Fleet Van May 2014 by Fleet News

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B E S T P R A C T I C E F O R B R I TA I N ' S L I G H T VA N O P E R AT O R S

May 2014 ÂŁ5 where sold

CV SHOW: RECORD NEW VAN LAUNCHES NEC show gives fleets shopping list ideas

Profile: Yorks Ambulance

First look: Vivaro and Trafic

Insight: FTA analysis

Cutting fuel costs while maintaining the front line

Under the skin of the new Renault and Vauxhall vans

Operators look at fresh funding methods for vans

Contact us Fleet News, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA. Email – fleetnews@bauermedia.co.uk Editorial Editor-in-chief Stephen Briers 01733 468024 stephen.briers@bauermedia.co.uk Deputy editor Simon Harris 01733 468308 simon.harris@bauermedia.co.uk Associate editor Trevor Gehlcken Contributors Mark Cartwright, John Charles, Chris Lowndes (photographs)

CONTENTS

4 I Van Excellence conference

Production Head of publishing Luke Neal Associate editor (production) Andrew Ryan Production editor Finbarr O’Reilly Designer Charlotte Boon Advertising Commercial director Sarah Crown (maternity leave) B2B commercial manager Sheryl Graham 01733 366467 Account managers Wendy Cowell 01733 366472 Laura Holloway 01733 366469 Lucy Herbert (maternity leave) Lisa Turner 01733 366471 Stuart Wakeling 01733 366470 Marcus Woods 01733 366468 Head of project management Leanne Patterson 01733 468332 Project managers Lucy Peacock 01733 468338 Angela Price Kerry Unwin 01733 468327 Telesales/recruitment b2brecruitment@bauermedia.co.uk 01733 468275/01733 468328

6 I News digest We highlight the important news from the past month in the van sector.

8 I FTA Benchmarking: the economy Growing economic recovery is reshaping the way fleets fund vans.

13 I Yorkshire Ambulance Service Aerodynamic vehicles help achieve £1.5m saving.

18 I CV Show 2014 Record number of van launches at this year’s event.

24 I Routing and scheduling software Work faster, smarter and more objectively.

26 I Insight: Citroën Manufacturer to take a ‘steady as you go’ approach.

Events Event director Chris Lester Event manager Sandra Evitt 01733 468123 Event organiser Kate Howard 01733 468146 Events co-ordinator Nicola Baxter 01733 468289

29 I Remarketing Limited supply and strong demand keeps values high.

30 I Vauxhall Vivaro/Renault Trafic 32 I Volkswagen Caddy

Publishing Managing director Tim Lucas 01733 468340 Group marketing manager Bev Mason 01733 468295 Office manager Vicky Meadows 01733 468319 Group managing director Rob Munro-Hall Chief executive officer Paul Keenan Fleet Van is published 10 times a year by Bauer Consumer Media Ltd, registered address 1 Lincoln Court, Lincoln Road, Peterborough, PE1 2RF. Registered number 01176085. No part of the magazine may be reproduced in any form in whole or in part, without prior permission of the publisher. All material published remains the copyright of Bauer Consumer Media Ltd. We reserve the right to edit letters, copy or images without further consent. The submission of material to Bauer Media whether unsolicited or requested, is taken as permission to publish in the magazine. Any fees paid in the UK include remuneration for any use in any other licensed editions. Whilst every reasonable care is taken to ensure accuracy, the publisher is not responsible for any errors or omissions nor do we accept any liability for any loss or damage, howsoever caused, resulting from the use of the magazine.

Driver recognition, weight limits and in-cab cameras: operators discuss key industry topics.

33 I Ford Transit Connect 34 I Vauxhall Combo long-termer 35 I Running costs: SWB medium vans

26 30

ISSN 0953-8526. Printing: Headley Brothers Ltd, Kent

Spotlight on all the important data you need when considering your next van.

NEXT ISSUE – JUNE

Insight: Utility fleets Managing heavy duty LCV fleets as the economy makes its slow recovery.

New launches We try the new Fiat Ducato and Peugeot Boxer.

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fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan May 2014 3

Va n e xcel l ence c onf erence

Driver recognition, weight limits and in-cab cameras Van excellence operators discuss key industry topics at fTa conference NeeD to kNow n ‘Passport’ would prove driver competence n Cab cameras can help capture bad drivers n Fleets should be vigilant over vehicle weight By Stephen Briers round 100 fleet operators and industry suppliers gathered at the Van excellence conference in april to hear from a range of experts offering practical and operational viewpoints on running a van fleet. Keynote speaker Superintendent Paul Keasey, operations manager at central Motorways Police Group, together with industry experts, Van excellence industry partners and fTa specialists were on hand to provide information on the latest issues affecting van operators. With the Driver and Vehicle Standards agency (DVSa) making it clear that it intends to target non-compliant van operators, one of the key sessions focused on load security and overloading. Mark cartwright, fTa head of vans, said: “We all know that keeping vans within legal weight limits can be a challenge for many operators, particularly those using vans as mobile toolboxes, and it is vitally important that we focus on load security and overloading to ensure best practice is identified.”

‘Recognise youR van dRiveRs’

Mark Cartwright, head of vans, Freight transport Association The freight Transport association is in discussions with leading van fleet operators to establish a driver passport which will boost recognition for drivers and create a formal qualification, reducing the need for re-training when fleets take on new employees from other businesses. The passport would include an agreed minimum level of driver training – proof that the driver is competent behind the wheel. The fleet can then choose to top up training with, for example, its own customer service standards. fleets involved in the consultation have suggested the passport could form the basis of a three-tier qualification: tier one would consist of basic driver training; tier two would cover industry sector-specific knowledge, such as taillifts or refrigeration; tier three would be tailored to the company’s own culture. It’s likely that only the first tier would be a portable part of the passport. Mark cartwright said: “Bump into a truck driver in a pub and they’ll tell you they’re a truck driver within seconds, probably before they tell you who for. ask a van driver the same question and they’ll probably spend the next few hours denying they’re a van driver. “I guess most of these drivers see themselves as a tradesman first and a van driver second. Yet the driving of their van is probably the riskiest element of their role.” cartwright recognises that the Van excellence scheme, which now has 68 members operating more than 115,000 vans, was created primarily to recognise the efforts of the companies involved and not their individual drivers. He believes the first step to improved employee engagement is for accredited fleets to start publicising Van excellence to their workforces to boost

pride in the company’s achievements. examples of this include internal Pr via magazines, intranets and poster campaigns. Some fleets include the Van excellence logo on driver uniforms, both as recognition of involvement in the scheme and as a reminder to drivers that they are ambassadors for the organisation. a number of accredited operators go a step further by recognising ‘above and beyond’ performance within their driving teams. “I’m endlessly impressed with the benefits of formally recognising driver performance through driver of the year awards,” said cartwright. “I’ve had the privilege of witnessing first-hand the terrific event aaH Pharmaceuticals puts on to decide on its van and truck driver of the year. “There is a degree of effort and cost involved in pulling these kinds of events together, but the feedback we’ve received seems to underline the value of these events.” cartwright is keen for the fTa to play its own part in driver recognition through the creation of the driver passport. a number of fleets have been involved in the initial discussions, including aaH Pharmaceuticals, Balfour Beatty, clancy Docwra, Iron Mountain, Speedy Hire and Virgin Media. Speaking to Fleet News earlier this year, Speedy Hire group fleet services manager Ian leonard said: “We’d like to see a recognised, portable qualification for van drivers. “This would improve retention and also give drivers a qualification they could use within the industry, saving the sector time and money in re-training them [on how to drive a van].” The fTa expects to make progress on the initiative over the coming months with an update report likely later in the year.

quote unquote “Between 1.5 and two million vans are not legal at any one time” robin Dickeson, consultant

“we talk about leading but when did we last lead as an industry? we have to be leaders to encourage the uptake of Van excellence among smaller operators” Mark cartwright, fTa

4 May 2014 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

“A lot of van operators don’t do some of the obvious things that HGV operators do. Many could easily shave 10-15% off their fuel bill” Mark cartwright, fTa

“Van excellence is a statement about Balfour Beatty and our approach to safety” adrian Wanford, Balfour Beatty

“telematics is a change management agenda” Gary Banister, lex autolease

For advice on van safety,see fleetnews.co.uk/van-safety

editor’s column Simon Harris, deputy editor, Fleet Van

‘cab cameras capture bad drivers’ Superintendent Paul Keasey, operations manager, Central Motorways Police Group Fleet operators who install in-cab cameras to their vans could become the ‘eye and ears’ of the police when establishing what happened in the event of an incident. “Cab cameras help to capture bad drivers,” said Paul Keasey, of CMPG, the regional motorway policy group covering West Midlands, West Mercia and Staffordshire. “We could patrol the motorway network together – it will make a big difference.” Responding to a question from a fleet operator about the cost of investing in cameras, Keasey said: “PCCs (police crime commissioners) will be interested in helping to fund cameras that help to gather evidence. Also, could costs be reclaimed through criminal proceeds? We have to question

how we as an industry and a police service start to work differently.” Keasey applauded the aims of the Van Excellence scheme in recognising van fleets and suggested there could be an additional, unforeseen benefit offered by the police. “I’d love to be in a position in the future where we see a Van Excellence sticker and we understand from a policing point of view what that means regarding your behaviour and attitude towards educating drivers and ensuring your vehicles are roadworthy,” he said. “Can we not target vehicles that are part of Van Excellence and instead target those that do cause accidents, using our resource in the right areas?”

‘be vigilant on vehicle weight’

Adrian Wanford, group transport manager, Balfour Beatty According to DVLA figures, 55% of vans that are stopped are prohibited for being overweight. Adrian Wanford says almost three-quarters of vans operate as mobile toolboxes. Fleets have to be “vigilant” about the weight of these vehicles, he said. “If you exceed the GVW, it affects key components such as brakes and steering,” added Wanford. Balfour Beatty fits axle weight indicators which give the driver feedback. However, they are not totally accurate. It has also trialled weight pads, but they are cumbersome and slow to set up. Its solution was to acquire two portable dynamic weighbridges at a cost of £20,000, enabling it to weigh up to 50 vehicles an hour. Since that initial investment in 2020, it has since purchased another eight portable weighbridges. Balfour Beatty has also introduced a number of

other initiatives to tackle overloading, including: n Constant evaluation of van inventories – “it works, but it takes a lot of supervision by branches” n Educating staff to understand item weight n On-board weight indicators integrated into the telematics system n Trailers – “okay for some applications but causes issues with driver competency and hours”. n Tool stores, dropping containers on a project site with all the tools n Larger GVW vehicles n Driver supervision n Targeting high-risk vehicles to engineer greater payload by using different specifications “The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that humans horde things,” Wanford said. “We had an example of a van that contained 22 shovels! The key is good housekeeping: a tidy van is a compliant van.”

