Interviews
Does your fleet need telematics?
GPS navigation-based telematics systems have become part of the suite of fleet management tools; most notably for the heavy truck sector and to a lesser
30 September 2014
Category: Opinions
Comments
North American fleet market looks for value
In a recent article in North America’s Automotive Fleet magazine, “Procurement Ascendency” topped the list of global fleet mega-trends. The once-feared, but ultimately beneficial, transition
16 September 2014
Comments
The risks concealed behind the veneer of destocking
With sales of locally‐made Light Vehicles in July growing by 7.4% year‐on‐year (YoY) – slightly in excess of the 7.2% YoY growth achieved in June
9 September 2014
Comments
To EV or not to EV? That is the question…
Would I drive an electric vehicle? That was the question that kept me busy for a number of months. Me being Bart Vanham, entrepreneur in
4 September 2014
Interviews
Democratising the electric car
What are you anticipating in terms of sales volumes for Europe? Our hope for Europe is that we sell a comparable number of cars to
12 August 2014
Interviews
Hitachi expands into Europe
Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions (HCVS) is the UK-based leasing and contract hire division of the Japanese Hitachi company, probably best known for its consumer electronics,
5 August 2014
Comments
Successful European car industry strategies?
The European Car industry is still under severe strain. Because of the so called policy of austerity, which is predominantly driven by Germany and a
21 July 2014
Interviews
Can do better… and will
Fleet is one of the more conservative sectors of the motor industry, where long memories and entrenched views can be an obstacle for OEMs seeking
17 July 2014
Interviews
Fleetmatics launches new Telematics platform
Telematics provider Fleetmatics has launched a new system platform and at the same time launched three new products: Fleetmatics REVEAL, Fleetmatics REVEAL+ and Fleetmatics
8 July 2014
Interviews
Europe remains core for Volkswagen Group fleet
The Volkswagen Group had plenty of new product and concept cars to show at the Geneva Show from the new Audi TT, Porsche Macan
19 June 2014
Comments
Russian lessors can ride out the current turbulence
So far this year, Russia has managed to annex Crimea and apply considerable influence with rebels in eastern Ukraine without too much damage being inflicted
17 June 2014
Interviews
Opel – the connected brand
‘It’s time to connect every car, not wait for the EU to demand eCall, but go for it and utilise what we have in the
22 May 2014
Interviews
Spelling out the future
BMW Group subsidiary Alphabet is currently represented in 19 markets and in 2013, the company operated some 536,000 vehicles on its mixed fleet, including
15 May 2014
Interviews
More to come…
New Vivaro due soon In the last year Ian Hucker has added commercial vehicles to his responsibilities at Opel and is now director of European fleet
6 May 2014
Interviews
ALD expansion continues
Year of growth 2013 saw ALD Automotive add the one millionth vehicle to its fleet, reaching a total of 1,008,840 vehicles by the end of
17 April 2014
Comments
SMEs in the UK still caught in funding squeeze
So it’s official: those long talked-about green shoots of recovery are finally growing. The UK economy is coming out of recession, and doing so not
18 March 2014
Interviews
Balanced brand is key
Incoming SEAT chairman Jurgen Stackmann (pictured) has arguably landed at the Spanish VW Group division at the right time. The company is going through an extensive
3 December 2013
Comments
The car value "Holy Grail"
Throughout the period when I was setting-up and running Contract Hire companies, both in the UK and Europe, the Holy Grail I was always searching
14 November 2013
Comments
Time for a facelift?
Take the motor shows in Geneva, New York and Shanghai – at each of them lots of novelties have been presented. Between the really new
16 July 2013
Interviews
What's in store from Volvo Trucks?
Volvo Trucks launched its new flagship FH tractor range at the Hanover Show last September, the comprehensively revised FM range was launched at the UK
11 June 2013
Comments
The hype has gone
E-vehicles? Do you remember the hype? International motor shows in Frankfurt, Detroit, Paris, and Tokyo… you name it! Everywhere we went: e-mobility all over the
11 April 2013
Comments
When will sustainable economic recovery really begin?
One current challenge is to agree what is economic growth. On the one hand it may be an improvement in GDP; or a growth in
23 October 2012
Comments
Moving markets
The word ‘residual value’ is not very often mentioned in a positive context. The buyer of a new car is losing money because although he
26 September 2012
Interviews
Crossing Continents
John Bailey has risen through his family auction company in Bristol, UK to his current position as President of Manheim’s International Operations. He may still
31 August 2012
Interviews
A focus on complex fleets
In the UK or any European country, a fleet of 850,000 vehicles under management would put a company quite firmly at the top of the
16 July 2012
Interviews
Electric for the masses?
By the time you read this the Geneva Motor Show will be over and the motoring journalists will have attended all the launch events and
16 July 2012
Comments
Oiling the green wheels in the UAE
In earlier columns I contrasted the elements of fleet cost between the UAE and in more mature fleet markets. Cost is of course not the
16 July 2012
Interviews
Wheels in 4motion
With all-wheel-drive 4Motion versions of Caddy and Transporter and a newly introduced 4Motion Crafter off-roader in its portfolio too, the company has the bulk of
16 July 2012
Comments
Industry analysis
According to Greek mythology, Hermaphroditus was the son of Aphrodite and Hermes. Due to some ‘divine’ manipulation, he became both woman (with the characteristics of
16 July 2012
Comments
Industry Analysis: Wolfsburg, we have a problem!
Thank God, predominantly we still buy cars because of our emotions and less out of mere rational considerations. This can be good or bad –
10 July 2012
