Arval tool helps drivers with alternative fuel choice

A new online tool from Arval is designed to help company car drivers decide whether more diverse fuel choices such as electric and hybrid power is right for them.  

Called the Alternative Technology Calculator, it poses a series of questions about individual driver journey patterns for work and leisure, the types of roads used, benefit-in-kind taxation and access to charging.

It then asks users to choose between models they are considering, which will usually be a specific petrol or diesel against a specific plug-in hybrid or electric vehicle (EV). The calculator will then make a recommendation, highlighting the advantages of the preferred option.

Paul Marchment, senior business manager at Arval, said: “With the introduction of more diverse fuel choices such as pure electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles, coupled with the current taxation regime, the decision making process for drivers when choosing a new car is now much more complicated than at any point in the past.  

“The combination of factors that need to be considered should encourage people to think about how and where they are using their vehicles because the correct usage of the newer technology is vital to ensure that the potential benefits are realised.

“No two drivers are the same and this should be reflected in the technology they opt for. While one driver may benefit from adopting an electric or plug-in hybrid model, a driver who has a long commute or spends a lot of time on the road may still be better suited to a diesel or petrol model, even when taxation is taken into account.” 

Arval recently underlined its own commitment to fuel diversity with the news that it would be fitting 43 EV chargers at its Swindon headquarters, one of the country’s largest corporate installations of its type.

Marchment concluded: “It is very much our policy to demonstrate our commitment to fuel diversity in a real world manner and our own company car drivers have become among the most enthusiast users of the new calculator.”

To access the tool, click here.