Professional Driver Magazine June 2021

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COVER STORY

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N ews Analysis

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N ews Analysis

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N ews Analysis

GAME CHANGER – Testing the electric MG5 EV

B usiness News

The latest from around the UK private hire sector Is the industry prepared for the challenge?

All the latest electric cars suitable for our industry – and what’s on the way Is the UK’s electric infrastructure up to the task?

We hit the road to find out

Self Drive Hire of PCO Licensed and Licensed Exe

30 N ewsUn Analysis Who’s running the UK’s electric vehicle chargers, and can Mercedes S-Class , Mercedes V-Class , what Mercedes we expect in the future?

O ur events are back!

Tesla Model S28 , Nissan Leaf We’re proud to announce venues and dates for 01707 649new 090 our 2021 Car of the Year and QSi Awards events : info@chauffeurrentals.com REGULAR FEATURES 40 The Knowledge 41 The Advisor Daily , Weekly Hires 42 or The Monthly Negotiator 43 The Insider VOLUME 15 ISSUE 03 £4.95

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EVs on stream for 2021 and beyond Mark Bursa

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INALLY, THE SUPPLY OF ELECTRIC cars is opening up, as automakers have used the Coronavirus crisis to ramp up production of electric vehicles while speeding up the demise of diesels.

Here’s a look at what’s available now that could be suitable for private hire or chauffeur work, and s glimpse of what’s coming next.

AUDI Audi’s first electric SUV, the e-tron, has been with us since 2019. It’s a big vehicle that feels like a slightly smaller Q8 – no bad thing. Rear legroom is comparable to an executive saloon such as an Audi A6, but with more headroom. And electric range of 241 miles is practical.

It’ll be joined this year by more e-tron branded Audis. Q4 e-tron is a smaller take

[ABOVE, FROM LEFT] on the same concept, with two bodystyles – SUV and Coupe. A range of 300 miles Audi RS e-tron GT, is claimed, as well as125kW DC rapid and the BMW i4 charging.

Audi’s bid for an electric chauffeur car comes in the form of the e-tron GT. This lowslung four-door shares the underpinnings of the Porsche Taycan. Prices start at below £80,000 but rise to £133,000. It has a 300-mile range but the ability to recharge fully in less than 20 minutes using 350kW fast-chargers.

ESTABLISHED SINCE 2005 CAR OF THE YEAR

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CAR OF THE YEAR & QSi

The biggest and best Professional Driver events are back for 2021–p28

JUNE 2021

Tesla Model S , Nissan Leaf 01707No.: 649 090 Registered in England 70 86172 © 2021 All contents copyright of Pro Driver Media Ltd. : info@chauffeurrentals.com Daily , Weekly or Monthly Hires

BMW BMW has been building its electric presence for almost a decade, since it launched the i3 city car. The i brand is now expanding rapidly, with a whole raft of new models joining the market, starting with iX SUV and i4 mid-range models.

The iX uses a large 100kWh battery giving a claimed range of over 370 miles. Prices start at £69,000, and it’ll be on sale this CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

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comment

Clarity and common sense remains in short supply

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e’re taking a deep dive into the world of

electric vehicles this month – because whatever you might think about the shortcomings of the technology and the infrastructure that is meant to support it, EVs are here to stay.

The end of petrol and diesel car production is now just eight and a half years away. Plug-in hybrids have a further five years – but there’s pressure to bring their end-date forward from 2035, so don’t expect soft treatment.

Make no mistake, the climate challenge is real. And while you can argue that cars are relatively small polluters compared to, say, power stations or shipping, cars are an easy target for legislators.

Can we transition completely to electric cars? As it stands, no. EVs are making major strides in terms of sales, but they still account for only 13% of the market. Getting to 100% will require further leaps in technology and a monumental investment in infrastructure. This is still an evolving technology, and today’s electric cars will probably look archaic by 2030.

We like to stay on top of the tech at Professional Driver, and over the years, we’ve tried to test EVs in a way that stretches them to their limits. In 2014, we struggled with unreliable charge points on the M1 as we tried to coax an early Nissan Leaf from London to Coventry. We managed, but not without tribulations.

This month, we’ve taken a modern, 200-miles-plus range EV, the MG5, from London to South Wales and back. And while the car performed impeccably, the infrastructure is still as shaky as ever. In fact, some of the chargers we used were the same technology as we experienced back in 2015. And they’re not up to the job, frankly.

The good news is that Ecotricity, which moved first to install chargers at M-way services, but locked down an exclusive contract that has left motorists with ageing and unreliable charging devices, has been taken over. Just in time, as the Government has finally got wise to its motorway monopoly and vowed to break it up.

Perhaps more importantly, the Government has promised to introduce clearer labelling on charge points to give some idea of what they can do. It’s all very well calling something a “fast charger” or a “rapid charger” when the reality is about as far from “fast” or “rapid” as possible.

Chargers vary greatly in speed. A basic home charger, that will give you an overnight charge of around 200 miles in 10 hours or so, runs at 7kW. The latest “ultra-fast” devices can run at 350kW. That’s 50 times faster. Which means 200 miles can be dispensed in roughly 12 minutes. That’s not a lot slower than a petrol pump.

Trouble is, there aren’t many 350kW chargers. And not many cars can charge up on them. Only the likes of Porsche Taycan and Audi etron GT can handle that level of power. Even Tesla’s network only runs at 250kW. Forthcoming cars such as Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 will be able to use them to the max, though.

So how does the public make sense of this? The use of “kW” is

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meaningless to most. Clearly a 100kW charger is going to be faster than a 22kW charger, but how much faster?

Against what yardstick?

Tesla uses a “miles per hour” measure – how many miles of range can you add in an hour? This makes sense – but the idea of extending it as a usable measure falls down as you have to factor in the car’s capability too. So the Taycan might be able to charge at “300mph”, but a series 1 Nissan Leaf certainly can’t.

Something like this is needed, though. We had no idea what we were getting at Leigh Delamere services – in fact we got an older Ecotricity charger, which dispensed a mere 30 miles of range in 50 minutes. Up the road, the 350kW Ionity charger gave us 100 miles in just over half an hour. But it’s not easy to find this information. It’s not printed on the charge points. Clarity is seriously lacking.

As we rush headlong to the electric future, regulators run the risk of enforcing change before the industry is ready. We’ve long criticised TfL’s stupid decision to stop the registration of nonplug-in cars as private hire vehicles.

It has had a negative effect on much of the market, as drivers simply hold on to their old diesels if no suitable replacement is available. Chauffeurs don’t yet have a viable all-electric alternative to an S-Class or 7-series, though at least those cars are coming.

The bigger problem is seven-seaters. Normal, regular MPVs such as the Ford Galaxy. There is nothing on the market that fits TfL’s specification, apart from larger van-based vehicles such as Mercedes-Benz EQV, which are substantially more expensive.

Ford has produced a non-PHEV hybrid version of the Galaxy that would be much cleaner than a diesel. But TfL’s dogmatic approach means that car cannot be registered.

It is a shame that our trade associations did not pick this, winnable, fight when TfL first announced the “zero emissions capable” clause. We warned that this would cause trouble, but nobody listened. The shrill voices of the taxi lobby and the cycling fraternity were aligned. A bad decision was made.

We are now calling on TfL to make a much-needed change, and backtrack on seven-seater vehicles to allow, at the very least, hybrids of all types to be registered, for a period of at least two years, or until a suitable, affordable replacement is available.

Otherwise, there is no incentive on operators to trade in a seven-seater diesel, no matter how dirty it might be. After all, the C-charge exemption has gone, so there’s no incentive. Even PHEVs will have to pay C-Charge after October this year.

So at least give operators an incentive to trade in older diesel 7-seaters and register something new. Failure to do this is just making matters worse.

Plenty of bumps on the electric highway.

Mark Bursa Editor markbursa@prodrivermags.com

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news

Birmingham pair merge as Take Me accelerates national brand plans Mark Bursa Take Me Group’s Birmingham subsidiary TC Cars has announced a merger with local rival Heritage Cars, with both businesses planning to operate under the Take Me umbrella.

The move, which creates a combined fleet in excess of 600 cars, is the latest step by the ambitious taxi company consolidator to build a national chain and brand. Managing director David Hunter said more mergers and acquisitions would follow, including further Birmingham operators, and the Take Me brand would be introduced to all the group’s operations later this year.

Traditional brands would be retained “for the foreseeable future”, Hunter said, with the “powered by Take Me” line and logo being introduced below the existing names.

The Birmingham merger had good synergy, Hunter said, with the two firms operating in neighbouring areas of the city with slightly different customer profiles. Heritage Cars served a slightly more up-market clientele, with TC more of an inner city service.

Both companies were Autocab users, though other group businesses were on the iCabbi system. Hunter said he planned to develop a bespoke system for all Take Me companies and migrate all operating companies to that.

Hunter explained that the Take Me group would be structured “like McDonalds”, with some businesses directly owned and others operating a franchise. Take Me is backed by MBH Corporation, an investment company with a global portfolio of SMEtype businesses. MBH has funded a number of Take Me acquisitions, but not all. Another source of funding had also been identified and is likely

Take Me Group adds north Midlands duo in acquisition drive Mark Bursa Fast-growing taxi group Take Me Group has made two more acquisitions, adding Stoke-on-Trentbased Intercity Taxis and Westside Taxis in nearby Crewe to the roster. The Intercity deal is worth between £3 million and £4m, and is again backed

by MBH Corporation plc, a diversified investment holding company, which has based its transport portfolio around the former ADT operation in Leicester, run by David Hunter (pictured) and Ashley Butcher.

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to fund some of the future deals in the pipeline.

“We’re planning to conclude a deal a month this year,” said Hunter, though the short-term would see a clutch of deals coming on board. “There are five deals that are due to fall in the next six or seven weeks, including a large city in the south-west, one on the south coast, one in the north-west, one off the A14 and another in the west midlands.”

These join ADT of Leicester, Steve’s Cars in Huntingdon, VGT in Farnborough, Intercity of Stoke and Westside of Crewe, as well as the TC Cars/Heritage operation within the fast-expanding group. Other areas such as Scotland and South Wales have also been identified, as well as within the M25.

Hunter said flexibility was the key to doing deals with taxi companies. Some owners were happy to go with the MBH way of offering bonds, but “others want cold hard cash”, he said. With all deals, he said Take Me encouraged the owner or the “number two in the business” to stay on board.

“We’re not bankers or venture capitalists, we’re taxi people,” he said. “We always give MBH the op-

portunity to invest, but sometimes the SME accounts are not filed the way a PLC likes them, so we buy the company and tidy up.”

Ultimately the Take Me Group could become fully owned by MBH, though Hunter believes it is equally likely that the group could be floated as a separate PLC at some time in the future.

“At the moment we’re on phase one – buying fleets,” he said. “Phase two is developing technology. It’s like Uber in reverse!”

The long-term plan is to rebrand to Take Me everywhere, creating a national brand with its own app.

Some of the taxi company names were “a bit old hat”, Hunter admitted, though their local strength was not to be underestimated, especially as there was a national trend during lockdown for customers to support local brands.

So initially, the local brands will be retained, with Take Me branding added – a move Hunter compared to the Euronics chain of electronics shops, which has grip buying to compete with national chains, but retains local shop names.

Eventually the branding will flip, with Take Me becoming the primary brand and the local brand secondary, and in time, the local brands could eventually disappear – the way regional television stations such as Granada and Central eventually became part of ITV. Hunter believes “chimney pot” private hire operators will have a better future than those focused on corporate clients. “Zoom is not going to replace business meetings completely, but corporate travel is not just going to return to pre-Covid levels, perhaps ever. By 2030, we’ll be travelling less. But a lot of people working at home have got rid of their cars, and are more likely to use cab services as a result.”

MBH has now acquired 26 companies across a number of sectors around the world in a highly active acquisition drive.

Intercity Taxis was founded more than 50 years ago and operates a fleet of around 120 taxis. The company’s largest account is Staffordshire County Council, and other local authorities use the company to provide school run services.

The Westside deal is different and does not involve MBH. Westside proprietor Stephen Robinson has sold his business to Take Me directors John Gardner and David Hunter, who funded the deal themselves. “The 159 strong fleet starts our venture away from the midlands into the north-west,” said Hunter.

Intercity, founded in 1969, generated £2.1m

in revenue for the year ended May 31, 2020 with pre-tax profits of around £500,000. The takeover will be settled mostly by way of an MBH listed bond which will pay out in five years.

MBH is using its bond programme to fund its acquisitions, and this deal means MBH will have used approximately €37m of its bond programme leaving a balance of €13m to be used if required.

David Hunter, CEO of Take Me Group, said: “Intercity Taxis is a historically brilliantly run firm, operating within a stable and established market. This presents a huge opportunity for continued growth for the transportation vertical within the MBH portfolio.”

[from left] Suky Sangha of Heritage Cars, Robert Wollaway of TC Cars, Hardip Sangha of Heritage and Andy Williams of TC celebrate the merger.

JUNE 2021

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news

Uber adds Oxford and Plymouth operators to ‘local cab’ pilot scheme Mark Bursa Uber has added a second city to its Local Cab scheme, with Oxford joining Plymouth as part of the pilot scheme.

Uber Local Cab allows passengers to book a trip with a local taxi company via the Uber app. The move follows the Competition & Markets Authority’s approval of Uber’s takeover of dispatch systems supplier Autocab.

Anyone opening the Uber app in Oxford will see the ‘Local Cab’ option which will connect passengers to the taxi firm 001 Taxis Oxford. In Plymouth, local firm Need-A-Cab is Uber’s partner. Users will have to download the latest version of the app to be able to see the Local Cab product.

Despite the Uber app being opened as many as 65,000 times per month in Oxford, passengers have not previously been able to book a ride in a local cab. To enable use of the app beyond the 40 UK towns and cities in which Uber currently operates, Uber is looking to work with local operators across the country.

Amir Khan, managing director of 001 Taxis Oxford, said: “This will give the people of Oxford another way to book with 001 Taxis Oxford – and anyone visiting the city who already uses the Uber app will now find it easy to book a ride with a local operator.”

Uber recognises GMB Union to represent its UK drivers on employment rights In a landmark agreement, Uber has recognised the GMB Union to represent up to 70,000 drivers, the first time the ride-share giant has done so globally.

