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BEST PRACTICE

ELIMINATING EMISSIONS Best practice advice for businesses transitioning to a zero-emission fleet PLUS: COP26 REVIEW | ELECTRIC VEHICLES | RETROFIT TECHNOLOGY | ROAD TESTS

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AWArDS 2021 EVENT PREVIEW

THE GREENFLEET AWARDS Who’s made the shortlist for the 2021 GREENFLEET Awards?

BEST PRACTICE

ELIMINATING EMISSIONS Best practice advice for businesses transitioning to a zero-emission fleet PLUS: COP26 REVIEW | ELECTRIC VEHICLES | RETROFIT TECHNOLOGY | ROAD TESTS

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ISSUe 136

GreenFleet

The time for action is now During Transport Day at COP26 in Glasgow, pledges were made by country leaders, fleets, investors and manufacturers for all new car and van sales to be zero emission by 2035 in leading markets, and 2040 globally.

Of course, the UK government has already committed to phasing out petrol and diesel cars by 2030, and used the climate conference to confirm its plans for all new heavy goods vehicles to be zero-emission by 2040. It will do this be phasing out new, non-zero emission heavy goods vehicles weighing 26 tonnes and under by 2035, with all new HGVs sold in the UK to be zero emission by 2040.

To make this viable, there are now calls to greatly speed up the establishment of a recharging network, as well as affordable, fit for purpose vehicles. There is disappointment, however, that other low carbon fuelled vehicles will not be available for sale post 2040. Those in the industry argue that these fuels can act as effective, interim solutions while the technology for zero emission HGVs matures.

Jon Hughes from the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association picks up the argument on page 68. Meanwhile, on page 16, Dominic Phinn from the EV100 initiative reflects on the pledges made at the climate conference and how they reinforce the work already underway by EV100 members.

This issue of GreenFleet also has a Best Practice Guide, with advice for businesses wanting to transition to a zero emission vehicle fleet, as well as a look at who is on the shortlist for the 2021 GreenFleet Awards, which take place on 1 December.

It’s great to see so many organisations, fleet suppliers and manufacturers making great strides in their work to decarbonise. Best of luck to those shortlisted.

Angela Pisanu, editor

P ONLINE P IN PRINT P MOBILE P FACE-TO-FACE If you would like to receive 6 issues of GreenFleet magazine for £150 a year, please contact Public Sector Information Limited, 226 High Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055

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Issue 136 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Charged & Ready.

The new eActros.

Contents

ISSUe 136

CONTENTS GreenFleet 07

13

News

37

New design for electric vehicle chargepoints unveiled at COP26; London Assembly calls for the expansion of car clubs; Seven more organisations make EV100 electric vehicle commitments

13

16

COP26 Review

As part of Transport Day at COP26 in Glasgow, country leaders, fleets, investors and manufacturers jointly set out their determination for all new car and van sales to be zero emission by 2040 globally, and by 2035 in leading markets

16

Electric Vehicles

COP26 signals the end of the road for the internal combustion engine – and businesses are crucial leaders. Dominic Phinn, senior policy manager of EV100, reflects on the pledges made at the climate conference and how they reinforce the work already underway by EV100 members committing to an electric fleet

EV BEST PRACTICE 20

22

24

EV Charging

Procurement

Effective procurement, expert fleet guidance, telematics, driver training, tyre choice and charging infrastructure are all part of an efficient, cost effective and safe green fleet strategy. Holly Brooks from CCS shares some guidance

29

Fleet Efficiency

With more than 4,850 members, the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) is well-established as the go-to accreditation scheme for fleet best practice. October saw the latest FORS Standard unveiled – Version 6.0. Here are the details

32

32

37

Road Test - First Drive: Citroën E-C4 Shine Plus Citroën’s first mainstream electric model brings a new take to the family hatchback sector. Richard Gooding finds a car with a distinctive, different and comfortable character

61

Road Test - First Drive: Volkswagen Golf GTE The Volkswagen Golf GTE is the performance hatchback with a conscience. More digital than ever before, Richard Gooding discovers a fleet-focused machine that now has more power and technology, along with a more efficient personality

COMMerCiAL GreenFleet

EV Best Practice

Charging infrastructure is equally as important as the vehicles themselves for an effective transition to electric.

So how can costly mistakes be avoided when installing chargepoints?

22

60

Guide

From the vehicles, to charging, to energy tariffs and staff training, there is a lot to consider when implementing zero or ultra-low emission vehicles into an organisation’s fleet.

The Energy Saving Trust shares some tips

Interview: Centrica

Steve Winter, head of fleet at Centrica – the parent company of British Gas, chats to GreenFleet about the company’s electric vehicle journey and what lessons have been learnt, as well as what best practice advice he can offer other organisations

GreenFleet magazine

GF Awards Preview

The shortlist for the 2021 GREENFLEET Awards has been unveiled, showcasing environmental excellence within the fleet and transport sector. Taking place on 1 December, the Awards return as a live event to the British Motor Museum in Warwick

65

News

UK confirms pledge for zero-emission HGVs by 2040; Waitrose to trial wireless charged e-Vans in London; and Citroën Ami Cargo Electric confirmed for UK sale in 2022

68

Biogas

As immediate action is required to avoid climate catastrophe, for HGVs, there is only one mass adoptable fuel and vehicle technology that delivers decarbonisation here and now, and that is biomethane, writes Jon Hughes from the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association

71

Retrofit

As London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone has now expanded, Zemo Partnership says that one way for operators of larger vehicles to meet the challenge is to adopt approved vehicle retrofit solutions for cutting polluting emissions

75

Interview: DHL

Sustainable transport needs to be considered as a long-term investment for your business and the planet, believes Richard Crook, director of fleet at DHL Express UK, who shares the company’s own work to decarbonise operations

76

E Cargo Bikes

E-Cargo bikes offer the opportunity to decarbonise your last mile delivery fleet, reduce running costs and leave your staff happier and healthier at the end of the day, writes the Energy Saving Trust

www.greenfleet.net Issue 136 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

5

Every company should have a few rule breakers.

Maybe even a fleet of them.

All-new Vauxhall Astra Plug-in HYBRID-e

Contact your Fleet Sales Manager for more details

Provisional fuel economy and CO2 results for the All-new Astra Plug-in HYBRID-e. Combined mpg (l/100km) 201.8 – 256.8 (1.4 – 1.1). CO2 emissions: 27 – 24g/km. Realistic “All-Electric Range” (AER): up to 35 miles. WLTP official “Equivalent All-Electric Range” (EAER) used for BiK calculations: up to 42 miles, resulting in a 7% BiK rate for 2021/22 tax year.

The range and electric consumption figures mentioned comply with the WLTP test procedure, on the basis of which new vehicles are type approved from 1 September 2018. EV range assumes that vehicle has been pre-conditioned prior to journey. They may vary depending on actual conditions of use and on different factors such as: vehicle load, accessories fitted (postregistration), speed, thermal comfort on board the vehicle, driving style and outside temperature. For general Vauxhall Fleet enquiries please call 0330 587 8222. All figures quoted correct at time of going to press (November 2021).

News

EV CHARGING

New design for electric vehicle chargepoints unveiled at COP26 The UK government has unveiled a new design for electric vehicle chargepoints, which it hopes could become as iconic as the Great British post box, London bus or black cab.

Showcased in the UK Pavilion at COP26 and designed together with the Royal College of Art (RCA) and PA Consulting, the concept prioritises inclusivity and ease of use, designed with consumers, local government, accessibility groups and industry.

The design concept will provide greater choice to industry and local government, as well as raise awareness and generate excitement around electric vehicles, as the UK builds one of the most convenient, affordable and reliable charging networks in the world. This builds on the UK’s goal to make sure everyone benefits from the

transition to zero emission transport. ZEVs are already cheaper to run in the UK than petrol or diesel cars and are expected to become cheaper to buy in the coming years.

Clive Grinyer, RCA’s head of MA Service Design said: “This design is a landmark in our journey to electric vehicles and zero carbon. We have listened to people around the country who asked to have a minimum impact on their streets, to ensure that it works well for disabled and all people and that we bring the UK’s design and engineering talent to create an iconic design that we can all be proud of.”

READ MORE https://tinyurl.com/y29sd5xk

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Renault Retail Group courtesy car fleet goes all-electric

Bristol’s Meals on Wheels to go electric

Renault Retail Group is switching all its courtesy cars to the Renault Zoe E-Techs.

The move sees 143 courtesy cars spread across its 15 official Renault and Dacia dealerships in England and Wales replaced with the all-electric supermini. The new EVs join 21 Zoe E-Tech that already exist on the 164-strong courtesy car fleet, which previously included petrol Renault Clio, Renault Captur and Dacia Sandero models.

Customers will be able to experience first-hand how an electric car such as the Zoe E-Tech can fit into their everyday routine and how easy it could be to transition from a conventional ICE vehicle to an EV. With each courtesy car travelling up to 5,000 miles a year, it will also help customers and Renault Retail Group to cut their carbon footprint and contribute to improving air quality in the local environment in which they work and live.

Ludovic Troyes, managing director of Renault Retail Group, said: “The 100 per cent electric

Bristol’s Meals on Wheels team will be replacing its older diesel vans with electric vehicles when delivering lunchtime meals and checking in on vulnerable residents.

The new vehicles will cover routes across Central Bristol and will join the Community Meals service fleet in the coming few weeks. Bristol City Council has said that as charging infrastructure improves, the number of electric vehicles delivering community meals will increase.

Helen Holland, cabinet member for adult social care and integrated care system, said: “We are delighted to welcome these new vehicles into our fleet to continue the service’s vital work of supporting vulnerable residents, safe in the knowledge they’re also doing their bit for the climate. Tackling the twin challenges of climate and ecological emergencies means everyone playing their part which is why services across the council are scrutinising every aspect of their work to find ways in which they can reduce their carbon footprint.

“For several years we have wanted to upgrade to electric vans but until relatively recently the technology had not been available to be confident in what was out there. We know that battery life is a key factor in switching to electric vehicles, but in the case of these vans, the battery also needs to power ovens to keep meals warm, and a refrigeration unit to keep cold and frozen foods fresh. I applaud the efforts of the Community Meals team and colleagues in Fleet Services for their work to identify the technology and negotiate the necessary deal to ensure these specialist efficient vehicles are also equipped with ovens powered by electricity for the first time.”

Renault Zoe has been prominent in the EV market for nearly 10 years, bringing zeroemissions motoring within the reach of everyone. By switching to electric courtesy cars, Renault Retail Group is giving all our customers the opportunity to experience the benefits of electric motoring, so they too can take advantage of affordable running costs whilst being kinder to the environment.”

Additionally, and to help attract more people to the advantages of electric vehicles, Renault Retail Group is now offering 48-hour test drives on the Zoe E-Tech, plus an array of finance packages that are designed to make switching to an EV as affordable as possible.

READ MORE https://tinyurl.com/pyej4br7

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Issue 136 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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News MOBILITY

London Assembly calls for the expansion of car clubs

The London Assembly has called on Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to work with Transport for London and the capital’s boroughs to collaborate on expanding the use of car clubs.

READ MORE https://tinyurl.com/4548nkju

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

EV CHARGING

EV company car schemes key recruitment tool

Twelve year electric vehicle strategy for Birmingham

Electric vehicle company car schemes are proving to be a key retention and recruitment tool as the job market heats up following the pandemic, FleetCheck is reporting.

With more than one million job vacancies in the economy, providing the right company car offering is becoming an especially attractive benefit, said Peter Golding, managing director at the fleet management software company.

He says: “Higher levels of taxation in recent years have seen petrol and diesel company cars become perceived as less of an advantage within an overall employment package but EVs have changed that perception completely in a very short space of time.

“We are hearing a lot of anecdotal evidence from across our customer base that, where EVs are being offered to employees, there is a definite increase in satisfaction. It’s partially a financial benefit because benefit-in-kind taxation is so low,

8

According to CoMoUK’s 2020 London Car Club Annual Report, each car club vehicle in London takes 23.5 vehicles off the road. London Assembly is strongly supportive of car clubs

and recognises the role they play in helping to improve air quality and reduce congestion.

Shaun Bailey AM, who proposed the motion, said: “Car clubs tackle congestion reduce demand for parking, and improve air quality, but we are not doing enough to encourage them. The Mayor and Transport for London need to look again at facilitating car clubs across the capital.

“Any review should consider expanding the number of car club parking spaces, rolling out rapid charging points, and ensuring new developments have access to the service. If we can make it easier and more accessible, then more people and businesses will be able to reduce their private car use and save money, easing pollution and congestion on London’s roads.”

but there is also a genuine momentum behind people wanting to adopt EVs. “Especially, there is a high degree of attractiveness to the employer bearing the financial risk of an EV. Fleet operators now know that whole life costs for EVs are comparable to petrol and diesel equivalents, but the monthly lease rates still look prohibitively high from a consumer point of view.

“As long as the driver’s personal profile makes them a suitable driver of an EV in terms of factors such as vehicle range and having access to off-street charging, there is a currently a very good argument to offer them an option within their budget from a human resources point of view.”

READ MORE https://tinyurl.com/y3dvxsc9

DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net

Three thousand electric vehicle charge-points will be rolled-out across Birmingham to contribute to meeting its net-zero target by 2030.

Complementing the current electric vehicle charging infrastructure of 394 charge-points, the 12-year strategy aims to tackle the barriers that may prevent people from converting to electric vehicles such as charge-point accessibility and expense of vehicle purchase.

Innovative technologies will also be implemented to support the 30 per cent of households which do not have off-street parking, where a private charging-points could be installed. In these locations, charge-points may be found embedded in kerbstones and lampposts.

Waseem Zaffar, cabinet member for transport and environment, said: “Transport accounts for one third of Birmingham’s CO2 emissions of which 95 per cent derives from road transport.

To reduce then eliminate transport emissions it is necessary to both reduce vehicle usage and ownership and shift the remaining vehicles to vehicles without emissions. So, I welcome this long-term strategy which has been modelled to future-proof the council’s transport and environmental needs.”

READ MORE https://tinyurl.com/knx66vvj

News

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Kia unveils roadmap to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 Kia Corporation has set out its vision to become a sustainable mobility solutions leader, announcing a commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, based on three key pillars – ‘Sustainable Mobility’, ‘Sustainable Planet’ and ‘Sustainable Energy’.

The pillars will guide Kia in its efforts to reduce carbon emissions in all operational facets, from supply, logistics, vehicle production and vehicle use through to disposal of waste.

By 2045, Kia plans to reduce 97% of the company’s 2019 level of carbon emissions. The company will attain carbon neutrality by implementing additional measures to fully offset its remaining carbon emissions.

Kia aims to fully electrify its vehicle line-up in Europe by 2035. From 2040, Kia’s line-up in key markets around the globe will also exclusively consist of electrified models, realising zero emissions during daily vehicle use. It is at this stage in the vehicle’s life where Kia will make huge strides in dramatically reducing the single largest culprit of carbon emissions.

Kia is also working with its suppliers to reduce carbon emissions from the parts supply stage. Kia aims to create a carbon emissions monitoring system for its partner companies by 2022 and will provide solutions to its suppliers based on the resulting data. A key element to this plan is the use of ‘green steel’, as the steel industry has traditionally been one of the biggest global carbon emitters.

Kia will also initiate a ‘Blue Carbon’ project to proactively make a tangible contribution to preserving the environment instead of just reducing emissions to achieve its carbon neutrality target. The project will focus on marine ecosystems which are one of the most efficient absorbers of carbon.

To boost the amount of blue carbon, Kia will restore and preserve Korea’s coastal wetlands in collaboration with external partners. As a part of the endeavor, Kia plans to discuss specific project opportunities with the Korea’s ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. Korea has one of the most extensive tidal mudflat environments in the world, making it advantageous for a n increase in the level of blue carbon.

In an effort to build a sustainable future, Kia will also work with ‘The Ocean Cleanup’, the non-profit organisation developing and scaling technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic.

The company also plans to implement plastic recycling processes during the vehicle disposal stage. Once established, the process will increase the reuse percentage of used batteries and plastic. Furthermore, Kia is planning to conduct pilot projects on second-life battery energy storage systems (SLBESS) with external partners from 2022.

READ MORE https://tinyurl.com/458yys46

Zemo Partnership’s Andy Eastlake

It’s a fair COP, now are you sitting comfortably?

Are you sitting comfortably after last week’s epochal COP summit in Glasgow? If so, then maybe our targets aren’t ambitious enough!

The UK Government affirmed its earlier proposal that all new heavy goods vehicles in the UK will be zero emission by 2040.

Combined with the 2030/5 phase-out of petrol and diesel cars and vans which was announced earlier, (and expected consultations on other categories too) means the end to sales in the UK of any road vehicles with harmful tailpipe emissions in the next two decades. A transformational period for the way we move around is truly upon us.

I’m aware that for many stakeholders, these targets represent a real challenge and certainly don’t feel ‘comfortable’. But the purpose of long-term targets – particularly in the context of this unprecedented global emergency – shouldn’t be comfortable but must test the limits of what’s practically possible and achievable.

Ambitious targets must feel uncomfortable now if we’re to drive innovation, keep up the pressure and momentum for change. Look, after all, at how we were able to innovate and roll-out Covid vaccines at an unprecedentedly rapid rate in response to the global pandemic emergency.

It’s right and proper to know what you’re doing tomorrow and to feel ‘comfortable’ about it, but if you’re clear today about what you’ll be doing in 15 years’ time then you probably aren’t trying hard enough!

When Zemo Partnership (as LowCVP) started working in 2002 we didn’t know what a ULEV was; no electric vehicles were available and hybrids were identified as the pathway to fuel cell vehicles, seen as the most practical zero emission solution. (See the ‘Powering Future Vehicles Strategy’, published that year - including a foreword from a very youthful-looking Tony Blair!)

Around that time, we set ten and twenty-year targets that, plainly, we didn’t know how we would meet. But we had commitments from government and the support of industry to collaborate and work to get us there.

In terms of COP26, there was disappointment in some areas, of course, that several targets and commitments were watered-down or weakened at the eleventh-hour. But in other areas like zero emission vehicles, COP will help to facilitate the tension needed to agree medium and long-term targets that are not ‘comfortable’ but do require accelerated innovation and heightened ambition. To create this tension, we need the activists outside COP’s Blue Zone with megaphones, just as we need industry involved and engaged, and pressured to find new ways make accelerated progress.

With the road transport targets now clearly in place, the real work begins now to establish the staging posts and actions needed to deliver on the ambition, to do everything we can today without stifling innovation and while being prepared to go as far and as fast as possible as we focus on what this is all about; cutting greenhouse emissions today, tomorrow and all the way to 2050.

Good COP? Bad COP? Find out what leading representatives of Zemo and our partners think at our on-line event on 23 November (Members only).

Visit: https://www.zemo.org.uk/news-events/events,zemo-webinargood-cop-bad-cop-what-does-cop26-mean-for-us_3921.htm

FURTHER INFORMATION www.zemo.org.uk

Issue 136 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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12 MONTHS FOR THE PRICE OF 10

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Company registration number 2414212.

News

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Seven more organisations make EV100 electric vehicle commitments

EV100, the Climate Group’s initiative to get companies committing to electric vehicles, has welcomed seven new members who are pledging to electrify their combined fleets of over 250,000 vehicles by 2030.

New joiners include companies M Group Services, Kier, SK Networks, Nichicon

Corporation, Gilead Sciences, Mack-Cali Realty Corporation and NRG Energy. Gilead Sciences is also joining RE100 by committing to 100% renewable electricity by 2025.

Further underlining their commitment to electric transport, in addition to electrifying their fleets, these new EV100 members will

install charging stations across 140 locations for staff and customers use.

Since its launch in 2017, EV100 has grown rapidly to drive the electric vehicle revolution. In 2021 alone, over 440,000 new vehicles have been committed and membership has increased by almost 25% to include 120 companies. Member companies employ over 5 million people, with total revenues topping $1.8 trillion.

Demonstrating growing global reach and industry diversity, new EV100 members this year include the first companies based in Brazil and South Korea, the first cement companies, the first hospitality business and the first US realty company.

READ MORE https://tinyurl.com/d7pm5dz4

AIR QUALITY

USED CAR MARKET

Bristol City Council secures £42m for Clean Air Zone

Demand for used electric vehicles and PHEVs surges in Q3

Bristol City Council has announced it has secured funding to establish a Clean Air Zone (CAZ), which will launch next summer.

This will enable Bristol to meet clean air targets in 2023 with £42 million of government funding available for greener transport initiatives, for example electric bike loans, free bus tickets, and upgrades to cleaner vehicles.

Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees said: “This is a real win for the city. We are introducing one of the most wide-ranging clean air zones in the UK which will see us not only reduce air pollution but also help people change how they travel, delivering a cleaner, greener and healthier city for years to come.

“We are tackling a climate emergency, but we also have people facing financial crisis. We can’t look at these two things in isolation. We have taken our time to find a way to clean up our air while not adding huge financial strain to people that live and work in our city.”

The council will be helping individuals and businesses switch

to cleaner ways of travelling. £5.9 million will be spent on helping people switch to public transport and make more journeys by walking or cycling with free bus tickets, free electric bike loans and cycle training.

A £2 million freight consolidation project will be set up to help businesses switch to greener ways of transporting goods and meet the council’s target of 95 per cent of all city centre deliveries made by zeroemission vehicles within 10 years. £2.1 million of funding has been allocated to help local bus and coach companies and £32 million will be spent on businesses to upgrade HGVs, LGVs, taxis and private hire vehicles. £1.8 million of loans and grants will be available to help people on low incomes, or those traveling to work/study in the zone, that need to upgrade their vehicles to meet the zone’s emission standards.

Demand for used battery electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles continued to grow in Q3, according to SMMT figures.

Transactions rose by 56.4 per cent and 43.3 per cent to 14,182 and 14,990 respectively. Indeed, the number of used BEVs that changed hands during the period was the highest recorded in any quarter. Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) transactions also increased by 20.3 per cent to 40,157.

Thanks to an ever-growing choice of new zero emission models coming on sale, for both new and used car buyers, the market share for all used plug-in vehicles increased to 1.4 per cent, up from 0.9% the previous year. Petrol and

diesel powertrains continued to dominate, however, comprising 96.4 per cent of all transactions equivalent to 1,959,955 units, although demand for both declined, by -6.9 per cent and -7.6 per cent respectively.

This strong plug-in performance comes despite the UK’s used car market falling -6.2 per cent in the third quarter of 2021. 2,034,342 vehicles changed hands, 134,257 less than in Q3 2020 when the re-opening of showrooms and easing of lockdown measures saw the market bounce back strongly.

READ MORE https://tinyurl.com/4su6t6n6

READ MORE https://tinyurl.com/2zu876bz

Issue 136 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

11

Advertisement Feature

Think carefully before ordering another petrol or diesel car Any company that has drivers still choosing petrol or diesel cars should now be questioning whether this is a good idea for both the driver and the business, believes Lee Brown, head of the Grosvenor Group’s multi-award winning 0Zone solution

More than 60 per cent of drivers would consider an electric vehicle as their next car, over 55 per cent of all new company cars delivered by Grosvenor Leasing and Interactive Fleet Management have plug-in technology, and the choice of electric cars entering the UK market is growing rapidly.

According to Lee Brown, head of the Grosvenor Group’s multi-award winning 0Zone solution, which has been supporting companies with the transition to ultra-low emission and electric vehicles for five years, we have reached that crucial tipping point where company drivers opting for traditional combustion engine vehicles are in the minority.

“Any company that has drivers still choosing petrol or diesel cars should now be questioning whether this is a good idea for both the driver and the business,” said Lee. “A vehicle delivered in 2022 will remain on a fleet for three to four years, and during that time we are going to see a very dramatic shift to electric vehicles, a rise in the number of clean air zones, a strengthening of the charging infrastructure, a growing social conscience towards the planet, and a rise in the cost of operating combustion engine vehicles.

“Our advice, therefore, is for companies to quickly move their company car policies and choice lists to ultra-low or zero emission cars, apart from exceptions where there is no suitable option to support a driver’s job role or if there are other inhibiting factors, such as drivers covering very high mileages who are unable to accommodate a home charger.

“To encourage this shift to electric, it’s important to create a car policy that offers drivers the best choice possible of battery (BEV) and plug in hybrid (PHEV) cars, while clearly presenting the facts to them. This is relatively straightforward in the higher

12

management grades, but the car policy should also make BEVs and PHEVs appealing in the lowest grades possible to increase uptake.

“It’s also important to be open and honest in the advice and support given to drivers. For example, the BIK position is presently very attractive for cars under 50gm/CO2 and the operating costs of running electric vehicles is low – all at a time when news headlines are about soaring fuel costs and how expensive it’s become to drive a petrol or diesel car.

“However, there is a risk we might see a rise in operating costs for electric vehicles because energy tariffs will increase, and I suspect that the Chancellor’s unwillingness to publish BIK Tax rates beyond 2025 is likely to be down to a degree of uncertainty, but also that he doesn’t want to show a future rise in BIK rates at this sensitive time of transitioning to EVs. “All of this needs to be presented to the drivers, however with the ban on the sale of petrol and diesel engine vehicles coming into play in 2030 it remains important to drive through the changes.”

Converting the company vehicles to ULEVs and EVs is, however, only part of many businesses’ overall travel emissions due to the rising number of grey fleet drivers.

According to the BVRLA, the total number of cars used for business use is circa 12.3 million, of which 10.5 million are grey fleet and 1.8 million company cars, with 32 per cent of drivers being offered a cash allowance instead of a company car if they wish to take it.

Grey fleet and cash allowance cars are older and the average fleet car is 29 per cent cleaner than its cash allowance counterpart.

“Cash uptake is growing,” continued Lee, “which makes it hard for companies to control the true emissions of their overall business travel.

DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net

“Nevertheless, within the Grosvenor Group we offer a market leading personal contract hire solution which supports a move to greener vehicles.

“In fact, our personal contract hire team is extremely busy supporting drivers who have moved out of their company car scheme and taken cash instead – and this shift to PCH is being driven, not by the employees themselves, but by HR directors, finance directors and fleet managers who are keen to capture that moment when the cash allowance is provided.

“This is because when drivers choose cash instead of a company car, employers end up handing over an amount of money every month and that money is clearly meant to be for the individual to fund a vehicle that enables them to continue to do their job.

