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New Thames Water Ford vans

Thames Water taps into new Ford CV range

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Ford has won a tender to supply Thames Water with around 900 new vans over the next three years.

New Thames Water Ford vans

The single-badge deal with Ford will see the UK’s largest water and wastewater services provider taking vehicles from across the Ford commercial vehicle range – Fiesta Van, Transit Connect, Transit Custom, Transit and Ranger.

The first batch of 223 vans has been delivered to the company’s bases in London and south-east England, and will play a vital role in Thames Water’s provision of water services to its nine million customers.

The van fleet – consisting of Transit Custom, Transit Connect, Transit, Fiesta Van and Ford Ranger – is equipped and liveried at the Southall workshops of Bri-Stor Systems.

New Thames Water vans with Bri-Stor racking

Michelle Nasr, Thames Water’s fleet and transportation manager, said:

“Our fleet of 1,300 commercial vehicles is absolutely vital to the smooth running of our operations, and in maintaining the flow of 2,600 million litres of drinking water every day to our customers.”

The tender process was measured by whole-life costs, with Ford meeting all Thames Water’s vehicle requirements. Stephen Gafson, Ford direct sales manager, said:

“We are delighted to have won this new contract with Thames Water, and to have come out on top in the company’s very thorough review and tender process.”

Updated Ford Transit Connect will cut fuel bills

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Ford Transit Connect

The Ford Transit Connect will be available with a new Euro VI 1.5-litre diesel engine this summer.

Ford has released details of the latest updates to its Transit Connect small van model, which will go on sale this summer.

The changes revolve around making the van Euro VI compliant and to this end, Transit Connects will get a new 1.5-litre TDCi diesel engine to replace the outgoing 1.6l model.

Ford promises a 6% reduction in fuel consumption with an official fuel consumption figure of 74.3mpg for the eco-friendly ECOnetic model.

The Transit Connect will also gain some new gadgets, including Traffic Sign Recognition and Lane Keeping Aid, while Ford’s SYNC2 smartphone integration technology will make its debut in the European van market.

The Transit Connect is available in van and crew cab bodystyles with L1 and L2 (short and long wheelbase) variants. Payloads of up to 1,000kg are available. Ford says that so far this year, sales are up by 93% compared with the same period last year.

The updated Transit Connect will go on sale this summer. There’ll also be an updated version of the smaller Transit Courier. Good news here — Ford has seen sense and will now offer this compact van with its fantastic 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine. Fuel consumption of up to 55mpg should be possible, according to the firm.

In such a small van, especially in urban use, petrol makes far more sense than diesel, but few manufacturers seem willing to embrace this logic and sell it to their customers.

Ford floods water fleet in new single-marque deal

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Affinity Water Ford fleetWater company Affinity Water has signed a solus deal with Ford for the supply of commercial vehicles and cars, citing Ford’s wide range of recently introduced models as a key factor in its choice.

Affinity Water expects to replace around 300 of its 570 cars and light commercials with Ford models over the coming three years.

Affinity Water, the largest water-only supplier in the UK, previously sourced its vehicles from a number of different manufacturers.

The majority of the fleet are light commercials operated by engineers maintaining the firm’s water-supply infrastructure which serves more than 3.5 million people in parts of London, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey.

“One of the reasons Ford scored more highly than other manufacturers on our shortlist was because of the wide range of models on offer,” said Leroy Thomas, Affinity Water’s fleet services contract manager. “Ford was the only company able to supply the range required: everything from Fiesta Van through Transit Connect and Transit Custom through to the full-size Transit, as well as the Ranger.

“Ford has also recently renewed a lot of its range. The models are new and therefore offer increased safety features, better mpg and CO2 emissions across the range. We also recognised the fact that Ford has for three years in a row been voted number one manufacturer by the top 50 fleet management companies for vehicles requiring the fewest days off the road for maintenance.”

Alison Geddes, Affinity Water’s procurement category manager added:

“These factors, including the savings we have been able to make in terms of acquisition and leasing costs, helped us reach the decision that Ford was the right manufacturer for us.”

Ford last year recorded its highest share of the European CV market since 2007 and sold 72,238 commercial vehicles in the UK, an increase of 5,781 year-on-year, growth driven by demand for the new Ford Transit Custom and the Ford Ranger pick-up.

