All the latest developments and new launches from the world of vans & pick-ups

A FIRST ‘DIGITAL’ GLANCE AT IVECO’S

NEW DAILY IVECO recently presented the New Daily to its dealer network and the international press in a live digital event streamed on its IVECO Live Channel platform.

The latest evolution of the Daily family of light commercial vehicles introduces new adaptive and intelligent solutions that take interaction and collaboration with the driver and owner to a new level, turning the vehicle into a true companion in business success. Says Thomas Hilse, IVECO Brand President: “It offers a level of innovation with no equivalent on the market. It brings on board best-in-class comfort and safety, extraordinary flexibility and mission focus, together with a substantial TCO reduction and a constantly expanding portfolio of IVECO ON services. For us at IVECO, improvement is a never-ending process – when we reach one goal, we immediately start working on the next one. We never stop.” The New Daily anticipates customer demands in a commercial vehicle industry that is changing fast, with the Covid-19 pandemic having amplified and accelerated existing trends. The last-mile delivery sector has experienced a boom, as consumers dramatically increased their reliance on e-commerce and delivery services during lockdowns. This shift in shopping habits is expected to be permanent to some degree with the easing of restrictions – with a consequent growth in the demand for light commercial vehicles. Connectivity has become a necessity in every area of everyday life – personal and professional – and vehicles must meet this requirement. Sustainability and clean air have acquired even more urgency, leading to increasingly challenging vehicle emissions standards. Public incentives are supporting the development of new infrastructure, with a consequent recovery in the construction sector, which is set to benefit significantly the Daily chassis-cab.

Smooth & comfortable drive

The New Daily introduces the revolutionary AIRPRO pneumatic suspension, which continuously adapts to the condition of usage to deliver a uniquely smooth and safe ride for driver and load. The exclusive AIR-PRO Continuous Damping Control (CDC) unit reacts almost instantly to road disturbances, calculating every 10 milliseconds the ideal pressure on each shock absorber to deliver the best dynamic reaction. The lower vibrations, reduced by 25% contribute further to a supremely comfortable driving experience. The AIR-PRO intelligent system also adapts to the driver’s requirements and puts them in control of the suspension’s behaviour. They can choose to prioritise comfort with the Soft setting; select Load to optimise handling and roll control in full load conditions; or leave it to the system’s self-adapting parameters with the Auto setting. The AIR-PRO suspension adapts to the vehicle load, reducing the roll angle by 30% in bends, enhancing the driver’s safety and protecting the load. The AIR-PRO suspension makes loading and unloading operations easy and efficient, adjusting the height of the vehicle chassis in less than 10 seconds. A memory function also enables the operator to memorise the alignment with usual loading bays, making it even easier to get the vehicle ready.

Amazon Alexa

The New Daily features IVECO Driver Pal, the pioneering vocal and digital driver companion that enables the driver to bring their digital life on board, interact with their vehicle and the driving community, and access IVECO’s connected services through voice commands via Amazon Alexa. IVECO Driver Pal offers two unique skills developed with AWS Professional Services and Alexa Auto team. The first one, MYIVECO, enables the driver to check the health status of the vehicle, set and manage the navigation system, request assistance if needed, and ask for driving style tips to save fuel and travel safely. IVECO Driver Pal takes the Daily’s connectivity to a new height, enabling easy access to the IVECO ON connected services developed to support the customers’ business proactively and effectively. A second unique skill, MYCOMMUNITY, puts the driver in communication with the driver community. They can exchange advice, and ask for help to avoid unplanned stops and delays with information about traffic congestion and other disruptions.

Manual transmission

The New Daily introduces a new 6-speed manual transmission that offers an excellent driving experience with best-in-class shiftability and precision engagement. This will make it a favourite for drivers in urban missions, who will benefit from greater comfort on long days behind the wheel. The new transmission will also contribute to lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). It has been possible to couple the 2.3-litre engine with the same clutch as the 3.0-litre engine, improving robustness in the toughest missions and increasing durability by up to 18%.

Unique engine line-up

The New Daily remains true to its reputation for versatility with its extensive engine line-up. It is the only vehicle offering two engines optimised to deliver the best performance in every mission -the 2.3-litre F1A with power ranging from 116 hp to 156 hp (available in light- and heavyduty homologation), and the 3.0-litre F1C with power ratings from 160 hp to 207 hp. The 2.3-litre F1A engine stands out for its fuel economy, achieving up to 6% fuel savings in WLTP cycle compared to the previous model. The new manual transmission has enabled a torque increase of up to 15%, improving the New Daily’s performance in demanding applications and enhancing its versatility for body builds with PTO requirements. The New Daily also remains true to its sustainable vocation with a 3.0-litre CNG engine, which delivers a powerful and responsive performance with 136 hp and 350 Nm torque.

