Daimler will cut fixed costs, capital expenditure research and development costs more than 20% by 2025 compared with 2019 levels as part of a strategy overhaul to reposition Mercedes-Benz more upmarket as a luxury brand. The company’s ambition is to achieve a double-digit return on sales margin by doubling sales of Maybach branded cars, and ramping up … [Read more...]
Tradelines 9 September
Honda UK has announced pricing for the anticipated expanded Civic Type R family. Set to hit retail forecourts over the next few weeks, the entry level model will cost £32,820, both the GT and the Sportline are an additional £2,000 and the range topping Limited Edition Civic Type R is £39,995, while PCP pricing has also been confirmed for the new car with … [Read more...]
Tax break to push company car drivers into evs
Eight out of ten business employees who currently opt out of a company car scheme are ‘likely’ or ‘very likely’ to move back to company cars and these will be electric, according to a survey by DriveElectric, one of the UK’s leading EV leasing companies. The return to company cars rather than employees taking car allowances is being driven by a number of … [Read more...]
Avoid being driven to distraction
IAM RoadSmart has called for businesses to urgently tackle the issue of distracted drivers at the wheel and overhaul their safety at work policies – to help stem the tide of avoidable crashes on our roads. The UK’s biggest independent road safety charity has just published a white paper called Driving While Distracted: Challenges and Solutions, which … [Read more...]
BMW drivers are UK’s worst, says insurer
GoCompare Car Insurance says BMW drivers are the worst in the UK. They are most likely to speed, run a red light or make an at-fault claim, according to data held by the insurer. A study by GoCompare Car Insurance has found that BMW drivers are the most likely to be convicted of an offence and cause a collision on the road. More than one in six BMW … [Read more...]
Extending ‘company car’ benefits
Interest is growing from businesses looking to provide vehicle solutions to their entire employee base including those not entitled to a company car, reports Arval. The vehicle leasing company says that employers increasingly want to offer a broader mix of vehicle solutions to more employees – and that a range of products including personal lease and … [Read more...]
SUVs’ abilities need explaining to company users
Company car drivers may need to be warned of the limitations of their vehicles in winter driving conditions, Arval is warning, highlighting SUVs as a prime example. These vehicles are increasingly attractive to fleets and their drivers for many reasons but the company says that some drivers mistakenly believe that relatively lightweight, two-wheel drive … [Read more...]
BIK burden soars for company cars
Data experts cap hpi revealed the tax burden on company car drivers has soared over the last decade. The study looked at the popular fleet vehicle the BMW 320d SE and found that while the list price of the vehicle had risen by 23%, the BIK had risen 105% since 2009. In the same period, real wages have only risen 20%. The company is calling for the … [Read more...]
Fleet car risks poorly considered, say analysts
Risk management of cars is being “given much lower priority” than vans across a wide range of fleets, says management software specialist FleetCheck. The reasons, explained Peter Golding, managing director, were that vans tended to be viewed more as working tools that were often treated roughly by their users, while cars were seen more as personal … [Read more...]
Fleet numbers will grow, predict Arval
Despite uncertain conditions, a net 20% of businesses believe that the number of vehicles they operate will grow in the next three years, according to new research by Arval. The figure – which shows those companies predicting an increase minus those who foresee a decrease - is virtually identical to last year when a net 21% of fleets said that they were … [Read more...]
