GreenFleet 116 by PSI Media

INTERVIEW

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

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ROAD TEST: KIA OPTIMA PHEV

ISSUE 116

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

THE PATH TO ELECTRIC Analysis of the government’s Road to Zero strategy

SPOTLIGHT

NEW VOLVO V60 A detailed look at Volvo’s premium mid-size estate EV REPORT: INSIGHT AND ANALYSIS OF THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE MARKET

Commercial GreenFleet The latest news and features surrounding the commercial vehicle industry. See inside

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ROAD TEST: KIA OPTIMA PHEV

ISSUE 116

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

THE PATH TO ELECTRIC Analysis of the government’s Road to Zero strategy

Commercial GreenFleet The latest news and features surrounding the commercial vehicle industry. See inside

SPOTLIGHT

NEW VOLVO V60 A detailed look at Volvo’s premium mid-size estate EV REPORT: INSIGHT AND ANALYSIS OF THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE MARKET

Visit t.tv nflee video e e r g e v ti a rm for info tent on t con tal flee nmen enviro agement man

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COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

INTERVIEW

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Aiming for a zero-emission future The government’s long-awaited Road to Zero strategy is out, which outlines measures to improve and expand the public charging infrastructure, lower the emissions of existing transport, and aid the transition to zero and ultra-low emission vehicles. While the report says the government is taking a ‘technology neutral’ approach, it is clear that electrification is where the government is putting its money, saying it wants to develop “one of the best electric vehicle infrastructure networks in the world”.

The LoCITY annual conference will be delivered by Commercial GreenFleet. See page 58 for an event preview

Meanwhile, the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act has passed through Parliament. As well as aiming to expand the charging infrastructure, crucially, it wants to make it easier and more accessible for EV drivers. It will give the government new powers to mandate that charge points are put in motorway services and for local government to request installations at large fuel retailers in their areas. These recent measures should speed up the uptake of electric vehicles. Our electric vehicle report, starting on page 23, gives insight and analysis into the EV market, as well as comment and opinion on the Road to Zero strategy. 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 PRODUCTION CONTROL Ella Sawtell PRODUCTION DESIGN Jo Golding WEB PRODUCTION Victoria Casey PUBLISHER George Petrou ACCOUNT MANAGERS Kylie Glover, Dean Cassar ADMINISTRATION Vickie Hopkins, Bella Chapman REPRODUCTION & PRINT Argent Media

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Plug into a new opportunity

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Contents

Contents GreenFleet 116 06 News

Ofgem consults on proposals to encourage off-peak charging; Autonomous and Electric Vehicles Act becomes law; Emergency and roadside services need EV training, says IMI

11 Panel of experts: Leasing & rental

Being such large purchasers of new vehicles, how can the leasing industry help the government meet its Road to Zero aims?

14 Interview: University of Swansea

41 EV Report: Charging infrastructure

Matthew Trevaskis from the REA comments on the government’s Road to Zero strategy, which revealed its vision for an improved EV charging infrastructure

45 EV Report: Battery technology

The push for greater adoption of hybrid and electric vehicles has focused attention on battery technologies

17 Special Report: Volvo V60

The Optima Sportswagon PHEV is Kia’s fourth alternatively-fuelled car in the UK and its second plug-in. Richard Gooding sees how it balances economy, value and practicality

Volvo’s second generation V60 is a premium mid-size estate, enhanced with advanced technology and classic Scandi looks. PLUS an interview with Steve Beattie, Volvo’s head of business sales

28 EV Report: Tips for going electric

Electric vehicles can work well in certain fleet operations. Emily Stone from the Energy Saving Trust explains what should be considered before taking the plunge

34 EV Report: Roundtable event

Findings from GreenFleet’s EV roundtable on 17 July in Birmingham revealed that there is massive potential for adopting electric vehicles, but there are genuine barriers to overcome and myths that need busting

GreenFleet magazine

48 Road test: Kia Optima

53 Commercial GreenFleet: news

New renewable biomethane refuelling station to open in Northampton

Although the government’s Road to Zero strategy is explicit in being technology neutral, it is clear that electrification is the expected solution, writes the LowCVP

Research published by Go Ultra Low has revealed that there is a huge amount of misunderstanding within the British public when it comes to pure electric cars

We catch up with Nigel Morris from Swansea Universtiy, winner of GreenFleet’s 2017 Public Sector Fleet of the Year Award in the small to medium category

25 EV Report: Road to Zero

38 EV Report: EV myth busting

55 Commercial GreenFleet: interview

FedEx Express’ Louise Whitehouse shares how the world’s largest express transportation company ensures its emissions are kept to a minimum

56 Commercial GreenFleet: Clean vans

How do we transform the national van fleet so that it fosters clean air while keeping the economy moving?

58 Commercial GreenFleet: LoCity Annual Conference The LoCITY Annual Conference will take part on 5 September and will give freight and commercial vehicle operators the latest on air quality policies

www.greenfleet.net Volume 116 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

News

Greencore increases efficiency through enhanced driver behaviour Greencore Group is a leading international manufacturer of convenience foods. Greencore supplies a wide range of chilled, frozen and ambient foods to some of the most successful retail and food businesses in the UK and US. Greencore has installed 330 Lightfoot units in its fleet over two years. Within this time, Lightfoot has helped to improve the already high driving safety standards set by Greencore drivers and, as a result, has lowered its carbon footprint significantly across the fleet – cutting harmful emissions by an estimated 10-15 per cent. Ben Martin, network and transport director at Greencore said: “We wanted to give our drivers an informal friend in-cab which could provide immediate feedback on their driving. It has given them a chance to improve their driving style before anyone at head office becomes involved and has been key in encouraging and empowering our drivers.” Greencore’s is one of the first fleets to have adopted Lightfoot’s new Vehicle Management package. There are two primary features in this add-on to the fleet management portal; one of which is a live, automatically-updated overview of service, tax, and MOT expiry dates. Drivers and managers can access this information through the portal, allowing for quick and easy scheduling resulting in reduced administration time and increased fleet efficiency. The Vehicle Management package also uses Lightfoot’s connected vehicle functionality to automatically monitor and detect vehicle faults. Drivers and managers are alerted to all faults identified by each vehicle’s on-board computer, even those that do not generate a fault light on the vehicle dashboard. More importantly, it advises the user about the nature of the fault. This feature means issues can be dealt with proactively, making vehicle downtime rarer and fleet maintenance easier to schedule – just another way Lightfoot saves fleets time and money. Ben adds: “We have seen Lightfoot continue to grow and innovate over the past few years. Their new Vehicle Maintenance package has already been incredibly beneficial to our fleet. We can detect faults before something goes wrong which helps to minimise vehicle downtime and ensure the safety of our drivers.” This new package will take pressure off management by monitoring all aspects of vehicle maintenance, further improving safety and vehicle downtime. Lightfoot has made it easier than ever for managers and drivers to identify problems with their vehicles, so companies like Greencore can keep their fleets on the road stress-free. FURTHER INFORMATION www.lightfoot.co.uk

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CAR CLUBS

Electric car club launched in Royal Greenwich

The Royal Borough of Greenwich and Enterprise Car Club have launched an electric car club for residents and local business users. The service will be trialled in the Low Emission Neighbourhood (LEN) of Greenwich and the Peninsula and will see two electric Nissan Leafs available from fixed charging bays. A further five electric vehicles will soon become available at fixed charging bays, also around the LEN area. Any Enterprise Car Club member will be able to use the electric cars. The vehicles are available 24/7, 365 days a

year, priced from as little as £6.20 per hour, which includes VAT and insurance, and five pence per mile including recharges. The Nissan Leafs can be charged at any Source London charging site around the capital. There are currently more than 850 charge points around London and 2,000 more will be in place by 2020. The electric car club in the LEN is a two-year pilot. If successful it will be rolled out across the borough. READ MORE tinyurl.com/ycl7wzxp

LEGISLATION

Autonomous and Electric Vehicles Act becomes law The Automated and Electric Vehicles (AEV) Act, which will improve and expand electric vehicle public charging, has passed through Parliament. The AEV Act will give the government new powers to ensure motorway services are upgraded with plenty of points and for local government to request installations at large fuel retailers in their areas. The new laws will make sure that public chargepoints are compatible with all vehicles, standardise how they are paid for and set standards for reliability. Jesse Norman, roads minister, said: “The UK is becoming a world leader in the roll-out of low-emission transport. Today we have passed a significant

milestone in that journey. “The increasing automation of our cars is transforming the way we drive, and the government is steadily updating our laws in order to prepare for the future. “This act will ensure that the UK’s infrastructure and insurance system is ready for the biggest transport revolution in a century.” The act will also bring automated vehicle insurance in line with motor insurance practice, ensuring that motorists are covered both when they are driving, and when the driver has legitimately handed control to the vehicle. READ MORE tinyurl.com/y9nho7el

News

MANUFACTURING

World’s first bio-based electric car created An electric car with bodywork made from natural and biobased materials has been created by the Technical University of Eindhoven in the Netherlands and Total Corbion PLA. No metal or traditional plastics were used for the structural parts of the car. The parts are made up of light and strong sandwich panels, based on natural fiber flax and Luminy® PLA supplied by Total Corbion PLA. In addition to being biobased, the parts are also recyclable, resulting in a 100 per cent circular car, sustainable in all life phases. The car, named Noah by the development team, was designed as a city car and features two seats and a spacious trunk. It is electrically-powered and has a range of up to 150 miles. At 360kg, the weight of the car excluding batteries is less than half the weight of comparable production cars. The PLA supplied by Total Corbion PLA for use in the car is biobased and recyclable

and made from renewable resources, offering a reduced carbon footprint versus many traditional plastics. High heat Luminy® PLA grades were used to construct the car, in order to ensure durability and sufficient heat resistance. Noah was revealed earlier this month and is currently undertaking a European tour of car manufacturers, suppliers and universities to inspire others.

So who is in the driving seat when it comes to navigating the “Road to Zero”?

READ MORE tinyurl.com/y7gtyad7

INFRASTRUCTURE

CAR SHARING

Fund manager sought for £400m EV charging cash

Gatwick Airport launches electric car sharing service

The government has opened up bidding for a fund manager to oversee its £400 million Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund. The fund will enable businesses to access the finances they need to build more charging points to help the public switch to cleaner, ultra-low emission cars. The Treasury has published its requirements and the necessary information for fund managers to submit a bid. The successful fund manager will be appointed to raise and manage this investment fund on behalf of the Treasury. The bidding process follows the launch of the Road to Zero Strategy which sets out the government’s long term plan to have at least half of new cars be ultra-low

emission by 2030 and all new cars and vans be effectively zero emissions by 2040. READ MORE tinyurl.com/ybp5y5zz

TRAVEL

AA shares advice on taking an electric vehicle abroad Business drivers looking to take their electric vehicles (EV) abroad should plan their route thoroughly before travelling to ensure they don’t run out of charge on the road in the heat, says the AA. Drivers are increasingly using air conditioning to combat the current high temperatures, but this can impact on the battery life of some EVs. It’s crucial that drivers are aware of all charging points on their routes to avoid the stress of breaking down in the heatwave sweeping across Europe. Stuart Thomas, director of fleet and SME at the AA said: “The good news is that Europe is increasingly better served by charging points, with over 200,000 now in place across the continent, so taking an EV abroad is increasingly easier. But careful planning is essential to avoid running out of charge on your journey in the heat. Drivers should familiarise themselves with

These labels will help motorists select the correct fuel for their vehicle regardless of where they are filling up. For petrol and diesel, the labels must clearly indicate the maximum renewable fuel content. The consultation, which closes on 16 September, seeks feedback on proposals to ensure a continued supply of traditional E5 petrol for motorists that still need it; a call for evidence on whether and how best to introduce E10 petrol; and proposals to implement new fuel labelling as required by the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive.

the locations of charging stations at key points along their route using resources such as the Zap-Map app, which covers the UK and the international PlugShare app.” For drivers travelling by ferry, a range of ports now offer the option to charge vehicles while you wait, giving businesses the chance to recoup some of the travel time that would have hitherto been lost to charging. EV charging is also available at the Eurostar tunnel and terminals. “In France, Boulogne has good charging facilities on site, while in the UK, charging points are either located at the terminals or close by in Portsmouth, Southampton, Plymouth, Fishguard and Holyhead,” Thomas added. READ MORE tinyurl.com/yd77p7cc

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Gatwick airport has partnered with Bluecity to offer passengers, staff and local residents an electric car sharing service. Vehicles can be picked up at the airport and returned to any of 300 pick up/drop off points across London or back at Gatwick. Those travelling to Gatwick from the capital can also pick up a car and drop it off at the airport. There are ten cars and charging points currently available on Gatwick’s South Terminal forecourt. This is Bluecity’s first airport hub and discussions are in progress to increase capacity and expanding the network further in London and in areas surrounding the airport. The new point to point service gives people using the airport a convenient, zero emissions travel option for getting directly on and off the airport and is purposely designed to be easy to locate and use, with customers able to reserve a car via the Bluecity app. Local residents are also encouraged to use the service and Gatwick staff have also been offered the opportunity to trial the service for free. A standard journey in a Bluecity car from central London will cost around £15. The 24,000 staff on Gatwick’s airport campus and local residents are also being encouraged to use the new electric car sharing service. READ MORE tinyurl.com/yab4zjj2

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Panel of Experts

EXPERT PANEL LEASING The government’s Road to Zero strategy included bold visions for 50-70 per cent of new car sales to be ultra-low emission by 2030. With the leasing and rental sector such large purchasers of new vehicles, how can the industry help the government meet its aims? Our leasing experts discuss Rental and leasing companies spent around £30bn on buying over 1.8million vehicles in 2017, according to a report by Oxford Economics for the BVRLA. With this massive spending power, the leasing and rental industry will play a crucial role in delivering the aims outlined in the government’s Road to Zero strategy for 50-70 per cent of new car sales to be ultra-low emission by 2030. “With circa 50 per cent of new vehicle purchases being fleet vehicles, the leasing sector clearly has a significant role to play in achieving these goals,” says Rob Mills from Daimler Fleet Management. “Through consultation with customers we can influence the market to optimise their fleet vehicle policies to work towards the Road to Zero strategy, but equally as important, to do so not at the detriment of their own mobility objectives or balance sheets.” Rob continues: “We are encouraging companies to revisit their policies and to see where low emission vehicles could fit in. We accept at the moment that electric vehicles will not be suitable to every driver, but it is important to recognise where they could play a role and ultimately save the company money in the long run.” Mark Gallagher from Grovesnor Leasing agrees that the advice and consultation a leasing firm can give about EVs and ULEVs can greatly speed up adoption. He said: “The leasing sector’s role in achieving this goal is vital, because companies operating vehicle fleets turn to us for advice, information and guidance on ULEVs and EVs. “The counsel we give them can determine their vehicle policies and choices for the next three to four years, which is why leasing companies are so pivotal in influencing EV and ULEV decisions, and its for this reason why we launched our 0Zone service last year to deliver the very best advice in our sector.” The BVRLA, the UK trade body representing over 900 members from the leasing and rental sector, has recently launched a ‘Plug-in Pledge’ for its members, with the aim of growing their plug-in vehicle fleet size from 50,000 today to 720,000 by 2025.

