GreenFleet Europe 2.6

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Could self-driving cars become a reality in the future and could fleets benefit?

ALTERNATIVE FUELS

THE VIABILITY OF HYDROGEN

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Examining the viability and safety of hydrogen as a transport fuel

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LA MOTOR SHOW

ISSUE 2.6

DRIVING FLEET SUSTAINABILITY ACROSS THE CONTINENT AUTONOMOUS CARS

DRIVERLESS VEHICLES

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Could self-driving cars become a reality in the future and could fleets benefit?

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ALTERNATIVE FUELS

THE VIABILITY OF HYDROGEN

Examining the viability and safety of hydrogen as a transport fuel

Photograph courtesy of Volvo

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COMMENT

ALTERNATIVE FUELS

Bienvenue • Willkommen • Benvenuti Welkom • Velkommen • Tervetuloa Üdvözlet • Witam Ci • Bem-vindo Bienvenidos • Välkommen Dear Readers There is evidence to suggest that governments around the world are warming to the idea of putting driverless vehicles on the roads. The British Government has announced it will allow autonomous vehicles to be tested on public roads in January 2015, the Swedish government has permitted volvo to test its driverless vehicles on the roads in 2017, and in California, Nevada and Florida in the US, Google’s driverless car has done more than 300,000 miles.

A driverless vehicle can sense its surroundings with video cameras, radar sensors, lasers and GPS to navigate without human input. The benefits are said to include improve safety, reduce congestion

and lower emissions. And for fleet drivers, if the driver is not having to drive, he or she can be more productive by responding to calls or emails, for example. The topic of driverless cars is examined on page 12

by Kevin Curran from the University of Ulster and senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

This issue of GreenFleet Europe also examines the use of hydrogen as an transport fuel, examining some of the common concerns that surround this energy source on page 10, as well as a round up green vehicles from the LA Auto Show, which showcased many new hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that will enter the market in the future.

Angela Pisanu, editor

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226 High Rd, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055 Fax: 020 8532 0066 Web: www.psi-media.co.uk EDITOR Angela Pisanu EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Arthur Walsh EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Danny Wright PRODUCTION EDITOR Richard Gooding PRODUCTION CONTROL Jacqueline Lawford, Jo Golding WEB PRODUCTION Reiss Malone PUBLISHER Martin Freedman ACCOUNT MANAGER Kylie Glover ADMINISTRATION Victoria Leftwich REPRODUCTION & PRINT Argent Media

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CONTENTS

Contents GreenFleet Europe 2.6 06 News

14 LA Motor Show

10 Alternative fuels

06

Fuel cell electric vehicles are firmly on the agenda in markets including US, UK, Germany, France and Japan. Yet some remain sceptical about the viability and safety of hydrogen. Henri Winand examines the common concerns around hydrogen as a transport fuel

12 Driverless vehicles

Could driverless vehicles mean improved productivity for fleet drivers? Professor Kevin Curran of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, talks about the benefits driverless technology could have on traffic flow, the environment, and company productivity

The big news at the 2014 LA Auto Show was hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, with concept and production cars among the debutants. We review the event, which was spread over six halls at the Los Angeles Convention Center from 21-30 November

17 Test drive

Fiat has added another model to its ever-popular 500 brand – the 500X – a five-door compact crossover that stays true to its iconic Italian roots.

Angela Pisanu reports from Fiat’s proving ground in Balocco, Italy

12 14

17

10 GreenFleet Europe magazine

www.greenfleeteurope.com Volume 2.6 | GREENFLEET EUROPE MAGAZINE

6

NEWS

ALTERNATIVE FUELS

Toyota unveils hydrogenpowered car

AIR POLLUTION

Air pollution still impacts health in Europe

Toyota has unveiled the first massmarket hydrogen fuel cell car at the LA Auto Show, which will start selling in Japan next month and in the US and Europe in 2015. The four-door sedan, called the Mirai, which means future in Japanese, will emit only water vapour, but it’s not cheap at 6.7 million yen ($57,000). It’s designed for a niche market and Toyota is only expecting to sell 400 of them next year – although by the end of 2017, Toyota hopes to have sold 3,000 of them in the US and about 100 per year in Europe.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/qhqmn3h

ALTERNATIVE FUELS

UN report on biofuel use

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) says in a new report that biofuels now contribute to one per cent of energy use worldwide. ‘The State of the Biofuels Market: Regulatory, Trade and Development Perspectives’ is an updated look at the growth of the biofuels market, an area UNCTAD first reported on in 2006.

The report states: “While in 2006 the biofuel market was only starting to become truly international, by 2013 bioethanol and biodiesel have already become established commodities traded daily in all continents.”

UNCTAD calls for international strategies to prevent a technological gap between land-intensive first generation technologies and newer biofuels that require a lot of investment.

The report concludes: “Biofuels will continue to provide different types of opportunities to different countries.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/lwb536o

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The European Environment Agency’s annual air quality report has found that air pollution continues to have a serious impact on human health. Pollution is still the biggest environmental health risk, claiming 400,000 lives in Europe in 2011.

Using data from almost 400 cities across Europe, the report shows that a vast majority of urban dwellers are exposed to unsafe levels of pollutants as defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

EEA executive director Hans Bruyninckx said: “Air pollution is still high in Europe.

It leads to high costs: for our natural systems, our economy, the productivity of Europe’s workforce and most seriously, the general health of Europeans.”

