Ebbon Automotive growth driven by leasing brokers

Ebbon Automotive is reporting a “rapid expansion” in the number of leasing brokers signing up to use its e-procurement platform, Leaselink, for new vehicle orders.

Since the beginning of January, more than 90 leasing brokers have signed application forms to use Leaselink to electronically handle and process all new vehicle orders and deliveries.

The new impetus has been largely fuelled by several vehicle manufacturers, most notably BMW, Toyota GB and Volvo Car UK, which mandate the use of Leaselink for all leasing brokers they work with and who want to order their vehicles for end customers.

Ebbon Automotive is also working directly with several of the larger leasing brokers to integrate Leaselink into their back office systems independently of manufacturer mandate to improve the efficiency of their business processes.

Claire Hughes, Ebbon Automotive’s head of commercial partnerships, said: “The growth in leasing brokers using Leaselink really began at the start of this year and, after only a few orders in January, we saw over 200 new vehicle orders in February – the overwhelming majority of which were either battery electric vehicles or hybrids.

“We are currently talking to other OEMs that want to go down this route with the leasing brokers they work with as they see real advantages, on both sides, in brokers being users of the system.”

The Ebbon Automotive business area within the Ebbon Group comprises Leaselink, MoDel and Stockviewer, the campaign management solution. The other business areas within the Group are Ebbon Compliance and Ebbon Intelligence.

New EV efficiency tools added to FleetCheck software

A range of new tools giving fleets the means to measure the efficiency of electric vehicles (EVs) has been added by FleetCheck to its fleet management software.

They allow businesses to record charging information and measure it against the real-world performance of electric cars and vans, generating reports ranging from individual vehicles to the entire fleet.

Peter Golding, managing director at FleetCheck, said: “Fleets want to know more about which charging options and which vehicles are costing them the most money so they can take action.

“For almost all operators, it’s a relatively new area, and they are looking for reliable information and clear reporting.

“The new tools we have introduced provide this, enabling data to be imported directly from external sources or entered manually, so that the reporting on each vehicle provides an accurate picture of fuel costs and use.”

Digital Innk makes six-figure customer service investment

Fleet technology company Digital Innk has made a six-figure investment in its customer service capabilities to improve the experience of fleet managers and drivers.

The customer service team is being expanded and it has rolled-out V4 Cloud, a Coventry-based technology platform that combines telephone communications, advanced security and IT services to streamline customer service and improve the customer experience.

Angela Montacute, CEO of Digital Innk, said: “Using the latest technology to give customers a better experience is in our DNA at Digital Innk.

“By combining the best people, data and technology, we can operate more efficiently, drive down costs and give our customers a superior experience when they need us.

“In the current environment, it’s important that all companies look at how technology can be deployed to drive efficiencies in a flexible and scalable way.”

Sogo reaches carbon reduction goals

Sogo has achieved Scope 1 and 2 emissions as part of its journey towards net zero, and is now beginning to work with suppliers to reach Scope 3.

Scope 1 emissions cover the greenhouse gas emissions that a business produces directly, such as when operating its cars and boilers. While scope 2 includes emissions the company has indirectly, such as when the electricity or energy it purchases to heat and cool buildings is generated on its behalf.

Scope 3 is widely recognised as the most challenging as it considers the emissions up and down an organisation's supply chain that aren't immediately related to the business.

Karl Howkins (pictured), managing director of Sogo, said: “Sogo set out to transform how fleets think about green mobility, and sustainability is part of the fabric of everything we do.

“Achieving Scope 3 is the next step in our commitment to driving down carbon emissions for our business and supporting our customers in achieving their net-zero targets.”

Targa Telematics integrates Ford connected vehicle data

Targa Telematics has signed a strategic partnership with Ford to expand its range of connected car solutions, thanks to the integration of data from the car manufacturer's vehicles.

With this agreement, Targa Telematics – in its capacity as an authorised Ford telematics services provider – will work with the Ford Pro division to integrate fleet data streams directly into its platform.

The goal, says Targa Telematics, is to provide fleet managers and drivers with an increasing number of digital services, simplifying the provisioning process in vehicles.

Alberto Falcione, Targa Telematics VP sales, explained: “The partnership with Ford, which follows a series of similar agreements with other major players in the automotive industry, allows us to consolidate our focus on global data integration and strengthen our strategy to integrate data-streams from each manufacturer's in-vehicle systems in order to develop increasingly innovative connected mobility solutions that serve our customers.

“The central element of this process is our proprietary 'hardware agnostic' platform, which is a next-generation technology that can collect, integrate and study car data independently of the car manufacturer, simplifying the adoption of telematics technologies and reducing the impact of device installation.”

Prolius becomes DVSA-approved supplier

Fleet management software specialist Prolius Fleet is supporting the DVSA Earned Recognition scheme by becoming a DVSA-approved IT supplier.

The scheme forms part of the DVSA’s ongoing commitment to move towards digital systems rather than a reliance on paper-based processes enabling them to easily identify compliant and non-compliant vehicles in a more efficient, transparent manner.

It enables vehicle operators to verify that they meet the required driver and vehicle safety standards for their fleets by digitally sharing their data via DVSA-approved IT providers, such as Prolius Fleet.

Once data has been entered through their system, Prolius will track the set list of KPIs and automatically submit reports to the DVSA.

Prolius co-founder and director, Johan Haynes, said: “We can provide the DVSA with accurate records on vehicle and driver data gathered via our desktop and mobile app allowing fleets to complete vehicle inspections directly into our fleet system.”

To help fleet operators better understand how becoming part of the DVSA Earned Recognition scheme can benefit their fleet operations, Prolius Fleet has produced a free guide about the scheme.