Robert Mills, fleet sales operations manager, Daimler Fleet Management Robert has over 30 years’ industry experience, with the last 20 being with Daimler in various management roles across both the Daimler Fleet Management and CharterWay (van and truck) divisions. He currently heads up the sales operations function covering pricing and risk management, plus consultative support to sales management. Mark Gallagher, green fleet specialist, Grosvenor Leasing Mark has over 15 years’ industry experience and has worked with a variety of corporate and public sector fleets. He has been with Grosvenor Leasing for five years and provides strategic account management and operational fleet reviews, recommending suitable policy, vehicle choice lists and customer support aimed at delivering financial savings for clients. Stuart Thomas, director of fleet and SME services, the Automobile Association (AA) With more than 20 years’ experience in the fleet sector, Stuart’s extensive knowledge of the industry comes from roles across contract hire, disposal and related fleet services. His experience includes working with organisations including Nissan Finance and Lombard. Stuart joined the AA in 2000. The BVRLA says the vehicle rental and leasing companies will be buying 300,000 plug-in vehicles per year by this point. This represents an increase in the industry’s share of annual new plug-in hybrid and pure electric vehicle registrations from 36 per cent to 60 per cent. Commenting on this, Stuart Thomas from the AA says: “The key to helping the leasing sector to achieve these goals is to generate a realistic picture of whole life end user costs to allow fleets to plan ahead for this transition. Increasing incentives for fleets to drive adoption rates and providing greater support, advice and reassurance on

infrastructural capacity is also critical.” Barriers to adoption Fleets were recognised in the government’s Road to Zero strategy, which included a commitment to ‘take steps to accelerate the adoption of fuel-efficient motoring by company car drivers, businesses operating fleets, and private motorists’. But what are the biggest barriers standing in the way of fleets purchasing zero emission vehicles and how should these be addressed? Rob Mills cites the limited public charging infrastructure and high upfront costs as the two main barriers. He says: “Even with

Volume 116 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

Panel of Experts

the available grants, the perception is that EVs can be expensive. With technology in this field moving so fast and technology becoming obsolete so quickly, we are seeing this reflected in residual values. This in turn pushes up rentals and makes some models unobtainable even to those customers who would like to move to an EV.” Rob believes that while the limited EV infrastructure is a big issue at the moment, especially for field based company car drivers with long distances to cover, ‘range anxiety’ should eventually become a thing of the past. This is due to the advancements that manufacturers are making, with some EVs achieving 300 miles, together with the expanding charging network. Rob comments: “For the majority of company car drivers whose average daily commutes are below 100 miles its perhaps about re-educating them to know where to find the nearest charge point instead of the nearest petrol station.” Mark Gallagher says that range anxiety often dampens the enthusiasm some customers have about introducing ULEV and EVs to their fleet, as well as uncertainty of taxation post 2021 and whether or not they will be fit for purpose. Mark adds: “When faced with these concerns, it’s further complicated for us to advise when none of us have the necessary information on the tax brackets post 2021, or how the current CO2 bands will accommodate WLTP.” Stuart Thomas echoes this thought, saying: “Greater clarity is needed from the government on the long-term tax implications of the shift to alternative fuels for fleets – surety is needed to enable fleets to plan ahead. OEMs must also continue to innovate and develop as the market develops to ensure EVs can incorporate all user requirements, particularly in the case of light commercial vehicles (LCVs).” Stuart believes that more incentives, such as vehicle scrappage schemes, are vital to encourage motorists and businesses to make the switch from petrol to low-emission vehicles. He adds: “This shift is a pressing issue for fleets ahead of the widespread introduction of Ultra-Low Emission Zones across the UK’s cities and must be responded to with plans to move to alternative fuels.” Workplace charging The Road to Zero strategy included plans to increase the Workplace Charging Scheme, raising the grant level from £300 per socket to 75 per cent of the purchase and installation costs of a chargepoint, capped at a maximum of £500 per socket. But there are other things that should be considered as well as costs before installing charge points? Rob Mills comments: “Electric vehicles do not run on ‘free fuel’. Businesses will need to consider the impact on their utility bills, as well as there installation costs albeit subsidised by the government.” Rob continues: “Fleet managers will also need to consider if there are any BIK implications for providing electricity to staff, in the same way fuel is affected. Consideration will also need to be given to how many charge

The strategy a d include take o t promiseaccelerate steps to tion of fuelp in the application. “Charging the ado nt motoring points must be installed by efficie eets and an Office for Low Emission for fl y cars Vehicles (OLEV) approved n a comp installer, who will confirm your

points to install and how they will prioritise within the workplace; an employee who only commutes 20 miles each day but plugs in before attending an all day workshop will not be a popular person. We would always advocate that a customer undertakes a whole life cost analysis and carefully considers all of the costs and benefits before deciding on the future of their fleet.” “Future proofing” charging plans is an important consideration for organisations, believes Mark Gallagher. He says: “The number of charging points you install will inevitably need to grow over time to sustain the switch to zero emission vehicles, so try and resist the temptation to put one on in an area where there’s limited scope to add more. At Grosvenor Leasing, we have already put aside a whole section of our car park which has a number of charging points with the scope to expand further and become our ‘green’ car park.” Mark also advises that organisations consider investing in higher charging speeds. He says: “Resist installing slow chargers because if customers are visiting you for a one hour meeting they will want to charge their EV quickly. Also, as the numbers of staff driving EVs increases you’ll need to charge an increasing number of vehicles each day on a rotation policy, and this needs consideration too.” To this list, Stuart Thomas adds that off‑street parking is needed, as sockets can’t be installed in customer-only car parks, and that the property in question must be owned or have landlord installation consent listed

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

installation’s specific requirements following a site visit,” adds Stuart.

Commercial vehicles The strategy acknowledges that the supply of zero and ultra-low emission vehicles is a particular challenge for commercial vehicles. There are only nine van models eligible for the plug-in grant available for purchase, all of which are 3.5 tonnes or less. However, as part of the Strategy, the government proposes that 40 per cent of the van market should be ultra-low emitting vehicles (ULEVs) by 2030. The strategy acknowledges however that technologies for zero emission HGVs are less developed than for cars and vans. What advice can our panelists offer commercial vehicle operators, where it may not be viable to introduce zero emission vehicles? Mark Gallagher says: “Sadly, at the moment, choice is very limited and range limitations are a real detractor, which is why most commercial vehicle operators are currently best served opting for modern Euro 6 diesel engine vehicles for long distance, and modern Euro 6 petrol engines for shorter distance and urban driving. “However, the pace of change is incredible at the moment and it’s likely that a number of hybrids, alternative fueled and zero emission commercial vehicles will be launched in the coming years, made more attractive with the DfT’s attempts to increase weight allowance for alternative fueled light commercial vehicles to be driven on category B driving licenses.

Final thoughts Rob Mills For a lot of field based company car drivers, the EV range may have limitations on their ability to perform their job role. However, most manufacturers are already working in collaboration with charge point suppliers and with the ever advancing technology some vehicles are already achieving over 300 miles per charge so ‘range anxiety’ should eventually becoming a thing of the past. For the majority of company car drivers whose average daily commutes are below 100 miles, it’s perhaps about re-educating them to know where to find the nearest charge point instead of the nearest petrol station.

Panel of Experts

“Our recommendation for operators that typically choose five year replacement cycles for their commercial vehicles is to reduce this to three in order to keep their options open and not be locked into longer contracts than are necessary.” Rob Mills comments: “Whilst it may not be viable to introduce zero emission vehicles across the full operation, range and payloads can be examined and opportunities identified to introduce these vehicles on a smaller scale. For example, zero emission vehicle may not be suitable for longer haul but there could be an opportunity to introduce them for the shorter journeys.” Rob continues: “Commercial vehicle operators should look at their fleet as a toolbox, deploying the right vehicles for the right purposes, thus avoiding a blanket approach. If it’s not viable to be emission free then they can still look to be a low emission operator by ensuring they replace any ageing vehicles with Euro 6 variants and to review their replacement policies if they traditionally keep their commercial vehicles longer than four or five years.” Stuart Thomas points out that the Freight Transport Association (FTA) has confirmed it will support the government’s target to reduce the UK’s HGV carbon emissions by 15 per cent by 2025. He adds: “Vehicle requirements must be fully considered and supported in government policy to deliver the lowest emission solution available. “There’s no doubt that all vehicles are heading towards a low-emissions future, which will deliver a wide range of benefits for the commercial vehicle sector. Low emission vehicles use less fuel, which makes them less expensive for operators to manage.”L

Mark Gallagher We regularly encounter businesses who are enthusiastic about introducing ULEV and EVs to their fleet, but opt for a low CO2 petrol or diesel instead because of issues such as range anxiety, ULEV and EV fitness for purpose, uncertainty of taxation post 2021, and so on. When faced with these concerns, it’s further complicated for us to advise when none of us have the necessary information on the tax brackets post 2021, or how the current CO2 bands will accommodate WLTP. Stuart Thomas There is great appetite among fleets for low-emission vehicle adoption. Within the next four years, 63 per cent of SMEs and businesses expect to be using alternative fuels to power their business vehicles, according to the 2017 Operational Fleet Insight Report, research we jointly conducted with the AA. But the lack of expert fleet knowledge that often exists within small businesses means that only 26 per cent of SME fleet managers and decision-makers say their role involves focusing on long-term fleet initiatives, such as a switchover to alternative fuels. More broadly, AA research shows that overall, eight out of ten drivers view availability of charging points as the main barrier to EV adoption, so continued infrastructural growth, supported by policy, is essential to assuaging this view.

Volume 116 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

Interview

How to get EV acceptance? Get “bums on seats”

Swansea University operates a fleet of 30 cars, light vans, pickups, large vans and minibuses to support its operations. The university recognises a corporate responsibility to reduce its environmental impact and have introduced zero and ultra low emission vehicles as part of this responsibility.

Swansea Universtiy scooped GreenFleet’s Public Sector Fleet of the Year Award in the small to medium catergory last year for its impressive work integrating electric vehicles into its fleet. We catch up with Nigel Morris, the university’s electric vehicle integration manager, to find out how things are going

Which and how many electric vehicles do you have? As of June 2018 we had seventeen zero or ultra-low emission (ULEV) vehicles on our fleet. These include three Renault Kangoo ZE vans; two Nissan LEAF 24 kwhs; five Nissan LEAF 30 kwh; one Nissan e-NV200 combi 5 seater; one Nissan e-NV200 combi 7 seater; three Nissan e-NV200 vans; one Hyundai ix-35 FCV Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle; and one VW Passat GTE PHEV Estate. How are the electric vehicles being used? We have a travel plan to reduce vehicle mileage by opting to walk, cycle or take a bus. When vehicles are most suitable we use ZE/ULEV/ICE as appropriate. Most of the ZE vehicles are allocated to Professional Service Units or Academic Colleges. These vehicles are available to drivers via a booking system. They are used to travel between our sites, attend meetings and events, travel to external collaborative partners, carry equipment, and so on. The rest of the ZE vehicles are dedicated to a business function, such as catering, mailroom, student accommodation services, and engineering workshop. In general we operate within the vehicles’ range in relation to our nearest EV charge point and the destination EV charge point if there is one.

Any sceptici initial driving sm when vehicle an electric is usual overcom ly e with first-ha experie nd nce

Where are the electric vehicles charged and where does the electricity come from? All the grid electricity we buy is renewable sourced. This was an existing policy put in place by our estates and sustainability teams and it fitted the EV fleet perfectly. As of June 2018 we have 18 EV charge points across three sites. Most are 7kw ‘fast’, three are 22kw ‘faster’ and we have one Rapid Charger. We are now working to integrate V2G capable EVs into the energy usage pattern of our Active Buildings using V2G chargers so the vehicle batteries can be charged from the building solar panels and/or energy store and then return power to the buildings during periods of peak demand or higher unit cost. Additionally we are developing our policies for staff and visitor EV charging to cater for the increasing demand for workplace charging. How have the drivers taken to the electric vehicles? Generally very well. Any initial scepticism is

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Interview

The more you drive, the more you save. When our fleet completed its first 100K miles, I calculated conservatively that we had saved 25 tonnes of CO2 emissions and £12.5K in running costs at that point. usually overcome with first-hand experience. Across the board of driver profiles the EVs are a popular choice. The drivers of the dedicated function EVs prefer them to conventional vehicles because they are more relaxing to drive in every way, being smoother, quieter, cleaner, less smelly and better suited to stop start urban traffic. They are pretty nippy too. How much will you be saving in emissions and costs? The more you drive, the more you save. When our fleet completed its first 100K miles, I calculated conservatively that we had saved 25 tonnes of CO2 emissions and £12.5K in running costs at that point. Are there any other benefits to EVs other than emissions? As mentioned they are smooth, quiet, usually well equipped, perform well, have reduced running costs and help to improve the local air quality. Swansea University works in collaboration with the City and County of Swansea and other Low Carbon Swansea Bay members.

All our ZE vehicles carry not only our individual logos but also the Low Carbon Swansea Bay logo. This helps to raise public awareness, promote the leading role we are playing in EV adoption and stimulate uptake, simultaneously helping to further improve local air quality and the local economy. Once drivers get the initial silent whoosh of instant torque acceleration out of their system the EVs induce a much more relaxed driving environment. Drivers soon adapt to the eco settings and regenerative braking and adopt a smoother more anticipatory driving style. Are you greening your operations in any other ways? We have carbon, energy, waste and travel plans in place. Basic driver training is limited to an overview of the vehicle, the main differences between an ICE and an EV and how to plug them in to charge up. Some telemetry function comes as standard with Nissan connect and we fitted some of the vehicles with additional telemetry so drivers can find them across the estate. As the V2G project develops we see

telematics playing a significant role. We see a scenario where our buildings will be aware of an EV returning to campus with 60 per cent battery capacity available that can be fed into the building or grid during peak demand, then the EV will inform the building that it needs a 100 per cent battery by 07:30 the following morning because it is booked to drive to a meeting in Cardiff for example. As our existing leases come up for renewal, as EV ranges increase and as the EV product base broadens we will continue to adopt ZE/ULEV where appropriate. What advice would you give to other fleets looking to buy electric vehicles? Look for a good place to install a simple 7kw charger. Get it subsidised if you can. Then talk to your manufacturer, dealer and lease company fleet account managers. Get a range of demonstrator vehicles in for a week at a time. Use them appropriately and run a ‘bums on seats’ campaign for your drivers to experience for themselves and dispel myths and preconceptions. Even if you start with just one vehicle and one charge point you will see the strengths and weaknesses and find out which EV is appropriate for which job. If you get one, logo it with Zero Emission, 100% Electric – it is good value, high tech, clean, green, responsible advertising as you go about your business. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.swansea.ac.uk

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Industry Comment Advertisement Feature

