Vans, Cars and Leasing

The Energy Saving Trust is calling on the UK’s small fleets to do more to protect the environment. The Trust has launched a campaign targeting fleets of 50 vehicles and under, asking managing directors to consider their carbon footprint and get in contact with transport experts.

By calling the Energy Saving Trust’s small fleet hotline, managers can speak to green fleet experts offering advice on reducing emissions, cutting costs and improving corporate reputations. Information on eco-driving, fuel management, driver training and health and safety issues is also available.

A recent report commissioned by the Trust found that companies with small fleets of around 50 vehicles could save up to £45,000 a year by implementing green fleet policies.

“Companies with smaller fleets cannot justify a fleet manager and will not necessarily have anyone focused on their fleet full time,” said Nigel Underdown, head of transport advice at the Energy Saving Trust. We can provide your company with access to experienced fleet experts who can offer impartial advice, tailored to your individual business needs. I would urge all companies to take advantage of this free service and save money as well as the environment.”

Figures just released for all greenhouse gas emissions in the UK in 2006 show that total emissions were down just 0.5% on 2005 levels. Carbon dioxide (CO2), which makes up about 85% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions, fell just 0.1% over the same period.

But environment secretary Hilary Benn was keen to point out that the British economy grew by 2.9% in 2006, which means the country is breaking the historic link between economic growth, and a rise in emissions.

“The UK is on track to meet and go well beyond its Kyoto commitments, but as a country we must do much more across the board,” he said. “We have to make a real change to every aspect of our lives and our economy.”

The biggest decrease in CO2 emissions was in the residential sector, with a fall of 4% on 2005 levels.
But CO2 emissions from transport rose by 1.3%. Although CO2 emissions from transport increased overall, emissions from cars actually fell for the fourth consecutive year. In 2002, CO2 emissions from passenger cars were at an all time high of 72.5 million tonnes. In 2006, it had fallen to 68.7 million tonnes.

Meanwhile, reflecting the massive investment in public transport over the same period, emissions from trains rose by 300,000 tonnes, while CO2 emissions from buses rose by 800,000 tonnes. Emissions from aviation also increased. Between 2005 and 2006, CO2 emissions from domestic aviation fell by 2.8%, but international aviation emissions increased by 1.5%.

If you are after the ultimate Audi TT, the 269bhp TTS unveiled in Detroit isn’t it. Insiders at the German firm have confirmed that an even faster version of the coupé is to be added to the line-up – the TTRS.

It was initially thought such a car would have the 4.2-litre V8 from the R8 supercar. But Audi now reveal it will use an all-new 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo engine with around 350bhp.

Powering all four wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox or DSG paddleshift, the range-topper should be capable of sprinting from 0-60mph in under five seconds. While this is similar performance to the R8, Audi is likely to limit the TTRS’s top speed to 155mph to differentiate it from the 187mph supercar. The new model is tipped to arrive in showrooms in summer 2009 – a year after the TTS goes on sale. That car will cost around £32,000, and the TTRS is set to command a significant premium.

Written on behalf of Contract Hire
Audi Contract Hire Deals

The tii debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show last October, and was billed as a design study. However, these images show that the striking extras have made it to production, and will be available across the 1-Series range. And the good news for enthusiasts is that you’ll be able to order a car that looks virtually identical to the stunning show model. The prestige German brand is planning to offer customers a range of glitzy extras, including a smart bodykit and performance upgrades.

Its revised bumpers and lowered sills are lifted straight from the black and white Tokyo concept. The show car’s bare carbon fibre bonnet is missing, but its unpainted door mirrors are made of the lightweight material, as is the diffuser-style section of the rear bumper. Other additions include stripes along the sides of the car and a neat spoiler on the rear bootlid. There’s plenty of exciting kit inside, too, including a hi-tech Formula One-style steering wheel that promises to become this year’s must-have gadget.

This features a digital readout at the 12 o’clock position that functions as a speedometer and lap timer. It’s sure to appeal to enthusiasts and is flanked on the suede-rimmed wheel by a pair of change-up lights.

