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The overwhelming majority of UK motorists support the use of safety camera technology to check for insurance, MOT and road tax offences, claims IAM RoadSmart.

Research, conducted by the road safety charity for its annual Safety Culture Report, revealed that almost nine in 10 (89%) motorists support the idea of safety cameras being used to spot those who flout the rules.

Neil Greig, director of policy and research at IAM RoadSmart, said: “As with previous years, the results from our Safety Culture Report demonstrate that law-abiding citizens are totally in favour of a zero-tolerance approach when it comes to catching those who are a menace to other motorists on UK roads.

“However, despite the vast majority of drivers agreeing for several years now that we should be using the widely available technology, we have at our disposal to catch illegal drivers, many police forces are yet to leverage the equipment to its full capabilities.

“The inconvenience, as well as pain and financial misery uninsured drivers often inflict on other road users should not be overlooked, meaning we should be doing all we can to deter and punish drivers who think the rules don’t apply to them.”

IAM RoadSmart says it is well known that enforcing ‘paperwork’ offences often leads to the detection of other more serious crimes.

“This is why we support drivers in their calls for cameras to be used against those who violate the rules of the road,” added Greig.

Meanwhile, there was also support among respondents for more fines to be handed to those who decide to exceed the speed limit with 82% agreeing that cameras should automatically fine drivers who go more than 10mph over the limit in school zones and urban areas.

There was also support for similar schemes to be enforced for those who decide to exceed the speed limit in residential areas and motorways, albeit to a lesser extent (78% and 64%, respectively).

Greig continued: “Speeding is simply unacceptable, and it’s encouraging to see that the public are largely in support of looking for new ways to identify motorists who are endangering the lives of others.

“Introducing automatic detection will deter drivers who are tempted to speed, which in turn will help reduce the number of casualties on our roads.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

I’ve been banging on about the need to understand that electric cars are vastly different to petrol and diesel cars and not as some suggest an automatic car with a motor instead of an engine. The auto industry has vastly oversimplified the transition to EV’s to the point where lives could be in danger.

Finally, we see Ford making the first move towards dividing there business into two, ICE vehicles and electric vehicles. Here is the article:

Ford has created two new businesses – Ford Blue will focus on internal combustion engine vehicles and Ford Model e will develop its electric vehicle (EV) offering.

Ford President and CEO Jim Farley introduced the Ford+ plan in May 2021, calling it the company’s biggest opportunity for growth and value creation since Henry Ford scaled production of the Model T.

The formation of two distinct, but strategically interdependent, auto businesses – Ford Blue and Ford Model e – together with the new Ford Pro business, will help unleash the full potential of the Ford+ plan, it says.

Farley said: “We have made tremendous progress in a short period of time. We have launched a series of hit products globally and demand for our new EVs like F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E is off the charts.

“But our ambition with Ford+ is to become a truly great, world-changing company again, and that requires focus.

“We are going all in, creating separate but complementary businesses that give us start-up speed and unbridled innovation in Ford Model e together with Ford Blue’s industrial know-how, volume and iconic brands like Bronco, that start-ups can only dream about.”

Driving the change, says the manufacturer, was recognition that different approaches, talents and, ultimately, organisations are required to unleash its development and delivery of electric and digitally connected vehicles and services and fully capitalise on the company’s family of internal combustion vehicles.

The creation of Ford Model e was informed by the success of small, mission-driven Ford teams that developed the Ford GT, Mustang Mach-E SUV and F-150 Lightning pickup as well as Ford’s dedicated EV division in China.

“Ford Model e will be Ford’s center of innovation and growth, a team of the world’s best software, electrical and automotive talent turned loose to create truly incredible electric vehicles and digital experiences for new generations of Ford customers,” Farley said.

“Ford Blue’s mission is to deliver a more profitable and vibrant ICE business, strengthen our successful and iconic vehicle families and earn greater loyalty by delivering incredible service and experiences.

“It’s about harnessing a century of hardware mastery to help build the future. This team will be hellbent on delivering leading quality, attacking waste in every corner of the business, maximising cash flow and optimising our industrial footprint.”

