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A new hub of electric vehicle (EV) chargers will open in Oxford this year, offering a variety of fast and ultra-rapid charging facilities.

Billed as Europe’s “most powerful” public EV charging hub, the Pivot Power site will provide 38 charging points from providers Fastned, Tesla and Wenea.

Unlike other charging hubs, the site, at Redbridge Park & Ride, will be directly connected to the high voltage national electricity grid, to provide the power needed to charge hundreds of EVs at the same time quickly, without putting strain on the local electricity network or requiring costly upgrades.

The planned hub will scale up to help meet the need for EV charging in the area and is the first of up to 40 similar sites planned across the UK to help deliver charging infrastructure needed for the estimated 36 million EVs by 2040.

Councillor Tom Hayes, cabinet member for Green Transport and Zero Carbon Oxford at Oxford City Council, said: “As an innovative city embracing technologies and change, Oxford is the natural home for the UK’s largest public EV charging hub.

We are excited to be taking a major step forward in the completion of Energy Superhub Oxford, working closely and superbly with our private sector partners. As an ambitious city, we are excited about the prospect of further innovation and investments, building upon our record of transformational public and private sector delivery.”

The announcement is a “key milestone” in the completion of Energy Superhub Oxford (ESO), due to open in Q4 this year, and comes as Oxford is set to launch the UK’s first Zero Emission Zone this August, where vehicles are charged based on their emissions, with EVs able to use the zone for free.

The £41m world-first project, led by Pivot Power, integrates EV charging, battery storage, low carbon heating and smart energy management technologies to support Oxford to be zero carbon by 2040 or earlier.

Matt Allen, CEO at Pivot Power, added: “Our goal is to help the UK accelerate net zero by delivering power where it is needed to support the EV and renewable energy revolution. Oxford is one of 40 sites we are developing across the UK, combining up to 2GW of battery storage with high volume power connections for mass EV charging.

“Energy Superhub Oxford supports EDF’s plan to become Europe’s leading e-mobility energy company by 2023, and is a blueprint we want to replicate right across the country, working hand in hand with local communities to create cleaner, more sustainable cities where people want to live and work.”

Fastned will initially install ten chargers at the Superhub with 300kW of power, capable of adding 300 miles of range in just 20 minutes for up to hundreds of EVs per day.

The station will be powered by 100% renewable energy, partly generated by the company’s trademark solar roof, and all makes and models of EVs will be able to charge at the highest rates possible simultaneously.

Any EV will be able to use the site, with chargers open 24/7 and only requiring a simple contactless payment. An on-site café is planned where drivers can buy drinks and snacks, ensuring the charging process is as convenient as possible. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Connected Kerb is working with Kent County Council to provide a blueprint for local authorities to deliver electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure to hard-to-reach communities.

In the project’s first phase, Connected Kerb is installing 40 charging units across 20 Kent parish sites.

All income from the chargers will be reinvested into the local community or used to support the rollout and maintenance of more chargers.

Chris Pateman-Jones, CEO of Connected Kerb, says that access to charging infrastructure is one of the “biggest barriers” to the uptake of EVs.

“Although demand for chargers is higher in dense urban areas, the lack of infrastructure in out-of-town communities leaves people concerned about switching to EVs,” he said.

“It is vital that access to public charging is equitable across the entire country and we bring an end to the EV charging postcode lottery.”

The distribution of EV charge points across the UK is massively varied. For example, around a third of the UK’s public charging network is located in London, equivalent to 63 public chargers per 100,000 people.

This compares to areas like Gravesham, Kent or Castle Point, Essex, which have just 3.7 chargers per 100,000 people.

According to the UK Government, access to convenient charge points is essential to ensuring communities do not become isolated, either because they become unreachable for other EV motorists, or because they themselves are unable to utilise new EV technology.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has also highlighted the risk that electric car owners in some areas could be “left behind” as a significant challenge to the industry, with a lack of infrastructure potentially stifling EV uptake.

Pateman-Jones continued: “Nobody should be left behind by the EV revolution because of where they live.

