Fleet World February 2018

February 2018

FLEETW RLD All that matters in the world of fleet

ELECTRIC

REALITY

Interview Martin Gurney of PSA

More range, more tech, more style... Nissan’s new Leaf aims for the mainstream

Driven

In the Game

Thinking Small

Hyundai Nexo Honda Civic diesel Ford EcoSport

How gaming mentality is driving safer, more cost-effective fleets

The big fleet features heading for the SME sector

Find out more at thefleetshow.co.uk

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contents

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Kay Hudson discusses International Vehicle Services.

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DRIVEN: Hyundai Nexo Nissan Leaf Kia Niro PHEV

Simplifying fleet management with ODO.

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The SWOT team analyses the merits of the Seat Arona.

Director Jerry Ramsdale jerry@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Editor Alex Grant alex@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Business Editor Natalie Middleton natalie@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Content Editor Jonathan Musk jonathan@fleetworldgroup.co.uk VFW Editor Dan Gilkes dan@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Fleet Consultant Steve Moody steve@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Sales Executives Darren Brett darren@fleetworldgroup.co.uk

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Why tapping into drivers’ inner gamers could unlock significant cost and safety benefits for fleets.

Claire Warman claire@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Yvonne Wright yvonne@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Kevin Gregory – Van Fleet World kevin@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Circulation Manager Tracy Howell tracy@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Head of Production Luke Wikner luke@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Designers Dan Bennett dan.bennett@fleetworldgroup.co.uk Tina Ries tina@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 W RLD

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Colin Tourick gives fleet managers one crucial piece of advice.

INTERVIEW: Kris Cholmondeley on Citroën’s plans DRIVEN: Peugeot Boxer

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fleetworld.co.uk / 03

fleetreview This month, editor Alex Grant discovers just how limited your choice list can be, if you're one of the 1.19m UK families with more than two kids...

Three’s a crowd Choice is the buzzword at most manufacturers these days, and having a range spanning what appears to be every single niche a marketing department can come up with has become the norm. But, over the last few months, I’ve discovered a way to really limit the options open to you.

Baby Grant number three is due in May – two days after the Fleet World Fleet Show, as it happens – and we’ve suddenly found ourselves in a position where we’ll have to alter our car-buying plans to cope. It’s been a learning curve, because even with all of that supposed choice, there’s no ideal fit for our expanding family.

Wishlist time, here. My wife covers 6,000 miles per year, almost all of which are around town, so we’re prime candidates for a plug-in hybrid or fully electric family car, and we’ve found the high seating position of our Kadjar useful when getting the kids on board. A plug-in C-segment SUV with room for three child seats would be perfect. It doesn’t exist.

Frustratingly, that’s down to bad packaging rather than a lack of actual space – the rear benches of most of these cars are wide enough, but prioritising elbow room for adults means the outer-seat ISOFIX points are mounted too far inboard to squeeze a booster between them. The closest cars to our wishlist are the Audi Q7 e-tron, BMW 530e and Tesla Model S or X. Big cars for urban driving… and not really in our price range.

So, what are we left with? All that supposed choice, whittled down to a handful of surviving seven-seat MPVs. That tried-and-tested corner of the market which offers unrivalled flexibility, but which is being abandoned in favour of fashionable but usually less functional SUVs. And a segment with no plug-ins, despite being ripe for electrification. Just think how much nicer the school run would be without those idling engines.

Given that Peugeot-quoted ONS data shows 1.19m UK families now have three kids (the new 5008 SUV can accommodate three across the rear bench, if you’re wondering), choice might be the buzzword, but it’s amazing how quickly you can limit yourself to a handful of options.

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“MPVs offer unrivalled flexibility, but are being abandoned in favour of fashionable but usually less functional SUVs.”

Ford NEWS New Transit Custom sets the standard The new Transit Custom sets a new standard for the one-tonne van segment, with bold new design and an all-new interior. It is available to order now, for delivery early this year.

Powered by the Dagenham-built Ford EcoBlue 2.0-litre diesel engine, the Transit Custom has been re-engineered to offer significant new features and capabilities, including a new ECOnetic variant, delivering improved fuel efficiency and 148 g/km CO2 emissions.

The state-of-the-art Ford EcoBlue diesel engine is available with 105PS, 130PS and 170PS power ratings; it delivers significant cost of ownership and performance benefits compared to the previous 2.2-litre diesel, with fuel-efficiency improved by up to 13 per cent and low-end torque enhanced by 20 per cent. The 105PS ECOnetic variant, which is available for the 300 Series short wheelbase van, returns a combined 49.6mpg, a further 6 per cent improvement over the most efficient current vehicle.

A completely new cabin offers improved comfort and ergonomics, and easy connectivity with SYNC 3 or MyFord Dock options. Further technologies introduced to commercial vehicles for the first time include Intelligent Speed Assist, which could help prevent drivers from exceeding speed limits.

The new Transit Custom continues to offer commercial vehicle operators the same breadth of capabilities from a vehicle line-up that includes two roof heights, two wheelbase options, a gross vehicle mass range from 2.6 tonnes to 3.4 tonnes offering payloads up to 1,450kg, and bodystyles including van, kombi and double-cab-in-van.

Range of driver assistance technologies The new Transit Custom introduces a range of advanced new driver assistance features that share technologies found on Ford’s latest passenger cars, and utilise sophisticated sensors, radars and cameras to provide information about the driving environment around the vehicle.

Intelligent Speed Assist enables automatic adjustment of maximum vehicle speed to remain within legal limits, using the Traffic Sign Recognition system to detect speed limit signs.

The new model is the first Ford van in Europe to offer Ford’s Blind Spot Information System with Cross Traffic Alert, which provides two key functions for commercial vehicle users.

New Transit Custom also brings enhanced capabilities to the Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection emergency braking system introduced to the model in 2016. Technologies already available for Transit Custom include Lane Keeping Alert, Driver Alert, Auto High Beam, Rear View Camera, Adaptive Cruise Control and Side Wind Stabilisation.

For further information on any vehicle in the Ford range please contact the Ford Business Centre on 03457 23 23 23, email flinform@ford.com, or visit www.ford.co.uk/fordfleet

Ford News Feature // 05

inbrief Ford of Britain posts impressive sales results Ford of Britain recorded its highest-ever CV sales of 123,958 in 2017, while marking 41 consecutive years of car sales leadership and 52 years of CV sales leadership in the UK. According to Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) figures, full year car sales in the UK in 2017 were down 5.7 per cent at 2,540,617 registrations, compared with 2016. Ford sold 287,396 of those, with a market share of 11.3 per cent.

Fiesta was the UK best-seller for the ninth consecutive year, with 94,533 registrations.

SMMT figures showed UK CV sales in 2017 were 370,162, down 3.5 per cent compared with 2016.

Ford CV sales in 2017 of 123,958 were up by 3.4 per cent.

Ford Transit has led the UK CV sector from its launch in 1965; Ford’s CV range secured a 32.2 per cent share in 2017, up from 30.6 per cent in 2016, with CV sales lead increased to 79,986.

The Ford Transit Custom was sixth in total vehicle sales in 2017, with a rise of 4.5 per cent and total sales of 52,277, twice those of its nearest competitor.

Ford commercial vehicles led all of their respective segments for the full year, including the Ford Transit Connect which achieved record sales of 19,805 - over 27 per cent up, compared with 2016.

inbusiness Safety fears over ‘zero-tolerance’ speeding policy

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alls from Britain’s road policing chief for drivers to be penalised for going just 1mph over the speed limit have been met with dismay.

Speaking at January’s Police Federation roadss ny policing conference, chief constable Anthony Bangham, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on ffer’ ff road policy, proposed scrapping the 10% ‘buffer’ olice over the signposted limit allowed by most police forces and restricting speed awareness courses – which rs only he said were being used too widely – to drivers speeding marginally.

Bangham added that everyone else should gett fines and points on their licence. The move is partt of a vision for the UK having the safest roads in the world by ensuring that drivers should have a genuine fear of being caught’ if they speed, use a phone at the wheel, drive under the influence off o drink or drugs, with the same message going to cyclists who skip red lights.

However, the RAC expressed concerns over the speeding proposals. Road safety spokesman, Pete Williams explained: “It doesn’t seem sensible to make motorists constantly look at their speedometers for fear of drifting a few miles an hour above the limit.”

in brief VED reform needed to fund new roads Dwindling revenues from Vehicle Excise Duty and fuel duty due to ULEV up‐take will create problems for roads funding, particularly with commitments to the national road network. So says a new report from the Association for Consul‐ tancy and Engineering, which also urges the Government to look at dynamic road pricing in the longer term.

Concerns over M25 tunnel plans British Airways’ parent company, Inter‐ national Airlines Group (IAG), has expressed concerns over plans to reroute the M25 and add a tunnel section to enable a third runway. IAG said the M25 proposals “could derail expansion plans and bring years of disruption on a motorway plagued by traffic jams”.

New research suggests Millennials could re-shape business travel

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usinesses may be forced to adopt more flexible travel policies as new research shows major changes in travel behaviour since 1990.

The report, commissioned by the Department for Transport and produced by UWE Bristol and Univer‐ sity of Oxford, showed significant reductions in driving licence holding for under‐30s, and signs that it’s not recov‐ ering afterwards.

Young people are also travelling less.

According to the study, there was a

36% drop in the number of car jour‐ neys per person between 1995‐99 and 2010‐2014. Overall, the total number of trips by all modes of travel fell 28% during the same period, with a slight increase in public transport use, a small reduction in walking, while cycling remained static.

The report attributed this to a combi‐ nation of factors, including less perma‐ nent, stable employment opportunities and stagnating income as housing expenditure and the cost of motoring

have increased. In turn, this means they are less likely to have families in their 20s, which can promote car use. An increasing number of 25 to 34‐year‐ olds are also living in urban areas.

“Given that many young people have become accustomed to a lifestyle in which private car use is less central than it has been for previous genera‐ tions, it is also likely that significant differences in travel behaviour will remain throughout their lives,” the report concluded.

Manchester considers workplace parking levy to curb pollution

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usinesses in Manchester could be subject to a workplace parking levy as the city drafts proposals for measures to reduce air pollution as quickly and effectively as possible.

The levy is one of a number of measures being explored by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) as it responds to the Government’s air quality plans outlined last summer. Seven of the area’s local authorities have been ordered

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to draw up a proposal to curb air pollu‐ tion, with a submission date in December.

Greater Manchester must now assess the feasibility of charge‐based Clean Air Zones as the benchmark measure against which other options will be assessed.

These include a workplace parking levy, air pollution awareness‐raising campaigns, schemes to curb the environ‐ mental impact of freight movement, and encouraging the use of cleaner vehicles,

public transport and cut congestion.

Helen Smith, head of environment, freight and logistics at TfGM, added that the plans are still at a relatively early stage, commenting: “Parking is an area that we need to consider and we will be developing feasibility studies that look at parking charges for different times of day and vehicle type, across the region, as well as investigating options for a work‐ place parking levy.”

inbusiness

Patriotic updates for Mini Hatch and Convertible

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he updated Mini range – comprising the three‐and five‐door hatch and cabriolet – will go on sale from March, introducing new technology, refreshed drivetrains and Union Flag LED lighting adopted from recent concept cars.

Highlights for the 2018 model include a BMW’s torquier 1.5‐litre petrol engine being introduced in the Mini One, and a seven‐speed dual‐clutch auto‐ matic transmission available across the range. This features a coasting function to save fuel, and an advanced start‐stop system which uses the forward‐facing camera to detect when it’s not worth deactivating the engine.

Real‐time traffic information, new LED lighting with matrix high‐beam and a plethora of personalisation options are also included in the refresh.

ICFM warns fleets not to adopt “loophole” PHEVs

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ensible deployment of plug‐in hybrid cars to ensure they’re fit for purpose is a must for fleets looking to transition to ULEVs, ICFM has warned.

Speaking at the recent Go Ultra Low Fleet Summit in London, ICFM director, Peter Eldridge, told delegates that for UK fleets electric vehicles were a “conundrum”, high‐ lighting ongoing industry concerns that fleets and drivers are turning to plug‐in hybrids due to tax loopholes but were very likely to suffer increased operating costs – specifically fuel bills – as a result.

Eldridge warned that plug‐in hybrid cars were for “a significant number of fleet managers the proverbial duck out of water operating predominantly outside of their economic efficiency zone”, adding that operators should ‘do the maths’ and ensure drivers were supported with knowledge on maximising electric miles in them once implemented.

Eldridge also urged operators not to be drawn into poor fleet vehicle decision‐ making due to the ‘diesel demonisation’ of recent months, echoing the viewpoint of many in the industry that the fuel type still has much to offer the right fleets.

in brief Ford integrates Waze on SYNC 3 The Waze traffic and navigation app is now available on all Ford vehicles equipped with SYNC 3. The app can be accessed on the touch screen for any 2018 model year Ford vehicle equipped with SYNC 3 version 3.0 or greater while other SYNC 3‐enabled Ford vehicles can get an over‐the‐air or USB update.

CO2 from Europe’s microwaves equivalent to 7 million cars Cradle‐to‐grave analysis of microwave oven usage across Europe, conducted by the University of Manchester, has shown the devices emit 7.7m tonnes of CO2 per year. The research highlighted that this was equivalent to 6.8m cars, adding that consumers should be less willing to discard fully functional microwaves for newer models.

PSA Group CEO outlines plans for UK plants PSA Group has pledged to keep Vaux‐ hall’s UK plants operating, following demands from the Unite union to safe‐ guard jobs in the wake of the Brexit vote and the Group’s acquisition of GM’s European operations. Group CEO, Carlos Tavares, said both organisations were looking to develop a roadmap for co‐operation, but that urgent Govern‐ ment support would be required.

trading places

in

in

out

David Brockwell gains new role at Tusker Tusker has made a number of changes to its senior team with David Brockwell now taking a newly created role in directing operations. Meanwhile Laura Alexander has joined Tusker as its new chief financial officer and Lesley Davies has been appointed as chief people officer.

Changes at Nissan Fleet Nissan Motor has created three new roles within its fleet management team as it reworks its fleet proposition. New recruits include Ian Miller, as head of fleet planning and operations while Marco Capozzoli head of national dealer fleet. Finally, Peter Johnson joins as head of fleet leasing and specialist sales.

Nick Andrews moves to CV role Nick Andrews, fleet and remarketing director at MercedesBenz Cars UK, has taken on the position of commercial vehicles director at Mercedes-Benz Financial Services UK. The role will see Andrews oversee the sales and operations of financial services for Mercedes-Benz Truck, Mercedes-Benz Van and EvoBus customers.

fleetworld.co.uk / 09

business inb

One Careful Owner?

An Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruling on alleged mis-selling of ex-fleet cars has opened the floodgates to possible compensation claims. But are they justified? By Natalie Middleton.

What’s the background?

The ASA ruling covers two Alfa Romeo Giuliettas, bought

by Romford-based dealer group Glyn Hopkin from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles UK (FCA), and sold online via the carmaker’s used vehicle site, based on a templated advert.

