CVO BAROMETER 2018

Key findings from the CVO-CSA European 2018 Fleet Barometer:

• Increasing focus on electric and hybrid vehicles

• CSR objectives progressively integrated into fleet strategies

• Significant interest in mobility services

• Development of telematics, especially in large businesses

• Markets likely to significantly grow over the next 3 years

The Corporate Vehicle Observatory just published its 14th annual fleet barometer undertaken in 12 countries across Europe. The study consisted of more than 3.000 interviews of fleet managers representing the main activity sectors as well as all fleet and company sizes (from small and medium enterprises to large corporations). The data was gathered during the first quarter of 2018 via the CATI system (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing).

1. The forthcoming years are expected to show an acceleration towards a new energy mix as fleet managers’ interest in new powertrains increases. The proportion of companies having already considered or currently considering hybrid, hybrid plug-in and electric vehicles has respectively reached 29%, 23% and 26% and globally 44% of fleet managers have already or are considering to implement in the next 3 years new energies or technologies in their fleet. The UK, Belgium and the Netherlands have a significant lead in the potential deployment of these energies.

2. Parallel to this, the survey shows that 59% of companies now take CO2 emissions into account in their car policies (Belgium, Portugal and Spain lead). As corporations are becoming increasingly conscious of their environmental impact, Corporate Social Responsibility objectives are being progressively integrated into corporate fleet strategies. Corporate fleet managers and decision makers appreciate and welcome benchmark insights on alternative strategies, fuel spending and more broadly on the total cost of ownership (TCO) of existing and new vehicle models from their leasers. The upcoming WLTP test also influences the vehicle profiles in fleets with 44% of fleet managers having already implemented or planning to implement changes to their Company Car Policies due to the new upcoming rules.

3. With regards to corporate mobility, 37% of companies are already using or will consider the use of car sharing and ride sharing in the next three years. The UK (56%), Czech Republic (47%) and France (43%) are ahead of the other countries. However, it is noted that the proportion of companies ready to give up all or part of their company cars for car sharing and ride sharing is still relatively low, with an average of 9%.

4. The barometer also contains a section dedicated to the use of management information that is sourced through Telematics and used by all types of fleet managers. On average, 20% have already implemented telematics solutions but this is ultimately 30% within large businesses (the UK, the Netherlands and Poland lead). According to the results, the rationale behind the use of telematics is related to real time vehicle location, increased road safety, journey optimisation and the lowering of fleet costs.

5. Whichever segments or locations, fleet managers that consider their respective fleets to increase over the coming three years represent a much higher proportion than those that believe their fleets will decrease. This is especially the case for medium and large companies, sizeable fleets and for markets such as the UK, Belgium, France, Italy and Spain.

The annual CVO barometer is now available on the CVO website.

The Arval teams are available to provide more detailed insights, as well as accompany their existing and prospective clients in designing and deploying future fleet strategies that meet their expectations and enable them to achieve their long term goals.