Transition to electric fleets: The human factors With so much focus on the technology and the financial cost of electric vehicles, the human factors often seem to get glossed over. It’s crucial that we consider the impact on humans as well as the influence that humans can have, both in terms of the initial acceptance of EVs and the ability to use them optimally My colleagues and I ran an exhibition stand at the recent Safety & Health Expo in London, attended by people representing the huge range of industries involved in workplace safety. Unsurprisingly there’s quite a large contingent of IAM members within that community, many of whom visited us on the stand, keen to have a chat about their experiences of advanced driving. There was a noticeable streak of nostalgia running through some of the conversations, and it’s clear that many long-time members have fond memories of a simpler time, when motoring was about freedom and romance. The good old days? There’s no denying that roads used to be less congested, and petrol used to be a lot cheaper, but those days are long gone. Traffic volumes have increased hugely, but this has in turn driven the road safety agenda, benefiting us all by making UK roads some of the world’s safest. They have also driven environmental concerns, putting what many would say is a long-overdue focus on vehicle efficiency and emissions. Although our primary focus at IAM RoadSmart is safety we are also great advocates of efficient motoring. As driver training specialists, it is crucial that we continually look to the future, making sure that we lead the way in developing drivers to deal effectively with the changing motoring landscape. Fleets are at the forefront Today’s car choices bear little resemblance to those of just 20 years ago, with major manufacturers ditching diesel and vying for dominance of the hybrid and EV markets, while governments use an ever-changing system of VED bands, zero-emission subsidies and clean-air-zone charges to influence our buying decisions. The stakes are highest for business fleet buyers, who are keen to reap the potential cost rewards and futureproof their operations, but are understandably tentative about committing to a long-term strategy that could rely on infrastructure that doesn’t yet exist. There are early adopters within the fleet world, and they will be the ones who go on to shape the vehicle market and the infrastructure, by bringing EVs into the mainstream in significant volumes. The transition phase is already underway via hybrid vehicles, but as we’ve heard, it hasn’t been entirely painless. Certain hybrid models have been very popular with business drivers

due to highly attractive VED rates and of course for circumventing the problem of limited range associated with full-electric, but have proven to be extremely thirsty and polluting in day-to-day use. Many hybrids are better suited to short journeys where assistance from the petrol engine is minimised, and this has raised questions over the ability of business drivers, many of whom cover high mileages, to be able to adopt EVs fully at any time in the foreseeable future. Buoyant residual values of diesels seem to indicate that some fleets and their drivers are being deliberately resistant to change, but for many it’s still the sensible financial choice. The truth is that diesel may not be viable long-term, and future vehicle choices will inevitably be dictated by the wider market, but amid all the uncertainty one can sympathise with those taking a conservative approach. Don’t forget about the people With so much focus on the technology and the financial costs, the human factors often seem to get glossed over. It’s crucial that we consider the impact on humans as well as the influence that humans can have, both in terms of the initial acceptance of EVs and the ability to use them optimally. All forms of new technology require individuals to learn and adapt. What does this mean for fleets? Until EVs and their supporting infrastructure are truly commonplace and affordable, businesses will be managing a transition, and would do well to engage their employees in the process. Rather than focusing on overall mileage, or being bound by traditional ‘pay grade’ company car choices, businesses need to understand individual employees’ lifestyles and the driving environment they encounter day-to-day, and help them to choose a suitable vehicle accordingly. Businesses can also examine ways in which working patterns can be adapted and communications technology used to minimise the need for long journeys, helping to accommodate EVs into workers’ lifestyles. There will undoubtedly be resistance from some, but by seeking out the early adopters and those who are most enthusiastic about making the right environmental decisions, a culture can be nurtured. Fleets that still rely predominantly on petrol and diesel don’t have to miss out. Human behaviour is the biggest factor influencing MPG performance and this can be influenced through eco-driving training.

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Tony Greenidge

Tony Greenidge, business development director, IAM RoadSmart Tony Greenidge has over 30 years’ B2B sales and sales leadership experience, the majority of which has been gained in the corporate fleet sector working for a number of leading global and UK providers that include Arval, Inchcape and Hitachi Capital. He joined IAM RoadSmart in July 2017 with a clearly defined brief to grow the charity’s commercial division and a real focus on the corporate fleet sector. 2018 has seen the launch of a number of new products and a revised commercial model that makes it easier for clients to access driver risk management services at an affordable rate. This builds on IAM RoadSmart’s unique market position in that commercial success contributes to their charitable objectives. Not only does it help to reduce fuel costs in the short term, eco-driving techniques can also be employed in hybrid and electric vehicles to optimise battery usage. It can therefore help EV drivers to feel less anxious about range, and also help to prepare drivers of traditionally powered vehicles for the adoption of EVs, and can help pave the way towards a more efficient fleet in future. L FURTHER INFORMATION For more information, visit www.iamroadsmart.com/business

Special Report: Volvo Car UK

A look at Volvo’s premium mid‑size estate, the new V60, and insight into the carmaker’s bold electrification strategy

Volume 116 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

Volvo V60

A spotlight on the new Volvo V60

Volvo’s second generation V60 is a premium mid-size estate, enhanced with advanced technology and classic Scandi looks. Initially released with petrol and diesel engines, two plug-in hybrids will shortly join the range, taking Volvo further towards its electrification goals Making its world debut in February 2018 in and have a quoted mpg figure of 64.2. Stockholm, Sweden, the V60 is powered by In line with Volvo’s bold commitment to the Volvo-designed and built all-aluminium phasing out diesel ICE-powered vehicles Drive-E engines, which enable in favour of full or partially electrified powerful performance models, the V60 will have two with efficiency. plug-in hybrid powertrain options V olvo’s The V60 has initially released in the coming months. scalable been released with The petrol and diesel SPA pla petrol and diesel V60s are front-wheel drive, allows tform engines – 150hp whereas the hybrids will for futu D3 and 190hp be all-wheel drive. re electrifi D4 diesels, and a The new V60 is c a c t i onnect 250hp T5 petrol. set to be popular with ivity an on, d Both diesels companies, with forecast techno logies t safety fleet sales at 65 per cent. are available with manual or automatic added o be gearboxes, while Scandi looks the T5 petrol comes The Scandinavians are famous for exclusively as an automatic. their clean, minimalistic, functional CO2 emissions start from and beautiful designs, and Swedish 117g per km for the D3 and D4 manual manufacturer Volvo is no different.

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The new V60 is all those things. Clean lines and eye-catching details, such as distinctive headlights with T-shaped daytime running lights and indicators, make the V60 the epitome of simplistic, elegant design. Despite being Volvo’s smaller estate, it has the largest boot of any premium mid-size estate, along with one of the biggest cabins in the class. Key features include the Sensus nineinch touch screen, voice-activated control system, power-operated tailgate, LED headlights, satellite navigation and the Volvo On Call connected services platform. Volvo’s SPA platform The V60 uses the Volvo-designed-and-built SPA (Scalable Product Architecture) platform. This adaptable platform is designed to incorporate electrification, connectivity and safety technologies as they become available. Drive mode settings The V60’s Drive Mode settings allows the driver to tailor the responses of the engine, automatic gearbox, suspension, steering, brakes and climate control to their preferences. Comfort is the default setting and all parameters are set for maximum comfort. The eco setting meanwhile calibrates the engine, automatic gearbox and accelerator to achieve the lowest possible fuel consumption and emissions. In this mode, the automatic gearbox upshifts at lower revs and a ‘coasting’ function is activated above 40mph. This means there is no engine braking when you lift off

Volvo V60

the accelerator; instead the engine’s revs drop to idle speed, boosting efficiency. In Dynamic mode, power assistance in the steering is reduced to make the steering heavier and the brake pedal responsiveness is increased.

adaptive cruise control to keep at the desired cruising speed or at a safe distance from any vehicle in front. Pilot Assist will automatically accelerate and brake with the flow of traffic, right down to a standstill, and requires the driver to have their hands on the wheel.

Semi-autonomous drive Taking a stepping stone towards fully autonomous driving, which is a key innovation area for Volvo, the V60 is available with Volvo’s Pilot Assist semi-autonomous drive technology. This combines a forward-facing camera and radar to detect the vehicle’s lane and any vehicles in front. It then assists with the steering (up to 80mph) to keep the car within its lane, and works with the

Safety Volvo has a vision that no one will be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car by 2020. Striding towards this goal, the V60 has a raft of cutting edge safety technology. City Safety systems are in place to avoid collisions include automatic emergency braking, which can detect vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and large animals in front of the car. If a collision is likely and

you do not react, it will automatically apply maximum braking force. All versions of the V60 also come with Run-off Road Mitigation and Run-off Road Protection, which help prevent the car inadvertently running off the road and protect the car’s occupants. Another advanced safety aid is Steering Support, which can provide additional steering input to help you steer around an object in an emergency. This also forms part of Oncoming Lane Mitigation, which operates between 37 and 87mph and helps steer the car safely back onto its side of the road should it inadvertently move from its lane into the path of an oncoming vehicle. The optional Blind Spot Information System with Steering Support also operates between 37 and 87mph, and automatically applies the steering to bring the car back into its own lane and away from any vehicles in your blind spot. Pricing First customer deliveries of the new Volvo V60 are due late in Q3 2018 Prices start from £31,810 OTR with BIK from £147 a month. Residual values are best-in-class according to Cap HPI. D3 Momentum will be worth 43.7 per cent of its new cost after three years and 30,000 miles (38.0 per cent after three years and 60,000 miles). L FURTHER INFORMATION www.volvocars.com The V60’s distinctive tailights add stylish detail

The V60’s stunning interior design has class-leading connectivity features

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Interview

Volvo’s clean green goals Volvo Car UK has transformed itself in recent years. The V60 is Volvo’s sixth all-new model launched since 2014, and the carmaker continues to impress with its electric and hybrid vehicle ambitions. GreenFleet catches up with Steve Beattie, Volvo’s head of business sales across the country, reduce emissions from vehicles on the roads, and drive the uptake of zero emission cars, vans and trucks. What is the Volvo view of the strategy? “It is difficult to argue against governments and cities aiming for good air quality for their citizens by introducing environmental zones or banning certain vehicles,” comments Steve. “Our own strategy to meet these future requirements is electrification which is why we are about to electrify all new products as from 2019. By 2025 we anticipate half of our global sales to be pure electric cars, which means that our plans are in line with the political intentions.”

Volvo Car’s T8 Twin Engine Range

Steve Beattie, head of business sales, Volvo Car UK

Steve Beattie is head of business sales of Volvo Car UK and is responsible for overseeing all of Volvo’s fleet and corporate sales. Steve has considerable sector experience and heads up the team at Volvo as they grow sales volumes within the business sales market in the UK.

Last year was a record year for Volvo. Global sales were up seven per cent compared with 2016’s figures, to 571,577 cars. Annual operating profit also increased by 27.7 per cent in 2017. The news was similarly strong for Volvo in the UK. Last year, Volvo Car UK recorded its second highest annual sales figure for 25 years, at 46,139 cars. This was only slightly behind 2016’s record breaking figure of 46,696, and was an especially impressive result in an overall market down nearly six per cent. Volvo also increased its UK market share by five per cent in 2017, up from 1.73 per cent in 2016 to 1.83 per cent. This positive momentum has carried on into 2018. Global first-half sales were up

14.4 per cent year on year to 317,639 cars. In July 2017, Volvo announced bold plans that it would place electrification at the core of its future business, stating that every new car it launches from 2019 – regardless of powertrain fuel type – will be electrified. The new V60 Volvo’s second generation V60 is a premium mid-size estate, enhanced with advanced technology and classic Scandi looks. Initially released with petrol and diesel engines, two plug-in hybrids will shortly join the range, taking Volvo further towards its electrification goals. So how has the new V60 been received? “Very well indeed, as has been the case for all our new products since the XC90 in 2015,” comments Steve. “It has already beaten other premium competitors in magazine comparison tests, and is recognised by the media at large as a true premium product.” WLTP compliance The Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP), a new testing procedure to ensure published fuel economy and emissions are more realistic to real-world driving, is causing uncertainity in the fleet sector. However, Volvo recently announced that its entire model range complies under the procedure. With the uncertainty around WLTP, how important is it for market confidence for a premium brand to be seen doing this? Steve comments: “Volvo welcomed the new WLTP testing methods when they were first announced, as greater transparency in areas such as fuel consumption and emissions helps customers make better informed buying decisions. We are pleased that we were the first to sell a complete range of cars that meets the new testing standards.” Road to Zero The government’s Road to Zero strategy sets out plans to expand the charging infrastructure

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EV adoption Barriers to electric vehicle adoption still remain, namely range anxiety and a limited charging infrastructure. However, they can work extremely well in certain fleet operations. It is complex area, so how is Volvo equipped to assist customers in this area? Steve comments: “I have grown and structured my business sales team to ensure the right expertise is available no matter what size fleet you have, and it has been recognised through Sewells industry insight that we perform well in the this area versus our premium competition. “Quality customer consultation is always vital and EV adoption is just one of the areas our experienced and dedicated team can assist with.” An electric strategy In a bold move, Volvo was the first manufacturer to commit to phasing out purely diesel ICE-powered vehicles, instead offering a choice of mild petrol hybrid, plug-in petrol hybrid or battery electric vehicles by 2019. Steve comments: “We were the first traditional carmaker to commit to electrification across our entire range, and have set out a bold aim for 50 per cent of our global sales to be pure electric cars by 2025.” What’s next? Which areas of opportunity are there for Volvo in the remainder of 2018 and 2019? Steve comments: “XC40 is already doing a great job for us in the UK and new V60 is an equally exciting prospect. We are already seeing orders coming through and they are starting to appear on fleet policies. With a full year of production for both cars in 2019 we are confident that trend is set to continue and they will form a key part of fleet offerings.” L FURTHER INFORMATION www.volvocars.com

THE FUTURE OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES Insight and analysis into the present and future electric vehicle market 25 Road to Zero Although the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Road to Zero strategy is explicit in being technology neutral and that there will be no bans of any particular technology, it is clear that widespread electrification is the expected solution. Jason Doran and Neil Wallis from the LowCVP delve into the strategy

34 EV Roundtable There is massive potential for adopting electric vehicles, but there are genuine barriers to overcome and myths that need busting. This was the message that came from GreenFleetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roundtable on the Future of Electric Vehicles, held on 17 July at Edgbaston Cricket Ground

45 Batteries The push for greater adoption of hybrid and electric vehicles has focused attention on battery technologies. So what does the future look like for electric battery technology, and what challenges need to be overcome? A report from Arthur D. Little investigates

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Electric Vehicles

Although the government’s Road to Zero strategy is explicit in being technology neutral and that there will be no bans of any particular technology, it is clear that widespread electrification is the expected solution. Jason Doran and Neil Wallis from the LowCVP delve into the strategy’s aims The government’s long awaited ‘Road to Zero’ strategy, published in early July, sets out some bold ambitions. Firstly, by 2030, at least half of all new cars (and up to 40 per cent of new vans) to be ultra-low emission. By 2040, the aim is for the majority of new cars and vans sold to be 100 per cent zero emission – and all new cars and vans to have ‘significant’ zero emission capability. The final goal is for “almost every car and van to be zero emission” by 2050. The trajectory signalled by the strategy has been generally welcomed, though critics have called for the pace of change to be stepped up. There should be an opportunity to do this as the government is committed to reviewing progress made by 2025 and to making further interventions if required. By confirming a vision and targets to 2050, the Road to Zero sets-out how the UK government proposes to meet the legal requirements of the 2008 Climate Change Act under which UK greenhouse gas emissions must be cut by at least 80 per cent of 1990 levels by 2050. As road transport is now the biggest sector source of CO2 and makes up roughly 25 per cent of UK emissions, it is a key area of policy focus. The Road to Zero supports Defra’s May 2018 ‘Clean Air Strategy’ and builds on

Written by Jason Doran and Neil Wallis, LowCVP

A vision for zero emissions

ULEV definition was introduced in 2009. The strategy anticipates that this will be strengthened from 2021: the Road to Zero states that government “expects to define a ULEV as a car or van that emits less than 50 grams of CO2 /km from the tailpipe measured against the relevant test cycle”. For 2040, the key phrase ‘significant zero emission capability’ is widely anticipated to mean the capability to travel at least 50 miles without producing any of the emissions associated with the use of a traditional internal combustion engine, hopefully mollifying any debates about current (particularly ‘mild’) hybrids being in or out of the 2040 targets.