Fine particulate matter poses the greatest

health risk among common air pollutants.

These small particles can penetrate deep into lungs, making it responsible for the vast majority if air-pollution caused premature deaths. Ground level ozone is another significant contributor to disease.

Meanwhile, the fastest growing pollutant identified in the EEA report is benzo(a) pyrene (BaP), emissions of which increased by over a fifth between 2003 and 2012 as woodstoves and biomass heating became more common in urban centres. In 2012 almost 90 per cent of urban dwellers were exposed to BaP above WHO safety levels.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/mw3mpnr

NOISE REDUCTION

DHL low-noise truck launched Logistics company DHL has launched a new truck which they claim is up to 50 per cent quieter than standard diesel vehicles, making it suited for use in towns and cities. The truck, which is powered by compressed natural gas (CNG), was launched at the Quiet Cities summit held in England which looked at noise reduction in urban freight delivery.

Noise reduction is achieved by including a spark ignition ‘Otto Cycle’ engine, and the use of CNG and Bio-Gas to power the vehicle means it has a low carbon footprint, producing 68 per cent Particulate Matter (PM) and 39 per cent less Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) than a standard Euro 6 diesel vehicle.

Safety features include a low entry, high visibility cab which lowers the line

DRIVING FLEET SUSTAINABILITY ACROSS THE CONTINENT | www.greenfleeteurope.com

and field of vision, glass panels on the near side door to extend driver sight, and a 360 degree camera with in-cab display and hard drive recording.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/n8wd4xm

NEWS

EMISSIONS TARGETS

European Court of Justice puts pressure on UK diesel emissions The European Court of Justice has ruled that the UK government must work to reduce pollution from diesel vehicles. This follows revelations that levels of nitrogen dioxide, which is mostly produced by diesel engines, are illegally high in British cities. As a result, ministers may be forced to order a retrofit of anti-pollution measures on buses and lorries, ban the use of diesel cars in cities, and install diesel cars with emission-recording technology.

Alan Andrews, ClientEarth lawyer, said: “This ruling is a big victory for the millions of people who want to live healthy lives in the UK’s towns and cities.

This will force the government to finally take this issue seriously and come up with an urgent plan to rid our towns and cities of cancer-causing diesel fumes.

A spokesperson for Defra, the UK political body responsible for environmental and rural affairs, said: “Air quality has improved significantly in recent years and average

roadside concentrations of NO2 levels have fallen 15 per cent since 2010. We have built on this by committing £2 billion since 2011 to increase the uptake of ultra-low emission vehicles, green transport initiatives and supporting local authorities to take action.

“The government is fully committed to ensuring compliance with EU air quality standards and we are revising our plans to reflect recent action so we can be compliant as soon as possible. This is a common challenge across Europe with 17 member states exceeding limits.

“This judgment confirms where limit values are exceeded, plans must be developed which ensure compliance in the shortest possible time - this has always been the government’s position.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/m9klwc6

POLLUTION

French government to discourage diesel use The French Government has said it will begin disincentivising diesel vehicles in 2015, as well as introducing a labelling system to help motorists choose models based on their environmental performance.

Speaking at the environmental conference in Paris, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said: “In France, the diesel engine has long been favoured. It was a mistake. The government will set up in 2015, a vehicle identification system based on their pollutants emissions.

This system will help communities develop policies promoting cleaner vehicles.”

Next year taxation will be reformed to remove the advantage for diesel compared to petrol, and Valls announced the incentives for plug-in vehicles would be maintained for five years, supported by additional charging points. An identification system marking out the most polluting vehicles will also be introduced next year.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/mw6ozck

INFRASTRUCTURE

TAX

Higher BIK rate needed, OECD says The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published new research suggesting that countries should tax company cars and diesels more heavily in order to bring down pollution rates and ease traffic congestion. Most OECD member countries only impose taxes on 50 per cent of the benefit to employees from company cars, and critics say that this makes contributes to a culture where employees use these vehicles more than is strictly necessary - in many countries, up to three times as much as people operating private cars.

The OECD study claims that under-taxing these vehicles creates an average annual subsidy of £1,260 per company car, ranging from £45 in Canada to £2,178 in Belgium.

UK drivers were found to receive an average subsidy of £880 each year. The total cost across 27 OECD countries plus South Africa is estimated at £21 billion in lost tax revenue.

Furthermore, under-taxing carries additional costs in terms of climate change, local air pollution, congestion and road accidents, estimated at £91 billion. This is made worse by the fact that 33 of 34 OECD countries tax diesel at lower rates than petrol, as diesel contains approximately 18 per cent more carbon for litre than petrol.

Simon Upton, OECD Environment Director, said: “The cost of driving a car today does not properly reflect the impact on the environment and to society. Taxing diesel fuel and company cars correctly would help to fix this.

“Governments should stop offering financial incentives to drive cars and to run them on fuels with a heavy environmental footprint.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/nynbrb6

BMW develops street lights with EV charging BMW has developed street lights equipped with sockets to charge electric cars and will be testing them in Munich next year using existing local authority lighting networks.

The German car company has two prototype street lights which combine efficient Light Emitting Diodes (LED) with the company’s ChargeNow recharging stations for electric cars.

Two street lights are already installed in front of the BMW headquarters.

Drivers will be able to pay to charge their cars via a mobile phone app.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/ksdk7u4

Volume 2.6 | GREENFLEET EUROPE MAGAZINE

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NEWS

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

EV route planner launched in Belfast The new e.go Journey Planner tool has been launched in Belfast, which is said to be the world’s first e-car journey planning tool.