They illuminate in stages as the engine revs rise for the perfect gearchange. To complete the tii look inside, the catalogue also highlights a pair of body-hugging bucket seats. However, the concept car’s contrasting black and white dials haven’t made it to production.

The extra kit is expected to take the form of accessory packs in UK showrooms later this year. The focus is on cosmetic upgrades rather than performance hikes, but specially tuned suspension to improve handling is also on the cards, along with a quickshift gearchange. Finally, improved brakes are available to fit behind the tii’s larger alloy wheels.

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BMW Contract Hire - BMW 1 Series Leasing

Executives at Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. have intimated their confidence last Wednesday that the sales in the United States will pick up in the last half of this year as a federal boost and slashed interest rates improved shoppers’ confidence.”We’re beginning to see, after six quarters of declines, the beginnings of some pent-up demand,” General Motors North America President Troy Clarke said at the Chicago Auto Show media preview. “You could make a case that the second half of the year could be significantly better.”

Many analysts in the industry anticipate for the worst sales in America in a decade, divulged BusinessWeek. But Ford and General Motors said that there are signs of hope.

Clarke said that the majority of mortgages with adjustable rates will change over in the first two quarters of the year, and consumers have been planning for that. Additionally, the government help could stimulate consumers’ confidence without drilling a hole in their pocket.

Mark Fields, Ford Americas president, was also bullish. “We do see opportunity in the second half,” Fields said, adding that interest rate cuts could also help stimulate sales.

“We’re going to keep our dealers competitive, and a lot of it’s going to depend on where the competition is,” added the exec of the Ford Mustang maker.

Mark LaNeve, General Motors vice president for North American sales and marketing, said that big cuts GM and Ford made to their rental-car sales in 2007 could help stimulate demand in 2008 since rental cars often replace new-car sales when they return to the general market. LaNeve said that the automakers alone have cut 350,000 cars from daily rental fleet sales in the last few years. He added that automakers were also much more disciplined in 2007 about the use of incentives, which tend to artificially pull sales ahead.

According to the auto Web site Edmunds.com, incentives averaged $2,366 per vehicle in the previous year. The figure is down by $42 from 2006.

“We really believe the industry’s going to be OK this year,” LaNeve said. “We’ve had a fairly weak car market for the better part of two years. Economic weakness is being experienced in other places right now. We’ve already been in it.”

Clarke said that the Detroit automaker’s incentive spending will likely be up in the first half of the year. “I think incentives are a very important tool for us to explore and use. It doesn’t mean we fall off our incentive discipline,” he concluded.

Written on behalf of Total Fleet Contract Hire UK
Ford Contract Hire

There have been almost 12,000 traffic crashes involving ‘blue light’ vehicles from the emergency services over the past five years.

Of these crashes, 1,926 resulted in seriously injured casualties and 188 in fatalities.

“The fact that emergency service vehicles are the cause of so many accidents and fatalities is extremely concerning,” said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker, who unearthed the figures.

“While these vehicles are rightly in a hurry to get to where they are needed, these figures indicate that we need a serious look at what can be done to reduce the number of accidents that they are involved in.

“I have written to both the Home Secretary and the President of the Association of Chief Police Officers calling for a review of the procedures used by emergency service vehicles to look into how accidents can be minimised.”

The number of people killed on British roads fell during 2007, according to the latest Government statistics. Road casualty figures for last year show that fatalities were down by 5% during the 12 months ending September 2007, compared with the previous 12 months.

Overall casualty figures were down by 4%, while the more serious crashes including those that involved fatalities and seriously injuries fell by 2% over the same time period. The figures are based on the number of incidents reported to police, and fatalities are counted as those that died within 30 days of the crash.

A note is included in the report that research suggests not all accidents are reported.

For more information visit
www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/accidents/rcgbq32007

Mazda is putting an increasing emphasis on local fleet business through its dealer network in 2008. The Japanese carmaker has historically used its fleet specialists to target larger companies, but is putting more focus on educating dealers to deal with enquiries from smaller organisations.

Steve Jellis, Mazda UK’s after sales manager, said: “We want to encourage our dealers to work more closely with the local fleets and our fleet department has set up an arrangement which gives dealers specific support in this area.

“That means they can do their own thing rather than rely heavily on the very big fleets, which we tend to handle through a handful of fleet specialists.”

