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Almost a third (28%) of working adults are still hybrid working with one-in-six (16%) solely working from home, potentially increasing an employer’s grey fleet risk.

Venson Automotive Solutions says that if an employee’s place of work clause in their contract has changed to home working, their privately owned car will automatically join the ranks of the grey fleet, when used for work related travel.

Employers who are unaware of their legal obligations to ensure staff owned vehicles used for work related travel are properly maintained and legally compliant, may be unknowingly missing duty of care requirements, it warns. 

Simon Staton, client management director of Venson Automotive Solutions, explained: “Employers have a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of their employees.

“With around half (49%) of UK drivers admitting to skipping essential servicing and vehicle repairs amidst the cost-of-living crisis, it is more important than ever that processes are in place to manage aspects such as driver licence checking, insurance validity, vehicle condition and mileage audit amongst grey fleet vehicles.

“Businesses and fleet managers, therefore, need to review their Driving for Work policies as working from home looks set to stay for some businesses.”

It is not only service and maintenance of grey fleets that businesses must consider. Grey fleet vehicles are often older than company owned cars so can contribute disproportionately to a company’s carbon footprint.

By promoting workplace benefits like salary sacrifice schemes, not only can employees make savings over a retail deal for electric vehicle, but the implementation of such an arrangement supports the ‘green’ agenda for businesses, says Venson.

“Of course, for many employees, buying a new car is a stretch just now,” said Staton. “The key benefits of salary sacrifice, however, include a fixed all-inclusive monthly fee so drivers don’t get unexpected maintenance costs.

“Employees also get National Insurance savings, ‘hassle-free’ acquisition, with no credit check or deposit needed and fleet discounts and for some organisations a beneficial VAT position reflected in monthly costs.”

He concluded: “With hybrid and homeworking becoming a permanent fixture more cars risk edging into the grey fleet.

“Business owners and fleet management teams must keep on top of this to ensure they are not putting their firm or employee at risk, especially with an aging, less well-maintained UK car parc.

“They might also want to consider alternative options like rental or EV pool cars for those occasional driving for work employees.

“It all helps to cut the burden of managing a grey fleet and reduces CO2 emissions at the same time.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

A record number of drivers ended up in the dock accused of speeding last year, but drug driving and mobile phone prosecutions fell.

Analysis of the 2022 Criminal Justice Statistics carried out by the AA, reveal that almost a quarter of a million drivers (245,043) appeared in court accused of speeding last year, the highest since records began.

The number of drink-driving cases brought to court also rose during 2022, up by 1.8% to 33,099.

However, the AA’s analysis shows that there was a 16% reduction in cases of drug driving and a 15.5% fall in drivers pursued in the courts for using a handheld mobile phone behind the wheel.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the AA, said: “These figures serve as a reminder of the huge consequences both poor and illegal driving can result in.

“Those willing to gamble when behind the wheel should think again.

“Some may say that record speeding cases are just a reflection of too many cameras, but speeding can be life ending and life changing, so it is only right that those excessive speeders are properly punished.

“While the number of cases for using a handheld mobile phone behind the wheel and drug driving have fallen, we are not fully convinced that this is due to improved compliance.

“Our own studies show that a quarter of drivers regularly see others picking up a phone when behind the wheel, meanwhile a reduction in dedicated traffic officers means some drivers feel they can get away with certain behaviours.”

The analysis also showed that more than 55,500 cases were heard for vehicles being on the road without tax, a 12.3% increase compared to the previous year.

Similarly, more than 101,057 people found themselves in court for failing to supply information after being required to do so by the police, up from 96,799 in 2021.

Last year, 83,100 drivers were in court for driving without insurance, down 11,000 cases compared to 2021, while more than 3,000 drivers stood accused of driving without a valid MOT.

In total 710,738 cases came to court for motoring offences last year with 642,236 resulting in a conviction. This means that nine out of 10 motoring cases that end up in court result in a guilty verdict, showing that drivers are highly unlikely to be acquitted.

