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The introduction of new phased driving licensing system for young and newly qualified drivers is supported by the majority of people, new research suggests.

A survey, conducted on behalf of the road safety charity Brake and insurance company Axa UK, found 63% of respondents were in favour of the change, with just 16% against.

Brake say drivers under the age of 25 are four times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash if they are driving with others – claiming peer pressure leads to young motorists showing off.

New restrictions would see amendments made to the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act to ban passengers under the age of 25 in the driver’s first year or six months.

The Act already bans drivers if they get six points in their first two years of driving.

It has been backed by Support for Victims of Road Crashes – an advisory to the Department of Transport (DfT) – and National Police Chief’s Council Roads Policing lead Jo Shiner.

Extra restrictions on newly qualified drivers, which would have seen curfews and limits on passengers in the car, were dismissed in January 2022, because there was a recognition that young drivers needed to use cars for employment.

Government statistics show as many as a quarter of new drivers are involved in accidents in their first two years on the road.

The Government met with road safety campaigners in May to discuss the proposals. 

A new report – Driver testing and education –  published today (Friday, July 14) by Brake and Axa UK, challenges the Government to conduct a high-level strategic review of road safety, because safer drivers mean safer roads for all.

The top recommendation from the report is to implement a progressive licensing system that provides safeguards for learner and newly qualified drivers.

A progressive licensing system – which introduces elements such as a minimum learning period and a lower blood alcohol limit, while also reducing the number of similar-aged passengers a newly licensed driver can carry – has proved successful in reducing road deaths and injuries of young drivers in other countries, the charity says.

For example, a similar system in New Zealand led to a 23% reduction in car crash injuries for 15–19-year-olds, and a 12% reduction for 20–24-year-olds. 

There is good evidence that additional hazard perception training is another effective way to improve driver safety, it said.

Ross Moorlock, interim CEO at Brake, said: “This report shows that nearly two-thirds of drivers surveyed said they would support a phased or progressive licensing system, and only one-sixth (16%) would be against it.

“This overwhelming majority demonstrates that there is clear public support and appetite for a system like this, and for ensuring we prioritise the safety of young drivers on our roads.

“We ask the Government to ensure that in another six years we aren’t still asking for a system that we know could help safeguard young and new drivers on our roads.”

The issue was discussed at a recent Fleet News at 10, with proposals to ban drivers under the age of 25 from carrying young passengers as part of a ‘graduated driving licence’ scheme broadly welcomed by fleets.

However, some have suggested that any changes to the licensing regime should avoid penalising those who drive for work.

The report from Brake and Axa also focused on other aspects of system change, lifelong learning and further testing such as clearer speed limit signs on single and dual carriageways, more driver education and awareness around stopping distances, and a further call for a reinvestment in active travel schemes.

Axa Commercial CEO Jon Walker said: “This study raises a number of issues around driver education, testing and licensing that warrant further consideration.

“It’s concerning to see that 71% of respondents were unable to identify the correct distance they should keep from the car in front and 59% chose the incorrect national speed limit on dual carriageways.

“We therefore urge the Government to undertake a high-level strategic review to explore the issues raised in more detail, including the introduction of a graduated driver licensing scheme.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

There was a 24.9% year-on-year increase in the number of vehicles stolen across England and Wales, according to new data published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

Analysis shows that there were 130,389 vehicles stolen last year, compared to 104,435 during the previous year (2021).

Furthermore, AA Insurance Services says that theft from vehicles rose by 9.9%, with 212,900 people having items stolen from their vehicle compared to 193,647 the year before.

Devon and Cornwall Police were unable to supply figures to the ONS, so the true figure is likely to be even higher.

Gus Park, managing director for AA Insurance Services, says that the rise in vehicle thefts is “worrying” and highlights that security is “vitally important”.

He added: “Unfortunately, there is no one thing that can guarantee keeping your car safe from theft, but just making it a bit harder for the thieves can make it less likely that they’ll go for your car.”

When it comes to taking cars, thieves are keeping pace with manufacturers by using a variety of hi-tech methods to steal them. Relay theft, key cloning and signal blocking continue to be the main methods of illegally obtaining vehicles.

