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Hyundai names Michael Stewart as UK fleet director
Nissan’s head of leasing, specialist fleet sales and rental Michael Stewart has joined Hyundai Motor UK as its new fleet director.

Daimler’s ViaVan JV to pilot ridesharing in Berlin
Berlin’s public transportation authority, Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), has teamed up with the ViaVan joint venture between Mercedes-Benz Vans and US technology start-up Via to introduce

Volkswagen e-Crafter starts fleet trials
Volkwagen’s new e-Crafter van has started fleet trials with an international group of major customers.

Daimler acquires majority stake in French Uber rival
Daimler has acquired a majority stake in French Uber rival Chauffeur Privé, with a view to fully acquiring it by 2019.

Car sharing makes great strides in China, despite challenges
Car sharing is growing exponentially in China, due to still-inadequate public transport options and government efforts to stimulate the new energy vehicle (NEV) market. As

FCA launches Leasys in Belgium
Leasys, FCA Bank’s contract hire company, is continuing its drive for international expansion with its launch into Belgium as it looks to become one of

ABAX expands in Denmark with Fleetfinder acquisition
Telematics firm ABAX is continuing its European expansion plans with the acquisition of Danish tracking firm Fleetfinder for an undisclosed amount.

Honda previews dual-motor Insight hybrid
Honda will unveil a prototype of the next Insight hybrid at the Detroit Motor Show, featuring a new two-motor hybrid system aimed at rivalling the

Volkswagen subsidiary to install 2,800 charging points
Volkswagen Group subsidiary, Electrify America, is to install 2,800 electric vehicle charging points in 17 of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States during

Belgian charging network connects France and Netherlands
Belgium’s UNIT-E charging network has added 25 rapid chargers along key routes spanning between the French and Dutch borders, enabling easier long-distance travel for electric

Renault and Brilliance push ahead with Chinese LCV joint venture
Groupe Renault and China’s Brilliance have confirmed a deal on a joint venture to manufacture and sell LCVs in China under the Jinbei, Renault and

EQUA Index extended to electric vehicles
Emissions Analytics has extended its EQUA Index programme to test electric vehicles.

Denso acquires smartphone-as-a-key technology startup
Automotive parts and technology company, Denso, has acquired American company InfiniteKey, with a view to developing systems enabling smartphones to be used instead of vehicle

Toyota Motor Europe appoints new general manager fleet
Toyota Motor Europe (TME) has confirmed that Dimitris Tripospitis will take on the role of general manager fleet from 1 January.

50% Toyota global sales to be electrified by 2030
Toyota estimates half of the company’s global sales will be electrified by 2030.

European Parliament moves towards petrol and diesel phase-out
Manufacturers could soon face strict targets for electric and ultra-low emission vehicles as a share of their overall sales, as part of measures to phase

Arval white paper covers future for diesel on business fleets
Arval has published a white paper outlining current and future advice for fleets on vehicle choices.

New Toyota Fleet Mobility Solutions group prompts executive reshuffle
Toyota Motor Europe is to establish a new Fleet Mobility Solutions group as it looks to ensure a one-stop service for customers.

Volvo’s Polestar reveals first markets for debut plug-in hybrid
Volvo’s spin-off performance subsidiary has announced the first six markets for its Polestar 1 plug-in hybrid.

Alphabet fleet hits 50,000th vehicle landmark in Spain
Alphabet has reached the milestone of managing more than 50,000 vehicles in Spain some 15 years after it opened operations there.

Mazda’s plans for autonomous tech to keep driver in control
Mazda has outlined its plans for the driver to remain central to the driving process as it rolls out semi-autonomous technologies focused on providing back-up

EU passenger car registrations up 4.1% for YtD
The European new car market continued its positive growth in November, with registrations up 5.9% for the month and 4.1% for the year to date.

ABAX expands into Germany under European growth plans
Norwegian telematics company ABAX has expanded into Germany with an office in Berlin.

Pilot project enables Smarts to be used as fully mobile ‘postboxes’
Smart is expanding on its Ready to Drop+ logistics trials with a new project in Hamburg that enables Smart cars to be used as a

Fiat Punto scores first-ever Euro NCAP zero-star rating
Euro NCAP has given the Fiat Punto its first-ever zero-star rating as it highlights how older cars are falling behind on modern safety standards.

