RELIABILITY, whole life costs and CO2 emissions head the list of factors considered essential by company car operators when setting fleet policies, according to the latest quarterly Company Car Trends research from GE Capital Fleet Services.
Topping the list for more than half (53%) of the respondents questioned was reliability, although almost as many (48%) opted for whole life costs.
In third place, thanks to its impact on taxation and overall fleet performance, was CO2 output (32%. Vehicle purchasing price, along with the discount received, was also important (30%).
Interestingly, just 10% of those taking part in Company Car Trends said that corporate brand and image are essential when drawing up policies.
The overall results were:
- Reliability 53%
- Whole life costs 48%
- CO2 emissions 32%
- Vehicle purchase price and discount 30%
- Residual values 22%
- Fuel consumption 19%
- Corporate brand and image 10%
Gary Killeen, Managing Director at GE Capital Fleet Services, said: “This research really underlines the role of the company car as a practical working tool for UK businesses.
“Image-based considerations are placed at the bottom of the list while practical factors such as reliability, whole life costs and CO2 emissions head the table. At a time when the economy is improving, this shows how fleets continue to manage with a mindset that is only just moving out of recessionary mode.”