Over half of Belgian companies have second-hand vehicles

• 55% of Belgian companies are currently choosing second-hand vehicles
• 33% would like to integrate used vehicles into their company fleet within 3 years
• Belgian businesses in European top 5 when it comes to second-hand car use

Belgian companies are increasingly likely to use second-hand vehicles for their fleet according to research among 300 Belgian companies by Arval Mobility Observatory. Used passenger cars are popular among smaller companies while large companies frequently opt for second-hand light trucks. “55% of businesses currently choose second-hand vehicles for part of their fleet. One third of Belgian businesses indicate that they would like to integrate second-hand vehicles into their fleet in the next three years”, explains Yves Ceurstemont, Head of Arval Mobility Observatory Belgium.

Business vehicles are the motor driving Belgian car sales, but not every company vehicle used by businesses is necessarily a new one. In the context of a survey of around 6,000 European companies from 20 different countries, including around 300 Belgian businesses, it transpired that businesses are increasingly using second-hand vehicles in their company fleets. With around 55% of Belgian companies already using at least one second-hand vehicle, our country finds itself in the top-5 European countries that most frequently opt for used vehicles in their fleets.

“Only businesses from Finland, Denmark, Greece and the United Kingdom use more second-hand vehicles as part of their business fleets. On the one hand, Belgian companies recognise the financial benefits of using second-hand vehicles for their pool cars but they also readily turn to this type of operational vehicle for technical profiles such as installers or for new sales staff who need to be able to visit customers quickly on a daily basis.”

- Yves Ceurstemont, Head of Arval Mobility Observatory Belgium

Small companies opt for second-hand passenger cars

Our research has shown that smaller Belgian companies are now more frequently choosing second-hand passenger cars for their fleets than larger companies. In small companies, 4 in 10 of these vehicles are second-hand, compared to just 23% in larger companies. Also, the enthusiasm to integrate second-hand passenger cars in the vehicle fleet in the next 3 years is greatest in smaller companies with up to 10 staff. In fact, no fewer than 5 in 6 small companies that are currently not using any second-hand vehicles would like to change this in the near future.

When it comes to light trucks, we see the opposite shift. Today, these are more commonly found in larger companies (500+ employees). Almost 1 in 2 (48%) already have second-hand light trucks in their fleet and more than 3 in 5 of those who have none say that they would like to change this within 3 years. In smaller businesses, the current usage is lower, at around 3 in 10 companies, and around 1 in 2 companies are aiming to add a used light truck to their business fleet.

“A specific second-hand vehicle will be chosen depending on the needs of a company. Within a small start-up which, for example, supplies services to other companies, there would mainly be a choice of using second-hand passenger cars in the fleet. In larger companies that often have to send technical personnel out on the road, the decision is made from the top down to opt for used light trucks, which can be used immediately and cost the company less. The abiding principles throughout the decision to integrate used vehicles into a fleet are efficiency and cost-savings both in terms of the company and the end users.”

- Yves Ceurstemont, Head of Arval Mobility Observatory Belgium

Belgium beating its neighbouring countries

When it comes to second-hand vehicles, with an overall figure of 55% of businesses, Belgium is taking the lead compared to our neighbouring countries. In particular, the fact that today more than 1 in 3 Belgian companies already use used light trucks places our country among the top 5 in Europe. With regard to the surrounding countries, France and the Netherlands are lowest with overall percentages of 24% and 25%.

Note to editors

The research was carried out in 20 European countries where Arval is active, in a total of 5,854 companies with company vehicles, of which 300 were Belgian. Belgian businesses were categorised into 4 groups: small (fewer than 10 employees) with 101 respondents, average (with 10 to 99 employees) with 58 respondents, medium-sized (with 100 to 499 employees) with 78 respondents and large (with 500+ employees) with 63 respondents.