Volvo Car UK has further enhanced its complimentary business support service for drivers, Co-Pilot, by signing up a new partner, Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

The deal will allow any business that buys or leases their first Volvo to access hire vehicles from Enterprise at short notice and at discounted rates.

This means Co-Pilot members that have a fleet vehicle off the road for whatever reason, or that need an additional car,  van or prestige vehicle, can have a hire vehicle with them, wherever they are, in as little as two hours or less.

The new partnership is also useful to businesses looking to address grey fleet vehicle usage.

Renting a car for occasional business trips can help reduce a company’s exposure to risk from employees using their own cars for business purposes, where the service, maintenance history, business insurance of the vehicle may not be known, thereby reducing Duty of Care risk.

 The partnership also includes free evaluation and advice from Enterprise’s Travel Consultancy – a review and consultation of an SME’s grey fleet usage and travel policy requirements.

Selwyn Cooper, head of business sales at Volvo Car UK, said: “To have a company with the reach of Enterprise Rent-A-Car as partner for Co-Pilot is a boon, letting us offer support to businesses wherever they are in the UK, underlining our commitment to helping all SMEs with their business driving needs.

 “The Volvo philosophy has always been that the best way to stay safe in a crash is not to have a crash in the first place.

“Co-Pilot and the Enterprise Travel Consultancy extends this preventative approach, while Volvo’s world-leading safety technology makes them the best cars to be in should the worst happen. And now we can help get drivers get back on the road.”

Some 90% of the UK population is within 10 miles of one of Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s 400 centres, and 75% within five miles, allowing rapid response to business needs wherever they are located.

By getting business drivers moving, and helping employers’ duty of care towards them while they’re there, the partnership will help address Co-Pilot’s three core objectives: legal compliance, safety and risk management, and business optimisation.

Co-Pilot is a complimentary suite of expert assistance offered to all SMEs that buy or lease their first Volvo.

Launched last year, the tailored package of services, information and resources is the first of its kind, designed to help businesses with the costly and often confusing issues of driver safety and compliance.

 When combined with Volvo’s safety technology, the Co-Pilot site and scheme will help SMEs minimise the risks – and costs – of business driving.

Ross Pengilly, UK strategic account manager, manufacturer, assistance and dealership division, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, said: “As a family-owned business we make customer service our number one priority, and we’re able to make decisions that aim to benefit our customers in the long-term. This is very much the ethos behind Co-Pilot, which is why we were keen to join Volvo as a partner. 

“We’ve honed our expertise by offering these kinds of services to insurers, Breakdown assistance, corporate and retail but this is the first time we’ve worked with a manufacturer’s business sales division to give this crucial assistance to business driver customers in this way.

“Helping SMEs keep their staff on the road, whether sales teams, executives or delivery staff, is not just about convenience; it’s about making a real difference to their bottom line. “We are able to offer a total mobility package from short, medium or long term flexible rental as well as innovative products like CarShare.”

Enterprise Rent-A-Car joins a panel of carefully chosen Co-Pilot partners, working together to help meet the needs of modern businesses.

They include: driver risk management experts Fleet21, TfL, Specsavers Corporate Eyecare, discount fuel company The Fuelcard People, HERE navigation, driver safety app creators Romex, and RoadHawk black box recording systems.

Co-Pilot is completely free of charge to existing businesses and to SMEs who are buying or leasing their first Volvo (subject to terms and conditions).

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