Are motorists edging towards more sustainable vehicle ownership?

Venson survey reveals driver appetite for car subscription services to simplify ownership and test drive zero emissions vehicles

www.venson.com

As London and other cities across the UK reflect on their participation in this year’s World Car Free Day, a new survey from Venson Automotive Solutions suggests that attitudes towards car ownership are shifting towards more sustainable options. 66% of drivers surveyed by Venson said they would consider a car subscription service when they replace their current vehicle, with men more open to the concept (74%), than women (52%).

Underlining the nation’s appetite to accelerate a switch to zero emissions mobility, 80% of respondents believe a flexible subscription offering alternative fuel vehicles such as Electric, Hydrogen, Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Bio-diesel, would be a useful way of testing what could work for them in the future.

Financial convenience is believed to be the biggest advantage of a car subscription service with 45% of respondents looking to bundle costs. One in five said the most popular benefit was the removal of ownership responsibilities such as MOT and servicing, followed closely by the flexibility of switching vehicles to meet lifestyle needs. The same proportion of respondents favoured the lack of a long-term contract with the ability to cancel or pause when it suited them.

When it comes to car subscription costs, respondents said they would expect to pay £300-£500 per month for a subscription for a new or nearly new car including insurance, tax, MOT and servicing. The most common costs selected were £400 for a new car and £300 for a car less than three years old. For older vehicles of 3-7 years, without servicing and other ownership costs included, most respondents would expect to pay £200 per month.

Simon Staton, Client Management Director for Venson Automotive Solutions commented, “Subscription services are becoming commonplace across many consumer sectors, offering convenience and affordability in our modern lives. Businesses can go some way to bridging the gap in what motorists are considering for the future, by providing options such as salary sacrifice for cars and flexible rental. This means they are then able to offer all their staff access to a new vehicle, not just those entitled to a company car.