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At a glance
Insurance broker The Green Insurer is adding van insurance to its range. It says it will offer policies covering all classes of van insurance. It aims to help cut costs for van drivers by negotiating special deals with insurers and drivers will also benefit from rewards for environmentally-friendly driving.
Courier company The Logistics Organisation has purchased 50 new vans from Vanaways. The deal comprises Fiat Ducato L3H2 panel vans, with The Logistics Organisation – which is ranked in the top 10 suppliers of delivery drivers to both Amazon and FedEx – switching to Fiat from a premium brand. Additionally, Laundry equipment company GA Commercial, which previously rented its vans, has purchased three Renault Trafics from Vanaways.
The average value of used LCVs sold at auction reached a six-month high in March, according to BCA. The auction firm said the average sale price rose by 1.3% month- on-month to £8,855, the highest seen since September 2023. Sold volumes also rose for the third month in a row. BCA said demand was strongest for LCVs with retail- style specification.
The 5,000th EV has been added to the fleet of facilities management company Mitie. The vehicle, a Volkswagen ID. Buzz, was unveiled at Mitie’s headquarters at The Shard in London, and will be used by mobile engineers working across Mitie’s government contracts in the capital. Mitie says two-thirds of its fleet is now electric, as it works towards having a zero-emission fleet by the end of 2025.
The Commercial Vehicle Show hosted 30 speakers at its new seminar programme, The Road Ahead, which included 18 speaker and panel sessions across the three days of the show, covering topics ranging from net-zero fleets and regulation to workforce upskilling and wellbeing. Speakers included representatives of manufacturers, organisations such as the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, National Highways, and National Grid.
4 WhatVan? May 2024
GRENADIER COMMERCIAL A
INEOS LAUNCHES
new LCV version of the Ineos Grenadier off-roader has launched exclusively for the
UK market.
The Commercial variant replaces the existing two-seat Utility Wagon in the Grenadier line-up.
(2.0m3
It features more than 2,000 litres ) of cargo capacity, a flat floor
capable of carrying a 1,200mm by 800mm Euro pallet, and has a braked 3.5t towing capacity, as well as 5.5t of winching power. A floor-to-roof cargo barrier separates cabin occupants from the load bay. To qualify the Grenadier Commercial
for VAT exemption, Ineos has replaced the rear passenger windows with aluminium panels, fitted blacked out glazing on the 30:70 split rear doors, and permanently disabled chassis mounting points to prevent a second row of seats being added.
The model is available with a choice of 3.0-litre BMW petrol or diesel engines. Ineos says the backbone of the
Grenadier is a full box-section ladder frame chassis, with heavy-duty solid beam axles, a two-speed transfer case and up to three locking differentials. Prices for the Grenadier start at £51,931 excluding VAT. George Ratcliffe, commercial director, INEOS Automotive, said: “Customers in the UK have been asking for this addition to our model line-up since we launched in 2022, so we’re pleased to make this available so quickly. The
RECORD NUMBER OF VANS ON UK ROADS
he number of commercial vehicles on UK roads hit a new record high last year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The industry body’s newly-released Motorparc data for 2023 shows that 5,012,632 vans were in operation, up
T
by 2.6% compared with the previous year.
This included a 43.5% rise in the number of electric vans, with these now making up 1.2% of the overall van fleet. The overall number of vehicles on UK roads also rose last year, by 1.7% to over 41.4 million, another record high.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes
said: “After two challenging years of constrained supply, more people and businesses across the UK are now getting back behind the wheel – and increasingly, opting for greener options. “However, given the ageing fleet, we now need to encourage consumers and businesses who have deferred purchases of new cars, vans, trucks and buses to upgrade. A stronger and stable economy, coupled with reduced living costs, would boost consumer and business confidence, while compelling fiscal incentives would ensure that these purchases are emissions free. “Not only would this accelerate the transition – fundamental to the UK’s net zero ambitions – but it would also stimulate the economy and enhance the wider environment in which we all live.”
www.whatvan.co.uk
versatility of the Grenadier platform allows this level of modification without any compromise to the driving dynamics or off-road capabilities.”
The Grenadier Commercial will be built in Hambach, France, at the manufacturing facility Ineos Automotive acquired from Mercedes-Benz in January 2021, with conversion undertaken in the UK by Pontypool- based engineering specialist EDC Limited.
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