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‘Terrible’ road conditions & congestion top fleet manager concerns

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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Fleet and mobility managers want the Government to tackle terrible road conditions and congestion.

That’s according to research from Arval, which revealed that of nearly 4,000 fleet mangers polled, over half the respondents (54 per cent) said that they wanted to see better roads, with 47 per cent asking for a solution to congestion.

30 per cent of those polled supported incentivising companies to adopt newer fuel options such as electric and hydrogen and improving public transport (22 percent).
 
18 per cent of fleet and mobility managers also believe that Government should be doing more to reduce pollution caused by road transport.
 
The findings come from the 2019 edition of Arval Mobility Observatory, research which covers 3,930 fleets and asks a wide ranging set of questions about fleet and mobility trends.
 
Shaun Sadlier, Head of Arval Mobility Observatory in the UK, said: “The striking aspect about the areas highlighted by fleet and mobility managers is that they are all highly practical issues that affect the running of business transport on a day-to-day basis.
 
“The condition of roads and the problem of congestion are a concern because they affect the core efficiency of company transport. Businesses want journeys to be predictable and safe, and poor roads and large volumes of traffic have a negative effect on this aim.
 
“It is also striking the extent to which there is a desire to see Government make the adoption of EVs and hydrogen vehicles easier. There is clearly growing enthusiasm among businesses for these cars and vans, but also an awareness of the need to make their cost and the level of infrastructure support more appealing.
 
“Linked to the adoption of zero-emissions fuels is the belief that more should be being done to tackle road transport-based pollution. Our experience is that businesses are almost always supportive of Government moves to make improvements in this area.
 
“Finally, some people may think it surprising that fleet and mobility managers want to see better public transport but the strategic developments we are seeing in this area show that businesses see the future of travel as being one where cars and vans are used alongside a range of other options. Better trains, trams and buses should form a key part of this mix if possible.”

Image by shilin wang from Pixabay

Infrastructure and tax top list of fleet buyer concerns

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

A lack of road infrastructure causing greater congestion and increased vehicle taxation are the two biggest issues facing fleet and mobility managers in the next five years.

The finding comes from the 2019 edition of Arval Mobility Observatory, which covers 3,930 fleets and asks a wide ranging set of questions about fleet and mobility trends.

When asked what they expected to be the main challenges facing them in the next five years, 49% replied lack of road infrastructure causing increased congestion, 30% increased vehicle taxation, 19% unclear Government policy towards transport, 19% implementation of alternative fuel policies, 16% increased driver personal taxation and 16% the introduction of more Clean Air Zones in urban areas.

Shaun Sadlier, Head of Arval Mobility Observatory in the UK, said: “The breadth of issues mentioned in response to this question shows that fleet and mobility managers are facing some very difficult challenges over the next few years.

“Probably the most interesting aspect is that the majority of these issues are linked to external regulatory and policy factors that have an impact on fleets, rather than being practical issues. 

“Some of these, such as Clean Air Zones, are generally supported by fleets who are well aware of the need to make their transport activities as environmentally responsible as possible. However, the fact that 19% of fleets believe Government policy is unclear and that large numbers mention both vehicle and personal taxation is certainly frustrating.

Sadlier added that he was unsurprised that the issue of road infrastructure causing congestion had topped the list of challenges.

“When we talk to fleet and mobility managers, there is a general level of concern, not really over the building of new roads, although these are needed in some places, but at the condition of existing ones and the impression that they are not being used to their maximum efficiency.”

He also said that fleet recognition of the challenges arising from the switch to wider fuel diversity, especially widespread use of electric vehicles (EV), was understandable.

“Cars and vans have been almost exclusively powered by combustion engines for more than a century and a fundamental shift to having a relatively high EV penetration into fleets definitely represents a change.

“However, our experience to date is that many of the factors that are perceived as obstacles can be overcome relatively easily with the right approach, and we are supporting many businesses through this transition both in an advisory and practical manner. 

“Generally, fleets that have made the switch to EVs are very positive about the experience.”

Main challenges expected in terms of fleet management in the next five years?

