Mobile damage repair network Shine! added plug-in hybrids (PHEV) to its company vehicles, to meet environmental, tax and cost objectives, with help from Fleet Alliance.
Shine! added four Volkswagen Golf GTE PHEVs to its existing vehicles following input from Fleet Alliance Appointed Representative, Chris Rowthorn.
Shine! is one of four businesses that make up the automotive insurance products and warranty provider, AutoProtect Group.
Shine! said it was looking to provide company vehicles for its management team for the first time, with ESG, cost and tax issues at the forefront of any selection decision.
Rowthorn was able to provide detailed costings for up to 10 vehicles, with the GTE coming out as the overall winner on a whole-life cost basis.
Liam Buckley, finance operations manager at Shine!, said: “All our drivers are very happy and have been very complimentary about the selection process.
“Chris Rowthorn was excellent in providing a full breakdown of costings so we could complete the necessary calculations and provide transparency on the financials.
“In addition to the specifications, costings and other charges, he also provided an alternative model for every vehicle we requested for comparison purposes, which not only simplified but sped up the decision-making process.
“He also provided provisional calculations on our carbon reduction from the new vehicles which I will be presenting at Board level.
“I cannot recommend not only Chris but Fleet Alliance enough for the customer journey we have experienced – we could not be happier.”
Rowthorn added: “Shine! was looking for an environmental and cost effective solution.
“The Golf GTE plug-in hybrid combines a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor to achieve up to 82 miles on electric power alone, with a CO2 output of just 7g/km. It can be charged from a home charger or a 50 kW fast charger.
“I was able to demonstrate that, although the leasing costs for the GTE were marginally higher, the total cost of ownership, once factors such as the fuel cost and employer’s NI were taken into account, was substantially lower and was a perfect fit for their needs.
“As a result, Shine! has achieved a 96% reduction in its carbon emissions for this cohort of drivers equivalent to reducing its carbon output by 109.2 tonnes of CO2 over the term of the lease agreements,
“That is the equivalent of the carbon output of 1,824 tree seedlings being grown for 10 years.”
Fleet Alliance provided Shine! with access to its cloud-based fleet management and reporting system, e-Fleet, to allow it to manage every aspect of its fleet operation in real time.
