ACFO chairman Julie Jenner contacted me this afternoon - and it's always a pleasure to hear from Julie - but apart from a quick chat what she wanted to know was just how popular are company car salary sacrifice schemes?

The fleet organisation she represents is conducting a survey to find out. It's an online survey so easy to do.

My view on salary sacrifice schemes - where you sacrifice part of your salary for a car and reduce your benefit in kind company car tax bill - is that they are fine for large enterprises; but are just too expensive for SME fleets and small businesses to run. But anyway, Julie and ACFO want to know how popular they are.

"There's lots of talk in the media of salary sacrifice schemes as a major development in the UK fleet market. Most fleet management service providers now offer some form of these schemes," Julie told me.

"What is much less clear is the actual impact these schemes have had - or are likely to have - on the shape and size of the UK market. There are as yet no clear definitions for market analysis or tax base, so there is no picture of just how far these schemes have changed the market. We'd like to measure these aspects to see if should shape ACFO's submission ahead of the March 21 Budget."

We're always willing to help here at Business Car Manager, so if you want to help out, go the survey at www.acfo.org. But I did tell Julie that it's unlikely she'll hear from many Business Car Manager readers.

TAGS: salary sacrifice, company car tax, Julie Jenner

DETROIT is back on the map. This year's show had everything – from new versions of the Ford Mondeo and Honda NSX to hybrid Mercedes and a Cadillac-badged BMW 3 Series rival.

Star of the event for readers of www.BusinessCarManager.co.uk was undoubtedly the Mondeo. In the flesh, Ford's new family car looked the part, with its Aston Martin-esque grille and sweeping lines.

Sales in this sector may be dwindling every year but Ford is fighting hard - and the new model is convincing. As well as two hybrids, including a plug-in that can do 140mpg, expect to see the most powerful petrol and diesel versions available with four-wheel drive.

With a hatchback and estate due to arrive later this year, Ford showed off the saloon version at Detroit. It's the bodystyle that will sell biggest in the US – where the Mondeo will be known as the Fusion.

Like the Focus and Fiesta it's a world car so does that mean it's compromised to appeal to everyone?

"Not a bit of it," Mondeo vehicle line director Nick Collins told me. "I don't see it as a compromised US car. The challenge in developing the new Mondeo has been getting the optimum - the US team has learned from us and vice versa.

"The two cars are pretty much identical in the way they drive too. The only difference between the UK car is the fact we'll have lighter, smaller EcoBoost petrol engines and diesels, so we'll re-tune suspension and steering settings. It'll still be the dynamic leader – that's still our goal."

With Ford's SYNC system – which streams music from your smartphone – along with all the safety gadgets from the Focus, the Mondeo is a lot of car for the money. Question is, will there be another Mondeo after this one? Sales are only going one way...

Mercedes goes for hybrids
Premium brands are where it's at. Mercedes boss Dieter Zetsche told showgoers he sees huge growth in posh marques – and the confident firm is finally turning its hand to hybrids too.

The E-Class E300 BlueTEC Hybrid is a four-cylinder diesel electric saloon that can do 67mpg and 109g/km. It'll be available in the summer, while an estate version is due before the end of the year. The hybrid system is so compact – the electrics fit in place of a 12v battery (which moves to behind the rear seats) while the motor slots in the transmission tunnel – that there's no encroachment on boot space.

The best news is that the system is scalable. That means you'll next see it on the Mercedes C-Class. Hybrids are the way forward, reckons Mercedes. "We have made enormous leaps in making petrol and diesel engines cleaner and more economical in the last few years," Mercedes engineering honcho Dr Uwe Ernstberger told me. "Now many of our ideas for doing so have been realised, it is getting harder to improve – and hybrids take us that step further."

Despite repeatedly failing to make any mark on the UK, Cadillac reckons its new BMW 3 Series-rivalling ATS saloon will tempt buyers. Cadillac is making big noises about right-hand drive and a diesel – but we'll believe it when we see it.

Over at VW, the e-Bugster proved that VW has big plans for the Beetle with a two-seater roadster concept powered an all-electric powerplant. Not only does it point to the Beetle Cabriolet but also a more focused two-seater drop-top – like the MINI Roadster – and an electric engine for the Golf.

New Honda NSX
Honda's NSX is no flight of fancy either. The 400bhp V6 four-wheel drive hybrid will reach us in a few years' time. It all added up to a very encouraging event. Despite the uncertainty out there, car makers are doing what they do best – putting on a show.

