News round-up: Elektromotive wins, finance up, Leasedrive rebranded + more
Elektromotive charged with best business honour
EVs may have had a hard time converting fleet managers [full story], but the electric car industry received a nod of approval from business leaders as charging station provider Elektromotive was named ‘Small Business of the Year’ at the first ever BusinessGreen Leaders Awards last week.
Judges settled on Elecktromotive after recognising the company’s ambition and the unique technology incorporated in its Elektrobay charging points, over 200 of which are dotted around London.
Calvey Taylor-Haw, Elektromotive MD, said he was “absolutely delighted” with the win, insisting it was just the beginning.
Calvey (pictured right) added: “Elektromotive is still a young company, and this honour is a fitting tribute to the efforts of our small and dedicated team.
“The development of electric vehicles has come on a huge amount in recent years, and the appearance of charging bays across the UK provides a positive sign that substantial reductions in vehicle emissions can soon be achieved.
“We won’t be resting on our laurels with this award, however, as it remains clear that a great deal of work still needs to be done to convince policymakers, businesses and motorists of the benefits of going electric.”
James Murray, Editor of eco-news website BusinessGreen.com, said Elektromotive was a worthy winner and a prime example of the type of green business the UK economy needs if it is to achieve carbon targets.
White van man – brightest on the road
The reputation of the white van man has been dealt some glowing PR after a quiz deemed van drivers as the smartest road users, boasting the strongest grasp of the Highway Code.
Over 75% of van drivers included in the survey of 2,000 knew that motorway signs were mostly blue, as well as how many points meant a license suspension.
Lyndon Wood, CEO of ConstructaQuote.com which carried out the quiz, agreed that the white van man got a bad rep: “We do a lot of work with ‘white van drivers’ and these results certainly fit our experience of them.
“The stereotype is completely outdated now as we are finding that more and more people are setting up their own businesses. These results really challenge the negative perceptions around white van drivers.”
Lyndon added that white van drivers had the greatest breadth of knowledge across all areas despite a glaring gap in their history education: “Hopefully people will think twice before they make comments about white van men in the future. We have proven that the myth surrounding van drivers is just that, a myth.”
“You can never judge anyone by the vehicle they drive.”
Finance ups its new car share
The number of motorists buying new cars on finance has hit a 26 month high with more than half opting for motor finance.
In the last year, the share of new cars being obtained through motor finance rose by 3% to 56%, the highest point since March 2009, according to figures from the Finance & Leasing Association.
Used cars also saw an increase by 6% while leasing and personal contract purchase agreements for new cars rose by 14% in the last twelve months when placed next to the previous twelve.
Paul Harrison, Head of Motor Finance, said these latest figures illustrate that motor finance was the most affordable route to a new motor.
He commented: “While economic uncertainty affects consumers when making big purchasing decisions, motor lenders have responded by offering value-for-money packages.
“More than half of all consumers choose to use finance from the dealer when they buy a new or used car.
“As competition in the credit markets increases we expect consumers to continue to benefit from offers matched to their individual needs and budgets.”
Leasedrive drop the ‘Velo’
The Leasedrive Velo Group is now simply known as the Leasedrive Group, following a merge with Masterlease UK.
A revised logo (shown below), which retains the previous typeface and colour scheme, is the result of the UK’s largest independent privately-owned vehicle management group taking on Masterlease’s contract hire arm.
The new logo also sees the departure of the popular hummingbird graphic (right), which has presumably made its new nest in the designer’s recycle bin.
Roddy Graham, Commercial Director of the Leasedrive Group, explained the decision: “At the time of our appointment, we stated that the fit between our group and Masterlease UK was excellent and so it has proved.
“Unfortunately, with the Masterlease name only available to us under licence in the short term the choice of new group name was actually quite straightforward.”
Mr Grahams believes that the new branding twins the finest parts of both logos and makes customers feel that they are dealing with a familiar service provider that emphasises their fleet expertise.
“Indeed, the new logo colours and icon reflect the fact that at the heart of the Leasedrive Group beats a common core business philosophy,” he added.
“Namely, a focused commitment to the highest level of bespoke customer service aimed at delivering operational excellence.”
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