GreenFleet Awards 2016: A celebration of environmental efforts
Feature
Edgbaston Cricket Stadium once again played host to this year’s GreenFleet Awards, which saw comedian Dominic Holland present over 20 awards to organisations and individuals in recognition of their contribution to green road transport and environmental fleet management.
2016 marked the 19th year of the GreenFleet Awards, bringing together leaders of the fleet and motor industries to celebrate the brilliant work being done to reduce the environmental impacts of fleet and promote the ever‑developing low-emission technology available.
This year’s awards came amidst a renewed focus on zero-emission transport from the government, with the £35 million funding for ultra-low emission cities announced in March, which will be made available to cities who demonstrate the potential to showcase ultra low emission vehicles in a local area.
In addition to this, Chancellor of the Exchequer Phillip Hammond officially announced plans to invest £390 million to support ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs), renewable fuels and connected and autonomous vehicles by 2020-21.
The funding was confirmed in the Autumn Statement, which outlined that £80 million would go towards ULEV charging infrastructure.
In addition to this, £150 million has been earmarked to support the adoption of low emission buses and taxis, with £20 million for the development of alternative aviation and heavy goods vehicle fuels and £100 million for new UK CAV testing infrastructure.
It packs a 75 KWh lithium-ion phosphate battery and comes in a choice of short and long wheelbase panel van configurations and a custom-built chassis cab option. China’s first all-electric van made its debut at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham. The EV80 was available to view as MC Ruben welcomed guests to a selection of drinks. Also on display in the reception hall was Fiat’s 500, Tipo and Ducato, as well as the BMW 740Le xDrive, the Mini Clubman and the UK’s best-selling plug-in, the Mitsubishi Outlander. Renault showcased its pure-electric Zoe, with Nissan’s Leaf and e-NV200 also on hand.
After guests were treated to a three course meal, the GreenFleet Awards’ headline sponsor Green Motion started the official proceedings with a presentation about how it is looking to change the vehicle rental and leasing market for the better by offering customers lower CO2 options and offering first class customer service.
Richard Lowden, founder and CEO, explained how Green Motion, which is currently operating in 26 countries, is working to expand its reach while keeping carbon reduction and customer service at the heart of the company.
The reigns were then handed over to comedian Dominic Holland, who took us to the business end of the night – the awards themselves.
Awarding excellence
Royal Mail was a big winner on the night, picking up the Outstanding Achievement Award in recognition of the firm’s dedication to improving efficiency over its 500‑year history.
The firm has constantly embraced new ways of working to deliver mail faster and more efficiently, from horse-drawn carriages in the late 1700s, steam-driven packet ships in the early 1800s, trains in 1911 and planes in 1918. The present day sees Royal Mail’s fleet of around 47,000 road vehicles deliver mail to 29 million addresses across the country, six days a week. The firm strives to drive down emissions by reducing air miles, introducing telematics and driver training, as well as trialling electric delivery vans, with more green initiatives in the pipeline too.
Car clubs and rentals
A new category for 2016 was Car Club of the Year Award, with Co-Wheels scooping the prize to become the inaugural winners. Co‑wheels is now the only independently‑owned national car club, and delivers its service in over 60 locations across the UK. 75 electric cars are now available to hire by the hour in 20 towns and cities. Founders Pierre Fox, Richard Falconer and Paul Balmont set up Co-Wheels as a social enterprise which is annually assessed against transparent criteria, upheld by an independent certification panel. In June this year it became the first car club to receive ‘Go Ultra Low Company’ status, with over 40 per cent of its UK fleet either electric or hybrid. The first car club to introduce wheelchair accessible vehicles into its fleet has held the Social Enterprise Gold Mark for over five years for being able to demonstrate an excellent standard of practice in business ethics.
Meanwhile, Green Motion fended off competition from Europcar and Electric Blue to once again be named the Rental Car Company of the Year, in recognition of its continuous work to improve efficiency and have the lowest environmental impact possible.
Established in 2007, Green Motion is currently present in 26 countries and is concentrating on the further strengthening of its home market of the UK. The company continues to work closely with some of the world’s largest manufacturers, including Citroen, Toyota, Honda, Lexus and BMW to procure vehicles that are at the cutting edge of environmental technology. The all‑electric Nissan Leaf is available to hire in several branches, while sub 100g/km cars and vans are commonplace in its fleet, as are a range of filtered diesels and hybrids.
