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All drivers and especially fleet operators are being advised to proactively protect their vehicles and drivers, following a crash for cash report from the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB).

SmartDrive Systems, a provider of in-vehicle camera systems, says the report must act as an urgent wake up call to any operators not using camera footage as part of their accident management process.

The IFB report identifies more than 170,000 insurance claims potentially linked to cash for crash gangs, out of 2.7m claims made between October 2019 and December 2020.

“A number of our fleet customers, particularly those operating vans on last mile delivery, have found themselves particular targets of this criminal behaviour,” said Penny Brooks, managing director of SmartDrive Systems.

“The term ‘fraud’ doesn’t begin to capture the nature of crash for cash offence,” she added. “These people are weaponising vehicles and attacking commercial vehicle drivers. This is physically dangerous; it is highly stressful and it can shatter a driver’s confidence. Not to mention the cost to the fleet operator. “

Crash for cash scams can range from paper-based fabrications, or vehicles being damaged behind closed doors, through to those where collisions are being caused by fraudsters.

IFB investigations have found single gangs can be behind thousands of orchestrated collisions in some areas, with the combined value of their fraudulent claims running into the millions.

The Midlands, North West and London were highlighted as particular problem areas by the IFB, with Birmingham named the most dangerous city in the UK for collision scams.

A proactive video solution can provide protection against these scams. The SmartDrive system captures 10 seconds of footage before and after a collision, giving an unarguable narrative. The driver can also manually activate the cameras for recording events or self-protection.

Footage is offloaded via the cellular network in near real time, preserving the data and speeding First Notification of Loss (FNOL), claim process and claim dismissal.

Brooks said: “We have helped our customers dismiss literally thousands of fraudulent cash for crash claims this way and save hundreds of thousands of pounds.

“If all commercial vehicles had a suitable camera system, we could drive these criminals off the road, for good. Our drivers are a precious resource and we should do all we can to protect them.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

A price premium for pure used battery electric vehicles (BEVs) is leaving many buyers reluctant to make the switch, when faced with a cheaper, second-hand diesel car.

Alternative fuel vehicles, which include mild and plug-in hybrid models as well as pure electric cars, only account for between 5-8% of Aston Barclay’s used stock.

However, for some fleet customers it can be as high as 10-12% of their total inventory, according to Martin Potter, Aston Barclay’s managing director – customer.

He says fleet vendors are realising that, while they may be currently remarketing three-year-old internal, combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, their product mix will quickly change with the majority of new fleet registrations becoming electric.

Recent research from Centrica Business Solutions showed a healthy appetite for fleet electrification, with UK businesses planning to spend £16 billion on plug-in vehicles in 2021 – a 50% uplift on last year.

It revealed that UK firms spent £10.5bn on EVs and on-site charging points during the year to March 2021 but are now planning £15.8bn of investment in the same area over the next 12 months.

Two fifths (40%) of those questioned said they had increased the total number of EVs within their fleet between April 2020 and March 2021.

Incentives for fleets and company car drivers have helped drive the record-breaking EV registrations, thanks to new benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax rates, introduced last spring.

“We’re all working very hard to understand the market and, most importantly, to understand where the consumers are coming from,” Martin Potter, Aston Barclay

Overall, there were 108,205 battery electric vehicles BEVs sold in 2020, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), significantly more than the 66,879 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) registered during the year.

In terms of non-plug-in mild hybrids, the SMMT data shows that 110,087 cars were registered.

Two-thirds (67%) of the registrations for BEVs and PHEVs (68%) were from fleets, last year.

Potter said: “The hybrid stock we’re selling is 44 months old, on average, 48,000 miles and the average price is around £13,000.

“That is very similar to the typical fleet stock and it’s at a price the consumer can work with, whereas you then look at the battery electric that has an average age of 20 months, 18,000 miles and £25,000 average sale price.

