821992 www.chevinfleet.co.uk

Civica UK Ltd Civica is a market-leading specialist in software, technology and outsourcing services that help fleet managers to transform the way they work.

Civica’s Tranman fleet software helps you to reduce and control your fleet costs, manage compliance and improve operational efficiency.

We constantly seek new ways to maintain and improve service delivery while spending less. The latest developments to Tranman harness technology to streamline and automate processes. These include Tranman eForms which enable flexible, mobile working and dynamic alerts which deliver business critical information directly by email or text so you can take action quickly.

Through experienced people who understand fleet management, we help over 500 customers to manage over 1 million vehicles.

Contact: David Lawrence David.Lawrence@civica.co.uk www.civica.co.uk/tranman

Tel: 0117 924 2703

Sofico NV Sofico is an international software provider with 28 years’ experience in the industry. Sofico manages to make a difference through innovation and technological leadership. We have a solid reputation in the market due to our extensive know-how.

Through continuous strategic investment our software solution, Miles, always evolves with the market both in terms of technology and functionality. Sofico employs 200 people across its offices in Belgium, France, Australia and Japan and has customers in 18 countries. Our systems help manage over 1 million vehicles worldwide.

Contact: Jan Bouckaert cm@sofico.be

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Tel: +32 9 210 80 40 www.sofico.be

Drive Software Solutions Limited DRIVE Fleet Management and Leasing software is a single generic product applicable to vehicle management requirements worldwide and which represents over 150 man-years of development by our software experts.

DRIVE is a proven product our policy of continuous product enhancements and DRIVE’s modular structure enables it to be configured to meet the precise and unique needs of each of our clients. This has been enhanced with our managed service host offering DRIVE-Direct.

DRIVE is used throughout the world by leading vehicle leasing companies, major vehicle manufacturers, and other operators of large fleets to whom we continue to provide additional services and on-going 24/7 support.

Contact: Simon West-Oliver Tel: +44 (0)1438 317731 simon.west-oliver@drivesoftwaresolutions.com www.drivesoftwaresolutions.com

FLEETW RLD

Do you offer software that calculates EV wholelife costs (inc work/home charging) ?

Is your system suitable for multiple-user networking?

Do you provide on-line P11D submissions to HMRC?

Does your system permit electronic download of data from suppliers?

Does your fleet software provide electronic supplier invoice reconciliation?

Does your system include a vehicle order tracking function?

Does your fleet software provide on-line grey fleet management?

Does your system include a fuel management module?

Does your system allow users to design their own reports?

Does your system use exception reporting?

Does your system integrate with external telematics systems?

Do you offer a KPI dashboard?

Is it smartphone and/ or tablet compatible?

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Jaama Jaama’s market leading, multi award winning Key2 system is a totally integrated vehicle, asset and driver management solution covering everything from owning to disposing of vehicles, plant and asset related equipment. Recent enhancements include: EDS – a repository for fleet information allowing drivers (company car and grey fleet) to submit expense claims on-line and keep personal and vehicle data up to date as well as reducing administration for fleet managers and providing a fully auditable duty of care trail. Jaama continue to invest heavily to ensure the world’s only web based fleet system to use next generation .Net Microsoft ‘Smart Client’ technology – Key2 – remains visibly and functionally years ahead of the market. Designed for all fleet sizes and budgets, Jaama links users live to data providers, customers, suppliers, vehicle telematics and the DVLA. Contact: Ellie Whiten enquiries@jaama.co.uk

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

Teletrac Navman With nearly 30-years of experience in the field, both Teletrac, Trafficmaster and Navman Wireless have brought their strengths to the table in order to create a telematics powerhouse, Teletrac Navman. The brand represents the best of both companies, bringing development, customer support, marketing, and data expertise to their products. With hundreds of employees working together across the globe, researching and reaching for new challenges, Teletrac Navman’s data tracking products blaze new paths in fleet management. Every business, no matter its size, is given personal attention and powerful data insight with the company’s products. Teletrac Navman is currently tracking over 500,000 units across five continents, making global reach a priority.

Contact: Mark O’Neill fleetsales@teletrac.co.uk www.teletrac.co.uk

Tel: 0345 604 8813 www.navmanwireless.co.uk

fleetworld.co.uk / 55

FEATURE Fuel Management

Getting it right John Bostock, account development director at Barclaycard, considers how fleet managers can save on fuel costs by ‘buying it right’ and ‘using it right’.

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ith fuel managers now battling against spiralling operational costs, many businesses are looking for new and innovative ways to help them moni‐ tor and streamline their expenditure.

After depreciation of the value of the vehicles themselves, the cost of fuel and other associated taxes can be a signi icant drain on resources. But how can businesses cut their overall expenditure without it restricting the day‐to‐day activities of their drivers?

There are two sides to cutting fuel costs systemically —‘buying it right’ and ‘using it right’.

Buying It Right Identifying the right corporate payment method to suit a business’s needs can help to signi icantly reduce fuel costs. Fuel+, a fuel payment card offered by Barclaycard developed in partnership with The Miles Consultancy, uses secure Chip‐ and‐PIN technology. This not only provides protection against misuse but also makes payment more convenient than conventional fuel cards, as it lets drivers pay at unmanned sites, avoiding the need for additional mileage and allowing them to get back on their way quickly.

Using It Right Aside from technological developments such as advances in electric vehicles, there are simpler methods of cutting down on overall costs that are just as effective.

Driving behaviours such as using the hand‐ brake at traf ic lights and driving in the right gear can signi icantly boost vehicle ef iciency, but many drivers are unaware of the impact of their own habits on fuel ef iciency. A recent study for Barclaycard found that British drivers waste more than 636 million litres of petrol a year by not using such methods. In fact, some 36% of drivers surveyed said they don’t use any eco‐ef icient techniques.

Beyond driving, new fuel cards offer more advanced usage monitoring. For example, Barclaycard Fuel+ uses a sophisticated mileage capture and audit system to help leet managers track drivers’ habits over time and ensure busi‐ ness mileage is being logged accurately.

Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, recently rolled out the Barclaycard Fuel+ card and has predicted that the card’s mileage moni‐ toring and reconciling features could save it as much as £80,000 in the irst year of use.

“36% of drivers surveyed said they don’t use any eco-efficient techniques.”

56 / fleetworld.co.uk

Taking advantage of technology Telematics, mobile commu‐ nications and corporate purchasing platforms are steadily converging, and there is no doubt that corporate fuel cards are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Advances in technology are set to play a growing role in helping businesses to streamline their expense processes, so with 2016 in sight, now is an ideal time for leet managers to consider embracing the powerful new tools available to help increase the productivity of their mobile employees.

our fleet Kia Sorento 2.2 CRDI KX-2 Manual THE latest Kia Sorento may be quite an imposing looking SUV from the outside but my first impressions have focused more on the interior.

Marked out as the first Kia produced under its new Global Quality Strategy, the Sorento puts paid to any budget brand image thanks to generous spec and excellent cabin quality. Although there is an abundance of black finishes, the soft touch dashboard and matt and gloss plastics look and feel premium.

Meanwhile layout of the controls is intuitive with large buttons that are easy to locate and I’ve become au fait with everything surprisingly quickly.

Overall our KX-2 trim seems to be the one to go for, adding 7-inch touchscreen

sat nav, reversing camera, leather upholstery, climate control and automatic lights and wipers to the KX-1’s reversing sensors, cruise control and steering wheel controls.

However, I was a bit nonplussed as to why it’s the only spec not to get a CD player. Kia’s product team said the addition of the 7-inch touchscreen sat nav and reversing camera comes in lieu of a CD player to keep the OTR price competitive, reinforcing its appeal as probably the most appealing trim.

Natalie Middleton

BMW X1 xDrive20d Sport Auto WHEN you’re launching a car in a segment which includes the ultra-desirable Range Rover Evoque, particularly with its competitive new engines, it takes something pretty special to get noticed. I reckon BMW’s second-generation X1 is up to the job.

This is a style-focused sector and, though this is a more conservative effort than the Evoque, the downsized X5 styling is a big improvement over the lifted estate car it replaces. It’s a compact car, but looks bigger than it actually is – the new X1 is slightly smaller than its predecessor.

That it’s almost identical in size to the 2 Series Active Tourer is no coincidence, the two cars sharing BMW’s new platform, as used by MINI. Most UK cars will be four-wheel drive, according to BMW, but the remainder will be front-wheel drive – not rear-wheel drive as in the old car.

Brand aficionados might not like that development, but it’s unlikely that many X1 customers

the figures will be bothered either way. The upshot is a much more spacious interior, and more versatile with it. With a boot-load of buggies and a toddler in tow, that MPV-like flexibility should be very useful during our six-month term.

So far, I’m relieved to find that it’s just as good as I remembered from the press launch this summer.

Having only tried the most powerful diesel engine with the adaptive chassis setup, it’s great to find that the fixed-rate Sport suspension lacks neither the comfort nor the agility of the full-fat version. It’s a delight to drive, and that 188bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine is as potent as it is quiet, and 128g/km CO2 emissions are impressive for a powerful, fourwheel drive car with an automatic gearbox.

Against tough competition, it’ll be very interesting to see how this fares over the coldest months of the year.

Alex Grant

OTR PRICE £32,180 POWER 188bhp @ 4,000rpm TORQUE 295lb.ft @ 1,7500–2,500rpm 0-62mph 7.6 seconds TOP SPEED 136mph COMBINED MPG 57.6mpg CO2 128g/km (23% BiK)

fleetworld.co.uk / 57

our fleet Honda Civic Tourer 1.6 i-DTEC SR CARS like our long-term Honda Civic have become a parable for the modern-day car. They’ve been designed and built to return the levels of reliability, comfort and efficiencies car manufacturers of yesteryear could only have dreamt of.

Part of the reason why todays cars are so proficient is that millions of pounds have been invested in testing them to destruction during their development stages, thus ensuring any shortfalls are dealt with long before they go on sale.

For vendor and purchaser alike this can only be a good thing. The manufacturer gets to guarantee their product by way of a long warranty, encouraging further customer confidence, which leads to the highest expectations and, ultimately, an increase in sales.

So now I’ve spelt out the bleedn’ obvious, Honda

the figures please answer me this; what’s the infuriating squeak transcending from the general direction of the clutch pedal area of our fleet-test Civic?

Our Civic Tourer is now less than four months old and covered a mere 3,500 miles, yet over the past four weeks it’s developed this nerve-grating noise whenever the clutch is depressed. It’s neither a whine nor a shrill, it’s definitely a squeak; like a field mouse is being strangled with a shoelace.

And because it’s not constant, or particularly loud, it’s forgotten about until the next gear change and then I think to myself ‘I really must remember to sort that bloody squeak out’, and yet I still forget.

I’m sure all it will take is a couple of squirts of silicon lubricant to solve the problem, but should I be the one grappling around on all fours to rectify the simplest of faults on a nearly-new car, and one costing over twenty-three grand?

Note to self: Stop whinging and remember to buy a can of WD40.

Danny Cobbs

OTR PRICE £24,340 POWER 118bhp @ 4,000rpm TORQUE 221lb.ft @ 2,000rpm 0-62mph 10.5 seconds TOP SPEED 121mph COMBINED MPG 72.4mpg CO2 103g/km (18% BiK)

Volvo V60 D3 Manual SE Lux Nav UNCHARACTERISTICALLY, the V60 has been misbehaving recently. Like many vehicle related problems today, they

58 / fleetworld.co.uk

appear to have been electrical and electronic. The first has been a reluctance for the passenger-side door mirror to fold out properly when the car is unlocked (the mirrors fold in automatically when the car is locked). I have concluded that maybe the mirror has been knocked when the car was parked – ironically, as folding mirrors are supposed to help avoid such problems, but it seems to be recovering.

