James Day attends the 2018 CV Show media preview day to get a sneak-peak at what will be shown at this year’s event
Ahead of the Commercial Vehicle (CV) Show each year, a media day is held at the NEC to give exhibitors a chance to start generating interest in the new developments they will have on show. The event is colloquially referred to as ‘speed dating,’ with each exhibitor given a small table and members of the press moving around the room speaking to each organisation relevant to their respective industries.
If the preview event was anything to go by, then this year’s CV Show, which runs from April 24-26, also at the NEC, will have a lot to offer coach, bus and minibus operators. It’s fair to say there was no shortage of interesting companies attending from our perspective. What follows are some of the highlights.
Allstar Business Solutions
Fleetcar-owned Allstar Business Solutions will be demonstrating the capabilities of its fuel cards.
The system the company offers can measure litres of fuel purchased and calculate miles per gallon statistics. It can also help to prevent internal fraud through this monitoring.
The fuelcard is merged with a Visa payment card, which allows operators to give drivers access to specific facilities they might need. For example, a driver who is carrying out long-distance travel can be allowed to use the card to book hotel accomodation, but merchants which the driver will not require through the course of the work can be blocked. These restrictions can be dynamically changed as necessary.
The company said the card intends to fill a middle ground role between a full corporate credit card and a fuel card.
[wlm_nonmember][…]
By subscribing you will benefit from:
- Operator & Supplier Profiles
- Face-to-Face Interviews
- Lastest News
- Test Drives and Reviews
- Legal Updates
- Route Focus
- Industry Insider Opinions
- Passenger Perspective
- Vehicle Launches
- and much more!
Aquarius IT will return to the CV Show after launching its ClockWatcherelite system at last year’s event. The company said the system, which helps operators to remain compliant with various regulations without the use of paper, will return bigger and better, with more modules.
Clockwatcherelite will be updated to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), where it will have ‘more robust housekeeping,’ such as deleting data once it no longer needs to be held.
Aquarius IT has also been involved in the DVSA’s Earned Recognition scheme, with a couple of customers involved in the trial. It said it has already won two large contracts on the back of its work with Earned Recognition.
Ceramex
Ceramex, part of the Hexadex group alongside Eminox, said it will be attending the show this year to create more brand awareness for its DPF cleaning service.
The company said it serves 80% of commercial manufacturers direct at OEM level, and wanted to highlight that operators should not ignore DPFs when they are evaluating fuel consumption. A partially blocked DPF can cause a vehicle to use up to 7% more fuel.
Eberspächer
Climate control specialists Eberspächer revealed that the company is displaying an electric ‘hipercar’ built by UK firm Ariel on its stand. The vehicle has some very impressive statistics behind it, able to accelerate from 0-60mph in 2.6 seconds and from 0-100mph in 3.7 seconds. Its power is rated at beyond 1,100hp and its top speed is 160mph.
Eberspächer was one of many firms which helped put the vehicle together, with the help of its battery cooling technology and showing the strides the company is making in electric vehicle cooling. The company was also involved in the launch of Mellor’s Orion E electric minibus. Eberspächer’s system is also on the Tesla car which is currently in space and on its way to Mars.
The company said its electric climate control will be a big part of its business going forward, and something which will be called upon a lot more.
Also on display will be the company’s new diesel-fuelled air heaters, the Airtronic D2 and D4. The upgraded and improved products are due to be launched in a few months’ time.
Ford
Ford is working on replacing its entire van range over the course of the next 18 months, from smallest to largest. As such, the new Tourneo Custom will be the first vehicle revealed.
Traditionally offering seven or eight seats, the new Tourneo will always be able to offer nine when configured for passenger carrying roles. The seating will be arranged in a conference layout, with the interior refined so none of the exterior body panels are visible from inside.
While no update on the Transit will be displayed this year, a 14-seater version of the vehicle is appearing on London streets as part of Ford’s Chariot service. The app-based demand-responsive service is currently operating on four routes in the capital, providing first and last mile transport to hubs during the morning and evening rush hour. The service is owned by Ford Smartmobility after the company acquired a start-up business. The operation is now continuing under the guidance of Ford.
Geotab
Canadian firm Geotab described itself as the world’s biggest telematics firm that operators have never heard of in Europe, and announced its intention to break into the EU market.
The company already has close to one million active devices in use, with a particularly large presence in the school bus sector in the USA, where FirstGroup is one of its customers. It has developed its products with an aim to improve road safety and vehicle health.
