GreenFleet 61

NHS FLEETS

BIODIESEL

ROAD TEST VW TRANSPORTER

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LOGISTICS

GREENER AND LEANER

ISSUE 61

TELEMATICS

USAGE-BASED INSURANCE One way to influence driver behaviour

Saving money, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and converting to greener fuels

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

PLUGGED-IN FLEETS INITIATIVE

20 organisations find out if EVs fit their fleet

ROAD TESTS MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS CDI 180 n MINI COOPER SD

Fuel consumption figures for the Civic 1.6 i-DTEC ES Manual in mpg (l/100km): Urban 70.6 (4.0), Extra Urban 85.6 (3.3), Combined 78.5 (3.6). CO2 emissions: 94g/km.

Model shown: Civic 1.6 i-DTEC ES Manual in Alabaster silver paint at ÂŁ21,095.

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Comment

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

More cash for fleets to plug-in £280,000 more funding has been allocated to the Plugged-in Fleets Initiative to help a further 100 fleets understand how electric vehicles could work for them. Twenty fleets of varying sizes and in different locations have already been through the ‘plugged-in process’ and results so far have been positive.

While there has been many trials into electric vehicles, mainly giving user-feedback, what I found interesting about this initiative was that industry experts analysed the day-to-day operations of participating organisations to find out if an electric vehicle could really work in practice. And then gave them the detailed information about how this could be done, and what the implications would be. In most cases, it was found that an electric vehicle could play a role – and would be operationally possible, in terms of range and charging needs.

This report should hopefully give the wider fleet industry more confidence in buying electric. Let’s see what information the next 100 participating fleets bring. This issue of GreenFleet looks at the first stage of the Plugged-in Fleets Initiative on page 23.

Fleets interested in taking part in the second phase of the Plugged-in Fleet Initiative should contact Caroline Watson at caroline.watson@est.org.uk.

Angela Pisanu, Editor

P ONLINE P IN PRINT P MOBILE P FACE TO FACE If you would like to receive 10 issues of GreenFleet magazine for £200 a year, please contact Public Sector Information Limited, 226 High Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055.

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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 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Danny Wright DESIGNER Richard Gooding PRODUCTION CONTROLLER Jacqueline Lawford WEB PRODUCTION Reiss Malone PUBLISHER Martin Freedman ADMINISTRATION Victoria Leftwich, Lucy Carter GROUP PUBLISHER Barry Doyle REPRODUCTION & PRINT Argent Media

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Volume 61 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

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Contents

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

CONTENTS GREENFLEET 61 06 GREENFLEET NEWS

Scotland unveils EV plans; South East to get hydrogen refuelling network; first UK learner to pass in an Ampera

13 EVENTS

2013’s green motoring and fleet events

06 18

14 FLEET MANAGEMENT ACFO’s Julie Jenner urges fleet buyers to look at total-cost-of-ownership when selecting fleet vehicles

18 LOGISTICS & FREIGHT The Logistics Guild’s Peter Murphy explores how the logistics sector is pursuing the green agenda

23 ELECTRIC VEHICLES

The Energy Saving Trust has worked with 20 organisations to find out how plug-in vehicles could slot into their fleet

33

28 EV BATTERIES

Jim Hooper from Millbrook Proving Ground explores current limitations and future improvements for EV batteries

30 ALTERNATIVE FUELS

What has happened now tax support for biodiesel made from used cooking oil has been removed? Tracey O’Keefe reports

39

33 TELEMATICS

In-vehicle devices could make usage‑based insurance (UBI) a reality

36 NHS FLEETS

Alexis Keech from Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust explains how Britain’s ambulances services are getting greener

39 DRIVER TRAINING

Driving with an eco-mindset can save you up to 15 per cent on fuel, writes the IAM’s Tanvir Nandra

40 ROAD TEST: MERCEDES A-CLASS CDI 180 Big on safety, low on emissions

41 ROAD TEST: MINI COOPER SD

Ian Bond tests the 2.0-litre diesel Mini

42 ROAD TEST: VW TRANSPORTER BLUEMOTION

Roland Rendell rates VW’s Transporter as the best medium panel van on the road

45 EV CONFERENCE

Electric Vehicles Conference preview

46 PRODUCT FINDER

41

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News

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

NEWS IN BRIEF Compressed-air hybrid could emit just 69g/km of CO2

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Scotland plans for EV charge points at every 50 miles of major roads

Peugeot Citroën PSA has created a new hybrid drivetrain that uses compressed air instead of electricity for its second source of power. Called Hybrid Air, the new technology could allow a car the size of a Citroën C3 or a Peugeot 208 to emit as little as 69g/km of CO2, according to the manufacturers.

Used cooking oil makes up 28 per cent of UK biodiesel A report looking at the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) from April to October 2012 reveals that the most widely reported source for creating biodiesel was used cooking oil (37 million litres, 28 per cent of biodiesel). The report concludes that an aggregate greenhouse gas saving of 65 per cent compared to fossil fuels was achieved.

BIODIESEL FROM WASTE OIL: GOING DOWN THE DRAIN? Read more on page 30

Nissan slashes UK Leaf price by £2500 The price of Nissan’s Leaf is being dropped by £2500 for UK buyers. The change comes as part of a global effort to make the Leaf more affordable. With the plug-in grant, customers can now drive away in a Leaf for £23,490 The price change will remain when an updated version, expected shortly, is released.

Alternatively-fuelled cars up 7.9 per cent in January The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has revealed that alternatively-fuelled cars have seen a 7.9 per cent rise in volumes in January 2013. UK new car registrations rose 11.5 per cent to 143,643 units and growth was boosted by 15.9 per cent rise in private registrations during the month.

In other news, prices of de-fleeted cars at auction rose in January, coinciding with a drop in the average age of vehicles, according to Manheim’s latest monthly barometer of activity.

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GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE | Volume 61

Proposals in Scotland to intensify the adoption of electric vehicles will see free installation of home charging points, public charging outlets within at least every 50 miles on trunk roads, and an integrated network joining up electric vehicles (EV) with public transport.

The £2.6million scheme, which includes £750,000 from Transport Scotland, also includes charging points at leisure facilities and local authority public carparks and funding for charge points at workplaces.

The scheme will also connect EV drivers with the islands through charging points at ferry terminals. There will also be a network of chargers in place in time to be used by officials and visitors to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The Scottish Government’s new ChargePlace Scotland web pages will

carry the locations of all the charging points, details of financial help to get an EV on the road and all the benefits of owning an electric vehicle.

Transport Minister Keith Brown said: “This funding looks to the future – a low carbon future with, to an electric revolution on our roads where people can charge their carbon‑neutral cars at home, drive them to their local station and jump on an electric train to their workplace, which will also have charging points for the days they need to take the car to work.

“Or tourists can decide to take an EV driving tour around Scotland, safe in the knowledge they are never too far from a charger. And can hop on a ferry knowing they can charge up at the other end if needed.”

ALTERNATIVE FUELS

Study predicts 1.5 million hydrogen cars will be on the road by 2030 A joint Government-industry study predicts that over 1.5 million hydrogen powered vehicles could be on UK roads by 2030.

The forecast is made in an interim report commissioned to evaluate the benefits of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and ensure the UK is well positioned for their commercial roll-out.

The study, produced by the UKH2Mobility project, suggests initial uptake of FCEVs will progress as models make their way on to the market and the fuelling network matures.

The roadmap shows that once mass FCEV production is established, bringing costs down, there is the potential for 1.6 million vehicles on UK roads by 2030, with annual sales of more than 300,000. A co-ordinated network of hydrogen refuelling stations will need to be established, focusing at first on national trunk routes and heavily populated areas.

An initial roll-out of 65 stations would provide sufficient coverage in line with early vehicle sales, with the network growing in line with the number of FCEVs on the road to provide 1,150 sites by 2030.

The roadmap shows that, based on the uptake figures above, FCEVs could reduce UK annual total vehicle CO2 emissions by three million tonnes in 2030. Replacing diesel vehicles with FCEVs could also save between £100 million and £200 million a year in the cost of damage to air quality caused by vehicle emissions by 2050.

Using a range of manufacturing methods can deliver hydrogen at a cost that is competitive with diesel, with 60 per cent lower CO2 emissions in 2020, improving to 75 per cent less in 2030. Hydrogen production will be on course for zero emissions by 2050, at which time FCEVs could have a market share of between 30 to 50 per cent.

A Daimler Brand

The C-Class Executive SE Coupé.

Just 109g /km*.

Official government fuel consumption figures in mpg (litres per 100km) for the C-Class Coupé range: urban 15.5(18.2)–54.3(5.2), extra urban 33.6(8.4)–80.7(3.5), combined 23.5(12.0)–68.9(4.1). CO2 emissions: 280–109 g/km. *Based on C 220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Executive SE Coupé. Model featured is a C 220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Executive SE Coupé at £31,465.00 including optional metallic paint at £645.00 (OTR Prices Inc, VAT, delivery, 12 months’ Road Fund Licence, number plates, first registration fee and fuel). Some combinations of features/options may not be available. Please contact your Mercedes-Benz Retailer for availability. Price correct at time of going to print.

News

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

LOWCVP AWARDS

Ford and TfL scoop 10-year green achievement awards

Andy Eastlake It’s time to go ‘beyond the tailpipe’ Well we made it – 10 years and still going strong!

As I write, the LowCVP team are emerging from the celebrations of our first decade. We took the opportunity to send a clear message about how we think industry and policy makers need to approach the future – and that’s to go “beyond tailpipe”.

One of the most impressive things about the last ten years is the way the automotive industry has responded to the multitude of pressures and incentives to drive down CO2 emissions. Ten years ago, few of us could have imagined a Ford Focus with CO2 of just 88g/km or a Toyota at 49g/km or, indeed, a Vauxhall at just 27g/km! Figures like these from volume manufacturers were just not on our radar. And for the fleet buyer, the low carbon choice has never been better. But it has also never been more complicated.

Each of the vehicles above uses a conventional engine for at least some of the time, but does so in a different way. Making the right choice needs a careful understanding of how the technology works and how the vehicle is used. And, crucially, the emissions numbers above are measured only at the tailpipe.

As plug-in electric vehicles and those running on biofuels become more widespread, this is clearly a growing issue.

The CO2 figures used to compare fleet vehicles, company car tax bands, VED rates and of course congestion charge fees, also take no account of the carbon intensity of the fuel used (a range of innovations not necessarily reflected in these headline CO2 numbers, can also materially affect the real world fuel consumption.)

Working with the car makers, the fuel industry is also searching for ways to cut the carbon impact of fuels used. Improved production and refining efficiency combined with judicious use of a range of biofuels, is delivering the same high quality products but with lower climate impact. Just as European regulations have focused the minds of the car industry on cutting carbon, European Directives (the FQD and RED) are setting challenging 2020 targets for the fuels industry.

So as you study the technical spec sheets for your next vehicle purchases, spare a thought for all those working to cut the carbon impact “Beyond the Tailpipe”.

By the way, congratulations to all the LowCVP Champions Awards recipients announced recently, including Coca Cola Enterprises, winners of Low Carbon Vehicle Operator of the Year. You might also like to take a look at the LowCVP’s tenth anniversary video just published.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.lowcvp.org.uk Andy Eastlake is managing director of the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP)

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GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE | Volume 61

The Low Carbon Champions Awards named Ford and Transport for London (TfL) as winners of the ‘Outstanding Achievement in Low Carbon Transport over the last 10 years’ award.

Graham Smith, managing director of Toyota Motor Europe London Office was named the ‘Outstanding Individual in Promoting Low Carbon Transport’.

The winners were announced at the LowCVP Low Carbon Champions Awards which followed the partnership’s 10th anniversary celebration.

The winner of the prestigious Low Carbon Car/Van Manufacturer of the Year went to Toyota. The

judges said that Toyota has been a pioneer in low carbon mobility in the UK since the launch of the first Prius in 2000.

It reasserted its position in 2012 by successfully introducing full hybrid technology into new segments to the extent that cars emitting less than 100g/km of CO2 now represent more than 30 per cent of Toyota and Lexus sales.

The stunning all new Routemaster bus or ‘New Bus for London’ provided Wrightbus with the Heavy Duty Vehicle Manufacturer of the Year Award’.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS: http://bit.ly/WkXQc2

INFRASTRUCTURE

London and South East to get advanced hydrogen refuelling network The UK’s first integrated hydrogen powered transport system has been agreed for London and the South East, as part of a three year LHNE (London Hydrogen Network Expansion) project. The government-backed initiative co-funded by the Technology Strategy Board involves a consortium of companies with expertise in hydrogen transport working together to deliver a publicly accessible, state-of-the-art fast-fill 700 bar renewable hydrogen fuelling station network. The project will also deploy new hydrogen vehicles in London; including a number of Hyundai hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and Revolve hydrogen powered vans.

Major car manufacturers have confirmed that the hydrogen vehicles available for purchase in the UK from 2014/15 will require 700 bar fuelling systems. The LHNE project will upgrade the existing fuelling station located near Heathrow Airport to 700 bar and deliver a brand new fuelling station with this specification in London. In addition, the project will increase accessibility to the dual pressure fuelling station at Millbrook Proving

Ground in Bedfordshire, and the Transport for London station in Stratford. These developments will create the first network of 700 bar fuelling stations in the UK, ready to meet an increasing demand for hydrogen fuel. The functionality of this network will then be proved by a fleet of hydrogen vans which will be operated by Commercial Group as part of their delivery network.

The LHNE consortium comprises of Air Products, Cenex, Commercial Group, Element Energy, Heathrow Airport Ltd and Revolve Technologies Ltd and the project is co-funded by a grant from the UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board.

No, not a misprint. 109g /km*.

The C-Class Executive SE Coupé has it all: high specification, performance and distinct styling. And, with just 109g/km*, it’s our most efficient Coupé yet.

Take another look.

