Europcar Mobility Group UK has launched a ‘Deliver and Collect’ service for business and private customers, reflecting the growth in home deliveries during Covid-19.

The new product has been introduced alongside a ‘Click and Collect’ service, which will also provide customers with the ability to bypass the need to enter a rental station to pick up a vehicle

As part of its group wide 'Safety Programme', Europcar says the ‘Deliver and Collect’ service is available throughout summer from £1 each way.

Gary Smith, managing director of Europcar Mobility Group UK, explained: “At Europcar Mobility Group we recognise that things have changed during the coronavirus pandemic, and so have we.

“Our ‘Click and Collect’ and ‘Deliver and Collect’ services offer our customers options that offer peace of mind, safety and convenience.”

The ‘Deliver and Collect’ service will be available at all UK Europcar branches excluding airports, London Barking, London Woodford Green, London Excel, London Enfield, London Croydon, Bolton, Manchester Trafford Park, and Manchester Picadilly Railway Station

The service can be used for cars, vans and ‘Selection’ cars. The price for a seven-day rental or greater of non-Selection cars for the service up to five miles from a Europcar branch is £1 and more than five miles is £1 plus £2 per mile thereafter (each way).

The price for a seven-day rental or greater of Selection vehicles and vans for up to five miles from a Europcar branch is £5; more than five miles from a Europcar branch is £5 plus £2 per mile thereafter (each way).

The price for a one to six-day rental or greater of cars, vans and Selection vehicles for up to five miles from a Europcar branch is £5 and more than five miles from a Europcar branch is £5 plus £2 per mile thereafter.

Same day delivery and collection is £5 for up to five miles plus £2 per mile thereafter (each way) and a £10 surcharge will apply.

In addition, a ‘Click and Collect’ option has been introduced to provide customers with the ability to bypass the need to enter a rental station to pick up a vehicle.

Customers are met in a designated ‘Click and Collect’ area of the car park where a member of staff hands over the keys and rental agreement at a safe distance.

The vehicle rental sector has been hit hard by the Coronavirus pandemic, as business travel all but ground to a halt during lockdown, and the sector’s future faces a number of challenges as it bids to recover.

Smith said: “The scale of disruption on the travel and leisure industry caused by Covid-19 is unprecedented for the sector as almost all global destinations have imposed restrictions on travel, followed by complete bans to contain the pandemic with lockdowns in most countries. This led to a fast decline in airline traffic, impacting our leisure business in all markets.”

Read more about the challenges the rental industry faces by clicking here.