GreenFleet 106

ROAD SAFETY

EMERGENCY SERVICES

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COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

ISSUE 106

CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE

EV CHARGING ON FORECOURTS Electric vehicle charging facilities will be required at large fuel retailers under planned new laws. How has the industry responded?

FIRST DRIVE SMART FORTWO CABRIO ELECTRIC DRIVE

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ADD ELECTRICITY.

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CO2

49 g/km*

134.5 mpg* (combined)

BIK

9%

To find out more, visit mini.co.uk/countrymanphev

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MINI Fleet & Business Sales Official fuel economy figures for the new MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4: Combined 122.8-134.5 mpg (2.3-2.1 l/100km). CO2 emissions 52-49 g/km. *Figures are obtained in a standardised test cycle using a combination of battery power and petrol fuel after the battery had been fully charged. They are intended for comparisons between vehicles and may not be representative of what a user achieves under usual driving conditions. The new MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that requires mains electricity for charging.

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Air quality plans need more clarity

ISSUE 106

CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE

EV CHARGING ON FORECOURTS Electric vehicle charging facilities will be required at large fuel retailers under planned new laws. How has the industry responded?

8

7

GreenFleet Arrive’n’Drive takes place on 28 September.

Read the preview on page 40

FIRST DRIVE SMART FORTWO CABRIO ELECTRIC DRIVE

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Comment

ROAD SAFETY

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The government has been accused of “passing the buck” to local authorities to tackle air pollution

by ClientEarth, the environmental law firm that started the court action over the government in the first place.

8

The firm has written to the government, asking for answers to the “holes” in the air quality plan. This includes clarification over how local authorities are to bring down air pollution, questions over funding, and details on how the rest of England will improve its air quality, aside from the 23 local authorities singled out.

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GreenFleet Arrive’n’Drive takes place on 28 September.

Read the preview on page 40

It appears that councils are feeling the pressure. Council leaders from Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, Southampton, Leicester and Oxford have written to the environment secretary Michael Gove, calling for specific actions that would allow them to meet the legal limits of air pollution.

Taking our attention towards Europe, Germany is looking like it will too announce the ban of new, fully-diesel or petrol‑powered vehicles, like France and the UK have done. Although the German chancellor Angela Merkel has said she does not want to name an exact year for the ban.

Our leasing expert panel debates the UK’s ban of new pure diesel and petrol vehicles on page 28, and consider how fleets can prepare now for future changes.

Angela Pisanu, editor

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226 High Rd, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055 Fax: 020 8532 0066 Web: www.psi-media.co.uk EDITOR Angela Pisanu FEATURES AND ROAD TEST EDITOR Richard Gooding EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Andrea Pluck PRODUCTION CONTROL Ella Sawtell PRODUCTION DESIGN Jo Golding WEB PRODUCTION Victoria Casey PUBLISHER George Petrou ACCOUNT MANAGERS Kylie Glover ADMINISTRATION Vickie Hopkins REPRODUCTION & PRINT Argent Media

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Volume 106 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Contents

Contents GreenFleet 106 07 News

07

ClientEarth calls for clarification on UK air quality plans; Richmond to receive new electric vehicle charge points; BMW confirms up to £2,000 discount for diesel trade-ins

16 Telematics

With the General Data Protection Regulation coming into effect in less than a year, the BVRLA explains how fleet operators need to understand their responsibilities and have a clear strategy regarding the collection and use of driver and vehicle data

26

20 Expert panel: Telematics Telematics generates vast amounts of data which needs to be digested and acted on if any benefits are to be realised. But how well are fleets using data? And do companies have a moral and legal obligation to act on reports of bad driving? We ask our telematics experts

26 Charging infrastructure 34

Planned laws in the Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill will make it compulsory for large fuel retailers and motorway services to provide charging facilities for electric vehicles. GreenFleet investigates how the industry has responded

34 Road safety

It is estimated that a third of all crashes involve someone who is driving for work, which should be a major cause for concern for any business that operates a fleet.

But what can companies do to help tackle this issue? RoSPA’s Keith Bell shares some advice

38 Commercial vehicles

Congestion is a critical city logistics issue. Gavin Parnell, director of Go Supply Chain, explores some of the many solutions to getting deliveries through the last‑mile challenge, including using electric vehicles or bikes within city centres

40 GreenFleet Arrive ‘N’ Drive preview GreenFleet Arrive’n’Drive will be setting up at Rockingham Motor Speedway on 28 September to showcase the latest in zero and ultra‑low emission vehicles and technology, encouraging fleets to “go ultra-low”

28 Expert panel: leasing

42 First drive: Smart Fortwo Cabriolet Electric Drive

32 Emergency Services Show

44 First drive: Volkswagen Golf GTE Advance

With the announcement that Britain is to ban sales of pure diesel and petrol-powered cars and vans from 2040 in a bid to get people into zero or ultra-low emission alternatives, we ask our expert panel how this will affect fleets and how they should prepare

Electric and hybrid vehicles for the emergency services are set to be a more prominent feature than ever at this year’s Emergency Services Show on 20-21 September

While its two-seat layout may appeal less to some, the new Smart Fortwo Cabriolet Electric Drive has other benefits, including an improved range and a more efficient battery. Richard Gooding reports

The Golf GTE was the first plug-in hybrid version of Volkswagen’s evergreen family hatchback. Now there’s an updated version; Richard Gooding finds out what has changed

38 40

42 GreenFleet magazine

www.greenfleet.net Volume 106 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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News

AIR QUALITY

ClientEarth calls for clarification on UK air quality plans when they came out. They pass the buck to local authorities and leave some majors questions about process and funding.

“We hope that the government’s answers will finally show a resolve to urgently tackle the UK’s toxic air.”

Environmental lawyers ClientEarth have written to the government asking for answers over “holes in court-ordered plans to clean up illegal levels of air pollution”.

The letter gives ministers 14 days to respond and asks for “immediate clarification” about the guidance given to local authorities on how to evaluate the best way of bringing air pollution down as soon as possible.

It also asks for guidance on how

ministers will ensure that air quality limits are met across England.

The air quality plans, which were released on 26 July, pass responsibility to 23 Local Councils in England to find a solution to the air pollution crisis, but, according to ClientEarth, offer little detail on how air quality will be improved in the rest of England.

ClientEarth lawyer Anna Heslop, said: “We were extremely disappointed with the plans

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

EV INFRASTRUCTURE

Hyundai set to produce electric car with 311‑mile range

Richmond to receive electric vehicle charge points

Carmaker Hyundai is planning to produce an electric car that can travel up to 311 miles on a single charge.

The firm is planning 31 eco-friendly models by 2020 with new additions including three plug-in hybrid vehicles, eight battery‑powered cars and two fuel‑cell vehicles. In addition, Hyundai plans to develop its first facility for all‑electric vehicles to allow the firm to produce a variety of EVs with longer driving ranges.

Automotive analyst, Robin Zhu from Bernstein Research says that Hyundai’s new model would be competitive when it comes out after 2021, despite its competitor Tesla potentially exceeding its expected range by that time.

Over 150 electric vehicle charge points are set to be installed across Richmond as part of plans to make electric vehicles more practical.

The points are being rolled out with the help of £285,000 from the government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles, which is being distributed as part of the London mayor’s Go Ultra Low City investment programme.

The funding will provide residential charge points to assist those without access to off-street parking.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/ybnv5sdw

The location of each charge point will appear on commercial charge point maps as well as a dedicated app from the provider, Ubitricity.

Richmond council is also working to install 70 fixed charging units across 21 locations later in the year.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/y9sjy6a6

READ MORE tinyurl.com/yb3h35x8

EV INFRASTRUCTURE

Chargemaster extends customer service hotline hours Electric charge point provider Chargemaster has extended the operating hours of its customer services team. Chargemaster customer services will open one hour earlier, at 7.30am, and finish later, at 9.30pm, on weekdays, and has grown its team so that more lines are open during the day.

The firm has tripled the size of its customer service team in the last 18 months and remains the only UK charging network operator to offer 24/7 support for users.

Chargemaster customer services can be contacted by phoning 0330 016 5126 or emailing customer.services@ chargemasterplc.com.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/yblvrk5s

AIR QUALITY

Germany considers banning new diesel-vehicle sales Germany is considering putting a ban on the sale of new diesel cars in the future, similar to plans confirmed in Britain and France.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has confirmed that the country must eventually follow moves by other European countries in banning the sale of new diesel cars.

In an interview with Superillu magazine,

she said she did not want to name an exact year for the ban.

Merkel agreed that plans to remove petrol and diesel cars from sale and focus on electrified vehicles is “the right approach”.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/ydx332yp

Volume 106 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

7

23 November

2017

Recognising environmental pioneers in fleet management

www.greenfleetawards.co.uk www.greenfleetawards.co.uk Closing date for entries: 6 October 2017

News

DIESEL

DIESEL

BMW confirms up to £2,000 discount for diesel trade-ins

Volkswagen offers trade-in incentives to German customers

BMW has announced a Lower Emissions Allowance, which offers owners of an Euro 4 standard model or below an additional discount of up to £2,000 to trade it in for a Euro 6 compliant model.

The new model being purchased must have calculated CO2 emissions of 130g/km or lower. This includes any in the BMW i or iPerformance range.

The scheme runs until 31 December 2017. New vehicles must be registered

in the same name and address as the trade-in vehicle, which must be a diesel engine. The offer is available at participating dealers for retail customers only.

All new BMW and MINI vehicles sold today are EU6 compliant.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/y7mq8yd2

EV BATTERIES

As part of its environmental programme, Volkswagen is offering its German customers of up to €10,000 on purchasing a Euro 6 compatible model.

The incentive applies if an older diesel model (Euro 1 to Euro 4 standards) is scrapped at the same time. The amount is dependent on the model purchased.

In addition, the German marque is offering a future incentive of between €1,000 and €2,380 to customers purchasing a vehicle with an electric, hybrid or natural gas powertrain.

Thomas Zahn, head of sales and marketing for Germany said: “Volkswagen is giving a clear signal for the renewal of the vehicle fleet in Germany. With our environmental incentive, we are actively promoting the changeover to highly advanced gasoline and diesel engines to the Euro 6 emissions standard.”

Nissan to sell electric battery operations to GSR Capital Nissan has entered into a sale and purchase agreement with GSR Capital for the sale of its electric battery operations and production facilities.

The agreement covers its battery subsidiary, Automotive Energy Supply Corporation and its manufacturing operations in Smyrna, Tennesse and in Sunderland.

Assets sold to GSR will also include part of Nissan’s Japanese battery development and production engineering operations located in Oppama, Atsugi and Zama.

Hiroto Saikawa, president and chief executive officer of Nissan, said: “This is a win-win for AESC and Nissan. It enables AESC to utilize GSR’s wide networks and

proactive investment to expand its customer base and further increase its competitiveness.

“In turn, this will further enhance Nissan’s EV competitiveness. AESC will remain a very important partner for Nissan as we deepen our focus on designing and producing market‑leading electric vehicles.”

The workforce at all facilities covered by the deal will continue to be employed. The headquarters and development centres of the business will remain in Japan.

tinyurl.com/y82cyyov

READ MORE tinyurl.com/y7oswl9m

EV INFRASTRCUTURE

Warner Leisure Hotels installs free EV charge points Warner Leisure Hotels now has free-to-use Rolec EV charge points at all of its UK hotels. Guests will be able to use the points

READ MORE

during their stay to ensure that they are able to get home if they own an electric vehicle.

Mat Finch, marketing director for Warner Leisure Hotels, commented: “Our guests are seeking modern alternatives such as electric vehicles and we want to make sure that we are offering a service that facilitates this.

“We are very pleased with the Rolec charge points; it’s a new, exciting direction for Warner and our guests.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/ydytyppy

EV INFRASTRCUTURE

Czech low emission vehicle plans approved Plans for the creation of refuelling and recharging stations for electric or alternative-fuel vehicles in the Czech Republic have been given the go ahead by the European Commission.

According to Air Quality News, the scheme will see the support of over 44.5 million Euros available over the course of six years.

It will go towards the construction of publicly accessible recharging network for electric vehicles and refuelling stations for alternative fuels, such as compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas and hydrogen.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/ybxjnxk6

Volume 106 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

9

News

New roadside checks: Is your fleet ready?

Back in May 2017, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) published a draft plan to improve air quality through the reduction of nitrogen dioxide levels in the UK. This included looking at ways to reduce emissions produced by vehicles including those used commercially.

This is hugely significant for fleet operators as from this month, the DVSA will be targeting lorry drivers and operators by introducing new roadside emissions level checks.

For any offending vehicle, if the emissions system isn’t corrected within 10 days, DVSA will issue a fine and stop the vehicle being used on the road. DVSA enforcement staff can also insist that a vehicle be taken off the road immediately if they find a driver or operator is repeatedly offending.

There’s no doubt this new legislation, whilst welcome for the environment, will have a strong and potentially costly impact on the haulage industry.

Findings gathered from DVSA’s enforcement staff and their European counterparts showed a significant number of drivers and operators were found to use a variety of emissions cheat devices to cut the cost of operating – these have shown to increase emission levels above the agreed limit.

Engine Carbon Clean’s team of engineers work on fleets of all shapes and sizes and we see first-hand the detrimental effects carbon build-up can have on engines and their emissions and running costs. Increased wear and tear on parts and declining fuel efficiency all take their toll on the operator’s bottom line.

With the new emissions roadside checks just around the corner, now is the time to safeguard your most important assets by keeping your vehicles on the road. After all, it’s just where they should be.

Adrian Charles is director at Engine Carbon Clean East Midlands. With a degree in chemistry and extensive automotive knowledge, Adrian is the lead advisor at Engine Carbon Clean.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.enginecarbonclean.com Author: Adrian Charles, Engine Carbon Clean

10

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

TECHNOLOGY

DfT issues guidance to prevent smart vehicle hacking in UK The Department for Transport has announced new guidance which aims to ensure that engineers developing smart vehicles will incorporate tougher cyber protections to help prevent hacking.

The government is also looking at a broader programme of work announced in this year’s Queen’s speech under the Autonomous and Electric Vehicles Bill that aims to create a new framework for self-driving vehicle insurance.

Mike Hawes, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Chief Executive, said: “We’re pleased that government is taking action now to ensure a seamless transition to fully connected and

autonomous cars in the future and, given this shift will take place globally, that it is championing cyber security and shared best practice at an international level.

“These vehicles will transform our roads and society, dramatically reducing accidents and saving thousands of lives. A consistent set of guidelines is an important step towards ensuring the UK can be among the first – and safest – of international markets to grasp the benefits of this exciting new technology.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/yb9yjnd3

AIR QUALITY

Project ACCRA trials real‑time control of city vehicle emissions Cenex and Leeds City Council have jointly launched project ACCRA, which will explore Smart City technology applications that demonstrate real-time emissions control. This uses live air quality data to trigger electric hybrid engines to automatically switch to zero-emission running in heavily polluted areas. The project will be demonstrated in Leeds and aims to offer cities a way to reduce urban air pollution without additional charges to motorists or businesses.

The project is a collaboration between Leeds City Council, Cenex, the Transport Systems Catapult, Earthsense, Dynniq, and Tevva Motors Ltd. Intelligent mobility firm Transport Systems Catapult will collaborate to capture real-time air quality readings that will trigger hybrid electric engines to switch automatically to zero-emission running. Known as active geofencing, the technology concept will be tested on a hybrid vehicle interface developed by Tevva Motors Ltd. Transportation network systems developer Dynniq will develop a decision-making engine capable of taking inputs from a range of city data, such as live air quality information and real-time traffic conditions. EarthSense will be responsible for monitoring and uploading updated local air

quality levels to the interface, which will be used to trigger on-demand zero‑emissions running instructions in the participating Tevva vehicles.

Cenex and the Transport Systems Catapult will evaluate the system in hopes of using the technology more widely in Leeds and potential UK Clean Air Zones.

Steve Carroll, Head of Transport, Cenex said, “Local air quality is a persistent and growing problem in urban centres across the UK and globally. Using real-time air quality data to automatically instruct vehicles driving into high pollution areas to switch to zero-emissions driving, has the potential to transform urban transportation regulation and save thousands of lives.”