The move follows the UK Supreme Court ruling that Uber’s UK drivers should be classified as workers, with rights to the minimum wage, holiday pay and pensions, a decision that Uber has accepted.

GMB representatives will meet quarterly with Uber to discuss issues, though Uber

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Dave McIntosh, director of Need-A-Cab, said: “With the boost in passengers, we will also be looking to welcome new drivers to the company.”

Uber’s app is opened up to 16,000 times a month in Plymouth, the company said.

Ash Kebriti, General Manager of Uber UK, said: “Every month, we see thousands of people in towns and cities across the UK where we currently don’t operate, open the Uber app and try to request

said it would not engage in collective bargaining over earnings, including a minimum wage. “This agreement shows gig economy companies don’t have to be a wild west on the untamed frontier of employment rights,” said GMB national officer Mick Rix. “While Uber and GMB may not seem like obvious allies, we’ve always agreed that drivers must come first, and today we have struck this important deal to improve workers’ protections,” said Uber’s Northern and Eastern Europe boss Jamie Heywood.

Gig-economy companies including Uber have long fought against unionisation and the classification of its staff as workers or employees rather than contractors. But GMB’s

a trip. Launching Local Cab in Oxford and Plymouth is an exciting first step in connecting these riders with local operators so that eventually the Uber app can be used anywhere in the country.”

Uber’s app will integrate with Autocab’s iGo network, which has the potential to connect passengers with 80,000 private hire and taxi drivers in the UK. The pilot is the first collaboration between the two companies since Uber bought Autocab last August.

Supreme Court’s ruling that Uber drivers are at work when they sign on to the app. Uber contends that they are only at work when they accept a job.

GMB said it had first approached Uber several years ago – at a time when it accused Uber of having “Dickensian attitudes” to employment. But discussions moved on rapidly since the Supreme Court ruling in February.

By striking a deal with Uber, the GMB Union is reasserting itself as the Rix said the deal “will give Uber principal union for the private hire and taxi sector over the confidence, and it will give App Drivers & Couriers Union, the labour movement globally set up by former Uber drivers confidence, to sit down and replicate what we’re doing and James Farrar and Yaseen Aslam. ACDU was the prime try and better it”. mover behind various legal The first issue that will actions against Uber. need to be addressed is the

JUNE 2021

news

Veezu strengthens its regional hubs with Diamond Cars and A2B Taxis acquisitions Mark Bursa Veezu has strengthened two of its five major UK hubs by acquiring local competitors in Shropshire and South Wales, and the company is targeting further takeovers in 2021.

Go Carz, Shropshire’s largest private hire and taxi firm, has taken over Telford’s Diamond Cars, adding 270 vehicles and creating a 650-strong fleet of licensed vehicles in Telford. The Diamond Cars brand has been discontinued and all the cars are now under the Go Carz brand.

Diamond Cars founders Linda and Nigel Horler will oversee the transition to Go Carz and retire after 31 years in the business, but their son Dan, a driving force in the Diamond Cars business for many years, will join the Go Carz management team.

Veezu regional director Graham Hoof (pictured left, with Dan Horler) said: “We are delighted that Diamond Cars and Go Carz are joining forces and look forward to working with Dan. We now have more cars all operating from one system which means passengers in Telford can expect an even better service.”

The deal will give Go Carz increased capacity at peak times, and will help local driver-partners by reducing the dead mileage between bookings. The existing Diamond Cars telephone numbers are being retained, but app bookings will now be via the Go Carz app.

Meanwhile in South Wales, Veezu’s Newportbased Dragon Taxis business has acquired A2B Taxis in Barry to extend its service into the Vale of Glamorgan. The acquisition will add 150 vehicles across Barry and the Vale of Glamorgan.

Veezu regional director Jack Price said: “Not only will the acquisition enhance service levels for residents and businesses across the Vale of Glamorgan, but it will also bridge our coverage between our existing operating areas of Cardiff and Bridgend.”

Veezu has four other major service hubs throughout the UK, each operating under established local brands – A2B Radio Cars in the West Midlands, Amber Cars in Leeds, Go Carz in Shropshire and V Cars in the South West.

Nathan Bowles, Veezu CEO, said: “It is a clear signal to the market that we are accelerating plans for further growth. As the UK’s leading private hire technology platform, we have an unrivalled reputation for successfully integrating private hire firms into our business.”

Bowles added that Newport-based Veezu would target several more acquisitions before the end of 2021. “We want to grow our position as a marketleading technology innovator and private hire platform. We are now identifying the next wave of acquisitions and are seeking several more private hire business owners looking to sell,” he said.

Free Now looks to recruit more drivers as demand rebounds following lockdown easing Ride-hailing app Free Now is looking to recruit 10,000 new drivers to meet a bounce in demand after the easing of lockdown restrictions last month.

The company reported a 38% weekon-week increase in UK journey requests nationwide following the reopening of indoor hospitality venues on May 17.

In London, West End locations saw the largest increase in requests, indicating that nightlife is recovering. Tottenham Court Road experienced a whopping 188% rise in rides week-on-week, and Leicester Square 184%, the two largest increases in requests in the capital.

And in Edinburgh, Free Now reported the fastest growth among all UK cities, with journeys up by 108% in the first week after May 17 compared to the previous week.

In a statement, Free Now said journey

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numbers on the F app were approaching pre-pandemic levels, with daily volumes fluctuating around 90% of values from early March 2020, before the first lockdown.

Free Now said there has been a 150% increase in rides compared to the earli-

er stage of the lockdown in April. On May 17th, between 5 and 6pm soared 107% week-on-week, as people could go to an indoor restaurant or a pub after work for the first time since early November.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most popular day for travelling last week was

Friday largely thanks to a huge growth in the evening as people were hitting the pubs and restaurants. Friday and Saturday 23:00 – 00:00 became the busiest ride-hailing time slot of the week for the first time this year.

Free Now general manager Mariusz Zabrocki said: “It’s great to see the UK come alive again as the restrictions continue to ease, following what has been an extremely tough year for all, including the travel and transport industry.

With many people having lost their jobs during the pandemic, we’re pleased to be recruiting such a large number of drivers across the UK.” In London, Daimler-BMW-owned Free Now works with black cab and PHV drivers. The black cab service is also available in London, Manchester, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Brighton, Reading, Oxford, Derby and Leicester.

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news

Union claims Scottish Government support has ‘short-changed’ drivers and operators Mark Bursa Trade union Unite has strongly criticised the Scottish Government for “short-changing” taxi drivers and operators in its latest round of Covid-19 support grants.

Scottish Finance Secretary Kate Forbes has today announced an additional £62 million of support for 37,000 taxi and private hire operators in Scotland. This amounts to either £1,000 for those operating single cabs, or £3,000 for fleets of up to nine.

Drivers who previously received a £1,500 support grant will receive an additional payment of £1,500.

Taxi operators will be contacted by their local authorities this month and will also receive grants of up to £10,000 depending on the number of vehicle licences they hold. A small

offered no ‘top-up’ discretionary support.

Pat Rafferty, Unite Scottish Secretary, said: “Support is desperately needed and welcome but this is a sector that has been failed once again. We have regularly brought this to the attention of Ministers and indeed the First Minister regarding the lack of support. The pleas of many within the trade have been ignored.”

“This announcement falls way short for the vast majority of operators who manage fewer than ten cabs, and who continue to face high fixed costs at a irrespective of size, which is the time when the trade remains in crisis. equivalent support being given to all “The Scottish Government have other small business owners. rowed back on their manifesto Unite also claimed there was a commitments and Unite will continue “postcode lottery” affecting support to fight for a substantial and longfor the taxi trade as local authorities have offered different support through term financial solution to the crisis our members face in the taxi trade.” discretionary funding. Glasgow has

Last year, Scottish drivers protested against the lack of support outside the Scottish parliament building in Edinburgh

number of the largest operators will now be paid up to £15,000.

But the new package “falls way short” of what is needed to stabilise the trade, says the Unite Scotland union. Unite has repeatedly called on the Scottish Government to deliver a £10,000 grant for each taxi operator

Driver Bubble to install safety screens across Addison Lee executive fleet

lagher said: “Throughout the past year, the health and safety of our passengers and drivers has been our number one priority. As part of our Safer Journey Initiative, we were the first Private Hire Vehicle com-

pany to install TfL-approved safety screens across our entire standard fleet. The addition of the Driver Bubble safety screens within our E-Class fleet keeps us ahead of the competition.”

Driver Bubble director Thomas Kruyne said: “Since the beginning of the pandemic, the team at Driver Bubble is consistently addressing critical challenges faced by the transportation, taxi, and private hire industries. This partnership with Addison Lee supports the continuous effort made by the industry to address challenges due to the Covid-19.”

The Driver Bubble Shield is approved by Transport for London and has been subjected to impact, light fire and chemical resistance tests, as well as airbag deployment tests, to meet legislative and automotive standards. It fits Mercedes E-Class W213 (2017-2021) models, is easy to maintain, effortless to install, and economical. It has optical transparency, allowing the driver and passengers to communicate without feeling isolated.

(pictured) offered the services of his company free of charge to frontline NHS and Air Ambulance staff in the first Coronavirus lockdown last March.

Nemer said he had re-mortgaged his property in order to keep his staff working and paid. He said: “To be honest, I’ve been doing this sort of charity work for 30 years – it’s how I was brought up.

I can’t feel great inside unless I do something good on the outside,” adding that the award of an MBE

was “very special for me, my family and people I work with”.

Nemer is a popular figure in the trade. Writing on LinkedIn, industry consultant Dr Mike Galvin said: “Rowhi works tirelessly in big and small ways for charity – the Magpas Air Ambulance is a particular focus for him but he does so much for so many. During the Covid crisis he has been energised completely to assist and support the NHS. CamCab is an amazing business and reflects Rowhi’s community spirit.”

Mark Bursa Partition screen supplier Driver Bubble is to fit new safety screens behind the front seats of Addison Lee’s executive fleet of Mercedes E-class vehicles, adding to the safety screens already fitted to its standard Ford Galaxy and VW Sharan MPV fleet.

This partnership with Driver Bubble is designed to give Addison Lee’s drivers and passengers the reassurance they need when travelling as the UK economy starts to open up again.

Addison Lee chief operations officer Patrick Gal-

MBE for Cambridge taxi boss Nemer, who gave free rides to NHS frontline workers A Cambridge-based taxi operator who drove NHS staff to and from work for free, has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Camcab owner Rowhi Nemer, 63,

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news

Glasgow Private Hire and Hampden Cars merge to form ‘invincible’ GlasGO Cabs Mark Bursa Two major Glasgow operators have merged to form the biggest taxi and private hire fleet in the city. The combined Glasgow Private Hire and Hampden Cars operations will be known as GlasGO Cabs and will operate more than 1,000 cars. Both companies have been operating in the city for more than 20 years.

GlasGO Cabs is covers the entire city along with council areas South Lanarkshire, East Renfrewshire and surrounding areas. It also has the benefits of being a dual-licensed fleet, with both hackney carriage and private hire fleets. And with a large combined fleet, GlasGO cars claims it will offer reduced waiting times.

GlasGO Cabs has also launched a new app to coincide with the merger. Hampden Cars general manager Martin Hogg said: “Customers will now get an improved service because we have a bigger fleet. Technology is also playing a part as we are doing a big push on contactless payments in vehicles, including Apple Pay.” GlasGO Cabs has also made sure that every vehicle follows the latest government guidelines during the pandemic. and vehicles are regularly sanitised.

The two competitors realised during the pandemic that working together would create a stronger service for its staff and customers.

Martin Hogg from Hampden Cars (left) and Stuart Brennan from Glasgow Private Hire

“The two owners started talking and came up with the idea as it made sense to join forces and move forward together,” said Hogg. “Everybody is looking forward to coming out of lockdown and to start a new chapter. Personally, it’ll be great to see a bigger company flourishing in Glasgow and hopefully take the lion’s share of the market.”

Glasgow Private Hire manager Stuart Brennan said: “I’ve been involved in the taxi industry for a

long time and it’s good to see this progression. The feedback so far from both companies is optimistic and GlasGO Cabs is going to build a very large and invincible fleet.”

GlasGO Cabs plans to go electric and create an eco-friendly fleet in time for phase two of Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone in 2023. This will include more LTI hybrid electric hackney taxis, the first of which joined the Hampden Cars fleet back in 2014.

Ola strengthens UK Board by recruiting Sir Mike Rake and ex-TfL man Leon Daniels Ride-hailing operator Ola has announced two senior board appointments. Sir Mike Rake has joined the Ola UK Board as non-executive Chairman, while former Transport for London expert Leon Daniels (pictured) is now an independent non-executive director.

The two will draw on their experience across the private and public sectors to provide stronger oversight, corporate governance, and strategic counsel to Ola as it continues to grow in the UK market.

Ola started operations in the UK in 2018 and has expanded rapidly since, launching in London in February 2020. Ola now operates across 27 local authorities, including Birming-

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ham, Liverpool and Bristol. It has further expanded its offering for UK riders, including launching Ola Corporate, a partnership with Gett.

Sir Mike Rake previously served in a range of senior boardroom roles including as chairman of Worldpay Group plc (2015-2018), BT Group plc (2007-2017), EasyJet plc (2010-2013) and international chairman of KPMG (20022007), along with serving as president of the Confederation of British Industry (2013-2015).

Leon Daniels served as managing director, surface transport at TfL un-

til 2017 and previously held the position of Commercial Director at UK Bus, overseeing new ventures in UK and international transport. In 2019, he was awarded an OBE for Services to Transport in recognition of his expertise and experience across the UK, Europe, and Asia.

Sir Mike and Leon will join Balasubrahmanyam Vijay Juturi, managing director Marc Rozendal and operations director Karl Lutzow on the board of Ola UK. Bhavish Aggarwal, Chairman and Group CEO, Ola, said: “We are delighted to welcome Sir Mike and Leon to

the Ola UK Board. As a scaled, global business with a major presence in the UK, the appointment of such highquality independent board members underlines our commitment to the UK and the scale of our ambition in this dynamic market.”

Sir Mike Rake said: “Ola is one of the most ambitious and innovative global technology companies and I am very pleased to be joining at this stage of its journey. The application of technology to mobility holds out an exciting future of cleaner, safer and more efficient transportation for millions of UK passengers, and I look forward to helping Ola continue to do what they do best – innovate for the benefit of society.”

