OEM Electric Vans For British Gas

A Nissan NV200 electric van being is being trialled by British Gas

British Gas has said that it will only consider buying OEM electric vans, not aftermarket conversion. Colin Marriott, general manager of the British Gas fleet was discussing the performance of a recent Nissan EV200 electric van trial when he confirmed that the utility company would only consider OEM choices:

“Aftermarket conversions can interfere with a vehicle’s reliability. Our engineers are only efficient if they are busy looking after customers. By choosing OEM products we can guarantee that if a problem occurs a vehicle is fixed quickly and efficiently”

This is a pretty sensible approach and one that is likely to be emulated by most other large fleets.

Another benefit not mentioned by Marriott is that the risk of the aftermarket converter going bust is eliminated – a problem that affected the buyers of the Ford Transit Connect electric van recently, when its converter, Azure Dynamics, closed down.

British Gas has been testing out an electric version of the Nissan NV200 at its Leicester and Newbury depots to assess which of its 14,000 drivers’ daily travel patterns are most suited to an electric van’s typical working range, including getting to and from work.

Volkswagen Van Sales Up 6.1% On 2011

L-R, Volkswagen Caddy, Amarok, Transporter & Crafter

Sales of Volkswagen light commercial vehicles are up 6.1% worldwide over the same period (Jan-Apr) last year.

The German automaker has sold 174,200 LCVs so far in 2012, up from 164,200 in 2011. Unsurprisingly, Germany was the highest volume European market for VW, with customer deliveries up 9.8% to 39,600 so far this year.

However, Eastern Europe was the biggest grower, with deliveries up a massive 35% so far this year compared to the Jan-Apr 2011. Despite this, the total sold was only 13,700 – around a third of those sold in Germany.

In total, sales of the Crafter (up 35.2%) and Amarok pickup (up 36.2%) showed the biggest growth, with sales of the more established T5 inching up by 3.5% and sales of the Caddy declining slightly by 0.2%. The T5 remains the biggest seller, with 52,700 units sold so far in 2012.

Berlingo Wins Another Repeat Customer

One of Hewer FM's new Euro Citroen Berlingo vans

Gloucester-based Hewer Facilities Management has just taken delivery of 36 new Citroën Berlingo vans as part of its latest fleet refresh deal.

The new Euro 5 Berlingos will replace the company’s existing Euro 4 Berlingos, as Robert Willmott, Hewer FM’s Contract Manager, explains:

“We have had a long and successful operating experience with Berlingo vans, which now form the majority of our 65-strong fleet. As an environmentally conscious company, every fleet renewal time we carry out a comprehensive review to see whether there is a van that can beat the Berlingo.

To date we have continued to acquire Berlingos because of their unbeatable combination of environmental, operational, financial and driver benefits. These latest Euro 5 Berlingos are nearly 10% more fuel efficient than the Euro 4 versions they replace and their CO₂ emissions are 13g/km lower.”

“Berlingos also provide us with other cost savings and productivity benefits, as they are running on 30 per cent biodiesel fuel. Also, the standard fit Trafficmaster Smartnav satellite navigation system and Trackstar stolen vehicle tracking means we have achieved additional cost savings and lower insurance premiums.”

The vans were supplied by Citroën Business Centre, Warners Citroën of Cheltenham, who arranged for a number of additions to enhance the Berlingo Enterprise’s high level of standard equipment. In addition to the standard air conditioning, Bluetooth, reverse park sensors and a dual passenger seat, Hewer’s new vans have also been fitted with a full steel bulkhead, polypropylene load compartment lining, non-slip composite flooring and roof bars.

That’s right – VanRental.co.uk is five today. What started out as a directory of local van hire branches called MyLocalVanHire.co.uk in 2007 is now the UK’s largest dedicated van hire price comparison website, with more than 1,000 branches in over 400 locations around the UK.

We’ve even changed our name – from MyLocalVanHire.co.uk to VanRental.co.uk – but our core goal of providing helpful, genuine information for people who need to hire a van hasn’t changed one bit.

