Are you moving home or planning a big DIY project this summer?
You can SAVE up to 20% on Europcar van hire throughout August.
This offer has now expired.
To book now and save, just click through on the banner above or click here.
Cancellation policy: Free cancellation and modification online up to 48 hours before pickup.
Date: This offer is valid for rentals until the 31 August 2021.
Momentum is continuing to build in the electric van market, led by one of the most significant buyers of new vans — the van hire sector.
In recent weeks, two of the UK’s largest van rental firms, Europcar and Northgate, have both added extra EV capacity to their hire fleets.
Northgate has added 25 Nissan e-NV200 electric vans to its fleet, which will be available for hire from July. We expect demand for these vans to be strongest in London, where the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) now means that all pre-Euro 6 diesels must pay a £12.50 daily charge.
Europcar has added new EV capacity to the opening fleet at its new Purfleet van rental supersite, which is located just inside the M25, close to the A13.
As I’ve said many times before in these pages, EV technology is probably better suited to urban-use vans than it is to family cars at the moment. I can only see this momentum increasing as EVs become better understood, more widely used and gain longer ranges.
It’s good to know that once in a while, I’m actually right about something. Back in July last year I predicted that “van hire companies may soon need electric van fleets“.
Fast forward eight months, and I’ve just learned that Europcar has started buying Citroen Berlingo Electric vans for use in urban areas, especially London Congestion Charging zone. When the London Ultra-Low Emissions Zone comes into force in April 2019, electric vans will qualify for a 100% discount.
Alongside this change, the company has also ordered 100 new Citroen Berlingo vans in Enterprise specification. This high-end spec includes the kind of equipment list that’s more usually found on cars.
Standard spec for the Berlingo Enterprise includes air conditioning, rear parking sensors, cruise control, speed limiter, automatic electronic parking brake, alarm, one-touch electric windows, heated and electrically-operated folding door mirrors, front fog lights with cornering function and tyre pressure monitoring.
Europcar says that private rental customers increasingly expect the comfort and convenience features of a modern car. Meanwhile business customers, who increasingly use rental vans for long periods, want to ensure that their drivers are well-supported and able to do their job comfortably and efficiently.
Europcar now has Vauxhall Vivaro Sportive vans for hire.
Customers of van hire giant Europcar can now choose to rent a high-specification Vauxhall Vivaro Sportive van.
These generously-equipped vans have been added to the firm’s fleet as part of an upgrade aimed at attracting drivers who need a mobile office space, not just a load carrier.
The middle seat of the Vivaro Sportive can be folded flat to form a desk large enough for a laptop or paperwork. It’s an ideal choice for van drivers who also manage sales on the move or have complex paperwork to handle.
“Adding the Vauxhall Vivaro Sportive to our fleet shows our commitment to reviewing and upgrading our offering to meet the constantly evolving demands of UK businesses”, explained Stuart Russell, Director Commercial Vehicles, Europcar Mobility Group in the UK.
Other treats in-store for Vivaro Sportive drivers include a leather-covered steering wheel, cruise control and rear parking sensors. All popular extras that make life easier or more comfortable for regular drivers.
As a result of PSA Group’s acquisition of Opel/Vauxhall, the current model is due to be replaced by a new Vivaro based on a PSA (Peugeot/Citroen) vehicle platform in 2019.
I suspect the introduction of the Sportive to Europcar’s fleet may also be due to the fact that the current model Vivaro is now in run-out mode.
Manufacturers tend to offer good deals on high-spec vehicles when a model is nearing replacement as a way of boosting sales. And high-spec models like the Sportive are likely to have stronger resale value when the time comes for Europcar to move them on.
The good news is that the new PSA-based Vivaro will still be built at Vauxhall’s Luton plant, preserving its Made in Britain status. Indeed, PSA plans to upgrade the Luton factory to increase production capacity from 60,000 to 100,000 vans per year.
Need to hire a van?
Europcar is currently offering van rental from £23 per day.
Dates: Bookings must be placed by 28 February 2018 for pickup until 31 March 2018.
*** THIS OFFER HAS NOW EXPIRED ***
Terms and conditions may apply. See Europcar website for details.