“Yet it often ends up being used for other things leaving the employee with a vehicle that’s old, poorly maintained, higher emission or not fit for purpose. Whereas if, at the time the cash allowance is provided, a PCH solution is in place within the business these cash drivers can move from company car to PCH car, replicating the benefits of a company vehicle, with low deposits, maintenance cover, road tax and breakdown cover. This has widespread benefits for the company and the drive towards ULEVs and EVs, and for employees choosing an EV as their personal contract hire car, they can claim the same Approved Mileage Allowance rate of up to 45 pence per business mile (up to 10,000 miles p/a) but with significantly lower running costs than a petrol or diesel vehicle.” L FURTHER INFORMATION www.thegrosvenorgroup.co.uk

COP26 Review

Pledging for a greener transport future at COP26 During Transport Day at COP26 in Glasgow, country leaders, fleets, investors and manufacturers jointly set out their determination for all new car and van sales to be zero emission by 2035 in leading markets, and 2040 globally On Transport Day at COP26 in Glasgow, the UK government confirmed that all new heavy goods vehicles in the UK will be zero-emission by 2040. It will do this be phasing out new, non-zero emission heavy goods vehicles weighing 26 tonnes and under by 2035, with all new HGVs sold in the UK to be zero emission by 2040.

The UK is the first country in the world to commit to such a goal and has already committed to phasing out petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030.

Michelle Gardner, head of public policy at Logistics UK, comments: “The announcement of phase out dates for new, non-zero emission HGVs at the tailpipe, such as those run on diesel, will help provide logistics businesses and manufacturers with much-needed certainty on the industry’s path to decarbonisation.

But these dates will only be attainable if the government provides the right support: our members need to see a nationwide network of recharging and refuelling infrastructure put in place, effective and affordable vehicles made readily available for all, and fairer charging arrangements for the necessary power upgrades to commercial premises.

“Certain specialist HGVs, or the jobs they are used for, present additional challenges in the move to zero tailpipe emission vehicles, so derogations to allow technologies longer to develop are welcome. With this exception, only zero tailpipe emission HGVs can be sold beyond these dates; we are disappointed that low carbon fuelled vehicles will not be available for sale after 2040. These fuels can act as effective, interim solutions while the technology for zero tailpipe emission HGVs matures; many of our members are keen to utilise these low-carbon alternatives. Logistics UK is therefore urging the government to give confidence to operators looking to invest in low carbon fuels through tax incentives and a clear policy framework.”

Zero emission vehicles Olly Craughan, head of corporate social As part of Transport Day at COP26 in Glasgow, responsibility at DPDgroup UK Ltd said: “We a group of ministers and industry leaders totally support the withdrawal of the selling committed to working towards zero emission of new, non-zero emission HGVs in the UK by new car and van sales by 2040 or earlier.

2035, as we do the sale of new diesel/petrol Thirty-four countries, 41 cities, states and final mile fleet vehicles by 2030. We would urge regions, 28 fleets and 13 investors all jointly all parties involved in the supply of alternative set out their determination for all new green HGVs to press the fast forward car and van sales to be zero button on their development plans emission by 2040 globally and so businesses like ourselves 2035 in leading markets. can make the transition 30 coun The pledge was also as soon as possible. have ag tries taken by six major “DPD is one of the r e e d to work to vehicle manufacturers brands leading the way g e make ze ther to – GM, Ford, Mercedes, on the decarbonisation of ro emiss BYD, Volvo, JLR. fleets but bringing down io v ehicles t n Countries including the cost of green HGVs h e new normal El Salvador and and creating adequate b New Zealand made supply will be essential them ac y making cessible new commitments to the UK affordab & to zero emission hitting this le vehicles. They follow target.” proposals made by the EU, Chile, Canada and a number of US states this year to ensure all new cars are zero emission by 2035.

What’s more, a number of emerging markets and developing economies have committed to work to accelerate the adoption of zero emission vehicles in their markets, including India, Ghana, Kenya, Paraguay, Rwanda and Turkey.

As one of the new Glasgow Breakthroughs launched by the Prime Minister at the World Leaders Summit, 30 countries have agreed to work together to make zero emission vehicles the new normal by making them accessible, affordable, and sustainable in all regions by 2030 or sooner.

This goal is guiding the Zero Emission Vehicle Transition Council (ZEVTC), which met at COP26 to discuss how international collaboration can support a global transition. The council will launch its first annual action plan, which sets out areas for sustained international cooperation to accelerate the transition during 2022.

What’s more, it was announced that the US will join the UK as co-chair of the ZEVTC. Green initiatives Several initiatives were launched to help ensure a global and equitable transition E EV chargepoint design concept unveiled by the UK government

Issue 136 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

13

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The Co-op’s swing to electrification continues with almost 50 per cent vehicles on order being full electric and 30 per cent PHEV

Co-op is headquartered in Manchester and is one of the world’s largest consumer cooperatives with interests across food, funerals, insurance and legal services.

We operate 2,600 food stores, more than 800 funeral homes and provide products to in excess of 5,100 other stores, including those run by independent co-operative societies and through our wholesale business, Nisa Retail.

Co-operating for a fairer planet is deeply rooted within our vision, and earlier this year we unveiled our ten-point climate plan rooted

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in science and co-operation sharing the actions we’re taking to play our part the global emergency. Our principles guide everything we do and are at the heart of our group sustainability strategy including transport.

We operate a fleet of more than 2,900 vehicles, which is made up of 1,300 company cars and 1,600 specialist vehicles. We relaunched our Company Car policies in 2020 centred on ultra-low emission vehicles which has helped cut emissions, reducing the average company car CO2 by 47 per cent.

Internal team training has also been key, with Co-op’s Fleet Team confidently offering guidance to drivers about EVs and PHEVs to allay any worries they may have (especially around range anxiety and Home Charging).

As of summer 2021 over 50 per cent of the company car Fleet is electrified (Hybrid/PHEV/EV), with the dramatic swing to electrification continuing with almost 50 per cent vehicles on order being full electric and 30 per cent PHEV. Following a successful trial of five Electric Home Delivery vans, 40 more are due to be delivered in early 2022. Alongside the rollout of electric vans into the Food

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business, Co-op has partnered with DriveTech to deliver bespoke EV training for ‘electrified’ stores – this focuses on appropriate driving styles for electric vehicles and efficient charging routines.

In December 2020, we announced we would replace our fleet of Home delivery vans with pure EVs by 2025.

Our Funeralcare business also saw the delivery of the 40 first regenerative hybrid hearses and limousines last year, with further electrification investment planned as part of our Fleet Strategy with 40 electric operational vehicles on order. We’re working with supply chain partners to source more sustainable parts and conversion techniques for our specialist vehicles - for example using recycled plastics and reducing the weight of equipment through sustainable composite materials.

We have also started to trial car-club schemes to reduce our reliance on our own fleet – ensuring our colleagues remain agile whilst having access to operationally suitable vehicles. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.coop.co.uk

A number of emerging markets and developing economies have committed to work to accelerate the adoption of zero emission vehicles, including India, Ghana, Kenya, Paraguay, Rwanda and Turkey green shipping corridors – zero-emission shipping routes between two ports. This will involve deploying zero-emission vessel technologies and putting alternative fuel and charging infrastructure in place in ports to allow for zero emission shipping on key routes across the globe. This could in turn mean that taking a zero emission ferry could be part of our holidays, or that everyday household goods, including food and clothes, could soon arrive on zero emission ships.

Twenty-eight offshore wind industry stakeholders have committed to work together toward making zero emission operations and maintenance vessels a reality in the North Sea by 2025.

A new charge point design The UK government also unveiled a new design for electric vehicle chargepoints, which could become as iconic as the Great British post box, London bus or black cab.

COP26 Review

 to ZEVs and support the acceleration of transport decarbonisation. This includes the World Bank’s Global Facility to Decarbonise Transport – a multi-donor trust fund that will mobilise US$200 million over the next 10 years to support the decarbonisation of road transport in emerging markets and developing economies in the Global South. The UK announced a £4 million initial contribution to the fund, which will support these countries to accelerate the decarbonisation of transport and build greener and more resilient economies.

UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “From our roads to the skies, the transition to zero emission transport has reached a tipping point. We know that transport plays a key role saving the planet from warming above 1.5°C, which is why this is the COP that will kick start our ambition for zero emission aviation and why I’m proud to be uniting world leaders to tackle climate change – creating new opportunities for clean growth, green jobs and improved air quality right across the globe.”

Twenty-three states from across the world also committed to work together to achieve an ambitious new aviation decarbonisation target through the International Civil Aviation Organization, as part of a new International Aviation Climate Ambition Coalition.

Twenty-two governments have also stated their intent to support the establishment of

Showcased in the UK Pavilion at COP26 and designed together with the Royal College of Art and PA Consulting, the concept prioritises inclusivity and ease of use, designed with consumers, local government, accessibility groups and industry.

The design concept will provide greater choice to industry and local government, as well as raise awareness and generate excitement around electric vehicles, as we build one of the most convenient, affordable and reliable charging networks in the world. This builds on the goal to make sure everyone benefits from the transition to zero emission transport. ZEVs are already cheaper to run in the UK than petrol or diesel cars and are expected to become cheaper to buy in the coming years. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.gov.uk

Issue 136 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Electric Vehicles Written by Dominic Phinn, senior policy manager of EV100

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The growing momentum for clean transport COP26 signals the end of the road for the internal combustion engine – and businesses are crucial leaders. Dominic Phinn, senior policy manager of EV100, reflects on the pledges made at the climate conference and how they reinforce the work already underway by EV100 members committing to an electric fleet After two weeks of intense negotiations, the end of last week saw COP26 draw to a close. Time – and our continued efforts over the coming years – will show whether the results reached in the “Glasgow Climate Pact” were strong enough to achieve the UK presidency’s goal of ‘keeping 1.5C alive’ as the benchmark of global climate ambitions.

Clean transport and specifically electromobility, however, were areas that provide room for optimism, with clear signals that the rapid shift to electric vehicles is recognised as an essential part of reducing emissions as we continue into the Climate Decade.

November 10th was ‘Transport Day’ at COP26, where the UK government announced a landmark road transport declaration backed by over 100 organisations from some of the

The ambition doesn’t stop at light-duty vehicles, either. In a second Memorandum of Understanding championed by the Dutch government in partnership with Calstart, fifteen international governments, including the UK, Scotland and Wales, committed to 100 per cent zero emission truck and bus sales by 2040, with an interim goal of 30 per cent by 2030.

The growing momentum for zero emission transport These announcements are important not only for the unprecedented focus they put on clean transport and its essential role in curbing greenhouse gas emissions at a COP, but because they demonstrate the growing momentum for zero emission transport across all stakeholders.

Over the past year, the global RouteZero platform, co-led by the Climate Group and the High-level Champions for Climate Action in partnership with a dozen international partners, has brought together the voices of leaders around the world to show the rapid shift that is already under way.

world’s largest automotive manufacturers, national governments, cities, states, regions, business fleet owners and operators and investors. Signatories have committed to sell only 100 Businesses per cent zero emission Corpor a leading the way cars and vans sales t e commit Within the global transition, by 2035 in leading m e nts play a c fleets have a crucial role markets, and no later in creat rucial role to play. Worldwide, they than 2040 globally. make up around a quarter Taking all second ing a strong -hand m of vehicles on the roads, commitments but cause about two together, this for elec arket t thirds of road transport vision is now shared vehiclesric emissions. Companies across markets moving to electric vehicles representing 2 billion not only eliminate a significant people globally, and by part of their immediate carbon automakers representing footprint, their leadership also one in four cars sold worldwide.

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Transport Day has provided a muchneeded demonstration of global vision and leadership for clean transport. Now we need to follow up with equally ambitious implementation upfront costs are falling. Leaseplan’s 2021 Car Cost Index reveals that compact and midsize EVs are now fully cost competitive with petrol and diesel cars across most European countries, with the total cost of ownership already favouring EVs in most cases in the UK. Businesses seeking a competitive edge are future-proofing their fleets against regulatory risks by being an early mover in the EV space, but other benefits can be had, too. Companies can enjoy enhanced reputations and brand value by taking responsibility for their environmental impact, and even receive overwhelmingly positive feedback around the superior driving experience of EVs from their employees.

Company Case studies Facilities management and professional services company Mitie joined EV100 in 2019 and has recently further accelerated its target to switch its over 5,000 vehicles to electric already by 2025. In May this year Mitie already had over 1,000 electric vehicles on the road.

Centrica owns the third largest commercial vehicle fleet in the UK and has equally brought forward the commitment to electrify its 12,500-strong fleet of vehicles from 2030 to 2025. Earlier this year Centrica ordered 2,000 Vauxhall Vivaro-es, adding to the 1,000 already ordered in summer 2020.

Mitie joined EV100 in 2019

Electric Vehicles

emboldens governments to commit to and deliver on ambitious policies and targets.

The COP26 transport declaration reinforces an existing critical mass of support already demonstrated by EV100 members.

Launched in 2017, the international corporate leadership initiative EV100 brings together forward-looking companies who want to see a swift transition to electric vehicles. Member companies commit to transitioning their fleets to electric and installing charging infrastructure at their relevant premises by 2030.

On Transport Day, seven new members joined the group with collective commitments covering 250,000 vehicles, taking the overall count to 120 companies switching over 5.4 million vehicles to electric by 2030.

In addition to sending a strong demand signal to governments, commitments from business make a tangible impact on overall transport emissions. Based on data reported for EV100’s last Progress and Insights Report, commitments from members will translate into 75 million metric tons of saved CO2 emissions by 2030.

Corporate commitments also play a crucial role in creating a strong secondhand market for EVs. It is important to note that about two-thirds of new cars in Europe are initially bought by companies for their fleets – the vehicles bought by businesses today will form the basis for the second-hand market of tomorrow.

It’s crucial to keep building business demand for EVs, as companies have the purchasing power and influence to help move the market and policies towards clean solutions.

The business case for companies to make the switch keeps growing, as the choice of vehicles available continues to expand while

Tesco are deploying electric delivery vans on the roads in London as part of its commitment to have 100% electric fleet by 2028, and will be installing EV charging at nearly 600 stores. By May this year, it had already provided more than 500,000 free charges to customers, equivalent to more than 10 million miles of EV motoring.

What’s next Despite the encouraging progress, more action is needed to ensure that momentum continues to build. The UK has positioned itself at the forefront of the global transition to electric vehicles with a 2030 phase-out date for the sales of new petrol and diesel cars.

To implement this goal, it has recently announced the introduction of a Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate. As a crucial measure to drive year-on-year progress towards the phase out goal, it will provide clarity and confidence to businesses looking to invest in the EV sector, and help ensure that vehicle supply matches the rapidly growing demand.

Additionally, the UK also announced at COP26 that it would end the sale of all new diesel trucks between 2035 and 2040, ensuring that the clean transport transition continues across all vehicle categories.

While this clear ambition is highly welcome, more remains to be done to turn it into reality. Significant barriers remain, for example around the easy accessibility of charging infrastructure and the variety of vehicles available to fleet operators.

In 2019, the Climate Group in partnership with BT Group launched the UK Electric Fleets Coalition (UKEFC), with the goal of highlighting the barriers to mass EV uptake to government. The UKEFC made a series of recommendations that will allow businesses to invest in electric vehicles with greater confidence. Supported by over 30 of the UK’s most prominent brands, the coalition works with government to deliver a comprehensive, reliable and easy-to-access network of charging infrastructure across the country, and bridge the remaining price gaps in the up-front cost for vans and larger commercial electric vehicles.

Road transport accounts for over 17 per cent of global carbon emissions, and EVs must play a crucial role in cutting emissions throughout the rest of the Climate Decade, so that COP26 can be viewed as successful and global warming is limited to 1.5°C. Transport Day has provided a much-needed demonstration of global vision and leadership for clean transport. Now we need to follow up with equally ambitious implementation. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.theclimategroup.org/ev100

Issue 136 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Advertisement Feature

Creating innovative solutions for fleet decarbonisation Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions is already transforming fleets with absolute confidence to achieve decarbonisation targets.

Its rebrand next year will springboard the company into its next phase of growth

The motor industry is experiencing a seismic shift with fleets increasingly transitioning to electric and reaping the environmental and cost benefits.

The first 0% BiK rate, along with a greater choice of EV models with improved range as well as charging infrastructure improvements has produced unparalleled demand over the past year. Following the Autumn Budget and COP26, there is a clear commitment to the decarbonisation of transport in the UK and whilst Government can enable the road to zero through policy and investment, it is up to UK businesses to innovate and provide the solutions for a net zero future.

Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions is one of the UK’s largest vehicle leasing companies and is a recognised leader in the transition to electric for fleets and consumers alike. Crowned ‘Leasing Company of the Year’ the company has also recently announced that it is embarking on a major rebrand, accelerating its marketleading fleet decarbonisation solutions.

The rebrand to Novuna Vehicle Solutions, which will be fully implemented by March 2022, follows the merger of the business’s parent company with Mitsubishi UFJ Lease and Finance Company Limited earlier this year. This was a significant

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move for the business, making it part of one of the world’s largest and most diversified financial groups.

Jon Lawes, MD of Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions explained the thinking behind the rebrand: “Novuna comes from the Latin words Novo – New and Una – Together, which captures the essence of our business and how we work with fleets, creating innovative solutions together and supporting our customers through rapid change. Novuna perfectly captures the proposition of our business to be market-leaders in electric vehicles, working together with our customers to future-proof UK fleets.”

“As one of the UK’s largest vehicle leasing companies, working with OEMs right across the spectrum to supply and service fleets of all complexities, the Novuna brand provides our business with a clear point of differentiation in the motor industry. Our new brand name is readily aligned to our market leading decarbonisation strategy which is delivering cost and environmental benefits for our customers. We’re supporting our customers to future-proof their fleets by assessing their current fleet and workplace charging capability to deploy total fleet electrification solutions.” says Jon.

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From company cars and salary sacrifice through to specialist and modified vehicles, Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions are already transforming UK fleets with absolute confidence to achieve decarbonisation targets. The size and expertise of its new parent company following the rebrand will provide a springboard for the next phase of growth for the business, built on an ethos of consistently exceeding customer expectations. Novuna Vehicle Solutions will offer competitive funding, fleet management, consultative policy design, electric vehicle transition planning and installation of electric infrastructure to get green fleets on the road and fully charged.

Customers will have already seen the Novuna brand being introduced on marketing channels, ahead of the full rebrand in early 2022. The products and services currently offered will remain the same, alongside their account management teams. But in the longer term, this is far more than a change of name. “The rebrand marks the start of an exciting new era for our business and our customers,” says Jon. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.hitachicapitalvehiclesolutions.co.uk

Guide

Best practice advice to help businesses on their journey to zero-emission fleet operations

Brought to you by

GreenFleet DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS

20 EV Best Practice From the vehicles, to charging, to energy tariffs and staff training, there is a lot to consider when implementing zero or ultralow emission vehicles into an organisation’s fleet. The Energy Saving Trust shares some tips

22 EV Charging Charging infrastructure is equally as important as the vehicles themselves for an effective transition to electric.

So how can costly mistakes be avoided when installing chargepoints?

29 Fleet Efficiency With more than 4,850 members, the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) is well-established as the go-to accreditation scheme for fleet best practice. October saw the latest FORS Standard unveiled – Version 6.0. Here are the details

32 Interview: Centrica Steve Winter, head of fleet at Centrica – the parent company of British Gas, chats to GreenFleet about the company’s electric vehicle journey and what lessons have been learnt, as well as what best practice advice he can offer other organisations

24 Procurement Effective procurement, expert fleet guidance, telematics, driver training, tyre choice and charging infrastructure are all part of an efficient, cost effective and safe green fleet strategy. Holly Brooks from CCS shares some guidance

Best Practice Guide

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

EV food for thought From the vehicles, to charging, energy tariffs and staff training, there is a lot that should be considered when implementing zero or ultra-low emission vehicles into an organisation. The Energy Saving Trust shares some tips top-up charges throughout the day. For A common reason for under utilisation of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, remember electric vehicles within a fleet is a lack of to keep these charged daily to maximise charging infrastructure to support them. electric miles, minimise petrol consumption It sounds simple but ensuring charging and ensure your costs are kept low. infrastructure is in place at the point of The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) EVs being deployed into the fleet will is a voucher-based scheme that provides build staff confidence in the vehicles support towards the up-front costs of and reduce any underlying range the purchase and installation of anxiety they may have. electric vehicle charge-points, If you have multiple work for eligible businesses, sites and vehicles often Create charities and public travel back and forth, and im sector organisations. consider installing a clear plement travel p The grant cap is now charge points at olicy prioritis set at £350 per socket each site to allow in g the u of zero and it covers up to 40 s e sockets per company. emissio and ultra low n vehic The minimum technical specification for the petrol a les over nd Workplace Charging diesel Scheme has been updated.

Chargepoint models under ‘fast DC’ with a charging output greater than 3.5kW and not greater than 22kW are now eligible.

EST meanwhile offers grant funding for workplaces in Scotland to install charging infrastructure, and for staff who drive a ULEV as their designated company vehicle.

Organisations should also ensure staff are aware of the Electric Vehicle Home Charge Scheme from OLEV. This provides grant funding of up to 75 per cent towards the cost of installing electric vehicle chargepoints at domestic properties across the UK, and the grand will only support smart chargepoints.

Implement a travel policy Create and implement a clear travel policy prioritising the use of zero and ultra low emission vehicles

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DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net

over petrol and diesel counterparts, endorsed by the senior management team. Ensure this is effectively communicated to all existing staff and is included in new staff inductions.

To further reduce costs and minimise petrol/ diesel vehicle use, EST recommend travel policies are built around a low carbon travel hierarchy. Low carbon travel hierarchies should prioritise active travel i.e. walking, cycling and public transport, followed by zero or ultra-low emission vehicles and pool cars. Staff should be discouraged from using their own grey fleet unless there are no alternative options.

Staff familiarisation training Familiarising staff with electric vehicles before booking work trips will build confidence and improve their overall experience when driving.

Familiarisation training can vary depending on the staff member’s experience, from how to operate the vehicle, to using public charge points, through to driving electric and plug-in vehicles efficiently and making the most of the regenerative braking. Once some staff are comfortable using the organisation’s EVs they could champion the vehicles and provide inductions to their colleagues.

Speed has a larger impact on EV range compared to conventional vehicles, so it is important staff are aware of this in advance to plan their journeys effectively. Learning driving techniques to maximise regenerative braking will not only improve driver safety but will further demonstrate the efficiency of these vehicles compared to petrol/ diesel equivalents. Try introducing friendly competition by tracking the kWh/mile of each journey to incentivise efficient driving.

Charge when electricity is cheap The time of day that EVs are charged can have a huge impact on the cost savings achieved. Your organisation will likely be billed for electricity consumption across set time bands or half hourly which means

paying higher tariffs during peak demand. The cost of electricity is at its lowest overnight when demand is low. Fully charging your vehicles overnight and avoiding peak energy times as often as possible will increase your cost savings and help ensure your vehicles are powered by cleaner energy.

Technology is the key to meeting decarbonisation deadlines

Combine with on-site renewables and battery storage On-site renewable electricity systems, such as solar photovoltaics (PV) and wind turbines, can not only save your organisation money, but can further support the decarbonisation of your fleet by generating clean electricity. Sunlight and wind provide free fuel.Once the technology is in place you will see reductions in electricity costs and a reduction in your organisation’s carbon footprint. For example, a 4kWp solar PV system can generate around 4,200kWh annually in London or 3,200kWh annually in Scotland – that’s the same amount of electricity required to drive a 41kWh Renault Zoe around 12,600 miles in London, or 10,000 miles in Scotland.

You may have the roof space to install a system significantly larger than 4kWp, which is typically more cost-effective in the long run. While your vehicle is on the road, the green electricity generated by your renewable systems will either power your building or go back into the grid. However, if you wish to store this energy, a battery storage system allows you to capture this clean energy and save it for a time that is useful, i.e. charging your vehicle during peak electricity demand. L

Best Practice Guide

SPONSOR’S COMMENT

FURTHER INFORMATION www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

Colin Ferguson, co-founder and CEO, The Algorithm People

The Algorithm People harnesses the power of advanced mathematics, machine learning and artificial intelligence to identify the right placement for electric vehicles within fleets, and to optimise every commercial vehicle so that costs and fuel usage are minimised.

Decarbonisation is unknown territory for most fleets.

Decades of conventional fleet management experience cannot help professionals know which applications, contracts or journeys can use EVs and maximise return on investment.

Luckily our algorithms do exactly that. We work within all road transport sectors, including multi-stop, logistics and service fleets. We analyse journey patterns to show exactly where electric vehicles can effectively be swapped for diesel vehicles.

Our unique EV toolkit revealed that Yorkshire Water could electrify 88 per cent of its vehicles, and that 95 per cent would not require top-up charging. This ground-breaking analysis will help the company achieve its ambitious goal of NetZero by 2030.

Asset optimisation is another crucial step, reducing the number of assets required, mileage, air pollution and greenhouse emissions. Our optimisation tools require no lengthy consultations or financial risk. Your fleet can start today. Log into My Transport Planner and save up to 30 per cent of your fleet costs for as little as 49p per vehicle.

And, as you start to add electric vehicles to your fleet, My Transport Planner will optimise those too, taking into account charging, range, payload and all the other relevant factors.

Our machine learning means your fleet will continue to improve efficiency as real-world data pours in.

And our artificial intelligence is enabling revolutionary logistics solutions, to reduce the need for back-to-base reloading, and to reduce the number of HGVs in city centres.

Greening our fleets is no longer optional. The Algorithm People can help ensure your green choices are informed, cost-effective and operationally advantageous. L FURTHER INFORMATION thealgorithmpeople.co.uk

Supported by

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Best Practice Guide Written by Cenex

EV CHARGING

What’s your chargepoint strategy?

While choosing the right vehicles is the first step of the journey to electrification, considerations about charging infrastructure are equally as important for an effective transition. So how can costly mistakes be avoided when installing chargepoints?

With the impending 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans, and a raft of other policies in the pipeline, fleet owners who sow early for the switch to electric will reap the environmental and economic benefits.

Choosing the right vehicles is the first step of the journey, and considerations about charging infrastructure are equally as important for an effective transition.

“Independent infrastructure assessments are an important step in transitioning your fleet to electric, in order to optimise the chargepoints installed and ensure your site can meet the charging demands of your fleet,” says Dominic McMahon, electric vehicle infrastructure expert at Cenex.

“By planning early and setting out a long-term strategy you can account for future demands and allow for developments in electric vehicle technology.

“Making informed decisions early on can save a lot of money and stress further down the line.”

to be done on-site will impact the type and number of chargepoints installed.

“From an operational point of view, installing and recharging electric vehicles from your premises’ might not be efficient if your drivers cover large distances or use the vehicles for most of the day,” McMahon says.

“This can mean chargepoints are underutilised and not cost-effective, when there are other options already installed”.

Drivers who complete large mileage across a region can make use of the public chargepoint network which is swiftly expanding and increasingly made up of rapid chargepoints, offering over 100 miles of charge in 20 minutes for a growing number of vehicle models.

Another alternative could be to utilise home-based charging where applicable, with software offering solutions for managing expenses, which means employees can avoid an additional journey to collect their fleet vehicle.

