60% of Companies with Two or More Company Cars Report Having Vehicles with Low Utilization Rates

CarNext PRO, a corporate vehicle buyback service provided by Luxus Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kita-ku, Osaka City; President and CEO: Seijiro Fukushige, hereinafter referred to as “the company”), conducted a survey targeting 300 employees responsible for purchasing, managing, or selling company vehicles at companies owning two or more such vehicles. The survey focused on vehicle ownership structures, utilization monitoring, presence of underutilized vehicles, and practices regarding fleet size and contract reviews.

## Survey Background

Company vehicles are vital assets supporting a wide range of operations, including sales activities, on-site responses, transportation of materials and goods, and inter-branch transfers. Particularly in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, mining, construction, manufacturing, real estate, and transportation industries, many companies own and operate multiple company vehicles due to operational requirements.

On the other hand, company vehicles incur ongoing maintenance costs beyond the initial purchase price, including lease fees, insurance premiums, inspection costs, repair expenses, and parking fees. Additionally, if vehicle usage varies significantly across departments or locations, companies may continue to own vehicles that are not being fully utilized.

Therefore, CarNext PRO conducted a survey targeting 300 individuals involved in purchasing, managing, or selling company vehicles at companies in the agriculture, forestry, fisheries, mining, construction, manufacturing, real estate, and transportation sectors that own two or more company vehicles. The survey examined vehicle ownership models, utilization monitoring practices, presence of underutilized vehicles, and the frequency and content of fleet size and contract reviews.

## Survey Summary

The most common vehicle ownership/contract model is “owning vehicles purchased by the company,” at 76%, followed by “leasing vehicles” at 45%.

Only 45.33% of companies confirm individual vehicle utilization “at least once a month.” Meanwhile, a significant number of companies lack fixed review schedules, rely on on-site intuition, or barely monitor usage.

60% of companies owning two or more company vehicles reported having “vehicles with low utilization rates.”

The most common reason for underutilized vehicles is “vehicles concentrated in specific branches or departments,” at 46.67%.

52% of companies review whether their fleet size is appropriate at least once a year. However, some companies lack regular review practices.

The top items checked during reviews are “costs such as maintenance, repairs, insurance, and lease fees” (41.67%) and “vehicle age and deterioration status” (40.67%).

## Vehicle Ownership Model: 76% Own Vehicles, 45% Lease

The survey first revealed that vehicle ownership is primarily based on self-purchase and ownership. When asked about ownership/contract models, 76% of companies reported “owning vehicles purchased by the company,” the highest percentage. Next, 45% reported “leasing vehicles,” indicating that many companies combine self-ownership with leasing to secure their corporate fleets.

Meanwhile, only 19.67% reported “using rental cars or car-sharing services,” and 9.33% reported “borrowing vehicles from group or affiliated companies.” While self-ownership and leasing allow stable access to necessary vehicles, they incur fixed costs such as maintenance, insurance, repairs, and lease fees regardless of usage frequency. Therefore, for companies owning multiple vehicles, it is essential to monitor individual vehicle utilization and periodically review fleet size and contract terms as needed.

## Only 45.33% of Companies Monitor Vehicle Usage Monthly

Regarding monitoring of individual vehicle utilization, 45.33% of companies reported “recording usage frequency, mileage, and usage days per vehicle and reviewing at least once a month,” the highest response. While nearly half of the companies monitor vehicle usage at a relatively high frequency, fewer than half conduct monthly reviews.

Next, 23.67% reported “recording and reviewing at least once every six months.” However, 12% said they “have usage records but no fixed review frequency,” 11.67% said they “lack per-vehicle records and rely on staff or on-site intuition,” and 7.33% said they “barely monitor vehicle utilization.”

Without accurate monitoring of vehicle usage, companies risk overlooking underutilized vehicles or those concentrated in specific departments or locations. The results suggest that a significant number of companies lack adequate usage records and review schedules, posing challenges for data-driven reviews of fleet size, allocation, and contract terms.

## 60% of Companies with Two or More Vehicles Report Low-Utilization Vehicles

When asked whether they have vehicles with low utilization in their current fleet, only 40% of companies answered “no.” In contrast, 16.33% reported “vehicles unused for over a month,” 25.67% reported “vehicles used only during peak seasons or specific tasks, otherwise unused for over six months,” and 18% said they “have low-utilization vehicles but cannot specify the duration.” In total, 60% of companies acknowledged having some underutilized vehicles.

Notably, 25.67% reported vehicles unused for over six months outside peak periods or specific tasks, indicating a significant number of vehicles remain underutilized for extended periods. Additionally, 18% admitted awareness of underutilized vehicles but lack precise data on usage patterns, suggesting many companies recognize the issue but fail to fully understand actual utilization.

Company vehicles incur ongoing maintenance costs such as insurance, inspections, repairs, parking, and lease fees, even with low usage. It is crucial to regularly confirm the presence of underutilized vehicles and consider reallocation, fleet reduction, contract revisions, or disposal and replacement as needed.

## Primary Reason for Underutilized Vehicles: 46.67% Cite Imbalance Across Branches or Departments

When asked why they have underutilized vehicles, the most common reason was “vehicles concentrated in specific branches or departments,” at 46.67%. This was followed by “needed only during peak seasons or specific tasks” (34.44%), “kept as backup vehicles” (33.33%), and “no designated users or departments” (32.22%).

These results suggest that underutilized vehicles stem not only from excessive fleet size but also from operational challenges such as imbalanced allocation across locations or departments, timing of usage relative to business cycles, backup vehicle policies, and unclear user assignments or usage rules.

Additionally, 18.33% cited “difficulty using due to aging or malfunctions,” 10% cited “lack of shared internal rules or reservation systems,” and 5% cited “delayed decisions on disposal, return, contract changes, or replacements.” To reduce underutilized vehicles, companies must review not only fleet size but also individual vehicle purposes, allocation, aging levels, and internal usage policies.

## Current State of Fleet Size Reviews