IRELAND’S FOREMOST FLEET & CORPORATE SECTOR GUIDE
Issue 7 | November 2023
www.fleetcar.ie
Edited by Cathal Doyle - cathal@fleet.ie
9th Annual Electric Vehicle Summit RDS, Dublin - 7 November 2023 On 7 November 2023, the 9th Annual Electric Vehicle Summit will be held once again at the RDS, Dublin. Subtitled the EV Summit & Expo 2023, this event, organised by iQuest & Business Post Events, and dedicated to electric vehicles and sustainable mobility, has gained increased significance and presence as electromobility comes more to the fore in people’s everyday lives. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet face to face at a pivotal time for the EV sector. With demand rising, new automotive market entrants coming to Irish shores, and ZEVI’s Charging Infrastructure Strategy underway, the EV Summit aims to unpack the opportunities and roadblocks that hinder the acceleration of EV adoption
in Ireland. Given the pressure on businesses to operate more sustainability and meet Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) requirements, fleet electrification has already become a primary way companies are driving these goals forward. With this in mind, a new theme and stage - Zero Fleet Future has been introduced, focused on fleet electrification. This platform will get into the nuts and bolts of the whys, hows and costs of operating an electric fleet, be it choosing the right trips to electrify, the most fit-forpurpose vehicles and charging solutions, and finance options available for fleets. This topic on Stage II, along with that on Charging Innovation & Strategy on Stage I,
will be hosted and addressed by a panel of leading experts. At the Shelbourne Hall at the RDS, the EV Summit Expo, will showcase the latest in innovations in EV charging, EV vehicle technology, and the solutions that can enable companies to make the strategic move to electric fleet or to integrate charging solutions into their sites. Attendees will experience live demonstrations, presentations and interactive exhibits. Fleet Publications is media partner for the event and offers interested parties a special discount on the admission fee. Early Bird tickets are priced at €197 + vat. Save €100 by using the FleetEV23 code. More details on www.evsummit.ie
Grab Super Early Bird Tickets at €197+VAT (Fleet Readers: Sav e €100 with code FleetEV23)
Understanding how government, industry & businesses can work together to accelerate electrification
7 November 2023 | RDS, Dublin | evsummit.ie SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
Rebecca Hurst
Sustainability Specialist, SIRO
Ian O’Connor
Head of Carbon Engineering, John Sisk & Son Ltd
Stephen Tummon
Sustainability Programme Manager, DPD Ireland
Colin Shanahan Fleet Manager, daa Group
Danijela Klopotan
Strategy, Innovation & Electrification Manager, ESB Networks
Des Phelan
Sustainable Transport Programme Manager, Coillte
NEW STAGE FOR 2023 FOCUSED ON GREEN FLEET - HEAR FROM LEADING FLEET MANAGERS ON MAKING THE SWITCH TO ELECTRIC
76 | | NEWS REPORT 1
Autostyle + Design 2023 XX Edition celebrated in style in every way Pictured l-r Eric Dubois, Roberto Artioli and Alessio Tommasetti
A fitting celebration of high level automotive design marked twenty years of Autostyle + Design 2023 XX Edition at Villa Schiarino Lena in Porto Mantovano (Mantua) over two days from 11-12 October. Organised and hosted by Berman S.p.A., with founder Prof. Roberto Artioli, at the helm, all of the main elements of the Autostyle programme returned. As usual there were presentations from chief designers from top automotive brands, an exhibition of interesting models in the manicured lawns in front of the Villa; and much to the pleasure of the promoters and audience, the restoration of the Autostyle Car Design Competition, dedicated to young students of international schools, which had been postponed during the Covid years.