Our pricing policy hasn’t changed either – we don’t add a penny onto the quotes we get and the prices you pay are the same as the ones you get direct from the hire company

What’s Changed?

Some things have changed, however.

Back when we started, diesel was 96.8p/litre and I could fill up my Transit for £77. Today, it costs me £115 – but funnily enough, the rising price of diesel was a popular complaint back in 2007, just as it is today. Some things obviously don’t change!

Fuel consumption has improved, though. The average fuel consumption of a new car in 2007 was just over 44mpg; today it’s 52.5mpg.

Manufacturers are getting to grips with CO2 emissions, too: in 2007, the average new car emitted 164.9g/km of CO2, but today it’s just 138.1g/km. Back then, no one even bothered measuring the CO2 emissions of vans, but  they are now under control too and falling fast. Today’s new vans emit an average of 199.2g/km, down from an estimated average of more than 210g/km in 2007.

Finally, back in 2007 the credit crunch and the end of the housing boom were just a twinkle in overpaid bankers’ eyes. How things have changed… Today, the average house price has fallen from £177,863 in 2007 to £160,372 today, according to the Land Registry.

Here’s To The Next Five Years!

It’s been an exciting five years for us and we feel privileged still to be here, running this website. This year has already seen the launch of our price comparison system and we are not going to rest on our laurels now. We are  planning several big improvements for the rest of 2012, including a brand new mobile site.

In the meantime, I would like to thank everyone who has visited, used or commented on MyLocalVanHire.co.uk or VanRental.co.uk over the last five years – it would be nothing without your usage and support.

Truck registrations also followed the pattern of recent months, rising by 17.7% from April 2011 and increasing by 27.4% over the year to date.

This graph shows the changes more clearly:

Graph courtesy of SMMT (www.smmt.co.uk)

Van sales continue to decline, while artic sales have levelled off and sales of rigid lorries have continued to rise:

Commenting, Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive said:

“The relative strength of the 2011 van market continued to dent 2012 performance with the ‘up to 3.5t’ market dropping 19.8% in the month. Trucks remained strong, up 27.4% for the year-to-date, continuing the steady recovery seen throughout last year. Last month’s CV Show saw the launch of a host of new sophisticated and efficient vehicles that will be important to the sector’s performance through the rest of 2012 and beyond.”

Van sales fell strongly in all weight categories, with the shifting new-model related pattern of fewer sub-2.0t vans and more 2.0t-2.5t vans that I identified last month now becoming a more general decline. This graph shows just how dramatic the fall in van registrations has been, when compared to recent years:

Graph courtesy of SMMT

As I have observed before, van sales appear to be a direct casualty of ongoing weakness in the economy, especially in areas related to small service businesses and discretionary expenditure. The graph above shows clearly how far below historic levels new van registrations have fallen in recent years, meaning that used van values are likely to remain strong, thanks to thin supply.

Leyland Van Hire is providing a van to support firemen Paul Andrew Bibby and James Smith, together with their friend Nathan Robertson, as they attempt to cycle to every fire station in Lancashire in two days.

The 235-mile journey will start on the 26th May and will take them to 39 fire stations, before finishing back in Chorley on the 27th May.

Harry’s mother Vicky Cuming hopes to use the money to raise the profile of childhood asthma by funding nurse visits to local schools and talking to the parents of young children. She told the Chorley Guardian:

“I want to raise as much money as I possibly can, to put in to Harry’s tribute page on the Asthma UK website, you know so his name has a really good influence. Harry’s got a three-year-old brother who misses him every day”

You can donate to Harry’s Asthma UK fund by visiting www.asthmauk.tributefunds.com and typing in ‘Harry Cuming’.

To find out more about Asthma UK, visit www.asthma.org.uk.

The new Vauxhall Vivaro ecoFLEX, in a suitably green setting!

Eco-versions of popular vans are increasingly common – there’s the Transit ECOnetic and the Volkswagen Crafter BlueMotion, for example.

Vauxhall has now joined the party with the Vivaro ecoFLEX, which joins the other, smaller ecoFLEX van models already in its range. There’s also an ecoFLEX version of the Vivaro Combi (9-seater minibus), for the first time.

