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Tyre management is set to become the focal point of service, maintenance and repair (SMR) for drivers as they adopt electric vehicles (EVs), according to Fleet Check.

The fleet software specialist says that it is becoming clear from real-world EV cost profiles seen so far that while general maintenance costs for electric cars are lower than comparable petrol and diesel models, tyre costs are higher.

Peter Golding, managing director at FleetCheck, said: “Tyres have gradually become an ever more significant element of the SMR bill over the last decade or longer as standard fitments have become larger and lower profile.

“However, the arrival of EVs on fleets is going to bring about a step change that will make the situation even more acute. Looking at our user base, we are starting to see that while standard workshop servicing and maintenance costs for EVs are lower than for petrol and diesel vehicles thanks to the elimination of a variety of wear parts, tyre costs are increasing.”

EVs are much heavier than ICE vehicles, which can lead to increased tyre wear, especially when combined with the high level of torque that some electric cars offer.

FleetCheck warns that that the tyre element will move from being just over a third of a fleets total SMR cost, over lifecycle, to nearer a half.

Golding said that this shift would place a greater emphasis on fleet approaches to the management of tyre costs over time.

He explained: “Tyre costs can, like every other element of the SMR bill, be successfully managed. Certainly, we expect greater emphasis to be placed on identifying the best suppliers who are able to offer tyres at the lowest prices, although most replacements will almost certainly be like-for-like in terms of manufacturer fitment, so potential for savings here may be limited.

“However, there is also likely to be increased interest in tyre maintenance, so we expect that there will be a more emphasis on ensuring tyre pressures are regularly checked and that other factors influencing wear such as wheel alignment are considered.

“Also, it has long been recognised that a more measured approach to cornering and braking can contribute to increased tyre life, which again takes us back to the subject of torque. We expect fleet managers to take a greater interest in how employees are using their EVs on the road as a result, with measures introduced that are designed to ensure that drivers are mindful of their tyre use – something that can be tracked using our software.” By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The overwhelming majority (89%) of drivers say car headlights on UK roads are too bright, leaving them dazzled while driving, new research suggests.

The RAC survey of 2,700 drivers found that the problem also appears to be getting worse with 63% of drivers who get dazzled saying it’s happening more often, with one-in-four (23%) claiming they’re now dazzled a lot more regularly.

Furthermore, almost two-thirds (64%) think they risk causing other drivers to have collisions while two-in-three (67%) say they can’t tell if the headlights of oncoming cars are dipped or on full beam.

RAC spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “There are a number of factors that contribute to whether a headlight dazzles another driver or not, the most important being the angle of the headlights as you look at them.

“If they’re not angled properly – or the driver in the oncoming car has forgotten to dip their headlights – there’s every chance you’re going to get blinded.

“Modern LED headlight technology may also have a part to play as the human eye reacts to the so-called ‘blue light’ from LEDs differently to the ‘yellow light’ of conventional halogen headlights.

“This presents a real irony: the brighter and better your vehicle’s headlights are, the clearer your night-time view of the road ahead is, often it seems at the expense of anyone coming towards you.”

Three-in-10 (30%) of those aged 17-34 think most headlights are too bright, compared to just 19% of those aged 65 and over.

Meanwhile, of those younger drivers who believe some, if not most, car headlights they see are too bright, 70% think the accident risk is increased – while for drivers aged 65-plus the proportion is 62%.

The brightness of some car headlights even appears to be putting motorists off driving at night. Sixteen per cent of those who complain about the intensity of headlights say they avoid driving at night altogether, with women (22%) and those aged 65 and over (25%) much more likely to say they deliberately don’t drive after dark than men (9%).

The RAC’s research also asked dazzled drivers to estimate how long it typically takes for them to be able to see clearly again. While most (65%) said it took between one and five seconds, one-in-10 (12%) said it took upwards of six seconds.

