Fleet World February 2017

ADD WORK. ADD PLAY. ADD STORIES. THE NEW BIGGER MINI COUNTRYMAN. MINI Fleet & Business Sales

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INTRODUCING THE NEW MINI COUNTRYMAN. The new MINI Countryman is our boldest, most spacious model to date, adding new dimensions in fleet technology and comfort.

MINI Navigation, MINI Connected and Bluetooth® are just a taste of the technological highlights. New driver assistance features such as Forward Collision Warning and Emergency Call make negotiating your commute safer than ever.

What’s more, our first true Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) boasts optional ALL4 all-wheel drive so the driver stays in control no matter the conditions.

A CONNECTED RIDE. • 8.8" touchscreen display – presents the MINI Navigation system along with other Connected services, including online search and music streaming • Journey Mate – the intelligent route planner that assists you every step of the way with information like traffic, weather, parking and more • Driving Assistant – includes safety measures such as Forward Collision Warning and City Collision Mitigation, autonomously braking the vehicle to prevent road accidents

Standard specification includes: MINI Navigation

Cruise Control

MINI Connected

Rear Park Distance Control

Leather Multi-Function Steering Wheel

Emergency Call

To find out more visit mini.co.uk/countryman

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CONTENTS_FW_Feb17_Layout 1 03/02/2017 18:03 Page 1

contents 06

An insight into TrakM8’s clever factory office

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03/02/2017 15:28 Page 1

February 2017

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How Jeep is looking to make a splash in the fleet market

FLEETW RLD All that matters in the world of fleet

Sharing is caring Uncovering a new generation of telematics

Interview Rob East of Mercedes-Benz

Tested Hyundai i30 MINI Countryman Nissan Micra

CES 2017 The tech that’ll transform tomorrow’s business travel

JEEP SKILLS Why FCA reckons its off-road brand is perfect for fleets

FLEETW RLD Comparator and calculator webtools for f leets

Want to know how much your fleet costs to run?

Visit www.fleetworld.co.uk to gain greater control, with the all-new Fleet World Workshop webtools... fleetworld.co.uk

Director Jerry Ramsdale jerry@fleetworldgroup.co.uk

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Behind the wheel of Hyundai’s all-new i30

Mercedes’ head of fleet, Rob East, on the future for the brand

Publisher Steve Moody steve@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Editor Alex Grant alex@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Business Editor Natalie Middleton natalie@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Content Editor Katie Beck katie@fleetworldgroup.co.uk VFW Editor Dan Gilkes dan@fleetworldgroup.co.uk

48 How shared data is driving the mobility revolution

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 Head of Production Luke Wikner luke@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Designers Victoria Arellano victoria@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Dan Desta daniel@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

VAN FLEETW RLD

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Don’t forget: visitor registration opens on 1st March 2017 for this year’s Fleet Show

LCV News, plus...

DRIVEN: Iveco Daily Electric and Natural Gas, Peugeot Expert.

LCV Daily Rental.

STAG Publications

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ALEX_FW_Feb17_Layout 1 03/02/2017 16:28 Page 1

fleetreview Editor Alex Grant lets you know when online visitor registration for Fleet Show 2017 opens, the latest from CES 2017 and his own move away from diesel...

Disconnected driving As part of my January spring clean, I’ve changed phone tariffs and now have access to unlimited WiFi in the London Underground. Obviously it’s useful, but part of me sees this as one less place where I can escape my emails for a bit and switch off.

I can see cars going the same way – this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas showed plenty of car-as-office interior options as autonomous technology reaches production. Not that the small matter of watching the road stops people staying in touch today.

Like anyone else who drives regularly, I wasn’t surprised to hear that the vast majority of distracted motorists caught during a week-long campaign were looking at a screen instead of the road. Or that many of them thought that hiding that device from sight masks their vehicle swerving between the white lines at motorway speeds as they stare into their laps to send a tweet.

Actually, despite the trepidation about driverless cars, it might just be a more effective solution to our smartphone addiction than penalty points and fines. In the meantime, I’m trying to avoid even hands-free calls wherever possible, enjoying those final years before there really is no escape from being within reach.

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

Ditching Diesel Speaking of distractions, having waded through a myriad of alternatives to the Grant family Kia Sportage, we’ve just taken delivery of its replacement. It’s a topspec Renault Kadjar, Fleet World’s ‘Best Crossover’ of 2016, and a sign of the times too. In a segment dominated by diesel engines, we’ve gone back to filling up with unleaded. With all the recent doom and gloom around diesel, I wonder where the market will be by the time our three years with the Renault come to an end?

Fleet Show 2017 draws closer A date for your diary; registrations for this year’s Fleet Show at Silverstone open on 1st March 2017 via our new online system. We’re in the advanced stages of planning our biggest, most exciting event yet, and registering gives you all the latest updates, as well as printable passes and itineraries to help plan your day.

Visit thefleetshow.co.uk to stay up to date with the latest developments.

FLEETW RLD Comparator and calculator webtools for f leets

Want to know how much your fleet costs to run?

Visit www.fleetworld.co.uk to gain greater control, with the all-new Fleet World Workshop webtools...

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INSIDE FLEET

Tailor made With rapidly evolving technology and a broad spectrum of customer needs, TrakM8 Group’s factory in Coleshill offers huge flexibility and incredibly quick turnaround times, explains Alex Grant.

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TrakM8’s ground-level factory manufactures, tests and distributes most of its hardware on-site.

Mezzanine-level oďŹƒces are home to R&D, sales and customer-focused teams, enabling two-way communication for ongoing product improvement and fast adaptation to customer needs.

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INSIDE FLEET The TrakM8 portfolio

Founded by Tim and Matt Cowley in 2002, TrakM8 has grown from a provider of hardware and firmware solutions for other tracking companies to become a ‘big data’ supplier with a wealth of expertise in-house.

Via a series of acquisitions, it operates over six sites.

Finance and early R&D work takes place at its head office in Dorset, its scheduling arm Route Monkey is in Livingstone, the Roadhawk camera brand is based out of Bodmin, while the SME-focused Roadsense operation is in Leeds. There’s also a site in Prague, primarily tackling software development.

Coleshill is the group’s production hub. Acquired with Box Telematics in 2013, it gave TrakM8 the ability to manufacture its own hardware rather than relying on external suppliers, and the site will soon build Roadhawk cameras in-house too.

Vertical integration

Coleshill isn’t just a factory. The site employs around 150 staff, and it’s here where early prototypes from head office are evolved into production versions, built from bare circuit board to finished product, and even dispatched.

The ground-floor level houses three production lines – two C-shaped high-volume lines and a third for prototyping, which can add volume to the others if required.

Overlooking the factory floor from a mezzanine, the site houses sales teams for its b2b and b2c insurance product, account managers and software developers. It means there’s always a short line of communication when it’s needed.

TrakM8’s product offering relies on rich data from vehicles, and that’s increasingly coming from diagnostic ports; a challenge as a lot of the most useful information isn’t standardised between manfacturers. Coleshill’s engineers are also reverse-engineering the way diagnostic tools read this information, so that it can be transmitted via the device’s 4G connection. It can provide pre-emptive maintenance warnings for fleet managers, better data for recovery companies, and even detailed usage data for electric vehicles.

One size doesn’t fit all

No two businesses need the same solution; the hardware provides a platform for TrakM8’s customers to cherrypick what’s needed. Customer-facing teams are able to liaise with software and manufacturing teams to tailor a solution to their requirements, and adding camera data from Roadhawk is bolstering that offering.

That direct communication between departments also removes time zone differences, shipping delays and language issues from the process. It means new ideas can reach production in timeframes usually taken to reach the prototype stage, and in-life revisions are much easier. This could be new features to suit customer demand, or even alterations to the design to make the product easier to manufacture. The factory floor can feed that data back to the R&D staff.

Even the factory operation is streamlined; the product is tested at every stage of manufacture, and every unit is also tested once it’s complete. That short feedback loop means problems can be discovered before they affect large numbers of products, and in turn helps avoid the need for operators to recall vehicles to replace faulty equipment after it’s been installed.

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BUSINESS_NEWS_FW_Feb17 03/02/2017 13:56 Page 1

inbusiness New cars SEAT Ibiza he fifth generation of SEAT’s supermini will go on sale in July, bringing a single, five-door bodystyle and an emphasis on technology, refinement and personalisation. The Ibiza debuts the new Volkswagen Group supermini platform, which features a stiffer structure and also enables increased cabin and boot space. Three petrol and two diesel engines are on offer from launch and UK sales are heavily petrol-weighted, even in fleet. Four trim levels will be available – S, SE, sporty FR and luxurious XCELLENCE – with standard equipment for the UK still to be confirmed.

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in brief BMW 520d SE EfficientDynamics priced from £37,220 BMW’s most efficient diesel 5 Series saloon will go on sale in March. Priced at £1,195 over the 520d SE, the EfficientDynamics gets reduced weight and improved aerodynamics, as well as a retuned 2.0-litre, 188bhp diesel engine and eight-speed automatic transmission. It also offers fuel economy of 72.4mpg compared to the SE’s 68.9mpg, while CO2 emissions fall to 102g/km from 108g/km.

Record number of motorists caught using mobiles

Kia Stinger he Stinger rear-wheel drive sports saloon enters a new segment for Kia and could put the brand in contention with driver-focused premium offerings. Unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show with its two petrol engines – a 252bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder unit, and 366bhp 3.3-litre twin-turbocharged V6 – the Stinger will also be available in Europe with a 197bhp 2.2-litre diesel engine similar to the unit used in the Sorento SUV. This will be paired with the brand’s eight-speed automatic gearbox, when it launches at the end of the year.

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A police crackdown on mobile phone usage behind the wheel has caught the highest ever number of offenders. The week-long November campaign saw 7,966 mobile phone offences detected, up by over threefold on the figure of 2,323 offences for a previous campaign in May 2016.

Westminster to trial diesel-based parking surcharge

Vauxhall Crossland X auxhall’s Crossland X crossover will launch later this year as the replacement to the Meriva MPV. Practicality is the focus inside and the Crossland X gets a rear bench which can slide 150mm fore or aft to prioritise passenger or luggage space. Technology includes the IntelliLink touchscreen infotainment system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto across the range. Selected versions will also get OnStar, with an eight-inch screen.

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Diesel drivers in Westminster will have to pay an extra 50% on fees for parking within Marylebone from this April. The pilot programme is being held by Westminster City Council and will see the charge for pay-to-park bays during normal parking hours raised within F Zone for diesel cars.

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Zenith sold to Bridgepoint for £750m rivate equity firm HgCapital is to sell Zenith to Bridgepoint in a transaction totalling £750m.

HgCapital initially invested in Leasedrive in December 2013. In early 2014, HgCapital then acquired Zenith through a bilateral transaction and merged the two companies.

in brief Fleet Alliance acquires Neva Consultants

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Diesels 28% less efficient than advertised, says TMC

Fleet Alliance has acquired a controlling interest in East Sussex-based Neva Consultants for a seven-figure sum.

The deal creates a new Fleet Alliance Group, headed up by Fleet Alliance managing director Martin Brown and with an enlarged group fleet size now in excess of 25,000 vehicles.

Report urges workplace parking levy in London

he gap between diesel cars’ official and real-world fuel economy grew from 25% to 28% last year, new figures from The Mileage Company (TMC) indicate.

The analysis of 21,200 fleet cars compared each individual car’s official mpg figure with its actual performance, based on TMC’s database of fuel transactions and mileage reports.

The same analysis showed a 19% shortfall for petrol cars.

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Tougher fines for most serious speeding offences rivers caught for the most serious speeding offences are set to face more stringent fines under new sentencing guidelines introduced following consultation.

Effective from 24 April, the new guidelines for magistrates’ courts in England and Wales will introduce a new higher penalty – ‘Band C’ – which will cover drivers whose offences fall within the highest bracket of seriousness in the speeding guideline.

This means that fines for such motorists will start from 150% of their weekly income rather than the existing level of 100%.

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London’s Congestion Charge must be reformed in the short term and ultimately replaced with road pricing to effectively tackle the impact of vehicles on congestion. According to the ‘London Stalling’ report by the London Assembly Transport Committee report a Workplace Parking Levy could also help cut congestion in the Capital.

MP calls for tax transparency on fuel receipts A draft law requiring fuel receipts to display all taxes in detail has been introduced in the House of Commons. The initiative has cross-party support and is also welcomed by organisations including the FairFuelUK campaign and the RAC, which said it is “just a long overdue form of transparency”.

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New head of fleet at Suzuki Suzuki has named Graeme Jenkins to head up its fleet sales as it posts record UK sales.

Jenkins was previously corporate sales manager at Maserati and also has 15 years’ industry experience working with Toyota GB in contract hire and leasing, business development and latterly in fleet sales and marketing.

ARI recruits head of asset funding ARI has appointed Rory Mackinnon as the head of its asset funding programme in a move to support the continued growth of its funding model.

Mackinnon will be tasked with helping customers identify potential efficiencies across their portfolio, which will include ARI’s own finance lease product and multi-bid contract hire.

Addition to RAC Business Services RAC Business Services has appointed Roger Williams as its new sales director following the retirement of Jenny Powley last year.

He said: “I believe the RAC has a progressive approach to meeting the demands of businesses, fleets and motor manufacturers and is embracing the future of the industry with developments in areas such as telematics.”

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inbusiness

Going it alone What could the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and the single market mean for fleets? Natalie Middleton asks the experts. t’s some seven months since the UK voted to leave the EU and while no one can speak with any certainty about what Brexit means for the UK, the EU or the global economy, we do have some indication of the Government’s plans to leave the single market. But what does this mean for fleets?

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Running costs As with Brexit itself, industry experts who are happy to comment on exiting the single market think the main ways fleets will be affected are through rising fuel prices as well as increased new car prices and a possible fall in used prices.

When it comes to fuel, any problems will arise if the strength of the pound is adversely affected by the process of leaving the single market, with RAC B2B sales director Roger Williams saying “it will make an unwelcome difference to the price businesses pay for their fuel, whether they buy in advance or pay a discounted rate based on current forecourt prices. However that is only a short-term outlook and it’s likely that conditions will stabilise once we’ve been through that transitional period.”

Yet Andrew Mee, senior forecasting editor (UK) at Cap HPI, disagrees, highlighting that fuel prices are impacted by a combination of factors but adding that the UK’s membership of the single market is not expected to be one of the major deciding factors.

Car prices Another area of key concern to fleets would be any impact to new car prices. This is something that automotive trade body the SMMT has been at pains to point out since before

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the referendum and more recently the organisation has published an analysis indicating that the list price for cars imported to the UK from the continent could rise by £1,500 due to import tariffs. It also warns that export and import tariffs could cost the UK car industry £4.5bn a year.

Certainly already the BVRLA is cautioning that the weaker pound is having an impact on the cost of imported parts and vehicles and adds that although the automotive industry will, “try to absorb these costs for long as possible, some of these may need to be passed on to customers”.

Cap HPI’s Andrew Mee also advises that due to the new exchange rate environment, list prices are likely to increase over the coming months but added that, “the impact on fleets is expected to be considerably reduced by manufacturer action on discounts”.

Opinions over possible impacts of exiting the single market on the used car market vary. James Reardon, senior tax manager and company car specialist at KPMG UK, says that a weaker pound and a flat economy could see a tumble in residual values, which would increase rental and leasing costs. He also warns that fleets could also face a double whammy of rising new car prices and P11D payments on the BiK paid on rising list prices.

Yet Cap HPI’s Andrew Mee thinks used car values are unlikely to be impacted and will instead continue to be driven by the balance of supply and demand. He adds: “This looks set to remain relatively stable for the short term at least.

Cap HPI is not changing its market deflation assumption at present, so expect residual values to continue to deflate at their current rate.”

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inbusiness

SPOTLIGHT JEEP

A new trail Following a record year of sales, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is aiming to take Jeep from niche player to mainstream fleet brand, with new products and a group-wide business sales strategy behind it. Alex Grant finds out more. hough it’s a household name, a pioneer of roadgoing four-wheel drive cars and synonymous with now-booming segments of the market, Jeep has never quite found its niche in Europe. But that might be about to change – and fleet is set to be a backbone of UK sales which could more than double before the end of the decade.

Part of that renewed momentum comes from finding its space within a wider product portfolio. Positioned as the luxury SUV arm of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Jeep gets to benefit from cross-selling which put its products within a wider offering alongside Fiat and Alfa Romeo.

FCA’s investment in ‘professionalising’ the network means Jeep customers can utilise the 250-strong Business Centre dealers across Europe, of which 40 are in the UK, as well as a central, national fleet team.

Positioning the brand within a portfolio which, according to head of fleet for the EMEA region Gianluca Italia, now covers 74% of the European market, is already lifting sales. Last year, FCA sold 1.4 million Jeeps globally; just under 8% of the 18 million cars it’s sold since the brand launched in 1941. Of those, 105,000 sold

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in Europe, where the UK was the third-largest market after Italy and Germany, at 14,090 units; a 30.5% increase on 2015, with almost all of the volume growth coming from fleet.

Significantly, the shape of that business is changing.

