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

QUANTRON Launches New Fuel Cell Van as Part of Its Hydrogen Offensive

Vehicles fuelled with green hydrogen protect the environment, are quiet on the road and have a long range, ideal for sustainable companies that want to rely on emission-free goods transport for the long haul.

In addition to fully electric commercial vehicles, Quantron AG also offers mobility solutions with hydrogen fuel cell systems. Their latest product in this segment is the Q-Light FCEV van. At NUFAM, the leading trade fair for the commercial vehicle industry, QUANTRON presented the Q-Light to a trade audience for the first time. As a hydrogen fuel cell transporter in the 3.5 to 4.2 tonne range, it is unique in Europe. The vehicle is offered in cooperation with QUANTRON partner and fuel cell expert AE Driven Solutions. It is based on a reliable and proven powertrain technology that is already in use in over 400 vehicles throughout Europe. All components of the Q-Light FCEV comply with European safety standards. The payload of the Q-Light FCEV is analogous to that of a comparable diesel vehicle. The refuelling time can also be compared to that of a diesel vehicle. The Q-Light FCEV can be driven flexibly in electric or fuel cell mode. The battery capacity is 37 kWh and, like the 15 kW fuel cell used, has a long service life. The waste heat from the fuel cell can also be used to heat the interior, for example, so that additional electricity can be saved. Thanks to its wide range of superstructures, the Q-Light FCEV can be used flexibly in different areas of application, for example in the logistics industry or as a delivery vehicle. Thanks to its quiet and emission-free drive, the transporter can also be used during the day and at night. Depending on requirements, the vehicle can be equipped with up to four hydrogen tanks and thus achieve a range of up to 500 km. In the future, the power of the fuel cell will also be scalable, so that the vehicle can be offered in different versions, such as a 7.2 t variant.

MAXUS Marks Biggest Fleet Deal to Date

Fleet Management company VMS has purchased 1,000 commercial vehicles from MAXUS, one of the UK’s fastest-growing light commercial vehicle brands. The sale is deemed one of the biggest deals struck by the commercial vehicle brand in the UK to date.

Significantly, 60 per cent of all MAXUS vehicles purchased by VMS Fleet Management are from MAXUS’ EV range with 500 e DELIVER 3s and 150 e DELIVER 9s joining the VMS fleet since September 2020. Mark Barrett, General Manager of Harris MAXUS, commented: “The deal with VMS Fleet Management is an important one for MAXUS and comes at an exciting time for the brand as our sales hit an all-time high. “At MAXUS we take pride in going the extra mile, be it through our customer service or our range and model choice. We also take the time to get to know our customers and their needs. Many companies across the UK are considering making the switch to EVs right now. But some businesses do not yet have the infrastructure needed for a fleet of EVs, VMS is aware of this too and it is why it chose to purchase a fleet of MAXUS DELIVER 9s as well as our electric range. “If your fleet is due an upgrade, our experts can help assess if now is the right time for you to make the switch to EV, we will help you make the transition and advise on what infrastructure you need or help you choose the right mix of engines for your business.” Martin James, Managing Director, VMS Fleet Management, commented: “This MAXUS deal is a significant investment for VMS but one that we know will stand the test of time. We were hugely impressed by the range, reliability and versatility of MAXUS vans, especially with the EV range as we’re currently expanding our electric fleet and we recognise the huge emphasis that the team place on customer service. “Price, or more importantly, value for money, was obviously key and MAXUS is incredibly competitive. We are delighted to be able to offer our customers a variety of MAXUS vehicles, whether they’re looking for an EV with strong range, or a trusty diesel for longer journeys. We have also converted some of the MAXUS vehicles into temperaturecontrolled vans so our customers in pharmaceuticals and within the food sector have additional support where required.” VMS is one of the UK’s leading commercial vehicle and fleet management solutions providers, offering contract hire, accident management, refrigeration services, vehicle hire and a variety of support services nationwide. The company confirmed that the bulk of its new MAXUS fleet will be leased to customers in the construction and supermarket sectors. The purchase on 1000 MAXUS vans by VMS Fleet Management is just one of a number of significant deals for MAXUS over the past 12 months and follows the recent purchase of 750 fullyelectric commercial vehicles by DPD, which was made up of 500 MAXUS e DELIVER 9s and 250 MAXUS e DELIVER 3s.

How Van Drivers Can Combat Fatigue

Driving a van for countless hours around the country is demanding. It is no wonder that courier and delivery drivers, who sit behind the wheel for a large portion of the day, can end up being worn out after a while.

