Fleet briefs: Latest from the AA, Pendragon, Copart, Auto Data Solutions, Shoreham Vehicle Auctions, Manheim and Europcar

Canoo partners with the AA for breakdown and recovery services

Canoo has chosen the AA in the UK for premium roadside assistance services to commercial fleet customers in the UK.

The AA will provide several services for the company’s LDV 130, LDV 190 and other commercial vehicles, including specialised breakdown cover for electric vehicles (EVs).

“The AA provides our commercial and government customers in the UK with access to world-class expertise in electric commercial vehicle service, maintenance and repair including breakdown services, and charging infrastructure support,” said Tony Aquila, investor, executive chairman and CEO of Canoo. 

“Minimising downtime for commercial fleets is essential for maximising productivity and profitability.” 

James Starling, business services director at the AA, said: “We are excited to partner with Canoo to provide comprehensive support for its commercial customers throughout the United Kingdom. 

“We look forward to supporting Canoo and their partners, playing a pivotal role in ensuring their fleet customers remain operational. 

“Our goal is to offer timely services that keep these vehicles on the road where they belong. Our approach aligns seamlessly with Canoo’s vision for rolling out electric vehicles. We are committed to introducing groundbreaking vehicles as part of our 'test and scale' strategy for fleet decarbonisation.”

Pendragon partners with Targa Telematics for fleet customers

Targa Telematics has partnered with Pendragon Vehicle Management (PVM), giving them enhanced visibility into its leased vehicles, offering updated insights into vehicle health and performance while minimizing risks such as theft and Vehicle Off-Road (VOR) incidents. 

Additionally, PVM will be able to help its customers manage their fleets more efficiently, control costs, improve operational efficiency, increase the safety of drivers, vehicles, and goods, ensure compliance, and proactively support the transition to more sustainable fleet operations. 

The technology provides fleet managers with live monitoring, actionable insights, and a range of features to make informed decisions and optimize resource allocation.

Chris Horbowyj, UK commercial director at Targa Telematics UK, said: “This partnership with PVM comes at a critical time of growth for both companies and underscores the flexibility and capabilities of Targa Telematics. 

“PVM valued the ability to offer their customers a unified platform to monitor all vehicles, whether through OEM integration or Targa Telematics' advanced telematics devices. This provides a seamless experience with full fleet visibility.”

Phil Wilbraham, GVP for Pendragon Vehicle Management, added: “The opportunity to have a platform that gives a link up with OEM integration and Targa Telematics’ devices allows us a flexibility in the market to help all our customers throughout their fleet as part of a wider service offering. 

“We look forward to being able to utilise the Targa Telematics product with our existing and future customer base.”

Copart increases operational capabilities in Scotland with new Dunfermline site

Copart UK is increasing its operational capabilities in Scotland with the announcement of a new operation centre in Fife. 

Plans for a new 25-acre site at the Pitreavie Business Park in Dunfermline will support the company’s growth in Scotland, alongside their existing operation centres in East Kilbride and Whitburn.

The operation centre will provide annual storage capacity for around 30,000 vehicles, and alongside the company’s existing sites in East Kilbride and Whitburn, it offers the potential for Copart to handle over 100,000 cars per year across Scotland.

Jane Pocock, CEO of Copart UK and Ireland, said: “As a market leader with a passion to keep growing and improving, we’re excited to increase our operational capabilities for customers and buyers in Scotland, whilst continuously driving down road miles and carbon emissions by being closer to our customers.

“The storage capacity at our new Dunfermline site will support the ever-increasing demand for EV handling and will enable us to offer our fast and efficient emergency response services to extreme weather events which can typically affect our customers in Scotland.”

Copart anticipates the Operation Centre in Dunfermline to be operational by winter 2025.

Lapsed franchise dealer customers are driving potentially unsafe cars

Losing track of customers risks dealers failing in their duty of care and also missing out on millions in additional revenue, according to research by data company Auto Data Solutions (ADS).

ADS analysis of dealer and industry databases reveals that around one-in-five lapsed customers are driving cars with an outstanding safety recall.

Working with DMS and other dealer service providers, ADS uses its 'Recall Alert' system to analyse dealer databases and cross-refer them with every source of recall data. This enables dealers to re-establish contact with those customers they had 'lost'.

Jon Sheard, operations director of ADS, said: “Dealers typically lose track of around 15% of their customers a year, as people's circumstances change.

“As well as missing revenue opportunities this also leaves millions of cars on the road subject to an outstanding safety recall.”