“Our partnership with Kent County Council shows that the economics of installing EV charging in non-urban areas is much more favourable than many believe. This is a recipe for success for local authorities across the UK.”

Installing public charging infrastructure outside of busy urban areas has typically been a challenge for the industry.

Lower grid capacity and fewer connections increase upfront cost, with lower footfall compounding the challenge by extending the return-on-investment period.

With some rapid chargers costing upwards of £100,000 to install, and with lifespans of between 5-10 years, the economics rarely add up, says Connected Kerb.

As part of the company’s mission to make EV charging accessible for everyone, wherever they live, it says that its technology and business model enables local authorities to provide all communities with accessible, low-cost and reliable public EV charging.

The chargers also feature additional smart capabilities that can facilitate air quality monitoring, parking management, CCTV, road sensors, 5G connection, autonomous vehicles, route planning and power demand forecasting, it says.

Tim Middleton, transport innovations programme manager for highways, transportation and waste at Kent County Council, said: “This partnership offers a fantastic opportunity for Kent businesses, residents and visitors to have equal access to electric vehicle charging infrastructure – not only is this crucial as we move closer to the 2030 ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars, but it means that Kent can play its part in the transition to decarbonisation.”

The EV charging units are being installed at a range of sites, including village halls and car parks, beginning from this month.

Every charger will provide a 7kW – 22KW fast charge and will feature contactless payment via the Connected Kerb app.

The project has received funding from the Kent Lane Rental Scheme, the Department for Transport (DfT) and parish councils, and for some locations 75% of the costs were financed through the UK Government’s On Street Residential Charge Point Scheme, available to all local authorities in the UK.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Police forces have recovered more than 1,000 stolen catalytic converters and arrested more than 50 people.

The joint operation to tackle catalytic converter theft, codenamed Goldiron, was coordinated by the British Transport Police (BTP).

Police forces joined experts from the Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC), led by the Environment Agency, Smartwater Group, and motor industry, to carry out synchronised enforcement action, intelligence-led site visits, forensic marking and educational events.

Over a five-day period last month, officers and partner agencies made 56 arrests, visited 926 sites, stopped 664 vehicles, recovered 1,037 stolen catalytic converters and 297 items of stolen property; and identified 244 offences.

During the visits and checks, officers searched for stolen metal and examined trader’s financial records to ensure they were complying with the 2013 Scrap Metal Dealers Act.

The JUWC also coordinated a series of waste site inspections to ensure businesses held environmental permits and met other legal requirements.

Furthermore, catalytic converter marking demonstrations were also held to educate and encourage drivers to protect their vehicles. More than 1,610 vehicles were forensically marked by officers and partner agencies.

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for metal crime, BTP Assistant Chief Constable Charlie Doyle, said that the “positive results” are testament to why it’s vital to share information and specialist knowledge to disrupt those operating in this area of crime.

“By taking a multi-agency approach, we are maximising our ability to identify those who are involved in catalytic converter theft, making it harder for them to sell stolen metal and gain from their criminal activities,” he added.

Catalytic converters clean harmful gases before they exit a vehicle’s exhaust pipe and are stolen for the precious metal they contain. These metals have surged in value recently, leading to organised crime networks to commit more offences.

A national conference took place in November last year to create a cross-agency plan focussed on prevention and detection and this was the second week of action that has taken place since.

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for vehicle crime, Cheshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Simms, said: “Policing and law enforcement agencies will continue to focus on catalytic converter theft and ensure that this low risk/ high-reward crime is relentlessly targeted, and offenders are brought to justice.”

The RAC and Ageas say that vehicles parked during lockdown are being targeted by criminals stealing catalytic converters for their precious metals.

There has been a “marked rise” in the theft of catalytic converters since the start of the first lockdown just over a year ago, says Ageas Insurance.

Three-in-10 of all theft claims reported are now related to catalytic converters. Before the lockdown catalytic converter theft only accounted for around one-in-five.

Toyota is working with police and Smartwater to covertly mark the catalytic converters on more than 100,000 cars in an attempt to deter thieves.

The initiative is costing the car maker more than £1m and will be provided to existing Toyota owners for free.

