Thrifty Car and Van Rental has moved to a new location in Coventry. The car and van hire branch which was previously located near Coventry Airport has now moved to a more central location on Foleshill Road:
There are no changes to the services on offer at the branch.
Light commercial vehicle registrations hit a new record of 375,687 units in 2016, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The van market has now expanded for four consecutive years, but it’s worth noting that total registrations last year were just 1% higher than in 2015. As this graph shows, the rush to buy new vans is definitely starting to slow down:
Van registrations rolling year totals December 2010 to-date 2016 (source: SMMT)
Indeed, there was a marked slowdown in December, when registrations fell by 10.,4% compared to December 2016.
A closer look at the figures shows that last year’s growth was driven by pickups, rather than vans. Sales of the fashionable four-wheelers rose by 17.6% to 47,715 last year.
Without this uplift, my calculations suggest that total LCV registrations would have fallen by about 3,000 units last year. What this means is that new van registrations did fell in 2016, albeit only slightly.
I’ve written about Ford’s dominance of the UK LCV market before, and the SMMT’s full-year figures show that this situation remains unchanged. Here are the top ten LCVs for last month and for 2016 as a whole:
Source: SMMT
2017 promises to be a more uncertain year for the LCV market. Although sales remain strong, I wouldn’t be surprised if the pullback seen in December continues, allowing registrations to move closer to historic average levels.
Whatever happens, we’ll continue to keep you up to date on developments in the van market here at vanrental.co.uk.
The latest version of the Mercedes-Benz Vito Taxi has gone on sale in London today, after passing all the necessary tests required for it to qualify as a London black cab.
The new Mercedes Vito Taxi
The previous model sold more than 3,000 units since 2008, which suggests that the German model may now account for up to one in seven of the black cabs in the capital.
The London edition of the new Euro 6 Vito Taxi uses the low-emission 114CDI Euro 6 engine, offering 136 hp. Power is transmitted to the wheels via Merc’s 7G-TRONIC PLUS seven-speed automatic gearbox, which is controlled by a steering column-mounted lever rather than the usual dashboard gearstick.
This London-specific model comes with a Compact body length and incorporates a rear steering axle that allows it to meet the famous 25ft turning circle rule as prescribed by the Public Carriage Office so it can execute a U-turn in London’s congested streets.
Steve Bridge, Managing Director, Mercedes-Benz Vans UK, commented:
“We know that the London taxi fraternity has been waiting in anticipation for us to bring the new Vito Taxi to market – our previous cab took the industry by storm and has sold in excess of 3,000 units since its launch in 2008.
“After a significant period of testing, I’m delighted to be announcing the start of sales today – I know there has been a bit of a waiting period while we put the new Taxi through its paces and I thank London’s cabbies for their patience.
Standard equipment also includes fuel-saving BlueEFFICIENCY measures like the engine Start/Stop function, air conditioning for the driver and passengers, electric folding mirrors, electrically operated sliding doors on both sides and an electrical nearside and off-side step.
The new Vito Taxi comes with a three-year, unlimited mileage manufacturer’s warranty and MobiloVan back-up, which includes free, round-the-clock emergency roadside assistance. It will be supplied exclusively by Mercedes-Benz Dealer S & B Commercials at Welham Green, Hertfordshire. Visit www.mbvitotaxi.co.uk for more information.
A Milton Keynes Volkswagen dealer has donated a brand new Caddy van to the South Central Ambulance Charity.
The converted Volkswagen Caddy van was supplied by the Brian Currie Volkswagen Van Centre and will be used by the charity’s team of volunteers to deliver lifesaving first response care to residents of Newport Pagnell and the surrounding area.
The Community First Response team consists of trained volunteers who support the local ambulance service by providing life-saving first aid treatment before an ambulance arrives.
Developed to respond to local residents in need of immediate medical assistance, the van is equipped to help people suffering from a cardiac arrest, stroke, breathing difficulties and diabetic or asthmatic attacks. The new vehicle plays a vital role in the community, responding on average to approximately 100 incidents every month.