Grid connection The Vehicles The premises’ electrical supply a m ount In the first instance, and capacity also impacts the of char managers should charging infrastructure. g i n g that wi review their

In Cenex’s experience, business and this is the most variable be donll need to fleet operations, cost and is highly will imp e on-site including the location dependent. act the type and nu expected vehicle

On-site charging of your mber o mileage, the types fleet contributes an additional, f c h argepo of vehicles likely to and considerable, electrical installe ints be needed, and how load and if this cannot fit within d those requirements the existing supply headroom, the will evolve over time. premises may require an upgrade.

While there are many The ownership of the depot location and like-for-like replacements, it might be that length of future lease are key considerations electric vehicles are not the best option right before grid upgrades are made as landlord now, and there are other ways to reduce approvals may be required; cost sharing transport emissions if that’s the case. may be an option too for shared parking.

Once the vehicle specifications Since transitioning to EVs is likely have been defined, suitable models in many cases to require a stepwise should be identified in line with the approach, it may be possible to start-out business’ fleet replacement strategy. and request an upgrade at a later date.

Load management techniques can be Chargepoints applied to allow the site to always remain When planning for charging infrastructure, within available capacity, regardless of the amount of charging that will need the number of vehicles plugged in.

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DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net

Future needs To give room for increased EV uptake as the technology develops, due consideration should be given to the split of active and passive chargepoint provision across company car park spaces.

The London Plan 2021 defines passive provision as: “The network of cables and power supply necessary so that at a future date a socket or equivalent can be added easily to allow vehicle owners to recharge their vehicle.”

“By considering this early on, you can save on the additional cost and inconvenience of groundworks when expansion is needed in the future,” advises McMahon.

“Mandates for active/passive provision are already being included in local council planning guidance for new builds and major workplace renovations to account for this”.

Practical operations Another key consideration in the transition to an electric fleet is the accessibility to the parking bays and chargepoints: lighting and signage, disabled access, and authentication methods.

Procurement While switching to an electric fleet will save money in the long run, there are up-front costs to consider, including the cost of installing chargepoints.

Various ownership, operation and maintenance models are available from suppliers, which can range from full ownership of equipment to leasing options.

The selected model may be impacted by your ability to fund upfront, existing business expertise, and whether billing of usage is needed.

Fortunately, a range of grants are available. The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) covers 75 per cent of the upfront purchase and installation costs up to £350 per socket for chargepoints up to 22 kW. This is available for companies including SMEs to install up to 40 sockets, giving £14,000 maximum funding, and is not restricted to a single site.

The premises’ electrical supply and capacity also impacts the charging infrastructure. In Cenex’s experience, this is the most variable cost and is highly location dependent If charging at home is deemed an appropriate strategy, funding support for this is available separately via OZEV’s Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS).

This is currently only available to those with offstreet parking but is set to include leaseholders, renters and those living in flats from April 2022.

Informed decisions “While there’s a lot to consider ahead of installing chargepoints for your fleet, early planning and speaking to the right experts will ensure the whole process runs smoothly and is cost effective,” concludes McMahon.

“Looking at the bigger picture means managers can make informed decisions that are best for their business operation, employees, and the environment.

Best Practice Guide

Employees should also be trained in efficient driving methods and when is best to charge to optimise vehicle range and minimise unnecessary chargepoint use which could block another vehicle from using it.

“Cenex has worked with many public and private sector organisations to assess the required and available chargepoint provision in line with fleet strategies and advise on suitable technology solutions that will meet operational demands.

“This gives them the confidence to make decisions and invest early to maximise the benefits.

“Electric fleets, both the vehicles and the charging infrastructure, are a long-term business investment that will yield long-term results with the right approach”. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.cenex.co.uk

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Best Practice Guide Written by Holly Brooks, senior category lead, Fleet - CCS

PROCUREMENT

Greening your fleet means investing for the future With COP26 fresh in our minds, the environmental impact of your fleet will be high on your agenda.

But electric vehicles are only part of the picture. Effective procurement, expert fleet guidance, telematics, driver training, tyre choice and charging infrastructure are all part of an efficient, cost effective and safe green fleet strategy. Holly Brooks from CCS shares some guidance When sourcing a sustainable fleet you have a number of initial decisions to make. Do you want to purchase, lease or hire the vehicle? Thatcham Research reports that vehicle technology will progress more in the next five years than it has in the past 50 years. Innovations are happening very quickly and you may want to consider leasing as an alternative to outright purchase.

But, expert help is available. An agnostic, independent fleet manager can offer a ‘whole market’ view – working with you to identify a fleet procurement plan that meets your future needs.

As part of this service, you will be able to discuss vehicle availability. This is an important fact, especially in the current climate of vehicle shortages and longer lead times. You may want to create a shortlist of vehicles so that you have alternatives if vehicle availability does not align with your operational needs.

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But there are other costs associated with an electric fleet. Repairing can take longer and be more expensive. And repairs may require specialist technicians. But, again, with planning and preemptive action, you can find a cost-effective solution.

If you maintain your fleet inBy house you might consider taking using telematics and fleet t management data.

Telematics to plan ime and This will help you Electric vehicles researc h t to identify the most benefit from h o ro you wil common driver cheaper routine l avoid ughly, wasted effort a incidents. You will then maintenance with no nd dela be able to find ways to oil, filters and other t y h si e procu prevent those incidents consumables (such as rement n - saving time and money. cambelts) to replace process Solutions may take the and maintain. Go Ultra form of driver training. Or Low found that, over you may incorporate reversing three years and 60,000 miles, cameras or other new specifications. electric cars cost, on average, You will, certainly, be incurring upfront costs 23 per cent less to maintain.

By taking time to plan and research thoroughly you will avoid wasted effort and delays in the procurement process. This is particularly important when transitioning to the unfamiliar specifications of electric vehicles where financial approval can be more time consuming.

DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net

Tyres It is also vital to select the correct tyres for an electric fleet. Tyres can often account for around 40 per cent of the maintenance budget for electric vehicles. The battery makes an electric vehicle much heavier. This additional weight, along with the instant torque, means that tyres on an electric vehicle will endure more wear and tear.

Again, expert guidance is available from suppliers who can advise on the best tyres for your electric vehicle. Those suppliers will also give guidance on replacement profiling, specific requirements around tyre homologation - all helping you to budget effectively for future costs.

Tyres for an electric vehicle are, certainly, more expensive than traditional tyres but, again, they are a worthwhile investment.

These recommended tyres are more durable and suited to the increased weight of the electric vehicle. And, in the long run, they will be cost effective.

Powering your fleet When moving to an electric fleet, the design of the charging infrastructure will be critical. You will want to make sure that your fleet has enough power within the

As with electric vehicles generally, the charging infrastructure is a fast developing market. This can be challenging, but expert guidance is available. Fleet suppliers will be able to advise on your options. The suppliers can guide you on stand-alone feasibility studies and site surveys and on works to increase capacity required range of travel – with access to the chargers and supply level needed.

As with electric vehicles generally, the charging infrastructure is a fast developing market. This can be challenging but, again, expert guidance is available. Fleet suppliers will be able to advise on your options. The suppliers can guide you on stand-alone feasibility studies and site surveys and on the management of works needed to increase capacity. They can also give guidance on how to work with the distribution network operators who own and operate the power lines and infrastructure that connect to the grid; on the supplierfunded network models that are available to employees and members of the public. And, finally, they can advise on the use of back office software that provides a full picture of your fleet network so that you can make sure that your vehicles always run at peak performance.

Best Practice Guide

but the investment will help you to avoid future costly repairs and time lost when your vehicle is off the road. Again, expert guidance is available. A telematics or a fleet management supplier will help you to build a business case for this additional funding.

Accelerate your move to electric vehicles with CCS Whichever stage of the vehicle lifecycle you’re tackling first in the transition to electric vehicles, we have the commercial solutions and expertise you need to set your strategy right.

For more information on our suite of Total Fleet Solutions, including our frameworks that provide options to help you meet your sustainability targets, visit our website Sign up to Crown Commercial Service’s Fleet newsletter for our latest news and industry insights or go to our Fleet Portal for quick quotations. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.crowncommercial.gov.uk

Nationwide Fleet Services (NFS) is a privately owned business, offering a comprehensive 24/7 vehicle support service nationally, operating with a managed network of 1,200 independent service providers.

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The top model for work place EV charging Zaptec’s charging system is unique Norwegian technology that utilises available power to balance the electricity grid, optimise speed of charging and keep infrastructure costs to a minimum.

Contact: 07535213153 Darren@zaptec.com zaptec.com

Zaptec

Zaptec has been working with fleet operators of all sizes since 2016, providing over 60,000 charging points internationally. This experience makes them the right partner for your EV transition Was Glasgow’s COP26 bing bang for change, or just a lot of hot air? Who knows really, but at least some consensus was achieved in respect of the phase out of ICE vehicles and the uptake of electric vehicles. Governments in “leading markets” have committed to working towards all sales of new cars and vans being zero emission by 2035. Fleet owners in the UK are working quicker than this though with the target of 2030 fresh in the mind of all fleet managers.

For many larger businesses the business of electrifying fleets has begun, with many companies now tackling company cars, and even bringing in electric vehicle salary sacrifice schemes that can be extended to non-company car drivers and family members. Vans remain more of a tricky issue due to lower choices of vehicles, pay load considerations, reimbursement of expenses, tax and trade union issues just to mention some of the hurdles that need to be overcome sooner rather than later.

One thing for sure, is that the average fleet manager is not only managing vehicles, but now need to be experts in energy and also IT and payment systems too – not to mention all the related people, and tax issues that come with electrifying your fleet.

So if you are looking to electrify your fleet then a broad perspective is required, based on experience. Zaptec has been working with fleet operators of all sizes since 2016 providing over 60,000 charging points internationally. Since February 2021 Zaptec has been forming a high performing team with expertise in eMobility, energy and fleet management able to provide this experienced broad perspective to fleet operators.

Over the past few years the barriers of range anxiety and the lack of EV infrastructure, in the main, have disappeared. In part these barriers have been overcome partly because of government policies around Net Zero, benefit in kind tax incentives and lower total cost of ownership. Now, though we face a new set of issues to think about as we accelerate towards 2030.

Reimbursement of expenses For fleets charging at work, at home and on the go how expenses are managed is a challenge.

How to separate what is work charging, and what is personal, and how these bills are settled and paid are complicated matters. Fleet operators will need to ensure any hardware they choose has the integrations with the appropriate platforms to enable the correct and compliant treatment of business expenses incurred at home and on the go.

Monetising assets Of course it isn’t all bad news, there are some real opportunities for fleet operators too. If your electric vehicle hardware assets are able to be integrated into third party charge point operator platforms, then there is an opportunity to monetise your assets either by selling power to your employees, customers or even by opening up your private network to the public, at certain times of the day for example. The CPO platform will do all the hardwork but to monetise the assets this platform needs to be able to communicate with the hardware itself.

Secure electricity supply Overcome all of these issues and there is still a potential problem and that is the supply of electricity. Of course you’ll want to be 100 per cent renewable and most energy suppliers will provide this for you (make sure it is REGO backed though), but all this assumes available power capacity on site. Needing more electricity can require external DNO connections and infrastructure upgrades, unless you can source a hardware supplier who can dynamically manage your available electricity supply, speeding up the rate of charge to your vehicles depending on your available capacity on site. This neat feature (Dynamic and Phase Load Management) can potentially save you lots of money by avoiding District Network Operator costs as well as the associated delays to projects.

Sponsor’s Comment

Looking to electrify your fleet?

So beyond the day to day issues of what type of vehicles you should purchase, there are still some issues to think through. Partnering with an eMobility business that has this bredth of experience, as well as the hardware and software integrations solutions, is essential if you want to electrify your fleet.

How can Zaptec help?

Well, we love talking to people, so please do drop us a line (darren@zaptec.com) and we will be happy to use our experience to help you shape your project (even if you end up not working with us). We’ve worked on projects from workplace charging, ultra fast charging at public service stations, home charging and even vehicle to grid.

Beyond, a coffee though we supply the Zaptec Pro, a well designed, reliable 22kW AC charger suitable for most workplace charging projects.

It has five year warranty; dynamic and phase load balancing, helping you avoid expensive grid upgrade costs. It is integrated with many platform providers helping you monetise your assets as well as ensuring your charging points are monitored and well maintained.

Zaptec Pro also has RFID access control, making it easy for you to monitor who is using your charging points, as well as making it simple to start and stop a charge. It is also plug and charge enabled. In addition, we can help your fleet charge at home with our Zaptec Go, which not only can provide you with 22kW AC charging (3 phase supply) but it also compliant with future smart charging legislation and will help you manage your expenses.

There are still some hurdles to overcome, but with the right partner this doesn’t have to be a daunting task. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.zaptec.com/en darren@zaptec.com

Proposed Smart Charging laws For fleets that charge at home, the proposed smart charging legislation is one to consider. In lay terms the UK Government is proposing that all EV charging points should be “smart” with units to be configured to automatically avoid charging at peak times for example, as well as containing Demand Side Management capability. So fleet managers now looking to charge their vehicles at employees homes now need to ensure their hardware is “smart” as well as future proofed to enable drivers to charge when it is cheapest, greenest and can integrate with domestic solar PV systems for example.

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Building an efficient fleet With more than 4,850 members, the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) is well-established as the go-to accreditation scheme for fleet best practice. October saw the latest FORS Standard unveiled – Version 6.0. Here are the details The revised FORS Standard, due for implementation from 01 July 2022, is the sixth iteration of the document, produced to outline how FORS members must meet the accreditation criteria at each stage of the progressive scheme.

The document is updated every two years to ensure the requirements of the FORS Standard remain relevant to the road transport operators it serves, now totalling some 4,850 members nationwide and internationally.

Initially due for publication in 2020, The FORS Standard Version 6.0 was postponed last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, making it three years since the last full version was published to members.

road safety and reducing the environmental impact of their operations.”

The FORS Standard Review Working Group consulted key industry stakeholders to identify and agree proposed changes to The Standard, before the document was approved by the FORS Governance and Standards Advisory Group (GSAG) in July 2021.

No changes have been made to the FORS mandatory training for both drivers and managers, and many of the amendments have been designed to clarify existing requirements to members. For example the addition of a new Annex listing the documents required at the FORS Bronze Audit ­– the first level of the progressive scheme.

Best Practice Guide

FLEET EFFICIENCY

And the effects of the pandemic are Ensuring fleet efficiency reflected in this latest version, which contains More and more operators are choosing FORS only modest changes to the scheme. Helen to ensure their fleet is as efficient as possible.

Bonner, director of FORS governance and FORS is especially important for operators standards, says: “Whilst Version 6.0 has been keen to win work providing transport to in development since 2019, the events of 2020 major urban construction projects, where and 2021 have heavily influenced its direction. specifiers are increasingly using FORS “Accordingly, Version 6.0 has been designed to raise standards, meet CO2 emissions to be an incremental adjustment from targets and ensure a green supply chain. the current FORS Standard. It will ensure

One such specifier is Sir Robert that FORS accreditation continues to McAlpine (SRM), one of the UK’s enable members to conduct their leading building and civil business whilst demonstrating More engineering companies. their professionalism, and mo Here, the company looks commitments and operato re at how working E credentials in improving

choosin rs are Operat g the Fleet or Scheme Recognition to their fle ensure et efficien is as ta possible s

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The public sector has an important role to play in reaching the country’s zero-emissions targets – and so does smart procurement

It is now widely acknowledged that the pace of decarbonisation in road transport must dramatically increase within this decade. We’re already working toward phasing out traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles by 2030 and recently, it was announced at COP26 that all new Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) must be zero-emission by 2040.

This presents a unique challenge to the public sector. Change needs to be wideranging, it needs to happen quickly, and it needs to be cost-effective. No small order.

There are a wide range of factors to consider when contemplating the procurement of non-ICE vehicles: cost, charge time and infrastructure, weight and payload must all be taken into account. Developing a zero-emissions fleet isn’t a straightforward process, and it isn’t likely to become

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simpler anytime soon as new technologies enter the market and add to the mix.

Procurement is becoming increasingly specialised to overcome climate challenges and it’s important that everyone involved in the process communicates fully and transparently to ensure successful outcomes are achieved.

Local governments and electric vehicle suppliers each have unique perspectives when it comes to addressing climate challenges and procurement, and they each bring unique insights and experience to the table. Councils can share expertise on legislation and suppliers can share insights into the latest technology.

Procurement specialists can help bring these insights together.

By ensuring that environmental guidelines are adhered to and by asking the right

DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net

questions, procurement specialists can help shape services and suggest targeted, effective solutions for the public sector.

When such large-scale changes need to be made, flexibility is an important factor. Dynamic Purchasing Systems (DPS) remain open to suppliers throughout their duration, unlike traditional frameworks and that means that as more suppliers, technology and innovations come to market, they can quickly be added to a DPS and made available to the public sector.

A DPS for electric vehicles allows for the latest, most efficient vehicles to be made available as soon as possible for local governments to purchase on a large scale, ensuring that they can keep up with the wider national transition away from ICE, and meet their own climate targets.

The expertise of procurement specialists, and the flexibility that DPSs provide, will enable this, providing an effective, vetted route for the public sector to secure the latest technology. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.ypo.co.uk

Sir Robert McAlpine and FORS Having worked on some of the UK’s most iconic buildings and projects, the SRM mandate is clear, to ensure it leaves a lasting, positive legacy for local communities, striving for efficiency and minimising environmental impacts during the lifecycle of a project.

The company, which marked its 150th anniversary in 2019, remains a family-owned business and recognises the pivotal role safe and efficient road transport supply chain plays in meeting its goals. As such, it began stipulating FORS accreditation as a requirement for all vehicles entering its sites back in 2012 and its own fleet is accredited at FORS Gold – the highest level of the voluntary accreditation scheme.

Paul Smith, logistics manager at SRM is charged with managing the company’s supply chain, and says: “Writing FORS into our contracts as a requirement for all vehicles was a step change in how we assure standards across our road transport supply chain. It is our duty to ensure our sites are as safe and efficient as possible, for those who live and work in the immediate area and for our clients and the road transport supply chain has a big role to play in that.”

The company’s delivery management system requires all contractors to register vehicles before they come on to any site and is set up to prevent the booking being made, if no valid FORS accreditation can be shown. The scale of this operation can be huge. For example, at SRM’s 100 Liverpool Street project in London,

40 road transport contractors were used throughout the project, each employing subcontractors, totalling over 21,000 bookings created on the system over a four-year period.

These simple processes, which require all vehicles entering SRM sites to be accredited to FORS Silver, are paying off. Paul Smith adds: “The quality of vehicles which come onsite, and the safety equipment they have, is now far better than before FORS. The difference in driver quality is also very noticeable. Drivers no longer think safety and efficiency ‘don’t matter’ and understand why measures are in place to protect vulnerable road users, and how they can help.’’

The consolidation centre model is becoming more commonly used by SRM to help accurately manage site deliveries, reduce traffic flow, and lower emissions. This model sees contractors advance deliver goods to a specified hub outside the city or town in which the build is situated, with materials only arriving on site when they are needed.

This reduces the need to move materials around a site, and the cost implication of potential damage to materials left onsite during the build, while also ensuring vehicles containing combined loads of materials are arriving fully loaded, to lower traffic levels.

Paul Smith says: “We have quite a complex supply chain, with many layers of subcontractors so it’s important for us to ensure our compliance messaging feeds through from the original contract-holder, and consolidation centres really help. The company which managed the consolidation centre we used on our Bloomberg site in London for example, was FORS Gold accredited, so we knew all

vehicles which came onto site automatically complied to the highest standard.

“Thanks to this model we reduced the number of vehicles coming on to the Bloomberg site by 66 per cent, from a calculated 9,099 deliveries which would have taken place using ‘traditional’ delivery methods to just 3,094 actual deliveries made via the consolidation centre. This is a huge reduction, not only in traffic but in CO2 emissions which were reduced by 53,782kg during this project.”

Best Practice Guide

 with FORS has helped drive quality and efficiency across its supply chain.

Corporate approach David Bucksley, head of health, safety and wellbeing at SRM says: “We think FORS is really important. For us, it is not a minimum standard requirement – it is a must. FORS links to everything we stand for as a business and we are keen to attract a supply chain which is aligned to these values by working to support them in their accreditation.”

The SRM fleet itself is FORS accredited, and has been since June 2013, moving up through the FORS progressive model to become FORS Silver accredited, and then onwards to FORS Gold, in 2020. The vehicles which work across the UK delivering SRM materials and equipment are based at its site in Kettering and managed by a qualified FORS Practitioner.

David Bucksley adds: “The road transport supply chain has a huge contribution to each build, and we need to know each truck is of a high standard - FORS helps us achieve that.” L FURTHER INFORMATION www.fors-online.org.uk

Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme The Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) is a voluntary accreditation scheme for fleet operators. Its purpose is to raise the level of quality within fleet operations, and to demonstrate which operators are achieving the standard. Contained within this document are the requirements for achieving recognition in order to be awarded FORS accreditation to Bronze, Silver or Gold levels.

FORS encourages operators to take a closer look at their operation and identify areas of strength to be exploited and areas for improvement to be addressed.

A successful Bronze audit provides an operator with reassurance that their operation is being run safely, efficiently and in an environmentally sound manner.

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Best Practice Guide

INTERVIEW

“We look at every fleet decision through an EV-first lens” Steve Winter, head of fleet at Centrica – the parent company of British Gas, chats to GreenFleet about the company’s electric vehicle journey and what lessons have been learnt Tell us about your existing electric vehicle fleet At Centrica we operate the third largest private fleet in the UK, with over 12,000 vehicles on the road. This includes around 9,000 engineer vans used to support our business and customers across the UK, 1,500 company cars and a 2,000-strong grey fleet.

We have committed to fully electrifying the fleet by 2025. We have more electric British Gas vans on the road than any other UK organisation, with nearly 700 Vauxhall Vivaro-es being driven by engineers and a total of 3,000 set to be delivered by the end of 2022.

We’ve recently launched our fully-electric salary sacrifice scheme, which is open to all employees. We’ve had more than 100 orders from across the business which is extremely encouraging. As part of the scheme, employees also have the option to have a charge point installed at their home.

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The company has an aim to make our workforce along the journey with us all of its vehicles electric by 2025 and educating them on the benefits that – how is this looking? Are there come with running an electric vehicle. any barriers to overcome first?

However, it hasn’t been without its We’re on track to hit our 2025 challenges, especially because target, which is largely down there isn’t the availability of to being an early adopter electric vehicles currently The of electric vehicles. to fit every area of total co We’ve been on our EV the business. Where of own st fleet journey since possible, we look at 2014 when we had every fleet decision model ership h 100 vehicles delivered through an EV-first a s b c e e en ntral to for use across various lens. For those areas Gas ele the British engineer roles. Since where a diesel vehicle ctric v then, we’ve been is currently preferred, strateg ehicle able to learn and we’re making sure the y adapt our approach lease length is no more to phasing out older, than three years so that more polluting vehicles for the vehicles can be renewed cleaner alternatives. A large for an electric alternative part of this success has been bringing before our 2025 deadline.

DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net

How were the electric vehicles initially received by the drivers, and have perceptions changed?

Offering our drivers end-to-end support for their EV experience has been crucial to encourage uptake. When our first 100 EVs were delivered in 2014, we rented a test track from Nissan and allowed our senior

My biggest piece of advice would be to understand your fleet’s total cost of ownership inside out and ensure it includes all associated expenses, such as energy prices and plug-in grants leaders to experience driving an electric car and answer any technical questions they had. Since then, driver onboarding has been central to our adoption plans, in order for us to get the best use out of the vehicles.

We have developed an online driver training module that is delivered to drivers prior to receiving their new EV, which is further supported by a range of videos showing them how to get the best from the vehicles and the way to store tools and equipment. Additionally, there is a driver helpdesk should drivers have any concerns prior to receiving their vehicle or when in use.

British Gas has an interesting apprenticeship scheme to train people in EV charging – how important is this?

Upskilling people around the country is crucial to the UK’s green industrial revolution.

Our commitment to hire and train 3,500 apprentices who will go on to install the electric vehicle charge-points we need across the country is an important step if we are to achieve our sustainability targets.

Best Practice Guide

Where are the vehicles charged?

We know that around 40 per cent of our workforce will have the technology installed to charge their electric vehicles at home.

The other 60 per cent is more difficult.

I’m an advocate of the need for large organisations like ours to work together to develop a fleet charging network. By that I mean a network available to commercial drivers whereby they can book a regular, reliable timed appointment to charge. And overnight, there will be a large number of workplace chargers, sitting empty, these fleet could get a return on their investment if they opened up their car parks at different times.

How that charging is reimbursed is a further challenge. We have developed a virtual fuel card which features bespoke payroll integration software, allowing our employees to be reimbursed for the charging costs.

When we started our EV journey, we asked for volunteers to have an EV charge point installed at their home. We had well over 1,000 people come forward. Giving our employees, especially our engineers, the ability to charge at home – either during the night or at weekends – allows us to keep our fleet moving and attend to the needs of our customers.

What’s more, it’s great to see the number of young people that are embarking on their apprenticeship journey. As new technology like electric vehicles becomes more mainstream, we need to encourage the next generation of our workforce to learn and adopt these types of technology.

What advice would you give to other companies that are looking to switch to electric vehicles?

The total cost of ownership model has been central to the British Gas electric vehicle strategy. My biggest piece of advice would be to understand your fleet’s total cost of ownership inside out and ensure it includes all associated expenses, such as energy prices and plug-in grants. Otherwise, any decision to increase the size of your EV fleet could end up costing you more money than you originally planned. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.centrica.com

Steve Winter, head of fleet at Centrica / British Gas

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Get your fleet EV ready with Centrica Business Solutions Supporting your business make the transition to an EV fleet by future-proofing your EV strategy

With the UK government setting 2030 for an end of new internal combustion vehicles (ICE) sales, businesses and fleet operators have fewer than 10 years to go electric.

Here’s how we can help you make the transition to an EV fleet: Deploying an integrated, driver-friendly system for employees to charge at home, at work or with public networks. as well as ensuring accurate reimbursement of driver energy costs with our in-house EV charging platform and app.

Providing access to flexible financing to facilitate a long-term electric vehicle infrastructure strategy and minimise upfront costs.

Installing on-site renewable solutions to overcome site constraints, ensure charging flexibility and generate revenue.

Our solution for fleets helps organisations save time and be more efficient by addressing the operational implications relating to evolving national infrastructure, range restrictions along preferred routes and accurate reimbursement of driver energy costs.

development of our EV Enablement solution for other organisations who are making the transition to cleaner transport.

Lessons learnt: by Steve Winter Steve Winter, Centrica’s Head of Fleet (UK) shares his thoughts on how Centrica is making the business transition to sustainable transport and the lessons learnt so far: “We’ve been using electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids for more than eight years and have nearly 1,000 of them on the road now. Collectively they’ve clocked up over 3 million miles! In the UK, we plan to go fully electric by 2025. And by the end of 2022, we aim to add another 2,000 EVs to our fleet. To maximise flexibility during this transition period, we’ve moved to 3-year leases (from 6 years) on all diesel vans.

