The Best Car Finance Blog In The World

The Government has set out tough carbon emissions targets for carmakers after a warning a lack of legislation could threaten electric vehicle (EV) supply in 2021.

Environmental campaign group Transport and Environment (T&E) claimed that the UK could face long lead times for EV orders in 2021, with manufacturers having to meet targets to reduce the average emissions of the cars they sell in Europe or pay fines.

However, the Department for Transport (DfT) has now tabled similar regulations for manufacturers from January 1, 2021.

Currently, the European Commission sets an EU fleet average target that must be met by the EU fleet.  For cars, this target is currently 95g/km in 2020. For vans, the target is 147g/km in 2020.

These targets will be converted into WLTP CO2 emissions targets in 2021 following the change in the vehicle CO2 test procedure, and the 2021 actual emissions will represent the new baseline.

Manufacturers will then have to meet a 15% reduction for cars and vans by 2025, and a 37.5% reduction for cars and a 31% reduction for vans by 2030, both against this 2021 baseline.

From these, manufacturers receive individual targets that are set according to the mass of their fleet. Manufacturers with heavier fleets receive individual targets above the EU target; manufacturers with lighter fleets receive targets below the EU target.

Manufacturers will be fined for missing their targets.

The new UK rules will mirror those in the EU, including fine an £86 fine for each g/km above the target multiplied by the number of vehicles registered in the year.

Manufacturers currently balance the CO2 emissions of new vehicles sold across the 28 individual EU markets to deliver compliance. They often offset sales of higher emitting vehicles in one market against sales of lower emitting vehicles in another.

Post-transition period, manufacturers will not be able to meet UK targets using sales in the EU27.

The Government launched a consultation in the summer on how it would adopt EU emissions targets for cars, vans and HGVs in January 2021.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Drivers want tougher sentences for those that cause death by dangerous driving, with two in five (40%) backing the ‘Violet-Grace Law’ amendment.

A majority of drivers – some two thirds – also believe the current 14-year maximum is insufficient, according to new research from the RAC.

On the day a Private Members’ Bill aimed at tackling the issue is scheduled to have its second reading in Parliament, the research carried out with 2,800 drivers found that a quarter (25%) believe maximum sentences should be increased to somewhere between 15 years and a life sentence, from the present maximum of 14 years.

But 40% think courts should be able to go further and hand down a life sentence if they deem it appropriate. Just 16% felt the current maximum term is sufficient, while 18% were unsure whether it should be changed.

In July, former Prime Minister and Home Secretary Theresa May introduced a Bill seeking to amend The Road Traffic Offenders Act, which currently dates from 1988, and to increase courts’ abilities to issue much tougher sentences.

The amendment has come to be known as the ‘Violet-Grace Law’, in memory of a four-year-old child who was killed by a motorist driving at over 80mph in a 30mph zone in 2017.

The driver was jailed for nine years and four months in 2017 but may be released as early as next year.

RAC road safety spokesman Simon Williams says drivers are “crystal clear” that the current maximum sentence for causing death by dangerous driving is insufficient.

In the year to March 2020, police forces in England and Wales recorded 555 cases of death or serious injury caused by dangerous driving.

While this was seven fewer cases than a year earlier, the general trend since 2008 has been for an increase in cases across both countries.

Williams continued: “While Britain might have some of the safest roads in Europe, it is an horrendous thought that each year more than 500 drivers in England and Wales are convicted of killing others as a result of their decision to drive dangerously.

“Permitting courts to issue much tougher sentences will send a strong message to motorists and will go some way towards reassuring families of victims killed in collisions that the law is on their side.”

The Government announced its intention to introduce stronger sentences several years ago, but little progress has been made, according to Williams.

“That’s why this Bill is so important – we may still be some way off the Violet-Grace amendment being made, but many people up and down the country will be interested to see the progress that it makes in the hope that one day soon those convicted of these truly terrible crimes will have to spend much longer behind bars,” he said.

