Tag Archives: vanhire

Vehicle exhaust

Are your vans ready for the London ULEZ on 8 April 2019?

4 Replies
Vehicle exhaust

The London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) comes into force on 8 April 2019. Vans which don’t meet Euro 6 emissions standards will have to pay a daily charge to travel within the ULEZ.

Initially, the ULEZ will cover the same area as the Congestion Charge.

Vans entering the ULEZ from 8 April 2019 onwards will need to meet Euro 6 emissions standard or face a £12.50 daily charge. This will apply 24/7/365.

Transport for London says that the charge will be applied based on the declared emissions of the van, not its age. Transport for London has provided a ULEZ Vehicle Checker service you can use to look up your vehicle’s Euro emission rating online.

You may also be able to find your van’s emissions listed on its V5C registration document.

What can I do if my van isn’t compliant?

Very little. You can’t modify your van to change its emissions rating. If your van isn’t compliant, you only have three choices:

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but even some quite new vans won’t be able to enter the ULEZ from 8 April 2019 without paying the daily charge.

ULEZ will expand to N/S Circular in 2021

From October 2021, the ULEZ will expand to include all areas inside the North and South Cricular roads. Broadly speaking, this includes all of the following areas:

  • Westminster, Tower Hamlets, Islington, Hackney, Cmaden, Kensington & Chelsea, Hammersmith, Fulham and Haringey

Plus PARTS of these areas:

  • Brent, Barnet, Enfield, Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Newham, Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark, Lambeth, Wandsworth, Richmond Upon Thames, Hounslow and Ealing.

For van operators who drive regularly in central London, the obvious conclusion from these changes is that the best way to stay ahead of tighter regulations is to get a zero-emision vehicle — an electric van.

If this isn’t practical, perhaps because you also do longer journeys, then I’d suggests short-term leases of 2/3 years or long-term van hire, which is usually available on a rolling one-month contract.

These choices mean you can avoid the risk of being stuck with a van that becomes unviable to operate in your working territory.

Man loading boxes into van

Watch the weight! Vans take longer to stop when loaded

Leave a reply
Man loading boxes into a van.

You hire a van to move house and drive it home empty. It seems almost like a car, quick to accelerate and easy to stop.

What you may not be prepared for is how much longer it will take to stop when you’ve loaded it up with the contents of your house.

New research by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles have shown that a mere 500kg of weight will increase braking distances by up to 36%.

At 30mph, VW found that braking distances increased by 33% with a 500kg load. That’s an extra two metres, which is a lot in heavy urban traffic.

At 60mph, the braking distance only increased by 19%, but because of the much higher speed VW found that their vans needed an extra five metres to stop. That’s roughly the length of a medium-sized van.

Even that may not be enough. If you’re moving house, you might find your load weighs considerably more than 500kg. A typical 3.5t luton van or long wheelbase Transit will carry around 1,000kg. And you might be surprised how the weight of your furniture and other belongings adds up.

With this extra weight on board, I’d expect your stopping distance to be considerably longer than the figures suggested by Volkswagen.

As a rule of thumb, the more heavily loaded your van is, the more space you should leave to the vehicle in front, especially when in town or on busy high-speed roads like A-roads and motorways.

For more tips, check out our first-timers guide to driving a van.

Save 10% with Questor Insurance this Valentine’s Day [EXPIRED]

Leave a reply
Questor Insurance logo

Hiring a van probably won’t be the most romantic thing you do this year.

But our 10% discount code for Questor Insurance excess protection means that you can protect your excess and have more cash left over to treat your loved one.

Here are the details (remember, you can book ahead for later in the year):

  • This discount code has now expired.

For the latest Questor Insurance discount codes, visit our van hire excess insurance page.

Terms and conditions may apply — see Questor website for details.

Moving house with a van

Are van sharing clubs a better choice than van hire?

Leave a reply
Moving house with a van
Shifting your stuff is much easier in a van than in your parents’ car! Think about sharing with an older driver to avoid age restrictions.

When you hire a van, there are times you only need it for a couple of hours.

