U.K. Vehicle-Leasing Group Touts Green Credentials

The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Assn. says the sector’s position as the U.K.’s leading adopter of cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles is increasing.

The association’s latest quarterly survey of its leasing members found 4.7% of all new leased cars registered in the final quarter of 2015 was a plug-in, well ahead of the overall market figure of 1.3%.

The leasing business also leads the low-emissions-vehicle sector with more than 25% of lease cars producing less than 100 g/km of carbon dioxide, while the overall market share for all new cars sold in 2015 was 20%.

The association’s more than 750 members operate a combined fleet of about 4.5 million cars, vans and trucks. Its members buy nearly half of all new vehicles sold in the U.K.

The group says in a statement that as more members adopt all-electric and plug-in hybrid-electric cars, as well as low-emissions gasoline and diesel vehicles, the average lease car added to a member fleet last year emitted just 112.6 g/km of CO2, more than 7% less than the average new car sold.

Poppy Welch, head of Go Ultra Low, a joint government-industry program promoting low-emissions vehicles, says she’s encouraged by the growing number of fleets realizing the multiple advantages of EVs.

The association says leasing companies were responsible for about 1.3 million business cars and vans at the end of 2015, a 5.5% year-on-year increase.

“The government needs to recognize that the company car or van is more than just a taxable perk and a valuable source of revenue for the Treasury,” CEO Gerry Kearney says.

“These vehicles are vital business tools that can play a huge role in reducing the U.K.’s road-transport carbon emissions. Without a fair and simple tax regime for company vehicles, this won’t happen.”