The tool is being piloted in Ireland and will enable users to receive suggested routes that consider electric-vehicle charging facilities, as well as information on the cost of the journey, CO2 emissions and savings.

The tool was launched by South West College and Action Renewables at the BATTERIE project closing conference held at Titanic Belfast. The BATTERIE European regional developmentfunded project aims to improve the co-operation between various transport services across Europe, and to promote the application of smart technologies and usage of alternative fuels.

ENERGY

Ford dealerships in the US to get wind and solar power Ford is installing wind and solar systems in some of its US dealerships to generate clean electricity which will be used to power the lights and electric vehicle charge points.

Teaming with Wind Energy Corporation, around $750,000 will be invested to install small wind turbines and 7-kilowatt solar panel systems at four dealerships; two in California, one in New York and one in Michigan. Each of these systems is expected to generate 20,000 kilowatthours of electricity annually and will also offset the equivalent of 14 tonnes of

greenhouse gases per year. Installations of the systems are set to begin in early 2015 and be completed by the spring.

In the US, Ford sells the C-Max Energi and Fusion Energi plug-in hybrids alongside the fully battery-powered Focus Electric.

The carmaker has plans to expand its range in Europe to five electrified models (including non-plug-in hybrids) in 2015.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/pjjeolc

READ MORE www.batterie.eu.com

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Renault and La Poste partner to explore EV advances CLIMATE CHANGE

La Poste has signed a new agreement with Renault to explore the development of the next-generation of electric vehicles.

France’s mail service already uses nearly 25,000 electric vehicles including small commercial vehicles, quadricycles, threewheelers and electrically assisted bicycles.

It is one of Renault’s biggest clients, with 5,000 Renault Kangoo ZEs. The two companies will work together to explore how electric mobility can be improved to meet the needs of large fleet customers. La Poste will help Renault in four key areas of research; EV range, developing cleaner transport solutions, connectivity and different size EVs. READ MORE tinyurl.com/nspt9d7

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Climate deal struck between China and US The US and China have negotiated a behindthe-scenes climate deal which will see the Asian superpower agree to curb its greenhouse gas emissions for the first time, as well as a commitment from America to bring emissions 26-28 per cent below 2005 levels by 2025.

This comes ahead of next winter’s United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris.

With an EU commitment to a 40 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030 already in place, commentators have said that there is greater optimism about environmental targets being met. UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has said that the US-China deal “makes it more likely we shall have a meaningful global agreement by the end of 2015.”

President Obama commented: “As the world’s largest economies and greatest

DRIVING FLEET SUSTAINABILITY ACROSS THE CONTINENT | www.greenfleeteurope.com

emitters of greenhouse gases we have special responsibility to lead the global effort against climate change,” he said.

“I am proud we can announce a historic agreement. I commend President Xi, his team and the Chinese government for the commitment they are making to slow, peak and then reverse China’s carbon emissions.”

President Xi said: “We agreed to make sure international climate change negotiations will reach agreement as scheduled at the Paris conference in 2015 and agreed to deepen practical cooperation on clean energy, environmental protection and other areas.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/k36wg6j

NEWS

TAX

MARKETS

EU could scrap natural gas tax proposal

Renault-Nissan Alliance have 58 per cent EV market share

EU member states have disagreed on a proposed Energy Taxation Directive whereby all engine fuels would be subject to a flat tax starting from 2018, meaning that plans to tax natural gas more heavily are likely to be scrapped. The new rules would have seen natural gas taxed at the same rate per tonne of CO2 emitted as other fuels, even though it has a lower emissions profile.

The Natural and bio Gas Vehicle Association (NGVA) has said it would welcome the withdrawal of higher taxes: “Natural gas and bio-methane would have been extremely heavily punished as the cleanest fuels. Europe needs a smarter way to promote more sustainable mobility.”

tinyurl.com/k98udca

The Renault-Nissan Alliance has passed the 200,000th electric vehicles sold mark and currently has a leading 58 per cent market share for zero-emission cars worldwide.

Of those EVs, Japan-based Nissan has sold a cumulative 148,700 units worldwide since December 2010, when Nissan LEAF went on sale. The top markets for Nissan LEAF are the United States with about 67,000 sales since its launch; Japan with about 46,500 units; and Europe with about 31,000 units.

France-based Renault has sold a cumulative 51,500 electric vehicles worldwide since its first model the Kangoo Z.E. went on sale in October 2011.

FUEL CELLS

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Breakthrough for fuel cell public buses

Lobby urges for tax emphasis to be placed on pollution, not labour

READ MORE

Five major bus manufacturers have signed a Letter of Understanding on the commercial development of fuel cell hybrid buses. Motoring industry commentators have suggested this means that it is now the duty of manufacturers to offer high quality, affordable products, as the appetite for hydrogen fuelled buses is strong throughout Europe.

The buses – Evobus, MAN, Solaris, Van Hool and VDL – signed the letter at the seventh Stakeholder Forum of the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking.

Hamburg’s mayor Olaf Scholz said that his city is now ready to support a number of fuel cell applications, and that there are plans to extend the use of fuel cell vehicles as they offer more flexibility than battery-powered electric vehicles.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/pz46wuj

The new pressure group Green Budget Europe has said that governments should revise fundamental taxation principles so that pollution and resource consumption are taxed rather than labour. The organisation, which comprises Brusselsbased lobbying group T&E as well as academics, politicians, businessmen and NGOs, claims that this shift in focus would benefit global economies.