When it comes to taking things from cars, faster and more traditional methods are adopted such as smashing windows or forcing windows and doors open are adopted to gain phones, wallets, and other valuable possessions.

AA Insurance Services is reminding company car and van drivers to not store valuables in their vehicles if possible, or at the very least advise drivers to keep items hidden away.

Visible deterrents such as using a steering wheel lock plays a crucial role in keeping thieves at bay, because these devices cannot be overcome by the technology now being used by gangs to steal cars, it says.

Although nothing is fool proof, this deterrent is likely to make the thief move on to the next unprotected car.

Separate data from the Metropolitan Police, which was published recently, revealed that tool theft from a vehicle had increased by 25% – accounting for a third of all tool thefts recorded in the capital in 2021 and 2022.

Tradespeople are 10 times more likely to experience tool theft from a vehicle than they are from a building site or their place of work – with only 14% of cases leading to the suspect being identified. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The RAC has set out to disprove remarks from Environment Secretary George Eustice that electric cars may not be as environmentally friendly as people think.

Eustice told MPs on the Commons’ environment, food and rural affairs committee that fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, may be worse with electric cars due to them being heavier.

The motoring organisation commissioned battery electrochemist Dr Euan McTurk to “set the record straight”.

Dr McTurk’s findings, based on real-world use, show that EVs’ brakes wear far more slowly than conventional cars, while tyre wear is similar for the non-driven wheels and only slightly worse for driven wheels.

Simon Williams, from the RAC, said: “George Eustice’s remarks about EVs not being as green as some may think were very unhelpful and could put some drivers off making the switch to zero-emission driving.

“There are far too many negative myths surrounding electric cars which need to be busted as soon as possible in order to speed up the electric revolution. We hope these positive real-world experiences will help to clear up some of the confusion.”

In his report for the RAC, Dr McTurk states most of the braking in electric cars is done via regenerative braking where the electric motor works in reverse, converting kinetic energy from the moving vehicle into electricity to charge the battery when slowing down. This not only reduces the use of the mechanical brake discs and pads but adds more range to the vehicle too.

Dr McTurk said: “Dundee Taxi Rentals says that brake pads on its 11 Nissan Leaf taxis have a lifespan of 80-100,000 miles – four times that of their diesel taxis.

“In addition, Cleevely EV, one of the best-known EV mechanics in the UK based in Cheltenham, regularly sees EVs with brakes that have lasted over 100,000 miles. The company says if they ever need to replace an EV’s brakes, it’s not because of wear but because they’ve seized up due to lack of use.”

In terms of tyre wear, which is another source of particulate matter pollution from any vehicle, Dr McTurk disputes the widely quoted research carried out by Emissions Analytics (EA) in 2020 which concluded pollution from tyres is 1,000 times higher than a car’s exhaust emissions.

Dr McTurk said: “An Emissions Analytics 2020 press release stated that a car they tested shed 9.28 grams of particulate matter per mile from its tyres. However, it turns out that this was a worst-case scenario featuring the cheapest tyres, heavy ballast in the car and driving at high speeds with much cornering. This point which wasn’t made clear in the press release, which was subsequently reported extensively in the media.”

The EA report claimed a car shed 9.28gm of particulate matter per mile from its tyres. With a typical family car tyre weighing around 9kg, giving a total weight of 36kg that would mean the tyres would physically have disappeared in less than 4,000 miles and the car would be running on its alloys.

“In reality, tread represents about 35% of a tyre’s total weight, so the tyres would be bald in less than 1,358 miles, or two months’ of driving for the average UK driver,” added Dr McTurk.

British Gas, which currently operates 800 pure electric vans, reports that its latest large, heavy electric vans have done 15,000 miles and have not yet needed replacement tyres.

Similarly, Dundee Taxi Rentals reports that the lifespan of the front tyres on their all-electric front-wheel drive Nissan Leafs is about 5,000 to 10,000 miles less than their diesel taxis but, more positively, the rear tyres last the same amount of time, typically covering 30-36,000 miles before needing to replaced. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Ford has unveiled plans to launch seven new all-electric vehicles in Europe – three new passenger vehicles and four new commercial vehicles – by 2024.

