Fleet Show 2017: A day to remember

Now in its seventh consecutive year, Fleet World saw a record number of visitors for Fleet Show 2017 on 10 May.

The show was once again held at one of the most iconic motoring venues in the world, Silverstone, and coupled with some fantastic weather, was a great day out. Sandicliffe Motor Contracts were keen to be involved again to gain a valuable insight into the latest influences in and around the fleet industry, as well as getting a first glimpse of new models from over 20 manufacturers.

We started our morning with the ‘Fleet 2022’ seminar. This seminar was delivered by a variety of experts from different areas of the fleet industry. The seminar started to answer some key questions around how Brexit, diesel, autonomy, and technology will transform the fleet landscape over the next five years.

The future of autonomous vehicles generated a lot of buzz in the exhibition hall, as many industry experts were keen to learn more about the benefits of self-driving vehicles. This talk led on nicely to the next session of the day, the ‘Fundamentals of EV’s’ masterclass, which introduced the basics in terms of tech and funding.

In addition to expert talks, Fleet Show 2017 presented a great opportunity for fleet managers to discover and evaluate new fleet models with around 300 vehicles available to test drive on the iconic Silverstone race track. Audi A6, Alfa Romeo Guilia, Toyota C-HR, BMW i3, Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer, and Mazda 6 were just some of the models we wanted to get behind the wheel to test drive.

As well as being able to evaluate potential fleet models around the test track, there were a variety of pre-eminent fleet vehicles being displayed in the exhibition halls, including the highly-anticipated Volvo XC60. The XC60 on show was one of only two models currently touring in the UK, but is expected to be in UK showrooms by the end of July.

For our Marketing Intern, Ben Lodge, making his debut at the Fleet Show, one of the highlights of his day was the opportunity to be driven around Silverstone race track by a professional driver on a hot lap!

“It was certainly an in-demand experience with spaces filling up by mid-morning, but I found out why after being taken for a spin in the Abarth 124 Spider. This topped what was already a very enjoyable day at the show,” Ben commented.

The show was the perfect opportunity to meet up and network with other fleet professionals, gain an insight into what the future of the fleet industry looks like, and test drive some of the newest models on the market.

If this event sounds like your cup of tea, why not take a look at the upcoming Company Car in Action in June?

From Sandicliffe Motor Contracts, we want to say a big thank you to the Fleet Show 2017 organisers and exhibitors for making it such an enjoyable day out.