New Aston Martin “Volante Vision” Aims to Bring Luxury Personal Air Mobility

by admin_cheshire | Aug 12, 2019 | General, Industry News, Legislation, Vans, Vehicle Types

Nearly all the old Sci-fi movies saw flying cars as an absolute shoe-in by now. Despite this, reality has always to seemed to ensure that flying cars cannot be made remotely practical.

Recently the new Aston Martin “Volante Vision” concept emerged – which is actually a light aircraft rather than a “flying car” – and despite some pretty nifty realistic looking images – it is still hard to see past it being nothing more than something for James Bond movie – or a one-off play-thing for some bored multi-multi-Billionaire rather than “the future of personal transport”.

How realistic is it?

But… Aston Martin are taking it seriously. They have worked with Cranfield University, Cranfield Aerospace Solutions and Rolls-Royce plc (the air engine company, not the car-making division) to look at a way of making this the future of “luxury personal air mobility”.

It is a concept designed for every-day use. For urban areas it features vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities,similar to a Hawker Harrier “jump” jet – technology that has actually been around since the 1960’s.

In true Aston Martin fashion – it’s green too, albeit in the sense that it is conceived with hybrid power, combining an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, for inter-city rather than inter-continental travel.

Will It Take Off? (Pardon The Pun!)

This isn’t the first concept like this – and it won’t be the last. Getting the technology right so that it is practical (and affordable) are the main obstacles to overcome. However – you think about any piece of technology and the same could be said of those – from personal computers and video players to the Electric Car – and we’re still only part of the way there with that with what can be achieved!

So in our opinion, we think it’s inevitable something like the Aston Martin Volante Vision will become a reality – and possibly for the mainstream. With the names getting involved in this project, you would also have to say it is probably only a couple of decades away too.

Do you think this is the future – or is it just a fantasy pipeline best left to James Bond movies? Leave your comments below.

Is Your Vehicle Exempt From The Upcoming Manchester Clean Air Zone Charge?

by admin_cheshire | Aug 7, 2019 | General, Industry News, Legislation, Vans, Vehicle Types

What Is The GM Clean Air Zone?

Most major cities up and down the UK are looking ways of becoming greener and cutting emissions. Manchester is one of them.

This means if you, or your company are making regular visits in to the upcoming Clean Air Zone you could be liable to a daily charge which is currently touted as;

Buses, coaches and HGVs – £100 (from 2021)
Taxis and private hire vehicles – £7.50 (from 2021)
Vans and minibuses – £7.50 (from 2023)

If the daily penalty is not paid, a PCN payment of £120 is proposed which would be in addition to the original daily penalty.

This could obviously have a significant impact on a small business – particularly if you have a few vehicles regularly travelling into the zone.

How To Find Out If Your Vehicles Are Compliant

We have found a tool where you can quickly establish if your vehicle is compliant or not. If you click on the button below you will be taken to the vehicle checker section of the Clean Air Greater Manchester website.

If you find out your vehicles AREN’T compliant, then if you come back to us, fill in the form below and we will contact you to advise what your options are.

VEHICLE CHECKER

If your vehicles are liable for the charge, fill in the form below...

Worrying Stats Revealed About Employee Mobile Use Whilst Driving and Lack of Checks on “Grey-Fleet” Drivers

by admin_cheshire | Jul 18, 2019 | General, Industry News, Legislation

New Research Reveals Worrying Trends Fleet Managers Need To Tackle

A study that was commissioned by Driving for Better Business (DfBB), has revealed a series of worrying and frankly shocking stats regarding Mobile Phone use by employees. The study also went on to reveal an equally worrying lack of checks for employees driving their own car for work – the so-called “grey fleet”.

What The Research Reveals

As reported in Fleet News, the report revealed;

Half of business leaders polled (49%) expect their employees to answer their phone at any time, including while driving for work.
Almost half of employees (45%) said they experience stress when they receive a call from their boss while driving for work. One in six employees who drive for work (17%) said they have been involved in an incident when driving for work due to a phone call from a colleague.
One in 20 executive directors and one in eight employees thought the hard shoulder was a safe place to take a phone call.
Meanwhile, six in 10 (61%) employees admitted they do not always, or only sometimes, find a safe place to make or receive a work call when driving for work with just over one in eight (13%) thinking it safe to take a phone call while parked on the hard shoulder of a motorway.
The findings also showed that despite three quarters (75%) of executive directors claiming to ensure employees are aware of their legal obligations in relation to driving for work, nearly half (45%) of employees surveyed who drive their personal car for work said they have not been given a copy of their employer’s driving for work policy.
Managers were not performing checks on grey fleet drivers and 60% of respondents said they were unsure if any or how many employees use their own car to drive for work purposes.
Nearly a half of employees who use their personal car for work purposes (45%) said they have not been given a copy of their employer’s driving for work policy.
90% of drivers used their personal cars for work journeys, 75% doing so at least once a week, yet a third of these drivers (33%) were not insured to do so – saying they do not have cover for business use on their vehicle insurance. Only a third (34%) said their employer had checked their driving licence.
Nearly three quarters of employees who drive for work (74%) said when they check their tyres they simply take a quick glance to see that tyres look ‘OK’.

