MAY 2021 Embracing the new


The last year has changed the way in which many of us work and, for some companies, it may have a lasting effect on working practices going forwards. Certainly, attending an actual vehicle launch this month, interacting with people face-to-face and driving various pick-ups on and off the road was a welcome change of pace from the Zoom and Teams launches that we’ve had for the last 12 months.


Yet, while many business sectors will be wondering whether to return to the offi ce or to continue working from home, the majority of van operators have no doubt carried on regardless. They used to say that if something was sitting on a supermarket shelf, it probably arrived by truck. These days, it is more a case of, if it was delivered to your home or offi ce, it probably came in a van.


A recent DfT van statistics report showed that by March 2020 there were 4.1m vans on the UK’s congested roads, travelling around 55bn miles a year. Even taking into account those companies that did have to stop working, that’s an awful lot of light commercials.


The survey also showed that 51% of those vans rarely travelled more than 15 miles from base in a typical working day. Manufacturers have been telling us these fi gures for some time, as a way of showing just how many companies could make a move to electric vehicles without worrying about driving range.


You may think that you won’t have to consider an EV until 2030 at the earliest, but it could be worth at least dipping a toe in the water well before then. Working through how a battery electric van will function within your operation, assessing your charging demands and seeing how the sums really stack up when it comes to total cost of ownership, could help you to make the move sooner than you think.


Dan Gilkes, editor


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Contents


NEWS 4 Van use statistics revealed Toyota to launch Proace Electric Ford offers improved security


6 High spec Griffins boost Vauxhall LCV range


Maydencroft adds to Isuzu fleet 8 ROAD TO ZERO


14 Refrigeration: Marshall Renewables to launch combined solar and kinetic energy-powered LCV refrigeration units for electric vans


16 Vivaro-e in strong demand


RWD eSprinter will boost range and payload EAV works with Ford Spin


PICK-UPS


18 Launch: Isuzu updates its D-Max pick-up


22 Road test: Ford Ranger Thunder 23 Road test: Toyota Hilux Invicible 24 Market anaylsis


22 INTERVIEW


8 ‘A complete mobility solution’: Eric Laforge, head of LCV Enlarged Europe at parent company Stellantis, talks to VanUser


LAUNCH 11 Fiat Professional E-Ducato


CONTACTS


Editor Dan Gilkes 07802 751473 dangilkes1@mac.com


Editorial assistant Jade Soanes 01502 725840 jade.soanes@micropress.co.uk


Design and production Mark Shreeve 01502 725839 mark.shreeve@micropress.co.uk


Advertising executive Laura Munnings 01502 725866 laura.munnings@micropress.co.uk


Published by Countrywide Publications, Fountain Way, Reydon, Suffolk IP18 6DH 01502 725800 www.vanuser.co.uk


Printed by Micropress Printers Ltd


12 Volkswagen’s fifth-generation Caddy van


12 LONG-TERM TEST


25 Pressing button B: Citroën's e-Dispatch


ROAD TEST


26 Automatic choice: Ford Transit 10 speed automatic


MAY 2021 •VANUSER 3 23


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