Scheduled today is the second reading of Theresa May MP’s ‘Death by Dangerous Driving (Sentencing) Bill 2019-21’, which may be debated in the House of Commons. To track the progress of the Bill, visit the Parliament.uk website.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The clean air zone (CAZ) in Leeds is no longer required after fleets switched to cleaner vehicles faster than expected, a joint review by Leeds City Council and Government has found.

The decision comes as Bath and Birmingham announced plans to forge ahead with their charging CAZs.

Birmingham’s CAZ will start from June 1, 2021, while Bath will start charging non-compliant vehicles from March 15, 2021.

Leeds City Council suspended the introduction of its CAZ in August, while it re-assessed the air quality issues in the city.

It found that more than 90% of buses and 80% of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) driven in the city now use cleaner Euro VI engines and therefore wouldn’t be charged if a zone was introduced.

Research shows that the newer vehicles emit significantly fewer emissions than older models, especially when travelling at the slower speeds often travelled in urban environments.

Nearly half of the city’s licensed taxi and private hire cars are also now hybrid or electric.

The review found that, because of the dramatic shift to cleaner vehicles, air pollution in Leeds on key routes is below legal limits and is not likely to exceed them again—even if traffic were to return to ‘normal’ levels or slightly higher.

Transport infrastructure improvements and the surging popularity of ultra-low emission vehicles in Leeds are further accelerating improvements to the city’s air quality, it said.

City asks to keep CAZ funding

The council has written to the Government requesting to keep £6.9 million of CAZ funding that Leeds had previously secured to ‘lock in’ the full extent of air quality improvements.

The money would be used to continue offering grants to help local businesses switch to cleaner vehicles as well as to provide free licensing costs to drivers of less polluting taxi and private hire cars.

Leeds will also be able to keep and repurpose the ANPR camera infrastructure that had been installed to monitor and enforce the zone.

In the unlikely event that air quality declined for any reason, the council retains this infrastructure and says it could seek support from central Government to introduce a CAZ.

As part of an updated air quality strategy being brought forward early next year, Leeds City Council is also proposing to voluntarily introduce stricter new targets for local air quality that are aligned with World Health Organisation guidelines.

Councillor James Lewis, deputy leader for Leeds City Council and executive board member with responsibility for air quality, said: “Thanks to our city’s collective effort, Leeds residents are breathing air that is cleaner and safer than ever before.

“When we consulted on the CAZ in 2018, we said that we hoped that no one would be charged because businesses would switch to less-polluting vehicles before the charging system takes effect. That is exactly what has happened.

“We have achieved the aims of the clean air zone without having to charge a single vehicle.

“If Leeds were to introduce a CAZ today, only a fraction of vehicles would be affected because the vast majority of businesses are now driving cleaner vehicles than they were just a few years ago.

“Not out of the woods yet”

However, Andrea Lee, clean air campaigns manager at environmental law charity ClientEarth, insisted that Leeds is “not out of the woods yet” and accused the council of “abandoning the one measure guaranteed to protect people in the shortest possible time”.

“While the promise of a clean air zone has prompted drivers and businesses to switch to cleaner vehicles, the latest reported air pollution measurements from the council still show that parts of the city are over national air quality standards,” she added.

“With Covid-19 endangering people’s respiratory health, rowing back on a measure that has been proven to reduce pollution seems not only illogical but reckless – leaving Leeds unprotected as other cities implement their own clean air zones.” 

Senior councillors will discuss the conclusions and proposals to voluntarily introduce new air quality targets that go further than the national standards at a meeting of the council’s executive board next week.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The classification of journeys is causing a headache for fleets, because of the rise of homeworking due to coronavirus, says the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP).

Describing the problem as ‘The New Commute’, the AFP says that problems revolve around whether an employee’s home is now officially their place of work.

AFP chairman Paul Hollick explained: “If someone is working from home rather than the office, then it raises the question of which is actually their place of work. This is important when it comes to both expenses and risk management.

“For example, if someone now drives their own car to the office once a week, are they allowed to reclaim their travel costs using AMAP rates, as they would for any other business journey that they undertake?

