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Bath will launch the first charging clean air zone (CAZ) outside London in March, next year.

The announcement comes as new data, released by the UK Government and analysed by environmental law charity ClientEarth, reveal that three quarters of air quality reporting zones still chart illegal levels of air pollution.

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.” 

The council secured a total funding package of £23.4m to implement the scheme and provide supporting measures, such as the financial assistance scheme.

This is made up of £18.4m of capital funding, comprising £7.1m for implementation of the scheme and £11.3m for supporting measures.

This total funding award aligns with the earlier settlements received by both Leeds and Birmingham.

Bath’s decision to plough ahead with its CAZ, however, comes as other local authorities pause their plans.

Bristol City Council may yet still reverse its plan to introduce CAZ and is looking at alternative options to improve air quality.

It follows a decision by Leeds City Council to rethink its CAZ plans.

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Bristol’s mayor Marvin Rees said travel habits in the city are changing and its pollution levels are lower.

“Our plans have always been about cleaning up our air in the fastest possible time and not being anchored to one method,” explained Rees.

ClientEarth, however, has highlighted new figures that show that in 2019, the Government was still breaching legal limits for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution – limits that should have been met in 2010 – in 33 out of the 43 national reporting zones.

While it acknowledges the lockdown led to a decrease in NO2 levels in some areas, traffic and pollution levels are already back on the rise in many towns and cities, it says.

ClientEarth lawyers are urging the Government and local authorities not to rely on temporary dips experienced during lockdown to evade action.

Katie Nield, UK clean air lawyer at ClientEarth, said: “It is clear that the pandemic will not solve the problem in the long-term, with pollution already lurching back to pre-lockdown levels.

“Government evidence shows that clean air zones are the most effective way of quickly slashing illegal pollution levels.

“We know that when backed by help and support for people and businesses to move to cleaner forms of transport, these schemes can really make a difference.”

Mark Footman, operations director at same day delivery business CitySprint, said:“As a consequence of the reduction in traffic and vehicles on the road, there has been some temporary improvement in pollution and air quality in urban areas. But despite this, it’s really vital that these important issues do not slip down the agenda.

“As we look towards economic recovery, it’s essential that we do not lose sight of the progress that has been made around sustainability. As such, it is concerning to read of the potential delay or abandonment of some of the proposed clean air zones being rolled out across the country.

“With ULEZ, London has shown that this can work and make a tangible positive difference.

“We know sustainability remains a big focus for UK businesses, and the logistics industry has long understood the importance of reducing the impact of its operation on the environment.

“However, the high price of green vehicles is slowing down progress. And, with the sales ban on carbon dioxide-emitting engines potentially being brought forward, it is crucial that these high costs are addressed.

“Indeed, a push to make greener vehicles more affordable, further investment in infrastructure and the encouragement of better consolidation of deliveries will help to reduce emissions in the industry.”

The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) wants the Government to introduce a nationwide digital payment platform that provides a clear, consistent and proactive way for fleets to manage multiple vehicles entering multiple zones on a daily basis.

A similar ‘auto pay’ function to that used on the Dart Crossing is essential, because it would enable fleets to register their vehicles and have them charged automatically as they enter a CAZ, it says.

Furthermore, it wants local authorities must provide targeted financial assistance to firms that need support in upgrading their vans or trucks. These funds should be accessible for leased or rented vehicles – which thousands of businesses and individuals rely on for their transport needs.

BVRLA chief executive, Gerry Keaney, said: “Our members have a fleet of CAZ-compliant cars, vans and trucks ready to help businesses or individuals upgrade their vehicles to cleaner alternatives. We would advise people to consider their options now, to ensure that they can get the right vehicles in place at the right time.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

More people are wanting to travel on their own in their own vehicle due to Covid-19, leading to an increase in private car usage for business journeys, says Jaama.

As a result, the fleet software company believes the management of grey fleet drivers should be a priority for employers.

As mentioned below if employees are now working from home then travelling to the office will now be classed as a business trip.

“Duty of care information needs to be captured and managed properly to ensure drivers are only using grey fleet vehicles which are safe, legal and appropriate for business use,” explained Martin Evans, managing director of Jaama, and director of the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP).

“Companies who just pay allowances and mileage reimbursements without any diligence do so at their peril.”

