Fleet Renewal and Sustainable Mobility: A Strategic Management Perspective for SMEs

Abstract

Strategic fleet renewal represents a fundamental challenge for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and public entities seeking to align their operational objectives with sustainable mobility practices. This paper proposes a hybrid decision support model based on fuzzy logic, combining the Fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method with the Fleet Renewal Priority Index (FRPI). The model evaluates and prioritizes different vehicle alternatives based on multiple economic, environmental, and operational criteria, including total cost of operation, CO2 emissions, maintenance, autonomy, infrastructure compatibility, and energy independence. The criteria are evaluated by linguistic judgments converted into triangular fuzzy numbers (TFN), allowing uncertainty and subjectivity to be addressed. A simulated case study illustrates the application of the model, identifying the vehicles most aligned with a sustainability and efficiency strategy, as well as those that present a greater urgency for replacement. The results demonstrate the potential of the approach to support rational, transparent and sustainable decisions in fleet modernization.