The government has announced that it is going to maintain the current MOT test frequencies and concentrate on improving testing standards and cracking down on clockers, which is welcome news. The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) chief executive, John Lewis, commented as follows:

“The once a year after three years model works perfectly well for cars and vans as long as test centres do their job properly. Our only disappointment is that the government didn’t listen to our calls for safety recall notices to be made an MOT criterion. It is ridiculous that a car can pass its MOT while having an outstanding safety recall notification that hasn’t been dealt with.”

“We would also urge the government to go further in clamping down on clockers by introducing some sort of licensing system for mileage adjustment companies.”

John Watts, from used van pricing experts, CAP, has warned that the new emissions rules could cause unforeseen costs for van fleet operators and lower van residual values in the used market.

This is because compliance with the new Euro 5 emissions legislation relies partly on the use of diesel particulate filters and this poses particular problems for van owners or operators when operating on short-distance urban work.

Diesel particulate filters can easily clog under the typical operating conditions faced in many cities, spelling expensive repairs or replacement parts for fleet operators. CAP warns this may create caution in the future used van market, due to the ‘invisible’ nature of such problems. The end result is that many trade buyers will factor in the risk of a clogged particulate filter when determining the price they will offer for a used Euro 5 van.

John Watts from CAP, explained: “Many diesel particulate filters require specific drive cycles in order to remain working efficiently. These filters need to reach a certain operating temperature before effectively reducing particulate emissions, but if this is not achieved they can become prone to clogging.

“This problem will mostly emerge in low speed, short distance operating cycles, typically undertaken in large conurbations. A typical example could be a city-based self-employed used van owner who travels less than ten miles to site from home and stays all day. A continuous operation of this nature could result in a blocked filter and a potential replacement cost”.

CAP’s view is that used van buyers will be aware of the need for a properly functioning particulate filter for Euro 5 compliance and that problems may not be routinely covered under manufacturer warranty. One way to avoid these unnecessary costs is to lease your next van under a contract hire agreement, with full maintenance included. This will protect you from unforeseen maintenance costs and also protect you from any future residual value decline.

Octavia Green E Line

SKODA has just started road testing the new Octavia Green E Line, their first pure electric vehicle, and is working closely with the Volkswagen Group to gain practical experience with electric propulsion.

The Octavia Green E Line test fleet is based on the Octavia Combi as the chassis from the Combi is ideal for holding the battery, electronic controllers and electric motor. The Octavia Green E line is ideal for inner-city driving and will reach 0-62mph in 12 seconds and onto a top speed of just under 84mph.

The battery pack is situated under the middle and rear floor panel and in part of the boot so is well hidden, allowing the car to seat five adults, plus it has a range of around 93 miles. It takes around 8 hours to fully charge at 230V (single-phase AC) and 2 hours at 400 V (three-phase AC).

In addition to developing its first electric vehicle, SKODA is also continue to bring cars to the market that offer fuel-efficient economical engines with low CO2 emissions. The brand has seven models that manage an average CO2 of less than 100g/km and a total of 63 models that emit less than 130g/km.

If you are interested in finding some of the lowest CO2 cars on the market today, have a go on our Vehicle Type shopper. Just select the type of car (or van) you are looking for and set the range of CO2. You can also see the latest business contract hire (or personal) prices too.

Citroen DS4 5-door coupes

Clear Channel UK has just taken delivery of its first Citroen DS4s as part of a single badge agreement with Citroen, for the supply of its fleet cars. They are one of the UK’s market leaders in outdoor advertising and chose Citroen as part of their commitment to reduce CO2 emissions.

Their vehicle order included new DS4s, new C4, C4 Picasso, C5 Saloon and C5 Tourer, with a combination of HDi diesel engines or the ultra-efficient e-HDi micro-hybrid powertrains with Stop & Start. The DS4 e-HDi models have Citroen’s six-speed EGS automated manual transmission as standard and return 64.2 combined mpg and emit 114g/km of CO2. Citroen contract hire is on the site now for the whole range of cars and vans.

Glenn Ewen, Fleet Manager for Clear Channel UK, said: “In each price band Citroën has a choice of three or four models and using a single supplier cuts down on paperwork. It also reduces work for our drivers as they don’t have to compare models from a variety of manufacturers. With these new Citroen cars our drivers certainly appreciate paying less Benefit in Kind tax than they did before.”

The Freight Transport Association has warned commercial vehicle operators to keep their older vans out of London as the new Low Emission Zone comes into effect on the 3rd January 2012. This will apply to Y-registration and some 51 plate vans, as well as even older vans.

If you run a fleet of vans (or just one) and want to understand the new charges being applied, then the FTA has produced an LEZ compliance guide which is available for FTA members to download at www.fta.co.uk/lez

If you are unsure if your van is compliant or not you can also check this by entering your vehicle registration mark at the Transport For London website. This will also affect minibuses and motor caravans as well.

Natalie Chapman, FTA’s Head of Policy for London, said,”The penalties are such that non-compliance is simply not an option. Research by the FTA shows that fortunately, most large HGV fleet operators will be fully compliant with, or prepared for, the move up from Euro 3 to Euro 4 standard engines. However, for tradespeople operating vans over ten years old the LEZ will be an entirely new consideration and, therefore, preparedness will be far lower. This is where our immediate concern lies”.

If you are a small business running an older van and you need to get a new van quickly then we have the full range of commercial vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes on van contract hire available now. The LEZ requirements mean that vans will have to meet Euro 3 standards if you want to avoid a fine of £500, or face a daily charge of £100 to operate in and out of London.

ESP installation chart

Electronic Stability Control (ESP) must now be standard on all new cars and light commercial vehicles in the EU from the 1st November 2011. ESP will also become compulsory in all new EU vehicles from 31st October 2014 and this is part of the European Commission strategy to improve road safety.