The Vivaro ecoFLEX is Euro 5 compliant and promises CO2 emissions of just 180g/km and fuel consumption of 40.9mpg, compared with 198g/km/37.6mpg for the equivalent standard model.

That means a theoretical range of 800 miles from the 90-litre fuel tank, although you couldn’t expect to manage that in London traffic.

The Vivaro ecoFLEX is based on the standard wheelbase, low roof model, with a few changes:

• Exhaust gas circulation cooling
• Optimised gear ratios
• ‘Improved thermal management’ – probably means that the engine warms up faster
• Low rolling resistance tyres
• An aerodynamic kit

Anyone really keen on saving fuel can also specify an optional speed limiter, which can drive fuel consumption down as low as 42.7mpg, according to Vauxhall. I cannot verify this for the Vivaro, but I can confirm that limiting top speed really makes a difference.

On holiday in my Transit campervan in Norway last year, I spent a lot of time driving on main roads at the Norwegian national speed limit of 50mph. As a result, I managed to average over 40mpg for a whole tank of fuel on several occasions – and it’s an ageing van with 100k+ on the clock.

The Vivaro is the top-selling van in the medium panel van retail segment and the Luton-based manufacturer has already put 3,351 new Vivaros on the road in 2012, after hitting an all-time sales record in 2011.

Located in the Days Hotel on Hope Street in the capital, the new branch offers a wide selection of cars, minibuses and vans, serving the needs of both residents and visitors to the area. The new branch is also hoping to attract business customers; its flexible short and long-term rental services allow businesses to adjust their fleet size without having to commit to finance or purchase on an additional vehicle.

Sean Curley, location manager, said:

“This new branch is ideally located in the centre of Belfast and easily accessible for businesses, holidaymakers and city dwellers looking to hire a vehicle. We have a very experienced team here at the new branch and customers can expect a knowledgeable and friendly service with every rental.”

Thrifty can also provide satellite navigation and full breakdown cover with its vehicles to ensure trouble free motoring. In addition, both business and leisure customers can receive special discounts and low cost rates when they book online at Thrifty.co.uk.

Linda Malliff, Director of Central Services at Thrifty Car & Van Rental commented:

“We are really excited to have added another location to our growing network, especially as this is the first branch we’ve opened in Northern Ireland in almost 8 years. Opening the outlet in Belfast is part our strategic plan to expand the business into new areas and the location was chosen to ensure a strong geographic spread.”

The new branch is located at, Dollar Thrifty Car Rental, Days Hotel, 40 Hope Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland BT12 5EE. You can see full details of the branch, including a map and vehicle listing, on our branch page (click here).

Instead of an exhaustive roundup, I thought I would just feature some pictures of vans that are new or are unusual in some other way – including some more pictures of the stunning new Transit Custom!

So without further ado, here goes!

First up (in approximate alphabetical order), Chinese manufacturer DFSK was here in force, with Mini Vans of all shapes, but just one compact size:

DFSK Mini Van Tipper

DFSK Mini Van Crew Cab Dropside

The DFSK Mini Van Minibus!

DFSK Mini Van Panel Van - note the rather strange, BMW-esque radiator grill...

Next up, the delectable new Ford Transit Custom, which will go on sale in the UK sometime later this year:

The new Transit Custom in a rather fetching shade of blue

From the front, it could almost be a car...

...while from behind, the Transit Custom looks rather like a Sprinter to me

Inside, the new Transit Custom is unmistakeably a Ford!

I don’t think I’ve featured the Hyundai iLoad before – nothing much to say other than it also comes in 8/9 seat minibus format and I have no doubt it will be as reliable and sensible as the company’s cars are:

The Hyundai iLoad panel van, looking foxy in black

Nissan promised to launch its NV400 chassis cab range at the CV Show, so here’s an example in dropside tipper guise. The NV400 is of course based on the Renault Master and like the Master is quite thin on the ground so far, although I’m starting to see more of them around:

Nissan NV400 dropside tipper from the company's range of off-the-shelf conversions

There were two new versions of the Peugeot Partner for fans of this popular van to drool over, a forthcoming electric version and a new ATV ‘all terrain’ version featuring the company’s Grip Control system.

