Category Archives: Van News

News and articles about UK vans – especially information relevant to the van hire market. Coverage of new van model launches from all the major manufacturers – Ford, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Peugeot, Fiat and Citroen.

Transit-Powered OX Van Comes Flat-Packed For Africa

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The problem: Much of Africa’s rural population is poor, the roads are bad, and most western vehicles are too expensive and too fragile for prolonged use in such conditions.

The solution: British entrepreneur Sir Torquil Norman has devised the OX, an all-terrain vehicle powered by a Ford Transit engine that has a payload of two tonnes and can carry up to 13 people, eight 44 gallon drums, or three Euro pallets. It can also be shipped flat packed and assembled in 11.5 hours by three people.

The OX, a vehicle for Africa

The OX is the world’s first flat-pack truck and is intended to be cheap and robust enough for widespread use in rural Africa.

All-terrain, all-purpose design

OX can drive through 75 cm depth of water and has a very wide track to ensure excellent stability on badly rutted roads.  Maximum payload is 2.0 tonnes (twice the capacity of most current pick-ups) and following EU size guidelines, OX can seat up to 13 people or carry eight 44 gallon drums or three Euro pallets.  It has a simple power take-off capable of pumping water, sawing wood or running a generator.

Designed to be at home on the roughest terrain, the OX has a high ground clearance and short front and rear overhangs to tackle the steepest inclines.  Independent suspension, front and rear, allows easy transit over rough ground, while the uncluttered underside ensures that sand, mud and other hostile surfaces do not obstruct progress.

With an overall length similar to an average family car, the OX weighs just 1.5 tonnes.  It has front-wheel drive and is powered by a Ford 2.2 litre diesel engine with a manual transmission.  Unladen, 73% of the OX’s weight is over the front axle and when fully loaded 53% is still over that axle.  This contributes to excellent traction in both conditions.

The OX rear view

The OX can seat 13 or carry up to two tonnes of payload.

The vehicle’s unique flat-packing qualities mean that six partially-assembled OX vehicles can be shipped in a standard 40 foot shipping container, to be assembled at their destination.

Not the first

As Sir Torquil Norman points out, the OX is not the first attempt at designing a vehicle for Africa:

“My inspiration for the OX goes back to the ‘Africar’ project of the 1980s.  OX became a dream three years ago and is now a realistic ambition with a working prototype that has already completed its initial testing programme.”

The Africar project ended in financial disaster, but a more recent effort — the Mobius Car — has found some backing and is currently being developed in Kenya.

What next?

Sir Torquil has invested £1m in bringing the OX to a working prototype stage, and has established the Global Vehicle Trust with the aim of raising a further £3m, which will be required to develop the OX so that it is ready for production.

Sir Torquil says his aim is that “the OX will be purchased by charities, aid organisations and development programmes, rather than private individuals.  My dream is to one day see an OX in every village in Africa.”

The OX certainly seems to have a lot of potential, and the idea that it will be purchased by aid programmes to become part of a community’s infrastructure is clever. I’m not completely sure about the durability of using a modern, fairly high-tech diesel engine, but perhaps it will be adapted to improve its robustness and reduce its reliance on regular servicing and modern oils.

My biggest question is whether the target market is big enough to achieve volume demand. Will aid agencies and western-funded development programmes engage with the idea of buying an OX to leave behind, or will they continue to provide their own western vehicles for their use, while locals continue to aspire to battered Japanese 4×4 pickups and Honda C90 mopeds?

Vauxhall Offers 4 Years’ Free Servicing & Finance On New Vans

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Vauxhall Movano large van

The Vauxhall Movano

Vauxhall is the UK’s most popular van manufacturer with retail buyers — van operators who buy their vans directly from dealers, rather than through fleet orders or leasing companies.

The Luton-based manufacturer has now launched a promotional deal that aims to capitalise on that popularity. The Big Van Event is running from 17th – 27th May 2013 and offers new van buyers £500 of free fuel, up to 20 per cent off selected van accessories along with Vauxhall’s ‘4×4’ offer, which includes four years zero per cent APR finance, a four year warranty, four year breakdown assistance cover and four years’ free servicing.