Police say that reports of catalytic converter theft should be made as soon as possible to increase the chances of detection.

People are encouraged to report any suspicious activity to the police by calling 101, or 999 if an offence is in progress. If you spot something at a railway station, contact BTP by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The Government is being urged to honour a commitment made in its road safety action plan to increase the penalty for not wearing a seatbelt.

In the plan, launched in July 2019, the Government said people caught not wearing a seatbelt would face penalty points on their licence as well as a fine.

The offence has long been endorsable in Northern Ireland, where drivers who fail to ensure a child in a front or rear seat is not wearing a seatbelt also face points on their licence. However, these tougher sanctions do not apply in England, Scotland or Wales.

GEM chief executive Neil Worth explained that official figures show that, despite compliance rates of 98.6% among car drivers, more than one in four (27%) of those killed in cars were not wearing a seat belt – amounting to more than 200 deaths.

“Seatbelts reduce the risk of death by 45% for drivers and front seat occupants. They also reduce the risk of serious injury by 50%,” he said.

“Research shows time and again that seatbelt laws increase seatbelt use, and therefore reduce deaths and serious injuries.

“We have seen mobile phone penalties for drivers rise in recent years, and if seatbelt offences were dealt with in a similar way, we believe would see a significant and immediate reduction in the number of drivers and vehicle occupants killed and seriously injured on our roads.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

A 236-bay electric vehicle (EV) charging hub will be installed at Brent Cross Shopping Centre, making it the largest facility of its kind in the UK.

The hub will be installed and operated by Franklin Energy. It is expected to be completed in 2026.

Initially, 50 22kW charging points will be installed in the shopping centre’s multi-storey car park along with two 350kW ultra-rapid units in the Western overflow car park. These will be completed by the end of 2021.

Brent Cross shopping centre is co-owned by Hammerson and Aberdeen Standard Investments. The new charging hub will be Hammerson’s ninth destination to offer charging points.

Louise Ellison, group head of dustainability at Hammerson, said: “The installation of the UK’s largest EV charging facility will not only attract more visitors to our centres at a time when we are expecting to see a significant increase in electric vehicles on the roads, but also shows our continued commitment to tackling climate change, as we continue our journey towards becoming net positive by 2030.

“Combined with our renewable electricity contracts, this service has the potential to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of visitors to Brent Cross by supporting the transition to electric vehicles. ”

In addition to benefiting existing customers visiting the shopping centre, the facility will also provide charging points for cars passing by on the nearby M1, A41 and A406 via the North Circular.

The EVBox charging units will be part of Franklin Energy’s LiFe Network which is expected to have 5,000 public chargers by 2025.

Niall Macdonald, deputy fund manager for the Aberdeen Standard UK Shopping Centre Trust, added: “The scale of this installation of electric vehicle charging points at Brent Cross is our most ambitious to date and we believe it will provide a fantastic service to our customers allowing them to make the change to EV confident in the knowledge that this facility is available to them.” By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Toyota is working with police and Smartwater to covertly mark the catalytic converters on more than 100,000 cars in an attempt to deter thieves.

The initiative is costing the car maker more than £1m and will be provided to existing Toyota owners for free.

Rob Giles, Toyota (GB) director of Customer Services, said: “Catalytic converter theft is a very serious problem in the UK and the effects on victims of this crime are emotional as well as financial.

“We’re pleased to be starting this initiative, working closely with the police, not only to help them with their efforts to combat this crime but also to send a clear message to criminals that if they choose to target a Toyota or Lexus car there is now a far higher chance of getting caught.”

Toyota hopes that the marking programme will dissuade rogue scrap metal dealers who are happy to pay cash for stolen converters, now that the risk of being caught is greater than before.

Thieves are targeting the catalytic converters in older hybrid models, like the Toyota Prius, because the catalyst in a hybrid has a lower work load than in a non-electrified vehicle, meaning it is in better condition.

In more modern Toyota and Lexus cars the catalysts are of a different design and are not typically targets for theft as a result.

