greenfleet 81

ALTERNATIVE FUELS

www.greenfleet.net ISSUE 81

The adoption of diesel has lowered CO2 emissions, but what price does air quality pay?

AIR QUALITY

DIESEL DILEMMA

ELECTRONIC EVIDENCEAs the counterpart driving licence disappears, fleets are urged to start checking electronically

LICENCE CHECKING

COUNCIL EVs ROAD TEST C4 CACTUS

DRIVER DIFFICULTIESQualified professional drivers are at a shortage, so just who will drive our lorries and vans?

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

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RETRO ROAD TEST: SINCLAIR C5 – 1980s ICON

Client Job No. Date Job Name Size (HxW) Scale Page Last AW V No.

Alphabet ALP111 18/11/2014 Green_Fleet_FP_Ad 210x148.5 100% 1 of 1 Lewis 2

C M Y K

We’re delighted to have been awarded “Leasing Company of the Year 2014” at the recent GreenFleet awards.

We would like to thank GreenFleet for recognising us for “making the biggest strides towards environmental considerations in our leasing policies”.

This award reaffirms our commitment to delivering the industry shaping products and services you’ve come to expect from us including AlphaCity our Corporate CarSharing scheme and AlphaElectric our 360 ⁰ consultancy service.

Thank you from Alphabet.

Find out more:

Tel: 0870 50 50 100Email: [email protected]

ALP111 Green_Fleet_FP_Ad.indd 1 18/11/2014 12:44

DRIVINGTHE FUTURE

0845 769 [email protected]

lexautolease.co.uk/thegreen

At Lex Autolease, we do more than just help you choose the mosteffi cient vehicles. We can help structure your policy, manage your mileage

and enable your drivers to use their vehicles more effi ciently.

Our aim is lower emissions and costs for you – which is good for the environment and your business.

Green Fleet Ad AW.indd 1 11/07/2014 12:42

P ONLINE P IN PRINT P MOBILE P FACE-TO-FACE

© 2015 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 1471-3713

ALTERNATIVE FUELS

www.greenfleet.net ISSUE 81

The adoption of diesel has lowered CO2 emissions, but what price does air quality pay?

AIR QUALITY

DIESEL DILEMMA

ELECTRONIC EVIDENCEAs the counterpart driving licence disappears, fleets are urged to start checking electronically

LICENCE CHECKING

COUNCIL EVs ROAD TEST C4 CACTUS

DRIVER DIFFICULTIESQualified professional drivers are at a shortage, so just who will drive our lorries and vans?

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

DOWNLOAD

THE NEW

GREENFLEET APP

Scan the QR code

RETRO ROAD TEST: SINCLAIR C5 – 1980s ICON

CO

MM

ENTDiesel: a clean

air smokescreen? Air quality is by no means a new dilemma to face the fleet industry, but the rush to adopt diesel engines in order to lower greenhouse gas emissions has, over the last few years, played its part in augmenting the problem.

Air quality hotspots in cities across the UK need to clean up their act. The Environmental Audit Committee’s latest report sets out a number of recommendations, including a diesel scrappage scheme and fiscal measures to encourage a move to less polluting options. However, for the freight sector in particular, these options are not straightforward. Low Emission Zones, says the report, are the most powerful tool a local authority has at it’s disposal in order to bring about air quality improvements. More about the diesel dilemma on p15.

Scotland leads the way in EV adoption. A report by Intelligent Energy (see page 28) charts the top ten local authority EV users. Amongst the top five, Scotland has 80 per cent of the total vehicles in use. GreenFleet has played a role in the meteoric rise of EVs north of the border. The GreenFleet Scotland event has been providing fleet managers with the opportunity to take the latest technology for a spin since 2009, and once

again takes place in Edinburgh on 10th April.

The SMMT’s January figures chart an big rise in the number of alternatively-fuelled vehicles (4598 compared to last year’s figure 2859) – a clear sign that consumers are at last becoming more comfortable with them, according to David Raistrick of Deloitte (see page 7).

Angela Pisanu, editor

PUBLISHED BY PUBLIC SECTOR INFORMATION LIMITED226 High Rd, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055 Fax: 020 8532 0066 Web: www.psi-media.co.uk

EDITOR Angela Pisanu EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Michael Lyons EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Danny Wright PRODUCTION EDITOR Richard Gooding PRODUCTION CONTROL Jacqueline Lawford, Jo Golding WEB PRODUCTION Reiss Malone PUBLISHER Martin Freedman ACCOUNT MANAGER Kylie Glover ADMINISTRATION Victoria Leftwich, Vickie Hopkins REPRODUCTION & PRINT Argent Media

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3 Volume 81 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

Filename 115324 streamline broken record 210x297

www.rla.co.ukSize (hxw) 210x297 Operator SMPage No. 2 Modified 23 December 2014 12:49 PM

12.13 mpg. That’s the new record set by the Scania G410 with a 40-tonne tractor and trailer combination on the demanding test route north of Munich. It set the record in the process of winning the ‘Green Truck 2014’ award run by respected German trade magazines Verkehrs-Rundschau and Trucker. You can see details of the test and results at scania.co.uk/recordbreaker It’s the lowest consumption they’ve ever measured for a heavy tractor in this test. 0.67 mpg better than its nearest rival. That’s what it takes to be a record breaker.

FUEL RECORD BROKEN.

YOUS CANIA

SAVEON FUEL.

Contents GreenFleet 8109 News Big rise in alternatively-fuelled vehicle sales; report urges more support for LPG 15 Air quality In the race to lower CO2, the adoption of diesel engines in fleets and passenger vehicles is partly responsible for an air quality problem which needs urgent action, reiterated in a damning recent report from the Environmental Action Committee 21 Alternative fuels Stella Allen from the Scottish Biofuel Programme explains how the countryis using imaginative ways to convert waste products into sustainable biofuels 26 Licence checking Fleet managers should be aware that an electronic way to check employee’s driving entitlement is already available, writes the Association for Driving Licence Verification 28 Electric vehicles One third of councils across the UK have at least one electric vehicle on its fleet, according to a new study. But which councils have the most? Scotland takes the lead with Dundee City Council in the top spot, and three other Scottish councils in the top five

31 Commercial vehicles In the logistics sector, there is a real worry that there simply are not enough qualified professional drivers. Julie Maddocks from the Freight Transport Association investigates the problem

37 Event preview: 2015 CV Show From truck, van, trailer and fork lift manufacturers through to the ancillary service providers, the Commercial Vehicle Show this April offers something for everyone in the transport, distribution and logistics industry 43 Event preview: GreenFleet North West Taking the form of a seminar, closed-room sessions and test drives, GreenFleet North West will allow fleet managers from the Merseyside area to assess whether electric and plug-in vehicles are right for their business

44 Road test: Sinclair C5 Ahead of its time, or just a whimsical folly? The Sinclair C5 was set to revolutionise the urban landscape and provide emission-free, personal transport. So why didn’t it? On its 30th anniversary, we take a ride in Sir Clive Sinclair’s first electric vehicle

46 Road test: Citroen C4 Cactus With a reputation for innovative models such as the Traction Avant, 2CV and DS, Citroën marks a return to its engineering-led roots with the C4 Cactus. But is it a prickly customer? Richard Gooding finds out

48 Road test: Fiat Panda Cross The new Fiat Panda Cross combines off-road functionality with the practicality of a city car, finds Angela Pisanu

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News in brief

EU Road Toll scheme aims to improve efficiency

Following the announcement of plans to develop a Europe-wide scheme to charge cars and lorries for using roads, sustainable transport group Transport & Environment (T&E) has said that smart and environmentally-differentiated road user charging will improve transport efficiency and clean up vehicle fleets. Announced by European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc, the scheme is to be optional, meaning that member states can opt out. The fees would be based on the distance driven and not be time-dependent, which would bolster more efficient use of roads. William Todts, senior policy officer at T&E, commented: “EU governments are all faced with similar problems: falling fuel tax revenues, heavy congestion, and stubbornly high transport emissions. Smart, distance-based tolls are the way to tackle these problems head-on, and Europe can play a very useful role in making sure that systems across the continent work together as well as possible.”

AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY NEWS

SMMT reports big January rise in alternatively-fuelled vehicle sales

Safer Lorry Scheme will ban unsafe HGVs from London

The Mayor of London and London Councils have approved a ban on any lorry not fitted with safety equipment to protect cyclists and pedestrians. The proposed ‘Safer Lorry Scheme’ was backed by 90 per cent of Londoners responding to a consultation. It will require vehicles of over 3.5 tonnes to be fitted with sideguards to protect cyclists from being dragged under the wheels in the event of a collision and Class V and Class VI mirrors giving the driver a better view of cyclists and pedestrians around their vehicle. Traffic orders implementing the scheme are being drawn up for its September start. The maximum fine for each breach of the ban will be £1,000 and each operator flouting the rules will be referred to the traffic commissioner responsible for licensing and regulating HGV operators. Boris Johnson said: “A large number of cyclist deaths and serious injuries involve a relatively small number of trucks and lorries that are not fitted with basic safety equipment. Such vehicles are not welcome in the capital.” The scheme is part of TfL’s Cycle Safety Action Plan.

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The SMMT’s latest figures reveal a positive start to 2015 for new car market. Registrations were up 6.7 per cent in January – the strongest start to a year since 2007, with alternatively-fuelled vehicles registrations recording an impressive 60.8 per cent increase (4598) on last year’s figure (2859). SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes remarked: “Registrations of plug-in vehicles were particularly strong as consumers responded to a greater choice of makes and models delivering lower running costs.” The commercial vehicle market grew for ninth consecutive month, up 23.2 per cent to 24,567 units. Truck registrations increased 38.6 per cent to 2,518 units, with the van market continuing growth, up 21.7 per cent to 22,049 units. Bus and coach registrations rose 48.6 per cent to 715, the most successful start to a year since 2008.Growth was driven by a 90.4% rise in purpose-built buses, following the fulfilment of several large orders.

“January’s increase in bus and coach registrations is good news for the sector, however, given the variable nature of demand in this market, one month of growth, while encouraging, should be viewed cautiously,” said Hawes. According to David Raistrick, UK automotive leader at Deloitte, the figures represent the start of the rise in alternatively-fuelled vehicle sales, but doesn’t mean they are yet mainstream. He told the Telegraph: “The rise in registrations of alternatively-fuelled vehicles (AFVs) shows that consumers are becoming more and more comfortable with AFVs as a concept.

“With battery replacement cost and range still concerns for consumers, it will probably be a number of years before they become the mainstream but this is certainly the start of the rise of AFVs.”

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HYBRID BATTERIES

Toyota extends battery collection programme to independent dealersToyota is extending its hybrid battery collection programme from its own retail network to independent end-of-life vehicle treatment operators. The target is to increase the current recovery rate of 91 per cent to 100 per cent of used Toyota and Lexus hybrid batteries across Europe. The strategy includes an extension of recycling agreements with SNAM in France (for nickel-metal hydride batteries) and Umicore in Belgium (lithium-ion batteries) until 31 March 2018. The hybrid batteries used in Toyota and Lexus models can last longer the vehicles themselves, so often they are only recovered when the cars reach the end of their useful life, or if they have been involved in an accident. Toyota is now widening its strategy and targeting a 100 per cent result. Used hybrid batteries are still mainly destined for recycling, but Toyota has started

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to research options for the remanufacture of NiMh batteries, potentially giving them a second life as a vehicle or a stationary energy source. Stationary batteries can potentially store surplus renewable energy. Since 2000, some 850,000 Toyota and Lexus hybrid vehicles have been sold in Europe.

Green Economics

automotive-leasing.org

Finding new ways to reduce costs without putting longer term

goals at risk is a real challenge. Many organisations find that

whilst there may be a desire to create a sustainable low carbon

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budgetary demands? Not when you talk to the right people. As

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To find out more, just call: 0844 493 5840

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Automotive Leasing Leading the way

Green Economics advert artwork.indd 1 27/01/2015 11:29

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FREIGHT

FTA helps with ESOS assessmentsAs the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS), administered by the Environment Agency, is to be introduced this year, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) has announced plans to help the industry comply with its requirements.

In line with the EU Energy Directive, the mandatory energy assessment applies throughout the UK to all large companies (over 250 employees) who will be required to conduct energy audits every four years, with the first needing to take place by 5 December 2015.

Through the FTA managed Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme (LCRS) the Association has been engaged with the development of ESOS. Within the publication of government best practice guidance, the LCRS has been highlighted as a scheme that can help companies in scope of ESOS compile the necessary freight transport data for energy audits.

Karen Packham, FTA General Manager of Consultancy and Tendering, said: “FTA is best placed to offer practical advice and is able to provide specialist audits to ensure members are fully compliant with the ESOS requirements, and will gain all the benefits that the scheme has to offer.”

ABOUT THE ESOS SCHEME

tinyurl.com/okx5psg

INFRASTRUCTURE

ULEV funding deadline nears The second of three deadlines for UK local authorities to apply for a share of £35 million government funding to support the adoption of ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) in cities is February 20th. The fund will be shared between up to four cities, which can use it to support a number of measures including installing EV infrastructure and introducing low emission zones. The measures which bids may consider include both hard measures including recharging/fuelling infrastructure, and soft measures such as public procurement, behaviour-related and community measures (e.g. car clubs).

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Report urges more support for LPG; Autogas Ltd rebrandsAn LPG industry report is calling upon Government to adopt a series of measures which it says could help improve air quality in the UK. In the report A Low Carbon Alternative Fuel For Today the LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) industry identifies a number of key actions it believes the Government should adopt, including a more integrated road fuels strategy designed to restore confidence to the sector and encourage a genuine partnership between the industry, vehicle manufacturers and policy makers. “A proper integrated fuels strategy, which includes LPG, is essential to help the UK tackle its growing air quality and carbon emissions problems,” commented Linda Gomersall, general manager, Autogas Limited. “This new document is a result of extensive consultation and sets out some very clear, yet incredibly simple ways in which Government could help the industry address these critical environmental and health issues.” Measures recommended include replacing individual fuel strategies with an integrated fuels strategy for all fuels; introducing incentive schemes to remove the most polluting cars from the road (potentially through conversion to LPG); providing wider support for local authorities to convert their fleets to less polluting fuel types; reviewing wider incentives for road fuels through working with local authorities and

the Mayor of London; ensuring greater consultation with government departments; and giving air pollution the same level of priority as tackling climate change. Although it is not a renewable fuel, vehicles powered by LPG emit significantly fewer harmful pollutants such as CO2, NOx and particulate matter than petrol or diesel models. Meanwhile, Autogas Ltd is undergoing a major rebranding exercise. The new identity is to be rolled out across the company’s 215 refuelling sites, which are used by more than 150,000 drivers of LPG vehicles. The company has also launched a new website which provides motorists with information about the cost-saving, health and environmental advantages of LPG autogas, as well as helping them find a quality specialist service centre that can convert their car to run on the fuel and a series of case studies about businesses and individuals who have all saved by switching to LPG. Linda Gomersall said: “LPG autogas provides motorists with a breath of fresh air and we’re delighted to launch our new identity which reflects these attributes much more closely.”

