New Shell FuelSave Fuels Promise Improved Efficiency

Shell has just launched two new fuels to replace its standard (regular) pump fuels. Shell FuelSave Unleaded and FuelSave Diesel contain new ingredients that promise to provide fuel savings of 1 litre per 50 litre fill up (the marketing is aimed at family car drivers!).

The new fuels have been in development for five years and will replace regular unleaded, regular diesel and Diesel Extra at all Shell filling stations in the UK. Pricing will be exactly the same as the old fuels. This isn’t a premium fuel – the V-Power lineup will continue unchanged – it’s a normal fuel for normal drivers to use in all types of petrol and diesel vehicles.

Obviously the diesel fuel will be most relevant to van drivers, but for anyone who is interested, here is the technical story behind the new fuels.

FuelSave Diesel

Diesel engines are around 30% efficient – that is, 30% of the energy created by burning the fuel is used to drive the vehicle forwards. The rest is wasted in the form of heat, noise and so on.

Shell’s scientists identified irregular injector spray and slow ignition as two key factors affecting diesel engine efficiency. Shell’s existing diesel already contained detergents to help prevent dirty injectors (and hence irregular spray patterns) but what is new in FuelSave Diesel is an “Efficiency Improver” that increases the speed of fuel ignition. Shell claims that this improves combustion efficiency and helps reduce fuel consumption.

FuelSave Unleaded

As anyone who has driven both petrol and diesel-engined vehicles in winter will know, the heaters in petrol-engined vehicles always warm up faster than those in diesels. The reason for this is that petrol engines are even more inefficient than diesels – just 20%-25% of the energy created when the petrol is combusted gets turned into forward motion – petrol engines get hotter, faster, than diesels.

When it came to improving the efficiency of petrol engines, Shell’s scientists identified a different area to target – lubrication. They found that the top of the cylinder and the piston heads were often inconsistently coated with oil – resulting in greater friction. The solution they came up with was focused on improving the lubrication of the piston rings. The new unleaded formula contains a lubrication agent that coats the top of the pistons when fuel is injected into the cylinders, reducing friction and thus improving combustion efficiency.

Does It Work?

Shell has had extensive independent testing done on its new FuelSave fuels and claims that they work from the first tankfull, saving up to 1 litre of fuel per 50 litre fill. I’m going to try and test this out for myself with my Transit but it could be difficult to work out a way of doing it scientifically enough – I don’t have an accurate way of measuring fuel used (other than by brimming the tank) or the ability to drain the tank of one fuel and refill it with another. If I do manage to reach any conclusions, you can be sure I’ll post them here.

In the meantime, if you try FuelSave Diesel or Unleaded and reach any conclusions of your own, leave a comment below – I’d be really interested to hear from you. Remember that if you fill up at a Shell station from Wednesday 21st July, you’ll be filling up with FuelSave (unless you use V-Power).

Shell is also running a competition for drivers to win a year’s supply of FuelSave fuel – sorry, this has now closed.

4×4 Vans – Can You Rent One?

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Four wheel drive vans aren’t common – mostly because hardly anyone needs one (although I know that doesn’t stop people buying 4×4 cars…)

There are a number of 4×4 vans on the market, all of which are sold in limited numbers, mostly to businesses that need their vans to be able to get safely off road from time to time without getting stuck or sacrificing carrying ability. The armed forces are also regular customers, as are emergency services in some rural areas.

Here are a few examples of four-wheel drive vans that are currently on the market:

  • Mercedes Sprinter 4×4
  • Ford Transit AWD
  • Volkswagen Transporter 4Motion (older 4×4 models were called Syncro)
  • Iveco Daily 4×4

There have been a few others over the years, but I think that these are the only mainstream medium/large van models offering a four-wheel drive option at the moment.

The main downside of any four-wheel drive system, of course, is cost. It costs more to buy, there is more to go wrong and it uses more fuel.

Since van operators are conscious of costs in a way that private car owners are not, businesses will never buy 4×4 vans unless they have a genuine requirement for them. That means that the number of 4×4 vans available from daily rental companies in the UK is somewhere close to zero.

I’m sure there might be a few – but you won’t get them from mainstream van rental companies.

Save On Packaging With Online Discount Code

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If you’re moving house this summer then you’ll need the right packaging.

