OVER one third of new vehicle (35%) orders placed in 2020 have been electric or hybrid cars and vans according to Activa Contracts.
Activa continues to help companies re-shape their car choice lists where their most pressing priority is to introduce more electric and hybrid cars to their fleets, so the number is likely to continue to increase.
Activa has also been carrying out more analysis on contract mileages following anticipated reduction in business travel experienced since the Covid-19 pandemic struck.
WLTP has finally become a reality now that companies and drivers have started to order new cars again.
The true impact of the new system has become apparent with cars increasing by 20-30g/km which has helped encourage drivers into a lower emission car. Drivers seem to have gained more of a ‘green conscious’ during lockdown.
Activa director Lisa Temperton said: “Lockdown came just at the right time for WLTP as many car makers had data missing so it was becoming very difficult to give company car drivers a complete picture of their new car’s benefit in kind tax liability.
“Some car makers have used the lockdown to complete their data which has been loaded into our quoting engine, but we have still got gaps in our system.”
Activa spent 2019 with many fleets trialling electric vans as well as cars. More companies have started to understand how they could strengthen sustainability on their fleet, in particular those vans that operate in urban areas.
Activa has received orders for vans like the Nissan e-NV200 and Renault Kangoo, while the new Vauxhall e-Vivaro is also creating some interest.
Temperton added: “More fleets have begun to understand that many multi-drop delivery routes that return to base can be achieved by using an electric van. Fleets are very intent on giving electric vans a go.
“The mindset has definitely changed post Covid and we believe we will see more electric vans coming onto fleet over the next 12 months.”