According to a recent survey conducted by the European Transport Workers Federation (ETF), two-thirds of professional drivers feel tired on a regular basis (60% of lorry drivers and 66% of bus drivers). More worryingly, 30% of lorry drivers and 24% of bus drivers have even admitted dozing off whilst at the wheel. Staying focused for a substantial number of hours while sitting persistently in the same seat is no easy task. As fatigue kicks in, both our reflexes and decisionmaking processes gradually abate. In fact, it is no surprise that fatigue has been identified as a major factor in fatal road accidents. To put things into perspective, in 2016 alone,4,002 people were killed in accidents involving vans and lorries. What can be done to diminish driver fatigue? Vauxhall van leasing company, Van Ninja, look at how to stay safe …

Take pit stops

If you or your business are van leasing for the first time, you may not realise how many hours you will end up spending in the company of your new vehicle. Long hours on the road can have an impact on your attention levels. After a while, your concentration will inevitably start to fade, numbing your responsiveness and putting you and your fellow drivers at risk. Make sure to pull over every two hours to freshen up and keep yourself alert on the road. Jump out of your van and have a stretch too – your stiff muscles will be very thankful! Don’t let the stress get to you. With beeping cars and shooting mopeds zig-zagging in front of you, it is challenging to stay calm and rational all the time. Also, with the current driver shortage issue ravaging the UK, your schedule will look busier than usual. All these different factors may understandably rocket your stress levels through the roof. That said, however, it is vital to stay focused and relaxed when driving your van. Turn on the radio and listen to some music – it will help you remain in the right mindset when sitting at the wheel.

Plan time to rest

Unfortunately, we don’t always have the luxury of being able to benefit from a reinvigorating night’s sleep. Drivers who sit in the driving seat feeling tired are more likely to doze off when at the wheel. In particular, research shows that this mainly tends to happen in the early afternoon after lunch (2pm–4pm) or during the early morning hours (2am–4am). If you are not used to driving at night, for instance, try to plan a rest stop for your own safety. Today’s lease vans are equipped with tools that make driving more pleasant, relaxing, and enjoyable, including labour-saving systems such as cruise control and laneassist. While these devices and comforts are designed to help you drive safely, they can paradoxically contribute to tiredness as well. In fact, if you are a bit too relaxed, you may not pay enough attention to the road. Therefore, it would be wise to also check and possibly opt for a van that is fitted with an attention alert system, a device that will warn the driver if it thinks they are not sufficiently on the ball.

Recognise signs of fatigue

Fatigue can creep in when you least expect it. Thankfully, however, it has the habit of announcing itself quite blatantly through several different signs. Here are a few: • Heavy eyelids • Yawning • Drooping head (as a result of neck muscles gradually relaxing) • Loss of concentration • Microsleep – This occurs when you doze off for 30 seconds with no recollection of it happening when you wake up. This usually takes place when you are tired but try hard not to fall asleep. In the grand scheme of things, 30 seconds is not that long; however, when you are driving, even a couple of seconds of distraction (or, in this case, unconsciousness) can lead to a tragic outcome. If you have passengers on board, make sure to take it in turns and switch drivers whenever the person at the wheel is feeling drowsy. If it is only you inside the van, stop as soon as you start experiencing these symptoms.

An electric delivery van that charges itself with the help of the sun

The Swedish electric vehicle company Clean Motion presents Re:volt - their next generation electric vehicle. A compact, strong, and modular delivery van, developed to meet the huge demand for sustainable last-mile transports in cities.

The new solar panel roof makes it energy-efficient enough to eliminate the need for charging when the sun is up. The start of production is planned for the fall of 2022 and right now they are looking for partners to optimise the customer offer. Re:volt is small on the outside and big on the inside. The design is clean, functional and the modular construction means that the vehicle can be easily configured according to the customer’s wishes. The range will be up to 400 km - with 100 km per day just from the sun, thanks to the innovative solar panel roof. “We are not alone in integrating solar panels into vehicles. What is unique is the energy efficiency of our vehicles, which means that the solar-roof can make them self-sufficient in energy. It also means that with only 40 kg of batteries we can offer a range of 280 km, which will suit northern latitudes where the sun is not a reliable energy source,” says Göran Folkesson, CEO of Clean Motion. The combination of rapidly increasing home deliveries and ambitious climate goals creates very interesting opportunities for electric vehicles with high energy efficiency. When the vehicle fleet is going from a few single percent electric, to almost 100 percent, comes the real challenge for society and the automotive industry. Here, Re:volt has a great advantage, as it solves many transport missions with a minimal need for charging. “The market for environmentally friendly last mile deliveries is huge and rapidly growing, but the range of vehicles that can really replace the old fossil fueled vans is not that exciting. With Re:volt, we want to change the image of what a small electric vehicle can do - and start a green revolution in city deliveries,” says Göran Folkesson. Re:volt will start rolling out at the end of 2022. Right now they are looking for companies with diversified transport needs, who want to be involved and to adapt the last details of the platform. The goal is to create a comprehensive customer offering for the European transport market.

