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A preference for flexible working could make the rush hour a thing of the past, research by Wagonex has found.

The vehicle subscription specialist says the changes, brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, may mean traffic congestion on roads and passenger surges on rail and bus services happening unexpectedly at different times of the day and on different times of the week.

Traditionally, rush hours have been between 6am and 9am, and 4pm to 6.30pm.

Tony Kernon, founder and CEO of Wagonex, said: “There are huge benefits to hybrid working.

“Individuals will be able to achieve a better work/life balance and businesses will have happier, more productive staff.

“With fewer people traveling to offices there could also be an environmental benefit and improvements in air quality.

“But one big downside is that life could well become even tougher for commuters.

“If employees can choose on which days they go to the office and have more flexibility in their working hours, it will become incredibly difficult to predict when and where travel peaks will occur.

“Commuters who drive to work may find they breeze into the office one day and then are stuck in tailbacks the next and those using public transport may be alone in carriages and on buses one day and packed in like sardines the next.”

Conducted by Yonder, the Wagonex survey polled 1,000 working age people and found:

• Close to two-fifths (37%) of respondents expect to work or study remotely more often in the future compared to before the pandemic.
• Younger respondents aged 18-24 (56%) and 25-34 (45%) are significantly more likely than the older age groups to expect to do so (35-44s 29%; 45-54s 32%; 55-64s 17%).
• The wealthier ABs (52%) and C1s (42%) are notably more likely to expect to work or study remotely more in the future compared to C2s (24%) and DEs (19%).
• Respondents that work in the public sector (52%) are significantly more likely than those working in the private sector (38%) to prefer working/studying remotely more in the future.
• Half of respondents (50%) expect to commute to and from work or their place of study primarily using their car.

This last point is supported by recent research from used car marketplace Heycar, which found 47% of commuters will travel to and from their office by car.

Dan Powell, senior editor at Heycar, said: “After so many months of lockdowns and social distancing, it’s understandable that one-in-two are uncomfortable with the prospect of being jammed into a train carriage or standing on a packed bus with dozens of strangers.

“As a result, our cars have taken on even more importance as a comfortable and reliable way to travel to work in a post-pandemic world.” By Graham Hill Thanks To Fleet News

Tesco is the UK’s best supermarket for electric car charge points a study by Electrifying.com has found.

The reasearch, which excluded ‘express’ or ‘local’ stores, found the retail giant has charge points at 45% of its stores, closely followed by Morrisons (40%).

Nearly one-in-five (19.7%) Asda stores have at least one place to plug in, Lidl 15%, Aldi 10%, while Sainsbury’s trails its rivals at 7.2%.

Ginny Buckley, founder of Electrifying.com, said: “We expected more supermarkets to be doing better, but it’s still great to see how some of them have recognised that offering shoppers reliable car charging is not only good for business but will also help give the nation confidence to make the switch.

“Providing charging infrastructure at convenient locations is crucial to encourage drivers to go electric sooner, particularly the significant number that don’t have access to off-street parking.”

Many supermarkets have entered partnerships with charge point suppliers to increase their offering.

In December 2018, Volkswagen announced it had partnered with Tesco and Pod Point to install around 2,400 charging points for electric cars.

In April this year, the partnership provided its 500,000th free top-up – the equivalent of three million kWh of electricity.

Louise Goodland, head of retail partnerships at Tesco, said: “We are delighted to be recognised as the best supermarket for EV drivers in the UK.

“So far we’ve delivered more than 23 million miles worth of free, green charges and we’re continuing to roll out EV chargers to 600 Tesco stores across the UK.”

In October 2019, Morrisons unveiled its first 50 GeniePoint rapid charging points at its stores nationwide, with a further 50 planned last year.

A partnership between Pod Point and Lidl GB to install 350 rapid chargers by 2022 reached the 100th rapid charger milestone in February.

Lidl GB said “We are proud to offer rapid charging points for EVs at 130 of our stores.

“By 2022, we aim to have more than 350 stores with rapid charging points.”

Waitrose is set to extend its partnership with Shell and roll-out 800 new charge points in 100 Waitrose locations by 2025.