Simon Turner, campaign manager for Driving for Better Business said:

“The report shows a disparity between what employers and employees are saying when driving for work.”

“Leaders are failing to carry out basic due diligence checks such as ensuring that all employees have a driving licence or vehicle insurance,” he said.

“At the same time, the study highlights employees are putting themselves at risk while driving for work, not checking that vehicles are roadworthy and exhibit reckless behaviours when using their mobile phone.”

He continued:

“Leaders must implement a driving for work policy that enforces legal and ethical obligations on all employees that drive on work-related journeys.

“Regular checks need to be put in place to ensure that employees have read and understood the guidelines laid out in the driving for work policy. In doing so, the associated risk to road users and pedestrians is reduced.”

Driving for Better Business promotes a free seven-step programme of action to reduce occupational road risk. Organisations that introduce the DfBB programme have experienced significant operational, financial and employee benefits.

Turner concluded:

“A good practice driving for work policy ensures that at a minimum, organisations are compliant with all relevant legislation and guidelines. Once implemented, these policies complement more general employee safety and wellness programmes as well as introduce efficiencies that reduce costs associated with employees that drive for work purposes.”

DfBB surveyed 1,006 employees and 255 executive directors from the UK. The survey was conducted by Censuswide.

Did you know we offer a FREE Fleet Audit to fleet managers and small business owners with a Fleet of Vehicles? For more information register your interest in a FREE Audit and Consultation by completing the details below – or download our audit yourself.

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Government Say There Will Be No Company Car Tax on Electric Cars

by admin_cheshire | Jul 10, 2019 | Electric Cars, General, Industry News, Vehicle Types

Excellent News (At Last!) For Company Car Drivers

Company car drivers choosing a pure electric vehicle will pay no benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax in 2020/21 the Governement revealed this week.

After the long-awaited review of WLTP and vehicle taxes, The HM Treasury has shelved the previously published BIK rates for 2020/21.

There are two new BIK tables for company car drivers; a table for those driving a company car registered after April 6, 2020, and one for those driving a company car registered before April 6, 2020 (see below).

Table 1 of BIK company car tax Table 2 of BIK company car tax

How The Changes Will Be Implemented.

For cars first registered from April 6, 2020, most company car tax rates will be reduced by two percentage points.

Company car drivers who have Electric vehicles with zero tailpipe emissions will be taxed at 0% – paying no BIK tax at all.

Furthermore, the zero percentage rate is also extended to company car drivers in pure electric vehicles registered prior to April 6, 2020, who were already looking forward to a much reduced rate of 2% for 2020/21.

For company cars registered from April 6, 2020, with emissions from 1-50g/km and a pure electric mile vehicle with a range of 130 miles or more – the zero percentage rate will also apply.

Will There Be Increases?

In both these cases, in 2021/22 they will increase to 1% and then 2% in 2022/23.

For pure electric company cars registered before April 6, 2020, will also increase to 1% and 2% in subsequent years, 2021/22 and 2022/23.

However, company cars registered before April 6, 2020, with emissions from 1-50g/km and a pure electric mile range of 130 miles or more attract a 2% BIK rate in 2020/21 and stay the same for the two subsequent tax years.

From 2023/24, fleets will have one BIK tax table again as the rates are realigned.

What The Government Has Said

“by providing clarity of future the appropriate percentages, businesses will have the ability to make more informed decisions about how they make the transition to zero emission fleets”.

“Appropriate percentages beyond 2022-23 remain under review and will be announced at future fiscal events.

“The Government aims to announce appropriate percentages at least two years ahead of implementation to provide certainty for employers, employees and fleet operators.”

So what does this all really mean to the company car driver?

We are being told that by 2040 you won’t be able to buy a new combustion engine car which is why there seems to have been an explosion of electric vehicles in both full totally electric or hybrid form and this will continue to grow in numbers. So the choice is getting better and the incentives from the government are increasing.

It is time to switch and as a company offering company cars as part of their package do you understand how it can help reduce cost and create a better carbon footprint.

Most companies and their drivers that we speak to don’t really understand what is the best way forward and lets be honest it is a complicated process.

How To Make The Switch

We are very interested in talking to companies who want to look at this in more detail and explore the possibilities of making the change. If you would like to find out more about this then complete the details below and we’ll give you a call. Or email us for more details.

New Ducato Electric BEV Ideal For Fleet Managers

by admin_cheshire | Jul 9, 2019 | General

Strong Focus On Total Ownership Makes The New Ducato Electric A Real Viable Option For Fleet Managers.

With the launch of the new Ducato Electric, the first all-electric BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) from Fiat Professional – it seems to us pretty clear that Fleet Managers are at the forefront of the sales pitch.

