Have you noticed the price of fuel recently? There was talk of it going to 99p a litre – although I didn’t see it quite that low. But it seems like we’ve never had it so good as far as fuel prices are concerned. I mean, with prices this low, how many of you have been casting an enviable eye over the new Ford Mustang – now available officially? I mean the proper 5.0-litre V8 job – the one with the burbling sound track. Well, sorry to spoil the daydream, but cue the latest HMRC AFR rates starting this month (V8 soundtrack gradually dissipates). Suddenly the idea of a ‘Stang doesn’t seem quite such a good one.
If you’re claiming back business mileage or repaying private mileage, you’re going to feel the pinch.
Because if you’re claiming back business mileage in a company car, or have to repay private mileage, rather than enjoying getting more fuel for your money, you’re going to be feeling the pinch I’m sorry to report. By up to 3p per mile on petrols and 2p per mile for diesel engines, in response to the lower fuel prices. It’s a big drop. It’s a good reminder, although I’m sure you didn’t need it, that just because fuel prices are lower there’s no reason to take your foot off the fleet fuel savings gas pedal. Because we know at some stage they will start creeping upwards. And rather than think about US muscle cars with burbling V8s, it’s more appropriate for fleets to start thinking about three-pin plug-in cars and green car savings. Could your fleet incorporate both diesel and electric or plug-in electric hybrid vehicles – depending on driver requirements? Have you considered the possibility of adding hydrogen power in the future? We’ve already started at Fleet Alliance. We have two Nissan Leafs on the Fleet Alliance fleet. So far the results have been very positive; my staff like driving these Nissans and with the help of Skypark – the new home of Fleet Alliance – we’ve got two charging points to keep them juiced up. Electric cars cut your running costs dramatically, reduce benefit in kind exposure for your drivers and, finally, improve air quality. All good then. It’s certainly where I see the future. Suddenly, the Mustang looks less appealing… and the BMW i8 supercar has never looked so attractive…
Have you noticed the price of fuel recently? There was talk of it going to 99p a litre – although I didn’t see it quite that low. But it seems like we’ve never had it so good as far as fuel prices are concerned. I mean, with prices this low, how many of you have … Continued
All this talk of driverless cars being tested on UK roads has got me thinking – as a driver, how will their introduction affect me? Imagine a world without crashes, congestion and road rage – heaven, right? But as an enthusiast, like the 350 million or so fans that watch Top Gear, I do wonder … Continued
I’ve been thinking about this quite a lot recently – and not just because we have some electric car points at our new offices, although that does focus the mind. But what if BIK was changed to earmark more of the pollutants that affect air quality – such as NOx from car exhausts as well … Continued
We’re not even a month into 2015 and while the weather might be cold and snowy outside, the news coming from the car makers is all hot, hot, hot. That’s because the first big motor show of 2015 has kicked off in motor city itself – Detroit. So what was making the news Stateside? … Continued
I really don’t go for New Year resolutions – at least on a personal level. You always start off with good intentions and then end up with that inevitable sense of failure as that New Year vim gradually ebbs away. Well, at least in my case it does… But it is always a good time … Continued
Dear Santa, We’ve all been good boys and girls here at Fleet Alliance. Just so you know, we’ve managed to reduce the environmental impact of our clients by lowering the CO2 output of their fleets by over 2 billion grammes. After all, we wouldn’t want to see Santa’s Winter Wonderland Grotto beginning to melt… We’ve … Continued
The diesel car has found itself under attack. First London Mayor Boris Johnson suggests a £12.50 charge for diesel cars entering London – the only exception being for Euro 6 diesels. Then France goes further. French prime minister Manuel Valls wants to progressively ban all diesel cars from France and encourage french drivers to go … Continued
Just where are you on blurred seasonality? Maybe I’m getting older and more curmudgeonly but I really find it irksome when Christmas starts in the shops mid-November. OK, I know they have a job to do but if you’re not careful the magic of Christmas can run out before the big day finally arrives. There … Continued
Some people accuse me of talking a lot of hot air. Slightly unfair I feel, but sometimes I see their point. Anyway, we like the idea of going green here at Fleet Alliance, not least because we all want cleaner air and a reversal of the polar ice cap melt. Of course, there is a … Continued
Hollywood needs stars – and the honeypot for the film industry had its own beauty parade of talent in the Los Angeles Motor Show. OK, perhaps I should be less formal and more US: the Los Angeles Auto Show, to give the motor expose its proper title, has just ended its glittering run at the … Continued