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Opportunity or threat?

Industry reaction to Uber’s game-changing Autocab acquisition

Uber’s European boss Jamie Heywood on the company’s ‘sea change’ TOUR DE FORCE

Ford raises the bar with Tourneo Custom PHEV

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comment

Playing the long game

U

ber’s acquisition of Autocab has

at least given the industry something to focus its attention on. There’s not a lot else going on. Coronavirus hasn’t gone away, and we seem to be in the middle of a “second spike”, which will only serve to delay the return of the old normal.

In practical terms, this means the Uber-Autocab deal will have little impact on the day-to-day. People are not travelling, so those Londoners taking the train up to towns where there’s no Uber operation, firing up their apps and now being able to access a local firm via Autocab’s iGo, will not be there – at least not for a while.

For the moment, we have the absurd spectacle of a government urging people to go back to work in city offices, apparently to stop the local Starbucks from going bust. Hmm. The bigger issue is whether companies really need those flash offices at all. Most of us have been going about our business using virtual meetings on Zoom, Teams or Skype. Having a workforce in one place will not bring business back.

Many businesses are doing OK through working remotely, and many workers are quite reasonably anxious about stepping back on to crowded trains and buses, which cannot be sanitised as rigorously as a car.

Here is an opportunity for us to build a new business. Some companies have been relatively unaffected by Covid-19 – indeed, have prospered.

Food is still required, and much of it is prepared in various factories, where hygiene has already been paramount. But there have been examples of outbreaks of Covid-19 in food factories, where one staff member has become infected while travelling to work, and the whole plant has had to close for deepcleaning.

This risk can be minimised by using car services to take workers to work. A car can be cleaned between each trip, and thus the extra cost is worth spending. And using our sector rather than private cars reduces congestion, and obviates the need for more and more car parks. Airport runs may not be back for a while, but commuter work, food deliveries and other jobs are out there.

Meanwhile, back at Uber, a lot of operators have a decision to make. There are a lot of opinions – many

4 04-ProDriver-Aug-2020.indd 4

of them strident – about Uber’s motivation.

We present the opposing views in this issue, We have the Uber view from European head Jamie Heywood, and we have a strong viewpoint from Autocab’s main rival, iCabbi.

All we would offer is the old maxim: act in haste, repent at leisure. On the face of it, the Uber move is positive. It seems to signal a change in the company’s ethos and it’s coming from the top, where senior managers from big online businesses have replaced the silicon valley techies that started the firm, and created its rather toxic culture.

Engaging with operators has to be a step in the right direction, though it’s really a question of trust.

Uber has done little in the past eight years to win friends in the industry, and it’s understandable that scepticism is the order of the day.

But what Uber does have is a lot of fans among the public. You might hate Uber – but your customers, more often than not love it. Uber has without question grown the private hire market – especially in London. Elsewhere it has been less successful – and the Autocab move might be a reflection that it has realised this. After all, after an initial flurry of expansion, Uber has not opened up a direct operation in a new UK town for four years. And it refers to this as “our previous model”.

One fear that has been expressed is that Uber plans to build up work in new towns via local operators, then turn that tap off and set up a local direct operation. But why would it do that? It would undermine the Autocab deal immediately if it built a presence in, say, 50 towns and then changed tack in one. iCabbi would have 50 new clients overnight.

If Uber does go down the route of being a platform, then surely that is its future. Surely it makes better business sense to take a small cut from a lot of jobs everywhere, rather than engage in damaging local price wars everywhere. Ultimately Uber will be judged on its actions. It’s hard to be dispassionate about a business that has gone out of its way to put this industry’s nose out of joint. But clear heads are needed. Play the long game. Because Uber is doing just that.

Mark Bursa Editor markbursa@prodrivermags.com

AUGUST 2020 31/08/2020 16:10

contents

12 30

24

12-23

OVER STORY C Opportunity or threat? Uber’s Autocab takeover explained

6-8 Business News The latest from around the UK private hire sector

10 N ews analysis Covid-19 leaves CAZ plans in limbo 16-20 E XCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Mark Bursa talks to Uber’s European head, Jamie Heywood 24-26 Road Test Ford Tourneo Custom PHEV

27 Looking ahead Electric seven-seaters are on the way 30-31 Road Test Mercedes-Benz E300de facelift

32 Running report BMW 745Le plug-in hybrid 34 Used Cars

Choosing a secondhand Hyundai Ioniq hybrid Regular features

36 The Insider

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Opportunity or threat?

Industry reaction to Uber’s game-changing Autocab acquisition

Uber’s European boss Jamie Heywood on the company’s ‘sea change’

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uber-autocab

Uber’s sea change Uber’s takeover of Autocab marks the start of a new approach for the ride-hailing giant, its European head Jamie Heywood tells Mark Bursa

U

BER HAS ALWAYS Jamie considered itself a Heywood disrupter, and the company’s announcement that it had acquired dispatch systems provider Autocab has certainly disrupted the equilibrium of the fragile, taxi and private hire business. In a sector weakened by the ongoing effects of Covid-19, the deal has been the equivalent of a hand grenade in a crowded room.

The reactions have been predictably hostile – after all, Uber has not spent the eight years since it launched in the change of approach. He even describes UK making friends within the sector. Instead, Uber’s original approach of opening its own it seemed to have firmly established itself as operations in other towns as “our previous the enemy – a low-cost, tech-enabled predator model” – pointing out that the last time Uber out to steal your business. actually moved into a new town with its own Suddenly, overnight Uber has changed its operation was in 2016. message. Now, Uber wants to be your partner.

“It does mark a change. I joined Uber just It wants to offer you work and use established over two years ago and one of the things I’ve private hire and taxi firms to take on Uber tried to change is that we listen more, be jobs in towns where it does not operate, rather more respectful and more humble. Part of than setting up a local Uber operation. Sounds that is partnering with taxi and private hire great – but why should we believe that this is operators. We are changing as a company. I the new reality? hope we’re a bit less brash than we were, a bit Jamie Heywood took over as Uber’s more humble and more willing to listen. My European head in 2018. Formerly with online commitment to Professional Driver readers is retail giant Amazon, he’s one of a new breed we do want to hear their concerns and I will of experienced e-commerce managers who try and be as frank and honest as possible in have replaced Silicon Valley techies in key jobs answering them,” he said. at the company since former Expedia boss “It’s been almost four years since we Dara Khosrowshahi replaced founder Travis launched in a new city, and we currently have Kalanick as Uber CEO in 2017. no plans to launch with our previous model in Heywood is adamant that the Autocab move any more. I can see a world where almost all signals a change in approach at Uber, and the future expansion with Uber, particularly that the Autocab deal represents a permanent

ESTABLISHED SINCE 2005 TOUR DE FORCE

Ford raises the bar with Tourneo Custom PHEV

in the UK, will be in partnership with local taxi and private hire companies.”

This would accelerate growth into areas where Uber does not operate.

Heywood said: “We currently only operate in 40 cities in the UK so there are a lot of cities where you go and find that our service is not available.

People travel to those areas and don’t get a service when they open the app.

It’s good if we can connect those riders with local taxi and private hire operators in those cities.”

For some cities where Uber already has a presence, that might mean some Uber jobs going, effectively, to Uber’s rivals. Heywood is comfortable with this.

“Our intention is to offer riders the best choices possible. I don’t see incosnsistency in, say, Manchester where we offer a range of services.”

Could Uber even scale back in cities where it operates and use local firms instead? In towns such as Manchester and Newcastle, Uber a presence but has not achieved anything like the market domination it has managed in London. “I wouldn’t rule it out,” Heywood said. “We are in the very, very early stages of a long-term relationship build. I think we need to earn the trust of the industry and show that our growth can support the growth in the local industry. It’s not impossible that we could start to change the model in some of the cities in which we currently operate, but it’s early days. We need to make sure Autocab’s current customers feel excited about the investments we’re putting in to Autocab.”

And here is where the charm offensive is

16

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news

Investment specialist MBH acquires Leicester taxi company ADT for £3.4m Mark Bursa London-based investment company MBH Corporation PLC has bought Leicester-based taxi operator ADT for £3.4 million. ADT has 600 drivers on strength and the company owns 150 of its cars.

ADT is part of the Riide network, and indeed in 2017 changed its company name to Driven by Riide Ltd, though it has continued to trade as ADT (Ashley David Taxis). It is unclear whether it will trade as Driven By Riide, as on August 16, just after the MBH takeover, the company filed a resolution with Companies House to change its name again to Take Me (Group) Ltd. ADT CEO David Hunter, who founded ADT in 2002, said: “We are excited to be joining MBH at a pivotal moment for the company. We have strong growth ambitions which MBH will be instrumental in helping us achieve; in the next 18 months our aim is to buy other fleets and expand our network and rebrand with a national tech focussed name. Over the past few years we have become fully cloud-based having automated our 600-vehicle fleet, and 70% of our bookings come through our customer app.”

He continued: “Our further ambition is to

[FROM LEFT] ADT founders David Hunter and Ashley Butcher

merge other profit-making private hire fleets under one company and brand and to streamline them and modernise them to cloud-based fleet management companies. I am very excited about the future and our potential with MBH.” Hunter said the ambition was to double the fleet size to 1,200 cars. The company’s services include minibuses, airport transfers and web accounts. And it has diversified during the coronavirus pandemic, by introducing a food delivery service through its EatMe app. ADT generated audited revenues of £3.9m and underlying profits of £0.8m in the 11 months to April 30, 2020.

Callum Laing, CEO of MBH Corporation, said:

“David and his team have substantial growth plans and we are delighted to be working with them to achieve that. As we move into a scenario where last mile logistics become increasingly valuable, having the experience and the network of drivers that Driven by Riide has will prove critical. People, parcels or your dinner, Driven by Riide will ultimately be able to deliver.”

Laing said MBH has made 14 acquisitions in a number of industry sectors and markets in the past two years, including five deals since the start of the Covid-19 crisis. ADT is the first transport acquisition; recently it bought an Essex-based joinery company, GS Contracts. The company operates in fields as diverse as construction, education and leisure, and has made acquisitions as far afield as New Zealand and Singapore.

Laing said the MBH typically targeted SME businesses that were “owner-operated and were ‘not for sale’ where the founders wanted money to grow but did not want to exit the business.

“There is no shortage of good, well-run businesses out there,” he said. The taxi sector was of interest because the sector was “very fragmentred” and there was an opportunity to consolidate.

Manchester proposes colourcoded scheme for taxis and PHVs

Cabbies unhappy as Free Now app adds PH cars in bid to beat Uber

and will be made to follow more Greater Manchester’s combined stringent booking requirements. authority has proposed that Burnham said: “We want to see a the region’s hackney taxis be more modern fleet across Greater painted black and all private hire Manchester with higher standards vehicles white as part of plans to and cleaner vehicles. “modernise” services. The combined “This is part of Greater authority said it wanted to introduce Manchester becoming a world-class common minimum standards for city. You would expect to taxi and private hire firms, see a consistent taxi fleet and wanted the sector to in any other city of Greater move to an entirely zeroManchester’s size across emissions fleet by 2029. the world.”

