Van Survey
Latest Van News
Ford light commercials are Speedy fleet choice
Equipment rental specialist Speedy has placed an order for 400 Ford LCVs, worth in excess of £8.6m…
2013 used van auction values drop in May
Manheim Remarketing’s latest figures show that average used van values dropped by £78 in May compared to April…
Truckman hardtops bring versatility to fleet
Balfour Beatty has fitted Truckman hardtops to 150 of its fleet of Hilux 4x4 pick-ups…
Transporter features in national VW campaign
Volkswagen is rolling out out a nationwide Transporter billboard ad campaign depicting real owners…
Furmanite renews Citroën van fleet
Plant and pipeline maintenance firm Furmanite is sticking with Citroën to replace its 100-strong van fleet…
New Van Launches
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2013 - First Drive
New 2013 Sprinter is the first van to comply with Euro 6 and safety features are a high priority…
Ford Fiesta Van 2013 - First Drive
Launched at the beginning of 2013, the new Fiesta Van has been restyled inside and out and gets the new 1.5TDCi engine…
Ford Transit Custom - First Drive
Ford’s all-new one-tonne Transit, the Custom, is a very different proposition to its predecessor…
Show Report: CV Show 2012
What a cracking event the 2012 Commercial Vehicle Show turned out to be, thanks in no small part to Ford…
Mitsubishi L200 4x4 Long-Term Test 1
We have just taken delivery of a Mitsubishi L200 4x4 Club Cab for long-term appraisal…
Ashwoods Review & Buyers' Guide
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| Our Verdict Hybridising a Transit is a neat and relatively low-cost way of reducing fuel consumption and emissions.  Ashwoods started life converting vehicles to run on LPG, and indeed it still does, but it is better known these days for its low-cost low carbon solutions for light commercial vehicles.It offers a range of products, but the headliner is the Ford Transit Hybrid. The starting point is any rear-wheel drive Transit and the system works by recovering the energy normally wasted during braking and deceleration, storing it in a battery and then reintroducing it into the drivetrain. It’s basically a similar approach to that used by F1 teams with KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), but in this case it’s not used to provide additional power, but to reduce fuel consumption and hence emissions. Ashwoods claims savings of 15 per cent or more.  The Hybrid system consists of a generator/motor which is belt-driven from the rear differential and an Intelligent Power Pack Module (battery and software) sited underneath the vehicle by the nearside sliding side door. The finishing touch is a LED Driver Display strip located top-dead-centre of the dash. This indicates the state of the system — whether it’s charging or assisting — as well as suggesting gearchanges for optimal performance.Going for a Transit Hybrid will add around £10,000 to the cost of the base vehicle, considerably cheaper than going the full battery-powered route and there’s the advantage that it never needs to be plugged into a power socket. Ashwoods is planning to introduce a retro-fit version during 2011 and is working on variants for other manufacturers’ products.  Ashwoods can also provide a retro-fit Stop/Start system which cuts the engine when stationary at traffic lights or stuck in congestion and then restarts it automatically when it’s time to move on.EcoDrive is a replacement driver instrument module which provides real-time driver feedback in the form of an Optimal Operating Efficiency display and gearshift indicator. It provides the driver with a visual 'sweetspot' for engine efficiency in all driving conditions.  Last, but not least, there’s Fuel Logger. It’s a GSM-based unit that fits neatly into the sun visor. Data inputted by the driver at every fuel stop is sent instantly to the Ashwoods website, where customers can securely log-in and track the fuel consumption achieved for each vehicle within a fleet.For more information visit the Ashwoods web site. Ashwoods Hybrid System |
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Manufacturer Quick Link
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