Being unable to see for one second while driving at 60mph means a driver would travel around 13 metres (more than six car lengths), but being blinded for six seconds would see them covering an enormous 160 metres (the equivalent of 40 car lengths), which suggests headlight glare could be compromising safety on the roads.

Almost a quarter of drivers (23%) blamed the LED headlights fitted to an increasing number of modern vehicles, and an almost identical proportion (22%) were not sure if any particular sort of headlight was to blame, while the remaining third (34%) could not distinguish between the different types of bulb anyway.

However, nearly one-in-five (17%) said they felt the problems are caused by the angle of oncoming vehicles’ beams.

The RAC’s research suggests that the increasing prevalence of vehicles that sit higher on the road, specifically SUVs, might also be exacerbating the problem for those in conventional cars that sit much lower, like hatchbacks, saloons and estates.

Six-in-10 drivers (61%) of lower vehicles who said they suffered from glare blamed the headlights on taller vehicles, yet just 28% of drivers of taller vehicles blamed others in similar vehicles.

Motorists’ complaints about the impact some headlights are having on their driving isn’t new, with the RAC first raising the topic in 2018.

At the time, the RAC highlighted that the regulations that govern vehicle lighting, including headlights, are decided on at an international (United Nations) level, with input from UK Government.

Nearly four years on, drivers remain overwhelmingly supportive of the matter being looked into with 82% saying they’d like something done to help reduce headlight glare.

Dennis explained: “The full intensity of your headlights – especially if they’re not angled down correctly – can cause oncoming drivers to momentarily glance away from the road or even be blinded for a few seconds. In short, being dazzled isn’t just about discomfort, it also represents a significant road safety risk.

“But while the apparent dazzling effect caused by headlights is a complicated one, it’s blindingly obvious just how many drivers want the issue looked into by the Government with a view to improving things for the future.

“Despite the RAC first having flagged drivers’ concerns several years ago, we’re not aware anything at all has happened – which will no doubt be extremely disappointing to many drivers.”

Official government data shows that since 2013, there has been an average of 293 accidents a year where dazzling headlights were a contributory factor. Of these, six were fatal accidents.

The actual number may be higher given an investigation may not be able to determine whether or not a collision was directly or indirectly caused by the glare from another vehicle’s headlights. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Honda and Sony will form a partnership to develop and sell electric vehicles (EVs), with the first model expected by 2025.

The two Japanese firms have signed a memorandum of understanding and plan to launch a new company before the end of the year.

Honda will be responsible for manufacturing the new vehicles and managing aftersales, while Sony will develop a mobility service platform.

Toshihiro Mibe, director, president, representative executive officer and CEO at Honda Motor Co, said: “The New Company will aim to stand at the forefront of innovation, evolution, and expansion of mobility around the world, by taking a broad and ambitious approach to creating value that exceeds the expectations and imagination of customers.

“Although Sony and Honda are companies that share many historical and cultural similarities, our areas of technological expertise are very different. Therefore, I believe this alliance which brings together the strengths of our two companies offers great possibilities for the future of mobility.”

Sony demonstrated its desire to enter the automotive space in 2020, when it revealed the Vision-S concept car at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). A year later, the technology firm strengthened its approach by showcasing a second vehicle at CES 2021 and announcing the launch of a mobility company.

Kenichiro Yoshida, representative corporate executive officer, chairman, president and CEO of Sony Group Corporation: “Sony’s Purpose is to fill the world with emotion through the power of creativity and technology.

Through this alliance with Honda we intend to build on our vision to make the mobility space an emotional one, and contribute to the evolution of mobility centered around safety, entertainment and adaptability.”

Bakar Sadik Agwan, senior automotive Consulting analyst at GlobalData, added: “The collaboration will combine Honda’s vehicle manufacturing, components, and battery production/assembly capabilities with Sony’s experience in imaging, sensing, in-vehicle-infotainment, connected and autonomous technology.

“Sony already enjoys several trading relationships within the automotive industry as a key supplier of image sensors and electronic components such as infotainment systems.

