Addison Lee has announced the opening of one of Europe’s biggest and most advanced service and driver training facilities in the private vehicle hire sector.

Called Grand Union, the £5 million project will include a new base near Heathrow which will officially open at the end of April.

It will be dedicated to providing training to Addison Lee’s 5,450 drivers and maintaining its fleet of vehicles.

Andy Boland, chief executive officer at Addison Lee, said: “This £5m investment is a milestone not just for our business, but a clear indication of how we are spearheading the professionalisation of the sector.

“Quite simply, there is nothing like it in Europe. We’ve consolidated five operational sites across north London into one, purpose built centre of excellence, with the latest diagnostic and servicing facilities to help make sure we give our customers the safest and most reliable cars on the road.”

The investment also underlines Addison Lee’s commitment to reducing its emissions with the installation of the largest bank of electric vehicle charging points in London.

A total of 22 charging stations mean that vehicles will be able to cover 14,000 low emission miles a week using its fleet of hybrid Toyota Prius vehicles. The new facility also features many other advances in eco-technology such as a car wash system, which utilises water recycling technology resulting in up to 80% reduction in water usage.

It will be equipped with 21 vehicle bays servicing up to 250 vehicles a day. An average of 100 drivers a day will also be trained in courses ranging from first aid to the company’s externally validated NVQ driver Diploma.

The investment is part of Addison Lee’s growth strategy that is seeing the roll-out of its app as well as the acquisition of Flyte Tyme and Tristar.

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