September 2008 - GREEN-FOCUSED NORTHGATE VEHICLE HIRE ADDS MERCEDES ECO-START VEHICLE TO RENTAL FLEET
Van fleets can improve their fuel economy and cut their carbon footprint by renting ultra-efficient ECO-Start-equipped Mercedes-Benz Sprinters from Northgate Vehicle Hire.
Britain's largest light commercial rental company has added the vans to the fleets operated by subsidiaries Delta Vehicle Hire, which is centred in Southampton and covers the South East; Cartrux Vehicle Hire, which is centred in Birmingham and covers the West Midlands; and Bristol & West Vehicle Hire, which is centred in Bristol, with locations covering the South West.
Northgate Vehicle Hire's decision to add ECO-Start Sprinters to its rental fleet is the latest environmentally-friendly move by Britain's leading van rental specialist, which operates a fleet of more than 68,500 vehicles, as its helps businesses to cut their fuel bills and at the same reduce emissions.
ECO-Start is a factory-fitted option on all Sprinter models with four-cylinder diesel engines and manual transmissions. When the system is active it will automatically stop the engine when the vehicle is stationary, and when certain predefined vehicle conditions are met, after a two second waiting period. The engine will automatically restart when the clutch pedal is pressed.
In an urban environment with heavy traffic the savings can be substantial - depending on driving style and traffic density:
- Fuel consumption can be cut by 10%, according to Mercedes-Benz, although real world driving tests by commercial vehicle publications have achieved improvements of up to 30% when compared with a van not equipped with ECO-Start.
- Reduced exhaust emissions - zero emissions during system operation while engine is off
- Reduced CO2 emissions - zero emissions during system operation while engine is off
Northgate Vehicle Hire operations director Ian Moffat said: "ECO-Start represents a fantastic opportunity for urban van fleets to benefit from this effective yet simple technology, and see a decrease in their fuel bills and carbon footprint.
"Our decision to add ECO-Start equipped vehicles to the fleets operated by three of our rental companies demonstrates our commitment to helping companies reduce their operating costs by working closely with the leading vehicle manufacturers.
"We will gauge customer reaction to these vehicles over the coming weeks, but we expect significant demand for ECO-Start Sprinters in which case we will look to add more models to our fleet and make them available at many more of our 80+ rental centres."
Steve Bridge, van sales and marketing director for Mercedes-Benz UK, said: "We are delighted that Northgate is offering the benefits of this 'green' technology to their customers. Based as it is on a regular diesel van, it is easy to use and represents a quick win for everybody."
In addition to having available the latest vehicles equipped with the most modern technology - almost all vehicles are less than 27 months old - Northgate Vehicle Hire actively promotes 'green' initiatives such as telematics and driver training.
The company has just relaunched a free three-month trial offer of its Vehicle Monitoring telematics system. The web-based system, which is being increasingly adopted by cost-conscious fleets, offers a range of benefits including increases in fleet productivity by 15% leading to a potential 20% reduction in fuel costs, a 15% saving on overtime claims and insurance cost reductions of 30% through cutting the number of accidents.
Meanwhile, one of the benefits of Northgate Vehicle Hire's established driver training initiative, which is available through Fleet Technique it's specialist fleet management subsidiary, is fuel consumption improvements of around 7% as staff drive more efficiently with reductions in harsh braking and acceleration.
