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The government has launched a consultation on its zero emission vehicle mandate, which will require manufacturers to produce an increasing share of zero emission cars and vans.
The ZEV mandate is an important signal to the EV market, and hopefully provides long-term certainty to fleet operators. It comes as the government announces almost £400 million for electric vehicle charging infrastructure and unveils plans to scale up affordable, clean energy.
The direction of travel therefore seems clear. But for many fleet operators, transitioning to electric vehicles is still a daunting task. This issue of GreenFleet addresses this, and includes advice and guidance on switching to an electric fleet. Chloe Hampton, EV infrastructure strategy specialist at Cenex shares advice on installing charging infrastructure, and Matt Adams, transport policy manager at the Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology, looks at the progress of fleet electrification and the hurdles that still need to be overcome. We also look at innovation in the last mile delivery sector, and share lessons-learnt from some of GreenFleet’s award-winning fleet mangers.
This issue also delves into the recent Transport Data Strategy, which sets out how the greater use of transport data will support more innovation in the sector, improve the way people and goods move, and help meet transport decarbonisation targets.
Angela Pisanu, editor
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© 2023 Public Sector Information Limited. No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any other means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the editorial content the publisher cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. ISSN 2399-4940
The most cost-efficient and scalable DC charging solution on the market
Rolec EV’s latest DC ultra-rapid charging station is the most intelligent, modular and scalable solution for your electrified fleet.
The ULTRACHARGE 160 is packed with the latest charging and safety features and o ers up to 160kW charging speeds, making it ideal for fleets of all shapes and sizes.
The government’s newly published Transport Data Strategy sets out how the greater use of transport data will support greater innovation in the sector, improve the way people and goods move, and help meet transport decarbonisation targets
30 GreenFleet Roundtable
The 2023 GreenFleet roundtable season kicked off at Reading Stadium on 22 February. A lively discussion was led by Rivus and Allstar, along with delegates from the public and private sector, as well as blue light services. As 2030 looms, it is becoming clear that there are some big topics still to be addressed, observes roundtable host Kate Armitage
33 GreenFleet North
Taking place at Headingley Stadium in Leeds on 27 April, GREENFLEET North –part of the the Net Zero Roadshow – will deliver key information to help fleets on their decarbonisation journey
34 Road Test - BMW iX
As witnessed by the i3, BMW has history in blazing EV trails, and Richard Gooding finds that the iX all-electric SUV is another important car for the brand
36 Road Test - Lexus NH 450h+
Lexus is known for its hybrid powertrains, and plug-in hybrid power arrives with the new NX. Richard Gooding finds that the highly likable newcomer has much fleet appeal
38 Sustainable Travel
Transport is the single largest contributor to UK domestic greenhouse gas emissions. But the average train journey emits 70 per cent less CO2 than going by car, and a single freight train now removes up to 129 lorries from the road. The mission now is to make the public and businesses aware of how just how ‘green’ rail travel is
The government has published its new Transport Data Strategy, which sets out plans for the greater use of data in transport and aims to improve how people find, use and get value from transport data to support greater innovation in the sector and deliver better services.
Better use of transport data can improve interconnectivity between different types of transport, support the development of journey-planning apps and improve their accuracy, ultimately helping to make it easier for people to use and plan journeys. Unlocking transport data can also help the government achieve the green transport objectives of the Transport Decarbonisation Plan. The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles is currently working with industry to make public chargepoint data openly available which will drive the growth of mobile apps that will enable drivers of Electric Vehicles (EVs) to plan their journeys and locate and access chargepoints with ease. The same data will enable EV network operators to optimise their charging networks and provide government, public authorities and electricity network operators with the data they need to effectively plan for any future interventions, as well as investment required to grow and improve the UK’s READ
charging network. There are also plans to incorporate EV charging availability into Mobility as a Service (MaaS), as well as standardised carbon data.
The Transport Data Strategy focuses on five key ambitions, including: improving data sharing to benefit transport users; promoting data standards; improving data skills in the workforce; ensuring appropriate governance and communication with the sector; and providing leadership and support for the sector.
As part of the strategy, the government is launching the ‘Find Transport Data’ pilot, a data catalogue to make it easier for innovators, researchers and others to find transport data, and ultimately deliver efficiencies and help improve services for customers.
Read more about the Transport Data Strategy on page 27.
The AA’s EV Recharge Report for February shows that off-peak ultra-rapid charging was cheaper per mile than petrol car for the first time, with an 8 p/kWh reduction. The average cost of off-peak charging has dropped from 60 p/kWh to 52 p/kWh, while peak charging at these speeds is also cheaper having fallen from 74 p/kWh to 67 p/kWh.
Stockport Council has signed a £15million deal with Be.EV to install and operate 54 rapid and ultra rapid chargers across 20 locations, which will be powered by renewable energy from Octopus Energy.
Residents will also benefit from a share of the revenue from the charge points.
Anyone will be able to use the chargers but Be.EV members will be able to access a discounted rate across the company’s rapidly growing network.
The council will retain ownership of the sites but the chargers will be installed and managed by Be.EV.
It will cost around £8million to install the 54 rapid and ultra rapid chargers with the ongoing operational costs of £7million over next 10 years.
Be.EV CEO Asif Ghafoor said: “Stockport
Council has taken a well thought out intelligent approach to providing EV chargers.
“It is a great example of how the public sector can partner with the private.
“The council wants to deliver cleaner air and they have found these sites for EV chargers. It is our job now to bring the expertise and the commercial incentive to make them fabulous.
“They are the first step in helping the borough and its residents hit their green targets while bringing a financial benefit as well.
“We want other councils to sit up and take notice of this gold standard development or they will be left behind.”
The downside is that the cost of slow charging has gone up with flat rate fixed prices, rising nearly nine per cent, from 34 p/kWh to 37 p/kWh.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy said: “EV owners are still reaping the benefits of cheaper per mile motoring, and this could improve further if energy costs are to fall later in the year. The recent shift in peak and off-peak charging prices for ultra-rapid devices provides brilliant value for money, especially with Easter just around the corner.”
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PULSE Light covers all types of vehicles, providing easily interpretable results with red/green status – red standing for non-compliant and green for compliant respectively. The tool enables managers to identify and prioritise compliance and duty of care issues across their fleets, along with non-compliance areas covering policies, drivers, vehicle safety and journeys.
Drivetech, part of the AA, has launched a free fleet health-check tool, designed to help businesses manage and reduce risk fleet-wide.
The tool comprises a simple online questionnaire, taking around 30 minutes to complete. Once submitted, a trained assessor will create a customised report and action plan, supplied within ten working days. The solution includes recommendations to address specific issues in priority order, including best practices and consequences of non-compliance.
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Fleets are starting to take the efficiency of different electric vehicles (EVs) seriously thanks to increases in the cost of charging, says the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP).
Paul Hollick, chair at the AFP, said the gaps between the most and least efficient EVs were striking, and that fleet managers were increasingly swapping information on which were delivering the best figures in real world conditions.
“When EVs started arriving on fleets, fuelling them cost just a fraction of a petrol or diesel vehicle, so there was relatively little attention paid to which had the best miles per kWh figures. However, the price rises seen in the last year or so, with some on-the-go charging costing as much as refuelling an ICE car or van, means that is no longer the case.
“Increasingly, fleets are taking a lot of notice about which EVs are the most efficient, They are spending time analysing which fall within reasonable parameters and which don’t in exactly the same way as they have done with ICE cars for many years. That means working out whether the problem lies with the vehicle, the route or the driver – and taking appropriate managerial action.”
Electric vehicle charging network InstaVolt has added an additional 16 chargers to its hub at Stroud Park in Banbury, making it its largest charging hub yet.
The Banbury site, situated on the M40, is now one of the UK’s largest charging hubs, with 32 chargers in total following the installation of 16 new 120kW rapid chargers in addition to the previously installed eight 125kW rapid chargers and eight 150kW Alpitronic chargers.
In line with the specification for accessible charge points, the site now includes twelve wider access bays and four fully accessible bays. The four accessible bays have the required 1.2m distancing in front of, and between the chargepoints. All 16 new chargers are installed flush to the ground at the same level as the parking bay and the site features additional lighting throughout. The site has also been adapted to provide access to local amenities for drivers with
a diverse range of accessibility needs.
InstaVolt’s chief executive officer, Adrian Keen said: “As of last month, there are over 690,000 battery-electric cars on UK roads. InstaVolt is taking steps, such as our Stroud Park expansion, to ensure that adequate charging infrastructure is available to keep up with the increase in EV uptake and bridge the gap between the number of vehicles and chargers.
“We’re not only building rapid EV chargers to meet consumers’ needs but recognise that EV charging should be as accessible and inclusive as possible. By expanding our existing Banbury hub to include accessible and wider access charging bays, we’re demonstrating our commitment to improving the industry’s accessibility issues, where we’re able to do so.”
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Paul said that fleets were even starting to remove EVs with the worst figures from choice lists and sometimes incentivising drivers to choose the most efficient options.
“It’s widely reported that some widelyused EVs are struggling around the two miles per kWh mark while competing cars can deliver almost twice that figure. These are significant differences that, with current electricity pricing, can have a genuine effect on running costs.
“Certainly, some manufacturers are starting to get reputations for EV efficiency while others are seen as the opposite, and choice lists are being modified accordingly.
“Of course, efficient EVs also make AER repayments more realistic, with the new nine pence per mile rate much closer to the amount being paid by drivers of more efficient EVs who charge at home.”
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Nottingham City Council has had bidirectional EV charging, solar and battery energy storage installed at its fleet depot.
The installation of two E-STOR battery energy storage systems, made by Connected Energy from second life Renault batteries, will demonstrate how a fleet depot can intelligently manage the energy demands caused by vehicle electrification.
Home to a 243-strong fleet, the depot includes 40 vehicle-to-grid (V2G) bi-directional chargers with three solar arrays and Connected Energy’s two 300kW E-STOR energy storage systems supporting the charging demands. The energy ecosystem will be a blueprint for how premises across the country facing extreme energy challenges from physical supply restrictions, rural locations or legacy buildings can install EV chargers and increase their energy consumption, whilst managing their power demands.
Matthew Lumsden, Connected Energy CEO, said: “When fleet and estate managers install EV chargers at thousands of premises
CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE
across the country, many will discover that their energy supply is insufficient. Others are likely to find that EV charging brings unmanageable peak charges. The energy ecosystem for Nottingham City Council overcomes all these challenges and shows a path ahead that others can follow,” he said. The site’s solar arrays with a combined generation of 138kWp will enable the site to create and use its own clean energy which is then stored in the Connected Energy E-STOR systems. An overarching energy management software solution, developed by Hangar19, will communicate across all the technologies, giving the site the flexibility to make the best possible use of its own energy and provide services to the grid.
Nottingham City Council will also be using its battery storage to manage costs. Steve Cornes, principal energy projects officer explains: “As the City Council fleet transitions to electric, including large vehicles such as refuse lorries, we will be using the battery energy storage system to prop up the grid.
By using intelligently managed BESS and V2G, on-site solar energy can be maximised and the depot will effectively be able to isolate itself from the grid. The systems will allow us to ensure production costs of electricity will be negligible, allowing us to peak shave so that we can avoid high electricity tariffs and give us the opportunity to trade electricity back to the grid.
“Our main aim is to reduce the carbon intensity of the operations on site. Projects such as this are critical as we work towards becoming Carbon Neutral by 2028 and this will demonstrate what is possible – both for the City Council itself but for similar buildings throughout the UK,” adds Steve.
