Stuart O'Brien, Author at Fleet Summit - Page 18 of 53
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Stuart O'Brien

Registration now open for November’s Fleet Summit

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Taking place in November, the Fleet Summit has been designed to help industry professionals like you, build business connections with the latest innovative and budget-saving suppliers within the industry.

7th & 8th November 2022

Radisson Hotel & Conference Centre London Heathrow

You will receive a pre-arranged itinerary of 1-2-1 meetings, to help you with your upcoming plans and projects.

Your pass is entirely free – We’d love if you and/or a colleague could join us!

As a fleet professional, your place is entirely free and includes:

– An itinerary of one-to-one meetings with solution providers
– A seat at our industry seminar sessions
– Networking breaks to make new connections in your field
– Complimentary overnight accommodation – at the venue
– All meals and refreshments throughout
– An invitation to our evening networking dinner & drinks reception, with entertainment

Can you join us? Click here to find out more and register today!

UK firms embark on in £13.6bn EV investment drive

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UK businesses are set to adopt more than 163,000 electric vehicles (EVs) this year as part of a major investment in fleet electrification.

According to a new study by Centrica Business Solutions, the increase would see over a third (35%) more business operated EVs on the road by the end of 2022, compared to the 121,000 registered by firms last year.

The research also found businesses spent £11.6bn on EVs and supporting infrastructure in 2021 and are planning a 15% spending increase over the next year, taking the total investment in fleet electrification to £13.6bn.

The majority of fleet operating businesses (62%) said they expect to operate a 100% electric fleet within the next four years, comfortably ahead of the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles.

More than four in ten (44%) said they had increased the number of EVs in their fleet over the last 12 months.

Key drivers for take up include meeting sustainability targets (59%), demand from employees (45%) and pressure from customers to be more environmentally friendly (43%).

Despite the record levels of planned investment, almost two thirds (63%) of businesses are worried about accessing public charging points to keep their fleet moving.

To overcome the charging challenge, almost half (48%) of firms have installed EV charging points at their premises, with more than a third (36%) planning to invest in on-site charging infrastructure in the next 12 months.

The research also revealed that two fifths (40%) of businesses have invested in renewable energy generation technology such as solar panels to power their fleets, while a further two fifths (43%) plan to do so in the year ahead.

Greg McKenna, managing director of Centrica Business Solutions said: “The UK continues to make significant inroads towards achieving its electric vehicle ambitions and it’s encouraging to see UK businesses prioritising investment in the journey towards electrification over the next 12 months.

“Businesses will continue to play a vital role in achieving the UK’s green transport ambitions, but with a record number of EVs expected to enter the UK this year, we must ensure the supply of vehicles and wider charging infrastructure is robust enough to meet the demand. Combining energy technology such as solar panels and battery storage into the wider charging infrastructure will help harness renewables and reduce the demand on the grid during peak charging times.”

The report is available to download here.

Is the Einride Pod the future of autonomous electric freight vehicles?

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By Farooq Baloch, WhichEV

Since 2017, the UK Government has had in place the outline rules for testing autonomous vehicles on UK roads. Those rules have recently been updated and many more companies are looking at ways in which transportation in general (and goods in particular) can be automated with advanced electric vehicles across the nation’s road network.

Einride believes that the future of transport is electric, autonomous and digital – with a focus on zero-emissions and self-driving vehicles, coordinated by an intelligent network. This could well provide a cleaner and safer way to transport huge volumes of cargo, but how will we know if it is safe?

The Einride Pod has no room for a driver on board and, in that sense, is very similar to Volvo’s Vera – first showcases in London at the Freight in the City show back in 2019.

You can read more about Einride over at WhichEV.

Greener Transport Solutions lobbies Chancellor on carbon tax

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Greener Transport Solutions has called on the Chancellor to introduce a ‘universal carbon allowance’ to help households cope with the cost-of-living crisis and accelerate the transition to net zero.

The not-for-profit cites the war in Ukraine means that oil and gas prices have risen sharply, whilst food prices have hit record highs, while last week the cost of filling up an average family car with petrol hit £100 for the first time and inflation is expected to reach 10% later this year – and as high as 14% for poorer households.

On 26th May the Chancellor announced a £21 billion package to help households with their energy bills. However, Greener Transport Solutions says further measures are likely to be needed by the autumn and has asked how the Chancellor will ensure the right level of targeted support for those who most need it whilst avoiding inflationary pressures in the economy.

Its answer is to urge the Chancellor to develop a strategy to tackle the cost-of-living crisis that will accelerate the transition to net zero and protect our energy security. Namely, he should introduce a universal carbon allowance for every individual in the UK funded by putting a carbon price on everything we consume.