According to Ageas Insurance, three-in-10 of all theft claims reported are now related to catalytic converters. Before the Coronavirus lockdown, catalytic converter theft only accounted for around one-in-five.

Catalytic converters contain a honeycomb coated with precious metals such as platinum, palladium and rhodium which help to filter harmful gases from the vehicles’ exhaust systems.

The RAC says that when the global value of these metals increase it usually leads to a spike in thefts. Prices of rhodium hit a record highs earlier this year, up more than 200% since March 2020.

Toyota is offering the Smartwater marking free to all Toyota and Lexus owners, who simply need to call their local Toyota or Lexus retailer to arrange a visit.

It has also issued 20,000 Smartwater kits to police to support their local anti-catalyst theft initiatives. The company is also working with the AA, Toyota’s road-side partner, so its patrols can point customers to where they can get a free kit.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

New guidance has been published for fleets by the Government to minimise the risk of commercial vehicles being used in a terror attack.

The new standard has been published by the British Standards Institution (BSI) and sponsored by the Department for Transport (DfT).

It sets out a raft of security measures to prevent criminals and terrorists from accessing commercial vehicles, including vans, lorries, buses, coaches and cranes.

Transport Minister Robert Courts says the “vital new guidance” will help in the fight against terrorism and organised crime.

“I wholeheartedly support this move and the British Standards Institution in their important work,” he continued.

“Terror attacks and organised crime involving commercial vehicles have had tragic and devastating effects in recent years, with every life lost leaving an unimaginable void in the lives of so many.

“This Government will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the British public are kept safe.”

To meet the new standard, operators will have to improve their knowledge of potential risks and determine which of those risks apply to their business.

Furthermore, they must develop a security management plan, assess risk exposure and put in place management and accountability for security.

Other requirements will include checks of drivers’ references and previous employment history and also regular visual checks of vehicles for signs of tampering.

The Government says it is working with the fleet industry to develop accreditation and certification schemes for operators, with further details to be announced in due course.

Nick Fleming, head of mobility and transport standards at BSI, said that the new standard, developed with commercial vehicle operators, encourages good practice that could reduce the threat of vehicles in terror attacks.

“The standard highlights the growing importance of physical vehicle security measures to help prevent such criminal acts taking place,” he added.

Terror attacks on the public involving vehicles have had tragic consequences in recent years, including in the Westminster and London Bridge attacks of 2017.

In the wake of those attacks, three quarters (76%) of commercial fleet drivers said they would like training to deal with the threat of their vehicle being hijacked or stolen and used in a terrorist attack.

Ministers say that the new measures could also assist the fight against serious and organised crime, including helping to minimise the risk of drug and people smuggling.

In 2019, people smuggling resulted in the deaths of 39 Vietnamese nationals, whose bodies were found in a lorry container in Essex.

The new standard is targeted at operators of light and heavy goods vehicles, as well as those of public service vehicles and mobile plant, such as cranes and tip trucks.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Leading the charge

Volkswagen and Tesco are delivering the UK’s largest retail EV charging network, with free top ups available to all electric vehicles, powered by Pod Point.

What are we doing?

Volkswagen and Tesco want to make it easier for you to charge your electric car while you’re out, no matter what brand of Electric Vehicle you drive. That’s why by the end of July 2021 there will be free 7kW EV charging bays at 400 Tesco stores.

At selected stores there are free 22kW chargers and (chargeable) 50kW rapid chargers.  All of the chargers are installed by Pod Point, the UK’s largest independent public charging network operator, and all use renewable/green energy.

Where will I be able to charge?

Finding a charge point is easy. You’ll quickly spot them in both Tesco Extra and Superstore car parks. And with 400 stores with charging bays (by the end of July 2021), you shouldn’t need to travel too far to find a Tesco where you can top up your battery.

Want to stay up to date with all the latest charge points?

View the latest Tesco stores with EV charging here.

How do I use the chargepoints?

To use the charge points you’ll need to download the Pod Point app or use their web app.

How much will it cost?

To make charging more accessible, the 7kW chargers are free of charge.  Where available, 22kW chargers are also  available free of charge. But even if you decide to use the rapid 50kW charger (where available) you’ll only pay a small fee in line with the going market rate.

