A tool that analyses the most reliable vehicles for fleets by the real-world ‘burn rate’ of their parts has been launched.
Derwent Management Services has used component replacement data from more than 300,000 company cars and vans and 4.3 million part replacements such as brake linings or engine replacement to create the SMR BurnRate tool.
DMS business development manager Andy Smith said: “When manufacturers launch a vehicle they provide SMR data on about 16 key items… The SMR BurnRate system details all the key parts that may need replacing during a vehicle’s fleet life, with contract hire and leasing companies electronically supplying vehicle component invoicing data.”
Smith continued: “Critically, fleet managers can, on a model-for-model basis, compile their own vehicle choice list by selecting cars and vans with the lowest component burn rate. Component expenditure can also be factored into the equation. If you can reduce the number of component replacements then you will go a long way in controlling the cost.”
SMR BurnRate, which will be updated quarterly, shows, for example, that among the top 10 best-selling cars in the UK last year, the Volkswagen Golf has the lowest component replacement factor based on a basket of most frequently required items at 60,000 miles, followed by the Vauxhall Astra and the Nissan Qashqai.