Greater Manchester The plans will be mayor Andy Burnham said included within the Greater such consistency would be Manchester Clean Air expected in similar sized Plan, which goes out for cities across the world. For an eight-week consultation drivers this would include Andy Burnham in October. As well as common standards on proposing the UK’s largest Clean criminal record checks, local area Air Zone, which will charge vehicles knowledge tests, English language with high emissions, it also aims skills and driving proficiency. There to encourage private hire firms to would also be a set standard on make the switch to cleaner vehicles. vehicle emissions, ages, colour, Burnham said: “We want people to common livery, the use of CCTV, and change vehicles once, and be safe in accessibility, he added. the knowledge that they don’t have Meanwhile operators would be to change again.” subject to criminal record checks

Taxi app Free Now is now offering both hackney carriage and private hire services via the same app in London. The move follows the merger earlier in the year of Free Now and Kapten, both of which are owned

by Daimler.

The combined service is now looking to take the London top spot from Uber, though it is already facing criticism from Black Cab drivers, who previously had exclusive access to Free Now, formerly known as MyTaxi, the dominant ride-hailing app in Germany.

The merged app uses the Free Now brand, and this gives fleet the scale and passenger base to become the number one market player with access to over 35,000 drivers using the app in London. But Black Cab drivers have taken to social media, saying they might boycott the app, as they did in 2014 with Hailo. Hailo was an earlier taxi app that also added PHV services. Disgruntled cabbies painted graffiti on Hailo’s offices and crossed out Hailo ads on their vehicles, forcing the app to climb down. Hailo was itself taken over by MyTaxi in 2016, and now is effectively part of Free Now. Free Now or Kapten users can download an updated Free Now app, which gives them

6 06-ProDriver-Aug-2020.indd 6

a choice of taxi or PHV. The app also gives access to Free Now’s fleet of electric vehicles, which it claims is the largest among all ride-hailing apps in any city in Europe.

Around 40% of the company’s black cab trips are already taken in an electric vehicle.

As well as black cabs and PHVs, the firm is advising a number of London boroughs and local councils on the implementation of rental e-scooters, and will be rolling-out its own e-scooter rental service in the capital over the coming months, as it already has in a range of European cities.

Mariusz Zabrocki, general manager of Free Now UK, and leader of the new joint business, said: “As a result of Covid-19, the transport sector has changed radically and we’re seeing increased demand for personal modes of transport. We’re ideally placed to offer customers a convenient, safe and efficient means of travel, whether for work or to see friends and family. Our new, merged offering is also going to support drivers by offering a much broader passenger base and increasing the pool of customers they have access to, which will ultimately mean more business, after what has been a particularly tough time for drivers.”

AUGUST 2020 31/08/2020 16:10

news Uber London licence appeal to be heard on September 14

Lancashire council invests £64,000 to fit safety screens to all taxis and PHVs

Uber’s delayed appeal against the loss of its London licence will be heard on September 14 at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. The hearing was delayed from July because of the Covid-19 crisis. The trial will hear evidence from Uber and Transport for London, as well as black cab trade body the LTDA, which was allowed to take part in the case in February.

Uber’s licence was not renewed by TfL last November, citing public safety issues after the regulator received more than 700 complaints in a year about the ride-hailing app’s drivers.

It also emerged that some drivers were using fake identities as a result of a security flaw in the Uber system – which the LTDA claims Uber tried to cover up. Uber denies this allegation.

Blackburn with Darwen Council in Lancashire has invested £64,000 to fit perspex screens in all of the borough’s 1,000 licensed taxis and private hire vehicles in a bid to protect drivers from the Covid-19 virus.

The project has been backed by Pennine Lancashire licensing officers and Directors of Public Health from across Lancashire. Taxi drivers from a BAME background have been identified as an ‘at-risk’ group, so this targeted intervention has been designed to reduce their likely rate of exposure to Coronavirus as well as the potential to transmit the virus to their customers.

The Council will fund the initial purchase and installation of screens with drivers responsible for replace-

Mark Bursa

ments as and when necessary. The Council is also promoting Covid-safe practices, encouraging taxi drivers to make use of the offer of getting tested in the borough either via the mobile testing unit or the regional testing unit at Royal Blackburn Hospital.

Cllr Jim Smith, Executive Mem-

ber for Environmental Services, said: “This is a good move for the safety of both drivers and passengers and will help to reduce transmission of coronavirus. The screens are likely to provide added benefit, especially when coupled with the usage of face coverings.”

Kia secures big increase in e-Niro electric car supplies Kia Motors (UK) has secured extra supplies of its strong-selling e-Niro electric car. Supplies of the car were extremely scarce in 2019, with just 800 vehicles imported. But production in Korea has been ramped up, and as a result, KMUK sold more e-Niros in July 2020 than in the whole of 2019.

The battery-electric e-Niro has a 282-mile range, making it one of the most practical EVs on the market. But with supplies limited, private custiomers rather than fleets have been the target market. Availability has been increased even further in the second half of 2020, bringing down lead times to around a month.

This increase in UK allocation for e-Niro also supports back orders, which are now significantly reduced. Additionally it provides the 186-strong Kia dealer network the oppor-

tunity to display more demonstrator models, allowing customers to see and feel the car.

The increase in supply is focussed mainly on the e-Niro, however additional supply has also been added to the UK allocation of Soul EVs, giving more UK customers the option between two EVs. Kia Motors (UK) CEO Paul Philpott said: “The Niro family has brought increased variance, style and eco credentials to our UK product offering. With the additional e-Niro availability coming to our shores it places our dealer partners in a better position to satisfy the huge demand we have received for the vehicle.”

Darlington drivers see red over colour scheme With the taxi trade struggling to survive the loss of trade resulting from the Covid-19 epidemic, Darlington Borough Council is threatening to add further costs to operators by insisting that taxis are sprayed or wrapped in a particular shade of red.

As part of a review of local taxi licensing policy, it has been suggested that that hackney carriage cabs might have to be a particular shade of post-box red, and has specified a Pantone colour number, 485. The council argues that it will make cabs easier to identify. Currently hackney carriage vehicles in Darlington are red, but the shade of red is not specified. Private hire vehicles licensed by the borough can be any colour except red.

Drivers argue that the vehicle of their choice may not be available in that specific shade of red, limiting their options. The council said they would have to get the cab wrapped in the shade of red required for hackney carriage usage.

AUGUST 2020 06-ProDriver-Aug-2020.indd 7

7 31/08/2020 16:10

news

Government’s taxi and private hire guidance falls short of standards required, says Institute of Licensing chief Mark Bursa The Department for Transport has drawn criticism for its “robust” new statutory standards for the taxi and private hire vehicle sector – including app-based services - across England and Wales.

Among new recommendations announced by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps (pictured), drivers will have to take an enhanced DBS criminal record check every six months, as well as undertaking safeguarding training to help drivers identify and respond to passengers that may be being abused or exploited.

One benefit of the guidance is that the government has abandoned the so-called “ABBA principle”, which would have made all journeys start or end in the operator’s licensed area.

In a statement, the Licensed Private Hire Association said: “We welcome the fact that government has not pursued the restrictive and un-environmentally friendly proposal.”

James Button, president of the Institute of Licensing, said the guidance fell short of what he would regard as standards, and referring to the guidance as such was “misleading”. He said he hoped the new guidance was a prelude to more substantial new legislation for the sector.

“These are not statutory requirements and they are not what most licensing professionals would regard

as standards. They do not address the requirements for drivers, vehicles, or operators in any detail: rather they are a broad overview,” Button said.

Nevertheless, he said they were “a welcome addition” and should assist licensing authorities in arriving at a more standardised approach. “However they are no substitute for updated hackney carriage and private hire legislation, the need for which remains as vital now as when the Law Commission looked at this almost a decade ago. It is hoped that this guidance is a prelude to further and more substantial updating of the archaic legislation that governs hackney carriage and private hire licensing.”

LPHCA Chairman Steve Wright welcomed the improved safety aspects of the measures, but expressed concerns about the timing of the announcement. He said that a survey of LPHCA members, nine out of 10 said regulatory authorities should suspend pending PHV and Taxi policy changes.

“The LPHCA will now seek dialogue with government to get a great deal more clarity and obtain more detailed information about implementation at a time many local authority licensing resources are inactive or under duress to keep existing licensing services operational.”

The DfT said local authorities will be expected to implement the new

Grant Schapps

Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards, which are designed to improve consistency in the licensing system, reducing the risk of harm posed to children and vulnerable passengers in the process – following historic serious cases of taxi and PHV drivers abusing their position of trust.

A recommendation for licensing authorities to consider whether the use of CCTV would be beneficial or proportionate in their areas is also included, which sets out that potential privacy issues must be taken into account. The LPHCA said it was “pleased” with the recommendation, which sets out that potential privacy issues must be taken into account.

Shapps said: “We know the majority of drivers provide an important and safe service for communities, but in light of appalling incidents in places like Rochdale, Oxford, Newcastle and Rotherham, more must be done

Mercedes Benz to launch new T-Class MPV in 2022 In a surprise move, Mercedes-Benz Vans has announced it will launch a new compact van and MPV range from 2022. The new T-Class will come as a cargo and passenger-carrying vehicle, and versions will be pitched specifically at the taxi market.

Mercedes-Benz said the T-Class would offer a large amount of space and would be suited to a range of different uses, including “passenger transportation as a reference within sharing services”. The car has wide-opening sliding doors on both the sides. It will be smaller than the existing V-Class, which is based on the Vito van, and will replace the current Citan Tourer, launched in 2012.

The Citan range is part of an alliance between

8 08-ProDriver-Aug-2020.indd 8

Daimler and Renault. The Citan is based on the Renault Kangoo and is built in France by Renault, it is likely that this arrangement will continue.

The T-Class is also likely to receive a Renault electric powertrain as well as petrol and diesel engines.

to protect passengers from those who abuse their position of trust. That’s why we’re looking to licensing authorities to enforce these rigorous new standards – ensuring drivers are fit to transport passengers in a safe environment and to stop those who aren’t. We expect all licensing authorities to implement the standards and won’t hesitate to introduce legislation if they don’t fulfil their responsibilities to keep the public safe.”

Among other changes, all drivers applying for a licence should now be required to disclose if they hold or have previously held a licence in another area. Local authorities will also now have to have robust reporting systems in place to make sure passengers feel comfortable reporting incidents and or suspicious behaviour.

This follows the Casey Report which found there was inadequate investigation of some complaints in Rotherham.

The Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association has asked Transport for London to introduce the new six-month DBS checks only when a driver’s licence is next up for renewal, as this would allow drivers to subscribe to the DBS update service, which is paid for annually and negates the need to update drivers’ status. “The annual cost of the update service actually works out cheaper than paying for a check every 3 years,” said LTDA general secretary Steve McNamara.

Karhoo adds new travel sector partners to bolster global ambitions

Mobility aggregator Karhoo has added four new partners to expand its exposure in the international travel market. Now owned by Renault, Karhoo connects taxi and chauffeur fleets with travel clients. The new partnerships are with Trip.com; Fareportal, which also operates CheapOair.com and OneTravel.com; accessible travel platform Mobee Travel; and Lyko, a multi-model platform dedicated to airport transfers. Trip.com alone has 300 million members worldwide.

Karhoo’s service has recently been made available on Booking.com and Hoppa. Karhoo offers access to 3 million drivers in more than 1,500 cities in 125 countries around the world, including 500 fleets in more than 100 towns and cities in the UK.