The commercial vehicle challenge A section of the strategy is devoted to the significant challenges progressing to a zero‑emission solution for HGVs and road freight transport. Commercial vehicles are the fastest growing sector of road transport emissions and one of the most difficult to Technology neutral address, so this is welcomed. An initial Recognising the road transport industry voluntary agreement to technology revolution that’s reduce GHG emission by 15 per already clearly under way, cent by 2025 is supported T he Roa the Road to Zero does by measures to look at d to Zero not, however, stipulate gas and other low carbon s t r a tegy has a c the technology fuels in the near term to havinommitment required to meet the and accompanied by objectives. Forty‑six research to investigate best EV g one of the policy measures long term zero emissions infrastr (most of which solutions for the future. networ ucture k pre‑date the strategy’s the wo s in publication) are An electric future? rld identified, covering a Although the Road to Zero wide range of technologies is explicit in being ‘technology and lower emission neutral’ and that there will be no solutions needed across ‘bans’ of any particular technology, all aspects of road transport. it is clear that widespread electrification is the expected solution. Measures to develop New definition for ULEVs and build electric vehicles, the supply chain Achieving sub-75 grams of tailpipe and charging systems are prominent, with CO2 emissions per kilometre is not the a commitment to having one of the best EV challenge it once was when the original infrastructure networks in the world. E last Autumn’s Clean Growth Strategy, and the Industrial Strategy (also published late last year) which aims to “help businesses create better, higher-paying jobs through investment in the skills, industries and infrastructure of the future”.

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 The recent signing into law of the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act gives greater powers to government to ensure a rapid increase in the number of EV charging points at key locations. The Department for Transport says that the new laws will improve consumer confidence in charging by ensuring public charge points are compatible with all vehicles, standardising how they are paid for, their reliability and connectivity. There are plans to enable a ‘mass market’ roll-out of infrastructure to support electric vehicle adoption. These include a push for charge points to be installed in newly built homes, where appropriate, and in new lampposts. A new £400 million Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund is intended to help accelerate the roll-out of charging infrastructure by providing funding to new and existing companies that produce and install charge points. A new £40 million programme to develop and trial innovative, low cost wireless and on-street charging technology is also being created. The EV home charge scheme will continue until March 2019, with installations becoming ‘smart’ enabled. The scheme provides a grant of up to £500 for electric vehicle owners to install home charge point. There are further incentives and grants, too, for workplaces to install charge points accessible to their employees. The existing Plug-In Car and Van Grants will be extended to at least October 2018 at current rates, and in some form until at least 2020, to continue

to encourage consumer uptake. Leading by example The government has committed to ‘doing the right thing’, by making 25 per cent of the central government car fleet ULEVs by 2022 (and all new car purchases ULEVs by default). By 2030, the entire the central government car fleet will be ULEVs. The Electric Vehicle Energy Taskforce (EVET) Meeting the anticipated growth in demand for electricity from increasing EV uptake will create unprecedented challenges. The government has set up the ‘Electric Vehicle Energy Taskforce’ – which will be convened by the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership – to bring together the energy and automotive industries to plan for this. Consumer communication is key Motorists are already confused by the options available, so helping them to understand the latest technologies is vital. With the help of the LowCVP, the government is setting up a new ‘Road Transport Emissions Advice Group’ (RTEAG), which brings central and local government, industry and consumer groups together to help ensure clear and consistent consumer messaging, help and advice on technology and fuel choices. Aimed at consumers, it has also committed to working with industry to improve consumer communications through the Go Ultra Low campaign to at least 2020. Some of the significant challenges likely to be faced by fleet managers, consumers

and drivers were specifically addressed in the LowCVP’s recent Annual Conference – ‘People, Product or Policy – How far can consumers take the drive to zero emissions’. What about existing vehicles? Importantly, the strategy also outlines measures to reduce emissions of vehicles already in use. It comments on the need to increase the supply and sustainability of low carbon fuels in the UK through the legally‑binding 15-year strategy to more than double their use, reaching seven per cent of road transport fuel energy by 2032. The government has most recently announced a consultation on the possible introduction of E10 – a 10 per cent ethanol mix in petrol – to the UK. Plans are confirmed to extend the ‘Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme’ (CVRAS – for which the criteria were designed by the LowCVP) beyond buses, coaches and HGVs to include vans and black cabs.

Electric Vehicles

Motorists are already confused by the options available, so helping them to understand the latest technologies is vital. A new ‘Road Transport Emissions Advice Group is therefore being set up

Working together Commenting on the Road to Zero strategy, the Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “At the heart of this strategy is a commitment to work in partnership with industry, businesses, academia, environmental groups, devolved administrations, local government, consumers and international partners.” While the Road to Zero has been criticised by some for an apparent lack of ambition, the details reveal a comprehensive approach embracing a breadth of strategies which, if successfully delivered, will be game-changing. For that it should be applauded. But one thing is very clear: to achieve anything like this level of change in consumer behaviour, collaboration across the entire industry is vital. This is where organisation such as the LowCVP can take a pivotal role. Join the LowCVP and play your part in the Road to Zero transition by joining the LowCVP. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.lowcvp.org.uk

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Electric Vehicles Written by Emily Stone, assistant programme manager for ectrification, Energy Saving Trust

What to consider before going electric? With battery ranges ever increasing and a pledge from the government to improve the charging infrastructure, having electric vehicles on your fleet is a more realistic goal than ever. But there are still things to consider. Emily Stone explains If the idea of saving up to 80 per cent on your company fuel bill sounds like something you could get on board with, then consider switching your fleet to electric. Jump ahead of the game, flaunt your low carbon footprint to clients and avoid road tax, whilst providing your drivers with a smooth and clean day-to-day vehicle experience. With battery ranges ever increasing, using EVs as your everyday company vehicles is a more realistic goal than ever. The Energy Saving Trust have put together the following guide to meeting your business needs using EVs. Consider daily driving patterns When choosing the correct EV, consider your drivers’ daily route patterns. Older model EVs can have ranges from 80 miles, whilst newer models with larger batteries, such as the 2018 40kw Nissan Leaf, can do over 170 miles on a single charge. Also consider locations in which your vehicles are likely to have downtime, for example the driver’s lunch stops or times when the driver is engaged in a

non-driving activity. Are these close to public charge points? Will drivers touch base much throughout the day to top up vehicles? Will you even use the entire range in one day? These factors largely depend on your business type and area of coverage, but if you’re staying in and around the city then perhaps installing slower chargers at your base for overnight charging would be the most sensible method.

Workplace charging Concerned about the extra cost of charging infrastructure? You could actually get a grant to cover up to 100 per cent of your workplace charge point, depending on asessment by the Energy Saving Trust. E-mail electricvehiclesscotland@est.org.uk to request an application form. If you run a fleet of company cars, consider pushing your employees to make the most of the EST domestic chargepoint grant. Up to £300 of grant funding is available per household from Energy Saving Trust, which tops up the £500 available from OLEV. This usually covers the full cost of parts and installation. Making use of home charging and topping up via a growing network of rapid chargers, company vehicle drivers should be able to go about their business relatively unhindered by the constraints of having to charge – particularly if they’re

If yo fleet of u run a c cars, coompany pushingnsider your employ e e the EST s to use d chargepomestic oin grant t

Commercial considerations If you run a fleet of vans, you will also need to consider the maximum payload you will be carrying. Existing models of electric van, due to the mass of the battery, cannot be loaded as heavily as ICE vans. Need you await the arrival of newer LCVs with increased

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load capacity, or can you get away with carrying smaller loads and midday trip back to the depot to collect the other half of the workload and stop for a quick recharge?

The cost savings Consider the cost saving. Government grants applied to EVs at point of purchase help ensure the cost of an EV are comparable with that of an internal combustion vehicle, and when you consider the fuel saving over a six-year period the financial benefits of running an EV fleet are clear. Maintenance costs, for one, can be reduced by as much as 70 per cent compared to that of a petrol or diesel vehicle, according to Fleet News. With electricity costing significantly less than petrol and diesel, you can expect to save around 80 per cent on fuel with an EV. For example, a 2008 VW Golf TDI completing 12,000 miles a year would cost the owner more than £10,100 in fuel and tax over this six-year period. Compare this to an e-Golf, and the driver expects to save £7,625 and – more shockingly – an enormous 18 tonnes of tailpipe Co2 emissions. The above information was calculated using an Energy Saving Trust Vehicle Comparison Report (VCR), which is a free service available to all customers in Scotland. To obtain a VCR for one or more of your existing vehicles or to request more

information on what vehicle type may suit your needs, call the Energy Saving Trust Transport Advice line on 0800 0931 669. In addition to the fuel savings, purchasing a new ultra-low emission vehicle (ULEV) through EST’s interest-free business loan may also save you money. The loan, which offers businesses in Scotland up to £120,000 (£35,000 per vehicle), interest-free over six years, can be used to purchase any new ULEV. For eligibility criteria and T&Cs, please contact to speak to your local transport advisor on 0800 0931 669. Please note this advice service is only available for businesses either registered within Scotland, or to the branches of a wider business which operate in Scotland. With an abundance of options for chargepoint and vehicle funding, 2018 provides the perfect time to flip the switch over to electric within your business. Jumping ahead of the inevitable electric vehicle game that will play out over the next decade and beyond is a sure-fire way to make the most of currently available funding opportunities, and to future-proof your business. Save money, save carbon and set an example to your competitors. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

Ofgem consults on proposals to encourage off-peak charging Ofgem is encouraging electric vehicle drivers to adopt ‘flexible’ charging practices – during out of peak hours – to keep costs down and allow the grid to meet the extra demand that EVs bring. According to Ofgem analysis, if owners use ‘flexible’ charging – where they only top up outside peak demand times on the grid – at least 60 per cent more EVs could be charged up compared with ‘inflexible’ charging where electric vehicles are only charged at peak times. Flexible charging does this by allowing electric vehicles to be charged when energy prices are cheapest, for example when wind and solar power is generating lots of electricity or when there is less demand across the system. Flexible charging also helps to keep energy costs down for all consumers as technology allows stored electricity from electric vehicle batteries to be sent back onto the grid when it is needed. Ofgem’s proposed reforms will give incentives for customers to charge their electric vehicles at the right time. The reforms will free up existing grid capacity to allow new

generators, including businesses or other organisations which want to generate their own power on-site, to get connected to the grid more quickly. The reforms would make the electricity system more efficient by giving generators and other users more choice and flexibility on how they connect to the grid.

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operating in cities. Find available charge points in your area using chargeplacescotland. org, or chargeyourcar.org.uk.

There is no doubting the future of transport is electric. OEMs are likely to achieve internal combustion engine (ICE) cost parity for cars by 2021 and for vans by 2020, driven predominantly by falling battery costs. What’s more, fleets are expected to make up 26 per cent of the EV car and van parc by 2030 and will drive higher EV adoption as fleets are more sensitive to the economic drivers of cost parity. But for fleet managers there are huge benefits to be gained from electrifying your fleet sooner rather than later. Whether your objectives are economic or environmental, being ahead of the masses will be critical to ensure you have the widest range of options. For many, the primary concern when electrifying fleets is the vehicle. As the OEMs build out a portfolio of electric vehicles, this will become the easy part. The complexity comes with the fuel; rolling out the infrastructure to support the unique operational requirements of your fleet is primarily a power and energy challenge. Planning early will provide significant first mover advantage for fleet operators. At Centrica, we’ve being thinking about how to optimise for both economic and environmental objectives. We have designed a fully managed solution that can support charging implementation for employees all the way through to an end-to end fleet management solution. Centrica can manage the DNO applications, landlord and planning approvals, employee communications, alongside management and provision of local network connection works through our network of ICPs and IDNOs and offers full funding solutions including an all-inclusive lease option. FURTHER INFORMATION www.centrica.com/evs

Supported by

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll keep your fleet working for you

From 24-hour breakdown cover to accident assistance, mobile tyre fitting to technical mobility solutions that help optimise vehicle performance, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll keep your fleet on the road.

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The electric vehicle (EV) market has grown exponentially in the past five years, with all major manufacturers committing to offering an EV option on all new models following the government’s announcement to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2040. Yet, there remains more to be done in terms of development and clarification for consumers before widespread EV adoption is achieved. In particular, businesses are struggling to manage how they will navigate through the various new policies and initiatives that have been introduced by the government. In five years, 65 per cent of SMEs and businesses expect to be using alternative fuels to power their business vehicles. This is according to industry-leading research we’ve undertaken with BT’s Fleet Solutions, to identify how our customers perceive the journey to alternative fuels in our second Operational Fleet Insight report. Our research revealed a huge amount of anxiety about the transition. Approximately 50 per cent of respondents noted that government organisations should be lobbying for greater investment in EV infrastructure to support future fleets, which is a justified business concern. In just 12 years’ time, 60 per cent of new cars and vans must be electric – and yet, vast uncertainty remains about where EVs will be charged. Even now, the number of charging points across the UK is too low to meet current demand – 14,000 chargers to service 125,000 cars.

infrastructure. The Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill 2017-19 is aiming to improve the network charging points for EVs with charging points being mandatory at all major petrol stations and motorway services. Additionally, regulator Ofgem has announced plans to encourage owners to recharge cars at times when electricity is cheaper, while Chargemaster, the UK’s largest electric charging network, has announced it is being purchased by BP who offer 1,200 petrol forecourts. With chargemaster offering 6,500 charging points currently, this is a major investment into EV infrastructure and will help to meet the growing demand, with 12 million cars predicted to be on UK roads by 2040. The AA has partnered with Chargemaster to help support this infrastructure and provide education for motorists. A multi-brand EV Centre has been established in Milton Keynes, providing information and advice on electric vehicles, as well as free driving lessons. Additionally, Chargemaster polar network cards are being launched across our patrols in the south-east in a joint partnership. This spans across our patrol network, and will provide a free complementary charge for customers who run out of charge on the road. Patrols are able to identify the nearest available charge point via the Zap Map app, which enables EV drivers to locate and navigate to charging points across the UK so that recovery and tow times can be minimised. Trained to deal with EVs The AA’s fleets are already fully trained to handle all EV queries, but we are keen to do all we can to help our customers transition to alternative vehicles. In just five years’ time, two thirds of fleets expect to run their vehicles on alternative fuels, as we discovered during a joint research project with BT’s Fleet Solutions. As emissions reduction becomes a focus for the UK’s large cities, businesses are coming under the microscope to

We urge the government to work with industry to prioritise the development of a charging infrastructure plan to take us up to 2030

ensure they comply with anticipated targets. Indeed, businesses are under increasing pressure to futureproof their fleets to ensure they comply with air quality targets. The mayor’s plans to extend the ultra low emission zone (ULEZ) to cover most of inner London is a radical step forwards to improve the city’s air quality standards, but one which may leave SMEs struggling to fund the cost of environmental compliance. Therefore, alternative fuels are a priority for all fleets, as the government continues its focus on reducing emissions. From the introduction of Clean Air Zones in cities and increased taxes for diesel cars, there is a much greater focus on the environmental impact of vehicles. Companies looking to reduce costs must plan for a move away from diesel and petrol and add more alternatively fuelled vehicles to their fleets, but awareness of this future change across the industry does not appear to be widespread, as we’ve found when talking to our customers. The best way businesses can avoid picking up any charges and safeguard themselves against forthcoming environmental fees is to implement a long-term fleet strategy, such as a switchover to alternative fuels. We urge the government to work with industry to prioritise the development of a charging infrastructure plan to take us up to 2030. We believe this will help ease anxiety for businesses looking to make the transition away from fossil fuels, and will help increase EV adoption across Britain’s fleets. L

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The electric vehicle market has grown exponentially in the past five years, with all major manufacturers committing to offering an EV option on all new models following the government’s announcement to ban the sale of pure petrol and diesel cars Udae nonsend icidisquid quam elisimincim facepro et et, sed by 2040. Despite this, consumer and fleet awareness needs to quodi blaborum ut molorem aut ationse nos eumque laboribus improve, writes the AA’s Stuart Thomas et quoditiat dolo qui de volecab orerisqui nitibusdae nullacianti rest, sitiatis ut idem quodi consequat facimagnime pernatemquae Progress is being made nimus earibus, tem ipsaest moluptatium net et is being made into However,es development

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Stuart Thomas

Stuart Thomas, head of fleet and SME – the AA With more than 20 years’ experience in the fleet sector, Stuart’s extensive knowledge of the industry comes from roles across contract hire, disposal and related fleet services. His experience includes working with organisations including Nissan Finance and Lombard. Stuart joined the AA in 2000.

