Two new 90-minute “bite sized” online courses for time-pressured fleet managers have been launched by the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP).
Part of the organisation’s AFP Fleet Academy programme for 2026, they are designed to easily fit into busy schedules while developing valuable practical skills and strategies that can be implemented immediately.
Time Management improves decision-making to focus on work that generates high value, long-term results, applying a framework to eliminate, delegate, or defer unnecessary tasks and commitments, shifting your mindset to take charge of your schedule so you get more done without feeling overwhelmed. You can now book onto the course on either 10th February or 28th April 2026.
Change Gear in Your Career helps identify strengths and talents to increase your impact in your current role, releasing untapped potential and using it to enhance your performance, professional image, and visibility. It identifies clear, practical steps to accelerate your career and move forward with confidence, and will be held on 3rd March 2026.
Charges for both courses are £99 for AFP members, £145 for non-members.
Ronnie Gillman, AFP training manager, said: “We believe time-pressured fleet managers should undoubtedly have the opportunity to access high quality, effective training, and these bite-sized courses are our response to that need.
“They are a new format for 2026 and we believe are likely to prove very popular. Covering areas of personal development that fleet managers often tell us they want to tackle in a cost-effective course that can be easily squeezed into a working day, they provide valuable new approaches that can be put into practice straightaway.”
The AFP Fleet Academy has also added another Accelerate course in 2026 called “Navigating People Challenges” which focuses on increasing your self-awareness as a leader while providing practical tools to manage your team more effectively.
Accelerate courses cover specific topics and soft skills including Your Voice in Fleet, Women’s Voices in Fleet, Making the Switch to Electric Vehicles and Operational eLCV Fleet Strategy.
Ronnie Gillman said: “Accelerate has become a popular concept. These courses provide fleet managers with a strong grounding in essential areas of the profession and have been an important part of the success of the AFP Fleet Academy in recent years.
“The new course, Navigating People Challenges, helps develop your skills to create better personnel outcomes. Whether managing people is a new part of your responsibilities or something you’ve been doing for many years, it explores a range of different tools and approaches in a safe and supportive environment.”
Accelerate – Navigating People Challenges will be delivered at Group 1 Mercedes-Benz in Coventry on 25th February and 16th June 2026. The fee is £395 per person for AFP members and £495 for non-members.
Further details on these courses and others from the AFP Fleet Academy can be found at https://www.theafp.co.uk/education-training/.
A new one-day course designed to enhance people management skills is being launched by the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP).
Part of the AFP Fleet Academy programme for 2026 and debuting in February, “Accelerate – Navigating People Challenges” consists of two modules. Develop Knowledge focuses on increasing your self-awareness as a leader while Activate Knowledge provides practical tools to manage your team more effectively.
Ronnie Gillman, AFP training manager, said: “Fleet managers frequently tell us that managing teams can be a challenge. It consumes much of their time and they find issues that arise often difficult to resolve.
“This course helps develop their skills to create better outcomes. Whether managing people is a new responsibility or something they’ve been doing for many years, it explores a range of different tools and approaches in a safe and supportive environment.
“Together, we will discuss how to find balance in the workplace by offering the level of support employees should expect from their manager while still ensuring people are performing effectively in the role for which they were employed.”
She said the course builds confidence in dealing with a wide range of everyday staff challenges – including anxiety, equality, health issues and disruptive behaviour.
“We provide a framework that equips delegates to address almost any problem. Every situation is unique and we can work through any scenarios delegates are currently facing, developing knowledge and skills together.”
The AFP Fleet Academy’s range of Accelerate courses cover specific topics and soft skills. For 2026, they include Your Voice in Fleet, Women’s Voices in Fleet, Making the Switch to Electric Vehicles and Operational eLCV Fleet Strategy.
Ronnie said: “Accelerate has become a very popular concept. These short, impactful courses provide fleet managers with a strong grounding in essential areas of the profession. They have been an important part of the success of the AFP Fleet Academy in recent years. We will be adding to our Accelerate offering in 2026, so watch this space for news on this.”
Accelerate – Navigating People Challenges will be initially delivered at Group 1 Mercedes-Benz in Coventry on two dates – 25th February and 16th June 2026. The fee is £395 per person for AFP members and £495 for non-members.
Further details can be found at https://www.theafp.co.uk/accelerate-navigating-people-challenges/.
Sharing the charging infrastructure of local businesses could answer the needs of fleets whose drivers lack off-road parking, so can’t install their own charger, believes the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP).
Paul Hollick, chair, AFP, says such facilities, available out-of-hours, can often be found near to employee’s terraced homes and apartments.
