Thursday 19 May 2016 4:08 am

Addison Lee is pouring cash into its luxury car fleet after a jump in demand

Private hire company Addison Lee has spent £3.2m on 100 new Mercedes Benz E-Class saloons in response to a 15 per cent jump in executive car bookings over the last year.

Andy Boland, chief executive at Addison Lee, said:

We have made major investments to expand our executive fleet, this has ensured we have the best drivers and the best vehicles in the UK. By increasing our range of executive cars, more customers will be able to enjoy a superior experience that delivers on quality and service.

Boland told City PM earlier this year Addison Lee was aiming to provide a quality service and would not just compete with the likes of rival Uber on price.

Despite promises over quality of service Addison Lee drivers protested in London in April over changes to their rates of pay.

The company has also been aggressively growing its international expansion and reliance on its mobile app.

Following the firm’s soft launch in 2015 in New York, from the end of June this year New Yorkers will be able to download the app and book a full Addison Lee employed driver.

Addison Lee will be offering its app and fully employed drivers in Manchester and Edinburgh later this year, while elsewhere in Europe, Frankfurt, Munich and Milan will be added to the list.

Addison Lee currently works with 70 per cent of the London FTSE 100 and will be putting the first batch of new cars on the road this week.