Half of Belgian SMEs offer company car to employees
October 2024 - A survey by SD Worx shows that about half of Belgian SMEs offer company cars to their employees. These vehicles are mainly used as function cars, mainly for visiting customers. Companies with less than three cars form the majority, but larger organisations often have more.
The cost of providing company cars has increased by 30% on average over the past three years, mainly due to higher leasing costs of electric cars. Despite these efforts to make the fleet more environmentally friendly, the share of electric and hybrid vehicles remains stable. Currently, 14% of company cars are electric vehicles and 28% hybrid, with the majority still using fossil fuels. However, SMEs do not expect this share to increase much in the short term.
Electrification slows down
One in seven SMEs receives requests from employees for an electric car, which is a decrease from previous years. Many companies are still waiting before switching to electric cars, mainly because of practical problems such as limited charging infrastructure or the higher cost. In addition, some SMEs indicate that it is difficult to guarantee employees a car of the same size, which sometimes leads to dissatisfaction.
Mobility budget
The mobility budget, which allows employees to exchange their company car for eco-friendly alternatives or cash, has not yet had a major breakthrough. About a third of SMEs are not familiar with the concept, and many companies do not consider it applicable as a car is often essential for business operations. Only a small percentage of SMEs have plans to start working with the mobility budget, although the share is rising slightly in Flanders and Wallonia. In Brussels, the use of the mobility budget has actually decreased, probably because companies there started implementing it earlier.
The SD Worx study was conducted among 670 Belgian SMEs and offers a representative picture of company car strategies and mobility choices within these companies. The study shows that the company car is still an important work tool for many SMEs, but that costs and the switch to sustainable mobility are challenges for the future.
