Fluctuating costs and the unpredictability of Brexit means fleet managers are under pressure to take control of their budgets. New research from Autoglass reveals that fuel and service and maintenance costs are the biggest worries for fleet managers in 2017.
The survey of 250 British fleet managers revealed that 66% identify the price of fuel as their biggest worry, with 64% putting servicing and maintenance at the top of their concerns.
But whilst costs are, unsurprisingly, top of the list of worries in the Autoglass survey, concerns about CO2 emissions also occupy thinking time for fleet managers, increasing from 12th place in 2014 to third in 2016.
And as greener motoring and a focus on Ultra Low Emissions Zones in cities like London present additional challenges for businesses, the dilemma for fleet managers is to find a way to balance the financial pressures of their business with enabling employee mobility, in an environmentally sustainable way.
Vehicle hire offers businesses access to a fleet of prepared and maintained newer vehicles, which deliver lower mileage and emissions than the average cars on the road. Indeed, it’s all too easy to forget how much the age of a vehicle can impact on fuel efficiency. But with their pick from a younger fleet of rental vehicles, small businesses can reduce their fuel costs and emissions.
In addition, rental providers like Europcar offer a range of hybrid vehicles and even electric models. And this means small businesses can dip their toe in the water to try out the latest technology for greener motoring without having to make any significant upfront investment.
Short-term vehicle hire helps businesses of all sizes to tackle the challenges that are top of the fleet manager’s worries for 2017. With access to younger fleets and the latest in-car technology, small businesses can benefit from better fuel efficiency plus they don’t have to worry about maintaining vehicles, or the impact of downtime on employee productivity.