I would ask the question – Are the number of drug convictions and using a mobile phone whilst driving down because of a lack of police? If that’s the case the lack of police makes the rise in drink driving convictions look even worse. Speeding can be caught on cameras but to charge a drink, drug or mobile phone abuser we need a law enforcement officer so the situation could be very much worse than the situation reported. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

This Piece was aimed at companies with fleets of company vehicles but with so many great tips included I felt the need to include it in with my newsletters. I particularly support the ‘Splash and Dash’ way of charging your car. Firstly it frees chargers up and as you pump in more electricity into the batteries as they fill up the charge rate slows down. Onto the piece:

Charging is regularly identified as one of the biggest concerns both organisations and drivers have over the transition to electric vehicles.

After all, a battery electric vehicle with a flat battery is unusable while, without proper planning, they could spend a significant amount of time during the day being charged instead of being put to work.

This means a robust charging strategy which includes when and how BEVs are charged is a must.

There will be no one-size-fits-all answer for this: it will not be the same for all organisations and will likely not be different for different vehicles on the same fleet.

An important first step is to assess the duty cycles of BEVs and their range, and match them to the available charging options. It may be that vehicles do not need to be charged every day.

For organisations which operate a back-to-base model where vehicles are left at a central site overnight, it makes a lot of sense to install workplace charging infrastructure so they can be plugged in when parked up, ready to be used the following morning.

Workplace charging can also be used during the day by company car drivers who commute to work or travel between company premises, as well as other employees who drive EVs.

If employees take their EVs home at night and they have off-road parking, it may be possible for them to have a charge point installed at their dwelling and plug their vehicle in there.

However, when that is not possible – it is estimated that between 30% and 40% of UK households do not have a drive – or if a BEV needs to do long-distance journeys, then the charging strategy should also include the public charging network.

The use of telematics and route optimisation software makes planning where drivers charge much easier, as they can show the location and type of chargers in relation to the vehicle route.

The technologies can also allow organisations to time charging to coincide with drivers’ breaks, minimising disruption to the working day.

Telematics can also be used to confirm that employees are rapid charging to 80% and not lingering to slow charge to 100%, which is seen as the most productive balance of work availability against charging time.

Organisations also often try to minimise use of using rapid charging on the public network as it is the most expensive option, and low operating costs are an essential part of their electrification objectives.

Additionally, in cases where there is limited charging provision such as in remote areas, telematics means work can be planned around the few charge points that are available, making EVs usable in places where there might otherwise be difficulties.

Here we look at the three charging options, the challenges surrounding them and how they can be used by fleets.

Workplace/depot charging

Most organisations will look to install some workplace charging, even if it is only a handful of points to support electric company car drivers or visitors.

For fleets where vehicles are left on-site overnight, the charging provision will need to be much larger.

In both instances, an organisation needs to consider a number of factors when installing workplace charging infrastructure.

Firstly, if the site is leased, then the organisation will need to speak to the landlord to gain permission to carry out the work.

It also needs to consider how many charge points are needed. To determine this, a company will need to consider the number of EVs operated both currently and in the future, the number of available parking bays and the available budget for the installation.

It also needs to consider what speed of charger is required and this will depend largely on the amount of time the vehicle is parked.

If it can be charged overnight, for example, a slow charger may be sufficient, but if the required turnaround is faster, a rapid charge point may be needed to give them the extra range to fulfil all tasks

Consider also the speed with which the vehicle can draw the charge. It varies considerably and ultimately limits how fast the vehicle battery can take on the power.

There are also big differences in the cost of buying and installing charge points. For example, a 7kW charge point capable of charging two vehicles at the same time can cost around £2,000 to install, while a 150kW rapid charger is upwards of £35,000.

An organisation should also assess the electricity supply to the premises to check it has the capacity to power all of the chargers needed.

If it doesn’t, two main options exist. A smart charging system could be used and this will be able to spread or reduce the speed of the charging sessions but still ensure all vehicles are ready when they need to be.

However, if this is not suitable – for example, if all the vehicles have a short turnaround before they need to be used again so need to be charged at the same time – then an upgraded substation may be required at the site.

Before April 2023 the organisation was responsible for footing the considerable bill, but Ofgem has ruled the cost now has to be spread across the electricity distribution sector instead.