The organisation aims to spread awareness of how fiscal instruments can be used to

Renault’s top markets in Europe—its main electric vehicle market—are France, Germany and the United Kingdom. In October, Renault regained the number one EV position in Europe with a market share of 31%. ZOE was the most popular vehicle with a 23% market share.

The Alliance sold its 200,000th EV in early November, about four years after the launch of the Nissan LEAF, the world’s first mass-market electric vehicle. Nissan LEAF remains the best-selling electric vehicle.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/lw8dz82

meet environmental targets. Cities like Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Freiburg, Malmö and Milan show there are solutions that have been tested which other cities could easily adopt, such as less favourable treatment of company cars and congestion charging in areas where there are less harmful alternatives to polluting transport.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/nrq9qrs

READ MORE tinyurl.com/nu4bl67

Low emissions zones for Paris on the cards

The city of Paris is considering introducing low emission zones to address its traffic issues.

Setting out the city’s strategy, Deputy mayor Christophe Nadjovski said: “At the beginning of next year we will put

forward a two-axis plan to provide clean air on a daily basis. The first axis will consist of reducing overall traffic levels by developing alternatives to the private car. The second axis aims to improve the quality of vehicles driving in the capital.”

Volume 2.6 | GREENFLEET EUROPE MAGAZINE

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ALTERNATIVE FUELS Written by Henri Winand, CEO of Intelligent Energy

Assessing the viability of hydrogen 2014 has been a year of rapid growth for the hydrogen market with fuel cell electric vehicles firmly on the agenda in markets including US, UK, Germany, France and Japan.

Yet some remain sceptical about the viability and safety of hydrogen. Henri Winand examines the common concerns around hydrogen as a transport fuel This year has significant growth for the fuel cell market, particularly in countries such as the US, UK, Germany, France and Japan. Public-private investment initiatives, government funding for infrastructure and consumer subsidies, falling production costs and, perhaps most notably, a commitment to future OEM launches of production fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) all indicate a clear road to adoption.

Despite recent developments, however, a number of myths around the use, power efficiency and cost of fuel cells still exist.

With leading OEMs such as Toyota, Honda and Hyundai all recently announcing their intentions to make their FCEVs available to the consumer market, it would be foolish to assume the OEMs have not done their homework. They are showing huge commitment to a hydrogen fuelled future.

In August 2014, Hyundai’s ix35 fuel cell model was driven a record distance for a hydrogen-powered production car on a single tank, covering 435 miles across three Scandinavian countries.

Toyota recently unveiled the production version of its fuel cell electric vehicle at the Los Angeles auto show, the ‘Mirai’ which means ‘future’ in Japanese. It can travel 300 miles (483 km) on a tank of hydrogen gas and refuel in five minutes.

It will be available in the UK and US next year.

Air Liquide has confirmed plans to build a network of hydrogen filling stations in the US in collaboration with Toyota Motor Sales USA. Honda also publicised its latest hydrogen‑powered car, the FCEV Concept, which promises a 135bhp and a 435 mile range. FCEVs represent opportunity to offer motoring consumers a zero tailpipe emissions yet practical solution. It’s time to debunk a number of myths.

The energy efficiency of hydrogen While hydrogen is the most abundant element in the Universe, here on earth, it typically needs to be extracted from water or organic compounds. This is not particularly different from the diesel and gasoline used in combustion engines which are produced from refining and cleaning crude oil (a process which actually heavily involves the use of hydrogen). While hydrogen is currently extracted from natural gas and is already a multi-billion dollar global industry used in a

11

wide range of industrial applications, it is also produced via renewable sources such as solar, wind or biogas without the need to use fossil fuels. This renewable production capacity is increasingly important to ensure the existing power grid can accept more renewable sources. Of course, this also has the merit of producing so-called “green hydrogen”.

Moreover, fuel cell vehicles have zero CO2 and particulate tailpipe emissions.

According to a report by the Californian Fuel Cell Partnership, cars running on hydrogen derived from natural gas emit 55 to 65 per cent less carbon than gasoline-powered ones, because of their higher efficiencies. Because fuel cells are much more efficient than internal combustion engines (ICEs), whether produced from natural gas or renewable energy, on a so called ‘well-to-wheel’ basis, hydrogen used in FCEVs is notably more efficient than natural gas burnt in ICEs. It also goes without saying FCEVs don’t spew carcinogens or smog-forming particulates and compounds which negatively affect air quality and consequently public health in cities.

The safety of hydrogen storage Arguably one of the most common concerns raised when discussing the use of hydrogen is that, as a flammable gas, it can be easily ignited and as such far too hazardous to be stored either in refuelling stations or within a pressure tank. Yet, hydrogen is no more dangerous than other flammable fuels or the batteries used in electric cars. In fact, vehicles with pressure gas storage tanks are nothing E F new. With millions of on-the-road miles driven over the last few years, an existing global multi-billion industry transporting and making hydrogen for many decades, the automotive industry seems to be more than sufficiently convinced that hydrogen can be stored safely, with Toyota very recently having received approval from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to self-inspect and manufacture hydrogen tanks for FCEVs. To reinforce the safety aspect of using hydrogen storage tanks, Toyota reported that it had even fired bullets at its carbonfibre fuel tanks, which failed to do any more than bounce off or leave small dents. In fact, hydrogen has a rapid diffusivity (3.8 times faster than natural gas), which means when released, it dilutes quickly into a non-

DRIVING FLEET SUSTAINABILITY ACROSS THE CONTINENT | www.greenfleeteurope.com

Photograph copyright Daimler

flammable concentration. Considering this, one might even consider it a safer alternative to the gasoline we use today, which when spilt creates an easily ignitable hazard for an extended period and, unlike hydrogen which has a low emissivity (you can put your hand next to a hydrogen flame without being burnt), when ignited sets secondary fires as the heat generated by gasoline is high.