“The gap between what somebody has to pay for that and a diesel or even a hybrid equivalent is currently so vast it’s hard for them to justify, but that will change.”

Dylan Setterfield, head of forecast strategy at pricing experts Cap HPI, recently told Fleet News that the higher residual values (RVs) in absolute terms enjoyed by EVs are not simply because they have higher list prices; low volumes also have an impact.

RVs are supported by carefully managed remarketing strategies by the manufacturers, keeping used examples in the dealer network or negotiating bulk deals for niche second-hand use,

However, he expects the current price premium of used BEVs and PHEVs will gradually reduce over time thanks to increasing volumes.

Values of older used models may also come under pressure if newer models come with better technology or a cheaper list price.

“We’re all working very hard to understand the market and, most importantly, to understand where the consumers are coming from,” said Potter.

Covid helps drive ‘time to sell’ reduction

After welcoming back buyers to auctions halls in April, Potter told Fleet News that the return to physical sales had proved worthwhile, with conversion rates increasing and those in attendance accounting for a higher proportion of final bids. “The physical buyers were definitely buying more cars,” he said. 

Aston Barclay has been employing an “omni-channel” sales approach to remarketing its vehicles, with the mix dependent on the sector its serving.

Fleet cars, for example, are sold online but buyers are also able to bid in person in the auction hall. Cars aren’t driven through the auction hall, however, with buyers instead able to view stock prior to the sale.

Stock where condition can be more of a potential issue, such as dealer part-exchange, is being driven through the auction hall, while OEM stock is dealt with offsite and completely virtually.

Potter said: “I’m really pleased we’ve got this different approach for different sectors and without the pandemic I think it would have been really hard to do.

“The pandemic has forced people to get used to the different technologies and different ways of remarketing.”

He continued: “It’s a really exciting time for the business. More and more people are looking for diversity in getting vehicles to market to maximise their values, but most importantly is less days to sell, especially in the fleet and finance sectors.”

Once a vehicle comes off the fleet, the leasing company is no longer receiving a monthly rental so time to sell is crucial, particularly when it’s a depreciating asset.

“They want the money back in the bank so they can finance another one,” explained Potter. “We’re now able to use new technologies, products and services that can all lend themselves to reducing the number of days to sell.

“For example, we’ve got some customers using our app-based appraisal tool three or four weeks before the car’s contract is due to be terminated, which allows us to start remarketing it before its defleeted. That’s going to reduce days.” By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Confusion Over The Government’s EV Plans.

The Government’s long-awaited transport decarbonisation plan has been delayed after it lacked the ambition to meet targets, including the 2030 ban on new diesel and petrol vehicles.

The plan was originally due to be published before the end of 2020 and was then pushed back to spring 2021.

It will now miss that deadline after transport minister Rachel Maclean told MPs in a Westminster debate that she was not happy with the draft plan.

She said: “I am not satisfied with the draft because it does not meet the ambition we need in order to reach those incredibly challenging targets.”

She told the debate in Westminster Hall that she was unable to give a publication date, but the Department for Transport (DfT) intended to publish the plan “soon”.

The plan is the first time the UK will lay out its approach to decarbonising every form of transport and is an essential part of achieving the legal requirement for net zero emissions by 2050 and the Climate Change Committee’s sixth carbon budget.

Maclean told MPS that the Government is developing three key policy documents over the course of 2021.

“The first is a delivery plan that will set out key Government commitments, funding and milestones… for the 2030 and 2035 phase-out dates,” she said.

“It will deal with the question whether we will have a zero-emission vehicle mandate.”

An infrastructure strategy will set out the “vision and action plan” for the charging infrastructure roll-out that is needed to achieve the phase-out date successfully and accelerate the transition to zero emission transport.

“As part of this strategy we are working with local authorities, charge point operators and other stakeholders to ensure that our future charging infrastructure is practical, accessible, reliable and achievable, alongside outlining all the key roles and responsibilities for all actors in the EV charging sectors,” continued Maclean.