It’s the biggest show of the year for the UK commercial vehicle market and it didn’t disappoint. The CV Show had a record number of van launches, and a strong commitment to electric vans, which could be significant since the Government has allocated extra money to continue grants for plug-in vehicles. Vauxhall and Renault perhaps had the biggest story with the launch of the new Vivaro and Trafic. There was a subtle difference in strategy with the other vans both are partners on.

“Vauxhall and Renault had perhaps the biggest story with the launch of the new Vivaro and Trafic” Renault chose to show the revised Master, which comes with updated engines and new equipment, but Vauxhall decided not to show these updated on the Movano, instead waiting to present this vehicle to the media in June and giving the Vivaro its time in the limelight on the stand. Fiat also held back its heavilyrevised Ducato (which we will have driven by the time you read this), while Citroën made a splash with its version, the Relay. All these new vans promise lower operating costs than their predecessors, not only from better fuel efficiency, but also improved residual values. n See p18-21 for show coverage

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan may 2014 5

NE W S DIGE S T

W W W.F L EE T NE W S.C O.UK / VA N S

A third of van fleets risk paying more for tyres A third of van fleet operators do not have a formal tyre policy and are at risk of paying over the odds for their tyres, according to ATS Euromaster. The company warns that LCV tyres should

not be considered a low cost option, as the operational tyre costs of running a modern van fleet are no longer that far removed from that of a fleet of trucks. Fleets without a tyre policy risk paying more for their tyres as standardising on one brand can often enable a better fleet discount. An expertly-managed policy also has the potential to save businesses huge amounts in running costs, through maximising the longevity, safety, performance and fuelefficiency of each asset. The Freight Transport Association conducted the survey with its members, in conjunction with Van Excellence industry partner ATS Euromaster. Simon Tattersall, head of national accounts at ATS Euromaster, said: “The results highlighted that there are still a significant number of van fleets missing out on potentially valuable savings to their bottom line.”

“There are still a significant number of van fleets missing out on potentially valuable savings” Simon Tattersall, head of national accounts, ATS Euromaster

Lex Autolease launches ‘Driveaway’ Lex Autolease has launched a new range of purpose-built ‘Driveaway’ commercial vehicles. The vehicles are pre-fitted with industry-specific internal fixtures and fittings such as racking and storage solutions and are held as stock. With supply time averaging between 14 and 21 days, businesses benefit from shorter lead times and by not having to remove the vehicle from the road to undergo a separate conversion. Driveaway trade vans are initially available for the plumbing, electrical, joinery and general construction trades. ■ See page 21 for a report from the CV Show

New head of aftersales at Isuzu Truck Commercial vehicle manufacturer Isuzu Truck has appointed Mark Todd to a new role in the UK as head of aftersales. Todd, who has now been with the Hatfield-based company for more than 10 years, was formerly general manager for parts, service and warranty – a role he has undertaken for the past two years. He was also part of the shareholder team at ITUK when the company was sold to Isuzu Motors (Japan) in early 2013.

Telematics helps convict drink-driver A vehicle tracking device has helped convict a van driver who knocked down and killed a cyclist while drunk. Paul Walken, 42, failed to see 27-year-old Tim Osborn as he drove along the A151 Bourne Road in Spalding and hit him from behind, killing him almost instantly. Forensic tests revealed the presence of Osborn’s DNA on Walken’s van and a GPS

tracker device, fitted so the vehicle could be traced if stolen, showed he was on the same stretch of road at the time Osborn was killed. When the data was recovered it showed the van was travelling at 70mph in a 50mph limit. Walken admitted causing Osborn’s death by careless driving while unfit to drive through drink. He was jailed for eight years and banned from driving for 10 years.

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BenchM A rk InG By T he F TA – ec onoMIc ou T look

Recovery is reshaping the way ﬂeets fund vans operators are investigating new ways of funding and extending vehicle lifecycles By Mark Cartwright, head of LCVs, Freight Transport Association e spend our lives measuring and evaluating numbers to form and justify our views. The SMMT tells us van registrations are running 16% ahead of last year’s figures. The Government tells us GDP is forecast to increase by 2.9% this year. But what do operators think of their prospects this year? We asked FTA’s van operating members how they felt and the encouraging response was that 75% felt more confident about their company’s growth prospects now than they did 12 months ago. Does this mean they are looking to increase the size of their van fleets? Interestingly, despite the optimism around prospects for this year, only 40% of respondents were expecting an increase in fleet size. The reasons for this were varied but mostly focused around increased efficiencies and the desire to work smarter; ‘sweating the asset’ was a phrase that came up more than a few times. For those looking to increase the size of their fleet, the main driver for this decision was that they had won new contracts and needed more vehicles to meet their obligations. Pretty obvious I guess, but nevertheless a reflection on the vital roles vans play in the economy and especially so when you consider that most respondents here were clearly in the service, mobile toolbox category.

75%

of respondents feel more confident about their company’s growth prospects than they did 12 months ago

57%

of fleets are keeping their vans for longer

“As businesses look to take advantage of the recovering economy, the efficient use of cashflow reserves will become ever more important” Marcus Puddy, commercial vehicle director, Lex Autolease

Do you feel more conﬁdent about your company’s growth prospects now compared to 12 months ago?

8 May 2014 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

As service levels increase, then so do the number of mobile toolboxes. Aside from operators’ thoughts on their business development, we were also keen to understand their thoughts on vehicle finance. The truck world relies very heavily on external finance for their fleets; is this also the case for van operators? The clear response is no. The most prevalent method of funding van fleet purchases is outright purchase with almost two-thirds of vans being sourced this way. Interestingly, there seems no discernable difference in approach either across industry sectors – local authorities seem as likely to follow this route as, for example, civil engineering companies – or across the fleet sizes. The next most popular way of financing new acquisitions is straightforward leasing, which accounts for a further third of new arrivals. long–term hire (defined as over three months) accounts for around 6% of operators’ fleets with short-term hire making up just about 1% of an operator’s fleet on average. Is this likely to change? We asked operators to look into their crystal balls and predict what the future held for their own operations. There does seem to be a discernable movement away from external funding, with almost a third of respondents expecting to use cash reserves or internal finance more often to fund new purchases, with only 13% anticipating using these methods less. nevertheless, external funding will, of course, continue to have a major role to play for many operators, but even then the responses demonstrate a marginal drift from finance leasing towards contract hire with 23% expecting to make more use of contract hire compared to just 15% anticipating greater use of finance leasing. The other irrefutable trend confirmed by the survey was that, in general, operators were keeping their vans longer and running them further. our research found that 57% of operators are keeping their vans longer – the average age of disposal remains around 39 months – but more are now running vans past their fourth and even fifth birthdays. Why is this? There is, of course, an attraction in ‘sweating the asset’ but, as any time-served transport manager will tell you, there is a point of diminishing returns where the repair costs, time off road and reliability issues will make this unsustainable. however, several respondents commented that, as with cars and trucks, vans are increasingly robust and can realistically be operated effectively longer than traditionally accepted. For those operators who lease and long-term hire, what are the attractions and what do they expect from their providers? We asked operators to score the attraction of the various benefits put forward by the lease providers on a scale of one to five with one being ‘of little interest’ and five being ‘of vital importance’. The two greatest attractions identified are a reduction in maintenance costs (3.76 out of five) and the lure of fixed monthly repayments (3.73/5).

We similarly asked what operators felt was important in their relationship with lease and finance providers and, overwhelmingly, it is clear that many operators value operational support from their providers across the procurement process and into the ongoing operational role of the vehicles. The top three demands of users were that their provider demonstrates expertise and knowledge in the van market to advise on the best vehicle and fitment choices (4.26/5), their provider is able to provide a comprehensive aftersales support throughout the van’s operational life (4.24/5) and, supporting Van excellence’s call for a collaborative approach, that the provider is able to show expertise and knowledge in the operational environment and be able to pass on legislative and best practice advice (4.17/5). on the other side of the coin, what turns operators away from lease and contract hire? Three stand-out reasons were offered n A fear of high end-of-contract damage charges was a common concern with several respondents commenting on the unrealistic standards being employed on ‘working vehicles’ along with an inconsistent approach in assessment. n A feeling that the base interest fees applied were not the most competitive and organisations had an opportunity to fund internally or via other sources at more competitive rates. This is perhaps a contributory factor in the move towards in-house options identified earlier. n A reluctance to enter into a long-term commitment coupled with the difficulties and cost of extracting themselves from such deals. Marcus Puddy, commercial vehicle director at Van excellence industry partners lex Autolease, said: “With threequarters of FTA van operators feeling more confident about their future growth prospects now compared to 12 months ago, these results are encouraging and reflect the uk’s improving business climate. “As businesses look to take advantage of opportunities

Are you planning to increase the size of your van ﬂeet within the next 12 months?

For van operator guides, visit ﬂeetnews.co.uk/ vanbestpractice

presented by the recovering economy, the efficient use of cashflow reserves will become even more important. “Van operators that prefer to buy vehicles rather than lease them will often need to make a considerable financial outlay upfront, which puts pressure on cash reserves and saddles the business with a depreciating asset. “using alternative funding methods such as contract hire, contract purchase or a finance lease will free up a significant amount of capital that can be used in more productive ways to support business growth.” So what can we draw from this operator’s eye view of funding options? clearly, operators are reacting to the economic situation. Many are actively investigating new ways of funding externally and internally, they’re expecting a collaborative and supportive approach from their providers and they’re increasing the lifecycle of their vans before replacing. Interesting times!

