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Taxi - Electric please
The new electric
London Taxi may
not even have started
its working life
on the streets of the
world’s cities just yet, but the
LEVC has already scooped a
major award honouring its
commitment to improving
air quality.
Winning the Low Carbon
Car/Van Manufacturer of the
Year category at the 2017 Low
Carbon Champions Awards
held by the Low Carbon
Vehicle Partnership, LEVC
beat two major car makers
both synonymous with their
longstanding commitment
to electric and low emission
vehicles, Renault and Toyota,
to the coveted prize.
Held on the evening of
Wednesday, 11 October and
hosted by Energy 2017 at the
Birmingham NEC, the Low
Carbon Champions Awards
are designed to identify and
promote examples of outstanding
and innovative
practice in accelerating the
shift to lower carbon vehicles
and fuels and reducing road
transport emissions.
The Manufacturer of the
Year award was open to all
car and van makers, or suppliers
of components for such
vehicles, and the shortlisted
candidates, LEVC, Groupe
Renault UK and Toyota (GB)
PLC, were judged on activities
undertaken in 2016/17,
with the scope of relevant
activities including the supply
of new product(s); use
of innovative sales and marketing
activity; or any other
activity that encouraged the
purchase or market for low
carbon cars.
Underpinned by an investment
totalling £325m, LEVC,
a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Geely, has the single-minded
ambition to be the urban
commercial vehicle provider
of choice for cities around
the world. Its commercial vehicle
strategy will see the new
TX launched first followed by
an electric LCV.
Renault gears
up for electric
Daryl’s in
Abu Dhabi
frame
Paint Technician Daryl
Head, from NCRC Swindon,
travelled to Abu Dhabi this
week where he is competing
in the final of the WorldSkills
competition, representing
the UK and Nationwide
Crash Repair Centres. As
part of Team UK Daryl will
compete against other young
people from across the world
over the course of four days,
each day holding different
challenges designed to test
the competitors in every aspect
of car painting.
Daryl’s journey began back
in 2012 when he started his
apprenticeship in paint just
days after he left school.
Since then he has gone on
to compete in the National
Skills Competition and be
named Nationwide Apprentice
of the Year. Three years
after beginning his training,
Daryl was scouted to join
Team UK during a Skill Auto
competition, and earlier this
year he was named as the
UK representative in his
discipline for WorldSkills
2017.
Daryl said: “I’ve been all
over the place preparing (for
the competition), I’ve been
to Denmark and I’ve been
to Northern Ireland two or
three times. I’ve done a lot
of training at Thatcham and
both Thatcham and Nationwide
have been really supportive.”
Sunday 15th October will
see Daryl put all his hard
work and training with Nationwide,
Thatcham Research
and WorldSkills into
action as he begins the first
of what is sure to be a tough
and pressured series of
challenges. Not only is Daryl
competing to win the gold
medal, but he could also
win the Medallion of Excellence,
which is available to
all competitors. He said: “To
be awarded the Medallion
of Excellence means you’ve
scored over 75% of the
marks in the competition, so
to win that would be a great
achievement as well.”
Renault UK has increased
its market
leadership in electric vehicle
sales by adding two
electric vehicle specialists
to the fleet team. They
will support the regional
leasing team with electric
vehicles sales to current
and potential customers.
Experts in qualifying
customer uses cases and
recommending the right
vehicles to suit them, they
will be regionally based to
support the entire country.
Joining from the
Renault dealer network
where he was Brand Manager,
Mathew Kiziuk said:
“The opportunity to join
Renault head office and
work in a new role, supporting
fleet with specialist
electric vehicle sales
support was very exciting.
With a strong track record
in electric vehicle sales
and experience in selling
to fleets this role will allow
me to further develop my
skills in an exciting new
environment”
Jonny Berry joins from
the Nissan dealer network
where he was recently
awarded the Global CEO
Award and named Best
Overall EV Dealer for
Electric vehicle performance
in the UK. Jonny
said “Many people can be
initially sceptical about
electric vehicles, particularly
business. In the last
three years the challenge
of explaining the benefits
of electric vehicles has
been a great experience.
The chance to expand this
to business customers and
learn a new brand is really
exciting”.
Mark Potter, Groupe
Renault UK’s National
Fleet Sales Manager commented:
“The addition
of Mathew and Jonny to
the team has come at the
perfect time.”
38 People.indd 1 19/10/2017 10:31