“This event is very important for the students, as the presentations by professionals in the automotive sector is not only a high-level study seminar, but also a way to increase their passion for design and an opportunity to network with car designers,” explained Mr. Artioli. For the competition, more than 50 portfolios were received from eight European Design Institutes, and from these 11 finalists were selected, with all the finalists awarded with a diploma. Three main prizes were awarded for the projects adjudicated on by two select adjudication panels. The prize awarded by the Design Directors at the leading automotive Style Centres went to Matteo Lo Bracco, from the ISSAM (Modena); and from the same school, the winner of the Automotive Press prize was Eros Tartaglia. Anne Libois (ISD Rubika) from France secured most votes in the election undertaken by the event attendees. A special prize from AutoTecnica magazine was awarded to Argentinian Dulce Galeote, also a
student at ISSAM, for her skills in quickly creating automotive sketches, during a clinic held during the event. The special Autostyle XX trophy awarded to the winners was designed once again by Eric Dubois, one of the founder members. The VP at French transmission systems company Safran said that this year’s trophy brought together a number of themes: “The twenty years of the event, recalling the shapes and colours of previous trophies and also an optimistic message for the future of these young people who are so
REPORT | 77 well motivated and prepared. Over the past two decades, the Autostyle Design Competition has brought good fortune and opportunity to many winners or finalists of the contest, many of whom today work in the Style Centres of a number of the main international car manufacturers: the same progression is likely for this year’s young participants.” One of the significant aspects of Autostyle each year is the presentation of the most recent activities by the creative and design leaders at Style Centres, including technical supporters of the event. Wacom, which was represented by Leonardo Mendolicchio, is celebrating 40 years of activity and has been participating in Autostyle for 10 years. It previewed one of the Japanese company’s latest generation graphic tablets ready for launch, as well as Gravity Sketch, a platform for the creation of 3D projects in virtual reality. Alessio Tommasetti, also from Wacom, was back on stage as Master of Ceremonies, introducing the various speakers and after welcoming the guests, judging panel, students and media partners (including Fleet Car), he opened proceedings with a video greeting from regular participant Lance Scott of Toyota ED2, wishing the event success. Then the presentations begin with Andrea Militello from the Ferrari design team who was flanked by Jason Furtado and Giuseppe Bagnardi, illustrated the new Purosangue. This is Ferrari’s first entry in the world of ‘tall’ four-seater cars, but is in keeping with the traditions of the brand. The trio also spoke about the SF90XX Stradale, which has specific
design elements that cover the role of both a track car and for road use. Also showcased were details of the original KC23, a one-off project created on the 488 GT3, therefore a track car, created together with the eager customer to cater for both racing and road use. Pablo German D’Agostino represented Maserati, telling the story of the development of the new GranTurismo range, 75 years after the company’s first GT. The principles that make the design of the car unique and exclusive were highlighted, from the proportions to the shapes and even the details, also showing the specific characteristics for the Folgore electric version, a totally new direction in the history of the luxury car brand.
But the event was not all about cars: Bart van Lotringen, head of design at DAF Trucks, outlined the objectives in creating a whole new generation of premium heavy duty trucks for the Dutch manufacturer, showing similarities and differences with passenger cars in terms of the technical characteristics and how the end users vary, depending on the application and catering for the needs for drivers and operators. Another iconic Italian marque Lamborghini, had a greeting and a technical explanation from the head of design Mitja Borkert, following by a report from the lecture from Manuel Amprimo on the latest innovations from the company. The new Revuelto was showcased. It pays homage to all of the sports cars from the brand, starting from