Steve continues: “The use of second life batteries in our energy storage was a key factor when choosing to work with Connected Energy. This provides us with a much less carbon intensive product.”
to charge while they shop with us.”
Erik Fairbairn, Pod Point founder and CEO, said: “Meeting the 600-store target is an awesome achievement and makes the Tesco rollout by far the UK’s biggest retail EV charging network. Since 2019, we’ve been giving drivers the confidence to go electric with a secure, reliable and accessible way to top up while they shop. We are incredibly proud of our partnership with Tesco and Volkswagen, and with the contribution we’re making to the UK’s charging infrastructure.”
The 600th store milestone also coincides with the next phase of the Tesco EV charging network with Pod Point installing the retailers’ first set of 75kW charging units, on a trial basis, to complement the existing 7kW, 22kW and 50kW units across the Tesco estate.
Tesco’s Kirkwall superstore has become the 600th store in the UK to have EV charging points installed since Tesco, Volkswagen and Pod Point launched the network in 2019.
The installation at the store on the remote Scottish island of Orkney, is the culmination of a programme which has seen 2,500 EV charging bays installed at 600 Tesco stores across the UK and Northern Ireland over the last three years – with all electricity used to charge cars generated from renewable sources. The
network also includes 129 rapid chargers. The chargers have been used more than 6,000,000 times already saving more than 24,000 tonnes of CO2.
Jason Tarry, Tesco CEO UK & ROI, said: “It is with great pride we announce that we have hit our target of providing EV charging at 600 stores across the UK. From Orkney all the way to Southampton customers now have the option to make sustainable choices and we’re giving them somewhere easy and convenient
Customers shopping at the Tesco Cheshunt, Osterley, Shrewsbury, Ashby De La Zouch and York Extra stores, and at the Newark New Ollerton Superstore will be also soon able to benefit from the new 75kW public rapid chargers. A further six stores will be installed with 75kW units as part of the trial later this year. The range of charging speeds will cater to the different charging requirements of customers from those looking for a simple top up, to drivers needing a fuller charge. The 75kW will be available at 69p kWh.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has published ‘Race to Zero: Powering Up Britain’s EV Supply Chain’, a strategy for electric vehicle production in the UK.
The strategy warns that Britain’s ability to compete as an electric vehicle production leader is at risk unless government responds urgently to increasingly fierce international competition. Other countries have significantly increased political and economic backing for their own automotive sectors, positioning themselves at the front of the queue for investment.
Race to Zero: Powering Up Britain’s EV Supply Chain sets out the UK’s intrinsic strengths in advanced automotive manufacturing, low carbon energy and R&D, but stresses the need for an urgent response to initiatives such as the US $370 billion Inflation Reduction Act and EU Green Deal Industrial Plan.
The blueprint sets out a Green Automotive Transformation strategy that would position Britain as one of the world’s most competitive locations for advanced automotive manufacturing, matching its world-leading market ambition to end the sale of non-zero emission cars and vans in 2035.
The strategy identifies investment, regulation and
trade as the key pillars to anchor future vehicle production in Britain. Derisking private capital with more competitive incentives and action on energy costs, with support for the next British innovation in batteries and renewables, will stimulate greater investment in EV enterprises. Reform of regulation will accelerate delivery of new production facilities and renewable energy generation. Maximising trade opportunities, meanwhile, would help secure access to essential raw materials. Such moves will secure the essential gigafactories which can underpin EV production.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “Britain boasts a firm foundation of EV production, backed by low carbon energy, outstanding R&D and a highly skilled and productive workforce. We must not squander these advantages. With other parts of the world turbocharging their support for the zero emission vehicle transition, we need to step up to compete in this global race. Every part of the country has a stake in the switch and with fast, decisive action we can deliver for Britain the growth, jobs and green prosperity this country deserves.”
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March’s figures will be an important staging post for electric vehicle sales as suppliers look to assess the impact of the Chancellor’s March Budget and other recent trends. Battery electric car registrations continue to rise in absolute numbers; 12,310 new registrations in February 2023 gives BEVs a market share of 16.5 per cent of all new car registrations (a lower proportion than Feb ’22 but in a much bigger market). However, BEVs’ share of the new car market has been erratic in recent months and quite flat overall for the last six months or so (notwithstanding the now normal December rush to meet CO2 targets), constrained by supply difficulties and, perhaps, latterly also by the rise in electricity prices relative to petrol.
While electricity prices are now falling and are expected to fall further (though probably not to pre-Ukraine War levels), petrol and diesel prices at the pump have been falling faster.
I probably wasn’t the only one to raise an eyebrow at the Chancellor’s decision to freeze fuel duty for the 13th year in a row and I was certainly surprised that the 5p ‘temporary’ discount introduced last autumn was also extended for a further 12 months. The New Economics Foundation has taken a look at the numbers and – aside from the £6bn cost to the Treasury of the continued duty freeze – says that the effect on fuel demand of lower petrol and diesel prices will lead to 3.4-3.9m additional tonnes of CO2 being released; the equivalent of adding 2-2.3m more cars to UK roads for a year.
There was also nothing in the Budget to address the discrepancy over VAT between public and home charging despite quite vocal calls before the budget for this to be amended.
While BEV car sales have been sluggish, vans fared even worse in a similarly growing overall market with sales dropping 18 per cent to represent only five per cent of the new van market YTD.
In both sectors, March and the new plate is a critical month with sales typically double regular volumes.
Despite these short-term factors, there are plenty of reasons to keep the faith. Gas and electricity prices are falling and discussions are also under way to decouple the electricity price from gas, which has kept the electricity price artificially high.
Manufacturers have geared up and are producing new models (such as Ford’s new Explorer EV) and variants with eyes clearly on volume production and the mass market. There’s a battery electric car available now (though not quite yet a van) to suit most users’ needs, desires and, even, pockets, particularly if a total cost of ownership approach is taken.
This trend will only accelerate now as the 2030/5 ending of sale of ICE vehicles hoves into view and the details of the Government’s Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate (due to take effect from 2024) is announced (possibly even by the time this article is published).
So, while from a fleet and user’s perspective the economics of running an EV compared with an ICE vehicle has taken a bit of a hit in recent months, from here on the trends are all heading towards cost savings, greater vehicle choice and – crucially – lower and even zero, emissions.
www.zemo.org.uk
EV sales growth may have slowed but fleets should keep the faith
Fleets are arguably the most important piece of the puzzle when it comes to hitting zero-emission vehicle targets. James Court, chief executive of the Electric Vehicle Association, explains why
Fleets are arguably the most important piece of the puzzle when it comes to hitting our 2030/2050 transport targets; not only are they crucial for the demand of new cars, they are also the main source for the second-hand car market.
What may be well known to the readers of GreenFleet often comes as a surprise to others, yet it is always worth reminding policy makers, media and MPs that companies are the main procurers of new vehicles, with businesses and fleets accounting for between 50-60 per cent of all new cars purchased in the UK.
These cars then typically enter the second-hand market after three to five years. For the average driver, their first chance to purchase an EV is most likely going to be in the second-hand market.
We should start to see this happen in the UK this year. Three years ago saw the first significant jump in EV sales, more than doubling from 97,000 in 2019 to over 200,000 in 2020. Then nearly doubles again in 2021 (396,000) with another huge increase in 2022 (663,000). With these cars coming to the end of their fleet life, this will see EVs go from being the preserve of the company car driver or the reasonably well-off, to being a viable option for the vast majority of people who buy in the used market.
Many UK fleets have already committed to electrification that will see over 750,000 vehicles switch to zero emissions by 2030, on top of commitments to company-wide EV charging roll-out for staff and customers that will see chargepoints deployed at over 1,000 company locations.
This trend is likely to accelerate once the government’s announcement on the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate is confirmed in the coming weeks. This will ban the sale of pure internal combustion engines by 2030 and hybrids by 2035 giving a clear direction for manufacturers, as well as fleets.
This may seem to some as a daunting target, and there is certainly a lot that needs to happen between now and 2030. We are still talking about a small number of EVs on the road, with under two per cent of all cars in the UK fully electric. Yet as mentioned earlier, EV sales are growing, and were the second most popular ‘fuelled’ car after petrol last year.
Of course, part of the success of EVs has been the rapid extension of options. The original Nissan leaf was a trailblazer, and British built to boot. Yet as with all early innovators,
arevehicleElectricsales growing, and were the second most popular ‘fuelled’ car after petrol last year
they had obvious limitations. Tesla is widely synonymous with EVs, and while still thought of as ‘out of reach’ for many consumers, the staggering success of the more affordable Model Y has shown the appetite for EVs, and was the second best-selling car in the UK last year.
However, while both the Leaf and Tesla are probably the best known EVs, the real gamechanger has been the seamless integration of BEVs into mainstream marques. Since 2019, we have a seen a steady rise in BEV/PHEV options alongside the traditional diesel and petrol varieties. Virtually all new models now come with this as standard and have helped normalise the optics of EVs we see on the road. Affordable options such as the Kia e-Niro, MG5 and the latest Nissan Leaf all have very respectable ranges and cost around the £30k mark. These all become much more affordable if offered through a salary sacrifice scheme, saving the driver 20/40/45 per cent depending on their tax rate.
Another of the draws of EVs is the Benefit-in-Kind rate. This currently stands at two per cent for EVs, which compares very favourably compared to petrol/diesel rates of up to 37 per cent. This rate has been secured until 2025, where it will start to increase by one per cent per year, yet still offers a significant savings compared to ICE vehicles.
Of course, you can have all the financial incentives to switch, but that won’t change consumer behaviour if the cars aren’t fit for purpose. It is now well acknowledged that the cars themselves are good, and the surveys show satisfaction rates of well over 90 per cent, with only a tiny number saying they want to move back to ICE. The drive quality, comfort and reliability are all huge selling points, however, the biggest issue, both perceived and in lived experience, is that of the charging network.
The charging situation in the UK is a mixed picture, and very dependent on where you live and what charging you need. For around the 70 per cent of brits who own a driveway, that vast majority of charging can be done from home. This is obviously the cheapest and most convenient way to charge up, and only requires fast chargers for long journeys or destination charging at the end of the journey.
The UK is reasonably well served on the motorway network for long trips, and as many argue, we have enough chargers, what we don’t have is certainty that the charger is going to be available and working when we get there. This can obviously be a huge issue if you are relying on a charge. Thankfully, there are new government regulations coming that seeks to address this issue.
EVA England were strong proponents of the ’Consumer Experience’ work being led by OZEV and DfT that will introduce 99 per cent reliability targets for Charge Point Operators (CPOs) across their portfolio. It should be noted that nearly all CPOs already achieve reliability of well above 90 per cent, with only a couple of anomalies languishing at 70-80 per cent, yet one bad experience outweighs a hundred good ones, and there should be no excuse for serial offenders.
Another interesting move is the proposed opening up of charger data. This will mean real time information of the state of chargers, and make it much easier to plan your journey. One of the benefits of Tesla’s is the seamless communication between the cars and the charging network. Hopefully, these regulations will soon mean all EV drivers can have confidence that they will be able to charge when they need to.