Online packaging experts The Packaging Store are currently running a great discount code promotion that will help cut the cost of packaging – an essential part of any well-planned house move.

Here are the details:

  • Save £15 on any order of £150 or more
  • Discount code: PACK4SUMMER

Make sure you enter the discount code into the correct field on the shopping basket page and click “Submit Code” to get your discount.

This code cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount code.

Click here to visit The Packaging Store

Van Hire For Fairs, Shows & Exhibitions

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A recent visit to the giant Newark Antiques Fair at Newark Showground made me realise that many antique dealers don’t own their own vans – they simply rent a van every time they attend a big show or fair.

This has a number of advantages, I guess – most of the time they are only transporting one or two antiques at a time and so they don’t need a van – just a large car, perhaps. Driving around in an empty van all the time is costly and a bit annoying so owning a car and hiring a van makes better sense than owning just a van and is much cheaper than owning a car and a van.

If you stand at any kind of shows, fairs or exhibitions, you will probably have a similar requirement – you’ll need a van occasionally but not all the time.

Daily van hire is the ideal solution to this requirement and makes a lot of sense financially. Even ignoring the cost of purchasing a van, the annual cost of insurance, servicing and fuel will pay for quite a few days’ van rental. An added bonus is that you don’t need to find parking for a large vehicle, either.

Click here for an instant local van hire quote

Minibus Hire For Theme Park Visits & Race Days

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It’s that time of year again – “Mum, please can we go to Alton Towers/Drayton Manor/A N Other Theme Park?” Perhaps you and your friends are planning a day at the races?

Whatever kind of day out you are having, you’ll need to consider transport arrangements.

Public transport often doesn’t work out very well and although using several cars is often an option, it’s not very cost efficient and means several people have to drive and you can’t travel together – not ideal.

One option that often works out better is minibus hire, which comes in two flavours:

Both of these options have pros and cons – the right choice depends partly on whether you have someone in your group who is licenced and happy to do all of the driving (many hire companies require drivers of minibuses with more than 9 seats to have category D1 on their driving licence).

If you are not sure about driving or simply would like to have someone else do the hard work, then a minibus with driver hire is probably the best option. This is basically like hiring a minibus taxi for the day – to take you there and then bring you back again. It will cost a little more, but give you a much more relaxing and simple day.

Automatic Van Hire – Is It Possible?

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We often get asked if there are any companies that offer automatic vans for hire.

The answer is that there are a few – but not many.

Why Would You Want To Hire An Automatic Van Anyway?

There are two main reasons that demand for automatic van hire is growing:

  • Some people have automatic-only car licences – so they can only drive automatic vans
  • Automatics are easier to drive – you don’t have to think about changing gear. When you’re not used to driving a van and are concentrating on manoeuvring it, this can be a big help

Why Aren’t Automatic Vans More Popular, Then?

Historically, the types of automatic gearboxes used in cars have not been very well suited to vans. They have offered poor performance and poor fuel economy – not good if you are running a business that uses vans.

That’s all starting to change, however. Newer types of automatic transmission don’t have these disadvantages – in fact, the latest automatics can offer fuel economy and performance that is the equal of a well-driven manual. They also don’t have the higher emissions that old-style automatics have.

For these reasons, automatic vans are becoming more common, but they do still have one disadvantage for van hire companies – they cost more to buy in the first place!

Despite this, expect to see more automatic cars and vans in the next few years – the new automated gearboxes that are in use have too many advantages to ignore and are steadily gaining ground on traditional manuals.

Click here to visit out automatic van hire page and learn more about automatic vans

How To Make Moving House Easier & Less Damaging

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This time of year tends to be a popular time to move house. While some people choose the professional removals option, many opt for a money-saving DIY removals job – especially given the current economic situation.

If you’re moving house soon and are planning to do it yourself, then I’d like to offer you a few tips that should make your life easier and reduce the chances of any of your furniture or belongings getting damaged in transit.

