Low Cost Vans

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles  has announced that their popular large load Crafter panel vans (chassis and double cab models) are now going to include EURO VI compliant engines. The addition of the European exhaust standard engines for commercial vehicles will make these vans amongst the cleanest and most refined vehicles in their classes, says Volkswagen. The EURO VI range will be offered on selected Crafter models with EU kerb weights between 2,355 kg and 2,815 kg in medium and long wheelbases plus, new to the Crafter range, available with Volkswagen’s 2.0-litre TDI engine with an output of either 163 PS or 114 PS,. And to enhance VW’s green credentials further, the 114 PS EURO VI engine can be specified with Volkswagen’s BlueMotion Technology, providing customers the benefit of fuel economy of up to 35.3 mpg (combined) and emissions of just 210 g/km. Be on the lookout for these cleaner running Crafter vans with pricing starting at £28,935 (ex. VAT) for the 113bhp unit and £30,550 f...

I’ve read a disturbing article in the Daily Mail this week about the proposed EU mandate for all cars in the EU to be fitted with speed limiters. The plans call for a device to be implanted into your vehicle that automatically and involuntary applies the brakes if you drive over the speed limit. The article explains that cameras will also be installed that will read road signs and speed limits for you, thus controlling your vehicle accordingly. If that’s the case, then I can see driver’s questioning why they should bother learning the rules of the road for themselves. Why not let the car or van think and drive entirely for you? Does this mean we are another step closer to fully autonomous vehicles? The technology is called, ‘Intelligent Speed Adaptation’ technology (ISA) and according to the Daily Mail article, will work by either satellites, which communicate limits automatically to cars from databases, or by using cameras to read road signs. If this goes through, it is said that new...

  I just read an interesting article published on What Van? website regarding the European Parliament’s Environment Committees proposed measure to electronically limit vans’ top speeds to 120km/h (74mph). The post titled, " European Parliament votes to limit van speeds ", published on the latest news section of Britain's biggest van buyers guide, says the committee has voted in favour of said proposal and  will also introduce stricter new targets for van fuel economy and CO2 emissions in 2025. So why do they want to limit the speed? Well, as vans are the only commercial vehicles that are not yet speed-limited, the MEP’s hope that the restriction in van speed will encourage supply of smaller engines, reducing average van fuel consumption and emissions by at least 6%. Obviously this will create some controversy for van drivers in many of the EU states. I understand the reasons behind it, but surely simply reducing the speed of a van is not enough. Apparently, consumer surv...

After much discussion and debate, the HGV Road User Levy Act became law yesterday. The levy will mean that foreign-registered lorries will have to pay to travel on UK roads. UK vehicles already have to pay to drive in many European countries. The FTA has issued a press release welcoming the news of the scheme’s arrival. James Hookham, FTA’s Managing Director of Policy & Communications said: “FTA has supported the idea of a charge on foreign vehicles for many years as a way of partly addressing the competitive differences between British registered operators and foreign-registered vehicles. There were important conditions attached to our support to avoid additional costs and burdens falling on UK operators, as the charge could not be applied to foreign vehicles alone, and, so far, these have been met. “The next key event is the Chancellor’s Budget Statement on 20 March when the new reduced Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) rates will be announced. We will be watching to make sure that UK op...

Legislation is to come into effect in April that will see EU general classification of vehicle category N1 to require separate Whole Vehicle Type Approval (WVTA) for any modifications and will also come into effect for N2 vehicles from October 2014. This would require even basic van manufacturer modifications such as ply-lining, basic racking, etc. to be approved. Good news has been announced from the SMMT this week. They have successfully negotiated a valuable Van Enhancement Scheme that removes the requirement for UK-based van manufacturers and bodybuilders to seek Type Approval on basic vehicle modifications. The Enhancement Scheme was secured by the SMMT with VCA and VOSA, allowing more than three quarters of vans registered each year to avoid the Type Approval headache after SMMT highlighted issues to DfT. "SMMT has worked hard to achieve this crucial Type Approval change that will avoid unnecessary paperwork and save UK businesses thousands of pounds every year," said S...

Are you all ready for the new driver's license photo card? In details from a recent post on Confused.com , new harder to forge driving licences are on the way. So, practice your smile in the mirror and don't forget to look your best on the day, after all, you will have to live with that picture on the new piece of polycarbonate (not plastic anymore) for a while. But don't worry too much about your make-up or picking out your favourite colour top to wear, as the new photos will be in black and white. The new license will be introduced from January 19, 2013 along with new licence regulations, such as what you can legally tow and there will be a new 5 year validity for drivers of minibuses, buses and lorries. Per the new rules, "If you have passed your car (category B) test on or after 19 January 2013, to tow a trailer weighing more than 3,500kg with a car or small vehicle (category B and B+E), you will need to pass a test for category C1E. If you got your driving entitle...

