GreenFleet 58

NEWS North East region responds to Norwegian EV study | ICFM celebrates 20 years

www.greenfleet.net

GREENFLEET AWARDS

AMPERA WINS ON INNOVATION plus other 2012 winners revealed

ISSUE 58

FREIGHT TRANSPORT

LOGISTICS CARBON REDUCTION SCHEME

Keeping freight emissions under control

ROAD TEST

RENAULT FLUENCE ZE Roland Rendell runs free in the latest electric saloon

UELS TIVE F A N R

ALTE OGEN

ts on HYDdR on ge

Swin hydrogen the hway hig

Paris Motor Show n GreenFleet Scotland review n VW up! & new Alfa Romeo Guiletta on road test

The new A- Class. Just 98g /km.* Some will be green with envy.

A new generation of Mercedes-Benz. Available to pre-order now.

A Daimler Brand

Discover more at mercedes-benz.co.uk/fleet

Official government fuel consumption figures in mpg ( litres per 100km ) for new A-Class range: urban 33.6 (8.4) - 62.8 (4.5), extra urban 55.4 (5.1) - 85.6 (3.3), combined 44.1 (6.4 ) - 74.3 (3.8) CO2 emissions: 98 -148 g/km. Fuel consumption figures comparison based on an Audi A3 Sportback SE 1.6 TDI and a BMW 116d ED. *Model featured and based on an A180 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY SE at ÂŁ21,770.00 on-the-road including optional metallic paint at ÂŁ570.00. Some combinations of features/options may not be available. Please contact your Mercedes-Benz Retailer for availability. Price and comparison correct at time of going to print.

GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE NEWS North East region responds to Norwegian EV study | ICFM celebrates 20 years

www.greenfleet.net

ISSUE 58

FREIGHT TRANSPORT

GREENFLEET AWARDS

AMPERA WINS ON INNOVATION plus other 2012 winners revealed

LOGISTICS CARBON REDUCTION SCHEME

Keeping freight emissions under control

ROAD TEST

RENAULT FLUENCE ZE Roland Rendell runs free in the latest electric saloon

FUELS ATIVE ALTERN GEN

ts on HYDRO on ge Swindhydrogen the hway hig

Paris Motor Show n GreenFleet Scotland review n VW up! & new Alfa Romeo Guiletta on road test

Comment

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

Here today, gone tomorrow Less than a year after her appointment, Justine Greening is no longer transport secretary, having been moved over to International Development in September’s cabinet reshuffle.

Going back ten years post Prescott, we’ve had Alistair Darling (almost four years), Douglas Alexander (just over a year), Ruth Kelly (just over a year), Geoff Hoon (eight months), Lord Adonis (eleven months), Phillip Hammond (15 months) and then Greening for a month shy of a year. They never seem to get the opportunity to finish what the person before the person before them started, and it does make you wonder about the attention span of the new breed of ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ ministers.

So we now have Patrick McLoughlin, a former miner and one of the few MPs to have been a manual worker before entering parliament.

He has the controversial issues of Britain’s airport expansion and new high-speed rail link to deal with, but lets hope he has enough room left on his plate to continue to support low carbon motoring, as well as the need to keep fuel costs down for businesses.

The overwhelming response to a reader survey a few months back told us that you’re just not getting it often enough. GreenFleet magazine that is. So from next year, we will produce ten issues. More news, more road tests, more topical features. If you’ve got anything you’d like to say, or would like to contribute to the magazine, be sure to let us know. Email editorial@greenfleet.net

Hydrogen is starting to become a reality. The UK’s only public refuelling station is now open in Swindon as is the result of a joint publicprivate partnership between Honda, economic development company Forward Swindon and BOC. Some of its first guests were the Honda FCX Clarity, the Mercedes B-Class F-Cell and the Hyundai ix35 (which begins manufacture in December, an intitial run of 1000). Read about the European Hydrogen Road Tour on page 23.

Stop press. BMW has cleaned up at the 2012 GreenFleet Awards, winning both the Fleet Car Manufacturer and Outstanding Achievement (for EfficientDynamics) categories. In June 2012, BMW was listed as the No.1 most reputable company in the world by Forbes.com. Not only that, they make pretty good cars too, so I’ve heard.

Danny Wright

P ONLINE P IN PRINT P MOBILE P FACE TO FACE If you would like to receive 6 issues of GreenFleet magazine for £65 a year, please contact Public Sector Information Limited, 226 High Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055.

GreenFleet® would like to thank the following organisations for their support:

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 58 | 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 acclaimed 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 how we can help you run a greener fleet.

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

Contents

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

CONTENTS 07 GREENFLEET NEWS North East hits back at damning Norwegian EV study; Hydrogen ix35 to begin production in December

12 PARIS MOTOR SHOW The Paris Motor Show had a lot more green offerings than the last time two years ago, with several concept models edging towards production

17 FLEET MANAGEMENT NEWS ICFM celebrates 20 years with a guest appearance from Murray Walker OBE; Used company car market still buoyant says Manheim

20 FREIGHT TRANSPORT The Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme, operated by the Freight Transport Association, is the only freight-sector based initiative that records, reports and helps reduce carbon emissions from logistics. Rachael Dillon details its inaugural awards, planned for May next year.

23 ALTERNATIVE FUELS - HYDROGEN

36 ROAD TEST VOLKSWAGEN UP!

The UK’s first public-access hydrogen refuelling station was host to seven fuel-cell cars on the 4th October, as they filled up at Swindon on the UK leg of the H2 Moves European Hydrogen Road Tour

Roland Rendell couldn’t help but be impressed with the size of the VW up!, particularly the huge door. He’s hidden eight song titles containing the word ‘up’ in his review. Spot them all for a chance to win at Sat Nav.

26 ROAD TEST RENAULT FLUENCE Z.E.

41 ROAD TEST ALFA ROMEO

Roland Rendell takes a drive down Electric Avenue in the new Fluence, a great way to introduce ‘proper sized’ EV to fleets, according to our whopping road test reviewer.

In his first review for GreenFleet, Ian Bond takes the Alfa Romeo’s new Giulietta TCT Lusso for an augmented spin and enjoys the ride.

28 GREENFLEET SCOTLAND REVIEW The biggest display of low emission vehicle technology in Scotland was a huge success at the Highland centre this September

09

20

12

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GreenFleet Magazine

44 GREENFLEET AWARDS - THE 2012 WINNERS REVEALED This issue goes to press just in time to reveal the pick of this years GreenFleet Award winners, and there’ll be more online at www.greenfleetawards.co.uk soon

36

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www.greenfleet.net Volume 58 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

05

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EV PRODUCTION

North East refutes ‘misleading’ Norwegian EV study as Sunderland plant gears up for production The North East region’s electric car industry has defended itself from claims that EVs have the potential to pollute more than petrol or diesel-powered engines.

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology study said that electric car factories emitted more toxic waste such as carbon dioxide (CO2) than conventional plants. It also questioned the green credentials of vehicles that draw from an electricity grid powered, in part, by fossil fuels. The report also mentions that the production of batteries and electric motors uses toxic minerals such as nickel, copper and aluminium.

The EV industry will support hundreds of North-East jobs when the Nissan Leaf and battery plant enters production in Sunderland next year. A spokesman for the Japanese car maker said the Norwegian report was highly misleading, telling the Northern Echo: “To make a correct comparison with CO2 emissions from petrol and diesel cars, you have to consider the full life cycle of the car and include the CO2 emissions from the production of petrol and diesel. Using the current UK power mix, research indicates that electric vehicles could realise up to 40 per cent benefit in CO2 savings compared with a typical petrol family car in the UK, over the full life cycle.

“In response to the claims made about battery production, unlike other technologies our lithium ion batteries are made of non toxic elements such as lithium, manganese oxide and graphite, which are harmless to the environment.”

Dr Colin Herron, a low carbon vehicle specialist and visiting professor at Sunderland University said the debate was a distraction from the fundamental question about how

electricity is produced. He stated: “An electric vehicle is actually the same as a conventional car. The main difference is that a highly polluting engine and a gearbox are replaced by a battery and motor. If an electric vehicle is powered by nuclear or renewable energy then the emissions are zero. However; somebody will point out the carbon used to build the power station etc. has to be included.

“People have now evolved with the car and see it as a natural part of their personal mobility. We will as ever get to the point where the population will have to balance personal freedom against factors which are beyond their control such as power generation. It will be an interesting argument to see if any politician will tell the average voter that they cannot have a type of vehicle regardless of cost because the national power generation mix is too carbon intensive.

“Electric vehicles are part of the mix going forward. We can spend years arguing about the carbon impact of extracting lithium out of the ground as opposed to oil out of the ground, or we can stop this sideshow and sort the grid out.”

READ MORE - tinyurl.com/9xft45n

GREENFLEET AWARDS

BMW cleans up at GreenFleet Awards

German manufacturer BMW has picked up two hotly contested categories in the 2012 GreenFleet Awards, which took place in London on October 11. As well as topping the Fleet Car Manufacturer of the Year category for the fifth year running, the German marque scooped the Outstanding Achievement Award for its EfficientDynamics enhancements.

Awards judge Ben Lane said: “In addition to the low emission models, the BMW Group also

has one of the highest environmental credentials in the sector. The Group has been ranked industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the last seven years, and was ranked the top automotive company in the prestigious Carbon Disclosure Project in 2011.

With all its fleet accomplishments, BMW continues to innovate low emission power-trains and bring new car concepts to production; 2013 will see the launch of the all-electric and ‘connected’ i3 Concept, with the i8 electric hybrid sports car (104mpg and 66g/km CO2) following in 2014. The BMW i sub-brand also includes new models of car access such as the new DriveNow car share scheme.”

READ ABOUT AWARD WINNERS ON PAGE 44

News

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

NEWS IN BRIEF Dead whale put to good use A young whale washed up on a remote beach in Woodbridge, Suffolk is to be rendered down to produce around 2,000 litres of biofuel for cars and lorries. The 10m fin whale, weighing six tons and 780kgs, died after being stranded on the beach.

Council spokesman Viv Hotten said: “It is sad that the whale died, but we are pleased that the carcass is going to be put to good use.”

Hydrogen taxis clock up the miles London’s fleet of five hydrogen fuel cell taxis provided by the HyTEC (Hydrogen Transport for European Cities) project have now driven 2,500 miles fuelled by the city’s second hydrogen fuelling station at Heathrow airport. The first phase of the HyTEC project saw the pioneering fleet transport 40 visiting dignitaries during the Olympic period. Highprofile individuals included Arnold Schwarzenegger and Barbara Windsor. tinyurl.com/9ukqszz

Fast charging between London and Brum Drivers travelling between London and Birmingham can now recharge their electric cars in 30 minutes at three new fast-charging points installed by Nissan and green energy company Ecotricity.

The 50 kW DC chargers are powered by wind and solar electricity and have been fitted in designated parking bays at three Welcome Break motorway services on the M25 at South Mimms, the M40 at Oxford, and the M42 at Hopwood Park. tinyurl.com/8ncl4rm

Axeon powers two Future Car Challenge entrants Advanced battery technology from Axeon will power two vehicles in this year’s RAC Future Car Challenge on 3rd November.

Jaguar’s XJ_e plug-in hybrid advanced research project and Emerald Automotive’s t-001 rangeextended electric van have electric ranges of 25 and 66 miles respectively. www.futurecarchallenge.com

Volume 58 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

07

AMPERA

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

Ampera is now available for a FREE* 3 Day Test Drive.

Book yours today at www.3daytestdrive.co.uk or call 0870 240 4848†

VAUXHALL FLEET vauxhallfleet@vauxhall.co.uk

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. * = Excludes fuel and lubricants; congestion charges; parking and speeding fines and the £250 insurance excess (if applicable). 3 Day Test Drive vehicles are subject to availability and terms and conditions apply. Please refer to www.3daytestdrive.co.uk for full terms and conditions. Drivers must be 25 years or older and is available for Mainland UK only. † = Telephone lines are open Monday-Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm excluding Bank Holidays. Calls may be recorded or monitored for quality and/or training purposes. Image shown is for illustrative purposes only.

