Elon Musk Says Smaller Cybertruck a Possibility

The Tesla Cybertruck unveiled last year was specifically designed for the American market and it was believed that it would never make it to Europe. Tesla says the angular, stainless-steel-bodied utility vehicle with bulletproof glass has a maximum towing capacity in excess of six tonnes but is too big for anywhere other than the United States.

Interestingly though, during a question and answer session during September, Elon Musk said his firm is considering building a smaller version that would better suit smaller European roads.

Musk said the Cybertruck was designed to meet the American requirements because it would have been impossible to build it according to global specs. However, he added: “We’ll probably make an international version of the Cybertruck that will be kind of smaller, kind of like a tight Wolverine package.” 

The full size Cybertruck goes on sale at the end of 2021 and will be priced at $39,900 (currently around £30,800). Musk said that pre-orders have already passed the half million mark.

Five-Tonne Ford Transit Revealed

There is a new Ford Transit flagship model weighing five tonnes which has been declared the ‘toughest Transit ever’. The new van can carry a payload of 2,383kg and support a gross vehicle weight of 5,000kg, and will still be suitable for conversions.

The extra weight capacity is possible thanks to Ford adding wider wheels and tyres as well as uprated rear brakes, stronger hub assemblies and heavy-duty ancillaries. The van’s upper body has also been reinforced.

Incredibly, this new Ford Transit has been beefed-up to the extent where buyers will have to take an additional driving test before they can legally drive it on UK roads. It will become available to buy in November this year.

If you need a van and want the best prices available with flexible pricing options, call UK Vans Direct on 01709 717200 or email info@ukvansdirect.co.uk.

What's New in The World of Vans?

There was plenty of good news for the van industry and van drivers themselves during August, as well as an exciting new electric van launch that hopes to rival the very best on the market.

Here’s what’s been happening in the world of vans over the last month.

UK Van Sales Continue Recovery

After four months of decline, it was announced at the beginning of August that the van market had grown for the first time since January 2020. New registrations increased by 7.1% compared to the same period in 2019.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) made the announcement and also revealed the top ten selling vans during the recent market increase. The Ford Transit Custom was the most popular, with 3,405 units sold during July. This is hardly a surprise as it has been the UK’s best selling van ever since it was launched. The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter came in second with 2,581 sales, and the standard Ford Transit was third with 1,785 sold.

The French-owned but British-built Vauxhall Vivaro was the fifth best selling van with 1,381 sales.

Lockdown Lowers Van Insurance Premiums

The latest quarterly figures from data analytics company Consumer Intelligence were also published in August. They revealed that insurance premiums for van drivers dropped 2.3% on average during the past three months.

The number of vans on the road massively decreased during the lockdown with so many businesses closing due to the pandemic. Fewer vans on the roads means fewer insurance claims and insurance companies are passing those savings on to their customers.

The insurance premium drop isn’t likely to last very long though. The Pricing Manager at Consumer Intelligence, John Blevins, said: “As motorists take back to the roads now lockdown has eased, with perhaps even more vehicles on the road than before with people avoiding public transport, claims numbers are likely to rise and so, too, will premiums.

“As businesses start to reopen and van traffic increases, we will watch with interest how this market moves forward. As always, claims frequencies and severity will drive premium movements.”

The average UK van insurance premium at the moment currently stands at £1,065.

Fiat Launch New All Electric e-Ducato

Fiat launched their first zero-emissions commercial vehicle in the form of the new all-electric e-Ducato van. The company hopes it will rival the likes of the Vauxhall Vivaro-e, the Citroen e-Dispatch and the Mercedes e-Vito.

The e-Ducato features an electric motor on the front axle which produces 121bhp and 280Nm of torque which enables the van to carry a payload weighing up to 1,950kg. The top speed of the Fiat e-Ducato has been capped at 62mph to maximise the vehicle’s range, which reaches 192 miles off a full charge of the 79kWh battery pack. The 47kWh battery option has a range of 99 miles and can be fully charged in two hours and 25 minutes when plugged into a 50kW DC fast-charger. The larger 79kWh battery reaches full charge in around four hours from the same fast-charger. The e-Ducato also features four drive modes, including ‘Normal’ for a balance of performance and efficiency, and ‘Eco’ which helps maximise the range.