11

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

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/

electric vehicles: intro

Sales of new cars dried up almost completely for a few weeks during the first Coronavirus lockdown last year, but when they came back, something had changed – permanently

Electric car charges ahead

Mark Bursa

T

HE RECOVERY HAS SEEN A significant shift toward electric vehicles rather than petrol or diesel. The shift has been so dramatic that the Government’s goal of ceasing all petrol and diesel new car sales by 2030 has gone from looking fanciful to realistic.

Was it the pandemic that focused the minds of car buyers, who noticed a remarkably cleaner atmosphere last April and May when we really were locked down?

Or is it simply because car manufacturers’ planned EV launches are now happening?

In 2020, UK car registrations fell by

14

By the numbers Best-selling battery electric vehicles in Europe, 2020 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 10

Renault Zoe Tesla Model 3 Volkswagen ID3 Hyundai Kona Volkswagen eGolf Peugeot e208 Kia eNiro Nissan Leaf Audi E-tron BMW i3

99,261 85,713 56,118 47,796 33,650 31,287 31,019 30,916 26,454 23,113

Source: JATO Dynamics

29.4%, and the total of 1.63 million cars sold was the lowest total since 1992.

Against this collapse, plug-in vehicles took a 10% share of the market – a massive increase on the 3% or so achieved in 2019, when the market topped 2.3 million.

Certainly, there is a considerably greater choice of EVs on the market now – it wasn’t long ago that you had a choice of Tesla or Nissan Leaf, and when new models arrived, such as Kia e-Niro or Hyundai Ioniq EV, eager potential buyers found themselves at the bottom of months-long waiting lists.

Now, as we’ll see, the choice is much greater – though not all sectors are well

JUNE 2021

electric vehicles: intro served as yet. Chauffeurs wanting to go electric are still sorely lacking in choice.

And Transport for London’s decision to allow only plug-in vehicles to be licensed from 2020 onwards is having a negative effect on the market, with many operators hanging on to their older cars, simply because nothing is available to replace them.

Nevertheless, the growth is impressive.

By the end of April 2021, there were more than 245,000 pure electric cars on UK roads, as well as 270,000 plugin hybrids (PHEVs). In 2020, we saw the biggest annual increase in plug-in vehicle registrations.

More than 175,000 electric vehicles were registered, a 66% rise on 2019. Perhaps most remarkably, the Tesla Model 3 was the UK’s overall best-selling car in December 2020, with 5,798 registrations putting it ahead of Vauxhall Corsa and Ford Fiesta.

OK, plug-in sales are only a small fraction – less than 2% – of the overall UK car parc. But as new models become available, and marketing efforts shift to EVs, that percentage will grow.

In April 2021 alone, 18,752 new plug-in vehicles were registered: 9,152 BEVs and 9,600 PHEVs, giving a combined market share of 13.3%. In 2015, just 1.1% of new car registrations were plug-ins.

As new models are rolled out, more market sectors are being covered by electric models. While initial EVs tended to be small city cars or coupes, by the end of 2021, you’ll be able to find a choice of vehicles in every sector from city car to SUV to MPV to luxury saloon.

Indeed, the obstacle to growth will not be the availability of vehicles: it will be infrastructure. The number of public charging points is growing, and the Government does seem to have woken up to the need to invest – but many believe it is not growing fast enough.

How many EV charging points are there in the UK? According to Zap-Map, which monitors the market, the total number of

Hydrogen: a better direction?

Just as petrol and diesel have coexisted for decades, there’s an alternative zero-emissions fuel source to batteries which is not going to go away – hydrogen.

Hydrogen has some very major advantages – range is not an issue, and recharging is no more difficult than filling up with LPG. And it has disadvantages. The fuel cells required to turn hydrogen into electricity are very expensive. Only a few car makers are committed to the technology – mainly Hyundai and Toyota, and both have hedged their bets to some degree by backing EV technology too.

Perhaps the biggest issue is extracting the hydrogen itself. This has traditionally involved using fossil fuels, and critics say the process is inefficient, using more energy than it creates. However, that might be about to change. And the prime driver behind hydrogen is the commercial vehicle market.

Cars make up 44.3% of EU transport emissions, but light- and heavy-duty trucks contribute a sizable 27.9% as well. And it’s not so easy to develop battery-electric heavy trucks. Batteries are heavy, and you’d need a lot of them to move a 44-tonne artic. That would compromise the payload, making the vehicle inefficient. Which is where hydrogen – the lightest substance on the planet – comes in.

A consortium of heavy truck firms has already put its weight behind the technology for lorries. And now Stellantis, the merged PSA-FCA auto giant, has confirmed it will begin production this year of a hydrogen fuelcell powered van based on the battery-electric Peugeot e-Expert/Citroën ë-Dispatch/Vauxhall Vivaro-e.

The vans will initially be available for left-hand drive markets, with RHD UK models following by early 2023. The vans will have a range of up to 250 miles, a refuelling time of three minutes and a cargo volume up to 6cu m.

Passenger versions are likely to follow.

With both Hyundai’s Nexo SUV and a much more attractive secondgeneration Toyota Mirai now on sale, hydrogen is taking increasingly steps toward becoming the alternative’s alternative.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

“How many EV charging points are there in the UK? According to Zap-Map, which monitors the market, the total number of locations which have a public charging point installed is 15,431; the number of devices at those locations is 24,201...”

JUNE 2021

15

electric vehicles: intro

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

locations which have a public charging point installed is 15,431; the number of devices at those locations is 24,201 and the total number of connectors within these devices is 41,660.

Of the 24,201 charge points, 1,004 are “ultra-rapid” chargers – that means a capacity of 100kW up to the very fastest available 350kW chargers. There are also 3,538 “rapid” chargers, which offer 50100kW charging and will deliver 100 miles or more of range for most modern EVs in less than an hour.

But the bulk of the available chargers are either “fast” – 22kW devices (13,838); or “slow” – 4-7kW (5,831). These are fine for overnight charging or workplace charging if a car is idle for several hours.

But for high-use fleets such as taxi operators, these are of limited use.

Between the end of 2016 and 2020 there was an increase of 220% in the number of public chargers, and much of the growth is slow chargers, as local authorities install on-street charging options to help people

16

“But the bulk of the available chargers are either ‘fast’ – 22kW devices (13,838); or ‘slow’ – 4-7kW (5,831). These are fine for overnight charging or workplace charging if a car is idle for several hours...” without off-street parking make the switch to electric.

But some are questioning whether the installation of chargers is keeping up with EV sales. Research by EO, one of the biggest network providers, revealed that the number of public EV charge points in the UK increased by just 26% over the past 12 months, compared with a 186% rise in sales of EVs in 2020.

Charlie Jardine, CEO and founder of EO, said: “While the best scenario for EV drivers is to be able to charge at home or at work, this is not always possible. It is vital that we develop an extensive and

reliable public charging network both for private and business road users. Without it, we risk putting people off EVs when the ball is just starting to roll.”

As the market progresses, it is clear that we’re nowhere near the definitive solution for electrification. lithium batteries are currently the dominant power source, but these carry their own, legitimate, environmental concerns about lithium extraction and the mining of rare metals such as cobalt.

Lithium is not the only game in town, though there are efforts to improve the ecological impact of producing them. In the future, the development of solid state batteries offers a chance to make battery packs about half the size of current ones – or conversely, to make packs the same size with twice the capacity.

Solid state batteries replace the liquids that conduct energy within the battery for solid compounds, so they will be more robust with a longer life. The technology is some way off, but is likely to be available some time around the 2030 cut-off for ICE sales.

JUNE 2021

electric vehicles: new for 2021 Audi Q4 50 e-tron quattro

EVs on stream for 2021 and beyond Mark Bursa

F

inally, the supply of electric

cars is opening up, as automakers have used the Coronavirus crisis to ramp up production of electric vehicles while speeding up the demise of diesels.

Here’s a look at what’s available now that could be suitable for private hire or chauffeur work, and s glimpse of what’s coming next.

AUDI Audi’s first electric SUV, the e-tron, has been with us since 2019. It’s a big vehicle that feels like a slightly smaller Q8 – no bad thing. Rear legroom is comparable to an executive saloon such as an Audi A6, but with more headroom. And electric range of 241 miles is practical.

It’ll be joined this year by more e-tron branded Audis. Q4 e-tron is a smaller take

JUNE 2021

[above, from left] on the same concept, with two bodystyles – SUV and Coupe. A range of 300 miles Audi RS e-tron GT, is claimed, as well as125kW DC rapid and the BMW i4 charging.

Audi’s bid for an electric chauffeur car comes in the form of the e-tron GT. This lowslung four-door shares the underpinnings of the Porsche Taycan. Prices start at below £80,000 but rise to £133,000. It has a 300-mile range but the ability to recharge fully in less than 20 minutes using 350kW fast-chargers.

BMW BMW has been building its electric presence for almost a decade, since it launched the i3 city car. The i brand is now expanding rapidly, with a whole raft of new models joining the market, starting with iX SUV and i4 mid-range models.

The iX uses a large 100kWh battery giving a claimed range of over 370 miles. Prices start at £69,000, and it’ll be on sale this CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

17

electric vehicles: new for 2021 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

Kia e-Niro

Hyundai ioniq5

year. The i4 is smaller and pitched directly at the Tesla 3 – it’ll cost around the same price as a loaded-spec 3-series when sales commence in 2022.

Crucially for chauffeurs, an i7 luxury saloon is coming next year. This bears the same relationship to the 7-series as the MercedesBenz EQS does to the S-Class. Similar size, but much more than just an electrified version of the ICE-engined flagship.

Citroen e-C4

entry-level version. It’ll have range of around 300 miles, and some models will be capable of ultrafast 350kW charging. Hyundai still offers its Kona EV, which some operators have turned to as a fast way on to the EV ladder, though it is a little small for true rear-seat comfort. And Hyundai also has a foot in the Hydrogen camp with its excellent Nexo SUV, one of a handful of HEVs on the market. It recharges as easily as an LPG car, but the infrastructure is still very limited, restricting its market to the London area.

CITROEN

JAGUAR

Citroen has launched a new C4 range as a kind of crossover hatchback-SUV. Within the range is an e-C4 electric vehicle, which is hard to distinguish visually from the regular petrol or diesel models. It’s good, though, and big enough to be a useable PHV. And a £32,000 price tag is affordable as well.

Jaguar was first to market with something to compete with Tesla, though i-Pace has suffered from some reliability issues. This has Jaguar i-Pace

perhaps resulted in the rethink of strategy that saw Jaguar last year pull the productionready electric XJ replacement. Jaguar is promising more EVs in the future, but it had the opportunity to take the chauffeur market for itself – an opportunity that is now gone.

KIA Kia has one of the real winners in the market with the e-Niro electric SUV. Early supply issues have now been solved, and the car is proving popular. The e-Niro can manage 282 miles on one charge – more when driving around town. That means a private hire driver using an e-Niro would CONTINUED ON PAGE 19 Kia EV6

Ford Mustang Mach-e

FORD Purists may not like Ford using the Mustang brand for a car that owes little in concept or looks to the classic coupe. But the £40,000 Mustang Mach-e is a very competent and usable large five-seater, with looks and interior styling that very much takes on Tesla and wins. Range is impressive – up to 379 miles for some models.

And it’ll recharge quickly too.

“The e-Niro can manage 282 miles on one charge – more when driving in town. A PH driver using an e-Niro would only need to charge up every couple of days...”

BMW iX

HYUNDAI Hyundai has been an EV pioneer, with an electric version of the popular Prius-rival, Ioniq, being a big hit with private hire early adopters. Ioniq is finishing this year, though, but the nameplate will continue as an EV sub-brand. The first Ioniqbrand model will be the Ioniq 5, due next year and expected to cost around £38,000 for the

18

JUNE 2021

electric vehicles: new for 2021 MERCEDES EQT

Mercedes EQV

Mercedes EQS

Mercedes EQC

only need to charge up every couple of days. And 100kW charging means it takes 54 minutes to charge the battery pack to 80%. All for less than £35,000.

Kia has more EVs up its sleeve, too. Coming soon is the EV6, a larger crossover saloon that will certainly hit the sweet spot for operators looking for something a bit bigger. It’ll have a 300-mile driving range and 350kW charging capacity for a recharging time of less than 20 minutes – all for £50,000 or so.

another SUV-shaped car that competes with the likes of Kia e-Niro and MG ZS. It features quirky half-doors like the old RX-8 coupe, and it’s one of the cheapest four-seater EVs with prices starting around £28,000. But range is limited at just 130 miles, so it’s strictly an urban vehicle.

Perhaps the most interesting new model is EQT, an MPV model below the EQV that is specially aimed at the taxi market. We’ve not seen it yet, but it’s being developed with Renault and Nissan, so expect to see multiple versions. A potential game-changer? Keep watching!

MERCEDES-BENZ

MG

Mercedes has been building up its Q electric brand over the years, initially as a trim level on hybrids, but now as a full designator of EVs. Already with us are EQC, an SUV based on the GLC model, and EQV- basically an all-electric V-Class. The latter has sold well to chauffeurs looking to avoid C-Charge and ULEZ. And even though it’s not cheap (prices start a shade over £70,000) it offers 213 miles of range and true 7-seat capability.

Coming soon is the EQS. This will be Mercedes’ chauffeur flagship, and it’s being fast-tracked to the UK market even ahead of the new S-Class PHEV. EQS is not an adapted ICE platform – it’s the first fruits of Merc’s all-new purpose-built EV platform that will also see a smaller E-Class-sized EQE model. Expect EQS by the end of the year, with prices starting around £90,000.

MG is the surprising hit of the electric world.

As well as the MG5 estate, tested elsewhere in this magazine, there’s an electric SUV called ZS that competes well on specification with Kia e-Niro and co, while costing a good deal less to buy, with prices below £25,000.

MAZDA Mazda had previously committed to developing ICE-engined vehicles, but legislation has forced it down the EV route. Its first entry is the MX-30, Mazda-MX-30

JUNE 2021

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20 MG ZS EV

19

electric vehicles: new for 2021 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 Nissan Leaf

NISSAN Nissan has been offering a practical EV for a decade now in the form of the Leaf. The second0gen Leaf has been improved significantly and now has a range of around 250 miles – more than three times that of the original. Coming soon is another EV, this time, inevitably, an SUV, called Ariya. Already on sale in Japan, it has chunky looks and a 300-mile-plus range.