Cost of infrastructure & vehicles The cost of building fuel cell vehicles has dropped dramatically of late. Recent advances in fuel cell manufacturing and catalyst performance have led to a dramatic decrease in the cost of fuel cell production.

In a recent interview with digital publication Quartz, Gil Castillo, senior group manager of advanced vehicles for Hyundai in California, said costs have dropped 70 per cent since

ALTERNATIVE FUELS

up to 15 hydrogen refuelling stations by the end of 2015, and will include £2 million of funding for public sector hydrogen vehicles.

Infrastructure investments are not unique to the US. According to ITS-Davis researchers, regional investment of US$100-$200 million to support 100 stations for about 50,000 FCEVs would be enough to make hydrogen cost-competitive with gasoline on a cost‑per-mile basis. This level of investment is already poised to happen in at least three places: California, Germany and Japan.

Refuelling procedures There’s no need for consumers to change their typical refuelling behaviour to fill up their FCEV with hydrogen – a similar ‘nozzle‑to‑car’ method is employed and standards already exist which is somewhat different to other alternative fuel vehicles. The FCEVS manufactured by Toyota, Hyundai and Honda already allow an ‘at-pump’ refuel that will take just a few minutes to fill, compared to the extended periods (including overnight) required to recharge battery-only vehicles.

Most importantly, drivers aren’t required refill again for several hundred miles. Hydrogen fuel cell technology is already being trialled with buses in a number of cities including London and can also be scaled to meet the demands of long-haul trucks and other big vehicles.

“With leading OEMs such as Toyota, Honda and Hyundai all recently announcing their intentions to make their FCEVs available to the consumer market, it would be foolish to assume the OEMs have not done their homework” the company began working on fuel cells in the late 1990s. So much so, Hyundai has announced it is leasing its hydrogen SUV for $499 a month, with fuel thrown in for free.

Manufacturers are working tirelessly to bring down the cost of FCEVs even further; this will decrease as they scale production for mass market. This isn’t a matter of developing new, bleeding edge technologies, there is nothing new to invent here, just volume manufacturing and product engineering like any other products. In fact, Toyota recently mentioned that it has been able to streamline its FCEV manufacturing process, by gaining Japanese government approval to build and inspect hydrogen tanks, which is expected to help reduce the enabling costs of installing fuel cells into electric vehicles.

Once you consider this alongside government funding initiatives and subsidies

from California to Japan, and across Europe, the case for inexpensive fuel cells and the requisite infrastructure becomes even stronger. On 1 May 2014, the California Energy Commission announced that it will invest $46.6 million to accelerate the development of publicly accessible hydrogen refueling stations in California in order to promote a consumer market for zeroemission fuel cell vehicles. Furthermore, the Obama administration has launched the USA’s hydrogen strategy nationwide through the launch H2USA – a new public-private partnership focused on advancing hydrogen infrastructure to support more transportation energy options for U.S. consumers, including fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

Likewise, on 9 October 2014, the UK Government announced £11 million in investment to establish an initial network of

What about long journeys?

FCEVs offer zero tailpipe emission motoring without compromising on performance and range. The capacity to carry more energy onboard FCEVs compared to battery powered cars means fuel cell vehicles have the superior range. Performance has also improved over time. An FCEV with an on‑board hydrogen gas tank can now achieve a range competitive with conventional and hybrid vehicles. When put to the test in the real-world on California roads, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researchers demonstrated that a fuel cell-powered Toyota Highlander SUV can travel over 400 miles and achieve a fuel economy of 69 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe).

In fact, the hydrogen cars entering the market today have triple the range of most battery electric cars and can be refuelled in several minutes (rather than recharged in hours).

What’s more, this is only the beginning.

With the advancement of fuel cell technology, it’s clear to see that the case for adoption of FCEVs will continue to grow. This will also be driven by ever tightening global policies on carbon emissions. Industry partners from OEMs, to governments and fuel cell technology providers need to continue to work together to seize this opportunity and deliver a highly scalable and viable tailpipe, emissionsfree energy alternative for the mass market.

We’re excited about the opportunity that fuel cell technology offers to the automotive industry, and we look forward to welcoming further market advancements and examples of real‑world commercial use that will come to market in the next 12 to 18 months.  FURTHER INFORMATION www.intelligent-energy.com

Volume 2.6 | GREENFLEET EUROPE MAGAZINE

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AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES Written by Written by Dr Kevin Curren, senior member of IEEE, University of Ulster

Driving without a driver Could driverless vehicles mean improved productivity for fleet drivers? Professor Kevin Curran of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, talks about the benefits driverless technology could have on traffic flow, the environment, and company productivity

Photograph courtesy of Volvo

13

Driverless vehicles are now more of a reality than ever before. In 2006, the robotic Volkswagen Touareg ‘Stanley’ managed to complete the DARPA Grand Challenge, a prize competition for American autonomous vehicles funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and this kick-started the growth of driverless technology. BMW tested a driverless car that could go around a race track on its own at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The brand currently has vehicles being tested in the German Autobahn that are totally self-sufficient.

