Author Archives: Van Rental

Last ever Land Rover Defender 90 Heritage Soft Top

Last ever Land Rover Defender rolls off production line in Solihull

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It may not exactly be a van, but it is a pretty special vehicle in automotive history — and many of them have been configured as vans over the last 68 years.

The last ever Land Rover Defender rolled off Jaguar Land Rover’s Solihull production line today, marking the end of 68 years of continuous production. The vehicle in question was a Defender 90 Heritage Soft Top model:

The last ever Land Rover Defender

The last ever Land Rover Defender rolls off the JLR production line at Solihull, ending 68 years of production.

Last ever Land Rover Defender 90 Heritage Soft Top

Land Rover Defender Heritage 90 Soft Top

At the same time, Land Rover announced a new Heritage Restoration Programme, which will be based on the site of the existing Solihull production line. A team of experts, including some long serving Defender employees, will oversee the restoration of a number of Series Land Rovers sourced from across the globe. The first vehicles will go on sale in July 2016.

The Defender Celebration in Solihull saw more than 25 unique vehicles from Land Rover’s history come together in a procession around the Solihull plant, featuring the final current Defender vehicle off the line.

Land Rover associates were joined by a number of previous employees from the past 68 years to help celebrate this historic day. The last of the current Defender vehicles includes an original part that has been used on Soft Top specifications since 1948 – the hood cleat. The vehicle will be housed in the Jaguar Land Rover Collection.

Van hire discount offers round-up 29 Jan 2016 (Hertz, Europcar, Questor Insurance & Sixt)

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Here is this week’s roundup of all the discount codes and special offers currently available on the vanrental.co.uk website and elsewhere.

Final chance: This weekend is the last chance to save up to 25% in the Hertz Winter Sale. Bookings can be made for hire periods until 31 March 2016, but you must book by Sunday 31 January.

We’ve also got big savings from Questor Insurance, Europcar and Sixt.

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Hertz logo largeSave up to 25% in Hertz Winter Sale (3 day minimum hire)

If you’re planning a longer hire period then you may be able to save up to 25% on standard van hire rates in the Hertz Winter Sale!

  • Valid from: 30 December 2015
  • Expires: 31 January 2016
  • Pick up period: 1 January 2016 – 31 March 2016
  • Discount code: 816220
  • Terms and conditions apply, see Hertz website for details

** THIS OFFER HAS NOW EXPIRED **

Save 5% on Questor Van Hire Excess insurance

** THIS OFFER HAS NOW EXPIRED **

Save 5% on Questor Van Hire Excess insurance with this discount code:

Use Discount Code:
Valid: Until further notice

Click here to visit the Questor Insurance website

(If you need to know more about van hire insurance, check out our guide here)

Sixt logoSave 10% on Sixt Van Rental (EXCLUSIVE)

Our exclusive 10% discount for Sixt UK van hire is still available.

All you have to do to benefit from this discount is click through to the Sixt website using the pink button below:

Save 10% on Sixt van rental

 

 

 

Remember: You can also see details of all of these offers in the “Our Companies” section on the home page.

Nissan NP300 Navara with hardtop

Nissan rolls out accessories for new NP300 Navara pick-up

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The new Nissan NP300 Navara pick-up goes on sale this month (price and spec details here), making it the newest entrant in this very popular segment. It’s a good-looking truck and the driving experience is significantly better than the old model, especially on road.

Nissan NP300 Navara with hardtop

New Nissan NP300 Navara with hardtop

The only problem with pick-ups is that if we’re honest, the pick-up load space is often a very poor substitute for a boot or a van’s load compartment. Pick-up load beds are exposed to the weather, items tend to slide around uncontrollably, and are hard to reach without climbing in. Plus, of course, the open load bed of a pick-up is completely insecure!