the famous arched profiles, and on to the trademark hexagonal lines. He also included the new electric Lanzador, which continues these stylistic features on a higher crossover body, while maintaining sophisticated sporting traits such as active aerodynamics, and coming with a unique interior, from the raised central tunnel, to the exclusive and ecological materials used. From cars to motorbikes, Andrea Ferraresi, Director of the style centre for Ducati chronicled the history of the design of Multistrada through its four generations. Displayed outside were examples ranging from the 1000 S of 2003 to the current Multistrada V4 MY 2021, a bike dedicated to off-road but maintaining the typical elements of the style language and philosophy of the VW Group owned company. www.fleet.ie
78 | | NEWS REPORT 1 Evaluation Committee representing Automotive Brand Designers: Giuria dei Centri Stile Automobilsitici Mitja Borkert, Automobili Lamborghini Klaus Busse, Pablo German D’Agostino, Maserati Gianni Colonello, Lancia Wolfgang Egger, BYD Andrea Ferraresi, Ducati Bart van Lotringen, DAF Flavio Manzoni, Ferrari Adam MacKerron, Aston Martin Robin Page, Bentley
Jury members representing the Press:
Another surprise for the gathering, was the presence of the Chinese manufacturer BYD, as the brand has not yet been formally launched in Italy. BYD’s (the acronym stands for for Build Your Dreams) style manager is Wolfgang Egger, who once held a similar role with Alfa Romeo. It was Francesco Cremonesi’s job to illustrate the activities of this company which is active in many high-tech industrial, engineering and automotive sectors around the world. Indeed BYD is now recognised as the world’s largest producer of electric cars. The car analysed was the BYD Seal, a new aerodynamic four-door saloon, with its overall design and details inspired by the ocean. Away from the world of automotive design, Giulia Agnoletto and Luigi Arboit, creative designers at EssilorLuxottica, showcased some of the projects for a company that produces eyewear for well-known brands such as Ray Ban or Persol. The design of glasses has many similarities with those of cars, but are created in far larger numbers - 50,000 new models a year, all with intricate detail. The analysis of the models created for Ferrari Style range highlighted the link to the world of fashion, notably the complexity of the design of what is an essentially simple shape. Last but not least by any means, the return of Lancia was broadly welcomed by one and all. Gianni Colonello explained the main features of the Pu+Ra HPE concept, an electric 4-seater coupé with a low roof and living room type interior inspired by Italian architecture FLEETCAR | SPRING 23
the works of Carlo Scarpa in particular. An up and running version of the Lancia Pu+Ra Concept, was among the impressive display of vehicles parked in front of the villa. Other desirable machinery included the Maserati GranTurismo 75th anniversary, the Ferrari Purosangue and SF90XX Spider, the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato, Revuelto and Urus, the four generations of Ducati Multistrada, the BYD Seal, the DAF XG+ plus one of the first cars in Lamborghini’s 60 year history. Plans are already underway to mark the 21st anniversary of Autostyle, the 2024 XXI edition, which will once again be full of promise, progress and presentations. Text & Photos: Jarlath Sweeney – editor@fleet.ie
Silvia Baruffaldi, Auto & Design Franco Daudo, Francesco Forleo, Auto Tecnica Michael Kockritz, Ramp Jarlath Sweeney, Fleet Car Sergio Chierici, Virtual Car
Autostyle Car Design Competition Finalists: Jobin Sunil, IAAD Torino Giorgia Mantellina, IAAD Torino Eros Tartaglia, ISSAM Modena Matteo Lo Bracco, ISSAM Modena Dulce Galeote, ISSAM Modena Federico Clemente, IAAD Torino Francesco Sardella, IAAD Torino Emanuele Caprera, IAAD Torino Riccardo Gallo, Università degli Studi di Bologna Sanjeev Sharma, IAAD Torino Anne Libois, ISD Rubika (F)
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80 | TRUMPET CALL
EVs - Tearing the heart out of driving pleasure To quote Yeats ‘A terrible beauty is born’
For driving purists, the future is not so bright. The endless days and memories of taking an internal combustion engined car for a whole-hearted journey to anywhere is fading away. All thanks to electric drivetrains. While they may be emission-free, efficient, gearless, noiseless and conservative to run vehicles, with one pedal drive, they are all, almost without exception, numbing!
