US organisation the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has spent a year testing six diesel-electric hybrid van models built by Eaton Corp and used by courier UPS.

The results reveal that the vans deliver a 28 per cent improvement in fuel economy and cost less per mile to operate whilst delivering the same performance as conventional models.

Development of the Eaton parallel hybrid system was partly funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the testing was carried out to ensure that the technology was a worthwhile investment.

DOE Manager Lee Slezak said: “Having provided funding for the development of the Eaton hybrid system, DOE was eager to participate in testing the system in a commercial fleet. Our goal is to help develop more efficient vehicle technologies and then document their on-road performance.”

Meanwhile, UPS has ordered another 200 Eaton hybrid vans.

Back in the UK, fleet operator organisation ACFO has claimed that the latest in a series of government incentives to buy electric vehicles will not be enough to trigger widespread adoption amongst fleets due to the technical limitations of current electrical models.

The Chancellor Alistair Darling recently announced a Benefit in Kind holiday for drivers of electric company vans and cars.
 

Tool and equipment hire company Speedy has ordered 110 Ford Transit T350 Dropside vans, a substantial £2.8 million investment.

The brand new fleet will be used to transport equipment between Speedy’s 400 depots and customer sites.

Each of the vans is equipped with raised safety bars in order to prevent falls while equipment and supplies are off-loaded.

Fleet Services Director Ian Leonard said: "Falls are among the most common vehicle-related accidents in the workplace or on site, and this investment will dramatically improve the safety of both Speedy employees and our customers."

Meanwhile, Renault has launched its latest range of ‘Extra’ special edition van models.

The special edition Kangoo Van, Trafic and Master models include many extra features and specifications, as much as £1,000 more than the standard models, at no extra cost.

Each of the 12 versions include air conditioning as well as electric windows and door mirrors. Model-specific extras include a tubular steel bulkhead for the Kangoo Van, an air conditioned glove-box in the Trafic, and black trim, rear parking sensors and Bluetooth for the Master.
 

Financial incentives won’t be enough to persuade fleets to go electric.

The latest in a series of government incentives to buy electric vehicles will not be enough to trigger widespread adoption amongst fleets, according to fleet operator organisation ACFO.

The Chancellor Alistair Darling recently announced a Benefit in Kind holiday for drivers of electric company vans and cars.

Drivers paying the basic rate will therefore be £500 better off because they will no longer need to pay the nine per cent Benefit In Kind rate for their vehicles. Employers will also pay around £200 less in National Insurance contributions.

However, widespread adoption is still some way off due to the technical limitations of current electric models, says ACFO chair Julie Jenner.

“There isn’t an electric car that is suitable for the average fleet driver…the technology is still some way off for electric cars to be viable,” she said.

Tax expert Alastair Kendrick added: “There are real issues over the recharging infrastructure for these vehicles. In addition, costs are still prohibitive.”

In October the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) criticized a new European Commission carbon emissions target for vans.

The proposed fleet average target of 175g CO2/km or 42.8 mpg, which would be phased in from 2014 to 2016, is too short in the SMMT’s view, as it does not take into account the industry’s seven-year product development cycles. It called for a more realistic framework for emission reductions.
 

Prices for used vans hit the highest level for two years in November, according to new figures from auction house BCA.

Average values reached £3,902, almost £50 more than the £3,858 recorded in October, even overtook the January 2008 rate of £3,868.

The 1.2 per cent increase was driven by buyer competition and has been hailed as an indication that the sector is beginning to recover from a prolonged recession.

The mix of van models sold remained largely unchanged, but there was a decline in sales of higher-value nearly new vans, indicating that the rise in average values is being driven by cheaper and older models.

BCA’s Duncan Ward said: “Year-on-year values are now ahead by an astounding £1,089 – the biggest year-on-year margin on record and reflecting both the strong performance in November 2009 and just how weak the LCV sector was in November 2008.”

This month saw the launch of Vansupplies.com, a brand new e-commerce website which aims to cater for tradesmen and professionals whose job depends on a van.

As reported in Fleet News, electricians, builders, servicing engineers and similar professionals will be able to buy such products as ladder racks, roofing systems, plastic and aluminium tubing and storage equipment.
 

Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors is celebrating its win of two awards at the 2009 What Van? awards.

Mitsubishi’s L200 van model took the ‘Pick-Up of the Year’ award for the fourth consecutive year. The pick-up has also won an incredible 14 awards over its 17 years in production.

The L200 range was upgraded in May 2009 with the addition of Long Bed variants featuring an 18cm load bed extension and a higher, more square rear which increases carrying volume.

The Outlander Commercial model also collected ‘4×4 Van of the Year’ for the third year running.

What Van?’s Neil McIntee said: “The L200 rides and handles competently, build quality is unassailable and there’s sufficient power under your fight foot to meet the majority of requirements… even the Long Bed can cope with tight situations that would probably defeat some of its competitors and come out smiling.”

In other LCV news, Citroen has come top of the scrappage scheme table for the third consecutive month. In November, 26 per cent of new van sales were Citroen models making it consistently one of the best selling manufacturers.
 

