2022 Predictions: Electric Vehicle Registrations to be Over 330,000!
The old saying goes that there are only two certainties in life; death and taxes. Here at Mercia Fleet Management (part of Fleet Evolution), we’d like to add a third – ‘a year-on-year increase in Electric Vehicle
Exploring Southern Scotland: From Dalkeith to Glasgow
About Author Andrew Leech I’ve been greening company fleets for over a decade. Ready to solve your fleet puzzle? View All Posts Exploring Southern Scotland: From Dalkeith to Glasgow Scotland is made for Winter; with wild scenery, whisky and wool, it’s got you covered when the temperature drops. Towns like Dalkeith are ideal for exploring the south of the country, lying, as it does, just eight miles south of Edinburgh and 50 east of Glasgow. With trains from London to Eskbank, Dalkeith, running every hour at peak times, why not leave your vehicle at home and use Mercia Fleet Management instead? Here’s where you could go… Edinburgh At this time of year, Edinburgh is full of the Christmas spirit, and it’s just a 30-minute drive from Dalkeith. Its six-week festive extravaganza has everything you need to get into the spirit of the season, with an ice rink, Christmas tree maze, an elves workshop and, of course, more mulled wine and hot chocolate than you can shake a stick at! You’ll be glad to have hired a Mercia Fleet Management car once you’ve hit the shops; Princes Street has all the high street favourites you can think of, while the streets behind it feature an enticing mix of mainstream and independent boutiques. None of this is forgetting another of Edinburgh’s landmarks – the castle. Towering over the city, it’s best viewed from the inside, where visitors are treated to panoramic sights across the city and to the coast beyond. Edinburgh What’s better on a cold and windy day than wrapping up warm and taking a bracing seaside walk? Portobello beach, on the coast of the North Sea, is just a 20-minute drive from Dalkeith. At this time of year, there’ll be no sunbathing, but it’ll certainly blow the cobwebs away! If the cold gets too much, the nearby town is full of enticing cafes to warm you up again. Craigmillar Castle Of course, Scotland is famed for its castles, and Craigmillar is just four miles up the road from Dalkeith – hiring a car to spend a couple of hours exploring would cost just £9.50. Known as Edinburgh’s other castle due to its proximity to its more famous counterpart, it was used by Mary Queen of Scots as a safe haven in 1566. It features one of Scotland’s oldest tower houses, an unusual P-shaped fishpond and a host of hiding places for the kids, as well as offering breathtaking views across to Edinburgh. It’s also set in extensive grounds, reminiscent of its days as a rural retreat for city folk, while some of the plants growing by the castle are thought to have been part of the original garden. Glasgow A little further away, in not-so-Southern Scotland, around an hour’s drive to the east of Dalkeith, lies Scotland’s second most well-known city – Glasgow; you’ll probably want to make a day of it. With a rich shipbuilding heritage, Glasgow became one of the first cities in Europe to reach one million residents in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Nowadays, shipbuilding has declined but the city’s popularity hasn’t. It was even named Condé Nast Traveller’s best city to visit in 2021. With dozens of green spaces, museums and buildings to explore, it’s a must-see for anyone visiting this part of Scotland. You could even take your Mercia Fleet Management car across Kingston Bridge; more than 150,000 vehicles drive across its ten lanes every day! We have hundreds of vehicles, in sizes to suit all families, across the country, meaning there’ll always be one there when you need it. If you’re interested in hiring a car through us, get in touch! Reach Out! Let’s make fleet management a little less puzzling. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to take your operations to the next level, we’d love to hear what’s on your mind and help you piece together the perfect fleet strategy. FAQs Here’s some of the most frequently asked fleet management questions. Ask A Question Why is Dalkeith a great starting point for a Scottish road trip? Dalkeith offers easy access to some of Southern Scotland’s most scenic routes, historic landmarks, and hidden gems. Its location near Edinburgh makes it an ideal base for exploring everything from the Borders countryside to coastal drives and castle trails. What are some must-see places near Dalkeith? Highlights include the picturesque town of Peebles, the dramatic ruins of Melrose Abbey, coastal spots like North Berwick, and scenic drives through the Moorfoot and Lammermuir Hills. There’s a perfect mix of nature, culture, and history within a short drive. Is Southern Scotland EV-friendly for road trippers? Yes! Southern Scotland has a growing EV charging infrastructure, with many charge points located at key tourist sites, car parks, and hotels—making it easy to explore the region sustainably in an electric vehicle.
