Fleet Manager's Friend help London Chauffeur company cut insurance costs

A new London-based electric vehicle chauffeur service, All Electric Chauffeur Services, has cut its insurance premium by 22%.

The savings came after the company sought advice from risk managment specialist, Fleet Managers' Friend.

All Electric Chauffeur Services has launched with a fleet of Tesla Model S zero emission electric luxury cars. The company, which specialises in chauffeuring in and around the city of London, has plans to operate a twenty five strong fleet of the electric cars by the end of 2015.

Critical to All Electric Chauffeur Services achieving the saving on their insurance premium was the FMF consultancy’s advice to: equip the fleet with forward-facing 3G cameras linked to a central computer screen and to send all the company’s chauffeurs on a specialist electric vehicle driving course.

Both were in addition to undertaking best practice checks on the chauffeurs including driving licence validation with the DVSA and creating a range of driver guides and awareness communications.

Paul Holmes, who launched FMF last year, said: “The company was shocked at the insurance quote it received. Subsequently we were contacted and, following a detailed review of the operation, we recommended a range of actions all designed to reduce risk and therefore costs. That resulted in All Electrical Chauffeur Services achieving a twenty two % reduction in its premium from the same insurance broker, when compared to the quote supplied prior to the engagement of FMF."

Holmes added: “In the coming months all of the actions we have introduced will be continually reviewed and, if required, adjusted to ensure optimum performance is achieved.”

Costas Galonis one of the directors of All Electrical Chauffeur Services, which will operate within the M25, said: “The work we have done with FMF is very much based around our unique operating model and therefore the techniques we have introduced have been designed specifically for our needs. The forward-facing camera technology we have introduced will help reduce risks while our drivers are undertaking chauffeuring duties."

“Additionally, while we have selected drivers who are trained chauffeurs driving an electric car requires different techniques to a conventional petrol or diesel vehicle notably in relating to braking and accelerating." he said "Consequently, we are sending all of our chauffeurs on the special course that will teach them electric vehicle driving best practice techniques and refresh their chauffeuring skills.”

Holmes concluded: “Working with a blank canvass is always a challenge, but once we understood the requirements of the All Electrical Chauffeur Services’ business, the team put a risk reduction structure in place that fits with the operation and the insurers seemed very pleased with what we did, hence the drop in premium costs.

“We will continue to work with All Electric Chauffeur Services and having delivered a twenty two % insurance premium saving in their first year our aim is to deliver a fifty% saving in the second year.”