Ford Model e and Ford Blue will be run as distinct businesses, but also support each other – as well as Ford Pro, which is dedicated to delivering a one-stop shop for commercial and government customers with a range of conventional and EVs and a full suite of software, charging, financing, services and support on Ford and non-Ford products.

Ford Model e and Ford Blue will also support Ford Drive mobility.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Harrow Council fined almost 8,000 motorists in less than two years for driving into a 39ft bus lane in London.

The bus lane – not much longer than the length of a double-decker – is situated on a section of Northolt Road in South Harrow, RAC reports.

Data has revealed that 7,854 drivers were caught using the north-west London route illegally between April 2019 and the end of 2021, pocketing the council a total of £442,363.

The scale of the number of fines issued came to light after motorist Geoffrey Ben-Nathan, submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to Harrow Council.

He successfully overturned the fine he received after accidentally driving into the bus lane.

The local authority said it was against the law for motorists to use the lane, but the way the road is laid out and signposted has led some people, including Ben-Nathan, to believe they have been treated unfairly.

The retired businessman argued his case at a tribunal, telling adjudicators that the signage on the approach to the lane is ‘unclear’ and will lead to many other people getting fined.

The tribunal heard that most restrictions along Northolt Road only apply at certain times of the day. But this becomes a 24/7 restriction for the small section of the route at the junction with Alexandra Avenue.

Ben-Nathan, of Northwick Park, said the FOI figures show that most drivers who are caught will “simply pay up”.

RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: “Signage and road layout are crucially important when it comes to enforcing any bus lane, and anywhere a local authority is dishing out a high volume of penalty charge notices for a single location should sound alarm bells about the design of the scheme.”

In its response, Harrow Council said it believes that “the signage here is clear and in accordance with the law”. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Any UK business or motorist who bought or leased a new car, van or truck between October 2006 and September 2015 could be eligible for compensation of up to £60 per vehicle.

The UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) has given the green light to a class action against multiple maritime car carriers who operated an illegal cartel to manipulate car shipping prices.

More than 17 million cars, vans and trucks are said to been affected by a price-fixing scheme run by several international shipping firms.

The proceedings against Nissan Motor Car Carrier Co, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, Eukor Car Carriers Inc and Compañía Sudamericana de Vapores SA were filed in February 2020.

It followed the European Commission’s decision in 2018 to fine these shipping companies €395 million (£329m) for fixed prices and rigged bids for roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) transport of vehicles.

The EC found that the shippers had coordinated rates, allocated tenders, coordinated reductions of capacity in the market and exchanged commercially sensitive information to maintain or increase the price of intercontinental shipping of new vehicles.

When buying or leasing new vehicles, consumers and businesses pay for delivery costs and the class action aims to help that those who were overcharged get their money back.

If the collective action, which has been filed by consumer rights champion Mark McLaren, is successful, anyone who bought or leased an affected vehicle will be automatically entitled to compensation.

Customers affected include those who bought from Ford, Vauxhall, Volkswagen, Peugeot, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Toyota, Citroen and Renault between October 2006 and September 2015.

The claim value is up to £60 per new car bought or leased and class members will be able to claim in respect of more than one vehicle.

McLaren has instructed Scott+Scott UK LLP as solicitors on behalf of consumers and businesses who purchased or leased new cars or vans, to proceed to trial.

He said: “The CPO (Collective Proceedings Order) is a crucial step in our case, and we are delighted at the CAT’s decision to authorise our claim to move forward.

“We look forward to securing compensation for the millions of UK consumers impacted by the cartelists’ illegal behavior.”

The claim, estimated to be worth £150 million, seeks to recover damages for individual customers and businesses who overpaid for their car as a result of higher delivery charges.

This differs, says McLaren, differs from earlier claims filed in relation to the RoRo cartel that represented car manufacturers.

David Scott, of Scott+Scott UK LLP, said: “This is an important judgment for class members, but also for the UK collective actions regime as a whole.

“When granting the collective proceedings order, the Tribunal correctly noted that collective proceedings such as this claim are important for ensuring that wrongdoers like the shipping companies modify their behaviour.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The latest Government data suggests that more than one in six speeding offences detected by police forces in England and Wales ends up being cancelled.