Incorporating the Government’s £8,000 plug-in van grant, the Fiat e-Ducato price range starts at £47,675, excluding VAT.

If you need a van and want the best prices available with flexible pricing options, call UK Vans Direct on 01709 717200 or email info@ukvansdirect.co.uk.

Here’s what’s been happening in the world of vans over the last month.

New 2.0-Litre Engine for the Mercedes Benz Vito

The Mercedes Benz Vito van is getting a new 2.0-litre diesel engine which will bring it up to date with the latest Euro 6D emission standards. The previous engine was a 2.1-litre and had been the Vito’s engine since 2008.

The current Vito is the third generation that was launched in 2014, and was originally available with a 1.6-litre Renault engine for the front wheel drive and a 2.1-litre Daimler engine for the rear wheel drive. This year they upgraded the front wheel drive engine and its improvements have enabled them to switch out the 2.1-litre rear wheel drive engine for the 2.0. This switch will lower the Vito’s emissions which Mercedes were required to achieve by September this year.

The new engine was initially developed in 2016 for the E-Class vans, and it has also been incorporated into the Mercedes Benz Sprinter panel van range.

New Ford Transit Connect Active

The Ford Transit Connect Active is the latest model from Ford’s Active range. It joins the new Transit Custom and Transit Active which were launched in June. The Connect Active is a small van with enhanced off-road capabilities and several cosmetic upgrades.

The new van will include roof rails as standard so large equipment can be transported, including bikes and canoes. The van also looks more rugged thanks to front and rear skid plates, and it now sports five-spoke, 17-inch alloy wheels with contrasting polished metal with dark detailing that are exclusive to the Active range. To further distinguish it from the other Connect vans, the Connect Active now has the signature Active mesh grille fitted to the front.

The sides of the van as well as the mirror caps, wheel arches and rear bumper have been enhanced with additional cladding which helps minimise paintwork scuffs when driving off road or when loading equipment. Two new colours have been added to the range for the Connect Active, Sedona Orange and Solar Silver, as well as a full-width Active decal and Active badges on the front wings.

There are two versions of the 1.5-litre diesel engine to choose from, with either 100PS or 120PS. The transmission options also include an eight-speed automatic as well as the standard six-speed manual.

Waitrose and John Lewis Boost for Electric Vans

Waitrose and John Lewis announced in July that they are planning on increasing the amount of electric vans in their fleets that deliver goods via their online businesses. Both firms have previously declared ambitions to stop using fossil fuels for their fleets by 2030.

If you need a van and want the best prices available with flexible pricing options, call UK Vans Direct on 01709 717200 or email info@ukvansdirect.co.uk.

What's new in the world of vans?

The world of vans is still reeling from the pandemic problems but there is some good news emerging from the month of June as well. The manufacturing industry across multiple sectors has obviously been hit hard by the lockdown, but many brands are pushing forward with their new van designs to shake up the industry.

Here is what’s been happening during June.

New Maxus Van Brand Launched

An official ‘virtual’ launch party was held in June for the new Maxus van brand, formerly known as LDV. The launch revealed two new vans from Harris Group HQ in Dublin, who have been named as the official distributors for the UK and Ireland.

The LDV brand was bought by SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corporation) in 2008 following the financial crisis, and they started reselling the vans in the UK in 2016. They announced the planned brand change last year and it became official last month.

The two new vans revealed for the new brand launch include small and medium versions of the electric-only Maxus E Deliver 3 van. It has a range of up to 200 miles and features up to 6 cubic metres of load volume and a maximum payload of one tonne.

The second new Maxus van is the large panel Deliver 9 diesel van which is going to replace the old V80. It will be available in three different lengths and heights and you will be able to choose either front or rear wheel drive. SAIC also said that they eventually intend to release an electric version of the Deliver 9, which will be called the E Deliver 9.

