News - Page 2090

PENDRAGON Contracts has chosen a vehicle management system from its subsidiary Car Fleet Control for its 12,000-vehicle contract hire fleet. The Contract Manager 2 software replaces a Kerridge product, and Pendragon Contracts hopes the system will boost its online presence.

VEHICLE maintenance and fleet management company Freedom Transport Services has struck a deal worth £2 million with Ipswich Borough Council. Freedom will handle the five-year contract for the management and maintenance of the council's 100-vehicles, including 60 Ford Transits.

SEVENTY new cars will be delivered to Oxford-based food safety and assurance company Checkmate International (CMi) in a deal worth £1 million over the next four years with Lombard.

EAST Sussex County Council has enhanced its Eurofleet management software to reduce time-consuming administration duties for its 1,000-vehicle fleet. The new programme, updated by Car Fleet Control with FleetPlus, contains detailed driver, vehicle and supplier records.

FLEETS are being told to continue to set reserves at levels which encourage secondhand car buyers to bid for ex-company cars. The plea comes from Manheim Auctions' senior group auctioneer Andrew Shepherd, amid continuing concern that the buoyant secondhand market could wane next month before picking up again in June and July.

THE 3% residual value premium traditionally associated with the arrival of a new registration plate over the previous letter will be partially eroded with the September launch of Britain's new number plate system. The March edition of Glass's Information Services' AutoProVision suggests that, under the new system, the importance of the registration plate will fade - with the year in which the car was first registered becoming more important in determining a car's value.

LEASING companies are at the centre of the cash or car debate, but have widely differing views on what the future holds for fleets. ARVAL PHH has predicted that up to a third of businesses could drop some of their company cars in favour of cash-for-car schemes.

FORD director of commercial vehicles Peter Fleet tantalised the press on the eve of the Commercial Vehicle Show with news that Ford is building a new 'baby' Transit. Details as yet are sketchy and Fleet would not be drawn, despite a barrage of questions from journalists.

VAUXHALL'S website sold more cars via the internet last month than any of its dealers. The manufacturer moved 120 vehicles via the web in February - more than any single dealership in its franchised network.

FORD, the undisputed number one in Britain's LCV field, showed its manufacturing muscle to the full at the Commercial Vehicle Show at the NEC, Birmingham, with all versions of the new Transit on display, including the Jumbo and latest front-wheel drive models.

FIAT is piling on the pressure in the car-derived van sector with two new models - Doblo Cargo and new Punto van - on display at the Commercial Vehicle Show at the NEC, Birmingham. Although Fiat rebadges Citroen and Peugeot vans in the upper ranges, it chose to ignore the Citroen Berlingo and Peugeot Partner in favour of its own design with the Doblo.

WITH many van manufacturers gearing up for a sales boost as stores begin to offer home delivery via the internet, LDV unveiled its own home-grown delivery vehicle at the Commercial Vehicle Show at the NEC, Birmingham. Built on the proven Convoy chassis, the vehicle runs on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and is fitted with a reversing camera to help drivers in built-up areas.

CITROEN'S aggressive pricing stance has seen the French manufacturer leap to third place in the van sales chart (3.5-tonnes and under). Speaking at the Commercial Vehicle Show, CV operations manager John Hargreaves said: 'Citroen's success is a reflection on the quality and competitive pricing of its products and the depth of its after-sales service.'

FORD is set to launch a factory-fitted LPG version of the top-selling Transit in June, it was revealed at the Commercial Vehicle Show at the NEC, Birmingham. Short, medium and long wheelbase models will be included, with a variety of roof heights on offer.

WITH the demise of the Reliant Robin, Reliant Cars has turned to foreign manufacturers for a new range which is already finding favour among small and large fleets. The Reliant Porter and Piaggio Ape were launched in October last year and the company is now busy setting up a dealership network and making sure enough models are imported to the UK to satisfy demand.

LAND Rover is aiming at fleets who want commercial vehicles which will give their companies a high image with the launch of the new Discovery Commercial. Already a favourite among the go-getting car classes of Britain, the Discovery in van guise was launched with a 2.5-litre five cylinder Td5 diesel powerplant.