Now, a majority of automotive manufacturers have working driverless vehicles.

Legislation can be a major barrier to the widespread adoption of driverless technology of course. Although it’s likely that rules dictating the level of control a car can take will become more lenient as the technology

evolves. Sceptics have expressed concern that the margin for computer failure is too high to take any big steps, but this is something that will surely be fine-tuned and improved as the technology is perfected.

There is in fact already evidence that governments around the world are beginning to warm up to the idea of driverless vehicles.

They have slowly begun to allow the use of them on public roads.

The British government recently announced they will be permitted on public roads from January 2015. Government ministers have also ordered a review of UK road

regulations to provide suitable guidelines for driverless vehicles. In the US, California, Nevada and Florida have allowed the testing of the vehicles. Google’s driverless car has done more than 300,000 miles on the open road in California.

Nissan carried out its first public road test on a Japanese highway in 2013. And in Europe, Sweden gave Volvo permission to test 100 driverless vehicles – though the actual trial hasn’t been scheduled to happen until 2017.

With things moving on apace in both the technology and the rules and regulations that permit – or otherwise – its

There y is alreadthat e evidencments govern world are the aroundning to warm begin the idea of up to erless driv vehicles

DRIVING FLEET SUSTAINABILITY ACROSS THE CONTINENT | www.greenfleeteurope.com

Sensitive navigation Modern cities are growing fast and becoming more congested. It is clear that soon we will have to reorganise the urban space and public/private transportation systems. Robotics and automation have the potential for delivering solutions that can promote mobility, safety, traffic reduction and less environmental impact.

traffic. Currently, one of the leading innovations in the sector, the Lidar system, measures how lasers bounce off reflective surfaces to acquire information about millions of small sections surrounding the car every second. Google and Nokia are already using it to create online maps.

Efficiency gains In practical terms, distributing computing could become more efficient than having pre-programmed rules in every single venue or device. In order to make this happen, we

It is clear that soon we will have to reorganise the urban space and public/ private transportation systems. Robotics and automation have the potential for delivering solutions that can promote mobility, safety, traffic reduction and less environmental impact.

First, we can start by looking at our current navigation systems and how these could be improved to divert traffic to vicinity areas.

Guidance systems have to become generally more sensitive to traffic flow and suggest alternative paths to drivers in order to become more efficient. We could imagine a future where a ‘cloud’ system will know where drivers are, and what volumes of traffic exist in a particular area. Such a central system would also be able to control traffic lights and road signs according to

need infrastructures and standard protocols that will allow vehicles, devices and people to communicate with a central processing system. Currently, traffic hours mean financial losses, frustration, delays, missed opportunities and sometimes danger. The new landscape of transportation systems points to flexible routes mapped by computational algorithms that can considerably improve mobility.

The creation of technological prototypes and infrastructures is important in this pre-

autonomous vehicles era. It is likely that we will progressively use such intelligent transport networks for preparing the logic and rationale behind the first autonomous vehicles.

Benefits for fleets For fleet drivers, the benefits of driverless car technology could be significant. Driverless cars could mean increased safety. If drivers no longer drive vehicles, this could remove the possibility of accident-causing variables, making cars safer. This, in turn, could save employers money from accident related expenses. The technology could also mean greater fuel efficiency. With the reduced crash risk, car manufacturers could make the vehicles themselves lighter, as fewer crash safety components would be needed. This could mean that driverless cars could be more fuel efficient, as the vehicle would be able to go a lot further on a battery or tank of fuel.

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

use, what will future system managements and grids look like for roads in the UK?

Improved productivity And finally, driverless vehicles could mean improved productivity for fleet drivers.

Rather than spending time driving on their commute, employees could use that time for conference calls, responding to emails or drafting proposals, without the fear of accident or injury. As the technology is refined and becomes more reliable, the driver will have to spend less time navigating the vehicles and more time on important tasks.  FURTHER INFORMATION www.ieee.org

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Volume 2.6 | GREENFLEET EUROPE MAGAZINE

14

LA AUTO SHOW Written by Richard Gooding

Audi A7 Sportback h-tron

The alternative motor show The big news at the 2014 LA Auto Show was hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, with concept and production cars among the debutants Spread over six halls at the Los Angeles Convention Center from 21-30 November, the motor industry was recently focused on the LA Auto Show. Here’s what caught GreenFleet Europe’s eye HYDROGEN-POWERED VEHICLES Audi A7 Sportback h-tron The Audi A7 Sportback h-tron was just one of a handful of hydrogen models in LA. The German company’s first hydrogen-powered production vehicle, the A7 Sportback h-tron takes the five-door A7 ‘coupé’ body and mates it to a fuel cell-powered electric drive, in combination with a hybrid battery and an additional rear-mounted electric motor.

The headline figures make for interesting reading. The Audi A7 Sportback h-tron covers 500kms on one tank of fuel, and emits nothing more than a few drops of water. 170kW (227bhp) of power is available, while hydrogen consumption is said to be the equivalent of 3.7 litres per 100km on the combined cycle.

15

The exhaust system is made of weight‑saving plastic, while the fuel cell is made from 300 individual cells which form a stack. Hydrogen is broken down into protons and electrons.

