Automotive Business Magazine – Q2 2026 – Digital edition - Magazine - Page 56
Interview
Grosvenor
Milly Standing speaks with Lee Brown, managing director
at Grosvenor, about the downtime challenge and the push
for electrification
I
n 2026, the fleet and leasing
sectors face unique challenges
when it comes to the pressure to
transition to an electric fleet. With
new entrants coming to the market,
vehicle choice is greater than ever –
and growing.
However, the transition is not as
simple as picking the right vehicle.
UK businesses and individuals need a
strong infrastructure and a clear picture
of the costs and challenges – and the
solutions available to them – before an
electrified vehicle parc can become
the reality.
Automotive Business Magazine caught
up with Lee Brown, managing director
of Grosvenor, to understand where these
difficulties are hitting hardest, and what
can be done to minimise the pain points.
The downtime problem
Fleets are feeling increasing pressure
from the Government to go electric. In
2026, 33% of cars and 24% of vans must
be zero-emission according to the Zero
Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate.
Without the correct infrastructure in
place to make the move, however, this is
simply an extra worry for already timepoor fleet operators.
Meanwhile, another major concern for
the leasing and fleet sectors is downtime
management, and this only becomes
more acute when considering the
electric shift.
Brown explains: “Vehicles are spending
more time off the road. On top of this,
vehicle rental costs have increased
significantly, meaning the consequential
cost of downtime is much higher.
“The operational cost to the business is
high as well, because businesses are not
able to fulfil their operational needs.”
Grosvenor has found a solution that
works for its business. In mid-2025,
it partnered with Targa Telematics, a
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European telematics provider, to launch
ARC – its Advanced Remove Connectivity
solution.
“With ARC, all of the vehicle data is
accessed remotely, so there is no physical
device,” Brown says.
“If a driver’s engine management light
comes on, for example, we will get a
notification so we can contact the driver.”
ARC enables Grosvenor to support fleet
managers with more efficient ways for
reducing downtime.
There is a slight disparity in the age of
the vehicles coming into garages. Newer
vehicles are spending more time off the
road than ever before.
Brown adds: “Because of the high level
of technology in the vehicles, more things
go wrong. People are more familiar with
ICE vehicles, so repairs are easier to
predict and carry out.”
While new entrants coming into the UK
market present a positive opportunity
for consumers, without sufficient
aftermarket infrastructure in place, it can
cause fleet and leasing companies
more issues.
Brown says: “These brands have
come into the UK, and we are yet to see
what their infrastructure and aftersales
support looks like.
“For a fleet operator, this causes more
issues, because their drivers may have
to travel an hour to a dealership that can
repair the vehicle, because there isn’t
the repair services widely available, for
example.”
Leasing providers have a duty to their
customers to not simply provide a list of
brands that might work for their needs,
but to recommend manufacturers that
can provide effective solutions both at
the point of sale and aftersales.
Brown explains: “We need to be careful
when recommending brands where we
don’t know what the aftersales support
looks like.
