Selecting the right passenger car or light commercial vehicle can be like running the gauntlet for a fleet manager.

Personal preferences and biases often come to the forefront, especially when staff have personal use privileges. On top of this there are budget constraints, availability concerns, fitness for purpose and any number of local issues to confound the problem.

To address all these challenges a fleet manager needs to take a dispassionate approach and look at the data – one key element is whole-of-life (WOL) cost.

WOL cost is the cost to hold and operate an asset over its intended life. This includes costs such as, but not limited to: depreciation, fuel, maintenance and repair, tyre replacement and registration. By analysing WOL costs, the fleet manager identifies the vehicle with the lowest overall cost as opposed to the vehicle with the cheapest price.

Establishing WOL cost can require some effort. You need to chase down all the cost inputs and then run calculations to provide the answer. Did you know that IPWEA FLEET, in conjunction with Summit Fleet Leasing and Management, now offer a Light Vehicle Comparison Service? This service provides IPWEA FLEET subscribers with a current and accurate comparison of vehicle whole-of-life costs, fuel consumption and emissions in an easy to read report.

Check it out at the IPWEA FLEET website, login and click on Vehicle Comparison Service – look for the logo: 


Summit Fleet will work with you, at no obligation, to provide relevant market data to help inform your fleet management decisions.

If you have any questions, please contact Rob Wilson, Manager IPWEA FLEET at robert.wilson@ipwea.org.