These were considered misleading by the ASA, which argued that the vehicles had one previous owner but did not highlight that they were ex-fleet vehicles. Glyn Hopkin said this information had not been provided, but the ASA ruled that it could have been obtained.

Neither vehicle had multiple users but the ASA dismissed arguments that ex-business single-use vehicles might be at least as well maintained as ex-private vehicles due to a claimed lack of evidence. It also said vehicles that were exfleet, including whether the car had been driven by multiple users, “was material information likely to influence a consumer’s transactional decision”.

It’s not isolated; a Peugeot dealership in Gateshead has also been prosecuted, by Gateshead Council Trading Standards, after failing to declare a car’s previous history after a customer discovered that his car’s ‘one previous owner’ was in fact rental giant Europcar.

What does this mean for fleets?

The fleet market is vital to the used car sector; supplying some 1.3 million used vehicles each year and accounting for over 50% of new registrations. It supplies a rolling stock of modern, fuel-efficient, safety-rich vehicles which have already undergone the bulk of their depreciation, while also being, for the most part, wellmaintained and serviced in line with manufacturer guidelines.

The ASA complaint investigation was led by Ashley Rumbold as part of a seven-year plus campaign into the alleged mis-selling of cars that has now resulted in the creation of a group action lawsuit that claims drivers could be due up to 100% of the purchase price of their car in compensation and is offering to represent them on a no-win, no-fee basis.

So the ASA ruling that these cars should be marked out, with compensation being offered for buyers, could affect residual values, in turn raising costs for operators.

How has the fleet sector responded?

Most companies we spoke to said the ruling assures transparency for buyers and ensuring that fleet software and telematics is used to provide comprehensive fleet vehicle data. The general feeling is that buyers shouldn’t be concerned.

Glenn Sturley, chair of the Vehicle Remarketing Association, said: “An ex-fleet vehicle of any description will have been sub-

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ject to very high standards of maintenance and the vendor will usually have invested heavily in ensuring that it reaches the used market in the best possible condition. We believe that the vast majority of used car buyers know and understand this, and will have no problems with this kind of stock.”

Going forward, although the ASA has advised that “marketers of ex-fleet vehicles should carefully consider what information about a vehicle’s history should be included in an ad”, Dean Bowkett, MD of Bowkett Auto Consulting and former director and chief editor at the EurotaxGlass’s global services team, warned that the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading legislation (CPUT), the Checklist for Second Hand Car Dealers and the ASA ruling make it far from clear what is required by traders “and more critically why it is important with factbased evidence”.

Bowkett is also working with Geldards LLP to provide the industry with advice on the legal arguments and expert evidence that can be deployed against liability and the practical steps that the motor industry might take to protect itself.

He commented: “The whole industry needs to realise this is not just a dealer issue. If CPUT and the ASA create a two-tier retail sales pricing system then expect there to be a two-tier trade buying system. We need to collectively lobby government to educate and correct their misleading guidance.”

However, Jim Blair, operations manager at Arnold Clark Vehicle Management, doesn’t see the ruling having much effect: “I think a used car buyer has the right to know the provenance of the car they purchase. And while there is a concern from leasing and rental companies that disposal values may be depressed a little, I think these concerns are unfounded.”

inbusiness

Q &A US auction reconditioning specialist Cars Recon announced in the autumn that it’s entering the UK market with the launch of a new company, International Vehicle Services (IVS). Managing director Kay Hudson speaks to Natalie Middleton.

What will IVS bring to the UK marketplace?

The key thing we bring to the UK is a single, high-quality valeting process that works for all clients and sets an industry standard. We really want to deliver our new vision to the auction reconditioning process, developing new procedures and products that will continue to improve the reconditioning.

Also we have extensive experience in safety consultancies. IVS will work with auction partners to bring a range of programmes to the industry that will help minimise accidents and injuries in the auction environment.

I’m involved with the safety committee on the NAAA – the National Auto Auction Association – so I’m taking that experience with me to the UK, to bring that to the fore. We had a serious accident in Boston where five people were killed [Lynnway Auto Auction in Billerica] and we’re really pushing safety.

The programmes and safety procedures we put in place would work anywhere in the auto industry – so even in dealerships and bodyshops.

And we bring things to the UK from the US but also vice versa. Our role is to take the best products and procedures from both sides and make it into one.

Where does the UK market have areas that the US can learn from?

Quite honestly I think the UK industry is a bit more professional. I think the industry has a very professional, legal attitude. In the US, it’s become very relaxed and this is an industry that thrives on professionalism.

The UK is quite polite, which I think is great, and that’s what I notice when I go into a new location; it’s a very different kind of atmosphere.

The UK is also working on some technologies in the bodyshops that the US market hasn’t quite latched onto; the way they set up vehicles and paint them in the booths; that’s just incredible and I’d like to see it come over to the States.

As new car registrations decline, how will a possible upturn in used car interest impact on the market and on the remarketing sector?

We understand that demand for some models that are present in a large number in the UK fleet industry is

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falling, especially diesels, so when it comes to the value of remarketing vehicles, it’s important to ensure they enter the auction halls in the best possible way.

Even if people want used cars more than new cars, those vehicles still have to be standing tall. And I think it’s really going to come down to the reconditioning standards on how well they present that vehicle.

How can the remarketing industry deal with the issues presented by GDPR and ensuring sensitive driver data isn't compromised in the remarketing process?

This is so important, this is huge and it needs to be tackled by the fleet and auction houses as soon as possible. We’re working on it in the States and it’s only going to get bigger.

Our view is that the first vendor in contact with the vehicle should remove all the data. This is the most sensible approach. If the first person who sees that vehicle, the vendor, gets rid of it, it eliminates how many people that vehicle may pass through before it actually makes it to the auction hall. It can go through a lot of people.

What about your plans in the UK going forwards?

Our goal is to bring our standard process that we’ve been perfecting for over 15 years in the US to the UK. We want to get into as many places as we can and keep going. And not only in in the UK and further out into Europe. The UK is just the start.

I’m currently networking across the UK with people and getting involved with NAMA (the National Association of Motor Auctions) and the VRA (Vehicle Remarketing Association) meeting all the industry leaders out there and seeing if there’s some place that we fit in, whether it’s with the reconditioning for fleets or the safety for the auction houses themselves. We want to be able to present that and help auction firms with their safety programme or even our consulting if they just need help on efficiencies. It’s not just cleaning cars.

The biggest way we will stand out is with our standards and processes. The standard you see at one auction will be the standard you see at another so the quality is always consistent.

We’re not just a big auction group or a little auction group; we can do it all because we’ve had the experience here.

inbusiness

Find.Your.Way British startup What3Words reckons it’s found the solution to inaccurate postal addresses, with some significant cost savings for fleets. Jonathan Musk finds out how it works.

What is it?

What3Words is a simple location referencing system based on a global grid of 3x3 metre, where each square has been preallocated a fixed 3word address, such as remind.speak.puns – Fleet World’s HQ.

addressing, but with a 3word address they can be precisely arrived at with ease.

Numbers are inherently difficult to remember too, whereas 3word addresses use conventional short words that sit in the brain’s short term memory longer and can therefore be more easily retrieved.

How does it work?

What3Words has thrown the proverbial address book out the window. The developers concluded that geographical coordinates were the way forward, yet there was just one small problem; they weren’t very memorable.

The team then set about translating coordinates into three words. Each string of three words refers to a precise 3x3 metre square and, critically, no two squares have the same name.

This precision plays into the hands of delivery and logistics companies in particular, which can rely on the higher degree of accuracy offered by 3word addresses. Being just short words also means inputting a 3word address has less instances of error. What3Words developers have also ensured that similar addresses are remote from one another, so it should be obvious if an incorrect address is typed by mistake.

The benefits?

Poor addressing costs businesses millions in incomplete deliveries with UPS estimating that saving even just one mile per driver per day would equate to a $50m (£38m) annual saving. In addition, Britons are estimated to spend more than 22 million hours a year lost while abroad and it is said to be the number one cause of arguments between couples when travelling.

Large addresses, like shopping centres, may have multiple entrances that aren’t generally well catered for by traditional

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The future?

Global rollout. It’s now just a question of adoption. 3word addresses span the world and that won’t change. Numerous companies have adopted 3word addresses already to streamline reaching destinations, including the UN and several delivery companies.

Mercedes-Benz is the first carmaker to announce integration into its voice command for navigation, whereby the driver of a car can simply say, “Navigate to What3Words” followed by the 3word address they wish to set as a destination.

Navmii became the first popular sat nav system to integrate What3Words addressing too, enabling people to easily navigate.

Amarex – a global delivery company – tested What3Words against conventional addresses head-to-head. The trial consisted four drivers, two familiar with an area of Dubai who used traditional addressing and two who were unfamiliar with the area who used 3word addresses. The same 100 locations were chosen for both teams to deliver to. With traditional street addresses, the drivers took 7 hours, 39 minutes, and 25-phone calls to customers asking for directions.

The 3word addresses drivers spent just 4 hours 28 minutes and didn’t require a single phone call, as they found their destination first time, every time. The drivers also covered 22% less distance using 3word addresses, saving fuel.

ALD proves real-world viability of PHEV company cars

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lug‐in hybrids could offer a viable, cost‐effective, and carbon‐saving alternative to a petrol or diesel company car, and across a wide spectrum of different driver pro iles, according to the results of a six‐month study carried out by ALD Automotive.

The Go Ultra Low Company deployed a fleet of 20 Mercedes‐Benz C 350 e PHEVs with its company car drivers, each fitted with its own ProFleet telematics device.

Participants were chosen based on variable annual mileage and usage condi‐ tions, reflecting a cross‐section of drivers on a company car fleet. The results – gath‐ ered across 145,000 miles of on‐road driving – show it’s not a simple like‐for‐ like replacement.

1. Regular charging PHEVs typically offer a range of 20‐30 miles on battery power, after which they function (in the case of the C 350 e) as a conventional petrol‐electric hybrid. This makes regular charging essential to get the best return on investment. ALD’s partici‐ pants had access to charging points in the head of ice car park, and were provided with home units where necessary, funded

by the Government’s Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme.

In the inal 68,000 miles of the trial, the leet was driving on battery power for over 50% of the distance covered. ALD said 14.8 tonnes of CO2 were saved over the 145,000 total miles.

2. Driver behaviour Participants had varying levels of experi‐ ence with plug‐in vehicles – some had never driven one. Although the driving experience is close to a conventional automatic C‐Class, hybrids perform best when driven smoothly and with use of regenerative braking to put energy back into the battery while slowing down.

Drivers were trained before the trial, and league tables enabled them to compare fuel economy while they were taking part. This led to an increase in average fuel economy, from 54.48mpg at the start, to 56.44mpg, at the end of the irst month.

3. Variable savings Despite limited electric ranges, plug‐in hybrids aren’t only suitable for short‐ distance commuters. One driver, covering an average of 14,000 miles per year, aver‐ aged 84.7mpg over the course of the trial –

equating to a £500 annual saving in fuel.

That’s actually higher than the £200 saved by the 7,000‐mile‐per‐year driver, who averaged 110.54mpg.

But there’s an upper limit; relying on the petrol engine more regularly means the cost savings reduce for drivers covering more than 20,000 miles per year.

Overall, based on a 15,000‐mile user, and a typical three‐year lifecycle, ALD said leets could save £2,000 per vehicle compared to a C 220 d Sport Premium. Drivers, meanwhile, would pay £6,000 less in Bene it‐in‐Kind.

Matt Dale, consultancy services manager, commented: “As the technology improves and the electric range increases, this will open PHEVs up to drivers with higher annual mileages and a greater number of leets will stand to bene it.

“But our research shows that leets may well ind that a high proportion of their drivers are suitably placed for a PHEV now.

The Government’s announcement in the Autumn Budget that they will invest £100m to ensure the continuation of the Plug‐In Car Grant, in addition to other grants currently available, mean that the current cost bene its may actually be higher than companies realise.”

ALD will publish the full results of the trial as a white paper with advice for fleets adopting PHEVs, available via its website.

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

London to have 700 rapid chargers by 2022

in brief

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ondon will have 150 rapid chargers before the end of the year, rising to 700 by 2022, under plans con irmed at a London Assembly environment committee meeting on 17 January.

There are 12,000 EVs registered in London, which is around 10% of the national total, so representatives from Transport for London and the Greater London Authority are to establish a city‐wide charging infrastructure, focused on leets and black cabs. The latter are responsible for 25% of NOx emissions in the capital.

TfL and the GLA re now working with 25 boroughs to identify suitable loca‐ tions and strategically install infrastructure, which will include illing stations and car parks. The 150 set to be installed by the end of the year will double to 300 by 2020, and 700 by 2022, backed by £18bn investment.

Initiatives are also underway to bolster on‐street parking, including units incor‐ porated into lamp posts, but the GLA cited a lack of engagement from boroughs as a challenge, adding that raising it up the agenda is proving problematic.

Allstar cards now accepted at ITM’s hydrogen fuel network

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llstar Business Solutions has become the irst fuel card provider to include ITM Power’s network of hydrogen refuelling stations.

The partnership follows a request from a large public‐sector organisation which was already an Allstar customer, and looking to use them to refuel its growing leet of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.

Paul Holland, chief operating of icer at Allstar parent company Fleetcor said: “By teaming up with alternative fuel providers like ITM Power, Allstar can ensure it is doing everything it can to continue to support leet operators as they evolve their leets to suit their changing business needs and, importantly, improve choice for customers.”

Jaguar I-Pace to offer 45-minute, 250-mile charges Jaguar’s electric SUV will be able to recover 80% of its range in 45 minutes, equating to around 250 miles, the carmaker has con irmed. The I‐Pace, which launches this year, will feature 100kW ultra‐fast charging capability – twice the rate offered by today’s rapid chargers.

Consortium to trial domestic vehicle-to-grid charging in UK A £7m consortium comprising Octopus Energy, Octopus Electric Vehicles, UK Power Networks, ChargePoint Services, Open Energi, Energy Saving Trust and Navigant has begun a large‐scale vehicle‐ to‐grid trial in the UK. The trial will be based on ‘clusters’ and deploy 135 chargers, aiding further research into the technology, and is part‐funded by BEIS and OLEV, delivered by InnovateUK.

InstaVolt to treble UK network InstaVolt is to triple its network of 200 rapid charging points, due to go live before the end of the year. It follows a ‘multi‐ million pound’ deal with American manu‐ facturer ChargePoint last year, installing modular, upgradeable units along the UK’s major routes. InstaVolt said it is aiming to be the largest owner‐operator of DC rapid chargers in the country.

Free workplace charge points

in numbers

Fleet Evolution is offering a free workplace charge point to new customers as it looks to drive uptake of ULEVs. The leet manage‐ ment and salary sacri ice specialist, will cover the cost of installation of a 7kW or 22kW charger and its ongoing provision. It builds on an offer to provide free domestic units for salary sacri ice drivers.

6%

Increase in peak power demand from the 10m UK EVs predicted by 2035, making ‘smart’ charging vital.

