Mercedes are hoping fleet managers in particular will make use of this service, as they provide commercial vehicles to a variety of businesses. One of the most notable ones growing in popularity is the Vito light van, which is currently on offer in London as an alternative to the iconic Hackney Carriage.

Services Included

The services provided on the site include regular vehicle servicing to the manufacturer’s standards, MOTs, sourcing Genuine Parts for your vehicle as well as general repairs and maintenance. The benefit of this is that drivers can be sure that fully trained Mercedes-Benz Technicians will be working on their van. It is important that vehicles remain roadworthy as it can have an impact on van insurance claims.

Prices

You would expect that labour directly from the manufacturing company would cost a substantial amount, however Mercedes remains confident that their quotes are clear, good value and cheaper than expected. When generating a quote they take into account the individual van’s specification, age and mileage in order to provide a personalised and specific service.

There are plenty of dealers listed that meet the customer’s needs and they provide added-value services, such as collection and delivery, courtesy vehicle’s, valeting and out of hours servicing.

A Word from Mercedes

The Customer Services Director, Ian Dutfield said, “When it comes to taking care of our customers’ Mercedes-Benz vans, nobody knows their vehicles better than our approved, skilled and highly trained technicians. We hear sometimes about the misconception that work carried out by a specialist dealer can cost more, but we’re completely transparent with our pricing and to prove it, we’ve created the Mercedes-Benz Online Van Service Advisor.”

Putting the Van to the Test

In order to determine whether Nissan’s electric van could meet their requirements, the e-NV200 was filled to capacity and travelled over 1,200 miles alongside British Gas’ standard vans. By doing this they could gauge how well the electric van performed and if it could be a suitable, energy efficient alternative.

The energy provider is looking to switch 10% of its 14,000 light commercial fleet to electric. General Manager of the British Gas fleet, Colin Marriott said, “With fuel prices continuing to rise, one of the biggest benefits of e-NV200 is the breakthrough in long term running costs savings. Over the course of the trial, our e-NV200 test car drivers have told us they are happy to do away with the diesel and go electric”. You have to imagine fleet managers would be equally happy to jump on the electric vehicle bandwagon from a financial perspective, as it leaves extra funding for quality commercial vehicle insurance.

Nissan Electric Vehicles

With positive reviews like this, there is great confidence that the electric vehicle industry will get a strong boost with more and more companies wanting to capitalise on the benefits. Nissan has already gone through similar trials with FedEx and Japan Post Services.

A spokeswoman for the car manufacturer commented, “The feedback has been really positive. Obviously electric vans are not going to be suitable for every application, but where you have routes in and around towns they are perfect. The consensus from the trials is this is a very workable option.”

The e-NV200 is still going through development while the Nissan Leaf is their current 100% electric vehicle. The Leaf is on sale from £25,990 and many of its drivers can benefit from the electric car grant scheme which has now been extended to cover vans, prompting more fleet managers to go electric. The main advantages of electric vehicles are generally lower operating costs, energy efficiency, reduced emissions and simpler engines.

1. Ice Cream

Being a childhood classic, at some point we’ve all heard the melody and gone running out of our house with a £1 coin. (Because back in the day that was all you needed!) Or during lazy days in the summer at the park, at the end of your day the Mr Whippy van was waiting for your order. The menu included a solid collection of ice cream and ice lolly favourites such as Screwballs, Feast, Fab, Calypso, Solero, Cornetto and the classic 99 Flake with an option of green or red syrup.

2. Burger

After a thrilling match, day at a festival or even a night out with your mates, burger vans have been there for the public with a quick, greasy fix of sustenance. For less than £5 you can get a decent sized burger with a simple choice of adding cheese, onions and sauces. However with the development of higher quality street food, some burger vans have evolved to provide a range of high quality meat (or veggie patties), additional condiments and extras which could rival Subway.

3. Burrito

As mentioned previously, street food has evolved and now you shouldn’t be too surprised to find meals you’d expect to find in a restaurant, served from a mobile van. Forget restaurant insurance, these babies need commercial vehicle insurance! Burritos and Mexican food in general have grown in popularity around the UK. Wraps stuffed with rice, meat, beans and vegetables rolled up into a handheld meal are practically made for van distribution.

4. Hot Dog

During the simpler times of street food, one of the founding fathers of high quality food were Farmers. Whenever a food and fresh produce market would roll into town, pedestrians would always be drawn to the stand emitting an appetising aroma of freshly cooked sausages. No one knows good meat like a farmer and you will never be disappointed by their delicious chargrilled hot dogs, complimented with the sauce of your choice. Hot dogs from the cinema just cannot compete.

