Jan 20, 2023 | Business
The trials for Optimise Prime, the world’s biggest trial of commercial electric vehicles (EVs) have come to an end, and demonstrated how barriers, such as cost and energy demand, can be overcome through digitisation and new product offerings. The outcomes of this landmark study follow a year-long trial, and could help unlock the mass rollout of EV fleets across UK and beyond.
The fast roll out of electric vehicle fleets is vital for the UK to meet its net zero goals. The sixth carbon budget requires that all new cars and vans are low-carbon and largely electric by the early 2030s 1. The Climate Change Committee also advises that companies lead the transition to electric vehicles in the UK by switching their vehicle fleets to EVs in the 2020s.
The Optimise Prime trials began in July 2021 and have been led by Hitachi Europe and electricity distributor UK Power Networks. The trial saw over 8,000 electric vehicles from Centrica, Uber and a large UK depot based parcel carrier take to the roads across the UK, supported by distribution networks including Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, and partners Hitachi Vantara and Novuna Vehicle Solutions. The trials included depot, home, and on-the-road charging.
The project delivered an end-to-end overview of what the switch to EVs means for the cables and substations that deliver electricity to the community, for the businesses that need to invest in new infrastructure, and for the fleet owners that need to power their vehicles.
Advice was also provided to fleet operators to ensure they were getting the most out of the project.
Key interim findings of the trial found that:
– EV models can cover the typical range requirements for all three types of fleets, making electrification feasible and achievable
– To enable the private hire EV transition, a London Borough such as Tower Hamlets alone will need around 3,200 more chargers by 2025
– In the longer term, the trials highlight how EV fleets can generate revenue and support network operators by offering “turn-down” services where fleets can be charged only when needed, and stop charging during peak times on the electricity network
– Digitalisation can allow for charging to be forecast by fleet and network operators to help manage demand at peak times on the network
“With road vehicles being the biggest producer of the UK’s transport emissions, it is clear that individuals and businesses need to make the move to more sustainable transport,” said John Whybrow, Optimise Prime Business Lead at Hitachi Europe Ltd. “Our work alongside key partners in this trial has shown that the ambitious EV rollout is possible, and with the use of data, we can overcome the challenges being faced by businesses such as costs and charging availability. Making the transition to EVs easier and cheaper is key in accelerating the road to net zero, not just in the UK but globally.”
Ian Cameron, Director of Customer Service and Innovation at UK Power Networks said: “Electrifying your vehicle fleet is a big step to take, but we are making it cheaper, quicker and easier than you ever thought possible; our project has proved that. We set out to come up with practical solutions to cut the cost of fleets going electric and that’s exactly what we have done – along with a mass of insights and learnings to help fleet managers. Just one example is how using smart charging can go a long way to lowering your up-front costs. And perhaps the best feedback we’ve had is from a fleet manager in the trial who said they had no idea of all the clever things happening in the background because it happened seamlessly without impacting on operations.”
Careful planning is essential for fleet managers as they consider transitioning to EVs. Hitachi has put together a comprehensive guide based on the experiences of Optimise Prime which considers business needs, site constraints (both physical and electrical) and the management of changes to business processes.
This, plus the final results and datasets on commercial EV charging and use will be shared openly on the UK Power Networks’ open data platform in the coming months to help the wider industry be better prepared for making the switch.
To find out more about Hitachi’s Zero Carbon offerings for Fleet Optimisation visit: https://zerocarbon.hitachi.com/.
(1) bit.ly/3Wnby0r
About the partners: About Hitachi Europe Ltd:
Hitachi Europe Ltd., a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., is headquartered in Stoke Poges, UK. The company is focused on its Social Innovation Business – delivering innovations that answer society’s challenges. Hitachi Europe and its subsidiary companies offers a broad range of information & telecommunication systems; rail systems, power and industrial systems; industrial components & equipment; automotive systems, digital media & consumer products and others with operations and research & development Laboratories across EMEA. For more information, visit www.hitachi.eu.
