Tag: Expert Guides

important tips when buying a used electric car

Second-Hand EV Buying Guide

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

Second-hand vehicles are a great option for businesses looking to expand their fleet without spending too much to do so. When it comes to buying electric vehicles, new models often carry a hefty price tag that can make adding electric vehicles to the fleet financially unviable. Buying second-hand can help fleets of all sizes and budgets to increase their environmental sustainability and get ahead of the NetZero 2050 initiative.

Like buying any vehicle second-hand, however, the second-hand EV market can feel like a minefield. We have put together a quick buying guide for fleet managers exploring the possibility of second-hand electric fleet vehicles, outlining some of the most important things to remember before investing in used EVs.

Service history

A full service history is essential for purchasing any used vehicle, including electric, and a service history with big gaps should be a red flag. While vehicle servicing looks a little different for electric vehicles compared to their combustion engine counterparts, acquiring vehicles you can trust have been looked after properly is vital.

Can you service your fleet EVs?

You’ll want your used fleet EVs to have been properly serviced before they arrive with you, but are you able to continue to service them moving forward? Depending on the size of your fleet and the location of your business, you might find it tricky to find a conveniently located garage that offers EV servicing. Make sure to check the services near your before you put your money into used electric vehicles and subsequently realise they are going to be a nightmare to get serviced.

Battery health

Battery health decreases over time and this applies just the same to electric vehicles as it might to a laptop or smartphone. Many things can contribute to battery degradation in EVs, including the use of faster charging points, overcharging, and running until ‘empty’. While you won’t be able to know if these actions have impacted the used EVs you are looking at, it’s important you get a good idea of the battery’s overall health and charging capacity.

Additionally, you’ll want to know about the battery’s warranty, including how long it lasts and if it can be transferred to new owners.

Cables and leads

We’re all guilty of misplacing cables and leads, and the panic sets in when battery power runs low. It can be easy to survive without a phone charge for a little while, but you will be in a sticky situation should you need to replace the charging cables and leads for your newly acquired used EV. You can replace these vital pieces of kit, but you are going to be looking at a hefty additional price to pay on top of what you have already spent on your vehicle.

As such, make sure the used electric vehicles you add to your fleet come with the charging cables you need to keep them running.

Range

Understanding EV range is important whether you are looking to buy new or used, and will be a big influence in your decision making. Range anxiety is not quite the concern it used to be, with more charge points cropping up regularly and range capacity increasing with each new model of EV. However, when purchasing used EVs and especially older ones, it’s important you understand what minimum range your fleet vehicles require.

For example, in 2018 the majority of midrange electric vehicles had a range of between 100-125 miles on a fully charged battery. Taking into account battery degradation, this potential mileage is lowered by approximately 2.3% per year, making the mileage capacity approximately 86-110 miles in 2023.

Depending on the types of journeys your fleet vehicles are making day to day, this might be plenty of mileage for many fleets and shouldn’t be a concern. However, if your drivers are regularly taking trips of upwards of 100 miles on tight schedules, then this mileage capacity could be limiting and not a good fit for your fleet.

Charging

The final major consideration you need to make when acquiring electric fleet vehicles, both new and used, is if your business premises and your driver’s homes (if necessary) have the infrastructure to support efficient charging.

Relying solely on public charge points is most likely going to be unsustainable for any fleet that isn’t very small. Instead, have you considered the infrastructure you would need to invest in? Installing charge points for your electric fleet vehicles means convenient charging on the business premises and can even be subsidised by the government through the Workplace Charging Scheme.

Additionally, if your drivers keep their fleet vehicles at home then there are grants available to help cover the cost. Of course, it can be complicated to manage mileage allowance with home charging, so implementing tools like Allstar Homecharge can help to ensure that no one is out of pocket for charging carried out at home.

Allstar Homecharge from Fuel Card Services

Allstar Homecharge is an EV charging solution designed to take the hassle out of charging company vehicles at home. Whereas previously reclaiming charging allowance has been inaccurate and often left drivers out of pocket for the money they spend charging at home, Allstar Homecharge integrates with most home charge systems to calculate the costs of charging business vehicles. These costs are then charged directly to the business.

Less administration, less uncertainty, and a more convenient and cost-effective way to charge.

Speak to our experts today to learn more about how Allstar Homecharge could benefit your fleet.

