As Italian lessors turn in droves to green fleet leasing,
LeasePlan is leading the way among the larger CV and car lessors
with a clean energy plan for Europe.
Businesses, vehicle manufacturers and the rental and leasing
industries in Italy have become more environmentally friendly
compared to only a couple of years ago.
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However, there has not been widespread and uniform development,
and some players, particularly those that also operate at a wider
EU level, are leading the way, while many others in the industry
still lag behind.
Statistics from ANIASA, the Italian equivalent of the British
Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association, the trade association for
the vehicle rental and leasing industry in the UK, show that in
2005 only 0.7 percent of long-term rental fleet was “eco-friendly”,
but that number has rocketed in just two years and is now close to
7 percent.
Speaking last month at a conference about the state of Italy’s
green fleets, Pietro Teofilatto, the head of ANIASA, said that
innovative projects from manufacturers and a mounting demand from
customers have contributed to the change, persuading some
forward-looking rental companies that investing in green vehicles
would bring them environmental and economic benefits.
“Only a few years ago in this country, there was a complete lack
of interest in green vehicles because purchasing a green car or
truck was seen as particularly expensive.
“But once manufacturers began producing more eco-friendly cars,
rental companies followed suit and are now adapting to the new
market opportunities,” he said.
Leasing companies, too, are considering the advantages of “going
green”, as long-term rental and leasing in Italy are equally used
by companies to manage their fleet.
LeasePlan, for instance, has adopted a green scheme called
“Greenplan” in all 29 countries where it has operations, including
Italy. This scheme allows businesses that opt for a “green” vehicle
with lower CO2 emissions to reduce their company expenses through
less car and LCV taxes.
Not everyone is rejoicing over new green legislation, however.
Manufacturers face fines from 2012 if emission limits on cars and
commercial vehicles exceed 130g CO2/km.
Also, in September the European Parliament rejected a request
from Europe’s CV and car industry to postpone the date for the new
limits to enter into force, adding a further limit of 95g CO2/km
after 2020.
But some intend to turn this obligation into an opportunity.
Gabriella Favuzza, corporate communication manager of Renault
Italia, said: “Our customers have become more and more oriented
towards vehicles that pollute less.
“This is a general attitude that is reflected in their ‘driving
habits’. Therefore, as producers, we are trying to develop an
environmental strategy that follows this trend, monitoring the car
throughout its whole lifecycle, from production to recycling.”
Meanwhile, Riccardo Giordano, environmental manager for IKEA in
Italy, said that his company has a car and commercial vehicle
policy that puts environmental issues at the top of its agenda.
However, many businesses in Italy are still refraining from
adopting a more eco-friendly policy because of a lack of
clarification on how to spread the added costs.
Favuzza said: “We are still discussing about biofuels and LPG,
but the real technological revolution will come with the mass
introduction of electric cars. Some people say this is a technology
that is seen as a remote option, although with a combined effort
from all parties we could sensibly reduce that.”
However, this could be much less remote than some in the
industry may believe. According to a recent study by Frost &
Sullivan, a business research and consulting firm, Italy is one of
the markets that looks particularly promising for the diffusion of
electric cars.
It is expected that by 2015 more than 250,000 electric cars will
move across Europe and 93 percent of them will be in Italy, UK,
France, Spain and the Scandinavian countries.
But the interest in leasing and the added value that consumers
will obtain by these new models of handling a fleet will have a
decisive role in the development of this market, according to Frost
& Sullivan analyst Anjan Hemanth Kumar.
“We expect that leasing will be the most popular financial plan
and will represent around 75 percent of sales by 2015,” the analyst
said.
It remains to be seen if the prediction for Italy will confirm
Frost & Sullivan’s forecast or remain a “dream” for many years
ahead.
Antonio Fabrizio