About Hitachi Vantara:
Hitachi Vantara, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., helps data-driven leaders find and use the value in their data to innovate intelligently and reach outcomes that matter for business and society. We combine technology, intellectual property and industry knowledge to deliver data-managing solutions that help enterprises improve their customers’ experiences, develop new revenue streams, and lower the costs of business. Only Hitachi Vantara elevates your innovation advantage by combining deep information technology (IT), operational technology (OT) and domain expertise. We work with organizations everywhere to drive data to meaningful outcomes. Visit us at www.hitachivantara.com.
About Novuna Vehicle Solutions:
Novuna Vehicle Solutions is one of the UK’s top 10 largest leasing companies and has more than 25 years’ experience in providing bespoke fleet finance and fleet management services for businesses across the UK. Novuna Vehicle Solutions has a fleet size of over 67,000 vehicles ranging from cars, small, medium and large vans to HGVs, with a combined asset value of more than EUR880m. The business provides all forms of funding, maintenance, accident and daily rental management, supporting customers across every stage of the vehicle life cycle. Novuna Vehicle Solutions is unique in the market in being able to offer every kind of asset, including large trucks and plant machinery, as well as car-based employee benefits for employees of medium and large corporates and a market-leading personal lease offering both directly and via a network of brokers.
About UK Power Networks:
UK Power Networks is the country’s biggest electricity distributor, making sure the lights stay on for more than eight million homes and businesses across London, the South East and the East of England. Network operators aren’t the same as energy suppliers; network operators manage local power lines and substations, while energy suppliers sell the electricity that runs through the power lines. UK Power Networks is the first electricity distributor to be named in the Sunday Times’ ‘Top 25 Best Companies to Work For’, and made industry history by becoming first company to win Utility of the Year two years running (2015 and 2016, also 2012). We are committed to providing excellent service to the over 18m people who use our network every day. We plan to invest more than EUR600m a year in our network, and spend over EUR6.6bn over eight years to 2023 to maintain a safe and reliable electricity supply. We also offer extra help to vulnerable customers at times of need, are undertaking trials to ensure that electricity networks support the transition to a low carbon future, move cables and connect new electricity supplies. If you have a power cut ring 105, see www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk or tweet us @UKPowerNetworks
About Centrica:
Centrica is a leading energy services and solutions provider founded on a 200-year heritage of serving people. We are the UK’s biggest retailer of zero carbon electricity, serving around 10 million customers across the UK, Ireland and Continental Europe through brands such as British Gas, supported by around 9,000 highly trained engineers and technicians. Centrica’s purpose of helping customers live sustainably, simply and affordably drives our strategy and our People and Planet Plan.
About Uber:
Uber’s mission is to create opportunity through movement. We started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get access to a ride at the touch of a button? More than 25 billion trips later, we’re building products to get people closer to where they want to be. By changing how people, food, and things move through cities, Uber is a platform that opens up the world to new possibilities.
About Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks:
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), operating as Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution (SHEPD) and Southern Electric Power Distribution (SEPD) under license, is responsible for operating and maintaining the electricity distribution networks supplying over 3.7 million homes and businesses across central southern England and north of the central belt of Scotland, the Mull of Kintyre and the Scottish islands. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks is the trading name of Scottish and Southern Energy Power Distribution Limited, Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission plc, Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution plc and Southern Electric Power Distribution plc
Topic: Press release summary
Oct 23, 2022 | Books, Business
Ms. Peggy Spolar got props rhyming freestyle from industry professionals like OutKast, Master P, Lil Pippin, and members of the Dogg Pound. She was befriended by members of the Wu-Tang Clan, Nelly’s Camp, Don King’s Family, and the Jackson Family.
Philly Girl Rap Star Ms. Peggy Spolar
PHILADELPHIA – Oct. 21, 2022 – PRLog — Ms. Peggy Spolar caught the attention of one of Chris Brown’s music producers, “When I heard Ms. Peggy rap, it was flashing lights and sirens, her lyrics flowed effortlessly, I sat in awe, saying what just happened, never have I heard anyone like Ms.Peggy before” G.Y
They say legends are made, Ms. Peggy Spolar is a remarkable story, near 80 years young she is one of the most exciting Female MC’S on the planet, Her rap delivery is like rapid machine gun fire. You have to hear it to believe it, her lyrics are as deadly as cyanide,
tearing through weak MC’S and blazing a path to achieve her ultimate goal. Ms. Peggy possesses the swag and skills to motivate a nation.