Volume 116 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Identifying the most cost effective charging strategy for your business Centrica has been at the forefront of charger installations in the UK since 2012, when there were just 200 registered plug-in vehicles. There are now over 165,000 and in that time, Centrica has established a reputation for quality, strong industry and partner relationships

Since 2013 Centrica has been leading the way in the electrification of our vehicles. To date, Centrica has installed over 4,000 chargers in the workplace, 8,500 home chargers and over 400 rapid chargers (the most installed by any company in the UK) and have an unrivalled track record for serving our customers in this fast-growing industry. Our customers are as broad and wide-ranging as our experience – from car manufacturers such as Tesla, to airports, hotels, local authorities and service stations, and our technical capability is just as varied, with our experience ranging from 3.5kW home chargers through to 350kW DC pantograph bus charging. The shift to cleaner vehicles Although the shift from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles is gaining pace, the various political, economic and social drivers accelerating the change are coming together in a perfect storm; total cost of ownership economics, investment by the automotive manufacturers and political support for clean, less-polluting vehicles are clear signals that change is happening now. For fleets, this means their electrification is now inevitable. The choice of vehicles is increasing, the cost of batteries decreasing and once its tipping point is reached, the adoption rate will grow virally. Fleets in cities will be among the first to electrify. based on the shorter distances covered, slower speeds and the high usage for each vehicle. However, not all fleets are created equal. Fleets will need to charge at home, charge

at a depot or charge on-the-move and as a result, will all require different charging infrastructure solutions. Electrifying the vehicles will be the easy part, however the charging infrastructure required to support EVs is where the complexity starts. There will be significant operational challenges that need to be overcome to implement electric vehicles at pace. Reliability and convenience Fleet operators have several unique considerations to contend with. Reliability and convenience are critical to ensure smooth running of business operations, whilst corporate social responsibility and regulatory drivers will dictate the pace at which they need to act. The requirements for each fleet to electrify will be unique, from power needs to existing infrastructure the solutions will need to be bespoke. As demand for electric vehicles grows, the complexity of the associated charging grows, too. Even a 3.5kW home charger can double the power demand for a typical home. On its own this will not be a problem, but a whole street of cars coming home at 6pm and plugging in will cause the local network operators a real headache. Similarly, for business charging, most sites have the capacity to install a few 7kW fast chargers without impact but with any significant growth in charger volume, a need for rapid charging or any local network constraints power demand quickly exceeds what is currently available at the site.

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Power demands There are options for fleet owners. The impact of this increased power demand from charging can be mitigated in a variety of ways. The first is smart charging; ensuring that the charging is spread across the day reducing peak loads on the network and prioritising charging for vehicles parked for a short-time over those parked all day. In the future, advanced smart charging will incorporate energy optimisation – charging that aligns with the most cost-effective periods, integration with existing on-site generation ensuring cars are always charging at the cheapest time, and integration with fleet telematics; ensuring energy optimisation. The vehicle batteries will hold just enough charge to get them to the next available charging point. The power demand for EV charging will place a massive load on the connections to the network, and the ability to charge EVs could become business critical for many – preparing now could be essential to maintain business continuity. Sites may need network infrastructure upgrades, securing increased or new capacity directly from the distribution network, or the addition of on-site generation or storage. Planning early will be critical to ensure you can secure the require network connections for your fleets needs at the most effective cost. It is a complex space in which to navigate, with high competitive intensity and many uncertain moving parts, not all made equal. As a result there is considerable risk as well as opportunity. But there doesn’t need to be. Supporting low emissions Across the UK and North America, Centrica made changes to how its commercial vehicles and company cars were leased, managed and driven. In 2007, Centrica set a target to reduce the global carbon emissions of its property, fleet and travel by 20 per cent by 2015. Central to achieving this was to embed sustainable behaviours and technologies that cut emissions across its commercial fleet and company cars. EV charging is just one of a series of measures Centrica has taken to reduce emissions from transport use. Centrica have also provided dedicated spaces for low emission vehicles and car share vehicles, as well as providing mini-bus transfers from sites to local transport hubs. Employees were also encouraged to use lower emission vehicles

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when their company car leases came up for renewal, with nearly 180 employees choosing hybrids or EVs. This was supported with the installation of EV charge points at nearly 50 Centrica sites to provide free at-work charging. In the UK, Centrica undertook an industry-leading trial of electric vans in its British Gas fleet. The 100-strong electric vehicle (EV) fleet was the largest fleet of its kind in the UK, and by 2030 Centrica aims to adopt electric and hybrid across its entire fleet. Growing demand Since then uptake in vehicles within the company car fleet has been significant and in turn, the need for chargers has grown too. Faced with this growing demand Graham Feeney (property manager for Centrica) had to rethink their entire charging infrastructure. Through working with Centrica’s commercial mobility team they went through a six month programme to replace the existing dumb-chargers with smart GSM-connected chargers, providing complete visibility of usage in addition to understanding the state of health of each charger. The backend system allowed Graham to remotely monitor chargers across every site. Through understanding how and when the chargers were he was able to accurately predict and increase the number of chargers across each sites, with the number of chargers installed increasing six-fold from 4 to 24. Drivers using the chargers are equipped with a mobile app to allow them to connect to the chargers and monitor their own usage. Future developments Looking forward, Centrica has completed a study of all parking requirements and network capacity across key sites, some 6,000 total parking spaces with 15 sites each having 100 spaces or more (the largest site has nearly 1,000 spaces) and are building the cost of providing charging within their future facilities management budgets. Centrica is continuing to provide free at-work charging for employees and guests visiting their sites. The cost of providing

the power has been budgeted using the site-specific adoption models and is recorded automatically using the smart charging dashboard which also provides the data necessary for carbon reporting and CRC offset. These combined actions have led to a 23 per cent reduction in global commercial fleet emissions and a 17 per cent reduction in company car emissions. Overall, carbon emissions across Centrica dropped 27 per cent over the eight-year period. Limitations But what happens when you can’t increase the number of electric vehicles? Constraints on the network are becoming more common due to the high penetration of distributed generation sources on the network. Since companies have been able to sell the inherent capacity of on-site generation through flexibility services (a form of demand side response), the increased number of constrained sites has resulted in projects being scrapped due to the high cost of connecting to the distribution network. The Centrica Business Solutions team, see this all too frequently. Over the last six months, multiple projects have struggled to raise finance due to eye-watering connection costs. The worst to date? £25m for a 1MW export connection, and these figures are becoming all too common place. Solutions The solution to these connection challenges comes in the form of smart energy management behind the meter, and a sophisticated mix of distributed generation, storage and onsite usage designed to maximise the use of flexibility whilst minimising onsite costs. For Centrica’s EV fleet they have implemented smart load balancing for chargers installed on sites where capacity has already exceeded demand in addition to implementing a program to optimise charging to maximise the benefits of on-site generation already installed.

For Centrica, being ahead of the adoption curve has paid dividends. It has allowed them to secure increased capacity at strategic locations, in addition to designing and testing the optimum mix of onsite generation and storage. As a result, full electrification of their fleet will be possible well ahead of their 2030 target Experience and delivery Centrica has been at the forefront of charger installations in the UK since 2012, when there were just 200 registered plug-in vehicles. There are now over 165,000 and in that time, Centrica has established a reputation for quality, strong industry and partner relationships and has an in-depth understanding of the technologies and challenges involved in providing electric vehicle infrastructure solutions. In addition to the end-to end provision of electric vehicle charging solutions, Centrica offers support with developing future-proof charging strategies to identify the most cost-effective charging strategy for your business. Centrica can also support charging implementation with a full solution that stretches from DNO applications, landlord and planning approvals, employee communications, alongside management and provision of local network connection works through its network of ICPs and IDNOs and offers full funding solutions including an all-inclusive lease option. As a global business with a reputation for innovation and excellence, Centrica is one of the few market enterprises that can deliver in-house, end-to-end energy provision for our customers, including energy supply, energy consultancy, system design, funding, solution delivery and on-going operation and maintenance for all your fleet electrification needs. L FURTHER INFORMATION electricvehicleservices@centrica.com, 01302 341 386

Volume 116 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

EV Roundtable

With support from

ROUNDTABLE

Written by John Curtis

THE FUTURE OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES There is massive potential for adopting electric vehicles, but there are genuine barriers to overcome and myths that need busting. This was the message that came from GreenFleet’s roundtable on the Future of Electric Vehicles, held on 17 July at Edgbaston Cricket Ground

How we move people and things around this country has changed little over the last century. Whilst it is true that we have moved from horse drawn carriages to petrol and diesel internal combustion engines, a transport revolution is little more than a pipe dream. Or is it? Following a number of emissions scandals and an increasing awareness of the damage that poor air quality does, vehicle manufacturers have been working hard to develop new models and drivetrains to improve their tarnished reputations and reduce vehicle impacts on communities. The internal combustion engine, which powers the vast majority of the almost 38 million vehicles on Britain’s roads, is significantly more efficient than in years past, which has reduced emissions and

contributed to greater fuel efficiency. Along with government “carrot and stick” policies to incentivise the uptake of clean vehicles and punish those that choose to drive polluting diesels and inefficient gas guzzlers, the prospects for change are good, but more needs to be done and the collective view of the roundtable forum was that collaboration is key to speeding up positive change. The Roundtable was sponsored by sgfleet, the bespoke leasing company, Siemens, the digital pioneers that add value to the power and automation supply chain, and Volvo, the world renowned vehicle manufacturer. The roundtable was attended by representatives from local authorities, businesses and suppliers, all of whom had some experience of utilising electric vehicles within their operations.

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

The discussion was chaired by me, John Curtis, a motoring journalist and specialist in low emission transport. Overcoming barriers The early discussion quickly reached the conclusion that there is massive potential for cleaning fleets and reducing emissions but there were some genuine barriers to adoption and some myths that still need busting. Steve Beattie, head of business sales for Volvo set out clearly the future for his company: “Every new car launched by Volvo from 2019 will have some form of electric element to the drive train.” Steve went on to say that Volvo have set a target of selling one million electrified cars by 2025, 50 per cent of which will be fully electric. Volvo were the first major car manufacturer

Jason is one of the strategy leaders for electric vehicle infrastructure at Siemens Mobility. He started life as a design engineer in the oil industry before transitioning into traffic engineering with Siemens in 2004. Since then he has been involved with a number of traffic projects including congestion charging, smart monitoring cameras, and urban average speed.

GreenFleet Electric Vehicle Roundtable event delegates

EV Roundtable

Jason Stonier, senior product manager, Siemens

Jason Stonier, Siemens

Event Sponsor

Sponsors Jason Stonier, senior product manager, Siemens Nicholas Ebsworth, business development manager, Siemens Dave McDonna, UK sales manager, SG Fleet

The roundtable was attended by representatives from local authorities, businesses and suppliers, all of whom had some experience of utilising electric vehicles within their operations. to commit to their car range being in some way electrified and this has been a shot across the bows of the competition. What Steve conceded though was that the right infrastructure needs to be in place and whilst that happens, many will plump for mild and plug-in hybrid before making the leap to fully electric cars. Volvo also has links to the London Electric Vehicle Company that utilise the XC90 platform for the new electric black cabs. With 28,000 black cabs in London this is a significant and exciting development for the UK. Reaching the point of no return There is that old adage, build it and they will come, but the rate of transfer to electric vehicles has been slower than many had hoped for. However, Dave McDonna, UK sales manager for sgfleet is seeing a tipping point as more enquiries are received from fleet managers exploring new technologies, ways of reducing benefits in kind tax for drivers, and leasing as a way of de-risking their investment. “We are seeing more people want to have tests of electric vehicles and install telemetry to truly understand where electric vehicles can work for them,” he said. The information gleaned from the onboard telemetry can then be used to build the business case for electric vehicles. Using real world data, specific to the routes and operations of each company results in a personalised and bespoke overview providing all the information required to make informed buying decisions. Dave said: “Local authorities and universities are leading the way, as are those businesses where low emission zones are being set up and operated.” One of the issues that is raised time and again is range anxiety, the fear of the battery power running out before the driver reaches their destination. Whilst this is a genuine

Steve Beattie, head of business sales, Volvo

Delegates Richard Galthen, fleet liaison & control officer, Bradford Metropolitan District Council Michael Cook, senior fleet engineer, Babcock International Group

anxiety felt by most new electric vehicle users, it is quickly overcome through driver experience and a little bit of planning. Dominic Moyes, sales director for DG cars, a Nottingham taxi company illustrated the point well. He said: “It’s been an incredible challenge to introduce electric vehicles into the taxi fleet. We bought cars, visited other operators in Newcastle and Dundee and looked at their infrastructure, but naively didn’t look at the infrastructure in Nottingham. The vehicles sat idle for about a year, we incentivised the drivers, reduced their costs and some drivers took them to do up to 150 miles a day. We have now bought some 40kwh Nissan LEAFs and they are a game changer.”