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ALTERNATIVE FUELS

Audi Tradition has completed a full restoration of a blue 1956 DKW Elektro-Wagen to add to the company’s collection of historic vehicles. Audi estimates that DKW built about 100 of these electric vans between 1955 and 1962, primarily sold to energy companies, public utilities and battery makers. However, only two are still known to exist.

EV RESTORATION

To create the EV model, DKW took its normal Schnellaster delivery van and replaced the model’s two-stroke engine with an electric drivetrain. The motor produced about 6.7 horsepower and lead-acid batteries offered 200 amp hours of power running at 80 volts. It gave the Elektro-Wagen a claimed range of about 50 miles and a 25 mile-per-hour top speed.

Audi restores vintage EV van

READ THE REPORT

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POLICY

ICCT reports on the state of clean transport policyThe International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has produced a new report which summarises advances in national and international regulations intended to mitigate climate change and control air pollution from vehicles and fuels. The report examines data across eleven major vehicle markets from January 2013 through August 2014.

The state of clean transport policy: A 2014 synthesis of vehicle and fuel policy developments covers eleven vehicle markets – China, the US, the European Union, Japan, Brazil, India, Russia, Canada, South Korea, Australia, and Mexico—which represented 85 per cent of total vehicle sales in 2013. It quantifies benefits associated with environmental policies for light and heavy-duty vehicles, marine vessels, aircraft, and fuels in terms of reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and local air pollution, fuel savings, and benefits to public health.

By 2030, transport emissions are expected to increase by roughly two-thirds, to 15 GtCO2, and oil consumption to rise to 78 mbd. Based on the assessment offered in the report, total reductions from policies adopted in major markets will lower projected baseline emissions by 2.2 GtCO2 and fuel consumption by 11mbd, equivalent to about a 13 per cent reduction.

Authored by Joshua D Miller and Cristiano Façanha. The report’s scope excludes motorcycles, locomotives, and off-road vehicles. Future editions may expand to include other modes of transport or regulations for mobile refrigerants. Also excluded from this report are policies aimed at reducing transport activity and shifting people and goods to more environmentally-friendly modes.

Another very interesting initiative from OLEV is the Smart Cities programme. For which the expressions of interest were submitted in February. I expect some amongst you GreenFleet readers were at the workshop event in late January to hear the details. OLEV anticipates that the £35m fund will be shared between about four cities who submit the best proposals. These cities that are chosen will offer a great opportunity for those in the process of ‘greening’ their fleet, or with green aspirations, to benefit from the provision of infrastructure and integrated policies to enhance the benefits, for example, and gain access to new low emission zones. OLEV says that the bids can include both ‘hard’ measures including recharging/fuelling infrastructure, and ‘soft’ measures such as public procurement, behaviour-related and community measures (e.g. car clubs). Importantly the funding, like many other programmes, is aimed at stimulating large scale change in these cities, including the fleets of vehicles operating in and around the city conurbationsThe LowCVP is currently working with partners to develop a policy guidance framework that should enable local and regional governments to increase the market for low carbon cars and vans through a toolkit of policy options. The project is analysing policy inventions put in place by cities in the UK and Europe and identifying best practice measures. One of our primary aims (which should be music to the ears of fleet managers, is to try to create a framework of consistent policy approach so that for example, the car you buy to work in one low emission zone, is also eligible to drive in the others!

It can sometimes be too easy for a local government to narrowly focus on the vehicles in their city, without realising that those vehicles actually operate nationally and the fleets need a national framework in order to be able to make any significant changes to purchase strategies. Meanwhile, the Chinese Government has announced its own version of the Go Ultra Low City scheme. China Daily reports that Pilot Cities for New Energy Vehicles will include Xiamen, which is expected to promote the use of 2,480 new energy vehicles, including 600 buses in the city from 2014 to 2015. Besides, it is scheduled that all of the official and government vehicles on Xiamen Island will be updated into new-energy vehicles by the end of 2020. Done well, the power of Local Policies can make a huge contribution to the attractiveness of related green fleet options, however, done badly it can stifle the ambition of a fleet manager wanting to contribute to the low carbon agenda.So arguably Smart Cities need not only Green Fleets but also Smart and Green fleet managers.

www.lowcvp.org.uk and follow LowCVP on Twitter: @theLowCVP and @aeastlake

LowCVP’s Andy EastlakeSmart Cities need smart policies to bring Green Fleets?

FURTHER INFORMATION

EUROPEAN EMISSIONS

Report ranks CO2 emissions from new cars in EuropeTransport & Environment’s latest report How Clean are Europe’s cars has found that countries with the lowest CO2₂ emissions from new cars usually have registration and company car taxes which are strongly graduated according to CO2₂ emissions and have the greatest influence on car buyers’ choices. The Netherlands had the lowest CO2₂emissions from new cars of all 28 EU member states in 2013 at 109 g/km. The country saw the second best overall reduction, 30.4 per cent, since the EU introduced binding CO2₂limits for new cars in 2008. The Netherlands’ car registration tax is steeply differentiated by fuel economy while it has exemptions from circulation tax for very low-carbon vehicles including electric cars. It also strongly differentiates against CO2₂emissions in the taxation of ‘benefit in kind’ payments.

Germany, the largest European car market, was the worst performer of the EU’s 15 longest participating member states with 136.1 g/km. It has no significant registration tax and annual circulation taxes are so weakly graduated according to CO2₂ emissions as to have little effect on consumer choice. Company cars are hugely subsidised with a benefit-in-kind payment of 12 per cent of the car price per year, not differentiated by CO2. However, car taxes graduated according to CO2₂emissions have sharply increased the share of diesel cars, which typically have around 15 per cent lower tailpipe CO2 emissions than petrol cars but are a major cause of pollution in urban areas and 400,000 premature deaths every year.

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DEDICATED TO PROMOTING A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT | www.greenfleet.net12

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News in brief

Volkwagen’s three‑year CCS framework Volkswagen Group UK has secured a three-year contract under the new Crown Commercial Services (CCS) vehicle supply framework agreement a supplier to the public sector, police and emergency services.The new agreement, which took effect in December, supersedes two agreements which had treated the public sector and the police and emergency services separately, ensuring a wider audience for the Group’s range of cars and vans.

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Tesla expands UK charging network through Sainsbury’s

Chargemaster reaches 1 millionElectric vehicles in the UK have charged a total of one million times using Chargemaster’s nationwide network of charging points. These have provided drivers with a total of around 9.5 million kWh of electricity since September 2012. In 2014, Chargemaster installed its 10,000th public and commercial charging point. Chargemaster records all charging events through its back office system and while it took nearly two years to rack up 500,000 charges – from the first one in September 2012 to half a million in July 2014 – it took just six months to reach its one millionth charge.

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American electric car manufacturer, Tesla is continuing the expansion of its fast charging network throughout the UK. Three stations added in Winchester, Exeter and Bristol are all in Sainsbury’s supermarket car parks, allowing drivers to charge while they shop. “We’re excited to partner with Sainsbury’s to continue the expansion of the country’s fast-charging network for long-distance travel in electric cars,” said Georg Ell, Tesla’s UK Director. “With Sainsbury’s, Model S drivers can stop for a charge, use the Supermarket café, do a quick shop and get on their way again.” The company has already installed chargers at hotels and shopping centres, including Brent Cross shopping centre and Westfield White City in London, as well as along well-travelled routes from Exeter to Edinburgh, Gatwick and Heathrow airports, and near the Eurotunnel. The company now has around 670 chargers in Europe and more than 1,600

worldwide and is readying its first battery-swap station in California. Supermarket chain Sainsbury’s has been active in installing chargers, which help pull in customers who, according to research by charger company Podpoint, tend to be more affluent and spend longer in store.Paul Crewe, Sainsbury’s head of sustainability, said: “I’m delighted to see these new facilities at our stores, making it easier than ever for customers to use electric vehicles, charging as they shop.” Tesla’s Model S electric car has a range of 312 miles per charge (according to its NEDC rating). Tesla Superchargers replenish half a charge in as little as 20 minutes and are conveniently placed along well-travelled routes to enable long-distance travel.

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES

e-NV200 cleans up at awardsThe all-electric Nissan e-NV200 has scooped its sixth industry award in as many months, after being named Best Green at the Business Van of the Year awards in London.In December, the e-NV200 won the What Van? magazine Green Award. It has also been named Industry Innovation of the Year by GreenFleet, LCV of the Year by Next Green Car and has helped Nissan to the ULEV Manufacturer of the Year title at the Energy Saving Trust’s Fleet Hero awards and the Green Van Manufacturer of the Year title at the Fleet Van Awards.Congratulating Nissan, Ralph Morton, of Business Van, said: “Going green has never been so easy. The electric e-NV200 is just like the standard NV200 except

it costs just two pence per mile to run, has a range in excess of 100 miles, is emission free, and still manages to provide an uncompromising flat load-space floor. It’s a brilliant achievement and the van to change the perception of the electric van.”

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New Toyotas for Co‑wheels car clubs Co-wheels car club is taking delivery of 80 new Toyota hybrids as it expands its national fleet. Co-wheels provides fleet management services for a number of organisations, operating in more than 40 UK locations. The new vehicles, attained on a two-to-three-year renewal cycle, are supplied with a telematics system constructed to create a fully connected, shared resource.

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EV CHARGING


According to the Environmental Audit Committee’s latest report into air quality (its third report if five years) traffic is responsible for 42 per cent of carbon monoxide, 46 per cent of nitrogen oxides and 26 per cent of particulate matter pollution. To put this into a morbid and sobering perspective, in April last year Public Health England published data which indicated an increased mortality from air pollution, estimating 29,000 deaths annually in the UK. Experts say a quarter of these can be directly related to transport emissions, and diesel is rapidly becoming a dirty word. Over the last few years, Government incentives have encouraged procurement of diesel rather than petrol vehicles because they were considered to be more environmentally friendly. Greater fuel efficiency produced less CO2 per mile, and therefore less greenhouse emissions. During moves to

AIR Q

UA

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slow down global warming and the gradual depletion of the ozone layer, air quality took a hit, particularly in congested areas. Diesel engines produce Nitrogen Dioxide, known to cause inflammation of the airways, reduce lung function and exacerbate asthma. Particulate matter –

tiny invisible specks of mineral dust, carbon and other

chemicals, are linked to heart and lung disease as well as cancer.

The enemySo in today’s slightly cleaner fuel marketplace, diesel is the enemy.

The move towards lowering CO2 emissions

(and, it has to be said, the lack of alternatives for

commercial vehicles such as buses, taxis and those for heavy goods)

have been a major part of the problem. In June 2014, research work commissioned by The RAC Foundation explained: “This is a consequence of the focus on

climate change. The automobile industry’s response to the European average new car CO2 emissions targets of 130g/km by 2015 and 95g/km by 2021 has been to make more diesel cars, as these are more fuel-efficient than their petrol counterparts. And greater fuel efficiency equals lower CO2 emissions. Unsurprisingly individual and fleet buyers have responded by choosing diesel, enticed not only by the prospect of reduced fuel costs, but also by lower rates of Vehicle Excise Duty and company car tax incentives, which reward low CO2 options.” Air pollution limits are regularly exceeded in 16 areas of the UK: Greater London, the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Teesside, the Potteries, Hull, Southampton, Glasgow, the East, the South East, the East Midlands, Merseyside, Yorkshire & Humberside, the West Midlands, and the North East. In April last year legal proceedings were launched against the UK for failing to address the problem, hailing the levels of Nitrogen Oxide in some cities as ‘excessive’. Britain was supposed to meet EU limits by 2010, but the government admits that London alone won’t achieve E

Dirty diesel doing damageIn the race to lower CO2, the adoption of diesel engines in fleets and passenger vehicles is partly responsible for an air quality problem which needs urgent action, reiterated in a damning recent report from the Environmental Action Committee

London

has operated

a low emission

zone since 2008

and plans to

introduce a limited

Ultra Low

Emission Zone

in 2020


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Fuel consumption fi gures for the Fiat Doblo Cargò 1.3 90 MultiJet II Euro 5+ in mpg (l/100km): Combined 56.5 (5.0) CO2 emissions 133g/km. Euro 5+ with start/stop: 58.9 (4.8), CO2 emissions 126g/km. *Fuel consumption fi gures for the model shown with EcoJet pack: Combined 64.2 (4.4) CO2 emissions 115g/km. Fuel consumption and CO2 fi gures based on standard EU tests for comparative purposes and may not refl ect real driving results. Factors such as driving style, weather and road conditions may also have a signifi cant effect on fuel consumption. CO2 fi gures are for comparative purposes in accordance with the VCA van CO2 & fuel consumption database.

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this standard until 2025. Several other EU members, including France, Sweden, Denmark and Greece have also exceeded the levels and are in a similar situation.

The Dirty Diesel Generation The Mayor of Paris has announced radical plans to ban diesel cars from the French capital by 2020. France, which has the highest number of diesel cars on the road, will now ban the cars out right with Anne Hidalgo, the Parisian Mayor pledging “an end to diesel in Paris in 2020”. Her London counterpart, Boris Johnson, currently plans to raise the congestion charge for diesel cars by £10 in a move to cut air pollution. The change would mean diesel drivers could have to pay a total of £20 to get into Central London. Under the plans petrol cars registered before 2006 would also have to pay extra. Boris wants this in place by 2020. But is this enough? Stephen Joseph of the Campaign for Better Transport, told the Telegraph: “I think the motor industry is wholly unprepared for the way in which the science is turning against diesels. The sciences is hardening up and it is showing different and serious health damage which is a really serious problem.” In 2014, Matthew Pencharz, Boris Johnson’s senior advisor for environment and energy, declared: “Over recent years the Euro diesel engine standards have not delivered the emission savings expected, yet governments have been incentivising us to buy them. This has left us with a generation of dirty diesels.”

