Europcar is to roll out new vehicle repair pods across key sites after a trial found they could reduce vehicle downtime by a third.
The pods have been developed by Pennings Accident Repair Centres and ACIS and were initially tested at two key Europcar sites, Skyport and Purfleet; both van supersites.
The use of the pods was found to significantly reduced Europcar’s vehicle downtime compared to traditional bodyshops, helping it to keep clients’ vehicles on the road for longer.
As vehicles came to site, they were triaged, assessing whether they could they be repaired in the pod or whether more extensive damage repair was needed in a traditional bodyshop. Around 70% of vehicles were able to be repaired on site in the pods, meaning a quicker turnaround.
Ian Parry, head of fleet motor damage, Europcar Mobility Group, said the trial showed the many benefits of on-site repairs.
“The use of the pods has significantly reduced our vehicle downtime compared to traditional bodyshops, whilst maintaining fully compliant, high quality and cost effective repairs. We are delighted to now be working to embed repair pod solutions within our wider network, further enhancing our repair proposition and customer experience,” he commented.
Europcar’s next repair pod installation is scheduled for Sheffield, followed by additional strategically located sites in the near future to service local customers’ fleets.