AUGUST 2020 31/08/2020 16:10

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The indicated values were determined according to the prescribed measurement method - Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). Figures shown may include options which are not available in the UK. *CO2 figures have been converted into NEDC-equivalent values for use with the current VED and BIK tax legislation. Figures shown are for comparability purposes; only compare with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. Figures may not reflect real life driving results, which will depend upon a number of factors including the factory fitted options, accessories fitted (post registration), variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load. Further information about the test used to establish fuel consumption and CO2 figures can be found at www.mercedes-benz.co.uk/WLTP *BUSINESS USERS ONLY. 36 month Contract Hire agreement. 10,000 miles per annum. Contract Hire rentals exclude maintenance. Based on a 2018 registered Approved Used Vito 119CDI Tourer Select Extra-Long. Mileage and damage charges apply. Rentals exclude VAT 20%. No ownership. Subject to availability at participating Dealers. Offer ends 30/09/2020. Mercedes-Benz Finance.

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31/08/2020 16:13

news

Clean Air Zones on hold as Covid-19 keeps commuters off the roads Mark Bursa There are few positives from the Coronavirus crisis as far as the taxi and private hire trade is concerned. But one might be the delay - perhaps indefinitely – of Clean Air Zones around the UK. While a cleaner environment is something everyone wants, the looming threat of daily charges for city taxi operators without the latest cars is another financial burden at a time when many need financial help. But it seems that the reduction in traffic levels in cities as workers drop the commute in favour of working from home has forced some city councils to have a rethink.

Both Leeds and Bristol councils, which had among the most comprehensive Clean Air Zone plans, have announced delays to their schemes, simply because air quality has improved following the coronavirus pandemic.

Leeds city council has suspended plans to introduce its Clean Air Zone in September because improvements in air quality caused by fewer vehicles on the road during the pandemic could result in government funding for the CAZ being withdrawn. The council’s deputy leader James Lewis said: “If the city’s air pollution is expected to stay below legal limits, then we will no longer have the support of the government to introduce a charging Clean Air Zone. Given this uncertainty, our financial support will continue to be paused until the review is complete and we have received further direction.”

Leeds had previously delayed the scheme from its original January 2020 launch date to September 28, but now new timeframe has been announced, and Lewis said it might not be needed at all. “As a result of the coronavirus pandemic we have seen pollution levels fall significantly due to the quieter roads. Leeds residents now breathe air that is considerably cleaner and safer than just a few months ago.”

But there were other reasons too, Lewis added.

“Coronavirus has led to big changes but, thanks to the city’s collective action, local air quality has actually been improving for some time.” He put this partly down to the council’s work to help buses, taxis, private hire and businesses to switch to cleaner vehicles. The council has awarded more than £6.8m to the end of July to help local firms switch to cleaner vehicles. There are now more than 2,200 low-emission vehicles licensed by Leeds City Council as taxis or PHVs. Meanwhile, Bristol had planned to ban all diesel vehicles from a small central area of the city, while also implementing a zone that would charge more polluting vehicles to enter, but this was dropped

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over government concerns about a full diesel ban.

Bristol mayor Marvin Rees said Bristol was now working on new Clean Air Zone criteria that could mean charges on polluting private vehicles were no longer needed.

Mayor Rees said: “We have maintained a fair improvement in the quality of air in the city because travel and work patterns have changed during the lockdown. If we can maintain the best of those changes in those work patterns and lifestyles, we believe we will be able to pursue a plan to get us to compliance in the shortest possible time in a way that doesn’t actually charge households and businesses.”

He continued: “That would be the best of all worlds as we go into the worst economic depression in 300 years with the impacts on businesses and households in the city. If we can get to compliance without further compounding their economic woes, that would be the best for Bristol.”

Not all councils are so hopeful. In Bath, which had been due to launch a CAZ this November, plans will proceed, but with the introduction of the zone delayed to an unspecified date. The Bath plan was more advanced than Bristol’s and the council has secured millions of pounds from central government for the scheme. The Bath CAZ will charge the worst polluting taxis, private hire vehicles, minibuses, LGVs and vans £9 a day to enter.

Councillor Sarah Warren, joint cabinet member for climate emergency for Bath and North East Somerset Council, said: “Our plans remain unchanged. With traffic returning to nearly normal levels following lockdown, we remain committed to reducing NOx levels in the city to within legal limits and improving air quality in the shortest possible time.”

In Manchester too, the CAZ launch has been

delayed from 2021 to 2022, but councillors are adamant it will go ahead. It will cover all 10 local council areas and levy charges on non-compliant HGVs, buses, taxis, private hire vehicles, vans and minibuses, but not private cars. Greater Manchester is proposing that up to £120m of central government funding will be made available by way of lump sum grants and contributory finance to provide support to around 30,000 affected owners and operators of non-compliant vehicles, including replacement taxis and private hire vehicles.

Steve Warrener, director of finance & corporate services at Transport for Greater Manchester, said: “Greater Manchester is committed to supporting vehicle owners, to make sure they can upgrade to cleaner vehicles ahead of the introduction of the proposed Clean Air Zone.” This includes creating a panel of approved vehicle finance providers to offer affordable vehicle finance using governmentprovided Clean Air funding.

This has done little to placate taxi drivers, who took to the streets last week in a go-slow protest down Oxford Street in opposition to the CAZ plans.

Taxi and private hire drivers claim the cost to change to cleaner vehicles will put some firms out of business.

Karl Warburton, spokesman for the Greater Manchester Taxi Trade Coalition, said modernising vehicles would be “financially inhibitive” and is calling for 30% to 40% subsidies. He said: “We want our voice to be heard and not ignored. We also challenge the validity of the justification for a CAZ given the readings across the DEFRA roadside monitoring stations. We believe that we are being targeted as a cohort of affected vehicles unfairly and without any justification. We see ourselves as a vital part of the transport infrastructure of this region even if the authorities do not.”

A Greater Manchester Combined Authority spokesman said: “The taxi and private hire sector has been hit hard by the pandemic. Greater Manchester has worked hard to secure government financial support for those most affected, to help upgrade vehicles to meet these emissions standards.”

Most CAZ proposals would impose charges on taxis and PHVs that do not comply with Euro 4 emissions standards for petrol vehicles and Euro 6 for diesels. This basically places no realistic age limit on petrol cars – Euro 4 standards were mandatory from January 2005, while Euro 6 was mandatory from September 2015 – though most cars were compliant from September 2014.

So the newest non-compliant PHV or taxi would be more than six years old, and probably due for replacement in any case.

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31/08/2020 16:13

uber-autocab

Autocab moves to reassure unhappy operators’ data fears after dramatic Uber takeover Mark Bursa

U

BER’S ACQUISITION OF AUTOCAB HAS ADDED ANOTHER TWIST TO 2020’S PLOT. It has been a divisive move as far as the industry is concerned, with some Autocab users vowing to ditch Autocab’s dispatch software and switch to another provider rather than work for a company connected to Uber, which they see as an enemy.

Autocab moved quickly to reassure Jon Smith operators that the company’s sale to Uber will open up new opportunities for them, as it will give them access to jobs in towns and cities where the US ride-hailing operator does not operate.

With Uber being a publicly traded stock, there was no way any advance warning could be given because of stock market rules, so the news came as something of a shock.

Autocab arranged a webinar on the day of the deal to explain the deal, though not all operators were placated.

On LinkedIn, Alan Thomas, managing director of Radio Cars of Liverpool, said the move was a “betrayal”. He said: “I don’t eat to be associated in any way with a company that takes no responsibility for its drivers and how provider for an undisclosed sum, giving it they conduct themselves. It is a total sell-out access to Autocab’s technology, including its of the trade by the very people we trusted to iGo aggregator platform, as well as a UK user combat Uber.” base of 75,000 cars. Autocab’s management Other operators have taken a more team, including managing director Safa pragmatic view. John Coombes, managing Alkateb and directors Hasan Abod and Jon director of Fylde Executive Cars of Blackpool, Smith, will remain in place, and the company said his instant reaction was to ditch the will be run as a stand-alone business with its Autocab software. “Uber is seen as the enemy, own board. and suddenly we seemed to be handing our Chief marketing officer Jon Smith said: business over to them,” he said. But following “Autocab operates in 33 countries, but this the webinar, he’d decided to wait and see how gives us a chance to be a truly global brand.” it developed, as Uber was not a competitor in The deal gives operators access to jobs from his part of west Lancashire. “If I was in Leeds the Uber platform, especially in places where or Liverpool I might have a different view, but Uber does not operate. Uber’s data shows we could all do with some extra work right there is demand for the service even in places now.” where Uber does not provide one. In Oxford, Under the deal, Uber has acquired 100% for example, the Uber app was opened more of the Manchester-based dispatch systems

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than 67,000 times last year. Under the new deal, these Uber customers would be given a choice of cars from local customers on the Autocab platform.

And even if Uber is present in the city, there will be an opportunity for local operators to pick up new business, for example Uber Business pre-bookings, or food deliveries from Uber Eats, a significant growth area.

“We’re introducing the opportunity for operators to have extra opportunities,” Smith said.

Smith admitted that customer reactions had been “mixed”, with positive and negative responses. Some operators have already expressed concerns that their data could be at risk, and could end up with Uber. But he said data sharing would not happen – and would be illegal under data protection laws. “We handle data for competitor companies already in some cities and we do not share their data – and we will not do that with Uber. We can only use data as instructed by our customers.”

The negative reactions are inevitable given Uber’s past. Since entering the UK market, it has set itself up as an adversary to the established taxi and private industry, as if it was some kind of revolutionary new concept.

Maybe in America it was – but here, what Uber in fact did was add a marketing veneer to the minicab sector. And through using a technology-driven direct-to-driver model, stripped out a layer of administrative cost.

It helped, of course that Uber was sitting on a mountain of investors’ dollars, which it

AUGUST 2020 31/08/2020 16:12

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could throw at the service as marketing costs: discounts, free rides, bonuses and so on.

And here is the root of the issue: while the industry may dislike Uber, the general public does not. The convenience of hailing via an app is on trend for the young, urban clientele that the company targets. Generally, the system works well, especially in London. Even the awful surge pricing system is tolerated by Uber’s fan base.

Smith said there would be an opt-in screen on the Autocab system which would allow any Autocab customer to opt in to taking any Uber jobs. This would also allow the operator to opt in or out of any other aggregator’s services, such as CMAC, Brunel or Addison Lee. Smith said the change of approach was being driven by Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, who took over in 2017. “Uber has always been a direct to driver model, but the new CEO has changed the strategy. Uber wants its app to be a multi-modal travel app, and it doesn’t want to get into running bus or tram services, so it has to work with collaborators,” Smith said.

Uber has another problem in the UK. While it has prospered in London, Uber has not been anywhere like as successful in other parts of the country. It has launched in around 40 towns and cities, but in most cases has made only a minimal impact. In Liverpool, Manchester or Newcastle, Uber is up against established, entrenched and popular local operators with a good deal of brand loyalty. In London, it found it easy to attract self-employed drivers: rent a Prius and you’re in. That’s not so easy in, say, Manchester, where local licensing rules mean drivers cannot work for multiple service

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providers. If you’re working for Street Cars, you cannot take Uber jobs.

And these cities do not at present have the unified licensing structure of the London PCO area. You may need 10 operating licenses to run throughout Manchester. And driver churn is an issue, making delivery of a consistent service more difficult. The preponderance of cash jobs in cities outside London is also a problem for Uber’s cashless app, and it’s more difficult to compete on price when taxi fares are already low thanks to stiff competition between local firms. There’s no equivalent of the London black cab sector to set a high benchmark in, say, Leeds, Newcastle or Nottingham.

