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After boosting its occupational road risk management measures five years ago with the launch of its ‘Safe Driving Programme’, the company has introduced a string of initiatives that has resulted in halving the number of road crashes involving vehicles on its 600-strong fleet and a 20% cut in annual insurance premiums.

Programme manager Simon Monk said: “The premium reduction has had a significant impact on the company’s bottom line and definitely helped provide impetus for further safety initiatives and a commitment to work-related road safety.”

The Programme has been championed by chairman and managing director Bill Parfitt, who said: “In 2006, GM UK was above average in terms of its fleet safety policy, legal compliance and vehicle and claims management, but short of the benchmark in certain areas including risk assessments, organisational culture and driver training.

“The implementation of our Programme has changed that and as a result we have seen both own damage collisions and third party collisions reduce by half. It has also delivered a reduction in staff absenteeism, a greater awareness of the risks involved when driving among employees and an improved safety culture across the business.

“The GM UK Safe Driving Team has worked closely with key stakeholders including myself and fellow board directors, our fleet insurer, employee groups and trade unions to develop a robust and best practice model for managing and monitoring road safety related risk. 

“The model is aimed at reducing the collision rate of the fleet still further, reducing the risk of harm to employees and other road users, meeting all relevant legislation, meeting our corporate social responsibility and reducing the direct cost associated with motor collisions.”

GM UK’s recruitment to the campaign means that there are now almost 40 ‘business champions’, which are used by organisers to promote the financial, legal and moral reasons for organisations across the public and private sectors to invest in at-work driving safety.

With an estimated 150 road deaths and serious injuries a week resulting from crashes involving at-work drivers, and more employees killed and seriously injured on Britain’s roads while driving on behalf of their employer than in any other work-related activity, the campaign aims to cut this carnage.

Caroline Scurr, director of the ‘Driving for Better Business’ campaign, said: “GM is not only a large employer but is a major provider of cars and vans to companies across Britain. Therefore, we believe GM’s recruitment to the campaign will play a crucial role in helping to deliver the ‘safety first’ driving message to fleets nationwide.”

GM’s ‘Safe Driving Programme’ covers its 600 employees who drive an average of 20-25,000 miles a year in company cars. Additionally, many of the initiatives also extend to the company’s 5,400 other employees who clock up private miles and are part of the company’s Car Plan scheme.

The Programme covers a number of GM operating companies in the UK and Ireland including Vauxhall, Opel Ireland, Saab GB, Cadillac, Corvette and Hummer and staff at the company’s manufacturing plants in Luton and Ellesmere Port.

Fleet safety initiatives that GM UK has introduced in the last five years include:

• A revised and comprehensive safe driving policy
• A Driver Handbook, which includes detailed safe driving and insurance information
• An in depth fleet safety audit carried out in conjunction with insurer Zurich to identify improvement areas
• A minimum driving age of 22 years with ‘awareness training’ for employees below that age after the company discovered that young drivers represented 6% of the fleet population but accounted for 30% of the annual claims cost 
• A communications strategy which includes regular driver newsletters, e-mail reminders on key issues such as mobile phone use, long distance driving, road safety awareness posters; and publication of a ‘Safe Driving’ pamphlet endorsed by Mr Parfitt
• Work-related road risk assessments for all employees who regularly drive on business with follow-up individual in-vehicle/classroom training for drivers where a specific risk was identified as a result of assessments
• An on-line training programme for business drivers using interactive modules, rolled out at regular intervals. Additionally, there are plans to make a similar programme available to all GM Car Plan drivers
• A ‘no licence, no car policy’ with employees not allowed to collect a vehicle without showing their driving licence at each collection
• Annual DVLA licence checks with random checks on at least 20% of drivers
• Publication of an alcohol and drugs policy including agreed rules for corporate and hospitality events
• Quarterly reporting of insurance claims statistics and related issues to all parts of the business including employee groups, trade unions and the executive steering group
• A monthly review of all business accidents at GM’s Central Health and Safety Committee meeting
• In-depth analysis of all collisions to identify causes and trends. Appropriate counter measures are then swiftly introduced
• The post collision investigation process also includes a full review of each accident between driver and line manager to identify the root cause and agree measure to prevent reoccurrence
• Driver workshops for specific risk groups for example young drivers, employees with a collision history and those who incur speeding convictions
• UK familiarisation training for all overseas personnel, which employees and their partner, if appropriate, must complete prior to receiving a vehicle

Mr Parfitt said: “The aim is for GM to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of drivers, passengers and the public with regard to vehicles used on company business.”

