GreenFleet 139

ISSUe 139

www.greenfleet.net

GreenFleet DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS

ROAD TEST

SME DECARBONISATION GUIDE

ELIMINATING SME EMISSIONS

FORD MUSTANG MACH-E Behind the wheel of Ford’s first fully-fledged electric car

Overcoming the decarbonisation hurdles that smaller businesses face

PLUS: ELECTRIC VEHICLES | CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE | CLEAN AIR ZONES | GBEVR PREVIEW

Comment

ISSUe 139

www.greenfleet.net

GreenFleet DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS

ROAD TEST

SME DECARBONISATION GUIDE

ELIMINATING SME EMISSIONS

FORD MUSTANG MACH-E Behind the wheel of Ford’s first fully-fledged electric car

Overcoming the decarbonisation hurdles that smaller businesses face

SMEs are keen to go green While the appetite to switch to zero emission vehicles is high amongst small businesses, the extra expense of electric vehicles, charging worries and the lack of an established second-hand market for EVs are holding many back.

PLUS: ELECTRIC VEHICLES | CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE | CLEAN AIR ZONES | GBEVR PREVIEW

Follow and interact with us on Twitter:

@GreenFleetNews

This issue of GreenFleet focuses on SME fleet decarbonisation, examining the barriers for them making the switch to electric vehicles, and assessing the solutions.

Martin McTague, national chair of Federation of Small Businesses, explores the decarbonisation journey of small businesses, and Richard Dilks from Collaborative Mobility UK, explains how shared transport schemes like car clubs and bike share can contribute to cleaner air, better health and reduced costs. Meanwhile James Court, CEO of EVA England, highlights ways to offset the high upfront costs of electric vehicles, and our Expert Panel examines the concerns felt by smaller businesses.

There’s also a preview of the Great British EV Rally – a live demonstration of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, running the entire length of the UK, which kicks off on 4th July.

Angela Pisanu, editor

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GreenFleet DRIVING THE SWITCH TO CLEANER FLEETS

GreenFleet® would like to thank the following organisations for their support:

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Issue 139 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Short-term electric vehicle lease Flexible plans to suit your business – from three months to two years Electric moments with You don’t have to sign a long-term lease to drive electric. LeasePlan gives your business quick access to electric cars and vans across the UK, for anything from three months to two years – with the flexibility to return them when you want. You’ll be helping the environment and your employees, particularly as their BIK bills will be a lot lower.

For more information search “LeasePlan electric vehicles” or visit leaseplan.com

Contents

ISSUe 139

CONTENTS GreenFleet 07

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News

Hilti begins replacement of diesel fleet with Kia e-Niros; Cost to rapid charge an electric car rises by a fifth in eight months; and Pop-up mini solar car park and EV charging hub launched

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Air Quality

As clean air schemes get underway in UK cities, Adrian Odds shares some lessons learnt from implementing the Clean Air Zone in Birmingham, including how clear communication to businesses and residents was vital to making the scheme successful

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GreenFleet Roundtable

A mix of fleets attended the latest GreenFleet Roundtable at Ashton Gate Football Stadium in Bristol to discuss their progress towards decarbonisation, as well as the barriers that remain

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Great British EV Rally

Following the success of the EV Rally of Scotland last year, GREENFLEET is hosting The Great British EV Rally (GBEVR) in July, which will be a live demonstration of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, running the entire length of the UK

SME DECARBONISASTION

Guide

Sponsored by

40 Panel of Experts: SME Decarbonisation While the appetite to switch to zero emission vehicles is high amongst small businesses, the extra expense of EVs and charging worries are holding many back. Our panel of experts discuss what the barriers are for SMEs, and share advice on how to overcome them

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Grey Fleet

The Urban Mobility Partnership has launched a policy paper on corporate travel, which calls for businesses and public sector organisations to urgently reduce grey fleet usage in line with decarbonisation agendas

50 Road Test: Ford Mustang Mach-E Launching its EV ambitions with a model which plays on a heritage nameplate is a bold move, but, as Richard Gooding discovers, the Mustang Mach-E has little in common with Fords of yesterday, and it heralds an adventurous new era for the company

52 Road Test: Porsche Taycan Performance Battery Plus The Taycan is Porsche’s first all-electric production model, and Richard Gooding finds that it sets a high bar for cars offering a blend of luxurious comfort with an engaging driving experience

21 Carbon reduction Small firms often do not have the same resources to make investments in decarbonisation compared to their larger counterparts. Martin McTague, national chair of Federation of Small Businesses explores the barriers holding small firms back from switching to zero-emission vehicles

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Sustainable travel

Shared transport schemes like car clubs and bike share are the key to decarbonisation plans, as they can contribute directly to cleaner air and better health, while also bringing other key benefits, including reduced costs. Richard Dilks, chief executive of Collaborative Mobility UK explains further

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30 Electric vehicles While upfront costs of electric vehicles may be off-putting for small firms, James Court, CEO of EVA England, highlights ways to offset these costs – and the additional benefits EVs can bring

35 Charging Infrastructure

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Chargepoint infrastructure is a long-term investment and there are several factors to consider when making your decisions. Benedict Harrison, sustainable energy and transport consultant at Cenex, shares some advice so that costly mistakes can be avoided

38 Government Grants

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As well as the Workplace Charging Grant, which has now opened up to small accommodation businesses and charities, small-to-medium sized businesses can now also apply for an infrastructure grant, which pays for the electrical work needed for chargepoints. We examine how the grants work

GreenFleet magazine

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www.greenfleet.net Issue 139 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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MANUFACTURING

Battery electric vehicle uptake increases 17.7 per cent in May

Mazda commits to making its factories carbon neutral by 2035

According to the latest SMMT figures, May saw registrations of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) rise by 17.7 per cent, representing one in eight new cars joining the road last month. Plug-in hybrids declined -25.5 per cent, while hybrids were up 12.0 per cent, meaning deliveries of electrified vehicles accounted for three in 10 new cars.

Overall, however, UK car registrations fell -20.6 per cent to 124,394 units in the second weakest May since 1992, after the 2020 pandemichit market, as supply shortages continued to hamper new purchases and the fulfilment of existing orders. The decline, compared with the first full month of reopened showrooms in May last year, demonstrates the impact of continued global supply chain disruptions, with the market -32.3 per cent below the 2019 prepandemic level despite strong order books.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “In yet another challenging month for the

Mazda has announced a commitment to making its factories globally carbon neutral by 2035, supporting the goal of making the whole Mazda supply chain carbon neutral by 2050.

Energy conservation, renewable energies, and the use of carbon neutral fuels will be the three areas Mazda will be focusing on.

Energy conservation during the vehicle manufacturing processes will be a focus, with plans including a reduction of thermal energy through the development of low-temperature curing paints and improvement of energy conversion efficiency by optimising processing technology.

Mazda will participate proactively in the efforts of the Carbon Neutral Electricity Promotion Subcommittee in the Chugoku region, which aims to expand the supply and demand of carbon neutral electricity throughout the region. Mazda is also considering various forms of decarbonisation, such as low/carbon-free power generation in its plants and procurement of electricity from renewable energy suppliers.

Mazda will also be working toward using carbon neutral fuel for in-house transportation in cooperation with the Hiroshima Council for Automotive IndustryAcademia-Government Collaboration, which is promoting the practical use of next-generation biofuels.

new car market, the industry continues to battle ongoing global parts shortages, with growing battery electric vehicle uptake one of the few bright spots. To continue this momentum and drive a robust mass market for these vehicles, we need to ensure every buyer has the confidence to go electric.

This requires an acceleration in the rollout of accessible charging infrastructure to match the increasing number of plug-in vehicles, as well as incentives for the purchase of new, cleaner and greener cars.

“Delivering on Net Zero means renewing the vehicles on our roads at pace but, with rising inflation and a squeeze on household incomes, this will be increasingly difficult unless businesses and private buyers have the confidence and encouragement to do so.”

READ MORE

News

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

READ MORE

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Hilti begins replacement of diesel fleet with Kia e-Niros

Tool manufacturer and construction solutions company Hilti has replaced more than 200 cars with Kia e-Niro electric models.

This forms part of the company’s broader targets of becoming carbon neutral by 2023 and is expected to reduce Hilti’s total global emissions by some 48 per cent.

With Hilti employees in the UK driving an average of 111 miles per day, with some

up to as many as 250 miles, extensive internal research was undertaken to ensure the new vehicle would be fit for purpose.

As part of the rollout all employees are to be supplied with a charging station at their home, free of charge.

Hilti replaced 35 per cent of its current fleet with eco models by the end of 2021 and is targeting 50 per cent by the end of 2022, and the entirety of the fleet by 2024. As well as cars, Hilti has a fleet of some 300 vans with plans to also replace these with electric vans.

Commenting on the rollout, Hilti’s head of finance and head of sustainability, Annette Boren, said the focus on the broader benefits of electric vehicles is indicative of how Hilti approaches sustainability efforts in general.

Elaborating she said, “All of our sustainability efforts are ultimately to benefit the wider environment rather than us as a business. Our target of carbon neutrality is to ensure we are in line with global efforts

to tackle climate change, but we have long focused on sustainability efforts in all areas of our business, with initiatives like our tool recycling scheme. Choosing Kia was a strategic choice as we are confident their EV pipeline is strong enough to support us through further rollouts in the future.”

John Hargreaves, general manager for fleet and remarketing at Kia UK Limited, added: “This is yet another great example of how seamlessly Kia’s electric cars can fit into a busy fleet with exacting requirements.

With a reassuring 282-mile range from just one charge, a practical interior and a big boot, the e-Niro ‘4+’ alleviates many of the typical concerns fleets have when going electric. Kia’s seven-year/100,000 mile warranty as standard across the whole range, great residual values and low total cost of ownership add to the attraction.”

READ MORE

Issue 139 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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News EV CHARGING

Cost to rapid charge an electric car rises by a fifth in eight months The average price of charging an electric car at a public rapid charger has increased by 21 per cent to 44.55p per kilowatt hour (kWh) since September, figures analysed by the RAC’s new Charge Watch initiative, in association with the FairCharge campaign, show.

The 7.81p per kWh increase, from 36.74p at the end of last summer, means that the average cost to complete an 80 per cent rapid charge of a typical family-sized electric car with a 64kWh battery has increased by £4 over this period, from £18.81 to £22.81 now.

Meanwhile the cost of filling a 55-litre family car from empty to 80 per cent has increased by a huge £14.54 since last September, from £59.67 to £74.21 - a 24 per cent increase.

The RAC’s analysis shows that it now costs on average 10p per mile to charge at a rapid charger, up from 8p per mile last September.

This is nearly half the cost per mile compared

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to filling a petrol-powered family car, the cost of which has risen from 15p per mile since the end of last September to a staggering 19p per mile now. The cost per mile for a similarly sized diesel-powered car is even higher at nearly 21p.

The average price of charging at the quickest ultra-rapid chargers – which have a power output of 100kW-plus – has increased by a greater margin of 16.76p per kWh, from 34.21p per kWh in September to 50.97p in May. This means the cost to charge a vehicle to 80 per cent has risen from £17.51 to £26.10. This, however, is still £48 cheaper than filling a petrol-powered car to 80 per cent, although electric car drivers do not get quite as many miles from an 80 per cent charge as drivers of petrol cars do from an equivalent fill-up of a tank.

While the cost of charging a zero-emission electric car remains good value compared to

topping up a petrol or diesel car, as things stand drivers who can’t charge up at home – which could be as many as one-in-three - are penalised by having to pay a higher rate of VAT on electricity than those who can.

The FairCharge campaign is therefore calling for the 20 per cent VAT rate currently charged on electricity at public chargers to be cut to match the five per cent levied on domestic electricity, thus making it an easier decision for those who cannot charge at home to switch to an electric car. Doing so would see the cost of charging up at a rapid charger cut by 5.57p per kWh, and at an ultra-rapid charger by 6.37p. This would reduce the cost of an 80 per cent charge by £2.85 and £3.26 on average at rapid and ultra-rapid chargers, respectively.

READ MORE

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

EMERGENCY VEHICLES

Three quarters of a million vehicles on UK roads can be plugged in

East Midlands Ambulance Service electrifies nonemergency patient transport

The SMMT has released new Motorparc data, which shows that nearly three quarters of a million vehicles on the road today can be plugged in, including 720,053 cars, 26,990 vans, 993 buses and 313 trucks.

While electric car uptake is growing rapidly, accounting for around one in five new registrations, plug-ins still only represent around one in 50 cars on the road, which the SMMT says demonstrates the scale of the challenge ahead. Meanwhile, there are some 20.5 million petrol cars and 13 million diesels making up 58.6 per cent and 37.1 per cent of the car parc respectively, a combined total of 95.7 per cent.

Overall, the number of vehicles in the UK grew 0.4 per cent to 40,506,971 in 2021.

Despite the increase in the parc, major shortages of key components and supply chain disruptions across the globe caused new car registrations to remain broadly static at 1.65 million, with car ownership falling -0.2 per cent to 35,023,652 vehicles – the second year in a row the car parc has fallen and the first time the UK has experienced consecutive falls in more than a century.

However, it’s been a bumper year for light commercial vehicles, which saw the number on the road rise by 4.3 per cent to 4,804,833, contributed to an overall increase in the parc. The heavy goods vehicle sector, meanwhile, saw a 2.5 per cent uplift, with 604,035 trucks in Britain making local, national and international deliveries amid increased demand from key sectors.

A decade of year-on-year decreases in the bus and coach parc ended with 1.1 per cent growth last year to 74,451 units. However, the bus and coach parc remained at the

The East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EMAS) has replaced every one of its nonemergency patient transport service (NEPTS) cars in Derbyshire with the fully electric Kia e-Niro.

The move will reduce the trust’s emissions by 96 tonnes of carbon dioxide, equivalent (tCO2e) per year.

EMAS has now taken delivery of 16 of Kia e-Niros for patients in Derbyshire who need non-emergency medical or clinical support to get to and from their healthcare appointments.

Andy Watson, fleet assistant general manager for EMAS, said: “We’re really pleased to have been able to introduce these fully electric, zero-emissions vehicles to our fleet. With these vehicles now fully operational, we are immediately putting them into service as we respond to the needs of our patients.”

Steve Farnsworth, assistant director of operational support at EMAS, said: “We are constantly evaluating the electric vehicle offering that is available, which is changing and improving with new products being launched year on year. These vehicles have an excellent range and the manufacturer is very much established in this field of technology.

“The car is capable of up to 282 miles when fully charged and our NEPTS vehicles complete 90 miles per day on average, meaning one charge should last a day without the need to charge again.”

This latest rollout of electric vehicles at EMAS is part of the organisation’s ongoing commitment to becoming a net zero trust by 2040.

second lowest level since records began in 1994, as lockdowns and pandemic-related changes in passenger behaviour saw reduced services and less demand from operators.

In the commercial vehicle sector, some 0.6 per cent of vans are now plug-in electric, indicating that the van sector is around two years behind that of cars despite both vehicle classes having the same end of sale date for new petrol and diesel registrations. Zeroemission public transport is picking up pace, with 1.3 per cent of buses and coaches now battery electric, while electric trucks account for less than 0.1 per cent of the HGV parc.

Electric car uptake also varies dramatically across the UK. A third (33.1 per cent) of all plug-in cars are registered in London and the South East, representing 3 per cent and 2.6 per cent of all cars in each area. By contrast, 1.5 per cent of cars in the West Midlands are plug-in electric, 1.9 per cent in Yorkshire and Humberside, and 0.9 per cent in the North East. Differences in uptake could also be seen across the four British nations, with plug-ins making up 2.2 per cent of cars in England, 1.6 per cent in Scotland, and 0.8 per cent in Wales and Northern Ireland.

However, the majority of plug-in cars are registered to businesses rather than people, while some 58.8 per cent of all electric cars on the road company registered, reflecting the fact that businesses receive broader, more generous incentives to make the switch than those offered to private consumers.

READ MORE

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

READ MORE

News

EV CHARGING

Pop-up mini solar car park and EV charging hub launched A pop-up mini solar car park and electric vehicle charging hub, deployable in just 24 hours, has been revealed at the Surrey Research Park, Guildford.

Developed by 3ti, the Papilio3 is built around a recycled shipping container and can support up to 12 fast EV charge points.

The solar and battery-boosted charging system optimises the speed of charge and reduces the carbon intensity of electricity used. Papilio3 is available from 3ti on a rental contract and therefore requires no capital investment by customers.

Papilio3 is fitted with three modular canopies that support 36 solar panels and has battery storage capacity of up to 250 kWh. It has been developed by 3ti with Cambridge Design Partners, and has been designed for rollout at workplaces and public destinations such as hospitals, hotels, meeting venues, sports

or shopping centres, tourist attractions and town centres.

