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The number of public electric vehicle charging devices has increased 18% in the UK over the past year to 19,487.

The figure is included in the latest Electric Vehicle Charging Device Statistics report produced by the Department for Transport, which says that, of these, 3,530 were rapid devices.

This is an increase of nearly 10 times since 2015.

Rod Dennis, RAC data insight spokesman, said: “The rise in the number of charge points across the UK is very encouraging and sends all the right signals to drivers who might be thinking about opting for an electric model next time they change their car.

“Add in the fact that many people with electric cars can charge from home and overall it’s a positive picture.

“But there’s still a way to go and the focus now needs to be on installing as many fast chargers as possible, given that less than a fifth of public chargers are rapid.

“While the speed of fully charging an electric car can’t compete with the five minutes or so it takes to fill up a petrol or diesel model, a greater number of faster chargepoints could help tempt more people to ‘go electric’ sooner.”

The DfT report says there is an uneven geographical distribution of charging devices within the UK.

London has the highest level of charging device provision per 100,000 of population with 63, while Northern Ireland is lowest with 17. The UK average is 29 per 100,000 people.

Some UK local authorities have bid for Government funding for charging devices, and others have not.

The report says most of the provision of charge points has been market led, with individual charging networks and other businesses such as hotels choosing where to install devices.

Charlie Jardine, founder and CEO, EO Charging, the electric vehicle charge point and charging software developer, added: “It’s great to see an 18% increase in public chargers this year with a 7% increase in available chargers in the last quarter alone.

“We look forward to seeing this number grow as electric vehicles are set to be an essential part of how we ‘build back better’ from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Whilst increasing the availability of public charge points is an important step in overcoming the barriers to EV adoption, 59% of vehicles on roads are company vehicles so businesses must carefully consider installing their own EV charging infrastructure.

“We’ve seen much evidence of businesses leading the way on this in recent months, with significant demand from our customers transforming their fleets across the UK and Europe from diesel and petrol to electric.”

At the end of last month, Richard Jones, managing director of Lex Autolease – the UK’s largest leasing company – labelled the country’s charging infrastructure “not-fit-for-purpose”.

He told Fleet News parts of the country are poorly served, limiting the wider adoption of EVs.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

BMW has unveiled its iX: its first purpose-built fully electric SUV, offering more than 500PS and a range of up to 373 miles.

A similar size to the X5, it will rival the Audi e-tron and Mercedes-Benz EQC when it goes into production in the second half of 2021.

The iX features two electric motors – a 121PS one to drive the front wheels and a 400PS on to power the rear wheels.

It will be offered with different battery options with the range-topping model featuring a battery of more than 100kWh.

The iX can be charged at up to 200kW, allowing the battery to be charged from 10% to 80% in under 40 minutes.

The standard charger works at 11kW which means the battery can be charged from 10% to 80% in 11 hours.

BMW says the iX will offer a new level of connectivity through the presence of 5G and cloud technology, with some functions which need a lot of computing power carried out in the cloud, where they can be processed faster than in the car.

Frank Weber, member of the board of management of BMW AG, Development, said: “We are setting new industry standards with the technology in the BMW iX.

“The iX has more computing power for data processing and more powerful sensor technology than the newest vehicles in our current line-up, is 5G-capable, will be given new and improved automated driving and parking functions and uses the high-performing fifth generation of our electric drive system.” By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Cars have grown by as much as 55% since the 1970s, leaving drivers little room to squeeze out of them in parking bays that have remained the same size, new research suggests.

Parking guidelines haven’t changed in 50 years, says CarGurus.co.uk, which conducted the research.

The recommended 2.4m x 4.8m leaves drivers little room to get out their parked car, it says, which is contributing to the thousands of incidents that occur in car parks every year, costing drivers and fleets dear.

In the most extreme example, CarGurus research found that today’s Land Rover Range Rover takes up to 86% of the standard parking space, leaving just 21cm of room for drivers to get out. In contrast, the 1970s model took up just 69% – the same footprint as today’s Ford Focus.

Research by the automotive shopping site, compared the most popular cars currently on UK roads, which had an equivalent available in the 1970s, showing how their footprint on the typical parking bay has grown.

