Many businesses are reporting an increase in the ‘grey fleet’ since the pandemic, with more employees driving their – often older and higher-CO2-emission – personal cars for business trips.
This should be a major concern for companies irrespective of size or sector.
Factors such as the growth of hybrid working are driving this rise, which is often not considered when businesses design their mobility provision.
While allowing the grey fleet may seem like an easy and convenient option, it can lead to unmanaged business travel – trips that are only assessed and accounted for after the journey has taken place and when the mileage expense claim is submitted.
Providing appropriate alternative mobility choices can help manage costs, reduce unnecessary work trips, and ensure employees have the right insurance for business journeys while reducing emissions by providing newer and well-maintained vehicles.
There are many reasons why tracking grey fleet travel – and seeking alternative options where feasible – should be a key priority for organisations in 2026.
A better employee experience
A travel policy that embraces the growing range of new shared mobility options often results in a better overall employee travel experience.
What choices can businesses offer employees so that they don’t default to their personal car?
Membership to a local car club could be a solution, depending on where employees live and work, combined with car hire when trips with longer durations or to more remote locations are needed.
An analysis of 600 business users who participated in car-sharing organisation CoMoUK’s 2024 survey found that more than one in five (21%) said that access to an on-street car club helped them to avoid using their personal car for work trips. This is an increase from CoMoUK’s 2023 survey, when only 16% of members said they were using a car club for business travel.
Creating a tailored employee car club solution at the office, with dedicated vehicles on-site that are booked and managed with easy-to-use apps, can also offer an effective solution for employees who come into the office.
Driving down emissions
Personal cars in the UK are now, on average, almost 10 years old, according to the RAC Foundation – meaning that other travel options, especially shared and public transport alternatives, are likely to have a much lower carbon footprint.
Organisations may not realise the potential impact of the grey fleet, as many don’t even know how much of this type of business travel is taking place.
Attracting and retaining employees
Transport and business travel is a vital tool for employee retention and wellbeing.
Grey fleet may seem convenient – but that is not always the employee perception.
In one of our mobility studies, 61% of UK employees interviewed said they would consider changing jobs to work for a company that had better measures for business travel than using privately-owned cars, to avoid wear and tear on personal vehicles.
That means offering alternative options can help to keep employees happier by reducing their maintenance bills.
Taking pressure off commuting
Many employees commute to work by car to have access to their vehicle if they need to make a business trip when they’re at work.
However, our On the Move research found that 43% want less expensive commuting options, and almost one in four (24%) want a less stressful commuting experience.
Offering better alternatives to grey fleet at work gives employees the option to choose a fresh approach to commuting – one that could include active travel such as walking or cycling, or public transport.
Reducing business travel costs
Unmanaged grey fleet typically means less control over where, when and how employees travel, and journeys that neither align with the company travel policy nor offer the best value when assessed against other options.
Say four people are driving to an event each in their own car. What would be the benefit if all four took a single company vehicle? Has anyone checked if public transport is a more cost-effective fit for that journey?
Under the surface
Grey fleet has been called an ‘iceberg’ of cost, where 90% is hidden beneath the waterline. However, there are strong reasons to get to grips with it and many tools to enable businesses to manage it.
Analysing how, where, when – and perhaps most importantly, why – employees are travelling is an important starting point.
This enables businesses to identify which alternatives make sense, and how best to implement them.
Andy Bland is head of business rental UK & Ireland at Enterprise Mobility
