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Grosvenor celebrates 45 years, urges fleets to plan for flexible future

It expects car sharing, car clubs and app-based mobility as a service options to sit alongside company cars in the future.

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Grosvenor 45 years

Contract hire and fleet management firm Grosvenor has celebrated 45 years of operations, while urging businesses to plan for a future of more flexible and sustainable travel.

Grosvenor was founded on 2nd June 1981 by late chairman Brian Johnson.

The business said it expects car sharing, car clubs and app-based mobility as a service options to sit alongside company cars in the future.

The company said that financial pressures, digital connectivity, urbanisation and environmental awareness are causing young people to question the need for a driving licence.

It said that this will reshape business travel going forward, just as the last few years have seen increased company car adoption, due to favourable benefit-in-kind (BiK) rates for electric vehicles (EVs).

Lee Brown, managing director at Grosvenor, said: “We are very proud of our 45 year track record of pioneering innovative solutions for fleet operators.

“This forward-thinking approach was first demonstrated when we became the first leasing company to open a retail site to sell our ex-contract hire cars direct to the public, rather than processing all ex-hires through the auction houses.

“Many said that this couldn’t be done but adopted the same practice shortly after.

“We brought software development in-house, giving us far greater control of the technical offerings we could provide to our customers.

“This contributed to a number of industry awards recognising the quality of our fleet management software and systems.

“We have consistently resisted the trend to utilise impersonal call centres and automated telephony systems, instead remaining committed to providing a personal approach whereby customers are put straight through to our teams, many of whom have been with the business for more than 20 years.

“We were also the first leasing and fleet management specialist to launch a dedicated service to support customers with the transition to electric and ultra-low emission vehicles.

“Called 0Zone, this was first offered back in 2017 when very few electric models were on the market, however by advising our customers and their drivers early we became one of the market leaders in plug-in vehicle registrations for several years.”

Grosvenor said that 80% of company car orders are now for EVs or plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).

Brown said: “As we look to the future yet again, we recently launched Vista. In response to current data and forecasted trends, this pioneering consultative solution looks at how businesses will move employees from A to B sustainably, efficiently and cost-effectively.

“Vista is made up of 8 pillars that cover all key areas, including policies, technology, infrastructure, culture, regulations, data, financial implications and propulsion.

“The Vista team broadens the scope of traditional fleet consultancy by advising organisations on a wider range of flexible travel solutions that complement the company car.

“It means we are innovating once again, and supporting our customers with the tools and insights they need to navigate the complexities of flexible and sustainable business travel.

“As we progress towards our 50th anniversary over the next 5 years, we are committed to ensuring we stay ahead of the curve as the fleet sector experiences even further change in the exciting and challenging times to come.”

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