Business, governments and leasing companies in the Netherlands have started a pilot project for mobility leasing, a new type of leasing that combines a traditional leasing contract with a so-called ‘mobility budget’, the Dutch trade publication Fleetmotive reports. Mobility leasing is based on the principle that the lease driver uses part of the budget calculated in advance for every kilometre driven in the leased vehicle. Any amount of the budget that is not used is paid out in cash.

The intention is to encourage the lease driver to use the leased vehicle smarter and more selectively. That could, for example, mean working from home more frequently, or using alternatives, such as public transport, taxi or bicycle. The mobility pass that the lease drivers are issued gives access to all of those alternatives and takes care of the billing automatically.

The pilot project will run for two years in the Dutch city of Maastricht. The project has been budgeted for 500 vehicles. Leasing companies Mobility Mixx and Athlon have signed up from the leasing side.