Author Archives: Van Rental

Van Registrations Down 2.5% In June

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After a single month’s respite in May, new van registrations returned to their falling ways in June, dropping by 2.5% compared to June 2011.

The latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that new van registrations have now fallen by 10.1% across the year to date, although only by 0.9% on a rolling year (last 12 months) basis.

Bigger Is Better

Of the 22,287 new vans registered in June, more than half (13,323) were in the heaviest weight category, with gross weights between 2.5t and 3.5t. Interestingly, this was the only category to see a rise in registrations last month, rising by 8.1% while the other weight categories fell by as much as 22%.

Van registrations by weight, June 2012 vs June 2011 (courtesy of SMMT)

Van registrations by weight, June 2012 vs June 2011 (courtesy of SMMT)

Heavy News

Once again, truck registrations (goods vehicles > 3.5t) moved in the opposite direction, rising by 14.7% in June compared to June 2011. Truck registrations are now up by 26% on the year to date and 25% on a rolling year basis.

Van and Truck Registrations, 5 years to June 2012 (courtesy of SMMT)

Van and Truck Registrations, 5 years to June 2012 (courtesy of SMMT)

This growth is being driven by sales of rigids, which are more than compensating for falling artic sales to generate overall increases in the >3.5t category:

  • 3.5t – 6.0t: +62.5% YTD
  • 6.0t – 16t: +45.2% YTD
  • >16t rigid: +48.3% YTD
  • 2-axle artic: -2.9% YTD
  • 3-axle artic: -7.3% YTD

As before, I can only surmise that greater sales of rigids reflect companies’ needs to operate profitably on a slightly smaller scale than before, while tractor unit (artic) sales stagnate in reflection of the state of the wider economy.

Van News In Brief: 06/07/2012

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Bicycle deliveries for Europcar, new dealers for Isuzu Truck and and old Mitsubishi favourite returns.

Mitsubishi Brings Back L200 Trojan

Mitsubishi L200 Trojan Double Cab

Mitsubishi L200 Trojan Double Cab

The Mitsubishi L200 is probably the car that defines the modern pick-up trend. Hugely popular, its double cab was one of the first to offer car-like levels of comfort with genuine off-road, load-carrying ability.

Mitsubishi has capitalised on the popularity of this model with lifestyle buyers by introducing a steady stream of special editions, such as the recent Barbarian Black. Its now brought back another popular edition, the L200 Trojan Double Cab.

The Trojan comes loaded with accessories and the new model is far more powerful than the old one, delivering 30% more power (up from 136bhp to 175bhp) and 27% more torque (up from 314Nm to 400Nm). In addition to this, the 12MY Trojan is also Euro 5 compliant.

Europcar Staff Take To Two Wheels

Traffic in London is bad enough at the best of times, but it’s about to get much worse, as the London Olympics and Paralympics bring thousands of extra visitors and vehicles to the cities streets.

In addition, the Olympic Route Network means that ordinary road users, like delivery drivers and private motorists, won’t even be able to use half the roads in London (click here for a handy Olympic Route Network delivery planner).

If all of this wasn’t enough, demand for car and van rental is likely to soar during the Olympic period, with many of these customers needing to have vehicles delivered and collected from their premises. This means that rental companies are faced with the prospect of having their delivery drivers stuck in traffic and unable to move around as quickly as usual.

Europcar has taken a novel approach to solving this problem and is equipping its delivery drivers with electric bikes to help them get around as fast as possible. The bikes are folding models that fit into the boot of a car, enabling drivers to combine the best of both worlds and get around London as fast as possible — without adding to traffic congestion themselves.

4 New Isuzu Truck Dealers For Thames Valley

Isuzu Truck range

The Isuzu Truck range

Isuzu Truck has added The Cordwallis Group to its dealer roster, providing the brand with four new dealers covering the Thames Valley.

The long-established, family-owned Cordwallis Group opened its doors as an Isuzu Truck dealer in Reading and Heathrow on Monday 25th June, whilst the remaining 2 branches at Maidenhead and Eynsham near Oxford will become full dealers 1 month later on Monday 23rd July.

As Keith Child, marketing director at Isuzu Truck explains:

“The Thames Valley region represents a significant geographical area for Isuzu Truck and we are extremely pleased to welcome The Cordwallis Group into the Isuzu Truck dealer network. The group has a vast experience of commercial vehicles from lights to heavy weights through four established locations.