Fleet vehicle servicing made simple

Fleet Vehicle Servicing Made Simple: MyService.Expert

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

Time consuming, costly, and difficult to organise – when it’s time to service your fleet vehicles the task can feel overwhelming. For fleet managers, finding the best rates and a service quality you can trust whilst battling for booking slots that suit your fleets schedule takes time away from other important tasks on your to-do list.

Servicing your fleet vehicles regularly is key to keeping your drivers and business safe from the repercussions of poorly kept vehicles. Though it’s an essential practice for fleets of every size and shape, is it necessary for managing service schedules, bookings, and paperwork to be such an arduous hurdle?

We’re going to take a look at what makes vehicle servicing become such a sizeable and expensive task, and how tools like MyService.Expert can help carry the load.

The challenges of fleet servicing

Whatever your fleet looks like, organising a vehicle service can end up with a lot of moving parts.

Getting the best rates

Vehicles need to be serviced regularly and when you have a growing fleet to keep road-safe and maintained the costs can quickly add up. Private garages and chain garages can offer servicing at large variable rates and when your fleet is on the move finding a well located and affordable location can be tricky.

Managing your bookings

Organising bookings and knowing which vehicles need servicing gets tougher the bigger your fleet grows. With different models of vehicle to manage and diverse fleets with a range of vehicle types in their arsenal, staying on top of servicing schedules and ensuring that your fleet vehicles get the right level of service in good time and in a manner that doesn’t hinder operations can be a struggle for fleet operators.

Staying on top of the paperwork

Paperwork can quickly stack up when you’re managing a fleet, even if it no longer requires physical paper. Despite the continuous move to paperless operations, the task still remains of effectively managing the filing of vital paperwork. When managing the servicing history of a range of vehicles and keeping track of spending on bookings and repairs, the paperwork can quickly get ahead of you.

MyService.Expert

How MyService.Expert can help

For fleet managers looking to get ahead of the curve and make savings where they count, MyService.Expert is a tool worth adding to their arsenal.

MyService.Expert is an app designed to help alleviate all the challenges we have discussed here by compiling bookings and paperwork in one location, while offering you access to pre-negotiated rates at both independent and franchise garages across the country.

With deals to be found on vehicle servicing, maintenance, repairs, glass and tyre work, and more – you can quickly see the savings rack up while the admin stays quick, simple, and organised. Get in touch via our quick enquiry form to learn more about how MyService.Expert could streamline you fleet servicing.

electric vehicle charging

Guide to Electric Vehicle Charging

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

Sometimes it good to go back to basics. If you have recently switched to an electric vehicle or want a recap on how to charge an EV, this guide will show you through the steps to ensure effective charging of your EV.

How to Charge an Electric Car

1. Check what charging plug your vehicle uses & that it is compatible with the charging point.

Depending on the make/model of your car you may have a Type 1 charger, or a Type 2 charger. Most public charging points feature a Type 2 charging socket so if you have a Type 1 socket on your car then you should ensure you have a ‘Type 2-to-Type 1’ cable on hand.

Rapid chargers will use different types of sockets, the CCS and CHAdeMO chargers. The first combines a CCS DS socket with the Type 2 socket. The second is less common than the first, however, it’s important that you check which type your vehicle uses.

2. Attach your cable to the charging point and then to your vehicle.

Your vehicle’s charging socket may be located in the same location as traditional fuel caps, or it may be located at the front of the vehicle.

3. Your vehicle will have a light to show the vehicle has begun charging.

This is usually green or blue. Your dashboard will tell you how long until the vehicle is fully charged. Your car won’t be able to start up whilst charging and the cable will be locked in when the car is locked to prevent theft of the cable or the charging point.

4. When you are finished charging or are ready to leave, unlock your car, disconnect your cable, pack it away, and you are ready to go.

Man charging an electric car

Public Charge Points

There are 35,778 charge points at 21,378 charging locations, making public charging points easy to access for EV drivers across the UK.

Types of Charging Points

  • Slow charge points
  • Fast charge points
  • Rapid charge points
  • Ultra-Rapid charge points

Electric Vehicle Charging at Work

If you are introducing EVs to your fleet or are encouraging the uptake of EVs by your staff, then it’s worth investing in charging infrastructure. There are a range of different types of charging point that are perfect for workplace charging, and some fit the criteria for the Workplace Charging Scheme.

These charge points will be used following the same or similar step-by-step process outlined above, but it’s important to check the requirements of each individual model to ensure effective charging and to avoid damage either to your EV or the charge point.