For others without a driveway, like myself, I need lamppost chargers, or a local hubs/destination chargers. Living in London, I’m well served for this infrastructure, indeed I’m lucky to have five lamppost chargers on my street. But that is not the case everywhere. This too is likely to be much improved in the coming years, with local councils, national government, and indeed private companies investing much more in this area. There are various pots of money available from national government, and a growing knowledge base and willingness at a local level to drive this agenda forward. When all added together, the UK is one of the leading countries in the world for electric vehicles and the picture is only getting better. This is both welcome, but also much needed as we move from the early adopters towards a more mainstream market. L
The cost of living crisis and the high inflation in the UK at the moment is putting a new focus on benefits which employers are offering to their staff as a means of supplementing salaries, as well as offering the benefits of a company car to a wider proportion of employees.
While a brand new car can often be seen as a luxury, with the price of second-hand cars at an all-time high, and personal leasing options often having a large deposit required upfront, often choosing a salary sacrifice car can be a cost-effective option for drivers. The savings available and the guarantees offered by having this as a company benefit, often add peace of mind for the driver as well, reassuring them during turbulent times.
Salary sacrifice is a great way of encouraging drivers to adopt more environmentally friendly modes of transport, giving confidence to the industry that the environmental and economic benefits that it gives to the UK’s drivers is recognised by the Government, attracting only two per cent Benefit in Kind each year until 2025, and then one per cent additionally each year until 2028.
With many facing rising living costs, Tusker’s drivers are using its salary sacrifice car benefit schemes to access new and environmentally friendly vehicles at affordable prices. With Tusker, drivers saved an average of £290 a month in Income Tax and National Insurance in 2022, while benefiting from a fixed monthly amount, the car benefit scheme ensures savings on electric cars are guaranteed and unexpected expenses are all-but eliminated. A salary sacrifice car benefit scheme offers a complete package with insurance, servicing, maintenance, breakdown cover and replacement tyres included. All the driver has to worry about is the electricity.
Plus, Tusker offers employees a wide range of cars to suit all budgets including both built to order models and those available at short notice, as thanks to its arriving soon page, Tusker offers excellent choice and value ensuring that employees can move to a new electric car in just a few weeks. L
FURTHER INFORMATION
www.tuskerdirect.com
www.evaengland.org.uk
energy) and no need to consider the resale value at the end of the agreement, you can rely on your projected fleet costs. Another benefit is a reduction in your carbon footprint. Ultra-low emission vehicles are a great way of boosting your company’s ESG goals, while reducing its carbon footprint. Partner with Tusker and we’ll also offset the emissions of any vehicles that you may still have on fleet, making all your vehicles completely carbon neutral. A salary sacrifice scheme will also give you the option to extend your car benefit to almost all employees. This is an attractive benefit for many employees and gives people who could not otherwise afford a brand-new car the opportunity to drive one. Plus, it really helps attract and retain new and existing employees. What’s more, employers and staff will have all the usual leasing benefits –including a comprehensive maintenance, servicing and insurance package included within a single monthly amount.
The reasons for financing your fleet via leasing are well known. The benefits include freeing up capital from depreciating assets, saving money on fuel and maintenance costs, ease of fleet management, increased flexibility and the provision of new, safer cars.
However, an increasingly key reason for leasing, rather than buying a company fleet, is the rapid evolution of new car technology, and the improvements in efficiency and emissions that this brings.
Salary sacrifice goes one step further; it opens up the benefits of leasing the latest new vehicles to almost all employees, encouraging even more people into the latest low emission cars. It’s a popular option for companies looking to offer their employees a cost-effective way of getting a new car where the employee agrees to give up a portion of their salary in exchange.
Thanks to the unique way salary sacrifice is structured, employees are also able to make significant savings on electric and Ultra Low Emission Vehicles through their salary – the average saving in 2022 for Tusker drivers was over £300.
Adding a salary sacrifice scheme to your organisation can help drivers choose environmentally friendly cars, whether they are company car drivers, cash allowance
takers, or simply employees who are now able to take a car thanks to the offer of this employee benefit. It reduces the need for fleet administration, as Tusker manages the majority of this for their customers, simplifying the process while opening up the offering to more employees than a traditional company fleet would.
With carbon offsetting as standard, Tusker can also help towards sustainability, or ESG targets. A net-positive contributor to the environment, Tusker more-than offsets the emissions of the vehicles it puts on the roads, ensuring that there is minimal impact to the environment.
Risk is further reduced with the lifestyle protections that Tusker offers for drivers and organisations. The protections ensure that, should an individual leave their role, for a variety of reasons, the car will not be a financial burden to either the driver, or their employer. It’s a win-win for those looking to reduce the risk on their balance sheets.
Using a salary sacrifice scheme focused on EVs and ultra low emission vehicles, your organisation and drivers will benefit from complete confidence in fleet costs – with a single monthly figure covering the complete cost of each car (minus the fuel/
Plus, there’s even more risk reduction with Tusker’s Lifestyle Protection scheme –work with Tusker and you’ll further reduce the risks associated with life events like parental leave, death or illness. You will not need to worry about being stuck in longterm contracts for unwanted vehicles.
Car leasing might not have been on your radar in the past, but with significant changes occurring within the automotive landscape and the future of fleets, now is the time to consider making a change.
Having offered salary sacrifice schemes for the past 15 years, and now working with over 1,400 customers across the public and private sectors, more than 1.3 million drivers now have access to a salary sacrifice scheme.
Partner with Tusker – an experienced, award-winning, market-leading provider – and we’ll help you transition your fleet seamlessly to the next generation of vehicles. Interested in finding out more? Visit us below. L
www.tuskercars.com
Chargepoint infrastructure is a long-term investment and there are several factors to consider when making your decisions – from duty cycles of vehicles, to a site’s electricity capacity. Chloe Hampton, EV infrastructure strategy specialist at Cenex, shares some advice
An electric fleet brings the benefits of immediate carbon reduction, improved local air quality and running cost savings for years to come.
The initial capital costs for new vehicles and chargepoints can be expensive though, but making the right decisions early on will pay off down the road.
Chargepoint infrastructure is a long-term investment and there are several factors to consider when making your decisions.
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. These will tell you how much energy will be needed, for when and for what length of time the vehicles will be available to charge.
Details from a duty cycle to look at can include, but are not limited to, 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 backto-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.
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 you of your site’s capacity, and a comparison with your meter readings can inform you how much, if any, spare capacity you have.
Where possible vehicles should be charged as slowly as possible and for as long as possible to reduce any spikes in power demand. Heavier vehicles, such as refuse-collection vehicles or lorries,
dutyfleet’sYourdaily cycles will inform your decisions on what vehicles will best fit and what charging infrastructure you will need
will have much larger batteries and will 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.
Another solution to avoiding a site upgrade is to utilise the public charging network or home charging schemes. This could be particularly useful if fleet vehicles go home with staff or if vehicles are far away from the depot.
Using public or home chargers could save you the costs of installing chargepoints, 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.
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.
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 leastcost, highest-impact approach to electrification of the fleet which can be implemented over a series of phases, prioritising lighter vehicles.
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
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 the whole company.
A few years ago, the thought of decarbonising a fleet would be intimidating to most fleet operators. But as advancements have been made in technology, vehicles and charging, the transition has become less daunting – and will continue this way. Matt Adams, transport policy manager at the REA (Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology), looks at the progress so far, and the hurdles that still need to be overcome
A few years ago, the thought of decarbonising your fleet would be intimidating to most fleet operators. Questions that would have previously gone unanswered include how to know the best model vehicle and charge point is, how to make a business case for the transformation, how to charge fleets on the move, and how fleet drivers who park at home charge their vehicles. Today however, fleet decarbonisation is not as complicated as one might think. Several members of the REA offer end to end fleet decarbonisation programmes facilitating this once daunting transition. There is also now software available enabling fleet operators to allow their drivers to charge at home at no cost to the driver, as their bills are reduced at the end of the month and through the software, the driver is automatically reimbursed for the cost of charging from home. See the case studies outlined below to find out more on the ever-expanding tools for fleet operators.
Case study: Drax Drax offer an end-to-end fleet decarbonisation programme which analyses current fleets, hand picks EV models suitable to replace the existing fleet, provides software to monitor and manage their EV energy consumption, and through their insights programme, can maximise potential savings. This EV management portal My Electric Vehicles simplifies fleet management and helps more businesses switch to EVs with vital, intuitive real-time data. It combines data on their electric vehicle fleet, charge points and energy consumption in one user-friendly platform. Furthermore, My Electric Vehicles shows how vehicles are performing, flags issues and offers solutions on how to resolve them, reducing vehicle downtime and improving productivity. Through an interactive map, businesses can see their full EV fleet, and charge points across the country in real-time. Find out more about the EV management portal here
Case study: Greenflux
REA member Greenflux also offer many perks including their innovative EV roaming solution software which ensures that fleet drivers can charge up wherever they are, at as many charge points as possible, hassle-free. Mass adoption of EVs requires not only an extensive charging network, but also the development of an EV roaming infrastructure. EV roaming refers to opening up the EV charging network for EV drivers, giving them access to chargepoints from different CPOs while they are on the move.
Fleet shouldoperators be aware of significant policy milestones which will furtherelectricaccelerate uptakevehicle
Roaming agreements between charge point operators and electric mobility service providers are essential to accomplish this. The goal for EV roaming is to give EV drivers the ultimate charging experience.
The EV roaming software is included in Greenflux’s EV charging platform, and they have connections to all major roaming hubs, such as Hubject, E-clearing, Gireve and direct P2P OCPI connections. Being a customer of GreenFlux automatically means easily connecting to other EV charging networks, and they take care of all the roaming contracts to save businesses both paperwork and time.
The above are just a few of the many tools available for fleet operators looking to decarbonise, and it is clear that we are in a much better place than we were a few years ago. There are more options, more competition and a higher level of service driven by innovation in the sector.
This is only going to continue, and fleet operators should be aware of significant policy milestones which will further accelerate EV uptake and make running an electric fleet even easier. This includes the much talked about Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate, and the Consumer Experience Regulations.
The ZEV Mandate will enter into force in 2024, setting sales targets for motor manufacturers to sell EVs. We know that fleets make up the majority of car sales is
the UK and so we can expect fleet vehicles to further reduce in price as more EV models enter the market. We can also expect current waiting lists (which in some cases are over a year long) to fall dramatically as a larger per centage of cars sold in the UK become electric.
Secondly, the Consumer Experience Regulations, which we expect to come in to force later this year, will mandate contactless payment at chargepoints, reducing the need for fleet drivers to join multiple apps and have multiple smart cards. In addition, payment roaming will be mandated in two years’ time at all public chargepoints, therefore fleet operators will be able to pay using one app which could be linked back to their company card – significantly simplifying payments on the go.
Overall, the running of an EV and paying for charging on the public network has just got a lot easier and will continue to do so.
That being said, industry is still looking to government to support our sector and remove remaining barriers.
Currently, fleet charging is bundled with domestic charging in most policy areas, despite the fact the end use of a domestic charger and fleet charger are very different! In areas such as bidirectional charging, this is an ongoing issue, as some fleet operators will be able to provide a MW or more of power back to the grid from their vehicles, and this currently is not appreciated by government.
Furthermore, large HGV fleet operators who wish to partake in V2G trials are told what they are doing has been done before and isn’t considered of value to Government. I think this is something we need to change moving forward if we are to get the huge potential for fleets off the ground in areas such as bidirectional charging.
Light commercial fleet and HGV vehicles make up 13 per cent of vehicles on UK roads according to the Society Of Motor Manufacturers And Traders (SMMT.) The SMMT also suggests that fleets on average are upgraded very five years, meaning the majority of EVs in the second-hand market will come from fleet operators.