Europcar Boosts Van Hire Fleet

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Europcar is set to expand its rental van fleet following double-digit growth in demand for hire vans in the first half of 2012.

The car and van hire company is to place particular emphasis on supporting the flexible rental requirements of the logistics and courier sectors, which experience increasingly variable and strong demand due to the growth of the online home shopping sector — internet shopping, to you and me.

According to Europcar UK MD Ken McCall:

“We’ve seen a huge surge in demand for vans over recent months and we are responding by increasing the size and quality of our van fleet with the latest models to ensure our range includes the latest in fuel efficiency technology”

“As the trend for online shopping continues logistics companies have reported a spike in demand for delivery services. But it’s hard for businesses like this to instantly increase their own fleet capacity. That’s where short-term rental fits in and Europcar has been working hard to help these companies capitalise on the current market opportunities, by complementing their core fleet at short notice.”

The new additions to Europcar’s van fleet will include the compact Vauxhall Combo – winner Best New Van at the 2012 Fleet World Honours – and the Peugeot Partner. The company also plans to increase the number of larger models, such as the Southampton-built Ford Transit and the Luton-made Vauxhall Vivaro.

Nearly all of the new vehicles feature Euro 5 technology, the most fuel efficient engine on the market. Low-emission vans such as the Nissan NV200, with emissions under 150g/km, help companies comply with government legislation on CO2 emissions, as well as enabling them to save on tax and congestion charges – such as the low emission zone in London – on high polluting vehicles.

Speaking of the growing importance of environmental issues, McCall say, “We have seen more companies request low CO2 and more eco-friendly vans.”

All Europcar vans are on average 9 months old, and with the new vans that have been introduced, Europcar’s light commercial fleet is one of the youngest in the country. The vans are also fully maintained to manufacturer standards, ensuring they run efficiently so that Europcar’s corporate customers can access vehicles on which they can rely.

Don’t forget that you can compare van hire prices from Europcar and other leading companies using our unique van hire price comparison system — click here to get started.

Fuso Canter 7.5t Gets Factory Hybrid Solution

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Fuso Canter Ecohybrid

The Fuso Canter Ecohybrid

Mercedes-Benz is now selling a factory hybrid version of the Fuso Canter 7.5t truck in the UK.

The new EcoHybrid Fuso Canter has a 7.5-tonne gross vehicle weight and is ideally suited to urban, multi-drop work. It has demonstrated fuel savings of up to 23 per cent on trial, as well as correspondingly lower CO2 emissions.

What’s The Fuso Canter?

The Fuso Canter is a Japanese model that originally came from the Mitsubishi stable. The Fuso Canter model is now part of the Daimler Truck Group and although developed in Japan, is built in Portugal for the European market.

It’s increasingly popular and well-regarded by operators, and benefits from rugged engineering and light weight compared to most European-model 7.5t trucks (e.g. DAF, MAN, Mercedes). Admittedly it lacks some of the creature comforts and driver appeal of these rivals — but from an operator’s point of view, it is very attractive, particularly for urban and multi-drop work.

The Technical Details

The EcoHybrid features a Euro V-compliant 110 kW (150 PS) diesel engine which operates in parallel with a state-of-the-art, slimline, 40 kW electric motor installed between the  clutch and Duonic two pedal automated manual transmission.

Lithium-ion batteries backed by a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty provide an affordable ‘green’ solution and Mercedes says that service costs are comparable to a standard, diesel-engined Canter, demonstrated by identical Repair & Maintenance contract prices. Efficiency is boosted by a recuperation system which acts as a re-charging generator, transforming braking and deceleration energy back into useable electricity.

Trialled & Tested

In 2008 Fuso entered a three-year, London-based Hybrid trial, the largest in Europe, with partners Amey, DHL, Hill Hire, Royal Mail, Ringway, Scottish & Southern, Tesco and TNT. These trial vehicles, based on the previous generation Canter (TD model), were fitted with a variety of body types and daily workloads varied, but the operators reported fuel savings of up to 16 per cent.

Sam Whittaker, Director of Truck Sales & Marketing at Mercedes-Benz UK, said:

“The London trial was a great success for Fuso. As a result of intensive vehicle monitoring we learnt a great deal not only about the technology, but also about our customers’ needs and expectations. The trial demonstrated, in real-life, everyday conditions, the fuel savings and environmental improvements that can be achieved.”