A Daimler Brand

mercedes-benz.co.uk/fleet

Official government fuel consumption figures in mpg (litres per 100km) for the C-Class Coupé range: urban 15.5(18.2)–54.3(5.2), extra urban 33.6(8.4)–80.7(3.5), combined 23.5(12.0)–68.9(4.1). CO2 emissions: 280–109 g/km. *Based on C 220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Executive SE Coupé. Model featured is a C 220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Executive SE Coupé at £31,465.00 including optional metallic paint at £645.00 (OTR Prices Inc, VAT, delivery, 12 months’ Road Fund Licence, number plates, first registration fee and fuel). Some combinations of features/options may not be available. Please contact your Mercedes-Benz Retailer for availability. Price correct at time of going to print.

EV TECHNOLOGY

Panasonic looks to double start-stop efficiency A new technology has been created by Panasonic that could potentially double the fuel economy improvement rate of existing start-stop systems.

The 12V energy recovery system allows the energy generated during braking to be stored in the batteries and used to power a vehicle’s electrical components: meaning that power is available even when the engine is not being used.

Currently, start-stop systems rely on a single lead-acid battery to deal with the electrical needs of the vehicle: including restarting the engine and running the air conditioner. According to Panasonic, this places the battery under too much load pressure. But Panasonic’s new system would be connected in parallel with the main lead‑acid battery to address this problem and extend the service life of the main battery.

EVs

Musk heads to Twitter to bicker over NYT’s negative Tesla Model S review Tesla Motors chief executive Elon Musk has branded a New York Times review of a Tesla Model S as “fake”. Must defended the Model S after the review said the car ran out of power sooner than expected during a test drive on a cold, winter’s day.

The NYT reviewer, John Broder, wrote that during the test drive from Washington DC to Connecticut, the power had drained sooner than expected, forcing him to turn down the heating and drive below the speed limit. The car

had to be towed to a charging station, he said.

In a statement responding to Musk’s tweets, the NYT said Broder’s review “was completely factual, describing the trip as it occurred.

Any suggestion that the account was ‘fake’ is, of course, flatly untrue”. Tesla says the Model S has a range of up to 265 miles (426km) per charge. Broder wrote: “He (Musk) offered me a second chance at a test drive in a few months when more charging stations come online. I’m game.”

News

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

NEWS IN BRIEF Biofuels World Market Congress The 2013 World Biofuels Markets Congress and Exhibition takes place from the 12-14 March in Rotterdam, Netherlands. World Biofuels Markets will bring together governments, businesses, purchasers, policy makers, banks, non-governmental organisations, academics and influencers to discuss and exchange intelligence.

TO FIND OUT MORE VISIT:

www.worldbiofuelsmarkets.com

Rinspeed Micromax shuttle concept at Geneva Swiss Rinspeed will showcase its Micromax at the Geneva Motor Show. Designed for short distance transport, the Micromax is intended to be similar to an airport shuttle, with upright seats that hold four passengers in an almost standing position. The extra floor space can be used for storage. The roomy interior is also supposed to ‘afford an outstanding sense of spaciousness, with homey lounge character.’

Passenger entertainment has been considered, with unlimited connectivity, a coffee‑maker and refrigerator.

Underneath the novel body lives an all‑electric battery powertrain.

Carbon Reduction Awards to feature at FTA Conference

18-year old passes test in Ampera Navdeep Singh has passed his driving test in a Vauxhall Ampera to become the UK’s first learner driver to complete the practical driving test in an electric vehicle. Singh drove the extended-range electric vehicle in his test with RED Driving School. Ian McIntosh, CEO of RED Driving School said: “We think it’s important to get young people to experience the latest vehicle technologies.” Meanwhile ASK Driving School’s Paul Tomlin in Stoke-on-Trent has taken delivery of a dual control Nissan Leaf to become the first driving instructor to teach in a dual-control 100 per cent electric vehicle.

The Freight Transport Association’s ‘Cutting Carbon, Cutting Costs Conference’, which takes place on Wednesday, May 22, at the Heritage Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwickshire, will provide specialised carbon reduction advice for freight operators with a range of workshops to suit their own fleet and business. The conference will provide delegates with information to help them improve their efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and ultimately lower fuel cost.

The event will also celebrate individual companies’ efforts to reduce their carbon emissions with the presentation of the inaugural Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme (LCRS) Awards.

TO FIND OUT MORE VISIT:

tinyurl.com/bq6k62k

Volume 61 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

11

business.peugeot.co.uk /508hybrid4

AUTO MODE

ELECTRIC MODE

200BHP

4 WHEEL DRIVE

HY TECH, LOW CO 2

A PREMIUM CAR WITH FLEET PRACTICALITY Thanks to our state-of-the-art diesel hybrid technology, the New 508 Diesel HYbrid4 Saloon delivers a class-leading 95g/km of CO2 and exceptional fuel economy. Add to that four distinct driving modes and a high specification, and you’ve got a premium car with fleet practicality.

To arrange a demo, please contact our Fleet Centre on 02476 88 4644.

The official fuel consumption in mpg (l/100km) for the 508 Diesel HYbrid4 range is: urban drive cycle MPG (litres/100km) 80.7 (3.5) Extra Urban drive cycle MPG (litres/100km) 76.3 (3.7) Combined drive cycle MPG (litres/100km) 78.5 (3.6).

NEW PEUGEOT 508 DIESEL HYBRID4 SALOON

INDUSTRY EVENTS

Events

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

DATES FOR YOUR 2013 DIARY A look at the upcoming events for the green motoring and fleet sector

eDRIVE 6-8 March, Titanic Belfast, Belfast, Ireland This three-day event will showcase the latest in EV recharging infrastructure in Northern Ireland, as well as the vehicles themselves.

Visitors will get the chance to actually test drive the vehicles, giving you that crucial ‘Touch, Taste, Feel Experience’.

The Department for Regional Development and Department of the Environment have put Northern Ireland in a position whereby EVs are now a viable everyday solution, and this event is designed to show you how. After receiving funding in Round 2 of the Plugged in Places (PiP) scheme, funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), and other regional partners, the ecar project aims to ensure that drivers are never far from an electric vehicle charging point.

Added to this, the region is beginning to see take-up of electric vehicle interest, helped by the introduction of the Plug-In Car and Van Grants.

There is a three day programme with a line-up of speakers covering the latest topics concerning electric vehicles and infrastructure.

The first day will be an Education day, the second, a Business Day, and the third, a Public day, which is for the general public. event.ecarni.com THE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SHOW 9-11 April, NEC, Birmingham With the implementation date for Euro 6 set for January 2014, the Commercial Vehicle Show will allow European manufacturers to present their latest products and innovations. DAF will be there with its new Euro 6 XF, Volvo will be making a major splash with its recently launched new FH series and Mercedes-Benz UK will be showing its new ‘urban hero’, the Mercedes-Benz Citan.

It will be five years since Iveco has exhibited at the CV Show in its own right but it too will be back showing its flagship Stralis Hi-Way, winner of the International Truck of the Year Award 2013. MAN will also take the opportunity for the first UK showing of its Euro 6 cabs.

Following on from the successful launch earlier this year of Isuzu’s innovative telematics system, Mimamori, the CV Show will see the launch of the next stage in the company’s driver and operator management programme, Mimamori 2.

The CV Show is the most comprehensive road freight transport event staged in Britain, catering for every operator’s requirements, from truck, van and trailer manufacturers through to handling equipment, insurers, tyre, telemetry and training providers. www.cvshow.com

GENEVA MOTOR SHOW 7-17 March, Palexpo, Geneva The 83rd Geneva motor show will be held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva.

The show is hosted at the Geneva Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The show is organised by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles, and is considered an important major international auto show.

The Geneva International Motor Show will open its doors to the public from March 7-17, 2013. There will be even more space and more than 700,000 visitors from five continents are expected to visit.

A huge number of world and European debuts are expected, including the all‑new Skoda Octavia, Alfa Romeo 4C, Mercedes A45 AMG plus the launch of the all‑new Qoros brand, with its VW Jetta‑rivalling Qoros GQ3.

There will be a green area exhibiting electric cars and alternative powered cars.

The official website www.salon-auto. ch is now offering the initial information regarding the show and tickets for the event can be purchased online. www.salon-auto.ch

INSURANCE TELEMATICS EUROPE 2013 7-8 May, Victoria Park Plaza, London Insurance Telematics Europe 2013 will gather the leaders of the insurance telematics space to dissect the issues that are affecting businesses. Visitors can expect over 60 expert speakers; over 24 hours of networking with pioneers in the insurance telematics space, and over 30 innovative sessions covering all the key topics in the insurance telematics space. There will also be four focused tracks to help you design your own unique business agenda.

Speakers include Ben Gaukrodger, Policy Advisor, Association of British Insurers, Andrew Brown-Allan, Marketing Director, Carrot Insurance, and Steve Sweeney, General Manager – Motor, Moneysupermarket.com.

GREENFLEET ARRIVE ‘N’ DRIVE 16 May, Rockingham, Northants The 2013 event will see a huge demonstration of low and zero missions cars and commercial vehicles that will help to slash emissions from fleets across the UK. Sponsored by EDF Energy, the Arrive ‘N’ Drive will have more vehicles available for test drive than ever before, with Citroen, BMW MINI, Vauxhall, Volvo, Honda, Renault, Peugeot, Kia, Toyota and Fiat already confirmed. A massive focus on electric vehicles will feature this year, along with afternoon seminars that will examine the latest developments in funding, infrastructure and leasing. What’s more, ACFO (The Association of Car Fleet Operators) will be holding its annual conference and AGM at Arrive ‘N’ Drive.

Attendance is free of charge to qualifying individuals in the fleet management and associated industries. www.arrivendrive.greenfleet.net

www.telematicsupdate.com/ insurance-telematics-eu

Volume 61 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

13

Fleet Management Written by Julie Jenner, ACFO chairman

(right) are Ford Focus bove) and (a s rie Se 1 pg and the BMW t varying m riations of parable va on-the-road-price, bu rison: com of s pa s st m rm co co te p st Co nershi her in of each ot totally different ow within £5 give rise to CO2 figures

THE COSTS DOWN THE ROAD

When choosing fleet vehicles, what factors should you bear in mind?

While upfront costs are important, ACFO’s Julie Jenner argues that a long-term view of running costs is the best way forward The lower a vehicle’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions figure then the cheaper the total cost of ownership for employers and the lower the benefit-in-kind tax bill for employees.

That is the broad mantra that all organisations running company car fleets should have been following for the last decade – since the advent of CO2-based company car tax.

However, it is unfortunately true to say that many businesses still base their company car policies on a raft of alternatives to total cost of ownership calculations, such as list or on-the-road price, P11D value or monthly contract hire rate. But total cost of ownership figures – including taking account of funding costs, capital allowances, lease rental restrictions if contract hiring, and corporation tax, as well as fuel, service and maintenance costs, insurance, Vehicle Excise Duty and depreciation – is the only way for company bosses to get a true handle on what each individual vehicle costs to run.

For example, the on-the-road price of the BMW 114i ES three-door and the Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi 115 Edge five-door are within £5 of each other at £17,300 and £17,295 respectively. However, their mpg figures – 49.6 for the BMW and 67.3 for the Ford – and CO2 emissions (132g/km for the BMW and 109g/km for the Ford) give rise to totally different costs and that is without taking into account key total cost of ownership figures such as depreciation and service, maintenance and repair as well as corporate taxes.

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GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE | Volume 61

TAX CHANGES Critically, taking the total cost of ownership route becomes even more important with the impact that Government changes to capital allowance and car lease rental restriction thresholds will have from April 1, 2013.

However fleets fund their vehicles – in the main that is outright purchase or contract hire – costs will typically increase as a result of the tax changes; although as a result of a quirk of the changes there are

Government is introducing on April 1, 2013.

In respect of organisations that buy their company cars the changes relate to capital allowances – the system that allows companies to offset the cost of items used for their business against their corporation tax bill – and specifically writing down allowance emission thresholds: the 100 per cent writing down allowance threshold for company cars is cut from 110g/km to 95g/km.

The 18 per cent writing down allowance threshold will apply to company cars with emissions of 96g/km to 130g/km. And the eight per cent capital writing down allowance threshold will apply to company cars with emissions above 131g/km.

Additionally, businesses that lease their vehicles will be impacted by a cut from 160g/km to 130g/km in the emission threshold at which the 15 per cent lease rental restriction applies.

And, in a further move, leasing companies will no longer be able to claim the 100 per cent first year allowance on cars with emissions up to 95g/km (110g/km in 2012/13).

Critically, taking the total cost of ownership route becomes even more important with the impact that Government changes to capital allowance and car lease rental restriction thresholds will have from April 1 2013 some exceptions: notably on cars with CO2 emissions between 110 and 130g/km where contract hire rates are not impacted by the changes and neither are capital allowances.

So, even though responsible fleets have been ‘going green’ for more than a decade to save themselves and their drivers cash and simultaneously meet Government calls to cut emissions, most of those same fleets will see their costs increase from April 1.

However, there are steps that public and private sector fleets can take to limit the impact of the forthcoming changes.

But, first we’ll look at the changes that the

THE IMPACT OF THE CHANGES That all sounds complicated, so typically what will the impact be? Outright purchase fleets will see no increase in their costs if they select vehicles with CO2 emissions of 95g/km and below. However, while vehicle choice in that sector of the market is limited, it is increasing rapidly.

Above that emissions threshold the change in writing down allowances will impact on company costs and cash flow, but businesses can minimise the impact by choosing sub-130g/km models – a sector of the market where choice is now plentiful.

Fleet Management

Total cost of p hi owners he only are t figures r company way fo get a true to bosses e on what a handl le costs tax bills with a one vehic un percentage point increase to r for cars emitting more

Consequently, for outright purchase fleets the most significant impact of the tax changes on costs will be for businesses that continue to operate cars in the 131‑160g/km CO2 category as writing down allowances reduce from 18 per cent to eight per cent (above the 160g/km writing down allowances remain at eight per cent).

For businesses that lease their vehicles the most significant change is that the 15 per cent lease rental restriction will apply to cars above 130g/km (down from 160g/km).

Therefore, lessees operating cars above that threshold will suffer a rise in costs due a reduction in the amount of tax relief available.

While fleets can calculate the impact of those changes on their costs, the unknown factor is what the impact on lease rates will be of the removal of the ability of contract hire companies to obtain full tax relief on their purchase of low emission cars (applicable on cars up to 110g/km in 2012/13).