These problems are common to all pick-ups, mainly when they are being used as private vehicles rather than workhorses, as is increasingly common. Tonneau covers and hardtops have always been available but Nissan has upped its game with the new NP300 and is offering its widest-ever range of load bed accessories, some of which it says are sector firsts:

  • A sliding load tray that makes loading and unloading the new NP300 Navara much easier:

Nissan NP300 Navara slide-out load try

  • A foldaway rear step that improves access to the truck bed
  • Tailgate assist – a system that lowers the vehicle’s tailgate smoothly at the touch of a button
  • A load carrier that allows vehicle users to make use of the space on top of the load space cover

There’s also a choice of three different tonneau covers — a soft cover, a roller shutter type design and a lift-up lid which operates like a car bonnet.

Nissan NP300 Navara roller shutter tonneau cover

This roller design is one of three tonneau cover options.

Buyers can also opt for one of two hard-top designs, the more expensive of which includes opening windows, interior trim and lighting, a stop lamp and central locking.

Naturally, Nissan has also produced a range of styling accessories, including chrome bars for the front, side and bed of the vehicle and high impact lamps that can be fitted onto the bars. Also available are decal stickers, exhaust finishers, a shark antenna and alloy wheels.

Mike Thompson, After Sales Director at Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd, said:

“In the past it’s often been the case that new pick-ups have come to market and customers have then had to wait for third-party, aftermarket accessories to personalise and adapt their vehicles.

“In developing the new NP300 Navara, Nissan had accessories in mind from the very outset and so we have been able to ensure that even those customers taking delivery of the first vehicles this month have the full range of options and accessories available to them.”

For more details of the full range of accessories available for NP300 Navara and for pricing, click here.

Thrifty van rental Stirchley branch

Thrifty Car and Van Rental opens new branch in Stirchley, Birmingham

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Thrifty van rental Stirchley branchThrifty Car and Van Rental has opened a branch in Stirchley, which is a few miles south of Birmingham in the West Midlands.

The Stirchley branch offers a full range of car and van hire and is located on Fordhouse Lane (A4040) in Stirchley. Adnan Mohammed, Stirchley’s new branch manager, said:

“Since opening our doors, we have been very busy and have enjoyed a high turnover of rentals on both the leisure and commercial side. We have a very experienced team here at Worcester, so customers can expect a knowledgeable and friendly service with every rental.”

Steve Sandford, director of regional operations for Thrifty Car and Van Rental, added:

“Our network continues to grow from strength to strength and we’re delighted to open our latest branch in Stirchley. Whether you need vehicles for work or pleasure please give our Stirchley location a call or visit our website and we can help you choose the best car or van for you.”

The new Thrifty branch is located at 163 Fordhouse Lane, Stirchley, Birmingham, B30 3AG. Thrifty Car and Van Rental operates nationwide and currently has 96 branches within the UK.

Centaur Services Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

Sprinter is only option for vetted deliveries

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Leading UK veterinary wholesaler Centaur Services has completed its transition to an all-Mercedes-Benz fleet of 60 vans.

The company supplies more than 22,000 products to veterinary practices across the UK from its headquarters in Castle Cary, Somerset, and depots in Carlisle, Ivybridge, Letchworth and Stoke-on-Trent.

The firm’s first ever Mercedes-Benz Citan and Vito vans have recently jointed its fleet, but the vast majority of its vans are Sprinters. While most are 3.5-tonne 313 CDI models, the line-up also includes a number of 5.0-tonnne 513 CDI variants.

Centaur Services Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

Over recent years Centaur Services has invested heavily in its warehouse and distribution network. With the exceptions of two mid-size Vito 111 CDI crew vans, which have second rows of seats and are used by its VetSpace practice management software division to attend shows and exhibitions, its vehicles make multi-drop deliveries of food, drugs and consumables.

Typically, a van will service 17 veterinary surgeries each day. The company’s single, small Citan, a 109 CDI, is based in Inverness and covers the Highlands, where there are fewer drops and much longer distances between them, so fuel efficiency is more important than carrying capacity.

“We moved to Mercedes-Benz because of its reputation for reliability and its vehicles have certainly lived up to that promise,” said Lisa Derbyshire, Director of Supply Chain and Operations. “Not only are they much better in terms of build quality than the vans we were using previously, but the drivers much prefer them and they lead the market when it comes to safety – that’s something we’re very conscious of, given our Duty of Care to employees and other road users.

Centaur Services’ Mercedes-Benz Sprinters are fitted with tracking devices and limited to 70 mph – each covers around 60,000 miles per year.

