Arrive ’N’ Drive celebrates its 10th year at Rockingham

On 22 September 2016, Arrive ‘N’ Drive celebrates a decade at Rockingham, putting fleet managers behind the wheels of low and zero-emission vehicles and educating them on the latest green transport issues.

From the original Toyota Prius hybrid back in 2007 to the all electric Nissan e-NV200 in 2015, Arrive ‘N’ Drive at Rockingham has always been at the forefront of showcasing the latest carbon-cutting vehicles and technologies to fleet buyers, as well as educating them on the latest legislative changes and fleet best practice. This year’s event on 22 September will be packed with the latest zero and low-emission vehicles available for test drive, including test track favourites the BMW i3, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Nissan Leaf.

The education theme this year is ‘helping fleets go ultra low’ – looking at standard fleets, blue-light fleets and commercial vehicles.

Going ‘ultra low’
The government defines an ‘ultra low vehicle’ as one that produces 75g or less of CO2 per kilometre from the tailpipe and is capable of a minimum 10 miles of zero-emission driving. These can be electric or hybrid vehicles. The government is pushing for mass adoption of these vehicles in order to meet stringent carbon targets, and so is offering a raft of incentives – most notably the Plug-in Car Grant of £4,500 and Plug-in Van Grant of £8,000, but also tax incentives and home charging subsidies.

Government and industry are also focused on educating consumers and fleets on the benefits and practicalities of these vehicles via the Go Ultra Low campaign. As a spin off, it has launched an  initiative for companies to receive ‘Go Ultra Low Company’ status – meaning they must commit to reach at least five per cent electric fleet vehicles by 2020.

The education sessions at Arrive ‘N’ Drive will discuss the latest government policy and give advice on how fleets can make ‘ultra low’ fleets a reality.

There will also be a session targeted at the emergency services sector. Whilst the sector needs high-performance vehicles due to the very nature of their work, they are still under pressure to do their bit in lowering fleet emissions. This session will feature a case study from a large police force that has managed to combine the two.

There will also be a workshop for commercial vehicles fleets. Seen as being the biggest contributors to poor air quality, the UK’s vans and trucks are taking the brunt of the proposed action from government. Discussing topics such as Clean Air Zones, the workshop will highlight what needs to be done, what help is available and also what cleaner vehicles are out there that can make a difference.
   
Beat the Sprig
Putting the fun into eco driving, the fleet industry’s most renowned eco-driver – the Sprig – is back to challenge visitors on their green driving skills. Just a 10 per cent improvement in fuel consumption can save companies a substantial amount of money.

Participants will all drive the same type of vehicle on the same route, and the team or person that achieves the best mpg figure will win a prize. Technology partner Trakm8 will be providing the tracking and data.

Electric Avenue
Arrive’n’Drive is once again featuring the very latest in plug-in vehicles, and has a designated test circuit to provide a ‘real world’ experience with acceleration zones and low speed zones to allow delegates to put electric vehicles through their paces.

Organisations that operate recharging technology and infrastructure will also be present with their expert knowledge and advice throughout the day.

Test drives
BMW will be bringing its innovative i collection – the i3 and i8. The i collection was born out of extensive real-world trials in the Mini E and Active E so that driver feedback and concerns could be addressed. The i3 has a range of 125 miles in the pure electric version, and 206 miles in the range extender. As well as its head-turning, futuristic looks, it is made from lightweight carbon fibre, and up to 95 per cent of the vehicle is recyclable.

The Mitsubishi Outlander, the best‑selling PHEV in the UK, will also be available to test drive. Using twin electric motors with an efficient 2.0-litre petrol engine, it can achieve a combined range of 541 miles, 32 of which can be achieved just in electric mode. It has combined CO2  emissions of 42g/km and an mpg figure of 156mpg.

Nissan will be offering its best selling electric Leaf to test drivers, which can do up to 155 miles, as well as the electric e-NV200 van, with its best in class cargo space of 4.2m³ and 106-mile range.

Tesla will be present on the day with its model S, a fully electric, five door luxury sedan. The Model S accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in as little as 2.8 seconds, can do over 300 miles on a charge, and has innovative autopilot capabilities.

The Jaguar XE will be another star of the show. With its lightweight aluminium architecture improving agility and fuel-efficiency, it is capable of up to 155mph whilst emitting CO2 emissions as low as 99g/km. Jaguar will also be bringing its F-Pace along; an SUV that combines maximum performance with efficiency.

Fiat Group will be showcasing its Jeep Renegade, as well as the Fiat 500X, a five‑door version of the ever popular and iconic 500. Robinsons Motor Group will be presenting a range of Mercedes and Smart vehicles, as will Toyota and Lexus.

Fleet technology and services
The indoor exhibition at Rockingham, where breakfast and the buffet lunch is served, will host a range of companies offering supportive fleet services and technology.

Fleet Drive, providers of leased electric vehicles will be on hand to answer any questions, as will Green Motion who offer green car and van rental.

Route Monkey will be happy to talk through its telematics offering, including its technology for electric vehicle modelling, scheduling and infrastructure planning.

Chevin Fleet Solutions, who provide web‑based fleet management software proven to help businesses improve operational efficiency are also on hand with their expertise.

Here to stay
According to analysis Go Ultra Low, more than half of all new vehicle registrations could feature an electric powertrain by 2027.

Taking into account data from multiple electric-car sales reports and forecasts, it believes that more than 1.3 million electric vehicles (EVs) could be sold each year by 2027.

Highlighting the dramatic rise in EV registrations over the past few years, Go Ultra Low claims that the new car market is accelerating towards a point in the future where electric power overtakes petrol and diesel as the dominant fuel type, suggesting that the government forecast of all new cars and vans to be electric by 2040 is achievable.

This shows that electric mobility is here to stay. What better reason to visit Arrive ‘N’ Drive?

For more information and to sign up visit:
www.events.greenfleet.net