Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion

The Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion has just added another green award to its bulging trophy cabinet having been named as Green Vehicle of the Year at the 2011 AFCO Fleet Awards last week. ACFO (Association of Car Fleet Operators) is the UK’s largest body representing UK businesses which run fleets of cars or commercial vehicles.

The Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion offers a combined fuel economy of 74.3mpg and emits just 99g/km of CO2 and this award comes shortly after What Car? named the BlueMotion “small green family car” and Auto Express gave the car its Green Award honour.

The Volkswagen Passat and Golf models were also shortlisted for the ACFO Fleet Car of Year award and the Volkswagen Caddy was nominated in the Small Van of the Year category. Volkswagen contract hire is on the site now for all models.

Julie Jenner, chairman of ACFO, the non-profit organisation for fleet operators said,”The Government’s decision to implement in three stages the widely anticipated 3p a litre rise in fuel duty is to be welcomed. However, for Chancellor Alistair Darling to suggest that that the move will help businesses is disingenuos. The only way that the Chancellor could have truly eased the duty burden was not to push ahead with any increase”.

The decision to cut benefit-in-kind tax on company cars that emit 75g/km of CO2 or below to 5% (8% for diesels) is a headline-grabbing move. With no such cars currently in showrooms it is likely to be at least 12-18 months before any driver can benefit from the move, which is when the first plug-in hybrids are expected to be launched”.

Ms Jenner went onto say,”With a general election anticipated on May 6, this Budget was short on significant announcements that impact fleets. The “real” 2010 Budget is likely to be within a couple of months of the election from whichever party wins at the polls”.

ACFO, the body that represents UK fleet operators, has commented on Alastair Darling’s Pre-Budget report.

“With powerful tax incentives for take-up of electric cars and vans from April next year, and the confirmation of further tightening of company car BIK from April 2012, the Chancellor is driving fleets and company car and van drivers ever further along the “green” route”.

ACFO went onto say,”Fleet decision-makers and drivers who continue to fail to heed these warnings will not only see their tax bills rise but they will also see their fuel bills soar as fuel costs increase”.

If you are looking for your next company car it is important to choose a low CO2 car or van to ensure you are not penalised in the future.

ACFO Award winners

ACFO, the body representing the interests of businesses which operate cars or vans, has awarded the following manufacturers with awards, at the 2009 ACFO Fleet Car and Van of the Year Awards.

- The Volkswagen Golf range won ACFO Fleet Car of the Year for the Volkswagen Golf.

- Ford won the Fleet Light Van of the Year for the Transit Connect.

- Volkswagen also won the Van Award for their Caddy range.

- Mercedes-Benz won the Fleet Panel Van of the year category for their Sprinter.

Julie Jenner,ACFO chairman said, “The Awards continue to represent the true face of fleet operations,rather than showroom appeal”.  Car leasing and van leasing prices on the above manufacturers are readily available off the site now.

ACFO, the UK’s leading organisation representing the interests of fleet and transport managers, has called on the Government to clearly identify at-work driving duty of care failings for the private and public sector. In various studies undertaken 200 road deaths and injuries a week result from crashes involving at-work drivers.

ACFO has responsed to the Department’s consultation document- “A Safer Way – Making Britain’s Roads the Safest in the World” :”Fleets stand accused – on fairly flimsy statistical evidence -of being overrepresented in accident and casualty figures.This has significant implications for organisations for potential input into the corporate manslaughter arena”.

ACFO - for fleet operators

ACFO, the UK’s premier organisation for fleet decision-makers has announced a new recruitment drive for small and medium sized businesses. ACFO membership currently includes many organisations running just a handful of vehicles although most members are in the 100+ fleet category, with some having fleets up to 25,000.

In many small businesses it is usually the company director who is invariably responsible for fleet operations. ACFO wants to bring the expertise from its current membership to help SMEs understand some of the complexities involved in running even a small fleet of cars or vans. Sharing best practise could help a small business save time and money as many of the current ACFO members are experienced fleet professionals, whose sole role is running a fleet as efficiently as possible.

Duty of care is only one area where staying on top of the current legislation is vital for any small business as ultimately the directors of any company are legally responsible. Stewart Whyte from ACFO said,” Fleet funding and acquisition strategies, in-life vehicle management, tax and managing at-work driving, are all highly complex topics that without the right expertise could prove troublesome and expensive to to the unwary. ACFO helps by spreading best practise examples”.

The ACFO website has recently been re-launched and is packed full of useful information. The organisation operates via nine regional groups, covering the whole of the UK, thereby offering nationwide coverage.