“It is clear that we need more charge points everywhere and this Government will set out how that will take place.”

It will also bring forward the Green Paper on the UK future CO2 emissions regulatory framework, which will set out how the UK will phase out petrol and diesel cars and vans and support the interim carbon budgets. This will include “consulting on which vehicles exactly can be sold between 2030 and 2035”.

Maclean also said that the Government intends to “support people to charge their cars at home”.

She explained: “We are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government at the moment and we have consulted on plans to introduce a requirement for every new home to have a charge point, where there is an associated parking space. We will publish our response soon.

“We aim to lay regulations in Parliament in 2021 – this year – that will make England the first country in the world to introduce mandatory charge points in new homes, again cementing our position as the global leader in the race to net zero.”

The Government also intends to tackle the issue of public charge points not working.

When questioned by Labour’s shadow minister for green and future transport Kerry McCarthy whether there would be legislation requiring charge point operators to meet certain reliability standards, Maclean said: “We already have those powers in legislation and we intend to use them.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Councils outside London will be given powers to enforce so-called moving traffic offences from December, the Government has confirmed.

The powers were initially outlined by the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, last year, in an effort to increase walking and cycling in England.

The new enforcement powers will allow local authorities, rather than the police, to enforce against moving traffic offences such as disregarding one-way systems or entering mandatory cycle lanes.

The change has already taken effect in London, where reports suggest it has significantly reduced police workload on traffic offences, allowing officers to prioritise more important matters, while also improving enforcement.

The Government is proposing that motorists be issued with a warning for a first offence, and fines for subsequent offences.

Speaking at this week’s Traffex conference, transport minister Baroness Vere said: “Local authorities will need the tools to manage roads in the way that best serves local needs, which may vary in different parts of the country, and it is this ethos of localism that lies behind our decision to give more powers to local authorities under the Traffic Management Act.”

A freedom of information request made by the RAC to all local authorities that currently have the power to enforce these offences in England and Wales – the London boroughs and Cardiff Council – found revenue from issuing penalty charge notices (PCNs) to drivers increased by 25% between 2016/17 and 2018/19.

The enforcement of moving traffic offences such as stopping on a yellow box junction, making an illegal turn or driving down a ‘no entry’ road resulted equated to £58.2m in 2018/19 for authorities – £11.5m more than in 2016/17 (£46.7m).

RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: “It’s right that councils outside London have the ability to enforce known rule-breaking hotspots, but we’re fearful that some authorities may be over enthusiastic in using their new powers for revenue raising reasons, to the detriment of drivers.

“While the Government has pledged to give councils advice on how best to let drivers know enforcement is taking place, what’s really needed is clear guidance on making sure enforcement is always carried out fairly.

“Drivers who blatantly ignore signage or highway rules should expect penalties, but there are instances which are not always clear-cut.”

Williams says that large yellow box junctions, for example, can be particularly problematic to get across without stopping, often due to their design.

“It’s important common sense is applied rather than instantly issuing penalties to drivers,” he said.

“The first thing councils should do is review the road layout at these junctions to make sure drivers can negotiate them at all times, but especially at busy periods.”

The RAC also wants councils to closely monitor the number of penalty charge notices issued, as very high volumes in one particular location is likely to indicate something is wrong, either with signage or the design of the road.

“In these circumstances, we feel it would be wrong for drivers to have to pay up,” said Williams.

“More broadly, there’s a good argument for authorities to issue warning letters in the first instance rather than fines.

“We also believe drivers should be able to appeal easily if, for example, they receive a penalty for slightly moving into a yellow box to allow an emergency vehicle through.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Electric vehicle (EV) mapping service Zap-Map said it saw a 280% increase in electric routes planned in May 2021 versus the same period two years ago, and a 39% increase versus April 2021.