Jaama says the buoyancy of the used car sector for four to seven-year- old sub-£10,000 cars, suggests more people are updating their own car to carry out more journeys for work purposes.

Evans continued: “Many fleet managers need to make a concerted effort to ensure they gain control of their grey fleet to avoid big problems in the future. All the signs are that the grey fleet car parc will continue to grow over the coming years.”

Fleet News has previously reported how long-term changes to the way people work could result in more employees becoming grey fleet drivers.

Paul Hollick, co-chair of the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP), warned that this could have significant consequences for fleets, with more employees joining the ranks of those that drive their car for work, the so-called grey fleet.

Employers have a legal obligation to ensure that grey fleet vehicles are reasonably safe to use, are fit for purpose and are lawfully on the road.

Companies also typically pay Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) to reimburse fuel used in the course of a work trip at 45p per mile.

“Grey fleet could become a bit of a battleground, because of Covid-19,” warned Hollick. “Employees won’t be office-based (in the future), they’ll be home-based, which means their contract of employment might be changed.

“If the employee is classed as home-based rather than office-based a journey from home to the office will then become a business trip.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

One in five (18%) of drivers aged 17-24 admit to taking part in video calls while behind the wheel, while almost a third (29%) of all drivers make and take calls on handheld phones, new research from the RAC suggests.

The illegal use of handheld mobile devices has been studied by the RAC since the 2016 Report on Motoring highlighted the issue was at ‘epidemic levels’.

However, this latest data suggests tougher penalties introduced in 2016, have failed to change in behaviour among motorists, particularly younger drivers.

With police resources stretched, four out of five (79%) drivers told the RAC they support the introduction of camera technology to identify illegal mobile phone use in the UK, with the vast majority (52%) strongly in favour of this happening.

RAC road safety spokesperson Simon Williams said: “Our figures highlight what many drivers already know – that the problem of illegal phone use at the wheel has far from disappeared.”

Furthermore, Williams says that the situation is not helped by mobile phone laws. Mobile phone use that doesn’t involve telecommunications, such as checking text messages, recording a video or changing pre-downloaded music, is not covered by the legislation, although drivers could be convicted for not being in proper control of their vehicles.

He added: “It’s significant that motorists are united in their desire to see camera-based technology, like that already in use in other countries, introduced on our roads to catch drivers who risk everyone’s safety by breaking the law in this way.

“If the behaviour of those who continue to think it’s safe to use a handheld phone while driving upwards of a tonne of metal is ever going to change, they need to believe there’s a reasonable chance of being caught.”

An increased popularity in video call services from the likes of WhatsApp and Snapchat are particularly concerning, with younger drivers more than twice as likely to say they make or receive video calls while driving – on average 8% of all UK drivers say they do this, with the figure rising to 13% among those aged 25 to 44.

Equally concerning is just under one-in-10 drivers aged 17 to 24 (9%) say they play games on their phones while driving, making them three-times more likely to do this compared to the average UK driver.

Other drivers’ use of handheld phones is the second biggest overall motoring-related concern identified in the 2020 RAC Report on Motoring research, after the state of local roads – a third of all UK drivers surveyed (32%) say the issue concerns them and strikingly nearly eight-in-10 (79%) now want to see camera technology introduced to catch drivers acting illegally.

The 29% of drivers of all ages in 2020 that say they make and receive calls on handheld phones while driving is a five percentage point increase on last year and the highest proportion since 2016.

While younger drivers are still more likely to do so (42%, down from 51% last year), those in the 25 to 44 age group are also statistically more likely to break the law in this way (32% admit to doing so, almost unchanged on 2019’s figure of 33%).

More positively, the proportion of drivers admitting to other dangerous activities such as checking or sending text messages or taking photos or video appear to be reducing – although it is unclear whether this is simply down to lower overall car use this year as a result of the pandemic.

Less than one in 10 (8%) of all drivers say they text or send other messages while driving, down from 14% last year and from a high of 20% in 2016.

But young drivers are again much more likely to break the law – 15% of those aged 17 to 24 say they are doing it in 2020, although this is down substantially on 2019 (37%).

More than one-in-10 motorists (14%) this year say they check texts or other app notifications while driving, down from 17% in 2019. Among younger drivers, the proportion is 22%, down from 35% last year.

