GreenFleet 93 by PSI Media

CV SHOW 2016

GREENFLEET SCOTLAND

www.greenfleet.net

ULEV TAX GUIDE

LINES OF DUTY Ultra Low Emission Vehicles deliver low tax rates

TEST PEUGEOT PARTNER

ISSUE 93

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

MOBILISING THE TROOPS

How truck platoons can make road transport cleaner, safer and more efficient

TELEMATICS

INTO THE LIGHT

Are connected cars having an influence on the adoption of Cloud technology?

ROAD TEST: NEW TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID

GREENFLEET SCOTLAND

www.greenfleet.net

ULEV TAX GUIDE

LINES OF DUTY Ultra Low Emission Vehicles deliver low tax rates

Comment

CV SHOW 2016

TEST PEUGEOT PARTNER

ISSUE 93

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

MOBILISING THE TROOPS

How truck platoons can make road transport cleaner, safer and more efficient

TELEMATICS

INTO THE LIGHT Are connected cars having an influence on the adoption of Cloud technology?

ROAD TEST: NEW TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID

A Model example? The big electric car news this month is the unveiling of Tesla’s Model 3, its ‘junior executive’ car. As with the popular – and larger – Model S, the Model 3 is all-electric and is capable of over 200 miles on a single charge. GreenFleet Scotland

returned to Edinburgh It can be replenished from Tesla’s powerful Supercharger network, and also on 15 April. Read promises a whole bundle of on-board tech. Where it differs significantly the review on page 15 from the Model S, though, is price. The Model 3 is rumoured to be the car Tesla founder Elon Musk always wanted to build, and with a price tag of around £30,000 when it comes to the UK, it should sell like proverbial hot cakes.

Visit v fleet.t green ative video rm for info tent on t con tal flee nmen enviro agement man

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Less than a week after it was launched, Tesla reported over 325,000 pre-orders for the Model 3: over 115,000 of those were placed before the car was even unveiled. Prospective buyers were even queuing around the block at Tesla showrooms, eager to place a $1,000/£1,000 deposit. That’s something that has, until now, been the preserve of the big technology companies, most notably Apple. Let’s hope the Californian company can build as many cars as it wants to – 10 times its current volumes – otherwise the doubters may point to the demise of the electric car. It will be interesting to see just how the latest chapter in the Tesla story develops. With the advent of the Commercial Vehicle Show happening just after this issue goes to press, we’ve enhanced CV content in this magazine. The first autonomous truck platoon trials have taken place and we evaluate the efficiency benefits they bring, and we also look at the LoCITY scheme which aims to help the fleet and freight sectors lead the way in improving air quality and reduce carbon emissions. Enjoy the issue. Richard Gooding, acting editor

! ONLINE ! IN PRINT ! MOBILE ! 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 GreenFleet® would like to thank the following organisations for their support:

PUBLISHED BY PUBLIC SECTOR INFORMATION LIMITED

226 High Rd, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055 Fax: 020 8532 0066 Web: www.psi-media.co.uk ACTING EDITOR Richard Gooding EDITOR Angela Pisanu ASSISTANT EDITOR Michael Lyons EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Tommy Newell, Rachel Brooks PRODUCTION CONTROL Sofie Owen PRODUCTION DESIGN Jacqueline Lawford, Jo Golding WEB PRODUCTION Victoria Leftwich PUBLISHER George Petrou ACCOUNT MANAGER Kylie Glover ADMINISTRATION Vickie Hopkins REPRODUCTION & PRINT Argent Media

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Volume 93 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

FIAT DUCATO.

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Fuel consumption figures for the New Ducato range in mpg (I/100km): Urban from 24.4 (11.6) – 39.8 (7.1); Extra Urban from 38.2 (7.4) – 49.6 (5.7); Combined from 31.7 (8.9) – 44.1(6.4) CO2 emissions 164 – 236 g/km. Fuel consumption and CO figures based on standard EU tests for comparative purposes and may not reflect 2

real driving results. FOR BUSINESS USERS ONLY. ▲More than 2000kg, in single wheels segment. †On Ducato Maxi 3500kg and 4000kg. *0% APR representative Balloon Hire Purchase promotion for 48 months available on specific models. Finance subject to status. Guarantees may be required. Finance provided by Fiat Financial Services, PO Box 4465, Slough, SL1 0RW. The included Maximum Care 4 Years Warranty guarantees your vehicle against faulty materials and faulty workmanship during manufacture for a period of 48 months or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first from the date of first registration in the UK. This excludes wear and tear items. Warranty is subject to exclusions. Terms and conditions apply. The included 4 Years Roadside Assistance consists of Fiat Professional Assistance Service, in the countries and according to the methods shown in the owner’s policy information, for a period of 48 months from date of first registration in the UK. Terms and conditions apply. The included Easycare 4 Years Free Servicing is for 4 years or 80,000 miles (whichever occurs first) and includes all services as per the manufacturer’s recommendations but excludes wear-and-tear items and other maintenance items not covered under the service schedule. Terms and conditions apply. The Maximum Care 4 years Warranty, Easycare 4 Years Free Servicing and 4 Years Roadside Assistance offers may be used in conjunction with Balloon Hire Purchase 0% APR for 48 months.

Contents

Contents GreenFleet 93 07

07 News

36 Contract hire & leasing

12 Down the road

38 Microlise Conference

15 GreenFleet Scotland

40 Telematics

Mitsubishi fuel consumption gaffes; European platoon challenge success; and Tesla Model 3 unveiled We peek ahead to the latest green models expected on our roads this year, including the Mahindra e20

GreenFleet looks back at the most successful GreenFleet Scotland event to date, and reviews EVOLUTION Scotland – the green event for the Highlands

16 EV tax guide

With over 1,000 delegates, the Microlise Transport Conference on 18 May should be a key date in the fleet manager’s diary

Graham Jarvis asks whether an increase in connected cars is having an influence on the adoption of Cloud technology

42 Alternative fuels

With fleet managers looking to ease their expenses, Next Green Car calculates the financial advantages offered by ULEVs when it comes to tax

A London Hydrogen Network Expansion initiative hoped to break a world record attempt. Richard Gooding shares his experiences driving a hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle around the M25

21 Commercial vehicles: truck platoons

44 Road test: Peugeot Partner

Following the success of the European Truck Platooning Challenge, GreenFleet examines whether the technology may be forming on UK roads in the near future

23 Commercial vehicles: LoCITY scheme 21

New figures from the BVRLA confirm the sector’s position as the UK’s leading adopter of more fuel-efficient vehicles

GreenFleet drives the latest version of the French manufacturer’s best selling and efficient light commercial vehicle

46 Road test: Toyota Prius Business Edition

London’s LoCITY scheme aims to help the freight industry adopt low emission vehicles and enjoy their benefits

With an appealing new style and improved dynamics, Richard Gooding finds that the re-engineered 70g/km Toyota Prius does the business

27 Commercial vehicles: CV Show 2016

48 PHEV diary: month three

The CV Show is the best-attended and the most comprehensive road transport and logistics event held in Britain. GreenFleet provides a final preview to the show

This month, Richard Gooding takes a look at the comfortable nature of the Outlander PHEV, and reports on a positive charging experience

GreenFleet magazine

www.greenfleet.net Volume 93 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

CLIMB MOUNTAINS, LOWER COSTS

2 FROM

115g/km

MPG

BIK

UP TO

FROM

64.2

23%

JEEP RENEGADE ®

To book a test drive call our Business Centre free on 0808 168 5440 or email us at jeep-fleet@fcagroup.com

OFFICIAL FUEL CONSUMPTION FIGURES FOR JEEP RENEGADE RANGE MPG (L/100KM): EXTRA URBAN 47.9 (5.9) – 70.6 (4.0), URBAN 32.5 (8.7) – 55.4 (5.1), COMBINED 40.9 (6.9) – 64.2 (4.4), CO 2 EMISSIONS: 160 – 115 G/KM. Fuel consumption and CO2 figures are obtained for comparative purposes in accordance with EC directives/regulations and may not be representative of real-life driving conditions. Factors such as driving style, weather and road conditions may also have a significant effect on fuel consumption. Model shown is a Jeep Renegade Limited. Jeep ® is a registered trademark of FCA US LLC.

News

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

FALSE DATA

Mitsubishi Motors admits falsifying fuel consumption data

Tesla unveils Model 3 Tesla has unveiled its much anticipated Model 3 vehicle, designed to be a more ‘affordable’ option from the electric car manufacturer. The Model 3 was unveiled by CEO Elon Musk at an event in California, which was live streamed via the Tesla website. The vehicle is 20 per cent smaller than the Model S and boasts a claimed range of 215 miles on one charge, with acceleration of 0-60 in under six seconds. All vehicles will have supercharging capability and have access to the growing Tesla supercharger network. The Model 3 looks to rival cars such as BMW’s 3 Series, Audi’s A4 and the Mercedes C-Class, with pricing confirmed to start at $35,000 before incentives (around £25,000). It has seating for five adults, as well as

a five-star safety rating in all categories, and autopilot safety features, which Tesla claims makes it ‘the safest car in its class’. Tesla has already taken over 133,000 reservations within the first 24 hours, surpassing the total US sales of the Nissan Leaf. Deliveries are expected to begin in late 2017, with Musk stating that the goal was to produce around 500,000 vehicles a year once production is up to full speed. The American company have also unveiled updates to the much admired Model S, with fully adaptable LED headlights, an upgrade to the standard charger, and a new front end. READ MORE tinyurl.com/zcv6o7r

PLUG-IN REGISTRATIONS

EV registrations reach record levels Analysis by Go Ultra Low suggests the uptake of plug-in vehicles has reached a record high in the UK, with more than 115 electric vehicles (EVs) being registered every day during the first quarter of 2016. The data shows that a total of 10,496 EVs hit UK roads during the first three months of 2016, with one plug-in car being sold every 13 minutes. The uptake is the highest since the Plug-in Car Grant was first introduced in January 2011. This year’s EV sales have also exceeded 2015’s record total, with more plug-in cars registered than the previous five years combined. Furthermore, the number of vehicles registered using the Plug-in Car Grant has now surpassed 58,000, almost triple the amount that was registered at the start of last year. Transport Minister Andrew Jones said: “These record figures show that hundreds of people every week are coming round to the fact that plug-in cars are cleaner, greener and cheaper to run. The UK is a world leader

in the uptake of low emission vehicles and our long-term economic plan is investing £600 million by 2020 to improve air quality, create jobs and achieve our goal of every new car and van in the UK being ultra-low emission by 2040.” Poppy Welch, head of Go Ultra Low, said: “This continued and steep growth in the uptake of plug-in cars is testament to how EVs are becoming a natural choice for increasing numbers of new car buyers. With low running costs, tax exemptions and free parking in many locations, many more motorists should be considering a plug-in vehicle as their next car. “As registrations records continue to be set and the rate of electric vehicle growth carries on, it’s no longer a question of will more motorists choose electric, but when.” READ MORE tinyurl.com/h9dqhxb

Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors has admitted to falsifying fuel consumption data for more than 600,000 vehicles. The admission was made at a press conference on 20 April, with company bosses, including Mitsubishi Motors president Tetsuro Aikawa, present. A statement released by Mitsubishi said that it had ‘conducted testing improperly to present better fuel consumption rates than the actual rates; and that the testing method was also different from the one required by Japanese law’. The company has confirmed that four models have been affected. These are the eK Wagon and eK Space, manufactured by Mitsubishi, as well as the Dayz and Dayz Roox, which have been manufactured by Mitsubishi and supplied to Nissan Motors Corporation since June 2013. Aikawa said that he was unaware of the false data, but said he felt ‘responsible’. Mitsubishi has stopped production and sales of all applicable cars and has said it will discuss compensation regarding the issue. All of the affected vehicles were sold in Japan, but, in light of this revelation, the company has said that it will also conduct an investigation into products manufactured for overseas markets. READ MORE tinyurl.com/zph2h2c

EMISSIONS SCANDAL

VW emissions cheating device developed by Audi German newspaper Handelsblatt has reported that the emission-cutting software used by Volkswagen (VW) was created by Audi. The newspaper claims that Audi created the device back in 1999 but it was never used until VW was unable to bring nitrogen oxide emissions below legal thresholds for certain diesel engines. However, the newspaper claims that the software was never used by Audi. Both VW and Audi declined to comment, Handelsblatt reports.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/ht5ao9v

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

The Renault Trafic, now in its third generation, has surpassed 200,000 UK sales, having celebrated being part of the British light commercial vehicle (LCV) market for 35 years. The model, which can be purchased in four body styles (Panel Van, Crew Van, Platform Cab and Passenger), has a new range of downsized, turbocharged engines, which supply a fuel economy of up to 50.4mpg and CO2 emissions from 149g/km. The third-generation model had sold 18,189 vehicles at the end of March 2016, with Renault predicting another increase in sales in the coming months. Steve Wilson, LCV product

manager at Renault UK, said: “The Trafic has proved very successful in the UK since it was first launched here 35 years ago. To achieve 200,000 sales shows the Trafic really hit a chord with business users in the UK. “It has innovated in the van market since 1981, offering a robust, user-friendly vehicle in a wide number of bodystyles and conversion options. The latest Trafic has proved fantastically popular since launching here in late 2014 and helped Renault LCVs to a record year in the UK in 2015.” READ MORE tinyurl.com/z6rbwbk

Commercial Vehicle News

Freight Transport Association TYRE DANGERS

Truck platooning success The European Truck Platooning Challenge held in Rotterdam on 6 April was judged a big success by truck manufacturers and politicians alike. The event, organised by the Dutch government as part of its six-month European Union presidency, attracted convoys of semi-autonomous, electronically-linked trucks from all six commercial vehicle members of Association des Constructeurs Européens d’Automobiles (ACEA). Platoons were sent to the port of Rotterdam from various European cities by DAF Trucks, Daimler, Iveco, MAN Truck &

Bus, Scania and Volvo Group. Melanie Schulz, the Dutch minister for Infrastructure and the Environment, said of the Challenge: “The results of this first major try-out in Europe are promising. The hands-on experience gained here will be very useful. It will certainly help my colleagues and I discuss the adjustments needed to make self-driving transport a reality.” GreenFleet’s report on the event can be found on page 21. READ MORE tinyurl.com/zafqqq4

FREIGHT

Carbon Reduction Award finalists announced Four leading logistics companies have been shortlisted for the Freight Transport Association’s (FTA) LCRS Leadership in Carbon Reduction Award. The four selected finalists are: Bibby Distribution; Howden Joinery Group PLC; Martin Brower UK and McDonald’s Restaurants Ltd; and UPS. Managed by FTA, the LCRS was introduced in 2009 and is designed to recognise the efforts made by individual scheme members to reduce their carbon emissions from freight activity. The scheme demonstrates to the government how logistics is contributing to climate change targets without the need for regulation or additional taxation. David Wells, FTA chief executive

and chair of the judging panel, commented: “I’m pleased to congratulate the four companies that have made it to the final shortlist. All entrants should be commended on the initiatives they are taking to reduce carbon emissions, from utilising alternative fuels and adopting sophisticated driver training programmes and telematics to making fundamental changes to their operations to improve efficiency.” The overall winner will be announced at the FTA Multimodal Awards on 10 May. READ MORE tinyurl.com/jj5rbmm

HAULAGE

Heavy-haulage plans for Volvo Swedish manufacturer Volvo is hoping that new additions to its range of in-house truck and bus gearboxes will gain the company a greater share of Europe’s burgeoning heavy-haulage truck sector. Despite the general focus on lighter freight vehicles, specialised heavy haulage trucks that are beyond normal weight and height dimensions are gaining popularity and demand. Volvo’s response to the demand is an addition to its I-Shift automated manual gearbox (AMT). Instead of the normal

12 forward ratios, the new box has two extra ‘crawler’ gears, with a ratio as deep as 32:1. The whole gearbox has been beefed up to withstand exceptionally high input torques and gross combination weights up to 325 tonnes. Gearbox weight increases by 48kg compared with a standard 12-speed I-Shift. The new gearbox is also 12 centimetres longer than a standard I-Shift. READ MORE tinyurl.com/j3wxjrp

Streamlining carbon taxation and reporting For a number of years, businesses Rachael Dillon, across all sectors have faced a myriad of different carbon taxation climate change and reporting schemes from the policy manager, government causing financial FTA and administrative burden. Following a consultation last autumn on streamlining the current legislation, the Chancellor announced in his Budget that the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) would be abolished with effect from the end of the 2018-2019 compliance year.

