The country needs fewer company cars

traffic jam on the highway

Alternatives exist almost exclusively in addition to the company car – and not instead.

(Photo: dpa)

A Handelsblatt survey of the 40 Dax companies revealed that very few companies have reduced their fleet of company cars in the past five years. First of all, this is not good news – not for the climate goals of the companies, not from the point of view of the mobility transition as a whole.

Company cars seem out of date on crowded streets and motorways with traffic jams – even if they are electric cars. Of course, some employees are dependent on company cars for professional reasons.

But companies should ask themselves whether a manager automatically needs a company car. It is still sold to them as an employee benefit. Where the company car is not used for business trips, but only the kilometers from the city apartment to the workplace, it is superfluous.

Mobility budget is going in the right direction

Fortunately, companies have expanded the alternatives. This is shown by the Handelsblatt survey. But they exist almost exclusively next to the company car – and not instead. More and more managers are using these alternatives, and they are often even available to all employees. The needs of mobility and sustainability are being democratized.

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The mobility budgets of some corporations are another step in the right direction. This budget is actually offered instead of the company car. But such budgets cannot be reserved for executives or “company car owners”.

The Dax companies in particular, which are among the largest CO2 emitters worldwide, must lead the way if they want to meet their climate targets. The necessary turnaround in mobility in Germany will only happen if the company car fleets of the corporations become significantly smaller.

More: Which company car alternatives German companies offer their employees

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