So there are a number of reasons why “Uber wants to work with the private hire sector rather than against it”, as Smith said.

He highlighted the fact that Uber has not launched into any new towns or cities since 2016, and in other countries, such as Spain, Japan or Chile, Uber has added local taxi operators to its app. Uber currently serves around 40 UK towns, but the link-up with

“Uber currently serves around 40 UK towns, but the link-up with Autocab will effectively give it a presence in 170 through tapping into Autocab’s iGo network...

Autocab will effectively give it a presence in 170 through tapping into Autocab’s iGo network, which allows any Autocab customer to pick up work booked by individuals using any other Autocab customer’s app.

In cities where Uber runs its own fleet, the app defaults to Uber cars. But elsewhere, if an Uber job is given to a local taxi or private hire firm, the customer will be notified via the app. And the relationship is “a one-way street”, Smith said. “If you book a car with your local operator, you won’t get an Uber car turning up.”

Smith said the growth in business for those taking on Uber jobs would be very strong.

“We have done some modelling and we envisage that a company with 200 cars could grow to 350 vehicles within 18-24 months.” Some of this could be scooters or vans to cope with the growth in delivery work, which Uber is looking to expand beyond food. “If you strip out all the emotion, Uber is just an aggregator like CMAC, Brunel or Addison Lee. They are all pumping jobs into the iGo marketplace,” Smith said. He believes there will also be less driver attrition, with fewer drivers choosing to go and work for Uber if they realise they can pick up Uber work as well as their own jobs.

From Autocab’s point of view, Smith expects the company will need to expand as more global operators come on board and buy Autocab’s systems. “I expect we’ll get a long list of leads to sell dispatch systems.” At least we now know that Uber is prepared to work with operators rather than against them. That has to be a good move. And if it means Uber is changing to become a provider of jobs rather than a rival, what’s not to like?

13 31/08/2020 16:12

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31/08/2020 16:13

uber-autocab

Uber’s sea change Uber’s takeover of Autocab marks the start of a new approach for the ride-hailing giant, its European head Jamie Heywood tells Mark Bursa

U

BER HAS ALWAYS Jamie considered itself a Heywood disrupter, and the company’s announcement that it had acquired dispatch systems provider Autocab has certainly disrupted the equilibrium of the fragile, taxi and private hire business. In a sector weakened by the ongoing effects of Covid-19, the deal has been the equivalent of a hand grenade in a crowded room.

The reactions have been predictably hostile – after all, Uber has not spent the eight years since it launched in the change of approach. He even describes UK making friends within the sector. Instead, Uber’s original approach of opening its own it seemed to have firmly established itself as operations in other towns as “our previous the enemy – a low-cost, tech-enabled predator model” – pointing out that the last time Uber out to steal your business. actually moved into a new town with its own Suddenly, overnight Uber has changed its operation was in 2016. message. Now, Uber wants to be your partner.

“It does mark a change. I joined Uber just It wants to offer you work and use established over two years ago and one of the things I’ve private hire and taxi firms to take on Uber tried to change is that we listen more, be jobs in towns where it does not operate, rather more respectful and more humble. Part of than setting up a local Uber operation. Sounds that is partnering with taxi and private hire great – but why should we believe that this is operators. We are changing as a company. I the new reality? hope we’re a bit less brash than we were, a bit Jamie Heywood took over as Uber’s more humble and more willing to listen. My European head in 2018. Formerly with online commitment to Professional Driver readers is retail giant Amazon, he’s one of a new breed we do want to hear their concerns and I will of experienced e-commerce managers who try and be as frank and honest as possible in have replaced Silicon Valley techies in key jobs answering them,” he said. at the company since former Expedia boss “It’s been almost four years since we Dara Khosrowshahi replaced founder Travis launched in a new city, and we currently have Kalanick as Uber CEO in 2017. no plans to launch with our previous model in Heywood is adamant that the Autocab move any more. I can see a world where almost all signals a change in approach at Uber, and the future expansion with Uber, particularly that the Autocab deal represents a permanent

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in the UK, will be in partnership with local taxi and private hire companies.”

This would accelerate growth into areas where Uber does not operate.

Heywood said: “We currently only operate in 40 cities in the UK so there are a lot of cities where you go and find that our service is not available.

People travel to those areas and don’t get a service when they open the app.

It’s good if we can connect those riders with local taxi and private hire operators in those cities.”

For some cities where Uber already has a presence, that might mean some Uber jobs going, effectively, to Uber’s rivals. Heywood is comfortable with this.

“Our intention is to offer riders the best choices possible. I don’t see incosnsistency in, say, Manchester where we offer a range of services.”

Could Uber even scale back in cities where it operates and use local firms instead? In towns such as Manchester and Newcastle, Uber a presence but has not achieved anything like the market domination it has managed in London. “I wouldn’t rule it out,” Heywood said. “We are in the very, very early stages of a long-term relationship build. I think we need to earn the trust of the industry and show that our growth can support the growth in the local industry. It’s not impossible that we could start to change the model in some of the cities in which we currently operate, but it’s early days. We need to make sure Autocab’s current customers feel excited about the investments we’re putting in to Autocab.”

And here is where the charm offensive is

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clearly needed. Initial reactions to the deal were not positive, with a number of Autocab users threatening either to decamp to rival systems such as iCabbi or Cordic, or in extreme cases, to sue Autocab for breach of contract. Like it or not, but Uber is still seen as the enemy by many in the industry.

Heywood accepts this situation is something he needs to address. “This partnership with Autocab and the investment we’re making isn’t going to work unless it works for our customers. So our customers have to be happy with the deal and understand what it means for them. There is some degree of scepticism about us and that is something we’re trying to right. Absolutely there is more work we need to do.”

One fear expressed by Autocab users is that Uber will use them to build up business in their town, before turning off the tap and setting up an Uber operation, taking all the work for itself. Heywood is quick to rule this out. “We want to be in this for the long term, so we want to build a set of long-term partnerships with local taxi and private hire operators. Not just for 12-18 months, but over the next 1015-20 years. That will only work if we bring incremental work into the industry and take an equitable share of the value that creates, so absolutely not. We have no intention of playing a short-term game.

His approach is firstly to sell the sizzle – explain why Uber is excited about the deal and what it does for Uber, and then to allay some of the concerns. This includes Autocab’s independence, and crucially, the security of customer data. He said: “Autocab will continue to be independent with an independent board,

AUGUST 2020 12-ProDriver-Aug-2020.indd 17

“Uber currently serves around 40 UK towns, but the link-up with Autocab will effectively give it a presence in 170 through tapping into Autocab’s iGo network... and Uber will not be able to access the data.

Autocab’s data remains Autocab’s data – no Uber employee will gain access to Autocab data with regard to using it to compete.”

Uber’s Strategy is to expand its transport offering beyond the basic ride-hailing service, adding as many modes to give customers as much choice as possible. This includes rental bikes, access to public transport via the app and in London, a commuter Uber Boat service down the Thames. And outside the UK, Uber has been forging partnerships with the taxi sector, he said.

“In the past four years, in over 22 countries we have relations with the taxi industry and are giving them work. The taxi product, where we’re connecting riders to local operators, is fastest-growing product on the Uber app. Working with Autocab is a chance to accelerate that,” Heywood said. “We think Autocab has some really interesting software and we’re committed to investing in that to make them better and compete with ride hailing companies like Uber – that’s what Autocab does and we’ve completely bought into

that. We don’t want to subvert or override that.

The opportunity for growth is great – Uber has identified around 170 towns and cities where it currently has no presence, and by taking on partners in those places, it would move closer to providing true national coverage. “We would love to aspire to that,” Heywood said.

In the short term, his problem is stopping disaffected operators from defecting to rivals – and the rivals are certainly aggressively in the hunt – especially iCabbi. Heywood recognises that it is about earning operators’ trust. “My commitment is to be completely open with communications – to listen to customers’ concerns and address them.”

Of course, there are external pressures on Uber right now, which could have a considerable bearing on the company’s future direction. Two separate court cases could make Uber’s business model unsustainable.

Uber’s appeal against the loss of its London operator’s licence will be heard in September, while a judgement is due any day on another appeal, against the classification of its drivers as “workers”.

The consequences will be great if these decisions go against Uber. Its argument that London depends upon Uber for mobility will not wash: Londoners have alternatives, even in the ride-hailing service area, in the form of Bolt and Free Now, with Ola likely to follow.

The drivers will not be out of work should Uber disappear, and the consumer will still be able to access them. Does Autocab offer an alternative route to the London market should Uber’s licence appeal fail? Heywood is unwilling to be drawn.

“The focus on Autocab is initially on expanding into new cities, so it doesn’t extend to London,” he said. “Our focus is to get our licence back, so I’m not going to speculate on what happens. Let’s talk about it again when we get our licence back!”

The “worker status” case is likely to be damaging in the short-term. It’s unlikely that the court of appeal will overturn an earlier ruling, which will leave Uber and other gig economy companies liable for sick pay, holiday pay and National Insurance contributions, back-dated for seven years.

The bill potentially runs into billions of pounds. Going forward, putting Uber jobs into third party operators via Autocab makes sense here, as it takes the responsibility for drivers away from Uber. Heywood added: “We see the court cases as completely CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

independent. We’re working as hard as we can to make sure that we get the right result.”

Heywood has growth ambitions for Uber in other areas, where the ability to call on established private hire operators is likely to be a major benefit: one is business-tobusiness services; the other is deliveries of food and other goods.

With regard to B2B services, Heywood admits Uber is weak in that department.

“Uber is a good service but it’s a bit ‘vanilla’ compared to the private hire industry.” Business clients require “more customised cases that Uber is not very good at delivering, but Autocab is”. This could include new opportunities, such as transporting workers to and from work in a safer and more hygienic environment than bus or train. “If we sell a service that is only through an Autocab customer, that’s something we can enable tomorrow that we can’t offer today. There is going to be a long path ahead of us – identifying places where we can add value,” Heywood says.

The delivery market is another growth

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area. The home delivery market does have an emerging group of national players.

Amazon for goods, and in the food sector, Uber Eats is in the game alongside Just Eat and Deliveroo. Could delivery be a bigger opportunity than private hire? Heywood is not sure. “We’ve seen Covid-19 reverse growth trends. Private hire trips are down 80%, and are currently in a trough, while deliveries have spiked. We need to let Covid-19 settle down and see what’s bigger.”

Even so, delivering food is something that dovetails into the private hire sector, and could provide additional jobs in quiet periods.

Ultimately, Heywood believes Uber’s main competition is not other operators – it is private car journeys. He notes that the private hire sector undertakes about 2 million journeys per day, while private cars make 70 million. “The real competition we should be looking at is private cars. They pollute more and sit in driveways 90% of the time. It’s insane that in big cities 15% of space is given over to parking spaces. The second most expensive asset people buy sits idle on the driveway most of the time.”

He asks: “How do we turn that into business for Uber? There is a trend of moving to some form of service. Could we go from 2m to 4m trips per day? How are we going to do that as an industry?”

Heywood is adamant that Uber is changing, and while many in the industry will take some convincing that Uber suddenly wants to be your friend, not your rival, that’s the message. “It’s going to come down to trust,” he says. “We are committed to being long-term partners. There’s only so much we can say now – it’s going to be the things that we do. So judge us by our actions, and if we take actions that grow the industry we hope that is rewarded and reciprocated by trust from the industry. My commitment is to listen, to learn and earn that trust, and grow the industry.”

