PEUGEOT will expand its blue-light vehicle range in the UK after awarding a £5million, three-year deal to manage its special vehicle operations (SVO) to Exel.

Exel will manage the conversion of Peugeot cars and commercial vehicles to emergency service vehicles including a research and development capability allowing Peugeot to increase its line-up of models available for emergency services.

Exel will set up a dedicated Peugeot SVO centre to provide a fully-integrated service in Alconbury, Cambridgeshire, to support supply of Peugeot emergency service products for police and local authorities.

Andy Hone, Peugeot's manager of fleet sales operations, said: 'The Exel managed programme will provide a one-stop shop to simplify the specification and ordering process for our customers. Exel will also provide support to Peugeot's corporate sales team to enable us to respond to customers' specific technical requirements.'

Simon Hawton, business development director for Exel's automotive management services business, said: 'By outsourcing the SVO service to Exel, Peugeot has taken a complex process off-line, allowing us to provide an efficient and cost-effective service aimed at increasing sales to emergency service customers.'