CAR hire customers prefer diesel according to Europcar following the latest analysis of the fuel and transmission preferences of customers using its ‘Model Guaranteed’ service.
Perhaps surprisingly given the current focus on the environmental impact of diesel, the majority of customers using the service said they preferred this fuel option to others.
Nearly two-thirds of car hire customers (63%) surveyed by Europcar said they would prefer diesel when hiring a car, and 78% said they would not want to hire electric.
Gary Smith, Europcar managing director, said: “We are working hard to overcome motorists’ ‘range anxiety’ about electric vehicles.
“It is also interesting to see the continued appetite for diesel despite recent government and media focus on this fuel.
“It appears that UK motorists are wise to the fact that the newest diesels – Euro 6 – which make up all of the Europcar UK fleet are widely regarded as delivering great fuel economy as well as reducing CO2 emissions.”
The Euro 6 standard introduced in September 2015 aims to reduce levels of harmful car and van exhaust emissions, both in petrol and diesel cars. And the government’s recently published proposals for improving air quality across the UK, clearly state that the new Euro 6 diesels will not face any penalty charges anywhere in the UK.
Available from many of the UK’s busiest airports, Europcar’s ‘Model Guaranteed’ service makes the journey easier for leisure drivers and business travellers alike by guaranteeing that the driver will get exactly the model they booked.
Europcar Model Guaranteed service now includes the following cars:
- VW Golf Manual – Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Bristol, Luton, Manchester, Stansted, Liverpool, Aberdeen, Inverness, Birmingham, Belfast City & International, Southampton and Newcastle airports
- VW Golf Automatic – Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Bristol, Luton, Manchester and Stansted airports
- Mercedes A Class – Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Bristol, Luton, Manchester and Stansted airports
- Audi A1 Manual – London Heathrow and Gatwick airports
- VW Tiguan manual – Edinburgh and Glasgow airports
- Nissan X-Trail manual – Edinburgh and Glasgow airports
“Some people want to book a model with which they are already familiar for a stress-free drive; others want to know that their hire car will give them the capacity – for people and luggage – that they need,” added Gary Smith.
“With at least 24 hours’ notice, Europcar customers can book the specific make and model of car they want, knowing that’s what they’ll get and that it will fit their requirements for a stress-free trip.”