The government must therefore urgently recognise the significant role that fleet operators are going to play in improving EV uptake, as second hand EVs are likely to be the easiest way for consumers to afford to purchase an EV in the next few years.
As we know, road transport accounts for over a quarter of the UK’s emissions, and business sales make up around two-thirds of new electric vehicle registrations in the country, so decarbonising this sector will make a significant impact on the UK’s journey towards Net Zero. Overall, the REA welcomes the progress made to date and believe fleet decarbonisation is now much easier and more accessible to a less specialist audience. However, we are aware of the remaining barriers to fast fleet decarbonisation such as network reinforcement, and we are actively engaging with government on ways to overcome this.
As a pan-technology trade association, we represent many members in the solar industry and are always actively looking at ways to improve access to solar which can enable fleet operators to power their new electrified fleets, on clean, renewable power. L
www.r-e-a.net
The Consumer Experience Regulations, which we expect to come in to force later this year, will mandate contactless payment at chargepoints, reducing the need for fleet drivers to join multiple apps and have multiple smart cards
Many last mile logistics companies are investing in electric vehicles, cargo bikes, delivery hubs and charging infrastructure to help them meet environmental targets, comply with clean air zones, and operate more efficiently
The government’s Transport Decarbonisation Strategy says that by 2030, the last mile of deliveries will be largely decarbonised through new delivery models, supported by accurate data and digital innovations driving greater efficiencies. By the same timeframe, it says that HGVs will be increasingly zero emission and cities will have the logistics solution that best fits them, allowing places to become more people centred while still delivering goods rapidly and reliably.
With urban centres challenged by traffic, restricted parking and air quality measures, it is little surprise that there is a push to eliminate the emissions caused by urban operations and last mile deliveries. Increasingly more companies are investing in electric vehicles, cargo bikes, delivery hubs and charging infrastructure to help them comply with clean air zone restrictions and operate more efficiently.
DPD’s growing electric ambitions DPD specialises in UK domestic nextday and international deliveries. It operates from 84 locations and delivers over 400 million parcels a year.
In 2018, DPD opened its first all-electric parcel delivery depot in Westminster. DPD currently has 3,000 EVs on the road in the UK and has announced plans to deliver to 30 of the largest towns and cities in the UK with zero and low-emission delivery vehicles by the end of 2023. In July 2021, Oxford became DPD’s first all-electric city in the UK. DPD has recently completed the acquisition of final mile courier company Absolutely and in 2021 also bought CitySprint to further strengthen its same day delivery capabilities across the UK. Absolutely operates across the South East, with a fleet of circa 200 couriers servicing more than 2,500 clients.
Its fleet includes an expanding number of zero-emission vehicles, such as cargo bikes and pushbikes, alongside vans and motorbikes. Its offer also includes temperature controlled courier services. Meanwhile, CitySpring has recently announced the expansion of its electric vehicle fleet with the acquisition of 40 new Maxus electric vans, which have been strategically deployed across the UK with the aim of helping to reduce pollution levels in key cities including London, Leeds, Bristol, Manchester, Southampton and Birmingham. As a result of this acquisition, CitySprint’s electric vehicle fleet now comprises of 43 electric vans, 24 cargo bikes, six electric motorbikes and four electric bicycles, with the business continuing to explore ways to further grow this in the year ahead.
Disrupting the sector
Packfleet is a relatively new company. It started in 2021 by early-Monzo employees with a quest to revolutionise the parcel delivery sector, which they saw was “broken”.
Cities will have the logistics solution that best fits them, allowing places to become more people centred while still deliveringreliablygoods
Using logistics technology similar to the tech used by Deliveroo and Uber Eats, Packfleet can predict delivery times within the minute, and their in-house routing engines mean every driver is on the most efficient route possible –reducing carbon wherever possible.
The company runs an all-EV fleet from its base in London, which are charged using renewable energy. They deliver from mostly independent businesses and have a very strong focus on workplace culture.
Tristan Thomas, co-founder & CEO of Packfleet, told GreenFleet: “The idea for Packfleet came in 2021, when I realised how broken the customer experience with couriers really is. The frustration and apathy we feel for delivery brands has become the norm, and there was a clear gap in the market for a courier service that customers could love.”
Amazon has progressed its five-year, £300 million investment in the electrification and decarbonisation of its transportation network by launching three further micromobility delivery hubs in Manchester and London, and expanding its e-cargo bike delivery fleet.
The e-cargo bikes and walkers are expected to make more than two million deliveries a year. These deliveries will take traditional delivery vans off the nation’s roads, alleviate city centre traffic congestion and improve air quality.
The hubs join Amazon’s existing central London e-cargo bike fleet which was recently announced in July. Amazon has already made more than five million deliveries so far in 2022 using its e-cargo bikes and electric van fleet within London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone. Making e-cargo bike deliveries to Manchester’s customers for the first time, Amazon’s electric delivery fleet will operate across the City of Manchester. New delivery hubs based in London’s Wembley and Southwark will also more than triple the e-cargo bike fleet making deliveries to Amazon’s customers across the capital.
DHL Express continues to electrify
DHL Express has rolled-out 270 new electric vans, which will be taking to roads across the country as part of its last-mile fleet. They add to the 50 electric vans that already operate out of sites across the UK. By 2030, the business is committed to an electric UK-wide courier fleet.
The zero emissions Ford E Transits have a range of 140 miles and a payload
of approximately 1000kg, similar to the diesel vans they are replacing.
DHL has also been focussed on developing its infrastructure to support the EV roll-out and in addition to stand-alone charging points across the Service Centre network, now operates a number of fully integrated EV-ready sites. The integrated charging infrastructure is scalable to allow for additional electric vehicles as the fleet grows in the coming years.
Technology company Port has launched a rental hub of electric vehicles in London, which are locked and charged in docking stations deployed in an inner city, off-street parking site. The hub has been launched in partnership with parking operator Q-Park at their Leicester Square car park.
The mobility-as-a-service hub concept enables individual couriers or delivery firms to rent small delivery EVs (including electric bikes, cargo ebikes, mopeds or scooters) from a Port urban car park location. EVs are hired on a weekly or monthly subscription through the Port app, and the vehicle, parking, charging, maintenance and software are all provided by Port.
Once the courier has picked the vehicle from the hub at any time, they undertake their deliveries before returning the EV to the hub at the end of their working day. The vehicle is locked, parked and charged overnight and then ready to be rented the next day. The long range and battery capabilities of the EV means it can be used for an entire day of work.
The platform also removes all the courier companies’ electric fleet parking, charging, maintaining, financing and managing burdens. L
With urban centres challenged by traffic, restricted parking and air quality measures, it is little surprise that there is a push to eliminate the emissions caused by urban operations and last mile deliveries
Installing EV charging infrastructure to power fleets on the last mile can often be complex.
Mer has the experience to deliver on your EV goals.
Urban delivery operations are ideal for electric vehicles, meaning many companies are starting to adopt EVs. But an electricity supply unable to support that level of EV charging can put a dent in plans. Natasha Fry, head of strategic accounts at Mer, explains why we should start thinking about EV
more of a balanced view. This will factor in items that consume larger amounts of power at certain times of the year like air conditioning units.
This is important as you might be on a shared connection, meaning other businesses rely on that connection for their power, too. Your DNO can charge you if you exceed your capacity. It is vital to calculate the number and type of EV chargers you could install without getting into trouble with the DNO or risking a power outage at your facility.
cost-effective solution – provided it leaves sufficient time to fully recharge your vehicles.
Once you have the information from operational requirements, site power surveys and energy usage data, you might find that you need to revise your goals for EV deployment. This might involve extending the time scales to accommodate DNO upgrades, increasing budgets, or lowering EV targets.
Retailers and last mile logistics operators are leading the switch to electric vehicles (EVs). But increasingly, they are finding they must become energy experts to meet corporate targets. Rolling out charging infrastructure for electric vans can be challenging – get it wrong and you risk expensive delays or failures.
At Mer, we often see companies with objectives such as “30 per cent of the fleet must be electric by 2025”. Without an understanding of the investment required to get there, delivery operations risk missing these targets.
The typical starting point is to reduce emissions from the fleet, often coupled with a longer-term goal to fully electrify by a set date. This usually involves conversations with the logistics director or fleet manager to look at which vehicles can be electrified without impacting day-to-day operations. From there, comes a breakdown of what is feasible on a depot-by-depot basis. You probably use telematics data to identify which vehicles can be electrified. However, are you using the same data-led approach to how many EVs each depot can charge?
It goes without saying that electric vans use more energy than cars, and electric HGVs use more than LCVs. Adding EVs to a depot’s fleet will increase power usage, and any given site has a finite amount of electricity available. It is vital to understand how much power you’re already using and how much headroom remains from your grid connection. You can find out how much power is available from your distribution network operator (DNO). You can calculate how much power you use; often referred to as your “maximum demand” by looking at energy bills or using data from an energy management system. Data collected over an extended period such as 12 months gives
If the power available is lower than the number of chargers required to meet your EV targets, you need to factor in a connection upgrade. This is expensive and timeconsuming. DNOs operate a queue system for upgrades and these works take time, so be prepared to add months to the project.
In terms of fact-finding, you can break it down into: power availability on each site? Is there enough power for the chargers you need?
If not, what are the costs of upgrading that power supply to meet EV targets? What are the timescales involved in delivering DNO upgrades?
You should also think about using load balancing. This means that, when energy demands from EVs plugged into the network are higher than the available amount of power, the smart chargers will equally divide power between the EVs. Essentially the vehicles all still charge, but at a slower rate, and you don’t compromise power to other operations or end up with a surcharge from your DNO. Load balancing can be a
Going back to your business with bad news might not seem like a good move. However, it is far better than moving forward with a flawed plan that could impact your fleet’s efficiency and end up costing the company money. Plan for the growth of your electric fleet over the next five to ten years. You might only need to charge ten EVs this year but bringing in a sub-main cable now with capacity to charge 50 EVs will avoid you paying twice for groundworks and cable extensions.
At Mer, we provide an end-to-end service, making the electrification journey as straightforward and cost-effective as possible. You can download our latest e-guide at http:/uk.mer.eco/lastmile L
Many fleets have overcome cost and infrastructure hurdles to ensure fleet electrification success. We speak to some of our GreenFleet Award winners to gain insight into their fleet electrification journey and share their lessons learnt
Fleet and business buyers were responsible for the lion’s share of battery electric vehicles in 2022, accounting for two thirds of all battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations and 74.7 per cent of the volume gain in 2022. This shows that fleets and businesses are driving the UK’s electrification uptake. But it’s safe to say that many of these fleets would have faced challenges in their electrification journey. With the target to phase out new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, plus many companies working within clean air zones, the argument to go electric is strong. While vehicle ranges have improved – and range anxiety is taking up less of the conversation, the focus is now shifting to charging infrastructure – with many fleet managers now having to become energy and electrical experts to ensure their charging requirements are met.
Fleet operators must understand their power usage and how much electricity is available at their site to find out if there will be enough
power for their charging requirements. This can be found out from the distribution network operator (DNO) but can be an administrative burden. Site locations and gaining landlord persmissions can also delay plans.
Space and power
Aaron Powell, fleet director at Speedy Services won the Private Sector Fleet Manager of the Year Award at the GreenFleet Awards 2022. Speedy has a number of electric vans in operation or on order, as well as
two zero-emission FUSO eCanters, as well as chargers at over 10 sites, with a plan to have them in every location by the end of 2023. But there were difficulties in getting the charging infrastructure to house enough vehicles, in terms of both space and power supply.
