Fleet News Group

In this episode of the Fleet News Group podcast, we sit down with Simon Humphries, Head of Product Management and Chief Engineer for Commercial Vehicles at Isuzu Trucks Australia. With 2025 marking the biggest overhaul of the Isuzu truck range in nearly two decades, Simon explains why this is a landmark year—from meeting new Australian Design Rules to launching advanced safety and drivability tech that makes these trucks more “car-like” than ever. If you're in fleet, logistics, or just curious about the future of commercial transport, this deep dive into Isuzu's all-new range is packed with insights, history, and a few surprises. Tune in on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.

In 2025, fleet managers are finally realising the benefits of a truly digitised maintenance approval system—and Eden Shirley, CEO of AutoGuru, is leading the charge.Eden explains how AutoGuru's FleetGuru platform is delivering major time and cost savings, improving supplier relationships, and providing unprecedented control over the repair and maintenance process.“We've brought in huge savings and efficiencies for both parties—the fleet manager and the service provider,” Eden said. “It's a real win–win.”

Discussing the global EV market, Ceaser pointed to British Columbia, Canada, as one of the strongest regions for EV adoption. “It's a wealthy, environmentally conscious area with a strong tech sector, and EVs have done really well there,” he said. However, he acknowledged concerns about how U.S. policy changes could impact Canada, particularly with potential tariffs affecting supply chains.On the topic of the U.S., Ceaser warned that political uncertainty could slow EV adoption but wouldn't halt it entirely. “Even when Trump was in office last time, state governments, cities, and corporations took the lead in pushing forward EV initiatives. That will likely continue, even if the national sentiment shifts,” he explained.Ceaser summed it up with a memorable phrase: “Elections and electrons don't mix.” He explained that while many politicians support EVs, others seek to weaponise the issue, creating unnecessary division. Ultimately, he argued, the numbers speak for themselves—EVs are simply a better financial and technological choice.

Vero Insurance is making lower-emission vehicle ownership easier for businesses, thanks to an enhanced Motor Fleet Insurance offering that also caters to EVs. Vero is aiming to offer coverage that helps to facilitate its customers to focus on sustainability.  “Our organisation has a strategy to reduce our operational emissions, and off the back of this we wanted to encourage our customers to also reduce their impact,” said Vero's Portfolio Manager – Commercial Fleet and Engineering, Richard Sandow. 

The electrification of vehicle fleets is a significant step in the transition towards a more sustainable future. For Ausgrid, Australia's largest electricity distributor on the East Coast, this shift is more than just an environmental initiative—it's a strategic move towards operational efficiency and future-proofing their business. In this episode of the Fleet News Group podcast, Tim Kynoch, Fleet Engineering and Strategy Manager at Ausgrid, shared insights into the company's journey towards fleet electrification, the challenges they've encountered, and their roadmap for the future.

In the first episode of Fleet News Group's 2025 podcast season, host Marc Sibbald sits down with Barry Saad, Founder and CEO of TRUCK TECH, and Dr. Jana Matthews, the company's newly appointed Chief Growth and Development Officer. The conversation delves into TRUCK TECH's remarkable journey from a single service truck operation in 2007 to a multi-state heavy vehicle maintenance provider with over 120 technicians. Barry shares his passion for fleet safety and his mission to raise industry standards while offering career opportunities for young mechanics. Dr. Matthews, an expert in scaling businesses, explains why she joined TRUCK TECH and how the company's commitment to safety, innovation, and strong values sets it apart. She highlights the structured approach TRUCK TECH has taken toward process improvement, team development, and national expansion. The discussion also explores the company's early investment in electric vehicle maintenance, including a partnership with BYD and servicing over 300 electric buses and trucks. This forward-thinking approach positions TRUCK TECH as a leader in the independent heavy vehicle service sector. With a focus on safety, quality, and customer service, Truck Tech is not just expanding—it's redefining the perception of mechanical trades. Barry and Dr. Matthews discuss the challenges and opportunities in growing a values-driven business while keeping up with industry shifts like electrification. Whether you're a fleet manager, a mechanic, or someone interested in the future of heavy vehicle maintenance, this episode offers valuable insights into the evolution of an essential industry.

