Housing association Abri has ordered 250 converted Volkswagen Transporter panel vans for its new fleet.
The first vans have already been deployed, supporting the company’s customer visits and in-house maintenance requirements.
The not-for-profit housing provider is responsible for maintaining over 40,000 homes and assets across the South of England. It was looking for a new fleet of vehicles that combine class-leading payload, with comfort and practicality.
Abri’s new fleet also needed to provide a flexible – yet highly standardised – shelving system designed to carry materials, tools and equipment for a variety of trades.
The conversion was a joint development process between Abri, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and TGS Automotive.
Andy Pearce, group fleet manager at Abri, commented: “We had that rare opportunity of replacing a large proportion of our existing fleet in one tranche. Working with vehicle users, we were determined to best support the service we offer our customers, through much improved on-board stock management, whilst offering a desirable, fit-for-purpose working environment to our vehicle users. Fixing issues first time is what our customers want and a correctly specified vehicle, supporting skilled tradespeople, enables us to do this.”
Craig Cavanagh, national fleet manager at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said: “We’re delighted that Abri has selected our Transporter panel van to support its Housing Partners with customer visits. We’re confident that the vehicle’s impressive payload, alongside a custom racking solution by TGS Automotive, will enable this vital work to continue.”
