GreenFleet 113: Public Sector Focus Supplement

PUBLIC SECTOR FOCUS Local authority measures to improve air quality and green their fleets 43 ClientEarth on air quality measures While we wait for the government to finalise its air quality plans, there are a number of encouraging examples of leadership coming from public sector organisations around the country

48 An electric & hydrogen fleet for Streets Ahead Sheffield City Council and Amey’s highways maintenance project, Streets Ahead, has a growing alternatively‑fuelled fleet, including hydrogen vans and electric vehicles. GreenFleet finds out more

51 Dundee City Council’s drive to go electric Dundee has been described as leading the way with its electrical vehicle infrastructure and uptake, making it one of the most EV‑friendly places in the UK. Rebecca Wallace explains why

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Sponsor’s Message Advertisement Feature

Daimler Fleet Management is proud to sponsor GreenFleet’s Supplement Daimler Fleet Management (DFM) understands that public sector fleet managers are expected to achieve a multi-tasking masterpiece – reducing costs whilst simultaneously improving efficiencies at the same time. This alone is an unenviable task but factor in the expectation of these deliverables whilst also meeting a duty of care and obligation to employee safety, and satisfaction and we have a very challenging scenario The good news is that you don’t have to tackle the task alone. DFM are an experienced provider of fleet management solutions to the public sector and we are here to help steer your fleet in the right direction.

You can get a quote from us on a number of the main public sector frameworks but putting aside pricing and vehicle choice for the moment, the first and most important component in the DFM process is you and your drivers.

You know your business inside out, so we include you in our search for a solution from day one.

Our opening question won’t be about budgets or balance sheets (we’ll get to that later). We start in a different place – what are your objectives and how can we help you achieve them? Our job is to work with you to find the best solution that will enable you to succeed.

start with a blank sheet of paper and you.

A low price point from a portal may be compelling but we want to offer you a more sustainable solution.

Once we understand your mobility aspirations we will use the most current methodology from Deloitte to analyse your fleet profile and business needs. From this ‘whole life cost’ exercise you will be provided with a detailed analysis, identifying recommendations and suitable vehicle selections based around your specific needs.

Talk to us about running a ‘whole life cost’ analysis for your business or complete the sixty second challenge. L FURTHER INFORMATION E: dfm-uk@daimler.com T: 01908 697442 www.daimlersixty.co.uk

A history of delivering success Through our parent company Daimler, DFM has a heritage that spans all the way back to the invention of the world’s first automobile in 1886. DFM are in pole-position when it comes to accessing enhancements in the fields of mobility; whether that be from the newest vehicle technology or the latest in automotive analytics.

What’s more, through the acquisition of the European mobility powerhouse Athlon in 2016, DFM now has access to a wealth of tried and tested mobility products proving a success across Europe such as corporate car sharing, pre-paid mobility cards and many more bespoke solutions.

DFM continue to thrive in the areas of rental, leasing, and fleet management whilst keeping a keen eye on future opportunities; from robo-cars to ride-hailing, or car‑sharing to autonomous chauffeurs.

What does the most cost‑effective and efficient way to deliver success look like?

It may sound like a cliché but there is no one-size-fits all solution, which is why we

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Patricia Wolfe Head of Daimler Fleet Management UK Patricia Wolfe has worked for Mercedes‑Benz Financial Services for 22 years. She has been responsible for a number of large strategic programmes including new project launches, infrastructure and IT installations and international alignment projects across Daimler passenger car and commercial vehicle brands. In 2013 Patricia joined Daimler Fleet Management to cultivate their multi-marque contract hire and leasing business in the UK.

Stepping up to improve air quality The fight for clean air in 2018 has been pretty remarkable so far. ClientEarth has led the fight for tough action on air quality for almost ten years, defending people’s right to breathe clean air in the UK and in major cities across Europe – and things are beginning to change.

The UK is under the cosh on air pollution not just from the High Court, but from the EU Environment Commissioner – who will announce in April whether the Commission will be taking the UK to court for consistently ignoring EU rules on air pollution. This could lead to hefty fines, and the UK government has already warned local authorities that they could face fines too if they are seen not to have taken sufficient action to tackle illegal and harmful air pollution in their areas.