Rental and demo volumes were static year-on-year in the UK, while the first full year with Renegade on sale drove a 96.3% increase in ‘true fleet’ volume (to 3,535 units) and 121.3% rise (to 2,091 units) in Motability.

And there’s more to come.

“The old stereotype that SUVs are not made for business customers is wrong,” said Italia. “We are moving from a niche brand to a volume one, both from qualitative and quantitative point of view. In pure fleet channels, Jeep models are in line with the industry.”

JEEP IN NUMBERS 556.6% UK sales increase since 2016 78.8% Renegade share of UK sales 115g/km CO2 emissions for most efficient Renegade 2020 due date for the first electrified Jeep

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Thinking small, aiming big enegade has shown the importance of tailoring products to local markets; European versions of the compact crossover are made in Melfi, Italy, and Jeep has broadened its manufacturing footprint to include India, China and Brazil. But Renegade is only the beginning.

Late this year, Jeep will re-introduce the Compass nameplate to Europe; a Qashqai-sized crossover on an extended version of the platform under the Renegade and Fiat 500X. In line with segment norms, there will be two and four-wheel drive versions, likely to include FCA’s 1.6 and 2.0-litre diesel engines for fleets. Its predecessor, withdrawn from the UK in 2014, featured a limited engine line-up and sold in small numbers as a result.

Head of brand for EMEA, Dante Zilli, wouldn’t comment on projected sales for the Compass, but said it would compete in a higher-volume segment than the Renegade, hinting that it could outsell its smaller sibling. At that level, it could single-handedly double Jeep’s UK sales.

There are other products in the pipeline. The Grand Cherokee gets a light facelift in the first half of this year, closely followed by a new Wrangler. By 2020, the line-up will include a flagship Wagoneer – reviving a nameplate not seen since the early 1990s – and a pickup truck, likely to share its platform and engines with the Dodge Ram and therefore unlikely to be available in Europe.

But, with the right products on the way and the infrastructure to support them, Jeep might just be about to find its place in fleet.

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The new Jeep Compass will launch in Europe later this year, in off-road Trailhawk (above) and luxurious Summit (below) trims.

We’ve done a lot of thinking too Chances are, keeping running costs low and drivers happy are what occupy you most. Same goes for us.

It’s why we redesigned the Civic’s rear wing. So now it not only looks sportier, but saves up to 5mpg.

Great minds really do think alike.

Discover more clever thinking at www.honda.co.uk/civicfleet

Fuel consumption figures for the Civic range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 37.2 – 70.6 (7.6 – 4.0), Extra Urban 54.3 – 85.6 (5.2 – 3.3), Combined 46.3 – 78.5 (6.1 – 3.6). CO 2 emissions: 145 – 94 g/km. Fuel consumption figures sourced from official EU-regulated laboratory test results, are provided for comparison purposes and may not reflect real-life driving experience.

Model Shown: Civic 1.6 i-DTEC SR Manual in Brilliant Sporty Blue Metallic.

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Almost one in four European PHEVs registered in the UK he UK remained Europe’s largest market for plug-in hybrids during 2016, accounting for almost a quarter of the total volume, figures from manufacturers’ association ACEA reveal.

Plug-ins are a favoured technology in the region; of the 206,584 mains-rechargeable vehicles registered across the European Union and EFTA last year, 112,999 were plug-in hybrids while the remainder were pure electric models.

Almost all of the growth in plug-in vehicle registrations last year can be attributed to rising volumes of plug-in hybrids across the region.

The UK remained the leading market last year; 24,714 plug-in hybrids were registered here during 2016, which is a 21.9% share of the region’s total volume. Two thirds of the 36,917 plug-in vehicles sold in the UK are hybrids, accounting for a 0.9% share of the total passenger car market.

That’s higher even than Norway, which also recorded growing plug-in hybrid volumes last year helped by a change in tax rules in 2015 which reduced the weight-

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based tax penalty that had always given pure electric vehicles a running cost advantage. A total of 20,653 plug-in hybrids were registered in Norway in 2016, compared to 24,222 electric vehicles.

However, Norway remains the region’s biggest-volume market for plug-in vehicles; 44,908 were registered last year, taking a 29.0% share of Norwegian passenger car market.

Significantly, this suggests electric and plug-in hybrid registrations could exceed conventional diesel and petrol models during 2017 – these took a 30.8% and 29.0% respective market share in 2016, according to Norway's road interest group, OFV. By comparison, plug-ins accounted for 1.4% of the UK’s total passenger car registrations last year.

But the UK is ahead of other large markets; France is the third-biggest market for plug-ins (29,189 units), followed by Germany (25,214 units) and the Netherlands (22,801 units).

However, the Dutch market halved year on year due to reduced incentives introduced at the start of 2016, and the preceding rush for registrations.

We make EV charging smart business

Your people want electric vehicles But, how will you manage charging points, electricity, maintenance? How will you secure your investment?

We can help cut your costs We make reliable fleet hardware, like the dual Chago Wallbox. And our EV infrastructure solutions will drive down your costs.

For more on our products and services, contact Chago UK sales.

www.chago.com

Smart EV charging for fleet operators

EVNEWS_FW_Feb17 03/02/2017 13:26 Page 2

For the latest EV news, visit evfleetworld.co.uk

2021 launch for 360-mile, fast-charging EV battery S

amsung SDI has developed an electric vehicle battery said to offer a range of 360 miles and recharge to 80% in 20 minutes, and expects to begin mass production by 2021.

Presenting at the Detroit Motor Show in January, the South Korean company, which has produced batteries for BMW and Volkswagen Group plug-in models, said the new units were aimed at broadening the appeal of electric vehicles and accelerating the market.

The technology uses a new ‘integrated battery module’ – the building blocks of a battery pack – which can accommodate twice as many cells as those used today. Modules in production electric vehicles typically hold 12 cells with a capacity of between 2-3kWh – Samsung SDI said the new units will double the capacity, and thus the range, of future batteries while reducing the weight and number of components required.

Global hydrogen council formed

in brief Chargemaster confirms £15m network investment Chargemaster is to invest £15m in its UK charging point network, adding 2,000 new locations as well as improving back-office systems and adding new features such as contactless payments and automatic number plate recognition. As part of the plans, the smartphone app will add features outlining facilities such as WiFi and local points of interest near charging points.

Europcar launches ULEV sharing in Scotland Europcar has launched a new pay-by-thehour car sharing service for business and leisure travellers to the Highlands and Islands area in Scotland. The service offers a range of hybrid and electric vehicles including Renault Zoe, accessible from Inverness, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Kirkwall, Wick and Dundee airports and a town centre location in Inverness.

£1,500 incentive for Zero’s electric motorcycles

13-member council comprising carmakers and the oil and gas industry has formed to support the commercialisation of hydrogen fuel cell technology.

Launched in Davos, Switzerland, the Hydrogen Council will invest €1.4bn (£1.2bn) per year, working with and providing recommendations to stakeholders and policymakers to help roll out the global infrastructure for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Members include five car manufacturers, comprising BMW, Daimler, Honda, Hyundai and Toyota, alongside oil companies Royal Dutch Shell and Total, gas suppliers Air Liquide, Alstom, Anglo American and the Linde Group, and French utility company Engie.

Takeshi Uchiyamada, chairman of Toyota, said: “We know that in addition to transportation, hydrogen has the potential to support our transition to a low carbon society across multiple industries and the entire value chain. The Hydrogen Council aims to actively encourage this transition.”

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10.2%

Alphabet’s share of Plug-in Car Grant eligible vehicles in 2016; 3,619 units.

Zero Motorcycles has been approved for the UK Government’s Plug-in Motorcycle Grant, launched last November, providing customers with a £1,500 saving, deducted at the point of sale. It means the US firm’s motorcycles now start from £8,990 for the FX ZF6.5 and Zero FXS ZF6.5.

Outlander PHEV drops to 41g/km Mitsubishi has refreshed its big-selling Outlander PHEV for 2017, adding an EV Priority mode to keep it running on battery power where possible, reducing rapid charging times and revising the suspension setup to improve refinement. The slight increase in electric range, to 33 miles, cuts CO2 emissions from 42g/km to 41g/km.

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Source: Alphabet UK

The range, in miles, of the Tesla Model S with its new 100kWh battery pack Source: Tesla

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inbusiness

Crossed wires The increasing integration of technology with fleet vehicles creates issues of clarity and security, says The Insider. oes anyone else remember the time when most car breakdowns were attributable to a dodgy set of points, rotor arm or failed distributor cap, and easily remedied with cheap new parts, a screwdriver and a squirt of WD40? Yet how quickly have we moved on to a place where instead of the motor industry being the domain of mechanical engineers it has been transformed into one led by electronics and software.

Away from the car, we’ve moved from conveying messages by letter and posted into a red box for onward delivery, to smart phones which enable us to give and receive messages via numerous methods, instantaneously. Electronics and smart phones combined is about to give us a bigger set of problems.

GPS-enabled smart phones and the availability of apps and connected car services for roadside assistance, service reminders and bookings, and diagnostic alerts mean that it is now relatively easy to develop a simple telematics or fleet management app, capable of capturing driver and vehicle performance on safety and fuel-related items.

These apps often compete directly with the onestop-shop fleet management offerings provided by leasing companies. End-user drivers may be contacted directly by the app provider and asked to sign terms and conditions pertinent to their services, which likely conflict with another contract previously signed between the driver's fleet manager and their leasing company. So far this has led to some leasing companies opting out of any connected technology that conflicts with what they offer, which means all the connected services in a vehicle are switched off. Meantime the manufacturer is happy to have as much ongoing information about its asset as possible, for research purposes but also to forestall any security, or indeed component failure issues. Also, potential liability issues mean providers need to ensure the asset is correctly managed and with the advent of autonomous features, they must consider both vehicle and driver security. At this point in time, when cars can receive automatic downloads, and interface with our phones, the potential for malicious interference grows.

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My first thoughts were that the manufacturer would take control of all aspects of the vehicle, including having to have it serviced at a main dealership. I wondered if systems would be built which refused access for independents, or would not keep the vehicle system up to date thus rendering it useless. But it seems I did them an injustice.

A solution has to be found, and recent whisperings suggest progress is being made, courtesy of the VDA, the European version of our SMMT. Discussions are ongoing but all parties involved have agreed five key principles that any eventual solution will need to meet. These are essentially that the data owner must decide what is released and to whom, and must be given an opt-out option. There must be free and undistorted competition for all service providers, so no monopoly for manufacturers; and indeed I’ve heard they are also warming to the idea of adopting an open-source approach, inviting third parties to develop apps and services that will work with their products. There is recognition that end users need data protection for privacy; and that companies need it for security and competition reasons. Services using the data must not endanger the safe function of the vehicle or impact the manufacturer’s liability and there must be standardised, common access to vehicle data and resources.

Data will likely end up being accessed via an independently managed platform using neutral servers, acting as go-between between manufacturers and those entitled – or able – to purchase some of that data. Note use of the words ‘purchase’ and ‘some data’!

It’s anticipated that leasing companies will need to buy relevant data from the original equipment manufacturers. Should we expect higher costs?

Surely the basic question remains though – who is the owner of the vehicle and/or the data itself, and if we all take the opt out, analysis of information which could be available and in many cases inherently useful, becomes irrelevant because it’s only partial?

For me, all this opens up more questions, so expect more on the subject next month.

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BUSINESS_CURTIS_FW_Feb17_Layout 1 03/02/2017 17:54 Page 1

inbusiness

DS finds its fleet This year will see Citroën accelerate the move to make DS a standalone brand, but what will this mean to fleet customers?

Curtis Hutchinson, editor of Motor Trader, reports. rand separations don't come around often. A decade ago BMW spotted the potential of the MINI brand and moved it into separate showrooms. Before that Toyota moved Lexus out of designated corners in its showrooms into their own facilities.

There's never been anything quite like DS though.

PSA identified a niche for a new premium car brand following the relative success of the DS 3, a funkier more upmarket version of the standard C3, which was added to the Citroën line-up in 2010. The same process saw the subsequent launches of the DS 4 and DS 5.

The success of these cars in France - and especially China - prompted PSA to drop the Citroën names from these models and create DS Automobiles as a separate marque. It could prove to be a shrewd move or an over-ambitious gamble.

The distinctive branding nods to the past with what is, after all, an iconic automotive name, while addressing current and future demands for premium alternatives to the established German brands; a factor that naturally plays well in the domestic French market but also seems to be gaining traction here in the UK. It could even strike a chord amongst userchoosers looking for something a little different.

The move towards brand separation in the UK is being accelerated this year ahead of a formal split from the beginning of July 2018. From that date only 90 of Citroën's 182 showrooms will be accredited to sell the DS brand; a development that hasn't played well in the Citroën dealer network where the brand fell to the lowest position in the most recent National Franchised Dealers Association's Dealer Attitude Survey.

Accredited dealers will either operate standalone DS Stores or designated areas of Citroën showrooms called DS Salons. Citroën has also opened a DS shop, or Urban Store, in the Westfield shopping centre, a move which follows the likes of Hyundai, Tesla, Infiniti and Jaguar Land Rover.

The brand separation is being driven from Paris by a Brit; Linda Jackson the international boss of Citroën and formerly managing director of its UK operations.

With PSA Europe's second biggest carmaker after Volkswagen Group, the intention is to drive up global sales through three clearly defined brands; Peugeot

B

22 / fleetworld.co.uk

handling the mainstream, DS the premium sector and Citroën inbetween. Heading up UK operations is Bek Hassan, the Londoner who used to report to Jackson when he was sales director of Citroën after which he led Peugeot's sales operations in Turkey.

2016 was not a great year for Citroën. The product cycle was at a low point so combined car registrations in the UK were down -10% from 88,626 to 78,889 units in a market up 2.25% to a record 2.7 million units. Van sales also slipped by -7.8%.

However, Hassan has high hopes for 2017 and beyond. The all-new C3 went on sale in January and its bold new look could finally give the brand a serious competitor in the supermini sector, a market it has previously failed to set alight. And, of course, the rollout of the standalone DS brand. He candidly admitted the process has not been easy with resentment from dealers not invited to be part of the DS project.

"We’ve got a lot of really good long standing dealers who have been with Citroën a long time and this is a big change and we must not underestimate the impact on their beliefs and mind-sets in respect of the brands.

We’re working really hard to make sure dealers are completely engaged."

Hassan took selected dealers to Paris last summer to hear PSA's plans for the brand and to see future DS products. ""As an investor it does give you a lot more belief and conviction when you can touch and feel the future products rather than us trying to explain it to them. We had a really positive reaction but, let’s be clear, there are still many questions and still some uncertainty about will it be a success. We believe it will. Our dealers need some time to develop their approach and we’ve got to take them with us and support them and carry them forward with us."

As part of the separation Citroën dealers will also form a standalone network selling cars and vans, an area the brand is keen to develop on the back of last year's well-received Dispatch.

What is clear is that SMEs will continue to play an important role in Citroën's reinvention of itself, while DS could have the potential to become a credible userchooser brand. We'll see.

GEEK_FW_Feb17 03/02/2017 14:04 Page 1

g fleet e k

Rowenta Ultrasteam Brush Aimed at the business traveller market, this small steamer promises to de-crease clothing and deodorise fabric, helping to keep the user fresh and presentable.

The 55ml water tank can generate enough steam to treat several garments at once, and the device operates using dual voltage for easy use abroad. Accessories include a soft travel pouch, lint pad and fabric brush.

Price: £30 from johnlewis.com

Mujjo MacBook sleeve Respected accessories designer Mujjo has updated its range of sleeves to carry the new 13’’ and 15’’ Macbook Pro. The sleeve is made of full-grain vegetable-tanned leather, with a felt inner to cushion the device, and the leather flap is secured by a simple snap button.

There are also integrated storage slots for papers, headphones, debit/credit cards and an SD card.

Price: £59.99 from mujjo.com

Heated Back & Seat Massager Designed to combat backache and muscle tension caused by long periods sitting down, this portable seat massager uses five motors and pulsing vibrations to relieve weary muscles. The motors are positioned at key points in the cover and can be selected individually for targeted attention, while the heat pad soothes the lumbar area. Suitable for use at home or in the office.

Price: £49.95 from prezzybox.com

apps of the month

Trainline UK

TapeACall

Geneva Motor Show

Despite rising costs and unpredictable service on some lines, rail is still one of the most cost-effective ways to travel from business.

Trainline’s real-time app tracks live departures, as well as future services with an easy-to-use search function. Delays are instantly flagged, and tickets can be purchased in-app.

Price: Free from Apple App Store, GooglePlay

Designed for use during telephone business calls, TapeACall makes a secure voice recording using three-way calling technology. The app acts as the third caller, and the user manually dials TapeACall into the line; it is not constantly listening in. Recordings can be instantly downloaded to a desktop and labelled for review.

Price: £9.99 a year, from Apple App Store, GooglePlay.

With just under a month to go, the latest update to the official Geneva International Motor Show companion app is now available to download. Features include a rolling news function with all the latest updates and photographs, an up-to-the-minute schedule of launches and presentations, and detailed floor plans.

Price: Free from Apple App Store, GooglePlay

24 / fleetworld.co.uk

www.volkswagen.co.uk

The new Golf.

