The FINANCIAL — New-generation Ford Transit vans carrying the blue livery of British Gas have gone into operation with the company, Britain’s biggest supplier of energy and heating breakdown services.
Built at Ford’s Southampton plant, the vehicles are the first of an order for 85 short-wheelbase Transit 300 models. Sporting the famous British Gas flame logo, the vans will be used by service engineers throughout Britain.
Powered by Ford’s popular 85PS 2.2-litre TDCi diesel engines, the low-roof panel vans are speed-limited to 70mph, an energy efficiency measure recommended by road safety groups.
A second Centrica order, for 638 medium-wheelbase Ford Transit vans is being fulfilled by Ford Southampton at the rate of 30 a week. These Transit 300 medium-roof vans use the 110PS version of the 2.2-litre diesel engine.
Their additional capacity and payload is required to carry plant and tools for British Gas central heating installation engineers. British Gas carried out over 100,000 installations last year and the additional capacity of the medium-wheelbase Ford Transit will benefit engineers and customers alike.
British Gas’s fleet support manager, Martin Lock, said: “The Ford Transit was the best cost option for our business. It’s popular with the engineers and we have a long-standing relationship with Ford that works well.”
Normally the vans are operated by one person and, as a result, a single passenger seat is fitted, rather than the standard bench seat. The vans all feature air-conditioning.
The medium-wheelbase vans are finance-leased through Hitachi Capital and the short-wheelbase models through Lombard. All are supplied on five-year/60,000-mile contracts.
The British Gas Transits are fitted with Bri-Stor internal racking by CdMP Purfleet. The short-wheelbase models also carry, in addition, Bri-Stor roof-mounted ladder-racks.
Windsor-based Centrica operates a total fleet of around 10,000 light commercial vehicles. The new Ford Transits are replacing vehicles from rival brands as well as previous-model Transits.
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