Hybrids topped the agenda for fleet decision-makers and suppliers in a vox-pop by Fleet News at the recent Company Car In Action event as vistors sort to establish a consensus on the right fuels for their vehicles.

Together with understanding the environmental and cost benefits of hybrids, many were also tackling the uncertain issue of whether diesels were still the right choice for their fleets.

Fleet News spoke to six visitors to the two-day event at Millbrook Proving Ground last month guaging their impressions of CCIA 2017, and the gain an insight into the most pressing fleet issues they were facing.

Paul Tyler

Sales manager

Marshall Leasing

Q. What brings you to CCIA?

A. I’ve brought two customers here, hosting them. And they’re having a brilliant time.

Q. What issues are concerning you most in fleet now?

A. Electric hybrids, as so many of my customers are looking at them. Taxation is part of the equation, and it’s as much about being aware that 75g/km CO2 emissions is the new target to aim at, and not 100g/km that some people are still clinging to. So many organisations I deal with are trying to take a more responsible, corporate attitude to minimising their carbon footprint.

My fear is that everyone knows what’s best and right, but at the moment while petrol and diesel are priced at the pumps similarly and the latter still outperforms the former, the corporate responsibility side may lead to all the responsible options being considered, but the finance director still wants drivers to be in diesel cars.

Mike Swain

Buyer

Startin Tractors

Q. What brings you to CCIA?

A. We’re running more and more cars, particularly 4x4s – we’ve just bought a Volvo XC90 hybrid – and I’m at CCIA to look at what might be suitable for me. I would need it to pull an Ifor Williams’ trailer and I’m frequently driving across fields as we buy a lot of agricultural equipment from auctions held in fields. I’ve tried the Porsche Cayenne hybrid and will be driving the Jaguar F-Pace today.

Q. What issues in fleet are concerning you most now?

A. We run a lot of Volkswagen Golfs and Passats and I believe we’ll be opting for hybrids of each in time.

The move from petrol and diesel to hybrid is firmly on the agenda. For most people that work for us the issue is around minimising personal tax. We buy our vehicles outright and most of my 50-odd drivers are quite savvy and are sensitive to this issue. We’ve taken the plunge with the Volvo and the guy that runs it loves it.

Fuel economy was not such an issue until we began to grow and now we’re looking more closely at how we can economise. But mostly the focus on hybrids is coming from drivers right now.

Re-charging isn’t a problem as most will be driving in and around a 40-mile radius of head office. The combination of petrol and electric works well with the Volvo.

Emma Hardy

Employee engagement executive

Tusker Direct

Q. What brings you to CCIA?

A. I help with vehicle selection and order advice on salary sacrifice cars so being at CCIA will improve my product knowledge, particularly on the newest models.

I’m not driving today, but I am picking up information from manufacturers – we’re talking to a lot of our manufacturer contacts - and even from sitting in the passenger seat I can gauge how comfortable that is for customers on salary sacrifice schemes interested in suitability for their families. A goal for my visit was to drive the Nissan Qashqai – and that has proved to be very positive. But across the board manufacturers are competing strongly for our business.

Q. What issues in fleet are concerning you most now?

A. Our customers look very closely at CO2 emissions and fuel economy and alongside that price and value for money around specification as well as minimising benefit in kind costs. They’re top of the agenda.

And in the last couple of weeks the issues around diesel’s suitability have arisen. Media coverage around its environmental impact has prompted questions to be asked of us and our ability to demonstrate knowledge of the issues provides comfort. We can provide perspective on what can at first be seen as alarming in the national press, for example ‘diesels are bad’.

Paul Bulloch

Managing director

Concept Vehicle Leasing

Q. What brings you to CCIA?

A. This event is fantastic in giving me the opportunity to see lots of different manufacturers in person in one place and to test drive new vehicles. I drive a BMW i3 and I’ve driven the BMW 740e for the first time here. It’s on a different scale to the i3 of course, there’s no comparison, but it was interesting to see how the hybrid technology was being adopted in the range.

I’ve also driven the Jaguar F-Pace. There’s been a lot of talk about it and I wanted to judge it for myself. I’ve looked at the 2.0-litre 180 diesel as a more sensible company car option compared to the BMW – and the Nissan Qashqai which we’ve had a lot of interest in.

I’ll be able to talk with confidence about the cars available to our customers as a result of CCIA. This is only really possible when you have driven them.

Q. What issues in fleet are concerning you most now?

A. The way the company car is perceived by government shifts from one direction to another, seemingly pro to anti. With the taxation regime now less favourable than it was towards low emission vehicles, it’s a challenge to convince drivers who want a eco-friendly car such as a Mercedes-Benz C350e or Mitsubishi PHEV, when they’re doing 45,000 miles a year, that they are not really suitable for them or the business.

I’ll persuade them through pointing out more realistic options, from vehicles to funding types – company car or opt out schemes. A lot more people are opting for personal contract hire.

Neil Jefferies

Director

Greenhatch Group

Q. What brings you to CCIA?

A. I want to make an educated assessment of cars in one place to provide guidance on the direction our fleet policy takes. It’s my first time here and it’s been an excellent event. I can’t fault it.

Q. What issues in fleet are concerning you most now?

A. At present we’ve got a mixed bag of makes and cars and we’re looking to reduce this as well as consider adding hybrids to the mix, alongside our diesel fleet. The Government needs to make up its mind on its position on diesel. Pump prices are going up, so this combined with the lack of clarity from government means we’re considering our options and right now we’re considering a 50:50 diesel versus hybrid mix.

The charging requirements are causing some issues as we have limited space at the office for charging points – we can’t have all our 45 cars queuing up at the same time for a couple of plugs.

Expecting staff to charge up at home would move us into difficult territory. These limitations have dictated the fuel ratio for us.

I’d like to bring the number of brands on our fleet down to two or three from a desire to manage it more easily, from dealing with eight or nine at once. And I’m at the Lexus stand to test its middle-executive hybrid, the IS300h.

Jane Bartlett

Client relationship manager

CLM Fleet Management

Q. What brings you to CCIA?

A. I am hoping to test the new Nissan Qashquai and the new electric Jaguar as we have a lot of interest from clients for both.

Fleet managers are wanting to know what is a good car to have on the list. There is a wide range of criteria such as perk cars, operational cars etc and I am trying to give them the right advice.

Q. What issues in fleet are concerning you most now?

A. Should we be sticking with diesel on our fleets? There’s no definitive answer yet. The Government needs to tell us its position, but right now this question must be low on its agenda.

Our clients want to know which way to go. I have come to CCIA to find out.

The key is not to panic, nothing is going to happen overnight as it is all up in the air.  I am here to find the right advice and then relay that back to our clients.