Congratulations to vanrental.co.uk partner Europcar UK, which has won the the Rental Provider of the Year category in the inaugural Alphabet Supplier Awards.
Mobility and fleet leasing experts Alphabet GB selected Europcar UK as a result of its continued focus on development and service improvement in 2016. The judges recognised the wide range of vehicles available, as well as Europcar’s focus on delivering a consistently high customer experience.
Gary Smith, Managing Director of Europcar UK said:
“Winning the Alphabet Rental Provider of the Year award demonstrates Europcar’s commitment to helping our customers keep their businesses moving by offering a wide range of mobility solutions. It also acknowledges the dedication and enthusiasm of the whole Europcar team, working with Alphabet to always deliver a service that focuses on innovation and partnership.”
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.
Driving to collect a hire van can be the slowest part of the process, especially if you have to battle through rush hour traffic.
To help customers save time in queues, Europcar will deliver and collect your rental van to your home or office.
Here’s what Robert Shaw, Operations Director, Europcar UK Group, had to say about the new service:
“Our research shows that 58% of people waste up to an hour a day and traffic is cited as the most annoying waste of time. With the latest enhancements to our Deliver & Collect service, now including delivery and collection at workplaces as well as home addresses, we’re helping busy travellers get back some of that wasted time.
“We will do the tedious job of sitting in a traffic jam – which means our customers can get on with their journey as soon as the car or van arrives. And there’s no hassle at the end of the trip either – we will collect the vehicle too. No other national rental company offers such a convenient service.”
This service costs £5 for addresses that are within 10 miles of the nearest Europcar branch. For addresses more than 10 miles away, there is an additional charge of £1.50 per mile.
Bookings must be made 24 hours in advance for delivery to a business address and customers will need to provide an extra form of ID or photo ID, plus proof of home address. Usual age restrictions apply.
Europcar vans will be available for £17 per hour at Wickes in Lincoln this Easter weekend.
Europcar is one of a handful of big hire companies which offer hourly van hire in the UK (another is Hertz).
This service is very popular with customers, but is harder for hire companies to operate profitably — hence its limited availability.
Hourly hire comes into its own for short distance moves in towns and cities.
Picking up large furniture or DIY purchases is a good example. To try and capture some of this market and presumably trial a new service, Europcar is making two VW Crafter vans available at the Lincoln branch of Wickes this Easter weekend.
Europcar’s research shows that nearly 20% of 35-44 year olds have admitted to driving an overloaded car. This is surprisingly easy to do when purchasing DIY supplies, given the weight of quite small items. A standard bags of gravel, sand or cement weighs 25kg. Tiles and paving are also very heavy for their size.
The vans will be available for just £17 per hour, according to Europcar UK boss Ken McCall. Commenting on the Wickes initiative, Mr McCall said:
“An overloaded car presents visibility issues and could compromise vehicle handling, not to mention being uncomfortable and probably requiring multiple journeys.“
If you are planning a big DIY job or house move this weekend and will be hiring a van, Europcar has also provided the following tips to help make sure that you and your load arrive safely at their destination.
If you’re still worried, check out our guides on driving a van for the first time and how to do a DIY removal job.
Here is this week’s roundup of all the discount codes and special offers currently available on the vanrental.co.uk website and elsewhere.
Remember that this week will be the last week to save up to 25% on Hertz Van Rental — see discount code below.
We’ve also got big savings from Questor Insurance, Europcar and Sixt.
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Save up to 25% On Hertz Van Rental (EXPIRED)If you need to hire a van or a minibus in February, then you may be able to SAVE up to 25% by choosing Hertz Van Rental.
This great new discount code will only be valid from 8 February 2016 to 29 February 2016.
*** THIS OFFER HAS NOW EXPIRED ***
Here are the details:
Some terms and conditions do apply to this offer. Minimum hire period 3 days, maximum rental period 14 days. Save 25% off midweek rentals, 20% off weekend rentals and 10% off weekly rentals.
This offer is valid for van groups B4, C4, D4 and G4 and minibus groups X4 and Z4. UK customers only. Subject to availability at participating locations.
For full terms and conditions, please see the Hertz website.
** 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)
Save 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:
Remember: You can also see details of all of these offers in the “Our Companies” section on the home page.