Starting in 2023, Ford will begin production of an all-new electric passenger vehicle, a medium-sized crossover, built in Cologne with a second electric vehicle added to the Cologne production line-up in 2024.

Both newcomers will be built on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform, as part of a strategic alliance between the German car maker and the Blue oval.

The first model is likely to be largely based on the VW ID4, while the second is billed as a ‘sports crossover’ like the upcoming VW ID5.

In addition, an electric version of the current Ford Puma will be available, made in Craiova, Romania, starting in 2024.

Ford’s Transit range will also include four new electric models – the all-new Transit Custom one-tonne van and Tourneo Custom multi-purpose vehicle in 2023, and the smaller, next generation Transit Courier van and Tourneo Courier multi-purpose vehicle in 2024.

“These new Ford electric vehicles signal what is nothing less than the total transformation of our brand in Europe – a new generation of zero-emission vehicles, optimized for a connected world, offering our customers truly outstanding user experiences,” said Stuart Rowley, chair, Ford of Europe.

EV production and investment in Cologne

Ford confirmed today that the first volume all-electric passenger vehicle to come out of the Ford Cologne Electrification Centre will be a five-seat, medium-sized crossover.

In 2021, sports utilities and crossovers accounted for 58% of all Ford passenger vehicle sold in the continent, up nearly 20 percentage points from 2020.

The all-electric crossover breaks new boundaries for Ford. Capable of a 500km (310m) driving range on a single charge, the vehicle and its name will be revealed later in 2022, with production commencing in 2023.

Today’s confirmation that a second, all-electric passenger vehicle – a sports crossover – will be built at the Ford Cologne Electrification Centre means that electric vehicle production at the facility will increase to 1.2 million vehicles over a six-year timeframe.

Investment in the new electric passenger vehicles to be built in Cologne is expected to be $2 billion. The investment includes a new battery assembly facility scheduled to start operations in 2024.

New global business unit

Today’s announcement builds on the recent news that the company has created a new global business unit – Ford Model e – focused on the design, production, and distribution of electric and connected vehicles.

Together with Ford Pro, the business unit focused on Ford’s commercial vehicle business, these two business units will define Ford’s future in Europe, it says.

“I am delighted to see the pace of change in Europe – challenging our entire industry to build better, cleaner and more digital vehicles,” said Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO. “Ford is all-in and moving fast to meet the demand in Europe and around the globe.

“This is why we have created Ford Model e – allowing us to move at the speed of a start-up to build electric vehicles that delight and offer connected services unique to Ford and that are built with Ford-grade engineering and safety.”

Ford expects its annual sales of electric vehicles in Europe to exceed 600,000 units in 2026, and also reaffirmed its intention to deliver a 6% EBIT margin in Europe in 2023.

The acceleration in Europe supports Ford’s goal to sell more than 2 million EVs globally by 2026 and deliver company adjusted EBIT margin of 10%.

“Our march toward an all-electric future is an absolute necessity for Ford to meet the mobility needs of customers across a transforming Europe,” explained Rowley. “It’s also about the pressing need for greater care of our planet, making a positive contribution to society and reducing emissions in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.”

The company also announced today that it is targeting zero emissions for all vehicle sales in Europe and carbon neutrality across its European footprint of facilities, logistics and suppliers by 2035.

New joint venture aims to increase battery production in Europe

To support Ford’s vehicle electrification plans, Ford, SK On Co and Koç Holding have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding for a new joint venture business in Turkey.

Subject to execution of a final agreement, the three partners plan to create one of the largest EV battery facilities in the European wider region.

The joint venture would be located near Ankara and will manufacture Nickel NMC cells for assembly into battery array modules. Production is intended to start as early as mid-decade with an annual capacity likely to be in the range of 30 to 45 Gigawatt hours.

The investment the three partners are planning in the battery joint venture – including support from the Turkish Government – will directly benefit large and small commercial vehicle operators across Europe, it says. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

I’ve had a few complaints regarding handovers of electric cars. During the pandemic handovers were limited to keep customers and delivery drivers safe but with the increase in highly technical electric cars being delivered customers need a much more detailed handover.

The Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) has launched a new industry standard for car and van deliveries by dealers.

The voluntary AFP Dealer Standard consists of 28 points covering pre-delivery standards, the condition of the vehicle on handover and familiarisation with its key functions.