Leasing companies will want to remain marketplace competitive, but the terms on which they borrow money and acquire vehicles vary from provider to provider and model to model. It is likely that the additional cost to leasing companies of buying cars will be reflected in monthly rental rates with sums of typically £5-£10 being talked about.

In reality how leasing companies treat the additional cost to them will vary, but it is an issue that fleet decision-makers need to be aware of and factor in to their calculations.

LONG-TERM VIEW Taking all of that into consideration it would be remiss of fleet decision-makers to focus too heavily on the impact of the April 1 corporate tax changes and negate their focus on other key cost factors such as depreciation, fuel and SMR costs.

Those costs make up a far larger proportion of a vehicle’s total cost of ownership and that is why it is critical to use whole life costs as the benchmark for company car choice lists.

Additionally, the start of the new financial year on April 6 will see company car drivers incurring a further rise in benefit-in-kind

than 95g/km of CO2 up to a maximum of 35 per cent. That change will also trigger a rise in Class 1A National Insurance contributions for employers.

Meanwhile, in the past 12 months or more the seemingly daily rise in fuel prices has been one of the hottest topics in the news impacting hugely on all fleets and drivers.

Although prices at the pumps have reduced from the record levels seen last year, it is unlikely to last. Even without the impact of increases in the price of crude oil and distribution costs, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has signalled that there will be a duty increase on September 1.

It is against that background that fleet decision-makers must compile the most costeffective company car choice lists and drivers must make their decisions, whilst always bearing in mind that vehicles must be fit-for-purpose.

VEHICLE SELECTION New figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reveal that last year average new car CO2 emissions were at a record low of 133.1g/km – 22.7 per cent down on a decade ago.

Additionally, it should be remembered that while engineers have been cutting vehicle emissions they have also been able to improve fuel economy and increase performance from smaller engineers.

At face value it is easy to assume that in the pursuit of lower emission cars for tax and MPG reasons it would mean downsizing, but the reality is far from that.

Choice, via careful selection of sub-130g/ km cars is plentiful and across numerous market sectors. For example, the BMW 520d is available with emissions of 119g/km and combined cycle fuel economy of 62.8mpg.

Meanwhile, Ford, the UK’s number one seller of cars, has recently introduced a 1.0-litre petrol engine in the Focus that delivers 115bhp, has emissions of 112g/km and returns fuel economy of 57mpg.

But, it would be wrong to single out any producer. Wherever you look, across manufacturers’ ranges there are models available that deliver incredible emission and MPG returns without any sacrifice in performance and there is more to come with, for example, Volkswagen promising a Golf with fuel economy of 88.3mpg and emissions of 85g/km in mid-year.

Of course, while core models within every organisation should be sub-130g/km there will be, at the margins in many fleets, reasons for employees to be driving higher emission models.

In other words, while 130g/km and below should be the rule for company car choice lists there will always be exceptions and nowhere is that likely to be more prevalent than among senior perk drivers and company directors.

OPT-OUT SCHEMES Some will undoubtedly take the low emission road, but others will want to still be at the wheel of their ‘gas-guzzler’. That may then provide businesses with the opportunity to look at the possibility of offering a cash opt out. Cash and employee car ownership scheme alternatives to company cars are already available in many businesses, but such options highlight numerous other idiosyncrasies that must be effectively and efficiently managed to prevent a perceived cost saving becoming a financial and administrative headache.

Finally, there remains much discussion around the fleet viability of electric vehicles.

ACFO’s view has been consistent for many years and it is that such models are not financially or operationally viable except in a handful of niche circumstances.

In conclusion, the Government has laid out the tax rules and the motor manufacturers continue to respond with an ever‑increasing choice of low emission cars. Fleet decision‑makers that fail to react will see their costs rising at a rapidly escalating rate. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.acfo.org

Volume 61 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

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BUSINESS SUITED AND BOOTED.

the new mini paceman.

With remarkable boot space up to 1,080 litres and impressive standard spec that includes Bluetooth, DAB radio and 16" alloys, the stylish, yet practical MINI Paceman is a coupé tailor-made for your fleet. The figures also make it a smart choice for corporate with fuel consumption up to 64.2mpg (combined) and CO₂ emissions from just 115g/km for only 18% BIK. For more information, visit www.mini.co.uk/minipaceman Official Fuel Economy Figures for the MINI Paceman Range: Urban 26.4-60.1mpg (10.7-4.7l/100km). Extra Urban 44.8-67.3mpg (6.3-4.2l/100km). Combined 35.8-64.2mpg (7.9-4.4l/100km). CO₂ Emissions 184-115g/km.

MINI Corporate Sales

Logistics & Freight Written by Peter Murphy, the Logistics Guild

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

THE PURSUIT OF GREENER AND LEANER LOGISTICS

Saving money, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and converting to greener fuels is becoming increasingly important to all aspects of the logistics sector, writes the Logistics Guild’s Peter Murphy Ten per cent of the UK’s greenhouse gasses are produced by the logistics industry. The move by the European Commission to ensure that logistics operations ‘internalise external costs’ – which is code for paying the full price for their environmental impacts – presents a challenge for the sector. Companies will increasingly pay for decarbonising the supply chain and that will call for particular skills sets, which will play a vital role in underpinning fuel efficiency and economy measures.

Learning to collaborate with your customers and with your suppliers will create more efficient routing and scheduling; having replenished a store, a vehicle returning to the depot can pick up from a supplier on its way.

Moving up a step, you have collaboration between supply chains and then collaborative opportunities with the competition, in other words: ‘co-opetition’. There are undoubted savings that can be made here but you need the right skills sets at the supply chain management level, and here we are talking specifically about communication skills – identifying opportunities and then initiating lines of communication. Our industry must do more to train people in these skills.

RISING FUEL COSTS Right now, it is handy for our sector that lower bills and lower environmental impact can go hand-in-glove. In the face of rising fuel costs and the threat of carbon-based taxes even the least environmentally concerned amongst us are seeking cheaper, more efficient transport fuels.

The Logistics Guild, established by Skills for Logistics, aims to bring better, cheaper fuels to the Logistics Sector. In partnership with

18

GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE | Volume 61

Glamorgan University and the Sustainable Energy Research Centre (SERC) the Guild held a one-day event last autumn to address the issue and to launch its fuel-use adopted programme F.U.E.L. (Fuel Use for Efficient Logistics).

Smart logistics companies are already taking this issue seriously whether it is with driver training, understanding new fuel sources, converting vehicles to more efficient fuel, getting their heads around biomethane, green certificates and CNG for trucks or the potential of hydrogen and how the future refueling network will appear.

The financial impact was dramatic and remains so. Allied saw a saving of £400,000 in the first year. CO2 emissions dropped 940 tonnes. There was a winning side effect with £56,000 reduction in vehicle damage.

Allied attributed its success to three factors.

First, by understanding and focusing on the key causal factors, it could implement a positive and sustainable change. Secondly, effective communication and engagement with the driving community led to a positive behavioural change. Finally, by considering both the driver and the vehicle, Allied could manage all aspects of fuel efficiency.

GREEN FLEET MANAGEMENT The industry is developing methodologies for fleet management that hits money saving and environmental improvements.

Sustainable Transport Solutions (STS) has a ‘10-Steps to Heaven’ approach – heaven being defined as reduced fuel use, lower emissions, improved business efficiency and greater profits.

Among the costs of running an HGV, according to the Road Haulage Association, the core costs in terms of sustainable fleet management are: fuel (29 per cent), tyres (three per cent) and maintenance and repairs (12 per cent). The STS method addresses this core 44 per cent running cost.

The y industr ing lop is deve ogies for ol methodanagement fleet m oney saving m that hitnvironmental and e ovements impr

GENTLE ON THE PEDAL Going easy on the accelerator is in the short term the most effective measure on your bottom line. The CEO of MAN Trucks told me ‘the best future fuel initiative is better drivers’ and he is right. Allied Bakeries can highlight the real‑money value of driver training for efficient fuel use.

The company’s 800 vehicles cover 55 million miles per year and rack up a £14.1m fuel bill. Price rises were set to increase that bill by £1.2m. The company implemented a plan of smarter procurement, better route planning, better load utilisation and, crucially, a driver training programme based on efficient driving practices.

Beyond the classroom drivers were briefed daily on their planned versus actual spend, periods of engine idling and over-speed events.

About the author and the Logistics Guild

The ten steps begin with understanding how much you spend on fuel, how much is used, the mileage of each vehicle, where do they go and why, and the MPG by vehicle? Along the journey you train people to be more fuel effective, question whether you have the right vehicles for the job, keep a clean and well maintained fleet, provide incentives to your people and maintain the momentum. Lower fuel costs, better business practices with better financial returns – not a bad image of transport heaven.

DUAL FUEL Converting a fleet to operate on dual fuel can have a significant effect on cost per mile.

Trials of systems that combust two fuels simultaneously, (bio methane or natural gas) via the air-intake of a diesel engine has shown significantly less fuel costs in the range 8-15 per cent. An HGV serving a trunking route covering around 100,000 miles could save £10,000 to £15,000 every year. Money saving at the same time as burning less harmful fuels has strong merit.

Hardstaff is a leader in the field having converted vehicles in its own fleet. The company, which has developed patents for sequential gas injection to diesel engines, is a living-breathing example that the technology is both safe and supported. It offers an example of the financial returns possible based on diesel @ £1.16 per litre and industry average 8.5 miles per gallon. With single-fuel diesel combustion, the cost equates to £0.62 per mile. In a dual fuel scenario the costs come down significantly. If you substitute 60 per cent of the diesel for gas the sums look good: • 60% @ £0.63 per litre = £0.378 • 40% @ £1.16 per litre = £0.464 • Aggregate cost per litre is £0.842.

Converting this to a cost per mile gives £0.41 per mile versus the diesel-only £0.62 per mile.

There are many factors to consider but with a growing roster of engine platforms suitable for conversion, logistics firms should be putting this on their radar. There are platforms ready for conversion from Mercedes and Volvo.

ALTERNATIVE FUELS Meanwhile, what about switching to the innovative fuels that are beginning to gain traction? Biomethane has been trialed by Coca Cola, Viola, Camden and Leeds City Council and others because it offers the best CO2 savings on heavy vehicles. Cenex (the Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon & Fuel Cell Technologies) conducted a biomethane trial with a 53 per cent CO2 saving over CNG. When compared to Euro VI, particulate matter (PM) was 30 per cent and NOx down 53 per cent. The vehicle, a new Iveco Daily, gave a six per cent improvement in fuel consumption.

Another of Cenex’s examples is Coca‑Cola Enterprises. It wanted to compare a diesel versus a gas Iveco Stralis for CO2, air quality (PM & NOx), noise levels, driver acceptance, economics and operational reliability. The gas vehicle showed significant reductions in PM (97.1 per cent) and NOx (85.1 per cent). Driver feedback for the gas truck was positive, scoring excellent for acceleration, refueling experience and safety of refueling. Drivers scored ‘good’ for noise, braking transmission and comfort.

Braking-feel and response brought up the rear, scoring ‘acceptable’. The gas truck outperformed its diesel counterpart on virtually every aspect of driver feedback.

The cost of fuel in the gas vehicle was 12 per cent lower than diesel. Not surprisingly, however, given the early stage of adoption there was an overall total cost of ownership differential of 15.3 per cent based on a six‑year contract hire period in favour of the traditional vehicle. Nevertheless, it is clear that bio methane is beginning to bubble up.

REFUELING NETWORK For any fuel to gain acceptance there needs to be a readily accessible refueling network.

The fuel needs to be priced competitively; it needs to be produced effectively; and it needs to have the least harmful environmental effect as possible. Biomethane is starting to tick a few of these boxes. But to make its way to vehicles it must first be produced. This is done in a renewable way using anaerobic digestion to derive the gas from sewage and then fed directly to the gas grid.

The grid provides a storage buffer for biogas, which is necessary because production is a function of feedstock input whilst vehicle refueling is based on need/ usage. The two rarely match. The grid allows for gas to be input at source of production and taken out at point of need.

Once in the grid the biogas mingles with fossil fuel gas. For logistics companies that want renewably sourced gas in their trucks, the Green Gas Certificate Scheme (GGCS) aims to allow the gas purchaser to work with the producer. The launch members of the GGCS were, National Grid, British Gas, E.ON, Thames Water, Adnams Biogroup, Milton Keynes City Council and CNG Services.

Peter Murphy is a consultant supporting Skills for Logistics in the development of the Logistics Guild and creating a sustainable commercial practice. He has an MSc in Renewable Energy and a Warwick MBA.

Logistics & Freight

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

The Logistics Guild is a free‑to‑join member network, run by its members for its members and is designed to serve all logistics workers.

F.U.E.L – Fuel Use for Efficient Logistics is the Logistics Guild’s adopted programme aimed at bringing the financial and environmental benefits of better training, increased awareness, innovative working practices, new fuels and reduced emissions to the logistics sector.

CNG Services believes that the HGV sector provides the best opportunity for biogas because although there are fewer HGVs than cars, they burn a lot of diesel and on a unit basis cause significant CHG emissions.

The company points to the fact that gas is 40 per cent cheaper than oil on an energy basis. DECC figures predict a steady rise in oil costs whilst gas is predicted to remain flat, making the cost and environmental case for gas versus diesel compelling.

There are now 74 biogas-producing facilities in the UK and there will be more.

Dr Sandra Esteves, director of SERC, has been involved with the development of biomethane for several years. She has pointed to the growth in municipal waste to energy projects, particularly organic waste via anaerobic digestion as an indication that the UK is beginning to grasp the power of this renewable energy source.

There are technical challenges to solve for grid injection at relatively small plants but Germany has begun connecting anaerobic plants directly to the grid. Logistics companies should, therefore, watch this space with interest. Renewable, cheap gas could be on its way to power our vehicles.

Smart companies have begun to measure fuel costs and their emissions. They have started to look to new forms of energy.