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan May 2014 9

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IN SIGH T - YOrK SHIrE A mBUl A NCE SEr v ICE

Taking the drag out of blue light fuel bills Aerodynamic ambulances help YAS towards £1.5m fuel savings and 30% CO2 cut By John Charles peed is critical to Britain’s blue light fleets as they respond to calls 24/7, but that does not stop those life-saving organisations from adopting a significantly ‘green’ tinge. As part of its public sector cuts, the Government has charged the National Heath Service with trimming millions of pounds from budgets, so savings generated by improving fleet vehicle efficiency and utilisation can be redirected towards frontline patient care. Additionally, while blue light and other vehicles are operationally critical to the UK’s ambulance services, they are contributors to air pollution, which in turn impacts on the health of children and adults across Britain. It is little wonder, then, that the UK’s 14 ambulance services, collectively running perhaps as many as 20,000 vehicles, including 7,000 ambulances, have joined together to share ideas and best practice. GrEAN – the Green Environmental Ambulance Network – recognises that, as vehicle-based organisations, the ambulance services face very different challenges in reducing their carbon footprints than the rest of the health service. The NHS has set a carbon reduction target of 10% between 2007 and 2015 for ambulance services across the UK. However, the Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) is aiming for a 30% reduction in CO2 and hopes to save up to £1.5 million, mostly through fleet initiatives. Although its CO2 emissions have risen from a 2007 baseline of 16,531 tonnes – of which transport was responsible for more than 10,800 tonnes – to 18,000 tonnes in 2012/13 (with transport’s share accounting for more than 12,000 tonnes), YAS environmental and sustainability manager Alexis Keech says big wins are in the pipeline. Headquartered in Wakefield, YAS was the first UK ambulance service to employ an environmental and sustainability manager, in 2010, and the first to commence a carbon management programme. Today, YAS is one of five ambulance services to employ an environmental and sustainability manager. Keech works with fleet, estates and procurement departments to reduce the impact that the service has on carbon emissions. YAS’s estate emissions have gradually been decreasing through the introduction of more efficient lighting and boiler upgrades among

Alexis Keech, YAS’s environmental and sustainability manager: ‘We are working towards moving away from diesel’

“It is not about tree-hugging… there are financial benefits by adopting technology that will reduce our carbon footprint” Alexis Keech, YAS environmental and sustainability manager

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan May 2014 13

IN SIGH T - YOrK SHIrE A mBUl A NCE SEr v ICE other measures, but fleet emissions are more difficult to tackle with vehicles that need to reach destinations across 6,000 square miles as quickly as possible and serve more than five million people. Fleet CO2 emissions directly relate to the amount of miles driven (more than 30 million in 2012/13) and the volume of fuel used (almost £8m worth in 2012/13), so the introduction of significantly more efficient vehicles should give YAS a significant saving. Keech said: “The pace of technological developments of today and into the future enables us to reshape our fleet. We are all too aware that air pollution impacts on our patients’ health and we are working towards more hybrid and other alternatively fuelled vehicles on our fleet whilst moving away from diesel.” In 2010, YAS began working with leeds University on a ‘green ambulance challenge’ to design a vehicle that would replace what it called “a yellow and green driven brick”. Engineers used aerospace industry techniques to design hi-tech, low drag light bars and cut 800kg from the vehicle’s weight through innovative storage. Better material design and lightweight materials and equipment have allowed an increased payload and higher passenger capacity. The new, aerodynamic vehicles – manufactured by South manchester-based ambulance specialist Cartwright utilising a mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4.6-tonne van – have returned an average 21.18 mpg travelling more than 560 miles per week – an improvement of almost 25% on the average 16-18mpg fuel efficiency of an ambulance. YAS introduced 21 of the new vehicles to its fleet last year and 43 more in the first quarter of 2014. It anticipates transforming its fleet – 1,456 vehicles including a commercial operation with 495 frontline vehicles and 467 Patient Transport Services vehicles – by replacing 43 ambulances a year. It was the development of this new vehicle, alongside a host of other initiatives within YAS’s Carbon management Plan, that made it the Green van Fleet of the Year in the 2013 Fleet van Awards. Those other initiatives include: n An autoroute mapping system for Patient Transport Services vehicles cut annual mileage by 1.2m miles compared with 2010. n An eco-driving education programme, which identified potential savings of £500,000. members of the Patient Transport Services have been trained in eco-driving skills by internal trainers since 2010, which has resulted in an 11% improvement in mpg. n Fleet buying policy requires all new vehicles entering service to be Euro5-compliant, progressing to Euro6 when available. n Improved tracking of fuel purchases via fuel cards and bunkering. n Introduction of four Cycle response Units in city centres. n Each YAS location has appointed one employee to be a “carbon champion” to raise awareness of what is being implemented across all aspects of the organisation, which employs more than 4,500 people. meanwhile, Keech is confident that alternatively fuelled vehicles will have a future role in the fleet. She continues to examine potential uses for pure electric and range extender vehicles – although range and operational requirements currently limit their use – as well as fuel cell and compressed natural gas vehicles. Additionally, YAS’s fleet and carbon management programme is focusing on: n Introducing speed limiters with an override when ‘blue lights’ are turned on. n The replacement of all non-accident and emergency vehicles with hybrid, electric and compressed natural gas vehicles if suitable.

14 May 2014 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

The new vehicles use a redesigned light bar to reduce aerodynamic drag

25%

improvement in mpg on new ambulances compared with YAS’s current fleet

800kg was cut from each vehicle’s weight by innovative storage

For more on Yorkshire Ambulance Service’s green ﬂeet solutions, visit: www.ﬂeetnews.co.uk/yas

n The case for telematics implementation in association with the organisation’s accident reduction department. n Fitting solar panels to vehicles to trickle charge their auxiliary batteries, reducing reduce the need for the engine to be run while on standby waiting for emergency calls. South Central Ambulance Service has successfully introduced this initiative, which came out of the GrEAN network. n Equipping vehicles with ‘green’ tyres. n Introducing brake regenerative technologies. Keech said: “We work in a responsive environment and currently we are seeing the number of calls received increase at the rate of 4% a year, but by taking a holistic approach we can reduce our fleet carbon footprint because that is potentially where the biggest savings will come from. “The demands on our mobile estate are huge and there are many influencing factors and huge variables, but at all times we must ensure that we have resilient vehicles that are comfortable for staff and patients.” Highlighting that there is no monopoly on introducing ‘green’ fleet solutions, Keech said when she was appointed she wanted to exchange best practice ideas with other ambulance fleets. From those exchanges, GrEAN was born and all the UK’s 14 ambulance services are represented on the initiative. It has compiled a ‘Climate Change Adaptation report’ that analyses the potential detrimental effect of climate change and the response that the ambulance service can make to mitigate the effects. Keech said: “By working together, we can be more effective and identify solutions, such as fitting solar panels to vehicles, that we know work following trials. “It is not about tree-hugging, but there are financial benefits to be had by adopting technology that will reduce our carbon footprint.”

T H E

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Q. Why Citan? A.‘Trust, value, quality’

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C v sho w

CommerCial vehiCle show 2014 Fleet buyers were given a close look at the latest models and products By Trevor Gehlcken and Simon Harris v show 2014 at the NeC in Birmingham proved one of the most successful yet, with a record number of new van launches as the various manufacturers bid to grab a slice of a market which is up 16% so far this year. Fleet buyers were greeted with a tempting array of new models, all promising to take the industry to new levels of cost-effectiveness, safety and road manners. among the new models on show were the Ford Transit and Transit Courier, which will go on sale later this year, renault revealed its new Trafic, upgraded master and Twizy Cargo electric van, vauxhall took the wraps off the new vivaro, Citroën gave a world première to its new relay panel van and Nissan displayed the electric eNv200 which will go on sale in June, along with an upgraded version of the evergreen Cabstar. in addition, hundreds of companies which are vital to the everyday running of van fleets displayed their wares.

Tim Tozer, Vauxhall chairman and managing director, unveils the new Vivaro

Wraps come off new Trafic and Vivaro

Courier completes Ford’s van plan Ford’s strategy to change its entire van range within the space of two years is coming to full fruition this year with the launch of the Transit Courier – and all four Transit offerings were on display on the manufacturer’s huge stand. The Transit name is now given to four vans ranging from city van (Courier) through small van (Connect), to medium van (Custom) and large panel van, simply named Transit. The Courier goes on sale later this year and visitors to the stand were able have a close look at it. Fleet Van will be testing this vehicle for the first time in the June issue. The Courier, which will go head-tohead against the popular trio of Fiat Fiorino/Citroën Nemo/Peugeot Bipper, promises best-in-class running costs, with 10% more load volume than its rivals.

18 May 2014 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

The biggest launch of the show happened simultaneously on two different stands as renault revealed the new Trafic and vauxhall took the wraps off the new vivaro. The vans are the same with different badges and built under a joint venture by the two companies. in another joint venture, renault showed off the new larger master, which has been upgraded this year, although vauxhall chose to give the vivaro the limelight, keeping the revised movano under wraps until June. The Trafic and vivaro were originally launched in 2000. The new models offer fresh looks, a cab which turns into a mobile office with many handy features, a bigger load area, new engines offering better fuel economy and electronic stability control. meanwhile, the facelifted master has a fresh front-end, new twin turbo powerplant option going up to 165hp from 150hp in the older model yet offering 7.3mpg better fuel economy, new technology such as Grip Xtend, hill start assist, trailer swing assist and a wide view mirror in the passenger sunblind which allows the driver to see along the blind side of the van. The l4 version gets single rear wheels which

“Electric vehicles are pivotal to our sales strategy” Nicholas Guiochet, Renault

allow for a greater payload and load volume. vauxhall chairman and managing director Tim Tozer was at the show to reveal the new vivaro and he announced that the van, which will be built at luton, now contains 40% of British parts. he added: “This van is the result of a €93 million investment and we are proud to build it here in the UK. it is bigger, better and more focused on the needs of business users. it enjoys a 25% of the segment share at present and we plan to grow that even further.” renault also displayed, for the first time, the Twizy Cargo electric microvan alongside the Kangoo Ze electric van. renault’s lCv range director Nicholas Guiochet said: “electric vehicles are pivotal to our sales strategy and we believe the Twizy Cargo will make quite an impact. it’s small with two seats and is ideal for in-town deliveries. it’s easy to park and a fantastic promotional tool, especially when decked in company colours.” The Twizy Cargo offers a 75kg payload and costs less than 1.5p per mile to run on its electric charge.

