This month at a glance
Welcome to December’s Industry Insights blog, your monthly summary of all the sector-specific updates which will help you optimise your fleet.
Read on for news of Jaguar’s rebrand and concept car, how the Government is moving to ban pavement parking, Tesla vehicle updates, and the latest on vehicle registrations
Jaguar announces rebrand and new concept car
As the company embarks on its journey to electrification, Jaguar has revealed its rebrand and latest concept car, both of which have divided opinion. The vehicle, named the Type 00, will be built in the UK and has a target range of 470 miles, with the ability to add up to 200 miles in 50 minutes when rapid charged.
As it’s still a concept car, we’re not expected to see anything further until late 2025, but it remains to be seen whether Jaguar will stick with the rebrand following the mixed reaction or move towards something more traditional.
Read more about the Jaguar rebrandGovernment moving to ban pavement parking
As announced by the then transport secretary, Louise Haigh, the Government will be looking to roll-out the banning on pavement parking in a move to increase accessibility for pedestrians. Pavement parking is currently only banned in London and Edinburgh, where councils have powers to exempt certain roads, and a recent survey has showed that just 18% of drivers are against the move.
We’ll share more information when more information is announced.
Tesla announces latest vehicle updates
Tesla will be launching a number of enhancements and updates over the holiday period. These include:
- The Tesla App on the Apple Watch will allow drivers to use their watch as a car key, view battery charge, and remotely manage climate control.
- The option to watch dashcam and sentry mode clips directly from the Tesla app. Users can then save these on their phone to edit or share.
- Allowing drivers to use the Autoshift function on the stalkless Model 3 to automatically shift between drive and reverse.
- A new rear cross traffic alert, which will sound if the vehicle detects a pedestrian or vehicle when reversing.
- Upgrades to map and route planning functions. This will enable drivers to set a preferred battery charge level for arrival and search along the route for charge points with estimated detour times.
HMRC publishes new Advisory Fuel and Advisory Electric Rates (AFR/AER)
HMRC has published new AFRs and AERs for company-provided cars, effective from 1 December.
AFRs for both petrol and diesel vehicles have decreased across the board by 1p per mile. This is the second consecutive reduction and mirrors pump price reductions. The AERs remains unchanged at 7ppm.
Read more about the updated ratesGovernment to review ZEV mandate
The Government is to conduct a fast-track consultation on the ZEV mandate. Ministers are reportedly refusing to back down on the deadline for penalties, but are open to new “flexibilities”. The consultation may indicate what flexibilities are being considered. Zenith’s consultancy team will review and share information on the consultation, once it is released.
Vehicle registration updates
- While the new car market declined by 1.9% from the previous month (153,610 vs 156,525), there has been an increase on the year-to-date figures of 2.8% (1.81m vs 1.76m).
- EV uptake has continued to rise with a 58% year-on-year increase, as manufacturers continue to offer unprecedented discounts to help support the new BEV market.
- LCVs registrations have increased by 10.5% year on year.
- While electric van volumes have grown by a third, a review of the market is urgently needed, as the annual market share retreats further from the 10% target.