“The other major issue is whether, if someone now uses their own car to travel from home to work, whether that is now seen as a business journey from a risk management point of view, rather a commute.”

HMRC rules

Hollick says that the HMRC rules in this area were often inconsistently applied. Normally, they were based on the employee’s contract of employment showing that they were home-based but there was also a reasonableness test, to ensure that the employee is working from home rather than the office for a proportionally greater length to time.

“As always with points of taxation,” Hollick explains, “it is better to have hard and fast rules but these are open to local interpretation and fleets can potentially suffer from a lack of uniformity.”

He added that the issue of risk management was probably clearer but also open to some degree of interpretation.

“Any employees who work from home for the majority of time but sometimes visit the office using their own vehicles have, strictly speaking, all become grey fleet – and should be subject to all the usual grey fleet management practices,” he said.

“Again, we have yet to hear from any fleets who have been in touch with the Health and Safety Executive about this but it is an area that would benefit from future clarification.”

The pandemic is creating a series of questions for fleets that AFP members were currently discussing and to which they were attempting to find solutions.

“The New Commute is just one of a series of issues that we are working hard to resolve for members but sharing best practice ideas,” said Hollick.

“It is at times such as now, when so much surrounding fleet management is fluid, that the AFP can really add value.”

The AFP was formed in March from the merging of the Association of Car Fleet Operators (ACFO) and the Institute of Car Fleet Management (ICFM).  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Asda has been trialing e-bikes from Electric Assisted Vehicles (EAV) to make home deliveries in Cambridge.

The Oxfordshire-based micro-mobility manufacturer had its 2Cubed commercial vehicle put to the test over a two-week period by the UK supermarket.

Asda says it is looking for solutions to assist in making deliveries in proposed pedestrianised areas and low emission zones.

Simon Gregg, vice president of the online grocery at Asda, said: “It was great to see the reaction to the e-bike when we took it out on the road – it was really well received and definitely was a talking point at the store and with our customers.

“As we look to the future of retail we have to consider new and innovative ways to continue to offer great service to our customers whilst navigating things like low emission zones and pedestrianised areas.

“A solution such as this would allow us to get into town and cities where access is limited, using either roads or cycle lanes.

“It’s been great to collaborate with the team at EAV and put their eCargo vehicle to the test.”

EAV’s 2Cubed ultra lightweight commercial vehicle is capable of transporting 10 tote boxes containing the equivalent of a weekly shop for two customers .

“The eCargo concept has already proven to be more efficient than any van within an urban parcels and packages logistics scenario,” claimed Adam Barmby, founder and CEO of EAV.

“Working with Asda to reduce  the environmental impact of grocery, and to make those deliveries more accessible, in towns and cities has been a great test for our new 2Cubed vehicle and one we’ve been really keen to participate in.”

The 2Cubed has been designed to carry both bulk and weight while retaining its ability to move around quickly and efficiently within towns and cities.

Cool temperatures can either be maintained by cool bags and insulated packaging or by using the EAV Cool fully temperature controlled Cool-Cargo transporter.

Although the EAV Cool unit was not tested by Asda, this ensures that groceries reach the customer completely fresh and with no reduction in product quality.

“EAV developed a prototype EAV Cool some time ago and it’s proved very successful as a development vehicle in the tests we’ve used it for,” continued Barmby.

“Moving from parcel logistics to groceries is a logical pathway for EAV and it allows us to advance our technology maintaining ambient temperatures in our cargo bays.

“More importantly, it hugely reduces the environmental and emissions impact of vans and cars which are currently being used by supermarket chains and other businesses within urban locations.

“In a post-Covid world, where home deliveries have really become the norm, the shift to lightweight commercial deliveries is vital if we want to continue our efforts in improving the environment.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Electric cars are set to treble their market share in Europe this year, but an environmental campaign group is warning the UK could face long lead times in 2021.

Despite the pandemic, electric vehicle (EV) sales have surged since January 1 and will reach 10% this year and 15% in 2021, says Transport & Environment (T&E).

