Northgate has launched its new micromobility programme for UK corporates, debuted at yesterday’s Great British Fleet Event.

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Unveiled to great acclaim from show visitors, the programme offers rental customers a range of electric vehicle solutions, including electric utility vehicles and eCargo bikes – enabling operators to cut costs and emissions while gaining major convenience and productivity benefits too.

Northgate is the first rental company to offer such a range of micromobility vehicle types, each available under its standard rental agreements and offered alongside the company’s existing traditional commercial vehicle offering.

The new micromobility line-up launches in response to a growing need for emissions-free, flexible electric options – aimed not just at last-mile delivery fleets, but vehicle operators across the board, from public sector and local authorities, through to corporate fleets, thanks to the versatility and body adaptations offered by these vehicles.

Use cases include applications within construction, waste management, landscaping and FMCG industries – and the vehicles are ideal for use in locations where the size of a traditional LCV might preclude its use.

From business or educational campuses to industrial or military sites and municipal parks and gardens, micromobility vehicles can offer high efficiency, a high payload and low running costs to business / fleet users and can be integrated with LCVs as part of a larger rental fleet.

While micromobility is becoming increasingly popular among operators, rental solutions have been very limited, and unavailable as part of a larger fleet offering – and Northgate’s new offering is expected to be a game-changer.

Brett Hilliard, group partnerships director at Redde Northgate Plc – who gave a talk at the Great British Fleet Event on the changing face of mobility – said: “Many of our customers have started to operate vehicles of this type to support lower carbon operations, but with minimal opportunities to rent until now.

“By launching a range of micromobility solutions under our standard rental agreements, we can offer our customers access not only to the vehicles, but also our fully inclusive service and maintenance support. Our rental solution also removes both the capex burden and the worry of residual value risk in what is a new segment for many customers.

“These smaller vehicles will complement our range of LCVs and eLCVs, offering specialised and efficient tools to operators under the same flexible contracts as any other Northgate vehicle. As our customers’ needs evolve, so too will our rental proposition, ensuring that we continue to support customers in imaginative ways regarding their mobility needs,” added Hilliard.

Managed as part of its Drive to Zero fleet electrification programme and supported by a number of carefully selected partners, this new range of micromobility electric vehicles has already been available for customers to test drive during across Northgate’s nationwide EV Roadshow days.

Launched in 2023, this programme has proved a huge success and has resulted in more than 60 businesses starting on their fleet electrification journeys, and prompting an 86% year-on-year increase in eLCVs on Northgate’s fleet.

Melanie Creedy, Northgate’s EV business development manager, said: “We are proud to launch this latest addition to our range of electrified fleet mobility solutions, and to helping our customers operate in the most efficient, flexible and sustainable manner possible. With micromobility there are big possibilities.”