British Gas takes on 100 Nissan eNV200s

New Relay features a large multi-piece front bumper

New Relay offers up to 15% better fuel economy The Citroën relay and Fiat Ducato may be the same van with different badges (apart from their engines) but Citroën stole a march on Fiat by using the show for the world première of its new panel van. Fiat, meanwhile, didn’t have a new Ducato on display. Jeremy smith, Citroën’s head of commercial vehicles and business sector operations, said: “when it goes on sale in the third quarter this year, new relay will build upon the success of its predecessor which, even at the end of its production life, is still delivering high UK sales volumes. “we expect that the wide choice of relay variants – all offering class-leading load-carrying practicality and low cost of operation, coupled with even higher standards of equipment – will increase its popularity with both national fleets and small and medium enterprise businesses.” The relay has a stylish new front-end and a large, multi-piece front bumper to minimise accident damage and reduce repair costs. high use, high stress items such as the rear doors have been reinforced and higher strength door hinges are now used. The sliding side load doors feature reinforced rails, re-designed

“We expect the wide range of variants will increase its popularity” Jeremy Smith, Citroën runners and improved door locks. Underbody improvements include re-designed shock absorber mountings for reduced road noise. Citroën’s hDi diesel engine choice has improved, with up to 15% better fuel economy and lower Co2 emissions figures. all new relays in the 3.0-3.5 tonne gvw sector have combined cycle economy of up to 42.8mpg and sub-200g/km Co2. service intervals have been extended to two years/30,000 miles. all relays also have Citroën’s Trafficmaster smartNav intelligent satellite navigation and Trackstar stolen vehicle tracking, which provides further operational cost savings and efficiency gains.

The future of electric vans has become brighter with British Gas taking on 100 new Nissan eNv200s. The electric van was launched at the show and will go on sale in June. so far the take-up of electric lCvs has been slow, with just over 1,000 sold last year in a total van market of 227,000. But after exhaustive testing of the eNv200, Britain’s third largest van fleet has given this technology a huge thumbs-up. ron morton, managing director, supply chain and procurement at British Gas, said: “Two or three years ago we set a target for a significant part of our fleet to be zero emission. i was extremely sceptical about electric vans but we took on 28 eNv200s over the winter. “we put them to work in our service and repair business at the worst time of the year and in the most challenging climates in scotland, the north east and london. “They undertook a total of 60,000 miles. we had no breakdowns and the drivers just love them. That’s why we have placed this order. we aim to make a minimum of 10% of our fleet zero emission within a couple of years.” Nissan’s corporate sales director Barry Beeston said he hoped this deal would act as a springboard for better sales of electric vans and he aims to be “knocking on fleet doors” using the experience of British Gas to quell any fears over the technology. as a result of the deal, Beeston is now predicting a total of 900 units sold this year and 2,000 in 2015.

MySafeDrive telematics system gives responsibility back to the driver a new telematics product was launched at the show that devolves responsibility for safe driving as well as giving drivers built-in rewards. mysafeDrive, offered by eDrive Group, is similar to insurance-based telematics systems offered to consumers, and is aimed at lCv and car fleets. individual drivers have their own log-in and are given alerts and updates. it monitors how they are driven, giving drivers points scores which can be used to gain discounts on servicing,

tyres, fuel or insurance that can be used for private cars. The system can’t be turned off, so driving will be monitored during private mileage, but mysafeDrive doesn’t track vehicles. however, it can be used as a crash management system, recording what a vehicle does in the moments before an impact. simon murray, sales and marketing director at eDrive, said: “This isn’t a fleet management system. it offers the benefit of telematics in

monitoring the driver, but also gives responsibility back to the driver for their own behaviour. “The system can be set with a threshold so the fleet manager is alerted to poor driving and that can be addressed, but the points scores are usually enough to encourage the drivers to modify their behaviour and drive safely. “it doesn’t drill down in as much detail as some systems, but it encourages driver buy-in because of the incentives and could be used on the grey fleet.”

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan May 2014 19

C v sho w

Mercedes launches ProCenters network The mercedes-Benz stand at the show featured every vehicle from the petite Citan to the 44-tonne actros, but the most significant news was the launch of a new product, not a vehicle. The German manufacturer is about to open a new network of ProCenters which will offer better levels of aftercare for fleet buyers. steve Bridge, managing director of mercedesBenz vans, said: “we looked at the fleet centres run by rival manufacturers and analysed what the best bits were. we then fashioned our programme round those bits and we are confident that our ProCenters will offer the very best in all areas.” To become an accredited van ProCenter, mercedes-Benz van dealers must achieve more than 50 standards across all business areas. These requirements include extended opening hours for customer convenience and meeting strict requirements on staff training, qualifications and expertise to ensure there is a specialist available for every need, from bodybuilding to fleet sales to out-of-hours service requirements. in addition, there are obligations around the availability of a wide selection of demonstration and display vehicles. van ProCenter dealers are additionally required to have best-in-class brand and product presentation at their premises where they should also retail a range of used vans.

Mercedes-Benz had a record year for van sales in 2013

From an aftersales perspective, van ProCenter dealers must have specialist van service advisers and technicians, and ensure customer mobility by providing replacement vehicles and collection and delivery services. once accredited, customers are assured of the industry’s highest levels of service, while the dealers receive additional investment, support and training from mercedes-Benz UK. To ensure these levels of service are maintained, every van

ProCenter will be subject to an annual audit. Bridge said the manufacturer had a record year for van sales in 2013 and intends to keep the momentum going this year with the help of the new ProCenters. he said: “we have had an exceptional year so far in 2014 and, in fact, we have had so many orders that we face a challenge in fulfilling them. For the first time since 2007 we are actually having supply problems and some models have a lead time up to November.”

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Improve driver behaviour to cut costs ‘Driver behaviour’ is a real buzz phrase around the fleet industry. The difference in fuel economy between the best and worst drivers in a fleet can be as much as 30%, not to mention the accidents and maintenance costs... Telematics companies have adapted their products to report in great depth on driver behaviour, but it remains the job of the fleet manager to analyse the data and talk retrospectively with the drivers. Not all fleet managers have time for this. Lightfoot® is the new kid on the block. Lightfoot® gives the vehicle a voice to inform the driver how it wants to be driven. It works proactively with the driver in real time to help them drive more efficiently, like a permanent in-vehicle driver trainer who improves driving in-themoment and sustains these improvements over time. So the improvements are made in-cab between driver and Lightfoot®, not

retrospectively by the fleet manager. This self-managing approach with ‘at-aglance’ weekly email reporting has been a hit with leading private sector fleets such as Autoglass® and public sector fleets throughout the UK. Lightfoot® has proven fuel savings of more than 12%. Customers have also quoted ‘driver at fault’ accidents reduced by up to 50%, reduced wear and tear

and maintenance costs, reduced public complaints about drivers and reduced idling time. In response to customer demand, Lightfoot® has recently added a ‘tracking’ functionality. Lightfoot® is not for everyone, it is for fleets with any of the following criteria: n Fleet managers who don’t have time to effectively administer telematics data n Fleet managers who believe correcting bad driving in the moment is more effective than retrospective analysis n Fleet managers looking to save fuel and accident cost with a high impact, low admin solution.

Contact Lightfoot® for a free fleet review to establish whether this is the right product for you: Telephone: 0845 641 0716 Email: info@lightfoot.co.uk Website: www.lightfoot.co.uk

20 May 2014 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

Lex Autolease targets SMEs with Driveaway lex autolease is making a bid for a greater share of the lCv contract hire market, targeting smes with its Driveaway product. launched at the start of april, it offers customers a range of type-approved converted vans – initially from vauxhall, Ford, Fiat and mercedes-Benz – and is targeting 2,500 units in 2014, rising to 7,500 in 2015. while the scheme launched with a choice of panel vans fitted with racking and a number of chassis cab conversions, lex plans to add further options this year, including welfare buses, minibuses and refrigerated vans. last year lex announced plans to increase the size of its fleet by 100,000 vehicles to 370,000 by the end of 2017. more than half of this increase in fleet size (55,000) will come from commercial vehicles.

its commercial vehicle fleet has increased by 8% in the last six months to 75,600. marcus Puddy, commercial vehicle director at lex autolease, said the company’s presence at the Cv show should help raise awareness of Driveaway, and believes it has strong appeal for sme customers. he told Fleet Van: “we can offer customers crash-tested, eU type-approved converted vehicles without adding extra time or parties to the ordering process. “we can deliver them within 14 working days of ordering because we have been able to back-fill that stock. The pricing is competitive because we have negotiated good terms with the manufacturers. “Driveaway covers 90% of what the market wants in van conversions.”

Marcus Puddy: Driveaway has strong appeal for SMEs

More then 90% of fleets could cut fuel costs more than 90% of fleets could be doing more when it comes to reducing fuel costs, according to research presented by shell at the show.

Fiat aims to change brand perceptions

a study of 200 fleet operators, 76% of which ran light commercial vehicles as well as hGvs, showed only 4% believed there was no more money to be saved. Phil williams, head of shell commercial fleet, said: “half of those surveyed believed actions they were already taking were resulting in savings of between 5% and 10%.

Fiat used its stand to emphasis the versatility of its vans conversions. sebastiano Fedrigo, Fiat’s lCv director, said: “we need to change people’s perceptions of what Fiat can offer in the way of conversions and niche vehicles. “when people want a special vehicle they don’t immediately think about us, but thanks to the wide range we now offer, we are talking to fleets who would not in the past have talked to us.” Fiat recorded a rise of 70% in sales last year and has launched two new ranges – Technico and sportivo. on the stand were various niche models in fleet colours such as the Doblo maxi in royal mail livery and a Doblo workUp with Balfour Beatty logos.

ATS produces best practice guidebook aTs euromaster is using the Cv show to launch a new guidebook to help lCv operators improve the efficiency of their van fleets. Containing 25 tips to improve fleet performance, the 12-page booklet builds on aTs euromaster’s five decades of servicing van fleets, as well as its own experience of running more than 820 mobile service vehicles. The guide provides best practice advice from choosing the right chassis, body and driveline package, to vehicle security, fuel management, servicing and the importance of establishing a tyre policy. Peter Fairlie, group sales director of aTs euromaster, said: “we’re the most experienced in the industry at supporting lCv fleets; plus more than 95% of our centres can accommodate longwheelbase high-roof panel vans. we also know what it’s like to run a busy van operation – in our case, the largest mobile tyre-fitting operation in the business. “our booklet is filled with essential information and will serve as a useful tool to benchmark any van fleet. The greater the precision in how a company specifies and manages its vans, the more control it has of overall efficiency.”

“and 67% of fleets believed driver behaviour was the main influencer for savings. as data is available through telematics, the impact of discussions with drivers about the way they drive can be checked the next day. “we can help fleets with resources to manage and implement the findings of their telematics data thanks to our support team.”

Fedrigo said: “it is paramount that fleet buyers are happy with the products they get from us and our Fiat Professional dealers have an hGv mentality, which means better aftersales care. “This all helped to make us the fastest-growing brand last year and with more niche vehicles on the way, we intend to grow even more this year.” what is not always appreciated is that Fiat makes a range of models for other manufacturers. The Citroën Nemo and relay, Peugeot Bipper and Boxer and the vauxhall Combo are all Fiat vans underneath their badges. so does it irk Fedrigo that many people do not realise this? “No,” he said. “we see it as an endorsement of our product that other manufacturers want to use it.”