I have also had problems with the adaptive cruise control. Warning messages have flashed up indicating that the system is not available and even one

suggesting that the system needs servicing. I have noticed that in heavy rain the system will sometimes give me an ‘unavailable’ message – again this seems ironic as radar should work regardless of weather and the system will both detect vehicles ahead and bring the car to a halt if needed. But like most electronic faults this seems to be intermittent. Now I have adjusted to using adaptive cruise control, I find it a real bonus to have it. The problems haven’t dented my liking for the V60 either. It’s a great all-rounder.

John Kendall

Skoda Superb 2.0 TDI SE Business SKODA has for some time been at the value end of the Volkswagen portfolio, despite in many cases offering much the same vehicle as its classier Volkswagen and Audi cousins, though at a considerably lower entry price. Well if you do your sums on a cm3/pound basis, the latest Superb hatch takes that value proposition to a whole new level.

The new Superb is simply massive. I’m over six foot, yet even with the driver’s seat in the most lounge-like position, I can happily sit in the back and be nowhere near the seatback in front.

If you imagine that rear accommodation that would shame a limousine results in limited luggage space, think again. With the seats in place the hatch boasts a voluminous 625 litres, extending to 1,750 litres with the rear seats folded. That’s considerably more than some mid-range estates and the powered hatch provides easy access.

The fleet-friendly SE Business specification comes with a full compliment of useful equipment, including Adaptive Cruise Control, sat nav with a 6.5-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, DAB, electric driver’s seat with memory and SmartLink, allowing Apple and Android smartphone users to run many of their phone apps through the touchscreen.

Our Superb is powered by Volkswagen’s ubiquitous 2.0-litre TDI engine, rated at a healthy 148bhp. Despite the size, that’s more than enough for spirited acceleration and, with the help of that extended wheelbase, the Superb is an effortless motorway cruiser.

Now that we’ve got a couple of thousand miles on the clock the Skoda is returning mid to high 50s mpg and the firm claims a CO2 output of just 108g/km, resulting in a 19% BiK rate. With a P11D value of just £22,035, that’s a lot of car for the money.

Dan Gilkes

the figures OTR PRICE £22,090 POWER 148bhp @ 3.500–4,000rpm TORQUE 251lb.ft @ 1,750–3,000rpm 0-62mph 8.8 seconds TOP SPEED 137mph COMBINED MPG 68.9mpg CO2 108g/km (19% BiK)

Audi TT TDI S Line Ultra I’VE been getting to grips with the TT’s Virtual Cockpit. The high resolution screen replaces traditional dials and everything – radio, phone, navigation, settings – appears on it in front of the driver rather than on a central panel.

It takes a bit of getting used to, because it is not always immediately apparent where various functions are hidden, unlike on Audi’s usual MMI screen, and little tabs appearing at the edge of the screen offer hints where such things lie.

Once you’re up to speed with it and have learnt your way round the system, it is very impressive though: sharp, detailed and with all the information a driver needs right at their fingertips.

Steve Moody

Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi Zetec Estate THE image-conscious buyer may be moving towards fashionable crossovers and premium these days, but I’ve had good indication of where the Mondeo has ended up when a friend asked if I’d won the lottery when I picked him up in our new long termer. Followed up with a remark that it must be a luxury version, it’s safe to say he was impressed. And my early impressions have been the same – with its imposing grille and striking lines, it may be a big car, but it’s a good looking one with it.

Darren Brett

fleetworld.co.uk / 59

our fleet Renault Captur Dynamique dCi 90 HAVING covered a fair few miles in our longterm Nissan Pulsar this month – after migrating from the Captur – a few things have struck me about Nissan’s latest. With the proliferation of high-ride-height lifestyle vehicles, such as our trusty Captur, it’s almost a novelty to drive a standard fivedoor hatchback again.

Obviously, we’re not comparing like with like here, but the two are more similar than

you’d expect, with similar footprints, similar luggage space and OTR prices in the same ballpark. I’ve loved driving Renault’s bigseller over the last few months but the Pulsar is arguably more comfortable, boasts more equipment (despite a slightly less user-friendly sat-nav) and is the one I would choose for a long commute. I’ll miss the Captur’s funky user-chooser appeal though.

Luke Wikner

SUPPLIER

DIRECTORY electric vehicle charging Europcar Tel: 0871 384 0201 www.europcar.co.uk

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

accident management Selsia Vehicle Accident Centres Ltd

Tel: 0845 468 6800 www.selsia-vac.co.uk

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

Nissan Pulsar 1.5 dCi N-Tec MY four-month tenure of the Pulsar has come to an end – so I thought it a good time to carry out a SWOT analysis of Nissan’s lower-medium challenger.

Strengths? The Pulsar is good value for money, coming in fully-loaded for just under £22,000. There’s very little you would need to add to the spec sheet – sat nav, DAB radio, air conditioning and Bluetooth telephone are all standard. It’s also easy to drive – light steering, easy-shift gearbox and plenty of visibility all round make it a doddle for even the most nervous driver.

Weaknesses? Well, the Pulsar isn’t overblessed with desirability is it? There’s nothing that really jumps out and makes you excited when you think of the Pulsar. This lack of emotional appeal could count against it in the user-chooser stakes. It is a car for those who aren’t really that interested in cars, and there are an awful lot of people like that.

Opportunities? Well, for companies looking to limit their fleet offering to something cheap to operate, the Pulsar fits the bill.

60 / fleetworld.co.uk

Low contract hire rates and taxation levels mean it can fulfil an efficient transport role for little capital outlay.

Threats? Apathy among car buyers is probably the biggest threat to the Pulsar. Those who are interested in cars, or those who are imageconscious, may find themselves more tempted by rivals such as the Volkswagen Golf, Vauxhall Astra, Ford Focus or Peugeot 308 or even Nissan’s own best-selling Qashqai.