Low Emission ZonesAlso known as Environment Zones throughout Europe, LEZs are one of the most powerful tools that local authorities have for controlling vehicle emissions. 200 cities and towns in 10 countries around Europe already have in place, but according to the report, the UK needs more. London has operated a low emission zone since 2008 and plans to introduce a limited Ultra Low Emission Zone in 2020, but elsewhere in the UK few have been set up. Those that have been are limited in scope. In contrast, Germany has a national framework of over 70 LEZs. As well as in London, action on LEZs in the UK has so far seen them introduced in Oxford, Norwich and now Brighton. Enforced in January this year, Brighton & Hove Council’s LEZ affected around 98 per cent of bus routes through the city, according to the city council. Oxford’s LEZ, introduced a year earlier in 2014, has witnessed air quality improvements during its first year of operation. Preliminary results for 2014 confirm that there were no exceedances of the national 200ug3 (microgrammes per cubic metre) limit throughout the entire year,

Anne

Hidalgo, the

Parisian Mayor,

has announced

radical plans to ban

diesel cars from

the French capital

by 2020

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and the council has hailed the impact of the LEZ on the city’s air quality. Oxford councillor John Tanner, board member for a cleaner, greener Oxford, told Air Quality News: said: “I’m thrilled to see the latest results which suggest our Low Emission Zone is indeed cleaning up Oxford’s air. Well done to the bus companies for cleaning up their act. We will continue to monitor air quality and take further steps if necessary.” There are signs of action in many other parts of the UK. A low emission zone framework and accompanying air quality modelling methodology are to be developed by the Scottish Government under plans outlined in its draft Scottish Low Emission Strategy. A 12-week consultation on the Strategy was launched in January after several delays and includes proposals aimed at making Scotland’s air “amongst the cleanest in Europe”.

Ultra Low planLondon’s Ultra Low Emission Zone LEZ (ULEZ) is planned to take effect in September 2020 and would require all vehicles driving in central London to meet new exhaust emission standards. Those that don’t could still be driven

in central London but a daily charge would apply. All taxis

and new private hire vehicles presented for licensing from 2018 would need to be zero emission capable. A reduction in the age limit for all non zero-emission capable taxis from 2020

from 15 to 10 years (irrespective of date of

licensing), and further Investment in the TfL bus

fleet so that all double decker buses operating in central London will

be hybrid and all single deck buses will be zero emission (at source) by 2020. There are other options open to local authorities to help with the problem. Labour-run Islington Council has approved plans to place an annual surcharge on diesel vehicle parking permits, starting in April this year. Some diesels, including taxis and those used by carers and tradespeople for work, would be exempt from the charge. Councillor Claudia Webbe says the surcharge was designed to tackle diesel emissions. She told BusinessGreen website: “We believe that the evidence on diesel vehicles is strong. It damages people’s health and we think it’s right and proper that we try to stem the growth of diesel vehicles and that we surcharge those vehicles that are providing the most damaging pollution.” In its damning report, Environmental Audit Committee recommends the examination of fiscal measures to encourage the move away from diesel, and the consideration of the diesel scrappage scheme to help drivers switch.

Committee Chair Joan Whalley MP stated: “Low emission zones in cities could save lives, but diesel drivers who face extra charges deserve to be compensated so they can switch to less polluting vehicles. A national framework for low emission zones could save councils from having to reinvent the wheel each time by providing a template with common core features, such as a national certification scheme for vehicle emissions.” “Well over a thousand schools around the country are 150 metres away from major roads. Protecting children and vulnerable people in the worst affected areas must be made a priority by Government and Local Authorities. Ministers must pluck up the political courage to take the potentially unpopular decisions necessary to get the most polluting vehicles off the road and encourage more people to walk, cycle or take public transport.”

AlternativesPart of the problem lies in that for many applications, such as Heavy Goods Vehicles and bespoke plant, fit-for-purpose alternatives to diesel are few and far between, and expensive. In the next issue GreenFleet will be investigating what commercial fleets can do (and have been doing) in the short and long term to address the problems caused by the rise of dirty diesel.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Environment Committee Air Quality report: tinyurl.com/ohaolnb

TfL’s Ultra Low Emission Zone plans: tinyurl.com/pub8noy

www.airqualitynews.com

Environmental Audit Committee recommendationsInclude legal air quality obligations in new infrastructure and road building plans

Close legal loopholes that allow mechanics firms to remove engine filter from HGVs;

Examine fiscal measures to gradually encourage a move away from diesel vehicles

Consider introducing a diesel scrappage scheme to help drivers switch to cleaner vehicles

Launch an independent public inquiry to look at the required action on air pollution

Apply pressure at European level to ensure effective EU legislation and 5 emission standards backed up by a robust testing regime


ELECTRICITYTHE WHEEL ENVIRONMENTALISMALUMINIUM

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WE HAVEN’T JUST MADE HISTORY. WE’VE MADE A 4WD THAT’S GREENER THAN A CONVENTIONAL SMALL CAR.With the new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, we haven’t just made a car – we’ve created a vehicle that really is a friend of the earth. The fusion of electric and petrol technology can deliver a staggering 148 mpg1 and creates a fraction of the CO2 emissions of even a conventional small car - just 44g/km. As a result you’ll pay no road tax or Congestion Charge. Business users will only pay 5% Benefit in Kind rather than the 25%+ that most business users pay2. If your commute is less than 30 miles your petrol consumption will be minimal too. That’s because, in full electric mode, the Outlander PHEV has a range of up to 32 miles. Its combined petrol and electric range is an incredible 510 miles3. Plus its battery can be charged in a few hours via a domestic plug socket4 or a home Charge Point5. We’ve made history – you just need to make time for a test drive. We call this Intelligent Motion.

THE WORLD’S FIRST 4WD PLUG-IN HYBRID SUV

1. Official EU MPG test figure shown as a guide for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. 2. 5% BIK compared to average rate of 25%+. 3. 32 mile EV range achieved with full battery charge. 510 miles achieved with combined full battery and petrol tank. Actual range may vary depending on driving style and road conditions. 4. Domestic plug charge: 5 hours, 16 Amp home charge point: 3.5 hours, 80% rapid charge: 30mins. 5. Government subsidised charge points are available from a number of suppliers either free of charge or for a small fee – ask your dealer for more information. Offer ends 31st March 2015. 6. Prices start from £28,249 for Outlander PHEV GX3h. Metallic/pearlescent paint extra. Model shown is an Outlander PHEV GX4h at £33,399 including metallic paint. Prices shown include the Government Plug-in Car Grant and VAT (at 20%), exclude VED and First Registration Fee. Prices correct at time of going to print. For more information about the Government Plug-in Car Grant please visit www.gov.uk/plug-in-car-van-grants.

Outlander PHEV range fuel consumption in mpg (ltrs/100km): Full Battery Charge: no fuel used, Depleted Battery Charge: 48mpg (5.9), Weighted Average: 148mpg (1.9), CO2 Emissions: 44 g/km.

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The UK biofuel landscape is varied and dependant on a number factors such as feedstock availability and land availability as well as government policy and subsidies. Tough greenhouse gas emission targets have created focus upon replacement of existing combustion-engine based vehicles with greener alternatives. The most promising routes to a green fleet include the use of electric vehicles charged from the grid and new engine types that can use hydrogen fuel. Whilst development of these technologies has accelerated in recent years, the costs are still high compared with conventional vehicles, making mass market deployment unlikely in the short to medium term. Electric vehicles whilst more readily available than their hydrogen counterparts, need wholly renewable electricity generation to deliver their full impact, and at present the current grid mix in the UK is heavily reliant on coal and gas.

InfrastructureBoth technologies require the

implementation of their own supportive infrastructure,

the cost of which would be substantial. This is where biofuels come in to play, as they can work with already existing infrastructure and vehicles while

significantly reducing carbon

emissions.

The ambitious biofuel landscape in ScotlandStella Allen from the Scottish Biofuel Programme explains how the country is using imaginative ways to convert waste products into sustainable biofuels

Written by Stella Allen, the Scottish Biofuel Program

me

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Not a new fuelBiofuel is not a new invention. It has a long history in the motor industry, stretching all the way back to the 1800s and the development of the internal combustion engines. Rudolf Diesel designed his compression engine to run on peanut oil. The first Model T Fords ran on bioethanol. Henry Ford was an advocate for bioethanol and he had a vision to “build a vehicle affordable to the working family and powered by a fuel that would boost the rural farm economy.” Great – sign me up. Unfortunately the road to an economically viable biofuel is a bumpy one. There are many factors which need addressed for the biofuel market to compete with established fossil fuels. Indeed some biofuel production practices can have as much of a carbon foot print as fossil fuels so care must be taken to ensure sustainability. Sustainable biofuel should not compete with food, however making resource-efficient use of waste offers an attractive vision. In recent years there has been a lot of creative thinking around potential feedstocks, for example ‘fatbergs’ formed from

fats and oils in the sewerage system, the Bath ‘poo bus’ running on biogas made from human and food waste. The advantage of biofuels it that they offer a higher value and environmentally-preferable solution than sending material to landfill.

Cashing-in on biofuel expertiseThe Scottish Biofuel Programme is a Scottish Government and EU-funded programme

set up to provide Scottish small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs)

access to academic expertise to take advantage of new

biofuel opportunities. Our focus is on the Scottish biofuel landscape, and, the possibilities within a circular economy to convert organic wastes to renewable biofuels. The recently enacted

Waste (Scotland) Regulations require

various waste streams, including food waste, to be

source-separated, and this has stimulated interest in recovering added-value from these materials. Generation of biogas from food waste is but one example. If fully utilised biofuels can contribute to considerable CO2 savings compared with conventional fossil fuels. It has been reported that Scotland could meet around 10 per cent of its liquid fuel needs through the utilisation of purely local feedstock sources. Giving locally produced biofuel an important role in the de-carbonisation of the Scottish transport fleet over the next 10 years.

What does the biofuel landscape look like in Scotland?Scotland has a globally-recognised industry producing ethanol by

fermentation – the product is whisky rather than biofuel. Celtic Renewables is currently working on a scale up

plant that will produce biofuels from by-products of the whisky industry. Argent Energy uses waste tallow and fats to make high quality biodiesel. Its plant is the only one in the UK to use distillation technology which ensures that their fuel is a clean,

clear, homogeneous biodiesel. There are a number of large scale

anaerobic digestion plants across the central belt producing biogas mainly from agricultural and food waste which is primarily used for heat and electricity E

Biofuel

is not a new

invention. It

has a long history

in the motor

industry, stretching

all the way

back to the

1800s


generation, but which as an alternative could be upgraded for direct use as a biofuel. In Scotland there is a surplus of poor quality agricultural land not fit for food production. This land has the potential to be a valuable resource and there are current trials to see if it can be put to work to grow energy crops such as camelina and reed canary grass without competing with human or animal food production. Another resource in Scotland is seaweed. Although it is not currently economical to harvest seaweed for biofuel production alone there are many high value products that can be extracted from seaweed and there could be opportunities to integrate biofuel production with the residue from the primary process. Synthetic biology, the development of more efficient strains of microbes, the work horses of biofuel production, will open up a number new feedstock options and more efficient production which will greatly improve the economic production of biofuels. In the future, a promising feedstock is the development of energy rich algal strains which would be suitable for growing in controlled artificial environments. These could take advantage of waste heat and CO2 providing a breakthrough in the economically viable production of biofuels.

EAE Case Study EAE are Scotland’s premier ‘what’s on’ leaflet display and distribution network, and are committed to a wide range of green technologies. Sustainability is deeply embraced

throughout the business’s functions. They have won awards for their environmental strategy. EAE have installed a number of energy saving technologies including their own on-site wind turbine, a wildlife garden, rain water collection and an electric vehicle which is charged using renewable energy from the wind turbine overnight. EAE aims to be fully carbon neutral by 2015. In line with its creative approach to sustainability and forward thinking EAE worked with Edinburgh Napier University researchers to investigate new emerging technologies to generate fuel from their waste including paper from recollected leaflets, with the future potential to further reduce their carbon footprint. They have deployed a holistic approach to minimise the environmental impacts of their business. Their drivers undertake training in eco-driving to promote more economical use of fuels. They estimate this training reduces their emissions by up to 15 per cent pa (and results in lower van maintenance costs). Additionally, by using a network of regional depots they reduce the number of van journeys to and from their two national storage and distribution centres. In 2011, they took delivery of seven B30 Citroen Relay vans that run on bio-diesel. This high quality biofuel is made from locally collected waste fats and uses 30 per cent less diesel than normal fuels. The vans reduce their overall carbon emissions by 39 per cent. EAE are looking to replace their entire fleet with these vehicles. They have installed

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a 5,000 litre capacity B30 bio-diesel fuel tank to fuel the new bio-diesel powered fleet.

