Greenfleet 56

07 NEWS BMW brings i8 engine production to UK

29

COMMERCIAL

| Prius named UK third best seller

EV INFRASTRUCTURE

GF ARRIVE N DRIVE

18 33 www.greenfleet.net

ISSUE 56

25 COMPACT CROSSOVER ROAD TEST

Roland Rendell revels in the frighfully frugal X1

31 ALTERNATIVE FUELS - Aberdeen Car club tests hydrogen Hyundais + more

£129.* Your monthly out and about goings.

The new Fiat Panda. Available from just £129 a month for business users only. And with exceptionally low fuel consumption and fewer CO2 emissions across the Panda range, what's not to like?

Visit fiat.co.uk/fleet for more info.

for

people fiat.co.uk

Fiat, the car brand with the lowest average CO2 emissions in Europe†. Fuel consumption figures for the new Fiat Panda range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 42.2 (6.7) - 60.1 (4.7); Extra Urban 65.7 (4.3) - 80.7 (3.5); Combined 54.3 (5.2) - 72.4 (3.9). CO2 emissions 120 - 95g/km.

*Business users only. Above rentals based on Panda 1.2 Pop on Contract Hire payment profile of 3 rentals in advance (equivalent to £387) followed by 35 monthly rentals of £129. All rentals exclude VAT and maintenance. Based on 10,000 miles per annum. Excess mileage charges apply. Vehicles must be registered with Fiat Contract Hire before 30th June 2012. Offer subject to status, a guarantee and/or indemnity may be required. Fiat Contract Hire, 240 Bath Road, Slough, SL1 4DX. †Source: JATO Dynamics. Based on volume-weighted average CO2 emissions (g/km) of the best selling brands in Europe, full year 2011.

GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE 05 NEWS BMW brings i8 engine production to UK

29

COMMERCIAL

| Prius named UK third best seller

EV INFRASTRUCTURE

GF ARRIVE N DRIVE

18 33 www.greenfleet.net

ISSUE 56

25 COMPACT CROSSOVER ROAD TEST

Roland Rendell revels in the frighfully frugal X1

31 ALTERNATIVE FUELS - Aberdeen Car club tests hydrogen Hyundais + more

Comment

DEDICATED TO PROMOTING A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT – www.greenfleet.net

Good news for UK manufacturing. In addition to BMW’s announcement that engines for its i3 hybrid sports car will be produced at the carmaker’s plant near Birmingham, Vauxhall has made a commitment to invest £125 million to continue manufacturing at its Ellesmere Port plant in Cheshire, creating 700 new jobs.

The emerging fast charging standard battle between Japanese manufacturers, supporting the already available CHAdeMO standard and US/European manufacturers, whose preferred solution is the SAE J1772 AC/DC combo connector, is hotting up. This new SAE standard is expected to be finalised later this year, but it is unknown how long it will take for the new charging port to begin to appear in electric cars that we can actually buy - at the earliest, it will be 2013. This reminds me a little of the VHS versus Betamax ‘war’ back in the eighties.

The good news is that some charging manufacturers can retrofit their equipment. Read more about CHAdeMO and SAE on page 18.

Alternative fuels - the Grant Thornton report ‘Greener fleets: companies consider alternative-fuel vehicles’ says that a quarter of UK firms are now considering alternative fuels, but notes that incentives will continue to drive the market in the UK. Daniel Taylor, partner and head of automotive at Grant Thornton UK noted: “The market for alternativefuel vehicles rose only slightly to 1.3 per cent in 2011 despite several electric vehicle debuts. Given the high cost, incentives will be a key driver of more widespread adoption, particularly given the strides in petrol and diesel efficiency”.

Read the report at tinyurl.com/cfs9j6l Scotland is a hive of environmental fleet activity. Hyundai recently loaned Aberdeen’s newly-established Commonwheels car club two of its left-hand-drive fuel cell vehicles. The four day trial was supported by Aberdeen City Council - read more on page 31. Staying North of the border, West Lothian Council has become the first public sector organisation in the UK to add a Vauxhall Ampera to its fleet, following the signing of an agreement with Automotive Leasing. Cairngorms National Park and Highland Council have also ordered Amperas for delivery later this summer. These type of technologies can be seen at GreenFleet Scotland event, which takes place on September 13th at Ingliston, Edinburgh see scotland.greenfleet.net for further details.

Finally, our really big road tester Roland Rendell examines both the BMW X1 (page 25) and the Vauxhall Combo Van (page 29).

Danny Wright

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PUBLISHED BY PUBLIC SECTOR INFORMATION LIMITED

226 High Rd, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055 Fax: 020 8532 0066 Web: www.psi-media.co.uk EDITOR Angela Pisanu EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Danny Wright PRODUCTION EDITOR Karl O’Sullivan PRODUCTION CONTROLLER Jacqueline Lawford WEB PRODUCTION Reiss Malone PUBLISHER Martin Freedman KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER Michael Kennedy ADMINISTRATION Victoria Leftwich, Lucy Carter GROUP PUBLISHER Barry Doyle REPRODUCTION & PRINT Argent Media

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Volume 56 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

03

Welcome to The Green.

Helping you put sustainability at the heart of your fleet.

Looking for ways to run a greener fleet? Why not visit The Green, the new sustainability website from Lex Autolease, the UK’s leading fleet management and fleet funding specialist.

Listen to our latest podcast about low carbon vehicles at The Green www.lexautolease.co.uk/theGreen Find free help and advice on sustainable issues, including: • choosing the right vehicles • tax and budget • fuel strategy and how to cut your fuel bill.

Visit The Green at www.lexautolease.co.uk/theGreen today, and see why we’re Green Fleet Leasing Company of the Year.

Or you can call us for more information on 0800 389 3690.

07

Contents

DEDICATED TO PROMOTING A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT – www.greenfleet.net

CONTENTS 07 GREENFLEET NEWS BMW to bring i8 plug-in engine production to Birmingham; Audi rethinks EV plans; Michael Rutter breaks 100mph barrier at TT Zero

15 FLEET MANAGEMENT Key players involved in BIS ‘fleet compact’ initiative aim to demonstrate demand for low to zero carbon products; Psychometric profiling of fleet drivers recommended by South Wales police

18

18 EV FOCUS FAST CHARGING Research has shown that electric car use went up dramatically when the CHAdeMO fast charging network was built in Japan, but manufacturers can’t agree on a common standard for the charging interface. Could this hinder the rollout in the UK?

25 ROAD TEST - BMW X1 Roland Rendell reckons BMW’s new EfficientDynamics X1 puts other manufacturers at a Compact Crossover Crossroads

29

29 ROAD TEST VAUXHALL COMBO VAN Rendell puts Vauxhall’s new facelifted Combo through its paces and is mightily impressed with its size

31 ALTERNATIVE FUELS Aberdeen’s hydrogen car club trial, in which two Hyundai ix35 FCEVs were driven by more than 40 people, has been hailed a resounding success and forms part of a wider plan to make Aberdeen a pioneering hydrogen city

33

33 ARRIVE ‘N’ DRIVE REVIEW This years’ Arrive ‘N’ Drive event at Rockingham was bigger, better and greener, and featured several debut apprearances including that of the Sprig, GreenFleet’s eco-driving superhero

GreenFleet Magazine

www.greenfleet.net Volume 56 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

05

MANUFACTURING

BMW to bring i8 plug-in engine production to Birmingham Speaking at the SMMT 2012 International Automotive Summit at Canary Wharf in London, BMW sales and marketing manager Ian Robertson announced that a new generation 3 cylinder petrol engine for use in its i8 hybrid sports car will be produced exclusively at the carmaker’s engine plant at Hams Hall, near Birmingham.

Robertson said: “Our Hams Hall engine plant, which last week celebrated production of the three-millionth engine since the plant was opened in February 2001, will make an important contribution to the future success of the new BMW i brand and the company’s strategy for achieving sustainable mobility.

The new 3-cylinder petrol engines will enable

our future BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car to set new standards for dynamic performance in combination with industry-leading fuelefficiency and low carbon emission levels.”

BMW’s ‘i’ brand is expected to launch in 2013 with the i3 supermini. Following in 2014, the plug-in hybrid i8 will combine an electric drive system with a TwinPower Turbo engine to produce 349hp/300Nm. It is expected to offer fuel consumption of around 78mpg, with acceleration of 0-62mph in under five seconds. In zero-emission all-electric mode it will have a range of approximately 20 miles.

For more information visit tinyurl.com/cgl4aql

i3 SUPERMINI

Expected to launch in 2013 i8 HYBRID SPORTS CAR

78mpg, with 0-62mph in under 5 seconds

News

DEDICATED TO PROMOTING A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT – www.greenfleet.net

NEWS IN BRIEF Nissan Tyre pressure system to be available on all models Nissan has confirmed plans to make its ‘Easy-Fill Tire Alert’ system available on all future models, beginning in 2013. The safety feature, which can also bolster fuel economy, currently comes standard on all 2013 Nissan Altima, 2012 Nissan LEAF and 2012 Nissan Quest models, with standard or optional availability on more products to follow later this year as Nissan continues its launch of five allnew models in the next 15 months.

SMMT figure show rise in alternatively fuelled vehicles The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has announced that alternatively fuelled vehicle sales rose by 31.8 per cent to 2,108 units in May compared to May 2011, and private vehicle sales were up 14.3 per cent in the same month.

