Held yesterday (20th May) at the prestigious Royal Automobile Club at Pall Mall, London, the awards once again recognise the leading car and van vehicles and suppliers in the UK fleet industry.

This year’s awards have seen electric vehicle technology play a dominant role, with a number of awards scooped up by EV manufacturers.

This includes the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, which has taken the Fleet World Environment Award in recognition of its revolutionary stance on pricing; the model is priced the same as the diesel. Fleet World editor Steve Moody added: 'The result is huge tax savings for company car drives and realistic running costs for fleets. On top of that, it’s a really nice car to drive and works very well in EV mode.'

Meanwhile the BMW i technology has been given the Innovation Award, with Steve Moody praising its 'holistic approach to electric vehicle ownership takes down the barriers one by one'. Moody also added that the 'i brand’s futuristic-looking, lightweight cars are every bit a BMW to drive'. 

The Toyota Lexus hybrid programme was also recognised with the Technology Award. Steve Moody commented that the technology continues to challenge the diesel-dominated market, now available in almost every sector the company competes in, from the Yaris supermini to the Lexus LS 600h luxury car. He added: 'New developments have allowed the IS and GS to compete for the best executive diesels, while packaging advances mean Toyota’s Auris Touring Sports can bring hybrid technology to the load-carrying sector without compromising capacity.'

The Tesla Model S was also included in the Honours, gaining the Road Test Editor’s Award. Fleet World deputy editor Alex Grant said: 'It's as fast and as comfortable as the best high-performance luxury saloons, travels over 300 miles on a charge and regain most of that range within half an hour. With right-hand drive versions due to reach the UK this summer and the fleet sector firmly on its radar, this could be one of the most exciting cars to enter the corporate arena this decade.'

Amongst the VAN Fleet World Editor’s Awards, the Renault Z.E. technology scooped the Environment Award while the new Nissan e-NV200 electric van took the Editor’s Award alongside British Gas for its work on EVs.

Commenting on the prevalence of EVs in the awards, Fleet World managing editor Ross Durkin said: 'The electromobility sector is expanding rapidly, proving the technology is suitable not only for small city cars but can offer fuel savings across almost all sectors. With pricing beginning to normalise, improvements in range and charging times and the growing availability of charging points nationwide, it can only become more viable for the fleet sector.'