This would be a very progressive measure, the organisation claims. Individuals on higher incomes would pay more in carbon tax through all the goods and services they buy, whilst receiving the same fixed allowance as those on lower incomes. According to the Treasury’s Net Zero Review, higher income households consume three times more carbon than lower income households.

The IPCC has warned “now or never” if world is to avoid climate disaster. To avoid overshooting 1.5C global emissions must peak before 2025 and fall by 43% by 2030.  Such rapid emissions reduction is possible but only if every sector of the economy is targeted. Reducing energy demand across all sectors could deliver a 40-70 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Greener Transport Solutions has published a report on its ‘Pathways to Net Zero’ roundtable discussion series investigating how to decarbonise transport.

The key conclusion is that we are not seeing anywhere near the scale of change needed to achieve our net zero targets for transport.  Lack of leadership and lack of joined-up thinking undermines net zero ambitions. Spending is skewed towards road building and unsustainable transport policies.  We are still building car dependent housing developments. It says urgent focus is needed on traffic reduction.

Claire Haigh, Founder & CEO of Greener Transport Solutions, said: “The transport sector on its own cannot achieve net zero.  It’s clear that we urgently need a new approach.  We need a solution for the whole economy.

“The current crises we face all demonstrate that we must break our dependency on fossil fuels.  If we are to wean ourselves off fossil fuels, we must price properly for carbon.  This will generate the revenue needed to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.

“Record high fuel and energy prices are a game-changer.  We urge the Chancellor to seize the opportunity to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, shore up our energy security and accelerate the transition to net zero at the same time.”

Book your place now: Lightfoot launches free webinar series for fleet professionals

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Pioneering driver training technology provider Lightfoot is launching a brand-new series of webinars for fleet professionals, with the first webinar focusing on all things to do with fleet electrification. You can sign up for this free webinar here.

Live With Lightfoot: Rolling Out Your EV Fleet will take place on Thursday 23rd June at 10am, and will feature Paul Hollick, Lightfoot’s Managing Director, discussing how to successfully transition to EVs and make the rollout of electric vehicles as stress-free as possible.

Attendees will also get the opportunity to learn more about Lightfoot’s electric fleet management solution, as Chief Technology Officer Calum Roke will be speaking about all the latest developments within the Lightfoot platform for both mixed and EV fleets.

Additionally, anyone attending the webinar will receive VIP access to Lightfoot’s soon-to-be-launched Fleet Sustainability Benchmarking Calculator, which provides tailored advice on how fleets can hit their ESG targets.

If you’d like to register for this free event, you can do so here.

Strategic partnership looks to accelerate transition to electric vehicles in the workplace

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Durham-based, Anglo Scottish Asset Finance, is partnering with Diode, an electric vehicle (EV) suitability assessment software platform, to help break down the barriers to EV adoption and drive forward electrification in the workplace.

The partnership has been spearheaded by Charlotte Enright, business development manager and sustainability lead at Anglo Scottish Asset Finance.

Following discussions with Diode, which was established in 2020 in response to the climate change emergency and is a recipient of Innovate UK and Department for Transport grant funding, the two companies are partnering to provide a full circle service for businesses looking to invest in EVs.

Diode, an innovative web-based software platform that provides an all-in-one solution to help businesses, employees and consumers assess their electric vehicle suitability, generate a tailored charge point roll-out plan and purchase charge points through an automated tender process, identified that initial investment for many businesses would require finance and, as such, the relationship between the two companies was agreed.

The partnership coincides with the recent publication of the government’s UK Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy. Included, was a £1.6 billion commitment towards achie3ving a tenfold increase in charge points by 2030, which will accelerate the government’s aim to end the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 and ensure all new cars and vans are zero-emission by 2035.

With the average driver needing to charge for approximately seven hours per week at a standard 7kW charge point, installing charge points at workplaces will be a critical component if the target is to be achieved.

Established in 2007 and with headquarters in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, Anglo Scottish is an independent business finance broker, providing a range of financial services across the UK including asset finance, business loans and vendor and dealer finance, as well as personal vehicle solutions and vehicle sourcing.

Dan Eyre, co-founder and COO, Diode, said: “At current petrol and electricity prices, the cost per mile for electric vehicles is about half that of an equivalent petrol vehicle.

“The high upfront costs of the vehicles and charge points can put businesses and drivers off making the switch and is why finance options are so important, because it means our customers can start taking advantage of low-cost electric driving from day one.