HYDROGEN

Hyundai begins commercial rollout of hydrogen-powered ix35

News

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

NEWS IN BRIEF Offical figures show petrol slump Almost 500 million fewer litres of petrol were sold between April and June than in the same period last year, statistics from the Department of Energy and Climate Change showed. The fall has deprived the Treasury of £637.8 million in tax, according to the AA. tinyurl.com/9fp72o3

Hyundai will begin production of its hydrogen ix35 Fuel Cell vehicle for public and private lease by the end of 2012, becoming the first global automaker to begin commercial rollout of a fuel cell vehicle.

In December this year, Hyundai will begin production at its Ulsan manufacturing facility in Korea, with a target of building up to 1,000 vehicles by 2015.

Hyundai has already signed contracts with cities in Denmark and Sweden to lease the ix35 Fuel Cell to municipal fleets. Beyond 2015, Hyundai plans limited mass production of the ix35 Fuel Cell, with a goal of 10,000 units.

The ix35 Fuel Cell boasts performance

similar to that of the petrol ix35. It accelerates from zero to 62 mph in 12.5 seconds, has a top speed of 100 mph and can travel 365 miles without refuelling.

The car has logged more than 2 million miles of road tests in real-world conditions in Europe, Korea and the US. In early 2012, a Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell set a range record for hydrogen cars by driving from Oslo to Monaco using only existing fuelling stations. The ix35 also featured in the recent European Hydrogen Road Tour, part of a programme involving the European Commission and European industry stakeholders.

TYRE SAFETY

BIOFUELS

Free checks offered for Tyre Safety week

Audi investigates diesel from waste water

Citroën’s Hybrid 4 made greener Citroen has updated all three Hybrid4 200 Airdream EGS6 models to improve average fuel economy and drop CO2 emissions to 91g/km for the DSign model, while DStyle and DSport versions drop from 107g/km to 102g/ km. Company car tax remains at 10 per cent for Hybrid4 DSign models, but DStyle and DSport versions drop from 12 to 11 per cent. The efficiency gains come as result of new software developed to improve the car’s brake energy recuperation system, along with a new battery management set-up.

German carmaker Audi and US partner Joule are hailing the development of a cost-effective process that produces petrol and diesel from waste water.

The process harnesses genetically modified microorganisms, which are placed in pipes filled with brackish water and reacted with waste CO2 and sunlight. The microorganisms secrete diesel-range paraffinic alkanes without the need for any biomass material. The fuel produced in this way can be used directly without any further processing, say the partners.

The ‘wonder fuel’, as Audi describes it, can be produced almost anywhere and the carmaker is partnering with Joule on a demonstration production facility in New Mexico.

Nissan’s electric NV200 appears in Hanover

A record number of garages and tyre retailers are showing their support for October’s tyre safety month by offering free tyre safety checks to motorists. The safety inspections are a part of the campaign, organised by not-for-profit organisation TyreSafe, which is trying to help drivers stay safe on the roads as we approach the wettest and most treacherous months of the year.

“It’s often said that the best things in life are free, and these important safety checks really are a great example of this,” said Stuart Jackson, chairman, TyreSafe.

www.tyresafe.org

See page 23 for more on Hydrogen

tinyurl.com/9a523f9

Shell opens UK’s largest filling station Shell has opened the largest filling station in the UK on the M25 near Cobham, Surrey. The station boasts a total of 141 fuel nozzles and is the only site on the M25 to sell liquefied petroleum gas to drivers.

It also offers HGV lanes and three Adblue pumps. The station has the capacity to serve up to 3,400 vehicles a day, compared to an average of 700 at a standard sized station.

Nissan has unveiled the e-NV200 Concept, and electric version of the NV200 compact panel van, at the Commercial Vehicle International Motor Show in Hanover.

Nissan is in the final development phase of the e-NV200. It has been working with FedEx Express since December 2011 to test the e-NV200 in real world operations. FedEx Express currently operates 130 all-electric vehicles worldwide.

Volume 58 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

09

Paris Motor Show 2012

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

PARIS MOTOR SHOW

A WHOLE LOT OF GREEN HITS PARIS

BMW ACTIVE TOURER CONCEPT

The Paris Motor Show, held every other year at the Paris Expo in Porte de Versailles, had a lot more green offerings on show than two years ago, with several concept models edging towards production Hybrids, EVs and even hydrogen models from many of the world’s leading manufacturers featured heavily at the Paris Motor Show, signalling that green isn’t going anywhere despite global financial concerns.

While no one expects the average fleet to shell out the 416,500-euro asking price for the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupe Electric Drive, there was some more encouragiong news about the cost of EV ownership from Renault, as they announced they will take the first order for the new ZOE at the end of the Paris event.

Renault is already marketing three EV’s - the Fluence ZE, Kangoo ZE and Twizy. The long awaited arrival of the ZOE happened at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, but ZOE went on public show for the first time in Paris.

As spearhead of Renault’s Z.E. range, ZOE is a compact hatchback designed from the ground up exclusively as an electric vehicle. Renault estimates that in suburban use, the Zoe can achieve around 62 miles in cold weather and 93 in temperate conditions. It features a “Caméléon” charger that allows the car to be charged at any level of power, taking between 30 minutes and nine hours. Although the battery pack is subject to approximate £70 per month lease fee, the Zoe will cost just £13,650 when it arrives in the autumn, a considerable price improvement on the Nissan LEAF.

and removable, portable technology for the driver display and infotainment systems.

The dashboard is actually a removable tablet that serves as an ‘intelligent key’. The driver docks it when entering the car and removes it when leaving. When docked, the tablet’s default view displays speed and other key performance indicators, but the driver can toggle to entertainment, communications, navigation and other views.

“We took our inspiration from the lifestyles of youthful customers in Northern Europe,” said Shiro Nakamura, Nissan senior vice president and chief creative officer. “We heard their aspiration for sustainable mobility that can take them anywhere they want to go.”

“Exploring our imagination of that natural space with the exterior, we have redefined the power of the SUV heritage in a much more athletic way, one that expresses our vision of the zero emissions future,” Nakamura said.

HYUNDAI IX35 FUEL CELL

The Active Tourer concept made its public debut at the 2012 Paris motor show. It has a semi-MPV body style and features a plug-in petrol hybrid drivetrain capable of taking it almost twenty miles in electric-only mode. The electric motor is paired with a new 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, which drives the front wheels, while the rear wheels are driven by the electric motor. The company says this set-up is based on the powertrain that will be seen in the much sportier i8.

The combination of electric and petrol power produces a total power output of 190 PS, a top speed of 124mph and a 0-100km/h (62 mph) acceleration time of less than eight seconds. BMW claims 113mpg and sub-60g/km CO2 emissions.

Although this plug-in hybrid system will be available for production models there’ll also be front-wheel-drive versions that use conventional petrol or diesel powertrains.

MERCEDES-BENZ SLS AMG ELECTRIC DRIVE

NISSAN TERRA CONCEPT

The TeRRA was a showcase for Nissan’s fuelcell technology at the Paris motor show. The machine is powered by three electric motors driving all four wheels and receiving their power from Nissan’s latest hydrogen-powered fuel cell. Nissan says this unit costs just one sixth of its predecessor. Nissan claims a range of 350 miles using the combined drivelines.

TeRRA introduces new surfacing materials

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GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE | Volume 58

The Hyundai ix35 is a reality - it’s going into production relatively soon. The electric motor receives energy from the hydrogen fuel cell which, like the TeRRA, only emits pure water. The ix35 complete 0-62mph in 12.5 seconds and has a range of 365 miles.

“Hyundai is committed to being the industry leader in eco-friendly mobility,” Tony Whitehorn, Hyundai’s chief executive. “We have previously given ix35 Fuel Cell vehicles to the European Parliament to use for test-drives, and we have also taken part in numerous zeroemission events and tests across the continent, proving their practicality, safety and usability.”

The company has said it will produce at least 1,000 examples of the car for delivery to public and private fleets between 2013 and 2015, after which the vehicle will enter full production status with a minimum production run of 10,000 units. No pricing has yet been disclosed.

Planned for launch next June, the MercedesBenz SLS AMG Electric Drive features four electric motors, one for each wheel, delivering a combined massive 750 horsepower - nearly 200 more than the petrol powered version.

It can do 0-60 in 3.9 seconds, has top speed of 155mph and a range of 155 miles. With a custom charger, the 60kWh of lithium-ion batteries strewn throughout the car can be fully replenished in just three hours.

The high-voltage battery for the SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive is the result of cooperation between Mercedes-AMG and Mercedes AMG High Performance E

E Powertrains in Brixworth (GB). This is an area in which the British Formula 1 experts were able to contribute their extensive know-how with KERS hybrid concepts.

“The SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive is setting new standards for cars with electric drives. As the most powerful gullwing model ever, it is also representative of the enduring innovational strength of Mercedes-AMG. Our vision of the most dynamic electric vehicle has become a reality. With the help of our colleagues at Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth, we are bringing exciting advanced technology from the world of Formula 1 to the road”, according to Ola Källenius, chairman of the board of management of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.

CITROEN DS3 ELECTRUM CONCEPT

Referred to as a ‘Sports Utility Coupe’ the Smart ForStars concept moves along with an 80 horsepower electric motor and 17.6 kWh battery, boasting 127 lb/ft of torque and an 80mph top speed. It has a 603mm longer wheelbase than the current Smart ForTwo and a wider track – 90mm at the front and 193mm at the rear, liberating extra boot space. Its all-glass roof allows for a spot of stargazing.

Interestingly, the concept car also houses a home cinema projector in the front bumper. A surround speaker system, with some hidden loudspeakers sitting in the ventilation openings behind the doors, provides a mobile movie theatre experience.

According to smart boss Dr Annette Winkler: “With its powerful battery and integrated projector the smart forstars can transform any grey backyard into an animated open-air cinema.”

AUDI CROSSLANE COUPE CONCEPT

VW GOLF MKVII

Paris Motor Show 2012

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

The VW Golf entered its seventh generation at the 2012 Paris Motor show. The new car is the first VW vehicle to be based on the Group’s new MQB platform, which already underpins the latest Audi A3. This features an extensive use of strong, lightweight steels which manage to shave off over 100kg of weight compared to previous Golf.

The BlueMotion variant of the MkVII Golf will be capable of 88mpg and emit just 85g/km of CO2. Production models are expected to go on sale in early 2013, with similar efficiency figures.

EXAGON MOTORS FURTIVE E-GT At this year’s Paris Motor Show, Citroen showed off an electric concept based on the DS3, which it refers to as the ‘plugged-in’ city car.

The DS3 Electrum has an estimated range of up to 75 miles (120 km) and Citroen says that despite being electric, the car is as fun to drive as a normal DS3. Two 65kW motors located on the front axle produce a total of 176hp, powered by a Panasonic 17.5kWh lithium-ion battery which can be charged up to 80 percent in 30 minutes for a rapid charger.

According to Citroen, the electric drivetrain has been designed to keep cabin and boot space intact and it can be used to ‘electrify’ a variety of existing internal-combustion vehicles.

SMART FORSTARS CONCEPT

The 2012 Paris Motor Show Audi provided a glimpse of the design language of Audi’s future Q models through its Audi crosslane coupé concept car. It is an evolutionary stage of Audi ultra, its lightweight construction principle.

The plug-in hybrid drive, described as a dualmode hybrid, comprises a purpose-developed three-cylinder TFSI 1.5 litre engine, two electric motors and a single-stage transmission. Power is 177 hp, managing from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.6 seconds (9.8 seconds in pure elecrtic mode). The lithium-ion battery has an output of 17.4 kWh, sufficient for an operating range of around 86 km in the electric mode. The dual-mode hybrid concept enables different operating modes.

Drivers can choose between the ‘cruise’ and ‘race’ settings, the cruise mode prioritising electric driving. The electric mode mainly used up to 130 km/h, above which the three-cylinder engine becomes the main drive source.

