VanQuoteDirect – Van Insurance Blog

Citroen Berlingo to have Facelift

February 3rd, 2012

The Citroen Berlingo is a much loved van here on the VanQuoteDirect blog, and now Citroen has revealed a face lifted version of it. I for one hope it still offers all the same brilliance as the previous models did! The Berlingo will be offered in the passenger and commercial variants as per usual, which means there will undoubtedly be a large number of mini van insurance policies being taken out on the 2012 model of the Berlingo.

So far details are only known about the Berlingo Multispace, which will be the passenger based version of the much loved little van.

Exterior Updates

The Citroen will come with a range of notable alterations on the outside. The Berlingo minivan will now come equipped with a wider and more defined grille, a new chevron badge and a new headlight arrangement. The new headlights can also include the optional extra of LEDs.

Furthermore, it will come with redesigned mirrors and some funky new alloy wheels and Citroen are also going to release an optional styling kit for the mini van, called the “Black Pack”. This will see the Berlingo don some Onyx Black trim on the top of the front bumper, side mirrors, side strips and rear number plate moulding.

Interior Updates and the Engine

The Berlingo Multispace inside will get a new assortment of colours for prospective owners to choose from and the interior will be built using a higher quality of materials throughout. The Multispace will also be available with either five seats or seven seats to carry its passengers in.

Like the old Berlingo, there will be a variety of engines to choose from for this 2012 model. These include the e-HDi Airdream diesel that offers up to 90bhp and uses Stop & Start and a six speed automatic gearbox. Not exactly a performance based machine this one!

Let’s hope this mini van will still give us the same thrill as the previous model.

Tags: Citroen, Citroen Berlingo, Citroen Berlingo Multispace, Mini Van Insurance
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Diesel Particulate Filters and Vans

February 1st, 2012

As you may have read in the news today, van drivers may soon find themselves having to fork out rather large expenses as a result of diesel particulate filters becoming clogged up during rather short distance journeys. Diesel particulate filters will need to be fitted to vans in order to comply with Euro 5 emissions regulations that are being implemented.

So, what is a diesel particulate filter?

A diesel particulate filter acts as a reducing agent within the exhaust system of a diesel vehicle. Most diesels will produce smoke under heavy load and thus produce a large amount of pollutants. The diesel particulate filter basically acts as a sieve to decrease the amount of pollutants that are expelled by the diesel engine. Pollutants from diesel engines are known as “particulate matter”. Of course, this is not the only pollutant, however, others are in such low volume when compared to petrol engines that they are not classed as significant.

It’s a clever little system then!

Problems

However, there are a number of problems with diesel particulate filters. Gradually they get clogged up with so much particulate matter that the engine’s efficiency reduces, along with the performance of the vehicle. Imagine breathing through a straw with cotton wool jammed up it! Tough stuff indeed. When this occurs, a diesel particulate filter needs to be replaced, which, as you will be well aware by now, is very expensive. This on top of other van costs, such as general maintenance and commercial vehicle insurance, can lead to mounting costs for van drivers.

Managing a diesel particulate filter can also be a hassle. Many companies advise owners to keep the engine above 2,500 rpm for a time period of around 20 minutes. This will enable the filter to reach its operating temperature in order to then burn off any particulate matter. This therefore stops the filter clogging up. However, this can only really be achieved on motorway journeys, and if you only travel short distances within a city or around towns then it may be the case that you will not need to venture onto a motorway. Maybe commit to taking your van on a motorway once every month in your spare time?! You should find it helps!

Good Points

There are however a number of good points regarding diesel particulate filters. They are effective, and in modern diesels, they do help to reduce emissions enough to warrant the lower tax bands. Furthermore, modern diesel engines, through significant improvements in fuel quality, calibration and quality control in production, are becoming the benchmark.

Tags: commercial van insurance, Costs, Diesel, Diesel Particulate Filter, DPF
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Choosing the Right Van for You

January 30th, 2012

If you are thinking about getting a new van, there are a few considerations to take into account. Here are a few tips from VanQuoteDirect:

Use the internet

The first step would be to scour the internet for the best vans around, you’ll soon dig up praises (or complaints) about different vehicles. The make & manufacturer of the van can be an important factor for some people. Some people can be loyal to a certain manufacturer, which is understandable if their past vans have been very reliable.