With intelligent driver assists.

The futuristic new Golf is packed with intelligent driver assist technology, such as Traffic Jam Assist and Emergency Assist.

This helps you stay in control of the busy road ahead, before you contend with the busy day ahead.

We make the future real.

The new Golf from £17,625 RRP. Model shown £25,805 RRP with optional extras. Standard EU Test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results.

Official fuel consumption figures for the new model range in mpg (litres/100km): urban 29.4 (9.6) – 68.9 (4.1); extra urban 44.8 (6.3) – 74.3 (3.8); combined 37.6 (7.5) – 72.4 (3.9). Combined CO2 emissions 102 – 180/km.

FW Barometer_Feb17 03/02/2017 13:59 Page 1

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...

Street light switch off

Source: Confused.com

According to Freedom of Information data obtained by Confused.com, one in three of the UK’s six million street lights are now switched off or dimmed at night, with more than half of the 180 councils surveyed planning future regimes.

84% of drivers questioned by Confused.com said that visibility of the road is compromised when blackouts are enforced.

77% said visibility is compromised by dimmed conditions.

38% think unlit or dimmed streets make driving more dangerous, with concerns including hitting someone or something due to poor visibility.

39% said they would go so far as to avoid driving in areas that are in complete darkness or dimly lit altogether.

According to The AA, there have been 11 cases of deaths since 2009 where the coroner has ruled that lack of street lighting was a “significant” contributory factor.

Grey fleets compromising safety Companies with grey fleet drivers are being urged to get to grips with their duty of care as new evidence shows that drivers are still cutting corners with safety.

Edmund King, AA president, commented: “There is growing evidence that cost-savings from councils turning off street lights are being paid for with lives. We advocate that local authorities consider using decent low energy lighting on the streets most at risk rather than having a full blackout.”

Source: Enterprise Rent-A-Car

According to the latest Enterprise Rent-A-Car research, many are using vehicles much older than typical company cars, and fail to carry out basic maintenance.

41% of grey fleet drivers surveyed use a personal car that is over six years old for work trips, and 18% use one that’s more than a decade old.

27% admitted that they currently have a warning light on their car, while 21% said that they take longer than a week to respond to a warning light.

Only 43% have ever checked their tyre pressure, just 41% have checked the tyre tread, and only 46% have looked at their engine oil levels.

17% said they only get their vehicle checked at its annual MOT or service, and 2% admitted that have never had their car checked at all.

Shockingly, 10% said they have had a road accident that was either “probably” or “definitely” caused by a lack of proper vehicle maintenance.

26 / fleetworld.co.uk

FW Barometer_Feb17 03/02/2017 14:01 Page 2

Cost and availability of parking

Source: RAC

The cost and availability of parking is becoming an increasing concern for UK drivers, according to the latest RAC Report on Motoring.

18% of the1,714 motorists surveyed said the cost of parking is now one of their top four concerns, compared with 12% in 2015.

Concerns about the availability of parking have also increased, with 14% now saying this is a top four motoring concern, compared with 8% in 2015.

Of those who leave their cars at home for short journeys and use public transport instead, 23% said they have done so because they cannot find affordable parking when they get to their destination.

The difficulty in finding parking was cited as the most common reason for motorists using their vehicles less.

Back to black

RAC chief engineer, David Bizley, said: “We hope that the growing concern about the cost of parking is not symptomatic of an attempt by policymakers to force more people out of their cars and onto expensive or inadequate public transport instead – a case of using too much ‘stick’ and not enough ‘carrot’ when it comes to making motorists change behaviour.”

Source: SMMT

White remains the UK’s favourite new car colour but buyers are starting to return to black and interest in niche colours is rising, new data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) suggests.

The SMMT found that white accounted for 20% of all new registrations in 2016, but demand fell -2.1%; the first recorded drop since 2005.

In contrast, 2016 saw the highest take-up of black cars in the UK since 2007, with a total of 542,862 registrations.

Interest in traditionally niche colours also saw an uplift, with demand for pink cars growing 82.7% to 3,527 units.

The popularity of turquoise also grew fourfold last year, from just 792 registrations in 2015 to 2,718 in 2016.

Demand for silver, meanwhile, fell by -7.5%, with just 273,220 buyers choosing it compared with 843,870 in 2004.

Behind white and black, the third and fourth most popular colours were grey and blue, both gaining market share. Meanwhile, yellow cars appeared in the top 10 for the first time since 2013 at the expense of mauve, which dropped to 11th place.

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

BUSINESS_Tech_CES_FW_Feb17_Layout 1 02/02/2017 19:33 Page 1

inbusiness

CES 2017 It will drive itself, and soon

We’ll continue to hear a lot about autonomous cars over the coming years, as self-driving capabilities start to become more sophisticated in vehicles coming on to the market.

CES is the mecca for such technology, so in addition to futuristic concepts from Honda (NeuV) and Toyota (Concepti), there was a real-world example of what’s possible now.

Hyundai had a pair of Ioniq production cars (with a few extra sensors) that can already make their way around a loop of public roads in Las Vegas, negotiating traffic lights, pedestrians and other cars.

It was an impressive display, showing that a self-driving future (which will benefit fleet drivers by giving them more productive time in their vehicles), is close.

From the world’s biggest consumer show, the 10 most important trends shaping tomorrow’s business vehicles. By Craig Thomas.

It will learn

Love it or fear it, artificial intelligence (AI) is a key component of autonomous driving, AI will bring machine learning to cars to help them deal with any traffic situations.

At CES, Audi announced a deal with technology company and processor manufacturer, NVIDIA, which is providing processors to help the German brand’s self-driving prototype Q7s with ‘deep learning’, which means that cars can take the data and observations from cameras and sensors, along with driver inputs, to deal with traffic situations the next time it encounters them.

We’re still a long way from AI-enabled cars, but it’s a start.

It will be an intelligent personal assistant

It will have a radically different interior

The benefits of autonomous car technology for business car users was highlighted by Panasonic’s Autonomous Cabin Concept, which showcased infotainment and connectivity features in a futuristic four-seat cabin.

Features included smart materials, augmented reality displays on glazed surfaces and connected interactive tables, which can either be used as individual touchscreens or together for collaborative work.

28 / fleetworld.co.uk

There’s currently a lot of buzz around personal voice assistants such as Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa and Microsoft’s Cortana.

These systems are not just for the home and office, however: they’re coming to cars, too.

At CES, there were announcements of new partnerships, including Ford introducing Amazon’s Alexa voice control to its cars and Nissan linking up with Microsoft to bring Cortana to its vehicles. Alexa will be available later this summer, helping drivers with calendar integration, playing music and navigational tasks, while Cortana will do the same.

For fleet users, these voice control systems will be hugely valuable in helping integrate productivity features in the car, home and office.

BUSINESS_Tech_CES_FW_Feb17_Layout 1 02/02/2017 19:34 Page 2

It will work with your home and office

Our ‘blended lifestyles’ are only going to become more established, as connectivity and the Internet of Things take a firmer grip on all our lives.

Hyundai’s Smart House is perhaps the ultimate expression of the connection between home/work life and life on the road, integrating mobility with living and working spaces, thanks to a car that ‘docks’ with a building. The concept was designed to blend features from the car with home and work environments, to create a user experience that is uninterrupted whether working or socialising at home, or on the move.

It will give more data, but won’t distract Countering concerns that technology is an increasing distraction was Panasonic’s head-up display (HUD) that incorporated augmented reality features. It ensures that drivers can keep their eyes on the road, but at the same time the car is able to project virtual images on to the windscreen in their eye line.

Data from cameras around the car can be fed to the driver to make them aware of hazards. Mirrors can even be eliminated, with images from rear-view cameras projected on to the screen.

This technology should be available within a few years, enhancing the driving experience and making roads safer.

It could be controlled by holograms

It will monitor, and improve, your health Spending large sections of the day in a vehicle doesn’t make for the healthiest of lifestyles, so a car that can monitor the driver’s health – and respond to the data – is one that would be of huge value to fleets.

There are a number of initiatives in this area, including one from Hyundai (again – the company had a significant presence at CES), which revealed its Health + Mobility Cockpit concept that monitors the physical and mental health of drivers via a series of sensors. Aspects such as posture, respiratory rate and breathing depth can be measured using eye tracking, steering wheel sensors and facial feature recognition, while ‘sensory bursts’ are triggered to relieve stress or relax the driver or stimulate them.

Similarly, Mercedes-Benz also showed its Fit & Healthy concept, designed to enhance the well-being of a car’s occupants, using sensors in the cabin, along with wearable devices, to capture data that can help respond to tiredness or stress and, potentially, communicate with the car’s safety systems.

It should be unhackable With the increase in car connectivity and cloud-based interaction, there are inevitable questions about cyber security and the possibility of hacking. Harman showed at CES how it has developed solutions to these dangers with its ECUShield and TCUShield products, which counter hacking threats via telematics systems or the dongles that are frequently used for the likes of telematics-based insurance.

Using machines that learn to respond to abnormal patterns of behaviour, this is the kind of software that will be increasingly necessary to ensure protection for in-car networks, confidential data and vehicle integrity in the increasingly complex fleet vehicles we’ll be using in the coming years.

It will keep you moving after you park First mile/last mile transport was another theme at CES, looking at situations where congested traffic means parking up for an appointment some way from your ultimate destination.

Using another form of personal mobility seems to be the solution, with Honda’s NeuV concept featuring an electric skateboard and Hyundai seeing a fold-up electric scooter (which charges in the door pocket of an Ioniq) as the answer. Not perhaps the most natural accessory to a business suit, but if they stop fleet users being late for a meeting, they might just work.

BMW used CES to show a holographic-based in-car control and display technology. A development of the company’s concept car at last year’s CES, HoloActive Touch is a touchscreen that you don’t actually have to touch, instead using gestures on a free-floating virtual display to control the user interface.

This might seem like science fiction, but it will be reality before we know it, making life easier and safer for fleet drivers.

fleetworld.co.uk / 29

amore 5” touchscreen with navigation

UConnect LIVE service

Air conditioning 440 litre boot capacity

ROOM FOR AMBITION Rear parking sensors Adaptive cruise control

16” alloy wheels Front seat central armrest

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new

ELITE

Fuel consumption figures for the new Fiat Tipo Elite range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 68.9 (4.1) - 70.6 (4.0); Extra

figures based on standard EU tests for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. Model shown is Fiat Tipo Elite Hatchback at £17,345 OTR.

CO2 From 89g/km

MPG Up to 83.1

BIK 18%

You don’t have to spend a lot to get a lot from the new Fiat Tipo Elite edition.

Spot on whether you’re running a fleet or financing one, because your drivers will enjoy getting loads of kit and Italian style as standard. And you’ll appreciate low running costs. Now that’s amore.

To find out more call our business centre free on 0808 168 6898.

f i a t .c o.u k / f lee t Urban 88.3 (3.2) – 94.2 (3.0); Combined 80.7 (3.5) – 83.1 (3.4). CO2 emissions 92 – 89 g/km.

Fuel consumption and CO2

ROAD_FW_Hyundai_i30_Feb17 03/02/2017 15:11 Page 1

Hyundai i30 Engine choice and higher levels of safety equipment drive i30 sales, says Dan Gilkes.

SECTOR Lower medium PRICE £16,995-£24,745 FUEL 51.4-74.3mpg CO2 99-125g/km

here can be few more competitive sectors of the market than the lower medium hatchback, an area that is itself under attack from the growing number of B-SUVs on sale. Yet, it remains an important market for many manufacturers, including Hyundai. i30 has played an important role in Hyundai’s success, the firm will top more than a million i30s by 2018. With up to 50% of UK i30s bound for fleet buyers, this update aims to further boost the hatchback’s appeal, with additional petrol engines and a boost in electronic safety systems.

Most are expected to be tempted by the carried over 1.6litre CRDi diesel engine, that puts out 110bhp in UK specification, returning up to 74.3mpg with a six-speed manual transmission or 68.9mpg with the firm’s seven-speed DCT dual-clutch box. The more important number, for the moment at least, is 99g/km for the manual car, rising to 109g/km for the auto.

However if you aren’t putting in the miles, or looking for the last word in CO2 emissions, a growing choice of petrol engines deliver a number of tempting options. The first of The 1.0-litre engine is perhaps the surprise of the range. If those is a new 1.4-litre T-GDi turbocharged petrol engine you expect it to be hamstrung by the larger car’s additional delivering 140bhp and available with either transmission. weight, think again. It delivers peppy performance and the This delivers a claimed 52.3mpg and ability to haul the car along at motorway speeds, 124g/km for the manual or 51.4mpg and only dropping a gear on the steepest of inclines.

FLEET FACT 125g/km for the DCT. With 175lb/ft of torque If your regular use is primarily urban, you available, the 1.4-litre engine pulls well and would hardly notice the lack of cubic capacity. responds rapidly to the throttle. The six-speed Indeed the engines rarely intrude at all, such The 1.6CRDi with manual gearbox has well-spaced ratios for the is the improved level of noise insulation and six-speed manual power output and it is easy to make progress refinement in the i30’s cabin. Admittedly the gearbox returns on country roads or the motorway. interior might not set any pulses racing, but it’s just 99g/km CO2.

The third engine option is the three-cylinder well screwed together, comfortable and deliv1.0-litre T-GDi already seen in Hyundai’s ers a calm, quiet ride over all but the bumpiest smaller i20. The three-pot has been tweaked to deliver a of roads. There’s a host of new technology on offer too, with healthy 120bhp, but can only be twinned with the manual Lane Departure Warning System, Forward Collision Warngearbox. This results in 56.5mpg and a 115g/km output. ing System, Lane Keep Assist, Autonomous Emergency Braking and Hill Start Control now standard on all models.

Standard specification also includes DAB and Bluetooth on all models, plus electric windows and alloy wheels of varying diameter. Prices start at £16,995 for the 1.0-litre i30 S, though sales are more likely to take off with the more generously trimmed SE model that adds 16” alloys, a 5” touchscreen, rear parking assist, rear camera and a leather-clad steering wheel.

SE Nav looks likely to be the first choice for fleet buyers, adding an 8” LCD touchscreen with integrated sat-nav and a 30% faster processor than in previous models. As with Hyundai’s five-year warranty, you also get five years of mapping updates included in the deal.

Initially available as a five-door hatch, there will be an i30 Wagon later this year, followed by an i30 N, sporty model.

There will also be a three-door fastback i30 early in 2018, completing the line-up. Though there is no confirmation of it at present, don’t be surprised by additional driveline options in the future too, as Hyundai has big plans to expand its hybrid line-up.

T

32 / fleetworld.co.uk

ROAD_FW_Hyundai_i30_Feb17 03/02/2017 15:11 Page 2

what we think The 1.6-litre diesel looks set to remain the popular choice for fleet buyers to start with. However, depending on use, both petrol engines are worth a look, with decent power delivery and impressive economy.

highlights Increased use of high-strength steel has seen the body weight drop by 28kg, while doubling rigidity for improved handling and ride comfort.

Multi-link rear suspension with dual lower arms increases stability, while steering feel has also been improved.

The 1.4 T-GDi has 40% more torque than the previous 1.6-litre petrol engine, yet uses 10% less fuel, producing just 109g/km.

fleetworld.co.uk / 33

ROAD_FW_MINI_Countryman_Feb17 03/02/2017 15:12 Page 1

MINI Countryman MINI maximises the potential of its controversial, but big-selling, crossover. By Alex Grant.

SECTOR Crossover PRICE £22,465-£29,565 FUEL 40.4-64.2mpg CO2 113-159g/km

ove it or loathe it – and chances are you’re in one mandates four-wheel drive and an automatic gearbox. It’s camp or the other – the outgoing Countryman was possible to add both of those to the Cooper D, should you transformative for MINI. Not only was it a head start need the extra traction or convenience. in a now-booming segment and useful for retaining Equipment levels have stepped up a notch, too. Recustomers who’d outgrown the hatch, but it was also the aligned to match the rest of this class, satellite navigation, five-door model that widened MINI’s fleet potential. parking sensors and a 6.5-inch screen are included from That latter point isn’t unique to the Countryman any more the entry-level model. That said, MINI is expecting most – there’s a longer-wheelbase five-door hatch and Golf-sized customers to opt for the £2,980 Pepper pack, which adds Clubman to cater for drivers who can’t live with three doors climate control, selectable driving modes, sports seats – and MINI has realised that its crossover may be better posiand LED headlights. tioned elsewhere. So the newcomer moves up a segment, It adds up to a competitive corporate offering. The becoming a rival to the likes of the Audi Cooper D returns 64.2mpg in two-wheel Q3, BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLA. drive form, the cabin is well insulated The X1 is an interesting rival, as the from diesel noise and vibration and the two are related. Though the MINI is wide spread of torque gives lively inslightly smaller, it shares the BMW’s platgear performance. It feels tuned to be a form and gets some of its family-friendly little sharper to respond than the X1 features. That means more cabin space, but, unsurprisingly, the Countryman twice the boot capacity, larger back doors drives a lot like its BMW cousin; sureand a sliding rear bench with an footed if firmly sprung as the brand’s adjustable, three-piece backrest. Engines products usually are, reassuringly are also shared; 1.5 and 2.0-litre weighty in its controls and no top-heavturbocharged petrol engines, and a pair ier than a hatchback. It’s good fun. of 2.0-litre diesels in the Cooper D and There’s no indication of an entry-level Cooper SD. To put the latter two in One D version yet, but the significant context, they’re what BMW would badge fleet addition coming later this year is a Better proportioned, 18d and 20d in the equivalent X1. plug-in hybrid. The Cooper S E Countrybetter finished and The change of segment is expected to man ALL4 will use the same drivetrain as positioned in a key shift demand slightly. Where the outgothe BMW 225xe iPerformance, with a ing Cooper D used a 115bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine and electric segment, the Countrydiesel engine, the newcomer’s 148bhp rear axle offering hot hatch pace, fourman has all the right 2.0-litre puts it into the heart of this wheel drive and tax-friendly 49g/km CO2 ingredients for a bigger segment’s volume. That’s expected to emissions. But, even from launch, the footprint in fleet. drive volume into the lower-spec diesel biggest MINI to date should be plenty rather than the 188bhp Cooper SD, which capable of finding new fans.