FEBRUARY 28's train disaster, caused when a car towing a trailer crashed on to the railway line near Selby in North Yorkshire, has catapulted the subject of towbar safety into the spotlight. Towbar manufacturer Brink has launched a new campaign for a change in the law relating to such products.

HEAD-to-head talks between Government and leading fleet suppliers to help fleets prepare for carbon dioxide-based company car tax have ended in dispute after they failed to reach agreement on the best way to help the industry. The talks came after research revealed widely-differing carbon dioxide figures for the same vehicle, depending on which source is used.

THE first year of the new millennium was a tough one for the entire industry. But as we reveal in naming the 31 winners of the 2001 Fleet News Awards - based on events of last year and, in the case of manufacturers, vehicles on sale before October 30, 2000 - Y2K had its plus points.

VAUXHALL has slashed servicing costs for fleets belonging to the manufacturer's Fleet Service Commitment Programme. Launched in 1998, the scheme is operated by 490 Vauxhall dealers nationwide with fixed cost pricing for all types of service work.

BRITAIN'S largest fleet, BT, is relaunching its company car scheme after an eight month moratorium on car buying. The decision to restart vehicle ordering for the 16,000-strong car fleet, part of a 56,800-vehicle fleet, came as BT was named winner of the Northgate-sponsored UK Fleet of the Year Award at this year's industry 'Oscars', the Fleet News Awards, on Wednesday night.

RENTAL giant Sixt Kenning is warning fleet managers they must take a more professional attitude towards predicting rental demand, or face higher charges. The firm made the announcement as it became the second rental giant in as many weeks to reveal an increase in rental charges for fleets.

FORD has promised to investigate the cause of a series of problems with boot lids on its top-selling Focus after a Fleet NewsNet appeal attracted responses from throughout the country. After pointing out a problem with the boot on our long-term <A HREF="http://www.automotive.co.uk/fleetnews/PAGES-2/TESTS/L-00314.HTM#TOP" target="_blank">Focus 1.8 TDdi Ghia saloon</A>, we urged readers to let us know if they had experienced similar problems.

NEW fleet telematics services are to be developed over the next six months by fast-expanding digital traffic information supplier Trafficmaster. Milton Keynes-based Trafficmaster, which next week moves to new premises in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, is to add to its Fleetstar and RAC Trackstar products.

FLEETS are being urged to keep a closer eye on their vehicles after new research revealed that 92% of two-year-old vehicles and 78% of one-year-old vehicles have damage outside the accepted fair wear and tear standards. The British Vehicle Rental Leasing Association/RAC fair wear and tear guidelines take into account slight damage to the vehicle in relation to age and mileage.

FLEET managers will get their first glimpse of the new Nissan Primera at the Fleet Show and have an input into its final UK specifications. The sneak preview at Alexandra Palace, London, will be the first time the car will be seen in public outside Japan, but only invited guests will be allowed through to the inner sanctum of Nissan's stand at the show, which runs from May 1-3.

IN the shadow of the Tyne Bridge, National Car Rental area manager Steve Greenham is making history as the first recipient of a ground-breaking Fleet News Scholarship. The scholarship offers a paid-for one-year place - worth about £3,000 - to take a Certificate in Management (Automotive Industries) qualification on the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association's Professional Development Programme.

CONFUSED thinking in Government over its environmental aims were exposed in the Budget as several key initiatives could actually increase pollution. Cuts in fuel duty in particular will lead to up to 500,000 more tonnes of carbon being pushed into the atmosphere every year, according to Tony Grayling, senior research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research.

FLEET sales remained stable last year while retail sales increased 3% as Ford dealership to Burger King restaurant group Gowrings reported a fall in pre-tax profits following several years of record results. Although the company sold more cars last year than in 1999, it blamed low manufacturer incentives and pressure on new vehicle prices for the downturn.

THE Comet Driver of the Year is John Christopher from the high street retailer's Chester division. The event, now in its 10th year, presented drivers with a series of challenges, which led to individual and group awards.