Nissan Van Report finds sat-nav preferred option for van fleet efficiency

When deciding what is essential to have in your newly purchased van fleet, do you immediately choose to have the latest in-cab technology installed? According to Nissan’s recent Van Report, due to many companies requiring more efficiency from their driver and vehicle operations, satellite navigation is fast becoming the most preferred option.

The report found that 45% of van drivers, and 40% of fleet operators, felt that sat-nav is an essential feature on a new van, coming ahead of parking sensors, Bluetooth and vehicle trackers. It points to a  growing shift in the van market which sees sat-nav considered greatly ahead of driver comforts such as electric windows, heated mirrors and air conditioning. This may mean that we can expect to see more van manufacturers fitting sat-nav as standard in the future. Nissan currently offers satellite navigation as an added option across various models and specifications within its LCV range.

Sat-nav’s have replaced the old cumbersome, (attention to the road) distracting, paper maps that required many drivers to have to stop and pull over to decipher/read. It’s easy to see why, in the effort of economic efficiency, van fleets have turned to this technology. Some of the benefits of having a sat-nav in your van include; its hands free, many come with voice navigation, the ability to re-route a driver in order to avoid traffic jams which not only saves time, but also saves on fuel.  Plus it can help reduce the stress levels of drivers especially when travelling in unfamiliar areas.

Barry Beeston, corporate sales director at Nissan GB, commented: “We are always keen to find out what our customers are looking for and what they want in a van; so while this research is quite light-hearted, it does have a serious side which feeds into the development for future commercial vehicle products, as we are focused on delivering what our customers want.”

What do you think, does having a sat-nav system installed in your van greatly improve your driving experience and save on fuel?