Organisations are still responsible for any groundworks needed on their sites, and this will influence the location of any charge points as the more digging which is needed to lay cables, the more expensive the install becomes.

The closer charge points are to the site’s power supply, the less groundwork needs to be carried out.

Typically, this will be found within a main building, which is why charge points tend to be adjacent to it rather than in the middle of a car park.

Government help towards the cost of installing workplace charging is available.

Its Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) has so far assisted more than 7,000 businesses and the grants cover up to 75% of the total costs of the purchase and installation of EV charge points, capped at a maximum of £350 per socket and 40 sockets across all sites per applicant.

Organisations can also claim up to the full amount, but slowly roll out the installation of chargers: they do not all have to be installed at the same time.

This means an organisaton could choose one or two sites to trial the full process of planning and installing chargers, and gather data on potential usage for when it rolls them out further.

A further decision to take is whether it should charge drivers for using the charge points.

For vehicles which are used purely for work purposes, the answer is obviously no, but it is more complicated for drivers who do not have job-need vehicles, such as many company car drivers or other employees who have their own BEV.

For these, there are no benefit-in-kind tax implications if an organisation wishes to provide free charging to them as electricity is not classed as a vehicle fuel by HMRC.

However, an organisation may not wish to pay for EV charging at scale so can set a fee for usage.

This could see drivers being billed for either the amount of electricity used or the length of time a vehicle has been plugged in.

Who is using the workplace charge points, when and for how long can be managed through groups on media channels such as shared calendars, WhatsApp or MS Teams, while drivers who stay in a charging bay for too long could be charged an increased amount to deter this.

Charge points can be operated by staff RFID (radio-frequency identification) cards, apps or contactless cards provided by the company which installs and manages the units.

Home charging

For many organisations, having employees charging at home will be the most convenient and cost-effective option.

The cost of electricity will be lower at a domestic premises than at a commercial one, while it will usually also mean the employee does not need to spend any time during working hours charging.

However, this option will not suit all organisations or drivers. As previously stated, it is estimated that between 30% and 40% of UK households do not have off-street parking where they could install a charge point, but in reality the number will be higher due to the practical challenges of installing points in rented accommodation or where parking spaces are not adjacent to the building.

Organisations have also found that some drivers who do have suitable off-street parking and take their vans home at night are unwilling to park them on their driveway if it means leaving their own car on the roadside.

Some employers either provide or contribute towards the cost of a home charge point to incentivise drivers to take BEVS and make the transition as easy as possible.

Some leasing companies can also include the provision of a home charge point as part of a vehicle finance agreement.

The decision whether to supply a home charge point to an employee is also influenced by if the vehicle is a perk or a job-need one. Employers tend to feel they have more of an obligation to provide a home charge point for those workers who need their vehicle to carry out their role.

Home charge points are either 3.7kW or 7kW, depending on the electricity supply to the house, and typically cost between £800 and £1,000.

Public charging network

The public charging infrastructure has a key role to play in the successful uptake of BEVs, whether the driver does not have access to another form of charging or if it is used by motorists for a top-up during longer journeys, for example.

However, it does come under a lot of fire for being inadequate for current and future needs.

Latest Zap-Map figures show that there were 40,496 public charging devices in 23,902 locations in March, a 35% increase on 12 months ago. More than 7,500 of these charge points are rapid or ultra-rapid.

However, the number of chargers which will ultimately be needed is unknown, and estimates vary.

For example, in its Taking Charge: The Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy report, the Government said the UK will probably need at least 300,000 by 2030, while the Society for Motor Manufacturers puts the figure at 2.3 million.

Equally important as the overall number of chargers is their location. Department for Transport analysis shows the spread is not uniform throughout the UK, with London and Scotland having much better coverage than regions such as the North West, the Midlands and the South West.

Public charge points fall into three main categories: high-speed on-route and charging hubs, destination chargers and on-street provision.

The high-speed facilities tend to be on or near trunk roads, while the destination charger description covers those found at supermarkets, shopping centres and cinemas: places where the vehicle could be left for several hours while its occupants take part in another activity.