“In practical terms, not having home charging is probably the biggest blocker to electric vehicle (EV) adoption for fleets. Needing to charge during the daytime creates downtime that financially impacts on the core business and operational arguments for going electric, as well as usually being much more expensive than using a domestic charger.
“When fleets are considering which vehicles to electrify, this issue is often at the forefront of their minds. Uncertainty around the time, cost and location of charging for drivers and their cars and vans creates a lot of doubt. However, the AFP shared charging network provides a ready, drop-in solution that reduces or removes charging downtime thanks to an approach that gives fleets certainty.
“Our method is to identify charging needs for each individual fleet vehicle then, using intelligent data, match them with locally available, privately-owned facilities within our network. The owners of these shared chargers are signed up to our initiative on best practice terms, solving the problems of both convenience and cost.”
Working with its partner, Evata, the AFP launched their shared charging network and its accompanying portal and app in May, enabling vehicle operators to collaborate with peers to access charging at preferential rates, while allowing charger owners to achieve improved utilisation and margin.
Shakeel Ali, CEO of Evata, said momentum behind the project was building: “Our approach is very much consultative. We work with fleets to identify suitable shared provision in locations meeting their requirements, enabling them to transition in cases where EVs had previously been impractical because of an absence of overnight charging availability.
“By providing a data-driven approach to this structural problem, we do the heavy lifting, presenting each fleet with a comprehensive solution tailored to their needs. It is a significant and highly effective departure from the more conventional charging products provided by the market today.
“Having built up a substantial network and database of chargers, we are now in conversation about shared charging and operating pilots with both public and private sector bodies, as well as consortiums of all kinds. Everyone can see the potential.”
The online portal for fleet operators and self-serve mobile app for drivers together deliver fully secure means for shared charging to be delivered, Shakeel added.
“The portal offers visibility and control of shared charging use for fleet managers while the app provides information for drivers about charger locations, availability and any specific information prevalent to the site. As facilities can be on controlled sites, they may need to know about health and safety, for example, so we provide a digital first approach to ensuring the driver has the necessary information at hand and in a workable format.
“Also, the app provides drivers with the ability to book charging in advance, creating a further layer of convenience.”
Fleets interested in taking part in AFP shared charging as either a user or provider should contact [email protected].
Fleet engagement with the new government consultation on Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) is “essential” to highlight a wide range of potential problems, says the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP).
Paul Hollick, chair, said that the industry body’s members broadly accepted the need for the government to recover revenue lost from petrol and diesel fuel duty but there were major concerns about the system being proposed.
He said: “Fleets generally recognise the Chancellor needs to balance her books and that fuel duty is being lost as more and more fleets and private motorists adopt electric vehicles (EVs).
“However, there are considerable problems with eVED as currently proposed. At a strategic level, the timing is highly questionable. Acceptance of EVs in the fleet and especially retail sectors is growing steadily but still highly uneven. Adding to costs before electric cars become the norm, especially with a new form of taxation, is a very risky move.
“Initial public reception to the idea of pence per mile payments has not been positive and there is the possibility that eVED becomes a further, perhaps major, barrier to EV adoption.
“The government’s thinking appears to be that this negativity will be offset by continuing the new electric car grant until near the end of the decade but whether that will materialise is questionable. Also, it won’t help demand in the used market, which is perhaps where fleets have the biggest concerns about electrification because of less than expected residual values.”
Additionally, there were problems with the eVED scheme as outlined, he said, with the estimated mileage amount paid upfront and adjusted 12 months later following verification.
“It’s just something of a hotch-potch. It’s not really pay-on-use and it’s not really retrospective charging. We’re struggling to see any advantages at all in this approach.
“The obvious alternative is a technological solution but journey tracking would inevitably and properly raise questions over privacy and civil liberties. Also, any form of hardware or software used to collect data could add significant costs for fleets and private motorists.”
A further issue, he added, was the need for drivers to book into MOT test stations annually to have their mileage verified.
“Cars under three years old, representing the vast majority of fleet vehicles, don’t visit MOT stations and it’s an area where we know there is undercapacity, so this will mean lost work time and unnecessary disruption. It certainly doesn’t fit with the consultation’s stated aim of minimising the administrative burden of eVED.”
Paul said the AFP’s Future Roads Committee would be convened soon in order to aggregate member views on eVED and present them to the government.
“We’re planning on making our views heard firmly as an industry body and it is essential individual fleets to do the same. The more information that can be presented as part of the consultation before the March 18 deadline, the better.”
