Founded by Arval France in 2002, the Corporate Vehicle Observatory is an international expert platform for the exchange of best practices and the analysis of trends in the management of professional vehicles.
A neutral and independent body, its publications and public forums target all functions involved in the management of fleets. It operates in Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland, UK, Brazil and Turkey

THE CORPORATE VEHICLE OBSERVATORY GROWS IN EUROPE AND BEYOND

The Corporate Vehicle Observatory (CVO), an international expert platform for the management of professional vehicles, had, in 2008, extended its coverage to India as well as to Spain, and strengthened for its seventh year of activity its international coverage to UK and Greece in 2009, thus substantially widening its field of investigation.

Within the twelve countries surveyed in 2009, the CVO Barometer observes that companies generally have a preference for new vehicles with fuel efficient low CO2 labels, but are reluctant to downsizing their cars. It also reports how generally young professional fleets have a positive effect on ageing national averages.

Paris, May 29th, 2008 – The extension of the CVO to India underlines the Observatory’s ambition to expand into the emerging markets, of which India is one of the most important ones worldwide. It also aims at widening the comparison spectrum of professional practices, at the core of the CVO’s mission statement. " In this immense country made of strongly autonomous states," says Vincent Rupied, International Director of CVO, "professional mobility is a major logistical challenge. India has a very different automotive market organisation and a maintenance network in construction. Regarding the management of fleets, businesses of all sizes still massively favour outright purchase rather than leasing, whereas the ground seems very receptive for the outsourcing of services."

The Spanish market is dynamic and has strong growth potential. It has clearly perceived the benefits of outsourced management features as shown by its high levels of subscription to technical services. Following Italy, Morocco and Portugal, Spain and Greece will enrich the Observatory’s coverage of the Mediterranean basin.

To date, the CVO operates in twelve countries with offerings in four domains: management of vehicles, sustainable development, prevention of road risks and new technologies. This year again, brochures, forums and conferences will address these topics in depth, based in particular on the yearly CVO Fleet Barometer that covers ten of the eleven countries. Carried out as each year in partnership with TNS and built on 3700 interviews of decision making fleet managers, the 2009 release was published progressively across the twelve countries as from May. Some of its focuses this year are the environmental options of companies and the latest trends in corporate car policies.

Fleet manager's intentions for acquisition of company vehicles show a strong preference for the latest optimised engine features, marketed under different labels by the manufacturers: 50 to 70% of the fleet managers, according to countries, intend switching to such vehicles within two years. At the same time, they are not keen to downsizing: only 9 to 20% consider reducing the size and power of vehicles within their fleets, which is due to their concern that drivers might be opposed to such changes. The 2009 Barometer concludes, however, that drivers may be open for innovative solutions when properly informed.