“The Sprinter is very cost-effective and economical,” continued Lisa Derbyshire. “Those working in towns and cities will use a bit more fuel but across the fleet they’re averaging 32-33 mpg, which is great.”

Van hire discount offers round-up 23 Jan 2016 (Hertz, Europcar, Sixt)

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Here is this week’s roundup of all the discount codes and special offers currently available on the vanrental.co.uk website and elsewhere.

We’ve got big savings from Hertz, Questor van hire excess insurance, Europcar and Sixt.

—

Save 5% on Questor Van Hire Excess insurance

** THIS OFFER HAS NOW EXPIRED **

Save 5% on Questor Van Hire Excess insurance with this discount code:

Use Discount Code: 
Valid: Until further notice

Click here to visit the Questor Insurance website

(If you need to know more about van hire insurance, check out our guide here)

Hertz logo largeSave up to 25% in Hertz Winter Sale (3 day minimum hire)

If you’re planning a longer hire period then you may be able to save up to 25% on standard van hire rates in the Hertz Winter Sale!

  • Valid from: 30 December 2015
  • Expires: 31 January 2016
  • Pick up period: 1 January 2016 – 31 March 2016
  • Discount code: 816220
  • Terms and conditions apply, see Hertz website for details

** THIS OFFER HAS NOW EXPIRED **

 

Sixt logoSave 10% on Sixt Van Rental (EXCLUSIVE)

Our exclusive 10% discount for Sixt UK van hire is still available.

All you have to do to benefit from this discount is click through to the Sixt website using the pink button below:

Save 10% on Sixt van rental

 

 

 

 

Remember: You can also see details of all of these offers in the “Our Companies” section on the home page.

Continental VanContact Winter

Continental unveils new winter tyre for vans, but where’s the all-season option?

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Continental VanContact Winter

The new Continental VanContact Winter. Note the different tread (to summer tyres). What you can’t see is that the rubber compound is also different.

There’s nothing like a smattering of snow to remind British drivers that the summer tyres fitted as standard to the vast majority of vans (and cars) sold in the UK are not intended to work in cold or icy conditions.

And they don’t. Witness the cars and vans I saw getting stuck on the slightest of gradients in an inch of snow recently. It wasn’t ice, just nice grippy fresh snow. In contrast, my van, with all-season tyres, had plenty of traction.

In the hope of picking up some early momentum, Continental has chosen this week to announce its new VanContact Winter tyre, a winter tyre for vans. Winter tyres do, of course, provide massively superior grip in snow, ice and low temperature conditions — anything below 7°C, in fact.

Conti claims that its new winter van tyre offers better fuel economy than the older VancoWinter 2, thanks to a modified silica compound that provides a 15% reduction in rolling resistance.

At the same time, the new VanContact Winter is said to offer 5% more grip as the result of a modified tread design.

It’s an impressive combination (more grip and less rolling resistance!) and although I haven’t tried it, I have little doubt it’s an excellent tyre. Continental is a top-tier tyre firm.

The only problem is that we don’t have much snow in the UK. Persuading van operators or car owners to change tyres between winter and summer tyres twice a year is a hard sell. For most people — me included — it’s just not going to happen.

All-season (M+S/snowflake) is the answer!

That’s why I use all-season tyres on both my van and my wife’s car. In my experience, after several years of use, they really are ideal for UK weather. They work well in both summer and winter conditions (including snow and ice) and do not require seasonal changes.

Yet despite the obvious suitability of all-season tyres for our relatively temperate climate, the big tyre companies have been reluctant to market all-season tyres in the UK. They’ve preferred to try and flog seperate summer and winter models.

Things may be starting to change, however. A growing number of tyre centres appear to stock all-season tyres which were previously only available as imports from European companies such as mytyres.co.uk (a German business).

For example, Continental make an excellent all-season tyre for vans, the VancoFourSeason. This does not appear on Continental’s UK website at all, but does now seem to be widely available a major tyre fitting chains — something that wasn’t true a few years ago.