L

what we think

34 / fleetworld.co.uk

ADVTL_Honda_FW_Feb17_Layout 1 03/02/2017 14:53 Page 1

advertisement feature

Fleet focused A raft of changes to Honda’s award-winning CR-V have made it even more appealing to company cars drivers and businesses.

Not content with having one of the biggest selling compact SUVs on the market, Honda has made numerous mechanical, styling and specification upgrades to keep the CR-V on top.

Visually, the revised CR-V is identified by its redesigned headlight units featuring LED daytime running lights and HID projector headlamps. Completing the exterior makeover are LED rear lights at the back, new designs of 17 and 18-inch alloy wheels and a new front grille.

Inside the changes focus on the redesigned dashboard which houses the new Honda Connect system. This is fitted as standard on all grades above entry level, offering greater convenience and connectivity while on the road.

Honda Connect gives front-seat occupants fast access to everything from vehicle information and rear-view parking camera, to music and Bluetooth connectivity. The new system’s functions include internet access, two pre-installed apps, access to the Honda App Centre, optional Garmin satellite navigation, DAB and internet radio, Bluetooth telephony, rearview parking camera; and a range of vehicle information such as trip meter, fuel economy and journey time.

Honda Connect is also MirrorLink-enabled, delivering seamless connectivity between the system and the compatible smartphones. Occupants can also connect to the internet through Smartphone Wi-Fi tethering or a Mobile WiFi Router, allowing for full internet browsing while in the,

making it possible to search for local amenities or learn about nearby landmarks.

Under the bonnet is a revised engine range which provides enhanced power output alongside added efficiency. Three engines are offered: a 2.0-litre 155PS petrol unit and two versions of the 1.6i-DTEC diesel, including a new 160PS version which boats more power and reduced CO2 emissions over its predecessor.

Along with the 120PS version, the new diesel engine features a number of innovations which combine to make it 11% cleaner in terms of CO2 emissions than its predecessor despite being 6% more powerful. With CO2 emissions of 129g/km when combined with the standard six-speed manual gearbox, the CR-V 1.6i-DTEC 160PS falls into the 25% BIK banding for company car drivers in the 2016/17 tax year. And there is also good news for businesses which outright purchase their vehicles, as the CR-V’s emissions means it qualifies for the enhanced 18% writing down allowances.

Further good news for drivers comes with the added convenience offered by a newly-developed nine-speed automatic gearbox offered on the higher-powered 1.6 diesel model. This new gearbox replaces the previous fivespeed unit and offered improved refinement and emissions – down to just 134g/km, putting it in the 26% BIK banding for this financial year.

Honda Contract Hire packages mean CR-V 1.6 SE+ starts from £185 per month Terms: Honda Contract Hire rentals are for business users only. 3-year contract illustration based on 6 months’ rentals in advance followed by 35 monthly payments, 10,000 miles per annum, non-maintained and no metallic paint. You will not own the vehicle at the end of the contract. Additional charges may apply. For full Terms and Conditions visit honda.co.uk/contracthire

For more information visit honda.co.uk/cars/new/corporate-services/contract-hire

ROAD_FW_Nissan_Micra_Feb17 03/02/2017 15:14 Page 1

Nissan Micra Nissan has redefined the Micra so much that it almost deserves a new name, reckons Alex Grant.

SECTOR Supermini PRICE £11,995-£18,645 FUEL 61.4-88.3mpg CO2 85-104g/km

ver the course of the last decade, Nissan has shown of head and leg room in both rows, a good sized boot and low, it’s rather good at not only launching new namesporty driving position. It’s not quite up to the Ford Fiesta’s plates, but new segments for them. The Qashqai standards as a driver’s car, but it’s exceptionally quiet and created a lucrative new segment in 2007, and the Juke pulled well-mannered on the road, even with the 1.5-litre diesel a similar trick four years later; both becoming, and remainengine on board. Some models in the class above aren’t this ing, the benchmark products. comfortable over a long distance.

Which, when you take in the radical reinvention of the Nor are they this technology rich. Nissan has equipped all Micra, might make you wonder why Nissan didn’t give it a UK cars with traffic sign recognition, autonomous emergency different name to match. Granted, there’s equity in the name, braking and active lane-keeping functions, plus two chassisan identity forged over 34 years, 3.5 million models and related features from the Qashqai. Both use gentle braking, strong customer loyalty. But, with its big wheels, bright either to stop the front end pushing wide while cornering, or colours and aggressive styling, the fifth to keep the body level over undulating generation is a massive departure from road surfaces. the Micra norm.

However, UK sales are expected to be That’s perhaps a quiet admission that weighted towards the mid-spec Acenta its predecessor missed the mark. Built in trim. At this level, the Micra bundles adapIndia and seemingly drawn from a line of tive cruise control and Apple CarPlay – best fit through the scatter graph of global which includes a navigation function – as market demands, it arrived to a lukewarm standard equipment. The downside is reception and slow sales. Its replacement, Android users will have to wait a few focused on European tastes and built months for the same functionality, as alongside the Renault Clio and ZOE in launch cars won’t feature Android Auto.

France, won’t follow suit.

Colourful styling packs and an impressive The overhaul goes beyond its rakish Bose audio system with speakers in the new styling. Lower, wider and signifiheadrests are also optional, while Acenta cantly longer in wheelbase and overall versions can add satellite navigation with An accomplished superthan the old car, it’s grown from a city car parking sensors and the birds-eye view mini contender capable to a supermini, and Nissan is aiming to be camera system for £700. of challenging the best in one of the segment’s biggest-selling prodWhat’s striking, though, is that even on ucts, attracting a younger customer base. hubcapped steel wheels and flat colours, its class, but its biggest Rival superminis were the benchmark it it’s so different that it’s hard to picture as challenge might be was developed from, not its predecessor. part of the Micra lineage. Nissan might getting customers to see It shows. The cabin is spacious, soft to not have brought a new name to the past the Micra badge. the touch and can be brightened further world here, but it’s almost as big a deparwith coloured option packs. There’s loads ture as Qashqai from Almera.

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what we think

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ADVTL_CitroenC3_FW_Feb17_Layout 1 03/02/2017 17:52 Page 1

MASTER OF REINVENTION Bringing a unique approach to the supermini sector, Citroën’s New C3 offers fleets new levels of advanced comfort, the latest engine and onboard technologies and an array of personalisation options.

If you thought you knew the Citroën C3, it’s time to think again. The new thirdgeneration model launched in the UK in January and marks both a radical departure from its predecessor and the other models on sale in the supermini sector.

From a eet perspective, New C3 brings a number of unique features to ensure it stands out in terms of styling, onboard equipment, practicality and efcient and economical engines.

STRIKING DESIGN New C3’s bold styling breaks new ground in the supermini sector, with its charismatic front face, generous curves and the Airbump® panels seen on C4 Cactus, which offer personality and style as well as protecting the vehicle.

Adding to its unique styling, New C3 brings advanced levels of customisation for a Bsegment model. With 3 roof colours to choose from, and a total of 9 body colours, a total of 36 exterior colour combinations are available. Even the Airbump® panels, which are optional, come with either a red or white motif depending on the roof colour chosen.

New C3’s stand-out styling continues with the interior, which brings a choice of three interior nishes, including two optional upgrades – ‘Urban’ Red and ‘Hype’ Colorado. It also offers a panoramic glass sunroof option.

WORLD-FIRST TECHNOLOGY New C3 marks the world premiere of ConnectedCAM Citroën™, an integrated onboard HD camera with GPS technology and a 128GB memory that offers two main functions. It can safely take photos or videos that can be instantly shared via social media using a free app and it also operates as a conventional dashcam – automatically recording and saving 30 seconds prior to an accident and 60 seconds after – providing fleets with valuable evidence in the event of a disputed insurance claim.

New Citroën C3 also features a 7-inch colour touchscreen that provides intuitive access to all of the main vehicle controls, including the latest-generation CitroënConnect Nav system, which is both touch and voice activated. Other features available include MirrorLink® and Apple CarPlay™, a reversing camera, hill-start assist and keyless entry and start system. Driver assistance technologies include a lane departure warning system, blind-spot monitoring and a coffee break alert.

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ADVANCED LEVELS OF DRIVER COMFORT Citroën’s Advanced Comfort® programme has directly inuenced the creation of New C3, with a focus on offering drivers and passengers a feeling of well-being.

A key part of this is the incorporation of an updated suspension system, based on a proven architecture, which effectively lters out road surface irregularities. Impressive soundproong also helps deliver a sense of calm inside the cabin along with comfortable seats and a spacious, welcoming interior.

*Based on the 2016-17 tax year

ADVTL_CitroenC3_FW_Feb17_Layout 1 03/02/2017 19:15 Page 2

LOW BiK ENGINE LINE-UP Latest-generation PureTech petrol and BlueHDi diesel engines bring both efciency and economy for New C3 drivers.

There is a choice of three PureTech three-cylinder petrol engines: PureTech 68, 82 and 110 (Stop & Start), and two diesel powertrains: BlueHDi 75 (Stop & Start) and 100 (Stop & Start). All of the PureTech petrol engines are versions of the International Engine of the Year winner in 2015 and 2016.To offer optimum driving pleasure and comfort, New C3 is also being made available with an EAT6 automatic gearbox.

Emissions start at 92g/km for the BlueHDi 75 S&S manual with fuel economy up to 80.7mpg. Helped by its low emissions, New C3 brings BiK starting from £33 per month for the 1.2 PureTech 68 EU6 Touch for a 20% tax payer*.

EVERYDAY PRACTICALITY

Fleet demonstrators are available to book NOW! Contact your local Corporate Sales Manager or call the Fleet Demo team on 01536 272138 to arrange your demonstrator.

Designed to bring a best of both worlds approach to practicality, New C3 is compact yet accommodating. With an overall length of under 4m, it’s particularly agile and easy to handle, making it ideal for urban use.

Yet its ve-door, ve-seat layout makes it practical in all circumstances and there is no compromise on luggage space; New C3 has a boot volume of 300 litres.

ROAD_FW_Dacia_Duster_Feb17 03/02/2017 14:20 Page 1

Dacia Duster dCi 110 EDC Dacia moves to meet growing demand for C-segment automatics with Duster EDC, says Dan Gilkes.

SECTOR Crossover PRICE £14,995-£15,895 FUEL 62.8mpg CO2 116g/km

mong a host of trim and specification upgrades forwards and backwards to select gears. However, unless across its car range, Dacia has made its Efficient Dual you are tackling hilly terrain with plenty of corners and Clutch (EDC) automatic gearbox available on Duster. want the engine braking that a lower gear offers, there is This makes Duster the lowest priced automatic in the little benefit to shifting ratios yourself. compact crossover market, with an entry price of just The EDC transmission is only available on the higher Laure£14,995 on-the-road. ate and Prestige trim levels and it commands a £1,000 According to UK brand manager Louise O’Sullivan, autopremium over the manual box. However, despite Dacia’s repumatic transmissions accounted for just 10% of this sector of tation for value for money car pricing, the company has found the market in 2010, but that share had risen to 23% last year, that the majority of buyers will opt for the higher trim levels in making an auto option an essential part of the offer. Parent Duster, as prices remain well below competitor models. company Renault already offers the EDC box with the 1.5-litre Laureate trim brings alloy wheels, satin chrome styling diesel engine in a number of its own bars and skid plates, cruise control, models, making this an easy fit for Dacia. manual air conditioning and heated elecThe EDC box is being offered in combitrically adjustable door mirrors, while nation with the dCi 110 S&S engine in the range-topping Prestige specification 4x2 models only. There is no 4x4 option includes MediaNav, a reversing camera and it won’t be offered on the Duster and rear parking sensors. commercial for the time being. The sixDacia is not a big player in the UK fleet speed transmission is said to offer similar market, though Duster is perhaps its fuel consumption and emissions as the most attractive offering to fleet buyers. A manual, at 62.8mpg and 116g/km. well-equipped Duster with an automatic The EDC uses two clutches, one to transmission, for less than £16,000 with control the odd gears and one for the 20% BiK and the potential for more than even ratios plus reverse. Electric actua60mpg, is a fairly convincing argument to tors make the gear changes, with the put to a fleet manager. appropriate gear being determined in Duster has been such a success that the With automatic transreaction to driver input. The system also company has been struggling to keep up missions becoming an incorporates a hill start assist function to with demand. Dacia recently moved increasingly popular prevent the car rolling back when moving production of some other models to off on an incline.

Morocco, to expand Duster volumes at its option in many sectors The transmission moves swiftly and Romanian site. of the market adoption smoothly through the gears, going up and Duster won’t be at the top of every of the EDC box in Duster down the box. The driver can change choice list, but the option of an autois a positive move. gears manually, by knocking the gear matic transmission will certainly add to lever to the left and then nudging it its appeal.

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what we think

40 / fleetworld.co.uk

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ROAD_FW_Audi_A5_Feb17 03/02/2017 14:18 Page 1

Audi A5 Sportback The car that defined a segment steps back up to the cutting edge, reckons Alex Grant.

SECTOR Compact Executive PRICE £33,695-£42,020 FUEL 44.8-68.9mpg CO2 106-144g/km

hen the first A5 Sportback launched in 2009, Audi extended via a three-piece rear bench - you’ll get more into seemed to have caught lightning in a bottle. It’s a an A4 Avant, but there are few occasions where this will car that offered the best of all worlds; with lowleave you struggling for capacity.

CO2 diesel engines, hatchback practicality and seductive Engine options are shared with the A4, though there’s no styling, it’s become a core part of the brand’s compact-exec148bhp 2.0-litre diesel. Audi expects the 188bhp 2.0 TDI to utive line-up with 8,000 UK sales per year. be the big seller, with a large take-up of the seven-speed Arguably, in ‘mainstream’ D-segment terms, it’s nothing dual-clutch automatic transmission. It’s a remarkably quiet new – Ford’s first-generation Sierra was similarly brave engine, the cabin is so well insulated from diesel vibrations against a segment of three-box silhouettes back in 1982 – that you could almost believe it’s a petrol and, in bigbut, with its low roofline, frameless windows and sales wheeled S line spec, returns a very respectable 65.7mpg. weighted towards sportier trims, Audi very effectively posiIt should be genuinely efficient, too, helped by clever tioned a practical hatchback as a designtechnology on board. The A5’s cruise led choice. The new one does much the control is more intelligent than most; it’ll same, but don’t mistake evolutionary shut off the engine at low loads, or styling for a light update, because there’s decouple the transmission on automatic been a bit of a revolution under the skin. versions to save fuel and – with the That’ll come as no surprise to anyone upgraded navigation system – it’ll prewho’s driven the new A4, with which this plan engine braking and coasting based shares a platform. It’s longer, lower and on the road ahead. narrower than its predecessor, but also Less suited to long-distances, though, is gets wider front and rear tracks and a the downsized fuel tank on the two-wheel slightly longer wheelbase than the drive diesels. Shedding weight has cut it saloon. The two cars share segment-leadfrom 54 to 40 litres, though the full-size ing cabin quality, and a generational leap tank is optional, and so is doubling the forward in the driving experience. It feels AdBlue tank to 24 litres. Both are worth lighter, more agile and more in tune with considering for high-mileage drivers.

A best-of-all-worlds the driver, yet manages to ride better Otherwise, it’s a successful evolution option, combining even on its largest wheels. A proper fourof a popular all-rounder, but it’s also not economy, performance, door coupe, at last. alone. BMW now has a rival in the 4 But it’s style with substance. The Series Gran Coupe, and it can’t be long practicality and style. longer wheelbase gives extra passenger before Mercedes-Benz adds a CLC fourThere are few moments space, particularly in the back, and door C-Class Coupe to its range. Audi where you would there’s a much larger boot than in the old may have bottled lightning again here, want for more. car. That luggage area is also accessed via but its closest rivals have pulled the a large, electrically-operated tailgate and same trick.