UK Van Manufacturing Lull Continues

June saw the van manufacturing numbers for May revealed and it was another very quiet month, though this was to be expected due to the lockdown for the Covid-19 virus. In total, the UK’s commercial vehicle manufacturers built just over 800 vehicles throughout the entire month of May. For a comparison, the total during the same month last year was 2,110, though that itself was a massive decline on the previous year of 2018, when there were over 7,000 vans built in the UK.

Both the preceding months of March and April were also very quiet months for van manufacturing in the UK. By the end of May, the total number of UK-built vans for 2020 stood at a little under 22,300, which is a decrease of over 29% compared with the number from the same stage last year.

New Ford Transit Trail Van Details Revealed

New details emerged regarding Ford’s new Transit Trail and Custom Trail vans in June. They will feature enhanced traction thanks to a new mechanical limited-slip differential on front-wheel drive versions, as well as an Intelligent All-Wheel Drive. This will make the Transit Trail and Custom Trail especially useful for tougher working environments,

The new vans will also include upgraded exteriors and interiors.

If you need a van and want the best prices available with flexible pricing options, call UK Vans Direct on 01709 717200 or email info@ukvansdirect.co.uk.

How often should you get a van serviced?

Every van is different but when it comes to looking after your vehicle by getting it regularly serviced, there are some steadfast rules to follow, especially if you use your van for commercial purposes.

A faulty vehicle that isn’t roadworthy and needs to be at a mechanic’s all week can cost a business dearly in lost productivity. It is therefore vital that vans used for business purposes don’t miss a service.

So, how often should you get a van serviced?

Once every 2 years or every 25,000 miles. 

Most vehicles, including vans, need to be serviced every 2 years. However, some vans are used much more than others, particularly vehicles that are part of business operations. In this sense, certain vans will do significantly more mileage in a year than others and subsequently put more wear and tear on the engine and other components. 

It is therefore recommended that vehicles are serviced every 25,000 miles they do, though every manufacturer is different and it’s a good idea to check the manufacturer owner’s manual for guidance. 

In-between services 

It is also advisable to take a van for ‘in-between’ services, especially if it is a high-mileage vehicle. These ‘mini’ services can check things like the cambelt and the oil, to ensure the engine and other parts are in tip-top condition to help prevent potentially costly breakdowns from occurring, which can wreak havoc on a business. 

During an in-between service your van will have the following thoroughly checked:

• Tyres

• Oil 

• Screenwash

• Steering 

• Brakes 

• Suspension 

A more comprehensive annual service (or every 25,000 miles) should include:

• Checking wheel alignment

• Light and electric functions

• New air filters

• Fitting new spark plugs and fuel fitters

• Adding a fuel treatment 

If you are on the market for a new van for your business, UK Vans Direct has a wide selection of quality vans on offer from the leading van manufacturers. Get in contact with UK Vans Direct to discuss how we can supply you with the van you’re looking for. 

February is here and with the evenings becoming lighter by the day, we can’t help but start to think ahead to the spring. With the better weather approaching and without the often hiked up prices of spring and summer, February can be a good time to purchase a van, both new and second-hand. 

Bargains up for grabs 

It’s not uncommon for bargains to be snapped up on vans during February when sales are typically slower as buyers wait for the arrival of new number plates in March. 

Dealers are often keen to let go of old models in February in readiness for new models and new plates in March. 

As the vehicle trade is typically quieter in late winter and vans aren’t on people’s minds like they can be during other times of the year, dealers might be keen to make a deal and get a sale and therefore be willing to put the price down. 

Buy your van through UK Vans Direct and save an average of £8,000 per vehicle 

No matter what time of year it is, when you buy a van through UK Vans Direct, you can save an average of £8,000. This is due to the fact we deal directly with the manufacturers so we can offer our customers an extensive choice of vans at the best prices. 

What’s more, with a range of financing options, we are able to find the deal that’s right for your individual business requirements and circumstances. 

Get in touch to with UK Vans Direct to find the best deal on the right van for you

Why not visit our dedicated site to talk to our van specialists on the right van for you for the best possible price? Get in touch with UK Vans Direct today to find out more about our top-quality vans for the best possible prices.