Comfortable Seating

The New Daily features entirely new seats with central pads of the cushion and backrest, and the headrest in memory foam – an industry first for Light Commercial Vehicles. The foam moulds to the body, distributing the weight evenly, reducing pressure peaks by up to 30%. This results in supreme comfort and protects from back pain. The side sections have been thickened with 15mm of highdensity foam to improve lateral containment, enhancing safety and the driving experience. Taller people will be more comfortable the 20 mm longer and 15 mm thicker front cushion, which provides better support for their longer legs. The seat side carter and levers have been redesigned to make it easier to get on and off the vehicle, ideal for door-to-door and parcel delivery missions that require frequent exits.

Vauxhall’s van line-up is now fully electric

Vauxhall has released the first details and images of the All-New Movano and Movano-e, the first large Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) from the brand to be available as a fully-electric variant.

Featuring class-leading load volume, a wide variety of body styles, seating for up to seven and low running costs, both electric and diesel versions will arrive in the UK later this year. Designed to comfortably meet the wide-ranging demands of business and fleet users, the versatile All-New third generation Movano is available as a panel van, crew cab and chassis cab. With All-New Movano-e, customers also benefit from zero emissions-in-use running, low running costs as well as a range of up to 139 miles (WLTP). All-New Movano joins the Combo and the Vivaro as the newest members of Vauxhall’s award-winning LCV family. All-New Movano-e lines up alongside Vivaro-e and, from later this year, Combo-e, meaning Vauxhall offers a fully electric version across its entire LCV range and remains on course to deliver an electrified version of all its cars and vans by 2024. Featuring a 90kW (122PS) and 260Nm electric motor, the Movano-e is available with a choice of either a 37kWh or 70kWh battery, with ranges of 72 miles and 139 miles respectively under WLTP testing, making it perfect for urban environments, such as last-mile deliveries, and the open road. Like Vauxhall’s other fully electric LCV models, Movano-e is exempt from current ultra-low and congestion charge payments. The zero emissions powertrain also allows businesses to save significantly on company van tax, with a 0% Benefit-in-Kind tax rate. This provides eligible businesses with immediate and significant annual savings that can amount to thousands of pounds. All-New Movano-e’s lithium-ion battery is mounted under the floor between the front and rear axle, resulting in no compromise in load volume compared to the diesel-engined model. This positioning of the battery also results in a low centre of gravity, improving cornering and stability even when fully loaded. A sophisticated regenerative braking system that recovers energy when slowing further increases the Movano-e’s efficiency. All-New Movano is also available with a powerful, durable and efficient diesel engine option. The state-of-the-art 2.2-litre unit meets strict Euro 6d emissions regulations and is available with a range of power outputs, from 120PS to 165PS and with torque figures of between 300Nm and 370Nm. All versions of the engines feature a six-speed manual gearbox and front-wheel drive.

Productivity Boost for Van Fleets with Launch of Ford Telematics Essentials

Ford has expanded its FORDLiive connected uptime system to European fleet operators with the introduction of Ford Telematics Essentials – a complimentary new fleet management tool designed to help increase the productivity of connected commercial vehicles.