On-street charge points are those, for example, installed in lampposts or on the side of the road and have slower charging rates as they are intended for people to park up and use overnight.

A consistent issue over the public charging network is payment, with traditional concerns over the number of different apps, accounts and RFID cards people need to use charge points from different operators.

This issue still exists but the situation has improved in recent years. The Government has, for example, mandated that users should be able to use contactless payment at rapid charge points.

A number of companies also offer products similar to the traditional fuel card, which allows a driver to use charge points owned by different operators to pay using a single card.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Nine out of 10 local authorities are yet to implement an electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure strategy, with a lack of time cited as the biggest barrier.

In a study conducted by charge point operator Believ, council representatives added to growing concerns that the rollout of public charge points is falling well behind the Government’s ambition to deliver 300,000 by 2030.

Time was cited as the biggest barrier (63%), followed by lack of funding (40%) and then councillor pushback, though the numbers were small (6%).  Almost all (98%) expected it would take more than 12 months to roll out an EV charging infrastructure strategy across their local authority.

A nationwide survey, conducted by Believ in 2022, found that only 14% of local authorities in the UK have dedicated resource for implementing new EV infrastructure. It also found that a lack of funding and guidance from central Government means local authorities can only allocate 15 hours per week to EV projects.

The latest findings come in the context of new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and published in The Times that show that in some areas of the UK there are up to 85 EVs competing for a single charge point, and pressure is mounting for local authorities to prioritise the switch to electric.

Perran Moon, interim CEO at Believ, said the recent findings are reflective of the situation on the ground and a lack of urgency in the roll out of vital EV infrastructure.

He added: “Our findings suggest that there is still clearly a hesitancy due to lack of time and lack funding by local authorities to begin the process of rolling out charge point infrastructure. And crucially, local authority’s need the support, expertise, and guidance from charge point operators.”

A separate study, in March, found that nearly half of local authorities believe it will take less than a year to install electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, when it actually takes closer to three.

Liberty Charge found that 85% of local authorities believe it will take less than two years to install EV charging infrastructure, including charge point strategy creation. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The cost of off-peak slow public charging has dropped more than 10% in the past month to 33p/kWh, according to the May 2023 AA EV Recharge report.

Peak and off-peak rates for faster chargers continue to soar, however.

The end of government support for businesses providing charging, under the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS), has reversed reductions in off-peak and peak faster charging costs.

While some providers have been unable to carry the increased energy costs for too long, AA said it is hoped that this is a short-term blip and that faster charging costs can drop later in the year.

Peak rates for rapid chargers have reached almost £1 per kWh. In a larger EV, that means it would cost around £40 to add 100 miles of charge.

Peak slow charging (up to 7kW) dropped by more than a quarter, from 72p to 53p kWh. Off-peak charging at the slow rate outside a home is now on average below the Energy Price Guarantee of 34p/kWh.

With the Energy Price Guarantee extended until June 30, the AA says kerbside operators have changed tack to better reflect the offering available to electric vehicle (EV) owners with dedicated off-street parking using a specialist EV tariff provided by their energy supplier.

This new drop in charging costs outside homes comes as the eight-month fall in average petrol pump prices ends.

In the past fortnight, petrol has risen from a low of 143.04p a litre to 143.47p, having been in freefall from 166.54p a litre at the end of October.

For those EV owners using flat-rate tariffs, costs remain largely static.

The standard variable tariff for domestic electricity rates will be lowered to 30p/kWh from July 1. The reduction is down from the current 34p/kWh which has been in place since October 1, 2022.

Drivers support equalisation of VAT

A policy which drivers are keen to see equalised is the rate of VAT when charging in the public realm.

Domestic charging VAT is valued at 5% but increases to 20% away from home.

A survey of more than 11,500 drivers carried out last week by the AA found that more than half of drivers (56%) feel that VAT on public charging should be reduced to the 5% domestic energy VAT rate, with the AA calling for the Chancellor to act accordingly in his upcoming Budget this autumn.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: “Drivers without a driveway looking to switch to an EV will be happy to see off-peak kerbside charging now cheaper than the Energy Price Guarantee.

“This means they will feel some of the benefit EV owners with dedicated off-street parking have.

