Fleet briefs: Latest industry news from Alphabet, RAC, Intelligent Car Leasing and Abax

RAC makes paying for breakdown cover more flexible for SMEs 

The RAC is giving its small business customers a new level of financial flexibility which allows them to spread the cost of their breakdown policies via monthly rolling contracts paid for on Direct Debit.

The move to monthly rolling contract follows the introduction last year of annual continuous card and annual Direct Debit payments for the RAC’s 12 or 24-month fixed policies.

Monthly rolling contracts are designed to make the RAC’s breakdown cover as simple as possible for businesses of all sizes from sole traders to those with fleets of up to 99 vehicles.

Businesses can alter their policies at any time in line with their changing needs by adding or removing vehicles or increasing, or decreasing, their cover level. They also have the right to cancel at any time without penalty. 

Nicky Brown, head of the RAC’s small business team, said: “Working with so many small companies we know how important breakdown cover is to ensuring smooth and efficient business operation every day, but we are also very aware in such difficult economic times that many may want to alter this according to their changing needs.

“Having flexible rolling monthly contracts that can be amended at any point to better manage outgoings at time of rising costs is a definite benefit for any small business. It also lessens the admin burden associated with invoices and managing cashflow.

“We believe this delivers just what small companies need in this challenging climate: a convenient way of spreading costs while still ensuring they always have the right level of cover in place to quickly get any of their vehicles moving again should they break down.”

Companies taking out Roadside, Recovery and At Home or Van Total RAC Small Business Breakdown policies from up to May 31, 2023 will benefit from free Battery Replace which covers the replacement and fitting of faulty batteries up to £600.

The cost for a single car is £13.50 a month, dropping to £6 per car for fleets of 25-plus.

For Van Total – which includes unlimited call-outs, recovery to anywhere in the UK, van-for-van replacement or overnight accommodation – the cost is £17 a month for a single van or £8.50 per van for fleets of 25 or more.

Abax launches van store inventory solution for fleets

Abax has announced the launch of Abax Smart Inventory, a van store inventory solution that provides real-time oversight of customers’ tool inventories, across multiple vehicles.

If a van doesn’t contain a required tool, drivers and fleet managers will be alerted within minutes to any items they have forgotten or left behind, says Abax.

This allows them to recover equipment quickly, thus minimising any loss of income from jobs lost or delayed because vans aren’t fully equipped.

It also helps to reduce the cost to businesses from lost tools.

One customer in the UK construction industry noted that drivers waste around 50 hours a week returning to collect forgotten items, with around £200,000 worth of tools missing in the last year.

While construction is an industry that could benefit from the solution, it is being trialled by ambulance services, helping to ensure that all vehicles are fully equipped and ensuring life-saving equipment is not left behind.

Craig Allan, UK commercial director at Abax, said: “We have developed Abax Smart Inventory to meet clear customer needs that many have said they’ve been trying to resolve for years.

“We know our customers regularly waste significant time, money and resources because their vans aren’t properly stocked, or because they have left tools behind.

“Tracking systems are helpful in identifying where the items are, but Abax Smart Inventory goes much further – it provides peace of mind for fleet managers and business owners, as they know drivers always have the tools they need to get on with the job in hand.

“Already our clients using the solution have found it drives efficiencies and saves them time, money and resource.”

Morten Strand, CEO of Abax added: “At Abax, we are always striving to make our customers’ everyday lives easier by helping them to manage their mobile business – it’s what we call smart mobility.

“Abax Smart Inventory will help customers from multiple industries to deliver huge efficiencies.

“It’s the first solution of its kind in the market, and through Abax Smart Inventory we are confident that we will unlock additional opportunities with new and existing clients.”

Intelligent Car Leasing renews sponsorship with Celtic FC

Intelligent Car Leasing (ICL) has renewed its sponsorship deal with Scottish Premier League giants, Celtic FC, for a further three years.

The new deal, which includes both men’s and women’s teams, continues a nine-year partnership as ICL has been the official vehicle leasing partner since 2014 to Celtic FC, which has just won its eleventh Premier League title in the last 12 seasons.

Over the sponsorship period, Glasgow-based ICL has helped the world-famous football club reduce its carbon footprint significantly, with a steady supply of new cars for the club’s administration staff.

The new arrangement includes continued assistance for the charitable Celtic FC Foundation, with a pledge to support the charity with £10 for every vehicle ICL puts on the road throughout the sponsorship period.

Martin Brown, chair of ICL, said: “We are delighted to be able to announce our continued partnership with Celtic FC and continue to assist it on its journey to a greener motoring future.

“As a company we are fully committed to switching drivers into electric vehicles, and indeed our own fleet went fully electric in 2021.

“The inclusion of EVs on the Celtic fleet has undoubtedly helped cut its carbon footprint while, at the same time, the charitable side of the club has our full support and aligns with our own company values. We greatly look forward to the continuation of our relationship.”

Adrian Filby, commercial director of Celtic Football Club, said: “Celtic is delighted to continue its relationship with ICL, a company which has provided tremendous commercial and charitable support to the Club for many years now.   

“To enjoy such a lengthy, successful relationship, demonstrates our alignment as organisations. 

“In addition to the fantastic commercial support we receive as a club, we would also like to thank ICL for their continued and sincere commitment to our charitable dimension.

“We really look forward to delivering our partnership with ICL until 2026 and to the benefits this will bring to the Club and our supporters.”

Lack of CO2 monitoring in European fleets, says Alphabet

There is a significant gap between companies' acknowledgement of sustainability as a crucial factor in their business decisions and their actual monitoring and reduction of CO₂ emissions, research from Alphabet suggests.

Alphabet has released the results of its European Fleet Emission Monitor (EFEM) survey, which reveals that, while 51% of companies recognise the importance of sustainability in their decision-making, only 37% of them actively monitor their emissions.

Moreover, 17% of companies surveyed had no knowledge of their CO₂ emissions at all.

The survey highlights the need for a holistic tool to measure and reduce fleet CO₂ emissions and the potential of sustainability to be a deal-breaker for companies, says Alphabet.

More than half (61%) of companies acknowledge the importance of sustainability in their fleet planning, with a similar proportion (60%) recognising its overall significance in making business decisions. However, the majority still neglect CO₂ monitoring.

The survey also revealed that electrification is still the biggest challenge for customers' journey towards sustainability.

A staggering 69% of customers believe that their fleets will eventually be fully electrified, with 30% expecting their fleets to be completely petrol- and diesel-free within the next six to ten years.

However, the survey also showed significant obstacles that must be addressed before electrified fleets become a reality.

An overwhelming 94% of fleet managers cited major obstacles in their path towards electrification, with range (38%) and charging infrastructure (36%) topping the list respectively. 

Markus Deusing (pictured), CEO of Alphabet International, believes that the survey is “a wake-up call for companies to take immediate action to reduce their emissions and adopt a more sustainable approach.”

He emphasises that “sustainability has gained a much higher significance in decision-making over the past couple of years, and success and sustainability need to be compatible.”

Download the full “European Fleet Emission Monitor” here.