Best Environmentally Friendly Cars for Your Company
About Author Andrew Leech I’ve been greening company fleets for over a decade. Ready to solve your fleet puzzle? View All Posts Best Environmentally Friendly Cars for your Company Fleet Environmental issues are a hot topic. There’s a huge range of subjects to discuss, from global treaties to local air quality. We’re all becoming more conscious of our impact on the environment and it’s particularly important when you’re planning your fleet purchasing. Switching to more eco-friendly vehicles will help to minimise harmful pollution in city centres and across the road network. So, what are the best environmentally friendly cars you should get for your company fleet? Here are our top picks: Toyota Prius We couldn’t write about eco-friendly vehicles without including the Prius. It’s the original hybrid and still one of the best. It’s an expensive choice but if you wait for the new plug-in hybrid version to be released, you could benefit from a massive 282mpg. You only get around 35-40 miles range when in electric mode, which might be enough to get you to the office and back, but only just. If you can charge at the office then it works out great! If you run out of miles you automatically switch over to petrol motoring. It may not be the most practical choice for most business journeys if you’re looking for the cleanest motoring, especially when you factor in the weight of the car on top of the low miles. In fairness, the CO2 emissions are incredibly low, between 22 and 76g per km. However, the company car tax on hybrids is higher than the electrics, so that is something you may want to consider if you’re also looking to save. Here is an example of how much tax you might be paying for a Prius, depending on the model. Overall, it’s a good option if you want split motoring. However, for the best environmentally friendly car, we’re not sold. Toyota does have a fully electric model coming out in Mid-2022. You can find out about it on EV-database. Lexus GS300h The Lexus is eye-wateringly expensive, so you won’t want to take this option across the fleet. However, if you’re looking for a luxury option, it’s a great choice. It offers a level of comfort to compete with less eco-friendly luxury cars and feels almost sporty in its performance. The higher level of performance is reflected in its fuel economy and emissions. Its CO2 emissions are around 106-115g per km. That’s comparable to a much smaller standard car. The manufacturers also estimate that you’ll get 62mpg which is around double what you’d expect from a standard version. Nissan Leaf VS Renault Zoe We’ve often wondered what the difference is between the Nissan Leaf and the Renault Zoe. Well, here’s your answer! 2 of the first fully electric cars have come a long way since their invention in 2011 and 2014 respectively. The official range of the Nissan Leaf (2018 model) is 168 miles, but the realistic range is more along the lines of 140 miles. Prices start from £25,995 to buy, but by leasing or salary sacrificing, the cost can be up to 45% less! As it is a full electric, you would pay no car tax and only a couple per cent in Benefit in Kind! What’s more, zero-emissions means zero congestion charges! The official range of the Renault Zoe (2020 model) is up to 245 miles, but the real-world range is 195 – quite a bit more than the Leaf. Prices start at a similar level to the Leaf with a tag of £26,795. Remember, depending on the car, you can get plug-in grants from the government allowing you to subsidise some of the cost of the car! Tesla Model 3 How could we not mention the Tesla Model 3? It’s the most popular electric car in the world! The regular model has 235 miles, the Long Range model has 280 miles range, and the Performance model has 290 miles range. The performance has a 0-62 mpg in 3.3 seconds and its top speed is 152 mph. Obviously, you don’t want to be going that fast, but you can tell this performance model sure does live up to its name! Even the standard model has a 0-62 mpg in 2.1 seconds and a top speed of 140! The price ranges from £44,990 up to £59,990 – this can work out to be as little as £400 on a salary sacrifice scheme! Looking to Solve Your Fleet Puzzle? That’s what we’re here for. Let us know what you need and we’ll find the missing piece. Get in Touch Let’s Talk Vans We’ve had a look at some cars, now it’s time to take a look at some proper work vehicles. Renault Kangoo Z.E. The Kangoo, Renault’s first all-electric van, is incredibly popular on the continent where it represents around a quarter of all-electric vehicles on the road. The new Kangoo Z.E. 33 launched in 2017 and improves on the previous version by offering a longer distance between charges of up to 168 miles. As it’s electric-only it also has zero emissions. The Kangoo is compact but has a loading area of up to 4.6m3, carrying up to 650kg so is an ideal choice if you’re operating in urban areas. Nissan e-NV200 The Nissan is snapping at the Kangoo’s heels – it was the best-selling electric van in Europe in both 2016 and 2017. It currently has the largest load space as well, carrying a payload of up to 662kg. The latest version has a new, larger battery pack which increases the distance between charges to around 174. They estimate that if you’re operating mainly in cities that could even increase to 188 miles between charges. Reach Out! Let’s make fleet management a little less puzzling. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to take your operations to the next level, we’d love to hear what’s on your mind and help you piece together the perfect fleet strategy. FAQs Here’s some of the most frequently
Hybrid or Electric Car: Which is right for you?
