Fleet briefs: Latest industry news from Zoomo, Northgate, TCH Leasing, VisionTrack and Bridgestone

Zoomo expands fleet offering with Urban Arrow e-Cargo bikes

Zoomo has announced it has partnered with Urban Arrow, a medium-sized cargo bike producer, to enhance its product line-up available on the Zoomo platform. 

The partnership will enable Zoomo to meet the needs of the growing urban logistics delivery sector by offering customers a diverse range of vehicle types in its fleet, including Urban Arrow e-cargo bikes (the Cargo L and XL Cargo Line Rohloff).

Urban Arrow’s e-cargo bikes will integrate into the Zoomo platform, and will be offered alongside its fleet management software, servicing, and flexible finance as a true vehicle-as-a-service offer.  

Michael Johnson, co-founder and chief revenue officer at Zoomo, said:“Partnering with Urban Arrow represents a major win for Zoomo and our customers in the urban logistics space.

“By adding Urban Arrow's cutting-edge hardware into our platform, we can offer our customers even more sustainable and efficient fleet solutions, while expanding our servicing capabilities.

“Urban Arrow's global reach also presents a significant opportunity for us to grow our business, while helping our customers expand their fleets and reduce their environmental impact.” 

Likewise, Urban Arrow will be able to access new markets via the partnership and will have the potential to broaden their user base through Zoomo’s subscription packages.

In addition, Urban Arrow’s existing and future customers get access to Zoomo’s dedicated servicing network, software platform and finance offering.  

Jorrit Kreek, co-founder of Urban Arrow, said: “At Urban Arrow we are thrilled to partner with Zoomo.

“With Zoomo being the world’s leading platform for commercial micromobility fleets, we are proud to see our Urban Arrow electric cargo bikes being ridden by industry leading companies.” 

Urban Arrow’s cargo bikes are equipped with the Bosch Cargo Line motor and a suspended front fork to ensure smooth transport from A to B.

The Cargo L and XL come with multiple box variants with the ability to carry up to 620 litres, making it ideal for a wide range of business needs. 

Northgate expands its Scottish operations with the launch of Inverness branch

Northgate has strengthened its proposition for businesses in Scotland with the opening of a new branch in Inverness.

The latest branch opening will serve Northgate’s customers based in the Scottish Highlands with a full range of business van hire and fleet mobility solutions options, as well as hire vehicle servicing and maintenance.

The investment adds an additional branch to Northgate’s Scottish operations, on top of its existing branches in Aberdeen, Stirling, Glasgow and Broxburn.

Branch manager, Keith Gordon, said: “We look forward to being able to offer a full range of our services to the Highlands region.

“We have business van hire customers across the whole of Scotland, but the opening of the new branch and workshop facilities means we can provide easier access to the Northgate benefits than ever before.”

Neil McCrossan, Northgate’s sales and marketing director, said: “The opening of the new Inverness branch underlines our ongoing commitment to invest in our network for the benefit of our customers.

“By widening the branch network in Scotland, we can deliver our full-service proposition more effectively. It is also very pleasing to be able to bring more jobs, apprenticeships and training opportunities to the Highland region.”

TCH Leasing extends Fleet Assist SMR contract until 2026

TCH Leasing has extended its agreement with Fleet Assist for a further three years to provide service, maintenance and repair (SMR) services to its fleet, public sector, salary sacrifice, and personal leasing customers.

TCH will continue to use Fleet Assist’s network of over 5,000 independent and franchised garages to manage the SMR requirements for its fleet of over 11,000 vehicles.

The Fleet Assist team also manages TCH’s service booking requests either online or by phone.

Jennifer Jones, systems and compliance manager, said: “With the continued growth of EVs across our fleet we are confident we have an SMR partner that not only ensures the garage network is future proofed, but we can identify trends emerging from the market-leading business intelligence provided as part of the network offering.

“Fleet Assist’s EV ready network is second to none and its highly experienced team is proficient in managing the servicing and maintenance requirements of our customers. We look forward to working with them for another three years.”

Karen Ewer, Fleet Assist’s head of business development, added: “We are proud to have worked with TCH since 2009 and look forward to continuing to grow our businesses together over the next few years.

“We will continue to keep on top of the ongoing trend towards EVs to ensure we are one step ahead of TCH’s needs.”

Applied Driving and VisionTrack join forces

Applied Driving has teamed up with VisionTrack, a global leader of AI video telematics and connected vehicle data, to develop a video-enabled safe driving solution.

The companies will bring together the proven benefits of automated risk reduction, 360-degree vision and cloud-based video analysis to help fleet and driver safety.

“This is a hugely exciting partnership that has the potential to transform how our fleet customers tackle driver and fleet risk reduction,” explained Andy Phillips, global managing partner at Applied Driving.

“By providing access to the latest technologies and integrations, we are helping companies to build a safe driving culture that prioritises the welfare of drivers and other road users.

“Working closely with VisionTrack, we can take advantage of the latest advances in AI video telematics and the benefits this provides.”

Under the partnership, Applied Driving's online web-application Riskmapp will be integrated with VisionTrack’s IoT platform, Autonomise.ai.

Richard Lane, global product director at VisionTrack, said: “We are passionate about road safety and committed to working with likeminded organisations, such as Applied Driving, to continually push the boundaries of what is possible.

“By integrating our AI video telematics with Applied Driving’s innovative safe driving technologies and processes, we can develop advanced solutions that further mitigate the impact of road, driver and fleet risk.”

Bridgestone invests in retread tyre production

Bridgestone’s commitment to its retread tyre offering has been underlined with a multi-million-pound upgrade of its range.

Under the new ‘Bandag Hotread’ name, Bridgestone’s retread solutions will become some of the most advanced in the UK, featuring 17 new products being manufactured from its Bourne-based Bulldog plant.

Bandag Hotread will cover the HGV (Heavy Good Vehicle), bus and coach markets. It will see a greater shift in emphasis from cold to hot-cure products, in response to demand from commercial customers.

New machinery will be brought into Bridgestone’s Bulldog Factory in Bourne, Lincolnshire, and will transform Bridgestone’s retread offering, which is a sector that currently accounts for around 24% of commercial tyres sold in the UK per year.

David Almazán, Bridgestone’s commercial business unit director at Bridgestone North Region, said: “There is a move towards the lowest total cost of ownership of product, combined with increasing awareness of the need for a more sustainable and circular economy where recycling is standard.

“Bridgestone is fully committed in this regard, which is why we have made such a significant expansion of our retread range.

“A sustainable future fits with our company ethos, and retread is economically good for the customer and takes a central role in our commitment to develop sustainable tyre technologies and solutions that preserve the environment for future generations.”