Hotel chain Travelodge is to replace its UK vehicle fleet with more than 200 new Nissan vans.
The massive light commercial vehicle order will see versions of the Nissan Townstar and Nissan Primastar models put to work on the fleet for maintenance and operational duties across the country.
The new replacements will be fully wrapped vans in the Travelodge branding and feature custom-fitted storage.
Speaking about the new vans, Mark Timmins, head of maintenance delivery at Travelodge, said: “We’ve welcomed Nissan's expertise as our new fleet partner. Following a review, we’re replacing over 200 vans and have introduced the smaller Nissan Townstar which is better suited to our operational needs."
"The new vans are more efficient, improve productivity and offer improved driver safety. We’ve worked closely with both Nissan and TR Fleet throughout the renewal process and have valued their support on negotiating and finding the right solutions for our business," continued Timmins.
Nissan is said to have worked closely with Travelodge to help understand the requirements of its various teams before recommending the Townstar and Primastar vans in Tekna grade.
This specific model was selected for its balance of cost, performance, and technology, as well as its focus on driver safety and convenience.
Bryan Curtis, fleet director at Nissan GB, said: “It’s fantastic to be working with Travelodge to refresh its UK fleet. Transitioning to a new brand is no small decision when you have a large number of vehicles, but we’ve worked hard with TR Fleet and Brayleys to make it as straightforward as possible for the Travelodge team."
Curtis added: "The Nissan LCV line-up offers an excellent blend of performance and features, with dependable reliability backed by our five-year warranty, resulting in tremendous value and versatility. It’s great to see these benefits recognised by a large corporate fleet operator such as Travelodge.”
Nissan's comprehensive package for the vans includes a standard five-year warranty and Nissan Assistance breakdown cover. Along with the dealer support available, it was a key factor in Travelodge’s decision to transition its fleet which had previously operated Mercedes-Benz Vito and Ford Transit Custom vans, amongst others.
Nissan is also providing passenger cars for Travelodge employees, which, like the vans, will be managed by TR Fleet.
Julie Summerall, MD of TR Fleet, praised the collaboration: “It’s been a pleasure to work alongside the team at Nissan as we aided Travelodge in the revitalisation of its fleet. Nissan have been massively supportive in providing their expert opinion, together with demonstration vehicles, to help Travelodge find the right vans for their requirements. The new fleet of vehicles will be a huge support to the ongoing operations and maintenance needs of the Travelodge business, and I look forward to working further with Nissan and Travelodge in the coming years.”
