AFP

The Association of Fleet Operators (AFP) is calling for an official deferral for MOTs on 4.25 tonne electric vans as some fleets report finding tests “impossible” to book.

For MOT test purposes, this special category of vans is treated as a heavy goods vehicle (HGV), meaning that it has to be tested at one year old rather than three, and also faces a more rigorous examination.

Aaron Powell, fleet and logistics director at Speedy Hire is one AFP member being affected and reports that his company will have to potentially take a number of vehicles off the road.

“These 4.25 tonne vans require a Class 7 HGV MOT test and, between generally poor capacity for HGV testing and few test centres being able to handle electric vehicles, we’re finding it impossble on a practical level to book tests. Our lease provider has spent the last three months trying to find garages with the ability to carry out the pre-testing and source available slots for the test with limited success.

“This is going to have a serious impact on our business because we’re going to have to take these vans off the road and no doubt many other fleets are finding themselves in the same situation.”

Lorna McAtear, vice chair at the AFP, said: “As an organisation and at an individual member level, we’re very much focussed on safety and of course recognise the role that the MOT test plays in ensuring that vehicles operated by fleets are in a roadworthy condition.

“However, it’s questionable whether 4.25 tonne electric vans require HGV tests, an argument we have been making to government for some time. The whole point of this category of van when it was introduced in 2019 was to provide easy access for fleets to an electric equivalent of a 3.5 tonne panel van. These vehicles are simply 3.5 tonne vans with bigger batteries.

“The difficulties members are encountering around their inability to book MOT testing only emphasises this confusion. While the situation is being resolved, we would like to see government and the official bodies involved introduce some form of dispensation, similar to that created during the pandemic, allowing fleets to defer tests for a period of perhaps six or 12 months on 4.25 tonners for the first and second year of testing, giving them time to find and book testing facilities. It is disappointing that businesses working in good faith to electrify their light commercial vehicle operations are being affected in this manner.”

She added that despite a willingness on the part of government to try and overcome issues surrounding 4.25 tonne vans, problems remained.

“As a result of discussions between the Office for Zero Emissions, Driver Vehicle Standards Authority and Department for Transport, the operation of these vans on a practical level is often difficult for fleets due to confusion over whether they have been deregulated from all of the operator responsibilities that normally apply to vans over 3.5 tonnes.

“The government is aware of this and is trying to resolve the situation through the current consultation because there remains widespread belief that the 4.25 tonne concept remains worth pursuing as a means of speeding up van electrification. However, this process is taking time.”

A new service from the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) that enables businesses to tap into the knowledge and skills of experienced fleet operators is being launched this week.

Called AFP Fleet Intelligence, it is designed to meet what the industry body describes as growing demand for fleet know-how, while providing a new channel for members to make their skills more widely available.

Paul Hollick, chair at the AFP, said: “For the first time, this service positions us as a provider of fleet expertise rather than a supporting body to fleet professionals, and we see it as a natural extention of our activities.

“We are increasingly approached by organisations looking for services of this kind, and Fleet Intelligence means we can matchmake those businesses with experienced AFP fleet operator members in a structured manner.

“The microsite lists the skills and experience of each consultant, enabling businesses to identify the right expert for their needs.”

He said AFP Fleet Intelligence could provide support when it came to strategies, products and services for anyone from start-ups to long established businesses.

“The service is open to all, be it a small business that needs a couple of hours of advice about an element of their fleet, through to a major service provider who wants to research the viability of a new product or service. The expertise we offer can meet just about any requirement of this type.”

The microsite can be found at www.theafp.co.uk/fleet-intelligence and the cost for consultancy is  £100 per hour, £350 for a half day, and £700 for a full day. Experts initially listed include Chris Connors, Stuart Conway, Martin Edgecox, Debbie Floyde, Julie Madoui, Matt Neale, Elaine Pringle and Rob Simister.

A new Public Sector Fleet Operator Working Group is being launched by the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) and will meet for the first time in January.