“While the vast majority of EV charging is carried out at home, for those travelling further afield the rise in prices for faster charging has damped the good news.

“We hope this is a minor blip as electricity prices are predicted to fall later this year. Savvy EV drivers heading on a summer road trip should plan their charging stops at cheaper locations or time their journey so they can take advantage of off-peak rates.

“This only highlights why reducing VAT on public charging from 20% to 5% is so crucial in helping more people switch to electric cars. The Chancellor can deliver some positive and popular news at the Budget and we urge him to do so.” 

Graham Hill Comments: What a load of tripe and a waste of time. Spend time campaigning for better roads, safer batteries, less distracting in-car technology rather than waste it campaigning for a reduction of VAT charged on public chargers. I don’t know a single person who is waiting for the drop in VAT before getting herself an electric car. And what about company car drivers (the main users of public chargers) who claim back all the VAT as input tax? Clearly the difference between input and output tax helps the treasury to replace some of the duty and VAT lost as a result of petrol and diesel drivers transitioning.

This VAT argument is ridiculous! Of course it’s unfair and maybe further down the line we can address this unfairness but not now. 

AA EV Recharge Report, May 2023. Flat rates:

Charge Type	Speed	May Ave (p/kWh)	Apr Ave (p/kWh)	Difference (p/kWh)	Cost to charge to 80%	Pence per mile (p/mile)
Domestic	Up to 7kW	34	34	0	£13.60	7.64
Slow	Up to 7kW	44	40	4	£17.60	9.89
Fast	8-22kW	55	54	1	£22.00	12.36
Rapid	23-100kW	66	67	-1	£26.40	14.83
Ultra-rapid	101kW and above	70	70	0	£28.00	15.73
PETROL		143.35ppl	146.52ppl	-3.17ppl	£45.87	13.69

AA EV Recharge Report, May 2023. Peak and off-peak rates:

Charge Type	Speed	May Ave (p/kWh)	Apr Ave (p/kWh)	Difference (p/kWh)	Cost to charge to 80%	Pence per mile (p/mile)
Slow Off-Peak	Up to 7kW	33	37	-4	£13.20	7.42
Slow Peak	Up to 7kW	53	72	-19	£21.20	11.91
Fast Off-Peak	8-22kW	88	57	31	£35.20	19.78
Fast Peak	8-22kW	98	75	23	£39.20	22.02
Rapid Off-Peak	23-100kW	88	57	31	£35.20	19.78
Rapid Peak	23-100kW	98	75	23	£39.20	22.02
Ultra-rapid Off-Peak	101kW and above	61	51	10	£24.40	13.71
Ultra-rapid Peak	101kW and above	72	64	8	£28.80	16.18
Petrol		143.35ppl	146.52ppl	-3.17ppl	£45.87

By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Drivers with eye conditions are being warned about imminent policy changes which could result in a £1,000 fine and three points on their licence.

The DVLA has confirmed it is set to update its guidance for drivers with eye conditions in the coming weeks.

This comes after the Association of Optometrists (AOP) raised concerns over the published list of notifiable health conditions in October last year.

The AOP highlighted the current DVLA guidance was not specific enough and suggested every driver in the UK who receives an eye test will need to be advised to tell the DVLA, rather than it just affecting those with eye conditions which could impact their driving.

If it is determined bad vision is a factor of a driving accident, the driver will be fined £1,000 and have three points on their licence if they had not notified the DVLA of their condition prior to the accident.

Failure to notify about vision loss or issues could even result in a driving ban in more serious cases.

This is why it is important for the guidance to be clear and specific to those with medical conditions on whether they need to update the DVLA of their condition.

Insurers Quotezone have identified other conditions that could prevent motorists from legally taking to the road or invalidate their insurance – leaving them unprotected in the case of an accident.

Greg Wilson, founder of Quotezone.co.uk, said: “It is important for all drivers to be aware of the medical conditions DVLA needs to be aware of.

“Many of the conditions named by the DVLA won’t actually affect your ability to drive, but they do need to be kept up to date with any changes.