The Big Van Event is running at Vauxhall van dealers throughout the UK and includes the Corsavan, Combo, Vivaro and Movano, and additional offers apply to each of these models.

The award-winning Combo small van also gets £500 customer saving across the range. The Combo offers a range of modern low-emission diesel engines, with CO2 emissions as low as 126g/km and a combined fuel economy of up to 58.9mpg. Buyers can choose from two wheelbases and two roof heights, making it suitable for a variety of uses and professions.

During the Big Van Event, Vivaro and Movano models will continue to be offered with free Plus Packs. For the Vivaro, this includes air conditioning, vehicle alarm and electric pack, worth more than £1,000. Movano models come with air conditioning, vehicle alarm, trip computer and rear parking sensors, worth more than £1,400.

The deal is available to retail customers only and terms and conditions apply.  Orders must be placed by 27th May — for more details visit your local Vauxhall van dealer or www.vauxhall.co.uk.

Citroën Remembers The Méhari: A True Classic Turns 45

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Citroën Méhari

The Citroën Diane 6 Méhari was made from 1968 until 1987. Almost 150,000 were produced and the vehicle took part in several major rallies.

Younger readers may wonder if the vehicle in the pictures was specially produced for a film — given the levels of refinement and safety engineering that are present in almost all modern cars and vans, it is indeed hard to imagine that this was a regular production model up until 26 years ago.

The Citroën Diane 6 Méhari, to give it its full name, was in production from 1968 until 1987, during which almost 150,000 examples were made.

It was intended to be an all-purpose vehicle of the kind that rural dwellers often take to their hearts — as they did in this case.

The roof was fully removable and the windscreen folded flat, meaning that the Méhari could be used for all sorts of pick-up and van-like loads, as well as passengers.

Although it looks flimsy to modern eyes, like the legendary Citroën 2CV, the Méhari was tough, reliable and able to absorb surprising amounts of abuse.

Citroën Méhari

The Méhari’s ABS (plastic) bodywork meant that it could easily be produced in bright colours! The roof was removable and the windscreen could be folded flat, making it a surprisingly versatile load lugger.

It didn’t go rusty, either — at least, the bodywork didn’t — since it was made from ABS plastic.

Citroën Méhari models took part in the Liége-Dakar-Liège rally in 1969, the Paris-Kabul-Paris rally in 1970, the Paris-Persepolis-Paris rally in 1971 and provided medical assistance in the 1980 Paris-Dakar.

The Méhari was even used by the French army as its lightweight design made it easy to parachute drop the car behind enemy lines.

The model’s name – Méhari – comes from a word used in North Africa and the Sahara for dromedary camels whose speed and endurance makes them ideal for the tough conditions in the area, enabling them to transport people and goods.

Citroën is marking the 45th anniversary of the Méhari with a special exhibition at its C_42 showcase on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

VW Teases Fans With 272PS Amarok Power Pickup Concept

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Volkswagen Amarok Power Pickup concept

The Volkswagen Amarok Power Pickup concept, which has 3.0 V6 272 PS engine boasting 600 Nm of torque and was unveiled at the annual GTI enthusiasts’ meeting at Lake Wörthersee in Austria

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has wowed the crowds at the annual GTI enthusiasts’ meeting on the shores of Lake Wörthersee in Austria with an Amarok Power-Pickup concept featuring a 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine with a power output of 272 PS and 600 Nm of torque.

The Power-Pickup, based on an Amarok single cab, is designed as a rolling workshop to carry spare parts, tools and race equipment, with performance to take it from standstill to 62 mph in 7.9 seconds in conjunction with an eight-speed automatic transmission and permanent 4MOTION transmission.

The striking exterior design features widened wheelarches to accommodate 22 inch alloy wheels, 80 mm lowered suspension, bi-xenon headlights with chrome surround and a chrome grille plus an enlarged lower air intake.

At the rear there is also a carbon fibre diffuser and dual exhausts, plus tinted taillights and red, white and black side decals.

Inside, the dashboard, door trims and exclusive Nubuck leather sports seats have a black, red and white colour theme.  In-car entertainment is supplied via an infotainment system with an eight-inch touchscreen and 500 watt subwoofer.