All-New Ford Transit Goes On Sales As Transit Custom Wins Van of the Year

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All-new Ford Transit 2-tonne model

The all-new Ford Transit 2-tonne model is now available to order.

The all-new Ford Transit two-tonne van is due to go on sale in the UK early in 2014, and is now available to order. Will it be as successful as the Transit Custom, which has just won the What Van? Van of the Year award for the second year running?

Don’t bet against it. Ford’s new vehicles — cars and vans — are really hitting a sweet spot at the moment, and the firm’s One Ford initiative, aimed at selling the same models in Europe and the US, is a policy that other manufacturers are starting to follow.

The big Transit is a completely new model, and will be pitched directly against other large vans, like the Sprinter and Ducato, leaving Ford’s smaller Transit Custom model to compete with smaller models like the Volkswagen Transporter and Mercedes-Benz Vito.

Ford’s two-pronged approach should enable it to compete more effectively in both the medium and large van markets than previously, when the Transit was a jack of all trades that participated in both markets.

According to Ford, the Transit ECOnetic will be able to deliver CO2 emissions from just 169g/km and fuel consumption of as little as 44mpg — impressive stuff.

Ford reckons that the new model will have best-in-class running costs and load capacity, and says that it will offer extended 2-year/30,000 mile service intervals, with just 4.2 hours of scheduled maintenance required during the first 90,000 miles — down from 5.4 hours for the outgoing model. Non-scheduled maintenance times have also been cut, according to Ford — for example, a rear brake disc replacement will take 1.3 hours, rather than the outgoing model’s deeply extravagant 2.6 hours.

The new Transit will be powered by a 2.2-litre Duratorq diesel with a choice of three power ratings (100PS, 125PS and 155PS) and a 6-speed manual transmission. The ECOnetic specification will be available up to 3.5t for the first time, and will feature Auto Start-Stop and Ford’s Acceleration Control feature, which limits the acceleration of unladen vans to avoid drivers hoofing it when empty…

Overall, the new model looks set to be a corker of a van that should be popular with van rental fleets and businesses alike — can’t wait to see how it compares to the new Sprinter.

Ford Transit Voted UK’s Favourite Large Used Van

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Ford Transit mk7 (2007-13)

Readers of Commercial Motor voted for the Transit as their favourite 3.5t used van.

There’s only one Ford Transit, and despite the motorway-conquering goodness of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, the Transit has a place in out hearts that is likely to outlast most of its competitors.

It’s not without good reason, either. As a used van, the Transit is a highly affordable, practical and reliable proposition. I’ve owned two, and neither have cost more than a family car to run, or given any serious trouble.

This eulogy to the Transit has been prompted by news that the readers of Commercial Motor magazine have voted for the Transit as the best large used van, praising the vehicle’s practicality, low costs of ownership and the strength of the service and repair network across the country.

Will Shiers, editor of Commercial Motor, said:

“Commercial Motor’s readers voted overwhelmingly in favour of the Ford Transit as their favourite used 3.5-tonne van. The Transit has been the nation’s favourite for the better part of half a century now, not only when new, but on the used market too. The van has defined the sector. Used buyers know exactly what they’re getting with a Transit, a van they can trust.”

According to Commercial Motor, there are currently around 700,000 new and used Ford Transit vans in operation on UK roads, over 9,000 of which are the recently launched Ford Transit Custom.

Ford Transit Sales Highlight Shrunken Van Market

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Ford Transit Custom High Roof

Regular updates and new models like the Transit Custom have protected Ford’s market share, but there’s no hiding the shrunken state of the UK’s medium van market.

It’s no secret that van sales remain depressed compared to pre-recession levels, but some recent sales figures from Ford enabled me to see just how big this decline has been.

Ford put out a press release in the wake of yesterday’s SMMT van registration figures showing that its share of the European medium van market is at its highest level for more than a decade. More interesting than that were Ford’s historic sales figures for Transit vans since 2002.

Since the medium van market accounts for roughly 60% of UK van sales, it’s a key barometer of the state of the economy. So how is UK plc doing?

Still down 30%

In 2003, Ford sold 72,078 Transits, giving it a 33.2% share of the UK market. In 2012, the blue oval sold 55,259 Transits, giving it a 30.7% share of the UK market.

