Transition to zero emissions ‘biggest’ challenge for fleets

Two-in-five fleets (39%) report that implementing zero emissions policies is the number one issue they will face over the next three years, new research suggests.

Their next biggest challenge, according to the 2024 Arval Mobility Observatory Barometer, will be adapting to low emissions zones (38%), followed by adjusting to restrictive public policies on petrol and diesel (37%) and mitigating against rising vehicle whole life costs (31%).

Shaun Sadlier, head of Arval Mobility Observatory in the UK, said: “There are a wide range of challenges currently facing fleets, almost certainly more than at any point in the history of the sector, and the results for this question in the Barometer show which are weighing most heavily on the minds of decision makers.

“Overall, these difficulties are rated by fleets in much the same order as when asked last year, showing that the issues which our sector faces are persisting.

“Progress is being made in all of these areas, something that we see every day at Arval UK, but none are likely to be resolved very quickly.”

Other responses included encouraging more responsible driving among employees (30%), managing longer vehicle delivery times (29%), adjusting to new home and office working patterns (22%) and implementing mobility solutions such as car sharing (16%).

“Unsurprisingly, the highest rated answers relate to the transition of zero emissions vehicles, in terms of their implementation through fleet and Government policies, and handling them in an operational sense when it comes to low emissions zones, accounting for all of the top three answers,” Sadlier continued.

“While huge strides are being made here, these are subjects that we expect to continue to dominate the fleet agenda for the next few years.”

The research also showed the continuing effects of some of the issues that have followed in the wake of the pandemic, such as much extended vehicle delivery times and the impact of hybrid working.

“These are now facts of everyday life in fleet management terms, but there is still some discussion about the best solutions and strategies to apply to them, an area in which we are closely involved from a consultancy point of view at Arval UK,” said Sadlier.

“Finally, core fleet management issues are also mentioned, especially encouraging more responsible driving and mitigating rising total cost of ownership (TCO).

“Certainly, there is ongoing interest from fleets in increasing the effectiveness of risk management policies, and higher TCO figures for all vehicle types are a concern for almost everyone.”