The Furtive-eGT from Exagon Motors has appeared in modified concept since 2010.

Now the French company has announced it will begin ptoduction next year.

Without its optional range extender, the car can travel for 402km at 50km/h, thanks to its two new-generation motors created by Siemens Corporate Technology, each providing an output of 125kW. The Furtive eGT is expected to be available on the market priced at approximately 350,000 euros. L

While no one expects the average fleet to shell out the 416,500-euro asking price for the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupe Electric Drive, there was some more encouragiong news about the cost of EV ownership from Renault.

Volume 58 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

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

FLEET MANAGEMENT NEWS

Murray Walker OBE guest speaker as ICFM celebrates 20 years November sees the Institute of Car Fleet Management (ICFM) celebrate 20 years since its foundation. Its 2012 conference, which takes place on November 13 in Oxford, will focus on the past, present and future of fleet management, the main focus bring on the future, with a morning session devoted to ‘Key Trends in Urban Mobility’.

The afternoon’s guest speaker will be Murray Walker OBE, who will also present the training awards. Chairman of the ICFM, Roddy Graham said: “Founded in 1992, this November we celebrate 20 years of the ICFM. This year’s conference will take a look at the ‘past’, the ‘present’ and to the ‘future’, showcasing heritage, the present day and debating what might happen over the next 20 years.

“Central to the conference will be an in-depth, in-dialogue look at urban mobility. This session will enlighten the audience on urban mobility and consider how the future will be affected by technology, government, planning, sustainability and by energy. Panellists will debate what lessons can be drawn from the past 20 years and how the next 20 years might look.”

The ‘Key Trends in Urban Mobility’ session will be facilitated by Stephen Glaister CBE, professor of transport and infrastructure at the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London where he is also director of the Railway Technology Strategy Centre; a former board member of Transport for London

Lex and POD Point offer recharging package Lex Autolease has joined forces with an electric vehicle charging company POD Point to provide a new EV charge point system for its customers.

The new charging package costs £500 including VAT for a standard installation of a Solo charging system.

The package, suitable for single charging in workplace car parks, includes the supply and installation of the charging unit; free online accounts for customers to monitor their fleet’s electrical usage, CO2 emissions and automatic employee expenses upload providing charge usage information.

and director of the RAC Foundation.

The session will feature an expert panel of guest speakers including Professor Allan Hutchinson, Oxford Brookes University; Dr Colin Herron, md, Zero Carbon Futures; Caroline Watson, transport strategy manager, Energy Saving Trust; Darren Lindsey, head of government & public affairs, Michelin plc; and David K Martell, chief executive, Chargemaster.

After lunch, veteran motorsports presenter and iconic voice of Formula One, Murray Walker OBE will be the conference guest speaker.

Besides giving insights into his interesting life, he will also present this year’s ICFM awards.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.icfm.com

ROAD SAFETY

Brake points out young driver and hands-free phone risks

Road safety charity Brake is calling on fleet managers to acknowledge and manage the risks posed by employing people under the age of 25 as professional drivers. The charity has also spoken out regarding the dangers of hands-free phone use, after US research reveals it significant impairs the ability to drive.

Brake is offering fleet professionals the opportunity to hear from experienced practitioners on the risks associated with employing young drivers and how to manage them. Through its Fleet Safety Forum, the charity is running a low-cost seminar: Young drivers at work: risks and solutions, on 6 December in Nottingham.

Roslyn Cumming, development manager at

NEWS IN BRIEF

Brake, said: “Younger drivers are statistically far more likely to crash than other at-work drivers. This seminar provides an opportunity to hear from academic experts in the area about how to mitigate the risks associated with younger drivers in your fleet.”

The charity is also calling on the Government to ban talking on hands-free mobile phones while driving as new research has revealed it can impair the ability to drive for 97.5 per cent of motorists. The University of Utah study shows drivers on hands-free mobile phones took 20 per cent longer to hit the brakes when needed and following distances increased by 30 per cent as the drivers failed to keep pace with simulated traffic while driving.

Memory performance declined 11 per cent.

Ellen Booth, campaigns officer for Brake, said: “Using a hands-free or hand-held phone while driving is dangerous, full stop. It’s time that our politicians took note and put an end to the ridiculous situation where using a hand-held mobile is banned, but using hands-free isn’t.”

FURTHER INFORMATION www.brake.org.uk

Fleet Management News

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tinyurl.com/9mjfcy7

First police fleet gets Artemis tracking & fm system

Northamptonshire Police will be the first force in the UK to install a fleet and driver management system to improve efficiency and reduce the costs of vehicles. The contract is part of a three-year national framework agreement for supplying the system to other police forces in England and Wales.

Developed by APD specifically for UK police fleets, in close co-operation with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), ITS Working Group and One Box Consortium, the Artemis system will initially be installed in Northamptonshire’s test and training vehicles. The force’s full fleet of 370 police vehicles, used by around 1,000 officers, is due to be fitted with the system by March 2013.

Artemis provides automatic vehicle tracking, incident data recording as well as vehicle information capture for efficient resource analysis and preventative maintenance. The system is also compatible with the most popular police applications including those used by Northamptonshire Police: Civica’s Tranman Fleet Management application, Steria’s Storm command-and-control suite and Northgate’s mapping software. tinyurl.com/92adjww

Volume 58 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

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Freight Transport Written by Rachael Dillon

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

FREIGHT TRANSPORT

GETTING CARBON FROM FREIGHT UNDER CONTROL

Rachael Dillon, climate change policy manager at the Freight Transport Association (FTA), talks about the Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme.

Managed by the FTA, it is the only freight-sector based initiative that records, reports and helps reduce carbon emissions from logistics.

The scheme, which is free of charge, has an inaugural Awards planned for May 2013, which aims to help recognise the efforts of the freight sector to green up their act.

The Rio Summit that took place in June this year aimed at driving forward global commitment to sustainability may have been largely overlooked for not making sufficient progress, but it did set the course for mandatory greenhouse gas reporting in the UK. Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg used the Rio Summit as a platform to make a long awaited announcement on the introduction of mandatory greenhouse gas reporting for UK quoted companies.

But it is not just Government that has the monopoly on good ideas on reporting and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To date, 68 freight operators ranging from 3PLs and retailers to small hauliers, waste companies and local authorities have joined the Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme (LCRS). They have committed to record, report and reduce their carbon emissions from road freight transport and collectively reduce the carbon intensity of their freight operations by eight per cent by 2015 based on 2010 levels. The freight industry provides a critical role in serving the needs of the economy from keeping supermarket shelves stacked to ensuring hospitals receive medicine. If we want the economy to move and to recover, there will always be some emissions, but FTA believes that there is strong will from operators to reduce their carbon footprint and to contribute to national greenhouse gas reduction targets.

When it comes to carbon reduction, the freight industry is best placed to voluntarily

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report emissions and adopt decarbonisation measures that make commercial sense.

Freight and logistics movements are responsible for around 30 per cent of transport’s carbon emissions, while cars make up more than 50 per cent. The Government can all too easily influence the carbon footprint of operators by using fuel tax or regulation. Through a voluntary scheme, the industry is making reductions independently. Fuel costs represents nearly 40 per cent of operation costs and every pound that the government takes on tax is a pound that can’t be spent on new vehicles or innovative technology to reduce emissions.

COMMITMENT The LCRS was developed over three years ago by 12 leading FTA members who recognised the importance of making the industry more carbon efficient and since then, others have also committed. Today’s LCRS participants include Asda, DHL, Howard Tenens, John Lewis Partnership, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Wincanton as well as four local authorities including Perth & Kinross Council and Newcastle City Council. A full list of LCRS participants is available at www.fta.co.uk/ carbonreduction. By joining the scheme, operators can demonstrate their green credentials and take part in a confidential, national carbon reporting scheme. The scheme is free to join and open to all commercial vehicle operators, whether you have five or 500 vehicles. We work on the basis that if you purchase the fuel, then you own the emissions to avoid double counting.

The beauty of the scheme is that participants have flexibility over reporting, they provide what data they have, some operators are just starting on the carbon journey, others are more advanced. Operators are asked to supply simple data like the number of litres of diesel used by the company, number of vehicle kilometres, turnover and full time equivalents.

This is on a strict confidential basis.

The main requirement is that operators are consistent in their reporting. The data is converted into carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions using Government approved conversion factors. FTA aggregates data from members, reports totals and tracks improvement in emissions and fuel efficiency over time. Individual company E

E data returns are not made public. Data is requested on an annual basis but there is also an option to submit quarterly data.

FTA also visits each operator at least once to discuss the company’s data submission in more depth to ensure that the data is robust and credible. This doesn’t mean sifting through fuel invoices but discussing about how the data provided to the LCRS is relied on within the rest of the business.

FTA published its second LCRS annual report earlier this year showing that given the opportunity to take action voluntarily, industry can and is making reductions in carbon emission levels. Between 2009 and 2010, there was a 2.6 per cent reduction in emissions intensity when measuring carbon against vehicle kilometres. In April 2011, the then transport minister Mike Penning endorsed the scheme as a key initiative for industry to significantly reduce carbon emissions. At this time,

there were just over 40,000 commercial vehicles covered by the scheme. By the publication of the second annual report, this number has grown to over 58,000.

FRAMEWORK FTA has also developed a framework to monitor the uptake of carbon emission reduction interventions from logistics. This is designed to support the datasets and provide core examples of how operators are cutting their emissions by measures such as eco-driver training, reducing engine idling and making greater use of double deck vehicles. In the second annual report, the results of the 2010 low carbon intervention survey are published revealing the measures that LCRS participants are using to cut emissions and, what the most popular carbon saving interventions are being trialled. Interventions aimed at reducing vehicle activity since 2010 amongst operators of the scheme have resulted in a

saving of 77 million vehicle miles. The focus for this work has been on reducing empty running (which has accounted for 25 per cent of the saving) and use of on-board vehicle telematics to optimise delivery schedules and provide real-time visibility of vehicle activity (accounting for 20 per cent of the saving).

The LCRS proves that the issue of carbon is being taken seriously by operators and that reductions in emissions are happening. But there is still much to be done in growing the LCRS to an even bigger critical mass.

The Department for Transport is currently undertaking a Freight Carbon Review to assess the contribution that industry is making to national greenhouse gas reduction targets. LCRS will form part of the evidence.

Our voice of the Freight Transport Association will be much more influential the more operators that join the scheme.

The opportunity for freight operators to play a role in preventing regulation for curbing greenhouse gas emissions from freight transport is now not later. The scheme is free of charge, open to all commercial vehicle operators to join, however large or small.

You don’t have to be an FTA member to join. The scheme is also supported by LCRS Partner, Bridgestone Tyres. When it comes to carbon reduction, we believe that the freight industry is best placed to voluntarily report emissions and adopt decarbonisation measures that make commercial sense.

Freight Transport

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

AWARDS So what next for the scheme? The FTA has recently launched the inaugural LCRS Awards to celebrate the efforts of green leaders in the freight industry. The LCRS Awards will recognise individual LCRS member projects to reduce their carbon emissions from freight activity.

The Award categories are: carbon reduction through fuel efficiency (sponsored by Bridgestone Tyres); carbon reduction through innovative fleet management; carbon reduction through use of low carbon transport modes, and carbon reduction through use of alternative low carbon fuels and technologies.

Over the last three years, the LCRS has been the freight industry’s leading voluntary initiative for operators to record, report and reduce carbon emissions. The Awards plan to give LCRS members the opportunity to be recognised as leaders in fuel efficiency and carbon reduction. The LCRS Awards will be presented at FTA’s Annual Logistics Carbon Reduction Conference to be held in May 2013. If operators have not already signed up to the scheme, then this is an ideal opportunity to do so. L FURTHER INFORMATION To join the scheme, you must complete a Declaration of Intent which can be downloaded from www.fta.co.uk/carbonreduction.

