Fleet and individual requirements need to be taken into account to ensure an organisation uses the best fuel for its vehicles, says Airmax Remote.

The telematics company analysed data relating to the performance of diesel, petrol and plug-in hybrid powertrains used by three executive saloon cars over three different distances – 200 miles, 20 miles and three miles - in September, to determine which fuel provides the best economy in those circumstances (see table below).

The research found that the shorter the journey, the greater the efficiency PHEVs achieved, overtaking petrol and closing the gap on diesel in terms of pure average mpg.

However, over longer distances, diesel still presents the more cost-effective fuel choice.

Dan Faulkner, head of sales at Airmax Remote, said: “Our findings help support the idea that fleet choice and policy should be flexible around the needs and profile of the fleet and even individuals within a fleet rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

“Fuel costs are a large portion of a fleet’s spend, and we know fleet providers and fleet managers are constantly looking at ways to reduce or manage this spend.

“Having the availability of accurate data is key to making informed choices.”

 

Fuel type

Distance

Ave MPG

MPG range

PHEV

200 miles

45.9

34.1 – 60.4

Petrol

200 miles

61

56 - 72

Diesel

200 miles

61.7

46 - 110

PHEV

20 miles

37.6

18.2 – 50.9

Petrol

20 miles

36.9

24.1 – 56.3

Diesel

20 miles

44.1

14,7 – 75.1

PHEV

3 miles

24.5

9.8 – 82.8

Petrol

3 miles

24.3

4.8 – 50.5

Diesel

3 miles

29.2

4.1 – 67.6