The donated Caddy has been specially equipped with everything needed to deliver the very best care in case of emergency, including oxygen, defibrillator and general medical supplies. Before it was handed over, it was fully racked out to help safely carry the specialist medical equipment, fitted with a light beacon and sign written with graphics.
Brian Currie, Company Chairman of Brian Currie Van Centre, said:
‘The Community First Response team in Newport Pagnell plays a significant role within the town and is responsible for saving the life of numerous local residents. As a local business, we are very grateful for the work that the volunteers do and very happy that we can help keep this charity going through the donation of one of our vans.
Brian Currie Van Centre will support the charity over the next two years providing ongoing maintenance and servicing on the Caddy as well as paying for the vehicle’s road tax.
Did you know that the RAC attends callouts to more than 100,000 trucks and 300,000 vans every year?
We tend to think of the RAC as a car breakdown service, but in fact it caters to most types of vehicle and also services commercial fleets. To bring more focus to this service and provide improved cover for goods vehicles, the RAC is starting to roll out a dedicated Truck Rescue Patrol service.
The roadside rescue vehicle will be equipped to deal with specific issues faced by drivers of any commercial vehicles from 3.5t vans to 44t HGVs. These dedicated patrols will operate in addition to the RAC’s network of contractors servicing commercial vehicles. As well as being fully roadside operational, the patrols will also carry items such as compressors, welding equipment and the latest diagnostics tools to support commercial vehicle drivers.
RAC Truck Rescue spokesman Matt Dallaway said the dedicated patrols can offer a more in-depth service to CV fleets, without the need for a costly and a time-consuming full recovery, taking the vehicle off the road.
“We deal with around 100,000 commercial vehicle breakdowns every year, including vans, trucks and trailers, so we know what the most common problems are and a high proportion are fixes that we can do at the roadside.
“We have launched this as a pilot, in expectation of rolling it out in 2017 more widely, as it will mean a significant extension of our capability for commercial vehicle repairs, offering a more in-depth service from a highly trained engineer dedicated to this sector.”
The new RAC Truck Rescue patrol will not only be able to deal with many of the breakdown issues commercial fleets face, but also help vehicles be compliant with as the van will carry numerous parts essential to meeting national standards required by all commercial vehicles.
For example about 34% of electrical faults that caused a preventable breakdown for one of RAC’s biggest commercial customers, were bulb-related.
The RAC Truck Rescue pilot patrol was launched week beginning December 5, and is expected to be expanded across the country during 2017.
Outdoor advertising specialist JCDecaux has ordered “a significant volume” of Renault Master and Trafic panel vans for its maintenance fleet.
The vans will be used by technicians charged with maintaining and updating JCDecaux’s inventory of bus-stop advertising systems, billboards and street furniture.
All the new vans have been ordered with Renault’s Twin Turbo ENERGY diesel engines, which offer superior performance and efficiency by using two turbo chargers, Stop&Start engine management and the new regenerative braking system (Energy Smart Management).
The benefit of two turbos is that they can be sized so that one provides additional power at low revs, while the second is designed to work at higher engine revs.
The Trafics have Renault’s 1.6-litre ENERGY dCi 125 engine, while all the Masters feature the 2.3-litre ENERGY dCi 145 engine. Both are matched to six-speed manual transmissions and provide drive to the front wheels. All the new vans will be Euro 6 models.
To enhance both comfort and safety, all the new vans have been specified in Renault’s Business trim level. This includes a DAB radio with Bluetooth, electric front windows, remote central locking, electric and heated door mirrors, trip computer, all-round disc brakes and Electronic Stability Control (ESC).
The ESC fitted to these vans includes Hill Start Assist and Grip Xtend, an electronic traction control system which acts on the vehicle’s driven wheels to optimise traction on loose surfaces.
Inside, the vans have been kitted out by converter TEVO with a range of accessories depending on planned use. Among the pieces of kit installed are water tanks, onboard power, internal glass racks and roof racks.
