Low Cost Vans

You’ve most likely seen a car with the whole exterior covered in company logos and colours – a promotional car. However, some companies go a bit further than just sticking some vinyl graphics over a normal car. We’ve got a list of the more whacky cars that have been used to promote companies. The Spam Mobile   https://www.flickr.com/photos/brent_nashville/143855978 You could catch this van travelling the streets of America giving out free samples of Spam. The van itself is shaped like a giant tin of spam, but if that isn’t enough then the inflatable tin of spam on the top is sure to get the message across. The Amazing Outspan Orange   https://www.flickr.com/photos/helensanders/5689867912/ Five of these little cars were made to advertise Outspan oranges, living in Britain, France, Germany and South Africa. It was based on the Mini and you could see it on the streets between 1972 and 1974. Cadbury’s Crème Egg Car https://www.pinterest.co.u...

There’s plenty of wacky cars out in the world that you could have the chance to drive. They may not still be produced but there are still some on the roads that you could be lucky to find. Here’s our list of our favourite weird cars.   Reliant Robin https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/classic/uks-rarest-cars-reliant-robin-silver-jubilee-three-wheeler-distinction/ Any fans of Only Fools and Horses will know all about this car (although they actually used a Reliant Regal Supervan). This three wheeled car was released in 1973 and was marketed for good fuel economy and low road tax. It was actually a commercial success, however in 1982 it was replaced by the Rialto model and the company finally stopped producing cars in 2001. Peel P50 https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/838863/Peel-p50-for-sale-UK-smallest-car You might need a fair wad of cash to get your hands on this! With only 27 left, it’s the smallest car commercially produced in the world and can...

You never truly finish learning how to drive. There’s a lot you’ll learn on the roads that a driving instructor can’t teach you. However, there are some little things you can do to make the transition from driving lessons to driving alone much easier. We’ve got 5 tips for new drivers that will help to boost your confidence and have a much smoother drive. Work out what your car can do You don’t want to try to work the windscreen wipers when you first drive in the rain. It’s worth sitting in your car before you take it out onto the roads to find out how it all works. Take a glance at the manual and play with the settings and controls of your car. This is the perfect time to make sure your seat is in the right position, the radio stations you’ll use are all programmed and your mirrors are facing where you need them to. Keep distractions to a minimum As you become more confident driving, you will find that less distracts you. However, you might want to be cautious when ...

Technology is advancing at rapid rates, and the way that we drive is constantly changing. So what’s in store in the future? Of course, there’s no definite answer to this question, but there are plenty of concepts being worked on right now that could shape the future of motoring. One thing we could see is a lot more electric powered cars. They may not all be fully electric, but they’ll probably use the engine to support an electric motor. Cars should become more efficient, more environmentally friendly and just an all-round better driving experience. On the subject of electric cars, a fully electric car could become incredibly more efficient. Currently, the biggest problem with electric cars is the lack of charging and poor driving distance. However, we could see this be solved in the near future, with quicker charge times and up to 500 miles distance on a single charge. Wireless chargers could become an easier way to juice up your car, simply needing you to park your car ...

Elon Musk, owner of American car company Tesla, has claimed that his new self-driving vehicles will not need human steering at all. This might just be the start of a bigger revolution – driverless cars. It seems that the technology is within our reach, but is it something that we’ll see on our local roads anytime soon? When we think driverless cars, we may imagine cars with no steering wheels or pedals, that are fully in control of the passengers. However, there are plenty of different ‘stages’ of autonomy and in reality there are many different types of driverless cars. Some offer to assist you with the pedals, while others will take full control until you decide you want the control back. While fully automated cars are an option, you also have the option to retain some control. Self-driving cars aim to decrease the number of collisions on the road and allow the passengers to focus on other tasks, giving them more productivity time. Technically, it will make driving more...

Electric cars seem like a thing of the future. While they’re becoming more and more popular on our roads, they are yet to dominate over their petrol counterparts. It seems like they’re a phenomenon that’s appeared in recent years. But what if we told you that there were electric cars on the road as early as the 1800s? Lead-acid rechargeable batteries were invented in 1859, which allowed for the beginning of the journey towards electric vehicles. In 1881, the design of these batteries were improved and allowed them to be mass produced. This meant that there was potential there for electric vehicles to be developed and even be available to the mass public. In the UK, Thomas Parker built the first practical electric car in 1884. He was responsible for electrifying the London Underground, and was conscious of fuel efficiency as well as the air quality in London. In 1888, the Electric Construction Corporation was formed and they dominated the British electric car market of...

There are a lot of futuristic vehicles in the pipeline that we could be seeing on our roads (or in some cases, above our roads) in the near future. The way that we utilise our vehicles is changing rapidly and the possibilities are endless. Here are some vehicles that we could be using sooner than you think. Drones Drones are now starting to become a staple in normal homes, the everyday person now able to film amazing footage from the comfort of their own back garden. But what if we told you that drones could be replacing some of the services you use? Amazon have already rolled out plans to replace delivery drivers with drones, and in America you may even find a new robot called “Amazon Scout” roaming the streets. Delivery drivers could become a thing of the past as drones take care of your next purchase. This technology has the potential to replace more than just your next parcel delivery, however. Drones are already used in militaries across the globe, with the Briti...

