Grosvenor, the privately-owned fleet management specialist, has warned of an ageing driving population in the UK, which it said is reshaping the fleet landscape.
An analysis of DVLA and National Travel Survey data revealed a sharp ‘generational tilt’, with ageing demographics of license holders.
This analysis also found that one-third (32.8%) of all UK licenses are now held by those aged 60 and over, while drivers aged 17 to 24 account for 7% of full license holders.
Grosvenor said that the average cost to get on the road in year one now sits between £7,352 and £10,852, compounded by stricter DVLA booking rules that came into effect in March 2026.
It also found that the number of drivers reached 840,000, up from the 2021 low of 720,000.
This growth was fuelled by attractive salary sacrifice schemes and by drivers who have previously opted out of the company car scheme and have opted back in due to the low benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax on EVs, according to Grosvenor.
It added that to attract this talent, companies must evolve their fleet strategies to include integrated apps, micro-mobility, and ‘Mobility as a Service’ (MaaS) solutions.
Grosvenor launched Vista as a future fleet planning solution in February of this year, identifying eight pillars that cover policies, technology, infrastructure, culture, regulations, financial implications, and propulsion.
It also advises businesses on more flexible and sustainable travel choices.
Steve Beadle, head of Vista at Grosvenor, said: “We are seeing a shift in the very culture of the fleet.
“With the influx of affordable EV brands and the growth of used EV leasing, basic-rate taxpayers are now accessing brand-new technology that would be financially out of reach privately.
“Future decarbonisation and mobility strategies will only succeed if the workforce embraces them and overcomes the human barrier to fleet evolution by the approach to fleet management.”
Grosvenor’s Vista service aims to support fleet managers by developing broader, more flexible business travel plans alongside the company car and grey fleet.
It was also designed to ensure company car and travel policies cater to the varying needs of an older, traditional workforce and a younger, more tech-savvy generation.
It aims to provide modelling for taxation, infrastructure and fuel options to support employee mobility and help companies with the cultural shift.
Beadle added: “Fleet strategy is no longer just about the vehicle on the driveway; it’s about the person behind the wheel.
“Through Vista, we help companies bridge the gap between traditional fleet expectations and the ‘on-demand’ culture of the next generation.
“By balancing the needs of a diverse workforce with sustainability goals, we turn cultural resistance into a competitive advantage.”
