Lex Autolease Release Company Driver Survey Results
Lex Autolease, the UK’s leading fleet funding and management specialists, have recently undertaken a survey of 3,000 UK company car drivers in order to identify attitudes to fuel consumption, with some interesting results.
With fuel accounting for up to one-third of an average fleet vehicle’s running costs you would expect the results to show how proactive businesses are in assisting its, more than willing, drivers in reducing its consumption, however, the results reveal that majority of their employers are missing out on this cost saving opportunity.
Businesses who don’t adopt a robust education programme for their drivers to help improve fuel consumption, or who have an unmanaged fuel programme, will inevitably be experience a negative impact on their profits. Over 30% of those drivers who responded said that they have not considered how their fuel bill impacted their company’s profits.
Significant results of the survey include: 95% of drivers surveyed want to reduce their fuel bill; 68% of drivers surveyed aware of their fuel bill impacting their company’s profits; 61% of drivers state that their employers have not given them any driver training or tips on fuel efficiency; 66% of those surveyed consider themselves ‘green’ drivers; Over 40% of business drivers who responded don’t drive in a style to maximise their fuel economy; 51% of respondents never shop or occasionally shop around for the cheapest fuel; Over 10% of drivers surveyed fill up with more expensive types of fuel, such as unleaded +
Lex Autolease works with UK businesses to advise them on how best to reduce their company’s fuel bill. Driver training or changes in a company’s fuel policy are among the options Lex Autolease recommends which can have a significant impact on a company’s fuel bill.
Lex Autolease also advises: Changing gear at around 2,000rpm reduces fuel use and CO2 emissions; Anticipate hazards so that you can avoid heavy braking and unnecessarily sharp acceleration; Only use air condoning when necessary as this can knock up to 3mpg off your fuel consumption; Drive away soon after you have started the engine; it warms up more quickly reducing fuel consumption; It’s better to press the accelerator pedal down further in a higher gear than to run the engine up to high revs; Drive in fifth gear from around 30mph and keep to low revs (between 2000 – 3000rpm) whenever possible; Only fit roof racks and boxes when absolutely necessary; they increase aerodynamic drag considerably; Travelling at 65mph rather than 70mph can reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 25%; Going the long way round, getting lost and running into road works can increase your journey considerably so always plan your route in advance; Running your tyres under-inflated can increase fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 3%; Carrying additional weight in your vehicle will have a significant negative effect on your fuel consumption especially in stop/start traffic; A regularly serviced vehicle will be more fuel efficient, as well as safer
Commenting on the results of the survey, Marcus Puddy, Head of Consultancy Services, Lex Autolease said; “Maximising a vehicle’s fuel consumption is dictated by the behaviour of the driver, with the resulting fuel economy having a significant impact on the employer’s bottom line. At Lex Autolease, we can help UK businesses change their vehicle fuel consumption. Multiplied across an entire fleet of vehicles, the savings can be substantial.”
Marcus Puddy concludes; “The demand is there amongst company drivers who want to reduce their fuel bill, it’s up to them and their employers to take the necessary steps.”
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