I always find it interesting to see how fleet operators specify their vehicles. You can see how different companies choose to balance competing and sometimes contradictory requirements, such as:
In this case, JCDecaux appears to have decided that specifying the vans generously and choosing from the latest engine options is worth the modest increase in upfront cost. I suspect they are right.
In four years’ time, these modern and well-specified models are likely to be more popular with used buyers than entry level vans powered by relatively dated engines. A good interior trim level will also helps attract used buyers, many of whom will be owner-drivers or small businesses with only a handful of employees.
Europcar Ireland has been sold to Europcar for an estimated €26m! If you’re not familiar with how big rental brands work, that statement could seem a bit confusing. So let me explain.
Travelling around Europe, you see the same car and van hire brands everywhere you go. Most people probably assume that they are all run by the same company, but in fact many are operated as franchises under licence from a parent company.
Expanding into new countries has pros and cons for big companies. One the one hand, much lower levels of investment are required, as the franchisee foots much of the bill. On the other hand, it’s necessary to sacrifice some profit and control of the business to the franchisee.
Since Europcar floated on the Paris stock exchange last year, it has introduced a policy of buying back some of its best-performing franchises. Europcar Ireland is the second major franchise Europcar has bought back during this period.
By taking control of franchises such as this one, Europcar is likely to be able to make cost savings in terms of vehicle procurement and back office functions. The group will also gain firmer control of pricing in the country.
Europcar’s customers in Ireland are unlikely to notice any difference. The firm’s branding, staffing and service offerings will remain broadly unchanged. So there’s no need to worry if you’re a regular Europcar customer.
Budget Car and Van Rental has taken delivery of 100 new Mercedes-Benz Citan vans.
Budget Car and Van Rental has opened a new car and van hire branch at the Birmingham NEC.
The new location will mean that Budget operates four branches in and around Birmingham.
The other locations are:
According to Nina Bell, who is Avis Budget managing director for the northern region, the NEC holds more than 500 events year year, attracting 2.1m visitors and 33,000 exhibitors. Budget expects the new branch to see strong demand from a wide range of customers as word spreads of its convenient location.
The average price of a used van sold in December at auctioneer BCA was £6,376, virtually unchanged on October’s figure of £6,378.
The latest figures from remarketing specialists BCA shows that used van values are now 10% higher than they were twelve months ago — an increase that equates to an average rise of £599. As we’ve seen for many months now, the trend towards younger, lower mileage vans continued in November — one reason why prices are remaining firm:
| All vans | Avg Age (mnths) | Avg Mileage | Avg Value |
| Nov 2015 | 55.75 | 75,764 | £5,777 |
| Nov 2016 | 54.27 | 71,203 | £6,376 |
Source: BCA
Duncan Ward, BCA’s Head of Commercial Vehicles, says that demand remains strong for quality used vans. He says that demand was also strong from non-trade buyers ahead of the festive season:
“Non-trade buyers have also been active in recent weeks and this has had a notable effect on performance in the dealer part-exchange sector where values have been climbing since the onset of autumn. There is continued demand for vehicles to go straight to work in the parcel delivery and courier sectors to meet the needs of the online retailers.”
Here’s a snapshot of how ex-fleet/lease and dealer part-exchange prices have changed over the last year:
BCA Used LCV prices Nov 2015-16 (source: BCA)
It was inevitable: mainstream electric vehicles are starting to get longer battery ranges between recharging.
The latest version of the all-electric Renault Kangoo Z.E. will boast a new motor and battery package which Renault says will increase its range to 168 miles. That’s 50% more than the current model’s 106-mile range.
Renault Kangoo Z.E. electric van
This announcement to increase the range on Kangoo Z.E. follows on from Renault recently launching at the 2016 Paris Motor Show the New Renault ZOE available with a new Z.E.40 battery that increases its NEDC driving range to 250 miles (186 miles in real world driving conditions) – the longest of any mainstream electric car.
I suspect there are further increases to come. A lot of firepower is now being put into electric drivetrains — in my view, it’s inevitable that such young technology will improved steadily for some time yet.