New mobility service to pilot in Stuttgart
Daimler’s Moovel subsidiary and the Stuttgarter Strassenbahnen AG (SSB) are to trial a new mobility solution in Stuttgart that will pave the way for the

EDF to convert whole car fleet to EVs by 2030
French utility EDF Group has become the latest multinational to join the EV100 initiative as it commits to switching to its entire car fleet to

ALD explores employee mobility solutions under DataCity Paris
ALD is using this year’s DataCity Paris innovation programme to help develop future solutions targeting employee mobility.

Thibaut Carpentier named director of Parcours
French rental firm Parcours has named Thibaut Carpentier as its director.

Road Test: Volkswagen Polo
The Polo does so much, so well, that it could tempt buyers out of the Golf, reckons Alex Grant.

WEX Europe Services French sales chief to expand role
Isabelle Fetzer, who was appointed as WEX Europe Services’ head of sales – France in June, is to also head up Belgium and the Netherlands.

Will Mexicans wave goodbye to traditional vehicle ownership?
Alfredo Hernandez, country director for Autorola Mexico reveals how the new and used car markets continue to grow amid changing car procurement trends.

The EV charging arms race
Craig Thomas looks at plans by car manufacturers to collaborate on a pan-European EV charging network.

Cleaner petrol engine developed by Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance and Daimler
Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance and Daimler have together developed a new petrol engine, said to be cleaner, more efficient and offer more torque.

Ebbon-Dacs upgrades Leaselink
Ebbon-Dacs has updated its Leaselink e-procurement platform in a move to enhance functionality for its contract hire and leasing firm end-users.

EU to tighten car approval rules to prevent repeat Dieselgate
Stricter car approval and testing rules could be in place by September 2020, helping to prevent another ‘Dieselgate’ saga taking place.

EU-LIVE takes on the Twizy with new EV mobility solution
The European EU-LIVE consortium has revealed a new electrified mobility solution for the L5e category – a segment in-between two and four wheels with speeds

PSA CEO named ACEA president for 2018
Carlos Tavares, CEO of Groupe PSA, is to take over as the president of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) for 2018.

ALD to use Microsoft platform for smart mobility solutions
ALD is to develop solutions to provide packaged smart mobility services with the help of Microsoft.

Cybersecurity concerns curbing demand for connected cars
Nearly half of consumers (49%) of consumers do not own and do not plan to own connected cars in the future as cybersecurity concerns impact

New Mercedes-Benz Sprinter gets connected solutions and electric version
The 2018 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter will bring a holistic approach to van operations, offering latest connectivity to bring an integrated system solution along with an all-electric

Ford Transit Connect and Transit Courier get new engine tech
Ford has revealed its updated Transit Connect and Courier LCVs, which will get updated engines and styling as well as new driver assistance technologies when

ALD Automotive launches global fleet reporting solution
ALD Automotive has announced the launch of GlobalFleetReporting.com (GFR) – a new solution that consolidates fleet management data from multiple sources, including third party data.

Renault prepares 1,000 connected-Méganes for fleet customers
Vehicle operators in France can now sign up for real-world trials of 1,000 Renault Mégane equipped with vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) connectivity solutions to

Jeep confirms plug-in hybrid power for new Wrangler
Jeep‘s new Wrangler will include plug-in hybrid power, the American company has confirmed.

Road Safety: An investigation into work-related deaths and accidents
How safe are the streets for fleet drivers and what is being done to reduce accidents? Dave Moss talks to people trying to make a

Opel Grandland X gets top-of-the-range trim
Opel has introduced a new top-of-the-range variant and diesel engine for its Grandland X SUV.

Alphabet Italia appoints new CEO
Alphabet Italia has named Andrea Castronovo as its new chief executive officer, effective 1 February 2018.

Toyota plant to produce electricity and hydrogen from renewables
Toyota is to build a power plant capable of producing water, electricity and hydrogen using bio-waste as a fuel.

More electric range for BMW i8 Coupé and Roadster introduced
BMW has revealed the production version of the new i8 Roadster and new Coupé at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Electric vehicle adoption has reached a turning point, says Jato Dynamics
This year has represented a turning point for electric vehicle adoption, with sales in key regions increasing significantly, Jato Dynamics says.
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