Alternatively, email rdillon@fta.co.uk

Volume 58 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

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

The Destination For Logistics Training

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GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE | Volume 58

HYDROGEN ROAD TOUR

Alternative Fuels

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

SWINDON’S ON THE HYDROGEN HIGHWAY The UK’s first public-access hydrogen refuelling station was host to seven fuel-cell cars on the 4th October, as they filled up at Swindon on the UK leg of the H2 Moves European Hydrogen Road Tour.

Hydrogen is the lighter than air gas used to give ‘lift’ to airships like the Hindenburg, which erupted in flames in the 1930s. But consumers shouldn’t be too concerned, says Professor Kevin Kendall, a hydrogen and fuel cell expert from Birmingham University: “It’s just like petrol. You have to be careful.”

While industry experts admit there are currently only a handful of cars in the country capable of using hydrogen fuel, they predict that within a few years there will be ‘hundreds of thousands, if not millions’ as manufacturers put more prototypes into production.

The European Hydrogen Road Tour is part of a programme involving the European Commission and European industry stakeholders. The project aims to increase customer acceptance for fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and to prepare the market for hydrogen fuel cell technology and associated refuelling infrastructure.

Two Hondas (FCX Clarity), two Mercedes (B-Class F-Cell), two Hyundai (ix35) and one Toyota (FCHV) took part in the demonstration, refuelling midway along the M4 at the Swindon station. Operated by industrial gases giant BOC, it is the only public refuelling stop in the UK for the vehicles, which also made an initial fuelling stop on their way to Cardiff.

The event provided guests with the opportunity to drive a fuel-cell vehicle and take a look under the bonnet. Honda’s car

manufacturing plant, where the refuelling station is located, hosted a seminar to promote the benefits of hydrogen as the most environmentally responsible fuel of the future, as well as generate interest and awareness of the need to develop a hydrogen refuelling infrastructure throughout the UK. Speakers included Richard Kemp Harper, lead technologist for energy and transport at the Technology Strategy Board, which helped to fund the second phase of the Swindon project.

Bill Fisher from Swindon Commercial Services Ltd, one of the local customers piloting the use of hydrogen fuel in their fleet of vans, also spoke about the opportunities this zeroemission fuel offers.

The Swindon Hydrogen Refuelling Station is the result of a joint public-private partnership between Honda, economic development company Forward Swindon and BOC, a member of The Linde Group. Refuelling infrastructure is a

the refuelling infrastructure. “Businesses and individuals will not buy hydrogen vehicles unless they know there are enough places to fill up. Refuelling stations, like this one in Swindon, are vital if we are to switch over to a low-carbon transport system. The development of fuel-cell vehicles by the major manufacturers must be matched by investment in the infrastructure needed to service them.”

Thomas Brachmann of Honda R&D Europe remarked: “Honda believes fuel cell electric vehicles are a key mobility solution, providing a practical, environmentally-clean and nearsilent answer to transport requirements. The European Hydrogen Road Tour offers a great opportunity to give the public, media and government officials a chance to experience and better understand this impressive zero emission technology for themselves.”

Ian Piper, ceo of Forward Swindon, noted: “Hydrogen transport offers significant

Refuelling stations are vital if we are to switch over to a low-carbon transport system. The development of fuel-cell vehicles by the major manufacturers must be matched by investment in the infrastructure needed to service them Nathan Palmer, director of bulk and packaged gases, BOC key technology required to ‘complete the circle’ for hydrogen transport. The state-of-the-art facility shows what is available today, and it can be replicated across the UK. The technology has already been installed by The Linde Group at over 80 locations around the world.

Nathan Palmer, BOC’s director of bulk and packaged Gases, stressed the need to expand

environmental benefits to our towns and countryside. That is why Forward Swindon is delighted to be supporting this innovative green technology, and Swindon is proud to host this part of the Road Tour”.

Professor Kevin Kendall concluded: “This will clean up cities enormously. There are no emissions whatsoever.” L

Volume 58 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

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HELPING MEET THE SUSTAINABLE FLEET AGENDA Alphabet’s latest survey of the UK’s top 250 fleet managers highlighted a remarkable fact; 61 per cent of businesses cited ‘sustainability’ of their fleet as a key strategic issue. To put it into context, the issue of sustainability came just a percentage point lower on corporate agendas than the perennial challenge of ‘cost control’.

What does this mean to fleet managers faced with meeting their organisations’ increasing desire to fulfil the environmental agenda? With so much pressure on internal departments, it is often difficult to ringfence the time to deliver on the environmental targets which are increasingly a key part of the CSR deliverable. Another consideration is the knowledge and skill required to establish and implement a sustainable strategy.

That’s why so many organisations are employing experienced fleet advisers like Alphabet to help them to achieve their sustainable objectives. One of the proven tools that Alphabet employs to help businesses to measure and manage their fleet’s carbon footprint is GreenCARE. BENCHMARKING FLEET PERFORMANCE GreenCARE was launched in late 2009 as the industry’s first comprehensive online analysis tool allowing companies online access to the environmental performance of their fleet. Using detailed information on CO2 emissions, vehicle manufacturers, fuel type and engine size Alphabet customers can benchmark their fleet performance and work out where savings can be made with the click of a mouse. The system also allows them to compare their fleet against Alphabet’s ‘average’ and ‘best in class’ performers.

In late 2010 GreenCARE was updated, adding sophisticated scenario planning. This allows fleets to plot how changes to their vehicles, such as adjusting manufacturer and model, engine size and fuel type affect the fleet’s performance in terms of CO2 emissions and MPG. Using the results fleet managers can build a realistic fleet policy and plan how to phase out certain vehicles over a set period to reduce CO2 emissions, improve MPG and therefore reduce business cost. In turn this supports users in complying with company goals and CSR requirements – an increasing concern for many fleet managers.

Significantly, GreenCARE also saves managers time. Their fleet data is pre-loaded into the system, enabling them to quickly analyse their fleets using a series of graphs or data exported

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“The predictive modelling function is really attractive to users as it allows fleet managers to remodel their fleet online and understand what would happen if they changed their vehicle mix” Nigel Trotman, strategic fleet consultant, Alphabet into excel spreadsheets. Nigel Trotman, strategic fleet consultant at Alphabet, commented: “GreenCARE is a really exciting proposition for managers as it helps them to understand and manage their fleet’s carbon footprint.

The predictive modelling function is really attractive to users as it allows fleet managers to remodel their fleet online and understand what would happen if they changed their vehicle mix. This is very unique in the industry and available to all Alphabet customers.”

Late in 2011 GreenCARE was enhanced further by offering light commercial vehicle (LCV) operators access to the same reporting and analysis capabilities, helping them

make better-informed decisions when it comes to the management of their fleet.

In summary GreenCARE was developed to enable customers to review the environmental impact of their fleet both historically and currently. GreenCARE provides proactive support and guidance to our customers in order for them to meet their corporate environmental responsibilities and potentially reshape the future of their fleet. L FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0870 50 50 100 Email: alphabet@alphabet.co.uk www.alphabet.co.uk

Volume 58 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

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Road Test

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

RENAULT FLUENCE ZE

IN-FLUENCE-ING THE EV MARKET

Renault’s EV Saloon arrives from across the channel to be met by the our herculean jolly green giant test driver, Roland Rendell As Renault embarks on a bold foray into battery-powered transport, they hope the Fluence ZE, together with the Kangoo ZE, Twizy and Zoe ZE, will help establish the French manufacturer as the leaders in the EV sector. And following the successful launch of the Kangoo ZE van, this mid-size saloon sees them off to a good start.

The non-electric Fluence saloon available elsewhere in Europe measures 4618mm in length, which meant it’s electric brother needed stretching by 130mm to make way for the 280kg of lithium-ion batteries located behind the rear seats. It’s got a nice look to it from the side – kind of oldstyle Saab-ish, which isn’t a bad thing.

The relatively flat rear window does hold water when it’s raining, and I looked to see if a rear wash-wipe had been added. No such luck.

The car rides on low-rolling resistance Goodyear tyres and aero-efficient wheels.

As well as the subtly reworked rear end, there are recharging points on both of the front wings - a good addition. Some of the cosmetic tweaks include a new rear light cluster, a blue tint to the lights, fog light surrounds and badging, plus chrome highlighting on the boot lid.

Having not experienced the combustion engine version, I can’t comment on whether there has been a compromise on the cabin space to accommodate the battery technology, but there’s plenty of room for someone of my bulk and no problems with legroom front and rear. Despite the vertical stacking of the battery pack behind the rear seats, the size of the boot remains the same as the conventional Fluence’s at 317 litres, although the shape is made awkward by the battery.

KEEP OUT OF THE RED Turning the key illuminates a green ‘go’ on the dashboard, which also indicates the level of charge in the battery, and an ‘econometer’ which tells the driver how energy is being used. This is divided into three colour indicators: light blue shows the vehicle is running normally; dark blue denotes optimum performance; and red signals that the way energy is being used will have an impact on the driving range.

I engage ‘Drive’ and move away almost

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silently, with only a faint turbine-like whine. The power delivery is seamless and gets you from a standstill to 30mph in 4.1seconds. Acceleration from a standing start through the mid-range is crisp, as the 70kW (95hp) electric motor’s maximum 226Nm of torque are delivered instantly.

The reducer, which operates in place of a gearbox, gives smooth, seamless driving.

One of the key things to remember when driving any EV is that the torque is immediately at your disposal, and although not of supercar proportions, the acceleration is sometimes a surprise. Heading away from the high road, I take on my first serious hill.

The torque helps you glide effortlessly over the peak before the descent and deceleration kicks in. And this can also be somewhat of a surprise in that the technology is designed to recover the kinetic energy, and in doing so, slows the vehicle quite dramatically. Some say this is too harsh, whereas I find it a great feature, and quite fascinating that if you are not going too fast, this alone will bring you to a standstill, without applying the brakes.

The featherlight power steering is a delight. I mix it up in terms of driving style, stamping on the accelerator and watching the econometer’s needle leap into the red; lift off during a downhill descent and it falls into the blue as the kinetic energy recovery system replenishes the battery.

ECO MODE Features to increase efficiency include an Eco Mode that restricts the climate control and heating functions as well as a pre-heating and pre-air conditioning system, which can be remotely programmed while the car is still on charge. A full recharge takes between six and eight hours, so Renault recommends the use of a home or work charging point as the main power source.

Renault can provide an optional EVSE battery charging cable, which can be used with a normal 240V domestic supply with power at 2kW. This way, the vehicle can be charged for a range of up to 25 miles in three hours. A standard daily battery charge takes between six and eight hours, when using the recommended Wall-Box charge point. The thing is, what do you wake up to in terms of range?

The claimed 115 mile range can vary from 50 to 125 miles, depending on how the car is driven. But be warned – if you drive aggressively and dip into the red too much, it can play havoc with your range.

The question I am always asked is Do I believe they have a real role to play in the fleet sector? And, in response, overall, they most certainly do. If your daily drive is a relatively short urban commute, without any real motorway or dual carriageway driving, the Fluence ZE should certainly be considered – particularly due to the benefits of no road tax, zero-rated benefit in kind and lower insurance and maintenance costs.

Where this, and indeed the other EV’s in the Renault line-up do stack up is cost. If you didn’t know already, the monthly cost of any Renault EV is for the vehicle only, and you can own the vehicle outright. The battery, you rent separately, and is owned by Renault. The Expression trim comes in at £21,845, coming down to £16,845 after the Government grant.

The higher-spec Dynamique will set you back £900 more, with an OTR price of £17,745.

Battery cost varies depending on annual mileage. So for 3 years, if you do no more than 6,000 miles, you are looking at £76 per month, inc. VAT. Over the duration, it works out at £2,736. If you are looking at over 18,000 miles per annum, this will raise the cost to £133 per month inc. VAT, and again this means £4,788 over the duration of the agreement. This includes assistance with all breakdowns.