Air quality catastrophe Every month, reports of new vehicle sales confirm that demand for diesel is only going one way. For car companies this means facing up to the challenge of reorienting manufacturing towards non-polluting vehicles. Meanwhile, after years of inaction, pressure on the government to take stronger action is mounting. Last month saw the release of the findings of an unprecedented joint ‘super inquiry’ by MPs representing all major parties. The report concluded that there has been a serious lack of leadership

from the government. It made several strong recommendations to address the national “air quality catastrophe”, echoing many of those called for by ClientEarth.

The report asks for a faster and more effective approach to implementing Clean Air Zones (CAZs) including mandating them where needed. It also points out that CAZs should be developed as part of a national framework, so businesses know that new vehicles they buy will be able to enter cities across the country.

The report also sets out a vision for a new Clean Air Act. This would be a welcome update to the landmark 1956 legislation, taking into account the modern day sources of pollution, including transport emissions.

The report agrees with ClientEarth that this new Act should ‘enshrine in law people’s right to breathe clean air’.

It also calls for a targeted scrappage scheme to help small businesses and those on low incomes move to cleaner forms of transport.

Third clean air court victory February saw the culmination of ClientEarth’s third successful case against the UK government over illegal and harmful air pollution. The judge’s ruling puts more pressure on government to take long overdue action to sort out the illegal levels of NO2 across the UK. In response to the court orders from our cases, the UK government is requiring 61 English local authorities to come up with plans that lay out how they will tackle air pollution in their areas. The Mayor of London and the Scottish and Welsh governments are also obliged to take action.

Final plans must aim to achieve compliance as soon as possible; choose a route to compliance which reduces human exposure as quickly as possible; and ensure that compliance with limit values is not just possible but likely.

In other words, when selecting measures to tackle air quality, the determining factor must be their effectiveness, not their cost, and the measures taken must meet the legal limits in the shortest time possible.

To avoid further delay in protecting people’s health, the judge also made an ‘exceptional’ ruling allowing ClientEarth to take the case straight back to court if the UK government’s supplement to its Air Quality Plan does not comply with the High Court order.

While we wait for these plans to E

Written by Dominic Phinn, ClientEarth

While we wait for the government to finalise its air quality plans, there are a number of encouraging examples of public sector organisations tackling air pollution in their areas.

ClientEarth’s Dominic Phinn shares some examples

The UK government’s response to a consultation on this was published in March.

Unfortunately, it contained little more than a list of possible measures, with no detail of how they could be implemented. Crucially, the government missed its chance to propose a fair scrappage scheme. It seems the buck is being passed once again to local councils.

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 be drawn up, there are a number of encouraging examples of leadership coming from businesses and the public sector around the country.

The City of London Corporation Of all the local authorities, the City of London Corporation has some of the worst air pollution in the country – down to its location at the heart of London and the density of the buildings and traffic that surround it. Tackling the issue is a key priority and through an informed strategic approach, it has implemented a number of effective measures intended to bring pollution down.

Central to the City of London’s approach is effective engagement with businesses and residents. As one of London’s five Low Emission Neighbourhoods (LEN), it runs air pollution awareness events and works directly with businesses to tackle emissions from deliveries and freight. A rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure for residents is in the pipeline, along with restricted access of polluting vehicles to some of its most polluted streets, and the introduction of green taxi ranks.

Committed to protecting the health of people living and working in the City of London and with strict restrictions on polluting vehicles on the horizon with the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), it has also taken strong steps to transform its own fleet. In 2016, the authority implemented a Corporation-wide ‘no diesel’ policy. For every new vehicle purchased the City Corporation does a business case study to make sure they choose the best-suited vehicle for the job.

Oversight extends beyond their own fleet: any new contractor the city brings on board must have a fleet that meets FORS Grade Silver Requirements and complies with the CLOCS Standard for Construction Logistics.

Oxford City Council Last year, Oxford City Council called the government out on what it considered

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over-optimistic modelling of its air quality problem. The city’s own air quality monitoring showed air pollution to be above legal limits in several streets in central Oxford.

Based on this local data, the city council – in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council – proposed the world’s first Zero Emission Zone in Oxford city centre. They also installed vehicle charging points in residential streets using £800,000 of funding from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV).