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what we think

42 / fleetworld.co.uk

ADVTL_Skoda_FW_Feb17_Layout 1 02/02/2017 19:32 Page 1

The all-new ŠKODA Octavia

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Refreshed styling, more equipment, new connectivity and driver assistance features mark out the latest ŠKODA Octavia, with P11D prices from £17,000.

Striking new looks, useful new technology, driver assistance features and beneficial standard specification upgrades build on the Octavia’s outstanding reputation. New headlight design, now available with full LED technology, frame the more emphatic grille design that highlights the new bonnet for a wider, more confident road presence.

SE Technology trim: tailored for the business user With standard specification that includes 8” touchscreen satellite navigation, adaptive cruise control with front assist, front and rear parking sensors and light and rain sensors, the new Octavia SE Technology is designed for business use. Both Hatch and Estate body styles offer 1.6 TDI 115PS or 2.0 TDI 150PS engines. SE Technology models, with P11D prices from £20,395, offer BIK tax as low as £72 a month.

Later in 2017, a new Octavia Scout will join the range, as well as a new Octavia vRS with a choice of 2.0 TDI 184PS or 2.0 TSI 230PS engines – the latter making the new vRS the most powerful Octavia ever.

New infotainment systems The new Octavia comes as standard with new ŠKODA SmartLink+ connectivity, supporting Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Mirrorlink™ technologies. Infotainment systems now feature ŠKODA Connect packages providing assistance and remote access to the car via an embedded SIM. The optional Infotainment Online offers a range of information, navigation and entertainment features.

Enhanced driver assistance features New assistance systems include Predictive Pedestrian Protection and Front Assist as standard. The optional Trailer Assistant takes over the steering when car and trailer are reversing, while the Parking Assistant includes rear radar and a rear-view camera.

Interior: space, quality and practicality The new Octavia remains one of the most spacious models in its sector, with the Hatch and Estate offering 590 and 610 litres respectively, extending to 1,580 and 1,740 litres with rear seats folded down. A heated multifunctional steering wheel is now also available for Octavia, providing the ability to control radio, phone and vehicle assistance systems, with the additional benefit of driver comfort in cold winter conditions.

The all-new ŠKODA Kodiaq

Powerful design gives the all-new Kodiaq SUV imposing road presence with ŠKODA’s trademark space and practicality

It’s ŠKODA’s first seven-seat SUV and with bold, expressive design, strong lines and dynamic looks the all-new Kodiaq offers true dual-purpose practicality for business and family commitments.

Prices from £21,495 on-the-road The new Kodiaq is available with S, SE, SE Technology, SE L and Edition trims and five engine options. All models come with LED rear lights, a DAB digital radio, Smartlink smartphone capability and touchscreen operation for primary controls on SE trim upwards. SE models also include 18” ‘Elbrus’ alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, rain and light sensors, parking sensors and the option of seven seats.

At the top of the range, SE-L and Edition models add luxurious touches such as leather upholstery, metallic paint, Columbus navigation, Lane Assist with blind spot detection and wireless phone charging.

SE Technology offers tailored business trim For business users, SE Technology models – with P11D prices from £26,860 and Benefit-in-Kind from just 26% – build on the SE trim and add 18” ‘Triton’ alloy wheels, touchscreen Amundsen satellite navigation and front and rear parking sensors at no extra cost. Powered by a 2.0 TDI 150PS 4x4 comes with 6 speed and 2.0 TDI 150PS 4x4 DSG comes with 7 speed transmission.

To find your local ŠKODA Fleet representative visit skoda.co.uk/fleet Official fuel consumption for the new ŠKODA Octavia range in mpg (litres/100km): Urban 33.2 (8.5) - 67.3 (4.2); Extra Urban 51.4 (5.5) - 74.3 (3.8); Combined 42.8 (6.6) - 72.4 (3.9). CO2 emissions for the ŠKODA Octavia range are 149 - 103g/km. Standard EU Test figures are for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. Official fuel consumption for the ŠKODA Kodiaq range in mpg (litres/100km): Urban 31.0 (9.1) to 48.7 (5.8); Extra Urban 44.1 (6.4) to 61.4 (4.6); Combined 38.2 (7.4) to 56.5 (5.0). CO2 emissions for the ŠKODA range pictured above are 170 - 131g/km. Standard EU test figures are for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results.

IVIEW_REast_FW_Feb17_Layout 1 03/02/2017 17:45 Page 1

INTERVIEW Rob East, Mercedes-Benz

East Angle Mercedes’ head of fleet, Rob East has taken over at a brand that has seen huge growth in fleet in past few years. Steve Moody finds out what is next. o many, it might seem simple to come in as head of fleet for one of the German premium brands. You turn up, get handed a wide variety of fabulous products, and then just watch them roll off into customer car parks. But Rob East, Mercedes’ head of fleet, is taking nothing for granted.

“We’ve got a great story, but it’s fair to say that prior to 2010 we were inconsistent in the market and not as competitive,” he says. “But since then, with the launch of our direct sales programme and plethora of new products, our growth in fleet has been phenomenal. I feel very fortunate that Nick Andrews (the previous head of fleet) put a strong platform in place for us to grow, and the launch of our direct sales programme saw explosive growth and allowed us take a competitive share against the other premium brands.

“We’ve got a really sustainable blend of balanced sales. The market is always ferocious and competitive, but we have great product that absolutely works from a TCO perspective, and we’ve got unchartered levels of end user demand.

“We saw last year growth of about 16% across all channels in key fleet and business channels and as much as 23% through our direct sales programme, where we’re engaging with the leasing companies and large end users. So that’s where we’ve been able to have this explosive growth.

“We came from a relatively low base to be fair, but we’ve worked hard with the leasecos to explain our new product, and that means they then can take a bullish view around our new product. It’s a very consultative process, and we spend a lot of time talking to them about what we are doing to ensure they are fully aware of our offering.”

East says: “At the heart of the growth is that end users are saying ‘I want a Mercedes-Benz’.”

He adds: “On a broader level we have invested heavily in what we call ‘brand sharpening’. So whereas historically we might have been considered to be for a slightly older audience, with the launch of products such as A-Class we are appealing to a much broader audience, while appealing to

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our core customer base and ensuring choice for everyone.”

East knows about giving customers a great experience. He joined Mercedes in 2009 and set up the firm’s much-vaunted and ground-breaking customer driving academy at Brooklands.

After that he became head of Smart, was then head of national fleet sales, before taking over as head of fleet in July last year.

The job will be to take the brand on another step, because A-Class has been around for four years, and has been a phenomenal success, opening up the Mercedes-Benz brand to a much broader cross-section of people and Mercedes’ number one seller, followed by C-Class and new E-Class, which has been launched to much acclaim.

The trick now for East is to convert those A-Class drivers who are moving up the corporate ladder into the next level of product, and what they may end up in is changing too. The traditional path through C-Class and E-Class is altering, as tastes change.

“When I joined in 2009, we had around 20 models, now we have 30, and by 2020 we’ll have 40,” says East. “What is important is we now have product in key growth sectors. GLA, GLC, and GLE have been really well received in the marketplace, and they’re in growing fleet sectors. What we’ve seen is that end users used to have very defined car listings, but now, particularly in the blue chips, we’re seeing much more flexibility, so that employees can now either take a car, or a mid-size SUV. Every brand needs a very strong SUV offering. So when you look at GLC for example, the running costs are not prohibitive.

“We have got to ensure that at every point we deliver the best customer experience. Once we have them, we want to maintain that relationship indefinitely. The end-user fleet driver has the the same expectation as a retail customer so we must ensure that happens. Everything should be an exemplary experience, and to that end we will be making changes to our local business programme too. Smaller business still want to have that relationship with their local retailer. Yes, there’s some migration into broker channels, but there is still a requirement, so we have to continually develop our network.”

The challenge Mercedes-Benz now has to convert the broader audience that A-Class has attracted to the brand into the next level of product on the corporate ladder – GLA (pictured above), C-Class and E-Class.

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IVIEW_REast_FW_Feb17_Layout 1 03/02/2017 17:45 Page 2

“When I joined in 2009, we had around 20 models, now we have 30, and by 2020 we’ll have 40.”

fleetworld.co.uk / 45

ADVTL_ALD_Feb17 03/02/2017 16:31 Page 1

risk management

Analysis paralysis?

Don’t let data get in the way of risk management Rhys Harrhy, Telematics Product Manager at ALD Automotive UK, looks at how ALD’s leading telematics solution, ProFleet, can benefit companies looking to demonstrate a duty of care to their drivers. nsuring the health and safety of both drivers and the in different formats and from different devices. Processing general public is a key concern for companies operatthis data can often feel like a full time job and companies ing vehicle fleets. may lack the time and resource to dedicate to it.

Whilst fleet managers have embraced the use of telematWe’ve successfully delivered ProFleet telematics since ics systems to track mileage, operating costs and fuel con2004 but our very latest upgrade now provides a remedy to sumption, so too have they benefited from the ability to this very real concern. monitor their employees’ driving styles.

Developed using more than 10 years of customer Much to the delight of HR departments, I’m sure, compainsight, this online portal provides a single, intuitive nies have been better able to understand their drivers’ dashboard which consolidates incoming data from multibehaviour behind the wheel and address any concerns ple telematics systems and devices anywhere in the before a potential incident. Such corrective action may just world. Customers have the flexibility to link up their own involve a quiet word with the driver, or the implementation telemetry systems or use our in-house solution. of further training but, in extreme cases, it could result in Whatever their preference, with ProFleet companies can disciplinary action. produce accurate real-time reporting and auditable manThe benefits of telematics in this respect is clear, howagement records right across their fleet, through any ever when speaking with customers I often hear concerns device, anytime, anywhere in the world. that installing a telematics In practice, this means the solution might leave them ability to easily spot trends “Processing telematics data can legally exposed should they across their fleet without the often feel like a full time job and fail to spot or act on any possineed to gather and digest companies may lack the time ble risks highlighted by the reams of information from difand resource to dedicate to it.” data. If a driver is involved in ferent sources in order to do a serious accident or fatality, so. This new technology gives will the courts come looking companies the flexibility, confor historic data which could trol and insight they need to implicate the company in the achieve their goals whether incident? that be in cutting cost, managOur view has always been ing risk, reducing their fleet’s that telematics deployment carbon footprint or seeing a can only help to demonstrate a dramatic improvement in company’s duty of care to its their operational efficiency. drivers and the risks of ignorChoosing and implementing ing its benefits far outweigh a telematics system is a big such potential concerns. decision, but my tip to anyone Even so, it is a genuine fear considering telematics would which can emanate from the be this; don’t let the vast sheer amount of telematics amount of telematics data out information available to comthere overwhelm you. Instead, panies, often feeding in from a look to solutions which do the number of different systems, hard work for you.

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Contact ALD Automotive:

46 / advertisement feature

t 037000 111 81

e ukinfo@aldautomotive.com

w www.aldautomotive.co.uk

ADVERTS_FWFS_2017_ideas_Layout 1 03/02/2017 13:34 Page 1

Damon Hill beating Schumacher in 1994 The home crowd roaring Hunt home in 1977 Claire Rees discovering her perfect multi-marque leasing supplier at Fleet Show 2017 What will be your memorable moment at Silverstone this year?

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FEATURE_Sharing_FW_Feb17_Layout 1 02/02/2017 19:36 Page 1

FEATURE Data Sharing

Shared data is driving a revolution in mobility, and fleet users are right at the heart of it, as Chris Pickering explains.

here’s a much-publicised revolution in connectivity taking place at the moment. To fleet operators, of course, the concept is nothing new; telematics packages have been helping companies manage their resources for well over a decade. But as this technology becomes universal it promises to open up some exciting new opportunities.

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Big Data The chances are you already drive with a telematics device, and you might not even be aware of it. Hidden deep within the settings menu on all Android and Apple phones, for instance, is a tick box marked Location Services. When enabled this allows the phone to constantly report back on your speed and position. It can even do so if GPS is disabled, by triangulating the signals from fixed cellular towers and WiFi sources.

Other platforms and numerous apps provide a similar function, creating a giant database of what many of the planet’s two billion or so smartphone users are up to at any given time. On top of this, most traffic-

48 / fleetworld.co.uk

enabled sat nav devices and a lot of fleet telematics solutions contribute to this global pool of location data. If that strikes you as creepy, it shouldn’t. The information is all anonymous and you can always turn it off.

Crowd control This principle of collecting data passively from a large number of participants is known as crowdsourcing. It helps to create a huge real-time map of traffic flows, road closures and incidents.

“Most of our traffic information is now crowdsourced,” explains Graham Bradley, UK manager for transport data company INRIX. “By the end of this decade around 55% of all new vehicles will be connected, but at the moment we’re only at 10% or 12%.

When it comes to fleet-managed vehicles, however, telematics is almost universal. As a result, the majority of our data – something like 60% – is sourced from fleet vehicles.”

When it comes to this sort of informa-

tion, the more data you can collect the better. The current explosion in in-car connectivity (through both smartphones and dedicated telematics devices) is helping to create a more accurate, comprehensive map. For fleet managers this results in a clearer picture of the world around their vehicles. It allows the software to automatically pick out the quickest or least-congested routes, saving time and money. For drivers it means less stress watching the minutes tick away in stationary traffic, while for the customers it provides a more accurate ETA.

Beyond maps “Crowdsourcing doesn’t just provide real-time information; it builds up a very accurate set of historical data that you can use to predict future traffic conditions for route planning,” says Bradley. “That’s particularly useful if you have trucks following a regular route. We also have an origin-destination data set. This is anonymised, but it

FEATURE_Sharing_FW_Feb17_Layout 1 03/02/2017 17:58 Page 2

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Via its mobile app, Waze enables drivers to report real-time traďŹƒc and road conditions which are then displayed to other road-users.

gives an indication of where all the vehicles on the network are travelling to and from. That’s very useful for demand modelling, because you can see which roads and destination points are likely to be busy at particular times.�

Some software takes the principle of crowdsourcing a step further. Mobile navigation app Waze not only draws from the passive data generated by its community of users, but also gives them the option to manually report jams or obstructions. “When we began our target was to

save the average motorist five minutes every day,� explains, Finlay Clark, head of Waze UK. “In this country, we now have 1.3 million users. They typically spend about 1.8 hours a day in the car and we generally save them around five to eight minutes, so you can imagine how this extrapolates for those who spend more time on the road.�

The idea of drivers manually reporting obstructions via their phones may concern some, but Clark points out that operating a phone is no different to a sat nav or a telematics terminal.

Plus, the law makes a vital distinction between handheld phones and those secured in a cradle. “We don’t want people touching their phones too much. There are a lot of features you can use with voice control and we’re working to expand that further,� he says. “We were the first navigation aid to prevent people from typing when the vehicle is moving. If you’re stationary you can report a traffic jam with three taps, and I don’t think that’s any different to changing the radio station or taking a sip of your coffee.�

fleetworld.co.uk / 49

→

FEATURE_Sharing_FW_Feb17_Layout 1 02/02/2017 19:37 Page 3

FEATURE Data Sharing

“When we first created the app I was approached by a major telecoms company with 35,000 vehicles, which receives £4m of parking fines every year.”

Dan Hubert, founder of AppyParking

→

New horizons Traffic routing is just one way that drivers benefit from real-time data. It can also be used to locate the cheapest filling stations nearby or those that accept fuel cards; increasingly, it’s being used to find parking spaces too.

“Parking can be a major headache,” comments Dan Hubert, founder of AppyParking, which has just launched a new edition aimed at professional drivers.

“When we first created the app I was approached by a major telecoms company with 35,000 vehicles, which receives £4m of parking fines every year.

A large private hire firm we spoke to said it was paying £1.8m. At that point we realised the impact of getting this data into fleet companies.”

Following a successful trial with Pimlico Plumbers in 2015, AppyParking now offers a One-Click system. This recognises when the vehicle is in a registered bay and allows the driver to begin

50 / fleetworld.co.uk

paying for parking with a single tap. Once finished, you simply drive off and the meter stops automatically, eliminating the risk of incurring a fine or over-paying for an unnecessary amount of time.

AppyParking also provides real-time availability data for parking bays across Westminster, Reading and Coventry. This is currently taken from sensors embedded in bays, although as more cars become connected it’s hoped the app will simply be able to use location data to check which spots are occupied.

“We’re using high definition mapping data to make the car self-aware. This will include every restriction on the road, such as maximum loading times, so the car will know whether or not it can stay there and for how long,” says Hubert. “When you pull up the car might inform you that you can stay there for 20 minutes. We hope to have that by the end of this year. We’re also talking to a number of large taxi firms about embedding our data in their existing fleet management software.”

Crowdsourcing could lead to even cleverer ways to build up a picture of the available parking spaces, though. In Stuttgart, Bosch and Mercedes-Benz are experimenting with a project that uses the vehicle’s existing sensors to scan for on-street parking as it passes. This is then sent to the Cloud, where it informs all users of the available spaces.

Another idea that INRIX and others are working on is the concept of a ‘virtual horizon’. Here, a stream of data can be sent to nearby vehicles via the Cloud or by using direct short range communications (DSRC). This allows those cars to sense what’s coming over the horizon, or indeed around a blind corner. For instance, if multiple vehicles have their windscreen wipers turned on it’s likely to be raining or snowing up ahead, while sudden braking may indicate an obstruction. It’s early days for this technology currently, but it’s likely to be the next big thing as more connected vehicles appear.