Their people are being incentivised and encouraged to save money by saving fuel. In an industry that works on tight margins every penny to the bottom line is a winner. In an industry that contributes large amounts of GHG a parallel reduction in emissions is an added bonus. L FURTHER INFORMATION peter.murphy@logisticsguild.com guild@skillsforlogistics.org www.skillsforlogistics.org

Volume 61 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

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70S wear Jasmine wears Fiat 500

in Countrypolitan Yellow.

(Part of the 70s Colour Therapy range). Comes with poolball design gear knob and white wheel covers.

Its über-low emissions TwinAir engine means zero road tax†.

Model’s eyelash tint by TechnoColour Paris.

Fiat, the car brand with the lowest average CO2 emissions in Europe^. Fiat 500 TwinAir, the lowest CO2 emission petrol car engine in the world*.

Combined 58.9 (4.8) – 72.4 (3.9). CO2 emissions 113 – 90 g/km. Above rentals based on Fiat 500 1.2 Colour Therapy on Contract Hire payment profile of 3 rentals Vehicles must be registered with Fiat Contract Hire before 31st March 2013. Offer subject to status, guarantee and/or indemnity may be required. Fiat Contract Hire, 240 Bath Road, reviewed annually by the government and are subject to change. ^Source: JATO Dynamics. Based on volume-weighted average CO2 emissions (g/km) of the best selling brands in

From just £129 a month for business users only. Visit fiat.co.uk/fleet for more info. fiat.co.uk Fuel consumption figures for Fiat 500 Colour Therapy range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 49.6 (5.7) – 64.2 (4.4); Extra Urban 65.7 (4.3) – 78.5 (3.6); in advance (equivalent to £387) followed by 35 rentals of £129. All rentals exclude VAT and maintenance. Based on 10,000 miles per annum. Excess mileage charges apply.

Slough, SL1 4DX. †Under current DVLA regulations there is no charge for Vehicle Excise Duty in the first year of registration and every subsequent year. Vehicle Excise Duty rates are Europe, 1st half year 2012. *According to NEDC standard.

Thinking of going electric?

Talk to the experts.

EDF Energy has been working with fleet managers across a variety of sectors helping them to deliver strong business cases for making the switch to plug-in vehicles. Our expertise covers the technical assessment of sites, impartial advice on hardware requirements and best price design solutions. That’s why we are the proud Infrastructure Partner of Plugged-in Fleets Initiative. And, because we provide complete end-to-end

recharging solutions, there’s no need to look

elsewhere once you’ve been given the green light. By talking to us early, you can ensure your electric vehicle journey is as smooth as it is cost effective.

To find out more or to discuss a consultation call the electric vehicle team on: 01273 428 281 or email electricvehicles@edfenergy.com.

Plugged-in Fleets Initiative

PLUG-IN VEHICLES

FLEETS BEGIN TO PLUG-IN

for a Vauxhall Ampera if they were to offer this as a part of their company car choice list. The saving to the employee of running an Ampera compared to their most popular executive company car was £10,000 over three years, this is largely down to the government plug-in car grant, company car tax savings, and low fuel costs. The more the car is used on electric rather than its petrol engine, the more money the employee and employer will save.

The -In Pluggediative it Fleet In with a workedrange of the vehicle requirements of the company, such diverse small and – as mileage, vehicle s t flee ublic p type, vehicle numbers, d n a , large private loading requirements etc.

Stage two involved a and whole life cost comparison sector between current diesel

The initial aim of the Plugged-in Fleets Initiative (PIFI), funded

by Transport for London and the Department for Transport and delivered

by Energy Saving Trust in partnership with EDF Energy and Route Monkey, was to support fleets in their decision making as to whether plug-in vehicle acquisition is appropriate for them. A second objective was to pull together all the lessons and knowledge from the programme and inform the wider fleet market.

We worked with a diverse range of fleets, in the public and private sector, with a good representation of different vehicle types and needs. Participating fleets included Boots UK, WM Morrisons, Network Rail, the Environment Agency, Surrey County Council, Southern Health NHS Trust and Schneider Electric.

Each fleet received tailored analysis based on their real life vehicle data and usage, and we made recommendations as to where in plug-in vehicles could make good business sense. Each company had to ensure that they were engaged in the programme at the highest levels (ie. CEO or director level).

The high number of applications is a testament to the growing interest in new vehicle technology.

THE PROCESS Each business received a review delivered through a three step process. Firstly, the Energy Saving Trust fleet consultant would consider

and petrol models compared to appropriate plug-in equivalents. We considered plug in hybrids and extended range EVs such as the Vauxhall Ampera and Prius Plug-in, as well as pure electric vehicles - both cars and vans. Each fleet was also offered a site survey and infrastructure review from our project partner EDF Energy, and where appropriate route scheduling analysis from Route Monkey.

There were a number of clear cases where plug-in vehicles make good economic sense - both in and outside of London. For example we looked at the whole life costs of operating pure electric cars versus diesel for Forrest Construction based in Preston. They asked us to consider a pure electric pool car to replace some of their grey fleet travelling between their two sites. We knew the regular journeys between the sites would not amount to much more than 60 miles per day, so there was a real option for a pure electric vehicle to suit these trips. Comparing a Peugeot iOn (pure EV) to a Ford Fiesta the company would save 5ppm. If they compared the cost of running an iOn to the 45ppm HMRC rate for grey fleet the saving would be almost 20ppm. Forrest also asked us to consider the whole life costs

THE CASE FOR ELECTRIC During the PIFI process, we found that some fleets could potentially replace their whole fleet with pure EVs. Urban Planters’ drive cycle is urban with Congestion Charge costs on most days, and a daily duty cycle that is compatible with the range of a light duty plug-in van.

Our analysis showed that operating a pure EV van over five years, Urban Planters would save 13ppm. Charging en route fits nicely into their daily office visits where the vehicle used is typically parked for one hour.

The face to face meeting at the start of the PIFI project answered all Urban Planters’ questions well ahead of the detailed drive cycle analysis. At the end of our first meeting, Urban Planters concluded they could purchase a Kangoo ZE immediately, and did just that.

The analysis later confirmed the benefit in ppm, and when the cost saving was added in for Plugged-in Places charging infrastructure funding on top of parking, the only conclusion they could make was to replace all their vans with PIV when they are due for replacement.

Written by Caroline Watson, knowledge manager, the Energy Saving Trust

It may be no surprise that running a plug-in vehicle could save your fleet an average of 75 per cent off your fuel bills. But is having an electric car or van on your fleet a good business decision?

The Energy Saving Trust has been working with 20 organisations across the country to help them understand the business benefits of plug-in vehicles through its Plugged-in Fleets Initiative (PIFI)

Electric Vehicles

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

WHERE TO RE-CHARGE? Infrastructure analysis was critical to the success of the project. Our fleet participants were generally very keen to understand the infrastructure requirements of adopting electric vehicles. Our infrastructure partner, EDF Energy, presented the safety, practical and cost implications of installing recharging equipment. It was incredibly important that we were able to provide this as a part of the PIFI review to help answer questions regarding infrastructure and prevent any surprises once a company invests in the vehicles.

EDF Energy surveyed 32 sites during the programme, and all sites had sufficient incoming electricity supply to support electric vehicles. This proves the accessibility of the technology. Fleets we worked with had a range of needs in terms of where recharging would and could take place. For example, Rydon’s maintenance drivers take their vans home at night, but as many of them live with no E

Volume 61 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

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PLUG-IN VEHICLES  off‑street parking, it wouldn’t be feasible for them to charge their vehicles at home.

However, Rydon are exploring the opportunity of using on street charge posts or working with the social housing sites they maintain to install charge posts, so their employees can re-charge electric vans while completing their site visits.

For companies whose drivers are able to take vehicles home and re-charge them over night, this raised another interesting challenge. Who owns the asset? If a business invests in electric recharging infrastructure at their employees’ homes, it was considered a big investment if staff retention levels are low. For companies with high staff retention, the low running costs of plug-in vehicles may justify making the investment in at domestic charging equipment.

The benefit of doing so allows companies whose drivers take vehicles home to stick to existing driver patterns and behaviour.

When we set out we were looking for situations where predictable mileages of approximately 80 miles per day would allow low cost charging at the depot or at home. However, in a number of cases we realised that on route charging throughout the day would be possible and could increase pure EV range significantly to up to 120 miles per day. If rapid chargers were used this would be considerably greater.

GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR FLEET More often than we expected we worked with fleets that were not fully optimising their existing vehicles. There were instances where vehicles had surprisingly low mileages and it was clear that there would be a benefit of combining vehicle roles. OMM Business Solutions were one of the participating PIFI fleets. They operate three of the same 3.5 tonne vans to deliver office stationery. Initially we understood there was not a like for like EV replacement that they were happy with, however, talking with OMM it emerged there was the potential to implement an EV solution.

This would be by adopting a smaller and lower cost Kangoo ZE which could fit with the payload needs for many deliveries but that did not always meet occasional large load volume requirements, and to use their existing 3.5 tonne vehicle only when larger loads had to be delivered. This has the potential to change the pence per mile rates for the majority of deliveries from 75ppm to around 25ppm.

We would see this open minded approach to mixing technologies as the way not only to lower emissions but also improve the efficiency of a fleet.

Route Monkey’s route scheduling software can help fleets to maximise their mileage.

Where it was clear a PIFI fleet would benefit from this, Route Monkey would provide analysis. The software focuses on getting the best from the vehicle in terms of energy consumption, and then planning in charging opportunities, whether they are the main overnight charge or a short top up charge during the working day, to ensure the duty cycle can be met or even extended.

Electric Vehicles

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

PIFI participating fleets Organisation

Business purpose

Associated British Ports

Port operator

Boots

Pharmacy

1100

London

Clean Vehicle Partnership Heathrow

Airport

1734

Heathrow Airport, London

Environment Agency

Public body

5530

London

Forrest

Construction

205

Preston

London Borough of Southwark

Local Authority

623

Southwark, London

London Fire Brigade

Emergency Service

339

London

Network Rail

Infrastructure operator

6436

London

O’Donovan

Waste Disposal

17

Tottenham, London

OMM Business Solutions

Office Supplies

3

Stratford, London

Schneider Electric

Energy management

1336

London

Southern Health Foundation Trust

Health Trust

505

Hampshire

Surrey County Council

Local Authority

185

Surrey

Rydon Group

Construction

445

East Sussex (London)

Tristar Chaffeurs

Chauffeurs

516

West Drayton, London

University of Cumbria

Academia

Urban Planters

Interior Landscaping

7

Middlesex, London

Wilesgreen World

Office Supplies

13

Middlesex, London

WM Morrison plc

Supermarket

200

London

THE FUTURE IS ELECTRIC 2013/14 is going to see an exciting range of new electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles coming onto the market. If there were instances where there wasn’t a model that is currently suitable we would suggest near to market models to look out for. We would also demonstrate what scenarios the fleet may wish to look out for over the next year or so, which would increase the attractiveness of plug-in vehicles. The most obvious one being rising fuel costs.

How often drivers need to charge their electric vehicle depends largely on the number of miles they drive, but also how they drive. The Energy Saving Trust has worked with a number of companies to train their

Total fleet size 65

Location for review

Southampton

12 (plus Carlisle, 19 pool Lancaster cars)

staff how to maximise the range, through efficient driving techniques. After training the average increase in range was 20 per cent.

At the launch event, Norman Baker MP, Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Transport, announced additional support for a further 100 fleets to receive a PIFI review. L FURTHER INFORMATION The Plugged in Fleets Initiative report can be downloaded at www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/pifi If you would like to be one of the PIFI 100 then please contact Caroline.Watson@est.org.uk for further information or to express your interest.

Volume 61 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

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EV Batteries

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

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Written by Jim Hooper, senior engineer (component test laboratory) at Millbrook Proving Ground

THE LOWDOWN ON EV BATTERIES

28

At the heart of every electric vehicle is the battery. Jim Hooper, senior engineer (component test laboratory) at Millbrook Proving Ground looks at the limitations of current EV battery packs, recent research into vibration requirements in EV batteries and improvements that could be made in the future Over the past decade the focus on developing Electric Vehicles (EVs), all of which have some form of on‑board high voltage electrical energy storage system, has increased significantly, due to the demand for passenger vehicles with increased fuel economy and reduced emissions. This demand is being driven by an increased customer awareness of ‘green’ issues, the rising cost of traditional liquid fuels and government legislation.

There are however limitations of current EV batteries, namely the weight and size of battery packs. To achieve performance and range characteristics that are acceptable to customer’s expectations, and due to the current battery chemistries available to Engineers, EV battery packs are typically constructed from hundreds of Lithium-ion battery cells similar to the type that are found in many consumer electronics such as laptop computers. Each one of these single cells within the pack has to be linked together with copper links known as “buzz bars” and is subsequently

ok Millbro out ried has car r of tests e a numb nge of EV on a ra subjecting s, batterie ‘real world’ them to rfaces and road su onments envir

packaged within a heavy duty casing with an integrated thermal management system to ensure the multiple cells of the pack are maintained within a desired operating temperature. As a result current Lithium-ion packs installed in both BEVs and HEVs are very heavy (typically in excess of 350Kg for BEVs) and can contribute to more than one third of the vehicle’s overall weight. The resulting external dimensions of the pack are also significant (typically 1.5m long by 1m wide and 0.5m tall).

RANGE AND CHARGE TIME Two major disadvantages of EVs are the time required to recharge the battery pack and the subsequent range.

Latest advances in Lithium-ion battery technology have resulted in fully‑charged BEVs being capable of travelling distances of 100 to 160 miles per charge; however due to the behaviour of current battery chemistries, such as Lithium-ion, EV battery packs require a six to eight-hour charge to achieve a full state of charge. Importantly, many battery electric vehicle packs can achieve a 60 to 80 per cent state of charge within one to two hours.

INTEGRATION It is currently very expensive for OEMs to integrate EV batteries into a vehicle platform due to the size of the pack, necessary pack protection required for crashworthiness legislation and associated power electronic and thermal management infrastructure.

Also, due to the lack of historical data with regard to the long term effects of in-service operation on battery packs and the subsequent interaction of other vehicle subsystems on the battery assembly, there is a low understanding of the requirements and design actions that are necessary to optimise the packs life and function in service.