Yorkshire Ambulance Service Yorkshire Ambulance Service Trust currently operates a fleet that travels over 50 million kilometres per year. The service has set itself the ambition of reducing emissions as much as possible over the next few years. Their latest commitment is adopting hydrogen-electric vehicles as part of their support services. The service is also working with low-emission vehicle company ULEMCo to build a prototype hydrogen-electric ambulance, which will have zero emissions at tailpipe. This is the latest in many projects that the service has taken on to reduce pollution, including installing solar panels on more than 100 ambulances to keep their batteries charged.

UPS We know polluting vehicles are likely to have restricted access to many urban areas and so reducing emissions is now a central priority for all organisations with large fleets. One of the biggest challenges when considering the shift to electric is providing on-site charging capability that will support significant take-up of electric vehicles.

March saw the launch of a groundbreaking project from UPS: it now has the charging capacity to switch its entire central London delivery fleet to run on electricity. Of the 170 vehicles, 52 are already EVs and UPS will transition the remainder from diesel to electric over the next few years.

The charging system, delivered together with UK Power Networks and Cross River

Partnership, and with financial support from the OLEV, uses a smart grid and on-site battery storage to provide an “intelligent approach” to vehicle charging. It is spread through the night so that electricity use in the building from lighting, machinery and IT is unaffected but a conventional expensive supply upgrade is not needed.

UPS is showing that a scaled-up approach to electric fleets is possible, paving the way for other organisations to transition away from diesel commercial vehicles.

What’s next?

It is encouraging to see leadership coming from the private sector and local authorities.

However, the air quality problem can only be solved with strong national leadership and funding. ClientEarth is committed to ensuring that the UK government delivers on its duty to meet legal limits of air pollution in the shortest time possible – ideally going beyond this to ensure the best outcome for people’s health.

We continue to urge the government to provide more financial support, with contributions from carmakers to help progressive businesses switch to cleaner vehicles. We want to see further reforms to Vehicle Excise Duty and company car tax to incentivise take up of cleaner vehicles.

Meanwhile, Clean Air Zones will soon be in place across the country. They of course need to take into account local conditions but have to be developed within a national framework so businesses know that the fleet they invest in will be able to enter cities across the country.

If you work for a local authority and want to share your insights about what you need to tackle illegal and dangerous air pollution in your areas then do get in touch at: dphinn@clientearth.org. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.clientearth.org

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Robert Mills from Daimler Fleet Management explores the pros and cons of Electric vehicles and the benefits of evaluating the whole life costs of alternative fleet solutions

EV Incentives: The government funded Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) is a voucher-based scheme that gives eligible businesses support towards the up-front costs of electric vehicle charge‑points (application forms can be found on gov.uk).

Businesses can apply for £300 support for each socket up to a maximum of 20 across all sites. When you consider that each new unit will cost anywhere between £2,000 – £5,000 to purchase and install (with rapid chargers costing significantly more) it is definitely worth undertaking a full cost analysis to understand your businesses position before you make the switch.

Written by Robert Mills, Daimler Fleet Management

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quodi ut molorem nospoints eumque The age ofblaborum consumer empowerment is uponaut ationse These charge howeverlaboribus often come us. in retail, dolo leisure and as at a premium far greater than the cost etTrends quoditiat quitechnology, de volecab orerisqui nitibusdae nullacianti well as legislation such as GDPR have placed mentioned above and require membership rest, sitiatis ut idem quodi consequat facimagnime pernatemquae more power and influence into the hands or subscription into a card scheme or mobile nimus earibus, tembefore. ipsaest es tonet of the consumer than ever But it’smoluptatium app in order gainet access. Whether being not just retail and leisure where the balance charged at the workplace, at home or on xoxoxoxo has shifted. Corporate social responsibility the road, electricity is not ‘free fuel’. and company culture has become a huge There are however a number of ‘free to determining for potential employees, charge’ charge points cropping up across FURTHER factor INFORMATION with a greater focus on corporate ethics and the country, usually found attached to hotel xxx responsibility. Offering employees the social chains, supermarkets or retailers. A ‘free’ choice of an electric vehicle is fast becoming charge can be earned by submitting your a big tick in the box for attracting top talent. personal data and registering with the brand.

