The company provides building maintenance, repair and refurbishment services to commercial, industrial and public sectors across the UK. It operates a fleet of around 156 company cars and vans for use by mobile service engineers and water hygiene technicians throughout the country.

ECG decided to carry out a thorough vehicle evaluation programme as it reached the beginning of its next replacement cycle for both cars and vans, and tested an array of different manufacturers and models in the search for the ideal workhorse for the fleet.

For its new company cars, ECG opted for new Skoda Octavia and Superb diesel estates, following feedback from mobile engineers who rated the cars highly for their driving performance, carbon emissions, fuel economy, ergonomics, storage and handling characteristics.

The company is currently in the process of changing a tranche of 51 cars, with Fleet Alliance handling the logistics of vehicle collection and delivery in conjunction with the supplying leasing company and its dealers.

Fleet Alliance, which has worked closely with ECG for the last four years, also carried out a competitive tender exercise, employing a panel of funders, to find the most cost effective prices for all the new cars, which are contract hired on four year/100,000 miles contracts.

At the same time, ECG has replaced some 61 of the 90 vans it operates, opting for Ford Transit Connects and Custom diesel models, with 48 1.6 litre turbo diesel Connects and 13 2.0litre turbo diesel Custom models on order. These vehicles are also contract hired over four years/100,000 miles.

In conjunction with their new vehicles, all ECG drivers are also supplied with smart phones fitted with the Fleet Alliance e-fleet mobile web app, which allows them to record their mileages and condition of their vehicles while out in the field.

Fleet Alliance managing director, Martin Brown commented: “We have been delighted to work closely with ECG to replace such a substantial proportion of the company vehicle fleet in one replacement cycle.

“A key consideration of the exercise was to arrange the smooth delivery of all the new vehicles, and to ensure that ECG engineers were kept mobile without any downtime at all,” he said.