Councillor Lucinda Yeadon, Leeds City Council executive board member with responsibility for environment and sustainability, said: “It is great to be supporting this innovative new technology, and looking at how we can best implement it in the city to help reduce air pollution. Improving air quality in Leeds is a huge priority for the council, and we are looking at a number of different initiatives to address the issue.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/yb4wmqpn

News

EMERGENCY SERVICES

LowCVP’s Andy Eastlake

Electric BMW to be trialled by East Midlands Ambulance Service The East Midlands Ambulance Service will be attending emergencies in Nottingham’s city centre in an electric BMW as part of a trial.

BMW’s i3 will be based at Beechdale Ambulance Station and Gedling Borough Council has installed a charging point at Jubilee House in Arnold.

According to the Nottingham Post, the vehicle will mainly be used to respond to life‑threatening emergencies in the city centre and will help

determine whether electric vehicle could become a permanent part of the fleet.

Steve Farnsworth, EMAS fleet general manager, commented: “This is exciting new technology for us which could eventually lead to us moving to a greener fleet, but we want to make sure it will work for us and help us provide the right care for our patients.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/yazn8ey5

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

50 per cent ‘will consider electric as next purchase’ Half of Britain’s drivers say that they will consider an electric alternative when purchasing their next car, according to new research from Consumer Intelligence.

Public support for the government’s proposed 2040 ban on new petrol and diesel cars is growing, and nearly two‑fifths (39 per cent) of consumers voice support for the future prohibition, with than one in ten (11 per cent) drivers say that are ‘very likely’ to purchase an electric car next time around.

However, Consumer Intelligence’s public opinion data also uncovers clear concerns that are putting purchasers off electric car ownership: 76 per cent say a switch to an electric car is unaffordable; whilst 70 per

cent of drivers believe that electric cars are not suitable for long journeys; and 77 per cent are put off by the perceived lack of electric charging points.

The research also reveals the extent to which drivers would be encouraged by government subsidies to consider electric cars. As many as 66 per cent of drivers would be encouraged to get rid of their petrol and diesel motors if a government scrappage scheme were introduced; and over three quarters (76 per cent) would be more likely to buy an electric car if the government increased grants for purchasing one.

Air quality agenda driving electric transition

You’d need to have been hiding somewhere (or on a long holiday in a remote spot) not to have noticed the stream of media coverage heralding the demise of the ‘conventional’ petrol and diesel car since the Government’s announcement on how it plans to tackle Britain’s air quality challenge.

The mainstream media picked up in a big way on the ‘announcement’ that the UK plans to end the sale of conventional new petrol or diesel cars in 2040. Coming shortly after the French Government made a similar statement of intent and Volvo – also much-publicised – issued a pledge that all new models after 2019 will have some form of electric propulsion, the ‘electrification revolution’ has certainly entered into public consciousness following the sustained media barrage.

It’s a little churlish, perhaps, to point out that not all of this was really ‘news’. In fact, Defra’s recent report (on tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide) says that the UK was the first country in the world to announce (in 2011) the intention that conventional car and van sales would end by 2040, and for almost every car and van on the road to be a zero-emission vehicle by 2050. While Volvo has picked up many glowing headlines, Toyota has been steadily hybridising its model range with much less fanfare.

Nevertheless, the fact that the ‘man on the Clapham omnibus’ now knows that the future of road transport will prominently feature increased electrification, surely marks an important moment in the UK’s automotive history.

Criticism of the Government’s plan for air quality has focused on how pollution will be cleaned up in the short term and, in particular, around the fact that the plan will not require local authorities to charge – or ban - more polluting vehicles to enter Clean Air Zones (CAZs).

This, however, depends on whether councils are able to reduce air pollution by other means including increasing ULEV uptake, improving public transport, retrofitting diesel vehicles and other measures.

While the timing of the decision has been driven by the immediate air quality agenda, the plans will – crucially – also help us to deliver the key long-term objective of tackling climate change. I’m glad that Mr Gove, the minister responsible, made a point of this.

There’s clearly still a considerable challenge in terms of tackling air pollution in the shorter-term. I was pleased that our calls to hasten the introduction of low emission buses and trucks and to certify effective retrofit systems have been heeded. Measures to do the same for taxis will also make a helpful contribution.

The LowCVP looks forward to playing a significant part in tackling the immediate challenge. The Government has commissioned the LowCVP and EST to run the (just announced) Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS) which will produce a robust, evidence‑based scheme to accredit the effectiveness of proposed retrofit options, some of which can cut polluting emissions by over 95 per cent.

Plans to give consumers more transparent and reliable information on both the emissions and fuel consumption of vehicles are also welcome and will feature strongly in future LowCVP activity. Why not join us and play your part in shaping the future?

FURTHER INFORMATION READ MORE tinyurl.com/y8hw5pxo

www.lowcvp.org.uk

Volume 106 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

11

Commercial Vehicle News

ELECTRIC VANS

EV CHARGING

Royal Mail purchases 100 electric delivery vans

Overhead vehicle charger for trucks to be tested in Germany

The Royal Mail has signed an agreement with Peugeot to purchase 100 electric vans to be used as delivery vehicles.

The zero-emission Partner L2 Electric vans are set to be used by postmen and women on their delivery rounds and will go into service from December 2017 at delivery offices around the UK. It is being supported by a “comprehensive rollout of charging infrastructure”.

Paul Gatti, Royal Mail fleet director, said: “Our research has shown that electric vans are a good operational fit with our business and we are delighted to be ordering such a large volume to use in our daily operations.

“This is good news for our customers and the towns and cities which we serve.

It also means we are on the front foot for future changes in emissions legislation.”

The Partner L2 Electric was launched in February and this is the first major fleet order for the van.

The Partner Electric’s 22.5kWh high‑capacity lithium-ion batteries offer a range of up to 106 miles, measured on the NEDC

An overhead EV charger is set to be installed on the autobahn in Germany in order to supply power to electrified trucks.

This is part of the project ‘eHighway’, which is being managed by Siemens and financed by the state and federal governments.

It will see a 10km stretch of the autobahn in the German state of Hesse be fitted with an overhead contact line.

It will run between the Zeppelinheim/Cargo City Sud interchange at the Frankfurt Airport and the Darmstadt/Weiterstadt interchange.

Gerd Riegelhuth, head of transport of Hessen Mobil, commented: “Construction of the system will demonstrate the feasibility of integrating overhead contact systems with a public highway.

“The system will be used for real transport networks, and prove the practicality of climate-neutral freight transport in the urban region of Frankfurt.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/yay72qgh

READ MORE tinyurl.com/yac5uovv

LOGISTICS

HYDROGEN

DHL’s Hague pilot to use EVs for last mile deliveries

Toyota to develop fuel cell delivery trucks for Seven-Eleven Japan

International Courier DHL Express has extended its City Hub concept for environmentally-friendly inner-city deliveries to The Hague, Netherlands.

The new pilot will use electric vehicles for the last mile, including Nissan’s e-NV200.

This will also see the first deployment of Deutsche Post DHL Group’s StreetScooter electric delivery van in the global DHL Express delivery network.

The City Hub concept was first launched in March 2017 in Utrecht, Netherlands and Frankfurt, Germany. The pilots linked the DHL Cubicycle – cargo bicycles, which can carry a specialised container with a load of up to 125kg – with a customised trailer carrying up to four containers.

A DHL van brings the trailer into the city centre, where the containers can be quickly loaded on to Cubicycles for delivery over the last mile.

The latest pilot will see a modified pickup version of a StreetScooter and a Nissan e-NV200 take on the last-mile READ MORE tinyurl.com/y9e2k6bh

12

cycle. The batteries can be re-charged to 80 per cent capacity in 30 minutes from a dedicated rapid charge point. The drive motor also provides regenerative braking when slowing down, helping to re-charge the batteries and reduce brake wear.

delivery of up to three containers each.

Combined with larger 7.5-tonne trucks that can bring a higher number of 125kg containers into the city centre, this will make the overall transportation more operationally and environmentally efficient.

While the initial pilot in The Hague will involve electric vehicles, the company is also planning to add Cubicycles at a later date to support deliveries over shorter distances or routes with heavier congestion.

Each new vehicle or Cubicycle will replace a single standard delivery vehicle on average.

Every standard delivery vehicle taken off the road by DHL Express generates an equivalent CO2 saving of over eight tonnes per year and a significant reduction in other emissions, according to the company.

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

Toyota is set to develop hydrogen-based vehicles and power generators especially made for convenience stores, after it announced plans to collaborate with Seven-Eleven Japan on CO2 emissions reduction in distribution and operation.

The trucks, including their refrigeration/ freezer units, are powered by fuel cells and will be introduced along with an energy management system that uses solar power generators.

A stationary rechargeable battery system will be introduced to stores and can be used as an emergency power source during power outages.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/y92e6wd3

Commercial Vehicle News

FREIGHT TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION

REGULATION

Licence changes proposed to allow van drivers to operate heavier low‑emission vehicles Van drivers may able to operate heavier electric or gas-powered vehicles without having to apply for a new licence, as part of moves to improve air quality in towns and cities across the country.

At the moment, motorists with an ordinary category B licence for a car can drive a van weighing up to 3,500kg.

Cleaner vans, especially those powered by electricity from batteries, are generally heavier than conventional diesel vans because of the battery they carry. This reduces the amount of goods they can carry or means van drivers have to apply for a category C licence with the associated costs and medical report requirements.

However, the Department for Transport has published plans to allow motorists to drive vans weighing up to 4,250kg if they are powered by electricity, natural gas, LPG or hydrogen.

A public consultation is now open on the proposed new measures and will last 12 weeks.

They will help level the playing field by addressing the payload penalty which currently puts operators of cleaner vans at a commercial disadvantage compared to operators of equivalent conventionally-fuelled vehicles.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/ycmzsjdv

ELECTRIC DELIVERY VANS

Deutsche Post DHL and Ford unveil electric delivery van Deutsche Post DHL Group and Ford have unveiled their jointly produced e-van in Germany.

The StreetScooter WORK XL is based on a Ford Transit chassis fitted with a battery‑electric drivetrain and a body designed and built to Deutsche Post DHL specifications.

Around 150 early build e-vans will be manufactured in the StreetScooter plant in Aachen, in Germany and DHL will use the vehicles to support its urban parcel delivery service in Germany.

The two firms plan to build 2,500 e-vans by the end of

2018 and like StreetScooter’s existing electric models – the WORK and WORK L – the WORK XL could be also sold to third-party customers.

Each WORK XL could save around five tonnes of CO2 and 1,900 litres of diesel fuel each year.

With 2,500 vehicles in service as planned, this could result in a total saving of 12,500 tonnes of CO2 and 4.75 million litres of fuel every year.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/ycgcayuu

The Government’s air quality plan The government’s Becki Terry, long anticipated final climate change instalment of the policy UK’s air quality plan manager, was released in July FTA which, as expected, extends the range of UK cities that will be regulating the use of older vehicles within their areas in the next few years.

The plan confirmed that the chargeable Clean Air Zones (CAZs) will be delivered in two stages. Phase One relates to the already announced London, Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham, Derby and Southampton areas, which are required to deliver their CAZs by the end of 2019. In a change from the previous position, all are now expected to include vans as well as heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).

The second phase relates to 23 additional local authorities across the UK that will also be required to act to deliver compliance with air quality targets by the end of 2020. FTA analysis suggests that Sheffield, Middlesbrough, Bath, Greater Manchester, Bristol, Coventry and Newcastle are the most likely areas to have CAZs affecting HGVs (plus possibly vans) as well as the first six.

Vehicles entering the CAZs will need to be compliant to Euro VI/6 for diesel or Euro 4 for petrol; any non‑compliant vehicles will be charged, but not banned. FTA estimates the charges could be £20 per day for vans and cars, and £100 per day for HGVs. The local authorities affected have until 31 March 2018 to develop a CAZ proposal (or alternative), to be finalised no later than 31 December 2018. However, these Clean Air Zones will only be enforced as long as they are needed – once emissions have reached a safe, compliant level, the zones should come to a close.

The government specifications have confirmed the hierarchy of types of CAZs as they relate to vehicle types, from category A which includes buses, coaches, taxis and private hire vehicles, to category D which also includes HGVs, vans, minibuses, cars, motorcycles and mopeds.

Under the legislation, local authorities will be unable to deviate from the categories.

At present, the government is also consulting on two possible regulatory changes to support the uptake of alternatively fuelled vans. Firstly to increase the weight limit of alternatively-fuelled vans that can be driven on a category B driving licence in the UK. And secondly, exempting certain alternatively-fuelled vans from goods vehicle operator licensing requirements in Great Britain.

FTA is concerned that HGV and van operators are likely to feel the brunt of the government’s proposals and will be affected by a larger number of the CAZs. With more than four million vans on Britain’s roads and 400,000 HGVs, the plan places almost all immediate burden onto local businesses. The uncertainty caused by not confirming the vehicles affected in each location until next year will leave businesses with very little time to adapt. For those operators looking to pay the daily charge instead of upgrading fleets, with an estimated charge of £100 per day, FTA advises operators to be prepared for potentially large bills from 2019 onwards.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.fta.co.uk www.fta.co.uk/lcrs

Volume 106 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

13

Industry Comment Advertisement

Is natural gas the best way of cleaning up the commercial vehicle sector?

We are living in a fast moving time for all involved in the push towards green vehicles. Just last week the government announced a plan to prohibit the sale of all pure petrol and diesel cars by 2040. The rationale behind this is clear; we need to improve air quality in the cities and along some motorway stretches. It does, however, raise many issues for commercial vehicles, writes Martin Flach Can we wait until 2040? Is a ban the best way of achieving the aim? Most importantly from my point of view, what about commercial vehicles? The history of government intervention like this is not one of great success. The last attempt was to encourage the uptake of diesel vehicles over the last 20 years or so, placing the focus only on CO2 and forgetting all about air quality – until it was too late.

The result?

Diesel is now the enemy even though manufacturers have invested vast sums of money to achieve the Euro 6 and Euro VI standards. Emissions of Euro VI diesel trucks have been shown, in several studies, to be very low, not just on the test cycle but on the road as well.

All government and local government incentives are based on CO2 – road tax, congestion charge, company car benefit in kind etc, and it is this which has driven the diesel car market to be so strong.

If we want to improve air quality, we need incentives based on NOx and Particulates more so than CO2. Up until about five years ago, natural gas vehicles were eligible for a 100 per cent discount from the London Congestion Charge. The Mayor at the time, Boris Johnston, revised the tariffs to give discounts based on CO2, even though London does not have a CO2 problem, it has an air quality problem.

The effect of this was that no trucks could receive any discount from the Congestion Charge and consequently the sales of Natural gas vehicles have been low.

Fortunately, there now seems to be a better understanding in government that the commercial vehicle sector will not be able to use electric vehicles in the foreseeable future in any significant numbers. Costs and the loss of payload will limit uptake to largely “last mile“ operations. Hydrogen again will lend itself to short distance operations as the energy density is very low being 1/8th that of diesel. This would mean frequent stops to refill.

The technology that is here and now for commercial vehicle is Natural gas. Spark ignition engines running on gas go back to the start of internal combustion engines and they can meet the challenges of today: Low NOx – typically about half that of

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diesel on the road; Very low NO2 – about 10 per cent that of a diesel vehicle; Very low Particulates – about 10 per cent that of diesel.

CO2 emissions are similar to that of diesel although reductions of about 15 per cent can be seen on long distance operations. The use of Biomethane can give CO2 reductions of 80-90 per cent and Biomethane is fully compatible with the vehicle, unlike biodiesel which can only be used in small percentage blends.

Natural gas vehicles are available from IVECO from 3.5t vans to 40t Artics and everything in between.

Competitors also have vehicles available.

Below 3.5t, although many manufacturers offer cars and light commercial vehicles with natural gas engines in continental Europe, there are no RHD vehicles currently on sale. This is largely due to the limited infrastructure, with the few filling stations available being largely on private sites and not readily available for public filling.

Contrast this with Germany and Italy with circa 800 filling stations each.

The current DfT consultation for 3.5t alternative fuel vehicles to enable drivers with a B (car) driving licence to drive up to 4.25t is certainly a move in the right direction. The 3.5t market is very payload sensitive and all alternative fuel vehicles tend to have a higher tare weight than a diesel vehicle.

The limit of the driving licence has so far resulted in very few low emission vehicles operating in this significant sector of the market. Although higher weight vehicles are available, they would require a minimum of C1 licence and this was only available until 1997 when the regulation changed.