The protons migrate through a polymer membrane to a cathode, where they react with oxygen to form water vapour. Outside the stack, the electrons supply the electrical power.

The A7 Sportback h-tron is also a plug-in hybrid. An 8.8kWh lithium‑ion battery can be recharged from the power socket by a lead. It stores energy recovered from braking as well as supplying power for times of full-load boosting. On battery power alone, the A7 Sportback h-tron covers 48kms and a full recharge takes between two (industrial power socket/360V) and four hours (domestic power socket at 230V).

Two 85kW, 270Nm (191lb ft) electric motors drive all four wheels, enabling the h-tron to live up to Audi’s fabled ‘quattro’ name. Power electronics in the front and rear convert the direct current from the fuel cell and battery into alternating current for the electric motors to drive the front and rear axles separately.

DRIVING FLEET SUSTAINABILITY ACROSS THE CONTINENT | www.greenfleeteurope.com

With 540Nm (398lb ft) of torque, the h-tron dispatches the 0-100km/h benchmark in 7.9 seconds, marking the arrival of the performance fuel cell car. Audi says that it is in a position to launch the production version of the h-tron as soon as ‘the market and infrastructure’ are ready.

Honda FCV Concept Japanese company Honda revealed a new fuel cell concept in LA, with the announcement of the FCV at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

An all-new production model based on the concept is scheduled to go on sale in Japan at the end of March 2016 with the US and Europe following thereafter. A successor to the production FCX Clarity, Honda states that the FCV Concept will be the world’s first fuel cell car with the entire powertrain, including the downsized fuel-cell stack, installed under the bonnet of car with a traditional packaging layout. The hydrogen is stored in a 70MPa high-pressure storage tank that provides a cruising range of more than 700km (434 miles).

Toyota Mirai The Toyota Mirai is the production version of the FCV concept car. Meaning ‘future’ in

of the Mirai’s electricity generation has been improved by using 3D fine mesh flow channels which ensure uniform generation on the cell surfaces.

A compact, high‑efficiency, high‑capacity converter has been developed to boost the power generated in the Mirai’s TFCS to 650 volts. The increase in voltage has made it possible to reduce the size of the electric motor and the number of fuel cells, giving higher performance with reduced costs.

The hydrogen fuel tanks meanwhile have a three‑layer structure made of carbonfibre‑reinforced plastic and store hydrogen at 70MPa/700bar.

The Mirai will be launched in Japan during December 2014, with first deliveries in the UK and selected European markets in September 2015.

Fiat 500 X

LA AUTO SHOW

tion gen Volkswa rtWagen HyMo o p S lf o G

CONVENTIONALLYENGINED CARS Fiat 500X Fresh from its European launch, the Fiat 500X crossover had a starring role on the Italian company’s stand. Taking styling cues from the Fiat 500 city car, the 500X offers more space and go‑anywhere capability with its four‑wheel drive system. Power is provided by a 2.4-litre 134kW ‘Tigershark’ Multiair engine, while Fiat says that the car has ‘Euro‑tuned’ suspension and a nine‑speed transmission. A dynamic control selector lets the driver choose between ’Auto’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Traction Plus’ modes.

E See page 17 for Fiat 500X first drive

en Hydrog cars l fuel-cel news ig were b ngeles in Los Acept and n with co uction prod ng the o cars am stars show

Japanese, the Mirai is a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. It uses hydrogen to generate electric power, which, Toyota says, delivers better environmental performance. The Mirai uses the Toyota Fuel Cell System (TFCS), which marries fuel cell and hybrid technologies. It includes Toyota’s new, proprietary fuel cell stack and high-pressure hydrogen tanks. The TFCS is reportedly more energy efficient than internal combustion engines and emits no CO2 or pollutants. Maximum power output is 114kW (153bhp), while the efficiency

Volkswagen Golf and Passat HyMotion With its feet already firmly in the electric and PHEV markets, Volkswagen announced its intention to enter the hydrogen-powered vehicle segment in Los Angeles. Revealing the Golf SportWagen (Estate) and Passat HyMotion models, it stated that the latter is undergoing field trial tests in California. Like the Audi A6 Sportback h-tron, a fuel cell stack and carbonfibre hydrogen tanks are coupled with a plug-in lithium-ion battery and electric motor, adapted from the all-electric e-Golf model.

Total system power is 100kW (134bhp) with the Golf SportWagen HyMotion reaching 100km/h from rest in 10.0 seconds. In a similar fashion to other fuel cell models, the hydrogen is stored at a pressure of 700 bar (10,150psi) and the HyMotion models can be refuelled in around three minutes. Volkswagen quotes a driving range of 500km (310 miles).

Mazda CX-3 Mazda’s all-new crossover SUV is the fifth model in the company’s line-up of new‑generation vehicles to feature the company’s SKYACTIV technology along with KODO – Soul of Motion design. A choice of three engines will be available in Europe: two petrol SKYACTIV-G 2.0-litres and a new SKYACTIV-D 1.5-litre clean diesel.

Six-speed SKYACTIV-Drive automatic and SKYACTIV-MT manual transmissions will be offered in either in front-wheel drive or with Mazda’s new all-wheel drive system.

Mazda’s i-ACTIVSENSE advanced active and passive safety technologies are fitted to the CX-3 and include millimetre wave radar.