Citroen sold more vans under the scrappage discount scheme than any other manufacturer for the third month in a row during November.

The company sold 152 LCVs during November – an impressive 26 per cent of the total number of LCVs sold through scrappage.

It sold a total of 548 vans over September, October and November via the scheme – 25.7 per cent of the total.

There have been 825 Citroen registrations under scrappage since the successful scheme was launched in the spring.

Citroen’s Commercial Vehicle Operations Manager Robert Handyside said: “Many UK businesses, with older vehicles, have been only too willing to upgrade to a modern, fuel efficient Citroën LCV and the scrappage scheme has proved to be the ideal incentive for these customers.”

Figures released in September named Citroën as the number one choice for new van buyers.

One in ten vans sold were made by Citroën during the month. There were a total of
2,876 registrations, with sales split fairly equally between the Nemo, Dispatch and Relay van models.
 

This week saw the launch of Vansupplies.com, a brand new e-commerce website which aims to cater for tradesmen and professionals whose job depends on a van.

As reported in Fleet News, electricians, builders, servicing engineers and similar professionals will be able to buy such products as ladder racks, roofing systems, plastic and aluminium tubing and storage equipment.

A brand new lightweight vehicle racking system is currently under development and will be offered by the site on launch.

Each product has been specially made to fit particular van models via standard fixing points, reducing the need for drilling and special fitting.

Meanwhile, supermarket giant Sainsbury’s has placed an order for 51 Edison electric vans from Smith Electric Vehicles, a subsidiary of manufacturer Tanfield.

On delivery next year, the vans will be used for the supermarket’s home delivery service within London. The new consignment will make Sainsbury’s one of the UK’s largest operators of electric vehicles, reports Fleet News.
 

The first official details of forthcoming Volkswagen van model the Amarok have been released.

According to a Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles press release, the Amarok “combines the robustness of a pick-up with innovative technology, high safety standards, excellent fuel economy and Volkswagen standards of comfort, quality and durability”.

Featuring a payload capacity of up to 1.15 tonnes with maximum towing limit of 2.8 tonnes, the van model will offer buyers a 2.52 m² cargo area. At 1,555 mm long and 1,620 mm wide, it will be the largest vehicle in its class upon launch in summer 2010, and also boast the largest available width between wheel arches of any pick-up van (1,222 mm), so users will be able to load Euro pallets sideways.

The Amarok is built around a ladder frame chassis, and will be available with either rear-wheel drive and 4MOTION all-wheel drive systems.

Meanwhile, Fiat Professional has launched a new range of comprehensive service plans.

They are designed to help van owners to spread the cost of their servicing requirements over a fixed term in monthly, interest-free payments.

Rob Calver, Parts and Services Director for Fiat Group Automobiles UK, said: “This is an excellent way to look after your Fiat Professional van the way you want it looked after, and without having to find the full cost of the service each time you book it in.”
 

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is to mark two major anniversaries at the Volkswagen AutoMuseum in Wolfsburg, Germany.

Until the end of December, special displays will mark the 60th anniversary of the first prototype Transporter van and 30 years since the groundbreaking third generation Transporter.

The memorabilia-rich exhibits include the very first Transporter prototype, a Dove Blue panel van known as the T1. The first generation Transporter was nicknamed the ‘Splittie’ due to its split windscreen design.

Another variation of the T1 to be featured is the ‘Beck’s Bus’, a converted van model which features a built-in bar for serving cold beer.

All early Transporter models featured a distinctive, rear-mounted air-cooled engine, right through until the launch of the T4 in 1984.

The Transporter remains Volkswagen’s best-selling van model. Over ten million have been sold since the range entered production in March 1950.

In related news, the Volkswagen Caddy was declared joint winner of the Light Van of the Year award at the 2009 ACFO Awards. The joint win, with the Ford Transit Connect, was the first tie in the 26-year history of the awards.

The Volkswagen Caddy, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Ford Transit Connect were amongst the winning vans at the 2009 ACFO Fleet Car and Vans of the Year Awards.

The Ford Transit Connect was named Fleet Light Van of the Year for the seventh year in a row, but, for the first time in the 26-year history of the awards, had to share the title, with the Volkswagen Caddy.

Ford Britain fleet director Kevin Griffin said: “To be elected winner by the ACFO membership for the seventh successive time for Transit Connect is an honour. It is recognition of Ford’s commercial vehicle success and why we remain the choice of thousands of British businesses.”

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter was named Fleet Panel Van of the Year for the first time.

Tim Carter of Mercedes-Benz UK said: “We are delighted that Sprinter has won against such strong competition. The award is particularly satisfying given that the win was achieved with votes based on ACFO members’ real world operating experience.”

The awards are based on the votes of ACFO members, and these reflect their real-world experience of different marques over the previous 12 months.

In related news, the Nissan NV200 was recently named International Van of the Year.

This prestigious accolade is awarded by a jury of just 23 commercial vehicle journalists from across Europe.