Based on a ‘year-to-date’ comparison, alternatively fuelled vehicles were up 7 per cent, private sales were up 8.5 per cent whilst fleet sales remained unchanged.

The total units sold overall were up by 2.6 per cent to 868,166. www.smmt.co.uk

Charging across Europe

LICENCE CHECKING

ACFO & DVLA in talks over license checks ACFO is holding talks with the DVLA over how organisations will be able to check the validity of employee driving licences following changes due for implementation in 2014.

The Department for Transport has announced that as part of its ‘Red Tape Challenge’ to cut bureaucracy, the regulation requiring drivers with a credit card-sized photo driving licence to hold a paper counterpart highlighting driving category exemptions and licence points will be removed. The measure, it is calculated, will save drivers up to £8 million.

It is anticipated that June 2014 will see removal of driving licence counterparts with a new enquiry database launched at the end of 2013. Additionally, from June next year a driver’s address will no longer appear on the credit card-style driving licence, although it will remain on the paper counterpart.

Earlier this year ACFO welcomed the move, but warned that before the change was made a number of concerns highlighted by fleet operators needed clarification. ACFO chairman Julie Jenner said: “Most drivers do not carry the paper counterpart to their photo licence with them to enable employers to immediately check issues around driving compliance and infringements resulting in points. While the removal of the regulation will reduce the amount of fraudulent activity by employees bent on trying to prove they have a clean driving licence, we need to know how information relating to points and driving class eligibility will be made available to employers responsible for ensuring occupational road risk management compliance.” www.acfo.org

Nissan has completed the first step of its aim to create a network of 400 DC Quick Chargers across Europe, by unveiling the first installations in France and the Netherlands.

The 400 chargers will be donated across Europe by Nissan, and will be able to charge up any CHAdeMOc ompliant electric vehicle, such as the LEAF, to around 80 per cent capacity in just 30 minutes.

Around 30 Nissan dealerships are already equipped with DC charging facilities in the UK. Over 2,500 charging points are now displayed on Next Green Car’s Zap-Map. Zap Map - tinyurl.com/6zpv38b

Volume 56 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

07

ELECTRIFYING PERFORMANCE

The Ampera makes a powerful impact. Absolutely, positively not a hybrid, its advanced Extended-Range Electric Vehicle technology offers the convenience of a conventional car – overcoming the range anxiety often associated with other electric cars: • Eligible for £5,000 Government Plug-in Grant • 100% Writing Down Allowance1 • Congestion charge exempt2

• Up to 235.4mpg3 • 27g/km CO2 (5% BiK tax band)4

Official Government Test Environmental Data. Fuel consumption figures mpg (litres/100km) and CO2 emissions (g/km), Vauxhall Ampera: Combined/weighted: 235.4mpg (1.2). CO2 emissions: 27g/km.

1 = First year. 2 = Exemption from London Congestion Charge available upon the payment of a £10 annual fee. 3 = The “Combined/weighted” fuel consumption/CO2 figures calculated from two test results: one with the battery fully charged and the other when the battery is discharged. The two test results are a weighted average, taking into account mileage range on battery power only, providing a representative figure for the vehicle used in a variety of battery charge conditions. 4 = 2012/13 and 2013/14 tax years. General Motors UK Limited does not offer tax advice and recommends that all Company Car Drivers consult their accountant with their particular tax position. Image shown is for illustrative purposes only. Lifetime Warranty covers lifetime ownership of first car owner, 100,000 mile limit, (eight-year 100,000 mile warranty on the Ampera battery subject to the warranty conditions as outlined in the Vauxhall Ampera service booklet). Annual check required. The warranty excludes wear and tear and serviceable items and the vehicle must be serviced in accordance with the manufacturer’s servicing schedule to continue the Lifetime Warranty. Terms and conditions apply. Offer available to all Vauxhall passenger cars, (this offer does not apply to car derived vans) registered from 1 August 2010.

EV CHARGING

Rapid charging at Roadchefs Engenie has started the rollout of its rapid charging network with units supplied by Schneider Electric. The rapid charge units, said to be capable of 80 per cent charge in half an hour, will be installed over the next few months at Roadchef motorway service areas across the country.

The first of these was installed and activated at Roadchef’s Clacket Lane services area on the M25. The network will be ‘pay-as-you-go’ as opposed to a subscription-based service.

SEE PAGE 15 FOR MORE DETAILS

ELECTRIC MOTORSPORT

Rutter breaks 100mph barrier at TT Zero Driving the MotoCzysz E1pc, British motorcycle racer Michael Rutter became the first man to ever break the 100mph barrier on an electric bike by averaging 104.056mph around the fourth annual TT Zero event on the Isle of Man. Two more riders also broke the 100mph barrier - second-placed John McGuinness on the electric Mugen Honda and third-placed Mark Miller, also for MotoCzysz.

Beat the Sprig demonstrates huge fuel savings through eco-driving The GreenFleet Arrive ‘N’ Drive event at Rockingham in May featured a staggering demonstration of how eco-driving techniques can drastically reduce fuel consumption.

GreenFleet’s green driving ‘superhero’ the Sprig set an impressive 78mpg figure, but

with one of the last drives of the day, Clive Brocklehurst of Balfour Beatty managed to clock a staggering 94mpg - a massive improvement of 37mpg on his first ‘lap’.

Citroen supplied 4 DS3’s, with a stated figure of 68mpg, fitted with TomTom vehicle

News

DEDICATED TO PROMOTING A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT – www.greenfleet.net

NEWS IN BRIEF Audi rethinks EV plans According to automotive magazine Car, Audi has cancelled its plans to produce a battery-powered A2 model and is likely to axe plans for the A1 e-tron hybrid. It is believed a combination of production costs, high retail price and the slow-to-grow European electric vehicle market have deterred the Volkswagenowned brand from launching the battery-powered models. www.carmagazine.co.uk

A2 Concept

tracking kit. Participants drove the cars around the set public urban route without coaching, followed by the same route after coaching from UK Road Safety. Prizes were awarded for the biggest improvement.

In second place, Paul Hitchen from Boots managed 89mpg (25mpg improvement) and Kieth Freeman on the AA managed 91mpg (24mpg improvement).

Keep your eye out for the Sprig - see the Arrive ‘N’ Drive review on page 33

Volume 56 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

09

SCOTCH CORNER

Scotland takes the LEAF down electric avenue NHS Tayside, Dundee City Council, Perth & Kinross Council and Dumfries and Galloway Council are now using electric Nissan LEAFs - helped by a grant from Transport Scotland.

NHS Tayside will be running two LEAFs. Chairman of NHS Tayside Sandy Watson said, “Last year NHS Tayside spent over half a million pounds on fuel for its fleet of vehicles and money we save on fuel will go towards other healthcare priorities.”

In Dundee, employees at the City Council are now using four LEAFs which make up part of its car pool scheme. Large boot space and sufficient range to be able to travel into Glasgow weere defining factors in their choice.

Perth & Kinross Council has also added four LEAFs to its pool car fleet. Further south in Dumfries and Galloway, two LEAFs have been added. The council was the first in the UK to have a LEAF to its fleet last year and already has two charging points installed on its properties and is in the process of installing a further four. The council has also committed to install a further 10 public charging points across the city including one Rapid Charger, which can charge the LEAF’s battery up to 80 per cent capacity in less than 30 minutes.

The LEAF was available for test drive at the first GreenFleet Scotland event back in 2009. Staged in association with Energy Saving Trust Scotland,

FUEL DUTY

Green cars threaten tax revenues says IFS study According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) report ’Fuel for Thought’, the drive to promote greener, more efficient motoring will have the result of cutting income to the Treasury in 2029 by £13bn hole compared with the current level.

Even though traffic is predicted to grow over the coming decades, the IFS report notes that the £38 billion annual revenue from VED and fuel duty has already began to diminish as more motorists choose lower emission petrol, diesel and plug-in electric cars.

The study, commissioned by the RAC Foundation, suggests that tax revenues from this trend will fall by £13 billion a year by 2029, as the shift to lower emission cars continues.

Financial incentives for lower CO2 cars and rising fuel prices are major factors driving this shift.

The report has suggested that a ‘radical overhaul’ of the road tax system will be needed to prevent such a significant loss to the Treasury, otherwise a 50 per cent rise in fuel duty would be required to make up the difference.

One way suggested by the IFS would be to introduce a national road charging system based on ‘pay-as-you-drive’. This would introduce the option to charge motorists based on when and where they use their vehicles, as well as their

the 2012 event on September 13th will be the fourth year that GreenFleet brings a range of zero and low emissions vehicles to Ingliston, Edinburgh. Last year, feedback from both the visitors to the event and the organisations that took part has been extremely favourable. Duncan Inglis of Angus Council said: “The seminars were very informative, and there was a good selection of related products and suppliers available.”

Ian Murdoch, EST Scotland, stated: “With staggering results demonstrated by last years Fuel Efficient Driving Experience, people will undoubtedly be interested in taking fuel efficient driver training sessions.

In Scotland, the Energy Saving Trust can offer individuals fuel efficient driver training at a heavily subsidised cost of £12 for 50 minutes of training. Average results from this training are 15 per cent of fuel saving. This can equate to two months’ worth of fuel.”