PEUGEOT Peugeot offers electric versions of the van-based MPVs it shares with Vauxhall and Citroen. The larger Traveller and smaller Rifter both have e-suffixed models, as well as a hydrogen-powered version of the Traveller, available initially on LHD markets as a panel van..

Polestar 2

Uber takes a DIY approach with Arrival Uber is working with electric commercial vehicle maker Arrival to develop an electric car specially for ride-hailing drivers. Arrival says the car will enter production before the end of 2023.

The Arrival Car will join Arrival’s previously announced commercial products, the Bus and Van, to provide zero-emission urban transport for fleet users. The van was developed in partnership with UPS, and Arrival hopes to repeat the trick for passengers by working with Uber.

Tom Elvidge, senior vice-president of Arrival Mobility UK, said: “We are confident that electrifying ride-hailing vehicles will have an outsized impact on cities, and we are keen to support drivers as they manage this transition. Arrival Car will be designed around drivers’ needs to create a vehicle that is affordable, durable and desirable.”

A typical ride-hailing vehicle drives around 30,000 miles a year, compared to 7,500 miles for a private vehicle, so Arrival Car will prioritise driver comfort, safety and convenience. The final design will be revealed before the end of the year.

—Mark Bursa

“Cupra, Seat’s performance brand, will be the choice for the Spanish marque’s first EV, the Cupra Born.

Based on the VW ID.3, it’ll have a range of 310 miles...”

POLESTAR Polestar is new – it’s Volvo’s up-market electric sub-brand, pitched as a Tesla rival. Its first all-electric model, the Polestar 2, is a crossover saloon with a 230-mile range and a price tag below £40,000, making it one of the few genuine rivals to the Tesla 3 that you can buy now.

PORSCHE

for chauffeuring, but a shooting-brake bodystyle has a little more rear headroom. Taycan Cross Turismo costs from just under £80,000, and the first deliveries are due soon. It’s one of few models to offer really fast 350kW charging.

SEAT (CUPRA) Cupra, Seat’s performance brand, will be the choice for the Spanish marque’s first EV, the Cupra Born. Based on the VW ID.3, it’ll have a range of 310 miles.

The low-slung Taycan might be a little too racy Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo

20

Skoda Enyaq iV

SKODA Skoda’s first EV is the Enyaq iV, a coupe-SUV that is roughly the same size as the Kodiaq SUV. Prices start from just over £33,000 on the road, with a range of 211-310 miles depending on the battery size. Like the Cupra Born, it uses a common VW platform.

TESLA Currently Tesla is working on a secondgeneration Model S, and supplies of the old model have all but dried up. A shortage of computer chips hasn’t helped either. The big Model X is hard to get too, so Tesla is putting all its resources behind the affordable Model 3, the bestselling EV on the market, despite a £40,000 price ticket. It’s still the benchmark car that others such as BMW are aiming at.

The next Tesla will be the Model Y, an SUV that is similar is size to the Model 3, but taller. The longest-range model will offer around 314 miles of range and a price below £50,000.

JUNE 2021

electric vehicles: new for 2021 VW T7 MULTIVAN

Toyota BZ4X

TOYOTA Toyota created the practical “green” car blueprint with the Prius. But in the 20-odd years since the first Prius Hybrid was launched, the world has moved on. Toyota prefers hydrogen fuel cells to batteries as its zero-emissions source, and indeed, it has just launched a second-generation Mirai FCEV, a bigger and more attractive car than the first Mirai. But with FCEV take-up proving slow and expensive, Toyota is grudgingly adding battery-electric cars to its range. It recently showed a concept called BZ4X, an electric SUV, and a range of EVs will arrive in the future – alongside hybrids and FCEVs.

VAUXHALL Now part of the Stellantis merger, Vauxhall’s electric play is van-based, with electric versions

JUNE 2021

VW ID4

Vauxhall Vivaro-e

of Vivaro and Combo both available, and in luxurious seated guise too. Interestingly, a Hydrogen-powered version of the Vivaro-e is coming too, around 2023; meanwhile the battery version offers a slightly cheaper alternative to the Mercedes EQV for chauffeurs seeking an electric MPV, with prices starting at £28,361.

VOLKSWAGEN All VW electric cars carry the ID nameplate.

The first, the ID.3, was a Golf-sized hatchback launched last year. A bigger SUV-shaped ID.4 has followed, an a coupe-crossover called ID.5 is on the way; all use VW’s modular EV platform, allowing different sizes and bodystyles of cars, with different battery packs to offer ranges between 210 and 320 miles. Perhaps most interesting for taxi operations will be the long-

VW ID Buzz

awaited ID.Buzz model, a retro-futurist electric successor to the original Type 2 microbus. This practical and versatile model will have six seats in three rows, and an electric range of between 270 and 370 miles.

VW has also announced a new T7 Multivan to replace both the existing Caravelle and Sharan ranges; it comes as a PHEV, but not a pure electric model, for now at least.

VOLVO Volvo’s first pure EV is a version of the XC40 compact SUV, and this will be joined by a coupeSUV called the C40 Recharge. It’s expected to arrive early in 2022, priced around £50,000.

Range is expected to be about 260 miles, with 150kW charging capability.

Volvo C40 Recharge

21

road test

Mark Bursa

MG5 SW EV Exclusive

Game changer

ProDriver Tested 32.8mpg / 30.0mph July 2019

E

very once in a while, a new car comes

along that just hits the sweet spot for the private hire sector. The Chrysler 300C gave executive chauffeurs a winning and affordable combination of Mercedes reliability and Bentley looks. The Toyota Prius Mk2 ticked corporate clients’ “green” boxes back when hybrids were the cleanest game in town, while delivering reliability, low running costs and distinctive looks.

22

JUNE 2021

road test

JUNE 2021

23

road test Neither of these cars were designed for taxi work, but once operators started using them, everyone wanted one, and sales took off. Now here’s another new car that might just repeat the same trick. And it’s from a completely unexpected source.

The MG5 EV is a battery-electric estate car that could prove to be the breakthrough car that private hire drivers and operators who want to go electric are looking for. It’s a practical and roomy estate car of similar size to a Toyota Corolla estate, with an electric powertrain that offers more than 210 miles of range on a full charge.

Yes – it’s a conventional estate, rather than an SUV. So many EVs are SUV-shaped because the taller stance allows battery packs to be stashed under the floor. On the MG5, the water-cooled battery pack is integrated into the car’s chassis, giving it an extremely low centre of gravity, and allowing a car-like stance.

More importantly – it doesn’t carry the price premium attached to so many electric cars.

Including the Plug-in Car Grant, the MG5 starts from below £25,000 – less than the price of a Prius, and around £10,000 cheaper than rival electric cars of similar size, such as the Hyundai Ioniq or the Kia e-Niro.

Already the MG5 is gaining traction in London, with ride-hailing drivers and local minicab firms alike. Rental or rent-to-buy companies such as WeFlex, Splend, Ottocar and Ram Automotive are supplying increasing numbers of MG5s to the trade. WeFlex, founded by former Climatecars boss Nicko Williamson, has ordered 200 MG5s as part of a repositioning as a 100% electric vehicle supplier, and it plans to supply more than 1,000 MG5s over the next couple of years.

The good news is that MG is aware of the demand, and is likely to keep the supply pipeline flowing as it attempts to rebuild a presence in the UK. MG has had a stuttering restart in the market since the brand was acquired from the collapsed Rover group by Chinese auto giant SAIC. But now, with a broader and improving range including EVs and PHEVs, MG is starting to make inroads. Geraint Isaac, national fleet sales manager for MG Motor said: “Ride hailing services such as Uber are ideal for the MG5 EV as the combination of the car’s pricing and range is unbeatable. As services such as Uber move towards a zero-emissions future we’re delighted that MG is going to play a key part and believe we have the perfect vehicle for the job.”

Low build costs in China mean a low sales price – but that doesn’t mean a drop in quality.

Far from it. The MG5 not only looks good – it feels decently built too. Fit and finish is good, and our metallic blue test car certainly didn’t give the air of a budget car.

The blue paint – called Piccadilly Blue –

24

MG5 SW EV Exclusive is one of five available colours The others are Westminster Silver, Dynamic Red, Black Pearl and Arctic White.

Crucially, the numbers make sense. The MG5 is powered by a 115kW electric motor (equivalent to 156PS), giving acceleration of 0-60mph in just over eight seconds, and a WLTP combined range of 214 miles in normal use. This rises to 276 miles if the car is used solely for urban driving, as confirmed by the WLTP City driving cycle.

The car’s 52.5kWh Lithium-Ion battery pack can be charged from zero to 80% in just 50 minutes using a rapid charger, complete with CCS charge socket that uses both AC and DC “holes” in the car’s socket (mounted in a neat way in a door behind the front grille’s MG badge). A full charge at home using Type 2 fast charging takes around eight and a half hours.

And all that comes for an entry price of just £24,495 after the £3,000 Plug-In Car Grant for the entry-level Excite trim, or for £26,995 for the Exclusive trim level on test here. What’s not to like?

It’s comfortable, too. Behind the wheel the seats are supportive and the driving position is good. The controls are simple – a rotary gearshift is mounted on the centre console – rotate left for reverse, right for drive and push the centre for park.

There are two buttons above the transmission selector which you need to use. One selects the three drive modes – Sport, Normal and Eco. Normal is the default, but switching to Eco gives a range boost – so it should be an automatic action once you start the car.

data price as tested

£26,995 (incl. £3,00 PICG) 84 months/80,000 miles A

warranty ved

performance engine transmission power torque

0-62mph top speed battery capacity

CO2 emissions charging time CCS (0-80%) Type 2 (0-80%) ev range (WLTP)

Electric motor Single-speed, FWD 156PS 260Nm 7.7sec 115mph 52.5kWh 0g/km 50 minutes 8 hours 30 mins 214 miles (276 miles urban)

dimensions length width height wheelbase loadspace

4,544mm 1,818mm 1,536mm 2,665mm 464 litres

The other button sets the level of braking regeneration – there are three levels, and the switch toggles through them. To maximise range, set the regen to 3 – it means you’ll decelerate more quickly, but as you do this, you’ll see on the dashboard that you’re recuperating energy and bolstering your range even further. And you’ll not need to brake so much – strong regen means less brake wear, reducing brake dust particulate emissions and lengthening the intervals between new sets of brake pads.

The MG5 has plenty of power, like all EVs, but range maximisation is king, and a light foot on the throttle is necessary if you’re going to hit the “official” range figure. Likewise, it’s better to stick to 65mph on the motorway, as you’ll get a markedly better range than if you drive at 70mph.

An easy-to-use cruise control, operated by a separate stalk on the steering column, makes it easy to keep speeds under control. Remember, the flat torque curve of an EV means that if you put your foot down, it accelerates, whatever speed it’s doing.

The 8in touch-screen sat-nav is clear and simple, though destination entry is a little random, with suggestions popping up like predictive text on a smartphone as you try to plumb in the address. The system is compatible with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The estate car body means square rear doors, so getting in and out of the rear is easy. Rear seat passengers have ample head room and plenty of legroom, even when seated behind a tall driver.

The large boot - the car’s true USP - is accessed from a wide tailgate opening. You get cloth seats on Excite trim and leather on Exclusive; front seats are heated on Exclusive too.

With the rear seats up and load cover in place there are 464 litres of boot space, or with the load cover retracted that extends to 578 litres with the rear seats still in place. There’s no spare wheel, and nothing in the way of underfloor storage, so you’re stuck with two bulky cables taking up boot space. The smaller one – a 3-pin plug cable for home charging – fits in a neat bag that tucks into a side area of the boot space. But the other, housed in a circular bag, has to be accommodated among the luggage.

Standard specification is high: MG5 comes with 16in alloy wheels, a six-speaker 3D audio system, DAB radio, 4 USB ports, electric windows all-round, air conditioning, regenerative braking, cruise control with speed limiter, an auto-hold electric parking brake, rain-sensing wipers and push-button starter.

Active and passive safety systems include front, side and curtain airbags, electronic brake assist, ABS with EBD, twin ISOFIX points in the rear, a tyre pressure monitoring system, hill start assist and seatbelt warnings for front and rear passengers.

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road test

verdict

O

ut of the blue, MG has hit the sweet spot for the electric car sector. While

most car companies have focused on either small city cars or SUVs – or high-performance sports grand tourers – as their initial EV offerings, MG has developed a very standard estate car body that does everything a private hire driver might want. It has a useable range – 214 miles, rising to 276 around town. And certainly any London driver should be able to get at least one full day’s driving out of a single charge, if not two days. It’ll charge quickly on a modern rapid charger – we added 100 miles in half an hour on one of Ionity’s charge points.

Build quality is surprisingly good, and the level of comfort for both driver and passengers is excellent. Compared to obvious rivals such as Toyota Corolla Tourer or Skoda Octavia estate, the MG5 doesn’t feel out of place. And remember – neither of those has an EV option. Compared to other volume battery-electric cars such as Nissan Leaf or Hyundai Ioniq, the MG5 offers more loadspace, almost as much range (an upgrade is on the way too, we understand) – but crucially, for a price in the region of £10,000 lower. And that’s where the MG really rams home its advantage – and changes the game.

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road test

MG5 Expedition

Is Britain’s EV infrastructure good enough to support longer electric journeys?

Only if you know where to find the best chargers

Roadblocks on the electric highway Mark Bursa

S

lowly, the obstacles to electric vehicle take-up are being overcome.

Vehicle range now allows EVs to be used for longer distances than urban work.

But are we really there yet? Can private hire operators safely transition from diesel or hybrid to battery power?

Over the years, we’ve attempted to push the envelope with EVs. In 2014 we took a first-generation Nissan Leaf from London to Coventry, a journey fraught with range anxiety as the car’s meagre range required en-route top-ups, and the first-generation charging points were not always working.

A Tesla was better – its 200-mile range allowed a trip to Lancashire with two recharges in Birmingham in either direction.

Now, most new EVs coming to market have a 200-mile range, so we decided to put one of the latest, most popular models to the test. An MG5 EV, capable of 214 miles on a 100% charge, was delivered to us with an 83% charge, giving us a claimed range of 171 miles in Eco-mode. Our destination was the Celtic Manor Resort, home of the 2021 Professional Driver QSi Awards, 121 miles away from our start point in Weybridge, Surrey.

There are charge points at the hotel, so the plan was to recharge while we were in meetings, hopefully gaining enough range to make the return journey. But as you’ll see, it’s not quite as simple as that.