Celtic renewables case studyCeltic Renewables is a spin-out company working to scale up research undertaken by the Biofuel Research Centre based at Edinburgh Napier University. The award-winning company was formed to commercialise a patented process for producing a superior next generation biofuel (and other high value sustainable products) from the by-products of biological industries. Celtic Renewables Ltd are innovatively re-developing a century-old fermentation technology, the ABE (Acetone Butanol Ethanol) process to combine the two main by-products of whisky production, namely “pot ale” (the copper-containing liquid from the stills) and “draff” (the spent barley grains), to produce high value renewable products, including biobutanol. The whisky industry annually produces 1,600 million litres of pot ale and 500,000 tonnes of draff, all of which could be converted into biofuel as a direct substitute for fossil-derived fuel. The production process also produces other sustainable chemicals, acetone and ethanol, as well as high grade animal feed. Biobutanol has 25 per cent more energy per unit volume than bioethanol; it has a lower vapour pressure and higher flashpoint (making it easier to store and safer to handle); it can be blended without requiring modifications in blending facilities, storage tanks or retail station

Q

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Turbocharged engines

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JDAB – never a dull moment

M

Mine

Offi cial Government Test Environmental Data. Fuel consumption fi gures mpg (litres/100km) and CO2 emissions (g/km). New Corsa range: Urban 36.2 (7.8) – 76.3† = Offi cial EU-regulated test data are provided for comparison purposes and actual performance will depend on driving style, road conditions and other non-technical factors. * = 2014-15 tax year. General Motors UK Limited,charges; parking and speeding fi nes and the £250 insurance excess (if applicable). 3 Day Test Drive vehicles are subject to availability and terms and conditions apply. Please refer to www.vauxhall3DTD.co.uk for full terms and

VFL6915.016-Green_Fleet_DPS_HP_380x125mm_AW.indd 1 30/01/2015 15:34DEDICATED TO PROMOTING A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT | www.greenfleet.net22

pumps. In sharp contrast to ethanol, it can be run in unmodified engines at any blend with petrol and may also be blended with diesel and biodiesel; it is less corrosive than bioethanol and can also be transported using existing infrastructures. First developed in 1912 in the UK, the ABE process was used extensively during the First and Second World Wars to produce solvents, falling out of favour with the rise of cheaper synthetic equivalents during the 1950s. The re-introduction of the once dominant ABE fermentation process in a modern biotechnology context using sustainable substrates is an exciting

ALTERN

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development with huge global potential.Celtic Renewables will initially deploy the technology throughout Scotland to develop a new bio-butanol industry providing fuel and energy on a community basis which will lead to increased energy security and significant carbon emission reductions (over 70,000 tonnes per annum). Thinking globallyScotsman Patrick Geddes is believed to be the first to outline the concept of acting locally while thinking globally. It’s likely that growing demand for renewable biofuels will be met by large-scale global

“The fuel of the future is going to come from fruit like that sumach out by the road, or from apples, weeds, sawdust – almost anything.There is fuel in every bit of vegetable matter that can be fermented. There’s enough alcohol in one year’s yield of an acre of potatoes to drive the machinery necessary to cultivate the fields for a hundred years.”Henry Ford (Ford Predicts Fuel from Vegetation, New York Times, Sept 20 1925)

solutions, and that biofuel import will be a key part of local solutions.

However, work already underway in Scotland shows that there is space for local solutions too, producing biofuels from local resources so that best-value is recovered from valuable biological resources.

FURTHER READING

www.biofuels.scotland.co.ukwww.eae.co.ukwww.celtic-renewables.comtinyurl.com/kofhjvo tinyurl.com/oluybr4

VAUXHALL FLEETCall 0870 010 0651 | visit www.vauxhall.co.uk/fl eet

Book your FREE** 3 Day Test Drive atwww.vauxhall3DTD.co.ukor call 0870 240 4848

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(3.7), Extra-urban 57.6 (4.9) – 94.2 (3.0), Combined 47.1 (6.0) – 88.3 (3.2). CO2 emissions 140 – 85g/km.trading as Vauxhall Motors, does not offer tax advice and recommends that all Company Car Drivers consult their own accountant with regards to their particular tax position. ** = Excludes fuel and lubricants; congestionconditions. Drivers must be 25 years or older and is available for Mainland UK only. All fi gures quoted correct at time of publication (February 2015). Images shown for illustrative purposes only and may feature options at extra cost.

VFL6915.016-Green_Fleet_DPS_HP_380x125mm_AW.indd 2 30/01/2015 15:34 23 Volume 81 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE

jeep.co.uk/fleet

Jeep with®

So you think you know Jeep? Think again. The all-new Cherokee doesn’t just offer outstanding performance off-road, it’s also guaranteed to stand out in the office car park. Its efficiency figures catch the eye too, returning 53.3mpg on the combined cycle with CO2 from only 139g/km.*

New Cherokee models are also available with a range of fantastic features such as our award-winning 8.4” touch screen entertainment system, unique in-car wireless charging pad for mobile devices and adaptive cruise control. Hardly your average nine-to-five runaround, wouldn’t you say?

It’s not busIness as usual.

To book a test drive call our Business Centre on 01753 519442 or email us at [email protected]

The all-new Jeep® Cherokee from only £279 per month†

The all-new Jeep® Cherokee. Built Free.

Model shown is Cherokee 2.0 140 4x2 Longitude at £25,495 OTR excluding optional True Blue special paint at £625 OTR. FUEL CONSUMPTION FIGURES FOR THE NEW JEEP® CHEROKEE DIESEL RANGE IN MPG (L/100KM): EXTRA URBAN 55.4 (5.1) – 61.4 (4.6), URBAN 39.8 (7.1) – 44.1 (6.4), COMBINED 48.7 (5.8) – 53.3 (5.3), CO2 EMISSIONS: 154 – 139 G/KM. Fuel consumption and CO2 figures based on standard EU tests for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. *Figures based on 2.0 140 4x2 versions. †Business users only. Rentals based on Cherokee 2.0 140 FWD Longitude Plus on Contract Hire profile of 6 rentals in advance (equivalent of £1674) followed by 35 rentals of £279, excluding VAT and maintenance. Based on 10,000 miles p.a., excess mileage charges apply. Vehicles must be registered with Jeep Financial Services before 31st March 2015. Offer subject to status, guarantee and/or indemnity may be required. At participating dealers only. Jeep Financial Services, PO Box 4465, Slough, SL1 0RW. Chrysler and CNH Industrial are Official Global Partners of the Expo Milano 2015. Jeep® is a registered trademark of FCA US LLC.

Jeep_GreenFleet.indd Pg1 Prodigious UK 28/01/2015 14:23

One of the most hotly-anticipated cars for 2015, the All-New Jeep Renegade, is already causing a stir among Britain’s drivers as it prepares for launch here in February. And the stunning new compact sport-utility vehicle (SUV), with its fresh, modern design, outstanding on- and off-road driving dynamics and powerful, fuel-efficient engines, looks set to appeal to thousands of private buyers as well as many of fleet managers and business users. And it’s easy to see why. While staying true to the adventurous lifestyle and 4x4 capability for which Jeep brand is renowned, the new Renegade will also deliver benchmark efficiency and driving dynamics, a segment-first nine-speed automatic gearbox, world-class refinement, and a host of innovative safety and technology offerings. Distinctive designFrom any angle the new Renegade reveals the distinctive design cues of the brand’s heritage: round headlamps, signature seven-slot grille and trapezoidal wheel arches. And two roof systems provide real open-air freedom from either a large electric sliding glass roof or the unique-to-segment ‘My Sky®’ – its two panels can be removed and stowed in the boot. With 11 exterior colours and a choice of six different wheel designs available, there is a Jeep Renegade to suit all tastes. Available in four different trim levels – Sport, Longitude, Limited and Trailhawk – the new Jeep Renegade comes equipped with fuel efficient petrol and turbo-diesel engines and offers the important business choice of full four-wheel drive or front-wheel drive configurations. With its strong style and personality, and offering the right size for both city and

The All-New Jeep® RenegadeExcellent on- and off-road handling, class leading space, high levels of equipment and Jeep brand’s lowest ever CO2 emissions, set the All-New Jeep Renegade apart from its company car and fleet rivals

AD

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countryside, the new Jeep Renegade has best-in-class interior roominess, excellent on-road driving dynamics and supreme off-road capabilities. In 4WD guise, the segment first rear-axle disconnect improves fuel efficiency further by using 4x4 only when necessary. Based on Jeep’s brand values of passion, adventure and freedom, the new Jeep Renegade offers fleet managers a whole new choice. Outstanding on the road, Renegade is different, exciting and extraordinary – a car that sets itself apart from its competitors, while offering real savings in terms of company car taxation and fuel economy. Well-appointedA host of standard equipment makes Renegade one of the best appointed cars in its segment. The Sport version gets air conditioning, steering wheel audio controls, DAB Radio, hands-free Bluetooth,60/40 fold down rear seat and 16-inch alloy wheels as standard, while the Longitude version adds cruise control with speed limiter, fog lamps, leather steering wheel, satellite navigation and 17-inch alloy wheels. Moving up the range, the Limited model adds Lane Departure Warning Plus and Forward Collision Mitigation Plus, rear parking sensors – all important items for busy company car users – as well as dual zone climate control, leather interiors, heated seats and 18-inch alloy wheels. And the most off-road capable Trailhawk version features off-road suspension, skid plates, hill descent control and all-weather mats. An impressive engine line-up, to satisfy large fleet and single business users’ needs, includes petrol and diesel units in a range of power outputs. Starting with the 110hp

1.6 E-Torq, the petrol range also includes MultiAir II engines (140hp and 170hp). Diesel engines range includes the 120hp 1.6 MultiJet and a powerful 2.0 MultiJet with 140hp and 170hp power outputs. More than 60 safety and security features are built into the new Jeep Renegade. Already awarded a Euro NCAP five star rating, the new Renegade has as standard, six airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Electronic Roll Mitigation (ERM). Additional safety features include the Forward Collision Mitigation Plus and Lane Departure Warning Plus systems, Blind-spot Monitoring with Rear Cross Path Detection and ParkView rear reversing camera. TechnologyHigh levels of technology feature throughout, with a range of communication, entertainment and navigation features and the segment’s largest full-colour instrument cluster. UConnect with up to a 6.5-inch touchscreen takes care of the voice operation of DAB enabled radio, mobile phone and the navigation system, and there’s also hands-free calling, text messaging and audio streaming. The new JEEP Renegade will be the small car making a big noise in the business and fleet markets this year. Starting at just £16,995 and with up to 61.4mpg and CO2 below 120g/km, it’s the complete company car package from the complete car manufacturer.

FURTHER INFORMATION

To find out more about contact Jeep’s business centre on 01753 519442, email [email protected] or visit www.jeep.co.uk/renegade


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There was much press coverage, toward the middle of last year, when the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) announced its plans to discontinue the paper counterpart to the current UK driving licence. Then other reports emerged that the DVLA had decided to delay this move until 8 June. This delay has an environmental impact, as the green consequences of the decision to delay the abolition of the counterpart are of course significant, given the quantities of paper used. However, a recently launched trade body called the ADLV (the Association for Driving Licence Verification), offers electronic checking already. The formation of this new body to promote electronic checking would seem to confirm that the paper license is already irrelevant. The ADLV was set up, to enable batch and ultimately online access to driver data. This professional electronic service has allowed many fleet managers to confirm driver data electronically. Even if the paper counterpart does hang around for a while, it will now simply be seen by many as an anachronistic hangover from a bygone day.

Member companiesThe ADLV has an excellent provenance too as members of this new association were already established providers of driver licence checking through the DVLA’s Electronic Driver Entitlement Checking Service [EDECS]. The service offered by the ADLV member companies through the formalisation of this grouping will provide employers with a new and comprehensive alternative for validating the driver entitlement data for their employees. The list of initial ADLV member organisations includes: The AA, Admin Business Solutions, Chalcheck Ltd, Descartes Systems UK Ltd, DriveTech (UK) Ltd, Drivercheck Ltd, DrivingMonitor, Fleet Claims Administration Ltd, Fleet Partnership Solutions Ltd, GB Group plc, Inchcape Fleet Solutions, Intelligent Data Systems (UK) Ltd, Interactive Driving Systems Ltd, Licence Bureau Ltd, Licence Check Ltd, and Pinewood Technologies. With the ADLV members’ existing relationship with the DVLA through EDECS, there is little doubting the quality of the standards these members all use in managing data for fleet customers. In addition the ADLV will audit its members to ensure they meet the DVLA’s own data assurance standards. Working on an online batch e-processing basis, subject to consent from the licence

holder, ADLV members supply customers with full licence details, have the ability to schedule data re-checks to monitor licence holders dependent on updated driver risk profiles. Users of the service also have access to comprehensive management information and reporting across a whole fleet.

Real time checkingLooking forwards, the ADLV is also now working closely with the DVLA on a new digital service for fleet customers to check driving licence data in real-time. Again subject to licence holder consent, this new secure digital web services alternative will enable ADLV members, and other organisations meeting DVLA requirements who sign up to the service, to perform 24/7 real-time licence checks for the first time. Ultimately, many expect that the new service could replace the DVLA’s current EDECS system, which is still used by members of the ADLV to provide secure driver licence information to many UK fleet operators of all sizes across UK industry. The new web service is nearing completion and is scheduled for launch early in 2015. Once available, this will mark a full and comprehensive move by the fleet sector to electronic checking.

Data quality and securityIf this move away from paper is to be truly successful in the long run, then the quality of driver data must continue to be exemplary. So since its launch, the ADLV has also been busy on driving data quality even further than the existing status quo. Most recently there has been an announcement that the association is to launch a new package of measures aimed at reinforcing the quality and security of driving licence data specifically for corporate fleet users. It is intended that the measures will form the first steps towards a new industry standard aimed at ensuring compliant and risk free access to licence data, once the paper counterpart finally does disappear. These new measures are also seen as a response to corporate fleet concerns over non-commercial licence checking services which some worry are open to potential misuse and

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abuse by staff which leaves their employers

at risk under current data protection legislation.

As Richard Payne-Gill, a director of the ADLV says: “Data

security and avoidance of data fraud are issues requiring sound governance. All corporate HR directors, risk specialists and fleet managers must adhere to only the highest standards of information security when it comes to their employee’s data. Any serious breach leaves them exposed to the law and potentially affects their reputation as an employer. DVLA is soon to introduce the Share

A move to electronic checkingWith the June 2015 abolition of the paper counterpart to the driving licence imminent, fleet managers should be aware that an electronic way to check employee’s driving entitlement is already available, writes the Association for Driving Licence Verification

Even

if the paper

counterpart does

hang around for

a while, it will

now be seen

as an anachronistic

hangover from a

bygone day


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My Driving Licence facility (SMDL), which will allow motorists to share up-to-date information electronically about their own individual driving entitlement. The ADLV has shared its concerns with the DVLA about allowing the driver to produce a PDF version of their record, which could easily be manipulated and still allows for the document to be printed out on paper. However the DVLA itself does not see a printed PDF as having a legal status in its own right. “Without training, companies may inadvertently accept the printed document as proof of entitlement to drive, not understanding they still need to check further online. That’s why for compliance

purposes, organisations must check online to be safe. So to ensure safety, corporate users should now use the ADLV’s online services, which are equipped to deal with employers that need batch checking for reasons of organisational efficiency rather than a single transactional service. “The new package of measures also includes a membership roadmap to ISO 27001 compliance and the addition of e-consent for ID Assurance; ensuring an individual’s identity is properly verified before sensitive personal information is accessed.” “As corporate users cannot accept any risk, especially when it comes to employee

data, they have welcomed the professional, independent licence verification services provided initially by members of the ADLV. Where corporate fleet managers use an ADLV member, it reduces such security risks and reduces the environmental impact by removing the need for a driver to give written consent for a licence check. In addition, by using the services of an ADLV member, the possibility of someone playing fast and loose with driver licence data is history.”

