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.
Tag Archives: carbon emissions low-emission cars
Greater Manchester gears up for electric cars as charging network is announced
The Greater Manchester Electric Vehicle (GMEV) scheme – a new electric vehicle charging point network and pay as you go programme, led by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) – has been launched.
The scheme has received £1.7million of support from the Office for Low Emission Vehicle’s (OLEV) funded ‘Plugged In Places’ scheme, as well as a further £1m from the combined authorities' allocated transport budget.
TfGM is working with the Greater Manchester local authorities to identify locations and install a range of charge points for EVs, which will be operational in the summer.
The locations will be across the 10 districts providing commuters with the infrastructure to charge electric vehicles.
Private sector partners, such as NCP, Manchester Central,Manchester Metropolitan University,Salford University and Intu Trafford Centre are also on board, providing their own charging bays to supplement the network.
The GMEV scheme will be operated by Charge Your Car (CYC) a leader in EV charging networks. CYC will manage the payments and access to the GMEV scheme on behalf of TfGM.
Customers wishing to use the charging bays will be able to do so from July. They will be able to either register through the TfGM website and then receive an access card in the post, or simply pay as you go either by phone or by mobile app.
The scheme pricing is yet to be confirmed, but users will pay a flat rate per hour to recharge their vehicle.
To recharge a typical EV (7kwh/32amp capability) fully in a GMEV bay will take around three – four hours and cost no more that £6. This will enable an EV driver to travel around 100 miles.
GMEV charging bays (7kwh/32amp) are capable of charging a typical EV in approximately three – four hours, which is three times faster than charging at home.
BVRLA claims plans will push fleets away from greenest vehicles
Plans to remove 100% First Year Allowances on low-emission cars purchased for leasing will push fleets away from the greenest vehicles, the BVRLA has warned the chancellor in its Budget submission.
The submission focusses on three key areas where the association feels the Government’s strategy to reduce road transport carbon emissions is badly flawed.
The leasing industry has led the way in driving down CO2 emissions, helped by a tax regime that incentivises fleets and drivers to choose greener vehicles, But this is being threatened by some glaring policy errors that the government needs to deal with.
The BVRLA is arguing for the Government to retain 100% First-Year Allowances for low-emission leased cars.
These allowances give corporate purchasers the ability to write-off the cost of low-emission cars against their taxable profits in the first year of ownership, says the BVRLA.
Unfortunately, even allowing for reduced fuel costs, such low-emission eco-diesel, hybrid and plug-in cars are more expensive than their higher-emitting petrol and diesel counterparts and the allowances play a vital role in enabling fleets to bridge this cost gap.
It says that UK leasing companies have been very successful at passing on the benefit of these allowances to their customers. More than 19% of the company cars they supply currently qualify by virtue of emitting less than 110g/km CO2.
However, from April, the government wants to remove the ability to claim 100% first year capital allowances on low emission leased cars, while retaining it for direct purchasers.
It has justified this move by claiming that it is worried about the potential for the allowances to be claimed by companies leasing UK vehicles into other countries.
The association believes that removing the allowances discriminates against the thousands of businesses who rely on leasing to finance their transport requirements and will encourage them to lease cheaper, higher-emitting vehicles.
It estimates that the removal of 100% first-year allowances for the sector will lead to average new car emissions rising during the next tax year.
It is also arguing for a review of the current Approved Mileage Allowance Payment (AMAP) system, which reimburses employees who use their car at work as this is the only company car tax or allowance that incentivises motorists to drive more.
In most cases, current AMAP rates overcompensate for work use of the average car and as such can provide tax-free extra income to many workers, who have an incentive to drive more ‘business miles’.
The BVRLA wants AMAP rates reviewed and linked to vehicle emissions, to encourage fleet drivers to use greener cars and remove any incentive for extra mileage.
Finally, it is also calling for a re-think the Plug-in Car Grant scheme. The Government’s Plug-in Car Grant has been successful in subsidising manufacturers’ over-expensive list prices, but has struggled to drive significant take-up of ultra-low or zero emission vehicles.
The Government needs to replace or support the existing grant with guaranteed long-term incentives such as VED-exemption, subsidised charging points and free parking, which would support owners and stimulate demand for used plug-in cars.
So lets see what happens on March the 20th and hopefully we will have some good news to talk about.