TAGS: Detroit Motor Show, Sam Hardy blog

LONDON Mayor Boris Johnson is on something of a mission to help clean up London's air - especially with the London 2012 just around the corner.

We've already had Stage 3 of the Low Emission Zone implemented at the beginning of this year.

While you can't argue with the aims and ambitions of cleaning the air in Greater London, it has left some small businesses and traders with some degree of difficulty in continuing to trade - see our news story Van charge starts in Greater London.

The change to the Congestion Charge - for cars with emissions below 100g/km CO2 - is well meant but misguided. As it allows lots of diesel cars into London without charge. And those very cars can cause asthma problems with the soot particles inherent with diesel engines.

But the Mayor's latest initiative is excellent. Boris is asking motorists to turn off their engines when their vehicle is stationary for more than a minute.

Turning off an engine and restarting it after a minute or longer causes less pollution than keeping the engine idling. And it saves all business car and business van drivers money - because you use less fuel that way.

The Mayor's office reckons that if all drivers in central London switched off their engines, rather than idling unnecessarily, for one minute each day this could reduce PM10 emissions annually (those soot particles I was talking about) by the emissions equivalent to a medium sized diesel car travelling 2.5 million kilometres, or making three return trips to the moon.

For those business car drivers with stop-start - like my Audi A6 - (or business van drivers with vans so equipped) the car does this automatically for you anyway. But I do the same in our family petrol car with the ignition - for all the reasons outlined by Boris.

So if you're stationary - switch off. And make the air cleaner, whether you're inside London, or elsewhere in the UK. It'll make the Mayor happier, too.

Previous blog on the editor's Audi A6
Where would we be without satnavs?

TAGS: LEZ, London Congestion Charge, Audi A6, air quality

A SATNAV summit. Not quite the same clout as a G20 summit, that's for sure, but useful nonetheless.

What am I talking about? Well, the government wants a satnav summit in March to make sure routing down inappropriate roads no longer happens. You know the sort of thing - lorries jammed down narrow lanes, drivers blindly following the satnav voice...into a river. See our news story Satnav summit to route motorists the right way.

Satnavs: unquestionably useful for business. I use mine in my Audi A6 all the time. Usually it's brilliant. I particularly like knowing how long it's going to take me to get to my destination. If you've had a hold up - or were too late leaving the office - you can always phone ahead with a good idea of when you will appear.

But even with the Audi's set up, there are times when I find it frustrating. Yesterday was a prime example - I knew a route I could take that would avoid potential traffic. But the satnav system clung on for about five minutes trying to turn me around and back to the original route.

It goes without saying, you should always look at a map as well as consulting the satnav. Some knowledge outside the box on your dashboard is always useful. Including a good dose of commonsense (like not turning left down a dirt track because the satnav says so....).

"We do hear satnav horror stories with headlines such as 'Sat-Nav directed me into path of train', AA president Edmund King told me this morning. "Then there's 'Satnav's latest short cut...through a cottage'; or 'Satnav got truck stuck in tunnel'. However, these are few and far between. We should embrace new technology after all. And if a satnav is used in conjunction with a good atlas and common sense, then they can enhance safety and reduce journey times. But common sense is important, for instance someone thought she was being taken to a Chelsea game at Stamford Bridge by taxi but ended up 230 miles away in rural village of Stamford Bridge near York."

And I think that's the point: you have to know your geography. There's no point setting off for Burnham in Somerset and ending up on the east coast at Burnham Market.

Whatever the satnav might say.

Previous blog on the editor's Audi A6
Winter tyres fitted to my Audi A6

TAGS: satnav, Audi A6

NOTHING like a bit of preparation. We're off to Cornwall for a Christmas break, so I thought it would be wise to have a set of winter tyres fitted to my Audi.

Now I know many of you quite sceptical about the benefits of winter tyres - is the expense really worth it? And I can see that point of view. If you don't drive many miles, and you can avoid going out in the slush and snow, then that's valid.

But consider that you will get through a set of tyres during a 30,000/three year period in your business car, then making one of these sets a winter tyre set makes sense.

Why? Because winter tyres work well at anything below 7 degrees C, providing more grip on the road surface thanks to a more malleable construction. If you want to know more, read our excellent special report The business benefits of winter tyres.

Audi has introduced a new winter tyre programme which is available at Audi Centres across the country. You can either get stand-alone winter tyre sets or complete wheel-and-tyre sets covering all models from the dinky A1 to the gargantuan Q7 luxury SUV. The winter tyre sets can be fitted to existing wheels from £550 including fitting. Wheel-and-tyre sets on 16-inch to 19-inch alloy wheels start from £792 including fitting.