Lack of road infrastructure causing increased congestion                  49%

Increased vehicle taxation                                                                         30%

Unclear Government policy towards transport                                      19%

Implementation of alternative fuel policies                                             19%

Increased driver personal taxation                                                          16%

Introduction of more Clean Air Zones in urban areas                          16%

Image by John Howard from Pixabay 

Businesses unwilling to give up company cars for mobility solutions

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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Few businesses would be willing to give up their company car and use a mobility solution instead.

That’s according to research from Arval – In response to a question asking whether they would fully or in part give up their vehicle for a range of alternatives, just 7% said they would probably or certainly opt instead for car sharing, 9% for ride sharing, 8% for a mobility budget, 11% for a private lease vehicle and 7% for mid-term rental.

The finding comes from the 2019 edition of Arval Mobility Observatory, research which covers 3,930 fleets and asks a wide ranging set of questions about fleet and mobility trends.

It does show, however, that there are often differences between smaller and larger organisations when it comes to attitudes to mobility products. For example, while just 3% of businesses with fewer than 10 employees would opt for car sharing while in those with 1,000 or more employees, this grows to 14%. 

There are also signs of widespread interest in mobility solutions. Car sharing is already being used or considered for use with the next three years by 31% of respondents, ride sharing by 45%, mobility budgets by 21%, private lease by 23% and medium term rental by 22%.

The research also looks at reasons why drivers are unlikely to want to give up their company cars. They are ease of motoring (mentioned by 16% of respondents), not having to finance their own vehicle (14%), no risk of ownership (10%) and delivery of a new car every 3-4 years (8%).

Shaun Sadlier, Head of Arval Mobility Observatory in the UK, said: “There is a lot of discussion in corporate circles about mobility solutions at the moment and our research shows that interest is high. As a provider, we believe that there is considerable potential for these products.

“What is clear above all, though, is that the company car looks set to remain the core transport method for the foreseeable future. While decision makers and employees in organisations are interested in mobility solutions, it appears that the vast majority see them as supplementing or being a partial alternative to the traditional fleet.

“The reasons for this are simple, we believe. Some of them are revealed in our research by showing how much employees value having a company car and the benefits it brings. The other is that, when a typical multi-stop journey is undertaken, a car is literally the only practical option.

“A mixed provision model is one that we have been saying for some time is the most likely to develop in the majority of businesses, where a range of mobility solutions are used alongside company cars with employees using the most appropriate form of transport for each journey.

“Our belief is that, over the next few years, as more and more fleet managers become mobility managers, one of the most interesting developments will be the process that businesses undergo in learning how to use mobility options in the most effective manner.”

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

Arval makes EV charging point commitment

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

A significant new electric vehicle charging site is to open next month at the headquarters of vehicle leasing and fleet management company, Arval.
 
At its Windmill Hill Business Park offices, 43 charging points will be available to Arval employees along with an additional seven for other businesses using the same building.
 
Furthermore, Arval has unveiled plans to install new charging points at its other UK premises in Manchester and Birmingham. 
 
Ailsa Firth, Human Resources Director, explained: “As a business, we are committed to supporting the ongoing energy transition toward electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles and this means giving drivers convenient access to charging points.
 
“In our own company car fleet, we already have around 100 plug-in vehicle drivers and we expect this number to grow over the coming months and years as availability, choice and experience grows.
 
There is already research, notably from the International Council on Clean Transportation, suggesting EVs cost less to operate than petrol and diesel cars. With this project, we hope to prove the cost and practicality arguments for ourselves.”
 
The charge points and charging services at the Arval UK offices are being provided by NewMotion, the European leader in smart charging solutions for EVs. General Manager UK, Alan McCleave, explained that their complete infrastructure and service offering is intended to make EV charging as easy as possible for employees and visitors.
 
“We’ll be holding roadshows at Arval’s UK head office to introduce employees to the charging sites, the surrounding framework, and to show them how they work.”
 
All Arval employees who register will be provided with a validated charge fob. This will enable charging sessions at the NewMotion charge points at the Arval office. They will be able to charge at work for free for the first six months from when charge points go live. In addition, they will be able to use over 100,000 publiclyavailableNewMotion charging locations throughout Europe, accessible with the same charge fob.
 