VIBRATION AND SHOCK TESTING A review of academic research suggests that some test standards and legislative requirements defined for the vibration and shock testing of EV battery packs have been derived of data from consumer electronics or transposed from data from more traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. As a result there is every possibility that EV battery packs are being either over or under-engineered. They could be over engineered to compensate for vibration inputs that they would otherwise never be subjected to, thus increasing weight and cost. Or they could be under-engineered because the battery component is not subjected to the correct in-market vibration and shock loads, therefore potentially increasing the risk of safety related failure.

TESTING, TESTING In order to improve our understanding of vibration requirements in EV batteries, Millbrook has carried out a number of tests on a range of EV batteries, by subjecting them to ‘real world’ road surfaces and rough road abuse environments. This was conducted through the instrumentation and measurement

EV Batteries

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of the vibration behaviour of high voltage battery packs installed to a selection of current production Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV) and Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) when driven over the repeatable surfaces at Millbrook.

The data was collected from tri-axial accelerometers at six locations of the vehicle, including both A Pillars, from the front and rear of the battery packs and from the front and rear of the chassis’. These components were assessed over surfaces from Millbrook’s Structural Durability Procedure, which simulates 10 years of durability for a typical European passenger car.

To ensure consistency across the full range of tests, all surfaces were recorded at the same speed, using the same driver and carrying the same passenger.

The rom results f ok’s Millbroion and at investigch has the resear to benefit al potenti ccuracy of that vibration was being the a ent level introduced to the pack through cooling strategies, componfety the pack’s vibration life has sa

THE RESULTS Initial tests carried out in the study revealed some interesting results that differ considerably from what we currently know about vibration in electric vehicle batteries. For example, we identified that the bulk of vibration energy in EV battery packs occurs from 0 to 100Hz, it was previously thought to occur between 0 to 50Hz. It was also noted that current engineering specifications for battery vibration durability typically test from 7Hz upwards, however Millbrook’s study has highlighted the need to consider frequencies below 7Hz, as significant vibration energy occurred from 0 to 5Hz in all battery electric vehicles tested.

RESS VIBRATION TESTING An academic review and evaluation of current rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) vibration test procedures highlighted that typically the X and Y axis of EV battery packs are evaluated using the same test profile, however the X and Y vibration behaviour of the EV battery packs evaluated in our research differed significantly. Therefore Millbrook would recommend that the X and Y axis of an EV pack be evaluated using specific vibration data, based on vibration measurements that it will receive in the in-vehicle conditions.

POWERTRAIN INDUCED VIBRATION TESTING A mode typical of powertrain induced vibration was noted in all EVs between 7 to 20Hz. High energy spikes were also noted in some EVs above 300Hz, this is likely to be caused by powertrain induced vibration from the electric motor or transmission assemblies or the effect of vibration induced by different cooling strategies or power electronics.

Further research is required to identify the exact cause of these vibration energy spikes above 300Hz. This study also highlighted that if it was determined in future

the potential to be affected by different climates and driving styles.

There is evidence to suggest that due to the balanced weight distribution of EVs, lower vibration energy levels are typically witnessed within these vehicles than their internal combustion vehicle (ICV) counterparts.

BODY TORSION TESTING Evidence was also found to suggest that vibration behaviour at 20 to 40Hz in EV battery packs are the result of a body torsion mode, due to the pack forming a large structural member of the chassis. This could be validated by further investigation of the pack and chassis vibration response via a modal analysis in a laboratory. However, some resonances between 20 to 40Hz were attributed to the vibration isolation strategies employed by manufacturers to isolate the pack from chassis vibration, therefore it is recommended that engineers consider the battery pack to chassis integration as the packs installation can affect the frequencies and vibration energy it will see during its service life.

DURABILITY TESTING Test standards J2380 and BS62660 have been compared to data recorded from current EV passenger vehicles currently on sale in the UK market. The recorded vibration data was sequenced to a known durability test schedule that correlated to represent 10 years durability and 100,000 miles of representative rough road surfaces. Both methods of data sequencing resulted in the conclusion that both test standards are too severe when used to determine the durability of a RESS of a European passenger vehicle.

An investigation into the effect of different weightings of road classifications was

undertaken as part of Millbrook’s study and it has concluded that BEVs, designed for an urban and rural environment will be subjected to greater vibration energy from 0 to 399Hz than a BEV designed for a typical market operation weighting similar to that of an ICV. Results from Millbrook’s initial investigation and ongoing research into the vibration requirements of EV batteries has the potential to benefit the accuracy of component level safety and durability testing and could aid the future weight reduction of EV battery packs.

We are currently working with Dr James Marco at Cranfield University to roll out the results of our initial investigations and will be publishing further information about our research and test results later this year.

EV BATTERIES OF THE FUTURE Research is currently being undertaken to look at new chemistries and variants to Lithium‑ion batteries. With high energy density that rivals traditional internal combustion engines and the ability to produce smaller batteries, Lithium Air is now being considered for future EV batteries. The use of Lithium Air could also extend the range of an EV battery and this is currently being investigated.

The University of Warwick, which recently received a government grant to develop a new R&D Centre, is currently carrying out research to increase our understanding of integration aspects such as software management, duty cycles, thermal management and battery management requirements in electric vehicles.

For OEMs this research is important in defining warranties and enabling them to consider options for reusing/recycling batteries once they have outlived the vehicle. Once data has been collated from this research, engineers can begin to build more efficient systems/ software to optimise the life of EV batteries. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.millbrook.co.uk

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Alternative Fuels Written by Tracey O’Keefe, director of the UK Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance

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

BIODIESEL FROM WASTE OIL: GOING DOWN THE DRAIN?

What has happened in the wake of the government’s decision to remove the tax support for biodiesel made from used cooking oil?

Tracy O’Keefe of the UK Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance believes the Treasury and Department for Transport are pulling in different directions, and need to act quickly in order restore the balance

In April 2012, the Government made the decision to remove the tax support for biodiesel made from used cooking oil, which many argue has tipped the UK sustainable biodiesel industry into crisis.

A thriving UK manufacturing sector, biodiesel made from used cooking oil (UCO) had begun to provide a very real low carbon fuel option, particularly for LGVs, for whom other low carbon fuel options are proving elusive.

With carbon savings of almost 90 per cent against the use of mineral diesel, an increasing number of vehicle fleets were adopting the fuel, creating a vibrant supply chain in the UK. By 2012 there were over 30 producers in the UK, collecting waste cooking oil from restaurants, pubs and food manufacturers around the UK and converting it in to biodiesel.

Previously, used cooking oil would be flushed down the drains, causing huge fat build-ups in the drainage system and costing utility companies some £15m per year to clear; or it was sent to landfill, creating greenhouse gas emissions.

Carbon savings through the supply chain meant that greenhouse gas emissions were dramatically reduced for LGVs using high blends of biodiesel made from UCO. In addition, as producers set up around the country, manufacturing jobs were created and green skills developed. Producers began to turn their attention to developing second generation biofuels, looking at additional waste streams that might be converted to fuel.

Transport fleet managers were delighted with the results. Leading green organisations such as 3663 First for Foodservice, McDonalds, Stagecoach and the Environment Agency, recognised that using high-blends of biodiesel in their fuel delivered unmatched carbon savings, reducing their impact on the environment.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT The 20 pence per litre tax differential, originally offered to all biodiesel, but then targeted specifically to biodiesel derived from waste oils, meant that producers could offer this green fuel to customers at an equivalent price to mineral diesel, so making it a competitive offer in a highly price sensitive market for fuel.

Meanwhile, the big suppliers of fuels at the pumps, were obliged to provide a certain percentage of their fuel as biofuel. If suppliers fell short of this percentage, they could buy out their obligation by buying certificates from the biodiesel producers to match their required litreage, which provided an additional revenue stream for the small biodiesel producers.

ALL CHANGE In April 2010 the Government stated that it would remove the tax differential offered to biodiesel produced from used cooking oil by April 2012. They said that, instead, the producers should rely on the certificate

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trading with the obligated suppliers to offset the cost of producing the biodiesel. Instead of one certificate being offered per litre of biodiesel from waste, two certificates would be offered and therefore double the value.

The Government stated that the value of each certificate would be 20p per certificate/ litre and therefore for each litre of biodiesel produced, producers would receive 40p. They argued that this would equate to the 20p per litre tax benefit plus one certificate at 20p.

Director of the UK Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance, Tracey O’Keefe: “We tried to tell HM Treasury and the DfT that this policy would be a disaster for the UK biodiesel producers. The obligated suppliers will use a number of methods to meet their obligation, including purchasing cheap bioethanol from abroad, and so only come to the certificate market to buyout their obligation on a highly unpredictable basis. All of the evidence from the market on the trading of certificates showed that, due to a myriad of global factors, certificates were in fact trading at anything from 0p to 13p at any one time, far short of the 20p per litre that the Government had predicted. The highly stable tax differential was to be replaced by a highly unstable and unpredictable revenue stream which would impact producer profitability and investment very quickly.”

Since the removal of the differential, the proportion of bio-diesel has reduced from approximately 60 per cent of all bio-fuel used in the UK to 36 per cent in the first quarter, with a corresponding increase in bio-ethanol, whilst the proportion of biofuel made from used cooking oil has also reduced dramatically. This has had the effect of reducing greenhouse gas savings in the UK, and increased the bio-fuel made from crops O’Keefe continued: “We explained that if the Government was committed to renewable energy, they had to understand that green fuels cost more to produce than fossil fuels and that we had to take a longer term view of the massive costs coming down the line if we don’t try to tackle carbon emissions on our roads now.

“The tax differential had proved itself to be a highly effective and stable mechanism ensuring that used cooking oil had become the primary feedstock for biodiesel in the UK and, with its 90 per cent carbon saving, had enabled the Government to exceed its road transport emissions target by eight per cent.

“We argued that if producers were not supported, they would not be able to produce fuels at equivalent cost to mineral diesel.

If prices settled above the price of mineral diesel, LGV operators would have no choice but to return to fossil fuels, as margins will not permit them to make an unsustainable fuel choice, whatever their commitment to the environment. Particularly in this economic environment it was critical for biodiesel producers to remain competitive.”

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? The UKSBA continually pushed for Government to recognise that the UK biodiesel sector was creating jobs across the country and developing vital green skills - all to no avail; the Government pulled the plug and on 1 April 2012 the tax differential was removed.

The results speak for themselves. Certificate prices have remained volatile and vary between 0p to 11p resulting in income to

producers of a maximum of 22p per litre versus the Government’s predicted values of 40p per litre. Production costs remain high and, in a bid to remain competitive, producers have had to absorb the additional cost to retain their customers.

For many this has meant that they have had to cease production and the number of producers making biodiesel from waste has reduced by a third in the nine months since the tax support was withdrawn.

Since the removal of the differential, the proportion of biodiesel has reduced from approximately 60 per cent of all biofuel used in the UK to 36 per cent in the first quarter, with a corresponding increase in bioethanol, whilst the proportion of biofuel made from used cooking oil has also reduced dramatically. This has had the effect of reducing greenhouse gas savings in the UK and, increased the biofuel made from crops.

Instead of used cooking oil, the largest feedstock for biofuel is now US corn – bad news not only for the ‘food for fuel effect’ on food pricing, but for the reduced carbon saving which comes from such feedstocks and the additional carbon cost of importing from such a distance. Indeed, the UN food agency is so concerned, that it has called on America to suspend production of bioethanol, warning that a US law requiring 40 per cent of the corn harvest to be used for biofuel could contribute to a global food crisis by pushing up food prices.

Meanwhile, with a reduced demand for used cooking oil in the UK, more is being exported abroad to countries such as Germany, where there is a mandate to use biodiesel, whilst the rest is likely to be dumped in the drainage system or in to landfill, increasing utility costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

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GOING FORWARDS And the Government’s response? Tracey O’Keefe of the UKSBA says: “The DfT want to await another set of quarterly figures before they take any action and they don’t plan to review the certificate trading system until later this year.

There is no cohesive biofuel policy and it is clear that different Government departments, such as HM Treasury and the DfT are pulling in different directions, preventing investment and undermining the contribution made by the transport fleets to carbon reduction on our roads.”

“We just hope that we can make the Government see sense, whilst there is still time to act for the producers who are left. They need to act quickly to support companies running their fleets on high‑blend biodiesel derived from waste, either by a reinstatement of the tax differential, or by offering an extra certificate per litre of biodiesel from used cooking oil.” L FURTHER INFORMATION tinyurl.com/cpfcpmc

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Telematics

INSURANCE

Although usage-based insurance (UBI) is not yet widely available – or even widely known – it is currently being widely researched and tested by insurance carriers. UBI comes with real costs, and the technology and business models are still developing, so early adopters need to focus their investments John Canali, an analyst with Strategy Analytics, notes that a key disconnect persists around UBI. “Insurers, OEMs, and wireless carriers are not aligned,” he says. But waiting until all the kinks have been smoothed out may mean missing opportunities. So, when developing UBI business plans, balance urgency with strategy.

Gathering and managing the data that make UBI possible is also what makes it so costly, particularly at the start. Whether created and managed in-house or via a partner, the in‑vehicle devices UBI requires are expensive, and it may be a while before increased demand drives down component prices.

A second cost consideration is how to analyse incoming data. Although analysis is already part of an insurance company’s protocol, UBI may generate data at an unprecedented level. Translating all that data into usable information will take added effort.

However, the biggest benefit a UBI program offers insurance carriers is the “opportunity to create a customer experience with auto insurance,” says Inquimboy. Right now, auto insurance is merely transactional.

and gives carriers an opportunity to interact more frequently with customers as well as perhaps to improve their driving behaviours.

The other big benefit is more effective pricing. UBI gives drivers more control over their premiums and allows the insurer to create more pricing segmentation and better accuracy, by using the customer’s actual driving behaviour as the basis for rates rather than proxies like driving record and number of tickets and accidents. Canali points out, though, that “the insurance industry has been profitable because pricing is adjusted to the driver,” and the information companies are currently able to gather is working pretty well.