Paul Hollick, chair at the AFP, says that the new standard aims to ensure the vehicle is delivered in excellent condition, the driver is shown how it works and treated courteously.

“The need for this kind of benchmark has become apparent over time as a number of factors have emerged,” explained Hollick.

“Probably the most significant is that cars and vans have been rapidly becoming more complex.

“The time when a driver could sit in the seat of a new model and work out all the key functions in a couple of minutes are long gone.

“Modern vehicles require a degree of familiarisation on handover – especially in instances where drivers are adopting an electric model for the first time – in order to be used safely and effectively.”

At the same time, the AFP says the pandemic and supply issues have placed dealers and the logistics sector under considerable pressure, meaning that handover standards have varied considerably.

“What we hope to encourage is a high degree of consistency in important areas such as ensuring that vehicles arrive with a high level of charge,” continued Hollick.

“Dealers can sign up to the Standard for a fee by getting in touch with the AFP and committing to meet its requirements, at which point they also become a member of the organisation.

“They can then use the Dealer Standard logo in marketing materials and tenders to promote their participation in the programme.”

In talking to major dealers as part of the creation of the project, the AFP says there is a high degree of interest.

“They recognise the importance of getting this crucial element of the fleet customer experience right and the first few who have decided to take part should be announced within a few weeks,” said Hollick.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The Chancellor’s decision to cut fuel duty by 5 pence per litre (ppl) has been broadly welcomed by the fleet and leasing industry, but many have questioned whether he went far enough.

Paul Hollick, chair, Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP), said: “The Spring Statement really does serve as a point of focus for the rising costs that all fleets are currently facing, especially given poorer growth and inflation forecasts.

“Literally every part of the cost equation that goes into operating cars and vans are facing substantial rises.

“While the Chancellor has taken some actions that will serve to offer some mitigation, such as the reduction in fuel duty, none of these will really alter the overall direction of travel.

“The AFP view, in general, is that businesses should look to proactively manage their way through this situation and, for many, that will ultimately mean speeding up EV adoption, accessing permanently lower fuel and overall running costs.

“Also, in the light of ongoing electrification, we were hoping to see more news on both the post-2024-25 benefit in kind tables and the road charging schemes that it appears will replace diesel and petrol fuel and vehicle excise duty – but it seems the Government is not yet ready to unveil its plans.”

Philip Nothard, insight and strategy irector at Cox Automotive, said: “We welcome any moves from the Government which reduces costs at the pump for the motorist and for businesses like ourselves who have significant transportation operations.

“We would have welcomed bigger cuts too, as the automotive industry has faced extremely challenging conditions during the last 12 months with the well-documented supply issues affecting new car production.”

Cox Automotive says that if the UK Government had made a more significant cut in fuel duty and followed the example of the Irish government, which confirmed last week that excise duty on fuel in Ireland would be reduced by 20 cents per litre on petrol and 15 cents per litre on diesel, the cost of a 60-litre tank of petrol would have been cut by £10 and diesel by £7.50.

Instead, savings on a tank of fuel in the UK will be around half that amount following the 5ppl fuel duty cut.

“It is disappointing that the UK Government didn’t go further,” he said. “Logistics businesses were already feeling the effects of recent headwinds, which has done little to allay their long-term concerns.

“The Government’s decision to not make deeper cuts in fuel price could lead to price inflation across the entire transportation and logistics industry which is already facing several challenges ahead.”

Matthew Walters, head of consultancy services and customer value at LeasePlan UK, says that the fleet industry is well placed to overcome global economic challenges.

“Not only did we account for half of all new car sales in 2021, but we are also leading the adoption of the cleaner technologies that will define motoring’s future,” he said.

LeasePlan UK also welcomed Sunak’s decision to cut the main rates of fuel duty by 5p to 52.95p a litre.

“With pump prices at record highs – and rising – motorists needed something more than the rate freeze that has persisted for over a decade now,” said Walters. “In this respect, the Chancellor has delivered.

“However, as welcome as this duty cut is, it is likely to offer only limited relief to squeezed budgets. The average cost of a litre of petrol has risen by more than 5p over the past week – if that trend continues, the Chancellor’s discount could effectively be wiped out within days.”