Julian Kirk

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

Bond Lovis Insurance Brokers Tel: 08000 113 444 www.bondlovis.co.uk

Full listings online at fleetworld.co.uk

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

FLEETW RLD SUPPLIER DIRECTORY contract hire, leasing & finance Alphabet (GB) Limited Tel: 0870 50 50 100 www.alphabet.co.uk

Maxxia 020 7520 9450 www.maxxia.co.uk

Tel: 0845 815 0018 www.dayscontracthire.co.uk

Total Leasing Solutions for your business

Telephone 0113 250 0060

daily rental

risk management

fleet management software

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

Roadmarque Tel: 01792 824438 www.roadmarque.com

Tel:+3292018040

Arnold Clark Car & Van Rental Tel: 01786 468 700

Cardinus Risk Management Tel: 01733 426015

www.arnoldclarkrental.com

www.cardinus.com

Thrifty Car & Van Rental Tel: 01494 751 550

Bill Plant Ltd Tel: 01765 645023

www.thrifty.co.uk

www.billplant.co.uk

Chevin Fleet Solutions Tel: 01773 821 992 www.chevinfleet.com

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

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

Bynx Tel: 01789 471600 www.bynx.com

Sofico NV www.soficoservices.com

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

www.jct600vehicleleasingsolutions.co.uk

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

Lex Autolease

Tel: 0344 824 0115 www.lexautolease.co.uk

Arnold Clark Vehicle Management

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

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

Zenith Tel: 0844 848 9311 www.zenith.co.uk

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

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

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

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

sgfleet Tel: 0845 154 0721 www.sgfleet.com

Venson Automotive Solutions Tel: 08444 991402 www.venson.com

SMR

AA DriveTech Tel: 01256 495732

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

Full listings online at fleetworld.co.uk FLEETW RLD FLEETW RLD November 2014

November 2014

All that matters in

the world of fleet

Autoserve Limited Tel: 0844 888 3001 www.autoserve.co.uk

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

All that matters in the world of fleet

interview

Michael O’Shea of

interview Michael O’Shea of Volkswagen

Volkswagen

stopping power

Why fleets should

stopping power Why fleets should check their brakes

check their brakes

MODE MODEL PUPIL LPUPIL Behind the wheel

of Tesla’s remarkable

Model S

www.AAdrivetech.com/fleetsafe DriveTech

Interactive Driving Systems Tel: 01484 551060

Drive Software Solutions Tel: 01438 317731 www.drivesoftwaresolutions.com

www.virtualriskmanager.net

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

Full listings online at fleetworld.co.uk fuel management

misfuelling

Behind the wheel of Tesla’s remarkable Model S

2014 2014 MPG Marathon 100mpg in real-world driving from a C-segment estate? The UK’s premier economy event sees if it’s possible...

MPG Marathon

100mpg in real-world driving from a C-segment estate?

The UK’s premier economy event sees if it’s possible...

fleetworld.co.uk fleetworld.co.uk

AFF Tel: 0844 879 4770 www.autofuelfix.com

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

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

tracy@fleetworldgroup.co.uk

telematics & tracking

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

www.quartix.net

Airmax Remote Limited Tel: 01932 504300 www.airmaxremote.com

euroShell Card Tel: 0800 915 6021 www.shell.co.uk/euroshell

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

WEX Europe Services Tel: 0800 626 672 www.wexeuropeservices.com

Tel: 0870 013 6663 Fleetmatics Tel: 0800 975 4566 www.fleetmatics.co.uk

Teletrac Navman Tel: 0345 604 8813 www.teletrac.co.uk www.navmanwireless.co.uk

BOX Telematics Tel: 0330 333 4118 www.boxtelematics.com Trakm8 Tel: 0330 333 4120 www.trakm8.com

Tel: 0345 055 8555 Ctrack www.ctrack.co.uk MiX Telematics Europe Tel: 0121 717 5360 www.mixtelematics.co.uk

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

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

fleetworld.co.uk / 61

fleet management

The Government’s ‘180’ on BiK and the implication for fleets Helen Fisk, AutoSolutions manager at ALD Automotive, on last month’s Autumn Statement and Spending Review and what it means for fleets.

W

hilst the phrase ‘U‐turn’ apparently first became popular in the headlines over 40 years ago when Ted Heath undertook an infamous turnaround on the Government's economic policy, it’s also been in the newspapers again in recent weeks following the Autumn Statement and Spending Review.

But although it was the Chancellor’s volte‐face on tax credits that occupied the national newspapers, the com‐ plete 180 on the diesel surcharge in Benefit in Kind was, perhaps, the news most of interest for fleets.

Since the current Benefit‐in‐Kind system was first intro‐ duced in 2002, diesel cars have always attracted a 3% sur‐ charge up to the 37% banding in comparison to their petrol counterparts.

As announced in the March 2012 Budget, this was due to be removed from April 2016 – a move much greeted in the industry – but now the levy will be continued until April 2021. The move would seem to be the result of the current issues regarding car emissions and air quality, with the Government anticipating that in five years’ time, new real‐ world testing procedures will be in place to resolve the problems with nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.

The latest news is undoubtedly a blow for fleets with 66% of ALD Automotive’s deliveries in 2015 being diesel, and the timing hasn’t helped either. With less than six months to go until the levy would have been removed, drivers – and fleet operators – will now be hit by extra costs for vehicle choices that were made based on the 2012 announcement.

But the announcement does highlight two key issues.

Firstly, the need to make sure fleet planning is watertight and ensure that future tax considerations are factored in.

Only by using total cost of ownership (TCO) as a platform to select vehicles – using expert consultants such as ALD Automotive’s own AutoSolutions team – can fleets be sure that they see the full cost picture, including its full BiK charges and the attendant Class 1A NICs for fleet opera‐ tors. Such an approach will also highlight lower‐emission alternatives that could save costs.