Bosch developed ESP and in 1995 it was the first company worldwide to start series production. By 2010, 41 per cent of all cars and light commercial vehicles weighing less than six metric tons worldwide were equipped with the innovative safety system.

The Electronic Stability Program uses intelligent sensors to check 25 times per second whether the driver’s steering input matches the direction of travel and if it detects the vehicle is likely to become unstable, it intervenes by reducing the engine torque in order to restore stability. If that doesn’t correct the issue, it then additionally brakes individual wheels and also incorporates with the functions of antilock braking (ABS) and traction control.

BMW 3 Series

The UK’s largest vehicle reliability survey has been conducted by Fleet News with the top FN50 vehicle leasing companies (by fleet size), who run in excess of 1.2 million cars and vans. This annual analysis asks the leasing companies to rank the best vehicles and manufacturers for reliability, with tables then created for a top 10 for cars and a top 5 for vans (see below).

German brands have dominated the results this year for both the car and van category, with the BMW 3 Series the most reliable car (and top car brand), the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter knocking the Ford Transit off the top spot for most reliable van, with Volkswagen leaping ahead of Ford overall, in the van reliability league table.

Fleet News Editor, Stephen Briers, said, “BMW has built on its position as most reliable car manufacturer supplying the UK’s largest contract hire companies, adding another attribute to low CO2 emissions, modest overall running costs and rewarding driver behaviour and making its cars more desirable to fleet operators”.

Volkswagen vans

On vans, Stephen said,”Van reliability is arguably more important than car reliability as vital supply chains can be disrupted through unnecessary vehicle downtime. Volkswagen has demonstrated with its leading position as a van manufacturer, and high placing for its models, that fleet operators can choose its vehicles in confidence”

Most reliable cars according to top FN50 leasing companies

1. BMW 3 Series
2. Honda Accord
3. Volkswagen Golf
4. Audi A3
5. Toyota Avensis
6. Nissan Qashqai
7. Volkswagen Passat
8. Audi A4
9. Mazda6
10. BMW 5 Series

Most reliable car manufacturers

1. BMW
2. Audi
3. Honda
4. Volkswagen
5. Toyota
6. Nissan
7. Mercedes-Benz
8. Ford
9. Lexus
10. Skoda

Most reliable vans

1. Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
2. Ford Transit
3. Volkswagen Caddy
4. Ford Transit Connect
5. Volkswagen Transporter

Most reliable van manufacturers

1. Volkswagen
2. Ford
3. Mercedes-Benz
4. Fiat
5. Renault 

Nissan commercial vehicles (LCVs)

Nissan is exhibiting five commercial vehicle models from its Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) model line-up at the Tokyo Truck Show, which is being held at the Tokyo Big Sight International Exhibition Centre. They are also focussing on applying their electric vehicle technology into their commercial van range using components from the Nissan LEAF. The first LCV to receive the “EV treatment” was the NV200 which began its proving tests in July 2011.

Nissan is exhibiting trucks equipped with LEAF technology at the show, including the e-NT400 Cabstar Concept, the Cabstar Refrigerator Van with Li-ion Battery and the Cabstar Power Supply Truck.

Nissan Corporate Vice President Hideto Murakami, who is responsible for the Global LCV Business Unit, commented,”In addition to passenger EVs such as the Nissan LEAF, Nissan will focus efforts on developing and disseminating commercial EVs with the aim of becoming a leader in the field of zero-emissions. We are currently making preparations to release a new EV based on the LCV NV200″. If you thinking of contract hiring a new Nissan light commercial vehicle we have the current Nissan commercial model line-up on the site now.

ASDA has just signed up to the voluntary scheme to measure and reduce carbon emissions specifically from lorries and vans. The Freight Transport Association’s (FTA) Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme (LCRS) represents around 50,000 commercial vehicles run by 55+ businesses and ASDA’s signing is seen as a major step forward in the scheme.

ASDA will supply fuel usage, fleet and activity data along with the other 55 businesses in the LCRS, to try and paint an accurate picture of the carbon emissions impact of the logistics sector. The UK has carbon emission targets that commit us to actual cuts in carbon emissions, however the aim of the LCRS focusses on producing less carbon per unit of resource of activity by sharing best practise and learning from all companies across the logistics sector.

Areas of progress to date include driver fuel efficiency training, use of biofuels and increases in vehicle carrying capacities. As fuel accounts for around 40% of all the costs of running a truck or van fleet, this seems a great idea to help all commercial vehicle operators reduce costs and their carbon emission footprint.

The scheme is still open to FTA members and non-members, so if you run a fleet of commercial vehicles and want to find out further information, or join (it’s free of charge), then visit the FTA carbon reduction website.

Volkswagen Amarok pick-up

The Portugese of National Institute for Search and Rescue has been using a brand new fleet of Volkswagen Amarok pick-ups (14 in total) to rescue surfers and swimmers off the coast of Portugal’s beaches this summer. The institute chose the new Amarok for its quick response team which carry essential life saving equipment and the Amarok’s 4MOTION all-wheel-drive is ideal for this.

The Amarok has the largest loadspace in its class and is available in doublecab pick-up with four doors and space for five adults. Its 2.0-litre TDI engine has low CO2 emissions, is powerful with good torque and has better fuel economy than many of its rivals which have much larger engines.

All Hemmings, National Sales Manager, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said, “We are delighted to add the new Amarok off-roader to our range of commercial vehicles this year which, with the new Volkswagen 4MOTION system also available on our Caddy Maxi, Transporter and Caravelle ranges, means we now offer an extensive and versatile choice of all-wheel drive vehicles from vans and people carriers to a robust pick-up”. Volkswagen Amarok contract hire on the whole Amarok range is on the site now.