There’s no feeling more gutting, than leaving work in need of a cuppa and a warm bed, only to see a trail of cars in front of you stretching as far as the eye can see. Traffic jams are somewhat inevitable – in fact, figures released by the Department for Transport revealed that the number of vehicles on the road could increase by between 17 and 51 percent from 2015 to 2050. However, we have five tips that will help you avoid your next delay. 1.      Keep an ear out for radio alerts Whether your taste is Heart, Capital or BBC Radio – these radio stations will give you the lowdown on any incidents that might hinder your travel. You can get live updates whilst you drive, with the added benefit of hearing your favourite tunes on the road. 2.      Time your routes accordingly This doesn’t protect you from that crash on the M4, but if you fear the heavy rush hour from hell, you might want to consider rising for work an hour earlier (o...

Learning to Do-It-Yourself (DIY), is arguably one of the most useful improvisation skills you can pick up. Turn a seatbelt, into an actual belt – no problem. Grab those used car seats and make them into some rustic garden furniture. Waste not, want not! However, one reckless driver recently decided to apply this approach to his ACTUAL car. With a battered bucket for a front seat and pliers as a steering wheel, he was pulled over by police on Friday 13 th July 2018, in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, (not the best date for it). The car was also missing its front wing, bumper and headlights – according to Norfolk's roads policing unit, it was "the most un-roadworthy car" they had ever seen. It must be a contender, for sure, but a little time on the internet proves it is far from the only one. In May 2018, for example, a driver in Australia was fined $1500 for attempting to drive a car with no interior or windscreen while sitting on a metal workshop stool....

No one likes to feel they have missed out – and in the age of technology that often also applies to the latest update, message or meme. In a social media dominated world, many of us feel we ‘need’ to be in the know. But this shouldn’t endanger lives – and using a phone when driving can do just that. The penalties for doing so have been made much stricter in recent years. There have also been numerous campaigns highlighting the dangers. It seems the message is getting through – mostly – and attitudes are changing. A recent study found that 70 per cent of British people now say they are against phones being used at the wheel, according to the British Social Attitudes Survey (BSAS) – which has been gathering data on the subject since 2006. This is in stark contrast to just 56 per cent in 2007 and represents a year-on-year increase of three percentage points. Could this be a reflection of a more safety conscious society? Regardless of public opinion, the governmen...

More than 24,000 miles of UK roads are now peppered with potholes, according to the Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance Survey. This is becoming a growing issue for motorists – and thus our customers – with a growing number of individuals and associations keen to stress the real cost of the nuisance. Just one repair from a bad encounter with a large pothole can cost a car owner as much as £3,500. According to car warranty company MotorEasy, the most common types of damage was to axles and suspension systems in vehicles. In total, it is estimated that this problem cost motorists as much as £1 billion in 2017 alone. There is no easy answer to the problem. Local authorities are cash strapped and have other priorities. There seems to be a growing number of individuals taking matters into their own hands. In a bizarre incident in North Wales recently, a Hollywood film crew working in the area took matters into their own hands, and fixed a pothole in Bangor. Meanwhile, the...

Parking your own car will become something of the past, as bay parking technology is set to become legal in June. This innovative technology can be found in vehicles such as the BMW 7 series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. It involves the surrounding cameras identifying the space, which can then allow passengers and even the driver to exit the car – and the car will autonomously park itself. The driver of the vehicle is still able to stop the car if necessary using either a digital key or smartphone app, which will hopefully decrease the chances of accidents or malfunctions. The digital key or app can operate the car outside of the vehicle by up to six metres, and according to BMW, “the car must be straight and centred, facing the parking space for the remote-controlled parking function to be activated”. BMW ConnectedDrive offers a range of industry leading elements in its technology. As well as autonomous parking, this includes sending notifications from your phone to the car, such as what...

You only have to be in a traffic jam to see that there’s a big difference in the amount of time people spend looking after their vehicles - some gleam and some, well, just don’t. Assuming that everyone washes their vehicle once in a while, a key difference in retaining the sparkle on a car or van is the waX factor. It’s the only way to keep or create that ‘just out the showroom’ look. Waxing protects your paint from the rain and any other weather it might be hit with by sealing it. But how often should you do it? Guides go from advising twice a year, to every three months. However, if you’ve lost track of time and want to check if your vehicle needs a wax, just chuck some water on it and then take a look – does the water bead up? If so, then it means that your car is still protected by a coat of wax. If not, then it’s time to put a bit of elbow grease in! Another thing to consider is what kind of environment you live in. If you live on the side of a busy road then you’re more exposed t...