Led by AFP board member and national fleet manager at National Highways, Martin Edgecox, it is intended to provide an opportunity to discuss the particular concerns facing public sector fleet management.

He said: “Everyone working in public sector fleet management faces quite specific challenges and having a forum to share best practice and raise issues among our peers promises to be very valuable.

“Initial interest has been very high and we’re expecting to have around thirty of the UK’s leading public sector fleets attending the initial meeting, as well as presentations from BYD and Enterprise Rent-a-Car.”

The new group plans to meet four times a year and any member of the AFP involved in the operation of a public sector fleet can attend on request.

Martin said: “There will be several big challenges facing public sector fleets in 2025 but chief among them will be electrification – most publicly funded bodies have a target of completely electrifying by 2027 under the Greening Government environmental commitments – and ongoing budgetary pressures, especially in local government. We’re confident it will prove highly positive to tackle these and other issues in a collegiate manner within the group.”

Further details about the AFP Public Sector Group can be obtained by e-mailing [email protected].

Find out more about the first meeting here: https://www.theafp.co.uk/events/public-sector-fleet-operator-working-group/

You are invited to join us if you are not an AFP member. Find out more about our membership plans: https://www.theafp.co.uk/membership/

Any government help offered to the motor industry to help hit future Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate targets should consider electric van demand as well as supply, says the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP).

Chair Paul Hollick said that “flexibilities” reportedly under consideration by transport secretary Louise Haigh – such as allowing manufacturer factory emissions to be taken into account or including exported vehicles made in the UK in the tally – would do nothing to encourage van fleets to electrify.

Paul Hollick, AFP chair, said: “The Van Plan that we launched with the BVRLA and other parties a few months ago explained the demand issues that are behind slow electric van uptake – insufficient public and private charging infrastructure, regulatory barriers, and affordability and availability of suitable product.

“The problem with electric van sales is not so much that they are lower than expected, as seen in the electric car market, but that they appear to have stalled altogether around the 5% mark. Fleets are effectively refusing to buy them for practical reasons and forcing manufacturers to make increasing percentages of vehicles under the ZEV Mandate doesn’t solve that core problem.

“It’s positive that the government is reportedly in what it calls ‘listening’ mode but from reports of recent meetings, they appear to be approaching their rethink from the point of view of helping manufacturers offset limited demand rather than finding ways to dramatically encourage fleets to purchase. We think that creates an unsustainable situation.”

Paul said that only a step change in technology improving the range and payload issues with electric vans would resolve core fleet objections, so potential government action lay instead in areas such as infrastructure, regulation and financial incentives.

“Again, as mentioned in the Van Plan, we need to find ways of rapidly making more chargers offering cheap power available in more places and more accessible to vans, as well as resolving the ongoing issues around licencing and operation of 4.25 tonne vans. Improving these scenarios would potentially create at least some impetus.

“However, nothing changes the core fact that the rapid electrification of electric car fleets was largely powered by massive benefit in kind tax incentives. A similar carrot may be necessary for electric vans to generate the kind of momentum that the government wants to see. Businesses may need to be given a genuine financial benefit to offset the operational problems they experience around electric vans.

“We’re presently in a situation where it appears that many fleets, having found during the pandemic that they can practically extend replacement cycles by several years, are planning to hang on to existing diesel vans until the situation surrounding electric vans improves. Pushing more and more production volume into a market where that kind of attitude is present makes limited sense.”

Plans mooted by US president elect Donald Trump to impose huge tariffs on imported vehicles could have a direct impact on the UK fleet market, the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) is warning.

During his election campaign, he variously promised that tariffs of 100% or 200% would be imposed on all vehicles imported into the US, as well as 60% on all Chinese goods, which would directly affect electric vehicles (EVs) made in China.

Paul Hollick, AFP chair, said that, if implemented, any of these moves could have a dramatic effect on the global car and van market, especially for EVs.

“There seems to be some confusion whether these tariffs are actual plans by the Trump administration or some kind of gambit to negotiate more advantageous trade deals. However, tariffs at this kind of level would effectively make imported cars unsaleable in the US and, of course, there have also been sometimes substantial tariffs recently imposed in the EU.