Electric Vehicle Charging at Home

As with workplace charging, there are a range of home charge points to choose from. Home charging is the most convenient and often most cost-effective way of charging electric vehicles. If you are looking to install a charging point at your home, it’s worth researching the various types of charger you can choose to find the one that suits your needs.

Wallbox Chargers

Whilst you can charge an EV from the wall sockets in your home, wallbox providers can offer faster and safer charging. The EV charge point grant can help to cover up to 75% of the cost of installing smart charge points at domestic properties across the UK.

EV Charge Cards

When charging fleet electric vehicles, an EV charge card is an effective option for saving on costs, benefitting from perks, and managing fleet finances. If you are unsure which EV charge card is right for your fleet’s needs then head over to our EV Hub where you can find guidance on the types of EV charge card on offer as well as other useful information.

Tips for reducing fleet costs

Tips for Managing Fleet Costs

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

Whenever an entire industry faces significant challenges, it’s often the case that the same number of businesses must now compete for a smaller pool of contracts or customer expenditure. This rings particularly true for the UK’s fleet industry, which in 2022 is:

  • Suffering from a driver shortage.
  • Facing legislative and practical challenges with important and exporting goods.
  • Seeing the highest fuel prices ever recorded in the UK.
  • Looking to tackle uncertainty as customer spending is hindered by a cost of living crisis and rising inflation.

Consequently, it’s absolutely pivotal that SMEs competing within this space do everything possible to tighten up finances and cut back on unnecessary costs.

We’ve produced a complete guide to fleet financing which covers all these elements in depth, however this article will showcase our favourite tips that we feel can help fleet operators become more efficient with expenditure.

1. Use software packages

The fleet industry is built upon technology, with a range of fantastic products entering the market each year. However, telematics is the most fundamental technology package all fleets should be investing in.

An advanced telematics suite can help you track driver mileage, enable maintenance scheduling, automate vehicle safety check recordings, and much more – all through a centralised database that makes reporting on and analysing insights easy and efficient.

If you’re looking to make efficiencies, you won’t get far without first having valuable data to access- so telematics is a crucial starting point that enables cost savings in the long run.

2. Integrate your software packages

Rather than having a set of standalone technologies that require intensive training and separate platforms to operate, it could be worth investing in a technology stack for your fleet business that integrates with one another.

By synchronising your databases, for example linking telematics to your mileage tracking and vehicle insurance software, you could save yourself time that would otherwise be spend traipsing through hefty spreadsheets.

3. Outsource financial management

Adopting a third-party accountancy package could be worth considering for commercial fleets, and there are a range of options in market to suit accountants of all proficiency levels. These could help your business monitor cash flow, and enable you to forecast for the upcoming weeks, months, and years – which could be essential to business planning for those that are looking to electrify their operations.

Some of the key obstacles facing SME fleets in the coming years that may be assisted through refining financial processes include:

  • Keeping competitive on the technology front.
  • Transitioning to electric fleet vehicles.
  • Decarbonising fleet operations and infrastructure.

4. Reduce your fuel costs

Perhaps the most significant expenditure facing any commercial fleet is fuel, which is why it’s imperative that fleets do whatever possible to reduce fuel expenditure.

Driving down fuel costs is most easily achievable through investing in a discount-based solution that drives the cost of fuel down at the petrol pump. A commercial fuel card can enable this saving mechanism, and is a worthy consideration for any businesses with any number of vehicles.

5. Talk to your drivers about fuel efficiency

If you’re looking to see a marked improvement over time in driver-related metrics, then having an open and honest conversation about how efficiencies can be made is likely a good starting point.

For example, your drivers may be interested in learning more about hypermiling and how they could optimise every aspect of their daily driving to minimise fuel usage. Alternatively, you could look to test their knowledge of route planning and the likes in a constructive and friendly way; leaning on their expertise and route knowledge where possible.

Proper car maintenance can also improve fuel efficiency, as tyres that are evenly pumped to a good standard require less fuel than those that have minimal tread or sub-par PSI.

One final tip from the team at Fuel Card Services is to keep an eye on how your main competitors are refining their processes. It’s possible that businesses who are at the cutting edge of technology and quick on the uptake could seize small advantages when it comes to cutting costs – which can have a significant impact over time.

How can Fuel Card Services help?

At Fuel Card Services, we aren’t equipped to solve the global fuel crisis, however we do have many years of expertise in providing UK businesses with our market-leading range of the best commercial fuel cards.

Our suite of cards encompasses all major UK brands, with coverage across the country. Beyond saving up to 10p per litre, you’ll also save a great deal of time with HMRC approved invoices – no more holding on to receipts!

