Significant changes to company car tax ahead

THE way company car tax is measured, via the CO2 tailpipe emissions, will change radically in April 2020.

The government, at long last, is bringing some clarity to what has been a very muddied field.

CO2 emissions, on which company car tax bandings rely, will be measured via the new WLTP method. WLTP aims to provide you and me with a much more accurate idea of how economical a vehicle will be – and what’s coming out of its exhaust.

So at least some good has come out of ‘Dieselgate’. Not much, but this is significant. Read more about the WLTP changes here.

The ‘high-sided vehicle’ gets a name

I love this: not an SUV. But a ‘high-sided vehicle’.

It’s what you would expect from Rolls-Royce, after all. To rise, graciously, above the hoi-polloi.

Oh, and the car’s name? Well, it’s Cullinan.

It was what we thought in our extensive new business cars of 2018 preview, but until now, Rolls-Royce had not confirmed it.

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce, said this week:

“It is the most fitting name for our extraordinary new product. Cullinan is a motor car of such clarity of purpose, such flawless quality and preciousness, and such presence that it recalibrates the scale and possibility of true luxury.

“Just like the Cullinan Diamond, the largest flawless diamond ever found, it emerges when it is perfect and exists above all others.”

So now you know. And here, also, is a picture of the Cullinan in the mud (right). But still looking flawless even wearing camo.

Getting you over the EV line

You’ve probably thought about getting your business into the green lane of motoring. But how do you convert to an EV? Or a PHEV?

I was with Arval earlier this week, and the company announced its Electric Vehicle offering at a press conference in Paris.

I really like this. Here’s what you get: consultancy, a three-to-six month trial period to see how you get on, a tie in with a charging specialist, the option of a petrol or diesel car for a couple of weeks for when you go on holiday… Read more about it here: Help to transition your SME business to green cars.

There was plenty of other interesting things that came out of the Arval conference in Paris this week – as you can see, I’m taking copious notes with my fellow fleet hacks (right) – such as how Arval is turning itself into a business service provider, rather than just a funder of cars.

Worth sparing some time to read it.

It’s the new Citroen Berlingo van…

…OK, not quite. There’s an overdose of glass and seats. But when there’s a bit more metal, more cargo area and fewer seats, this is what the new Citroen Berlingo will look like.

Minus a bit of plastic cladding I expect. Find out more details on Business Vans: New Citroen Berlingo – in disguise.

Quality used cars are the next big thing – to lease

It wasn’t only Arval that had a press conference this week. So did big rival LeasePlan. There, CEO Tex Gunning announced a new focus on ‘Car-as-a-service’ with a big push on bringing used cars into the market – on lease, with a new online offering called CarNext.com.

You can read more on our specialist leasing broker site for the Leasing Broker Federation. Click here to read about leasing used cars on CarNext.com.