Europcar Mobility Group UK has engaged BT Fleet Solutions to provide a tailor-made SMR service for its van fleet.

The partnership gives Europcar access to BT Fleet Solutions’ extensive UK network of garages and mobile technicians for its van fleet, maximising the availability of the vehicles.

Europcar says it chose BT Fleet Solutions because it offers a bespoke LCV service, with a network of over 65 garages and 500 partner garages across the UK, supported by 840 in-house experts.

It also has 52 mobile repair units, and access to specialist replacement vehicles when Europcar vans are off the road.

Europcar commercial vehicles sales director Stuart Russell said: “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.

“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. It is 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. By working with BT Fleet Solutions we can minimise fleet downtime for our customers and ourselves.”

BT Fleet Solutions sales director Andrew Goodwin 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 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 keep its [van] fleet on the road, minimising downtime and giving their customers a service they can rely on in a competitive landscape.”