• Social housing provider switches supplier
• Vauxhall successful after nine-month evaluation
• Vivaro is new van of choice for huge maintenance engineer fleet

LEADING social housing provider, Connaught, has awarded a huge 1200-strong light commercial vehicle order to Vauxhall, worth around £18m at showroom prices.

Nationwide group Connaught went out to tender to a number of motor manufacturers for its fleet of 1,200 light commercials, before opting for Vauxhall after a nine-month evaluation process which included on the road testing and a variety of other factors.

Vauxhall will now be supplying both LWB and SWB Vivaro models, which will be operated on a three year/67,000 miles replacement cycle and will be used by Connaught maintenance engineers to help fulfil property and building maintenance contracts around the UK.

The vans are sign-written and customised with internal racking, roof racks and towbars by Essex-based commercial vehicle conversion specialists, Fleetshield.

In terms of fleet funding, Connaught has a solus contract hire arrangement with ING Car Lease for both its van fleet and its 350-strong car fleet, to which Vauxhall is also one of several suppliers.

Connaught Fleet Manager, Mike Hill, said the decision to select Vauxhall had ultimately been a very easy one to make.

“Vauxhall won hands down and came out top in virtually every criteria we used in the evaluation process, including whole life costs, reliability, health and safety and NCAP ratings. As an efficiency driven contractor, we aim to provide uncompromising service quality to our clients. And so delivery of a quality job, on time and on budget becomes the absolute bare minimum that our clients can expect” he said.

Maurice Howkins, Saab, Vauxhall and Chevrolet fleet sales director, said: “Connaught introduced a rigorous selection process before awarding the contract to Vauxhall, based on our market-leading whole life costs, reliability, safety and fleet support record, and naturally we are delighted to be working with them.”