Just like her namesake, her goal is to “Spolarize” the entire country, city by city touching everyone with her amazing talent as one of the best rappers that have been hidden in the shadows for decades. Just like fine wine, she has aged with time, and now the world is about to be Energized, Legally Loaded, and Spolarized. In order to fully understand how remarkable and skillful Ms.Peggy is. We have included some history on this remarkable rap icon. The insight is told in the words of the highly decorated Dr. Mark Steinhoff who is a remarkable story himself.
“Ms. Peggy is livin’ proof that comin’ from nothin’ doesn’t mean you can’t be something. She is an electrically energized woman who has sat at the table of some of the largest companies and law firms in the world. Ms. Peggy chilled on the set of American Bandstand as a young girl with Bill Haley’s Comets.
She gets respect from major players in the entertainment industry as a businesswoman on top of her game. She was befriended by members of the Wu-Tang Clan, Nelly’s Camp, Don King’s Family, both the Jackson and Motown Families and Easy Mo Bee; The list is endless. There’s one thing they all can agree on. Ms. Peggy is the “Spolarized Dope-A-Mean” fix for people to be able to “Stand to Their Feet as a Masterpiece” regardless of the shoes they’re in and rise above their obstacles. The urban community gives respect to this mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother rapper who has shown true grit by learning the streets and the corruption within the entertainment industry.”
For more information on Ms. Peggy Spolar
https://getlegallyloaded.com/about/our-team/
https://www.facebook.com/peggy.spolar
Oct 4, 2022 | Business
PR%F Awards Spirits, Wine & Beverage competition is set to be held in Las Vegas on November 5 and 6 at the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. PR%F Awards has partnered with the college of hospitality as a platform to provide valuable education and experience to its students. PR%F Awards is the first spirits and wine competition to partner with a top-ranked college at a fully accredited university.
More than 40 Hospitality College students will participate behind the scene, learning how to create, manage and operate the world’s largest spirits competition. In addition, a group of senior students will provide a best-of-show tasting evaluation for tequila, whiskey, and vodka.
PR%F judges and partners will also become part of the curriculum, instructing, mentoring, and working with students from the college.
“Many of our students are interested in careers in the beverage industry,” said Dr. Murray Mackenzie, associate professor in residence at the Hospitality College. “Giving these students the opportunity to become involved in a spirits competition of this caliber brings incredible dimension to their learning experience.”
“We are very pleased to expand our PR%F Awards platform in 2022 and partner with William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at UNLV,” says Michele D. Tell, executive director of PR%F Awards. “The opportunity to work with students, staff, and instructors at the college and expand the PR%F Awards is a wonderful opportunity.”
More than 70 judges (spirit/wine experts) who are all beverage buyers will assemble in a private tasting competition rating more than 700 spirits and wines that have elected to participate in the rating competition.
This year, this unique competition will host two very distinct, separate competitions – PR%F Awards-Masked, The Double-Blind Tasting, and PR%F Awards-Unmasked, The Total Package.
PR%F Awards is a beverage competition that credits the diverse and distinctive categories of international and domestic spirits, wine, and other beverages and decorates these brands with accolades and medals through a proprietary 100-point rating system.
This prestigious honor for winners selected by beverage industry buyers is the ultimate competition with more than 300 categories.
PR%F Awards sequesters judges from across the United States for a two-day private tasting experience in Las Vegas. Each judge is a key buyer and decision maker in the spirits/wine industries and comes from different facets of the industry: distributors, retail, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, resorts, airlines, liquor stores, box chains, and online distributors.
PR%F Awards will continue its tradition of creating a double-blind tasting competition with buyers from across the US rating spirits, wines, and beverages in a 100-point rating system. After tasting points are accumulated, the distinguished panel of judges (all buyers) will evaluate each brand unmasked, showing their naked contents. Judges will see and feel the bottle, can, or product, read the ingredients, and see the overall marketing package (look, feel, and approach) the brands want to convey to the patron.