“We’re delighted that as a direct result of the work which was done here in the UK, and of the data generated by our valued customers, we’re now able to offer a factory-built EcoHybrid Fuso Canter at an affordable and competitive price.”

The EcoHybrid, as all Fuso Canter models, will be sold and supported by the Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicle dealer network. The compact, manoeuvrable and bodybuilder-friendly chassis cab offers an impressive and class leading payload, even with the EcoHybrid technology on-board.

Nissan Confirms Pricing For NV400 Factory Conversions

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Nissan NV400 dropside tipper

Nissan NV400 dropside tipper from the company's range of factory conversions

Nissan launched its NV400 conversion range at the recent Birmingham CV Show. It has now confirmed pricing and specification details for this range, all of which are now available to order at UK Nissan dealers.

The NV400 chassis cab starts life as a mid or long wheelbase variant with either front or rear wheel drive, single and twin rear wheel and is available in a total of 13 versions. Powered by either the 125hp and 150hp version of the economical and powerful 2.5dCi diesel, the NV400 chassis cab is now available with the new range of factory built conversions.

The factory built NV400 minibus can accommodate nine people in comfort or combine six people and a generous load space. Two engine power options of 100hp and 125hp are available with three point seat belts and anti-lock brakes. The NV400 minibus starts at just £26,575.

With large windows and comfortable seats, the Nissan NV400 crew van seats up to seven people while still providing plenty of space in the cargo area. Choose from a wide choice of cargo and payload specs up to 1,398kg plus front or rear wheel drive for a van that perfectly matches a range of business requirements, all for just £25,565.

The Nissan NV400 dropside has a double skinned but light metal body and an integral front ladder rack. Available with a choice of either a single three seat or a double seven seat cab, front or rear wheel drive and a range of payloads up to 1,462kg, it makes a perfect workman’s vehicle. The NV400 dropside starts from £23,365 for a single cab and £25,765 for a double cab.

Hard-working yet comfortable, the Nissan NV400 tipper is available as a three seat single cab for £24,765 or a roomy seven seat double cab for £27,165 and offers a choice of mid or long wheelbase and a range of payloads up to 1,227kg. The load deck tilts automatically at 45°for quick, easy unloading.

In addition the Nissan NV400 will be enhanced with a range of Good to Go local conversions, including a box van, Luton and refrigerated van, plus a 14-17 seat minibus option that will be built by handpicked UK converters and sold by Nissan business centres to operators as a complete vehicle.

Nissan’s factory built and Good to Go approach guarantees that operators receive a quality and fully approved conversion complete with a manufacturer warranty.

Bishops Stortford Van Hire: Hilton Rental

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I’m very pleased to welcome Hilton Rental of Bishops Stortford to vanrental.co.uk. Hilton Rental is based on Raynham Road in Bishops Stortford and is only a few miles from Stansted Airport, making it very convenient for airport car, minibus and van hire.

Hilton Rental offers the following services to van hire customers:

  • Small, Medium and Large panel vans
  • Luton box vans with tail lifts
  • Meet and greet service at Stansted Airport
  • Delivery and collection service (T&Cs apply)

All vans are cleaned before each hire and regularly maintained and Hilton Rental can hire vans to drivers aged 21 upwards.

Customers can choose to use Hilton’s inclusive insurance and breakdown cover or provide their own cover.

Hilton Rental also offers a wide range of cars, minibuses and even campervans for hire.

To find out more, get a quote or make a booking, contact Hilton Rental direct:

If you’d like to promote your van or minibus hire company on vanrental.co.uk, click here to see our advertising options.

Olympic Route Network Delivery Planner – Online

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As I mentioned recently, the Olympic Route Network in London could cause havoc for freight deliveries during next month’s Olympic Games.

Transport for London (TfL) has now launched an online route planner for London that will take into account traffic congestion and the real-time restrictions being imposed by the Olympic Route Network. Operators can enter the date and time of their planned journeys and see the nearest permitted stopping points to their destinations.