“All of that production aimed at the US – especially large numbers of Chinese EVs – will inevitably make its way towards freer global markets, the UK being one. So far, the actions of new Chinese entrants have been quite measured but there will be a huge temptation to dump large numbers of cars and vans here at low prices, causing high levels of disruption.

“Quite what the effect of all of this might be is difficult to say. At the extremes, our government might decide that domestic manufacturers need similar protection and introduce tariffs of its own, step back and let the market find its level, or any of a hundred points in-between. The future view looks quite murky.”

UK fleets would be left in a difficult position, he explained, with a domestic market that was tricky to read, and vehicle buying decisions that could be hugely risky.

“On one hand, having access to a supply of cheap Chinese EVs would arguably be good for fleets in their transition to net zero, and also provide a boost to the retail EV market. However, this is likely to come at the risk of stability and a volatile market is ultimately a bad one where, for example, forecasting accurate residual values becomes very difficult.”

Fleets would be watching Trump’s statements carefully over the next few weeks, Paul added.

“The sooner there is some clarity around the situation, the better. It is not a political point to say that what the president elect says and what he does are quite often two different things but it seems likely that, given the extent to which he has spoken about tariffs during his campaign, this is not an issue that is going to go away.

“The truth is that tariffs imposed by a major western economy of the scale being promised are almost unknown in modern times and it is difficult, if not impossible, to forecast the impact. However, it’s also true that some economists are making quite dire predictions. We await the outcome with some trepidation.”

Yesterday’s Budget could prompt widespread rewriting of company car choice lists to tackle new issues around plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and double cab pick-ups, says the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP).

The industry body points out that moves made by the chancellor mean that the viability of both types of vehicles will now be placed under serious questioning by many fleets.

Paul Hollick, chair at the AFP, said: “The Budget can be viewed as something of a tidying-up operation by the government when it comes to company cars. The moves made on PHEVs and double cabs, as well as arguably on dealer employee car ownership schemes, have largely removed any grey areas.

“The government is making it pretty clear that it wants all company car drivers behind the wheel of a zero emissions electric car while paying benefit in kind at the standard rate. Almost anything that resembles a departure from this model has gone.

“There’s an argument that this provides a high degree of clarity for fleets but it does also mean that some drivers and employers are facing some big bills unless action is taken, and when it comes to PHEVs and double cabs, this is likely to lead to widespread redrawing of choice lists with a renewed emphasis on EVs.”

The Budget clearly looked to dissuade use of PHEVs as for company cars, with a jump from a typical 5% today to 18% in 2028-29. Similarly, double cabs will be treated as cars from next April but grandfather rights will apply to existing users until the 2029-30 tax year at the latest.

Paul said: “Drivers who have recently taken on a PHEV on a four-year cycle will see their tax rise massively in its last year and no doubt many of them will head into work this morning to talk to their employer about the possibility of getting out of that car earlier.

“The situation for double cabs is perhaps less acute because of the grandfather rights situation but anyone still in a double cab after April 2029 is going to see an exponential increase in their tax. It’s possible that these vehicles will almost disappear from car fleets, although there is arguably some clarification needed if they are used strictly for work purposes only and taken home at night.”

The AFP generally welcomed the certainty provided in the Budget of having benefit in kind tax tables provided through to the end of the decade, Paul added.

“This is something that we have been requesting for some time because it means that fleets can plan for the future with certainty. While we don’t want to see benefit in kind on electric cars rise to 9% by 2029/30, we’ve accepted for a while that this will have to happen at some point, and the process appears to be being managed by the government in a structured and responsible manner.

“Looking at these new tax tables, the ZEV Mandate, the strengthening of EV favourability under Vehicle Excise Duty, extending 100% first year allowances and more, the government could not be making it clearer across a range of policy that fleets should be looking entirely at zero emissions electric cars. When employers start redrawing choice lists, this should be treated as a central fact.”