Some companies do offer van hire by the hour, but in major towns and cities hourly van hire is increasingly being replaced by a much more flexible and simple service — van sharing clubs.

The idea is that hire vehicles are left dotted around the city, sometimes in allocated parking spaces. Anyone who is a club member can reserve a van online and then use it for as long — or as little — as they want. Charges are low and often start with a one-hour minimum.

You can pickup and dropoff vehicles 24/7, unlike at traditional rental branches

This concept is probably more familiar for self-service car hire users – car sharing clubs have been around for a while now. But its also increasingly popular with vans. A number of the big hire companies now operate their own van sharing club services. Here’s a quick overview:

  • Enterprise Car Club – Join the club and you can pick up cars or vans by the hour in towns and cities across the UK. More info at www.enterprise.co.uk/en/car-club.html
  • Hertz 24/7 – locations are mainly self-storage facilities, B&Q sites and other similar locations. Very practical for shifting large items such as furniture, DIY supplies or stuff for storage. More info at www.hertz247.co.uk/
  • Zipcar & Zipvan – one of the original dedicated car-sharing services, now expanded to offer vans. In the UK, Zipvan operates in London and a handful of other major cities. More info at www.zipvan.com/
  • Ubeeqo (Europcar) – at present this self-service car hire club is available for cars only, but I suspect that in time vans will also become available. In the meantime, Europcar has a very large network of UK van hire branches, so there’s sure to be one near you. (More info about Ubeeqo here)

Have you used a car or van sharing club? Do you find it cheaper or more convenient than regular car and van hire? Let us know about your experiences in the comments below.

Exclusive Discount Code: Save 7.5% at Questor Insurance [EXPIRED]

Leave a reply

I’m pleased to report that once again we have managed to secure an exclusive 7.5% discount code for Questor Insurance

Questor Insurance logo

This code can be used to save money on Questor products including minibus and van hire excess protection insurance.

Remember – you can buy now for future use, so make sure you don’t miss out on this great saving. Here are the details:

Terms and conditions may apply — see Questor website for details.

New vans to look for on hire fleets: Vauxhall & Volkswagen

Leave a reply

Volkswagen and Vauxhall have both announced details of new van models in recent days. I’d expect at least some of these to become popular choices with the van rental companies featured in our van hire price comparison results, so I thought I’d run through the new models briefly to introduce them.

Ready to rumble

Volkswagen’s Engineered to Go range of off-the-shelf van conversions are available to order directly from the firm’s standard price list. This avoids the need for buyers to order a chassis cab model from VW and then arrange for a converter to add an aftermarket body conversion to the van.

The convenience of this approach is obvious and most of the big van manufacturers now offer similar services. VW’s range of conversions by specialist Ingimex has recently been revamped following the introduction of the all-new Crafter in 2017.

Customers can now order the following models direct from VW commercial vehicle dealers:

  • Luton
  • Dropside
  • Tipper

In due course, additional models will be available, including fridge/freezer conversions and minibuses. Here’s some more information about each of the new conversions.

VW Crafter Luton

VW Crafter Luton ‘Engineered to Go’ conversion

The Luton body benefits from a unique four-tier load restraint system that can be used for deck lashing, standard load lock lashing or with an optional Ingimex telescopic load pole. This 3.5t conversion is available as a single cab only.

VW Crafter Dropside

Volksagen Crafter Dropside ‘Engineered to Go’ conversion

The dropside conversion can be ordered in single or double cab specification. The dropside itself comes prepared for the addition of fall arrest rails or tail lifts.

VW Crafter Tipper

Volkswagen Crafter Tipper ‘Engineered to Go’ conversion

The Crafter Tipper conversion is also available as a single or double cab model. Tipping functions can be controlled with a wander lead, improving safety and visibility for the operator when tipping.

Vauxhall Vivaro Life MPV

The new Vauxhall Vivaro Life MPV gives us a clear idea of how the next-generation Vivaro van will look.