The outbound leg was easy – the MG5 proving a highly capable motorway cruiser.

As with all EVs, we set the cruise to 65mpg, not 70, and drove in Eco mode with maximum brake regeneration throughout.

It’s essential to maximise the range this way.

Scrolling through the mode selector brought that 181-mile range down to just 164 in Normal mode. And Normal is the

26

default mode for the MG5. So you need to remember to change the setting on startup. Fortunately, this couldn’t be easier – mode and regen settings are controlled via toggle switches next to the gear selector on the centre console.

Just under two and a half hours later, and we drew up outside the hotel. We’d made the trip with 47 miles of range left – around 22% of the battery capacity. That means the 121-mile journey used 124 miles of range - very close to the expected reading. More urban mileage, with lots of stop-start driving, would have used less range thanks to more regeneration energy being created.

Celtic Manor Resort garage chart point was a regular 3-pin socket aimed at overnight use

Too few charging bays meant Tesla was unable to park it’s own spot

At the hotel we were directed to the bank of chargers in the underground car park. There are two types across six bays – four regular chargers and three dedicated Tesla chargers, so we were restricted to four. It hadn’t helped that a Tesla owner had parked his car in a non-Tesla bay, but we managed to squeeze in.

Being a hotel, Celtic Manor’s chargers are designed for guests overnighting, and thus these are not rapid chargers. Rather, they are the kind that requires a cable with a regular three-pin domestic plug on the end. The MG5’s display informed me glumly that a full charge will take a whopping 17 hours. OK, we only need about half an electric tankfull, but even so, eight hours for 50% mean we were going to need another recharge on the journey back.

After four hours of meetings and site visits, we were ready to go – but the recharge had only replenished our battery capacity to 37%, or just 80 miles of range.

Nevertheless, almost all the UK’s motorway services are now equipped with charge points, mainly via Ecotricity, which was the first mover in the EV charging environment and secured a contract to give it exclusivity on most of the motorway network.

This, as we shall see, has proved to be a double-edged sword. While it meant charging was available, the pace of development in the car market means those early Ecotricity charge points – fine for topping up a Leaf or a Zoe with an 80-mile range in 2014 - are rather inadequate on a modern, 200-mile-plus car, where adding a mile of range in just under a minute is painfully slow.

And so it was when arriving at Leigh Delamere services, 37 miles into our journey. We pulled in with range down to 29 miles, and just 18% capacity remaining, to be confronted with the same type of

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road test

first-gen 7kW Ecotricity charger we’d used back in 2014.

Ecotricity is sadly paying the price for its early move into the market. Now under new management, Ecotricity is currently upgrading its network with new, much faster chargers. But that process has only just started, and for now it’s pot luck as to whether the charger will dispense anything like the amount of juice you need.

Nevertheless, we pressed on and gave the Ecotricity charger a try. It works via an app, and the process of setting up and charging was smooth enough. But the charge was going to require patience.

The MG5’s indicator reported 7 hours, 24 minutes for a charge – and we were not in a position to tie up the charger for that length of time. We gave it 45 minutes, but after that time, only 5.5kWh had been dispensed, adding just 30 miles of range.

It was cheap enough – just £1.65 – but not enough to get us home.

There are chargers at the other M4 service areas, but they’re all Ecotricity, so rather than face a tedious journey limping from service area to service area, we decided to look elsewhere.

A number of other networks are now starting to emerge – other independent rivals to Ecotricity such as Instavolt and Ionity, and others powered by the oil companies such as BP and Shell. An online search showed there was an Ionity charger just a few miles up the road, close to the next junction. So we headed there.

With Ecotricity securing the motorway services rights, the rival networks have, for the moment, been forced to set up at facilities as close as possible to motorway

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The Ionity chargers were tucked away in a truck stop off the M4 near Chippenham but they did the job required in 30 minutes

More bang, more buck: Ionity vs Ecotricity

junctions. Ionity’s four-charger station was to be found at the rather less familyfriendly location of the Chippenham truck stop, a proper truckers’ rest stop just a mile or so from the M4.

While the location might lack the wellstocked newsagent and selection of fast food that you’d find at a Moto or Welcome Break, it had a café and shop, and toilets.

And crucially, the Ionity chargers were state-of-the-art and very fast, with the large “double-socket” connector that allows the watts to flow at greater speed.

Starting with 28 miles of range, we charged for 31 minutes – this time sucking in 27.57kWh and boosting our battery to 83%, or 171 miles – basically, where we were when we started off that morning.

The downside? It’s more expensive – those 143 miles cost £19.03, or around 13.3p per mile, compared to just 5.5p for the Ecotricity charge. Back at base, we still had 89 miles of range available – so we could have made a shorter “splash & dash” at the Ionity

station, thus saving money.

And remember, if you can use homecharging, do so all the time. An overnight charge will cost around £5; a full 200 miles at Ionity prices would cost £26.60, which is about the same as five gallons of diesel.

You’d only need to do more than 40mpg to be up on the deal.

So the lesson learned is to know your networks. Use Zap Map or similar apps to find where the chargers are, and make sure you locate the true rapid chargers that will give you a recharge in an acceptable time.

Had we been taking the Professional Driver team to the Celtic Manor as a private hire driver, we would have had time to find a rapid charger in the area, rather than trusting the hotel’s facilities. The four hours of downtime would have been sufficient to recharge fully at a modern Ionity charger or similar, so when we made the pick-up we would not need to stop again.

The two stops we had to make added nearly two hours to the journey time in total, and it would be unacceptable to inflict that on a client on a journey that was easily within the car’s range.

The very latest cars offer 300 milesplus of range with very acceptable levels of performance and comfort. That range should be enough to complete a 250-mile round trip without recharging en route – or any range anxiety. If you have to use the charging networks, do your research and use the best available. The electric revolution is not quite there yet, but we’re getting closer. Providing we make a few stops on the way.

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The biggest a

W

e’ve missed you during

the lockdown – and now, at last, we can get together again in 2021 at our two flagship events for the chauffeur, private hire and taxi industry.

Professional Driver Car of the Year Judging Days Epsom Racecourse, Surrey, August 24-25, 2021 Professional Driver’s legendary Car of the Year judging days are back, and we look forward to welcoming you to them again on Tuesday and Wednesday, August 24 and 25.

We have a new venue for 2021, as Sandown Park is being used as a vaccination centre. So we’ll be at Epsom Racecourse in Surrey on those days.

If you’re a licensed operator or driver and you’d like to be a judge for the event, please contact Mark Bursa via email at editor@prodrivermags.com For full details, please visit: https://www.prodrivermags.com/ car-of-the-year-home/

The Professional Driver QSi Awards Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, Thursday November 25, 2021 The QSi Awards dinner is moving to a new venue this year. We’re proud and delighted to be hosting the event at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, South Wales, on Thursday, November 25.

As usual, we’ll be presenting Gold, Silver and Bronze awards to the best of the best among the operators and drivers – with a special focus on how the sector contributed to the fight against Covid-19.

We’ll also reveal our 2021 Cars of the Year on the night – so prepare for a great party!

Details of the awards categories and how to apply for the QSi Awards will be published shortly on our website, so please visit this address: https://www.prodrivermags.com/qsi-awards-home/

CAR OF THE YEAR

and best events are back for 2021

electric vehicles: infrastructure

Motorists are starting to switch to electric cars in greater numbers but there are still major issues with range anxiety, and downtime, while vehicles need to recharge.

But it does seem that help is on its way with new, better, faster charging stations

Chargé d’affaires Mark Bursa

C

APABLE ELECTRIC CARS ARE NOW coming to market in increasing numbers.

Most manufacturers now have an electric offering, and it won’t be long before most have a full range of battery-electric models on sale.

So what’s the hold-up? Why are motorists – both professional drivers and private owners – still reluctant to go electric? Clearly it’s not the cars – sales are on the up. The biggest worry remains the old chestnut, “range anxiety”.

Range may have increased, but this has simply encouraged drivers to use EVs for longer journeys rather than just urban trips. And that means a commercial charging infrastructure needs to be in place that is reliable, offers rapid charging and is available everywhere.

That’s quite a challenge, given the rather chaotic way the networks have developed so far. Thinking has not been joined up – far from it. Different charging technologies with different plugs have developed. VHS versus Betamax video tapes looks like a coherent strategy by comparison.

And with the 2030 target for the end of sale of petrol and diesel

30

cars in the UK only nine years away, there is a lot to be done.

“There’s a big task ahead of us to get ready for that for that target date,” said Pia Bretschneider, UK and Ireland country manager for charging network Ionity. “It’s the lack of a charging infrastructure that’s the key concern now.”

The good news is that some serious players are getting involved now – including electricity suppliers, car manufacturers and, finally, oil companies. These multinationals are putting some serious weight behind building proper, usable infrastructure. This was inevitable – if we are to stop using fossil fuels, the existing fuelling infrastructure will become redundant and unused – but this familiar environment can, as we are already seeing, be adapted to provide electricity “pumps” in place of petrol or diesel.

And if hydrogen – the alternative’s alternative – is to gain traction, then you will need something not dissimilar to a filling station to service demand. And hydrogen does have significant advantages over batteries, not just in terms of refilling speed, but in its ability to provide power for heavier vehicles such as trucks.

Lugging a heavy battery pack around restricts your payload in a way that a lightweight gas tank does not. And if the truck market brings down the price of hydrogen fuel cells, then that will make hydrogenpowered cars more affordable too.

And of course, the elephant in the room is the £30 million-plus in

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electric vehicles: infrastructure fuel duty that will be lost once petrol and diesel sales dry up. How to reclaim this money? Home charging is difficult to tax, as the electricity that recharges your car is no different to the electricity that lights your home or powers your washing machine. But commercial charge points can provide a way of collecting duty at point-of-sale, just the way fossil fuels do today.

It’s certainly an easier road to go down than installing road pricing schemes everywhere, as some suggest. Compulsory fitment of trackers, vast investment in ANPR systems and complicated monitoring does not look as attractive as a point-of-sale tax.

The Government seems to be behind the change, though. Last month UK energy regulator Ofgem unveiled plans to invest £300m in 1,800 ultra-fast charging points ahead of the government’s target to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 and phasing out hybrids by 2035.

The bad news is that all the investment in charging infrastructure remains a work in progress. For now, you can’t just rock up at a charge point and expect it to give you 100 miles of juice in half an hour to get you home.

Fast-charging standards have leapt to 50kW, then 150kW and now 350kW, as the charge points have had to be improved to match the range of the latest electric cars.

But there are still plenty of older chargers in service, and they may not do the job for you.

According to EV location service ZapMap, the older 50kW chargers remain the most used, with 64% of respondents using them, but there is a rapid rise in the usage of ultra-rapid chargers.

In 2020, 16% of EV drivers used ultrarapid 100kW-plus chargers, a significant increase from the 3% recorded the year before, a Zap-Map survey reported. As of the end of 2020, there were 788 ultra-fast chargers across the country, up from 476 at the end of 2019. And this number is rising rapidly.

Of course, not many cars can yet gain the full benefit of the most powerful 350kW chargers. But if you’re driving a Posche Taycan or Audi e-tron GT, you can charge up in just a few minutes, which bodes well for the future. And forthcoming volume

brand EVs such as Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 will be capable of charging close to the 350kW maximum speed, allowing a recharge from 10-80% in around 18 minutes.

The Zap-Map survey found that 90% of EV drivers use the public charging network and 39% use it at least once a week. This has dropped from the 2019 figure of 95%, although this is likely to be due to the impact of Covid-19 on driving patterns and car usage, Zap-Map said.

When specific locations are looked at, 48% charge at supermarkets, with 47% using motorway service stations and 32% using public car parks. Zap-Map said the increase in the number of chargers at supermarkets – with 1,631 chargers in 952 locations – combined with the availability of free charging at some of the major chains is driving this shift.

Supermarkets such as Tesco, Aldi and Morrisons have all signed deals for EV charging, with Tesco’s rollout – in partnership with Pod Point and Volkswagen – hitting a new milestone in 2020 with 402 chargers installed at 200 stores.

Meanwhile, 84% of EV drivers regularly charge at home according to the survey. Dr Ben Lane, co-founder and chief technical officer at Zap-Map, said: “One of the clear

conclusions is the importance of having a robust and reliable charging network. As the number of EVs continues its upward march, it’s vital that drivers are offered the simplest and smoothest experience possible.”

In the same survey, Zap-Map collected data on the user experience of each of the public charging networks, with Tesla coming out on top as a result of its “seamless” charging experience.

Ecotricity’s Electric Highway was ranked the worst of the networks, with common complaints including that the chargers were older 7kw or 22kW machines, they were poorly maintained and frequently out of service.

So you need to know your networks, and you need to plan your journeys accordingly to make the most of what’s available. As national charging chains emerge, the smart motorist can minimise cost and wasted time with maximum efficiency. So let’s look at the networks that are out there today.

ECOTRICITY Ecotricity, also known as “The Electric Highway”, was the first mover, unveiling a plan to install a joined-up national CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

“Supermarkets such as Tesco, Aldi and Morrisons have all signed deals for EV charging, with Tesco’s rollout – in partnership with Pod Point and Volkswagen – hitting a new milestone in 2020 with 402 chargers installed at 200 stores…”

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electric vehicles: infrastructure

CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

charging network as long ago as 2011. But being first has been a double-edged sword, and Ecotricity has developed a somewhat tarnished reputation that saw it rock bottom of both the Zap-Map and the RAC’s recent surveys of charging networks.

The good news is that Ecotricity’s motorway network has now been acquired

by Gridserve, which last year opened the first all-electric forecourt in the UK. The move is likely to signal major new investment in Ecotricity’s ageing and unreliable Electric Highway motorway services network.

Gridserve, which is backed by Hitachi Capital, earlier bought a 25% stake in Ecotricity, and the full takeover means it will accelerate plans to replace all existing chargers with new, faster chargers featuring contactless payment.

Gridserve said the new chargers would be along the lines of the flagship Moto motorway services charging bank on the M6 in Rugby, which has 12 ultra-rapid 350kW chargers supplied by Tritium.

The 350kW chargers can blast 100 miles of range into supported vehicles in less than five minutes.

But many older Ecotricity chargers are only 7kW devices, which are incapable of delivering more than a handful

32

of miles in a 45-minute charge.