Tony Stuart, head of logistics operations support, Hovis Ltd David Reading, road vehicle compliance manager, Network Rail Andy Wilson, city logistics and public affairs manager, TNT Tony Winterbottom, fleet procurement, Martin Brower

Dominic Moyes, sales director, DG Cars Jargon causing confusion Dominic hit the nail on the head when Annmarie Scott-Reddish, he said that the industry is filled with electric vehicles manager, technical jargon and people that don’t Nottingham City Council speak a simple language that anyone can understand, and this will slow progress. David Ives, fleet manager, There is a lot of confusion out there. Transport for Greater Manchester With approximately one thousand taxis on the road, Dominic said that DG wants Owain Pearce, fleet technical to be seen as forward thinking especially officer, Oxford City Council when bidding for public sector contracts where increasingly environmental impacts Marc Garrett, senior funding are given great weight. DG was also keen advisor, Capita Treasury / to reduce carbon emissions and Link Group keen to take advantage of marketing opportunities as There Tim Cooper, business a clean taxi company. is mass development i v One of the major e potenti director, The AA challenges was the a l for reducin lack of charging g but the emissions infrastructure but over Event re are s time and working g o e chair me nuin with Nottingham John Curtis, adoptioe barriers to City Council this has motoring n a n improved, to the point myths t d some journalist where Nottingham hat nee d is now a Go Ultra Low bus

ting

Volume 116 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

EV Roundtable

With support from

City and been in receipt of in excess of £6m to introduce over 200 charge points and a 45 mile stretch of lanes for ultra low emission vehicles and buses. Quite where those chargers are placed for maximum use and utility is often a tough decision made by individuals doing the best they can but often feeling ill informed and unsure of how to get best value for money.

One of the issues that is raised time and again is range anxiety. Whilst this is a genuine anxiety felt by most new electric vehicle users, it is quickly overcome through driver experience and journey planning 36

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

visit now, normalising the charging process. This supports the view from Siemens that as businesses consolidate, mobility may become the service people seek rather than the current disjointed offering from multiple suppliers. What has yet to be addressed however, is the potential problems electric vehicles may cause the power networks if usage causes Event Sponsor

Nicholas Ebsworth, business development manager, Siemens Nick has been with Siemens for 14 years, designing, building and testing traffic controllers, VMS signs and urban traffic control systems. He has been an EV charging technical specialist (EV-geek) for the last five years and has a passion for delivering reliable charging technology to empower EV drivers.

Nicholas Ebsworth, Siemens

Trends Tim Cooper, Business Development Director for the AA brought to the table some very interesting stats from the AA’s monthly member survey, which asks a wide range of questions of its members. The results showed that 85 per cent of members say there are not enough chargers; 75 per cent say electric vehicles (EV) don’t go far enough (range anxiety); and 76 per cent say they are too expensive. What’s more, 66 per cent say that an EV takes too long to charge and 67 per cent say there is not a sufficient variety of vehicles to choose from. Jason Stonier from Siemens explained that Infrastructure is key to overcoming range anxiety and that the suite of data systems and equipment that Siemens provide

has helped many businesses to reach the right decision for them and make the best procurement and operational decisions. Jason said: “Increasingly people are not buying a car, they are buying mobility, and the younger generation, especially, don’t care how they get it”. What we need to see is a simplification of the current situation of multiple chargepoint providers and operators and a system of interoperability which means you use one card to pay for any mode of transport and payment in order to be mobile. It is desirable to use contactless payment and possibly app based access to reserve chargers, pay and monitor your account. Siemens continue to deliver major infrastructure projects for public charging, despite 80 per cent of charging taking place at home or work. Jason went on to say “public chargers give people confidence but within two weeks of owning an EV, range anxiety disappears completely”. BP have recently announced an intention to buy Chargemaster, the UK’s largest public charging network, and this will place charging infrastructure on the forecourt of most towns, cities and roads in places that we all

Steve Beattie, head of business sales, Volvo Car UK

Dave McDonna, UK sales manager, SG Fleet

Steve Beattie is head of business sales of Volvo Car UK and responsible for overseeing all of Volvoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fleet and corporate sales. Steve has considerable sector experience and heads up the team at Volvo as they grow sales volumes within the business sales market in the UK.

Dave has worked in the fleet sector for 14 years in various roles, encompassing account management, consultancy and new business roles. He has extensive experience in policy review and creation, financial impact planning and both operational and employee benefit scheme design.

Volume 116 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

EV Roundtable

Event Sponsor

Dave McDonna, SG Fleet

GreenFleet 117, out in September, will include the findings from the afternoon session at the GreenFleet Roundtable. L

Event Sponsor

Steve Beattie, Volvo Car UK

spikes in demand. However, the consensus was that with Smart Grid technology, able to take and return power from the national grid and renewable sources, much of the fear about the lights going out when everyone plugs in their electric car is hype. Often getting power to a site in order to install chargers can be a practical challenge and also a costly exercise as Nottingham Council has discovered, which adds cost and delay to an already challenging project. What came out loud and clear from the first part of the day was that collaboration and information sharing is critical to overcoming both perceived and real hurdles. Customers, be they individuals or businesses, find it difficult to get impartial, accurate advice and support to enable projects to be delivered effectively and efficiently. In order to shorten the introduction time and smooth operations it was agreed that working together across business and the industry is key.

Electric Vehicles

Top five myths about electric vehicles busted Research published by Go Ultra Low has revealed that there is a huge amount of misunderstanding within the British public when it comes to pure electric cars, with many unaware of the benefits around performance, charging and cost. Go Ultra Low busts the top five myths surrounding electric vehicles One of the biggest areas of confusion highlighted in Go Ultra Low’s research is whether you can put an electric car through a car wash. While there is no problem doing so, 42 per cent of Brits admitted they aren’t sure if this is an option for pure electric cars. As well as this, half of Brits (52 per cent) think they wouldn’t be able to describe what a pure electric car is to someone else. Underestimating the performance is also commonplace. Nearly half (47 per cent) think a petrol or diesel car accelerates quicker than a pure electric, even though, in many cases, the opposite is true. When it comes to cost, one in four (25 per cent) Brits think that, over the lifetime of the car, maintenance costs are higher for pure electric cars than they are for petrol or diesel, when in fact a pure

electric can cost around 70 per cent less. Brits also believe it’s significantly more expensive to charge one than it actually is. On average, people think it costs £21.54 to fully charge a pure electric car, even though charging at home could cost as little as £3.643. Most underestimate the number of models available for purchase – the average Brit thinks there are just nine models currently available in the UK, nearly half the correct figure (17) – and 42 per cent of Brits think there are fewer than 15,000 pure electric cars on UK roads when there are already nearly 40,000. Many Brits don’t realise how many charge points there are throughout the UK. On average they think there are only 6,000 charge point connectors, when actually there are more

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than twice that amount, at around 17,000. There’s also confusion about the different methods for charging a pure electric car – over a quarter don’t realise you can charge an electric car through a charge point installed at home (29 per cent). Poppy Welch, head of Go Ultra Low, said: “The research shows that there is much confusion and misunderstanding with the British public when it comes to pure electric cars. Over half of those surveyed don’t feel confident describing a pure electric car to another person and many aren’t aware of the many benefits electric cars can bring. Pure electric car drivers benefit from lower running costs, convenient charging and high-performance driving, all while producing no tailpipe emissions and helping to improve local air quality. Dispelling these misconceptions and highlighting these perks is therefore vital if we are to see more motorists make the switch to electric motoring.” To combat the amount of misinformation on EVs, Go Ultra Low has published myth busting information. 1.Myth: Pure electric cars are slow Actually, electric cars are quicker off the mark While 47 per cent of people think that petrol or diesel cars accelerate faster than pure electric, actually the opposite is true. Because an electric motor can generate power quicker than an internal combustion engine, most pure electric cars accelerate quicker than a petrol or diesel equivalent. The 2018 Nissan Leaf accelerates from 0-60mph in just 7.4 seconds. 2. Myth: They’re too expensive Actually, an electric car could save you money.

Go Ultra Low figures have revealed that the first half of 2018 saw 28,054 ULEVs registered to drivers, a 25 per cent increase on the same period in 2017 – which was the most successful year-to-date for the plug-in car market. The figures also show that the overall number of pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles registered has risen every month so far this year, with one being registered every nine minutes in the UK Plug-in hybrids delivered the highest volume of registrations, with more than 21,000 having arrived on UK roads in 2018 so far. Meanwhile, the Nissan LEAF continues to be the most popular pure electric car. A further 1,501 took to the roads in Q2, taking the total number of new LEAF registrations in 2018 to 3,511. The latest figures reveal an increasing appetite for pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles amongst private and

Pure electric cars may have higher upfront purchase costs, however you could actually save around £650 a year in tax and fuel if you choose pure electric over petrol or diesel. And, with maintenance costs also around 70 per cent less over a car’s lifetime, when it comes to your wallet, going electric is a no brainer. The government also provides a grant of up to £4,500 off the purchase of eligible pure electric cars.

Electric Vehicles

ULEV market grows 25 per cent in first half of 2018

business motorists. Following a strong performance in the first three months of the year, the second quarter of 2018 saw a further 14,655 cars find homes, a 10 per cent increase on Q1. This takes the total number of pure electric and plug-in hybrid cars registered to date to 161,409. Driven largely by London, the South East is the region where new registrations have been highest; 9,880 pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles were registered here in the first six months of this year, 36 per cent of the total number. The South West meanwhile has 4,003, the West Midlands has 3,890, East Anglia has 2,487 and Yorkshire has 1,941.

3. Myth: There aren’t enough public charge points There are plenty of places to charge your electric car. The average Brit thinks there are only 6,000 charge point connectors in the UK, when in fact there are more than double this, at 16,738. As well as this, there are rapid chargers at more than 96 per cent of Motorway Service Areas, and the UK has one the largest rapid charge networks in Europe. 4. Myth: There are only a few models to choose from Not anymore; there’s now an electric car for everyone. When it comes to buying pure electric cars, people don’t realise how much choice there is. Go Ultra Low’s research reveals that the average person thinks there are nine models to choose from, but in fact there are now 17 pure electric car models available for purchase in the UK. 5. Myth: Pure electric cars are a technology for the future Here in the UK, the switch to electric has already begun Though the average person in the UK thinks that pure electric cars are still a novelty on our roads, many motorists are already driving zero emission electric cars. There are nearly 40,000 already on the roads today and this figure is on the rise – around 6,000 have already been registered in the first five months of this year. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.goultralow.com

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The government’s Road to Zero strategy revealed its vision for an electric vehicle charging infrastructure that meets the needs of plug-in vehicles and their drivers. Matthew Trevaskis, head of EVs at the Renewable Energy Association, shares his thoughts

they can just put extra fuel in it at the company’s expense. The car will then work just like a (non plug-in) hybrid. Technology neutral The technology neutral approach of the government towards what kind of vehicles and drivetrains will ‘win out’ means that the targets for zero emission vehicles (or the degree of zero emission running) is woolly and lacks concrete detail. There was however, more vision around the need for infrastructure to meet the needs of these vehicles and drivers. The consideration of requiring all new build homes with parking to be ‘EV ready’ means that it will be an easier choice for motorists to choose a plug-in vehicle. This should encompass those living in apartment blocks (e.g. with underground car parking) and those with reserved spaces – even where the charging point may not be directly fed from the home. A dedicated charging point on a reserved space will likely be the favoured route but

Written by Matthew Trevaskis, head of electric vehicles, Renewable Energy Association

In July, the government published its long‑awaited Road To Zero strategy, setting out the intentions to drive down vehicle emissions over the coming decades. It included a raft of measures including increasing the content of low carbon fuels for conventional vehicles and tackling emissions from HGVs. But with regard to getting cleaner cars and vans, it relied on the promotion of ULEVs (Ultra Low Emission Vehicles) without really quantifying what that will come to mean compared to today’s technology. Many consider the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) as a transitionary technology that can offer ‘the best of both worlds’ – the capability of running as zero emission (for a limited range) but without the hindrance of relying upon charging infrastructure. The reality is that many of these achieve poor fuel economy (often worse than the vehicles they replace) since the company car driver choosing them is often doing regular longer journeys. To be an effective emissions reducer, a significant number of PHEV journeys should be within the electric range (typically less than 25 miles) and the vehicle should be recharged – although it can continue to function without being plugged in. With a lot of company car drivers choosing a PHEV for the BIK savings, there is also little incentive to charge the vehicle at home, using their own electricity, when

other innovations such as a ‘hub’ of charging points may equally well provide the facility. There’s also mention given to all new street lamps incorporating charging points – following trials in parts of London – to meet the needs of urban dwellers that park on the street. Whilst this seems logical, there may be issues with taking this to scale such as the spacing of street lamps not being as frequent as parking spaces and there may not be a need anyway. Back in February, the Office for Low Emission Vehicles, wrote to local authorities across the UK, encouraging them to take advantage of the on-street charging point grant scheme – to fit kerbside charging for residents in this kind of situation. This fund is only accessible to local authorities (LA) but doesn’t cover the entire cost of the works, so there is a potential barrier. But this does not necessarily have to be met by the LA itself. This could be from the charging hardware manufacturer or operator. In response to this, and having been asked to comment on coverage in the media, I conducted a little informal research of my own. Social media is awash with ‘EV owner’s groups’ for various models of EVs and PHEVs, some with an international reach, some with a country focus I created a quick poll on one UK group which showed that whilst ‘classic’ home charging on a driveway (or in a garage) was still by far the most common, a significant proportion – around 20 out of 170 respondents – relied solely on ‘away from home’ charging, be it at work, whilst shopping or even making one or two specific trips each week to visit a rapid charger to get enough ‘juice’ into their car for another few days, in as little as 20 minutes.

