Low Cost Vans

Commercial vehicle specialist Low Cost Vans has been helping these customers get extra vehicles on the road Amid the economic disruption and business closures caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19), some sectors of the economy are seeing a surge in demand. Many cleaning companies, delivery business and pharmacies have been inundated with new inquiries and additional work as the crisis has worsened, something that has also meant a brighter spot for companies that supply these sectors. Low Cost Vans , one of the UK ’ s leading providers of commercial vehicles to every sector of the UK economy, says it has seen a sharp spike in demand from these sectors, as companies struggle to meet the needs of customers. Rod Lloyd, Managing Director of Low Cost Vans, said: “These are unprecedented times for the UK economy but the fact is that many businesses have to keep moving. From certain sectors, the number of inquiries we are getting has doubled or even tripled. Cleaning companies,...

In a recent press release, Cobra UK, leader in the provision of security, safety and telematics solutions for the automotive and insurance industries, has welcomed the Association of British Insurers’ (ABI) call for an overhaul in how young people learn to drive. This follows a recent report from ABI into how to reduce the high crash risk young drivers represent and to bring down their motor insurance premiums. Cobra is warning that more must be done to ensure safety and manage insurers’ risk and feels that changes to young driver training should be just the start of a complete change in way they are monitored and insured to increase their safety and reduce their insurance premiums. Cobra believes that telematics can successfully manage insurance companies’ risk and are already being used successfully by a small number of insurers. “Telematics technology gives young drivers the chance to prove they are safe drivers by recording how they drive, measuring key outputs from a car's jou...

I've read more anticipated news about upcoming vehicles being showcased at the Paris Motor Show this week. Ford Europe is the latest manufacturer to report the unveiling of its future motor offerings. The all-new Ford EcoSport SUV is set to be debuted at the Paris Show on September 27th, 2012. Ford will offer its all-new EcoSport in Europe with the award-winning, 2012 “International Engine of the Year”, 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine and a best-in-class diesel engine. The 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine first went on sale in the Focus this year before being introduced to all-new B-MAX, with models including C-MAX, Grand C-MAX and all-new Mondeo also due to receive this innovative 3-cylinder powertrain. European EcoSport customers will also be able to specify a best-in-class diesel engine. What makes the Ford EcoSport so special is that it combines the agility, affordability, and fuel efficiency of a small car with the flexibility and spaciousness of an SUV, giving you the best o...

My favourite weekly driving tips from website IAM Drive & Survive have been released. Driver training specialist IAM Drive & Survive motoring tips to drivers from its head of training, Simon Elstow, this week is advising on driving in the autumn. With the darkness of night rolling in earlier now and hazards we don't often think about, like fallen wet and slippery leaves on the roads, the advice on offer this week is well worth viewing. To read the advice page titled, " S lippery when wet ", please click here .

In a recent post, Autoblog reported that Goodyear, the world's largest tyre company, has officially developed a new self-inflating tyre for commercial vehicles. The new technical term for Goodyear's system is called Air Maintenance Technology. The post offers a handy infographic showing how the new system works and also includes a link to Goodyear's official press release on this new technology.  Please click here  to read Autoblog's post titled, " Goodyear unveils self-inflating tires for big trucks ," written by Zach Bowman.

According to a report from the House of Commons Transport Committee, consumer demand for plug-in cars and vans remains very low and the Government grant to encourage demand may not be proving effective.  The Plug-In Car Grant was launched in January 2011 and is aimed at both private consumers and businesses. The Grant offers 25% off the vehicle price, up to a value of £5,000. Eligible vehicles can be electric, plug-in hybrid or hydrogen-fuelled, but must comply with certain performance, environmental and safety standards in order to be eligible. Ultra-low emission vehicles can benefit from tax exemptions including Vehicle Excise Duty, reduced Company Car Tax and other local measures such as congestion charge exemptions. To give an idea of how many vans/cars have taken up the grant so far, since the inception in 2011, 1,052 eligible plug-in car grant vehicles were registered, compared to 111 in 2010.  Not nearly enough according to MP's. Launching a new report from the Transport Sel...

