My big 1,2,3 in 2015
It's December already. I'm eagerly opening my advent calendar every morning and eating a Belgian chocolate that sits behind each and every window. But less talk of chocolate and more chatter about fleet. It's time for me to take a look back on 2015 and tell you what I think have been the biggest moments in the fleet industry.
First up it has to be mergers and acquisitions in the car leasing business. In the past few months we've seen Arval snap up GE Capital's European business and new shareholders arrive on the scene at LeasePlan. This tells me that the leasing business is an attractive industry for investors, and has bounced back from the trauma of the financial crises. Stability in the sector is essential, but will greater levels of consolidation constrain competition? It's a concern, but we'll have to see what materialises in the coming months.
I'm also left wondering whether the evolution of the car leasing and its business model will slow with fewer players in the market. Necessity is the mother of invention, so that means fleet managers need to keep pushing the boundaries and asking for more. If there's demand and a margin for profit, suppliers will always find a way of servicing clients.
Coming in at number two it has to be dieselgate. The emissions scandal, on the eve of the UN Climate Convention in Paris, focused the mind on how important environmental matters are in the car fleet business.
Corporate fleet managers have suspected for a long time that the information in car log books isn't accurate. We know that what happens in the real world is very different from what goes on down at the lab -and now at the testing station.
Let's not forget that progress has been made in emissions performance. Tech innovations have moved on massively. The industry has taken some great leaps forward. At the moment though, there's a lack of confidence and trust needs to be rebuilt. I'm hoping that the outcome of the climate talks in Paris provides a foundation and a framework for the auto and fleet industry to do just this. The time to make progress is right now.
And last, but by no means least, coming in at number 3, it's connectivity, mobility and telematics. We are living in the middle of a tech revolution. So much is happening, so quickly, that it's difficult to keep up with the pace of change. Connectivity, mobility and telematics, in its various different forms, is the future. Over the past 12 months more and more of us have become familiar with this new language and the new solutions that are available. I've been impressed and so have you.
We're seeing the potential of new technology, pausing to take a closer look and pioneers are putting it into practice and starting to see it shine. Next year, there will be so much more to come. As fleet managers see the results and a storm of activity is the space is set to ensue. Well, that's my prediction.
So, there's my 1,2,3. What has rocked your fleet world in 2015?