Transport is responsible for 27 per cent of the EU’s total CO2 emissions and commercial vehicles are responsible for 20 per cent of all vehicle related greenhouse-gas emissions, despite accounting for only five per cent

of road traffic. With the scale of this emissions problem, our biggest motivation is environmental. As a sustainable energy organisation, it’s important for us to be ahead of the curve and to demonstrate practical leadership in tackling both air pollution and carbon emissions from ICE vehicles.

Moving to green transport is a key part of our sustainability strategy and essential to achieving our carbon reduction targets.

With the size of our fleet (our British Gas company has the third largest commercial fleet in the UK), we can make a huge impact on decarbonising emissions from travel.

There are also regulatory and commercial drivers behind our decision making. For example, the UK government will ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030. And there are a number of tax benefits, incentives and grants available for electric company vehicles. For example, avoiding charges when driving through low and ultra-low emission zones, which are a growing feature of city centres.”

British Gas / Centrica have been nominated for Fleet Manager of the Year & Private Sector Fleet of the Year at the GreenFleet Awards 2021.

Visit our website below and click ‘energy solutions’ to find out more about how we can help your business. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.centricabusinesssolutions.com

We are well placed to help you make the transition to EV: We have over 10 years’ experience working in the energy industry, supporting the uptake of electric vehicles.

We are a highly experienced fleet team and have been working on transitioning Centrica’s own vehicles for over eight years.

We are a single supplier and contact point including energy strategy, solutions, charging infrastructure and software.

We also offer flexible financing options for infrastructure and access to investors with specific expertise in areas important to goals.

As one of the first businesses to adopt electric vehicles (EV) at scale across its global fleet, Centrica have first-hand knowledge of implementing a sustainable transport strategy. This expertise informs the continued

Issue 136 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Fleet charging solutions eruta F nem sitr vdA

Providing reliable and future-proofed electric vehicle charging solutions to fleets across the UK

Awarded Charging and Refuelling Infrastructure Provider of the Year, 2019 and 2020.

Sponsor of the private sector car fleet of the year (small to medium) 2021.

What a whirlwind of a year 2021 has been for the EV industry. Despite some obvious challenges facing businesses this year, we’re seeing a real change in the pace of fleet electrification. Driven by Government commitments as we head towards 2030, a growing focus on environmental sustainability as well as vast improvements in vehicle types and range, we are witnessing a real tipping point. It has also been a great year for commercial electric vehicles, with more automotive companies producing practical vehicles broadening the choice for fleet operators. And this choice is only going to grow in the coming twelve months.

our customers are new to electrification and we have helped them as they take their first steps to understanding what charging type, power and quantity they need. Others have been operating electric vehicles for many years and we see them returning to us time and time again as their fleets expand. Whatever the size or needs of a fleet, our role, and that of the industry, is to ensure that the transition to EVs is a seamless one.

Good luck to everyone in the awards and here’s to an electrifying year ahead.

2022 is going to be a busy year for the sector and it’s important that we take this opportunity to celebrate our collective achievements. This is why industry events such as the GreenFleet awards are so important. It means a lot to us to be shortlisted once again for the Charging and Refuelling Infrastructure Provider of the Year award and we’re also proud to be a sponsor of the private sector car fleet of the year category. Everyone shortlisted has contributed to the success of the industry, supporting the acceleration of EV uptake and that is worthy of recognition.

At Elmtronics, we continue to work with some of the UK’s leading fleets providing practical advice and support to their charging needs. Not every fleet is ready to take that step and there’s certainly no one-size fits all solution. Some of

Providing solutions to big-name brands including:

GREENFLEET Awards

Who’s in the running for a GREENFLEET Award?

The shortlist for the 2021 GREENFLEET Awards has been revealed, showcasing environmental excellence within the fleet and transport sector. Taking place on 1 December, the Awards return as a live event to the British Motor Museum in Warwick

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Rightcharge helps electric vehicle drivers choose the right home charge point and the right energy tariff

Here at Rightcharge, our day-to-day aim is to help electric vehicle drivers choose the right home charge point, whilst also looking to save them money on their already reduced running costs through choosing the right energy tariff.

There’s a couple of facts that the general population are currently unaware of that will have a huge impact on both their pocket and carbon footprint as the switch to EV is made.

Helping customers to understand these two facts builds trust between the automotive retailer and the customer.

Firstly, our electricity grid is 25 per cent cleaner for a few hours per day, and secondly, electricity prices are much cheaper for a few hours and charging during these times saves the average driver over £150 per year on their energy bills; (a saving that will increase when the energy market returns to normality) The great thing about these two things is that they occur at the same time.

There are a few hours, roughly between midnight and 5am each night, when electricity is both significantly cleaner and cheaper. So, charging overnight is the key to drivers saving hundreds of pounds per year and reducing carbon emissions by 25 per cent. Energy bill savings will only increase as the energy market returns to normality next year.

The causes for both are based on supply and demand.

Our electricity grid operates on an ‘ondemand’ basis. We don’t have much electricity storage in the UK relative to demand (compared to countries like Switzerland who can store large amounts with Pumped Hydro).

Therefore, National Grid increase supply by turning on more Gas-fired Power Stations

as appliances are switched on during the evening. These Gas Turbines are then wound down as demand drops overnight. This gives us a roughly 25 per cent reduction in carbon emissions as more of our power comes from clean sources like Wind and Nuclear.

The supply-demand relationship also means that wholesale electricity prices fall overnight. Energy suppliers are able to package these into peak / off-peak tariffs (‘EV-friendly Tariffs’) with prices reduced by as much as 75 per cent overnight – offering huge savings for homeowners who can shift big parts of their usage, namely EV drivers.

The 10-15 million UK drivers who switch to EV in the 2020’s will be able to benefit from scheduled charging (AKA Smart Charging).

We’re looking forward to supporting existing partners, like Lookers, Leasing. com and SOGO, and as new partners come on board, by giving them access to our technology making it easy for drivers to get set-up to save cash and carbon.L FURTHER INFORMATION For more information. visit www.rightcharge.co.uk

Moy Park ‘fuelling’ emissions reduction with fifty new natural gas trucks

Leading UK food company Moy Park has committed to mass decarbonisation of its transport operation with 50 Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) IVECA Stralis NP trucks – IVECO UK’s largest single order of gas trucks.

The new biogas trucks, run via a five-year IVECO Capital ops lease, are expected to cover around 160,000kms a year each, which Moy Park estimates will offset around an impressive 5,600 tonnes of CO2 annually.

Gas fuels created through anaerobic digestion are collected for vehicle fuel while solids can be used as fertiliser for farms, locking carbon into earth and away from the atmosphere,

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helping to negate waste output and emissions.

IVECO believes this ‘circular economy’ methodology will open the door to negative greenhouse gases in vehicular transport.

“Moy Park’s in-house trials have demonstrated that vehicles running on biomethane reduced CO2 emissions by more than 80 per cent.

Following these extensive trials of alternative fuels and vehicle providers, we are investing in 50 LNG HGV trucks from IVECO,” said Hugh Nicholson, Moy Park’s director of logistics.

“This is a huge step forward in transitioning our own entire core fleet of 120 tractor units to gas by 2023, and we also plan to work with our third-party logistics partners in their CO2 reduction programmes as part of our overall Net Zero Carbon strategy.

“So much transport is on the roads by necessity, therefore road haulage is a key opportunity for us to reduce carbon emissions.

Our transport team has been driving carbon reduction initiatives for a number of years, for example through increasing use of hicapacity trailers. This delivery of LNG tractor units is a further step towards Net Zero of our logistics operations. Caring for the environment is embedded in our ethos and

DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net

the logistics strategy feeds into our wider business sustainability commitments.”

Commenting on the delivery, IVECO’s heavy business-line director, Gareth Lumsdaine said: “Over the past decade, Moy Park has worked exceptionally hard to make impressive progress in the decarbonisation of its business. We’re honoured that IVECO’s experience in sustainable transport solutions has been recognised in that our vehicles have been chosen to assist in the bid to meet some ambitious net-zero targets.” L FURTHER INFORMATION www.moypark.com

GREENFLEET Awards

Taking place on 1 December at the British Motor Museum in Warwick, the 2021 GREENFLEET Awards will once again return as a live event, to recognise the pioneering vehicle fleets in the private and public sectors which have risen to the environmental challenge during unprecedented times.

The awards, sponsored by the Algorithm People, will showcase innovation by both the fleets themselves, as well as those that supply them. And there is individual recognition too, with fleet manager awards, together with the coveted EV and AFV Champions.

This year, there are some new fleet categories, with more emphasis placed on those that are made up of cars, and those that feature commercials more heavily.

Also new for this year is the GREENFLEET Vehicle of the Year award. As more and more manufacturers introduce cleaner, innovative models to their offering, this category will recognise the car, van or truck that has made the biggest impact on the UK fleet sector in 2021.

Delegates at the awards will enjoy a predinner reception, sponsored by MAXUS, followed by dinner and the awards, which will be presented by comedian, impressionist, writer and actress Ronni Ancona.

Private Sector Car Fleet Estate Agency Chestertons has made the shortlist for the Private Sector Car Fleet of the Year Award, which is sponsored by Elmtronics.

The company has been recognised for converting its entire fleet of company cars to electric vehicles. The company has calculated that this action has reduced its tailpipe CO2

With partners Lex Autolease, the Group emissions by 2,925kgs (183 tonnes) per launched new company car policies in 2020, year. Chestertons is also expecting to save centred on ULEVs. By replacing ICE vehicles £425,000 in other costs, such as on vehicle with electric vehicles, the average vehicle tax, fuel and congestion charges. Following CO2 per km has reduced 47 per cent since. the transformation of its fleet, Chestertons Over 50 per cent of the company car went on to become the first large estate fleet is now electrified in some way, with a agency in the country to be certified as Net further 70 EVs and 100 PHEVs on order.

Zero Carbon after offsetting the remaining 212 Following a successful trial of five tonnes of CO2 it currently produces per year. fully electric home delivery vans, 40 Also up for the award of Private Sector more will be delivered in 2021 with Car Fleet of the Year is Ground Control, further electric vans planned for 2022. which has recently become Carbon Neutral The Funeralcare business also saw the four years ahead of target. The company delivery of the 40 first regenerative hybrid has committed to fully electrifying its fleet hearses and limousines last year. of passenger vehicles in 2023, along with Co Wheels’ large electric fleet has also commercial vehicles, plant and machinery been recognised in the car fleet category. by 2026. Since the company’s first As a social enterprise, Co Wheels’ EV purchase in 2014, it has focus is helping members established the UK’s largest T his save money, reduce UK car fleet of privately owned year th ownership and create Teslas, with BEVs now e awards cleaner, greener local representing 75 per communities by making cent of its passenger be pres will e n lower impact transport fleet. Using its t e d by com options widely available. own learnings, e d i a impress Co Wheels’ 450-strong Ground Control ionist, wn, and act fleet of electric, hybrid developed ‘FleetFix’, r i t e r ress and efficient ICE cars and a fully automated AnconaRonni vans, run an average of turnkey home EV 8,811 miles per annum. Its charge point supply, vehicles emit 54 per cent less installation and ongoing than the average privately owned maintenance process. car. By 2025 Co Wheels aims for its The Co-operative Group fleet to be 90 per cent hybrid or fully-electric has been shortlisted for two vehicles, up from 78 per cent. What’s more, awards – Private Sector Car Fleet and Co Wheels has partnered with bus operator Private Sector Commercial Fleet of the Go North East to host its membership Year (M-L) – for the management of and bus tickets on one smartcard. E its diverse fleet of 2,900 vehicles.

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Public Sector Car Fleet of the Year Brecon Beacons National Park Authority has made the shortlist for Public Sector Car Fleet of the Year. Its pool fleet of 10 vehicles is now comprised of entirely electric or plug in hybrid vehicles. More recently it has added a number of Zoe car vans. The electric pool

Taking place on 1 December at the British Motor Museum, the 2021 GREENFLEET Awards will once again return as a live event fleet is expected to cover a combined 72,000 miles per year of zero emission travel. This has reduced its pool fleet average CO2 to 9.2g/km. What’s more, the Park’s education team uses an electric five seater Kangoo van which is powered by the sun. The Park has also introduced publicly-accessible charging points, and generates an increasing share of its energy from renewables.

Scottish Water is also on the shortlist for the Public Sector Car Fleet category.

Scotland’s public drinking water and sewerage services are provided by Scottish Water, a public company accountable to the Scottish Parliament. As part of Scottish Water’s ambition to achieve Net Zero by 2040, it is aiming to transition its fleet to zero emission vehicles. For its 220 lease cars, Scottish Water has recently moved to an EV-only policy, which has seen a total of 81 EVs being introduced by the organisation, with an additional 41 on order. This will result in a 50 per cent EV adoption across the lease car fleet. All its 20 pool cars are now also electric, and to support it, Scottish Water has installed 24 chargepoints, with many more to come. The lease car CO2 average has dropped from 103g CO2/km in 2020 to 81 g CO2/km in 2021 and this will

reduce further once the 41 additional EVs on order are received. On average expected mileages (once normal operations resume), the organisation would expect to see annual savings of more than 131t CO2, with the additional associated air quality benefits.

Also recognised in this category is the Lake District National Park Authority. Its road fleet currently consists of 42 vehicles including eight cars, 11 vans, two people carriers and 21 4x4s - plus a handful of quad bikes and diggers. Over the last couple of years, the Park Authority introduced 13 electric vehicles to replace its diesel pool cars, as well as the charge-point infrastructure to support these. Since acquired in September 2020, the BMW i3 EVs have travelled around 57,500 miles. This has saved the equivalent of 12.7 tCO2e, and because the Park Authority is on a renewable electricity tariff, nearly all of this is a pure carbon saving.

The Park Authority has worked with AMP EV to provide a total of 28 charge-points across three sites. Most of these are for the Authority’s pool vehicles, but six are rapid chargers that will be available for public use at its offices at Kendal and Threlkeld. This adds to the charge-points already available to the public at five of its car parks. E

GREENFLEET Awards

 Mitie has also been shortlisted in both the commercial and car fleet categories for its impressive roll-out of EVs. Mitie has grown its electric fleet to 1,682 vehicles, the largest pure electric fleet in the UK. The company also has a further 805 on order. The EVs prevent 8,410 tonnes of CO2e from being emitted annually.

Mitie has partnered with Mina, an EV charging start-up, to enable direct payment for home-charging. This allows Mitie to control the energy-source used for EV charging, ensuring it is 100 per cent green.

The final company selected for the shortlist in the private sector car category is Eric Wright Group. Its fleet is 22-29 g of C02 less than the construction sector average and is projected to reach 0g C02 by 2030. This is ahead of both the lease corporate fleet and the construction sector.

As of the end of July 2021, the company has 42 BEVs on fleet. These figures are based on live car fleet not including the Eric Wright order bank of which 95 per cent are BEVs or PHEVs. Eric Wright Group is projected to be circa 0g of C02 for 2030 if the current trajectory is seen.

ULEMCo – Ultra Low Emission Mileage Company

ULEMCo is the world’s first hydrogen conversion company for commercial vehicles, enabling fleet managers to adopt zero emission hydrogen fuel as part of their strategies to reduce transport related carbon emissions.

ULEMCo is based in Liverpool, UK and was founded in 2014 as a spin out of Revolve Technologies, to commercialise intellectual property and capability in hydrogen combustion engine technology. Having started with converting diesel Ford Transit vans to enable them to run on commercially available hydrogen as a dual fuel, more recently a range of technologies has been developed. ULEMCo uses its experience in hydrogen technology to convert commercial vehicles – from LGV to HGV and specialist utility vehicles like refuse trucks, gritter and sweepers – to run on hydrogen.

Here is a range of approaches currently in deployment or development.

H2ICED – dual fuel is an innovative dualfuel approach, allowing hydrogen to be mixed with diesel directly in a conventional engine. Hydrogen fuel can then supply up to 70 per cent of the energy delivered, with a corresponding CO2 emission saving at the tailpipe. Since existing engine designs are used, this is a fast and costeffective route to zero emission fleets.

FCRX – fuel cell range extender is a hydrogen fuel cell range extender that is integrated with current battery technology vehicle platforms, allowing greater range and time between charges. FCRX represents a viable and practical solution for fleet owners to achieve zero emissions today.

HyVerie – hydrogen powered fuel cells is a speedy and cost-effective route to powering fuel cells with hydrogen. Utility and heavy-duty vehicles now have a viable route to normal operation but with zero emissions. ULEMCo designs the fuel cell

electric powertrain configuration based on using existing vehicle designs.

HyICE is a revolutionary approach under development at ULEMCo that allows conventional vehicle engines to be run on 100 per cent hydrogen fuel, with a bespoke approach allowing full optimisation. Good power levels are maintained, and tailpipe emissions are cut to almost zero.

ULEMCo already supports a fleet of vehicles across a range of hydrogen hubs in the UK, and is rapidly extending its capability to provide ‘fleetwide conversion to hydrogen’ across the globe.

At COP26, ULEMCo, with its partners, showcased the Zero Emission Rapid Response Operations ambulance (ZERRO) project, this will develop a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, a prototype of which is planned for delivery to the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.ulemco.com

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eDriving not only helps companies to encourage safer driving, it also helps them work towards their sustainability goals

eDriving, a Solera company, not only helps companies to encourage safer driving behaviours – to help ensure that all those who drive for work purposes return home safely every day – but it also helps them to recognise that by helping drivers prioritise safety, they are also working towards sustainability goals.

Because safe, defensive driving is eco-driving. eDriving’s Mentor app uses smartphone sensors to collect and analyse driver behaviours most predictive of risk, including acceleration, braking, cornering, speeding, and phone distraction. It delivers personal insights to drivers after each trip, showing positive and negative driving events and, for the driver’s view only, where they occurred.

Through eDriving’s partnership with FICO®, drivers receive an individual FICO® Safe Driving Score, validated for its ability to predict the likelihood of a driver being involved in a collision. Mentor includes trip-based and shift-based scoring to provide flexibility for delivery and last-mile distribution clients.

New for 2021, an ECO icon on the Mentor dash shows drivers just how eco-friendly their driving is and reminds them that smooth, defensive driving IS eco-driving.

In-app training modules help drivers improve their behaviours, for a better FICO® Safe Driving Score and ECO rating.

Additional Mentor features include gamification, event reporting, vehicle inspections, crash detection and emergency response services powered by Sfara and Bosch.

For maximum risk reduction, Mentor is offered in conjunction with eDriving’s broader Crash-Free Culture® programme, used by Fortune 500 companies throughout the world to produce sustainable driver behaviour change. The five-stage CrashFree Culture programme includes: Safety Culture: Privacy/ policy templates, SMART driving principles, guides, safety pledges RoadRISK®: Validated risk assessment to help managers understand which drivers are most likely to be involved in a collision and why

DriverINDEX®: Combines collision, incident, licence check, and telematics behaviour data for comprehensive view of driver risk RiskCOACH®: Extensive library of interactive eLearning modules Benchmarking: Comparisons among teams, divisions, companies, industries eDriving supports clients with both their safety and sustainability goals, and provides resources, such as the recently launched Eco-Driving Resource Centre, including webinars, eBooks, blog articles and infographics to help companies understand and communicate the important link between safety and sustainability. eDriving is the digital driver risk management partner of choice for many of the world’s largest organisations, supporting over 1.2 million drivers in 125 countries.

Over the past 25 years, eDriving’s researchvalidated programmes have been recognised with 115+ awards around the world. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.edriving.com

Co Wheels’ industry leading impact report reveals future of accessible sustainable travel

With a double award shortlisting at the GreenFleet Awards, national car club Co Wheels has released an industry leading impact report highlighting its influence on environmental, social, and business factors in the UK. After a tumultuous year for the UK and transport industry in trying to reconcile everyday travel needs with wider economic and environmental consequences, the report findings are a reminder that there is a viable route to making sustainable travel accessible to all.

The pay-as-you-go car club, which gives instant access to cars parked in designated bays and zones in over 45 locations nationwide, trades as a social enterprise under its commitment to improving society.

With a dedication to helping its individual and corporate members save money, reduce

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UK car ownership and create cleaner, greener local communities by making lower impact transport options widely available.

Co Wheels operates the UK’s largest green fleet for hire. The 450-strong fleet of electric, hybrid and some fuel cars and vans, emit 54 per cent less than the average privately owned car, making it the greenest, cleanest national car club in the country. Its aim to become an entirely green fleet will lower these statistics.

Showcasing the UK’s biggest car club has continued to make impressive grounds in changing the way people look at car ownership, Co Wheel’s social impact report details statistics, tech innovations and testimonials from people whose lives and businesses have been made more cost-effective and sustainable.

Richard Falconer, managing director of Co Wheels, said: “The findings in the report confirm that small, incremental changes by people and organisations make a bigger impact on sustainability efforts than grand slogans and unmet promises.

If everyone knew the benefits of car clubs they’d be much more widely used – the impact report will help businesses, local authorities, and individuals understand how

DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net

they can adapt for a greener future.”

He added: “From the start of our journey, we have focused our efforts on helping businesses and communities save money and live sustainably. We are not here to be a car rental service, but to try and embed sustainable vehicles into people’s everyday lives without needing to own a car.”

By 2025 Co Wheels is set to be the go-to car sharing option in every community. The fleet will comprise 90 per cent hybrid or fullyelectric vehicles, up from its current 78 per cent, further reducing emissions to support Government zero-emission targets. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.co-wheels.org.uk/corporate info@co-wheels.org.uk tel 0191 375 1050

This year, there are some new fleet categories, with more emphasis placed on those that are made up of cars, and those that feature commercials more heavily with this year’s investment costing the company just short of £1 million.

Lyreco is in the running for an award in the Private Sector Commercial Fleet of the Year (S/M) cateogry for its use of 17 electric Renault Master E-Tech vans for its London operations. Between July and October 2021, the EVs total mileage was 11,455 miles generating 115 kgCO2e. The electricity charging the EV vehicles comes from REGO sources. In its previous vehicles, for the same distance this would have generated 4.9 tons of CO2e which is a reduction of 97.7% in CO2e. In 2019, Lyreco signed up to the Clean Van Commitment Pledge, which is a public commitment for fleets to switch to zero tailpipe emission vans in cities by 2028.

Also shortlisted under this category is Peel Ports, which has fifty per cent of its fleet electric. The business aims to be 100 per cent EV and zero-emission by the end of 2022.

Working alongside Activa, Peel Ports is taking delivery of 36 pure EVs in the coming weeks, with new vehicles like the Maxus E being trialled and delivered on site soon. As well as having telematics installed into all fleet vehicles, there have been 15 chargers installed,

GREENFLEET Awards

 Private Sector Commercial Fleet of the Year (Small to Medium) Lift manufacturing and servicing company Apex Lifts has been nominated for the Private Sector Commercial Fleet of the Year, in the small to medium category, which is sponsored by Grosvenor Group. The company has recently updated its fleet vehicles (1.3 litres), including 11 hybrid cars. It has also reduced the size of its delivery truck from a diesel 7.5 tonne truck to a 6 tonne smaller, eco-friendlier vehicle. All vans currently meet the Euro 6 standard. The current average CO2 value across the fleet is 101.19 and average mileage per annum is 10,404m. Since 2011, Apex has decreased commercial vehicles from 70 to 43; as a result, CO2 emissions have decreased from 10,552.55 (g/km) to 4,539.00 (g/km) 2011-2021. Apex Lifts is currently in the process of reviewing the option to replace all fleet vans to be fully electric by 2025.

After winning last year’s GREENFLEET Private Sector Fleet of the year, Nicholls Transport has once again been shortlisted for an award this year, in the Private Sector Commercial Fleet of the Year (S/M) category. The company has continued to invest in a further 17 LNG trucks, taking to the total currently on the fleet to 27.

All these trucks run on biomethane, meaning they produce over 75 per cent less CO2 than a conventual diesel truck.

Even with the limited refuelling stations around the UK, MD Paul Nicholls is determined to increase the fleet further,

with a further 15 being installed in phase two. Peel Ports will continue to transition to a fully electric fleet, investing in new electric cranes and electric CMRGs that move freight onto the ships. Charging infrastructure is also being installed on the ships.

Private Sector Commercial Fleet of the Year (Medium to Large) Hermes has been shortlisted for Private Sector Commercial Fleet of the Year in the medium to large category, which is sponsored by the Algorithm People. Hermes are being recognised for its 90 biomethane CNG-powered fleet. With another 70 on order, this brings the total to 160 – fifty per cent of its core tractor fleet. This will result in Hermes having UK’s largest CNG parcel delivery fleet. Each new IVECO S-WAY unit reduces CO2 emissions by more than 80 per cent when compared to a Euro 6 diesel vehicle – a reduction of 150 tonnes of CO2 per vehicle and 24,000+ tonnes of CO2 across the entire CNG fleet annually.

What’s more, Hermes has ordered 168 new zero-emission Mercedes-Benz eSprinters to service its out-of-home E

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Right charge, right time, right place New dedicated fleet charging hubs for professional drivers, in the heart of your city.*

Between six and 40 chargers

delivering up to 50 miles of range in 15 minutes,** maximising the time your fleet is on the road

Convenient locations

in city centres and at airports across the UK*

First 22-charger hub

live in Park Lane, London now

Driver lounges

providing free WiFi, phone charging, hot and cold drinks and snacks, toilets and seating areas+

Our investment in fleet charging hubs aims to give fleet owners and managers the confidence to transition to electric vehicles. We’ll keep your business moving.

Contact Fleethubs-bppulse@bp.com today to get access for your fleet.

* Hub sites in locations in central London, as well as at Heathrow, Gatwick and other central locations in Manchester and Birmingham are planned for later in the year. ** Depending on your vehicle + Where sites allow

Royal Mail is up for the Private Sector Commercial Fleet award, for its first ever delivery office to feature an all-electric fleet of collection and delivery vehicles company in the world to set a measurable climate protection target, to improve CO2 efficiency by 30% by 2020. This goal was achieved, four years ahead of schedule so in 2017 it took this one step further, introducing Mission 2050 - DHL’s ambition to reduce all logistics-related emissions to net zero by 2050. Electrification of its final mile fleet is key to achieving this goal.

The company now has 60 electric vans operating across the UK and a further 50 will be introduced before the end of the year, with 220 more before the end of 2022.

At this stage, 25% of its fleet will be electric.

DHL has also launched a riverboat parcel delivery service on the Thames, supported by power-assisted bikes which reduces the number of vehicles on the road.

Royal Mail is also up for the award for its first ever delivery office to feature an all-electric fleet of collection and delivery vehicles. The Bristol East Central Delivery Office has had its 23 diesel vans replaced by fully electric equivalents. Twelve charging points have been installed on the site as part of the transformation,

GREENFLEET Awards

 ParcelShop network and has successfully trialled on-foot street-portering and local deliveries by electric eCargo bikes.