  According to a recent press release, there is even more future vehicle progress coming from the Hanover Motor Show. Heinz-Jürgen Löw, the President of Renault Trucks, announced during a press conference at the show, that the Long Distance, Construction and Distribution ranges are to be completely replaced in the spring of 2013. All vehicles affected are currently undergoing trials on the Renault Trucks test tracks and under actual operating conditions with a number of partner customers to achieve Renault's goal of excellence. Heinz-Jürgen Löw prepared the ground by saying: "In June, there will be a real revolution. Our new vehicles are going to surprise you, not only in terms of their design but also their performance. We are aiming for excellence and are doing everything to attain it." Renault Trucks also presented at the Hanover show, the technology of its future Euro 6 engines. The heavy duty range will have a new 11 L, 6 cylinder engine, known as the DTI 11. This is...

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...

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles introduced a concept vehicle designed for extreme outdoor sports, the prototype Amarok Canyon, at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March. Announced in their recent press release, the genuine off-road vehicle with pick-up truck power and styling was so well received at the show that Volkswagen has decided to offer a special edition version of the Amarok based very closely on the concept vehicle: the Amarok Canyon, as of early 2013. Taking ideas from the concept model, the new special edition model Amarok will include a striking 'copper orange' colour scheme, AT wheels, lamp bar, styling bar and interior fitting details. As an additional extra option, you can even have a lamp bar with four extra headlights on the roof. Per the information in the release, "the Amarok Canyon is available with both TDI engines, generally in combination with permanent or on-demand four-wheel drive (4MOTION) and optional differential lock on the rear axle. Designed for...

Motorists have been inflicted with yet another sting to their pocket books today with the news that garage labour rates have risen to a record average of £83 per hour, according to Warranty Direct’s annual Labour Rates Survey. According to their recent press release, the average labour rate (franchised and independent workshops combined) climbed 3% to £82.86, up from £80.44 in 2011 and over 10% higher than two years ago. Warranty Direct also found that the rate fluctuates widely, with some garage's charging a reasonable sum of £36.60 per hour while others could be hit by rates as massive as £201.60 per hour. The data, based from Warranty Direct’s 50,000 live policies, studied nearly 4,250 workshops and found that smaller more independent workshops have seen a substantial rise from £60.68 per hour in 2011 to £64.58 in 2012. This shows that the gap between what the independent local garage charges versus the larger main dealers, whose rate averages a hefty £95.94, is getting smaller....

The mia electric car is a refreshing addition to the electric car market. It has all of the attributes that make electric cars so popular in urban areas, for instance; it's compact, economical, yet still maintains some semblance of style. No tricks, no gimmicks, no fancy packaging, or quirky design is needed; its simplicity is what makes this an ideal electric car. Having low to zero emissions is a crucial component when selecting an electric car, especially if you live in a large city where congestion charges are an economic concern. The mia is a common sense car, as it has zero emissions and a range of up to 125 km. You can zip around town, take the children to school, or head off for a weekend drive with this roomy 100% electric car. The driver’s seat is uniquely positioned front and centre to offer a panoramic view, although this means that there is no placement for a front passenger seat. The back passenger seats come in two seating arrangements. In the standard mia, the 2 ind...

With fuel at the pumps seemingly only going up and not down, I'm always left thinking, is there anything that we can do to alleviate the strain that's felt when filling up at the petrol station? When a friend jokingly mentioned that she'd probably save a ton of money if she converted her car to run on chip fat, her kitchen's discarded cooking oil, it piqued my interest in learning about alternative fuel. I had heard about that biodiesel option before, but I wondered what else might be out there. In my research, I found an informative website that I thought I would share on the blog. Next Green Car , the independent guide to green cars in the UK, has created some very well put together web pages discussing greener fuels. The pages can be found by clicking on their Greener Fuels tab and selecting the Petrol & Diesel , LPG & Natural Gas , or Bioethanol & Biodiesel fuel types. Next Green Car include information describing what exactly these fuels are, how they...

Confused.com has just added an interesting infographic to their news views page titled, "Telematics tech behind the wheel and beyond." It offers a very good run down on what telematics is and how it can be useful for insurers and most importantly, how it can help driver's to save money on insurance. Although the use of telematics may seem a bit invasive and possibly feel a little like being spied upon by your insurance company, as it will be used by them to gather information on our every day driving habits, the infographic points out that you may have unknowingly already used telematics by way of Sat Nav or GPS. If you would like to see the infographic, which is well put together, please visit Confused.com by clicking here .

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 ...

Another exciting unveiling is happening at the 2012 Hanover Motor Show in Germany, which runs from September 18 to 27, 2012. Not only will Peugeot be showcasing the all-electric Partner van, but its twin, the new Citroën Electric Berlingo will join in on the fun as well. Besides both being unveiled at the Hanover Motor Show, they will run on the same 22.5 kW/h batteries and be available sometime in 2013. CARSCOOP's article titled, "Citroën Unveils New Electric Berlingo at the Hanover Motor Show," provides more details on this environmentally friendly vehicle. Read more here .