This heralds the end of an unpopular piece of legislation – it was an overly complicated system formulated by the Labour government in the mid-2000s to reduce energy usage by enforcing the purchase and sale of carbon allowances to cover heating and electricity in large businesses. However, the coalition government was quick to turn it into a tax going straight to the Treasury coffers. There will now be a single energy tax in the form of an upgraded Climate Change Levy (CCL) system. The main rates will increase for businesses to make up for lost revenue from the CRC. However, it is hoped that this will incentivise energy efficiency in CCL-paying businesses. The CCL discount for sectors that have Climate Change Agreements will be increased to compensate equivalently for the increase in CCL main rates. Though this is a tax, the CCL is considered clearer and more transparent for business and the government will consult on the changes later this year. As the Budget was announced, HM Treasury also unveiled proposed changes to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reporting for companies. It wishes to retain existing mandatory GHG emissions reporting obligations for listed companies. However, the government is also proposing to introduce reporting requirements for more companies too. It is likely that the new reporting framework could extend to all companies that qualified for the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS). Again the government will consult during summer 2016 on policy options but we could see mandatory annual reporting for some organisations introduced by April 2019, with board or senior level sign off and some public disclosure of data. The Freight Transport Association anticipates that this will include transport emissions. Companies not already recording or reporting greenhouse gas emissions should consider doing so, even if just for internal use. It is inevitable that, as the UK strives to meet its ambitious climate change targets, business will be expected to play its part. The Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme managed by the FTA is a great way to begin the process for reporting freight transport emissions. It is supported by Bridgestone Tyres, the scheme’s industry partner, and is open to any company with at least one commercial vehicle (either HGV or van). Rachael Dillon, FTA climate change policy manager FURTHER INFORMATION For further information or to sign up, please visit www.fta.co.uk/lcrs or email rdillon@fta.co.uk

Volume 93 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

Down The Road

Top 10

Green commercial vehicles

In association with

* Minimum P11D values shown for model range as of 21/04/2016

NISSAN e-NV200 CO2: 0g/km – P11D: £26,560 Considering the all-electric Nissan is a mid-size panel van, buyers are tempted by the large load space available for the money. There is also the plug-in van grant and extremely low running costs.

RENAULT KANGOO Z.E. CO2: 0g/km – P11D: £25,757 Compact but spacious, the zero-emission Kangoo is often seen in urban areas. It also qualifies for the plug-in van grant and offers very cheap running costs.

PEUGEOT PARTNER ELECTRIC CO2: 0g/km – P11D: £25,560 There aren’t a great deal of Partner Electric vans on our roads, but the Peugeot is a full-electric workhorse in the same mould as the Kangoo Z.E. – great for inner-city work.

MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV 4WORK CO2: 42g/km – P11D: £35,524 The commercial version of the best-selling plug-in car in the UK, the Outlander PHEV 4Work benefits from the same recent upgrades as its sister has. Slicker styling, nicer interior and more efficiency improve an already strong offering.

FORD FIESTA VAN 1.5 TDCI ECONETIC S/S CO2: 82g/km – P11D: £15,055 Popular with fleet buyers, the supermini-based Fiesta van has low emissions and excellent fuel economy, making the most of Ford’s ECOnetic technology.

VAUXHALL CORSAVAN 1.3 CDTI S&S ECOFLEX CO2: 87g/km – P11D: £15,740 Like its rival offering from Ford, the Corsavan is used by companies the length and breadth of Britain as an affordable and frugal load-lugger.

FORD TRANSIT COURIER 1.6 TDCI ECONETIC S&S CO2: 97g/km – P11D: £16,010 The smallest van to bear the Transit badge, Ford’s Transit Courier offers sub-100g/km emissions and high fuel economy figures to potential drivers.

FORD TRANSIT CONNECT 1.5 DURATORQ TDCI ECONETIC CO2: 99g/km – P11D: £15,791 Larger than the Transit Courier but with similar economy figures make for more strong economy figures from a Ford ECOnetic-equipped van.

CITROËN NEMO HDI 75 S&S CO2: 109g/km – P11D: £13,250 Alongside its identical Fiat Fiorano and Peugeot Bipper stablemates, the Nemo is both an excellent value for money small van and a small business favourite.

MERCEDES-BENZ CITAN CO2: 112 g/km – P11D: £18,564 It’s not cheap but the Citan brings an element of Mercedes build and interior quality to the LCV market. It beats upmarket rivals in economy terms too.

About Next Green Car Next Green Car provides extensive CO2 and tax information, as well as a life cycle NGC Rating for all new cars available in the UK and over 50,000 UK models since 2001. Visit www.nextgreencar.com/company-car-tax

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

Down th and upco

As autumn and motor show season ap of the new or revised models due to a PETROL

Suzuki Baleno The Baleno hatchback is described by Suzuki as combining ‘styling design, a spacious interior and new technologies’. It will be the first model to be powered by Suzuki’s new turbocharged 1.0-litre Boosterjet engine, which promises a fuel economy of up to 62mpg and CO2 emissions of 105g/km. It boasts a top speed of 124mph and is capable of accelerating from 0-60mph in 11 seconds. The Baleno will 355 litres of boot space, representing an increase on the Swift, due to its slightly larger exterior dimensions. The hatchback is expected to go on sale in May 2016, although pricing details are yet to be confirmed. On sale: May 2016 CO2: 105g/km BIK: 18%

Toyota C-HR The production version of Toyota’s C-HR made its debu SUV will sit on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TN options released in the UK. The first is a 1.8-litre full hy with promised emissions of less than 90g/km. The seco will have a choice of 6-speed manual gearbox or a Con (CVT). A 2.0-litre model will also be available, but not i and will be built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey Toyota Manufacturing UK’s engine plant in Deeside, N in September 2016, with deliveries due in early 2017. On sale: September 2016 CO2: 90g/km BIK: 15%

Down The Road

he road: the latest new oming models

pproaches, GreenFleet looks at some arrive in the next few months Tesla Model X 75D Tesla has added a 75kWh option to its Model X range, which replaces the outgoing 70kWh option as the base model. The Model X 75D boasts an improved range of 237 miles on a single charge, based on the US EPA drive cycle. This represents an increase of 17 miles when compared to the 220-mile range of the 70D. It features a top speed of 130mph and can accelerate from 0-60mph in six seconds. The Model X 75D is now available to reserve through the Tesla Motors website, with deliveries expected in late 2016. On sale: Late 2016 CO2: 0g/km BIK: 7% PURE EV

PURE EV

Mahindra e20 Indian automotive and technology company Mahindra has officially launched its e20 electric city car in the UK. The EV has been designed specifically with ease of urban commuting in mind, and boasts a host of connected technologies. It will be available in two trims and is priced competitively at just £12,995 for the entry level version and £15,995 for the higher spec TechX level. The TechX version includes a touchscreen infotainment centre with reversing camera, telematics, Revive remote emergency recharging, leather seats, alloy wheels and a rapid charging port. The pure electric car boasts a top speed of 63mph and is capable of accelerating from 0-25mph in 4.9 seconds, while 0-50mph will take 18 seconds. A 13.9kWh lithium-ion battery powers a 42bhp electric motor, which produces 67lb ft of instantly available torque. The battery takes up to nine hours to charge from empty, but only 1.5 hours on the TechX fast charge option, with a claimed range of 79 miles. The e20 is currently available to order and deliveries are expected in May. On sale: Now CO2: 0g/km BIK: 7%

ut at the Geneva motor show. The mid-size crossover NGA) platform and there will be two powertrain ybrid powertrain, which will deliver 122bhp ond will be a 114bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine, which ntinuously Variable automatic Transmission system in the UK. The car features a coupé-like design y, while the hybrid powertrain will be produced at North Wales. Toyota expects to start taking orders

HYBRID

PETROL

HYBRID

Kia Niro Kia’s Niro will join its Soul EV and Optima as part of the company’s ambitious expansion of its green line-up. First unveiled at the Chicago Motor Show, the crossover hopes to compete with cars such as the Nissan Qashqai, as well as Toyota’s flagship Prius, thanks to its hybrid powertrain. Kia describes the Niro as a ‘Hybrid Utility Vehicle’ (HUV), as it is a crossover ‘with the added bonus of being a hybrid’. In terms of dimensions, it sits between Kia’s Soul and Sportage, with a wheelbase of 2700mm. The hybrid powertrain will pair a 1.6 litre, four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor, which will produce 138bhp for a top speed of 110mph and acceleration from 0-62mph in 10.5 seconds. The battery is mounted beneath the rear seats, which means Kia promises there will be little compromise in terms of overall space. Prices are aimed to start at around £18,000, with CO2 emissions expected to be 89g/km and fuel economy of 73.7mpg. On sale: Summer 2016 CO2: 89g/km BIK: 15%

Volume 93 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

MORE TIME FOR BUSINESS

THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY PRESENTS

P11D

BIK

CO 2

MPG

£29,295 - £33,415

32% - 16%

176 - 99g/km

37.2-67.3

COMBINED

DESIGNED TO GIVE YOU THE LUXURY OF TIME

FORD VIGNALE

Official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the Ford Mondeo Vignale range: urban 27.2-100.9 (10.4-2.8), extra urban 47.9-68.9 (5.9-4.1), combined 37.2-67.3 (7.6-4.2). Official CO2 emissions 176-99g/km. The mpg figures quoted are sourced from official EU-regulated test results (EU Directive and Regulation 692/2008), are provided for comparability purposes and may not reflect your actual driving experience.

GreenFleet Scotland

Turning the Highlands green On 15 April, GreenFleet opened its doors to Scotland’s fleet decision makers and influencers at the Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh, for the event’s eighth edition Opened and hosted by TV presenter and motoring journalist, Quentin Willson, the 2016 GreenFleet Scotland event saw a record number of attendees from local authorities, NHS, government agencies and emergency services, as well as SME’s and some blue-chip corporates. GreenFleet stages the UK’s leading low-emission vehicle events that promote and highlight the effectiveness of electric and plug-in vehicles, with the Scotland event staged in association with Transport Scotland, Energy Saving Trust and Scottish Enterprise. Present at the show on Friday 15 April were vehicles from many top manufacturers such as BMW and Mini, who showcased the i8 and i3 cars from their popular iCollection, with both vehicles proving extremely popular on the day. The Mini brand was represented by the new Clubman. Also exhibiting on the day were Tesla; Fiat, Mitsubishi; Mercedes-Benz; Toyota; Nissan; Jaguar; Land Rover; Renault; Kia; Alfa Romeo; Volkswagen; Mini; Lexus; Citroen; Ford; Skoda; Honda; and Vmoto. The Tesla Model S proved extremely popular amongst delegates who scheduled their test drive slots as soon as they entered the Highland Hall. Representing the local dealer network in Scotland were Eastern Western Group, Parks, Arnold Clark, Alex F Noble and Belmont Motor Group, with each bringing low-emission product to represent the aforementioned marques. Information delivery Industry experts were on hand to answer any delegate’s questions on the day, at the 12th E-cosse Forum, titled ‘The Future of Mobility’. Chaired by Quentin Willson, the Forum explored emerging technologies such as developments in the smart mobility, fuel cells and autonomous vehicles. The 12th E-cosse Forum brought experts from the public and private sectors together, with speakers such as Rebecca Advani from Transport Systems Catapult, who discussed the opportunities and challenges associated with using autonomous vehicles. Professor David Hart from E4tech, who specialises in sustainable energy transport, spoke about fuel cell and hydrogen energy practices. The E-cosse Forum also saw industry expert Lynne Goulding, from Arup, present a keynote on the research that is currently being carried out at Arup. Zak Tuk, head of Low Carbon Vehicle Policy, Transport Scotland, spoke about the country’s vision for the widespread adoption of low emission vehicles and provided an update

on the current projects and plans for the future. Andrew Benfield, from the Energy Saving Trust, highlighted the benefits of embracing low-carbon transport for businesses. The EV Challenge After upgrading the FEDEx (Fuel Efficient Driving Experience) to the EV Challenge in 2014, this year saw the Challenge consist of three categories. The EV Challenge was sponsored by Route Monkey and Automotive Leasing, with the help of Vehicle Partners, Nissan and Renault. In the Renault Zoe’s were reporters representing the media, from STV, The Scottish Sun and The Scotsman, while the Fleet category were driving Nissan e-NV200 vans. And new to the Challenge this year were Central Taxis, who had their own little competition in the newly-acquired Nissan Leafs. Each team set off after a fanfare from Quentin Willson and Ian Murdoch, Transport Manager at the Energy Saving Trust, and had to navigate around five checkpoints in Edinburgh. At each one there was an EV charge point, and the drivers took a ‘selfie’ and Tweeted it to verify they had passed through. When each team returned, GreenFleet’s very own EV technician measured the real time energy that was used over the 50 mile trial, and the winner was announced by John Curtis and Ian Murdoch. This year the Media category’s winner was The Sun newspaper’s ‘Rookie Racer’ and road safety ambassador, Christie Doran, who proved that there isn’t always a ‘need for speed’ and that ‘age doesn’t matter’. Christie achieved 4.3m/kWh travelling 51.7 miles, with an average speed of 19mph and having saved 2kWhs by means of regenerative breaking and eco-driving. The second EV Challenge winner was Robert Murphy, who has taken part in the EV Challenge for four years running and finally won on his fourth attempt. Current GreenFleet Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year, Murphy drove a Nissan e-NV200 and achieved 4.6m/kWh travelling 54.4 miles, achieved a max speed of 58mph but an average speed of 17.1mph. The EV Challenge winners from the Central Taxis Nissan Leaf Category was

electric vehicle charging

EVOLUTION Scotland The EVOLUTION Motor Show returned to the Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh, on Saturday 16 April and was a roaring success with over 1,200 visitors in attendance. After the success of the previous two years, EVOLUTION Scotland once again opened its doors to the Scottish public eager to get behind the wheel of over 50 of the latest environmentally-friendly vehicles. Following on from the already established fleet event, organisers at PSi Ltd continued with the second consumer day to allow the wider public to experience the vehicles. Present at this year’s show was Radio Forth 1’s breakfast show presenter, Arlene, who promoted the event on their radio station by completing a BMW i8 challenge with her co-presenter Boogie. Arlene also presented one very lucky winner with an electric byocycle, courtesy of The Edinburgh Cycle Company.

Kevin Wood, who achieved 5.5 m/kWh. Both GreenFleet Scotland and EVOLUTION Scotland are staged in association with Transport Scotland, Scottish Enterprise and Energy Saving Trust and plans are already in place for next year’s events. !

Copies of the day’s presentations can be obtained from lauren.matthews@ psigroupltd.co.uk FURTHER INFORMATION www.events.greenfleet.net/scotland http://scotland.evolutionshow.co.uk/

Download the GreenFleet app at app.greenfleet.net for more images and content

ULEV Tax Guide

Lines of duty: an Ultra Low Emission Vehicle tax guide

Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (ULEVs) not only deliver low running costs, but are kinder on the wallet when it comes to tax, too. Next Green Car calculates the tax advantages offered by ULEVS While there are a number of reasons to use a plug-in car or van as a company vehicle, perhaps the most compelling are those involving cost. Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (ULEVs) – which include pure battery-electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) – can deliver huge savings to both individual and fleet users when you combine low running costs with the tax incentives on offer.

some business types, 100 per cent First Year Allowances. These benefits are in addition to the UK’s Plug-in Car Grant (PiCG), details of which can be found in GreenFleet issue 92. Under the current PiCG scheme, the government provides £4,500 for the purchase of a new BEV, with PHEVs discounted by £2,500 (as long as they cost less than £60,000 OTR). The PiCG is eligible for both private and business users so, as long as the car is eligible and recognised as such by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), it doesn’t matter how the vehicle will be used.

