Mercedes-Benz dealer group Rygor has opened the supermarket’s first dedicated Managed Workshop, at its site in Heston, West London.

Initially, the three-bay facility will service 50 home shopping vehicles operating in the surrounding area but it has the capacity to maintain at least 200 vans in the long term.

Asda will take delivery of no fewer than 550 new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 313 CDI chassis cabs this year. Most will arrive via Yorkshire dealer Northside Truck & Van, with the remainder to be supplied by Rygor.

The Heston workshop began operation on 1 June and is manned by three of Rygor’s Mercedes-Benz technicians. Additional factory-trained service staff will be drafted in as required, from the dealer’s neighbouring branches.

Jon Parry, vice president of logistics at Asda, said: “Strategically, this is a very important development for Asda. We’re tremendously excited about the prospects for improved efficiency, vehicle uptime and reduced operating costs as a result of this collaboration with Mercedes-Benz.”

Asda’s delivery fleet has grown by 25% over the last three years and now numbers in excess of 2,000 vehicles. The supermarket’s Sprinters are fitted with multi-compartment, insulated box bodies by Paneltex, and GAH refrigeration units. They make nationwide deliveries of ambient, chilled and frozen foods and other products to customers who have placed their orders online.