Infinitev's Executive General Manager Bart Moonen talks with Fleet News group podcast host Caroline Falls about the battery remanufacturer's new tie up with France-based Forsee Power. Forsee Power is the biggest battery system maker for buses outside of China. Its smart battery systems are also used in light vehicles, off-highway vehicles, trucks and trains. Infinitev, which is a Melbourne-based unit of Australian Stock Exchange listed group Amotiv, has been signed up to deliver after-sales repair services of the high-voltage battery systems for on-road and off-road in Australia.

Robert Dietz, Co-Founder and CEO of Roev, sat down to discuss his company's journey from EV conversions to a pioneering software platform tailored for fleet electrification. Roev's story begins with an ambitious plan to convert traditional vehicles into electric ones, addressing a clear gap in the Australian automotive market. Today, the company has pivoted towards a software-driven approach, providing fleet managers with tools to streamline their transition to electric vehicles (EVs) while maximising cost efficiency and sustainability outcomes.

Riz Akhtar, founder of EV data service Carloop, talks about his upcoming trip to China to visit electric vehicle makers on this Fleet News Group podcast with host Caroline Falls. He highlights the rapid development of Chinese EV brands, especially their launch of new models as quickly as every six months, compared with legacy automakers traditional business. Brands like Xpeng, Zeekr, BYD, and a few other companies have sprung up and moved at a very, very fast pace, without having any of the shackles of the bigger established organisations.

Fleet News Group podcast host Caroline Falls holidayed in Milan recently and took the opportunity to speak with Davide Gibellini, managing partner of Europe's largest fleet management group Fleetcompetence.  In a fascinating conversation, they talked about the bind facing European car makers as they ramp up EV production, the incredible advance being made by ENI's vegetable oils to power fleets, cost-free moves fleets are making to cut emissions with their traditional ICE vehicles, and how AI is revolutionising remarking of used vehicles.

In this podcast episode, Lauren Lister, Vice President of People, Performance, and Culture at Custom Fleet, delved into the company's evolving workplace culture, diversity efforts, and its future workforce strategy. Lister, who has been with Custom Fleet for over 12 years, shared candid insights into the importance of belonging and how it aligns with the company's people-centric approach.

In this episode, host Caroline Falls talks with Rebecca Wilson, Head of Business Energy Solutions at Z Energy, several key insights were shared about the future of energy, particularly in the context of the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) in New Zealand and Australia. Wilson is speaking at the Electro Mobility Summit and Expo in Auckland during October and she outlined Z Energy's evolving role as more than just a fuel retailer, emphasising the company's shift towards becoming a modern energy provider with a growing network of EV chargers. This transition aligns with broader global efforts to decarbonise the transport sector, which has been a major focus for Z Energy as they support businesses in their energy transition journey.

Founded in 2015 by Sam Korkees and Brendan Wheeler, EVSE has been at the forefront of providing electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions across Australia and New Zealand. In this episode, Sam shares the journey of EVSE, from its humble beginnings to becoming a leading player in the electric vehicle charging infrastructure space with a new product offering - Charging as a Service.

Kirsten Corson, chair of New Zealand's electric vehicle lobby Drive Electric joined Fleet News Group podcast host Caroline Falls and talked about the ups and downs of EVs in her country, in Australia, and globally.

Adam Pay, managing director of MyCar Tyre and Auto talks to host Caroline Falls about the growth of the business's fleet service and its tie up with China electric car maker BYD to service the brand's vehicles in Australia, among other things.

On the line from Boston, Massachusetts, David Lewis, CEO and founder of MoveEV, joins our podcast for a conversation about the US political landscape and implications for electrification there, and his game changing ReimburseEV product being taken up by Fortune 500 companies.   MoveEV offers a technology solution for accurate reimbursement of costs associated with at-home charging.

For our latest Fleet News Group podcast, NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison talks about environmental practices in bus transport, and the importance of regional hubs like her electorate of Maitland in economic development. “We've got a transition plan to ensure that all buses across the state transition by 2047,” said Aitchison, talking about the NSW Government fleet of 8000 buses moving to electric and hydrogen power. She said they have a target to have transitioned 50 percent of the state's bus fleet to lower emissions technology by 2030.