Also recognised for its use of natural gas is food supplier Moy Park which has taken on 50 Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) IVECO Stralis NP. The trucks run on 100% Bio-LNG sourced through anaerobic digestion, with Roadgas commissioning an on-site refuelling station and providing an extensive training course to those involved in its operation.

The creation of gas fuels through anaerobic digestion means that Moy Park can take advantage of ultimate emissions reductions, negating waste output by collecting the gases given off for vehicle fuel while solids can be used as fertiliser for farms, locking carbon into earth and away from the atmosphere.

The new biogas trucks are expected to cover around 160,000kms a year each, which Moy Park estimates will offset around an impressive 5,600 tonnes of CO2 annually.

In-house trials have demonstrated that vehicles running on biomethane reduced CO2 emissions by more than 80%. This is a huge step forward in transitioning its own entire core fleet of 120 tractor units to gas by 2023. What’s more Moy Park has invested in electric car charging points and has revised its company car policy so only EVs or PHEVs can be introduced.

DHL Express has also been shortlisted for Private Sector Commercial Fleet of the Year (Medium to Large). In 2008, DHL launched GoGreen and became the first logistics

powered from renewable sources.

The Bristol all-electric office project forms part of Royal Mail’s rollout of zero emission final mile vehicles. In June, Royal Mail announced a ten-fold increase in the number of electric vehicles it runs across its UK fleet with plans to introduce around 3,000 additional electric vans throughout the UK. In May, the company announced the launch of 29 low emission gas powered trucks, fuelled

by Bio-Compressed Natural Gas (Bio-CNG).

British Gas, owned by parent company Centrica, has been shortlisted for an award.

It has rolled out just shy of 1,000 electric vehicles as it aggressively replaces its fleet of diesel vehicles, bringing its fleet total to about 10 per cent currently – and 31 per cent by the end of 2022. Centrica has agreed to be full EV by the end of 2025 and has a strategy for procuring no further diesels after 2021. British Gas has also opened a salary sacrifice scheme for its employees to enable them to access electric vehicles.

Centrica has also developed a system and driver app which manages charging, both at home, work/depot and publicly. E

Parcel deliveries that don’t cost the earth central London and we’ve ordered 168 new zero-emission Mercedes-Benz eSprinters to service our out-of-home ParcelShop network.

This is the most carbon-efficient way to send, receive or return parcels, and we aim to undertake all ParcelShop collections with electric vehicles at the earliest opportunity.

We’ve entered the GreenFleet awards on numerous occasions but we’re particularly excited to be shortlisted this year. Due to Covid and Brexit, it’s been a challenging time for our sector. The pandemic changed the retail landscape dramatically as people turned to home delivery. Parcel volumes soared to unprecedented levels and we had to act quickly, effectively implementing our five-year growth plan in just five months. We successfully delivered more than 650million parcels in 2020-21, our biggest year on record.

As a responsible carrier, it’s never been more important to recognise our impact on the environment and to consolidate our commitment to do the right thing for our people and clients. Sustainability and ethics are at the forefront of our operating model as we move along the road to net zero.

Our fleet We use a biomethane CNG-powered fleet as an alternative to diesel and currently have 90 CNG tractor units. We’ve ordered another 70, bringing the total to 160 – 50 per cent of our core tractor fleet. This will give us the UK’s largest CNG parcel delivery fleet. Approximately 40 per cent of our first-mile fleet is powered by CNG. Each new IVECO S-WAY unit reduces CO2 emissions by more than 80 per cent when compared to a Euro 6 diesel vehicle – a reduction of 150 tonnes of CO2 per vehicle and 24,000+ tonnes of CO2 across the entire CNG fleet annually.

Meanwhile, electric vans give us an alternative fuels option for all journeys. Our Gemini site operates with 100 per cent electric vehicles to service final-mile deliveries in

What else are we doing?

Our flagship hubs and depots feature a host of eco innovations including solar panels, rainwater harvesting, CNG fuelling and electric vehicle charging points. Our cutting-edge products and services include packageless returns, parcel diversions to ParcelShops and Lockers (reducing time spent on the road), on-foot street portering and local-to-local deliveries via electric bike.

It’s all part of our wider ESG (environment, social and governance) strategy. As the business continues to grow, we’re working hard to support retail clients and customers with sustainable delivery solutions. Our key targets are to reduce building energy consumption by 20% per parcel by 2030 and to hit net zero for direct and indirect carbon emissions by 2035. L FURTHER INFORMATION myhermes.co.uk/environmentsocial-and-governance

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An efficient waste service for Westminster

Westminster City Council are working in partnership with Veolia to modernise the delivery of Westminster’s waste and cleansing services and ensure they’re delivered in a more efficient, environmentally friendly manner.

Westminster is a busy city with over 220,000 residents, 50,000 businesses and 1 million visitors every day (pre-covid).

We make a million individual waste and recycling collections every week. There are more than 100 street cleaning vehicles running every day of the week. That adds

up to a significant amount of carbon – nearly 3000 tonnes of carbon a year.

Street cleansing services in the West End are now fully electric for the first time; one quarter of the Westminster’s dieselpowered fleet have been replaced with 60 fully electric specialist vehicles ranging from electric flushers, waste buggies (Goupils), electric bikes to electric road sweepers generating a saving of approximately 480 tonnes of CO2 and NOx emissions per year.

The new fleet will be one of the largest operated by a waste and street cleansing

contract in any local authority in the UK. These new and upcycled vehicles are helping to reduce emissions, part of Westminster’s commitment to becoming a carbon neutral council by 2030 and a carbon neutral City by 2040. The electric fleet will provide an 89% reduction of CO2e emissions compared to a diesel fleet. It will also help improve air quality and lower noise pollution as electric motors are significantly quieter.

Veolia’s energy teams have supported Westminster in installing smart charging infrastructure across Westminster’s West End depots, with Farm Street depot in Mayfair being fully electric, to ensure vehicles can be charged to meet the demands of the service.

The Council and Veolia are rolling out more electric vehicles throughout the city over the next 12 months. The Council is also actively replacing the 40 large refuse trucks and 15 medium size vehicles with fully electric equivalent vehicles. From autumn 2022, these vehicles will be charged by the power generated from the incineration of the Westminster household waste, making it a closed loop operation.L FURTHER INFORMATION www.westminster.gov.uk

Eric Wright Group is pleased to be shortlisted in two award categories at the 2021 GREENFLEET Awards this December

When I joined Eric Wright in 2007 the fleet was 99 cars and 10 vans. This is now 302 cars and 159 light commercials, managed by myself and Sue McGuigan, our fleet administration manager.

We’ve worked hard to gain buy-in right across the Group, allaying people’s concerns about switching to EVs. As well as setting an example as an early adopter (I’ve been an EV driver since 2013) we’ve carried out a major education programme and ensure support for people during transition. Our group

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policy on company vehicles is that only EV or hybrid vehicles are now available.

We benchmark all vehicles on a four year/100,000 mls replacement cycle. We’re constantly looking at ways to reduce cost from fuel usage, telematics and journey planning. We’re investing heavily in the charging infrastructure across our property portfolio and will increase HQ charging points from five to 40 starting next year.

We set a target of 50 per cent of our fleet being ultra-low emission vehicles by 2025 and are set to smash through this by the end of 2022.

Our fleet is 22-29 g of C02 less than the construction sector average and are projected to reach 0g C02 by 2030. This is ahead of both the lease corporate fleet and the construction sector, which will be closer to 50g of C02 by 2030.

Alternative fuels account for 47 per cent of the fleet, higher than the LA corporate fleet and the construction sector, which are 26-31 per cent.

42 per cent of our fleet are ULEVs, which is higher than the peer group and our corporate fleet which sits at 19-24 per cent.

DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net

In July 2021, we had 42 BEVs on fleet and our order bank will take that to 95 per cent BEVs or PHEVs. We have an open book partnership with our funders so they have full transparency and can see where the costs sit. This has allowed our partners to offer enhanced agreements so both parties share the gains and savings.

I’m on the Association of Fleet Professionals light commercial vehicle committee, looking into best practice and LCV operations. We are lobbying government on change to support our road operations, increase awareness of best practice and support fleet managers in running compliant, effective operations.

The Group is now class-leading in EV adoption, out-performing many of our contemporaries in reducing carbon emissions and environmental impact. L

By Steve Openshaw, group fleet manager, Eric Wright Group FURTHER INFORMATION www.ericwright.co.uk

GREENFLEET Awards

 Public Sector Commercial Fleet of the Year (Small to Medium) The University of Birmingham has been shortlisted for an award in the Public Sector Commercial Fleet of the Year category.

In April 2020, the University’s total fleet was 114 vehicles, with a total CO2 of 11,268 g/Km. By July 2021, the CO2 had reduced down to 10,110 g/Km. By replacing vehicles with the cleanest engines, the University achieved a reduction of just over 10 per cent. In addition to this, the fleet now is 51 per cent alternatively fuelled, which puts the University well on track to achieve its next milestone of 60 per cent by 2025.

Dundee City Council is also up for a GREENFLEET Award this year, for its 150sized electric fleet, which is reported to be the largest of any local authority.

The overarching aim is for all council cars, as well as small and medium vans, to be electric by the end of 2023. However,

the transformation of larger fleet vehicles has also been a focus, with the recent introduction of six electric Refuse Collection Vehicles, two Orion E Mellor minibuses and a pure electric Johnston sweeper.

What’s more, 26 per cent of all taxis in Dundee are fully electric. Alongside vehicle expansion, the council’s public charging infrastructure now includes 39 rapid chargers and 82 fast charging posts.

The switch to electric vehicles has seen the council travel more that 5.6 million miles on pure electric, saving an estimated 250,000 tons of CO2 in the process.

Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue has made the shortlist for a GREENFLEET Award for its switch to a cleaner fuel for its fleet of 162 vehicles, including its fire engines.

In a move believed to be the first in the country, the fire service will be changing the fuel in its own fuel stores to Gas-ToLiquid, (GTL) fuel. GTL converts natural

gas – the cleanest-burning fossil fuel – into high-quality liquid fuel that would otherwise be made from crude oil.

Also in the Public Sector Commercial Fleet category is AGH Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of Airedale General Hospital Foundation Trust.

The transport team has 13 vehicles and covers approximately 20,000 miles a month.

To reduce the environmental impact this high mileage, the team has moved over half of its fleet to electric vehicles. It has five fully electric cars with a further three electric vans due to start in early November.

It is anticipated that this will reduce their CO2 emissions by up to 1,862kg per month and have a huge impact on the health of its patients in the community. It will also be looking to move to a fully electric fleet in 2022, battery range permitting.

Recognised for its environmentally-friendly waste and cleansing fleet, Westminster City E Issue 136 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Optimise your fleet to align with your sustainability and mobility goals, while controlling your costs Europcar Mobility Group delivers: • Electric and hybrid vehicles • Car, van and specialist vehicle rentals and subscriptions • Corporate car sharing • Dedicated and mixed-use car club vehicles • Technology to turn your existing fleet into a car club • Pool car vehicles

FOR MOBILITY PROVIDER OF THE YEAR

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DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER COMMERCIAL FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net

Public Sector Commercial Fleet of the Year (Medium to Large) Oxford Direct Services (ODS) is in the running for having the greenest public sector commercial fleet. In the last year and

a half, ODS has purchased 41 new electric vehicles, almost quadrupling its total to 55 with another 26 due in 2022. This makes 17 per cent of its 324 road vehicles electric.

These new vehicles are a mix of LCVs, cars and also a few specialist items such as a refuse collection truck and excavator.

These extra vehicles should provide an annual fleet CO2 emissions saving in excess of 83 tonnes. ODS also has a target to convert 25 per cent of the fleet to electric by 2023, with the ambitious goal to grow this much higher in the next few years.

Also in the running for the award is West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS), which is the only service in the country to operate a five year replacement cycle for its front line operational fleet. This has allowed them to keep pace with and implement improvements in technology.

WMAS’ Fiat Ducato based ambulance is the lightest weight fully operational front line NHS emergency ambulance in the country.

NHS Improvement recently conducted a benchmarking exercise of all 10 english ambulance service fleets – WMAS’s model was recognised as class leading and has now become the basis for the National Ambulance Specification. In 2020, WMAS unveiled the world’s first fully electric front line emergency ambulance, which has been in operation since November 2020. It has also successfully implemented two electric rapid response cars in April 2021, and in December, two fully electric PTS (patient transport service) vehicles

will be put into operation. WMAS has also transitioned its IT support team from diesel vehicles into LEVC hybrids and it has a number of fully electric Peugeot Experts due for delivery in February 2022.

Hull City Council has been recognised for making great strides in its electrification progress.The Council has a commitment to electrify its fleet below 3.5 tones by 2025 and the remainder to be electric or hydrogen traction by 2030. The Council has had electric pool cars for several years and over the last 12 months has increased the number of electric vehicles to 33 electric vehicles.

The remaining 149 will be become battery electric vehicles over the next four years.

To support this 44 charging points have been introduced across its main car parks, crematorium, mortuary, and depots. The Council has estimated that electrifying the fleet below 3.5 tonnes by 2025 will reduce the Councils overall carbon emissions by 1.25 per cent, saving 210 tonnes of carbon.

GREENFLEET Awards

 Council and Veolia have been shortlisted for an award. The 286 specialist vehicles have a carbon footprint of 2954t of CO2 pa. WCC has secured funding to test modern technologies, such as hydrogen powered trucks and upcycling end of life old diesel large trucks to fully electric and alternative fuels, such as HVO and CNG. This project led to Westminster City Council being named winner of the Circular Economy Success category at the Awards for Excellence. This, along with the emissions savings, has enabled the Council to secure additional funding to transform the whole of west end cleansing operations to zero emission operations.

Quarter of the 286 various vehicles operating on standard diesel have been replaced with fully electric specialist vehicles, ranging from electric flushers, waste buggies (Goupils), electric bikes to electric road sweepers, generating a saving of around 480kT of CO2 and NOx emissions per annum. The Council is also actively replacing the 40 large refuse trucks and 15 medium size vehicles with fully electric equivalent vehicles and charging these vehicles by the power generated from the incineration of the Westminster household waste.

Private Sector Fleet Manager of the Year Focusing on the individuals leading the way in green fleet management, there are categories for Fleet Manager of the Year in both the private and public sectors.

Shortlisted for Private Sector Fleet Manager of the Year, sponsored by Europcar Mobility Group, is Steve Openshaw from Eric Wright Group, who has been shortlisted for his work with EVs. James Hornsby from The Co-operative Group meanwhile E

TMC are delighted to have been shortlisted for the IT Innovation Award and GreenFleet Award for Industry Innovation

We launched TMC-e in July 2020 to help businesses transition to, and manage, electric vehicles with confidence, based on real-world data about their fleets.

The service includes identifying which vehicles could be swapped for electric vehicles based on their trip data (using our app to record journeys) as well as the ongoing analysis of electric vehicles once live within their fleets.

A key area of TMC-e is the reimbursement of electric vehicle drivers for business mileage. Cost per

business mile should be factored into the initial Whole Life Cost Analysis. But in reality, many businesses only consider how they will reimburse drivers for business mileage once employees start using electric vehicles.

Our elegant reimbursement tools are really simple for drivers.

Here is quick summary of how our flexible solution works; firstly drivers record their business mileage on the go with our app, via our online system, or we can take a telematics feed. Then we audit every business journey. We then offer the reimbursement in various methods, including HMRC’s AER (4ppm). We can also reinburse through TMC Electric Rate.

This is where we have calculated the cost per mile for every EV model on the market. Rates are calculated and published quarterly. We can also reinburse as actual cost reimbursement. Drivers provide details of their energy supplier and tariff.

We can take feeds from any OCCR enabled charge point or drivers can declare their domestic charge activity. We consolidate the home charging costs with any charging on company premises or public charging

and calculate what is owed to the driver.

We provide a payroll file for the employee to reimburse drivers. Each driver also receives a monthly statement.

For commercial vehicle drivers with telematics it’s even simpler. They supply details of their energy supplier, tariff and home postcode, we take their telematics feed and overlay their charging events with the longitude and latitude to identify when the vehicle is charged at their home and auto reimburse them. Drivers can also use our system to claim for public charging.

Alternatively, we offer a charge card that can be used to pay for electricity at 92 per cent of UK public charge points.

We are on a mission to simplify EV mileage reimbursement and help businesses transition smoothly to electric vehicles. Our system is flexible to accommodate whatever method our clients choose to use. Visit tmc. co.uk to find out more. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.tmc.co.uk

Issue 136 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Advertisement Feature

Flexible solutions for flexible ways of working To provide the most efficient and streamlined service possible, The Phoenix Works provides a one-stop-shop for all electric vehicle infrastructure requirements, from network planning to equipment maintenance and servicing

The UK is moving fast towards a zerocarbon future with transport undergoing its greatest transformation in over a century.

EV charging is a significant part of that future and is quickly becoming businesscritical infrastructure for workplaces, businesses, and the public sector. A key issue facing businesses as they make the switch to an electric fleet is the development of quality EVC infrastructure. A durable, scalable and cost-effective implementation to meet customers’ evolving needs, demands a partner with scale, stability, and vision.

Since 2010, The Phoenix Works has been at the forefront of the drive towards cleaner energy, and the pursuit of a net-zero future. In that time we have built strong relationships with the world’s foremost manufacturers of clean-tech equipment, and applied our expertise in renewables infrastructure across multiple sectors.

For those unfamiliar with the EV charging marketplace, it can seem overwhelming.

At The Phoenix Works we aim to turn a complex decision into a simple choice. We work only with equipment that has earned a reputation for outstanding design quality and resilience, and which has undergone exhaustive testing by ourselves.

To provide the most efficient and streamlined service possible, we provide a one-stopshop catering for all EVC infrastructure requirements, from network planning to equipment maintenance and servicing.

We tailor our services to fit your preferred operating model, including subscriptionbased models and other customisable financial arrangements such as our unique EV Charging Service Plan. We understand those wanting to install EV charging systems are often faced with sizeable upfront costs. For a low monthly fee, our EV charging service plan offers industry leading hardware with connectivity, operation and maintenance, spreading the cost of charging hardware, so our customers don’t have to compromise on quality to meet capex restraints.

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Flexible solutions, for flexible ways of working With many businesses operating nationwide, it is common for colleagues to work regionally and remotely. This is a trend which has seen a significant increase over the last 18 months, as businesses adapted to new ways of working. As well as charging hubs at business premises, our EV Charging Service Plan can also incorporate the rollout of EV charge points at employees homes. This allows teams to work more efficiently by starting the day with a full battery, reduces driving times to & from charging centres and uses better route planning, providing an enhanced experience for fleet drivers.

Paired with our smart EV management portal you have total control of your EV

DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net

fleet. This includes visibility of charger status, usage and associated costs. We take care of all EV charge point servicing and maintenance. Our 24/7 driver support centre means employees can contact us day or night with any charging issues Plus the smart EV platform highlights the positive impact your green fleet has on our environment. See how many kWh’s have been used and the CO2 emission savings made, helping you to meet your environmental goals.

With over 8,000 charge points installed and maintained by The Phoenix Works, we have become a trusted long-term partner to our customers. As technology enhances we will continue to create cohesive and forwardlooking solutions to power the businesses of tomorrow, working alongside you to harness the benefits of leading-edge innovation.

Our experienced Automotive & Fleet team can help shape and implement your EV charging strategy for a new and exciting future.

Contact them today at the address below. L FURTHER INFORMATION ev@thephoenixworks.com www.thephoenixworks.com

IT Innovation The IT Innovation award examines the latest advancements in fleet technology, including fleet management software, telematics, route tracking and other IT related transport technology. This is a hotly contested category, with ten entries on the shortlist.

Up for the award is Rightcharge, which matches EV drivers with the right home charge point while also advising on the right EV tariff, with a view to encouraging smart charging, reducing carbon emissions,

ensuring future proofing with load balancing and solar integration options. eDriving is another company hoping to win the IT Innovation award. Its mentor app uses smartphone sensors to collect and analyse driver behaviours most predictive of risk, including acceleration, braking, cornering, speeding, and phone distraction. It delivers personal insights to drivers after each trip, showing positive and negative driving events and, for the driver’s view only, where they occurred.

Through eDriving’s partnership with FICO®, drivers receive an individual FICO® Safe Driving Score, validated for its ability to predict the likelihood of a driver being involved in a collision.

Bringg’s new BringgGreen technology is also up for the IT Innovation award, as well as the Industry Innovation Award. It was built to help retailers and logistics providers reduce carbon emissions and provide green fulfilment options. BringgGreen consists of a comprehensive suite of solutions focused on green fleet selection, carbon reporting, transparent internal and external sustainability communications and business innovation.

It provides customers and partners with education, functionality and data to execute,

manage and track their last-mile sustainability efforts in order to be more eco-efficient and have a positive environmental impact.

Coastr is another company in the running for the IT Innovation award. It is the only all-in-one digital car rental management solution in the market that utilises artificial intelligence and telematics to help rental businesses digitise their end-to-end operations.

The Algorithm People has also been recognised for their innovation in the fleet technology sector. Its new solutions solves a previously unconsidered fleet challenge – the mileage between vehicle and base for reloading. TAP’s Mobile and Transient Hubs Solution (MATHs), developed with Teesside University, can optimise the dynamic relationships between mobile assets (vehicle-to-vehicle routeing). In other words, vehicles can now reload while out on the road, eliminating wasteful back-to-base mileage.

Airmax Remote is also recognised for its technology that helps EV adoption. Airmax has been working to ensure compatibility with EVs, enabling the extraction of robust datasets to provide insight into preemptive maintenance requirements. E

GREENFLEET Awards

 is competing for the title for his work greening the Group’s diverse fleet.

Also within this shortlist is Malcolm Oliver-White from Peel Ports, and Steve Winter from British Gas/Centrica for the company’s aggressive replacement of its diesel vehicles and establishment of an electric salary sacrifice scheme..

Those being recognised for Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year, sponsored by Toyota & Lexus Fleet, is Chris Lane from the University of Birmingham, Kevin Booker from Brecon Beacon Park Authority; Owain Pearce from Oxford Direct Services; Fraser Crichton from Dundee City Council; and Tony Page from West Midlands Ambulance Service.

The IT Innovation award examines the latest advancements in fleet technology, including fleet management software, telematics, route tracking and other IT related transport technology

Issue 136 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Advertisement Feature

Tusker’s green car scheme supports the sustainability agenda and benefits everybody Tusker offers a full range of leasing options for companies of all sizes, including contract hire, daily rental, fleet management and fleet services, and specialise in providing green salary sacrifice car schemes as part of an organisation’s employee benefits package

A proudly carbon neutral company, Tusker offers a full range of leasing options for companies of all sizes, including contract hire, daily rental, fleet management and fleet services, and specialise in providing green salary sacrifice car schemes as part of an organisation’s employee benefits package.

With over 900 customers, Tusker were first to market with their green car schemes in 2009 and since then their fleet has grown to approx. 20,000 cars, providing a sought-after benefit to employees up and down the UK. Since 2013, Tusker has also been committed to making every car they put on the road carbon neutral by offsetting the tailpipe emissions against verified carbon footprint programmes. Tusker as a business has also been proudly carbon neutral for more than a decade and became a net-positive contributor to the environment this year.

Tusker call it Planet Positive Motoring.

Tusker has a team of in-house experts to provide independent advice to every individual Tusker driver based on their individual circumstances. Knowledgeable and impartial, our team ensures all Tusker drivers are driving the right vehicle to suit their needs. For those new to EVs,

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understanding batteries, charging and ranges can be daunting, but with Tusker, choosing the perfect car couldn’t be easier. Over the past 18 months, despite the challenges of the pandemic, Tusker has continued to excel in their core task of helping people into new, affordable, and clean vehicle.

In particular, those working in front line services and key-workers were prioritised, expediting car deliveries across the blue light and governmental sectors, Tusker even organised a no-cost loan of a fleet of electric Smart cars to a team of nurses in need of mobility during the pandemic.

Tusker puts exceptional customer service at the heart of its business, and with a dedicated customer experience team, Tusker enjoys a consistently high CSAT (customer satisfaction) score of above 89 per cent.

The protections offered with vehicles has meant that for many, the flexibility has proved invaluable during a time of change. Tusker provides comprehensive protections as part of its salary sacrifice scheme include cover if an employee leaves the company, falls ill, is made redundant or goes on maternity or paternity leave.

Cover against early termination fees or penalties has been one less worry for many.

DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net

Environmental responsibility is a core Tusker value and the results speak for themselves.

Tusker has seen impressive growth of its salary sacrifice scheme, as it is the most economical way to drive electric for the mass market and they have strong growth from lower tax paying drivers. Tusker works with blue chip companies to promote the take-up of zero and low emission cars on its salary sacrifice scheme. Education on the benefits of electric vehicles, coupled with the increase in choice as manufacturers provide even more electric and low emission cars, has meant that in just three years, Tusker’s average fleet emissions has reduced from 107.9g/Km, to just 37.3g/Km, and so is well on the way to achieving a zero emissions fleet by 2030.

Through consistent advocacy of low and zero emission cars, the switch to EV is well underway with Tusker’s customers, and the momentum is increasing. In 2019, just 13 per cent of Tusker’s salary sacrifice vehicles were EV, climbing to 73 per cent so far in 2021.

For those drivers who still need to opt for a petrol, diesel or ultra-low emission vehicle, Tusker ensures the impact on the environment is minimised as we offset tailpipe emissions.

Using the Verified Carbon Standard offsetting project, internationally recognised bodies in conjunction with The Carbon Footprint organisation record measurable results in carbon offsetting to ensure true measurability.

In 2020 Tusker offset 132 tonnes of C02 via a solar farm project in the Philippines, marking the 10th year as a carbon neutral business.

As a proudly carbon neutral company, Tusker is also a member of the EV100 and a founding partner of World EV Day in 2020.

Tusker remains a passionate advocate for the environment, and are proud to actively help major fleet owners in the UK such as EDF Energy, Engie and AstraZeneca significantly lower their fleet emissions on a daily basis.

If you are considering introducing a car scheme to your workplace, or would like to know more about what Tusker can do to get you behind the wheel of an affordable, new, environmentally friendly vehicle, visit the website or contact Tusker below. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.tuskerdirect.com hello@tuskerdirect.com

GREENFLEET Awards

 Airmax is now compatible with 90%+ of EV brands across more than 100 BEVs, PHEVs and hybrid models. Uniquely, Airmax is an end-to-end SaaS solution provider that can control development because it owns all the corresponding intellectual property throughout the value chain.

Webfleet Solutions is up for both the IT Innovation and Industry Innovation Award for its software solution that has become an indispensable feature of the WEBFLEET SaaS system. The Fleet Electrification Planning Report sits at the heart of the EV toolkit, enabling fleet decision-makers to identify the internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles that could be replaced with EV alternatives.

Drawing upon telematics insights from incumbent vehicles, ‘real world’ mileages can be selected by fleet managers within the planning report, along with criteria ranging from road types to standstill times, to signpost a fleet’s true EV potential.