Each unit offers sheltered, illuminated and secure parking, plus a convenient, available and reliable EV charging experience that supports a mixture of 7, 11 and 22 kilowatts.

Papilio3 integrates three technologies that are more usually considered individually: solar photovoltaic electricity generation, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and EV charge points.

Combining the three offers a range of benefits, including the ability to use grid energy, solar power and battery storage to optimise the speed and carbon intensity of EV charging. Onsite renewable energy generation from solar panels also reduces energy costs and gives businesses greater control over energy supply.

READ MORE

EV CHARGING

Polestar to investigate extreme fast charging with StoreDot Polestar has announced it is investing in StoreDot to investigate utilising the company’s extreme fast charging silicon-dominant batteries for future Polestar cars.

StoreDot is on track to begin mass producing its ‘100in5’ technology as early as 2024, achieving 100 miles of range in just five minutes of charging.

Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO said: “Charging and range anxiety are common concerns holding owners of combustion engine cars back from making the switch to EVs. StoreDot’s advanced battery technology potentially provides real solutions to these obstacles. If our current pilot projects with StoreDot are successful, we could see these solutions being implemented in Polestar cars by 2026,” continues Thomas Ingenlath.

Dr Doron Myersdorf, StoreDot CEO said: “We are thrilled to be entering into an agreement with Polestar. Like us, Polestar

is an ambitious brand which is already proving to be pivotal in the mass adoption of electric vehicles, helping the global transition to a cleaner, zero-emissions world. We are looking forward to working together and we know that our technologies will prove to be greatly beneficial, helping to eradicate EV drivers’ range and charging anxieties.”

The new funding comes as part of StoreDot’s Series D investment round. Polestar is joining an impressive list of the company’s global investors and partners, including Daimler, BP, VinFast, Volvo, Ola Electric, Samsung, TDK and EVE Energy.

StoreDot is currently working with several global automotive manufacturers, to power next generation electric vehicles.

It is shipping advanced ‘100in5’ cells for them to undertake real-world testing.

READ MORE

Zemo Partnership’s Andy Eastlake

It ain’t (just) what you do, but the way that you do it The electric transition is well under way (for cars and – almost vans, at least) and is obviously a key part of what we need to do to meet our ultimate 2050 target for decarbonisation.

Our role at Zemo has focused mainly on making sure the technologies we use emit the lowest quantities of greenhouse gases (and locally polluting emissions) as possible. Now, of course, it’s all about zero – at least at the tailpipe.

There are significant emissions associated, though, with making, marketing and distributing all the vehicles and their associated components (especially batteries) as well as with the energy infrastructure (of whatever type) we need to support them.

We’re going to need better, cleaner vehicle technologies and fuel/ energy, of course, but we’re going to need to be smarter in other ways too; using fewer vehicles, more sharing where we can, more optimisation of ‘right vehicle for right application’ – and in many other ways.

There are plenty of people suggesting this kind of thing and many initiatives, apps and projects to help make things happen. It’s not just coming from environment hard-liners either; the foreword (by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps) to last year’s seminal Transport Decarbonisation Plan says part of the solution is going to be ‘using cars less’; finding new ways of achieving the things we need to do.

The Plan says that the aim is to reduce urban road traffic overall, through improvements in public transport, active travel as well as ridesharing, higher car occupancy and changes in commuting, shopping and business travel. It says the aim is for ‘a reduction, or at least a stabilisation, in traffic more widely’.

As Government revenues from fuel and vehicle excise duties are falling and as the enabling, digital technologies improve in leaps and bounds, there are growing calls for the introduction of ‘smart road charging’ which could also help to provide economic incentives for the kinds of travel behaviour we need to encourage.

So, I think it’s clear that the future is not going to be about technical progress alone; it’s going to be at least as much about operational and behavioural innovation. What’s the best way to achieve our mobility needs or transport demands with the lowest overall footprint? Can we do what we need to do with fewer vehicles, used more intensively?

Could we use different, smaller, lighter even actively-powered vehicles to achieve the same results? Could we do better at optimising our routes, sharing deliveries, multi-tasking? Do we even need to move ourselves (or our things) around as much?

There are other compelling reasons right now to be thinking about this process. Vehicle supply and critical component shortages/blockages and the eye-wateringly high fuel prices are surely good enough reasons on their own to encourage us to look for alternatives to the way and amount we travel at the same time as looking at the vehicle technology we use.

The Department for Transport has published a series of toolkits (primarily aimed a local authorities but with valuable information for others) to support innovative vehicle operators who are thinking along these lines.

The reference to Fun Boy Three’s hit song (with Bananarama) will certainly mark me down as of a certain vintage but it is indeed becoming increasingly obvious that while it’s definitely important ‘what you do’ it’s also ‘the way that you do it’ that gets results!

FURTHER INFORMATION www.zemo.org.uk

Issue 139 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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Air Quality Written by Adrian Odds, marketing and innovation director of CDS

Communicating a Clean Air Zone As clean air schemes get underway in UK cities, Adrian Odds shares some lessons learnt from implementing the Clean Air Zone in Birmingham, including how clear communication to businesses and residents was vital to making the scheme successful Pollution from vehicles is a big problem for people living in busy cities, like London or Birmingham. Not only is it adding to climate change, but pollution can also contribute to health inequity – particularly for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, or those living with pre-existing health conditions.

Therefore, local authorities are starting to introduce Clean Air Zones (CAZ) to their cities, to meet air quality and pollution targets enforced by the Environment Act 1995.

What is a Clean Air Zone?

These zones are areas that aim to reduce pollutants – like nitrogen dioxide – that come from high-polluting cars, trucks, or motorcycles. Although these vehicles are not banned from entering the zone, they will have to pay a daily charge if they choose to travel into the area – which should deter those driving older, less efficient vehicles from using this mode of transport. This chargeable fee is reinvested back into the community.

So far, three cities have already introduced Clean Air Zones successfully – Bath, Portsmouth, and Birmingham – with Bristol, Bradford, and Greater Manchester expected to implement schemes in 2022.

How can local authorities incentivise people?

Clean Air Zones present other advantages. In some locations, councils may offer loans and grants to help people upgrade to greener, electric vehicles – which are both much cheaper to run long term and better for the planet. This is especially helpful for people who work in the CAZ, but live outside of it.

If upgrading to an electric car isn’t an option, the Clean Air Fund also gives businesses the option to offer individuals local travel discounts or cycle to work schemes, encouraging eco-friendlier commuting.

Other benefits include changes to traffic light timings to improve traffic flows or higher importance given to buses, such as additional bus lanes and priority at traffic light junctions, encouraging people to use public transport.

Birmingham City Council’s CAZ The future is already looking greener and cleaner in the northern powerhouse city of Birmingham. It launched its Clean Air Zone in June 2021 as part of its ‘Brum Breathes’ programme which aims to better air quality for city-goers, as recommended by the Government.

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Get to know your community Before doing anything, it’s important for the local authority to conduct thorough research into their users, the organisation itself, and the technology they have access to.

As well as this, gaining behavioural insight is a vital part of the process and will allow teams to understand the people the zone will affect, the numbers of non-compliant cars already in the area, and who needs to be involved in the scheme roll-out. This will also unveil the reasons why drivers are choosing to travel in cars, instead of using public transport, cycling, or walking.

This information will aid the council’s decisions into which type of zone they should implement, if charges will apply, and whether additional campaigns should be introduced to influence and encourage greener transport options.

This initial research will set the groundwork for everything to launching the scheme and will save councils from unexpected costs or delays of motoring on before they have this knowledge.

However, implementing schemes of this scale and significance doesn’t come without its fair share of challenges. From communicating the changes to the public and helping them understand the reasons for the zone, to hitting operational requirements like printing and mailing large volumes of penalty charge notices (PCNs), the roll-out of this project was considerable.

With council resources In already stretched, some Birmingham City Council loc worked with change council ations, enablement partner, CDS to ensure the loans a s may offer set-up of the CAZ help pe nd grants to was successful, o outsourcing to gree ple upgrade ner, e operational vehicleslectric requirements like the production of PCNs and Charge Certificates to reduce cost and risk, and improve efficiency.

A transformational partner Like Birmingham City Council, many local authorities, with limited print capabilities, are not structured or resourced to handle large volumes of print, particularly when these print items require complex data management. The print solution defined

by CDS, composed personal data from the electoral role, the DVLA and the camera systems within the CAZ to create a highly personal charge notice document which had to be handled in a timely fashion to give recipients ample time to respond.

The transactional print and mail solution built by CDS is fully secure and GDPR compliant and was set up in just a week allowing the council peace of mind and enabling it to focus back on delivering public services for the community.

Advice for councils setting up future schemes Clean Air Zones and other similar schemes can be highly effective but are significant to the communities in which they operate.

For many people, receiving a CAZ PCN, can be the first fine they have ever received, so the experience can be jarring.

Success is critical, so we have gathered several pieces of advice and guidance, to help any local authority organisation embarking on a CAZ or similar scheme.

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

Engage and communicate early Local authorities should communicate plans for the CAZ as soon as possible – at least a one-to-two-year period is recommended so businesses, residents, and visitors

have time to familiarise themselves with the scheme. This also gives people time to share feedback and ask valuable questions which can then be used to shape the proposal for that specific area.

Councils need to be clear about the outcome of the CAZ from the beginning, as this will help to reduce the amount of confusion and frustration felt by motorists and will aid change in commuting behaviours.

Engaging with local businesses should also be part of this process, to understand their needs and concerns.

Companies using multiple vehicles will likely want to understand how they can best manage their fleet in terms of paying several PCNs, so this needs to be communicated early on, or support offered to change to cleaner vehicles.

Communication includes everything from clear signage and road markings to direct contact with people – such as

letters, emails, social media campaigns, or physical information points. It’s critical to engage and ensure an open flow of communication for all involved.

Keep up the communication Councils should maintain the process of engagement and communication once the scheme has been rolled out. This active approach to communication should be ongoing. Internal processes and systems should always be in place to help people and answer any queries efficiently.

Due to the new nature of the CAZ, it’s important to continue to remind people of the changes and encourage that behavioural shift to more planet-friendly travel – whether that’s changing to an electric vehicle or simply walking to work.

Communication, like radio campaigns, billboards, or postcards, for example, is key for ongoing engagement and enforcement of the zone.

Take a fair and reasonable approach While visitors to London might be familiar with congestion charges and the ultra-low emission zone, local authorities need to recognise that the CAZ is new and novel to many of the city’s residents and visitors, and they will need an adjustment period.

It’s essential to reference those who regularly or irregularly enter the proposed CAZ and remember that for many receiving a PCN it will be the first time they’ve received one, so the experience can be very unsettling, so maintain a friendly and helpful approach throughout.

For the first two weeks of the scheme, Birmingham City Council chose not to enforce any fees while drivers got used to the changes. After this, a soft enforcement period was put in place which allowed drivers a couple of chances to pay the PCN, before the full scheme was implemented.

Air Quality

Research will aid a council’s decisions into which type of zone they should implement, if charges will apply, and whether additional campaigns should be introduced to influence and encourage greener transport options

Understand this is a long-term process This is not something that can be set up overnight. The project will move through distinct phases – the initial set-up, the implementation, and moving into business-asusual – all with their own set of challenges.

It is an ongoing learning process so be prepared and don’t be afraid to rely on a trusted partner to help guide the project throughout. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.cds.co.uk www.brumbreathes.co.uk

Issue 139 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

11

GreenFleet Roundtable Written by Kate Armitage

Exploring fleet decarbonisation challenges

low emission vehicles, Dale Enyon, fleet director at DEFRA has placed a series of bulk orders. He observed that the supply chain is “lumpy” with no visibility of delivery dates, and vehicles arriving in small batches. But with a large fleet of 4,500 vehicles, the vehicles are easily placed.

Many of our roundtable participants operate HGV and specialist vehicles. And there was a good discussion on the merits of electric versis hydrogen for N2 and N3 vehicles. Brian Robinson, commercial vehicle & sustainability consultant for Zemo partnership was on hand to address these questions and stressed that the market for fully electric HGVs was emerging quickly.

A mix of fleets attended the latest GreenFleet Roundtable at Upfront costs remain a big barrier for these Ashton Gate Football Stadium in Bristol to discuss their progress vehicles with a premium of over £200k towards decarbonisation, as well as the barriers that remain on the larger vehicles; there was strong agreement that stronger Government grants were needed to support the emerging On 19 May at Ashton Gate Football Stadium (BEV and PHEV) and aims to be fully zero battery electric truck market. One solution in Bristol, GreenFleet was joined by a mix of emission (passenger vehicles) by 2025. to the high total cost of ownership (TCO) public sector fleets, including police, fire and Gloucestershire Constabulary has reached for electric HGVs was to amortise the cost defence services, as well as council fleets and the 20 per cent mark for full of the vehicle over a longer period; given waste management. The University of the battery electric vehicles the absence of moving parts and West of England, the Environment Agency alone. Both fleets report lower vibration Brian suggested Many and Bristol Airport were also present. seeing big savings that 12 years is not unrealistic. of the fl Almost unanimously, the fleets in on maintenance.

HVO was also a popular e e t s in atten attendance are facing a number of challenges DEFRA reports solution in the short to d a nce are faci around HGVs and specialist vehicles, vehicle a 30 per cent medium term, and Zemo’s of chal ng a number availability, electrical network upgrades reduction and Renewable Fuel Assurance lenges and remuneration of employee charging. servicing and Scheme was signposted aro HGVs a The roundtable was also attended by maintenance costs, nd spec und vehicle ialist Ashley Tate, founder and CEO of Mina – a and Steve Imm Reimbursement is s, mobility solution provider that specialises (Gloucestershire administration heavy vehicle as well as availab in access and payment solutions for Const) has been The majority of fleets that ility public, work and home charging. able to reduce the operate company cars reported maintenance team using the AER rate for the Lower maintenance costs by one full headcount reimbursement of electricity costs. offer a big TCO benefit (through attrition).

However there are many issues with The early adopting fleets have seen this; depending on where the employee some big benefits from electrification, Some factors remain out has charged (home or public charging) the particularly fleets that are of the control of fleets rates vary from as little as 5p per kWh for predominantly passenger vehicles.

Our fleets reported that vehicle availability, charging at home off peak to 55p+ per kWh The Environment Agency has already particularly vans, remains a challenge. for using a public rapid charge network. The achieved circa 25 per cent electrification To mitigate the constrained supply of efficiency of the vehicle (miles per kWh) also

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

varies according to the size and weight of the vehicle. Another very important consideration is that the employee (who receives the reimbursement in their pay packet) may not be responsible for paying the electricity bill.

It is little wonder that many fleets are opting to work with Mina; CEO Ashley Tate provided an overview of their EV charging access and payment solution that ensures employees are reimbursed the exact cost of charging. The Chargepass card provides access to 7,100 public charge points and all costs are invoiced direct to the employer.

Mina also offers a highly innovative reimbursement scheme for home charging where the cost of electricity is paid direct to the electricity company – ensuring there this is no “bill shock” at the end of the quarter, or when the direct debit is reviewed, and removing the administrative burden from the fleet manager.

with the local Distribution Network Operator (DNO). Bristol Airport is in the middle of a strategic upgrade (8MW) to allow for growth of the airport as well as accommodating the electrification of airside, supplier, customer and employee vehicles (they have over 14,000 parking spaces).

Free charging for employees will not last forever The question of how much employee parking needs to be dedicated to EV Charging (and when) was a keen topic. The general feeling was that 20 per cent of parking seemed high, although this is likely to be inevitable in the medium term. Three of our fleets reported that employees currently have free access to workplace charging, although both DEFRA and Gloucestershire Constabulary are reviewing this policy due to the increasing costs.

Surrey County Council currently charge 33p per kWh (in line with other public charging AC networks).

Encouragingly the choice of solutions for billing employees for the cost of electricity is increasing and Mina is on hand to support this process. L

GreenFleet Roundtable

CDC is upgrading their Banbury Depot to 1000 kVa, however, CDC’s Bicester depot is not suitable for a DNO upgrade and relocation of the depot is under consideration.

Electrical upgrades are becoming reality Both Bristol Airport and Cherwell District Council (CDC) are in the process of upgrading the incoming supply to site

Issue 139 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

13

Millions of people are at risk of the deadly consequences of conflict in Ukraine.

People are fleeing their homes and families are being separated. Many are going without food or clean water.

We must get critical support to those who need it most, in Ukraine and its bordering countries.

Please donate to the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, if you can.

redcross.org.uk/shelter or text SHELTER to 70141 to Visit

make a £10 donation.

By texting, you consent to future telephone and SMS marketing contact from British Red Cross.