It’s the same story with cars. Michelin recently launched the CrossClimate tyre in the UK, which has had excellent reviews and is available in sizes to fit small vans as well as cars. Indeed, British Gas recently signed a deal to fit Michelin CrossClimate tyres to 13,000 of its vans. British Gas operates one of the UK’s biggest van fleets and previously used winter tyres on many of its vans, so this decision speaks volumes, in my opinion.

Momentum does seems to be gathering in favour of the all-season camp. Earlier today, an email dropped into my inbox informing me of a special offer on Goodyear Vector 4 Season all-season tyres at Kwik Fit.

The last time I tried to buy an all-season tyre from Kwik Fit, they didn’t have any. Indeed, back in 2011, I was at a Goodyear press event and was told by one of their PR people that they did not have any interest in promoting their Vector range of all-season tyres in the UK — they were pitching winter and summer tyres only.

Thankfully, common sense seems to be prevailing. Tyre firms appear to be gradually conceding that the majority of British motorist will never run summer and winter tyres, but may be interested in something more suitable for year-round use.

Vauxhall Vivaro

UK commercial vehicle production climbs 33% in 2015

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2015 was a good year for UK commercial vehicle (CV) manufacturers. CV manufacturing output rose by 33.3% to 94,479 units  last year, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The clear highlight of the figures is the strong recovery seen in the European market last year, which suggests that some of the more troubled EU economies may finally be starting to signs of growth:

CV manufacturing Dec-14 Dec-15 % Change YTD-14 YTD-15 % Change
Total 5,815 6,265 7.7% 70,869 94,479 33.3%
Home 2,891 3,008 4.0% 35,945 47,300 31.6%
Export 2,924 3,257 11.4% 34,924 47,179 35.1%
% export 50.3% 52.0% 49.3% 49.9%

Data courtesy of the SMMT (www.smmt.co.uk)

However, what isn’t so obvious from these figures is that one company is supporting the UK’s CV sector pretty much single handed. Regular readers will probably guess that the company in question is Vauxhall, which built 60,280 Vivaro vans at its plant in Luton last year. That’s almost two-thirds of the UK’s entire CV output.

Vauxhall’s all-new Vivaro launched in 2014 and secured 1,500 jobs at the UK’s only dedicated light commercial vehicle plant, after workers won a ten-year contract and a £185 million investment. Since the original Vivaro started production, more than one million Vivaros have been built at Luton. It really is an outstanding British success story.

The Luton plant beat world class competition from across Europe to build the new van, making it all the more frustrating that Ford was not able to resist the temptation to move Transit production from Southampton to Turkey.

The impact of this and other closures in the wake of the financial crisis is best shown by this graph:

UK CV output 2008-2015

UK CV manufacturing output, 2008 – 2015 (courtesy of SMMT)

It would be interesting to know whether Vauxhall and the UK’s other CV manufactuerers would expect any knock-on effects on export volumes if the UK does vote to leave the EU in the promised Brexit referendum.

I have no idea — logically it does seem easier to trade within the EU than outside it, but then again we import plenty of Japanese cars without problems.

Bestway Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

Kilos = Cash, or why one firm switched its fleet to Mercedes-Benz Sprinters

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In the transport industry, weight costs money. It either increases your fuel consumption or stops you carrying as much as you’d like.

In the case of food wholesaler Bestway, the problem was that the latest vans from the firm’s previous supplier had put on weight as a result of being adapted to meet new emissions rules. This reduced the payload available to Bestway, whose deliveries tend to max out its vans’ payloads.

Having learned that Mercedes had managed to make the same changes to the Sprinter without adding any significant amount of weight, the decision was obvious: switch the fleet to Sprinters.

Bestway Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

By switching the traditional ply-lining to a lightweight polycarbon alternative, Bestway’s was able to offer a 3.5t van in Euro 5b emissions specification with a 1,200kg payload. This virtually sealed the deal, according to Bestway’s transport manager, Pretash Patel:

“This was a good deal higher than our established van supplier could come up with. Every single kilo counts in our operation, so the Sprinter’s payload advantage was crucial to Rygor winning the business.”

“Our move to Mercedes-Benz Vans has been a resounding success.   As well as using every bit of the Sprinter’s available payload we’ve had very positive feedback from our drivers, who say it’s a more comfortable drive than the vehicles they were in previously.”

