GreenFleet 148

PUBLIC CHARGE POINT REGULATIONS

Regulations state better reliability, clearer pricing, easier payments, and open data. But how will this actually work?

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Preparing for the change

As the 2030 end-date for new petrol and diesel vehicles comes closer, fleet operators will no doubt be thinking about switching to zero-emission alternatives.

But such a substantial change to established fleet management practices takes careful consideration. To help, this issue of GreenFleet gathers the latest advice and information for those on the transition to electric.

James Court, CEO of EVA England, helps us understand the new Public Charge Point Regulations 2023, which stipulate better reliability, clearer pricing, easier payments, and open data. And Matthew Adams, transport policy manager at the REA discusses the skills that the UK is going to need as we move to electric fleets.

Meanwhile, the BVRLA’s Catherine Bowen explains how the fleet sector and local authorities can work together to achieve a fleet-friendly charging network, and Jakob Bertilsson from IKEA shares how the retail giant aims to reach zero-emission deliveries by 2025.

There’s also information on the newly formed UK Business Climate Hub, which is optimised to help SMEs reduce their carbon footprint, a summary of the latest EV grants available, and our panel of experts offer their best practice advice on electrification.

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Contents GREENFLEET 148

07 News

New initiative to help councils boost on-street charging; Online hub launched to help businesses cut carbon; and Project to give clear picture of EV SMR costs compared to ICE vehicles

10 Public Charging

The Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 will mean better reliability, clearer pricing, easier payments, and open data. Those are the headlines, but how will this actually work? James Court, CEO of EVA England, unpicks the details

14 EV Skills Gap

There is an opportunity for huge growth in the EV sector and with-it, long-term, secure, green jobs. Matthew Adams, transport policy manager at the REA discusses the skills that the UK is going to need as we electrify our fleet

18 Funding Support

The government has various funds to help public and private sector organisations adopt electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. We summarise the schemes available

22 SME Decarbonisation

The newly formed UK Business Climate Hub is the net-zero information portal, optimised to help SMEs reduce their carbon footprint in areas such as transport and energy. Chris Taylor, net zero director at the Broadway Initiative, explains how it works

27 Infrastructure

Fleets are major purchasers of electric vehicles and so local authorities must consider their needs when devising charging infrastructure plans. Catherine Bowen, senior policy advisor at the BVRLA, explains how the fleet sector and local authorities can work together to achieve a fleet-friendly charging network

33 Interview

IKEA aims to reach zero-emission deliveries to customers by 2025, and is investing in the electric vehicles and charging infrastructure to support this goal. Jakob Bertilsson, country customer fulfilment manager at IKEA UK & Ireland, tells us more

39 Panel of Experts

Switching to electric vehicles requires careful planning and a well-researched strategy. Our expert panelists share their advice on how to get it right and what pitfalls to avoid

54 The Emergency Services Show

The Emergency Services Show 2023 is gearing up to provide an exceptional platform for innovation and collaboration within the emergency services sector. Scheduled to take place from September 19th to 20th at the NEC in Birmingham, this year’s event promises an array of exciting features and insights for professionals and leaders across all blue light services and first responders

56 Road Test: Kia Niro EV

The Niro is Kia’s second most popular car, and its original hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric model format made the first generation popular and appealing to fleet drivers. Richard Gooding finds that Kia has wisely built on the strengths of that original car to create a new version, updated with new looks and technology

58 Road Test: BMW iX5 Hydrogen

Over the past decade, BMW has firmly established itself as a significant manufacturer of electric vehicles, but with an eye on the needs of an evolving zero-emission transport landscape, has developed a hydrogenpowered version of its popular X5 SUV. Richard Gooding discovers that the highly developed prototype offers much to fleets, providing the infrastructure is in place to power it

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RECOGNISING CLEAN FLEET INNOVATION ENTER

INFRASTRUTURE

New initiative to help councils boost on-street charging

Vauxhall has teamed up with charge point operators char.gy, Connected Kerb and SureCharge to help council’s boost charging provision for those that cannot charge at home.

The initiative aims to address the findings of an investigation that reveals more than 70 per cent of UK councils currently do not have a published strategy in place for residential on-street charging for electric vehicles (EV). And 45 per cent confirmed they had no plans to install residential on-street chargers this year.

The new findings from a Freedom of Information application across 414 councils and local authorities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland also reveals

that 69 per cent of local authorities have yet to install any on-street chargers. According to the 289 councils who provided data up to 1 July, only 14,188 new charge points are planned for installation this year, well behind the run rate required to hit the government’s target of having 300,000 running by the end of 2030.

In response, Vauxhall has set up the ‘Electric Streets of Britain’ programme to make sure drivers without driveways are not left behind in the transition to electric mobility.

Vauxhall has set up an ‘Enablement Fund’ to help councils understand the scale of on-street charging issues, and the solutions available, ahead of the Government’s planned ban on the sale of

Industry ranking shows tech sector has most sustainable fleets

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Solar car port to power chargepoints and council office

Northumberland County Council launched a new solar car port array – said to be one of the biggest of its kind in the UK – which will provide clean energy to the council’s headquarters in County Hall in Morpeth, as well as its 120 electric vehicle chargepoints. The project which includes a covered parking area with a canopy made from photovoltaic (PV) panels, has been designed and built by UK Power Networks Services. The investment is part-funded by the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 with match-funding from the council, which it plans to recoup through energy savings.

ALD Automotive and LeasePlan have published the latest edition of their Fleet Sustainability Ranking by Industry report, revealing that the technology industry has the most sustainable fleet, followed by financial & professional services and energy & chemicals. The report is an analysis of eight industry fleets (technology, financial & professional services, energy & chemicals, industrial, automotive, consumer goods, construction and healthcare & pharma) across 22 European countries. The ranking is based on four factors: the share of diesel, the share of battery electric vehicles (BEVs), the share of hybrids, and the average grams of CO2 emissions per km.

It is the third year in a row that the technology sector has topped the list. This is down to it having the lowest average CO2 emissions and the lowest share of diesel in fleet, combined with the secondhighest share of BEVs, hybrids and PHEVs

Across every industry, the adoption of BEV has more than doubled over the past two years. In the energy & chemicals industry, which has the highest share of BEVs, one in four vehicles (27.2 per cent) is now fully electric. Meanwhile, the share of PHEVs and

hybrids has mostly flattened across all industries, and diesel share has halved.

Average CO2 emissions have also dropped across all industries. The largest decrease is seen in the top-ranking industries, with the technology industry going from an average of 110 grams/km in 2020 to 83 grams/km in 2022. Even the industry that came last (healthcare & pharma) has decreased, going from 117.6 grams/ km in 2020 to 102.2 grams/km in 2022.

Alfonso Martinez, UK managing director at ALD | LeasePlan, said: “It’s encouraging to see such healthy progress being made across Europe as businesses come together to tackle the climate crisis and industry-related carbon emissions. I would particularly like to commend those working within the technology industry for stepping onto the global stage as a leading player in decarbonising fleet emissions.”

The 2023 Industry Fleet Sustainability Ranking is as follows: technology; financial & professional services; energy & chemicals; industrial; automotive; consumer goods; construction; healthcare & pharma.

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It is anticipated the new solar energy infrastructure will save between £100,000 and £150,000 on energy costs each year, which can be invested in council services. As well as this, it is estimated over 250 tonnes of carbon emissions will be saved each year assisting the council to meet its target of cutting its own emissions in half by 2025.

The new solar energy infrastructure is one of the largest car port array installations in the UK and features 800kW solar panels, while also providing weather protection for electric vehicles. Additionally, there is a 400kW battery energy storage system with smart controls to optimise energy use, carbon emissions and costs throughout the day.

Energy from the solar panels will be used to power the main building, provide electricity to electric vehicle (EV) charge points for fleet and staff vehicles and also stored to help optimise costs and carbon efficiency. As well as this, 120 EV charge points have been installed in the staff car park, including 100 fast chargers and 20 rapid chargers including some dedicated for accessible parking bays.

READ MORE

Issue 148 | GREENFLEET MAGAZINE 7

AFP’s Paul Hollick

Why training is gaining traction among fleet managers

One of the most pleasing things we’ve seen this year at the Association of Fleet Professionals is a strong rise in the amount of training we deliver. Using our preferred metric, the number of training days sold in 2023 has already surpassing last year’s total. It’s an increase that reflects several trends including higher interest in formal training among fleet industry professionals and a general post-pandemic move across the workforce to enhance levels of qualification.

During 2021 and 2022, we saw a jump in fleet managers looking to upskill to meet fleet challenges such as electrification, so we increased our potential capacity for places this year by 85 per cent. Additionally, we decided to freeze our training fees, given the pressure currently being placed on personal and business finances – good training should always be attainable, in our opinion.

Both these decisions have been vindicated. Last year, we delivered 161 training days in total and by July this year, we had already sold 190, meaning that we could be close to 300 by the end of 2023. The number of delegates has also risen. It just shows how much interest exists across the fleet sector in this kind of upskilling.

There is clear potential for further growth, we believe. The AFP Fleet Academy, although an evolution of training delivered by the Institute of Car Fleet Management when it was launched in 2021, remains a relatively new endeavour and awareness of the courses it provides is increasing all the time. It seems to us that there is potentially a huge amount of untapped interest in training across the fleet sector that will be realised as more people learn about the services we deliver. Also, satisfaction is high, with our courses scoring 4.9 out of 5.0 when measured on the likelihood of recommending the course, trainer knowledge and guidance.

We’ve also worked to increase the scope of our training. Alongside established courses aimed at beginners new to fleet management through to those for people highly experienced in the industry, we’ve also introduced training on electric cars and vans, and to help women in fleet make their voices heard in a corporate environment. More plans are in the pipeline.

To us, all this activity is important for the ongoing professionalisation of fleet management and sits alongside other initiatives in which we are involved, including the mooted fleet apprenticeship. What our industry has arguably lacked in the past is a clear pathway for entry and ongoing personal development, but that situation is changing.

What we would like to see in the future is for those recruiting fleet managers to have a much-improved level of appreciation of the qualifications that we offer, creating a feedback loop so that fleet managers can see in career terms the advantages of continuing to upskill. There are some signs that this is starting to happen and the increased interest we are seeing in training is, we believe, a sign of this virtuous circle starting to take shape.

More details about all of AFP’s courses and available dates, as well as information about tailored training, can be found below on our website.

www.theafp.co.uk

Online hub launched to help businesses cut carbon

A new online hub has been launched which will give businesses access to advice and support to cut carbon emissions and reduce energy bills.

The UK Business Climate Hub includes a free carbon calculator and a suite of new tools to help businesses measure, track and report on their emissions and save money by using less energy. It offers detailed advice on everything from sourcing products from green suppliers and reducing emissions from freight and logistics to the most cost-effective ways of installing solar panels and electric vehicle (EV) charging points.

The new support is aimed particularly at 5.5 million small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in the UK, with business and industry accounting for around 25 per cent of emissions. Research shows that 90 per cent of SMEs are keen to tackle climate change, but find it difficult to know how or where to start to find the right solutions to reduce their carbon footprint.

Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Graham Stuart, said: “The new UK Business Climate Hub is a onestop-shop for businesses to find practical advice to reduce

their carbon footprint and save on their energy bills.

“Whether it’s fitting a lowcarbon heat pump, generating energy with solar panels, or reducing the emissions from shipping goods, the new support will ensure businesses can drive towards net zero.”

The new UK Business Climate Hub serves as a one-stop-shop for businesses who have yet to start making changes, as well as those who are already taking action to reduce emissions but want to take things to the next level. As well as helping bosses measure and report on their emissions, the site provides advice and support on an array of things, including switching employee modes of transport and paying less for company EVs and getting business grants, green loans and financing for a retrofit.

Other advice includes getting an air source heat pump, generating green energy with a wind turbine and selling it back to the grid and buying credible carbon offsets.

See more on this story on page 22.

Project to give clear picture of EV SMR costs compared to ICE vehicles

A new project from the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) is aiming to create a clear picture when comparing electric vehicle (EV) service, maintenance and repair (SMR) costs to their internal combustion engine (ICE) equivalents.

Paul Hollick chair at the AFP, said that much of the current data and information surrounding the subject was incomplete, inconsistent or contradictory –and that the objective was to provide something as close as possible to a conclusive guide.

“There’s been an assumption ever since EVs started appearing on fleets that their SMR would be substantially cheaper than petrol and diesel cars and vans because there are fewer moving and wear parts. However, real world data has until recently been in short supply because comparatively few fleets have been operating EVs for any length of time.

“Various sources have been issuing what you might call workin-progress SMR data over the last year or more, providing a snapshot picture of their experiences with EVs but it has been difficult to build a consistent picture. Some are reporting that SMR profiles are cheaper than ICE vehicles, as expected, but others have seen a more complex picture across different models and types of

vehicle, especially when it comes to the wear and prices of EV tyres.

“This is problematic for fleets because it means that they don’t really have access to information that can show whether what they are spending on EV SMR is broadly consistent with what is being seen across the rest of the fleet sector. They have no way of knowing whether their managerial performance is good, bad or indifferent, and therefore no credible route to benchmarking or developing best practice.

“Many businesses are keen to tackle these issues in order to decide whether to bring their EV SMR in-house, something that many of our members appear to be currently considering.”

Paul said that now also seemed a good time to look at this situation because a comparatively large amount of SMR EV data was starting to become available.

“We’ve appointed an independent consultant to lead the research as soon as possible and produce initial results by the end of September. This is a fleet subject where it seems to us that some kind of definitive picture is very much needed, and the AFP is well positioned to meet that requirement.”

READ MORE

Zemo Partnership’s Andy Eastlake

With all the media noise about electric cars and their ZEV mandate and 2030/35 phase out dates, you might have forgotten that the workhorse of transport, vans, are on the same timeline but arguably with an even more ambitious trajectory!

Around 20 per cent of our road transport carbon emissions come from vans, and that proportion is increasing currently. But with electric cars currently occupying 16 per cent of the new market (and diesel less than 8 per cent), only 5.2 per cent of new vans this year have been electric (and still over 92 per cent diesel). Progress has slowed too, with a plethora of trade press articles in the last month bemoaning that range is affected by almost every aspect of van operation, driving style, load, route, temperature, towing and plenty more, which of course we all know. Then just last week the webfleet team set a new (official) world record for electric van range of 311 miles, some 50 per cent more than the quoted WLTP range! Demonstrating that all the aspects touted as reducing range, if optimised, can improve range too (in the right hands/feet). Vans are absolutely more complex than cars as an operational market and having good data on the capabilities under different conditions is even more important in the commercial sector. So, we have to improve that information (together with, of course, the accessibility of charging for vans) if we are to convince this crucial market to embrace the benefits of electric van operation. Here, recent work by my team at Zemo looking at the information provided by van manufacturers uncovered a significant discrepancy in the quality and transparency of van range (and efficiency) information. Stemming from the fact that vans do not fall under the passenger car labelling regulations, (I guess the clue was in the name) so are not mandated to provide a standardised test range and energy consumption. So, a ‘WLTP’ range may not have been tested in identical conditions between vehicles.

I’m pleased to say that by highlighting this discrepancy already a number of our members are collaborating to give more consistent figures and to be more transparent with how their test was run. We also find that several commercial vehicle manufactures’ have good simulation tools to help customers understand how vehicles will perform in operation. So, while I continue to advocate for consistent core vehicle information, such as the new car label developed 18 years ago by our members. In today’s data driven market, the onus now is on operators to gather comprehensive data on what they need (or think they need) from a vehicle. Then talk to the many experts available to help find a ‘system’, of vehicles, infrastructure, energy, and operation, that meet their actual needs.

So, whilst we do need to put vans and their information in the spotlight, perhaps operators and their ‘data’ need to be in it too. zemo.org.uk

Electric vans should be in the spotlight

Public charge point regulations: what do they mean?

The Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 will mean better reliability, clearer pricing, easier payments, and open data. Those are the headlines, but how will this actually work? James Court, CEO of EVA England, unpicks the details

After months of hyperbolic, misleading and negative headlines, things for EV drivers are about to change for the better after a government announcement which garnered little to no press.

In fairness, the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 may not sound like huge news, but they will transform the industry in a handful of positive ways. It will mean better reliability, clearer pricing, easier payments, and open data which could unlock massive potential for map and app developers.

Those are the headlines, but how will this actually work? Firstly, it’s worth noting that these regulations will only apply to public charge points, and it’s easier to define what this means by what is not covered.

The obvious one is that these regulations do not apply to charge points under 8kw, they also don’t apply to workplaces intended solely for employees. They don’t cover charge points that are restricted for exclusive use residents, visitors or specific occupations, and finally, they don’t apply to charge points for specific manufacturers. This means the Tesla network is not included, other than the dozen or so sites Tesla have opened to the wider public. Moving on to what the regulations will mean once they come into force in October/November.

