BVRLA member satisfaction rose across all key areas in 2020, driven by the organisation’s support in a very challenging year.

The BVRLA’s 2020 Annual Review also reveals that three-quarters of members would recommend joining the association to others, at a time when business leaders are looking for support

A total of 82% of members reported overall satisfaction with the BVRLA in 2020 while 75% said they feel that the association delivers good value for money, both up on the previous year’s figures.

The figures, revealed in the BVRLA’s 2020 Annual Review, also show three-quarters of members would recommend joining the association to others, at a time when business leaders are increasing looking to their trade body and industry community for support.

BVRLA chief executive Gerry Keaney said: “2020 will go down in the history books as being one of the toughest times that the world has faced. We have all had to adapt and respond at pace, and our resilience has been tested. But I am very proud of what we have achieved and am delighted to share the Annual Review, which provides a comprehensive overview of our work in the past year.”

Keaney added: “Although we are making big strides in increasing member satisfaction and influencing Government policy, we still have a lot of work to do. 2021 could be an even tougher year and the BVRLA will continue to support its members as we work together on key issues affecting us all, including business recovery, Covid-19 response, road transport decarbonisation and EU Exit.”

The importance of the vehicle rental and leasing industry to the economy and to drive the decarbonisation of road transport has been recognised by the Government.

Speaking at the BVRLA’s Fleets in Charge event in October, and writing to the BVRLA in November, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The UK vehicle rental and leasing industry is an important part of our economy and will remain so in the future. The industry not only directly employs tens of thousands of people and generates significant value in GDP terms but also has a vital role in the UK’s transition to zero-emission road transport.

“It’s fantastic that so many BVRLA members are making commitments to introduce zero-emission fleets ahead of the Government’s phase-out target. BVRLA members are fundamental to the transition to cleaner road transport.”

Recent research by the BVRLA has revealed a “huge” appetite among fleets for electric vehicles, as revealed in its latest Leasing Outlook report.