Comparing the bus sector with the commercial vehicle market show the effects of government assistance. For several years, money has been available from the Green Bus fund to help bus companies to move to low emission vehicles. Many cities now have CNG buses running successfully such as Reading, Swindon and Nottingham.

Some 200 buses are in operation.

The commercial vehicle sector has had limited funding available via Innovate UK but in comparison with the bus sector, the sums involved are small.

If we want to clean up the CV sector in

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

Martin Flach

Since graduating Martin has held a number of positions within the commercial vehicle industry. His career began with Ford Motor Company (Truck Division). He joined Iveco Ford Truck in 1986 following the merger of Iveco and Ford (Truck Division) and remained with Iveco following the formation of Iveco Ltd in 2003.

He is currently alternative fuels director with responsibility for the light, medium and heavy product ranges. Prior to this role Martin worked in Italy, at the Brescia Production Plant and in the Iveco headquarters of Turin, as chief engineer responsible for the medium product range and as line manager for medium and heavy product, before returning to the UK for the role of product director.

With the increasing focus on alternative fuel vehicles, Martin moved to become the UK and ROI specialist in this vital area. the short term, natural gas is the best answer today. All we need is government to work with the industry to speed up the adoption of this technology. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.iveco.co.uk

Commercial Vehicle News

CV MANUFACTURING

Commercial vehicle market growth sees exports to EU rise Global demand for UK-built vans, trucks, buses and coaches has grown 11.6 per cent in first half of 2017, with almost 95 per cent going to fleets in the European Union.

Nearly two-thirds (63.5 per cent) of commercial vehicles (CVs) built in Britain were exported, with 27,818 of the 43,782 total produced headed to more

than 45 countries around the world.

British CV manufacturing has been boosted by growth in the EU following the recession, resulting in a 13.8 per cent rise in demand from the region, and 94.7 per cent of UK-built CVs headed there so far this year.

Outside the EU, Israel topped the list of largest

markets outside of the EU, taking 1.2 per cent of all exports, followed by Australia (1.1 per cent), Hong Kong and Taiwan (both 0.6 per cent), and New Zealand (0.4 per cent).

READ MORE tinyurl.com/yccxbw2a

SAFETY

ELECTRIC BUSES

Safety concerns raised over CV licence changes

Krakow in Poland welcomes 20 emission‑free buses

Arval has raised safety issues related to the government’s proposal to allow Category B licence holders to drive heavier alternatively-fuelled vans.

Eddie Parker, LCV consultant at Arval, said: “Currently, if you want to drive a vehicle above 3.5 tonnes, you have to gain a full C1 licence for up to 7.5 tonnes, which place a whole series of additional obligations on drivers and operators.

“The question facing fleets is whether they feel it is responsible to place

drivers with standard car licences into a vehicle with a mass that has previously been seen as requiring specialised training, and into something that is three-quarters of a tonne heavier and twice as heavy as the largest cars.

Across the fleet sector, in recent years, the discussion has tended to be about whether the driving standards for larger CVs should be applied to smaller vehicles. This new proposal moves things in the opposite direction.”

ELECTRIC BUSES

Twenty new Solaris Bus & Coach Urbino vehicles have been distributed in Krakow, extending the city’s investment in electric buses.

Seventeen of the vehicles are 12‑metre Urbino buses and the remaining three are the new articulated buses.

The delivery closes the first phase of the ‘Integrated Territorial Investments’ project for the delivery of 107 modern and environmentally‑friendly city buses.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/ya2rtzpx

BIOGAS BUSES

Double-decker bus powered by bio-methane trialled in Bristol

All-electric double-decker bus trialled in York A fully-electric double-decker bus is currently being trialled in Yorkshire as part of plans to lower emissions.

Optare’s Metrodecker EV will be trialled on the York Park & Ride network and on selected city routes over the next month.

The zero-emission and fully electric bus has the capacity to carry 99 passengers and has a range of nearly 150 miles from one overnight charge.

The new vehicle is being trialled in York following the recent announcement that

improvements will be made to the city’s Park & Ride scheme. Councillor Ian Gillies, executive member for transport at City of York Council, said: “I’m delighted to welcome this new addition to York’s green public transport fleet. There will be at least three electric double-deckers among the 14 electric buses on our Park & Ride routes.“ READ MORE tinyurl.com/y76bnclv

A double-decker bus powered by bio‑methane is being trialled in Bristol by operator First West of England.

The trial is set to begin on 21 August and the new bus is expected to be 84 per cent cleaner than a Euro 5 diesel on well-to-wheel basis.

Biogas is set to be supplied by the Gas Alliance and will fuel the bus which has 70 seats, wheelchair space and standing room for 13. James Freeman, managing director of First West of England, told Air Quality News: “We are immensely proud to bring this premium double decker to Bristol so soon after the manufacturers offered it to the market.

“Its low emissions and biogas credentials are just what is needed in a city that is faced with air quality challenges and increased congestion. This biogas bus helps to improve local air quality as it produces fewer emissions than traditional diesel engines.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/ya2rtzpx Volume 106 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

15

Telematics

The legal duties around vehicle and driver data

Written by the BVRLA

With the General Data Protection Regulation coming into effect in less than a year, the BVRLA explains how fleet operators need to understand their responsibilities and have a clear strategy regarding the collection and use of driver and vehicle data

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The new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect on 25 May 2018 marking the biggest overhaul of data protection since the introduction of the current Data Protection Act (DPA) in 1998.

Seen as more of an evolution than a revolution, GDPR is effectively a more detailed and robust version of the current regulation, placing greater emphasis on the rights of individuals and imposing tougher penalties on those organisations who fall short of meeting their data protection obligations.

Those found to be in breach of the new rules could face fines of two per cent of annual turnover or four per cent of annual worldwide turnover for more severe infringements.

The GDPR applies to data processing carried out by organisations operating within the EU as well as organisations outside the EU that offer goods or services to individuals in the EU. The government has confirmed that the UK’s decision to leave the EU will not affect the commencement of the GDPR so businesses should not let the prospect of Brexit delay preparations.

Is the industry ready?

The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) recently published findings from its Fleet Technology Survey, revealing that around half of BVRLA members and fleet managers felt ready for GDPR. Fiftyfour per cent claimed that their company is clear about its responsibilities under GDPR and 52 per cent claimed that their company has a clear strategy regarding its collection and use of driver and vehicle data.

To be adequately prepared for the new rules, some operators may need to completely overhaul their data management processes.

The BVRLA are calling upon the industry to act now to identify gaps and review their current ways of working, liaising with others in the supply chain to get suitable processes in

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

place. This is likely to place a significant burden on many fleet operators over the coming months as dedicated time and resource will be required to get everything in order before the new rules set in.

BVRLA chief executive, Gerry Keaney said: “We are advising members to act now to get sufficiently prepared for the introduction of GDPR as the cost of non-compliance is great.

Our GDPR seminar was well attended last month and we are providing other tools and guidance including e-learning modules, YouTube films and factsheets to support members with their preparations in the lead up to the new rules.”

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) understands the importance of having an internationally consistent approach to data protection regulation,

To be or df prepare rules, the newrators may pe some oo completely need t ul their data overha agement man sses proce

Telematics

stating: “With so many businesses and services operating across borders, international consistency around data protection laws and rights is crucial both to businesses and organisations, and to individuals.”

Any changes made to business processes to ensure compliance will not be made in vain as any UK version of the regulation introduced post-Brexit is likely to be aligned to GDPR. Some key differences Under GDPR, there will be more emphasis on the rights of individuals both in terms of consent and access to their own data. Should an individual ever make a claim, the burden of proof will fall to the organisation so it will be essential for fleet operators to keep audit trails to evidence that specific and unambiguous consent was freely given. This should be in the form of a statement or an affirmative action.

It will no longer be acceptable to gain consent via passive ‘pre-ticked’ boxes and inaction.

Another area of change is that the new rules place emphasis on shared responsibility, making everybody who handles and processes data liable, not just data controllers. Everybody in the supply chain will need to understand their obligations to ensure compliance and this is going to require a change in mindset as people across the industry have different views on who they think is liable for data.

This was reflected in the BVRLA’s study which shows that 36 per cent of members and 41 per cent of fleet managers agreed that everybody had responsibility for data protection.

The rest placed the responsibility at the door of either the lease company, manufacturer or fleet manager. There is clearly a big job to do to ensure compliance across the industry.

Data security As the automotive industry continues to transition from a sector driven by mechanics to one driven by electronics and software, the issue of data and cyber security will become an increasing concern.

As connected and autonomous vehicles become more prevalent on our roads, it will be crucial for manufacturers to consider security requirements in the vehicle’s design and it will be equally as important to protect our infrastructure.

The main cyber security threats to connected and automotive vehicles include loss of control, loss of data, leaking or sharing of data, denial of service or malicious manipulation of software, network outage or disruption of power supply and even interception or hijackings. All of which would be disastrous.

The BVRLA welcomed government’s recent publication of a set of principles to ensure that a tougher approach is taken to cyber security throughout the automotive industry.

Keaney said: “It is potentially an area of huge vulnerability if businesses do not take steps to be properly protected so there is likely to be an increase in the employment of tech-savvy cyber security professionals to embed government’s recommended cyber security principles right across the automotive industry. Data protection is crucial not only for individuals and organisations, but also for the industry and the wider UK economy.”

Data access and ownership As part of the BVRLA’s Fleet Technology Survey, the association explored views from drivers with regards to data and connected vehicles, and the message was clear. When it comes to sharing data about themselves such as how they drive or where they drive, there is little appetite to give consent. However, the picture is very different when it comes to sharing diagnostic data to help with early diagnosis of faults or to help flag warranty or safety issues. 95 per cent were happy to share data if it helped to diagnose or prevent faults, 93 per cent were happy if it enabled the automatic alerting of a breakdown company and 82 per cent were happy if it helped to identify safety and warranty issues.

Around seventy percent of BVRLA members and fleet managers believe that vehicle manufacturers have an obligation to provide vehicle data, with 86 per cent saying that they should not have to pay for it.

Seventy-nine percent of respondents said they were concerned that vehicle

manufacturers would restrict access to telematics data to further their own business goals. Eighty-nine percent of them believe that manufacturers should allow them to install third party telematics devices, provided that they meet agreed security standards.

Gerry Keaney said: “Connected vehicle data is rapidly becoming the new currency of the fleet sector and will drive many business models in future.

“Our responsibility is clear. The BVRLA will play a lead role in helping the fleet sector work with government and the wider automotive supply chain to ensure that all parties share data in an open, secure and fair way. By doing this, we can make sure that businesses and consumers continue to enjoy a competitive choice of suppliers for fleet management, aftermarket and mobility services.” L FURTHER INFORMATION www.bvrla.co.uk

Volume 106 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

17

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Advertisement Feature

The best of both worlds

Uniting performance and economy: the petrol-electric plug-in hybrid Golf GTE offers a compelling mix of engaging GTI-style dynamics and electric car sustainability Launched 43 years ago, the Volkswagen Golf range continues its success in 2017. A popular choice among corporate companies and company car drivers alike, a refreshed seventh‑generation model has just arrived.

The Golf is one of few cars in the world to offer petrol, diesel, electric and petrol-electric hybrid powertrain choices. The plug-in hybrid Golf GTE debuted in 2014, and the latest version drives even greater value for money into a growing area of the UK market.

A compelling mix The petrol-electric Golf GTE offers a compelling mix of engaging GTI-style dynamics, responsible electric e-Golf-style sustainability and generous diesel Golf GTD-style range. The hybrid five-door Golf, with both a 148bhp 1.4‑litre TSI petrol engine and a 75kW (100bhp) electric motor for a system power output of 201bhp, unites economy and performance in a flexible and appealing package.

The total potential range of the Golf GTE is 514 miles and the GTE’s battery gives an all‑electric range of up to 31 miles. This opens up the possibility of driving significant distances cross-country using the TSI petrol engine and then completing the journey into a town or city under zero‑emission, full electric power.

Official performance figures for the Golf GTE show it capable of covering the 0-62mph sprint in 7.6 seconds, with a combined cycle fuel economy of up to 157mpg.

To help with economy, the Golf GTE’s 8.7kWh lithium-ion battery can be charged

in 3.45 hours from a domestic mains outlet, or 2.15 hours from a domestic wallbox.

Two trim levels The Golf GTE is available with a choice of two trim levels: the entry-level Golf GTE is joined by the new Golf GTE Advance. The updated GTE has seen a significant price reduction of £3,420 compared to the outgoing model, and with a Benefit in Kind tax liability of just nine per cent, it’s a compelling choice.

The entry-level GTE offers generous levels of premium features such as full LED front and rear lights with sweeping indicators, ‘Active Info Display’ digital instruments, 17-inch ‘Rio De Janeiro’ alloy wheels, and Volkswagen’s Car-Net. The GTE Advance adds further luxuries such as 18-inch ‘Marseille’ alloys, an updated ‘Discover Navigation’ 8.0-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system, a Winter Pack (including heated seats), 65 per cent tinted windows, a front centre armrest, as well as exterior e-sound.

The GTE also has an e-manager which allows the driver to preset vehicle charging, as well as interior cooling or heating.

These functions can be operated remotely using the Car-Net app on a smartphone.

Another handy feature is Traffic Jam Assist, which allows for semi-autonomous driving in speeds up to 37 mph.

Five operating modes The Golf GTE can be operated in five modes: ‘E-Mode’, ‘GTE mode’, ‘Battery

Charge’, ‘Hybrid’ and ‘Battery Hold.’

In pure electric mode, the Golf GTE can travel up to 31 miles emissions free, at speeds of up to 81 mph. For many, this will take care of most of their daily trips, without having to use a drop of petrol.

Electric power can also be saved – for example if you will be entering a zero-emissions zone.

Meanwhile, ‘Hybrid’ mode allows the vehicle to intelligently switch between the electric and petrol engines, allowing for a range of up to 514 miles, fuel consumption of up to 166mpg and CO2 emissions from 38 grams per km.

Battery Charge mode uses energy recuperation from braking and acceleration to charge the GTE’s batteries while on the move, while GTE mode injects an exhilarating boost of power by using electric and petrol simultaneously, with an impressive top speed of 138mph (where law permits).

Combining the best of both economy and performance worlds, the Volkswagen Golf GTE is a more responsible use of power, making it an excellent choice for fleets and company car drivers. L FURTHER INFORMATION Discover more at: www.volkswagen.co.uk/gte For more information on the Golf GTE contact your local Volkswagen Retailer.

To arrange a test drive contact our Business Centre on 0800 0093 397.

Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are obtained under standardised test conditions (Directive 93/116/EEC) using a representative model. This allows direct comparison between different models from different manufacturers but may not represent the actual fuel consumption achieved in ‘real world’ driving conditions. Emissions whilst driving. Range is not only dependent on the efficient use of the battery by the vehicle but also on driving behaviour and other non-technical factors (e.g. environmental conditions. Extra equipment and accessories can change relevant vehicle parameters, such as weight, rolling resistance and aerodynamics, and with weather and traffic conditions, can affect range and performance values. The ‘combined/weighted’ fuel consumption/CO2 figures are calculated from two test results; one when the battery is fully charged and another when the battery is discharged. The two results are a weighted average, taking into account mileage range on battery power only, providing a figure in a variety of charge conditions. Battery charged using mains-sourced electricity via plug-in. Extended range achieved by 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine generating electricity. Fuel consumption for the Golf GTE range, mpg: combined 156.9 - 166.2; power consumption, kWh/100 km; combined 12,0 - 11,5; CO2 emissions 40 - 38g/km, efficiency class; A+.

Information correct at time of print.

Volume 106 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

19

Expert Panel: Telematics

EXPERT PANEL TELEMATICS Telematics generates vast amounts of data which needs to be digested and acted on if any benefits are to be realised. But how well are fleets using data? And do companies have a moral and legal obligation to act on reports of bad driving? We ask our telematics experts Telematics has become commonplace in fleet operations and connectivity has become standard in most new vehicles. This means that there is now more data available on drivers and vehicles than ever before. The question is, are fleet managers fully utilising and acting on the data it generates? And more seriously, is a company obliged to do something if it reveals poor driving style of a member of staff?