Talking with Mike Costello, Corporate Affairs Manager, Cox Automotive Australia &U New Zealand, is like plugging to The Matrix of the automotive world. In this podcast, Marc Sibbald, Editor at Fleet News Group, covers a range of topics from the used car market to utes v vans for Tradies and soccer mums.

In this episode of the Fleet News Group podcast, Marc Sibbald, editor of Fleet News Group, engaged in an insightful discussion with Frank Agostino, CEO of Paywise. The conversation centered around the growing interest in novated leasing and salary packaging, particularly in light of the recent Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) exemption for electric vehicles (EVs). Together they summarise the key benefits and operational efficiencies of novated leasing and salary packaging, tailored for HR managers, CEOs, and CFOs.

We aired Part 1 on Monday 6th May, host Caroline Falls and Tim Washington talked about why Australia is set to buck trends of the US and UK where EV sales are slowing. This time, they talk about the Charge-as-a-Service business model JET Charge has dreamed up and won support for — a three-year trial — from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. “The trial is designed to break down the last barrier for transition. Essentially, what we're trying to do is to get the cost of infrastructure and the cost of electricity below the cost of refuelling your petrol or diesel vehicle. We know that for more modern electric vehicles, especially affordable electric vehicles, total cost of ownership over a five-year period is at parity or lower now for a lot of fleets. But charging infrastructure is still one of those things where there's quite a bit of expenditure upfront.  “And so what we're trying to do is to basically get that cost down and take away those reasons to not transition.”

Tim Washington, Co-founder and CEO of EV charging provider JET Charge, talks to Fleet News Group about the rapid rise of EVs in Australia, the start-up's growth and evolution since it began more than a decade ago as an installer for Tesla home charging stations in Melbourne, and its trial of a charge-as-a-service business model.   When we spoke in late April, the latest data showed EVs sold in Australia in March was almost 10 percent of all new car sales for that month, a startling change from 1-2 percent of sales just a few years ago. Meanwhile EV sales in the UK and the US are slowing.   “I think Australia will be one of the countries that really bucks the trend in relation to EV uptake,” said Washington, adding, “ And the main reason for that is because we are far more receptive to Chinese-made vehicles than the US and Europe, because we have no manufacturing to protect.”    And, he continued, “They've only just started exporting to the rest of the world. The reason you haven't seen most of these brands is because they've been basically satisfying demand in China. As competition increases, and they look to grow their market share, they will start exporting. Australia is one of the Western countries that accepts these vehicles. And so I actually think we're going to see Australia outpace the rest of the world in vehicle adoption.”

Noel Toribio Ilao, Director IV Equipment Bureau at the Department of Public Works and Highways in the Republic of Philippines, speaks with Fleet News Group podcast host Caroline Falls about a fleet of land vehicles, barges and boats that cater for infrastructure and rescue in the 7000-island nation. The Philippines is one of the most disaster prone countries in the world,” said Ilao, adding, “ I think we're number three. We are visited by different calamities — on the natural side, we have typhoons, we are lying in an earthquake belt, which is the Pacific Ring of Fire.”

Daron Brinsdon, integrated development solutions manager at Teletrac Navman Australia, talks about key findings from a global survey the fleet management telematics group released in March. Teletrac Navman has some 700,000 vehicles connected to its technology, spanning the globe. It surveyed about 500 fleets finding some two thirds of them currently operate electric vehicles. But they are still in transition and facing challenges. “This two thirds has varying rates of onboarding,” said Brinsdon, adding, “We're still getting a lot of people who suffer from range anxiety, and worry about whether adopting EVs will allow them to perform the work they need to.”   He said the higher capital expenditure needed to acquire electric vehicles compared with traditional internal combustion powered vehicles was also a constraint on wider EV adoption.

Fleet News Group editor, Marc Sibbald, guest hosts the latest podcast with Jonny Parker, CEO and founder of EV Infrastructure group Thundergrid in New Zealand. Sibbald caught up with Parker on the sidelines of the EROAD's Fleet Day, held in Christchurch in late February. They talk about how NZ followed the Norwegian model to support EV adoption and how now EVs are going to help power NZ. “We're basically here to protect the grid,” said Parker describing Thundergrid, adding, an explanation of how increasing demands on the island nation's power grid could lead to increased brownouts. 