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has announced that they are going on the road next year to host a series of workshops that will help businesses get to grips with the European Whole Vehicle Type Approval. If you are not familiar with the ECWVTA , the Department for Transport defines it as, "The European approval scheme based on the concept of 'type approval' and put simply; this process provides a mechanism for ensuring that vehicles meet relevant environmental, safety and security standards." Organised in collaboration with the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), these SMMT workshops are applicable to body builders and convertors of Category O types (trailers) and Category N (light, medium and heavy trucks). Taking place at locations across Great Britain in February 2013, the workshops will cover how to obtain approval quickly and easily, with guidance from experts and companies that have alread...

The BVRLA (British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association) has posted their concerns this week and call for clarity over the introduction of European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA) for light vans next spring. The BVRLA press release dated November 12, 2012 had this to say: From 29 April 2013, light commercial vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes will come into scope of ECWVTA, requiring additional approval for any modifications made to them. Almost all panel vans will have some modification to equip them for service, whether it is ply-lining, racking, lamp beacons or side-steps, and the BVRLA is concerned that each vehicle would have to be individually re-inspected, tested and approved. At the BVRLA’s recent Technical and Operational Management Forum, the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) presented details of a ‘light touch’ approval scheme for the more common vehicle modifications, to reduce the burden on fleets, test centres and inspectors. It has agreed to continue to work wit...

The RHA , Road Haulage Association, announced this week that they are pleased with the Government plans of  introducing a charging system, under the terms of which foreign operators will now pay to use UK roads. “This is a happy day for road hauliers”, said RHA Chief Executive Geoff Dunning. “We have been campaigning for years to see a system introduced which will lessen the financial advantage currently enjoyed by our European neighbours. UK hauliers travelling to mainland Europe have to pay road charges but foreign registered vehicles travelling to the UK pay nothing. We expect a charge of about £1000 per year", continued Geoff Dunning “This is not enough to give us a level playing field as regards the rest of Europe.  But it is a good start and will help no end in beginning to prepare the ground." Although the new charges will also apply to British lorries, they are to receive a reduction in excise duty to ensure that they will not pay more than they do at present. The ini...

Some important news from Renault Trucks announced this week. Renault Trucks will present its Euro 6* compliant engines at the IAA show (International Automobile Exhibition) in Hanover from September 20-27, 2012. The new Euro 6 engines from Renault Trucks deliver reduced pollution and keep a check on fuel consumption and Renault Trucks Euro 6 engines will deliver high performance, reliability and optimised consumption. The information which was provided by Renault in a press release says, that in order to comply with the new EU regulations on cutting polluting emissions, Renault have utilised different technologies and are choosing the most appropriate and efficient engine size and future applications. The new engines will be added to Renault’s trucks when the new standard becomes compulsory in January 2014 (January 2013 for new homologations).   For its heavy duty range, Renault Trucks will offer a new six cylinder 11 L engine to be known as the DTI 11. This will be available with ...

New data has been released from Clean Green Cars, (whose aim is to provide clear, easily understood advice about choosing and using cars in a more environmentally considerate way) regarding the European Commission’s outline to reduce CO2 emissions. The CO 2 limit set for this year is 130 g/km; however the report shows that the industry, as a whole, will not hit the target. What is also included in the latest Clean Green Cars report is data focusing on individual manufacturers’ average CO2 reduction performance year to date, outlining that not all manufacturers have improved enough to meet the goal. In fact, there are now 15 (out of 31) major manufacturers which are below the overall target figure of 130 g/km of CO 2. Two of the top car manufacturers with the highest CO 2 emissions are Porsche (201 g/km of CO 2 ) and Land Rover (196 g/km of CO 2 ), but since last year they have both cut their emissions by 10%. Surprising to see in the data table was Mini, who in the past has ranked to...

The ACEA - European Automobile Manufacturers' Association announced that in the wake of the European Commission's outline to reduce CO2 emissions from all cars and trucks, they will be working closely with their members to achieve the fleet-average target of 95 gCO2/km for cars and 147 gCO2/km for vans by 2020. The tough economic vehicle market being what it is at the moment, some car manufacturers are feeling the strain of the proposed new measures."These are tough targets - the toughest in the world. Indeed, contrary to some claims, the proposed targets for the European fleet are far more stringent than those in the US, China or Japan. This will increase manufacturing costs in Europe, creating a competitive disadvantage for the region and further slowing the renewal of the fleet," stated Ivan Hodac, ACEA Secretary General. The ACEA members include BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler, FIAT S.p.A., Ford of Europe, General Motors Europe, Hyundai Motor Europe, IVECO S.p.A., ...

Most European countries have already banned HGV driving on Sundays, but the rule is not currently in place in the UK. This could change according to an article published in Fleet News last week. Richard Hayes, the new president of the IHE (Institute of Highway Engineers), is the driving force behind the Sunday ban recommendation. The wide variation in truck driving regulations, which are imposed by the European Union, make it essential for truck drivers to know the driving rules of any country they pass through because the laws apply to all drivers, regardless of their country of origin. No driving faster than 56 mph and in some countries, larger trucks are not even allowed to pass; these are just some of the limits already being applied in various countries. Read more about the proposed UK Sunday ban here