Volkswagen Amarok Power Pickup concept interior

Inside the VW Amarok Power Pickup concept, which boasts leather, an eight-inch touchscreen and a 500W subwoofer.

VW hasn’t said whether the Amarok Power Pickup will make it into production, but full details of the current UK Amarok range are available at www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk.

Used Van Prices Rise 17% In The Last Year

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Vans being sold at a BCA auctionLight commercial vehicle values rose for the third consecutive month to reach a new highpoint in April according to BCA’s latest Pulse report.

The average April figure of £4,998 for all LCVs was the highest on record for any month since Pulse began reporting in 2005.  Values rose by £138 (2.8%) compared to March.

There was some good news, in terms of value for money — unlike previous months, where both average age and mileage have increased along with price, in April, average age was unchanged at just under 59 months, while average mileage fell back by nearly 4,000 miles.

However, although mileage fell back from March, both age and mileage were broadly the same as in April 2012, despite a 17% increase in the average value over the last year:

All vans Avg Age Avg Mileage Avg Value Sale vs CAP
Apr 2012 57.37 77,736 £4,271 98.96%
Apr 2013 58.78 76,999 £4,998 101.38%

Data courtesy of BCA (www.british-car-auctions.co.uk)

Year-on-year, April 2013 was ahead by £727 or 17.0%, with age rising and mileage falling over the period.

BCA average used LCV values April 2013

Average used LCV values at auction, March 2011 – April 2013 (courtesy of BCA).

Commenting on the figures, BCA’s Duncan Ward said:

“April has continued the pattern seen over recent months with demand virtually across the board from smaller car-sized vans up to large long-wheel base panel vans.  Condition and presentation remain important, and high mileage may discourage some bidders, but overall average values and conversion rates remain very strong.

In the current market, the limited supply and levels of demand in the remarketing sector have seen prices rise for corporate stock and older dealer part-exchange vans.  Anecdotal evidence from a number of sources suggests retail used van activity remains slow, yet the wholesale remarketing sector is relatively strong.  LCV values have been universally strong throughout the first third of this year and are significantly higher than the same period last year.”

Values in the fleet & lease LCV sector improved again in April, rising by £264 (4.4%) to £6,171 – the first time average monthly values for corporate LCVs have been above £6,000.  Values have risen every month bar one since last August.   Performance against CAP fell back by nearly two points to 100.9%, while retained value against Manufacturer Recommended Price improved to 37.17% from 35.43% in March.

Year-on-year, the value evolution for corporate stock remains significant – April 2013 was £1,063 (20.8%) ahead of the same month in 2012 – with average age and mileage down over the year.

Year-on-year table: Fleet & lease vans

Fleet/Lease Avg Age Avg Mileage Avg Value Sale vs CAP
Apr 2012 44.49 70,379 £5,108 99.14%
Apr 2013 43.39 66,805 £6,171 100.92%

Data courtesy of BCA

April part-exchange van values were also the highest since Pulse began reporting in 2005, increasing by £114 (3.4%) compared to March.   CAP comparisons at 102.7% continue to outperform the fleet & lease sector, while year-on-year values remain well ahead by £634 or 22.9%, with average age and mileage relatively static compared to a year ago.

Year-on-year table: Part-Ex vans

Part-Ex Avg Age Avg Mileage Avg Value Sale vs CAP
Apr 2012 79.24 91,140 £2,759 98.23%
Apr 2013 79.01 91,144 £3,393 102.70%

Data courtesy of BCA

Where next for prices?

As these figures show, used van prices have been going through the roof, rising by around 20% over the last year for vehicles with near-identical ages and mileages.

The law of supply and demand is in evidence here, and it could be several years before increased new registrations start to have a positive effect on the used market.

Citroën Relay Now With Stop & Start

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Citroen Relay Stop & Start

The new Citroen Relay Stop & Start

The new Citroën Relay  Stop & Start vans are now on sale after their CV Show debut last month.

With this launch, Citroën – one of Europe’s pioneers of this fuel-saving and CO2 reducing technology – now has three Stop & Start equipped LCV models on sale in the UK (Nemo, Berlingo and Relay).

The Relay models available with Stop & Start are the Relay 30 L1H1e-HDi 130 Stop & Start 6-speed manual and the Relay 35 L3H2 e-HDi 130 Stop & Start 6-speed manual van.