Williams said: “While there’s been a reduction in some elements of this dangerous activity, more people say they are making and taking calls now than at any point since 2016, shortly before tougher penalties were introduced.

“Our findings from 2016 were a watershed moment which led to the UK Government calling for people to make illegal mobile phone use while driving as socially unacceptable as drink-driving.

“The fact drivers still state it’s their second biggest motoring concern of all shows that more progress still needs to be made here.”

Brake, the road safety charity, is calling for a complete ban on the use of a phone when driving, including hands-free.

The road safety campaigners claim this view is supported by evidence, which shows hands-free devices impairing driving as much as hand-held and are urging the Government to provide clarity in the law, before more lives are lost.

Joshua Harris, director of campaigns for Brake said: “Any use of a phone behind the wheel is dangerous but the fact that such a large proportion of young people admit to making video calls and playing games when driving really beggars belief.

“We need clarity in the law around phone use behind the wheel, and we need it now. The Government must implement a full ban on phone use when driving, including hands-free, to make the dangers crystal clear to the public and to crack-down on this reckless behaviour. The police must also be provided with the right tools and investment to enforce the roads effectively.

“In the wrong hands, a car is a lethal weapon and even a moment’s distraction from the road can have catastrophic consequences. More than 75 people are killed on UK roads every day and with driver distraction levels seemingly on the rise, the Government must step in and act, now.” 

Inspector Frazer Davey, of the Avon and Somerset Police Roads Policing unit, said that the importance of concentrating on driving “cannot be overstated”.

“Using a mobile phone while in charge of a car puts you and everyone else at risk. The consequences of allowing yourself to be distracted while you are driving can be catastrophic. It’s simply not worth it.”

Type of handheld mobile phone use while driving	2020 and 2019 figure (all drivers)	2020 and 2019 figure (drivers aged 17-24)
Make and receive calls	29%, up from 23%	42%, down from 51%
Send texts, social media posts or use the internet	8%, down from 14%	15%, down from 37%
Check texts, social media posts or app notifications	14%, down from 17%	22%, down from 35%
Take photos or record video	6%, down from 13%	14%, down from 35%
Make or receive video calls	8%	18%
Play a game on a mobile phone	3%	9%

Source: representative sample of UK drivers from RAC Report on Motoring. UK sample size: 3,068  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

A number of failures that could have risked public safety have resulted in ride-hailing firm Ola not being granted a new licence to operate in the capital.

Transport for London (TfL) has refused to grant Uber’s rival a private hire vehicle (PHV) operator’s licence saying it cannot find it fit and proper.

Ola, which started operating in the capital in February, said it will appeal the decision. It has 21 days to appeal and can operate in the meantime, according to the appeal rules.

TfL says that private hire operators must meet rigorous regulations, and demonstrate to TfL that they do so, in order to operate.  Before granting a licence, TfL must be satisfied that an operator is fit and proper to hold a private hire operator’s licence.

Ola recently made TfL aware of a number of failures, including historic breaches of the licensing regime that led to unlicensed drivers and vehicles undertaking more than 1,000 passenger trips on behalf of Ola.

There was also a failure to draw these breaches to TfL’s attention immediately when they were first identified.

Helen Chapman, TfL’s director of licensing, regulation and charging, explained the reasons behind its decision. “Our duty as a regulator is to ensure passenger safety,” she said. “Through our investigations we discovered that flaws in Ola’s operating model have led to the use of unlicensed drivers and vehicles in more than 1,000 passenger trips, which may have put passenger safety at risk

“If they do appeal, Ola can continue to operate and drivers can continue to undertake bookings on behalf of Ola. We will closely scrutinise the company to ensure passengers safety is not compromised.”

Ola was granted a 15-month licence on July 4, 2019, which expired on 3 October 2020.

In a statement, Marc Rozendal, Ola’s UK managing director, said: “We have been working with TfL during the review period and have sought to provide assurances and address the issues raised in an open and transparent manner.”

“Ola will take the opportunity to appeal this decision and in doing so, our riders and drivers can rest assured that we will continue to operate as normal, providing safe and reliable mobility for London.”

Uber has been granted an 18-month extension to continue operating in London after a Westminster court ruled in its favour at appeal.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The following article appeared in Commercial Fleet but it applies not just to fleet or company car drivers, all drivers can take part to help keep the roads safer although I have my fears about drivers becoming part of a police state. But if it saves lives I guess it’s a good thing.