Attendance is free of charge to qualifying individuals in the fleet management and associated industries. scotland.greenfleet.net

individual mileage. Charging higher per mile tariffs in congested areas at peak times would help to tackle urban air pollution, something that cannot be achieved through simply raising the duty at the pumps or the cost of annual VED tax.

Around 65,000 cars were sold last year with exemption from VED road tax, due to their CO2 emissions falling below the 100g/km threshold mark. By charging motorists by mileage rather than vehicle emissions, a long term tax system could be introduced that would guarantee revenue whilst still encouraging lower emissions by incentivising reduced private mileage.

Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “The Treasury has already announced a review of VED bands to ensure drivers make a ‘fair contribution’ to the public finances even as cars become more fuel efficient.”

Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said: ““As cars become more fuel efficient the revenue from petrol tax will fall – eventually to close to nothing if we are to meet ouR climate change targets. A national system of charging related to mileage and congestion, largely replacing the current system of fuel taxation, would help solve both those problems.”

News

DEDICATED TO PROMOTING A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT – www.greenfleet.net

NEWS IN BRIEF First quarter figures make Prius the third best seller In the first quarter of 2012, the Toyota Prius was recorded as being the third best selling car in the world, numbering 247,230, behind only the Toyota Corolla (300,800) and the Ford Focus (277,000).

Since Prius sales began in Japan in 1997 Toyota has sold over four million hybrid cars worldwide, including 1.5 million in the US. Although the car’s reputation was damaged by recalls in 2010, the model has been responsible for lifting hybrid powertrains into the mainstream.

After last year’s earthquake and tsunami, car production in Japan was significantly cut back, effecting global supply. Soon after, the Japanese government introduced rebates and tax incentives with the aim to spark interest in specifically fuel-efficient cars once again. At the same time, Toyota extended the model range to include three additional Prius versions to offer a four-model family to selected global markets.

All go for the Citygo Skoda’s first ever city car, the Citygo, is now on sale with a price tag of just £7,630.

The 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine comes with a power output of either 60 or 75PS, plus the option of GreenTech fuel-saving technologies including start-stop and brake energy recuperation. A five-speed manual transmission is standard, though an automatic gearbox is available on selected models. The Citigo has official combined fuel economy of 68.9 mpg and CO2 emissions of just 96g/km.

RAC Foundation - IFS Fuel for though report tinyurl.com/ctfcm8c Volume 56 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

11

FLEET INITIATIVES

Key players involved in BIS ‘fleet compact’ initiative A new initiative by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change, aims to demonstrate demand for low to zero carbon products in the transport and renewable energy sectors. Key players include BT, EDF Energy, BSkyB, Lloyds Banking Group, Government Procurement Service and Defra.

In the ‘fleet compact’ category the signatories identify a need for low-emission vehicles that offer range and refueling times comparable to conventional combustion engine vehicles. They note that battery EVs have a role to play but are not sufficient for a significant proportion of fleets.

The initiative’s potential is indicated by the following statistics: Government Procurement Service is tendering in 2014 for replacement vehicle purchase, hire and lease frameworks with a potential value of £800m; BT has one of the largest vehicle fleets in Europe with

approximately 26,000 commercial vehicles and 6,000 company cars; and Lex AutoLease procures 75,000 cars a year for its customers.

Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills said: “A green economy has economic as well as environmental benefits. It can help UK businesses manage risks arising from fluctuating fossil fuel prices and increase resilience, in particular from the impacts of climate change, and seize the opportunities from emerging markets both at home and abroad. The Government has a key role to play in ensuring more effective supply chain engagement, and by signalling demand for low carbon innovation. This important initiative will help to drive investment in new and better goods and services.”

Lois Trailor, head of fleet operations at BSkyB, told Fleet News: “Currently, there are few viable commercial vehicle alternatives to using biodiesel that match our requirements.

Our internal focus is on van efficiency and the use of telematics to reduce emissions.

Although this and other measures are having a positive impact in cutting emissions, we are conscious that they will not deliver the reductions we need. New options are required.”

FURTHER INFORMATION tinyurl.com/crsrglb

DUTY OF CARE

Psychometric profiling of drivers recommended by South Wales police Attendees this year’s ACFO Conference witnessed a stern warning that polices forces across the UK are waiting to convict one of them under corporate manslaughter and corporate homicide legislation.

The message was delivered by Sgt Gareth Morgan, supervisor of South Wales Police Driver Training. He said that 90 per cent of accidents are as a result of human behaviour and believes businesses should be using psychometric profiling to enable drivers to self-evaluate their behaviour on the road.

After introducing psychometric, South Wales Police has reported a 10 per cent reduction in accident rates in the last 12 months. Suggesting that the technique is cheaper and more efficient than driver training, Sgt Morgan added: “Fleet managers must ask if the at-work driving risk management processes they have in place will withstand scrutiny from the police service.”

To date there have been just two successful prosecutions under the 2007 Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act, but neither were linked to fatalities involving at-work drivers. Historically, police forces investigated ‘death on the highway’, but now look for ‘responsibility’, which could include an investigation of the roles played by fleet managers and company directors.

Sgt Morgan added “Psychometric profiling encourages drivers to reflect on their thoughts and change their driving behaviour. It delivers

NEWS IN BRIEF Transaid teams up with Women in Logistics

Fleet Management

DEDICATED TO PROMOTING A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT – www.greenfleet.net

International development charity Transaid is calling on transport industry professionals to perform challenging fundraising feats during Transaid Week (July 2-6).

The charity focuses on improving transport access in some of the world’s poorest areas and is hoping to raise £15,000 as a result of the week. Women in Logistics has already teamed up with Transaid to hold a summer charity ball on July 6 at the Chesford Grange Hotel in Kenilworth, near Warwick. The event will include a gala raffle, live music and dancing. www.transaid.org

Fleet Management System Buyer’s Guide Fleet management solutions provider FleetMatics has introduced ‘The Essential Fleet Management System Buyer’s Guide’. Targeted at businesses in facilities management, skilled trades and road haulage, the guide is designed to help fleet owners determine whether their business could benefit from using a fleet management system. bit.ly/FMbuyersguide

Handy Handbook from FTA

behavioural and attitudinal change and by coaching and mentoring, improvements can be benchmarked that are recognised by the courts.

“We are using psychometric profiling successfully in the police to facilitate self-belief that an individual can make a real difference to their risk by raising selfawareness of driving risk and encouraging ownership of risk management. We are focusing on goals for life and skills for living.

The method can be just as beneficial to fleet managers and their businesses.”

As well as the Conference, ACFO held its Annual General Meeting. The results of the ballot for the 2 places on the ACFO Board were announced and both John Pryor (Arcadia Group) and Caroline Sandall (Barclays Bank) were elected as directors.

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has launched the Company Car Drivers’ Handbook. Sponsored by Shell and endorsed by the Association of Car Fleet Operators (ACFO), the handbook contains information ranging from driver licensing to performing vehicle checks, with tips on safe and fuel efficient driving.

Sally Thornley, FTA’s general manager, compliance information services, said: “We have produced this publication as a direct result of requests from our members and it makes a welcome addition to the highly valued FTA Goods Vehicle Drivers’ Handbook and Van Drivers’ Handbook.

“Designed to be used in conjunction with an organisation’s specific policies, such as on mobile phone use or dealing with accidents, it should help anyone who drives a car for business purposes stay both safe and within the law.” www.fta.co.uk

Volume 56 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

15

Kia

DEDICATED TO PROMOTING A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT – www.greenfleet.net

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

ALL-ROUND WONDER Kia’s all-new cee’d takes the model’s established fleet credentials and increases its appeal with a stylish new look

The second-generation cee’d builds on the success of the first model, with bold lines and sharp creases resulting in a car that looks distinctive and full of intent.

Launched in 2007, the original cee’d was a game-changing model for Kia. Designed, developed and built in Europe, cee’d was the first model to establish Kia as a serious contender to the established brands.

“The original cee’d was a paradigm shift for Kia, taking the company into the hotly contested C-segment with a truly competitive car for the first time,” says Paul Philpott, chief operating officer, Kia Motors Europe.

“Just as the original cee’d represented a major step forward for Kia in 2007, this second-generation model represents a further leap for the brand – both in terms of the capability and sophistication of the vehicle, and what it will do to drive further momentum in our European sales.”

The overall length of the new cee’d is increased by 50mm and the car has a considerably wider track, yet the overall height has been reduced by 10mm and the body is marginally narrower. The impact on the car’s aesthetics is heightened by the availability of 17” alloy wheels, resulting in a minimal gap between tyres and bodywork.

The cohesive design was shaped by extensive testing in the state-of-the-art wind tunnel at Kia’s R&D centre at Namyang, Korea. A reduced windscreen angle, smooth covers beneath the engine bay and the central floor, the rear spoiler and carefully profiled rear lamp clusters all help to reduce fuel consumption and cabin noise.

That pursuit of a more comfortable, quieter and refined cabin has been paramount.

Measures include fitting 14 per cent thicker front door window glass, adding low-drag exterior mirror housings, vibration-damping engine mounts, hollow drive shafts, stronger bodyshell joints between the sills and B-pillars, and increased foam-filling in the door pillars. Cabin noise levels have been cut to match class-best standards.

Although the car’s wheelbase is carried over from the existing model to the new cee’d, there is a noticeable increase in interior space. The cargo capacity of the second-generation cee’d is boosted by 12 per cent to 380 litres (up 40 litres) and the model’s split-folding rear seats can be made fully flat for maximum versatility.