“There is a sea change. The marker was Dara [Khosrowshahi] coming in – a very different type of CEO to Travis Kalanick.

I came in and thought very long and hard about joining having read the press from twoand-a-half years ago. But my commitment is to keep the change happening – and change is very much afoot.”

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Turning point as Uber contemplates life as a platform, says Galvin Mark Bursa

S

O IS THIS A TURNING POINT FOR UBER’S UK operations? Industry analyst Dr Mike Galvin believes it might be. “Uber has struggled to operate in the regulated environment,” he said. “It might well suit Uber to be nothing more than a platform, so they don’t need to get involved with licensing and driver relations.”

Galvin believes Uber might start to pull back from its own operations. “They might shut down their city operations outside London and move into the non-regulated environment, and then push jobs to existing operators via Autocab. Uber wants to be a network operator, and doesn’t want to deal with regulators, drivers and licensing authorities.

Logically, this would put them right where they want to be.”

It would also give Uber an alternative route to market in London if TfL wins its court case and Uber loses its licence permanently. It could sign up local operators to Autocab and pump bookings

their way. It would be up against other ride-hailing app rivals such as Bolt and Free Now, as well as the “soft merge” conglomerate of London operators that pool jobs via the rival Cordic system. But in effect, Uber would be creating its own form of soft merge, where the consumer app is branded Uber

but the cars are provided by local private hire firms, rather than independent drivers under the Uber licence.

Where does this leave the operators with Autocab systems? Galvin’s view is “Calm down and see what happens.” Autocab’s presentation focused on new business such as deliveries – where Uber is investing heavily – and business/executive services, where Uber is weak. And if you’re in a town where Uber does not operate, the gains outweigh the negatives.

But Galvin says that operators should be wary of Uber. “Personally, I would not feel comfortable with Uber – working with them is always a risk.”

But if things do turn sour, operators have a choice.

For example if commissions become squeezed, or Uber chooses to enter markets itself where Autocab operators are doing well, something that is possible but seems unlikely given the direction of travel, there are other games in town: iCabbi, Cordic and other dispatch systems are available if you want nothing to do with Uber.

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21 31/08/2020 16:12

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Autocab deal hands Uber a lifeline, claims iCabbi’s Walsh Mark Bursa

F

OR AUTOCAB’S PRINCIPAL

rival iCabbi, the Uber deal has provided an opportunity for the Dublin-based company to target disaffected Autocab users, and focus its own attentions on providing some leadership for the beleaguered taxi and private hire sector.

In the immediate aftermath of the news, iCabbi CEO Gavan Walsh launched a ferocious attack the deal, accusing Autocab of throwing Uber a lifeline, and claiming the takeover was a “trojan horse” for Uber to take business from the private hire and taxi trade.

In an open letter to customers, Walsh wrote: “Autocab customers are being baited with the short-term promise of additional bookings, but taking this bait ultimately hands power over to Uber and strengthens their hand as they continue in their efforts to bring about the demise of the independent taxi industry.”

Against a mood of betrayal, confusion and uncertainty, iCabbi has turned up the wick on marketing its own offering. Marketing manager Shane McDonnell said: “We listened, absorbed and processed the mood of the market for the first few days and it became clear that fleets were looking for guidance, leadership, and reassurance. On the back of this, we decided to host an iCabbi Open Week where we threw open the doors with no obligations or hard sell and showcased iCabbi, our people, products and approach.”

The event was designed to put taxi companies at the centre of mobility.

“While this may sound lofty and even a little removed from current distractions – that’s exactly what they are: current and distractions, McDonnell said. “We want to work with customers who want to see beyond the next 12 months, three and even five years to take a longer-term view.”

He said he was looking toward

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a future where passengers will push a button and request a train, bus, bike, scooter or taxi. “Where a passenger could book a flight and add the cab within the same booking through an integration with our API. Where taxi companies will be more alert to change through data, recognising it and offering different solutions including payment models to suit drivers and passengers, for example monthly subscriptions for passengers.”

He continued: “The industry is changing daily and it needs leadership. Fragmentation has protected the sector in some respects but also served to maintain a status quo that I believe is hampering the industry’s ability to evolve. Uber’s move should be a catalyst for the industry to think longer term and act with the future – including further disruption – in mind. iCabbi needs to treat it as a call to arms to step up and demonstrate leadership”.

Gavan Walsh claimed that Autocab had previously been “on the side of the independent taxi industry versus Uber, actively encouraging its customers to fight back against Uber’s ceaseless attempts at corporate domination through a combination of underhand tactics”. But the takeover had changed all that, Walsh claimed: “Just now, as a number of court cases that could signal Uber’s withdrawal from the UK are about to conclude, Autocab throws them a lifeline.”

Walsh claimed that Autocab’s management had “been trying to sell the business for years”, and this was a direct result of competition from iCabbi. He wrote: “When we entered the market in 2013, Autocab’s turnover was circa £16m.

In 2019, alongside millions in losses in previous years, their turnover was £8.4m. Having taken hundreds of customers off them since entering the market, iCabbi’s growth has been to the direct detriment of Autocab.”

In the 2019 ProDriver 100 league table of Britain’s leading private hire and taxi operators, iCabbi systems were used by 29 of the companies listed, while Autocab systems were used by 41. Walsh claimed Uber’s motivations were threefold: “data, demand and drivers”. He wrote: “Unfortunately, taxi operators are surplus to requirements in Uber’s equation. It allows Uber to penetrate regions that have thus far rejected them due to well-founded concerns over the company’s operating practices.

“But what will happen in the nearterm once fleets partner with Uber by way of the ‘Autocab opportunity’?

Uber will not actually create any new passenger demand, however the ability to now fulfil bookings in new areas on their app means they can crank up their marketing machine in new territories and soak up demand.

Uber can now sell these bookings back to the same taxi operators

they’ve won them from.”

Autocab countered that Uber does create new demand, pointing to large numbers of customer attempts to use the Uber app in towns and cities where Uber does not operate. Walsh said that once existing customers realise that making their booking on the Uber app gives them a far greater pool of cars to service them (meaning a faster ETA), while still getting the same standard from their local taxi firms, they would migrate to the Uber app as their first port of call.

“Asking taxi operators to accept bookings from their dispatch provider (Uber) is therefore nothing short of asking them to hammer the nail in their own coffin. Rather than being their partner, the tech provider in this scenario becomes their competitor,” he wrote.

Ultimately, the deal gives Uber access to operators’ data via the Autocab deal. Autocab has stated that the data is protected by GDPR regulations, but Walsh argued that Uber would still be able to access trends. “It wants Big Data, that is the mass aggregation of booking trends that will inform its market targeting, price positioning, new product strategies and so on. As the owner of Autocab, Uber has the right to access these insights. They may not be able to see specifics, but they can understand local trends, demand patterns etc associated with Autocab client companies.” iCabbi itself was sold to Renault subsidiary RCI in 2018. But Walsh claimed Renault’s motivation with regard to iCabbi was very different to Uber’s. “Renault is investing heavily in electric vehicles and saw an opportunity in the taxi industry, which had been ignored by all other global players, to build a strategic partnership with iCabbi that could help them sell these new cars into a previously untapped market. Renault has a very clear objective, with no aspirations of competing in this industry.”

AUGUST 2020 31/08/2020 16:12

uber-autocab Time to rethink your business, says Bestmile chief It’s not surprising that operators and drivers were reeling in shock when Autocab announced it was to be acquired by Uber. Many had relied on Autocab’s booking and dispatching software to compete with Uber on a more level playing field, giving customers the same app-based convenience with professional drivers.

Raphael Gindrat, CEO and Founder of Bestmile, believes the takeover isn’t the best deal for Autocab users. “The acquisition will let Uber customers access Autocab users’ cars where Uber doesn’t provide service, and operators will essentially have to pay Uber a cut of their fares for the privilege of delivering rides to their own customers,” he said. “And Uber also gets all the trip data, leaving local operators blind to fleet performance metrics.

The local operators will still have to deal with all the local licensing requirements and constraints.”

Gindrat believes disgruntled Autocab users should consider other options that can not only

replicate Autocab’s features but enable them to offer more efficient, modern mobility services.

“Bestmile’s fleet orchestration platform uses advanced algorithms, machine learning and AI to automate dispatching, routing, and ride matching while carefully controlling operator KPIs such as vehicle utilisation and paid miles, as well as passenger experience KPIs such as ride times and wait times,” he said.

“Businesses such as Uber have never had to be concerned about some of these metrics.

The peer-to-peer business is based on an asset-free model where the service providers flood markets with vehicles to increase ride volume because empty vehicles don’t cost them a penny. We don’t expect Uber to express any concern about your fleet utilisation metrics because they won’t be paying for your empty vehicles to idle.”

Gindrat says taxi businesses need to know that they can improve efficiency and reduce costs with automated booking and dispatching that minimises deadheading, improves driver retention, and delights customers with a predictable, reliable service. “It is generally recognised, that whoever controls the app, owns the customer and we have the brandable

traveller and driver apps to go with our turnkey solution to enable the operators to control the driver and customer experience. We are here to help taxi companies, public transport operators, micro-transit providers, and autonomous shuttle service providers have that control over the booking, but also over the design and performance of the entire service.”

Gindrat adds: “The Bestmile Platform will not only support and protect your traditional taxi and private hire business it will enable you to enhance your service and introduce new services to meet the changing needs of the market. The Uber acquisition of Autocab and the Covid-19 disruption is an opportunity for ambitious taxi companies to re-think the services that they provide to their communities and ensure that they have a platform that will support their ambitions.”

Swiss-based Bestmile is a technology company which uses a cloud platform to enable fleet customers to enhance their existing businesses and introduce new services.

Bestmile provides an intelligent transportation operating system for taxi operators enabling them to build predictable, reliable and convenient mobility services for their travellers.

The smarter booking and management system specifically designed for chauffeur service operators

01962 774237 AUGUST 2020 12-ProDriver-Aug-2020.indd 23

info@deversoftware.com

www.deversoftware.com

23 31/08/2020 16:12

road test

Mark Bursa

Ford Tourneo Custom Titanium PHEV ProDriver Tested 32.8mpg / 30.0mph July 2019

Tourneo de force L data

PRICE as tested WARRANTY VED

ondon uleZ-coMPliant seven-

£61,000 36 months / unlimited mileage D

performance

1.0-litre 3-cylinder DOHC petrol engine coupled to AC synchronous generator; AC synchronous traction motor TRANSMISSION One-speed manual, FWD POWER 126PS TORQUE 355Nm 0-62MPH TBA TOP SPEED 74mph FUEL TANK 54 litres TURNING CIRCLE 13m ELECTRIC RANGE (NEDC) 33 miles ELECTRIC RANGE (WLTP - City) 25.1 miles ELECTRIC RANGE (WLTP - Overall) 31.3 miles TOTAL RANGE (NEDC) 317 miles COMBINED ECONOMY (NEDC) 91.1mpg COMBINED ECONOMY (WLTP) 79.1mpg CO2 EMISSIONS (NEDC) 70g/km CO2 EMISSIONS (WLTP) 81g/km ENGINE

dimensions LENGTH WIDTH HEIGHT WHEELBASE LOADSPACE

4,973mm 1,986mm 2,000mm 2,933mm 1,200 litres *Figures for equivalent Transit van

24 24-ProDriver-Aug-2020.indd 24

seaters have been in serious short supply this year, regardless of Coronavirus. If you want an electric people-mover, the only vehicle available has been the Nissan e-NV200. Fortunately, the car companies are now getting their acts together. Vauxhall and Peugeot have unveiled battery-electric sevenseaters, while Mercedes-Benz’s EQ-V all-electric V-Class will be with us before the end of the year.

