Volvo's simplicity and transparency is winning more fleet friends

Volvo has made great strides in reinventing its image over the past seven years away from the safe, but dull, persona. More recently, the Swedish brand has undergone a significant trans­formation as it readies itself for an electric future, embraces digital sales channels and seeks a larger share of the corporate car parc.

Leading the brand’s fleet and remarketing strategy is Rob Morris (left) who joined the manufacturer in January 2021. He replaced Steve Beattie, who had successfully delivered on a plan to get the marque featured on more choice lists.

An influx of updated products and the launch of Volvo’s first two electric cars cemented its credibility with corporate customers. Today, 95% of its true fleet order bank is for plug-in vehicles.

Morris says:

“There’s been some significant changes in the product, but don’t let that take away from anything that our teams have done. We’ve changed the way in which we engage with the marketplace, and we’ve changed to have a premium mindset. That’s been a significant part of it.”

Morris comes from Mercedes-Benz, where he was national fleet operations manager, and has been joined by ex-BMW man Jack Munford, as national fleet sales manager. Together they bring valuable premium-brand experience to Volvo.

Volvo’s penetration of the Fleet200 (the UK’s biggest fleet operators) is now at its highest level and Morris says the brand is currently trading at 20% ahead of the premium true fleet market.