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Harrison said 95% of the vehicle parc would have to be converted at the point of switchover, either by standard fitment or retrofitting. He pointed out that many franchised dealer groups either have or are in the process of establishing services to professionally retrofit systems to existing vehicles, which would rectify the issue of future RV implications. However, he stressed that vehicles fitted with the systems as standard, from new, represented the most attractive and practical option for the business car community.
Fleet favourite BMW is latest manufacturer to make DABs standard across its entire range (this came into effect from January 2013). Cap believes the move is likely to see rivals quickly follow suit, as a spokesman explains: "Experience tells us that where the Germans lead, others follow, and we therefore expect most manufacturers to start making it standard across their ranges in the coming year to year and a half. Whether other manufacturers will follow BMW's lead in specifically increasing prices [by around £300 per car] to cover it remains to be seen.
"Technological features on cars tend not to retain much of their new cost when it comes to disposal. Consumers have a tendency to simply expect them, rather than pay more, once the technology has been well established in the marketplace. Disposers often assume a feature will add value when the truth is that it is the absence of a feature that devalues a vehicle.
"Therefore, rather than expecting higher values on disposal due to DAB, fleet managers should recognise they are just maximising their chances of quick disposal. Currently the cheapest fully fitted DAB radio conversion kits are around £150. If the switch-off of the analogue signal does go ahead then fleet managers can be certain that trade buyers will take account of the conversion cost after that."
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