Some stores may have a parking charge and as you’d expect, you need to be a Tesco customer to use them.  By Graham Hill thanks to Volkswagen.co.uk

The company car market is predicted to grow significantly after new research reported a three-fold increase in drivers wanting to source their next vehicle through their employer.

The findings, from the OC&C Speedo meter ‘Battery Late Than Never’ report, also suggest that Covid-19 has helped cement the importance of a car, despite people driving less.

More than two-in-five drivers (42%) said the pandemic has increased their belief that a car is essential. It is not just drivers who see the car as essential either – the number of non-drivers who expect to own in the future has risen by 21% in the UK.

The global report was published last week and is a follow-up to a 2019 study. It tracks how trends in consumer attitudes and behaviours toward vehicles and their mobility needs have changed.

Looking at UK-specific data, it shows that just 2% of consumers expected to source their next car through their employer in 2019, but, three years later, that has risen three-fold to 6% – a 200% uplift.

COMPANY CAR MARKET

It is a positive outlook for a sector which has been in decline for the past few years. The most recent figures, published by HMRC in September 2020, showed that the number of people paying company car tax had again fallen substantially, with HMRC reporting 30,000 fewer people receiving the benefit.

The benefit-in-kind (BIK) statistics, published by HMRC, showed there were 870,000 company car drivers in 2018-19 – a massive 30,000 year-on-year decline.

The figures suggested that the number of employees receiving the benefit had fallen by some 90,000 in the past five years, from 960,000 in 2015/16.

The introduction of a new zero percentage tax rate for a pure electric company car in April 2020, along with lower rates for hybrids, however, has led many to predict a brighter future for the benefit.

The latest new car registration figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) highlight the relative strength of the sector.

Almost 80,000 new company cars were registered to fleet and business in April as the market continued to show signs of recovery.

Year-to-date, 318,991 new cars have been registered to fleet and business compared to the 259,017 units registered during the same period last year, a 23% uplift.

Fleet and business registrations now account for 56% of the market, with 567,108 cars registered overall.

There were 141,583 new car registrations in April, with 79,648 new company cars registered to fleet and business.

In April 2020, at the start of the first lockdown, just 3,450 new company cars were registered.

APPETITE FOR EVs

OC&C says the proportion of drivers considering an electric vehicle (EV) is “unprecedented” and is likely to translate into a fast acceleration in EV adoption.

Globally, more than 50% of drivers considered a hybrid when they last changed their car, and more than 40% report they will consider a pure EV next time.

The UK leads the West in EVs in the survey, with 57% of UK drivers considering fully electric for their next vehicle versus 45% in Germany and the US.

In the UK, new BIK tax rates will be persuading some to make the switch to a plug-in car, but the OC&C study shows range and tech improvements (38%), concerns about the environment (39%), Government regulation changes (36%) and better availability of charge points (35%) are the main drivers for consumers.

The OC&C data reflects the experience of leasing companies, which have reported a growing number of company car drivers choosing an EV.

Tusker, for example, has a risk fleet of approximately 20,000 cars and, while just one-in-33 (3%) were pure electric in 2019, it has since increased to one-in-five (20%).

Half of the leasing company’s orders in 2020 were for pure electric cars. Hybrid vehicles, both plug-in and mild, accounted for 20% of its new vehicle orders, with petrol and diesel responsible for less than a third (30%).

In fact, zero-emissions-capable cars, including electric, hybrid and fuel cell models, now account for one-in-three of the available models in the UK, according to the SMMT.

BARRIERS TO ADOPTION

Barriers to adoption have shifted, with the OC&C report suggesting the percentage of people citing access to public charging infrastructure as an issue has fallen dramatically.

In 2019, it said that 64% of respondents in the UK saw it as a barrier to adoption; the latest study reports that it has fallen by 14 percentage points to half (50%).

An EV’s range, while still the number one concern, is also seen as less of a barrier, falling seven percentage points, from 62% to 55% over the same period.

Meanwhile, more drivers see vehicle cost as a barrier, with more than half of respondents (51%) highlighting it as issue, compared with 49% in 2019.

