We still don’t have any EVs on our fleet – either cars or vans. Our drivers still prefer petrol or diesel but are undoubtedly waiting as long as possible for the inevitable changeover.
A couple of our drivers have recently opted for plug-in hybrids, with pure-electric ranges of up to 30 miles. A good halfway move, I told them. One of them had a home charger fitted at his own cost, and was delighted that he could get 7p per Kwh between midnight and 7am. So, that’s nearly 30 miles for next to nothing – almost free motoring! He did send me the tariffs that he would have to sign up to get these so-called cheap deals, and with his current supplier, he is paying 21.12p/kWh and a daily standing charge of 53.33p/day – plus VAT. If he stays with them, and goes for their super-duper EV tariff, it will cost him 6.7p off-peak. That’s great, however they want to charge him 23.68 p/kWh, and a daily standing charge of 68.32p. That’s 15p per day more, or £55 more per year plus VAT. Plus, he must pay an extra 12% for the electricity during the day.
I have checked other gas/electric suppliers, and they all seem to be doing the same. That overnight 7p tariff is not what it’s cracked up to be. If you do your washing or dishwashing overnight, then I guess there can be an advantage. But, who sets their washer going at 00.01hr? Not me for sure. The moral of the story is check the small print, as a great deal, is often not as good as it looks!
One of our drivers has had an issue recently with his car – namely the electrics. Gradually they have been getting worse, almost daily, until a few weeks ago the car gave up completely. It was collected by the recovery service, taken to the local dealer, and they promptly looked at it – three weeks later! No, don’t get me started!
I was then staggered to be told this electrical problem wasn’t covered by the warranty. As the cause of the problem, was our car had turned into the local nature shelter – a common problem apparently. The little, long-tailed fellows are attracted by the warmth and shelter under the car, and particularly in the engine bay. And who wouldn’t want to cosy up in a nice warm place overnight, when it’s cold outside? But these pesky little creatures have found that not only is it warm, but it also acts as a nice warm cafe too – win-win for the rodents. The insulation around the wires is made from some lovely, tasty plant-based materials, very nice if you’re hungry and cold, with free warm shelter and food thrown in too.
What do you do to prevent this happening? Very little apparently! Maybe use repellents that contain peppermint, cayenne pepper, or cloves. Or park the car away from dustbins or any form of rubbish. Move the car regularly to discourage the little things from taking up nighttime residence, and if the car lives in a garage (highly unusual) then try and seal the doors and windows. Or simply get a cat. After a long battle, our insurance company did eventually pay out the claim.
Tyres! I’m sick of them, and the hassle they’re causing. The latest was a completely flat tyre, that wouldn’t pump up using a tyre pump connected to the lighter socket. So, our driver called the recovery service, and they did a quick roadside repair by putting a plug in the tyre. Our driver then took the car to get a new tyre – as they are covered under our leasing company terms. However, the tyre fitter said the rules were that a new tyre can only be fitted if the old one is beyond repair, and as tyre fitters, they had to do everything to fix it – rather than fit a new one. Anyway, the tyre fitter tried and tried, and eventually said: “There, that should be okay now…” That didn’t instil much confidence in our driver – imagine an aircraft technician who has just fixed a plane’s engine saying to the pilot, “There, that should be ok now…!!!”
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