The common theme with all these ideas is that they have the potential to transform vehicles into roving sensor platforms. Drawing data from millions of users will help to build up an incredibly detailed picture of what’s happening on the roads. That’s the real revolution in connectivity. And it’s already in full swing.

One-Click system Pimlico Plumbers staff can now pay for parking in registered bays with a single tap.

TAXATION_FW_Feb17 03/02/2017 14:37 Page 1

FEATURE Taxation & Funding

Salary sacrifice for cars: banishing the myths Professor Colin Tourick sets the record straight about forthcoming changes to salary sacrifice schemes.

his is the third time in the last twelve months that we have looked at salary sacrifice in this column, and I make no apologies for returning to it now. There are so many myths about the impact of the Chancellor’s announcement in November that it’s definitely worthwhile taking a deeper look.

Just to recap, in a nutshell, the changes the Chancellor announced were as follows: If an employee takes a car emitting more than 75g/km of CO2 they will pay the higher of (1) the relevant level of Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax for that car or (2) tax on the amount of salary sacrificed. The changes commence on 6 April 2017 for new agreements and 6 April 2021 for agreements that were live on 6 April 2017. Cars with 75g/km or less (ULEVs - Ultra Low Emission Vehicles) are not affected by the changes.

So, let’s knock on the head some of the myths that have been flying about.

T

1. “Car salary sacrifice schemes have been banned.”

That’s not correct. The tax treatment has changed for some cars but employers can still offer salary sacrifice for cars.

Imagine a situation where you are about to start a new job and the HR person goes through a nice long list of all of the benefits of employment. “We also offer a simple scheme whereby you or a member of your family can drive a brand new fully-insured car using the discounts we have negotiated with our suppliers and the interest rate we pay when borrowing money. In other words, you get the benefit of our buying power.”

Wouldn’t that sound attractive to you? Well that’s still the position. Yes, some tax benefits will only be available for cars emitting more than 75g/km of CO2 from 6 April, but this doesn’t stop the employee getting the benefit of their employer’s buying power, whilst still enjoying other savings like employee National Insurance.

52 / fleetworld.co.uk

2. “Salary sacrifice schemes will end in 2021.”

That’s not correct either. Cars that are ordered under salary sacrifice arrangements before 6 April this year will benefit from the old tax rules even if they are delivered afterwards.

The 2021 date refers to how long the existing tax treatment of current contracts, and new contracts signed before 6 April, will be protected for four years.

3. “Salary sacrifice is going to become more expensive for everyone.”

Also, incorrect, and not just because the rules remain unchanged for ULEVs. Salary sacrifice cars were always regarded as regular company cars for tax purposes. BiK tax rises annually and will continue to do so for all company car drivers. If the BiK tax an employee is paying on their car already exceeds the income tax on the salary being sacrificed, they will be unaffected by the new rules.

This point, which is explained in more detail in the Range Rover Evoque example opposite, has not received enough publicity. One leasing company carried out an evaluation of the effect of the new rules on their salary sacrifice clients.

They started by assuming that every salary sacrifice employee currently driving one of their cars would have stared their contracts after 5 April. According to their evaluation, 46% of those drivers would be paying no more tax under the new rules than they are paying now in BiK tax. If they did have to pay extra tax, in most cases this would be less than £5 per month. Of course, the employees could avoid this extra cost by simply choosing lower-CO2 or cheaper cars.

4. “The changes do away with tax and national insurance benefits.”

We’ve already dealt with the tax benefits. Employers will no longer make Class 1A NI contribution savings on vehicles with

TAXATION_FW_Feb17 03/02/2017 14:39 Page 2

emissions above 75g/km of CO2. But there has been little publicity about the fact that the Chancellor’s announcement does not affect employee National Insurance at all, so there are still NI savings to be made. 75% of current salary sacrifice drivers in the UK are basic rate tax payers so this represents a 12% saving on top of the other discounts.

5. “Many companies are withdrawing from salary sacrifice schemes.”

In fact the opposite appears to be the case. The day after the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement a couple of large companies announced that they were withdrawing their salary sacrifice schemes. However, leasing companies have said publicly that they have launched many new schemes since November. It seems that a backlog had built up whilst employers waited to hear what was said in the Autumn Statement. And many employers have realised that their employees value these schemes even without the tax benefits.

6. “Salary sacrifice is now only worthwhile for ULEVs.” As already shown above, this is not correct. However, the savings will be good for ULEVs under the new rules.

Let’s now look at a couple of interesting examples. In the first example, we can see that there is still a saving to be made by the employer even though the CO2 of this vehicle significantly exceeds 75g/km.

And in this high-CO2 and high P11D value example the driver will see no increase, as they are already paying more in gross BiK than the gross salary being sacrificed.

Range Rover Evoque (40% tax payer)

The employer’s position Current

After April 2017

Value of the car (P11d)

£36,562.00

£36,562.00

CO2 emissions & Average

113g | 22%

113g | 22%

HMRC BiK Rate

£670.30

£670.30

Gross BiK

£567.14

£567.14

Gross salary sacrifice per month

£268.12

£268.12

Monthly BiK (P11d value x CO2% x marginal tax rate, divided by 12)

£226.86

£226.86

Income Tax saving (gross sacrifice x tax rate)

£11.34

£11.34

£268.12

£268.12

£597.06

£597.06

The employer’s position Mini Cooper Current

Post April 2017

Vehicle & CO2

92 g/km

92 g/km

P11d value

£18,060

£18,060

Tax due (BiK or income tax whichever is higher)

Vehicle scale charge

20% (ave)

20% (ave)

Net cost to employee

Gross salary reduction

£366.53

£366.53

Benefit-in-Kind

£301.00

£301.00

(Gross cost - NI saving Income Tax saving + Tax due)

Class 1 NI that would be paid on salary

£50.58

£50.58

Class 1A NI payable on gross reduction or taxable benefit, whichever is higher

£41.54

£50.58

Net saving per employee

£9.04

£0.00

Average annual net saving

£108.48

£0.00

I suspect that once they do the sums, most employers will decide to stick with their salary sacrifice schemes. The calculations now have to be done slightly differently but the financial logic in favour of salary sacrifice for cars remains intact.

Professor Colin Tourick MSc FCA FCCA MICFM University of Buckingham

fleetworld.co.uk / 53

MKT_FW_Risk Mgmt_Feb17 03/02/2017 14:15 Page 1

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Employers have a duty of care for staff who drive for work. As one of the UK leaders in road risk management and driver education, DriveTech works with you to deliver driver risk management solutions throughout the UK. This includes ‘driving for work’ programmes, action plans, licence validation, driver assessment (paper, on road and online) as well as in-vehicle and workshop training for all vehicle drivers including Driver CPC. Visit our website to find out what our customers have achieved from implementing occupational road risk strategies with us. Case studies include: • Becton Dickinson • Center Parcs • Cordek • Dow • Feedwater • Shred-it Contact: Sharon Dewey tellmemore@drivetech.co.uk www.drivetech.co.uk

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Every company has a corporate responsibility and duty of care for employees who drive for work. As a leading UK provider of Occupational Road Risk (ORR) solutions, from online risk profiles to on road training, Mac know that a sustained campaign on ORR solutions, linked with the company’s health and safety policy, will have an immediate impact on: • Drivers attitude and behaviour • Reduction in incidents/related costs • Reduction in fuel consumption By using ex-police instructors delivering independently accredited courses, you are guaranteed a quality-assured service.

Course funding is now available through our partnership with the Energy Saving Trust.

54 / fleetworld.co.uk

The ALD Automotive group is the second largest vehicle leasing operation in Europe and manages over 1.3 million vehicles across more than 40 countries worldwide. Within the UK ALD is widely recognised as one of the industry’s leading service providers, with a proven portfolio of award winning products for major plc’s, small businesses and individual drivers alike. An integral part of ALD’s product range is its award winning DriveSafe programme offering a straightforward, practical and cost effective solution to help establish a lasting road risk reduction programme for all employees who drive on business.

Utilising the expertise of specialist partners DriveSafe provides a comprehensive and co-ordinated solution, all managed under one roof and uniquely delivered via ALD’s threesixty online portal.

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LTT_FW_Feb17 03/02/2017 18:56 Page 1

our fleet Audi Q2 S line 1.4 TFSI CoD S-tronic MY local hand car wash, much to my surprise, categorises the Q2 as an SUV. I’d felt too guilty about the Audi’s grime-caked bodywork to question the £2 surcharge for ‘4x4s’, but it’s left me wondering where you draw the line on vehicle size.

The Q2 certainly isn’t a big car; actually, it’s smaller than it appears in photos and you don’t really get a feel for that until you can compare it with what are seemingly only slightly larger crossovers. Moving out of our Sportage as we were trading it in, highlighted how much seemingly small reductions in overall size make quite a difference to the space you get.

For example, the Q2’s boot is big enough to chuck most of our baby paraphernalia inside. But only just. Load it badly, and the electric tailgate’s anti-pinch mechanism pops it open again.

The slight loss of rear cabin space means our toddler can kick

the front passenger seat, too, even when it’s pushed forward.

That’s been a bit of a shock because, on the launch last year, I remember being impressed with how roomy it was inside. Audi seems to have shaped the front seats to give knee room for adults, so it’s quite comfortable in the back for a car that’s shorter overall than an A3 Sportback. But it’s really only a more flexible option for young families if they’re coming out of an A1.

So maybe I should have posed the question as I handed over my £7 at the car wash, especially as the same forecourt charged £5 to clean a long-wheelbase Jaguar XJ I had on test before Christmas. Or perhaps I should stop being so lazy, as it’s a genuinely compact car, and just clean it myself.

Alex Grant

SEAT Ateca SE 1.6 TDI Ecomotive I have for many years been a big fan of bi-xenon headlights and am always pleased to see that box ticked on a new long term test vehicle. However my allegiance has been swayed, my head turned. Among the extras added to our Ateca, SEAT opted to tick the full LED headlight box. This includes automatic headlight adjustment and puddle lights in the door mirrors that display the Ateca logo on the floor beside the car.

The LED lights are standard on the First Edition model, but will set you back £820 with lesser trims. I can live without the auto main beam function and the welcome lights are perhaps trying a little too hard, but those headlights are literally brilliant.

They provide a clear, crystal white light that seems to reach much further than an ordinary beam, yet passing traffic has yet to complain. They make a big contribution to easing the stresses of winter driving.

That said our Ateca also has the very welcome Winter Pack

(£320) including heated front seats and headlight washers, plus we have a heated windscreen (£155) that makes short work of overnight ice. They are all boxes that I would tick if I was speccing the car.

Perhaps less importantly we have multi-coloured ambient interior lighting, also using LEDs, which while quite nice, is not really worth £150. The 17” bi-colour alloys are a £340 option and the tinted rear windows will set you back £180.

More impressive is the upgraded navigation system with 8” touchscreen (£525) that never fails to find my destination and boasts full postcode input.

Lastly we have the Advanced Driving Assistance pack (£790) with blind spot detection and rear cross traffic alert, along with Park Assist (£325). In all a comprehensive specification that makes the award-winning SEAT a real pleasure to live with.

Dan Gilkes

fleetworld.co.uk / 55

LTT_FW_Feb17 03/02/2017 18:57 Page 2

our fleet Mini Clubman One D

Ensto Chago Station

IT seems pretty churlish when you have a car like MINI’s Clubman One D – which would otherwise be a perfect fit for my lifestyle – to complain about the colour. This is, after all, a completely subjective thing, but to my mind, the Blazing Red of our long-termer does the car no visual favours whatsoever. It’s metallic but you wouldn’t really know it, unless in blazing sunlight and is definitely the poor relation compared to the Volcanic Orange available.

Colour foibles aside... what a great car. After a few discussions in the office here, we’ve concluded that it’s easily one of the best of the MINI stable to drive, offering composure when it needs to but still retaining the sharp steering and nimble feel of its (slightly) smaller siblings. And on the subject of size, you only have to look at an original Mini compared to the models that came out around 2002 and then again at the 2012 updated models, to see that MINIs are becoming rather maxi.

This was no bad thing on a New Year’s adventure to the Brecon Beacons recently, when the – admittedly still not huge – boot came into play. In fact, one of the best features of the new Clubman is the centre-split rear doors, which can be activated from the key-fob. This may smack of laziness but when your hands are invariably filled with stuff to fill the boot with, these things matter. One of the door hinges was a little sticky at one point but WD-40 soon sorted that out.

And the Clubman’s comfort extends to the front seats as well – beautifully wrapped in grey tweed-type material (it’s far nicer than it sounds), and possessed of the very best and quickest heated seats I’ve ever encountered. High up in Wales in early January is rarely warm but these made getting back in the MINI an absolute pleasure.

In fact, the whole experience of running the Clubman One D is a pleasure. The engine is still practically brand new, so the 72.4mpg that’s claimed might be hard to achieve at present but I’ll be doing my best for future reports. And as for the car’s connectivity – why can’t all manufacturers make a phone/sat-nav interface as intuitive as BMW and MINI...? More on that next time...

Luke Wikner

WE’VE had a full 12 months with our charging point on site now, and it’s a genuine asset. A stopoff that’s enabled us to accommodate two longterm electric cars and a series of short-term loans spanning plug-in hybrids and everything from the smallest superminis to a Tesla Model S. It makes a huge difference, whether that’s removing the need to trail a cable into the loading bay to use a plug socket, or make a trip to a public charger for a short top-up. Being able to open it with the RFID keyfob – or via the web portal – on arrival, plug in and leave it running has enabled much easier usage of EVs and could soon allow us to have an electric pool car too.

Of course, this is now a move that’s even easier to justify. Given that there’s more than two years to claim a 100% first-year allowance on charging equipment for companies with electric vehicles on fleet, now is absolutely the time to make that jump.

Alex Grant

56 / fleetworld.co.uk

LTT_FW_Feb17 03/02/2017 18:57 Page 3

AlphaCity BMW 116d SHORT days and grim weather make January a miserable month, and for businesses with a fleet of vehicles there’s the added challenge of keeping those hard-working assets from looking equally glum when even a five-minute drive plasters them in a layer of black road grime. That’s even more challenging when they’re out on the road as much as our 1 Series.

We’ve got used to the process of signing into AlphaCity’s system, and allowing a few extra minutes at the start of a booking to go through the menus it presents on the iDrive screen. This runs through a series of questions about the condition the car was left in after the previous loan. Every business has its serial offender who leaves coffee stirrers or empty packaging inside, or who can’t go out for a business meeting without leaving a car looking like it’s driven through a field. This means you can report it.

The big benefit – and very useful when different departments are sharing a car – is there’s no need to delegate someone to get it cleaned. All of the replies are fed back to Alphabet head office, and if the car needs to be valeted then it’ll get an out-of-hours booking to be taken away for a valet. It’s a great service which has stopped our car looking anywhere near as grimy as it should.

Tracy Howell

Mazda CX-3 1.5d SE-L Nav Time flies! We’re rapidly approaching the end of our year with the CX-3, and I’m finding myself considering what might suit me as a replacement. This will be a very hard act to follow.

There’s yet to be a moment where I’ve found it’s unsuitable for my needs. It’s a thoroughly accomplished motorway car, which is a good start, with great seats, excellent ride quality and an engine which seems to run on thin air. Small cars have become increasingly sophisticated over the years, this one travels better than some bigger models I’ve had in the past.

But it still has the advantages of being small. Space is at a premium at the Fleet World office and, when we’ve got a full house for meetings, it’s useful to know there’s always a slot big enough to accommodate the Mazda.

It’s been a genuinely handy all-rounder, really. Never challenging to tuck into small parallel spaces, but also never too small to carry everything I need inside. The CX-3 is competing for a slice of a segment that’s growing rapidly in Europe, and it’s not hard to see why it’s been so popular.

Anne Dopson

fleetworld.co.uk / 57

LTT_FW_Feb17 03/02/2017 18:57 Page 4

our fleet Land Rover Discovery Sport 2.0 TD4 HSE Luxury 180hp Auto IT’s been a rather eventful month for the Discovery Sport. Since our last report we’ve had a problem with a still-undiagnosed issue with a warning light – and ended up with a replacement model as a result.

The fault developed on a Saturday afternoon when the engine/warning light appeared so I changed my plans and hotfooted it back home. I called Land Rover Assistance the next day and had an engineer come out only a couple of hours later who said it was to do with the exhaust recirculation valve and that he had recalibrated it.

However, some 24 hours later the fault reappeared so someone from Land Rover Assistance kindly came out the next morning but said it was a wiring fault and it needed to go back to the dealers. Although the technician was extremely quick with getting Land Rover Assistance to phone

me to book the car in and sort a courtesy car (I have to say the service was exemplary), the Land Rover Press Office were a little concerned over the recurring fault and asked to have the car back to base for it to be checked out their end.

A week later, the Discovery Sport appeared back again following a software update but I’d only got a mile up the road in it when the light appeared again. So now it’s gone back to base for a deeper investigation into what’s causing the fault.