Ecotricity founder Dale Vince said change was needed: “The Electric Highway needs a growth spurt, to make sure that it stays ahead of driver demand. The Electric Highway needs an owner with access to serious funding and real commitment to the cause.”

Gridserve CEO Toddington Harper said: “The upgraded network will provide the confidence for millions more people to make the successful transition to electric vehicles in the earliest possible timeframes”.

In reality, Ecotricity has paid the price for being a charge point pioneer. It has more than 300 charge points, mainly on motorways. And many of them have been in place for well over a decade, with the oldest dating from 2007. And that is where the problems start.

Ecotricity was very clever about getting

Gridserve CEO, Toddington Harper, is promising a major upgrade to the Ecotricity Electric Highway network

“The upgraded network will provide the confidence for millions more people to make the successful transition to electric vehicles in the earliest possible timeframes...”

in early to the motorway services network.

Its contracts locked out other networks – as Tesla found out to its cost when it tried to establish its dedicated networks at motorway services.

But for users, that meant Ecotricity effectively had a monopoly. And that was coupled with poor service levels, as the RAC survey pointed out. Survey respondents complained that that the units were old, poorly maintained, and frequently out of service. Many lacked the most up-to-date Combined Charger Socket, which enables modern EVs to be charged at rapid speed.

The Government has expressed its distaste for Ecotricity’s “monopoly”, and earlier this year, Transport Minister Rachel Maclean said the Government was committed to breaking the monopoly and opening up the market to other operators – something that is already happening with increasing numbers of Tesla chargers on motorway services, and others such as Ionity moving in too.

GRIDSERVE Before it acquired Ecotricity’s Electric Highway, Gridserve was making plenty of noise in the EV charging market through the opening of its first Electric Forecourt in Braintree, Essex, the first of a planned network of 100 in the UK over the next five years.

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electric vehicles: infrastructure The site is at Great Notley, just off the A131 – about 17 miles from Stansted Airport. It enables 36 electric vehicles to be charged simultaneously, with high-power 350kW chargers, enabling users to add 200 miles of range in 20 minutes. And Gridserve reckons charging times will reduce as battery technologies develop, particularly with the arrival of solid-state batteries in the coming years.

The site includes various shops including WHSmith, Costa Coffee, Booths, a Post Office, and Gourmande. The facility also includes a waiting lounge, free superfast WiFi, high-end washrooms, a dedicated children’s area, business meeting room pods and even a “well-being area” with exercise bikes that generate electricity.

Gridserve is investing £1 billion in the plan. CEO Toddington Harper said: “Charging has to be simple and free of anxiety, which is why we’ve designed our Electric Forecourts entirely around the needs of drivers, updating the traditional petrol station model for a net-zero carbon world.”

Electricity is generated from both the solar power canopies above the chargers, and a network of hybrid solar farms, also operated by Gridserve. There is also a 6 MWh battery onsite which helps to balance the local energy grid and shift energy to periods when it is more valuable.

Drivers charging at the Electric Forecourt will initially pay just 24p per kWh of energy (including VAT), which is currently the lowest ultra-high power charging rates on the market today – meaning a typical charge from 20% to 80% costs under £10 for an average-size electric vehicle on the market today.

INSTAVOLT InstaVolt is an ambitious newcomer, with a target of delivering 5,000 chargers by 202425. And it’s not hanging around, opening 62 rapid chargers in March 2021 alone across twenty UK regions including 15 in Warwickshire, 6 in Greater London and 4 in Oxfordshire.

InstaVolt is already moving in to the motorway services market, and earlier this year it opened a rapid charger hub at on the northbound carriageway of Welcome Break’s Corley service area on the M6 near Coventry.

InstaVolt has also signed deals with KFC, Starbucks, Costa and McDonalds to install chargers at fast-food sites. The

Government backing for more motorway fast-charging and greater operator responsibility The Government last month announced much-needed support for developing EV infrastructure in the UK. And crucially, the demand also includes a call for greater clarity in labelling of charge points, so consumers know what they’re getting when they plug in.

The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) announced a £300 million investment into the UK’s electric vehicle (EV) charging network, mainly to help install 1,800 new charge points on motorway service areas and trunk road locations.

The investment will triple the current network, Ofgem said. Ofgem will also fund a further 1,750 charge points in urban locations, providing a major increase on the 17,000 electric car charge points in the UK. The two-year plan is part of a long-term £40 billion investment programme in the UK’s electricity infrastructure. Ofgem chief executive Jonathan Brearley said: “This £300m down-payment is just the start of building back a greener energy network which will see well over £40bn of investment in Britain’s energy networks in the next seven years.” In the longer term, around 6,000 rapid chargers are expected on motorways and main roads by 2030.

Transport minister Rachel Maclean said: “With more than 500,000 electric cars now on UK roads, this will help to increase this number even further as drivers continue to make the switch to cleaner, greener vehicles.”

Ofgem research showed that 36% of households that do not intend to get an electric vehicle are put off making the switch over a lack of charging points near their home.

Brearley added that it would give drivers “more charging options for longer journeys”.

And indeed, Transport Minister Maclean confirmed that the target was to have “at least six high power chargers in every motorway service area by 2023”.

On top of that, operators will have to make sure they have 99% reliability across networks – and provide better and more accessible information about locations, power ratings of chargers and price. The goal, she said, was to make it as easy for drivers to charge their car as it is to refuel a petrol or diesel vehicle.

This is much needed. At present, a motorist arriving at a charge point does not know what’s on offer. Charge points vary greatly in capability. At present they range from a meagre 7kW – similar to a home charger – to superfast 350kW devices, which can recharge a car in 10 minutes – providing the car has matching capability.

Some form of clear and understandable labelling in terms of charging speed, perhaps expressed as “miles per hour” (miles of range added per hour of charging) is long overdue.

The minimum standard for the new rapid chargers under Ofgem’s plan are 150kW devices – good enough to provide 100-plus miles in half an hour or most EVs, though not the most powerful available.

As to who will run the chargers, there is no word. Ecotricity’s monopoly of the motorway will be ended, though, and it’s likely that the service will be spread around a number of operators.

The issue of different systems and connectors needs to be addressed too. The fastest systems use a combined connector that plugs into both the AC and DC sockets on cars that are thus equipped, and this does appear to offer the best chance of offering something close to a unified standard for rapid charging.

—Mark Bursa

CONTINUED ON PAGE 34

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electric vehicles: infrastructure CONTINUED ON PAGE 33

KFC partnership targets the installation of rapid chargers at up to 450 sites, while the McDonalds partnership is for the installation of 125kW chargers at new and existing drive-thru restaurants. And more than 200 125kW chargers are to be installed at Costa Coffee locations.

In the RAC survey, InstaVolt was in second place behind the Tesla network. It’s also one of the largest, with around 500 rapid chargers across the country, smaller only than Tesla and BP Pulse. The RAC survey scored InstaVolt highly for both reliability and ease of use, as well as simple contactless payment.

InstaVolt chargers are also available to drivers through EV subscription service Onto, with access to all 2,000 chargers on Onto enabled through an RFID card.

One downside: the units have no AC connectors, so Renault Zoe drivers are unable to use them. And some InstaVolt locations are at the back of service stations or places with no facilities.

IONITY Another new kid on the block, Ionity is focusing on high-power 350kW charging having ordered 324 of the super-fast chargers from ABB in January 2020.

While it is marketed as a standalone network, Ionity is actually owned by a consortium of car manufacturers, comprising BMW Group, Ford, HyundaiKia, Mercedes Benz, and Volkswagen Group.

This means if you buy an EV from one of those, it’s likely to come with an Ionity deal. Just as well, as Ionity is not cheap – though extra costs can be traded against lost time.

In the UK, both Kia and Hyundai recently announced charging network partnerships for their customers that include Ionity, as does Volkswagen’s We Charge, offered with its ID. cars. It also has a partnership with home electricity supplier Octopus Energy, which means Octopus customers see their car charges on their domestic fuel bills.

Ionity has a partnership with Extra motorway services, and this January it opened a new charging station at Cobham services on the M25, with a bank of six 350k chargers at the Shell filling station – a facility that also contains a hydrogen pump. The move means users have a choice of Ionity or Ecotricity at Cobham, with the Ecotricity chargers located near the main service area.

David Metcalfe, rollout manager at

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Tesla At the top of the RAC’s charge point survey is the company that introduced realistic range and rapid charging to the market. Tesla has now been around for almost a decade, and it has taken the car industry almost that time to catch up. It wasn’t until 2018 that traditional car companies could match the performance of Tesla’s cars – and its infrastructure.

Now Tesla has a UK network of more close to 600 high power superchargers and 1,100 “destination chargers”. And its customers are extremely satisfied. Ofcourse, the Tesla network is exclusive to Tesla vehicles. And for many owners, it’s free (or a reasonable 24p/kWh for later adopters).

So the charging process is seamless with no need for any cards, and automatic payment on account.

In 2020, Tesla added CCS charging capability for the popular Model 3, and upgraded many supercharger locations to 250kW. Again, only now, with the likes of Ionity and Ecotricity adding 350kW chargers, can other cars match or better Tesla recharge times.

Tesla has been under pressure to make its network available to others, but that doesn’t seem to be on the cards at any time – even though Tesla’s rivals can now match its performance. Indeed, Tesla is even thinking of adding its own cafes to charge stations, providing Tesla-branded food to owners while they wait for a recharge.

Ionity, said that the UK “needs high-power charging stations” to support the transition to net zero transport.

BP PULSE Oil companies have been somewhat coy about the EV charging market, but that’s all changing. BP had established a substantial charging network under the Polar Plus brand, but at the end of 2020 this was all rebranded BP Pulse.

“Keeping the air within your vehicle clean while on the move is another way of minimising risk. Covid-19 is spread in small water droplets – or aerosols – from breath or sweat...”

Altogether, BP Pulse has more than 7,000 charging points across the UK, including everything from slow chargers to nearly 400 150kW rapid chargers.

And as you’d expect, with the company seeing its revenue from petrol and diesel draining away over the next decade and beyond, BP Pulse plans to go big on charging, expanding its network to 16,000 charge points by 2030, including a lot of ultra-rapid 300kW-plus chargers.

In March, BP Pulse announced it would build new charging hubs, similar to the Gridserve facility in Braintree, starting in Oxford. These will have 24 charging points and 300kW charging speeds at “high-traffic locations” alongside the UK motorway network. In January 2020, it opened a rapidcharging hub on the M6 in Lancashire, at the Caton Road Park & Ride location near Junction 34, installing six 150kW units.

You can subscribe to the BP Pulse network for £7.85 a month, which gives you discounted prices compared to onregistered users. BP Pulse announced a new pricing structure, applicable from 10 June.

For 50kW chargers, unregistered users are charged 35p/kWh and for 150kW chargers, it’s 42p/kWh. Subscribers get much lower prices: 23p/kWh for 50kWh and 27p/kWh for 150kWh.

SHELL RECHARGE Shell has quietly been building its Shell Recharge service since 2017. The aim is to add charge points to existing shell service stations, gradually repurposing them to have more electric charging in place of fossil fuel pumps.

Unlike BP, there’s no subscription, and the service has so far been entirely concentrated at existing forecourts – including a fully electric service area in Fulham, West London.

This has 10 150kW ultra-rapid chargers and no traditional fuel pumps. It includes a Little Waitrose convenience store, a Costa coffee shop, a Jamie Oliver sandwich shop, free wi-fi, a parcel collection point and lavatories.

To date Shell Recharge has installed more than 100 EV charge points, mainly 50kW or 175kW units, and this will double to 200 charge points on forecourts by the end of 2021. Long-term, Shell wants to ramp up the network to 5,000 EV charge points on forecourts and in new locations by 2025.

Initially Shell has concentrated on its company-owned sites, but a new deal with charge point supplier Osprey will allow Shell’s franchised forecourts to get on the

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electric vehicles: infrastructure stores in the UK, in a partnership deal with Volkswagen Group.

Eventually more than 2,400 EV charging bays will be installed across 600 Tesco Extra and Superstore car parks, and customers can use a standard 7kW or 22kW charger for free, or a rapid 50kW charger for a small cost.

ENGIE

Oxford to host Europe’s most powerful electric vehicle charging hub A group of companies and local authorities have announced they will open Europe’s most powerful electric vehicle charging hub in Oxford later this year.

The hub, with around 10MW of power on site, will initially feature 38 fast and ultrarapid chargers (more than anywhere else in the UK) and has capacity to add more in future to help meet the need for EV charging in the area for the next 30 years.

The hub is the first of up to 40 similar sites planned by Pivot Power across the UK to help deliver the charging infrastructure needed for the estimated 36 million EVs by 2040. Pivot Power’s partners in Oxford include Oxford City Council, Fastned, Tesla and Wenea.

Unlike any other UK charging hub, the site is connected directly to the high voltage national electricity grid, providing the power needed to charge hundreds of EVs at the same time quickly, without putting strain on the local electricity network or requiring costly network upgrades. This innovative network has capacity to expand to key locations throughout Oxford to meet mass EV charging needs, including from buses, taxis and commercial fleets.

The charging hub is part of the £41m world-first government-backed Energy Superhub Oxford project, led by Pivot Power, which integrates EV charging, battery storage, low carbon heating and smart energy management technologies to support Oxford to be zero carbon by 2040 or earlier.

At the site, European EV fast charging company Fastned will build one of the largest charging stations in its pan-European network, where 10 300kW chargers will charge 14 EVs simultaneously, adding 300 miles of range in just 20 minutes. Tesla will install 12 250kW Superchargers, available for Tesla owners, while Wenea, one of the largest EV charging services providers in Europe, will deploy 16 7-22kW charging points.

—Mark Bursa

EV train. Osprey has recently installed its first Shell Recharge charge point at a Shell franchised site – an 175kW charger in Hovefield service station. And as most of the 1,000 Shell forecourts in the UK are franchised, this partnership is likely to accelerate growth.

“The fact that over 75% of the population is within 15 minutes of a Shell service station means we’re in a perfect position to help them,” said Bernie Williamson, Shell UK general retail manager.

payments using contactless and app access.

It has more than 170 rapid and fast charge points, many of which are located at pubs or restaurants via a partnership with Marston’s. As part of the partnership 400 rapid chargers are to be installed across 200 Marston’s restaurant sites.

Osprey has also announced plans to install chargers at ten out-of-town retail sites owned by real estate group Brookhouse, with chargers going into sites alongside Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Argos, Next, Aldi and M&S stores.