Aaron Powell explains: “The biggest challenge when adopting EVs was installing the infrastructure as we don’t own our sites. Gaining permission from our landlords was a barrier, but also the location of our branches, such as our central London
Fleets powerunderstandmusttheir usage and how much electricity is available to find out if there will be enough power for charging
site. The site is under the railway arches and is difficult to have enough charge points for the number of vehicles we have there.”
Fast moving technology
GreenFleet Award winner Nottingham
City Council started its fleet electrification in 2016 and has continued to push the boundaries in terms of what is possible with its 475-strong municipal fleet containing multiple specialist vehicles. The council now has 243 electric vehicles, including an electric minibus, sweeper, cage tipper and refuse collection truck. The council has also invested in other innovations, including the UK’s first publicly-funded EV-only vehicle maintenance workshop, and has recently gone live with a project to create an ecosystem for charging which includes bi-directional EV charging, solar and battery energy storage.
Matt Ralfe, innovation and change manager at Nottingham City Council shares what he wish he knew before embarking on the council’s fleet electrification: “With technology moving so fast, there is limited value in planning the “end game”. Focussing on the vehicles/chargers/maintenance required to deliver a fully electric fleet will mean you spend less time delivering change today, and with a standard fleet lifespan of seven to nine years, the majority of your plan will be outdated and overtaken by improved technology when you come to deliver it.”
Matt explains how vehicle availability was a big challenge for the council. He explains: “Bearing in mind we started our fleet electrification in 2016, vehicle availability has been our biggest issue. Both in terms of vehicle types not being developed yet (hence why we have the UK’s first EV sweepers, cage tippers, minibuses and RCVs) and also for delivery. This meant that the capital expenditure was committed but it would be a year before we started generating operational savings and learning.”
And when asked what piece of advice he would give to fleets starting their EV journey, Matt said to start small and start
now. He explains: “The learning we get from the first few vehicles of each type we’ve bought has been invaluable in instructing how we implement more of those vehicles. The more EVs you own, the easier it is to adopt others – from business case, procurement and charging infrastructure through to driver buy-in and maintenance – all become simpler when you have EVs on fleet to use as evidence.”
Mitie was awarded the Private Sector Car Fleet of the Year accolade at the 2022 GreenFleet Awards for consistently exceeding its emission-reduction targets. Mitie’s fleet has around 2,643 electric vehicles, making it one of the largest pure electric fleets in the UK. Mitie’s EVs prevent 15,858 tonnes of carbon from polluting the environment annually.
In its decarbonisation insights paper: Net Zero Navigator 2023, Mitie warns that tardy organisations will get stuck in the electric vehicle fleet rush, and offers the following advice: “As everyone enters the race to decarbonise fleets before the government’s ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars is introduced in 2030, organisations must act fast. Organisations should plan for the EV transition now to secure a grid connection and ensure adequate charging infrastructure can be installed.”
According to the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP), fleets are starting to pay more attention to the efficiency of different electric vehicles thanks to increases in the cost of charging.
Paul Hollick, chair at the AFP, explains: “When EVs started arriving on fleets, fuelling them cost just a fraction of a petrol or diesel vehicle, so there was relatively little attention paid to which had the best miles per kWh figures. However, the price rises seen in the last year or so, with some on-the-go charging costing as much as refuelling an ICE car or van, means that is no longer the case.
“Increasingly, fleets are taking a lot of notice about which EVs are the most efficient, They are spending time analysing which fall within reasonable parameters and which don’t in exactly the same way as they have done with ICE cars for many years. That means working out whether the problem lies with the vehicle, the route or the driver – and taking appropriate managerial action.”
Paul said that fleets were even starting to remove EVs with the worst figures from choice lists and sometimes incentivising drivers to choose the most efficient options.
“It’s widely reported that some widely-used EVs are struggling around the two miles per kWh mark while competing cars can deliver almost twice that figure. These are significant differences that, with current electricity pricing, can have a genuine effect on running costs.
“Certainly, some manufacturers are starting to get reputations for EV efficiency while others are seen as the opposite, and choice lists are being modified accordingly.
“Of course, efficient EVs also make AER repayments more realistic, with the new nine pence per mile rate much closer to the amount being paid by drivers of more efficient EVs who charge at home.”
Northgate has surveyed over 60 van operators who attended its recent EV open days and found that there is still a lot of basic education that is needed from fleets looking to electrify. Operators admitted that understanding more about how electric vehicles work, their range, costs, performance and drivability when compared with a diesel was their number one challenge.
The second challenge was knowing where to start with workplace and employee home charging to optimise their vehicles and drivers, mainly because of a lack of data.
The third challenge was was coming to terms with the different vehicle charger types available, including AC and DC, vehicle charging speeds and driver reimbursement for home charging.
Richard Parker, Bridgestone Mobility Solutions EV specialist and corporate sales manager for Webfleet, explores some of the pressing questions facing the transport sector as it targets net zero
that, for some organisations, greater visibility will soon be needed over supply chain sustainability – including fleet transport operations.
Although decarbonisation remains high on business agendas, the financial challenges currently facing fleet operators are considerable and, for many, cost control has become the number one priority.
It should be remembered that financial and sustainability business objectives, however, can go hand-in-hand. Strategies to reduce fuel spend for example – typically the largest fleet cost – such as initiatives to improve driving performance or more effective vehicle maintenance, are also important for reducing carbon emissions. Smarter job allocation and scheduling processes can have a notable impact on mileage costs and productivity, but they are also intrinsic to a fleet’s carbon footprint.
From an e-mobility perspective, although the financial benefits of transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs) may be more challenging than before, whole-life savings can still be made and as the clock ticks on, the 2030 end date for procuring new fossil-fuelled cars and vans, fleets can ill-afford to kick the proverbial can too far down the road. Fleet management solutions, such as Webfleet, offer businesses a digital route to efficiently achieving their strategic objectives in all of these areas.
Regulatory and compliance pressures are continuing to light the ‘green’ touch paper for fleets as the government sets its stall out to deliver on net zero and air pollution targets.
The launch of Sheffield’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) has followed hot on the heels of a similar scheme in Newcastle. Fines for non-compliant vehicles entering London’s ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ), meanwhile, have now been increased to £190 ahead of its expansion across the city’s boroughs, and Transport for London (TfL) has also launched a supporting £110 million scrappage scheme. Elsewhere, fleets should keep a watchful eye on future corporate obligations for emissions reporting. The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) recently announced it will include Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions reporting as part of its sustainability-related disclosure standards. Scope 3 emissions are those that originate in the value chain. Although they’re beyond a company’s direct control, this ISSB move means
The Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures’ (TCFD) already recommends that certain large businesses in the UK should disclose Scope 3 emissions “if appropriate”, and these latest standards are expected to heavily influence future mandatory reporting requirements.
As a fleet you may not have to directly report on your carbon footprint, but you may be called upon to supply emissions information to customers that do. And the greener the fleet, the greater the likelihood of you retaining, or winning, service contracts. Scrutiny over the green credentials of transport operations, along with pressure to decarbonise, looks set to intensify.
What can fleets do to prepare for Scope 3 disclosure requirements? Telematics solutions offer a logical route to simplifying the calculation of transportrelated emissions for fleet operators.
Webfleet’s fuel consumption and CO2 reports, for example, will automatically generate fuel usage and emissions information for every vehicle and journey, at the touch of a button. What’s more, systems such as Webfleet not only offer the insights needed for emissions monitoring, but also for carbon footprint reduction.
Extensive reporting tools – everything from vehicle location, routing, scheduling and driver behaviour scores to mpg and idling time, maintenance and fuel card information – enable the root causes of fuel wastage to be identified and tackled.
Management information is available on a range of driving behaviours that can negatively affect mpg, including harsh steering, braking,
speeding and vehicle idling. Profiles can be created for an entire fleet or for individual drivers, based on their performance, while drivers can be empowered to adjust their behaviour behind the wheel in real time. Predictive alerts can unlock the door to even greater fuel and emissions savings. Trouble codes, for instance, can be reported directly from vehicle engines, with management immediately notified to help ensure problems that impact vehicle performance are quickly fixed. Webfleet TPMS, meanwhile, utilises advanced sensors to automate the monitoring of tyre pressure levels and temperature. The opportunities for leveraging vehicle and driving data insights to decarbonise are far reaching.
Is
Bridgestone Mobility Solutions continually strives to raise awareness of the potential of electric transport and the role of datadriven insights. To this end, we have chosen to support, once again, the 2023 GB EV Rally as the event’s technology partner. Using dedicated EV software tools, fleet managers can access crucial information on everything from real time battery levels, remaining driving ranges and energy usage to charging processes and vehicle charge levels. Businesses increasingly recognise the importance of harnessing such intelligence for cost-effectively transitioning to – and operating – an electric vehicle fleet. By doing so, they are charting a course to a more sustainable future. L
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The government’s newly published Transport Data Strategy sets out how the greater use of transport data will support further innovation in the sector, improve the way people and goods move, and help meet transport decarbonisation targets
The government has published its new Transport Data Strategy, which sets out plans for the greater use of data to support greater innovation in the sector and deliver better services.
It also shares how the better use of transport data can help progress the government’s transport decarbonisation efforts and the transition to zero emission mobility.
Better use of transport data use can improve interconnectivity between different types of transport, support the development of journey-planning apps and improve their accuracy, ultimately helping to make it easier for people to use and plan journeys, and for goods to get around.
The strategy set outs how the Department for Transport, by working with the transport sector, can improve the discoverability, quality and accessibility of transport data. It outlines where the department will make targeted interventions to support a healthy transport data ecosystem.
When launching the strategy, Transport Technology Minister Jesse Norman said: “Better use of transport data will help to improve journeys for travellers, tackle climate change and grow the economy.
“The Transport Data Strategy sets out the government’s vision in this area, creating the right framework for the market to innovate and transport users to benefit.”
The strategy stresses that the use of data is essential to deliver innovative solutions to current societal challenges, such as climate change. It will allow for a better understanding of the
impact of environment policies and transport behaviour. What’s more, opening data will allow for better interoperable systems for electric vehicle charging.
The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles is currently working with industry to make public chargepoint data openly available which will drive the growth of mobile apps that will enable drivers of Electric Vehicles (EVs) to plan their journeys and locate and access chargepoints with ease.
The same data will enable EV network operators to optimise their charging networks and provide government, public authorities E
The stressesstrategy that the use of data is essential to deliver solutions to current societal challenges, such as changeclimate
Delivering any project without experience can produce a severe impact on the ‘iron triangle’ (aka the ‘project triangle’) – time, cost and quality. The three main deliverables for any project being telematics, electric vehicle implementation or other. But what can make a massive impact to your chances of success is having the right person with the right level of experience. A vehicle technology project is like no other – you are implementing hardware, software and training across multiple vehicle types, multiple depots, and locations with multiple disciplines. Take your driving team for example – do they want the new tech?
Are you unionised? How will you sell the benefit? How will you train the hardware to them and roll it out? How will you make sure the hardware is working first time and the software is set up to work and enhance your
operation rather than against it? How will your operations team work with the product?
The chance of failure is high, even if you clearly define your ROI strategy. And if you get it wrong from the start, it snowballs. Project management is not just the start, it’s selecting the right partner – the partner with knowledge of the market and various solutions available.
