Top 50 Indie Highway Stops Retail, which fitted AdBlue diesel exhaust fluid pumps as part of a site renovation last year and has added the technology to five other locations in recent months, describes the decision as one of the company’s “best investments”.
The business, which operates 14 forecourts, commissioned a large-capacity tank in its HGV lane as well as an AdBlue pump for car and van drivers at its Park Royal facility in north London. It has since rolled out the smaller pumps at its forecourts in Amersham in Buckinghamshire, Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, Gosport in Hampshire, Erith south-east London, and Girton in Cambridgeshire.
“Since installation, sales have been accelerating, and the speed of payback on this kit makes it one of the best investments you’ll make on a forecourt,” said the independent’s business development director Tony Head. Describing the equipment as “part of our standard offer now”, he added: “For the customer it’s hassle free and easy to use. They can just pull up at the pump, fill up with diesel and fill up with AdBlue, rather than having to pick up heavy containers and walk across the forecourt. We get lots of feedback from customers about the convenience of it.”
AdBlue is a urea and water solution that helps lower the nitrous oxides in diesel emissions and is used in almost all modern diesel vehicles fitted with a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) capability. Stored in a separate tank and injected into a modified section of the vehicle’s exhaust to create a chemical reaction, it is mostly bought over the counter in containers.
However, forecourt equipment and tanking supplier Eurotank Service Group maintains there has been an uptick in interest in dispensers, especially for diesel car and van drivers, despite the decline in diesel car sales.
“More retailers want to offer their customers the convenience of AdBlue at the pump and return on investment is quick,” said the company’s sales director Jack Aplin.
“Customers are reporting an average return of 12 months, and as quick as four months for one of our customers.”
Aplin believes that sites with already high diesel sales, especially those with HGV pumps, will profit most from installing the kit.
Eurotank’s offering includes a GreenChem unit with an AdBlue dispenser from Mepsan that fits between pump islands and can be accessed from two lanes. It comes with a standard hose for cars and vans and a longer version for trucks, each with its own pump meter to allow two vehicles to fill up at once. There is also a vertical tank option for forecourts with less space between islands.