Source: SMMT

Source: Aurora Energy Research

Share of the UK’s 119,821 alternative-fuel vehicles which were hybrids (not including PHEVs) last year – up 40% year on year.

fleetworld.co.uk / 19

inbusiness

Building bridges Dealers and company car drivers can endure a strained relationship, but it doesn’t need to be that way. Curtis Hutchinson reports.

T

he relationship between company car drivers and main dealers has always lacked clear definition.

While drivers are customers they have no buying power and limited authority to make decisions, the real relationship is between the dealer and the fleet manager who signs off servicing and repair work and, most importantly, has their name at the top of the invoices.

Switched on dealer staff will know that it's worth cultivating relationships with company car drivers as they might one day be in the market for a private motor for another member of their family, or they could be in a position to rave about the excellent customer service they had at a showroom to a friend or colleague in the market for a car. So, more readily offering cappuccinos and Danish pastries could be the start of a relationship further down the line but how many busy sales staff, with an eye on hitting their monthly targets, see it that way?

For company car drivers a visit to a dealer can often be an inconvenience. If the car needs a servicing or repair job then it has to be worked into the schedules of the driver and the dealer's workshop; diaries that are not always easy to sync and that can be the cause of some resentment. This means dealers can be wrongly blamed by drivers, frustrated by lengthy waits for tyres or repairs to be approved by their leasing company.

Now, thanks to the work of APD Global Research, the product, brand and customer experience specialist, we are getting a better understanding of the relationship and how it can be improved.

"Company car drivers have a relationship with the dealer network which emerges differently from that of most new retail car drivers. Company car drivers come into contact with the dealer network only on an irregular, and often arm’s length, basis throughout the life of their vehicle," said Andrew Skelhorn, APD's research director.

"For the fleet driver, the critical honeymoon period of the relationship, when prospective buyers are prepared to be openly wooed as they peruse their desired brands and models with a beauty parade of their local dealers, is almost totally absent.

"The retail buyer will pick and choose, and allow the dealer relationship to develop as options are confirmed, the delivery date draws nearer, and finally the car is delivered with all due ritual and ceremony. In the best circumstances, a personal bond of trust is established between the dealer and the buyer."

20 / fleetworld.co.uk

Clearly the red carpet is not always laid out for company car drivers as the supply agreement, certainly for bigger fleets, often takes place outside of the showroom with a leasing company or an OEM’s fleet sales department. However, company car drivers still need facilitating like other customers.

"With company car drivers, dealer interaction is often limited to a few furtive visits and test drives, before the dealer is excluded from any burgeoning driver relationship. For this reason, sales staff often resent the time wasted on company car drivers, whose test drives may well promote manufacturer sales, but will never contribute to their own monthly bonus.

"The vehicle is delivered anonymously by a driver or low-loader, or simply collected from the company car park. This may be the only point of dealer contact, and no ongoing relationship from the supplying dealer is either requested or expected."

However, many carmakers from Seat and Mazda through to Ford and Vauxhall have established local business centres focused on delivering personal services to local businesses which should make the end user experience different.

“In the case of SMEs, once a relationship can be established, this is a potentially rewarding task, with the prospect of multiple future sales and servicing. This benefit can flow both ways. One of the most important aspects of the small fleet procurement and disposal process are the relationships they forge with their local dealers,” he said.

“With SMEs the decision makers are also drivers themselves, and the wider driver experience is invariably fed directly back to the management.”

What SMEs and their employees are reacting well to are bespoke services that acknowledge their role as valued local customers, a theme Skelhorn clearly warms to.

“A dedicated fleet department can go a long way towards meeting the specific needs of a small to medium sized business and its drivers. This includes the offer of priority servicing, extended hours, fleet rebates, tailored life of vehicle cost comparisons, courtesy cars and daily rental provision and more. When fully integrated into a business, a fleet dealer can act as an invaluable outsourced fleet manager.”

Carmakers and their dealers are on the case and some businesses are already reaping the benefits but this is a cultural change that will take some time to filter through to most company car drivers.

Renault EV RANGE Don’t just go electric, go award-winning.

CO2 whilst driving 0g/km, MPG: n/a according to NEDC homologation tests. *Homologated range according to NEDC test cycle, for comparison purposes, 250 miles (ZOE Z.E 40) and 170 miles (Kangoo Z.E 33), and may not reect real life driving results. Range conditions with the Z.E. 40 battery and 75 miles in winter conditions and 124 miles in temperate conditions with the Z.E. 33 battery.

As GreenFleet’s ‘Best Electric Vehicle Manufacturer’ for 2017, the Renault 100% electric range offers innovation in every size for any fleet’s needs.

There’s the Renault ZOE, our striking 5-door hatchback with up to 250 mile NEDC range* to give you peace of mind on the road. The eye-catching Renault Twizy is our compact and agile quadricycle, offering high agility and responsive technology like drive and speed display and heated windscreen.

For moving cargo, tools and teams – the durable Renault Kangoo Z.E. 33 is both efficient and versatile, with load volumes of up to 3.6m3 and an impressive NEDC range of up to 170 miles*.

will vary on various factors including driving conditions, driving style, temperature and topography but is likely to be between 124 miles in winter conditions and 186 miles in temperate

FEATURE Fleet advice

Ask the EXPERTS

Our panel of experts answers your latest fleet conundrums...

Q

How can we add EVs to our fleet in a way that doesn't negatively impact our operations?

Colin Ferguson managing director of fleet & optimisation Trakm8

I

ntegrating EVs into a leet is fairly straightforward, and should actually have a positive impact on your operations. The irst step is to undertake a benchmarking exercise ‐ some organisations offer free assistance for this. By using data loggers, benchmarking can identify the best makes and models of EV, and the best ways in which to deploy the vehicles.

I would also recommend looking at optimisation software, to ensure your EVs deliver the best possible return on investment. Specialist EV optimisation will guarantee that

your electric vehicles are used on the most appropriate routes and will also maximise the amount of “electric miles” you can achieve. Furthermore, linking your optimisation software with GPS tracking enables you to analyse planned versus actual performance.

Finally, we recommend that you gather and regularly disseminate data on the total electric miles achieved, as well as cost savings and reductions in CO2 emissions. This is great data for CSR and also helps to create a positive feedback loop with colleagues.

To pose your questions to the panel, e-mail: experts@fleetworldgroup.co.uk

Q

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18 / fleetworld.co.uk

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P11D FROM £22,095 BiK FROM 22% | CO2 FROM 104G/KM | UP TO 70.6MPG From business journeys to a weekend adventure, Grandland X takes you whichever way you choose to go. With plenty of room for five, serious comfort, connected technology and safety features that include lane departure warning, forward collision alert* and automatic emergency braking*, go your own way with Grandland X. Isn’t life brilliant.

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Fuel consumption information is official government environmental data, tested in accordance with the relevant EU directive. Grandland X range fuel consumption figures mpg (litres/100km): Urban: 44.1 (6.4)-60.1 (4.7), Extra-urban: 57.6 (4.9)-80.7 (3.5), Combined: 51.4 (5.5)-70.6 (4.0). CO2 emissions: 128-104g/km.

Official EU-regulated test data are provided for comparison purposes and actual performance will depend on driving style, road conditions and other non-technical factors. 2017/18 tax year. Vauxhall Motors Limited does not offer tax advice and recommends that all Company Car Drivers consult their own accountant with regards to their own tax position. Grandland X Elite Nav 1.2 (130PS) Turbo Start/Stop model illustrated (P11D of £26,445) features Topaz Blue two-coat metallic paint (£565), silver-effect roof rails (£150) and black roof and door mirrors (£320), optional at extra cost. 3 Day Test Drive terms and conditions apply and vehicles are subject to availability. Please call 0330 587 8221 for full details. All figures quoted correct at time of going to press (February 2018). * = Standard on all models except SE.

inbusiness

Keeping it simple Recognising the time constraints on small businesses, newly-launched fleet management tool, ODO, is designed to provide an easy, cost-effective tool to keep everything in check. Martyn Collins found out more.

What is it?

Described as “the latest innovation in fleet management,”

by Gordon Lyster, general manager, ODO is claimed to be the world’s first fleet management system designed specifically for small and medium sized businesses. In essence, it offers a full suite of management functions via a single digital dashboard, performing constant checks and giving reminders if necessary.

Why is it different?

Built over two years by British automotive technology company, Drive Software Solutions Limited (DSSL), ODO is said to address a gap in the market. It uses DSSL’s established Drive Platform, already in use in 20 countries, but combined with the Software as a Service (SaaS) technology of the Oracle Cloud for the first time.

The aim with the ODO platform is for it to be so simple to use, that instead of being limited to fleet managers, it can also be used by HR managers, financial managers, business owners and even SME business drivers on the go. Future developments will take place in association with subscribers, and plans include a smartphone app to give access to information on the move.

How does it work?

ODO is aimed at making it simpler to store vehicle and driver data. For example, all you need to add a vehicle to

26 / fleetworld.co.uk

this system is the registration number, then this number is searched against DVLA to find the final details. DSSL also claims cost savings, with access to project partner Cap HPI’s data so fuel efficiency and current values of an individual vehicle can be checked.

Most importantly for the smaller SME fleets, ODO will help them to stay compliant by notifying them when items need their attention. Once vehicles are added to this system, it will automatically check all of them have up-to-date MOTs, insurance (including for other family members) and service records, plus it can even work out the best time to de-fleet a specific vehicle.

For your company drivers, ODO is the place to store important personal documents such as a driving licence, plus it can log their latest journey details. It also offers driving licence checks and can ensure insurance is in place for ‘grey fleet’ drivers, using their own vehicles for work.

What does it cost?

ODO is available now, and is launching with a 30-day free trial, with no up-front costs. After this, there are two levels of service available for customers. Professional is the cheaper of the two monthly options at £3 per vehicle, as it doesn’t include driver licence checks. Go for the Expert level of service and the cost rises to £5 per vehicle per month, although ODO was keen to tell us that discounts would be possible if more vehicles are signed up.

Nissan Leaf Is Nissan’s trailblazer still ahead of the electric pack? Alex Grant finds out.

SECTOR Lower Medium PRICE £21,990-£27,490 (after Plug-in Car Grant) RANGE 168/235 miles (WLTP/NEDC) CO2 0g/km

A

ccording to Nissan, customer feedback directly influenced over 100 improvements made to the new Leaf. So it’s ironic that the most obvious, surface‐level generational shift is predicted to make the biggest difference: with less divisive styling, Nissan reck‐ ons it can sell twice as many this time around.

In part, that’s because customers otherwise loved the car.

The outgoing Leaf had Nissan’s highest satisfaction and customer retention ratings, a 43% segment share in the UK last year, and it’s arguably the household name for electric motoring. Looking a bit less challenging removes a hurdle to getting people behind the wheel – and the improvements aren’t just skin‐deep.

It’s well hidden, but this is a heavy update of the outgo‐ ing car, largely to incorporate newer technology. The battery capacity has increased from 30kWh to 40kWh (and there’s an even larger pack still to come) within the same overall dimensions, and the motor produces 148bhp instead of 108bhp. In diesel terms, it’s equivalent of an upgrade from a 1.6‐litre to a 2.0‐litre engine. isn’t ground‐breaking, every step forward makes choosing EV The focus is driveability more than outright performance. suitable for even more drivers, and the longer‐range model It doesn’t feel any quicker at low speeds, but the power due next year should bring it in line with forthcoming rivals. doesn’t tail off as quickly, which makes for Not all of the advances are EV‐specific. ProPi‐ easier overtaking and motorway cruising. A lot, Nissan’s suite of assistance technologies, FLEET FACT stiffer bodyshell, softer suspension and debuts on the Leaf offering the usual active lane‐ Qashqai‐derived chassis technology all help keeping and adaptive cruise control functions, shed that slightly top‐heavy feel of the outgo‐ as well as hands‐off, feet‐off parking. The latter is Nissan’s e-Pedal ing car. It’s not sporty, but it rides well, handles particularly clever, using the surround‐view enables 90% of neatly and inspires a little more high‐speed cameras to recognise white lines in perpendicu‐ driving to be done lar spaces, but is quite slow to manoeuvre. confidence than its predecessor. with one pedal.

Increased range is important, too. The bigger Motorway assistance is useful too, but we found battery offers a claimed real‐world range of 170 it struggled with lane markings and was prone miles under mixed conditions, and more than 200 in town. to tweaking the throttle and brakes around other cars.

Both seem realistic, and standard‐fit rapid charging can The e‐Pedal is simpler, and far more impressive; it’s essen‐ restore 80% of that in around 40 minutes. While the range tially a mode which allows most driving to be done without touching the brake pedal. Lift off the throttle and the Leaf seamlessly combines strong regenerative braking and the disc brakes to slow the car, all the way to a stop. It’s a clever system, and doesn’t take long to become second nature.

Otherwise, it feels quite a lot like the old car. Exterior dimensions are almost unchanged, the cabin still seats four adults with a fifth straddling the hump between the rear footwells, and boot capacity is among the largest in the segment. The dashboard is completely new, but there’s still no reach adjustment on the steering wheel, and the info‐ tainment is also carried over. It’s not the most intuitive system on the market, but it does at least now have Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as an alternative.

Attitudes to electric cars have changed beyond recogni‐ tion since 2011, and the Leaf has had a large role in that shift. By chipping away at its weaker points, the new one feels well placed to capitalise on growing customer demand – the big difference is, there’s no styling hurdle to overcome before they make the switch.

28 / fleetworld.co.uk

what we think

highlights Combined-cycle range of 168 miles under new WLTP ‘real-world’ conditions (urban: 258 miles)

The Leaf has been a bit of a trailblazer, and this new version easily puts it back up amongst the best on the market. But, with a wide choice of alternatives, and some longerrange rivals in the pipeline, not pushing the boat out on range and charging times feels like a bit of a missed opportunity.

Rapid charging to 80% in 40 minutes, and vehicle-to-grid compatible ProPilot assisted parking and cruise control, e-Pedal single-pedal driving

key fleet model Nissan Leaf N-Connecta fleetworld.co.uk / 29

Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace Does stretching a Tiguan appeal to the family man? Jonathan Musk takes a closer look.

SECTOR Large SUV PRICE ÂŁ29,370-ÂŁ39,965 FUEL 36.7-56.5mpg CO2 131-175g/km

B

uilding on the success of Tiguan, the Allspace is a long�wheel base version that offers more space, seven seats as standard and a subtly more aggres� sive on�road presence.

The main differences to be found include an additional 215mm overall vehicle length, including an extra 106mm wheelbase that ensures a cavernous interior.

Family drivers will be grateful for the front�facing third row, though access to it requires acrobatic ability for any� one above five�feet tall. They’re also not the most sup� portive and when upright restrict the boot to 230�litres.

The middle row provides the most flexibility, being able to move back and forth 180mm but they’re only split 60/40 hampering versatility despite the 54mm extra claimed knee room. The seats are also a bit like sitting on a park bench and offer little ergonomic support for adults and those with young families may be disappointed to find only two ISOFIX points, with no option to add more.

