Ocado doubles up on new deal with Hitachi Capital
Ocado has placed an order for five refrigerated double-deck trailers through its long-standing leasing provider Hitachi Capital Commercial Vehicle Services. With double the capacity of trucks on its existing fleet, the bespoke vehicles will enable the award-winning online supermarket to meet increased demand for its delivery services without compromising its high environmental standards.
Ocado is committed to an ongoing reduction of its overall carbon footprint, ensuring that shopping with the grocer remains as green as walking to the shops* and actually becomes substantially greener than the local supermarket.. By adding more double-deck trailers to its existing fleet, already financed by Hitachi Capital, Ocado can deliver twice the volume of groceries and reduce the number of additional vehicles required by half.
Stuart Skingsley, Fleet Manager at Ocado, comments: "We have enjoyed a successful relationship with Hitachi Capital for the past four years and I was confident that they would be the ideal leasing partner for our new double-deck vehicles. Not only did the team at Hitachi Capital allow us to have input with regards to vehicle maintenance, they also gave us flexibility with design and displayed an unrivalled willingness to work on something that is truly bespoke to our needs."
"We were delighted that Ocado came directly to us to continue the expansion of its fleet," adds Chris Heeley, Key Accounts Manager, Hitachi Capital Commercial Vehicle Services. "We were able to offer them the right deal, service and support required for such a bespoke trailer.
"When working with high value specialist vehicles, it's much harder for customers to anticipate costs and expected returns from these assets. This is where we can really add value with our experience of working with bespoke vehicles every day - and we have access to the appropriate disposal channels so we can retain the highest residual values and keep Ocado's monthly leasing costs to a minimum."