There are over 500,000 plug-in cars on UK roads as sales have increased by more than 55% over the past year, according to Zap-Map.

The company said the growth in sales, coupled with the UK’s gradual release from lockdown, has led to an increase in new and existing EV drivers planning both their longer journeys for the bank holidays in May and future trips over the summer.

The new figures have been released to coincide with the launch of Zap-Map’s new subscription plans: Zap-Map Plus and Zap-Map Premium.

The new service provides additional features in addition to the app’s core search, plan and pay services which remain free, and is targeted at drivers who regularly use the public charging network, said Zap-Map.

Melanie Shufflebotham, Zap-Map’s co-founder and chief operating officer said: “A new generation of EV drivers are eager to hit the road.

“This new data shows how the sector is picking up speed at an astonishing rate and Zap-Map is on hand to show people the way.

“Our new service is built for everyone; from total beginners to experienced EV heads.”

The boom was also reflected in an estimated 180% increase in usage of public charge points between May 2019 and May 2021, a period during which Zap-Map’s data shows the number of public charging points in the UK has grown by 70%.

Usage of the charging network increased 34% in May versus the previous month, the data found.

A new tariff from Good Energy, in partnership with Zap-Map, allows drivers to charge their plug-in car for free.

Zap-Map said it has over 200,000 registered users, double the number since last year and has mapped over 95% of the UK’s public points.

Over 75% of UK EV drivers have downloaded Zap-Map, and downloads have grown 67% over 2020.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The following warning applies to all drivers although the report was aimed at company car or fleet drivers.

Company car and van drivers are being urged not to drive for longer than two hours without taking a break, after new research revealed a worrying trend in tired driving.

The survey, from road safety organisation IAM RoadSmart, found that one-in-10 drivers had momentarily closed their eyes because they were so tired.

The same number (10%) of drivers also admitted that they had hit the rumble strip, while two-in-five (40%) had turned down the heating or rolled down the windows in order to stop them from being tired.

Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart director of policy and research, said: “Fatigue behind the wheel is a very serious problem, perhaps more concerning than previously thought of.

“The potential carnage that could result from even one accident doesn’t bear thinking about.”

More than half of drivers said they were very concerned about fatigue when driving long distances, while encouragingly around a quarter of drivers had pulled over for a rest or a coffee as the road safety experts advise.

“Driving a long distance needs pre-planning to ensure there are plenty of available rest places and to make sure there’s enough time to complete the journey if delays are encountered,” explained Greig.

“Never drive for longer than two hours without a break and take particular care if driving when you would normally be asleep. This is even more important as the country reopens after the pandemic and not all facilities may be available yet.

“Drivers can then concentrate on staying alert behind the wheel rather than staving off tiredness by trying to reach their end destination without adequate rest breaks.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The European Commission has fined BMW and Volkswagen Group €875,189,000 (£751m) for colluding with Daimler on the development of NoX treatment technology.

Daimler was not fined, as it revealed the existence of the cartel to the Commission.

According to the European Commission’s report, Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche and VW held regular technical meetings to discuss the development of AdBlue systems, also known as selective catalytic reduction (SCR)-technology.

During these meetings, and for more than five years, the car manufacturers colluded to avoid competition on cleaning better than what is required by law despite the relevant technology being available.

Daimler, BMW and Volkswagen group reached an agreement on AdBlue tank sizes and ranges and a common understanding on the average estimated AdBlue-consumption. They also exchanged commercially sensitive information on these elements.

Executive vice-president of the Commission, Margrethe Vestager, said: “The five car manufacturers possessed the technology to reduce harmful emissions beyond what was legally required under EU emission standards. But they avoided to compete on using this technology’s full potential to clean better than what is required by law.

“So today’s decision is about how legitimate technical cooperation went wrong. And we do not tolerate it when companies collude. It is illegal under EU Antitrust rules. Competition and innovation on managing car pollution are essential for Europe to meet our ambitious Green Deal objectives. And this decision shows that we will not hesitate to take action against all forms of cartel conduct putting in jeopardy this goal.”

