News digestFN50 survey reveals the UK's most reliable cars and vansBMW produces the most reliable company cars while the most reliable vans are built by Volkswagen, according to the UK's largest vehicle reliability survey. Commis­sioned by Fleet News, the annual analysis of the top 50 (by fleet size) leasing companies in the UK asked partic­ipants to rank the best vehicles and manufacturers for reliability, with scores compiled to create a top 10 for cars, and a top five for vans. FN50 companies have a combined fleet of more than 1.2 million vehicles, and the reliability survey is the UK's largest.Read more...Fleets in the dark about new EU tyre schemeMore than two-thirds of the 281 fleet operators who responded to a Fleet News tyre survey sponsored by Michelin are not aware of the forthcoming European Union (EU) tyre labelling regulation. The regulation requires all tyres on sale from November 2012 to display a label showing ratings for fuel efficiency, wet grip and external noise. Fuel efficiency and wet grip will be rated from A to G (with A top), while noise will be given in decibels. Minimum standards must be met before a tyre is even eligible for a ranking. Some budget tyres are expected to fall short.Read more...Fleets want tough action on drivers avoiding bansCalls for drivers who clock up 12 points or more to be automatically banned have been backed by two-thirds of fleets. Research has revealed that 43% of drivers in Britain who have 12 points on their licence are not being disqualified. Many are successfully pleading that losing their licence would cause 'exceptional hardship', despite Diesel hybrid tax status comes under scrutinyThe emergence of diesel hybrids from Peugeot, Citroën and Volvo are calling into question the validity of the 3% benefit-in-kind supplement. The pollution-related penalty looks out of touch when applied to new models, such as the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4, and a leading tax expert believes it should not be applied. Jeff Whitcombe, director at BCF Wessex, said: "According to HMRC the 3% supplement must be applied to all diesel cars, subject to the overall cap of 35%. However, is HMRC's interpretation correct?"Read more...Peugeot's 3008 Hybrid 4 diesel hybrid could lead to tax confusionVolkswagen's Transporter is in the top five most reliable vans