A Sainsbury’s spokesman added: “We have ambitious plans for our next generation of charging points. We want to offer charging points in more places and create a better customer experience.”

			2. average number of CPs per store	3. total stores (excluding express)	4. number of stores with at least one CP	5. total CPs across all supermarket stores
		1. percentage of stores with at least one CP (%)
1	Tesco	45.05	1.87	888	400	1660
2	Morrisons	40.04	0.46	497	199	230
3	Asda	19.71	0.37	614	121	225
4	Lidl	15	0.15	860	129	130
5	Aldi	10	0.2	900	90	180
6	Sainsbury’s	7.17	0.18	600	43	106
–	Waitrose	–	–	358	–
–	Booths	–	1.93	27	–	52
–	Iceland	–	–	900	–	–
–	Co-op	–	–	2600	–	–
–	M&S	–	–	959	–	–

South East sees 42% increase in charge points

Research by UK Power Networks has found the number of EV charge points added to the network in London, the East and South East has increased by nearly 2,700 in the past 12 months.

There are now over 9,000 charge points in London, the East and South East, served by UK Power Networks.

Shira Lappin, innovation project lead at UK Power Networks, said: “It’s important that we work with local and central government, charge point operators, customers and other stakeholders to ensure that the transition to Net Zero is a seamless one and everyone has access to the charging infrastructure they need.

“In the 12-month period between April 2020 and April this year, the number of charge points in our areas grew by 42%. However, there’s still a lot of work to do to meet the growing demand for EVs and charge points, and we’ll continue to be at the forefront of innovation to get there.” By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Michelin has launched its all-season tyre, the new Michelin CrossClimate 2.

The CrossClimate 2 builds on the success of the CrossClimate+, Michelin said, and combines the benefits of a summer tyre in terms of wet and dry braking performance, with the traction and braking benefits of a winter tyre in terms of wet weather grip and driving on snow or in low temperature conditions, it said.

Scott Clark, executive vice-president, automotive, motorsport and member of the Michelin Group executive committee, said: “Since its launch, the original Michelin CrossClimate has had a radical effect on the European all-season tyre market, which has since enjoyed annual growth more than 19%, in addition to being the only segment to have kept growing during lockdown.

“Over the next five years, it is expected to expand at a rate of more than 16% per year. Safer, longer-lasting and more economical, the Michelin CrossClimate 2 is a further illustration of the Group’s All-Sustainable strategy.”

The 3PMSF (3-Peak-Mountain with Snow Flake) logo on the tyres sidewalls confirms that it can be used in winter in countries where winter tyres are mandatory.

Michelin said this means that for drivers who take their vehicles to mainland Europe during the winter months, there will be no need to swap onto winter tyres, and back again, each year.

The CrossClimate2 is available in 105 sizes – a 40% increase compared to its processor – for vehicles with 15- to 20-inches wheels.

Michelin said its technologies ensures high performance through the whole life of a tyre, down to its tread depth marker and its low rolling resistance helps save on fuel, energy and materials.

Michelin said its CrossClimate 2 – both new and worn – came out on top in six out of nine tests (chiefly braking and traction performance tests) in 2020 and 2021. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Osprey Charging will install more than 150 high-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging hubs across the UK by 2025.

A total of 1,500 150-175KW rapid chargers will be installed across the sites, which will be located on strategic A-roads and adjacent to motorways.

The £75 million rollout will also see new charger optimisation technology deployed. Kempower charging technology enables locations to host multiple rapid chargers on a single site without compromising on charging power or requiring prohibitively expensive grid connections, says Osprey.

Ian Johnston, CEO of Osprey Charging, said: “It’s crucial that public charging infrastructure stays ahead of the curve.

“Through this rollout we will make charging anxiety a thing of the past. High-powered, multi-charger hubs will herald a new era of public EV charging – enabling mass EV adoption and a clean transport revolution.

“Our rollout of hubs across the country’s major transport routes will ensure drivers are supported with convenient, reliable, on-the-go charging, delivering the best possible consumer experience for UK motorists.”

Construction is already underway at four sites and Osprey’s first hub will open next month in Wolverhampton, adjacent to the A463 near the M6.