UBI could also benefit mobile phone carriers interested in expanding into machine‑to‑machine (M2M) communications, notes Canali. He anticipates that consumer data plans will eventually be shared across devices, perhaps including cars, where UBI apps could feed information back to the insurer.

Despite these benefits, UBI is not a sure‑fire win, nor is it likely a good fit for all auto insurers. “There are definitely some risks,” says Inquimboy. Insurance carriers looking to write policies for ‘preferred business’ may find UBI a compelling model, as it can help with customer retention.

However, if a company is focused on the ‘high turnover’ part of the market, UBI is “not the wisest initiative because it’s a capital-intensive program,” he says.

ens UBI op els for ann the ch ack and feedb carriers gives rtunity to o an oppract more inte tly with n frequetomers cus

NOBODY WANTS INSURANCE “Insurance is basically a product nobody really wants,” adds Canali. “You’re paying for a product you don’t use, or you’ve been in an accident and are unhappy about that.”

However, UBI opens the channels for feedback

Written by Jessica Royer Ocken and Susan Kuchinskas

UBI: ONE WAY TO INFLUENCE DRIVER BEHAVIOUR With those points in mind, Inquimboy reasons that companies interested in UBI shouldn’t wait too long to get a program started. Otherwise, they may experience “adverse selection” and be left mostly with customers who don’t suit their pricing model.

Canali adds that once a company has decided to venture into UBI, it needs to research carefully and be sure it chooses the right partners to help deliver and enable the service. “I don’t believe many insurers understand enough about automotive” to manage UBI data effectively on their own, he says.

WORKING TOGETHER The best way to enhance the future of UBI is for OEMs, wireless carriers, and insurers to work together, suggests Canali.

But with differing agendas and concerns among these businesses, this is could be easier said than done. He cites Verizon’s recent acquisition of Hughes Telematics as something to watch as a gauge of the industry’s comfort with such combinations.

“OEMs and carriers need to sort out their relationships before they aggressively court insurers,” he says. But once they do, they could be well positioned to offer their own insurance. In addition, as OEMs and insurers begin to collaborate on UBI, Canali wonders whether OEMs risk alienating consumers by working with specific insurance companies.

Despite the challenges, Esurance’s Inquimboy believes UBI has the potential to become an industry standard and a “permanent fixture as an option” among insurance models. Esurance is currently running a UBI pilot program in Arizona. “So far it presents a very compelling case,” he reports. “If we decide to move forward, we can roll it out very aggressively.” E

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Welcome to The Green.

Helping you put sustainability at the heart of your fleet.

Looking for ways to run a greener fleet? Why not visit The Green, the acclaimed sustainability website from Lex Autolease, the UK’s leading fleet management and fleet funding specialist.

Listen to our latest podcast about low carbon vehicles at The Green www.lexautolease.co.uk/theGreen Find free help and advice on sustainable issues, including: • choosing the right vehicles • tax and budget • fuel strategy and how to cut your fuel bill.

Visit The Green at www.lexautolease.co.uk/theGreen today, and see how we can help you run a greener fleet.

Or you can call us for more information on 0800 389 3690.

INSURANCE  SPECIFIC BUSINESS MODELS According to Towers Watson research, insurers representing 60 per cent of the personal auto insurance market have implemented a version of a UBI program in at least one state. Many more are running or preparing to run internal UBI pilots. And Ptolemus Group forecasts more than 100 million vehicles will be insured with telematics globally by 2020, generating premiums of approximately $60 billion.

The advantages for consumers and insurers are clear: more accurate ratings of risk factors will lead to lower claims and lower premiums for safe drivers. Technical barriers to these offerings are minimal, but the industry will need to appease consumers and regulators.

Many US insurers offer pay-as-you-drive (PAYD), also called usage‑based insurance (UBI). This option is available in the majority of states. These plans use a plug-in device to measure actual miles driven: the less you drive, the less you pay for insurance.

Progressive’s PAYD program, SnapShot, provides a free device that drivers plug into their cars for six months; after that, they send it back and the rate based on miles driven is finalized. State Farm’s Drive Safe & Save program uses OnStar to validate mileage, and it just inked a similar deal to let consumers transmit mileage info via Ford Sync.

useful for rating an individual’s risk by installing the devices in the cars of associates across the nation. The secret sauce, of course, is the algorithm each insurer uses to weigh all these factors. Each firm guards them as trade secrets. Luedke says drily, “I doubt we’d be too specific.”

DATA GATHERING Simply gathering data from telematics devices is not that difficult. Doug VanDagens, director, Connected Services Solutions at Ford Motor Company, says that, while the agreement with State Farm calls for only transmitting mileage information, Ford already can technically accommodate transmission of any metric needed for PHYD. In fact, Ford’s Crew Chief product for fleets, powered by Telogis, provides information on braking, acceleration, maintenance warnings and more.

“Anything happening in the vehicle, we can communicate outside of it,” VanDagens says.

It’s easier and cheaper to do so via Sync, he points out, because Sync uses the driver’s cell phone for connectivity. “We can provide all of that relatively easily, as soon as insurance companies want to set up the programs.”

Insurance companies want to take the lead in marketing and managing UBI services. It makes sense since they already have familiar

Cheaper premiums are usually the biggest hook, but by coupling services with telematics, you can offer more – concierge benefits, for example Because insurance rates have long used driver-reported mileage as one rating factor for evaluating risk and setting rates, PAYD is a relatively easy product to get approved by state regulators. Each state in the US regulates auto insurance independently. It also makes sense to consumers, because they’re used to this metric. And it doesn’t raise privacy concerns.

Things get more interesting, and potentially more lucrative, when insurers use additional ratings factors that allow them to better calculate an individual driver’s risk. Telematics devices incorporating accelerometers and other sensors can provide accurate information about driving style that could impact a consumer’s risk profile. So-called pay‑how-you‑drive (PHYD) schemes use a variety of factors, including speed, time of day, braking, acceleration and cornering, to paint a more accurate picture.

State Farm’s PHYD plan is called In-Drive, and it uses a device created by Hughes Telematics. In-Drive has rolled out in Illinois and Utah, with more states in the offing.

“Obviously, mileage is a good predictor,” says Dick Luedke, spokesman for State Farm. “The more miles you drive, the more likely it is you’re going to file a claim.”

State Farm did quite a bit of testing to find what other factors would be most

brands as well as the customer base. Most important, they are the ones with relationships with state regulators, keeping track of the myriad regulations and requirements of individual states. As consumers get more comfortable with these products, they may shrug off the Big Brother warnings and embrace the manage‑how‑you‑drive (MHYD) model. With MHYD, drivers get feedback that helps them improve and potentially lower their rates.

Telematics

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About Telematics Update Telematics Update offers incisive news and analysis for the automotive telematics space, including Insurance Telematics, Safety, Infotainment, In‑Car Content, Navigation, LBS, Fleet Management and Telematics for EVs. Visit www.telematicsupdate.com for more information. attorney with the law firm of Barger & Wolen LLP, thinks these services can help insurers get off the rate‑cutting treadmill.

“Personalised automotive insurance is very competitive,” Moroney says.

“While cheaper premiums are usually the biggest hook, by coupling services with telematics you can offer more things. Insurers are now offering concierge benefits. They can do all things automotive and be very creative.”

Insurers could take it even further by offering classes, content, applications and third-party offers. The strategy could be similar to that used by health maintenance organisations that provide weight-loss and smoking cessation classes to members.

Says Frederic Bruneteau, managing director of Ptolemus Consulting Group, “Thanks to insurance telematics, the insurer can become an insurance service provider. Today, the notion of insurance is, ‘They take your money and then you hear from them if you have a problem.’

With telematics, they have a real‑time relationship with any policy holder.” L

REDUCING RISKY BEHAVIOUR American Family Insurance says its Teen Safe Driver Program has helped teens reduce risky driving behaviours by 70 per cent. The program includes a free in-car device attached to the review mirror. When incidents like extreme – as well as actual crashes – take place, it saves eight seconds of footage prior to the mishap and the four seconds after it. The information is transmitted wirelessly to American Family’s data center for review by driver coaches.

Parents get a weekly driver report card that measures the teen’s performance against safe driving objectives and peer averages They can log in to see the report, watch video of incidents, and get tips for safer driving that they can share with the kid. Tim Moroney, insurance regulatory

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NHS Fleets

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EMERGENCY SERVICES

Written by By Alexis Keech, environmental and sustainability manager, Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust

AMBULANCE SERVICES UNITE IN CARBON REDUCTION

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The critical nature of an emergency response vehicle poses obvious challenges for carbon reduction.

But this has not held back ambulance services across the country from greening their fleets. Alexis Keech, environmental and sustainability manager for Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, reports Yorkshire Ambulance Service’s Vauxhall Ampera hybrid will be integrated as part of the City of York Council’s low emissions zone strategy

re Yorkshi ce n Ambula as the w Service bulance first amthe country in although the Trust is already service employ an doing this across the area it covers to tal and as part of the NHS Forest scheme. n e m n o And, the logistics of reducing Envir ainability carbon emissions are not as simple t s u S r e as getting staff to drive slower or less g a Man frequently – obviously this is not really an

Ambulance services in England have united in their quest to reduce carbon emissions and turn their blue lights ‘a lighter shade of green’. As predominantly vehicle-based organisations, the ambulance services have a very different carbon footprint to the rest of the NHS. Together across the country, they use 150,000 litres of diesel on a daily basis and the national ambulance fuel bill has increased by up to £26 million annually year-on-year for the past few years. These facts show that financially this is an unsustainable situation and with the classification of diesel as a carcinogenic substance (ref. BMA), alternative sources of fuel which are less polluting have to be found.

The NHS employs 1.3 million people making it one of the largest employers in Europe. The service is responsible for five per cent of the traffic on the road at any one time and is one of the largest direct and indirect producers of CO2 in the UK. The whole of the NHS has been tasked with cutting carbon emissions by 10 per cent by 2015 and 80 per cent by 2050.

Reducing the carbon footprint is more than just planting trees at ambulance stations,

GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE | Volume 61

acceptable solution in an emergency response vehicle – or turning off building lights when operating a 24-hour emergency service.

YORKSHIRE AMBULANCE SERVICE Despite the obvious challenges, Yorkshire Ambulance Service, along with many other ambulance services across the country, is working to reduce its carbon emissions through a variety of measures. Green equals black when it comes to the bank balance so initiatives are also driven by cost savings and generally have fast pay-backs with long term additional health impacts from less emissions in the environment.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service was the first ambulance service in the country to employ an Environmental and Sustainability Manager in 2010 to work with fleet, estates and procurement departments to reduce the impact that the service has on carbon emissions. Estate emissions have gradually been decreasing through the introduction of more efficient lighting and boiler upgrades, but the fleet emissions are more difficult to tackle with a

fleet which needs to reach destinations across 6,000 square miles as quickly as possible.

On average the Trust consumes 4.5 million litres of diesel each year at a huge cost of around £7million. There are some simple ways in which Yorkshire Ambulance Service has been working to reduce its fleet carbon tyre-print as well as tackling more significant reductions to eliminate carbon emissions.

Eco-driving training programmes have been introduced by the Trust for staff who operate vehicles in both the emergency service and the non-emergency Patient Transport Service (PTS). Applying these skills can result in more economic and safe driving and can result in savings of between five per cent and ten per cent on Trust fuel bills.

The Trust also changed its car lease policy two years ago, so those staff entitled to a vehicle now have to select one that emits under 130g per km and is taking it a step further to ensure that there is a continuous reduction in CO2 emissions by actively encouraging staff to choose electric or hybrid vehicles.

AERODYNAMIC AMBULANCES Working with Leeds University, YAS has been looking at the potential savings available through aerodynamic ambulances. Initial studies have identified that by changing from box-shaped body ambulances to van

Yorkshire Ambulance Service has been testing an electric Nissan Leaf for 10 months on its non-emergency Patient Transport Service

conversations, a potential saving of 20 per cent could be made (purely on aerodynamics) with a further potential of 9.5 per cent on drag by incorporating an aerodynamic blue light bar into ambulance designs. This could equate to a saving of 12 per cent in fuel efficiency.

ON STAND BY Yorkshire Ambulance Service has also been working to tackle the problems associated with frontline staff on standby ready for allocation of a 999 call – a challenge for all blue-light organisations. The nationally-set target for all ambulance services requires the Trust to respond to 75 per cent of all potentially life‑threatening incidents within eight minutes and, to achieve this emergency vehicles are strategically placed in locations across the county. Due to the electrical requirement of the vehicles to avoid draining the battery staff must leave the engine running whilst waiting to be allocated to an emergency and this can sometimes be required for up to 65 per cent of a shift. This has led to the Trust trialling a methanol fuel cell which turns on when power is required for all of the electrical equipment and is currently looking to see how it can trial this with a hydrogen fuel cell.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service has recently carried out a ten-month trial with a pure electric Nissan Leaf as an integral part of its non-emergency Patient Transport Service fleet and is currently testing a hybrid Vauxhall Ampera in York which will be integrated as part of the low emissions zone strategy that the City of York Council is looking to implement.

This is a frontline rapid response vehicle and is the first hybrid car to be used as part of an emergency service fleet. Its electric transmission is backed up by a petrol engine so it is a safe option for use in an emergency service.

The Trust’s Fleet department is also looking to run some trials with some brake regenerative technology, which will recharge the on-board batteries and has also been investigating greener tyres with better rolling resistance.

A Carbon Champion programme has been implemented at every ambulance station and workplace across the region to raise awareness of what is being implemented.

These champions pass on information, distribute literature and provide feedback to the management teams in relation to any issues and developments. This has proved essential in providing staff with the power to change their organisation from within and has also helped staff to understand the potential savings through having a greener ambulance service.

THE REST OF THE COUNTRY Many of the ambulance services in England

have looked at their carbon footprint in order to understand where their direct carbon emissions come from. In Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions’ (direct/purchased emissions) assessments, it was established that over 60 per cent of emissions come from their fleets and the remaining 40 per cent coming from their estates. Through new and innovative technologies, as well adjusting the way that their organisations operate, many ambulance services are already reaping the rewards of lower fuel bills and lower utility bills.