Ford Reveals New Fiesta Van with Extra Driver Assistance & Hybrid Powertrains

Ford has unveiled its new Fiesta Van, featuring confident new styling, an enhanced technology package and an efficient mild hybrid powertrain option to make the compact van more distinctive and productive than ever.

New Fiesta Van’s bold, distinctive exterior takes the vehicle’s expressive design to a new level, with more road presence and greater visual differentiation between the Trend and Sport series using unique styling elements, allnew wheel designs and revised interior trim. “Our stylish compact van is now even better looking and more streetwise than ever, helping customers promote their business and drive with confidence in and out of town,” said Brendan Lyne, director, Commercial Vehicles, Ford of Europe. “The new Fiesta Van’s advanced driver assistance systems can make work less demanding for our customers, while its electrified powertrains and Ford Pro’s aftersales expertise help their businesses to thrive.” New Fiesta Van exterior styling includes a bonnet design that increases the height of the nose, combined with larger upper grilles. The Ford “blue oval” badge is now displayed within the grille, rather than on the bonnet lip, contributing to greater road presence. New standard LED headlights also contribute to the confident, modern design language of the new Fiesta Van, with sleek horizontal design. The taillights also receive new black surrounds for a more sophisticated appearance. New Fiesta Van is offered in two attractive trim levels. Sport models boost visual appeal using a honeycomb grille with gloss black finish and wide, body-coloured side vents. New 17-inch metallic-finish alloy wheels and lower sports suspension give a more purposeful appearance, which can be enhanced with optional new 18-inch Pearl Grey machined alloy wheels. Sport models also benefit from two-tone red and ebony interior trim with contrast red stitching. The Trend series features a broad upper grille with strong horizontal strakes and high-gloss chrome surround, as well as 15-inch steel wheels with a new wheel trim design. The revised cabin enhances the interior environment with new ebony trim and comfort seat foam. Two new exterior colours are also available – Boundless Blue and Beautiful Berry. New Fiesta Van shares its bodyshell with the three-door Fiesta passenger car, adding a durable and grippy flat rear load floor, four tie-down points, and full-height bulkhead with steel mesh upper half for improved rearwards visibility. Vehicles for right-hand drive markets feature solid panels instead of rear glazing. Gross payload is up to 531kg,4 with a 1,283mm maximum load length giving a 0.96m3 load volume.

New technologies

The new Fiesta Van’s advanced driver assistance and lighting technologies are designed to support busy drivers. A Parking Pack includes Active Park Assist5that can detect suitably-sized parking spaces and can control the steering for handsfree perpendicular and parallel parking, while the driver controls acceleration, braking and gear selection. A rear-view camera also supports when parking and reversing,5 while puddle lamps in the door mirrors alongside door edge protectors deliver extra convenience and protection. All models benefit from standard LED headlights, while optional Matrix LED headlights can adapt their beam patterns according to the driving scenario. Manoeuvring Light and Bad Weather Light functions are triggered when sensors detect a low-speed manoeuvre or the activation of windscreen wipers, and automatically adjust the beam pattern to help the driver see more clearly. In addition, Glare-Free High Beam uses a front mounted camera to detect oncoming traffic and create a “glare-free spot” within the beam pattern by blocking rays that could otherwise dazzle other road users. Further available technologies include Adaptive Cruise Control with Speed Sign Recognition, Blind Spot Information System with Cross Traffic Alert and Active Braking, Lane Keeping Aid, and Pre-Collision Assist with Active Braking. Customers can also specify Ford’sSYNC 3 communications and informationsystem6with an 8-inch touchscreen, and a navigation system with Live Traffic updates and Local Hazard Information to help drivers stay on schedule.