Dundee is a bit of a star for EVs in Europe, notably for public transport and its innovative charging hubs. Award winning fleet leader Fraser Crichton, Corporate Operations Fleet Manager at Dundee City Council in Scotland, tells Fleet News Group podcast host Caroline Falls all about a transformation spurred by an enthusiasm to clean the city's air. Dundee, half way between Aberdeen and Edinburgh, is nestled in a volcanic seat. Air is trapped hanging over the bowl cradling a city 8 miles by 5 miles.  “It just like sits like a soup in the city,” said Crichton. “13 years ago, I went to an air quality meeting and discovered all these issues that we had with transportation. I just thought we're going to have to change this, we're going to have to do something about this. So that was the start of the journey,” said Crichton, adding: “We moved slowly but surely.” Today more than quarter of the council's 800-asset fleet is electric powered. And the whole city is networked with charging hubs and infrastructure, from pop-up street chargers, in all quarters and across disadvantaged and advantaged precincts.

Fleet News Group podcast features CEO of London-based Fully Charged Dan Caesar. He talks about the You-Tube star channel expanding to host electric vehicle and home shows around the world, including Everything Electric at the Sydney Showground in February.  “We would sum it up as a festival of electrification,” said Caesar.  He said the attraction of electric vehicles for many is just how tech advanced they are.  “The further you get away from the environmentalists, and the more you get into the mainstream, the thing that seems to really work is it's progressive. It's cool. It's new, it's the best tech,” said Caesar. 

Adam Dennis, electric vehicle specialist at telematics provider Webfleet talks with Fleet News Group podcast host Caroline Falls about a platform his they launched in the US, the rapid growth of EVs, and the imperative fleets are experiencing to make the shift to cut emissions. The EV Services Platform unveiled by Webfleet at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January integrates data from a range of providers, including charging equipment group CTEK and location specialist TomTom. It was hailed as a game changer for fleet customers to better manage their operations, including allocation of vehicles for specific jobs and management of battery charging.  “We'll capture all the data from the charging events … give you good battery analytics, give you better ideas on when and how to charge. You can assign profiles to your charging stations so that they only charge when you're collecting green power, or they only charge in off peak times,” said Dennis, adding, “This will just allow us to offer larger fleet owners a much wider solution package.”

For our first podcast for 2024, host Caroline Falls talks with Chris Noone, CEO of car subscription provider Carly. “If we take a hypothetical example a fleet manager may own or lease 100 vehicles, but at certain points of the year, they might need 120 vehicles or they could be subscription vehicles." "And so they can make really smart decisions about how to get the most cost effective use of their capital. And then when they do have shorter term requirements for vehicles, they can get them within about two days notice. So the whole concept of sustainability has been baked into our business right from early on, even before we started talking about a lot of the environmental and technological changes that are happening.”

Dr Steve Nuttall, a director at research group Fifth Quadrant, likes to talk about fleet leaders, a group he's identified after studying them for decades. In this podcast he explains what a Fleet Management leader does with their fleet and how you can take a leadership role within your organisation as a Fleet Manager.

“What we're going to see during 2024 is a real focus on our hybrid products in the 300 series range,” said Daniel Petrovski, head of product strategy at Hino Australia, talking with Fleet News Group podcast host Caroline Falls. “They've gone through a massive increase in orders.” Sales of the hybrid 300 have risen from about 50 a year to an order bank of some 350 as of late November when the podcast was recorded. He said lead-time on the vehicle was sitting at about six months.

Jess Bala, General Motors new managing director for Australia and New Zealand talks with Fleet News Group podcast host Caroline Falls about the US car company's plans to bring the Cadillac brand down under, starting with the electric powered luxury SUV Lyriq in 2024.   “The Cadillac brand, globally is going through a very big transformation right now to an all EV portfolio which we will achieve by the end of the decade in 2030,” said Bala, adding, “And when you look at what is happening in Australia and New Zealand from an EV transformation standpoint, and how tech savvy our customers are, it just feels like the perfect time to introduce the Cadillac brand and bring this next generation of EV vehicles down under.”

Fleet News podcast host Caroline Falls talks with Collin Jennings, head of government relations and advocacy at the Motor Traders' Association of NSW about training up the automotive workforce in Australia to meet the challenge of the increasing prevalence of electric vehicles, particularly for mechanics.   “In, Australia, just in mechanics — and this is excluding areas like auto electricians and body repairers and tow truck drivers — there's just over 116,000 employed in motor mechanics. EVs are a different system, they're a different vehicle, and they require different skills,” said Jennings.

