Direct Connect

One auto hauler has described the UK government’s decision to increase fuel duty by 2p per liter in September as a “kick in the teeth.” The managing director at Roy Bowles Transport, based in Colnbrook, Berkshire, is saddened about the fuel increase. He said that it appears that the road transport industry is an easy target for the government to raise money.

The increase is seen as an affront to the haulage industry and the United Kingdom as a whole. The managing director at Massey Wilcox Transport, based in Chilcompton, Somerset, believes that because the basic price of fuel has come down, the government seems to think that it is easier to stick the fuel duty rise on now and people will not notice. These companies are not surprised by the announcement but will unfortunately have to pass on the increase to customers like other haulage firms.

Based in Manchester, AK Worthington’s group finance director says that the Chancellor seemed to look at the 2p per liter tax increase in September as an easy way to increase tax. The distribution industry will be forced to pass this on to customers. The Chancellor used the budget to announce a vehicle scrappage scheme in the UK, where anyone trading in a car or van that is at least ten years old and no more than 3.5 tons, will be offered GBP 2,000 towards a new vehicle.

Vehicles in which the electric motor and battery assist the internal combustion engine will be extinct within years as their technical complexity far outweighs any fuel and emissions savings. According to battery manufacturer Valence Technology, the future lies in lithium-iron battery technology and its potential for the road transport industry and car haulers everywhere.

According to the company, mild hybrid vehicles are overly complex and expensive when you consider the actual fuel savings and tailpipe emissions they return. In addition, the difference in terms of economy and emissions between a mild hybrid and a modern diesel engine is negligible. Lithium-iron cobalt oxide batteries have a greater storage capacity but lack the longevity of lithium-iron magnesium phosphate. The light commercial vehicle sector is the target for this alternative technology. Light commercials run predefined urban routes and cover anything between 30 and 80 miles a day base-to-base. The 100-mile range of these batteries is ideal for this purpose.

Phosphate batteries are also safer than the regular ones found in laptops, which become unstable above 160 degrees Celsius. The company stresses that its technology will not be replacing the internal combustion engine any time soon as electric vehicles need to be supported by an adequate infrastructure. The company also predicts that electric vehicle companies will be absorbed by major passenger and CV manufacturers, allowing them to buy quickly into the technology.