Since the Corporate Manslaughter Act came into effect, companies can be found guilty should their staff be killed whilst driving for work, if there is evidence that there were serious management failures resulting in a “gross breach of duty of care”.

What’s more, in February 2016, tougher sentences were introduced for those found guilty of corporate manslaughter.

Companies and organisations must therefore demonstrate that they are actively assessing the risks involved with driving for work, such as driver hours and journeys, and make sure they act on any information that flags up safety issues.

Colin Ferguson from Trakm8 says fleet managers have both a moral, legal, and financial duty to act if an employee is constantly flagged for poor driving. He says: “Systems that flag poor driving are not about overly nit-picking by fleet managers – such drivers pose a risk to themselves and to others.”

“In terms of compliance,” Colin continues, “fleets are legally obliged to manage risks for at-work drivers, just as the company would manage risk for any other aspect of its business.”

But taking action when a dangerous driver has been highlighted does not need to be a negative experience, believes Mike Hemming from Masternaut. He says: “Big changes can occur by simply incentivising positive behaviour, instead of ‘punishing’ risky driving.

Training, rather than punishment, often has a more positive effect as well, because it raises awareness and lowers defensiveness.”

Mike continues: “One of the most effective means to addressing driving style is in-cab coaching. Installing a device in the car that beeps when you accelerate or brake harshly takes the personal ‘insult’ of being criticised

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Colin Ferguson, MD of fleet & optimisation, Trakm8 As a former fleet manager, Colin’s extensive understanding of the industry assists Trakm8 in providing businesses with better efficiencies, improved safety initiatives and significant cost reductions. He is the managing director of fleet and optimisation at telematics provider Trakm8.

Martin Kadhim, sales director, Lightfoot Martin has extensive knowledge in the IT, advertising and automotive sectors. He is passionate about the use of technology and psychology to improve driver behaviour, lower costs and reduce harmful emissions. He has been a pioneer in the sector since 2006, playing a key role in the growth of Lightfoot.

Mike Hemming, UK director of professional Services, Masternaut Mike has over 12 years’ telematics experience. This has involved implementing telematics solutions across the globe and partnering with large companies such as Shell and the National Grid to provide consultancy services aimed at improving driver behaviour, reducing fleet risk and maximising return on investment. out of the equation, and turns it more into an interaction similar to a fitness tracker.”

Martin Kadhim from Lightfoot echoes this belief of encouraging the driver and keeping the experience positive. He says: “Lightfoot works directly with the driver in the vehicle in real-time, meaning drivers immediately improve to an acceptable level (KPIs) and sustain this improvement. Good drivers are rewarded through the Lightfoot platform and Lightfoot works with key strategic partners and client internal teams to give the small minority of drivers who cannot reach the standard all the remedial help required.”

Big brother Telematics have reached new levels of sophistication and help fleets in numerous

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

aspects of their work. But is there still the mentality of telematics being a Big Brother operation, especially amongst drivers?

Colin Ferguson says that this mind-set does still exist, but it tends to stem from new users of telematics. “Once employees have a better understanding about the benefits of tracking and driver behaviour, then their perceptions rapidly change,” Colin comments. “Instead of viewing telematics as spying on their speed, they realise it is actually about reducing their risk of being involved in an accident.”

Mike Hemming from Masternaut also believes that there is still the big brother perception but adds that it is possible to change behaviour without that ‘control’ element. He says: “When discussing issues with drivers, you can always run into debates

A change of mindset Colin Ferguson also believes that communication is key to gain acceptance

of telematics: “It is not unusual for drivers data and more importantly how it to be sceptical of telematics, or even will be used, predominantly overrides sometimes openly hostile to the idea. any scepticism that we see.”

However, time and again, the feedback Mike adds that feedback from drivers is from employees is that they rapidly change positive once they have a chance to reflect. their minds once they understand how it He says: “One driver has remarked that when works and why it is being deployed. they feel an increase in the harsh driving “Communication is absolutely vital in alerts it is often a reflection of tiredness overcoming early prejudices or concerns. on a long journey, and they use that as an But the real change comes once the indication that a break would be beneficial.” system is in place and they see how Martin Kadhim from Lightfoot believes telematics protects them just as much that it doesn’t take long to be “won over” as it is protecting their employer.” by the benefits from telematics: “When Transparency is also crucial for gaining organisations recognise the benefits gained trust, according to Mike Hemming from simply through addressing poor driver Masternaut. He comments: “Skepticism is behaviour at source with Lightfoot, they a normal reaction when change is coming are quickly won over. If they’ve experienced to a business. Through the many years a quagmire of data, and they have been of deploying telematics solutions, the accountable for translating it into behaviour Masternaut Professional Services team has change, once they see that something can do become very adept at answering challenging that for them in an effective and sustained questions from drivers, managers manner, that scepticism quickly dissipates.” and union representatives.

Ensuring that we are open Managing data about the way in which How can telematics There re the system collects providers help fleet E mo

Expert Panel: Telematics

about the accuracy of the system or issues with actually remembering what happened, as well as defensiveness. I personally can’t remember when I drove down which road even three days later, much less at what exact speed I drove. But when the in-cab coach beeps at me as I’m braking harshly, I can learn from that feedback, because it makes sense in the moment. That way, I can adapt my behaviour without my manager ever looking into the system.”

Martin Kadhim highlights the importance of communication, appreciation and trust to take away any negatively surrounding telematics. He says: “Half of Lightfoot clients do not ever use the optional tracking function; their focus is purely on making sure Lightfoot users are being rewarded for driving well. We believe that from the driver to the CEO, there must be communication, appreciation and trust. Driving is hard and drivers deserve to be rewarded for being safer and more efficient.”

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Volume 106 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

21

Expert Panel: Telematics

Expert final thoughts Colin Ferguson Fleet managers have both a moral, legal, and financial duty to act if an employee is constantly flagged for poor driving.

Systems that flag poor driving are not about overly nit-picking by fleet managers – such drivers pose a risk to themselves and to others.

Trakm8’s driver behaviour solution also identifies when employees are wasting fuel, which is undesirable from both an environmental and a financial perspective. In terms of compliance, fleets are legally obliged to manage risks for at-work drivers, just as the company would manage risk for any other aspect of its business, such as health and safety in the office, warehouse or on the shop floor.

Martin Kadhim Drivers should be equipped, empowered and motivated to want to drive better. It’s important to give them the tools to make this possible and we support our clients throughout to make sure they not only set a standard for driving, but that their drivers are able to meet that standard throughout, without management burden. Lightfoot was developed in partnership with driver-psychology experts at the University of Bath to empower and motivate drivers to improve their driving styles. Our unique engagement proposition offers drivers personal rewards and benefits through a range of insurers, brokers, national retail brands and other partners to incentivise better, greener, safer driving.

Mike Hemming Skepticism is a normal reaction when change is coming to a business.

Through the many years of deploying telematics solutions, the Masternaut Professional Services team has become very adept at answering challenging questions from drivers, managers and union representatives. Ensuring that we are open about the way in which the system collects data and more importantly how it will be used, predominantly overrides any scepticism that we see. We have had many drivers reflect on the experience of driver behaviour following its implementation. One driver has remarked that when they feel an increase in the harsh driving alerts it is often a reflection of tiredness on a long journey, and they use that as an indication that a break would be beneficial.

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Are fleet managers fully utilising and acting on the data from telematics? And more seriously, is a company obliged to do something if it reveals poor driving style?  managers avoid ‘data overload’ from the information generated from telematics?

Martin Kadhim from Lightfoot explains the issue that some companies may face: “Telematics plays a key role in highlighting problems within fleets to management.

However, often fleet managers feel they are simply overloaded with data confirming that problems exist, but then additional actions are required to solve them.

Telematics might well be useful in that it notifies management of the problems, but additional actions are required to then solve them.

“In order to get the most benefit, fleet managers and businesses need to first understand what the key challenges are that they need to resolve. In our experience, what customers really want, yet struggle to achieve, is much safer, more efficient and

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

more mindful drivers. It’s important to give them the tools to make this possible.”

Colin Ferguson from Trakm8 says: “A good telematics provider will have listened to the customer and accurately identified the fleet’s KPIs at the outset. This is vital in helping the fleet manager to analyse the data and take appropriate actions. At Trakm8, we follow this up with regular visits from account managers, to help fleets properly understand the data and ensure that we help them to meet their objectives on improving safety and efficiency.”

Mike Hemming from Masternaut adds: “ROI analysis and reporting is a critical element to show the impact telematics has had on a business. As telematics experts, Masternaut Professional Services are able to offer tailored management information reporting to customers to demonstrate the benefits the business is seeing from using the data.” L

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quodi blaborum utmade molorem The telematics industry has many aut ationse smoother,nos moreeumque economical laboribus driving style. claims over the years, not the It uses ‘​Red nitibusdae Amber Green​’ visual signals as et quoditiat dolo quileast deofvolecab orerisqui nullacianti which is that the technology can improve well as an auditory warning (yes, it beeps rest, sitiatis ut idem quodi consequat facimagnime pernatemquae safety and contribute to improving driver at you) to alerts drivers when they are nimus earibus, temcanipsaest moluptatium netdriving et parameters. behaviour.

But such claims raise outside ofes normal eyebrows, especially as behavioural It was designed on the basis that people improvement is traditionally dependent on are more likely to change their behaviour xoxoxoxo managers proactively generating system when they receive immediate, rather than reports, publishing league tables and post-event, feedback. The familiar roadside FURTHER INFORMATION identifying training priorities, in addition to vehicle-activated speed signs work on then the same basis and the evidence​is that xxx following through with the necessary training and regular check-ups. All of they have a direct effect on drivers, who which is time consuming for the manager moderate their speed significantly, even and has led to the industry having though they are not being photographed a ‘Big Brother’ image. and will not face a penalty.

Of course, it would be a brave fleet manager that ignored the need for driver monitoring Does the ‘in-cab coach’ and training. A driver’s behaviour behind work in practice? the wheel is probably the single most This was a key question behind a recent important factor determining their safety white paper ‘​The impact of immediate and security. And it’s a significant contributor feedback on driving behaviour​’, published to the physical integrity of your vehicles,

by Masternaut in June 2017. your insurance premiums, as well as repair, The paper summarises the results of a maintenance and other ‘off the road’ costs. study of 9,000 light commercial vehicles Not to mention the impact on your brand (LCVs) in commercial fleets comparing caused by wayward drivers in liveried vehicles. vehicles with the in-cab coach to vehicles without it over three months.

So is there is a better way Data was compiled on the following to improve driver behaviour driver behaviours: Speeding; Harsh without managerial control? driving events; Idling. In addition, At Masternaut, we believe there is. data on fuel consumption was also We’ve developed the ‘​In-cab coach​’, a small, monitored and analysed. dashboard mounted device that provides real-time feedback on speeding, ‘harsh’ The results were unambiguous driving events (such as hard braking or Overall, the vehicles equipped with acceleration) and idling, all designed to the In-cab coach showed a s​ ubstantially inform the driver and to promote a safer, lower rate of speeding events ​than

Mike Hemming

Written by Mike Hemming, UK Professional Services Director, Masternaut

It is a common misperception that the aim of telematics is to monitor drivers. As most fleet professionals are well aware, constantly checking driver scores would actually increase the workload of a company. What is needed is for telematics to empower drivers

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those without. In fact, the average number of speeding events recorded per 100 miles travelled was 5​ 3 per cent​ less than the that recorded by the LCVs without immediate feedback.

This is a dramatic effect and can only be seen as a notable modification in driver behaviour that undoubtedly leads to ​ significant improvements in safety​. At which point, it’s worth remembering that speed is an important element in overall safety levels. In the UK, over 3,000 people lost their lives in road traffic incidents where speed was a contributory factor​​.

The in-cab coach also has a p​ rofound impact on fuel economy​, both because of the reduction in speeding and because of a significant reduction in idling. Our study has proven o​ ver five per cent savings in fuel consumption a​ cross all types of LCV equipped with Masternaut’s in-cab coach, compared to LCVs without it.

Summary The study provides clear evidence that immediate feedback to drivers has a major impact on their behaviour, resulting in much less speeding, safer and smoother driving, lower idling times, and a significant overall reduction in fuel consumption.

For more information about the study, please visit our website below. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.masternaut.com www.masternaut.com/downloads/ smarter-drivers-whitepaper/

Volume 106 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

23

THE ONLY FLEET PUBLICATION DEDICATED TO PROMOTING A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT

www.greenfleet.net Published by

020 8532 0055 www.psi-media.co.uk

has revolutionised not only the way businesses xoxoxoxo fund and manage their mobility challenges, but also how manufacturers build value into their productINFORMATION ranges. Today Being the biggest FURTHER discounter is no longer the guarantee of xxx biggest market share. As well as having the an appealing product line up, the whole life cost of the vehicle over the duration of the contract has become the biggest focus for manufacturers looking to deliver a credible fleet solution. This calculation will include the cost of parts, servicing, fuel, tyres, tax, monthly rental or purchase price, and most importantly the residual value.

How has FCA responded to this challenge FCA Fleet and Business department has been structured to respond to the individual needs of each channel within the market. From small/medium enterprise, large scale fleet operators, public sector operators through to diplomatic and affinity sales. In addition to this, a specialist TCO manager, was appointed to scrutinise the whole life costs of every FCA vehicle. This means working across all of the departments to ensure the specification of the products are optimised for our customer to deliver the best value in their class. Making sure price of parts and servicing schedules are optimised and that our key partners in product valuations are kept informed and involved in new product launches and changes to the existing range that might influence the residual value. All of these factors combined ensure we can build financial solutions that offers the best value to our customers.

The results of this are evident where the Alfa Romeo Giulia, launched in late 2016 sits within the top three in its sector for lowest total cost of ownership, above many of the market leaders. Furthermore, the Fiat 500 has enjoyed a sustained run of being one of the lowest depreciating vehicles in its class for almost a decade making it a very sensible fleet choice. Another example is the Fiat Tipo Elite, which comes with eco pack as standard creating 89g C02/KM but retaining a low P11D. Our progress made recently has earned FCA Fleet and Business two major industry awards as Most Improved Fleet Manufacturer of the Year in 2017. An unprecedented achievement and one we are exceptionally proud of.

Having one department managing a portfolio of brands has enabled FCA to develop a unique approach to the fleet and business market that adds value for our customers through a complete ‘one stop shop’ service offering. From the iconic Fiat 500 city car to the outstanding and award winning Alfa Romeo Giulia through to the rugged yet luxurious Jeep Grand Cherokee to the hugely versatile range of Fiat Professional commercial vehicles. FCA has a solution for every business through five vehicle brands including Fiat, Jeep, Alfa Romeo, Abarth and Fiat professional. These brands are supported with financial solutions through Leasys and our branded Mopar aftersales support network of dealers. Our comprehensive approved used car programmes, Found for Fiat and Abarth and Selected for You for Alfa Romeo and Jeep also supports our residual values.

In addition to this, we have a number of fleet focused models including the Alfa Romeo Giulietta and Giulia Tecnica and the Fiat Tipo Elite, designed with a great level of specification but a lower price point for a beneficial benefit in kind position for company car drivers.

An Informed Decision Making the right decision can only be supported with the availability of the right information and accordingly, our individual brand web sites now have an extensive fleet and business section, designed to deliver the key information to our customers and prospect in a user friendly way. With a BIK calculator and tax pages, an individualised user journey for the different channel requirements; for example, a company car driver will need different information to a small business owner.

We also have a bespoke business centre, employing specialist staff to discuss fleet requirements and products with customers.

A growing portfolio of brands 2017 has been a very busy period so far for FCA with the first full year of the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Fiat Tipo ensuring that FCA brands are appearing on many more choice lists and being chosen as a mobility solution across a broad spectrum of customer.

September will see the UK launch of the new

Simon Wheeler

Written by Advertisement Feature

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Simon Wheeler is the national Corporate Marketing Manager at FCA Fiat Chrysler Automobiles UK. With 15 years in FCA, he has extensive experience of the dealer sales network with a back ground built earlier in his career within the VW dealer environment.

Appointed into the role of fleet planning and corporate marketing in 2015, he was tasked with developing a marketing strategy in line with best in class within the fleet sector.

Alfa Romeo Stelvio which raises the bar for the performance and driving dynamics of an SUV. Later in the year the will see the UK arrival of the all new Jeep Compass, offering unrivalled off road ability combined with great looks and the spirit of adventure.