Maxus Intelligence Onboard is another innovation recognised in this category.

MAXUS partnered with LEVL to create the technology to encourage EV transition, as well as providing detailed data-driven insights to optimise fleet productivity and safety. MAXUS Intelligence Onboard combines the best-in-class electric vehicles from MAXUS with LEVL’s electric vehicle expertise, utilising Geotab’s industryleading electric vehicle telematics. Every MAXUS electric vehicle is now fitted with MAXUS Intelligence Onboard as a standard solution, meaning customers, dealers, and the manufacturer have access to data insights like never before.

Trakm8 has also been shortlisted for the IT Innovation award. It provides marketleading telematics products that address common problems faced by fleet managers.

Delegates at the awards will enjoy a predinner reception, sponsored by MAXUS, followed by dinner and the awards Products such as the Trakm8 Connect 330 help prevent expensive downtime by alerting managers to minor faults before they develop into major ones, encourages safer driving practices and can save dozens of work hours lost to byzantine route management systems and spreadsheets.

The Miles Consultancy (TMC) has been shortlisted for both IT Innovation and Industry Innovation awards. TMC-e was launched in July 2020 to help businesses transition to, and manage, electric vehicles with confidence, based on real-world data about their fleets. The service includes identifying which vehicles could be swapped for electric vehicles based on their trip data, as well as the ongoing analysis of electric vehicles once live within their fleets. A key area of TMC-e is the reimbursement of electric vehicle drivers for business mileage.

Mobility Provider of the Year The shortlist for the Mobility Provider of the Year includes Europcar Mobility Group, which offers a wide range of flexible car and van rental services, and electric car subscription company Onto, which has grown to have the largest pure BEV fleet in the UK with over 4,000 cars as of September.

Co Wheels also makes the shortlist in recognition of its 450-strong fleet of electric, hybrid and effient ICE vehicles, and its innovative approach to sustainability, such as its new partnership with Go North East

which will host Co Wheels membership and bus tickets on one smartcard.

Enterprise provides a range of mobility products and services and is also shortlisted in the Mobility Provider category. Enterprise Car Club has a fleet of vans, electric cars and hybrids, which can be accessed from over 100 branches and more than 1,400 on-street locations in more than 180 cities.

Innovative company Electric Zoo is also shortlisted for its all-in-one solution for electric cars, including leasing, charge point advice and installment, salary sacrifice, and EV suitability studies.

Leasing Company of the Year Tusker has made the shortlist for the 2021 GREENFLEET Awards in the Leasing category. In just three years, Tusker has lowered its average fleet emissions from 107.9g/Km, to just 37.3g/Km, and is on its way to achieving a zero emissions fleet well before its target of 2030.

Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions is also up for the Award, recognised for its growing funded customer fleet of alternative fuelled vehicles and overall pure EV fleet growing 368 per cent in one year.

Also fighting to win the title of Leasing Provider of the Year is LeasePlan. Over the past 12 months, LeasePlan has expanded the remit of its EV Salary Sacrifice offering by creating a tailored version for SMEs that allows smaller E Issue 136 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Advertisement Feature

Over a decade of electric vehicle charging expertise With experience that spans over a decade, SRG Electrical’s portfolio is proud to boast successful electric vehicle charging installations across the commercial, public and domestic sectors

SRG Electrical is an independent electric vehicle charge point installation specialist. Established in 2007 and known for our high quality delivery, in depth technical competence and strong client relationships, within both the domestic and commercial sectors, our EV journey began in 2010 with our works alongside EDF energy at the beginning of the London Olympics for summer 2012.

As successful early adopters in 2010, SRG Electrical stands out as one of the first movers in the UK with a dedicated knowledge & competence which now spans over a decade, with many new start-ups aspiring to our journey.

We are responsible for the charge point infrastructure at some of the country’s most iconic Landmarks and remain a market leader in the UK. SRG Electrical has successfully delivered on direct award tenders and has also been named as an approved and specified installation partner of BP Pulse (the largest on street network of EV Charge points), Telsa, EB charging and Ecotricity for many on street and destination charging locations to the public sector nationwide. Our extensive portfolio is proud to boast the largest quantity of installations across the nation for the public sector by an independent installation company.

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We are experienced with the following brands of charge points for on street installations – BP Pulse, Schneider, ABB, Siemens, Rolec, Alfen, Delta, DBT and EV tronic. Projects also delivered by SRG Electrical include: Downing Street, Cabinet office, Parliament, Hackney Council, Nottingham Council, Haringey Council, Enfield Council, Lambeth Council, Islington Council, Waltham Forest Council, Croydon Council, over 120 London Fire Brigade Stations, NHS Hospitals, Panasonic, Rothchild’s, Bentley London, Ikea, Rexel Head Office, Motorline Dealerships, ABP Ports, HMRC Border Force, Arri international, Mitchells & Butlers (nationwide), Harley Davidson, RAPID Electronics, Renault, Ford, MG, British Telecom, to name but a few.

When you place your trust in SRG Electrical, you will receive a friendly call handler and a simple route through to installation. With over a decade in the industry, you will receive one of our dedicated and technical surveyors to personally visit you, as you would expect from a market leader. Upon welcoming our surveyor to site, we will listen to your requirements, discuss various options and understand your drivers behaviour, from here we will present you with a dedicated

DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net

unique proposal to meet your enquiry. SRG Electrical is recommended by many electric vehicle charging manufacturers, energy providers and also third party installers, due to our work ethics and advanced capabilities. We are proud to state that no other independent, privately owned electric vehicle charging company has installed the volume of charge point infrastructure for businesses that SRG Electrical has achieved.

We are now extremely thrilled to reveal that we have been appointed as a main contractor to deliver on scale for the estate of the Royal Mail on behalf of BP Pulse, this delivery will be the largest infrastructure investment for the largest privately owned fleet in the UK. This milestone will mark our presence within the EV industry, as we all work towards a carbon neutral and sustainable planet.

Some of our amazing reviews from customers: “Have used SRG three times now, every time I have contacted them or had them over to do an install they have been very professional and helpful.

I mainly spoke to Jordan on the phone, who was very knowledgeable, experienced and friendly to discuss any queries that I needed answering. The communication was also very good, keeping me updated and letting me know every detail and process. The installers were always on time, polite and tidied up well after working.

Would always recommend and use SRG Electrical as they’re just so reliable.”

“Excellent service. Arrived on time as booked and did the installation quickly and efficiently. Dealt with all the relevant paperwork and Guys were great - would definitely recommend if you are looking to have a home charger installed.”

“Very helpful throughout the whole process, friendly fitter left a tidy job.

Text day before due to arrive, called an hour before arrival. Top job!” “ Very efficient job. Beautifully finished and care taken not to disturb existing brickwork etc.” L FURTHER INFORMATION www.srgelectrical.co.uk

Charging & Refuelling Infrastructure Provider of the Year The Charging and Refuelling Infrastructure Provider of the Year category is always hotly contested, as the UK moves towards electric transport for 2030.

Shortlisted for this category is ElectrAssure Ltd recognised for its excellent work, having won contracts on over 500 sites for its clients including Volkswagen UK’s eastern seaboard import centres, Western Power Distribution and British Car Auctions. It has also installed five rapid charging installations at car park locations for Uber drivers. In 2021 ElectrAssure was selected to provide National Grid with

EV charging at over 250 of its operational and corporate sites to support their transition to zero emission vehicles in their fleets.

SRG Electrical has also made the shortlist, acknowledging its success of installing EV charging across the country for many clients including BP Pulse, EB Charging, Rolec and EO, as well as for its OCPP public facing backend system.

Osprey Charging is also up for the award for the growth of its network; since the beginning of January 2020, it has grown from just 73 rapid charge points to over 500 charging bays at over 175 sites. This is growth of over 300 per cent, despite national lockdowns. TThroughout 202021 Osprey invested over half a million pounds in developing a proprietary ‘backoffice’ software platform. Its roaming and interoperability achievements include being the launch partner of both Zap Pay and the Octopus Juice Network, using cutting-edge OCPI integration.

Two times winner of the award, Elmtronics is hoping for a hat trick this year. The company has been shortlisted for securing 304 new commercial contract wins, installing significant infrastructure for BMW Group, Vanarama, Metrocentre, Taylor Wimpy, Keltruck Scania, and BMW. It has also been named as Octopus Energy’s official commercial EV charge point supplier and installer.

The Phoenix Works is also up for the award, recognised for its unique EV charging service plan. For a low monthly fee, it

provides industry leading hardware with connectivity, operation and maintenance, spreading the cost of charging hardware, so customers don’t have to compromise on quality to meet capex restraints.

SWARCO has also been recognised in this category. With over 8,500 commercial charge points installed across the UK, SWARCO has continued to support the expansion of electric vehicle charging networks in the UK. Following on from its success in Scotland deploying networks for 32 Councils, SWARCO is working with Transport for Wales and Welsh Councils to install charging infrastructure.

Meanwhile BP Pulse has been shortlisted for both Charging Infrastructure Provider and Industry Innovation in recognition of opening the UK’s first rapid charging hub for fleet vehicles using renewable energy. Its first EV Fleet Charging Hub in London’s Park Lane is the largest rapid charging facility in the city with 22 charging points. The model offered by bp pulse has already attracted the likes of Uber and Gett and stands to meet the needs of all professional drivers, whether it be taxi and delivery drivers or even blue light vehicles, including the Met Police.

Energise Energy Solutions is on the shortlist, recognised for its work offering a one stop shop solution for e-mobility, smart metering and renewable low carbon solutions. So far, the company has powered up over 4,000 vehicles, offsetting over 20,000 tonnes of carbon being released into the environment. E

GREENFLEET Awards

 customers to reap the same economic and environmental benefits as their corporate peers. LeasePlan has increased the number of pure EVs in its risk fleet by around 157 per cent, year-on-year – from 4,338 (end-August-2020) to 11,145 today.

Lex Autolease is also up for the Award, in recognition of its work helping customer’s plug-in fleet transitions. One in five Lex deliveries in 2021 was a BEV, compared to the UK average of one in 12 registrations being BEVs (as per SMMT). In 2021 its ULEV fleet accounts for almost one fifth of its fleet – double that in 2020.

The final company to be shortlisted for an award is Grosvenor, in recognition for its multi-award winning 0Zone solution, which has been supporting companies with the transition to ultra-low emission and electric vehicles for five years.

FUTURE-PROOF YOUR FLEET WITH EV CHARGING Whether you are wanting to attract drivers to your business or manage your own fleet, we can help you find the right solution for your business.

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Full range of end-to-end services

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As an OZEV accredited installer, we can also provide a charging solution that complies with the Workplace Charging Scheme.

Save up to £14,000 Email: chargeme@energise.energy

Website: www.energise.energy Call: 0330 094 5101

Issue 136 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Dundee is home to the highest concentration of electric vehicles of any city in the UK, thanks to Dundee City Council innovation

Since the launch of 100% electric vehicles into its Fleet in 2011, Dundee City Council has become a pioneering force in the uptake of EV infrastructure within local government.

From the introduction of the first four cars and chargers 10 years ago, Dundee is now home to the highest concentration of electric vehicles (EVs) of any city in the UK, with 24% of the Council Fleet being EVs, the largest of any local authority.

The overarching aim is for all council cars, as well as small and medium vans, to be electric by the end of 2023. However, the transformation of larger fleet vehicles has also been a focus from the recent introduction of six electric RCV’s, two Orion

E Mellor minibuses and two pure electric Johnston sweepers.

One of the most significant transport sectors to adopt electric vehicles in Dundee has been the taxi industry, with 25% of all taxis presently 100% electric. This transition to e-mobility has been achieved by progressive policy changes and continued council and taxi trade engagement including a reduced price for taxi testing and mandatory policy that all new private hire vehicles must be electric.

Alongside vehicle expansion, the council’s public charging infrastructure now includes 39 rapid chargers and 200 fast charging points meaning the city can charge approximately 180 vehicles per square mile while the UK, as a whole, can currently charge just 6.6 vehicles per square mile.

Fraser Crichton, Corporate Fleet Manager, for Dundee City Council has been integral to the introduction, development and future proofing of electric vehicle infrastructure from the very beginning.

These chargers are comprised of three rapid charging hubs, three multi-storey charging facilities and on street chargers.

Most recently, Dundee has launched a new

pop-up electric vehicle charging network as part of a £3 million Innovate UK Clean Streets Project with Urban Electric. Innovative, discrete EV chargers have been placed throughout the city, providing a safe and discreet charging solution for the 51% of Dundee residents who don’t have driveways.

Inclusion has been a central objective in Dundee Council’s EV infrastructure strategy in order to achieve long term sustainable change. This can be seen in the location of charging hubs in varying demographical areas, taxi industry involvement, carpools and discount schemes. Fraser has been the leading force behind these initiatives which increases accessibility to cleaner, alternative methods of transport and take a people centred approach to installing emerging technologies in the community.

Looking forward, the council is in the planning stages of further expansion including a 4th rapid charging hub that is designed with accessibility in mind and open to the public.L FURTHER INFORMATION www.dundeecity.gov.uk

As part of its Plan Zero initiative, Mitie supports customers achieve Net-Zero across their built environment and transport operations

Mitie’s transition to an electric fleet launched in December 2018 with an initial target to convert 20% of its cars and small vans to electric by the end of 2020. With the first electric vehicle (EV) joining the fleet in May 2019, the rollout has only accelerated since. Mitie now has the largest pure electric fleet in the UK, with more than 1,700 electric cars, vans, and even a gritter, as of November 2021. These EVs prevent more than 8,500 tonnes of carbon from being emitted every year, and the transition to zero emission vehicles has already saved the business more than £1.5million, thanks to the lower maintenance, taxation, and fuel costs associated with EVs. Mitie has installed more than 1,200 charge points at its offices, employees’ homes and

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its customers’ sites. Through its innovative partnership with Mina, Mitie is able to pay for the electricity its employees use to charge at home directly, meaning its colleagues are never out of pocket for fuel expenses.

This platform is then also used to encourage employees to power their homes with renewable sources.

Alongside Mitie’s EV transition, the business also continuously introduces new measures to ensure its remaining petrol and diesel fleet is as environmentally efficient as possible. As well as regular training for its fleet drivers the business has also introduced technology to encourage positive behaviour, such as driver behaviour ‘lightbars’ that prevent idling by sounding a buzzer, which saves 195 tonnes of carbon annually,

DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net

addressing and eliminating inefficient driving techniques. As a result of all these measures, Mitie has achieved a 28% reduction in fuel consumption year on year.

Mitie continues to lead UK businesses with its ambitious EV commitments and accomplishments. By planning and implementing this strategy through its own in-house team, it has developed the knowledge and expertise to support its customers along their own electrification and decarbonisation journeys and have a much wider impact than just its own business.

This is a key part of Mitie’s Plan Zero initiative, to support other businesses in achieving Net Zero across their operations, including transport. As a result, Mitie has developed a range of services to help organisations looking to switch to EVs but unsure where to start, from end-to-end, integrated EV infrastructure solutions for customers, through to acting as a one-stop shop to create and deliver their EV transition strategies.L FURTHER INFORMATION www.mitie.com www.planzerocarbon.com

 GREENFLEET Award for Industry Innovation The GREENFLEET Award for Industry Innovation is another hotly contested category, with companies and organisations striving to help the UK meet net zero ambitions in innovative ways.

One such company is DriveTech which has recently added an innovative new way of communicating safety with professional drivers via Driver’s Mate.

Designed to remind drivers of their moral and legal obligations just before getting behind the wheel, this innovative series of 90-second videos champions and reinforces on-road safety practices.

Masternaut has also been shortlisted in this category for its end to end solution designed to help fleet managers in delivering their EV transition. The company uses the telematics data gathered from the customer fleet to analyse the daily mileage profile of each vehicle, and make recommendations on their suitability for EV transition. When it comes to managing and optimising an electric fleet, the company connects not only drivers and vehicles, but also chargepoints, to ensure customers achieve efficient charging.

Also recognised for their innovation in addressing a real barrier to EV adoption for many, Motability & Designability are working on a world-leading project to ensure that future electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure is inclusive and accessible for disabled people. The charities have teamed up with the Department for Transport, OZEV and the British Standards Institute to start work on creating the design standards.

The AA is also up for the award for its Freewheeling Hub, which is a game-changing innovation which has already transformed its breakdown service for thousands of itscustomers. The industry-first is a new addition to the AA’s Multi-Fit Wheel kit and a clever way for its patrols to safely tow vehicles, such as electric vehicles (EVs), 4x4s and SUVs, which normally cannot be ‘lifted’ and towed on two wheels. As well as rescuing EVs, the Freewheeling Hub can be fixed to the rear wheels of stricken vehicles so they can be towed rather than having to wait for a flatbed recovery vehicle.

ULEMCo is also up for the award for its work on project ZERRO (Zero Emission Rapid Response Operation) for the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust. The project has developed a zero-emission electric fuelcell ambulance using a base electric vehicle designed by Mellor and an integrated fuel cell system designed by ULEMCo, which can provide power directly to the motor and/ or recharge the vehicle’s battery. The fuel cell uses hydrogen, which is stored onboard, and oxygen from the air to generate high voltage electricity which is transferred to

the vehicle. This technology uses renewable energy resources, and the only emission is water. The prototype has been built and has been displayed at COP26.

Other companies in the Industry Innovation Category are Ground Control Ltd, Webfleet Solutions, Bp Pulse, and The Miles Consultancy (TMC).

Manufacturer cateogries The Fleet Car Manufacturer of the Year Award is presented to the car manufacturer that has improved CO2 ratings of its standard fleet offerings and expanded the range of ultra low and zero emission options available to fleet customers.

The shortlist includes BMW, Citroën, Hyundai, Kia, Peugeot, Renault, Toyota, and Vauxhall.

PHEV Manufacturer of the Year is presented to the manufacturer of either a commercial or consumer PHEV that has demonstrated the best performance and best suitability for purpose in its class.

The shortlist in this category is BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Peugeot, Volkswagen, and Volvo.

With the UK working towards phasing out petrol and diesel vehicles, the Electric Vehicle Manufacturer of the Year category grows in size year by year. The shortlist for the 2021 award is MAXUS (Harris Automotive Distributors), MG Motor UK, Hyundai, Kia, Peugeot, Renault, Tesla, Vauxhall and Volkswagen.

The LCV Manufacturer of the Year award recognises the efforts made by manufacturers to reduce CO2 and increase fuel economy in the Light Commercial Vehicle Sector. Those competing for the award are Citroën, Fiat Professional, Ford, Peugeot, Renault PRO+, Vauxhall, Volkswagen and MAXUS (Harris Automotive Distributors).

Looking at the heavier vehicles, the LGV Manufacturer of the Year recognises advancements in the Large Goods Vehicle Sector (Over 7.5 Tonnes). On the shortlist are Mercedes Benz Trucks UK, IVECO, DAF Trucks, FUSO, Renault Trucks, Scania, Volta Trucks, and Volvo Trucks.

New for this year is the GREENFLEET Vehicle of the Year award, sponsored by the Algorithm People. As more and more manufacturers introduce cleaner, innovative models to their offering, this category will recognise the car, van or truck that has made the biggest impact on the UK fleet sector in 2021. The shortlist for this category is the MAXUS e DELIVER 9, BMW i4, Hyundai IONIQ 5, Kia EV6, MG ZS EV, Peugeot e-208, Vauxhall Vivaro-e, and the Toyota Proace Electric.

On the night, there will be some special announcements, including which

While the Covid-19 pandemic continues to disrupt our lives, the green transport agenda does not lose pace, as the GREENFLEET Awards has shown.

GREENFLEET Awards

The GREENFLEET Award for Industry Innovation is another hotly contested category, with ten shortlisted organisations

The GREENFLEET Award for Outstanding Achievement

The government announcement that new petrol and diesel vehicles will no longer be sold from 2030 will no doubt accelerate the green transport agenda and focus minds.

But there are individuals that have been flying the environmental-fleet flag for years and have been making excellent progress in reducing the environmental impact of their fleet operations.

Each year year, the GREENFLEET recognises and celebrates such individuals, with the presentation of the GREENFLEET Award for Outstanding Achievement. There is no shortlist, and the winner is announced on the night.

Previous winners include Nissan GB and the fleet team at Milk and More, who adopted a full electric fleet comprising 500 vehicles, which was at the time, the largest EV fleet in the country.

organisation will be presented with the Outstanding Achievement Award, sponsored by the Algorithm People, as well as the individuals selected as EV Champions and AFV Champions for their efforts promoting electric vehicles and other greener fuels. L

FURTHER INFORMATION Further information on the awards shortlist can be found at www.greenfleet.net and www.greenfleetawards.co.uk E

Issue 136 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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GREENFLEET Awards

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GREENFLEET Awards 2021 Shortlist IT Innovation Award Rightcharge eDriving Bringg Coastr The Algorithm People Airmax Remote Ltd Webfleet Solutions Maxus Intelligence Onboard Trakm8 The Miles Consultancy (TMC) _________________________________ Mobility Provider of the Year Europcar Mobility Group Onto Co Wheels Enterprise Electric Zoo _________________________________ Leasing Company of the Year Tusker Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions LeasePlan UK Lex Autolease Grosvenor _________________________________ Fleet Car Manufacturer of the Year BMW Citroën Hyundai Kia Peugeot Renault Toyota Vauxhall _________________________________ PHEV Manufacturer of the Year BMW Hyundai Kia Peugeot Volkswagen Volvo _________________________________ Electric Vehicle Manufacturer of the Year MAXUS (Harris Automotive Distributors) MG Motor UK Limited Hyundai Kia Peugeot Renault Tesla Vauxhall Volkswagen _________________________________ LCV Manufacturer of the Year Citroën Fiat Professional Ford Peugeot Renault PRO+ Vauxhall Volkswagen MAXUS (Harris Automotive Distributors) _________________________________

LGV Manufacturer of the Year Mercedes Benz Trucks UK IVECO DAF Trucks FUSO Renault Trucks Scania Volta Trucks Volvo Trucks _________________________________ GREENFLEET Vehicle of the Year MAXUS e DELIVER 9 BMW i4 Hyundai IONIQ 5 Kia EV6 MG ZS EV Peugeot e-208 Vauxhall Vivaro-e Toyota Proace Electric _________________________________ Charging & Refuelling Infrastructure Provider of the Year ElectrAssure Ltd SRG Electrical Osprey Charging Elmtronics The Phoenix Works SWARCO BP Pulse Energise Energy Solutions _________________________________ GREENFLEET Award for Industry Innovation Bringg DriveTech (UK) Ground Control Ltd Webfleet Solutions Bp Pulse The Miles Consultancy (TMC) Masternaut Motability & Designability The AA ULEMCo _________________________________ Private Sector Car Fleet of the Year, sponsored by Elmtronics Chestertons Ground Control Ltd The Co-operative Group Co Wheels Mitie Eric Wright Group _________________________________ Public Sector Car Fleet of the Year Brecon Beacons National Park Authority Scottish Water Lake District National Park Authority _________________________________ Private Sector Commercial Fleet of the Year (Small to Medium) Apex Lifts Nicholls Transport Lyreco Peel Ports _________________________________

DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net

Private Sector Commercial Fleet of the Year (Medium to Large) Co-operative Group Hermes Moy Park DHL Express Royal Mail British Gas Mitie _________________________________ Public Sector Commercial Fleet of the Year (Small to Medium) University of Birmingham Dundee City Council Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue AGH Solutions / Airedale General Hospital Westminster City Council and Veolia _________________________________ Public Sector Commercial Fleet of the Year (Medium to Large) ODS (Oxford Direct Services/Oxford City Council) West Midlands Ambulance Service Hull City Council _________________________________ Private Sector Fleet Manager of the Year Steve Openshaw - Eric Wright Group James Hornsby - The Co-operative Group Malcolm Oliver-White - Peel Ports Steve Winter, British Gas _________________________________ Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year, sponsored by Toyota & Lexus Fleet Chris Lane - University of Birmingham Kevin Booker – Brecon Beacon Park Authority Owain Pearce - ODS (Oxford Direct Services/Oxford City Council) Fraser Crichton - Dundee City Council Tony Page - West Midlands Ambulance Service _________________________________ GREENFLEET Award for Outstanding Achievement, sponsored by The Algorithm People To be announced on the night. _________________________________ GREENFLEET AFV Champions To be announced on the night. _________________________________ GREENFLEET EV Champions To be announced on the night. _________________________________

GF GreeNFLeeT

AWArDS 2021

Advertisement Feature

Osprey’s customer-focused technology strategy Osprey Charging Network has cemented its position as one of the UK’s leading charging networks.

By putting the driver at the centre of everything it does, Osprey is quickly becoming the partner of choice for landowners, local authorities, and fleet roaming operators

Over the past year Osprey Charging Network has become one of the UK’s leading public charging networks, not just in numbers of charging stations but crucially in customer satisfaction and technical innovation. From just 73 rapid charge points in 2020, the network has grown to over 500 charging bays at over 175 brilliant locations. This is an increase of over 300 per cent, despite national lockdowns.

Osprey works closely alongside their local authority and landlord partners to choose and install the correct type and number of charge points for the destination. They also continually review charging and car technology as well as customer needs and trends. This, and not being tied to a particular supplier, means Osprey are at the forefront of public network technological innovation in 2021, both in terms of the physical chargers they install and the back-office software to support them.

Experience is a key driver in everything Osprey do. Rather than chasing ever higherpower chargers that only serve a fraction of cars for a few minutes of their total charge time, Osprey’s customer-focussed strategy is to give maximum useable power to as many customers as possible at the same time, which as a result alleviates acute concern about charger availability.

The success of this customer-focused technology strategy is evident in Osprey’s top three ranking in two major consumer satisfaction surveys of public charging

networks in 2020 and 2021: both WhatCar? and Zap-Map, in which they rose sharply from being ranked 8th in 2019.

This strategy saw Osprey install the first Tritium RTM-75kW units in Europe in May 2021, and the very first public Kempower charge points in the UK in September 2021. At a Kempower hub, charging posts dynamically share power to optimise charging across vehicles when more than one EV is plugged in at the same time, distributing power based on demand (which varies significantly across vehicles and battery state).

This can significantly reduce charging session times for drivers; thus maximising the speed, parking bay turnover and availability of chargers. The load-balancing technology also means that grid connections are optimised, allowing multiple chargers to be installed per site, offering higher charging speeds without the need for greater investment. The physical footprint of each charger is also reduced by 74 per cent, allowing space for more chargers, improved accessibility and reducing their visual impact to support planning permission.

Throughout 2020-21 Osprey invested over half a million pounds in developing a proprietary ‘back-office’ charger management software platform.

This allowed them to reinforce their position as the UK’s leading network for interoperability and roaming, and to continually improve their customer

experience, especially for fleet drivers.

