This month at a glance
Welcome to July’s Industry Insights blog, your monthly summary of all the sector-specific updates which will help you optimise your fleet.
Read on for news on the first national loyalty scheme for EV charging, a new EU vehicle safety regulation, and what a Labour government means for our industry.
Sainsbury’s launches UK’s first national loyalty scheme for EV charging
Sainsbury’s is set to reward customers utilising electric vehicle (EV) charging with discounts via its loyalty card scheme, Nectar. Launched this month, EV drivers using Sainsbury’s Smart Charge ultra-rapid charging service will be rewarded with 3x Nectar points for every pound spent.
Advisory Electric Rate (AER) change
June saw the release of the updated Advisory Fuel (AFR) and Advisory Electric Rate (AER) with the most notable change being the AER rate, which has been cut by 1pm to 8ppm.
Helping hauliers understand TfL’s Direct Vision Standard
To help haulage companies understand compliance costs associated with the new DVA requirements, Loughborough University and the Road Haulage Association have produced a new explainer document to help hauliers understand TfL’s Direct Vision Standard. Due to launch in October 2024, the new DVA requirements mean hauliers must comply with a new Progressive Safe System (PSS) criteria in London when operating trucks of more than 12-tonne gross weight.
Direct vision standard: guidance for operators
New EU vehicle safety regulation
New rules around active safety features in new cars, which include ‘speed limiters’, came into effect on Sunday 7 July.
The EU’s ‘New Vehicle General Safety Regulation’, also known as GSR2, amends the minimum performance standards for vehicles in the EU, adding new required Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). This will include:
- Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA)
- Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)
- Driver Drowsiness and Attention Warning (DDAW)
- Emergency Lane Keeping Systems (ELKS)
The UK has yet to sign up to GSR2, which vehicles manufacturers will adhere to across Europe.
The technology mandated by this directive is already found in most new cars. However, drivers must also be aware that ISA is an assistance system and that they will remain liable for the safety of their vehicles.
What does GSR2 mean for the UK?
Many vehicles sold in the UK will use EU specification software, as creating UK-specific variants increases the cost of bringing a vehicle to market.
The regulation only applies to vehicles built after the cut off dates. No retrofit or software changes are required for any vehicles built before July 6, 2022, or existing models built up to July 7, 2024.
Are there any common issues drivers may experience?
Systems may detect the wrong speed limit where signage is missing or inaccurate due to incorrect or outdated maps. It is crucial that drivers install regular map updates provided by the vehicle manufacturer.
Government direction, policy and industry lobbying
What does a Labour government mean for our industry?
On Thursday 4 July, the country voted and we welcomed a new government and Prime Minister. Labour’s manifesto set out a number of pledges, outlined below. We look forward to seeing progress made on these over the coming weeks and months.
- Reintroducing the ban on the sale of new ICE cars from 2030. No mention of vans has been made yet.
- Pledging to fix an additional one million potholes across England in each year of the next Parliament, funded by deferring the A27 bypass.
- Developing a long-term strategy for transport, ensuring transport infrastructure can be delivered efficiently and on time.
- Pledging to support drivers by tackling the soaring cost of car insurance.
- Supporting the transition to EVs by accelerating the roll-out of charge points.
- Supporting buyers of second-hand EVs by standardising the information supplied on the condition of batteries.