We’re really keen to demonstrate how FCA can offer your business a comprehensive fleet solution, regardless of the scale of your fleet requirement that meets the demands of the drivers, and the accountants. L FURTHER INFORMATION For more information please call the FCA Business Centre on 0808 168 7152 www.fcagroup.com

Volume 106 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Charging Infrastructure

Electric charging at fuel forecourts

Written by Angela Pisanu

Planned laws in the Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill will make it compulsory for large fuel retailers and motorway services to provide charging facilities for electric vehicles. GreenFleet investigates how the industry has responded As part of measures to improve air quality, the government has announced it will ban sales of new fully diesel or petrol cars and vans by 2040. This means that from that date, all new cars and vans will be fully or partly powered by alternative fuels, such as electricity or hydrogen. So with plug-in vehicles set to become more commonplace,

significant improvements will need to be made to the public charging infrastructure.

The Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill, which was included in the Queen’s Speech, detailed planned laws to increase the number of electric or hydrogen vehicle charge points, making it compulsory for UK motorway services and major fuel retailers to provide BP is reportedly in talks with EV makers to offer charging bays

In 2017, Shell plans to open ten electric charging points – mainly in the London area – as well as up to 20 charging posts in The Netherlands.

The programme will be branded ‘Recharge’

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The ed Automat ric and Electl aims Bil Vehicles law for it to make l retailers e major fu e electric to provid harging vehicle c ies facilit

charging facilities. The accessibility of the charging infrastructure was also addressed in the Bill, acknowledging that there needs to be better interoperability between networks so that an EV driver can use any charge point without having to register first.

What’s more, a set of operational and technical standards will also be Shell’s first UK hydrogen refuelling station recently opened in Cobham

Taking action So how has the fuel retailer industry responded with this proposed legislation?

Shell has already taken steps to be part of the electric revolution. Jane Lindsay-Green, future fuels manager at Shell Retail UK told GreenFleet: “This year Shell plans to open ten electric charging points – mainly in the London area – as well as up to 20 charging posts in The Netherlands. The programme will be branded ‘Recharge’.

“Shell makes charging easier, safe and reliable.

We will have all the BEV nozzles available, so anyone can charge any vehicle. The posts will all be operational and tended to by Shell personnel – so the driver will have a reliable service and get assistance and guidance.

“Shell’s charging points are rapid charging (50kW) taking about 30 minutes. Drivers can use that time on-site to ‘recharge’ themselves with coffee, snacks, and internet access. Payment will be easy and the costs will be transparent.”

Shell has also opened its first hydrogen refuelling station in the UK, situated on the M25 at its Cobham service station, and has plans to open two more this year.

BP is another fuel giant that is planning to install EV charge points. According to Reuters, BP is in talks with electric vehicle makers on partnering to offer charging bays at its global

The National Grid’s Future Energy Scenarios 2017 report says that electric vehicles are projected to reach around one million by the early 2020s, and nine million by 2030 network of fuel service stations, although further details have not been revealed.

Tim Payne, CEO of electric vehicle charging company InstaVolt, says: “With BP and Shell both backing EVs, it’s clear that the revolution is happening now.

“When you combine this latest news from BP with the government’s plans to ban the sale of new diesel and petrol cars in the UK from 2040, it’s quite clear the direction in which we’re headed.”

Independent retailers However, some in the industry have warned that this new requirement will put financial burden on independent fuel retailers. Brian Madderson, chairman of The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) said: “Clarity over the definition of ‘large retailers’ is urgently needed.”

“The PRA is concerned this could place an unreasonable financial burden on independent fuel retailers who feel there is insufficient market demand to justify the investment at this time.” Brian also recommends that the government introduces a grant for private

Charging Infrastructure

put in place to improve the reliability and performance of the network.

business to “underwrite such speculative investment in rapid charge equipment.”

Electricity demand With the predicted increase in electric vehicles comes the question about how the extra power will be provided and how demand will be managed. There are warnings that if everyone charges after the rush hour in the evening, the national grid would not be able to cope.

The National Grid’s Future Energy Scenarios 2017 report says that electric vehicles are projected to reach around one million by the early 2020s, and nine million by 2030. It says that without smart charging, this could result in an additional 8 GW of demand of electricity at peak times.

Smart meters and tariffs for certain times of the day will incentivise owners to charge when wind and solar power are in large supply and electricity is cheaper. Also, energy networks could manage demand with automatic time-shift charging, where a car plugged-in in the evening does not actually start charging until demand on the grid is low.

Explaining how Shell will tackle this challenge, Angie Boakes, general manager of eMobility at Shell says: “Shell is looking at how their charging can be successfully integrated to the power grid. We have been developing a service that allows the charging of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) to be shifted to times when it would be most beneficial for the power grid and cheaper for the customers charging their vehicles.”

Angie continues: “The system, trialled in three pilot projects that took place in the UK, Germany and US (California), allows the use of BEVs as a flexible and controllable grid resource. We are now actively looking for opportunities on a larger scale to use this expertise and capability to help locations such as California push forward with their zero emission vehicle goals whilst maximising the use of renewable power and minimising the impact of electric vehicle charging on the grid.

“By running these trials in three different markets with very distinct characteristics and requirements, Shell has developed expertise in managing the charging of BEVs to match the supply of electricity to BEVs with the lower costs associated with periods when they can also best contribute to balance the power grid.

“This service also draws on Shell’s power trading and technology capabilities, and its long heritage in the development of the transportation sector.”

To help manage demand on the grid, the government has recently announced a £20 million investment in vehicle to grid projects, which will help develop electric vehicles capable of returning stored electricity to the grid. L Volume 106 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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With the announcement that Britain is to ban pure diesel and petrol-powered cars and vans from 2040 in a bid to get people into zero or ultra-low emission alternatives, we ask our expert panel how this will affect fleets and how they should prepare

Matt Dale, consultancy services manager, ALD Automotive Matt Dale leads a team of consultants who provide ongoing support and advice to help businesses meet their fleet objectives, no matter how diverse. The team specialise in financial modelling and analysis, risk management, alternatively fuelled vehicles, smart mobility solutions and employee benefits.

David Cooper, managing director, Arnold Clark Vehicle Management With over 20 years of experience at Arnold Clark Automobiles Ltd, David’s top priorities are keeping both customers and employees happy. In the future David plans to continue investing in technology to improve customers’ digital experience throughout the group.

The UK government has said that it will end the sale of all new pure petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2040, as part of its plans to tackle illegal amounts of air pollution.

This follows a similar announcement from the French government, who said they will outlaw purely diesel and petrol vehicles by the same date, as well as plans from Swedish manufacturer Volvo to make every new model fully or partially electric from 2019.

For our industry experts, this announcement was on the cards. David Cooper from Arnold Clark Vehicle Management points to the fact that the government had already committed to zero emission transport by 2050, and that this new ban of pure diesel and petrol-powered vehicles will “accelerate the timetable”.

Chris Salmon comments that the “future

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Rob Mills, sales operation manager, Daimler Fleet Management Rob has 30 years’ industry experience, with the last 20 being with Daimler in various management roles across both the Daimler Fleet Management & CharterWay (van & truck) divisions. He currently heads up the sales operations function covering pricing & risk management, plus consultative support to sales management.

of diesel vehicles was already in question following recent and ongoing developments around vehicle emission testing and taxation”.

Rob Mills from Daimler Fleet Management believes that “a target date for new ICE sales to cease was always going to happen, especially with other countries having already announced their aspirational target dates”.

Meanwhile Matt Dale from ALD Automotive says that the new announcement “confirms that the switch to alternatively‑fuelled vehicles is not just a short term fad, but a long term change to the motor industry”.

What will happen to diesels?

So what immediate affect will the ban on ICE-powered vehicles have on diesel?

In July, registrations for new petrol and diesel

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

Chris Salmon, commercial director, SG Fleet UK Chris has spent the past 15 years working in senior roles within the leasing and fleet management industry.

Leading sales & customer service teams have been the cornerstone of Chris’s success along with bringing new innovative solutions to the marketplace and reinventing current practices to enhance efficiency.

cars declined by -3.0 per cent and -20.1 per cent respectively, according to Society of Motor Manufacturer and Trader (SMMT) figures. The demand for alternatively‑fuelled vehicles meanwhile soared 64.9 per cent, taking a new record 5.5 per cent market share.

Rob Mills from Daimler Fleet Management believes that this trend will continue, but that manufacturers will still be investing in ways to make diesel technology cleaner. He says: “The manufacturers’ challenge and objective now is to restore trust in diesel and improve the NOx emission issue to demonstrate that diesel engines still provide the best opportunity to meet CO2 based environmental targets in the short to medium term.”

David Cooper from Arnold Clark Vehicle Management also sees the decline in

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Expert Panel: Leasing

EXPERT PANEL LEASING

Fleet concerns This string of announcements regarding the end of pure-diesel and petrol‑fuelled vehicles signals a radical change in the transport industry, and many fleets may well be concerned about what this will mean for them.

Range anxiety of pure electric vehicles, charging infrastructure and cost are significant concerns for fleets considering alternative fuels, comments Matt Dale from

ALD Automotive. Therefore, in order for their individual fleet requirements. It is up fleets to plan confidently, Matt believes to us, as their strategic fleet partner, to be that the planning and development ahead of the curve wherever we can and look of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) is to provide potential alternatives should we made public by the manufacturers and believe they are more appropriate and result shared directly with fleet customers. in efficiency or cost savings to our clients.”

Matt says: “With greater knowledge, Issues around the limited charging customers can then start to work with leasing infrastructure and how taxation will be treated partners to plan ahead with related products still need to be resolved, adds Chris, saying such as work and home based charge that until then, it really is “guess work.” points. The leasing industry also David Cooper from Arnold needs to consider the future Clark Management believes impact on residual values, that leasing clients will This f and how vehicle life be concerned about o g n i str s cycles could change.” costs and customer t n e cem n u Chris Salmon from SG perception of moving o n d n n a e e h t Fleet says: “Our clients away from diesel. He g n want to understand the says: “With diesel regardi -diesel and e r s l ramifications of any residual values likely u a p n of s sig e l c potential legislative to fall, a company that i h e v e change with regards buys its vehicles is E petrol l chang

Expert Panel: Leasing

diesel registrations as continuing, adding that there will be an inevitable effect on residual values for diesel-powered cars.

He adds: We expect sales of petrol cars to be much stronger. For vans, there will be very little change in the short-term.”

Chris Salmon from SG Fleet believes that diesel vehicles will not disappear overnight, and that they will remain a part of a fleet strategy for the foreseeable future.

a radica ransport in the t stry indu

29

Expert Panel: Leasing

 likely to feel the pinch. Companies that lease vehicles will likely see a rise in rentals as leasing companies take account of pressure on diesel residuals. In the current climate, many companies are very concerned about their environmental credentials, and so it’s likely that company car policies will be reviewed in light of ongoing health concerns about diesel.”

Rob Mills from Daimler Fleet Management cites “uncertainty” as one of the main factors that keeps business leaders awake at night. He says: “Until fairly recently, planned legislation has been communicated in good time to enable businesses including vehicle manufacturers to plan accordingly.

Whilst 2040 still feels a long way off, the reality is that further changes in the interim will still need to be made in order to achieve the environmental targets.”

Amid the hype around diesels, David Cooper from Arnold Clark Vehicle Management advises against the industry taking a “knee‑jerk” reaction. He says: “There are concerns with diesel, but the fact remains that converting a diesel fleet to petrol will be more expensive. For drivers travelling larger distances, diesel is still the preferred option. It’s important to bear in mind that there’s really no alternative for HGVs.” Incentives & policies With the government planning to ban the sale of new diesel and petrol vehicles by 2040, what further policies should be put in place to support those buying alternative fuel vehicles?

Matt Dale from ALD Automotive says that policy change could assist in various different areas. He says: “The BIK for a vehicle with emissions sub 50g/km is great, but it doesn’t necessarily promote the right user behaviours, and the VED changes can have a negative impact on buying and running a new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. The government needs to apply common sense to any future changes and find a balance in both the retail and fleet markets.”

“Public charging is a key area to look at, especially the accessibility of charging, having to rely on different apps and charge cards is far from ideal,” Matt adds.

Commenting further on the issue of the EV charging infrastructure, Rob Mills from Daimler Fleet Management says: “The charging infrastructure issue remains a confusing arena with various claims that the national grid will not be able to cope without further investment and debates on who will pay for the charging network. So clear plans need to be instigated to address these concerns to give companies.”

David Cooper from Arnold Clark Vehicle Management picks up on this point about the impact EVs will have on the grid if there is a rapid rise in EVs. He says: “We will have to address the fact that power stations will need to produce more electricity. How is that electricity going to be generated? And how is the electricity going to be stored?

In general terms, cars are used during the day and parked overnight. That means that we’ll need power to charge these vehicles at certain times of the day.”

Chris Salmon from SG Fleet also believes the infrastructure needs to be considered, as well as and taxation. What’s more, he urges

30

fleets to consider that “age old question” of whether the vehicle is fit for purpose. He says: “We work with our clients to understand their current fleet policy and the reasons behind that, before considering recommending a solution that may work on paper but in reality would be counter productive.”

Clean Air Zones The UK has struggled to keep within EU limits on air pollution and has been required to draft air quality plans to address the issue. Whilst the strategy is still in proposal phase, it includes the requirement for the worst offending cities to introduce Clean Air Zones in polluting areas. Cities confirmed so far are Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham, Derby, Southampton. Manchester is planning a voluntary one, and London has a Ultra Low Emission Zone confirmed for 2019.

With these changes happening, how can the leasing industry support businesses that will operate within Clean Air Zones (CAZ)?

“The introduction of the Clean Air Zones will accelerate the adoption of AFVs in these

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

areas, so the leasing industry needs to help fleet customers understand the implications for their staff and businesses,” says Matt Dale from ALD Automotive. “This will impact both major corporates and SMEs in the same way, and they all need to understand that this is happening quickly. Some business may want to change their vehicles early to avoid possible congestion charges and create green travel plans for staff to get to work, or implement new schemes to help employees obtain cleaner vehicles.”

David Cooper from Arnold Clark Vehicle Management highlights the fact that the proposed CAZ legislation suggests that local authorities will have the power to offer exemptions for local residents, but questions whether the same will be offered to businesses. “In either event,” David says, “we would encourage affected clients to choose ultra low emission vehicles where possible.”

Rob Mills from Daimler Fleet Management says that lease companies will have to become fully conversant both with the general CAZ regulations and those adopted by each

Matt Dale The planning and development of alternative fuel vehicles over the coming years needs to be made public by the manufacturers, and shared directly with fleet customers to give them confidence when investing in this evolution. With greater knowledge, customers can then start to work with leasing partners to plan ahead with related products such as work and home‑based charge points.

The leasing industry also needs to consider the future impact on residual values, and how vehicle life cycles could change.

Expert Panel: Leasing

Expert final thoughts

David Cooper The next generation of electric vehicles is only a couple of years away. When these cars arrive, and we can travel up to 300 miles between charges, the popularity of electric vehicles is likely to increase exponentially. Range anxiety will no longer be a problem, which will encourage more businesses and drivers to look at electric vehicles.

Renault Zoe

In July, registrations for new petrol and diesel cars declined by -3.0 per cent and -20.1 per cent respectively, according to the latest SMMT figures. The demand for alternatively fuelled vehicles meanwhile soared 64.9 per cent, taking a new record 5.5 per cent market share participating city, as some may choose to adopt higher standards and/or implement a different classification that may or may not include cars and vans. He explains: “A City adopting a Class A scheme for instance will only impact buses, coaches, taxis & private hire vehicles whilst a Class D scheme will also cover cars that are not Euro 6.”

“With this understanding,” Rob continues, “the lease company can provide guidance and look to help shape a fleet policy that meets the criteria of the cities the business will operate

in. Most lease companies will look at providing favourable early return charges in return for repeat business which will assist businesses in switching to Euro 6 vehicles if they have older vehicles on long term leases that are no longer viable due to CAZ regulations.”

Chris Salmon from SG Fleet says: “With regards the clean air zones, we can support our clients by ensuring they are making informed choices around vehicles that may need to be utilised within these areas and what impact that may have.” L

Rob Mills Uncertainty is probably one of the main factors that keeps business leaders awake at night whether it’s the impact of Brexit or legislative changes that impact how they run their businesses. Until fairly recently, planned legislation has been communicated in good time to enable businesses including vehicle manufacturers to plan accordingly.