Costs

The next step would be to make sure you are getting the best for your money. Some things to consider include if you or your company afford this van, would you want a brand new van or a second hand one?

The costs of running a van can differ with everything from breakdown cover, commercial van insurance and fuel efficiency, which can be very daunting, especially if it’s the first van you’ll be buying. The figures for all new vans for sales can be found via the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) database, which tells you information regarding commercial vehicles fuel consumption.

Safety

Safety and security is another factor to think about when investing in a new van. High security can lower your insurance premiums and is vital for safeguarding your van and equipment or tools it contains.

These are just a few hints from us. Good luck with your van search and please get in touch if you have any more useful tips for us!

Tags: Buying a new van, commercial van insurance, Hints, Tips, VanQuoteDirect, vans
Posted in Van Insurance, commercial vehicle insurance | No Comments »

What’s the Best Looking Van?

January 27th, 2012

Today we’re thinking about what the best looking van is currently on the market, new and used. A van isn’t just about being able to carry a heavy load, or how many boxes and goods you can squeeze in the back. It’s important for a van to look smart too, no matter what size it is and that is exactly why, for this blog, we are forgetting about how big the van is. We are simply just thinking about the best looking vans.

Berlingo

Now, while I realise aesthetic appeal probably isn’t the highest on the list of requirements for a new or used van, it is however something that can sway van drivers to choose one van over another. Isn’t it? That’s why when I bought my van a few months ago I went for a little, second hand, Citroen Berlingo. It was a great choice as I think it’s probably the best looking vehicle in its class and one of the most rugged too. Who agrees with me?

Vito Brabus

Other great looking vans out there include the Vito Sport-X. This is a bit of a special van anyway. It comes with some Brabus styling including 18 inch alloy wheels, a front spoiler and leather-trimmed seats, steering wheel and gearshift. The Sport-X is also loaded with a 3.0 litre V6 diesel engine that produces 221bhp. This brute of an engine will propel the van from 0-60mph in just 9.1 seconds before then pushing on to a maximum speed of 125mph. Some very impressive performance figures indeed! Furthermore, because it is a diesel engine, it’s likely you will be able to get a cheap commercial van insurance policy.

Fiesta and Corsa

Another great looking van is the new Fiesta Van. The normal Fiesta car is already a good looking vehicle and so by turning it into a van, Ford have basically just replaced the rear windows with panels and removed the rear seats in order to form a decent amount of space to be loaded up.

Along the same lines as the Fiesta Van is the Corsa Van. This too is a good looking light commercial vehicle. Again, like the Fiesta, the Corsa Van is basically a normal Corsa with panels in place of rear windows and extra space in the rear.

These two vans may not be the most practical for those that need to carry heavy duty loads around but they are both decent looking vehicles. They will also both be cheap and easy to run.

What do you think is the best looking van?

Tags: Cheap Commercial Van Insurance, Citroen Berlingo, commercial van insurance, Corsa Van, Fiesta Van, Mercedes Sprinter
Posted in Van Insurance | 1 Comment »

Electric Kangoo

January 25th, 2012

Recently we have blogged a lot about commercial vans that run on alternative fuels and today, in keeping with the current theme, we are again thinking about those vans that are running on different fuels.

Renault Revolution

Last week we explained how electric vans were undergoing trials in Germany and that they were performing very well indeed. However, my concern was whether they would suit the everyday van drivers schedule as they have a limited range.

Well, it seems that Renault have been hard at work in pushing out their new electric powered Kangoo ZE. It is due to roll out on our streets in the North East this week.

Benfield Renault, in Newcastle, was chosen by the French manufacturer to be the number one retailer and supplier of the groundbreaking electric vehicle.

Hopes are High

They are hopeful that the electric van will sell well amongst small to medium sized businesses, and they are also hoping, in particular, that tradesman, such as plumbers for example, will be interested in the light commercial vehicle.

