All the vans will be supplied on a contract hire with maintenance deal through Peugeot Contract Hire by Peugeot Bristol Street Motors dealership in Banbury with vehicles due to be replaced over periods ranging from one year to three years and expected to clock up 15,000 miles a year.

Worcestershire-based AccuRead is 51% owned by Group 4 which has 500-600 Peugeot vehicles on its 1,500-strong fleet, and 49% owned by British Gas. The company awarded Peugeot the contract after testing all major marques in the small van sector. The vehicles will be supplied at the rate of about 100 a month and the deal, Peugeot's biggest ever single order for vans in the UK, underlines the manufacturer's bid to double light commercial vehicle sales to 10,000 units this year and increase them to 15,000 in 1998. Business is expected to come largely from conquest sales with the biggest loser, according to Peugeot LCV manager Andy Bye, likely to be dominant market leader Ford.