“Taking all precautions to be safe on the road is extremely important and drivers must play their part to ensure their well being and the wellbeing of other road users is protected to the best of their knowledge.”

The DVLA has an extensive list of over 110 conditions that can affect driving, so some motorists may be unaware of all of these conditions or the extent to which they can affect driving ability.

Wilson said some lesser known conditions can carry an increased risk and therefore insurance premiums can be higher – or more seriously, some ailments can even result in the driver’s licence being revoked.

He said: “If drivers have been diagnosed with any of these conditions they need to inform both the DVLA and their insurance provider, since having inaccurate details on the insurance policy can void the insurance and leave drivers unprotected.”

Drivers can report their eye condition online to the DVLA here.

Here are some important health conditions drivers must make the DVLA aware of:

1. Syncope

Syncope is a condition that causes a temporary loss of consciousness. Fainting conditions including syncope, which causes blackouts, must be reported to the DVLA.

2. Certain operations

Operations on certain body parts, including your legs, can exempt you from driving, yet this can be up to the discretion of the doctor, who should inform you on driving procedures after leaving the hospital.

3. Heart conditions

Any heart conditions must be reported to the DVLA. For example, arrythmia must be reported as it can affect the ability to safely stop a car, and can be distracting.

4. Stroke

After having a stroke it is possible that you may be able to drive again in the future, but initially you must stop driving for one month after having a stroke. If you have returned back to normal health after a month, you can start driving again, however the DVLA needs to be informed if health problems still persist for longer than a month after the stroke.

5. Vertigo

Recurrent or sudden dizziness must be reported to the DVLA as it may effect your ability to remain safe on the roads. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Car buyers have been warned that any step-change in EV battery technology could create future shocks for residual values, according to FleetCheck.

Toyota has recently said it is working on new solid state battery technology that could deliver over 900 miles of range.

The average battery range for new electric vehicles is already almost 300 miles, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Peter Golding, managing director at the fleet software specialist FleetCheck, said the major advances in technology could present predictable effects.

Golding said Toyota’s solid state designs, CATL talking about doubling energy density and Mullen Automotive’s improved battery management to name a few, is welcome, but also creates problems.

He said: “A manufacturer who has access to better batteries is going to want to make them available as soon as possible in order to gain a competitive market advantage but this is going to affect EVs already in use.

“It won’t render them obsolete but it could make them much less attractive, especially if the new tech is not just more effective but cheaper, which is conceivable.”

Golding said that while values on current EVs are unlikely to collapse completely, there could be major reductions.

He added: “This would have a substantial impact on leasing companies too, of course, who are already being very conservative in their EV future forecasts thanks to the quite dramatic drop in values seen over the last year.

“Buying EVs and bearing the RV risk remains a risky business.

“It seems to us that there is no way around this situation.

“EVs are still a relatively new technology in a mass market sense and step changes in technology are very much a possibility but any advances will probably be a double edged sword and fleets need to factor that into their decision making.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

A potentially massive data leak is being looked into by the authorities after it was alleged Tesla failed to adequately protect data from customers, employees and business partners.

The data protection watchdog for the Netherlands said on Friday (May 26) it was aware of possible Tesla data protection breaches, but it was too early for further comment.

Germany newspaper Handelsblatt reported on Thursday (May 25) that Tesla had allegedly failed to protect data, citing 100 gigabytes of confidential data leaked by a whistleblower.

“We are aware of the Handelsblatt story and we are looking into it,” a spokesperson for the AP data watchdog in the Netherlands, where Tesla’s European headquarters is located, told Reuters.

They declined all comment on whether the agency might launch or have launched an investigation, citing policy. The Dutch agency was informed by its counterpart in the German state of Brandenberg.

Handelsblatt said Tesla notified the Dutch authorities about the breach, but the AP spokesperson said they were not aware if the company had made any representations to the agency.

Tesla was not immediately available for comment on Friday on the Handelsblatt report, which said customer data could be found “in abundance” in a data set labelled “Tesla Files”.

The data protection office in Brandenburg, which is home to Tesla’s European gigafactory, described the data leak as “massive”.