Welcomed by the industryIn conclusion, the emergence of these new electronic systems is being welcomed by fleet managers, who became aware and concerned that the date for the abolition of the paper licence was delayed until 8 June. To the ADLV, the delay is irrelevant as the time for many fleets to change their processes is now. Consequently, the ADLV has issued a call to action recommending that fleet managers evaluate available commercial online alternatives now to reap immediate and significant efficiency savings as well as data security enhancements. As the ADLV chair Malcolm Maycock comments: “The benefits of electronic checking are already available and proven so why wait until someone decides a date for the inevitable abolition of the paper counterpart? Organisations who are seeking to professionally manage and protect their employees’ driver data or who are seeking to follow the most environmentally sound route should make the move to electronic checking now.” To ensure that all parties are aware of the new best practice, the ADLV focus in 2015 will be to contact fleet managers to recommend that they make the move to electronic verification now instead of waiting for confirmation of when the paper counterpart is to be abolished.So the benefits of this move to an electronic replacement are just as clear for best practice and data security reasons as it is for environmental reasons. Malcolm Maycock continues: “There is an enormous willingness by all the main groups involved, including those with green criteria, to support the work of the ADLV in delivering a best practice approach to driving licence verification for fleets which includes e-consent, removing the requirement for a driver to give written (paper) consent. The green lobby is one of the main sources of staunch support as for them, it makes no sense that we are still even attempting to use paper in the early twenty-first century. The ADLV addresses this environmental faux pas fully and has effectively brought best practice right up to date.” With the launch of the ADLV therefore, it does seem that there has been a fundamental change in the way fleets can now verify driver data and licences and that this is driven by a combination of best practice, data security and green criteria.

FURTHER INFORMATION

www.adlv.co.uk


Scottish councils have come out on top as having the most electric vehicles on their fleet, according to a study looking into which councils in the UK own electric vehicles. Freedom of information requests were sent by Intelligent Car Leasing to 433 councils across the UK to find out if they own any electric vehicles, and 95 per cent responded. The study found that around one third (34 per cent) have at least one electric vehicle. And out of the top five local authorities with the highest number of electric vehicles, four of them are in Scotland. Dundee City Council had the highest number of purely electric vehicles, with 38 in local operation during the last quarter of 2014. South Lanarkshire came second with 24 electric vehicles, closely followed by City of Glasgow, with 22. Fife Council was in the fifth spot with 17, beaten by the London Borough of Islington in fourth position with 19.

Scottish ambitionsPerhaps the reason for Scotland’s success is the government’s pledge in 2013 for the country’s towns and cities to be free of emissions from petrol and diesel vehicles by 2050. This ambitious vision was revealed in

its roadmap to plug-in vehicles, Switched On Scotland. It says that electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will make a substantial contribution to this ambition. The roadmap includes pledges to install charge points at all main government buildings and to replace Scottish government vehicles with plug-in vehicles, where appropriate, as part of the ongoing vehicle replacement cycle. What’s more, it says it will support public sector fleet operators to access evidence-based analysis to create new opportunities for the deployment of plug-in vehicles.

Top of the list: DundeeDundee City Council has 38 plug-in vehicles on the road, with a mixture of cars and vans which are used across many departments, from corporate laundry, joiners, painters, supervisors and pool cars. This is supported by an increasing recharging infrastructure which currently includes two rapid chargers. A further two rapid chargers were announced in October 2014 thanks to a £22k Transport Scotland grant.

At the time of the announcement, environment convener Councillor

Craig Melville said: “This is another important step

in our commitment to

Top of the EV listOne third of councils across the UK have at least one electric vehicle on its fleet, according to a new study. But which councils have the most? Scotland takes the lead with Dundee City Council in the top spot, and three other Scottish councils in the top five

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environmentally friendly transport. These additional charging points will help us to keep up the momentum for electric cars in Dundee by making them even more accessible.”

South LanarkshireSouth Lanarkshire Council’s electric vehicle fleet includes plug-in cars, an electric van, and two electric street sweepers. The sweepers are deployed within the Council’s town centres and precincts, replacing the previous diesel powered sweepers and are used on a daily basis. Although initially sceptical over ability and battery performance, feedback from the employees using the electric sweepers has been very positive and all comment on the reduced noise and emissions allowing the units to operate at times the previous diesel powered units could not. Members of the public have often commented on the use of the electric sweepers and the improvement this has made to the local environment. Although heavier diesel powered sweepers are still required, these are concentrated on the more demanding areas. Also within the area, Strathclyde Fire & Rescue Service bought an electric vehicle for its community fire station and national training head quarters in Cambuslang, while NHS Lanarkshire has taken on two electric Scottish

councils have

come out on top

as having the most

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vans to provide services to local hospitals.The two remaining Scottish Councils in the top five list is City of Glasgow Council at the third spot, and Fife Council at number five. Both councils have a fleet of electric vehicles and charge points, with a growing charging infrastructure.

Islington’s green fleetThe first English council on the list, at the number four slot, is the London Borough of Islington, who scooped last year’s Public Sector fleet of the Year Award in the medium to large category at the GreenFleet Awards. The council’s electric fleet is powered by renewable wind energy. It’s highways maintenance department runs an electric van which is the first vehicle on call for emergency repairs in the night due to its virtually silent operation. What’s more, council staff are able to use bicycles and electric scooters for getting around the borough.The fact that over one third of councils in the UK having at least one electric vehicle is a very promising outlook, according to Intelligent Car Lease. At the end of the report, the company said: “Electric vehicles are still expensive to obtain, even when taking into account government grants and incentives. Therefore many of the local authorities across the UK are presenting themselves as real early adopters; taking up this promising technology at an early stage in its life-cycle.” It expects even greater uptake as more renewable energy comes onto the grid: “In the UK there is a huge drive to increase renewable energy production (in Scotland there’s a target to make electricity production 100 per cent renewable by 2020). This is making electricity a cleaner form of energy all

the time; meaning in a few years from now the benefits of driving an electric powered vehicle will be huge for the environment.”

FURTHER INFORMATION

To see the report, visit tinyurl.com/ord2v6f

Top ten councils with the highest number of electric vehicles:

1 Dundee City Council 38 2 South Lanarkshire Council 24 3 City of Glasgow Council 22 4 London Borough of Islington 19 5 Fife Council 17 6 Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council 16 7 Newcastle upon Tyne City Council 16 8 Oxford City Council 14 9 North Lanarkshire Council 14 10 Lewes District Council 12

GreenFleet Scotland

After six very successful years, GreenFleet Scotland returns to the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh on 10 April to allow fleet managers to test drive the latest low and zero‑emission vehicles.

There will be over 70 low-carbon, hybrid and electric vehicles available on the day. What’s more, visitors will be able to attend seminars, with presentations on the latest government legislation, grants and offers, innovative technology and alternative fuels, such as hydrogen. Delegates can also take part in the Fuel Efficient Driving Experience (FEDEx), where we look to establish Scotland’s most frugal drivers of a combustion engine vehicle. And for the first time this year, there will be an EV Challenge to decide the most frugal electric vehicle driver, with an EV technician measuring the real-time energy used over a 40-mile trial. GreenFleet Scotland is made possible through a partnership with Transport Scotland, the Energy Saving Trust, and Scottish Enterprise.

Register at events.greenfleet.net/scotlandNinth-placed North Lanarkshire Council

took delivery of 12 pure-electric Mitsubishi i-MiEVs in 2011 to extend its pool car fleet


Highest-scoring electric vehicle councils

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Delivering Christmas 2014 was a trying time for many freight and logistics operators across the UK; despite the economy at last seeing an up-turn with reported significant growth, which businesses had been waiting a long time for, there was a genuine concern over who is going to deliver the goods. As the e-commerce explosion continues and consumer spending rises, more people are clearly buying goods – particularly online which in turn means the requirement for them to be delivered increasing too, and as a result there is a real worry for the logistics sector as there simply aren’t enough qualified professional drivers to do the job.

Driver shortageLorry drivers are growing in demand as the economy picks up and increasing numbers of people take advantage of home deliveries. However, an ageing workforce and the unwillingness of some drivers to undergo expensive training for a new licence – Driver CPC (DCPC) – which came into effect on 10 September 2014, there is a shortfall of tens of thousands of trained drivers.

Who will drive our lorries?As consumer spending on goods – particularly online – increases, so does the requirement for them to be delivered. But in the logistics sector, there is a real worry that there simply are not enough qualified professional drivers. Julie Maddocks from the Freight Transport Association investigates the problem

Written by Julie M

addocks from the Freight Transport Association

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In the past fleet managers have turned to their employment agencies to supply temporary drivers to meet the peak demand periods, but recent surveys of agency driver availability suggest that this year will be different – as there simply won’t be enough drivers to deliver the goods. The problem became more significant last year following the introduction of DCPC and the knock-on effects following the September deadline, as all HGV drivers in scope of the regulation are required to have completed 35 hours approved training, and be in possession of a Driver Qualification Card (DQC) issued by DVLA. Whilst most transport operators paid for the DCPC training on behalf of their permanent employees, the concern is over the ‘freelance’ agency drivers with the expectation being that these haven’t paid out for their own training.

ConcernsPrior to the introduction of Driver CPC agencies in FTA’s Driver Agency Accreditation

Scheme reported high levels of readiness exceeding 90 per cent, but also told of their concern regarding the more elderly, and experienced drivers who were not Driver CPC compliant, and therefore were

looking to leave the industry or move on to other driving work which

didn’t require the training. The subject was

highlighted and discussed by members attending the FTA Transport Manager Conference series 2014. At each of the twelve events held by the Association, over

85 per cent of delegates reported that the shortage

of drivers in the UK is a massive problem, and that

they are worried how the freight industry will cope moving forward.

FTA has added that it is not only the issue of Driver CPC which has caused the driver shortage problem, but with the added cost of licence acquisition at approximately £3,000, people are unable to pay for this independently. Worries over missed deliveries due to the shortage of qualified drivers could trigger a series of responses as fleet managers take steps to avoid that problem – and one likely outcome could be the increase of wages to entice those drivers who are qualified into contracts that can afford to pay them. E

Lorry drivers

are growing

in demand as

increasing numbers

of people take

advantage of

home

deliveries


The future in-vehicle monitoring technology VEHCAM – Highly innovative commercial vehicle camera monitoring solution. This exciting and newly developed product offers up to six cameras, including a reversing camera, live tracker, vehicle diagnostics, Speed and GPS to name just a few. VEHCAM Ltd, have many years’ experience in installing and developing in-vehicle camera systems to suit any company’s needs. “Customers benefit from our knowledge and experience throughout the entire process – from initial enquiry through to being assigned an Account Manager to assist with the management of your system.

Our team of Risk Consultants hold Class C+E driving licences and are experienced in monitoring and analysing the data that your VEHCAM will generate. The system ensures we are able to detect areas for improvement, helps to identify areas in the driver’s skills that could be improved and shows where the driver could have made “a better choice”. This data goes a long way in helping to reduce vehicle accidents, as well as ensuring that vehicle goods are handled in accordance with SWP’s to reduce injuries and stock damage”. Through the Web Access Platform clients can view their data 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

www.vehcam.com Tel: 0845 140 0201

Isla Components specialises in the manufacture of wiper arms & linkages.

Isla have a large range of wiper blades. It also offers conventional blades, upgrade blades, commercial blades, rear arms and blades for cars and the new type of flat blades for both car and LCV. This range incorporates a “Multi‑Fit Adapter” system, that covers 86% of the market place.

The commercial blades include a range of heavy duty hook blades (9x4 & 12x4 adapters), spray jet blades, with the jet fixed to the blade frame, also a range of saddle fitting blades, from 20” (500mm) to 48” (1200mm).

Isla manufacturer a variety of wiper arms for all types of PSV vehicles and CCTV cameras used in different industries & environments.Isla have an extensive range of replacement wiper motor & washer pumps for PSV vehicles.

Isla also supplies an extensive range of replacement wiper arms, blades,wiper motors & washer bottles for the Plant & Agricultural sectors.

Isla are able to offer “own branding solutions”.

Our knowledge is extensive, our range is forever increasing! We are an accredited company to ISO9001.

The Wiper Specialists!

Tel: 01885 485950www.islacomponents.co.uk

Email: [email protected]

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Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) regulations came into force for new HGV drivers in 2009 when vocational drivers were required to complete 35 hours of periodic training every five years. Existing vocational drivers at that time were granted until today to undergo the same training. Driving without the qualification carries a maximum fine of £1,000 – for both the driver and operator licence holders. Sally Gilson, FTA’s skills policy development manager said: “When the cost is looked at carefully it is perhaps little wonder that would-be drivers are not coming forward; add to this the insurance problems for younger drivers and industry is finding it hard to bring young blood in. FTA is asking why can’t vocational training have the same loan system as university students? If we are going to help the skills shortage, government must not belittle vocational training.”

Tackling the problemIn order to tackle the driver shortage problem – FTA has announced it is to hold an Industry Summit – ‘Solving the driver Crisis’ at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry on 12 March 2015. The free-to-attend event will bring together government officials, professional HR advisors and experienced

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operators to work towards solutions. It will focus on how big the problem is to the industry; how to improve the perceptions of professional driving and will investigate sources of Government funding and how to apply for it. Ms Gilson added: “The driver shortage problem wasn’t just for Christmas. It will be with us for far longer than that. We are facing a long-term challenge to attract and recruit sufficient people to professional driving. We need to up our game in recruitment practices and start addressing some deep seated problems in the industry. We also need to ensure Government and other agencies are on our side and that we make best use of the support and funding that is already available.” In addition, FTA has been a leading provider of quality training to its members and will continue to identify the most practical, efficient and cost effective way to manage Driver CPC programmes in the future, providing training solutions to suit individual business requirements and driver training needs.

