Accident management company Ai Claims Solutions has agreed to extend a number of long term rental contracts with several of the UK’s vehicle rental companies.

According to Andy Crinson, Ai’s head of vehicle supply, the deals deliver significant new efficiencies to the company’s £30million annual spend on vehicle hire, and will position Ai to cope with growth in the sector.

Crinson said: “We have agreed an extension to our contracts with all four of our existing suppliers, including Europcar, Avis, Nexus and City Interent, and we have brought in a new supplier, Miles and Miles, to further strengthen our ability to supply prestige cars to our customers.”

Ai supplied nearly 100,000 separate hire vehicles during the last 12 months to customers involved in an accident, making the company one of the major suppliers of replacement hire vehicles in the UK market.

He said the most common rentals were S2 and S4 group cars, which are typically 1.2 and 1.6 engine sizes, but Ai also wanted to grow its presence in the prestige market, where it was necessary to provide a bespoke service.

He added: “Economic hard times have meant fewer accidents this year, as people drive less often, but the flexibility of not having to own and operate our own vehicle fleet makes us well placed to withstand a reduction in accident frequency.

“It’s hard to forecast with certainty how the market will change during the next few months, however, these agreements broaden our supply chain and ensure we are very well placed to take advantage of future growth.”