One ey of the k s to e incentivge the a encour f ULEVs o uptake delivered is that ow Benefit l through ind (BIK) in K rates

Tax advantages The tax advantages of ULEVs include reduced Benefit in Kind (BIK), exemption from road tax (VED), and for

Tesla Model S

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Likewise, current rates for Vehicle Excise Duty, which applies to all users, are zero for all vehicles emitting less than 100g/km CO2. Being defined as having 75g/km CO2 or less, all ULEVs are therefore zero-rated. Although it’s a relatively small incentive, this benefit is to be welcomed as VED costs can rack up quickly when operating a fleet. Key incentives One of the key incentives to encourage the uptake of ULEVs is that delivered through low Benefit in Kind (BIK) rates. In the lowest emission category, for example, cars emitting 0-50g/km CO2 have a BIK percentage of just seven per cent for 2016-17, rising to nine per cent in 2017-18 and then 13 per cent in 2018-19. These rates compare to 15 per cent, 17 per cent and 19 per cent for the greenest petrol cars over the respective

The following compare Company Car Tax (CCT) costs for ULEV/non-ULEV equivalents over three years (FYs 2016-2019) for a user-chooser in the 20% tax bracket:

ULEV Tax Guide

ULEV/non-ULEV tax comparisons

Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI GT Edition DSG OTR: £26,740 – CO2: 119g/km – BIK: 23% – 3-Year CCT: £4,003 Volkswagen Golf GTE OTR: 33,260 – CO2: 39g/km – BIK: 7% – 3-Year CCT: £2,071

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

financial years (see below for ULEV/non-ULEV comparisons). BIK tax benefits also apply to goods vehicles – the Van Benefit Charge (VBC) for zero-emissions vans is set at 20 per cent of the charge for conventionally fuelled vans for the two tax years 2016-17 and 2017-18, increasing to 40 per cent for 2018-19. As with cars, these advantaged BIK rates for e-vans reduce employee tax bills and business NI contributions. First Year Allowance However, it’s not just BIK rates that benefit businesses. With the exception of short-term rental fleets, new ULEVs are eligible for 100 per cent First Year Allowance until March 2018 potentially providing company savings worth thousands of pounds. (From April 2018 to March 2021, the FYA threshold will reduce and will apply to cars emitting up to 50g/km CO2.) Another tax advantage offered by ULEVs concerns fuel. There is no duty currently levied on electricity used as a road fuel, energy costs are generally much reduced with a typical electric car only costing 3-4 pence per mile for fuel. In addition, as electricity is not considered a fuel by HMRC, there is no fuel benefit charge for employees who may charge an EV at work. Businesses are therefore more able to pro-actively promote ULEVs for commuting as well as company use. "

About Next Green Car Next Green Car is the UK’s leading green car website providing independent and expert advice to help people find a more economical and environmentally-friendly car. At the core of the site is a comprehensive, searchable database which enables users to search, review and compare key data on over 50,000 models including mpg, CO2 emissions and the unique lifecycle Next Green Car Rating which enables environmental comparison across all powertrains. With all the latest green car news and reviews, microsites dedicated to each technology and Zap-Map, a UK-wide charging point map, Next Green Car is an essential destination for those researching low-emission and electric cars. ! To find out more visit www.nextgreencar.com

Volkswagen e-Golf OTR: £27,150 – CO2: 0g/km – BIK: 7% – 3-Year CCT: £1,011 Volvo XC90 D5 Momentum OTR: £46,650 – CO2: 149g/km – BIK: 29% – 3-Year CCT: £8,677 Volvo XC90 T8 Momentum OTR: £60,400 – CO2: 49g/km – BIK: 7% – 3-Year CCT: £3,503 Mitsubishi Outlander DI-D GX4h OTR: 33,139 – CO2: 153g/km – BIK: 30% – 3-Year CCT: £6,317 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GX4h OTR: 36,454 – CO2: 42g/km – BIK: 7% – 3-Year CCT: £2,256 BMW 320d ED Plus Auto OTR: £32,220 – CO2: 99g/km – BIK: 19% – 3-Year CCT: £4,053 BMW 330e SE Auto OTR: £31,435 – CO2: 44g/km – BIK: 7% – 3-Year CCT: £1,965 Tesla Model S 70 OTR: £49,535 – CO2: 0g/km – BIK: 7% – 3-Year CCT: £3,131 BMW i3 REx OTR: £29,630 – CO2: 13g/km – BIK: 7% – 3-Year CCT: £1,976 Nissan Leaf 30 kWh Tekna OTR: £26,990 – CO2: 0g/km – BIK: 7% – 3-Year CCT: £1,823

FURTHER INFORMATION www.nextgreencar.com/company-car-tax/

New range of N1 homologated road vehicles Bradshaw, UK manufacturer and supplier of specialist electric vehicles since 1975, has launched a range of fully N1 homologated electric road vehicles. The range offers 10 standard options, from van body vehicles for last mile delivery, cage body options for the waste industry, and a shuttle bus for people transportation. With a maximum speed of 25mph, an operational range of up to 50 miles and a payload up to 900kg, the many body options cover various inner city applications. Under N1 homologation test conditions the vehicle achieved an incredible 73 miles. Each model has a safe and comfortable cabin with

ABS thermoformed shell, excellent visibility, and all models can be left or right hand drive. All test data was achieved with sealed maintenance free batteries and combined on-board charger, no need for battery topping up and no gas emissions during recharge. Simon Clipsham, general manager at Bradshaw commented: “We are excited to introduce an extensive range of zero emission Electric Road Vehicles. “We believe it to be the only N1 homologated, commercially viable vehicle of its type, to meet the challenges set by the modern City Centre. Primary markets include the increasing requirement for noise

reduction within the waste industry and the growing demand for last mile delivery.” FURTHER INFORMATION +44 (0)1780 782621 www.bradshawelectricvehicles.co.uk sales@bradshawelectricvehicles.co.uk

Volume 93 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

Advertisement Feature

ELECTRIC VEHICLES CAN SAVE YOUR BUSINESS MONEY Go Ultra Low, the joint industry and government campaign to encourage more people to switch to electric vehicles, explains how businesses can make some serious savings by making the switch to electric Set your own fuel rate and save money Fleet managers across the country are setting their own fuel rates and saving money with electric vehicles. The government doesn’t recognise electricity as a fuel and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has not set an official Advisory Fuel Rate (AFR) for plug-in cars. This means companies can set their own rates, which could be as low as 3p per mile. These rates are used by employers to reimburse employees’ business travel in company cars, or for employees to repay the cost of fuel used privately. Poppy Welch, head of Go Ultra Low, said: “Using electric vehicles in your fleet can save your business money. Because there isn’t an official Advisory Fuel Rate for electric cars, you

can set your own based on electricity costs. For a company car driver charging at home that could be just 3p per mile. The cheapest Advisory Fuel Rate for a petrol car is 10p per mile. It’s clear that switching to electric vehicles can help both company car drivers and businesses save cash.” The Miles Consultancy (TMC), the UK’s leading fuel card and mileage expense management specialist, says that fleets should reimburse ‘fuel’ used by electric vehicles (EVs) at a pence per mile rate calculated to closely reflect actual costs using available data. These sources could be manufacturers’ figures for miles per kilowatt hour (kWh) and electricity cost data from the Energy Saving Trust, which publishes representative costs for domestic electricity.

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What’s more, it has even calculated a recommended mileage reimbursement rate. According to TMC, for example, a car with a 25kWh battery and a typical range of 85 miles returns 3.4 miles per kWh. Using an average cost of 10p per kWh – assuming the vehicle is primarily charged at home overnight, the cost per mile is 2.94p. That, it says, should be the mileage reimbursement rate. Paul Hollick, TMC managing director, said: “This approach enables the company to agree a pence per mile rate for an electric car based on known parameters: car’s battery capacity, range in real world conditions and the average cost of electricity from typical sources – home, workplace, public chargepoint.” Agreement came from Jon Burdekin, head of Product Management at business mobility

Poppy Welch, Head of Go Ultra Low

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specialist Alphabet, which has 3,000 EVs on savings, as well as an estimated 20-40 per its fleet with more than 1,000 on order. cent reduction in SMR costs and tax benefits. He said: “It’s vitally important for fleets to Poppy Welch added: “Pure EVs have understand the true position on reimbursing fewer moving parts than cars with an EV recharging costs. It’s not that HMRC internal combustion engine. This means won’t pay for plug-in vehicle recharging. that there are fewer things which require It’s that it doesn’t have a defined rate. maintenance, and servicing is simpler “Fleets must be proactive and go to HMRC and cheaper to complete with fewer with a realistic suggestion for a pence per mile consumables. Less maintenance means rate for the cost of electricity. We’ve helped less time off the road, which demonstrates customers calculate the charging cost for their the case for these cars even more.” vehicles, which is typically 2.5p-3.5p per mile. A recent study by Go Ultra Low found They’ve gone to HMRC with the figures behind that UK motorists could save an average the proposal and been given the go-ahead. £306 a year in garage bills by switching to Udae icidisquid quam elisimincim et et, sed “Fleetsnonsend will benefit far more from being a new electricfacepro car. Every year, the average quodi blaborum ut molorem aut ationse nos out eumque laboribus proactive on this than if they’re reactive. Once motorist forks £400 for servicing and aetfigure has been agreed, big perceived maintenance for their petrol nullacianti or diesel quoditiat dolo aqui de volecab orerisqui nitibusdae barrier between drivers and the substantial car – more than four times the sub-£100 rest, sitiatis ut idem quodi consequat facimagnime pernatemquae cost advantages on offer to both sides if annual spend for an electric model. nimus earibus, tem isipsaest net et they choose electric vehicles removed.”moluptatium To gain es first-hand experience of an EV, KeeResources bought its own Nissan Leaf. xoxoxoxolife costs, whole Whole The company gathers data on millions lot of savings of SMR transactions on contract hire The cost savings continue if businesses company-owned vehicles and then provides FURTHER INFORMATION take the time to analyse whole life costs a wealth of detailed analysis to leasing xxx use them as the basis for company car and providers and motor manufacturers to help selection. Fleet best practice dictates that them in their whole life cost calculations. vehicle choices should be based on whole To date, the Leaf has clocked up life costs because they provide the best more than 11,000 miles as a pool car forward estimate of the real costs to an and the only maintenance required organisation over a replacement cycle. has been routine servicing. Never has that been more important than in Mark Jowsey, director manufacturer liaison respect of electric vehicles where, despite their at KeeResources, commented: “The indications typically higher P11D values, they are cheaper are that SMR costs are very positive versus to operate than traditionally powered cars. internal combustion engine vehicles.” Poppy Welch commented: “The balance With just three main components – the of costs and benefits are unique to electric on-board charger, inverter and motor vehicles. By using whole life costs, businesses – Nissan says the Leaf is 40 per cent can get a true cost of ownership over the life cheaper to maintain compared to petrol of a vehicle. By doing this, they will see the real or diesel-powered alternatives. benefits of introducing EVs into fleets.” Whole life costs reflect all the projected, Tax benefits bolster business-case vehicle-specific costs irrespective of Some of the most noticeable benefits are whether a vehicle is owned or leased. the additional tax benefits on offer to Yet many fleet decision-makers base businesses that run vehicles on plug-in power their vehicle selection decisions on list as the motoring tax regime is designed to price, P11D value or a headline monthly favour the take-up of electric vehicles. lease rate rather than whole life costs. Funding is available to help with the Chris Chandler, principal consultant at Lex purchase of vehicles and installation Autolease, the UK’s largest vehicle leasing of chargepoints, meaning there is and fleet management company with more a solid business case for introducing than 320,000 vehicles including 4,500 such cars and vans in to fleets. EVs, said: “It is important that fleets look EVs are currently exempt from the London beyond the initial list price of the vehicle. Congestion Charge, while many local “Plug-in vehicles benefit from government authorities offer free parking. Add fuel grants, tax breaks and have significantly costs into the equation where, along with cheaper fuel costs, all of which help to company car benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax the reduce the total cost of ownership. In biggest savings are achievable meaning addition, these vehicles provide notable switching to EVs starts to make real sense. environmental benefits as they produce The business case for introducing EVs substantially lower CO2 emissions. In the right is further supported by the requirement circumstance, where the right vehicle is of companies – employing 250 or more used the whole life cost can be much less people in the UK or with an annual turnover than their petrol or diesel equivalent.” exceeding €50 million and a balance sheet exceeding €43 million – to complete Lower SMR costs boost EV case energy audits, including fuel used by Service, maintenance and repair (SMR) costs company cars and vans and privately-owned for plug-in vehicles also deliver major savings vehicles driven on business trips. when compared to internal combustion Local authorities and approximately engine models. Figures from Lex Autolease 1,800 companies listed on the London illustrate how the higher P11D value of plug-in Stock Exchange must report their vehicles can be offset by significant fuel greenhouse gas emissions, which includes

emissions from cars and vans ‘owned or controlled’ by organisations. Embracing EVs is one way that businesses can drive down energy consumption and display their ‘green’ credentials to customers, suppliers and shareholders. The financial savings available are backed by industry experts that have experience of driving EVs. Steve Jackson, chief car editor at vehicle information specialists Glass’s, said: “The cost saving in terms of fuel is staggering if you switch to an EV. There are some cars now that, because they are plug-in, get the equivalent of 235mpg. “The tax saving for business drivers is obvious, but there’s also the surprise saving of parking. I recently saved about £8 because I was in a plug-in car and recharging. Yes, I had to pay for the electricity, but I didn’t have to pay for a day’s parking. It’s an unexpected bonus.” As well as the savings, drivers should also consider what these vehicles can do for their lifestyle, according to Paul Marchment SME Development Manager at vehicle leasing and fleet management company Arval. He said: “As well as tax, fuel and congestion charge savings you also need to add lifestyle. When I switched to an EV I saved enough for my wife to go part-time and look after our child. “Drivers need to do the sums, particularly if they’re doing higher private mileage and have to rely on petrol to get a better range, but for perk drivers it’s an obvious choice.” ! FURTHER INFORMATION Electric cars can save your business money. To find out more about how to add electric vehicles to your fleet go to goultralow.com

Volume 93 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

*Car shown is Alfa Giulietta in Veloce trim

Advertisement Feature

GIVING COMPANY CAR DRIVERS MORE Low emissions, low BIK rates and high economy: welcome to the new Alfa Romeo Giulietta Tecnica It’s not often we get something for nothing in this world. Company car drivers in particular will understand: you get given a car – which is a nice perk – and then you’re taxed on it. The rate of that tax is calculated using the car’s list price plus VAT and delivery charges. Therefore, the higher the list price, the greater your tax bill. But there are ways around this - and they don’t involve breaking the law. If a car has more standard equipment but a lower list price than the other models in the range, the business driver will enjoy a better-equipped car for less money. The recently launched new Alfa Romeo Giulietta is just such a car. The new Alfa Giulietta Tecnica starts 2 at only £19,250 OTR, which is £400 lower than the base Giulietta trim level. However, compared to the already well-specified Giulietta, the Tecnica has in excess of £2,000worth of extra equipment as standard.

news from Reuters, Facebook and Twitter. The satellite navigation is voice programmable with three dimensional bird’s-eye view mapping, intelligent route guidance and traffic updates. The result is drivers can stay in touch while getting to their destination via the most efficient route possible, saving themselves stress and money at the pumps. The Tecnica features other standard specification aimed at high mileage business users, including dual-zone automatic climate control, a visibility pack, an electro-chromatic rear-view mirror and electrically folding door mirrors. There is also electric lumbar support on both front seats, a front passenger seat that’s height adjustable (in addition to the driver’s), front and rear parking sensors plus free metallic paint. New 16-inch alloy wheels, rear privacy glass and side skirts are additional standard features over the Business Edition model that the new Giulietta Tecnica replaces. There are three available power outputs on the Tecnica: the turbo diesel 120bhp 1.6-litre JTDM-2 and 2.0-litre JTDM-2 with 150 and 175bhp. Alfa Romeo’s smooth and quick-shifting Twin dry Clutch Transmission (TCT) is available on 120 and 175bhp engines. It can be used as a full automatic for those congested city streets or as a full manual via

Alfa a Giuliett : a Tecnic m o P11D fr95; £19,1 er cent; 19 p km; m o r f K I B m 99g/ o r f O C up to g 74.3mp

Most efficient To make life easier for even the busiest company car driver, the Tecnica’s superior specification includes the 6.5-inch Uconnect touchscreen infotainment system. This features smartphone enabled LIVE services such as music streaming with Deezer and TuneIn plus

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standard steering wheel-mounted paddles while on long stretches of a motorway. 99g/km CO2, 19 per cent BIK For many company car drivers, the 120bhp engine will be the one to go for. It employs second-generation MultiJet fuel injection technology with a turbocharger that constantly adjusts itself to provide optimum performance at all times. The result is a remarkable 99g/km of CO2. This means drivers will pay just 19 per cent BIK and zero Vehicle Excise Duty (road tax). They’ll reap savings at the pumps, too, with this version of the Giulietta returning a thrifty 74.3mpg on a combined cycle. Gives company car drivers more But this is an Alfa Romeo so it has to appeal to the heart as well as the head and the new Alfa Giulietta Tecnica doesn’t disappoint. Like other models it features Alfa Performance, a new service designed to enhance the driving experience via the Uconnect screen. By using an array of digital gauges and instruments, drivers can control the main parameters of the car, use timers to track their performance and see driving statistics on their phone. They can even receive real-time driving tips. It’s a perfect example of how the Giulietta Tecnica gives company car drivers more. ! FURTHER INFORMATION For more information on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Tecnica, contact our business centre on 0800 0147886.