FURTHER INFORMATION

www.fta.co.uk/services/training

Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC)

The Driver CPC is for LGV and PCV drivers who drive professionally throughout the UK. It has been developed as a requirement of the EU Directive 2003/59, which is designed to improve the knowledge and skills of professional LGV and PCV drivers throughout their working life. There are two parts to the legislation:

The Initial Qualification must be achieved by new LGV and PCV drivers along with their vocational licence to enable them to use their licence professionally. Periodic training, consisting of 35 hours of training every 5 years, must be attended by all professional drivers.

The Freight Transport Association has announced that it has entered into a partnership arrangement with City & Guilds in order to ‘fill the void’ of skills development in the logistics sector. FTA has said that it believes that the logistics industry has been ‘overlooked by government’ for funding to support vocational training because of the absence of a nationally recognised qualification framework. FTA’s partnership with City & Guilds will provide nationally recognised qualifications across a range of professions with the aim of providing a more complete range of skills development opportunities in the logistics sector. James Hookham, FTA’s managing director of Policy and Communications said:“The logistics sector has been overlooked by government for too long for skills funding, partly because it lacks a national vocational training structure or recognised qualification structure. FTA’s partnership with City & Guilds will aim to deliver that and help fill the void in skills development opportunities in the logistics sector.” The first of the FTA/City & Guilds qualifications will be for Commercial Vehicle Fleet Management and a level 3 qualification, equivalent to current Transport Manager CPC, will be launched during 2015.

FTA partners with City & Guilds for skills training

An ageing workforce and the unwillingness of some drivers to undergo expensive training for a new licence – Driver CPC (DCPC) – which came into effect on 10 September 2014, there is a shortfall of tens of thousands of trained drivers


NEW VIVAROBEST IN CLASS

BUILT TO TAKE IT ALLWelcome to a whole new van for a whole new world of work. The latest award-winning BiTurbo engines deliver more power, torque and economy. FlexCargo gives you class-leading load length. And a new design means it’ll take any job in its stride. No wonder What Van? has awarded the New Vivaro Medium Van of the Year for 2015.

Call 0845 740 0777 or visit vauxhall.co.uk/newvivaro

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The UK’s BiggestCommercial Vehicle ShowThe number one road transport and logistics event in Britain,

catering for every operator’s business needs, the CV Show is the

leading meeting place for suppliers and operators alike – a true one

stop shop for the industry.

Located at the NEC, at the heart of the motorway network,

the Show is open from 08:30 to 17:30 April 14 – 16.

www.cvshow.com

Get your FREE ticketRegister todaywww.cvshow.com

Exhibitor enquiries call+44 (0) 20 7630 2102

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The Commercial Vehicle Show is the UK’s largest and most comprehensive road transport, distribution and logistics event, providing visitors with the opportunity to fulfil all their sourcing needs under one roof. From truck, van, trailer and fork lift manufacturers through to the ancillary service providers that include insurers, tyre, telematics and training providers, fuels and lubricants suppliers, there really will be something for all the industry. This year’s Commercial Vehicle takes place on the 14-16 April at Birmingham’s NEC.

The shop window for CV buyersFrom truck, van, trailer and fork lift manufacturers through to the ancillary service providers, the Commercial Vehicle Show this April offers something for everyone in the transport, distribution and logistics industry

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Exhibitors will show their latest products and services and include vehicle manufacturers Citroën, DAF, Fiat, Ford, Hino, Isuzu, Iveco, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot and Vauxhall – as well as the largest number of trailer and tanker manufacturers under one roof for nearly a decade. What’s more, to ensure vehicles are kept running at maximum efficiency, Workshop in Hall 4 will be exhibiting a massive range of products covering everything from OE components and replacement parts to maintenance management systems, garage,

workshop and bodyshop equipment. Similarly, a huge range of refrigerated vehicles and bodywork, side by side with the latest fridge units, monitoring equipment and other products specific to cold chain operations will be found in the Cool sector in Hall 3a. The 2015 CV Show has been accredited with international status from the automotive industry’s global body, OICA, the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles.

The pull of trailers & tankersThis year there will be more tankers and trailers on display than have been seen since the pre-recession Show of 2008. Key players in this particular sector will include Cartwright Group, Doll Fahrzeugbau, Don-Bur, Lawrence David, Montracon, SDC, Tiger Trailers and Van Hool. Show organisers are particularly pleased to see Don-Bur return to the CV Show after a seven year absence, with the company describing its trailer as a real ‘showstopper’. Familiar CV Show faces John and Steven Cartwright will be there with their new company, Tiger Trailers. “The decision by John and me to leave our positions in the Cartwright family business was driven by our desire to lead the company 100 per cent and to make significant changes for its future success,” said joint managing director, Steven Cartwright. According to sales director Darren Holland, a new manufacturer of this scale has not been generated in decades. “This has got to be good news for all prospective purchasers. Our first confirmed orders will be delivered during September and we invite all customers to visit us either at the factory or at the CV Show.” Tanker manufacturers will also be turning out in force and include Felbinder UK, Fuller Tankers, G Magyar, Maisonneuve, RTN Group, Van Hool and Whale.

New van launchesThe all-new Vauxhall Corsavan will make its UK debut at the event. It comes equipped with an array of Euro-6 compliant petrol and diesel engines, offering economy up to 83.1mpg and CO2 emissions as low as 90g/km. The revised model continues in the tradition of its predecessor, bringing class-leading payload and a flat loading capacity of 920 litres. Despite the space, the Corsavan remains compact enough to fit into tight parking spaces and narrow city streets. Driver ergonomics have been improved, with new seats featuring increased support, durability and extended travel, as well as reduced noise, harshness and vibration. Vauxhall has also added its advanced new IntelliLink infotainment smartphone connectivity to the dashboard, making the Corsavan more practical for businesses on the move. The new Mercedes-Benz Vito will also be present at the Commercial Vehicle Show. Making its public debut at the 2014 Hannover Commercial Vehicle Show in September it is expected to go on sale in the UK in March 2015. Exterior styling has been completely re-designed to


BG 9300 VIA SystemNew BG Air Intake and Emissions System Service Cleans from the air intake, right through the engine to the DPF

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bring Vito in line with the manufacturer’s two other LCVs; Citan and Sprinter. The new Vito comes in a choice of front- or rear-wheel drive; a first for the 2.8 – 3.2 tonne panel van market sector. On average Mercedes reckons there’s an improvement in fuel consumption of 20 per cent compared to the current Vito line-up. FIAT Professional will launch its new FIAT Doblò Cargo to a UK audience at the Commercial Vehicle Show. Originally unveiled at the 2014 Hanover International Motor Show last year, the new fourth-generation FIAT Doblò features a fresh exterior design, improved engine performance and a new EcoJet version engineered to lower fuel consumption and reduced running costs even further. The Doblò will also be the first vehicle to bear the FIAT Professional logo on its tailgate, a signature which will appear on all FIAT Professional commercial vehicles in the future.

Ancillary services PCL will attend the Commercial Vehicle Show following its successful debut at the show last year. The company will showcase its comprehensive range of tyre inflators and workshop equipment, designed specifically for use in a commercial vehicle workshop. Following a successful year since its launch the innovative NEXUS is becoming an established name, gaining a reputation for providing cost-effective nitrogen delivery and its world-renowned digital inflation technology which provides a guaranteed inflation accuracy of ± 0.5%. This enables customers to benefit from superfast nitrogen inflation from their existing air supply without needing to buy, store and handle expensive nitrogen bottles. The chief advantages of nitrogen’s properties compared to air in a tyre are that it can offer extended tyre casing and rim life along with improved fuel efficiency. More importantly, due to its inert properties, it provides increased safety in high temperature environments. What’s more, ATS Euromaster is going to celebrate its 50th anniversary in style at the 2015 Commercial Vehicle Show with its biggest ever stand; 25 per cent bigger than last year. The tyre and vehicle maintenance specialist has attended the CV Show for more than 10 consecutive years and is keen to celebrate five decades’ of success as well as promoting the full range of expertise it offers to van and truck customers. The Commercial Vehicle Show is owned by The CV Show LLP comprising the Road Haulage Association, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and IRTE Services, the trading company of the Society of Operations Engineers.

FURTHER INFORMATION

www.cvshow.com

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Now available on your tablet device......

app.greenfleet.net

GreenFleet magazine is now available on iOS and Android platforms, offering an interactive experience for fleet managers and those responsible for keeping transport emissions to a minimum.

Download your free copy from

Now available on your tablet device......

app.greenfleet.net

GreenFleet magazine is now available on iOS and Android platforms, offering an interactive experience for fleet managers and those responsible for keeping transport emissions to a minimum.

Download your free copy from

In the race to be competitive, all car manufacturers are challenged at many levels. Linked to the global commitment towards the preservation of the planet, overall CO2 output is one of the most important comparable priorities. Peugeot has long held a priority for producing low CO2 vehicles. Admittedly this is helped by the popularity of the company’s small car offering however, since Peugeot now offers a wide range of cars and LCV’s, the fact that we have long been amongst the lead producers of low CO2 vehicles is all the more impressive. The latest ranking, which measures 28 European countries, puts the PSA Group (whose product Brands include DS and Citroën as well as Peugeot) in first place, with an average CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Emissions) rating of 110.5g/km. Eight model rangePeugeot specifically has an even lower CAFE rating at 109.1g/km, which given that we offer an eight-model range (108, 208, 308, 508, 2008, 3008, 5008 & RCZ), is nothing short of remarkable. Clearly the powertrain is at the heart of what can be achieved and Peugeot is blessed with outstanding engines and gearboxes. 50-years ago in June 1965 Peugeot set 40 endurance records demonstrating how its diesel-powered 404 was capable of being both durable and economical. Today we are known the world over for our capable and compact diesel-powered engines. Our latest ‘BlueHDi’ engines, found in the 2014 European Car-of-the-Year-winning Peugeot 308 had a CO2

The race for efficiencyMartin Gurney, fleet director at Peugeot, explains some of the challenges and opportunities facing the automotive industry in terms of CO2 emissions

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output starting and just 82g/km – lower than some hybrid cars – which will be sub 80g/km before the end of this year. However Peugeot recognises that in these ever-challenging times, having the best of one fuel type isn’t enough. Which serves to show that the arrival of our new PureTech 3-cylinder petrol engines is well-timed. Utilising a compact design and by minimising friction losses with three, not the conventional four, cylinders, in conjunction with an advanced stage of tune made possible by using the latest combustion technology and direct fuel injection, the 1.0 and 1.2-litre versions offer impressive power choices between 68hp and 130hp. Inspired designThe Peugeot 308’s efficiency and inspired design delivers low CO2 and pro-rata great economy. The PureTech petrol engine in the top-of-the-range turbocharged 1.2-litre THP 130 has CO2 at 107g/km and recently demonstrated great things: a new record for fuel economy in an officially-witnessed test that achieved 99.1mpg and 1124.7 miles on its 51.4-litre tank of fuel, conducted over 32-hours of continuous driving. It’s proof that a light foot can bring results. Peugeot has, over 126-years since its first car, developed many alternative-fuel and hybrid solutions. With the VLV electric car of 1942, the 106 and iON and more recently with the Partner Electric we have gained considerable experience with this energy propellant, and this has evolved into hybrids. HYbrid4 was a world-first in 2012, combining the accomplished diesel engine with electric motors. By also driving the rear wheels, the

HYbrid4 delivers a host of product virtues: four-wheel drive, enhanced economy, low CO2 (presently from 88g/km), 200hp, with zero-emission, Sport and Auto modes. Hybrids are now much more commonplace and each manufacturer has its own applications for design layout and product features, though HYbrid4 in 3008 Crossover, 508 Saloon and 508 RXH does it with the most versatility. But all these virtues, come at a cost and weight penalty, not ideal for the small and compact, urban car. No one has yet developed an unlimited-range alternative but one from Peugeot could be just around the corner… The 208 HYbrid Air Demonstrator is a dynamic assessment vehicle housing a potentially revolutionary hybrid solution. Optimised for the prospect of being driven primarily in city/urban driving, it cleverly utilises a compressed air tank to capture energy otherwise wasted in deceleration to re-propel it from a start or to supplement acceleration. Using two litres of fuel per 100km, equivalent to 141mpg, it is derived from a production version of the Peugeot 208 1.2-litre PureTech 82hp 5-seater Hatchback. The standard gearbox has been replaced by a hybrid drive system featuring a mix of petrol and compressed air, driven by hydraulics. HYbrid Air technology combines two types of energy to achieve greater efficiency depending on the driving conditions. The compressed Nitrogen gas is used to assist and even replace the petrol engine to enable maximum efficiency during transition phases, such as acceleration and starts. In Air (ZEV) mode, the car runs on compressed gas alone. This method of driving does not consume fuel and gives off no CO2 emissions, making it ideal for urban environments. In Petrol mode, the car is powered only by the 1.2-litre petrol engine. This is more suitable for travelling at a steady speed on main roads and motorways. The Combined mode is designed for transition phases in urban environments where it draws on the two energy sources in proportions adjusted to achieve optimal fuel consumption. The compressed-air tank is recharged when slowing down (while braking or taking the foot off the pedal) or by part use of the energy developed by the three-cylinder petrol engine to compress the air. Both methods can achieve maximum pressure in just 10 seconds. It’s good to know that when it comes to innovative, economical and environmental behaviour, Peugeot indeed has a solution, and no doubt, a mind to succeed.

FURTHER INFORMATION

www.business.peugeot.co.uk


Electric vehicles are set to play an important role in the future of business mobility. But are they right for you?

With AlphaElectric, we’ve applied some very clever thinking to help you answer that very question to incorporate EVs seamlessly into your fleet.

We can help you to discover if and how EVs can fit into your fleet, which vehicles to select and how to implement a workable charging infrastructure. And should your drivers require access to a combustion vehicle on occasion, we offer a choice of packages.

Talk to us today, plug into our expertise, and take your electric fleet a great deal further.

AlphaElectric. It’s all part of our vision for the future of mobility.

Business Mobility is Going Electric.

