January/February 2017
www.bvrla.co.uk
BVRLA News The bimonthly newsletter of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association
BVRLA predicts challenges in 2017 Following a successful year for the association, BVRLA Chief Executive Gerry Keaney has warned members that there are some major challenges facing the industry in 2017. Giving his outlook for next 12 months, Keaney said: “You don’t need a crystal ball to identify the big challenges facing our industry this year. First and foremost is Brexit and the political and economic uncertainty this brings, closely followed by
our growing air quality crisis. Our industry also has to get to grips with some very significant and deeply flawed changes to the tax and emissions regimes. “The vehicle and rental industry is resilient, innovative and totally client focused. Our members will continue to meet these and other challenges, turning many of them into opportunities to deliver yet more value to their customers.” u
Our predictions for the year ahead 1 The UK government will take a very pragmatic approach in retaining most EU regulations and directives. 2 We will see a low single digit percentage increase in the traditional fleet leasing market, but growth for vans will be much stronger, at around 10%, year-on-year.
4 The shift from diesel to petrol and electric powertrains will gather pace, with diesel’s share of the new lease car market falling towards 65%. 5 The BVRLA lease fleet’s average CO2 emissions will continue to outpace reductions in the wider new car market. 6 Regulators, including the CMA and the FCA, will continue their efforts to raise standards across the industry. 7 After years of discussion, 2017 will be the year firms start getting ready to implement new lease accounting rules.
Subscribe to the BVRLA’s YouTube channel to watch our 2017 Outlook video and other films: www.bvrla.co.uk/videos
3 The blurring of boundaries between traditional rental and leasing services will continue. In the commercial vehicle sector we’ll see even more demand for flexible rental.
8 The fleet sector will see the introduction of a raft of innovative connected services, primarily in servicing, maintenance and repair. 9 Ahead of the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which comes into effect in 2018, there will be increased focus on how firms ensure compliance. 10 The public sector will make a real effort to tackle the grey fleet.
VED changes will see bills quadruple BVRLA members are likely to purchase fewer vehicles this year because of a 400% increase in first-year Vehicle Excise Duty bills. page 4 WLTP is the hot topic at February forums More than 100 people came to hear expert speakers explain the new emissions test for cars and vans. page 5 One year, many numbers 2016 saw sustained growth in the vehicle rental and leasing sector. Phil Garthside reveals the key figures. page 6 Committees set their agendas for 2017 The BVRLA committees are your voice – find out what they have planned for the year ahead. page 8 DVLA to release CPC and Tacho Card data From April, the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency will make new types of driver data available. page 9 BVRLA provides CPD points for courses The BVRLA has launched a Continuing Professional Development scheme for members who attend its training courses. page 10
• Promoting responsible road transport since 1967 •