Furthermore it isn’t purely the perception You could consider the electricity to be paid of your business where an electric fleet can for by spam mail (not tax deductible). add value. A game of buzz-word-bingo is fast When planning on using public charge points concluded by a weekly flick through the media it’s important to remember that charging – searching out stories on emissions, diesel, a vehicle has more than solely a monetary or the future of the auto-mobile, leading fee but also a transaction measured in time more organisations to look towards electric and opportunity also; for however long vehicles... but is EV right for your business? your vehicle is off the road, it isn’t keeping your business moving. This is potentially Fuel Cost Vs Opportunity Cost: an argument for choosing a more premium Undoubtedly the cost of fuelling an electric brand of electric vehicle. In doing so gaining vehicle is far more economical compared to access to ‘super chargers’ able to recharge traditional diesel or petrol. The average cost your vehicle at a fraction of the time a per mile for a Nissan Leaf 40kWh is as low standard charger would. It’ll even send a as 2.4p compared to the average petrol or message to your phone when your vehicle diesel car which costs around 12p per mile*. is ready. What’s more: these charging bays It does however take over 13 hours to fully are often in prime position in the car park. charge, a significant amount of time for a vehicle to be off the road unless appropriate Charging up to avoid charges in: overnight charging facilities were available.

The Mayor of London announced on 6 November 2017 that, in addition to the EV on the go: existing congestion charge, the proposed Ultra The main perceived barrier to EV is the Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will operate from convenience of charge points, but believe it 8 April 2019 in central London replacing the or not the UK actually has one of the largest T-Charge introduced October 2017. With daily charging networks in Europe with over charges of over £12 per day for non‑compliant 13,000 charge points publically available. cars and vans and fines of £130 for

If you build it, they will come: Nearly 70% of company car drivers** said that they would choose an electric vehicle if given the choice. With the savings available in Benefit in Kind Tax, this isn’t a surprising statistic. But how many of those questioned would actually be able to charge their vehicle at home? We don’t yet have widespread government issued charging points in residential areas and it’s simply not possible for many of us to drape a charging cable across a pavement or lawn to recharge our cars at home. This leaves employers obligated to offer a charging solution in order to make EV viable for their business. Even if your office and parking facilities lend themselves to the installation of charging bays it can still be an expensive endeavour with not insignificant investment required in the ground works and installation. The alternative being more time spent at service stations, which can work out costly and time consuming.

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non‑payment of charges, businesses using the ULEZ zones can mitigate against these costs by investing in electric or hybrid vehicles.

Help is at hand: At Daimler Fleet Management we understand that choosing the right vehicles for your fleet is a big decision and not one you would enter into without all of the facts.

That’s why the process doesn’t start with a sales call; it starts with a consultation.

DFM want to understand your business and help you comprehend the whole life costs of any potential solution; be that EV, hybrid or traditional fuel type vehicles.

If you want to know how EV could work for your business, DFM can work with you to propose viable options for your fleet or employee choice list - get in touch and challenge DFM to find the right solution for your business today.

Talk to us about running a ‘whole life cost’ analysis for your business.L

* Costs based on an average of the HM Revenue & Customs Advisory Fuel Rates from 1 September 2017 ** Source: HMRC, Go Ultra Low calculations FURTHER INFORMATION E: dfm-uk@daimler.com T: 01908 697442 W: www.daimler-fleetmanagement.co.uk

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A growing eco-fleet for Streets Ahead Sheffield City Council’s highways maintenance project, Streets Ahead, has a growing alternatively‑fuelled fleet, including hydrogen vans and electric vehicles. GreenFleet chats to Thomas Cullingford, environment manager at Amey, the firm delivering the contract What is Streets Ahead and what makes up its fleet?

Sheffield’s Streets Ahead project began in 2012 and is a city-wide 25 year highways maintenance contract between Amey and Sheffield City Council that is bringing the city’s roads, pavements, streetlights and streetscene up to standard.

The first five years of the contract saw a huge drive to radically upgrade the city’s infrastructure. The Sheffield team have successfully resurfaced 1,475 miles of footways (approximately 70 per cent); resurfaced 727 miles of highways (approximately 65 per cent),

and made improvements to 1,314 bridges and other highways structures. The project has also installed 65, 435 LED street lights, removed and replanted 4,870 trees, and replaced 3,208 gullies Every day for the past five years, more than a mile of footway and over half a mile road was being resurfaced. We have completed a huge amount of work, which has had a significant and positive impact on Sheffield residents through improved roads, pavements, structures and street lighting.

This major project is contributing to the wider regeneration of the city and is a major investment in Sheffield’s future.