There was no update from the Chancellor on company car tax rates beyond 2024/25, Walters says that, previously, Sunak had a good record on warning businesses and motorists of upcoming benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax rates.

However, he said: “That record is starting to tarnish. The rates for 2025-26 and beyond still haven’t been confirmed – meaning that fleets entering into three- or four-year contracts today are unable to plan properly for the future.”

Jon Lawes, managing director at Novuna Vehicle Solutions, agrees. Welcoming the cut in fuel duty, he said: “What UK businesses require now however, is greater clarification on future benefit in kind rates beyond 2025, which will need to be confirmed in the autumn Budget, if not before.”

He added that addressing the cost of EV public charging and plans to ramp up the availability of public charge points will be welcome when the EV Infrastructure Strategy is released.

However, he said: “There is money already on the table that local government could be doing more to use.

“Our own research has found little evidence that a quarter of a billion gross annual capital investment fund granted to the UK’s nine metro mayors is being used to install much needed EV infrastructure.

“We are calling for local Governments to address the EV infrastructure shortage and use their budgets to increase the number of charging points across the UK to support to the UK’s rapidly growing EV market.”

David Bushnell, director of consultancy and strategy at Fleet Operations, says that oil price volatility shows few signs of abating, so fleets must find other ways to ease the financial pressure.

“With the business case for electrification growing ever stronger, fleet fuel strategies should continue to be reviewed, along with cost control measures that can help ease the financial burden – from effective vehicle maintenance and fuel discount structures to more effective mobility management,” he said.

“The Chancellor may have scrapped VAT on home energy-saving measures such as insulation, solar panels and heat pumps but has offered fleet operators nothing in the way of any new incentives to encourage EV take up which may have helped balance out the CO2 impact of the fuel duty rise.”

Louis Rix, chief operations officer and co-founder of car finance platform CarFinance 247, also suggested that the fuel duty cut doesn’t go far enough.

“This will be a drop in the ocean for the average consumer,” he said. “Fuel prices won’t fall to anywhere near affordable, even with the cut.

“The Chancellor has also left fuel station owners in a difficult position; they may be struggling financially too, which could result in consumers seeing no benefit whatsoever from the fuel duty cut.”

He continued: “In today’s statement, the Chancellor needed to implement much more severe cuts to fuel duty to make a difference to Brits’ escalating fuelling costs.

“Driving is just one aspect of a consumer’s personal finance; Sunak’s decision to stick with plans to increase tax contributions by 1.25 percentage points will still be a crippling hit for many workers.

“Reports that the average adult will spend £1,000 more per year in taxable income leave many facing critical choices at home between heating, driving, and even food.”

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said: “Measures to help address the accelerating cost of living are welcome but business also needs support, especially on energy, investment and skills.

“Time is of the essence as the industry is not yet in recovery, but costs are increasing rapidly, undermining U.K. competitiveness.

“Government could have acted today to help automotive manufacturers alleviate soaring business energy costs and encourage investment.”

He added: “We look forward to working with Government on its proposals for business investment and, especially, super deductions which are highly valued.

“Manufacturers have committed £10.8 billion to UK EV and battery R&D and production in our first ‘electric decade’.

“Driving even more investment will be essential if we are to supercharge automotive manufacturing – and the jobs and economic growth it creates – during its biggest transformation in 100 years.”

David Brennan, CEO at Nexus Vehicle Rental, says that, while the fuel duty cut may offer some relief to individuals and businesses operating their fleets, it is estimated to only be around £3.30 per tank.

“This clearly shows that the Government recognises the need to support individuals and businesses dealing with the rising costs of living, however we acknowledge that this is just one challenge that the industry is currently facing, alongside a great shortage of vehicles and parts that are making manufacture increasingly difficult,” he said.

“It is clear that the government continues to sign-post us towards a green future with the announcement of relief on energy saving measures, with 0% VAT on all energy saving materials, however it was disappointing to not hear of any further support offered to the electric vehicle industry.”

As we move ever-closer to the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, Brennan says that there is still more that needs to be done to support EV manufacturers to ensure they are more affordable for businesses.