COMFORT AND CONTROL Standard equipment includes a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, iPod, Aux and USB connectivity, a 6-speaker audio system, multi-mode trip computer, air conditioning, Bluetooth, electric front windows and remote central locking.

The cee’d ‘2’ grade model, likely to be popular with user choosers looking for even greater value for money, includes these features and adds 16” alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, folding door mirrors, cruise control, speed limiter, Flex Steer, leather-trimmed steering wheel, gear shift and handbrake as premium extras. The new Parallel Park Assist System features front, side and rear sensors and automatic steering control by an on-board computer.

SAFETY ASSURED Kia was determined to achieve the highest safety rating with this new model. Side impact protection has been enhanced with 50 per cent thicker door beams, plus a stronger roof cross-member between the B-pillars and side sills made from ultra high-tensile steel.

Each new cee’d is fitted with six airbags – twin front, front side and full length curtain – as standard. Available active safety features include Electronic Stability Programme, ABS, Emergency Brake Assist System, Hill Assist Control to prevent rollback, Vehicle Stability Management and Emergency Stop Signalling, which flashes the brake lights when the system detects that the driver is making an emergency stop.

Kia anticipates that its top of the range diesel - the 1.6-litre variable geometry turbo unit - will be the most popular choice in most markets. The engine will be offered with a choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmissions and will accelerate the new cee’d to 100 kph in less than 11 seconds.

Fuel consumption will be just 4.1 l/100 km on the combined cycle (3.7 l/100 km in cars fitted with Kia’s EcoDynamics technologies), and CO2 emissions start at just 97 g/km.

The new cee’d will be manufactured at Kia’s Zilina facility in Slovakia and will be among the first models to bear the new-look Kia badge on its bonnet. It comes with Kia’s fullytransferable 7 year/100,000 mile warranty, making it a compelling fleet choice. L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.kia.co.uk/fleet

Volume 56 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

17

EV-Focus

DEDICATED TO PROMOTING A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT – www.greenfleet.net

FAST CHARGING

Fast Charging Q&A

FAST CHARGE STANDARDS

Research has shown that electric car use went up dramatically when the CHAdeMO fast charging network was built in Japan, but manufacturers can’t agree on a common standard for the charging interface. Could this hinder the rollout in the UK? The effectiveness of electric vehicles in reducing emissions can only really be evaluated once a realistic charging infrastructure is in place. When readily available, fast charging will undoutedly make EV choice a lot more attractive and go some way to address concerns of range anxiety. Thirty minutes for an eighty per cent charge is much more realistic.

This chicken and egg scenario is being figured out, albeit gradually, as advanced charging equipment is making its way into the picture. It’s a valuable market - Pike Research said last year that annual revenue generated by makers of EV charging equipment will increase more than tenfold between 2011 and 2017 to around $4.3 billion.

For faster charging, dedicated chargers can be built in permanent locations and provided with high-amperage connections to the grid. But uncertainty over a common standard for the connections is a potential future hurdle, and the real power rests with the car manufacturers.

There are two competing standards CHAdeMO and SAE DC Fast Charge.

CHAdeMO is leading the way. It was developed several years ago by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and a consortium of Japanese automakers including Nissan, Mitsubishi, Toyota and Suburu. CHAdeMO has been in use since 2008 as the trade name of a quick charging method for battery electric vehicles delivering up to 62.5 kW of highvoltage direct current via a special electrical connector. As well as the Nissan LEAF, the Mitsubishi IMiEV, Renault eKANGOO, Peugeot iON and Citroen C-ZERO are all available EVs that are compatible with CHAdeMO. At the time of writing, there are barely 1500 CHAdeMO charging points installed worldwide, and the bulk of these are in Japan (1236) with only 40 in the UK, mainly at Nissan dealerships. This is set to change, and installations are being announced regularly. Research has shown that when the CHAdeMO network was built in Japan, electric car use went up dramatically, suggesting that the existence of a fast charging network alleviates range anxiety.

COMPETING STANDARD However, manufacturers in the US and Germany are leaning towards adopting a quick-charge connector standard based on

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GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE | Volume 56

the SAE J1772 AC/DC combo connector.

The combined charging system integrates one-phase AC-charging, fast three-phase ACcharging, DC-charging at home and ultra-fast DC-charging at public stations into one vehicle inlet. This will allow users to charge at most existing charging stations regardless of power source. This charge format provides for a single, multi-function interface built into the vehicle, rather than two separate plugs, which can potentially deliver high-power charging of up to 100kW in future. The SAE DC fast charging consortium includes Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche and Volkswagen.

The debate continued in Los Angeles this year as the city hosted 26th International Electric Vehicle Symposium in May, where BMW, Ford, General Motors and Volkswagen all demonstrated the single-port system. The SAE consortium argues that car makers are used to to designing a single hole for the fuel, but the Nissan Leaf designers managed to squeeze both standard and CHAdeMO plugs into one large hole in the nose of the car.

The new standard is expected to be finalised later this year, but it is unknown how long it will take for the new charging port to begin to appear in electric cars that we can actually buy. It’s a potentially tricky situation for organisations both private and public to invest in a fast charging infrastructure given the uncertainty surrounding this standard, but some charging point manufacturers, such as Schneider Electric, have already announced CHAdeMO compliant stations that can be retrofitted to the SAE standard once its finished.

ADAPTERS Would it be possible to build an adapter for the car? The CHAdeMO plug has two large pins for a DC connection, and several smaller pins for a CAN-bus connection allowing the car and the charger to talk with each other.

The new SAE plug has two pins for the DC connection, and uses the HomePlug Green Phy communication protocol to communicate between car and charging station. If an adapter could be built, it would be complex.

In time, this may well pan out in a similar way to the VHS/Betamax video player scenario in the eighties - most experts considered the Betamax to be a far superior format, yet VHS made its way through to

Is the battery deteriorated by quick charging?

The CHAdeMo DC quick charger is controlled by the vehicle’s ECU which controls the discharging and charging process of on-board battery. The ECU is continuously monitoring the state of charge and temperature of the battery system, and to protect the battery, the ECU slows the charging speed as the stored electricity increases.

Are DC quick chargers dangerous for general public to handle?

The 500V/100A output is equivalent to the output of 10 air-conditioners.

It does go beyond the output level of normal electronic products to a dangerous extent, but CHAdeMo DC quick chargers take extreme safety measures - before charging begins, the unit triple checks to make sure that the connection is correct and the cables/connectors are completely insulated. Charging will not begin until this process is completed satisfactorily.

Is the fast charger too costly for public infrastructure?

The installation cost of each DC quick charger is considerably higher.

However, quick chargers are not intended to be used as frequently - only when the battery is running out away from home, and charging time is short. According to CHAdeMo, when it comes to building up charging infrastructure, these two characteristics will enable one DC quick charger to serve 100 to 200 EVs.

domintate. Eventually, the car manufacturers, and ultimately the buyers, will decide.

Wahid Nawabi of US-based charging solutions provider Aerovironment put it into perspective. He told autobloggreen: “People are making a big deal about a standard that there is not a lot of market for, yet. I believe that one uniform standard that everyone can agree to is very positive for the industry.

Whether that ends up being CHAdeMO or combo or something different, to me it’s semantics. Today, the standard that makes the most sense for the consumer is CHAdeMO because that’s out there and that’s what the cars are shipping with. So, should that be the one? I think that makes a lot of sense.

You can argue that one is better, I’m sure.

But it’s what’s better for you, an apple or an orange? If you’re hungry, you need food.” n FURTHER INFORMATION n CHAdeMO Association www.chademo.com n SAE International www.sae.org n Facilitating e-mobility: EURELECTRIC views on charging infrastructure tinyurl.com/c5zhoao

Roadchef UK network gets underway with Engenie and Schneider EV charging point operator Engenie has commenced the rollout of the UK’s first rapid charging network with Schneider Electric.The units will be installed nationwide over the next few months across Roadchef motorway service areas, and will allow drivers to fully recharge a depleted battery in as little as thirty minutes. The first of these was installed Roadchef’s Clacket Lane services area on the M25.

The technology employs ‘pay-as-you-go’ as opposed to subscription, allowing drivers to only pay for the energy that they need to put in their car.

Jeremy Littman, managing director of Engenie, said: “A 30 minute rapid charge on one of Engenie’s charging stations can power an electric vehicle for over 100 miles, providing up to a 75 per cent

ABB’s Terra 51 Fast Charger

saving against a petrol equivalent, so the payback period is rapid.

David Greaves, national business development manager for EV at Schneider Electric, said: “This is a major game changer. While for some time electric vehicle adoption has

EV-Focus

DEDICATED TO PROMOTING A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT – www.greenfleet.net

seemed a rather distant vision, this is a significant moment and one which will help make EV ownership a tangible reality for UK drivers.

As fuel prices continue to soar, the cost benefits of EV adoption can be huge.”

Michael Heaton, Roadchef’s director of commercial and loss prevention, said: “We’re proud to be the first chain of motorway service areas to offer this facility. Previously, many electric car owners attempting a long journey had to leave the motorway and take a detour into the centre of a nearby town if they wanted to charge their battery quickly. If the electric car is to become viable, it needs to be convenient, and bringing fast charges to the side of the motorway is a major step in this direction.”