Whilst 2040 still feels a long way off, the reality is that further changes in the interim will still need to be made in order to achieve the environmental targets.

Chris Salmon Our clients want to understand the ramifications of any potential legislative change with regards their individual fleet requirements – it is up to us, as their strategic fleet partner, to be ahead of the curve wherever we can and look to provide potential alternatives should we believe they are more appropriate and result in efficiency or cost savings to our clients. There are a number of key questions still unanswered in this area; issues around the limited charging infrastructure and how taxation of electric vehicles will be treated still need to be resolved.

Volume 106 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Emergency Services Show

Showcasing greener emergency vehicles Electric and hybrid vehicles for the emergency services are set to be a more prominent feature than ever at this year’s Emergency Services Show, on 20-21 September at Birmingham’s NEC Emergency and rescue vehicles of virtually every type, including fire appliances, ambulances, fleet cars, motorbikes, boats and drones will be on display throughout the indoor and outdoor exhibition areas at The Emergency Services Show taking place at Hall 5 in the NEC, Birmingham on 20 and 21 September.

It is the perfect place to research the latest innovations, products and services responsible for specifying and procuring vehicles and fleet equipment for the emergency services and allied organisations.

Electric and hybrid drive vehicles for the emergency services are set to be a more prominent feature than ever this year.

Greener vehicles Leading vehicle suppliers at the show include BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Volvo Trucks, as well as a wide range of chassis manufacturers and specialist vehicle converters. BMW will be exhibiting a strong line-up of electric and hybrid range extender vehicles with a marked BMW i3 94Ah AC REx NHS specification Rapid Response Vehicle, a marked BMW i3 94Ah AC REx Fire & Rescue Incident Response Vehicle, and a new model BMW G30 530d xDrive AC Touring Roads Policing Unit.

The BMW i3 94Ah AC REx (Range Extender) is an electrically‑propelled vehicle with the

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advantage of a 649cc petrol engine that generates electricity to charge the vehicle propulsion battery. The CO2 emissions from the small engine are ultra-low. As an extreme example the i3 REx can be driven from Exeter to Edinburgh without having to recharge the propulsion battery (the driver will need to refill the petrol tank.)

This might not be likely for a 999 response, but it does highlight the flexibility of this model. The larger battery of the 94Ah model gives drivers the ability to travel up to 125 miles on a single charge and 206 miles with the range extender.

for pick-up vehicles with the Cobra high pressure lance-based firefighting system.

Volvo Trucks will display the new FL816 appliance in the livery of West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS). It is powered by Volvo’s Euro-6 compliant D8K280 engine with 280bhp and 1,050Nm of torque and matched to an Allison 3000 series automatic transmission with integral retarder.

This Volvo FL complements the Volvo FE range, which is becoming an increasingly popular, versatile product as both a water tanker and aerial platform in 4x2 and 6x2 configurations. At 18-tonnes as a 4x2, with engine options of 280bhp, 320bhp and 350bhp and the Allison fully‑automatic transmission, it makes an ideal chassis for a water tender.

Terberg DTS Fire & Rescue Division will be showcasing its range of fire and rescue equipment including Leader PPV fans and thermal imaging cameras. It will also be profiling its Oshkosh ARFF and TACR3 & TACR4 Rapid Response Vehicles.

West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS), in partnership with various vehicle manufacturers, will provide visitors with specialist information

BMW will be a ng exhibitie-up of lin strong and hybrid electric extender range s, with a vehicle BMW i3 marked e NHS for th

Fire fighters Fire appliances will be on show from Emergency One, Volvo Trucks and John Dennis, as well as the latest generation of smaller incident vehicles from the likes of Iveco. In the outside area Emergency One will be demonstrating the Magirus M32L-AT turntable ladder featuring a telescopic 5-section ladder with a 32‑metre working height. Primetech will exhibit its latest demountable MultiPod + system

Ambulances Among the many ambulance suppliers exhibiting are AMZ Vehicles, BAUS AT and WAS UK. Ambulance converter BAUS AT will demonstrate its new British Red Cross vehicle.

The WAS Fiat lightweight modular box A&E vehicle offers a perfect solution to the restrictions of a panel van. The vehicle has 20 per cent more interior workspace than a panel van but the gross vehicle weight is 6.5 per cent lighter, which improves fuel economy and enables bariatric capability with a pay load of 850kg. WAS heavy duty dual rear doors are capable of mounting medical equipment and the sliding side door offers access to response bags and allows for the emergency removal of the stretcher.

There is also the option for external lockers to provide quick and easy access to essential equipment without having to enter the vehicle. An integrated side step offers easier access to the vehicle with reduced height, this mitigates the risk of VOR that is linked to the underslung step. It also reduces the risk of accidental injury to both crew and patient.

With the WAS modular box’s internal width that’s 100mm greater than the van, layout options are far more versatile and patient comfort is enhanced. The extra width allows for a carry chair to be loaded without stowing away the forward-facing saloon seats.

Also on display will be the all new WAS VW Crafter-based ambulance, based on the ultramodern VW Crafter. Different versions of weight classes, motors, manual and automatic gear and chassis facilitate the adaptation Volvo FL816 fire appliance

of the base vehicle to customers’ special requirements. The new integrated WAS Design warning light bar is available for the VW Crafter only, for the time being. The improved visibility from the front and from the side lays the foundation for the new WAS box body design. The light bar can be adapted to all box body widths and heights. WAS options available include WAS Door Assist, the WAS Multi-Load Assist, WAS SanSafe and WAS Smart Check, which make it easier, safer and more ergonomic to work with the ambulance.

Lithium battery technology WAS will also display its new lithium battery technology which offers more than 50 per cent weight saving compared to the current GEL and AGM solutions. The lithium battery also lasts ten times longer than conventional lead acid set up and charges ten times quicker. Its compact plug and play design offers a space saving advantage and the batteries are fully configurable to meet the power needs of a frontline ambulance. The individual lithium tubes are easy to replace and fully recyclable.

Nielsen Chemicals and Zenith Hygiene Group (ZHG) will be promoting their ambulance cleaning services, which free up valuable paramedic time and skills to enable them to concentrate on core medical emergency tasks.

Excelerate will be demonstrating a range of surveillance and communications equipment on its stand including the Sherpa portable camera that can climb lamp-posts, the Proclux long range camera which can be used in harsh and challenging environments and a Command Pod deployable resilient data network to facilitate live camera and data streams within the incident ground.

All the latest equipment Visitors will be able to see and handle the latest kit and discuss needs with all suppliers. Exhibitors include leading names in rescue equipment, protective clothing and uniforms, vehicles, high visibility livery, lightbars, scene lighting, vehicle equipment and accessories including: Beeswift, Bristol Uniforms, Ilasco/Keela, Scott Safety, Orafol, Wolf Safety, Niton999, Rig Equipment and RSG Engineering.

REMA, the Retroreflective Equipment Manufacturers Association will be staging a special dark display in the exhibition entitled From Dusk till Dawn to highlight the life‑saving capabilities of retroreflective products including cones, reflecting road studs, flashing WAS VW Crafter lamps, temporary signs and ambulance mannequins wearing PPE. Visitors will be able to interact with the display using hand held light sources.

Extrication Challenge WMFS will be running a realistic and exciting Extrication Challenge at the show this year. The challenge will provide an arena for some of the UK’s best rescue personnel to come together and develop their proficiency levels in all areas of road traffic collision rescue but specifically in incident command and control, safety and scene assessment, extrication, professional pre-hospital care and expert use of rescue equipment.

Supported and judged by the United Kingdom Rescue Organisation (UKRO), the RTC scenarios will include a car on its wheels, a car on its side and a car on its roof. Vehicles will have heavy and complex damage (simulating a significant RTC) along with a ‘live’ casualty trapped inside.

There will also be other vehicles or props making the scenarios more realistic. Spectators will have the opportunity to get close to the action, just a few metres from the simulation.

Emergency Services

on the latest rescue tool equipment, new vehicle technology, high strength steel, airbags, SRS, hybrid and full electric vehicles and road safety. Its displays will include a Virtual Reality video and goggles being used by their Road Casualty Reduction Team to educate drivers about road safety.

Cutting tool demonstration UKRO will also be running a demonstration of space creation and practical cutting techniques, giving visitors a good basic understanding of how cutting and spreading tools work on vehicles. The demonstration will cover correct operator positioning, the principles of cutting, tackling door hinges and how to use small tools in confined internal spaces. Attendees will also receive guidance on how to avoid some of the most common mistakes operators make when using cutters, spreaders and combi tools.

Road safety theatre seminars Collaborative and efficient working will be key themes across all the seminar programmes, where the Federation of Vehicle Recovery Associations will be talking about the expertise, knowledge and resources of road recovery firms and how they can assist the emergency services at the scene of a road traffic collision.

The Association of Air Ambulances will present on how the roll out of All Lanes Running Highways impacts on all emergency services, rescue and recovery organisations, from egress and exit to an RTC or incident to landing an air ambulance.

Devon & Somerset FRS will present a new motorbike and road safety educational toolkit. An experienced Community First Responder will highlight the dangers within a vehicle that can impact how rescuers respond to incidents. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.emergencyuk.com

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Road Safety Written by Keith Bell, quality manager, RoSPA

What factors lead to a crash?

It is estimated that a third of all crashes involve someone who is driving for work, which should be a major cause for concern for any business that operates a fleet. But what can companies do to help tackle this issue? RoSPA’s Keith Bell shares some advice Road crashes happen every day in every country all over the world, and we often insist on blaming external factors. However, the reality is that it is often us at fault.

In fact, it is estimated that 95 per cent of crashes are actually due to human error, with the other five per cent often split between mechanical failure (which doesn’t include a worn tyre or faulty brakes, as that still counts as human error) and something that could not have been prevented or predicted, such as a tree falling across the road.

This means that 95 per cent of crashes involving fleet vehicles can be addressed by ensuring that drivers are adequately equipped for the road – but how should this be achieved?

To answer this question there are four areas that are important to look at, before considering which factor is most likely to lead to a crash.

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Factors to consider The first area to consider is the skill the driver has in controlling the vehicle – in other words moving it left and right, forward and backward. Most drivers have reasonable skill in making the vehicle go where they want it to, when they want it to, and generally do so without colliding with anything else, but this is usually only the case when they have enough time and they are concentrating on the task. Whether or not a driver has had professional driver training or was taught by family or friends, once the psychomotor skills associated with driving

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are mastered, such as pressing the brake, finding the biting point and using the steering wheel, driving a vehicle becomes relatively easy. Loss of control will always feature in a crash but it is rarely the root cause.

The second area to consider is how drivers interpret and adhere to rules, such as the Road Traffic Act and the Highway Code.

Irrespective of how well read they are, most drivers are aware of and understand the majority of the rules and procedures but they don’t always follow them.

After all, when learning to drive many of us are taught how to follow the rules to pass the test, the question is, what weren’t we taught during lessons? Were you taught about being considerate to others and how to avoid feeling road rage, and did your instructor teach you all about time management or dealing with and managing fatigue? By learning to effectively manage factors like these, we can become safer, better road users.

At the end of 2012, the DVLA reported

When you are ffic, tra stuck iner wonder ev do you driver in the e why th ar is on that next c f road and piece o pressures what face? they

Driver personalities This leads us on to the fourth and final and probably most important area to consider: attitude, beliefs and the way we choose to live our lives. Everyone has a set of values and motivations that guide us through life.

These same things also influence and drive certain behaviours when we’re behind the wheel. If you’re a methodical, laid back and relaxed person, you’re likely to drive differently to an impulsive, bungee-jumping adrenaline junky. We all have personality traits that are conducive to safe driving and those which perhaps are not. It is up to us to be honest, recognise which is which and crucially, do something about it.

Our personality and the way we choose to live our life will inform the context of the journey, and influence whether we choose to follow the rules and procedures for maintaining the best vehicle control within our capability.

The true root cause of almost all crashes is the behavioural choices we as drivers make every time we drive.

34.5 million vehicles licensed for use on the roads of Great Britain, of which 28.7million (83 per cent) were cars. This leads us on to the third area to consider – the reason for and context of the journey. When you are stuck in traffic or waiting for that green light, do you ever wonder why the driver in the next car is on that piece of road at that moment in time and what pressures they may be affected by?

It could be a familiar journey for them and they may have become complacent, losing focus on the driving task. It could be an unfamiliar journey in an unknown town and they may even feel anxious, trying hard to fit in with and assess the traffic flow, gathering and processing high volumes of information and making quick decisions. The driver may also feel under pressure to drive in a particular way, such as the obligation they may feel to arrive on time, perhaps to catch a plane or maybe a job interview or even the peer pressure of a passenger in a similar situation.

Whatever situation we find ourselves in on the road, we use a lot more than the basic car control skills we developed when we were learning to drive. After all, stopping a car should be easy; we’ve been able to stop the car since day one of our driving lessons.

Taking action So to go back to the earlier question, with all of this in mind, what can fleet managers do to mitigate the risk, and ensure their drivers are as safe as possible on the roads while driving for their organisation?

RoSPA has a seven-point plan to help you to achieve this.

Firstly, it sounds simple, but get to know your drivers. By doing this, you can actively engage them in creating your organisation’s managing occupational road risk policies, procedures, systems and training initiatives.

Conduct regular “toolbox” talks to discuss driving matters, health and wellbeing – make sure you get things out in the open.

You can only do this if you have got to know your staff to the point where they feel comfortable enough to discuss such matters, but it is important to understand what factors in their life may increase risk in their on-the-road activities.

Next, ensure your organisation has a clear and defined collision/incident investigation and escalation process.

Ensure safety checks are performed on all vehicles that are used for work activities. These checks should be recorded and maintained for future reference, and should include a robust defect reporting system within your vehicle maintenance and safety check regime.

The fifth point is to provide driver training and/or risk assessments for those that you have been identified as being at risk.

Include the person, the vehicle and the journey within procedures. Keep up-to-date records that demonstrate both compliance with internal policies, and a desire to continually improve safety standards.

RoSPA has a history of innovation in tackling road deaths and injury, particularly those involving people driving for work, and has just launched its new Driver Profiler tool to continue that work.

Road Safety

So why do so many of us nip through on amber and why do so many drivers end up using the rear bumper of the vehicle in front to stop? Is it due to their poor car control skills or something far more dangerous?

RoSPA and road safety

Driver Profiler focuses on distractions, speed, co-operation, dealing with pressure, violations and journey planning. It is a flexible system designed to measure the attitude and behaviour of drivers via questions designed

by RoSPA’s in‑house road safety experts, through investigation of the individual’s history and the type of driving they do.

It also allows companies to add bespoke questions, with a simple management dashboard for information, and enables managers to keep all of their drivers’ assessments on the same account.

The previous version, the popular Driver Profiler, was completed by more than 60,000 people, and won awards for innovation in 2005/06. It has been used by organisations to inform their fleet training decisions since 1996.

Working with organisations to reduce injuries while driving for work through behavioural training is another focus to RoSPA’s Fleet Safety team – getting drivers and managers to recognise when they are likely to make poor decisions and helping provide pre‑rehearsed strategies to make better choices.

From humble beginnings as the London “Safety First” Council – set up to tackle the rising road deaths due to the blackout conditions of the First World War – RoSPA is now the country’s leading fleet safety organisation, and more new tools to help fleets will be announced soon.

Plan road safety management reviews at least every six months to ensure continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness of your procedures. Have your systems audited by a third party to obtain an unbiased view.

And finally, train all management staff to develop knowledge and skills in respect of managing occupational road risk.

