News
At a glance
Micheldever Tyres Services has added six electric Ford E-Transit vans to its fleet. The vans are secured on a two-year long-term rental agreement from Herd Group, with the deal also including onsite charging, tracking, and fleet maintenance with Herd Connect. The flexible rental solution is designed to achieve optimal utilisation whilst avoiding additional air pollution.
The government has missed a target of having six or more rapid or ultra-rapid EV chargers at each motorway service area in England by the end of 2023, according to the RAC. It said only 39% of service areas it had reviewed via Zapmap now had the target number of chargers rated over 50kW. It said this was up from 23% at the end of April 2023, and that 55% of service areas now had an ultra-rapid facility.
An increasing number of vans are being operated with high levels of tyre wear, according to i247 Group. The driver support and asset management company said the percentage of vans operating with less than 2mm of tyre tread depth had increased from 30% in 2019, to 40% in 2023. The legal limit is 1.6mm. The company warned low-tread tyres are more susceptible to punctures and losing air pressure, which impacts fuel economy and steering.
Supply chain management company Fleet Assist has promoted Nikos Kotrozos to the new role of supply chain director. Fleet Assist said the appointment follows Kotrozos, as head of supplier relationships, leading a record year of engagement and performance levels from Fleet Assist’s 5,200-strong garage network, including the launch of a mobile service network of 350 mobile technicians.
Updated versions of Vauxhall’s Combo Life Electric and Vivaro Life Electric have been unveiled. The passenger-carrying versions of Vauxhall’s compact and medium vans have both received increases in driving ranges on the official WLTP cycle – the Combo Life by 18% to 205 miles, and the Vivaro Life by 62% to 217 miles.
4 WhatVan? January 2024
IN NEW LCV SALES T
BIG ANNUAL LEAP
he UK new LCV market saw 21% annual growth in 2023, according to the Society of Motor
Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Year-on-year sales increases were seen in all 12 months of the year, with a total of 341,455 LCVs registered. The picture was further boosted by a particularly strong month in December, which saw a 36.1% increase in registrations, with more vans registered than in any December since 2015. For the year overall, the market- leading 2.5-3.5t van segment saw a 9.4% increase in registrations, to 228,442. The 2.0-2.5t van segment saw a major increase, up by 78.4% to 57,992 registrations, however the segment for vans weighting less than 2.0t saw a decline, down by 23.7% to 5,955. Pick-up truck registrations were up by 38.7% year-on-year, with 41,003 sold, while 4x4s were up by 127.7%, to 8,063. In terms of fuel mix, there was a 21% increase in electric van registrations, although a 5.9% overall market share was static compared with 2022.
Electric van registrations did however see a major uptick in December, up by 73.8%, taking a 10% market share in that month.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes
said: “Rising demand for new vans in every month of 2023 – along with record uptake of battery electric vans – is positive news for the UK, given the vital role of these vehicles in keeping businesses and the economy moving. “Demand for new vans is also essential for decarbonisation and, as the UK’s ambitious mandate for electric
van sales comes into effect, every lever must be pulled to make the switch accessible for fleets in every region. “If 2024 is to be the year of the electric van, investment in chargepoint infrastructure is mission-critical – bringing with it the successful green transition and economic growth the nation needs.” The Ford Transit Custom finished 2023 as the UK’s best-selling LCV, with 40,865 registrations, ahead of the Ford Transit with 28,280, and the Vauxhall Vivaro with 20,477.
ALLSTAR AND DPD AGREE EV PARTNERSHIP
company’s drivers access to the Allstar Chargepass solution as part of their employer’s targeting of a net zero business by 2040.
A
Allstar Chargepass provides a single monthly invoice for home and public charging, and access to more than
new partnership has been announced between Allstar and DPD, giving the delivery
14,000 public chargers.
DPD currently has more than 3,600 EVs on its fleet, and plans for 40% of its fleet to be electric by the end of this year. The deal builds on the existing partnership between Allstar and DPD, based on fuel cards.
Allstar Chargepass UK managing director Ashley Tate said: “As a company committed to the EV transition in
fleets, we’re proud to be extending our partnership with DPD to continue simplifying the transition for drivers. “The delivery industry is not only responsible for its own emissions, but also its partners’ net zero strategies, meaning the pressure is on to speed up efforts.
“Our partnership will make electric vehicles more accessible to drivers and serves as a significant milestone in our shared commitment to achieve net zero across fleets.” Paul Holland, managing director of UK fleet for Allstar’s parent company Fleetcor, said: “It’s incredibly satisfying to see our relationship with DPD grow and evolve, and for Allstar to be [its] lead payment solution provider.”
www.whatvan.co.uk
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