Overall boot capacity is increased 85�litres over the standard Tiguan, while folding all the seats down offers the Allspace a plentiful 1,775�litres (+120 over Tiguan).

There’s also dedicated stowage for the parcel shelf at the rear, keeping it safe, although the boot floor is raised to accommodate this.

The rest of the interior is largely unchanged from the regular Tiguan, meaning the Allspace benefits from tactile materials and stunning build quality. Engines range from a 148bhp petrol to a 237bhp diesel. Front or all�wheel drive is also available for much of the range, though let’s face it – this is no mud plugger.

As such, the 148bhp 2.0�litre diesel with the six�speed manual and front�wheel drive would actually be our fleet pick, emitting just 131g/km and achieving a combined 56.5mpg. Tiguan is Volkswagen’s third best�seller and the Allspace is a sensible seven�seat addition to the range.

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Kia Niro PHEV Smart thinking from Kia, but the plug-in Niro has stiff competition on the way. By Alex Grant.

SECTOR Medium SUV PRICE £30,495 (After Plug-in Car Grant) FUEL 217.3mpg CO2 29g/km

S

UV styling with a plug‐in hybrid drivetrain; Kia has an eye‐catching offer with the Niro PHEV, and it’s no sur‐ prise, with the tax breaks on offer, that most are expected to go to fleets. But this is a very different proposi‐ tion to most apparently similar products.

The norm for PHEVs has become a high‐performance petrol engine with a short electric range to bring CO2 emis‐ sions down. This is based on the already efficient Niro hybrid, with a 50% more powerful motor (60bhp) and

mains‐rechargeable battery to keep the engine switched off for up to 36 miles. The upshot; it doesn’t become a 35mpg burden when that range runs out.

Of course, it’s best to use it properly. The battery takes just over two hours to charge, offering just over 30 miles of range, and there are driving modes to either prioritise battery power or save it for later. Frustratingly, it doesn’t switch automatically between the two if there’s range left in the battery, as other PHEVs can, but it does use navigation data to pre‐plan coasting opportunities.

Once the battery range is depleted, it becomes a ~60mpg Niro hybrid ‐ efficient enough for longer trips.

What impresses most, though, is how well it’s all pack‐ aged. SUV styling cues are a shrewd move, though it’s low like a hatchback to drive, and the long wheelbase offers near‐Sportage levels of interior space. Boot capacity suffers slightly due to the bulkier battery, but the fuel tank is only slightly smaller and the hybrid’s multi‐link rear axle is car‐ ried over, so it rides well. With spec based on the Niro 3 trim, it’s also well‐equipped.

In a popular segment, with a tax and fuel‐efficient drive‐ train, there’s plenty of appeal here. But with the Niro EV en route, and the Hyundai Kona EV due this summer, both with long electric ranges, its USP could be short‐lived.

For even more reasons to choose Suzuki, contact us today. cars.suzuki.co.uk/business

01908 336130

businesscars@suzuki.co.uk

WR 2IILFLDO &2˄ HPLVVLRQV IURP J NP WR J NP Fuel consumption figures are based on an EU test for comparative purposes only and may not reflect real driving results. Available from participating dealers. Information correct at the time of going to print. Terms and conditions apply, see: cars.suzuki.co.uk/business

Ford EcoSport EcoSport gets a new look and improved quality, but the class has moved on, says Martyn Collins.

SECTOR Small SUV PRICE £17,495-£21,145 FUEL 48.7-68.8mpg CO2 107-134g/km

W

ith its SUV sales growing almost 25% year‐on‐ seats and the latest Fiesta’s clear instruments. The old mobile year in Europe during 2017, and its small car line‐ phone‐inspired infotainment system has also been replaced, up refreshed with a new Fiesta last summer, Ford either with 6.5‐inch or 8.0‐inch versions of the SYNC3 touch‐ has turned its attention to problem child small SUV ‐ the screen tablet system. Both are shared with the Fiesta, and get EcoSport. Why problem child? Well, the disappointingly Android Auto and Apple CarPlay app streaming, as well as the cheap feel to the interior, iffy dynamics and quirky side optional B&O Play sound system. The side‐hinged tailgate opening tailgate, meant it was never going to worry class remains, but a stowage shelf increases its practicality. leaders. Sales have been uncharacteristically slow.

This isn’t just about looks and quality. On top of the Still, that hasn’t stopped 166,000 EcoSports finding 98bhp 1.5 TDCi diesel and three versions of the 1.0‐litre buyers throughout Europe, and this is a growing segment.

EcoBoost three‐cylinder petrol, there’s also a new 123bhp Production of this refreshed version began in Craiova, 1.5‐litre EcoBlue diesel, which gets four‐wheel drive, plus Romania, last autumn, following a €200m new technology in the form of cruise (£175m) investment in the plant. So, control with speed limiter, plus a revers‐ while it might look similar to the car ing camera. launched back in 2014, it boasts 2,300 Hit the road in the sportiest‐looking new parts and improved quality with a new ST‐Line, powered by the range‐ focus on European tastes. topping 138bhp 1.0‐litre EcoBoost petrol Updated versions are marked out by and, despite the improved exterior and much more aggressive styling; a new air interior quality, it feels much the same as dam at the front, with the latest Ford the old one. It steers precisely, offers family grille, projector headlamps with good body control and the six‐speed optional xenon technology, a reshaped manual gearbox is slick – while the bonnet with a central bulge, plus large engine itself is incredibly willing. Where upswept foglights. In line with this the EcoSport package fails to improve on segment’s love of personalisation, revised the old one, is the suspension damping. alloy wheels, a new bodykit and colours, Best summed up as unsettled, it’s at its The ‘Juke segment’ with the option of a contrasting roof for worst around town, and the ST‐Line’s is a tough one and, the range‐topping ST‐Line are all part of standard 17‐inch wheels don’t help. though much improved, the package, while there’s also a bigger However, overall, this is the car the roof spoiler at the back.

EcoSport should have been back at the EcoSport still The uplift in quality is immediately obvi‐ launch in 2014. The tough thing for Ford isn’t quite up to the ous inside, with the new soft‐touch plastic is, this class has moved on and it’s hard standards set by dashboard, although there’s still the same to recommend against better‐looking, the class-leaders. cheap‐feeling, hard and scratchy plastics more modern rivals such as the Kia on the door trims. It has redesigned front Stonic and the Seat Arona.

what we think

32 / fleetworld.co.uk

I N B U S I N E S S, AT T E N T I O N T O D E TA I L I S E V E R Y T H I N G MEET THE S-MAX VIGNALE F O R D S Y N C 3 W I T H 8˝ T O U C H S C R E E N S O N Y D A B N AV I G AT I O N S Y S T E M E XCLUSI V E A L LOY W H EEL S UNIQUE VIGNALE STYLING P R E M I U M L E AT H E R S E AT S

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35% - 27%

180 - 129g/km

35.8 - 56.5

SEARCH

THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY PRESENTS

FORD VIGNALE

Official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the Ford S-MAX range: urban 27.4-50.4 (10.3-5.6), extra urban 43.5-61.4 (6.5-4.6), combined 35.8-56.5 (7.9-5.0). Official CO2 emissions 180-129g/km.

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

BIK values were correct at the time of printing and are based on taxation rates for 2017/18 tax year. P11D value is the sum of RRP (plus VAT) and number plate charge (£25). Options available at additional cost.

Hyundai Nexo Nexo does more than just pick up where the ix35 fuel cell left off, explains Martyn Collins.

SECTOR Large SUV PRICE TBC RANGE 500 miles (est) CO2 0g/km FUEL Hydrogen

H

yundai took the lead in hydrogen technology when it launched the ix35 Fuel Cell back in 2015, but the pioneer wasn’t without its compromises. The ix35 was a generation behind its successor, the Tucson, it felt dated and was only available in left‐hand drive.

Both are cured with its replacement, the Nexo, which also benefits from improved fuel cell technology offering an esti‐ mated range of 500 miles – 134 more than the old car. We had a brief, very early drive at the company’s Mabuk Advanced Powertrain Research Institute, to get an impres‐ sion of how it performs.

It’s certainly distinctive; a mixture of the latest Kona at the front and last ix35 at the back, and featuring flush door handles on the side that pop out when they sense your hands. Inside, the dashboard features a pair of large displays showing driver information and infotainment functions, with a floating centre console and two‐spoke steering wheel. The interior trim feels modern and, while this was a prototype, seemed solid too. Front and rear legroom is com‐ petitive, and there’s a large, flat load area in the back – as you might expect in a Q5‐sized SUV. The Nexo drives much like an electric car. Drive is engaged with a push‐button, bringing it quietly to life, the

motor produces 181bhp and there’s impressive levels of torque available from the moment you press the throttle, giving keen performance off the mark. Our late prototype had precise steering, felt well‐damped and, in corners, body roll was kept under control.

Which bodes well; modern styling, keen performance, SUV practicality and the availability of right‐hand drive should broaden the Nexo’s appeal compared to its prede‐ cessor. We look forward to a longer drive on UK roads to find out more.

Volvo S90 T8 Twin Engine Volvo’s luxury saloon gains plug-in hybrid power, finds Jonathan Musk.

SECTOR Executive PRICE £56,455-£57,705 (excluding Plug-in Car Grant) FUEL 141.2mpg (NEDC combined) CO2 46g/km

T

he S90 is available with diesel D4, D5 or the petrol plug‐in hybrid T8. The latter offers more than 400bhp and greater torque than a Nissan GT‐R. Sadly, the chassis doesn’t offer handling to match, but that’s not really the point of the S90 – its electric mode is what shines, providing around 22 miles of silent cruising.

Its fuel‐sipping qualities are what will attract business customers: the T8 puffs out a mere 46g/km CO2 and attracts just 9% BiK, which compares to the diesel T4’s 25% for the 2017/18 tax year.

34 / fleetworld.co.uk

However, the T8 comes with a hefty price tag, although it could be seen as a relative bargain considering its perfor‐ mance potential. But that does come with its drawbacks and real‐world fuel consumption is a distance away from the official combined 141.2mpg figure. In practice, 40mpg was easy to achieve over the course of a week.

Volvo’s newest cars incorporate a high level of standard equipment when compared to rivals, which Volvo says helps justify their on‐initial‐glance high asking price. Stan‐ dard features include a raft of safety options and Volvo’s clever semi‐autonomous Pilot Assist, which offers lane keep assist technology combined with radar‐powered adaptive cruise control.

The central 9.0‐inch touchscreen is a joy to use and incor‐ porates Android Auto, Apple Carplay and a raft of driver options including chassis and engine setup preferences. Volvo is offering the T8 in two trim levels; sporty R‐Design Pro and range‐topping, luxury‐focused Inscription Pro. Overall, the S90 is a wondrous thing. It has a timeless ele‐ gance, while the cossetting interior is a place many happy hours can be spent in total luxury. And despite the T8’s over‐tuned petrol unit, the electric motor manages to bal‐ ance the experience enough to create a compelling PHEV.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain A highly credible, desirable entrant in the rugged load-lugger market, reckons Craig Thomas.

SECTOR Executive PRICE £58,880 FUEL 41.5mpg CO2 179g/km

A

s a twist on the all‐consuming trend for SUV‐like crossovers – every month seems to bring us a new model with diluted off‐road styling – we’re also now seeing more rugged estate cars.

Featuring jacked‐up suspension, along with cladding on the wheel arches and a lower body, these models are designed to be more appealing to those who might need to carry loads beyond the nation’s tarmac network.

So joining the likes of the Audi A6 Allroad and Volvo V90 Cross Country, comes the Mercedes‐Benz E‐Class All‐Terrain.

The Merc adopts a similar formula to its premium rivals, adding styling elements to make the car look ready for some gentle off‐roading or green laning: in this case, it’s plastic body cladding on the wheel arches, enhanced bumpers, a black side skirt that features a chrome ‘trip strip’, 20‐inch wheels and 29mm of extra ground clearance, compared to the regular estate.

Inside, the highly specced cabin – there’s only one variant at launch – includes a pair of juxtaposed 12.3‐inch displays that create the effect of one dashboard‐filling widescreen, full‐ length sunroof, leather upholstery and all the spaciousness of an estate, including up to 1,820 litres of boot capacity.

Under the bonnet is a 3.0‐litre V6 diesel that, unsurpris‐

ingly, has plenty of pulling power and officially returns 41.5mpg. The bad news – especially for VED or BiK payments – is that CO2 emissions are 179g/km.

Allied to the All‐Terrain’s performance is a very likeable on‐ road character, with an unexpected agility, a direct and engag‐ ing steering set‐up, and a highly credible ride quality, thanks to that air suspension.

The All‐Terrain certainly has some stiff competition but it’s more than a match for key rivals and does everything it was designed to do, with effortless grace.

Honda Civic 1.6 i-DTEC The corporate market is key to the Civic diesel’s success, Martyn Collins thinks it will appeal.

SECTOR Lower Medium PRICE £20,120-£24,925 FUEL 80.7mpg CO2 93g/km

W

ith registrations down 17.1% last year, and atten‐ tion shifting to petrol and electric alternatives, it might sound like diesel has fallen out of fashion in the UK. It’s taken a year for Honda to re‐introduce its 1.6‐ litre diesel to the new Civic, and while around 70% of buy‐ ers will still choose petrol, demand for the 1.6 i‐DTEC will be heavily weighted towards its fleet customers.

The engine is a comprehensively revised version of the unit fitted to the last‐generation Civic; its 118bhp and 221lb.ft are unchanged, with upgrades focused on efficiency.

36 / fleetworld.co.uk

Honda has used steel pistons to reduce cooling loss, a low‐ friction timing chain and high‐efficiency turbocharging, delivering 93g/km CO2 emissions and 80.7mpg, while meet‐ ing the latest Euro 6d standards.

First impressions on startup are how grumbly it is at idle and while revved. Thankfully, refinement is better on the move, especially at motorway speeds, but there’s more diesel hum inside this Honda than there should be. Performance is adequate, but there’s plenty of low‐range torque, which is a good thing as that engine noise has the power to annoy.

Despite the diesel power, there are no obvious differences to the way it drives compared to the petrol models. The steering is sharp, the handling tidy, the ride is comfy and the six‐speed manual gearbox is particularly slick, with short, sporty throws. It drives well, and looks futuristic, but the infotainment system is disappointing and the rear head‐ room is compromised by the curvy roofline.

So Honda clearly sees a market for diesel engines, despite dropping the 1.6 i‐DTEC from the forthcoming CR‐V update in favour of hybrid power. With futuristic styling, sub‐ 100g/km CO2 emissions and fuel economy of 81g/km, plus a good record for impressive ‘real‐world’ efficiency, it offers serious appeal to the fleet driver.

NERVOUS ABOUT YOUR FLEET RESIDUALS? Falling residual values for conventional vehicles represents a growing risk.

Rebalance your fleet with petrol-electric hybrids. Our 17-model range offers no-compromise performance and specification levels for all drivers.