In this Fleet News Group podcast with host Caroline Falls, Dave Sanders, co-founder of Bestrane, talks about the escalation in interest in sustainable transport solutions and how his company which has eliminating waste at its heart helps transport and logistics groups. “If I look at Origin Energy, for example, who are right in the crosshairs of the sustainability issue. Right now, they're in an industry that is struggling to understand what it means to be sustainable in supplying gas … From a fleet perspective, they've got lots of vehicles running around providing a service to a lot of Australia that doesn't have a great alternative right now; that may not be the case in the future. So from a sustainability perspective, they're trying to understand how can we do more with a minimum fleet necessary. And that's really the sort of services that Bestrane provide, not only on a one- time basis, but more importantly, over a much longer period of time.” Sanders said conversations about improving a company's sustainability have reached board level now. 

Lex Forsyth, CEO and co-founder of Janus Electric, an Australian startup that converts diesel engine prime movers to battery electric, talks about xxxx and xxxx in this edition of the Fleet News Group podcast. Janus Electric was founded in 2020 when co-founders Lex Forsyth and Bevan Dooley tested an idea to convert a diesel prime mover to a battery electric vehicle. “We thought, well, let's give this a go and take an old prime mover, which was 10 years old at the time and get a rolling prototype,” said NSW central coast based Forsyth. A few busy years later, trucks number 17 and 18 are being built at the Janus Electric facility and they have orders for another 100 or so. Some 44 people work there.

In this Fleet News Group podcast, host Caroline Falls talks with Dickson Leow, General Manager at IM group, and also of its unit Infinitev, which saves spent electric vehicle batteries from landfill.  The interview was just a day after Leow presented at the inaugural Australian Battery Recycling and Manufacturing Summit.

Mo Abbas, strategy and marketing executive at last-mile delivery group ANC Delivers, announced plans on this week's Fleet News Group podcast with host Caroline Falls for an initiative to accelerate Australian fleets' transition to electric vehicles. ANC and partners including Fleet News Group, LDV Australia, Evie Networks and CarBon, will launch the campaign on World EV Day — on Saturday, September 9.  The campaign — Take the Pledge — is aimed at getting organisations to pledge publicly their intentions on how many vehicles in their fleets they will switch to electric powertrains. “We're launching a nationwide campaign to encourage companies across Australia and in fact further abroad to take the pledge and commit to adding zero emission vehicles to their fleet, so that we can support sustainable transport practices,” said Abbas, adding, “What we are trying to achieve is galvanise a commitment to an energy transition, one that's tangible, and that's backed by a hard commitment by a specific endpoint.” ANC is committing to 100 electric vehicles by the end of 2025. It already has about 20, including a couple of three-wheeled tuk tuks, in its fleet of more than 1,000 vans and trucks nationwide.

Fleet News Group podcast, where host Caroline Falls talks about the intersection of fleet and sustainability introduces Heather Bone, the director ESG — environment, social and governance, ostensibly chief sustainability officer at Team Global Express. Bone is a regular on the speaker and panel circuit at fleet transport, and sustainability conferences.  Team Global Express is making a name for itself as a leader in the transition for a greener lower emissions fleet. It emerged out of the Japan Post Toll Group when the unit was hived off to a private equity group Allegro Funds in September 2021. It rebadged itself from Toll Global Express to Team Global Express, still the team at TSG.

Liz Yeaman, founder of NZ based transport consultancy Retyna, talks to Fleet News Group podcast host Caroline Falls about how she participated in NZ's transformation to EVs almost 20 years ago, the upcoming Electro Mobility Summit in NZ she will be chairing next month, and the urgent need to adopt the technology we have in the face of climate change crises.   Prior to setting up the consultancy in 2018 Yeaman worked for 22 years at the EECA, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority. Latterly there she was general manager of transport and responsible for leading the government authority's electric vehicle program.   She started working on EV projects at EECA as early as 2007.

