ABM_1 - Flipbook - Page 68
OPINION
FLEET
Shopping habits of
company car buyers
→ Robert Buckland is director at Carwow Leasey
A
s evidenced by Society of
Motor Manufacturers and
Traders (SMMT) figures, fleet
and business registrations
have been pivotal in driving
the switch to electric
vehicles (EVs).
For several years, companyprovided EVs have been the core driver
of market growth, helping OEMs hit
zero-emission sales targets under the
ZEV mandate. What’s more, thanks to the
preferential Benefit-in-Kind (BIK) rates,
employees’ interest in company EVs
continues to surge.
Salary sacrifice remains a tax-efficient
solution for employee and employer
alike, and it has been a pivotal enabler
of EV adoption, providing a route into
ownership that would otherwise be
unobtainable for many drivers.
Meanwhile, the market’s shift to
digitalisation is redefining the car
changing process, with more consumers
and businesses choosing to buy and
lease vehicles online, thanks to the
greater levels of convenience and
transparency, as well as the wide array
of vehicle choice available to them.
The role of Carwow in the company car
buyer’s journey is evolving, too, with a
significant percentage of shoppers using
Carwow Group sites – including Carwow,
Auto Express and Driving Electric – to find
their next vehicle.
Carwow also acquired a leasing broker
in 2024, which now operates as Carwow
Leasey to provide leading salary sacrifice
schemes and fleet solutions for hundreds
of businesses nationwide.
Recent analysis from Sophus 3, a
specialist in analysing the shopping
habits and behaviours of online car
buyers, has found that company car
shoppers are 47% more likely than
private buyers to be ready to transact
when they visit a Carwow Group site.
This is measured by visitors’ interactions
with buying and selling tools, along
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AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS Q4 2025
with increased page views and longer
dwell times. What’s more, company car
shoppers make three-times more visits
to Carwow Group sites than the typical
retail buyer, with 4.5 visits compared to
1.5, and they show a particular interest in
premium brands.
The research also indicates that more
shoppers are choosing to carry out their
research and purchase their vehicle all
in one place, with the majority (65%) of
company car shoppers visiting both a
car brand’s own website and a Carwow
Group site when researching their next
car. Just under one-fifth (19%) solely
visit a Carwow Group site, and a similar
proportion (18%) only visit brand sites.
Of the 7.9 million visitors in the study,
85% interacted with a Carwow Group
site at some point during the 60 days
of their research journey, and they were
three-times more likely to consider both
BEVs and internal combustion engine
(ICE) vehicles.
Growing appeal
There’s no denying that the introduction
of the Government’s new Electric Car
Grant (ECG) has heightened the appeal
of company car ownership, too, with
several brands and models now eligible
for a discount. With the increase in cost
of living continuing to impact car buyers’
shopping habits and decision-making,
company car ownership has arguably
become more appealing than it has ever
been. This is evidenced in the increased
activity we’re seeing across Carwow
Group sites.
Year-to-date, we have seen a
significant rise in the number of company
car buyers using Carwow to source their
next car. Since January, 90% of business
contract hire purchases via Carwow
Leasey have been EVs and plug-in
hybrids (PHEVs).
We predict that company car sales will
continue to sustain the EV market for the
rest of this year and well into 2026. i
