Three-quarters of UK businesses are unclear on alternative fuel policy, says Allstar

Three-quarters (75%) of UK businesses do not have a clear policy on alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), research from Allstar Business Solutions has found.

The fuel card provider also found that 27% of large corporate organisations said they planned to add AFVs to their fleets in the next three years, while overall 56% of respondents did not expect to have any by 2021.

The research also revealed that three-year running costs, vehicle practicality, vehicle availability and initial purchase price are the dominant factors determining the use of AFVs in business fleets.

Allstar found businesses prioritised certain determining factors differently, depending on the size of their organisation. 82% of corporate respondents described environmental concerns as either ‘important’ or ‘very’ important, compared to medium (73%), small (57%) and micro (61%) businesses.

Paul Holland, chief operating officer at Allstar's parent company Fleetcor UK, said: “The findings from our research highlight the challenges for the development of alternative fuels in the UK.

"Businesses want to increase their use of hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles, but our research suggests that the assessment of an alternative strategy is complex and, given this, many may struggle to prioritise this above their day-to-day operations.

"This is particularly true for small and micro businesses, which often do not possess the resources to determine a long-term alternative fuel strategy.”

For this research, Allstar surveyed 635 corporate (250+ employees), medium (50-249 employees), small (10-49 employees) and micro (1-9 employees) businesses to gauge their attitudes and concerns about AFVs. The research was conducted in February and March 2018, as part of Allstar’s annual customer satisfaction survey.

Hollland added: “One of the most significant takeaways from the research is that, whilst the UK’s infrastructure requires much development before it is ready to support widespread adoption of alternative fuel vehicles, businesses need help to establish their best options, if we are to get faster momentum."