With South Africans still encouraged to take extra precaution to protect themselves against COVID-19 and avoid crowds this December, receiving products delivered to your door is not only a safer option but also a growing trend. Ford’s hard-working range of vehicles, including the Ford Transit Van and locally-built Ford Ranger have been providing reliable service for multiple fleets and businesses – and, despite this year’s challenges, Ford has succeeded in growing its network of fleet customers.
With the festive season just around the corner, Takealot is one of the leaders in the online retail space and its vast logistics network has recently been strengthened by the addition of 20 units of the new Ford Transit Van extended long-wheelbase model which will be used to bridge the gap between warehouse and collection points. These vehicles will become an integral link in the supply chain in cities across the country, for a minimum period of three years.
“It is encouraging to see a major brand like Takealot add the multiple award-winning Ford Transit Van to its fleet,” says Yashalan Pillay, Corporate Rental and Leasing Manager at Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA). “This decision shows that the multiple award-winning Transit Van is being recognised as a formidable player in this crucial commercial space.”
Ford is the commercial vehicle segment leader in North America and Europe, with the Transit Van, Transit Custom and Tourneo Custom making a significant contribution to this success.
Locally, the Ford Transit Custom was recognised by AutoTrader as the most-driven vehicle in South Africa with a 2019 registration year. With an average mileage of 106 792km, it highlights the high expectations for reliability and low running costs, and how the Ford Transit series is able to exceed these.
This was echoed by George Mienie, AutoTrader CEO. “Some vehicles are still being driven a great deal. Specifically, some vans, taxis, bakkies and people transporters are clocking up meaningful mileage. For the vans it is, of course, understandable. All over the world, lockdown has translated into an increase in online shopping – which has created a demand for delivery vehicles,” he notes.
However, it’s not only companies like Takealot that choose Ford vehicles to assist with their daily fleet operations. One needn’t look too far and wide to spot a variety of fleet-operated Ford nameplates on our roads, covering enormous mileage at all hours of the day. Without these vehicles to depend on, many local businesses or fleets would not make it through the economic contraction which has resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The versatile Ford Ranger with its exceptional payload capacity and ability to conquer the country’s toughest terrain is widely acknowledged, but the recent AA-Kinsey report also shows why it’s a firm favourite for many fleet operators.
Fleet customers are always looking for vehicles with low running costs to minimise the impact on their annual budget. According to the 2020 AA-Kinsey Report, the 2.0 Single Turbo Ranger XLT was announced as having the lowest cost of replacement parts in the double cab segment. This same Ranger derivative claimed top honours in the 2019 WesBank Fuel Economy Tour, thereby broadening its ongoing value to fleet customers.
The Ford Ranger plays a central role to the N3 Toll Concession (N3TC) by bringing a sense of security and peace of mind to all motorists travelling on the busy N3 transport route between Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. The N3TC-branded patrol and response Ford Rangers are packed with essential safety equipment and are deployed to deliver all N3TC’s road incident management services. During 2019, its patrol vehicles covered over 1.6-million kilometres (an average of approximately 270 000km per vehicle), and the four incident management vehicles – which happen to be Ford Transit Vans – covered a total of 307 000km (approximately 77 000km per vehicle).
Similarly, the Ford Figo, currently used by Lancet laboratories, also performed exceptionally well in the AA-Kinsey Report with the 1.5 Trend recording the lowest parts basket percentage relative to its selling price in the city car sector.
With these nameplates, Ford is committed to helping local fleet services and businesses thrive, and this extra care was particularly evident during government’s Alert Level 4 lockdown. Ford dealerships nationwide were able to resume the same quality vehicle service, while implementing new health and safety measures, to all those Ford vehicles involved in essential services.
“These fleet vehicles, used daily by reputable companies, ensure that our valued partners meet their customers’ delivery expectations thanks to minimal downtime. The Takealot Transit Van units indirectly serve as moving billboards for Ford. When a company as large as Takealot shows unwavering confidence in the brand, others are naturally encouraged to feel the same way,” concludes Pillay.
Provided by Ford SA
