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FUEL MANAGEMENT: Chip away at engine efficiency

Date: 13 December 2013   |   Author: Jack Carfrae

BT Fleet is so confident in its programme that it has gone one step further and is now offering a remapping service to its existing clients, with plans to roll it out as "a standalone service" to new customers in future.

Fielder continues: "We're offering it to existing customers that we fleet-manage. We know when they're due in and we can do the work then.

"The fuel technology and the remapping ability is less than half of the value. The value is in the ability to do it in an efficient way, a way that fits in with the SMR schedule and with a backed fitting process.

"We predict the market will broaden for this."

The company would not put a figure to the cost of the service, saying it depends on each fleets' requirements, although it claims a three-month return on investment, with continuing economy benefits in the long run.

Openreach

The big issues

As positive as all that sounds, the very idea of modifying a business vehicle is usually enough to send most fleet operators packing.

As mentioned earlier, there are three chief concerns - the potential impact on warranty, insurance premiums and residual values - for any business that is considering a remap for its vehicles and they're arguably the reasons why the practice hasn't been adopted in large numbers. 

Fleet operators are right to be cautious because simply commissioning a remap without any preparation will probably hit you in at least one, if not all three ways. A pragmatic approach and some homework beforehand can make the modification a viable process, though.

BT Fleet's approach was to remap the vehicles within the confines of the existing manufacturer's settings, so theoretically the vehicle is still abiding to the published parameters.

Fielder explains how that's possible: "There is a tolerance within the ECU settings and the adjustments sit inside these tolerances.

"Manufacturers' vehicles are set with a relatively wide tolerance and the remap is made within that. If it is professionally done there is no effect on the warranty and my understanding is that there is no effect on the remarketing and insurance."



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