During 2020-21, some 2,426,950 cases of speeding were recorded by constabularies in the two countries and later reported to the Home Office. However, 404,335 (17%) of these were later cancelled.

Analysis by the RAC Foundation analysis suggests that in 2019-20, there were 330,623 cancellations, 13% of the 2,584,571 speeding offences detected in that year.

The reasons why offences go on to be cancelled is not recorded but could involve faulty or incorrectly calibrated speed cameras, cloned vehicles carrying a false number plate; emergency vehicles lawfully breaking the speed limit whilst driving with blue lights; a delay in issuing notices of intended prosecution; or a lack of resources to bring cases to court.

Of the instances of speeding that didn’t get cancelled almost one million (977,587) – 40% of the 2,426,950 total – were disposed of with a speed awareness course; 762,336 (31%) ended in a fixed penalty notice; and 233,080 (10%) ended in court action.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “It is correct that drivers caught speeding should face the consequences, but it is also important that the systems of detection and prosecution are robust.

“The hundreds of thousands of ‘cancelled’ offences each year indicate they are not. At the very least it is an administrative burden the police could do without.

“We urge the Home Office to start collecting data from police forces about these cancelled offences so we can understand where the problem lies.”

The highest proportions of speeding cases that ended up being cancelled were seen in Greater Manchester and Warwickshire, both at 39%.

Wiltshire had the lowest proportion of speeding offences cancelled at just 2%. Wiltshire also detected the lowest number of speeding drivers (912), probably because it has no fixed speed cameras.

The 2,426,950 speeding cases detected in 2020-21 – a period which included travel restrictions imposed to combat Covid – was down 6% on the previous year.

However, the annual fall in traffic volume was greater, down 26% across Great Britain (259 billion vehicle miles driven in 2020-21 compared with 352 billion vehicle miles in 2019-20).

The vast majority (96%) of speeding offences were detected by cameras.

There also continues to be large disparities between forces in the number of speeding offences detected.

The top five forces for speeding offence detection in 2020-21 were:

Metropolitan Police Service and City of London – 262,280 (up 22% compared with 2019-20)

West Yorkshire – 180,432 (+2%)

Greater Manchester – 178,123 (+13%)

Lincolnshire – 123,533 (+90%) – however, news reports suggest at least 19,000 drivers were wrongly identified as committing an offence because of a camera error

Thames Valley – 100,622 (-19%)

The constabulary-level variations in detection rates are likely to be for a variety of reasons, including: length of the road network, road type, traffic volume and makeup, local priorities dictated by police and crime commissioners, financial and human resources, and the availability of detection technology.

Dr Adam Snow, a lecturer at the Law School of Liverpool John Moores University, who worked on the report, said: “Police forces and local authorities are seeing number plate cloning as a growing problem.

“With the increasing reliance on camera enforcement for clean air zones and moving traffic violations there is some evidence to suggest more motorists are seeing this as an acceptable response even though it is fraud.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The Treasury is being urged to cut VAT on electricity to 5% for public charge points to match the rates that homeowners with their own charging posts benefit from.

The AA says that more should be done to help electric vehicle (EV) drivers without access to off-street parking who cannot benefit from home charging at preferential rates.

It is estimated that about 40% of households do not have access to off-street parking or are in rental accommodation so are not able to charge their EV at home. 

Edmund King, AA president and an EV driver, is concerned that a two-tier system could emerge where the 40% of households without dedicated off-street parking pay considerably more to charge than those with a driveway, garage or parking space.

“More on-street residential charging options are essential as drivers won’t always want to travel to a rapid charging station,” he said.

“Cutting VAT on public charging to 5% in residential and urban areas so it mirrors tax rates on domestic energy would be a good start and make EV ownership more affordable for those without off-street parking.”

The AA’s call for a cut in VAT for electricity from public charge echoes that of FairCharge, which launched earlier this month.

FairCharge says EV owners who are not able to charge at home pay four times more tax for their electricity from public on-street networks.

Currently, VAT on domestic electricity is charged at 5% whereas those using public charge points have to pay 20% VAT.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The rollout of rapid and ultra-rapid chargers is failing to keep pace with the installation of less powerful public electric vehicle (EV) charge points, new data suggests. 