Of course, the government is now also offering a subsidy of up to 20% on the price, and Renault are also confident that other factors, including the relatively cheap running of the vehicle, lower tax and a pretty reasonable van insurance quote, will further attract potential customers.

History of Great Vans

Furthermore, we know Renault make great vans and the Kangoo has already won the prize for the 2012 Van of the Year, so we have no doubts that the electric Kangoo will sell well and become a regular appearance on our streets in future years.

Mark Squires, Chief Executive at Benfield, is looking forward to getting the Kangoo ZE on the streets: “This is fantastic news for Benfield Renault and our customers. As a family-owned business, we are delighted to be at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution, and to be chosen to retail the first commercially available electric van to hit Newcastle is very exciting and a piece of history in the making.”

Meanwhile, UK Managing Director, Thierry Sybord, has been saying: “I’m delighted to see Benfield embracing this new era of electric transport.” All at Renault are unsurprisingly very excited to see the Kangoo ZE finally being offered to customers.

Tags: electric Vans, electric vehicles, Kangoo ZE, Renault Kangoo, Van Insurance, van insurance quote
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Hydrogen Fuels Could be a Success for the UK

January 23rd, 2012

Hydrogen powered vehicles are now looking increasingly likely, especially in the commercial vehicle sector. Hydrogen commercial vehicles would slash pollution and emissions by an incredible amount and I personally think this could be by far and away the best alternative fuel yet!

Hydrogen Project

The government has launched a new project which is intended to assess the potential of hydrogen as a fuel source, and if the project emerges to be a success then a finished hydrogen fuel product could be rolled out for 2014 onwards, and we will then quickly see more and more hydrogen powered vans on our streets amongst other hydrogen powered vehicles.

Imagine a hydrogen powered bus, for example. If one in five buses in London alone were powered by hydrogen then emissions would be reduced massively which would be fantastic news for the environment of course.

Analysis and Assessment

The government’s project is also intended to analyse the viability of developing sufficient infrastructure in order to incorporate refuelling points for hydrogen powered vehicles and to assess the economic benefits the country on the whole could gain from using the gas as an alternative fuel. It could, for a start, lower commercial vehicle insurance quotes.

Mark Prisk, Business Minister, has been commenting that the UK could become a key market for low-carbon vehicles, and he was quoted saying: “Hydrogen vehicles are increasingly being recognised as one of the viable options as we move to a lower carbon motoring future. It is vitally important that we identify what is required to make these cars a realistic proposition for UK consumers.” The difficulty it would seem is not in harnessing the fuel, but perhaps in building the correct facilities for it to be distributed nationwide.

Backing for the Project

Meanwhile, the initiative to move to commercial hydrogen vehicles has been backed by a number of gas, infrastructure and utility companies in the UK. The new initiative to launch hydrogen vehicles has been named UKH2Mobility and will also research how jobs can be created by the move into hydrogen fuels. Jerry Hardcastle, Head of Design at Nissan, has been explaining: “Hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles…could represent a large segment of the UK market in the coming years.” It would indeed be brilliant if thousands of jobs were created by the new plans, especially at a time when unemployment has been on the rise!

Hydrogen fuels, it seems, will not only be a great achievement for the environment, but for the UK economy too!

Tags: Alternative Fuels, commercial vehicle insurance, Government, Hydrogen Fuel
Posted in Alternative Fuel, commercial vehicle insurance | No Comments »

Plug-In Van Grant Available

January 20th, 2012

There is a new Plug-In Van Grant that has been made available in order to accompany the existing car grant as part of the government’s efforts to encourage “cleaner” methods of transport. The new grant will hopefully reduce the cost of eligible vans by around 20% on models of up to £8,000, and so this is sure to be a popular decision by the government.

Attempt to Reduce Emissions

Earlier this week we were wondering whether electric vans would really work in this country, and of course they would to some extent, and now with this grant scheme, it would seem the government is attempting to make cleaner commercial vehicles more appealing in order to achieve widespread usage, and therefore lower emissions.