Managers should be able to consider the impact of certain events which may increase road traffic crashes. Remember, evaluation is crucial. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.rospa.com

Volume 106 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Industry Comment ADVERTORIAL

Car benefit 800 WORD schemes EDIT HEADLINE are here toHERE stay AS TIGHT AS POSS Udae nonsend icidisquid quam elisimincim facepro et et, sed

quodi blaborum ut changes molorem eumque laboribus The government announced to theaut ationse However,nos Tusker’s research found that only treatment of car benefit which three per cent join because of tax savings, with et quoditiat doloschemes, qui de volecab orerisqui nitibusdae nullacianti came into force in April this year. Their impact 77 per cent joining the scheme because of the rest, sitiatis ut idem quodi consequat facimagnime pernatemquae however, has been minimal, both in terms of all-inclusive, hassle free package, which offers nimus earibus, tem and ipsaest moluptatium esfornet et All of these benefits are the popularity of the scheme the changes great value money. for drivers. Essentially, while the tax treatment still there and form a big part of why Tusker’s for ultra-low emission vehicles and other cars xoxoxoxo car benefit scheme remains so popular. has altered a little, this hasn’t affected their Employers and employees alike recognise the availability, their attractiveness and the benefits of the scheme as they have proven FURTHERnor INFORMATION actual financial impact has been minimal. to be hugely popular amongst employers xxx While Tusker champion the move wishing to increase staff motivation and to ULEVs and continue to highlight the engagement. Because a car is such a valuable benefits of choosing these cars, their entire benefit, employers are using them to recruit range still provides significant benefits and retain the best people. What’s more, there for drivers and organisations alike. is no cost to employers to set a scheme up.

Originally it was thought that approximately For employees, it’s a brand new, half of all salary sacrifice drivers would all‑inclusive, hassle-free car, for a fixed not be affected at all, as well as ultra-low monthly amount. There’s no deposit, emission vehicle drivers (those who choose credit checks or loans required, and so cars with emissions of 75g/Km CO2 or it provides added peace of mind. less). The reality, following the publication Paul Gilshan, CMO of Tusker, comments: of the Finance Bill in March this year, is “With all the talk around salary sacrifice that even fewer cars are impacted. schemes it is easy to understand why some When the tax changes were announced people are confused about the changes which at the Autumn Statement in 2016, Tusker the government has announced. However, found that they had very little impact on the all of the benefits, both to drivers and to popularity of car schemes. Tusker continued their employers, remain, and have now been to see an increase in orders, with the endorsed by the government, providing company’s best ever start to a year in 2017. clarity and certainty for their future.”

Salary sacrifice schemes The company puts the continued interest in salary sacrifice for cars down to the wider advantages in implementing a scheme.

While the savings for those choosing an ultra-low emission vehicle are maximised, for most salary sacrifice drivers, there are still significant savings to be made. These savings can be made through NI, and where applicable, pension savings. In addition, the buying power that Tusker has as market leader, means that drivers also benefit from manufacturer discounts and very competitive corporate finance rates.

Myths answered ‘It is more expensive for employers to run salary sacrifice schemes.’ All Tusker schemes are free to implement, and there is still no financial cost to implement or run a salary sacrifice car scheme. It is true that employers will no longer save money when their employees choose certain cars on the scheme but it won’t cost employers any more than if they had opted for the cash.

‘Salary sacrifice car schemes are no longer a great benefit for employers to offer’ Cars remain a fantastic benefit of employment and Tusker has seen over fifteen new schemes launch since the tax treatment was clarified in the Autumn Statement.

‘Only ULEVs will be available from now on.’

The savings for ULEVs are greater under salary sacrifice under the new rules, but drivers can continue to choose from thousands of makes and models with varying savings depending on their own circumstances and the CO2 rating for the vehicle.

Tusker continue to encourage drivers to take ULEVs and now offer over 65 models from 16 manufacturers to include BMW, Toyota, Volvo and Tesla, up from just 26 models last year.

Volvo recently announced that they will

Paul Gilshan

Written by Advertisement Feature

Tusker’s car benefit scheme continues to provide employees with the opportunity to drive a brand new car which comes complete with insurance, road tax, breakdown cover, servicing and tyres. It’s a fixed monthly amount which provides peace of mind for drivers

Paul Gilshan, chief marketing officer at Tusker, is responsible for all communications, new business, data and pricing and retention. He previously had roles with ITV, The Times and Sky.

become the first major car manufacturer to go all-electric in 2019, and with the move to more sustainable technologies across multiple industries, Tusker expects more manufacturers to make similar announcements and the range of cars to continue to increase. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.tuskerdirect.com

Volume 106 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Commercial Vehicles Written by Gavin Parnell, director of Go Supply Chain

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Delivering in the city Congestion is a critical city logistics issue. Gavin Parnell, director of Go Supply Chain, explores some of the many solutions to getting deliveries through the last-mile challenge Congestion, created by both road freight and passenger vehicles, means slower speeds resulting in longer trip times.

Factors are mounting to make congestion a critical urban logistics issue, not least the rapidly expanding urban population. The latest ONS figures reveal a 3.4 per cent growth in UK city regions between 2011 and 2015 compared to a 2.5 per cent growth in the rest of the UK. London, which stands apart as a global ‘megatropolis’, grew by 5.7 per cent – twice the national rate and is forecast to be knocking on the door of 10 million residents by 2024.

Londoners are living and working in an increasing number of buildings converted into multi-tenanted developments and new, mixed-use skyscrapers. These densely populated buildings generate multiple deliveries but often lack a consolidated loading bay and internal delivery system, resulting in delivery drivers parking vehicles while making time consuming treks to find the apartment or office.

A corresponding shift in retail dynamics has seen the growth of convenience stores supported by little and often deliveries.

Then there is the e-commerce revolution that has made free, next day and same day delivery the new norm. To deal with all of this, many retailers are operating large distribution centres outside cities as hubs, which deliver to smaller depots within the inner city. From there, the last mile becomes the most challenging and expensive portion of the delivery journey.

Delivery vans can negotiate the obstacles of urban deliveries better than large lorries but lack their economies of scale, thus there are more on the streets. According to Department for Transport (DfT) road traffic estimates for Great Britain, a decline in lorry traffic on urban roads (a reduction of 0.8 billion vehicle miles between 2000 and 2016), has been offset by a corresponding increase in van traffic on these roads (an increase of 4.5 billion vehicle miles over the same period).

There is, however, a smorgasbord of interesting ideas and trials taking place around the word that could reduce congestion and help overcome the last mile challenge.

Pedal power In Berlin, courier service Messenger Transport + Logistics has rolled out the BentoBox. This transportable storage locker can be loaded with parcels and then dropped off at a central depot after working hours. The courier deploys cargo bikes to achieve quick, cost efficient, emission free and almost silent distribution of the goods to the depot for customer collection the next day.

TNT is doing something similar in Brussels, one of the most congested cities in Europe. Its mobile depot is a trailer that contains a large number of parcels. It is towed to a central location in the city after peak traffic has subsided. Last-mile drivers deliver the parcels in small electric or human‑powered vehicles.

According to a report by the EU-funded research project CycleLogistics, an estimated 51 per cent of goods transported in cities could be shifted to bicycles

and cargo bikes, significantly reducing emissions and congestion.

The Cubicycle, developed in the Netherlands in association with DHL, has taken ease of delivery a step further. This express delivery vehicle has a reclining seat for the courier that allows for greater comfort, safety and speed. Electric pedal assistance helps when climbing hills, and it is easy to handle, with a tight turning cycle.

DHL has launched two pilots of this City Hub concept— one in Frankfurt, Germany’s fifth largest city, and another in Utrecht in the Netherlands, which recently announced the target of becoming climate-neutral by 2030.

Many of Gothenburg’s streets

For gistics st o l y n a m s, the la e e i n a p com ecomes th mile b llenging and a most ch sive portion n expe elivery d e h t f o journey

The technology route In addition to alternative transport modes, technology can be deployed to reduce traffic.

For example, parcel tracking systems can automatically send customers a text message to inform them of an imminent delivery. This enables customers to meet couriers at their

Commercial Vehicles

are now pedestrianised and parking is severely limited. Restrictions mean that normal deliveries with vans and lorries are only allowed between 5 am and 10 am on the main streets. Private transport companies are encouraged to leave their packages at a freight consolidation terminal from where Stadsleveransen’s (the City Delivery) fleet of two electric cars and two cargo bikes carry the goods the final few kilometres. The Swedish city has an 800-kilometre network of bike paths, including reduced-speed mixed zones.

An electric powered bike and walker trailers to deliver packages is undergoing live trial testing by UPS in the City of Westminster. Its innovation is that the weight of the trailer is not felt by the handler, allowing for increased last mile deliveries by foot or cycling. Six trailers can be dropped into a busy city centre by a single van, allowing the trailer system to easily cover a large urban area.

According to a report by the EU‑funded research project CycleLogistics, an estimated 51 per cent of goods transported in cities could be shifted to bicycles and cargo bikes, significantly reducing emissions and congestion door, minimising the time that a truck has to idle outside creating congestion by either double parking or cruising the immediate area in search of a loading bay or parking spot.

It is helpful to identify traffic hotspots – ie, roads where congestion forces drivers to drop their speed by 65 per cent for at least two minutes. During September 2016, data analysis company Inrix monitored traffic on every road in 123 cities including London, Cardiff, Paris and Hamburg. It found more than 20,300 so-called ‘traffic hotspots’ in UK cities – well over double the number in Germany and twice that of France.

Efficient route scheduling and load optimisation systems are well know to the logistics sector as being helpful in finding the most efficient delivery routes and reduce partial or empty loads – some 30 per cent of truck journeys are empty in the UK. Many are looking to autonomous vehicles to contribute to more efficient traffic flows.

These self-driving machines, equipped with ‘intelligent’ mapping systems and connected to a vast pool of data stored in the Cloud, will be able to anticipate congestion and dynamically reroute accordingly, ensuring that the best route is always followed.

Better organised Delivery will be speeded up if it can be switched to less congested ‘out of hours’ periods. In London for instance, the majority of deliveries and freight journeys normally take place between 07:00 and 11:00 when the roads are busiest. During the London 2012 Olympic Games, however, many businesses avoided disruption by changing the times of their deliveries.

A collaborative approach will reduce the number of different delivery vans clogging up the same street. An example of this is the

appointment by the Crown Estate of 3PL, Clipper Logistics to operate the Regent Street delivery consolidation scheme. The 3PL worked with retailers on Regent Street and in the West End to bring together deliveries despatched from a single consolidation centre. The centre brings together consumables from all suppliers to one easily accessible point outside the congestion charging zone, combining deliveries with other West End companies to streamline a previously complex and inefficient system into a simple and effective one. The system has reduced vehicle movements to participating stores by up to 85 per cent.

Other ideas have been tried to improve congestion on major roads within towns and cities, with a limited amount of success including: High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes to promote car-pooling; reversible lanes, applied at peak periods on busy routes; tolls and congestion charges.

All these measures can alleviate the problem but will not solve it. Congestion is partly the result of governments not being able to reconcile demands for road use with the available supply.

Transport for London (TfL) is taking a lead by encouraging logistics companies and transporters to develop a Delivery and Servicing Plan (DSP) that should help individual firms manage their deliveries better and save money as a result. TfL will use these voluntary plans to provide input for urban planning and road network projects.

One thing is for sure: without action, congestion in cities will make it increasingly more difficult to fulfil everyday life in the manner that everybody has come to expect. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.gosupplychain.com

Volume 106 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Arrive’n’Drive Written by Andrea Pluck

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Arrive’n’Drive around Rockingham GreenFleet Arrive’n’Drive will be setting up at Rockingham Motor Speedway on 28 September to showcase the latest in zero and ultra-low emission vehicles and technology, encouraging fleets to “go ultra-low” On 28 September, Rockingham Motor Speedway is set to host GreenFleet Arrive’n’Drive, showcasing the latest in ultra‑low emission vehicles and technology.

The event is aimed to help organisations that are concerned with excessive fuel and running costs and to encourage fleets to “go ultra-low”.

Fleet managers and professionals, as well as those responsible for their organisation’s environmental and sustainability plans, will be able to test drive a range of vehicles designed to lower harmful emissions from a number of different manufacturers in a controlled environment.

In addition to this, there will be experts available to speak to delegates about specific topics relating to ultra-low emission vehicles, including leasing, financing and remarketing, EV recharging, telematics and much more. The event will also include a selection of workshops, addressing “green fleet management issues”, such as “clean commercial vehicles and the fight to improve air quality”.

These are all free to attend on the day.

ACFO are also set to hold their annual East and Midlands

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

regional meeting in the morning, and will then be available to all delegates in the afternoon, when conducting a workshop.

This free event, which is based in Northamptonshire, will offer breakfast and brunch, as well as all-day refreshments.

Interested in joining us? Register online at www.arrivendrive.greenfleet.net

Vehicles BMW/MINI will be showcasing its new iPerformance range which brings the latest in plug-in hybrid technology to more models. The BMW

leet GreenF Drive ’ Arrive’n will 2017 e latest se th showca ro and ze mission e w o l ultra cles and vehi logy techno

electric vehicles, will be available on the day.

It can travel up to 32.5 miles on electricity and recent Outlander PHEV developments include improved styling and interior refinement. And if it’s the commercial vehicle version that’s of interest, then the Outlander 4Work will also be available to test drive.

In addition, Ford will be bringing along its Ecosport, which has a 1.0 litre three‑cylinder EcoBoost petrol engine, designed to give the same power as a conventional 1.6. The Ecosport also has a shift indicator light to tell the driver when to change gear, to maximise fuel efficiency. And if it’s “muscle” you’re after, then look no further than the Ford Mustang EcoBoost, sure to be another star of the show.

Nissan, this year’s Beat The Sprig Vehicle Partner, will be providing three new Nissan Micras to be used for the Sprig eco-driving competition. In addition to the ever-popular Leaf which has an NEDC range of up to 124 miles (Leaf 24kWh) or 155 miles with the Leaf 30kWh, the Japanese marque will also have the e-NV200 electric van, and low-emission Qashqai there too.

GreenFleet are delighted to welcome Suzuki and their small city car – the Celerio – to the event for the very first time (GreenFleet issue 103). Recognising the issues that diesel engines produce, Suzuki have adopted a “Petrol Works” approach that is perfect for organisations that do not have the budget or recharging infrastructure for electric, but still have city and urban transport needs, and emissions targets to hit. It has advanced efficiency which means it boasts low CO2 emissions, which means low road tax, and has great fuel economy – up to around 78mpg – with its compact 1.0 litre engine.

Exhibitors For those who want to know more about fleet management and associated software, Chevin Fleet Solutions will be setting up stand to discuss with fleet managers how to improve operational efficiency, cut and highlight costs and reduce administration burdens.

Chevin will be able to discuss its software and mobile apps which aim to simplify fleet management from the complete financial and performance overview of vehicles and equipment to policy and supervision of drivers.

Also offering its services on the day is Geotab, the Technology Partner for the Beat The Sprig element. The firm will be using its technology to measure driver performance.

Geotab specialises in telematics and will be able to answer questions on how fleet managers can manage their drivers and vehicles better to become more efficient.

Beat The Sprig GreenFleet is once again holding its eco‑driving competition – Beat The Sprig.

The aim is for those taking part to beat the Sprig’s mpg on a seven-mile open-road route. Participants will drive a pre-mapped out route along with a driver training partner, who will monitor driving habits and make notes on how efficiency can be maximised.

Each vehicle will be fitted with telematics technology, courtesy of Geotab, that can give instant readings such as harsh braking, excessive acceleration, braking and MPG. After this, participants will receive 10 minutes’ tuition from a professional driving instructor and will then be asked to go out again, on the same route, putting in use the new eco-driving skills.

Once the drivers return, a technician will reveal the readings, which will highlight their financial and emissions savings, and also determine who has made it onto the leaderboard.

Last year’s winner achieved 99mpg, which is a 27 per cent improvement on the manufacturer’s official combined MPG figure.

To have a look at the latest ultra-low emission vehicles and for a chance to ‘Beat The Sprig’, register online for free. L

Arrive’n’Drive

i3 will be available for visitors to try out, in addition to its plug-in hybrid 330e saloon, which is capable of driving for up to 25 miles when its battery is fully charged.

New to the fleet sector is the plug-in 530e, which is set to be one of the most popular vehicles there on the day, and it will be joined by the plug-in hybrid X5, the clean 4x4, with premium style.

Other manufacturers lined up to show off their latest models includes Toyota and Lexus, which will have a full selection of hybrid models from its RAV4 to its Prius, which has a fuel economy of up to 94.1 mpg. Also scheduled to be there is the hydrogen‑powered Mirai.

LDV’s EV80 will also be available for delegates to take for a spin, which is now available to order in the UK. It is ideal for city journeys and has a range of 130 miles on a single charge. The high spec includes an advanced pure electric power system and an EPB system. Unveiled at this year’s CV Show, we are delighted to offer the UK fleet sector’s first ever drive of the EG10, the all-electric people carrier, set to revolutionise the “clean movement of people”.