About Author Andrew Leech I’ve been greening company fleets for over a decade. Ready to solve your fleet puzzle? View All Posts Hybrid or Electric: Which is right for you? There’s one big question… should you buy an electric car? The question now is ‘why would you not?’. With an ever-expanding range of models and increasing ranges, now really is the time to consider an electric car, and here are just some of the reasons why you should consider a hybrid or electric car, Low Running Costs Charging an electric car can cost less than £10 for the majority of EVs. At a fast charger at a service station, it may cost a little over if you’ve really run the miles down. At home, you’ll typically charge using a 7kWh charge point, which will charge your car overnight. The exact costs of running a fully electric vehicle can be determined using the calculation below: Size of battery (kWh) X Electricity cost of your supplier (pence per kilowatt-hour) = Cost to charge an electric car from absolutely empty to full. If you like the idea of an electric car but want the backup of traditional petrol or diesel engine, you could still reduce fuel costs by considering a plug-in hybrid vehicle. No Vehicle Tax Electric vehicles are exempt from vehicle tax, which results in annual savings. If you’re a company car driver and you take on a car through salary sacrifice schemes (for example, Fleet Evolution’s) you will benefit from significantly reduced Benefit in Kind costs. You can find out the Benefit in Kind tax rates for the next few years here, just look at how they shape up next to ICE vehicles BIK! Looking to Solve Your Fleet Puzzle? That’s what we’re here for. Let us know what you need and we’ll find the missing piece. Get in Touch Environmentally Friendly Electric vehicles emit fewer greenhouse gases and air pollutants over their lifetime than petrol or diesel vehicles. This contributes to a reduction in air pollution improving the air we breathe. £2,500 Grant on Full Electric Vehicles To incentivise private motorists to go electric, the UK government is offering grants of up to 35% or £2,500 towards the purchase of the car, provided the car costs under £32,000/£35,000. Motorists can also claim up to £350 (including VAT) off the cost of installing a charger at home through the Government’s Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme. £2,500 Grant on Full Electric Vehicles You shouldn’t worry about running out of charge as most cars now hold 300 miles. Remember, they’re only getting better as the years go on! If you want to find out more about green motoring, or want assistance in solving your fleet puzzle, get in touch below. Reach Out! Let’s make fleet management a little less puzzling. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to take your operations to the next level, we’d love to hear what’s on your mind and help you piece together the perfect fleet strategy. FAQs Here’s some of the most frequently asked fleet management questions. Ask A Question What’s the difference between an electric and a hybrid car? Electric cars (EVs) run solely on battery power, producing zero tailpipe emissions, while hybrid cars use a combination of a petrol or diesel engine and an electric motor, reducing fuel consumption and emissions compared to conventional vehicles. Are electric cars cheaper to run than hybrids? Yes, electric cars generally have lower running costs due to cheaper fuel (electricity), fewer moving parts, and reduced maintenance needs. However, hybrids can be more cost-effective for drivers who often cover long distances or have limited access to charging infrastructure. Which is better for reducing my carbon footprint – electric or hybrid? Electric cars are the best choice for reducing your carbon footprint, as they produce zero tailpipe emissions and can be powered by renewable energy. Hybrids offer a lower carbon footprint than traditional petrol or diesel cars but still rely on fossil fuels.