Secondly, the latest changes reinforce the importance of considering ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs) in your fleet line‐up. In fact extra support for ULEVs was a key part

Contact ALD Automotive:

62 / advertisement feature

t 037000 111 81

of the Autumn Statement for fleets, with the announcement that £600m is being put aside to support the market and manufacturing of such vehicles with a target of 25% of European EVs being built in the UK. For a number of businesses, the Autumn Statement will add weight to the need to explore the viability of ULEVs on the fleet, particularly as the choice of models on offer con‐ tinues to expand, vehicle technologies – including battery range – continue to improve and list prices continue to become more palatable.

And the Autumn Statement’s announcements on ULEVs come on the back of the emissions issues, which have already led to increasing debate within the fleet industry as to whether businesses will now look more at imple‐ menting ULEVs. Whilst there is widespread conjecture on this, from our perspective, we believe that the recent news is just a fur‐ ther consideration for those open to switching to ULEVs and provides another possible inducement to consider, along with incentives such as the rise in company car tax rates over the next four years.

There may be further incentives on the cards too.

Although no announcement was made on the new Plug‐in Car Grant in the Autumn Statement, with the current flat £5,000 grant system scheduled to finish in February, we’re keen to hear what the Government has in store here, par‐ ticularly given the growing raft of research that shows the importance of incentives to ULEV take‐up. This includes a report from the Department for Transport published in August, which found that both private and fleet EV owners in the UK indicated the Plug‐in Car Grant was important in reducing the upfront costs of electric vehicles.

Finally, we also believe that diesels will still have a place in the company car parc for some time to come due to their overall fuel efficiency and everyday practicality, in particu‐ lar for long‐distance journeys. For many fleet operators it provides the most balanced solution.

Whatever happens in 2016, it’s bound to be a step in the greener direction!

For more details of how the AutoSolutions team can help review your fleet requirements, please email ukinfo@aldautomotive.com or phone 037000 111 81.

e ukinfo@aldautomotive.com

w www.aldautomotive.co.uk

VAN

December 2015

FLEETW RLD

at a glance driven...

Nissan Navara NP300

plus...

Vauxhall’s LCV conversion business, Daily Rental & AAH Pharmaceuticals risk management

p68 Distinctive styling, improved engines and five-link rear suspension transform Navara.

vanfleetworld.co.uk

inbusiness

Fiat joins busy truck market

inshort

F

bitesize stories from a month in the van fleet world...

iat Professional has unveiled the Fullback pick‐up, which will be available in the UK in the second half of next year. Based on Mitsubishi’s recently launched Series 5 L200, the Fullback will be offered in double cab format only.

Powered by a 2.4‐litre diesel engine, the Fullback will come in 150hp and 180hp variants with both manual and automatic trans‐ missions. All of the trucks will be four‐wheel drive.

Fiat Professional will offer two

trim levels, though final specifica‐ tions and pricing won’t be announced until nearer the launch.

Fullback will be Fiat’s first entry into the competitive medium‐duty pick‐up market, which in the Euro‐ pean, Middle East and Africa region is said to account for up to 675,000 vehicles, or 23% of the LCV market.

However it is an increasingly crowded market sector, with both Renault and Mercedes‐Benz also set to join the pick‐up market using Nissan’s latest Navara.

Compact Renault does the business Renault has upgraded its Kangoo van line, boosting specifications across the range. All models now come with DAB digital radio with Bluetooth, USB and Aux inputs. The vans all get full steel bulkheads as standard, including ZE electric models.

Renault has introduced Business and Business+ trim levels, in-line with its larger vans. Standard equipment includes ECO mode, ESC with Hill Start and Grip Xtend, electric windows, a height adjustable driver’s seat and remote central locking. Business+ adds electric door mirrors, one-touch windows, a centre console with armrest, overhead parcel shelf, manual air conditioning and rear parking sensors.

Electric Daily gets range boost

Isuzu develops fleet offering

I

suzu will go into its bicentenary year in 2016, on the back of six years of solid UK growth. However, the firm has confirmed that a revised D‐Max pick‐up, with a Euro 6 engine, new bonnet, bumper, grille, lights and tailgate will not be available to UK customers until the year 2017 model.

The firm sold around 1,000 trucks here in 2009, this year that will have risen to more than 6,000 annually. In the first 10 months of the year that put Isuzu at 14% of the UK pick‐up market.

Isuzu has gone from 76 dealers in the UK to 105 this year, despite drop‐ ping five of its previous outlets during 2015. That number includes five new Land Rover dealers, keen to have a

64 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

workhorse 4x4 available to customers when Defender goes out of production this year.

Isuzu is also working to capture fleet deals, creating a fleet charter that so far more than half of its UK dealers have signed up to deliver. The firm has had some fleet success, with recent big‐name deals including the Environ‐ ment Agency, the MoD, Scottish & Southern Energy, UK Power Network, Northgate, A‐Plant and Mitie.

“We’re not selling a passenger car.

Most of these vehicles are used for a job,” said operations director William Brown.

“Fleet customers are very different to retail. But the biggest win for us has been the Land Rover Defender going.”

Iveco has updated its Daily Electric van, extending battery life by 20% to offer up to 170 miles of driving range. The vans also boast 100kg of additional payload, thanks to weight savings across the new Daily line.

Regenerative braking has been added to the vans and the driver can decide which braking method to use depending on the road conditions at the time. The Daily Electric is equipped with a detachable seven-inch tablet and an electronic dashboard for improved vehicle data management.

Plaudits for VW T6 and Nissan Navara Volkswagen’s T6 Transporter has been named International Van of the Year 2016, with Nissan’s new Navara scooping the International Pick-up crown.

Renault VAN RANGE Grow your business like your family.