Reliability

Possibly the most contentious issue, certainly for the Charge Point Operators (CPOs), is that of the 99 per cent reliability target. The finer points of this regulation are yet to be decided,

but the main point is that each year, a CPO’s rapid charge point network (above 50kW) must achieve 99 per cent average reliability. Reliability is based on the charger’s status, which will be classified into three categories: Reliable, Not Reliable, or Exempt for Measurement. The reliability calculation considers the percentage of downtime minutes in a year minus the minutes that are exempt. This should be relatively straightforward, but there are issues over anomalous issues and grey areas. However, it should be stressed that in the first instance, this should be more directed to those CPOs who regularly find their network reliability in the 70/80 per cent range. This simply isn’t good enough and hopefully they will be financially impacted enough to either fix up or move out. I’m sure the vast majority of EV drivers would prefer no charger to a roll of the dice. These regulations will come in 12 months after the regulations are in place, so expected in Q3/4 2024 and will attract up to a £10,000 fine for networks not in compliance.

Payments

Contactless payments are by far the most preferred way to pay for most non-Telsa EV drivers (yes, we know the automated

plug and charge is fantastic, but one step at a time for the rest of us.)

Mandating contactless will be a massive relief for many EV drivers, especially those who travel around the country and have previously had to have countless apps on their phones. This change will come will cover all new public charge points above 8kW, and existing rapid charge points (above 50kW) 12 months from the date regulations are in force.

Roaming

The desire for all CPOs to offer roaming across more than one network may not be as pressing for most EV drivers once contactless is rolled out more widely, but for many readers of GreenFleet, roaming may still be the easiest way for employees or company car and van drivers to pay. The regulations will promote the interoperability and payment roaming services to add an extra layer of accessibility within the next two years. These regulations mandate that CPOs must ensure that a person using any of its charge points is able to pay using a payment service provided by a roaming provider. It is worth noting that the roaming

Opening up data could bring in innovation that transforms the charging experience for everyone

provider could include a direct partnership with another charging CPO leading to a number of closed roaming networks that fragment roaming options and are only created to fulfil this requirement. However, the hope is CPOs will comply with the spirit of the regulations. If not, it remains an option for the government to look at more stringent regulations, but the hope is there will be an industry solution that avoids overly prescriptive regulations.

24/7 Helpline

There is little worse for an EV driver than being stuck at a broken chargepoint without any way to fix the problem. These regulations will mean CPOs must offer a staffed telephone helpline, available 24/7, to assist EV drivers. The support line should be cost-free via an 0800 number, and the details of this helpline must be on display at the charging site for easy access.

While it doesn’t ensure the operator will be able to fix the issue, it should provide some help and will provide visibility to and enforce accountability for poor customer service.

Price transparency

These regulations will also bring in greater price transparency, and while most chargers have now adopted p/kWh, this will help standardise the whole market.

From this year, the total price for charging an EV must be prominently on display in pence per kilowatt-hour (p/kWh), either directly on the charge point or through a separate device. The separate device includes an app/website provided no sign-up is needed. This regulation ensures that EV drivers have a clear understanding of the cost before initiating a charging session, preventing nasty surprises.

In the case of bundled pricing (e.g. parking included), the equivalent price for charging must be on display in p/kWh. This does not need to include overstay fees and so they should still be an effective way to avoid people holding up chargers.

Open Data

This is possibly the thing I am most excited about, and could bring in innovation that transforms the charging experience for everyone.

The regulations require CPOs to hold and provide specific data related to public charge points. This includes accurate location data, reference data, and availability data. The CPOs will make this data publicly available for free in a standardised format.

By enforcing a particular standard and removing barriers to access data, this should enable EV drivers to more consistently get accurate information about chargers nearby and access third party tools. Reference data refers to static information about a charge point such as location, connector types, pricing and parking restrictions. Whereas, availability data relates to whether the charge point is working and available to use.

It’s a requirement that CPOs update the charge point status within 30 seconds of a status change. This avoids operators providing old data that is not relevant or timely. By ensuring data is updated, this should provide EV drivers with more confidence that a charger is available.

If I was an entrepreneur, this is the area I would be looking at most keenly. Opening up the data for TfL revolutionised getting around London, and I hope we will see the same step change in charging information. This will massively improve the mapping of charge points, as well as giving much more confidence in the status of a charger. It could also help in planning journeys and, in time, possibly automate routes and charging.

Once again Tesla drivers will be wondering what the big fuss is about, already having a near seamless user experience in this way, but bringing the Tesla experience to my Kia Niro will be a game changer.

EVA England have been campaigning for over two years to see these changes for our members, and I am delighted to see them finally announced. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

If you would like to find out more about the regulations, about the work EVA England does for EV drivers, or to join as a member, please visit www.evaengland.org.uk.

Seamlessly navigating the transition to electric vehicles

It has never been more apparent that switching your fleet to electric vehicles (EVs) is a critical step towards a sustainable and greener future. As we face pressing challenges like climate change and air pollution, the urgency to embrace cleaner transportation solutions cannot be overstated. However, at Plug Me In, we completely understand that the role of a fleet manager has never been presented with more complexity. Managing a fleet is hard enough, but now you are being asked to consider much wider topics like how you deliver fuel and recompense drivers in new ways. You have to consider power supplies to the workplace, the space available onsite and the associated time to recharge each EV, along with if the charging hardware and software is future-proofed?

In recognition of this complexity, Plug Me In has assembled a team of EV charging experts to help fleet managers seamlessly navigate the transition to EV. Our aim is to offer an end-to-end review of your requirements against the industry’s leading solutions. By working with your telematics data, we are able to provide a clear transition plan. We carry detailed on-site surveys that review power availability and consider how we can ensure we utilise this in the most effective and economic way. All our hardware has been carefully selected with the assurance it will be able to support future growth and that you will never be left with closed systems that can’t work with whatever software you want to operate the chargers.

As part of the Calisen family, Plug Me In are also experts at offering EV infrastructure with no upfront costs. Alongside an outright purchase, Plug Me In also offer options where we would continue to own the EV charging assets throughout our agreement, meaning a more affordable and future-proofed EV charging solution for you, your business and those that work for it.

We also pride ourselves on our in-house national workforce with which we are also able to offer a consistent, rapid, and reliable service across the entire UK. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

plugmein.com

Are you In for smarter business EV charging?

EV charging experts

We’re with you at every step of the journey, from planning to installation and ongoing asset maintenance.

On-demand service

With a 24/7 call centre and a guaranteed rapid call out of 48 hours you’ll always have the support you need.

National coverage

Wherever your business or workforce are located, our in-house trained and certified engineers can get to you.

No upfront cost options

EV charging assets owned and managed by us, meaning a more affordable and future-proofed solution for your business.

Where to start when embarking on fleet electrification

As the internal combustion engine (ICE) extinction moment fast approaches, and time to switch to zero emission vehicles draws closer, savvy businesses are already considering their options ahead of the 2035 deadline. While there are a few options out there, with hydrogen championed by some, electrification is the natural route of choice for many fleet owners. With a range of vehicle models already on the market and a significant financial benefit of low running costs, for businesses looking to get ahead there’s no better time to take the leap. But how to make the switch?

Knowing where to start is challenging, with key considerations including financial outlay, required to purchase EVs and the relating infrastructure, and the practicalities of switching vehicles while minimising impact to the day-to-day running of the business. To put the charging network in place drivers need to come off the road, posing a challenge to business proceedings, with additional concerns including the maintenance of the infrastructure, and where to seek support if something goes wrong.

The benefits to drivers, your business, and the environment are evident, but these barriers can at first glance seem impenetrable and prevent business owners from taking the leap. However, for those in the know, EV charging network installation and maintenance can be both swift and fuss-free.

Experts in business EV charging, Plug Me

In, support business owners nationwide in making the switch, and understand the key drivers and considerations for fleet managers. Their experience shows that the biggest perceived barrier is often the fleets’ mileage requirements, and they agree that this – and the fleet’s suitability to switch to EV – is the first and biggest thing for business owners to consider. While many drivers’ homes will be suitable to equip with a home charger, this may not be the case for all, whereby commute times and depot and public charging options become important factors to consider. These practicalities can and should inform decisions on not only whether to make the switch, but also whether to prioritise

depot or return-to-home EV charging, or a combination of both across the fleet, if you do. Once these initial decisions have been addressed, further practicalities include your choice of hardware. With multiple reputable providers now on the market, and with a variety of options at different price points, there’s a wealth of options to select from. Location and EV chargepoint decided upon, it’s how to get everything up and running without impacting day-to-day business operations, and your bottom line, and how to finance the switch. The initial outlay is a further stumbling block for many fleet owners and SMEs.

How long does it take?

Here Plug Me In can help. They offer comprehensive solutions to businesses’ EV charging needs, combining practical advice, installation and maintenance support, and robust financing options to get you up and running in no time.

From initial enquiry, Plug Me In can have your first EV chargepoint installations underway in as little as two weeks, meaning no time is wasted in getting your electrified fleet up and running, and can support you in staggering return-to-home installations to keep as many drivers on the road as needed at any given moment. Working only with dependable providers, all recommended hardware comes with a solid warranty, giving you reassurance that units will be high-quality and long-lasting. Furthermore, with a no upfront fee option, Plug Me In’s unique funding support enables you to get your fleet on the road

while de-risking your financial outlay, and spreading costs over a longer timeframe.

Ongoing support

Finally, Plug Me In offers ongoing support as standard, with a 24/7 customer helpline, meaning in the unlikely event something does go wrong you can get it sorted swiftly. You have added peace of mind knowing you can speak to somebody immediately, no matter the time of day, and Plug Me In promises to address issues within 48 hours. And, with the new ‘OneFleet’ service, in partnership with Mina, Plug Me In can also support drivers’ on-the-go charging. Eliminating the need to reimburse individuals and removing unnecessary admin, this service wraps all EV charging costs – from charging, service support, and maintenance - into a single monthly invoice. The leading provider of EV charging, Plug Me In offers a reliable, friendly, and comprehensive service. Working in partnership with your businesses, they’re there every step of the way, from initial discussion to ongoing support post-install. Backed by Calisen Group – themselves a leading owner and manager of essential energy infrastructure assets – Plug Me In’s technicians are employed in-house and based nationwide, ultimately providing you with best-in-class technicians, and friendly, local service. L

While more businesses see the attraction of making the switch to electric vehicles, with business needs to balance with electrification, how do you know where to start?

The skills needed in the EV space

There is an opportunity for huge growth in the EV sector and with-it, long-term, secure, green jobs. Matthew Adams, transport policy manager at the REA discusses the skills that the UK is going to need as we electrify our fleets

Fleet electrification is currently where the largest demands for EVs are and as more fleets begin to electrify, we are going to see growing demand for certain high skilled job areas. Our report ‘Charging Forward to 2030’ touched on some of these, where we did a deep dive in to the common themes drawn out by some of the most recent skills gap analysis to date. In the EV charging space, it is clear that chargepoint engineers, and battery engineers are going to be two of the major areas for job growth going forward.

Harnessing existing skills

Chargepoint engineers install chargepoints at fleet sites and may also cover the maintenance aspects too. As we are starting to accelerate chargepoint deployment, we will need to start thinking of where skills in the existing job market may overlap and reskilling could be manageable. The industry and government do not currently have a strategy in place for harnessing the passion we see in young people today for net zero

and the job opportunities we can see in this space. So, while we await further intervention which will see a future proofed skills pool, when businesses start to face difficulties in recruitment, we need to think about tailored upskilling programmes to harness the existing talent we already have in the UK. A similar argument could also be made for battery technicians, who will be crucial for keeping fleet vehicles on the road. We are already hearing from some companies that the wait time for battery servicing and EV servicing more generally are keeping their vehicles off the road for longer than would be ideal. So, we need to think also about where existing skills could be and quickly getting

people trained. I recently visited a college who are doing net zero courses including in EV battery servicing, and they informed me that the training could easily be applied for upskilling as well as young adults looking to enter the workforce.

Employers should be looking at the market, seeing significant growth possibilities and seizing the opportunity. Bespoke EV servicing will become in demand more each year, as will battery manufacturing. This is why it is important that car manufacturers also look to protect their existing work force who might be expert engine mechanics and think about offering reskilling opportunities towards becoming battery technicians so their workforce can transition alongside the growing future ZEV Mandate sales targets.

Capturing the passion for net zero

One thing we can do better on as an industry and more widely in government is looking at how we can ensure that young adults seeking work for the first time are equipped with the right skills to quickly enter the workforce. EV charging and EV maintenance are clearly two areas where such work could be done. I would encourage industry firstly to look at taking young professionals who are already out in the field and allowing them the development opportunity of going out for one day a month to speak to schools, colleges and universities about the exciting work they already do. There is nothing worse from my memories of college than careers fairs where there are seemingly very few attractive options for

It is clear thatengineerschargepoint and battery engineers are going to be two of the major areas for job growthforwardgoing

people interested in net zero and the climate and often many recruiters are not fresh to the sector which can be alienating. Having someone that is a similar age talking about their journey can be far more powerful and easier to replicate than trying to copy someone who entered the workforce 30 years ago when the industry looked completely different.

For government too there is an opportunity to help meet their net zero targets and the 300,000 public chargepoint installation target they have set by starting a Green Jobs Campaign as we suggest in ‘Charging Forward to 2030’, which can start the process of making net zero skills a core value in the education system.

This campaign could take many shapes and it is clear that each renewable technology, whether it is EVs or solar and battery storage will have different bespoke courses. The important element therefore is that employers and industry with the Department for Education and academic institutions come together and look at ways to offer training, thus building a clear pathway for young adults to discover and access these courses.

I would urge readers therefore not to think of the EV sector as one of a skills gap but of a skills opportunity for fleet operators to begin developing future talent and harnessing the extra value that will bring. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

www.r-e-a.net

SPONSOR’S COMMENT

Find a fleet electrification partner that specialises in energy

Energy’s the hidden buzzword when it comes to transitioning to electric fleets and implementing charging facilities.

Of course, it’s important to consider how you’re going to manage electrification, to ensure you deliver on operational requirements, and to minimise disruption to business-as-usual. That’s where an electrification partner comes in – an expert that’ll guide you through the steps involved and future-proof your investment.

But don’t underestimate the importance of energy – both in your transition and in the ongoing effectiveness of your electrification solutions.

Energy governs the electrical capacities of the sites at which you’re planning to install electricity-hungry charging facilities. So, you’d better make sure you’re not going to max out either during initial installation or subsequent upgrade and expansion.

Energy prices fluctuate and the energy market’s volatile – as we’ve seen in recent years. So, knowing when to charge your vehicles, how powerful your hardware needs to be and how to optimise your consumption is key to managing costs.

And energy provides opportunity. In the future, your EV fleet could be the battery storage solution you need to retain the energy you’ve generated or the off-peak energy you’ve taken from the Grid. When your electrical assets need it most – which often coincides with high national demand (and prices) – being able to discharge your own reserves could deliver significant savings. What’s more, you’ll be doing your bit to help the National Grid balance supply and demand and keep the UK’s lights on. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

energy.drax.com/electric-vehicles

It is important that vehicle manufacturers look to protect their existing workforce who might be expert engine mechanics and think about offering reskilling opportunities towards becoming battery technicians

How an energy expert can future-proof your EV fleet

It pays to engage an energy expert to support you in electrifying fleets and implementing charging facilities. They’ll be able to analyse your operational requirements and tailor an electrification roadmap that suits your budget and sustainability goals

With the 2030 deadline on the manufacture and sale of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, EVs are going to dominate our roads. You’ll need to transition your business fleets to EVs and, most likely, you’ll need to invest in some form of charging facility.

A recent poll showed that the most common reasons for holding off electrifying now include cost, the current economic climate and business focus on other priorities. However, the mention of one key factor in electrification continues to be conspicuous by its absence: energy.

Why energy’s the key

The energy crisis has brought to the surface how the cost of power can make or break a business. The volatility of the market has seen prices skyrocket and organisations struggle to cope.

As we move towards an increasingly renewables-led grid, the complexities associated with balancing electricity supply and demand are increasing.

In terms of EVs, one key decision energy and fleet managers are having to consider relates to energy, finances and operations. Should they invest in powerful chargers that ramp up energy consumption but charge vehicles quickly? Or should they adapt schedules to accommodate longer charging periods. EV ranges have increased and, accordingly, their batteries need more power to deliver maximum mileage.

The question’s ‘how’ rather than ‘if’ or even ‘when’. And the answer needs to focus on energy.

The dangers of short-termism

At face value, the transition to an electric fleet might seem simple. Swap your vehicles and rely on public charging facilities or invest in some chargers of your own.

The reality’s more complex. You’ll want to analyse your existing fleet’s operational requirements so you can prioritise vehicles to transition and identify charging locations and schedules. You’ll have to choose

suitable EVs and carry out electrical surveys to understand site capacity, select suitable hardware and optimise connection efficiencies. Add in the need to coordinate purchases, deliveries and installations whilst minimising disruption to businessas-usual, and it’s clear that organisations need the help of expert partners.

An expert electrification partner will manage the entire process of transitioning your fleets and implementing charging facilities. They can offer an end-to-end service with one point of contact but a raft of experience and specialist skills behind the scenes. But, equally importantly, they’ll help you avoid the traps of short-termism.

