PHH Vehicle Management has launched a new service to target the UK's burgeoning alternatively-fuelled vehicle parc. This parc is set to exceed half a million vehicles by 2002, and manufacturers will have to include 'clean-fuelled' vehicles in their ranges to retain fleet customers, according to a new report from research organisation Marketline International.

'UK Alternative Fuel Vehicles' predicts explosive growth in the number of liquefied petroleum powered vehicles on UK roads to more than 524,000 units by 2003, driving the LPG refuelling infrastructure forward to 2,000 filling stations by the same date. Companies are so determined to go green that Marketline found more than one third (34.3%) of fleet managers would change manufacturers if they could not supply alternatively-fuelled vehicles.

But the report also reveals that 60% of fleet managers will only consider switching to gas when LPG is available across 95% of the UK. PHH's new service includes access to a specialist vehicle conversion network, finance, servicing, maintenance, repair, and a dedicated AllStar LPG/Dual Fuel card which can be used throughout the AllStar network and at Calor Gas's LPG refuelling sites.