Government Finally Practices What It Preaches
Friday, 24. October 2014
Years ago I was group general manager for a reasonable sized PLC. I was responsible for a large number of departments including IT, general admin, cost and management accounting, personnel (known as HR these days), health and safety and much more including our fleet department responsible for over 700 vehicles.
Thinking of a change but unsure as to the best way to finance your car? Then you need a copy of my car finance book, Car Finance – A Simple Guide by Graham Hill. Click on the link below to buy the best car finance book on the market, available as a Kindle Book and Paper Back.
At the time Peugeot had introduced some major new development in the area of diesel cars, in the past diesels were mainly fitted into vans and trucks. They were still a bit noisy, lacked a bit of low end power, especially the non turbo versions – 0-60 in a week and a half and filling up with diesel meant you stank of the stuff until it wore off 5 days later!
But being a Cost and Management Accountant I crunched the figures and decided that company cars should all be diesel, except the main board of directors and me! The staff kicked off, as did their managers and directors, but I was having none of it. The figures didn’t lie so the drivers had diesel imposed upon them, after all when is a company ever run as a democracy – good grief!
Constantly I would hear the argument that I should be driving a diesel and I would use every reason under the sun until it came down to the fact that I simply didn’t want to. Now I was reminded of this situation when I read that the Government have finally agreed to include 150 electric vehicles in their fleet of cars used to ferry ministers around. The £5 million scheme is expected to extend to councils, the police force and the NHS.
Considering the government has been pushing EV’s for 5 years why has it taken so long to lead the way? I could understand if this was in the 70’s and the government was a company but they are a democracy for goodness sake! With this new initiative led by the Government to push more of us into EV’s, will I be changing my car next year for an electric car? The hell I will, only just started driving diesels! Have a word! By Graham Hill