At Project Telematics, we have access to multiple technology providers in the fleet management sector. We can help you source the right solution in electric vehicle transitioning, ePod, route optimisation, camera and AI solutions, yard management, vehicle and asset tracking, tachograph integration, vehicle safety checks and temperature control. We met a tech company this week who are pulling vehicle weights and dashboard
warnings direct from their tracking unit into front end software, allowing you to proactively manage safety problems. We are constantly aligning new partners who are breaking ground with new technology. It can be heavily time consuming to reach out to all the available technology providers in the market. Our consulting is always free, and we aim to find you at least four options for your fleet technology requirements. We also stay with you for the duration of the project – project managing the solution on your behalf. There’s nothing to lose by selecting Project Telematics to help you deliver your fleet technology.
FURTHER INFORMATION
01709 925923
Enquiries@ProjectTelematics.co.uk
Not
and electricity network operators with the data they need to effectively plan for any future interventions, as well as investment required to grow and improve the UK’s charging network. The DfT also plans to incorporate EV charging availability into Mobility as a Service (MaaS), as well as standardised carbon data.
In March 2022, the Geospatial Commission launched a discovery research project to explore how location data can be better utilised to support planning and delivery of chargepoints by local authorities. The Commission will be publishing its findings, highlighting the opportunities for location data to boost delivery of chargepoint rollout. Good, timely data made available to the right people can help map demand for a given area, identify the most cost-effective locations and select which of these will best meet the needs of the community.
The Transport Data Strategy focuses on five key ambitions to improve the use of transport data. The first is to support data users to better share, find and access transport data, so that transport users benefit from it.
The second is to develop and promote the use of data standards in transport. The use of data standards should enable interoperability across modes of transport and with other systems such as energy and smart cities. The aim is to work to identify key data sets where data quality is a barrier to use – and explore solutions with data owners.
The strategy also aims to lead and promote a data driven culture across the transport sector by improving data literacy and providing targeted support to raise the skills base, as well as creating clear visions for the data programmes and services. The strategy says that it will keep users and industry informed of progress, and will help provide leadership and support to help the transport sector ensure data is subject to appropriate governance, is protected, used for its lawful and ethical purposes, and at the same time its value is maximised.
Head of transport innovation at Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) Chris Lane commented on the strategy: “TfWM welcomes the Transport Data Strategies goal of greater quality and use of transport data. We want to see Journeys for Everyone becoming so convenient, seamless, and trusted, that users will often give up driving their personal vehicles, not because they have to, but because the alternative is better for them and the environment.
“A critical factor in achieving this is the customer receiving appropriate, accurate and timely information and having trust in the provider as they make their travel decisions.”
As part of the strategy, the government is launching the ‘Find Transport Data’ pilot, a data catalogue to make it easier for innovators, researchers and others to find transport data, and ultimately deliver efficiencies and help improve services for customers.
This project will build the authoritative source for finding transport data. By bringing a range of private and third sector partners on board to create a data catalogue which will grow over time, this in turn will potentially generate a marketplace for transport data and help clarify the value of different data sets which may help with prioritisation of investment to improve quality and access of crucial datasets. Find Transport Data will provide a marketplace for transport data, so users can find the
providers/publishers of data in one place, therefore, making innovation easier.
Along with the strategy, the government will publish a number of data sets and tools to help kickstart better data use in the sector. This includes Local Authority Transport Data Guidance, which is a web-based tool to help councils use and share their transport data. The guidance provides advice and case studies on opening up and sharing transport data, explaining why and how this should be done so that data can be used by others.
NaPTAN (National Public Transport Access Node) Discovery explores how the existing NaPTAN data set could be improved, such as the inclusion of accessibility data. NaPTAN is a dataset that details all the bus stops and rail stations in the country.
The government will also publish work from an HMT Economic Data Innovation Fund project with the urban observatories in Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle on cataloguing, opening and visualising the transportrelated data from their sensor networks. What’s more, the DfT will publish a process evaluation report, detailing the evaluation of some of DfT’s data projects and assistance provided to other public bodies in designing and implementing their data projects. L
FURTHER INFORMATION
Read the Transport Data Strategy here
The strategy set outs how the Department for Transport will work with the sector to improve the discoverability, quality and accessibility of transport data. It outlines where the department will make targeted interventions to support a healthy transport data ecosystemWritten by Kate Armitage
The 2023 GreenFleet roundtable season kicked off at Reading Stadium on 22 February. A lively discussion was led by Rivus and Allstar, along with delegates from the public and private sector, as well as blue light services. As 2030 looms, it is becoming clear that there are some big topics still to be addressed, observes roundtable host Kate Armitage
Many public sector fleets have set 2030 as their net zero target. And with only seven years until the deadline is reached, we asked; is this target going to be met?
A lot has happened since the 2030 targets were originally set and the overall feeling was that the complexity of the challenge was not fully understood when the targets were set. The impact of the pandemic has created worldwide shortages of components which in turn has curtailed vehicle supply. And the current energy crisis has had a significant impact on the total cost of ownership; impacting the business case for electric in the short term. One of the more progressive fleets, Oxford Direct Services, has already taken one third of the fleet zero emission. ODS transport manager, Owain Pearce, is currently reviewing the 2030 target. He believes that without significant additional budget 2030 is looking unlikely: “There are technical barriers but the biggest barrier is investment,” he said. He calculates that a 60-70 per cent reduction in emissions is
possible although the increasing electricity costs is putting this estimate at risk further. Fundamentally it is becoming clear that whilst some zero emission vehicles can achieve cost parity, becoming net zero by 2030 is going to require additional funding, particularly when you factor in the cost of the infrastructure.
Where are PHEVs in this picture?
We know that plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) will be removed from sale by 2035, however we are still waiting further clarity from government regarding what vehicles qualify as a PHEV for the crucial period 2030-35. In the meantime, there was a mixed response regarding the role that plug-in hybrids will play in fleets.
The general feeling was that PHEVs theoretically should provide a good segway into a full battery electric. However; the way the vehicles were sold historically (with a strong emphasis on subsidies and tax exemptions rather than reducing emissions) led to a haphazard approach to charging, with some vehicles reportedly never being charged up from mains electricity. On the flip side Brian Avery from Surrey Police reported excellent results from their BMW i3 range extended vehicles. The paradox with PHEVs is that they should be charged as frequently as possible to ensure the highest possible zeroemission miles. However, BEV drivers often complain of PHEVs “blocking” public charging infrastructure.
The energy crisis has had a significant impact on the total cost of ownership; impacting the business case for electric in the short term
Fuel cell vehicle availability and hydrogen recharging infrastructure have been slow to develop, and our fleets are still keen to understand where and how hydrogen will be deployed. Fleet management partner Rivius currently has four FCEVs under management and the performance has worked well in some use cases, although Sarah Gray, head of EV and AFV at Rivus acknowledged that refuelling remains a challenge.
Patrik Borufka, fleet development manager at Thames Water is currently running a trial with ten electric vehicles, however he explained why hydrogen is more attractive; they have some 2,500 assets distributed across 162 sites, some in remote locations with insufficient electrical capacity. The journeys are unpredictable, and each vehicle has a high payload. It is also essential for all sites to be able to operate in electrical blackouts. At the moment Thames Water use diesel generators for back up power, and whilst battery storage is an option, it is unable to provide continuous power for long periods of time. Hydrogen storage on site can fuel not only the vans, but provide emission-free back-up power. There has also been talk of shared hydrogen refuelling for the blue light services, who also need a resilient refuelling network.
Jacob Roberts, Zero Emission Vehicles and Clean Transportation Specialist at Cenex observed that a key challenge with hydrogen is that there are other potential applications and transport is not top of the list. As battery technology continues to improve, the case for hydrogen comes under further pressure (from an energy density and economics perspective).
Full battery electric vehicles have claimed reduced maintenance costs due to less moving parts. However, most notably with vehicles that are still in R&D, such as the HGVs currently on trial, down time can be significant. Owain Pearce reported one of his larger vehicles had a 30 per cent downtime, which resulted in maintaining a backup vehicle layering in more work and cost. Even for vehicles in production, shortages in parts, specialist types, skills shortages, plus the need to invest in additional equipment has led to delays getting vehicles back on the road and increasing costs. Rivus has tackled the skills shortage issue by setting up its own IMI approved training centre, fully capable of delivering IMI Level EV training. This can also be offered to independent garages and mechanics outside of Rivus.
Matthew Waller, EV solutions director for Allstar, added that Epyx (part of the Fleetcor/ AllStar family) has tracked lifetime costs for EVs and they have seen reduced SMR costs for cars that are one to three years old. However, they don’t have enough data yet for Vans and HGVs to get a full picture.
Battery state of health is not getting the attention it deserves. Used EVs are still being valued using ICE metrics (mileage/ age). But the EV market is maturing now and needs to realise that the battery state of health is a much more important metric. This data needs to be made readily
available to the fleet owner to allow them to monitor and manage battery stateof-health across the fleet; this would allow fleets to reallocate vehicles that are showing battery degradation and if necessary offer more staff training on driving and recharging best practice.
Tim Mansbridge, fleet manager at Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service has just completed a roll out of EV charging infrastructure across 60 of its sites. In total 240, 22kW AC chargepoints have been installed. Impressively, the project took just 14 months from beginning to end, and was supported by the Energy Saving Trust. Each site was assessed for suitability (electrical capacity) and crucially, every chargepoint has RFID access. The data is sent to a back office software platform that allows remote monitoring of usage (vehicles and drivers), electricity transferred, status of the chargepoint (ready, in use). It also alerts the chargepoint owner if there is an issue. AC Charging works well for non-emergency vehicles that can recharge overnight, however larger vehicles or vehicles that are double or triple shifted may require a DC rapid charge. London Fire Brigade is trialing an all electric appliance with a 328 kWh battery; to support this they have installed a 150kW HPC. Power availability is a real issue, and Charlotte Smith, fleet technical officer at London Fire Brigade added that most sites don’t have sufficient electrical capacity, and they cannot be dependent on the public charging network. This remains a challenge. L
The first of GREENFLEET’s Net Zero Roadshows kicks off in Leeds on 27 April and will gather fleet professionals and industry experts to discuss fleet electrification, network, and test drive the latest zero-emission cars and vans. Delegates will also be able to ‘trouble shoot’ any fleet electrification concerns during the afternoon STRATEGIZE Surgeries, whether that’s setting up a salary sacrifice scheme or reimbursing charging for fleet drivers.
Following a networking breakfast and exhibition with event sponsors, delegates will attend the morning seminar session to hear from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, SMMT, Zemo Partnership, and National Highways, on the latest fleet decarbonisation topics.
Delegates will also be able to test drive a range of electric vehicles, provided by dealerships Vertu Motors and D.M Keith.
Seminars
GREENFLEET Ambassador Kate Armitage will give the opening address to the morning seminar sessions, and will be followed by Chloe Page, head of vehicle incentives at the government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV). She will discuss government policy, incentives and net zero strategies.
Martin Edgecox, national fleet manager at National Highways will then present on the UK highway charging network, and will be followed by Tim Campbell from Zemo Partnership, who will take on the topic of decarbonising freight and heavy goods vehicles. Tim is one of the leading consultants in helping fleets transition from diesel to zero emission vehicles and has over 40 years experience of working in the commercial vehicle industry.
The morning session will conclude with Sukky Choongh from the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders, who will share how manufacturers are taking on the net zero challenge by embracing clean technology and powertrains.
The STRATEGIZE Surgeries will be taken by sector experts in the fields of finance, leasing, salary sacrifice, charging infrastructure, commercial vehicles, telematics and alternative fuels. These will be small-group, 30-minute sessions and will give fleets guidance and expertise on the subjects that concern them.