Payload isn’t always a deal breaker, and for many operators the differences between marques aren’t significant. But in some cases they are, and this appears to be yet another advantage enjoyed by the Sprinter.

Tevva 7.5t electric range extender truck

Don’t Tevva give up on electric power: UK firm develops new low emission system

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Only a few days ago, I questioned why mainstream van manufacturers were not producing hybrids, given the proven fuel savings and emission reductions of such systems. I cited the 7.5t Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid as an example of what’s possible.

Just a few days later, news has reached me of a British company that’s taken a different approach to hybrid technology. Tevva Motors is developing an electric range extender powertrain that can be fitted to new or existing 7.5t trucks.

Tevva 7.5t electric range extender truck

One of Tevva’s prototype 7.5t trucks with electric range-extending powertrain

What’s a range extender? The idea behind a range extender is that the vehicle is driven by its electric powertrain at all times. However, range extender vehicles also have a small petrol or diesel engine which is used as a generator to provide electric power when the batteries are unable to cope or need charging. This effectively means that the range of the vehicle is unlimited, subject to refuelling stops. It doesn’t need recharging during longer journeys.

The best-known example of this approach is probably the Vauxhall Ampera car (also sold as the Chevrolet Volt). This has been in production for a few years now, but failed to sell well in Europe and was withdrawn from General Motor’s European ranges last year (it’s still available in the USA).

How’s it different to a hybrid? In a hybrid, the vehicle is directly powered by both its internal combustion engine and its electric motor. At times it may run on electric power alone, or on the internal combustion engine alone, but both have direct drive to the wheels and operate semi-independently.

What’s Tevva doing? Tevva has developed an electric range extended truck and currently has three vehicles in operation, including one with logistics giant UPS. The firm is developing models for full-scale production in the next three years, and is also developing its range-extending electric powertrain as an aftermarket solution which can be retrofitted into older trucks.

A feature of the Tevva solution is the firm’s predictive software, which maximises use of electric-only power in urban environments and other situations where air and noise pollution is a particular issue. The system has real-time access to NOx and air quality data and combines this with GPS navigation to optimise use of the range extender.

For example, on a journey incorporating urban roads and motorway, the Tevva system might decide to use the diesel engine on the motorway in order to ensure that there is enough battery power left to complete the urban sections of the journey under electric power.

Asher Bennett, Tevva Motors CEO, commented: “Our technology and design offers all of the benefits of an electric vehicle, meeting the environmental needs of modern legislation and social acceptance, without the drawbacks of limited range.

As Mr Bennett comments, the key benefit of range extenders is that they make electric vehicles much more widely usable.

Technical details: The Tevva truck can manage 100 miles on electric power, although this will vary with driving conditions, load and driving style. The range extender extends this range to 250 miles with a 40l fuel tank or 370 miles with a larger 75l fuel tank — although of course you can refuel can carry on driving as long as you need, using the range extender engine.

The powertrain is made up of a 120kW (161hp) electric motor with a 350V/66kWh battery pack that’s expected to last 7-10 years, or 2,000 charging cycles. A 1.6-litre diesel range extender engine is recommended and a regenerative braking system is also fitted to maximise battery life. Charging requires a 3-phase, 32A supply and takes up to three hours.

Tevva says that greenhouse gas emissions from the range extender with predictive technology are typically 80% lower than from an average diesel-engined 7.5t truck.

Pollution from NOx emissions, a common cause of respiratory problems, is 50% lower than with a Euro 6 approved 7.5t truck, according to Tevva.

Our view: Tevva’s goal is to gain a foothold in the low emission truck market by supplying their own trucks, which are based on an existing model from Chinese firm JAC. Tevva also plans to make the range extender system available as a kit which can be retrofitted to existing trucks.

UPS’s willingness to put the Tevva system into daily use suggests the product is credible and usable, so it will be interesting to see where this leads. I can’t believe it will be too much longer before more major van and truck manufacturers start producing hybrid models. When so many CVs are used for limited mileage and in urban environments, it is surely hard to ignore the environmental benefits of such technology.