Grant goes green

Grant goes green

Posted by

Martin Brown

June 2018

It’s true. After years of company car driving I’m taking my first steps into greener motoring.

I’m moving to a plug-in hybrid Volvo XC60. That’s the T8 Twin Engine model with the ability to run up to 28 miles on zero emission mode.

Why?

Well, there were twin drivers: Fleet Alliance has a big green agenda to help companies take greener decisions that lower the environmental cost of fleet motoring; the second was reducing my benefit in kind exposure.

My current car is a Land Rover Discovery Sport and I’m paying nearly £400 a month in BIK tax. So I was looking for something to lower my tax or possibly consider a cash alternative. But I like a company car and didn’t really want to do that. But I did want another SUV.

And that’s where the Volvo XC60 made such sense.

My current Discovery Sport has CO2 emissions of 139g/km and monthly BIK of £367; the new Volvo XC60 has 52g/km of CO2 emissions and BIK of £238 – despite a P11D value that is £17,000 more than the Land Rover. A BIK saving of £129 a month is well worth taking – especially when you have kids!

 

The other reason was my actual journey structure – and this is something we analyse for clients: how is the vehicle used? Are you making the correct choice of vehicles for the journeys being undertaken?

My mileage is 15,000 a year. Most of my business travel is by train or plane, simply because of our Glasgow location. So I don’t need the diesel for mileage reasons.

I come into the Fleet Alliance HQ about three times a week and my commute is 21 miles. So I can do that comfortably within the zero emission capability of the Volvo. We have some Fleet Alliance provided EV chargers at Skypark where we are based, so  I can recharge the Volvo for my journey home. Again in zero emission mode.

I know this, because I tried it with a Volvo XC60 T8 I had for evaluation. And when I’m at home, I can recharge it via a three pin plug from the hallway – I’ve ordered the optional 4.5m charge cable to make sure it reaches.

Charge time takes about three and a half hours.

And of course, it’s not only BIK I’m saving, but fuel costs too.  I reckon I’ll be saving over £20 a week on diesel – and just as importantly, helping improve the air quality in Glasgow.

So that’s why Grant is going green!

Savings for me in BIK and fuel; savings for air quality around Glasgow. It makes us all winners.


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