We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Car website. However, if you would like to, you can change your cookies at any time
The start point for the best source of fleet information |
BusinessCar revealed Arval's plans to roll out an electric and alternative-fuel consultancy service for fleets in our 9 July issue and we've since been able to sit down with the firm's consultancy team to get the full lowdown on the programme.
The three-man consultancy team, which comprises regular BusinessCar blogger Mike Waters, Paul Marchment and Tony Grove, has extensively tested as many current alternative-fuel vehicles as it can lay its hands on, the criteria being that they have to be on sale now and have 'proper' alternative-fuel drivetrains, so low-capacity petrol engines such as Ford's Ecoboost and Fiat's Twinair units are out of the question. The upshot was a 29-page piece of literature known as the Arval Alternative Fuel and Technology Car Review, which is about to be updated itself, with the aim of having a full-on EV consultancy service up and running at some point in 2014.
The firm is also running a technology day at its headquarters in Swindon on 8 October with a suite of alternative-fuel vehicles available for attendees to drive plus updates about the alternative-fuel side of the industry.
The company is planning on more if the first one is successful. It is also deliberately limiting the number of places, so everyone who goes gets a proper chance to drive the cars, as Mike Waters explains: "It's doing it in an environment where there isn't a fight to get into the car, or if you're not bang on time for your test drive slot, then you've had it," he says in reference to the numerous other, large-scale motor shows and technology exhibition events.
He continues: "It's a natural part of what we do. As the market for new technologies develops, they won't be new technologies, they'll be standard. There won't be a case where you have diesel-only policies any more. Fleets will instead be trying to meet drivers' needs."
Marchment adds: "We need to get customers into the cars. Half the battle is getting them testing the car and using it."
Marchment also notes that Arval has been looking into the longer-term solution of hydrogen vehicles: "We've spoken to the manufacturers and we've said, look, seriously, we can use this technology because we can run in between the two offices [head office in Swindon and another office in Birmingham, where there are hydrogen fuelling stations located nearby] but we're struggling to get the product at the moment. There are products out there but it's just a case of getting hold of them."
BusinessCar magazine ©2019
Business Car Magazine © 2020 | Business Car is part of NS Media Group.