Construction will commence on all of the first 10 hubs before the end of the year, with more than 150 hubs consisting of 1,500 150-175kW chargers, opening on major transport routes, motorways, A-roads and popular destinations over the next four years.

Each rapid charger will be located near food and drink amenities, allowing drivers to make use of the facilities while they charge their car. For example, Osprey’s first four hubs are adjacent to well-known and popular retailers, including Costa Coffee, Lidl, Aldi, Pizza Hut, KFC and Curry’s PC World.

All Osprey chargers are compatible with every rapid charging EV on the market today and do not require a membership or subscription to initiate charging – drivers can simply tap their contactless bank card or smart phone.

New charging technology deployed

Osprey’s hubs will deploy a new technology – Kempower – which is enabling more locations than ever before to host multiple high-powered chargers on a single site, it says.

Kempower chargers work together to optimise charging across multiple vehicles when more than one EV is plugged in at the same charging hub.

They allow power to be distributed based on demand, which varies significantly between individual vehicles due to the maximum charging rate of each model and its battery percentage at the point of charge.

This power management can reduce waiting times for charging significantly, maximising the speed and availability of chargers for drivers, and increasing consumer footfall for the landowners hosting the hubs, says Osprey.

The load-balancing technology also means grid connections can be optimised, allowing multiple high-power chargers to be installed per site and offering higher charging speeds without the need for more grid power.

The physical footprint of each charger is also reduced by 74%, allowing space for more chargers, improved accessibility and reducing their visual impact to support planning permission.

Graeme Cooper, head of future markets at National Grid, said: “The widespread transition to EVs means we need to rethink how we make, move and use energy.

“The power demand for charging will be significant, so it’s crucial that we use the cleanest and cheapest power in our cars and to make the most of each grid connection.

“By optimising power management at charging facilities, we can ensure a smooth transition away from petrol and diesel whilst maintaining a stable and effective electricity grid.”

Construction is starting on the first 10 hubs at the following locations in 2021: Banbury, M40; Suffolk, A14; Essex, A127; Glasgow, M8; East Lothian, A1; Wolverhampton, A4123; Birmingham, M6; Croydon, London, A23; Crewe, A534; and Brackley, A43. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

These cars won’t be cheap so I’m not promoting them but they show how ranges are increasing with every new model. The Hyundai Kona with a 300 mile range was looking good so we are on target to hit ranges of 600 miles within the next 12 – 24 months.

Mercedes has unveiled the EQE saloon, which joins its growing range of electric models.

The E-Class counterpart is based on Mercedes’ purpose-built electric vehicle (EV) platform and promises a range of up to 410 miles.

Multiple powertrain options are expected to be offered, but only the EQE 350 has been detailed so far. It uses a 90kWh battery and has a power output of 292PS.

The EQE is compatible with up to 170kW chargers, enabling an 80% charge in around half an hour.

Mercedes says the car “carries the concept of the business saloon into the future” and makes use of its latest powertrain and in-car technology.

It represents the second of three electric saloons from Mercedes-Benz, sitting alongside the larger EQS.

While smaller in footprint, the EQE shares many styling and interior details with its sibling such as the black panel front grille and full width LED lighting at the rear.

Mercedes will offer the EQE with the MBUX Hyperscreen infotainment system, which spans the width of the dashboard providing a display for the front passenger as well as a central control screen and digital instruments.

The EQE is billed for arrival in summer 2022, with prices likely to start at around £60,000. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The increase in National Insurance Contributions (NIC), announced by the Government, will strengthen the financial appeal of choosing an electric vehicle (EV) as a company car, says Arval.

Employers pay NIC in several ways – on salaries, bonuses, and many employee benefits. The rates for those different kinds of NIC are all currently 13.8%. Following the 1.25 percentage point increase in NIC from April 2022, and subsequent Levy from April 2023, employers will pay NIC at an effective rate of 15.05%.

Employees have NIC deducted at source at different rates depending on their level of earnings, and each of those rates will also increase by 1.25 percentage points. 

Richard Cox, a consultant at Arval UK, said: “The change in NI improves the position of low carbon vehicles relative to others, so while there is an increase for EVs, it is much lower than for PHEV and much, much lower than for ICE.”