The cost of electricity saw the greatest swing, with more than a quarter of respondents (29%) citing it as a barrier compared with 19% in 2019 – a 10 percentage point uplift.

The Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) says the lack of an effective national strategy for creating kerbside charging infrastructure is emerging as the biggest barrier to adoption of EVs by businesses.

OC&C’s study, however, suggests access to a charge point close to home or at the driver’s property is becoming less of an issue for UK consumers, with 39% citing it as issue in the most recent survey, compared with 44% in 2019.

The current Government approach to install kerbside charging means 75% of the cost is met by a national fund and 25% is paid by local authorities.

AFP chair Paul Hollick believes the strategy is not working. He said: “We have national fleets who are AFP members and want to go 100% EV as soon as possible. The stumbling block they face is that nationally, around four-out-of-10 people live in apartments or terraced houses and don’t have access to on-street parking.

“That means they are reliant on local authorities to install street charging facilities but, as you’d expect, the impetus and ability to do so varies massively from area to area.”

A kerbside charger costs around £2,500 to install, meaning local government needs to find £600 per unit. In the wake of the pandemic, Hollick says many simply don’t have the money, even if there is the will.

CAR CLUB POTENTIAL

Exclusive access to a car still remains vital to 82% of drivers, according to the OC&C report, with most expressing concerns around accessibility, storage and privacy as key to their reluctance to consider co-ownership or access models.

However, the importance of exclusivity is starting to wane for a forward-thinking minority, with 13% of UK drivers happy to consider mobility solutions as an alternative to having their own car, be it carsharing solutions, taxis or even short-term rental – a four percentage point increase on 2019.

OC&C says this reflects lower car usage in 2020 as a result of the pandemic, environmental and cost concerns, while the development of models such as Zip Car and Drover are also driving changes in attitude.

Consumers also continue to see a car as essential to travel, according to the report. The percentage of drivers who see a car as essential has remained stable between 80-90% since 2019.

This is true even among the young; Gen Y and Gen Z drivers still care about having cars and driving, it suggests. In fact, they have become more dependent on cars than they were. The percentage of 18-29-year-olds disagreeing that a car is essential has fallen from 11% to 5%. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Electric vehicle (EV) drivers could face an increase in household energy bills of more than £1,000 a year if they don’t use a suitable electricity tariff for vehicle charging.

Energy prices in the UK increased on April 01, 2021, so many households – including those with drivers who charge company vehicles at home – will now have larger electricity utility bills to pay, according to vehicle home charger and energy comparison site Rightcharge.co.uk.

But fleet drivers can avoid price hikes by seeking a more generously priced EV-friendly energy tariff to cover charging electric vehicles.

For example, a fleet driver covering 20,000 miles annually will expect to pay £2,599 a year on a Standard Variable Tariff from one of the big six energy suppliers from April 2021. This includes £1,454 for charging their car.

But users who switch to a lower-cost alternative EV energy tariff could pay only £1,349 a year – with just £459 of that amount on vehicle charging. That’s a huge saving of £995 on charging a vehicle at home, with another £255 saved on household energy bills. So that’s a total saving of £1,250 a year.

Charlie Cook, founder of Rightcharge.co.uk, said: “Compared to a standard tariff, having an EV-friendly energy tariff is incredibly cheap – to the point where a homeowner can charge their car at home and reduce their total energy bills at the same time.

A fleet driver who does 20,000 miles a year can save up to £1,250 a year, so drivers really can’t afford to miss out on the savings available if they change to the right deal.

“If all the current 1.04 million business contract hire drivers switched to electric cars and an EV-friendly energy tariff on the same mileage parameters, the potential saving is more than £1 billion on vehicle charging alone, plus a further £265 million on home energy costs.”

Rightcharge.co.uk compares EV-friendly energy tariffs for users by including their car charging needs as well as their home requirements, so customers can reduce the cost of running an EV.

Cook added: “We believe many EV drivers just don’t realise that while costs have gone up they can still save. Our price comparison website offers them the choices to make the best decisions.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News