Fleet operators and their drivers are being urged to share dashcam footage with police to help prosecute dangerous drivers and improve road safety.

More than 10,000 clips have already been uploaded to the National Dash Cam Safety Portal since its launch last year. The platform allows road users to report serious road incidents and securely upload video footage to the appropriate police force.

In-cab camera manufacturer Nextbase, which developed the portal, told Commercial Fleet more than half (52%) of the uploads have been followed up by police, with drivers being taken to court, having to attend awareness courses, sent warning letters or fined.

“This demonstrates the success of the platform in identifying the most severe incidents and linking motorists with police in a bid to crackdown on this behaviour,” said Nextbase’s Bryn Brooker.

“The whole idea behind it (the platform) was to make the roads a safer place; it was built to remove the most dangerous drivers from our roads.”

Drivers uploading a video must first tick a box that says ‘I am willing to go to court and testify’ if required. Brooker explains this “filters out those people uploading a video of their neighbour running a red light, for example, and ensures that focus is on only the worst of the worst motorists”.

FLEET ROLE

TRL – formerly the Transport Research Laboratory – wants to increase the role of dashcams, and other filming devices such as smartphones, in a bid to reduce the amount of dangerous driving on UK roads by encouraging drivers to upload footage.

Dashcams can provide crucial evidence to TRL’s expert witness and investigations team, but senior consultant Victoria Eyers told Commercial Fleet that working in collision investigation, the “ultimate aim is improving road safety”.

She believes commercial fleet operators using the technology could play a vital role in improving road safety by sharing video footage of dangerous driving, which is witnessed by their drivers.

Eyers explained: “It’s about volume; the more miles of driving you record, the greater the chance of recording examples of bad driving.

“Fleet operators that are covering much higher mileages than a private motorist have the potential to record more instances (of dangerous driving).

“They could, potentially, be a vital source of footage as long as it can be dealt with within the 14-day limit for some offences.”

Auto Windscreens began using the technology across its commercial fleet in 2016 with 340 commercial vehicles and 59 cars fitted with devices from sister company VisionTrack.

Group fleet manager, Shaun Atton, said: “We use the 24/7 managed service; there is a team which specifically reviews our footage and events. If one of our vehicles is involved in an RTI (road traffic incident) then the team raise the FNOL (first notification of loss) with our insurers. This allows us to control costs by having early access to the footage and sharing with relevant parties.”

Furthermore, Auto Windscreens’ drivers can make use of an alert button should they witness any kind of event, which automatically uploads a video for the teams to review.

POLICE RESOURCE

Currently, the majority of police forces – 33 of 45 in the UK – have signed up to the Nextbase initiative, with many individual forces also having their own portals on individual websites.

They have been promoted through Operation Snap, in an effort to encourage more people to upload examples of dangerous driving.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), in a recent report on roads policing, said that video footage recorded on dashcams and helmet cameras was a “cost-effective way” in which forces can deal with road traffic offences.

However, it found examples of forces that had adopted the scheme without enough consideration of potential demand and the resources needed to meet it.

In some forces, it said, “support functions were overwhelmed by the number of submissions”.

This resulted in some being unable to meet the legal requirement to notify registered keepers of vehicles of potential prosecutions.

In others, the process for submitting footage was difficult and there was little or no contact with the people who had been motivated enough to provide it.

The report concluded: “There are obvious benefits to the scheme, but it must be properly resourced and there should be clarity on how and when submitted footage will be used.”

Eyers agrees that resourcing is an issue, despite the National Dash Cam Safety Portal reducing the amount of time it takes police to process clips. Nextbase estimates it saves an average of eight-10 hours of police time for each case.

“If resources could improve in the future then the police could potentially increase the number of prosecutions that result from them,” said Eyers.

Responding to findings of the HMICFRS report, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for roads policing, Chief Constable Anthony Bangham, said: “Forces are working hard to target those who use our roads dangerously or to commit crime, but we know there is more to do.”

FLEET BENEFITS

The presence of vehicle technology in general has increased significantly in the past decade, with telematics now said to be in more than 60% of commercial vehicles.

“This data can be used effectively to improve driver performance and reduce claims costs by identifying higher risk drivers so interventions can be provided to change driver behaviours and reduce risk,” explained Jon Dye, director of underwriting for Motor at QBE Europe.

