I’ve been to a couple of press car launches in the past couple of weeks, and to say the cars are very different is an understatement.

First it was up to the very posh Grantley Hall, near Ripon, for a Maserati Range driving day. First off the starting blocks was a Grecale Trofeo, a large SUV that is every bit a Maserati. Second, was the fantastic-looking MC20 Cielo two-seater Supercar.

A glorious day in North Yorkshire, roof down, wind in your hair, what a nice way to spend a day.

The second car launch was near Bolton, on a wet, cold and windy day, and this time to drive the BYD Atto 3, a new electric SUV with a range of around 260 miles. BYD - which means Build Your Dreams - is the largest vehicle manufacturer most people have never heard of.

The ATTO 3 measures 4.45m long, but the space inside the car is huge. There's lots of leg and headroom, though the boot space seemed a bit limited. BYD have so far built over 4.7 million vehicles, including cars, trucks, buses and trains. They have been making batteries for many other companies for over 28 years.

But, comparing Maserati to BYD is impossible, except to say, they both make cars. Maserati has a long and fantastic history, with nostalgia and tradition oozing out of the company. But BYD just make good solid, well built cars, with no nostalgia attached whatsoever.

  • I spent an evening on a boat on the River Thames, that was organised by the SMMT. they invited journalists from the world of motors, industry and finance, and press departments from the manufacturers. A good get together from a selection of diverse people, and many a good conversation was had, looking out over the river. But The nicest bit of London, is Kings Cross station, on the train, back ‘up North.
  • One of my friends has got a 58 plate (2008 ) VW Golf, and he got a recall notification about potential problems with the braking system. I was surprised such an old car would get these letters, but I was even more surprised that when he booked it in with the local Volkswagen dealer, they offered him a courtesy car, that he had for three days while his car was fixed. I thought that was a good result for him.

June 2023 - EVs, Brexit, it's all misinformation!

Like Brexit, and so many other things in life, there is definitely a huge split in opinions about the pros and cons of electric vehicles (EVs). There are those who are absolutely in favour of them and believe an EV can’t do a thing wrong - they are just fantastic and brilliant. Then, there are those who do not like them, will never have one, however much the prices may drop, and say they will always have their petrols or diesels forever.

But those who don’t like, or want an EV, seem more upset about being preached at by those who do.

Owners going on about how they got from, say, Luton to York on one charge, without stopping, and making out as this is a first - like nobody has ever gone from Luton to York before in the history of man?

Those vehemently opposed to the idea of EVs are basically laughing at those owners, and the more they go on about it, the more bad publicity they will get. Not good balanced publicity.

And like Brexit, there was, shall we say, a bit of ‘misinformation’ spread around by both sides - call it fibbing if you want. I do feel the same is happening with ‘for & against’ EVs. There are some an EV will suit perfectly: ease of charging, with off-road parking, BIK, and many it won’t, for many reasons: distance regularly traveled, lack of home charging, and cost.

Many feel EVs are being forced into a market (which they are) where probably the majority are just not buying into it. Like the saying goes ‘you can take a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink’

May 2023 - Peugeot 408 and Lamborghini Urus driven

I’ve driven a couple of cars in the past month, and both very different, yet so similar, in a strange way.

If you are into clean, green, EV motoring, then look away now. The first was a Lamborghini Urus. I know, not exactly your average Fleet car. I went to the Lamborghini Factory in Bologna, back in 2017, to see early pre-production of the Urus, and saw the all-new building that assembles the car. I remember saying to my Italian friends that I thought a large Lamborghini SUV would not be very popular, and they should stick to what they are good at - super-sports cars, and tractors. I also remember saying in 2002 that I thought Porsche was daft to be considering introducing a large SUV, the Cayenne. This proves, that not only was I wrong once, but now, actually twice, you can’t be right all the time...!!

The Urus looks magnificent, and drives even better. Powered by a 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine, it packs 650bhp and goes from 0-62mph in a staggeringly quick 3.6 seconds. The interior is so luxurious, plush, with fit and finish absolutely breathtaking, and I particularly liked the small red hinged cover that when lifted showed the start button, similar to a fighter jet.

The next car I had on test was a Peugeot 408 and it attracted so much attention while I had it, even people who are not into cars remarked what a great looking car it was. At the Guild of Motoring Writer BIG day, I gave a guided tour of it to our president Nick Mason, who does know a thing or two about cars (and drums) and like so many others said what a fantastic design it was, so clever. Nick, like me, really liked the strong, muscular large haunches over the rear wheels. It’s fair to say that Peugeot went through a period when almost every car they launched was a bit bland and boring. But something has happened and the cars are now far from that. Whoever designed the 408 deserves a medal. It was fitted with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, and on paper it really shouldn’t be in a large five-door hatch, but in reality, and on the roads, including hilly ones up here in Huddersfield, it worked really well. Two cars that are very different, but in many respects, very similar, both are such good looking things, attractive and high quality. You could probably buy five or six 408’s for one Urus, however.