Despite the many difficulties that eVED presented, it was promising the government had established a track record of listening to fleets on major issues, he added.
“Our experience of working alongside other industry bodies to present the fleet sector’s concerns about policies that affect us has been largely positive. The government often takes note of our representations.
“In the last week or so, we’ve seen this in new measures that make adoption of 4.25 tonne electric vans much easier and in the Budget, the extension of the VED Expensive Car Supplement to £50,000. We’re very much hoping a similar, pragmatic approach will be applied to the many concerns we hold about eVED.
“A plus point is that we have more than two years before the planned introduction of the new system and it is possible, even probable, that considerable time and effort will be needed to arrive at a solution that works for fleets, private motorists and the Treasury. The current consultation may well be the first step in a lengthy process.”
New team set up to tackle “egregious breaches of employment rights” – starting with hand car washes
Fleets should take a “measured approach” to security risks highlighted by the government around Chinese-manufactured cars, says the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP).
Defence minister Luke Pollard this week warned Ministry of Defence (MoD) employees were being urged not to discuss sensitive issues when travelling in Chinese cars and the use of such vehicles was under examination, with warning stickers being fitted to windscreens.
However, Paul Hollick, AFP chair, said these issues affected relatively few vehicle operators and fleets should adopt a proportionate response.
“We’re living through a moment where there is a great deal of sensitivity about Chinese espionage activities in general, with a new alert issued to Parliament this week. There is little doubt the UK government is treating this as a serious issue.
“For security-critical fleets such as the MoD and their suppliers, it is absolutely correct that steps should be taken to minimise risks and if the authorities believe Chinese cars present a potential weakness, their use should be examined in detail.”
He said several AFP members in this position were already working with the authorities and taking appropriate action.
“In technical terms, there are potential causes for concern. Almost all newer vehicles have multiple cameras, microphones, satnav and internet connectivity that could be used to collect information by a hostile actor.
“However, while this is possible, it’s an area easily prone to exaggeration. There is perhaps a perception being promoted in some more sensational areas of the press that someone sitting in a grey walled office in Beijing can click a few buttons on their laptop and listen to a chat between two people as they sit in a traffic jam on the M40. We know of no evidence suggesting this has ever occurred.
“Of course, some of our members – who work in government, critical infrastructure and defense – handle cybersecurity risks every day as part of their management of the fleet. For example, there are often guidelines about where to park vehicles when visiting sensitive sites. Similar policies usually apply to personal mobile phones, and the security concerns surrounding vehicles are comparable.”
For the vast number of fleets adopting Chinese cars, the message was very much there was no reason to panic, Paul said.
“Chinese-manufactured cars – and this includes some established European brands as well as less familiar new entrants to the market – are finding a home on many fleets because they appear to offer excellent value, especially when it comes to electrification.
“Unless you are operating in a sector where security is an everyday concern, we’re unaware of any reason why fleets shouldn’t continue to buy and operate them as before. If there are specific risks, we’d very much expect the government to make us aware.”
Paul added that technology in newer cars was probably more likely to be misused for domestic crime than international espionage, with specific risks around ensuring everyday data stored on cars was regularly monitored and deleted before disposal.
“The amount of personal data being stored on modern cars is enormous. For the average user in a normal company car, it’s not just a question of contacts, phone numbers and destinations but even biometric information such as your weight.
“This is a more present security risk than Chinese cars, in our opinion, and is of concern to all fleets rather than just a few involved in critical sectors. Anyone who works in the used car sector can attest to how much data is often left on vehicles when they are sold.
“One AFP member recently explained to me how the motor manufacturer app on his phone was still tracking the location of a company car sold by his employer five years ago, and he could hypothetically open and close its locks. That’s not too unusual. It’s a huge worry and perhaps indicates that for the vast majority of fleets, the potential misuse of everyday data to carry out simple thefts is a bigger concern than hostile foreign governments.”
Fleets need rapid clarification on how to apply the “split-level” Advisory Electric Rates (AERs) put in place by HMRC in September, says the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP).
Paul Hollick, chair at the industry body, says the move – which provides an AER of 8 pence per mile (ppm) for domestic charging and 14 ppm for highway charging – had left electric company car operators in limbo.
“Alongside many others in the fleet sector, we were initially very welcoming of the change to a split-level rate, something for which we had been long campaigning in recognition of the widely different costs of private and commercial charging.
“However, the implementation has been confusing at best. AERs exist to provide businesses with a useful simplification when it comes to employees reclaiming fuel costs but the new system is almost unusable as it stands.”