“Now we see technologies merging together to the new trend of video telematics. This provides the fleet with a single box solution, and for the insurer it provides a wealth of valuable data for risk management and claims purposes.

“The hope is that as the use of the technology improves, we can drive down the frequency and severity of claims.”

Dashcams have fundamentally changed the way motor claims can be handled. Dye said: “In the past, we had to take the driver’s word for what happened in an incident, which presents challenges. We were often confronted with a pencil sketch of road layouts and positions of third-party vehicles, which also had its challenges.”

Dashcam footage, however, allows insurers to view the incident exactly as it happened, applying the industry’s technical expertise to consider road conditions, speed of travel, visibility, reactions and behaviour of drivers.

“This is factual primary evidence which enables us to make accurate and fair liability decisions,” said Dye. “Dashcam footage also provides additional insights such as parties involved, passenger numbers and speed of impact so we can consider injury likelihood and extent which gives us an added layer of counter-fraud claims management.

“In seconds, we can often see exactly what happened and who was at fault, which means we can settle claims significantly faster and, therefore, at less cost.”

By using video telematics technology, Dye says QBE’s customers also raise the “effectiveness of their fleet and gain valuable intelligence about their employees’ driving”.

“This can be used to inform driver training, improve fuel economy, reduce wear, reduce accident risk and enhance productivity.”

Furthermore, it can be reflected in lower premiums, bringing additional savings to a fleet’s bottom line. By Graham Hill thanks to Commercial Fleet

I warned of this situation even before we voted to exit the EU. Whenever the EU arranged a trade deal with a country outside the EU bloc in order for the goods (not just cars) to be considered European and therefore qualify for free tariffs the majority of the product, in this case the car, had to be manufactured within Europe.

Some reports suggested 51% others as high as 60% had to be manufactured within the EU. I raised the question at the time that whilst we would possibly end up with a deal with Europe resulting in duty free sales of cars both to and from the EU it still meant that we would be outside the EU.

So what did this mean? Whilst in  Europe we have movement of components backwards and forwards but as long as the majority of the cost of a car was sourced in Europe it met the conditions attached to free trade with other countries.

So let’s look at an example, not genuine but for illustration. The EU has a Free Trade deal with South Korea. Mercedes sell cars to South Korea duty free based on the cars being predominantly manufactured in Europe by value. So currently the Mercedes is made using UK parts, say dashboards, screens, interiors etc. all considered to be EU parts.

The UK content accounts for say 10% of the cost of the car contributing to say 55% made in the EU. The rest is sourced from say China, India, US etc. Once out of the EU the EU content drops to 45% as we no longer contribute to the EU portion which means that the car now falls outside the free trade rules and becomes subject to duty charges.

I was ignored at the time as I was told that this would all come out in the trade deal. It hasn’t and could easily lead to European manufacturers replacing UK parts with parts manufacture in the EU.

And it gets worse.

When we manufacture items in the UK we often source components from outside the EU but under the rules of origin we have been able to use parts from outside the UK but the finished item can still be sold as British. The technical term is Cumulation.

It seems that many of the components used in UK car manufacturing come in from Turkey and Japan. It seems that according to our chief negotiator David Frost the EU has thrown out the practice of cumulation insisting that 60% of the component cost of anything sold to the EU must be sourced in the UK to qualify for free trade.

Component parts from Turkey and Japan that have traditionally been regarded as part of ‘made in the UK’ under cumulation rules will in future fall outside the UK content. Which means that whilst we could have a free trade deal between us and the EU if vehicles don’t contain sufficient UK components to meet the rules, tariffs will have to be paid.

This will certainly be bad news for Jaguar Landrover, Ford, Nissan and Vauxhall all of which use a lot of parts from Turkey and Japan and sell many vehicles into Europe.

Frost has also confirmed that the EU has rejected the UK’s request for electric cars, batteries and bicycles to be treated leniently under the rules of origin if the majority of components come from elsewhere.

Sadly it seems that the originally agreed Theresa May withdrawal agreement had addressed and resolved this issue – according to the Guardian. 2 years ago the average British produced content of cars built in the UK was about 44% which means they will all fall foul of the country of origin rules.