5. Crêpes

C’est delicieux! This delightful French pancake is part of the increasingly popular international dishes being served on wheels in the UK. The versatility of having them with a variety of sweet or savoury fillings has made them a great street snack, appealing to all ages. The most popular fillings include chocolate, plain sugar, strawberries and whipped cream. On the opposite end of the scale, cheese and ham are the more popular savoury accompaniments.

Back in the 1800s, before the first combustion engines were built, the first four wheeled vehicle that allowed the carriage of people and goods was, of course, the horse and cart. Without the horse and cart, the van along with the modern car, arguably, would never have evolved into what they are today.

Our infographic takes you through the 1900s looking at the first engine powered vans with the iconic 1960s camper van being a highlight.

As you can see, the first step van was then born in the 70s. It was a revolutionary van as it was the first to offer increased storage, which made it ideal for commercial use. The Transit van is situated in the 80s on the infographic thanks to the fact that it began to dominate the van market as millions of commercial van insurance quotes for a Transit flooded in.

The 90s and 00s saw the traditional smaller vans revived whilst the modern era has witnessed the birth of electric vans. The electric van continues to grow in popularity and with the progression of technology now at such a vast rate, more and more electric vans are sure to come to the market in the coming years. If we were to project the future of the van it would certainly be dominated by electric vehicles.

Where do you see the future of the van heading?

1. A-Team Van

“I pity the fool that…” doesn’t consider the A-Team Van one of the most memorable vehicles to grace our screens. The iconic black and metallic grey vehicle is a GMC Vandura van. The rebellious red stripe, red and black turbine wheels and rooftop spoiler add to its distinctive appearance. To this day the A-Team has maintained a strong legion of fans and the van too has its fair share of admirers, as countless imitations have been created in homage to the original. The main purpose of the vehicle was not just transportation of the ex US Army commando, but to assist in high risk missions, acting as storage for high-tech equipment and being a make-shift wardrobe for Hannibal’s comic disguises.

[image credit - theateamvan.com]

2. Only Fools & Horses Trading Van

“You plonker” – some of the most famous words ever uttered on British television by national treasure David Jason in his star role as Del Boy, the illegitimate market trader and owner of the iconic yellow van. The 3 wheeled van bears the legendary company name “Trotters Independent Trading Co” and simply had to be part of our Friday Five this week. It has a special place in British culture and is currently on display at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu. Did you know the van is widely referred to as a Reliant Robin? It is, however, in fact a Reliant Regal Supervan! What a bunch of wally’s eh?!

3. Scooby Doo Mystery Machine

One of the more unreliable vehicles in this list as its less than stellar performance often led to its owners being stranded and forced to solve ghostly mysteries. However those ‘meddling kids’ certainly knew how to find trouble all on their own and during those times it proved useful to have the Mystery Machine at hand for a quick getaway. This psychedelic van was introduced to children and parents 43 years ago and has inspired many recreations from loyal fans, just like the A-Team GMC. While the actual brand of the van is unknown, it resembles the Chevrolet G-Series Third Generation van however it does have certain features from other vans like the Volkswagen bus and the Citroen Camionette.

4. Little Miss Sunshine Volkswagen

The film is only 6 years old but the van has been around for over 60 years and has seen a lot of history. In the film a majority of the scenes take place in a yellow Volkswagen T2 Microbus which takes a dysfunctional family across America to the Little Miss Sunshine Pageant. The vehicle shows signs of its age as the family constantly give it a push start to get the engine running and risk life and limb to jump onboard before they get stranded. The Type 2 VW has many nicknames and is notorious for its prevalence in the counterculture movement of the 1960s. It’s one of Volkswagen’s most recognisable models and continues to be a vintage classic.

5. Dumb & Dumber Mutts Cutts Van

The most ridiculous looking van on the list, but once seen it’s difficult to forget. A sequel to the original 1994 film is in the works and you have to wonder if the Mutts Cutts van will reprise its role. The character of Harry works as a dog groomer for Mutts Cutts and if anyone were unaware of the market in which they’re involved, the not so subtle sheep dog design will fill in the blanks. The van includes a red tongue, floppy ears, nose and spoiler in the form of a tail. It’s difficult to tell but the 4 wheel Mutts Cutts advertisement actually began life as a 1984 Ford Econoline.

[image credit - Izismile.com]

This week marks the beginning of a new feature to our blog and Twitter account. It’s our Friday Five where every week we invite you to help us create a top five list, on topics all to do with vans.