We require a significant fleet of vehicles to

We o have twd two an electric n vehicles e hydrog e increasing lb but wil eet stock of our fl vehicles to electric April this 16 in ar ye

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support the delivery of the contract.

We have over 180 vehicles including 100 large vehicles (7.5 ton to 26 ton) and 80 small vehicles (cars/vans).

All the small vehicle fleet is due to be replaced this summer. The new small vehicle fleet has updated and improved performance technology, plus due to our positive experience of electric vehicles we are expanding our fleet from two to 16 vehicles.

What led to the decision to buy alternatively‑fuelled vans?

Amey is committed to sustainability, the environment and innovation. The environmental and transport managers in Sheffield heard about the development of new hydrogen alternatively-fuelled vehicles and investigated to see whether this was a feasible Thomas Cullingford (left), Amey’s environment manager and Stephen Tindall, national accounts manager, Arcola Energy next to one of the new Streets Ahead vehicles powered by Hydrogen

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option to support the work in Sheffield. A business case was developed and with Amey management support, the decision was made to embrace this new technology. Working in partnership with Arcola Energy and Hitachi leasing we are participating in a Department of Transport trial to assess the efficacy of this environmentally friendly solution.

How will the hydrogen vans be used?

Our Highways Inspection team are using the vehicles daily, mainly within the Sheffield boundaries, and we have fitted additional equipment to enable us to measure the highway accurately. The vehicles are refuelled at the ITM Power facility which is based on the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre on the edge of Sheffield.

What needs to be improved to make hydrogen a viable fuel?

The general availability of fuel needs to be improved and continued commitment by the government to the technology. Unfortunately, the early support provided by the government to these projects is being removed. The impact of this will probably mean that there will be a reluctance to invest in developing vehicles or the infrastructure due to costs associated with it. We have worked closely with Arcola Energy to overcome teething problems and provide feedback on the vehicles.

How many electric vehicles do you operate and how are they used?

We currently operate two full electric vehicles and two Hydrogen cell/electric vehicles but are committed to increasing our fleet stock of electric vehicles to 16 when the new generation is released In April 2018.

Our electric vehicles are charged on site (Olive Grove Depot). Our overnight mains charging is giving us good

To date we anticipate approx £1,500 saving per year per vehicle for lease, fuel and road tax (although lease costs are subject to change) and 2,753kg CO2 per annum per vehicle returns due to an excellent rate per unit direct from basic three pin supply.

acceleration and braking and Sheffield is scoring very well nationally within Amey.

How have the drivers taken to alternatively-fuelled vehicles?

The drivers are extremely positive about them.

We did have concerns about the range the vehicles would have but they are fulfilling our operational needs and purpose. The new generation will deliver higher miles per charge and this will fit well into our local service.

What are your future plans for greening the rest of the fleet?

We are replacing our small vehicle fleet in the next few months and we are investing in an additional 14 electric vans. We are looking at the commercial market for our larger vehicles and will investigate this further next year as our current fleet comes to the end of its lease. Early indications are liquid petroleum and compressed gases may be the way forward but electric is catching up due to more investment by personal users and companies like Amey.

How much are you saving in emissions and costs?

We predicted to save a third in fuel costs.

This has been tested over six months with positive results – to date we anticipate approx £1,500 saving per year per vehicle for lease, fuel and road tax (although lease costs are subject to change) and 2,753kg CO2 per annum per vehicle.

Other benefits we are seeing from our electric vehicles include cheaper fuel costs, less noise, and easier maintenance.

Are you greening your operations in any other ways?

All drivers are assessed by in house ROSPA trainers before driving and all vehicles are fitted with telematics that assesses and identifies improvement opportunities for drivers. Driver behaviours are challenged around idling, speeding, harsh

What advice would you give to other fleets looking to buy alternatively-fuelled vehicles?

Go for it. It’s cheaper (electricity), and more environmentally friendly. Make sure you have charging points installed first and your daily usage is within the daily range of the vehicle. But take advice, look at the options available and embrace the technology – which is improving and will carry on improving. Stay curious, keep looking at the alternative technologies and try them. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.sheffield.gov.uk/streetsahead

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Advertisement Feature

Jaama’s multi award-winning Key2 system now managing more than 1.2m vehicles More than 1.2 million vehicle assets are now managed via Jaama’s multi award-winning Key2 asset management system

Record number of Key2 vehicle management systems The 1.2 million mark has been broken after Jaama reported that it had sold a record number of Key2 vehicle management systems to fleets, contract hire and leasing companies and rental specialists in 2017, up 84.5 per cent on 2016.

