The Lex Autolease fleet grew by more than 12,000 vehicles (+3.9%) in the first six months of 2016, with a large uptake from SMEs, the company has reported.New additions bring the Lloyds Bank subsidiary’s total fleet size to 329,865 vehicles, with more than 40,000 cars and 13,000 LCVs delivered during the first half of the year, and 10,000 alternative fuel vehicles now on its books.

In that time, it’s found 15,000 new customers (a 34% increase) including a large number of SMEs, while operating lease assets have increased by 8% since December 2015, to £3.7bn as a result. That marks 16% year-on-year growth.

Tim Porter, Managing Director of Lex Autolease, said: “We remain on track to meet our ambitious five year fleet growth plan. We continue to invest in our business and review our operating model to ensure that we keep on meeting our customers’ evolving needs and provide good value.

“I am delighted that we are leading the way with strong growth in our alternative fuel fleet, and our focus on expanding further into the small and medium sized business market is evidence of how we are helping this vital segment of the British economy to prosper.”