- Pictured L-R: Kate Niesciur, Administration Assistant for Ocean Kinetics, with Kashif Hussain, Gofor’s Senior Account Manager
GOFOR has demonstrated its expertise in fleet management with the deployment of low emission vans for engineering firm Ocean Kinetics.
Ocean Kinetics has demanding geographical requirements, with fleet operations across the remote Scottish locations of Shetland and Orkney as well as the company’s mainland Aberdeen base.
The relationship between Gofor and Ocean Kinetics has extended over a four year period, during which time Gofor has provided a fully managed fleet solution. The latest step in the relationship sees the provision of more than 30 vans and an important step in Ocean Kinetics’ sustainability journey.
Fleet management for remote locations
Reflecting the realities of operating in remote environments, the new fleet includes a carefully selected mix of plug-In hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, that match the operational requirements of Ocean Kinetics.
“As a responsible business, we’re committed to building a sustainable future by looking after the environment, maximising resources and minimising waste. Transitioning to a lower emission fleet is a key part of that commitment. Gofor has worked closely with us to deliver a fleet solution that reduces our carbon footprint while remaining operationally viable for the remote environments in which we operate.”
Mix of Ford vans and electric cars to suit topography
The brief for the Edinburgh-based leasing broker and fleet management provider was to select vehicles that suited the remote geography where Ocean Kinetics operated.
Chosen for a mix of reliability and local maintainability, the new van fleet is predominantly made up of Ford Transit Custom and Ford Transit Connect models. Ocean Kinetics has also introduced five fully electric company cars, including Polestar 2 and BMW i5 models, reflecting its decarbonisation strategy.
With public charging infrastructure still limited across some island locations, Ocean Kinetics has also invested in workplace charging to support the transition to the lower-emission fleet
Focusing on partnerhips
Robert Lea, Sales and Marketing Director at Gofor, who joined the business in March, commented on the rollout:
“We focus on building true partnerships with our customers. Our Senior Account Manager Kashif Hussain, holds regular updates with the Ocean Kinetics team, including time onsite, to appreciate their challenges first-hand.
“That proactive approach ensures we have a true understanding of their complex operational requirements and has enabled us to design and implement a fleet strategy that works in practice – whether that’s coordinating seamless vehicle deliveries to the islands or long-term decarbonisation planning.”
Gofor’s provision of lower-emission vans to Ocean Kinetics demonstrates a forward-thinking approach that combines operational practicality with a longer term decarbonisation strategy at a time when wider market adoption of electric vans is lagging the ZEV mandate.
Electric van registrations are currently sitting at 9.4% of the market, up from 8.3% this time last year. The ZEV target is 24% for 2026.
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Ralph Morton is the leading journalist in the leasing broker sector and editor of Broker News, the website which provides information and news for BVRLA-registered leasing brokers. He also writes extensively on the fleet and leasing market in both the UK and Europe.