Renault Kangoo

Renault Trafic

4 Years 0% APR 4 Years Servicing 4 Years Warranty 4 Years Renault Roadside Assistance Your success booster.

To find out more, visit renault.co.uk/vans BUSINESS USERS ONLY. Finance provided by Renault Finance, PO Box 149, Watford, WD17 1FJ. Subject to status. Indemnities may be Master Panel vans only. Minimum deposit requirements apply. Valid on new vans when ordered by 31 December 2015 and registered years unlimited mileage). For full terms and conditions visit www.renault.co.uk/warranty. Renault Assistance is provided by our approved European cover. Cover from month 37 to 48 includes Roadside and Homestart (including a local tow to an authorised Renault dealer). For full This covers the manufacturer’s minimum maintenance programme, which is detailed on your Warranty and Service sheet. For full terms and

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required. Excluding the Channel Islands. Conditions apply. 4 years 0% APR offer available on Kangoo (except Z.E.), Trafic Panel, Crew and by 31 March 2016. Warranty applies to new vehicles for up to a period of 4 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first (first 2 roadside assistance partner. Cover from month 0 to 36 includes assistance at the roadside and home, national recovery, onward travel and terms and conditions visit www.renault.co.uk/roadside. Servicing Package applies for up to 4 years or 90,000 miles, whichever comes first. conditions visit www.renault.co.uk/serviceplan.

Nissan Navara Improved ride and reduced running costs take Nissan’s Navara back to the top, says Dan Gilkes.

SECTOR Pick-up PRICE £18,376–£24,293 FUEL 40.3–44.9mpg CO2 169–183g/km

n

it, with little additional running cost at the fuel pump. issan’s NP300 Navara pick‐up boasts cleaner, more The relaxing ride is helped by the adoption of a five‐link efficient engines, five‐link rear coil suspension, a coil spring rear suspension on all Double Cab models, the host of car technologies and the firm’s recently King Cabs retain leaf springs, though like the coil set‐up announced five‐year/100,000 mile warranty. they are lighter than before. There is no downside in terms The truck will be offered in King Cab and Double Cab mod‐ of load hauling ability, as Navara continues to offer more els, with the lower specification King Cab available in both than 1‐tonne of payload for VAT recovery. More impor‐ two and four‐wheel drive. Two‐wheel drive models look just tantly, the truck can now tow up to 3.5 tonnes, equalling like the 4WD variants, but with no drive to the front axle. market leaders Ford and Isuzu.

For the first time, Navara will also be offered as a chas‐ Navara gets Hill Descent Control, Hill Start Assist and sis cab, in both King and Double variants, allowing cus‐ Cruise Control, plus Forward Emergency Braking as stan‐ tomers to fit a range of specialist bodies and conversions. dard on Double Cab models. Higher trim levels can also Nissan has replaced the previous 2.5‐litre and 3.0‐litre be had with Around View Monitor, engines with two versions of the Nissan which delivers a 360 degree view of the Renault Alliance 2.3‐litre dCi. King Cab truck on the touchscreen monitor in models use a single turbo version deliv‐ the dash. As well as making it easier to ering 160hp and 403Nm of torque. park the truck in congested urban Double Cabs are powered by either the roads, AVW can also be used in tricky 160hp engine or a twin turbo version, off‐road situations, to avoid rocks and pushing out 190hp and a hefty 450Nm tree routes. of torque.

There are five trim levels for the UK, That’s enough pulling power to though only the lower two can be replace the previous 3.0‐litre V6 ordered with the King Cab, which is engine, while the 190hp motor is said expected to account for just 5% of UK to be up to 24% more economical than sales. All Double Cabs get seven the previous 2.5‐litre model. Combined airbags, an electronic limited slip dif‐ fuel figures across the range are 40.3‐ ferential, air conditioning, Bluetooth, 44.4mpg, while CO 2 emissions take a Distinctive styling, daytime running lights and powered similar drop, to 167‐189g/km. improved engines and windows. Higher trim levels borrow Both engines drive through a six‐speed heavily from Nissan’s rapidly expand‐ manual gearbox, while a seven‐speed five-link rear suspension ing crossover range, with a host of automatic transmission remains a £1,417 transform Navara, technologies in the cab, such as the Nis‐ option on the higher‐powered motor. It putting it at the sanConnect seven‐inch touchscreen has to be said, that the combination of the forefront of the sector. navigation system, DAB, a colour 190hp engine and auto box make for the reversing camera and LED headlights. more relaxing drive if you can stretch to

what we think

68 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

FEATURE Conversions

One-stop-shop for van fleet buyers Vauxhall is building its LCV conversion business, to meet increasing demand from customers, says Dan Gilkes.

T

his year alone, Vauxhall’s van conversion sales have risen by an incredible 63%, thanks in part to the Vauxhall Conversion Centre that is situated within the company’s Luton plant.

As with many competitors, Vauxhall has for many years offered factory‐built dropsides, tippers and box vans, which together account for around 55% of conversion market demand. The company also has a range of recognised conversions, including 4WD Movano, lightweight tippers, Luton vans including a low‐floor model, plus recovery trucks and minibuses.

All of these conversions can be ordered as a complete vehi‐ cle through dealers, carrying the full three‐year/100,000 mile warranty from the manufacturer.

Then there are approved conversions, where Vauxhall works with more than 50 bodybuilders, with 40 more currently undergoing accreditation to the scheme, to offer an even wider range of vehicles. These converters provide a warranty on the conversion to match Vauxhall’s standard three‐year chassis terms.

On top of that, the Vauxhall Conversion Centre provides a one‐stop‐shop, primarily for larger fleets that want specific upgrades and changes to vehicles. The VCC also builds the Vivaro Doublecab for the factory, using a second row of seating from Snoeks, at a rate of 150‐175 per week.

The VCC also upgrades Vivaro people carriers, with a kit from Irmscher available to dealers.

So far this year, the VCC had converted 9,200 vehicles to the end of October. This included regular customers like British Gas, which has no less than eight different internal layouts for Vivaro depending on the requirements of the engineer. One of the more unusual features of the Vivaro

conversion for British Gas is a floor‐mounted tray that lies diagonally across the vehicle and through the load‐hatch in the bulkhead to sit under the passenger seat. This allows the firm’s engineers to carry copper pipe within the van rather than having to have a roof‐mounted storage box.

