The UK market remains one of the most open and accepting for new entrants, according to the findings of the 2024 Arval Mobility Observatory.

Fleet operators are already embracing model launches from Chinese brands such as BYD and SAIC-owned MG, with 25% of those surveyed by this year’s research having added cars to their driver choice lists.

Another 23% are considering doing the same, while more than a fifth (21%) are willing to offer their drivers cars from new manufacturer entrants once they have become established in the UK.

In total, 69% indicated they will be bringing these new models, which are mainly electric, onto their choice lists in the coming years.

“It really does feel as though electrification is redrawing which manufacturers are going to be potential players in the fleet sector in the coming years,” says Shaun Sadlier, head of Arval Mobility Observatory in the UK.

“The door also appears to be very much open for others to make their mark if they can provide the kind of high quality, attractive vehicles with strong running cost profiles that the fleet sector demands.”

The timing is perfect for the likes of BYD, GWM and Omoda, plus incoming Chinese peers Aiways, XPeng, Nio and HiPhi, and American newcomers Fisker, Rivian and Lucid, as an unprecedented flood of manufacturers elbow their way into the fleet sector.

“We are already talking to new entrants to get them on our quote system, and we are seeing the demand from fleets,” said Sadlier. “We still doing due diligence on some brands, such as aftersales and roadside recovery before we put them on our system.

“Driver choice used to be premium; now they are more open to looking at other manufacturers than ever before.”

This year’s AMO report, exclusively published by Fleet News, also reveals companies are upbeat about their prospects for the year ahead with a growing proportion anticipating their fleet size will grow.

Other topics covered include:

• BEV uptake predictions
• Perceived barriers to electric
• Real-world experiences on cost, comparing BEV vs ICE
• Driver choice list options offered by companies
• Top 3 considerations when choosing an electric car
• Key fleet challenges over the next three years