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News and Updates from CVSL

AA Route Planner launches online mileage calculator

Company News, Fleet Industry News, Tax and Legislation News, Uncategorized, , , , ,

The AA Route Planner has launched a new online tool to help employees left with the difficult job of trying to work out accurate business mileage.

The AA Mileage Calculator helps companies and employees keep within the rules by providing accurate figures for mileage expense claims.

Simply enter the route driven, including the return route if applicable, and the company approved expense per mile, and the AA Route Planner will automatically calculate the overall mileage and claim amount.

Multiple routes can be calculated and the list can be printed off to support expense claims.

Drivers can also calculate the fuel cost for their journey by adding the cost per litre and the average mpg.

The AA Route Planner is one of the most well respected, precise route planners available and by using this data claimants and businesses can keep within the law by ensuring that the figures are accurate and from a reliable source.”

The  Route Planner was launched online in 1999.   Prior to its online launch, the AA mailed an average of 250,000 routes to members each year, but the AA online Route Planner now delivers over twice as many routes each day – averaging 20 million route requests per month.

Don't forget to check the CVSL website at www.cvsl.co.uk for your  up to the minute online quotes for both buisness and personel users or call our sales team now on 0800 084 4256.

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BMW 5 Series Targets The Company Car Sector

Car Leasing, Fleet Industry News, Uncategorized, , , ,

The BMW 5 Series is now available with a lower-powered engine making it more desirable for companies to contract hire and  use in there fleets as well as the personel contract hire market.
Powered by a 143bhp version of BMW’s 2.0-litre diesel engine, the 518d is a new starting point to 5-series which offers lower running costs. Fuel economy on the combined cycle is 62.8mpg (Touring: 58.9mpg) while CO2 emissions are 119g/km (Touring: 127g/km), which attracts a BIK rate of 18%.
With 266lb-ft of torque at 1,750 rpm it accelerates from 0-62 mph in 9.7 seconds (touring 10.1 seconds).
It comes at the same time as the 5 Series has been given a facelift with additional contour lines around the grille and a re-structured lower air intake, while indicator repeaters are incorporated into the door mirrors as standard. Standard equipment now includes business navigation, xenon headlights, BMW emergency call and teleservices. The saloon and touring also have new-style tail lights with LED light strips. Feel free to check out our up to the minutes rates on the CVSL website at www.cvsl.co.uk or call one of our sales team on 0800 084 4256 who will be only to happy to discuss your personnel requirements.

HOW TO MANAGE THE GREY FLEET EFFECTIVELY

Car Leasing, Company News, Fleet Industry News, Tax and Legislation News

The grey fleet is an important but often neglected aspect of fleet management. The grey fleet consists of employee-owned vehicles, bought with their own money and reimbursed on a pence per mile basis. It is estimated that there are approximately four million grey fleet cars in the UK– more than three times the number of company cars. Therefore, it is crucial that opportunities to reduce emissions and cut costs are identified. Effective management of the grey fleet is crucial with respect to three key policy areas: financial efficiency, health and safety and environmental sustainability.

For many organisations that operate a grey fleet it will not be practical to eliminate it entirely. For some employees and some journeys, continuing use of the grey fleet will be the best all round option. However, it must be managed properly, and often this is not the case.

The Business Case

The business case for managing the grey fleet stems from the significant amount of money that many organisations spend on reimbursing employees. Managing the grey fleet carefully may well have financial benefits in terms of reduced mileage reimbursement payments. But the importance of employers’ duty of care must not be overlooked. The law is clear – an organisation has a legal duty of care to an employee, regardless of vehicle ownership, so the grey fleet needs to be managed as diligently as company-owned or leased vehicles. Some key factors to consider include:

The most dangerous thing many people do at work is drive. Up to one in three road crashes involves a vehicle being driven for work and it is estimated that there are around 200 work-related deaths or serious injuries on the roads every week. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) estimates the costs arising from ‘at-work’ road traffic accidents to be in the region of £2.7 billion per year. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 states that “it shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all employees.” Employers have a duty of care, therefore, to their employees, no matter how small their grey fleet Furthermore, under the Corporate Manslaughter Act (2007), companies can be prosecuted for deaths of drivers resulting from work-related journeys where negligence is proven. If it can be demonstrated that senior management are responsible for a gross breach of duty of care resulting in death, penalties can be applied including unlimited fines and publicity orders. Therefore it is important for organisations to be proactive in managing

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UK March car sales beat expectations

Car Leasing, Company News, Fleet Industry News, ,

March accounts for almost a fifth of the year's trade.

UK new car registrations outperformed expectations in March, jumping almost 6% against a year ago, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has said.

The  SMMT said March, when new number plates are released, was typically a strong month for car registrations.

However, the increase this March is well above the almost 2% recorded at the same time last year.

The UK figures defy the EU trend, which remains downwards.

There were 394,806 registrations of cars with the new 13-plate, a 5.9% increase year-on-year, supported by strong demand for private registrations, which rose 7.8%.

Private registrations accounted for 51.7% of the market, followed by fleet (43.5%) and business (4.8%).

Volumes were at their highest since the 2010 Scrappage Incentive Scheme and the increase represents the 13th consecutive month of growth.

The March figures took total registrations for the year-to-date to 605,198, a 7.4% increase on 2012.

It has been the new models and the latest technologies that has been the main reason for attracting the new business

Registrations of petrol-fuelled cars have risen by 12.1% so far in 2013, outselling diesels. This was spurred by growth in the small car and private sector markets, the SMMT reported.

Registrations of alternatively fuelled cars dipped in the month, but rose by 2.9% in the first quarter.

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Why CVSL Recommend Checking For Damage Before Returning Your Leased Vehicles

Car Leasing, Fleet Industry News, Uncategorized, , ,

Fleet managers  could save thousands of pounds per year by taking 10 minutes to check the external condition of leased vehicles before they are due to be returned,

This should involve inspecting bumpers, alloys and paintwork for scuffs, bumps and scratches a few weeks before the official end of lease inspection is due.

According to industry figures, 27% of returned vehicles incur a fair wear and tear recharge.

This is generally because damage has been left untouched or not repaired to a high enough standard.

Large  and small fleets could quickly realise significant savings by checking vehicles and organising appropriate repairs themselves through accredited repairers or bodyshops.

follow these five ‘10-minute check-up’ tips:

  1. Ensure the vehicle is clean and dry: dirt and wet can mask scratches and scuffs.
  2. Choose a well-lit location.
  3. Start at one corner – such as the driver’s side headlight – and walk slowly around the vehicle examining each panel, as well as the roof, doors and bonnet.
  4. Crouch down to check the vehicle along its length, on each side.
  5. Pay special attention to wheels and bumpers – these are prime areas for scuffs and scrapes.

As a rule of thumb, minor damage smaller than an A4 piece of paper can be repaired to a high standard by a SMART repairer.

Larger areas of damage require attention in a bodyshop.

Both options are more cost-effective than simply accepting the wear and tear recharge.

Wear and tear recharges have really escalated over the past three years we have heard of many cases where a firm has been billed around £900 for repairs that would have cost a fraction of that with an accredited SMART repair technician. By taking a planned approach and making time to inspect vehicles internally, businesses could save a lot of money.

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