What’s more, the company, which is moving into its 14th year as the provider of the UK’s most sophisticated and requested vehicle and driver management software system, is further expanding with a move into new offices scheduled in 2018.

Jaama, which now employs almost 100 people and saw headcount increase by 34 people last year, will be moving into premises around three times the size of its current offices, which it moved into five years ago.

Jaama’s software development team which makes up half of their workforce has already relocated into the new offices, which are on the same Tamworth business park on which the company has been located for the past decade having previously expanded twice into larger premises.

Vanguard of asset management solutions Jaama’s policy of continually investing in its Key2 software to ensure that it remains in the vanguard of asset management solutions available to public and private sector fleets, contract hire and leasing companies and

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daily rental businesses has been critical in driving the volume of customers using the system to unprecedented levels.

During 2017, Key2 systems sold have been to a wide cross-section of organisations operating in numerous business sectors including local authorities, construction, facilities management and utilities, distribution, recruitment, healthcare, manufacturing, vehicle leasing and fleet management.

With a strategy of ensuring customers have access to the latest version of the system, major costly upgrades are removed. Key2 is constantly evolving and is increasingly adopted by public and private sector companies. This is because it is a complete, all in one solution, managing your vehicles, drivers, financials and workshop. It provides the essential management information required to make strategic business decisions and allows easy access for your engineers to complete maintenance work and inspections via our Workshop Touchscreen module. What’s more, Key2 has its own powerful yet easy to use report-writing tool and scheduler, providing you with complete control of your business reports. The system has its own fully integrated accounts package and there are no future costly upgrade fees – you will always be on the latest software system. Finally, Key2 is web-based so we can host your application, meaning that you don’t need to carry any expensive infrastructure overheads for servers as you can access the software via the web.

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

The most recommended fleet management solutions provider Managing director Martin Evans said: “Many customers won in 2017 operate major fleets running, in some cases, several thousand vehicles, which means that implementation of Key2 is a major project.

As a result, a number of fleets will be going live with Key2 in the first half of 2018.

“The UK fleet market is the most mature and forward thinking in the world and Jaama is not only the leading supplier in the sector, but is also the most recommended fleet management software solutions provider in the country. Jaama will remain fully focused on serving fleets in its core UK and Ireland markets as well as its increasing global presence which alone saw a turnover increase of 5.5 per cent in 2017.

“UK organisations collectively operating more than 1,200,000 vehicles now rely on Key2 and they recognise its class-leading functionality enables them to deliver a wealth of benefits that drives fleet operating efficiency, management and control.”

During 2018, Key2 functionality continues to evolve with changes being made to ensure that users remain compliant with the May 25 introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation. In order to comply with the new data protection regulations, Key2 now includes the ability for operators to obfuscate data (that is no longer needed) from the system. Developments will also be made in tandem with the continuing digitalisation of government vehicle and driver-related services including the Earned Recognition Scheme. Additionally, new features will continue to be added to Jaama’s ‘My Vehicle App’, a genuine fleet industry game-changer delivering benefits to fleet managers thanks to ‘auto-triggering’ of Key2 as data/information is uploaded by drivers, as well as simplifying tasks for drivers.

Switching software supplier or procuring a new system has never been easier. For further information on why we are the industry’s benchmark for quality and innovation and we are recognised as the most advanced software supplier in the market, and to arrange a demonstration of our software, please contact us today on the details below. L FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0844 8484 333 (option 2) www.jaama.co.uk

Dundee’s drive towards a greener fleet future In 2006, due to the decreasing quality of clean air, the whole of Dundee City was regarded as an Air Quality Management Area. In 2011 an Air Quality Action Plan was launched and the council installed four 7kwh chargers to power the new fleet of four fully electric vehicles after discovering that road traffic is one of the main sources of pollution that directly affects the health and quality of life for those in the city.

Nobody could have anticipated the success of the vehicles. Despite the range at the time covering a maximum of 80 miles, it was quickly realised this was not necessarily as much of an issue as it had previously been made out to be. The short distance between locations in the city and surrounding towns meant staff had a relatively low daily mileage, which was well within the capable range of the cars. The

vehicles had ample time to fully recharge overnight, even on the slowest of charge.