HMRC’s guidance for split-level AER is that for journeys where a company car is charged at both public and residential locations, fleets can apportion the mileage based on how much charging happens at each place.
Paul said: “How that advice might be implemented is open to wide interpretation and few fleets are confidently proceeding. We require clarification about the methodology and evidencing that is required, especially where it needs to be coded into existing systems. Almost no-one wants to go forward risking they’ll adopt the new AER regime incorrectly and face considerable tax back payments and even fines at some point in the future.”
In the absence of detailed instructions, most fleets were playing it safe by using the 8ppm rate, he reported.
“Only in instances where a driver exclusively uses highway charging can the 14ppm rate safely be used. Choosing the lower rate is the conservative option but means drivers who use a lot of commercial charging but some domestic continue to be left out of pocket, which is highly unfair. It’s especially difficult for fleet managers to explain to employees aware of the higher AER why they won’t be able to pay them the 14ppm rate.
“We very much believe this is an area where the authorities should be encouraging more drivers and businesses to adopt electric company cars by enabling fair, easy and accurate reimbursement of fuel costs, and this confusion is a definite disincentive.”
Lorna McAtear, AFP deputy chair, added that the government’s moves were expensive to accommodate from a process point of view, with few fleets able to afford to rewrite their software to apportion rates.
“An idea suggested when the new rates were first announced is probably the best and easiest solution, in our view. If a driver has a home charger, they sign a declaration stating that fact and are treated as an 8ppm claimant. If they don’t have a home charger, they sign a similar declaration to that end and claim everything at 14ppm. This is simple to administer and fair in the broadest sense.
“This method also enables fleets to easily add additional amounts to their ppm rate, if they so choose. Both the AERs are arguably too low, especially the higher level when drivers are using highway rapid chargers, and employers could boost the amount they pay easily because the process is so straightforward.”
The AFP, alongside other organisations representing the fleet sector, was collecting evidence to show HMRC how further action was required to make split level AERs practical, Paul said.
“We have a good relationship with the tax authorities and they listen to our feedback but their approach is very evidential. They’ll want to see proof the situation exists as we describe it before further action is taken and then will need to spend time arriving at a solution that works for them and for fleets.
“Our view is that rapid clarity is needed by fleets but the reality is that arriving at a positive outcome could take some time, which is frustrating.”
AER is a ppm reimbursement rate set by the government for employees using a company EV for business travel. These rates are not mandatory, but using them avoids potential tax on benefits for both employer and employee.
Fleet managers should secure training budgets now to ensure they develop the necessary expertise for the year ahead, says the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP).
Announcing the 2026 AFP Fleet Academy programme, Paul Hollick, chair of the industry body, said its members were more aware than ever of the need to enhance their skill set to meet ever-wider remits.
“Demand for training has risen from 520 days in 2024 to 590 this year, with more expected to be delivered in 2026. This is a result of the need for fleet managers and their teams to excel in a growing range of areas as their roles continue to evolve and expand.
“As we launch our new training programme, it’s a good moment to remind industry professionals that a structured approach to securing budget may be necessary. We suggest members plan their training requirements now and take steps to ensure the development they need is fully funded.”
Ronnie Gillman, AFP training manager, said courses were based around two main pillars. The Fleet Vehicle Management pathway offered structured development for everyone working in the sector looking to gain knowledge and competencies in a range of fleet roles, while Accelerate courses covered specific topics and soft skills.
“As the role of fleet manager continues to advance, there is a growing need for a wider range of high-quality courses to equip those working in fleet with the necessary abilities and we have worked to meet that demand in our 2026 programme.
“It’s not just about more training but more options. For example, an exciting innovation for next year will be the introduction of a range of ‘bite sized’ courses designed to deliver maximum impact in minimum time. We’ll be releasing more details about these soon.”
The entry point to the AFP Fleet Vehicle Management pathway is the Introductory course, a self-paced online option for those new to the industry that can be started anytime. The two-day, face-to-face Foundation course is designed for those in fleet administration and customer service roles and is being held next year on 17-18 March, 12-13 May and 6-7 October. Strategic level is aimed at those involved in the coordination and management of fleets, and consists of three separate two-day face-to-face or online sessions, normally taking a year to complete. Cohort 12 starts on 3-4 February, Cohort 13 on 6-7 May; and Cohort 14 on 14-15 October. The Advanced Fleet Vehicle Management course, for experienced fleet leaders, is held on demand.
