Independent vehicle leasing and management company Ogilvie Fleet has teamed up with Kwik Fit to switch its customer Complete Price Eyewear to Michelin CrossClimate tyres, favouring the summer tyre with winter capabilities over a traditional winter/summer swap tyre policy.
Before moving 93 Honda Civic and Volvo V40 and V60 cars in the mobile optician’s fleet to CrossClimate tyres, Ogilvie Fleet put two sets to the test for six months on vehicles coping with the worst of Britain’s weather.
Jim Hannah, Operations Director at Ogilvie Fleet, says: “CrossClimate tyres are a fantastic choice for the UK fleet market, as they can handle anything the country’s notoriously unpredictable weather can throw at us.
“The tyres’ ability to cope with all types of weather eliminates the need to switch from summer to winter fitments, and cuts both the cost of employing a ‘tyre hotel’ and the associated fitting fees – which is particularly advantageous for companies with vehicles based all over the country. Removing the need to change tyres every six months ensures our customers can get maximum uptime for their fleet.”
Swindon-based Complete Price Eyewear operates a total fleet of 180 cars, which spend five days a week on the road in all weathers, each clocking up 60,000 miles a year delivering at-home NHS opticians and hearing services.
Neil Godfrey, Fleet Manager at Complete Price Eyewear, says: “When your staff work in remote locations to timed appointments, you can’t afford to have a car off the road due to bad weather. After testing Michelin CrossClimate tyres in the north of England and Scotland – where the weather can certainly throw up challenges – we were very impressed with how well the tyres performed.
“Our optometrists and audiologists, who are working in the most demanding rural environments, say the tyres provide better grip on the road and have a shorter braking distance. Plus, a lot of my time has been freed up thanks to the move, as there’s now no need to organise a biannual tyre swap. This has not only improved overall safety for our employees, but as part of our on-going company corporate social responsibility policy, has greatly reduced our carbon footprint through improved tyre usage and efficiency savings.”
Ideally suited to the UK’s often changeable weather, Michelin CrossClimate tyres offer the benefits of a summer tyre for dry or wet braking, energy efficiency and total mileage, while also boasting the braking performance and traction of a winter tyre on cold and snow-covered roads.
CrossClimate tyres are now available in 35 dimensions, covering more than 75 per cent of all car and car-derived van tyres in sizes from 14 to 18 inches. Michelin is currently launching more sizes throughout 2016 across 14 to 19 inches.
Most sizes of CrossClimate tyres have earned the top ‘A’ rating for wet braking on European tyre labels, and several sizes have achieved a ‘B’ rating for rolling resistance, with a noise rating of 68 decibels.
All tyre servicing and replacement work for Ogilvie Fleet’s customers is completed by sole supplier Kwik Fit – the UK’s largest automotive repair business, delivering a comprehensive range of services to company car and light commercial fleets.
Providing comprehensive national coverage through its 775-centre network – which offer excellent availability of CrossClimate tyres – and 200 mobile tyre fitters, Complete Price Eyewear is safe in the knowledge that in the event of tyre downtime, its vehicles can be back on the road, no matter where in the country they are.
Kwik Fit Fleet Director, Peter Lambert, says: “Complete Price Eyewear also benefits, like all of our fleet customers, from convenient seven-day a week and extended hours opening – to keep vehicle downtime to a minimum – as well as price competitiveness.”
Ogilvie Fleet has more than 30 years’ experience providing contract hire, leasing and fleet management services. As part of the Ogilvie Group, which consists of a number of diverse companies, the firm has a business heritage that can be traced back to 1953.
Complete Price Eyewear, which trades as The Outside Clinic, is the UK’s leading home-visiting optician and hearing specialist. This year, the company celebrates its 30thanniversary, with the business now consisting a team of more than 300 healthcare professionals and support personnel. Based at the company’s head office in Swindon, The Outside Clinic operate a national service throughout England, Scotland and Wales.