On the plus side however, we now have a replacement 2017 MY Discovery Sport to test, featuring the same 178bhp 2.0-litre, four-cylinder Ingenium diesel and HSE Luxury trim, but also bearing an upgraded infotainment system plus extra safety equipment that we’ve already got to grips testing. Silver linings and all that…

Natalie Middleton

SUPPLIER DIRECTORY electric vehicle charging

Bynx Tel: 01789 471600 www.bynx.com

accident management Selsia Vehicle Accident Centres Ltd

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

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

fleet insurance

Renault Kadjar Dynamique S Nav dCi 110 WITH all the huffing and puffing about fuel economy and whether manufacturers really deliver on promises, it’s nice to be driving a car where this is not remotely an issue. The Kadjar, with absolutely no effort at driving economically on my part, delivers between 55 and 60mpg. If I actually tried to, I would get it over 60mpg easily.

But I haven’t got the patience.

I’ve always found this of Renault diesel engines. So what the recent spat in France Renault cheating on its figures was about, I have no idea. Proof is in the pudding, as they say, and I would say Renault, produce some of the most fuel-efficient cars in the real world.

58 / fleetworld.co.uk

One thing Renault isn’t so skilled at are keys. The old black card was like the stick insect of keys, blending into its surrounding and impossible to find. But at least you could attach house keys to it to make it a bit easier to locate.

The new keyfob, which looks like a roadkilled computer mouse, manages to slide down every nook and cranny, and you can’t attach keys to it either. And it is incredibly difficult to locate the locking button as it is flush to the back. I find myself holding it up to streetlights to see where the button is. Not ideal.

Steve Moody

insureFLEET Tel: 0333 202 3133 www.insurefleet.com

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

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

SUPPLIER DIRECTORY_Feb17_SUPPLIER DIRECTORY_Aug'07 03/02/2017 14:07 Page 2

FLEETW RLD SUPPLIER DIRECTORY contract hire, leasing & finance

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IAM RoadSmart Tel: 020 8996 9600 www.iamroadsmart.com

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Zenith Tel: 0344 848 9327 www.zenith.co.uk

sgfleet Tel: 0845 154 0721 www.sgfleet.com

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

Roadmarque Tel: 01792 824438 www.roadmarque.com

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Cardinus Risk Management Tel: 01733 426015

www.arnoldclarkrental.com

www.cardinus.com

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

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

Bynx Tel: 01789 471600 www.bynx.com

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

Civica UK Ltd Tel: 0117 924 2703 www.civica.co.uk/tranman

Tel: 01484 551060

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

Lex Autolease

Tel: 0141 332 2626 www.acvm.com

ALD Automotive Tel: 0370 00 111 81 www.aldautomotive.co.uk

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

Alphabet (GB) Limited Tel: 0370 50 50 100 www.alphabet.co.uk

0845 2172 608

Tel: 01792 222133 www.daysrental.co.uk Fourways Vehicle Solutions Tel: 0344 8000 385 www.fvsl.co.uk

daysfleet.com

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

Nexus Vehicle Rental 0808 256 7223 www.nexusrental.co.uk

Total Leasing Solutions for your business

Telephone 0113 250 0060

www.virtualriskmanager.net

www.jct600vehicleleasingsolutions.co.uk

Full listings online at fleetworld.co.uk

Thrifty Car & Van Rental Tel: 01494 751 550

misfuelling

www.thrifty.co.uk _

F _

_

_

_

14:14

_

_

www.drivesoftwaresolutions.com

AFF Tel: 0844 879 4770 www.autofuelfix.com

_

Page 1

November 2014

FLEETW RLD FLEETW RLD November 2014

All that matters in

Drive Software Solutions Tel: 01438 317731

the world of fleet

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

check their brakes

Why fleets should check their brakes

Full listings online at fleetworld.co.uk

SHB Hire Ltd Tel: 01794 511458 www.shb.co.uk

MODE MODELPUPIL LPUPIL Behind the wheel

of Tesla’s remarkable

Model S

Behind the wheel of Tesla’s remarkable Model S

contact

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...

fleetworld.co.uk fleetworld.co.uk

Full listings online at fleetworld.co.uk

www.quartix.net

Trakm8 Tel: 0330 333 4120 www.trakm8.com

TRACKER Network (UK) Limited Tel: 0845 604 6091 www.TRACKER.co.uk

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

Airmax Remote Limited Tel: 0333 358 3488 www.airmaxremote.com

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

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

fuel management

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

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

CanTrack Global Ltd Tel: 01908 330385 www.cantrack.com

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

BOX Telematics Tel: 0330 333 4118 www.boxtelematics.com

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

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

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

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

AMBER CONNECT Tel: 01789 774413 www.amberconnect.co.uk

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

fleetworld.co.uk / 59

ADVERTS_FWFS_2017_ideas_Layout 1 03/02/2017 13:35 Page 3

Nigel Mansell chasing Nelson Piquet in 1987 Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 drive in the rain George Clarke finding a new online pay and reclaim solution at Fleet Show 2017

What will be your memorable moment at Silverstone this year?

Driving. Discovering.

Networking. Be a flee

t champion at Fleet

Show 2017

Visitor registration opens online THE GREATEST SHOW IN FLEET

SILVERSTONE CIRCUIT

10TH MAY 2017

1ST March 2017 thefleetshow.co.uk

VFW_LEAD_Feb17_Layout 1 03/02/2017 14:48 Page 1

VAN

February 2017

FLEETW RLD

p68 Iveco looks to the future with EV and CNG Daily models

at a glance in business...

Renault adds to EV line-up

plus...

Improved customer service from VW and hybrid Transit Customs for London

vanfleetworld.co.uk

VFW_NEWS_Feb17_Layout 1 03/02/2017 14:51 Page 1

inbusiness

Volkswagen raises dealer standards olkswagen Commercial Vehicles is celebrating its fifth consecutive year of UK sales growth, by promising further improvements to service for customers using its Van Centre network. By the end of February at least 25% of the network will offer service hours that extend to 8pm or 10pm along with longer weekend hours, while all dealers have signed up to provide pre-booked out of hours service.

In addition, 15-20% of VW Van Centre dealers will start to operate mobile service clinic vans, that can carry out full or interim service work on all VW vans at the customer’s premises. This service went live in November 2016 and will be rolled out across the country throughout the year.

Fleet managers will also be glad to

V

hear that VW is to offer centralised nationwide billing, guaranteeing service cost and quality across the UK with a single transaction point.

VWCV will expand its telematics offering during 2017 as well, working with the RAC plug-in telematics system that has been piloted with customers around the country. The company recorded record levels of customer satisfaction in the UK last year, along with record sales volumes that have doubled since 2009, and director Carl zu Dohna is keen to build upon this success.

“We need to be known as a great supplier of mobility solutions,” he said.

Volkswagen will launch the new Crafter range at this year’s Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham in April.

Range extender hybrid vans to trial in 2017 ord is to trial a fleet of 20 hybrid Transit Custom vans, with support from Transport for London and a £4.7m grant from the Advanced Propulsion Centre. The trial is part of a development programme that should lead to commercially available hybrid Custom vans by 2019.

Unlike the firm’s car models, that use a parallel hybrid drive to assist the standard combustion engine, the Transit Custom will be an electric drive van, with a small range extender petrol engine to recharge the batteries.

“This will be a series hybrid, we believe overall that’s the best solution,” said Graham Hoare, Ford’s director of vehicle evaluation and verification.

“We don’t wish to change the load volume at all. In the case of weight the components are heavier, but the range extender will minimise battery size and weight.”

Initially the vans will offer a 31-mile electric range and be capable of recharging in just three hours, using a conventional three-pin plug.

“It doesn’t require the operator to make a big change in the way they work.

This makes it easy to adopt the technology,” said Mr Hoare.

The vans are being designed and built at Ford’s UK technical centre at Dunton, Essex, and at Prodrive Advanced Technol-

F

62 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

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

Hybrid deliveries

Organic food producer Soyfoods is making deliveries with a diesel-electric Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid. The company, based in Melton Mowbray, was the UK’s first manufacturer of tofu and also supplies a range of organic foods to buyers in London and other urban centres.

The 7.5-tonne Eco Hybrid uses a 150hp diesel engine in parallel with a 54hp electric motor, moving off under electric power only and switching to diesel electric power as speeds rise. Though carrying an initial purchase premium, the truck offers fuel consumption 23% lower than a standard diesel model, so the outlay should be more than returned over the life of the vehicle.

Flexible rental ogy in Banbury. The programme is also being supported by Revolve Technologies and the vans should take to the roads later this year. Ford will be investigating components and performance parameters throughout the trial using telematics, to better meet the needs of customers.

“We’ll be looking at payload, cost, charging time and infrastructure. We don’t want to compromise to any significant degree,” said Mr Hoare.

Ford is also running trials of hybrid versions of its Transit Connect van and taxi models in the US. However these vans use parallel hybrid technology from the firm’s car range. The series hybrid technology may be used for other van models going forwards.

“This technology is important, not just for Transit Custom, but for larger vans as well,” said Mr Hoare.

Infrastructure service provider John Henry Group has partnered with Enterprise Flex-E-Rent for the sole supply of its 500-strong LCV fleet.

The deal allows John Henry to access vehicles at short notice on contract hire as well as long and short-term rental.

Mercedes backs FTA Mercedes-Benz Vans is supporting the Freight Transport Association’s Van Excellence Operational Briefings for the third year. This year’s three events will take place at Aston Villa Football Club on 1 March, at Twickenham Stadium on 23 March and at Pavilions of Harrogate on 29 March.

The theme for this year is managing operational risk in van fleets and the day is based around a dramatization of a serious road traffic collision involving a van and its ramifications.

VFW_Renault EV_Feb17_Layout 1 03/02/2017 17:57 Page 1

inbusiness

Master and Kangoo go electric Renault boosts electric van performance, with the launch of new Master Z.E and improved Kangoo Z.E, says Dan Gilkes.

enault is launching an electric version of its Master van, while extending the available range of the successful Kango Z.E. electric van line-up. With steadily growing sales of EVs, Renault sold more than 4,000 Kangoo Z.E. vans last year and has found homes for more than 25,000 of the LCVs since it was launched, the company is keen to build upon its electric expertise. This is thought to be particularly important as a growing number of cities state their desire to replace diesel-powered delivery vehicles in the coming years.

Master Z.E. will be available as a panel van in three body lengths and with two roof heights, covering the most popular models in the regular line-up with load volumes of 8m3 to 13m3. The electric Master will also be offered as an L3 chassis cab for a wide range of possible conversions, with bodies capable of handling up to 22m3.

Renault claims that the Master Z.E. vans will have payloads of 1,000-1,100kg, while the chassis cab will be able to offer a body and load capacity of up to 1,400kg. The vans are equipped with a 33kWh battery that has been designed to fit beneath the standard cab floor, so there is no loss of load volume in the rear of the van.

Motive force is provided by Renault’s R75 motor, already used in the firm’s ZOE electric car, with an output of 57kW (76hp) 225Nm of torque. This drives the front wheels through a single-speed transmission. The van will offer a top speed of 71mph, but is very much intended for lower speed urban last mile delivery use. With that in mind it boasts an NEDC range of 124 miles, or a realistic range of around 70 miles, with a six-hour charge time using a 7kW wall box.

Renault will offer a range of connectivity services specific to Master Z.E. through its R-Link system. This will include pre-conditioning of the vehicle prior to use, including setting heating and cooling functions while connected to a

R

64 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

mains power supply. Fleets will also be able to set a speed limiter function and the van can be equipped with Renault’s Z.E. Voice system, that creates an audible warning for pedestrians at speeds of up to 18mph.

Master Z.E. will initially be offered in major European countries like the UK, France and Germany and should be on sale by the end of this year.

As mentioned, Kangoo Z.E. has been available for some years and has achieved many sales across Europe. The vans are being updated with the adoption of the same 33kWh battery and the R60 electric motor. This provides 44kW (60hp) and the same 225Nm of torque. More importantly the combination of battery and motor deliver a 50% boost in available range for Kangoo, taking the NEDC cycle up to a claimed 168 miles, from 106 miles previously. In real-life driving that should mean that operators will be able to go as far as 124 miles on a single charge.

This is partly due to a new battery, jointly developed by Renault and LG Chem, that offers increased energy density.

Kangoo Z.E. also gets the new 7kW charger, providing a sixhour charge time from a 7kW wall box. It can also take on 22 miles of charge in one hour, for instance during a lunch break, making it possible for a delivery company to make two runs in a single day.

Both the revised Kangoo Z.E. and the new Master Z.E. also benefit from a new heat pump, that is linked to the air conditioning system, that maintains its autonomy even in colder temperatures. This limits the amount of power taken from the battery to run the heater/air conditioning, contributing to the extended range.

There are no prices available yet for Master Z.E. however Renault’s electric vehicle programme director Eric Feunteun said: “As you know from Kangoo Z.E. Renault’s strategy is always to have an affordable vehicle.”

VFW_ROAD_Peugeot_Expert_Feb17_Layout 1 03/02/2017 15:18 Page 1

Peugeot Expert 120hp The 120hp 2.0-litre BlueHDi engine offers power and economy, says Dan Gilkes.

uch has been written in these pages about the new Peugeot Expert, along with its Citroën Dispatch stablemate and the closely related Toyota Proace. In short, all three arrived with a bang last year, taking on one of the hardest fought sectors of the LCV market.

Despite strong competition the vans went straight towards the top of the class, offering an enviable choice of body volumes, marketleading payloads and economical engines.

Add to that a comfortable cab environment with new levels of technology and it’s easy to see why Expert was one of our favourite new vans of 2016.

But which model to opt for? There are two wheelbases and three body sizes on offer, with a wide choice of 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre BlueHDi Euro 6 diesel engines. Traditional S and Professional trim levels were also joined by a new range-topping Professional Plus specification, which is what we have here.

The majority of fleets will no doubt turn automatically to the lower powered 1.6-litre motors, rightly so if your operation is mainly urban and you are using the short or standard van length. However the 2.0-litre engines aren’t just for long haul or extra-long body users and they may even be the more efficient option for some businesses.

The 1.6-litre comes in 95hp and 115hp outputs, while 2.0-litre engines are offered in 120hp, 150hp and 180hp ratings. You might think Peugeot odd for offering both 115hp and 120hp variants, but the difference in displacement leads to a much bigger variation in torque, with 300Nm versus 340Nm.

M

what we think Many fleets will draw the line well before Professional Plus, but shouldn’t discount the larger engine. It may be the better choice.

specification MODEL

Peugeot Expert Professional Plus Std BlueHDi 120 BASIC PRICE £22,765 ENGINE 4-cyl/1,997 cc FUEL INJECTION Common-rail POWER 120hp @ 3,750rpm TORQUE 340Nm @ 1,750rpm Weights (kg) GVW 3,100 KERB WEIGHT 1,613 PAYLOAD 1,487 MAX TRAILER WEIGHT 2,500 Dimensions (mm) LOAD SPACE LENGTH 2,512 LOAD SPACE WIDTH 1,628 LOAD SPACE HEIGHT 1,387 LOAD VOLUME 5.3m3 Cost considerations COMBINED CO2/MPG 139g/km/53.3 mpg OIL CHANGE 2-year/25,000 miles WARRANTY 3-year/100,000 miles

Not only does this have an effect on pulling power, but Peugeot limits the 1.6litre van’s payload to 1,127kg, while the 2.0-litre can haul up to 1,487kg in this standard length body. Likewise the smaller engine can pull an 1,800kg trailer while the 2.0-litre will happily pull a 2.5-tonne load.

The higher-powered engine need not cost too much more at the pumps either, with Peugeot claiming a combined figure of 53.3mpg and 139g/km for this 120hp standard van with Stop/Start, against 54.3mpg and 137g/km for the Stop/Start-equipped 1.6-litre with 115hp.

In Professional trim the difference between the two engine options at purchase time is just £400, a figure that would no doubt be pretty much recouped at resale time. However, Professional Plus vans are only available with the larger engine, so at least there the decision is made for you.

While there may be little to tell the two engines apart in town, if you do venture onto faster roads the 2.0-litre is predictably the more relaxed companion. With six gears in the manual box, the van accelerates and cruises with ease, with low noise levels and a very refined cab environment.

Peugeot’s Professional trim has pretty much everything a driver might need, including air-con, DAB, Bluetooth and rear parking sensors. Opt for the Professional Plus line, adding a further £1,600 to your bill, and you get a host of body coloured bits, LED daytime lights and the full Park Assist system, plus auto lights and wipers.

A competitive offering.

vanfleetworld.co.uk / 65

MOVANO LOADS BETTER Movano offers a wide choice of load length, roof height and even front or rear wheel drive. And with class-leading payload at 3.5T gross vehicle weight, it’s a great choice for your business.