“Once again, I must reiterate that enhanced financial support is still needed from the Government to increase affordability of the vehicles and ensure there is suitable infrastructure in place for businesses that decide to make this important transition.”

Nick McClellan, managing director at RAM Tracking, says the fuel duty cut could amount to a saving of around £87 per vehicle per year, based on an annual mileage of around 13,500 miles.

“This reduction is badly needed for drivers and is unsustainable for many small and medium sized business,” he added.

The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) says that the Chancellor has taken a number of positive steps, however, the measures announced “fall short” of supporting businesses as they recover from the pandemic and face current challenges such as “soaring costs”.

On 1 April, the business rates relief will drop from 66% to 50%; additionally, the maximum each business can claim will fall from £2 million to £110,000.

For franchised dealers with more than a handful of sites, this means most of them will pay full rates. The business rates multiplier, meanwhile, will be frozen for 2022/2023.

Sue Robinson, NFDA chief executive, said: “Whilst it is positive that the Government recognised the need to extend the business rates holiday, it is extremely disappointing that the claim rate has been reduced as this will exclude most dealer groups.”

As previously planned, National Insurance for employers and employees will increase by a combined 2.5% from April 2022.

However, the Chancellor has announced the Government will increase the level at which employees start paying national insurance by £3,000 to £12,570.

Robinson said: “Increasing the tax burden on businesses sends the wrong message at the wrong time.

“The rise in National Insurance is a massive blow to small and medium sized franchised dealer groups as they deal with a number of significant challenges including loss of earnings due to vehicle stock and supply issues, as well as staff shortages due to Brexit and Covid-19”.

The Chancellor has stopped short of cutting headline rates of tax for now, despite calls to protect low-and-medium income households from the rising cost of living.

However, he has promised a 1p cut in the rate of Income Tax in 2024 as part of a new long-term tax plan.

Richard Godmon, tax partner at accountancy firm, Menzies LLP, said: “Businesses will like the idea of a new tax plan, providing a long-term view of the fiscal landscape.

“This could help them to plan to make investments and reduce transactional pressures on their business activities.

“However, there isn’t much detail on what the plan will look like, just some promises to extend R&D tax relief and cut Income Tax, so we will have to wait and see.”

He added: “With inflation heading for double digits, doing nothing now was simply not an option for the Chancellor politically.

“The decision to raise the threshold for National Insurance Contributions by £3,000 to £12,570 is a positive step, which means that the planned 1.25% increase, (due to take effect from the start of next month) will have a reduced impact on low earners.

“Cutting fuel duty by five pence is a significant step that will help businesses and households that have been struggling to meet the cost of rising petrol and diesel prices.

“The recent dip in the wholesale prices means that further market-driven reductions in fuel costs are also in the pipeline.”

The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) has welcomed the Chancellor’s announcement that he wants to cut and reform taxes on business investment.

Capital allowances, it says, can play a crucial role in supporting the transition to zero emission road transport and the BVRLA continues to campaign for a regime that treats rented and leased assets fairly.

BVRLA chief executive, Gerry Keaney, said: “It is great to see that the Government is now open to new ideas on capital allowances. This reform could play a massive role in driving fleet and charging infrastructure investment and we will be pushing for rental and leasing to be treated fairly as an efficient and effective means of financing new assets.”

Spencer Halil, chief commercial officer at Alphabet says that the Chancellor’s fuel duty cut highlights the importance for fleet managers to use this time to look at electrifying their fleets so they can benefit from lower fuel whole life costs.

However, he said: “More support is needed from the Government to help companies navigate the move to lower emission vehicles for longer-term sustainability both financially and for carbon emission targets.

“The fleet industry is still lacking clarity on what will happen to benefit in kind taxes following 2024/25, which we hope to see the Chancellor address in his autumn Budget.”

Peter Golding, managing director of FleetCheck, added: “With inflation now above 6% and fuel prices having risen exponentially in recent months, fleet running costs are unavoidably increasing and the actions of the Chancellor in reducing fuel duty, while welcome, amount to little more than tinkering.

“I think the underlying message for fleets here is a small political one. Following the pandemic, when the Government stepped in and took a high degree of responsibility for keeping the economy on a sure footing, we’re now returning to a more traditional situation when interventions will be much more limited.

