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Tag: Van

SIXT turns to predictive maintenance for its UK fleet

Posted on by Will Priestman

Geotab Inc., a global market leader in connected transportation solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with SIXT van & truck. The landmark collaboration aims to enhance SIXT van & truck’s fleet management capabilities and elevate customer service standards for the company across the UK market.

SIXT van & truck will incorporate Geotab’s advanced telematics solutions into commercial vehicles within its UK-wide fleet. This integration, which will roll-out across the next 12 months, will leverage Geotab’s Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) integrated data to facilitate predictive maintenance and efficient Service, Maintenance and Repair (SMR) operations. By utilising Geotab’s highly precise mileage tracking and vehicle data solutions, SIXT van & truck aims to ensure seamless contract compliance with OEMs while improving vehicle efficiency and performance.

The decision to form a long-term partnership follows a successful pilot programme, during which SIXT van & truck successfully recovered two stolen vehicles, further underscoring the value of Geotab’s telematics solutions in boosting fleet security and operational competence.

David Saint, Managing Director SIXT van & truck UK, said: “Partnering with Geotab allows us to harness cutting-edge telematics technology to enhance our fleet operations in the UK. The ability to access accurate, real-time vehicle data enables us to perform predictive maintenance, reduce downtime and offer an improved experience to our customers.”

Rental and leasing organisations have traditionally engaged in bulk purchasing agreements with OEMs, involving complex contracts to sell vehicles back to manufacturers under specific detail-driven conditions, including precise mileage limits and vehicle standards. By integrating Geotab’s technology, SIXT van & truck is set to streamline such opaque processes, providing the company with comprehensive management of vehicle data to uphold contract terms and deliver superior service to customers.

Geotab’s extensive OEM network and robust market coverage empower leasing and rental companies such as SIXT van & truck to integrate diverse fleet data. This advanced and unmatched capability not only supports predictive maintenance but also ensures compliance with contractual obligations, ultimately leading to cost savings and customer satisfaction.

Implementing predictive maintenance allows rental companies to anticipate and address vehicle issues before they escalate, thereby minimising unexpected breakdowns and reducing operational costs. By having the capability to analyse real-time data thanks to Geotab’s innovations, SIXT van & truck can schedule maintenance during optimal periods, ensuring maximum vehicle availability. This proactive approach not only extends the lifespan of fleet vehicles but also helps contribute to cost savings by preventing major repairs and reducing downtime.

“We are delighted to be working with SIXT van & truck, delivering an innovative telematics solution to their commercial vehicle fleet across the UK,” said Christoph Ludewig, Vice President, EMEA. “Geotab will provide SIXT van & truck UK with actionable insights that improve efficiency and elevate service quality. This collaboration not only reinforces our commitment to supporting partners in achieving operational excellence but also marks a key milestone in our continued growth within the rental and leasing space. As we forge new alliances and strengthen existing relationships, we remain focused on delivering telematics solutions that drive real value.”

Real-world applications of Geotab’s advanced telematics solutions have shown significantly enhanced fleet operations for rental and leasing organisations. By integrating Geotab’s connected vehicle technology, a rental company last year achieved 100% fleet connectivity in the UK and 67% across six core European markets. This comprehensive data integration has led to improved vehicle recovery rates, real-time collision detection and remote monitoring of vehicle metrics such as odometer readings and fuel levels. These breakthrough advancements have also collectively optimised fleet management and elevated customer service standards.

As part of the partnership, SIXT van & truck will explore opportunities to integrate Geotab’s advanced telematics solutions into its rental services, providing end customers with added value.

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Businesses Urge for Electric Van MOT Deferral

Posted on by David Priestman

The Association of Fleet Operators (AFP) is calling for an official deferral for MOTs on 4.25 tonne electric vans as some fleets report finding tests “impossible” to book.

For MOT test purposes, this special category of vans is treated as a heavy goods vehicle (HGV), meaning that it has to be tested at one year old rather than three, and also faces a more rigorous examination.

Aaron Powell, fleet and logistics director at Speedy Hire is one AFP member being affected and reports that his company will have to potentially take a number of vehicles off the road.

“These 4.25 tonne vans require a Class 7 HGV MOT test and, between generally poor capacity for HGV testing and few test centres being able to handle electric vehicles, we’re finding it impossble on a practical level to book tests. Our lease provider has spent the last three months trying to find garages with the ability to carry out the pre-testing and source available slots for the test with limited success.

“This is going to have a serious impact on our business because we’re going to have to take these vans off the road and no doubt many other fleets are finding themselves in the same situation.”

Lorna McAtear, vice chair at the AFP, said: “As an organisation and at an individual member level, we’re very much focussed on safety and of course recognise the role that the MOT test plays in ensuring that vehicles operated by fleets are in a roadworthy condition.

“However, it’s questionable whether 4.25 tonne electric vans require HGV tests, an argument we have been making to government for some time. The whole point of this category of van when it was introduced in 2019 was to provide easy access for fleets to an electric equivalent of a 3.5 tonne panel van. These vehicles are simply 3.5 tonne vans with bigger batteries.

“The difficulties members are encountering around their inability to book MOT testing only emphasises this confusion. While the situation is being resolved, we would like to see government and the official bodies involved introduce some form of dispensation, similar to that created during the pandemic, allowing fleets to defer tests for a period of perhaps six or 12 months on 4.25 tonners for the first and second year of testing, giving them time to find and book testing facilities. It is disappointing that businesses working in good faith to electrify their light commercial vehicle operations are being affected in this manner.”

She added that despite a willingness on the part of government to try and overcome issues surrounding 4.25 tonne vans, problems remained.

“As a result of discussions between the Office for Zero Emissions, Driver Vehicle Standards Authority and Department for Transport, the operation of these vans on a practical level is often difficult for fleets due to confusion over whether they have been deregulated from all of the operator responsibilities that normally apply to vans over 3.5 tonnes.

“The government is aware of this and is trying to resolve the situation through the current consultation because there remains widespread belief that the 4.25 tonne concept remains worth pursuing as a means of speeding up van electrification. However, this process is taking time.”

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