SME fleets and small businesses need to have a look at this new subscription service from rental service provider Europcar.
Called DuoFlex, it offers SME businesses a vehicle on a flexible basis as you might expect (minimum 28 days), but – and this is where it’s different and could suit SME fleets with changing requirements – it allows you to add a second vehicle for two days twice a month.
Ron Santiago, Managing Director of Europcar Mobility Group UK explains the concept:
Many businesses right now don’t want to make financial commitments for company vehicles for three or four years; they simply don’t know what they will need. But they need to keep employees mobile. The DuoFlex one month minimum contract is ideal for these organisations; cash isn’t tied up in lengthy lease agreements. And they can change the vehicle each month as their requirements alter.
But there’s another important issue that we’re tackling with DuoFlex. For the majority of the time, one type of company vehicle will do the job. But once or twice a month something bigger – or smaller is actually what’s needed. DuoFlex includes the option to add another vehicle to the subscription for two days, twice a month.
It is a perfect fit for field-based sales staff who normally just need to get from A to B in a compact vehicle that is fuel efficient. However, once or twice a month they have to take equipment to an exhibition or a customer presentation. Then something larger – perhaps a van – makes sense. Plus, with the option to add an additional driver to the subscription, the usual vehicle can be used by another member of the team.
Europcar adds that the additional flexibility and containment of fleet costs are the appealing factors to both small and medium sized enterprises.
The DuoFlex car subscription arrangement offers cars, vans and electric vehicles (EV) so it would enable a business to run an EV, for example, and then add in a diesel for a longer trip.
Europcar adds that following the pressures of the pandemic, SMEs are focused on finding flexible mobility solutions for employees without making long-term financial commitments.
How much does Europcar DuoFlex cost?
Clearly the cost of Europcar DuoFlex will vary depending on the requirements of the business, but we have asked Europcar for some indicative pricing in order to understand how much it would cost a business. We’ll update this story once we know.
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