The Geotab telematics system links into many different systems on the vehicle. In America, it is configured to monitor the stop signs installed on school buses, and ensure that the driver is correctly using it. It also takes data directly from the vehicle’s odometer to assess the distance the vehicle travels, instead of relying on GPS data. This helps to more accurately measure distance travelled and improve scheduling and maintenance.
Another application is the monitoring of AdBlue for Euro 6 vehicles, with the system generating alerts when it falls below certain levels. Chris Moysen, UK Business Consultant at Geotab, explained: “The AA has said it has over 1,000 callouts a week due to vehicles not having sufficient AdBlue. Rental companies in particular have huge issues, because people don’t know when the AdBlue warning light came on.
“It is also estimated that one in 12 HGVs have AdBlue cheating devices fitted. Geotab will detect this.”
Geotab can now claim to cover all seven continents, with some of its devices going into service on skidoos in Antarctica. The company said its telematics can be utilised on any vehicle with a driver to monitor, and allows global operators to view telematics data in a centralised location.
Goodyear
Goodyear, attending for the fifth consecutive year, said it would be focusing on its service offering at the show, having launched new products for several years. This offering includes enhancing its fleet support network and its new ‘business practice solution,’ which includes telematics and sensors monitoring tyres.
The company’s predictive technology, which includes a wide range of services, aims to prevent incidents and streamline fleet management through preventive maintenance, transport flow optimisation and driver training.
The company is also bringing its range of van tyres to the CV Show for the first time.
Hankook Tyre UK
A new generation of Hankook’s all position urban bus tyre is expected to launch sometime in the next two weeks before being exhibited at the CV Show. The tyre will be available in the popular 275 70 225 size, replacing the existing city bus tyre in Hankook’s range.
Alongside this, the company’s expanding portfolio of commercial vehicle tyres will be on display, as well as the concept tyres from the 2016 Hankook Tyre Design Innovation Programme. The three futuristic tyres, designed by students from the University of Cincinnati, examine ‘a vision of future mobility through tyres.’
The company will also run a ‘Strike-a-Light’ competition, with a daily top prize of a 4K Ultra HD 55 inch television.
Intelligent Telematics
Claiming to be the first company to offer a 3G forward-facing camera, Intelligent Telematics will be showcasing a new modular four camera system.
The system, while connected to 3G, will only send video which is deemed worth looking at, usually due to the crossing of a G-force threshold. This means it is not constantly recording unnecessary footage and costing operators money on data allowances.
The decision to launch a modular system with multiple cameras was made to meet customer requirements. A client had asked about having a four camera system, and when Intelligent Telematics had attempted to find something on the open market, it judged the available technology to not be good enough.
The company also said that the innovation of solid-state hard drives had been a game changer, effectively eliminating impact malfunctions which would occur with ordinary hard drives and reducing the physical space taken up.
A physical working model of the new modular system will be available for live demonstrations at the CV Show.
MAN
The first MAN TGE van in both right-hand drive and rear-wheel drive will be displayed by MAN this year, marking the complete range drive options becoming available in the UK.
The TGE is now available in weights up to five tonnes, with a 5.5 tonne version expected to arrive in September this year.
The company said that the response to the vehicle has been very good, and it was pleased with the uptake considering the vehicle is the first van from a new manufacturer to be launched in around 20 years.
MAN’s service support has also received praise. The company said its customers have been saying they feel ‘treated like a truck operator,’ with vehicles put back on the road very quickly.
The company said it is still in early stage talks with vehicle converters.
Mobileye
Attention was drawn to Mobileye when it was subject to a mammoth $15bn buyout by Intel in 2017. The company has been a technology provider for OEM vehicles for some time, providing technology such as lane departure warning systems and blind spot coverage cameras.
The company realised the percentage of commercial vehicles which were commercially viable with the technology installed was limited, and is therefore launching an aftermarket product at the CV Show, which it claims can be installed on any vehicle on the road.
The system uses a forward-facing camera in combination with either one or two small alert displays, depending on the system in use. The forward facing camera can react faster than the human eye to alert the driver to an imminent collision, should the vehicle be closing in on the vehicle in front too quickly. It can also alert the driver if the headway between the two vehicles is dangerously low.
The system can also use side cameras on a bus to help cover the driver’s blind spots. The system detects pedestrians and cyclists, displaying an icon on the alert display without distracting the driver to let them know a vulnerable road user is nearby. If the pedestrian appears to be moving into the path of the vehicle, the icon turns red, and an alarm is sounded. The system can also read speed signs and assist the driver in staying within the speed limit.