There will be a session on fleet home charging & payments, sponsored by Mina, and led by a sector expert who will discuss how to simplify the reimbursement process involved in at-home charging.
The Finance & Leasing Surgery will be taken on by Thomas McLennan, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the BVRLA. Thomas leads the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association Policy and Public Affairs team working with Government, public sector agencies, industry associations and key business influencers to make the case for the sector across a wide range issues.
The EV Salary Sacrifice, sponsored by Lookers Leasing, will be led by Gary Saunders from PwC, who will talk through the benefits of setting up an EV salary sacrifice scheme, as well as practical advice for setting one up. Gary is a senior manager specialising in pay, benefits and employment taxes working with employers across both the public and private sectors. He has built up more than 25 years experience developing extensive expertise in dealing with HMRC compliance reviews, helping employers establish compliant and cost effective governance of their pay, benefits and expenses.
Stewart Lightbody, fleet management lead at Severn Trent and vice chair of the Association of Fleet Professionals will take a session on EV Transition Software & Telematics, sponsored by Quartix. With over 30 years’ experience in and around the motor industry, including 20 years of managing fleets, Stewart Lightbody has extensive knowledge of what it takes to manage, and improve, a fleet.
Gaynor Hartnell, CEO of the Renewable Transport Fuel Association, will host the Alternative Fuels Surgery, using her experience in the renewables industry to answer delegate questions on transitioning to cleaner fuels. Gaynor Hartnell has worked in the renewables industry since 1995 and was instrumental in forming the Renewable Energy Association, being its CEO from 2010-2013. She now runs the Renewable Transport Fuel Association, which was formed in August 2020.
Martin Edgecox will take the Public Infrastructure Surgery, using his experience as National Fleet Manager for National Highways to tell delegates about the EV charging network.
Stuart Murphy, head of fleet transformation at Royal Mail, will host the Depot & Workplace Charging session. Stuart Murphy has recently led the team that oversaw the introduction to Royal Mail’s fleet of over 4,000 electric vehicles, 80 Bio-CNG fuelled trucks and the supporting infrastructure across the UK. Stuart’s experience stretches across many aspects of fleet management including purchasing, maintenance, fuelling, compliance and most importantly stakeholder management.
Simon King, Partner at edenseven will take on the Clean Van Technology Surgery to answer any questions on running an electric van fleet. Simon is an experienced sustainability professional, with experience of leading Mitie’s electric vehicle and sustainability work.
The HGV & Freight surgery will be taken by Tim Campbell from Zemo Partnership, who will discuss the challenges and solutions to decarbonising the heavy goods sector. Event delegates will also be able to get expert help from the event sponsors, who will give five minute briefer sessions on how their products and services can help with fleet challenges. Sponsors include fleet tracking company Quartix, mobility solutions provider Lookers Leasing, and EV charging payment and reimbursement specialists Mina. Electrassure will also be on-hand to offer advice on EV charging infrastructure requirements.
Vertu Motors will be bringing a selection of Jaguar, Land Rover, and Volkswagen electric vehicles. Delegates will be able to get behind the wheel of the head-turning Jaguar I-Pace, as well as the Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4. Vehicle dealership D. M. Keith will also be bringing the new Kia e-Niro, Kia EV6, CUPRA Born, ŠKODA ENYAQ iV and Ford E-Transit. L
FURTHER INFORMATION
Register for this free event at events.greenfleet.net/2023/GF-North
As witnessed by the i3, BMW has history in blazing EV trails, and Richard Gooding finds that the iX all-electric SUV is another important car for the brand
Model tested: BMW iX xDrive50 M Sport
What is it?
BMW is one of the car manufacturers that was first out of the blocks when the call of modern-age vehicle electrification arrived. The i3 was launched amid a blaze of publicity in 2013, and was distinct in style and manufacture, some of its body structure made from CFRP (carbon fibre reinforced polymer) to save weight. That i3 production only stopped in August 2022 signifies how right BMW’s original idea was. It’s much the same thinking behind the iX. Similarly to the i3, CFRP is used in the car’s construction, but the car itself couldn’t be more different. A five-seat large SUV, the iX offers luxury and a high level of technology, and its importance is equal to the i3 – it is the first model based on a new, modular, scalable platform toolkit, on which the whole future of the BMW Group will rely.
What range does it have?
The BMW iX is available with a choice of three powertrains. The XDrive40 has an output of 322bhp, and fitted with a 71kWh lithium-ion battery, can travel up to 264 miles on a single charge.
The 516bhp iX xDrive50’s 102kWh battery gives a WLTP range of up to 380 miles, while the 533bhp iX M60 can eke out up to 350
miles from the same amount of energy storage. All versions of the iX have a single-speed automatic gearbox and are all-wheel drive.
How long does it take to charge?
Plug the iX xDrive40 into a 7.4kW home wallbox and a 0-100 per cent charge is complete in just under 11 hours. A 10-80 per cent refill at a 50kW fast charger takes from 73 minutes, but if the iX is connected to a 150kW rapid charger, this time drops to around 31 minutes. xDrive50 and M60 models are fully charged from flat in 16 hours when connected to a 7.4kW supply, with a 10-80 per cent refill taking from 97 minutes. Higher 195kW charging speeds refill these cars from 10-80 per cent in around 35 minutes.
How does it drive?
Striking is one word which can be used to describe the BMW iX, divisive is another. But whatever your opinion, it’s certainly a car that stands out. The long body gives it a degree of athleticism, but it’s at the front where most opinions are formed. The blanked-off grille is made from material that ‘heals’ itself, and contains the ‘shy tech’ driver assistance technology, while the gloss black bumper panels hide distance measurement radars. Neat touches include the flush-mounted door handles.
Inside, the bold approach continues with a polygonal steering wheel, and BMW’s new Curved Display, which also features on the i4. Made up of 12.3-inch information and 14.9-inch control displays housed behind a glass surface angled towards the driver, it looks very neat. The high resolution displays have crisp graphics but can be confusing at times, purely because of the sheer amount of data they can impart. The latest iDrive controller – made from a glass, also used for the seat adjustment buttons in the doors – and Operating System 8 make their debut here. Built to be more sustainable, the cabin uses FSC-certified wood and leather tanned with olive leaf extracts, and along with the choice of ‘Suite’, ‘Loft’, or ‘Atelier’ interior designs, make the iX’s interior a very luxurious and comfortable place in which to spend time.
Given its 2,510kg weight, the xDrive50 we tested picks up speed very impressively. Three driving modes – ‘Comfort’, ‘Eco Pro’ and ‘Sport’ – impart a very different character to the car. Overall, the iX feels secure on the road and a lot more agile than it should, given its dimensions and weight. The steering is perhaps a little too light, but that makes it easy to thread down country roads and in urban areas, and along with the relaxed ride and impression of sereneness, makes the iX a relaxing proposition to drive.
An i4 is ultimately more engaging, but like that car, the iX’s four-stage regenerative braking is impressive, made harsher by the separate ‘B’ mode.
For a bit of fun, BMW has given the iX a specially composed drive sound, which responds to accelerator movements and speed. The ‘IconicSounds Electric’ function includes sounds created with film score composer Hans Zimmer, and even if these aren’t your thing, passengers will have little to complain about, as the iX is supremely hushed when on the move.
Rather obvious from its size and the level of technology on offer, BMW has pitched the iX as a luxury SUV. Entry level iX xDrive40 Sport models are priced from £69,905. Standard equipment includes LED exterior lighting, electrically adjustable and heated front seats, four-zone climate control, BMW ‘Live Cockpit Plus’, a host of connected services, a Harman Kardon surround sound system, as well as a heat pump and 21-inch alloy wheels.
The £72,905 iX xDrive40 M Sport adds bluepainted brake calipers, gloss black exterior details, as well as a ‘sports’ bumper design and an anthracite interior headliner for a more dynamic look. M Sport models are also available in more powerful xDrive50 guise, costing from £102,755.
Top-spec iX M60 models start at £122,720, and come with the most powerful 533bhp motor configuration and 22-inch alloy wheels. There is also air suspension, M Sport brakes with dark blue calipers, massage, heated and ventilated front seats, standard metallic paint (usually a £795 cost option, Alpine White being the only free choice), and a Bowers & Wilkins Diamond surround sound audio system.
How much does it cost to tax?
At the time of writing, BMW’s large allelectric, zero-emissions SUV is exempt from UK VED in the first year of registration. After that, at current rates, the iX also attracts no charge, despite its over £40,000 list price, which incurs a charge of £510 for the next five years on cars which emit more than 0g/km. The Benefit in Kind (BIK) rate for 2022-2023 is two per cent, and this also applies for both 2023-2024 and 2024-2025.
Why does my fleet need one?
In 2022, BMW tripled its UK registrations of all-electric cars, claiming the honour of the fastest-growing brand for pure electric vehicles. One in five BMWs registered in the UK last year was a BEV, and in the corporate sector, this rose to one in three. The iX and the i4 contributed to this success and it’s easy to see why. The iX is as comfortable and luxurious as its price suggests and has plenty
The 5 Series celebrated its 50th birthday in 2022, and the nameplate is one of BMW’s most famed, especially to company car and fleet drivers. The 530e iPerformance brought plug-in hybrid technology to BMW’s executive car in 2017, but it’s only in 2023 that it is embracing an allelectric powertrain.
Announced at the company’s annual conference in March 2023, the eighthgeneration ‘G60’ 5 Series will launch in October 2024, with the availability of pure electric i5 and M Performance models. Plug-in hybrid 5s will also still be offered, alongside mild-hybrid ICE versions but perhaps of the most interest to company car and fleet drivers is the confirmation of an all-electric i5 Touring estate car model. The zero-emissions load-lugger is slated for a spring 2024 arrival.
of performance. If you want a distinctive and accommodating large electric SUV with the latest EV drivetrain and on-board technology, it deserves a place on your shopping list.
FURTHER INFORMATION
www.bmw.co.uk
ENGINE: 321bhp (240kW) electric motors and 71kWh lithium-ion battery* / 516bhp (385kW) electric motors and 102kWh lithium-ion battery** / 533bhp (397kW) electric motors and 102kWh lithium-ion battery***
RANGE (WLTP combined): 264*, 380**, 350*** miles
OFFICIAL EFFICIENCY (WLTP combined): 2.9-3.1m/kWh*, 2.7-2.8m/ kWh***
CO2: 0g/km
VED: £0 first-year, £0 thereafter
BIK: 2%
PRICE (OTR): £69,905-£122,720 (including VAT)
Lexus is known for its hybrid powertrains, and plug-in hybrid power arrives with the new NX. Richard Gooding finds that the highly likable newcomer has much fleet appeal
Model tested: Lexus NX 450h+ Premium Pack Plus
What is it?
Launched in early 2022, the Lexus NX is a family of ‘self-charging’ hybrid (350h) and plug-in hybrid (450h+) models. The second generation of the mid-size SUV nameplate, the NX 450h+ is Lexus’ first-ever plug-in hybrid, arriving eight years after the first NX rolled onto UK roads. More than 175,000 examples of the original model were sold, the brand’s most popular car in Europe, with 27,000 cars finding homes in the UK up to August 2021. It has been Lexus GB’s most popular model since 2015. Global Lexus NX sales cumulatively tally over one million units.
What range does it have?
In line with some of its key rivals, Lexus quotes the NX 450h+ as having an official electriconly range of between 42 and 46 miles.
How long does it take to charge?