The Peugeot Partner ATV - with the Grip Control traction system

Peugeot Partner Electric Van - coming soon...

Slightly out of order but none the worse for that is the impressive and probably very durable Mitsubishi Fuso Canter, in its new 4×4 guise:

The new Mitsubishi Fuso Canter 4x4

A small van from a very big Indian name – the Tata Ace EV electric van made an appearance and also was also on display in dropside tipper format:

The Tata Ace EV electric van

Luton’s finest had a good range of vehicles on display, too, and as Vauxhall is near the end of the alphabet, you may be relieved to discover you are nearly at the end of this rather long post…

The new Combo looks set to be as successful as the previous model and comes in more, larger sizes than ever before:

The long wheelbase version of the new Vauxhall Combo - it also comes in a high roof model

Inside the new Combo; unmistakeably Vauxhall

Coming soon to a police station near you...

Finally, a treat for patriotic van buyers. It isn’t remotely new but it is still one of the most popular medium vans on the road – and it’s made in Britain. Yes, Vauxhall laid on a specially-wrapped Vauxhall Vivaro to remind visitors that it builds more vans in the UK than any other manufacturer:

Vauxhall Vivaro - built in Britain

I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief look at some of the new or unusual vehicles on display at the CV Show.

There were, of course, countless other vans and lorries at the CV Show, but there is only so much that I can expect readers to look at, so I thought I would restrict myself to things you might not have seen before, plus a few favourites that deserve to be featured again.

Any comments on vans or the CV Show very welcome – the comment box below is all yours!

A Macneillie operations support vehicle in counter terror specification, complete with robots!

Standard police-specification cars and vans are a common sight throughout Europe, but I don’t think that I have ever seen many of these – an operations support vehicle in full counter-terror spec, complete with remote-control robots for defusing bombs and other hair-raising tasks.

Specialist converter MacNeillie is exhibiting the vehicle at the Counter Terror Expo, which takes place today and tomorrow at Olympia, in London.

It says that the van on display at Counter Terror is “configured for EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), IEDD (Improvised Explosive Device Disposal) and CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear)” and will shortly enter service with an undisclosed authority.

Apparently it is a similar specification to that which MacNeillie has recently supplied to a number of overseas markets, including the Middle East. Based on a Mercedes Sprinter chassis, MacNeillie says that the cab incorporates a number of normal civilian emergency services features, such as ballistic and non-ballistic protection, screen guards and headlight protection, full suite audible and visual warning systems and runflat tyres.

In the back, it’s a more unusual story. The unit can be configured in a number of ways to cater for most requirements, including tools and kit stowage, anchor points for specialist equipment and a deluge wash facility.  Rear doors and associated ramp and lift options are offered, to accommodate equipment such as robots and UGVs (Unmanned Ground Vehicles) such as the two fellow pictured above.

Finally, since modern emergency operations rely on advanced communications and situational awareness, this unit is equipped with high resolution digital camera equipment for all-round visibility and carries a comprehensive inventory of communications equipment, capable of interfacing with scene, silver and gold command levels.

In addition to this more exotic equipment, MacNeillie also supply a wide range of police and ambulance vehicles to emergency services in the UK and abroad. They also do a rather impressive line of military, armoured and ‘discreet protection’ vehicles – armoured cars, to you and me.

This isn’t the first of MacNeillie’s conversions that we’ve featured on these pages – for some shots of another, rather different Sprinter conversion by the company, click here.

MacNeillie is an interesting and successful British company – and one that appears to have some vacancies at the moment. Visit www.macneillie.co.uk for more information.

The new Fiat Punto Van

Having recently reported on the possible demise of the car-derived van, there seems to have been nothing else but new model launches ever since!

The new Fiat Punto Van has made its UK debut at this year’s Birmingham CV Show, which started today.