AFP ANNOUNCES RECORD NUMBER OF TRAINING DAYS FOR 2025

A record number of training days is to be offered by the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) next year, the organisation is announcing, as it launches its 2025 training calendar.

Through its AFP Academy training arm, it will make 576 days of training available to fleet managers across  a range of courses compared to 530 days this year and 386 days in 2023.

Ronnie Gillman, AFP training manager, said: “We’re looking at a 9% rise in days provided in 2025 and, to meet this need for more training, we have created a network of training venues across the UK, providing a boost in our capacity.

“It’s really pleasing to us to see this level of demand. As the fleet industry’s professional body, it’s a key part of our remit that we play a major part in upskilling fleet managers, and there appears to be more enthusiasm for this today than at any point in the past.”

Two courses especially were especially proving popular, she said, Fleet Vehicle Management Foundation and Making the Switch to Electric Vehicles (EVs).

“The Foundation course has especially seemed to hit a sweet spot. It is designed to develop the skills of those carrying out everyday tasks in the administration of fleets, and interest has been very high from SMEs to major leasing companies. These are crucial roles in our industry and this training seems to have fulfilled a very real need for a course of this kind.

“Also, we successfully rethought our EV course this year, changing it from a one-day in-person to a half-day online format, and it looks as though this approach fits the requirements of many more fleet managers. It provides a strong grounding in EV operation without taking you out of the office.”

Courses confirmed for the AFP Academy 2025 calendar are Fleet Vehicle Management Foundation – 11-12 February, 2-3 April, 10-11 June, 23-24 September and 12-13 November; Fleet Vehicle Management Strategic – 21-22 January, 18-19 and 25-26 March, 20-21 May, 4-5 June, 15-16 July, 10-11 and 23-24 September, 18-19 November and 2-3 December; Fleet Vehicle Management Advanced – 14-15 January, 21-22 May and 16-17 September; Making the Switch to Electric Vehicles – 14 January, 11 February, 4 March, 20 May, 8 July, 14 October; Womens’ Voices in Fleet – 5-6 February and 8-9 July; and Your Voice in Fleet – 13-14 May and 15-16 October.

Further details about all the AFP’s courses, including pricing, dates and locations, is available at www.theafp.co.uk/education-training/.

New ways of disseminating the work of the Association of Fleet Professionals’ (AFP) seven committees are to be adopted with the aim of creating more output that will be useful to members and potentially reach a wider influence.

Paul Hollick, chair at the AFP, explained: “Our committees undertake a lot of excellent work in terms of discussions on how to handle new challenges and spread best practice, and much has been achieved by them since the creation of the AFP in 2020. These members, who give their time freely, deserve a significant amount of credit.

“However, there is a feeling across the committees that we need to find ways of turning those useful dialogues into documents and actions that can be used by members as part of their fleet strategies and have a wider impact on vehicle operator thinking, right up to government level.

“What we are planning, over time, is to adopt a range of methods that will allow more dissemination of their work. That means increasingly frequent creation of white papers, short guides, and policy statements, as well as a range of objective-based projects that provide new options and guidance for fleets.”

There will also be some changes to the AFP’s committee structures. While the Mega Fleets; Risk and Compliance; Future Mobility; Diversity and Leadership; and Shared Charging groups will all continue as before, the Electric Vehicle, Low Carbon and Alternative Fuels committee will now be called Decarbonisation; and Light Commercial Vehicles will become simply Commercial Vehicles. The latter alteration has been made in recognition of the fact that some fleet operators want to discuss topics affecting commercial vehicles above 3.5 tonnes.

Additionally, changes are planned that affect how the committees operate, with a core group of fleet managers sitting permanently on each and, except for Mega Fleets, other AFP fleet operator members free to take part as they wish.

Paul said: “We believe this will create a more fluid approach that will encourage more inclusive discussions across the committees and allow more fleet managers to make their voices heard within the AFP.”

He pointed to the Shared Charging committee as a good example of what can be achieved in terms of AFP projects. “We launched this committee at the start of the year and within a few months, we are looking to launch a platform that allows fleets with excess charging capacity to offer it online to fleets that need access to chargers. It’s an exciting development that has genuine utility for electric vehicle operators.

