Just where are you on blurred seasonality?
Maybe I’m getting older and more curmudgeonly but I really find it irksome when Christmas starts in the shops mid-November.
OK, I know they have a job to do but if you’re not careful the magic of Christmas can run out before the big day finally arrives.
There are only so many mince pies you can get through after all…
And then there’s the Chancellor, George Osborne.
I mean, just where does autumn begin and end? An Autumn Statement delivered in…December? Seasonally speaking we’re in winter – come on George, never mind the leaves falling it’s the chilly breeze that’s blowing now.
OK, so semantics aside, what did you make of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement? Politically pitched, certainly, but there was some certainty in there for fleets with the news of the freeze on fuel duty. The knowledge that running costs are being held in check, at a time when fuel costs are on the slide, is particularly welcome.
Of course, things might change the other side of an election, so that shouldn’t mean a relaxation of fleet policy! If anything, now is the opportunity to explore further ways to reduce fuel expenditure while there’s this stable fuel price window.
So what about alternative fuel options?
Now’s the time I reckon, given the other announcement not so clearly trumpeted in the Autumn Statement was this: further investment in electric vehicle charging points up and down the UK to the tune of £15 million between 2015-16 and 2020-21.
There are now some 7,500 electric points in nearly 3,000 locations and this further investment will add considerably to the coverage.
So should your fleet start adding electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids to choice lists?
Answer: Yes.
Or, at the very least, start scoping the possibility of doing so. We’ve taken the plunge here at Fleet Alliance towers.
We’ve now got two electric Nissan Leaf models on our fleet and we’ve partnered with Skypark – home of Fleet Alliance HQ – to install and support the cost of an electric vehicle charging point feeding two bays in the visitor parking area.
And we’d encourage you to take similar decisions. Ultra low emission vehicles can help you reduce running costs dramatically, push down the benefit in kind exposure of your company drivers, and at the same time help clean up air quality.
The Chancellor has thrown his weight behind cleaner car technology. And it’s where we see the fleet future – whether it’s a late autumn in winter or an early summer in spring…
Just where are you on blurred seasonality? Maybe I’m getting older and more curmudgeonly but I really find it irksome when Christmas starts in the shops mid-November. OK, I know they have a job to do but if you’re not careful the magic of Christmas can run out before the big day finally arrives. There … Continued
Some people accuse me of talking a lot of hot air. Slightly unfair I feel, but sometimes I see their point. Anyway, we like the idea of going green here at Fleet Alliance, not least because we all want cleaner air and a reversal of the polar ice cap melt. Of course, there is a … Continued
Hollywood needs stars – and the honeypot for the film industry had its own beauty parade of talent in the Los Angeles Motor Show. OK, perhaps I should be less formal and more US: the Los Angeles Auto Show, to give the motor expose its proper title, has just ended its glittering run at the … Continued
Have you thought about an electric car for your fleet? Although the upfront cost is more than a similar conventional diesel or petrol car, the running costs – from fuel to maintenance – are spectacularly low. Much commentary – quite rightly – has focused on the lack of range: generally up to 100 miles. But … Continued
As red-letter days go, this one in London last week was pretty awesome. For the second successive year we were voted the Best Small Fleet Leasing Company in awards run by the business motoring website for SMEs, Business Car Manager. To be honest, I was really surprised. Not because I don’t think we’re good enough. … Continued
You might already know that we go to extraordinary lengths to ensure high quality customer service. You know: onesie days, our own version of the Commonwealth Games and Culture Season – featuring food, music, costumes and office decorations celebrating different cultures, to mention but a few. It’s all part of our ‘Fleet Alliance Loves’ ethic, … Continued
The last of the major international car shows of the year began last week at the Paris Motor Show. Amid the usual media storm there were some fantastic unveils such as Land Rover’s (featured below). The car industry is never shy and retiring, is it? It’s always a brilliant event, this, set in the heart … Continued
I always look forward to this time of year for car news. There’s always lots of future model announcements as we run up to one of the major motor shows at this time of the year. This year it is Paris, next year Frankfurt, as the two shows alternate. And we can expect an avalanche … Continued
It’s official! Not only are we one of the top places to work in the UK (thank you Great Place to Work Institute) – not forgetting that our homework was marked with a gold star (thank you Investors in People) – but we’re also award-winningly tech-savvy. Yup. Move over London’s Old Street based Techno Hub … Continued
This weekend Fleet Alliance is delighted to be supporting the RSAC Three Lochs Classic which takes place on 17 August. Organised by RSAC Motorsport, the classic car rally features around 100 cars dating from the early 1900s to 1982. And Fleet Alliance is the title sponsor of the event, the first time we’ve had the … Continued