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan May 2014 21

F O L L OW T H E L E A D E R : S M R

SMR is at the core of any effective fleet management strategy The right approach has far-reaching benefits for any company By Joe Fielder, Sales and Marketing Director, BT Fleet ervice, Maintenance and Repair (SMR) is now considered to be at the core of any effective fleet management strategy. Many leading operators are beginning to realise that an optimised SMR strategy can be fundamental to improving cost efficiency, driver satisfaction and competitive advantage. Devising such a strategy though is no simple matter… This is because for SMR, there is no simple one-size-fits-all. Best practices are often about applying one proven set of standards across all fleets. BT Fleet is a firm believer that each fleet has a different utilisation profile and, as such, should be serviced as part of a bespoke schedule that best suits its needs. The BT Fleet approach to SMR is based on planning, controlling and reporting modelled on a case-by-case basis. It is designed with flexibility in mind, allowing your fleet management strategy to adapt as new opportunities for improvement are discovered.

Our history BT Fleet has a unique perspective on the world of SMR. We were

conceived originally as an in-house resource to manage one of Europe’s largest van fleets and, after growing quickly, started to offer the ‘BT’ experience to external customers. Born out of necessity we may have been, but our specific combination of skills has allowed us to provide constantly evolving fleet solutions to some of the UK’s leading service providers. The three pillars of SMR Vehicle optimisation The primary concern of an efficient SMR strategy is maximising vehicle availability. BT Fleet helps you achieve this by implementing an optimised performance plan specific to your fleet, and not just following the vehicle manufacturer’s schedule. We implement the latest technological innovations such as ECU remapping to ensure an optimisation profile that is balanced between fuel efficiency, CO2 emissions and power output. Encompassing scheduling factors such as vehicle profile, age, maintenance outlook, geography of operation and driver quality, BT Fleet optimises your vehicles for both performance and reduced environmental impact.

Driver optimisation SMR tends to be treated as a purely technical ﬁeld, but BT Fleet recognises the importance of human factors, such as the behavioural change amongst drivers. SMR can provide a gateway to quantifying driver performance and better assessing accidental and unreported damage. BT Fleet can help implement ﬂeet analytics that can be correlated with driver comments, allowing you to predict performance and reliability issues before they become a problem and lead to vehicle downtime.

Garage optimisation Our SMR strategy also takes into account the importance of the garage itself. In recent years, ISO compliance and documentation of standard processes has placed increased pressure on budgets. In order to offset this expenditure, we offer a number of services covering technological innovations, manufacturer liaisons and collection and delivery. Our approaches aim to streamline your in-house infrastructure and free up on-site staff and property for other uses.

To ﬁnd out more please contact us: telephone

Our implementation BT Fleet’s extensive experience allows us to cater for a wide range of unique fleet requirements. Recently we helped rubbish clearance business AnyJunk meet its duty of care responsibilities. The company has grown rapidly since its launch in October 2004, and this makes it imperative that AnyJunk has a fleet supplier with excellent coverage and experience with complex commercial vehicles. BT Fleet offered AnyJunk fixed labour costs across its network of garages, ensuring certainty of price, with no additional costs or hidden extras. BT Fleet’s nationwide garage network gives AnyJunk confidence that its vehicles will successfully pass PMIs (Periodic Maintenance Inspections) undertaken by VOSA (Vehicle Operator Service Agency). A different tailored SMR solution was required by cash management providers, G4S. The market that G4S operates in is unique, and as a result its vehicles require modification to ensure security and adaptability for transporting high-value goods. G4S wanted assurance that its fleet manager could understand the complexities that arise from managing a unique fleet, and deliver improved efficiency and cost savings. G4S recognised the benefits of BT Fleet’s nationwide network of 500 garages, allowing for servicing on a local level as well as providing specialist equipment to service their customised vehicles. BT Fleet also created a dedicated ‘daily clinic’ service, whereby specialist technicians could visit G4S locations and undertake on-site maintenance. The value of such partnerships often lies in the detail. G4S wanted

to identify why 75-90 vehicles were breaking down each month. A team of BT technicians identified the fault was related to a lack of charge being delivered through the vehicle battery. 1,500 Advanced Glass Matt batteries were subsequently installed across the fleet, reducing breakdowns by 70% and greatly improving efficiency. Our solution BT Fleet has evolved in-line with market needs, demonstrating the tremendous potential that comes from fleet managers partnering with SMR practitioners. Being able to leverage optimised garage services, innovative technology and bespoke schedules yields better results. We also commit ourselves as a dedicated partner, working with fleet managers to understand the specific needs of a fleet and design the smartest solutions. BT Fleet recognises that Service, Maintenance and Repair is not just about enhancing efficiencies and cutting costs. As a commercial business, you can also see significant gains in service delivery as a result of vehicle optimisations and a bespoke maintenance schedule. With fewer vehicles on the road, fewer accidents, reduced downtime and environmentally-minded driving behaviour, end customers will see better service for all at a lower cost. BT Fleet treats SMR as a process, not an overhead. A process that can be refined to generate greater cost efficiencies and enhanced service delivery. A partnership with BT Fleet will help you streamline your fleet management strategy today and deliver lasting value for your end customers.

“Best practices are often about applying one proven set of standards across all ﬂeets”

e 0800 032 0012, email sales@btﬂeet.com www.btﬂeet.com

In sIgH T – R oU T Ing a nd s cHedUl Ing s of T wa Re

Work faster, smarter and more objectively Routing and scheduling software can save fleets time, money and increase efficiency By Andrew Ryan fficient vehicle routing and scheduling of a van fleet has a significant impact on a business. It can reduce mileage and fuel costs, ensure van loads are maximised and can improve customer service by allowing accurate delivery times to be given. Traditionally routes have been worked out manually, but routing and scheduling software works faster, smarter and more objectively than humans. There is often a business case to be made, therefore, for introducing a routing and scheduling application into even the smallest fleets. Here, one company tells us about the impact a system has had on its business, while three of the UK’s leading suppliers outline their products and services.

case study: liberty wines

Adopting routing and scheduling software has made Liberty Wines’s fleet “more efficient than ever before”, says its head of operations, Ben Marriott. The London-based company operates between 10 and 15 large vans depending on the time of year – the majority of which are run by long-term sub-contractors. The company makes up to 200 deliveries of wine a day in the capital and the Home Counties. Routing software has enabled it to maximise its loads and dramatically cut the amount of

time spent planning routes, as well as improve its delivery service to customers. “Before we started operating the software, all our routing was done on paper,” says Marriott. “It was quite time consuming as we would have hundreds of pieces of paper so we would have to split them up depending on area and then use our knowledge of London to determine the best routes. It worked reasonably well. “However, our core clients are restaurants and their expectations are very high as they typically need deliveries between 9am and 12pm. Some have more restrictive times than that, and while we didn’t miss deliveries, there were occasions when we missed times. “Also, we were not very

“It took a short time to get it right, but now it’s got to the point where we wouldn’t be able to manage without it” Ben Marriott, head of operations, Liberty Wines

24 May 2014 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

Software allowed Liberty Wines to send vans out with 20% more cargo on them

efficient in terms of planning a route which would allow us to load the vans fully.” Liberty Wines introduced Paragon routing software in 2012 after discussions with the business and talking to other wine delivery companies which used the software. “As with all new systems it took a short time to get it right, but now it’s got to the point where we wouldn’t be able to manage without it,” says Marriott. “We are more efficient than we have ever been in terms of the number of cases we put on on a van and we are sending them

out with 20% more volume than we used to because it is easier to plot the most efficient routes. “We thought the cost savings would pay back our outlay on the software within two years, but we’ve probably beaten that by six months.” Marriott says the software also makes it easier to give customers a much more accurate estimated delivery time than before. “When a customer wants to know the estimated time of arrival, we can get the information quickly and be confident it is correct,” he adds.

PARAGON

MASTERNAUT Q: How much does it cost? A: £20,000-plus depending on the size and scale of the operation.

Q: What products do you offer to light commercial vehicle fleets? A: Paragon Single Depot, Paragon Multi Depot, Paragon Integrated Fleets and Paragon Fleet Controller. Q: Is your software off-the-shelf or bespoke? A: Off-the-shelf, but extremely configurable so it can be set up for all types of transport operations. Q: What size fleets does your software work for? A: Generally, we recommend a starting point of 10 or more vehicles operating from one site, up to hundreds of vehicles operating from multiple sites.

Q: How often are software updates released? A: Once a year. Clients pay an annual support fee which entitles them to upgrades, software fixes, map updates, a support visit from their regular support consultant and access to the Paragon hotline. Q: What sort of training/support is available to customers? A: When a customer decides to purchase a Paragon system, we are determined to make sure that their use of our software is as beneficial as possible for their operations. With a total of 200 years of extensive experience, our support team takes customers through implementation and set-up, from calibration through to parallel running and go-live. Once the system is live, customers have the back-up of our hotline team who can help with any issues.

infrastructure is shared regardless of fleet size.

Q: What products do you offer to light commercial vehicle fleets? A: Light commercial vehicle fleets can access and utilise the entire Masternaut offering, our Connect platform and all associated modules. Q: Is your software off-the-shelf or bespoke? A: Our platforms and products offer highly-customised services, without the need to pay for costly bespoke development. We also offer bespoke development. Q: What size fleets does your software work for? A: All of the functionality and

Q: How much does it cost? A: Return on investment is typically six or seven times the annual licence fee. Our modular service means customers are paying only for the elements of the service they wish to use with the ability to upgrade to additional modules. Q: How often are software updates released? A: Approximately every eight weeks. The vast majority are enhancement upgrades that we do not charge for. Q: What sort of training/support is available to customers? A: Our support includes on-site training, webinars and contextual help. A semi-autonomous consultancy division has a range of products such as programme management, return on investment analysis, and union/workers council support.

FLEETWIZARD Q: What size fleets does your software work for? A: The system can be used by any size fleets – from five to 500

Q: What products do you offer to light commercial vehicle fleets? A: We have a range of products which can be applied to any type of transport or logistics operation. The key point of difference of FleetWizard is fully-integrated automatic transport planning, using advanced routing optimisation software to produce least-cost routing plans in minutes. This is part of FleetWizard’s end-to-end integrated system which manages operations from order to invoice. We also offer an Android application for driver’s phones/ PDAs which jobs are sent to. Q: Is your software off-the-shelf or bespoke? We have off-the-shelf systems that can be quickly made available, but our software has been developed to be flexible so we can develop bespoke solutions as required.