If you plug the NX 450h+ into a 7.4kW home wallbox connection, the car’s 18.1kWh lithium-ion battery can be refilled using its on-board 6.6kW charger in around two-
and-a-half hours. This is optional, though; a 3.3kW charger is fitted as standard.
How does it drive?
From the outside, the new NX is recognisably a Lexus. It has much in common stylistically with the all-electric UX 330e, with the sharp body work creases and ‘spindle’ front grille the key and recognisable style elements used by the Japanese brand. New L-shaped tail lamps – joined by a full-width light bar – add a futuristic touch, and in colours such as Blazing Carnelian (metallic orange), Celestial Blue, Terrane Khaki, the latest NX looks every inch the upmarket proposition. That impression continues inside. High quality materials such as man-made leather, aluminium, and gloss black surfaces impart a sense of luxury, and all the important driver functions are arranged so that they give a cocoon-like feel. This is Lexus’ new ‘Tazuna’ cockpit concept, first revealed in the LF-30 Electrified concept car, which follows the principle of ‘hands on the wheel, eyes on the road’, ensuring every major function the driver needs is in easy reach. It works, too. In the centre of the dashboard is a 9.8inch touchscreen display system, which is
operated by new software. Much faster to respond than Lexus systems of previous models, it is much more enjoyable to use than before, and the 14-inch Lexus Pro systems fitted as standard to the higher trims look particularly sharp. In addition to cloud-based and embedded navigation options, there is a voice assistant and over-the-air update functions. Smartphones can be connected via wireless Apple CarPlay or wired Android Auto. Well-judged control weights also aid the driving experience.
Practicality hasn’t been sacrificed in the pursuit of style, either, the NX 450h+ packing in 525 litres of luggage space with the rear seats up. This increases to 1,436 litres when they are folded. A repositionable boot floor offers lots of storage options, and all Lexus NXs have a powered tailgate.
Out on the road, once again, the plug-in hybrid NX creates an overall polished and upmarket impression. The 2.5-litre petrol engine and hybrid system – including the e-CVT gearbox – is largely shared with Toyota’s RAV4, but in the Lexus the refinement is taken up a notch or two. The car is quiet and very comfortable, especially in electric-only mode. Our Premium Pack Plus
test car displayed 41 miles of EV range fully charged and when the 18.1kWh battery is empty, the car reverts to being a traditional ‘self-charging’ hybrid, recharging as it drives.
A 305bhp power output means the NX picks up speed quite quickly, and three driving modes – Eco, Normal and Sport offer tailoring of the driving experience. Overall, the NX plug-in hybrid contains body roll well, and while the ride can be firm at times, it’s never truly uncomfortable. All NX 450h+ models are all-wheel drive, fitted with an electric motor on each axle.
The Lexus NX 450h+ is available in three key trims – NX, F-Sport and Takumi. The £53,300 NX Premium Pack model is the entry point, and comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, automatic lights and wipers, front and rear parking sensors, keyless entry, rear privacy glass, wireless smartphone charger, and heated and eight-way electrically adjustable front seats with two-way power lumbar support for the driver.
The £59,050 NX Premium Plus Pack, as tested here, adds customisable ambient lighting, a head-up display, a panoramic view camera, ventilated front and rear seats (with a heat function for the rear), ‘smooth’ leather upholstery and a digital cockpit. The 18-inch wheels are replaced by 20-inch rims.
The NX 450h+ F-Sport Premium Plus costs from £60,550, with sporty touches for a
more dynamic feel. ‘F-Sport’ 20-inch wheels are standard, along with black door mirror caps, front grille and roof rails, and adaptive suspension. Choose the £63,550 F-sport Takumi Pack and you gain a digital rear view mirror and a 17-speaker Mark Levinson audio system.
The top-spec Takumi costs £62,050, and adds an automated parking system, fourway lumbar support, a card key and ‘Sumi’ black wood inlays inside. Metallic paint costs £750 extra, with a palette of special colours adding a further £250.
How much does it cost to tax?
At the time of writing, the plug-in hybrid Lexus NX qualifies for the UK Government’s £10 Alternative Fuelled Vehicle (AFV) VED discount, thanks to its official CO2 emissions of between 21 and 25g/km. This means it is rated as an ultra-low emission vehicle, and this discount effectively wipes out its first year registration charge of £10. After that, at current rates, drivers of the Lexus PHEV will pay £510. This is because the Lexus’ list price is over £40,000, so it incurs an extra £355 charge on-top of the standard AFV second-year VED rate of £155. Benefit in Kind (BIK) for 2022-2023 is eight per cent.
Why does my fleet need one?
Refined, upmarket and with potentially lower running cost appeal for both company car and fleet drivers, Lexus’ first plug-in
Just as the first NX 450h+ cars hit UK roads, Lexus announced its firstever globally available BEV, the RZ. Sitting on a new dedicated EV platform and fitted with a 71.4kWh lithium-ion battery, the 309bhp SUV has a combined WLTP range of up to 272 miles.
Its dimensions position the new RZ between the existing NX and RX models, and official energy consumption on the combined WLTP cycle is said to be between 3.3 and 3.7 miles per kWh.
Lexus heralds the RZ’s lithium-ion battery as ‘long-lasting’, stating that it expects 90 per cent of capacity to still be present after 10 years of use. A combination of e-axles and Direct4 all-wheel drive torque control is a Lexus production model first, with a 150kW motor placed on the front axle, and an 80kW unit on the rear.
Developed solely as an EV from the outset, the RZ is available in three grades – Premium Pack, Premium Plus Pack and Takumi. Prices for Lexus’ new sharplooking crossover start at £62,600 OTR, rising to £73,200.
hybrid scores on all the key criteria. A highly usable electric-only range allied to an enjoyable driving experience impresses further and the NX 450h+ should make those considering a plug-in hybrid SUV sit up and take notice – there is a great deal here to like. L
FURTHER INFORMATION
www.lexus.co.uk
ENGINE: 2,487cc petrol engine / 136kW and 40kW electric motors / 18.1kWh lithium-ion battery / 305bhp system output
ELECTRIC RANGE (combined, WLTP): 42-46 miles
MPG (Combined, WLTP): 256.8-313.8
CO2: 21-25g/km
VED: £0 first-year, £510 thereafter
BIK: 8%
PRICE (OTR): £53,300-£62,050 (including VAT)
Transport is the single largest contributor to UK domestic greenhouse gas emissions. But the average train journey emits 70 per cent less CO2 than going by car, and a single freight train now removes up to 129 lorries from the road. The mission now is to make the public and businesses aware of how just how ‘green’ rail travel is
After a tough past year, the UK rail industry has work to do to re-build its reputation and attract more potential travellers. There are welcome signs, with the improving industrial relations landscape, and the recent talk from Government about trialling new ticketing ideas, both mitigating issues that will have put some people off rail travel. But we also need to address the other side of the coin: what can be done that will encourage travellers to positively want to use rail, and choose it above other modes of transport?
For us, the answer lies in sustainability. This can be rail’s secret weapon to attract travellers – indeed, the key to success will be making rail’s sustainability benefits much less of a secret!
This mission is important, for anyone travelling across the UK – whatever their favoured mode of transport. Transport is the single largest contributor to UK domestic greenhouse gas emissions, making up 24 per cent of the total. The average train journey emits 70 per cent less CO2 than going by car, and a domestic rail journey is seven times less polluting than flying the same route. Encouraging greater rail use also reduces congestion, which applies equally to freight as well as passenger journeys – a single freight train now removes up to 129 lorries from the road. But these benefits aren’t yet fully appreciated by travellers. Last autumn, Trainline commissioned research which found the British public genuinely wanted to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle. Sixty-one per cent of people survey said they believe it is their “responsibility” to live sustainably, and 58 per cent described being environmentally conscious as a “badge of honour”.
Improving people’s knowledge
So, the desire for sustainable lifestyles exists, but crucially people seem to lack understanding about how best to achieve these goals. The most popular green actions highlighted in the survey were recycling and taking reusable bags shopping – both welcome and responsible acts that have captured the public imagination and created a change in society’s behaviour in recent years, but far from the most effective way for an individual to reduce their personal carbon footprint. Instead the biggest potential impact comes from changing transport behaviours, such as living without a car or switching one journey from air travel to rail. Yet our research shows the British public remains alarmingly unaware of this: only 17 per cent in our survey recognised that switching one long
distance car or plane journey to rail travel would significantly benefit the environment. Business travellers are showing a similar enthusiasm for sustainable ways to travel too. In January we surveyed British business travellers and found 72 per cent wanted to take a higher proportion of trips by lower carbon modes of transport, such as rail. Two-thirds of respondents said they were concerned about their personal carbon footprint from business travel in 2022. And most worryingly, 95 per cent of respondents took a business trip by car last year that could have been made by an alternative, greener mode of transport. This demonstrates changes in wider society also affect demand for business travel, with the increasing importance of living sustainably crossing over into people’s working lives. As business travellers increasingly think about their carbon footprint, so businesses too need to examine how travel is contributing to their corporate carbon disclosures –and ensure they are responding to the changing requirements of their workforce. Rail provides a natural answer, creating an opportunity that the sector needs to capitalise on.
It’s against this backdrop that we launched the I Came by Train movement in late 2022. The intention behind this campaign is to help make rail famous for being green, and to establish a positivity that encourages people to choose to take the train – in effect, to move away from the notion of “flight-shaming” to try and enforce behavioural change, and instead create the concept of “trainbragging” that builds pride in rail travel.
So how can this be achieved? We don’t have all the answers, but to offer some suggestions in February we published a White Paper, developed through contributions from 16 different experts across the travel, transport, tech and sustainability sectors.
A coalition approach is the only effective way to promote the opportunities that sustainability presents. Trainline are members of the Urban Mobility Partnership precisely because it brings together businesses and experts from across the transport sector. No-one has a monopoly on good ideas, but we can all share them, act on them, and increase their impact.
Inspirational cross-industry messaging that helps promote the notion of rail travel, and emphasises its contribution to a reduced carbon footprint, is essential. We need to improve public understanding of how easy it is to reduce their impact on the environment by using rail, and to
Seventytwo per cent of travellersbusiness wanted to take a higher proportion of trips by lower carbon modes of transport
collaborate on simple messaging that supports modal shift.
This messaging can focus on those journeys and opportunities where rail offers the most benefit, where it is either cheaper or quicker than car – or both!
To support this, as part of our White Paper research Trainline developed a Reasonable by Rail database, analysing 250,000 different popular UK journeys. This research found that 75 per cent of journeys are cheaper or faster if travellers book in advance and secure the cheapest available price for the journey. Even when considering the average price paid, 64 per cent of journeys – nearly two-thirds – would be cheaper or faster when a Railcard discount is applied.
Such options aren’t always available or appropriate for business travellers – but if the rail industry is willing to sell tickets at these
prices, and is serious about burnishing its green credentials, then it needs to carefully consider the trade-offs that passengers are making and start leaning in to such decisions. Because if the industry gets these calculations right and popularises sustainable travel, this offers the opportunity to transform the finances of UK rail – and can encourage a resurgence in business travel that still lags below pre-Covid levels. The prize would be a reduced national
carbon footprint from business travel, reduced congestion from fewer cars and lorries on the road, and a growing, more financially-sound UK rail sector. These outcomes are in our collective interest – so we need collective action to achieve them. L
FURTHER INFORMATION
www.thetrainline.com
Ninety-five per cent of survey respondents took a business trip by car last year that could have been made by an alternative, greener mode of transport