Green group Transport & Environment (T&E) believes that in the wake of Dieselgate, this latest scandal shows car manufacturers “cannot be trusted” to put people’s health and the climate before profit.

Julia Poliscanova, senior director for vehicles and emobility at the organisation, said: “Carmakers cannot be trusted to clean up cars. First they cheated on emissions tests, then they colluded to delay cleaner vehicles even though they had the technology. Only an EU target to switch to 100% emissions-free cars by 2035 will be enough to decarbonise by mid-century and avoid climate catastrophe.” By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Coventry City Council is leading a new project to investigate the implementation of dynamic wireless charging solutions for electric vehicles, including HGVs.

The system would allow compatible vehicles to charge up as they drive along a specific section of road.

The study, which is funded through the Ofgem Network Innovation Allowance (NIA) mechanism, will consist of research and data modelling to assess feasibility for implementing the system in the UK and the potential for the first real-world demonstrator.

Environmental consultancy Ricardo will be supporting the project, working alongside electricity distribution network operator, Western Power Distribution (WPD).

Denis Naberezhnykh, technical director at Ricardo, said: “This technology allows electric vehicles to charge their batteries or be powered directly, while being driven, and would allow vehicles with demanding duty cycles to switch from petrol or diesel to being electric.

This could be a game-changer as the automotive industry looks for ways to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels and indicates just how important this project is.”

Ricardo will undertake the project management and technical review of the project activities and outputs on behalf of WPD, utilising its experience in the field and providing an additional level of technical expertise and quality assurance.

Other partners involved in the 11-month study includine: Cenex; Coventry University; Hubject; Midlands Connect; National Express; Transport for West Midlands; and Electreon.

Steven Pinkerton-Clark, WPD’s innovation & low carbon network engineer, added: “This project will assess the technology’s potential to support decarbonisation of transport and meeting UK Net Zero targets.

“The study will look at developing an understanding of how this technology can be connected to the electricity network and aims to minimise network reinforcement costs, while enabling the connection of low carbon technologies to benefit our customers.”

The results will assess the electrical impact and requirements of the technology on the distribution network, look at the feasibility of dynamic wireless charging and help forecast the uptake in Coventry and throughout the UK.

The study will also look at specific opportunities for a future demonstrator to be implemented in Coventry to demonstrate the real-world operation of the technology and how to address potential challenges.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

New research has highlighted how temperature and state of charge (SoC) impacts the degradation of lithium-ion (li-ion) batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs).

The research by Altelium, an EV battery warranty provider, investigated calendar degradation of li-ion batteries – which is caused by chemical deterioration of batteries when they are not in use, especially when parked.

The data found the ideal conditions for improving overall battery life is charging the battery once it hits the 10% level and recharge to 80%, instead of allowing the battery to drain to empty or zero and recharging to 100%.

The research also highlighted that high-level SoC between 70-80% as the ‘worst’ position in which a car should be left parked at, as it could cause greater calendar ageing.

EV batteries stored at 70-80% could lose up to four to eight per cent of capacity to hold charge at the end of one year, when compared to the ‘best condition’ observed – when the battery is completely discharged, the research found.

Dr. Alana Zülke, lead research author and member of the battery research team at Altelium, said: “What happens if you are a very conservative driver, who prefers to daily top up your car battery, so it stands at an 80% overnight, always ensuring that you always have maximum energy reserve ready to use?

“Although four to eight per cent may not sound that much, you have to remember that current li-ion batteries on the market used in EVs are deemed to need replacing when their ability to hold charge drops by as little as twenty or thirty per cent. In this scenario, 8% becomes a pivotal margin.

“When batteries reduce their capacity by 20 or 30%, they can be repurposed to second-life applications such as battery energy storage system (BESS).