All in all, with the ZOE arriving soon, Renault has got off to a fast start to its EV journey. The Fluence is a great way to start the introduction of ‘proper-sized’ EVs into fleets. It’s nice to drive, is easy on the eye and once you get used to an EV driving style, you’ll reap the rewards financially. Said in my best possible French accent - C’est vanqueur! L

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between 50-125 miles

Road Test

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UP TO 125 MILE RANGE 25 MILES FROM A THREE HOUR CHARGE

Volume 58 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

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Drive. Helping you take control of your business vehicles.

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SCOTLAND’S MILES GREENER From humble beginnings three years ago, GreenFleet Scotland, staged in association with the Energy Saving Trust Scotland, has grown from a small exhibition into a fully-fledged demonstration of the latest low emission cars and technologies, with eleven manufacturers now taking part.

As fleets continue to be the early adopters, and indeed market testers, of changes to vehicle technology, the GreenFleet Scotland event has provided an opportunity for fleet managers to get their hands on the latest environmental kit.

The Royal Highland Centre has been home to the event from the beginning, but things soon became far too crowded for the small McRobert Pavillion, and the event moved to the Lowland Hall in its second year. Since then, EVs, plug-in hybrids and vehicles with other environmental credentials have started to roll off the production lines and are now becoming become a serious consideration, not just environmentally, but financially.

ELECTRIC Charging infrastructure still needs a considerable amount of investment, but if you keep an eye on a charging point map, of which there are several (openchargemap.org, zapmap), you’ll see the situation is changing.

Perhaps not as fast as some would like though.

The EVA, founded in March this year to

represent the interests of private EV users in Scotland, was present at the event. Top of its agenda is influencing the decision making process regarding infrastructure, particularly fast chargers, which will make EVs a much more realistic proposition for the general public. The Association plans to use the experiences of its membership, some of which have been using EVs for ten years, in order to provide information for the Government’s thought process.

Adrian Loening, EVA chairman said:“The message we are getting from members is about the lack of easily available high capacity DC rapid charging. Charging a LEAF or an iMiEV in half an hour really makes longer journeys feasible.”

10,000 pay-as-you-go charge points across the UK, by connecting network operators to EV drivers. In Scotland, Elektromotive supplied over 50 per cent of the charge points across the country. David Room, sales manager, comments “The last twelve months have been very exciting for us as we have seen Scotland develop from a small number of isolated EV charge points to the dawn of a true national scheme, open to all for EV motorists.

“Last year local authorities were encouraged to start moving their own fleets to electric and hybrid vehicles to reduce carbon emissions. As a result, we understand over 270 vehicles were procured making this one of the largest fleets of this type in the UK. “Elektromotive supported over 60 per cent

Eight teams took part in the Fuel Efficient Driving Experience, driving identical Peugeot 208 diesels in an attempt to squeeze the best fuel efficiency figure from a 50 mile drive across Edinburgh.

Membership to the EVA is free (you don’t even have to be an EV owner). Find out more at www.eva-scotland.org There is plenty of evidence to suggest the infrastructure puzzle is being solved. EDF Energy is playing a leading role in facilitating its development by consulting widely with motor manufacturers, charge point manufacturers and central & local government.

Pioneering charging post company Elektromotive promoted ‘Charge your Car’ - a joint venture to create an open network of

of the authorities who took advantage of this initiative. Our function included; looking at the role these new vehicles were intended for as they ranged from hybrids to tipper trucks, to ensure the location and charge point type we supplied was appropriate to the anticipated demands on the fleet. To ensure both a maximum return on investment and vehicle utilisation was going to be achieved. As a result we are now passing this knowledge to other fleet managers to help them move their vehicles to lower E

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GREENFLEET SCOTLAND REVIEW

E carbon emissions and gain the associated cost savings, many of whom have been encouraged by seeing EVs on the streets.”

LEASING EVS Judith Eadie has been an account manager at Automotive Leasing for eight years, covering Scotland and her native Northern Ireland. She is passionate about EV uptake. Present at all four GreenFleet Scotland events going back to 2009, at this years show she told John Curtis: “We stood here, four years ago saying: “Well, these electric vehicles are coming, this is going to happen, that’s going to happen, and we had nothing. Most of what was on show was traditional diesels and petrols.”

“Now look at this year. We are awash with alternatives, such as electrics, hybrids, range extenders, so there is so much product about it’s fantastic. I’m thrilled to be part of it.”

“It’s nice to walk round with our customers and talk with them about the new developments. We are both seeing the product at the same time so it’s great.”

Automotive Leasing’s own risk-mitigation ensures EVs are economically viable by working with manufacturers to negotiate EV battery guarantees, buy-back agreements and residual resale values. Last year, the company helped shape a grant-funding framework to bridge the EV/diesel cost-gap, and was asked to join a transportation spending advisory panel. Long-term, Automotive Leasing is monitoring the development of commercially viable hydrogen-powered vehicles.

THE CARS As for the vehicles, they have definitely arrived. With the Fluence ZE family saloon, theTwizy urban compact 2 seater and Kangoo ZE Van available now, Renault is a key player in the UK EV market. The soon to arrive ZOE supermini will complete the range with an OTR price of £13,650 plus battery lease of between £70-133 per month depending on mileage. As expected, there was plenty of interest in the funky Twizy. The new new Mégane dCi 110 Stop & Start, boasting 80.7 combined mpg and 90g/km of CO2, shows that Renault continue to improve the efficiency of its ICE model range too.

Vauxhall’s innovative Ampera, the first extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV) available in the UK, drew plenty of attention

as expected. The wheels are always electrically driven, powered by its 150PS Voltec propulsion system which gives the Ampera up to 50 miles of driving from its lithiumion battery pack. It can then be re-charged from a 16amp mains supply in four hours.

Independent research shows could meet the needs of 85 per cent of UK commuters.

Volvo showcased four of its most environmentally friendly models, including the 94 g/km all-new V40. The V40 was joined by the established S60 and V60 D2 SE versions with respective CO2 emissions of 114g/km and 119g/km.

Peugeot supplied the new 208, which has recently won the Auto Express Best Supermini 2012 Award, for eight fleets to use in Fuel Efficient driving experience earlier in the day. The French firm also had the new 3008 HYbrid4 and 508 RXH available for test drive.

Ford, present at the event for the first year, continues to offer its dedicated ECOnetic range including the best in class Ford Fiesta at 98g/km. As well as the its C-Zero electric, Citroen showed the stylish DS3 and the

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Back at the exhibition, the vehicles were tracked using O2 Drive. As well as GPS tracking, Drive features a complete range of fleet management tools including tax and expense management and driver behaviour monitoring. Specific modules are available dependent on business needs.

With 83mpg as the official combined cycle figure from Peugeot, the figures that came in for this urban cycle real world test were impressive. In third place (70.81mpg) was West Lothian Council. In second, East Dumbartonshire Council managed a slightly better 70.87. The clear winner was East Lothian Council, who managed 73.66 mpg.

A bit of local knowledge, coupled with a frugal foot on the gas gave them the edge.

DRIVING THE RIGHT WAY As well as providing interest free loan funding from between £500 to £50,000, Energy saving Trust Scotland’s specialist transport advisors can provide in-depth advice and a Sustainable Transport Review Service at no cost. Subsidised by Transport Scotland, they

“Now look at this year. We are awash with alternatives, such as electrics, hybrids, range extenders, so there is so much product about it’s fantastic. I’m thrilled to be part of it.”

Judith Eadie, Automotive Leasing acclaimed 200bhp Citroën DS5 Hybrid4.

The diesel hybrid offers fuel consumption of 74.3mpg and emissions of just 99g/km.

FUEL EFFICIENT DRIVING EXPERIENCE Eight teams took part in the Fuel Efficient Driving Experience, driving identical Peugeot 208 diesels in an attempt to squeeze the best fuel efficiency figure from a 50 mile drive across Edinburgh. The teams (driver and copilot) had to call in at four checkpoints to simulate stop and start journeys (Edinburgh Corn Exchange, Butterfly & Insect World, The Scotsman head office, Deep Sea World).

The Sprig, GreenFleet’s fuel efficient driving mascot, was present at the starting grid to lend inspiration to the drivers and give them a friendly green handshake before they set off.

also offer fuel efficient driver training sessions which last 50 minutes with an expert fuel efficient driving instructor. Particpants take two courses, before and after training, to demonstrate the effects of driving efficiently.

Ian Murdoch of EST Scotland said: “We 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. So for £12 you can potentially save hundreds of pounds.”

COMMERCIALS On the commercial vehicle side, as well as Renault’s Kangoo ZE, other electrics present included the Tata Ace Electric Mini Truck.

Assembled in Coventry with an all E

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Because charging your electric vehicles is only the beginning Now, EVlink intelligently controls and coordinates charging to ensure your entire fleet is always ready to go at optimised cost As you plan the transition to an electric fleet you need more than just charging terminals.

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.

Control operating costs by aligning charging with lower tariff periods, avoiding demand penalties and be ready for smart grid integration.

Trust Schneider Electric™ to deliver a charging solution which adapts to emerging EV models, evolves with your business and perfectly supports your environmental commitment.

Find out more about our electric vehicle charging offer and have the chance to WIN an Apple iPad 2 Visit www.SEreply.com and enter Key Code 24120P

EVlink web services provide 24/7 efficiency Intelligently manage your infrastructure, energy use and users, whilst integrating charging with your building management system.

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.

GREENFLEET SCOTLAND REVIEW

E steel chassis and cab, The truck offers a payload of up to 500kg and a versatile range of options - chassis cab, drop side mini truck, box van and tipper with optional cage. With a turning circle of 8.6m, it is highly manoeuvrable in all workplace applications, and available from £12,500.00.

Ransomes Jacobsen is now the sole UK importer for the Mega Professional range of utility vehicles. The new Mega e-Worker also features a tight turning circle and compact external dimensions, making it highly manoeuvrable. It is available in several versions and with a large and varied range of equipment.

As sole Scottish distributors of Goupil Utility Electric Vehicles, the Double A Trading Company exhibited the dual mode electrichybrid G5 and full electric G3 utility vehicles.

G5 operators can chose from two options - full electric mode, where the G5 benefits from zero emissions and silent operation and hybrid mode, where petrol and electric work together giving speeds of 70 km/h and fuel consumption of up to 90mpg.

New to GreenFleet Scotland was the the Mia U Utility van. The full electric has a payload of 365 Kgs and cargo volume of 1500 litres. With a range of 80 miles from its 12 kWh battery it;s suited to local deliveries around town. A range of options are available including a variety of load space access configurations. All Mia’s are pre-equipped at the factory for telematics.

The Mia U van is priced at £16,995 on-theroad including the cost of the battery pack and a 5-year customer assurance package.

TELEMATICS Fleet management software and telematics also have the potential to drastically reduce fuel use. Making its first appearance at GreenFleet Scotland, Route Monkey claims its EV modelling and scheduling product is the most advanced technology of its kind in Europe. It is designed to help fleets get the best possible return on investment from lower-mileage EVs. Mobile workforce apps with GPS tracking monitor performance and produce automated reports, which can integrate with most third party applications.

Vtec Solutions displayed TomTom Webfleet, an online application that provides fleet management features from any PC, requiring no software installation.

The PRO7100 and 7150 truck devices both offer pan European Truck specific routing, enabling drivers to avoid obstacles and challenges such as access restrictions, small streets and sharp turns, displayed on a 5in screen which is handy for professional truck use.

Lightfoot is a new fuel-saving technology for LCVs that claims a return on investment within the first month. The Lightfoot incab system monitors performance and sends a simple email report to the fleet manager on a weekly or monthly basis.

Lightfoot uses a simple traffic light system and audible warnings to advise the driver if they are being too heavy on the pedal, ignore two red warnings and the system logs a penalty which is reported to the Fleet Manager. Along with saving fuel and lowering fleet CO2 emissions, other benefits include less engine, brake, tyre and clutch wear, which could lead to higher residual values, lower insurance premiums and less vehicle downtime.

Speed limiter manufacturer Autokontrol demonstrated its rev and speed limiting control device, the COMBO, which can help fleets drastically reduce their fuel usage.