Over the years, the progress of the vehicles and charging technology have impacted decisions for renewing vehicles on the council fleet, which now consists of 87 electric vehicles – making up one quarter of the small‑medium sized vehicles. They allow staff to travel between workplaces (also reducing grey fleet emissions), to carry out other types of work in small vans and maintenance vehicles. As a result, Dundee City has been awarded 4 ECO star rating.

An incentive to charge The number of chargers the council has installed has also grown rapidly over the years.

56 chargers can charge 118 electric vehicles at any time – many of which are available to the public. All within 20 square miles, this is one of the most concentrated network of chargers in the UK. This does not include privately‑owned chargers, which brings the total to over 75 chargers in the area the council are aware of. Tesla has also installed eight of their own superchargers at the DoubleTree Hilton hotel. Charging from all Dundee City Council chargers has been free from the point of installation up to April 2018 to help reduce running costs further. This will help achieve the lower whole‑life costs of an EV sooner compared to a petrol or diesel – fuelled vehicle.

An incentive to help reduce emissions in the busiest parts of the city was to provide free parking in Dundee City Council E

Written by Rebecca Wallace, Drive Dundee Electric

Dundee has been described as leading the way with its electrical vehicle infrastructure and uptake, making it one of the most EV‑friendly places in the UK. Rebecca Wallace, part of Dundee City Council’s ‘Drive Dundee Electric’ Campaign, explains why

It is essential to note that the charging infrastructure and fleet of zero-emission vehicles wouldn’t have been possible without the £3 million which has been invested in the city with funding from Westminster’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles and the Scottish Government’s Transport Scotland.

With this help, Dundee City Council is now discovering the significant reductions in emissions and costs these vehicles bring, with over 1,000 tons less CO2 in the air, a 35 per cent reduction in maintenance costs and an instant saving of minimum 7p per mile.

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Fleet management firm Fleet Evolution explains how salary sacrifice car schemes help employees go green Salary sacrifice car schemes promote the uptake of environmentally-friendly Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (ULEVs) and are one of the real benefits of implementing a well-constructed car benefit scheme for both employers and employees.

So says Tamworth-based, car benefits and fleet management specialist Fleet Evolution, which has seen the average carbon dioxide emissions of new cars supplied under its schemes in the last 12 months fall to an all-time low of just 78g/km.

This is great news for employees who have elected to have new cars under the schemes and pay Benefit-in-Kind taxation based on the CO2 emissions of their cars, as it means their tax bills are kept as low as possible.

For example, in the current 2017/18 tax year, drivers of petrol engined cars pay tax on just 19 per cent of the PIID value of their cars, while those who opt for diesel cars pay a little more, at 23 per cent, due to the government’s newly introduced surcharge of four per cent on all diesel cars.

Either way, it makes a car provided under a Fleet Evolution salary sacrifice scheme one of the most tax-effective means of transport around – and that’s before the multitude of other scheme

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benefits are taken into account.

These include all servicing, maintenance and repair, road fund licence, fully comprehensive insurance, corporate discounts, no credit checks, upfront payments or deposit – all of which combine to provide employees with an attractive, cost and time effective way to access a new car.

Over the last 12 months, Fleet Evolution has seen a 43 per cent fall in the carbon dioxide emissions of cars supplied under its salary sacrifice schemes compared to the cars that employees were driving before they opted to join the schemes.

Not only that, but their new cars are far more fuel efficient helping keep employees’ fuel bills down into the bargain, as well as aiding the environment.

Andrew Leech, managing director

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of Fleet Evolution, said: “Car salary sacrifice schemes remain an extremely valuable benefit to employees due to their convenience, ease of use, absence of credit checks or upfront payments and value for money. They also genuinely promote the uptake of less polluting, more environmentally-friendly cars.

“For employers, a car salary sacrifice scheme shows that they are investing in their employees. Satisfied employees are key to a successful business and a salary sacrifice car scheme is one way the employer can contribute towards employee satisfaction and financial wellbeing.”

FURTHER INFORMATION www.fleetevolution.com

 car parks for pure electric vehicles. This has been a huge success with over 350 vehicles signing up. Car parks with ANPR barrier systems recognise the vehicle and will allow a vehicle to enter car parks automatically.