Q: How much does it cost? A: We are happy to work on a monthly software leasing basis which avoids significant up-front investment. The monthly fee is derived from the software modules included and is calculated per vehicle. It includes all FleetWizard software licences, office users, training, support and maintenance. Pricing starts at £10 per month per vehicle though there is a modest minimum monthly charge. Q: How often are software updates released? A: Any regular software updates are released as they are available and don’t cost extra. Significant additional functionality would be discussed. Q: What sort of training/support is available to customers? A: The system is really easy to use so training and support is very simple. Full training and support is provided by our experienced team and is included in the monthly fees.

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan May 2014 25

Sp OT L IgH T – CI T R OËn

Citroën to take a ‘steady as you go’ approach to growth SMEs will play a vital role in manufacturer’s sales aspirations By Trevor Gehlcken ith Citroën’s van sales up 22% this year in a market which has risen by 16%, now would seem to be an ideal time to take over the reins as its head of commercial vehicles and business sector operations. Over the years Citroën has been one of the most proactive manufacturers in the sales field, looking to attract fleet business with special deals and enhanced vehicle specification. It has paid off insofar as the French manufacturer is sitting comfortably as the fifth biggest seller of new vans in the UK. It comes after a year where the brand had witnessed growth of 25.8% to 22,989, representing an 8.48% share of the LCV market (below 3.5t gvw). So how will Jeremy Smith, the new man at Citroën’s fleet sales helm, continue to grow the firm’s van fleet business? “The combination of the strong Citroën LCV range and the high level of service provided by our Business Centres to fleet customers has proved to be very successful – which is reflected by the company’s fast-growing SME sector penetration,” he says. “It has always been the case that all Citroën dealers sell LCVs, many extremely successfully. “My role now is to enable and encourage the non-Business Centre part of the Citroën dealer network to grow their LCV sales. “As such, I will be putting in place programmes which will allow these dealers to increase the LCV business, while at the same time ensuring that the Business Centre network continues to grow.” Smith plans to adopt a ‘steady as she goes’ approach to build on the successes achieved by his predecessor Scott Michael. “Scott and his predecessor Robert Handyside gained

considerable success for Citroën LCVs during one of the most serious recessions for many years,” he says. “I plan to adopt a ‘steady as you go’ approach to continue this growth. The key to Citroën’s LCV success in recent years has been the Business Centre network. “It has been the company’s policy to stay clear of bulk, commodity-type fleet business, where margins are sacrificed for the sake of volume. “There will be no change in this policy as Citroën will continue to concentrate on business which is profitable and will not undermine residual values in the future. “Thus, Citroën will continue to concentrate on SME business through both its Business Centres and to a growing extent, the remainder of its dealer network. “The company, through its national fleet sales area fleet management team, will also maintain its activity and considerable success in growing its national fleet business with companies with more than 50 vehicles.” Looking forward to this year, which will see the launch of a facelifted Relay, Smith says: “The fact that Citroën can grow its market share in the face of strong competition is a good indicator of the strength of the current nemo, Berlingo, Dispatch and Relay model line-up. “Around half of our LCV sales are accounted for by the Berlingo. This model has benefited from a programme of continuous improvement. “Today the Berlingo offers customers the benefits of high payloads, the widest variety of factory-built derivatives, including enhanced traction vans, chassis platforms as well as petrol, diesel, diesel micro-hybrid and electric drivelines. “Similarly, the Dispatch is growing in popularity as more operators either downsize from large panel vans or upsize from high-cube vans such as the Berlingo. “At the smallest end of the Citroën LCV range, the nemo has grown steadily in popularity as more operators become

Business centres key to growth in sMe Market Since their inception in 2011, Business Centres have played a major role in Citroën’s growth in the SME sector. There are currently 82 in place. To be a Business Centre – a voluntary process – dealers have to make considerable investment in facilities, staff, training and stock. Dealers have to employ a dedicated Business Centre manager and provide additional training to existing staff in order that they have a complete understanding of the financial, legislative and LCV conversion matters.

26 May 2014 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

Smith says: “In addition, dealers have to make major investment in providing a wider range of demonstrators including mandatory selection of specialist Ready-to-Run bodied vehicles and a large choice of courtesy vehicles including more LCVs. “Business Centres are required to offer their customers extended workshop opening hours and provide tailored sales and aftersales cover to meet the requirements of their local customer base”

22%

increase in Citroen’s van sales in 2014

8.48%

Citroen’s LCV market share in 2013

factfile Name: Jeremy Smith Job: Head of CV and business sector operations, Citroën UK Career history: Worked at Ford as a graduate before moving into the ﬁnance industry for seven years. Joined Citroën in 1993 and has worked in ﬂeet, marketing, Citroën Financial Services and product and pricing. He spent four years in its retail group. Most recently he was responsible for planning sales campaigns for SME and retail markets.

Favourite holiday destination: Florida Keys Favourite ﬁlm: The Green Mile starring Tom Hanks. It’s very moving and thoughtprovoking, whatever your religious beliefs. What three records would you take to a desert island?: A selection of classical, opera and choral music – my son is an operatic tenor, having been a head chorister, so he is slowly educating my music tastes!

Jeremy Smith: ‘I will be putting in place programmes which will allow dealers to increase the LCV business’

aware of its ability to carry relatively large and heavy loads in a very small overall package. “The nemo’s success has also benefited from this model’s exceptional fuel economy. “And, our largest LCV, the Relay, has shown continuous steady growth. Later this year, with the introduction of the new 2014 Relay, we will have a model that builds and improves on the current model’s efficient load -carrying ability. “With the new Relay in place and Citroën’s programme of continuous improvement, I would hope that Citroën will maintain steady growth in the face of the many new models being launched by our competitors.” Ready to Run Citroën has also gained customers thank’s to its Ready to Run programme, which offers a range of conversions for fleet purposes, and Smith intends to continue offering fresh models. “The programme is under continuous review and the individual convertors involved in Ready to Run are active in improving their products to maintain their individual sector leadership,” says Smith. “Right from the start, Citroën set out to use the leading convertors in their specialist fields for the Ready to Run programme. Today the programme includes tippers (made by Tipmaster), dropside trucks (made by Ingimex), Luton vans (made by Buckstone), temperature-controlled vehicles (made by Somers), glass-carrying vehicles (made by

“I would hope that Citroën will maintain steady growth in the face of the many new models being launched by competitors” Jeremy Smith, Citroën Supertrucks) and minibuses (made by Advanced) “They are sold with a Citroën factory warranty of two years/unlimited mileage or three years/100,000 miles. “This has enabled Citroën to grow the number of vehicles it sells with specialist conversions, a process which has been assisted by the widespread availability of ex-stock Citroën converted product held by our Business Centres, which are now increasingly active in the converted vehicle sector.” november sees a new law which requires all new vans to be fitted with electronic stability control (ESC). At present Citroën charges for this safety system, so is the company was all geared up for the new law – and will it mean an increase in prices to cover the cost? He said: “Yes. To include this feature, which is not an inexpensive item, there will be a small increase in list prices to cover the cost of this specification enhancement.”

‘electric vans coMpleMent diesel lcvs’

Citroën was one of the first manufacturers to offer an electric van (the Berlingo Electrique) in the 1990s. After withdrawing it from sale a few years later, it has now launched another electric Berlingo. With sales of electric vans slow to take off, Jeremy Smith is realistic in his sales predictions. He says: “Citroën has always said that electric vehicles complement conventional diesel powered LCVs, in that they are suitable only for certain niche operational requirements. “Previous experience with the original Berlingo Electrique shows that electric LCVs are suited to local authority applications, such as meals on wheels, parks departments and other operations where the vehicles go out and return to the same base every day. “Other suitable electric LCV operations include airport ground support, inter-facility operation and applications where silent, low emissions running is a primary consideration. “Given these niche operations, all-electric LCVs are only likely to make up a relatively small percentage of total market needs, with their use concentrated in mainly urban areas.”

For the latest van reviews, visit: ﬂeetnews.co.uk/vans/ reviews/

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan May 2014 27

Advertisement feature

Strong first quarter for LCV sales at BCA CA is reporting an exceptionally strong first quarter in the used commercial vehicle sector, with vendors enjoying good conversions and often exceptional returns. Average values for commercial vehicles continue to rise, as Quarter 1 2014 posted the highest figure on record, according to BCA’s latest figures. Demand for LCVs was strong, with a number of record sales around the BCA network as light commercial vehicles averaged £5,408 across the quarter. BCA’s data shows that, year-on-year, Quarter 1 values remain well ahead in 2014, up by £641 (13.4%) over the 12-month period. Average age has risen over the year by nearly two months to 59.68 months, while mileage has decreased by around 500 miles on average over the same period. Average CAP performance was up marginally compared to 12 months ago. The next question, of course, is how long are the good times going to last? With the UK’s economy rejuvenating and set to grow over the next few years, what’s in store for the used commercial sector?