Less than a fifth (17%) of new installations last year were either rapid or ultra-rapid devices, according to RAC analysis of Government statistics.

The number of public EV chargers increased by 7,600 – a rise of 37% – in 2021, and by a further 604 in January 2022, taking the total in the UK to 28,979.

As of the start of this month, 5,279 – or 18% – of all public chargers were rapid or ultra-rapid devices, leaving motorists in most cases having to rely on the 23,700 non-rapid chargers when away from home.

What’s more, the number of faster chargers as a proportion of all the chargers installed reduced by 1% year-on-year.

While 6,324 non-rapid chargers were installed during 2021, nearly double the number than the year before (96% more), just 1,276 new rapid or ultra-rapid chargers were put in over the same period – which is only 21% more than were installed in 2020.

The RAC believes that as well as helping drivers for whom home charging isn’t possible make the switch to electric, having sufficient rapid and ultra-rapid chargers – ideally as part of charging hubs across the country – is also important in making it easier for electric car drivers to make longer trips.

RAC director of EVs, Sarah Winward-Kotecha, welcomed the increase in new public chargers for electric cars. Between October and December alone, nearly 2,500 were installed, which is the highest ever number fitted in any three-month period.

“Having enough public chargers is vital to encouraging the mass take-up of electric cars, but that’s only one part of the jigsaw – the speed of these chargers is also extremely important,” she said.

“The greater the number of truly rapid chargers, the easier charging becomes on longer trips and the more often charging spaces can be turned over and used by other drivers.”

The RAC analysis comes after a call from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) for a new regulator called Ofcharge to govern targets and ensure every part of the country has accessible, available and affordable charging for their EV.

Part of a new seven-point plan, published on Wednesday (February 15), the automotive trade body says that, while most current plug-in car drivers charge at home, public charge points remain critical to consumer confidence and are still relied upon by many fleets, as well as the third of British households that do not have designated off-street parking.

Winward-Kotecha said: “From a convenience perspective, having the fastest possible public chargers available to drivers really is a win-win charging experience – providing they are priced fairly.

“These latest figures show we still have a long way to go. The number of public chargers isn’t keeping pace with the volume of new electric cars coming onto the road, and only a minority of devices being installed are rapid or ultra-rapid.

“This creates a real problem for motorists who rely on the public network because they can’t charge at home. And while slow chargers are fine for somebody who leaves their car at an office while they’re at work, they’re a lot less helpful in other places like supermarkets where a driver’s vehicle will be parked for a shorter period.

“What we don’t want to see are queues for charge points becoming a common sight as the electric revolution gathers pace.”

In order to speed up the switch to electric cars by removing many of the barriers currently facing drivers, the RAC has helped found the FairCharge campaign.

FairCharge aims to ensure the environmental, economic and social benefits of the electric car revolution are properly harnessed by pushing key EV issues to the forefront of the political agenda such as the cost, availability and speed of charging as well as battery range and the affordability of switching to an electric car.

By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

A new regulator called Ofcharge is being proposed to govern targets and ensure every part of the country has accessible, available and affordable charging for their electric vehicle (EV).

Part of a new seven-point plan, published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) today (Wednesday, February 15), the automotive trade body says that, while most current plug-in car drivers charge at home, public charge points remain critical to consumer confidence and are still relied upon by many fleets, as well as the third of British households that do not have designated off-street parking.

The plan, designed to drive collaboration between Government, industry and all other stakeholders, calls for mandated targets for infrastructure rollout, backed by an independent regulator to keep consumers at the heart of planning.

“Range anxiety has been replaced by charging anxiety,” Mike Hawes, SMMT

The new regulatory body, ‘Ofcharge’ (the Office of Charging), would monitor the market, including charging price levels and affordability, and to enforce regulated minimum standards.

The SMMT says that this would keep the consumer at the heart of infrastructure planning and rollout to ensure every region of the UK is in readiness for the end of sale of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030, with a unified approach bringing together drivers, charge point operators, energy companies and local authorities. 