In order for a van to be eligible for the grant scheme, it must emit less than 75g/km CO2 and be able to do at least 60 miles between charges. The vehicle must also be approved by “European Vehicle Type Approval” to ensure that it is indeed safe.

Norman Baker, the Transport Minister, has been quoted saying: “The Plug-In Van Grant, alongside the existing Plug-In Car Grant, is designed to help private individuals and businesses adopt new, cleaner technology. Businesses, especially those with fleets, will be a key driver in increasing the market share of ultra-low emission vehicles.”

Reducing Costs

This added grant is of course great news for those van owners that are currently hunting for a new van, and those that are looking to cut costs may find themselves handsomely rewarded with some great savings on fuel and van insurance quotes, along with road tax and general long term maintenance costs too.

Furthermore, Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive, has been very upbeat with regard to the new government grant: “The Plug-In Car Grant and the new Plug-In Van Grant send a strong signal to the global automotive industry about the UK’s determination to be a leading market for ultra-low carbon vehicles. We will reap significant industrial and environmental benefits from establishing an early and flourishing ultra-low carbon vehicle market, attracting high value investment in R&D, innovation and automotive manufacturing.”

It will be interesting to monitor commercial vehicle sales over the coming months in order to see how the grant helps to increase sales in the commercial vehicle sector.

Tags: Alternative Fuels, Carbon Emissions, Plug-In Van Grant, SMMT, van insurance quotes
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Electric Commercial Vans

January 18th, 2012

Electric van trials are being carried out in Germany in order to test whether an electric van can deal with the strain that can be put on vans each and every day. Daimler, the parent firm of Mercedes-Benz has been testing a hundred electric versions of the Vito commercial vehicle. The vans have now covered over 400,000 miles as part of a four year trial that began in the autumn of 2010. The results, thus far, look very positive indeed.

What do you think about electric vans?

The electric vans have been put through vigorous tests as they have been used for a variety of jobs including courier work, service vehicles for plant maintenance, customer service jobs and assembly and internal transport within companies.

Furthermore, the drivers have reported that they are finding that the vehicles can easily handle whatever is thrown at them, and the concerns about the battery life have somewhat reduced. The vehicles have proved that they are capable of covering 50 miles on a full charge, which in most cases is satisfactory. So, for those inner city jobs where you only have to drive a few miles at a time, an electric van could indeed be perfect for a day’s work.

Van drivers, what do you think? Would you like to glide around the city in an electric van? Or is a range of 50 miles just not good enough for you?

Van Spec

The electric Vito van will develop 60kW, with a peak torque figure of 280Nm, and the van will also be front wheel drive. The top speed is very limited; the vans will do just 55mph in order to maximise the battery range. So these vans really are just for inner city roads!

The vans will also be able to be charged at a main voltage of 380/400V and it is a process that will take up to a maximum of six hours. So the idea really does seem to be that the van will be plugged in overnight after a long days work. The vans are also likely to reduce an owner’s commercial van insurance, which will be very beneficial to all owners and businesses that will use the vans.

Faults and Worries

Whilst the German trials are seemingly going well, and whilst the drivers have reported that they are pleased with the vehicles, I do have some reservations regarding the electric vans. What if there is a power cut during the charging process and you wake up in the morning to a van that has no charge in the battery? Or, what if you need to go further than 50 miles every now and then? Nobody likes to turn down a job, but if you have to turn down a job because you are nearly out of battery life it will be very frustrating!

Maybe these concerns are very premature, and maybe they are totally unjustified. It will be interesting to get your thoughts regarding electric vans!

Tags: commercial van insurance, electric Vans, Mercedes Vans, Mercedes-Benz Vito
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Vans Can Often be Favoured Over Cars

January 16th, 2012

If you’re reading this blog, you probably own a van, or you are indeed thinking of buying a van, which is great, however that also probably means you need your van every day for business purposes. Well, not all vans are owned by those that need them for delivering goods or shifting around heavy loads. Sometimes, you come across those that simply drive a van for the fun of driving a van, instead of a regular road car.

Car or Van?

