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Simon Harris

@simonharris.bsky.social
593 followers 382 following 647 posts

Not that Simon Harris. Nor that one. Editor of Fleet World/EV Fleet world. Automotive market analyst. Chair, the Guild of Motoring Writers. Chair, Welsh Motoring Writers. Cars: Kia EV5 (on test); Mini Cooper SE (own); 1993 Jaguar XJ12 (own).

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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Interesting period. The Mondeo’s launch in 1993 was the beginning of the time where total cost of ownership data became more widely available, which led to more demand for premium-badge cars.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
No, but the UK is the most sophisticated market for company cars.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Started writing this a year ago, and completed around half of it to keep me busy for four months during unexpected redundancy. It hasn’t been as easy to devote time to it since starting near full-time work in January. Almost finished now, and hoping it will be available in November.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Anyone else watching BBC Gardeners’ World and wondering if there’ll be complaints to Points of View about how Monty was handling the growing aubergines on the plant? 😬
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
BBC commentator on the high jump in the Diamond League Ultimate Championship said “the sky is the limit”. The limit is definitely lower than the height of the sky.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
First service completed at two years old. Typical efficiency for mixed driving in this ambient temperature is around 5 miles per kWh, making a full charge last close to 250 miles, and costing around £3 from an overnight charge at home.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
No, I’m trying to get the budget to make it period-correct . . .
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
#Caturday
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Range anxiety in a V12.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
A bit behind with sharing this as the next issue is only a couple of weeks away. Anyway, quite a lot of interesting EV stuff here.
magazine.fwg.digital
COVER - EV Fleet World Issue 3 | 2026
EV Fleet World Issue 5 2022
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
The first K13 Nissan Micra I’ve seen deployed for takeaway delivery. After the sterling service of the K11, and incremental replacement by the K12, this represents a momentous changing of the guard in the UK.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
It’s on classic car insurance. VED is £375 a year.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
To clarify, the XJ81 debuted in 1992, but this one was first registered on 1 August 1993.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
one of the good things about the XJ81 is it came after a lot of Ford investment.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
It was the last forward-looking Jaguar design until the 2009 XJ. And I’m so intrigued by the V12 story, that I had to won one.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Tomorrow will be the XJ12’s 33rd birthday. It’s been treated to a new set of Michelin Primacy 5 tyres, and a fresh MOT.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
The budget to do that would be nice. Sorry about your situation.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Yes, that’s me as editor, and writing most of the stuff in our 60-page issue.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
June-July issue of Fleet World.
issuu.com
Fleet World Magazine – June-July 2026
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Your observation is correct.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Buttons will make a comeback. I’m no design expert, but I feel that with Mazda’s previous reliance on Ford for platforms and scale during the time Ford owned Jaguar, Mazda was designing better looking Jaguars the whole time.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
I haven’t tried a LHD version, but apparently the mandatory driver alerts have been made more subtle for RHD versions. They had more in common with a gentle clearing of the throat than a full-blooded vocal protest. Most welcome.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Review copies will be available for people with UK outlets. Sorry – it’s not a global subject.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
I haven’t been here much recently. But you’ll see a lot more of me as I start promoting my book in the next few weeks.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
😖
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Drove the new Mazda 6e last week on splendid roads in North Wales. Loved it. Report coming soon in EV Fleet World.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
#Caturday
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
New test car: Kia EV5.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
If the Mandalorian never removes his helmet in the presence of living beings, why does he have a moustache? Surely he needs to put a false moustache on the front of his helmet.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
New Toyota Hilux 2.8 D4-D 48V Hybrid and Toyota Hilux BEV. High and mighty or strong, silent type.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Visited a cat cafe last week. This is Jack.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
The 1990s was a period of transition. Newly available data on total cost of ownership (from CAP Monitor) gave business and leasing companies access to data that showed the penalty per mile of indulgent choices. Tax was important too. But a shift from purchase price to pence per mile was significant.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
It’s these kinds of moments that tell the real story of how company car culture evolved in the UK – and how tax policy, procurement and driver expectations slowly reshaped the market. If anyone remembers similar fleet stories from the ‘80s, ‘90s or early 2000s, I’d love to hear them.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
He also reminded me of a story he covered in the mid-1990s when NatWest replaced branch managers’ Jaguars with Ford Mondeos as a cost-saving measure – apparently causing absolute uproar at the time, and gaining coverage in the Daily Mail and Financial Times in an era before online records existed.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
It was a reminder of how different the fleet ecosystem was then – when many company car lists were effectively Ford, Vauxhall or Rover, and drivers pushing for more choice helped open the door to cars like the Volkswagen Golf and BMW 3 Series becoming mainstream fleet staples.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Still making progress on my book about the history of the UK company car and the policies that shaped it. Last week I had a fascinating lunch with Ashley Martin, who edited Fleet News through much of the 1990s – and appointed me as a reporter in 2000.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
The story about the phrase “throwing one’s name into the ring” reminded me of my pet hate of people saying “the proof is in the pudding”, when the correct phrase is “the proof of the pudding is in the eating”. I’m not a violent man, but I have worrying moments when I hear the former.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
The story about the phrase throwing one’s name into the ring reminded me of my pet hate of people saying “the proof is in the pudding”, when the correct phrase is “the proof of the pudding is in the eating”. I’m not a violent man, but I have worrying moments when I hear the former.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
I support the semantic reclamation of the word ‘humbled’, which is now routinely used incorrectly by people accepting awards or accolades. Humbled comes from the Latin ‘humus’, meaning earth or soil. It literally means being pushed into the dirt – a description of defeat, or punishment, not success.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
First issue as editor of Fleet World.
issuu.com
Issuu Reader
Reader for Issuu
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Just letting those interested know I am now posting on Substack from time to time.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
New Substack: how some car brand spin-offs work better than others.
open.substack.com
The brand spin-off: an overview of divergent fortunes
Why some brand launches hit the spot, while others seem wide of the mark.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
I’m now on Substack delivering occasional automotive insights. If you like that kind of thing delivered to your inbox, go there and hit subscribe.
substack.com
Simon Harris | Substack
Cutting through the hype around EVs, car values, and product strategy. Three decades in automotive journalism and valuations – now possibly writing what the industry doesn’t always want you to hear.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
New test car: Kia EV4 GT Line.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
Yes, I used to go through around 4kg of Mini Eggs a year, so I’m very familiar with historic pricing strategies and weights.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
Probably an illustration of shrinkflation, as well as gouging by Kraft/Cadbury and supermarkets. Three years ago the standard bag of Mini Eggs weighed 90g and cost £1. Now, it’s 74g and costs £2. The ‘family pack’ weighed 296g three years ago and costs £3. Now it’s 256g and £5.50.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Thanks very much, Andy.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Week one at Fleet World complete. Busy, messy, creative – and plenty of fun reminding myself why I’ve loved this industry for more than 25 years.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
I hope things picked up.
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Simon Harris @simonharris.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
If anyone in the industry is looking for a bit of consultancy or a fresh pair of eyes on their new model specification, pricing and strategy, do get in touch. Wishing everyone a splendid Christmas break and a much smoother 2026. Thanks again for being in my corner.
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