Thanks to its lighter weight, the Relay 30 model is the more fuel efficient of the two, and offers urban cycle fuel economy of 32.5mpg, according to official figures — a 9.2% improvement on the standard Relay 30 L1H1 HDi 110 6 speed manual van. Combined cycle fuel economy for the Relay 30 Stop & Start is a healthy 39.2mpg.

Scott Michael, Citroën’s Head of Commercial Vehicles & Business Centre Programme, commented:

“With the new Relay Stop & Start equipped vans, Citroën has further improved the fuel economy and reduced the CO2 emissions of one of the sector’s most fuel-efficient and cleanest LCV ranges. The new Relay Stop & Start equipped vans will appeal to all operators, but particularly those working in urban environments, where they will deliver worthwhile financial, operational and environmental benefits.”

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

VOSA Plans Crackdown On Rogue Van Operators

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Emergency service blue lightsVOSA is planning to step up enforcement action on van operators who are not complying with the regulations.

At a recent speech to van operators at the Freight Transport Association’s Van Excellence conference in Sheffield, Gordon Macdonald, VOSA’s Head of Enforcement Policy, made it clear that the organisation planned to crackdown on rogue van operators, saying that:

“VOSA [is] determined to improve van operational standards and makes no secret of its intention to significantly ramp up the number of roadside inspections and other enforcement activity”

Van operators’ relative lack of regulation when compared to HGV and bus operators — vans up to 3.5t don’t require an operator’s licence, six-week maintenance checks or driver tachographs — has enabled many van operators to enjoy considerable freedom from enforcement in recent years.

50% MOT Failure Rate

A recent FTA survey found that 50% of vans failed their first MOT at three years old. This suggests sloppy maintenance and perhaps hints that operators take a relaxed approach to other compliance issues — most notably loading.

Van hire offers a partial solution to this problem, taking maintenance and servicing out of the equation for the operator — but ultimately, complete compliance requires the willing participation of van operators and their drivers.

Van Registrations Up 43%: Has The Market Turned A Corner?

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Van registrations rose by 43% in April, compared to the same period last year, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). This now means that van registrations have grown by 17.6% during the year-to-date:

UK van and truck registrations: 2013 and % change on 2012

April %
change		 Year-to-
date		 %
change		 Rolling
year		 %
change
Vans 20,751 43.0% 89,633 17.6% 253,078 2.9%
Trucks 3,619 -12.1% 13,679 -15.5% 43,186 -7.0%
Total 24,370 30.9% 103,312 11.8% 296,264 1.3%

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

The data are encouraging, but as Nigel Base, SMMT Commercial Vehicle Manager, explains, there are still question marks over the health of the wider economy:

“The CV market saw further growth in April, up almost 40%, but it’s a mixed picture across the different vehicle types. A lift in van demand is contributing to growth across the overall market, but truck registrations continue to decline. This could be symptomatic of operators holding-off on buying vehicles in anticipation of new Euro 6 legislation coming into play later this year as well as wider economic challenges impacting the road transport sector.”

Breakdown by size

As the table below shows, the growth in registrations has not been evenly distributed across the range of vans and other commercial vehicles. In percentage terms, pick-ups (up 73.6%) and vans between 2.0t and 2.5t (up 97.3%) have seen the biggest growth, but numerically, the biggest increase was provided by a 37.8% rise in registrations in the 2.5t – 3.5t sector, where sales rose to 12,056 from 8,746 in April 2012.

Month Apr-13 Apr-12 % change
Pickups 2,099 1,209 73.6%
4x4s 441 329 34.0%
Vans <= 2.0t 2,564 2,404 6.7%
Vans > 2.0 – 2.5t 3,591 1,820 97.3%
Vans > 2.5 – 3.5t 12,056 8,746 37.8%
All Vans to 3.5T 20,751 14,508 43.0%

Data courtesy of SMMT.

Trucks in decline

Truck registrations have continued to decline and rigid registrations were down by 9.7% in April, during which artic registrations fell by 16.4%. The decline in rigids over 16t was particularly large, at 19.8% — given that such vehicles tend to be used for distribution and construction work, this could reflect a weakness lack of growth in the retail and construction sectors.

