THE fully electric Kia e-Niro has pulled out a remarkable first by becoming the most ordered vehicle on Fleet Procure during September.
It is the first time the broker/dealer procurement platform has seen an EV at the top of its table, edging the VW Polo and the Mercedes A-Class.
However, not only was the e-Niro topping the table remarkable in itself, but so too was the order split of 52% BCH and 48% PCH.
It’s a fantastic statement about EVs. The e-Niro has a strong proposition with its sub-£300 rental and near 300 mile range, but the appeal goes beyond the BIK tax saving as the contract split demonstrates. People are wanting to go EV.
Lee Jones, founder and managing director, Fleet Procure
A recent report from broker funder Alphabet, called Fleet Streets (left), suggests we will see greater EV penetration of broker sales in the future. The report found that 24% of consumers said an EV or PHEV would be their next vehicle while 40% were strongly considering an EV or PHEV for their next car.
Jones added that the Kia performance did not feature any marketing support behind it, but its strong rental proposition was a reflection of the car’s healthy RV position and the availability of stock vehicles.
Philip Glover, Kia’s national contract hire manager, commented:
“We were delighted to learn that our award-wining e-Niro has become the most popular car on the Fleet Procure platform, the first EV to do so.
“The split between BCH and PCH goes to show what broad appeal the e-Niro has, with its combination of range, price, practicality and strong RV position.
“We have also worked very closely with our European and global head office teams to secure additional supply to keep up with such exceptional demand.”
While the electric Kia topped the procurement table, in fifth place was the Vauxhall Corsa, with sales split equally between the 1.2 petrol and the EV model.
Fleet Procure Top Six In September
1 Kia e-Niro
2 VW Polo
3 Mercedes-Benz A-Class
4 Mercedes-Benz GLC
5 Vauxhall Corsa
6 Range Rover Evoque
Ralph Morton is the leading journalist in the leasing broker sector and editor of Broker News, the website which provides information and news for BVRLA-registered leasing brokers. He also writes extensively on the fleet and leasing market in both the UK and Europe.