“I can’t remember such a scale,” Brandenburg data protection officer Dagmar Hartge said, adding that the case had been handed to the Dutch authorities who would be responsible if the allegations led to an enforcement action.

The Dutch authorities has several weeks to decide whether to deal with the case as part of a European procedure, she added.

The files include tables containing more than 100,000 names of former and current employees, including the social security number of Tesla CEO Musk, along with private email addresses, phone numbers, salaries of employees, bank details of customers and secret details from production, Handelsblatt reported.

Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity expert at NordVPN, said: “Autonomous intelligence technology is the most advanced type of AI, as it removes the need for human intervention.

“While we may still be a long way off a driver being able to take their eyes off the road, we are still putting faith in something which we don’t yet fully understand.

“This new technology is being designed with the driver in mind, but it is crucial that cybersecurity is not forgotten, as there may be dangers hiding beyond the control panel.

“It would take hackers a lot of work to bypass the built-in security features of these cars, but they could still find a way.

“Ransomware, wireless carjacking, key fob cloning and cyber-attacks on connected devices in the hardware and software of the car are all potential security concerns that could arise.

“This is an exciting time for car makers and the potential positives of self-driving cars outweigh the negatives. However, without a strong cybersecurity focus to future-proof these desirable vehicles, there is a risk criminals could already be preparing to manipulate this technology — so they can make a quick getaway without a hand on the steering wheel. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Charge point operator Gridserve has increased the cost of charging an electric vehicle (EV) on its Electric Highway network.

The price rise took effect yesterday (Thursday, June 1), with the cost of using its high-power chargers increasing by 3p per kWh, to 69p/kWh.

To simplify pricing, and also to reduce some confusion around the levels of power delivered, Gridserve is also moving all DC chargers, including its medium-power chargers and those at our Electric Forecourts, to the same pricing.

The charge point operator said that one rate for all DC chargers on its network will “avoid unnecessary confusion of different rates at different locations, or even different rates at the same location”, where it has multiple charging speeds.

It added: “While DC charging will increase slightly at this time, we’ve been able to keep our AC chargers at 49p/kWh, to remain as affordable as possible and still below the industry average.”

It acknowledged that the price for DC charging may be “unwelcome news”.

“We also hope you appreciate that Gridserve have held our pricing below that of competing networks for some time now, whilst our cost base has continued to inflate, in some cases above our pricing,” it explained

“It vitally important that we continue to ramp up investment in chargers, people, materials, and in our supply-chain partners, to deliver the infrastructure, services and confidence necessary to support the transition to EVs in the earliest possible timeframes.”

Gridserve says it needs to do this in a way that is sustainable for both its business, and its customers.

“That’s why we are only marginally increasing pricing, and even at the new levels will remain amongst the most competitively priced charging in the UK for high-power chargers,” it said.

Pre-authorisation limit for charging an EV

Gridserve has also announced that it is updating its Rugby Services Electric Super Hub pre-authorisation limit.

While it is able to keep its pre-authorisation to £1 across the rest of the Gridserve Electric Highway, the Tritium chargers at Rugby need a higher pre-authorisation to begin the charge session.

The charger then delivers energy up until it reaches the pre-authorisation limit and stops the charge.

Gridserve explained: “We’ve received a lot of feedback from customers that this is often an inconvenience, as they have to return to their cars to re-start charging when they haven’t reached the required state of charge.

“In order to try and limit disruption to our customers charging sessions, we are increasing the pre-authorisation limit to £35 at Rugby Services. This is still among the lowest in the industry and we will endeavour to keep it that way.”

It continued: “Price rises will never be welcome news but our promise to you is that we will continue to invest heavily in strengthening the UK’s charging provision so that drivers have the confidence to switch to electric vehicles and the transition to electric happens in the shortest possible timeframes to limit climate change and the negative impact on our planet.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

By David Bartlett, head of accident management, AA Business Services

The days of being guaranteed a courtesy car while your vehicle is being repaired are largely behind us.

The automotive market and landscape have changed and are continuing to evolve.

A myriad of factors has impacted the availability of courtesy vehicles, and the reality is that they’re now in limited supply, regardless of insurance agreements for their provision.

