When it’s time to think about refreshing your business fleet, there is a lot to think about.
Your top priority will depend on your business, but there are a number of concerns that constantly appear on the list of factors to consider. From safety – and how likely a vehicle is to be involved in a serious car accident – to fuel efficiency, there are lots of boxes to check for fleet managers.
Fuel efficiency
Keeping the costs down is important to most businesses. Spending as little as possible on fuel will, therefore, be a key concern for many. An electric or hybrid vehicle will give the most mileage for your buck. So if fuel efficiency is the most important thing to you, it’s worth making a shortlist of these cars.
The Toyota Prius has long been the hybrid poster car, being the first one produced on a mass scale. This is a solid choice for most road journeys, as is the Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid. When it comes to pure petrol – or diesel – Ford has a strong MPG record, while the Skoda Octavia is an incredibly popular vehicle for this reason.
Safety
One of the most important things to consider, a car’s safety rating can mean the difference between life and death. Keeping your colleagues safe on their journeys will always be at the forefront of any fleet manager’s mind. This is particularly true if your organisation has a history of car accident claims, which can have a resulting impact on workforce absenteeism and productivity, as well as insurance and maintenance costs.
According to the RAC, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class is the safest family hatchback on the market, while the Volkswagen T-Roc and Hyundai Nexo are some of the safest SUVs available. If you’re looking for a hybrid with a strong safety record, the Lexus ES might be the one for you.
Typical use
Think about what the main purpose for your fleet is. Are your drivers crossing the country’s motorways for sales meetings? Are they travelling down bumpy rural roads to evaluate the environmental impacts of new developments? Are they heading from one part of the city to the other multiple times a day?
These journeys all require different elements from a vehicle. Taking into account what your drivers need a car for will help you narrow down what you need. After all, there’s no point giving a city driver an SUV, while a countryside driver will need something more robust than an estate.
Cost
Perhaps top of the list for many organisations, the cost of a vehicle can be the deciding factor. When this is the case, it’s important not to just consider the sale or lease price of a vehicle over another. You’ll need to take into account the whole life cost of the car.
Think about fuel efficiency, insurance, tax and maintenance, as well as anything else you might have to pay out for during the length of the vehicle’s life. When all this is considered, it may make that great deal you’ve been offered not quite the winner you initially thought it was.
Size
You need a car that can carry all of your work equipment. The amount of space you’ll need will depend entirely on your specific role, but you will have to ensure that you don’t underestimate that. Boot space is important, but also think about whether you’ll need roof racks and additional storage on top.
Consider space for passengers too. Your colleagues may have to ferry around more than just tools and objects. If these are adults, you’ll also want to think about the amount of leg room available to them.
Image
Although some may think that taking a car manufacturer’s brand and vehicle image into consideration when deciding on which vehicles to choose is superficial, there is a good reason to think about what your car looks like.
If you’re showing up to sales meetings in your company vehicle, it’s always good to impress those you’re meeting. A luxury brand can do this, so look at Mercedes, Range Rover and Jaguar. Meanwhile, if you are going to be carrying out a service for your customers, you’ll want something that conveys a certain level of trust and authority.