Self-driving truck platoons hold great potential to make British road transport safer, cleaner and more efficient in the future. Trials have already been staged in Europe, and environmental benefits are just one of the positive outcomes of the system Platoons of self-driving vehicles on European roads were once thought of as something of the future, a concept or idea with little substance. However the futuristic mode of transportation surprised many people this month as platoons arrived on continental roads as a result of a challenge thrown down by the Dutch government. Platooning, involving a group of centrally controlled automated or semi-automated trucks, uses computer communication technology to electronically couple vehicles to drive in a close formation. Platooning is beneficial in many ways: allowing for shorter gaps between trucks on the road, thus freeing up road space for other vehicles; using autonomous technology for an instant reaction to changes in speed by the vehicle in front; and most importantly allowing trucks to use up to 10 per cent less fuel by taking advantage of the slipstream created by the most advanced truck. Truck platooning is part of the global commercial vehicle industry’s integrated approach to further reducing CO2 emissions, looking at all of the elements that affect emissions during the use of a truck. Besides the vehicle itself, trailer design, alternative fuels, logistics, infrastructure and ITS technology (such as platooning) all play a decisive role in bringing down CO2 emissions. The Truck Platooning Challenge The Truck Platooning Challenge was conceived in 2015 and was organised by Rijkswaterstaat, a body responsible for the design, construction, management and maintenance of roads and waterways in the Netherlands, and required coordinated crossborder planning, with different countries currently having different rules for platooning. Six truck manufacturers – DAF Trucks, Daimler, Iveco, MAN, Scania and Volvo Group – were invited to send self-driving platoons from several European cities to Rotterdam in the Netherlands, using public roads the whole way, for the European Truck Platooning Challenge final.

On 6 April, the six platoons of self-driving trucks converged in Rotterdam, successfully marking the first time that trucks equipped with such technology have travelled across international borders. The platoons involved in the challenge were monitored and filmed from the air from start to finish so as to provide insights into how other traffic responds to them. Melanie Schultz van Haegen, Dutch infrastructure and environment minister, said: “Truck platooning will ensure cleaner and more efficient transport. Self-driving vehicles also contribute to road safety because most accidents are caused by human failure.” This is all positive news for the UK’s commercial vehicle sector. The trials proved that truck operators can use the technology to reduce fuel consumption because of the reduced air resistance caused by streamlining the vehicles in close proximity to one another. So where and when are we likely to see truck platooning on our roads? The technology exists already, and has been used in many projects, but it is the belief in full adoption that is rendering the project a future idea in Britain, rather than a present plan. The technologies need to be brought together and unified, and that is what Daimler are doing.

Commercial Vehicles

Make room for the platoon and more recently in the German state of Baden-Wurttemberg. Arguing that what was used in the successful trials to be ‘available today’, Ennerst claims that the technology is near wider series production. One of the main obstacles hindering adoption is the question of driver activity – a question posing several issues for fleet managers. Ennerst believes that the question holds more possibility than hindrance – costs will be cut and the driver shortage problem amended. Ennerst says: “We expect a change in the organisation of the freight forwarding industry. 2 The driver will take over many of the traffic planner’s functions. He will become more of a transport manager than a driver, from our point of view.”

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Innovative solutions Sven Ennerst, head of Truck Product Engineering at Daimler, is the pioneer of the Future Truck 2025 Mercedes-Benz. Ennerst has seen projects rolled out in the US state of Nevada in May last year,

Room for a UK platoon? In the UK, a project led by Tructyre Fleet Management in Hampshire is among the eight recently to have been awarded government funding totalling £20 million to research and develop autonomous vehicles. The ‘Pathway to Autonomous Commercial Vehicles’ project, which will develop an innovative solution to monitor key information from the vehicle and predict safety risks based on analytics, also involves the University of Portsmouth, Satellite Applications Catapult and RL Automotive. The project’s aim is said to be development of ‘an innovative solution to monitor key information from the vehicle and predict safety risks based on analytics’. A tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) is at the heart of the research. Total project put at £1.2 million, with £900,000 coming from the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS). !

This article was created with the help of Transport News Brief from the Society of Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) FURTHER INFORMATION www.transportnewsbrief.co.uk/ features/featureautonomous-trucksupdate/

Volume 93 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Following Transport for London’s LoCITY scheme launch to help the freight sector adopt low-emission vehicles, LoCITY explains the benefits of the industry working together to lower the emissions from commercial vehicles in London will need to meet stringent exhaust emission standards or be subject to an additional daily charge to enter the zone. In order to ensure vehicles using the zone are as clean as possible, low emission commercial vehicles which meet business needs must be available, affordable and cost-effective to operate. Infrastructure to support them must be installed in the right place and must be reliable. Improving London’s air quality LoCITY is an industry-led, technology neutral and open minded programme that has been established to help reduce the impact of emissions from commercial vehicles. It brings together the full range of stakeholders needed to stimulate the uptake of cleaner vehicles; vehicle manufacturers, fuel infrastructure providers,

Nearly ple eo 9,500 p aturely die premon each in Londuse of poor ca year belity. More than air qua 00 daily are 281,0 t-related freigh

procurers, policy makers, trade associations and commercial fleet operators. By working together we can ensure the right technology, the right vehicles and the right fuels are in the right places at the right times. At the LoCITY launch event in January 2016, Mike Brown MVO, London’s Transport Commissioner, said: “Over the next five years LoCITY will begin improving London’s air quality by encouraging the take up of low emission vehicles. We’re working with vehicle manufacturers, infrastructure providers and the industry to make these vehicles a realistic choice for operators. Together we can improve London’s air quality, and by supporting the freight sector – which is essential for our city to function – we will have a real impact.”

Written by LoCITY, Transport for London

Air pollution has a major damaging impact on the health of Londoners. Nearly 9,500 people die prematurely in London each year because of poor air quality. More than 281,000 daily journeys are freight related (HGVs and vans) – that’s 17 per cent across the day and 30 per cent in the peak hour. With transport accounting for 63 per cent of NO2 (Nitrogen Dioxide) and 52 per cent of PM 10 (particulate matter) emissions, it is vital that we take action to reduce emissions from commercial vehicles. In September 2020, London will be introducing the world’s first big city Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in Central London. The ULEZ standards will be in addition to the congestion charge and the LEZ requirements. All vehicles

Commercial Vehicles

Working together to lower London’s emissions

Engaging and preparing LoCITY aims to improve London’s air quality and reduce carbon emission by implementing the programme’s objectives including: !

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Volume 93 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

Commercial Vehicles

“LoCITY will begin improving London’s air quality by encouraging the take up of low emission vehicles. We’re working with vehicle manufacturers, infrastructure providers and the industry to make these vehicles a realistic choice for operators” ! engaging with freight and fleet operators, vehicle manufacturers and infrastructure providers to increase the availability and uptake of low emission commercial vehicles operating in London and prepare them for the introduction of ULEZ; and providing public and private fleets with information and guidance to inform their fleet renewal policies and upgrade to low emission vehicles and alternative fuels.

The programme is delivered in three parallel workstreams, each supported by an industry-led working group. The first workstream focuses on increasing the supply and affordability of low emission commercial vehicles, including retrofit technology, to support operators in their fleet renewal decisions. The second aims to establish alternative fuel and supply chain infrastructure to support the uptake

of cleaner commercial vehicles. The third workstream aims to improve understanding through jargon-free communications and improved policies, procurement and land use planning guidelines to inform future decisions. The first working group meetings took place in March 2016. The group members are committed to developing a detailed and comprehensive low emission vehicle roadmap, which will outline the practicalities of different solutions across different vehicle platforms and duty cycles. LoCITY outputs will help inform a Fleet Advice Programme, case studies, environmental operating standards and contractual clauses for procurement bodies to easily adopt. LoCITY will also demonstrate, through research and real world trials, that using cleaner vehicles does not impact business operations. It is supporting LowCVP in the development of their new accreditation scheme for after-market technologies. Transport for London LoCITY is aligned to other Transport for London (TfL) initiatives including projects and programmes that aim to minimise the number of road kilometres freight uses (e.g. mode switch, land use, changing market behaviour and consolidation), match the right solution (for example, retiming and using the right routes and places) and mitigate the impacts of freight (cleaner and safer vehicles for example). In a call to action, Glen Davies, Freight and Fleet Programme Manager at TfL, said:

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Official Government Test Environmental Data. New Astra Sports Tourer range fuel consumption figures mpg (litres/100km): Urban: 35.3 (8.0)-74.3 (3.8), Extra-urban: 55.4 (5.1)-91.1 (3.1), Combined: 45.6 (6.2)-83.1 (3.4). CO2 emissions: 142-89g/km.

Commercial Vehicles

“Upgrading your fleet with lower-emission commercial vehicles or fitting kit to older vehicles will have a positive impact on public health, the environment, and climate change. It can also save you money through better efficiency and future-proofing that pays off in the long-term. “We will soon be reaching out to organisations across the city to offer support and advice, but in the meantime we want to showcase some of the great work that people are already doing and demonstrate how this is a perfect time to upgrade your commercial fleet. Whether you are a local authority, a large organisation or a small business, if you have recently replaced or improved your vehicles, LoCITY would like to hear your experiences.” LoCITY conference The first annual LoCITY conference will be taking place on 25 May at London Guildhall. Speakers

LoCITY is an industry-led, technology neutral and open minded programme that has been established to help reduce the impact of emissions from commercial vehicles as well as stimulate the uptake of cleaner solutions include: Mike Brown (London’s Transport Commissioner); Andy Eastlake (LowCVP); Bob Moran (OLEV); Neale Ryan (Innovate UK); Jonathan Bray (Urban Transport Group); Emma Slater (Leeds City Council); and Shaun Bosomworth (Northern Gas Networks). Representatives from Databuild and Element Energy will present the results of the two LoCITY funded research projects that looked at the awareness

and understanding of low emission vehicles and the barriers to wider up take. !

Please contact enquiries@locity.org.uk if you would like to share your experiences or would like to attend the 25 May conference. FURTHER INFORMATION www.locity.org.uk

Official EU-regulated test data are provided for comparison purposes and actual performance will depend on driving style, road conditions and other non-technical factors. General Motors UK Limited, trading as Vauxhall Motors, does not offer tax advice and recommends that all Company Car Drivers consult their own accountant with regards to their particular tax position. * = Terms and conditions apply and vehicles are subject to availability. Please call 0870 240 4848 for full details. All figures quoted correct at time of going to press (April 2016). † = Less running costs compares the following vehicles: New Astra SRi Sports Tourer 1.6CDTi 110PS ecoFLEX 92g/km, Focus Zetec S estate 1.5 TDCi 120PS 99g/km, Golf SE estate 1.6DTI 110PS 110g/km. New Astra Sports Tourer SRi model shown above is for illustrative purposes only and features 18” alloy wheels (£395), Dark-tinted rear windows (£275), Keyless entry and start (£395) and LED tail lights (£195) with P11D from £19,830, CO2 from 92g/km and fuel consumption up to 80.7mpg.

Commercial Vehicle Show

Making sure your CV stands out from the crowd

Toyota Proace Van Combo

On 26-28 April, the Commercial Vehicle Show will open its doors to commercial vehicle operators at Birmingham’s NEC, offering far greater choice than any other exhibition serving the sector. GreenFleet takes one last look ahead as to the reasons why this year’s show is a must attend The Commercial Vehicle (CV) Show is the largest and most comprehensive road freight transport, distribution and logistics event staged in Britain, catering for every operator’s requirements and purposely designed to provide a truly rewarding and informative day. Held under one roof, at the UK’s best connected venue by road, rail or air, visitors will discover hundreds of exhibitors spanning the whole road freight transport, distribution and logistics supply business. This ranges from truck, van and trailer manufacturers through to fork lift trucks, insurers, tyre, telematics and training providers, fuels and lubricants suppliers. With over 19,500 visitors attending CV Show 2015, and with the 2016 show welcoming debuts from Toyota, Citroën and Peugeot, the event remains the ‘go-to’ event for anyone involved in operating commercial vehicles, logistics and distribution based businesses.

Isuzu, Iveco, LDV, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Toyota and Volkswagen all taking high-profile stand space at the free-to-attend event. Lex Autolease will be presenting a seminar on ‘The Changing World of Vans’, addressing the challenges that managing a commercial vehicle fleet represents, and why 2016 may be a year of change. Leading experts from the light commercial vehicle industry will discuss the road ahead for vans, giving attendees the chance to find out what impact changing legislation, technology, design and fuel could have on their fleets. The seminar will cover the impact of legislation, leading the way responsibly, the changing role of drivers, a new era in alternative fuels, putting driver safety first and keeping operators’ fleets on track. It will also be a chance to meet the Lex Autolease dedicated commercial vehicle team, who will be on hand to talk about choice and custom conversions as well as in-life management, compliance and safety issues. One of the biggest names to make a comeback is Volkswagen, which will be using the show to exhibit its latest Transporter and Caddy, designed to be a ‘creative hub’. The Transporter ‘Creative Hub’ is a mobile office and idea space, complete with grass carpet and woodland to give the perfect

The ew latest n some m vans fro st-known e of the bin the light names rcial vehicle comme are set to be y industr r draw at CV a majo w 2016 Sho

This is a van’s world The latest new vans from some of the best-known names in the light commercial vehicle industry are set to be a major draw at the 2016 CV Show, with key manufacturers such as Citroën, Fiat, Ford,

ambience for brainstorming and idea generation. A whiteboard, beanbags and funky accessories complete the experience. The van, along with another high-roof ‘Power Office’, was developed off the back of research carried out by VW and the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR), highlighting the key role that commercial vehicles play in the growth of new and small businesses in the UK. The German manufacturer will also be announcing a new Converter Recognition Programme, which builds on the company’s existing Engineered For You and Engineered To Go schemes and will ensure VW conversions meet operators’ needs and expectations while widening the range of approved conversions available on VWCV bodies. Commenting on the research, Carl zu Dohna, director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said: “Commercial vehicles play a huge role in start-up and small businesses and we’re proud to supply the future drivers of British business with vehicles that help to deliver their goods and services.” Picking up where they left off Also making a welcome return is Toyota, who will use the show to unveil its new Proace panel van, signalling a returned interest in the world of light commercial vehicles. The new range, scheduled to go on sale later this year, will give Toyota comprehensive coverage of the medium duty van market. The line-up will include three body sizes, two wheelbase lengths and a variety of ! Volume 93 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

Automotive Leasing Leading the way

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! formats, including (for the first time) a platform cab for bespoke vehicle bodies. The new Proace Van Compact will offer the load capacity of a medium duty model, within the footprint of a car-derived van. To deliver more flexible load-carrying, the Proace Van will be available with a new Smart Cargo system. The Proace Van will be available in panel van, crew cab and nine-seat combi versions and as a platform cab. It will also provide the basis for a new passenger vehicle, the Proace Verso large people-carrier, which was unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March. The show will also mark the first UK appearance of the all-new Hilux pick-up, reinforcing the brand’s unmatched reputation for hard-wearing quality with improvements in strength, performance and driveability. Gareth Matthews, Toyota LCV manager, said: “We are looking forward to returning to the CV show in 2016. The venue will provide us the perfect opportunity to demonstrate how we plan to increase Toyota presence and product line-up in the light commercial vehicle market.” Other show highlights will be Mitsubishi, showcasing the very latest L200 pick-up, and the long anticipated return of the LDV name, with the new Chinese-built V80 panel van expected to make its UK debut. Making a stand for LCVs Renault is looking to build on recent sales success, after enjoying its 18th consecutive year as Europe’s best selling LCV brand. In 2015, Renault LCV sales in the UK reached their highest ever level, and the company will be marking this with a strong presence at the CV Show 2016.

Renault’s stand in Hall 5 will showcase 11 vehicles that illustrate the diversity and versatility of the manufacturer’s LCV offering with themes of design, technology and conversions. The stand will also provide an insight into the recently-introduced Pro+ specialist dealer network which is set to double in size in the UK by 2017. On display will be everything from a Master LHL35 RWD with 17 cubic metres of load space, to the Kangoo Z.E electric van and Twizy Cargo. Official conversions will include the Master-based Welbus conversion and the public debut of the 3.5 tonne Master Passenger that can be driven on a normal driving licence. All Renault LCVs come with Renault’s four-year, 100,000-mile warranty with roadside assistance. Renault’s Euro-6 advancements will be demonstrated by several engine displays, and representatives from Financial Services, Renault Aftersales and Renault iCare will be available to speak to stand visitors about any finance or ownership queries. The Citroën Dispatch van, featuring new technologies, design features and architecture, as well as functions that are new to the segment, will be on show at the Citroën stand. The new vehicle will be available in van, Combi and Crew Van versions, as well as being specified in three lengths (XS: 4.60m, M: 4.95m and XL: 5.30m). The van will also feature Park Assist 180°, colour head-up display and Citroën Connect Nav with voice-operated connected 3D navigation and a touchscreen. The New Dispatch’s adjustable writing panel and tablet, and smartphone compatibility turn it into a real mobile office. There is

also enhanced safety through technology including adaptive cruise control and speed limiter, road sign recognition, Driver Attention Alert and Active Safety Brake. The New Citroën Dispatch is available with six powertrains, with all models featuring diesel engines from the BlueHDi family. This new generation of engines, launched by Citroën in late 2013, considerably cuts nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions while reducing CO2 emissions. This is thanks in part to an innovative exhaust system comprising of: an oxidation catalyst located at the engine exit to eliminate the hydrocarbons (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) produced by combustion; a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) module, positioned ahead of the particulate filter to transform up to 90 per cent of nitrogen oxide (NOx) into water vapour (H2O) and nitrogen (N2); and a particulate filter, launched in a world first by PSA Peugeot Citroën in 2000, to eliminate 99.9 per cent of particulates.

