The 5 corporate mobility trends of 2023
Mobility is a hot topic.
Employees’ needs are changing and technological innovations are reshaping the market.
But what trends should you as an HR manager keep your eye on in 2023?
Mobility trend 1. Fleet electrification
Welcome to 2023! This is the year when tax breaks for fuel engines and plug-in hybrids are being systematically phased out.
This had been coming for a while, of course.
After Peteghem’s act was approved in 2021, companies surged into action. You probably remember the endless meetings on the topic of adapting your mobility policy, and how to make it greener.
The time has finally come: electric cars are officially becoming the ‘new normal’. And that is a good thing. Electric cars are both better for the environment and cost-saving.
That may very well sound like music to your ears. Your organisation’s CO2 emissions are reduced, while you save on employee travel costs.
Moreover, the charging stations in your company car park are currently 100% tax deductible.
Not up to speed about the new legislation yet? Read briefly about the tax changes here:
- Tax deductibility for fuel cars will be systematically reduced after 1 July 2023.
- For plug-in hybrids, this rule has already applied since 1 January 2023.
- Cars purchased after this date are in a transitional phase.
- During this period, tax benefits will be systematically phased out until 2028.
- What if you buy a car after 2026 and it runs (partly) on fossil fuel? Then it is no longer tax deductible.
Mobility trend 2. The implementation of a legal mobility budget
This seamlessly brings us to the second mobility trend, as electrification goes hand in hand with the legal mobility budget. And here’s why.
When you implement the legal mobility budget in your company, you start by calculating the Total Cost of Ownership. This is done based on the current cost of your employee’s fuel car.
Your employee can then spend this budget on 3 pillars:
- Pillar 1: an environmentally friendly car
- Pillar 2: sustainable means of transport or rental costs
- Pillar 3: cash
When you look up the term ‘environmentally friendly car’ on Google, you will notice that the focus is on electric models.
Your employees are free to use the remainder of the budget for sustainable means of transport, rental costs and international train journeys with the family. Weekend in Berlin, anyone?
So, weekend getaway or even something else: you will find that the legal mobility budget brings with it a wide choice of mobility options. Your employees are therefore free to go wherever they wish, each time using the most optimal means of transport.
You may think that this sounds good, and indeed it does. Bank Van Breda and numerous other companies are very much in favour of it, and according to the coalition agreement employees without a company car will also be able to enter this tax advantageous framework in the future!
Need a practical example? See how Mediahuis implemented the legal mobility budget.
Mobility trend 3. Employees opt for sustainable mobility
If the figures from VIAS Institute and FPS Mobility and Transport are to be believed, the number of teleworkers has doubled in four years. This is reflected in fewer kilometres travelled, as well as opting for alternative means of transport. This trend continues to grow.
Let’s look at the numbers.
- One in three Belgians opted for public transport or cycling more often in 2022.
- Young people are also increasingly ditching the car in favour of commuting by bus or train.
- 33% of employees regularly cycle to work, some of whom combine this with other means of transport.
- The number of e-bikers has doubled since 2017.
- Compared to 2019 (you know, pre-pandemic) carpooling increased by 38% in 2022.
Sustainable mobility is clearly gaining momentum, and with the new technological evolutions, it is not going away any time soon. Just look at the increasing use of e-bikes.
Autonomous vehicles also need to be taken notice of. Who knows, you might soon be enjoying a ride with colleagues in a self-driving car!
Mobility trend 4. Employers opt for flexible mobility policy
The above mobility trends in society are naturally also reflected in the necessary adjustments in mobility policy. Moreover, 70% of workers would like to have more of a say in their own salary package.
That combination creates an increased focus towards a cafeteria plan.
But what is a cafeteria plan? Allow us to explain.
It is a flexible salary package that allows employees to choose their own benefits, without rising salary costs.
Those benefits could include extra days off or an internet subscription, for example, but also: sustainable mobility. That way, their salary package is personalised.
You don’t need us to tell you that this is an asset in the battle for talent.
Find out what mobility benefits you can offer your employees.
Mobility trend 5. Mobility-as-a-Service is rising in popularity
More than 97% of 18- to 35-year-olds are using mobility apps today. That’s a whole lot of people. Belgians normally install several apps to order tickets.
That in itself is not surprising, given that more than half of Belgians have shown interest in an integrated platform. Meet our hero: Mobility-as-a-Service, or simply ‘MaaS’.
A MaaS platform bundles all available means of transport: train, tram, bus, as well as shared cars and bikes. The Olympus app also includes parking options, taxis and charging cards.
With a MaaS platform, you therefore only need to download one app for all your tickets.
A MaaS app makes sustainable mobility easy for your employees. It allows them to catch the train and then rent a shared bike to their final destination. All with a single app.
For companies where greening of their mobility policy enjoys top priority, this is a genuine must-have.