Using these figures, we can see that the UK medium van market has shrunk from 217,102 in 2003 to 179,996 last year — a 17% reduction over the last decade.

Ford’s figures show that medium van sales peaked in 2006, when sales hit 257,625, before dropping to a low of 134,778 in 2009. So far this year, Ford’s figures indicate that 169,353 medium vans have been sold in the UK, suggesting that the year-end figure will be slightly higher than in 2012, but medium van sales are likely to remain around 30% below the pre-recession peak, providing a stark reminder of how much ground the economy has lost over the last five years.

Used market remains key

Although van hire firms have generally maintained their fleet renewal policies through the recession, there has been a trend towards running vehicles slightly longer, and many other fleet operators and small businesses have definitely kept their vans for longer and delayed new purchases, all of which has helped to contribute to the shortage of decent quality used stock and the ongoing increase in used van prices, which are at record levels, according to auction data.

Ford’s recent move to introduce capped-price servicing for cars and vans over four years old reflects this shift in the market — the firm wants to develop a relationship with owners of older vehicles who might previously have been ‘lost’ to main dealers, in the hope that they will eventually buy a new van, as the economy begins to recover.

However, the overall message is clear — the economy still has a lot of lost ground to make up.

Ford Introduces Price Caps On Servicing For Vehicles Aged 4+

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A Ford Transit raised on a lift in a workshop

Ford now offers a maximum price guarantee on servicing for Ford vans aged four years or over.

Vehicle servicing costs are notoriously variable and often surprisingly high, especially for older vehicles that are serviced at main dealer networks.

Although one answer is to use independent garages, which tend to have lower labour rates, that isn’t always a satisfactory solution — and finding a reliable independent isn’t always a hassle-free process either.

At the same time, servicing and parts is very profitable for franchised main dealers, who are able to recoup some of the discounts they offer on new vehicles through future servicing and parts revenue streams.

Ford has decided to make main dealer servicing more attractive and competitive for older vehicles by introducing a price cap for servicing and MOT tests on Ford cars and vans aged four years or older.

Called Motorcraft 4+, the new package offers national maximum price service options – £119 for a minor service, and £189 for a major service – as well as a maximum MOT price of £35, reducing to £30 when combined with a Motorcraft Service. These prices include all required parts, labour carried out by Ford-trained technicians and VAT.

More than 550 Ford dealerships across the UK will offer the Motorcraft 4+ package, and customers can now book a service appointment online at any time, by visiting Ford’s Online Service Booking website* and selecting their vehicle model.

Vehicles serviced through the Motorcraft programme receive free roadside assistance, Ford’s eCHECK 30-point visual inspection, and benefit from the Ford Accident Management service, available free through the Ford “One Call” 24/7 helpline.

Jon Wellsman, Director, Ford Customer Service Division, said:

“The Ford Motorcraft package offers all owners of Ford vehicles the quality of service they expect from a Ford dealer, with unrivalled expertise, at competitive prices.”

Ford has also introduced ‘price capping’ of tyres to its Motorcraft package, ensuring that the fitted price of all brands of tyre remains highly competitive. Customers will also benefit from bonus Nectar points on servicing and MOTs, and all Motorcraft customers will receive a complimentary vehicle valet.

You can book a Ford service through the Motorcraft scheme for your Ford car or van online at: www.ford.co.uk/sbe/osbov.

Ford Opens 100 ‘Transit Centres’ Across UK

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A new Ford Transit Centre specialist van dealer

Hartwell Ford in Abingdon is the first Transit Centre to launch in the UK.

Ford is launching 100 “Transit Centres” across the UK, offering new high-tech showrooms, elevated after sales and service standards and extended opening hours.

The new Transit Centres will provide a cutting-edge environment for Ford to showcase its next generation of commercial vehicles to customers, and will enable the launch of Ford’s Transit24 aftersales programme, announced in February this year, which is aimed at minimising vehicle downtime and reducing whole life costs for commercial vehicle operators.

The 100 Ford sites will be upgraded by the end of 2014 as part of the company’s on-going investment into Britain’s largest dealer network.