Commercial Vehicle Show

The New Citroën Dispatch is available with six powertrains, with all models featuring diesel engines from the BlueHDi family

Spend some time in the Workshop To ensure your vehicles are kept running at maximum efficiency, the Workshop sector in Hall 4 will contain hundreds of exhibitors, showcasing everything from original equipment components and replacement parts to maintenance management systems, garage, workshop and bodyshop equipment. Workshop is an integral and essential part of the renowned CV Show and underlines the need for regular vehicle maintenance, whether it is for passenger cars, vans, light or heavy trucks. It aims to be an all-encompassing shop window spanning the whole automotive aftermarket and CV maintenance sector. Wholesalers will be looking for ideas and solutions often critical to the success or failure of their businesses – which can be anything from small car components to a 44-tonne vehicle lift. Leading exhibitors in the Workshop Zone "

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Time to test the tyres Another area of the CV business that will be well represented this year is the tyre industry. The right choice of tyre is critical to efficient commercial vehicle operation at all ends of the

Another area of the CV business that will be well represented this year is the tyre industry. The right choice of tyre is critical to efficient CV operation at all ends of the market, with running costs and safety being the key considerations for operators market, with running costs and safety being the key considerations for most operators. Visitors will be able to see the latest ranges from manufacturers Aeolus, Bridgestone, Continental, Double Coin, Goodyear, Hankook, GITI, Pirelli and Sailun. Tyre pressure automation specialist WheelRight will be demonstrating a tyre pressure monitoring system developed in conjunction with Highways England. The award-winning technology has recently undergone a year-long trial at Welcome Break’s Keele services on the southbound M6. As part of the study, WheelRight’s system measured more than 150,000 tyres – 50,000 of which were from HGVs. The need for regular tyre pressure checks in the CV sector has never been greater. A recent study, conducted by the Road Safety Observatory, found that the UK sees approximately 25 deaths and nearly 1,500 serious accidents every year as a direct result of defective or poorly inflated tyres. John Catling, WheelRight’s chief executive,

Commercial Vehicle Show

! include AC Hydraulic, Blitz Rotary, Bowmonk, CGE, Cormach, DEA-Worky, Eclipse, Gemco, Maha, National Windscreens, Pichler Tools, Pro-Align, Somers Totalkare, Serenco, Sykes-Pickavant, Tecalemit, Thermobile, Turnkey Instruments, Valeo and V-Tec. There’ll also be impressive stands from vehicle wash equipment suppliers, such as Istobal, Karcher, Washtec and Wilcomatic. Many of the visitors run fleets of cars, vans and trucks. Companies like Centrica, BT and RAC operate huge numbers of vehicles and spend serious sums on replacement parts and garage equipment. The future of the CV industry will also play a major part in this year’s show, which once again plays host to the Manufacturing Institute’s ‘Make It’ Challenge. This year’s challenge will run on each day of the show, and will give 140 12-14 year-old students the opportunity to see what makes the industry move, including areas such as safety, efficiency and telematics. The students will be tasked with designing, building and ultimately presenting their idea to a team of industry ‘dragons’. Workshop is supported by both the Garage Equipment Association (GEA) and the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF).

said: “We’re looking forward to showing our monitoring technology at the Show. The impressive take-up of our system at Keele demonstrates that there is a real appetite in the CV industry for a quick and easy means of monitoring tyre condition.” The world’s first 3D handheld tyre measurement scanner will be the main feature of Sigmavision’s stand at the show. The TreadReader handheld scanner is a compact and lightweight device, which is quick and easy to use and eliminates the errors associated with manual depth gauges. The scanner is positioned on one edge of a tyre and operated by sliding it across the tread face. Accurate tread depth readings for tyres of all vehicle types, from LCVs to HGV, buses, trailers and passenger cars, can reveal badly worn or unevenly worn tyres symptomatic of problems such as wheel misalignment or worn suspension. Colour-coded 3D scans enable tyre replacement at the best time to maximise tyre safety and present "

New brands unveiled at the 2016 Commercial Vehicle Show Van-Racks will be showing two product groups on stand 4B20 – commercial seat covers and boot liners, and AutoSock snow socks and snow chains. Protect your vehicle’s seats and maximise the resale value with PeBe (Sweden). They specialise in bespoke seat covers for trucks and vans. All of PeBe’s covers have artificial or real leather edges which will protect the original seats from wear. Carbox (Germany) has half-length or full-length boot liners for most cars, with a rim around the edge to contain dirt and spills, their bootliners will help to keep vehicles clean and well organised. Keep your fleet moving when it snows with AutoSock (Norway), a genuinely extraordinary product. They are hardwearing high-tech tyre socks that you pull over the driving wheels of vehicles that need extra grip in snowy weather. They work by maximising the

Fleet installation specialists Our National Engineering team install: dry friction available. They are quick and easy to fit and, being about the size of a folded shirt, are small enough to store in the vehicle ready for use as required. AutoSock is available for cars, vans, trucks, buses and even forklifts. König (Italy) is the market leader in professional snow chains; and will be displaying easy fit truck chains for twin wheels. For more information, please visit the Van-Racks website or call to speak to an advisor.

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Commercial Vehicle Show

! revenue opportunities to the trade from increased tyre sales or service hours. TreadReader is suitable for wet or dirty tyres and is ideal for all tyre inspection applications such as workshops, service centres, inspection lanes, commercial vehicle yards and at the roadside. The calculated data can be imported into any fleet management system to log tyre scans and produce wear analysis or tyre lifetime modelling. Time to cool down For those moving goods that require a constantly controlled temperature the Cool sector is a must visit. Here visitors will come face-to-face with a huge range of refrigerated vehicles and bodywork, side by side with the latest fridge units, monitoring equipment and other products specific to cold chain operations. For transport operators moving goods that need to be kept at a constantly controlled temperature the Cool zone at the CV Show is top of the visit list. A massive range of refrigerated vehicles and bodywork will be showcased, with the latest fridge units and systems, monitoring equipment and many other products and services specific to cold chain operations on display. Thermo King and FRIGOBLOCK will be at the show to present their widest ever range of products and services for refrigerated transport operators, from short – and long-haul truck and trailer applications to inner city and last mile deliveries in small trucks and vans. Show visitors will be able to

Workshop Zone at the Commercial Vehicle Show

see how the companies’ services can address the sometimes conflicting demands of the refrigerated transport sector in terms of cost effectiveness, energy efficiency, performance, environmental sustainability and compliance with ever more stringent regulations. The range includes the SLXe trailer units for sustainable transport and quiet deliveries, the T-Series range of Thermo King self-powered refrigeration units for rigid trucks, FRIGOBLOCK electric powered refrigeration units from the truck FK range and EK-Series, plus the HK-Series for drawbar systems and semi-trailers. Other show highlights will be FRIGOBLOCK’s ultra slim-line evaporators for single

and multiple temperature applications and Thermo King V-Series and B-Series vehicle-powered units for small trucks and vans, which provide optimal refrigeration capacity without requiring a separate engine, resulting in significantly reduced emissions. Meanwhile, French refrigerated trailer builder Chereau will have a busy stand in the Cool Zone, following news that the Normandy-based company has recently merged with Spanish builder SOR to form a new reefer giant. Chereau’s Christophe Danton said: “Our aim is to become the biggest reefer manufacturer on the market. As well as celebrating that, we will also be showing our new Smart "

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Time for a pick-up? Fiat Professional’s all-new Fullback pick-up truck will make its UK debut on the Fiat Professional stand having debuted at the 2015 Dubai International Motor Show. The new Fullback will join the Fiat Professional range in June 2016, along with the new Talento and Fiorino, and will be available with a practical double cab body style configuration in the UK making it an ideal vehicle for both commercial and leisure time activities. Measuring 1,780mm in height, 1,815 mm in width and 5,285mm in length, with a wheelbase of 3,000mm, it offers a competitive payload up to 1,045kg and will be powered by a 2.4-litre, aluminium, turbo-diesel engine with a power output of either 150bhp or 180bhp. Two transmissions will be available, a new six-speed manual gearbox or a five-speed automatic transmission with sports mode, and both will be combined with full four-wheel drive systems. The Fullback will be available in the UK in two trim levels with pricing and specifications to be announced closer to the vehicle’s final launch. The Fullback is Fiat Professional’s first contender in the medium-duty pick-up truck segment. In the UK, 2015 sales in the pick-up segment were up 18 per cent with full year registrations totalling almost 40,000 units. Ricky McFarland, country manager for Fiat Professional UK, said: “The new Fullback provides us with an exciting opportunity

in the growing pick-up truck segment and together with the arrival of the new Talento and new Fiorino models in June, joining the rest of the award-winning Fiat Professional range, we are confident of attracting new fleets and retail customers by providing them with one of the strongest product line-ups in the market today.” With Isuzu celebrating its centenary year in 2016, the Japanese manufacturer will be pulling the wraps off a special edition pick-up at the CV Show to mark the 100-year anniversary. The new D-Max Centurion, an extension of the award-winning D-Max range, is the brand’s ultimate pick-up. The rugged Centurion is the highest-spec D-Max yet and, fittingly, will be made in a limited run of 100 vehicles. With striking exterior enhancements that are unique to the model, plus some all-new in-car entertainment features, the model is finished in Fjord Blue only. Under the bonnet is Isuzu’s proven 2.5-litre twin-turbo diesel engine, producing 161bhp and 400Nm of torque. Full details of specification and pricing will be announced at the Show. Tankers and trailers Some of the best known trailer and tanker builders in the world will use the Commercial Vehicle Show as their shop window. Among the high profile exhibitors in this sector are Cartwright Group, Doll Fahrzeugbau, Don-Bur, Feldbinder UK, Fuller Tankers, Kässbohrer, Maisonneuve, Magyar, Montracon, SDC Trailers, Tiger Trailers and Whale Tankers. With Reefer specialists Chereau and Gray & Adams also exhibiting, the show promises an impressive display at the business end of road transport. Making its CV Show debut will be Kässbohrer, which has manufacturing facilities in Germany, Turkey and Russia and is looking forward to expanding its market presence in the UK after returning to the British market very recently. Iffet Turken, Kässbohrer CEO, said: “The CV Show is the ideal place for us to learn more about the UK market and to meet our customers and our suppliers, as well as to develop new business relationships. It’s a very cost-effective way

for us to meet a lot of people in the road haulage industry, many of whom may not have seen our products before.” UK-based manufacturer SDC were the first to return to the CV Show after the dark days of the recession and have been ever present since. For 2016, they will be exhibiting their latest Aeroliner, along with other high volume trailers. Cheshire-based Tiger Trailers now has well over 1,200 trailers and products of various types operating on UK and European roads, with the company looking to forge more relationships with new clients at the CV Show 2016. To demonstrate the diversity of its product range, Tiger is exhibiting its Mega Straight Frame Chassis with a curtainside body. The trailer has a full length lifting deck with a lifting roof, which allows it to be 100 per cent loaded on both the top and bottom decks. Compared to traditional UK step frame design lifting decks, the Tiger offering claims a load fill increase of 20 per cent. In addition, the chassis is fully galvanised, and comes with an eight-year anti-corrosion warranty. SAF axles with high lift air bags and a Knorr Bremse braking system are also fitted. All of Tiger’s bodies, from rigid and urban semitrailers, through to double deck van or curtain combinations are manufactured at the company’s new state-of-the-art facility in Winsford, Cheshire. On the tanker side, regular CV Show exhibitor G Magyar will be showing a range of its tankers, semi-trailers and swap tanks, suitable for all purposes from chemicals and petroleum to liquids and foodstuffs. CV Show director, Rob Skelton, said: “Trailers and tankers really are the backbone of the road transport and logistics industry – what’s on the back of the truck is as important as the truck itself when it comes to transporting goods in a controlled and safe manner. The wealth of exhibitors in this sector that are using the CV Show to demonstrate the diversity of their products shows just how significant this sector of the industry is.” "

Commercial Vehicle Show

! Open-C trailer – unlike most refrigerated units, the roller shutter opens on the outside of the container, allowing it to be open and closed quickly, which is a huge benefit to temperature controlled distribution.” Chereau has also just celebrated a major milestone, with over 100,000 of its units sold. The Chereau 100,000-Series special edition trailer will be the highlight of the company’s stand, with 50 of them destined for the UK market. The Eberspächer UK stand will feature a wide selection of new and existing products, alongside vehicles fitted with the company’s latest climate control and air conditioning technologies. Among the Eberspächer products on show, the Breezeonic 3000, a streamlined 240v roof-mounted heating and air conditioning unit specifically designed for generator-driven mobile applications, stands out. There will also be the Cooltronic G2 range of three 24v models for truck roof hatch-mounted air conditioning applications, designed as a parking cooler to allow air conditioning with the engine off. With Anti-idle zones being introduced, this new range from Eberspächer will not only save money but will greatly reduce emissions. The new units are: Cooltronic 1000 G2, Cooltronic 1400 G2 and the Cooltronic 1400 G2 Slim (for high cabs). Vince Lee, managing director of Eberspächer UK, said: “We are delighted to display such a varied selection of vehicles and are very grateful to our customers for making this happen.”

FURTHER INFORMATION www.cvshow.com

Fiat Professional will be showcasing its new Fullback pick-up at the CV Show 2016

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Contract Hire & Leasing

A new lease of life for ultra low emission vehicles

New figures from the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association confirm the sector’s position as the UK’s leading adopter of cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles. But how will the sector build on it’s recent successes, and further increase uptake?

The averagear c leased BVRLA a to added fleet in 2015 r membe d 112.6g/km emitte seven per CO2, ss than cent le rage ave Figures from the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association’s (BVRLA) quarterly survey, published in March, have been encouraging for the low emission vehicle market, with 4.7 per cent of all new leased cars being a plug-in vehicle. Mirrored against market predictions, which stood at 1.3 per cent, the leasing sector’s low emission credentials are on the rise, which adds as an encouragement to the wider sector. Compared to the average CO2 emissions from newly registered cars in 2015, the average leased car added to a BVRLA member fleet in 2015 emitted just 112.6g/km CO2, more than seven per cent less than its newly registered counterparts. Additionally, 25 per cent of lease cars now sit

in VED band A (sub-100g/km CO2) while the overall market share for all new cars sold in 2015 stands at 20 per cent. Gerry Keaney, BVRLA chief executive, said: “More and more businesses are turning to leasing as a source of finance and BVRLA members are helping these companies to operate cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles. “The government needs to recognise that the company car or van is more than just a taxable perk and a valuable source of revenue for the Treasury. These vehicles are vital business tools that can play a huge role in reducing the UK’s road transport carbon emissions. Without a fair and simple tax regime for company vehicles, this won’t happen.”

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Making leasing greener Using their latest figures as a springboard for further success, the BVRLA has organised to meet with government officials to discuss how its members can contribute to safer, greener and more cost-effective motoring. As part of its efforts to lower emissions, the association has highlighted four main issues affecting the vehicle rental and leasing industry, and put together a series of recommendations that should be implemented for the good of the sector. Covering air quality, business car taxation, intelligent mobility, and vehicle safety, the policy papers conclude a series of policy roundtables hosted and organised by the BVRLA throughout 2015.