Mazda’s fleet director James Hopkins has been meeting with dealers and presenting ideas that will enable them to better understand the needs of smaller firms.

“We’re encouraging them to be more proactive with smaller fleets and we would welcome the attention of the small fleet manager,” Mr Jellis said

“It’s still in the very early stages. We only started discussions at the end of last year, but it will develop through the next six to nine months.

“Our fleet community looks at business across all the channels from major daily rental down to the small business users.”

While buying repair information and products we have a wide range to choose from. One takes pride by servicing his BMW parts himself. This not only saves money but also time. All that is required is a thorough understanding of the BMW manual and BMW parts in detail. By purchasing the BMW manual, money can be saved. Moreover money saved i money earned.Brakes are one of the most important bmw parts. BMW recommends that the brake fluid system in their cars be flushed and bled every year. Considering the importance of properly working brakes, this is the single most important maintenance item and often the most overlooked.

The primary threats to a brake system are water, dirt, and air. Brake fluid will absorb water and rust out the system from within. It will also accumulate dirt, which can ruin the machined surfaces in the brake master cylinder and the brake calipers. And air can sit in the lines and cause the brakes to be spongy and less effective.

Some people think it is possible to flush your brake fluid too much, but this is really incorrect. For most purposes, though, it should be enough to do it once every year. It depends on how much driving you do in a year, whether it is in the city or on a highway, what transmission your car might be equipped with and how you treat the brakes in your car. How much you spend on brake fluid is minimal, usually somewhere between 10 and 15 dollars, so that shouldn’t be an issue.

Those people who own BMW automobiles and who take courses in race car driving, know it is crucial to have this done expertly and often. The majority of us like to do it personally while attempting to become familiar with the various BMW components. Although bleeding the brake lines is generally accomplished by a two-man team, it is a good learning experience to perform this task alone.

Many BMW accessories are available in the market, but it is not easy to get the originals. One essential tool is a pressure bleeder. Because of the manner in which it operates, it is essential that a pressure tool achieve a sufficient vacuum. Many commercial bleeders are obtainable on today’s aftermarket. They operate by drawing fluid from the caliper. The general consensus, though, is that they do not function well.

Record numbers of the industry’s most influential figures will be celebrating at Fleet News Awards on March 10 when it reaches its landmark 20th anniversary.

The fleet industry’s ‘Oscar’s’ have already attracted more than 1,000 business leaders and influencers for the gala night of the year, to be held at its traditional home, the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane, London.

To mark the anniversary, there are new categories that reflect the fast changing fleet industry, while a series of special guests have been lined up to provide entertainment throughout the night.

Fleet managers will be recognised with awards in the sub-100, 101-400 and 401-plus fleet size categories, along with the prestigious Fleet of the Year Award.

Manufacturers’ awards range from the best van to small cars, premium vehicles and luxury cars.

But some of the biggest changes come in the service company category, where awards include Best Innovation, Best Safety Initiative, Best Leasing Initiative and Best Customer Services Initiative.

To round the evening off, the headline awards will include a special environmental award, Fleet Supplier of the Year and the Platinum Award.

Fleet managers have also been voting to decide the Company Car of the Year and Fleet Manufacturer of the Year.

With demand for tickets at an all-time high, it will pay to book straight away to ensure you get the best position to watch the evening’s celebrations unfold.

Chris Lester, events director, said: “The biggest night in the fleet calendar is fast-approaching and tables are always in huge demand.

“This year will be no exception, especially as the industry is celebrating the landmark 20th anniversary of the award.”

Individual tickets cost £215+VAT and a table of 10 costs £2,045+VAT.

The Fleet News Awards are sponsored by some of the industry’s leading companies: Honda UK; BMW Corporate Sales; LeasePlan UK; National Car Rental; BT Fleet; Michelin Tyre Plc; Kwik-Fit Fleet; Enterprise Rent-A-Car; Michelin; Hi-Q; Volvo; Arval; Volkswagen Fleet Services.

To book, either log onto www.fleetnewsawards.com.

You can also call or email Sandra Evitt on 01733 468123 or sandra.evitt@emap.com