Many are just starting on their carbon reduction journey and others are further along the route of embedding sustainability in their fleet, ambulance stations and offices. Most are working hard to reduce the main bulk of carbon emissions if not eliminate them through a variety of innovative developments.

Cycle response teams in busy town and city settings across the country play an important part in reaching patients quickly with paramedics using specially adapted and equipped bicycles which are capable of responding quickly within built-up and pedestrian areas. As well meeting the needs of patient care in congested city centres, the human-powered response helps to reduce the emissions in polluted city centres. London Ambulance Service, which originally started the cycle response unit initiative, has made an estimated saving of £2.7 million per year.

The ambulance service in Scotland has commissioned and welcomed a pure electric ambulance into its non-emergency Patient Transport Service fleet, the first in the country. East of England and South Central

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so that you can see when they are 10 per cent below recommended levels, as fuel efficiency is greatly impaired by under-inflated tyres.

Nationally, trials have been run on blue light speed limiters where speed is limited unless the blue lights and sirens are turned on for an emergency response.

A NETWORK OF GREEN AMBULANCES Yorkshire Ambulance Service set up the Green Environmental Ambulance Network (GrEAN) which is now a national network of ambulance trusts who are working to become more sustainable through carbon reduction programmes. GrEAN was set up in May 2011 as it was identified that ambulance services across the country are very different to the rest of the NHS. Being predominantly fleetbased organisations, the ambulance services face many different challenges in relation to carbon reduction and GrEAN is endeavouring to reduce the carbon footprint nationally.

The group has worked to unite the ambulance trusts in sharing information on trials and the value of different technologies, ensuring that vital information is passed around the country. The GrEAN group has put together a ‘Green Passport’, a guide for all ambulance service personnel to find out what they can do to reduce their carbon footprint at work and at home and provide a resource for carbon management education. The group has also carried out a national carbon footprint assessment to identify differences in the carbon emissions of each service.

In addition, GrEAN has taken up the challenge

Yorkshire Ambulance Service set up the Green Environmental Ambulance Network (GrEAN) which is now a national network of ambulance trusts who are working to become more sustainable through carbon reduction ambulance services have trialled the Vauxhall Ampera as a workable answer for marked managers’ cars or as part of their PTS fleet.

South Central Ambulance Service has rolled out solar panels on the roofs of their rapid response vehicles to see if they can trickle charge their auxiliary batteries to reduce the need for the engine to be run whilst on standby waiting for emergency calls.

East of England Ambulance Service’s key carbon reduction project is linked to its long term Integrated Service Model Strategy and like many others advanced clinical triage. This new model of care aims to improve service quality by offering a more appropriate response to patients and could mean providing an alternative to an emergency ambulance response such as telephone advice (hear and treat), care from a specialist falls service or being directed to a different service based closer to home.

In addition, tyre valve pressure indicators are being fitted on all East of England ambulances

to work with ambulance manufacturers to produce a frontline vehicle for the future that will ensure a sustainable and low emission fleet on a national scale.

By developing an ambulance fleet which is relevant to the service required and resilient to changes in the future, we can ensure that the NHS is sustainable and available for future generations.

Vehicle technologies on trial across the country include: methanol fuel cell; hydrogen fuel cell; solar panels on the roofs of vehicles; electric vehicles; hybrid vehicles; aerodynamic assessments; brake regenerative technologies; telematics; duty cycle analysis; tyre technologies; tyre pressure indicators; next generation green ambulance design. L FURTHER INFORMATION Alexis Keech, Yorkshire Ambulance Service: alexis.keech@yas.nhs.uk Tel: 07500 607531

Volume 61 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

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THE UK'S BIGGEST COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SHOW

The number one road transport and logistics event in Britain, catering for every operator’s business needs, the CV Show has become the leading meeting place for suppliers and operators alike - a true one stop shop for the industry.

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ECO-DRIVING

UTILISING EVERY LAST DROP

Driver Training

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

What good is a fuel efficient car without a fuel efficient driver? Driving with an eco-mindset can save you up to 15 per cent on fuel, writes the Institute of Advanced Motorists’ Tanvir Nandra

Be light-footed to keep a constant speed Accelerate gently and avoid harsh braking Stick to the speed limit When George Osborne announced that the three pence rise in fuel duty was cancelled, the UK’s motorists breathed a collective sigh of relief. And while petrol prices fell in January, the overall trend is for steadily climbing fuel costs.

Bombing it down the motorway at 80 miles an hour and screeching to a halt at every red light will cause immense wear and tear to the engine and gearbox. You’ll also see your fuel consumption rise, not to mention the increase in the release of carbon emissions.

CONTROL THE COSTS Fuel and vehicle costs are a core part of a company’s fleet expenditure. Businesses are finding it more and more difficult to sustain the cost of fleets. In times of austerity, it’s difficult to cut back on costs and it becomes more and more important to find ways you can save money.

Fleet managers all over the country consider value for money and miles per gallon for new company vehicles, to make savings where possible. And with the rise in fuel efficient vehicles, the money-saving choices are increasing. But what good is a fuel efficient car to a fleet manager, without a fuel efficient driver? IAM Drive and Survive suggest that when your fleet are out on the road, driving, with an eco-mind set you can save up to 15 per cent on fuel. This could help to drive down costs considerably. However, a bad driver in your fleet can make a dent in your finances. A driver who spends long hours behind the wheel to meet with clients and colleagues are more likely to be fined and crash more because of the riskier driving style implied by the nature of their job and the time restrictions. Aiming to meet the next deadline in a hurry means a riskier driver – this is not the kind of driver you want for your fleet. Large fleets are particularly prone to suffering losses because of poorly trained drivers.

ECO DRIVING – HOW TO GUIDE Stopping and starting abruptly or driving erratically – these driving behaviours put a lot of stress on the engine and tyres. Unsurprisingly, it also burns a lot of fuel. A light right foot is important to keep a constant speed – and by starting and stopping gentler – you’ll save

money. Using the brakes less often will make it a safer drive. Fleet or not, it’s a tip that works for a driver in any vehicle.

Stick to the speed limit – this improves fuel efficiency and road safety. For example, on a straight road where the national speed limit is in force, 50mph is the optimum speed for fuel efficiency. This offers a good compromise between economy and getting somewhere. There’s a significant saving made by doing 70 instead of 80 – and you avoid any risk of speeding fines.

Checking your vehicle regularly makes driving more efficiently much easier. In particular, check the condition of your tyres weekly.

You can do this by checking tyre pressures when they’re cold. Wrongly inflated tyres can have a huge impact on fuel economy.

Improving driver observation, anticipation and awareness increases safety and again reduces the cost for fuel and maintenance. It helps keep the car on the move – more fuel is used starting off and braking.

ANTICIPATION Aim to get your staff into the habit of accelerating gradually to the most fuel‑efficient speed while looking ahead. There’s no point accelerating into a red light or traffic queue. Anticipating junctions and lights will also reduce the amount of time they stopping with the engine still running.

Keep your vehicle moving for as long as possible, even in traffic queues. This is far more fuel efficient than stopping and starting, so slow down earlier, to avoid braking as harshly and often.

Reverse into parking bays. If you do all the manoeuvring with a hot engine you can drive straight off when you come back and warm the engine up more quickly.

It takes most cars a couple of miles to warm up and run efficiently. Could you walk, cycle or use public transport? If not, think about linking short trips together to avoid starting several journeys with a cold engine.

Advise your staff to keep the car on a diet.

Remove unnecessary weight, including roof racks, car clutter and heavy items in the boot.

Check your tyres regularly Improve anticipation to keep the car moving Reverse into parking bays so you can drive straight off Remove unnecessary weight, including roof racks

Written by Tanvir Nandra, Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM)

Eco-driving techniques

Use air conditioning sparingly At high speeds keep your windows closed The heavier you are, the more fuel you’ll burn.

Use air conditioning and climate control sparingly as they significantly increase fuel consumption. Scrape ice or spray your windscreen before starting the engine. In town open your windows to cool the car down, but at high speeds, keep your windows closed to maintain the aerodynamics of the car.

Use air‑con to get the car to a comfortable temperature, and then turn it off. Keeping the inside of the front and rear windscreens squeaky clean will reduce the time you need to spend using the heating or air con to clear the screen.

Traffic fumes form a film on the glass which attracts moisture and makes them mist up easily.

IAM DRIVE & SURVIVE The IAM is the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, dedicated to improving standards and safety in driving, motorcycling and cycling. The commercial division of the IAM operates through its occupational driver training company IAM Drive & Survive.

IAM Drive & Survive offers an Ecolution module which can help to improve fuel consumption and lead to significant vehicle emission reductions. Ecolution teaches simple driving techniques which are easily adopted in everyday driving behaviour, and have a significant impact on fleet running costs. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.iam.org.uk www.iamdriveandsurvive.co.uk Tel: 08701 202 910

Volume 61 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

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Road Test

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

MERCEDES-BENZ A180 CDI SE BLUEEFFICIENCY

Written by Ian Bond

TOP MARKS FOR THE NEW A-CLASS

With its ‘above and beyond’ approach to safety, fuel-sipping character and low emissions – elegantly packaged up in the usual Mercedes style – the new A-Class is a solid corporate car choice Much of the time I drove the new A-Class, it was snowing. This meant I couldn’t really put my foot down and really put it through its paces. It did however give me a chance to see how it performs in slippery conditions, and it did not disapoint. In fact there were a number of occasions that I almost forgot about the weather conditions as the car cruised confidently on the snowy roads, retaining both grip and handling.

The new shape is lower, longer and wider than the original A-Class, and much easier on the eye. Internally it lives up to the sophistication you’d expect from a Mercedes with its high standards of features, attractive control panel and dashboard.

GREEN TECHNOLOGIES The new A-Class features a raft of BlueEFFICIENCY technologies which help it achieve an impressive fuel economy of 74.2mpg and emission value of 98g/km. At its heart is the highly-efficient direct‑injection turbo-charged engine, which is helped along

by ECO start/stop, intelligent alternator

Mercedes-Benz A180 CDI SE BlueEFFICIENCY ENGINE:

1.5-litre

CO2:

98g/km

MPG (combined): 0-62mph:

40

74.2 11.3 seconds

TOP SPEED:

118mph

PRICE (OTR):

£26,005

GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE | Volume 61

management (to convert braking energy into electrical energy), intelligent management of the oil feed and water pump, a display to encourage more economical driving, low rolling resistance tyres, and an adjustable radiator shutter.

Driving in built up areas, I managed to get a respectable 54mpg and on the motorway a whopping 68mpg.

For a diesel car, the 1.5 litre engine is quiet and at speed road noise is kept low. It gets top marks for road handling and good acceleration makes it easy to pull out of busy junctions.

Lane Keeping Assist helps drivers stay on course by reading the lane markings and if the car crosses them unintentionally, it alerts the driver by gently vibrating the steering wheel. Blind Spot Assist uses two radar sensors to detect a vehicle approaching from behind and issues visual warnings in the door mirrors and an audible warning within the car if the driver attempts to pull out. this functions at speeds above 30mph.

The lass new A-Ca raft s feature FICIENCY EF of Blue ogies which technol achieve an help it ressive imp g and p m 2 .

4 7 98g/km

SAFETY FIRST Mercedes goes above and beyond when it comes to looking after its drivers and passengers with a raft of noteworthy safety features. Using its Adaptive Brake Assist function, the car can predict a potential emergency. Triggered when the driver abruptly lifts off the accelerator pedal, it recognises the urgency of the situation and primes the brake pads so that they come into light contact with the brake discs. If emergency braking proves to be necessary, pressure can therefore be achieved instantly. During wet weather the system dries the brake discs by maintaining gentle pressure between brake pads and discs.

GADGETS GALORE Fitted as standard, the Audio 20 CD/radio has a large 5.8” colour display, telephone keypad, Bluetooth, plus aux-in socket and USB port to access content from MP3 players and storage devices.

It also includes pre-wiring for the Becker® Map Pilot navigation system. Other options include COMAND Online, a Cloud-based multimedia system that lets you access the internet via a web-enabled mobile phone, plus various Mercedes-Benz services on the move. These include weather information, news, and a special destination search via Google, as well as the option of downloading a route previously configured on a PC using Google Maps.

With its excellent safety features, fuel consumption, and low emissions attracking zero VED, the new A-Class should get a good slice of the corporate market. L

Road Test

MINI COOPER SD

MINI MAXIMISES ON POWER

GreenFleet’s pint-sized road tester, Ian Bond, finds out how Mini’s ultimate performance car, the Cooper S, gets a green makeover in the diesel Cooper SD Having won the Monte Carlo rally three times and countless other races and rallies since 1963, the Mini Cooper S is known as the ultimate performance Mini.

Now the ‘S’ badge has tagged onto a new diesel model – the Mini Cooper SD. But this time power combines with fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions.

The Cooper SD houses the largest engine ever to go in a Mini model. The two-litre, four-cylinder power unit produces 143bhp at 4,000rpm, almost 28 per cent more than the Cooper D and nearly 60 per cent above that of the One D. What’s more, the powerful turbocharger gives the car an extra boost, helping it to reach a top speed of 134mph and a 0-62mph acceleration time of 8.1 seconds.

GREEN TECHNOLOGY Given its power, you’d be forgiven for

thinking this gulps fuel. But it is actually quite efficient, with a fuel economy figure of 65.7mpg and a CO2 level of 114g/ km of CO2. This is thanks to a raft of green technology, such as Brake Energy Generation, Auto Start/ Stop, Shift Point Display, Electric Power Steering and demand‑based ancillaries such as the alternator.

2 I achieved 57mpg on the motorway, shy of the manufacturer’s official figure but not bad nonetheless.

The interior of the SD is very quirky and unmistakably ‘Mini’. Of particular note were the lights illuminating certain areas such as the door handles; you could choose the colour and change the ambience of the car to suit your mood.