As I understand it if we come out with a deal, components that are made in the EU that feed into British made items will pass the rules of origin test but components from outside the EU won’t in the future. We have some difficult times ahead. By Graham Hill

Every so often I receive directions to dealerships by solicitors to protect them from consumer claims. Anything to avoid carrying out a repair or paying back money. In this missive, they explain what a dealer should do when it comes to carrying out repairs as a gesture of goodwill.

Dealerships often have a policy on when they will allow goodwill repairs.  They may be offered because the warranty has recently run out, the problem is recurring due to possible driver error, or because the customer just likes to complain and it gets them off your back.

Most customers will accept goodwill gestures for what they are, a goodwill gesture and not a legal obligation. But there is always one customer who tries it on, pushing to get all they can out of you, taking advantage of your generosity.

There is a danger that you carry out a goodwill repair to something that didn’t exist at the point of sale or has been described as falling within the constraints of the Consumer Rights Act, giving the customer the impression the problem is the dealer’s responsibility and the problem existed when they bought the car.

By carrying out a repair, you are potentially taking ownership of the problem. The repair must resolve the problem brought to you in the first place or else you could be pursued to court on the basis that your repair caused the fault that is now being complained about. 

A goodwill repair can blow up in your face as it could infer an extension to the warranty or that there is a warranty on the parts that you fit.  This is made worse if you suspect that the problem has been caused by the customer driving or modifications carried out.

Your repairs could mask the true cause of the original problem and make it difficult to prove further down the line. 

If legal proceedings are issued by the customer, goodwill repairs can also make it more difficult in your defence to argue that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle when sold. Judges don’t generally need too much persuading to conclude that a vehicle was faulty at the point of sale.

This doesn’t mean that goodwill repairs should not be carried out. They are an important tool in generating loyal customers, especially as for many consumers it’s how a complaint is dealt with that can say far more about you than how the sale was dealt with.

However, it is important you document your decision by making it clear it is a goodwill repair – it is not under the warranty, there is no warranty for any new parts fitted as part of(s) provision, and it is in no way an admission the vehicle has any defects or issues. By Graham Hill

Thatcham Research and Euro NCAP have assessed the latest driver assistance systems to ensure users are fully aware of their capabilities.

Reports of accidents where drivers have misused these systems are becoming a regular topic for the media and these new gradings are designed to inform drivers of the performance, and most importantly, the limitations of Assisted Driving systems.

“The systems that are currently allowed on our roads are there to assist the driver – but do not replace them,” said Matthew Avery, Thatcham’s director of research. “Unfortunately, there are motorists that believe they can purchase a self-driving car today.

This is a dangerous misconception that sees too much control handed to vehicles that are not ready to cope with all situations.

“Clarity is therefore required to make sure drivers understand the capability and performance of current assisted systems. It’s crucial today’s technology is adopted safely before we take the next step on the road to automation. There are safety and insurance implications that must be considered seriously.”

Ten vehicles have been initially assessed, including the Tesla Model 3, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes GLE.

The testing looked at how effective the systems control the car, how the carmaker communicates the capability and functionality of the systems and how well the car protects the driver in an emergency.

Mercedes scored the highest number of points across the three categories, with its GLE model receiving a ‘very good’ rating. The BMW 3 Series and Audi Q8 also scored top marks.

The Ford Kuga’s results showed a ‘good’ grading is possible for a mid-class vehicle, thanks to its combination of Vehicle Assistance and Safety Back-up. The entry-level Renault Clio and Peugeot 2008 offer effective systems, but lack emergency assist capability which would have boosted their grading. 

The Tesla Model 3 was top scorer in the vehicle assistance and safety back-up assessments, but was the lowest scorer for driver engagement, resulting in a ‘moderate’ grading. 

“The first batch of results show some car makers have developed robust assisted driving systems and that’s good to see. But there are also significant gaps in capability on other vehicles,” Avery explained. 

 

“The Tesla Model 3 was the best for vehicle assistance and safety back-up. But lost ground for over selling what its ‘Autopilot’ system is capable of, while actively discouraging drivers from engaging when behind the wheel. 

“Tesla should however be recognised for its ability to update vehicles ‘Over the Air’. Two years ago, it’s safety back up results would not have been market leading. This unique capability has seen it move the safety game on, across its whole fleet of vehicles.”