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, explained: “Our plan puts the consumer at the heart of this transition, assuring them of the best possible experience backed by an independent regulator.

“With clear, equivalent targets and support for operators and local authorities that match consumer needs, Government can ensure the UK has a charge point network that makes electric mobility a reality for all, cutting emissions, driving growth and supporting consumers across the UK.”

Drivers face a growing regional divide in charge point availability. At the end of 2020, the ratio of electric cars to standard public chargers was 1:37 in the north of England, compared with 1:26 in the south – and in 2021, the ratio deteriorated significantly in the North to 1:52, compared with 1:30 in the south.

The SMMT is proposing a nationally coordinated and locally delivered infrastructure plan that puts the needs of consumers first, while also giving charge point operators and local authorities certainty to install the right number of the right chargers in the right places ahead of need, across every part of the UK.

Since 2011, Government, local authorities and the charging infrastructure sector have successfully delivered a 3,000% increase in the number of standard public charge points, and the UK’s provision of one rapid charger per 32 battery electric vehicles is the best in the Western world, behind only China (1:11), South Korea (1:12) and Japan (1:17), says the SMMT. 

However, as demand for EVs has surged – accounting for more than one in six new cars in 2021 – standard public charging infrastructure has struggled to keep pace.

Plug-in cars on the road grew by 280.3% between 2019 and 2021, but standard charge points increased by just 69.8% over the same period.

Meanwhile, the SMMT says that battery electric cars in the parc rose by 586.8%, whereas rapid/ultra-rapid charger stock grew by only 82.3%.

Hawes said: “The automotive industry is up for the challenge of a zero-emission new car and van market by 2035.

“Delivering this ambition – an ambition that would put the UK ahead of every major market in the world – needs more than automotive investment. It needs the commensurate commitment of all other stakeholders, especially the charging industry as surveys show that range anxiety has been replaced by charging anxiety.”

Investments are being made in public charging with the Government’s Rapid Charging Fund allocating £950 million to rapid and ultra-rapid charge points, £620m for zero-emission vehicle grants and infrastructure announced in the Net Zero Strategy, and a commitment that all new build homes will include an electric vehicle charging point.

Chris Pateman-Jones, CEO of Connected Kerb, says that regional disparities in public electric vehicle charging rollouts must not prevent drivers from realising the huge benefits of driving electric.

“Only by overcoming these disparities can we achieve a fair and equal transition to cleaner transport,” he said.

“We welcome the SMMT’s call for new standards that would guarantee social equity in provision of charge points and ensure no one is left behind in the UK’s electric vehicle transition.

“Councils and developers can often be put off installing electric vehicle charge points due to the perceived high up-front costs of installation and a lack of transparency over network performance and driver tariffs.

“Any new regulator should seek to cut through this confusion and encourage the use of large scale, long term contracts that measure operator performance, not only against economic, but also social and environmental targets.

“For the UK to deliver a full societal transition to EV, access to convenient, reliable and affordable charging infrastructure must be removed as a barrier to adoption, no matter where in the UK you happen to live.”

Fleet Evolution founder and managing director, Andrew Leech supports the SMMT’s seven-point plan. He said: “While manufacturers have made great strides with new electric models, with more than 50 set to be launched this year alone, there has been precious little co-ordinated activity on chargepoints to meet the growing demand.

“At a time when many companies right across the country are looking to go electric, they are being held back by a lack of investment in public chargepoints and especially in our largest northern cities.

“A major concern is kerbside and lamp post charging as this is a significant problem area for the 40% of us who can’t charge at home.”

A recent EV attitude survey that Fleet Evolution carried out in conjunction with Aston University revealed that the factors that made people hesitate in making the transition to EVs, were 36% cost, 28% range anxiety and 25% lack of public charging.

Charging infrastructure was an area where lack of detailed knowledge was clearly apparent, with some 67% of those surveyed saying they did not live within five minutes of a public chargepoint.

by Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Hyundai is introducing a new 77.5kWh battery for its retro-styled Ioniq 5, replacing the existing 73kWh unit.

The updated car will be available to order from April, although deliveries won’t take place until 2023.

A new battery conditioning function is also being introduced, which, combined with the extra capacity, could see a range of more than 300 miles from the new variant.