Siemens CP500A

Volume 56 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

19

battle the financial climate in style.

moving forward with mini fleet. visit www.mini.co.uk/corporate

Official fuel economy figures for the MINI Range: Urban 27.4-67.3mpg (10.3-4.2 l/100km).

Extra Urban 45.6-80.7mpg (6.2-3.5 l/100km). Combined 36.7-74.3mpg (7.7-3.8 l/100km).

CO2 emissions 180-99 g/km.

With MINI on your fleet you needn’t sacrifice style to deliver on economy and performance.

With a choice of models delivering sub 100g/km CO2, road tax and the congestion charge can be a thing of the past. With frugal running costs and high residual values, benefits stack up to make MINI a business car users best friend.

From the classic MINI Hatch to the big time 4 door, 5 seat MINI Countryman, the MINI range can stop your fleet throwing money down the drain.

Visit www.MINI.co.uk/corporate to see the difference that the MINI Range can make to your business.

tHe new BMw 116D effiCient DYnaMiCs

99g/KM.

tHe new BMw effiCient DYn

109g/

BMw. still tHe one to B The one and only BMW EfficientDynamics range is really setting the pace in the corporate market.

The 116d EfficientDynamics, for example, delivers up to 800 miles on a single tank of fuel, while emitting just 99g/km of COâ‚‚ for a 100% Congestion Charge discount. With personal bests like this, there are no medals for guessing why BMW was chosen as Official Automotive Partner for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Our fleet of almost 3,200 EfficientDynamic vehicles, hybrids, electric vehicles and motorcycles comfortably beat the average CO2 target of 120g/km set by the organising committee. For more information on the unbeatable BMW range, please visit www.bmwcorporate.co.uk or call us on 0800 777 133.

a winning fleet supplier.

Official fuel economy figures for the BMW range: Urban 14.6-62.4mpg (19.3-4.4l/100km).

Extra Urban 26.2-83.1mpg (10.8-3.4l/100km). Combined 20.3-74.3mpg (13.9-3.8l/100km).

CO2 emissions 325-99g/km.

BMW EfficientDynamics reduces BMW emissions without compromising performance developments and is standard across the model range.

w 320D naMiCs

/KM.

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tHe new BMw 520D effiCient DYnaMiCs

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EVlink™ is a complete, world-class energy management solution which minimises cost of ownership by delivering outstanding flexibility, safety, reliability and efficiency.

Enable e-mobility and savings Automate charging based on schedules, priority or distance. Remotely confirm charging status. Choose the quick charge option to prepare vehicles for urgent and unscheduled trips. Save time and effort by managing your entire charging network from your desktop.

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EVlink infrastructure provides 100% flexibility A choice of single-point, multi-point and quick charge terminals which offer complete customisation, low maintenance, secure access and total safety.

BMW X1 sDRIVE20d

Crossover crusade GreenFleet’s Roland Rendell gets to grips with the newlook BMW X1 sDrive20d EfficientDynamics, which the German marque hopes will become a class leader.

We’ve all seen the adverts on the telly - these cars with their squashed 4x4 looks, splashing through puddles in an urban metropolis, backed by some funky hip-hop designed to match the graffiti background. Will our green fleet world embrace this style of car, or does it fall at the first CO2 hurdle?

So, we have the general Compact Crossover market, and the premium version, which some say was defined by the launch of the X1 two and half years ago. In 2012, the new-look X1 boasts a facelift both inside and out. The EfficientDynamics version comes in at the low end of the X1 range in terms of price, but, unsurprisingly, and the top end of its competitors. So, what bang do you get for your buck?

A dark metallic brown BMW X1 sDrive20d EfficientDynamics (ED) was delivered to GreenFleet Towers. Over the course of a week, I grew to really like the colour - it took me back four decades to the 70’s. If they were looking for the colour to attract the attention of people walking down the street, it worked, with plenty of rubbernecking going on as I mingled with the larger Chelsea tractors, here in TOWIEville.

Once you get in to the cabin, you get that feeling of space and height, but it doesn’t feel big. Exactly the feel most manufacturers go for with this type of car.

I’m not a small chap. The first thing I do, in any vehicle, is adjust the driver’s seat back to its maximum, as far away from the steering wheel as possible. Only one other manufacturer has produced a car that then forces me to slide the seat forward again

because I’m too far away, and that’s Skoda’s Superb Estate. Now I find myself in a spacious BMW cockpit doing exactly that. However, on this occasion my size 13 plates and sculptured calf muscles were struggling. I found the bottom of the footwell a bit narrow, and the driver position felt almost cone-shaped. But this will not be an issue for the average man.

As you would expect from the brand, the car drives very smoothly. If comfort is what you want, it’s in abundance. If efficiency is the name of the game, then it’s down to you to make use of the functions on offer. The Optimum Shift Indicator will prompt you to change gear at the right time, while all models come with Brake Energy Regeneration. Unique to the EfficientDynamics model is the ondemand operation of ancillary units, a climate control compressor that can be disengaged and tyres with reduced rolling resistance.

The more I drove this car, the more I liked it, and I can now see where it has potential in the fleet sector. Firstly, the exec that has to cart a load of company paraphernalia around will love it. For me, the emergency service sector is another market that BMW could explore.

Available in rear-wheel drive form only, and with automatic transmission not yet an option with ED, the 163bhp and 380Nm of torque deliver the punch and power often required in this sector. It can achieve 0 – 62mph in just 8.3 seconds and can also reach 133mph, making it ideal in a pursuit situation.

However, combining the power with the size and load capacity, the ambulance and fire response markets are even more suited.

The combined mpg for this model is a stated 62.8. I’m sure that if driven properly over a distance, this will be more than achievable.

As proved at the recent Arrive’n’Drive event, if you apply some eco-driving tips, these figures can be exceeded by some distance.

For me, what impressed most was the car’s capabilities around town. Whilst taking Mini Me to the cinema, I managed a staggering

Road Test

DEDICATED TO PROMOTING A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT – www.greenfleet.net

51.3mpg. Not impressed? This was an eight mile journey, at an average of just 24mph - an impressive ‘around town’ return, just shy of the official urban figure and still over 10mpg better than I get in my own car, which is the same sort of size and weight.

How does it stack up against the rest?

The most popular compact crossover on the roads is probably the Nissan Qashqai.

I can only compare the X1 2.0d with the 1.6 dCi 2WD + Start/Stop system Nissan, along with the Hyundai iX35 1.7 CRDi and Ford Kuga 2.0 DURATORQ TDCI Fr.WD. And here is where it really begins to sell itself.

In terms of top speed, it comes out on top, but that’s not why we’re here. When it comes to the important stuff – its green credentials – it certainly stacks up, performing at the same level as its Japanese counterpart despite carrying an engine that is 400cc larger. So, for this reason, I believe it puts the other manufacturers at a Crossover Crossroads. Do they turn left or right and carry on producing cars that do not stack up when it comes to emissions? Or do they move forward, cross the road and join the Crossover CO2 Crusade? L

BMW X1 sDrive20d EfficientDynamics MPG:

62.8 (combined cycle)

CO2:

119 g/km

BIK:

17 per cent

Price:

£26,090

Volume 56 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

25

BIRTH OF A NEW ICO2N

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Combined consumption (l/100 km): from 83 (3.4) to 48.7 (5.8). CO2 emissions (g/km): from 87 to 135. *BIK ranges from £33 to £123 based on the 208 Access 1.0 VTi at £9,940 PIID value and the 208 Feline 1.6 THP at £16,725 PIID value. Model shown is a 208 Feline with metallic paint and a PIID value of £16,220.

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GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE | Volume 56

All diesel engines are run on 100% recycled carbon neutral vegetable oil, petrol vehicles are LPG or electric hybrids

VAUXHALL COMBO 1.3CDTi (90PS)

JUMBO COMBO

GreenFleet’s larger than life reporter Roland Rendell squeezes in to Vauxhall’s new face-lifted Combo and is mightily impressed with its size as the biggest van in its class.

While writing this piece, England are about to kick-off their Euro 2012 campaign against France. As ‘Proud Sponsors of Home Nations Football’, Vauxhall can be also be rightly proud of the latest addition to its commercial vehicle line-up.

The second generation Combo, launched back in 2001, won countless industry awards and sold 21,000 units at its peak in 2003. The latest incarnation is available in two gross vehicle weights with two trim levels and four engine choices. I was handed the keys to a Base L1H1 2300 1.3CDTi (90PS) ecoFLEX S/S, in what can only be described as post office red. I immediately wondered if I needed a black and white cat to complete the look.

A quick once-over and you immediately notice that this is quite a big van in some ways, yet small at the same time. It sits below its larger stablemates, the Vivaro and the Movano, but what the Combo can boast is the longest wheelbase in its segment at 3,105mm, combined with the highest payload (up to 1,000kg with the driver – but probably a bit less than that with myself on-board) and highest rear axle capacity (1,450kg).

At the rear are the asymmetrical doors which enable an impressive

loading height of 545mm. Move around to the side for a sliding door that gives you 700mm of access behind the cab, so you really can maximise the 3.4m³ bay inside.

The crew cab sports two seats and as usual, I need to put the driver’s seat back as far as I can, and although not as far back as I’d have liked, I am getting used to a slightly different driving position in smaller commercials.

Load capacity first, long legs second.

All the controls and buttons are nice and big, making the ergonomic cabin very user-friendly.

