ONLINE new and used car buying service Autobytel is planning a major assault on the fleet market to persuade the industry about the benefits of electronic commerce. The move comes as the firm prepares to announce the launch of a trial project with a major daily rental company to help it dispose of vehicles.

The name of the rental firm is being kept under wraps, but Kevin Turnbull, chief executive of Autobytel, believes it indicates the readiness of the industry to consider alternatives to traditional disposal methods. In the five months since the firm's launch, 6,000 purchase requests for new and used vehicles came through the website, from 510,000 visitors.

He said: 'We loaded their stock on to Cyberstore last week and had our first sale the next day and because it is direct, we are giving much better value than through traditional routes of disposal.' Turnbull, speaking on the company's 'car buyers' paradise' stand at the show, insisted that fleets were ready to consider obtaining and selling cars over the internet.