News - Page 2305

AHEAD of the late 1998 launch of the new Renault Clio, the French manufacturer has launched the 1.2-litre 60 bhp Clio Biarritz. Replacing the Panache and offering higher specification at no extra cost, Renault expects the new model to become the best-selling Clio version.

PROPOSALS to change the name of Cowie Group plc to Arriva have been unanimously approved at an extraordinary general meeting. The group name will change with immediate effect, with the vehicle management operation changing from Cowie Interleasing to Arriva Automotive Solutions from Monday (November 17).

TOYOTA has delivered its 200th Carina E to Keyline Builders Merchants and its 200th Corolla to estate agent Arun Estates. Keyline, which has solus Toyota policy, now has 236 Carina E models and a Hiace Powervan, while Arun Estates was the first company to place a fleet order for 25 of the new generation Corollas.

MORE than 2,000 PHH Vehicle Management Services customers have been asked to contribute their views on the Government's plans for an integrated transport policy. PHH has circulated its own consultation document - 'Politics and the Business Vehicle ... Your Chance to Shape Policy' - in advance of the deadline for comments on the Government's own report 'Developing an Integrated Transport Policy'.

THE nearest repair centre to the site of an accident can now be more quickly and easily identified with new postcoded software developed by AutoManagement. By feeding the address of the accident site into the new system, a list of the five closest repair centres is automatically compiled so that the vehicle can be recovered immediately.

BMW has finally revealed its all-new 3-series saloon - due to arrive in the UK next autumn. Although superficially similar to its predecessor - with traditional BMW styling cues like the double grille and headlights - the new car has some quite radical design departures.

EURODOLLAR has launched a dedicated fleet department to deal with increasing demand from the contract hire and fleet management sector. The newly-created division will manage all the short-term rental requirements of fleet customers - which at 25% of EuroDollar's total UK business represents more than £24 million a year.

JUST over a year after the introduction of the Scudo 815kg payload panel van, Fiat Auto (UK) has reduced the price of both available models by £300. The ex-VAT price of the 1.9 EL Diesel version is £10,740, the turbodiesel model retailing at £11,740 excluding VAT - a decrease of 2.6%. Both versions are fitted with immobilisers and power steering as standard.

ROGUE drivers who cost fleets too much money should be punished with financial penalties or temporary vehicle downgrades, according to Godfrey Davis (Contract Hire). The firm's drivers are charged £75 if a removable radio or mobile phone is stolen from their vehicle - and face the 'reverse incentive' of a car downgrade. Managing director John Lyons said: 'Temporarily downgrading drivers to lower specification cars is a good method of ramming the point home. Most drivers are very status conscious.'

FLEET managers are heeding the training message and signing up for professional qualifications in increasing numbers. Fleet management training companies are experiencing a significant upturn in demand as fleet managers respond to the challenges facing them in an increasingly professional market. Both Fleet Audits and the Institute of Car Fleet Management have reported higher bookings - particularly on their advanced courses - in recent months.

GODFREY Davis has introduced a 24-hour, year-round service hotline for its 14,000 drivers. Drivers needing a simple service, mechanical repairs, tyre, exhaust or windscreen replacement can now identify their nearest approved outlet by calling the freephone number. The setting-up of appointments will be left to the driver, in order to make sure arrangements fit in with his or her schedule.

WOMEN'S Royal Voluntary Service transport co-ordinator Jo Berry is leaving the charity after some three years at the helm of its fleet operation. The charity is now looking for a new transport co-ordinator to take on responsibility for the direct fleet management of its 200 vehicles and indirect management of a further 300 used for its work around the country.

HARPUR is extending its telephone services business globally by making its innovatory Drive Line combined phone and fuel card package available to oil companies worldwide. Launched in the UK earlier this year, Drive Line allows Overdrive and Dialcard customers to use their fuel cards to make telephone calls at savings of up to 30% on UK and international calls, compared with BT chargecard published rates, and up to 50% compared to mobile phone providers' published rates.

PARCEL delivery firm Business Express has placed orders for a further 500 Pilot vans with British commercial vehicle specialist LDV. The latest order - worth some £6 million at showroom prices - will take the total number of vehicles supplied to Business Express to 1,000 over the past 12 months. The Littlewoods subsidiary opted for the 2.6t Pilots after a three-month evaluation period involving products from a number of rival manufacturers.

VAUXHALL has thrown down the gauntlet to petrol-engined company car drivers by offering them the opportunity to test petrol against diesel back-to-back in the new Vectra TDi. The spot the difference exercise involves a free 48-hour road test open to all drivers over 25 who drive a company car comparable to the Vectra.