A partner like Drax Electric Vehicles will help you understand your sites’ electrical capacities and propose tailored solutions. Without expert guidance, you might find your investment in charging facilities (or future expansion) necessitates costly capacity-upgrade works.

Your EV fleet will become another electric asset, like the others you already own – machinery, air-conditioning systems and fridges and freezers, for example. Optimising the way your organisation consumes electricity – and preparing for future energy-market opportunities – will have significant financial implications.

It might be tempting to install the cheapest charging hardware – or the most powerful – as you look to serve your EV fleet or generate a new revenue stream, expert partners like Drax can help steer you in a more future-proof direction.

They’ll be aware of existing regulations and have a good idea what’s on the horizon. This enables them to provide solid advice and propose solutions that won’t be out of date within the next couple of years.

The energy-opportunity pipeline

If an organisation has on-site renewable generation assets, for example, it may choose to store excess generated electricity. It’ll then be able to draw the energy when grid electricity prices are high, or when it exceeds its forecast consumption levels.

Charging electric vehicles when electricity prices are low and selling it back to the Grid when demand is high (and therefore prices are too) offers organisations a new revenue stream.

Smart charging can manage the sharing of available capacity between several charging points, optimising the power supply to the vehicles. It can schedule charging to take place when energy prices are cheapest and it allows for connection to an online platform or app for real-time charging management and subsequent data analysis.

Partner with an energy expert

It pays to engage an expert to support you in electrifying fleets and implementing charging facilities. They’ll be able to analyse your operational requirements and tailor an electrification roadmap that suits your budget and your sustainability goals. A partner like Drax Electric Vehicles will also be able to connect the dots. They can link the stages of the transition to help you avoid costly mistakes – and offer the services of a team of specialists through a single, familiar point of contact.

But partnering with an energy expert will do more than get you through the process of electrification. It’ll prepare you for the future. That means cost savings, future-proofed investments, ongoing compliance and prime position for taking advantage of opportunities.

Energy might not be top of your list when you’re planning electrification. So, speak to someone whose list it is top of. L

Stimulating the electric vehicle market

The government has various funds to help public and private sector organisations adopt electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. We summarise the schemes available

To help reach the UK’s net zero ambitions, the government has various funding schemes available to help organisations move to electric vehicles. This is while the market is in its infancy, and fleet operators and local authorities are urged to access the funding before it is withdrawn or reduced.

Plug-in vehicle grant

The plug-in vehicle grant remains in place for taxis, motorcycles, vans, trucks and wheelchair accessible vehicles. Buyers do not apply for the grant, it is offered as a discount in the purchase price by the seller.

The grant for small vans apply to vehicles that are less than 2,500kg gross vehicle weight, have CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km and can travel at least 60 miles with no emissions. The grant will pay for 35 per cent of the purchase price for small vans, up to a maximum of £2,500.

The grant for large vans meanwhile is for vehicles that are between 2,500kg and 4,250kg gross vehicle weight, have CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km, and can travel at least 60 miles without any emissions at all. The grant will pay up to a maximum of £5,000.

The grant for taxis can be used on vehicles with CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km that can travel at least 70 miles without any emissions at all, such as the Dynamo Taxi and LEVC TX. The grant will pay for 20 per cent of the purchase price for these vehicles, up to a maximum of £7,500.

The grant for small trucks is for vehicles that are between 4,250kg and 12,000kg gross weight, with CO2 emissions of at least 50 per cent less than the equivalent conventional Euro VI vehicle that can carry the same capacity and can travel at least 60 miles with no emissions. The grant will pay for 20 per cent of the purchase price, up to a maximum of £16,000.

Some large trucks can receive a discount of up to £25,000. To be eligible for a grant, the vehicle must be heavier than 12,000kg, have CO2 emissions of at

least 50 per cent less than the equivalent conventional Euro VI vehicle that can carry the same capacity, and be able to travel at least 60 miles without any emissions.

EV infrastructure grant

The EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets is for small-to-medium-sized businesses in the UK with 249 employees or less. The installer claims the grant on behalf of the business. The grant covers up to 75 per cent of the cost of installing the infrastructure needed for chargepoints to operate and for future chargepoints to be installed, as well as the cost of any chargepoints installed. There is a limit of £15,000 per grant and you can get up to £350 per chargepoint socket installed and £500 per parking space enabled with supporting infrastructure. Each parking space must be associated with a unique chargepoint socket. The socket must be associated with an installed chargepoint or one that will be installed at a future connection location.

The installed infrastructure must support a minimum of five parking spaces with at least one working chargepoint.

The charging infrastructure must comprise of at least a new electrical connection at a metered electrical supply point, such as a consumer unit or feeder pillar, and a dedicated, safe, unobstructed route for electrical cabling from the electrical supply point to the installed chargepoints and any future connection locations.

The chargepoints must supply a minimum of 3kW to each chargepoint socket. This applies when all the sockets installed are being used for charging at the same time. The model must be from an OZEV approved list.

The workplace charging scheme

The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) is open to businesses, charities and public sector organisations. It is also open to small accommodation businesses such as B&Bs and campsites, with 249 employees or less. It can be used with the above mentioned EV infrastructure grant for the same site but not the same chargepoints. Any attempt to claim the same chargepoint twice may be viewed as fraud.

The grant covers up to 75 per cent of the total costs of the purchase and installation of EV chargepoints and is capped at a maximum of £350 per sockets and 40 sockets across all sites per applicant.

These places must have dedicated off-street parking, with spaces dedicated for staff and/ or fleet use that are suitable for chargepoint installations. All parking must be designated to the applicant, although the rest of the car park may be shared with other organisations. Each site must have a minimum power supply of 3kW to each individual socket that is not diminished by their simultaneous use, and have have no more than one socket installed for each accessible parking space. They must be for staff and / or fleet use.

If the primary place of work is also a residential property, such as a home, the scheme can be applied for as long as the address is either listed as the place of business with Companies House or recorded on a business rate (non-domestic) rate bill issued to a local council or Land & Property Services (LPS).

Before applying for the Workplace Charging Grant, applicants are encouraged to discuss their needs with one or more authorised WCS installers.

They must undergo a site survey with an authorised installer to ensure the electrical capacity of the site can support the number of sockets being applied for.

The EV grantinfrastructure is for businessesto-medium-sizedsmallin the UK with 249 employees or less

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

Other points to assess include how the cost of electricity usage will be covered, if or how users would be charged.

If the applicant does not own or manage the land where they wish to install chargepoints, they must also secure the necessary permissions ahead of making an application. For example, if the company has access to off-street parking via a garage or private car park that is provided by a third party, they are eligible for the WCS provided the parking space meets all other eligibility criteria. If they do not own the parking space, however, they will be required to gain written permission from the landlord or owner.

Applicants apply for the Workplace Charging Grant online, and if successful, receive a unique identification voucher code by email, which can then be given to any OZEV-authorised installer. Once the chargepoints have been installed, the authorised installer can claim the grant from OZEV on the applicant’s behalf. The chargepoint installation must be completed and the voucher claimed within six months of the voucher’s issue date.

If you apply for less than 40 sockets, you can submit additional applications in the future until you reach that limit.

On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme

Local authorities can apply for the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme, which is designed to increase the availability of on-street chargepoints in residential streets where off-street parking is not available.

The funding is for up to 60 per cent of eligible capital costs, with total funding not exceeding £7,500 per chargepoint unless electrical connection costs are exceptionally high. In these cases, funding up to £13,000 per chargepoint may be provided. The remaining costs could come from chargepoint operators, if they are willing to invest capital into local authority projects which allow investment to be recovered over time, or even from the local authority budget, if, for example, the local authority is going to own and operate the infrastructure. Before embarking on a project however, it is advisable to understand the level of public funding required.

While the scheme is primarily for on-street charging, it can be used in car parks if they are owned by the local authority or another group, where long term leasing agreements are in place, such as a village hall. The car parks must be accessible on a 24/7 basis.

All chargepoints installed through this scheme must have a minimum payment method, such as contactless. L

Master the management of your fleet, whatever its size

MICHELIN Connected Fleet is proud to partner with GreenFleet magazine. With fleet chiefs making concerted efforts to become more efficient and environmentally friendly, our advanced fleet management services and solutions are designed to help. They provide the tools and information fleet operators and managers need to transform their operations and run sustainable businesses.

We are committed to understanding customer needs and providing them with pragmatic and quality solutions in the areas that matter most to them: reducing the cost of managing their fleet, increasing productivity, improving driver and vehicle safety and meeting end-customer expectations.

We’re much more than a supplier. We develop strong partnerships with companies running large and small fleets of LCVs and HGVs, offering recommendations based on mobility data to give them a competitive advantage.

Our MoveElectric solution is part of a comprehensive range of advanced on-board telematics systems that we use to help businesses improve day-to-day fleet performance. Our smart data and performance analysis services lead to better insights and better visibility. Data can also be used to help anticipate maintenance requirements, leading to reductions in unscheduled downtime. MICHELIN Connected Fleet can monitor tyre pressures and temperatures to considerably reduce the likelihood of roadside breakdowns, which can lead to missed deliveries, vehicle damage and increased tyre costs.

We stand out for delivering personalised assistance from our team of MICHELIN Connected Fleet experts, which means we are perfectly placed to help GreenFleet Magazine’s customers and partners master the management of their fleets and improve their operations. We look forward to working with you. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

https://connectedfleet.michelin.com/ solution/ev-transition-management

Whether you’re managing HGVs, LCVs or E-vans, we get that you need a fleet partner you can rely on. One that understands all your needs and challenges.

We bring three decades of global fleet management expertise, with over 600,000 vehicles connected. Our dedicated experts work with you to make sense of your data and turn it into real world results. From reducing carbon emissions and increasing fuel efficiency, to real time alerts on tyre and brake performance.

An informed approach to fleet decarbonisation

MICHELIN Connected Fleet’s MoveElectric offer provides fleets with real-life proof points and data to accelerate their transition to electrification and support them in meeting sustainability goals

MoveElectric’s reporting suite now includes CO2 smart intelligence and MICHELIN Connected Fleet is actively working on CO2 certifications in various countries to support customers trying to secure available subsidies. Working with partners inside the Michelin Group, the company is also starting to look at the influence tyres have on battery consumption to continue to innovate its EV approach.

The global climate crisis has amplified the need to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles (EVs), prompting transport manufacturers and operators to address the practical challenges of decarbonisation. Meeting UK and European zero emission targets and legislative changes, whilst proving their environmental credentials to customers promoting strong sustainability messages, is a significant task.

A push for zero emission vehicles

The UK government’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, makes it imperative for fleet management teams to embrace technological innovation and data gathering tools to advance their decarbonisation strategies.

MICHELIN Connected Fleet’s MoveElectric offer provides fleets with real-life proof points and data to accelerate their transition to electrification and support them in meeting sustainability goals.

Grant Robson, global business director at MICHELIN Connected Fleet, says: “It helps fleet managers to rapidly progress their EV fleet strategies and optimise operations. With bespoke EV transition analysis, they can measure the impact of electrification on fuel costs and tailpipe emissions for both individual vehicles and across whole fleets.

“Using existing journey data, MoveElectric recommends the best way to transition, whilst the EV app gives drivers full confidence in running their EVs. This function also helps fleets to see charging behaviours and charging activity per vehicle, helping to reduce downtime and facilitate driver reimbursement.”

This advanced set of EV management tools is included in the LCV Connected

Fleet Premium package, which offers a range of options – covering both EVs and hybrids – and supports in deciding which is best for their specific needs.

It’s a ‘Planet First’ approach instead of being a pure focus on switching to electric, mirroring the Michelin Group’s sustainability strategy.

Analysing the data

MICHELIN Connected Fleet has run data science projects and analysed industry trends to identify what may be holding back a fleet’s acceleration to carbon neutrality. Detailed research reveals how simply transitioning to an EV is not enough. But with the personalised service for the driver and fleet manager that vehicle can be operated to the most efficient level.

The company has updated its vehicle database and worked with customers to identify the optimal charging strategy to manage battery health and energy costs based upon real-life customer fleet data and information from omparable fleets.

MoveElectric has led to MICHELIN Connected Fleet expanding its solutions from an LCVonly offer to applications for a wide variety of alternative-fuelled vehicles, from cars to trucks.

Once embedded, MICHELIN Connected Fleet’s EV solution allows for quick and easy real-time visibility of an electric fleet, utilising the same fleet management tools used for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to help customers future-proof their operations.  Data is provided on the status of EVs, including battery level, charge state, available range, nearest and compatible charge points, and charging costs. Smart optimisation tools offer a deep dive into the EV’s performance –from electricity consumption on a journey to how usage affects battery levels over time.

One major fleet MICHELIN Connected Fleet has helped is Marston Holdings, which operates 650 vans, 350 cars, 300 scooters and around 150 trucks. Marston provides technology-driven solutions for more than 500 local authorities across the UK, as well as central government and private sector organisations, from design through to implementation.

Smart data gathered covering daily mileage, usage, range and terrain has helped identify when it is advantageous for Marston Holdings to switch fossil fuel vehicles to fully electric, factoring in charging infrastructure, downtime, and range. As a direct result, the customer was able to increase the size of its electric and hybrid fleet to 17 per cent year-on-year. By embracing MICHELIN Connected Fleet’s smart data and personalised performance analysis, Marston Holdings also reported a year-on-year reduction in fuel consumption of 13.4 per cent across its fleet. New industry developments are also supporting the acceleration to EVs. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are investing billions in EV-related technologies and manufacturing plant upgrades. Battery electric car choices have quadrupled over the past five years, with every class of vehicle now available as an electric option. And average battery ranges for new electric vehicles coming to the market for the first time in 2023 are now almost 300 miles, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), with ranges also increasing in the electric van market. Whilst the UK’s EV charging infrastructure requires significant upgrades to ensure more premises are equipped with EV charging points, the news that Jaguar Land Rover-owner Tata is investing more than £4 billion to build a 40GWh battery cell gigafactory near Bridgwater is a further boost to power the automotive sector’s transition to electric mobility. L

The tools needed to cut carbon

The newly formed UK Business Climate Hub is the net-zero information portal, optimised to help SMEs reduce their carbon footprint in areas such as transport and energy. Chris Taylor, net zero director at the Broadway Initiative, explains how it works

The journey to net zero and the new technologies, skills and emerging markets that journey entails can feel overwhelming for any business, but perhaps more so for the 5.5 million SMEs that make up the backbone of the UK economy. Yet it is precisely these businesses that must be at the heart of the green transition and these businesses that stand to gain from the energy cost savings that can be achieved by reducing their carbon footprint. That is why the UK government and all major business associations have aligned for the first time behind one single point of net zero information and advice for SMEs: the UK Business Climate Hub. The UK Business Climate Hub is the net zero information portal that has been developed for your business. The Hub is a collaboration between the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the SME Climate Hub and a wide array of the UK’s business organisations, energy networks, banks and professional bodies operating under the umbrella of the Broadway Initiative. The Hub was launched earlier this month (14th August) and is managed by the Broadway Initiative.

Helping SMEs to reduce emissions

The Hub is optimised to help SMEs across the UK reduce their carbon footprint, by offering free tools and support that address some of the unique challenges and barriers that your business may face in reducing emissions. The Hub’s ‘Take Action’ guides are free tools that help to address vital areas such as electric vehicles and transport, renewable energy and waste and recycling where businesses

can gain insight into cutting their emissions. These guides provide concise summaries of what actions to take and next steps, helping businesses who have already identified where to focus to move forward rapidly. For those of you who are less sure about where to start, the UK Business Climate Hub site has links to several free carbon footprint calculators. Carbon calculators use information you provide about your business, such as electricity use, fuel consumption, refrigerant top-ups and other activities, to estimate your carbon footprint. Carbon calculators can then create a personalised dashboard, presenting a breakdown of your business’s current emissions and helping identify where these emissions are highest and what actions could result in the biggest cost and carbon savings.

Decarbonising transport

This journey will likely lead to your fleet and transport operation. Transport is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions for the UK so by reducing transport emissions, businesses can have a significant impact on our overall carbon footprint.

The UK Business Climate Hub identifies a wide variety of ways your business can reduce emissions, from advice on behavioural changes that will decrease fuel consumption to guidance on navigating large-scale changes such as upgrading to an electric fleet. It lays out upcoming policy changes in the UK, changes that might support you in making changes in your business or

create new obligations or opportunities that you will want to be aware of.

If you are looking to decarbonise your existing fleet, or you have a fleet that is near the end of its life cycle, switching to electric vehicles is a significant step to cutting emissions. While the switch to an electric fleet may seem daunting and brings its own obstacles, such as access to EV chargepoints on site or funding for a new fleet, the Business Climate Hub offers resources to help you meet these challenges.

The financial barrier

Of course, for many SMEs, financing their switch to new technologies or upgrades to their existing facilities remains the top barrier on their net zero journey. The UK Business Climate Hub is here to help. The Hub lists sources for finance and support that you can use to enable changes to your business, including grant schemes available in different parts of the UK and local programmes offering advice and finance support.