What’s next?

April’s rise in van registrations marks the third consecutive month of gains for this most essential class of vehicle. After the disappointment of 2012, which saw van registrations end the year down by 7.9%, it’s good to see some signs of growth — although I’m not holding my breath for a wider economic recovery just yet.

New Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Will Be First Euro VI Van

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New 2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

The new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter will be the first van to meet the Euro 6 emissions standard.

Mercedes-Benz has released details of the next generation Sprinter van, which will be the first van in the world to meet the Euro 6 emissions standard across the entire range.

The new Sprinter will offer fuel consumption of up to 44.4mpg, along with lower emissions, class-leading safety systems and longer service intervals of up to 37,000 miles.

The new van will be available to order from June 2013, with deliveries due to start in September 2013.

Class-leading safety

Five new assistance systems — including several van firsts — will help reduce the number of accidents even further in the new Sprinter.

The following systems will make their world debut in the Sprinter: Crosswind Assist, which is fitted as standard, and Collision Prevent Assist and Blind Spot Assist, which are both optional. Other new features are Highbeam Assist and Lane Keeping Assist. As one of the functions of the Electronic Stability Program, Crosswind Assist will be part of the vehicle’s range of standard equipment.

Lower emissions but power remains unchanged

The new Sprinter is the world’s first van to meet the future Euro VI emissions standard in all of its engine variants. Euro VI drastically reduces the emission limits for nitrogen oxides (NOx), total hydrocarbons (THC), and particulate mass. The Sprinter will achieve these strict limits with the help of its BlueTEC engine and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology, which injects AdBlue into the exhaust gases.

The engine performance of the new Sprinter will remain unchanged, with four- and six-cylinder diesel engines providing a range of power outputs from 95 hp to 190 hp. A 1.8-litre supercharged natural gas engine will also be available offering 156 hp.

Sprinter customers will be able to choose between ECO-Gear six-speed manual transmission or the 7G-TRONIC PLUS seven-speed automatic transmission with lock-up clutch, which is the only system of its kind to be found in a van.

Best-in-class fuel consumption

According to Mercedes, the new Sprinter will offer the best fuel consumption in its segment, with fuel economy of up to 44.4mpg possible on certain models specified with the firm’s BlueEFFICIENCY PLUS package, which includes a longer axle ratio and various other modifications.

In Europe, the Sprinter will come with Mercedes’ ASSYST maintenance calculation system, which extend the Sprinter’s service intervals up to 37,000 miles in certain usage conditions.

Available June 2013

The new Sprinter has undergone more than five million miles of endurance testing and extensive customer trials in everyday use.

The new van will be available to order from June 2013, with deliveries due to start in September 2013.

Mercedes Unveils Brand New Euro 6 Unimog Range

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I know it’s not a van, but my recent Unimog picture posts have proved popular and so I thought I would share a picture of Mercedes’ next-generation Unimog, which will be Euro 6 compliant.

This will make Merc the first manufacturer to offer Euro 6 compliance across the full spectrum of commercial vehicles, nine months before it becomes compulsory:

Next-generation Euro 6 Mercedes-Benz Unimog

The next-generation Euro 6 Mercedes-Benz Unimog

It’s a fine looking beast, although I can’t help feeling that like the current Unimog, it looks slightly like an alien vehicle from another planet…

Euro VI Unimog specification

Mercedes has only released this one picture so far, but I can tell you that the model above will form part of a ten-model Unimog lineup, which will include designations from U216 to U5024. Production is due to start at Mercedes’ Wörth plant in September.

Mercedes’ new BlueEfficiency Power medium-duty engines have already been introduced to its regular truck range, and these new models are the result of a €135m programme to upgrade the brand’s special-purpose vehicles to use the new engines. The four and six-cylinder engines have outputs ranging from 115 kW (156 hp) to 260 kW (354 hp) and will make the Unimog more efficient overall, despite the extensive design changes that were implemented to ensure compliance with Euro VI.

Cabs and other design aspects have also been updated — the Unimog is not the only vehicle to benefit from the new engines — the Econic, best known in the UK for its use on bin lorries — is also included, as it’s also made by Merc’s Special Trucks unit.