Each Transit Centre site employs a dedicated CV sales team as well as Ford-trained technicians and offers specialised workshop equipment, tools and training, and can manage all service, maintenance and warranty work (all Ford CVs come with a 100,000 mile/3 year warranty).

Transit24 will offer while-you-wait servicing to suit the customer, including regular late night appointments, and will respond within 20min to online service booking requests made through the 1Link online booking service. Collection and delivery of vehicles can also be arranged and every vehicle leaves the dealership washed and ready for work.

Jon Wellsman, Ford customer service division director, said:

“The launch of Ford’s new Transit Centre network will provide first class sales, service, maintenance and repair for all of our commercial vehicle operators across the UK. Ford has the largest and widest-spread dealer network in the country, offering a class-leading range of commercial vehicles and technologies and will continue to deliver the best care and assistance to customers.”

The launch of Ford’s Transit Centre network is aligned with the complete transformation of the blue oval’s commercial vehicle range, introducing four new models – Transit Courier, Transit Connect, Transit Custom and Transit – by 2014.

Ford Transit Custom With High Roof Goes On Sale

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Ford Transit Custom High RoofThe new Ford Transit Custom is a fine van that’s only been missing one thing — the option of a high roof. That omission has now been addressed, and a high-roof Transit Custom model is now available for sale in the UK.

The new model retains the choice of short and long wheelbases and different engine power levels, and offers 20 per cent more space than the standard roof, taking the cubic capacity to 8.3 cubic metres.

Load height increases by 370mm to 1.78m, and the new high roof has an all-steel construction that allows for a 100kg roof rack load and costs just £500 extra, making it something of a no brainer.

Load space features that debuted in the standard roof model are all present and correct in the high roof van, including the load-through hatch in the bulkhead that allows loads of up to 3m in length to be carried, as well as side-mountede tie-down hooks, and LED loadspace lighting.

Ford says that it has sold more than 6,000 Transit Customs in the UK since the model’s launch in December, which suggests that the model is still getting a foothold in the market, but sales should rise as more variants become available. The high roof model should open up the Transit Custom to a range of new customers who would previously have purchased the standard Transit with a medium-height roof, which is a popular choice — although strangely, you see very few Transporter, Vivaro and Vito high roof models, even though these are available as factory options.

The Transit Custom remains the only van in its segment to have achieved a maximum five-star Euro NCAP safety rating and buyers of the high-roof model can also choose to include the advanced safety features that helped it earn this accolade, including SYNC with Emergency Assistance, Rear View Camera, Acceleration Control, Lane Keeping Alert and Driver Alert.

New Ford Transit Connect Is ‘International Van Of The Year 2014’

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Ford Transit Connect

The new Ford Transit Connect is International Van of the Year 2014

Having bagged the International Van of the Year trophy in 2001 (Transit), 2003 (Transit Connect), 2007 (Transit) and 2013 (Transit Custom), Ford has made it five by winning the International Van of the Year 2014 award at the COMTRANS commercial vehicle exhibition in Moscow.

If the new Transit Connect is anything like as good as the Transit Custom — and we can safely assume it is — then the award isn’t really surprising.

Ford has consistently upped the ante with its small and medium vans over the last decade, and I have high expectations that next year’s full-size 2-tonne Transit model will take the fight to the Sprinter in the same way.

A few interesting statistics for van award followers; Ford is first single manufacturer to win the award for two years in a row, and its fifth award gives it the joint record for the most number of wins.

A jury of 24 journalists awards Transit Connect 130 points from a maximum possible 163, placing it ahead of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Renault Kangoo. The judges singled out the Transit Connect’s fuel economy, design, driveability, load-carrying and safety for praise, and Pieter Wieman, chairman of the “International Van of the Year” jury, said:

“Ford has succeeded in building a light van with a strong accent on economics – the vehicle is a good answer to the needs of small operators as well as big fleets to reduce the cost of transport of goods. The loading space offers several innovative aspects, such as load-through hatch in the bulkhead, fold-up front passenger seat and a sliding side door in the long-wheelbase model which enables a Europallet to be loaded.

The new Transit Connect is also the first van in its class to offer features such as Active City Stop, which helps to prevent rear-end shunts in heavy traffic conditions — a common type of collision.

The all-new Transit Connect is now available to order for delivery in late 2013.