For a test drive or more information visit toyotalexusfleet.co.uk or call 0344 701 6186.

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

Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

GA Part of Seat’s SUV offensive, there’s plenty of appetite for a new proposition. Arona drives well, and interior space is good.

GA There’s a lot of choice out there, and it’s not the cleanest.

Not everyone knows that Seat is in this sector.

GA Seat will appeal to drivers who haven’t previously experienced it, because it had no presence in this popular sector.

AC Seat is offering free metallic paint and a bi-colour roof, which stops the market filling with similar-looking cars. It’s a good all-rounder, and doesn’t polarise like some of its peers, so should appeal to male and female drivers.

AC The SE has a standard 5.0inch touchscreen but doesn’t come with sat nav, Apple CarPlay or Android Auto which could be an issue for fleet drivers. In this group, it also has the highest BiK costs and yet has less kit.

GA The competition continues to improve and new models have appeared recently, meaning that there are already well-established competitors out there.

MJ The higher ride height and driving position gives it the edge over a supermini in urban situations, while on the open road it feels agile and responsive. It has plenty of interior space, a 400-litre boot and even tall drivers fit comfortably behind the wheel.

MJ SE Technology would generally be a better buy, adding Nav, 8-inch screen, Apple CarPlay & Android Auto and wireless phone charging.

For fractionally under the operating cost of the SE diesel you could have the 113bhp 1.0 TSI petrol with a DSG gearbox.

MW Ateca has worked wonders for Seat, and there’s no reason why this shouldn’t do the same.

38 / fleetworld.co.uk

MW Arona’s biggest weakness might be simply the lack of awareness, despite big advertising budgets.

AC Arona is the first small VW Group SUV, which is a big opportunity for conquest businesses. It also gives Ibiza and Leon customers another option, potentially keeping them within the brand.

MJ Modern B-SUVs offer versatility and space, and not at the expense of style or driving leasure. Arona, and its rivals, are good enough to consider downsizing from the C-sector as well as up from a supermini.

MW Choosing an Arona is simple; hardly any options, just a well-specced car with everything you need.

AC There are many threats and plenty of rivals which do a great job in a similar way.

Arona is very much on the conservative side when it comes to personality. It doesn’t stand out from the crowd as much as say the Citroën C3 Aircross.

MJ The volume of new entrants into this sector is astonishing. The challenge is significant!

MW There are so many to choose from, and picking one must be difficult now. Buyers are becoming disinterested in diesels in this segment, and rightly so.

Martin Ward (MW) Manufacturer relationship manager, CAP

Seat Arona

Gavin Amos (GA) Global valuation director Global Analytic Services

Mark Jowsey (MJ) Director, KeeResources KWIKcarcost

Strengths GA Spacious and drives well. Generous rear leg room.

AC Free metallic paint and bi-colour roof.

MJ Plenty of interior space, 400-litre boot.

MW Follows on from the successful Ateca.

GA Not the cleanest. Lack of awareness.

AC Navigation and Android Auto/Apple CarPlay optional.

MJ SE Technology is a better buy.

MW Lack of awareness is an issue.

Strengths

Citroën C3 Aircross BlueHDI 100 Flair

GA Fresh design, looks different to the rest.

AC Top spec, without the extra money.

MJ Extensive personalisation, sliding rear seats.

MW Style sells – this car oozes style.

Optional equipment: • Metallic Paint £0 • Contrast roof £0

Standard equipment: • DAB/BT/USB/aux-in • Sat nav, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto • Climate control • Front fog/cornering lights • 17in Alloy wheels • Cruise control with speed limiter • Auto lights, wipers, dimmer • Parking sensors (rear) Optional equipment: • Metallic Paint £520 • Contrast roof £0

GA Not the cleanest, highest list price.

AC Soft suspension means it’s not as much fun to drive.

MJ Less refined than the petrol. Some hard interior plastics.

MW Some still don’t trust French brands.

Strengths

Renault Captur Dynamique Nav dCi 90

GA Clean and economical in this guise.

AC Practical, spacious, lots of storage.

MJ Recent facelift in 2017. Efficient 1.5 dCi engine.

MW Led the way in this sector.

GA The brand isn’t for everyone.

AC Looks a little dated already. Lethargic to drive.

MJ Refinement. Lots of newer rivals.

MW Overtaken by many equally good small crossovers.

OTR: £18,825 P11D: £18,650 Fuel: 78.5mpg CO2: 95g/km RV*: £6,050 (32%) BiK: 21% SMR: £1,976 Fuel costs: £4,287 Insurance: £2,247 Finance: £2,518 NI: £1,802 VED: £400 Cost per month: £719

Strengths

Ford Ecosport 1.5 TDCi Zetec

Weaknesses

Ford Ecosport

Standard equipment: • DAB Radio/Bluetooth • 5-inch touchscreen • Manual air conditioning • Front fog/cornering lights • 17in Alloy wheels • Cruise control • Auto lights, rear-view dimmer

OTR: £19,020 P11D: £18,825 Fuel: 70.6mpg CO2: 104g/km RV*: £6,275 (33%) BiK: 22% SMR: £2,115 Fuel costs: £4,767 Insurance: £2,727 Finance: £2,541 NI: £1,896 VED: £420 Cost per month: £752

Weaknesses

Renault Captur

Seat Arona SE 1.6 TDI 95PS OTR: £18,695 P11D: £18,500 Fuel: 70.6mpg CO2: 105g/km RV*: £6,500 (35%) BiK: 23% SMR: £1,810 Fuel costs: £4,767 Insurance: £2,118 Finance: £2,498 NI: £1,940 VED: £420 Cost per month: £711

Weaknesses

Citroën C3

Andy Cutler (AC) UK car editor, Forecast Values Glass’s

GA Improved styling. Ford brand..

AC Much improved over the old model.

MJ Update improved build quality. Well equipped. 4x4 optional.

MW Dramatically improved.

Weaknesses GA Not the cleanest or most fuel efficient.

AC No nav, but it does have Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

MJ Much improved, needs a re-launch.

MW Didn’t get off to a brilliant start – likened to the Daihatsu Terios.

OTR: £18,345 P11D: £18,150 Fuel: 68.8mpg CO2: 107g/km RV*: £6,800 (37%) BiK: 23% SMR: £1,658 Fuel costs: £4,892 Insurance: £2,247 Finance: £2,450 NI: £1,904 VED: £420 Cost per month: £694

Standard equipment: • DAB/BT/USB • Sat nav 7in • Climate control • Front fog lights • 17in Alloy wheels • Cruise control with speed limiter • Auto lights, wipers Optional equipment: • Metallic Paint £550 • Contrast roof £399 • Parking sensors rear £215

Standard equipment: • DAB/2x USB • 6.5in touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto • Manual air conditioning • Front fog lights • 16in Alloy wheels • Quick Clear windscreen Optional equipment: • Metallic Paint £495 • Contrast roof £250 • Parking sensors £210

* 3yr/60k

fleetworld.co.uk / 39

FEATURE Fleet Telematics

IT’S ALL IN THE

GAME

Tapping into drivers’ inner gamers could unlock significant cost and safety benefits for fleets, explains Craig Thomas.

40 / fleetworld.co.uk

T

he IDEA Festival is Hyundai Motor Group’s now‐annual event for young engineers working for Hyundai and Kia, presenting projects that preview devel‐ opments that the car industry will adopt in the next few years.

One of the inalists at last year’s Festival, held at HMG’s Namyang R&D centre outside Seoul last October, was a new system designed to improve safety among Seoul’s cab drivers. And, after taking one late‐night cab ride around the city, we immediately understood the young bof ins’ impetus.

The Smile Taxi involves a mini game in the cab’s display that is designed to make driving a cab more fun, but also enable the analysis of data from the taxi’s telematics system. Drivers requiring coaching would receive it from a cutesy hologram of a child, the thinking being that it would make drivers more safety conscious than if the voice was an adult. Safe drivers would be rewarded with virtual ‘coins’ that, if they amassed enough, could be converted into real‐life inancial rewards.

This gami ication of telematics systems – although more futuristic in the Smile Taxi vision – is not a new idea though.

Videogames are an established part of our day‐to‐day culture. Gaming is a global indus‐ try, with one recent report suggesting that it’s worth around $109bn (£77bn), thanks to 2.2bn active gamers. Given that gaming has penetrated our collective consciousness to such an extent, gami ication – which is the

process of using game mechanics to motivate participation and engagement – is becoming a popular concept, including in telematics.

Indeed, telematics is a natural it for gami‐ ication. Introducing leet telematics can often generate resistance from employees.

Companies can put forward solid and sensi‐ ble reasons for the need for telematics – citing legislative or regulatory duty of care, employers should explain the need to safe‐ guard workplace driving behaviour – but the suspicion often remains.

But while employees see telematics as a stick, employers have plenty of carrots at their disposal. Beverley Wise, TomTom Telematics’ sales director for UK and Ireland explains: “We need to explain and promote the benefits of telematics – and gamification does that.”

Andrew Brown‐Allan, Trak’s group marketing and propositions director, sees gami ication as the perfect way in which to tap into our natural competitive instincts: “Faced with the situation where we’re all in the same boat and we all have boxes or apps in our car, the idea of showing who the best, most diligent driver is, is quite appealing.

Employee league tables are increasingly commonplace and it’s an assumption behind our product, so that kind of competitive league table is gami ication.”

The technology of telematics is also perfect for introducing gami ication, because data collected about how vehicles are driven

“The idea of showing who the best, most diligent driver is, is quite appealing. Employee league tables are increasingly commonplace.”

→

The Smile Taxi's mini game encourages drivers to have fun while driving but not at the expense of safety.

fleetworld.co.uk / 41

FEATURE Fleet Telematics

IT’S ALL IN THE GAME →

can be directly compared. As Trakm8’s leet strategy director, Andrew Tillman, says: “Once you have g‐force monitoring, you can record how drivers accelerate, brake or corner harshly. You then see how those drivers, in effect, score in terms of the number of harsh events per hundred or thousand miles and how severe those events are. The next step is to see how the drivers are performing against each other, by comparing scores – which brings in gami ication.”

Comparing the scores of drivers on a leet inevitably leads to league tables, which is becoming a commonplace feature of leet life, with the natural urge to compete and win bragging rights over one’s colleagues. Although that’s not necessarily true of everyone.

“Driver league table rankings seem perfectly sensible and tend to motivate people,” Brown‐Allan says. “Nobody wants to be at the bottom end of the table.

Some people won’t give two hoots about being mid‐table; some people will have the Arsenal mentality of, as long as they’re in the top four, then that’s OK; and some people want to be the best.”

TomTom has taken that level of compe‐ tition even further, leveraging it into a pan‐European competition open to drivers using the company’s leet telem‐ atics systems. Wise explains: “One thing that we do is our driver of the year award.

Companies nominate their better drivers to enter a competition and the winners in each region are taken to a location – last year it was the Spanish Grand Prix circuit – to take part in some fairly fast vehicles

around the Formula One track. At the end we announce who is the best driver, the European driver of the year.”

However, some of the methods that the engineers in Korea are looking at don’t translate to the UK market. Trak has conducted research of its own and found that the kinds of awards often seen in gaming doesn’t cut the ice, not only with leet drivers, but also with the kinds of younger driver who are used to them.

“We’ve done some research recently and people don’t like badges,” says Brown‐Allan. “Some of the younger drivers we’ve spoken to in connection with insurance telematics described them as a bit ‘cringe’, so the idea of gain‐ ing a hypermiling badge in business telematics doesn’t appeal.”

What drivers want are tangible rewards, something that they see as a de inite bene it. “The most powerful will always be the ‘what’s in it for me’ factor,” Brown‐Allen adds. “People think that we’re impinging on their privacy by itting a box in their car and monitoring them, so they next consider what’s in it for them.

“But if, as a consequence of attaining a certain score, or doing well in a ranking table, they then get an extra half a day’s holiday, or some form of material reward in return for safer driving behaviour, then that has to be a win‐win. Most leets that employ telematics effectively will make savings, if only in terms of fuel economy improvement – and typically we see anything from 10‐ 20% improvement in MPG – the saving alone would fund a prize for the winner or winners on a monthly basis.”

Trakm8 is looking at something similar.

Tillman explains: “One of the things we’re looking at is not just rewarding drivers against how they’re doing against their peers, but to reward them with physical rewards. There are various points‐based systems that we’re looking at, doing tie‐ ins with third parties such as gift card providers, so the better you do, the more points or vouchers you get. Gami ication will therefore turn into something more physically de inable in terms of reward, rather than a pat on the back.”

Games themselves are also a way of showing drivers how telematics can bene it them. TomTom is currently devel‐ oping an app‐based mobile game to hook prospective leet drivers, especially those in grey leet vehicles.

“We’re looking at a pure game, a way of softening that impact, by showing them what they could get and what their results are: therefore they could try the real thing and these are the results you would have got,” says Wise. “It’s a lead‐in to the way telematics are perceived, by giving them that game. So it’s creating a FIFA‐type experience, putting them in the driving seat in a virtual environment and show them their results.”

And, as Wise adds, gami ication of telem‐ atics is also adapting to the changing leet landscape. “Where we are a business‐to‐ business proposition, a lot more of our businesses are having end‐user, consumer‐ type employees, because they’re offering cash‐for‐car, pence‐per‐mile, salary sacri‐ ice or people are taking personal leases.

“But the company still has a liability and a compliance issue around vehicles that are used for company business. So it’s being able to get that buy‐in from that enlarged workforce – and there are many options through gami ication that make it more acceptable at an end‐user level.”

It clearly won’t be long before leet managers will be adding the phrase “Ready, player one?” to their lexicon.

“Typically we see anything from 10-20% improvement in mpg – the saving alone would fund a prize for the winner or winners on a monthly basis.”

42 / fleetworld.co.uk

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INTERVIEW Martin Gurney, PSA Group

Strength in Numbers With a combined fleet offer and some significant new products and services in the pipeline, PSA Group fleet director, Martin Gurney, reckons there’s an unprecedented opportunity for growth in the UK. But not without putting customers first. By Alex Grant.

I

t’s just three years since Martin Gurney moved from head‐ ing up Peugeot’s fleet department, to what was a newly‐ created role overseeing all three brands. An opportunity to re‐shape the way it did business, against the background of some extensive changes within the Group. Changes since have been both rapid and substantial, and you quickly get a sense that it’s not slowing down any time soon.

For PSA Group, plans to modernise and streamline both its

44 / fleetworld.co.uk

products and processes kicked into life two years ago. It’s pushing ahead with newly‐established premium brand DS, and last year it acquired Vauxhall‐Opel from General Motors.

Changes within its fleet offer, across Europe, are pitched at making better use of that portfolio – aligning the Peugeot, Citroën and DS brands under one sales team, but still serving SMEs through the dealer network. Flexibility from Paris has allowed that to take place at a pace which suits customers,

Gurney says. Leasing companies and rental partners moved straight away, but it took until last year for the corporate offer to fall in line with other markets.