As well as extending the policy to all users of vehicles administered by GM and to their families, as far as is practicable and reasonable, the company also ensures that GM UK Fleet Management and other vehicle supply or administration organisations are involved in the safety policies.

Mr Parfitt said: “We aim to ensure that contractors as well as company employees and customers are mindful of vehicle safety at all times.”

In the future, GM is looking to introduce compulsory eye-sight testing for all drivers, an online driver training programme for families of all drivers whether they travel on business or not and to extend its best practice sharing with more customers and suppliers.

“GM will soon present its restructuring plan to Germany and other governments and hopes for its favourable consideration,” said Fritz Henderson, president and CEO.  “We understand the complexity and length of this issue has been draining for all involved.  However, from the outset, our goal has been to secure the best long term solution for our customers, employee, suppliers and dealers, which is reflected in the decision reached today.  This was deemed to be the most stable and least costly approach for securing Opel/Vauxhall’s long-term future.”

On a preliminary basis, the GM plan entails total restructuring expenses of about €3 billion, significantly lower than all bids submitted as part of the investor solicitation.  GM will work with all European labour unions to develop a plan for meaningful contributions to Opel’s restructuring.  While Opel continues to outperform against its viability plan assumptions and immediate liquidity is stable, time is of the essence. 

“While strained, the business environment in Europe has improved.” Henderson said.  “At the same time, GM’s overall financial health and stability have improved significantly over the past few months, giving us confidence that the European business can be successfully restructured.  We are grateful for the hard work of the German and other EU governments in navigating this difficult economic period.  We’re also appreciative of the effort put forward by Magna and its partners in Russia in trying to reach an equitable agreement.”

Henderson added that GM also hopes to build on its already significant business in Russia and to resume work directly with GAZ to contribute to both the modernisation of its operations and the joint development of the Russian vehicle market on a mutually attractive basis.  More details on the next steps in the restructuring will be provided as the plans and developments warrant.

The Innovative GM-Allison Hybrid E^P-System is a patented ‘two mode’ parallel hybrid technology, which combines direct power from an electronically controlled diesel engine with electric power from an energy storage system and is already delivering significant fuel saving benefits, lower emissions, and raising vehicle performance for bus fleets over 115 cities worldwide.

Five of the GM-Allison-equipped buses are with the East London Bus Group where they will carry passengers on the 276 route between Newham General Hospital and Stoke Newington. Metroline will operate a further five on the E8 route between Ealing Broadway and Brentford.

The complete GM-Allison E^p40/50 systems consists of the E^v Drive^TM module – which serves as the vehicle transmission –, the Dual Power Inverter Module (DPIM), the Energy Storage System (ESS) – based on advanced Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries –, two electronic control modules and the electronic driver interface with integrated display.

This unique hybrid architecture combines the efficiency of a direct mechanical connection between engine and drive train of the parallel hybrid system with the advantages in engine management typical of serial hybrid design.

The real invention is the E^V Drive^TM module which is designed with a concentric arrangement of gearing – planetary gear sets – and two electric machines. This module combines (torque blend) electrical machine power with engine power. Thanks to the unique electrical and mechanical integration, the E^V Drive^TM does not have fixed gear ratios as does a typical transmission, but its gear, speed and torque ratios are infinitely and continuously variable.

This module forms a Hybrid Electrically Variable Transmission (HEVT). An Electrically Variable Transmission has the potential to combine the continuous control and urban drive cycle efficiency of the series hybrid with the high power capability and high efficiency of the parallel hybrid.

From stationary, the electrical starter motor draws power from the battery, mounted on the roof of the bus, to set the vehicle smoothly and almost silently into motion. Then as the vehicle picks up speed, the 250 hp diesel engine comes into action, offering a direct power supply to the drivetrain as required and eventually feeding the battery with additional power. An automatic controller ensures that the battery is maintained at optimum charge. At cruising speed, the battery cuts out altogether and operates like a conventional drivetrain.

This is why greatest benefits of the technology are experienced in lower speed, start-stop operations such as city buses.

The key contributor to hybrid efficiency is the regenerative braking system; the recapture of energy normally lost during braking. When the driver brakes to slow the vehicle, the kinetic energy that is normally dissipated in the brakes as heat is instead transferred back into usable electric energy by an electric motor which, operating in reverse, acts as a generator and charges the battery. It is estimated that 40 percent of the energy used to accelerate a bus with the GM Allison two-mode hybrid system comes from the energy saved during regenerative braking.

Allison estimates that since its system was introduced in 2003, it has contributed to the saving of over 25 million litres of fuel and the elimination of more than 65,000 metric tonnes of CO². It has been sold into more than 2,200 buses and coaches worldwide and covered over 200 million kms in revenue service.