This June, the ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia will be lifted. The move is said to be part of the Crown Prince’s efforts to get more women in the workplace to help build the private sector and steer dependence away from oil. Not only is this a new opportunity for women in Saudi Arabia, but it’s also one for all the car dealerships who now have a much bigger customer base in the country. They still have a challenge ahead though – how to get the marketing right. Ford is already sending a clear message by saying that it will not be launching female only dealerships, with the marketing director for the Middle East and African region saying: “What this is supposed to be doing, and what government has said is the goal, is more integration of society, not necessarily separation.” But getting it spot on around how to appeal to women drivers is unlikely to be easy. Here in the UK, for example, few would say that the car industry’s efforts have managed it. A quick straw poll in an office of...

Van insurance is known to be more of a headache than car insurance. Vans are often more technologically advanced and of course as the majority of van owners use their vehicle for work purposes, the insurance needs to cover loss of business if someone loses work. Both these factors mean that insuring your van is usually pricier than insuring your car. And last year average premiums for vans rose 20.3% in the year to the end of January, making premiums an average £1,202! But there’s some good news for once… over the last six months there has been a slow-down in insurance prices for vans with prices dropping by 3.5%. It’s due to a change in tack from the government around something called the Odgen rate. If you’re not familiar, this is a figure decided by the government when they calculate what interest they think a compensation pay-out for a serious injury could gain - the lower the interest rate, the greater the compensation. And early last year, the government slashed the rate from 2.5...

    Getting your first vehicle used to be a right of passage – the opportunity to get about without asking for a lift; the chance to explore places beyond your local bus route, and precious moments when you could pull up at college with music blaring out the window. But it looks like this version of adulthood is becoming less appealing - or at least feasible - for younger drivers. Recent research shows that the number of teenagers with driving licences has dropped by nearly 40% in comparison to two decades ago. There seem to be different responses to this news: some rejoicing in the fact that this will mean less cars on the road, while others focus with some nostalgia about the end of the era when a car meant your ticket to adulthood. The costs certainly are prohibitive, from driving lessons through to buying and running a car. And that’s without even factoring the £1,000 + insurance that young drivers need to pay. This is certainly the perspective that the AA has, with presid...

As we go into 2018, it’s clear that the way we get about is going to change in a big way. At the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, headline news was that two huge firms – Uber and Volkswagen – have teamed up with technology giant, Nvidia. Nvidia if you’ve not heard of it before, it’s a company which grew off the back of making computer graphic chips. Now however, it is making a name for itself around autonomous cars. And its two new friends reflect how wide ranging this technology will become in our lives. For those of us in the UK, there is currently a question mark hanging over the future of Uber as last September, TfL didn’t give the firm the right to hold a London private hire operator licence. This was on the grounds of ‘public safety and security implications’, with concerns being over Uber’s approach to doing background checks on its drivers. Despite this, Uber is continuing to operate whilst waiting for a hearing on whether it can continue in the capital – that hea...

There are several ways to welcome a new year in, but getting your car or van stolen isn’t one of them. So it’s wise to be aware of the fact that vehicle theft is on the rise – last year 85,688 cars were stolen, up 30% in comparison to four years previously. With car alarms being one of the most ignored sounds on the planet – can you remember the last time you got out of bed to investigate whose car was being stolen out on the street – is this increase all that surprising? Well it’s actually thought that those alarms can still be effective, with the AA saying that they can act as a deterrent in the same way that floodlights in a garden might. However, it seems that the real culprit when it comes to an increase in vehicle theft, is the fact that thieves have expanded their repertoire and started using what are known as ‘locking jammers’. These devices block the signal sent to a vehicle by its key when the owner is trying to lock their car. Thieves also have a device called a ‘relay box’ ...

Love it or loath it, the drive home for Christmas is a necessary tradition for many. But amid the excitement of getting in the car and being able to legitimately sing Jingle Bells at the top of your voice for the next few hours, there’s a chance you might forget some things… So, here’s a few reminders before you leave your regular residence to travel home for Christmas: Get a winter check on your car before you go, particularly if you’ve got a long dark journey ahead. You can then sort out any issues and head off knowing that your tyres are ok and your anti-freeze is topped up Don’t forget to pack your presents! You know how you decided to be organised and buy some presents back in November? Well do remember to bring them with you Before you leave your house do a quick check that you aren’t leaving any milk or other food to rot away until you return (never a nice homecoming) And make sure you turn the lights off before you go so that you don’t waste electricity. You might howev...

On December 4 th , 2017 the Government will be introducing the new driving test, with various changes being made to adapted to the modern UK driving environment. To help you avoid coming unstuck for any upcoming driving tests, that you or a family member might be taking, here is everything you need to know about the new driving test.   The ‘independent driving’ section of the test will be increased from 10 minutes, to 20 With the average driving test taking approximately 40 minutes, the changes now mean that up to half of the test will involve the examinee having to navigate their way around UK roads without turn-by-turn directions. The increase in the time for the ‘independent driving’ section, is an attempt to more thoroughly examine the driver’s ability to safely navigate on higher speed roads. This is in an effort to combat accidents involving inexperienced drivers on high-speed or rural roads, with a substantial 3,850 of these incidents being reported in 2016 alone. Sat-Navs A...