“Not all AFP committees have such a direct remit as shared charging, which was formed to assess the viability of a project of this kind, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for them to all work in the same way. However, there’s certainly further scope to create a greater connect between the expertise of the committees and it impact on a wider audience, we believe.”

More details about the AFP’s committees and their activities can be obtained by contacting [email protected].

A new consultancy service called AFP Fleet Intelligence is set to be launched by the Association of Fleet Professionals later this year.

It is being introduced to meet growing demand for fleet expertise and enable AFP members to make greater commercial use of their skills, explained Paul Hollick, chair at the professional body.

He said: “We’re approached regularly by various parties who are looking for expert fleet input, whether that means a small business that needs a couple of hours of advice about selling new EV solutions to corporate fleets, or a dealer group or major manufacturer who want to set up or adapt an entire corporate fleet programme.

“In the past, we’ve handled this on an informal basis but AFP Fleet Intelligence is designed to create a more structured approach that will enable those needing fleet knowledge to find the right consultant and for AFP members to monetise their abilities and experience more easily.”

The project will take the form of a microsite linked to www.theafp.co.uk where participating fleet operator members can list their professional biographies, experience and skills.

Paul said: “This is a new industry service that promotes the abilities of fleet professionals while helping support everyone from start-ups to existing suppliers with their strategies and products. By sharing knowledge, it has the potential to fundamentally improve the landscape of the fleet industry in the short, medium and long-term.”

The AFP Fleet Intelligence microsite is under construction, Paul said, and should be online in the fourth quarter of this year.

“Really, for the first time, this positions the AFP as a provider of fleet expertise rather than a supporting body to fleet professionals. However, it is a natural extention of our activities, we believe, helping matchmake people who need fleet skills and members who are able to provide them.”

The Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) is ready to commission an online platform that allows fleets to share their electric vehicle (EV) charging facilities with other businesses.

The move follows extensive work by the organisation’s shared charging committee, which was launched at the start of this year and features representation from The AA, Alliance Healthcare, Auditel, IFC Group, National Grid and Royal Mail.

Paul Hollick, chair at the AFP, said: “The committee has made rapid progress since the start of this year, which is an indication of the enthusiasm that exists for this idea. We’re now in a position where there is a two-pronged strategy being adopted.

“To kick things off, we’re looking to provide an online matchmaking service that will link fleets that have spare charging capacity at their premises with others who need charging in those areas. Once we’ve created an introduction, those businesses will make their own commercial arrangements, although we are here to offer advice if needed.

“The next step will be to commission an online platform that will enable a more structured approach. Fleets that have charging facilities to spare will register and then those that need charging will be able to search and book. It should also set prices and payment terms.

“If we can make the platform work, it should be quite a substantial boost for fleet EV charging. While it is not a universal solution – the provision of spare charging is probably not going to be evenly distributed across the country – it should provide a useful option for fleets beyond home charging, their own workplace charging, and pay-on-use public chargers.”

Paul said that there was general acceptance within the EV committee that charging needed to be priced at a maximum of 40 pence per kWh in order to make shared charging viable.

“We need the price to be low enough that it is attractive to fleet users and high enough that it provides a worthwhile margin for charging providers. Pricing is the crux to wider adoption of this idea and we believe that this is the sweet spot.”

He added that the discussions undertaken by the committee had been about not just identifying charging providers and customers, and linking them, but also how to gain access to charging sites, health and safety considerations, measuring charging use, and potential payment mechanisms.

“There are a whole host of issues to consider that need to be resolved for shared charging to work on individual sites. We need it to be safe and easy for van and car drivers to pop in, top up their charging, and continue their journey.”

Research undertaken by the AFP last October showed almost six out of 10 van fleets (58%) would consider sharing their depot or public charging infrastructure with others to make electrification more practical.

The shared charging committee can be contacted at [email protected] and is keen to hear from both potential charging providers and users.