As cars have grown, many of the most popular vehicles are leaving little space for drivers to get out. For example, the 10th generation Honda Civic, one of the biggest growers from its first generation, now takes up 71% of the parking space, ballooning from 49% in the first generation and leaving just 30cm of space for drivers to get out.

Chris Knapman, editor at CarGurus.co.uk, said: “It’s understandable why cars have grown so much over the years, and the dramatically improved safety standards of modern cars versus those of years gone by is an obvious benefit. However, as many motorists will no doubt confirm, it’s disappointing that parking space guidelines haven’t been updated accordingly.”

The Mini Hatch was the biggest grower on the list; 55% larger and taking up 20% more of the typical parking space than the original that was produced between 1959 and 2000. This means it offers 16cm less room for drivers to get out.

“Many of the latest cars are at least available with technology to help with parking,” Chris Knapman, CarGurus.co.uk

The Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, BMW 5 Series, Ford Focus, Ford Mondeo, Mercedes E-class, Peugeot 308, Vauxhall Insignia and VW Passat have also all grown significantly to leave drivers with less than 30cm space to exit the vehicle.

Despite many cars already proving to be a tight fit in standard parking spaces, the growth spurt appears to be unrelenting with CarGurus’ research finding cars are continuing to grow by an average of nearly 3% from generation to generation6, meaning squeezing out of parking spaces will continue to become more and more challenging for drivers.

Knapman said: “Many of the latest cars are at least available with technology to help with parking, including parking sensors, reversing cameras, 360-degree view cameras and automatic parallel and bay parking functions.

“Some even equip cars with features to help prevent car park damage, such as door edge protectors and Citroën’s Airbump Technology.

“However, it is of course worth noting that no matter how easy the technology makes it to park, if the space is too small for your car none of it will help you to physically squeeze out of the driver’s seat.”

CarGurus.co.uk compared the dimensions of the 23 most popular cars on the road today which had an equivalent available in the 1970s.

CarGurus’ Car Dimensions Comparison: 1970s vs. 2020

Ranking	1970s Make & Model	Space to open door (cm)	Area of parking space used up	Today’s Make & Model	Space to open door (cm)	Area of parking space used up	% increase in area
1	Morris/Austin/ Rover Mini (1959-2000)	50	37%	MINI Hatch 3dr (2014-)	34	57%	55%
2	Fiat 500 (1957-1975)	54	34%	Fiat 500 (2007-)	39	50%	47%
3	Honda Civic 1st Gen (1972-1979)	45	49%	Honda Civic 10th Gen (2016-)	30	71%	44%
4	Peugeot 104 (1972-1988)	44	43%	Peugeot 208 2nd Gen (2019-)	33	61%	42%
5	Renault 5 (1972-1985)	44	47%	Renault Clio V (2019-)	30	63%	36%
6	Mazda 323 3rd Gen (1977-1980)	40	53%	Mazda 3 4th Gen (2019-)	30	70%	31%
7	Audi 80 (1972-1978)	40	58%	Audi A4 B9 (2016-)	28	76%	30%
8	VW Passat B1 (1973-1981)	40	58%	VW Passat B8 (2015-)	28	76%	30%
9	Vauxhall Nova A (1982-1993)	43	48%	Vauxhall Corsa F (2019-)	32	62%	29%
10	VW Golf MK1 (1974-1983)	40	52%	VW Golf MK8 (2020-)	31	67%	28%
11	Ford Escort MKII (1974-1980)	42	54%	Ford Focus MKIV (2018-)	29	69%	28%
12	VW Polo MK1 (1975-1981)	42	49%	VW Polo MK6 (2018-)	32	62%	26%
13	Ford Fiesta MK1 (1976-1983)	42	48%	Ford Fiesta MK8 (2017-)	33	61%	25%
14	Range Rover Classic (1969-1996)	31	69%	Range Rover L405 (2012-)	21	86%	25%
15	Toyota Corolla 3rd Gen (1974-1981)	42	54%	Toyota Corolla 12th Gen (2019-)	31	68%	25%
16	Ford Cortina MKIV (1976-1979)	35	64%	Ford Mondeo MKIV (2014-)	27	78%	22%
17	Vauxhall Cavalier MK1 (1975-1981)	37	64%	Vauxhall Insignia B (2017-)	27	79%	24%
18	BMW 3 Series E21 (1975-1983)	40	61%	BMW 3 Series G20 (2019-)	29	75%	23%
19	Vauxhall Astra MK1 (1979-1984)	38	57%	Vauxhall Astra MK7 (2015-)	30	69%	21%
20	Peugeot 304 (1969-1980)	42	56%	Peugeot 308 2nd Gen (2013-)	29	67%	19%
21	BMW 5 Series E12 (1972-1981)	36	68%	BMW 5 Series G30 (2017-)	27	80%	17%
22	Mercedes 190 (1982-1988)	36	64%	Mercedes C-class 4th Gen (2014-)	30	74%	14%
23	Mercedes W123 (1976-1986)	31	73%	Mercedes E-class 5th Gen (2017-)	27	79%	8%

