News - Page 2134

TWO car manufacturers are understood to be preparing bids for ACL autolease and Highway Vehicle Management amid the biggest shake-up in the history of the contract hire industry.

TOYOTA'S fleet leasing customers are set to benefit from a new transparent pricing initiative for vehicle maintenance. Known as the national fleet servicing programme, the initiative is designed to make the range more attractive and affordable to major fleet operators and reduce service, maintenance and repair costs.

ROVER says soaring sales means it no longer needs to continue its residual value guarantee scheme on the 75, which had to be revised after it was criticised by fleets for being over-complicated.

LEASE PLAN is continuing its ambitious drive into e-commerce in a new venture with the UK's leading internet portal - Freeserve. The rapidly expanding fleet management company has signed a deal to dispose of its ex-lease vehicles via Freeserve's online auction pages – FSauctions.

CITROEN is offering the Saxo at less than £6,000 on-the-road by removing the free insurance sales incentive in a move inspired by the fleet market. The 'unbundling' of added-value offerings follows on from Vauxhall's 'value pricing' sales campaign in April and was one of the key demands made by the Consumers' Association for manufacturers to cut new car prices, make pricing comparisons easier and give customers a choice of services.

DHL has signed a global leasing arrangement with Lease Plan which will see the contract hire operator supply 1,500 vehicles in the UK as part of a deal covering the courier firm's total global fleet of more than 10,000.

THE first Fleet News UK Congress will be held on November 28, 2000 at London's Olympia Conference Centre, where fleet decision makers will be able to gain a unique insight into the future shape of the UK fleet market from a host of major speakers who will address key industry issues.

PHOTOCARD driving licence applications can now be checked at more than 200 selected main Post Offices across the country. Previously, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency handled all checking procedures.

VELO has decided not to replace its managing director Nigel Stead, who left the company in March. Company chief executive and chairman Nigel Stephens is acting managing director in Stead's place.

TRAFFICMASTER says it is in discussion with 'several large fleet operators' wanting to use FleetStar, the group's new fleet tracking and information service launched last month.

MAY produced record fleet sales as corporate customers abandoned their 'wait and see' policy - adopted amid intense speculation over new car prices. The pent-up demand - caused by a larger than expected freeze on corporate new car buying ahead of publication of the Competition Commission's New Car Inquiry report - triggered a 10% increase in fleet sales.

FLEET diesel sales increased year-on-year for the third month this year as fleet managers grasp the implications of new emissions-based company car tax scheme to be introduced in April.

ANALYSIS of the resale value of Rovers by Glass's Information Services has revealed 'mixed' results with cars up to four years old suffering less from the trials at the company than newer models. This month's Glass's Guide Fleet Digest reveals that the Rover 200 has fared better than the older 800 at disposal. The residual values of a Rover 216 SLi year-on-year between 1994 and 1997 are 35%, 34%, 39% and 33% while those for an 820Si are 30%, 31%, 26% and 20%.

A GROUND-breaking Government scheme to slash company fuel costs and clean up the environment wants every fleet in the country to take part. Motorvate sets targets for fleets to improve fuel efficiency and lower total emissions from transport and was launched with the backing of six fleets, including some of the most high-profile names in the country.

THE Government has defended its commitment to the environment after all but one of its fleets failed to sign up to its ground-breaking Motorvate scheme. Only the Department of Social Security, which runs a fleet of 80 liquefied petroleum gas vehicles, was among the six fleets which signed up for the launch.

TARGETS set by the scheme to slash fuel use and CO2 emissions could lead to a swing to diesel among fleets taking part.

THRIFTY Car Rental UK has introduced new features to its UK website allowing customers to make car rental bookings on-line.

FLEET managers using contract hire are throwing away thousands of pounds by failing to make sure drivers look after their cars - and incurring hefty charges from suppliers to repair damage.

ROBERT Couldwell has left SEAT as head of business sales and marketing to set up his own fleet consultancy business. He will continue to work with SEAT on a consultancy basis, specialising in providing residual value comparisons.

THE boss of the UK's biggest motor manufacturer and leading economic experts have cast doubts over the internet's potential to replace traditional dealer-based new car retail operations.

DIXON Motors has launched a head-to-head battle against firms undercutting UK dealerships with cut-price European imports by abandoning 'fantasy' list prices.

THE biggest shake-up in the history of the contract hire industry has prompted suppliers to calm fleet customers' nerves over the potential effect on service levels.

ONE of the most proactively 'green' companies in the country has slammed Government workplace parking charge proposals as an unwelcome and ineffective tax that will hit those who can least afford it.

THE Government looks set to back away from its controversial 3% tax penalty on all diesels under the CO2-based tax regime following a hard-hitting industry campaign.

A RADICAL bid to kill-off CO2-based company car tax and abandon use of list prices in tax calculations has fallen at the first hurdle. Shadow Treasury spokesman Howard Flight introduced the amendments at a House of Commons Committee debating the Finance Bill.

FORD has vowed not to abandon its franchised dealer operations in Britain, whatever the legislative outcome of the New Car Pricing inquiry, due to be announced by Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers this weekend.

FLEETS will not be able to benefit from Rover's decision to offer a 10% reduction in retail prices until the end of this month.

YOUR friendly local milkman and his electric milk float could soon be at the cutting edge of e-commerce. Express Dairies is planning to use its fleet as the vital delivery link between internet companies and their customers.

THE Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is launching an international research programme to provide a clear guide to the dangers of distractions motorists face while driving. The programme will amass research from throughout the world to create a guide to the risk of different activities from smoking, eating and drinking, to reading maps and using mobile phones, marked on a 10-point risk scale.

A GROUNDSWELL of support for the company car and the fleet manager has been revealed in an exclusive survey carried out in