The AFP Accelerate courses for 2026 include Your Voice in Fleet, taking place on 23–24 June. Women’s Voices in Fleet is set for 10–11 March and 13–14 October. Making the Switch to Electric Vehicles will be delivered online on 13 January, 12 May, 11 August, 13 October, and 8 December. Lastly, Operational eLCV Fleet Strategy will be taking place online on 11 February, 8 April, 10 June, 9 September, and 11 November.
Further details about AFP Fleet Academy courses, including pricing, is available at www.theafp.co.uk/education-training/. A 10% discount on all 2026 face-to-face courses is available to members if payment is made before 30 November 2025.
A new app launched today by the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) is designed to provide members with easy access to the organisation’s services.
Highlights include a resource area with useful documents ranging from policy templates to hints and tips on key subjects, and a new chat facility enabling members to ask questions categorised by topic, so they can be searched at a later date.
Developed by BDE Design for the AFP and available for both Apple and Android users, the app also includes an events diary, webinar recordings, AFP Fleet Academy course details and log in, feedback and polls on key fleet subjects, and a member directory. In the future, members be notified of new additions to ensure they stay informed.
Paul Hollick, chair at the AFP, said: “Enabling members to interact and access key information easily was the drive behind the app. Wherever users are, whatever they are doing, they can access our services and interact with their peers through the phone in their pocket.
“We have been upgrading our digital infrastructure over the last year, having made a range of enhancements to the AFP web site. The new app is an important element of this strategy and helps members make the most of their membership.
“Considerable time has been spent consulting potential users and refining the design. One of the key strengths of the AFP is our high level of interaction with members and the app will, we believe, help to drive even more engagement. We’re already receiving good feedback.”
The AFP app is available to members at the Apple App Store at https://tinyurl.com/bdfx2h25 and the Google Play Store at https://tinyurl.com/4jp2d8d7.
Faster charging speeds are essential for the wider fleet adoption of electric vans in the future, says the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP).
Currently, models available from major manufacturers are rated from around 50-125kWh, meaning that even the best will take around 40 minutes to charge from 10-80% in ideal circumstances, and are usually slower in real world conditions.
Paul Hollick, chair at the AFP, said: “When it comes to tackling the reasons behind slow fleet adoption of electric vans, prominence has been given to issues of range and payload but there has been limited discussion of charging speeds.
“In fact, as discussed at a recent meeting of our megafleets committee, which consists of our members who operate very large fleets, charging speeds tend to be a bigger real-world frustration. Having a driver sitting around for an hour while their van charges is expensive.
“If vans were capable of faster charging then, to a significant extent, other issues affecting them tend to become more manageable. For example, the negative impact of higher payloads on range becomes less important if you can recharge to 80% every 125 miles in 15 minutes.”
Paul said there was a perception among AFP members that vans were being built with slower charging capabilities because manufacturers believed achieving the lowest possible purchase price was crucial.
“This misconception is understandable. However, the message that we are hearing from our members is that they would be willing to pay more for faster charging capacity. Over a typical six-year fleet lifecycle, the additional cost of a rapid charging van would be more than outweighed by increasing the availability of the driver.
“There is no doubt that available van charging speeds now lag far behind typical electric cars and we believe that many more fleet operators would be won over to electric vans if an 80% charge was achievable in 10-15 minutes.”
He added it was also important to ensure drivers were accessing charge points capable of matching the highest speed of the vehicle.
“If the van can charge to 150kWh, fleets need to get as close to this figure as possible from the public charger. Too often, drivers are charging at 50kWh because of the high number of other vehicles tethered.”
Paul said that a further boost to electric van practicality could be delivered soon by the removal of some compliance requirements for 4.25 tonne electric vans.
“As has been widely reported, the government is working its way through the technical issues in this area and we hope to see progress soon on eliminating what we consider unnecessary tachograph, driver hours and MOT requirements.”
AFP members were very aware, he added, that the ZEV Mandate was now rapidly ramping up sales targets for electric vans, reaching 24% in 2026.
“Sales continue to lag some way behind the government targets but manufacturers are going to come under increasing pressure to push electric vans onto fleets. The point in time when most operators can no longer ignore electrification and carry on buying diesel is coming soon.
“With that moment approaching, we’d like to see a greater understanding between manufacturers, fleets and government about the practicalities of electric van adoption, something we have been working on via the Van Plan created alongside the BVRLA and others. Rapid charging speeds and friction-free use of 4.25t models are examples of this.
“Also, it’s sadly true that many of the electric vans introduced so far have proven unreliable in day-to-day use, sometimes because of faults that should’ve been recognised at the design stage. We need more effectiveness from the next generation of models.”