Meanwhile Ford has now entered the sector with a rather different proposition. Rather than go down the pure electric road, Ford has added a range-extender series hybrid powertrain to its top-selling Transit and Tourneo Custom range.

This combines a 1.0-litre Ecoboost petrol engine with an electric drivetrain.

And there’s some extremely interesting technology to back this up. The vehicles are the first to be fitted with a system that uses live location data and geofencing to switch automatically from hybrid to electric drive mode in low-emission zones without driver intervention.

This means the Tourneo Custom PHEV would comply with local clean-air zones, where only pure electric vehicles are allowed to enter.

The geofencing tech doesn’t only apply to city centres: vehicle operators can also create “green zones” to encourage low-emissions driving near schools, for example. When the vehicle leaves a controlled zone, it automatically switches to the most appropriate drive mode for the next leg of the journey.

It’s easy to use. The geofencing module features a small, unobtrusive screen mounted near the driver’s side cup holder. This tells the driver when the vehicle has detected it’s near a geofencing zone. A graphic showing a ring around an image of the vehicle turns from grey to green as the vehicle approaches the geofenced zone.

On entering the zone, the rung turns to solid green, and the vehicle switches to battery mode.

The driver cannot switch it off – it only turns back to hybrid mode if the battery is depleted while in the zone. Telematics relay the encrypted data back to base, and share it with local authorities, so any congestion charges can be paid if the vehicle has not remained in EV mode, and wrongful fines avoided when it has.

On leaving the zone, the graphics return to a green ring, and the mode button is activated once again, so the driver can switch to hybrid, recharge or petrol power.

There are several modes, accessible by repeatedly pushing the mode button. The default mode is EV Auto, which automatically uses batteries and petrol engine as required, like any other hybrid. So the petrol engine kicks in on acceleration, or up hills. This works until the battery is depleted.

EV Now mode is pure battery electric. The petrol engine will not start until the range is completely depleted. This is the mode that you would use in a Clean Air Zone that is not geofenced.

EV Later switches the car to petrol power, allowing the driver to conserve battery life. So if you

AUGUST 2020 31/08/2020 16:27

road test

were taking a pick-up from Stansted Airport into the London ULEZ zone, you would use EV Later for the motorway section of the journey, before engaging EV Now at the point you enter the ULEZ. Being a series hybrid means there is another mode – EV Charge. This allows the petrol engine to power the car and recharge the batteries. So if you’re on the way to the ULEZ, but your battery range is inadequate for getting through the zone, switch to EV charge and the engine acts as a generator, recharging the battery as you go. The engine runs faster while it’s doing this – and there is a trade-off in terms of higher fuel consumption, and there is noticeable extra cabin noise with the engine revving raster than normal. But at least you’re doing this on the motorway rather than in the city.

On our test, we took a 13-mile city route from

AUGUST 2020 24-ProDriver-Aug-2020.indd 25

Ford’s office on the former Olympic Park in Stratford to a site in Streatham, South London.

Starting off, the EV charge indicator showed 22 miles of electric range. We engaged EV Now and set off. At Kennington, about two-thirds of the way there, the range was down to 13 miles, so I switched to EV Charge – and by the time I reached the destination, we were back up to 16 miles. The return journey used EV Auto until we reached the ULEZ boundary, at which point we switched back to EV Now. On returning to Stratford, we still had 9 miles of electric range to spare.

It’s clear that the system is very efficient – and it should be given the extent of Ford’s testing programme. Twenty pre-production vehicles have been on test in London with operators including Addison Lee, British Gas, Heathrow Airport, the Metropolitan Police and Transport for London.

This testing programme concluded that 75% of miles driven in central London by study participants were completed in zero-emissions EV mode. In total, the test vehicles covered 150,000 miles – 53,000 in electric mode. Indeed, by optimising the use of the modes, significant improvements can be made. A multi-drop journey from Stansted to the City which used 22.2 miles of electric range and 75.1 miles under petrol power was improved and shortened to the extent that EV mode took the majority of the miles: 47.1 electric vs 40.6 petrol. This included use of EV Charge mode to replenish the battery.

The Tourneo Custom PHEV uses a 13.6 kWh Lithium battery helps to deliver a zero-emission NEDC driving range of up to 33 miles (35 in the CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

25 31/08/2020 16:27

road test

Ford Tourneo Custom Titanium PHEV

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

Transit van version). Using the onboard 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine gives a total range of 317 miles (343 on Transit).

Recharging from a standard domestic mains supply takes 4 hours 20 minutes, or 2 hours 45 minutes using a commercial type-2 16-amp AC charger. Further electrical energy is captured through regenerative braking when the vehicle decelerates or brakes. The charge socket is on the front bumper, at the nearside corner.

Inside the vehicle there is little to give away the hybrid system. There is a slight compromise to luggage volume with a thicker rear pillar on one side of the boot. But the vehicle is a full sevenseater – our test car was equipped with conference seating in a 3+3 layout.

The dashboard’s only real change is the replacement of the rev counter with a charge meter to show if the battery is being used or replenished.

Our car don’t have a satnav fitted either – though Apple Car Play allows you to use your app of choice, such as Google Maps or Waze.

A battery-electric version is “not for away”, according to Ford, so going forward, a pure EV option that will comply with post-2025 ULEZ rules will be available.

26 24-ProDriver-Aug-2020.indd 26

verdict

S

eries hybrids – or range-extenders – haven’t really caught on, but they have a lot in

their favour for taxi and private hire operations, especially for operators that drive in and out of clean air zones. The ability to holdback electric charge – and indeed to add more pure electric range by recharging the battery from the petrol engine – is a very useful feature. Meanwhile the presence of a petrol engine eliminates range anxiety – if you can’t plug in, you can at least fill up – so longer journeys are not an issue. The improvements to Tourneo in 2018 added extra levels of comfort and refinement, and none of that is lost with the PHEV, other than a small amount of boot volume and a slightly louder engine note when the 1.0-litre petrol engine is on EV Charge mode. If you confine the use of this mode to highway driving rather than around town, it’s less of a problem. The Tourneo Custom scores heavily for versatility – it’s capable of handling both executive work and family holiday airport runs, allowing it to straddle the large MPV private hire and chauffeur sector. The car scores heavily for the quality of its finish. The Titanium trim level gives an extremely car-like cabin, and comfortable, flexible seats. The only downside is that the PHEV we tested was the short-wheelbase version, with a slightly limited boot; hopefully a LWB version will be added, as this makes it a genuine six-passengers-plus-luggage vehicle.

AUGUST 2020 31/08/2020 16:27

electric 7-seaters

Electric 7-seaters on the charge!

Mark Bursa

Mercedes-Benz EQV

I

N TRANSPORT FOR LONDON’S RUSH TO implement the Ultra-Low Emissions Zone, it neglected one vital piece of information: are there sufficient cars on the market that comply with the new rules? TfL published a list of “suitable” private hire cars – a list with high comedy value, containing such ideally suited people-movers as the BMW i8 supercar and the Renault Twizy, which is barely even a car.

In particular, there was a distinct lack of one vehicle type on which the trade depends rather heavily – the seven-seater MPV. Indeed, the only compliant vehicle on the list was Nissan’s stout e-NV200, an all-electric van-based MPV which makes an effective taxi, but is more of a five- or sixseater with occasional flip-down third row seating.

At least the e-NV200 has good performance and acceptable 120-mile range, even though the current model doesn’t have the latest version of Nissan’s battery pack, as found in the 240-mile Leaf.

Ford has now entered the market with the Tourneo Custom PHEV tested in this edition of Professional Driver, so there is at last a full-sized large MPV that meets the ULEZ requirements.

And it will be joined by a number of other vehicles in the coming months – giving operators looking to refresh their fleets a wider choice in 2021, as business returns, hopefully, to something approaching normal.

Some of these vehicles might have been here already had it not been for the Covid-19 pandemic.

The most hotly anticipated is the MercedesBenz EQV, essentially an all-electric version of the V-Class. Now in production alongside Vito and V-Class in Spain, EQV should be on sale in the UK before the end of the year. The EQV, distinguished from standard V-Class by lots of blue lighting on the exterior, features a large 100kWh battery with a claimed range of 250 miles. And it can be recharged from 10% to 80% in “less than an hour” using a rapid charge point. Mercedes has placed the batteries below the floor, so they do not take up interior room. All UK cars will be extra-long wheelbase models with eight seats as standard, priced around £60,000.

Before the EQV hits the streets, Vauxhall’s allelectric version of the Vivaro Life MPV will be available. With up to nine seats and available in two lengths, the new Vivaro-e Life offers a WLTPevaluated range of 143 miles. The order books are

AUGUST 2020 27-ProDriver-Aug-2020.indd 27

Vauxhall Vivaro e-Life

due to open this summer, followed by first deliveries later this year.

Most versions of the Vivaro-e Life are less than 1.90m tall and can therefore access typical underground garages – important for hotel shuttles. Like the EQV, the battery is packaged under the load compartment where it makes no compromises on luggage volume. Using 100kW direct current charging, it takes around only 30 minutes for the 50kWh battery to reach 80% charge.

Vauxhall will offer the Vivaro-e Life in two lengths, medium or long. Leather seats and five, six, seven or eight-seat configurations are available.

Luxurious “Lounge” trim is standard for the Elite, allowing conference seating. The Vivaro is based on the same van as the Peugeot Expert, and a

similarly-equipped electric version of this, the e-Expert, will be launched around the same time, though initial versions will not have quite the luxury trim levels of the Vivaro e-Life.

Volkswagen is the other player in the game.

Last year, when it previewed the latest version of the Caravelle, an electric version was under development. The UK Caravelle launch was delayed

by Covid-19, and there is no timeframe as yet for the EV version in the UK. Watch this space. By 2022, VW will have its retro-styled ID Buzz electric MPV on sale too – a vehicle that could be ideal for taxi work, as well as offering electric range of up to 270 miles.

So hang on in there – the electric seven-seaters are coming!

27 31/08/2020 16:08

Have you signed up to the Safe Taxi & Private Hire Charter?

Option to pay by card through the app, to avoid drivers and passengers using cash.

Hand sanitisers will be provided to all drivers and customers.

Drivers will sanitise their hands regularly.

No physical contact with the passenger unless in an emergency situation or if a passenger requests assistance.

Drivers will wear clean clothes each day, be well-presented and maintain impeccable personal hygiene.

Vehicles which have a shield installed will be regularly cleaned and sanitised.

The passenger area of the vehicle will be wiped down and cleaned with sanitiser regularly.

The driver will conduct a weekly inspection and deep clean of their vehicle.

Signage to be displayed, (where available and where licensing permits) to convey safety and sanitation messages in and out of vehicle.

Social distancing guidelines will be followed by the driver.

Drivers will wear PPE in line with the latest government guidelines.