Swedish brand Saab was another with a unique identity. Subsumed by General Motors, it was then cast aside to Chinese owners. Maybe some day we’ll see its return….. almost certainly in electric form, of course. And where does it leave motorsport fans of all levels, classes and types? For many, the electric Formula E single seater series doesn’t cut it. While the street races are entertaining, the
The heart is been torn out of driving pleasure and nobody is shouting stop! Soon to be extinct is the pleasing growl of the engine, the joy of revving a responsive engine, the shifts up and down the gearbox, and the only deceleration through the foot brake. Drivers who were able to concentrate on the actual driving are now distracted with tetchy touchscreens, while driver aids increasingly intrude on and nullify an appreciation of a car’s ride and handling. British singer-songwriter Chris Rea dedicated an album for his love of Ferrari. Called La Passione, he gratifyingly oozed enthusiasm through words and music, painting a beautiful, colourful picture of the thrill of ownership of some of the finest examples from Maranello and Modena. Italian cars, more than others, bring out the best in the driving feel good factor. For decades, gleaming examples from Maserati, Lamborghini, Pagani and Dallara got drivers’ pulses pounding. Where to now, for these sports oriented brands, doomed to classic status overnight? Most have gone down the road of production peace-meal petrol-electric hybrids, but they’re not the same. I’ve had the pleasure of owning (and experiencing via press cars) brands from Fiat to Lancia and Alfa Romeo, but the thrill of getting into a unique and instantly identifiable vehicle is increasingly a thing of the past. What brought it all home to me was a week’s drive in the soon to be ‘retired’ Ford Focus. What a superb yet underrated car this is…and has been right throughout its long history. The same could be said for the now deceased Fiesta and Mondeo models. These cars maintained the unique ‘Ford Feel’. And Ford wasn’t alone, many other brands had their own characteristics, such as Volkswagen, Audi, Peugeot, Citroen and Volvo, to mention a few. Sad too, to hear that Volvo will no longer design and produce estate cars, where their strong foundations emerged. SUVs are the norm now, whether we like them or not, replacing saloons and hatchbacks in recent times. The prospect of the shape of things to come is not very encouraging for the followers of passion, with respect to The Kinks ‘Followers of Fashion’!
FLEETCAR | SPRING 23
The soon to be withdrawn Ford Focus remains one of the finest driving cars on the market
artificial, monotonous whine is most annoying and false. It will never replace Formula 1, which is going down the road of using fully sustainable biofuels to deliver on emissions targets without losing the essence of noise and performance that is critical to its appeal. There were over 300,000 spectators at the recent rain drenched Dutch Grand Prix weekend at Zandvoort. If the F1 cars were all-electric, all they would have heard was the flocks of seagulls overhead. Organisers and participants in sportscar racing, rallying and cross-country rally raids and even motorbike racing are all having to address the challenge of continuing to make motorsport appeal in a post fossil fuel world. Not sure how electric car manufacturers can input ‘added adrenaline inside’ - like ‘Intel Inside’ on PCs, to bring back some of the driving traits of yore. Another thought, there will be no more driving songs either! Okay, with electric cars, the silence of the motor allows for better acoustics, but who’s going to write a compelling, adorning tune again like Marc Cohn’s Silver Thunderbird or Driving around in my Automobile (with no particular place to go) from Chuck Berry? How likely is a hit from a future Chris Rea along the lines
NEWS II | 89
Are the days of driving for fun a thing of the past?
of his most popular ‘Driving home for Christmas’ rendering? Don’t get me started on the trucks, as Convoy comes to mind in theme song and movie. Don’t think we will hear a new song like “Beatin’ down the byways in a BYD”, can’t see it happening! How about refuelling? With diesel or petrol, a fill up only takes a few minutes. While it takes 20 minutes for a quick charge of an EV via a fast charger, an 8 hour wait is required for a full battery boost on a home charger. For sure this would prevent old crooner Roy Orbison to ‘Drive all night’ as his song goes. Won’t occur. There’s another question, how will the film industry take to this, can’t see James Bond or Mission Impossible stars taking to EVs too kindly, let alone their loyal viewers. Stunts will be stunted. I mentioned trucks. It is fair to say that the HGV manufacturers have done more than their fair share in drastically reducing tail pipe emissions. One truck brand leader, now retired, stated that “It would take 100 x 44 tonne tractor-units running on Euro 6 diesel engines to emit the same emissions as one Euro 4 HGV from 15 years ago. So there! And that’s not even factoring in Ireland’s love affair with, and unbridled uptake of V8 diesels. The landscape at livestock marts will change too. Can you image how the 3-axle cattle and twin-deck trailers will be towed to these sales outlets by electric motors? It’s going to take a while before the diesel 4x4 SUV Commercials and pick-ups that do these jobs are replaced. Otherwise there may be a lot more slow moving traffic behind tractors on rural and main roads in the regions where marts are located.