Text SHELTER NO to 70141 to give £10 without consenting to calls and texts.*

Keeping in touch Your support makes a life-changing difference to people in crisis. We write to our supporters to update you about the work of the British Red Cross, and how you can help and donate in other ways. You can change the way we contact you at any time by visiting redcross.org.uk/keepingintouch or calling Freephone 0800 2800 491.

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The DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal will support people in areas currently affected and those potentially affected in the future by the crisis. In the unlikely event that we raise more money than can be reasonably and efficiently spent, any surplus funds will be used to help us prepare for and respond to other humanitarian disasters anywhere in the world. For more information visit https://donate. redcross.org.uk/appeal/disaster-fund *Texts cost £10 +1 standard message (we receive 100%). For full T&Cs visit redcross.org.uk/mobile, must be 16+.

The British Red Cross Society, incorporated by Royal Charter 1908, is a charity registered in England and Wales (220949), Scotland (SC037738), Isle of Man (0752) and Jersey (430).

Photo © Michael Kappeler/dpa

We need your help

Following the success of the EV Rally of Scotland last year, GREENFLEET is hosting the Great British EV Rally (GBEVR) in July, which will be a live demonstration of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, running the entire length of the UK The Great British EV Rally, sponsored by and Dundee (commercials), the Rally leasing specialists Lex Autolease, kicks off on heads further south, across the border 4 July in Scotland and will cover over 1,200 to Cheadle and Leeds, respectively. electrically-driven miles over five days Day three sees both sets of vehicles as it heads south to Lands End. arrive at Rockingham race track, This year, the Rally will for an EV Challenge, and from The GB be split in two – with then on, the Rally stays on EV Rally electric cars and one route, finishing the will visit ele electric commercial day in Milton Keynes. c t r i c vehicles heading Day four sees teams v e charge hicle on different routes swing by the GRIDSERVE p o i n t clean e before meeting up Electric Forecourt in nergy ps and again on day three Braintree, before heading rojects on rout e at Rockingham into London, and back out , a s well as take and continuing the to drive west to Bristol. i n journey together.

The final day will landma iconic rks The GB EV Rally see the vehicles cross the will visit EV charge Welsh border, to Cardiff, points and clean energy before heading back again to projects on route, as well head south-west, taking in Exeter as take in iconic landmarks and then finishing in Lands End. such as John O’Groats, Loch Ness, Lake At each branded checkpoint, the drivers Windermere and the Angel of the North. and their eNavigators will exit the The teams are made up of a mix of fleet operators, motoring companies and fleet suppliers, with Maxus UK, DPD UK, bp pulse, AA, Drivetech, OVO energy, Kärcher UK, Mitie, National Grid, Paua and Char.gy all participating in the Rally. Additional technology and charging support will come from Webfleet Solutions, Gridserve and SWARCO. Meanwhile Dundee City Council, Leeds City Council and West of England Combined Authority are the Rally’s ‘host authorities’.

By the end of the week, the GB EV Rally will have travelled the length of the UK – with the aim of proving that electric vehicles are viable for fleets all over the country, even for those drivers that cover long distances.

Great British EV Rally

The Great British EV Rally

vehicle, take a picture and post on social media, using the key event #hashtags.

EV adventurer and Guinness World Record holder Chris Ramsey and sustainability consultant John Curtis will be interviewing rally participants and broadcasting them across the social media platforms.

In late 2022, Chris Ramsey will become the first person to drive from Pole to Pole in an electric vehicle, in a bid to raise awareness of climate change and the role that electric cars can play in reducing our carbon footprint.

Charging hubs and clean energy projects Teams will be able to see and experience charging hubs and clean energy projects, such as Sourton Park & Ride which features nearly 30 chargers, solar canopies, battery technology and electric buses.

Another is the Electric Forecourt near Braintree, Essex, which enables 36 electric vehicles to be charged simultaneously, with high power chargers that can deliver up to 350 kW of charging power. Event sponsors Lex Autolease will be hosting a fleet business breakfast at the facility in the morning, and when the rally arrives, will hold a tour of the forecourt.

Teams will also be able to get a charge at bp pulse’s dedicated rapid charging hub on Park Lane, in London, which has 10 rapid 50kW chargers, as well as visit a residential charging project run by Redbridge Council and char.gy, which aims to investigate the potential for induction charging of electric vehicles. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.gbevrally.co.uk

The route GB EV Rally will begin at the top of the UK, at the Castle & Gardens of Mey, which is the home of The Queen Mother, and will immediately head to John O’Groats. The Rally will finish at the foot of the UK, in Lands End. Inititally, the vehicles will split into two groups, with cars heading west, along the north coast, while the commercials head south, using the ‘Electric A9’.

Co-drivers will accompany the drivers, and act as eNavigators, plotting the route, from charge point to charge point, and after overnight stops in Oban (cars)

Issue 139 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

15

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

Totalkare can support you in the design of your Class 7 MOT bay and application to the DVSA, through to the installation of the equipment and subsequent training and servicing. Ask us about our finance options and get testing today!

SME DECARBONISATION

Guide

Overcoming SME decarbonisation barriers to help small businesses transition to zero emission fleets Sponsored by

21 SME carbon reduction

25 Sustainable travel

30 Electric vehicles

Small firms often do not have the same resources to make investments in decarbonisation compared to their larger counterparts. Martin McTague, national chair of Federation of Small Businesses, explores the barriers holding small firms back from switching to zero-emission vehicles

Shared transport schemes like car clubs and bike share are the key to decarbonisation plans, as they can contribute directly to cleaner air and better health, while also bringing other key benefits, including reduced costs. Richard Dilks, chief executive of Collaborative Mobility UK, explains further

While upfront costs of electric vehicles may be off-putting for small to medium sized firms, James Court, CEO of EVA England, highlights ways to offset these costs, as well as the additional benefits EVs can bring SME fleet operations

35 Charging infrastructure

38 Government grants

40 Expert panel

Chargepoint infrastructure is a longterm investment and there are several factors to consider when making your decisions. Benedict Harrison, sustainable energy and transport consultant at Cenex, shares some advice so that costly mistakes can be avoided

As well as the Workplace Charging Grant, which has now opened up to small accommodation businesses and charities, small-to-medium sized businesses can now apply for an infrastructure grant, which pays for the electrical work needed for chargepoints

While the appetite to switch to zero emission vehicles is high amongst small businesses, the extra expense of EVs and charging worries are holding many back.

Our panel of experts discuss what the barriers are for SMEs, and share advice on how to overcome them

Get wise... and decarbonise!

We help fleets become more efficient and decarbonise, using our powerful optimisation algorithms and evidenced based analysis approach.

www.thealgorithmpeople.co.uk

Advertisement Feature

Technology is the answer for greener fleets Decarbonisation is a looming deadline for the UK’s car, van and commercial vehicle fleets – but for many it still seems like an impossible, and impossibly expensive, goal. However, the truth is all fleets can move towards decarbonisation today – with no financial risk The key is harnessing the right technology to first identify the optimal use of every vehicle; to identify which vehicles and fleet tasks are suitable for electrification; and being able to wring every iota of value from them to ensure a rapid return on investment.

Fleet optimisation is a green endeavour at every level because it eliminates wasted mileage, wasted fuel, and wasted usage of assets. Or to put it another way, it saves fleets money on fuel, on vehicle wear and tear, and in driver time, while also cutting fossil fuel use and emissions.

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.

Expert advice and expert tools are an essential part of this journey into what is otherwise uncharted territory. Decades of conventional fleet management experience cannot help professionals know which applications, contracts or journeys can use EVs and maximise return on investment.

The Algorithm People’s technology does 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.

What fleets can do today Decarbonisation is a journey and TAP’s service offerings make the first, and every subsequent step, easy, affordable and effective.

Step one Fleets can start their green journey today, with no prior consultation, fuss, lengthy implementations or financially risky tieins. Fleet managers can simply log into My Transport Planner, use the templates to upload vehicle details, jobs, deliveries or appointments and start saving up to 30

per cent of fleet costs straight away. It’s a Pay as you go (PAYG) system designed to save more than fleets spend from day one, and it costs as little as 49p per vehicle.

Many of our partner companies, which include telematics, fleet management, fuel card providers and many other value-add companies, have integrated My Transport Planner into their product range, or make it available to their customers. The benefits to fleets are magnified as the savings which can come from coupling driver performance products with optimised journeys are greater than the sum of each intervention individually.

Step two Identify where electric vehicles would be a good fit for your fleet, offering the greatest operational versatility and the most rapid return on investment. TAP’s unique EV Toolkit can help with this. We analyse the vehicle movements, contracts or jobs undertaken over a specific period of time or from a significant sample of the fleet and see which of those profiles is best suited to electrification. This not only ensures seamless integration, and a rapid payback, but it also generally accelerates fleet’s uptake of EVs. Our EV toolkit revealed that Yorkshire Water could electrify 88 per cent of its vehicles that were analysed, and that 95 per cent would not require top-up charging. This ground-breaking analysis will help the company achieve its ambitious goal of Net Zero by 2030.

Step three As fleets start to add electric vehicles to the fleet, My Transport Planner will optimise those too, taking into account charging, range, payload and all the other relevant factors.

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

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

Stop and think about that for a moment: this is not a one-off, milk-run scheduling system. It does not simply improve over human or manual planning once and then reproduce that trick. It learns and, as it learns, it continues to dynamically optimise each route, seeking ever more efficient routes and a closer relationship between the planned and the actual. My Transport Planner will take note of congestion patterns, regular glitches, times of day, charging availability and many other factors.

It is also customisable so that fleets can prioritise their scheduling parameters – for instance, to avoid congestion, or to avoid collision blackspots.

The future Decarbonisation is only the start of our exploration of the most efficient ways to green UK road transport. 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.

This is a time for thinking differently, and we are looking anew at many logistics and fleet challenges. The ability to process, analyse and create with Big Data will enable us to move beyond traditional patterns and create a more efficient, cleaner and greener fleet world.

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

CARBON REDUCTION

Eliminating emissions from SME fleets

SME Decarbonisation Guide

Sponsored by

Small firms often do not have the same resources to make investments in decarbonisation compared to their larger counterparts. Martin McTague, national chair of Federation of Small Businesses explores the barriers holding small firms back from switching to zero-emission vehicles and affordable electric vans as well as a underdeveloped second hand market, it is almost impossible for them to make the switch now, even when they are eager to do so.

A crucial role to play A member who was in touch recently Thankfully, small businesses recognise captured the state of play succinctly: their role in the transition, and “Although I am very keen to upgrade are keen to play their part. our van to an electric vehicle, it is Our research shows a majority of small currently not financially possible.” firms believe the planet is facing a climate As such, we need direct incentives crisis, and a third have already to get firms on the right track. taken steps to decarbonise.

However, small firms We’ve set out proposals A for a Help To Green scheme often do not have the majorit – modelled on existing Help same resources to of smal y l to Grow programmes – make investments fi r ms believe which would allow small in decarbonisation t h e planet is facin firms to reclaim some of compared to their crisis, a g a climate the cost of investment larger counterparts. nd a th in net zero measures, The cost of EVs, ird already including the purchase of the lack of a taken s have te reasonably-priced ZEVs. second-hand market to deca rbonise ps A comprehensive and fragmented scrappage scheme could charging infrastructure help spur change too, with in rural parts of the recyclable commercial diesel country are barriers that hold businesses back. vehicles swapped for grants towards For the 58 per cent of small businesses in cleaner hybrid and zero emission vehicles. urban areas and 68 per cent in rural parts Complementary interventions are needed of the country, their work is dependent on to ensure that ZEVs are affordable for their vans. But with the lack of a wide range small firms when the 2030 ban takes E It will be critical for policymakers to incentivise road users to make the switch.

Supported by Supported by

Written by Martin McTague, national chair of the Federation of Small Businesses

Though the need for them has never been more pressing, efforts to encourage small business owners to opt for low emission vehicles are nothing new.

Scottish Inventor Robert Anderson created the world’s first crude electric carriage way back in the 1800s. Meanwhile, the Bersey Electric Cab offered its services to Londoners for just a few years at the end of the 19th century.

But despite their initial success, higher-priced electric vehicles soon lost their appeal and were replaced by the combustion engine.

Over a century later, zero emission vehicles will be a key to reaching net zero by 2050. In the UK, transport accounts for just under a third of all greenhouse emissions, its single biggest contributor.

In November 2020, the UK government announced that all new petrol and diesel car and van sales will be phased out by 2030. By 2035, all new cars and vans must be fully zero-emission at the tailpipe.

However, fewer than one in ten of our members currently have plans in place to switch their work vehicles to electric by 2030. As the current cost of doing business crisis persists, firms will increasingly find themselves lacking the cash needed to purchase a zero emission vehicle.

21

In taking forward its plan to build a network of 300,000 chargers in the UK by 2030, the Government must treat the local roads network with the same priority as motorways and major A roads  effect in less than a decade – in practice, a developed secondhand market to keep costs within a reasonable range.

Making the switch fair The other danger is emergence of a two-tier society, with those that have made the switch exempt from clean air charges, whilst those who cannot afford the switch are left to pay penalties.

That’s why we’re urging governments to hand Clean Air and Low Emission Zone charges back to smaller businesses and sole traders in the form of grants for ZEV purchases.

Outside of the direct cost of upgrading, more than a third of small firms say the lack of charge points is putting the brakes on making the switch – in rural areas, that figure rises to four in 10.

We can’t (even if we are discussing modern cars and vans) put the cart before the horse: ZEVs for all by 2030 simply will not be possible unless we have a comprehensive charging infrastructure in place to keep them on the road.

The reality is, we need the Government to take action and start implementing its EV charging strategy as put forward again in the Transport Bill, ensuring their targets are matching up with the EVs on the roads.

Firstly, because not every small business owner will be able to install a charge point on site and will therefore be reliant on public changepoints. A significant number of our members already say that their landlords won’t ok installation, and fewer than one in ten currently has a charge point set up.

Secondly, because, as things stand, charge points are concentrated around motorways. That’s fine, you may think, except that the small firms that make-up 99 per cent of the private sector often travel without using them at all.

What none of us wants to see is remote artisan, food and hospitality business stranded in the countryside, failing to reach customers and delivery their goods and services because those who’ve made the ZEV switch feel they can’t reach them – the B&B sent to the wall because they can’t install a charge point, and there isn’t a public one near them.

In taking forward its plan to build a network of 300,000 chargers in the UK by 2030, the Government must treat the local roads network with the same priority as motorways and major A roads, future proofing the rural economies on which millions of livelihoods depend.

Green skills Alongside incentives and infrastructure, we urgently need to get serious about developing green skills too.

The chronic shortage of HGV drivers with knowledge of electric vehicles, for example, could be addressed through a combination of a focussed SME Driver Training Scheme and an HGV Driver Independent Training Loan Scheme, aimed at funding training and specialist courses, with repayments made from salaries over time.

Fundamentally, the UK-wide switch to ZEVs can’t happen without small business owners, and whilst there are measures out there to help us, such as tax reliefs, congestion charge exemptions and capital allowances, we need to see policymakers go much further and create greater awareness on the benefits of making the switch to ZEVs. We are determined to do our bit and, with the right support to unlock our potential, the small business community can be at the forefront of the journey to net zero, driving us towards a greener future. L FURTHER INFORMATION

SPONSOR’S COMMENT

SME Decarbonisation Guide

Sponsored by

Embracing the community of like-minded businesses adopting electric vehicles on their fleet It’s great to see how many SMEs are already on their journey to having a more sustainable fleet. It’s an exciting space to be in, and with so many businesses taking the leap to adopt EVs, I think creating a community for like minded businesses is important now more than ever.

I’d encourage you to talk, share advice and learn from one another, and feel free to reach out to me too, as the journey ahead can be somewhat complex, that is of course if you don’t have the right information in front of you to hand.

This guide is packed full of information on ways to decarbonise your fleet. In particular, from Mina, you can learn more about how our solution makes paying for EV charging radically simple.

In addition, we recently launched a white paper to support businesses just like yours. Download it, it’s free and reach out to me directly if you have any questions.

The more we can collaborate and work together the simpler the transition to EV will be. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.mina.co.uk www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-tate-738b8210/

Ashley Tate, CEO and co-founder, Mina With over 10 years’ experience in energy and utilities, Ash brought his expertise over to the world of EV and since 2020 has been dedicated to accelerating the transition to electric vehicles within businesses and fleets at Mina, by making paying for EV charging radically simple.

www.fsb.org.uk

Supported by

23

Advertisement Feature

Outsourced fleet management to play key role in the move to electric vehicles Demand for electric company cars is growing fast, and for most companies, it’s a venture into the unknown. And it’s this uncertainty that’s causing many companies to seek fleet management support, according to Lee Brown from Grosvenor Leasing and Interactive Fleet Management

Historical data on the true running costs of electric vehicles is thin on the ground; data on their re-sale values in three to four years’ time will remain sketchy until large volumes have been sold through the used car market, and we are still in the early stages of comparing the actual cost of servicing and maintaining EVs compared to petrol and diesel cars and vans.