While the focus has until now been on larger fleet customers, Vauxhall is to make the VCC service available to smaller fleet customers in the coming year. This will include installing racking from leading players such as Bri‐Stor, Bott and Sortimo, with Vauxhall staff having undergone full installation training from the racking suppliers.

The centre will also offer ply lining, alarms, sign writing and wrapping in a one‐stop‐shop approach for customers.

The service will be available primarily through Vauxhall’s 100 Premier Van Centres. These centres are further lifting their service levels, with national fleet menu pricing and labour rates now available across the country.

It is not just conversions that are pushing Vauxhall sales this year. Vauxhall’s LCV fleet sales have risen by 52% this year, in a CV fleet market that is up by 23%. Retail sales have also grown, by 20%, pushing Vauxhall’s overall van sales by a very healthy 38% so far in 2015. This has driven the firm’s fleet share up by 1.7% and its retail share by 2.6%.

Breaking those figures down into van models, the new Vivaro continues to lead the way, grabbing 51% of Vaux‐ hall’s UK van registrations, with more than 13,500 still on the order book and the factory having to increase produc‐ tion with a second shift.

Movano sales are up by 44%, with Combo rising 7% and Corsavan up by 13%. Remarkably, Vauxhall’s UK demand represents 41% of all Vauxhall/Opel LCV sales in Europe so far this year.

vanfleetworld.co.uk / 69

NO JOB TOO BIG

MOVANO FACTORY CONVERSIONS Whatever your trade demands, no job is too big for the Vauxhall Movano.

With tipper, dropside and Luton models available, the Movano is big on choice.

And because every Movano comes with a full 3 year/100,000 mile warranty, whichever model you choose, it will be fit for purpose.

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES The Wheels of Business 3 Years Warranty up to 100,000 miles. The warranty will expire when the vehicle has reached either 3 years or when the mileage limit has been exceeded, whichever occurs first. The warranty includes Vauxhall’s tear and serviceable items, and the vehicle has to be serviced in accordance with the manufacturer’s servicing schedule. Terms and conditions apply. Available at participating Retailers only. Warranty only available

WI N N E R Best Van Chassis Derivative

For more information call 0345 740 0777 or visit www.vauxhall.co.uk/vans standard Customer Care Commitment of a one-year unlimited mileage manufacturer’s warranty and a second and third year manufacturer’s warranty with 100,000 mile limitation. The warranty excludes wear and on vehicles sourced from General Motors UK Limited. Full details available from your Vauxhall Commercial Retailer. Correct at date of going to press.

FEATURE Risk Management

Cool runnings For AAH Pharmaceuticals, managing risk is all about delivery integrity and driver security, says Dan Gilkes.

P

harmaceutical distribution is a temperature and time sensitive business, leading distribution company AAH Pharmaceuticals to design its own purpose‐built vans.

PharmaVan II is a dedicated temperature‐controlled Ford Transit, that provides complete traceability and security for the company, its drivers and its customers.

“The customer journey starts with pharmaceutical manu‐ facturers delivering with integrity,” said Tony Percival, head of distribution and supply chain development.

“That comes with a big weight of responsibility for us to deliver their products with integrity. The end patient’s welfare is foremost in our mind and we have to make sure the van is it for purpose.”

AAH has ordered 340 PharmaVan II models to be delivered over the coming year. Each van is equipped with a tempera‐ ture‐controlled cargo area conversion from CoolKit. There is a separate Eberspacher fridge, mounted on top of a secure controlled substances storage drawer within the body. Temperatures are independently controlled, with the fridge at 2‐8°C while the cargo area is set between 8‐25°C. The fridge is powered by a battery for up to 45 minutes when the van’s engine is turned off, to maintain a stable temperature.

The vans are monitored by a Seven Telematics’ Transcan Pharma temperature reporting system. They have sensors at the front and rear of the main cargo compartment, plus a product simulator at the rear of the body. There is a dedicated sensor in the fridge and the system monitors the fridge’s power supply, plus the van has an external ambient tempera‐ ture sensor. Transcan records ignition on or off, along with when the rear or side doors are opened.

Information can be accessed by the driver through a Transcan

72 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

unit in the cab and is available to AAH through a secure Seven Telematics website. The system also provides regular telemetry, such as vehicle position, speed, idling time and fuel use, while the driver uses a personal tag to show who is at the wheel.

PharmaVan II underwent three months of testing with CoolKit at the MIRA facility. This in part led to the irm’s rebranding of its delivery vans, when it discovered that the previous red livery resulted in a 3°C higher internal tempera‐ ture on sunny days than the new white colour scheme.

For driver and vehicle security and to counter fraudulent accident claims, there are two side‐mounted cameras, a forward facing camera and a camera in the cab. AAH has also speci ied a rear view camera, monitored in the cab’s mirror, to assist the driver when reversing or manoeuvring. Camera feeds are stored on a hard drive that can hold up to 12 days of continuous ilming, providing AAH with evidence of vehicle tampering and incident reporting.

There is a panic button next to the steering wheel, allowing the driver to covertly warn AAH if threatened while at the wheel. This delivers a text message with date, time and loca‐ tion to the leet department.

“Our drivers have helped us at every stage of the process,” said Tony Percival, head of distribution and supply chain development.

Indeed the irst PharmaVan II to hit the roads bears the name of Dennis Knapman on the doors, in recognition of his 50 years of service to the company.

AAH has more than 900 vans delivering twice a day to 26,500 customers from its 15 warehouses, providing a 30‐ minute delivery window. The Transits, provided by Arval Leasing, will cover 140,000 miles over a four‐year period.

AAH is keen to have the most professional team of drivers as well as the best delivery vans. It has a three‐year Excellence in Pharmaceutical Distribution rolling programme of develop‐ ment for all drivers and has become the irst company in the UK to enrol its drivers for the FTA’s Van Excellence Certi icate of Driver Competence.

It… is about ideas and technology.