What Ducato Electric Brings To The Table

Available from next year, the Ducato Electric will feature modular battery size options and charging configurations, with a range of between 136 to 223 miles (NEDC cycle).

Fiat quote maximum power of 90kW and maximum torque of 280Nm. Energy use will be preserver by limiting the top speed to 62mph. Fiat also claim best-in-class load volumes from 10 to 17m3, and a payload of up to 1,950kg.

Is The Market Ready For The New Ducato?

The Ducato Electric has been developed using a year’s worth of real-word customer data relating to how they use their commercial vehicles. From this data, Fiat has established that more than 25% of the market already has a “BEV attitude”. They know that their customers are ‘ready and waiting for a mobility change’.

The pilot projects Fiat have conducted involve ‘large companies’, and enable Fiat to ‘identify all specific uses and demands which in turn assists with individual customisation and configuration’.

From it’s data, Fiat believes that the early users of its BEVtechnology will be postal and courier services, home deliveries, local transport, and those regularly accessing city centres. And with clean air zones coming into most major UK Cities very soon – another huge benefit box is ticked.

What Is It Up Against?

In contrast to Fiat’s BEV strategy for its commercial vehicle offer, Ford believes the route to full electrification will be a transition that incorporates hybrid and plug-in hybrid.

A fleet of 20 Transit Customs in London has recently been trialled by Ford using their “plug-in” hyrbid technology. The initial pilots have ended, giving more potential customers the opportunity to test the vans.

Owen Gregory, Ford UK fleet director, said:

“We see a balance and blend of technologies that bring difference parts of the transition in terms of electric performance and availability. The use case for full electric for CVs is narrow but we are able to open up the use case with plug-in.”

Keep In The Loop

To find out more about this or any of the future vehicle releases that could benefit your fleet then call us on 01543 229722 or fill in the form below to receive our updates

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Towing Work Trailers? Are You Breaking The Law?

by admin_cheshire | Jul 2, 2019 | Electric Cars, General, Industry News

Fleet Operators Warned About Towing Trailers.

Fleet operators and drivers are being warned by the License Bureau to ensure they understand the law relating to towing loads.

There are around 4,000 reported incidents a year involving all forms of trailers, according to the Bureau and they say it is crucial operators do not fall foul of the law.

The Licensing Bureau say that the actual date on which an individual passed their test – and the trailer they are towing – seems to be the cause of most of the confusion

What Are The Rules?

Drivers passing their test on or after January 1, 1997, will have a Category B licence. This means they can drive vehicles up to 3,500kg maximum authorised mass (MAM) with up to eight passenger seats (with a trailer up to 750kg).

These drivers can also tow heavier trailers if the total MAM of the vehicle and trailer is not more than 3,500kg.

If however, a driver has a Category BE licence they can drive a vehicle with a MAM of 3,500kg with a trailer. The size of the trailer depends on the BE ‘valid from’ date shown on the licence. If the date is: before 19 January 2013, they can tow any size trailer; on or after 19 January 2013, they can tow a trailer with a MAM of up to 3,500kg.

Malcolm Maycock, managing director of Licence Bureau, said:

“This is a complex area due to the different variations in licences and their respective entitlements. It’s also an area that arguably bypasses many businesses, as well as individuals, due to working age demographics and a legacy understanding.

“However, chances are that this area is at its most prolific right now as the transitional licence demographic takes on driving and towing responsibilities.”

The Implications For Your Business

The licence offence for the driver carries a minimum fine of £100 and three penalty points. From a company viewpoint however, the damage can have wider implications, as compliance is compromised and insurance invalidated.

Maycock goes on to say;

“Ultimately, the responsibility for ensuring any work-related journey meets compliance standards is that of the fleet or human resource manager.

“Quite simply they need to make sure licence checks are carried out correctly, drivers are aware of what they can and cannot drive, and operational procedures are developed to suit.”

Ensuring You Comply

To minimise the risk – the License Bureau has given the following checkpoints to help Fleet Managers and companies ensure they are complying:

Treat everyone as not entitled to drive until you have confirmed they are.
Identify which vehicles are fitted with tow bars – this needs to include company cars where the towing is outside the workplace for pleasure such as caravans and horseboxes. They are still your vehicles.
Confirm who will drive as you are possibly allowing non-employees to drive them when not at work.
Invest in training. Any driver towing a trailer needs training as this is a tool of work and unless they have passed B+E after 1997 will not have had any.
Ensure the driver has current competence in towing.
Check if the trailer in question, when being used commercially, has any secure load issues.
Risk assess the vehicle. The vehicle manual will specify the maximum trailer weights.
Risk assess the trailer and ensure the weight is suitable for the vehicle.
Risk assess the drivers against the vehicle/trailer combination.

Does your company regularly tow trailers? Are you now unsure as to whether you comply? Would you need help actioning these points? If so, call us on 07971 865102 or email us for more details.

Call - 0161 243 0299

matt@cheshirefleetsolutions.com

New Aston Martin “Volante Vision” Aims to Bring Luxury Personal Air Mobility