Figures from Arval show that for a £40,000 internal combustion engined (ICE) car, the monthly increase in employers’ NI paid on benefit-in-kind (BIK) taxation will be £11.67, whereas for a £45,000 petrol hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), it will be £5.62, and for a £50,000 electric vehicle (EV), just £1.04.

Cox says that the biggest impact of the NI increase for employers and employees is on salaries, where there is a combined 2.5% increased tax charge.

In contrast, for company cars the rate is half of that at 1.25%, because employees do not pay NI on benefits.

“This is good news for company cars in the sense that the increase in NI is smaller than for cash options, although again it is important to underline that the amounts involved are quite small when measured on an individual basis,” he explained.

“The amounts involved for employers are not enormous – an additional 1.25% on NI is barely more than the increases we see in BIK rates each April but will certainly add up over a large fleet.”

He added that the increase would have the least effect on companies who use a whole life cost (WLC) model for constructing their choice lists.

Cox said: “A WLC based approach means that the NI increase will be automatically absorbed because it is part of the defined company car budget, although it does marginally reduce the buying power of employees unless the employer decides to make a compensatory increase.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Sadly another expert commentator missing the point. Prices are too high – only if you buy the cars. Lease them! Poor charging infrastructure. Really? As VW rolls out chargers into 400 Tesco car parks and many others following suit with fast chargers now down to 30 minutes for a full charge why the concern over infrastructure? On to the report.

Transport minister Rachel Maclean has paid tribute to the fleet sector as the driving force behind the UK’s move to decarbonisation.

“You are at the forefront of the change… you have a lot of influence,” she told an audience of fleets, leasing, manufacturers and suppliers at the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association’s autumn parliamentary reception.

However, she acknowledged that EV uptake was “not moving fast enough”, with around one-in-seven new car sales a plug-in vehicle so far this year.

With the ban on sales of new petrol/diesel cars and vans set for 2030, “we need to get to nine million in under nine years – that’s the target”, Maclean said.

Government was creating the conditions with plug-in grants and tax incentives, but “success rests on having an adequate infrastructure”, she added.

Over the next four years, it will invest £1.3 billion, with the current roll-out reaching 500 charge points a month, of which 100 are rapid chargers.

“It’s a race against time,” Maclean said. “We are in a defining decade to prevent irreversible damage.”

Launching the BVRLA’s Road to Zero 2021 roadmap, chief executive Gerry Keaney described the 2030 ban on sales of new petrol/diesel vans as “ambitious” but said the phase out plan for HGVs (2035 for trucks up to 26 tonnes, and 2040 for heavier trucks) was “beyond ambitious”.

The association’s score card methodology on progress was “red, red, red”, he added.

“We have a commitment to a date, and it stops there. We have no vehicles or clarity on the technology roadmap, or charging, or hydrogen refuelling.”

While van adoption was in a better position, there remained challenges over supply and concerns about bulk workplace charging infrastructure.

He described it as “ridiculous” that some companies were being told to pay for a local substation in order to transition their fleet to electric.

“The Government needs to do more in incentives and grants, especially in the SME sector,” Keaney said.

He also urged the Government to consider support for the used market, claiming that the lowest 40% of earners buy used and were at risk of “being excluded” because they can’t afford to make the change.

His view was supported by Arval UK managing director Lakshmi Moorthy, who said it was “super critical to stability and secure” the market for used electric vehicles. “We are at risk of leaving behind a huge swathe of the population and SME businesses.”

She also called on ministers to provide “clarity and foresight” for tax incentives beyond the current 2025 for BIK rates. “We need to extend that view,” she said.

Meanwhile, demand for electric vans is “fragile”, with many companies “not comfortable” making the change.

Arval is looking at ways to “nudge” them but needs support from the Government.

“Prolong the plug-in grant or look at the super-deduction for vans that doesn’t exist for leasing companies,” Moorthy said. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News.

New electric vehicle (EV) charge points, installed at home and in the workplace from May, will be pre-programmed to switch off during peak hours to ease pressure on the National Grid.

A ‘randomised delay’ of up to 30 minutes, when there is high demand from motorists, will also be introduced as more company car drivers make the switch to EVs away from diesel and petrol.