ARI is known and trusted by fleet management decision-makers worldwide for innovation and controlling costs. Transforming data into information, making it instantly actionable, when and how fleet managers need it. Using technology to solve complex fleet challenges with real-world results. A world that is streamlined, less complex and more predictable. It is about fleet management success.

Moving the needle, and the bottom line.

Learn more about ARI’s professional fleet management services: 0844 8000 700 | www.arifleet.co.uk

VAN

MARKET OVERVIEW Daily Rental

How many commercial vehicles does your company operate?

How many rental locations does your company have?

Do you offer a one-way rental facility for vans?

Do you offer a delivery/ collection service for vans?

Do you offer an on-line booking facility for vans?

Do you offer an on-line management reporting facility?

Do you offer vans fitted with satellite navigation systems?

Do you offer vans fitted with tail-lifts?

Do you offer refrigerated vehicles?

Do you offer a guaranteed no turn down policy?

How many vehicle groups do you offer?

Do you provide electronic invoicing and statements?

Do you provide online damage management?

FLEETW RLD

Arnold Clark Car & Van Rental

2.5k

36

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-

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7

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-

Europcar

7.5k

282

✔

✔

✔

✔

-

✔

-

✔

14

✔

✔

Nexus Vehicle Rental

500k

2k+

✔

✔

✔

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✔

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All

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Thrifty Car and Van Rental

5.5k

95

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-

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42

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Key to services

✔

Service provided

-

Service unavailable

Europcar

Arnold Clark Car & Van Rental Arnold Clark Car & Van Rental is one of the UK’s largest, independently owned rental companies with over 40 years’ experience providing long and short-term tailor-made economical fleet solutions.

We have a nationwide, multi-franchise fleet in 36 branches throughout the UK. Close manufacturer relationships mean we can offer competitive rates on a range of up-to-date vehicles.

We have packages to suit all industry sectors, providing fleet solutions tailored to meet each client’s needs.

We have an online booking facility available for retail and corporate clients. Our business customers can also benefit from dedicated online management reporting.

Contact: Sales Team Tel: 01786 468 700 car.rental.sales@arnoldclark.co.uk www.arnoldclarkrental.com

Operating 7,500 vans at peak times and working with all the key van and truck manufacturers, the Europcar fleet now includes 4x4 pick-ups, 5 and 6 seater crew vans and Chapter 8 compliant vehicles as well as the full range of standard commercial vehicles. With an average age of 14-15 months, Europcar vans offer the best in security and functionality as well as delivering important cost and environmental benefits. And a network of Van Supersites – running down the spine of the country – with the capacity to store hundreds of vehicles, mean Europcar customers’ needs can be met faster than ever.

Tel: 01923 811250 www.europcar.co.uk businesssupport@europcar.com

Thrifty Car and Van Rental

Nexus Vehicle Rental is the leading provider of corporate vehicle rental in the UK, the only provider that offers you any vehicle, any time, anywhere! We have over 500,000 vehicles available in over 2,000 locations; our time-saving online system allows you to book in less than 10 seconds.

As the largest privately owned rental business in the UK Thrifty Car and Van Rental occupies an enviable position in both the car and light commercial vehicle market. Operating from a network of 95 locations with the youngest fleet in the industry and a UK based Reservation Centre capable of handling multi-location, dynamic vehicle bookings it’s easy to see why Thrifty is expanding in the LCV market. Our experienced and loyal staff base provides industry leading service and our on-line IT system means that clients can easily access information and vehicles. Why not contact us to see for yourself…

Contact: Dan Robinson sales@nexusrental.co.uk

Contact: Chris Harris chris.harris@thrifty.co.uk

Nexus Vehicle Rental

74 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

Tel: 0871 984 1940 www.nexusrental.co.uk

Tel: 01494 751500 www.thrifty.co.uk

VAN SUPPLIER DIRECTORY FLEETW RLD daily rental

contract hire, leasing & finance

racking systems

tail lifts

fleet management software

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

Lex Autolease Tel: 0344 824 0115 www.lexautolease.co.uk

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

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

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

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

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

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

Penny Hydraulics Tel: 01246 811475 www.pennyhydraulics.com

Chevin Fleet Solutions Tel: 01773 821 992 www.chevinfleet.com

Avis Rent A Car Budget Rent-a-Car Tel: 0844 5000 08701544 56 56 56 www.avis.co.uk www.budget.co.uk

Venson Automotive Solutions Tel: 08444 991402 www.venson.com

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

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

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

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

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

Teletrac Navman Tel: 0345 604 8813 www.teletrac.co.uk

Bynx Tel: 01789 471600 www.bynx.com

automatic transmissions

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

Stephens Engineering Automatics Limited Tel: 01920 462530 www.stephensengineering.co.uk

Full listings online at

telematics & tracking

www.quartix.net

Full listings online at

Clarks Vehicle Conversions fleetworld.co.uk Tel: 0845 319 2787 www.van-conversion.co.uk

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

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

Zenith Tel: 0844 848 9311 www.zenith.co.uk

Trakm8 Tel: 0330 333 4120 www.trakm8.com

Arnold Clark Vehicle Management

STEPS AVS Steps Ltd

Tel: 01939 235900 www.avssteps.co.uk

TomTom Business Solutions Tel: 020 7255 9774 www.tomtom.com/business

Tel: 0870 013 6663

fleetworld.co.uk conversions

www.navmanwireless.co.uk

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

fuel management

Tel: 0345 055 8555 Ctrack www.ctrack.co.uk

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

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

risk management

WEX Europe Services Tel: 0800 626 672 www.wexeuropeservices.com

Roadmarque Tel: 01792 824438 www.roadmarque.com

euroShell Card Tel: 0800 915 6021 www.shell.co.uk/euroshell

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

Vehicle Management

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

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

insurance Bluedrop Services Ltd Tel: 01706 658608 www.bluedropservices.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

VAN FLEETW RLD SUPPLIER DIRECTORY For more information, please contact Tracy Howell on 01727 739160 or email tracy@fleetworldgroup.co.uk vanfleetworld.co.uk / 75