Paul Fox, co-founder of EVIE Networks, builder of Australia's fast charging network, talks with Fleet News Group podcast host Caroline Falls about the exponential growth of electrification infrastructure, enthusiasm for electric vehicles in Australia and the shortage of them here and around the world. Among EVIE's projects is, with support of ARENA, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, the public network of 42 stations on an intercity network stretching from Adelaide, in South Australia, to Cairns, in far north Queensland. This charging network is designed to service and be affordable for work vehicles. EVIE also has a fleet services unit to supply charging infrastructure at company depots and other commercial locations including shopping centres and tourism resorts.

Adrian Givoye, General Manager at RedBook Australia, a unit of carsales.com.au, talked with Fleet News Group's podcast host Caroline Falls about residual values. Givoye stepped into the podcast studio at the Australasian Fleet Managers Association conference after giving one of the most interesting talks, covering the subject every fleet manager cares about. 

Tony Fairweather, founder and CEO of SEA Electric, took time out of the Brisbane Truck Show to chat with our podcast host Caroline Falls. They talk about the new Australian OEM's expansion in the US, and Fairweather's outlook for electric transport. “The battery electric is the powertrain of choice for this segment,” said Fairweather, speaking about the last-mile, or urban delivery task. “Transitioning from now, next year and the year after, we're going to be large in all markets globally. Even in developing markets, the incentives are there, the policies are coming into play. The diesel engine in terms of urban application will be dead in five to 10 years.” SEA Electric started out in 2012 in Australia but is now headquartered in the U.S. as its proprietary drivetrains which can be fitted to an array of truck and bus bodies attract big contracts there, including for as many as 10,000 of the iconic yellow school buses. SEA Electric now operates in several other countries, including New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, India, Thailand and Indonesia. Other big deals in the US include an exclusive contract with Mack Trucks to provide the powertrain technology for its medium-duty lines — the MD6 and the MD7.

Swedish truck maker Volvo unveiled its first electric prime movers in Australia at the Brisbane Truck Show. Tim Camilleri, e-mobility Solutions Manager at Volvo Group, stepped up into the cab of the FM to record this interview with our podcast host Caroline Falls. “If this vehicle doesn't make noise, what can we do with it? How do we optimise its usage even further above and beyond what a vehicle that would make noise does?” — Tim Camilleri, e-mobility Solutions Manager at Volvo Group.

Tim Staley, Transport & Logistics Lead and Chief Operating Officer at technology consultancy NCS, spoke to Fleet News podcast, about key trends in transport, including autonomous vehicles, mobility as a service, intelligent transport systems to dynamically manage traffic, and more. Staley whose broad senior executive experience encompasses working at global consultancy Accenture, major world mining group Rio Tinto, Australian commercial rail group Aurizon where he helped automate their railway operations, and on the gas fields at energy group Origin commented on the evolution of environmentalism and how all the worlds he operated in have coalesced. “It does seem very natural now that an ecosystem has formed that needs to rise as one to achieve a new automated future with greater mobility options and greater sustainability to support a growing population,” said Staley. 

Brendan Wheeler, who co-founded EV charger supply group EVSE in 2015, talks to Fleet News Group podcast, about Australia's new EV strategy, the outlook for EVs and charging infrastructure and gives a template for fleet managers to follow when making the transition. "We've really got to take them all the way back to the start and ask some of those fundamental questions, such as, how many vehicles do you have? How far are they driving? How long have they parked for, and really go into a bit more depth and detail around those aspects to then come up with a final solution." "Federal, state and local government EV policies are aligning which should really help to set the foundation for explosive growth over the next few years”. 

Fleet News Group podcast host Caroline Falls talks with Richard Lovell, executive director and head of debt markets at the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, about the Federal Government-backed green bank's investments to accelerate decarbonisation of the transport sector, including electrifying fleets. “There's a few recent developments, that have been very conducive to the transport sector, on its pathway for decarbonisation. The first and most obvious is that at the passenger and light commercial end of that spectrum, we are seeing increased vehicle availability through a number of manufacturers bringing greater numbers of electric vehicles to Australia, the number of types of models as well as the number of actual cars has been increasing. And that's really important because for fleets in particular, it's critical that vehicles are suitable,” said Lovell. He said he expects this diversity of available EV models in Australia to accelerate as manufacturers start to step up their ambitions to transition their own manufacturing in line with set targets. Similarly, an expansion of vehicle charging options and networks is stimulating fleet electrification, said Lovell, adding it was a more complex part of the puzzle.  “Charging infrastructure is quite a challenge, because it is difficult to undertake classic investment that sees charging infrastructure as a typical infrastructure asset which replace steady cash flows over the life of its use in order to repay the capital costs and generate a profit. That's really hard with charging infrastructure for a whole bunch of reasons.