HYDROGEN Hydrogen vehicles are now on their way, with Hyundai recently announcing an initial 1000 vehicle run of the ix35 for public and private lease by the end of 2015. Unlike battery vehicles, hydrogen vehicles can be refuelled very quickly and offer substantial range benefits. On-site depot refuelling thereby boosts business profitability and eliminates vehicle emissions. A return exhibitor to the event, ITM Power designs and manufactures hydrogen energy systems for storage and clean fuel production, and had a Hyundai ix35 available for test drive at the event. The

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company has seen a growth in interest in the hydrogen industry in general in recent months, which ceo Graham Cooley believes can be attributed to a public awareness that battery vehicles will not deliver everything they have promised. ITM Power is currently involved in a feasibility study to look at injecting hydrogen gas from excess renewables into the UK gas networks, in partnership with Scottish Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association and UK low carbon consultancy Kiwa Gastec.

SEMINAR SESSIONS This years’ seminar sessions were kicked off

by Ian Murdoch of EST Scotland who asked what can be done with combustion engines, examined the drivers role as well as that of fuel efficient driving. Andrew Radovanovic of O2 M2M, presented details of Drive – O2’s fleet technology. Sandy Burgess from the Institute of the Motor Industry asked what the fleet industry needs to do to take on board the ever changing needs of sector, and Gary McRae of Dundee City Council shared his knowledge on implementing an EV policy and making it work.

Return visitor Alan Simpson of Aberdeen City Council found the seminar sessions informative and interesting. He stated: “I think the seminars are brilliant. Being from a local authority and trying to put in electric charge points I especially enjoyed the presentation from Dundee City Council. Likewise I thought it was good to get more info about Hydrogen.”

GreenFleet Scotland will return next September, by which time, we should see further progress in the drive towards lowing transport emissions, even despite the uncertain economic climate. L EVENT INFO & VIDEO Visit www.youtube.com/user/ GreenFleetEvents to view video footage.

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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 26.4-67.3mpg (10.7-4.2 l/100km). Extra Urban 44.8-80.7mpg (6.3-3.5 l/100km). Combined 35.8-74.3mpg (7.9-3.8 l/100km). CO2 emissions 184-99 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.

Road Test

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VOLKSWAGEN UP!

THE ONLY WAY IS UP! Volkswagen’s new super-mini is climbing high up the charts already.

Once he got his capacious hands on it, GreenFleet’s Roland Rendell couldn’t help but be impressed with its size, and to spice things up a bit has hidden eight song titles containing the word ‘up’ in his review. Email them over to the man himself - rendell@greenfleet. net - and you could be in with a chance of winning a Garmin Sat Nav. The 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show saw the first up! revealed to the industry, and it was designed as a rear-engine super-mini, with rear wheel drive. Volkswagen were eyeing the iQ from Toyota, as well as the overall number one slot, as the world’s biggest automobile producer, and they were attempting to take a Golf, and wrap it up in city car sizing. With its introduction to the market five years later, has it achieved any of the above?

I had the 1.0 litre 60PS 3 door model delivered, and the model is a Move up!.

A lap of honour in the little beast, and I can see that the design is distinctly Volkswagen, with a very nice back end. The tinted glass appears to continue down to the top of the bumper, which gives the impression of it being a lot more open. This means the German marque has ditched the rear-engine idea and reverted to type.

Apparently, to continue with the original idea would have required significant additional investment, meaning that the OTR price would be vastly inflated as a result.

is designed to avoid a clash with your knees when negotiating severe turns.

Above, on the top of the dashboard, is where Volkswagen are really trying to stir it up in terms of driver assistance. It’s optional on this model, but I was pleased to see this small 5” screen looking back at me. Called Maps & More, it features voice-activated portable infotainment. It responds to spoken voice commands for navigation, CD, radio functions and Bluetooth phone functions.

The thing is, will it understand Essex-speak?

Also, is it nectar to a potential thief?

I look down to my right and can’t help but notice that should I want to, I cannot open or close the passenger side window, with the ‘leccy-window switch.

It’s not there. Straight up, it’s on the other door only! I know they are economising, but really?

ord The w ilton d up in M W hea has V ( s e Keyn that this is st office)of the biggey one iors of an inter le in its vehic ss. cla

BEING SHOWN THE DOOR Being of considerably larger-than-average build, as usual I approach the door with some scepticism in terms of being able to actually get in comfortably. The word up in Milton Keynes (VW head office) is that this has one of the biggest interiors of any vehicle in its class.

I begin to open the small barn door, and could honestly not believe its size - it was huge.

In I jump (relieved). After shutting the door, I promptly opened it again, just to see if my eyes were deceiving me, but no. It’s massive.

So, as is the norm, I reach under the seat to adjust it to its furthest back. Again, I am blown away. Only once before, in a huge Skoda Superb estate, have I ever had to then drag the seat forward again because my feet are not placed correctly on the pedals, and my arms are too straight. But this little lady has caused me to do the same. Phenomenal.

VW have gone for the leather-look upholstery in this model, and there is a nice leather trim on the three-spoked steering wheel and gear stick. The flattened bottom on the steering wheel

36

GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE | Volume 58

START STOP AS STANDARD I start it up and ease away, nice and smoothly.

I find you need to rev quite highly before it bites, but that it’s able to achieve higher revs between gear changes. I turn up the radio, and soon find myself buzzing along quite nicely. It’s rush hour, so it’s all a bit hectic, and a bit Start/Stop, which comes as standard.

The Touchscreen display gives live readings in terms of MPG, etc. This model is supposed to achieve 50.4 mpg on urban drives. I didn’t achieve anywhere near that on my first drive, but later on in the week, once I had the hang of the engine and gear changing, I managed the very high 49’s.

Upon arriving back home to my ‘dinner in the dog’, I realise that the usual scrap for parking spaces (an on-going battle with the neighbours) is negated. At a diminutive 3.54m in length, it’s very easy to park. I lept out with no cramped up fibres to shake out thanks to the super-spacious cabin. Taller occupants might struggle in the back, but two average-sized adults can be accommodated well enough for a short sprint across town.

There’s even space for a few hands full of luggage; the small but surprisingly deep boot has a class-leading 251-litre capacity.

Over the rest of the week, I put the up! through some varying road types and I must say, for drivers patient enough to avoid the red end of the revcounter there are significant financial advantages. If your daily work routine involves driving in and out of towns or cities, it’s very good. On a longer, steady run, we’re up where we belong, as the 72.4 mpg combined figure is again achievable once you get to know your new four-wheeled friend.

Despite its tiny three-cylinder engine, the up! fails to dip below the 100g/km CO2 tax threshold unless you opt for the 96g/ km BlueMotion Technology model. Again, Volkswagen point to the fact that the bolder engineering ideas originally contained in the car were jettisoned to ensure profitability.

But, at 105g/km, it certainly could be worse, so let’s see of the slight compromise is actually reflected in the pricing structure.

The model is offered in three trim levels: Take up!, Move up! and High up!. Starting from around £8,000, the base and mid-spec cars are only available with the 59bhp motor, but regardless they make for tempting acquisitions, even compared to value-focused Korean rivals.

In summary, this is a cracking little motor.

It’s massive inside, has pretty much realworld economy figures and will leave you feeling that you know the car like a friend.

It comes with a three year, 60,000 mile warranty, but at the end of the three year relationship, you may well find yourself saying: Never Gonna Give You Up. If you ask me, VW’s latest offering is a chart topper. L

Email over the eight song titles containing the word ‘up’ in the copy above, along with the artist, to rendell@greenfleet.net and you could win a superb Sat Nav from Garmin.

Volkswagen up!

CO2: MPG: PRICE: VED:

105g/km 62 from £8,000 Band B

Volume 58 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

Road Test

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

37

A NEW WAY TO REDUCE YOUR FUEL COSTS Would you like to save up to 10% off your commercial transport fleet fuel costs? By analysing your fuelling, vehicle and driver data and creating easily actionable reports, it shows you exactly where and how your fleet can save fuel.

Shell FuelSave partner also has a wealth of features to support effective fleet management, including: ■ Track and Trace your vehicle ■ Fraud prevention by reconciliation of fuel purchases to fuel consumption ■ Tachograph data downloads (with optional remote data download if required – no need to physically download data from each vehicle) ■ Web-based platform so you can manage your reports from anywhere ■ Continuous improvement - Shell FuelSave Partner is updated three times a year with new features as a result of customer feedback Interested in finding out how we can help you save on fuel consumption and fuel costs?

For a limited time only, for fuel card customers new to Shell, we will match your current fuel card price and give you 20 Shell FuelSave Partner boxes free for 6 months.* Try Shell FuelSave Partner and the euroShell Card, and see how we can help you save on your fleet costs.

To find out more please contact us on 020 7934 8686, Info-shellfuelsavepartner@shell.com or visit www.shell.co.uk/sfsp. *Terms and Conditions apply. Offer on a first come, first served basis. Sign up for a minimum of 10 euroShell cards, and minimum fleet size 50 HGVs. Limited number of boxes available.

Saving money, cutting fuel bills and reducing vehicle carbon emissions sounds like mission impossible. But that is exactly what commercial vehicle operators are achieving with the help of Shell - and specifically Shell FuelSave Partner.

One organisation that is benefiting from FuelSave Partner is RCS Logistics, a third party logistics company, which operates across the UK and mainland Europe from its Corby, Northamptonshire, headquarters and a second distribution centre in Wakefield.

RCS Logistics spent £1.2 million on fuel last year and is no different to any other organisation in that fuel is one of its biggest costs. The telematics technology has been installed into each of RCS Logistics’ vehicles - 31 long wheel base Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans, 15 44-feet articulated lorries and six rigid 7.5 tonne commercial vehicles.

A dedicated fuel management solution for commercial transport fleets, Shell FuelSave Partner is supplied on a subscription basis with no upfront investment required.

Initially, RCS Logistics took a softly-softly approach to monitoring and only used FuelSave Partner to measure vehicle idling time. With 15 minutes of vehicle idling allowed before office-based staff were informed via e-mail, RCS Logistics managed to save more than 500 litres of diesel within the first month of monitoring.

RCS Logistics Director Steve Gray said: “That was a real eye-opener as to what Shell FuelSave Partner could do.”

The technology amounts to a ‘black box’ installed in vehicles which interrogates fleets’ fuel, vehicle and driver data, delivering online reports highlighting fuel efficiency improvements of up to 10%.

Since then RCS Logistics has extended the use of the technology to monitor and measure a wide variety of driver and vehicle data to reduce fuel use including: speeding, use of cruise control, vehicle braking and acceleration.

Automatically linking diesel purchasing transactions made via Shell fuel cards with the monitoring of driver activity and vehicle performance, the comprehensive management reports give a complete insight into fuel consumption - thus helping to eliminate any fraudulent activity - and CO2 emissions.

Far from being viewed as ‘Big Brother’, Mr Gray says the company’s 85 drivers who clocked up three million miles last year, were won over by the technology due to a combination of consistent communication and education.

Data transmitted shows fuel usage by individual truck and driver by the day, week, month and year as well as reporting fuel-related CO2 emissions on a per tonne-mile basis.

For further information on Shell FuelSave Partner telephone 0800 731 3131 or go to www.euroshell.co.uk

“These are all areas that contribute to fuel use. If we can cut just 1% from our fuel bill then that is £12,000 on the company’s bottom line. However, our experience suggests that the financial savings will be significantly greater”, said Mr Gray.

Additionally, RCS Logistics is seeing a number of spin-offs from using the technology.

Mr Gray explained: “We are challenged every day by our existing customers and prospects as to the extent of our environmental focus. Carbon footprint reduction is a huge issue in business and tenders invariably ask for real evidence of action.”

He is full of praise as to how Shell has partnered with RCS Logistics, a business with a £9 million turnover, to reduce its fuel spend, while admitting to being sceptical as to why it would want to help RCS Logisticst save money, particularly in relation to fuel.