For example, you might have decided to take the plunge and switch to an electric fleet. The site will link you to the UK government’s plug-in grant for commercial EVs, outline what sort of funding is available for different vehicles and how businesses can benefit. The Hub might point you to the government’s local electric vehicle infrastructure fund, which supports local authorities in England to work with the chargepoint industry to roll out local charging infrastructure.

For many SMEs, financing their switch to new technologies or upgrades to their existing facilities remains the top barrier

Whatever your particular need, the UK Business Climate Hub will help direct you to information on applications, working with local authorities and any other steps you may want to take to secure support.

The UK Business Climate Hub is the UK partner of the SME Climate Hub, the global initiative founded by the We Mean Business Coalition and the Exponential Roadmap Initiative that empowers SMEs to take climate action and make the SME Climate Commitment. The SME Climate Commitment is an internationally recognised public commitment you can make to demonstrate to your clients and your community that you are taking steps to do your part to address the climate emergency.

Sector roadmaps

The UK Business Climate Hub forms one plank in the work of the newly established Net Zero Council. Hosted by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Net Zero Council aims to support businesses on their road to net zero by developing sector roadmaps that lay out key actions for businesses and government to take to reach net zero in every area of the economy. For example, the British Retail Consortium’s roadmap is already of particular interest to the haulage and transport industry, as it lays out the retail sector’s plans for the transition to low carbon logistics. The roadmap identifies key barriers to decarbonising logistics and a further call to action for the role of government in supporting the sector’s net zero agenda.

The roadmaps will develop and continue to inform the Ådecarbonisation of fleets across the country. Already the UK Business Climate Hub is here to provide information to businesses wanting to transition to net zero, while also offering practical steps that ensure SMEs are not left behind in the transitioning economy. From upgrading to a low-carbon fleet, to managing their waste and cutting energy costs, the UK Business Climate Hub is here to support you every step of the way. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

www.businessclimatehub.uk

Tusker’s schemes prove that driving a new, environmentally friendly vehicle is possible for the majority of motorists

With a fleet reaching 29,000 vehicles for the first time in the company’s history, and more than 90 per cent of cars delivered in 2023 having a plug, the switch to electrified vehicles is well underway at Tusker. Through advocacy of EVs and ULEVs, momentum is increasing with more and more companies seeing the benefit of launching a salary sacrifice car benefit with scheme with market leaders, Tusker. More than 240 new customers added a Tusker salary sacrifice scheme to their employee benefits between January and June this year, bringing the total number to more than 1,600 – this gives more than 1.5 million people access to a brand new, affordable car.

The growth of electric has made up the overwhelming majority of orders on the Tusker scheme, with 86 per cent of deliveries for pure EVs. This desire for cleaner, greener vehicles comes from multiple sectors across the UK economy, with financial services, tech and utility companies as well as charitable and publicsector organisations seeing the biggest take up.

The EV and plug-in hybrid focus of Tusker’s schemes has seen a remarkable drop in CO2 emissions across the organisations for whom it has provided cars. Companies are able to lower their grey fleet emissions and work towards their ESG goals at the same time as attracting and retaining staff.

It means that Tusker is well on its way to achieving net zero by the end of 2030, helping motorists to drive both sustainably and affordably. A strong start to the year for Tusker has allowed us to move further towards this goal.

Tusker has been providing carbon neutral cars via its salary sacrifice scheme since 2010 and became a net positive carbon contributor to the environment in 2021 – offsetting more emissions than are produced by drivers. Whether with its employee salary sacrifice car scheme, or more traditional company fleet offering, Tusker has been helping to get more employees into new, affordable, and more environmentally friendly vehicles for 15 years. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

tuskerdirect.com

The Net Zero Council aims to support businesses on their road to net zero by developing sector roadmaps that lay out key actions for businesses and government to take to reach net zero

Salary sacrifice reduces fleet risk

Car leasing and salary sacrifice schemes might not have been on your radar in the past, but with significant changes occurring within the automotive landscape and the future of fleets, now is the time to consider making a change

There’s also the option to extend your car benefit to almost all employees – an attractive benefit for many employees and gives people who could not otherwise afford a brand-new car the opportunity to drive one. Plus, it really helps attract and retain new and existing employees. You’ll also see all the usual leasing benefits – including a comprehensive maintenance, servicing and insurance package included within a single monthly amount.

The reasons for financing your fleet via leasing are well known. The benefits include freeing up capital from depreciating assets, saving money on fuel and maintenance costs, ease of fleet management, increased flexibility and the provision of new, safer cars. However, an increasingly key reason for leasing, rather than buying a company fleet is the rapid evolution of new car technology, and the improvements in efficiency and emissions that this brings.

Salary sacrifice goes one step further. Opening up the benefits of leasing the latest in new vehicles to almost all employees, encouraging even more people into the latest low emission cars. It’s a popular option for companies looking to offer their employees a cost-effective way of getting a new car where the employee agrees to give up a portion of their salary in exchange.

Thanks to the unique way salary sacrifice is structured, employees are also able to make significant savings on electric and Ultra Low Emission Vehicles through their salary – the average saving in 2022 for Tusker drivers was over £300.

Adding a salary sacrifice scheme to your organisation can help drivers choose environmentally friendly cars, whether they are company car drivers, cash allowance takers, or simply employees who are now able to take a car thanks to the offer of this employee benefit. It reduces the need for fleet administration, as Tusker manages the majority of this for their customers, simplifying the process while opening up the offering to more employees than a traditional company fleet would.

With carbon offsetting as standard, Tusker can also help towards sustainability, or ESG targets. A net-positive contributor to the environment, Tusker more-than offsets the emissions of the vehicles it puts on the roads, ensuring that there is minimal impact to the environment.

Risk is further reduced with the lifestyle protections that Tusker offers for drivers and organisations. The protections ensure that, should an individual leave their role, for a variety of reasons, the car will not be a financial burden to either the driver, or their employer. It’s a win-win for those looking to reduce the risk on their balance sheets.

Benefits

Using a salary sacrifice scheme focused on EVs and Ultra Low Emission Vehicles, your organisation and drivers will benefit from complete confidence in your fleet costs –with a single monthly figure covering the complete cost of each car (minus the fuel/ energy) and no need to consider the resale value at the end of the agreement, you can rely on your projected fleet costs.

You’ll also benefit from a reduction in carbon footprint – ultra-low emission vehicles are a great way of boosting your company’s ESG goals, while reducing its carbon footprint. Partner with Tusker and we’ll also offset the emissions of any vehicles that you may still have on fleet, making all your vehicles completely carbon neutral.

What’s more, there’s even more risk reduction with our Lifestyle Protection scheme – work with Tusker and you’ll further reduce the risks associated with life events like parental leave, death or illness. You will not need to worry about being stuck in long-term contracts for unwanted vehicles.

Now is the time for change

Car leasing might not have been on your radar in the past, but with significant changes occurring within the automotive landscape and the future of fleets, now is the time to consider making a change. Having offered salary sacrifice schemes for the past 15 years, and now working with over 1,400 customers across the public and private sectors, more than 1.3 million drivers now have access to a salary sacrifice scheme. Partner with Tusker – an experienced, award-winning, market-leading provider, and we’ll help you transition your fleet seamlessly to the next generation of vehicles. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.tuskercars.com

Solutions for an Electric Fleet

https://themilesconsultancy.com/electric-vehicles

Get the full picture before embarking on a fleet electrification journey with TMC

Are you keen to electrify your fleet but unsure where to start? Or perhaps you have electric vehicles within your fleet and are unclear as to how effective they are or could be? Well, the good news is that TMC have real world data-driven solutions to give you the full picture and help take the uncertainty out of going electric!

With the 2030 ban of new petrol and diesel vehicles in sight, fleets are

understandably having to think carefully about how and when to introduce electric vehicles, with the charging infrastructure and ability to home-charge, overall costs and sustainability goals all playing a part in the decision-making process.

It’s tricky and complex, but we at TMC like to think that we can simplify this process for you as much as possible!

How is it done?

We start by looking at the journey profile of each vehicle in your fleet to identify where electric vehicles would work well. We continue this analysis once electric vehicles are deployed to measure their impact and identify where else electric vehicles could be used successfully.

Continued analysis of your fleet is important to ensure your fleet remains optimised and to help you make better informed fleet decisions in the future. When it comes to reimbursement, there are a number of options. In having to deal with multiple datasets, drivers charging at home, at a workplace and at public charge points, it can seem a daunting prospect.

TMC data has shown that the HMRC advisory electric rate of nine pence per mile is an unsuitable reimbursement rate for the majority of electric vehicle drivers and that actually, an actual cost reimbursement solution or our very own TMC EV Rates (a real-world cost per mile for each electric car and electric van in the market) are the way forward. TMC also have the capability to reimburse home energy costs direct to the employee’s energy supplier!

Regardless of the chosen method, our market-leading system enables employees to claim back their domestic and public energy costs for business mileage.

We also work with a number of fuel card providers to offer businesses an all-encompassing solution for the payment of both public EV charging and the purchase of fossil fuels.

Interested in how TMC can support your transition to electric? You need only ask. Get in touch to speak with our friendly team today! L

Putting power where it’s needed

Fleets are major purchasers of electric vehicles and so local authorities must consider their needs when devising charging infrastructure plans. Catherine Bowen, senior policy advisor at the BVRLA, explains how the fleet sector and local authorities can work together to achieve a fleet-friendly charging network

Power presents itself in a multitude of ways. Funding and financial backing brings purchasing power, while the old adage that ‘knowledge is power’ rings true in all walks of life.

When it comes to the roll out of a suitable EV charging infrastructure, we know there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Up to now, it has been seen by many as a numbers game. The conversation must evolve. Quantity of chargepoints in the ground is but one element that will contribute to a healthy, useable network.

On that backdrop, the balance of power is changing. Responsibilities that have historically sat with those in

Westminster are being pushed to all corners of the UK. Local Authorities are being given the ability to implement their own infrastructure plans, while programmes such as the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, give access to funding not seen before.

The race to decarbonise our road transport will now be won or lost at a local level.

Authorities are being asked to spearhead new public charging infrastructure strategies, but most of them are under-resourced, under-funded and dealing with a host of competing transport priorities. This is good news for the fleet sector. The collective ability to influence decisions and see a fleet-friendly charging network has never been stronger. Those developing

local plans are hungry for support. They want to make the right decisions and want to hear from any stakeholders, organisations and constituents that can guide them.

Lack of EV strategy

Our research earlier this year showed that nearly two thirds of local authorities in the UK are yet to publish an EV strategy. More than that, we uncovered that 40 per cent are yet to engage with fleets.

Local authorities either don’t know where to start with their plans or are overlooking the critical role that fleet users play in the road transport network. This must change. The responsibility to create that change sits with the fleet sector.

The fleet sector is pulling the nation forward on its drive to decarbonise, but charging E

The providesChargingupdatedBVRLA’sFleetGuide a high-level overview of how and wherechargefleets

Fleet Friendly Charging Infrastructure Pledge,

signing

 infrastructure is failing to keep up. Only by being at the table and bringing local decision makers on the journey with us can we influence plans that will work for everyone.

The government’s LEVI funding is hugely important, but policymakers also need support in understanding the needs of different road users, whether it is those based locally or those travelling through. Fleets are already living and breathing the transition to EVs and are familiar with the barriers, frustrations, and benefits that it brings.

Getting the right infrastructure in the right place at the right time requires close collaboration between everyone in the electric vehicle ecosystem. That includes drivers, fleet operators, charge point operators (CPOs), distribution network operators (DNOs), local authorities (LAs) and national government. Only when all of those voices are heard can a network be developed from an informed base.

Where fleets charge

That is why the BVRLA launched its Fleet Charging Guide. Updated for 2023, the Guide provides a high-level overview of how and where fleets charge, delivering tangible recommendations for policymakers to implement.

Within those recommendations, the Fleet Charging Guide provides a list of seven top tips for local authorities to consider.

The first is having a single point of contact. This makes it easy for local fleet operators to get in touch and listen to their views.

The second is to take advantage of support and funding. Trade bodies, industry representatives and fellow LAs are well placed to provide guidance.

The next recommendation is to share and learn from best practice. See where you can learn from experiences of others.

Local authorities are also encouraged to set an example. Lead the way by decarbonising their own fleet and adapting wider business travel plans. Another recommendation is to use tenders effectively and to build in elements that will futureproof the network and investment.

Local authorities are also encouraged to explore innovative solutions to see what is out there and where multiple solutions could address multiple use cases.

The final recommendation is for local authorities to effectively signpost chargepoints. Make it clear to drivers not only where chargepoints are, but what power output they have and if the bays are suitable for larger vehicles too.

Fleet Friendly Charging Pledge

Local authorities want to play their part. They want to lead from the front and demonstrate to their constituents that they are committed to road transport decarbonisation. Through our engagements with authorities across the UK, we are seeing them officially commit to having fleets in mind. Through signing the BVRLA’s Fleet Friendly Charging Infrastructure Pledge, local authorities are confirming that they will consider fleet operators and drivers in charging infrastructure plans and strategies; engage with the fleet sector to understand their charging requirements; and provide fleet-focused EV charging information and guidance. The more authorities that commit to the pledge at a local level, the more we will see fleet needs being met nationally. It is something we are actively pushing for at the BVRLA currently and making great strides in. The collective support of the wider fleet sector can only make our case stronger. Industry professionals are encouraged to make contact with their local authority to start the conversation today. Through the BVRLA’s suite of local authority resources –including the Fleet Charging Guide and Fleet Friendly Charging Index – it is possible to check the progress made by each authority in the UK before making contact and sharing the recommendations from the Guide. Only by making our voices heard, sharing our needs and presenting solutions, will we see positive change to make the EV transition successful. The power is ultimately in our hands. L

Through

the BVRLA’s

local authorities are confirming that they will consider fleet operators and drivers in charging infrastructure plans and strategies

Sustainable, efficient transport operations

How to navigate the electification of a commercial fleet

Dynamon’s data analytics and simulation tools are used by businesses to ensure their transport operations are as sustainable, efficient and cost-effective as they can be.

And as the 2030 deadline for the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles nears, this rapid transition period underlines the need for quality data in order to help your business make the right decisions.

However, the move to electrification in the commercial vehicle market is more complex than for cars. Firstly, there is more limited vehicle choice in what is still a developing market, while supply may still be suppressed as a result of the global semi-conductor shortage.

The charging requirements are far more complex, too. While car charging can often be taken care of by installing a home charger and topping up a battery on the road, for commercial fleets running vehicles all day and at higher mileages, the need for more complex charging solutions becomes clear.

But with an expanding number of EVs and more answers needed about charging infrastructure, researching and trialling every possible solution is both time intensive and costly. Specifically developed to help in this transition, ZERO is an advanced data analytics tool to help commercial fleets, consultants, leasing companies, telematics and charging providers identify the most suitable EVs and routing, the necessary charging infrastructure and depot energy requirements.

ZERO works by taking the guesswork out of these incredibly complex, large-scale electrification decisions, replacing it with advanced, data-driven simulation, analysis and modelling.

As a result, the work to understand exactly what is needed is done before wheels roll and fleet decision-makers are armed with the information they need to ensure their EV transition is done right, first time.

How does ZERO work?

Transition planning: Identify which vehicles and depots can transition to EV now, and which require more time. This allows an EV transition to be phased, spreading investment costs.

EV selection: Which EVs are best for your business? ZERO’s software uses Dynamon’s bespoke vehicle database to offer precise predictions of a vehicle’s operation range based

on key parameters – payload, specification and the temperature impacts on battery effectiveness. Grid and charging infrastructure insight: Data insights enabled for planning and implementation of charging frameworks and the energy requirements for EV adoption. Cost analysis: Enabling fleets to assess the financial implications of owning and operating EVs compared to traditional ICE models. Tariff optimisation: Which are the most cost-effective electricity pricing plans for charging EVs? ZERO enables fleets to forecast electricity demand from EV charging based on historical operation data. This data can be presented for each business location across different times of the day. Public charging: ZERO’s charging structure analysis gives the knowledge of nearby public charging points.

New EV transition assessment feature Dynamon has launched an innovative product update for fleets, chargepoint providers, suppliers and consultants as part of its ZERO package, which takes live vehicle data and mileage and provides ratings and guidance on which depots, workplaces or compounds could switch to electric immediately, and those that may need more time and investment.

The EV Transition Assessment feature automatically works out readiness for

EV at each location, as well the charging requirements - AC, DC and/or publicbased on the fleet’s existing operational parameters, such as daily mileage and time out of the depot, workplace or compound. It then creates a score for ‘Ease of Electrification’ for each location, allowing businesses to plan the roll-out of EVs and chargers by targeting those that can make the switch easier, and others which may require more work, such as infrastructure development.

How can Dynamon’s suite of software tools help your business?

ZERO is an advanced data analytics tool to help commercial fleets identify the optimum electric vehicles and charging infrastructure for their specific fleet operations.

Precision Trial Analytics lets businesses perform accurate trials to measure the true performance of vehicle hardware. Tyre Analytics identifies the tyres that best balance tyre cost and energy efficiency. Aero Analytics identifies aerodynamic solutions that significantly reduce fuel costs and CO2 emissions. Aero Analytics can be used to identify the vehicle component that provide the strongest ROI for LGV operators. L

Get in touch with our team today.