Used EV price drops drives demand

As the price of used EV’s continues to fall, there is a bit of evidence to suggest that sales are picking up a bit, the cheaper they are, the more likely they will find a buyer. But, as the slight increase in demand will probably continue, I don’t think demand will drive values back up. They will reach a point that is acceptable to the used car buyer, but will not force prices to rise. Contract hire and leasing companies will have already made provisions and put some reserve money aside for losses they will have to absorb when EV’s come back and have to be sold. It is almost inevitable that many EV’s won’t be worth the predicted value. However, there are some fleet companies who took the more negative approach to RV’s and as it has turned out, they were right to take a more sensible and cautious decision.

April 2023 - DfT disappoints; Mazda CX-60 doesn't

I have been watching with interests the recent developments with e-fuels. Germany and other EU countries said they would not ban ICE cars from 2035, instead preferring to allow the continuing production of ICE, providing they could run solely on e-fuels. Apparently after long debates with the powers in Brussels, a compromise was reached, allowing the e-fuel powered cars, providing there was a detection system that would not allow these engines to run on petrol or diesel.

Our very own DfT very quickly came out and said no e-fuel in the UK, we are carrying on with EV’s, end of story. If there are viable options - and I gather from many discussions I have had, there are plenty, and still more to come - it could be, that after 2035, literally the rest of the world's cars are powered by e-fuel, and the UK will only be allowed electric. I personally can’t see this happening.

DfT said that e-fuel is too expensive (and EV’s aren’t..?) but that is now, get production up around the globe, and price per litre will fall, some saying it will be the same as diesel by 2025. I think that it’s the Governments job to set emissions target, set baselines, and it is then up to the manufacturers to reach those targets by whatever means they can, whatever technology they choose bearing in mind the manufacturers and the e-fuel Alliance, have some very clever people working for them, including: engineers, scientists, chemists, designers, production, multi-technology experts. I say, leave it to those who know, and can bring net-zero emissions, but just let them get on with it.


I went up to Scotland recently to drive the Mazda CX-60 fitted with an all-new 3.3-litre in-line 6-cylinder diesel engine. And what a magnificent engine it was. So smooth, so quiet, so efficient and economical - we got around 55mpg from it, even on hilly, twisty Scottish roads. The big lump of an engine, just chugged away, effortlessly making it very frugal and relatively low emissions. Mazda is a bit of a forgotten brand, it never seems to be on top of buyers lists, for some unknown reason. But over the years, and the CX-60 proved this, the quality throughout is ultra-high. This large SUV looks good, and drives so well.

While on the Mazda press launch we were informed about a completely production standard MX-5 roadster completed a round-the-UK of around 1000 miles using zero-fossil fuel, powered by SUSTAIN 100% sustainable road fuel from a producer of this fuel called Coryton. The fuel is created using 100% agricultural waste such as straw, by-products and waste from crops that wouldn’t be used for consumption, yet another example of what clever people can achieve.
 

March 2023 - E-fuels provide hope for older vehicles

Each time I return home from a black tie event, I hang up my jacket, trousers and bow tie, and tell myself that’s the last time I’ll be needing them.

Wrong! Recently they had to come out of the wardrobe for another trip to London, this time for the Park Lane dinner of the British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association (BVRLA).

Around 900 members and guests attended, and the venue was packed to capacity. The BVRLA has more than 1,000 members operating in the rental, leasing, and fleet sectors. But it wasn’t just fleet people there. There was a really good mix from all sectors, including some Government departments. A good night was had by all, with plenty of old friends having a good catch-up.

Wissing out on options

German Minister for Transport Volker Wissing has said his country will withdraw on the final vote for the ban on internal combustion engines (ICEs) from 2035, unless the EU puts forward a proposal allowing cars to run on e-fuel after that deadline.

Wissing says we need all options, including battery-electric, hydrogen and combustion engines running on e-fuels. It appears Bulgaria, Poland and Italy share his view. E-fuels have been extensively researched and the technical and scientific expertise for a market ramp-up is available, with experts predicting the cost per litre would be similar to diesel. However, working out taxation on e-fuels at the pump would prove challenging for governments. E-fuels could start to be produced in 2025, and steadily increased to allow a complete replacement of conventional fuels by 2050.

