Fleet briefs: Latest from the AFP, FuelGenie, Ebbon-Dacs, Brake and Trojan Energy

AFP announces webinars and issues post-pandemic white paper

A new white paper – Return to Work: Back Behind the Wheel – to help employers navigate the process of managing driver wellbeing has been issued by the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP).

The document has been put together by the fleet trade and training body’s risk, compliance and health committee, gathering ideas and observations from across its membership.

Chair Paul Hollick explained: “Our new white paper is designed to provide advice on what fleet managers need to do to promote driver wellbeing and therefore safety at this important moment in time, drawing on expertise from across our organisation.

“It is available to all AFP members and should prompt essential ideas and discussions that can be applied to each employer’s individual situation.”

The AFP will also be hosting two webinars in September on mobility and electric vehicle reimbursements.

‘Getting Started on Your Mobility Deployment’ takes place at 9.30am on Wednesday, September 8 and features presentations from Ryan Coles, business services lead at Aviva; Oz Choudhri, head of mobility solutions at Enterprise; and Ross Basnett, strategic account director at Mobilleo. It ends at 10.45am.

It will be followed at 9.30am on Wednesday, September 15, by ‘EV Charging - Company Payment and Reimbursements, which will include sessions from AFP chair Paul Hollick in his guise as managing director of of The Miles Consultancy (TMC) and Ashley Tate, co-founder at Mina, finishing at 10am.

Both events are being moderated by AFP director Julie Summerell. Anyone who would like to attend can now register through the AFP website.

Copies of the white paper can be obtained by through the AFP web site or by e-mailing administration@theafp.co.uk.

FuelGenie launches new website following brand refresh

FuelGenie has launched its new website with a focus on delivering a higher quality user experience for visitors to the site.

The look and feel of the website has been designed with principles of user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design, making navigation far easier than previous iterations, it says.

The website allows complete online management of fuel cards and accounts through a secure login, while drivers can also use the free ‘petrol station finder’ tool, useful for planning journeys throughout the UK.

The launch of the website complements the FuelGenie mobile app, last year.

Both of these digital tools are designed to deliver a better, more inclusive customer and driver experience, including the ability to manage accounts, gain insights and contact FuelGenie directly with any queries, it says.

Managing director Robert Pieczka said: “As part of our recent brand update and refresh, we felt it was fitting to invest in a new customer-driven website that reflects our dedication and commitment to customer service and solution.”

Ebbon-Dacs starts OrderLink with Athlon and Polestar in the Netherlands

Athlon Netherlands is using Ebbon-Dacs’ new OrderLink module within its Leaselink e-procurement platform for the direct processing of all new vehicle orders from the Swedish electric vehicle manufacturer, Polestar.

By adopting the new OrderLink module in Leaselink, Athlon is now able to send orders directly to Polestar for fulfillment.

OrderLink will also be rolled out to other leasing companies in the Netherlands that are users of the Leaselink e-procurement platform. Leasing companies can then use Leaselink's innovative OrderLink module to place orders directly with Polestar.

Ramon Lingen, head of sales at Polestar Netherlands, said: “After a successful launch, we plan to roll out this system to all other major Dutch leasing companies that also use Leaselink."

According to Justine Hawkins, chief commercial officer at Ebbon-Dacs, the partnership with Polestar has revolutionized the way Leaselink can be used by manufacturers or retailers.

"The Orderlink module processes order data from the manufacturer or retailer to update key vehicle data, delivery dates and status directly in the leasing company's back office,” she said. “This provides our leasing community with accurate, real-time updates and information, eliminating errors and improves order communication for end users.”

Trojan Energy on-street electric vehicle charge points go live

On-street electric vehicle charge points are now officially live for testing in the London Borough of Brent. 

Five Trojan Energy charge points, which sit flush within the pavement with no permanent raised street furniture at the pavement edge, have been installed for a small group of trial participants to carry out real-world testing of the prototype system.

The full trial of 150 charge points across Brent and Camden will then go live later in the year.

These first charge points represent a critical moment in the three-year Subsurface Technology for Electric Pathways (STEP) project funded by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and delivered by Innovate UK, which has seen the charge points developed from concept, through manufacturing and now deployment.

London’s electricity network operator UK Power Networks, a partner in the STEP project, has connected the chargers to the energy system.

Ian Mackenzie, CEO of Trojan Energy, said: "Trojan Energy is delighted to reach this important milestone in the STEP project, as it represents the first implementation of our flat, flush and futureproof charging technology.”

Brake launches global award for Company Driver Safety

Brake has opened registrations for the Global Fleet Champions Company Driver Safety Award, sponsored by eDriving.

The global award stems from the Driver Behaviour pillar, one of five pillars in the Global Fleet Champions initiative that outline the key areas of risk for organisations that employ people who drive for work. This pillar has been sponsored by eDriving since 2019.

The award is open to fleets from across the globe and will be awarded to the organisation that has implemented initiatives that effectively enable drivers to be safe.

Judges will also award education and awareness-raising initiatives about safe driving that extend beyond employees to their families.

It is free to enter, and entry forms and guidance can be accessed here. The deadline for entries is September 10.