Sign up to get your pack, adopt the guidelines and promote one message

to get the UK moving again

#GoSafeGoTaxi

28-ProDriver-Aug-2020.indd 28

31/08/2020 16:13

200+ signatories and counting

200 sign-ups in 2 weeks! Huge thanks to all the operators nationwide for taking the time to sign up and support the #GoSafeGoTaxi campaign and the launch of the Safe Taxi & Private Hire Charter. It’s wonderful to see the industry working together. Join the movement - Sign up, share and get involved at: https://gosafegotaxi.com/

28-ProDriver-Aug-2020.indd 29

31/08/2020 16:13

road test

Mercedes E300de AMG Line

To the heart of the matter

ProDriver Tested 45.6mpg / 32mph Aug.2020

Mark Bursa

M

ERCEDES-BENZ CONTINUES TO refine and revise its best-selling E-Class range, the car it considers to be at the heart of its range. The current generation of E-Class was launched in 2016, and now the 10thgeneration model is getting a final facelift to see it through to Gen-11.

Professional Driver recently drove some early production German-spec models highlighting the latest changes. Externally, it’s not easy to spot the revisions. The styling has a more sporty touch, with the front sections in particular being given a fresh look. The all-LED headlamps have been given flatter housings, while the LED tail lights have been reworked too.

The big revisions are under the skin. Bear in mind that the big powertrain changes that affect the chauffeuring market are already there – ULEZ-compliant, “zero-emissions capable” plugin hybrids with both petrol and diesel engines came on stream in 2018. What’s new under the bonnet applies mainly to the pure petrol and diesel models, where integrated startergenerators add a degree of mild hybridisation.

30 30-ProDriver-Aug-2020.indd 30

And there’s a new petrol engine with 48-volt electrics – a signpost to the future for all ICE Mercs.

The OM 654 four-cylinder diesel engine introduced in 2016 has been upgraded. It now has an integrated starter-generator, giving it a partial 48-volt electrical system. A recuperation function and the ability to “glide” with the engine switched off make the engine even more efficient. Power has been boosted to 195kW plus an additional 15 kW from the EQ Boost system, while capacity is up from 1,950cc to 1,993cc. An all-new fourcylinder petrol engine (M 254) with integrated starter-generator produces 15kW of additional output and 180Nm more torque. Models equipped with this engine have a full 48v onboard electrical system, and also the “glide” ability. The sixcylinder M254 petrol engine from the S-Class is now also available on E-Class for the first time.

The most significant changes are to the electronics, where the E-Class now boasts the next generation of driving assistance systems and the latest MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) infotainment system. MBUX is based around two large 10.25in screens mounted side

by side to give a widescreen look. As an option, two larger 12.3in screens are available. The high resolution of the screens means the information in the instrument cluster and on the media display is extremely clear and legible.

We tested the latest version of the MercedesBenz E300de, the diesel plug-in hybrid version that offers London users in particular the continued advantages of diesel fuel economy with a ULEZ-compliant PHEV powertrain. We tested the pre-facelift version in 2019, and the excellent fuel economy, even without regular recharging, will help offset the extra purchase price. And as a Euro 6d Temp-compliant car, it has very low NOx and particulate emissions.

The E300de’s 2.0-litre diesel engine produces 194bhp and 400Nm of torque. It is mated to an electric motor with 122hp of power and 440Nm of torque, giving a combined system output of 306hp and 700Nm. The diesel hybrid powertrain is available with estate body too, which may be preferable if you need more luggage space.

The battery pack is centrally mounted, and low down in the structure below the back seat. But there is some loss of boot space – it’s 400 litres

AUGUST 2020 31/08/2020 16:07

road test verdict

T

HE DIESEL HYBRID MERCEDES-BENZ E300de is the most economical E-Class of all time. It gives diesel fuel economy and range, while ticking all the environmental boxes for London chauffeurs.

You will avoid ULEZ charges until TfL realises it needs another revenue stream.

As the ULEZ zone will expand to the North and South Circular roads from next year, trading up may be vital.

Improvements this time around are subtle. The introduction of 48v electrics will give greater capabilities across the range going forward, though you won’t notice any performance enhancement on this model. More user-friendly autonomous systems will come in handy when you’re grinding your way through 50mph motorway contra-flows, while improved anti-theft systems are something that hopefully will only deliver peace of mind, and remain untested in daily use.

The visual displays are improved, though the Mercedes display was the best on the market even before this facelift. On the downside, the replacement of the old rotating Comand controller with a pinch and stretch touch pad takes some getting used to – though in practice the new steering wheel controls are easier to navigate. And the battery pack still creates a problem in the boot – the shape is awkward and capacity is reduced significantly, especially with the need to carry two charge cables.

against 540 litres for a standard diesel or petrol model – with a notable “step” half-way back into the boot. This restricts luggage-carrying abilities, which is not helped by the two charging cables, each housed in a bulky bag. We were able to get our test cases into the car – but only just.

The E300de has a claimed fully electric range of 38 miles for the saloon. It has a battery capacity of 13.5 kWh and can be charged from 10 to 100% in under two hours with a 7.4 kW charger.

The E 300 de AMG Line Edition saloon starts at £47,480 while the Estate costs £49,480.

The 2016 E-Class was launched with a high degree of autonomous features, and although the law doesn’t yet allow them to be used to the fullness of their capabilities, the latest facelift adds a new steering wheel with sensors, which means that the driver just has to touch the wheel, without any steering input, to maintain “handsoff” steering, for example when negotiating road works. If the system detects that the driver is not touching the steering wheel for a certain time, visual and audible warnings are issued, and finally Emergency Brake Assist is activated if the driver continues to be inactive.

AUGUST 2020 30-ProDriver-Aug-2020.indd 31

In addition, the E-Class now has major enhancements to the anti-theft systems.

The Urban Guard packages enable all-round monitoring of parked vehicles. Urban Guard comprises an anti-theft alarm system, tow-away protection with visual and audible warning in the case of a detected change in position, an alarm siren, interior monitoring (triggers in the case of movements in the interior) as well as preinstalled theft and parking collision detection.

Vehicle sensors register when the parked and locked vehicle is bumped or towed – or when someone attempts to break in. If the service is active, the driver immediately receives detailed information via the Mercedes me App. This tells the driver how severe the parking damage is and in which area of the vehicle it occurred. As soon as the vehicle is restarted, this information is also shown once on the media display.

Urban Guard Vehicle Protection Plus contains a hidden tracker system for pinpointing the position of stolen vehicles, making it possible to recover the vehicle even if the thief has deactivated the vehicle tracking function. This takes place in cooperation with police.

data PRICE as tested WARRANTY VED

£47,480 36 months / unlimited mileage B

performance 1,950cc 4-cyl, turbodiesel w/electric motor assist TRANSMISSION 9-speed auto, RWD POWER 306bhp at 3,500rpm TORQUE 700Nm 0-62MPH 5.9sec TOP SPEED 155mph FUEL TANK 50 litres COMBINED FUEL ECONOMY 235.4mpg ELECTRIC RANGE 33-35 miles CO2 EMISSIONS 33g/km ENGINE

dimensions LENGTH WIDTH HEIGHT WHEELBASE LOADSPACE

4,935mm 1,852mm 1,481mm 2,939mm 400 litres

31 31/08/2020 16:07

running report

BMW 745Le xDrive MSport

Keep calm and carry on Mark Bursa

I

T’S ALWAYS GOOD TO LOOK FOR POSITIVES, no matter how grim the circumstances. And we know how grim it’s been for those of you engaged in travel-related work. But at least the reduction in traffic has made driving on British motorways a safer and less stressful experience.

As the lockdown kicked in, we did the right thing – only essential trips to local shops.

Though occasionally it was necessary to travel a little further – for example to collect essential paperwork and equipment from our office in order to transition fully to home working.

It felt more than a little odd after several weeks of almost no mileage to head off toward the M25. And even odder to be hitting the normally congested Surrey stretch to find four empty lanes. The BMW 745Le has some impressive nearautonomous features, including lane-keeping and adaptive cruise, and while the clear roads might be a temptation to put the foot down, instead I engaged the autopilot, plumbed in 70mph, settled back and relaxed. Only the excessive road noise from the rotten concrete stretch of M25 around Leatherhead disturbed the calm.

The law won’t allow automated steering without the driver adding the occasional steering input, but it’s easy enough to keep a light touch on the wheel and let the car’s systems do the work. And maybe it’s for the best too. After all, if

32 32-ProDriver-Aug-2020.indd 32

you get rid of drivers, a lot of skilled people are out of work.

It’s clear that the auto industry is betting the farm on autonomous driving – but maybe Covid-19 will kick the concept into the long grass.

Who’s going to clean and sanitise the autonomous

data £87,680 C INSURANCE GROUP -WARRANTY 36 months / unlimited mileage PRICE

VED BAND

performance ENGINE 3.0l straight-six petrol w/electric motor

8-speed steptronic, AWD 286hp TORQUE 450Nm COMBINED FUEL ECONOMY 134.5mpg CO2 EMISSIONS 52g/km ZERO EMISSIONS RANGE 52-55 kms TRANSMISSION POWER

dimensions LENGTH WIDTH HEIGHT WHEELBASE LOADSPACE

5,260mm 1,902mm 1,479mm 3,210mm 420 litres

car? I’m sure you’re all getting used to the smell of anti-viral cleaners now, and hygiene is paramount. Too many drivers have already lost their lives to Covid-19. Without a driver on board, what do you do? Ferry around a cleaner instead?

Send the car back to the depot after every job?

Bang go your efficiency savings.

So maybe autonomous motoring should be seen as a driver aid – a way of reducing stress on monotonous parts of the journey, such as long, straight stretches of motorway, or contraflows, or road works. As the lockdown eased, and it became necessary to venture out more often, normality started to return. More traffic – and more idiot drivers too. The lessons learned from the lockdown are worth persevering with. Use the systems at our disposal to stay safe and legal. The 745Le’s adaptive systems and ever-reliable satnav, with traffic flow information displayed graphically along the roads, are getting used more often then before. Coronavirus gives us plenty to stress about – let’s make sure driving isn’t one of them.

Also a more relaxed drive means better fuel economy. Every little helps, and with the speed plumbed in at the legal limit, the 745Le can manage the trip from Weybridge to Newcastleupon-Tyne (post-lockdown!) on a single tank of petrol. Range is an issue on the PHEV 7-series, as the battery pack takes up tank space, but 360 miles is just about acceptable. And that’s without a detour to Barnard Castle.

AUGUST 2020 31/08/2020 16:08

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used cars Ian Robertson

Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid 1.6 GDi

BACKGROUND

E

ven though Hyundai had the mid-sized i30 in its line-up, the Korean brand decided to design an alternative fuel vehicle from the ground up, rather than integrate the technology into its mainstream hatchback and Tourer. The Ioniq was born, and consists of self-charging hybrid, plugin hybrid and pure electric versions. There are no plans to offer conventional petrol and diesel versions alongside, unlike the Kona baby SUV, which is also now offered with hybrid and electric drivetrains.

The Ioniq shares many of its parts with the Kia Niro, including the 1.6-litre direct injection petrol engine. But whereas the Niro has pseudo-SUV styling, the Ioniq is much more of a conventional hatchback along the lines of the Toyota Prius.

Built in Ulsan, South Korea, the self-charging hybrid is far and away the biggest seller, and it’s this model we will concentrate on here.

The Ioniq was previewed in December 2015 by some artists impressions and design sketches, before being officially unveiled in its native South

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Korea homeland the following month. European buyers didn’t have long to wait, as all three versions of the car were unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March 2016. Hybrid and Electric versions reached UK showrooms in October 2016, with the plug-in variants arriving in the following June. Just three years after the Ioniq was first revealed, a facelifted edition was unveiled, with connectivity upgrades and an uprated battery for the electric version. The upgraded cars arrived in Hyundai showrooms in September 2019.

