UK’s Fleet Alliance Commits to Green Technology and Looks into the Future
By Ed Pierce, Contributing Editor
Despite the disruption in business caused by last year’s pandemic, the fundamentals of the UK fleet industry, like the US, remain strong, says Martin Brown, Managing Director of Fleet Alliance headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland.
As in the US, highlights include the rapid growth in EV registrations; advances in telematics and its integration with 5G and artificial intelligence (AI). The UK’s long-standing commitment to environmental concerns is helping to shape fleet decisions, too.
Founded in 2002, Glasgow-based Fleet Alliance Ltd. manages just over 30,000 vehicles with a combined asset value of about £1 billion. In line with the industry’s strength, Martin is pleased to report that Fleet Alliance is heading for a potential record year.
“If you told me 12 months ago that we’d see that level of growth, I wouldn't have believed you,” admits Martin. “Yet, despite fewer business miles being driven in the past year, that change might be a better fit for electric vehicles."
The Main Forces Driving the Medium Duty Market
There are a few main forces driving the medium duty market, including availability of new and used inventory — which is driving up prices — and driver shortages.
Transition to EVs: Building a Roadmap
Medium to large-sized fleets are building roadmaps to transition to electric vehicles, and LeasePlan is playing a major consultative role as they help their clients through the process.
California Isn’t Building Enough Charging Stations for Electric Cars
If California wants drivers to switch to electric cars en masse over the next decade, it must prepare by building charging stations at a much faster pace — or risk drivers not having enough places to plug in away from home.
That’s the conclusion of a report released this week by the California Energy Commission, which found that charging infrastructure isn’t being built fast enough in the state to meet its lofty transportation and climate change goals.
The agency’s report found California risks having 54,000 fewer public and shared charging outlets than it needs by 2025. The state will need 250,000 chargers in about three years, according to its own estimates; it has only 73,000 today and funding to build 123,000 more.
Read the article at MSN.
GM Agrees to California’s Tough Standards for Curbing Car Pollution
The nation's largest automaker said Wednesday it can support greenhouse gas emissions limits that other car manufacturers negotiated with California — if they are achieved mostly by promoting sales of fully electric vehicles.
Details of GM's shifted stance came in a letter from CEO Marry Barra to EPA Administrator Michael Regan, who has been meeting with auto companies this week in advance of the agency's release of its proposed tailpipe-pollution and fuel-economy standards, set for later this month.
Barra said GM favors the emission reduction goals of the California deal through the 2026 model year, but “believes that the same environmental benefits can and should be achieved through a high-volume electric vehicle pathway.” Her letter said that more electric vehicles on the road would bring further pollution reductions in later years.
Read the article at Autoblog.