However, there is a question mark over how much additional value Sony would be able to unlock by co-developing an entire EV project if key operations such as manufacturing, development of EV components, battery pack and motor drive units will be done by Honda.

“The move indicates Sony’s future vision is to put its brand name on battery-powered vehicles but remain only a technology partner rather than EV manufacturing as it requires expertise, high expenditure, higher volumes and limited margins. This is contrary to other businesses such as consumer electronics, photography, infotainment, and video game production, where Sony is present.

“Sony’s influence is much more likely to be felt is in the vehicle cabin. With the move away from combustion engines to EV drivetrains, automakers will be looking to ‘in-cabin’ technology to differentiate their offerings, especially as increased semi-autonomous functions give cabin occupants more time to focus on non-driving activities. Here, Sony’s wealth of knowledge in telecommunications, infotainment and UX design could help set a future Sony car apart from rivals with less-advanced in-cabin experiences.

“It will be interesting to wait and see if Sony’s EV plan could make a difference in a time where new entrants such as technology giant Foxconn are developing their EV manufacturing capabilities. However, on the flipside, it is also the best opportunity for Sony as it partners with one of the world’s largest automakers. EVs are likely to be much less defined by their powertrains but more by the strength of their technology packages and, here, Sony has the potential to make a big impact.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

This is the response from a law firm answering this question for a car dealer.

The situation involves a vehicle being damaged while left with a garage, but the damage incurred was through no fault of the garage.

The questions arising from this type of situation are:

Who is responsible for keeping the property safe?

Who pays for the damage to be fixed?

The principle is that of Bailment. The owner of the property is the Bailor, and Bailment is the act of the Bailor delivering goods to another party, the Bailee, without a transfer of ownership. A vehicle being put into the garage for repairs is an obvious example, as is a hire vehicle being hired out.

So just to be clear, you are the Bailor, the owner of the car. The act of leaving your car with a garage for repairs, service, MOT etc. is Bailment and the garage that has your car on their premises is the Bailee.

Most people, and that includes me, assumes that as soon as you hand over the keys to your car that the garage is immediately responsible for any damage to the car irrespective as to how the damage was caused. It would seem that isn’t true. This is what they say:

Unless there is a contractual term that makes the Bailee responsible for insuring or replacing the vehicle, then they do not owe a duty if the goods are damaged as a result of something occurring that is not due to negligence from the Bailee.

In other words, if your vehicle is left with the garage for repairs and an arsonist decides to go on the rampage there, or a major storm decides to pay a visit and rips the roof off of your car or van, the garage does not owe a duty to repair or replace it.

So, unbeknown to me and I’m sure many reading this, if you are the Bailor, the owner, it is important to have the requisite insurance to cover you in the above or similar scenarios.

It is down to the Bailor to check the insurance position with the Bailee if they have any concerns, not the Bailee’s job to advise the Bailor of this situation.

If you are the Bailee, the garage owner, you may wish to make it clear in the terms and conditions that your insurance will not cover any damage sustained due to events out of your control. Obviously, you are responsible for any damage caused as a result of your negligence. It may save an argument and ill feeling if you don’t make this clear upfront. By Graham Hill

StoreDot has revealed its strategic technology roadmap – 100inX – which aims to deliver batteries capable of charging a 100 miles of range on a two minute charge within 10 years.

It is also on track to produce its silicon-dominant anode XFC lithium-ion cells at scale by 2024, which will be capable of delivering 100 miles of range with five minutes of charge.

In parallel, StoreDot is already at the advanced stages of developing semi-solid-state technologies which will further improve the batteries by 40% over four years – delivering 100 miles of charge time in just 3 minutes and be mass production ready by 2028.

Dr Doron Myersdorf (pictured), StoreDot’s CEO, said: “It’s absolutely crucial that we give global automotive manufacturers a clear, realistic and hype-free roadmap for the introduction of our fast-charging battery technologies.

“After intense development of our silicon-dominant chemistries we will be mass-production ready by 2024, delivering a transformative product that will overcome the major barrier to the widespread adoption of electric vehicles – charging times and range anxiety.

