by Gareth Jones, managing director, Dawsonrentals Vans

Europe has dominated news headlines recently, with the EU referendum triggering a period of relative uncertainty for UK businesses and their European partners. But for the automotive industry, one imminent EU regulation remains high on the agenda.

From September 1 2016, all newly registered light commercial vehicles will need to be Euro 6 compliant. With the number of new Euro 6 vehicles likely to drive full-steam ahead into the market, UK drivers will now need to consider how to maintain them. 

The UK’s official departure from the European Union will take around two years to come into effect, which makes the impending introduction of Euro 6 vehicles nationwide an important point of focus.

Change can be daunting, especially when it indicates increased running costs and potential vehicle downtime. However, when managed correctly, this latest evolution of vehicle emission output can help fleet operators improve their service offering by providing a more environmentally responsible fleet.

The first step towards assuring compliance is making sure all drivers are familiar with the reductant AdBlue for Euro 6 compliant vehicles. Keeping vehicle levels topped up with this fluid protects the vehicle from going into limp mode or coming to a stop, so drivers will need to have a supply on board and keep an eye on their vehicle’s warning light to monitor any depleting levels.

Because the monitoring systems for AdBlue levels vary from vehicle to vehicle, our advice to suppliers is to implement some simple steps to remind operators to top up and avoid coming to a standstill. It can be as straightforward as dashboard stickers reminding drivers to top up the AdBlue, or using more technologically advanced systems by linking top up reminders to telematics devices.

Suppliers can’t ignore the evitable changes, but to effectively embrace Euro 6 we all need to educate and prepare the customer for every possible situation. This will keep costs down and make sure your vehicles downtime is kept to an absolute minimum.