By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The UK’s automotive trade body, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), is calling on the UK Parliament to ratify the Brexit trade agreement.

MPs are debating the draft deal with the EU today (Wednesday, December 30) after Parliament was recalled to put the deal into law, a day before the UK severs ties with the European Union.

The SMMT wants the immediate ratification of the draft UK-EU Trade and Cooperation agreement (TCA), to ensure all automotive companies benefit from continued tariff-free trade from January 1.

It says that the draft TCA delivers across several areas for UK automotive, keeping the sector connected to a market that accounts for eight out of 10 of its vehicle exports.

Furthermore, the SMMT says that the TCA delivers on the core ask to avoid tariffs for most finished vehicles, parts and components.

Mike Hawes, the SMMT’s chief executive, explained that for automotive, Brexit has always been about “damage limitation”.

“The draft Trade Cooperation Agreement, while no substitute for the completely free and frictionless trade with Europe we formerly enjoyed, will address immediate concerns,” he said.#

“The TCA provides the opportunity for tariff and quota-free trade, foundations on which the industry can build.

“Even with immediate ratification, however, there will be just hours to adjust to new trading rules, so a phase-in period is critical to help businesses adapt.

“All efforts should now be made to ensure its seamless implementation, with tariff-free trade fully accessible and effective for all from day one.”

The SMMT says that the inclusion of specific provisions on transitional phase-ins for both electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries is also welcome.

However, it argues that the deal does not deliver some key asks, including formalising co-operation on the development of regulations and standards after the end of transition.

Nor does it prevent increased administration and potential for friction at the border, as we leave the single market and customs union, it said.

Hawes continued: “Further ahead, we must pursue the wider trade opportunities that Brexit is supposed to deliver while accelerating the UK’s transition to electrified vehicle manufacturing. 

“With the deal in place, Government must double down on its commitment to a green industrial revolution, create an investment climate that delivers battery gigafactory capacity in the UK, supports supply chain transition and maintains free-flowing trade – all essential to the UK Automotive sector’s future success.”

The eleventh-hour post-Brexit trade deal struck between the UK and the EU has been welcomed by the fleet and leasing industry.

It had faced a significant rise in costs, with tariffs imposed on cars and vans, if no deal had been agreed when the UK exits EU trading rules tomorrow (Thursday, December 31). By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Drivers urged to carry out regular maintenance checks to avoid costly fair wear and tear outlay, reports Fleet News.

The average fair and wear charge incurred by company cars has risen 12% in the past five years, according to this year’s FN50 (The top 50 contract hire companies).

Bear in mind these are charges on companies with fleets of cars. If you are an individual, sole trader or small business owner the contract hire companies treat you differently as the loss of you as a customer is less important than the loss of a multi-vehicle fleet so end of lease charges tend to be considerably more than those imposed on a fleet customer with the same level of damage on the vehicle.

So please keep this in mind when reading this article. Of course using a good broker who can assist with these end of contract charges can help to level the playing field and minimise the charges.

A company car would, on average, have faced a fair wear and tear bill at defleet of £289 in 2016. This year’s FN50 shows that has risen by £35 to £324, on average, not including salary sacrifice cars.

Looking at the 10 biggest leasing companies in isolation, the average fair wear and tear bill was £407.

That is £83 higher than the FN50 average and worrying, when the vast majority of cars are operated by these firms.

