The turmoil in the new vehicle market is affecting every part of the supply chain, giving those responsible for fleets and business travel some serious challenges.
The question right now is how to match growing demand – as business travel gets back on the road – with limited supply as lease contracts come to an end and new vehicles are a long way from delivery. Doing all of this while also meeting sustainability targets is a challenge that businesses can’t ignore.
Flexible and sustainable mobility options can help fleet managers negotiate some of these hurdles to keep company drivers on the road in suitable and safe vehicles.
Pooling resources
Many businesses have vehicles in their car parks but they’re not in the right place for the staff who need them. And this is changing how company and pool cars are being used.
While medium and long-term vehicle rental may be widely used by fleet managers as part of their strategy to optimise fleet utilisation, corporate car-sharing from the office car park may be less familiar. Yet, it could be a great option to help companies improve car access for drivers for short periods of time.
Innovative new technology such as Europcar’s ‘Tap and go’ system can be installed into pool cars, helping employers maximise the fleet they already have. Companies don’t have to rent their fleet from Europcar; they can choose the technology only package to help manage their existing pool car fleet.
Using an all-devices app, drivers can book their own rental, while allowing fleet and travel managers to oversee and monitor the use of their business fleet efficiently. Monitoring and reporting, via the platform provides real-time updates on bookings, vehicle utilisation and even CO2 consumption.
Corporate car-sharing is not only an effective method of ensuring optimum use of vehicle resources but also means that companies no longer need to rely on ‘grey fleet’ cars, which tend to be older, less reliable, more polluting and are not usually fitted with the latest safety features.
Finding the right fleet supply mix
The other issue the current supply challenges has brought into sharp focus is the risks of putting all the fleet eggs into one basket.
Looking to the future, it makes sense for businesses to reshape their fleet supply mix, making rental and car share integral pieces of the jigsaw alongside long-term leasing and outright purchase.
To find out more about how Europcar can help with your business mobility challenges visit
www.europcar.co.uk/business or call 0371 384 0140
