The BMW 5 Series is now available with a lower-powered engine making it more desirable for companies to contract hire and use in there fleets as well as the personel contract hire market.
Powered by a 143bhp version of BMW’s 2.0-litre diesel engine, the 518d is a new starting point to 5-series which offers lower running costs. Fuel economy on the combined cycle is 62.8mpg (Touring: 58.9mpg) while CO2 emissions are 119g/km (Touring: 127g/km), which attracts a BIK rate of 18%.
With 266lb-ft of torque at 1,750 rpm it accelerates from 0-62 mph in 9.7 seconds (touring 10.1 seconds).
It comes at the same time as the 5 Series has been given a facelift with additional contour lines around the grille and a re-structured lower air intake, while indicator repeaters are incorporated into the door mirrors as standard. Standard equipment now includes business navigation, xenon headlights, BMW emergency call and teleservices. The saloon and touring also have new-style tail lights with LED light strips. Feel free to check out our up to the minutes rates on the CVSL website at www.cvsl.co.uk or call one of our sales team on 0800 084 4256 who will be only to happy to discuss your personnel requirements.
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Why CVSL Recommend Checking For Damage Before Returning Your Leased Vehicles
Fleet managers could save thousands of pounds per year by taking 10 minutes to check the external condition of leased vehicles before they are due to be returned,
This should involve inspecting bumpers, alloys and paintwork for scuffs, bumps and scratches a few weeks before the official end of lease inspection is due.
According to industry figures, 27% of returned vehicles incur a fair wear and tear recharge.
This is generally because damage has been left untouched or not repaired to a high enough standard.
Large and small fleets could quickly realise significant savings by checking vehicles and organising appropriate repairs themselves through accredited repairers or bodyshops.
follow these five ‘10-minute check-up’ tips:
- Ensure the vehicle is clean and dry: dirt and wet can mask scratches and scuffs.
- Choose a well-lit location.
- Start at one corner – such as the driver’s side headlight – and walk slowly around the vehicle examining each panel, as well as the roof, doors and bonnet.
- Crouch down to check the vehicle along its length, on each side.
- Pay special attention to wheels and bumpers – these are prime areas for scuffs and scrapes.
As a rule of thumb, minor damage smaller than an A4 piece of paper can be repaired to a high standard by a SMART repairer.
Larger areas of damage require attention in a bodyshop.
Both options are more cost-effective than simply accepting the wear and tear recharge.
Wear and tear recharges have really escalated over the past three years we have heard of many cases where a firm has been billed around £900 for repairs that would have cost a fraction of that with an accredited SMART repair technician. By taking a planned approach and making time to inspect vehicles internally, businesses could save a lot of money.
Why Fleets Are Paying The High Price At The Pumps
Fleets are paying nearly 5p per litre more at the pumps than they did at the start of the year, thanks to a weakening pound and soaring wholesale prices.
The average price of diesel in the UK is now 145.10ppl, up 4.78p from the middle of January when diesel cost 140.32ppl, according to the AA.
Petrol, meanwhile, has risen to 138.32ppl – up 5.61p on a month ago (132.71p). However, further increases are likely.
The AA says that fleets are suffering as the pound weakens against the dollar and the wholesale prices are going upwards all due to the stock market speculation.
As pump prices are usually two weeks behind the wholesale changes the full impact of the price rise has not truly felt by the end user but as the increase filters through the consequences will begin to take effect.
The increase in pump prices comes as the Freight Transport Association (FTA) renewed calls for Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne to reduce fuel duty by 3ppl in the Budget on March 20.
It also wants the Government to stimulate investment in low-carbon fuelled vehicles by fixing duel rates for natural gas and bio-methane relative to diesel rates for at least 10 years.
But, with petrol sales falling to the lowest level tracked by Government in 23 years, less revenue will be heading to Treasury coffers. Also with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) figures show UK diesel sales fell year-on-year in January, down to 1.923 billion litres for cars, haulage and other uses.
This is higher than the all-time low of 1.833bn litres in January 2010, when widespread and extended periods of heavy snow cut road use. But, with petrol sales falling to the lowest level tracked by Government in 23 years, less revenue will be heading to Treasury coffers.
While the Chancellor will have little appetite to either cut fuel duty or postpone future increases while tax receipts are falling, he has been forced into this action several times already, including scrapping the January 3.02ppl rise.