Assisted Driving Systems test results: 

Position	Car	Vehicle Assistance	Driver Engagement	Safety Back-up	Rating
1	Mercedes GLE	86	85	89	174 / very good
2	BMW 3-Series	82	83	90	172 / very good
3	Audi Q8	83	78	84	162 / very good
4	Ford Kuga	66	73	86	152 / good
5	VW Passat	76	79	61	137 / moderate
6	Tesla Model 3	87	36	95	131 / moderate
7	Nissan Juke	52	70	72	124 / moderate
8	Volvo V60	71	78	49	120 / moderate
9	Renault Clio	62	69	43	105 / entry
10	Peugeot 2008	61	74	40	101 / entry

Martin Milliner, claims director at Liverpool Victoria General Insurance, said: “Assisted driving systems are not all the same and whilst they are becoming commonplace in new vehicles, they are still at an embryonic stage in terms of driver awareness and understanding.

The new independent grading system from Thatcham and Euro NCAP will bust the myths around driverless cars and give UK drivers a lens through which to make informed car buying choices; hopefully leading to fewer accidents and deaths on our roads.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Ofgem is considering introducing new rules, which would allow power companies to switch of electric vehicle (EV) home-chargers during times of high demand.

The measure, which official papers suggest would be implemented as a “last resort”, was discussed at a working group meeting hosted by the Distribution Connection and Use of System Agreement (DCUSA), last month (August 24).

It was attended by Ofgem and representatives from the major energy providers, including EDF Energy, SSE, British Gas and Northern Power Grid.

The Distribution Connection and Use of System Agreement (DCUSA) was established in October 2006 as a multi-party contract between the licensed electricity distributors, suppliers and generators of Great Britain.

A DCUSA report, quoted by Auto Express, argues that, because the electricity network was not designed to accommodate the “significant additional demand” expected from the likes of EV chargers, allowing distributors the “control of consumer devices (such as electric vehicles) connected to smart meter infrastructure” should be allowed, though only as a “last resort, emergency measure”.

A consultation is likely to be released next month (October) to seek industry views and a decision is expected next year.

By 2050, up to 45% of households will actively provide vehicle to grid (V2G) services, according to National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO)’s Future Energy Scenarios.

The rapid growth in the numbers of EVs will mean more demand on local electricity networks if EVs are all plugged in at the same time, such as during the peak between 5pm and 7pm in the evening.

Smart charging, or ‘V1G’, which allows management of the time when EV charging occurs – as trialled by the original Electric Nation project – will help to avoid this situation.

However, V2G charging will be more effective than smart charging. This is due to the ability to link EVs together and put significant levels of energy back into the grid at peak times, like a huge decentralised power station.

V2G therefore aims to help reduce the grid’s need for additional energy generation, typically supplied by fossil fuels at peak times, as well as reducing demand on electricity networks, and allowing EV drivers to use greener and cheaper electricity. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Electric and hybrid cars continued to grow in popularity across Europe in August, representing more than one in five cars sold in the continent.

It’s a new record, according to data analysis firm Jato, and represents a growth of 121% year-on-year.

Hybrids accounted for 49% of electrified vehicle registrations in August, with their volume increasing by 86% thanks to the mild-hybrid technology available in some Ford, Suzuki and Fiat models.

Pure electric cars followed this success, with 48,800 units, an increase of 111%.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) found 44,700 new customers, with registrations up by 283%. This huge increase amounted from the success of premium brands, accounting for 55% of their volume, and the new Ford Kuga.

The Coronavirus pandemic continued to rock the industry in August, however, with the overall number of new cars registered across Europe some 18% behind August 2019.

In total, 881,897 new cars were registered in August 2020, leaving the sector 33% down year-to-date.

Felipe Munoz, global analyst at JATO Dynamics, said: “We continue to say that it is still too early to talk about recovery and the results last month indicate that there are still big issues that need to be addressed in the industry.

Fortunately, the larger drop seen in August was mostly caused by business/fleet registrations, as private registrations only fell by 4%. This is a good indicator that the situation is not as dire as it might seem.”

SUVs accounted for 41% of all registrations in August, with the Peugeot 2008 the best-seller.

Overall, the VW Golf was the most popular car in Europe, amassing more than 22,000 registrations. The Audi A6 topped the executive car segment, while Renault’s Clio was the best-selling supermini.

By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News