New chargers will not operate from 8am to 11am and 4pm to 10pm, but owners and fleets will be able to override the preset times to take account of night workers and people who have different schedules. 

Public chargers and rapid chargers, on motorways and A-roads, will be exempt, reports The Times.

Tanya Sinclair, policy director for UK and Ireland at ChargePoint, said: “Concerns surrounding the UK’s grid to support the charging of electric vehicles is mounting.

“The challenge for the Government, and perhaps the wider electricity system, is ensuring the ‘smartness’ in every charger is actively used by consumers, and managing the load represented by the legacy charging infrastructure already in the field which is not smart.”

The National Grid has estimated that 80% of EV drivers will use smart charging by 2050 and this will help balance almost half of the UK’s energy demands brought on by the move to zero emissions driving.

It says that around 45% of homes will actively help to balance the grid, offering up to 38GW of flexible electricity to help manage peaks and fill troughs in demand.

Smart changing means EV owners can plug in their vehicles and a management system will top up the vehicle at times that will be most beneficial to manage energy demand.

It also allows drivers and fleet operators to manage their charging stations remotely, implement new features automatically and gather data about how chargers are being used and by whom.

Government consultation on smart charging

The move to a default off-peak charging setting was first mooted in a Government consultation on Electric Vehicle Smart Charging, in 2019.

In its response to the consultation, published recently, it said that many respondents raised concerns about defining a specific off-peak time period in legislation, suggesting it could result in a secondary peak in demand.

Based on the feedback, it said it would adopt a more “nuanced approach” by mandating that smart charge points must prompt users to input a charging schedule and they must be preset to offer users a charging schedule that by default prevents EVs from charging at peak times.

During first use, the user must be given the opportunity to edit or remove this setting, it said. The user must also be able to remove or edit this default setting at a later date.

Peak times will be defined in legislation as 8am to 11am and 4pm to 10pm on weekdays. This time window, the Government says, is consistent both with its internal projections of expected EV demand, and with various external studies of EV charging patterns.

It explains that mandating the setting of a default charging mode will help mitigate the risk that some users do not engage with smart charging offers, and instead charge during peak times.

Importantly, it adds, mandating that users must be informed of and prompted to edit the pre-set charging schedule during first use of the chargepoint will help mitigate the risk that any default setting causes confusion and negatively impacts the user experience.

The consumer override and edit functions will ensure that users can turn off or edit their charging schedule, for example where they wish to sign-up to a DSR service such as a smart tariff.

Defining a peak time period in legislation instead of an off-peak period could encourage greater variation in approach amongst charge point sellers, thereby helping to mitigate the risk of a default mode requirement causing secondary peaks in demand, it argues.

However, it says it will monitor the effectiveness of this approach “closely” as part of our post-legislation evaluation.

The upcoming 2021 Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan will outline the steps that Government is taking to help drive the uptake of smart charging offers, including work to help ensure that consumers have confidence in the smart charging market.

Ben Fletcher, associate director of EV at Moixa, said: “Concerns surrounding the grid being able to support charging of electric vehicles aren’t new and the Government’s proposed plans around smart charger capabilities are a good way of answering this.

“The challenge is ensuring consumers are given the right tools to put them in control, and allow them to intelligently charge in an easy, flexible way that is convenient for them.

“Intelligent EV charging not only allows individuals greater control over the power in their vehicle but also enables greater access to cheaper, greener energy.  In turn, this ensures that drivers can decide when they want their vehicle to be ready by and the system then optimises when the vehicle charges.”

Moixa, through its Smart Battery hardware and Gridshare software, facilitates smart energy storage and sharing. “We facilitate and interpret interactions between energy storage devices and the grid, enabling data driven optimisation,” explained Fletcher.

“This means we can alleviate the demand on the grid and pave the way for smart EV charging, as well as help companies manage energy storage using advanced analytical data.

“Intelligent home charging is critical to help EV owners save money on their energy bill by tapping into cheaper energy rates while also enabling more renewable energy on the grid by integrating with increasingly agile tariffs.”

News of the charge point ‘switch off’ comes after MPs on the transport committee warned that unless charging habits change the charging needs from millions of new EVs will cause blackouts to parts of the country.