“Businesses and their fleets are going to have to mitigate rising costs through more effective management rather than looking for more dramatic forms of external help.” By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The average price of both petrol and diesel climbed to new records again on Wednesday, but wholesale prices have fallen offering some possible respite for fleets. 

Unleaded is now 159.57p a litre while diesel increased by another 2p to 167.37p – making for a rise of more than 5p in two days.

A tank of petrol is now almost £88 while diesel has now gone over £92.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “Diesel unfortunately appears to be on a clear path to £1.70 a litre. As this is an average price, drivers will be seeing some unbelievably high prices on forecourts as retailers pass on their increased wholesale costs.

“But there was a hint of better news yesterday on the wholesale market with substantial drops in both petrol and diesel which could lead, in a week or so, to a slight slowing in the daily pump price increases and records being broken less frequently.”

Oil prices have jumped more than 30% since February 24, touching $139 (£105) a barrel at one point this week.

The oil price had fallen back to about $106 a barrel at one point on Wednesday (March 9), but was trading at around $114 today (Thursday, March 10).

Fleet News has teamed up with Allstar to bring you the fuel prices locator, enabling you to compare fuel prices and find the cheapest petrol or diesel in your area.

Even one penny per litre can make all the difference when filling up your fleet vehicles, potentially saving your company thousands of pounds a year. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

An industry-standard figure to help buyers understand the overall efficiency of an electric vehicle (EV) has been launched by Electrifying.com.

The E-Rating algorithm considers several factors, including how well electrical power is converted into miles on the road, the speed at which the battery can be recharged and features such as heat pumps, intelligent brake energy recuperation and climate control preconditioning that all help to minimise power use.

The EV is scored from ‘A++’ down to ‘E’, with the BMW i4 and Tesla Model 3 considered the most efficient models available in the UK with maximum A++ ratings.

The Mercedes EQS, Citroen Ami and e-C4, and SEAT Mii are among 13 models to reach A+ ratings, with a further 14 performing well enough to achieve an A.

At the other end of the scale, the Mercedes EQV people carrier is the only vehicle to obtain an E. The Audi e-tron and Mercedes EQC luxury SUVs were rated D.

Looking at the miles per kWh alone, Electrifying.com calculated the cost difference to cover 10,000 miles between an ‘A++’ rated car (the BMW i4) and a car graded ‘E’ (Mercedes EQV) to be £580.

While the Mercedes and BMW are not competing in the same class, there are still big differences between electric cars which are direct rivals. For example, a Tesla Model Y (rated A+) will cost £176 less over 10,000 miles than a Volvo XC40 Recharge.

Besides the extra cost, owners will find themselves waiting for a charge much longer in the least efficient cars – partly because they use more energy to move, but also because they can take charge at a slower rate, says Electrifying.com.

A Vauxhall Mokka can take on power at twice the speed of a Mazda MX-30, for example, while the newest Hyundai and Kia models can add 60 miles of range in under five minutes.

Electrifying.com says that the E-Rating brings the car industry in line with other consumer sectors and has undergone stringent verification and testing by independent experts.

Ginny Buckley, founder of Electrifying.com, said: “It amazes me that until now we haven’t had an effective efficiency standard for electric cars, as we do across other sectors, but we’ve looked to put this right.

“As electricity costs less than petrol or diesel, it is easy to dismiss the efficiency of electric cars and think it isn’t important. But the costs of a less efficient model can soon add up.

“Perhaps more importantly, an electric car that is more frugal will go further and spend less time charging, meaning greater convenience for consumers.

“At Electrifying.com we’ve made it our mission to help present consumers with genuinely useful jargon-free information so they can choose the best electric car for them. E-Rating will not only help consumers but also car brands who want to hone their vehicles.”