But, with carmakers having to meet targets to reduce the average emissions of the cars they sell in Europe, or pay fines, T&E says the UK supply of EVs is likely to dry up next year in the absence of British regulations equivalent to those in Europe.

Greg Archer, UK director at T&E, said: “Electric car sales are booming thanks to emissions standards. Next year, one in every seven cars sold in Europe will be a plug-in. European manufacturers have EVs to sell, but from January they’ll have no incentive to sell them in the UK unless the Government requires them to do so.”

From 2021, UK sales of EVs will not help manufacturers achieve EU standards. T&E says that the Government has so far failed to make parliamentary time available for equivalent new UK regulations to encourage sales here. These must be introduced by the end of October to be in place by January and maintain supplies of electric cars to the UK, it says.

Furthermore, it claims that the current draft regulation contains errors that will lead to about a fifth less EVs being sold in the UK than was likely if it had remained a part of the existing EU scheme. This is despite Government claims that the rules are equivalent to those in the EU.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has dismissed the claims.

Archer continued: “The electric car is becoming mainstream, but we risk turning off the tap in Britain.

“Carmakers will prioritise EV sales in markets where laws and tax breaks encourage them most, but the UK’s proposed standards are too weak and maybe too late.

“Government needs to quickly introduce regulations equivalent to the EU’s in 2021, or demand for electric cars will outstrip available supply and drivers will be left with long waits to secure their new electric car which will be more expensive.”

Read more on the UK analysis from T&E – UK Car CO2 Regulations: Going nowhere fast.

By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The number of drug driving charges has risen by 125% to record levels in the last year, following the introduction of new legislation in 2015.

The significant rise in the number of charges was uncovered by Freedom of Information requests sent to UK police forces by BookMyGarage.com.

Of the 27 police forces across England and Wales that responded, the total number of drug driving charges increased from 4,122 in 2015/16 to 9,270 in 2019/20.

Drug driving became a specific offence in 2015, meaning police could charge someone for drug driving if they had at least one of 16 specified drugs in their blood above a certain limit.

Half of the 16 drugs listed are ‘medicinal’ and so drivers are just as likely to be prosecuted for having a legal drug in their system as they are an illegal drug while behind the wheel.

Sixteen police forces also provided data on the number of drivers who had tested positive for drug driving at the roadside, with the cumulative number of positive tests in these areas more than tripling from 2,619 in 2015/16 to 9,074 in 2019/20.

Not all positive tests necessarily result in the driver being charged, for instance where a roadside test shows as positive, but a police station test comes back as negative.

“Most people are aware of the ongoing problems surrounding drink driving but far fewer people know that drug driving is just as much of a problem,” said Jessica Potts, head of marketing at BookMyGarage.com.

“Although the data suggests the new police powers are enabling forces to arrest and charge more people, it’s alarming that the overall number of drug driving charges continue to rise despite its potential to cause devastating outcomes.

“Motorists should be especially aware that the law doesn’t just apply to illegal drugs. Medicinal drugs, such as those prescribed to treat insomnia or even some pain killers, feature on the list so it’s crucial drivers always check their medication to see if it impairs their ability to drive.”

Of the forces that responded, Essex police charged the most people for drug driving in the last year, with 1,828 charges between March 2019 and February 2020. Merseyside Police had the second highest number of charges at 1,605.

While most forces have seen an increase in the number of charges between 2015/16 and 2019/20, others have seen notable decreases. For instance, the Metropolitan Police saw a peak number of charges in 2016/17 of 1,152 but this has since decreased to just 339 charges in 2019/20.

Despite these figures, almost two thirds of people feel that the rules around drug driving are not being properly enforced.

The National Travel Attitudes Survey, published by the Department for Transport (DfT), found that 63% of respondents in England agreed that ‘the laws on driving whilst impaired by illegal or legal drugs, are not properly enforced’. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Skoda has developed a new Sound Analyser app for its dealers that is able to diagnose faults from a sound recording.

The app can recognise small irregularities in sound patterns and can suggest a range of measures that might be required.