“What we didn’t want to do was move to a PSA Corporate sales structure overnight and upset some of our long‐stand‐ ing relationships,” he explains. “So we harmonised territo‐ ries, working methods, everything behind the scenes, knowing at some point in the future – and I was very happy to let my team decide based on customer feedback – that we could come together.”

This puts a broad product offer on the table for fleets, he says. Launches are frequent, segment overlaps allow for cross‐ selling to put customers into newer vehicles, and ongoing extension of the DS brand with the DS 7 Crossback SUV means the sales team can pursue opportunities where, for example, management might previously have opted away from PSA products. There’s plenty to talk about – but with a lot of knowl‐ edge to take on board.

“We invested significantly in training our corporate sales teams, to make sure they’re up to speed on doing our new product range justice,” Gurney says. “We’ve never had a better opportunity to grow our true fleet sales, and we’ve got to make sure we’re on our game. So we’ve gone right back to basics, in terms of simple KPIs and understanding what our customers want from a corporate sales visit. To do that now with three brands I think puts us in a fairly unique, if not totally unique, position. Which we need to maximise.”

For now, though, that broad product knowledge doesn’t include the group’s latest acquisition. Although Gurney says he’s started working more closely with Vauxhall’s fleet sales and marketing director, James Taylor, any integration is likely to happen upstream first – shared factories, purchas‐

“Launches are frequent, segment overlaps allow for cross-selling to put customers into newer vehicles.” ing and platforms. For now, it’s business as usual.

“At the moment there’s been no indication of an intention to bring the fleet teams together. The immediate logic from a customer‐facing point of view is not there, but there are clearly benefits in terms of sharing best practices, working methods and coordinating our purchasing activity, such as demonstra‐ tor fleets, databases, systems and all the things that go on behind the scenes. As far as we’re concerned, our fleet opera‐ tions remain separate.”

So for now, a wider product offer arrives via Free2Move Lease. Established last year, it’s a standalone business unit; a full‐service, multi‐marque leasing company, albeit with a 20% cap on funding vehicles from outside the PSA Group. This has moved what were disparate teams in‐house, at PSA’s UK in Coventry, and bolsters the customer offer too.

“It’s great for us that, where a customer doesn’t already have an incumbent leasing company, we can introduce Free2Move as a potential funding partner,” says Gurney. “So it’s firmly on the agenda for my teams to make that introduction, knowing we can do so with the confidence of having a PSA Group leas‐ ing company behind us. We’re beginning to make the most of that opportunity.”

Even so, the UK market is a challenging backdrop. Changing attitudes to diesel – fuelled by ‘unfair’ media portrayal and tax

Citroën's C5 Aircross SUV launches at the end of 2018.

fleetworld.co.uk // 45 45 fleetworld.co.uk

→

INTERVIEW Martin Gurney, PSA Group

in the Budget, he says – are giving sales teams the → changes added task of helping to direct customers away from poten‐ tially costly knee‐jerk decisions. As an importer, PSA Group has also had to face uncertainty over Brexit and a less attractive exchange rate. But Gurney says that’s accelerated previous plans.

“We had the support of our colleagues in Paris to further address or accelerate our channel mix improvement strat‐ egy, so we took it as a positive opportunity to finally cleanse that short‐cycle lower‐margin potentially RV‐damaging business out of our order book. On the face of it our rele‐ vant fleet car market shares look disappointing, but all of that loss – and then some – comes from the channels we’ve been seeking to reduce reliance on for the last four to five years, so it’s a positive.”

The budgets were conservative, he admits, but the group’s corporate sales performance was ahead of targets; 6,000 units for Peugeot, at 60,000 total, and 2,000 ahead for Citroën, at 46,000 total, while DS was on par at 2,000 units.

New products such as the Citroën C3 and Peugeot 3008 had both played a large part, recording respective 15 and 10‐fold increases in true fleet volumes last year, to 6,000 and 4,000 units. Van volumes were also ahead of the market, bolstered

by Dispatch and Relay which were both up around a third compared to 2016.

Plenty to feel confident about, then? “The theory going into this year is we have a very clean base on which to build,” says Gurney. “It’s all come at the right time because we have lots of

Peugeot hopes to build on the 3008's popularity with the seven-seat 5008 SUV.

exciting new product, which is our main opportunity. For us, it’s in the heartland of the core corporate business; company car fleets, user chooser fleets, and public sector. Areas where we can develop that more longer‐cycle business with the new products we’ve got coming.”

Where next for PSA? Diverse: This year’s product offensive spans all three brands. Peugeot is adding the slightly delayed 5008 seven‐seat SUV to its range, building on the success of the 3008 launched in 2017. New at Citroën, the C3 Aircross is already recording strong demand, while a toned‐down C4 Cactus and the C5 Aircross SUV will arrive during the year. DS 7 Crossback (pictured) takes PSA’s nascent luxury brand into new territory too; a Q5‐ sized SUV, which Gurney says is a strong indication of where the line‐up is headed.

Bespoke: Peugeot will gain a Built for Business off‐the‐ shelf conversion programme, for the Boxer van, arriving in time for the March plate change. It’s a similar propo‐ sition to Citroën’s Ready to Run offer, but an area Gurney believes hasn’t been maximised in its sister brand.

Connected: Free2Move will launch a telematics propo‐ sition based on technology built into PSA Group vehi‐ cles, but capable of feeding data into third‐party fleet management software. “We can avoid the situation where we go to a fleet and say they can only use our telematics if they use our software. We wanted our customers to have that flexibility,” Gurney says.

46 / fleetworld.co.uk

MARKET OVERVIEW Risk Management

Do you offer on-line Risk Assessment?

Do you offer psychometric driver profiling?

Do you offer risk assessment as part of your programme?

Do you offer an on-the-road driver training programme?

Do you offer a classroom-based driver training programme?

Do your instructors provide a demonstration drive?

Do you offer a vehicle inspection service?

Do your instructors carry out a driver eyesight test?

Do you offer a licence checking facility?

Do you offer nationwide trainer coverage?

Do you offer training for all vehicle types?

Do you offer Post Accident investigations training?

Do you offer e-training as part of your programme?

Key to services

Bespoke Driver Training

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ARI

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IAM RoadSmart

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IAM RoadSmart

RoSPA

IAM RoadSmart is the UK’s leading independent road safety organisation and has been improving driving standards for more than 60 years through expert training. Our courses demonstrate that improving driver behaviour is key to reducing collisions and optimising vehicle efficiency, and therefore in helping businesses to keep tighter control on their fleet costs. Our on-road training for business drivers is delivered by a nationwide network of fleet-registered ADIs, and supported by a suite of risk management tools including licence checking, online risk assessment, driver auditing and e-learning providing an easy, low-cost route to full compliance and a safer business fleet.

As one of the UK’s leading safety organisations, our wide range of safety training courses reflect our passion, expertise and leadership in this area. RoSPA's range of Fleet Management solutions equip senior managers with the knowledge and guidance to stay on top of this essential and often overlooked area of workplace safety.

Our team of driver trainers boasts the highest credentials and qualifications; all are Fleet Approved Driving Instructors with the DVSA. In addition, all of our trainers have passed RoSPA’s Advanced Driving Test.

Contact: Sales Team business@iam.org.uk iamroadsmart.com/business

Contact: Tayla Byrne tbyrne@rospa.com www.rospa.com

Tel: 0870 120 2910

Tel: 0121 248 2044

fleetworld.co.uk / 47

FEATURE Taxation & Funding

Unknown Unknowns Political and environmental pressures mean it’s never been trickier to put a fleet together. But Professor Colin Tourick reckons there’s a straightforward solution.

“If you could give fleet managers one piece of advice right now, what would it be?”

I heard someone ask this at a recent industry event and it made me stop and think.

It’s particularly tough being a fleet manager at the moment. Has there ever been a more complicated time?

Brexit uncertainties, the new OpRA rules, the steep rise in BiK tax (and therefore Class 1A NIC), uncertainty about the BiK rules after April 2020, diesel issues, the end of NEDC and the arrival of WLTP, the unexpected 1% increase in the diesel surcharge (delivering an outrageous 50% increase in the expected rise in BiK tax and Class 1A NIC), RDE and, for a few larger fleets, changes in the way Employee Car Owner‐ ship (ECO) schemes are taxed.

Life used to be much simpler. You went for diesel because it was the environmentally sound, government‐backed option that saved money for your company and your drivers.

But we are now in a Rumsfeldian situation.

You’ve not heard of Donald Rumsfeld? He was US defence secretary during the 2002 second Gulf War. When asked by journalists whether Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, he said “There are known knowns – things we know we know. There are known unknowns – things we do not know.

But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know. These tend to be the difficult ones.”

Known knowns We know about the tax changes announced last year but there is still a lot of confusion. For example, the large accounting firms have found a solution that allows ECOs to continue. But it is cumbersome, adds a layer of complexity

48 / fleetworld.co.uk

for employers and who knows whether HMRC will tweak the rules again to shut down that solution.

We also know that under the new OpRA rules a driver will be taxed on whichever yields the most tax revenue for HMRC; BiK tax on the company car or income tax on the cash allowance the employee might otherwise have taken. After months of uncertainty – HMRC actually just went quiet on the subject – we learned that only the finance element of the cash allowance needs to be taken into account when making this calculation: the maintenance, replacement tyres etc element can be excluded. Umm... anyone know how to deter‐ mine the finance element of a cash allowance? No, me neither, but you need to do so, on a fair, reasonable and justi‐ fiable basis to work out how much tax (and Class 1A NIC) should be paid. Also, your employees’ tax returns will include a new item this year, “Cash foregone”, and if they put in the whole allowance they will be taxed on this rather than BiK tax on the car they actually chose.

And so far we have only discussed the known knowns.

Known unknowns We don’t know what the BiK regime will be from 6 April 2020; or how the new WLTP system will affect drivers’ tax bills; or whether – having realised he can swipe £365m from company car drivers (via the 1% increase in diesel surcharge) – without losing a single vote, the chancellor might swipe more next year; or what our cars’ RDE ratings will be (once this system comes into place); or whether the Mayor of London’s plans to extend the ULEV zone from Octo‐ ber 2020 (for heavy vehicles) and October 2021 (for cars, vans and motorcycles) will be implemented, or what other

local authorities will do (some are discussing having zero‐ emission town centres).

So fleet managers need to keep a watchful eye on devel‐ opments this year.

Unknown unknowns To some extent we can’t really begin to talk about these. An unknown unknown is, by definition, completely outside of our current thinking. But it seems to be a bit of a cop‐out to say “start thinking about all of the things you haven’t thought about yet and work out whether they are likely to affect you”. So let’s discuss Brexit, the one thing we know is going to happen and that could deliver plenty of shocks for fleet managers.

Economic forecasting is an inexact science and there is no consensus on how Brexit might affect the UK economy. So you have to try to work out how your own business will be affected and the implications for your fleet.

It seems we will have a transitional period after we leave in March 2019, yet we don’t know what we will be transi‐ tioning into. This video from Parliament TV gives some insight into these complexities: https://goo.gl/ehzps7 With no deal we’d have World Trade Organisation tariffs.

These would add a 10% tariff to the price of new cars. There would be a 4.5% tariff on components moving between the UK and EU, which would increase the cost of cars manufac‐ tured in the EU using UK‐sourced components. So, depend‐ ing on which model of car you acquire, a hard Brexit could easily add £2,000 to the price of mid‐range EU‐sourced cars, more if they contain UK‐sourced components and much more to expensive cars.

So what to do?

How on earth can a leet manager devise a leet policy and offer advice to drivers in the middle of all this turmoil?

The original question was, “If you could give leet managers one piece of advice right now, what would it be?”

It is tempting to say “review every part of your operation, look for ef iciencies, try to work out whether your leet policy is delivering as it should do, make sure you have the right cars for each role, ask your suppliers (leasing company, etc.) how they could improve the service they give you, look at tax ef i‐ ciency, make sure you really understand the new rules, etc.

But that would be the second cop‐out in this article because the questioner was only looking for one piece of advice.

So here goes: one piece of advice.

Make sure that your leet’s average CO2 level falls in 2018 and 2019 (as it probably did in most years before 2017).

Whatever Brexit brings and whatever changes the govern‐ ment makes from April 2020, you can be sure that they will not lose sight of the need to save the planet. CO2 is at the heart of that agenda.

CO2 drives, and will continue to drive, just about everything.

As you move up the CO2 scale the cars tend to be bigger, heav‐ ier and more complex. They are less fuel‐ef icient and cost more per mile to run. Bene it‐in‐Kind tax, Class 1A National Insur‐ ance, vehicle excise duty, congestion charging, motor insurance, vehicle depreciation and leasing charges can all be correlated directly to CO2. The higher the CO2 the higher your costs.

There are plenty of good, interesting and attractive petrol/electric hybrid cars with modest levels of CO2. If you put a lower cap on the CO2 of cars coming onto your leet you will reap the bene its. Don’t allow the current concern about diesels to reverse years of emissions‐reductions.

fleetworld.co.uk / 49

our fleet Renault Koleos Signature Nav dCi 130 THE Koleos model doesn’t exactly have a history etched with success. The original generation, launched by Renault in 2007, only lasted three years in the UK because of poor sales: British buyers were certainly not won over by its design, which was terrible.

Fast forward to 2017 and Renault introduces its brandnew Koleos, based on the same platform as the current Nissan X-Trail. This time, there’s a lot more about the car to tempt British buyers.

The first impressions will almost definitely be a different story. Renault’s design in recent years has been on-point, thanks to new design chief Laurens van den Acker, who has brought a fresh, future-focused new style to the brand’s vehicles. In the case of the Koleos, there are obvious cues shared with the smaller Kadjar, but overall it looks just that little bit more muscular, almost as if it’s a bulked-up of its leanly toned sibling.

Our long-termer has come in Mulberry Red, which is actually a deep purple. It’s an unusual colour – or perhaps out of the ordinary would be a better way to describe it – but I like that about it and it adds a touch of class, too.

Power comes from Renault’s tried and tested 1.5-litre dCi diesel, producing 130PS.

the figures

It’s not a huge amount of power OTR PRICE for a car with a kerb weight of £30,300 1,540kg (or 2,153kg when loaded POWER up), and in-gear acceleration isn’t 128bhp @ 4,000rpm outstanding, but it’s plenty for TORQUE most day-to-day use.

320Nm Real-world economy is decent, @ 1,750-2,250rpm too. With just under 1,500 miles on 0-62mph the clock, much of it around town 11.4 seconds in London, I’m getting around TOP SPEED 115mph 39mpg. It’s not near the official COMBINED MPG 57.6mpg, but, as I said, the vast 57.6mpg majority of my driving is in stopCO2 start urban traffic, so it’s pretty 128g/km (27% BiK) much what I’d expect.

So far, so straightforward. There are couple of minor irritations, but it will be interesting to see if they escalate over the next few months.

Craig Thomas

Volkswagen Passat GTE SO everyone like SUVs and crossovers, don’t they? And that’s fine – each to their own, it’s a free country. But having been driving around in the Passat for a while now, it’s hard to see what those vehicles do better than an estate such as this, other than let you nose over hedges into people’s gardens.