The current landscape

As a result of global factors including the Covid 19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, hire car providers are facing pressures, like many areas of industry, that are impacting the availability of vehicles.

One of the main challenges they’re facing is rising costs and this can be largely attributed to resourcing and energy.

Labour market shortages have put upwards pressure on wages. Together with an increase in the National Living Wage of 9.7% and rising inflation, this has contributed to a perfect storm in the rising cost of resourcing.

The price of petrol and diesel has also reached record highs over previous months. This has hit rental companies hard, as every delivery and collection requires a runner car that incurs the cost of an additional driver and fuel.

Worldwide, there’s been an average increase of 47% in rental costs, so if rental is your contingency, these costs need to be factored into budgets.

Due to ongoing supply chain challenges, we’re still seeing a delay and shortage of new vehicles coming to market, pushing up the price of new and second-hand cars as well.

In the past few years new vehicle costs have risen over 20% and in some cases its over 40% for used vehicles.

It’s therefore simply not a viable option for most repairers to increase the number of courtesy vehicles, extend leases or replace those ageing or unfit, leaving them with a smaller fleet.

Coupled with this, order delays for a number of parts are extensive and unpredictable, which is out of repairers’ hands, and in some cases, this results in fleets of courtesy cars being tied up with drivers for longer. And this is a worldwide problem.

So stark is this issue in certain areas that there have been recent reports of some insurers and fleets writing off historically repairable cars to save themselves the rising costs of providing courtesy cars. This is more of an issue or policies that include a credit-hire for drivers.

A further and developing challenge placing demands on bodyshops is insurance policies for electric vehicle (EV) drivers which stipulate the provision of replacement EV courtesy cars.

As it stands, EVs aren’t an affordable option for most repairers and, even if they were, the majority don’t yet have the fast-charging infrastructure to turn these vehicles around quick enough, let alone navigate the increased energy costs and minimal uplift in rates for such requests.

Alongside – and as a consequence of – this changing landscape, we’re seeing an ageing profile in short-term fleet operations.

To effectively manage this, and navigate the current supply challenges, requires ongoing innovation to find the best solutions to minimise fleet costs and downtime and this is what we’re doing at the AA in close partnership with our suppliers and partners.

Taking control

So, what does this mean for fleets? With so many variables at play, fleets and drivers need to focus on what they can control.

One ball firmly in their court is their accident management programme.

So, where should you start? Firstly, turn attention to your insured events experience.

In the event of an accident that renders a vehicle off the road, regardless of where the fault is attributable, how’s your business going to be impacted?

This is a question that every organisation needs to know the answer to, and it will vary widely depending on the nature of the work carried out by employees – for example, are your employees desk based, or do they need to drive to carry out their role?

To get an accurate picture, it’s also important to undertake analysis of your accident management history.

This should include your average vehicle downtime and the cost of this to your business. Knowledge is power and it’s only through understanding how your business is affected by vehicles being off road that you can best plan to mitigate the impact on business.

Once you have the information you need, take action.

What this looks like will depend on the results of your analysis and shape of your organisation.

It may be that if your fleet is predominantly used for commuting and visiting customers, you need to update your company car policy to explain to drivers what they can do in the event of an accident without a courtesy car. This can include working from home, for example.

If your business relies on vehicles to operate, such as carry-out deliveries, then the solution will be more complex.

You can look at temporary options to implement such as vehicle rotation and amending shift patterns to maximise the use of all vehicles in operation at any one time.

We’re seeing the benefit of contingency planning for this purpose first-hand as many businesses now opt for an end-to-end accident management solution.

This sees the various – often very separate – aspects of incident management strategically linked into a single service.

It means working in close partnership with customers to keep their vehicles on the road, helping them to navigate the fast-changing landscape, while remaining safe and compliant at all times.

Looking ahead, it’s important we all acknowledge that the landscape has changed and we’re likely to see a further decline in the availability of courtesy cars. So, it’s important to adjust fleet expectations and be proactive.

Any organisation that operates a business-critical fleet needs to take action by adopting a robust end-to-end accident management solution.

This way they can maximise business productivity by minimising the risk of disruption in the event of an accident.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News