Improving economy BCA’s general manager – commercial vehicles, Duncan Ward, commented: “There can be little doubt that the improving economic background is giving a boost to the used LCV market, particularly as seasonal demand increases from the building and construction industries. Many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK are now upbeat about their

SMEs are upbeat – and they are big buyers of used vans growth prospects this year and this sector is a big buyer of used light commercials.” Ward said: “Quarter 1 2014 essentially delivered more of what we have seen over the past 24 months – a shortage of good quality stock allied to decent levels of demand that generated exceptionally strong prices in the used van market.” He added: “Buyer demand is focused on the best quality commercial vehicles and this is keeping values ﬁrm. The online arena is exceptionally busy with around 25% of all commercial vehicles being purchased by internet bidders. We have also seen a rise in the number of buyers who are virtually

All LCVs – Q1 2012-2014

‘internet exclusive’ with many citing BCA’s Video Appraisals as a critical tool to create additional confidence for remote buyers. Knock-on effect “With new van sales rising, some commentators have suggested the knock-on effect of additional volume into the used sector would dilute demand, but this hasn’t been the case. If anything, the market has been even more competitive over the first quarter of this year and well-presented LCV’s are routinely outperforming guide expectations – often by a considerable amount. “In fact, demand has been right across the board, from older higher mileage vans through to younger ex-fleet and lease vehicles, while the few late-plate light commercials on offer can make exceptional values. As always, good condition is the key and vans with a nice specification and in an attractive retail colour are very desirable.” Ward concluded: “Looking ahead, we expect demand to remain strong in Quarter 2, but we know from experience that values typically soften over the late spring and early summer months with May and June often returning the lowest average monthly values in the annual cycle. ”

Europe’s No.1 vehicle remarketing company Log on to bca.co.uk or call 0844 875 3480

rem a rk e t ing

Limited supply and strong demand keep values high injection of older, lower mileage vans may represent ‘watershed’ moment By Trevor Gehlcken ctivity in the van auction halls in march has remained robust, with records being broken again at BCa and other companies achieving healthy prices with a flood of new vehicles entering the market. However, experts expect prices to flatten out or fall in the coming months. it was the fourth consecutive month that records had been broken at BCa, with prices overall rising by £212 or 3.9% and year-on-year, its prices are 14.3% ahead. at manheim, prices dropped slightly by £29 per vehicle, but this was in a market where the company has seen a 50% increase in the stock offered. Duncan Ward, BCa’s general manager – commercial vehicles, says: “Values remained strong in march as the combination of limited supply and good levels of demand in the remarketing sector saw prices rise for corporate stock and older dealer part-exchange vans. LCV values have been universally strong throughout the first quarter of this year and are significantly higher than the same period last year. “if anything, the market has been even more competitive over the past few weeks and well-presented LCVs are routinely outperforming guide expectations, often by a considerable amount. the auction halls have been very busy across the BCa network, while the number of buyers participating via BCa Live Online continues to rise.” the improving economic background seems to boosting the used market, particularly as demand increases from the building and construction industries. Ward says: “We expect demand to remain strong in april but, post-easter, we know from experience that values typically soften over the late spring and early summer months. there are also indications from the Confederation of British industry that while the economy is still growing, the pace is slowing and this may be a factor moving forward.” matthew Davock, head of LCVs at manheim, says: “march saw a significant injection of ex-utility stock into the market which was characterised by older, yet surprisingly lower mileage vans.

Average prices at BCA in March were up 14.3% year-on-year

“We anticipate that with the UK’s economy proving to be suprisingly robust, it’s clear there will be a continuing need for good used LCVs” Alex Wright, chairman, NAMA’s commercial vehicle group

3.9%

monthly increase in van prices at BCA in March

£4,794

average value of used van in March, according to NAMA

“We believe this represents an important watershed moment in the wholesale market, signalling what might be the final major tranche of older, extended vans entering the used marketplace. Looking ahead, we predict we will see similar age and mileage profiles, albeit in lower volumes. these older lower mileage vans are good news as they are an attractive price point.” James Davis, head of commercial vehicles at manheim, adds: “Our latest monthly analysis of the van market suggests we may have reached the bottom of the cycle, as far as the age of vehicles at auction is concerned. if we look at the proportion of vans sold that were over five years old, the facts are remarkable. Some 48% of large panel vans over 3.0t reached this milestone, as did 53% of panel vans under 3.0t and 64% of small panel vans which averaged 94 months of age at remarketing time. “While the market is remarkably resilient, all indicators point to the fact that the volume of older vans will start to normalise. that said, i believe it will be two to three years before the pre-recessionary age profile potentially returns to the wholesale market. the big question is: have first life operators, as a consequence of extending replacement cycles, enjoyed the reliability of modern-day vans and decided to run their newly-acquired vans longer? more generally, we’re not predicting any great peaks or troughs in the used van market this year.” Figures from the national association of motor auctions (nama) show that during march the average values of used LCVs at auction across the board decreased by 1.0% from £4,844 to £4,794 between February and march. With volumes increasing by 7.2%, the average price paid for an LCV at auction fell by £50. With the proportion of lots selling at the first time of being offered rising to an impressive 82%, and other metrics each continuing to move in the right direction, the outlook remains bright. the average number of days that LCVs remained on site fell to 12.4 and the average mileage was 83,123 miles. alex Wright, chairman of nama Commercial Vehicle group, says: “For a marketplace eager to hear good news, the first quarter of 2014 could hardly have delivered more. “We anticipate that with the Uk’s economy proving to be surprisingly robust and predicted to grow by around 3% over each of the next couple of years, it’s clear that there will be a continuing need for good used LCVs. “the big concern would arise if supply were to significantly exceed demand, yet with no sign of such an impending imbalance at the present time an imminent fall in LCV prices would appear unlikely.”

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan May 2014 29

dri v eN oN sale: summer

vauxhall vivaro/ reNault trafic

New vans offer improved engines and practicality. Trevor Gehlcken reports EXTERIOR

the new model boasts dashing good looks. the bump in the cab roof has gone and the front end has a dazzling new grille which, in the case of the renault, features a massive diamond logo. models can be ordered with black plastic trim around the front and back (the obvious fleet choice) while owner-drivers can specify colour-coded bumpers which look smarter but are expensive to fix when they get scraped. the headlamps are enormous and may be expensive to replace if they are damaged. however, they are placed fairly high up on the bonnet so should not be affected by most low speed collisions.

CARGO AREA

While offering new innovations in the cargo area, the designers were careful to keep the ‘box’ the same shape, which means that racking suppliers won’t have to change all their existing equipment. there is a flap in the bulkhead which allows loads to slide into the area under the passenger seat, allowing for items of up to 4.1 metres to be carried in long wheelbase models. even the

SAFETY

Both the vauxhall and renault are fitted with electronic stability control as standard. from october, all new vans have to have this technology as a legal requirement.

30 May 2014 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

sWB can carry 3.75 metre lengths. thanks to an extra 11cm in the back end, carrying capacity increases slightly over the old models and these vans can carry between 5.2 cubic metres and 8.6 cubic metres of cargo. there are 20 anchorage points in the long wheelbase version, while the roof members have been strengthened to hold an interior 25cm high rack for items such as pipes and ladders.

ENGINES

Gone are the old 2.0-litre common rail diesel powerplants, replaced by 1.6-litre units offering smoother power delivery and fuel economy improvements of around 5.8%. four options are available, two with a single turbocharger and two with twin turbochargers.

the singles have power outputs of 90hp a nd 115hp while the twins produce 120hp and 140hp. the more powerful units work by having a first low inertia turbo that gives high torque at low speeds, meaning plenty of acceleration even with full loads on board. the second turbo cuts in at higher revs.

these engines have standard stop-start units which can save up to 15% on fuel on urban usage. fuel economy figures are between 43.5mpg and 47.1mpg while co2 outputs range from 155g/km to 170g/km. torque figures improve too and range from 191lb-ft to 250lb-ft.

CAB

the old models were among the best in class when it came to comfort in the cab, but the new ones take things a step further. the dash is more car-like while the seats have been dropped by 36mm. the seat backs are in a more reclined position. the steering wheel is height and rake adjustable and the driver’s seat adjusts for height. there is also 18mm more fore and aft travel on the driver’s seat. there are 14 stowage bins in the cab and most are designed to fit particular items that van drivers might have, such as water bottles, coffee cups, mobile phones, pens, notebooks, hard hats and boxes. in fact, a lot of thought has gone into the cab’s design and drivers will find that every cubby hole is designed for a particular need.

TECHNOLOGY

all models have Bluetooth connectivity and a usB port alongside an optional mobile phone cradle. in renault’s case, an upgrade is available to include the r-link evolution multimedia system which incorporates a slot for an sd card to enable mapping management, the reading of audio tracks and a display of photos on a seven-inch screen, along with voice commands for phone and navigation, text to speak, a tomtom satellite navigation device and access to apps from the renault r-link store.

USEFUL INNOVATIONS

the van’s cab is designed to be used as a mobile office. there is a clip for a mobile phone, another for a tablet computer such as an iPad and the back of the middle seat pulls down to reveal a desk with an a4 clipboard that can be stood upright or even removed to give a hard board for, say, a customer to lean on when signing for a delivery. meanwhile, the passenger seats lift up to reveal a large storage area for bigger items that need to be hidden from prying eyes.

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan May 2014 31

drI V eN

C20 BluemOTION 1.6 TdI 102

VOlkswageN Caddy Fuel-saving technology gives van 11.8mpg greater economy than standard model Need To kNow

speC

n Fuel economy of 61.4mpg; Co2 of 119g/km n Load volume of 3.2cu m n Low rolling resistance tyres fitted as standard

Gross vehicle weight (kg): 2,049 Power (hp/rpm): 102/4,400 Torque (lb-ft/rpm): 184/1,500-2,500 Load volume (cu m): 3.2 Payload (kg): 669 Comb fuel economy (mpg): 61.4 CO2 emissions (g/km): 119 Basic price (ex-VAT): £15,195

By Trevor Gehlcken owadays it seems you can hardly take a breath without reading about a new environmentallyfriendly van being launched. Not that that is a bad thing of course. The real point is, though, that these vans are invariably more fuel-efficient and can save the fleet operator money. The latest ‘green’ van is the model on test here, the Volkswagen Caddy Bluemotion, which has just gone on sale and is the most frugal Caddy yet. It offers a combined fuel economy figure of more than 60mpg and CO2 emissions of just 119g/km. In addition to the standard Bluemotion technology features

verdiCT

The Caddy has been one of our favourite small vans for a few years now and, with the possibility of 60mpg, this model is bound to appeal to hardpressed fleet operators.

– cruise control, hill-hold assist, start-stop and energy recuperation – the ride height has been reduced by 27mm to reduce aerodynamic drag, low rolling resistance tyres are fitted and there’s improved engine control and revised calibration. The result is an 11.8mpg improvement over the standard van. To differentiate the Bluemotion model from the rest of the Caddy range, Volkswagen has introduced a few exterior and interior styling changes. It gets new multi-spoke wheel covers for the 15-inch steel wheels, body-coloured side guard strips and a black and blue coloured interior trim fabric. as with all Caddy variants, this model comes with electronic stability control as standard, together with remote central locking and a full height bulkhead. The Bluemotion starts at £15,195, but our test model also had reversing sensors at £240 (a must in my book), body-coloured bumpers and door mirrors at £210 (a definite no for fleets – stick to the plastic bumpers for lower repair costs) and manual air-conditioning at an expensive £810.

Caddy Bluemotion’s ride height has been lowered by 27mm to reduce aerodynamic drag

behind the wheel our test vehicle arrived just a day after a Ford Transit Connect went (see opposite page), so we were given an ideal opportunity for some back-to-back testing. while the Caddy can’t compete with the stylish curves of the Connect (the Caddy’s dash looks more like a solid slab of concrete),

it certainly stands out in the quality stakes. The van exudes that typical German efficiency and while the seats feel rather hard, they are incredibly supportive with lots of padding in the lumbar region. we undertook a six-hour journey in this van during our test week and emerged with no twinges whatsoever.

