Conducted by leasing company Arval, the study of 4,500 fleet decision makers across 15 countries asked which technologies respondents had already deployed, and which they were looking to add to their businesses over the next three years.

Take-up is weighted towards businesses with over 100 employees. Over a quarter (26%) of these large businesses already have hybrids on their fleets, while 12% have plug-in hybrids and 10% have electric vehicles. This compares with 16%, 8% and 10% Europe-wide.

Amongst smaller businesses, 8% said they have hybrids, 2% have plug-in hybrids and 5% have electric vehicles, compared with study-wide averages of 3%, 1% and 2% respectively.

The results look positive going forward, too. Over the next three years, 34% of UK respondents are considering hybrids, 25% are looking to add plug-in hybrids to their fleets, and 23% are interested in electric vehicles. Meanwhile, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are already deployed on 3% of large UK businesses’ fleets, with a combined 16% of respondents looking to adopt the technology over the next three years.

Robert Pieczka, marketing and insurance director at Arval, said: “When used in the right circumstances, new vehicle technologies provide an efficient and cost effective option for businesses which is why their popularity has been growing in the past few years. We expect to see this trend continue as new models enter the market, the manufacturers refine the product and fleets develop a better understanding of how to best deploy these vehicles.”

“We are very supportive of new technology, but it should only be deployed where it meets a genuine need. Before selecting vehicles, businesses must be clear on what they need them for with the full range of vehicle options assessed as part of a whole life cost approach which will include electric, hybrid and standard petrol and diesel models.”