By Steffen Müller and Richard Irvine-Brown
A weekly round-up of European and UK fleet news, this week featuring ALD’s Dutch software trial, Nissan’s fleet survey and Opel’s LCVs.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Netherlands ALD first for Sofico
ALD Automotive in the Netherlands has become the first fleet lessor to take up the Rich Internet Application (RIA) for the Miles contract hire and leasing interface from fleet management software provider Sofico.
The RIA replaces the current Rich Desktop Application, making it browser-based rather than page-based, within the Miles system, which Sofico claims will be more user-friendly, and increase the use of dashboards, charts and graphics available through the system.
Sofico estimates the Miles system is currently used to manage more than a million vehicles worldwide. ALD Automotive uses the system to manage 27,000 cars in the Netherlands and a further 63,000 cars in Belgium and Luxembourg.
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By GlobalDataRecord year for German carsharing
2012 recorded the highest ever increase in customers and vehicles registered for carsharing in Germany, with 453,000 people signed up to station-based and free-floating carsharing services by the beginning of 2013.
According to Bundesverband Carsharing, the number of customers in station-based schemes went up to 270,000, an increase of 22.7% year-on-year, with 6,700 cars in 3,250 pick-up places at their disposal, up 19.6% on the previous year.
Free-floating schemes were growing at an even faster rate, with 146,000 of 183,000 users being customers joining during the year and the number of cars available rising by 350% to 4,550. The growth has been attributed to the expansion of such schemes and their existing offers to new cities.
The figures make Germany the second-biggest international market for carsharing, by both absolute numbers and ratio.
Willi Loose, managing director of Bundesverband Carsharing, said the figures would see the company increase its campaign "for eco-friendly car use in combination with public transport and bicycle traffic".
Nissan survey highlights fleet management concerns
Nissan in the UK has said purchase and running costs and are the budget priorities for van fleet managers, according to its 2013 Van Report.
The survey found that out of 252 fleet managers, three quarters were attempting to control fuel costs against a background of rising petrol and diesel prices. 51% were using driver training to bring down costs, with 37% using speed limiters and 35% using telematics.
Other cost considerations of importance to fleet managers included: whole-life costs for 25%, front-end prices for 18%, contract hire monthly rates for 12%, strong residuals for 8%, and vehicle reliability for 7%.
Opel rolls LCVs into European fleet
Opel has rolled its light commercial vehicles (LCVs), which have experienced disappointing continental sales, into its fleet department.
Ian Hucker, European fleet director for the brand, will now oversee LCVs as part of a push to grow sales to corporate and fleet customers.
Hucker said the crossover of many elements of LCV and fleet selling, particularly customers, meant putting the two departments together made sense to increase Opel’s share in the corporate market.
Fleet Alliance hybrid B2B white paper
Fleet lessor Fleet Alliance has said tax changes due in April in the UK support the case for including hybrids in fleets and has produced a white paper to underline the argument.
From April, the capital allowance threshold for business cars drops from 160 to 130g of CO2 per km, with 100% first-year capital allowances falling from 110 to 95g/km. Concurrently, the benefit-in-kind (BiK) tax escalator will start to rise; by 1% in the tax year 2013/14 and again in 2014/15, then by 2% in 2015/16 and 2016/17.
To illustrate the value it believes hybrids can bring to fleets, Fleet Alliance drew a comparison between the Toyota Auris Hybrid 1.8 VVT i-Excel CVT, emitting 91g/km and the Ford Focus five-door 1.6 TDCi Titanium Econetic 115PS DPF, emitting 99g/km.
Between 2012/13 and 2014/15 the BiK tax on the Auris would rise 10.00% to £2,386, compared to a rise of 15.39% to £3,051 in the Focus. The level of tax payable at 20% would rise 9.91% in the Auris to £477 and rise 15.31% to £610 in the Focus.
Martin Brown, managing director of Fleet Alliance, said his company had been advising clients to adjust their near-term company car policy but advised fleet managers to be aware of the potential tax efficiency of diesel models after 2016 when the government proposes to remove the 3% surcharge on the fuel.
