Leading the commercial fleet sector to greener pastures

GreenFleet reflects upon the main talking points coming out of this year’s Commercial Vehicle Show, which took place over 26-28 April at Birmingham’s NEC.

New technology was at the forefront of this year’s Commercial Vehicle Show, as visitors got the opportunity to witness a record number of new light commercial vehicle (LCV) launches alongside the latest developments in driver management, compliance and real-time fleet administration from a variety of software and telematics suppliers.

Floor space was completely sold out as 460 exhibitors filled Halls 3a, 4 and 5 of Birmingham’s NEC, contributing to Britain’s best attended and most comprehensive road transport and logistics event.

The show has a dedicated focus on improving business relations and, as such, has no conferences or seminars interrupting valuable sales time. Visitors to the show, who were mainly fleet owners and managers with purchasing responsibilities, had unrestricted access to the large exhibitor list – ranging from manufacturers such as Peugeot and Volkswagen to trade associations like the Freight Transport Association (FTA).

This year’s show also featured the dedicated ‘Workshop’ and ‘Cool’ zones, which were designed to make it easy for visitors to find sector suppliers. The Workshop zone displayed hundreds of exhibitors spanning the whole automotive aftermarket and CV maintenance sector, while the Cool zone satisfied the special requirements of temperature controlled operators with a vast display of refrigerated transport and cold chain equipment to choose from.

Dedicated zones
Workshop has become an integral part of the Commercial Vehicle Show, recognising the need for regular vehicle maintenance across passenger cars, vans and light or heavy trucks. Hall 4 was the home of an all‑encompassing shop window spanning the whole automotive aftermarket and CV maintenance sector, from OE components and replacement parts to maintenance management systems, garage, workshop and bodyshop equipment.

The area was supported by both the Garage Equipment Association (GEA) and the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) and gave visitors access to a wide array of products from the smallest to the largest car components.

The Cool zone took over Hall 3a with a huge range of refrigerated vehicles and bodywork, side by side with the latest fridge units, monitoring equipment and other products specific to cold chain operations.

It was positioned between the visitor entrances to Halls 3a and 4 to benefit from high footfall, with exhibitors at this year’s show reporting good business and expressing delight that representatives from the majority of major cold chain operators were in attendance.

Triumphant return
The LDV brand made a triumphant return to the show after a seven-year absence, debuting a revitalised range of light commercial vehicles. Chinese firm SAIC acquired LDV Maxus back in 2009 from Gaz of Russia and Harris Group, a Dublin based supplier of new and used commercial vehicles, has picked up the distribution rights for the new range of Chinese made vans.

The headline announcement from LDV was the unveiling of the EV80, a fully electric version of the V80 panel van. The EV80 comes equipped with a 74kWh battery and a claimed range of over 190 miles. LDV has said that the load capacity will range from 900-1,250kg, with a recharge time of around two hours. These figures should enable the EV80 to be competitive with Nissan’s e-NV200, which will likely be its main rival, although it may still seem impractical for drivers who want quicker fill up times and need a higher load capacity.

Mark Barrett, general manager of LDV UK & Ireland, said: “The EV80 has one of the world’s highest technical specifications for a commercial vehicle in its class. With a driving range of more than 190 miles and a battery capacity of up to 75kWh, this new electric vehicle offers a greater range and shorter charging time than any of its nearest rivals on the market today.”

Liam O’Neill, vice president of the Harris Group, said: “The EV80 will appeal to many companies and organisations that take environmental protection seriously. The EV80 can actively contribute to an organisation’s efforts of becoming more socially responsible.”

As well as the EV80, LDV launched its G10 – a mid‑sized panel van which is also available as an MPV. The G10 MPV has a 2.0-litre, 105bhp turbo petrol engine and comes equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission.

The LDV G10 van has a 2.0-litre direct injection turbocharged diesel engine and a lotus calibrated chassis. The MPV will be available in five, seven and nine‑seat options, while the van offers easy access through two sliding doors and a rear lift tailgate. Pricing details are still unclear but are expected to be released later this year.

Promoting excellence
The FTA had a strong presence at this year’s show and took the opportunity to announce its Truck Excellence scheme. The voluntary, industry-governed scheme follows the success of the FTA’s Van Excellence Scheme and is designed to raise standards and recognise excellence in the operation and management of large goods vehicles.

It has been developed by FTA members and stands as the only national scheme that accredits operators against the operator licence undertakings, covering areas such as operator licensing, transport management, operating centres and vehicles, maintenance systems, drivers’ hours, working time and records and good repute.

The scheme will be available to both members and non-members and will include measures to ensure all approved operators have demonstrated that they have systems in place to continue to be compliant beyond just the day of the audit.

Sally Thornley, FTA director of standards, audit and accreditation, said: “The scheme has been developed to include a modular approach, making it flexible enough to include and adapt to the changing standards of other accreditation schemes – looking to make the scheme both cost effective and future-proof.”

The FTA’s new Van Excellence Small Fleet Programme was also showcased at the show, which is aimed at operators who have 10 vans or fewer. The programme will share advice and operational procedures from top performing fleets and membership will include access to online fleet management software, electronic versions of FTA’s ‘Guide to Van Excellence’, monthly email updates and support from FTA’s Member Advice Centre.

Mark Cartwright, FTA’s head of vans, said: “Small fleet operators wanted an affordable scheme like Van Excellence to help them maintain high standards and stay up-to-date with current laws and best practice. Being a member offers unrivalled support and information to run a safe, legal and efficient fleet.”

Big names on hand
Another big name that made its presence felt at the show was Volkswagen, which was exhibiting its latest Transporter and Caddy and also announced its new Converter Recognition Programme.

The programme looks to build on company’s existing Engineered For You and Engineered To Go schemes, ensuring that Volkswagen conversions meet operators’ needs and expectations. It will effectively allow customers to access a ‘one-stop-shop’ of converted vehicles, meaning the whole vehicle can be ordered through the Van Centre.

Commenting on the Volkswagen’s return to the show, Kirsten Stagg, head of marketing, said: “It’s great timing for us to consolidate the launches of the new Caddy and Transporter, as well as to meet customers and provide opportunities for our teams and those from our dedicated Van Centre network to build relationships.

“Meeting customers at the show gives us a chance to understand their requirements and demonstrate how we can support them and their businesses.”

Ford also launched its Transit and Transit Custom vans with a new Ecoblue diesel engine. The new 2.0 litre engine with Ecoblue unit will reportedly have an increased fuel efficiency of around 13 per cent compared to the outgoing 2.2-litre TDCi engine, with CO2 emissions from 157g/km. It will be available in 105hp, 130hp and 170hp options and is in line with the stricter Euro 6 standards due to be introduced in September 2016.

Pete Reyes, Ford of Europe’s head of commercial vehicles, said: “The challenge was to take our best-selling Transit and make it cheaper to operate, improve performance, cleaner in terms of emissions, quieter in the cabin, safer and even more durable. That’s exactly what we did with the new Transit and Transit Custom with the all-new Ford Ecoblue engine.”

Toyota’s new Hilux also made its UK debut at the show. The new model features the widest deck in its class, benefiting from a reinforced structure, redesigned floor ribs and a stronger header panel to improve its ability to carry heavy loads. It is powered by a new Euro 6 complaint 2.4-litre D-4D global diesel (GD) engine, available with a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox, which boasts an improved torque delivery and class-leading fuel economy.

The 2017 Commercial Vehicle Show takes place at the NEC in Birmingham on 25-27 April.

Further Information
www.cvshow.com