8 April 2016

Company car technology drives productivity improvement, says ŠKODA

Technology advancements in company cars have made British workers around a third more productive, adding almost £36 billion to the economy, according to new research.

Figures from motor manufacturer ŠKODA demonstrate just how much Brits, whose jobs require time on the road, rely on their in-car gadgetry.

When asked which kit they couldn’t work without different drivers had their favourites. Around one in six (14%) chose smartphone connectivity systems, while a tenth of the survey respondents selected cruise control and sat-navs. They were also the items that - along with climate control - were cited as being used most often.

However, for bosses across the country, the perk of automotive technology was how much more efficient it made their employees.

ŠKODA’s poll of 600 company car drivers revealed that the right equipment could save time (according to 42%), make navigation easier (37%) and ultimately save money (31%).

The knock-on effect was an improvement in productivity, with ŠKODA’s figures suggesting each worker completed, on average, 33% more work than they would do without their vehicle’s technology. Based on the average British wage, that’s £9,200 per employee who used a car for work purposes, (3.89 million) which multiplied together amounted to a benefit of £35.78 billion.

Henry Williams, head of fleet at ŠKODA UK, said: “At ŠKODA, we know that in-car technology is hugely important to company car drivers and their employers to help save time and money.

‘We regularly investigate which gadgets are most effective in improving business productivity and safety to make sure our cars, particularly the SE Business range, are kitted out with the most up-to-date and desirable products.’