Connected vehicles Intelligent Mobility refers to any optimised form of transporting people and goods that increases mobility, improves safety and enhances user benefits whilst simultaneously reducing pollution, consumption and congestion. The paper on Intelligent Mobility urges support for the introduction of a new ratings system for the cyber security of modern connected vehicles. It also calls for the Information Commissioner’s Office to be given more resources so that it can provide guidance and enforcement in areas of connected vehicle and driver data. Finally, the Vehicle Safety paper calls on the government to further encourage the take-up of Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB). As the trade association for companies involved in the rental and leasing industry, the BVRLA has had a long-standing interest in road safety. Its members operate a combined fleet of 4.5 million cars, vans and trucks, with many of these being used every day on UK roads. The BVRLA believes that AEB should be made mandatory for all new registered cars and vans, as it now is for HGVs. Toward this objective, the government should demonstrate leadership in vehicle safety by making AEB a mandatory requirement for all new vehicles procured by the government fleet. Keaney said: “We have consulted with a wide range of fleet operator organisations and believe that the policy measures outlined in these reports could make a major contribution in improving the safety, sustainability and efficiency of road transport in the UK.” Poppy Welch, head of Go Ultra Low, said: “We’ve been encouraged by the growing number of fleets realising the multiple advantages of electric vehicles – and BVRLA members continue to play a pivotal role through education on whole-life costs and employee benefits. More businesses need to be bold, opening their thinking to incorporate electric vehicles and the cost-savings they bring.” !

Multileasing: helping to drive down emissions and reduce costs Anyone, however much involved in fleet over the last decade or so, will no doubt have been aware of the very real and increasing impact vehicles deployed into an organisations fleet, or more specifically the CO2 ratings of those vehicles, have had on their organisation’s bottom line. In essence, government legislation has relentlessly focused on driving down the country’s CO2 emissions and with a significant proportion of the population having access to vehicles, one easy way for government to help achieve this is to try to influence buying behaviour by focusing tax charges on the polluting aspects of each vehicle. From a fleet perspective it’s quite a simple equation, the more polluting a vehicle is, the higher its CO2 rating is and, correspondingly, the more tax the organisation, and driver, will have to pay to use it. So, given this, regardless of your acquisition model – contract hire, finance, cash purchase, etc – surely the easiest way to ensure your organisation’s bottom line is not any more adversely affected and as tax efficient as possible must be to only allow your drivers to have vehicles with the lowest ratings possible – right? Good idea, but not always possible or practical in the real world. For example, one of your director’s or senior manager’s 530D M-Sport BMW is coming up for the end of its contract, needs replacing and, as it happens, BMW has now launched a new ultra CO2-efficient three series - the BMW 330e (CO2 rating just 45). So do you offer this perceived model downgrade to a senior member of staff in order to save the company money or look to see what the most CO2 efficient equivalent is from BMW, Audi and Mercedes knowing their CO2 rating may not reduce the company’s tax liability? Vehicle manufacturers are continually reducing emissions across their model ranges, and this trend is likely to continue, but even when alternatives exist completely across the board the legislation is very likely to maintain its focus on generating revenue in line with CO2 ratings, so how best to reduce the liability? Multileasing’s customers mitigate this aspect of fleet cost by categorising vehicles in line with employee grades and then setting a balance of a variety of vehicles based on rental values in line with a realistic CO2 cap to produce vehicle lists for drivers to choose from – what solution does your supplier provide?

Contract Hire & Leasing

With the state of air quality making headlines around the world, and the recent emissions scandal doing little to enhance the fleet sector’s reputation, the Air Quality paper lobbies for the implementation of a national framework for Low Emission Zones. These would ensure consistency, certainty and, with sufficient notice ahead of their introduction, allow fleet operators to make purchasing decisions without unnecessary financial penalties. The paper, which showcases that air quality remains high on both governmental and fleet agendas, also calls on the government to continue encouraging car clubs across all large UK cities and publish guidance on how businesses and consumers can join a club. The tax regime plays a vital role in determining fleet purchasing strategy. The UK vehicle rental and leasing sector has long demonstrated its value as a contributor to the economy, purchasing an estimated one million vehicles (including 308,000 UK-made vehicles) per annum, generating £24.9 billion in gross value added for the UK economy and employing 53,600 people. As a result of the activities supported by the UK rental and lease sector in 2013, the Treasury received a total £5.2 billion in total tax revenue. The BVRLA’s Business Car Taxation policy paper recommends that the government reform benefit-in-kind (BIK) ratings, with greater granularity on incentives for the take-up of lower emission vehicles. In particular, the association believes a wider differential at the lower category end would provide a larger incentive for the take up of lower (if not ultra low) emission vehicles over higher emission ones. It also highlights the contribution of company car drivers towards better safety and emissions standards in the national fleet, and warns against increasing the cumulative tax burden on such drivers to unsustainable levels. This is a particular concern given the Chancellor’s raising of Company Car Tax bandings by two percentage points, and the deferral of the planned removal of the three per cent diesel supplement to 2021.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01404 549222 sales@multileasing.co.uk www.multileasing.co.uk

The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association is the trade body for companies engaged in the leasing and rental of cars and CVs. FURTHER INFORMATION www.bvrla.co.uk

Volume 93 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

Microlise Transport Conference

Putting road transport back on the map

An action packed conference programme, workshops and an exhibition: it’s all happening at the 2016 Microlise Transport Conference. GreenFleet looks ahead to May’s main event

The Microlise Transport Conference features speakers and workshops covering all aspects of the road transport industry. Key topics for 2016 include: compliance and legislation; driver engagement; industry issues; products and services; risk management and safety; and technology in transport. The Microlise Transport Conference has become the biggest in Europe, with over 1,000 delegates registered. The 2016 conference is shaping up to be very exciting, with a line-up of speakers from across the transport industry, including operators, industry bodies, government and other key stakeholders and a series of practical workshops for advice on meeting the challenges today’s operators face. The conference remains a place where the big issues are not only discussed and debated, but it also acts as a catalyst for change. HRH The Princess Royal has accepted an invitation to deliver a keynote speech at the conference representing international

development charity Transaid. The Princess is Patron of the charity which is striving to raise driving standards and road safety in sub-Saharan Africa. Gary Forster, chief executive of Transaid, said: “We are delighted that Her Royal Highness accepted the invitation. We want to build a world where transport contributes fully to a better quality of life and is accessible to all. The support we receive from the UK transport industry is essential to achieving our aims.”

(CILT), Kevin Richardson is looking forward to speaking to delegates about his vision for the CILT and some of the key issues facing the logistics and transport industry. Kevin’s career includes being European development director for XPO Logistics and Norbert Dentrassangle and 20 years at TDG Plc, so he appreciates the challenges operators face. Kevin commented: “Road transport is essential to so many day-to-day activities and is integral to the future prosperity of the UK. I am looking forward to speaking at the conference.” Glen Davies is Transport for London’s (TfL) fleet programme manager responsible for the management and development of the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme, the Construction Logistics and Cycle Safety Scheme and the newly-unveiled LoCITY scheme for ultra-low emissions vehicles. He has over 30 years’ experience as an operator in the transport and logistics sector and will be talking about how TfL’s future strategy will ensure that the logistics industry can sustainably serve London’s growing economy and population. The police play a vital role in making our road networks safe and delegates will hear from Paul Keasey, of the Central Motorway Police Group, on how the police work to make the strategic road network safer by tackling issues such as criminal activity, speeding,

ing Attract into women sport the trans industry istic and log ongoing is an , whether ge challen rivers or it’s d gers mana

Speaker line-up The conference will once again be chaired by Quentin Willson, one of Britain’s best-known motoring journalists. Newly appointed as chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

Microlise Transport Conference

alcohol and distraction; and how the police work with other organisations to improve standards. Keasey is directly responsible for the security and safety of over 400 miles of the strategic road network and his responsibilities include the direct governance of overt and covert operations within the motorway environment, the forensic reconstruction and investigation of serious road traffic collisions, and the leadership of a dedicated regional intelligence unit. He is also the UK representative on the TISPOL European Traffic Police Network. Attracting women into the transport and logistics industry is an ongoing challenge, whether it’s drivers or managers. We’ve asked Lesley O’Brien, a partner at Freightlink Europe and Freight Train to give delegates the benefit of her experience. Lesley is also a Road Haulage Association Board member and responsible for the She’s RHA initiative which aims to encourage more women into the profession, supporting, mentoring and empowering them. Nick Hay, managing director of Fowler Welch, will talk about how his company has added value to its customers through a number of supply chain collaborations including a carbon reduction project that has reduced CO2 and a joint-venture packing operation in Kent. One third of the Fowler Welch fleet is now Euro 6 and, with its 640 trailers, it provides ambient and temperature controlled supply chain services for major brands. Panel discussions Microlise panel discussions are one of the cornerstones of the conference and for 2016, we have organised two debates. In the first, we address the key issues of driver recruitment. With estimates putting the driver shortage at anywhere between 40,000 and 60,000, we ask our panel whether the industry is doing all it can to address this issue? Are there untapped sources of potential recruits out there? We will hear from operators on how they are taking practical action to address the resource requirements of their businesses and from various industry organisations on supporting people into a HGV driving career and identifying the talent pools out there. In the second panel, we have lined up a panel of truck manufacturers and operators to look ahead to Road Transport in the year 2020 and beyond. The panel will look at the state of the industry now and the likely demands in the years ahead from both the perspective of truck manufacturers and transport operators, exploring the key issues that are likely to impact the industry over the coming years – expect a lively discussion. Microlise Driver of the Year awards There’ll be an air of expectancy in the conference hall late morning, as we announce the winner of the Microlise Driver of the Year. The award is acknowledged as being one of the toughest to win because our judging panel review the entries anonymous telematics data analysed by the University of Nottingham’s Advanced Data Analytics Centre.

Microlise panel discussions are one of the cornerstones of the conference and for 2016, we have organised two debates It’s a rigorous process. Data is gathered and analysed from over 100,000 drivers engaging with Microlise telematics solutions. Drivers are selected on the basis of at least ten journeys across each quarter and a minimum of 5,000 miles total driving. This data is then assessed against a range of criteria, such as harsh braking, over revving and speeding. Questionnaires completed by the employers of each driver on the initial shortlist help to provide further evidence and indicators that might contribute to a driver being named as a winner. We’ll also be announcing our other driver awards – Young Driver of the Year, Most Improved Driver of the Year, HGV Hero and Lifetime Achievement award. Workshop programme To help you get the most out of the day, alongside the main conference platform, there are a series of workshops designed to raised awareness and suggest solutions to some of the challenges facing operators today. They start at 7:30 a.m. prior to the main conference and there is another

series in the afternoon after our panel discussions giving maximum opportunity to catch the ones of most interest. This Road Haulage Association-sponsored workshop will focus on risk and accident management and compliance. Motor Transport will be hosting a workshop on FORS, the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme, and a second one on workforce management. Meanwhile Microlise will be offering a series of short presentations ranging from advice on how to manage change in your business to news about our product roadmap. Exhibition With a 4,000 square metre exhibition space at the Microlise Transport Conference, including stands from gold sponsors DAF Trucks and MAN Truck and Bus UK, there’s also a wide variety of suppliers, transport operators, truck manufacturers and trade associations to meet. ! FURTHER INFORMATION microliseconference.com

Volume 93 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

Telematics

Connected cars could bring fair weather for the Cloud

Written by Graham Jarvis, TU Automotive

Are connected cars having an influence on the adoption of Cloud technology? Graham Jarvis from TU Auotmotive investigates According to IBM there will be 250 million connected vehicles on the market by 2020 and they will be connected and fully packaged with sensor technologies. The technology giant also thinks that the connected car will become the top connected application in five years’ time. IBM adds that each of these vehicles will product 350 MB of data a second and, by 2016, a third of consumer data will be stored in the Cloud, while in-vehicle software will be updated over the air through Cloud connectivity. In spite of these finds, which are published on an IBM blog post entitled How the Internet of Things is Transforming the Automotive Industry, Gavin Kenny, associate partner of UK and Ireland at IBM, believes that connected cars aren’t driving Cloud adoption. Yet, in his view, they are facilitating it: ‘The point being that the technologies to allow cars to communicate have been around for a while now, and the Big Data revolution has reached a tipping point to allow data to be produced en masse’. He adds that the data volumes that the connected vehicles will produce are beyond most automotive manufacturers’ capability. That’s simply because Cloud technology isn’t their core business. The Cloud, nevertheless will allow them to expand their businesses as connected vehicle uptake increases. However, Claes Herlitz, head of automotive at Ericsson, argues that connected cars are driving Cloud adoption because it’s a ‘scale game and as more cars get connected the data processing and connected services need to be provided via the Cloud’.

timely and relevant to individual users. Thomas adds that there are two forces working in concert to push Cloud adoption: “You have the eCall regulations that the European Union is taking the lead on, which allows cars to call for help when they detect there has been an accident.” He explains that eCall technologies will act as a springboard to other cloud connected services. The second catalyst is embedded connectivity which is driven by customers wanting their cars screen to mirror their smartphones screens. Yet from the manufacturers’ perspective it’s easier for car manufacturers to use smartphones as connections to consumer services than to build their own internet connectivity in order to include their own set of connected services.

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Private Cloud needed Herlitz says: “Connected services for infotainment, safety and autonomous driving can be provided by Cloud infrastructure and a Cloud service enablement platform. The growing number of services and cars requiring them

Cloud is key Mark Thomas, director of connected cars at Jasper, and Scott Frank, vice-president of marketing at Airbiquity, agree with Herlitz. Frank argues that the Cloud has to be the central point for the delivery of connected devices. The Cloud enables connected car service providers such as Jasper and Airbiquity to run and manage their Cloud-based platforms and services, aggregate data and conduct analytics to make content and service delivery, explains Frank, more

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will drive the development of a global Cloud infrastructure which will need to be a private Cloud infrastructure to protect data in such a way that it makes sense to the automotive manufacturers and the national regulator decision makers”. This may, therefore, mean that it won’t be permissible to send data from China to the US, for example, and so regulation is one of the challenges that is making it harder to set up a global open public Cloud infrastructure. Another driver for Cloud adoption in this market is being created by the widening range of sensors that connected vehicles are becoming dependent

Machine learning Frank explains: “Machine learning and artificial intelligence is definitely coming up fast on the horizon with the evolution moving from infotainment to vehicle-centric applications and services that will enable the car to proactively provide choices and options for drivers to act upon.” He says this kind of service delivery will be highly automated to operate at scale – potentially involving

millions of vehicles simultaneously while processing ‘massive amounts of data with sophisticated algorithms in order to be smart’. He adds: “Autonomous vehicles can’t happen without vehicle connectivity to the Cloud because that’s the only way the vehicles can get smart enough to safely and accurately drive themselves relative to the conditions going on around them.” He forecasts there autonomous vehicles will become more widespread by 2035. This is when he thinks they will be able to safely, securely, efficiently rely upon networked urban grids to get around without the need of a steering wheel or of a brake pedal. Bright future In the meantime, Frank also predicts that the number of cars with connected vehicle technology and with enabled Cloud-based service delivery adoption by the percentage of 2020 production

vehicles could be as high as 75 per cent. He concludes that this figure represents an ‘astounding market adoption growth, considering that the 2015 base is just 13 per cent’. So it could be argued that connected cars are driving Cloud adoption and that the technology could be taking driving to a new road of its existence. For now though the technology is embryonic. !

Telematics

on. Some of them at least will rely on Big Data analysis to inform the driver and the vehicle of vehicle-related and driving factors. Driverless cars will particularly be dependent on Big Data analytics and this analysis has to occur in the Cloud. Herlitz claims: “I think you’re on to a topic that will be very important, particularly in active safety and in autonomous driving because it is about using Big Data, real-time analytics to understand traffic patterns, for example – and so machine learning and artificial intelligence will be vital.”

This article was used with kind permission from TU Automotive (analysis.tu-auto.com) FURTHER INFORMATION analysis.tu-auto.com

Volume 93 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

Alternative Fuels Written by Richard Gooding // Photography by Stuart Price

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A molecular orbit Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles are still in their infancy, but a recent initiative during the UK’s Hydrogen Week aimed to raise awareness of both the fuel and the infrastructure surrounding it. Richard Gooding took the wheel during the LHNE’s ‘Tour de M25’ world record attempt While electric vehicles are now, if not everywhere, certainly more commonplace than they were, other alternative fuels are still gaining traction. Take hydrogen for example: used in fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) to produce electricity to power the driving motors by way of a chemical reaction, it’s a technology very much in its infancy in the UK. But a number of recent projects have set to change all that, and GreenFleet was invited to take part in one of them – a world record attempt around the M25 to set two distance records. The project, dreamt up by the government-backed London Hydrogen Network Expansion project (LHNE), took place during Hydrogen Week, 14-18 March. The continuous five-day and five-night drive around the M25 used Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell cars, one of the two models – along with Toyota’s Mirai – which is currently available to buy in the UK. Starting at the Air Products hydrogen refuelling station on the outskirts of Heathrow airport, a series of drivers completed around 50 laps of the 125-mile orbital motorway. The previous records stood at 435 miles for the longest trip by FCV on one tank of hydrogen, while the longest continuous

journey carried out by an FCV stood at 6,025 miles. The project, dubbed ‘Tour de M25’ needed 49 laps or more to be in with a chance of beating the current records. Records smashed Both records were smashed from a UK perspective, with the LHNE claiming victory thanks to a 400-mile single tank of hydrogen trip, along with a continuous FCV journey of 6,096 miles. The fifty laps of the new world record included mileage to and from the Heathrow refuelling station, which is one of the four publicly-accessible hydrogen refuelling stations in the UK. With no tailpipe emissions bar water, the ‘Tour de M25’ project set to raise the public profile of hydrogen-fuelled vehicles. And where is there a more public place to do that than on what is arguably the UK’s most infamous motorway? Diana Raine, European business manager

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hydrogen energy systems at Air Products, which has led the LHNE project, said: “It is fantastic to have overhauled the two records we aimed to beat this week. The fact that we have managed to drive 6,096 miles in under a week demonstrates perfectly the viability and usability of FCVs. She continued: “What we need now for accelerated adoption of hydrogen vehicles is for the government to work with our industry to provide the right framework for the technology to become truly accepted by the public.”