Back in April last year, I reported that the Vauxhall Vivaro plant at Luton had secured an investment package from new owners PSA Group that would see the factory upgraded to produce the next-generation Vivaro van. At the same time, the plant’s production capacity would be upgraded from 60,000 to 100,000 vehicles per year by mid-2019.

This image from Vauxhall shows us the first results of this substantial investment in British manufacturing. The Vivaro Life is the first variant of the new Vivaro range and is an MPV model which will seat up to nine people.

Vivaro Life will have a single wheelbase but be available in two lengths, 4.95m and 5.3m. This will increase the MPV’s ability to compete with models such as the Transporter and Vito. It will also be available in a wide range of trim levels.

Buyers looking for an executive shuttle will be able to choose from four, seven or eight leather-covered seats. Those wanting an urban workhorse or minicab can opt for five, six, eight or nine cloth-covered seats.

In either case, the driver-focused specification promises to be generous and include a wide range of systems to boost safety and driver comfort.

A 100% electric model will be launched in “early 2021”.

The Vivaro Life will be premiered at the Brussels Motor Show on 18 January 2019. UK dealer order books will open in February.

Questor Insurance logo

Cyber Monday: Save 10% at Questor Insurance [expired]

Leave a reply

Questor Insurance logo

Did you miss out on our great Black Friday discount code?

Great news! It’s Cyber Monday and we have another 10% discount code for Questor Insurance car and van hire excess protection policies.

This is a great chance to lock in a low rate and save £££, even if you’re not planning to hire a van for another few months. This fantastic discount is valid from 25November 2018 until 28 November 2018.

Here are the details:

** THIS DISCOUNT CODE HAS NOW EXPIRED**

Please check out our Van Hire Excess Insurance page for the latest discount codes.

 

Terms and conditions may apply. See Questor website for details.

Questor Insurance logo

Black Friday discount – SAVE 10% at Questor Insurance [EXPIRED]

Leave a reply

Questor Insurance logoGreat news! It’s Black Friday and Questor Insurance is offering customers a fantastic 10% discount on car and van hire excess protection policies.

This is a great chance to lock in a low rate and save £££, even if you’re not planning to hire a van for another few months. This fantastic discount is valid from 20 November 2018 until 25 November 2018.

Here are the details:

THIS DISCOUNT CODE HAS NOW EXPIRED — check out our Van Hire Excess Protection page for the latest deals.

Terms and conditions may apply. See Questor website for details.

Europcar Vauxhall Vivaro Sportive

Europcar upgrades hire fleet with Vivaro Sportive vans

Leave a reply

Europcar Vauxhall Vivaro Sportive

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.

Vauxhall Vivaro Sportive cab

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.

A new model is coming

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.

London Low Emission Zone sign

Hiring a van is easiest way to cut emissions

Leave a reply

London Low Emission Zone sign

The London LEZ already covers most of the area inside the M25 and is set to become stricter, with a new Ultra-Low Emission Zone planned inside the North/South Circular from 2021.

I’ve often talked about the cost advantages of renting a van for occasional van users. But the environmental gains are equally exciting.

Data released by the British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association (BVRLA) to mark Green GB Week show that 56% of the UK’s van rental fleet already meets the latest Euro VI emissions standard.

In contrast, just 13% of the UK’s van fleet as a whole is Euro VI. Of course, one reason for this is that the leasing and rental sector is one of the biggest buyers of new vans in the UK. After 2-4 year, most of these vans are then sold into the secondhand market.

But the reality is that buying a cheap, old van seems to be a poor choice, environmentally, compared to occasionally renting a nearly-new van.

This has implications for drivers wanting to travel into the expanding London ULEZ and potentially into other planned Clean Air Zones. Keeping an old van parked up for occasional use in cities could cost you dearly if planned charges are introduced. Plus it’s likely to cost you more to run (and more headaches) than an occasional rental.

Even if you don’t venture into our major cities, you’ll probably be concerned about minimising your impact on air quality, which is already dangerously poor in many areas of the UK.

Our independent van hire price comparison engine allows you to compare van hire prices from most of the UK’s main rental firms. If you’re considering the cost of van hire, why not take a look?