So let’s wait and see what happens in the Budget, As usual we will keep all our CVSL clients up to date with how any changes in the budget will affect your Personal Contract hire vehicles or your Contract hire and fleet vehicles.
Cash For Crash Scam – Fraudsters Convicted
Here at CVSL we like to keep all our clients whether on personal contract hire or business contract hire up to date with recent news items that may be of interest this week we are highlighting what is called Cash for crash as fraudsters risk lives of others for high financial gain.
This is not a new issue but there has recently been a high profile landmark case when three men who deliberately caused a car crash that led to another collision in which a woman died were sentenced to 10 years each. It was the first time that somebody had been killed as a result of a crash for cash scam.
The fraudsters had been planning to make a personal injury claim in connection with a staged crash on the A40 in Buckinghamshire.
Sgt James Upton, from the Thames Valley Police road death investigation team, said: “The crash for cash culture has become more prevalent in our society, but this is the first known fatality as a result of an induced crash.”
There was also another cash for cash case when the fraudster was jailed for 12 months for conspiracy to defraud and dangerous driving after targeting a commercial vehicle.
CCTV footage from inside the HGV’s in cabin camera helped expose the scam, It showed a Golf decoy car braking hard and late to turn into a side road; the Mercedes-Benz that is following then performed an emergency stop, which caused a rear-end shunt by the HGV.
With this being a very lucrative business it is estimated that the annual cost to the insurance industry of the annual cash for crash fraud is estimated to be about £392 million with £100 million involving commercial policies.
Fraudsters will either approach a junction, roundabout or intersection and then suddenly jam on the brakes leading to a rear-end collision, or use a ‘no-stop’ vehicle driven erratically by one gang member to cause a car driven by another gang member to break violently immediately in front of a vehicle, leading to a rear-end collision.
After the accident, the criminals claim compensation, often with the help of bogus witnesses and other parties that might be involved in the scam, for injuries, vehicle damage, replacement vehicle hire, loss of earnings and other costs. A scam can typically net the criminals £20,000 to £40,000.
It can become very costly for victims whether it be buisness or private these claims have knock on effects to future insurance premiums as it is very difficult to prove you have been involved in a cash for crash scam and its not your fault.
There are a few options available to record what is in front of you when your driving some very sophisticated which can cost around £200 to £300 pounds but you can also get some cheap Smart-phone apps which do a similar job and only cost £1. The evidence from these recordings have already been used to help the police in there quest to convict these criminals and in the future the CCTV evidence will play a major part in stopping this crime.
Here are a few quick pointers to be aware of if you suspect you’re involved in a crash for cash scam
- Stay calm, think clearly and, as with any accident, don’t admit liability
- If a ‘no-stop’ vehicle is involved, try to get its registration number – or at least a brief description
- Call the police and if there’s the slightest indication of injury, call an ambulance as well
- Use a disposable camera or your mobile phone to photograph the immediate scene, road markings and damage to the car involved
- Count the number of occupants in the car, get their names, addresses an dates of birth and make a note of where they were sitting in the car
- Look for independent witnesses – avoid anyone who’s too enthusiastic, though they might be in on the scam
- Look for CCTV cameras in the vicinity and tell your insurer
- Call the confidential Insurance Fraud Bureau Cheatline on 0800 328 2550 with any information you feel may be relevant
Changes to MOT vehicle testing announced
Changes to the MOT for cars and large vehicle tests come into force later this month as new European requirements on roadworthiness take effect.
From 20 March 2013, revised European legislation will introduce new requirements to annual vehicle tests to reflect advances in technology. The changes include additional checks for some of the vehicle systems already examined such as brakes, steering, suspension and lighting. These changes will not affect the basic cost of a test.
Tests carried out on cars, vans, heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches will be affected.
Vehicle and Operator Services Agency chief executive Alastair Peoples said: “The MOT test is designed to make sure that a vehicle is fit to be on the road and so it needs to be updated to reflect new vehicle technology.
“We at VOSA have worked closely with the industry to make sure they are prepared for the changes; and testers have been letting customers know about the new items at the MOT test for more than a year to make sure they are ready for the changes.”
There will be new checks on a number of items including:
- Electronic power steering malfunction indicator lamp
- Brake fluid warning lamp illuminated or inoperative
- Engine mountings
- Speedometer