FURTHER INFORMATION

hello@dynamon.co.uk

+442380985410

https://dynamon.co.uk

EVMI offers a range of electric solutions for last mile deliveries, with varying size and cargo capacity

EVMI Solutions was born from the need to de-carbonise last-mile delivery and in the process help to clean the environment and the air we breathe. Despite commendable efforts to de-carbonise commuter transport, we noticed very little was being done to electrify the urban cargo and delivery sectors. We also soon realised there’s no one-size-fits-all, so embarked on a mission to introduce a number of right-sized electric alternatives for the thousands of petrol powered mopeds and delivery vans buzzing around our capital and major cities.

We believe these solutions will not only help to reduce congestion and pollution, but will also let fleet operators make doorstep deliveries that are both environmentally and commercially sustainable within the rising tide of battery powered vehicles. Our company motif is,

‘Quieter, Faster, Greener, Cheaper’ and all our solutions reflect these four aims.

Even before the pandemic the rise of home delivery for both online shopping and food was growing exponentially. COVID-19 then made home delivery a necessity rather than a luxury. The number of mopeds in the UK’s cities grew with this rise in demand, and they emitted pollution whilst also disturbing the peace with their unique engine notes at all hours of the day and night.

We offer a range of best-in-class light electric delivery solutions on two wheels, three wheels or four, in a range of size and cargo capacity, all zero emissions and all offering fleet operating costs a third or less than their petrol or diesel counterparts, while gliding along city streets effortlessly and silently.

Our flagship 3-wheel cargo scooter, the Aidea AA-Cargo, is currently in use at Zoom by Ocado and Supper London offering them a quieter, faster, greener and cheaper alternative to petrol mopeds, whilst also being able to carry 3 or 4 times the cargo load due to its unique 3-wheel geometry.

We will be on the Zemo Partnership stand at the free-to-register Cenex LCV event (at

the Millbrook Automotive Proving Ground) again this year on 6-7 September and happy to demonstrate the AA-cargo electric 3-wheeler as well as the new Benzina Zero Duo and Duo+ electric 2-wheelers and the remarkable cycle-lane friendly 4-wheel VOK cyclecar, so please do come to see us. L

IKEA’s goal for zero-emission deliveries

IKEA aims to reach zero-emission deliveries to customers by 2025, and is investing in the electric vehicles and charging infrastructure to support this goal. Jakob Bertilsson, country customer fulfilment manager at IKEA UK & Ireland, tells us more

IKEA has announced a £4.5million investment in a nationwide electric charging infrastructure, which will provide charging points for its electric delivery vehicles across the country to enable more emissions-free deliveries. The new infrastructure will source energy entirely through renewable sources.

Jakob Bertilsson, country customer fulfilment manager at IKEA UK & Ireland, tells us more.

Could you tell us what IKEA’s sustainability aims are, in terms of its fleet operations?

We have set an ambitious goal to achieve 100 per cent zero-emissions for our operations by 2025 and recognise the importance of working closely with our service partners to achieve this target; from investments in their hub locations to support zero emissions, to exploring what they can provide to secure coverage in more remote parts of the country.

As a global retailer, we are also committed to being climate positive by 2030, and our operations in the UK & Ireland play a key role in contributing to this global ambition, including the global exploration of other alternatives, such as hydrogen fuelled vehicles.

You’ve recently announced a £4.5 million investment into EV infrastructure for your home deliveries – could you give more details on this project?

We are making a significant investment in electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure to promote sustainability and achieve our commitment to zero-emissions last-mile home delivery by 2025. As part of this effort, all our stores with home delivery operations will be fitted with EV charging points. A total of 196 chargers are being installed, with many of them equipped with dual plugs, allowing for a charging capacity of up to 360 vehicles. These new charge points are specifically designated for home delivery services, ensuring that EVs used for IKEA’s last-mile deliveries have reliable and accessible charging options.

We are also leveraging existing Gridserve chargers situated at all our stores, where customers can charge their vehicles while shopping.

The installation of charge points has been future-proofed based on our modelling, which aims to achieve 100 per cent zero-emissions for last-mile home delivery by 2025.

What challenges does the new infrastructure address?

The current lack of electric vehicle (EV) charging points and infrastructure poses a significant challenge for IKEA, as we aim to promote sustainable living and reduce our carbon footprint. As more customers switch to electric vehicles, the need for reliable and accessible charging points becomes critical. The absence of adequate charging infrastructure may deter customers from visiting IKEA stores, as they may face difficulties in charging their EVs during their shopping trips. This challenge could potentially limit our customer base and hinder the adoption of EVs, which aligns with IKEA’s commitment to sustainability. However, this challenge also presents an opportunity for us to lead the way in making a nationwide investment in EV charging infrastructure. By investing in a robust and extensive network of charging points at our stores and surrounding areas, we are showing our commitment to creating a future built on zero-emissions transportation, which feeds into the government’s wider 2050

net-zero targets. This also provides our customers with the opportunity to reduce their own environmental footprint for those that choose to get their furniture and homeware products delivered.

This investment compliments the charging already available for customers at IKEA stores.

Could you tell us what this infrastructure looks like and if you have plans to expand it?

Our customer charging infrastructure is built on the current demand seen for charging across all our stores, provided by Gridserve. This infrastructure was modelled to secure futureproofing with changing demand, however we are continuously exploring how we can evolve our customer electric vehicle charging offering.

Could you give us an update on your electric fleet - how many do you have, how are they used and what types of vehicles?

We currently operate a fleet of 60 electric vehicles in the UK. However, we have ambitious plans to further expand our EV fleet to 500 vehicles, while simultaneously phasing out diesel vehicles to avoid contributing to road congestion.

What hurdles need to be overcome to enable the mass transition to electric vehicles in this country?

We recognise that bridging the gap to 2050 and achieving national infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs) is crucial in accelerating the reduction of CO2 emissions. As a responsible retailer, we acknowledge that waiting for changes to happen is not enough, and therefore, the company has taken a proactive approach to investing in last-mile EV infrastructure. This investment is a fundamental step in leading the way towards achieving IKEA’s goal of becoming 100 per cent zeroemissions, far ahead of the set target. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

www.ikea.com

Creating a fleet electrification roadmap

Mark Parkin, fleet consultant at Rolec EV, discusses how businesses can smoothly transition to a fully electric fleet in the lead up to the 2030 ICE ban

The UK’s ‘Road to Net Zero’ may seem far on the horizon, but for fleet operators the transition to zero emission vehicles is only a few replacement cycles away.   As with all instances of change, it is inevitable that there will be a period where businesses will need to adjust to no longer relying on fossil fuels. Creating an accurate and realistic roadmap to electrification is the best way to manage this transition as a business. Moving to a fleet of fully Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) shouldn’t feel like a chore. There is an array of advantages to transitioning to electric vehicles, such as less maintenance, cheaper running costs and low Benefit in Kind (BiK) tax, that can benefit you as a fleet operator. Taking advantage of these opportunities as they present themselves, before 2030, will leave you in a better position as the transition plays out.

The benefits of BEVs

Battery electric vehicles are cheaper to run over time; have lower fuel costs; improve the sustainability of the fleet, and are VED exempt. They also benefit from low BiK tax for employees, lower maintenance, and are exempt from clean-air-zone (CAZ) or the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charges. What’s more, they are supported by government grants and initiatives.

So, how do you begin to transition to BEVs?

The first step to a fully electric fleet is to evaluate your fleet in its current position. How many vehicles does it include? What types of vehicles do you have? What are the operational needs of your business? These are all things that you need to consider before you start placing orders for BEVs.

Assessing the EVs available

Once you have collected information on your current fleet, you can then start the process of relating this to EVs available on the market. Match up vehicle size, the typical length of journeys each vehicle makes daily and all other relevant data and find a comparable EV to fit your needs. Do this for every model of vehicle you have in your fleet. Now that you have a list of vehicles, it’s important to hold fire. Don’t start transitioning your entire fleet overnight. Start by lining up your replacement schedule to facilitate a gradual transition. Start with a handful of vehicles, give your employees time to get used to the different driving experience, and then begin to phase in other models. Remember there isn’t a one-size-fits-all template for fleet electrification and part of the process is learning what works for you and investing in it. Which includes training drivers on how to operate EVs and getting them familiar with EV charging infrastructure.

This will also give you time to begin introducing your own charging network. Which comes with its own set of considerations. You will need to decide, among other things, where vehicles will be charging and when, what budget is available to you for units (and installation), as well as what operating system you will use to manage your chargepoint network. Again, this process will be unique to you and your fleet/business. You may require vehicles to charge on-site overnight, in which case you would be well suited to slower but more cost-effective 7.4kW chargepoints. Or, you may have a fleet that is covering a large area daily that would require rapid top-ups throughout the day. Something that is perfectly suited to DC charging. You may even need a combination of the two. Once you have decided on vehicles and a supporting charging network, all that there is left for you to do is phase out ICE vehicles for new BEV models.

As we suggested earlier, lining this up with your replacement schedule and transitioning your fleet gradually allows you time to manage the changeover on a timescale that suits you and your fleet. Helping you enter in to 2030 fully prepared and fully Battery Electric. L

The UK’s leading integrated salvage and vehicle dismantling company

Taking charge of battery recycling. Find out more on how we can keep your fleet moving.

Handling EVs safely:

EV trained colleagues

EV Dismantling centre

Specialist EV equipment

Scan the QR code, or visit

SY N E TI Q .CO.U K

Navigating the world of electric vehicles

As the UK’s leading integrated salvage, dismantling and vehicle recycling company, it is our responsibility to support our clients in the transition to an electric fleet and the journey to decarbonisation. With the 2030 ban of diesel and petrol vehicles on the horizon, Sarah Hirst, client and green parts director at SYNETIQ, sheds some light on where to get started

range vehicles being produced. There is also the acquisition cost of EVs to consider. On a positive note, we do believe this will change once the battery purchase cost for OEMs reduces. We encourage businesses to see this transition as an investment with many sustainability benefits.

What more can be done?

The world of electric vehicles is still quite new to us all and we’re all trying to navigate our way to find best practice. With the government’s deadline of 2030 remaining firmly in place, now is the time to get behind the idea of moving to electric.

The introduction of

When looking into the feasibility of electric vehicles for your operations, it all depends on the vehicles’ purpose and your business requirements. For example, if you require light commercial vehicles, you will need to take into account the distance and pay load it will have – this will determine if there is an EV to suit your business needs.

If you do introduce EVs operationally, take into consideration the infrastructure for charging onsite – the number of charging points and whether you’re going to offer the service to your

Taking that first step has been made easier thanks to government grants. The Workplace Charging Scheme and the EV infrastructure grant for fleets and their employees means that EV charging installations costs aren’t shouldered wholly by the business.

Addressing the risks

There’s always going to be an element of risk when introducing something new into a business. Understanding the risks is a good starting point to overcome them. At SYNETIQ, we’ve teamed up with Thatcham Research – automotive risk intelligence specialists – to identify opportunities and risks to

our clients and how we can address these challenges as an industry.

As a fleet company just getting started in your decarbonisation journey, one of the main risks to address is infrastructure. Whilst we recognise there is some work to do on the country’s infrastructure, there have been some improvements.

According to Gov.uk, as of 1st July, 2023 there were 44,020 EV charging points across the UK, which is a 38 per cent increase in total charging points since last year. The number of rapid charging points has also increased by 42 per cent – this is a positive step forward as we move closer to net zero and the adoption of EVs in our industry.

We need to be educated, not as just businesses working in the industry but across the nation. Schools, colleges and the wider society need to be educated on electric vehicles – the children of today will be living in an EV-only future.

Across the industry, fleets, repairers and vehicle recyclers, like ourselves, that manage the end-of-life EVs need to have a national plan for the safe reuse and disposal of materials used.

At SYNETIQ, we are taking the lead in battery recycling and we’re building on our collaborations with OEMs, industry specialists and universities to develop a way forward. If you would like to know more and get involved, please feel free to get in contact with me, sarah.hirst, on the email below. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

The distance range of an EV can also be a potential risk, however this is already being addressed by OEMs with more longer-

synetiq.co.uk

sarah.hirst@synetiq.co.uk

The UK’s leading integrated salvage and vehicle dismantling company

EXPERT PANEL TRANSITION TO ELECTRIC

Switching to electric vehicles requires careful planning and a well-researched strategy. Our expert panelists share their advice on how to get it right and what pitfalls to avoid

Steve Beadle, head of 0Zone, The Grosvenor Group

Steve Beadle is head of 0Zone, the Grosvenor Group’s innovative and market leading solution to help companies navigate their way smoothly towards ultra-low emission and electric vehicles. With extensive experience of helping companies make the smooth transition to ultra-low emission and electric vehicles, he offers a perfect balance between how fleets can drive down their emissions and the implications of policy setting. Steve joined the Grosvenor Group in 2012, and is well-known for his clear and inciteful advice.

Chris Fower, sales and marketing director, Fischer Panda UK

Chris Fower is the sales and marketing director for Fischer Panda UK; specialists in integrated mobile hybrid power solutions in the specialist vehicle, marine and defence markets. The business has enjoyed continual growth since its inception in 1994. Chris joined the family business in 2011 after graduating from university and now focuses on driving sales performance and the green innovation sector of the business by working with key partners and suppliers to provide future proof solutions across a range of systems and applications.

Richard Parker, Webfleet UKI EV Lead

Richard Parker has 23 years of experience in the fleet industry. In the last seven years, Richard has committed to developing his knowledge of EV solutions to support customers in decarbonising their fleets. Recently, he was listed in GreenFleet’s 100 Most Influential for fleet sustainability for the second consecutive year, indicating his devotion to reducing carbon emissions and advocating for sustainability in all his endeavours.

Alun Davies, operations director, ElectrAssure

Alun Davies is the operations director of ElectrAssure Ltd and was proud to receive the EV Champion award at the Greenfleet Awards 2019. With 10 years’ experience in EV charging, Alun is responsible of the day to day running of ElectrAssure and is the first point of contact for customers, suppliers and staff while continuing to lead the electrical teams from a technical standpoint. Alun is a City & Guilds qualified electrotechnical engineer with 18th edition wiring regulations and EV charger installation qualifications and several expert installer certificates.

Naomi Nye, head of sales, Drax Electric Vehicles

Naomi has been heavily involved in the adoption of electric vehicles and EV charging infrastructure from the outset, holding senior sales positions within the industry for over 10 years. Her contribution to the evolution of EV was recognised by the EV Summit in 2020 when she was named one of the most influential women in the EV industry. Having recently joined Drax Electric Vehicles as head of sales, Naomi leads the sales team helping customers develop their strategic plans for EV roll-out, ensuring the programme is effective and legislative requirements are fully met.

Grant Robson, global Business director for on road solutions, MICHELIN Connected Fleet

In his role, Grant leads the development of fleet management services and solutions, that delight and empower fleet operators globally to improve their operational performance, profitability, and sustainability. Prior to this, Grant spent a number of years in consulting where he contributed to and led digital transformation initiatives for leading companies across various sectors.

Tom Rowlands, FLEETCOR’s managing director, Global EV Solutions, including UK brand, Allstar

Tom is responsible for managing FLEETCOR’S EV organisation globally & driving growth and momentum for the company in EV, especially in the UK. He is passionate about helping fleets with their transition from fossil fuels to EVs and other alternative fuels, ensuring they have a seamless experience in paying for all of their fuelling needs. Prior to joining FLEETCOR, Tom worked in consulting, helping companies realise the most of acquisitions which gave him a good grounding for helping to solve complex problems for businesses. Tom wants to ensure FLEETCOR is working to build simple payment solutions that make it quicker and easier for fleets.

With new diesel and petrol cars and vans no longer sold after 2030, many fleets will be thinking about switching to electric vehicles. But this requires a re-think of traditional fleet management practices, and many fleets will be feeling daunted by the task at hand.

However, with careful planning and some support and guidance, switching to electric vehicles need not be a burdensome task.

That said, first and foremost, electric vehicles must be be fit-for-purpose for an organisation’s specific fleet requirements. So how does a company establish if they can make the switch?

A suitability assessment is the first step, according to Naomi Nye, head of sales at Drax Electric Vehicles. She says: “Carrying out a suitability assessment that factors in operational requirements like trip mileages, geographical spread and ‘dwell’ times and locations can show whether electrification’s practical for a fleet.

“Running a trial involving telematics will show you, by existing fleet vehicle, what an EV would need to do. You’ll be able to analyse data to show average and maximum mileages – both by trip and by day. From this, you’ll be able to see whether an EV would need to stop to recharge during a given working shift.

“Looking at factors such as these will highlight the vehicles from your existing fleet that will be simplest to switch to EVs – and the ones that might be trickier. From there, you’ll be able to create a transition schedule and plan for any changes to business-as-usual operations.

“Suitability assessments offer other benefits, too. Knowing when a vehicle’s stationary, and for how long, reveals the best locations for charging facility installation and the best times for charging. Understanding total fleet mileages will enable you to calculate potential fuel savings – and CO2 savings –from switching to EVs. All this information will be valuable in securing internal-stakeholder buy-in to your electrification plans.”