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World record attempt GreenFleet was asked to take part in the exciting world record attempt, and I took the wheel of the left-hand drive of the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell on the night of Wednesday 16 March. A delay caused by a traffic jam – ironcially – as soon as I joined the M25 at junction 26 form the GreenFleet offices meant my 18:30

GreenFleet acting editor Richard Gooding took the wheel for an evening stint on the London Hydrogen Network Expansion project’s ‘Tour de M25’ record attempt

Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCVs, or Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles – FCEVs) work by converting hydrogen to electricity to power the driving electric motors.

Alternative Fuels

How does a Fuel Cell Vehicle work?

An FCV is refuelled with hydrogen which then reacts with oxygen in a fuel cell stack to generate electricity. This is then sent through a power control unit to the electric drive motor and battery. The only by-product ‘emission’ is water (H20). A longer range means FCVs only have to be refuelled around every 300-350 miles.

slot was delayed by around two hours, but once on the road, the 125-mile lap (the record attempt’s 28th) of London’s orbital motorway was surprisingly – and maybe disappointingly – uneventful. Media M25 orbiters were accompanied by a pro driver, and Steve, who sat alongside me, in what would usually be the driver’s seat, chatted to me and kept me focused on both the car’s extremities and the details of the record attempt itself. Time went surprisingly quickly, and as the landmarks of the journey were ticked off – junction 28 (my home turn-off), the Dartford Crossing, Clacket Lane Services – we were turning off at junction 15 and heading back to the Heathrow refuelling station. I’d driven the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell before as part of its ‘Streetcar names Hyundai’ project last October (GreenFleet issue 89), but it was nice to reacquaint myself with an FCV. Just like an electric car – which is essentially what an FCV is – there is a background whine, but the overall impression is of calmness and serenity due to the lack of noise. One benefit of FCVs is that they can be driven a longer distance than an electric vehicle before refuelling, made all the easier by the fact the ix35 is as conventional to drive as an internal combustion-engined car. As in an electric or hybrid vehicle, one of the only differences is an energy monitor which lets the driver see exactly how the energy is being used.

Biggest obstacle The biggest obstacle hydrogen-powered vehicles currently face in the UK is infrastructure. There are currently only six in the UK, with a further three expected to open by the end of 2016. Two are sited in London alone, but more are planned. Sophie Lyons, business development manager at Air Products which runs the London stations said: “Air Products manage two publicly-accessible stations, and one bus

refuelling station. There are three additional publicly-accessible stations planned in the London area under the HyFIVE project, that will be delivered by ITM Power. “Fleets are using the network, too, with customers including Commercial Group, Green Tomato Cars, and Transport for London.” Robin Hayles, sustainable fuel manager at Hyundai Motor UK believes fleets are ideally suited for FCVs: “The fleet market has always been an area we identified as potential early adopters for FCV technology and this remains the case, with a longer driving range and faster refuelling time than comparable pure EV technology can offer. “It is far too early to have sales targets in place, however. It is important to work with our infrastructure partners to ensure that the key early market growth is nurtured and ensure that any longer term sales ambitions are not affected by decisions made right now, e.g. poor infrastructure sighting.” Hydrogen refuelling infrastructure growth is seen as key to increasing FCV numbers. Like EVs before them, infrastructure growth may start off slow, but continued investment can only yield an improved network. ! FURTHER INFORMATION www.hydrogenlondon.org/tag/lhne/

The GreenFleet 125-mile lap of the M25 as part of the London Hydrogen Network Expansion project’s record attempt took just two hours and 10 minutes

Volume 93 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

Road Test

An amenable ally The Peugeot Partner van has been refreshed. GreenFleet unpacks the latest version of Peugeot’s best-selling light commercial vehicle and uncovers a highly practical and efficient business companion First launched 20 years ago this year, the Peugeot Partner and its sister vehicle the Citroën Berlingo should need little introduction to light commercial buyers. While the first-generation featured a more car-like front than the refreshed model which replaced it in 2002, the square, rear cargo area pointed to the purpose for which it was created. In 2008, the second-generation model appeared, and brought with it a much more commercial vehicle-orientated face, although both models have also spun civilian ‘multi-purpose’ vehicle versions from the same basic body. The Partner is Peugeot’s second-biggest commercial vehicle and slots in between the smaller Bipper and larger Expert panel vans. At the top of the range is Peugeot’s largest light commercial, the Boxer. The latest

version of the Partner was – along with the Berlingo – refreshed in spring 2015. Its UK debut was at the 2015 Commercial Vehicle Show, where it celebrated Peugeot’s 120th year of light commercial vehicle (LCV) production.

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Two body styles Available in two body styles – panel van and double-cab crew van with optional side windows – the Partner features payloads of 625-850kg, while loadspace varies from 2.4-3.7m3. The panel van

Professional level Partners feature TomTom Go 5000 semi-integrated navigation and a connected telematics system

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is available in two lengths of 4,380 and 4,628mm (wheelbase stays the same at 2,728mm) and it’s the shorter ‘L1’ 3.3m3, 625kg version on test here. The crew van is based on the longer wheelbase model. Three trim levels tempt LCV buyers: S, SE and Professional, while CO2 emissions range from 108 to 150g/km. For the ultimate in last-mile deliveries, the all-electric £21,300 (ex-VAT) Partner Electric offers a zero-emission all-electric powertrain.

Our Professional-specification model was fitted with the Euro 5-standard 1,560cc four-cylinder diesel engine. Although not as clean as the lower-emitting BlueHDi 100 S&S version (which uses the same engine as the Peugeot 208 Allure 1.6 BlueHDi 100 S&S passenger car tested in GreenFleet issue 92), over our 492-mile mixed route test we achieved fuel economy which was on par with – or eclipsed – Peugeot’s official figures. The French manufacturer quotes a combined cycle average miles per gallon figure of 56.5 for the L1 H1 75 model: we achieved an average of 54.2mpg, with 57.0 seen during the duration of the van’s period with us. The potential range on one tank of fuel based on our figures is 558 miles. The 1.6-litre unit develops 75bhp at 4,000rpm, with 136lb ft (185Nm) of torque from as little as 1,500rpm. It’s easily enough to scoot the Partner along with little fuss or drama. However, if you want speedier performance and a more relaxed cruising ability, you may want to opt for the higher-output HDi 92 or BlueHDi 100 models. As an aside, BlueHDi models employ Euro 6-standard technology and a stop-start system, while Peugeot also offers a non-diesel-powered

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Partner, powered by a 1.6--litre VTi 98bhp petrol engine. PSA Peugeot Citroën’s ‘ETG’ automatic transmission is also an option on selected BlueHDi variants. Car-like manners On the road, the Partner, like the Berlingo, drives with car-like manners with levels of refinement not too far removed from its passenger-carrying cousins. Little engine noise intrudes into the cabin, while an acceptable level of road noise filters through into the loadspace area, which is separated from the cab with a half-height bulkhead/mesh grille. As with the Berlingo XTR+ model we’ve previously tested, ride comfort is very good for a commercial vehicle with few road imperfections making their presence felt. Peugeot also offers an enhanced ‘Grip Control’ traction system for easier passage over rough roads or surfaces with low grip levels, as well as an ‘Active City Brake’ system for £540. If you’re used to the modern crop of light commercials and have driven PSA small panel vans before, the Partner’s cabin will be familiar to you. Similar in style to the Berlingo, the dashboard appears much the same as the previous version. An upgraded seven-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system with DAB, Bluetooth and MirrorLink borrowed from PSA’s car ranges is much more user-friendly, though. Range-topping Professional models include a high level of standard equipment over SE versions: air conditioning, an alarm, an athermic windscreen, cruise control with speed limiter, rear parking aid/sensors and a TomTom Go 5000 semi-integrated navigation and connected telematics system can all be found on the business-aimed versions. Front parking sensors and a reversing camera are available as options to make urban drivers’ lives easier. User-friendly practicality Practicality hasn’t been forgotten, either. The Partner/Berlingo were always two of the more functional vans on the market, and the latest model loses none of the touches which made the earlier versions so user-friendly. A left-hand (nearside) sliding door gains access to the – class-leading according to Peugeot – load area, while twin rear asymmetric 180-degree opening doors ease cargo into the back. A ‘multi-flex’ dual passenger seat which folds the outer seat into the floor for more storage also features, as do one-touch electric windows. Sixty litres’ worth of cubbies in the dashboard and doors look after smaller items, while a full-width ceiling shelf

GROSS PAYLOAD:

625kg

LOAD VOLUME:

3.3m3

ENGINE:

Road Test

Peugeot Partner Professional L1 H1 75

1,560cc, four-cylinder diesel

CO2:

131g/km

NOx:

0.153g/km

MPG (combined):

56.5

MPG (combined):

57.0

VED:

£230

PRICE (ex-VAT):

£14,910 (£18,781 on the road)

provides an out-of-sight storage option. A closed space behind the steering wheel and a writing table on the back of the folding backrest of the central passenger seat provide extra functional touches for business users. Total load floor length is 1,800m, which increases to 3,000mm when the multi-flex passenger seat is folded down. The practical nature of the multi-flex seat really is a boon – it also increases the loadspace from 3.3m3 to 3.7m3. There is also 1,500mm of width inside the sliding door van (1,620mm where no sliding door is fitted), with 1,230mm of space between the wheel arches, easily enough to accommodate a pair of Euro pallets. Maximum load height meanwhile is 1,250mm, with 1,100mm of height through the side sliding door. The optimal rear opening width is 1,250m with 1,150mm of height. Overall length of the ‘L1’ model is 4,380mm: the larger ‘L2’ models are 248mm longer. More appealing, greater value With small but important changes and prices from £10,415, Peugeot has made the Partner more appealing, better looking and greater value. With the addition of the Active City Brake system, insurance costs have the potential to be reduced, while service interval top-up integration of the AdBlue additive needed for diesel versions is now easier for fleet users who cover more than 12,500 miles per year. Overall then, it’s pretty much business as usual for the highly successful Partner – the UK is Peugeot’s third largest sales market and the Partner is the UK’s best-selling light commercial van. There’s little reason why that shouldn’t continue. ! FURTHER INFORMATION business.peugeot.co.uk/range/vans/

The Peugeot Partner offers payloads of 625-850kg, with loadspaces from 2.4-3.7m3

Volume 93 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

Road Test

Toyota Prius Business Edition (15-inch wheels)

New Toyota Prius has bold styling touches and looks like no other car on the road

ENGINE:

97bhp/72kW 1,798cc four-cylinder petrol with 71bhp/53kW electric motor

CO2:

70g/km

NOx:

0.016g/km

MPG (combined):

94.1

GF MPG (combined):

63.7

VED: BIK: PRICE (OTR):

Band A, £0 9% £24,195 (£24,690 as tested)

ad the Downlo pp at et a le F n e t Gre eet.ne reenfl app.g es and g a im for more t conten

A rejuvenated pioneer Toyota’s halo hybrid the Prius has been comprehensively re-engineered and returns to its pioneering roots. Richard Gooding delves under the sharper styling and finds both impressive frugality and improved dynamics The Toyota Prius’ place in automotive history cannot be underestimated: it invented the mass-market hybrid vehicle which now proliferates car ranges the world over. First introduced in 1997 – four years after its idea was initially born – it has undergone three generational changes, with the latest fourth-generation car launched in September 2015. The first-generation was a game-changer in the truest sense of the word, but as the years have rolled by, other car makers have developed their own hybrid technologies and the Prius became less of a trailblazer. However, the new-for-2016 model promises both sharper styling and driving dynamics as well as staying true to what forms the core of the Prius brand – economy and an eco-friendly conscience. Modular platform The latest Prius is built on the Japanese company’s ‘Toyota New Global Architecture’

(TNGA) modular platform, which allows for a lower centre of gravity and increased structural rigidity. Aerodynamics play an important part in the fourth-generation car’s make-up, too, and help contribute to arguably the car’s most controversial feature: its looks. Priuses have always been a little ‘daring’ in their styling flourishes, but the latest car is perhaps the most divisive. Taking cues from Toyota’s Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car, the new Prius has both links to previous models as well as new design features of its own. A shark-like front end gives way to an almost floating roof, which leads down to the split-level rear

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window, a long-standing Prius design cue. It’s a striking looker that’s for sure, but Toyota seems to have succeeded in designing the new car with nods to the old. Two of the qualities previous Prius generations have enjoyed are parsimony and low emissions, and on these fronts the new Prius once again excels. Emissions of certain models such as our test Business Edition car are as low as 70g/km CO2, with the most polluting versions of Toyota’s halo hybrid emitting only 6g/km more. To achieve these headline figures, certain versions can be ‘downgraded’ with 15-inch wheels –

ns Emissioted of selecrius new P as low are models /km, with as 70g t-polluting s the mo nts only varia more 6g/km

Improved efficiency The new Prius’ efficiency expands to its ground-up repackaging, too. Revisions to the hybrid powertrain and engine have improved efficiency, reduced weight and sharpened performance. Changes to the outgoing car’s engine have resulted in a 40 per cent thermal efficiency, which Toyota claims is a world-best performance for a petrol engine. Selected hybrid components are now lighter and smaller, and have been moved for more efficient packaging. This has improved the low centre of gravity in the process, and therefore aided handling, too. According to Toyota, the new smaller nickel-metal battery lasts longer, has improved charging performance, and is more energy dense. It has been placed under the rear seats for improved cabin space and doesn’t intrude into the rear luggage area at all, making the new Prius an even more practical proposition. The new Prius range spans 10 models in four trim levels, ranging from the £23,295 Active to the £27,050 Excel. The Business Edition sits in the middle of the new family, and, as you’d expect for a car aimed at fleet users, comes well-specified. Standard equipment includes external LED lighting from and rear; dual-zone climate control; colour head-up and dual 4.2-inch multi-information displays; heated front seats (with power lumbar adjustment on the driver’s side); auto lights; keyless go; and Toyota’s ‘Touch 2 with Go’ seven-inch touchscreen system with DAB, CD, satellite navigation, Bluetooth/USB and online connectivity, as well as a rear view camera. The new car’s cabin is a relaxing place to be: white gloss plastic dominates the lower half of the dashboard, with the buttons around the central are backlit through the glass, giving them a very technological appearance. A central bank of displays – which include the very helpful Hybrid System Indicator – are crisp, clear, and bright.

Calm and composed The relaxing cabin demeanour permeates through to the way the new Prius drives. The car has a calm and composed feel, and as you’d expect from generations of honing, is very quiet on the move, no doubt aided by the optional smaller wheels. The 15-inch rims themselves are more rigid than before which results in less tyre resonance and therefore less road noise. As in our long-term Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, two gearbox selections are available: ‘D’ and ‘B’. ‘D’ can be used like a conventional automatic, whereas ‘B’ employs the same principles, but adds a level of regenerative/engine braking to feed more energy back into the car’s battery. The car itself meanwhile can be run in three selectable drive modes: ‘Normal’, ‘Eco’, and ‘Power’. We ran the new Prius in ‘Eco’ mode for most of the duration of our test, which limits the air-conditioning functionality, as well as generation smoother torque to the accelerator pedal. A further all-electric ‘EV’ mode runs the car on electricity only, and is best-suited to low-speed urban areas. But, unlike previous Prius models, the new drivetrain doesn’t introduce the 97bhp petrol engine too early at low speeds – it’s now much easier to drive at urban limits using the 71bhp electric motor alone. Combined system output is 121bhp/90kW. It’s easy to tell when the car is doing what, too: the Hybrid System Indicator works like a ‘rev counter’/chargemeter does on other hybrids. Marked with ‘Charge’, ‘EV’, and ‘Power’ sections, you can see which area the ‘power’ bar is in at any given time. When running in all-electric mode, the ‘EV’ car indicator is illuminated in green. It’s a foolproof system that works well, and along with the plethora of other information displays – eco diary, fuel costs savings table, and economy over pre-determined distances – is very cleverly and thoroughly thought out. The D-segment billing is much more justified this time around, the car being commodious and comfortable. At times, the high belt-line and sloping rear roof even made it feel like a coupé, and although the new Prius is no enthusiasts’ machine, it’s a sharper drive than before. There’s a more surefooted feeling on the road, less roll through corners, and a pliant, accommodating ride. A whole host of safety features are now standard including pre-collision, traction control, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning and blind spot

The first-generation Plug-in Prius was unveiled in September 2011, and the latest version was unwrapped at the 2016 New York International Auto Show.