Mobileye is particularly adept at preventing low speed collisions, the company stated, which is of particular interest to bus and coach operators. Even a collision at low speed can see costs spiral, due to expensive repair work, increasing insurance costs and the potential for personal injury claims.
The company also emphasised that the system should be seen as being there to help the driver, not spy on them. While it uses a camera to function, it can still function without the camera recording footage. It is more a means to prevent accidents than a recording device, though it can plug into telematics systems if the operator requires.
Prohire
Prohire Software Systems is to unveil a new wave of products at the show this year.
The 5.0 version of Prohire’s rental system will introduce new features including real-time availability, optimised tariffs and a rules-based quoting engine. The company expects the system to be fully cloud-based within a year.
Proweb 2.0 will integrate with the Prohire system, allowing companies to accept bookings online through their existing website. The new version of Proweb is mobile optimised and includes integrated credit card payments via
Sage and Stripe.
Finally, Prohire Tracker aims to provide companies with a powerful but affordable vehicle tracking system which is fully integrated, allowing users to view real-time vehicle data. The system includes geofencing technology to trigger alerts based on vehicle location or status.
integrates with a new headset the company is launching, which combines smart glass and voice activation to help minimise workflow disruption in the workshop
r2c Online
Following a successful fleet management system, r2c Online is launching the Exemplar Workshop software package, which includes hands-free functionality.
The software can connect to r2c’s new headset, which utilises smart eyewear similar to Google Glass and voice-recognition to allow a technician to make use of the software without needing to leave the vehicle to look at a laptop screen, minimising workflow disruption. The scale of the screen is modelled on a seven inch tablet and should be capable of displaying a similar amount of data.
The headset has also been built from the ground up as a rugged piece of kit which is suitable for a loud workshop environment. The company will be demonstrating the system on its stand this year.
Exemplar Workshop complements the existing Exemplar Fleet system offered by r2c, which offers compliance management and has been used by a number of Earned Recognition pilot operators.
RingGo Corporate
Attending the show for the first time, RingGo Corporate will be promoting its corporate car parking accounts, which allow professional drivers to easily pay for parking through an account-based app where the service is supported. The service is already used by a number of coach drivers.
The service also provides the advantage of topping up on parking without needing to return to the vehicle, and helps to avoid penalty charge notices where the driver is unable to pay through other means.
The service is currently offered in 400 towns and cities – provided by 140 local authorities along with private car park operators line NCP – and 65,000 corporate employees are registered. It also offers a very low subscription cost of £1.75 per employee per month.
Smartwitness
The Smartwitness system targets distracted drivers, which the company said are a contributory factor in 80% of accidents.
Its DDC100 (the DDC standing for Distracted Driver Camera) uses infrared to monitor the driver’s eye position and mouth and assess whether a driver is looking away from the road for too long and sounds a warning after three seconds. The system can also detect tiredness.
Because it uses infrared monitoring rather than a standard camera, Smartwitness suggests it can avoid some of the friction between operators and unions who see such devices as ‘spying on drivers.’
The system will send alerts to a fleet manager noting how many times a driver was distracted, with the alerts aiming to quickly eliminate bad behaviour from the driver. The system can also help operators to assess whether some of their own policies are distracting drivers, such as the issuing of mobile phones and PDAs which the drivers are expected to use.
Smartwitness is also licenced to use Mobileye’s dashboard unit, which can be incorporated in the system as an additional check against distraction and tiredness.
Smartwitness will work with any existing telematics programme.
Volkswagen
With the rollout of the new Crafter continuing, VW will be displaying a chassis cab version which recently launched and continuing with a major marketing campaign. The company confirmed that a five tonne version of the Crafter is now available to order for converters to build upon.
VW said it has had a lot of interest in the updated vehicle, and maintains a good relationship with converters, ensuring that the manufacturer and its customer understand each other’s needs.
The manufacturer is also gearing up its vehicle sales, having introduced a new iPad sales tool for vehicle converters. The tool, which is used by showroom staff, ensures that the base vehicle procured by converters will definitely have the correct specification for the role it will carry out. This includes checking that the vehicle can be built to the correct weight, has power points in the necessary locations to support equipment like wheelchair lifts, and so on.The company has also invested in sales training for its dealerships, to ensure all locations have the necessary expertise in what vehicle converters require and what the manufacturer is able to deliver.
At the CV Show, VW is aiming to have some of the first new Crafter customer vehicles on its stand, along with an example of its Mobile Service Clinic vans, which provide service and maintenance work around the country.
[/wlm_ismember]