EV Charging

The UK’s charging ambitions

Expanded ranges Existing EVs from the volume manufacturers have had battery capacities touching in the 20-40kWh bracket. New vehicles are now coming to market with more energy dense batteries far exceed this. The Hyundai Kona EV now has 64kWh as the larger of the two battery options, good for a real world 200 miles, even at speed.The new Jaguar i-Pace meanwhile sports a 90kWh battery. On many days, the average motorist will not require a full charge and will also have flexibility as to when they charge to achieve lower costs, often linked to lower carbon electricity generation – either direct from microgeneration or via the grid. In the short term, the drivers of these new generation vehicles should be aware that whilst the extra range makes longer journeys more viable and less stressful, there is a limiting factor in the majority E

The propos al requirin g build h all new parkingomes with ready’ m to be ‘EV it will b eans that choose e easier to a plu vehicle g-in

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DDR Electrical is meeting the increasing demand for charge points in rural areas across Yorkshire and beyond DDR Electrical, based in rural Leyburn, North Yorkshire, is already dispelling the myth that the demand for electrical vehicle charging points (EVCP) is purely in towns and cities. Managing director, Steve Geater and the team are qualified for the design & installation of EVCP, accredited installers with OLEV and registered for both the Workplace Charging and Home Charge Schemes. Although not based in a city, DDR’s location provides easy access to the A1 enabling the team to support an increasing demand in towns & rural areas across Yorkshire & Co Durham, travelling east to Scarborough and west to Kendal in Cumbria. A lot of work takes them into York, Harrogate and Leeds, & they are now seeing the demand increasing within the Yorkshire Dales area. Rural hotels and holiday cottages, especially those of higher quality and/or have a sustainable strategy, are taking the opportunity to become EV ready for both their own business and to enable more of their guests to explore the beautiful countryside. For example, Cottage in the Dales, luxury award-winning holiday cottages in the Yorkshire Dales National Park,

were introduced by DDR Electrical to the government schemes & recommended the most appropriate EVCP, enabling them to widen their reach to potential guests as part of their Green Tourism accreditation. They subsequently bought a hybrid Mini Countryman as their local run-around car to service their cottages, which is also a 4x4, a winter necessity. “With no knowledge & a myriad of ECVP to choose from, we really appreciated Steve’s product & finance guidance, enabling an easy decision. With each cottage being Grade II listed, the installation sites had to be subtle and practical for use by ourselves and our guests,” commented Diane Howarth, director of Cottage in the Dales. “A regular maintenance journey now costs us 75p instead of £5 and a new guest found us via the ‘ZapMap’ app and booked a holiday. A great measurable return on investment already.” DDR have chosen to install the EO and Rolec EVCP and recently the Zappi from myenergi, enabling charging directly from solar PV. DDR is also adding a fully electric van to its own fleet to practise what they preach, thereby dispelling any concerns that some potential customers have about

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driving an EV in more rural areas. “This increase in rural uptake, alongside the town-based business, is growing steadily, helped further with the government’s increased Workplace Charging Scheme grant, helping businesses and us,” commented Steve. FURTHER INFORMATION www.ddrelectricalltd.co.uk 01969 622260 07875 196903

EV Charging

 of rapid charging network. The existing motorway network by Ecotricity and other networks including Polar (by Chargemaster, recently bought by BP) provide a maximum of 50kW charging. The newer vehicles can accept higher charge rates if available from the new generation of 150kW+ chargers now becoming commercially available. Upgrades to existing infrastructure are expected, but until that happens charging a 90kWh battery from a 50kW charger will take around 90 minutes for an 80 per cent recharge. Looking towards the future of 350kW charging on upcoming vehicles, including the Porsche Taycan, previously known under the project name of Mission E, National Grid are planning to enable partners to connect directly to the high voltage transmission grid – as opposed to the lower voltage distribution grid provided by the Distribution Network Operators – to allow significant numbers of parallel, high powered chargers, such as ten 350kW, on each side of a motorway services. Practical next steps for fleets HMRC recently announced that they would not treat electricity provided at work for recharging vehicles as a Benefit In Kind. This means that charging facilities installed for staff to recharge their vehicles could be ‘dumb’ without any means to record usage to attribute to users later. How long that policy will stay in place, if the market for EVs grows quickly, suggests

that it may be prudent to choose charging hardware that at least has the ability to record and attribute energy drawn by a particular car or driver – even if this is not required immediately. Moving to ‘smarter’ networked and connected charging points

signals if there are limitations on the local grid. Smart charging is currently under consultation by the government. Likewise, providing company car/van drivers, with an appropriate home charging point that can also report usage back to the

Looking towards the future of 350kW charging on upcoming vehicles, including the Porsche Taycan, National Grid are planning to enable partners to connect directly to the high voltage transmission grid – as opposed to the lower voltage distribution grid provided by the Distribution Network Operators – to allow significant numbers of parallel chargers also allows for local load management where many more charging points can be provided than there is power to use in parallel, since they can be controlled to direct charge towards vehicles in more urgent need. This will also enable the fleet to respond to grid signals to govern when the majority of charging happens – this will likely be price signals and/or control

company and allow the driver to reclaim energy costs, will incentivise drivers to maximise the environmental benefit of their vehicle, especially PHEVs, to recharge when they have the opportunity. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.r-e-a.net

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Industry Comment Written by Jon Lawes, managing director, Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions

Time to start your journey to zero emissions today Between climate change and air pollution, there’s no doubt about the need to reduce vehicle emissions. In recent years, it’s become a hot topic in politics, the media and our industry. So what can fleets do to make the transition to zero or low emission vehicles?

Indeed, it seems like barely a week goes by without another major announcement on this subject – whether it’s a manufacturer declaring that they will no longer sell diesel cars in Europe, a local council proposing new policies to deter the most polluting vehicles, or the Treasury consulting on tax changes to incentivise low-emission vehicles. Policymakers at every level – local, national and global – are introducing measures designed to accelerate the transition to low-emission transport. The Mayor of London is introducing an Ultra Low Emission Zone next year, and intends to follow it with Zero Emission Zones from 2020. Councils around the country are drawing up plans for new Clean Air Zones, which may include restrictions or fees on the dirtiest vehicles. The government raised taxes on new diesel cars in April, and has now published its ‘Road to Zero’ strategy for reducing road transport emissions. Meanwhile, the European Union has introduced the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure, or WLTP, which will be mandatory for all new cars as of 1 September. This will change the way carbon dioxide emission figures are calculated, and may result in new cars falling into different bands for the purposes of Company Car Tax, first-year Vehicle Excise Duty and capital allowances. With so much changing, fleets cannot afford to stand still. Now is the time to start your journey to zero emissions. Making the move to electric For many fleets, that journey will ultimately involve a transition to electric vehicles. And the good news is that EV options are improving all the time. Manufacturers are continuously developing new and better models of plug-in cars that can go further on a single charge. Electric vans are becoming increasingly popular, too: there are now several models available with ranges of over 100 miles. British company Tevva has even begun to convert existing HGVs to run on electricity,

and offers conversions of new trucks up to 18 tonnes to be fully electric. Both Daimler and Tesla have unveiled their own versions of electric truck, each with projected ranges of over 200 miles. Of course, electric vehicles need somewhere to be charged – and here too there is welcome progress. According to Zap Map, there are now more than 16,800 public charge points at over 5,800 locations around the UK, and the government is offering grants to help individuals and businesses install private ones. Nevertheless, more investment is needed in both technology and infrastructure before electric vehicles become a viable option for all fleets. Electrification isn’t the only alternative fuel But switching to electric vehicles isn’t the only way for fleets to reduce their emissions. Other alternative fuels – including gas, biodiesel and hydrogen – all offer green solutions too, particularly for HGVs and specialist vehicles. A lot depends on your vehicles’ journey profiles. Small electric vans might be most suitable for deliveries within towns and cities, for example, while other fuels may be preferable for larger trucks that do longer journeys. And don’t forget about petrol and diesel, either. New internal combustion engines are becoming much cleaner and more fuel-efficient than they used to be, so upgrading your fleet can reduce both your emissions and your fuel costs. As an added benefit, the newest Euro 6/VI-compliant vehicles won’t have to pay to drive in London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone or any of the Clean Air Zones being introduced around the country. It’s not all about alternative fuels There are also other, less obvious ways to reduce your emissions. By using telematics to monitor and analyse your drivers’ behaviour and providing extra training to those who need it, you can help them to drive more fuel-efficiently. And you can make a big difference by implementing best practice across your fleet when it comes to vehicle maintenance, such as looking after tyres properly. In fact, making sure all your tyres are inflated to the right pressure and have the right tread depth is important for both environmental and safety reasons. And then there are the bespoke products that reduce a car’s emissions. AdBlue is an exhaust additive that transforms a

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

Jon Lawes

Jon Lawes, managing director of Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions Jon has more than 20 years’ experience in the fleet and leasing industry, and became Divisional Managing Director of Hitachi Capital Commercial Vehicle Solutions in 2006. In 2015, Jon was made Managing Director of Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions, which covers all assets from cars to plant equipment. He has recently completed 3-years as Chairperson of the BVRLA’s Commercial Vehicle Committee and sits on the overall board of the BVRLA. In addition, Jon is also a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

diesel car’s harmful NOx emissions into harmless water and nitrogen. CGON, meanwhile, is a unit that can be added to a petrol or diesel car. It generates its own hydrogen which mixes with the normal fuel to burn off most of the pollutants. So, remember: the journey to zero emissions won’t be completed overnight, and it’s not all about switching to electric vehicles immediately. It requires an intelligent, pragmatic approach that takes into account all the relevant factors, from your operational requirements to forthcoming policy changes. It’s time to begin. L FURTHER INFORMATION To discover more about how Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions supports fleets on the road to zero emissions, please visit: www.hitachicapitalvehiclesolutions. co.uk/Insights and get in contact with our expert consultants.

Feature Technology Battery Heading

The push for greater adoption of hybrid and electric vehicles has focused attention on battery technologies. So what does the future look like for electric battery technology, and what challenges need to be overcome? The future battery industry is likely to be much more complex than that of the past. Partnerships between existing players and new entrants, as well as different types of organisations, from battery manufacturers to automotive companies, are becoming vital to innovation and success. The last two years have seen over $13.7 billion in battery-related investments and acquisitions – such as Tesla/Panasonic building a 35 GWh ‘gigafactory’ to produce batteries, Total acquiring Saft for $1.1 billion and Daimler planning $1.1 billion of investment over the next five years. The pace of investment is ever-increasing – in June 2018 alone, energy giant BP announced it had bought Chargemaster, the UK’s largest charging company, while Jaguar Land Rover said it would invest $18 billion in new products over the next three years, a substantial percentage of which would be EV-related. At the same time, current technologies are not enough to unleash the full potential of electric vehicles – innovation is required to drive the improved performance and price necessary for subsidy-free,

mass-market adoption of EVs. Based on industry-expert assessments, at Arthur D. Little we estimate that to make EVs price‑competitive with internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles without requiring subsidies, battery packs need to cost $100/ kWh. Yet, current lowest-cost estimates put prices between $190 and $250/kWh. So, what will the winning strategies be, in terms of both companies and partnerships and future technologies? Looking specifically at the automotive market, we can draw four key conclusions. There will be no single solution It is vital to understand that the battery market is made up of multiple applications, each with different and very specific needs. That means, in our view, that no single technology is likely to ultimately dominate the industry at large. This is true within automotive. For example, it is easy to overlook that the biggest battery application is still starter, lighting & ignition (SLI) for every vehicle with an internal combustion engine. And this broadly relies on the same lead-acid technology used within the first rechargeable

Written by By Kurt Baes, Michael Kolk, Florence Carlot, Adnan Merhaba and Yuma Ito, Arthur D. Little

The rising complexity of the battery industry

battery, which was invented in 1859. Different sub-sectors in the EV market also have distinct requirements. With hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), the smaller relative capacity of the batteries makes energy density and capital cost less relevant. However, as the battery is charged and discharged frequently and powerfully through braking, it has to have high power density, extremely short charging time, and a long cycle lifetime, which requires thousands of cycles. Compared to HEVs, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) has a battery that can also be charged by plugging into an external electricity source. These typically have much larger capacity, enabling the vehicle to drive fully electric for short distances. This leads to requirements for lower capital cost and better energy density, while power density and cycle lifetime are of less concern. Full EVs no longer have ICEs, and thus require much larger batteries to deliver sufficient range for drivers, which makes capital cost and energy density their most important needs. EVs also require batteries with high reliability (as the vehicle can no longer fall back on the ICE) and good cycle lifetimes of around 1,000 cycles, which enable them to last for the same mileage as the rest of the car components. Commercial EVs such as e-buses typically have increased safety needs, as the battery systems are large and the impact of a thermal runaway (battery meltdown) can be severe. Cycle lifetime is also of more importance than in PHEVs and EVs, as the buses are charged at least daily. In the case of buses for which fast charging is required, they can be fully charged multiple times a day, which makes cycle lifetime even more important. Innovation takes time Currently, lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries dominate the automotive EV market and have seen rapid improvements in performance and cost due to a combination of greater economies of scale and increased research and development. However, there are still E

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Remove the administrative burden whilst still maintaining an effective management of your fleet My Fleet Manager Online is a cloud based fleet system that is tailored to enable you, as a customer, to manage your company fleet. My Fleet Manager Online offers a full reporting suite, incorporating date alerts for vehicles and a driver portal for your company vehicle and grey fleet drivers. The management of any fleet and travel policy is an involved role. For many businesses, large and small, simply determining the best way forward can prove a tricky decision. Whether you employ a dedicated fleet manager, bolt the role on to another specialist from departments such as HR, procurement, finance and facilities management or even make it the responsibility of a director, you will need outside involvement. Using My Fleet Manager Online is going to remove the administrative burden whilst still maintaining an effective management of your fleet and travel policy. No more piles of paper or numerous spreadsheets, no need to set calendar reminders – My Fleet Manager Online will take care of as much or as little as you need. Irrespective of funding method or funding supplier, all your vehicles can be managed under one, easy to use, fleet management

platform. Through its single supply of fleet management services, My Fleet Manager Online will help you ensure your employee travel policy is compliant, efficient and competitively priced. Its services include all aspects of company leased vehicles, personal leases, salary sacrifice, short term rental solutions, maintenance solutions, grey fleet management and many other services. As we embrace the growth in the use of technology, the firm also believes in retaining that personal touch, with every client having a dedicated account manager. And whether you are running five or 500 vehicles, the company will work with you to create a cost effective bespoke fleet management solution.

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My Fleet Manager Online will free up time in the management of your company vehicles and drivers, allowing the time for your business to concentrate on its core activities. Using a smaller fleet management specialist will mean you are dealing with a business and people who take the time and care to understand your business. To arrange an initial discussion with a local consultant, please contact a member of the team on the details below. FURTHER INFORMATION 0330 332 6136 info@myfleetmanageronline.co.uk www.myfleetmanageronline.co.uk

Battery Technology

 burning unmet needs. Next‑generation technologies are required to deliver a step change in performance of key battery characteristics. A lot is happening here. Our recent analyses of hundreds of battery-related start-ups have revealed that a host of technologies using alternative materials are being developed. Within the Li-ion space this is primarily focused on three areas: silica anodes, advanced cathodes and solid-state electrolytes. The solid-state electrolyte is the strongest contender for innovation. It replaces the current electrolyte system, unlocking the use of new cell components and delivering benefits in terms of greater energy density and improved battery safety. The most likely result of this innovation will be the emergence of a next generation of solid-state Li-ion technologies, starting in high‑end consumer electronics and then gradually spreading to EVs. This will take time – it is worth remembering that while Li-ion batteries currently dominate the EV market, the previous generation of NiMH batteries are not only still being produced, but also expected to remain available for another five to 10 years. Partnerships are crucial We are seeing the rise of a complex series of ecosystems, which is also demonstrated

by a threefold increase in patent filings – up from 35,000 in 2010 to nearly 93,000 in 2016. A growing number of these are joint filings between research institutions, companies developing battery technology, and businesses using battery technology within applications, such as automotive, electronic devices and utilities. This means that companies, whether new entrants or existing businesses, face significant risks if they are to successfully carve out market positions. While these risks vary depending on the companies’ positions in the value chain, victorious players will need to manage their way through complex ecosystems, pick the right technologies to back, secure necessary knowledge and intellectual property, and ensure that they can operate at scale in their chosen areas. This must all be done within a traditionally conservative and risk-averse industry. The risks are high Not all players in the battery market will be successful in terms of both technology choices and partnering strategies. Some parts of the value chain, such as battery cell manufacturing, have repeatedly seen operating margins fall below zero, driven by a need to build strong positions for the future, particularly through long-term agreements with automotive manufacturers.