Once the ORN (and later the Paralympic Route Network) kicks in, live data on traffic conditions and restrictions will be fed into the route planner every five minutes, which should provide you with a realistic view of the chaos your drivers will have to negotiate while Olympic ‘VIPs’ swish by in underutilised Zil lanes…

You can find the Freight Journey Planner on the TfL website.

Used Van Market Sales Trends

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Vehicle auctioneer Shoreham Vehicle Auctions Managing Director Alex Wright expects the used van market to do well this summer.

The company, which is based in Lancing, West Sussex, has seen strong sales of three to five year old vans in recent months; a trend Wright attributes to the fact that most SMEs and self-employed tradesmen can afford to buy vans of this age without requiring finance.

Wright says that any vehicle with “rarity value and intermittent supply” is doing well, something he expects will continue through the summer. One example is Nissan Cabstar tippers, which have recently been selling for as much as £5,000, well above their CAP average price of £3,550.

Nearly-new vehicles in the £8,000 – £15,000 price bracket are also proving harder to sell, as most buyers are unable to buy these without finance. Dealers are also choosing to cherry pick individual models to meet qualified demand, rather than building up stock levels.

As always, Shoreham advises that a sensible reserve is an essential ingredient for a first time sale, as is condition.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle Sales Up 3.5% In 2012

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Volkswagen light commercial vehicle range

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

Volkswagen proudly announced today that total sales in its commercial vehicle division were up by 3.5% for the year to date, but a quick look at the figures suggests that much of this is the result of the impact of its new Amarok pick-up model — a segment in which VW previously had no models.

VW delivered 220,500 in the first five months of this year, 3.5% more than in the same period of 2011. Amarok deliveries worldwide rose by 31.7 per cent to 30,500 vehicles (January – May 2011: 23,100). Deliveries of the Crafter large van went up by 37.0 per cent to 19,800 vehicles (January – May 2011: 14,400). The T5 Series medium van rose by 0.4 per cent to 66,300 deliveries (January – May 2011: 66,100), while worldwide deliveries of the Caddy small van went down by 3.1 per cent to 63,200 vehicles (January – May 2011: 65,200).

Deliveries of the Brand in Western Europe from January to May 2012 were up by 1.3 per cent, to 117,900 vehicles (January – May 2011: 116,400), while in Eastern Europe deliveries rose by a whopping 32.7% — but from a much lower base of just 13,100, taking this year’s total to 17,400.

Unsurprisingly, Germany was the strongest European market for the brand, with deliveries up by 5.3 per cent to 50,800  (January – May 2011: 48,200).

Interestingly, sales outside Europe are flagging. The strongest region outside Europe was Latin America, where deliveries fell by 2.3% from 57,000 last year to 55,700 in the first five months of this year. Deliveries of the Saveiro model (a small pick-up not sold in Europe) were down by 10.3 per cent to 30,400 units (January – May 2011: 33,800), while the T2 (an antiquated predecessor to the T5 that’s still made in South America) was up by 0.4 per cent to 10,400 deliveries (January – May 2011: 10,350).

Sprinter Takes Fleet Van Award For 7th Year

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Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

The Mercedes Sprinter has won the Motor Transport Fleet Van of the Year award for seven years running.

The Mercedes Sprinter is a favourite of mine and is beloved of courier companies and other demanding van users throughout Europe.

Its status as the ultimate fleet van was confirmed once again on the 13th June at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, when it won the Motor Transport Fleet Van Of The Year Award for the seventh consecutive year.

The awards are judged by the readers of Motor Transport magazine and so provide an accurate representation of what real van users think of their vehicles.

The Sprinter was praised for ticking so many proverbial boxes for the selection panel, including long service intervals, good fuel economy, strong residual values and offering a wide range of weights and Euro-5 engines.

In addition, the large panel van was rewarded for being backed by an excellent dedicated Commercial Vehicle dealer network and unrivalled reliability.

Steve Bridge, Van Sales & Marketing Director at Mercedes-Benz UK, collected the award and said of the win:

“This is an outstanding achievement to add to an already long list of award wins for the ever-ready Sprinter. The fact that the final judging for the awards was decided by a panel of readers, who are using these vehicles day-in, day-out, is a testament to the genuine affection there is for this tough workhorse.”

“Having a team of dedicated specialists working within both the Mercedes-Benz van team and the dealer network, means that our products and services deliver our customers a first class ownership experience. It’s an honour to receive this award and we value and take pride in each and every one of them”.