“However, we are committed to a rapid transition to a cleaner, zero-emissions world and our strategic technology roadmap extends long after 2024, where each milestone represents an impressive performance improvement – a major impact on the driver’s experience.

“We are also progressing with our semi-solid-state battery aiming for its production at scale by 2028, which will demonstrate a better charging experience for EV drivers in terms of miles per minute of charging.”

Myersdorf says its ultimate goal though is to produce cells that will “revolutionise charging times”, achieving 100 miles of range in only two minutes.

“This breakthrough performance that was once considered impossible is achievable with StoreDot’s technology in just 10 years from now,” he added.

StoreDot’s extreme fast charging cells will be available in both pouch and the 4680 family form factor – the formats increasingly favored by the majority of global car manufacturers.

Pioneering work for these XFC cells has been undertaken with participation of global experts from Israel, the UK, the US and in China. ‘100in5’ cells of StoreDot’s XFC technology are already being tested in the real world by a number of OEMs. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

A small fleet of fully electric Volvo XC40 Recharge electric cars will be used as taxis and charged wirelessly at stations in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The wireless charging trial will be run for three years and is one of many projects outlined within the Gothenburg Green City Zone, under which designated areas within the city are used as live test beds for the development of sustainable technologies.

Mats Moberg, head of research and development at Volvo Cars, said: “Gothenburg Green City Zone lets us try exciting new technologies in a real environment and evaluate them over time for a potential future broader introduction.

“Testing new charging technologies together with selected partners is a good way to evaluate alternative charging options for our future cars.”

The charging stations, which will be used in the test by Cabonline, the largest taxi operator in the Nordic region, will be provided by Momentum Dynamics.

Charging starts automatically when a compatible vehicle parks over a charging pad embedded in the street, allowing drivers to conveniently charge without getting out of their car.

The charging station sends energy through the charging pad, which is picked up by a receiver unit in the car.

To align the car with the charging pad, Volvo Cars will use its 360-degree camera system.

For the fully electric XC40 Recharge cars, the wireless charging power will be more than 40kW, making the charging speeds around four times faster than a wired 11kW AC charger and almost as fast as a wired 50kW DC fast charger.

In total, the Volvo cars will be used for more than 12 hours a day and drive 100,000km per year, which also makes this the first durability test of fully electric Volvo cars in a commercial usage scenario.

Other partners involved in the wireless charging project include the company’s own Swedish retailers Volvo Bil and Volvo Car Sörred, Swedish energy company Vattenfall and its charging network InCharge, the city energy company Göteborg Energi, and Business Region Gothenburg, a municipal economic development agency owned by the City of Gothenburg.

Last year, Volvo took part in launching the Gothenburg Green City Zone initiative, which aims to achieve emission-free transport by 2030.

Using a real city as a testing ground, it says, enables the company to accelerate development of technologies and services in the areas of electrification, shared mobility, autonomous driving, connectivity and safety.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Euro NCAP has published its first results of 2022, with the Volkswagen Polo and crossover Taigo both earning five stars.

The Megane E-TECH, the first Renault model based on their new dedicated electric vehicle platform, also achieved the top safety rating, as does the new Lexus NX.

The BMW 2 Series Coupé was awarded four stars.

Secretary general, Michiel van Ratingen, said: “Euro NCAP has been setting the standard for car safety for twenty-five years. The next 10 will bring huge challenges, with assisted and automated driving very much at the forefront of the changes ahead.

“Our focus on ADAS – advanced driver assistance systems – over the last ten years or so makes us well-placed to rate these new aspects of vehicle technology and to continue to provide key information to car buyers in the future.”

Euro NCAP has also published the ratings for the Volkswagen ID.5, sharing the 2021 five-star rating awarded to the nearly identical ID.4, and the Ford Tourneo Connect, twin of the 5-star Volkswagen Caddy.

July 2022 sees the introduction of new vehicle safety legislation, mandating the fitment of important safety systems such as autonomous braking and speed assistance on new vehicle types.