Compared with FN50 2019, however, the overall average charge has fallen for the first time in more than a decade; by £2 from an average of £326.

Tusker says it has found that the condition of returned vehicles has improved marginally over the past year. “We are seeing a reduction in the value of the recharge (circa 2%) and a reduction in the number of recharges applied (3%) since 2018,” says Tusker CEO Paul Gilshan.

“A variety of reasons could explain this, including lower mileage contracts.”

However, Tusker’s experience of a reduction in the number of cars incurring charges year-on-year was not replicated by the FN50 average.

The percentage of cars that incurred fair wear and tear costs rose by one percentage point to 44% from 43% the previous year.

Five years ago, just more than a third (36%) of cars were attracting fair wear and tear charges, before getting as high as one-in-two cars (50%) in 2018 and falling to 43% last year.

Bridle Group reported the lowest percentage of cars attracting charges, with just one-in-50 (2%) of its vehicle returns.

Alan Carreras, sales director at the top 50 leasing firm, explains: “There are a number of factors at play.”

Bridle Group’s customer base consists, predominantly, of public sector users, typically schools, colleges and community trusts for which it provides minibuses.

“They cover a reasonably low annual mileage – on average 7,000 miles per year – and, while this in itself doesn’t exclude them from attracting damage, the likelihood is lower than the ‘typical’ annual mileage, for obvious reasons,” he says.

“We also take a pragmatic approach to de-hire; we understand the difficulties some organisations face when attempting to balance their books.”

Carreras explains that a damage recharge, which might be acceptable under the current British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) fair wear and tear guidelines, is not something they would automatically apply.

“We wouldn’t look to put our clients in an unnecessarily difficult position at the end of contract especially where any potential issues might not negatively affect the actual resale value once the vehicle has been remarketed.”

FAIR WEAR AND TEAR GUIDE

Most rental and leasing companies adhere to the Fair Wear and Tear guide published by the BVRLA.

The aim of the guide is to provide an industry-wide, accepted standard that defines fair wear and tear when vehicles are returned at the end of a lease or finance agreement.

The guide also gives advice to drivers and fleets about what they need to do to avoid end of lease charges, where they can get advice on routine maintenance, servicing and appraising the vehicle at the end of the lease and what they can expect the day the vehicle is returned, as well as how to complain if things go wrong.

Some leasing companies offer a fixed-cost menu of charges set out at the start of the contract.

Others do not repair vehicles before sending them out to auction, so do not charge for the cost to repair the damage. Instead, they charge for the loss of value against the residual value due to the damage.

Nick Hardy, sales and marketing director at Ogilvie Fleet, the Fleet News Leasing Company of the Year (up to 20,000 vehicles), says its fixed-cost menu pricing approach creates a transparent process for customers.

“Transparency is at the heart of our relationships with clients and I genuinely believe that it’s the reason why we’ve continued to grow the business every year, including this – very challenging – year,” Hardy explains.

“Our truly ‘fair’ fair wear and tear policy is possibly the most transparent way we work with our clients. We explain what the extra costs might be at the outset of a contract. Nothing is hidden.

“Any charges we make are done on the basis of reduction on vehicle values, this only showing the true cost of any necessary recharges and we always verify the costs with photographic back up.

“If we don’t or can’t do that, there are no charges made. Our clients always know where they stand and we rarely have any issues.

“We know that our stance is quite unique, but unlike many others, we don’t see this area as a profit centre and so can be completely transparent about it all.”

Leasing companies, typically, also employ a damage waiver and, while the percentage of cars incurring damage charges has increased, so has the average damage waiver.

It now stands at £144, up from £112 in 2019. It was as high as £170 in 2016.

 

Simon Staton, client management director at Venson Automotive Solutions, says: “Comparisons year-on-year, however, can be misleading.”

The annual figures, he argues, will be influenced by those vehicles coming back off contract, how long they have been on that contract and the industries in which the vehicles operate.

Staton adds: “For company cars, the organisation may have the approach that for non-critical damage, scratches, scuffs, repairs are left and they are happy for the recharge.

For other organisations, vehicle condition is critical to company image and they will get the repairs done as and when they occur.