According to Lee Brown, managing director of Grosvenor Leasing and Interactive Fleet Management, it’s this uncertainty that’s causing many companies to seek professional fleet management support.

“Our 0Zone team, which advises companies with cars and light commercial vehicles about the move to ultra-low emission (ULEV) and electric vehicles (EV), has never been busier,” said Lee. “We are also seeing a rise in demand for outsourced fleet management, because companies who buy their vehicles, and manage them in-house, are now looking for external support as they have very little expertise in how to deal with electric vehicles.”

Four key elements The Grosvenor Group comprises of four key elements. Grosvenor Leasing is a market leading contract hire company with a 40 year pedigree, Interactive Fleet Management is a specialist fleet management business, Grosvenor Personal Leasing supports company drivers who have opted out of the company car scheme, and Grosvenor

24

Salary Sacrifice provides a salary sacrifice solution for plug in hybrid and electric cars.

Working across all areas, the 0Zone team provides specialist advice and support in developing ultra-low emission and electric car policies and choice lists, as well as advising on the financial and operational aspects of moving to ULEVs and EVs, ranging from tax and financial modelling through to charging options and fuel/EV charge reimbursement.

With many businesses having little experience of electric vehicles, Lee explains that many companies begin by seeking advice from the 0Zone team, but then turn their attention to the ongoing management of these vehicles and the level of risk involved in doing this themselves.

“Operating a vehicle fleet, however large or small, is an expensive undertaking,” continued Lee, “however if you have had a petrol and diesel fleet for many years you probably have a pretty good feel for future budgeting and the amount of time that similar vehicles will take to manage based on past experience.

“With electric vehicles, we’re almost starting from scratch again and we are helping companies review their cost base, and look at the types of cars and vans they operate that could be replaced by ULEVs and EVs. Getting this right is important, as this ‘choice list’ will determine the future cost base of the fleet, and we use whole life costs to provide accurate financial forecasts of ULEV and EVs during their time on fleet.

“Facing the prospect of a growing plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and battery electric vehicle

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

(BEV) fleet, many companies then consider the maintenance – particularly where they are paying for, and managing, the servicing, maintenance and repairs themselves.

“It’s rare for a company to employ someone with vehicle maintenance expertise making it very difficult for them to know if the invoices coming in from garages for work carried out are fair, or whether the work was required in the first place.

“This is accentuated by the arrival of BEVs as companies have little, or no, previous experience of their servicing, maintenance and repair costs - giving them nothing to compare invoices to.

“To give a flavour of the potential savings that our maintenance management team could achieve, we often ask organisations to send us a selection of recent invoices and we will highlight where there has been overspend which, when multiplied across an entire fleet, can turn into a very vast sum of money.

“We have also spent many years understanding electric vehicles and investing in extensive training of our maintenance teams, which is why we are seeing a rise in the numbers of companies placing the management of their EVs in our safe hands as it could deliver very significant long-term savings indeed.

“For companies that have decided, with the advent of EVs, they no longer wish to take that risk of ownership, a sale and leaseback is also a good option.

“This is where Grosvenor Leasing quickly values the vehicles based on their age and mileage, then provides contract hire rentals to lease each vehicle back.

“Grosvenor then buys the fleet, giving a cash injection, and with no disruption to drivers the vehicles move to contract hire with the benefit of fixed monthly costs, a removal of risk, less administration and access to a range of additional fleet management solutions.

“Any EV already on fleet, and those added afterwards, are leased with fixed costs and no risk giving companies peace of mind as they transition their fleet to alternative fuels.”L FURTHER INFORMATION www.thegrosvenorgroup.co.uk/leasing

SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL

Shared transport schemes like car clubs and bike share are the key to SME decarbonisation plans, as they can contribute directly to cleaner air and better health, while also bringing other key benefits, including reduced costs. Richard Dilks, chief executive of Collaborative Mobility UK, explains further There is no route to achieving the UK’s analysing current grey fleet travel and Net Zero ambitions that doesn’t involve conducting a staff travel survey. a dramatic cut in transport emissions.

Different shared transport options Domestic transport is still today the are available to organisations to make largest source of UK emissions, with the business travel and employee commutes main source being the use of private cars. more sustainable, which I will outline Reaching net zero by 2050 will later in this article. But simply providing require the decarbonisation of alternative forms of transport will transport – and everyone not be effective by itself.

It needs to play their Without help to make is vital part, from national the switch, employees are to acc government to local likely to stick to current government, and ways of travelling. for indi ount v from employers Some organisations i d u al differen to individuals. try to overcome this by c e s when plann Many SMEs providing information, across the country such as leaflets, posters, transpoing shared rt want to take action, and communications for emp schemes and their staff also at team meetings, in the l oyees increasingly demand it. hope that this will create Shared transport the desired change. This can schemes like car clubs and be a good starting point, but bike share are the key – this studies have shown that simply can contribute directly to cleaner providing information is rarely effective. air and better health, while also bringing Our suggested approach to making other key benefits including reduced costs. a successful behaviour change For employers, the most obvious campaign works has four steps. benefit is cost – particularly for grey fleet travel, for which Planning for change employees are typically reimbursed Organisations should start by being at 45 pence per mile. clear about the target behaviour that they want to address.

Understanding business travel Make this as specific as possible, as Before considering shared transport this makes the rest of the process options, organisations may want to more straightforward, reduces the risk gain a greater understanding of how of competing priorities, and allows employees are currently travelling for for better impact evaluation. business trips and commuter journeys.

Key questions help identify a specific There are several ways to do this, target behaviour on which to focus but two common starting points are including what needs to change?

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Intervention suggestions There are a wide range of interventions available to organisations to support the deployment of shared transport.

For example, a business could trial shared travel days or a week of action to encourage people to change for a short period, which can help facilitate a longer-term switch.

Make using shared transport the path of least resistance, for example through automatic or opt out membership of shared transport such as the organisation’s pool car scheme.

Where grey fleet must be used, ensure policies are in place to encourage ride sharing, control reimbursement, and mandating minimum standards for vehicles.

Another intervention could be to provide preferential parking, such as bays near the workplace entrance, for employees sharing trips or vehicles.

Organisations could also reduce the total number of parking spaces, with guaranteed space for ride sharers and a restriction on the number of days per week that someone can park on site if not ride sharing.

Companies which have brought about the desired change in behaviour and reduced parking pressures at their site have done so by providing incentives to employees to share the ride to work, giving priority parking spaces to ride sharers and offered a taxi home to employees in case of an emergency, while also significantly restricting parking for lone drivers.

At Arup in Solihulll, for example, the combination of these measures led to 83 per cent of staff signing up to the Liftshare platform and over 50 per cent regularly sharing the ride to work.

Written by Richard Dilks, chief executive of Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK)

Greener staff travel for SMEs

Where is the behaviour performed?

Is it location specific? When is the behaviour performed? And finally, who will be the intervention target?

Campaigns could be focused on groups such as new starters, a specific department, or employees that live within a certain radius of their place of work.

Another consideration could be employees’ access to other forms of travel, such as private transport or private car ownership.

People’s motivations and ability to change will be different depending on their personal circumstance. It is vital to account for individual differences when planning interventions.

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Stakeholder mapping and engagement After choosing an intervention, organisations should then consider who the key stakeholders will be in relation to a particular intervention, and assess the extent to which they might influence or have an interest in the proposed change.

The results can be used to inform a communications plan and help prioritise resources.

Evaluating interventions Finally, organisations should measure and monitor behaviour change interventions E

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Organisations should measure and monitor behaviour change interventions against financial, environmental and individual metrics to understand the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different measures.  against financial, environmental and individual metrics to understand the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different measures.

For financial evaluation, calculate the capital and operational cost to the organisation for providing shared transport, and compare these to costs previously incurred.

For environmental evaluation, recalculate the emissions associated with business travel and commuting journeys.

For individual evaluation, assess employees’ satisfaction with the availability and use of shared transport for business trips and commute journeys.

Different types of shared transport The most obvious form of shared transport is car sharing. Car clubs are pay-as-you-drive schemes which allow members (individuals or organisations) to book vehicles for the time that they are needed, from as little as one hour, and pay only for the hire time and the distance driven.

Members typically pay an annual fee to join the scheme and a per hour and a mileage charge to hire a vehicle.

Scheme operators cover running costs such as insurance, tax, fuel, cleaning, and servicing. Businesses can become corporate members which allows their employees to book car club vehicles for work trips.

Another option available to businesses is to introduce pool cars – a fleet of vehicles provided by an organisation for use by staff for work trips.

Ride sharing, lift sharing or carpooling is increasingly popular, which simply refers to sharing a journey – usually by car – with at least one other person.

Ride sharing is often organised informally between employees who share a similar commute to save money and for social benefits.

However, there are ride sharing platforms that can be used by organisations which now make it easier for people to find and share rides with colleagues and neighbours.

Bike and e-bike sharing schemes work in similar ways to car clubs and pool car schemes. They provide users with access to bikes when they need them, for the time they need. As with cars, an organisation can either provide staff with membership of an existing shared bike scheme run by a private sector operator, or it can procure and manage its own fleet of bikes.

The introduction of these schemes has already produced major benefits for some employers. Siemens cut travel costs by 28 per cent by introducing a car club, and The Pump House in Nottingham brought in a fleet of e-bikes to reduce car use for short journeys. Bookings increased by around 50 per cent through 2019-20 as staff became more familiar with the e-bikes and more confident using them.

In a post-Covid environment as more people return to the workplace, employers across the county have a clear opportunity to do things differently. We want to capitalise on this by giving organisations the tools to re-think business and employee travel to help cut emissions, cut costs, and benefit employees. L

SPONSOR’S COMMENT

Businesses should accelerate their electric vehicle uptake Despite pledges made at COP26, there could be global warming of 4C by the end of this century.

The University of Exeter and the Met Office have analysed worldwide policies and reported that, if we remain on the current trajectory, the Paris Agreement’s aim of limiting warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels is slipping out of reach.

With nations such as China, South Africa and Indonesia saying they will probably need more time to align their climate plans with a 1.5C temperature pathway, it’s easy for any UK business to wonder what small impact they can have when nations across the globe are churning out such high levels of pollution.

Yet, seeing the numbers of young people in Glasgow during COP26 talking so passionately about the importance and urgency of addressing climate change, this should encourage us all to do everything we can.

For many businesses, a key part of this is the speed by which their at-work drivers move to electric, zero emission vehicles – particularly when transport is such a high contributor to greenhouse gases.

A company vehicle delivered in 2022 will remain on its fleet for three to four years and during that time we are going to see a 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 do everything they can to play their part in helping towards that 1.5C goal by quickly moving their company car policies and choice lists to ultra-low or zero emission cars, unless there are genuine 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. L FURTHER INFORMATION info@grosvenor-leasing.co.um

Richard Dilks is the chief executive of CoMoUK, which is helping the UK transition to integrated mobility solutions designed for the public good.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Lee Brown, managing director of Grosvenor Leasing and Interactive Fleet Management

An action kit for employer can be found here: https://como.org.uk/business-action-kit-launched/

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Clearing the air Earlier this year Europcar Mobility Group UK published a new whitepaper ‘Clearing the Air’: Are Fleet Managers Ready for the Clean Air Revolution? based on research of 300 fleet managers. Nearly two thirds expected between 25 per cent and 50 per cent of their fleet to enter a Clean Air Zone each week. And a large majority (87 per cent) expect that Clean Air Zones will impact their business operations.

With one in five saying that cost was the main concern around their ability to move to a lower emissions vehicle fleet, the challenge is how to build and manage a fleet that meets CAZ, ZEZ and London ULEZ requirements, but is also flexible and cost-effective. And all while vehicle supply is constrained. Having the ability to manage costs and ‘flex’ fleet by using rental, short and long-term, in response to fluctuations in demand will be key.

Having access to the latest electric vehicles, without having to make long-term financial commitments, will also be crucial.

Making the transition to zero The pressure is already on fleet owners to lead the charge into cleaner, greener mobility.

The challenge is how to make that transition without adding complexity to business operations and employee well-being.

Before making big fleet decisions – that will have big financial implications – it

makes sense to ‘test’ every aspect of zero emissions motoring and Europcar is aiming to help businesses on the journey.

Try before you buy The most obvious route to learning how EV will work for an organisation’s mobility needs is to ‘try before you buy’. But a short test-drive, even if it’s for a week or more, doesn’t really deliver the insight businesses need to understand the true impact of zero emission motoring.

Europcar is tackling this challenge with the continued addition of plug-in hybrid and full electric makes and models. And because one size doesn’t fit all, vehicles that span the majority of business motoring use cases – including vans as well as cars – are being added to give fleet managers the chance to genuinely put low and zero emission motoring to the test, all available as part of its long-term rental solutions.

Europcar is also adapting the way conventional rental operates to make the experience as easy as possible. This includes comprehensive vehicle handover and charging instructions support; charging cables and a Shell Recharge card and app – providing access to over 10,000 publicly accessible charge points across the UK. The company also offers the option for CO2 reporting for valuable insight into emissions reduction.

Plus, through its partnership with Shell

Recharge Solutions, Europcar is offering a range of home and workplace charging options. And it is making a significant investment in vehicle charging at the Europcar network around the UK. Committed to green Europcar Mobility Group UK is also demonstrating its commitment to green motoring with the implementation of electric bikes for deliveries and collections.

Folding e-bikes are placed in the boot of a customer’s vehicle to be used by the Europcar delivery driver to travel to and from the customer’s address.

Providing a sustainable alternative to requiring an additional car and driver for every delivery and collection customer, this initiative not only reduces CO2 emissions but also cuts journeys and frees up staff for other customer-facing activities. It is another step in the company’s ‘One Sustainable Fleet’ programme which aims to have 20 per cent of its fleet low or zero emission by the end of 2024.

To find out more about how Europcar can help your business transition to zero visit www.europcar.co.uk/business, where you can also download the ‘Clearing the Air’ whitepaper. Or call 0371 384 0140. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.europcar.co.uk/business

Issue 139 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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SME Decarbonisation Guide Written by James Court, CEO, EVA England

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Are electric vehicles your next logical step?

While upfront costs of electric vehicles may be off-putting for small firms, James Court, CEO of EVA England, highlights ways to offset these costs – and the additional benefits EVs can bring On a recent panel, I stated, with no particular on one that is holding back the transition. proof, that businesses are more logical than What about small firms? people. My thinking behind this was in So where do SMEs fit into my ‘logic’ thesis, what reference to range anxiety, operating costs with them being part human, part business. and more broadly, the resistance to change.

Let’s focus on the human element first. EVs Humans need convincing to make a shift are great. I would say that, but really, they are. away from what they know, even if the benefits They are quieter, which is really noticeable. are numerous. This is hardwired into us; the The constant drone of a diesel engine is fear of loss is greater than the power of gain. exhausting, even if you’ve never thought This is all well-established, so I feel comfortable about it or noticed it. Driving an EV is like that that at least one part of my bold statement blissful moment when the air conditioning was correct. I knew that much from my unit turns off in an office. You hadn’t noticed psychology A-level, but what about the second it, but suddenly you feel the difference. part, that of companies being more logical?

EVs are also much faster off the blocks, but This, it must be said, is much less accurate.

I’m not going to encourage that or use it as a I could defend my spur of the moment selling point. I’ll just say that you can beat most declaration (67 per cent of facts are made up cars at the green light and leave it at that. after all), on the basis that as humans To the business side, for many of are so illogical, businesses, even you, you probably don’t have a if by a whisker, must be logistic department crunching more analytical, right? the data, nor the ability Electric Looking at the market, to balance a large fleet v e hicles a this appears true on the to adjust for marginal r e cheape surface. I worked to gains, but the basics are r t o run, and thi set up the UK Electric that EVs are cheaper to Fleets Coalition in 2020. run. This remains true true ev s remains e n This was composed even with the increase w ith increase of some of the biggest in electricity costs. The in elect the fleets, such as Royal RAC released a report costs ricity Mail, DPD, Unilever, this month showing Mitie, BT and IKEA, all that while charging rates signing up to EV targets. have increased, by roughly For large companies, this makes 21 per cent; petrol (25 per huge amounts of sense. For many, cent) and diesel (30 per cent) have they are trying to get the infrastructure in risen by more. This is not considering that place before the rush of the 2030 phase-out charging is dramatically cheaper in the first deadline for ICE cars and vans. Others have place, and costs per mile dwarf that of liquid looked at the lifetime operating cost and fuels, especially if you have access to private realised that EVs are already more efficient. charging (i.e., home or office charging).

