Lombard Vehicle Management has been appointed by national lawn treatment business GreenThumb to fund and manage a fleet of around 800 vans on an exclusive basis.

Around 230 units will be delivered during 2010 and run on contract hire, predominantly over three years and 45,000 miles.

Lombard provided GreenThumb with a wholelife cost analysis demonstrating that savings could be made not just over the vehicles’ term but also operationally through better fuel consumption.

In addition the fleet will have a lower environmental impact thanks to lower CO2 emissions. The new vans, Volkswagen Caddy Maxi 1.9 TDIs, will reduce fuel consumption by 15% and CO2 by 25% over the existing fleet, some of which the VWs are replacing immediately.