With TrustFord in Northern Ireland being used as a test for this new service, Ford Telematics Essentials underpins the FORDLiive system for fleet users, delivering Smart Maintenance alerts based on real-time vehicle health data. The alerts help businesses to maximise uptime by reducing the number of breakdowns and achieving quicker servicing and repair times. Harnessing connected vehicle data from the fleet, FORDLiive also links businesses to the support available from the Transit Centre network through Smart Diagnostics so that the productivity of each individual vehicle can be optimised. Available for fleets in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, Ford Telematics Essentials supports higher productivity via an easyto-use web-based interface that displays key details and maintenance alerts as well as each vehicle’s current health status to help managers plan more effectively and maximise vehicle utilisation. Stuart Cresswell, Service Director, TrustFord said: “The implementation of Ford Liive and the clever use of data-driven technical information mean that TrustFord can maintain our fleet of Mobile Service vehicles to a very high standard. “Remote vehicle and diagnostic information allow us to work quickly on a vehicle and reduce down time. Ford Liive and Ford Telematics Essentials is a complete game changer. The software and remote support allows our technicians to see trouble codes, health alerts and understand the history of the vehicle - all of which will mean diagnostics are quicker and the whole process is speeded up significantly.’’ Ford Telematics Essentials is a dedicated fleet vehicle health management tool that presents FORDLiive’s usage-based Smart Maintenance alerts to fleet operators via detailed, easy-toread dashboards. Real-time data is received automatically from vehicles once the onboard FordPass Connect modem is enabled; the feature has been standard on Ford’s core commercial vehicle range including Transit, Transit Custom and Ranger since mid-2019. Fleet managers can view a summary of their entire fleet and receive key information for each individual vehicle. An overview shows how many of each model customers currently are operating in their fleet and the current connectivity status of every vehicle. Other displays show individual vehicles’ mileage, oil life and engine hours, helping fleet operators to proactively schedule preventative maintenance and eliminate the costs and unplanned downtime of avoidable breakdowns and repairs. Smart Maintenance alerts clearly display any required actions for fleet managers, who can immediately click through to service scheduling at a convenient time for their business. The Ford Telematics Essentials display divides fleets by statuses including “Up to Date”, “Action Soon”, “Action Now”, “Overdue” and “Off the Road” for maximum clarity on current vehicle availability. Ford Telematics Essentials integrates seamlessly with connected Ford commercial vehicles to offer comprehensive information that only a manufacturer-built system can. The software can recognise and securely share more than 4,000 Vehicle Health Alerts and descriptions to help fleet managers and Ford dealers deliver the fastest, most effective corrective action. When permissions have been provided by the fleet customer, Transit Service dealers will be able to see connected vehicles’ health information from the past 60 days, helping them diagnose issues before the vehicle arrives in the workshop and to prepare the correct technical and parts support for optimum turnaround times. In more complex cases, dedicated uptime experts in FORDLiive Centres with access to real-time data will fast-track the required support to get customers’ vehicles back on the road as soon as possible.

DPD UK strikes deal with MAXUS for 750 EVs

Leading parcel delivery firm, DPD, has purchased 750 fully electric commercial vehicles from MAXUS, as part of its commitment to be the most responsible and sustainable city centre delivery brand in the UK.

The purchase of 500 e DELIVER 9s and 250 e DELIVER 3s saw DPDs double its fleet of electric vehicles in the UK, increasing to almost 1,500 carbon-neutral vehicles. The deal, which was overseen by Northside MAXUS, was marked by a brand-new TV commercial that highlights DPD’s commitment to reducing its environmental footprint in the UK. The advert went live in May and features shots of both MAXUS EV models travelling through London as part of the brand’s last-mile delivery strategy. The advert also features cutaways of the vehicles travelling through the UK countryside. Mark Barrett, General Manager of Harris MAXUS, commented, “MAXUS’ ethos is simple, we want to make the green option the easy option for businesses up and down the country as part of our commitment to ‘Going the Extra Mile’ in the fight against climate change. DPD has a similar vision, and we are very proud to be part of its evolution to a greener business model.” Denise Harris, CEO of the Harris Group said, “DPD’s decision to choose MAXUS is an outstanding endorsement not only of the MAXUS brand, but also of the professionalism and after-sales support provided by the extended HARRIS MAXUS team.” DPD’s Head of CSR, Olly Craughan, commented, “We’re absolutely delighted with the MAXUS. The 3.5t van is the workhorse of any delivery and collection fleet, so to get our hands on an EV with this kind of capacity and range is a real game changer for us. We’ve got EVs in every DPD depot already, but they are largely focused on quite compact routes, usually in city centres, where range isn’t an issue. But this opens up the possibility of clean, green deliveries on a much larger scale. “We know from our shippers that being able to offer their customers green deliveries is a huge plus point, while the feedback on the doorstep is similarly positive. Our aim is to deliver to 25 of the largest towns and cities in the UK entirely with zero and low-emission delivery means by 2025 and this order begins to make that a reality.” As part of MAXUS’ commitment to ‘Going the Extra Mile’ for customers, MAXUS offers unrivalled Aftersales Care with a five-year warranty and five-year roadside assist as standard. This means that DPD drivers using a MAXUS e DELIVER 9 and e DELIVER 3 will be covered 24/7, 365 days a year with dealer workshops operating a 24-hour service, helping to minimise vehicle downtime.

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