There is already a burgeoning market of software logistic firms planning the optimum Upfront costs use of fleets, helping businesses not only But what about upfront costs? This, admittedly, make the transition to EVs, but driving is a factor. The difference can be between 3,000 even more efficiency in their operations. and up to over 10,000 on similar models. Yet In fact, for many large companies now, it is there are plenty of ways to offset these costs. The not the fear of change that is holding them first is the reduction in running costs, not just in back, but the ability to purchase the vehicles fuel, but also in servicing. EVs tend to be more in large enough numbers. Companies are reliable and have fewer ‘things’ to go wrong. rumoured to be gazumping rivals in the chase There remains a government grant, however for bulk buys. This was the case even before this has been reduced, and will keep on reducing. covid, war and microchip shortages. The As of writing, for cars this is up to 35 per cent, demand for EV vans is huge, it’s the lack of capped at £1,500, for mopeds – up to 35 per choice and the sheer ability to get your hands cent, capped at £150, and for motorcycles - up to

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35 per cent, capped at £500. For small vans, it’s up to 35 per cent, capped at £2,500, and for large vans, it’s up to 20 per cent, capped at £5,000.

This helps, but you will have to be quick; the grants can be cut at any time and with no notice.

There are also tax benefits, if you are buying outright, you can claim a 130 per cent super deduction for new EVs. There are also favourable Benefit-in-Kind breaks, which are substantial if you are a company car driver. However, these too are being reviewed, and are currently set until only 2025. We are anticipating a change in those rates at the Autumn budget, and the EVAE will be campaigning to keep an attractive BIK rate, especially in comparison to ICE vehicles.

Lastly, there are salary sacrifice schemes.

This is particularly attractive to staff members and can be seen as a real perk of the job. If your company signs up to a salary sacrifice EV scheme, staff members can apply for a personal lease, with the payment coming pre-tax, saving the difference of the tax rate you pay, akin to the “cycle to work” scheme, meaning you can save up to 45 per cent.

My advice to SMEs would be the same advice I give to humans. Consider an EV when you are next looking to change vehicles. EVs are

What about the upfront costs of electric vehicles? This, admittedly, is a factor. Yet there are plenty of ways to offset these costs. The first is the reduction in running costs, not just in fuel, but also in servicing. EVs tend to be more reliable and have fewer ‘things’ to go wrong. not yet for everyone, and while I am confident about infrastructure and cost being universally ready, way in advance of 2030, it may be that the maths don’t stack up. But for many of you, EVs may already be logical. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.evaengland.org.uk

SPONSOR’S COMMENT

Giving fleets flexible, real-world electric vehicle experience Managing the fleet needs of a small business is challenging enough, without having to navigate the current perfect storm of limited new vehicle supply, rising used vehicle prices and escalating operating costs. And that’s without having to prepare for a green future of zero emission vehicles.

As more Clean Air Zones start operating in towns and cities across the country, access to compliant vehicles will be important in ensuring that businesses do not have to pay fees and incur fines for entering these areas – as well as doing their part in improving air quality.

Every company we talk to wants to be able to transition to zero emissions in a manageable way and renting an electric vehicle makes sense for individuals and businesses – to cut their carbon footprint and to ‘try before they buy’.

At Europcar Mobility Group UK we are focusing on giving businesses of any size the chance to get on their journey to decarbonisation, with a level of flexibility that simply isn’t possible with traditional leasing or outright purchase. Our solutions offer plenty of flexibility and, combined, with a growing fleet of low and zero emission vehicles, provide a great opportunity to have a real-world EV experience, which we believe is critical before making long-term fleet decisions.

We are already well on our way to our target of 20 per cent of our fleet being green by the end of 2024 and many of our stations are already equipped with charging points, with more coming online each month. Plus, with an increasing range of electric and low-emission vehicles, we can help employers access clean vehicles to help them decide when and how they fit with their sustainable transport goals. L

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FURTHER INFORMATION www.europcar.com/business

Ron Santiago, managing director, Europcar Mobility Group UK With a car rental career spanning 34 years, 3 continents and 9 countries Ron Santiago has a strong insight into the mobility challenges facing today’s businesses He has been at the helm of Europcar Mobility Group UK since the end of 2020, following 12 years as managing director of Europcar Mobility Group Australia and New Zealand.

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Enabling planet-friendly logistics We need to solve the access problem, the reliability problem and the receipt problem of the public electric vehicle charging network, to ensure businesses are supported on the transition to electric

The decarbonisation of the economy requires a fundamental shift in the way our supply chains function. In particular our logistics.

A business based on selling sustainable products and solutions needs a way to distribute these products and services sustainably and ideally zero carbon emissions.

This trend is being pushed further into our economy. Mandatory carbon reporting for large companies under Government legislation in place since 2019 means that carbon emissions are under the microscope now more than ever. Nevertheless, businesses continue to tackle their emissions hierarchically.

Firstly, they tend to start with those that occur directly from their own business and processes which they deem to be directly under their control. Secondly, they consider all the purchased energy sources (electricity, steam and heating). And thirdly, they assess their indirect emissions from their value chain; including logistics. This approach is referred to as scope 1, scope 2, and scope 3 emissions.

Having access to an all-electric, zero emissions logistics capability, significantly benefits many companies with the distribution of their goods and services to their customers reducing scope 3 emissions.

Efficient logistics Planet Minimal uses electric vans to deliver environmentally responsible products to refill stores, independent supermarkets, offices and the hospitality industry. This is part of a growing trend for electric delivery, particularly within large metropolitan areas such as London where the increased pressure of ultra-low emissions zones and congestion charging is taking effect.

Hamish Ainsley, founder of Planet Minimal updated us: “We rely on depot charging today as public charging is challenging; we need a single access solution. One bill for one EV charge card integrating thousands of chargepoints suddenly makes public charging more promising.”

Others are also taking up the mantle and increasingly electric vans are being used to support city centre cycle logistics. Zedify is one such business. They have experienced rapid growth with their urban cargo bike delivery service, and are using e-vans to manage deliveries via trunk roads between urban areas.

“Our ambition is to extend our use of e-vans to trunk between our expanding network of e-cargo bike delivery hubs currently in London, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Norwich, Plymouth, Southampton and Winchester.

A single charging solution gives us the confidence that we can expand our e-trunking service for clients to provide end-to-end zero emission parcel deliveries,” said James Nellist, COO of Zedify.

However, zero emissions last mile delivery isn’t just the domain of startups and small businesses. Increasingly large businesses are taking huge strides to decarbonise.

Demand for parcel delivery skyrocketed during the global pandemic and whilst this has levelled off, the demand for parcel delivery remains high. Therefore, it is no surprise to see DPD, Royal Mail and others increasingly adopting electric vehicles.

What can we learn?

So what is driving this transition and what can we learn from the pioneers?

Firstly, vehicle supply has improved.

Test the vehicles you are considering and compare the routes you serve. Will you always rely on depot charging or can you add public charging to your route planning?

Operating an all-electric fleet requires a different mindset. Consider recharging to replace refuelling, but remember that you now have a choice; home charging, depot charging and public charging.

Each comes with their own nuances.

Customers now expect delivery businesses to be on some form of a sustainable pathway. And if the business is not improving their environmental credentials, then the customer can switch. With the rising number of zero emissions delivery fleets emerging, this is increasingly more possible and easier for consumers to take action.

Plan for the unexpected. What happens when you fail to charge overnight? Or that diversion means you have to drive a little further than anticipated?

What’s more, be prepared to report to your customers. Consumers are becoming increasingly more conscious of their environmental footprint and sustainability is high on their agenda. As a result, they are questioning all aspects of their personal transactions, and ethical decisions are influencing the businesses they transact with.

As a company, driving electric is one thing, but you may also be asked about the source of the electricity that power your vans. Be sure to consider an all-renewable option and perhaps a tariff offering lower rates overnight.

And what role is there in all of this for public charging?

Often languishing in third place behind home and depot charging is the public charging solution. With a poor reputation for access and reliability this solution is regularly disregarded. However, the rise of premium chargepoint networks like Osprey, Fastned and Ionity, that pride themselves on reliability and performance means this option is becoming increasingly valuable to a zero emissions fleet.

We need to solve the access problem, the reliability problem and the receipt problem to ensure public charging supports business.

This is where Paua comes in. With one solution to access 10,000 connectors, you can be sure that there is a charging facility near you. A powerful mobile app presents all the data your drivers need including live data to check the chargepoint is working and available. Drivers gain the ability to start and stop charging directly from their device on multiple networks. For those who prefer a simple RFID card, this is included as standard. Fleet managers receive a single VAT bill for all their charging needs.

One company with one app, one card and one bill. Access to 10,000 connectors.

Fleets and drivers can save time and money with simple access to receipts and a clear overview of charging locations and availability.

In addition, Paua offer a strong sustainability message for your organisation – we guarantee that all electricity supplied is renewable and zero emissions.

You can report to your customers that there is no carbon associated with your driving.

So, when it comes to recharging your electric fleet, you can be confident that Paua can give you the power wherever, and whenever you need it. Use GREENFLEET50 for £50 of free charging. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.pauatech.com/greenfleet

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Helping you face the future of EV The biggest challenge fleet businesses face is making sure their electric vehicles are disposed of in the safest way possible.

As an integrated dismantler, we have got set for the future by launching a new EV Dismantling and Processing Centre at our Winsford site where we’re working innovatively to create safe disposal solutions for electric vehicles. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.synetiq.co.uk

Chargepoint infrastructure is a long-term investment and there are several factors to consider when making your decisions. Benedict Harrison, sustainable energy and transport consultant at Cenex, shares some advice so that costly mistakes can be avoided Your fleet’s daily duty cycles will inform your decisions on both what vehicles will be the best fit for your operations and what charging infrastructure those vehicles will need.

This procedure will tell you how much energy will be needed, and when and for what length of time the vehicles will be available to charge.

Details to look at include the mileage, the routes (whether it is city or motorway driving), and where and when they are parked.

This will provide some of the specifications that will help you chose the most suitable electric vehicle, and the number and type of chargepoints required at the workplace.

If a van has a 70 kilowatt-hour battery and 10 hours to charge, say overnight, then you could get away with charging on a 7 kw standard charger; whereas a van required for back-to-back shifts might need a rapid charger to top it up as quickly as possible between shifts.

It is important to select the right type of chargepoint for the right use as this will keep costs down and utilisation up.

Installing lots of high-powered chargers can lead to expensive grid connection or upgrade costs, although, sometimes this is necessary.

Site capacity Any site has a limited electricity capacity and adding chargepoints could take you up to or over that capacity.

Your energy supplier will be able to inform Off-site charging you of your site’s capacity, and a comparison Another solution to avoiding a site with your meter readings can inform you upgrade is to utilise the public charging how much, if any, spare capacity you have. network or home charging schemes.

Where possible vehicles should be charged This could be particularly useful as slowly as possible and for as if fleet vehicles go home with long as possible to reduce any staff or if vehicles are far spikes in power demand.

It is away from the depot.

Heavier vehicles, such importa Using public or home as refuse-collection n t t s o e lect the chargers could save you vehicles or lorries, will righ of char the costs of installing have much larger gepoin t type t for t chargepoints, E batteries and will righ

Written by Benedict Harrison, sustainable energy and transport consultant at Cenex

Installing the right chargepoint infrastructure

need more energy to run, therefore it is likely that you will need lots of fast or rapid chargers to ensure this fleet remains operational.

However, it is likely in either case that you will require a new grid connection or an upgrade to power the chargepoints.

At this stage you should be contacting your Distribution Network Operator (DNO) to discuss your options and costs with them.

Your current connection may be large enough and there may be enough spare capacity in the network that you can simply pay for more capacity, or they will be able to tell you if you need an upgrade.

If you need an upgrade this will potentially involve anything from new cables to a new substation which can add significant costs and should be avoided where possible.

There are alternatives to consider before going for a DNO upgrade, such as load management.

This system looks at how much available capacity you have and divides that equally across your chargepoints to ensure that vehicles charge as quickly as possible, without breaching your available capacity.

There are different levels of load management, and the most advanced dynamic systems are able to look at how much power your site is using as it varies throughout the day, and then split any available capacity across your chargepoints.

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Your energy supplier will be able to inform you of your site’s capacity, and a comparison with your meter readings can inform you how much, if any, spare capacity you have  and software and hardware is coming to market that allows you to manage expenses from this.

Another alternative to charging vehicles off-site is joining forces with other organisations to create a shared charging hub and dividing the costs and access equally between partners.

Off-site charging is often more expensive for the electricity, as inevitably the energy supplier is looking to make a profit.

It can also be harder to manage chargepoint use and ensure that chargepoints are available for charging, however it comes with lower upfront costs and no need to deal with maintenance.

EV champions The transition to an electric fleet is a team effort for any organisation.

Drivers, fleet managers, site managers and finance teams should all be consulted on duty cycles, energy requirements and resource capacity.

It is also important everyone is on board with the switch to electric, by informing staff of the motivations, benefits and the necessary behaviour changes that come with recharging a battery over refuelling a tank.

EV champions – staff members who are passionate about an electric fleet – can be beneficial to a successful transition.

Colleagues can teach each other rather than be told what to do and this can encourage acceptance of the new technology.

Staff should be trained in how to drive the electric vehicles and how to use the chargepoints, as new habits will need to be formed to maintain a smooth operation.

Install in phases Cenex recently conducted a fleet and infrastructure analysis for an organisation to assess suitable electric vehicle replacements and necessary depot chargepoints, and made recommendations based on the financial, logistical and energy implications. As well as the site’s capacity for charging and parking, the vehicle duty cycles informed decisions on the number and type of chargepoints to install. For this organisation, home charging and public charging options were found to be suitable in some circumstances to meet operational requirements.

The information gathered established a least-cost, highest-impact approach to electrification of the fleet which can be implemented over a series of phases, prioritising lighter vehicles.

SPONSOR’S COMMENT

Shining a spotlight on electric vehicles and the UK’s current EV infrastructure At The AA, we’re dedicated to supporting drivers as they transition towards electric vehicles. This is why we’re delighted to once again be the official roadside assistance partner of this year’s Great British EV Rally (GBEVR), taking place this summer.

From the 4th July, the event will see more than 20 EVs make the 1,400 mile journey from John O’Groats in Scotland to Land’s End, Cornwall. We will be taking part ourselves to experience the reality of travelling this distance powered by electricity and our expert patrols will be on hand should anyone need vehicle support. For us, the rally is a great way to help shine a spotlight on EVs, highlight the UK’s current EV infrastructure.

As well as being the number one provider of EV support at the roadside, we provide innovative customer support for over 7,000 charge posts. Since March 2020, we have created a dedicated team of 30 call handlers that deals with more than 11,000 calls per month to help drivers with any issues they have at charge points. So, the rally is going to be a great opportunity for us to experience first hand how the charging network is working and what it’s like to be on the other side of customer support.

As our support for electric vehicle drivers also extends to a range of other EV services which give power to our drivers, we felt it was our duty to get involved with what is sure to be one of the biggest EV events of the summer, and we can’t wait to get going.

We’re going to be documenting our role in the event across our social media during the five days, so be sure to follow us along on this epic journey from July 4th- 8th. L

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FURTHER INFORMATION www.theaa.com

Plan ahead In the switch to an electric fleet, there is no chicken and egg situation of which should come first, the vehicles and the chargepoints should be considered simultaneously which is why it takes a concerted effort from across the whole organisation.

It is important to develop a whole fleet strategy early on to ensure there are no unexpected costs and that the vehicles and chargepoints are all compatible.

There can be long wait times on delivering electric vehicles, especially in current circumstances, and you do not want vehicles sitting around unused while waiting for chargepoints to be installed.

Speaking to the right people will give you the confidence to make informed decisions that are best for the business operation, employees, and the environment. L FURTHER INFORMATION

Dean Hedger, new business development manager, The AA

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SME Decarbonisation Guide

GOVERNMENT GRANTS

Chargpoint and infrastructure grants for small businesses As well as the Workplace Charging Grant, which has now opened up to small accommodation businesses and charities, small-to-medium sized businesses can now also apply for an infrastructure grant, which pays for the electrical work needed for chargepoints. We examine how the grants work The government has launched an EV to small accommodation businesses infrastructure grant for staff and fleets, which such as B&Bs and campsites. gives money towards the infrastructure This is good news for small hotels and needed for chargepoints, as well as for holiday parks around the country, especially installing the chargepoints themselves. for those in more remote locations, as it It is for small and medium sized opens up their businesses to EV owners companies, with 249 employees or less. who may have been put off in the past.

Businesses do not have to install It also supports the UK tourism industry all the chargepoints at once, but it and improves access to rural areas. allows them to plan for the future by Small accommodation businesses with creating infrastructure that can enable 249 employees or less are eligible, and chargepoints to be installed later on. include hotels, B&Bs, camping grounds, This is a separate and different grant recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks. from the Workplace Charging Scheme, Commenting on the grant, Mike Cherry, which does not help towards the cost National Chair of the Federation of Small of chargepoint infrastructure.

