Mitsubishi 4x4's Go Into Action With The Environment Agency

• Initial order of 70 vehicles received
• Three year deal worth up to 600 vehicles

Mitsubishi Motors UK is pleased to announce that the Environment Agency has confirmed Mitsubishi as its chosen supplier of 4x4 utility and off road vehicles in its ‘light’ and ‘medium’ categories.

The Government body responsible for the environmental monitoring of land, water and air in England and Wales, has already taken delivery of a specially converted fleet of 71 Mitsubishi vehicles comprising of 31 L200 Pick-ups 14 Shogun Pinin 4Work Commercials and 26 Shogun 4Work Commercials.

Having agreed a deal which will span at least three years, it is expected that between 500 - 600 vehicles will be purchased from Mitsubishi between now and 2007.

The fleet of Mitsubishis will be used for a variety of purposes, many of which will take them off road, for activities such as the patrolling of river banks, lakes and beaches, monitoring water quality and flood defences.

Having researched the market for over a year and carried out extensive tests, the Environment Agency concluded that Mitsubishi came out on top against the competition.

Along with the ability to tackle the toughest terrains, the selection process included strict criteria. The most important being the level of impact the vehicles would have on the environment. Therefore both fuel economy and exhaust emissions were measured and compared. Safety was another important feature considered and with ABS and airbags fitted across the required range, Mitsubishi scored highly.

Mitsubishi offers the widest range of 4x4 commercial vehicles in the market place. This combined with Mitsubishi’s special vehicle operation, ensured that all of the Environment Agency’s bespoke requirements could be catered for. Varied range of vehicles that ideally suits the Agency’s needs. For example, the L200 is an accomplished off-roader, which is available in Single, Club and Double-Cab versions.

"We spent a great deal of time testing vehicles to ensure we made the right decision when replacing our existing 4x4 fleet", said Tony Sale, National Contracts and Process Manager for the Environment Agency’s Fleet Operations. "We were very impressed with the range Mitsubishi can offer and I’m sure the vehicles will meet our changing needs."

In addition to the attributes the vehicles have to offer, Mr. Sale was impressed with other aspects of the Environment Agency’s association with Mitsubishi: "We feel confident with our decision to become involved with Mitsubishi as its dealer network is geographically well positioned. As we are a country-wide organisation this is a very significant feature as it will make servicing and maintenance more efficient."

Mr Sale continued: "Mitsubishi are as serious as us about environmental issues, such as researching the benefits of converting vehicles to run on LPG. I therefore hope that our two organisations can look forward to a long term relationship."