I would guess that, by 2050, there will still be many millions of petrol/diesel vehicles on UK roads that will depend on traditional fuels. So, if these older cars can be retro-fitted to run on e-fuels then, surely, that is a win-win. For aviation, and marine, heating oils and many more applications, e-fuel is going to be very necessary.

Wissing’s statement has certainly got people thinking and, despite the EU ratifying this law in 2022, it is very unusual to see an agreement potentially collapse at such a late stage. It will be interesting to see what happens next, and let’s watch closely to see if any other countries join with Germany. The transport minister might just have handed ICE a lifeline.

I think drivers should be given a choice in what they drive, not just EVs. If e-fuel is as clean as some claim, then it can’t be a bad thing.

February 2023 - Future price and range clarity needed

There’s a wide belief that the sale of all petrol and diesel cars will be banned by 2030. But, if you read the legislation, it clearly says: ‘Between 2030 and 2035, new cars and vans can be sold if they have the capability to drive a significant distance with zero emissions ( for example, plug-in hybrids and full hybrids ) and this will be defined through consultations.

I have spoken to a few knowledgeable people in the industry, and nobody can tell me what exactly is a ‘significant distance’, five miles, or 50 miles, who knows? I’m told there has been no indication so far from any Government department.

Many manufacturers are saying they will be 100% electrified by 2030, but what happens if people actually want plug-ins or hybrids, the amount of these on offer will be significantly reduced, leaving the buyers with few options. So to say there will only be full electric vehicles on sales after 2030, simply isn’t true, if you take what the Government website says, there will be choices, provided manufacturers continue to build alternatives to electric vehicles (EVs).

2035 is 12 years away, and anything can happen in that time – for example, new technology and/or new fuels. Manufacturers must be having a tough time deciding which way to go with new models. But, putting all their eggs in one basket might, in the long run, turn out to be a mistake. Drivers might want a hybrid or plug-in, and many of these will remain legal up to 2035, but can’t buy one as makers might have stopped producing them to go down the EV route.

No price guarantees

As reported in Fleet News, several leasing companies say manufacturers are not guaranteeing new vehicle prices. Price protection seems to be non-existent and so contract hire and leasing companies cannot guarantee monthly payment figures when a new vehicle is ordered.

This puts them in a difficult position with their customers. It’s a position nobody wants to be in, especially the manufacturers who are dictated to on price from their head offices, maybe in another country.
I’m told that getting courtesy cars from dealers is almost impossible, as supply of new vehicles remains tight, and holding and running costs are high.

Whether the vehicle is in for a regular service, warranty or a breakdown, garages just don’t have sufficient, if any, loan cars – a problem that isn’t going to go away, anytime soon.

January 2023 - Are the benefits of EVs gradually disappearing?

In the past few weeks there has been a lot in the media about electric vehicles (EVs) and not all of it has been good, or positive.

Photos have been circulating of long queues – mainly at motorway service stations – of EVs waiting their turn to plug-in, with some drivers waiting hours to get a charge. There were instances of EV-rage raising its ugly head.

Fleet News featured an article on the soaring cost of minerals, vital for the production of EVs. It said the demand for lithium, nickel and cobalt has pushed up some prices tenfold since early 2021. Everyone agrees that production of EVs needs to increase, but rather than prices reducing due to economies of scale, they may actually rise.

Tesla has led the way in securing raw materials for batteries, and it looks like other carmakers are seeking ways to be more involved in raw materials ‘upstream’, by either going into partnerships or investing in the mining companies. As we see petrol and diesel pump prices gradually coming down, we experience the cost of electricity slowly going up. Raw oil is back to January 2022 prices on the world market, so it probably won’t be long before we see forecourt prices back to more sensible and affordable levels. Meanwhile, electricity could continue to rise, making running an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle more affordable.

I have spoken to many company car drivers being obliged by their companies to drive an EV, with no choice. It is the company’s decision to go 100% electric, no arguing, no negotiation – EV or nothing. Some drivers are prepared to walk away from the job, rather than accept a change in their long-established motoring habits (despite the preferential BIK).

How long before more benefits of running an EV gradually disappear? Take workplace charging. In most cases, this tends to be free, and a big pull to those who can use this nice perk. How long will this continue?

I am not against EVs. They have their place. A study compiled by ZapMaps, reveals that around 25% of EV owners have access to – and use – petrol or diesel vehicles, but the EV is more likely to be favoured on daily, local  journeys, such as shopping, or taking the kids to school. On longer journeys involving a reliance on public charging, a majority of 55% will take their EV, presumably leaving 45% to take the ICE car.

I think 2023/24 will see lots of innovation, in both drive systems and fuels, as makers and suppliers are working to cut emissions, improve fuel economy and try to make motoring greener. But they will bid to avoid being reliant on pure EVs as the solution.