Businesses (FSB) said: “Small businesses A business can receive up to five grants want to play a critical role in helping the in total. Each grant must be for a different UK reach its green targets, and electric site that the business owns, leases or rents. vehicles are the future. That’s why this The chargepoints installed must be is important news for the nation, exclusively for staff or fleet particularly rural areas which use and cannot be for are often left behind.”

The visitor or guest use. gra The grant supports The workplace good n nt is the provision of charging grant chargepoints and The grant covers up to B&Bs, e ews for s p future chargepoint 75 per cent of the total e c for tho ially locations where costs of the purchase s e i n remote location chargepoints may be and installation of EV installed at a later chargepoints and is up thei s, as it opens r busine date. A minimum of capped at a maximum sses to EV o five parking spaces must of £350 per sockets w n e rs be provisioned with and 40 sockets across charging infrastructure, all sites per applicant. at least one of which must These places must have a working chargepoint. have dedicated off-street Businesses can get up to parking, and either own the property £500 for each parking space that or have consent from the landlord will get charging infrastructure. for chargepoints to be installed at all Each grant application can be for the sites listed in the application. up to a maximum of £15,000. If more Each site must have a minimum power chargepoints are needed in addition to supply of 3kW to each individual socket that those provided by this grant, then the is not diminished by their simultaneous use, Workplace Charging Scheme may be used. and have have no more than one socket The charging infrastructure must comprise installed for each accessible parking space. at least a new electrical connection at a metered electrical supply point, such Considerations before applying as a consumer unit or feeder pillar, and Before applying, applicants are a dedicated, safe, unobstructed route encouraged to discuss their needs with for electrical cabling from the electrical one or more authorised WCS installers supply point to the installed chargepoints and identify which of the models on the and any future connection locations.

Workplace Charging Scheme approved chargepoint list they want to install.

Grants for B&Bs and charities They must undergo a site survey with an In February last year, the Department for authorised installer to ensure the electrical Transport announced that the Workplace capacity of the site can support the number Charging Scheme (WCS) would open of sockets for which you are applying.

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

Applicants must also consider the needs of disabled drivers and drivers with reduced mobility, as well as how the chargepoint will be maintained and any associated costs.

Other points to assess include how the cost of electricity usage will be covered, if or how you would charge users, and whether to make the chargepoint open for public use and, if so, whether to make the location of the chargepoint public.

If the applicant does not own or manage the land where they wish to install chargepoints, they must also secure the necessary permissions ahead of making an application. For example, if you have access to off-street parking via a garage or private car park that is provided by a

Before applying, applicants must undergo a site survey with an authorised installer to ensure the electrical capacity of the site can support the number of sockets for which you are applying third party, you are eligible for the WCS provided the parking space meets all other eligibility criteria. If you do not own the parking space, however, you will be required to gain written permission from the landlord or owner.

How to apply for the grant Applicants apply for the Workplace Charging Grant online, and if successful, receive a unique identification voucher code by email, which can then be given to any OZEV-authorised WCS installer.

Once the chargepoints have been installed, the authorised installer can claim the grant from OZEV on the applicant’s behalf.

The chargepoint installation must be completed and the voucher claimed within six months of the voucher’s issue date.

If you apply for less than 40 sockets, you can submit additional applications in the future until you reach that limit. L FURTHER INFORMATION Find out more about the grant scheme here

SPONSOR’S COMMENT

Making it simple for fleets transitioning to electric Converting a fleet to electric vehicles is a daunting process.

Particularly when those vehicles are critical to the operation of your business.

There are many things to consider, and public electric vehicle charging is possibly not your top priority. However, it can offer you benefits you Niall Riddell, Co-founder & CEO, Paua may not have considered.

Firstly, public charging infrastructure is currently undergoing a period of rapid investment as the UK Government are seeking to provide reliable and high-power networks. The latest electric vehicle infrastructure strategy has confirmed their commitment.

Secondly, the ease of access to this infrastructure is improving.

Paua enables a business to utilise thousands of chargepoints with a single card and obtain a single transaction receipt.

We’re the solution to the problem many businesses may not yet have encountered, simply because EV usage is not something organisations have felt confident embracing at scale. Yet with Paua, the future for business vehicle public charging is becoming far more viable, and we’re here to ensure all your transactional needs are covered Thirdly the simplicity of obtaining a receipt for public charging via Paua means that costs are 20 per cent lower (due to VAT recovery) than is traditionally discussed. Add to this the fact that your business capital expenditure on chargepoint installation and maintenance is no longer required, suddenly public charging becomes a comparative bargain!

Paua is on a mission to extend its already market leading roaming network of 10,000 connectors onto many more network providers, and bring a truly accessible charging solution, wherever your journey takes you.

Alongside an extensive network, Paua provides a powerful mobile app that presents all the data your drivers need together with the ability to start and stop charging directly from their device. For those who prefer a simple RFID card, this is included as standard. Fleet managers receive a single VAT bill for all their charging needs. Paua is one company with one app, one card and one bill and access to 10,000 connectors.

Fleets and drivers can save time and money with simple access to receipts and a clear overview of charging locations and availability.

In addition, Paua offer a strong sustainability message for your organisation - we guarantee that all electricity supplied is renewable and zero emissions. You can report to your customers that there is no carbon associated with your driving.

So when it comes to recharging your electric fleet, you can be confident that Paua can give you the power wherever, whenever you need it. Use GREENFLEET50 for £50 of free charging. L

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SME Decarbonisation Guide

EXPERT PANEL SME DECARBONISATION While the appetite to switch to zero emission vehicles is high amongst small businesses, the extra expense of EVs and charging worries are holding many back. Our panel of experts discuss what the concerns are for SMEs, and share advice on how to overcome them

Lee Brown, head of 0Zone, The Grosvenor Group Lee Brown is head of 0Zone, the Grosvenor Group’s innovative and market leading solution to help companies navigate their way smoothly towards ultralow emission and electric vehicles. With extensive experience of helping companies make the smooth transition to ultra-low emission and electric vehicles, he offers a perfect balance between how fleets can drive down their emissions and the implications of policy setting.Lee joined the Grosvenor Group in 2001, and is well-known for his clear and insightful advice for companies with car and light commercial vehicle fleets looking towards their zero emission futures.

Richard Parker, corporate sales manager, Webfleet Solutions Webfleet Solutions’ EV expert Richard Parker has more than 20 years’ experience in the fleet industry and specialises in improving fleet performance through data and digital solutions. In his role as UKI EV Lead, he helps fleets successfully navigate the transition to more sustainable transport solutions. Richard has also recently been named in GreenFleet’s 100 Most Influential and received a prestigious EV Champion award for his commitment to the green transport agenda.

Dean Hedger, new business development manager, The AA Dean has a deep knowledge of commercial vehicles and the public sector marketplace.

Working within the automotive industry since the early 1990s has given Dean a strong understanding of the marketplace, vehicle funding methods, the fleet world, EU procurement regulations, framework complexities and a network of contacts.

He’s also an electric vehicle expert and a spokesperson for the future of electrification at the AA.

Research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has found that the majority of small firms are concerned about climate change, but only one in three have a formal plan in place to tackle it.

With regards to the move to zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs), the survey showed that 46 per cent cite the extra expense of ZEVs as a barrier to change, and a third (35 per cent) say poor

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provision of charging points is holding them back. One in six, meanwhile, cite the lack of an established second-hand market for ZEVs. According to the Grosvenor Group’s Lee Brown, who heads up the company’s 0Zone service, SMEs may be waiting for a “perfect moment”. This he describes as when the model ranges, charging infrastructure and all other factors are in place to make the move to electric

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

Ashley Tate, CEO and Co-founder, Mina With over 10 years’ experience in energy and utilities, Ashley Tate brought his expertise over to the world of electric vehicles. Since 2020, he has been dedicated to accelerating the transition to electric vehicles within businesses and fleets at Mina, by making paying for electric vehicle charging radically simple.

vehicles free of any challenges. Whilst the UK is quite a way off that ideal scenario, Lee believes that it’s still better to take small steps towards reducing emissions rather than wait, or take none at all. But it’s wise to also accept that not everyone is in a position to go fully electric yet.

Lee says: “To get the ball rolling, it’s worth carrying out a simple ‘feasibility survey’ amongst all of your company car drivers. This

Considering what’s practical Dean Hedger, new business development manager at the AA, stresses the importance of making sure any transition to zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs) is achievable for your business, in practical terms.

He says: “Transitioning to electric vehicles isn’t going to be an overnight job, so it’s important to consider all your options, and what your replacement cycle is going to look like. With only eight years before the sales of new internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles are outlawed, you need to act now to put in a forward-looking sustainable fleet management plan that sets realistic goals based on what future demands on your vehicles will be.

SME Decarbonisation Guide

is a short fact-finding questionnaire, which can be done very easily on something like Survey Monkey, to find out how viable it is going to be for each driver to have an electric vehicle.

“For some, it will be straightforward if they have a house with a driveway and can install a home charging point, or if they live in an area where they can gain regular access to fast charges.

“For other drivers it may not be so simple, for example if they live in a flat or their house has no drive, or live in an area where access to charge points is difficult.

“The feasibility survey will give SMEs a very helpful ‘snapshot’ of the types of cars drivers can be offered, and it should also take into account their job role, how they use their vehicle and what types of journeys they do.”

Lee says that this approach will help determine the mix of vehicles that can be offered to drivers, from battery electric and plug-in hybrid through to very low emission diesel and petrol models if absolutely necessary.

Richard Parker, Webfleet Solutions’ EV expert, agrees that an EV feasibility assessment is a crucial first step before switching to electric vehicles. “This should establish the vehicle mix, the typical mileage and journeys undertaken by drivers to determine if these could be performed comfortably by EV equivalents,” explains Richard, who adds that Software tools, such as the WEBFLEET Fleet Electrification Report, can simplify the process.

Richard continues: “Consideration should be given to charging infrastructure. Questions that fleets should ask themselves should include whether charging facilities can be located where drivers’ live, and whethe on-site charge points need to be installed. If so, how many and can they be accommodated?”

Once EVs have been introduced, the business should have a plan to minimise energy costs and optimise fleet performance and productivity, Richard advises. “Important measures here can include encouraging cost-effective charging practices, when energy tariffs are off-peak, for example,” say Richard.

Data insights from a suitable telematic solution can again play a helpful role here, as Richard explains: “Optimal charge levels and charging intervals, for example, can be signposted by information on vehicle usage, routes taken and charge point availability.

Access to information on real time battery levels, remaining driving ranges and charging statuses can also prove helpful.”

“These should include the timescales for replacing the existing vehicles on fleet, what charging capabilities you have or will need on site, what access to EV charging staff you have at home or in the community as well as what the availability and cost of new replacement vehicles will look like. We know that shortage of new vehicles is keeping prices high in both the new and used markets which may mean a phased approach to transition is more practical.”

Think about the drivers Echoing the thoughts of the other panelists, Ashley Tate, CEO and co-founder of Mina advises SME fleet managers to think about which drivers and roles will suit EVs today, and what small changes they could implement to make it happen. “This could be as simple as allowing drivers to take their vehicles home instead of returning to the depot,” Ashley advises. “Range is generally no longer an issue for most EV fleets, but where and how their drivers are going to charge most definitely is.

“My advice would be to consider focusing first on those who can charge at home, as this is by far the most convenient and cheapest place to charge. Home chargers can be expensive, but typically pay for themselves after 5,000 miles vs charging in public. If fleets want to eliminate capital costs, with home charging as a service such as our One Fleet plan, fleets can significantly reduce the upfront costs of EV adoption with models starting from just £39.”

Having insights which can help feed into a company’s net zero plans is also useful.

Ashley explains: “Within your sustainability plan, you’ll need to consider ways to reduce your fleets’ carbon emissions and if required an approach to be able to accurately report on them. Fleets that take our Homecharge and Chargepass products have access to a dashboard which pulls this data into one place.

Amongst other great insights, we’re able to deliver information on how many emissions are produced and the intensity of each charge by driver and collectively as a fleet. This information can allow businesses to make informed decisions on ways to help reduce

their carbon footprint and also offers accurate data for reporting if SE&CR is required.”

Beyond the vehicles themselves, there are other ways that businesses can improve their environmental performance, points out Dean Hedger from the AA. He explains: “Much of the work of Drivetech, from the AA, involves promoting safer and more efficient driving.

Driver training can ensure good habits become part of the business culture. Paying more attention to how they drive, can help employees cut fuel consumption through a range of simple techniques, from making sure they are not carrying unnecessary loads into the car to simply braking and accelerating more slowly and optimising stop/start technology where possible. Drivetech also offers a range of specific electric vehicle driver familiarisation services.”

Mitigating high upfront costs The effects of the pandemic and high energy costs may be taking their toll on many small businesses, and some may be putting off the move to zero emission vehicles due to high upfront costs. So what advice our panelists give?

Richard Parker from Webfleet solutions comments: “A challenging economic environment can often prove a trigger for battening down the hatches and adopting a short-term approach to cost control.

Business paralysis in the face of cost pressures, however, can lead to a lack of progress that seriously impacts longer-term competitiveness.”

Richard advises however, to look at the whole life costs of the vehicles: “Although electric vehicles are generally more expensive to lease or purchase upfront than their fossil-fuelled counterparts – and soaring energy prices have increased their day-to-day running costs – in most cases, the whole-life cost of operating petrol or diesel equivalents remains higher.

“Total cost of ownership (TCO) calculations have become imperative to fleet budgeting and electrification decision-making. TCO will invariably favour electric cars and vans, when all running costs, including ULEZ charges and financial incentives from government, are taken into account. E Issue 139 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

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 “Significant savings are being realised by those that have made the transition. Not only do fleets benefit from a lower cost per mile with an electric powertrain, with fewer moving parts, EVs also deliver lower service and maintenance costs. Furthermore, anecdotal evidence suggests EV drivers have fewer road traffic collisions, leading to lower repair costs and heightened levels of safety.”

Ashley Tate from Mina agrees that charging a vehicle is still cheaper than diesel and petrol so the rise in energy costs shouldn’t put SMEs off moving to electric vehicles. Ashley says: “If employees have the ability to charge at home, this is significantly cheaper than public charging, typically by around 40 per cent, as well as being by far the most convenient.

You do, however, need to ensure you have an accurate way to be able to monitor changing tariffs. If rates aren’t tracked, you’ll be in a position of not paying for your drivers’ charging costs accurately, and that will equate to unhappy employees.”

To help with the high up front costs, Dean Hedger from the AA points out that there are still grants available for businesses, especially when it comes to installing charge points via the Workplace Charging Scheme and also for plug-in vans and trucks.

Dean also points out that many cities are now operating low emission or clean air zones, which could result in additional charges if vehicles do not comply. These factors should be looked at to see if they impact the business. Dean says: “In some cases, it may only be a small number of older vehicles that need to be replaced for more compliant options, which may not necessarily have to be EVs in the short-term. The reality is that change is inevitable but there is no onesize fits all approach. With a good servicing maintenance and repair partner in place, you can keep existing vehicles in optimal condition and running efficiently while you plan your transition.”

Dean adds that when more EVs become available, cheaper options are sure to begin presenting themselves. He says: “As battery prices drop and the production of ZEVs scale up, the total cost of ownership of ZEVs will continue to fall. It is predicted to become cheaper than the cost of owning an ICE by the mid to late 20s – well before the UK’s 2030 and 2035 phase out date. This means there is plenty of time to purchase your vehicles individually or through a structured plan that ensures you remain financially stable during your transition.”

Whole life costs Lee Brown from Grosvenor Leasing believes that SME fleets should not be put off by the high upfront costs, again posting out that their whole life cost works out cheaper in the long run compared to equivalent petrol or diesel models.

Lee offers an example: “A Skoda Octavia Diesel Estate 2.0 TDI 200 vRS 5Dr DSG is a diesel car with a P11D value of £35,010. Its electric equivalent is the Skoda Enyaq IV Estate 150kW 80 Loft 82kWh 5Dr Auto which has a P11D value of £40,915.

“At first sight, the electric model looks expensive and it would be easy to assume that, at almost £6,000 less, the diesel is better value.

“However, if you look at the whole life cost of each vehicle it reveals a very different picture.

“The whole life cost takes into account factors such as running costs, maintenance, tax, fuel/ charge and future resale value and shows that the electric model is much better value over its period on the fleet.

“Using the whole life cost calculation, the diesel model works out at £860.50 per month whereas the electric sits at £726.51 per month, which means the electric model is £6432 cheaper overall during a four year period as a company car.

