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
Used LCV market heading for a black hole
A report published by British Car Auctions indicates that the used van market is heading for serious shortages in the coming years. Written by Professor Peter Cooke of the University of Buckingham it estimates around 275,000 LCV’s will effectively be ‘missing’ from the used vehicle supply chain from 2011 to 2015.It’s a reflection of the reduced new van volumes registered from 2009 onwards. In addition, many professional volume LCV operators have kept vehicles in service longer, meaning vans are coming to market both older and with a higher mileage. It will become increasingly difficult to source good quality used LCV stock.
The report suggests the average age of LCVs on UK roads will rise as fewer new vans have been sold to ‘freshen the mix’ and the van parc will remain static at around 3.5 million units for the next few years.
Cooke says: “In simple terms, if we assume the national demand for used LCVs will be in the region of 300,000 annually, as the economy improves there will be a shortfall of some 275,000 first-time used LCVs entering the market between late 2011 and 2015.”