Road Test

again, like our £24,690 test model – which although good for economy make the car look a little top heavy. The figures aren’t to be sniffed at, though: the Prius is one of only two non-plug-in cars – the other being its Yaris Hybrid stablemate – which can fanfare such impressive emission values. Toyota quotes official combined cycle fuel economy of 94.1mpg. In the real-world however, we achieved an average of 63.7 although we saw 75.8mpg on one occasion and an ultimate high of 89.1 over our 334-mile test.

Recharged: new Prius Plug-in

With a similar appearance to the recently-launched fourth-generation Prius, the new Prius Plug-in features even bolder front and rear end styling than the standard car on which it is based. The basic silhouette is similar however, and like the standard car, the Prius Plug-in sits on the new Toyota New Global Architecture and therefore shares the same new efficiencies which the new platform brings. 202mpg, 32g/km Just as with the new Prius hybrid, there are improvements over the Plug-in’s predecessor. Toyota claims the new car can run in all-electric EV mode at speeds of up to 84 mph, and state a longer EV range of 31 miles. Fuel consumption is said to be 202mpg, while CO2 emissions come in at a very low 32g/km. Charging the larger 8.8kWh lithium-ion battery should only take a little more than two hours. The new Prius Plug-in is expected to be launched in the UK and Europe at the end of 2016.

monitor systems, as well as adaptive cruise control. A five-year/100,000-mile pan-European warranty is standard, while major servicing intervals are set at 10,000-mile periods. Ecological benchmarks While the original Prius was arguably ahead of the time for which it was introduced, the new Prius is a car set for the 21st century, but with a renewed focus on what made the original so groundbreaking. Genuine technological developments and evolution have seen it once again set ecological benchmarks, but also become more accessible to drive. It’s a careful balancing act, but one which Toyota has succeeded at well. Over 3.5 million examples of Toyota’s most notable hybrid have been sold since 1997, and while it’s not chasing volume sales, the latest car deserves to add a significant number to that already impressive tally. ! FURTHER INFORMATION www.toyota.co.uk

New Prius interior features a central bank of instruments as well as a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system

Volume 93 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

PHEV Diary Written by Richard Gooding

MONTH THREE

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Life with ‘our’ Outlander PHEV continues apace and with a more positive public rapid charging network experience, we can focus more on the big Mitsubishi’s comfortable and economical qualities Life with the big but eco-friendly Mitsubishi continues to be fuss-free. I’ve covered more miles this month, and through spending more time in the UK’s best-selling plug-in hybrid, I’m getting to know it better. I’m not the only one: over 3,906 Outlander PHEVs were sold during the first quarter of 2016, and the Japanese plug-in accounts for an astonishing 53.2 per cent of all plug-in hybrid registrations. It’s not just bald figures either, as I’ve visibly noticed a lot more of them on the roads both around the office and home. Two black Outlander PHEVs have been circulating around roads on my daily commute, while a red one has recently appeared at a house not far away from my home. A white car has also made its presence known in the past few weeks. Shade of genius The latest batch of sales figures from the UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that Mitsubishi has registered 21,053 Outlander PHEVs here in two years. The model also accounts for 36.2 per cent of the

looks even more stylish, but also adds welcome doses of practicality, which wasn’t exactly something the standard car was lacking in the first place.

registered 58,186 grant-eligible vehicles since Very quiet, very comfortable the Plug-in Car Grant was introduced five Just as in the last report, day-to-day life with years ago. All of which points to the fact that the Outlander PHEV hasn’t been taxing. We’ve launching the plug-in hybrid technology in covered more miles than any other month an SUV first had a shade of genius about it... since we’ve had the car this month, and are Wherever it’s seen and whatever happy to report that the grey SUV is very colour it may be in, the comfortable in all situations, and Mitsubishi Outlander also very quiet on the motorway e Th PHEV has striking looks. – my commute takes in a WV65 YUO cuts quite a lot of M25 miles – in both averagegure fi presence in the company EV and hybrid modes. y econom e big car park, where its I’m still driving the car Atlantic Grey paintwork in ‘Eco’ mode all the time of th i has h and gloss black and as I still maintain if you Mitsubis – rising chrome ‘Dynamic Shield’ were buying a car of this d front end elevate it type, you’d be after all improve91.9 to above other premium eco and cost savings you from mpg and not-so-premium and could amass. It’s imperative 8 . 6 2 1 older rival SUVs. And now to charge whenever the there’s an Outlander PHEV that opportunity presents itself, too, cuts even more of a dash – Mitsubishi otherwise you just end up with a 35mpg UK introduced the range-topping GX5h petrol-powered SUV. This is especially when and GX5hs trims just after our car was out of urban areas if you want to achieve confirmed for delivery to us earlier this impressive mpg figures. If you use the car year (see panel). The newcomer not only purely for urban use, then its less of an issue

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well and are one of my favourite features of the powertrain. I have found, though, that they seem slower and not as severe when the car is in ‘Charge’ or ’Save’ modes. I’m also finding that the ‘power source’ instrument display graphic is easier to see at a glance what’s going on with power sources than the MMCS infotainment system diagram. I’ve yet to find out if there is a way of scrolling through the various options/reading displays faster or just selecting the information you need. On the subject of the car’s Mitsubishi Multi Communication System (MMCS), I’ve found the audio functionality to be the most disappointing aspect of the car. I connect a seventh-generation Apple iPod Nano to WV65 YUO whenever I drive a notable distance and the system takes at least five minutes to index all the tracks (with numbers as well as text), playing whichever track is first alphabetically by song title. Every time. Once the indexing has been done it’s fine, and although a niggle, as I love my music it maybe is more of a sticking point than it should be. The MMCS does impart a lot of information, though – you almost need a class in how to use it...

Download the GreenFleet app at app.greenfleet.net for more images and content

as the predominantly electric mode will be the one the car uses. On the subject of charging, the car seems to charge faster than I thought, with a full charge from a domestic socket coming up in around 3 hours 45 minutes, when the quoted time is five hours. The Outlander’s natural elevated ride height affords it great qualities on wet and flooded minor roads, too, as I recently experienced – and benefitted from – on a trip home from the office recently. Five stages of regenerative braking The five stages of regenerative braking work

Positive public charging experience Following the last update’s reporting on the downsides of the public charging infrastructure, I have since used Ecotricity’s ‘Electric Highway’ rapid charging bays with no ill effects – a much more positive charging (pardon the pun) experience. I’ve also heard from both Source London and NCP re the dual use of the charging bays at Loughton Underground station. Source London referred me directly to NCP, who commented: “All electric charging points were put in by Transport for London, and when they were installed a decision was made at the time that they would be dual use for both electric and non-electric vehicles.” Is it just me or is that not helpful as it defeats the point of pushing the take-up of electric and alternatively-fuelled vehicles? Source London also said it thought it ‘can be particularly inconvenient for customers wishing to use the charge points’. As I’d hoped, the economy of the big Mitsubishi has improved, rising to an

ENGINE:

1,998cc four-cylinder petrol with 2 x 60kW electric motors and 12kWh battery

CO2:

PHEV Diary

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV cuts a dash in the GreenFleet office car park and stands proud against more premium SUVs; graphical display ahead of the driver shows which power source is being used at any given time, and is useful to evaluate EV and petrol engine usage patterns

Logbook: month three 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GX4hs

42g/km

RANGE

32.5 miles (electric only), 541 miles (hybrid mode)

PRICE (OTR):

£38,499 (inc VAT, after government PiCG grant, £39,549 as tested)

DATE ACQUIRED:

February 2016

MILES THIS MONTH:

576

OUR MPG:

126.8

OFFICIAL MPG: OUR ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION:

156 3.50 miles/kWh

FUEL COSTS THIS MONTH: COSTS THIS MONTH:

£38.62

£0 (screen wash, see text)

average of 126.8mpg through a handful of high-yielding urban-based runs. Looking at the figures, this month the car has even run in EV mode for 69.9 per cent of the time, which has dipped slightly since last month. Average electricity ‘economy’ has been higher than the last report, coming in at 3.50 miles per kWh, while the fuel costs since issue 62 have been £38.62. I’ve worked out since WV65 YUO arrived in February, I’ve spent £110.30 on fuel, which I don’t think is too excessive over an 1,800-mile period, given the car’s average usage cycle. Yes it’s not been driven every day in those two-and-a-half months, but if I was running my petrol car – which I know isn’t directly comparable – over the same period, I’d be filling up with around £38.00-worth of fuel a week… I’ve also had my first consumable this month, when the car reported a low screen wash level at just over 6,600 miles. As is customary, I had some in the garage so no cost was involved. Don’t forget, if you’re an Outlander PHEV owner or driver, I’d love to hear your plug-in hybrid experiences, good and bad. If you’d like to get in touch, email richard.gooding@psigroupltd.co.uk or ping me a message on Twitter at @richgoodingcom. !

Range-toppers: new Outlander PHEV GX5h and GX5hs Mitsubishi UK has introduced two more luxurious versions of its plug-in Outlander, the GX5h and GX5hs. Extra features over the previous top-of-the-tree GX4h and GX4hs include: a leather interior; a 420w Alpine audio system with six-channel amplifier and digital sound processor; heated rear seats; a larger rear spoiler; front and

rear blue LED mood lighting; twin rear USB charging ports; ‘Outlander’ bonnet lettering; LED interior lights; as well as LED exterior lighting. Prices start at £40,899 for the GX5h, rising to £42,999 for the GX5hs. Both new versions run the same 2.0-litre petrol engine, twin-60kW electric motor powertrain as other Outlander PHEVs. All prices include the £2,500 Plug-in Car Grant and VAT.

Volume 93 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

Product Finder

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Jaama 15 Amber Business Village, Amber Close Amington, Tamworth B77 4RP Tel: 0844 8484 333 enquiries@jaama.co.uk www.jaama.com Licence2Check from Jaama is a comprehensive, cost effective and completely secure instant web-based licence checking service with the DVLA. Licence2Check is a simple effective tool providing a complete audit trail of driver information helping towards your duty of care compliance.

CLAIMS MANAGEMENT

RecoAuto delivers a unique claims management solution that reduces fleets vehicle repair costs whilst also reducing their Carbon Footprint. RecoAuto manage all aspects of vehicle repairs and also specialise in reducing vehicle parts spend via our innovative software RecoParts.

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CAR AND VAN RENTAL

Green Motion 2 Redman Court, Bell Street, Princes Risborough, Bucks, HP27 0AA Tel: 01844 222333 reservations@greenmotion.co.uk www.greenmotion.co.uk Green Motion is the UK’s leading provider of low CO2 vehicle hire. Through our national network, we offer both leisure and business customers the opportunity to enjoy great value vehicle rental, while helping to reduce the impact of global CO2 emissions associated with road travel. Providing reporting and advice to management and staff, Green Motion can highlight savings in cost and impact on the environment. HYDROGEN VEHICLES

ULEMCo Ulemco Ltd The Quay, 12 Princes Pararde, Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 1BG Tel: 01928 787179 info@ulemco.com / www.ulemco.com ULEMCo Ltd offer services to convert commercial vehicles to run on hydrogen. Services include the supply & installation of a safely engineered retrofit, warranty and VSO certificate. H2ICED™ vans, have verified emissions at 59g/km CO2. Advice, consultancy and the supply of hydrogen refuelling capability can also be provided. The publishers accept no responsibility for errors or omissions in this free service

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For AA Business Breakdown Cover call 0800 294 2994 quoting 0747 or visit theAA.com/business

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QUITTING LETS NICK BREATHE EASY

Aiming to halve corporate emissions and save £140,000* on contract hire and fuel. By quitting a conventional fleet for petrol full hybrids, Nick is helping to cut Itec’s CO2, NOx and particulate emissions by 50%. Thanks to lower BIK, drivers will also pocket average tax savings worth £1,200 each over the next three years. And, as contract hire and fuel costs will also fall by £140,000, Nick can breathe easy too.

Read Nick’s story at toyotalexusfleet.co.uk

* Saving based on switching original VW diesel fleet to Toyota and Lexus hybrids.

ALL-NEW F-PACE

ABOVE ALL, IT’S A JAGUAR. www.greenfleet.net

ISSUE 93

JAGUAR’S FIRST PERFORMANCE SUV The arrival of All-New F-PACE is imminent and with it comes a stunning resumé. Bringing together exhilarating power with everyday practicality and efficiency, the All-New F-PACE boasts impressive characteristics for any fleet. If it’s an energetic addition to your team you’re after, with 0-60mph in just 5.1 seconds*, you’ve found it. *F-PACE S 3.0 litre V6 Petrol AWD.

IMPRESSIVE INTERIOR SPACE Sit in the All-New F-PACE and you’ll know you’ve arrived. The interior epitomises sophistication – being both sporty and elegant at once. In the back, there’s seating for three adults to park themselves comfortably with the 40:20:40 rear seat folding configuration offering extra versatility. And it’s 650-litre* boot space is class leading. *When Tyre Repair System is fitted.

DYNAMIC DRIVING PERFORMANCE As you’d expect from a Jaguar, the All-New F-PACE has a distinctive feel on the road. Advanced engines deliver performance and efficiency while its Lightweight Aluminium Architecture enables agile handling. Combined with advanced dynamic driving technologies, it all adds up to one thing – a thrilling performance.

EFFICIENT INGENIUM ENGINES When the world demanded green, our answer was the Ingenium engine. After an investment of £500 million, Ingenium engines maximise performance and environmental sustainability while driving down running costs. In the All-New F-PACE, this results in fuel emissions as low as 129g/km, fuel economy up to 57.7mpg and an impressive 21,000 miles – or two years – between services.

STAY CONNECTED WITH INCONTROL TOUCH Managing your business on the move is becoming increasingly important. Enter InControl Touch – our new digital platform that connects you to a bespoke suite of apps and services to help you manage your business effectively while out of the office and give you unprecedented control of your in-car environment.

LIGHTWEIGHT ALUMINIUM ARCHITECTURE Our Lightweight Aluminium Architecture is the foundation on which the All-New F-PACE is built. The architecture is stiff and strong, offering excellent protection to all occupants, while its reduced weight boosts efficiency and enhances handling and braking. F-PACE is among the lightest cars in its class* offering a weight distribution with a near perfect 50:50* balance for a sporting performance and an impeccable ride. *Model and engine dependent

To find out more, contact the Jaguar Fleet and Business Centre on 0845 600 2214. Model shown F-PACE First Edition. Official fuel consumption for the All-New Jaguar F-PACE range in mpg (l/100km): Urban: 23.2-49.6 (12.2-5.7); Extra Urban 39.8-62.8 (7.1-4.5); Combined 31.7-57.7 (8.9-4.9). CO 2 Emissions 209-129 (g/km). Official EU Test Figures. For comparison purposes only. Real world figures may differ.

ALL–NEW JAGUAR F-PACE

As Jaguar’s first performance SUV, the All-New F-PACE blends power with technology and practicality – the perfect combination for any fleet. Our advanced Ingenium engines and Lightweight Aluminium Architecture help reduce CO2 emissions and fuel consumption, without compromising on the performance Jaguar is renowned for. Add to that sharp looks, nimble handling and its class-leading 650-litre* boot space and it’s easy to see why F-PACE will be one of your company’s highest performers. To find out more, contact the Jaguar Fleet and Business Centre on 0845 600 2214.

*When Tyre Repair System is fitted. Model shown F-PACE First Edition. Official fuel consumption for the All-New Jaguar F-PACE range in mpg (l/100km): Urban: 23.2-49.6 (12.2-5.7); Extra Urban 39.8-62.8 (7.1-4.5); Combined 31.7-57.7 (8.9-4.9). CO2 Emissions 209-129 (g/km). Official EU Test Figures. For comparison purposes only. Real world figures may differ.