OSPREY

POD POINT

As well as working with Shell Recharge, Osprey, formerly Engenie, is a substantial charge network in its own right, ranking number three in the RAC survey thanks to a combination of reliable chargers, good visible locations, and easy

Known initially as a maker of home chargers, Pod Point has grown into a substantial network of commercial charge points. Now majority owned

by French energy company EDF, Pod Point has installed more than 400 chargers at 200 Tesco

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Like Pod Point, Engie is focusing on supermarket car parks for its network frowth. It recently agreed to install two-car 50kW+ chargers at 19 Asda locations in West Yorkshire as part of a new partnership, with the chargers available free until October.

Engie has an existing relationship with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, and has installed 70 rapid chargers in the region. The Combined Authority secured close to £2 million from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles in 2019, with the installation of charge points at Asda stores marking the final phase of the programme.

Engie also serves Morrissons’ supermarkets through its acquisition of ChargePoint Services, and it is installing 50kW and 00kW rapid chargers at supermarkets up and down the country.

SOURCE LONDON If there’s somewhere that really needs good infrastructure, it’s central London.

Sadly the main London network, Source London, has been a disappointment. It languishes in 14th place in the RAC’s survey – only Ecotricity is lower – as users moan about pricing, useability, availability and other factors.

Pricing is charged per minute, and including the cost of parking, as most of the charge points are at the roadside. Most of the 1,600-plus charge points are slow chargers for overnight recharges – 7kW or 22kW devices. There are no rapid chargers at all. The only positive is the ability to prebook a slot.

This dismal performance may be about to change, though, following the network’s acquisition late last year by French oil giant Total. Originally set up by Transport for London, Source London was sold in 2018 to French EV maker Bolloré, which tried to set up an EV car share system similar to the Santander bike scheme, but which proved an unreliable failure.

Total plans to shake Source London up – and it clearly has the experience CONTINUED ON PAGE 37

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electric vehicles: infrastructure

Charge networks angry as HMRC hikes VAT rate to 20% on electricity at charge points The cost of recharging your electric car at commercial charge points is set to rise after HMRC announced it would impose the standard rate of VAT (20%) on the facilities. Previously HMRC applied ‘de minimis’ provisions, which allowed a reduced rate of VAT of 5% to be charged. Charging networks providers reacted with disappointment to the news, which immediately increases the cost by 15%. Adrian Keen, CEO of InstaVolt, said he would “reluctantly” have to pass the increase on to his company’s customers.

“Since 2017 we have maintained our price of £0.35/kWh despite the wholesale energy price alone increasing by over 20% over the past four years,” Keen said. “With the announcement, we have no option but to apply the additional VAT to our base price.”

As a result, InstaVolt is now charging £0.40 per kWh. “To be clear, InstaVolt will not profit from or retain any of the price increase. The rise is entirely attributable to VAT which will all be passed to HMRC,” Keen added.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

to do so. “By combining these existing infrastructures with Total’s know-how in terms of installation, operation and management of public electric vehicle charging networks, we are starting a new phase, supporting the expansion of electric mobility in London,” said Alexis Vovk, Total president, marketing & services.

Total wants to be a big player in EV charging, with a goal of operating a total of 150,000 charging points by 2025. It has secured a deal to install and operate up to 20,000 new charging points in the Netherlands, while in France it purchased the charging infrastructure specialist G2Mobility in 2019.

SWARCO EVOLT Swarco eVolt is not the biggest electric car infrastructure provider, but it does one thing that its rivals do not – it installs

JUNE 2021

“Following OFGEM’s announcement of another £300m funding and the Government continuing to champion the transition to an electrified transport network, increasing the cost of charging to EV drivers through VAT just feels wrong. InstaVolt strongly disagrees with HMRC’s disappointing position on this subject,” Keen added.

“This single move discriminates between the millions of drivers who do not have access to off-road parking and rely solely on public charging, and those who benefit from home charging and the 5% rate that applies to domestic energy bills,” he said. “We hope HMRC recognises this mistake quickly, as taxing EV drivers with no ability to charge at home is not fair.”

InstaVolt is calling on the Government to reduce the rate of VAT on public EV charging to 5% in line with domestic energy tariffs, and said that if HMRC reversed its position it would immediately reduce its price. “InstaVolt does not want to profiteer from this tax increase and will continue to champion the interests of the consumer.”

However the government looks unlikely to shift, as the move toward electric cars will cause an increasingly large hole in revenue both from lost fuel duty and VAT charged on petrol and diesel sales – a sum in excess of £30 billion a year.

—Mark Bursa

networks dedicated to taxi firms.

In South Wales, Swarco eVolt has won a contract from Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) to install rapid chargers dedicated to taxis at 31 locations across 10 local authorities in south-east Wales. A total of 34 50kW chargers will be installed at the 31 sites by Swarco, which will also manage the subsequent operation and maintenance of the infrastructure.

Justin Meyer, managing director of Swarco eVolt, said: “CCR’s well thoughtthrough and strategic approach to building a network of charging infrastructure that is reliable and convenient for taxi drivers, combined with the tangible support it is giving taxi drivers and operators through a ‘try before you buy’ scheme and educational webinars, will make this initiative a success.”

And in Kent, 14 rapid chargers have been installed exclusively for registered taxis and private hire vehicles.

The new 50kW EV Rapid chargers came as a result of Kent County Council successfully winning government funding through the Ultra-Low Emission Taxi Infrastructure Scheme. Work to install the 14 Rapid chargers across six different districts has begun and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Susan Carey, Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Environment said: “Much thought has gone into the location of these extra charging points to make them as convenient as possible. We hope they encourage more people to make the switch to electric.”

Swarco eVolt’s Meyer added: “This builds on other Swarco projects with Transport North East and Basildon and Rochford to support taxis, and like them, Kent County Council is building the infrastructure to make EV taxis more attractive and viable for drivers and operators.”

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electric vehicles: infrastructure

Home / Office

Commercial networks are crucial to the availability of proper recharging and the ability for drivers to travel longer distances by electric cars. But they’re not the cheapest way to run an EV fleet, and for most taxi and private hire operators, journeys are local and urban Mark Bursa

T

o keep an EV fleet charged for that

sort of work, there are better and cheaper ways. The obvious, and cheapest, is home charging. An overnight charge using a 7kW charge point can take about 8-10 hours on a modern EV, but using cheap off-peak electricity, it’ll cost around £5 – a fraction of the cost of a commercial rapid charger on the motorway.

Of course, not everyone can install a home charger. Drivers who live in flats or terraced houses will probably not have off-street parking with a dedicated parking space, and for them, the transition is more challenging.

But there are solutions, including workplace charging and onstreet charging which can provide a workaround for these drivers.

And there are a number of specialist companies whose mission is to provide businesses with the wherewithal to go electric.

Of course, private hire and taxi firms are seen as low-hanging fruit. With higher-than-average mileage, and a need to keep cars working for as much of the day and night as possible, solutions need to offer flexibility, including rapid charging at speeds on par with the networks.

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UBITRICITY Britain’s largest on-street charging network was acquired earlier this year by oil giant Shell as another route into the lucrative EV market.

The deal to buy Germany-based Ubitricity is expected to be finalised by the end of the year.

The Ubitricity network includes more than 2,700 charge points across the UK, giving it a 13% market share. However, coverage is not national – far from it. Most Ubitricity chargers are in London or Oxford.

Ubitricity works with local authorities to fit Type 2 car chargers to existing street infrastructure such as lamp-posts and bollards. These are typically 7kW chargers, so are suitable for overnight charging, not rapid refills.

Unlike the charging networks, these chargers typically do not have cables, so users have to buy Ubitricity’s SmartCable in order to use the whole network. It’s not cheap – between £199 and £399 depending on the cable’s capacity and the Ubitricity plan you’re on.

Some, but not all, of the charge points can be accessed with manufacturer-provided cables, with pay-as-you-go fees applying to those who opt for this method. Those who purchase an Ubitricity SmartCable simply need to locate an available charger using the Ubitricity app before parking up and plugging in.

Ubitricity is a subscription service – with two pricing schemes: CONTINUED ON PAGE 39

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electric vehicles: infrastructure

CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

Residential Pro and Residential Free. On Residential Pro, the cable is cheaper and so is the electricity, but there’s a £7.99 monthly fee. For regular users, once you’ve recouped the cost of the cable, it’s relatively economical – a full charge of a 40kWh Nissan Leaf (with 140-mile range) would cost £6.67on Po and £7.89 on free and take between five-and-a-half and nine hours, depending on which cable you buy.

creating a long-term revenue stream for those involved.

Installing public charging infrastructure outside of busy urban areas has typically been a challenge for the industry. Lower grid capacity and fewer connections increase upfront cost, with lower footfall compounding the challenge by extending the return-on-investment period. With some rapid chargers costing upwards of £100,000 to install, and with lifespans of between 5-10 years, the economics rarely add up.

But unlike many public charge points, Connected Kerb’s infrastructure is designed to last 20+ years – significantly longer than anything else on the market.

The charging infrastructure is located below ground and installed once, with passive chargers that can be easily ‘switched on’ by adding the above ground charge point to match consumer demand.

charge point. More recently, EO teamed up with Octopus Electric Vehicles for an EV charging solution that bundled a Nissan Leaf with 8,000 miles of free charging per year for an ititial price of £271 per month, as well as an EO Mini Smart Home charger installed for £369.

The charger syncs with the Octopus Go tariff, which uses dynamic time of use pricing to allow for charging when its cheapest or greenest, including overnight charging at 5p/kWh.

CONNECTED KERB With the focus on urban areas and motorway networks, it’s easy to see that smaller towns could end up being bypassed by the electric superhighways. Data shows that more than 30% of the UK’s public charging network is located in London, equivalent to 63 public chargers per 100,000 people.

This compares to areas like Castle Point, Kent, which has just 2.2 chargers per 100,000 residents. Indeed, the Competition and Markets Authority has also highlighted the risk that electric car owners in some areas could be “left behind” as a significant challenge to the industry.

But a new project to bring affordable electric vehicle charging to smaller communities just like Castle Point has just been launched. Charging specialist Connected Kerb is working with Kent County Council to deliver a project that the company believes will provide a blueprint for local authorities across the UK. In the project’s first phase, Connected Kerb is installing 40 charging units across 20 Kent Parish sites. The chargers – a mix of 7kw and 22kW devices – are being installed at popular sites, including village halls, pavilions and car parks. Every charge point will feature contactless payment via the Connected Kerb app with a consistent network and tariff across the sites.

All income from the chargers goes to the local community or is used to support the roll out and maintenance of more chargers,

JUNE 2021

ELECTRIC BLUE

EO On street parking partially solves the problem of no off-street parking, but it’s not a full solution. Some drivers might still struggle to locate a convenient charger close to their home, and the only alternative is to provide facilities at your workplace.

EO is the biggest provider of workplace charge points in the UK. The company works with major suppliers including Amazon, where it is installing EV chargers in support of its fleet electrification, with more than 800 rolled out so far and “hundreds” more to follow.

Alongside the physical installations, EO Charging also provides software and maintenance services for Amazon’s electric fleet in Europe, including more than 500 Mercedes-Benz electric vans for its UK delivery.

Other partnerships including being taximaker LEVC’s official charging partner in Scotland, a deal that offers owners of LEVC’s electric taxi an EO Mini Pro home

Elecric Blue started with the intention of being an electric taxi operator, but the business has evolved into one that works with local governments and local taxi operators to help speed up the transition to EVs. In Hertfordshire, it has been involved with the Herts 2025 initiative aimed at delivering significant air quality improvements in Hertfordshire towns by increasing the uptake of zero emission electric vehicles (EVs) within the taxi industry.

The initiative, supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Programme 2014-2020, has seen charge points installed in major towns and on-street lamp post chargers fitted in residential areas too. Electric Blue has also equipped local taxi operator Herts Cars with a pair of rapid charge points at its head office next to Radlett Station, so the company can control the charging of its recently acquired MG5 EVs. In Brighton too, a network of 207 lamppost electric vehicle chargers has been installed throughout Brighton & Hove, with users able to use chargers via the Electric Blue app. And in Leicestershire, Electric Blue is working with local authorities to install chargers in car parks close to homes without driveways or access to off street parking, where residents can charge their cars overnight.

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Sideshows, business and inflation

burden and to prime the economy - not much he events of the past 18 months have point taking money out of the economy during provided us all with great learning recovery. But ultimately they will need to increase opportunities, and no doubt the shadow interest rates, and then we are into a very different of that time will linger over our lives, business environment. businesses and, importantly, business decisions for the rest of our careers.

FREE MONEY IS AT SERIOUS RISK The confidence and certainties on which we based The period of zero interest rates is waning fast. decisions prior to Covid-19, lockdowns and the The period during which VC organisations were rest will have largely evaporated and instead there able to throw lorry-loads of money into industries Dr Michael Galvin like ours under the guise, and frankly pretentious will always be a nagging question when faced with decisions. What if...? title, of “disruptors” is facing its endgame, I https://mobility But I suspect the learning opportunities are far predict. serviceslimited from over, recovery is going to provide some difficult Once high wealth individuals can get safe .com moments, some real opportunity and decision returns due to higher interest rates their appetite making in a new environment in which old recipes for high risk (aka nonsensical) investments will and playbooks are not much, if any help. evaporate. It is true to say that VC has damaged this industry, but boy-oh-boy, don’t even think about the damage they have UNCERTAINTY AND FEAR done to their high wealth clients, the OEMs’ balance sheets and The unfamiliar, the uncertain and the lack of a formulaic solution others who have been chasing the mobility dream. to problems naturally and at times imperceptibly brings fear.