Cliff has worked for the GMUK & Ireland Aftersales division for six years, initially in a product development role, before moving on to take responsibility for the Saab and Chevrolet Trade programmes.  Prior to his joining GM, Cliff worked as sales manager for a number of component manufacturers, predominantly involved with remanufactured starters and alternators.

Cliff takes over as Trade Channel Manager from his predecessor Jim Williams, who recently retired after 44 years of service with Vauxhall and GM UK & Ireland.

Commenting on his new position Cliff said: “I’ve been in the automotive industry for almost 25 years and I’ve seen a lot of changes in that time.  Having worked within the GM Trade team for a number of years now, I’m really looking forward to taking an even more active role in helping our customers and dealers through this challenging time.”

GM Marketing Development Manager Aftersales, John Deed added; “Jim has done an amazing job for us over the years and will be greatly missed. However we’re extremely fortunate to have someone as capable as Cliff to take over.  His knowledge of the sector and the GM trade channel in particular will ensure not only a smooth transition into his new role but also help enormously in securing business for the future.”

The German trusteeship managing Opel will as soon as this week have to assess GM’s recommendations for business plans of at least two bidders.

The final bids for Opel and its European affiliates are due by Monday in a sales process that has started to slip out of GM’s hands.

Once GM has received the bids, it will compare them and present its preliminary findings to the German and other European governments with GM plants, the European Commission and the Opel/Vauxhall trust board.

A vote at the trust’s board could end up with a draw, as the German government may prefer a different bidder than GM.

The trusteeship was created by the government in June to spin off Opel and oversee the sales process. Four of its five board members have voting rights – two represent GM and two the German federal and regional governments.

Source: Financial Times

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A bankruptcy court judge has allowed the carmaker to walk away from contracts for a Pontiac electronic billboard and a GM-sponsored clock on the One Times Square office tower. A model welder and mechanic have emerged from the clock each hour to assemble Chevrolet’s bow-tie trademark.

The two Times Square fixtures are among dozens of advertising and marketing promotions that GM has decided to cancel as part of its court-supervised restructuring. A “new” GM, controlled by the US government, began life last week, leaving unwanted assets and liabilities under Chapter 11 protection to be sold or wound down.

The contracts illustrate just how far GM’s tentacles once stretched, and the extent of the pain now inflicted by the 101-year-old carmaker’s contraction.

Source: Financial Times

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The acquired shares were originally issued to General Motors Corporation by Hydrogenics as consideration for entering into a master intellectual property agreement and a corporate alliance agreement with Hydrogenics. As part of, and in connection with, the bankruptcy proceedings, General Motors Company was assigned, and became a party to, the master intellectual property agreement and a corporate alliance agreement and acquired the shares.

Hydrogenics Corporation (www.hydrogenics.com) is a globally recognized developer and provider of hydrogen generation and fuel cell products and services, serving the growing industrial and clean energy markets of today and tomorrow. Based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Hydrogenics has operations in North America and Europe.

As General Motors emerged from bankruptcy protection and unveiled its new corporate identity, chief executive Fritz Henderson announced an unusual piece of news. He said that GM and Ebay would be working together to sell new cars through Ebay Motors.

"Customers will be able to bid on actual vehicles just like they do in an Ebay auction, including the option of choosing a predetermined ‘buy it now’ price," he said.

The previously unheard of deal seemed intriguing, but raised a host of questions. What role would GM’s dealers play? Was GM going to sell direct? Would buyers be able to get cars for below the suggested retail price, or be lured into paying too much? But before those questions could begin to be answered, Ebay squashed the news. Representatives from Ebay’s public relations firm, Edelman, called reporters and stressed that there was no set deal between Ebay and GM.

Source: Financial Times

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The Brussels-listed industrial holding, which has kept a low profile throughout GM’s sale of Opel, confirmed for the first time on Monday that it was “at an advanced stage” of talks with the US carmaker.

It is now preparing a final contract to buy Opel, which it plans to present to GM this week, according to a person with direct knowledge of its plans.

As part of its offer, RHJ is promising to repay all state-backed loans for Opel by 2015 and has held talks with governments of most of the European countries that have GM plants.

Last week, RHJ met Lord Mandelson, Britain’s business secretary, who has linked any financial aid for GM’s European arm to the future of its two Vauxhall plants in Luton and Ellesmere Port.

Source: Financial Times

To read this article in full, visit http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/36752ee4-6ff6-11de-b835-00144feabdc0.html (free registration required)