However, he now says: “Shell has been magnificent in helping RCS Logistics introduce FuelSave Partner and obtaining the best information from the technology to help improve our efficiencies and reduce costs.

To find out how Shell can help you reduce your fuel and fleet management costs, please visit www.shell.co.uk/ shellfuelsavepartner or call 0207 934 8686.

“WE ARE NOT A HUGE LOGISTICS COMPANY BUT IT IS FANTASTIC THAT SHELL CONTINUES TO WORK EXTREMELY CLOSELY WITH US TWO YEARS AFTER WE FIRST INTRODUCED SHELL FUELSAVE PARTNER.” RCS Logistics Director Steve Gray

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Lightfoot - like sitting next to a driver training professional evey day A new fuel-saving technology for LCVs that delivers a return on investment within the first month is already proving a success. The Lightfoot incab system is like having a driver training professional sitting next to every driver, every day. It also monitors performance and sends a simple email report to the fleet manager on a weekly or monthly basis. The technology is proven to save up to 18 per cent on fuel consumption, making it highly attractive to fleet operators.

Lightfoot offers several benefits over driver training as a method of reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Lightfoot is embedded in the vehicle, so it lasts the life of the LCV. Lightfoot uses a simple traffic light system and audible warnings to advise the driver if they are being too heavy on the pedal; ignore two red warnings and the system logs

a penalty which is reported to the fleet manager. Along with saving fuel and lowering fleet CO2 emissions, other benefits include less engine, brake, tyre and clutch wear, which could lead to higher residual values; and less road traffic accidents, leading to lower insurance premiums and vehicle downtime FOR MORE INFORMATION Trials are available for fleets to assess and measure the benefits of Lightfoot. For further details on Lightfoot, visit www.lightfoot.co.uk or call 0845 641 0716

Route Monkey - reducing costs and road miles Route Monkey provides comprehensive fleet scheduling and routing software solutions, for both conventional and electric vehicles (EVs). Proven to save up to 20 per cent on fuel bills, it has more than 400 customers, ranging from smaller family-owned businesses to major logistics companies.

Route Monkey increases vehicle utilisation while also reducing costs and road miles.

The software is self-funding, by costing less per month than the savings it generates.

Free virtual trials are available to all transport and fleet managers. By taking a potential customer’s real time data from road transport activities, the company can demonstrate the savings that can be achieved by

ROTTEN LUCK!

implementing Route Monkey.

Uniquely, Route Monkey is the only fleet scheduling and optimisation software solution which can manage electric, hybrid and conventional vehicles from a single user interface.

Route Monkey is a partner in the Optimised Waste Logistics programme with CMS SupaTrak, helping to improve efficiencies in the waste and recycling sector.

It is also a key partner in the UK Government’s Plugged-In Fleets Initiative (PIFI). This will see Route Monkey work with 20 UK fleets, including many local authorities.

FOR MORE INFORMATION For a free virtual trial, contact Route Monkey on 0845 643 5732, or visit www.routemonkey.com

As many as 1 in 4 drivers in the UK could be driving on an invalid licence. And you could be guilty of “Corporate Manslaughter”

Unfortunately for YOU it could only take one bad apple in your organisation to directly affect YOU! Are you prepared for the Governments forthcoming Corporate Manslaughter bill?

On-line driving licence checking Direct with the DVLA is easy and efficient with

How do you check yours?

Get the green light on your drivers and ease your responsibility for ‘Duty of care’

For up-to-date facts, additional benefits and solutions, call us now on

08707 747 406 www.drivercheck.co.uk 40

GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE | Volume 58

GIULIETTA TCT LUSSO 2.0 JTDM-2 170 BHP

Road Test

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Written by Ian Bond

ALFA’S DNA - AN AUTOMATIC CHOICE ON NEW GIULIETTA Ian Bond puts the Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCT hatchback through is GreenFleet paces and thoroughly enjoys the ride.

The first thing that struck me about the Giulietta TCT was the stylish exterior. The interior is equally as striking - the red leather seats and dashboard that resembles those on classic sports cars. You immediately start looking forward to the driving experience, and it didn’t let me down.

The Giulietta has a strong range of engines, all of which are turbocharged. I had the Lusso 2.0 JTDM-2 170 bhp, which offers a number of enhancements over and above the main Turismo standard equipment.

So here’s some technical stuff. The Alfa TCT gives you the benefits of automatic and manual transmissions. It uses an efficient arrangement for a semi-automatic transmission, a dual dry clutch which helps reduce drag and friction.

In effect, the car uses two gearboxes – one for odd and one for even gears. This means it is already prepared for the next gear change, providing a seamless take over.

DNA The Alfa DNA system is another stand out feature of the Giulietta. The car works in conjunction with the DNA, altering the semi automatic dual dry clutch response to match the setting of the DNA. Placing the

selector into ‘Dynamic’ mode makes the car behave in a sporty fashion. All inputs are heightened: steering feel, throttle response and vehicle control systems. With the switch in ‘Normal’ for everyday driving, you’ll find fuel consumption is reduced to a minimum whilst offering a smooth and comfortable drive. In ‘All Weather’ mode the Giulietta alerts all active safety systems – the response of the engine becomes more gradual and cautious.

So what else struck me about the general features of the car? Well, although very neatly laid out some might wonder where all the ‘gadgety’ bits are. The main thing you notice very quickly is that although these are not obvious at first, before long you find yourself enjoying the drive and comfort.

All of the things you need are there, from the front armrest hosting a useful storage compartment to the rear seat armrest which opens up to give you extra cup holders for your passengers. Small features, but it’s those little things that make the difference.

The multifunctional display and trip computer provides a whole range of information. I found the ability to see fuel consumption as you were driving most useful, along with the average fuel consumption on each trip. On normal, everyday ‘driving around town’ I was getting 53mpg. On a longer motorway journey this increased to around 64mpg. For a car of this engine size, and with the comfort you have alongside, I think these were pretty good results.

SMOOTH TRANSITION Two other features that impressed me were, firstly, the standard ‘start/stop’ system, which worked remarkably well, producing a very smooth transition each time I moved after being stuck in traffic. Secondly, the rear parking sensors make it very easy for you to reverse without the worry of the car behind.

Other safety features as standard include intelligent driver and passenger airbags with a de-activation switch, electronic traction control and ABS. A full tank will manage a range of 829 miles, and with a top speed of 135mph, this car is certainly no slouch. O-60 mph is achieved in just under eight seconds.

All in all, the Alfa Giulietta TCT performed well. I found it very zippy when you want it to be whilst providing a very comfortable, steady drive when required. A good choice for fleets that are looking for something a little more special for passengers. L

Alfa Giulietta TCT MPG:

62.8 (combined)

CO2:

119 g/km

BIK:

15% petrol 13% diesel

PRICE:

£23,550 OTR

Volume 58 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

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THERE’S PLENTY TO THE NEW BMW 3 SERIES TOURING.

With the new BMW 3 Series Touring, there’s a revelation at every turn. Explore the wide range of petrol and diesel engines that achieve more power, yet still achieve greater fuel economy while emitting less CO2. The BMW 320d, for example, delivers 60.1mpg (combined) with emissions of just 123g/km CO2 for BIK from 18%. You’ll also encounter new standard features including a convenient powered tailgate and opening rear window, 495 litres of luggage space, 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats and 6.5＂Control Display with iDrive controller, alongside Drive Performance Control which allows for a selection of tailored driving modes.

To discover even more, visit www.bmwcorporate.co.uk or call us on 0800 777 113.

Official fuel economy figures for the new BMW 3 Series Touring: Urban 30.7–49.6mpg (9.2–5.7l/100km). Extra Urban 51.4–72.4mpg (5.5–3.9l/100km). Combined 41.5–60.1mpg (6.8–4.7l/100km). CO2 emissions 159–123g/km.

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

BMW Corporate Sales

bmwcorporate.co.uk Tel: 0800 777 113

DISCOVER.

The Ultimate Driving Machine

GreenFleet Awards 2012

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

GREENFLEET AWARDS 2012 WINNERS

AND THE WINNERS ARE....

The increasing availability of a wide range of eco-friendly options has enabled environmental fleet management to take huge leaps forward in 2012. This issue goes to press just in time to reveal the pick of this years GreenFleet Award winners, and there’ll be more online at www.greenfleetawards.co.uk soon CITY CAR MANUFACTURER Sponsored by Green Motion Winner: Peugeot The arrival of the 208, which is lighter and smaller than its predecessor, brings new levels of low CO2. Every diesel model is now below 99g/km and from 87g/ km. Even the petrol models, with new 3-cylinder engines feature CO2 from 99g/ km. Four of the five diesel engines are equipped with the latest Stop and Start technology, which uses a reverse polarity alternator/generator to produce seemless re-starting and reduce fuel wastage.

PRIVATE HIRE/TAXI COMPANY Sponsored by Cordic Winner: Climate Cars Now in its fifth year, Climate Cars has over 100 Toyota Prius hybrids and has recently added fully electric Fluence to the fleet after working with Renault to secure two of the first models to hit the UK, months ahead of public release. The combination of hybrid and fully electric vehicles plus GPS driven dispatch brings emissions down considerably. One of its largest clients now has a Fluence on site with a dedicated parking bay next to the charge point DRIVER TRAINING COMPANY Sponsored by Big Green Book Winner: Energy Saving Trust Through its Smarter and Fuel Efficient Driving instruction, to date the Energy Saving Trust (EST) has trained over 30,000 drivers from more than 500 organisations including EDF Energy, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, Hampshire NHS Trust and Oxford City Council. The training, subsidised by the Department for Transport and Transport Scotland, can improve fuel consumption by around 15 per cent. Working with partners in the UK and Europe, EST have conducted extensive research on the technical and behavioural issues associated with reducing fuel consumption.

Research found that 100 per cent of drivers found the techniques learned during the training to be useful in day-to-day driving.

The emphasis on greater awareness and anticipation also brings safety benefits and reduces vehicle wear and tear. This has been put to superb use, and has already helped hundreds of fleets in the UK.

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ELECTRIC VEHICLE Sponsored by EDF Energy Winner: Renault Kangoo Z.E. The Kangoo Z.E. was voted International Van of the Year for 2012. It has the same dimensions as the internal combustion model, using a synchronous electric motor with rotor coil. The vehicle is powered by a 22 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that delivers a combined-cycle range of 170 km which varies depending on factors such as type of road, temperature, speed or driving style. Top speed is capped electronically to 81mph.

FLEET CAR MANUFACTURER sponsored by Rockingham Winner: BMW The current BMW Group corporate sales order bank has a 45 per cent share of models with 120g/km of CO2 or less. The company has established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, and a clear commitment to conserving resources is an integral part of its strategy.

As a result of its efforts, the BMW Group has been ranked industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the last seven years.

IT INNOVATION AWARD Winner: Trimble The TVG-660 is a one box vehicle diagnostics solution that will fit any vehicle type, providing real-time diagnostics on driver behaviour, vehicle condition, faults, fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions. The TVG-660 gives a remote view of engine diagnostics to ascertain vehicle health without having to interrupt service in the field, allowing for improved fuel economy and reduced repair costs through proactive engine monitoring and maintenance.

LIGHT COMMERCIAL VEHICLE MANUFACTURER Sponsored by Michelin Winner: Fiat Professional Fiat Professional’s range is available with Bi-Link suspension, Start&Stop, eco:Drive Professional software and state of the art MultiJet diesel engines. eco:Drive Professional allows acceleration, deceleration, gearshift and speed information to be saved onto it automatically. Van drivers can enter various parameters such as the load, and by analysing the impact on efficiency can adopt appropriate behaviour. such as alternative routes etc.

