A weekly roundup of fleet news from around Europe
Fleet sales grew in 2011 says
SMMT
Go deeper with GlobalData
Sales of new vehicles for company fleets in
the UK grew last year by 4.7% while the private market saw a drop
in volumes.
The latest figures from the Society of Motor
Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show the drop in new vehicles
sales in 2011 was bucked by fleet, with growth of nearly 5% or
45,893 additional vehicles compared to 2010.
The fleet sector also increased its market
share of new vehicle registrations in the UK to 52.5% from
47.9%.
UK fleet firm Zenith attributes this increase
to the benefits of new, lower-emission vehicles for both end users
of fleet and their employers.
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By GlobalDataIn a statement reacting to the figures, a
Zenith spokesperson said: “The new lower emission, high powered
vehicles have been very attractive to the fleet market, helping to
reduce emissions of company cars to a lower level than those sold
privately.
“Drivers are swapping their privately owned
vehicles for a newer company car, through either a traditional
company car scheme or a salary sacrifice arrangement.”
The SMMT figures show average new car CO2
emissions fell to a new low of 138.1g/km, 4.2% down on the 2010
level of 144.2g/km and 23.7% below the 2000 figure of
181.0g/km.
While Zenith anticipates the popularity of new
fleet vehicle sales to continue in 2012, SMMT chief executive Paul
Everitt is more cautious: “Weak economic growth will make trading
conditions tough in 2012, but record numbers of new and updated
models, significantly improved fuel efficiency and exciting new
technologies will help to encourage consumers into showrooms.
“Business and consumer confidence will be the
key to a successful year, so it will be important that government
delivers on its growth strategy and helps to resolve instability in
the eurozone.”
Tony Leigh steps down from
Acfo
Tony Leigh has been made an honorary lifetime
member of Acfo after 25 years of service including 15 years as
company secretary.
A former chairman of the UK fleet
operators’ organisation, Leigh has been involved with Acfo since he
joined the group’s London East Region in the mid-1980s.
Leigh, who will be awarded honorary life
membership at the 2012 AGM, said it was time to let younger fleet
decision-makers become more involved with Acfo.
“In more than a quarter of a century of
involvement with Acfo I have seen the organisation change and grow
so that it now deservedly is the premier organisation for fleet
operators. I wish the organisation every success in the future,” he
added.
Leigh served as an Acfo board director from
1993 to 2006 and continues in his job as head of car fleet services
at PricewaterhouseCoopers with the organisation continuing as a
member of the fleet group.
Julie Jenner, who replaced Leigh as Acfo
chairman in 2006, said: “Tony has been a tremendous servant to Acfo
for more than a quarter of a century. His in-depth fleet knowledge
and experience has been hugely beneficial to Acfo as a whole and
many members.”
The Acfo board is currently considering the
appointment of a new company secretary, and will announce its
intentions later in the year.
Kwik-Fit eyes more fleet
business
Vehicle servicing firm Kwik-Fit is hoping a
boost to fleet maintenance business in 2011 can continue into the
New Year after the UK’s National Association of Motor
Auctions’ (NAMA) approval of independent fleet servicing.
Kwik-Fit said it saw a 35% year-on-year rise
in the number of company-owned vehicles serviced through its fleet
vehicle servicing programme in 2011.
Despite this rise, many fleet operators
believe residual value is lost if vehicles are not serviced in a
manufacturer franchise centre, according to Kwik-Fit Fleet sales
director Peter Lambert.
However, speaking at a recent British Vehicle
Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) industry conference Tim
Hudson, vice chairman of the NAMA, said: “There is a threshold in
most manufacturer ranges that determines whether the franchised
dealer stamp is critical in eyes of the used car buyer. Those
requiring a franchise stamp tend to be at the premium end of the
model range.
“What is essential is that company cars and
vans have a documented service history across their fleet life to
ensure top residual values are potentially achievable.”
Lambert, who attended the BVRLA conference
said: “Confirmation from an independent authority such as Tim
Hudson of NAMA will give more fleets and leasing companies the
confidence to have their vehicles serviced at Kwik-Fit centres in
the knowledge that residual values will not be damaged.”
“With the vast majority of company-owned
vehicles being outside the premium sector we anticipate further
growth in fleet vehicle servicing at Kwik-Fit in 2012 and beyond as
a consequence of any residual value damage fears being firmly
allayed.”
Mazda targets reduced bills and
increased fleet
Japanese carmaker Mazda is out to court UK
company sales with the upgraded M3 range of 16 models, which
promise to reduce fuel costs and harmful emissions and, therefore,
benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax savings.
The range available will include the 1.6 Sport
Diesel, which used car valuation body CAP calculates will hold a
30% residual value after three years or 60,000 miles.
Other work begun by Mazda in the pursuit of
fleet sales includes engineering work on the 2.2 Sport Diesel and
Sport Nav Diesel to help bring both models down a BIK tax bracket
and deliver a boost of 2mpg and 1.9mpg respectively.
Several other models have also been
highlighted as saving around £26 per year in fuel, based on a car
travelling 12,000 miles at 135p per litre.