50 / fleetworld.co.uk

Internally, the Passat is vast. It has more legroom for our kids in the back than nearly anything other than the biggest luxury motels, and the boot scoffed all our kit and two Labradors on a trip recently, and wasn’t even full.

There’s even quite a lot of space under the floor, where often hybrids have their batteries hidden.

Add to this, it handles with assurance and rides beautifully, steers lightly but with precision. The result is you have an extremely complete car. The question though: will drivers recognise this eventually and come back to estates?

We’re in a funny time, where things that were seen as a dying breed are coming back – local shopping, home delivery, butter and the like. I’d like to think that the capacious, faithful estate car would join the ranks of those things whose demise was claimed too soon. Of them all, the Passat is one of the very best and deserves consideration by anyone looking for a big family car.

Steve Moody

DIARY DATE

THE GREATEST SHOW IN FLEET

SILVERSTONE CIRCUIT

9TH MAY 2018

Find out more at thefleetshow.co.uk

our fleet Toyota C-HR Hybrid Excel FOR a cross-country European road trip, the C-HR might not seem to be the ideal tool for the job, with hybrids typically considered as being more at home in a city.

And with the car filled to the rafters like a 3D puzzle with family, belongings and gifts, the C-HR would certainly have its work cut out. However, the fashionista looks of the car belie its surprisingly practical and spacious interior.

That said, my backseat passengers immediately remarked on the cosy and almost claustrophobic cabin, accentuated by tiny and tinted rear windows plus sombre black leather. And, after several hundred miles they did begin complaining of backache. Conversely, the front offered acres of space, good visibility and a commanding view of the road, as well as flexible seat positions and adjustable lumbar support for the driver.

C-HR’s suspension is one of the best setup of any modern car, with a blend of absorbing bumps and lumps without sacrificing on-road manners. Naturally, the motorway was no place to challenge its handling, but winding N roads with slow moving lorries and farm machinery were dealt with thanks to the switchable sport mode via the instrument cluster and the full 120bhp.

A special mention must be made for the love-it/loathe-it eCVT, which kept the engine mostly quiet and restful throughout the journey, although with adaptive cruise control activated there was a tiresome propensity to rev the engine to maintain uphill speed.

Some 1,200 miles later we’d averaged 50mpg. My predilection for hybrids appears to be well placed so far.

Jonathan Musk

Jaguar XE 2.0d Portfolio LTT OUR XE is equipped with Jaguar’s Touch Pro infotainment system, which includes a 10.2” touchscreen in the centre of the dash and a 12.3” virtual instrument display ahead of the driver.

Both of these widescreens are configurable, with navigation mapping available on either and you can easily control the

52 / fleetworld.co.uk

apps on an iPhone from the central touchscreen. Your passenger can even watch a film, complete with wireless headphones, while you follow the sat-nav directions on the same monitor.

Switching from Normal or Eco settings to Dynamic, on the JaguarDrive Control, tightens up the throttle response and steering weighting. This automatically puts the rev counter in the middle of the dash, accompanied by a devilish red glow. The changes are more than visual however, and you really do get a more involving response in Dynamic.

Indeed, despite the digital trickery, the Jaguar remains a very analogue, sporting car to drive.

Powerful engine out front, manual gearshift, rearwheel drive, lightweight alloy chassis and sophisticated front and rear suspension, all deliver poise and control with long distance comfort.

And, while the 2.0-litre diesel engine might not be the last word in aural delight, our Portfolio trim XE comes with a superb 380W Meridian sound system to ease away the miles.

Dan Gilkes

Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport 1.6 Sri VX Line Nav Turbo D ecoTEC S/S AS I alluded to last month, the Insignia doesn’t really ‘look’ like a Vauxhall. Because of its size, people have thought it was a BMW 5 Series and a Jaguar XF in the past couple of weeks, before realising it’s true identity. It’s a bit of a trend that I also witnessed with the Kia Stinger – the element of surprise that a certain car manufacturer has produced a vehicle that ‘fits the mould’.

On the road, a few early starts and long motorway drives meant cruise control was deployed and, while it doesn’t have any kind of ‘adaptive’ capability, it is very effective and easy

to use. It makes for a comfortable long journey, as do the seats, which are almost armchair-like in their appearance and feel.

Such is the English winter, that the heated steering wheel button (mounted on said wheel) has also been working over time, as well as the ‘OK’ button on the other side. I’ve lost count of the number of messages and alerts that come up when you push the start button, but it’s a lot. Some are more useful than others - as clever as it is, I don’t need to be reminded about the car’s Wi-Fi details every time.

John Challen

Volvo V90 D4 Momentum

Suzuki Swift 1.0 Boosterjet SZ5

VOLVO is a past master of boxy, ultra-practical estate cars and, while the V90 is more sportwagon than station wagon, nor the most capacious in its class (an Astra Sport Tourer offers nearly as much space), it’s got some tricks up its sleeve. And they’re not expensive or high-tech, either.

At the back of the boot is a divider, which folds upwards and stops my suitcase from sliding onto my laid-flat suit behind the rear bench. It’s multi-talented, too; with two hooks for shopping bags, and a pair of elasticated straps clipped onto it, to keep items in place.

Simple, effective, and genuinely useful.

Alex Grant

LAST month, I mentioned the arrival of our new 10-litre turbocharged Swift, replacing our previous 1.2-litre mild-hybrid model. Having a not expected too much of a difference, first impressions are that the 1.0-litre Boosterjet is definitely the pic of the engine range; economy to easily match the less expensive 1.2-litre model but with a healthy dose of torque where the 1.2 struggled up inclines. In short, it addresses our previous Swift’s one real shortcoming.

Everything else, apart from the colour – now a rather striking bright blue – is plus ça change... Economical, fun, nimble, tax-efficient and comfortable. Which suits me perfectly.

Luke Wikner

fleetworld.co.uk / 53

our fleet Audi A5 Sportback 2.0 TDI Ultra 190 S line S tronic CHATTING with my neighbour about the respective benefits of my A5 and his A4 saloon, we came to the conclusion that we really should own each other’s cars – he and his wife rarely use the rear seats in their A4, while my head is getting sore from banging it on the low roofline of the A5 while hoisting my two children in and out of their car seats.

However, we agreed, my A5 certainly has more driveway presence, but is it worth the extra financial outlay? Our A5 in TDI ultra 190 S line S tronic spec costs nigh-on £3,000 more than an identical spec A4 saloon, while CO2 emissions in the A5 are slightly higher. As a

result, the A5 costs £3,785 per annum in benefit-in-kind tax for a 40% taxpayer - £429 more than the A4.

Despite the extra tax outlay (it works out at £35 a month) and my sore head, I still think I’d opt for the A5 - it’s a lovely, comfortable car to rack up miles in. The extra style outweighs the compromised rear seat entry and space in my book.

However, the children are now whittling about getting a dog, so it may need to be an A4 Avant instead next time. You can’t accuse Audi of not having all bases covered.

Julian Kirk

SUPPLIER DIRECTORY electric vehicle charging

Bynx Tel: 01789 471600 www.bynx.com

accident management Selsia

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

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

Mazda6 2,2D 150 SE-L Nav OVER a month behind the wheel of the Mazda6 and there’s no doubt in my mind that it has a keen role as a driver’s car.

But I have to confess to not noticing the G-

54 / fleetworld.co.uk

Vectoring Control technology in play. Available across all Mazda models in the UK bar the MX-5, this was included on the Mazda6 Saloon and Tourer some 15 months ago as part of a updates across the range and reduces torque to the front wheels when cornering, based on steering and throttle position – this increases the weight on the front axle to increase grip while lowering driver effort and bringing a more comfortable passenger ride.

It’s great for someone like me who, according to the experts at the Mazda Formula Woman trials some 14 years ago, brakes too late and carries too much weight into corners but I have to say it’s almost imperceptible.

However, the over-riding feeling is of a car that feels very composed in corners, with clean, linear steering and an agile performance..

Natalie Middleton

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

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

TMC Tel: 01270 525 218 www.themilesconsultancy.co.uk Chevin Fleet Solutions Tel: 01773 821 992 www.chevinfleet.com

FLEETW RLD SUPPLIER DIRECTORY contract hire, leasing & finance Contract Hire a Car Tel: 0370 218 8015 www.contracthireacar.com

daily rental

sgfleet Tel: 0845 154 0721 www.sgfleet.com

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

risk management

fleet management software Drive Software Solutions Tel: 01438 317731

Tel: 01484 551060

www.drivesoftwaresolutions.com

www.virtualriskmanager.net

Maxxia 020 7520 9450 www.maxxia.co.uk

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

Arnold Clark Vehicle Management

Tel: 0141 332 2626 www.acvm.com 0845 2172 608

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

Nexus Vehicle Rental 0871 984 1947 www.nexusrental.co.uk

daysfleet.com

Sofico NV Tel: 01905 887884

Novemb

Thrifty Car & Van Rental Tel: 01494 751 550 www.thrifty.co.uk

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

er 2014

interview gen

orld of fleet w world

Michael O’Shea

of Volkswa

power stoppingtheir brakes should check

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

UPIL MODEL P Behind the

wheel of Tesla’s

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

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

RLD FLEETW he n tthe matterrss iin that matte ll that All A

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

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Why fleets

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

Tel:+3292018040

o..uk o ld.co.uk fleetwor

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

Bynx Tel: 01789 471600 www.bynx.com

fleet management Lex Autolease

Tel: 0344 824 0115 www.lexautolease.co.uk Total Leasing Solutions for your business

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

Fleet Operations Ltd Tel: 0844 567 8000

www.fleetoperations.co.uk

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

Telephone 0113 250 0060

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Full listings online at fleetworld.co.uk fuel management BP Oil UK Ltd Tel: 0845 603 0723 www.bpplus.co.uk

fleet consultancy

PVS Ltd Tel: 01278 550270

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

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

Tel: 01792 222133 www.daysrental.co.uk

Full listings online at fleetworld.co.uk telematics & tracking

TMC Tel: 01270 525 218 www.themilesconsultancy.co.uk The Fuelcard Company Tel: 0845 073 0873 www.fuelcards.co.uk

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

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

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

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

www.quartix.net Tel: 0870 013 6663

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

BOX Telematics Tel: 0330 333 4118 www.boxtelematics.com CanTrack Global Ltd Tel: 01908 330385 www.cantrack.com

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

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

Teletrac Navman Tel: 0345 604 8813 www.teletracnavman.co.uk Tel: 0345 055 8555 Ctrack www.ctrack.co.uk

www.navmanwireless.co.uk

fleetworld.co.uk / 55

evfleetworld.co.uk

For all your fleet electric vehicle needs and to stay up to date with the latest news and developments, visit

evfleetworld.co.uk @EVFleetWorld

EV Fleet World

VAN

February 2018

FLEETW RLD

p62 Van storage options from Specialist Fleet Services, Modul and Torus.

at a glance Constant progress Kris Cholmondeley relays how CitroĂŤn plans to grow its market share

DRIVEN Peugeot Boxer vanfleetworld.co.uk

i nbusiness Van market stalls, despite demand

T

he UK light commercial vehicle market fell by 3.6% in 2017, the irst time the van sector has seen a downturn since 2012. However, at 362,124 units, it still remains the third biggest van market in the last decade. The biggest drop in demand was for vans under 2‐tonnes gross weight, which were down by 20.3%, in comparison to the 2.5‐3.5 tonne sector which was down by just 3.1%. Conversely, demand for pick‐ups remained strong, with a rise in sales of 7.8%. Mid‐weight vans in the 2.0‐2.5 tonne sector also grew by 2.3%.

“While the market has slowed in 2017, this was in line with expectations and demand remains at a high level,” said Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT. “In fact, LCV registrations have increased 62.5% since 2010. For 2018 however, we expect the economic and political uncer‐ tainty to continue to affect the market, so government must rebuild business con i‐ dence and encourage operators to invest in new vehicles, given leet renewal is the fastest way to reduce overall emissions.”

Despite the downturn in the market, Ford remained the nation’s favourite van supplier, indeed the company increased its LCV sales by 3.4%. Overall the company managed to account for 32.2% of UK van sales last year, up from 30.6% in 2016. Volkswagen also managed to keep its place as the second van brand in the UK, with a market share of 11.5%.

With the arrival this year of additional Crafter models the company will be hoping to build on this strong base.

Mercedes‐Benz also enjoyed another strong year in the UK, with an eighth year of van sales growth. With more than 41,400 vans sold, the company saw a 12% rise in registrations, with Vito up 25% and even Sprinter, which will be replaced in 2018, gaining share with sales up 3%.

“This year will continue to be an excit‐ ing one, with the launch of new Sprinter and working towards the launch of our electric vehicle range starting with eVito,” said Steve Bridge, managing director of Mercedes‐Benz Vans.

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

Read new LCV boss Iveco has appointed Chris Read as Light Business Line director, with responsibility for the Daily van range in the UK and Ireland. He worked as a technician, in aftersales, customer service and as a business development manager before moving to Iveco in 2017 as national sales performance manager.

“This is a really exciting time for Iveco’s light business division, especially with the Daily Blue Power range winning International Van of the Year,” said Read.

“My initial focus will be on continuing to raise brand awareness and further developing the markets for our natural power and electric offerings.”

FORS adds training FORS, the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme, has launched a Security and Counter Terrorism online training resource. Aimed at van and truck drivers, along with their managers, the module aims to draw attention to personal and vehicle security and to the potential threat of theft for vehicle as a weapon use. The e-learning module has been produced in conjunction with Transport for London, the Department for Transport, the Metropolitan Police High Speed 2 and the DVSA.

McCormick van deal

eCrafter trials start with customers

G

atwick Airport, UPS and DPD are among a group of customers in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden that will be testing Volkswa‐ gen’s eCrafter electric van over the coming months. The vans, which will available to purchase in September, will be used in regular business operations, covering 45‐62 miles per day.

The eCrafter is based on a 10.7m3

58 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

bodied front‐wheel drive version of the new Volkswagen van. The lithium‐ion batteries are integrated below the load area, so there is no loss of cargo space. The van, which offers payloads of 1‐1.75 tonnes depending on speci ication, is powered by a 100kW motor and offers a range of around 100 miles. Where a rapid charger is available, the van can be 80% charged in just 45 minutes.

Mobility and leasing specialist Alphabet, in conjunction with Citroën, has won a deal to supply 176 vans to food supplier McCormick (UK). The deal includes 156 Berlingo crew vans and 10 Dispatch crew van, which will be used by McCormick’s retail sales and support team. The vans are being funded by Alphabet on a three-year maintained contract, including tyres. Contract mileages have been tailored to individual regional territories.

INTERVIEW Kris Cholmondeley, Citroën

Constant progress...

Citroën will continue to grow its share of the van market, new head of business sales Kris Cholmondeley, tells Dan Gilkes.