Osprey were the EV launch partner of Allstar in 2019, and since then have broadened their relationships with fleet fuel providers to now include NewMotion, DKV (Charge4Europe), Paua and Mina. Osprey’s roaming and interoperability achievements also include being the launch partner of both Zap Pay and the Octopus Juice Network, using cutting-edge OCPI integration.

These are prime examples of where innovation in service platforms for both fleet and private drivers require marketleading integrations. Osprey’s commitment to this area of development via their own back office means that they have this year delivered partnerships to ensure that all drivers can charge on the Osprey network in the way that is easiest for them (whether that be by bank card, available on all Osprey chargers, or something more sophisticated).

The back-office software also gives the 24/7 customer service teams maximum ability to view, assess and resolve charge point issues. It provides a vast capability in data analytics, allowing them to continually and quickly identify opportunities to improve the Osprey network and the customer experience at each individual site.

Osprey are continuing to strengthen their offering, having recently announced their rollout of a high-powered charging hub network across the UK. Aiming to make charging anxiety a thing of the past, a total of 1,500 150-175KW rapid chargers will be installed across the hubs, which will be located on strategic A-roads and adjacent to motorways, promising drivers speed and availability across the country.

Osprey Charging Network have cemented their position as one of the UK’s leading charging networks. By putting the driver at the centre of everything they do, Osprey are quickly becoming the partner of choice for both landowners, local authorities, and fleet roaming operators. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.ospreycharging.co.uk

Issue 136 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Road Test Written by Richard Gooding

FIRST DRIVE

Citroën e-C4 Shine Plus Citroën’s first mainstream electric model brings a new take to the family hatchback sector.

Richard Gooding finds a car with a distinctive, different and comfortable character What is it?

The distinctive curved shape and individual three and five-door body styles of the first generation of Citroën’s C4 family hatchback ensured it stood out when it arrived in 2004.

The second-generation car ditched the offbeat appearance and was more in keeping with its rivals, but for the third-generation model, distinctive-ness is back.

SUV styling cues mix with a coupé roofline, the new C4 marking the rebirth of a comfortfocused Citroën. Petrol, diesel and all-electric models are on offer, the e-C4 using the same 100kW motor and 50kWh battery drivetrain and e-CMP platform as the Peugeot e-208 and Vauxhall Corsa-e among others.

How long does it take to charge?

On a home wallbox, the e-C4’s battery can be recharged from flat to full in around eight hours.

Connected to a 100kW rapid charger, this drops to 30 minutes for an 80 per cent capacity fill.

of the rear window could better, too, as the glass is dissected by the rear spoiler, hampering visibility. However, Citroën does counter this by fitting parking sensors and a rear view camera.

Billed as introducing a return to comfortorientated Citroëns, the e-C4 has ‘Advanced Comfort’ seats. With thicker foam and wider cushions, they are certainly comfortable.

Fitted with ‘Progressive Hydraulic Cushion’ suspension, the e-C4 feels softer than some rivals but rides well, if not quite delivering the ‘magic carpet ride’ Citroën is aiming for.

This relaxed demeanour suits the car well however. The near-silence of its electric drivetrain heightens the calming experience, and the e-C4 has less road and wind noise than its Mokka-e relative. There is some roll in sharper corners, but you don’t hustle the e-C4, just enjoy its relaxed appeal.

As with other models based on the e-CMP architecture, Eco, Normal and Sport driving modes are available, with two levels of brake regeneration, the more severe ‘B’ mode offering one-pedal driving. Handily, Citroën has also included a shortcut button marked with a lightning flash to bring up the EV driving functions on the centre touchscreen.

How does it drive?

The interior of the e-C4 might not be quite as inventive as the exterior, but it’s still very modern. A frameless digital display sits ahead of the driver, with a 10-inch colour touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard. While this controls most of the car’s functions, Citroën has included a physical bank of air conditioning controls.

Another neat touch is the Smart Pad Support Citroën, which is a retractable tray and stand that slides out from the dashboard above the glovebox, with the idea of providing somewhere for the front seat passenger’s device if they want to look at on the move.

Elsewhere, fit and finish is good, but the Vauxhall Mokka-e, also based on the same e-CMP platform, feels more premium. The design

What does it cost?

The entry £30,895 (including the government PiCG) Sense Plus e-C4 includes 18-inch alloy wheels, an auto-dimming rear view mirror, dual-zone climate control, a head-up display, LED headlights, a 10-inch colour touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as navigation.

Shine e-C4s are priced from £31,845 and gain adaptive cruise control, dark-tinted rear windows, parking sensors, a heated steering wheel, a host of safety systems, and keyless entry.

Range-topping Shine Plus versions – as tested here – start at £32,495, and add a premium sound system with upgraded speakers, electric driver’s seat adjustment,

What range does it have?

Launched earlier this year but recently upgraded, the e-C4’s official range is between 217 and 219 miles.

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DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER COMMERCIAL FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net/commercial

heated front seats, leather trim, four USB sockets, and wireless smartphone charging.

How much does it cost to tax?

The electric Citroën is currently exempt from VED, in the first year of registration and subsequent years. For 2021-2022, the e-C4 is charged one per cent Benefit in Kind (BIK), increasing to two per cent in 2022-2023 and 2023-2024.

Why does my fleet need one?

Striking to look at, and comfortable to sit in and drive, the new Citroën e-C4 brings a different set of qualities to the family hatchback market. Its almost-SUV stance echoes that of the C4 Cactus, but with similar digital tech and practicality as others in its class, it puts a refreshing spin on its predecessor. Quiet with a relaxing and calming character, the e-C4 offers a unique take in a traditional sector. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.citroen.co.uk Citroën e-C4 Shine Plus ENGINE: 100kW/134bhp electric motor and 50kWh lithium-ion battery RANGE (WLTP):

up to 217 miles

EFFICIENCY (estimated): 3.4 miles/kWh CO2:

0g/km

VED:

£0 first-year, £0 thereafter

BIK:

1%

PRICE (OTR): £32,495 (including government PiCG, £33,040 as tested)

Road Test

FIRST DRIVE

Written by Richard Gooding

Volkswagen Golf GTE The Volkswagen Golf GTE is the performance hatchback with a conscience. More digital than ever before, Richard Gooding discovers a fleet-focused machine that now has more power and technology, along with a more efficient personality What is it?

Volkswagen first added the GTE to its performance Golf family back in 2014. Joining the legendary GTI and fast yet frugal GTD, the plug-in hybrid GTE offered near GTI-pace, with one eye on the environment. Powered by a 1.4litre petrol engine with a 75kW electric motor and 8.8kWh lithium-ion battery, the GTE posted a 0-62mph time of 7.6 seconds, with an electric range of 31 miles.

The 2020 arrival of the eighth generation Golf saw Volkswagen boost the GTE to the same 242bhp as the GTI, enlarging its battery energy content by 50 per cent. No longer the poor relative in terms of power, the GTE now, more than ever, allows sporting fleet drivers to feasibly have their performance PHEV cake and eat it.

What range does it have?

On the WLTP combined economy test cycle, Volkswagen quotes an official electric only range of 40 miles. Refilling the 13kWh lithium-ion battery on a 7.4kW wallbox takes just under four hours.

How does it drive?

On the outside, the Golf GTE is still subtle.

Blue ‘GTE’ badges ape the red ‘GTI’ badges on its more famous brother, while both share the same hexagonal LED fog lights at either end of the front bumper. A slim grille – with a blue insert – joins the narrow headlights.

Not much revolution on the outside then.

But inside, Volkswagen has digitised the Golf 8’s interior to the extent that there are virtually no physical buttons. Haptic touch surfaces feature on the steering wheel and dash, and although the idea is sound, the sliders at the bottom of the 10-inch central touchscreen aren’t the easiest to use.

Butted up to the touchscreen is a 10.3-inch digital driver’s display. As with the past Golf GTE, the graphics are clear and the system is

configurable, and the whole impression is one of quality. That goes for the rest of the cabin, too, and the Golf feels more premium than its newer ID.3 and ID.4 siblings.

On the road, the similarities to the old model and the latest GTI continue. However, the GTE now starts on electric power if the battery is charged, and can be driven up to 80mph in ‘E’ mode. It switches to ‘Hybrid’ mode if the battery’s energy content dips below a certain level, but charge can be saved, increased or decreased, so the GTE can roll into urban areas under electric only power alone.

Cleverly, the battery manager can predictively account for road and topographical data during route guidance to ensure the set battery energy is available when the destination is reached.

Four drive modes – Eco, Comfort (the default), Sport and Individual – allow for more finetuning. The GTE has pace aplenty, reaching 62mph in 6.7 seconds.

With similar performance as its more celebrated sibling, the GTE does an almost passable impression of the GTI dynamically, too. It handles keenly, if not quite as sharply, and although the suspension is firm, it is comfortable. The six-speed DSG auto gearbox is smooth, but can be quite ponderous, not aided by the small steering wheel-mounted paddles.

What does it cost?

Prices start at £36,700, and the GTE gets a GTI-style body kit, LED exterior lighting, 17inch alloy wheels, and a blue version of the GTI’s famed checked interior seat fabric.

There is also adaptive cruise control, auto lights and wipers, 3Zone climate control, a heated steering wheel, a suite of advanced safety systems, as well as Car2X vehicle networking capability.

It’s worth noting that a less powerful Golf eHybrid PHEV with 201bhp is also available, priced from £33,640.

How much does it cost to tax?

The Golf GTE officially emits just 27g/km of CO2 emissions, it is exempt from VED charges in its first registration year. After that, annual VED is £145. Benefit in Kind (BIK) is seven per cent for 2021-2022, and eight per cent in 2022-2023.

Why does my fleet need one?

Pure electric vehicles are fast gaining market share, but for some drivers, plug-in hybrids still present a very compelling case. The idea of a sporting PHEV may sound unfeasible, but the latest Golf GTE proves that performance and efficiency can still be combined into a single package. With the pace to back up its sporting credentials and a useful zero-emissions distance which will be practical for many, it will appeal to those who desire a wellbuilt hatchback which is enjoyable to drive, and, in the right conditions, pleasingly efficient. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.volkswagen.co.uk Volkswagen Golf GTE ENGINE: 1,395cc four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, 80kWh electric motor, 13kWh lithium-ion battery, 242bhp system output

ELECTRIC RANGE (miles, WLTP): MPG (combined, WLTP):

40 236.6

CO2:

27g/km

VED:

£0 first-year, £480 thereafter

BIK:

7%

PRICE (OTR): £36,700 (including VAT, £40,085 as tested)

Issue 136 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Advertisement Feature

Rivus Innovate has launched and the first event was electric On Thursday 23 September, Rivus Fleet Solutions launched the first in a series of innovation events, known as Rivus Innovate. These will be quarterly events that will explore new innovations and technological advancements in fleet management

The first event focused on electric vehicles in the fleet world and was attended by over 60 guests, as we discussed all things electric. Delegates heard from several EV experts how the number of electric vehicles is expected to increase over the coming years and what customers should be considering when they make the transition to zero emissions.

The charging infrastructure was discussed by an independent electric charging consultant and the message is that this is not an easy subject to navigate and more support is required. Guests also heard AA DriveTech, a driver training and risk management organisation, about the different ways to educate drivers before they get behind the wheel of an EV for the first time. It is clear there needs to be more support provided to ensure the driver is aware of the technology behind their

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vehicle and how to get the best out of it.

There was lots of information provided and that was all before lunch. There were several electric vans on display for guests to look around and learn about, and some of Rivus Fleet engineers were on site to offer their expertise.

After lunch, Rivus’ long-term partner the AA presented an overview on the jointly commissioned Rivus and AA 2021 Operational Fleet Insight Report. The full report is available to download at www.rivusfleetsolutions. com/operational-fleet-insight.

Sarah Gray, Rivus’ EV lead gave a summary of their new Electric Vehicle as a Service (EVaaS), and how each part of the jigsaw puzzle when transitioning to EVs is carefully put together to help fleet customers navigate the changes to electric.

The day ended by welcoming Lorna McAtear (National Grid), Andrew Kirkby (Openreach, and Terry Dovey (Environmental Agency) to our guest panel, where everyone shared their experience so far on deploying electric vehicles into their fleets. There was lots of engagement and questions from the audience,

DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net

which was great, as everyone was very keen to learn more and share best practice.

Thomas Maerz, chief development officer of Rivus, commented: “Rivus Innovate is intended to replace its previous Customer Club. It is a forum where Rivus and our customers can discuss topics that are affecting their operation. This first event, which focused on electric vehicles, was extremely important. The fleet management world is seeing huge advances and we want to ensure we are sharing our knowledge, experience and insight to help customers navigate these changes.”

This first event was a huge success and feedback so far from attendees has been really positive. The team are already well on their way to planning the next event for January 2022. L To register for an invitation to future Rivus Innovate events,visit the website below.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.rivusfleetsolutions.com/innovate

NOVeMBeR 2021

DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER COMMERCIAL FLEETS

NEWS

BIOGAS

RETROFIT

E-CARGO BIKES

INTERVIEW

EMBRACE THE CHANGE DHL Express UK’s work towards a fully electric fleet

THE ALL-NEW ISUZU D-MAX

A SAFER PICK-UP FROM THE GROUND UP

SMARTER. STRONGER. SAFER.

DRIVEN TO DO

VISIT ISUZU.CO.UK FOR MORE INFORMATION All fuel consumption and emission values are based on the new WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) test cycle which uses real-world driving data. Official fuel economy for the standard Isuzu D-Max range in MPG (l/100km): Low 25.1–27.6 (10.2–11.2). Mid 31.4–36.4 (7.8–9.0). High 36.0–39.4 (7.2–7.8). Extra-High 29.0–30.8 (9.2–9.7). Combined 30.7–33.6 (8.4–9.2). CO2 emissions 220–241 g/km.

The All-New Isuzu D-Max is Smarter Stronger Safer compared to previous model. Visit isuzu.co.uk for full details.

Commercial Vehicle News

FREIGHT & LOGISTICS

UK confirms pledge for zero-emission HGVs by 2040

The UK government has confirmed that all new heavy goods vehicles in the UK will be zero-emission by 2040.

It will do this be phasing out new, non-zero emission heavy goods vehicles weighing 26 tonnes and under by 2035, with all new HGVs sold in the UK to be zero emission by 2040. The UK is the first country in the

world to commit to such a goal.

British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) Chief Executive, Gerry Keaney, said: “This announcement is a welcome update and will support the industry in its drive towards decarbonisation. BVRLA members are already leading the way in making positive changes and it’s vital that regulations

acknowledge the different challenges experienced from one vehicle type to another.

“Use cases of HGVs vary significantly, so we welcome the government’s intention to consult on derogations that will enable a fair and achievable transition.

The BVRLA looks forward to working with the government on the delivery plan that will be essential in ensuring the UK road transport network can be decarbonised successfully.

“The approach must be comprehensive, particularly around HGVs where the barriers remain huge. The recent funding that was announced to support trials of zero emission technology for the sector is a very positive step, and we eagerly await the clarity this will bring to help meet the phase-out dates.”

Olly Craughan, head of corporate Social Responsibility at DPD Group UK Ltd said: “We totally support the withdrawal of the selling of new, non-zero emission HGVs in the UK by 2035, as we do the sale of new diesel/petrol final mile fleet vehicles by 2030. We would urge all parties involved in the supply of alternative green HGVs to press the fast forward button on their development plans so businesses like ourselves can make the transition as soon as possible.

“DPD is one of the brands leading the way on the decarbonisation of fleets but bringing down the cost of green HGVs and creating adequate supply will be essential to the UK hitting this target.”

READ MORE https://tinyurl.com/4w9m2kvr

TRAINING

LAST MILE DELIVERIES

Government announces major review into HGV driver training

DHL Supply Chain trials eCargo bike for home deliveries

The government has announced it will review compulsory ongoing training for existing and returning heavy goods vehicle drivers.

Drivers currently need to undergo five days of periodic training every five years to ensure they remain fully qualified to drive heavy goods vehicles and buses professionally and up to date with road safety standards.

This training is an EU initiative and is compulsory within what is known as the Driver Certificates of Professional Competence (DCPC) regime.

While its aim is to keep standards high, some drivers are left to pay for the training themselves and are not paid whilst attending their training course. Feedback from industry suggests this puts off many

drivers who have left the profession from returning.

The review will look at how the process can be updated to reduce the burden on drivers – both returning and new – and ensure it doesn’t act as a barrier to working in the sector, as the government continues to bolster supply chains and tackle the global driver shortage here in the UK. In a further move to encourage more people back to the sector and attract new recruits, the government is working with key stakeholders to identify a number of lorry parks across the country where short-term facilities such as temporary toilets, showers and catering can be delivered in the coming months.

The government also emphasised the expectation that councils consider new proposals for these vital facilities constructively and has committed to review guidance that will assist this.

READ MORE https://tinyurl.com/c9h3a7rn

Logistics company DHL has announced the start of a trial of the EAV eCargo bike for its smallitem home delivery service.

Operating in Edinburgh, the eCargo bike will deliver items that do not require two-person services but still require special handling. Current plans will see the vehicle make around seven to eight drops a day, carrying around four items at a time. The city was selected as its mix of terrain and size of the city provides the ideal environment to test the bike as part of DHL’s last-mile fleet.

Manufactured by EAV, the new bike has a load capacity of 2 cubic metres and a range of around 40 miles on a single charge. The eCargo bikes have been specifically designed for urban environments, and are zero-emissions, reliable, easy and cheap to operate.

Natalie Frow, vice president of operations for home delivery at DHL Supply Chain said: “With ambitious sustainability targets to hit, we’re always looking for new ways to structure the mix of our fleet to reduce overall emissions. The EAV eCargo bike has the potential to transform the way we make many home deliveries, not just in the

urban environment but across the country, so we’re looking forward to seeing the results of the trial.”

Leo Bethell, Head of Partnerships at EAV said: “It’s pivotal for the logistics industry to adapt to the changing urban environment, by embracing transport that is clean, efficient and unsusceptible to congestion.

DHL has the opportunity to positively disrupt legacy operational models, while hitting its sustainability targets, with our zero emissions, lightweight vehicles. We’re looking forward to demonstrating the value of the EAV 2Cubed in Edinburgh and hopefully developing our partnership with DHL.” READ MORE https://tinyurl.com/m426yv2d

November 2021 | COMMERCIAL GREENFLEET

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Commercial Vehicle News

CHARGING

Waitrose to trial wireless charged e-Vans in London

Waitrose is to trial a new generation of electric vehicles equipped with wireless charging technology Groceries from Waitrose’s St Katherine’s Dock store will be delivered to customers entirely by electric vans when the trial commences in the New Year.

The move follows an ambition to end the use of fossil fuels across Waitrose’s entire transport fleet by 2030 - estimated to save 70,000 tonnes of CO2 every year, and comes as world leaders gather in Glasgow for the COP26 Climate Conference.

By 2030, Waitrose will have electrified all cars, vans and light trucks, and for sectors where that is not currently possible, such

as long distance heavy trucks, biomethane will be used. The supermarket will reach 340 biomethane trucks in the next few months, and by 2028 all 600 heavy trucks will be running on biomethane.

Wireless vans are fitted with a slim charging pad on the underside and simply top up by parking above an electric plate, exactly like flat charging plates for mobile phones. They can also be plugged in to charge overnight.

The technology is installed by EV technology specialists Flexible Power Systems, which also equips the store with a cloud based smart charging system designed for home delivery.

The vehicles will be delivering groceries over the coming months from the St Katherine’s

Dock Waitrose store in London and are expected to be expanded in the near future.

The trial builds on a deployment with City of Edinburgh Council and Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, funded by the UK Government’s Office for Low-Emission Vehicles through its innovation agency Innovate UK. Marija Rompani, director of ethics & sustainability at the John Lewis Partnership, comments: “Before the pandemic, we were taking 60,000 orders a week - we’re now doing well over 200,000 orders. That uplift in demand for grocery deliveries means that prioritising an electric fleet is more important than ever, particularly as world leaders meet at COP26 to discuss how we lower global emissions.”

“We’ve already committed to electric vans and have created a new biomethane gas filling station too, which is helping to reduce CO2 emissions by 80 per cent. We continue to look for new innovative ways to cut our emissions even further, as well as bring in the latest technology. Being the first to trial this new wireless charging technology is both exciting and another example of our ambition to show leadership in this space.”

READ MORE https://tinyurl.com/yf7eman9

ALTERNATIVE FUELS

CNG Fuels to host hydrogen trials for HGVs CNG Fuels has announced plans to host hydrogen fuel trials across its rapidly expanding UK network of public access biomethane refuelling stations to support the future decarbonisation of HGVs. A new branch of the company, HyFuels, has been established to identify the best hydrogen production pathways and infrastructure solutions for HGVs. The first trials are due to begin in mid-2022, with the company currently in discussions with international partners and undertaking feasibility studies across its upcoming development sites. By 2025, the company plans to allocate 100 acres of its land to public access hydrogen refuelling Philip Fjeld, CEO of CNG Fuels, said: “HGVs alone account for five per cent of all UK emissions, making their decarbonisation one of the single most important things the UK can do to meet our net zero ambitions.

Renewable biomethane is and will continue to be the most effective decarbonisation solution for heavy transport for many years. However, we have launched HyFuels to ensure we are ready to support our customers’ journey to a multi-fuel future as new technologies become commercially viable and the fuel readily available.”

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Mid-weight trucks (<26 tonnes) will be among the first to be commercially viable for new technologies such as hydrogen.

The trials carried out by HyFuels will be particularly important for hauliers that operate <26 tonne trucks, helping them to navigate challenging decarbonisation targets proposed by government, including a potential ban on diesel engines by 2035.

HyFuels is already in advanced discussions with major international providers of both hydrogen infrastructure and the fuel to deploy their first trials. Among the first initiatives will be a number of hydrogen-ready mobile refuelling units that are able to quickly deliver

DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER COMMERCIAL FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net/commercial

hydrogen to refuelling sites on demand.

Findings from the trials will be used to inform government, industry, and existing customers on the effectiveness of different hydrogen solutions and outline key infrastructure considerations for a hydrogen refuelling network. The company is also planning to incorporate the findings into a wider business strategy, with a complete roadmap for companies to switch fleets from diesel to net zero fuels.

READ MORE https://tinyurl.com/98fp4zkv

Citroën Ami Cargo Electric confirmed for UK sale in 2022

Citroën UK has announced that the commercial version of the Ami – Ami Cargo Electric – will launch in the UK during 2022.

The compact Ami Cargo is designed to allow fleet and business operators to deliver packages and run services in urban areas. The Ami Cargo Electric features a 5.5kWh Lithium battery pack, connected to a 6kW electric motor for emissions-free driving. The vehicle can be fully charged in just three hours and is capable of up to 46 miles of range.

With zero CO2 emissions in use, Ami Cargo is exempt from current and future Congestion and Ultra-low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) charges.

The Ami Cargo Electric has been designed to provide maximum load capacity, whilst maintaining the model’s compact and agile build. The model is 2.41m long, 1.39m wide and 1.52m tall, and has a tight turning circle of just 7.20m, ideal for city driving, manoeuvres and parking.

The passenger seat found in Ami has been replaced by

a seven-part polypropylene module that can hold up to 260-litres and 140kg of cargo or goods. This extends the interior storage already available, giving Ami Cargo a total load capacity of 400-litres.

The Ami Cargo Electric has a vertical partition between the driver and cargo area.

Positioned to provide optimum space behind the wheel, it ensures the driver is always protected when out on the road. The vehicle is also fitted with a secondary modular shelf unit capable of holding up to 40kg, which can be converted into a desk when parked. There is also a two-way adjustable floor allowing the vehicle to carry larger items.

The Ami Cargo will be adapted for the UK market, but will remain left-hand drive.

Launch timings, pricing, specification details and supply arrangements will announced shortly.

READ MORE https://tinyurl.com/hychccy3

ELECTRIC VANS

Aviation company Up & Away takes on fleet of electric vans Private aviation support company Up & Away have ordered 15 Volkswagen ABT e-Transporter vans, which will be used by the team to transport equipment to and from airports across the UK. Up & Away Aviation Detailing serves the UK’s private aircraft industry by offering a full range of interior and exterior valeting, and detailing services.

The new fleet of all-electric ABT e-Transporters features a bespoke livery and is converted with a tailored racking solution to store equipment

Commercial Vehicle News

Logistics UK’s Denise Beedell

ELECTRIC VANS

securely in the vans.

The ABT e-Transporter was developed in collaboration with Premium Partner ABT e-Line, combining quiet and smooth driving, instant torque, fast charging, and high load capacity. The model offers an all-electric range of up to 82 miles, with cargo space of 6.7m3. Flexible charging options allow for 80 per cent charge in just 45 minutes.

READ MORE https://tinyurl.com/2hej72nc

The route to net zero: a manifesto for logistics The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow brought together more than 130 nations to discuss and accelerate the action needed to tackle the global climate crisis. While the transition to low or zero carbon freight transportation is already underway, the COP26 community is pushing for this shift to happen more quickly, with international collaboration and consensus vital on the issue to safeguard the future of our planet. While much focus has been placed on road transport – as it for accounts for 10% of global emissions, and its emissions are rising faster than those of any other sector – it is vital that all forms of freight transport are decarbonised to support the UK’s net zero goals.

To set out the positive steps that the government and policymakers should make to help logistics decarbonise their operations across all transport modes as quickly as possible, Logistics UK launched The Route to Net Zero: A Manifesto for Logistics, via a virtual webinar on 10 November 2021 (Transport Day at COP26).

At the launch webinar, David Wells, chief executive at Logistics UK was joined by Andy Eastlake, CEO of Zemo Partnership, who shared essential insights into the future of transport as the UK moves towards a net zero economy.

Jackie Hewson, alternative fuels implementation manager – transport at John Lewis Partnership and Elaine Pringle, fleet manager at Scottish Water – both members of Logistics UK’s Route to Net Zero commitment – presented their companies’ decarbonisation strategies, providing insight and learnings for those looking to make the next step on the route to net zero.

Within the document, The Route to Net Zero: A Manifesto for Logistics, Logistics UK details 11 key priorities that must be in place for the logistics industry to decarbonise successfully. These include the need for large scale technology trials to result in clarity and certainty for HGV operators on which zero tailpipe emission technologies will be commercially viable, enabling long-term business planning; and government infrastructure development plans that fully recognise the needs of commercial vehicles and include targets on how, where and when the supporting infrastructure will be in place.

The one-hour launch webinar recording is free to watch for both Logistics UK members and non-members alike.

To view the webinar, and download a copy of The Route to Net Zero: A Manifesto for Logistics, please visit: https://logistics.org.uk/ environment/netzero FURTHER INFORMATION For more information about the organisation and its work, including its ground-breaking research into the impacts of COVID-19 on the whole supply chain, please visit logistics.org.uk Denise Beedell, policy manager for vans and urban, Logistics UK

November 2021 | COMMERCIAL GREENFLEET

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Biogas Written by Jon Hughes, head of communications, Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association

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Why it’s time to maximise the use of biomethane as a transport fuel As immediate action is required to avoid climate catastrophe, for HGVs, there is only one mass adoptable fuel and vehicle technology that delivers decarbonisation here and now, and that is biomethane, writes Jon Hughes from the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association Over 20 years ago, Finland gave the gohydrogen and carbon capture and storage ahead for a nuclear reactor at Olkiuloto.