The company has concentrated on ensuring that the principle activities of its business have the lowest impact on the environment as possible, with each installation adhering to a list of environmental specifications from power generation through to shop fitting materials and paper use.
All hail the taxi
More and more taxi companies are beginning to realise the benefits of electric vehicles, meaning the Private Hire/Taxi Company of the Year Award was fiercely contested. In the end E-Connect cars came out on top, in recognition of the great work they have done to offer zero‑emission journeys with a fully electric car fleet.
Starting with five Nissan Leaf Teknas in January of 2014, the fleet has now grown to 55 vehicles and clients are now able to book an executive option with the Tesla model S, as well as a business class with the top of the range Leaf. Whilst most trips are less than five miles, journeys as far afield as Cardiff and Hereford have been undertaken using the Tesla.
In January 2016, E-Connect cars completed a successful crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube. Over 200 investors supported the use of electric vehicles as taxis and together raised nearly half a million pounds, part of which was used to extend rapid charging infrastructure.
The Leasing Company of the Year Award went to Alphabet, whose electric fleet grew by 385 per cent and in August this year reached a total of 5,085 EVs and PHEVs. It can also boast the impressive statistic that almost 10 per cent of the 23,109 plug-in grant-eligible cars and vans registered in the first eight months of 2016 are funded by or leased from Alphabet.
Alphabet’s multi-user AlphaCity CarSharing vehicles will cover more than one million miles, with each car being shared by an average of 27 individual ‘mobility users’ via RFID cards. Improvements to AlphaCity include a zero emission Electric Vehicle version using the BMW i3.
To better serve the 30 per cent of its customers that don’t have a dedicated fleet manager, Alphabet has developed a range of outsourced products and services which enable its customers to focus on their core business while delivering greater flexibility and more efficient mobility for their employees. The company has also gained an Investors in People Silver Award – one of the few to achieve this at the first time of application. Independent surveys recorded a 2.2 per cent increase in overall customer satisfaction and a 2.4 per cent increase in customer loyalty.
Industry innovation
Recognising innovation is a key part of the GreenFleet Awards, as new ideas put into practice is at the core of improving efficiency and offering solutions to environmental fleet management.
Route Monkey was recognised for its efforts, picking up the IT Innovation Award, sponsored by Green Motion.
Route Monkey creates complex algorithms to deliver scheduling and route optimisation solutions for fleets. In 2015, Route Monkey estimates that it saved its customers a total 38,844,000 miles and a corresponding 26,258 tonnes of CO2 emissions. The system can provide real time dynamic scheduling and can comfortably deal with the addition of last-minute jobs or delays and road closures caused by road traffic accidents. Route Monkey’s EVOS solution is the first software to optimise ULEVs and the first that can schedule mixed fleets containing conventional and low carbon vehicles.
The GreenFleet Award for Industry Innovation was handed over to Perpetual V2G, which has developed a patented lithium-ion power supply which works by capturing energy that would otherwise be wasted during a vehicle’s drive time. This application can be seen in refrigerated vehicles that require engine idle for power. The system eliminates the need for this, powering the refrigeration unit from the battery as soon as the engine is turned off.
Manufacturers
While innovation drives forward efficiency, fleets will always be limited by the performance of their vehicles. This year at the GreenFleet Awards a wide range of manufacturers were recognised for their continuous efforts to produce improved vehicles, that offer lower emission options without sacrificing performance.
This can be especially tricky for manufacturers attempting to produce ‘green’ large goods vehicles, but this year’s winner Iveco has surpassed itself with the new Stralis NP, which some are calling the ‘greenest truck the world has ever seen.’
Running on compressed and liquid natural gas, at its heart is the Iveco Cursor 9 Natural Power Euro VI engine, which delivers the same power and torque output as its diesel equivalent. It is the first natural gas truck with a 12-speed automated gearbox, with the Eurotronic transmission guaranteeing lower fuel consumption and the LNG-only version boasting a record range autonomy of 1,500km.
With Euro VI engines now a must, all van manufacturers have had to come up with vehicles that comply, and as a result, the LCV manufacturer of the Year category was very hard to judge. After long deliberation, Renault was named this year’s winner after seeing its LCV market share for the first half of 2016 go up one percentage point on the same period in 2015. That itself was a record, but a particular success story was sales of the Trafic van, which has proved as popular as ever with business users across the UK with 8,722 of the third generation model being sold in the first half of 2016 – almost 40 per cent up on the last year.