It works by recording noises made by the vehicle while it is running and comparing them with stored sound patterns. In the event of any discrepancies, the app uses an algorithm to determine what they are and how they can be resolved.

Stanislav Pekař, head of aftersales at Skoda Auto, said: “Sound Analyser is a prime example of the new opportunities digitalisation at Skoda can create, even in terms of after sales. We will continue to consistently use artificial intelligence technologies to offer our customers an even more personalised service, thus enhancing the customer experience even further.”

The software is already able to recognise ten patterns – with an accuracy of more than 90%  – including for components such as the steering system, the air conditioning compressor and the clutches in the direct-shift gearbox (DSG). The app is also set up to recognise other sound patterns and will be expanded to include other service items.

Skoda has trialled the smartphone app in 14 countries – including Germany, Russia, Austria and France – since June 2019. A total of 245 Skoda dealers have been taking part in the pilot project. They have been instrumental in providing the audio recordings for the software’s ‘learning process’ and have directly contributed to the app’s development.

Artificial intelligence is a key pillar of Skoda’s digitalisation strategy. Apps like the Sound Analyser can interact with the environment, perceive and weigh up facts, or solve specific problems. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Birmingham has joined Bath in announcing a start date for its charging clean air zone (CAZ) after the schemes were approved by Government.

Birmingham’s CAZ will start from June 1, 2021, while Bath will start charging non-compliant vehicles from March 15, 2021.

Birmingham’s zone will cover an area of the city inside the inner ring road (A4540 Middleway) and once live will mean that the owners of non-compliant vehicles, which account for around 25% of the vehicles on Birmingham’s roads, will need to pay a daily charge to drive into or through the CAZ.

Birmingham was meant to introduce a CAZ last year, along with Leeds, but both were postponed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Cars, taxis and vans will pay £8 per day to drive into the CAZ in Birmingham, while HGVs, coaches and buses will be charged £50 per day.

Birmingham Council says it is providing a range of exemptions and financial incentives worth some £35 million to help residents, city centre workers and businesses prepare for the introduction of the CAZ.

Applications and expressions of interest for all of these schemes are now open with more information available at the website: BrumBreathes.co.uk.

Councillor Waseem Zaffar, cabinet member for transport and environment at Birmingham City Council, said: “The majority of drivers on Birmingham’s roads will not need to pay the daily charge but if you do then you may be eligible for an exemption or one of the financial incentives.  So, I would encourage everyone to check the Brum Breathes website today.”

Bath’s CAZ had been due to be switched on in November but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Bath & North East Somerset Council says it considered air quality, traffic levels and the impacts of Covid-19 on local businesses and the economy, before agreeing the new start date of March 15, with the Government.

However, it said that the date will be monitored to account for any significant developments during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The council is currently contacting more than 9,000 local businesses to help them establish whether charges will apply to their vehicles, and how to access the support on offer.

The CAZ will operate in the city centre 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Charges will apply to pre-euro 6/VI diesel and pre-euro 4 petrol vehicles, except cars and motorbikes.

Non-compliant vans, taxis and minibuses will be charged £9, while non-compliant trucks and lorries, and coaches and buses face a daily charge of £100.

The council has also announced financial support to help fleets upgrade to compliant vehicles. Local businesses including those in neighbouring authorities that have premises and/or regularly drive in the zone, can apply.

For example, it says that eligible van drivers could receive up to £4,500 in grants, plus interest-free finance, to help them upgrade to a similar, compliant vehicle.

Larger grants are available of up to £20,000 for HGVs and £35,000 for buses and coaches.

In light of Covid-19, the council has also amended the scheme so that if eligible businesses fail their initial credit check, they can re-apply once their finances have improved.

In addition, these drivers would be able to apply for exemptions on their non-compliant vehicles for up to two years.

There are also a wide range of exemptions available for hard-to-replace or special vehicles, and to support disadvantaged groups and vital services in the city, it said.

