- JT chooses Renault LCVs to aid delivery of its world-class ‘Gigabit Jersey’ programme
- Leading Internet Service Provider orders 10 Renault Trafics and nine Renault Masters
- Renault LCVs chosen over vehicles from three other manufacturers
- Renault LCVs come with four-year/100,000-mile warranty
World-leading superfast fibre broadband is to be installed in every home and business in Jersey with help from a fleet of Renault Trafic and Master Panel Vans.
Comprising of 10 Trafic and nine Master models, the Renault fleet has been bought by JT (formally Jersey Telecoms) to use solely in the delivery of its ‘Gigabit Jersey’ programme – the award-winning Internet Service Provider’s (ISP) strategy that will provide everyone on the island of Jersey with the opportunity to benefit from full FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) broadband.
JT has laid over 1,000,000 metres of cabling throughout the island to complete the fibre network’s backbone. All schools are connected to fibre with a total of 50 per cent of Jersey’s broadband users now on the advanced network and enjoying internet speeds of up to 1Gbit/s – the fastest for a residential network in the western world.
The Renault LCVs will be used by JT’s technicians in the ongoing installation of the advanced fibre network that replaces the island’s existing copper network, which dates from 1948 and until now has been used to provide broadband services. The upgrade will make Jersey one of the most connected places in the world.
JT pitched vehicles from four manufacturers against each other before opting for the Renault Trafic and Masters – its first ever models from Europe’s leading LCV brand. The Trafics were chosen with a short wheelbase, low roof (SL27) format with the dCi 115 1.6-litre turbodiesel engine, while the Masters were specified with a medium wheelbase, medium roof (MM33) and the dCi 125 2.3-litre turbodiesel engine. Both models feature the well-equipped Business level of trim, which includes DAB radio with Bluetooth, ESC (Electronic Stability Control) with HSA (Hill Start Assist) and Grip Xtend; which allows the vehicle to regain traction on loose ground such as sand, mud or snow; electric front windows and remote central locking.
Supplied by Bagot Motors, which was recently nominated as a ‘Dealer of Excellence’ by Renault in its new ‘Driver Power – Dealer of Excellence’ awards in association with Auto Express magazine, the Trafic and Master Panel Vans were particularly attractive to JT. This was due to their dimensions, payload and short lead time – the company requiring its first vehicles in only three weeks from the date of ordering. JT bought its vans outright and will benefit from the four-year/100,000-mile warranty and roadside assistance package that comes as standard with all Renault LCVs.
Kevin Hunt, Procurement Manager at JT, said: “Our vans will only cover a few miles each day but they will be in constant use and are absolutely critical to the success of the gigabit project.
“Our criteria was quite unique as we needed vehicles that could accommodate a lot of heavy, bulky kit and still have enough room for operatives to work in the back, but at the same time they had to, literally, be a good fit for the thin local roads. Although offering plenty of space and a good payload, we found that the width of the Renault vans was especially suited to the island’s infrastructure – something that was very important as with FTTP broadband we are running cables right up to the door of every house.”
Hunt continued: “The vans are proving to be very efficient and our technicians have been very complimentary about the drive and the levels of comfort. The service that we have received throughout the order has been exemplary too.”
Nick Tame, Sales Director, Groupe Renault UK, said: “We are delighted that JT has chosen to rely on Renault LCVs for such an important project and the company’s confidence in the product underlines why Renault continues to be a dominant force in the very competitive European LCV market.”
The Renault Master is available from £21,420 ex. VAT. Customers can choose from five different engines, front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive; and three bodystyles – Panel Van, Crew Van and Passenger.
Available with a choice of four efficient turbo diesel engines, the award-winning Renault Traffic is available in Panel Van, Crew Van and Passenger bodystyles. It is priced from £18,475 ex. VAT.
All Renault LCV vehicles come with the reassurance of the Renault Business Quality Commitment – the manufacturer’s 13-point plan that guarantees customers will receive a class-leading service. Designed to keep customers moving no matter what and deliver hassle-free business motoring, the plan covers everything from an impressive warranty and transparent pricing to the availability of courtesy vehicles and a dedicated customer hotline.
Renault van sales in the UK grew by 20.8 per cent to 6,618 vehicles in the first quarter of 2016, in a van market that slightly decreased by 0.5 per cent, according to official figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). LCV market share for the first quarter stood at 6.6 per cent – up 1.2 percentage points on 2015.
Renault’s growth in the van market builds upon a record year for LCV sales in the UK last year and also the manufacturer being the best-selling LCV brand in Europe for the 18th consecutive year.