32 May 2014 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

You may imagine that a van tuned for ultimate fuel efficiency would be rather dull to drive, but the Caddy proved lively and a pleasure to handle, with nicelyweighted power steering and slick gearchanges. My only complaint is that the bulkhead has a mesh top, which allowed a fair bit of noise through from the cargo area including a

sloshing sound from the fuel tank when we accelerated or braked. we would also eschew those colour-coded bumpers at buying time. As can be seen from the pictures they give the van a smart appearance but they’ll cost the earth to fix if they get scraped, especially with metallic paint. Black plastic will do nicely for fleet purposes.

Transit Connect was voted International van of the Year 2014

TrEnD 1.0 ECoboosT

ForD TransIT ConnECT Petrol version of manufacturer’s new small van provides refined choice for fleets Need To kNow

SPeC

n 1.0-litre petrol provides 50.4mpg; Co2 of 129g/km n Smoother and quieter than diesel models n Payload of 628kg; load volume of 2.9cu m

Gross vehicle weight (kg): 1,970 Power (bhp/rpm): 100/6,000 Torque (lb-ft/rpm): 125/1,500 Load volume (cu m): 2.9 Payload (kg): 628 Comb fuel economy (mpg): 50.4 CO2 emissions (g/km): 129 Price (ex-VAT): £14,150

By Trevor Gehlcken he latest warning about the effects of emissions from diesel engines came, coincidentally, on the same week that we were testing our first petrolpowered van in six years. The new Ford Transit Connect is now available with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder Ecoboost petrol engine, so its launch sits nicely with the recent Defra statement that much of the recent smog in the UK has been caused by the large uptake of diesel vehicles. However, there are more reasons than purely environmental ones to choose this impressive small van over its diesel counterpart. It’s cheaper to buy (£14,150 against £14,650 for the equivalent diesel) and although it loses out on fuel efficiency (50.4mpg on the combined cycle compared to 58.9mpg), the difference in pump price between petrol and diesel means

behind the wheel I’ve been driving diesel vans for so many years now that I’d completely forgotten just how smooth and quiet petrol power can be. with a whisper-quiet ambience in the cab, figure-hugging seats with plenty of lumbar support and pin-sharp handling, this van really

verdICT

Ford really has excelled itself with these new Transits – Connect, Custom and the forthcoming Courier. All we can say is that the opposition suddenly has a whole load of catching up to do.

is a joy to drive. Any doubts we had about such a small engine were soon dispelled – the Connect offers plenty of poke through a slick six-speed gearbox. In fact, the whole vehicle has a solid, upmarket quality feel to it. The Connect has a second, smaller, passenger seat in the cabin, which is fine for short distances.

that over the course of a fleet life, fuel costs are pretty much on a par. It’s also much smoother and quieter than diesel models while fleets also have the option of converting to LPG if required. The Connect is one of the new range of vehicles from Ford which are rapidly establishing themselves as class leaders. Ford vowed to replace its entire range within the space of two years and so far each new model has been launched to tremendous acclaim. The Transit Custom was voted International Van of the Year in 2013, the Connect followed suit in 2014 and, having driven the new full-size Transit, I think that van could well take the prize at the next set of awards. Ford’s new offerings really are that good. our test van came fitted with extras such as metallic paint, active City stop (which helps avoid rear-end shunts) and a rear-view camera, but standard spec is generous too. The Connect offers a Quickclear heated windscreen, seating for three, Dab radio with bluetooth and Usb connectivity, electronic stability control and abs, an eight-way adjustable driver’s seat and body-coloured front bumpers. In the back the Connect offers 2.9 cubic metres of loadspace and a payload of 628kg.

The back of the middle seat also pulls down to reveal a desk with a coffee cup holder. There is plenty to boast about in the load area too. Payload and load volume are on a par with the opposition, but the Connect has a wipe-clean plastic floor and plenty of padding on the sides to prevent reverse dings. There are also six load-lashing

eyes to keep cargo in place. Pull the back of the outer passenger seat down and a flap is revealed through which planks of wood and pipes etc. can be pushed, meaning that loads of up to three metres can be accommodated. It’s a simple idea but it works a treat. electronic stability control is standard on all models.

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan May 2014 33

LONG -T ERM T E S T

1.6 CDTI LWB

VAUXHALL COMBO Long-wheelbase small van is heading back to Luton with a blemish-free record NEED TO KNOW

SPEC

■ Combo is based on Fiat Doblo Cargo ■ Average test fuel economy is around 46mpg ■ Seats offer plenty of support

Gross vehicle weight (kg): 2,350 Power (hp/rpm): 105/4,000 Torque (lb-ft/rpm): 214/1,500 Load volume (cu m): 4.0 Payload (kg): 1,000 Comb fuel economy (mpg): 52.3 CO2 emissions (g/km): 141 Price as tested (ex-VAT): £15,800

By Trevor Gehlcken ur long-term Vauxhall Combo is coming to the end of its stay with me and will soon be heading back to Luton with a blemish-free reliability record and a huge pat on the back. This van is, under its skin, a Fiat Doblo Cargo which was voted the Fleet Van Van of the Year when it was first launched in 2010. Vauxhall couldn’t have chosen a better partner for its small offering as this vehicle really did push the envelope in terms in ride and handling and general build quality over the old Combo. Although it is technically a small van, it’s pretty large inside, being the long wheelbase version. Load volume is increased to four cubic metres (from 3cu m in the short wheelbase model) and I have been amazed at just how much stuff you can cram inside. This van can carry a full tonne of cargo, which is only 100kg less than the bigger Vivaro. It’s only recently that these super-size small vans have started to appear and fleets seem to have taken them to their hearts as in many cases they can be chosen in place of bigger vans and will be much cheaper to buy and run. Build quality is top notch and this Combo has a chunky feel to it that the old model never had. Ride and handling are superb and we’ve travelled thousands of miles in the past

Combo can carry one-tonne of cargo

34 May 2014 fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan

“Fleets seem to have taken these supersize small vans to their hearts”

Build quality is top notch six months with some long runs around the country. The official fuel economy figure of 52.3mpg is impressive for a van of this size and is helped by a standard stop-start system, which is said to save up to 15% in urban usage. However, most of my travel has been long haul and we didn’t manage to get near this figure. Instead, the Combo has been averaging around 46mpg, which is still pretty impressive. Those long runs have certainly given the seats a good testing and both myself and my partner rate them highly, with plenty of support in all the right places. Neither of us have suffered any back twinges even after a couple of hundred miles on the road. So, are there any complaints? The biggest is that you have to pay extra for electronic stability control (ESC). It’s standard on several of the Combo’s rivals, such as the Ford Transit Connect, Mercedes-Benz Citan and Volkswagen Caddy. It will be standard requirement on all vans in October this year. We could also have done with some reversing sensors. Once you get used to them, you really miss them when they aren’t there.

running c o s t s

F L EE t nE W s.c o.uK / Va n s

BE st in cL a ss – sWB MEDiuM Vans By Trevor Gehlcken he short wheelbase medium panel van remains one of the key vehicles for fleets despite a proliferation of sectorbending new vans launched recently. these vans straddle the gap between large and small LcVs and can be seen on the uK’s roads in their thousands. they are also highly popular with second users too, so with the right choice of vehicle, some strong residual values can be achieved.

the main thing to consider when buying new vans is to look at their wholelife running costs rather than their front-end prices. these are a mix of front-end costs, fuel economy, sMr (service, maintenance and repair) costs and residual values. these figures can be accessed free at www.fleetnews.co.uk/vans. We’ve used www.comparecontracthire.com to highlight monthly contract hire deals. calculations are based on a four-year/80,000mile lifecycle.

the contenders this month are the citroën Dispatch, Fiat scudo, Ford transit custom, Mercedes-Benz Vito, nissan Primastar, Peugeot Expert, renault trafic, Vauxhall Vivaro and Volkswagen transporter. the trafic, Primastar and Vivaro don’t make it into the top six, but are the old models which are being replaced in the summer. Heading the table this month is the Volkswagen transporter, which wins on wholelife costs largely due to its phenomenal residual values.

cITroËn DIspaTcH

FIaT scuDo

ForD TransIT cusToM

l1 1000 1.6 HDi 90 enterprise

l1 1.6 Multijet 90

250 l1 2.2 TDci 100

leasing price: £229.78 purchase price: £18,504 load volume (cu m): 5.0 Fuel costs (ppm): 18.69 Maintenance costs (ppm): 3.4 running costs (ppm): 36.79

leasing price: £235.60 purchase price: £16,640 load volume (cu m): 5.0 Fuel costs (ppm): 16.83 Maintenance costs (ppm): 3.86 running costs (ppm): 35.85

leasing price: £353.44 purchase price: £18,345 load volume (cu m): 5.36 Fuel costs (ppm): 16.43 Maintenance costs (ppm): 3.76 running costs (ppm): 35.54

our verdict: the Dispatch is beginning to show its age, especially against the new transit custom, but still manages to hold its head up well in the running costs table.

our verdict: the scudo has different engines from its twin brothers the Dispatch and Expert, so manages to perform better than them in this table owing to its improved fuel frugality.

our verdict: this new contender has moved the goalposts. its second lowest running costs come largely as a result of low fuel costs and high predicted residual values.

MerceDes-Benz VITo

peuGeoT experT

VolkswaGen Tr ansporTer

110 comp 2.1 cDi 95

l1 1000 1.6 HDi 90 prof

T26swB 2.0 TDI 84 startline

leasing price: £308.06 purchase price: £18,405 load volume (cu m): 5.2 Fuel costs (ppm): 17.16 Maintenance costs (ppm): 2.91 running costs (ppm): 37.21 our verdict: the Mercedes-Benz brand counts for a lot among fleet buyers. the manufacturer also offers truck levels of aftersales care, unlike any of the other contenders here.

leasing price: £222.89 purchase price: £18,030 load volume (cu m): 5.0 Fuel costs (ppm): 17.85 Maintenance costs (ppm): 4.25 running costs (ppm): 36.80 our verdict: Basically the same as the Dispatch and thus showing its age as well, but most drivers will still be quite happy with what this van has to offer.

leasing price: £275.42 purchase price: £17,985 load volume (cu m): 5.8 Fuel costs (ppm): 15.01 Maintenance costs (ppm): 3.6 running costs (ppm): 35.06 our verdict: Legendary build quality and superb ride and handling keep the transporter at the top of the table. the germans certainly know how to build their vehicles.

fleetnews.co.uk/fleetvan May 2014 35

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