Electrified powertrains

The new Fiesta Van delivers responsive, fuelefficient performance with EcoBoost Hybrid 48 volt mild hybrid and EcoBoost petrol powertrains. The 125PS EcoBoost Hybrid models feature a belt-driven integrated starter/generator (BISG) in place of the standard alternator, enabling recovery and storage of energy usually lost during braking and coasting to charge a 48-volt lithiumion air-cooled battery pack, run the vehicle’s electrical ancillaries and provide torque assistance during normal driving and acceleration. The technology can restart the engine in just 350 milliseconds, enabling the Auto Start-Stop system to turn off the engine in scenarios such as when coasting to a stop below 15 mph even when the vehicle is in gear with the clutch pedal depressed. Fiesta Van EcoBoost Hybrid offers fuel efficiency up to 56.4mpg and CO2 emissions from 113g/km, representing a more than five per cent improvement in overall fuel efficiency compared with the equivalent non-hybrid engine, rising to 13 per cent in slow-speed driving.

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Tracey Perry Appointed New Head of Van for MAN Truck & Bus UK Ltd

MAN Truck & Bus UK Ltd has appointed Tracey Perry as Head of Van for MAN Truck & Bus UK Ltd. She succeeds Daniel Holbein who is taking up a new position in MAN’s headquarters in Munich.

Tracey has extensive experience in the Automotive Industry within both network and OEM, having lead teams in Retail Sales, SME and Corporate Sales. Between 1989 and 1998 Tracey worked with our sister company Audi, before joining Renault in 2001. In 2007 Tracey joined FCA Fiat Professional and in 2015 she joined the Volkswagen Group as National Fleet Sales Manager, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles UK. “We are delighted to have appointed Tracey to lead the MAN Truck & Bus UK Van team,” said Stefan Thyssen, Managing Director of MAN Truck & Bus UK Ltd. “Her wealth of experience within the automotive sector and knowledge of the commercial vehicle industry, will prove a huge asset to the company. “As you can see from Tracey’s background she is uniquely qualified to take on this responsibility and she brings with her a wealth of knowledge having spent many years leading highly successful sales teams and we all look forward to her joining the MAN brand.” Stefan concluded, “I would also like to thank Daniel who has made a huge impact on the MAN Truck & Bus UK Van business. Over the last two and half years Daniel has shown great commitment to both the brand and the Van business unit, he has helped develop the team, the processes and further expanded and strengthened our customer relationships. We all wish him great success in his new position.” Tracey commented: “I’m really looking forward to joining such a successful team and be given the opportunity to head up MAN Truck & Bus UK Ltd’s Van division. “As a vehicle manufacturer, with Van products spanning the 3.0 to 5.5 tonne categories, MAN have a compelling range of award winning, robust and cost effective vehicles and since the launch of the MAN TGE here in the UK, in 2017, I’ve witnessed the range appeal to more and more customers, both family owned businesses and larger blue chip Public Limited companies. I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

Tracey Perry.

Maxus Adds Monaghan Bros to N. Ireland Dealer Network

MAXUS has partnered with one of the most respected automotive dealerships in Northern Ireland to grow its network.

Monaghan Bros will offer dedicated sales, servicing, and aftersales services to MAXUS customers. The addition of Monaghan Bros brings the total number of MAXUS dealerships in the UK to 42. The new dealership is in Lisnaskea, Co. Fermanagh and services the surrounding areas. Mark Barrett, General Manager of Harris MAXUS spoke of the expansion of its dealer network: “We are thrilled to have partnered with Monaghan Bros to bring a new MAXUS Dealership to Northern Ireland. We always look for partners with a solid track record, not only in sales and customer service but in aftersales too. “As a family run business that has been supplying new and used cars and vans for over 50 years, Monaghan Brothers has a long-established history within the motor trade industry in Northern Ireland and we know our brand is in good hands. “Geographical location is also important as we continue to build nationwide coverage and this new dealership is perfectly placed to look after customers old and new across Northern Ireland. We look forward to seeing more MAXUS vans on the road and a successful partnership in the years ahead.” Speaking about the new partnership with MAXUS, John Armitage, director of Monaghan Bros said: “We are very proud to include MAXUS as part of our offering at Monaghan Brothers. MAXUS has really added value to the market with its latest commercial vehicles, and its partnership with SAIC really puts the brand at the forefront of battery technology and advanced range with a more than attractive price structure. “We are looking forward to welcoming MAXUS customers both new and existing to our dealership where they will be looked after to the highest standards.”