“More than 90% of the drivers that complete our Electric Vehicle Readiness Assessment are in the position to make the switch. For some businesses, they may choose to make a full transition then and there, whilst others may wish to go at a slower pace. Diode can help companies that fit in to both of these groups and with Anglo Scottish as our finance partner, customers will quickly reap the benefits, both in terms of cost savings and accelerating their transition to electric vehicles.”

Charlotte Enright, sustainability lead, Anglo Scottish Asset Finance, said: “Recent figures published by The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders highlighted a huge increase in sales of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in 2021. In fact, more new battery electric vehicles were registered than over the previous five years combined. Interestingly, there were 190,727 battery electric vehicles and 114,554 plug-in hybrids, meaning 18.5% of all new cars registered in 2021 could be plugged in.

“As part of the UK’s transition to electric vehicles, Diode has identified the need for a streamlined, simple, data driven platform that requires very little in terms of time investment. Results are quick and the benefits for businesses that work with the platform are huge.

“Once employees have completed their assessments, and businesses have generated their roll-out plans, thoseseeking finance are directed to Anglo Scottish, where we will find the best possible finance deals for electric vehicles and charging stations, via our vast panel of lenders.

David Foster, managing director, Anglo Scottish Asset Finance, said: “As we continue to strengthen our sustainable finance offering, with the aim of becoming the leading provider in the UK, we need look no further than the current investment taking place within electrification.

“For many, the journey towards making workplace operations sustainable will be on-going and Anglo Scottish aims to make this transition as smooth as possible, both for existing and new customers.”

Here’s how to choose the best electric truck for your business

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Feep in the Bedfordshire countryside is a unique testing facility called the Millbrook Proving Grounds. Tucked behind a small forest of trees are several private tracks allowing you to test a vehicle in every environment possible – from small town to race track, extreme hills to extreme bumps and undulations. WhichEV was invited along to see the latest electric commercial vehicles from DAF, Volvo and Renault by the SMMT.

In one of the rare few places in the UK where you can drive a 26 ton truck without an HGV license, we put these silent monsters through their paces, trying to decide: Are UK businesses ready for the move to electrification and, if so, what would be the best electric truck for your business?

When WhichEV visited Renault’s new electric mobility factory in Blainville-Sur-Orne back in March, its team were given a detailed breakdown of their plans to move the world’s transport systems from diesel to electricity. Alongside Volvo (part of the same group) and DAF (which has been supplying commercial vehicles for close to 100 years), Renault will play a major role in moving commercial haulage away from fossil fuels.

Click here to read WhichEV’s hands-on with three of the main contenders for the switchover.

SAVE THE DATE: Fleet Summit – November 2022

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The next Fleet Summit will take place on November 7th & 8th 2022 at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Centre, London Heathrow – Register for your FREE delegate place today!

Demand is already high following our successful June event.

Your delegate pass will give you access to industry presentations, as well as your itinerary of 1-2-1 relaxed meetings with budget-saving suppliers.

There is no hard sell at this event, just a great opportunity to gain industry insight and build business relationships to prepare for every eventuality.

Confirm attendance here for November 7th & 8th 2022.

Do you specialise in Contract Hire & Leasing? We want to hear from you!

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Each month on Fleet Management Briefing we’re shining the spotlight on a different part of the fleet market – and in July we’ll be focussing on Contract Hire & Leasing solutions.

It’s all part of our ‘Recommended’ editorial feature, designed to help fleet buyers find the best products and services available today.

So, if you’re a supplier of Contract Hire & Leasing solutions and would like to be included as part of this exciting new shop window, we’d love to hear from you – for more info, contact Chris Cannon on 01992 374096 / c.cannon@forumevents.co.uk.

Here’s our features list in full:

Jul – Contract Hire & Leasing
Aug – LPG/Alternative Fuel & Fuel Management
Sept – EV Infrastructure
Oct – Duty of Care
Nov – Grey Fleet
Dec – Service, Maintenance & Repair

No obligation trial allows fleets to experience real-time results

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Lightfoot, leading provider of in-cab driver engagement and rewards technology, is offering commercial fleets of over 50 vehicles the opportunity to trial its game-changing fleet management software with no cost and no commitment.

The unique Lightfoot trial is delivered over a period of several weeks, with drivers first using the Lightfoot devices in blind mode – where they’re simply collecting data on how the vehicles are driven without any driver interaction – the benchmark. For the second half of the trial, the in-cab devices are switched to live mode, which is when they come to life and start providing real-time feedback and alerts scoring drivers and rewarding them based on their performance.

The improvements made during the live phase of the trial can be seen in the comprehensive ROI report provided at the end, with reductions in fuel expenditure, vehicle wear and tear, carbon emissions, and accident rates among the projected savings.

To find out more about this free trial opportunity, visit https://www.lightfoot.co.uk/trial