It features central locking with deadlocks, electric power steering, electric windows, a full steel bulkhead and ABS with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD). A full size spare tyre is also a free of charge option.

We thought a good test of the van would be to laden it with boxes full of paper brochures and set it off on a journey that will take in to account A and B roads, dual carriageways and a motorway as well. So, a trip to the GreenFleet Arrive’n’Drive at Rockingham was a good test, giving us a 90-odd mile journey on these different road types.

This particular model is about economy, not speed, and the 1.3 CDTi (90PS) ecoFLEX diesel engine does

Road Test

DEDICATED TO PROMOTING A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT – www.greenfleet.net

the job here. It comes with a 5-speed manual transmission, and the gear change is nice and smooth. We ease through a few country lanes, heading for the motorway, and it performs admirably. At a junction when coming to a halt, the Start/Stop function comes in to play, which although becoming more and more common on cars is still a great touch on a commercial.

On to the motorway, and its all eyes on the mpg. Official figures say the ecoFLEX version is capable of 58.9mpg. Well, I never managed to quite achieve that, but sticking to around 60mph, with about 500kg of weight on board, I did get it up to just over the 54mpg mark. Changing lanes is also made easier thanks to another little feature I liked, which was the split-definition wing mirrors.

Overall, a success - even more so for a company that has vehicles driving in the city or town centres, as opposed to longhaul stuff. And with CO² emissions of 126g/ km, depending on the body version, trim and roof height, it becomes apparent where Vauxhall are going with this little beauty.

If your requirements include long haul journeys on a daily basis, then you might want to consider the 1.6CDTi (105PS) variants, which come with different wheel bases and roof heights, and all feature Stop/Start technology.

The UK is GM’s biggest commercial vehicle market, with sales more than double that of the next biggest country, and last year Vauxhall Commercial Vehicles was number one at retail in the UK, selling an impressive 11,436 vehicles to small businesses. The way I see it is that the new Combo could well make another jumbo-sized dent in this market segment. L

Vauxhall Combo 1.3CDTi (90PS) PAYLOAD:

1,000kg

LOAD VOLUME: MPG: PRICE: CO2:

3.4m³

58.9 (combined cycle) from £14,708.33 126g/km

Volume 56 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

29

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HYDROGEN

Alternative Fuels

DEDICATED TO PROMOTING A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT – www.greenfleet.net

Right to left: Charles Purkess of ITM Power; Aberdeen City Council Leader Barney Crockett; Tony Archer of Commonwheels; Scottish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association CEO Nigel Holmes; and Hyundai Motor Group Research Engineer Jeong-Kyu Park.

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE

Aberdeen’s hydrogen car club trial, in which two Hyundai ix35 FCEVs were driven by more thean 40 people, has been hailed a resounding success and forms part of a wider plan to make Aberdeen a pioneering hydrogen city.

The world’s first car club trial of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles has been hailed a resounding success. Hyundai loaned Aberdeen’s newly-established Commonwheels car club two of its left-hand-drive fuel cell vehicles, with energy storage firm ITM Power providing a mobile hydrogen refuelling station to keep the cars running.

More than 40 people drove the two Hyundai SUVs, which emit only water, during the four day trial. Commonwheels saw a flurry of activity with the number of business and individuals enquiring about car club membership and signing up to it.

The left-hand vehicles were refuelled 18 times in total during the trial, using hydrogen produced by the ITM Power station at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.

Aberdeen City Council Leader Barney Crockett said: “This new technology is fascinating and has clearly caught the attention of the people of Aberdeen and businesses alike.

“The Hyundai cars were in great demand and ITM Power’s mobile refuelling station went a long way to dispel the myth that the infrastructure required to power this type of vehicle is years away.”

Commonwheels Aberdeen development co-ordinator Tony Archer added: “Our experience with Hyundai cars has taught us that this is what we would be aiming for for the Commonwheels fleet.”

The Hyundai ix35 FCEV has been selected by the European Commission as the official demonstration vehicle to test and promote hydrogen fuel call technology in real-life driving conditions. The latest model boasts similar levels of convenience and performance to conventional internal combustion cars.

Its hydrogen capacity gives it a driving range of 525km on a single fuelling.

OSLO TO MONTE CARLO The Zero Emissions Resource Organisation (ZERO) has successfully driven two Hyundai iX35 fuel cell powered SUVs from Oslo to Monte Carlo, using only existing hydrogen filling stations for refuelling. The vehicles travelled from Gaustad in Oslo, via Denmark, Hamburg, Cologne, Karlsruhe and Freiburg in Germany and Sassenage in France, before arriving in Monte Carlo, and covered 2,260 km in the five with no support vehicles or mobile refuellers.

For most people hydrogen is not yet a practical option, as there is still a lack of fuelling stations. The creation of a hydrogen infrastructure is one of the challenges to the wider deployment of fuel cell vehicles, and in the UK this is currently being addressed by the UKH2Mobility programme.

As well as the benefits to the transport sector, hydrogen has a potentially vital role in the broader energy storage system – if it is generated from intermittent renewable

electricity sources, such as wind turbines, it can be stored indefinitely and used for a variety of purposes including as a transport fuel, injection into the natural gas grid and used to generate electricity at times of peak demand.

HYDROGEN BUSES Aberdeen City Council is supporting the multimillion pound Strategic European Hydrogen Transport Projects to introduce the hydrogen buses to the North-east and has secured £9.2m of EU funding, committed to invest £2m and will secure a further £9.3m from project partners. The expectation is that the projects will stimulate further innovative hydrogen technology projects and high-level investment in the area, realising Aberdeen’s aspirations to becoming a world-leading hydrogen city.

The project will see up to a dozen buses operating in the North-east. The fleet, which will operate on routes into central Aberdeen, will be the largest in any European city. The buses will be refuelled at Scotland’s first large hydrogen refuelling station, which will supply locally generated gas and be able to refuel hydrogenpowered cars as they become available.

The strategic projects provide the opportunity to create new industry and greater choice in energy production and usage, as well as enabling the development of a hydrogen strategy for the Energetica Development Corridor - an ambitious plan to create a new generation energy community stretching north from Aberdeen’s Bridge of Don area to Peterhead and west to the airport. n FURTHER INFORMATION n Zero Emission Resource Organisation tinyurl.com/d96wll8 n UKH2Mobility programme tinyurl.com/bvnd82m n Energetica www.energetica.uk.com n ITM Power www.itm-power.com

Volume 56 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

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HIGH TECH KIT FOR A FINELY TUNED SERVICE There’s no more sophisticated instrument for gauging individual fleet requirements than this. It’s the ear of a LeasePlan Account Manager. We use them to listen carefully to all our customers’ needs and then fine-tune our plans, products and support just for them.

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ARRIVE ‘N’ DRIVE

BRINGING THE FUTURE CLOSER

This years’ Arrive ‘N’ Drive event at Rockingham was bigger, better and greener, and featured several debut apprearances including that of the Sprig, GreenFleet’s eco-driving superhero.

As well as test drives galore, green vehicle debuts, the EDF Energy sponsored ‘Electric Avenue’ and a host of other fleet-greening attractions (and a free lunch), perhaps the highlight of this years’ Arrive ‘N’ Drive at Rockingham was a staggering demomstration of how eco-driving techniques can drastically reduce fuel consumption.

GreenFleet’s green driving ‘superhero’ the Sprig was in a frugal mood. ‘Beat The Sprig’ was set up in conjunction with three key partners - Citroen supplied four identical DS3’s, each capable of around 68mpg.

TomTom Business Solutions fitted the cars with its vehicle tracking technology, and UK Road Safety, which has developed a deserved reputation for the quality of its online driver assessment and training programmes, supplied the eco-driving instructors.

The Sprig set the mpg benchmark by driving a designated route on public roads for everyone to try and beat. First out, he managed a hugely impressive 78mpg already highlighting that you can better the manufacturers figure if you drive ‘properly’. The big question was - could the fleet managers Beat the Sprig?

MONITORING PERFORMANCE The participants initially drove the cars around the set public urban route without coaching from the UK Road Safety team.

This was followed by a coaching session, and then by driving the same route applying the instruction on eco-driving techniques.

Both routes were monitored by TomTom vehicle tracking technology and each of the driver’s routes were then compared after the session in TomTom’s WEBFLEET management software. This gave an insight in to the driver style, using the Optidrive™ indicator. The software’s profiling feature was then used to show how the fleet managers had performed.

And it went right down to the wire. In third place was Paul Hitchen from Boots, who managed a brilliant 89mpg, over 20mpg better than the car’s official stats. Just beating Paul to second place was Keith Freeman of the AA, with a fantastic 91mpg and it looked as though Keith would scoop the first prize of a TomTom sat-nav. But, literally with one of the last drives of the day, Clive Brocklehurst of Balfour Beatty managed to clock a staggering 94mpg, improving on both Citroen’s official figure and the target

set by the Sprig by a considerable margin.

UK Road Safety gave prizes to the most improved drivers on the day. Third place managed a 24mpg improvement (from 60mpg to 84mpg), in second we saw a 25mpg difference (56mpg to 81mpg) but by far the most impressive was the huge improvement of 37mpg (49mpg rising to 86mpg after training). Convert that into pounds, and multiply this across the number of vehicles in your fleet, and you’ll get an idea of the huge benefits of eco-driving instruction as part of green fleet programme.