The central multi-display circular panel is operated by the Mini joystick which flicks through the applications, such as the sat nav, multimedia, telephone and radio

The ance performi Cooper in diesel Mite efficient, SD is qu el economy with fumpg and CO of 65.7 issions of em 114g/km

Mini Cooper SD ENGINE: CO2:

2.0-litre 114g/km

MPG (combined): 0-62mph:

65.7 8.1 seconds

TOP SPEED:

134mph

PRICE (OTR):

£18,870

settings. You can also view general vehicle information giving you an update on how it is performing on fuel consumption and so on. A nice touch is the built-in DAB radio on top of the standard AM and FM options.

STEP ON IT Driving the Mini was very enjoyable.

Step on the accelerator and you feel the power of the two-litre, four-cylinder engine. As it’s a small car with a big engine, I found it very nippy in traffic with excellent handling and response.

There is a six-speed manual gearbox and shift paddles on the steering wheel for when you want to feel sporty.

Testing the car in sub-zero conditions and snow, I was impressed with the way the car gripped the roads with confidence and retained its excellent handling and response. What’s more, I found the heating system to be excellent; the front and rear windows cleared in seconds along with the heated wing mirrors. I had the heating set to ‘auto’ which meant that the fan increased and decreased until it reached the preset internal temperature. L

Volume 61 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

41

Road Test

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

VW TRANSPORTER BLUEMOTION

TRANSPORTER TURNS TO BLUEMOTION

Roland Rendell rates the new VW Transporter BlueMotion as the best medium panel van he’s experienced, even if it didn’t manage to fully accommodate his seemingly endless pins

Over the last 12 months I have been privileged to drive a variety of cars and small vans, from numerous manufacturers, with variations in engine technology.

Volkswagen putting its BlueMotion technology in to a van that weighs less than 3 tonnes made it something I had to experience.

The Transporter T27 BlueMotion SWB 2.0‑litre TDI 114PS is a 5-speed panel van where the German marque has tried to recreate the comfort and surroundings of a Golf for the benefit of Van Man. And they’ve done it. Almost.

As I glance around the cab, I’m suitably impressed, and if I didn’t know better I would think I was in a car. The array of knobs, button, switches, etc, is not what you would expect to find in a workhorse like this. Fantastic.

Volkswagen have obviously thought about the amount of time a van driver spends behind the wheel and have tried to make it as pleasurable an experience as possible.

also pick up on the hill hold assist – what a great addition. I felt the benefits of this technology over the week, and I can imagine that with a full payload, it’s an even better addition.

All the usual suspects are there, from the nicely presented CD stereo system, to the air recirculation and heating system. All superbly presented, easily accessible and, again, not what I expected in a van. Plenty of storage too, with compartments and cubby‑holes all over, for Van Man’s paperwork and packed lunch. And as you would expect, the model I was driving had the extra bells and whistles too, such as Bluetooth connectivity, rear parking sensors (a lifesaver) and a leather multifunction steering wheel.

With ive impress m 166g/k and ns emissio50mpg, almost swagen the Volkporter Trans tion BlueMo rs delive

HILL HOLD ASSIST WORKS WELL Let’s go through this. As you would expect, it comes with remote central locking, with deadlocks and internal locking control.

There’s an airbag for both the driver and the passenger(s), seatbelt alert and daytime running lights. So it’s a safe old beast. Add the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), the Brake Assist System (BAS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and hill hold assist (what, no acronym?), and you can see that the boffins in Germany have really come up with a van that will protect at all times. I must

SPACIAL GRUMBLE You may well have heard Ray Winstone’s ‘Let’s go to work’ voiceover on the Volkswagen vans adverts on the radio. He builds this picture of a big, burly guy climbing in to his Transporter and setting off on his days work. Regular readers of my reviews will know by now that I’m bigger than the average bear. I have squeezed my over 6ft frame in to many a vehicle, some with ease, and others with varied success.

Bearing in mind that this is the biggest vehicle I have ever driven, I could not believe the leg room I didn’t have. I climbed in to the cab, tried to readjust the seat, but failed. It wouldn’t budge because of the bulkhead behind, and obviously that doesn’t shift. So, there I was with my knees up alongside either side of the steering wheel. My feet easily reached

the pedals, but I was having to use them vertically, which is not very comfortable at all.

Putting my height/length issues aside, this drives like a dream. The gearstick is mounted high for comfort and convenience, and the change is smooth and seamless. The 5-speed van does not struggle, no matter what terrain I tried, and we also had some pretty horrible weather conditions too in test drive week.

The 2.0-litre engine delivers 114PS (112bhp) at 3500rpm and the maximum torque is 250lb ft, at 1500-2500rpm, but is surprisingly quiet, and will, apparently, reach 102mph. But, the name of the game here is economy, and not speed. And I must say, congratulations Volkswagen, because this is where I believe they have produced a class winner.

IMPRESSIVE ECONOMY We have all heard of the BlueMotion Golf and its impressive mpg and CO2 stats. In something this size, I certainly did not expect 166g/km, and almost 50mpg. But, as far as the fuel economy goes, it delivers. I tried this van around town, on the country roads and on dual carriageways and the motorway, and each time it performed handsomely. It handles well, manoeuvres great and when you do get it up to 55mph plus, it sits there and will chug along all day. Engage the cruise control, and it will easily hit the 48.5mpg I managed to extract. And at today’s diesel prices, that can mean huge savings for fleets.

Even at 2,700kg in weight, the 80-litre tank will allow this van to go on and on.

Payload-wise, it’s what you would expect.

I loaded up the 7-odd cubic metres of space with plenty of bits and pieces, including plenty of heavy panes of glass, and this meant nothing in terms of affecting the performance or driveability. The rubber floor covering that overlays the back, as well as the cabin, is also a great feature.

THE VERDICT How would I sum this van up? On the ‘looks’ front, it’s great. The body-coloured bumpers and wing mirrors lend an almost custom feel to it. And apart from the lack of room (for me personally) in my opinion, this is the best medium panel van on the road, and with the BlueMotion technology, it has got even better. Fleets will be making considerable savings with the more fuel-efficient BlueMotion engines, so overall, it’s a big winner. L

42

Creature comforts: Transporter cabin has all the bells and whistles Van Man could ever want

Road Test

VW Transporter BlueMotion GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT: LOAD VOLUME: POWER:

Custom carry-all: Transporter BlueMotion looks the part with body-coloured bumpers and wing mirrors

2,700kg 6.7m3

112bhp @ 3,500rpm

TORQUE: CO2: MPG (combined):

250lb ft @ 500-2,500rpm 166g/km 44.8

PRICE (ex-VAT): £19,742 (standard model, £22,042 with extras)

Volume 61 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

43

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3 5 Lunchtime Networking Debates: • EV Integration • 2nd Hand Market • EV Range • Decarbonisation • Usage Patterns

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Discover how fleet managers, EV pioneers and industry experts are utilising electric vehicle technology at the Electric Vehicles Conference – Overcoming Barriers, Driving Adoption on 30 April FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS The financial implications will also be addressed, including the incentives for electric vehicle uptake, how to make EVs pay and how to reduce costs. The question that many will be asking is, are EVs the right Investment? The conference will allow visitors to explore where real world EV business models fail and succeed on the basis of current investment strategies.

We all know that taking action to reduce emissions is important, but making sure you avoid serious harm to your budget is also imperative. The mission-critical issue when it comes to electric vehicle technology is about how we can build an affordable, practical and realistic business model for an EV fleet whilst overcoming cost, range and infrastructure barriers that up until now, have perhaps been holding us back.

Join 26 brand-side senior adopters at The Electric Vehicles Conference – Overcoming Barriers, Driving Adoption on 30 April 2013

that you face when tackling the many barriers currently hindering EV uptake.

The conference draws together the likes of Waitrose Ltd, UPS EMEA, Heathrow Airport Ltd, JC Decaux UK Limited, OLEV, London Borough of Hackney, Renault UK, Speedy Services, Continental and Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust – EV adopters and fleet managers themselves – who will unite to reveal their real‑life, independent insights and honest expertise on the electric vehicle market.

In particular, the conference will tackle

The mission-critical issue when it comes to electric vehicle technology is about how we can build an affordable, practical and realistic business model for an EV fleet whilst overcoming cost, range and infrastructure barriers in London and discover how fleet managers, EV pioneers and industry experts are utilising EV technology in a way which adds value and reduces costs for their organisations.

REAL-LIFE EV EXPERIENCES Following weeks of in-depth research with EV adopters and experts across Europe, the conference programme has been carefully designed to focus on the key challenges

questions such as when will costs come down and the perception of EVs change? It will look at how to build a viable business case, overcome barriers and the practical implications of introducing EVs into an organisation.

There will be case studies from six early adopters of EVs, who will be discussing lessons learned and offering best-practice advice.

INFRASTRUCTURE The issue of where to charge your EV when out and about, is crucial if people are to have the confidence in EVs. The conference explores the roadmap for charging infrastructure and overcoming range anxiety.

The conference will also look at the retail opportunities regarding electric vehicles.

Using a case study, it will demonstrate how an organisation or community can bring in new business, challenge perceptions and increase uptake of EVs. What’s more the conference will look at how utility companies are responding to EV demand and providing value for money.

Lastly, the conference will investigate what’s in the EV Pipeline: where, when and how OEMs will increase range, lower costs and encourage uptake over the next 5-10 years.

HOW THE DAY WILL UNFOLD The day will also consist of lunchtime networking debates, panel discussions on business models and product and battery pipelines, and double perspectives on topics such as determining the most suitable business case, government support and utility response to EV demand. There will be a mini‑exhibition area and numerous opportunities for networking throughout the day; hosts will be on-hand to facilitate this during breaks.

Register for The Electric Vehicles Conference before 8 March 2013 and save £100. Ensure your place today and align yourself with industry-leaders who are leading the way in electric vehicle technology and changing perceptions by building commercially viable business models which support EV adoption. The outcome of which is not only for a more sustainable strategy which achieves CSR objectives, but as a way to ultimately reduce costs, add value and provide payback for their organisations.

The conference takes place at Grand Connaught Rooms, London, on 30 April. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.electricvehiclesconference.com

Volume 61 | GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE

45

Product Finder

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

CONTRACT HIRE

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Days Contract Hire

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Harleyford Marina, Henley Road Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 2DX Tel: 0800 1971297 sales@fleetdrive.co.uk www.fleetdrive.co.uk Fleetdrive specialise in helping businesses with 5 – 80 cars or light commercials get best value and great service. Our services include contract hire, finance lease, maintenance, accident management, risk management and rental tied together with our online management system.

Days Contract Hire is a unique independent contract hire company servicing private and public sector clients across the UK. Specialists in providing bespoke fleet funding and management solutions for clients of all shapes and sizes.

FLEET MANAGEMENT AND FUNDING

Lex Autolease Blake House, Hatchford Way, Birmingham B26 3RZ Tel: 0800 389 3690 marketing@lexautolease.co.uk www.lexautolease.co.uk Lex Autolease is the UK’s leading vehicle management and funding specialist. We have in excess of 300,000 vehicles currently under management, making us the UK's largest leasing company. But it’s through delivering world class customer service and developing a true partnership with businesses and public sector organisations, to help them face the challenges of running a fleet, which gives us our competitive edge.

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EDF Energy 329 Portland Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 5SU Tel: 01273 428 281 electricvehicles@edfenergy.com www.edfenergy.com EDF Energy is working with fleet managers across a variety of sectors, helping to deliver a timely, flexible, cost effective Plug-In Vehicles recharging infrastructure solution.

We provide an end-to-end recharging service covering the technical assessment of your site(s), impartial advice on hardware requirements and best price design solutions.

PRIVATE HIRE/COURIER SERVICES

Alphabet

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Form One, Bartley Wood Business Park Hook, Hampshire RG27 9XA Tel: 0870 50 50 100 alphabet@alphabet.co.uk www.alphabet.co.uk

91 Station Road West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7LT Tel: 01895 444333 service@qdelllhr.co.uk www.qdelllhr.co.uk Located near Heathrow airport, airport runs are our speciality, we offer a meet and greet service where uniformed representatives monitor flights, meet your VIPs and escort them to a waiting vehicle. Electric hybrids.

Diesel hybrids, electric vehicles are included in our fleet. We use biofuel made from 100% recycled cooking oil.

GreenCARE is Alphabet’s comprehensive online reporting, analysis and modelling tool designed to help customers reduce their CO2 emissions, fuel and fleet costs, while benchmarking performance against ‘average’ and ‘best in class’ fleet performers. Speak to us today to find out more about how GreenCARE can help to reshape your fleet.

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GreenRoad Fleet House, 8-12 New Bridge Street London EC4V 6AL UK Tel: 020 7822 8563 www.greenroad.com GreenRoad is the leader in driver performance and safety management for fleets. The GreenRoad Driver Improvement Loop™ uses technology-based, personalised driver self‑improvement to transform driving culture and deliver the best drivers. Proven across over 70,000 drivers worldwide from all industry segments, GreenRoad dramatically reduces crashes, fuel consumption and emissions so customers realise positive ROI within months.

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GREENFLEET® MAGAZINE | Volume 61

Alphabet 46 Citroen 26, 27 Commercial Vehicle Show 38 EDF Energy 22, 46 Electric Vehicle Conference 45 Fiat 20, 21 Ford 24 Honda IFC Lex Autolease 34 Mercedes 7, 9 Mini 16, 17 Peugeot 12 Quartix 32 Seat BC Skoda 10 Toyota IBC Volvo 4

All the abilities that drive success

Desirability Reliability Sustainability

More range, less anxiety

Affordability Rangeability Serviceability

Prius

Prius Plug-in Hybrid

7-Seat Prius +

CO 2 89g/Km 10% BIK

CO 2 49g/Km 5% BIK

CO 2 96g/Km 10% BIK

delivering

Rangeability The Prius range, like all our hybrids reduces emissions, tax and fuel bills. The Prius Plug-In Hybrid, for example, provides zero CO2 emissions driving up to 15.5 miles, then switches to petrol-hybrid power for longer journeys. More range, more choice, more affordable.

Find out more about our brilliant for business abilities. Call 0844 701 6186 or visit us online.

brilliant for business Prius range from ÂŁ21,845 to ÂŁ33,245 OTR. CO 2 from 49g/Km to 101g/Km. Combined mpg from 64.2 mpg to 134.5 mpg.

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