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES The Wheels of Business Official Government Test Environmental Data. Fuel consumption figures mpg (litres/ (7.4), Extra-urban: 30.7 (9.2) - 42.8 (6.6), Combined: 30.4 (9.3) - 40.9 (6.9). CO2

10 em

#Fuel consumption information is official government environmental data, tested in accordance with the relevant EU directive. Official EU-regulated test data is provided for comparison purposes and actual Correct at time of going to press.

perfo

VAN

BUSINESS

Best Heavy Van

Vauxhall Movano 3500 panel van

Awards

2016

For more information call 0345 740 0777 or visit www.vauxhall.co.uk/vans

s/ O2

100km) and CO2 emissions (g/km). Movano Panel Van range: Urban: 29.4 (9.6) - 38.2 emissions: 242 - 179g/km.#

actual

performance will depend on driving style, road conditions and other non-technical factors. General Motors UK Limited t/a Vauxhall Motors reserves the right to change, amend or withdraw this offer at any point in time.

ROAD_VFW_Iveco_Daily_Feb17_Layout 1 03/02/2017 19:16 Page 1

Iveco Daily Electric Iveco has improved its electric Daily option for last mile delivery, says Dan Gilkes.

SECTOR Large van GVW 3.5-5.0 tonne POWER 60kW TORQUE 200Nm RANGE 200km (three batteries)

ith inner city air quality and pollution a growing Daily Hi-Matic. This offers the usual R-N-D gear controls, but concern for many authorities, the scrutiny on also allows the driver to select Eco or Power modes. Howdiesel-powered delivery vehicles is becoming ever while Power mode provides reasonable acceleration, increasingly critical. Indeed with four major cities now planEco is very slow to respond and is really only suitable for ning to ban diesel by 2025, manufacturers and delivery congested Stop/Start urban travel. businesses are increasingly looking to alternative fuels as a By moving the lever to the left and then forward and backway of keeping goods on the move. wards, the driver can also opt for three regenerative modes, Iveco has for many years offered a number of power sources from coasting through normal to extra braking. In both the for its vans and trucks and has recently updated both its Daily standard and extra braking settings there is very little need Electric and Natural Power CNG vans. Daily Electric can be proto use the main foot brake, as the electric retardation is vided for both a 3.5-tonne or a 5.0-tonne enough to slow the van in most cases. chassis as not for cab or panel van.

The big problem for Daily Electric, as it Unlike most competitors Iveco continhas always been, is one of cost. A single ues to use a Sodium Nickel Chloride batbattery van will set you back £60,000, tery, which it claims is less affected by two batteries is £80,000 and the threetemperature and weather conditions, is battery van is £100,000. However the 100% recyclable and offers a high Government does now offer a plug-in 110Wh/kg energy density. Depending on grant of up to 20%, to a maximum of operating weight and chassis length, the £8,000, on a 3.5-tonne model. That rises vans can be equipped with one, two or to a maximum of £20,000 for vehicles three battery packs, delivering 44 miles, 95 above 3.5-tonnes GVW. The Government miles or 125 miles of range respectively. is also looking at the option of raising the Recent updates to the batteries have GVW of an alternatively-fueled van from resulted in a 20% life extension, and a 3.5 to 4.25-tonnes for a car licence holder, 100kg increase in van payload. Chassis which would make the van more viable as cabs running at 3.5-tonnes can now hanthat would add 350-400kg of payload.

The improvements dle a body and payload capacity of 1,541Add in a £4,000 a year saving on diesel to Daily Electric have 1,623kg depending on body length. and £3,000 of London Congestion Charge certainly made it a more There have been big changes inside the and things are starting to look a little viable proposition for van too, where Iveco has now integrated more acceptable, with the van becoming UK urban delivery the TomTom Bridge tablet interface into cost-neutral after six years. the dash. This provides all operating inforThere are of course a few ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ missions, if gross mation on power use and regeneration. involved, and in all honesty a company’s weights are raised.

Daily Electric uses a variation of the desire to be seen to be green is probably automatic transmission lever used in going to be more of a decision maker.

W

what we think

68 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

ROAD_VFW_Iveco_Daily_Feb17_Layout 1 03/02/2017 14:29 Page 2

Iveco Natural Power If not electric, this could be the time for natural gas to shine, says Dan Gilkes.

SECTOR Large van GVW 3.5-7.2 tonne POWER 136hp TORQUE 350Nm GNC CAPACITY 168-246 litres

veco has been pushing Natural Gas as an option on its are only around 20 publicly-accessible gas filling stations in vans, trucks and buses for a long time, with some sucthe UK, though Iveco can help fleets make the move to gas cess, having sold more than 15,000 gas vehicles to date by providing filling station installation contacts. Unlike the across Europe. However the current focus on emissions electric Daily, a gas van also has a much shorter payback could be the moment that CNG really takes off. time of just two to three years, which means that customers The Daily Natural Power uses a 3.0-litre spark ignition will be saving money by year three and benefitting from engine delivering 136hp and 350Nm of torque. It can be run promoting a green image. on compressed natural gas (CNG) or compressed bioCNG also delivers a much more familiar driving experimethane (CBM). ence, which would make it easier for fleets to adopt a gas Iveco claims that companies can save around 20% on Daily. The van feels just like a mid-range diesel Daily, with fuel cost with CNG compared to diesel, the same easy driving characteristics while gas delivers a reduction in CO2 and enough power and torque to easily emissions of around 80%, a drop in parkeep pace with traffic in town and on the ticulate matter of 95% and a 35% cut in dual carriageway. You can also choose nitrogen oxide levels. There is also no from a wide range of Daily options, requirement for AdBlue, no DPF or SCR including the popular Daily Plus and system, plus a natural gas engine also Daily Top packs, that add luxuries like air tends to be much quieter than a simiconditioning, suspended driver’s seating larly sized diesel, making it a popular and heated mirrors. choice for urban use particularly for The gas tanks fit below the standard night time deliveries. van floor, so there is no loss of load As the Daily NP is built on the line alongcapacity, while payloads range from 885side diesel models, customers can choose 1,075kg on a 3.5-tonne van depending from a wide range of Iveco’s Daily vans, on body height and length. Iveco is hopminibuses and chassis cabs with CNG. You ing that natural gas vans will also benecan even opt for single and crew cabs on fit from any rise in gross weight If you can get around the chassis cab versions. There are multiallowance if and when it happens, makthe gas supply issue, the ple tank options available too, providing ing a 4.25-tonne Daily Natural Power a Daily NP delivers a low ranges of 155-280 miles between refills. very attractive option for urban and emission option that will The Daily Natural Gas can also be home delivery companies. provide a real payback equipped with a 50-mile petrol tank to “Natural gas vehicles now offer a real ensure that there is no risk of being and practical alternative to diesel with for fleets, and deliver a stranded if a gas refill is not possible.

NOx and particulate matter in particular non-diesel solution.

Which brings us to the natural gas substantially lower,” said Martin Flach, infrastructure hurdle. At present there Iveco’s alternative fuels director.

I

what we think

vanfleetworld.co.uk / 69

W

WORK HARD.

WORK HARD.

MKT_VFW_Daily Rental_Feb17 03/02/2017 14:13 Page 1

MARKET OVERVIEW Daily Rental

Europcar

Arnold Clark Car& Van Rental

Arnold Clark Car & Van Rental is one of the UK’s largest, independently owned rental companies with over 50 years’ experience providing long and short-term tailor-made economical fleet solutions. We have a nationwide, multi-franchise fleet with over 4,500 commercial vehicles, operating in 38 branches throughout the UK. Close manufacturer relationships mean we can offer competitive rates on a range of up-to-date vehicles, which are all under one year old. Our impressive range of high quality commercial vehicles allows us to cater to all industry sectors and provide fleet solutions tailored to meet each client’s individual requirements.

Contact: Sales Team car.rental.sales@arnoldclark.com www.arnoldclarkrental.com

Tel: 01786 468700

FleetEurope

FleetEurope is an award-winning, independent provider of short- and mid-term commercial vehicle rental. Our extensive network provides access to 175,000+ commercial and specialist vehicles from 1,500+ locations nationwide for delivery to your home or office address within two hours.

Additional benefits include an industry-leading online booking system, dedicated account management, 24-hour emergency support, one-way vehicle rentals, a market-leading 99% invoice accuracy rate and extensive management reporting to continuously monitor and reduce your rental expenditure.

Try our van rental service for free today. Visit www.fleeteurope.co.uk and rent a Transit Connect, Transit Custom or Long Wheelbase Transit Van free for a day.

Contact: Rental Team info@fleeteurope.co.uk

Tel: 01494 435000 www.fleeteurope.co.uk

TCH Leasing

We provide a full choice of cars, light commercial vehicles and specialist vehicles on short or long term hire.

This service is available across the UK to provide a solution to all kinds of client needs; such as vehicle downtime in the event of driver accident or breakdown, to meet seasonal business demands, pre-contract hire, new starters or daily rental.

A full range of products can be accessed through TCH Leasing, such as daily rental, flexible rental, prestige rental, worldwide rental, airport hire and one way hires.

Utilising all the services above allows us to manage our client’s expectations and deliver a first-class service.

Should you wish to discuss any of these products please call Ann Green on 0114 257 4200 Contact: Ann Green annie.green@tchleasing.co.uk

72 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

Tel: 0114 257 4200 www.tchgroup.co.uk

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 14 specialist sites in all the major business conurbations across the UK ensure that the right vehicles are available in the right place at the right time.

Tel: 01923 811250 businesssupport@europcar.com

www.europcar.co.uk

Fourways

Fourways Vehicle Solutions offers a distinctive customer service based approach to corporate vehicle rental. Through our vast supplier network we provide short and long term car, commercial and specialist vehicle hire right across the UK. We can source all types of commercial vehicles, including but not limited to: Car derived vans, SWB/LWB vans, Luton vans, Crewcab Tippers and dropsides, Refridgerated vans as well as Welfare vans. We can also provide additional requirements such as towbars, roofracks, truckman tops and Chapter 8 livery to suit your needs.

We would be delighted to talk to you about tailor making a solution to suit your vehicle rental requirements.

Contact: Julia Barwick/Lucy Stokes info@fvsl.co.uk

Tel: 03448 000385 www.fvsl.co.uk

SHB Hire Ltd

SHB has a diverse fleet of over 14,500 vehicles ranging from cars, standard and specialist LCVs and HGVs to golf buggies and ATVs. They have the largest 4x4 rental fleet in Europe as well as the biggest hire fleet of HGV tippers and crane lorries in the UK. Specialist services include spot, flexi and long-term hire, buy and lease back options and fleet management.

They specialise in all market sectors and offer bespoke hire packages to meet their customer’s business needs.

Contact: Hire Team enquiries@shb.co.uk

Tel: 01794 511458 www.shb.co.uk

Thrifty Car and Van Rental

Thrifty Car and Van Rental has 98 UK locations, offering a full range of commercial vehicles. Thrifty has a dedicated Central Reservation Team, providing an immediate response to enquiries and offering highly competitive rates, with access to a quality fleet of vehicles nationwide and an efficient delivery and collection service. Fast, accurate billing and detailed management information is available along with a dedicated account manager.

For longer-term hires, Thrifty’s Flexi Fleet programme enables customers to rent vehicles on a short to medium term basis without being tied into a long-term commitment.

Contact: Caroline Gallagher caroline.gallagher@thrifty.co.uk

Tel: 01494 751615 www.thrifty.co.uk

Key to services

✔ Service provided

Service unavailable Do you provide online damage management?

Do you provide electronic invoicing and statements?

How many vehicle groups do you offer?

Do you offer a guaranteed no turn down policy?

Do you offer refrigerated vehicles?

Do you offer vans fitted with tail-lifts?

Do you offer vans fitted with satellite navigation systems?

Do you offer an on-line management reporting facility?

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

Do you offer a delivery/ collection service for vans?

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

How many rental locations does your company have?

How many commercial vehicles does your company operate?

MKT_VFW_Daily Rental_Feb17 03/02/2017 14:13 Page 2

VAN FLEETW RLD

Arnold Clark Car & Van Rental 4.5k 38 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 7 ✔ -

Europcar 7.5k 282 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 16 ✔ ✔

FleetEurope 175k 1500 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ All ✔ ✔

Fourways 100k 2000 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 230+ ✔ ✔

SHB Hire Ltd 11.5k 15 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 160 ✔ ✔

TCH Leasing 2k+ 500+ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 100+ ✔ ✔

Thrifty Car and Van Rental 5.5k 98 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 7 ✔ -

Want to know how much your commercial vehicle fleet costs to run?

Visit www.fleetworld.co.uk to gain greater control, with the all-new Fleet World Workshop webtools...

FLEETW RLD

Comparator and calculator webtools for f leets

vanfleetworld.co.uk / 81

VFW SUPPLIER DIRECTORY_Feb17_VFW SUPPLIER DIRECTORY_Aug'07 03/02/2017 14:06 Page 1

VAN SUPPLIER DIRECTORY FLEETW RLD daily rental

contract hire, leasing & finance

racking systems

tail lifts

fleet management software

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

Arnold Clark Vehicle Management

Tel: 0141 332 2626 www.acvm.com

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

Ratcliff Palfinger Ltd Tel: 01707 325571 www.ratcliffpalfinger.co.uk

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

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

Bott Ltd Tel: 01530 410600 www.bottltd.co.uk

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

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

Volkswagen Group Leasing Tel: 0870 333 2229

Sortimo Tel: 01925 831636 www.sortimo.co.uk

Penny Hydraulics Tel: 01246 811475 www.pennyhydraulics.com

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

Trakm8 Tel: 0330 333 4120 www.trakm8.com

Bynx Tel: 01789 471600 www.bynx.com

Tel: 01792 222133 www.daysrental.co.uk Nexus Vehicle Rental 0808 256 7223 www.nexusrental.co.uk

www.volkswagengroupleasing.co.uk

www.arnoldclarkrental.com

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

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

Alphabet (GB) Limited Tel: 0370 50 50 100 www.alphabet.co.uk

Arnold Clark Car & Van Rental Tel: 01786 468 700

SHB Hire Ltd Tel: 01794 511458 www.shb.co.uk

telematics & tracking

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

Zenith Tel: 0344 848 9327 www.zenith.co.uk

www.quartix.net

Tel: 0345 055 8555 Ctrack www.ctrack.co.uk TRACKER Network (UK) Limited Tel: 0845 604 6091 www.TRACKER.co.uk

Tel: 0870 013 6663

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

ALD Automotive Tel: 0370 00 111 81 www.aldautomotive.co.uk

AMBER CONNECT Tel: 01789 774413 www.amberconnect.co.uk

vehicle ventilation

STEPS

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

Tel: 01939 235900 www.avssteps.co.uk

van liners United Vanliners Ltd Tel: 01778 561900 www.unitedvanliners.co.uk

Exeros Technologies Tel: 020 8303 1188 www.exeros-technologies.com

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

Full listings online at

Full listings online at

vehicle CCTV

risk management fleetworld.co.uk

fleetworld.co.uk

Civica UK Ltd Tel: 0117 924 2703 www.civica.co.uk/tranman

AVS Steps Ltd

IAM RoadSmart Tel: 020 8996 9600 www.iamroadsmart.com

fuel management

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

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

Roadmarque Tel: 01792 824438 www.roadmarque.com

VAN FLEETW RLD SUPPLIER DIRECTORY

Full listings online at

fleetworld.co.uk 74 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

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

THE NEW BIGGER MINI COUNTRYMAN. BAGS OF ROOM. A large, intelligently packaged body provides plenty of room for passengers both in the front and the back, while 450 litres of boot capacity can be accessed hands-free using the Comfort Access option. This loading space can be increased to 1,390 litres by folding the rear seats, making the new MINI Countryman our most spacious model to date.

Designed using high-quality materials, the lavish interior provides seats for five and retains the iconic MINI styling.

The circular instrument panel remains centre stage in the dashboard, with subtle ambient lighting illuminating the cabin in a colour of your choice, while the option to upgrade to a brand new 8.8" touchscreen polishes off this stunning interior.

To find out more visit mini.co.uk/countryman

THE NEW MINI COUNTRYMAN PLUG-IN HYBRID. Introducing the new MINI Countryman plug-in hybrid, our first-ever vehicle to combine a petrol engine with electric power. Born out of years of research and development, this model will be available from June 2017 and offers a loweremission option that is particularly enticing for fleets.

CO2 emissions come in below the 50 g/km* bracket, so drivers can benefit from a BIK rate as low as 7%. What’s more, this new model offers a pure electric mode, which allows for 25 miles of emission-free driving.

Visit mini.co.uk/countryman

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THE NEW BIGGER MINI COUNTRYMAN. VISIT MINI.CO.UK/COUNTRYMAN MINI Fleet & Business Sales Official Fuel Economy Figures for the new MINI Countryman range: Urban 30.1-58.9 mpg (9.4-4.8 l/100km). Extra Urban 45.6-68.9 mpg (6.2-4.1 l/100km). Combined 38.2-122.8 mpg (7.4-2.3 l/100km). CO2 Emissions 49-169 g/km. Figures are obtained in a standardised test cycle. They are intended for comparisons between vehicles and may not be representative of what a user achieves under usual driving conditions. *Figures are obtained in a standardised test cycle using a combination of battery power and petrol fuel after the battery had been fully charged. They are intended for comparisons between vehicles and may not be representative of what a user achieves under usual driving conditions. The new MINI Cooper S E Countryman is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that requires mains electricity for charging.

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