Fleets are driving demand for ‘no compromise’ luxury green cars according to a new survey from Swedish car maker Volvo.
The car maker’s recent DRIVe report surveyed more than 250 fleet operators, of which drivers rated the level of luxury a car could offer was the second most important factor when it came to choosing a car, behind the the amount of Benefit in Kind tax they would have to pay.
Low emission vehicles typically attract lower BiK tax compared to similar models as the tax rate is determined by the car’s CO2 emission levels and its P11D price.
"Drivers don’t want to compromise on specification, comfort and driveability by going for a green model," said Selwyn Cooper, Volvo Car UK’s national sales manager.
Volvo research also saw seven per cent of fleets admit to plans for incentivising employees into more efficient cars. However Cooper believes the right car choice list should mean companies won’t have to adopt this strategy; and should be able to offer drivers the best of both worlds.
The car maker’s R-Design sports trim level with its eco-minded DRIVe technologies is designed to meet demand for both low emission and luxury.
"High spec, sporty looking low emission models are increasingly becoming more readily available which, if made available across the company car choice list, shouldn’t force organisations to incentivise drivers. Companies should automatically see an improved take-up without having to finance the change as well as benefitting from a lower corporate carbon footprint," Cooper added.
Cooper believes this approach will manifest itself still further when hybrids and electric cars start to become more readily available to the company car driver.
"Drivers thinking they will have to compromise when new low emission technologies are introduced into cars are why we are already in discussion to adopt the R-Design trim on the forthcoming plug-in hybrid and electric Volvos," he said.
In the first four months of 2011, DRIVe models accounted for four out of every ten of Volvo’s corporate sales, with nearly one in four drivers specifying the R-Design trim level.
Other luxury green models include the recently launched Lexus CT 200h, marketed as the ‘first luxury compact hybrid’ car.