Hyundai will continue to offer the Ioniq 5 with a 58kWh battery, alongside the newcomer.

“Ioniq 5 has proved to be highly successful in the 12 months since its launch, both in terms of sales and brand building,” said Andreas-Christoph Hofmann, vice president marketing and product at Hyundai Motor Europe. “The segment is growing increasingly competitive, and we will be offering enhanced features to defend our position as technology leader in the automotive industry.”

For the first time, the updated Ioniq 5 will be available with video-based digital interior and exterior mirrors. The Digital Centre Mirror (DCM) uses a camera installed below IONIQ 5’s rear spoiler to provide an unobstructed, panoramic rear-facing view of the car.

Digital side mirrors will also be available, using cameras mounted on the side of the car.

The new battery conditioning feature will enable the car to automatically adapt its battery temperature while travelling to ensure optimal charging conditions when reaching a charging point. Hyundai says this will improve real-life charging performance in hot or cold ambient conditions.

Smart Frequency Dampers (SFD) will improve the response of the rear axle suspension to increase ride comfort as well as improving both body control and handling.

Prices and specifications for the new Ioniq 5 will be released when order books open in the spring.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

From areas such as charging to driver behaviour to tax considerations, the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is having widespread implications on how fleets are managed.

These changes also include tyre policies.

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) tend to be heavier than their internal combustion engine (ICE)  counterparts and the instant torque their motors deliver also places extra strain on the tyres.

In addition, a low rolling resistance is key to maximising a vehicle’s range.

These demands have led tyre manufacturers to develop BEV-specific tyres which, as well as meeting these requirements, also aim to reduce noise to capitalise on the refinement EVs offer.

These tyres tend to be fitted as standard by car and van makers, but they mean that fleet decision-makers operating BEVs need to ensure their tyre management policies take these considerations into account.

“Tyres are an extremely sophisticated piece of technology which we all too commonly take for  granted,” says Stuart Jackson, chair of tyre safety charity TyreSafe.

“However, drivers of BEVs must be aware of how different they could be to those on other cars, and, when it’s time to replace the original tyres, owners need to ensure they are buying the right specification.”

Kwik Fit recommends fleets adopt a like-for-like replacement policy wherever possible, due to BEV tyre development still being in its relative infancy.

“There may be constraints on homologated tyre availability in the short term as tyre manufacturers scale to meet the demand,” says Dan Joyce, fleet director at Kwik Fit.

“As the EV car parc grows, we will see tyre manufacturers increase their development of nonoriginal equipment (OE) alternatives to homologated options and as more data becomes available, we will work with our fleet customers to include these within their policies wherever suitable.”

While there are now new factors to consider when considering a tyre management policy, the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) warns fleet decision-makers not to overlook the basics.

“The fundamentals of good practice remain the same as for any other approach to tyre management,”says Lorna McAtear, AFP board member and fleet manager at National Grid. “This means safety is the guiding principle and the written policy should be based around factors such as minimum tread depths and regular visual checks.”

Here, we look at four key questions facing fleet operators when it comes to BEV tyre policies.

What are the differences between BEV and ICE tyres?

There are some key technological differences between BEV-specific and non-BEV-specific tyres.

“Ultimately, reduced weight, minimal rolling resistance, low noise emissions and an aerodynamic sidewall are the key components of a good, well-developed EV tyre,” says Martin Towers, sales director at Micheldever Fleet Solutions.

The lighter weight can increase efficiency and a premium is placed on noise reduction due to the refinement levels offered by BEVs, while tyre manufacturers are also focusing on getting the balance right between grip and rolling resistance.

“We’ve developed a number of technologies affecting the tyre which can extend an EV’s driving range,” says Jaap van Wessum, sales general manager consumer UK & Ireland at Goodyear.

“This includes the material properties of the tread compound, which have been tuned for ultra-low rolling resistance to extend the vehicle range while coping with high levels of torque.

“The sidewall has also been designed to reduce aerodynamic drag and the profile yields less rotating mass, which, in turn, reduces the energy consumption.”

How does BEV tyre wear compare with that of ICE vehicles?

