COMPANY car operators are increasingly using mixed funding methods to acquire more expensive cars which they replace more quickly as the company car market remains buoyant, according to the latest Monks Partnership survey of company car schemes.

Researchers also found that while more and more companies offer employees the option of a cash for car scheme, uptake continues to be slow, and the report indicates a move towards more environmentally aware fleet management practices, with companies building green measures into their policies.

Compiled from responses from more than 160 companies of all sizes, the report says the most noticeable change of acquisition is a trend towards a mixed leasing and outright purchasing arrangement, with 23% of those questioned claiming a mixed method compared with 18% last year, although outright purchase and contract hire remain the most favoured options due to their ease of administration.