C

itroën a modest growth in UK van sales last year, despite dropping one of its four model lines. With Nemo no longer in production, the French irm is relying on its stalwart Berlingo, the new Dispatch and the larger Relay van to continue this rise going forwards.

“2017 was successful, we grew our sales modestly, from 7.38% to 7.68% market share,” said Kris Cholmodeley, Citroën’s recently appointed head of business sales.

“We are predicting a market decline this year of around 9%, so our sales will decline in volume, but we are looking for a 7.85% market share in 2018.”

Berlingo remains a key player for the irm, though we should see news of its replacement towards the end of the year. Relay

Kris Cholmondeley,, head of business sales, Citroën

has made the move to Euro 6 and will remain unchanged this year too. The real growth potential therefore, has to come from the new Dispatch.

“We shouldn’t be satis ied with where we are today with Dispatch, though it has been positive,” said Cholmondeley.

“The key for me is not being complacent.”

That means ensuring the irm’s dealers are in a good position to make the most of business sales. There are currently 70 Busi‐ ness Centres across the UK, but he believes there are still gaps in coverage.

“I’ve inherited a strong network, the Business Centres are well established and the service we give, by and large, is excel‐ lent,” he said.

“As a global trend there is a decline in retail service, but we are hugely passionate about business service. I’m really happy with 75% of our dealers, so the focus needs to be on the 25%.”

Cholmondeley predicts that there will, inevitably, be some changes and additions to the network this year. Unlike most competitors, who separate cars from van sales, Citroën believes that a business customer is a business customer, whether they are buying cars or LCVs. As part of the service offer, every centre will have a business manager, who will be able to access the internet from a customer’s premises to retrieve quotes and vehicle data. Chol‐ mondeley also wants to improve both the company’s demon‐ stration and courtesy leets, in support of the dealers.

“I want to win together with our dealers. We are a team,” he said. “What differentiates us is our heritage of selling vans and our dealer network – the service, the after sales and offering good value for money.”

Citroën will look more closely at its used van business too, as better management of the used fleet will help with residual value strength. The company intends to put a lot more of its used vans through the dealer network in the coming years.

“We’re already seeing big success in that,” said Cholmondeley.

“Another key strategy is to be a lot smarter in managing our sales mix, including less short cycle business. We are looking a lot more at the big picture and that will accelerate this year and next.”

The inal area of potential growth, is electric vehicles. At present, Citroën only offers the Berlingo Electric, in both L1 and L2 bodies, but there will be more to come. Likewise, where there are currently 11 dealers that are electric specialists, this number too will grow as demand increases.

“We have a clear commitment,” said Cholmondeley. “The ambi‐ tion is to be 80% electric by 2023, either battery or hybrid. We are seeing more customers dipping a toe in the electric van market.”

vanfleetworld.co.uk / 59

THE ULTIMATE VIVARO. The Vivaro Doublecab comfortably seats up to six and still delivers the right amount of loadspace and payload.

The absolute best of both worlds. Spec it up to Limited Edition Nav and get even more.

VIVARO LIMITED EDITION NAV SATELLITE NAVIGATION | 17� ALLOY WHEELS AUTOMATIC LIGHTING | RAIN-SENSITIVE WIPERS SMARTPHONE DOCKING | VEHICLE GRAPHICS For more information call 0345 740 0777 or visit www.vauxhall.co.uk/vans Official Government Test Environmental Data. Fuel consumption figures mpg (litres/100km) (6.6) - 51.4 (5.5), Combined: 40.9 (6.9) - 47.0 (6.0). CO2 emissions: 178 - 155g/km.# #Fuel consumption information is official government environmental data, tested in accordance with the relevant EU directive. Official EU-regulated test data are provided for comparison

and CO2 emissions (g/km). Vivaro Panel Van range: Urban: 35.3 (8.0) - 40.9 (6.9), Extra-urban: 42.8 purposes and actual performance will depend on driving style, road conditions and other non-technical factors. Correct at time of going to press.

feature racking&storage

Van storage update SPECIALIST FLEET SERVICES

MODUL UPDATES BASE FRAME

NORTHAMPTON contract hire and leet management company Specialist Fleet Services (SFS) and racking provider TEVO have created more than 30 racking and storage speci ications for Caerphilly County Borough Council. SFS was awarded a contract to consolidate and replace the council’s leet, starting with 100 LCVs used by the council’s housing operations team.

“Caerphilly services and maintains its housing provision in‐ house, employing a wide range of multi trade operatives including surveyors, various wet trades, carpenters, electri‐ cians, plumbers, and glaziers,” said Graham Wright, technical procurement manager at SFS. “The existing vehicle storage solutions were inadequate and made it dif icult for the council to monitor stock levels, creating unnecessary trips to and from builders’ merchants. We needed to create a it for purpose leet to enable the housing operations team to carry out their duties more ef iciently and safely.”

SFS called upon TEVO to provide a range of solutions to meet the individual needs of the various trades. The vans are all equipped with tool safes, hand washing facilities, light‐ ing and non‐slip looring.

Many of the vans have also been equipped with charging facilities to allow the trades to charge tools, tablets and mobile phones.

“Material stocks are well organised within the new racking systems, with mate‐ rial items being electroni‐ cally updated in our ordering system once an item is used to ensure that stock levels are maintained,” said Alun Isaac, general foreman at Caerphilly County Borough Council Housing Operations.

“Trips to the builder’s merchant are kept to a minimum, where replenishment of material stocks is reduced to once a week. Regular inventory checks and usage reports are also carried out to ensure that all vehicles are maintaining the correct levels of stock throughout the year.”

The leet includes vans with a tool safe and a charging inverter, right through to more specialist racking solutions for glaziers, with glass‐cutting benches. Carpenters’ vans are racked to carry lengths of timber and sheet materials, while electricians and plumbers have more sophisticated storage solutions. Teams that handle asbestos removal have even more specialist vehicles, with ‘safe pods’, while those that handle house clearance have been internally coated to make it possi‐ ble to power wash the interior.

SWEDISH racking manufacturer Modul‐System has announced an extendable base frame for heavy equipment.

The platform can handle up to 250kg and has been designed to accommodate generators, compressors and other heavy equipment that might be based within a van. The frame’s support structure has been produced from ultra‐high strength steel, with handles and front assemblies made from aluminium to keep weight to a minimum. The frame is avail‐ able in a range of sizes to suit varying loads and van shapes.

“In addition to increasing the load capacity, we have managed to reduce the weight by 25%,” said Thomas Johansson, vice president of Modul‐System.

“With a lightweight conversion, you leave more room for tools and additional equipment, without exceeding the vehicle’s payload.

A load platform can be mounted on the base frame. The Modul‐System platform has an aluminium top that can be used to mount drawer units for easy access to tools and equipment.

62 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

TORUS OPTS FOR BOTT NORTH West housing provider Torus has replaced 250 vans, with the help of conversion specialist Bott. Torus, which is made up of Helena Homes and Golden Gates Housing Trust, owns and manages 22,000 homes in the mid‐Mersey area, with its maintenance teams carrying out more than 30,000 repairs a year.

“Bott has been a great partner that has not only helped create a memorable look, that reflects our group corporate identity, but a product that allows us to increase stocks via a sophisticated racking system,” said Paul Williams, Torus’ fleet manager.

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 shortterm 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.

Operating 7,500 vans at peak times and working with all the key van and truck manufacturers, the Europcar fleet now includes 4x4 pickups, 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.

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

Tel: 01923 724400 europcar.co.uk/business businesssupport@europcar.com

Tel: 01786 468700

FleetEurope

Fourways

FleetEurope is a multiaward 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. Visit www.fleeteurope.co.uk and rent a Transit Connect, Transit Custom or Long Wheelbase Transit Van free for a day.

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, Crew-cab 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: Rental Team info@fleeteurope.co.uk

Contact: Julia Barwick/Lucy Stokes Tel: 03448 000385 info@fvsl.co.uk

Tel: 01494 435000 www.fleeteurope.co.uk

www.fvsl.co.uk

Nexus Vehicle Rental

SHB Hire Ltd

Nexus Vehicle Rental is the UK’s leading tech driven business mobility provider offering access to over 550,000 vehicles, including 100,000 specialist and commercial vehicles and 50,000 HGVs, across 2,000 UK locations.

Nexus offers daily, short, medium and long-term rental through its unrivalled network of suppliers which it has built up to be the largest in the UK. Through its unique online IRIS booking platform, Nexus can source any vehicle, anytime, anywhere, usually within two hours of a booking being made. The system allows improvements in efficiency to be identified, saving customers an average of up to 20% of their rental costs each year.

SHB has a diverse national fleet of over 16,000 vehicles ranging from cars, 4x4s, standard and specialist LCVs, HGVs, GOLF BUGGIES and ATVs. We possess the largest 4x4 rental fleet in Europe as well as the biggest hire fleet of HGV TIPPERS, CRANE LORRIES and Traffic Management in the UK. We are able to provide spot, flexi, and long term hire, fleet management and support services. SHB specialise in all market sectors and offer bespoke hire packages to all requirements including highly specific and modified specialist vehicles.

Contact: Dean Rose dean.rose@nexusrental.co.uk

Contact: Hire Team enquiries@shb.co.uk

64 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

Tel: 0871 984 1947 www.nexusrental.co.uk

Tel: 01794 511458 www.shb.co.uk

How many commercial vehicles does your company operate?

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

Do you offer an on-line management reporting facility?

Do you offer vans fitted with satellite navigation systems?

Do you offer vans fitted with tail-lifts?

Do you offer refrigerated vehicles?

Do you offer a guaranteed no turn down policy?

How many vehicle groups do you offer?

Do you provide electronic invoicing and statements?

Key to services

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

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

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

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

Nexus Vehicle Rental 150k+ 2000+ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 500+ ✔ ✔

16k 16 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 174 ✔ ✔

✔ Service provided

Service unavailable

SHB Hire Ltd Do you provide online damage management?

VAN FLEETW W R RLD

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

Peugeot Boxer In a rapidly changing market, Peugeot’s Boxer can still punch above its weight, says Dan Gilkes.

T

he last few years have seen a major update to almost every van on the market, as Euro 6 engine standards forced many manufacturers’ hands. Some took the opportunity to completely overhaul their LCVs, while others chose to concen‐ trate their attention under the bonnet.

Peugeot and sister company Citroën, opted for the latter approach with their biggest vans. Boxer and Relay have been tweaked here and there, most noticeably with the option of LED daytime lighting and a revised grille, but the big change was in the engine bay.

Out went the former 2.2‐litre engines, to be replaced by a range of downsized 2.0‐ litre motors, though this had little effect on outputs. The Euro 6 BlueHDi engines are offered in 109bhp, 131bhp and 161bhp ratings, with the entry level model boasting 304Nm of torque and the two higher‐ powered engines an identical 350Nm. However, in a market where many competitors now offer a choice of front or rear wheel drive at 3.5‐tonnes, along with all‐wheel drive in some cases, Peugeot has remained true to the front drive format for Boxer. Likewise, there is currently no auto‐ matic transmission option on the French van, though there is a definite move towards auto boxes at this weight, driven in part by supermarket delivery vehicles.

No doubt there is plenty of work going on behind closed doors, but for now Peugeot’s electric offering also stops at the much smaller Partner van. So, does Peugeot’s Boxer still have what it takes to compete?

The 2.0‐litre BlueHDi engine certainly

66 / vanfleetworld.co.uk

what we think Peugeot’s Boxer remains a strong contender in the 3.5tonne sector, but competitors are now offering a lot more choice in terms of driveline.

specification MODEL Peugeot Boxer Professional L2H2 BlueHDi 130 BASIC PRICE £28,335 ENGINE 4-cyl/1,997cc FUEL INJECTION Common-rail POWER 131bhp @ 3,750rpm TORQUE 350Nm @ 1,750rpm Weights (kg) GVW 3,500 KERB WEIGHT 1,925 PAYLOAD 1,575 MAX TRAILER WEIGHT 2,500 Dimensions (mm) LOAD SPACE LENGTH 3,120 LOAD SPACE WIDTH 1,870 LOAD SPACE HEIGHT 1,932 LOAD VOLUME 11.5m3 Cost considerations COMBINED CO2/MPG 163g/km/45.6mpg FUEL TANK CAPACITY 90litres

does, offering plenty of low down pulling power, though it can get a little vocal at higher revs. The L2H2 test van also seemed to have particularly low gearing, with first barely getting the wheels turning before you were reaching for second.

Once up and running though, the Boxer cruises comfortably and easily tackles the urban grind. This is helped in part by a high‐ riding cab that offers plenty of visibility.

Recent updates to the interior have seen the addition of a rather small inte‐ grated sat nav screen on Professional grade models. This is combined with a DAB radio that offers Bluetooth phone connectivity and a USB input.

Professional trim also gets you manual air conditioning, cruise control and rear parking sensors. While even the standard model comes with electric heated door mirrors, Bluetooth and a full steel bulk‐ head, the additional £1,000 for Professional seems like money well spent.

When it comes to spending, the big Peugeot should be equally wallet‐friendly in everyday use. Peugeot promises up to 45.6mpg combined for the 130bhp engine in this body, with an impressively low 163g/km of CO2. Service intervals of two years or 32,000 miles should also prove popular with the finance manager.

All of which should keep Peugeot more than competitive on a balance sheet.

However, as mentioned, the times they are definitely a‐changin’ and Peugeot will have to make some fairly big updates over the coming years if it wants to remain in touch.

VAN SUPPLIER DIRECTORY FLEETW W RLD daily rental SHB Hire Ltd Tel: 01794 511458 www.shb.co.uk

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

contract hire, leasing & finance

racking systems

tail lifts

fleet management software

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

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

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

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

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

fleetworld.co.uk

Penny Hydraulics Tel: 01246 811475 www.pennyhydraulics.com

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

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

Drive Software Solutions Tel: 01438 317731

Full listings online at

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

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

Selsia

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

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

www.drivesoftwaresolutions.com

Bynx Tel: 01789 471600 www.bynx.com

telematics & tracking Nexus Vehicle Rental 0871 984 1947 www.nexusrental.co.uk

Arnold Clark Vehicle Management

Tel: 0141 332 2626 www.acvm.com

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

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

Full listings online at

fleetworld.co.uk fleet management

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

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

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

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

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

www.quartix.net

Fleet Operations Ltd Tel: 0844 567 8000 Tel: 0345 055 8555 Ctrack www.ctrack.co.uk Telogis Tel: 0203 005 8805 www.telogis.co.uk

Tel: 0870 013 6663

www.fleetoperations.co.uk

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

Full listings online at fleetworld.co.uk fuel management

STEPS

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

Tel: 01939 235900 www.avssteps.co.uk

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

TMC Tel: 01270 525 218 www.themilesconsultancy.co.uk

AVS Steps Ltd

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

driver licence checking TMC Tel: 01270 525 218 www.themilesconsultancy.co.uk

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

VAN FLEETW RLD SUPPLIER DIRECTORY For more information, please contact Tracy Howell on 01727 739160 or email tracy@fleetworldgroup.co.uk vanfleetworld.co.uk / 67