“This clearly demonstrates that even with modern eco-efficient vehicles, it can often come down to the knowledge, understanding & ability of the driver to achieve impressive results in efficiency” said Giles Margerison, sales director at TomTom Business Solutions.

Watch this space for news on The Sprig, and when he may be in your area and on-hand to offer your organisation some expert eco-driving tuition.

GOOD ADVICE FOR FLEETS The Energy Saving Trust (EST) joined sponsor EDF Energy to offer information, advice and guidance on their joint initiative - Plugged-In Fleets. Key members of the EST team were also present to offer a range of advice to fleet managers on how to reduce their fuel bills. EST provides a free health check which can reduce fuel costs by up to 20 per cent. An in-depth report estimates your fleet’s carbon footprint and makes recommendations on how to go about making both cost and carbon savings.

This year featured a wider range of low emission vehicles than ever before, from a record number of manufacturers. Renault’s debut demonstrated the company’s charge into the 100 per cent electric market. Three of its four electric models were available for test drive - the Kangoo Van ZE, the Fluence ZE 4-door family saloon, and the spaceage Twizy, an urban compact two seater suited to city driving. Designed for a driver and one passenger to sit in tandem, the vehicle takes three and a half hours for a full charge and gives a range of 60 miles.

Already a proven hit on the test track from previous GreenFleet events, Vauxhall’s Ampera addresses a major concern of potential electric vehicle drivers - whether or not the battery range will get them to where they want to go and return back again. The Ampera is the

UK’s first range extended electric vehicle. It has a Lithium-ion battery which delivers up to 50 miles on a full charge. But once the battery has depleted, a petrol engine kicks-in, driving an onboard generator to supply electricity to sustain the battery for over 300 miles. The Ampera has a recognisable saloon profile, so it will blend in well on the high street and in the corporate fleet.

Arrive ‘N’ Drive gave UK fleet managers the first chance to get behind the wheel of the new look Peugeot 208 with microhybrid (e-HDI) Stop/Start technology. The diesel range starts at 87g/km of CO2 and delivers up to 83.1mpg, while the new range of 3-cylinder petrol engines provide up to 65.7mpg and 99g/km CO2. The Peugeot 508 RHX with diesel-electric HYbrid4 technology was also on show. As a premium specification vehicle, the 508 RHX delivers 200bhp, 107g/ km and 68.9mpg.

GreenFleet Arrive’N’Drive

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STAR OF THE SHOW? The Citroën DS5, the first of the manufacturer’s models with HYbrid4 diesel hybrid technology, proved to be extremely popular, dominating the marque’s 160+ test drives. The HYbrid4 system delivers 200bhp, four-wheel drive capability, emissionfree electric power for city driving, and an acceleration boost function for the open road, all with total

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1st Class driver training can provide bespoke training courses and assessments delivered to the companies requirements. By undertaking this type of training companies can protect themselves against such claims and the publicity that goes with it.

The training courses that we offer can cover a wide range of driver related issues and programmes from seminars through to on-road in the vehicle with a trainer/ assessor. On completion the candidate is presented with a certificate to certify that they have completed the training and the company will have a full audit trail of everyone who attended and their results.

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GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE | Volume 56

TO WATCH THE VIDEO REVIEW PLEASE VISIT www.greenfleet.net/and2012 68.9mpg and 96g/km. There are plans for a E CO2 emissions of just 99g/km. pure electric Blue-e-Motion version next year.

Toyota and Lexus Fleet services Ford proudly demonstrated the EcoBoost, demonstrated the Prius, Auris, the new its smallest petrol engine, in the new Focus.

Lexus CT 200h, and a brand new Prius seven The 1.0-litre cylinder block can fit onto a seat MPV, which emits just 96g/km of CO2. sheet of A4 paper but delivers up to 125PS The new Prius Plug-in Hybrid allows drivers to and 170Nm peak torque (with 200Nm cover more than 14 miles in EV mode, using overboost), giving it the highest power density power from its hybrid battery, after which the of any Ford production engine to date. vehicle switches to its full hybrid system.

Kia’s EcoDynamics technology is available on Fiat showcased its International Engine of the Picanto, the cee’d and Sportage models. the Year 2011, the TwinAir Turbo. The 875cc CO2 emissions and fuel costs reductions unit has the lowest carbon dioxide emissions are delivered through green technologies of any quantity production petrol engine in such as Intelligent Stop and Go (ISG), V-let the world. Already seen in the iconic Fiat 500, energy saving car tyres and as gearshift it is now available on the third generation indicator. Every vehicle has Kia’s head turning Panda, giving it 85hp, 67.3mpg economy seven year/100,000 mile car warranty, with (combined cycle) and 99g/km of CO2. unlimited mileage during the first three years.

Visitors enjoyed BMW’s ultra-frugal Michelin research has revealed that 39 per EfficientDynamics range, which features cent of motorists are driving on dangerous innovative engine construction, a longer or very dangerously under-inflated tyres, transmission ratio, lowered suspension and whilst five per cent are running around on the use of specially designed aerodynamic punctured tyres. As a result drivers are using alloy wheels with energy saving tyres. an extra 244 million litres of fuel and emitting Also popular was the iconic MINI Cooper more than 600,000 tonnes of CO2 into the D which can run for 74.3 miles on a gallon atmosphere. The company was on hand at of fuel and emits just 99 g/km CO2. this year’s event to give advice on tyre safety, As well as the frugal VW BlueMotion range, explaining the impact that tyres can have on visitors got a first look at the Volkswagen Up! fuel spend and the environment. Michelin city car, part of the Volkswagen Group New also sponsored Rockingham’s dedicated wetSmall Family (NSF) series of models, unveiled grip facility, which gave visitors the at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. opportunity to experience how Production started in December its low-rolling resitance tyres 2011 in Bratislava, Slovakia. The perform in wet conditions.

Up! features a 2-valve 999cc F Energy D E three-cylinder petrol engine e sponsored th hich A PIONEERING EV which is available in either e, w u n e v A GreenFleet’s 2011 60 or 75bhp trim. The c ri ct le E ors to it is Electric Vehicle of 60bhp model manages v d e g ra u enco y it the Year, the LEAF, 62.8mpg and 105g/km, il b si a examine the feng pure is an incredible while the BlueMotion achievement by Technology version of incorporati s and Nissan. It offers with start/stop manages electric vehicle

”

structure charging infra lans” into their p

five-door practicality, a generous boot, a high level of spec and a 110 mile range.

The vehicle instantly delivers 100 per cent (280Nm) torque in a near-silent cabin. The LEAF will also be produced at Nissan’s plant in Sunderland, England, beginning in 2013.

The steady rollout of CHAdeMO-compliant fast charging units makes the LEAF more feasible as a business and consumer choice.

David Wilcock, who works in Fleet Enforcement at Wakefield Metropolitan District Council, made his first visit to the event: “Some of the technology on show was amazing and to get the chance to drive some of the vehicles was eye opening, particularly the Ford 1L three cylinder focus and the 7.5 tonne all electric truck.”

David was referring to Paneltex Zeroed’s star attraction - a 7.5 tonne 150kW Zeroed pure EV featuring a Paneltex ATP Class C type approved insulated body and electric refrigeration system. A combination of active and passive regenerative braking recovers the maximum possible braking energy which, with the 100kWh battery, helps give this zero emission urban delivery truck a long range. The 20kW on-board charger provides a full charge from flat in five hours, and in-built remote diagnostics and tracking provide live management information 24/7.

The company offers a range of vehicles from 5 to 11 tonnes. Fully automatic, these offer brisk performance with ranges up to 120 miles on a single charge in urban driving.

GreenFleet Arrive’N’Drive

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ELECTRIC AVENUE EDF Energy sponsored the Electric Avenue, which encouraged visitors to examine the feasibility of incorporating pure electric vehicles and charging infrastructure into their plans.

The infrastructure needed to enhance buyer confidence in electric vehicles is a E

Volume 56 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

35

DEDICATED TO PROMOTING A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT – www.greenfleet.net

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GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE | Volume 56

ARRIVE ’N’ DRIVE E hot topic in the low-carbon vehicle industry. As such, Arrive ‘N’ Drive hosted a number companies dedicated to providing electric vehicle recharging solutions. Headline sponsor EDF Energy has been consulting widely with motor manufacturers, charge point manufacturers and central and local government to help bring about effective recharging solutions. Its recent studies and trials with businesses across the UK have given EDF Energy insight into recharging requirements. As such, it offers bespoke solutions for businesses, from offering practical advice, installation and ongoing maintenance.

Arrive ‘N’ Drive’s Recharging Technology Partner Elektromotive displayed its stylish, elegant Elektrobay range of on-street and off-street residential charge bays, as well as its solutions for businesses and public recharging. Established in 2003, the company has a long list of product firsts including the first on-street charge point, first use of RFID cards and first patented charge points.

Elektromotive has also been running electric vehicle user schemes for six years and in 2011 passed more than one million hours of vehicle recharging, with a 100 per cent safety record.

The new Elektrobay range is suitable for all on-street and off-street residential, business and public recharging, supported by an advanced back office system.

Ransomes Jacobsen has now been appointed the sole UK importer for the Mega Professional range of road homologated eco-friendly compact utility vehicles. The company displayed the new Mega e-Worker electric truck and the Multitruck 600 low emission diesel truck. The Mega e-Worker is an EV with a tight turning circle and compact external dimensions, making it highly manoeuvrable. Robustly constructed with excellent carrying capacity, the e-Worker is available in several versions and with a large and varied range of equipment, and be supplied with a choice of three battery packs.