Business leaders and owners will need to get used to uncertainty SO WHAT? and new challenges. No doubt some old challenges will rear their Where does this leave the average taxi, chauffeur and private long-forgotten heads. hire company? In a good place, I’d say, though right now I To what do I allude? Well, this industry, our industry accept it may not feel like it. A new era, unfamiliar to all of us; has seen many of its people drift away to other industries, unknown levels of growth; a shrunken supply chain; unknown back to old trades. Many have seen shopping and parcel demand; an opportunity to raise prices; and recent experience deliveries as a booming opportunity and the upshot is going of how to squeeze down every cost in the business. Meanwhile to be fewer drivers available to the industry. There is also a the “drunken sailor” approach to investment by VC and OEMs, clear picture of amalgamations, acquisitions and a general pouring money down the increasingly thirsty drain, is coming slimming down of the industry. to an end, as they have really achieved very little. Could this be The doom-mongers have overplayed the unemployment wishful thinking? I don’t think so. situation while there may be an uptick. So, in recovery will BUSINESS NOT SIDESHOWS there be drivers, and importantly good drivers available to the A number of people have asked my advice and also asked why industry? An industry that has largely been dormant for 18 I have not written about the Supreme Court Case – bluntly I months and is likely to recover slowly. consider it a side show: an individual set of circumstances, Add into this our old friend and enemy, inflation. We are involving a specific set of events within an isolated paradigm. entering a period of growing inflation. How will that impact this What’s to write about? industry? Probably fewer journeys, higher costs and fewer drivers Real business is about constantly scanning the horizon, seeing – stir in Venture Capitalists’ money distorting the market and what is coming, judging the impact on the business we are a potential rise in interest rates and we have pretty close to the responsible for and ensuring that our sails are set fair to take perfect storm, don’t we? advantage or where possible not to be too damaged by it.

BACK ON THE FARM Real business in the next five years, in my view, will be dealing Maybe. Or maybe not! This industry has suffered from deflation with a smaller industry, less demand (more homeworking, less over the past seven or eight years. It started slowly but has travel), fewer drivers (maybe the better, smarter ones have gathered pace quickly over recent times. Journeys are being disproportionately left the industry), higher costs (inflation), completed at prices not seen since the 1980s or ’90s. higher prices (inflation), and a lowering impact of VC money.

Yes, there have been more journeys but to use an overused Will I be right? Who knows, but I can assure you that over the term, this isn’t sustainable. A period of growing inflation may coming months and the next few years nothing is going back to be just what the doctor ordered. Initially painful, it will quickly “normal”! move into fare increases, something that has largely disappeared Meanwhile, boring as it may seem, looking after your drivers, during the past decade. looking after your customers, looking after your staff, looking for opportunities and managing your business to successfully to get These, I suggest may be more readily accepted by customers through this period is what will be the difference between the as everything else will start becoming more expensive. The winners and losers.

Government, I suspect, will tolerate inflation to lessen the debt

JUNE 2021

41

the advisor

The End of the Hidden Economy?

W

ell, hmrc threatened

them, the focus is on minimising the risks to enforce tax checks posed by the hidden economy while also on new and renewed preventing the creation of administrative private-hire licenses. burdens for licensing authorities and professionals looking to continue working They consulted, and then they acted. as normal.

So where are we now?

In the 2020 budget, it was announced The consultation discussed the that the government would include principle of conditionality, which would legislation in the 2020-2021 Finance Bill. involve making access to licences or Gary Jacobs The government declared that the renewal services needed to trade conditional of licenses to drive taxis and private hire upon tax registration. It explored how Gary Jacobs vehicles, and to deal in scrap metal, would conditionality could reduce activity in the runs Eaziserv, an be conditional on tax checks. hidden economy. accountancy firm According to HMRC, licensing bodies It did not present firm policy proposals, specialising in will signpost first-time applicants to but sought views on the underlying the taxi and private HMRC guidance about tax obligations. principles of conditionality, the best This is to obtain confirmation that they hire business approach to delivering this, and the are aware of what is expected of them services and sectors in which it could be eaziserv.co.uk before considering the application. an effective compliance tool.

The tax check will be carried out by The majority of responses agreed providing enough information for HMRC that HMRC should be focusing on new to be satisfied that the applicant is aware of their tax approaches to tackling the hidden economy, and obligations and willing to adhere to them. If the licensing recognised that conditionality could be an effective way body is unable to obtain confirmation of tax check to support compliance. Equally, most responses were completion for 28 days, licenses will either be denied or clear that any approach to conditionality must minimise will be allowed to expire. burdens upon compliant businesses and providers of Some say that this HMRC scheme could earn an extra licences and business services. £65milion each year in the taxi and PH industry alone by So this is what HMRC is going to do. In England 2026. and Wales, tax checks will be conducted on any new The hot water that drivers and private hire companies applications for private hire licenses. If there is a time to will find themselves in should be taken seriously by take the tax of your drivers seriously, it is now. the industry.

Making sure that your company and your HMRC will introduce checks on tax registrations drivers are compliant with HMRC’s tax checks, and for all renewed applications in England and Wales. that they have valid licenses, should be part of your This includes applications to drive taxis and privateonboarding and operations processes. hire vehicles, and applications to operate a private Sometimes you will read my articles about grey areas hire business. This is being called ‘conditionality’, as in regulation and legislation – however, this is pretty entry to the private hire trade through licensing is now straightforward.

Stay compliant and in line with HMRC’s conditional on tax checks. demands, and that will keep your cars on the roads and Licensing bodies and local authorities will need legislation out of your nightmares. confirmation from HMRC that applicants have passed the check before being given a renewed license.

HMRC is doing this as a response to the hidden economy, which they believe exists as a result of a ‘confusion’ and a lack of understanding about tax obligations. Making access to licenses conditional on a tax check certainly makes it more difficult for people to enter or remain as part of the hidden economy. It also creates a more transparent industry.

HMRC has conducted two consultations on using conditionality to tackle the hidden economy. According to

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“Licensing bodies and local authorities will need confirmation from HMRC that applicants have passed the check before being given a renewed license...”

JUNE 2021

the negotiator

I

Why Uber’s GMB recognition is a big deal n my previous article I gave some

trenchant views on Uber’s options following the Supreme Court decision in Uber BV vs Aslam (2021). There, I explained that Uber’s business model only worked if the drivers take all of the risks of their working relationship.

I had also written previously about the difficulties I faced when dealing with grievances that our members had with Uber. In the five years I was a representative of the GMB’s driver/ members, I dealt with more than 70 complaints that stemmed from bad decisions made by Uber, and which resulted in the drivers losing the ability to work on their platform.

Seventy-plus attempts to engage with Uber met with complete silence, not even an acknowledgement to any of my correspondence.

A few days ago my union, the GMB, made the bombshell announcement that it had signed a recognition agreement with Uber, covering all driver/workers in the United Kingdom. So what are the main points of this agreement?

With effect from May 26 Uber has formally recognised the GMB trade union, enabling it to represent up to 70,000 Uber drivers across the UK. This should give drivers a voice within Uber, as GMB hopes to shape the major changes that impact them. Drivers will keep the freedom to choose if, when and where they drive while also having the choice to be represented by the GMB. It is planned that Uber and GMB will join forces to raise the standard of flexible work across the industry, as Uber continues to be the only major operator offering protections to drivers.

This will secure the National Living Wage for drivers, although a few can, in some cases, earn more. Holiday pay and a proposed pension plan will form part of the discussion between the union and Uber along with free AXA insurance for sickness and injury, and Uber’s driver loyalty programme. Other private hire operators are encouraged to offer these protections.

Uber will also support drivers if they choose to sign up as a member of GMB, with details to be worked out, and union

NOVEMBER 2020

Dennot Nyack The union view from our GMB representative

“Seventy-plus attempts to engage with Uber met with complete silence...”

“Uber will also support drivers if they choose to sign up as a member of GMB, with details to be worked out, and union reps will have a presence in Uber’s driver support hubs...”

I’M NOT A NEW CORRESPONDENT! – I have reverted to my birth name of Dennot Nyack rather than my subsequent adopted name of Dennis Bartholomew. I have never been comfortable with that name, and really I should have changed it on my 18th birthday. But then work, marriage and children always gave me reasons not to. Now, at my ripe old age, I’ve decided to do the deed before I pop my clogs! reps will have a presence in Uber’s driver support hubs to help drive up membership.

There will also be collaboration on driver health, safety and well-being. This will ensure that drivers are safe when working on the Uber app, including personal safety, road safety and driver well-being. How this pans out remains to be developed.

Where drivers account are deactivated the GMB will represent drivers to Uber. It is also proposed that the GMB and Uber leadership will meet quarterly to discuss driver issues and concerns.

I had previously stated, following the Supreme Court decision, that Uber would have to make a move to mitigate its effect. I don’t have a microscope into the business mind of this behemoth, so I cannot say why they have taken this momentous step.

Businesses do not undertake courses of action out of the goodness of their heart but because such action make business sense. Uber may have come to this decision for a number of reasons. A major reason may be the failure of the autonomous car project, with which they had hoped to get rid of those pesky drivers.

But who knows. Let’s wait and see but with a very critical eye.

—Dennot Nyack n D ennot is a AGM trade union

member and was a former representative of the GMB’s professional drivers. He is also an author and broadcaster with a strong knowledge of the private hire industry and an equality and diversity specialist. email: dennotnyack@yahoo.com mobile: +44 0740 625 276

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the insider

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Friends in need

he right-hand filter traffic lights from for getting into yoga or running an iron man challenge it the Embankment into Northumberland Avenue in cheapens the disease. Those with severe problems can’t London are notoriously slow, though if everyone drag themselves out of bed in the morning to shower let is primed and ready for the colours to drop to alone commit to perform a downward dog position. But green, and assuming a black cab or Uber Prius hasn’t cut in in these days of ‘be kind’, none of us dare say anything at the front, the lights will allow 6-7 cars through. negative like “please leave this for people with a genuine I was waiting patiently at this junction one sunny, illness”. So we say nothing and roll our eyes skyward. summer’s morning a few years back. I remember reaching Coming out of the festive season last year I had started to to retrieve something from the passenger seat. My memory wake up in the early hours panicking about our lack of work. fades to what it was exactly but an intelligent guess would I would then sit up, breathless, as reality hit that there Kevin Willis settle on it being some form of food. was little to no chance of my luck, or indeed anyone’s luck There then followed an almighty noise, a strange mix of within our industry, changing anytime soon. screaming and crashing that made me first jump then turn If I was so inclined I could have posted my fears on to Everyday problems to look. On the opposite side of the street a young woman LinkedIn, claiming this was affecting my mental health. from the operator’s lay prone; 20m further down a motorbike lay on its side, But possibly due to my upbringing, I did not. Then again, at point of view... wheel spinning. The dazed rider was slowly pulling himself the time I never considered those sleep-interrupted nights up on to his knees. to be serious enough to warrant a mental health banner.

An eerie silence followed; a serene calm. The accident happened on a busy Sure, I was worried, anxious and possibly even a tad depressed but this was pedestrian crossing outside Embankment tube station at the height of the something I felt I had to work out alone. morning rush hour, but nobody seemed to be moving to help either person.

I even chose not to share my fears with my wife because that would be I jumped out of the car and ran over to the girl first as I figured she must admitting I had failed, and because I didn’t want her to start worrying about be the more seriously hurt. The next few minutes seemed an eternity. I both our situation and about me. But not once did I consider jumping off a won’t go into too much detail only to say mouth to mouth was not an option bridge. and the chest compressions I gave were accompanied by me pathetically As I am blessed in not suffering from mental health problems I perhaps do introducing myself to her to alleviate my own embarrassment for having to not understand what it feels like to have a real mental health issue. Maybe feel down her body, arms and legs for any breakages. tennis players storming out of tournaments or minor royals shipping out to I remember shouting for someone to call 999, then I shouted at the biker LA are merely the headlines that cover a genuine cry for help. We have no for attempting to pick his bike up. He was in shock, crying and trembling right to judge. but I didn’t want him to hide any evidence of him jumping the lights on the Having been in this chauffeur game for a couple of decades now, I feel pedestrian crossing. confidence to say I know personally and have met drivers who suffer When a paramedic turned up to take over from me, I sat alongside and from depression in varying levels. Some use drink to cope, others drugs, held her hand, noticed she was a very pretty young woman and, a thing I prescription or otherwise, but suffice to say that mental health issues are at shall never forget, she had obviously spent time doing her hair and makeepidemic proportions in our industry. up that morning. Everything was vague after that. I gave a statement and Maybe people with issues are drawn to the isolation of a job that gives waited until they loaded her into the ambulance before I continued on to my them space to use as a coping mechanism or, on the flip side, the isolation pickup. has such a negative effect on our well-being that it actually creates the It was only as I sat outside the Langham Hotel I realised I had her blood issues. on my shirt and on my face and hands. As I washed up I couldn’t get the I have no answers. We work long hours, and never know where the next fact out of my mind that here was a girl who had set off that morning on a job is coming from. This can put a massive strain on a marriage or family beautiful summer’s day only to be tragically struck down in an RTA. relationship. One minute we are left of centre of attention on the red carpet The police called me later that same day and told me she had died. When with an A-list celebrity, the next we are sitting at home in our underpants I asked if I would be needed for any enquiry or court proceedings as, after nodding along with the ladies on Loose Women. all, I hadn’t actually witnessed the accident, the policeman was shocked What we really need to do when we feel down is to talk: to our partner, talk that I was unaware the girl had actually committed suicide by jumping off to a friend or colleague or, better still, a professional trained in this field. In Hungerford Bridge, above where I had been waiting and where the poor England and Wales alone around eighteen people commit suicide every day, motorbike rider had received the shock of his life when she had landed in for young men suicide is far and away the biggest killer. front of him.

This last year has tested the patience of saints, and saints we certainly To this day I have never come to terms with why she had gone to the ain’t, so it is important that you reach out (sorry, that is very American) for trouble of washing and setting her hair, doing her make-up and dressing help if you feel like things are getting on top of you. We need to be there for smartly knowing she was about to jump from a bridge. Maybe she didn’t set friends in need. Just by asking a simple question like “Are you okay?” can out to take her own life that morning? Perhaps she received bad news on her make the world of difference to someone who is struggling. way to wherever she was headed. Maybe she suffered with her mental health We, as an industry, are clearly going to be one of the last workforces to and suddenly enough had been enough. I will never know. recover from the economic slump, we need to look out for each other for help Mental health is an incredibly hot topic at the moment and you have to and continue to be in this together. Please, pick up the phone, call someone trust me when I say that this is not me jumping on the bandwagon. In fact, I for a chat whatever side of the gaping black hole you find yourself. freely admit to becoming more and more irritated when people use what is a Samaritans: Telephone 116 123 very serious illness as their emotional crutch in which to gain sympathy or www.samaritans.org n Kevin Willis runs Chirton Grange, harvest likes and comments on social media. contact@chirtongrange.co.uk The problem, I feel, is when people hashtag mental health as their reason

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