The average mileage of cars and vans has increased year-on-year since 2006, according to a study of more than 130,000 business vehicles.

The study, from LeasePlan UK, reveals that the average vehicle mileage has risen from just over 21,000 miles in 2006 to nearly 23,500 in 2009.

In addition, it shows a downward trend in emissions, which has seen average CO2 emissions for new company cars drop by 14% since 2005.

But the LeasePlan study does not differentiate between business mileage and private mileage, so whether the increase is as a result of increased business use remains unclear.

The LeasePlan results also contradict a recent BVRLA survey which reported a sharp fall in annual company vehicle mileage from 21,643 miles in 2007 to 19,617 last year.

However, the BVRLA study did mirror the downward trend in emissions, with it reporting a fall from an average of 157.4g/km in 2007 to 149.9g/km in 2008.

With mileage increasing – for some fleets at least - managers must consider how this will impact when setting accurate mileage at the start of a lease contract.

LeasePlan say that is a vehicle’s mileage looks likely to exceed agreed limits there were several options open to fleets.

For example, a contract could be rescheduled with amended monthly payments to reflect the new mileage, or fleets could opt for its ‘Open Calculation’ service, which provides a fleet funding and management solution where all costs are visible from the start with no penalties.

However, for those fleets which are not signed up to such a service, choosing to terminate a contract early as a result of high mileage will be at a cost.

LeasePlan couldn’t supply specific figures for early termination as they would depend on vehicle, finance type, mileage driven, condition of vehicle, market conditions and the original contract between the company and the client.