Steve Wilson, head of LCV, Groupe Renault UK said: “We’re extremely proud to have received this award from GreenFleet. Renault’s LCVs are some of the cleanest in the industry, and by offering the 100 per cent electric Kangoo Van Z.E. and innovative Twizy Cargo, we also provide a unique‑to‑the‑segment option for those who are looking to make their fleets kinder to the environment. The award win is further proof of the popularity of Renault’s LCV line-up in the UK after a large number of fleet operator wins this year.”
The City Car Manufacturer of the Year Award, sponsored by Green Motion, went to Fiat for its iconic 500 model as well as the newly-launched Tipo hatchback. The 500 has received further tweaks to make it an even more attractive proposition for emissions-conscious fleets. Both versions of the 900cc TwinAir petrol engine are available with start/stop technology, while the 1.3 litre Multijet Diesel variant and a 1.2 litre eco petrol version both provide sub‑90g/km emissions for zero road tax and reduce BIK from 17 per cent to 14 per cent.
The Fiat Tipo 1.6 MultiJet II meanwhile has a combined cycle fuel consumption figure and CO2 emissions of 76.3mpg and 98g/km respectively.
Pure EVs and plug-in hybrids
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are becoming an increasingly popular choice for drivers who want the benefits of an electric vehicle but still appreciate the inclusion of a combustion engine alongside.
This year’s winner BMW made a big impact on this market in 2016 and now has no fewer than five different models for fleets to choose from. Extensive discussions were conducted with fleets ahead of the market introduction of the BMW 330e Saloon. This plug-in hybrid offers an official combined fuel consumption of 148.7mpg and CO2 emissions of 44g/km. March 2016 also saw the launch of the BMW 225xe Active Tourer. In pure electric mode, the car can travel up to 25 miles and reach up to 78mph, emission‑free and with zero fuel consumption.
The GreenFleet judges are delighted to see the Electric Vehicle Manufacturer of the Year category become more and more competitive every year, as manufactures respond to the rising fleet demand.
Nissan picked up the Award, sponsored by Green Motion, in recognition for its continued work to take electric motoring to the masses with its flagship EV, the Leaf.
This year saw the success story of the Leaf continue, with Nissan shifting over 250,000 units since its introduction in 2010. The unique manufacturing plant in Sunderland, which builds the car for supply to 23 markets, completed the build of its 50,000th Leaf earlier this year. Recent enhancements include the addition of a 30kWh battery, which offers a significant 26 per cent increase in driving range.
Receiving the award, Karl Anders, national EV manager for fleet at Nissan Motor (GB), said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have won this prestigious award for the second time in succession. We pride ourselves in leading the way in the fleet industry with our EV range, and this award is great recognition of our continued effort.”
The Fleet Car Manufacturer of the Year Award, sponsored by the ‘Home of the Arrive’n’Drive’, Rockingham, was arguably the most competitive category of them all. In the end, Toyota claimed the prize for its broad range of fuel-efficient fleet options. The range of hybrid models available from Toyota has increased and now includes the Yaris, Auris and RAV4 SUV, with all but the RAV available in sub 100g/km CO2 versions. With the Prius still the first option as a fuel efficient small passenger transport vehicle, the addition of a seven seater variation is sure to sustain this. In all, seven hybrid models provide fleet managers with plenty of choice.
The greenest fleets
The GreenFleet Awards also takes pride in recognising the efforts of fleets of every size from the private and public sector that go above an beyond to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impacts.
The Public Sector Fleet of the Year Award (small – medium) went to the very deserving University of Cambridge.
Plug-in cars and vans form an increasingly important part of Cambridge University estate management’s fleet, and it was one of the first organisations in the UK to receive ‘Go Ultra Low Company’ status. In 2015 six new electric vans and one grounds utility vehicle joined the fleet. With a target of 50 per cent electric by 2021, a further five electric vans have been procured and the catering section was provided with two EV chiller conversions in October. Along with an advanced driver training programme for our regular drivers, a saving of 2,330 litres of fuel of (£3,190) and 5,979 kg of CO2 in one financial year has been achieved.