The right time to switch Richard Parker, Webfleet UK EV lead at Bridgestone Mobility Solutions agrees that having data on current fleet operations will help companies decide when is the right time to switch to zero emission vehicles. Richard says: “The capabilities of electric vehicles continue to improve, as does UK charging infrastructure, making fleet electrification an ever more viable option. Deciding upon the optimal time for change, however, remains crucial.

“Telematics solutions can play a helpful role here by generating data insights to simplify comparisons between petrol and diesel vehicle running costs and real-world EV performance. EVs may not be right, at this point in time, for all businesses and all use cases, but planning reports will point to which vehicles can be cost-effectively switched to EV alternatives.

“TCO (total cost of ownership) modelling should form part of this assessment, signalling whether the cost of procuring, operating and maintaining EVs is lower than for their incumbent vehicles.

“Charging infrastructure and availability is also an important consideration. This should include the scale of local public provision, opportunities for charge station installations at drivers’ homes, and the requirements for chargers at business premises.”

Regarding commercial vehicles, a combination of increased ranges and efficient driving style means that electric vans can go a long way. Richard says: “The capabilities of the latest electric vans – when driven in an energy-efficient manner and deployed with tyres engineered for outstanding mileage and low rolling resistance – were highlighted by

Webfleet’s new Guinness World Records® title. The record for the greatest distance travelled by an electric van on a single charge has now been set at 311.18 miles!”

Information is key

Steve Beadle, head of 0Zone at The Grosvenor Group, agrees that gaining insight into vehicles and their journeys is a key starting point to an electric vehicle journey. Steve says: “Data should be gathered on the types of journeys your drivers make, the frequency, mileages, what they carry in the vehicles, in which geographical areas they drive them and the availability of charge points in that area, which drivers come into the office regularly and which do not – and whether drivers have the ability to install home charging points.

“The best way to gather this information is through a driver survey, and in parallel with that it is also important to develop electric vehicle, and plug in hybrid, choice lists using whole life cost analysis so that the types of vehicles offered to drivers fit within job grade budgets based on total cost of ownership.

“By combining all of this information means you can very quickly see which drivers can definitely have a fully electric vehicle, and which may find a plug in hybrid more suitable.”

Once this is established, you can then begin to drill down to the suitability of individual makes and models, within the approved choice lists, on a driver by driver basis. “At Grosvenor Leasing, our 0Zone team has run webinars, roadshows and support lines for drivers who want to understand the suitability of different vehicles based on their requirements,” adds Steve. E

A thorough assessment of fleet behaviour will allow an electrification plan to be set that should be smooth and avoid resistance

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 Fleet behaviour

A thorough assessment of fleet behaviour will allow an electrification plan to be set that should be smooth and meet minimal resistance, believes Alun Davies, operations director at ElectrAssure. Expanding on what this assessment should look like, Alun says: “Driver mileage and behaviour must be assessed in order to understand whether the electric vehicles are able to cover the mileage required by the operators usual driving patterns and whether adequate dwell time to charge the vehicle is available either in the working day or between shifts. If the driver mileage is lower than the expected EV range, then the assessment of when and where the vehicle is stationary and for how long will begin to form the basis for the charging provisions required as they will need to be adequately charged within that time frame.

“Charging is always best, where possible, at company or driver premises to avoid any delays or issues that can be encountered when using public charging, however, the increase of available and reliable public charging means that in exceptional circumstances, such as longer than average journeys, drivers are able to make it to their destination. Utilising home and public charging as part of the plan for charging fleets isn’t uncommon, however, it is critical that the payment for public charging or the reimbursement of home charging activities is simple and as close to autonomous as possible to prevent resistance from drivers.”

Supporting key goals

A successful electrification strategy must support both profitability and sustainability, believes Grant Robson, global business director for on-road solutions at MICHELIN Connected Fleet. And as the other panelists have said, insight into a company’s unique operations is vital to getting it right.

Grant says: “It is critical that fleet managers have the data, analytical capabilities, and insights, to define the right decarbonisation path for their unique operation. Key areas of consideration include the range of electric vehicles. Range anxiety is one of the top challenges we see fleet managers face in

electrification, and mitigating this risk requires detailed analysis of real mileage and journeys – per vehicle, per day – across the fleet. This is critical to identify which specific vehicles or regions could be the right candidates to start electrifying based on intraday mileage.

“Charging management is a key success factor in electrification, and fleet managers need to have a detailed understanding of their fleets’ typical journeys and locations in order to plan charge points effectively, including whether they’ll charge on the public network, at private chargepoints or at home. Fleet managers also need the historical mileage and fuel usage data in order to perform accurate cost-benefit analyses to assess fuel vs. electricity costs under different electrification scenarios.

“Both of these areas can be enabled by having a robust fleet management system

and partner to give fleet operators the data, insights, and advice they need to accelerate their electrification journey.”

Adapt your way of working

Fleets will have to adapt to new ways of working and some may find it easier than others, points out Tom Rowlands, FLEETCOR’s managing director for global EV solutions, including Allstar.  Tom says: “It’s important to set the context that the 2030 cut-off for the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles will be with us in less than seven years, which really isn’t far away. It will mark a major shift in the future of mobility for both individual motorists and professional fleets.

“A smaller company that has a smaller fleet of company cars for salespeople and executives can simply change their existing E

Electrification need not be an overnight process. Phasing transition – starting with the simplest-to-convert or most-viable vehicles – can help spread the cost

 vehicles to EVs as needed and provided their drivers have access to home charging there should not be any major changes needed. Fleet managers may want to switch from general fuel cards to those specific to EVs (EV charging cards) so that their drivers could use public charge points, but otherwise, day-to-day operations will stay the same.

“However, larger organisations will have to do more work to prepare. A company with large numbers of vehicles that see a lot of use – a delivery company for instance – may have to take a look at their operations and make some changes to adapt to the way that EVs differ from ICE vehicles. It’s a significant investment, but one with longer-term benefits.”

Interim options

If it’s deemed that full electrification is not yet possible, especially for light commercial vehicle operators, what interim options can fleet operators look at?

Chris Fower, sales and marketing director at Fischer Panda UK shares his thoughts: “Hybrid based vehicles are an obvious consideration before fleets are able to fully convert to electric, but there is often concern that hybrid vehicles do not offer the required performance or show a significant difference in CO2 emission reductions in everyday operation, particularly when used for longer journeys or in open, fast moving traffic. It’s not a popular answer but sometimes the Euro 6 diesel solution for vehicles and their planned operation, is still currently the best practical answer.

“HVO fuels are becoming more popular across Europe and can offer greatly reduced emissions and particulates; many current engines will run on alternative fuels but the take up will be restricted by the availability of these fuels which is currently rather limited. Government directives along with investment from the large refiners to develop a viable refuelling structure is required, but sadly this is currently substantially lacking in the UK.”

Chris points out that there are multiple factors at play in the transition to electric for fleet managers as vehicle use varies greatly in terms of driver mpg, daily miles covered, number of stops, average speed, and vehicle down time. Using this data can identify the ‘low hanging fruit’ for electrification. Chris explains: “Fleet managers can begin the transition by selecting from the choice of zero emission LCVs for the right vehicles within their fleet. For example, fleet managers should pick the vehicles that have low daily mileages (no more than 60-70 per cent of EV published range) and are returned to base nightly where even a relatively small slow 3.5-7kW wall charger can be easily installed to get the vehicle back to 100 per cent overnight. Finally, some involvement from the driver is required here, both in terms of how they typically drive and also by installing smarter home charging/tariff systems.”

Common perceived barriers

We asked our panelists what they hear as the most common cited barriers for not adopting electric vehicles.

Steve Beadle from The Grosvenor Group says that ‘range anxiety’ is the common objection to electric vehicles that he hears. However, Steve believes that when you drill down on this, range issues often only relate to a small proportion of fleets. Steve says: “This is where our 0Zone team at Grosvenor Leasing has been so successful in helping customers realise that electric vehicles are viable for a very large proportion of their fleet, and how those who genuinely cannot have a fully electric vehicle can have a plug in hybrid instead. “But in my mind, those companies who say that they’re not ready for electrification are often the ones who really haven’t looked at it very carefully yet, and we are finding that this is particularly the case with some commercial vehicles operators. A key concern cited by many LCV operators is the inability to rely on home charging or the public network, but there are emerging technologies for simple and fast home charging that are worth looking into rather than ruling home charging out altogether.”

Regarding electric vans, Steve believes some lateral thinking is needed. He explains: “Rather than see how electric vans can fit into a business’ current operating model, this is far more a case of how the business needs to adapt to electrification; there being an impact on operations, finance, human resources, property, facilities management and customer service. Trying to fit electric vans into an old/existing operating model is the classic square peg in a round hole, and the consensus from the customers we talk to is that this is an

opportunity to review, and reengineer, your operations for a zero emission future.

“My concern is that many people believe that it’s a simple as just ordering electric cars or vans when the deadline is looming, and so it’s not really on their radar as a priority, but the truth is there is far more to it than that and I would encourage any business that is sitting back thinking they are not ready to go electric yet to start looking at it immediately.”

Cost and the economic climate

Drax Electric Vehicles recently commissioned some market sector research where it was revealed that the most commonly cited barriers to electrification were cost and the current economic climate. Naomi Nye expands: “Predictably, cost topped the list. EVs are more expensive than internal combustion engine (ICE) equivalents and implementing an effective network of chargers represents a substantial investment.

“However, electrification needn’t be an overnight process. Phasing transition – starting with the simplest-to-convert or most-viable vehicles – can help spread the cost. There are also options to lease vehicles rather than purchase them. Government grants are also available to help with the cost. It’s worth organisations carrying out a total cost of ownership (TCO) comparison. The upfront purchase cost of an EV can distort the overall financial implication of switching from ICEs. Looking at factors such as fuel versus charging costs, tax benefits, clean-air charge exemptions and residual value offers a more realistic picture of overall cost impact.” E

Charging management is a key success factor in electrification, and fleet managers need to have a detailed understanding of their fleets’ typical journeys and locations in order to plan charging effectively, including whether they’ll charge on the public network, at work or at home

 Navigating the current economic climate was also cited as an issue in the research. Naomi Nye said: “With inflation high and energy prices having skyrocketed in recent years, organisations are feeling the pinch. So, it’s little wonder some companies are looking for a more stable financial footing before electrifying their vehicle fleets or investing in charging facilities.

“Organisations can address this by electrifying in the right way: avoiding shorttermism in order to deliver longer-term cost savings. For the immediate future, intelligently using smart charging’s load management ability can optimise the efficiency of available capacity. In the longer-term, electrification can even pave the way for revenue generation through constructs such as demand-side response. While this might not bring down upfront costs, projecting future returns can make electrification seem like an investment rather than an expense.”

Naomi adds: “Another barrier we hear is that organisations don’t know who’s responsible for making electrification decisions. Switching to EVs and implementing charging facilities affects fleet, energy, finance, procurement, operations and HR teams. With so many stakeholders involved, who takes the lead and presents the plans? And who, ultimately, makes the decisions?”

A mindset shift

Tom Rowlands from Allstar has heard a number of barriers, and many are made worse by the media. He says: “With the 2030 deadline rapidly approaching, businesses know that electrification is a necessity but

the barriers are typically not knowing where to start, investment in the new vehicles and then the charging conundrum. This is also in the context of where the country is economically, with purse strings squeezed.

“There are also a lot of myths in the media about cost of ownership and we’ve been working hard to not only enhance our solutions for businesses making the transition but also help educate the market on charging options, as well as debunking the ownership and investment myths. I’d argue that driving an EV is still significantly less expensive than using an ICE vehicle. Additionally, it’s the future of motoring and something we’ll all need to make the shift to. “However, I must qualify that driving an EV is clearly different from what we’re used to with petrol or diesel vehicles. There is a mindset shift we all need to make, including working out mileage and charging requirements before setting off on a journey.”

Data driven approach

Grant Robson from MICHELIN Connected Fleet also hears range anxiety cited as a common barrier to electrification. But as other panelists have said, data can help identify if this will actually be an issue. He says: “Fleet managers need to take a data-driven approach to assess which vehicles are the right candidates for electrification based on mileage and activity data. This can be addressed through a fleet management system and partner to evaluate top EV candidates in their fleet based on their unique historical journey information.”

Another concern is charging electric vehicles. Grant says: “Fleet managers need

to make informed decisions about where and when they will charge their vehicles to maximise productivity, optimise vehicle lifetime, and minimise charging costs. This can be supported through a fleet management system to understand the typical journeys of vehicles and locations of charge points effectively, as well as having live visibility on charge point location and availability for efficient job routing & dispatching.”

Finally, Grant believes that a resistance to change is another hurdle, and it is vital to get all stakeholders engaged. He explains: “A successful EV transition requires full commitment and engagement from all roles in the business, and drivers are critical stakeholders in this journey. For example, fleet managers need a clear plan – supported by data and insights –for how they will manage charging cost reimbursement (and mitigate fraud), as well as how they will evolve their driver performance scorecards based on EV usage, for example, incentivising drivers to charge vehicles efficiently to prolong battery life.”

Electrical capacity

As well as ‘range anxiety’, ElectrAssure’s Alun Davies has come across other barriers to electrification which include a lack of parking spaces for charging, electrical capacity, and the fact that many fleet operators do not have the experience to manage charging activities. Alun explains: “Available parking spaces for charging or a lack of suitable parking spaces can cause serious issues with rotation of charging vehicles and providing enough charging for the required vehicles.

“Available electrical capacity is also common issue. Simply put, without adequate available electrical capacity, efficient charging at the speeds required will not be possible.

“Management of charging activities is becoming increasingly problematic for fleet managers and staff. Making sure chargers are being used correctly and by the right staff and vehicles is a challenge that very few have experience with and can be a complicated and frustrating experience.”

These issues can be addressed however, by engaging with the right people, early in the process. Alun says: The right EV charging provider will have the staff, contacts or partnerships with organisations that can assess fleet behaviour, provide an automated management service and assess or even upgrade electrical systems to allow for the EV charging your fleet requires. It is also critical to engage with the right people early E

closer to those published target figures.”

The speed of charging is another barrier that Chris has come across. He explains: “Speed of recharge has always been a major downside in the adoption of electric vehicles but in response to that, faster and better chargers are being developed. In the meantime, we can be more smart with maximising payload capacity whilst not compromising the drive range and this is where auxiliary onboard power systems could be reviewed.

“As an example, Fischer Panda UK was instrumental in helping to create a fleet of eco-friendly, pure electric ITV/ITN broadcast vehicles in 2021. We used Mastervolt power electronics for the provision of a broad range of on-board energy requirements. Operators across all commercial vehicle sectors can ensure the development of properly engineered power solutions, air-conditioning and refrigeration as part of their transition to electric – these are measures that can be taken now.”

The public charging network debate

There has been some criticism of the public charging network, with some saying it is not keeping pace with the amount of electric vehicles on the roads. But the government is aiming for 300,000 public chargers to be available by 2030, and to address some of the other issues drivers face – such as differing payment requirements, new charge point regulations will soon be in force. So what do our panelists think about the current state of the public charging infrastructure, and how it affects fleets on the road?

Grosvenor’s Steve Beadle says: “Reports indicate that we are on track for the Government’s target of 300,000 charge points by 2030, however the general consensus is that progress needs to be accelerated quickly. More of a concern is the relatively small proportion of ultra fast chargers and the fact that 44 per cent are in Greater London and the South East leaving many UK regions under resourced so far.

“According to the SMMT, the Government’s EV Infrastructure Strategy forecasted that the UK would require between 280,000 and 720,000 chargepoints by 2030. The Government chose to set a lowerend figure of approximately 300,000 as the ambition. To put this in context, Germany’s target is one million. E

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 “This makes you wonder whether the Government’s long term vision is electrification after all or whether they are currently ticking a short-term box to move quickly to zero emission motoring through incentivising the shift to electric, but with a longer term view that hydrogen and synthetic fuels may be a more viable end goal.

“The reality is that company car drivers are moving into electric vehicles very successfully and the combination of home charging, workplace charging, and public charging is offering them the ability to remain mobile.”

Charging commercial vehicles

Regarding commercial vehicles, Steve Beadle believes the public charging infrastructure poses a greater challenge. He explains: “The extent of the public charging infrastructure, and its lack of growth at the correct pace, is far more concerning for commercial vehicle operators who cannot rely on drivers charging at home, and also cannot bring all of their commercial vehicles back to base every night to charge them there.

“They are therefore faced with the situation of looking at the public charging infrastructure and quite rightly believing that it cannot support their needs.

“If you are a business with vans, I would suggest that half of the public car parks with charging points have height restrictions which means you cannot access them anyway, and we have heard of instances of branded vehicles with company logos occupying charging bays resulting in the general public complaining that they should not be there because those bays are deemed to be there for shoppers and local people, and so there is brand reputation to consider as well.

“The truth is, there needs to be a very significant shift in the number of public charging points across the UK but there is very little evidence that this is happening in line with Government targets.”