With potential savings of over £900 per year, some locals have bought an EV solely for this purpose. Even the smallest saving in parking costs is enough to incentivise travel into the centre by means of a zero‑emission vehicle.

The decision to make free parking exclusive to fully electric vehicles has been controversial – especially among hybrid owners.

The council found it difficult to offer the same rewards and benefits to vehicles that have a potential to be running on a petrol or diesel engine compared to those who take the plunge and run around emissionfree all the time. There is no way to regulate or police the electricity use in hybrids as some can only do 30 miles in electric before their fuel elements kicks in and heavily pollutes. This defeats the purpose of offering free parking to ensure a reduction of emissions in the city. However, any plug-in vehicle doesn’t have to pay for parking if they are charging at an on-street charger.

Drive Dundee Electric In 2017, the council launched the campaign ‘Drive Dundee Electric’ to highlight and support EV uptake. As well as Dundee, the campaign reaches out into the neighbouring locale as there are many people who travel into the city from surrounding areas, which can easily be travelled by an EV. The campaign focused on highlighting the positive aspects of EV ownership, the local incentives and busting myths, misconceptions and anxieties that may prevent the uptake of an EV. Education around charging is essential in the campaign as it might not be initially easy for someone alien to the technology. Highlighting charge points in our area, giving demonstrations and giving people a chance to be in an EV are strategies designed to help people get familiar with the technology and normalise the idea that people are to refill before their journey

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rather than during it (unless travelling long distances). As people can be quick to analyse the drawbacks, promoting the short term benefits is more effective than the long‑term benefits and targeting the rising fuel prices, parking costs, high taxes and interest on loans as losses will help highlight the benefits and gains of EV ownership.

Communication between the campaign and car franchises to help boost EV sales and highlight local incentives at a car purchase is essential for aiding the growth of EV sales amongst the public. Drive Dundee Electric have been present at events that include fun experiences such as the local Flower and Food Festival, Green Fleet Dundee, Cenex LCV and have also hosted a festive EV parade. This can help raise awareness around EVs in a unique or fun way which can not only be more appealing but more effective over attempting to educate an individual with statistics.

With all the EV success it is of no surprise that Dundee City has seen an 18 per cent increase in electric taxis operating in the city from September 2017 – November 2017.

The number of electric taxis operating in Dundee is now 10 per cent of the overall figure. With the rapid charging hubs to be complete in a matter of months we hope to see this figure grow even more. The close engagement the council has had with the taxi industry in the city has helped the uptake considerably. It was recently revealed by statistics from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) that the sales of pure EVs almost doubled in Dundee in 2017 compared with the year before.

Driving forward Future plans for Dundee include continuing to develop the rapid charging infrastructure.

Along with the three new rapid charging hubs, further individual rapids are to be installed at taxi hotspots. The council have also been looking into the possibility of installing V2G technology to aid the grid at peak times and exploring different charging solutions for those who cannot charge from home. This includes ambitions to refurbish a vacant multi-storey

car park. There are also plans to utilise the charging hubs and transform into mini EV Experience Centres, run by car franchises and the Drive Dundee Electric campaign. The campaign will also continue to support and encourage workplaces and businesses to install their own charging network and adopt EVs onto their fleet following ambitions to host another Green Fleet event. Dundee City Council will also continue to support and work with surrounding local authorities to ensure the charging network is seamless and without boundaries throughout the region.

There are many challenges that the council and campaign face. Working with the Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) has been time consuming, infuriating and has been the cause of huge setbacks with installing infrastructure. There is also a concerning lack of mechanics that are trained in EV technology, not only in Dundee but across the country.

The council sent eight of their mechanics to a course down in Milton Keynes to be specially trained in EV technology. Environment and air quality can be a topic easily dismissed as the impact has yet to be accurately put in perspective – the insidious nature of Dundee’s dirty air has gone unnoticed over generations.

This makes it difficult to communicate how essential it is to change our ways. There are other issues which may be prioritised that directly impact an individual’s life such as money, public services and housing. There is more tolerance to the rising fuel prices as this has always been the norm and many do not see an alternative so will still accept it. Dundee City Council will be working to overcome issues and share experiences to help the rest of the country drive a greener and more efficient future forward. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.dundeecity.gov.uk

Volume 113 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Scotland’s Premier Low Emission Vehicle Event Friday 4 May 2018 Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh

Register for FREE at events.greenfleet.net/scotland