Vehicle models rating according to Electrifying.com’s E-Rating

Make & Model	Efficiency Rating
Tesla Model 3	A++
BMW i4	A++
Hyundai Ioniq	A+
Citroen e-C4	A+
Fiat 500e	A+
Hyundai Kona Electric	A+
Mercedes EQS	A+
Kia EV6	A+
Peugeot e208	A+
Seat Mii	A+
Tesla Model Y	A+
Vauxhall Corsa-e	A+
Citroen Ami	A+
Volkswagen ID.3	A+
Renault Twizy	A+
Hyundai IONIQ5	A+
Audi e-tron	D
Mercedes EQC	D
Mercedes EQV	E

By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The upward march of fuel prices is continuing to cause misery for UK drivers. Following the recent announcement that the cost of petrol hit a record high, the cost of diesel has followed and it’s now become the most expensive it’s ever been.

The average price of diesel is 147.9p per litre and is now 30p more than it cost in January 2021. Petrol has also broken previous records, and now stands at 144.4p per litre. These record highs have not been caused by recent fuel shortages, but through the rising costs of crude oil. They hit the average driver hard – the cost to fill up your family car with 55 litres of diesel now comes in at £81.

The effects of this will affect business and logistics hard, with goods and services bearing the costs of more expensive diesel, as most vans in the UK are fuelled from the black pump.

The price of crude oil is $86.09 (£62.96) a barrel, and is closing in on record highs of more than $120 (£87.76) in 2012. The upshot is that if crude oil rises to those levels, they will be reflected in even higher prices, causing more pain for drivers who are already seeing their budgets stretched.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: ‘This is truly a dark day for drivers, and one which we hoped we wouldn’t see again after the high prices of April 2012. This will hurt many household budgets and no doubt have knock-on implications for the wider economy.’

He continued: ‘Even though many people aren’t driving quite as much as they have in the past due to the pandemic, drivers tell us they are more reliant on their cars now than they have been in years, and many simply don’t have a choice but to drive. There’s a risk those on lower incomes who have to drive to work will seriously struggle to find the extra money for the petrol they so badly need.’

What this means for you

The last time we had high fuel prices like this, government or market intervention resulted in them dropping sharply after sustained growth. However in this case, the situation is unlikely to improve soon, as the cost of crude oil is set to continue going up until at least the end of 2021.

In the UK, government-levied taxes make up 57% of the average retail price for a litre of petrol, according to the RAC, and the prospect of the government dropping fuel duty looks remote.

What this means for you is that you’re going to be facing increased fuel bills in the short-to-medium term. Driving more economically will alleviate the pain somewhat, or if you’re looking to change your car, look more closely at the fuel consumption figures – or even consider switching to an electric car, which are cheaper for running costs in terms of Miles Per Pound. By Graham Hill thanks to Parkers

In my new book about electric vehicles I explain that the Government doesn’t need to invest in charger infrastructure with the exception of rural areas where local councils may need some help. It seems that the Government had this on their radar and have made the following announcement.

Innovate UK has awarded £335,000 to Bonnet, EDF, DG Cities and Devon County Council to help improve the charging of electric vehicles (EVs) in rural locations.

With backing from the Government, the Rural Electric Mobility Enabler (REME) project – a group of private and public organisations – has embarked on an eight-month project to provide solutions to improve public charging provision in rural regions.

The partners are using technology, data and grid expertise to understand the challenges of access to EV chargers and the associated energy supply from the grid, which will be caused by increased EV usage.

The project focuses on Devon, using the council’s data to understand seasonal flows of people to the area and how this will impact future public charging demand.

DG Cities and EDF use field dynamic code mapping and data from the National Grid to work out where in regional areas it would be necessary – but difficult – to implement public EV charge points.

Bonnet, an EV charging platform, is using its consumer-facing app to offer drivers access to private charge points in rural areas, when demand is high.

It creates financial opportunities for domestic charge point owners and increases the volume of reliable options for EV owners – all shown through the Bonnet app, which also handles payments, says Innovate UK.

Patrick Reich, co-founder of Bonnet, explained: “Electric charging provision is lacking in rural regions across the country, and we’re honoured to be collaborating with these partners to find solutions to these issues.

“Our payment and charge point information app can provide access to private charge points for public use across the UK and we already have thousands of public charge points on board. Innovative solutions need to be developed to combat drivers’ EV charging anxiety, especially in tourist hotspot regions across the country.

“This exciting project will be a step towards future proofing the electrification of the UK’s roads and we hope to encourage further change.”

Following the trial period (ending March 2022), the partners hope to propose the new business model to other rural councils in the UK.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News