Car sharing could see greater take-up by fleets in the future, driven by younger employees, new research find.Arval’s 2016 Corporate Vehicle Observatory Barometer shows 41% of fleet managers believe their youngest generation of employees would easily accept car sharing as an option.

Also, 32% agree that car sharing will generally expand in the fleet sector with 26% supporting the idea that it would make vehicles available to a larger share of employees.

However, few seem to think that this move will happen quickly – just 11% say that employees are ready today to give up their company cars in favour of more flexible, alternative mobility, indicating that the company car retains its position as a leading employee benefit.

Shaun Sadlier, head of consultancy at Arval, said: “For many years, fleet commentators have been predicting a growth in car sharing as a means of increasing car utilisation and flexibility. However, the idea has never really gained traction in the UK and the one-car, one-user model has remained the norm.

“It is conceivable that the youngest, Generation Y employees could influence this model and fleet managers are recognising this possibility. They have a much more flexible attitude to the idea of ownership and rental when it comes to all kinds of goods and services, and they could carry this thinking through into the fleets of the future, making car sharing viable.

“Technology could also potentially play a part here, with smartphone apps and connected cars making sharing arrangements much easier to manage and administer.”

Other findings from the Barometer also suggest that there may be a future for more flexible fleet provision. While 59% of respondents agreed that company cars were considered a reward by employees, 54% thought the same about monthly mobility budgets.

“We need to be realistic, but within a decade or so, we could see a fleet sector in which more flexible car and transport provision has become a more widely accepted part of the mix within some organisations.

“However, it is always possible that as Generation Y gets older, their attitudes and outlook will change and they will want a company car of their own in exactly the same way as their forebears,” added Sadlier.