Find out more:

Tel: 0370 50 50 100Email: [email protected] www.alphabet.co.uk

After the resounding success of the inaugural GreenFleet North West event last year at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, Aintree racecourse will now play host to GreenFleet North West 2015 on the 26th February. It will allow fleet managers to hear the latest updates in the electric vehicle infrastructure market in the North West, from key industry players including Jonathan Mitchell, head of policy at Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and Councillor Ron Abbey for Merseytravel.After the seminar session, which will be chaired by motoring journalist and TV presenter Quentin Wilson, delegates will break out for closed group sessions with the major electric/hybrid motor manufacturers and related companies, to discuss any electric vehicle concerns and share experiences. There is then the opportunity to test drive the vehicles the manufacturers have to offer, such as the BMW i3 and Nissan Leaf, so delegates can experience for themselves how electric vehicles really perform. The breakout sessions will be hosted by BMW, Tesla, Nissan, Peugeot, Alphabet, Mitsubishi, and RouteMonkey, and additional expertise will be on hand from EDF energy, Co-Wheels and ULEMCo.

Group seminarThe group seminar will kick-off with OLEV’s Jonathan Mitchell sharing the latest in government grants and how local authorities are invited to bid for a share of the £35 million go ultra low city scheme, which they can use in a range of ways to support ultra-low emission vehicles.Councillor Ron Abbey from Merseytravel will share his vision on why low carbon transport is a priority for the City Region, including air quality issues, and details on

the electric vehicle charging point network (recharge). An overview

will also be given on all low carbon activities

the City Region have been involved in, such as the

Green Bus Fund and the Nissan Leaf’s Merseytravel have in their fleet.

Nigel Trotman, Alphabet’s strategic fleet consultant, will discuss the company’s consultancy service, called AlphaElectric, which addresses the main barriers that have so far hampered the adoption of electric vehicles (EV) in the UK.Nigel will aim to dispel many of the myths about plug-in vehicles, such as availability of charging points, range anxiety and safety. Nigel will also take one of the closed-room sessions allowing delegates to get the answers to those burning EV questions.RouteMonkey will be taking one of the closed-group sessions and will highlight how scheduling and optimisation software, specifically designed for EVs can help you get the most out of electric vehicles.The company’s optimisation software uses complex algorithms to calculate the impact of a wide range of factors on EV range capability. These include payload, average speed, ambient temperature, route topography and driver style. Optimising the use of EVs

in this way helps fleets to accomplish the most electric miles possible.

Test drivesThe eagerly anticipated

i3 – BMW’s first electric car – will be available for test drive. The vehicle was designed from

the ground up as a battery electric vehicle and is the result of years of real world trials of the MINI E and the BMW ActiveE. With a range of up to 100 miles in the standard ‘Comfort’ driving mode, the BMW i3 more than covers the typical driving demands for commuting. If you need the reassurance of being able to drive further, a BMW i3 with a range extender increases the range to up to 186 miles and this will also be available to test drive at GreenFleet North West.

Nissan will be showcasing by the ever-popular Leaf in addition to the e-NV200, Nissans new electric commercial vehicle, and this award winning workhorse can transform your business as one of the most economical commercial vehicles ever produced.

Peugeot will have the iOn on offer… Forget your notions about electric performance, as it can accelerate from 18-35mph in just 3.5s and with a range for 93 miles it’s perfect for urban life. As an alternative to the e-NV200, Peugeot will have their electric Partner available to test drive. It combines all the features which have already made the Partner a great commercial success (currently the UK’s best-selling small van) with modern and attractive styling, great modularity and practicality, and now with the driving experience of an electric drivetrain.

Tesla will also be presenting their highly sought after Model S, which boasts over 300 electric miles on one full charge, and combined with the comfort, style and acceleration (can hit 0-60mph in 4.2 seconds) makes for a truly superb electric vehicle.

For more information on how you can attend this exciting event, please email [email protected] or visit events.reenfleet.net/north-west

The EV forum for the North WestTaking the form of a seminar, closed-room sessions and test drives, GreenFleet North West will allow fleet managers from the Merseyside area to assess whether electric and plug-in vehicles are right for their business

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FURTHER INFORMATION

Tesla

will also

be presenting

the highly-sought

Model S, which

boasts over 300

electric miles

on one full

charge

Peugeot Partner Electric


We live in a technology-packed world, where all manner of information is available at the click of a mouse, by a swipe of a smartphone, or by all-encompassing connectivity. Electric vehicles are starting to make small in-roads and seem a logical step for the digital world we live in today. But imagine how illogical and futuristic they seemed 30 years ago. Last month, the Sinclair C5 celebrated its 30th birthday. Launched to great fanfare on 10 January 1985 at a high-profile glitzy event at London’s Alexandra Palace, the C5 was a three-wheeled electric vehicle aimed at revolutionising city centre transport.

20-mile rangeTechnically an electrically-powered tricycle, the Sinclair C5 was the brainchild of technology entrepreneur and inventor Clive Sinclair. More widely known for his early 1980s computer systems, Sinclair saw the C5 as an alternative and inexpensive form of transport for drivers who regularly travelled alone, either in their cars, on their bicycles or by bus. The launch price was £399 plus

£29 delivery – at the time, the cheapest 998cc Austin Mini City E was £3,298. The C5 was mail order only, arriving in a cardboard box, and it was claimed that the C5 could be driven for five miles on one penny’s worth of electricity or 1,000 miles for the contemporary price of a gallon of fuel. Range on a single charge was said to be 20 miles. Appearing the same as a regular car battery, the C5’s battery was a ‘deep discharge’ unit, meaning it could be recharged hundreds of times with no noticeable loss of performance. It could be charged to full capacity from flat in eight hours.

While dabbling in electric vehicles since the early 1970s, Sinclair’s development of C5 didn’t commence properly until 1979. With regulations introduced in 1983 to enable an electric vehicle with a top speed of 15mph close to Sinclair’s already progressed specifications to be marketed and sold, the development process was stepped up. Sinclair himself raised £12 million to fund escalating costs, and in May 1983, Sinclair Vehicles Ltd was formed with Lotus Cars contracted to push the C5 through the final few hurdles. Hoover in Merthyr Tydfil was contracted to

Together in electric dreamsAhead of its time, or just a whimsical folly? The Sinclair C5 was set to revolutionise the urban landscape and provide emission-free, personal transport. So why didn’t it? On its 30th anniversary, we take a ride in Sir Clive Sinclair’s first electric vehicle

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manufacture the C5 with Italian company Polymotor supplying the electric motors. It’s an urban myth that C5s are powered by washing machine motors, although Hoover engineers were trained to service the C5.

Futuristic yet retroThe C5 stands 2’ 7” high and in 2015 looks both futuristic yet fantastically retro at the same time. There’s no question as to which decade it hails from, thanks to its streamlined

white injection-moulded polypropylene body and Tron-like wheel covers,

grey and yellow graphics and faired-in, single headlamp.

The biggest concern is that there is no roof, a ‘weather cheater’ poncho being available as an extra-cost option. But, it was practical to a point, having a 28-litre flip-out luggage ‘boot’ on

the back of the driver’s seat. Contemporary accessories

included a second battery, side screens for better bad weather

protection, a reflector mounted on tall poles for better third party vision – the ‘High-Vis Mast’, a booster cushion for smaller drivers, wing mirrors, a turning indicator kit, C5-branded mudflaps and ‘designer-style’ clothing and tonneau cover.

Unnerving yet funDriving a C5 today must be as unnerving as it was fun back in 1985. Clamber aboard

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The

Sinclair C5

stands just

2’ 7” high and

in 2015 looks

both futuristic yet

fantastically retro

at the

same time

Sinclair planned a wholerange of electrically-powered vehicles

Download the

GreenFleet app at

app.greenfleet.net

for more images and

content


Sir Clive Sinclair: an electronic pioneerBorne in 1940, Sir Clive Sinclair founded Sinclair Radionics in 1961 and produced the first slim-line electronic pocket calculator – the Sinclair Executive – in 1972.

In 1981 Sinclair Research Limited was formed and the Sinclair ZX81 home computer was released at £49.95 as a kit or £69.95 ready-built. It is widely credited as the first mass-market home computer for less than £100. April 1982 saw the successful ZX Spectrum launched, priced at £125 for the 16KB RAM version and £175 for the 48KB model. Knighted in 1983, Sinclair then launched the Sinclair QL computer for business users, while the ZX Spectrum saw upgrades to become the ZX Spectrum 128 in 1985. It was in 1985 that Sinclair Vehicles LTD was formed. After the C5’s commercial failure, Sinclair Vehicles put its efforts into other forms of personal transport including the A-bike, a lightweight folding bike for commuters, the 1992 Zike electric bicycle and the Zeta bicycle motor. The Sinclair trademark and computer business was sold in 1986 to Amstrad for £5 million.

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publicity video of 1985 fool you – it’s not all smiles, ponchos and wind-in-the-hair motoring. More often than not, in a typical UK climate, ‘driving’ the C5 would be a cold and draughty experience. And this was just one reason why it failed. That and the dwarfed feeling drivers would experience if an HGV sidled up alongside them...

Sales disasterOf course, one of the joys of the C5 was that it could be piloted with no driving licence and anyone could drive one as long as they were fourteen. But sadly not many people did. Claims of production numbers vary wildly, with between 9,000-17,000 made according to ‘official’ figures. Sinclair the company had forecast annual sales of around 100,000 units. Wildly optimistic or a foolhardy belief in the

Sinclair C5’s narrow body, diminutive size and exposure to the elements make driving

one a cold and slightly terrifying experience in winter

and make yourself comfortable in the thinly-padded seat and you immediately feel exposed. After inserting the ignition key into the master security switch and turning on the power, it takes a while to get acclimatised to the under-seat handlebar position. Driving the first few metres in the C5 takes patience and a good deal of dexterity to avoid steering the opposite way to which you want to go. The left-hand handlebar-mounted starter/’accelerator’ button has to be gently modulated too – press it too hard and the C5 shoots off a little unsteadily. Power goes to the left-hand rear wheel only, and to slow down, just release the handlebar button or use the bike-like brake levers to come to a complete stop via the rear drum and front caliper brakes.

Get these processes right, however, and the C5 is fun to tootle along in. And tootle is all you’ll ever do with a 15mph top speed. Also, don’t get any grand ideas about shooting up hills. Many owners reported unit burn-outs as the 12v DC, 250W-rated permanent magnet motor struggled to cope with any gradient. Pedal assistance was often required. Motor load and battery condition are shown by two LED ‘graph’ displays situated under the aerodynamic, wind tunnel-tested front cowling.

But, even in the residential streets we tested the car in, you never feel completely safe. With little or no crash protection, the C5 feels tiny even among small car-sized traffic. Drivers would also find themselves at the same level of most vehicles’ exhaust fumes or bonnets. Don’t let the Sinclair

ENGINE: 250W continuous rating motor, 4,100rpm

maximum speed

CO2: 0g/km

WEIGHT: 30kg

MAXIMUM SPEED: 15mph

RANGE: 20 miles

PRICE (1985): £399 + £29 delivery

1985 Sinclair C5

product? Who knows. Although the C5 was a monumental sales disaster, it is now an icon of the 1980s, maybe because of its commercial disaster. C5 production stopped on 13 August 1985 just seven months after it was paraded to the world. Incidentally, Sir Clive Sinclair claimed that the diminutive C5 was the best-selling electric car in the UK until the Nissan Leaf overtook it with sales of 20,000 units in 2011.

By the early 1990s Sinclair Vehicles claimed it would have a range of ‘fast, quiet and astonishingly economical’ family transport on the roads of Britain, but sadly the reality was somewhat different to the company’s vision of transport utopia.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing of course, and while the C5 wasn’t the ‘new power in personal transport’ and ‘the world’s first practical personal transport powered by electricity’ Sinclair claimed it would become, the streamlined and odd-looking EV did publicly display the idea of alternative-fuelled transport and electric vehicles. And whether that be good or bad, thanks to the C5’s commercial failure, that’s unlikely to be forgotten.

Thanks to Sue Baker and car and C5 enthusiast Alex Goodwill for allowing us to drive his Sinclair C5

FURTHER INFORMATION

c5owners.comwww.c5alive.co.uk

The C5 is steered by handlebars. Bike-like pedals are used for self-powering; LEDs ahead of driver warn of motor and battery load status

Even the tyres are Sinclair-branded!


‘Cactus. A succulent plant with a thick fleshy stem which typically bears spines, lacks leaves, and has brilliantly coloured flowers. Cacti are native to arid regions of the New World and are cultivated elsewhere, especially as pot plants.’

While the new C-segment crossover from Citroën has neither a thick fleshy stem or spines, it does have a wide range of brilliantly-coloured exterior finishes. Developed with style very much at the forefront if its engineering programme, the C4 Cactus is as radical on the outside as it ordinary underneath. Its polarising looks eclipse those of the popular Nissan Juke, but is the C4 Cactus more style than substance?

Ecological conceptCitroën’s new C4 family member takes its name from the C-Cactus concept from 2007. This ‘ecological’ concept was a hybrid diesel capable of 69mpg with CO2 emissions of 78g/km. With seven years between idea and reality, the cleanest production C4 Cactus comes very close to the cleanliness of that

initial concept. The Blue HDi 100 with 15-inch wheels has an official mpg figure of 94.2, while emissions are rated at 82g/km. Even the range-topping Flair test car emitted just 89g/km of CO2, while theoretically capable of achieving 88.3mpg when riding on its 17-inch alloy wheels. Over the 289-mile test period a real-world average of 60mpg was recorded, which is still impressive, given the cut and thrust A-road and M25 nature of my daily 60-mile commute.

Part of this fuel economy thriftiness is down to the C4 Cactus’ lightweight material construction. Based on Citroën’s ‘PF1’ small car platform which underpins the C3 and DS3 superminis, the C4 Cactus is considered a Golf-sized C-segment car. The French company says that it’s around 200kg

Function and flairWith a reputation for innovative models such as the Traction Avant, 2CV and DS, Citroën marks a return to its engineering-led roots with the C4 Cactus. But is it a prickly customer? Richard Gooding finds out

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lighter than its C4 classmate, helped by its aluminium bonnet, smaller latest-generation Euro 6-compliant engines, and pop-out rather than wind-down rear windows. The panoramic sunroof with advanced heat protection and ‘Magic Wash’ wiper system (the front wiper jets are mounted on the wiper blade itself rather than on the bonnet and use half the amount of fluid) are also said to provide weight-saving benefits.

