Business fleets focus on fuel costs and emissions

Britain’s business car fleets made impressive progress in reducing their carbon emissions last year, according to the latest figures from the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association.

The BVRLA’s leasing members, who operate a combined fleet of around 1.6 million cars, saw the average CO2 emissions of vehicles brought on fleet in 2009 fall to 144g/km. This represents a fall of about 4% from the 149.9g/km reported for vehicles added to fleets in 2008 and 9% on the 2007 figure.

The reductions obtained by BVRLA members continue to outstrip those seen across new registrations as a whole. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, average new car emissions in 2009 fell to 149.5g/km.

“Our members continue to lead the way in lowering road transport emissions and disproving the myth that company cars are gas guzzlers,” said BVRLA chief executive, John Lewis.

“The government’s emissions-based tax regime has given fleets and their drivers a great incentive to drive cleaner cars and the message is clearly getting through.”

Leasing companies also reported a 2% fall in the average contract mileage for cars added to fleets in 2009, down to 19,183 miles from the 19,617 seen in 2008. The decline in average mileages has lost some of the momentum seen in earlier years, perhaps as a result of some fleet vehicles being driven more in the recession.

Valuable customers
According to BVRLA estimates, the association’s leasing members were responsible for nearly half of all new fleet car registrations in 2009, spending around £7bn with car manufacturers. New cars brought on fleet in 2009 had an average retail list price of £19,698.

“The high-profile scrappage scheme has provided a valuable boost to the car industry in its time of need, but it is a one-off,” said John Lewis.

“These figures show just how vital the leasing market is to carmakers and explains why they are all investing so heavily in their fleet sales operations this year.”