Three versions of the Ioniq are offered in the UK – SE, Premium and Premium SE – and all models originally came with a five-year, unlimited mileage warranty when new.

SE models feature a leather steering wheel, 60:40 split/fold rear seats, cloth upholstery, climate control, automatic headlights, LED daytime running lights, adaptive cruise control, electric and heated door mirrors and electric windows both front and rear. You also get a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, a space saver spare wheel, Bluetooth smartphone

connectivity, a six-speaker audio system with DAB radio and five-inch touchscreen and auxiliary and USB connections. In terms of safety, there are seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking, hill-start assist, lane keep assist and lane departure warning.

Move up to Premium specification and there’s the addition of heated front seats, an autodimming rear-view mirror, automatic headlights, rain sensor, bi-Xenon headlights, power folding door mirrors, keyless entry and start, a heated steering wheel, seven-inch display within the instrument cluster, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, an uprated Infinity audio system with eight speakers and amplifier, a navigation system with eight-inch touchscreen and a wireless smartphone charging pad.

At the top-of-the-range, the Premium SE boasts blind spot detection, a rear cross traffic alert system, alloy pedals, electric, memory and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, leather upholstery and automatic de-fog system for the front windscreen.

AUGUST 2020 31/08/2020 16:08

used cars BUYING ONE

Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid 1.6 GDi

If you plan to run your vehicle in the London area, make sure that you choose an Ioniq Hybrid that is more than 18 months old, as all cars registered by Transport for London since January 2020 as a private hire vehicle for the first time must be zero emissions capable – either plugin hybrid, fully electric or hydrogen fuel-cell.

But if the car is more than 18 months old, then it can have a petrol or diesel engine, as well as hybrid drivetrain, providing it meets the Euro-6 emissions regulations, and all versions of the Ioniq Hybrid do.

One of the biggest compliments we can give the Ioniq is that it looks relatively conventional.

There are no challenging oddball looks to contend with, and all of the controls operate in an entirely normal way. There’s a 104bhp 1.6-litre direct injection petrol engine with a 43bhp electric motor.

The switch between electricity and the petrol engine is smooth, with decent performance from either form of propulsion. The twin-clutch automatic transmission is a good companion, swapping cogs neatly. There’s an odd feel to the brakes that will take some getting used to, and similarly the artificial feel to the electric steering is a surprise at first, but it’s something that becomes acceptable the more miles you cover.

The petrol engine is quiet, even if you’re giving the right pedal a workout, and while there’s some road and wind noise to be heard, it is never particularly intrusive. Handling is tidy with only a little bit of lean when cornering, and grip levels seems alright from the eco-focused tyres. Ride comfort is pretty good, and thanks to its softly sprung nature, it soaks up all but the worst of the bumps really well.

The cabin is awash with blue highlights, emphasising its eco-friendliness, with a neat layout, with soft surfaces for the top of the dashboard, though harder materials are used further down. The switches are clearly labelled and arranged in banks, making it easy for the driver to fathom out. A low set driving position liberates plenty of headroom up front, with leg, knee and head space in the back competitive with rivals.

Annoyances are centred around the foot operated park brake – in this day and age, it should be electric – and the rear view is limited due to a bar segmenting the rear tailgate. Boot space is competitive and better than some hybrid rivals, with 443 litres available with the seats up and 1,505 litres with the chairs folded down.

Storage around the cabin is a strong point, with a big area in front of the gear selector, a deep but narrow armrest cubby, a good-sized glovebox and large door pockets incorporating bottle holders.

2016-onwards From £10,500 BUILT: Ulsan, South Korea LAYOUT: 5-door hatchback, 5-seats SIZE: 4,470mm/2,045mm BOOT SPACE: 443litres INSURANCE GROUPS: 10 to 12 EURO NCAP: 5 stars

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data WHAT WILL IT COST When the Ioniq was registered is quite crucial for the self-charging hybrid versions, as pre-April 2017 models will cost nothing for vehicle excise duty, but after that date, the annual tax is £135 per annum.

Even though the official NEDC economy figures of the Ioniq suggest an economy figure of 83.1mpg, you should take it with a pinch of salt.

In everyday use, drivers are more likely to achieve between 50 and 60mpg, which is amazingly similar to the revised, more realistic, WLTP economy statistics.

All versions will cost a similar amount to insure, as the groupings don’t vary very much.

On pre-facelift versions, SE and Premium are in group 10, with the Premium SE in 11, and with the facelift editions, the groupings rise by one group so SE Connect and Premium are 11, and Premium SE is 12. All Ioniqs come with a comprehensive five-year warranty that has no mileage limitations, while the battery pack itself is covered for eight years, or 125,000 miles, whichever arrives first. Servicing is required every 10,000 miles, which is half the mileage of a comparable Hyundai diesel. All Ioniqs are Euro-6 emissions compliant, and will cost nothing to enter London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone.

HOW RELIABLE IS IT? Even the earliest models will still be covered

by Hyundai’s excellent five-year/unlimited mileage warranty, so you can buy an Ioniq with confidence. Earlier this year, Hyundai was ranked third in the J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study, while the fact that the company has been selling electrified cars in South Korea for many years should provide even more assurance.

Problems with the Ioniq are few and far between, and we’re encouraged by the fact that there’s no consistent issue affecting any of the three iterations. We’ve heard reports of condensation in headlights, a faulty tailgate and the interior not wearing well over time, but these appear to be isolated incidents. Early cars are good, but the 2019 facelift was a sign that Hyundai is finding its feet in the electrified sector.

ENGINE: 1,580cc, 4-cyl, 16v petrol, w/electric motor & 1.56KWh lithium ion battery TRANSMISSION: 6-speed, twin-clutch automatic LAYOUT: FWD EMISSIONS STANDARD: Euro 6 POWER: Engine 104bhp Electric motor 43bhp Combined 139bhp TORQUE: Engine 147Nm Electric motor 170Nm Combined 265Nm TOP SPEED: 115mph 0-62MPH: 10.8sec 79g/km CO2 (to Jan. 2019): 84g/km CO2 (from Jan. 2019): FUEL TANK: 45 litres ECONOMY (Combined NEDC economy) 83.1mpg (Combined WLTP economy) 62.8mpg PARTS PRICES: Air filter £18.75 Battery £170.83 £73.49 / £54.75 Brake discs – front/rear (each) £103.18 / £56.74 Brake pads – front/rear (pair) Fuel filter £38.15 Headlight £643.60 Oil filter £9.25 All prices quoted are for manufacturer approved parts and include VAT. Savings can be made by buying parts from other aftermarket suppliers, but using them will in most circumstances invalidate any remaining warranty that you may have.

cars we found online Where: Model: Year/plate: Mileage: Colour: Price: Contact:

Hyundai franchised dealer Premium SE 2018/18 36,772 miles Black £14,490 Murley Hyundai, Stratford-upon-Avon (01789 229690) www.murleyhyundai.co.uk

Where: Model: Year/plate: Mileage: Colour: Price: Contact:

Vauxhall franchised dealer Premium SE 2017/17 32,504 miles Metallic silver £13,494 FG Barnes, Guildford (01483 665969) www.fgbarnes.co.uk

Where: Used car specialist Model: SE Year/plate: 2017/66 Mileage: 31,000 miles Colour: White Price: £11,675 Contact: Midland Cars, Kidderminster (01562 309806) www.midlandcarsonline.co.uk

35 31/08/2020 16:08

the insider

I

Leadership required to keep us in the game

The way I am managing to stay sane is to reconcile that my business of 22 quiz on BBC Radio 2. Every weekday years has simply been put on hold. I have at 10.30am religiously (my best score scrapped 2020 and channelled all my is 30 points but I’m just happy to energies towards 2021. Perhaps that is have got through Ken) you will find me blind optimism, time will tell, but I refused with a mug of tea to battle the 5 second to admit defeat on a job I love to do when countdown. Lockdown gave me precious 9/11 disrupted my business, or SARS then time to enjoy something I tended to miss Bird Flu and terrorist attacks followed. because a client was in the car or I was Kevin Willis Even Uber or Sadiq Khan couldn’t shift waiting in an airport terminal. me so I’ll be damned if I’m going to let However, listening in meant I suffered Covid-19 defeat me. This is how I feel now prickly heat when hearing all the Everyday problems and maybe over the next six months the superficial prigs phoning in to bestow from the operator’s decision will be out of my control but as it hero status upon themselves, declaring point of view... stands, I am fighting on. that they were having to bravely work from Whether this was a result of a chemical home due to these “unprecedented times”. attack from China or some bloke eating an under Now, I was more than happy to applaud the NHS cooked bat is irrelevant and it is with a heavy sigh I workers on a Thursday evening, but I ain’t clapping read or hear about excellent drivers and companies those people sitting in their spare bedroom claiming throwing in the towel to seek alternate employment. full pay without having to suffer their usual commute Don’t get me wrong, I cannot blame anyone for wanting before stumping up four quid for a coffee. to do the best for themselves or their families, but these One bloke, who obviously hadn’t seen his particular guys are a sad, sad loss to our industry. Which is why task of looking after the street lighting in his area be this government needs to step up and begin, extend or afforded ‘Key Worker’ status, unbelievably claimed, live even instigate further financial support to enable us to on air, that he was “keeping the street lights working keep body and business together. so Key Workers can get to work safely!” So he actually In the beginning of all this I felt that Rishi got the proclaimed himself a Key Worker to the Key Workers! financial support package pretty much spot on (though What a load of bollocks! there was nothing to compare the crisis to) but as Talking of which, I would have happily sacrificed my the virus refuses to die out I have become ever more left nut to have been able to continue working and earn frustrated at the apparent lack of any strategy to help money over these last six months. God, it felt good to us survive until an antidote is available to enable us to get that off my chest!

Anyway, how have you all been holding up? Does your get trading normally again. There is no guidance from garden look as good as mine? First things first, and this either the government or our supposed industry voices, just the hosting of many pointless webinars. is important to know: none of us have done anything Of course, I don’t have any answers. If I did. I wrong! We haven’t made bad business decisions or honestly wouldn’t share it with you but just go and trusted the wrong type of people. Our clients didn’t steal all the business for myself! But I wanted to assure desert us for a better looking, younger or even cheaper you that no-one is busy out there and few of us are even car company. ticking over, so don’t drive yourself mad thinking the No, the brown stuff merely happened, and that world has restarted and forgot to call you - it hasn’t. meant the world stopped turning and everyone stopped If any of you want to start a Union now that we travelling. Literally. This was our World War 3, so take have the time, or a professional drivers club or even a a crumb of comfort in knowing we are not to blame for 5-a-side competition, Zoom call or just meet for a coffee any of this. Furthermore, we are the lucky ones. We then let me know and I will organise this in your area. really are, because 134 professional drivers died from Until then keep sanitising your vehicle, keep your mask Covid-19 between March and May this year alone with over your mouth AND nose and, above all, take care. many more dying or suffering since. Neither are we the wife, partner or child of those guys, so I implore you all to stop wallowing in self-pity and get your heads up; it n Kevin Willis runs Chirton Grange, could be a whole lot worse. contact@chirtongrange.co.uk LOVE TO LISTEN TO THE POP MASTER

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AUGUST 2020 31/08/2020 16:08

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31/08/2020 16:12