These may sound stupid and obvious, but it’s surprising how many people get it wrong:

  • Furniture won’t protect itself in the back of the van – it needs to be protected with blankets or it will get scratched
  • Your back won’t thank you for too much heavy lifting – beg, borrow or steal a sack barrow so that you can avoid having to carry heavy boxes more than a few metres
  • Don’t rely on gravity to stop your stuff moving around in the back of the van – get some cheap lashing straps and tie movable objects to the side or floor of the van (click here for tips on loading a van)
  • Boxes of books weight a lot – use small boxes and make sure they are strong (so the bottom doesn’t fall out…)

You may be thinking that all of this is an extra cost – well, perhaps. The good news is that many rental companies (like Sixt) will lend/rent you the straps and sack barrow along with a van for just a few quid extra. Proper removals-strength boxes are also available surprisingly cheaply from companies like The Packaging Store.

It’s well worth spending a few quid and a little bit of time preparing and packing for your move properly – it’s what a removals company would do and it will almost certainly save you from damage, delays and unnecessary aches and pains!

Minibus Hire For Stag & Hen Nights

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Summer weddings are always popular and are very often preceded by a stag or hen night!

If you’ve drawn the short straw and are in charge of organising the evening, then you will need to give some thought to transport.

Trains, taxis, public buses and feet(!) are all solutions that can work well but one of the best options is often minibus hire – either self-drive or with a driver.

Minibuses can seat up to 17 people (including the driver) – any more than this and it becomes a bus or coach, requiring a professional driver with a suitable licence.

There are pros and cons to hiring a minibus with a driver:

Pros

  • You don’t have to collect or return the minibus from the hire company
  • No one has to stay sober!
  • You don’t have to park the minibus or navigate your way to unfamiliar locations
  • You may not have anyone in your party who is comfortable with driving a minibus
  • You may not have anyone with the right driving licence entitlement to drive a minibus
  • It’s not your responsibility if something goes wrong or you have a bump

Cons

  • Obviously it will cost a little more as you are paying for a driver
  • You will be asked for a pre-planned route
  • If you are staying away for a night and want to keep the minibus, you will have to pay for the driver’s room, too

Overall, I’d say it depends what you’re doing. If you are heading away for a long weekend where you won’t be driving much, then a self-drive minibus makes much more sense. If you’re going to be touring local towns for a big night out, then a minibus with a driver is a much better option.

Click here for a SELF-DRIVE minibus hire quote

Click here for a minibus WITH DRIVER quote

World Cup Minibus Hire – Don’t Leave It Too Late

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The 2010 World Cup is about to start and some lucky football fans will be travelling to South Africa to see all the action. Many, many more will be gathering in pubs and clubs across England to watch their team play – no doubt with the help of a few pints of ‘refreshment’ to keep their throats well lubricated!

If you’re planning on travelling to South Africa in a group, then you may need a minibus to take you to the airport. Hiring a minibus with driver for airport transfers for four or more people often works out to be cheaper than airport car parking – especially if you are going to be away for more than a week.

Staying At Home? Don’t Rely On Des – Get A Professional

If your world cup plans involve staying closer to home and meeting up with friends and family at a local pub, the chances are that some of you will still need to drive to get there – raising the problem of not being able to have a drink with the game.

One alternative is to hire a minibus with driver to take you to and from the pub – that way, everyone gets picked up and dropped off together and you can rely on a professional driver to take care of the driving – leaving you free to unwind with a beer.

Remember – the police will be on the lookout for drink drivers after big England games. Unfortunately, they know that some people will take the chance on having a few beers and then driving home – despite the possible consequences. Make sure you’re not one of those people – book a taxi or minibus instead or make sure you’ve got a designated driver you can trust.

New Choice For London Van Hire With Sixt Trade

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Small and medium businesses looking for a regular, on-demand van hire service in London could do worse than consider Sixt’s new Sixt Trade program.

Sixt Trade is aimed at business customers who need van hire but don’t want to have the hassle of setting up an account – basically, it’s just like regular day hire but at Sixt’s most competitive online rates (trade prices are quoted exc. VAT).

As an added bonus, Sixt Trade customers will get a loyalty card that entitles them to one day’s free rental for every nine days paid rental – a nice little extra. Customers can also register to use a third party’s payment card – normally, the driver of a rented vehicle must use their own credit card to pay for the reservation and must be present at collection. This isn’t realistic for many business users, so Sixt offers a third party authorisation form that allows rentals to be completed without the card holder present.

(The Sixt Trade service is currently being advertised as only available in London – I think that this is because Sixt’s only branded branches are in London – throughout the remainder of the UK, they use branches that are members of the United Rental Group.)