Greenpeace Australia Pacific Senior Campaigner Violette Snow talks with Fleet News Group's podcast host Caroline Falls about the pro environmental group's inaugural fleet rankings, and a new report outlining the case for corporate fleets to transition to renewable energy powered electric vehicles. IKEA was named top green fleet in Australia by Greenpeace in mid March for its progress and commitment to electric cars, vans and trucks. Bank Australia was ranked second and Westpac third in a field of 30 big brand fleets analysed. Snow said the organisation devised the rankings to highlight commitments to cutting greenhouse gases. It also fits in with its campaigns to bolster use of renewable energy in Australia.

Fleet News Group's podcast host Caroline Falls chats via Skype to truck industry stalwart and advocate Jacquelene Brotherton as she drives to an appointment (We mention that because the sound quality is a bit bumpy). They talk about the ups and downs in the industry, covering staff shortages, Scott's transport group's collapse, concern about sustainability, shifts to improve regulation, appreciation of drivers, and acknowledgement of professionalism in the industry.   Brotherton grew up out the back of Burke where she met her future friends and bosses in the transport industry. Today she wears several hats, including chair of the Transport Women Australia Ltd, which brings together women from every facet of the industry — drivers, administrators, etcetera — for mentoring, networking, training and awards.

In this Fleet News Group podcast linked here Samantha Johnson, managing director of Polestar Australia, talks about the Volvo sister company's electric vehicle design and its pole position among automakers in the sustainability race. “Polestar really are ahead of everyone else in the auto industry, and they are influencing others to come along on their journey,” said Johnson. “We are doing everything that we can to bring the emissions down to zero within our cars that we are manufacturing and also as an organisation.” Johnson is formerly of Volvo, which is owned by Sweden-based Geely, the same group that owns Polestar. Polestar started selling its electric vehicle the Polestar 2 in Australia in 2021 and to date has about 2000 vehicles on the road. The Polestar 2 is based on the automaker's Precept concept.

Fleet management group EROAD's business development manager Chris Emerson talks on this Fleet News Group podcast about increasing pressure on fleets to meet sustainability targets, the future of road funding and what is top of mind for fleet managers in 2023. “We know that a lot of very large organisations and government organisations are definitely feeling the pressure of the 2030 targets to get their fleets as sustainable as possible, to reduce emissions as much as possible,” said Emerson. Emerson was referring to United Nations' so-called Paris agreement to cut greenhouse emissions by 45 percent by 2030, compared with 2010 levels, in a quest to limit global warming, and climate change. He talks about EROAD's technology which helps fleets measure and manage their emissions, and identify vehicles that can be cut, or swapped to electric vehicles.

Stafford talks about connected vehicle technology trends, advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning and their impacts on fleets and the fleet manager. As a manufacturer of telematics and connected vehicle technology Stafford said Directed Technologies' role is to ease the workload on fleet managers; to give them information which is actionable. Directed Technologies is a leading automotive and electronics solutions manufacturer, and full stack connected vehicle solution provider to automotive and fleet brands around the world.

To kick off 2023, Fleet News Group talk with Michael Hasten of LBM Fleet Solutions about one of our favourite topics — how the circular economy affects fleets. "The circular economy has a multitude of impacts on fleet,” said Hasten, LBM's chief commercial officer. “It's really adding a constraint to the traditional take and make approach. It's all about how do we actually reduce,reuse, recycle, to optimise and reduce waste. And the results obviously will be a more sustainable business environment.” The circular economy is a guiding theme for the Fleet News Group podcasts. In 2022, we talked to Dickson Leow, general manager at Innovative Mechatronics, or the IM Group, about pioneering EV battery reuse and recycling in Australia, to Lina Goodman, CEO of Tyre Stewardship Australia, which is funding research and development of programs to find uses for end-of-life tyres, and to ANC's CEO, Joe Sofra, who is building the largest electric van and truck fleet among Australia's last-mile delivery specialists.