Furthermore, discounts will be available for drivers of larger, higher emission motorhomes and horse-transporters (private heavy goods vehicles) who can pay £9 instead of £100 provided they register with the council. Applications for all local exemptions and discounted vehicles will open in November. 

Leader of the council, councillor Dine Romero, said: “In 2017, the government directed us to reduce levels of nitrogen dioxide in the city in the shortest possible time. Technical work showed that a charging zone was the only measure that could achieve compliance in the time frame we were given.

“The council consulted widely on this and agreed to introduce a class C charging CAZ with traffic management at Queen Square, charging all higher emission vehicles, except private cars and motorcycles, to drive in Bath’s city centre.

“However, there is no getting away from the fact that Covid-19 has had a significant impact on many businesses and this will be an additional cost that they have to consider.

“We have worked hard to secure a considerable package of financial and other support to help business owners and I would urge them to get in touch, talk to us and find out how we can help.

“We all want clean air and the zone is a step towards our wider ambitions for Bath and North East Somerset to address air quality and tackle the climate emergency.”

Chris Yarsley, policy manager at Logistics UK, welcomed the clarity which today’s announcement provides on the date for the introduction of the CAZs in Bath and Birmingham, which the business group has been working on with the local authority for some time. This will allow logistics operators time to plan new business practices and speed vehicle replacement timelines where necessary, he said.

“News that support packages will be available for operators to assist with the acquisition of Euro VI standard vehicles is also positive encouragement for a sector which has been impacted by the downturn of the economy caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and is only now starting to return to pre-pandemic levels of trading.

“Logistics operators remain committed to cleaning up urban air but it is important that other contributory factors to air quality are also considered in the longer term, including improvements to traffic flow patterns, retiming of deliveries and the introduction of alternatively fuelled vehicles, as well as other sources of air pollution, to the benefit of all.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Renault has demonstrated the dangers of unnecessary idling outside schools with a new school crossing lollipop that measures air quality.

The custom lollipop is part of the brand’s “be mindful, don’t idle” campaign that launched in September.

One side of the Renault lollipop displays the exact concentration of fine particulates – known as PM2.5 – in the atmosphere thanks to in-built air sensor technology.

The reverse features simple iconography that shows whether it is ‘Good’, ‘Okay’ or ‘Poor’ allowing both parents and children to see the quality of the air they are breathing in real time as they enter the school gates.

“The lollipop has been the symbol of road safety for decades. Today, safety is not just about how to cross a road, it is also about how safe the air is that our children breathe going in and out of schools on a daily basis,” explains Matt Shirley, senior manager – Electrification & New Mobility at Renault UK. “The adoption of electric vehicles is a journey, but in the meantime, it’s important that we all do our bit and don’t leave our engines running unnecessarily.”

Renault demonstrated the new device outside Castle Newnham school in Bedford, recording air pollution figures in excess of 25.7μg/m3 at peak times.

The World Health Organisation recommends that the air we breathe should not exceed 10μg/m3 of fine particulate matter, but the legal limit in the UK is double that figure.

An idling engine contributes the equivalent of 150 party balloons-worth of emissions unnecessarily into the atmosphere every minute. Renault found idling is more common in urban areas – with 50.1% admitting to doing it – compared to 12% in rural locations. More than 28% of people said they leave their engines running for 6-10 minutes.

According to research by the British Lung Foundation and Asthma UK, in excess of 8,500 schools, nurseries and colleges in England, Scotland and Wales are located in areas with dangerously high levels of pollution.

More than 8,500 schools, nurseries and colleges in England, Scotland and Wales are located in areas with dangerously high levels of pollution.

Renault studied the habits and attitudes of more than 4,000 ‘school run’ parents and motorists. Of the reasons given for leaving their engines running nearly a third cited doing so because they are only stationary for ‘a short while’ and 26% wanted to keep the heater or air-con on.

Almost two-thirds (60%) of all drivers said they were unaware that it is illegal under Rule 123 of the Highways Code. Authorities can now issue £80 fixed penalties under Road Traffic Regulations 2002 and Section 42 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 in Scotland.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News