New data published by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) indicates that the CO2 emissions of company car fleets have dramatically changed in the last ten years. In the 2002/2003 tax year, more than half of company car fleets had emission values above 165g/km.æ This has since fallen to just 9 per cent of fleets. Between 2011/2012 and 2012/2013, the number of company cars emitting lower figures of less than 145g/km increased by 20 per cent, and the number of cars emitting more than that figure decreased by 32 per cent _ a huge amount given the small time frame. Almost half of the fleets have emissions of less than 124g/km, with 2 per cent of company cars having less than 95g/km. The latest data showed that around 81 per cent of company cars currently use diesel fuel, with 19 per cent instead using petrol.æ In the 2002/2003 financial year, only 33 per cent of company cars were using diesel. Another interesting demonstration from the statistics is that a company car remains a critical recruitment tool, with 64 per cent of company car drivers noting that having the vehicle would be an important part of their decision as to whether to take the job or not. 45 per cent of company car drivers said that having a company car was something they considered to be a mark of achievement, in the recent Lex's Autolease report, which surveyed 240 fleet managers and more than 1,000 employees.
