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The Business Motoring Week, August 03, 2018

Unmanned delivery van unveiled in Beijing – could this be the answer to the Government’s consultation on last mile delivery? * Going electric under the open skies * Staying safe the morning after BBQ and beers * And fleet growth predicted.
Suning self driving van
Unmanned delivery van from Suning - unveiled in Beijing

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3 August 2018

Unmanned delivery van launched

The Business Motoring Week August 03, 2018

IN a week when the Government opened its consultation on ‘last mile delivery’, came an interesting news story from China.

The launch of an unmanned delivery van.

Built by Suning Holdings in partnership with Baidu Apollo – providers of an open software platform for the development of autonomous vehicles – the VP of Suning Logistics reckons full scale production by 2020 is realistic.

Wow, the Chinese really don’t hang around! In the meantime, the Government’s consultation on delivering goods more sustainably –  electrically powered e-vans, micro vehicles and e-cargo bikes has started. The unmanned delivery van could be one answer.

BMW i8 Roadster glory shot from rearFresh air gets electrified

Imagine driving your roadster down a country road, sun shining, blue-blue skies above…and no sound from the engine.

That is what you get with BMW’s all-new i8 Roadster. This hybrid can drive in zero emission mode – or blast you to 62mph in under 5 seconds. And CO2 emissions are under 50g/km too. Sounds ideal! Read more about BMW’s new Roadster here.

Test drive experienceFive ways to improve the test drive experience

When you go into a dealership to test drive a new car the level of excitement is high. As it should be. But sometimes the experience is…well, not all it could be.

So what could be done to improve it? Here are five ways to make it a better experience.

BBQ and beersStay safe in the summer – AlcoSense breathalsyers for the morning after

I can only hold my hand up and plead guilty to drinking perhaps a little more than I had anticipated while having a BBQ. I’m pretty sure I’m not alone on this score.

But the real danger lies in what happens the next day. Especially if you go to drive. How do you know that you are under the limit? I undertook an experiment last weekend after a BBQ to find out.

New Renault Mégane R.S. 280 CupFleet growth remains upwards

Given the political and economic uncertainty background at the moment, you might be forgiven for thinking that fleet operators might be reigning back on their company cars.

Indeed, there is some evidence to suggest that fleets are taking a cautious view before committing spend, especially surrounding the muddied waters of WLTP and company car tax. There are reports of extended leases, and growth in mid-term, flexible leases.

But Arval’s latest Corporate Vehicle Observatory Barometer report suggests that fleets will be expanding over the next three years. What’s the background? Find out more here.

 

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Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton is an award-winning journalist and the founder of Business Car Manager (now renamed Business Motoring). Ralph writes extensively about the car and van leasing industry as well as wider fleet and company car issues. A former editor of What Car?, Ralph is a vastly experienced writer and editor and has been writing about the automotive sector for over 35 years.

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