Get in touch with our experts to find out more about fuel cards – the smart way to manage your fuel and fleet costs. Or browse our suite of fleet services – which include advanced telematics systems.

What is an MOT?

What is MOT – an essential guide

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

All vehicle owners and fleet managers are familiar with MOT testing. MOT tests themselves are one of the UK’s most essential tools to encourage road safety and minimise or avoid accidents that are caused by vehicle faults.

However, as our road laws evolve, the vehicles operating on them diversify, and the role of electrification increases, it’s important that fleet operators are able to stay up to date with the latest MOT guidance from the government and maintain an awareness of what a test comprises and when to get one.

That’s why our article will cover:

What is an MOT test?

An MOT test is an annual car inspection in which various parts of a vehicle are assessed to ensure that the vehicle as a whole is considered road safe (legally speaking), and that it complies with environmental standards.

The MOT has been around since 1960 and has seen many changes in its 62-year life span. Originally only required for cars of ten years and older, the MOT was brought in alongside the Motor Vehicles (Tests) Regulations 1960. In 1967, the testing age was reduced to cars of three years and older. For ambulances, taxis, and vehicles with more than eight passenger seats, the testable age is one year due to a change brought in in 1983.

What is checked on an MOT?

Dozens of tests are carried out during an MOT, most of which are focused on the functionality of parts such as the windscreen wipers, brakes, and exhaust. The MOT test does not test the health of your engine, clutch, or gear box. Key elements tested include:

  • Lighting and Signalling Equipment
  • Steering
  • Suspension
  • Brakes
  • Tyres and Wheels
  • Seat Belts
  • Body Structure
  • Exhaust and Fuel Emissions
  • Drivers Road Views

Why do MOT tests include an exhaust emission test?

The exhaust emission test, introduced to the MOT in 1991, ensures that a vehicles engine is operating efficiently and that the emissions from the car are within legal requirements for environmental protection. It is not a direct check of a vehicle’s engine, but if your car fails its MOT on the basis of the exhaust emission test then you might need to have your vehicle serviced and your engine checked.

Why is an MOT important?

In short, an MOT ensures that your vehicle is safe to drive and doesn’t pose a threat to you, others, or the environment. An MOT may not check for issues with the engine, but ensuring that your vehicles steering, for example, is in full working condition and good health, will help to prevent malfunctioning that could lead to loss of control and ultimately an accident.

Driving without an MOT

While the wider motivation for the MOT test is to minimise risk on the roads, on an individual level there is a legal responsibility to ensure your car has its MOT. Driving without an MOT certificate leaves you liable to a £1,000 fine, and if you are caught driving a vehicle deemed ‘dangerous’ in an MOT test then you could face a fine of up to £2,500.

Not only could you receive this sizeable fine, but you could also get three points on your driving license for every fault you drive with. The consequences of points adding up on your license could be as severe as multiple years ban on your license – a major issue if you require your driving license for your job.

MOT FAQs

Here are some answers to the most commonly asked questions around MOTs.

When is my MOT due?

MOTs are an annual test, so you will need your next MOT exactly a year from your last. If you are unsure when your car is due its next MOT, you can use the GOV.uk MOT status tool to check.

How long does an MOT take?

An MOT test takes around an hour to complete. If your vehicle fails any part of the test, you may be able to have the repairs carried out immediately, depending on your MOT provider.

How much is an MOT?

The cost of an MOT will depend on where you have the test done, however they average around £40. There is a maximum fee for cars (up to 8 passenger seats) and goods vehicles (up to 3,000kg) of £54.85.

When does a new car need an MOT?

New cars do not require an MOT until they reach three years of age. You can choose to get your new car MOT tested if you wish, but there is no legal requirement until it is three years old.

Managing your fleet MOTs

When managing a fleet, staying on top of all MOTs can be a tricky task to manage. MyService.Expert is a handy tool that can help you to manage the servicing and testing needs of vehicles in your fleet.

Simplifying your company vehicle maintenance, MyService.Expert allows you to easily keep track of when your fleet vehicles need testing or servicing and offers access to garages nationwide so you can keep your vehicles on the road. With simplified invoicing and pay-as-you-go, MyService.Expert is a great tool for maintaining your fleet and keeping costs down.

If you’d like to learn more about this service, or would like to make an enquiry, head over to the MyService.Expert page. You can also get in touch with out team to discuss this service and others, as well as receive a quote.