In a report – Zero emission vehicles  – published by the transport committee in July, the MPs set out a series of recommendations to Government to boost the production and purchase of EVs.

Last week, the Government announced it would legislate to ensure electric car chargers are built into all new homes and offices.  By Graham Hill Thanks To Fleet News And The Times

Skoda has launched a new connected car service that provides drivers with detailed information about current road conditions.

The Local Hazard Information Service uses swarm data intelligence, by collecting data from all ‘connected’ vehicles on the road. More than three million vehicles set to provide data by the end of 2022

The system will be available for the Enyaq iV, Fabia, Kamiq, Kodiaq, Octavia, Scala and Superb in the UK as part of ŠKODA Connect services

By collecting and evaluating anonymous vehicle data, the system is able to warn of approaching hazards such as slippery or damaged road surfaces via the infotainment system, actively increasing safety in the process.

Sebastian Lasek, head of product line connectivity at Skoda, said: “The system uses the car’s sensors to detect challenging road conditions in advance. To this end, the ‘Local Hazard Information Service’ increases active safety for drivers and passengers. We are continuously developing our connectivity services to offer our customers extra safety features and even more convenience.”

Accelerometers and ABS sensors – that measure the acceleration and braking of the car – allow the required data to be captured continuously during each journey. Meanwhile, virtual sensors estimate the friction between the tyres and the road surface based on wheel slip.

The combined data is anonymised and transmitted to the cloud, where aggregated information from all connected vehicles is paired with metadata, such as weather information or previous measurements.

Using the data collected, the road network can be displayed as a precise three-dimensional model, which is used to send alerts to vehicles when they find themselves approaching or within an area with bad road surfaces.

If a connected vehicle encounters icy conditions, for example, the driver will be alerted via the vehicle’s infotainment system based on information acquired by the car itself.

This information is then anonymously transmitted via the Car-to-Cloud application, alerting nearby drivers – the more connected cars that encounter the affected road, the more ‘swarm’ data is produced and the more accurate the maps, information and driver alerts will become.

This swarm intelligence enables precise analysis, helping to build the self-learning system. Over the course of 2021, more than 1.7 million Volkswagen Group vehicles in Europe will supply data, a figure set to rise to more than three million by the end of 2022.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) is urging fleets to think carefully before ordering company cars where safety devices have been removed due to the semiconductor shortage.

The same applies to consumers about to order a new car. The global shortage of chips has caused delays to new car orders and seen some specifications removed such as lane departure warning and rear parking sensors.

The AFP says that there are a number of issues to be considered by fleets – from ethics to risk management responsibilities to future residual values.

AFP chairman, Paul Hollick, said: “We appreciate that the semiconductor shortage is leaving manufacturers with some tough production decisions to make and some have decided to delete what might be described as non-core safety equipment such as lane departure warning and rear parking sensors.

“Our view is that everyone should think carefully before buying these vehicles. From a risk management point of view, there is a moral and potentially also a legal issue in terms of operating some vehicles that are known to be potentially less safe than would normally be the case.

“Similarly, although safety equipment has not historically had a significant effect on vehicle residual values, the trade will know that these are ‘decontented’ cars and are likely to price them according in three or four years at disposal time. The impact on overall operating costs is difficult to assess.”

Hollick added that ongoing vehicle shortages caused by the semiconductor shortage were prompting a range of issues for fleets.

“There are predictable problems such as ensuring that cars and vans that are being operated for longer are maintained to a level that ensures they remain fit for purpose,” he continued.

“This is relatively simple but can be expensive and does require a lot of attention to detail.

“However, probably the most frustrating issues are the delays that are being caused to fleet electrification programmes.

“There are relatively large numbers of drivers with an EV on order who are facing the prospect of driving their existing diesel for another 6-12 months.

“Not only is there annoyance at the enthusiasm for EV adoption that exists being hindered but the practical fact that much higher benefit-in-kind taxation bills are being paid for much longer than expected.

“Additionally, many of these new EVs will now have life cycles that end beyond the current benefit-in-kind taxation tables, which adds a further layer of uncertainty.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News