Electric vehicle charging is replacing maintenance as the most onerous day-to-day managerial task facing many fleet managers, says the Association of Fleet Professionals. Chair Paul Hollick explained that in terms of working to maximise operational efficiency and minimise costs, feedback from members showed that charging was taking up huge amounts of time. “In the last few years, maintenance has … [Read more...]
Weighty problem for electric vans & drivers
Operational restrictions and uncertainties are creating issues for fleets adopting new 4.25 tonne electric vans, says the Association of Fleet Professionals. A special concession was created by the Department of Transport for electric light commercial vehicles in 2019. Normally, the holder of a standard B licence would only be able to drive a van up to 3.5 tonnes but recognising the extra weight … [Read more...]
Parts, people and processes are slowing repairs
Service, maintenance and repair issues mean that fleets are facing excessive vehicle off-road time, the Association of Fleet Professionals is reporting. Paul Hollick, chair, said AFP members buying SMR were regularly reporting a range of problems. Some of these, such as parts supply, were felt to be outside the control of suppliers - but others, including levels of communication, were more … [Read more...]
Full autonomy more like assisted driving reality
Fleets should “look beyond” full autonomy at other possible uses of new assisted driver technology, says the Association of Fleet Professionals. Paul Hollick, chair at the industry body, said that it was becoming clear that the promise of entirely self-driving cars was unlikely to materialise in the near future but that other potentially useful – and even transformational – ideas were coming to … [Read more...]
Vehicle leasing costs rising & more to come
Higher Bank of England interest rates mean that company car and van lease costs are beginning to increase, reports the Association of Fleet Professionals. Denise Lane, board director at the industry body, explained that the increases were not uniform across the market but widely reported by AFP members and especially appeared to be affecting vehicles already on order. She said, “Businesses are … [Read more...]
Fleets battered by wind of change
The new car supply situation for some fleets is worsening and remains extremely patchy for almost all, the Association of Fleet Professionals is reporting. Paul Hollick, chair, explained said that feedback from across its membership showed that serious problems were persisting and causing increasing operational disruption. “This is, of course, a worldwide problem caused by worldwide issues, … [Read more...]
Dismay at end of PHEV grant as fuel prices soar again
The government is today ending the plug-in car grant allowance for new orders after successfully kickstarting the UK’s electric car revolution and supporting the sale of nearly half a million electric cars. The announcement was greeted with dismay and concern by car makers, the motor dealers and charging network suppliers. It could also boost demand for used PHEVs and second hand petrol and … [Read more...]
Britain’s ‘not spots’ for vehicle charging revealed
A new national map that shows for the first time where UK businesses need kerbside charging close to the homes of 75,000 company van drivers has been unveiled by the Association of Fleet Professionals. The map shows where drivers employed by AFP member companies need kerbside charging in order to adopt an electric vehicle. Key findings include that nearly four out of 10 homes (38.7%) are without … [Read more...]
Daily rentals shortage hits businesses
A shortage of daily rental vehicles is causing a wide range of problems for businesses affecting everything from maintenance to taking on new starters, the Association of Fleet Professionals is reporting. James Pestell, AFP Director, said that the issue had been affecting van short term hire for some time but had now started to spread to cars, becoming a common subject of discussion among AFP … [Read more...]
Code tightens up on delivery snags
A new voluntary industry standard covering dealer deliveries of cars and vans to fleet customers has launched with the Association of Fleet Professionals. The AFP Dealer Standard consists of 28 points covering pre-delivery standards, the condition of the vehicle on handover and familiarisation with its key functions. Paul Hollick, chair at the AFP, explained: “The Dealer Standard is quite simple … [Read more...]