Matthew Avery, chief research strategy officer at Thatcham Research, said: “This first set of Euro NCAP results for 2022 represents a great start to the year from a safety perspective. And although there are several conventionally fuelled vehicles here, we are continuing to see more and more EV options for consumers with strong safety credentials.

“It’s also good to see a return to five-star form for Renault. The Megane E-Tech has high levels of all-round safety and an especially good child occupant score of 88% – making it a great EV choice for families.

“VW has added three more five-star vehicles to its range, with the ID.5, Taigo and Polo. It’s particularly pleasing to see a popular car like the VW Polo proving that it is possible to create a lower cost but still super-safe, supermini.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The overwhelming majority of UK motorists support the use of safety camera technology to check for insurance, MOT and road tax offences, claims IAM RoadSmart.

Research, conducted by the road safety charity for its annual Safety Culture Report, revealed that almost nine in 10 (89%) motorists support the idea of safety cameras being used to spot those who flout the rules.

Neil Greig, director of policy and research at IAM RoadSmart, said: “As with previous years, the results from our Safety Culture Report demonstrate that law-abiding citizens are totally in favour of a zero-tolerance approach when it comes to catching those who are a menace to other motorists on UK roads.

“However, despite the vast majority of drivers agreeing for several years now that we should be using the widely available technology, we have at our disposal to catch illegal drivers, many police forces are yet to leverage the equipment to its full capabilities.

“The inconvenience, as well as pain and financial misery uninsured drivers often inflict on other road users should not be overlooked, meaning we should be doing all we can to deter and punish drivers who think the rules don’t apply to them.”

IAM RoadSmart says it is well known that enforcing ‘paperwork’ offences often leads to the detection of other more serious crimes.

“This is why we support drivers in their calls for cameras to be used against those who violate the rules of the road,” added Greig.

Meanwhile, there was also support among respondents for more fines to be handed to those who decide to exceed the speed limit with 82% agreeing that cameras should automatically fine drivers who go more than 10mph over the limit in school zones and urban areas.

There was also support for similar schemes to be enforced for those who decide to exceed the speed limit in residential areas and motorways, albeit to a lesser extent (78% and 64%, respectively).

Greig continued: “Speeding is simply unacceptable, and it’s encouraging to see that the public are largely in support of looking for new ways to identify motorists who are endangering the lives of others.

“Introducing automatic detection will deter drivers who are tempted to speed, which in turn will help reduce the number of casualties on our roads.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

I’ve been banging on about the need to understand that electric cars are vastly different to petrol and diesel cars and not as some suggest an automatic car with a motor instead of an engine. The auto industry has vastly oversimplified the transition to EV’s to the point where lives could be in danger.

Finally, we see Ford making the first move towards dividing there business into two, ICE vehicles and electric vehicles. Here is the article:

Ford has created two new businesses – Ford Blue will focus on internal combustion engine vehicles and Ford Model e will develop its electric vehicle (EV) offering.

Ford President and CEO Jim Farley introduced the Ford+ plan in May 2021, calling it the company’s biggest opportunity for growth and value creation since Henry Ford scaled production of the Model T.

The formation of two distinct, but strategically interdependent, auto businesses – Ford Blue and Ford Model e – together with the new Ford Pro business, will help unleash the full potential of the Ford+ plan, it says.

Farley said: “We have made tremendous progress in a short period of time. We have launched a series of hit products globally and demand for our new EVs like F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E is off the charts.

“But our ambition with Ford+ is to become a truly great, world-changing company again, and that requires focus.

“We are going all in, creating separate but complementary businesses that give us start-up speed and unbridled innovation in Ford Model e together with Ford Blue’s industrial know-how, volume and iconic brands like Bronco, that start-ups can only dream about.”

Driving the change, says the manufacturer, was recognition that different approaches, talents and, ultimately, organisations are required to unleash its development and delivery of electric and digitally connected vehicles and services and fully capitalise on the company’s family of internal combustion vehicles.