The new Punto Van replaces the Grand Punto Van and offers a load capacity of 1 cubic metre with a payload of 520kg.

By way of comparison, Vauxhall’s current Corsavan provides a slightly smaller load capacity of 0.92 cubic metres with a slightly higher maximum payload of 550kg. It’s swings and roundabouts, really, unless you have very specific requirements.

Equipment

Standard equipment on all versions includes ESP (Electronic Stability Programme), BAS (Brake Assistance System), remote central locking, electric front windows, electrically adjustable and heated body coloured mirrors, trip computer, driver and passenger airbags, radio/CD/MP3 player, electric power steering, height and reach-adjustable steering wheel and a height-adjustable driver’s seat.

One Engine, Three Choices

New Punto Van will be available with one diesel engine, the award-winning and best-selling 1.3 MultiJet II diesel, in three levels of power:

• 75hp (55 kW) / 190 Nm max torque (at 1500 rpm)
  67.2 MPG (4.2 l/100km) combined fuel consumption and 112 g/km CO₂ emissions
• 85hp (62 kW) / 200 Nm max torque (at 1500 rpm) with Start&Stop
  80.7 MPG (3.5 l/100km) combined fuel consumption and 90 g/km CO₂ emissions
• 95hp (70 kW) / 200 Nm max torque (at 1500 rpm) with Start&Stop
  67.2 MPG (4.2 l/100km) combined fuel consumption and 110 g/km CO₂ emissions

Start&Stop is standard equipment on the 1.3 MultiJet II 85hp and 95hp versions.

From £10,990 +VAT

The new range starts with the entry level 1.3 MultiJet II 75hp version at £10,990.00 (exc. VAT and OTR),  providing great value for those customers searching for an affordable price but with all the safety and comfort features included (ESP, airbags, electric windows and mirrors, radio/CD/MP3 player).

It looks nice – but I’d much rather have a MINI Clubvan – come on BMW, put it into production!

For more information visit www.fiatprofessional.co.uk.

Darren Kempton (L), the 1,000th member of the Ford Transit Club, with club founder Peter Lee (R)

Seven years after its foundation, the Transit Van Club is celebrating the signing of its 1,000th member.

Darren Kempton, who owns two classic examples of Ford’s finest, is the “millennium member” and he was presented with a commemorative certificate from club founder Peter Lee.

Classic Enthusiast

Darren, whose 1986 Mk II long wheelbase Transit is in daily use with his signage and vehicle graphics business, DJK Signs, was delighted to find himself a milestone member: “It’s a great honour,” said Flitwick, Bedfordshire-based Darren:

“The Transit has been part of my life since I first started driving one in 1996, and now I have bought a second classic model, a 1969 Mk I camper van, as a restoration project.”

The Transit Van Club was founded by Peter Lee in 2005 to mark the van’s 40th birthday. Peter owns  nine classic Transits, each used regularly, and said:

“I never imagined the club would grow so quickly to reach 1,000 members, I think that says everything you need to know about the Transit and its place in people’s hearts.”

Charitable Club

Club members regularly display their vans at classic commercial vehicle events around the country and often use them to raise money for charity – the club recently donated £1,000 to the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. The next big events planned are the Classic and Vintage Commercial Show on 9/10 June and the 20/22 July Transit Van Club annual rally, both at Gaydon in Warwickshire.

47 Years Of Transit Success

My fondness for Transits is no secret and I have owned two. The Transit has been a market leader throughout its 47 years of production and I believe it is still the best all-rounder on the market. This looks set to continue with the new Transit Custom, which I suspect will bring a whole new level of sophistication to panel vans, outdoing even the Mercedes Vito and VW Transporter.

The UK remains the single most important market for the Transit; of the 6.3 million Transits that Ford has sold around the world, more than 2.1 million were sold in Britain. Although some Transit production now takes place abroad (in Turkey, I think), the Transit is still designed and engineered at Ford’s Dunton, Essex site. Some of the 7,200-plus current Ford Transit model variants are also still made at the Southampton plant, with engines built at Dagenham and transmissions from Ford’s Halewood plant.