“At Grosvenor Leasing, by moving our customers’ policies to whole life costs has given them the confidence to move forwards with choosing PHEVs and BEVs and once the policy

is in place, and the drivers are on board with the process, the transition to a zero emission future will effectively take care of itself.”

Charging considerations A recent report from NatWest Group shows that around 15 per cent of SMEs report that they have already invested in electric car fleets or charging points. Similarly, this number could more than double by 2023 as another 20 per cent plan to do so in the next year. This suggests that around one in three SMEs will have invested in EVs or charging points by next year.

Charging provision for an SME can seem like a daunting task, with options such as workplace, home or public charging needing to be assessed. So what should small firms consider when it comes to charging for staff?

Dean Hedger sheds some light on government plans for public charging: “In March the Government announced plans to support the UK’s charging network to reach 300,000 public EV chargepoints by 2030 – equivalent to almost five times the number of fuel pumps. Backed by £1.6bn, under the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy charging will become easier and cheaper than refuelling a petrol or diesel car.

“Small firms also still have access to grants if they are planning to install chargepoints at work through the workplace charging scheme.

Electricity provided for company car drivers does not count as a Benefit-in-Kind if the journey is business use. Drivers can either pay up front for home and public charging and reclaim the costs, or the employer pays for everything, drivers log private mileage, and the energy costs are deducted from their salary. If employers cover the cost of private mileage by paying for electricity at home or public chargepoints, then this is classed as a Benefitin-Kind.”

Ashley Tate urges businesses to ensure they know how they are going to pay for the charging costs. He says: “We have so many businesses coming to us after reimbursing drivers through the AER, saying their drivers are unhappy due to them realising they’re being inadvertently short changed. E

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SME Decarbonisation Guide

A recent report shows that around 15 per cent of SMEs say that they have already invested in EVs or charging points. This number could more than double by 2023 as another 20 per cent plan to do so in the next year. This suggests that around one in three SMEs will have invested in EVs or charging points by next year

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A future proof strategy Lee Brown points out some issues that small businesses may face when it comes to charging infrastructure: “For some small to medium sized businesses, the ability to install workplace charging simply isn’t an option.

“Either they don’t have the car parking space, or they are in shared offices with an allocation of parking bays and the decision doesn’t rest

with them. In these scenarios, we go back to the feasibility survey to see whether home charging is possible for each driver, and/ or whether the local charging infrastructure can support their needs. If not, maybe a fully electric car isn’t yet right for them and they need to look at PHEVs or ULEVs. “Where home charging is feasible, now that the installation grant has been removed, one way to support drivers financially in getting their home charger installed is via a salary sacrifice scheme.

“For those companies that do have workplace chargers, most are allowing drivers to plug in and use them for free, with no record being kept of who is using it and how much its costing per driver.

“Companies should now be looking to upgrade their existing chargers to Smart Chargers, or installing new Smart Chargers, that can provide data on who is plugged in and

Issue 139 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

SME Decarbonisation Guide

 “The AER is currently set at 5ppm, but with rising energy costs this amount doesn’t cut it.

Businesses can increase this reimbursement amount if they can prove the amount of energy being used, but there are tax implications and copious amounts of admin involved.

“You need a solution that will accurately pay for drivers’ home charging costs directly to their energy suppliers along with a tariff management system in place, as well as being able to provide a VAT invoice and we can help with that.”

what charge they have used so that some form or payment scheme can be put in place.”

Lee points out some other considerations for an SME: “Businesses also need to think about how many charge points they can have on site, the level of investment they need to budget for and whether the existing back office electrics can cope.

“For example, if you are going to charge at 25Kw or more, you need a tethered charge point, which is a significant investment and depending on the demand for workplace charging may, or may not, be a viable spend.

“It’s quite a dilemma, because there’s little point in having slow chargers - otherwise drivers will plug in and take hours to charge which means the facility won’t be able to adequately serve all EV drivers (employees and visitors).

“It comes down to the fact that a ‘futureproofed’ charging strategy is needed, and Grosvenor’s 0Zone team can offer advice and support to find the best solution.”

Richard Parker from Webfleet Solutions advises businesses to establish an EV charging policy – covering both ‘business use’ drivers and all employees commuting to work. “This should outline payment procedures, processes for reimbursing drivers’ charging expenses – either on a per-mile or per-kWh basis – along with charging and recharging protocols at office locations,” says Richard.

Richard continues: “Workplace charging facilities can be of particular value to commercial fleets whose vehicles return to a depot or office premises, for companies whose field-based employees face long car journeys to work, and for those who, due to a lack of off-street parking, are unable to install home chargers.

“Pragmatic considerations should include whether on-site charging should be free and whether limits should be set on how long employees can charge on a daily or weekly basis. E

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SME Decarbonisation Guide

 “Free charging might support staff recruitment and retention, but might equally prove an unsustainable cost burden and discourage drivers from charging overnight at home, when tariffs are most favourable.

“Other considerations should include the possible introduction of meeting room-style scheduling systems and booking etiquette, along with troubleshooting advice for staff and details of who to contact if chargers are not working.”

Other ways to go green Aside from zero emission vehicles, what other ways can small firms reduce the emissions from their transport operations?

Lee Brown says to look at business travel as a whole, and see what ‘outside the box’ options there may be to mobility. He says: “Less miles travelled means less pollution - unless you have a zero emission, electric fleet. Therefore, the easiest means of reducing their CO2 output is by reducing business travel.

“For many, this has already happened due to the pandemic making the use of Zoom and Teams meetings commonplace, and a lot of businesses continue to use online meetings which results in less miles on the road.

“However, business travel is picking up again and for SMEs looking at how they can rationalise their travel plans and become more sustainable, Mobility as a Solution (MaaS) is worth looking into, and Grosvenor can advise on this.

“MaaS platforms bring together thousands of car hire firms, car clubs, taxis, buses, on-demand shuttles, trains, trams, flights, ferries and bike sharing into a single application.

“By simply entering your starting location and where you are travelling to, it provides the most efficient means of getting there in terms of time and cost, and this can include the option of driving in your company car.

“You can then book your journey with ease, buying e-tickets through the platform plus booking accommodation too if you’re staying over.

“From a sustainability perspective, it can also calculate the CO2 impact of your choice of travel and it provides a complete audit trail of every employee’s journey and the cost, showing a carbon emission and financial comparison of the different travel options, including the one the employee opted for.”

By making smarter journey decisions, using data to optimise vehicle usage and reduce the number of trips, while maximising multi-modal transport opportunities, SMEs can fulfil their environmental goals and support the varied needs of their workforce transport and electric car sharing for shorter trips. Telematics insights and other supporting software solutions can help optimise journey planning and signpost the most cost-effective and eco-friendly mobility decisions.”

Beyond their vehicle fleets, companies should also consider other business areas where eco-conscious decisions can be made, says Richard. “These may include, for example, the introduction of smart energy management systems, updating office or warehouse light bulbs with more efficient LEDs, reducing plastic packaging, introducing environmental criteria into purchasing policies or going paperless by digitising back-office processes.

“Such moves can not only have a notable environment impact, they can also bring about cost-efficiency gains. Concrete company Wright Mix, to highlight just one example, saw a productivity uplift of more than 25 per cent after switching to a paperless system, underpinned by telematics, for ordering and job scheduling.”

Using resources efficiently Dean Hedger points out the various “tips and tricks” that SMEs can implement to manage fuel consumption. He says: “In relation to measures that can be taken towards the vehicles themselves, managing fleet vehicle fuel consumption is a crucial point to consider.

Whilst fleet businesses can’t particularly cut down on fuel easily, there are various tips and tricks which can help ensure small firms’ drivers are using their resources more efficiently.

“Effective and consistent vehicle maintenance is one example. Fleet vehicles which are not

Smarter journeys Richard Parker agrees that more sustainable mobility decisions should sit at the heart of business transport.

Richard says: “SMEs should look to review their business models, analyse the role of vehicle fleets within their organisation and consider how things can be done differently.

“By making smarter journey decisions, using fleet data to optimise vehicle usage and reduce the number of trips, while maximising multi-modal transport opportunities, SMEs will not only help fulfil their environmental goals, they can better support the varied needs and demands of their workforce.

“Sustainable options that companies might include into their transport mix, depending upon the nature of the business journeys being undertaken, may include bikes, e-scooters, public

46

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

well maintained will consume fuel at a rapid rate. Mishaps with tyres can also result in milage dropping by 0.4 per cent for every PSI decrease in tyre pressure, which could impact the emissions of your fleet vehicles drastically.

Maintenance will help to ensure that vehicles on your fleet achieve optimal performance and maintenance programmes are now available for all fuel types with an increasing number of garages equipped to support EVs. “All well as this, decreasing vehicles on the roads where possible is also a great way of reducing emissions. Car sharing can immediately reduces vehicle pollution at a minimal cost, and it can be a great concept to set on up within your business if you’re looking for easy ways to cut down on emissions.

You do need to ensure that your business undertakes regular checks on its drivers to make sure that they have the right insurance in place, their licences including any penalty points are recorded. Similarly up-to-date records for the vehicle including it’s servicing and MOT records need to be kept.”

Ashley Tate from Mina asks businesses to consider whether all company vehicles are needed at all. He says: “I’ve seen businesses in London successfully move engineers in vans and replace them with rucksacks so they can quickly move around without traffic and parking restrictions. So a question I would be asking myself is: ‘Are all our existing company vehicles needed?’

“If the answer is no, an incentive for employees should be implemented, with company recognition for those who take part.” L

Advertisement Feature

The solution to paying for drivers’ EV charging fairly Paying for electric vehicle charging costs is far more complex than paying for diesel and petrol and this shouldn’t be a barrier for forward thinking businesses who are wanting to make the switch to EVs

SMEs all over the UK are looking to make the switch to EV, but a question that’s popping up more and more frequently during the transition is: “How do I pay for my drivers’ charging costs fairly?”

The often fall back to reimbursing drivers is the Government’s Advisory Electric Rate (AER) which even after a recent review remains at 5ppm. This rate is short changing drivers, some by the thousands, because the flat rate simply doesn’t reflect real world costs.

Another option allows businesses to set their own reimbursement rates, but in order to do this, they have to provide HMRC with evidence of each driver’s charge session, down to the time of charge and tariff rate. Failing this, the driver and business then have to pay benefit-in-kind tax on any amount above the AER. The AER and why it won’t ever work Home, public and workplace tariff rates differ dramatically. You could have one employee on a fixed dual rate where it’s 5pp kWh to charge through the night and 17pp kWh to charge in the day, and another employee with no off street parking who needs to top up in public who could be charging at as high as 48p kWh. These examples, when equivalent to ppm, differ vastly from as low as 1.7p to 16ppm.

Therefore, paying 5ppm to every single employee, not taking into account the tariff rate at which they charged at, is exactly why the flat AER won’t ever work.

Bill shock Typically, businesses reimburse drivers for their charging costs through payroll, and

unless a driver gives their energy supplier regular accurate electricity readings or has a smart meter fitted at home, they could face, what we call, “bill shock”.

Energy suppliers could be waiting months for an actual meter reading, and during this time the bill payer (don’t forget it might not even be your employee who pays the bill) is just paying for estimated electricity consumption. It could be 6 months later that an actual reading is submitted at which point the bill payer is lumped with a huge bill to pay, and let’s face it, it’s likely the reimbursement costs have already been spent by the employee!

Driver pushback These realistic scenarios could, and we’ve seen this happen, lead to driver pushback.

For a business who is trying to become more sustainable by adopting EVs, having drivers ask for their petrol or diesel vehicle back, or even worse looking at leaving the businesses, is certainly not the expected direction of travel.

We know business owners want to ensure their employees are treated fairly, but it’s difficult to know where to look, and who to turn to for advice. Paying for EV charging costs is far more complex than paying for diesel and petrol and this shouldn’t be a barrier for forward thinking businesses who are wanting to make the switch to EVs. So what’s the solution?

Mina is a multi-award winning payment specialist whose sole purpose is to make paying for electric vehicle charging at home, in public and the workplace radically simple for businesses.

The solution to paying accurately At Mina we have two main products which simplify the often painful process businesses are faced with when it comes to paying for their drivers’ charging costs.

Mina Homecharge® integrates with drivers’ home chargers and electricity suppliers to calculate the true cost of charging their company EV at home. Our system monitors any changes to a driver’s tariff rate or supplier so that accurate payments are always made direct to supplier.

Mina Chargepass® is the UK’s largest public roaming network dedicated to businesses. Drivers can charge at any of the 7,100 chargers across 2,300 different locations which now include InstaVolt charge points as well as CPOs within the Allstar network. This gives drivers without off street parking, or for those who need to top up on the go, a reliable public network with the use of just one single card.

Drivers don’t ever have to pay a thing. The business receives just one monthly invoice which covers all of their drivers’ charging costs along with access to a Fleet Portal.

This provides businesses with insights on charging behaviour including the carbon intensity and emissions produced for each charge through our CarbonTrack™ reporting.

If drivers need to submit personal and business mileage, this is done via the Mina Driver Portal, where drivers receive a prompt at the end of the month to submit their split.

The best part, with the Mina One Fleet™ solution, businesses can opt for a monthly subscription which includes the cost of Mina Fleet Approved™ hardware and installation, service and maintenance of hardware, free charging in public with any downtown, along with Mina Homecharge and Mina Chargepass all for one monthly fee of £49 per driver.* So now the question around how to pay for drivers’ charging costs fairly has been answered, don’t get left behind.

Our expert team is on hand to answer any questions you may have - get in touch now to stay ahead of the curve and simply transition your fleet to electric. *Price shown excludes VAT. Upfront installation cost of £100 per driver required. T&Cs apply, see our website for more details. L

FURTHER INFORMATION www.mina.co.uk

Issue 139 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

47

Get wise... and decarbonise!

We help fleets become more efficient and decarbonise, using our powerful optimisation algorithms and evidenced based analysis approach.

www.thealgorithmpeople.co.uk

Grey Fleet

Tackling grey fleet should be a key part of decarbonisation

It wants rules around Benefit in Kind Tax to be updated to allow flexibility for sustainable travel innovation, and for Government departments to provide guidance to public sector bodies and local authorities on how to provide alternative transport methods to cut costs and reduce environmental impact.

Roundtable gathering The launch of the policy paper saw decision makers, industry representatives and key local and national stakeholders from across the UK come together in The Urban Mobility Partnership has launched a policy paper on Newcastle to discuss ideas on how corporate travel, which calls for businesses and public sector organisations can support employees to move away from privately-owned vehicles organisations to urgently reduce grey fleet usage in line with for commuting and business travel. decarbonisation agendas Steve Stewart, founding member of the Urban Mobility Partnership, said: “As we look to recover from the pandemic and with many people returning to the office in some The Urban Mobility Partnership’s policy organisational practices away from utilising form, we want to ensure that sustainability paper on corporate travel, examines the grey fleet and in turn encouraging more and decarbonisation are at the forefront of problems of relying on personal private sustainable commuting practices would business travel and commuting practices. car usage for business travel, otherwise quickly reduce the number of single occupancy “We are excited to launch our known as “grey fleet”, and offers key private cars on UK roads every day. policy paper, which calls for recommendations on how to reduce this and an urgent examination of offer employees sustainable alternatives.

Decarbonisation plans The the national tax system Corporate travel and commuting have The paper stresses that UMP around business travel been identified as two areas where grey fleet reduction and offers practical behavioural and policy changes can should be a key part paper c alls guidance on how to have a significant impact on reducing of all local authorities for bus i n e promote alternative congestion and improving air quality. and combined s s es to assess t ways of commuting Even during the height of the pandemic authorities’ clean air h e v ariety o alterna to the private car. in 2020, around 20 per cent of all journeys and transport plans. It f ti We look forward made in the UK were made for either says the requirement fleet, suves to grey to working with business travel or commuting with many for employees to have c h as car clubs a stakeholders across of these journeys being completed as access to a private n d ac the country to help single occupancy private car trips. vehicle should be removed travel tive employees make that shift.

These vehicles are on average from all employee contracts.

“There’s a real 8.5 years old and some of the most The paper also calls for opportunity for businesses, local polluting vehicles on the road. Yet many businesses to assess the variety and national Government to work organisations both in the public and of alternatives to grey fleet and work together to achieve their decarbonisation private sector use this as one of their most with local public transport providers, daily plans, support economic recovery, common forms of conducting corporate travel, rental, car club and active travel providers to and to move towards a sustainable, reimbursing their employees 45p/mile to make alternative modes more accessible. multi-modal transport future.” L drive these vehicles and do little to encourage UMP is also calling for interventions to their employees to change their commuting national policy, which include using the tax habits to more sustainable forms of travel. system to incentivise a move away from grey FURTHER INFORMATION The paper says the potential immediate fleet practice, such as tax-free mobility credits www.ump.org.uk benefits of changing business and to be used on sustainable modes of travel.