The Public Sector Fleet of the Year Award in the medium-large category, sponsored by Automotive Leasing, went to the London Fire Brigade. This year the Brigade changed its diesel fleet of 66 ‘blue lighted’ pool cars to 52 range extender electric BMW i3 and five plug in hybrid cars, making it the largest i3 fleet in the UK. This has greatly reduced CO2 emissions from 119g/km to 13g/km and NOx from 149mg/km to 2mg/km for the i3s. Telematics are also being introduced on all frontline vehicles.
Meanwhile, John Gorton of Kent & Essex Police was thrilled to take home the Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year Award, sponsored by Everwarm.
John is responsible for a huge fleet that deploys from 150 locations, across 3,075 square miles. Under his leadership, Transport Services has already delivered over £3 million in fleet savings alone. As a proactive member of the National Association of Police Fleet Managers, John engages in several national working groups, including the standardisation of UK police vehicles.
His commercial focus has captured the attention of both Chief Officer Boards, who have asked John to support the wider savings agenda using the same core fleet management principles and technology.
Representatives from Jersey Post all left with a smile on their face after picking up the Private Sector Fleet of The Year (small to medium size) Award, sponsored by Routemonkey. It was recognised after adding all-electric postal vans to its fleet in the form of the Nissan e-NV200. The purchase followed an extensive 18-month trial, working with the local Nissan dealer. The addition of the advanced all-electric vans will reduce Jersey Post’s carbon footprint by 35 tonnes a year, with each Nissan e-NV200 producing just 0.1 tonne of CO2 per year. The model offers a 4.2m3 capacity and an impressive 703kg payload. Nissan’s 100,000 miles warranty also influenced Jersey Post’s purchasing decision, and it plans to replace all vehicles with EVs as they come to end of life.
And if picking up the award wasn’t enough, the team from Jersey Post were also the lucky winners of the night’s prize draw, which saw them leave with a brand new EV80 all-electric van from LDV to trial for a year.
Private sector fleets
The Private Sector Fleet Award in the medium to large category, sponsored by Alphabet, was scooped up by tech giant Microsoft. Always a keen proponent of green technology, Microsoft has made a serious commitment to the environmental benefits of ULEVs over the past five years. More than one in ten (12 per cent) of its entire UK company car fleet is now hybrid or fully electric (60 out of 520 cars). This figure is expected to double to nearly a quarter (24 per cent or 120 cars) by April 2017. The equivalent figure amongst the grey fleet is five per cent and rising.
Alan Baker of Galliford Try was named the Private Sector Fleet Manager of the Year, sponsored by Mahindra. Alan manages a central hire and service desk that is challenged with providing the right vehicle to cope with the varied requirements of a diverse Group of Companies from the tip of Cornwall to the Shetland Isles. Various procurement options keep environmental considerations at the forefront.
By clearly demonstrating whole life costs to users, the average CO2 across the company car fleet of 2,400 vehicles is now just 101g/km today. Nearly 10 per cent of the fleet are plug-in hybrids, with 115 Mitsubishi Outlanders as well as an increasing number of Golf GTE’s and Tesla cars. These are suitable for staff who drive up 20,000 miles per year and can be charged at a number of company locations. Due to the dedicated focus of Alan, in recent years Galliford Try has already hit the target of at least five per cent of vehicles being electric by 2020.
EV Champions
Also recognised on the night were the GreenFleet Awards 2016 ‘EV Champions’. The five awards were handed out to individuals who go above and beyond to ‘champion the EV cause’.
The first up was Chris Ramsey of Plug In Adventures, who has travelled all over Europe in an EV and has even managed Edinburgh to Monaco, and then back to London in two days in a BMW i3.
Next up was Douglas Robertson, who since returning from his day job has embarked on an ‘EV mission’ and is currently the chair of the Electric Vehicle Association of Scotland.
Katie Colledge-Price was also handed an EV Champion Award, for her work overseeing the integration of EVs in to a very ‘high-powered’ fleet at Microsoft.
The fourth EV Champion was Matthew Morgan from the Phoneix works, who not only sells EVs but installs charge points, too, and has had a huge impact on charging infrastructure up North.
The last winner was Go Ultra Low’s Poppy Welch, who unfortunately could not be there on the night. Charged with encouraging the uptake and use of ULEVs, Poppy’s impact can be seen nationwide as a result of her work in championing EVs as efficient and practical options for fleets and private buyers alike.