“The previous history of these batteries, including calendar ageing, will impact their second-life performance.”

The research also found that reducing the temperature experienced by the battery from 40 to 25 degrees celsius can almost double the overall lifetime of the battery.

Alteium said the research provides EV drivers the information to help them make ‘more informed’ choices on what vehicle add-ons to opt for, such as ensuring the use of a thermal management system, and which strategies could impact the value of their car battery.

Zülke said: “Calendar ageing dominates electric vehicle battery degradation when parked– in the UK, a car will spend on average more than 95% of its time parked. To improve the lifecycle of batteries, it is vital to define the optimal conditions to reduce such degradation.

“Our research is another important step in quantifying the impact of working and environmental conditions on battery state-of-health. By doing so, we can predict battery life cycles and develop strategies to prolong their usefulness more accurately.

“Ultimately this data will not only inform EV battery and Battery Management Systems (BMS) design, but also has further applications for the industry.

“Information about battery degradation will inform risk calculations for EV battery-related insurance and warranty products and further still, help to consider the value of second-hand cars and second-life batteries.”

Alteium said the team conducted a series of experiments using commercial high-energy 21700 lithium-ion battery cells (NCA|Gr-Si) under eight state of charge levels (0%, 20%, 40%,60%, 70%, 80%, 90% and 100% state of charge) and three temperature values (25°C, 40°C and 50°C) to measure the effects of degradation. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The Government is launching a national advertising campaign this month ahead of the rollout of E10 petrol.

Aimed at raising awareness of the greener fuel, the campaign will be seen on fuel pump labels and in targeted digital, radio and social media advertising.

As well as promoting the benefits of E10 – which is petrol blended with up to 10% renewable ethanol – the campaign will encourage motorists to check their vehicle is compatible with the fuel.

E10 petrol will be available in UK petrol stations in Great Britain from September. Transport minister, Rachel Maclean, said the rollout of E10 is the latest in a “string of measures” the Government is taking to cut road emissions.

“This campaign will not only make drivers aware of the changes we’re making, but will also show millions of motorists how E10 introduction plays a part in helping reduce carbon emissions and build back greener with every tank of petrol,” she added.

The introduction of E10 will see renewable ethanol in petrol double from the current petrol blend E5, which contains no more than 5% ethanol.

A small number of older vehicles, including classic cars and some from the early 2000s, will continue to need E5 fuel, which is why supplies of E5 petrol will be maintained in the super petrol grade.

The Government is advising motorists to use the new E10 compatibility checker to see if their vehicle is compatible.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Highways England has released video footage of the moment it caught vehicle occupants dumping rubbish at the side of the M6.

The ‘litter louts’ were spotted on CCTV by a keen-eyed control room operator.

Police were dispatched to the Staffordshire location and the offenders were intercepted further along the motorway. They were escorted back to the emergency area where they’d dumped the rubbish and forced to clean it up.

Highways England’s senior network planner, Frank Bird, said: “This was a blatant and reckless abuse of one of our designated emergency areas which are there to help people in the event of just that, an emergency. 

“We watched the whole incident unfold on our CCTV system in our control room and then quickly passed it to the police who were able to stop the vehicle and escort them safely back to the emergency area to tidy up their mess. 

“We continue to work closely with our police colleagues who enforce issues like this and we’d remind people to take their litter home and dispose of it safely.”

Along with a stern word in the ear of the culprits, their details will also be forwarded to Environmental Health officers for their information so should any future incidents occur there will be a recorded history. 

The incident – which took place on March 28 – is being used as a timely reminder about the dangers of littering which puts Highways England’s workforce at risk when they have to go out and collect it.

Highways England is calling on drivers to ‘be part of the pick’ and join them in doing their bit to reduce litter levels on the nation’s motorways as part of the Great British Spring Clean (May 28-June 13).

During last year’s campaign, Highways England collected 12,000 bags of litter from the network. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News