All winners receive a beautiful bespoke medal, a template press release to be used at will, an “entered” graphic, a “winner” graphic, online/collateral marketing use of the award, PR%F Award logo, and medals – with no additional licensing fees. A special edition of PR%F The Magazine, featuring all PR%F Awards 2022 winners, will be distributed to its 14 million readers following the competition.
The rating system is Century Award (100 Points voted unanimously), Double Gold (96 to 99 points), Gold (91 to 95 points), Silver (85 to 90 points), and Bronze (79 to 85 points).
The entrant fee is $495 per entry/SKU for submission into two competitions—PR%F Awards Masked Tasting Competition and PR%F Awards Unmasked for The Total Package Competition.
Another available specialty package will include entry into PR%F Awards competitions and a streaming video on PR%F Live! hosted by James Beard Award winner Jennifer English. In this video, Jennifer will conduct an in-depth interview with the brand maker about their brand, and she will do a taste evaluation on air with the brand creator. This video will be distributed to all PR%F Awards outlets and given to the brand for personal marketing.
All submissions must arrive no later than October 15 at 5 p.m. Pacific Time. Submissions can be mailed to Opulent Wines & Spirits, Attn: The PR%F Awards, 4691 S. Valley View Blvd., Las Vegas, Nevada 89103. For those with distribution in Nevada, contact the distributor directly to arrange for shipment to Opulent Wine & Spirits. International entrants without an importer to the US, contact PR%F’s importer, PARK STREET. For more information about this outstanding opportunity, specifications, and pricing, call 1-888-959-7260.
PR&F Awards 2022 is a private judging competition and will be held November 5-6 in Las Vegas at the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. For more information, visit www.proofawards.com.
About PR%F Awards
PR%F Awards is the premiere spirits, wine & beverage awards program held annually in Las Vegas. Hand-selected judges, all buyers, from across the US rate and merit spirits, wine and beverages to win medals and accolades while giving our judges a chance to be introduced to hundreds of emerging new brands. PR%F Awards and PR%F-The Magazine are owned and operated by The Original Brand, LLC. Go to www.proofawards.com or call 888-959-7260.
About UNLV’s William F. Harrah College of Hospitality
The UNLV Harrah College of Hospitality is consistently ranked as one of the top hospitality programs in the world. Studying just blocks away from the epicenter of the hospitality industry, the Las Vegas Strip, UNLV hospitality students enjoy unparalleled access to hands-on, industry-relevant experience. Each year the college organizes nearly 600 internships, welcomes more than 100 national hospitality brands to recruitment events, and pairs an average of 175 industry mentors with students. With the 2018 completion of the college’s state-of-the-art academic building, Hospitality Hall, students are helping the college usher in a new era of excellence in hospitality education.
About Food & Beverage Magazine
Food & Beverage Magazine is the premiere worldwide destination multi-platform medium for global restaurants and hospitality, ideas, trends, and quality, located at 1930 Village Center Circle, #3197, Las Vegas, Nev. 89134. www.fbmagazine.com
About PR%F The Magazine
PR%F The Magazine is an online digizine that focuses on the trends of the spirits, wine and beverage industry-worldwide, and is aligned with Food & Beverage Magazine. www.proofawards.com
About Delta Sky Club®
Delta Sky Club® is where fresh and healthy food, great amenities, and the industry’s most innovative beverage program put the pleasure back into travel. Relax in one of 54 airport locations and enjoy handcrafted cocktails, premium wines, and craft beers. www.delta.com/us/en/delta-sky-club/overview
About The NEAT Glass
Naturally Engineered Aroma Technology (NEAT) is the best spirits glass available, significantly surpassing standard tulip and snifter glasses in aroma detection and identification. The flavor is 90% aroma, and NEAT removes nose-numbing ethanol to unmask and showcase all the character aromas hidden in tulips and snifters. NEAT is changing the way the world drinks through sensory science, physics, and chemistry to deliver what is in the glass without nose-numbing ethanol. Today the NEAT glass is the world’s leading judging glass, used in over 30 major international spirits competitions. Over 180,000 spirits judged in NEAT, and over 60,000 medals awarded since 2012, makes NEAT the world’s official spirits judging glass. www.theneatglass.com.
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