VAUXHALL has confirmed it will be taking two stands at next year's Fleet Motor Show to display its cars and commercial vehicles separately. After its absence last year, the car-maker is back with a vengeance to display the all-new Astra, along with the rest of its car and van range. Mercedes-Benz, Fiat and Alfa Romeo have also this week joined the 14 manufacturers who have to date confirmed their attendance at Donington next May, with Alfa bringing along the spectacular 156 to wow the user-chooser market.

DELEGATES to this year's Fleet News Roadshows will be able to find out more about how they can tap into Cyberspace to help them do their jobs more effectively. Fleet NewsNet editor Gervais Seymour will be at the shows to take interested delegates through the time-saving benefits of using such a fact-packed information source.

LOMBARD Motor Finance has scotched speculation that BCC is up for sale less than a year after the finance house bought out Rover's 49% stake in the company. Lombard, which also owns half of Lex Vehicle Leasing, insisted BCC was part of its long term plans, while BCC managing director Robert Mercer dismissed the speculation as 'absolute rubbish'.

LEASING could account for as many as four million company cars across Europe early into the new millennium with the growth fuelled by customer demand and a single European currency. There are about 2.74 million leased cars across Europe, and EMU, common interest rates, and the potential for greater alignment of fiscal and VAT regimes across Europe will facilitate pan-European leasing, according to John Lewis, executive director of Dial.

BRITISH Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association chiefs have slammed claims that the contract hire industry is benefiting from the interest on £2 billion worth of clients' 'dead' money. BVRLA secretary general Norman Donkin said comments made recently by Fleet Cost Management executive director of sales John Britcliffe were 'arrant nonsense'.

FUEL economy looks set to be the key factor in determining the future desirability of cars, according to market experts. CAP Motor Research predicts that, despite the trend for high-specification vehicles, extras such as air conditioning and electric windows will slide down the list of must-haves.

BARCLAYS Bank's 3,500 'perk' car drivers will own their cars in future following an innovative shake-up of the bank's company car scheme. In a win-win situation the initiative, called CAPS (Company Assisted Purchase Scheme), will save the bank significant sums of money and leave drivers slightly better off than under the conventional company car tax arrangements.

THE RAC is to invest £50,000 over the next three years in fleet training with the establishment of a major new initiative in conjunction with the Institute of Car Fleet Management. Aimed exclusively at in-house fleet managers, the RAC Scholarship Awards scheme was launched yesterday (Thursday, November 6) at the ICFM annual members' conference at the Vauxhall Conference Centre, Luton.

HUDDERSFIELD-based Fleet Management Group has formed a new IT subsidiary called SUMIT. Daryl Johnson, SUMIT's general manager, said: 'We have a highly motivated and experienced team at SUMIT who, through their contact with other Fleet Management Group client companies not only understand the requirements of the fleet operator, but also understand how to build a system that is user-friendly and functional.'

NISSAN will manufacture a new direct-injection diesel engine and transmission at its operations in Barcelona and Madrid. Production will start from 2000 onwards, and volume at full scale is estimated to be around 82,000 units per year for the direct-injection engine and 100,000 units per year for the new transmission. The units will be installed in future models to be built in Spain and at Nissan Motor Manufacturing in Sunderland.

JAGUAR is to build a new museum and headquarters building for the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust at its Browns Lane plant in Coventry. The new museum will display the JDHT's collection of historic Jaguar, Daimler and Lanchester vehicles and provide storage facilities for archives and artefacts.

PHH Vehicle Management Services has launched a major training programme, under which every one of its 800 employees will take part in workshops to improve their skills. PHH, which won the training category at the 1997 Fleet News Awards, has already set up its own learning and development centre in a dedicated building opposite its head office.

INTREPID auction boss Ron Leader found himself on top of the world when he successfully scaled the heights of Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of charity. The National Car Auctions chief executive fought off altitude sickness and exhaustion to reach the top of the peak after a gruelling 20,000ft climb.

SISTER companies British Sugar and animal feed supplier ABN have appointed BCH Vehicle Management to handle their newly-combined fleet of 600 cars. The mixed-badge vehicles will still be owned by British Sugar and ABN, but areas, including vehicle maintenance, acquisitions and disposals, accident management and fuel cards, will be handled by BCH.

KWIK-Fit Fleet has won the Institute of Transport Management's 1997 award for best overall provider to the transport industry. The company, which has been voted Best Fast Fit by the ITM for the past four years, was praised for its customer service, innovation and aftersales service, and judged as offering an unrivalled service.