Clean Air Zones: LCV operators to consider giving up van ownership?
Published: 28 September, 2022
Garages that service older vans for business customers around Bradford could see some changes, with the Bradford Clean Air Zone (CAZ) having gone live on Monday 26 September. As a C+ Clean Air Zone, while passenger cars are exempt, commercial vehicle operators will need to make sure they are compliant.
According to Europcar Vans and Trucks Director Keith Shorter, not all businesses will be eligible for upgrading grants or an exemption, and some may opt to give up ownership: .
“Unexpected fines can mount up quickly and reduce the profitability of a job if drivers or their managers are not aware of the incoming regulations for any commercial vehicle not compliant. With more and more clean air zones around the country, the big challenge for many businesses right now is upgrading their fleet in the face of limited new vehicle supply – as well as factoring in the additional expense at a time when operating costs are increasing.
“To support Bradford City’s bid to reduce air pollution and help local businesses and van drivers make positive changes to the way they travel around the city, we are offering a range of sustainable and flexible mobility options from our local branches. “
To find out about the Bradford Clean Air Zone, visit: www.bradford.gov.uk/breathe-better-bradford/breathe-better-bradford/
- IAAF appoints CV council leader
Sue McKay, Global Category Manager for commercial vehicles at TMD Friction, has been named as the head of the IAAF’s commercial vehicle (CV) section.
- Rising business energy costs: Running to stand still?
The rise in energy prices is an issue that is not just affecting homeowners it is also causing problems for garage businesses, including bodyshops. It is leading to owners having to think if they can afford to run the business due to the increasing cost of gas and electricity eating into the already tight margins the business runs on. However, it is not all doom and gloom. There are many ways businesses can deal with rising energy costs alongside some new trends designed to respond to this issue.
Tools
Tools are the life blood of a garage or bodyshop and a fair few of the tools used on jobs are powered by rechargeable batteries, which need to be charged regularly. With the charging, the cost of electricity during the day is significantly more expensive, so businesses should look to charge them overnight, which comes under off peak times, when the energy price is cheaper. However, businesses should be reminded to only charge tools at night as long as they do not pose a fire risk.
Conservation
Do not waste electricity. Most of the wastage comes from items not being switched off, so it is important to remind technicians on the workshop floor that when they are not in use they should be turned off. This is especially important to remember when closing in the evening.
Heaters used on the workshop floor to keep staff warm are comfort items to have but they are expensive to run. In addition, they do not work well when processes like welding require heavy ventilation. This means that the heat produced from them will be sucked out of the workshop before it has had a chance to warm anyone up.
Ramps such as a three-phase electric ramp are expensive pieces of kit and are a key cog in the workshop. These ramps use quite a bit of energy however, reducing their energy consumption is pretty simple. It is achieved by ensuring the ramp is correctly maintained and is regularly oiled and serviced. In addition, technicians on the workshop floor should ensure the right ramp is being used for the car that is being serviced.
Price increases?
To combat the rise in prices we are seeing businesses, no matter their size, increasing the prices of jobs that require a lot of energy such as re-spraying and heating ovens to ensure the job is not loss-making. The price increases that are being seen now are here to stay for the foreseeable future, and it is something that the customer will have to be made aware of.
Going green?
Another avenue businesses are going down to cut costs is the use of green parts. Green parts are made up of undamaged and reusable parts from end-of-life and written-off vehicles, which does bring costs down. But they can cause issues once installed. This is highlighted by the fact that the part might have an electric module in it that is programmed for a specific vehicle or chassis. This means that if it is installed on a new vehicle, there is the possibility it may stop the vehicle from starting and it can also be difficult to code, which adds time to the overall job.
- Is the knowledge gap closing?
- IN THE AIR: Radar love
RADAR is an asset to drivers as it can quickly make measurements of relative speed while providing a range, so it knows how fast an object (car, van, human dog, etc) is moving towards or away from the vehicle. In comparison, cameras and LiDAR need to take multiple images over some time to estimate the speed of an object, which is less efficient.
Because RADAR is capable of several functions that help keep drivers as well as other road users and pedestrians safe, it is more important than ever that technicians have the knowledge and skills to understand these systems and complete right-first-time calibrations.
Accident prevention
The first facet relates to accident prevention. With RADAR being able to perform calculations quickly, it means the other systems it works with can be brought into play sooner, such as the brakes being applied when RADAR detects the car is approaching another vehicle ahead or getting the car to accelerate when traffic allows. This is highlighted by Ford’s BlueCruise system, which is available in the Mustang Mach-E electric, that brings ‘hands-free’ driving to UK roads for the first time and uses the same technology as ‘normal’ driver assistance systems that use RADAR. However, what you do have to remember with BlueCruise is that the addition of a driver monitoring system ensures the driver is aware of what is going on at all times.
Safety
The second and probably most important aspect of RADAR, which drivers tend not think about, is how it helps with safety. This is highlighted in two distinct ways; The first is the cross-traffic alert RADAR, which is on the front of the vehicle. This helps drivers when pulling out at a junction because it can spot motorbikes, pedal bikes, or other vehicles that the driver might not see when pulling out, so it will either warn the driver or put the vehicle’s brakes on. Alongside this, there is RADAR at the rear of the vehicle, which helps when reversing out of blind driveways or into a parking spaces because if it detects something it will stop the vehicle.
Another benefit of RADAR is that it is not affected by natural issues that might afflict a vehicle’s camera. An example of this is a camera that is covered in tree sap after the car was parked under a tree for a few days. The camera is affected by the sap, but the RADAR is not, and this can lead to the car not travelling in a straight line. This results in the ADAS system being overridden by the driver to prevent issues caused by the camera. So, should technicians advise drivers that this can happen, so they are aware of what to look out for if it happens to them?
Calibration
Finally, because RADAR is important to the ADAS systems within the vehicle, it must be calibrated correctly. We are now seeing a move away from a static calibration that uses a jig for calibrations to dynamic calibrations that take place out on the road. This move will make the calibration quicker and, in turn, will reduce the key-to-key times as well as the monetary cost of the job.
There’s no doubt RADAR is an important feature of cars because it does its job very well. Given its importance, bodyshops and repair centres can play a role in educating drivers about what it does, and the technicians must have the necessary skills to calibrate it correctly as a key part of ADAS systems throughout the vehicle.
- HELLA Hengst
When it comes to filtration, both independent workshops and motor factors want a product that has a reputation for high quality, but is reasonably priced and with excellent availability. HELLA’s logistical abilities and Hengst’s specialist knowledge and manufacturing expertise mean motor factors and garages benefit from this combination of the best of product and service. With more than 1,600 references for passenger car and light commercial vehicle for air, cabin, fuel and oil that cover more than 90,000 applications and 95% UK car parc coverage, HELLA Hengst provides motor factors and their customers with the answer.
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