Keeping up with demand

Allstar’s Tom Rowlands says that the rise in popularity of electric vehicles means that the infrastructure must keep up. Tom says: “Overall, global sales of EVs are forecast to surge to yet another record this year, according to the

IEA, with sales expected to grow by another 35 per cent from last year (2022). In fact, our partners Zapmap, report the number of UK EVs registered in 2023 so far is already ~18 per cent higher than for the whole of 2022. This is very encouraging as our society moves through the electric transition. But clearly, as this uptake of EVs in the UK rapidly increases, it is vital that charging infrastructure and payment solutions continue to keep pace with the growing demand to enable drivers to tap and charge with ease and get back on the road.

“Essentially, we all need to play our part in increasing both the size of the public charging network, as well as access. On the first point, this starts with the government. The UK Government has already announced measures to help fleets to electrify, with £3.5 billion committed funding that includes the installation of more EV charge points and enhanced infrastructure across the country to support the rollout of EVs.

“On the second point, we’re playing our part. Our most recent EV network partnership with Fastned meant that the number of fast charge points in Allstar’s network increased to over 6,000 – taking the total number of charge points accessible through the Allstar network to over 11,000, at more than 4,000 locations across the UK, of which 94 per cent of chargers are fast, rapid, and ultra-rapid.”

On-going improvement

Naomi Nye from Drax Electric Vehicles believes that while the current level of infrastructure suggests that the government is not on track for its targets, a lot can change in six years. She says: “While the cumulative number of installed public charge points isn’t on track to hit the UK’s ‘300,000 by 2030’ target, we shouldn’t panic. Yes, the Government needs to communicate the benefits and the urgency – and it needs to ensure its plans to hit targets keep pace with the growing demand.

“But six years is a long time. A lot will change before 2030, both in terms of installation numbers and technological advances. We need to keep an eye on the future. But it’s more important that we make sure that the infrastructure effectively supports the EVs currently on our roads.

“There are approximately 45,000 public chargers in the UK across 27,000 locations. Although this might not represent a huge proportion of the 2030 target, it’s a 40 per cent increase on the total this time last year. It’s also crucial to understand that the numbers game can be misleading. An effective charging infrastructure needs the right hardware – energy-efficient, future-proofed and with minimal downtimes. And it needs this hardware in the right locations.” E

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Fleets can also play their part in easing the demand on the public charging infrastructure. Naomi Nye says: “It’s worth considering the role of organisations in boosting chargepoint numbers and in reducing the need for more public facilities, too. Destinations, for example, are increasingly looking to offer EV charging because of the benefits to them.

Charging facilities can generate income streams, offer competitive advantage and increase customer loyalty at shopping centres and entertainment complexes, for example. But they can also provide additional publicfacing charging services to supplement the government-funded infrastructure.

“Even non-destination businesses – or members of the public – implementing private charging solutions are reducing the strain on the UK’s main-route and residential-setting infrastructure.”

Whilst some concerns about the public charging infrastructure are valid, the current rate of installations give reasons to be positive, believes Webfleet’s Richard Parker. He says: “According to SMMT calculations, at the turn of the year there was only one standard public charger for every 36 plug-in cars on the road.

“The government is targeting a nationwide network of 300,000 charge points by 2030, but by the end of June this year, Zapmap revealed there were just 44,000.

“The installation rate has to accelerate, but thankfully the signs are positive. In the first half of 2022, an average of 891 charge points were installed each month –in the first half of this year this figure had increased by 82 per cent to 1,622 a month.

“With EV adoption gathering pace, there can be little room for complacency. From a fleet perspective, effective charging strategies are crucial to ensure operational efficiency and minimise downtime. Fleet management solutions can support these by helping optimise EV routing, taking account of vehicle battery levels, capacity, energy consumption and charge point locations.”

Grant Robson from MICHELIN Connected Fleet, points out that there is regional disparity when it comes to charging provision, and that there needs to be better ‘visibility’ of a chargepoint’s status. Grant says:

“Understandably, there are different levels of charge network maturity and penetration across regions, and each fleets’ experience is going to depend heavily on the nature and location of their operation. For example, a suburban landscaping business is going to have a very different level of public chargepoint accessibility than an urban facilities services fleet visiting high rises in London, and therefore needs a very different electrification and charging strategy.

“We support the continued expansion of public and private charging infrastructure to accelerate fleets’ electrification journey, and also believe that a key success factor for electrifying fleets is charge point visibility. A commonly cited challenge we see by fleet managers and dispatchers is lack of remote

visibility on charge points status, such as if it’s available, in use, or out of service, as well as the speed of chargers, which challenges the ability of fleet managers, dispatchers, and drivers to effectively plan and execute jobs with EVs effectively day-to-day. It is critical that fleet managers and drivers have access to live charge point location, availability and speed to manage fleet performance.”

Playing catch up

Chris Fower from Fischer Panda UK highlights the problems that commercial vehicle drivers have if they must use the public charge network. Chris said: “Despite the visible and tangible pace gathering momentum along with the continued improvement of the charging infrastructure along the UK road networks, we will be playing catch up for some time as EV car sales volume also continue to rise.

“I believe it’s just not practical or viable at present to expect an LCV EV driver to park up and wait for a fast charger point to become available at a service station during their working day. So once again, utilisation of suitable full EVs should be for short range duties with the facility to return back to base for a recharge. The issues many fleet managers face around charging also highlights the requirement for self-charging hybrids for example, although limitations on the driving range for this type of vehicle need to be considered.”

Hurdles to installations

Speaking from a chargepoint provider’s perspective, Alun Davies from ElectrAssure says that hurdles exist that slow or prevent installations. Alun explains: “Planning permission, financial constraints, new DNO connections and availability of chargers being produced from the manufacturers mean that the amount of charging infrastructure required within the relatively short time frame simply may not be possible.”

Commenting on the government’s target, Alun says: “The provision of more reliable public chargers for the UK’s EV drivers is more important than ever but the target set of 300,000 by 2030 may just be a little too ambitious. It is obvious though from

personal experience and that of those I have spoken with that bringing legacy chargers installed in public car parks or street up to standard to ensure ease of use would vastly improve the perception of public chargers.”

Government incentives

In the government’s aim to reach net zero, it has put in place funding support and policy measures to stimulate the electric vehicle mandate. But how successful have these been and what more could be done?

Steve Beadle from Grosvenor Group believes that the BIK incentives put in place for drivers to move to electric cars have been very good: “There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the significant shift we are seeing of company car drivers choosing an electric vehicle, and the monumental growth of salary sacrifice schemes for electric vehicles, is largely down to the way the Government has made it so financially attractive.”

However, Steve believes more can be done in the commercial vehicle sector: “Far more should be done to encourage companies into electric light commercial vehicles and far more should also be done in helping them build an infrastructure to enable them to conduct their business successfully with zero emission motoring,” says Steve.

Tom Rowlands from Allstar believes that everyone must play their part to make the electric future a real reality, but that government plays an essential part by legislating and by putting in place funding support, such as the The Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure fund and the OnStreet Residential Chargepoint Scheme. Then there are also schemes that businesses can run with their own employees, such as salary sacrifice schemes. “This trickle down effect –starting from government, to authorities, to businesses – will be key in uniting everyone to full electrification,” says Tom.

Act before support runs out

Naomi Nye from Drax Electric Vehicles warns that support from government to stimulate the EV market is likely to come to an end soon, and so urges fleet operators to act now to access the funding. And now that E

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 early adoption is over, the government needs to continue its support so the country can fulfil its duty to electrify. Naomi says: “The government must ensure that it installs a public-facing charging infrastructure that’s stable and secure, that protects the National Grid and that suffers minimal downtime. The government has supported the UK to this point. It now needs to ensure it has a clear and strong voice to drive mass adoption.”

Grant Robson from MICHELIN Connected Fleet believes that government intervention is needed as it is important to help focus companies and incentivise them to transition. Grant says: “Businesses today are facing numerous challenges, especially around cost control, right now, and need the government’s help and guidance in order to be able to transition especially considering the considerable upfront costs and investment needed on the businesses’ behalf.

“To further help the transition, more innovation and technology is needed. Specifically to enhance vehicle range and types of vehicles available, as well as battery and storage technology.”

Richard Parker from Webfleet stresses the urgency to address climate change by eliminating transport emissions, and says that such a big change needs government leadership. He says: “Climate change is an existential crisis and this, on its own, is a significant motivating factor for change.

“Government levers remain a crucial stimulus for change, with mandated targets being among the most powerful tools at their disposal. A multi-pronged approach, however, is called for. Regulations, such as the ZEV Mandate can have an important role to play. But such policies can only work if they are supported by strategies that incentivise EV ownership, efforts to improve our charging infrastructures, and by prudent initiatives that encourage investment into e-mobility.”

Chris Fower from Fischer Panda UK urges the government to be consistent in its support to give fleet operators confidence. He explains: “The government has to be the driver of change, but it needs to give both those early adopters and the latter followers, the confidence that the rules are not going to change or be watered down so those

who did take up the challenge and did the right thing for the planet, do still have a commercial advantage over those who did not! Consistency with policy is key here.”

Alun Davies from ElectrAssure points out other ways the government could drive up EV adoption, aside from funding schemes. He says: “What we are seeing have greater impact on businesses is the stipulation of government bodies that service providers must use EV fleets to carry out their contract works. This means that in order to be awarded a contract from a government body, businesses are having to provide transition roadmaps to zero emission vehicles.”

Speaking about how clean air measures can stimulate the uptake of electric vehicles, Alun believes that those businesses that need to make the change need support.

Alun says: “The increase of the ULEZ in London will have a massive impact on those who operate personal and business vehicles in the city. Unfortunately, there will be a lot of pain caused to those smaller businesses and individuals who cannot operate electric vehicles due to lack of offstreet parking or financial circumstances.

So while less emissions in the UK’s largest city can only be seen as a good thing, additional mandatory costs to residents and businesses already struggling with the cost of living may not have been the most sensitive solution. It does, however, show how seriously the government is taking the air quality and pollution levels in London.” L

FURTHER INFORMATION

www.drax.com

www.allstarcard.co.uk

www.webfleet.com

www.thegrosvenorgroup.co.uk

www.fischerpanda.co.uk

www.connectedfleet.michelin.com

www.electrassure.co.uk

Cutting edge technology and innovation takes centre stage at Emergency Services Show

The Emergency Services Show 2023 is gearing up to provide an exceptional platform for innovation and collaboration within the emergency services sector. Scheduled to take place from September 19th to 20th at the NEC in Birmingham, this year’s event promises an array of exciting features and insights for professionals and leaders across all blue light services and first responders

emergency services, and will provide the perfect place to acquire and share blue light tech knowledge. The Emergency Tech Show will give attendees a glimpse into the future of emergency services and the role that technology will play in improving efficiency, reducing costs, protecting communities and, ultimately, helping to save more lives.

An exciting addition to this year’s show is The Emergency Tech Show, a dedicated event co-located with The Emergency Services Show. Set to unfold within Halls 4 and 5 of the NEC, The Emergency Tech Show aims to spotlight the latest technological advancements tailored to the needs of the emergency services sector. This includes cutting-edge tools in digital transformation, connectivity, control room solutions, software and apps, wearable tech, cloud storage solutions, virtual reality training simulations, and AI-driven applications for predictive emergency response, resource allocation, and data analysis. Confirmed exhibitors include Dräger, Stryker, Venari, GoodSAM, Ramco UK, SAAB, YPO, Vimpex, Excelerate, Dataminr, Sure Antennas, Emergency One, Vision Unique Equipment, Thomas Jacks, Reflex Medical and many more.

The synergy between The Emergency Services Show and The Emergency Tech Show promises to offer attendees an unparalleled opportunity to witness these technological marvels in action and explore their potential contributions to frontline response and operational support. The event will also feature practical demonstrations, networking opportunities, enlightening presentations, and insightful panel discussions led by industry experts and changemakers.

In the ever-evolving landscape of emergency services, technology is playing a pivotal role in enhancing efficiency, effectiveness, and resilience. The Emergency Tech Show aims to showcase the transformative impact of technology on emergency services, ultimately contributing to improved efficiency, reduced costs, community protection, and the preservation of lives.

The impressive lineup of exhibitors at The Emergency Tech Show includes notable names such as Samsung, Microsoft, Autel Robotics, Black Rainbow Consulting Ltd, Dataminr, Halo Technologies Europe Ltd, Hexagon, Panorama Antennas, SAAB UK, Sonic Communications, and Wey Technology Ltd, among others.

The show’s Event Director, David Brown, expressed enthusiasm about the launch of The Emergency “We are thrilled to be launching The Emergency Tech Show 2023 alongside The Emergency Services Show,” said David Brown, event director. “It will be a must attend event for any job title, indeed any role within the

Attendees can look forward to a range of engaging seminars, keynote speakers, CPD-accredited sessions, and interactive workshops. Topics encompass critical aspects such as resilience, recovery, health and well-being of emergency responders, lessons learned from significant incidents, and the forefront of policing innovation. Resilience and recovery are key themes of this year’s event with the Resilience and Recovery Theatre and a dedicated networking lounge hosted by the Emergency Planning Society to celebrate its 30th anniversary. The Resilience & Recovery Theatre will focus on the Government’s Resilience Framework document. Topics covered include developing a new Resilience Academy; a reinvigorated national exercising programme to test preparedness; the new emergency alerts system; strengthening Local Resilience Forums; the benefits of ResilienceDirect, resilience as a career, and how the private sector can impact resilience planning.

“Resilience and preparedness have never been more important for our emergency services after recent unforeseen events ranging from Covid and the Ukraine to extreme weather and the energy crisis,” says David Brown. “The Emergency Services Show offers a unique meeting place to support the entire emergency services community to be better prepared in every way for future incidents.”

Dedicated to providing cutting-edge industry practices and fostering forward-thinking

In the ever-evolving landscape of emergency services, technology is playing a pivotal role in enhancingeffectiveness,efficiency, and resilience

discussions, the seminar programme at the show will feature an impressive lineup of keynote speakers and expert-led sessions. Attendees can expect to gain valuable insights and receive practical guidance from these sessions, all of which are CPD accredited. One notable highlight is The Policing Theatre at ESS, which will be aligned with the visionary objectives outlined in the Strategic Policing Board’s recently published Policing Vision 2030 statement. This forward-thinking vision aims to revolutionise the entire policing system, promising transformative changes that will shape the future of law enforcement.

The College of Paramedics is set to offer its highly sought-after 30-minute CPD workshops, designed to cater to paramedics of all experience levels. These workshops provide actionable learning opportunities that can benefit both seasoned professionals and newcomers to the field. Regardless of their background, paramedics attending the show can expect to gain valuable insights and practical knowledge to enhance their skills.

The Lessons Learned Leaders’ Summit, will delve into the profound takeaways from significant events of the past year. Topics covered will include fostering diversity in leadership positions, implementing review recommendations, and analysing specific incident reports like the impactful Manchester Arena attack.

Additionally, the Health & Wellbeing Theatre will focus on addressing the physical and mental health challenges faced by emergency responders. This year’s spotlight will be on maintaining a healthy diet, managing the pressures associated with shift work and the rising cost of living, appreciating the advantages of a neurodiverse workforce, and developing coping strategies for life’s key challenges, from recruitment to retirement. Topics such as pregnancy, promotion, and the menopause will also be explored, providing valuable insights into navigating these crucial stages in an emergency responder’s career.

Unveiling a refreshed Collaboration Zone for 2023, this enhanced area will unite the emergency services, voluntary groups, charities and NGOs in a vibrant community to showcase their support and foster collaborative coresponse and partnership initiatives.

The event will also host a show first and exclusive Microsoft Partner Pavilion, showcasing digital solutions designed to empower first responders and drive digital transformation in the emergency services sector. The Partner Pavilion is an interactive space for sharing insights, complete with its own exclusive content theatre. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the following themes including Seamless Citizen Experience, Addressing and Adapting to Community Needs, Empowering Officers and Staff Through Digital Solutions, and Future Policing with Generative AI.

The event will mark the NHS 75th anniversary with a range of activities and networking opportunities across two days. Notably, Adam Kay, the accomplished British writer, comedian, and former doctor behind works like “This is Going to Hurt” and “Undoctored,” is scheduled to

present a keynote at the Lessons Learnt Leaders summit and book signing on day one. Concurrently, guests can partake in afternoon tea festivities with cakes and refreshments on both days, while valuable networking chances abound throughout the event, including Day 1 Networking Drinks featuring a welcome address by NWAS CEO Daren Mockrie. The presence of the NHS Charities Together team will offer insight into their work supporting over 230 NHS Charities, contributing to enhanced healthcare and national fundraising campaigns.