“Equally, a car being used as a pool vehicle may be treated better because the tracking of who’s driving it and when, compared with a company car being used for job requirements and travelling several thousand miles a year.” 

Implementing a few simple changes could significantly reduce wear and tear costs to the business, according to Staton.

“For example, regular maintenance checks by employees or the business can help identify issues early and avoid things getting worse and causing further damage,” he says.

“It is important for fleet operators to ensure they fully understand the contract they have with their fleet provider, so that they can avoid unnecessary costs at the end of the vehicle’s contract term.”

Venson also suggests implementing a fleet policy that recharges fees back to drivers if damage is not reported or routine inspections are not carried out.

Furthermore, it says fleets should regularly communicate and educate drivers on what needs reporting to the fleet team and consider using driver training, and an ongoing education programme, to ensure employees are driving safely which, in turn, will reduce accident damage.

Salary sacrifice charges rise but average waiver falls. The average fair wear and tear charge for salary sacrifice cars was £331, a £60 increase on the £271 reported last year.

It means that the average charge incurred by salary sacrifice vehicles is now on a par with the FN50’s leasing average, after being some 20% lower in 2019, the first year the figures were collated separately.

However, this rise is not necessarily down to cars having more damage: the more likely explanation for the higher charge is a reduction in the average damage waiver from £133 in 2019 to £79 this year – a fall of £54.

Salary sacrifice is the third largest market segment for funding type after contract hire, operating and finance, in this year’s FN50, representing 3.7% of the risk fleet overall.

The data also shows more cars attracted charges this year, with 34% facing a fair wear and tear bill, up from 31% in 2019. However, this is still significantly lower than the 44% reported for non-salary sacrifice cars.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

An eleventh-hour post-Brexit trade deal struck between the UK and the EU has been welcomed by the fleet and leasing industry.

It had faced a significant rise in costs, with tariffs imposed on cars and vans, if no deal had been agreed when the UK exits EU trading rules on Thursday (December 31).

However, while business will now have to adapt to the new trading rules and work through the detail of the deal, the expected hike in vehicle prices of several thousand pounds has been avoided. 

Gerry Keaney, chief executive of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), said that the Brexit trade deal comes as a “big relief” for the industry and provides a “welcome boost” for the UK automotive sector, which can now plan with more “confidence and certainty”.

“Avoiding tariffs on vehicles and parts is essential,” he added, “but with the end of the transition period only days away, there is a lot to be done to prepare for January and beyond as details around the new trading terms become clear.”

Mike Hawes, chief executive of UK automotive business group, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), also welcomed the agreement.

However he said: “We await the details to ensure this deal works for all automotive goods and technologies, including specifics on rules of origin and future regulatory co-operation.

“A phase-in period is critical to help businesses on both sides adapt and efforts should now be sustained to ensure seamless implementation, with tariff-free trade fully accessible and effective for all from day one.”

Hawes said that the SMMT will continue to work closely with Government to ensure all companies are “as prepared as possible in the limited time left.”

Fleet News reported in November, how BMW has announced a customs duty related increase of more than £3,000 on the recommended retail pricing (RRP) of the BMW i3, irrespective of whether there is a free trade deal or not.

BMW had announced at the beginning of October that BMW i3 models, along with the majority of other BMW models, would be subject to an “economic increase” in the recommended retail price rise from January 1, 2021.

Due to changes in the ‘Product Specific Rules of Origin’ legislation, it says that the maximum permitted content of non-EU and non-UK materials means these models will be subject to additional tariffs after the end of the Brexit transition period.

This will be the case, it said, “whether or not there is a free trade agreement with the EU”, which means a further increase in the RRP of BMW i3 models is needed.

Stephen Haddrill, director general of the Fleet and Leasing Association (FLA), said: “As always in trade talks, the devil is in the detail but we appear to have a deal that will enable UK goods to be sold without tariffs or quotas in the EU market – that bodes well for business confidence, leading to renewed investment and lending as we enter 2021 and begin the long economic recovery from the Covid impact.”

Businesses urged to prepare

Logistics UK (formerly the Freight Transport Association), while welcoming the deal, warned that there was still a lot of work to be done to protect the nation’s supply chains, and the economy as a whole.