One of the benefits of running BEVs compared with diesel or petrol is their reduced service and maintenance costs due to their much lower number of moving parts, but some claim that tyre wear will be greater.

This is supported by analysis from Kwik Fit, which has found average front tyre wear across all fleet segments in 2020 was 4% greater for BEVs than ICE vehicles.

This was based on the number of miles driven by vehicles when their tyre tread depth had reached 2mm.

At this point, an ICE vehicle had travelled an average 24,644 miles, PHEVs 24,196 miles and BEVs 23,766 miles.

“It’s important to note that the sample size for this data varies significantly between powertrain types, so this is really only a high-levelexample of tread wear, but we are seeing the tyres on EVs requiring a slightly earlier change,” says Kwik Fit’s Joyce.

Van Wessum adds: “Due to the heavier battery, tyres on EVs tend to wear down considerably faster than those on vehicles powered by ICE.”

What are the effects of fitting non-BEV-specific tyres to a BEV?

Safety charity Tyresafe warns BEV owners that fitting a non-BEV-specific tyre could result in loss of range, increased noise, accelerated wear and the risk of failing while being driven, which could result in a serious incident.

Micheldever’s Towers adds: “Firstly, (non-BEV-specific tyres) will certainly reduce the range the vehicle will be able to travel between charges and this will be true whether you are fitting single, axle pair or full set replacements.

“Secondly, and this is particularly an issue with single replacement due to damage, replacing a BEV-specific tyre with a standard product will cause handling issues.

“This is mainly due to the weight of the tyres, but can also be as a result of the difference in grip, as EV tyres will have far better rolling resistance characteristics than standard ones.”

Towers adds there may also be a greater requirement within the EV market to ensure the tread depth on tyres on the same axle does not have too big a differential, as this could also cause handling issues.

“From a regulation and legality perspective, what’s important is to fit tyres that are the correct size, load index and speed index applications,” he adds. “Something EV drivers should pay particular attention to, however, is the importance of routine tyre inspections.”

Brian Porteous, technical manager at Michelin, wants to see more data from “everyday journeys” before he forms a definitive opinion on the impact of fitting non-BEV-specific tyres to BEVs.

“Some BEVs have larger diameter tyres to help reduce rolling resistance, with fewer revolutions and less flexing leading theoretically to reduced tyre wear,” he says.

“However, the torque in BEVs is typically higher than for ICE vehicles and they tend to spend more time in urban environments, both of which increase wear.

“For now, it looks like tyre wear rates will likely continue to be dictated by driving style, road conditions and the type of journey, just as they have always been.”

British Gas fits all its vans with non-BEVspecific Michelin CrossClimate tyres for the all-year round grip they offer and has found they last more than twice as long on BEVs than on diesels.

“Lots of people say you use loads of tyres on BEVs because they’re much heavier, but we’re not. It has gone the other way around,” says Steve Winter, British Gas head of fleet.

“We’re seeing far less tyre wear to the extent that we had Michelin check our tyres because we wanted to be absolutely certain that we were right.

“We reckon our tyres go on now for the best part of 40,000 miles, when previously we’d been seeing them lasting 15,000 miles on a diesel van.”

Winter thinks part of this may be because the company is switching from Volkswagen Caddy diesel vans to larger Vauxhall e-Vivaro BEV models – so, instead of using car tyres, their new vehicles use van tyres, which are bigger and have stiffer sidewalls.

“I think the pure electric drivetrains are also a bit more gentle on tyres, because of the way they take up drive, the way it steers and manoeuvres,” he adds.

“I also think our engineers drive their BEVs more carefully because they want to maximise their range so they can get home at night.”

What about special tyres for plug-in hybrid vehicles?

Unlike for BEVs, tyre manufacturers do not make PHEV-specific products, although they may be fitted with tyres with a higher load rating compared with ICE vehicles to reflect their greater weight.

However, Towers believes fleets certainly need to be “more aware” of the tyres that they are fitting to their PHEVs.

“I believe that they need to have a more product-led approach,” he says.

“This means choosing what is right for the vehicle rather than the generic fleet ‘one sizes fits all’ approach we are currently seeing for ICE vehicles.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News