So, winter tyres are now fitted and I shall report further on what they are like (so far different ride and seem quieter but only over a few miles).

Apart from winter tyres, what else can you do to make sure you stay safe as possible if you're driving home for Christmas - or going away for a Christmas break?

I asked the IAM's Simon Elstow for some advice. This is what he had to say:

Prepare your vehicle – check tyre pressure, top up your washer fluid and make sure all your lights are working.
Plan your journey by checking the weather conditions both for where you're travelling from, and your destination. Check updates on the radio during your journey, and take a map so you can re-route if you need to.
Share the driving on long journeys.
Take regular breaks.
Pack enough food, books and games to keep the kids occupied.
Let someone at home know when you plan to arrive.
Watch out for other road users and give them plenty of room and consideration.
In case the worst happens, ensure that you have plenty of fuel. Pack an emergency kit of spare clothes, a shovel, water and food, ice scraper, reflective jacket and fully charged mobile phone with your breakdown provider’s details programmed in. It is also a good idea to carry with you any regular medication you take – your journey may take longer than planned.

Good advice. I wish you all a safe journey and much joy over the festive season.

Previous blog on the editor's Audi A6
Driving in the snow

TAGS: winter tyres, Simon Elstow

WOW! Is Citroen making a big effort with its new DS5 crossover estate.

We've already featured the fabulous Citroen DS5 in our blog Citroen gets creative with new cinemagraph images. Merging still shots with animated gif technology, you get the eyecatching framework of a still photo and the moving image of cinematography.

Now Citroen has released a new set of DS5 images - you can't blame them for trying, as the car does look dramatic. The pictures have been shot under the wing - or nose - of the majestic Concorde aircraft, just as the legendary DS was in its heyday.

The pictures were taken at Le Bourget Airport, France by Laurent Nivalle, a photographer at Citroen Styling. The shoot was part of an initiative by the 'C-Forum' Citroen fan club and plays on the aviation theme that inspired the design of DS5, says Citroen.

Either way we like them: the photographs, the car...and, of course, the iconic Concorde aircraft.

TAGS: Citroen DS5

THE weather forecast is varied at the moment: will we, won't we have a white Christmas?

Of course we all like the fairytale scene of waking up on Christmas day and finding a white blanket has been deposited on everything and that strange silent stillness in the air.

It looks unlikely at the moment as the forecast is for milder temperatures. But that doesn't mean that various parts of the country aren't hit by hazardous driving conditions.

I was driving up on Sunday to see my parents in Suffolk and we were hit by a snow blizzard on the M11. The forecast had suggested it would be sunny if cold - big and thickening snow was definitely not on the cards.

Which is why business drivers - and anybody on the roads over the Christmas period - should always make sure they are prepared for deteriorating conditions. A business trip covering 400 miles can take in a lot of variable conditions.

I watched the outside temperature read out on my Audi A6's Driver Information System gradually drop to just below freezing as the snowflakes became larger and started to settle on the motorway.

So what should you do if you do have to drive in the snow? I asked IAM chief examiner Peter Rodger for some advice for business car drivers. He told me: "Avoid travelling unless completely necessary, and don't ignore police warnings or advice to not travel on specific routes. Can you work remotely, or change your schedule?"

All of which is top advice. But what if you don't have the option of staying at home? Or what happens if conditions change suddenly during the day?

Peter had the following advice on driving safely in snow:
Make sure your windows are clear and that you have all-round visibility before you set off. Also take the time to clear snow off the roof of your car
When driving in snow, get your speed right – not too fast that you risk losing control, but not so slow that you risk losing momentum when you need it
Start gently from stationary, avoiding high revs. Stay in a higher gear for better control, and if it is slippery, in a manual car move off in a higher gear, rather than just using first
If you get yourself into a skid the main thing to remember is to take your foot off the pedals and steer
Only use the brake if you cannot steer out of trouble. Double or even triple your normal stopping distance from the vehicle in front so you are not relying on your brakes to be able to stop. It simply may not happen!
It's better to think ahead as you drive to keep moving, even if it is at walking pace
Plan your journey around busier roads as they are more likely to have been gritted. Avoid using short cuts on minor roads – they are less likely to be cleared or treated with salt, especially country lanes and housing areas
Bends are a particular problem in slippery conditions – slow down before you get to the bend, so that by the time you turn the steering wheel you have already lost enough speed
On a downhill slope get your speed low before you start the descent, and do not let it build up – it is much easier to keep it low than to try and slow down once things get slippery

And if the worst does happen:
Keep track of where you are. If you do have to call for assistance, you need to be able to tell the breakdown or emergency services your location, so they can find you
If you must leave your vehicle to telephone for assistance, find a safe place to stand away from the traffic flow. If you have just lost control the next driver could well do the same in the same place
On motorways and dual carriageways it is always better to leave your vehicle and stand a short distance behind and to the safe side of it. Don't stand in front of it if at all possible.

