Fleet briefs: Latest from Enterprise, Runyourfleet, Europcar, TMC, SMH Fleet Solutions and Multifleet

Enterprise increases electric rental fleet

Enterprise Rent-A-Car has boosted its rental fleet in Scotland with the addition of 30 new Renault Zoe electric cars for businesses and local residents.

The vehicles will be located at Enterprise Rent-A-Car branches in Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and are part of the company’s wider investment in offering sustainable motoring options in Scotland and across the UK.

Police Scotland is one of a number of organisations that is renting the electric vehicles (EVs) from the new Enterprise Renault Zoe fleet.

Diane Mulholland, general manager for Enterprise Scotland, said: “We are planning to encourage all our customers to try EVs. That means replacement customers who get a car from their insurance company when their vehicle is being repaired will have an EV option, as well as our business and leisure customers as lockdown eases.”

Enterprise already offers a range of low-emission vehicles and is rolling out a number of fully electric vans and working with Toyota to trial hydrogen cars with selected corporate customers.

Lexus, Toyota, VW and Mercedes-Benz models added to fill the ‘fleet gap’

Europcar Mobility Group UK says its is adding new vehicles to meet the growing demand from businesses for vehicles to fill the ‘fleet-gap’ created by a move away from leasing.

For the first time the Lexus IS is being added to the Europcar fleet. Additional models from Toyota, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz have also been introduced to give business users greater choice for their long-term rental needs, it says.

Europcar Flex, Debbie Wallace, head of SME at Europcar Mobility Group UK, said: “Many companies are seeking to expand their fleets to cope with increased workloads. However, with so much pent-up demand it can be a struggle to meet increased fleet requirements in a way that is financially viable.

“With our strong manufacturer relationships, we have been able to secure new fleet to meet customer needs, providing greater choice and a cost-effective alternative to purchasing or long-term lease commitments.”

Europcar Flex offers an alternative to fixed-term leasing or ownership, starting with a three-month rental period, with no commitment, no upfront payment and no exit fees.

Runyourfleet adopts Epyx’s 1link Hire Network

Runyourfleet has adopted epyx’s 1link Hire Network to manage growing demand for daily rental services from across its customer base.

Steve Whitmarsh, managing director at the fleet management company, explained that using the platform had produced rapid results, with volumes almost doubling very quickly.

He said: “Daily rental is a key part of our portfolio and looks to become even more important in the future. However, it is an area where we felt held back by using a legacy system that wasn’t providing the flexibility we needed to meet customer requirements.”

Whitmarsh says that the the success of the new platform is illustrated by having almost doubled its monthly rental volumes. “We are simply much more nimble and flexible, he said.”

At the same time as adopting 1link Hire Network, Runyourfleet also chose to adopt Epyx’s Downtime Management module for 1link Service Network, which acts as a bridge to SMR booked through the platform, making short term hire cover easier and minimising unneeded rental days.

SMH Fleet Solutions partners with Drax on EV project

SMH Fleet Solutions says it is aiming to build an “industry-leading” EV capability across its UK operations after partnering with Drax to develop the project.

The partnership will see Drax design and build a robust charging infrastructure across SMH's five sites. It will upgrade the company's fast-charging capability and ensure it is supported by local infrastructure.

James Starling, chief commercial officer of SMH Fleet Solutions, said: “We are already seeing a steep increase in the volumes of electric vehicles we are handling in life and at end of life.

“Our strategy is to develop an industry-leading capability in managing larger volumes of EVs, and we chose Drax as the ideal partner to deliver that vision.”

Drax will design and build the EV charging infrastructure and provide ongoing support with the control and maintenance to achieve operational efficiencies.

Adam Hall (pictured), director of energy services, Drax, said: “It’s encouraging that large companies like SMH are taking positive steps to build their operational capacity.”

Multifleet partners with Trakm8

Multifleet has partnered with Trakm8 to launch Run Your Fleet Connect to enable a more proactive approach to vehicle maintenance.

Multifleet manages more than 26,000 vehicles across 1,000 businesses through its Run Your Fleet division, as well as directly operating a leasing business with a fleet of more than 1,000 vehicles.

Previously, Multifleet operated vehicle checks and servicing on a set timetable, in reaction to a breakdown or driver report.

By utilising the technology from Trakm8, Run Your Fleet Connect now provides a holistic view of the performance and condition of its entire fleet at a glance.

Multifleet can also contact drivers directly when a minor issue occurs, preventing a serious fault from developing, it says.

The new partnership has enabled Multifleet to enhance its customer service offering by introducing Run Your Fleet Connect and Run Your Fleet Connect+.

Both products give Multifleet vehicle users access to detailed data on vehicle health, while Run Your Fleet Connect+ offers driver behaviour feedback and GPS data. Additionally, Multifleet can now offer Trakm8’s entire suite of vehicle technology to its customers.

Chris Horbowyj, channel sales director at Trakm8, said: “Multifleet is one of a growing list of fleet management and leasing businesses with access to Trakm8 devices as channel partners and we’re excited to introduce more drivers and fleet managers to our technology throughout 2021.”

TMC add EV charge point locator to their app

TMC have further enhanced their mobile app, Mileage Track, by adding functionality to enable users to easily locate electric vehicle charge points.

Using the device’s location, the mobile app highlights nearby charging stations on an easy-to-view map.

The user can click on a red pin (signifying a charge point), to view the cost to use the charge point as well as the number of charge points at the location, operator name and connection types.

Paul Hollick, managing director of TMC, said: “This new addition to our app is all part of our plan to help fleets transition to electric vehicles with confidence. 

“Although most charging is currently carried out at drivers’ homes, as EV adoption becomes more widespread, public charging will become more of a necessity because a home charging unit isn’t an option for many.

“The new functionality in the app gives drivers confidence in using the public network as they can find their nearest charging station at all times.”

TMC launched their TMC-e service last July to help businesses electrify their fleets.