Exhibiting for the first time, Siemens charging solutions for the evolving EV market included the Siemens CP500A fast charging point, which can provide fast charging facilities for two electric vehicles at the same time. According to Mark Bonnor-Moris, Siemens head of electromobillity UK and Ireland, the Siemens charging stations can fully charge vehicles in just one hour. He stated: “Siemens also provides a full supply, installation and maintenance service. As the UK’s largest provider of traffic control and signalling equipment, we have a specialist field service operation that is able to support EV charging infrastructure as part of a much larger portfolio of work.”

Schneider Electric Group’s EVLink charging solution incorporates residential, roadside and quick chargers which respond to three major challenges: ensuring that users and installations are safe, making charging stations accessible and easy to use within existing infrastructure and offering smart energy management solutions for integrating electric vehicles into the smart grid. The EVlink DC

Quick Charger enables EV drivers fast charge access in settings such as public parking, shopping malls, gas stations and rest stops, fleet applications, car sharing programs and rental companies. The EVlink DC Quick Charger is currently CHAdeMO-compliant and will incorporate the SAE combo-coupler when the standard is finalised and released.

Rolec EV displayed its Classic 3000 EV charging stations, which have recently been supplied to the Wellington Civic and Leisure Centre in Telford for use in the public car park. The 1000mm height pedestals were manufactured to client specification with green powder-coated composite aluminium outer skins and equipped with 2 x 13amp IP65 domestic sockets for use with mode 2 charging. The range is designed to be futureproof and can be upgraded to full mode 3 communication EV charging at a later stage should the Centre deem it necessary.

SPEED LIMITS The Freight Transport Association’s Van Excellence Governance Group stands united in its decision to appeal to van manufacturers to supply vehicles with a speed limiter set at 70 miles per hour as a no-cost option.

Following a recent meeting of the group, it was unanimously agreed that, Despite recent press reports trailing Government plans to increase motorway speed limits to 80mph, manufacturers should be called upon to help play their part in managing van top speeds and to continue to restrict their vans to 70mph. It was felt by the group that aside from the legal implications, restricting van top speeds would also see significant fuel economy benefits.

CMS SupaTrak had its new Safer Driving Assistant (SDA) on display throughout the event. The SDA is an interactive in-cab display unit which has been developed to help drivers adhere to good driving practices and become safer and more fuel and carbon efficient drivers.

The device is mounted on the vehicle’s dash panel and reacts in real time to the driving style,

GreenFleet Arrive’N’Drive

DEDICATED TO PROMOTING A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT – www.greenfleet.net

alerting drivers to instances of excessive idling, speeding, harsh braking, harsh accelerating, excessive throttle use and over revving.

Autokontrol showcased its combined speed limiting and rev control device, the COMBO. The company has a customer base including local authorities, utilities, energy providers and construction companies, and its system has been proven to reduce fuel costs and increase safety.

FEEDBACK Feedback from visitors was extremely positive.

Retail print specialists Beizer has over 60 blue chip clients, and its procurement officer David Smith made his first visit to the event this year. He commented: “I thought it well organised - a good balance of formailty & fun. It was nice to have ‘observers’ from different backgrounds sat alongside whilst driving the vehicles, and the racing drivers certainly give a different insight to vehicle behaviour. The manufacturers were very obliging without resorting to the hard-sell.

An excellent fact finding experience.”

Jonathan Evans of Numatic International, manufacturers and distributors of cleaning equipment, has attended before. He stated: “I attend for the test drives, plain and simple. The opportunity to try numerous vehicles in one day, back to back, under the same conditions, saves me weeks of my time. I would happily pay for the food if I could ensure you would be kind enough to organise a similar event next year.

Rest assured, Jonathan, there are no plans to charge for the food at next years’ Arrive ‘N’ Drive. There is such a thing as a free lunch, after all. Even in Scotland, where the next GreenFleet event takes place on September 13th in Ingliston, Edinburgh, in association with EST Scotland and O2.

FURTHER INFORMATION arrivendrive.greenfleet.net scotland.greenfleet.net

Volume 56 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

37

Product Finder

DEDICATED TO PROMOTING A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT – www.greenfleet.net

CONTRACT HIRE AND FLEET MANAGEMENT

ELECTRIC CHARGING SOLUTIONS

DRIVER TRAINING

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LeasePlan UK 165 Bath Road, Slough, Berkshire SL1 4AA Tel: 0844 493 5810 Fax: 0844 493 5820 tellmemore@leaseplan.co.uk www.leaseplan.co.uk LeasePlan UK is an award winning organisation that makes it easier for our customers to manage their fleets and focus on their core business. For example, during the last 12 months, we have helped corporate clients indentify over £25 million worth of realistic and achievable cost savings.

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IAM Drive & Survive is a leading commercial Driver Risk Management provider and has a range of products available to help employers give their employees the skills and tools they need to drive for work safely, effectively and efficiently. These products include policies, procedures, accident analysis, licence checking, risk assessments, on-road training and the management of drivers, journeys and vehicles. A total solution from one company.

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Gladstone Road, Northampton NN5 7RX Tel: 0800 111 4402 Tel: 01604 583131 Fax: 0845 052 9349 (local rate UK only) sales.uk@tennantco.com www.tennantco.com

Green Motion is the world’s first fully dedicated environmentally friendly vehicle rental. Our vehicles boast the lowest CO2, alternative power and fuel saving technologies. Green Motion’s achievements have been widely recognised with winning the Green Fleet Rental Company of the Year 2009, 2010 and 2011 award. We continue to lower emissions, which currently stand at an average of 107g/km, making us the world’s leading provider of low CO2 vehicle rental.

Lex Autolease is the UK’s leading vehicle management and funding specialist. We have in excess of 300,000 vehicles currently under management, making us the UK's largest leasing company. But it’s through delivering world class customer service and developing a true partnership with businesses and public sector organisations, to help them face the challenges of running a fleet, which gives us our competitive edge.

Minneapolis-based Tennant Company (NYSE: TNC) is a world leader in designing, manufacturing and marketing solutions that help create a cleaner, safer, healthier world. Its products include equipment for maintaining surfaces in industrial, commercial and outdoor environments; chemical-free and other sustainable cleaning technologies; and specialty surface coatings for protecting, repairing and upgrading floors.

ADVERTISERS INDEX The publishers accept no responsibility for errors or omissions in this free service Advanced Check

34

First Class Driver Training

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QDell

Alfa Romeo

BC

Ford

10

Renault

Avail Driver Safety

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Kia

BMW

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LeasePlan

Citroën

12/13

Lex Autolease

24

32

TrakM8

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4

Vauxhall

8

Volvo

6

34

Mini

20/22

Fiat

IFC

Peugeot

26/27

GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE | Volume 56

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Schneider Electric

Driver Check

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www.greenfleet.net

35% MORE AFFORDABLE THAN A DIESEL*.

TIME TO SWITCH.

With diesel prices at an all-time high, isn’t it time you switched? The 100% electric Renault Kangoo Van Z.E. is now eligible for the new Plug-in-Van government grant, meaning prices start from just £13,592 excluding VAT and On The Road charges. And with lower running costs, zero road tax and exemption from the Congestion Charge, it’s up to 35% more affordable to own than an equivalent diesel van (10% if you operate outside London). Oh, did we mention it’s also International Van of the Year and What Van? Van of the Year 2012?

To find out more, visit renault.co.uk/kangooze or visit your local dealer.

DRIVE THE CHANGE Business users only *Saving is based on 4 years and 10,000 miles per year. For full details of saving calculation please refer to renault.co.uk/kangooze Battery hire cost for 4 years and 10,000 miles per annum at £67 per month (excluding VAT). Official range of 106 miles according to the NEDC combined cycle. From price, after 20% Plug in Van grant deduction, starts from £13,592 plus VAT, delivery (£595) and first registration fee (£55).

Vehicles are covered by a warranty package for up to 48 months. The first 2 years are unlimited mileage, followed by a further 2 years up to 100,000 miles. Please see the warranty terms and conditions (renault.co.uk/warranty) for further details.

Servicing offer covers cars for 4 years or 48,000 miles and vans (excluding the Debut range) for 4 years or 80,000 miles, whichever comes first. Services must be carried out in line with the manufacturer’s minimum maintenance programme requirements and servicing intervals, and can only be carried out at a Renault Approved outlet. Renault Assistance Roadside Cover is provided in association with the AA. Cover from month 0 to 36 includes assistance at the roadside and home, national recovery, onward travel and European cover. Cover from month 37 to 48 includes Roadside and Homestart (including a local tow to an authorised Renault dealer). The provider of this cover is the Automobile Association Limited. For Finance, guarantees and indemnities may be required. You must be at least 18 and a UK resident (excluding the Isle of Man and Channel Islands) to apply. Finance provided by RCI Financial Services Limited, PO Box 149, Watford WD17 1FJ. Available at participating dealers only.

Not available in conjunction with any other schemes or finance offers, please check with your local dealer for information. Offers are available to retail and business customers (but exclude fleet customers with own terms), and are valid on new vehicles, at point of new vehicle registration, when ordered from 1st February 2012 until further notice. Visit renault.co.uk/4plus