Elizabeth de Jong, policy director at Logistics UK, said: “A deal is great news for the UK economy, since it removes the risk of tariffs being placed on almost every item imported from the EU, which would have raised prices and slowed the rate of economic growth.

“We are still absorbing all the details, but it looks as though HGVs will continue to have access to the EU market, and aircraft will still be permitted to fly to and from the EU, which safeguards the UK’s highly interconnected supply chains and protects the jobs of those charged with keeping the country stocked with the goods it needs.”

Meanwhile, Logistics UK is urging traders to continue to get ready for new trading conditions as they were before. “The new trading relationship will still require many of the same preparations, not least the introduction of customs declarations and additional checks on food and livestock,” added De Jong.  “Logistics UK is advising traders not leave paperwork to the last minute, or ignore it, as this will cause delays to journeys.” By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The number of reported road accidents where ‘following too close to another vehicle’ was a contributory factor has almost halved in the last five years, according to analysis by TrackDays.co.uk.

Analysis of figures from the Department for Transport, by the driver training provider, highlighted that the number of reported accidents where following too close was a contributory factor have dropped by 48% year-on-year, from 7,023 in 2015 to just 3,582 in 2019, the latest year for which full figures are available.

It is one of the largest percentage drops of all the contributory causes of accidents caused by a lack of judgement.

Tailgating remains a factor in around one in eight casualties on England’s motorways and major A roads.

Dan Jones, operations manager at TrackDays.co.uk, said: “It’s very welcome to see such a dramatic drop in the number of reported accidents when following too close was a contributory factor.

“It could be due to a number of factors, perhaps most importantly though advanced safety features on modern cars, such as adaptive cruise control which help keep a safe distance from the car in front. But it would also be nice to think that drivers are now calmer and more considerate to their fellow road users.”

Earlier this year, new cameras aimed at catching drivers tailgating identified some 10,000 vehicles committing the offence in the first two weeks of trials.

A survey for Highways England found that while more than a quarter of drivers admitted to tailgating, nearly nine in 10 people say they have either been tailgated or seen it.

Meanwhile, more welcome news highlighted how the number of reported accidents when travelling too fast for the conditions was a contributory factor was also on a long-term decline, showing a significant decrease from 7,361 in 2015 to 4,666 in 2019, a decrease of 36%.

Additionally, there are also fewer reported accidents when disobeying automatic traffic signals, and disobeying ‘Give Way’ or ‘Stop’ signs and markings was a contributory factor.

Jones added: “Brits do appear to be becoming safer motorists in certain areas of driving, which has to be good news for all road users.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Highways England has seen an increase in road workers suffering abuse, despite traffic flows falling during coronavirus restrictions.

To mark Road Safety Week (November 16-22), Highways England urged all road workers to ensure they report any and all incidents of both incursions and abuse.

In the first nine months of 2020, it says there has been a 10% increase in abuse incidents compared to the first nine months of 2019.

Furthermore, it says there were nearly 6,500 incidents where vehicles ignored traffic restrictions and entered a traffic management area – so called incursions – between October 2017 and October 2020 – an average of 175 a month. 

Mark Byard, director of health and safety at Highways England, said: “Our roads keep the country moving, keep families connected and businesses in business, so our roadworkers are vital to everyone’s wellbeing, and their wellbeing is vital to us.”

Byard says that 175 reported incursions a month is “far too many” and urged members of supply chain to report all incidents of incursions and abuse. “Together we can make a difference,” he said.

Highways England has recently lead a cross-industry project to raise awareness of road worker safety. Collaborating with 18 supply chain companies across the highways industry, such as Amey, Balfour Beatty and Skanska, Highways England has spear-headed the creation and production of a short video aimed at the public to educate them that driving into roadworks puts construction and maintenance workers at risk.

The video is also accompanied by a further 13 short films produced by Highways England’s supply chain partners. Aimed at construction and maintenance roadworkers, they illustrate what to do if someone drives (or walks) into works. These videos are being used in training and briefings on sites to help keep the roadworkers on site safe from incursions.

James Haluch, managing director at Amey Highways and chair of the vehicle incursions working group, said: “In 2019, in Amey alone we recorded 753 actual vehicle incursions into our road closures.