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, which is continuing to lead the market of plug-in hybrid

FURTHER INFORMATION events.greenfleet.net/arrivedrive

Volume 106 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

41

First Drive

FIRST DRIVE

Smart Fortwo Cabriolet Electric Drive

Written by Richard Gooding

While its two-seat layout may appeal less to some, the new Smart Fortwo Cabriolet Electric Drive has other benefits, including an improved range and a more efficient battery. Richard Gooding reports suspension than its petrol counterparts means it handles well, too, and is fun to drive in the eager way only small cars can be, helped by the low centre of gravity with the battery mounted under the seats.

Interior quality is very good, and the car’s standard specification is based on the well-equipped Prime model, which includes heated front seats, cruise control, and 15-inch alloy wheels. Being a two-seater, the boot is obviously small, with some of the space taken up with a bag which houses the pair of domestic socket and fast-charging cables.

Smart Fortwo Electric Drive models were first launched in 2013

The Smart Fortwo Electric Drive’s interior is well-made and features an interesting mix of materials

The Smart Fortwo Electric Drive is available in both fixed-roof ‘coupé’ and open-top cabriolet versions

What range does it have?

Smart quotes an official NEDC driving cycle range of 96 miles for the Fortwo Cabriolet Electric Drive, while our fully-charged test car displayed a range of around 72 miles, which is more representative of real-world conditions. Interestingly, the fixed‑roof Smart Fortwo coupé has a quoted range of 99 miles.

What is it?

The Smart Fortwo is known to city dwellers and urbanites the world over, a good deal of them spotted parked cheekily nose out of a parallel parking space too short for a four-seat car. Named Fortwo for its ability to carry just two passengers, the first all-electric Smart arrived in 2013. Available in both fixed‑roof coupé and open-top Cabriolet versions, this latest model celebrated its world debut at the Paris motor show in September 2016, but has only just gone on sale in the UK. Based on the third-generation Smart Fortwo launched in 2014, here we test the cabriolet version, with an electrically‑powered retractable fabric roof. As well as the cabriolet, the latest Electric Drive powertrain is also available in the fixed-roof ‘coupé’ as well as the larger four-seat Forfour (see panel).

How does it drive?

Field testing of the zero-emission Smart Fortwo began in London in 2007, with 100 units. A second‑generation model followed in 2009, with 2,300 units leased or pooled in 18 markets worldwide. The first mass‑production version was introduced in 2011. The latest 2017 model is both, unsurprisingly, more

42

powerful and has more range than those early cars. With a rear-mounted 60kW (81bhp) electric motor and 17.6kWh lithium-ion battery powering the rear wheels, the Smart Fortwo surges along on its 160Nm (118lb ft) of torque from the off, with Smart quoting a 0-62mph time of 11.8 seconds. Top speed is limited to 80mph to maximise the available electric range.

We tested the Smart Fortwo Cabriolet Electric Drive on Guernsey in the Channel Islands, where electric car sales have risen 50 per cent in the past six months: there are now around 120 EVs silently running around the island, which has a total area of around 25 square miles.

The dinky Smart zipped in and out of junctions, and its 1,663mm width means it is perfect for nipping down the narrow roads which criss-cross the island. With light, super-sharp and quick steering and a 6.95m turning circle, it is especially at home in towns such as St Peter Port. Slightly firmer

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How long does it take to charge?

Charging the Smart Fortwo Cabriolet’s battery from 20 per cent to 100 per cent takes six hours from a domestic socket, while from a 16A wallbox or charger the time drops to around two-and-a‑half hours. All Electric Drive Smarts have a 7kW on-board charger. There’s also radar-based recuperation, whereby kinetic energy is used to charge the high-voltage 17.6kWh lithium-ion battery via recuperation as soon as your foot is lifted from the accelerator pedal. The radar‑based recuperation goes one step further, too, as a sensor monitors the traffic in front of the vehicle and automatically selects the optimum recuperation level for optimised ride comfort and kinetic energy use.

The Smart iolet Cabr as o w t r o F Drive h Electric al 96 miles i an officnge from of ra motor W k 0 6 s it .6kWh and 17tery bat

What does it cost?

The Smart Fortwo Cabriolet Electric Drive is priced from £23,060 ‘on the road’, before the full government Plug-in Car Grant (PiCG) of £4,500 has been deducted, which takes the cost down to £18,650.

The ‘signature’ look of our test car was thanks to an optional £595 ‘Electric Drive’ package which details the ‘Tridion’ safety cell and door mirror caps in an electric green

How much does it cost to tax?

Being an all-electric car, the Smart Fortwo Cabriolet Electric Drive emits zero tailpipe emissions, and so it qualifies for £0 Vehicle Excise Duty, both in the first year of registration and for subsequent periods.

With zero‑emission capability all the time, the electric Smart also qualifies for the lowest rate of company car taxation: Benefit in Kind is just nine per cent.

Why does my fleet need one?

At this end of the electric car market, the Smart faces little competition. Renault’s two-seat Twizy is the Smart’s most direct rival, but it’s more basic in nature, has less range at 61 miles, and doesn’t feel as much of a ‘proper car’ as the Smart does.

Renault’s all‑electric Zoe meanwhile (GreenFleet issue 104), which, in entry-level Expression Nav trim, costs £14,245. This of course excludes the mandatory battery hire, which begins at £49 per month with an annual mileage cap of 4,500 miles for the cheapest ‘R90’ 22kWh version which gives a claimed range of 149 miles. It’s not a totally clear cut equation then, and if you want to buy a Zoe outright with the battery, the ‘Zoe i’ range starts at £19,845.

Obviously, the small Renault is a full four‑seater so is more of a direct rival to Smart’s own Forfour Electric Drive model: the two-seat Smart has less range, less space and is pricier than its French competition.

However, the

Fortwo Electric Drive can nip into gaps in the traffic which the Zoe could only dream of, can be turned on the literal sixpence, and, with the optional ‘Electric Drive’ package as specified here, is a lot more distinctive.

The Fortwo Cabriolet Electric Drive’s fun‑to‑drive nature and cheeky spirit makes it a must for any urban-based electric car shopping list. But, almost as useful out of the urban sprawl as much as it is in it, the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive offers a more enjoyable driving experience than its petrol-powered siblings and at only around £2,000 more, seems relatively good value, too, especially when it comes to company car taxation.

But with two caveats, though: only if you need less practicality than larger cars offer and only if you don’t mind carrying just one friend at any one time. L

First Drive

colour with ‘Electric Drive’ logo on the rear pillar panels. Additionally, body panels and the matching eight-spoke ‘Y’‑design 16-inch alloy wheels can be specified in either a black or white painted finish.

Smart solutions to zero-emissions As well as the Fortwo Cabriolet, Smart’s Electric Drive is now available in all its other models.

The Smart Fortwo Coupé begins the range at £20,920, and features the same all-electric drivetrain and styling as its open‑air sibling. As with the Cabriolet, there is room for two people.

For those who want more space for luggage or people, the Forfour Electric Drive is available for the first time. Priced from £21,415, there’s the same 60kW motor and 17.6kWh lithium-ion battery as the Fortwos, and 99 miles of range.

Thanks to Sean Fuller at Newmotion (www.newmotion.gg) and Gary de Jersey at Jacksons CI Group (www.jacksonsci.com) for their help with this brief drive test.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.uk.smart.com

Smart Fortwo Cabriolet Electric Drive ENGINE: CO2:

60kW electric motor, 17.6kWh lithium-ion battery 0g/km

RANGE:

96 miles

VED:

£0 (first-year and thereafter)

BIK:

9%

PRICE (OTR): £23,060 (inc VAT, not including government PiCG, £23,655 as tested)

Volume 106 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

43

First Drive

FIRST DRIVE

Volkswagen Golf GTE Advance

Written by Richard Gooding

The Golf GTE was the first plug-in hybrid version of Volkswagen’s evergreen family hatchback.

Now there’s an updated version; Richard Gooding finds out what has changed

What is it?

Throughout its 43-year heritage, the Volkswagen Golf is seen as the default choice when it comes to family hatchbacks.

Ubiquitous it may be, but that’s for good reason – understated but classless looks, a high quality finish and refinement afforded to larger cars have long been key Golf strengths. An updated seventh‑generation model with new engines, refreshed technology options and mild styling revisions was launched in November last year and went on UK sale in February.

As before, the refreshed Golf is still available in petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid and all-electric flavours, but when the added technology and styling updates are taken into account, the new car offers more value than the previous model. With the exception of the all-electric e-Golf with a 50 per cent longer range, the Golf GTE is the cleanest version of Volkswagen’s family hatch. Now in two versions, we have the higher‑specification GTE Advance model on test here.

blue highlights differentiate the plug-in Golfs from their relatives: brake calipers, blue ‘GTE’ badges, and a blue grille stripe that bleeds into the LED headlights are the obvious signifiers.

The 18-inch ‘Marseille’ alloy wheels hint at the GTE Advance’s more technological potential and are one inch up on the standard car’s.

‘C’-shaped LED daytime running lights in the GTI-style bumpers carry on where the outgoing car’s left off, and it all looks familiar, there’s a reason for that – with 72,762 Golfs sold in the UK during 2016, Volkswagen is keen to continue the success of its most popular car.

Over 33 million Golfs have been made over the past four decades, so the car is firmly entrenched in car buyers’ minds all over the world.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the updated Golf GTE is that the petrol‑electric powertrain of the new car has been carried over unchanged from its predecessor.

That means a 147bhp turbocharged 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine, a 100bhp electric motor, and an 8.7kWh lithium-ion battery. Combined system output is 201bhp, with torque of

Added y log techno the m e a n s olf GTE dG update etter value, b is now d there’s an h-spec g i h a o als vance GTE Addel mo

How does it drive?

With more convenience and communications/ entertainment features as well as larger 18‑inch wheels, the GTE Advance is the most advanced plug-in hybrid Golf yet. As before,

44

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258lb ft/350Nm. Just as when we first tested the car (GreenFleet issue 87), the 0-62mph sprint takes 7.6 seconds, while the top speed is 138mph (GTI: 6.5 seconds and 155mph).

The performance still gives the GTE an almost GTI-like turn of speed, while the six‑speed DSG semi-automatic gearbox – the only transmission choice – shifts through the gears seamlessly. Hustled along an open road, the GTE feels a little blunted in its responses when compared to the GTI, thanks to its 221kg weight penalty (120kg of that being the lithium-ion battery), but it offers wholly safe, if predictable fun. As befits a sporting car, the ride is on the acceptable side of firm, and the standard sports seats are comfortable with enveloping bolsters which help keep you in place when more is demanded of the petrol-electric Golf through the corners.

As before, the ‘GTE’ button uses both the petrol engine and electric motor for maximum performance, as well as enhancing braking and steering responses. A press of the ‘E’ mode button sees the car glide into all-electric mode, which can be used up to speeds of 81mph, and for a quoted distance of 31 miles.

Other modes from the previous model remain,

The all-electric e-Golf has received the same visual and interior updates as the rest of the range, but, has also enjoyed a significant 50 per cent boost in range.

The updated version of Volkswagen’s battery electric Golf now boasts an official range of 186 miles on the NEDC cycle (around 124 miles in the ‘real‑world’, depending on driving style, charge level and ambient conditions), thanks to a larger-capacity 35.8kWh lithium-ion battery. Prices for the updated e-Golf start at £27,690 including the government’s PiCG.

Commercial Vehicle News First Drive

Driving range of e-Golf increased

Digital ‘Active Info Display’ instruments are standard on updated Golf GTE

Updated Golf GTE gets an 8.0-inch colour touchscreen as standard: an upgraded 9.2-inch system with gesture control is a £1,325 option

too: ‘Battery Hold’ maintains a battery charge, topping it up by intermittently using the petrol engine, while ‘Battery Charge’ will fully replenish the lithium-ion battery by way of the TSI unit, but this comes at a fuel consumption cost. ‘Hybrid Auto’ meanwhile is the default setting and lets the car judge which means of propulsion suits the current driving situation.

The biggest changes to the Golf GTE are to be found inside. All ‘Performance Golfs’ get Volkswagen’s crisply clear ‘Active Info Display’ digital instrument display ahead of the driver. A massive 12.3 inches in size, the TFT high‑resolution screen has a range of customisable menus and information, and is a welcome boost to the GTE’s kit list. As standard, the GTE Advance comes with the 8.0-inch full colour ‘Discover Navigation’ touchscreen infotainment system, but our test car featured the impressive £1,325 9.2‑inch ‘Discover Navigation Pro’ system, with gesture control and pinch and zoom capabilities.

Like the zero-emission e-Golf, the GTE features an e-manager which allows for preset vehicle charging and interior

Volkswagen Golf GTE Advance ENGINE:

1,395cc, 147bhp four-cylinder petrol engine, 75kW AC electric motor and 8.7kWh lithium-ion battery

CO2 /NOx:

40g/km / 17mg/km

MPG (combined): VED:

156.9

£0 (first-year), £130 thereafter

BIK: PRICE (OTR):

9% £29,635 (including VAT and government PiCG, £35,675 as tested)

pre‑conditioning. Controlled through Volkswagen’s ‘Car-Net’ e-remote smartphone app, a three-year subscription is included with both GTE and GTE Advance models.

What range does it have?

While it can’t hold a candle to the new longer‑range e-Golf (see panel), the Golf GTE has an electric range of 31 miles on the NEDC driving cycle. When both petrol and electric power sources are in use, Volkswagen quotes a total driving range of 580 miles.

How long does it take to charge?

Charging the Golf GTE’s battery takes three hours and 45 minutes from a domestic power supply, or two hours and 15 minutes from a wallbox. Both 16A AC (for wallboxes and charge points) and 10A (domestic supply) charging cables are included.

How economical is it?

Volkswagen quotes a combined cycle 156.9mpg for the Golf GTE Advance. Costings will have to be considered if the GTE’s dual-running ability is likely to be used rarely, though: a diesel or petrol car may offer a better solution.

What does it cost?

Just as with its Passat sibling, the updated Golf GTE comes in two trim levels: the entry-level GTE and the plusher and more technologically‑focused GTE Advance.

With the government’s current Plug-in Car Grant (PiCG) of £2,500 deducted, the plug-in hybrid Golf range starts at £28,135 for the GTE, rising to £29,635 for the GTE Advance on test here.

How much does it cost to tax?

With emissions of just 40g/km and zero‑emission capability when in electric mode, the Volkswagen Golf GTE Advance falls into the lowest VED band group of £0 for

the first year. As a note, while both Golf GTE models have the same powertrain, the smaller 17-inch wheels on the standard model mean emissions fall to 38g/km. When it comes to company car taxation, the plug-in Golf attracts a Benefit in Kind rating of nine per cent.

Why does my fleet need one?

Gentle finessing of Volkswagen’s most popular model has resulted in a car which is more accomplished, more advanced technologically, and better value than before. With petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric powertrain options, Golf choice is still wide, and the classless German car’s appeal should be equally broadened. The latest revisions enhance what was already a class-leading package, and the GTE model is a nicely-balanced compromise between performance and economy.

With significantly reduced prices – the new car is around £3,500 less than the outgoing pre-update model – the Golf GTE has now been embraced as a fully paid-up member of the ‘Performance Golf’ family, and offers a genuine high-class plug-in hybrid alternative.

While its performance is still a little short of the scintillating pace wrought from its more traditionally-fuelled brothers, it commands something they don’t – an eco conscience.

On the pace when you want it to be and a silent-running but still swift car when you’re not, its dual personality is, unsurprisingly, the updated Golf GTE’s most revered quality.

Low company car taxation costs and an eight-year/99,360-mile battery warranty just add more weight to the equation that is the buying conundrum. On this outing, and for all the reasons mentioned, if you desire a more spritely plug-in model, it shouldn’t be a difficult sum to solve. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.volkswagen.co.uk

Volume 106 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

45

Product Finder

ALTERNATVE FUELS

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Operating 7,500 vans at peak times and working with the key manufacturers, Europcar’s UK network ensures access to specialist vehicles as well as the full range of standard commercial vehicles which can be delivered anywhere within 4 hours. The vans have an average age of 15 months offering the latest technology and delivering fuel efficiency.

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