Sogo helps inspirational teenager with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Sogo Mobility has come to the aid of a Wigan teenager who suffers from a debilitating disease after donating a new mode of adapted transport to help ease coping with the condition.

It has supplied the Johnson family from Wigan with a wheelchair-accessible vehicle (WAV) to help Jack Johnson, a courageous teen with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The muscle-wasting disease currently has no cure.

The custom Ford Tourneo will provide greater freedom and flexibility for Jack and support his family.

Lee O'Connell, sales director at Sogo, said: “We’re incredibly proud to support the Joining Jack charity and Jack and his family's remarkable journey in tackling this cruel disease.

“Like so many living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Jack faces daily challenges that most of us can only imagine. 

“His strength, courage, and resilience have been inspiring, and we hope that the specially adapted vehicle we have presented to the family will not only help to make life a little easier for the Johnsons but also ensure that Jack can continue to do all the activities that he is so passionate about.”

SVA welcomes new beehives and its bees to the auction team

Shoreham Vehicle Auctions (SVA) has welcomed new additions to its team in the form of two beehives.

As part of its pledge to create a sustainable local environment, SVA has partnered with Pollinator Pioneers who set up and manage the project and who have helped the auction focus on improving its local ecosystem.

This community project initiative involves housing two beehives on its Shoreham site, which will play a crucial role in boosting the health and vitality of the local flora and fauna.

As the bees prepare for winter, by sealing up their hives to protect themselves from the colder months ahead, SVA is actively recycling old packing crates into planters to grow bee-friendly plants and flowers, to ensure a steady source of pollen for its busy pollinators in the spring of 2025.

Alex Wright, managing director of SVA, said: “We are thrilled to embark on this venture with Pollinator Pioneers. By adding beehives to our site, we are taking a meaningful step toward promoting environmental sustainability and supporting our local ecosystem. 

“This initiative not only benefits the bees but also strengthens our community’s commitment to biodiversity. We are looking forward to tasting the first jars of honey.”

Manheim Gloucester celebrates successful launch at its first sale event

Manheim Auction Services, part of Cox Automotive, launched its Gloucester specialist auction site in October with record-breaking results. 

The sale event saw 5,270 accepted bids, the most received at a commercial Manheim auction, totalling £4.2 million pounds in assets sold on the day. 

The new site is the result of a seven-figure investment, designed to support Manheim’s fast-growing van and truck customer base, creating the largest in-lane physical auction for commercial vehicles in the UK. The specialist facility houses auctions for van, truck and plant assets.  

Matthew Davock, director of commercial vehicles at Manheim Auction Services, said: “Our ambition from the outset was to create a lively, energy-filled atmosphere for our customers and give them the opportunity to get up close with an array of truck, van and plant vehicles. 

“The first sale event did just that. We couldn’t have asked for a better day to launch this fantastic new site, with the sun shining and over 580 units driving through the lanes from 56 different consigners, we exceeded our ambitions and customer expectations, with positive feedback received across the board.” 

The event saw 83.6% of units selling first time with many consigners registering 100% conversion rates. In further positive news for sellers, the average sold prices versus reserve set achieved an impressive 107.2% on the day. 

More than 160 buyers attended the event in-person, making for strong competition between hall buyer and online sales. In the van lane, 54% of total sales were won by hall bidders, whilst in the truck and plant lane, 74% of assets sold to online buyers.  

Europcar joins urban tree-planting campaign

Europcar Mobility Group UK has partnered with urban tree-planting charity, Trees for Cities. 

The new partnership will support tree planting projects in four UK locations close to key Europcar locations – in London, Glasgow, Cardiff and Birmingham – working with local councils and includes opportunities for employees to volunteer and plant trees themselves.

The first tree planting day took place at Forest Road Playing Fields, Hainault, Ilford on October 31, with a dedicated Europcar team planting 280 whips (saplings) for new woodland creation.

“As a carbon-emitting business, we are continually seeking new ways to help balance and counteract some of those emissions and we were inspired by the Trees for Cities vision,” said Karen Moule, CSR manager, Europcar Mobility Group UK. 

“Focusing on urban areas that suffer from reduced tree canopy cover, our planting projects will contribute to improving air quality and people's wellbeing, attracting wildlife and keeping the areas cooler in hot weather. We were excited to get started with our first ‘Woodland Creation’ day in Ilford last week.”

The best time to plant trees is during their dormant months between October and March. Europcar’s teams of employees will plant hundreds of new trees across all four locations throughout the planting season.