Category: Fleet News

A new campaign has launched in urban areas to decrease speed limit areas of 30mph to 20mph the day before the Easter weekend.

Leading medical practitioners are calling on the government to introduce an Emergency National Urban Limit to alleviate pressure on the NHS. Driving slower should result in fewer victims of collisions for the NHS to care for during this critical time.

Not-for-profit organisation 20’s Plenty for Us, formed to campaign for mandatory 20mph limits, has teamed up with several local communities to support Lower the Baseline, an initiative to increase awareness to ultimately reduce healthcare admissions.

To the Times, over one hundred doctors wrote, “..each month there are nearly 3,000 road traffic collision-related admissions to NHS hospitals in England alone. Lowering and enforcing speed limits would reduce the frequency and severity of road traffic collisions.”

In an article to help improve the NHS’s capacity, the BMJ published on 24^th March: “First, we suggest an immediate reduction in motor vehicle speed limits. In England alone there are around 35 000 non-fatal admissions to hospital every year related to road traffic accidents; more than one in 10 of these are serious and likely to require intensive support, including anaesthesia and surgery. Evidence from around the world shows that lowering speed limits can lead to major reductions in injuries. In Canada, for example, lowering the speed limit from 40km/h to 30km/h was associated with a 28% decrease in pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions and a 67% decrease in major and fatal injuries.”

Further information about Lower the Baseline is in more detail here.

Fuel Card Services is an independent agent of fuel cards as well as fleet management tools, including tracking, discounted vehicle maintenance, mileage counting, and driver walk around check list.

Kia is celebrating an array of awards as part of this year’s Driver Power survey, with the manufacturer’s Sorento model a standout performer.

Picking up a total of six honours in 2020, it was an impressive performance and goes to highlight the popularity of the brand among the UK motoring public.

Sorento scoops a double

The Kia Sorento claimed this year’s Best Large SUV title and was also voted the Driver Power Car of the Year. 

Stuart Milne, executive editor of Auto Express, revealed it was the model’s low running costs, excellent infotainment package and the ease with which drivers can make use of the vehicle in their daily lives that helped push the Sorento ahead of the competition.

Responding to the awards, president and CEO of Kia Motors (UK) Paul Philpott commented: “These wins for Kia are especially important to us as they’re voted for by our customers, people who live with our vehicles day to day.”

He added that the marque takes “huge pride in these awards and will continue to listen to customers and deliver what they want”.

Indeed, it wasn’t just the Sorento that fared well in this year’s survey, with the Picanto picking up Best City Car and the Rio being named Best Supermini. The marque’s Niro HEV also claimed the Best Small SUV title, while the Niro PHEV was named Best Plug-in Hybrid.

Ellie Baker, brand representative at Fuel Card Services, comments: “This is an amazing result for a brand that has captured the imagination of UK car buyers. It’s a brilliant achievement and one that’s fully deserved given the commitment of Kia to deliver models of the highest quality.”

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VCV) is celebrating 70 years of the VW Transporter – the
world’s longest continuous production run for a commercial vehicle.

The model has come a long way in its 70 years and remains among the most popular light
commercial vehicles on the market today.

Six generations since 1950

The Transporter T1 was produced from 1950 to 1967 and was the first model to hold this
prestigious name. It was entirely hand-built and saw many of its parts coming from the VW
Beetle, including the engine and gearbox.

Fast forward to the Transporter T2 (1967-79) and the marque saw the model evolve with a
new front end and sliding doors as standard. The Transporter T3 (1979-92), meanwhile, took
the vehicle to new heights of popularity with its expanded cargo space, wider wheelbase and
all-wheel drive.

A technical revolution was seen in the Transporter T4 (1990-2003), with multiple options for
customisation for buyers for the first time. It was then the Transporter T5 (2003-15) that
placed the comfort of drivers at the forefront of design thinking.

Finally, launched last year, the Transporter T6 (2019-present) now comes with all the latest
mod cons, including intelligent driver assistance, infotainment and two-tone paint schemes in
a nod to the T1.

It’s a model that continues to capture the imagination of buyers and one we hope will be in
production for many years more.

Ellie Baker, Brand Manager at Fuel Card Services, comments: “The Transporter is a van
that’s synonymous with reliability and functionality. It’s great to see the model reach its 70-
year milestone, with many more years still in store.”

SEAT’s CUPRA design team has unveiled a new 3D printing production technique that the
manufacturer claims could revolutionise car design in the future.

Using 3D-printed parts to test aspects of design like aerodynamics, performance and styling
could be a game-changer for the industry at large.

Swift and efficient production and testing

Xavi Serra, head of technical development at CUPRA Racing, said: “The main goal is to
have a lot of parts in a short time.”

“We can quickly test a wide variety of designs and furthermore, this technology enables us
to react swiftly to any changes in the design process.”

Engineers have developed new production techniques for CUPRA’s Leon Competicion
racing car, with the model featuring a host of 3D-printed parts, including door mirrors, air
intakes and cooling intakes.

Processing from design to having the item ready to fit to the car can be done is as little as 20
hours, while up to six different components can be produced at the same time. It all means
the trial and testing of new components can be significantly sped up.

Mr Serra concluded: “This technology is and will continue to be key in countless fields to
make the most complex ideas a reality.”

Jenny Smith, Product Manager for Tele-Gence, commented: “Developing new, more efficient
ways to test and develop components in the design phase could make the production of new
models all the faster, as well as helping manufacturer’s to save on cost and time spent in
development.”

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The coronavirus outbreak has had many consequences for the British public, one of which is not
being able to go outside other than for vital reasons like buying food or going to work, if you’re
unable to work from home.

These restrictions mean huge swathes of the population will be making less use of their cars.
There are some benefits to this – like spending less on fuel – but there are also some potential
disadvantages, like the risk of your car experiencing problems because of sustained lack of use.

Since one of the biggest dangers is your tyres sustaining damage, Falken has offered some
advice on how you can maintain your tyres and make sure they’re in good condition.

Increase the pressure

One useful tip is to check your tyre pressures and, while your car is laid up, to increase them by
about 15 PSI over the normal recommended level. This should help to avoid damage and flat
spots while the vehicle isn’t being used.

Leaving a note in the car to remind you to put the pressure back to normal when you start using
it again is a good idea.

Keep the car inside if you can

If you have access to a garage or an indoor space where you can keep your car, this is the time
to use it.

According to Falken, darker and cooler conditions are more conducive to tyre health. If you
have to leave your car outside, you can protect the tyres with covers made from reflective
aluminium material.

Consider jacking up your car

If you expect your car to be out of use for a particularly long time, it might be an idea to jack it
up so the tyres aren’t in contact with the ground at all.

You can also use ‘tyre trainers’ that reduce flat spots and prevent degradation of the rubber.

When life returns to normal and you can get back to looking after your car with regular
maintenance, MyService.Expert from Fuel Card Services can provide access to thousands of
garages nationwide and also save you money on parts and labour.