Issue 139 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

49

Road Test Written by Richard Gooding

ROAD TEST

Ford Mustang Mach-E Extended Range AWD Launching its EV ambitions with a model which plays on a heritage nameplate is a bold move, but, as Richard Gooding discovers, the Mustang Mach-E has little in common with Fords of yesterday, and it heralds an adventurous new era for the company

What is it?

Ford occupies a special place in UK drivers’ hearts, and over the decades, has been a staple of the fleet car market. But up until now, it’s not been a big player in the electric car market – there was an electric version of the third-generation Focus, but it was so rare, few remember it. However, that is set to change.

By 2024, the company is set to introduce three new passenger EVs – in addition to four electric commercial vehicles – to Europe, with plans to sell upwards of 600,000 zero emission vehicles by 2026.

As statements of intents go, the Mustang Mach-E is a sizable one. Rather than base its first EV on a Fiesta, Focus or Kuga, Ford has gone fully down the emotional route and chosen to mix styling cues and the name of one of its most iconic models with an SUV body. The Mustang Mach-E can seat five people, and comes in a mix of rear-wheel and all-wheel drive models, with standard (68kWh usable) or extended range (88kWh usable) battery packs.

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What range does it have?

As its first all-electric vehicle and being an SUV, you’d expect Ford to have imbued the Mustang Mach-E with a practical range, and it has. The Standard Range models can travel between 248 (AWD) and 273 (RWD) miles, while the Extended Range versions go quite a bit further – 335 (AWD) and 379 (RWD) – thanks to their bigger batteries.

The fire-breathing Mach-E GT has an official WLTP-rated electric range of 310 miles.

How long does it take to charge?

Connect the Mustang Mach-E Extended Range to a 7.4kW wallbox – Ford offers its Ford Connected Wallbox fitted by British Gas / Centrica – it will take 10 hours to charge the battery from 10 to 80 per cent. Upgrade the wallbox to a 11kW version, and that figure drops to seven hours. Mach-E Extended Range models can also charge at 150kW, and when plugged into a fast charger, a 10 to 80 per cent refill will be complete in 45

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

minutes, with around 66 miles of range added in approximately 10 minutes.

For greater efficiency, the Mustang Mach-E also has a one-pedal driving function, where more kinetic energy is returned to the battery.

Working in the same way as for other EVs, acceleration and deceleration are controlled by the pressing or lifting of the accelerator pedal.

It works well and is very easy to modulate.

How does it drive?

Outside, the curvaceous bodywork and Mustang-like rear lights leave you with no doubt the Mach-E draws on Mustang heritage.

Indeed, there are no Ford badges on the car at all, just galloping pony silhouettes. No visible door handles give it clean lines, and the obvious rear haunches point to which end of the car the drive comes from. The high-tech feel starts with a piece of theatre – to open the front doors, press the circular touch button on the B-pillar and the door pops open, ready to be pulled by the small ledge handle. A little needless perhaps, but it gives a high-tech impression.

Road Test

Ford’s road to electric vehicles

Inside, the first thing that strikes you is the 15.5-inch central touchscreen. Similarly to that in a Tesla, it is hardly subtle, and is a complete departure to interiors of previous Fords. Portrait in orientation, there is a click wheel dial at the bottom to adjust certain functions such as the air conditioning, and it works well enough.

Ahead of the driver is a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, inset into a dashboard ‘shelf’ which gives the impression of being much lower mounted than other SUVs, therefore creating a more sporting feel.

As well as plenty of space for passengers – both headroom and legroom is good in the front and the back seats – there is plenty of capacity for luggage, too. A 402-litre boot can be extended to 1,420 litres by folding the rear seats, and there is also an additional front ‘trunk’ which can hold up to 100 litres.

The Mustang Mach-E is safe, too, with a host of safety and driving aids, including adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring system, collision mitigation, and lane-keeping assistance systems.

Ford has made a name for itself for building cars that favour more ‘enthusiast’ drivers, and the Mustang Mach-E continues that tradition.

For a bulky SUV, it handles keenly and is agile, the steering boasting plenty of feel and response. A mostly comfortable but firm ride is only really caught out over larger road imperfections.

Three driving modes allow the experience to be further tailored. ‘Whisper’ is an eco mode which ramps down responses for efficiency; ‘Active’ is similar to a ‘Normal’ mode in other EVs; and ‘Untamed’ is the sportiest setting.

Performance in the Extended Range AWD model is plenty – the 258kW electric motor and 427lb ft of torque gives the Mustang Mach-E a 0-62mph time of 5.1 seconds.

What does it cost?

Ford has kept the Mustang Mach-E family very simple, with just two core ‘trims’ – Standard Range and Extended Range. Within these are rear-wheel drive (RWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD) versions. A third ‘performance’ version, the all-wheel drive GT, sits above these.

The entry level Mustang Mach-E Standard Range RWD is priced from £47,530, and includes 18-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats, steering wheel and windscreen, front and rear parking sensors, LED lights, a wireless smartphone charging pad, 115kW fast charging, and both at home and highpower charging cables. The Extended Range RWD car costs £52,080 and adds the bigger battery as well as 150kW charging capability.

The £54,100 Standard Range AWD features 19-inch alloy wheels, adaptive LED ‘signature’ headlights, B&O premium sound system, hands-free tailgate, panoramic roof, power-adjustable front seats, and powerfolding door mirrors with Mustang puddle light projection. As with the RWD model, the £61,480 Extended Range AWD Mach-E (as tested here) adds 150kW charging to the already comprehensive specification.

The range-topping £68,030 Mustang Mach-E GT is overtly sporty in its appearance with 20-inch alloy wheels, 19-inch brakes with red calipers, and a unique front grille and bumpers. Inside, there are GT Performance seats, and GT scuff plates. The price premium also pays for a performance upgrade to a 358kW / 479bhp electric motor with 860Nm / 634lb ft of torque.

How much does it cost to tax?

Ford’s all-electric SUV is exempt from VED charges, in the first and following years of registration. Under the current 2022-2023 company car taxation rates, the Mustang Mach-E attracts a two per cent Benefit In Kind (BIK) value, which is the same as the following 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 years.

Why does my fleet need one?

It’s perhaps little surprise that Ford has drawn on one of its most emblematic models to launch its EV ambitions. In reality, the Mustang Mach-E has very little in common with its combustion-engined pony car siblings, but that doesn’t really matter.

Here is a spacious and practical SUV, with striking looks and a high level of technology, as well as a decent long-distance range.

A latecomer to the electric vehicle market, Ford stated its full EV ambitions in March 2022. It has plans to sell three new passenger electric vehicles in Europe by 2024, along with four zero emission commercial vehicles, the first of which will be a new electric version of the much-loved Transit.

The E-Transit has a 68kWh (usable) battery for an official WLTP-rated range of up to 197 miles, and is priced from £47,700 excluding VAT in the UK. The e-van is also the first model to be sold under the Ford Pro business division.

Others to follow include electric versions of the Transit Courier, Tourneo Courier, Transit Custom and Tourneo Custom.

With plans to sell over 600,000 electric vehicles by 2026, Ford’s raft of new EVs includes an electric version of the Puma small SUV, as well as two new crossover models.

Add in the fondness and the ‘everyman’ appeal for which Ford is regarded, and the Mustang Mach-E will be attractive to fleet drivers who want an electric vehicle with low running costs, which appeals to both the head and the heart. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.ford.co.uk

Ford Mustang Mach-E Extended Range AWD ENGINE:

258kW / 346bhp electric motor and 91kWh lithium-ion battery

RANGE (WLTP):

335 miles

OFFICIAL EFFICIENCY:

3.3m/kWh

GF EFFICIENCY:

3.7m/kWh

CO2:

0g/km

VED:

£0 first-year, £0 thereafter

BIK:

2%

PRICE (OTR):

£61,480 (including VAT £62,630 as tested)

Issue 139 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

51

Porsche Taycan Performance Battery Plus

Written by Richard Gooding

Road Test

FIRST DRIVE

The Taycan is Porsche’s first all-electric production model, and Richard Gooding finds that it sets a high bar for cars offering a blend of luxurious comfort with an engaging driving experience What is it?

‘Performance’ EVs aren’t usually a GreenFleet staple, but as more and more car manufacturers are launching electric vehicles, their appearance is perhaps an inevitability. Porsche’s family of sports cars are beloved with drivers – even fleet drivers that may own one as a weekend toy – who prize driving enjoyment. Numerous attempts at practical, four-door Porsches have been made in the past, but it was the Panamera – and the Cayenne SUV before it – which brought more passengercarrying ability to the German marque.

Hybrid versions of that car have been available since 2011, but the Mission E concept of 2015 first promised a vision of an all-electric production Porsche. The Taycan debuted in 2019, its four-door body and technological 800V architecture largely unchanged from the Mission E concept.

Offered in five trim levels – including the iconic Porsche Turbo, even though it doesn’t actually use one – the Taycan is structured in two basic specifications determined by the battery. Performance Battery and Performance Battery Plus options come in different capacities, mated to either rear-wheel drive, single motor, or all-wheel drive, twin-motor powertrains of varying power configurations.

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In addition to the four-door sports saloon bodystyle, a five-door Sport Turismo ‘estate’ is also available, as well as a Cross Turismo version, which is basically the same car but with more off-road ruggedness suited to the occasional venture onto more irregular terrain. The entry level, rear-wheel drive Taycan is tested here.

What range does it have?

Even though the entry level model of Porsche’s four-door zero emission sports saloon has powerful performance, that doesn’t come at the expense of range.

As tested, the 93.4kWh (83.4kWh usable capacity) lithium-ion battery of the Taycan Performance Battery Plus gives an official combined 301 miles of range. The smaller 79.2kWh (71.0kWh usable capacity) unit of the Performance Battery version can travel an official WLTP-rated 264 miles on a full charge.

How log does it take to charge?

With sporting performance long being a Porsche trademark, it seems fitting that the Taycan was one of the first electric cars to use more powerful 800V charging technology. The Taycan Performance Battery Plus can charge at a maximum of 270kW, which means that a five to 80 per cent charge takes only 23

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

minutes. Even though the smaller battery is rated at 225kW charging capacity, it takes the same time to reach the same level of charge. Porsche quotes a 0 to 100 per cent battery charge time of nine hours when connected to a 9.6kW AC electrical supply.

The Taycan has two charging ports. On the driver’s side is an AC Type 2 socket; an AC/ DC Type 2 CCS Combo socket sits on the passenger side. The car also has an 11kW AC on-board charger, as well as a 50kW DCD on-board charger for 400V public charging stations. Cables for domestic and industrial sockets (230V, 32A) are also provided, as is a Type 2 lead.

Energy recuperation harvests kinetic energy to feed it back into the battery for extra efficiency. When the accelerator pedal is released, Porsche says the Taycan is designed to roll or coast as far as possible.

Recuperation only takes place when the brake pedal is pressed. With two settings, it works well.

How does it drive?

There’s no mistaking the Taycan for anything other than a Porsche, as it looks a little like a stretched 911. At just under five metres long, it’s a big car, but its low height makes it look purposeful, even in the unmistakable £774

What does it cost?

The Taycan may have launched with the more powerful 4S, Turbo and Turbo S versions, the rear-wheel drive model coming later, but it’s that one which is the first step on the Taycan ladder. Prices start at £74,000 (including VAT) for the Taycan fitted with the Performance Battery, rising to £78,049 for the Performance Battery Plus model as tested here.

Road Test

Frozen Berry paint finish of our test car. Sleek and sporty, the Taycan creates an impression.

Inside, that impression continues. Ahead of the driver is a 16.8-inch, fully configurable curved digital instrument display, which also includes additional external touchscreen control panels for controlling functions for the lights and chassis. The centre console also includes a touch-sensitive display to control the climate control and the operation of the charging port doors. Another 10.9inch screen sits above that, which can display smartphone mirroring functions.

Snug and of very high quality, the Taycan’s interior will most comfortably seat only four passengers. There is 407 litres of luggage space behind the rear seats (in the separate boot, there is no tailgate), with an additional 84 litres under the bonnet.

Even though the rear-wheel drive model is the entry point to the Taycan family, its performance is more than in keeping with the Porsche badge. It gets to 62mph from rest in 5.4 seconds, with a top speed of 143mph.

Both batteries have the same performance figures, even though the Performance Battery Plus version has 469bhp compared to the Performance Battery car’s 402bhp (overboost maximum power with Launch Control figures). The 263lb ft / 357Nm of torque is plenty and the Taycan’s pace is as quick as you’d expect and want it to be.

With the Porsche badge on its nose, if the Taycan didn’t deliver on the driving front it would be a missed opportunity.

Thankfully it does, and then some. In singlemotor, rear-wheel drive form, the car feels ‘pure’ and unfiltered, the steering sharp and communicative, and the Taycan can be placed exactly where you want it. Damping is superbly judged – ideal if you’re a chauffeur and have to keep rear seat passengers happy – and the tied-down, almost balletic feel belies the big Porsche’s 2,050kg weight.

Auto-deploying door handles, Porsche Active Aerodynamics – active air intake flaps and an adaptive rear spoiler – and underbody aerodynamic panels help the Taycan slip through the air more efficiently. If specified, the £778 Sport Chrono package includes a ‘GT’ multifunction steering with drive mode dial. Used to scroll through the four driving modes – Range, Normal, Sport and Sport Plus – if offers tailoring of the driving experience for efficiency or performance.

The most efficient setting is ‘Range’, which limits speed to between 56 and 87mph, with the car’s cooling air flaps and rear spoiler set to minimum drag, while certain power ancillaries operate at their most efficient configurations. A two-speed gearbox cleverly balances performance, and efficiency at cruising speeds.

Standard equipment on both versions includes adaptive cruise control, automatic lights and wipers, dual-zone climate control, heat pump, heated and poweradjustable front seats, keyless start, LED exterior and interior lighting, partial leather trim, a powered boot lid, and a wireless smartphone charger.

Moving up the family, the £85,000, 523bhp Taycan 4S adds all-wheel drive, the £104,500 Taycan GTS with 590bhp offering more style and technology with ‘Race-Tex’ and aluminium interior finishes, Sport Chrono package, and GTS-specific suspension tuning with Porsche Active Suspension Management.

The 617bhp Taycan Turbo costs from £117,500 and comes with the Performance Battery Plus battery as standard, along with 20-inch alloy wheels, front and rear heated seats, Porsche 4D chassis control and Porsche Surface Coated Brake discs.

The £140,000 Taycan Turbo S range-topper has 750bhp, 21-inch alloy wheels, yellow brake calipers, Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake discs, BOSE 14-speaker surround-sound audio system, and the fantastic Porsche Electric Sport Sound. Compared to the entry level Taycan tested here, the Turbo S gets to 62mph in 2.8 seconds.

How much does it cost to tax?

As with all electric cars, the Porsche Taycan is exempt from VED charges in the first and following years of registration. The big electric saloon also attracts a two per cent Benefit In Kind (BIK) value under current 2022-2023 company car taxation rates. The same value also applies to the following 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 years.

Why does my fleet need one?

The Taycan is one of Porsche’s most successful models. In 2021, the UK was

the third biggest market for the car, with 30 per cent of new Porsches – around one in three – being the Taycan. In Europe, around 40 per cent of Porsches delivered in 2021 were electrified: either plug-in hybrids or allelectric models.

If you are a fleet driver who is lucky to have maneuvered yourself to a position where you can run a car such as the Taycan, there is little else which offers the driving appeal and experience that the spacious Porsche saloon does. With plentiful on-board technology and comfort to escort business passengers in luxury, the Taycan is an executive express with a long-range capability that can munch the miles just as well as it can devour them on a twisting road. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.porsche.com/uk

Porsche Taycan Performance Battery Plus ENGINE:

350kW / 469bhp electric motor and 93.4kWh lithium-ion battery*

RANGE (WLTP): OFFICIAL EFFICIENCY:

301 miles 2.6 - 3.1m/kWh

CO2:

0g/km

VED:

£0 first-year, £0 thereafter

BIK:

2%

PRICE (OTR):

£78,049 (including VAT £93,673 as tested)

*Overboost maximum power with Launch Control

Issue 139 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

53

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ADVERTISERS INDEX The publishers accept no responsibility for errors or omissions in this free service Big Dug Ltd bp pulse British Red Cross

OBC 14

Europcar

28,29,31

Grosvenor Contracts Leasing

24,27,42

Juice Technology AG

26

LeasePlan UK Ltd

4

LEVC

6

Mina

22,23

Paua Tech Limited

32,33,39

Synetiq

34

The AA

36,37

The Algorithm People

54

16

18,19,20,48

VW Vans

IFC

Webfleet Solutions Sales B.V.

44

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

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