Best Places for Road Trip UK: Our Top 8 Picks
About Author Andrew Leech I’ve been greening company fleets for over a decade. Ready to solve your fleet puzzle? View All Posts Top 8 UK Road Trips It’s no doubt that the UK has some of the best road trip places in the world. In this article, the Mercia Fleet Management team lists their favourite places. These are the best places for a road trip in the UK! 8. The Cotswolds We recommend starting in Chipping Campden, towards the north of the Cotswolds, before heading south via Cirencester, hopping from pretty village to pretty village as you take in quaint pubs, medieval churches, and all manner of local curiosities on your way to Bath at the southern tip. This region is certainly recognised for having one of the most natural beauty and wildlife spots in England. There’s a number of birdwatching opportunities at the Slimbridge Wetland Centre. If you’d prefer a more action-packed escape, paddleboarding, kayaking, and archery are all available at the Cotswold Water Park. 7. Atlantic Highway, South West England The A39 is one of the longest roads in South West England, connecting Bath to Falmouth. Technically you could drive the entire road, however, Mercia Fleet would recommend focussing on the picturesque stretch starting in Devon, which links Barnstaple to Newquay, Cornwall. While the road itself doesn’t get that close to the coast, you’ll be able to take in plenty of breathtaking views of the Atlantic as you pass through Camelford, Bude, and Wadebridge. The passage is ideal for families, surfers, couples, people who’d love a short break away or people who want fish and chips on the beach. 6. The Lake District Now, this has to be one of the most relaxing, enjoyable, and beautiful road trip journeys that we would recommend (for a number of reasons). We’d recommend you start at Kendal, head north into Windermere (England’s largest lake). From Windermere, drive north and drink in the beautiful lakeside villages of Ambleside and Grasmere, the latter home to William Wordsworth’s Dove Cottage and where the poet wrote the famous ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.’ The calm lakes offer the perfect opportunity to get on the water either by hiring a boat or joining a cruise. If you prefer to stay on dry land the area can be explored by bike or steam train along with one of many scenic railway routes. 5. North Wales This road trip has some of the UK’s most incredible scenery… with a drive through Snowdonia National Park and across the Menai Strait to Anglesey. We’d recommend starting at Betws-y-Coed and heading west past Swallow Falls into the heart of Snowdonia. The road will take you past Snowdon itself, but you may want to stop off and explore the mountain. If you’re into exhilarating watersports facilities, the lakes offer this. Look out for white water kayaking on natural rapids at The National White Water Centre. Looking to Solve Your Fleet Puzzle? That’s what we’re here for. Let us know what you need and we’ll find the missing piece. Get in Touch 4. The Dragon’s Spine We recommend driving coast to coast (as one of the best ways to see Wales). The A470 runs all the way from Cardiff in the south to Conwy in the north, taking in two national parks. We’d recommend you start in the Welsh capital, head up through South Wales to the Brecon Beacons. As you reach the heartland, you’ll pass the beautiful Llyn Clywedog reservoir and the market town of Dolgellau, before heading over the majestic northern mountains of Snowdonia to Conwy. If you’re a fan of Jeremy Clarkson, you may recognise the A4069 Black Mountain Pass – the route otherwise known as ‘Top Gear road’ is a favourite with motorists including the outspoken presenter. Those looking for a slice of culture are spoilt for choice with Carreg Cennen Castle and Dinefwr Castle both nearby. We recommend driving coast to coast (as one of the best ways to see Wales). The A470 runs all the way from Cardiff in the south to Conwy in the north, taking in two national parks. We’d recommend you start in the Welsh capital, head up through South Wales to the Brecon Beacons. As you reach the heartland, you’ll pass the beautiful Llyn Clywedog reservoir and the market town of Dolgellau, before heading over the majestic northern mountains of Snowdonia to Conwy. If you’re a fan of Jeremy Clarkson, you may recognise the A4069 Black Mountain Pass – the route otherwise known as ‘Top Gear road’ is a favourite with motorists including the outspoken presenter. Those looking for a slice of culture are spoilt for choice with Carreg Cennen Castle and Dinefwr Castle both nearby. 3. Peak District Third, it’s one of the country’s most beloved national parks… the Peak District. The Mercia team recommend starting in Glossop, east of Greater Manchester, and heading into the Pennines along the notable Snake Pass (one of the UK’s highest mountain passes… 510m above sea level). From here, head south towards the reservoirs and around the popular Derwent Dam. This offers great trekking opportunities. A short trip south to the west will take you to the Blue John Cavern (an underground network of caves). They offer guided tours… ideal if you feel like an alternative to hill walking on your way ever southwards. 2. Causeway Coastal Route This jaw-dropping route is from Belfast to Derry… and it’s steeped in myth and legend! The route is actually made up of nine scenic drives, so you can break it down into smaller journeys and take your time enjoying the sights… or if you want, you can do it all at once. The drive takes you to several of Northern Ireland’s main tourist attractions and landmarks – the Giant’s Causeway itself, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Dunluce Castle, Dark Hedges and the Glens of Antrim. You could even make the short ferry trip to Rathlin Island from Ballycastle for a tour of the famous upside-down lighthouse (which was