BT Fleet Solutions will provide service, maintenance and repair (SMR) for vans operated by Europcar Mobility Group.

The deal gives the rental provider access to BT Fleet Solutions’ network of garages and mobile technicians. It has more than 65 garages and 500 partner garages across the UK.

Europcar said BT Fleet Solutions was chosen because it could offer a bespoke SMR service. Stuart Russell, commercial vehicles sales director at Europcar, explained that it was the breadth of service centres, combined with the depth of technical knowledge, which made BT Fleet Solutions the right partner.

“In the last year or so we have seen a significant increase in the proportion of our van business on long-term rent, with the average number of days on rent up by a third year on year,” he said.

“We have also embraced the specialist vehicle requirements of our customers – many need specialist equipment such as shelving or beacons fitted or additional tooling which doesn’t come as standard.

“This change in demand reflects the fact that many businesses simply don’t want to commit to vehicle lease or acquisition – they want more flexibility. But they also need certainty of vehicle supply and reliability, which our long term rental solutions address.

“With this change in our customers’ requirements, we needed a partner that could provide support for vehicles on longer term rent.”

Russell said it was inevitable that vans doing more mileage are going to require more maintenance and support.

“But this can’t impact on the productivity of our customers’ businesses,” he explained. “By working with BT Fleet Solutions we can minimise fleet downtime for our customers and ourselves.”

BT Fleet Solutions has access to specialist replacement vehicles for when Europcars’ vehicles are off the road for repairs or servicing.

The locations of the BT Fleet Solutions garages and service centres was another important factor for Europcar, providing well-placed expertise for the Europcar Van Supersite network.  

Andrew Goodwin, sales director of BT Fleet Solutions, said: “The partnership with Europcar Mobility Group UK harnesses the power of BT Fleet Solutions’ extensive network of garages and LCV expertise to help Europcar Vans deliver a complete fleet management solution to its business customers.

“Our extensive experience, already managing 80,000 LCVs and HGVs for many of the UK’s blue chip companies, gives us the insight to help Europcar Vans keep its fleet on the road, minimising downtime and giving their customers a service they can rely on in a competitive landscape.”

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