“Worse still, we have an actual collision with a traffic management vehicle every four or so months. Each one of these results in injuries to our people and it is generally the case that the physical injuries heal far quicker than the mental health ones.

“I would not ask my kids to drive an impact protection vehicle so I do struggle asking my colleagues to. Hence this unprecedented collaboration by the Highways sector in raising awareness is so critical in helping to eliminate the risk to the people that maintain our road network to keep the country connected.

“A few moments lapse of concentration could be life changing.”

Highways England is urging all roadworkers to report any incidents of incursion or abuse using their companies existing methods for near miss reporting.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The Government is calling on local authorities to stock-up on salt and grit to keep key routes open, while bolstering Highways England’s fleet of gritters. 

 

Roads minister Baroness Vere wants councils across the country to ensure key transport routes to Covid-19 test centres are kept open this winter.

In a letter to councils, she urged them to ensure they have adequate supplies of salt and grit as the country prepares for the potential challenge of severe weather alongside Covid-19.

Salt producers – through the Salt Association – have confirmed that production is at sufficient levels to protect road users over the coming months.

The Government has also invested more £16 million to help Highways England deploy 93 new gritters this winter on the country’s motorways and major A-roads.

The new gritters join a 535-strong winter fleet, including 23 snow blowers capable of removing up to 2,500 tonnes of snow per hour.

A further £40m will be invested by Highways England to help more than 250 replacement winter vehicles join the fleet.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “We have worked tirelessly with the country’s highways teams to make sure our transport networks are kept open and running in whatever weather we encounter. 

“This year, it is more important than ever that Britain is prepared for the winter as we continue to tackle the pandemic. Through this work, we’ll ensure key routes to Covid-19 test centres remain open in the coming months.” 

Jim O’Sullivan, chief executive of Highways England, added: “Our winter fleet will be out treating our roads around the clock whenever ice or snow is forecast, but it is still important that drivers plan their journeys, make sure they are prepared for the winter weather and drive safely in all conditions.”

The UK’s rail network is also prepared for the more challenging weather conditions, with contingency plans put together so essential workers can rely on the railways.

Network Rail and train operators are implementing a range of measures, from deploying specialist cold-weather vehicles such as de-icers at strategic locations, to using inflatable flood defence measures, as well as special timetables ready to implement if needed. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) has attempted to clarify the types of hybrid cars and vans that will be allowed to remain on sale until 2035.

The Government have announced that new petrol and diesel cars and vans will not be allowed to be sold in the UK from 2030.

However, it said that it would continue to allow the sale of hybrid cars and vans that can drive a “significant distance with no carbon coming out of the tailpipe” until 2035.

BVRLA chief executive Gerry Keaney said that the 2035 extension for hybrids would provide an “essential lifeline” for those facing a greater zero-emission challenge.

However, he said that vehicle rental companies and van fleet operators would need “clarity on exactly what types of hybrid are in scope”.

Speaking at the Cenex Low Carbon Vehicle conference, following the Government announcement on the petrol and diesel ban,  Natasha Robinson, head of OLEV, said: “From 2035 all new cars and vans will need to be fully zero emission at the tailpipe and between 2030 and 2035 all new cars and vans must have significant zero emission capability.

“That means for example plug-in hybrids and what are called full hybrids would count, but what are known as mild hybrids, which just help with acceleration and deceleration, wouldn’t necessarily count as having significant zero emission capability.”

What constitutes significant zero emission miles hasn’t been decided yet, she said.

“What we are looking at is the really cleanest vehicles that are out there where the battery should be able to operate independently, so we would expect them to be able to operate as a zero emission vehicles for a certain amount of time – we will be talking to industry and talking to others more widely around defining that more tightly over the coming months – but at the moment just to be clear what we are looking at is those plug-in and full hybrids.”

Full hybrids include the likes of the Toyota Prius and the Kia Niro, while mild hybrids, which are rapidly becoming the norm on most engines, are offered by Ford, with MHEV engines on the Fiesta, Puma and Focus.

The BMW 320d and 520d are now mild hybrid too, while Volvo has all but one of its petrol or diesel engines as mild hybrid now (badged B instead of D or T).  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News