Avantgarde designJust as with the concept from

which it takes its name, the C4 Cactus has its fair share of avantgarde design details. The most talked about features are of course the ‘Airbumps’. These exterior panels are made from TPU (Thermoplastic

Polyurethane) and feature tiny air capsules which

both absorb impacts and help prevent scratches. They can

be specified in four colours which contrast with the ten vibrant body shades.

Additional personalisation can be added with £50 colour-keyed mirror caps. KT14 AHF had a touch of menace about it with its £395 Shark

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Enterprise pack costs £600 + VAT,but includes rear parking sensorsand air-conditioning

ENGINE: 1,560cc, four-cylinder diesel

CO2: 89g/km

MPG (combined): 83.1

VED: Band A, £0

BIK: 14%

PRICE (OTR): £18,090 (including VAT, £20,525 as tested)

Citroën C4 Cactus Flair Blue HDi 100

With

seven years

between idea

and reality, the

cleanest production

C4 Cactus comes close

to the cleanliness

of the initial

concept

C4 Cactusfeatures lightweightconstruction which helps lower emissions and raise mpg

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Lower running costsCitroën says that all of the weight-saving technologies contribute to lower running costs, reported to be up to almost 20 per cent less than ‘benchmark vehicles in the compact hatchback segment’. It also states that the low weight doesn’t wear out parts like brakes and suspension – as well as consumables such as tyres – quite so rapidly. While the latter has to wait a while before it can be quantified, a BIK rate of 14 per cent is competitive, and a price of £18,090 for the top-line Flair in Blue HDi form represents good value for what’s on offer. A Nissan Juke Tekna dCi 110 2WD emits 15g/km more, does 18mpg less, and while more powerful, costs £1,075 more. The Renault Captur Dynamique S MediaNav meanwhile is just £5 more

C4 Cactus’ interiorfeatures minimal and

high-tech instrumentation

Grey paintwork, £150 Stone Grey Airbumps and red mirror caps. Buyers can choose from a palette of 21 colour combinations, while sleek split-level headlamps and LED running lights take their cues from the C4 Picasso MPV.

It’s a similar story of design-led function on the inside. The dashboard appears to be a floating ‘shelf’ with a tablet mounted in the middle. In front of the passenger sits the ‘Top Box’, a top-opening glove box with a lid designed to look like high-end luggage and an 8.5-litre capacity. Leather straps are in-laid from front to back, while matching leather straps held in by metal ‘buckles’ perform the function of door pulls. The 7-inch ‘Touch Drive’ tablet controls all the infotainment and vehicle functions, as well as the air-conditioning and ventilation controls, too. A flat instrument panel sits behind the steering wheel showing the absolute minimum driving information. It works well, only showing the driver exactly what is needed (speed, lights and wiper statuses and whether ‘Eco’ mode is activated).

Quality is a step up from Citroëns of old, with gloss black air vents contrasting nicely with the grey dappled plastic dash of the test car. The spacious cabin is a very comfortable place be. The front seats are sofa-like (but long in the squab for short people), while the LED mood lighting adds to the ‘designer’ ambience. The Airbump theme continues on the inside, with stitching on the seats and indents in the plastic door panels shaped the same as the air-filled capsules on the exterior panels. The £695 black and leather cloth pack adds a luxurious feel as does the £395 panoramic sunroof, which is specially treated to keep out harmful UV rays.

To drive, the C4 Cactus is as ordinary as its looks are extraordinary. The 98bhp 1.6-litre Blue HDi diesel engine is a little gruff and rarely quietens down to a whisper. While road noise is kept to a minimum, wind noise is noticeable at speed. Performance is adequate rather than pacey (187lb ft of torque is developed at 1,750rpm) but this car isn’t meant to be a GTI. Accordingly, the ride is very comfortable and bumps are dealt with with very little fuss.

Yes, there’s some body roll in corners and the steering is a little numb, but overall, the C4 Cactus is a relaxed and composed companion.

expensive, but like the Juke, loses out to the C4 Cactus when it comes to fuel efficiency and emission numbers (78.5mpg and 95g/km respectively).

With a long-standing reputation for innovation and ‘quirkiness’, Citroën has offered very mainstream cars in the past few years. That may be about to change. The C4 Cactus marks a welcome return to the more innovative side of Citroën which is to be applauded. That this differentiation comes with modern and fuel-saving technologies is the icing on the C4 Cactus-shaped cake.

But, the C4 Cactus is a divisive car – people either love it or hate it. Priced from £12,990 for the entry-level ‘Touch’ models, the avantgarde Citroën is cheaper than its regular C4 sibling (priced from £14,240), yet is both more stylish and cleaner.

Citroën is marketing the C4 Cactus with the ‘Stay Curious’ strapline. While it’s not as ground-breaking as Citroën’s illustrious past models – the 1934 Traction Avant, 1948 2CV or the 1955 DS – the C4 Cactus marks a step change for the French company.

Departures such as moving the passenger airbag to the roof, the innovative world-first Airbump technology and cost-effective ‘Magic Wash’ windscreen-washing system, the French company is once again reaffirming its innovator roots.

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but be brave and explore the Citroën C4 Cactus – it will only harm you with its charm.

C4 Cactusstyling is inspired bysimilarconcept carof 2007

Innovative thermoplastic polyurethane ‘Airbumps’ feature tiny air

capsules which absorb impacts and prevent scratches


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The new Fiat Panda Cross is based on the Panda 4x4, but has even more capability for off-roading, including hill-descent technology, large, all-weather tyres, increased ground clearance and additional body protection. The exterior has style cues that indicate it’s capable of off-roading. The front has a chunky black bumper and a large metal skidplate with bright red tow hooks. It has new LED daytime running lights and its headlights are framed with matte black casing and incorporate fog lights.

On and off-roading in the Panda CrossThe new Fiat Panda Cross combines off-road functionality with the practicality of a city car, finds Angela Pisanu

Three modes of drivingThe vehicle’s ‘terrain control’ function allows the driver to choose between three driving modes – auto, off-road and hill descent control – to adjust the driving characteristics of the vehicle according to how it is being used. Auto mode automatically distributes the engine torque between the front and rear axles. On normal roads in good conditions, the Panda Cross is 98 per cent front-wheel driven, but when a loss of traction is detected the system reacts by

Fiat Panda Cross sits above the Panda and Panda 4x4 in Fiat’s small car range


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redistributing the engine torque between axles in just a tenth of a second. In off-road mode, the all-wheel drive function is permanently activated up to 30mph. The electronic locking differential is engaged, ASR intervention is disengaged and to improve traction on slippery or icy ground, the ESC system is employed to brake slipping wheels and transfer the engine’s torque to those wheels with the most grip. Hill descent control activates automatically on tricky downhill terrain and uses the ESC sensors and ABS brake system to maintain a constant speed and avoid unexpected movements. The Panda Cross also has all-season mud and snow tyres, which are larger than those of the standard Panda 4x4. These tyres were specially developed to ensure optimum traction and responsiveness on wet, snowy and dry surfaces. The Panda Cross comes in one specification, and a choice of two engines – the 89bhp 0.9-litre TwinAir petrol with a six-speed manual gearbox and the 80bhp 1.3-litre diesel engine with a five-speed gearbox. I drove the latter model. It can do 0-62mph in 14.3

seconds and has a top speed of 99mph. On paper it’s combined fuel consumption figure is 60.1 mpg and its CO2 emissions are 125g/km.

Off-roadingOn the short distance of off-road terrain that I took the Panda Cross on, it performed as desired; it griped to slippery bumps, dips, ascents and declines with confidence. On the normal roads, the Cross performed well as a city car, feeling agile and responsive in towns. At high speeds however, the Panda Cross is noisy – both from engine hum and road/wind noise. The vehicle has a good list of standard equipment, including automatic climate control; bluetooth connectivity; satellite navigation; heated electric door mirrors; remote central locking; ESC system complete with ELD and Terrain Control and all-season 185/65R15 M+S tyres. Optional equipment and accessories include

a useful winter pack (£250) with heated windscreen and heated

front seats; rear parking sensors; and a City Brake

Control system which received a ‘Euro NCAP Advanced’ reward for its contribution to road

safety in 2013. This system operates at speeds of up to 19mph and employs a laser sensor to detect the presence of vehicles in front of the car and uses the vehicle’s automatic emergency braking, brake prefill and brake assist systems if the driver fails to stop. The new Fiat Panda Cross is on sale now and is priced from £15,945 for the TwinAir version and £16,945 for the diesel-powered model. For those drivers that a do a mixture of off-road trips and city journeys, the Fiat Panda Cross is worthy of consideration.

Enterprise pack costs £600 + VAT,but includes rear parking sensorsand air-conditioning

ENGINE: 1,248cc, four-cylinder diesel

CO2: 125g/km

MPG (combined): 60.1

VED: Band D, £0 first year, £110 thereafter

BIK: 21%

PRICE (OTR): £16,495 (including VAT)

Fiat Panda Cross 1.3‑litre MultiJet 80

The

1.3-litre

MultiJet diesel

Panda Cross has

on paper figures of

60.1 combined

cycle mpg and CO2

emissions of

125g/km

Fiat Panda Cross interior is well-equipped;

heated windscreen is an option

‘Terrain Control’

function has three modes

‘Cross’ badging means extra body protection

Fiat Panda Cross is equally at home in the city or the countryside

Hill descent technology means genuine off-road

capability


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Green Motion2 Redman Court, Bell Street, Princes Risborough, Bucks, HP27 0AATel: 01844 [email protected]

Green Motion is the UK’s leading provider of low CO2 vehicle hire. Through our national network, we offer both leisure and business customers the opportunity to enjoy great value vehicle rental, while helping to reduce the impact of global CO2 emissions associated with road travel. Providing reporting and advice to management and staff, Green Motion can highlight savings in cost and impact on the environment.

CAR AND VAN RENTAL

HawekaUnit No 5 Beta, Orchard Trading Estate,Toddington, Gloucestershire GL54 5EBTel: 01242 621001www.haweka.co.uk

As a specialist in fuel and tyre savings, Haweka provide workshops with wheel alignment equipment to help commercial operators reduce their fuel and tyre costs.

The Haweka Axis systems are user friendly, quick to use and very accurate.

Contact us today to find out how Haweka can reduce your carbon footprint.

AXIS200 WHEEL ALIGNERS

ULEMCoUlemco LtdThe Quay, 12 Princes Pararde, Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 1BGTel: 1928 [email protected] / www.ulemco.com

ULEMCo Ltd offer services to convert light commercial vehicles to run on hydrogen. Services include the supply & installation of a safely engineered retrofit, warranty and VSO certificate. H2ICED™ vans, have verified emissions at 59g/km CO2. Advice, consultancy and the supply of hydrogen refuelling capability can also be provided.

HYDROGEN VEHICLES

Jaama15 Amber Business Village, Amber CloseAmington, Tamworth B77 4RPTel: 0844 8484 333 [email protected]

Licence2Check is a web-based electronic driver licence checking service with the DVLA. Batch licence check requests will be sent automatically depending upon the risk profile of the driver. Licence2Check is a simple, effective tool to help you meet your Duty of Care responsibility and obligations under the Health and Safety Executive guidelines.

DRIVER LICENCE CHECKING

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Alphabet IFC, 42Automotive Leasing 10Auto Sock 38BG Products 38Chevin Fleet 32Citroen UK 6, 7DAF Trucks 30Fiat Professional 8Fiat 16Isla Components 32Jeep 24, 25Lex Autolease IBCMitsubishi 18, 19Nissan 14Peugeot 41The Commercial Vehicle Show 36Toyota OBCVauxhall Vans 34, 35Vauxhall 22, 23Vehcam 32

RecoAutoTel: 0844 561 [email protected]

RecoAuto delivers a unique claims management solution that reduces fleets vehicle repair costs whilst also reducing their Carbon Footprint.

RecoAuto manage all aspects of vehicle repairs and also specialise in reducing vehicle parts spend via our innovative software RecoParts.

CLAIMS MANAGEMENT


AlphabetForm One, Bartley Wood Business ParkHook, Hampshire RG27 9XA Tel: 0870 50 50 100 [email protected]

GreenCARE is Alphabet’s comprehensive online reporting, analysis and modelling tool designed to help customers reduce their CO2 emissions, fuel and fleet costs, while benchmarking performance against ‘average’ and ‘best in class’ fleet performers. Speak to us today to find out more about how GreenCARE can help to reshape your fleet.

FLEET MANAGEMENT REPORTING

15 Amber Business Village, Amber CloseAmington, Tamworth B77 4RPTel: 0844 8484 333 [email protected]

Jaama

Jaama’s multi award-winning Key2 Vehicle Management system is a totally integrated vehicle, asset and driver management solution visibly years ahead. Designed for all fleet sizes and budgets, Key2 is web based, with usability and intelligent ‘active’ data management; linking users live to data providers, customers, suppliers, vehicle telematics and the DVLA.

FLEET SOFTWARE

DRIVINGTHE FUTURE

0845 769 [email protected]

lexautolease.co.uk/thegreen

At Lex Autolease, we do more than just help you choose the mosteffi cient vehicles. We can help structure your policy, manage your mileage

and enable your drivers to use their vehicles more effi ciently.

Our aim is lower emissions and costs for you – which is good for the environment and your business.

Green Fleet Ad AW.indd 1 11/07/2014 12:42

brilliant for business

By choosing petrol full hybrids over equivalent diesel models, Paul will save

his company over half a million pounds in three years. Reduced BIK tax bills

mean company car drivers will be on average £5,000 better off. Paul’s also

said goodbye to diesel particulates, improving the air we all breathe.

Read Paul’s story at quitclub.org.uk

Paul James, Facilities Manager, Slimming World.

Set to save over £500,000* and improve UK air quality by quitting diesels.

*Saving based on switching existing Honda fl eet to Lexus hybrids.

MY NAME IS PAUL AND I’M A

QUITTER

1647 TOY_Quitter Campaign Ad [1.0].indd 1 18/12/2014 17:00

greenfleet 81

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