The creation of Ford Model e was informed by the success of small, mission-driven Ford teams that developed the Ford GT, Mustang Mach-E SUV and F-150 Lightning pickup as well as Ford’s dedicated EV division in China.

“Ford Model e will be Ford’s center of innovation and growth, a team of the world’s best software, electrical and automotive talent turned loose to create truly incredible electric vehicles and digital experiences for new generations of Ford customers,” Farley said.

“Ford Blue’s mission is to deliver a more profitable and vibrant ICE business, strengthen our successful and iconic vehicle families and earn greater loyalty by delivering incredible service and experiences.

“It’s about harnessing a century of hardware mastery to help build the future. This team will be hellbent on delivering leading quality, attacking waste in every corner of the business, maximising cash flow and optimising our industrial footprint.”

Ford Model e and Ford Blue will be run as distinct businesses, but also support each other – as well as Ford Pro, which is dedicated to delivering a one-stop shop for commercial and government customers with a range of conventional and EVs and a full suite of software, charging, financing, services and support on Ford and non-Ford products.

Ford Model e and Ford Blue will also support Ford Drive mobility.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Drivers are being warned about the dangers of tailgating after cameras captured 60,000-plus incidents on a stretch of the M1 in a single year.

Eight in 10 motorists said they were aware of the ‘two-second rule’, in a National Highways poll, while three-quarters (75%) claimed they had never driven too close to the vehicle in front within the previous three months.

However, a recent trial of new tailgating cameras on a stretch of the M1 captured 60,343 incidents of vehicles driving too close over a 12-month period.

Last year, National Highways and Northamptonshire Police joined forces in the trial to raise awareness and deter tailgating.

Cameras were used on lane one of a stretch of the M1 over 12 months to automatically detect vehicles driving too close.

From the 60,343 detections, there were 10,994 repeat offenders and 2,144 letters were sent to drivers warning they had driven too close and highlighting the dangers of not leaving safe braking distances.

Drivers caught in the trial were not prosecuted but advised they had been tailgating and given educational material demonstrating the dangers of driving too close.

Driving too close to another vehicle can lead to prosecution for ‘driving without due care and attention’. This offence carries a minimum fine of £100 and three penalty points, and in some cases more severe penalties or a court appearance.

National Highways has now launched a campaign to tackle the issue of tailgating which is a factor in around one in eight crashes on England’s motorways and major A roads.

Jeremy Phillips, National Highways head of road safety, Jeremy Phillips, said: “Unfortunately, as highlighted by the M1 trial, we know that too many people are driving too close on our roads.

“Most tailgating is unintentional by drivers who don’t realise that they are infringing on someone else’s space. But not leaving enough space between you and the vehicle in front is not only very frightening for that driver, it could have devastating consequences.”

Phillips warned that closer a driver gets, the less time they have to react and to stop safely. “To avoid inadvertently getting too close to the vehicle in front, we would urge drivers to use the two-second rule and to always ‘stay safe, stay back’,” he added.

The Highway Code tells drivers to allow at least a two-second gap between you and the vehicle in front on roads carrying faster-moving traffic and in tunnels where visibility is reduced.

The gap should be wider as speeds increase. It rises to 2.4 seconds – about 53 metres – when driving at 50mph and 3.1 seconds – or 96 metres – at 70mph.

Furthermore, the gap should be at least doubled on wet roads and increased still further on icy roads.

To use the rule, drivers should allow the vehicle in front to pass a fixed object such as a lamp post or road sign then count to two seconds. If they reach two seconds before reaching the reference marker they need to drop back.

Jason Wakeford, head of campaigns at Brake, says it is vital that drivers leave enough distance between the vehicle in front in order to react in time to any sudden dangers.

“We’d urge everyone to respect the two-second rule to keep them, and others on the road, safe,” said Wakeford.

National Highways has a dedicated webpage where drivers can find more information about tailgating and what they can do to stay safe.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News