Miguel Cabaça, Managing Director at Arval UK, added that the new charging development was also intended to act as a test ground and working example for customers who were thinking of increasingly electrifying their company cars and vans.
 
“We are delighted to be working with NewMotion on such a major installation. Every day we see a growing interest in electric vehicles from a broad cross section of our customers. By leading the way in adoption and creating the necessary infrastructure, we hope to provide a real world illustration of the practicalities behind the energy transition.”

Arval creates fuel cell tech education pack for schools

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

A new set of teaching resources focusing on hydrogen and fuel cell technology have been created by car leasing specialist Arval, part of the BNP Paribas banking group.

Developed in partnership with the Hydrogen Hub, the education pack supports the Chemistry element of Triple Science for GCSE students, providing teachers with a learning resource that is downloadable online. 

The pack introduces pupils to fuel cells as a solution to tackling climate change. Following a launch at two Swindon-based schools, Bradon Forest and Nova Hreod Academy, the resource is available to view and download on the teacher resource website TES.

Pupils at the Swindon launch, which is where Arval’s UK Head Office is based, were able to see a variety of hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles, and get their hands on a fuel cell provided by Fuel Cell Systems, as part of lessons delivered by the Hydrogen Hub team.

The partnership between the three organisations is set to continue throughout 2019 with a set of hydrogen roadshows at 5 venues across the country planned for later in the year. The transport-focussed events will give businesses, and the general public, the chance to see, ride in and learn about hydrogen powered vehicles. 

Rory Mathews from the Hydrogen Hub, said: “As a former teacher and Teach First Ambassador I know the quality of resources produced by industry specialists can be extremely high. Often though, the topics covered are not those that need to be taught in schools and so these resources get overlooked. It has been a pleasure to have been given the opportunity by Arval to produce this fuel cells lesson pack. I am confident that using our specialist knowledge at the Hydrogen Hub and tailoring the content to cover crucial exam content we have produced a resource that delivers high-quality learning for students and is extremely valuable to teachers.”

Dr Jannine Clapp, Head of Science from Nova Hreod Academy, said: “Having the opportunity to see first-hand how technology can be used for cars in a real world application was a real bonus for our triple science students. And this lesson along with the excellent resources created by Arval, Hydrogen Hub and Fuel Cell Systems for schools will help support the scientists of the future. Thank you for coming in to share with our school.”

Arval, which leases more than 165,000 vehicles in the UK, joined the Hydrogen Hub in 2017 to better understand the practicalities of operating hydrogen vehiclesthrough real-world use, and quickly became Chair of the Car Working Group.

At the same time, as part of BNP Paribas, the company says it is committed to supporting the transition into cleaner vehicles, positively serving the UK economy and investing in initiatives which benefit UK society.

Tracey Fuller, Head of CSR for BNP Paribas said: “As one of the UK’s largest vehicle leasing companies, new vehicle technology is high on our agenda, and an important tool for businesses and individuals looking to reduce their environmental impact. It’s also really well aligned with our commitment to make a positive impact on the UK economy, and wider society, so we saw a great opportunity to use our relationship with the Hydrogen Hub to educate the next generation in the role that hydrogen technology can play.”

More companies looking to offer employees vehicle benefits

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

Research has revealed higher levels of interest from different businesses looking to provide vehicle solutions to their employee base.

“Many businesses are looking for ways to improve their benefits offering to employees but at zero or little cost,” said Richard Cox, Fleet Consultant at Arval. “Extending vehicle provision is an excellent solution to this need, especially as a wider range of product offerings are becoming available right across the market. It is now possible to provide a car solution for just about any corporate setting.”

Cox added that offering modern vehicles also created benefits, such as improved environmental performance and reduction in the managerial difficulties surrounding grey fleet usage.

“In offering new, or nearly new, vehicles alongside maintenance and insurance packages, employers can mitigate some of the duty of care issues that are inherent in grey fleet,” added Cox.

“Of course, putting employees into newer cars will almost always also create environmental benefits, with lower polluting cars and potentially wider adoption of hybrids and EVs. This is a definite win from a CSR point of view.”

Cox continued: “Certainly, we are seeing much higher levels of interest from many different kinds of businesses and it could well develop into a key fleet trend in 2019.”

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