Following a double digit increase in demand for commercial vehicles in the first half of 2012, Europcar the leader in car and van hire services in Europe, is putting further investment into building a van fleet that includes the latest models and greener technology. In particular, the company is playing a crucial role in supporting the logistics and courier sectors.

The growth in online shopping means more and more logistics companies need instant access to quality van hire to help them meet fluctuating delivery schedules and customer demands. Europcar is therefore expanding its van fleet to cater to these changing commercial vehicle needs across UK business.

“We’ve seen a huge surge in demand for vans over recent months and we are responding by increasing the size and quality of our van fleet with the latest models to ensure our range includes the latest in fuel efficiency technology”, explained Ken McCall, Managing Director, Europcar UK.

“As the trend for online shopping continues logistics companies have reported a spike in demand for delivery services. But it’s hard for businesses like this to instantly increase their own fleet capacity. That’s where short-term rental fits in and Europcar has been working hard to help these companies capitalise on the current market opportunities, by complementing their core fleet at short notice.

The new Europcar van fleet includes the compact Vauxhall Combo – winner Best New Van at the 2012 Fleet World Honours – and the Peugeot Partner. And if a bigger, harder working model is required, customers can hire the Renault Traffic, Ford Transit or Vauxhall Vivaro. Nearly all of the new vehicles feature Euro 5 technology, the most fuel efficient engine on the market. Low-emission vans such as the Nissan NV200, with emissions under 150g/km, help companies comply with government legislation on CO2 emissions, as well as enabling them to save on tax and congestion charges – such as the low emission zone in London – on high polluting vehicles.

All Europcar vans are on average 9 months old, and with the new vans that have been introduced, Europcar’s light commercial fleet is one of the youngest in the country. The vans are also fully maintained to manufacturer standards, ensuring they run efficiently so that Europcar’s corporate customers can access vehicles on which they can rely.

Ken McCall concludes: “Europcar supplies the vans our customers need, when they need them most. We have seen more companies request low CO2 and more eco-friendly vans. And as part of our commitment to our corporate customers, we will continually review and grow our fleet to meet these expectations.

“Europcar’s latest investment ensures we can help organisations continue to expand their own businesses whilst managing costs through use of the most fuel efficient vehicles which also met the latest legislation.”