Volkswagen Group UK has extended its contract with Manheim Vehicle Services to provide defleet services for an additional five-year term.

The agreement will see Manheim supply defleet services for all Volkswagen Group UK owned vehicles including: rental buyback, company cars, ex-demonstrators and event fleet vehicles. Around 46,000 units per year are covered in the agreement.

Jon Higgins, UK group vehicle operations manager at Volkswagen Group UK, said: “I’m delighted to begin our partnership with of Manheim Vehicle Services’. We welcome their desire to continuously improve their facilities to meet the high demands customers have come to expect.

“We also value the trust built between both companies to enable us to continue our relationship.”

Sam Panayides, sales director at Cox Automotive Europe, said: “Everyone at Manheim is proud of its long running association with Volkswagen Group UK, the latest win is fantastic news and testament to the trust and investment we’ve made to continue this brilliant relationship in the Vehicle Services area.

“For us, this is not just about defleeting Volkswagen Group vehicles; it is about exploring ways we can work together to digitise the process, unlock opportunities to drive greater value and make the defleeting process even more environmentally sustainable.”

The contract renewal follows a deal with Volkswagen Financial Services UK (VWFS), which also extended its defleet relationship with Manheim for another five years.

As part of the agreement with VWFS, around 90,000 units per year in normal market conditions are expected to receive the services provided at Cox Automotive’s vehicle services facilities at Bruntingthorpe.

Manheim Auction Services agreed a two-year contract with online used car retailer Carzam, last year.

A new weekly auction programme was launched at Manheim’s centres in Colchester and Wimbledon to support the arrangement.