New Launches
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… Read More
Mitsubishi L200 4x4 Long-Term Test 1
We has just taken delivery of a Mitsubishi L200 4x4 Club Cab for long-term appraisal… Read More
Ford Transit ECOnetic Brief Test
We’ve been putting a SWB 100hp 2.2TDi Euro 5 Transit 280 ECOnetic through its paces… Read More
Renault Kangoo ZE 2011 European Launch
Renault is at the forefront of manufacturers offering a mass produced factory-built electric van… Read More
Fuso Canter 2011 European Launch
Fuso has completely revamped its range of light and heavy truck Canter chassis and chassis crew cabs… Read More
Iveco Daily 2011 European Launch
Iveco has introduced new, latest generation diesels to its Daily range, along with detail changes inside and out… Read More
Ford Transit 2011 European Launch
Ford takes the iconic Transit to the next stage with an all-new range of 2.2-litre Euro 5 diesels… Read More
Volkswagen Crafter 2011 UK Launch
VW’s large panel van has undergone a serious makeover with changes to the front-end styling and the cab interior, as well as new Euro 5 diesels… Read More
Ford Transit Connect Electric Brief Test
We spent a day with the battery-powered Connect to get a better idea of what it’s like to live with in its natural, urban environment. Read More
Mercedes-Benz Vito E-CELL Brief Test
Currently undergoing trials with selected fleet customers in the UK, we managed to get behind the wheel of a battery-powered Vito E-CELL… Read More
Volkswagen Crafter 2011 European Launch
Volkswagen’s Crafter has undergone a midlife makeover and gets a new front-end along with new Euro 5 engines… Read More
Rocky road ahead for EV uptake in the UK
Vehicle management specialist Leasedrive’s Essential Guide to Electric Vehicles – Future Imperfect paints a less than rosy picture for the switch to EVs in the UK. The publication looks at electric vehicle demand, the provision of EV charging points/drop-in centres, electric/hybrid vehicles and the electric vehicle future. And the conclusions are not particularly positive.According to Roddy Graham, commercial director at Leasedrive: “While it might appear that the future for the electric or hybrid vehicle is rosy this is far from the case. Many question marks remain on the long-term viability of electric vehicles fuelled by the lack of a nationwide recharging infrastructure, debate over the sale or lease of battery packs and a small matter of electric cars’ dirty little secrets!
“Hopefully, most of these uncertainties will be resolved so that, in the medium-term, the fleet mix will reflect a combination of the internal combustion engine, hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in that order. In the long-term, the mix will become even more varied with the addition of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and perhaps new technology yet to be revealed.
“The future success of electric vehicles will depend largely on the establishment of a proper re-charging network infrastructure, more acceptable ranges between battery recharges and lower lithium-ion battery costs. How much in-road electric vehicles will make into a market dominated by the internal combustion engine will also depend on how prices converge with the latter, post initial subsidies, and escalating oil prices.”
Click here to download a PDF (0.5Mb) of the Guide.
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Latest Features
Show Preview: CV Show 2012
This year's Commercial Vehicle Show is returning to the NEC Birmingham on 24 – 26 April following a very successful 2011 event… Read More
Vans of the Year Awards 2012
Each year we sit down and decide which, in our opinion, are best light commercials around in each market segment… Read More
Manheim: Used Van Market 2011
Manheim Remarketing reports on used van values and trends in 2011… Read More
Iveco: State of the Nation 2012
The Italian van and truck manufacturer takes a look back at the 2011 UK van market… Read More
Bridgestone Eco-Rally 2011
Environmentally-friendly transport can be fun, as we discovered courtesy of a Transit Connect Electric… Read More
Euro 5 Switchover
There’s a flurry of activity in the 3.5 tonne panel van market and the reason is the impending October deadline for new vans to meet Euro 5 emissions levels… Read More
ESP on Vans Explained
ESP, or Electronic Stability Programme to give it its full title, is either standard or available as an option on all light commercials. But what is it exactly? Read More