Mazda promises ‘remarkably low’ emissions for the CX-3 which will be launched in Japan in spring 2015, with other markets to follow.  FURTHER INFORMATION laautoshow.com

Mazda CX-3 Toyota Mirai Volume 2.6 | GREENFLEET EUROPE MAGAZINE

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The iconic Fiat 500 brand, which is best known as a city car with cute looks and pint-sized proportions, has grown in recent years to include the 500C and 500L models. And now the 500X has been added to the family, which is Fiat’s five-door compact crossover to rival the likes of the Nissan Juke and Mini Countryman. Purists will hopefully breath a sigh of relief as the 500X is recognisable as a Fiat 500, sharing the same distinctive looks as the 1957 Fiat 500, with its rounded lights and classic logo sat in the middle of its chrome‑plated ‘moustache’. From the side it is nicely rounded and close to the classic 500 shape, albeit longer to accommodate the extra doors. It captures the looks and spirit of the Fiat 500 better than the 500L, which was the brand’s first five-door model.

The 500X comes in two or four-wheel drive configurations and has two distinct styles: the

first version, available in Pop, Pop Star and Lounge trim levels, has smoother front and rear bumpers for a more stylish urban look, while the four-wheel drive versions come in Cross or Cross Plus, which are more rugged-looking to suit off-road pursuits.

The Cross/Cross Plus model also sits higher off the ground (697mm), to accommodate the revised suspension settings and tyres.

There are a range of diesel and petrol engines available. Fleets I imagine will opt for the 1.6 MultiJet II which has CO2 emissions of 109g/km. Unless they require the all‑wheel drive configuration, in which case the 2.0 MultiJet II would be the only available choice. This model does 5.5 litres per 100km and has 144g/km CO2.

Four-wheel fun Fleets I took the 2.0-litre t can op kW four‑wheel drive 500X 9 8 for a ride on the e h t for Jet II i t off‑road route in Fiat’s l u M e r t i l h ‑ c i 6 . h 1 odel w diesel m 109g/km emits d achieves n of CO2 al/100km 4.1

Written by Angela Pisanu

Fiat has added another model to its ever-popular 500 brand – the 500X – a five-door compact crossover that stays true to its iconic Italian roots. Angela Pisanu reports from Fiat’s proving ground in Balocco, Italy

FIRST DRIVE

The 500 crosses over

proving ground in Balocco. This involved a variety of steep hills, rocks, deep pools and other obstacles to test the four‑wheel drive capability to its limits. With the ‘traction’ function set on the ‘mood selector’, which speeds up the transmission of torque to the rear axle, the 500X gripped to hair-raising inclines and drops on slippery, muddy and rocky surfaces with confidence. It performed just as well as any SUV on the market.

The 2.0-litre all-wheel drive model is the first Fiat to have a nine-speed automatic gearbox, which allows for faster acceleration and more fluid gear-shifting. The gearbox’s wide opening, in terms of ratios, ensures that the engine is always working within the optimum speed range, maximising driving pleasure and efficiency.

I also drove the 1.4 Turbo MultiAir II petrol on the open roads surrounding Turin. It was a smooth ride, handled well despite the chaos of the city roads, and had light yet precise steering. The stop-start system kicked in and off without hesitation.

The ‘mood selector’ has three different modes to choose from – auto, sport, and all weather – depending on driving style required or road conditions. ‘Auto’ is for everyday driving, ‘sport’ gives a more powerful driving response, and ‘all weather’ maximises performance on slippery or uneven surfaces.

The cabin is decked out in high-quality materials, and is one of the nicest looking Fiat interiors I’ve seen. The boot has a 350‑litre luggage compartment which can be extended to accommodate different loads using the Fold&Tumble rear seats and the E Fiat 500X will take on the Mini Countryman and Nissan Juke in the compact crossover market

Volume 2.6 | GREENFLEET EUROPE MAGAZINE

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FIRST DRIVE

2.0-litre four-wheel drive Fiat 500X has 104kW, emits 144g/km of CO2 and can achieve 4.1l/100km

 fold‑flat front passenger seat. A removable load platform which is reversible and height adjustable is also available.

Keeping safe Safety-wise, the vehicles has a lane assist departure warning system and a lane change assistance system to get around blind spots.

It can be fitted with the new ParkView rear reversing camera and an assisted braking system. What’s more, it has six airbags, front headlights with the daytime running lights function and cornering fog lights, as well as electronic stability control.

The Fiat 500X has a touch screen infotainment system which can be integrated with your smartphone so you can use your usual apps. You can also get real-time news updates from Reuters and the latest traffic, safety camera and weather information from the TomTom Live service. The Uconnect Radio Nav 5” device offers TomTom 2.5D navigation, while the 6.5” Uconnect Radio Nav features satellite navigation with 3D maps, progressive route guidance and voice command for entering addresses.

The price list starts quite low, at €21,900 – but ends high with the top‑of‑the‑range 2.0‑litre MultiJet II 104kW with all‑wheel drive. But Fiat has a good quality product here, and the fashionable badge to match, which the Italian company hopes will justify the price.

The introduction of five-door Fiat 500s has opened up the brand to the fleet market, as it has more space and practicality. But for those that are not keen on the 500L, the 500X is an attractive car that retains its 500 quirkiness and iconic style. It is well built and finished on the inside with good quality materials.

The all-wheel drive adds to its practicality, should the driver need to go off-road. L

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Fiat 500X’s interior is instantly recogniable as a 500

High-quality fittings permeate through the 500X cabin

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