In a recent press release, Peugeot has announced a new addition to its popular Partner van range. The new Partner van will be 100% Electric. This means it will now be possible for business owners and drivers of this electric vehicle to enter low emissions restricted zones. The new Partner Electric comes in 2 lengths: 4.38m and 4.63m and as it is modelled after the original Partner, you will still get a great amount of load space and the Partner Electric operates on two high-energy lithium-ion battery packs with a capacity of 22.5kW/h. It has two charging modes for its battery: a normal charge (up to 16A) in 6 to 9 hours and a fast charge (up to 125A) allowing recovery of 80% of the capacity of the batteries in only 30 minutes. Peugeot reiterates the environmentally aware energy aspects of their new van several times in the press release, "With this new 100% electric version, Peugeot takes another step in offering business users a Partner range with power units suitable for all kin...

The all-new Ford EcoSport, a compact, rugged and fuel efficient sports utility vehicle, was unveiled last week at Ford's “Go Further” event held in Amsterdam. The fuel efficient SUV, based on Ford’s global B-segment platform, will be available for sale within 18 months and will be offered globally to around 100 markets. Ford EcoSport will deliver great value, quality and fuel economy,” said Nick Collins, B-car vehicle line director, Ford of Europe. “It will also present customers with a fantastic small car choice that will also include the B-MAX compact multi-activity vehicle as well as new Fiesta.” For those who are already familiar with Ford's Fiesta models and are thinking about a small yet agile SUV, this new EcoSport has a lot to bestow on its lucky owners. The range of engines on offer includes: • 1.0-liter EcoBoost I-3 • 1.5-liter I-4 Ti-VCT • 1.6-liter I-4 Flex • 2.0-liter I-4 • 1.5-liter Duratorq TDCI I-4 Transmission available: • IB5 five-speed manual • MMT6 six-speed...

Van insurance specialists, VanQuoteDirect , released their 'Friday Five' blog entry discussing van security on September 7th. The blog lists the top five ways to keep your van safe. Their number one entry is van insurance. This should be top priority for all van owners. Not only is it the law ("The vehicle insurance law means that the registered keeper of a vehicle must keep it insured"- Direct.gov), but if something does happen to your vehicle, you can rest a bit easier knowing that your van and (if included) its contents are covered by your policy. Having the right insurance cover can save you time and money. If your van is your business, it’s important to ask the right questions when shopping around for the best insurance policy. Don't forget to ask: What will be included in the policy and what do they expect from you? Are goods-in-transit included? Is windscreen and window repair covered? Will personal belongings be covered by the policy if they are da...

Land Rover has announced the launch of their All-New Range Rover that was designed and engineered here in the UK. This will be the fourth generation of the iconic Range Rover line up and is set to be debuted at an event held at The Royal Ballet School in Richmond, London. Land Rover is reporting that the new, just under 5m long, Range Rover is the "world's first SUV with a lightweight all-aluminium monocoque body structure," which is 39 per cent lighter than the steel body in previous models. It will still remain structural strong and its wading depth has improved by 200mm to 900mm, and its position as the best towing vehicle in its class with a 3,500kg trailer capability. Not forgetting to mention that the new Range Rover will include the next-generation version of Land Rover’s Terrain Response® system, which analyses the current driving conditions and automatically selects the most suitable vehicle settings and offer over 118mm more legroom space for rear-seat passenger...

Fiat Professional has expanded their award-winning Doblò Cargo van range with a new XL version of the Doblò. This new offering comes one year after the introduction of the Doblò Work Up, which I wrote about yesterday. The Doblò XL's long wheelbase and high roof provides a load volume of 5.0 m 3 and a payload of 1,000kg and its rear doors allow for full access to the load compartment so customers can fully utilise the large volume of space. All importantly, the new XL gives a choice of three Euro 5 turbo diesel engines: 1.6 MultiJet 105 hp, 1.6 MultiJet 90hp MTA and 2.0 MultiJet 135hp (combi versions will be available with the 2.0 MultiJet 135hp only). Fiat's recent press release says: "The new XL version will sit between the Purpose Built Van and Small Panel Van segments and is likely to attract customers from the latter as it offers the same load capacity and payload (1 Ton) but at a lower price." Fiat also suggests that the Doblò XL will appeal to a variety of cust...