With lists typically based on factors such as estimated whole life costs, actual costs and CO2 output, such vehicles tend not easily to match conventional criteria.
“A lot of fleets spend considerable time working on their choice lists and deciding on which parameters they will use,” explains Arval fleet consultant David Watts.
“These decisions have probably been rubber stamped by several internal departments such as human resources and finance.
His point is that a vehicle operating part of the time on electricity presents a conundrum when it comes to managing business mileage costs.
“We certainly know of organisations who haven’t yet adopted their first plug-in hybrids or EVs fundamentally because of perceived problems associated with the choice list and business mileage issues.”
And he adds that there is a general lack of understanding about the different types of alternative drivetrains already available and those waiting in the wings.
Watts advises that there are “tried and tested techniques” that can be used to integrate plug-in hybrids and EVs into existing selection lists fairly easily.
“Our consultancy team has been doing work in this area for several years and we have become very proficient at adding new drivetrain technologies to fleets while preserving the underlying principles of choice lists.”