New Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid

Toyota’s new Prius Plug-in Hybrid is set to cost less than £31,000 when launched in the first half of 2012 and this figure does not take into account the access to Government funding, through the Ultra-Low Carbon Vehicle Grant, where up to an additional £5,000 grant can be applied for.

The pricing for the new Prius Plug-in Hybrid is comparable to most of the EVs (Electric Vehicles) on the market, however the Prius Plug-in Hybrid can offer a more flexible performance due to its combination of an electric motor, a lithium-ion battery and a petrol engine.

The car drives 14 miles in pure EV mode after which it seamlessly switches to power from its full hybrid system including the 1.8-litre VVT-i petrol engine. The benefit of this is that you shouldn’t have to worry about “range anxiety” which many drivers do worry about with a pure electric car.

Toyota is predicting that the Prius Plug-in Hybrid should achieve 134.5mpg combined fuel economy and CO2 emissions are at 49g/km. This combination should make the Prius an attractive option for fleet operators as it will qualify for a Benefit-in-Kind company car tax rating of just 5%.

There are around 200 prototype Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) being used in Europe currently, with around 20 in London, in real-world driving situations. The London demonstration is in partnership with EDF Energy, where EDF is also monitoring battery recharging patterns and how drivers can find the best time for recharging, to get value for money and keep CO2 emissions low.

The 16th edition of the international road transport guide is an essential tool for any fleet operator. The Freight Transport Association guide includes information to help UK hauliers understand the complex and sometimes confusing regulations across the EU and beyond.

The new 2011 edition has all the latest information on public holidays, weekend lorry bans, toll prices and other essential facts for fleet operators of heavy or light goods vehicles. If you are in the international membership of the FTA you will receive a free copy and the cost for non-members is £75 each from www.shop.fta.co.uk.

Volvo with R-Design trim

Volvo recently completed a DRIVe report of more than 250 fleet operators and found out that company car drivers said that the level of luxury was the second most important factor when choosing their car, behind the amount of P11D Benefit in-Kind tax they have to pay.

Volvo’s R-Design trim added to a DRIVe model gives just the right level of emissions and appearance and Volvo thinks offering this combination should be high on the fleet manager’s agenda, to convince drivers to switch into greener cars. .

Selwyn Cooper, Volvo Car UK’s national sales manager, said,”How the car looks and a long list of toys is what many drivers want which is why the R-Design sports trim level was planned in the DRIVe range from the outset. The car provides the right level of visual impact when parked in your driveway or in the office car park, has a high level of equipment as well as offering low Benefit in Kind tax bills through low emissions”.

Volvo has found that nearly four out of every ten DRIVe models being ordered were specified in R-DESIGN trim and Volvo plans to add the trim level to its forthcoming plug-in hybrid and electric cars. Volvo contract hire on the whole range is on the site now.

Julie Jenner, chairman of ACFO, the non-profit organisation for fleet operators said,”The Government’s decision to implement in three stages the widely anticipated 3p a litre rise in fuel duty is to be welcomed. However, for Chancellor Alistair Darling to suggest that that the move will help businesses is disingenuos. The only way that the Chancellor could have truly eased the duty burden was not to push ahead with any increase”.

The decision to cut benefit-in-kind tax on company cars that emit 75g/km of CO2 or below to 5% (8% for diesels) is a headline-grabbing move. With no such cars currently in showrooms it is likely to be at least 12-18 months before any driver can benefit from the move, which is when the first plug-in hybrids are expected to be launched”.

Ms Jenner went onto say,”With a general election anticipated on May 6, this Budget was short on significant announcements that impact fleets. The “real” 2010 Budget is likely to be within a couple of months of the election from whichever party wins at the polls”.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has announced it will run a half -day session for commercial van operators on the role of telematics,in cutting fuel costs and CO2 emissions. Van traffic is up by 40% over the last ten years and van operators make a large contribution to congestion and CO2 emissions.

Robin Dickeson, manager, commercial vehicle affairs at the SMMT said,”The aim is to start discussion and make people aware of the big savings in fuel use, emissions and cash that are available right now from the intelligent use of telematics. Telematics should offers savings of at least 10% within 10 days,while we’ll have to wait longer for most other technologies to make the same difference”.

The seminar is on the 24th march at SMMT’s London head office and is free to SMMT members. Non-members can attend by paying a nominal fee of £50+VAT. Telematics is one way to reduce your fuel costs however choosing the right commercial van by its fuel consumption is also important. The Super Shopper quote engine on Comparecontracthire.com allows fleet operators to sort vans (and cars) by CO2 emissions or combined mpg and data is provided by CAP, the UK’s leading vehicle information provider.