(CCS) – none of which are expected to deliver “The application for a new reactor was any meaningful impact at scale within the based primarily on economic criteria, next 15 to 20 years. To keep warming to lowest kWh cost and lowest sensitivity to below 2C, ideally 1.5C, the world needs fuel price increases,” according to the to increase its action and cut current World Nuclear Association. The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions organisation also notes that by ~50 per cent by 2030.

“Government support was based mainly on Time to take When climate policy.” action now biometh Featuring Action now is the call. a n e is produ new safety and Action tomorrow is the organic ced from engineering political response. features, this new Nowhere is this more biomet wastes, hane ca generation reactor apparent than in n carbon was designed to be the transport sector. negativ be built rapidly. It was Transport emissions are e scheduled to come the largest contributor to on stream in 2009. the UK’s GHG emissions, It has yet to produce responsible for 27 per cent. And a single kWh, 13 years yet, no sector has decarbonised later than scheduled and 20 at a slower rate, cutting GHG emissions years after getting the green light. by just five per cent since 1990.

The timeframe is critical. The world’s According to the UK government’s recent scientists in the run up to and at Net Zero strategy, this problematic sector COP26 put humanity on red alert. The can be largely decarbonised with electricity message is clear, we have just 10 years (and hydrogen) despite critical practical to reduce carbon emissions or bake and technological barriers – from the lack in warming of 2.7C – a level at which of generating capacity, storage capability we risk runaway climate change. and charging infrastructure, to batteries’ Olkiluoto is a sobering tale as the current inability to power heavier modes of UK government hitches its wagon to transport. Meanwhile, ready-to-use solutions, decarbonisation options such as nuclear, including biomethane, which currently

DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER COMMERCIAL FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net/commercial

deliver the greatest carbon savings in the transport sector, continue to be overlooked.

To power everything the government wants to plug-in would require an over 300 per cent increase in renewable electricity generation. It must be renewable, otherwise it wouldn’t be decarbonising any of the sectors. The UK’s renewable electricity generation already fails to cover current demand, let alone the additional energy required to power the transport sector.

And, it must be noted, even before the ink was dry on the government’s transport decarbonisation plan, the Times newspaper reported that rationing was on the cards. It said new regulations would come into force at the end of May 2022, meaning new chargers in the home and workplace will be pre-set to not function from 8am to 11am and 4pm to 10pm, while random 30-minute delays can be imposed if demand becomes too great.

The move will not apply to public chargers and rapid chargers on motorways and A-roads, while shift workers may be able to override the home shutdowns.

A focus on tailpipe emissions The Department for Transport are overly focused on tailpipe emissions, also known as tank-to-wheel (TTW), as opposed to well-to-wheel (WTW) emissions. Only the latter considers all the emissions incurred from the fuel’s production, transportation, and use. Consequently, with such a strong emphasis on zero tailpipe emissions, the decarbonisation strategy seems to favour fossil-generated electricity, over carbon negative biomethane. This raises an increasingly hot topic, emissions leakage, which basically amounts to passing the parcel.

An electric vehicle (EVs) may well be carbon free but unless it is charged with renewable electricity, carbon is instead spewed out upstream. The transport sector claims the carbon savings, while the wider energy sector suffers. On the face of it, powering vehicles with coal-generated electricity would successfully decarbonise transport, only because it is robbing Peter to pay Paul. The analysis also doesn’t factor in the technological issues associated with electrifying the whole UK fleet of vehicles.

There are further emissions leakage to consider as well, in the mining of the precious minerals, such as cobalt, coltan, copper

The issue with HGVs TTW is a blanket approach that does not recognise the respective needs of each sector. While car and van fleets due to fixed terminus and generally short- to mediumrange use make BEV a viable and sensible solution, it does not apply for long haul vehicles such as HGVs, responsible for 17 per cent of total UK transport emissions.

The technology does not yet exist to allow for mass adoption, range anxiety and refuelling times remain a big hurdle.

For HGVs, there is only one mass adoptable fuel and vehicle technology that delivers decarbonisation here and now, and that is biomethane.

Yet, biomethane was a clear loser in the government’s decision to convert all road vehicles to zero tailpipe emission ones by 2040. While biomethane HGV emit CO2 from the tailpipe, the fuel may be considered carbon neutral. All carbon in biomethane originates from the atmosphere – CO2 is absorbed by plants via photosynthesis, organic feedstocks

are converted to biomethane via anaerobic digestion (AD), and this biogenic CO2 is released when combusted inside an engine.

The sustainable carbon cycle is completed.

When biomethane is produced from organic wastes, biomethane can be carbon negative – i.e. greater than 100 per cent emission savings compared to diesel. Treating organic wastes via AD avoids methane emissions, otherwise released when poorly managed organic waste rot. Both the EU’s RED II and California’s Low Carbon Fuels Standard (LCFS) account for these avoided emissions, such that biomethane derived from livestock wastes are shown to be strongly carbon negative.

By treating the UK’s unavoidable organic wastes, biomethane can deliver an immediate 20 per cent cut in GHG emissions by fuelling the HGV, bus and coach sector.

Every HGV fuelled with biomethane will reduce CO2 emissions by over 80 percent when compared to a diesel Euro VI vehicle. This will result in a reduction of 150 tons of CO2 per vehicle annually. Other benefits of biomethanefuelled HGVs include: >70 per cent less NOX, and 99 per cent less particulate matter Hermes, the UK’s second largest parcel deliver company, has just increased the size of its bio-CNG fleet to 72, saving 9,600 tonnes of CO2 across the entire fleet. Every tonne of carbon saved today is the equivalent of 30 tonnes in 2050. Clearly, biomethane makes an immediate and positive impact in line with what the science tells us.

It not only makes sense environmentally but also economically. Gas fuel is up to 40 per

cent cheaper than diesel, primarily due to the difference in fuel duty. Despite a higher initial capital investment and the typically higher maintenance costs compared to diesel, gas vehicles can provide a ROI within two years with vehicles travelling 160,000 km/year That is why so many fleets are adopting the fuel. A host of companies outside of Hermes are driving on biomethane – John Lewis, ASDA and Royal Mail to name a few. And a host of cities have adopted biomethane buses for their health and environmental benefits, such as Nottingham and Bristol, while Liverpool recently introduced a fleet of biomethane-fuelled refuse collection vehicles.

Current production of biomethane could fuel eight per cent of the HGV fleet. At its full potential, biomethane could fuel 97 per cent of the fleet. There are over 520,000 HGVs in the fleet; if all turned to biomethane that would be over 24,000,000 tonnes of carbon emissions avoided. This could be achieved by 2030.

Not only could it be achieved, it must be achieved if the government is to make good on its commitment to the Global Methane Pledge to cut methane emissions from human activity by 30 per cent against 2020 levels by 2030 – and introduce mandatory food waste collections from 2023.

The government needs to rethink and reset its approach to the transport sector. As with all sectors, there is no one solution. L

Biogas

and nickel, required for the manufacture of electric vehicles and of course lithium for the battery technology, over which China has a stranglehold. These prove ruinous to battery EVs (BEVs) carbon ratings under a WTW analysis. This is the elephant in the room for BEV, alongside the question of where do all the old cars go to die? Are they being offshored, to cities without Clean Air Zones (CAZs) such as Liverpool, or overseas? These issues must be addressed to deliver the desired results.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.adbioresources.org

“Proud to fuel greener fleets for greener futures”

Roadgas works with both small and large fleet operators to provide a complete supply solution for the delivery of CNG, LNG, LCNG & biomethane fuels.

Enjoy long term fuel savings and reduce harmful emissions fuelling@roadgas.co.uk 0115 822 5530 www.roadgas.co.uk

November 2021 | COMMERCIAL GREENFLEET

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Supporting sustainable transport

Alliance Transport Technologies has supported the commercial and passenger vehicle industries for over 28 years. ATT offers an enhanced offering unmatched by the UKs aftermarket. With Remanufacturing, new parts alongside the in house and mobile technical engineering team ATT offers its customer base the complete package. ATT specialise in vehicle Electronics, Emissions control parts and engineering support.

ATT has become operators first choice partner for them. With the in house expertise and technical knowledge many of its customer base has no trouble utilising its engineering consultancy leg of the business.

Operators have seen not only huge financial savings on their existing spend but also an improvement in quality and reliability.

ATT’s partnering approach has been a huge success in helping operators recognise

significant carbon savings and in some areas even helping businesses achieve a carbon negative status. This supports our partner operators taking huge steps to achieving their corporate and social responsibility (CSR) goals.

One of the strategic partnership ATT has is with retrofit and OEM exhaust manufacturers HJS Emissions Technologies.

ATT have worked in partnership with the German manufacturers for over 5 years supplying and installing over 1000 of the NOx reducing exhaust aftertreatment systems for the UK bus market.

This partnership has allowed for ATT the establish a strong presence within the emissions control sector and in turn has developed a compelling product set that sees the range of products become available to the aftermarket. Products such as NOx sensors, Dosing Modules and Dosing

www.alliancett.co.uk

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DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER COMMERCIAL FLEETS | www.greenfleet.net/commercial

pumps are now available from ATT via the E-commerce platform developed in 2021.

The continuous drive to be the market leader in future technologies has led to significant investment within product R&D and future drive line technologies. ATT’s very own battery production facility in Chesterfield has propelled the business into a market sector that firmly secures the future of the business and the product developments within the marketplace. L Learn more about ATT via the website or by contacting Charlotte Ward, Head of Sales and Marketing below FURTHER INFORMATION www.alliancett.co.uk Charlotte.ward@alliancett.co.uk

Retrofit Technology

Retrofit solutions can help fleets meet air quality regulations As London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone has now expanded, and other Clean Air Zones are in operation, Zemo Partnership says that one way for operators of larger vehicles to meet the challenge is to adopt approved vehicle retrofit solutions for cutting polluting emissions The new London ULEZ began operation from 25 October and is 18 times the size of the current central area, covering the area within the North and South Circular roads (but not these roads themselves), so will affect many more drivers and vehicle operators. The Zone, which will operate 24/7 (except Christmas Day) is estimated to affect 100,000 cars, 35,000 vans and 3,000 lorries.

Transport for London says that the original central London ULEZ has seen air pollution reduced by half.

The UK’s first Clean Air Zone (CAZ) began operating in Bath earlier this year (with Birmingham following in June) and new CAZs are to be introduced in Portsmouth (29 November), Bradford (22 Jan, 2022) plus Oxford’s Zero Emission Zone pilot (February, 2022) followed

by Bristol and Newcastle CAZs next summer. In many of these areas there are funds and grants available to support operators wanting to upgrade or retrofit their vehicles to reduce emissions.

The Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS), jointly operated by Energy Saving Trust and Zemo, identifies which CVRAS-approved companies and emission reduction systems suit vehicles best, based on make, model and Zem engine type. It supports Partner o companies’ efforts has rec ship to improve their publish ently fleets, and lists the only retrofit update ed an options available Vehicle d Clean that comply with the R regulations for the Techno etrofit log Ultra Low Emission Guide y Zone in London, Clean Air Zones and Scotland’s Low Emission Zones, all of which use the same vehicle standard thresholds.

Retrofit Technology Guide Zemo Partnership also recently published an updated Clean Vehicle Retrofit Technology Guide to highlight the role that the wide range of retrofit technologies can play E November 2021 | COMMERCIAL GREENFLEET

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Retrofit solution eliminating roadside emissions and weight you’ll save by not transporting generators and fuel, and you can begin to see why the LPS II is such a game-changer.

96 If you think you need a fleet of EVs before you can drive down emissions, here’s some important news: A simple, low-cost change to your current vehicle set-up could allow you to make significant savings and eliminate roadside emissions TODAY. Fleets across the UK and Europe are moving to the all-new, all-in-one Lithium Power Supply (LPS II) from Clayton Power.

The compact unit, with a built-in Li-Ion battery, recharges on the go from the vehicle alternator, from solar and/or mains hook-up.

It’s powerful enough to keep angle grinders, light welding units and compressors charged and online – and it keeps going, even when vehicles are switched off.

Reduce roadside noise The LPS II is also significantly quieter than running petrol generators and using power take-off (PTO). So instead of having jobs interrupted because of noise concerns, you can carry on working through the night and get jobs finished.

And remember, working without roadside noise and fumes isn’t just good for the environment – it’s great for your teams too.

More room to play with The compact, all-in-one LPS II, also gives you more space to play with inside the vehicle. And it’s lighter than alternative lead/AGM systems – by up to 225kg. Add to that the room

Easy to install and remove It takes minutes to install the plug-and-play LPS II. And if you want to remove it, this is an easy job too. So once your vehicle has reached its end of life – or even comes to the end of its lease – you can just pop the LPS II out and install it in another vehicle. It’s so portable that you could even manage it via your tooling budget.

All of this comes with the reassurance of quality European design and manufacture.

The LPS II has been built to the highest levels of safety, durability, and compliance for use in Europe and the UK. Want to find out more?

Get in touch with the team at Clayton Power to arrange a demo. See it in action, and you’ll understand why companies including Cadent Gas, Openreach and Sainsbury’s are switching to the LPS II. L FURTHER INFORMATION Claytonpower.com/uk ukinfo@claytonpower.com +44 (0)2920 240 9396

DON’T WAIT FOR EV Switch to the LPS II to power your tools and equipment – and eliminate roadside emissions right now.

Recharges from solar, mains hook-up and alternator ZERO roadside emissions Quieter – so no downtime because of noise pollution Easy to install and remove Lighter

Reduce payload by up to 115kg compared to Lead/AGM systems

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Retrofit Technology Image © Excalibre

 in improving air quality by cleaning up the existing vehicle fleet.

The Guide gives vehicle operators and local authorities an understanding of national air quality frameworks for reducing roadside NO2 concentrations, providing case studies with examples of a range of accredited retrofit technologies that achieve Euro VI-equivalent levels of emissions through the CVRAS. The Guide covers technologies accredited for buses, coaches, trucks, refuse collection vehicles and black cabs. (Many are also applicable to vans and minibuses.)

NOx abatement technologies such as Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and Euro VI engine repower can provide cost-effective alternatives to purchasing new CAZ or ULEZ-compliant vehicles. Of course, retrofitting a fully electric drivetrain will also eliminate tailpipe emissions, but these too need to be accredited to ensure robust standards. Case studies and total cost of ownership (TCO) examples for accredited technologies are included in the guide to direct readers to the most suitable solution.

Zemo Partnership’s project manager, Dan Hayes, said: “Retrofit solutions have been one of the key ’tools in the box‘ to help owners of existing vehicles meet the strengthening emissions requirements without completely replacing their fleet in one go.

“Twenty years ago the uptake of particulate traps was accelerated in this way and, today, NOx reduction technologies (mandated on all new vehicles) are now available to be retrofitted to a wide range of commercial vehicles. With funding support available in many local areas, retrofitting can be an attractive option for hard pressed operators to clean up emissions from existing vehicles.”

Zemo Partnership recently published an updated Clean Vehicle Retrofit Technology Guide to highlight the role that the wide range of retrofit technologies can play in improving air quality by cleaning up the existing vehicle fleet Funding available In England, the Clean Air Fund, which is worth £220m, is available to local authorities to help mitigate the impact of air quality improvement measures on local businesses and residents, such as supporting retrofit programmes for fleet operators to help them achieve compliance.

Leeds City Council has used the fund to support the retrofit of non-scheduled buses, coaches and HGVs that operate frequently in the area. The local grant scheme will provide up to £16,000 for CVRAS approved retrofit or repower solutions, support to purchase a new compliant Euro VI vehicle or contribute towards exiting a non-Euro VI vehicle lease contract so the operator can acquire a compliant vehicle.

Birmingham City Council have been awarded £38m through the Clean Air Fund to support a range of measures including retrofit or repower of black cabs (£5m) and support for HGVs and coaches (£10.05m).

In Scotland, the Low Emission Zone Retrofit Fund from the Energy Saving

Trust will provide micro businesses, who operate within one of Scotland’s four proposed low emission zones, with support to retrofit their existing non-compliant vehicles with Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS) approved solutions that meet the minimum proposed standards of the low emission zones.

Grants are available to cover up to 80 per cent of the cost of a retrofit solution. This breaks down as up to £5,000 per light commercial vehicle and wheelchair accessible taxi installing retrofit exhaust after-treatment systems.

The grant covers up to £10,000 per wheelchair accessible taxi installing re-powering technology, and up to £16,000 per heavy goods vehicle or refuse collection vehicle. L FURTHER INFORMATION Download the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Technology Guide from www.zemo.org.uk The CVRAS register can be found here: tinyurl.com/xea8e538

November 2021 | COMMERCIAL GREENFLEET

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12/07/2021 14:11:03

Sustainable transport needs to be considered as a long-term investment for your business and the planet, believes Richard Crook, director of fleet at DHL Express UK, who shares the company’s own work to decarbonise its fleet What are the sustainability plans What is the charging of Deutsche Post DHL Group infrastructure like at DHL sites? as a whole, and what are DHL Our electric vehicles are charged overnight Express’ green plans in the UK? on site for deployment on routes where As the world’s largest logistics provider, the mileage is within range, we have a sustainability is a driving force at Deutsche commitment that any new site has to have Post DHL Group. In 2008, we launched our a provision for charging infrastructure.

GoGreen programme and became the first We’re working closely with manufacturers logistics company in the world to set a and authorities to discuss how nationwide measurable climate protection target, charging facilities could support aiming to improve CO2 efficiency commercial vehicles as this by 30 per cent by 2020. This will be key to enabling full goal was achieved in electrification – particularly We 2016, four years ahead when it comes to recently of schedule, thanks serving less densely launche to a diverse range of populated areas. d a riverbo measures to optimise delivery at parcel the Group’s vehicle How are you service fleet, buildings and greening the o Thames logistics networks. ‘last mile’ of , suppo n the rted by pow In 2017, we took deliveries? er-assis GoGreen one step further, Providing an efficient ted b ik introducing Mission 2050 last mile delivery es – our ambition to reduce service requires a careful all logistics-related emissions balance of cost, speed to net zero by 2050 and globally and environmental impact. we are investing more than €7billion

Recent growth in e-commerce to support this commitment. The funds will means a high number of deliveries, but be heavily focused towards electrification of often a lower number of parcels per delivery, last-mile delivery fleet, sustainable aviation which increases the need for last mile fuels and climate-neutral buildings. solutions that are cost effective, but also minimise their impact on the environment.

How many electric vans do you Our GoGreen products allow customers to have and how are they used? offset the carbon footprint of their shipment We now have 60 electric vans operating through external, certified Gold Standard in cities across the UK. A further 50 will be climate protection projects, such as our introduced before the end of the year, with climate protection project in Lesotho. Through 220 more in its UK-wide fleet before the end packaging labelling consumers know they of 2022. Every new courier vehicle purchased are getting a carbon neutral service which will be electric, resulting in 100 per cent of is a really differentiating point for retailers. the UK-wide fleet being electric by 2030.

We also offer retailers GoGreen reports to At the moment our electric fleet is being give them visibility of their carbon footprint. used in city centres where there is a need We have expanded our portfolio of for deliveries to be quieter, as they pass Service Points and lockers across the through built-up areas, but also greener to combat higher congestion. In rural areas the greater distance between deliveries presents different challenges, electric vans need considerable range as well as greater charging infrastructure needs to be available. But the technology is moving fast and vehicle range is increasing so we can already see the opportunity to electrify around 60 per cent of our routes.

Interview

Embrace the change positively

UK where parcels can be collected or returned at the convenience of customers.

This enables deliveries to be consolidated while enabling recipients to collect their parcels at a convenient location.

As well as electrifying our fleet, we recently launched a riverboat parcel delivery service on the Thames, supported by power-assisted bikes which transports documents and small parcels into central London. This reduces the number of vehicles on the road by replacing them with an environmentally sound alternative which is also fast and efficient.

For a networked operation like DHL Express, sustainability has to go beyond the last mile element, it’s about creating a completely green solution from the moment a parcel is collected to the moment it is delivered to the end recipient. This means looking at every aspect of our operation, from our facilities to our aircraft. In 2019 we opened our first carbon-neutral Service Centre and earlier this year we announced the purchase of 12 fully electric Alice eCargo planes, which will provide the first step towards an electric air as well as road fleet.

Are you using, or investigating, any other alternative fuels?

We’re constantly reviewing options for decarbonising our entire fleet, as part of this we’re regularly reviewing and trailing alternative fuel options for our heavy commercial vehicles to assess the viability for our operations. In addition, our investment in eCargo planes is a really important step in our decarbonisation journey and a major step forward for the industry as a whole.

What advice would you give to other companies that are looking to switch to electric vehicles?

Sustainable transport needs to be considered as a long-term investment plan for your business and the planet. My advice is to review your options carefully, make sure your choices are fit for your purposes but also look to adapt if you can, don’t be afraid of the technology. Embrace the change positively and be sure to engage correctly with both your customers and your employees; both need to be positively engaged on the journey for it to succeed. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.dhl.com

November 2021 | COMMERCIAL GREENFLEET

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E-Cargo Bikes Written by Energy Saving Trust

The benefits of e-cargo bikes for last mile deliveries E-Cargo bikes offer the opportunity to decarbonise your last mile delivery fleet, reduce running costs and leave your staff happier and healthier at the end of the day, writes the Energy Saving Trust Last mile deliveries are the movement of change through carbon emissions. According goods from a supplier to the final delivery to Department for Transport (DfT) research, address and have experienced the delivery and collection of goods sustained growth since the accounted for 16 per cent of all van introduction of ecommerce usage in the UK in 2019-202, up 51 in 2000. Total road from an estimated eight per per cen kilometres in the UK cent in 2016. According to t of all m have subsequently one study of European Cities, o t o r i sed trips as increased by 27 in urban areas van usage with th sociated billion kilometres, created by commercial 22 per cent of which deliveries accounts for of goode transport can be attributed to around 30 per cent of s c o uld be shifted van travel. This trend transport CO2 emissions, fr has been accelerated over 50 per cent of NOx bikes o om cars to r eca in the past year, as emissions and 40 per cent of lockdown restrictions particulate matter emissions. bikes rgo have encouraged Gordon Manson, programme more online purchases. manager at Energy Saving Trust, Last mile deliveries are often comments: “Decarbonising the last mile made by small diesel vans, which contributes delivery sector has the potential to mitigate to congestion, poor air quality and climate some of the harmful impacts of congestion, air

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quality and climate change caused by carbon emissions – particularly in urban areas”.

It has been shown that within urban areas, 51 per cent of all motorised trips associated with the transport of goods could be shifted from cars to bikes or ecargo bikes.

E-Cargo bikes come in variety of configurations, from two to four wheels, front and rear load boxes or trailers. The wide range of e-cargo bike configurations means that there is an option for all types of last mile delivery activities, such as small parcel deliveries and moving shipments in consolidation hubs.

Why choose an e-cargo bike?

Firstly, they are lower emissions. Transport is currently the largest sector for UK greenhouse gas emissions (27 per cent), of which road transport accounts for 90 per cent. eCargo bikes do not produce any operational

How can businesses use e-cargo bikes?

There are many applications for ecargo bikes beyond parcel and post logistics. Other sectors include food delivery, cleaning and maintenance, and local store-to-customer deliveries in retail. Gordon Manson says: “ Businesses firstly need to consider what needs transporting, where and when, before selecting the best ecargo bike option for the job.” If e-cargo bikes are used, they should be embedded in an efficient, well-thought-out delivery operation strategy to ensure success.

E-Cargo bikes are typically most suitable in certain scenarios, including the transportation of small and light goods as ecargo bikes do not have as large a capacity as a van.

They are also suitable in a high-density network with many stops within a short distance, as this is the most profitable method, and while vehicles have a limited

E-Cargo bikes come in variety of configurations, from two to four wheels, front and rear load boxes or trailers. The wide range of e-cargo bike configurations means that there is an option for all types of last mile delivery activities range, they can be parked easily.

They are also good for time-critical deliveries, as small vehicles are less affected by congestion, making them more reliable.

E-Cargo bikes also give you access to congested or access restricted areas as ecargo bikes are cheaper to use in Clean Air Zones and easier to move around in pedestrianised zones.

The financial incentive to complete deliveries as efficiently as possible, combined with the relatively limited capacity of e-cargo bikes means that a strategically placed consolidation or distribution ‘hub’ is highly desirable for many last mile operators using ecargo bikes.

Box Bike Delivery is a Stevenage-based logistics company that specialises in sustainable last mile delivery. It operates a fleet of five ecargo bikes and an ecargo trailer, delivering parcels for a national carrier, medicines for a local pharmacy, deliveries for a range of local businesses and postal collections from offices and schools.

Funding in England, the e-cargo Bike Grant Fund, worth £400,000, was made available by the Department for Transport in 2021/22 for the purchase of ecargo bikes, however applications have now closed.

The funding covers up to 40 per cent of the total cost of an ecargo bike, up to a maximum of £2,500 for two-wheel models

E-Cargo Bikes

greenhouse gas emissions, with only small amounts of greenhouse gases produced when generating the electricity needed to power the battery. Therefore, significant carbon savings can be made by operating e-cargo bikes compared to diesel vans.

E-Cargo bikes have significantly lower upfront and running costs compared to diesel vans. These savings include fuel, maintenance costs and discounts and exemptions from congestion and Clean Air Zone charges. There are also tax incentives and government grants available.

What’s more, many riders find ecargo bikes enjoyable to ride. The physical activity (supported by electric assistance) is beneficial for employees’ health, with Cyclescheme estimating that cycling to work three days a week can burn 1,000 calories per week. Some companies also report that their ecargo bike riders take less sick leave than other drivers. Utilising ecargo bikes could also improve your brand reputation and environmental credentials.

and £4,500 for three-wheel models.

Applications will be capped at five bikes per organisation. Larger applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Applications may include more than one organisation. In these joint ‘high-street’ applications, a lead applicant will be responsible for submitting the application.

In Scotland, the eBike Business Loan gives interest-free loans of up to £30,000 from Energy Saving Trust, funded by Transport Scotland (an agency of the Scottish Government). The eBike Business Loan aims to support organisations that want to reduce the carbon impact of their transport and travel arrangements with new and more efficient alternatives and are available to help with the cost of purchase.

The loan covers a new pedal-assisted electric bikes, up to £3,000 per bike, new cargo bikes, up to £6,000 per bike, and new adapted cycles.

If your organisation is replacing a car or van with a cargo or e-cargo bike, there is no maximum limit per bike, within the maximum loan amount of £30,000. Interested? Complete our online business enquiry form and one of our sustainable transport coordinators will be in touch. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

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