Previous blog on the editor's Audi A6
Dangerous driving habits close to home

TAGS: Driving in snow

YOUR nearest and dearest - perfect driver or plagued by bad habits? What about colleagues that you sometimes have to drive with? Are they angels on the road or is your right foot permanently buried in the floor as they tailgate while driving too quickly?

The AA's president, Edmund King, passed me some new AA Driving School research which has found that over half of drivers said they have a family member who drives too fast. A quarter (26%) said they have a colleague who does this.

But the other really concerning aspect was a third (35%) who said that they have a family member who drives while using a mobile phone, eating, shaving or doing makeup. That really does worry me. In fact, anyone who can't organise themselves to shave or do their makeup before leaving the house isn't organised enough to concentrate on driving. Full stop.

And while I'm on the subject, women who do their makeup on the train in the morning. Per-leeze! Do I get my shaving brush and mirror out? No. Get up earlier - the train carriage isn't your boudoir.

Sorry, I digress - at least on a train someone else is doing the driving. But driving while applying mascara leaves me speechless with the disregard for other drivers and their safety. Ditto munching a burger or sandwich.

Back to the AA survey. It seems that younger drivers in particular were most critical of their friends' driving. Three quarters (74%) of 18-to-24-year-olds said they had a friend who drives too fast; 70% said they had a friend who 'tailgates' and 79% have a friend who drives while using a mobile, shaving, eating or doing their make-up.

I think my wife's worst habit is driving too fast - or not changing up earlier enough. In fact the latter more than the former.

I used to be guilty of driving too fast - but some driver training with the Energy Saving Trust smarter driving programme taught me to drive more efficiently - not faster - which saved fuel and was actually quicker. This went hand in hand with some driving lessons for my son with the excellent Craig McCall of the then DriveTech organisation, which has now become part of the AA. The course, sadly no longer offered, engaged a parent in the teaching process and I re-learned much of what I had forgotten.

Of course, my driving is now entirely blameless (ahem!). I'm not even going to ask my wife just in case I get a reality check. But I will admit to a former driving bad habit. I sometimes used to drive for too long periods. With the family on board once, and within two miles of getting home, I had a micro sleep and started to swerve towards the central reservation. Cue wake up call from my wife.

Never, ever, again. I always try and stop every two hours. My Audi A6 has a useful readout from the Driver Information System that gives you a snapshot of your journey: average mpg; average speed; and the time on the journey.

I do try and split my drives up into chunks of approximately two hours now. But the readout is a constant reminder too of your time at the wheel. Although, frankly, the Audi feels like it could waft you on forever such is the effortlessness with which it carries out motorway miles.

Anyway, final word to the AA's Edmund King on the survey: "A worrying number of us think our friends, families and colleagues have illegal and dangerous driving habits and young people are particularly likely to have noticed dangerous driving habits amongst their friends.

"There is no way someone would pass their driving test if they displayed these types of behaviour, so there is no place for it on our roads."

Agreed.

Previous blog on the editor's Audi A6
Audi wraps up more motorsport titles and 'retires' A4

TAGS: Energy Saving Trust, DriveTech

Paul Holmes, fleet director of AA DriveTech, writes

Concerning your news story BMA wants ban on smoking in cars - but what's the law for business? - Smoking in any kind of company vehicle has effectively been banned since 2006 anyway so banning so a total ban on smoking in vehicles seems a natural extension of existing legislation, especially when there is now so much medical evidence of the detrimental effect of smoking on children's health.

While the health issues are obviously a major concern, we would like there to be more emphasis on the potential distraction effects of smoking while driving. It's not just the act of holding a cigarette, as much as the process of finding the packet, finding the lighter, lighting up and then extinguishing it safely that concerns us more. Then there's the visual impairment, caused by the smoke itself and film of pollutants that coat the windscreen as a result.

Smoking while driving really does add to the risk of not being able to react quickly or correctly when presented with a hazadous situation.

TAGS: smoking in vehicles