And while the current increase in Li-ion production is lowering prices, this is a double-edged sword. It helps meet existing demand, but lengthens the commercialisation time for new technologies, as these have to have their costs reduced further in order to become economically viable. Conclusion The accelerating adoption of hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs) is focusing enormous attention on battery technologies. We’re currently in the midst of an enormous boom in battery investment, with a huge range of players, from start‑ups to existing manufacturers, automotive companies, energy suppliers and chemicals companies all spending heavily in order to meet predicted demand. The winners will benefit from substantial market share in a growing sector, while the losers will risk their very survival. Expect many more announcements and increased investment, particularly as the EV market accelerates ahead of regulatory deadlines that mandates zero-emission vehicles. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.adlittle.co.uk

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Road Test

ROAD TEST

Kia Optima Sportswagon 2.0 GDI PHEV Auto The Optima Sportswagon PHEV is Kia’s fourth alternatively-fuelled car in the UK and its second plug-in. Richard Gooding sees how it balances economy, value and practicality Kia Optima Sportswagon 2.0 GDI PHEV Auto ENGINE:

1,999cc four-cylinder petrol, 50kW electric motor and 11.26kWh lithium-ion battery

CO2:

33g/km

NOx:

2mg/km

Written by Richard Gooding

MPG (combined): GF MPG:

201.8 69.1

VED:

£0 first-year, £130 thereafter

BIK:

13%

PRICE (OTR): £32,645 (including VAT and government PiCG) What is it? The Kia Optima has been around for almost two decades, and in that time, has evolved to offer premium quality at a lower price. Initially based on the Hyundai Sonata, Kia’s D-segment challenger has also been known as the Magentis, but in 2010 officially adopted the Optima name globally. This third-generation car first introduced the idea of an Optima Hybrid in 2011, a model which is now a permanent mainstay in the South Korean manufacturer’s range. The fourth and current-generation Optima arrived in 2016, and brought with it a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version, complete with a 50kW electric motor and 9.8kWh battery pack, which gave up to 33 miles of zero-emission range. CO2 emissions were a commendably low 37g/km. The Sportswagon (SW) estate version debuted in 2016, with a plug-in hybrid model added to the line-up in March 2018, and it’s this car we test here. How does it drive? Just with other Optimas, be they saloons or Sportswagons, the PHEV version of Kia’s load lugger has an air of handsome smartness about it. Distinguished from its non-plug-in sisters by metallic blue accents on the front grille, side sills and lower front bumper, there are ‘ECO plug-in’ badges on

the tailgate and front wings. The charging port and flap is on the nearside front wing. A rear spoiler and aerodynamically reprofiled front and rear bumpers help the Optima Sportswagon PHEV cleave through the air more efficiently, while an active air grille flap helps air pass over and around the car more economically and also lowers the drag coefficient to 0.28 – 0.1 lower than the diesel-engined Optima Sportswagons. Inside, the Sportswagon shares the standard Optima’s cabin, and it’s a very comfortable and impressive place to be. Over £35,000 may sound like a lot for a Kia, but, quality really does touch on more premium rivals, and the leather-finish dashboard and overall excellent cabin ergonomics really are up there with more expensive competitors. At almost five metres long, the Kia is a big beast, but that means there is masses of rear legroom and an equally large boot. With the rear seats in place, there is 440 litres of luggage capacity, which rises to 1,574 litres when the seats are folded. The charging cables are stored in bags under the luggage net in the boot, take up very little room. On the road, the Optima Sportswagon PHEV is as supremely refined as you’d expect from a petrol-electric hybrid. There’s barely any wind or road noise, and the big Kia is one of the most relaxing plug-ins to drive. Like the Hyundai Ioniq, it uses a six-speed automatic gearbox rather than a CVT system favoured by other manufacturers, which means it makes smooth progress, transferring its power to the road with little fuss. There’s a combined system output of 202bhp and 276lb ft/375Nm of torque from its 2.0-litre petrol engine, 50kW electric motor and

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11.26kWh lithium-polymer battery, and Kia quotes an official 0 to 62mph time of 9.4 seconds. It doesn’t feel especially fast in ‘HEV’ hybrid mode, but it does move along nicely in ‘EV’ mode. As with other PHEVs, choose the hybrid mode for longer journeys and motorway cruises, and prioritise EV running for shorter, urban journeys. Comfort is key when it comes to the Optima Sportswagon PHEV’s ride and handling. The additional 110kg of weight due to the battery pack has resulted in specially tuned suspension and larger brakes, but the plug-in large Kia always feels more relaxed when it’s not being hustled through the corners. Instead, it’s best to let passengers enjoy its cosseting and comfortable ride. How economical is it? Kia quotes an official – and weighted – 201.8mpg on the combined cycle when using the full hybrid set-up, which of course means making judicious use of charging and plugging the car in whenever you can. Of course, driving short distances around urban areas, you may never need to start the combustion engine, and thanks to the Optima Sportswagon PHEV’s ‘ECO-DAS’ (Economy Driver Assistance System), pure electric running can be specified using the ‘EV’ mode when there is enough charge in the batteries. The big Kia has an all-electric range of up to 38 miles. During our time with the car, there was certainly enough range for an all-electric 25-mile commute. Further ‘Eco’ and ‘Normal’ modes allow for maximum energy efficiency or more performance. A regenerative braking system puts charge back into the battery pack via

Along with the Optima and Optima Sportswagon PHEVs, Kia also offers the Niro Hybrid and Niro Plug-in Hybrid crossover. But it’s good news for EV devotees, as Kia’s only pure electric vehicle, the Soul EV, will be joined by an all-electric version of the Niro later in the year. The Niro EV will enjoy its European debut at the Paris motor show in September 2018, and will feature 39.2kWh and 64kWh lithium-polymer battery pack options. Sharing the powertrain options with sister company Hyundai’s Kona EV, the zero-emission Niro promises ranges of between 186 and 279 miles. As well as a more usable real‑world range, the Niro EV will also be offered with a 100kW charging capacity, twice that of today’s rapid chargers on the public charging networks. This will mean that 80 per cent of the Niro EV’s battery capacity can be replenished in just 54 minutes. Roll-out of the latest all-electric Kia will start with Korea in the second half of 2018, with other markets to follow.

the recuperation of kinetic energy, while takes the price down to £32,645. It takes an intelligent heating, ventilation and equipment highlights from the diesel-powered air conditioning (HVAC) system also ‘2’, ‘3’, and ‘GT-Line S’ Sportswagon models saves battery power. Similar to that elsewhere in the range, and is therefore in the Soul EV, it allows for only the a very well kitted out car. Included in the driver’s side of the car to be heated or price are items such as 17-inch alloy wheels, cooled to maximise energy usage. an auto-dimming rear view mirror, cruise An ‘HEV’ mode balances the use of the control, an electrically-adjustable driver’s electric motor and the petrol engine for seat (with heating on both front seats), a combination of electric and internal an eight-inch colour touchscreen satellite combustion power. It prioritises the petrol navigation infotainment system with Android engine to power the car, and Auto/Apple CarPlay/Bluetooth and constantly tops up the batteries USB connectivity, a wireless for later use. Rather obviously, smartphone charger and s t I this can increase fuel a reversing camera. consumption, though, The plug-in Optima low CO2f just and when solely running Sportswagon also o s n on petrol propulsion, receives a 490W, emissioensures the Kia quotes a figure of eight-speaker m n k o / 33g rtswag t 54.3mpg. Over 257 premium-sounding o p S a miles of testing – in very Harman Kardon Optim ts the lowes cold conditions – we sound system with ttrac e vehicle a averaged 69.1mpg. eight speakers. possibl e duty The Sportswagon Safety kit is high, s i exc PHEV’s infotainment system too, with lane‑keeping shows all sorts of helpful assistance, speed limit read-outs to guide economy and information and tyre pressure the display ahead of the driver even monitoring systems all fitted as shows a graphic which tells of ‘Economical’, standard. Kia also throws in its Connected ‘Normal’ or ‘Aggressive’ driving styles, as Services package powered by TomTom well as range left in both the battery pack for seven years, which provides live and the combined petrol-electric distance. traffic updates, speed camera alerts, local point-of-interest, and weather reports. What does it cost? With just the one high-end specification, the How much does it cost to tax? Optima Sportswagon 2.0 GDi PHEV Auto Its low CO2 emissions of just 33g/km ensures starts from £35,145 ‘on the road’. It does the Optima Sportswagon attracts the lowest qualify for the government’s £2,500 Plug-in possible vehicle excise duty, making it Car Grant (PiCG) discount, though, which particularly suitable for fleet drivers who are

Road Test

Crossing over to electric: Kia Niro EV

looking to save on both their carbon output and pocket. In the first year, the Optima SW PHEV is cost-free to tax, while in the second year and the years thereafter, the big Kia invites a £10 ‘alternatively-fuelled’ discount, which takes the cost down to £130. Benefit in Kind is also correspondingly low at 13 per cent, compared to the 27 to 29 per cent rates of the diesel-engined Optima SWs. These are, obviously, also more expensive when it comes to VED, typically costing £205 in the first year and the same £140 as the PHEV thereafter. Why does my fleet need one? The Kia Optima Sportswagon 2.0 GDi PHEV Auto is a car built to exacting standards, packing lots of useful – and fuel saving – technology. Its high levels of comfort and usability would fit into your life very easily, and its quietly handsome looks pull off the joint trick of being discreet and appealing. A more value-driven alternative to premium-priced rivals, the plug-in Optima Sportswagon is both a relaxed and practical machine, and its lower tax implications means it’s easier on the fleet driver’s pocket, too. Kia’s seven-year/100,000-mile warranty and fixed-cost ‘Care-3’ and ‘Care-3 Plus’ servicing packages are also impressive. And that sums up the car as a whole. As a car which plays a part in Kia’s 2020 aim to lower its fleet CO2 emissions by 25 per cent, and hopes to offer a cost-effective and tempting package, it succeeds on both fronts. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.kia.com/uk/

Volume 116 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

ESS18adsHP.qxp_Layout 1 21/12/2017 17:53 Page 5

The Emergency Services Show bravery A unique event for everyone who works in the emergency services. Over 400 exhibitors, free CPD-accredited seminars and live product and rescue demonstrations. Hall 5, NEC, Birmingham. Wed 19 – Thu 20 September 2018. Free entry at www.emergencyuk.com.

The Emergency Services Show 2018 – it’s all about you

Event sponsors

Event partners

Event supported by

FUELGENIE. THE FREE FUEL CARD THAT HELPS SAVE MONEY ON YOUR FLEET. For more information visit fuelgenie.co.uk

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CLEAN VAN PROMISE

The Clean Van Commitment is a pledge from fleets to becoming emission-free at the tailpipe in cities by 2028. PLUS FedEx Express shares how it manages its 170,000 vehicle fleet

Volume 116 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

YOU DELIVER FOR OTHERS. WE DELIVER FOR YOU. T O G E T H E R W E G O F U R T H ER.

£177 P E R M O N T H

N E W F O R D T R A N SI T CO U R I E R L I M I T E D OV E R 4 Y E A RS . A DVA N C E O F 6 M O N T H LY R E N TA L S O N F O R D CO N T R AC T H I R E . B USI N E S S USE RS O N LY.

NEW FORD TRANSIT COURIER LIMITED 1.0 ECOBOOST (100PS). FROM £177 PER MONTH OVER 4 YEARS ON FORD CONTRACT HIRE FROM FORD LEASE. ADVANCE OF 6 MONTHLY RENTALS. BUSINESS USERS ONLY. TO FIND OUT MORE, VISIT FORD.CO.UK Official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the New Ford Transit Courier Limited 1.0 EcoBoost (100PS) shown: urban 39.2 (6.6), extra urban 56.5 (4.8), combined 48.7 (5.5). Official CO2 emissions 131g/km. The mpg figures quoted are sourced from official EU Directive and Regulation 715/2007 and 692/2008 as last amended, are provided for comparability purposes and may not reflect your actual driving experience. Finance subject to status. Guarantees/indemnities may be required. You will not own the vehicle at the end of the agreement. Examples exclude VAT and are based on 48 month non-maintained agreements, profile 6+47 payment in advance of 6 monthly rentals, followed by 47 monthly rentals, with a mileage of 10,000 miles per annum. Vehicles must be returned in good condition and within agreed mileage, otherwise further charges will be incurred. Prices correct at time of going to print and are subject to change without notice. Subject to availability at a Ford Authorised UK Dealer for vehicles with finance accepted and vehicle contracted between 1st July and 30th September 2018, and vehicle registered between 1st July 2018 and 31st March 2019. Not available with any other promotion. Ford Lease is provided by ALD Automotive Ltd, trading as Ford Lease, BS16 7LB.

Commercial Vehicle News

FREIGHT TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION

ALTERNATIVE FUELS

New renewable biomethane refuelling station to open in Northampton CNG Fuels is opening a renewable biomethane refuelling station at Northampton as part a study demonstrating how compressed natural gas (CNG) can help slash road transport emissions. The project, which has received funding from the Office for Low Emissions Vehicles (OLEV) in partnership with Innovate UK, aims to encourage UK fleet operators to switch from diesel to cost-effective, low-carbon biomethane fuel by demonstrating performance benefits, and by showing that CNG stations can support growing demand for gas. The new Northampton public access refuelling station will open this autumn at the Red Lion Truck Stop, off junction 16 of the M1, just up the road from Magna Park, Milton Keynes, one of the UK’s largest distribution parks where Waitrose and John Lewis have their national distribution hub. The station will be used by a new Waitrose fleet of 58 state-of-the-art dedicated CNG trucks engaged in long-haul, inter-city and urban runs, including six trialling zero-emissions refrigeration units powered by the truck’s gas engine. Performance

Becki Kite, environment policy manager, FTA

data will be analysed by a University of Cambridge team. The Northampton forecourt will be able to refuel more than 350 trucks a day and can be supplied by mobile CNG trailers if an emergency cuts off its gas supply. Back-up power generation will allow it to continue operating in a power cut. A team from the Centre for Sustainable Road Freight at Cambridge University will compare the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of the CNG trucks with diesel equivalents. It will also compare the performance of electric refrigeration units powered by the CNG engine with conventional units powered by auxiliary diesel engines. The trial is due to finish in September 2019. READ MORE tinyurl.com/ycn9cny3

AIR QUALITY

Oxfordshire bus fleet to be equipped with air quality sensors Vehicles within fleet services from Oxfordshire County Council are to be fitted with air quality measuring sensors to give real-time data on both vehicle emissions and the local air quality along the route. The project is being undertaken by air quality specialist EarthSense and connected vehicle company Tantalum to gain a better understanding of the impact of road traffic on air quality. The data collected will be used to optimise traffic light control and coordination in order to manage and mitigate road congestion and pollution. The data will also feed into the County’s work with Oxford City Council as it prepares for its Zero Emission Zone.

LERS is ready to help HGV operators deliver government carbon reduction aspirations

In addition to the use by Oxfordshire, data from the EarthSense Zephyr sensors will also be used to help Tantalum, working alongside University College London (ICL), refine traffic emission models within the collaborative Air.Car project. Using the IoT and Smart City technology the Air.Car project will deliver the ability to drive a greater understanding of vehicle pollution, while enabling the reduction of environmental impact and vehicle operation costs. Solutions include a clean routing app for taxis as well as smart, fair and affordable enforcement schemes for local authorities such as Oxfordshire.