Iveco has been supplying vans to the operation for over a decade, with some 900 Daily vehicles currently residing on the fleet. In total, since 2010, Tesco has operated 5,144 Daily chassis cabs fitted with climate-controlled bodies.
45 Iveco Daily entered service via Guest Truck & Van in February, with Tesco bolstering that with a further 600 to arrive through 2021.
The Specification
Tesco’s new Daily 35S14 HI-MATIC are painted in white, featuring the brand’s blue livery and fresh produce imagery. All are powered by the heavy-duty homologated, Euro VI-D, 2.3-litre F1A turbo diesel producing 136-horsepower. The 8-speed HI-MATIC automatic gearbox keeps the engine running at optimum revs, swapping cogs in under 200 milliseconds, minimising clutch and transmission wear.
Tesco are well known for striking a deal, so a key consideration in the selection of Daily had to be its extremely competitive Total Cost of Ownership proposition. For busy, time-critical missions, features such as the Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) assist with consistently strong fuel economy by ensuring tyres are always kept to the correct pressures, subsequently reducing wear and therefore replacement. HI-MATIC adds up to 10% lower repair and maintenance costs to the offering, with the total package backed up by Iveco’s responsive Assistance Non-Stop 24/7 roadside support service.
Further enhancing fitted options include the Digital Pack including Reverse Warning Alarm, 7” HI-CONNECT touch-screen infotainment system with DAB, Bluetooth, and smart-phone mirroring allowing navigation services as well as Iveco’s connectivity box. This allows for a connection to Iveco’s control centre for monitoring of vehicle performance, promoting proactive maintenance with access to over-the-air updates to minimise vehicle downtime.
Duty Cycle
Tesco operates its vehicles for up to five years dependent on their mileage, and it expects the new Daily units will clock up around 30,000 miles each year. With the vehicles’ busy schedules, dependability is key, so Iveco Daily is supplied with a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty.
Before entering service, Lancashire-based Solomon Commercials will be fitting the new vehicles with their low-height, ‘Slipstream’ body for 3.5t GVW vehicles, including fridge units to keep groceries at the required temperature. These aerodynamic bodies are light in weight to ensure maximum payload capacity for Tesco goods as boosting load capacity reduces the need for returns to base.
“Supermarkets like Tesco have been especially important over the past pandemic-gripped year, adapting to meet incredible demands and Iveco are ideally placed to be able to support and continue this mission,” added Mike Cutts, Iveco UK’s Light Business-line Director.