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Rather than forcing everyone into electric vehicles, there is a lot more that could be done simply, such as introducing a scrappage scheme to replace older commercials for cleaner, modern vehicles, in addition to increasing public transport options and usage as well as further investment in rail freight. The transition is happening all too fast. Give us the time and chance to live out our lifetime in the appreciation of the internal combustion engine . And all of its deeds, from simple to complex engineering, the smell of the fuel, the texture of the oil and the feel up from the fully round steering wheel to the basic but informative dash display to look at with simple switch gear to engage with. None of the so called improvements of this digital era can match that. As someone who was reared with petrol and diesel in the blood, I perish the thought of being brought to rest in peace in an emission-free hearse! Amen! MJPS
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82 | | NEWS CONTEMPLATIONS 1
If we’re going to amend our speed limits, let’s do it properly for once After continual improvement in reducing road fatalities over the past couple of decades, 2023 looks like it’s going to be one of the worst years for some time for road traffic accidents, with 155 deaths having been recorded on our roads at the time of writing. Unsurprisingly that has lead to calls for action to be taken, with the result that the government is proposing to put forward legislation that will see some of the biggest changes to our road speed limits possibly ever, if they are to be passed into law. It will see speed limits on national secondary roads cut from 100km/h to 80km/h, those on minor roads reduced from 80km/h to 60km/h, while speed in built up urban areas will be limited to 30km/h from the current 50km/h in most places. Another proposal is to increase penalty points at bank holiday weekends as statistics show an increase in incidents during these periods. It’s a topic that everyone who drives (as well as plenty who don’t) will have a viewpoint on, with advocates for and against expressing strong opinions on FLEETCAR | SPRING 23
both sides of the argument. What is unarguable though is that there are currently too many roads that currently have inappropriate speed limits based on the quality of that route. This works both ways…..everyone knows of any number of narrow little bothareens that are not wide enough to take two cars but yet have an 80km/h speed limit, and, at the same time can point to wide straight roads with hard shoulders where the speed limit is 50 or 60km/h. Hard cases make bad law, as the saying goes. The problem is that when a driver happens upon a road where the speed limit is obviously not appropriate, it makes it hard to respect that law. And if you get into the habit of sometimes breaking that speed limit, where does that lead to over time? More than likely a complete disregard for speed limits unless there is a chance of being caught. So while a lot of roads do need to have a lower speed limit, applying it wholesale to all roads of a certain designation is not going to address the problem. In fact there’s an arguable case to be made that it could even lead to more incidents through increased overtaking by drivers frustrated at being delayed by law abiding citizens obeying the new reduced speed limit. If we are serious about having sensible speed limits, we need to acknowledge that virtually all roads have good sections and bad sections, parts where it’s perfectly safe to drive at 80 or 100km/h, and other parts where 50km/h is potentially dangerous. So rather than apply blanket speed limits, would it not make more sense to apply a suitable speed limit for the actual piece of road you are driving? You see this in Germany all the time. On a good stretch of country road there will typically be an 80 or 100km/h limit. But approach a bad corner and signs appear bringing the speed limit down to a suitable level. Once the hazardous area
is cleared the speed limit goes back up. Is this beyond the capabilities of our legislators? What with access to Google Street View and similar, surely it would be a relatively simple job to determine and apply an appropriate speed limit for any section of road? Of course, having appropriate speed limits is only one part of the equation, and unfortunately for a lot of people, only the fear of being caught will amend their driving habits. In that respect it was disappointing if unsurprising to read that figures are showing a drop in the number of Garda checkpoints being carried out. Data revealed by the Irish Times shows that the number of alcohol breath tests carried out at Garda checkpoints has dropped by more than half when compared to before the pandemic, while the number of Garda assigned to roads policing is at its lowest level since 2017. As someone who does cross-country journeys at least a couple of times a week, this is backed up by personal experience. The last time I can recall coming on a garda speed check was at least three months ago. You’d be lucky to last ten minutes without seeing a traffic police vehicle in the UK or many other jurisdictions. Sensible speed limits can go a long way to encouraging road users to drive appropriately, but they have to go hand in hand with enforcement. If the government is really serious about tacking the rise in deaths and injuries, it needs to strengthen An Garda’s road policing units….quickly. Text: Cathal Doyle – cathal@fleet.ie
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