British photographer, director, and cultural provocateur, Rankin, will showcase a poignant collection at The Emergency Services Show. This compelling exhibit captures the faces of those who have been at the forefront of the COVID-19 response, including an ICU consultant, COVID-19 critical care nurse, midwife, psychiatrist, hospital porter, COVID19 ward cleaner, paramedic, GP, pharmacist, district nurse, 111 call centre worker, and Chief Information Officer. Through Rankin’s lens, their vital roles and dedication come to life, honouring their contribution in managing the pandemic’s impact. Networking opportunities, including postshow drinks, will provide attendees with the chance to connect, collaborate, and exchange insights. With free entry to the event and convenient transportation links, The Emergency Services Show 2023 is set to be a landmark occasion for the advancement of emergency services through technology and collaboration. Registration for the event is now live. Entry to the Emergency Services Show and Emergency Tech Show and parking at the NEC are both free. The NEC is linked to Birmingham International Station and Birmingham Airport and is directly accessible from the UK motorway network.

About The Emergency Services Show

The Emergency Services Show (ESS) is aimed at everybody involved in emergency response, planning and recovery, including all blue light services, voluntary workers and service providers. With over 500 of the UK’s leading brands and businesses, you’ll source products and solutions to suit your every need. Meet with leading names in vehicles and fleet, IT and communications, medical, firefighting, road safety, search and rescue, extrication, water rescue, first response, protective clothing and uniforms, training, community safety and station facilities. ESS is a trade show only and not a public event.

About Emergency Tech Show

The Emergency Tech Show is a new event that launches alongside the award-winning The Emergency Services Show, showcasing the latest emerging technologies and innovations that are transforming the emergency services sector. The Emergency Tech Show serves as a platform for collaboration, connection, and knowledge exchange among tech innovators, industry professionals, and decision-makers. It provides a unique opportunity to explore cutting-edge solutions and trends that are reshaping public safety and emergency response. By bringing together key stakeholders in the field, the show aims to facilitate discussions and foster partnerships that drive the adoption of resilient and effective technologies across the sector. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

www.emergencyuk.com

www.emergencytechshow.com

Hall 4 and 5 NEC Birmingham

19 – 20 September 2023

The event will mark the NHS 75th anniversary with a range of activities and networking opportunities across two days

Kia Niro EV

The Niro is Kia’s second most popular car, and its original hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric model format made the first generation popular and appealing to fleet drivers. Richard Gooding finds that Kia has wisely built on the strengths of that original car to create a new version, updated with new looks and technology

What is it?

Launched in 2016, it didn’t take long for the first-generation Kia Niro to become a success. Sold in hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric guises, the model became a consistent bestseller in the UK. The Niro is Kia’s second most popular model in this country, and has recently passed the 100,000 cumulative UK sales mark. The second-generation Niro was introduced in July 2022, and repeated the electrified trio format of its predecessor. Bold styling marks out the newcomer, and there is more tech on-board, too. The practicality of the old car is also carried over, along with its long range capability. One of the biggest changes the all-electric Niro has over the car it replaces is its name – to bring it inline with Kia’s wave of new electric cars that will have ‘EV’ in their names, the e-Niro title is dropped and replaced by the more inkeeping Niro EV.

What range does it have?

Kia has kept the technical specification of the new Niro EV simple. While the old car was available with both 39kWh and 64kWh battery packs, all versions of the Niro EV have a 64.8kWh ‘long range’ lithium-ion battery. This gives an official WLTP combined cycle driving range of up to 285 miles on a single charge.

How long does it take to charge?

The Niro EV has a 11kW on-board charger. Maximum rapid charging DC capability tops out at 80kW, which is a little down on some rivals. However, a 10-80 per cent battery refill should still only take around 45 minutes when connected to a 100kW DC rapid charger. On higher-spec ‘3’ and ‘4’ trims, the Niro EV’s thermal management and battery system uses navigation-based battery conditioning to pre-heat the battery

when temperatures are low, if a fast-charging point is selected as the destination. At home, a 7.2kW wallbox will charge the car’s battery fully in just under 10 hours, while a 22kW AC connection will reduce that by three hours.

A smart regenerative braking system allows for fine-tuning of both the driving and charging experiences. The five levels are accessed in the most intuitive way, adjusted by steering wheel paddles. The most severe level has a near-onepedal driving feature, which makes piloting the car in urban areas easy. Similarly to Kia’s flagship EV6 – the Niro EV has a V2L (Vehicle-To-Load) connection. Fitted to ‘3’ and ‘4’ model trims, this means you can charge external electrical devices from the car’s unused battery charge by way of bi-directional charge technology.

How does it drive?

From the outside, the Niro EV has much sharper and design-led looks than the old e-Niro, and makes a striking impression before you’ve even stepped inside. Inspired by Kia’s HabaNiro concept car of 2019, the Niro EV is marked out from other new Niros by a two-tone closed front grille as well as unique side cladding options. Making more of a statement, the C-pillar can also be picked out in a contrasting finish on high-spec models, and also helps with airflow, standing slightly proud of the body at the rear to channel air through it for enhanced aerodynamics. Inside, sharper lines, high quality finishes and a focus on digitisation create a cabin that’s very different to the old model. The dashboard wraps around the front of the car, with twin 10.25-inch colour displays that lend a high-tech feel. The haptic button panel, borrowed from the larger EV6, controls the navigation and infotainment functions as well as the heating,

and is a clever use of design. The drive controller sits atop the centre console. Practicality remains a key strength. Built on the third generation of Kia’s K-platform, the new Niro EV is 65mm longer, 20mm wider, 10mm taller than the e-Niro, with a 20mm longer – 2,720mm – wheelbase. With the rear seats up, there is 475 litres of luggage space, and when folded, up to 1,392 litres of carrying capacity can be liberated. This family focus translates to the way the Niro EV drives, too. Comfort is prioritised over sportiness, but this suits the car well. Niros have never been about out and out performance, and the new car does little to change that, sharing the same 201bhp power output as the older car. With 188lb ft of torque, it picks up pace well enough and the Niro EV is a quiet and comfortable cruiser, with little noise entering the cabin. The steering has a light and direct feel, and the Niro EV’s relaxed drive and focus on comfort is appealing.

What does it cost?

As with the technical specification, Kia has simplified the choice of Niro EV models. Three grades – ‘2’, ‘3’, and ‘4’ – are available, similar to the old model. Entry level ‘2’ trim starts at £37,295 and comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, an integrated 10.25-inch TFT LCD driver’s display with 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, rear parking sensors, smart cruise control, and a towing pack. Move up to the £39,545 Niro EV ‘3’, and you’ll gain front parking sensors, heated front seats and steering wheel, lumbar support on the driver’s seat, rear privacy glass, vegan leather and cloth upholstery as well as a V2L connection.

The £42,295 ‘4’ adds a head-up display, a power opening tailgate, a remote smart

parking system, a one-touch tilt and slide sunroof and full vegan leather upholstery. The ‘4’ can also be specified with a contrasting black or grey C-pillar to make it that little bit more distinctive. It’s also worth noting that the ‘3’ and ‘4’ trims are available with a heat pump to aid efficiency, priced at £40,445 and £43,195 respectively.

How much does it cost to tax?

In line with all new electric cars, the Niro EV is exempt from VED charges in both its first and following years of registration. Similarly, for fleet drivers, Kia’s compact electric crossover attracts a two per cent Benefit In Kind (BIK) value under 2023-2024 company car tax rates. This is the same for 2024-2025.

Why does my fleet need one?

Expected to take up to 60 per cent of the Niro registrations pie, the new Niro EV does a thorough job of updating a tried, tested and very successful recipe. Taking the best parts of the old car and encasing them

Kia reaches 50,000 EV sales milestone

Kia has now sold over 50,000 electric vehicles in the UK, the landmark car being a rear-wheel drive EV6 GT-Line S model. This significant sales milestone was reached in July 2023, a month when Kia also sold 1,555 fully electric cars in the UK, making the company the UK’s fourth best-selling brand. The Niro EV was the sixth most popular EV in July 2023 with 872 sales and 5,929 units registered so far this year, followed by the EV6, of which 4,539 have found homes in the year-to-date. In total, 10,698 Kia EVs have been registered in 2023, more than a fifth of the company’s total EV sales since they began in 2015. The company’s EV sales grew to 16,368 in 2022, an increase over 2021’s 14,337. This success looks set to continue with the launch of the seven-seat EV9 electric SUV, based on the same 800V e-GMP architecture as the EV6. Fitted with a 99.8kWh battery, and priced from £64,995, the dramatic-looking EV9 has a range of more than 300 miles on a single charge. Kia plans to launch 15 EVs globally by 2027, nine in the UK, as part of its ‘Plan S’ business strategy.

in a stylish and distinctive wrapping was the right move. When compared to some smaller electric cars that nip at the entry level Niro EV’s price, the Kia offers a lot more practicality, style and technology. Fleet drivers should find ‘3’ grade trim has all the equipment they could want, nicely positioned in the middle of the other two models. Don’t underestimate the popularity of the Niro to both Kia and the wider EV market as a whole. Up to the end of June 2022, around 78,000 examples of the Niro have found homes in the UK since its arrival in 2016, with significant growth in registrations every year. In 2021 and in the first half of 2022, the e-Niro was the second most popular electric vehicle in the UK. The Niro EV should only continue this success, thanks to its blend of value, long range capability and its new found sense of style. L

ENGINE: 150kW / 201bhp electric motor and 64.8kWh lithium-ion battery

RANGE (WLTP combined): 285 miles

OFFICIAL EFFICIENCY (WLTP combined): 3.8mpkWh

GF EFFICIENCY (combined): 3.0mpkWh

CO2: : 0g/km

VED: £0 first-year, £0 thereafter

BIK: 2%

PRICE (OTR): £37,295-£43,940 (including VAT)

*Same specification for all trims

BMW iX5 Hydrogen

Over the past decade, BMW has firmly established itself as a significant manufacturer of electric vehicles, but with an eye on the needs of an evolving zero-emission transport landscape, has developed a hydrogen-powered version of its popular X5 SUV. Richard Gooding discovers that the highly developed prototype offers much to fleets, providing the infrastructure is in place to power it

What is it?

Four years in development, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, is quite simply, a hydrogenpowered version of the X5 SUV. First displayed as a concept in 2019, initial prototypes were made in 2021 for the IAA Mobility event in Munich. Based on the current ‘G05’ version of the X5 SUV, the iX5 Hydrogen has a 125kW fuel cell stack – currently the world’s most powerful passenger car fuel cell system –along with a 170kW lithium-ion battery and an electric motor from the iX, which uses BMW’s fifth-generation eDrive tech also used in the company’s all-electric and plug-in hybrid models.

It’s not the first time BMW has looked deeper into hydrogen technology. Similarly to the 2023 iX5 Hydrogen project, in 2005, the company released 100 examples of an H2-powered 7 Series. The Hydrogen 7 was powered by a 257bhp ‘bivalent’ 12-cylinder engine which could also run on petrol, with the hydrogen burned by the ICE, and stored as a liquid rather than a compressed gas.

The Hydrogen 7 employed similar technology to that seen on an ‘E38’-generation 7 Series, the 750hL of 2000, whose hydrogen combustion engine was also powered by both hydrogen and petrol. BMW’s most recent foray into FCEVs was with the 2015 5 Series GT Hydrogen, a car on which there was collaboration with Toyota. The two companies have been working together on fuel cell technology systems since 2013.

What range does it have?

Even though the fleet of iX5 Hydrogen cars are prototypes, BMW quotes an official single refill driving range of up to 313 miles

from the two carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) hydrogen tanks. Stored at 700 bar, the cylindrical tanks hold six kilograms of hydrogen and are arranged in a ‘T’-shape along the middle and rear of the car.

How long does it take to refill?

Refueling at a hydrogen filling station takes around three to four minutes and is almost as straightforward as filling up an ICE vehicle with fuel. The only downside is that according to the Hydrogen Council’s H2 Insights update of March 2023, there are only 12 hydrogen refuelling stations open in the UK, and looking on the UK H2Mobility website, there are just four hydrogen refuelling stations open to cars.

However, the network is growing globally, with the same H2 Insights document reporting a total of over 1,000 stations, with more than 650 in Asia and the Pacific region, 276 in Europe and the Middle East, and 116 in the US. This global total has risen more than 55 per cent over the 690 stations recorded in 2021. Until the end of 2030, H2 refuelling stations will be built at 125-mile (200km) intervals and at every urban ‘node’ in Europe, many featuring 700 bar refuelling points for passenger cars and light commercials. This comprehensive building programme will result in more than 600 refuelling stations, some featuring 24/7 automated operation – refuelling is still completed by the driver – and obviously increased availability of locations to refuel.

The UK doesn’t have the same focus on hydrogen as Europe, although the government has awarded £8m to a pair

of projects in the North East. Based in the Tees Valley, the new Hydrogen Transport Hub project includes the development of airport support vehicles – led by ULEMCo – and a plan to build four publicly accessible hydrogen stations for a wide range of vehicles. This will be led by start-up company Element 2.

How does it drive?

Outside, the hydrogen-powered X5 looks remarkably similar to any other version of BMW’s family SUV. There are the obvious metallic blue flashes on the bumpers, front grille and wheels, but remove the rather obvious graphics and you’d be hard pressed to tell this X5 was ‘alternatively’ fuelled. It’s the same inside; blue highlights indicate this is no ICE X5, but everything is familiar. That’s a good thing. A telltale graphic ahead of the passenger gives the game away, as do the fuel efficiency and H2 tank level read-outs, but otherwise, you could be sitting in an electric version of the X5. If there was one. That’s also the overall impression when you’re on the move. To drive, the iX5 Hydrogen is very similar to an EV. There’s the same high level of hushed refinement and relaxed comfort, and that’s because, in effect, the iX5 Hydrogen is an electric car. A chemical reaction occurs in the fuel cell – the individual cells are supplied by Toyota – between the gaseous hydrogen from the tanks and oxygen in the air, converting the hydrogen into electricity. This is stored in the power battery, which is charged by recuperation energy from deceleration, the motor acting as a generator, or from the fuel cell itself. The battery then sends the electricity from the

battery to the electric motor which has been borrowed from BMW’s all-electric iX SUV. Water vapour is the only external emission.

The electric motor, power electronics and transmission are grouped together in a compact housing to form a highly integrated drive unit on the rear axle. These share BMW’s fifth-generation eDrive technology also used in its plug-in hybrid and all-electric models, but the company has also developed unique hydrogen components for the fuel cell system, including a high-speed compressor with a turbine, and a high-voltage coolant pump.

On the move, the iX5 feels quick –0-62mph takes just six seconds thanks to the 531lb ft (720Nm) of torque. On air suspension, the ride is comfortable and overall the impression is just as that of any other X5. The same Eco Pro, Comfort and Sport driving modes that feature on BMW’s EVs and PHEVs are present here, too, so the iX5 driving experience can be tailored for efficiency or fun. It’s this attention to detail which makes the iX5 Hydrogen prototype feel very close to a production car.

In addition to the zero-emissions running, there are other, more hidden, environmental benefits. BMW claims that FCEVs need 100kg less raw materials than BEVs, their batteries need 90 per cent less critical raw materials than standard EV batteries, and that platinum, the main raw material used for fuel cells, already has a high recycling rate. BMW states this will increase with the phase-out of combustion engines.

iX5 Hydrogen fleet deployed for global trials

A fleet of just under 100 iX5 Hydrogen prototypes have been deployed worldwide to show the potential of BMW’s fuel cell technology in real-world use, and to allow drivers who were not involved in the development of the vehicle the chance to experience it. Produced in the BMW Group’s pilot plant based at its Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ) in Munich, four of the handbuilt H2-powered iX5s came to the UK in June.

The development programme and test fleet strategy has echoes of the process of BMW’s first production electric model, the i3. Over a decade ago, fleets of electric Mini Es and 1 Series ActiveE were dispatched for field tests, the results of which fed into what eventually became the i3. The iX5 Hydrogen programme has this feeling of similarity, and, as far as the car itself is concerned, familiarity about it.

Why does my fleet need one?

Even if you wanted one, you can’t have a hydrogen-powered X5. Yet. BMW has stated that it ‘envisages potentially offering our customers a production vehicle in the second half of this decade.’ What form that may take, we don’t yet know. But, if the iX5 Hydrogen is representative of this forthcoming production car, the signs are promising. Offering the quiet, relaxed and zero-emissions driving experience of an electric car but with more convenient refuelling times, there is little not to like. A compelling and interesting future proposition in markets where the infrastructure is there to support it, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen has much to offer fleet drivers and operators. L

FURTHER INFORMATION

www.bmw.co.uk

DRIVE SYSTEM OUTPUT: 295kW / 395bhp (125kW / 167bhp fuel cell, 170kW / 228bhp lithium-ion battery, 295kW / 395bhp electric motor)

RANGE (WLTP): Up to 313 miles

OFFICIAL EFFICIENCY: 1.19kg/100km (62 miles)

CO2: : 0g/km

*This car is a prototype and is not for sale

BMW cites potential usage cases where hydrogen offers more of a benefit as those where drivers do not have easy access to electric vehicle charging facilities; customers who travel frequently, quite often over long distances; drivers in colder climates, as there is no range reduction with a hydrogen-powered vehicle; and drivers who need to tow regularly. The company views FCEV technology as a potential addition to the drive technology used by batteryelectric vehicles, and states, ‘with the right conditions, hydrogen fuel cell technology has the potential to become a further pillar in the BMW Group’s drive train portfolio for local CO2-free mobility.’