LARGE GOODS VEHICLES Sponsored by Shell Winner: Iveco Iveco’s EcoStralis range optimises, wherever possible, all vehicle features from aerodynamics through to the engine, driveline, tyres and telematics to deliver up to eight per cent CO2 savings for long distance haulage. The company has already manufactured in excess of 6500 natural gaspowered vans and trucks for operation in Europe, and offers UK fleets a comprehensive line-up of gas models within its EcoDaily (light), Eurocargo (medium) and Stralis (heavy) range – available with power outputs from 136 to 300 hp. Amongst the customers taking delivery of gas-powered Ivecos in 2011/12 are Coca-Cola Enterprises, Tesco.com, John Lewis Partnership and Camden Council. As with the natural gas range, EcoDaily Electric is designed, manufactured and sold by Iveco, which means there is one supplier, one invoice and one warranty to manage. Iveco is currently testing a diesel electric hybrid system in refuse collection vehicles in Barcelona.

LEASING COMPANY Sponsored by CleanDrive Winner: Automotive Leasing Having already worked with 22 public sector/ not-for-profit organisations to encourage EV usage, Automotive Leasing has big plans to increase uptake through continued investment and communication with clients to overcome concerns. In 2011, the company helped shape a grant-funding framework to bridge the EV/diesel cost-gap, and was asked to join a transportation spending advisory panel. This year, Automotive Leasing became the only leasing company to be invited on to E-cosse: the Scottish Government’s workshop for EV promotion.

A pioneering approach, which encourages government subsidisation, is reinforced by its own risk-mitigation and ensures EVs are economically viable by working with vehicle manufacturers to negotiate EV battery guarantees, buy-back agreements and residual resale values. Long-term, Automotive Leasing is monitoring the development of commercially viable hydrogen-powered vehicles, and reviewing the potential of Mercedes’ upcoming SLS AMG E-Cell.

RENTAL COMPANY Winner: Green Motion Green Motion, a three-time GreenFleet Rental Company of the Year Award winner, is passionate about providing the most fuel efficient and least polluting vehicles for the purpose of rental, and strives to include the very latest technologies, such as all electric and range extender vehicles, in its offerings. E

PRIVATE SECTOR FLEET (ABOVE 250 VEHICLES) sponsored by Alphabet Winner: Tesco Tesco has one of the largest distribution fleets in the UK delivering up to eight million cases to 2545 stores 7 days a week. In 2007 Tesco made a commitment to reduce the CO2 emitted per case delivered by 50 per cent by 2012. The ‘F Plan’ carbon reduction diet is built on four simple ‘f’ pillars - fuller pallets, fuller trucks/containers, fewer miles and fuel economy. A restructuring of the distribution network saw a reduction from 36 depots to 26 depots, getting product closer to the shops reducing road miles. Introducing driver coaching tools delivered a five per cent reduction in fuel consumption, and reducing vehicle top speeds from 56mph to 50mph also saved a further five per cent.

CO2 emitted per case delivered has reduced by 51 per cent from the 2007 baseline.

The F plan and the supporting activity has removed 111 million miles from the roads saving 142,000 tonnes of CO2. Next year, plans to introduce duel fuel (CNG/diesel) vehicles with further reduce emissions.

E 2012 has seen the UK network expand with locations servicing major airports and key metropolitan areas as far south as Exeter and as far north as Edinburgh. Despite the continuing tough climate, Green Motion has demonstrated that corporate customers are willing to play their part in reducing CO2 emissions, and has seen a growing trend for demanding the choice to go green. It is also the only vehicle rental company in the UK to guarantee customers the opportunity of renting congestion charge exempt vehicles and/or hybrid only vehicles. This remains an industry first. The company continues to drive down emissions and is now firmly focused on being the world’s first rental company to operate average CO2 of under 100g/km.

INDUSTRY INNOVATION Winner: Vauxhall Ampera This years industry innovation winner was a clear choice. Vauxhall introduced Europe’s first E-REV into the UK Market. What sets the Ampera apart from other EVs is its range extender, a small 1.4-litre petrol-fuelled engine/generator which powers the electric motor (but not the wheels). According to European Test Cycle (ECE R101) figures, the Ampera achieves 235.4mpg and combined tailpipe emissions of just 27g/km.

PRIVATE SECTOR FLEET (BELOW 250 VEHICLES) sponsored by Fleetmatics Winner: Coca-Cola Enterprises Following a wide-ranging technical evaluation, the Coca-Cola Direct Store Distribution Fleet introduced 14 dedicated biomethane gas-powered HGVs into its North London operation earlier this year.

This locally-sourced fuel is landfill derived from household waste, enabling the capture of latent energy recovered from rubbish.

An independent analysis considered the entire CO2e associated with the conversion, transport and dispensing of biomethane gas, and concluded that this fuel is driving CO2 reductions of more than 60 per cent. The introduction of these vehicles has resulted in annual CO2e savings of 300 tonnes, as well as savings of 33kgs of particulate matter (97 per cent) and 1590kgs of nitric oxide (86 per cent). Further opportunities for biomethane gas infrastructure are being investigated.

During 2011, internal driver trainers were also upskilled to SAFED standards, and have since been working with CocaCola’s own transport management teams to further develop the skill-set of drivers.

GreenFleet Awards 2012

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

PUBLIC SECTOR FLEET (BELOW 250 VEHICLES) sponsored by Automotive Leasing Winner: City of London Corporation The area governed is at the heart of London and is commonly referred to as the ‘square mile’. It has high levels of pollution and is an Air Quality Management Area for nitrogen dioxide and fine particles (PM10). The City of London Corporation operates a mixed fleet of over 200 vehicles, which includes six electrics, three hybrids and 50 tractors. It has strived to improve its environmental performance for a number of years, introducing a range of policies to reduce carbon, nitrogen dioxide and PM10. Between the financial years 2008/9 and 2009/10, there was a 16 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions, a 32 per cent reduction in NOx, and a 45 per cent reduction in PM10. Enterprise Maintenance Service (EMS) took over the contract for waste collection in October 2011, and as part of the dialogue has recently purchased six Mercedes Econics Electric Twin Pack RCV’s which are used to collect household, commercial and recyclable waste.

PUBLIC SECTOR FLEET (ABOVE 250 VEHICLES) sponsored by Enterprise Rent-a-Car Winner: Tube Lines Emissions have been reduced by 25 per cent since 2009 through intensive vehicle and driver management at Tube Lines, a founder member of the Freight Operators Recognition Scheme. It operates a diverse fleet to provide a wide range of services - over 1500 vehicles total around 15 million km per annum. Five per cent of the fleet uses alternative fuels including electricity, LPG and hybrids. Overall, the car fleet averages an impressive 114g/km of CO2. L

Volume 58 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

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Product Finder

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

CONTRACT HIRE

ELECTRIC CHARGING SOLUTIONS

Schneider Electric Fleetdrive Harleyford Marina, Henley Road Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 2DX Tel: 0800 1971297 sales@fleetdrive.co.uk www.fleetdrive.co.uk Fleetdrive specialise in helping businesses with 5 – 80 cars or light commercials get best value and great service. Our services include contract hire, finance lease, maintenance, accident management, risk management and rental tied together with our online management system.

CONTRACT HIRE - ELECTRIC

Stafford Park 5, Telford, Shropshire TF3 3BL Tel: 0870 608 8608 Fax: 0870 608 8606 gb-customerservices@ schneider-electric.com www.schneider-electric.co.uk As a global specialist in energy management with operations in more than 100 countries, Schneider Electric offers integrated solutions across multiple market segments. With the current adoption of electric vehicles, we have pooled our expertise to develop and offer you the right charging solution for today’s changing transportation landscape.

FLEET MANAGEMENT AND FUNDING

Lex Autolease Fleetdrive Electric Harleyford Marina, Henley Road Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 2DX Tel: 0330 303 2020 sales@fleetdriveelectric.co.uk www.fleetdrive-electric.com Since we helped to fund the first Tesla back in 2008 Fleetdrive helped businesses ensure they are using the most suitable vehicles available, information about charge points etc. We can help with demonstration vehicles if you are considering electric cars or vans.

CONTRACT HIRE

Blake House, Hatchford Way, Birmingham B26 3RZ Tel: 0800 389 3690 marketing@lexautolease.co.uk www.lexautolease.co.uk 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.

FLEET MAMAGEMENT REPORTING

PRIVATE HIRE/COURIER SERVICES

QDell LHR Express Cars 91 Station Road West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7LT Tel: 01895 444333 service@qdelllhr.co.uk www.qdelllhr.co.uk Located near Heathrow airport, airport runs are our speciality, we offer a meet and greet service where uniformed representatives monitor flights, meet your VIP’s and escort them to a waiting vehicle. Electric hybrids.

Diesel hybrids, electric vehicles are included in our fleet We use biofuel made from 100% recycled cooking oil.

SAFETY MANAGEMENT

GreenRoad Fleet House, 8-12 New Bridge Street London EC4V 6AL UK Tel: 020 7822 8563 www.greenroad.com GreenRoad is the leader in driver performance and safety management for fleets. The GreenRoad Driver Improvement Loop™ uses technology-based, personalised driver selfimprovement to transform driving culture and deliver the best drivers. Proven across over 70,000 drivers worldwide from all industry segments, GreenRoad dramatically reduces crashes, fuel consumption and emissions so customers realise positive ROI within months.

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

Days Contract Hire Swansea Road Garngoch Swansea SA4 4LL Tel: 0845 815 0019 contracthire@days.co.uk www.dayscontracthire.co.uk Days Contract Hire is a unique independent contract hire company servicing private and public sector clients across the UK. Specialists in providing bespoke fleet funding and management solutions for clients of all shapes and sizes.

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Alphabet Form One, Bartley Wood Business Park Hook, Hampshire RG27 9XA Tel: 0870 50 50 100 alphabet@alphabet.co.uk www.alphabet.co.uk GreenCARE is Alphabet’s comprehensive online reporting, analysis and modelling tool designed to help customers reduce their CO2 emissions, fuel and fleet costs, while benchmarking performance against ‘average’ and ‘best in class’ fleet performers. Speak to us today to find out more about how GreenCARE can help to reshape your fleet.

Alphabet 24, 25 Ashwoods 33 Auto Windscreens 22 BMW 42, 43 Box Telematics 6 Citroen 10, 11 Days Contract Hire 30 Driver Check 40 Fiat OBC Fleetdrive Electric 46 Green Road 46 Lex Autolease 4 Mercedes IFC Mini 34 Qdell 16 Renault IBC Schneider Electric 32 Shell 38, 39 Telefonica 28 TIR Training Services 22 Vauxhall 8 Volvo 14, 15

A QUICK PLUG FOR THE NEW 100% ELECTRIC RENAULT KANGOO VAN Z.E.

Van of the Year

It’s What Van’s van of 2012. And it’s the first electric van to be crowned International Van of the Year. Pretty impressive as it went head to head with vans across every category. But with a range of 106 miles* and low running costs, it’s easy to understand why. Visit renault.co.uk/ze *New European Drivng Cycle (combined).

DRIVE THE CHANGE Terms and exclusions apply. Warranty up to 4 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. Service 48,000 miles. See Renault.co.uk/4+ for details. For Finance, guarantees and indemnities may be required. Finance, subject to age and status, provided by RCI Financial Services Limited, PO Box 149, Watford WD17 1FJ.

The facts.

The sporty new Punto TwinAir comes with the revolutionary TwinAir engine.

Which means 74.3 mpg, only 98g/km of CO², 10% BIK rating, zero VED and zero London Congestion Charge*.

New Punto TwinAir. Visit fiat.co.uk/fleet for more info.

fiat.co.uk

Fiat, the car brand with the lowest average CO² emissions in Europe†. Fuel consumption figures for the Fiat Punto TwinAir in mpg (l/100km): Urban 57.6 (4.9); Extra Urban 74.3 (3.8); Combined 67.3 (4.2). CO² emissions 98 g/km. *100% congestion charge discount is based on the current TFL policy which requires registration with TFL and £10 annual fee. Under current DVLA regulations there is no charge for Vehicle Excise Duty in the first year of registration and every subsequent year. Vehicle Excise Duty rates are reviewed annually by the government and are subject to change. †Source: JATO Dynamics. Based on volume-weighted average CO² emissions (g/km) of the best selling brands in Europe, full year 2011.