It’s a true story that a close friend of mine once owned a van simply because they preferred the way it drove, the way they could go anywhere in it without worry of it being dinged by someone else or even stolen and because it was so practical; they used to load it up after a long day shopping.

I remember the van well, it was a W-reg Citroën Berlingo that had clearly been bashed about by previous owners, but the little Berlingo just soldiered on, without a care in the world. It was a brilliant little van with just two seats in the front, a gearstick, a steering wheel, and that’s about it. Simple, straightforward motoring.

It was light too, with a 1.6 litre engine that anyone could rev hard without worry of it failing, and when carrying particularly heavy duty goods or tools in the back you would need to rev it hard to get it to move! But that was fine because it would happily comply without any struggle or strain.

Economical Too

It was a pretty economical little run-a-round as well, as its 1.6 litre diesel engine would produce 149g/km of CO2 emissions, which isn’t bad at all by standards from around a decade ago and it rarely seemed to need a fill at the diesel pump. Berlingo’s have even been used as police vans, not just in the UK, but overseas also, so it must be pretty nippy too in the event of them having to give chase.

Furthermore, it seems that a van insurance quote can indeed be cheaper than just normal car insurance as the van is likely to be valued lower than a car with an equivalent engine capacity. Insurers may also see a van as a vehicle with less risk attached, the fact that they have fewer seats than normal cars may be a big factor in deciding the price of the insurance. This is because the fewer people that could potentially get hurt, the lower the insurance quote may be. That isn’t to say however, that a two-seater sports car will be cheaper to insure than a four-seater family hatchback.

If you drive a van but do not need it for business use, then why not let us know!

Tags: Citroen Berlingo, Police Van, Van Insurance, van insurance quote
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London Emission Rules Hit Drivers

January 13th, 2012

Commercial vehicles that were registered before October 2006, including motor caravans, lorries, horseboxes and vans will be effected by the changes to the London emission rules, which means they have to pay a fee of £100 per day to drive in Greater London, any time of the day or evening.

All these vehicles will have to fit filters that can cost up to £3,500 as well as undergoing a £32 annual inspection by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency, not forgetting yearly MOT checks and the cost of commercial vehicle insurance and fuel.

The Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras covering the whole of Greater London will help enforce the low emission zone.

The cameras will identify the vehicles by cross checking with the VOSA database and confirm whether a filter has been fitted. If the daily charge has not been paid then drivers will face a £500 fine.

Improving the Air

The new low emission plans hope to improve air quality in Greater London.

Even though the plans are being supported by environmentalists, there are concerns among small businesses and voluntary groups.

Many sports clubs and church groups around London rely on minibuses, for example the London Football Association.

A spokesman said, “Transport is already one of the greatest obstacles to participation particularly in London and the low emission law will create an even bigger challenge,”

“We are working hard with teams and leagues across London to try and find ways around this, but in the current economic climate this is and will prove to be a massive struggle.”

The senior development manager for the Federation of Small Businesses, Matthew Jaffa, warned the changes will have a big impact.

“Some of our members are still unsure of the changes. Many feel that their vehicles do comply with the standards but are still being told to retrofit the filters.

“It will also affect small businesses in Kent and Essex. Many have said that they will no longer be able to service London.

“In the year of the Olympics London is supposed to be open for businesses, but the opposite seems to be the case.”

The Mayor’s Director for the Environment, Kulveer Ranger, defended the zone. He said, “The Mayor wants to deliver cleaner air for London to tackle the legacy he inherited, which poses a serious health threat to many especially the most vulnerable in our city,

“The changes to the Low Emission Zone standards will broadly double the impact of the existing scheme. They will be coupled with an unprecedented wider package of measures set to be implemented at this time to improve the capital’s air quality.

“In a historic year for this city, when the eye’s of the world are focused on London, it is right that we are demanding the highest environmental standards and a higher quality of life for Londoners.”

Transport for London said that if drivers could prove that they had ordered the necessary filtering equipment before 3rd January, they would not be penalised.

Tags: commercial vehicle insurance, Filters, London, London low emissions zone, Pollution, van drivers
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