Kwik Fit fleet insight day grows in size and scope
Kwik Fit has held its largest ever Tyre Insight Day for the fleet industry. The event took place at Mercedes-Benz World, on the site of the historic Brooklands racing circuit. Representatives from a record 25 leasing companies and fleet operators attended, which highlights the growing focus on tyres across the sector.
Kwik Fit broadened the programme and changed the venue to meet extra demand from customers. The day featured insights from its parent group, European Tyre Enterprise Limited (ETEL), and from Continental, one of the company’s strategic tyre partners.
A growing challenge for fleets
Collectively, the delegates manage the tyre requirements of more than 1.5 million vehicles. Their fleets range from almost entirely electric vehicles to large LCV fleets run by owner operators. The central theme was the rising complexity of the tyres that the UK vehicle parc needs, and how Kwik Fit continues to support its customers.
This complexity comes from the growing number of marques and models entering the UK market. It also comes from the range of tyre options available for a single model, or even an individual vehicle. Tom Edwards, Kwik Fit fleet sales director, hosted the event. He gave the example of new models arriving in the UK with ‘silent’ tyres specified for one axle but not the other. His team also highlighted a single model with 24 different tyre specifications listed as original equipment across its variants.
Insight from manufacturers and ETEL partners
Tyre complexity feeds directly into production. Technical experts from Continental explained how premium manufacturers keep developing bespoke compounds for their OEM customers, who continue to push the limits of tyre manufacturing. They also ran interactive demonstrations that showed how rolling resistance, pressure and wear affect tyre performance.
Delegates also heard from Kwik Fit’s sister companies within ETEL. Stapletons Tyre Service described how it meets the logistical challenge of the growing number of tyre SKUs. Murfitts Industries, the UK’s leading tyre recycler, explained how ETEL processes every end-of-life tyre it handles in the UK, in a fully audited and sustainable way. This gives fleet customers confidence in their entire supply chain.
Testing tyres on the track
The venue also let guests experience a range of driving activities on its tracks. These sessions showed how different tyre choices change road holding in a variety of conditions. Delegates compared summer and all-season tyres directly. On dry roads, the two performed similarly. The difference became clear on surfaces that simulated wet and icy roads.
Vehicle availability is a business-critical issue for many fleet customers, so all-season tyres can offer a significant advantage in a market like the UK. Regulations do not require a switch to winter tyres here, but winters can be severe enough that many summer tyres struggle to cope.
Looking ahead to 2027
Tom Edwards, Fleet Sales Director at Kwik-Fit (GB) Ltd, said: “Our Insight Day has quickly become a very popular event in our annual calendar and we were delighted to be able to host it at Mercedes-Benz World this year and welcome even more customers. We are very grateful to Continental for their invaluable support and thank our customers for fully participating in the sessions – the knowledge sharing is a very important part of the day.
“I have no doubt the event will continue to grow as we continually see new tyre technologies being developed for the vehicle manufacturers. We look forward to 2027 and plans for our next programme are already underway.”
