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Nemo van wins the Future Car Challenge

Thursday, November 11th, 2010

If any more evidence was needed that alternative power sources for motor vehicles is the way forward for the motor industry, surely the Brighton to London Future Car challenge last weekend provided it.

With over 60 entrants for the race that included electric vehicles, hydrogen cell powered vehicles and hybrids the challenge was to cover the 60 miles to the Capital using the least amount of fuel/energy possible.

Because of the number of entrants and the complicated formula needed to work out the winner, although the race finished in Pall Mall on Sunday afternoon it was only yesterday that the winners were declared. The rather good news for those in the van trade was that a Nicholson McLaren Engines NEMO van came out as one of the big winners.

Incredibly the van driven by Neil Mcintee and aided by Simon North, both of whom are involved in the commercial vehicle trade, completed the 60 miles using less than £1 worth of fuel. An added bonus for the winners was that not only did they win the vans section; the NEMO was comfortably the most energy efficient electric vehicle in the competition. It used only about half of the fuel that the second best electric vehicle managed.

Obviously the sales department of the Nicholson McLaren NEMO are expecting the van to attract plenty of commercial vehicle insurance quotes once the news of its performance in the challenge reverberates around the country. Converted from an ordinary Citroen Nemo van the converted vehicle has a range of 80 miles in urban areas and a payload of over 500 kgs. The van also operates comfortably at 60 mph.

The Hampshire based factory of Nicholson McLaren is enjoying quite a lot of success at the moment as it is not only converting electric vehicles to optimum performance but also converting vans and trucks to comply with impending demands of the London Congestion Charge Zone.

Vans operating in and around the capital will need to comply with the Dual Fuel emission levels by January 2012 if they want to avoid the massive charges levied on non compliant vehicles every day.

Posted in Events, Exhibitions, commercial vehicle insurance | No Comments »

Driverless vans close in their target

Thursday, October 7th, 2010

Four bright orange vans that captured the world’s imagination in early summer are now half way through their epic journey.

The four vans set off from Parma, in Italy, to a fanfare farewell from environmentally friendly organisations from all over the globe on July 26^th with the intention of arriving in Shanghai in time for the World Expo 2010.

What was so special about the vans? Well apart from being bright orange, they are completely powered by natural fuel. Solar panels on the vehicles produce the electricity to operate the autonomous driving system and green fuels will power the rest of the vehicle. Oh yes and the vans have no drivers! The vehicles are being driven by a collection of sensors, cameras and advanced motoring technologies tied together with the use of satellite navigation. It is the brainchild of Italian professor Alberto Broggi.

Although the vans are driverless and can be used without any humans in the vehicle, for much of the time various members of the expedition have sat in the back seats of the vehicles in case of emergencies. They have, however, demonstrated the vans autonomous driving system at every planned stop.

The good news emerging from their special website is that Europe has now been well and truly left behind as the group have travelled over 7,000 of their total 13,000 kilometres. The laser scanners, sat-navs and special cameras appear to be working a treat. The back up team who do intermittently have some input on the vans are confident now they have reached Almaty that they will achieve their target and be in Shanghai for the expected date.

They report that at times the vans have been travelling at 100 kilometres an hour. More than enough one would imagine giving any commercial vehicle insurance broker heart failure, especially without a driver.

So far the vans have travelled through major cities such as Milan, Rome, Belgrade Kiev and Moscow and now the hard work has been done they hope to travel quickly through China to arrive in Shanghai for October 28^th.

The project has been funded by monies from various European Union funds and overseen from the Vislab laboratories at the University of Parma, Italy.

Tags: commercial vehicle insurance, eco-friendly, Exhibitions, Van Insurance
Posted in Exhibitions, commercial vehicle insurance | No Comments »

Camper van festival big success

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

Lovers of VW campervans and for that matter most other things VW, had their annual get together this weekend in Norfolk.

Fritton Park, East Anglia was the venue for the VW Whitenoise Weekend three day festival, which attracts fans of the VW campervan from all over the world. This weekend drew more than 3000 van owners and their families and was rather special as it celebrated the 60^th anniversary of the Volkswagen van.

Van owners relish the chance to get together and exchange stories and tips on how to renovate their cherished vehicles and most importantly how to access spares. Seen at the show this weekend was a Polific Autowax panel van from 1963 who’s owner Ash Purney believed it to be the last of its kind on earth.

Ash’s story was probably repeated by other fans all weekend long, he had actually renovated the cherished van by using parts from three vehicles. Another visitor had come in his 1959 VW German ex-firebus, just one of three VW vans he owned. He had left his bay windowed campervan and a VW Corrado at home this year. It seems there is as much fun in the rebuilding and tracking down of parts as there is in actually driving them.

This point was reinforced by one festival goer who estimated he had spent over £20,000 on one 1955 Kombi. To celebrate the 60 years of VW vans, festival organisers Neil and Lynne Haughey were hoping to get at least one example of VW van from every year of manufacture i.e. 1950 to 2010.

The festival is now in its eighth year and seems to go from strength to strength. This year’s event drew many other trade stands linked with the van scene and of course the surfing lifestyle inextricably associated with it. Live music and the Show n’ Shine competition, where owners vie for a coveted trophy also proved very popular with the crowds.

Van drivers should note that campervans usually require a different type of insurance to commercial vehicle insurance, but if in doubt can always check with their insurance company.

Tags: commercial vehicle insurance, Exhibitions, Van Insurance
Posted in Events, Exhibitions, Van Insurance, commercial vehicle insurance | No Comments »

A trip down memory lane

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Van Drivers young and old will have an affinity with one type of van and the history that goes with it. Surprisingly enough there is no particular manufacturer associated with the vehicle. It was a van that was nearly always heard before it was seen and one that in my case anyway often had me turning to my grandparents rather than mum and dad.

These tunes should ring a bell so to speak, with more than one generation; Popeye the Sailor man, Greensleeves, Do ye ken John Peel, O Soleil Mio and the Westminster Chimes. Yes you’ve got it, the ice cream van.

The mere mention of the songs takes one back to a childhood when Sunday afternoons were special treat days and the treat was usually an ice cream after Sunday school. The mere thought of it makes the taste buds jingle whereas today the mere taste of it reminds me of my next dental appointment.

Anyone fancying a trip down memory lane could do worse than visit the Transport Museum in Coventry situated in the town centre in Millennium Place. The museum has put together an ice cream van exhibition that will run through to September.

The exhibition traces the history of ice cream and the vehicles it was sold from through the 20^th century up to modern day, displaying the implements the ice cream was served from, including the giant tubs and steel scoops and the glasses they were served in before ice cream cones were introduced. Pride of place though goes to the ice cream vans and their forerunners.

The tricycles and hand carts that the vendors originally used are on display, as is a 1928 Morris Cowley which was converted into one of the earliest ice cream vans, complete with trap door which the vendor would open and stand on the road beneath to serve his customers.; what modern day insurers would make of that when giving a commercial vehicle insurance quote is hard to imagine. Also featured is a local van from bygone days, produced by the famous D Di Mascio family who ploughed their trade in the streets of the east midlands. Modern day vans are represented by a Bedford HA which is covered in the livery of Batman and Robin.

Tags: commercial vehicle insurance, Exhibitions, Ice cream, Ice cream vans, Museums, Van Insurance, Van Show
Posted in Events, Exhibitions, Van Insurance | No Comments »

Archive for the ‘Exhibitions’ Category

Nemo van wins the Future Car Challenge

Driverless vans close in their target

Camper van festival big success

A trip down memory lane

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