At VQD, there’s something we love even more than van insurance and that’s vans themselves and anything remotely related to vans for that matter, and we know you’ve got some very interesting opinions that can be shared too.

Here’s How The Friday Five Works

Follow us on Twitter (@VanZoneBlog) and at the start of each week we’ll tweet the van topic. This week it’s favourite TV or Film vans.

All of you can then tweet us your suggestions on what we should include and using this, we will create our top 5 list, aka the Friday Five!

When we’ve posted our Friday Five blog, surprisingly enough on a Friday, feel free to tweet us your opinion, or instead, comment on what made the final cut. This feature was made to encourage discussion and embrace the fun aspects of vans, so let us know whether you agree or disagree with what’s included. Maybe you’d rank it differently or perhaps have a different Friday Five altogether, either way we want to hear from you!

Any final requests for TV and Film related vans that we should include on Friday?

Citroen have made further strides to improve their green credentials as they launched a series of e-HDi Airdream micro-hybrid models of their very popular Berlingo vans. The range of new vans will further improve fuel economy and reduce emissions.

Upgrades

Available is a 1.6 litre Airdream engine with a six speed automated manual gearbox. The clever, efficient engine comes with stop/start technology whilst the van will also incorporate regenerative braking. The van delivers an extremely impressive economy of 60.1mpg whilst the CO2 emissions are around 123g/km.

With the cost of motoring continually increasing we’re all looking to reduce costs and a van that can save you money is sure to be popular! Such a “green” van is also likely to reduce the cost of van insurance for those that decide the new Berlingo e-HDi Airdream is for them. Citroen are taking emissions so seriously they’ve even redesigned the door mirrors in order to gain a more aerodynamic design which can help reduce fuel consumption. Attention to detail is an understatement! Hats off to them.

Commercial Vehicle Show Display

The new e-HDi was showcased at the Commercial Vehicle Show last week and the exterior upgrades were clear for all to see as the new Berlingo featured a wider grille and a new headlight arrangement. The air intake at the front has also been widened to allow for further air to pass through the engine keeping it even cooler and more efficient than before.

Scott Michael, Citroen’s commercial vehicle operations manager, is very excited about the latest range of Citroen vans. He has been quoted saying: “Our CV Show display demonstrates Citroen’s advanced technology, which results in some of the most fuel efficient and lowest emission vehicles available in the UK. Today’s Citroen LCV range offers UK businesses an unrivalled choice of vans, enhanced traction vans, platform cabs, crew vans, chassis cabs, chassis crew cabs and specialist bodied vehicles.”

Is the new range of Berlingo e-HDi Airdream models to your liking?

One of the most notable new vans that has been unveiled at the Commercial Vehicle Show this week in Birmingham has been the Fiat Punto Van. It replaces the Grand Punto Van and offers a load capacity of 1 cubic metre with a payload of 520kg. Not bad from such a small van then!

This is especially true when you consider the fact that the Corsavan, from Vauxhall, provides a slightly smaller load capacity of 0.92 cubic metres, however, it does indeed offer a higher maximum payload of 550kg. So, all in all, the two mini vans are very evenly matched. They also look rather similar, with stylish, modern designs that have been completely adopted from the car equivalents.

So, what does it come with?

The Punto Van will come with a variety of standard equipment, including electronic stability, brake assistance, remote central locking, electric front windows, electrically adjustable and heated side mirrors, driver and passenger airbags, electric power steering and a range of other standard features. So it is indeed highly equipped whilst it will also feature Start & Stop technology on the 1.3 litre MultiJet II engines with 85bhp and 95bhp.

There is also a choice of a diesel powered engine, which is the best-selling and award-winning 1.3 litre MultiJet II diesel. The engines come in three different levels of power, 75bhp, 85bhp and 95bhp, and all are sure to guarantee a great van insurance quote.

Is it good value?

In short, yes. The Punto Van starts from £10,990.00 which provides great value for money for those that need a safe, affordable small van. Only down side is, you could probably pick up a second hand, top of the range Corsavan in very good condition for quite a bit cheaper than that. What would you choose? The new Punto Van, or a second hand Corsavan? Or even the latest, newest Corsavan, should price not be an issue?

Personally, I think I’d have the Corsavan in this particular standoff. I’ve driven the car versions of the Corsa and the Punto in the past and I have to say, whilst they’re both great little cars, the Corsa did edge it for me, so as a van it’s sure to work well also!

Let us know what you’d rather have by commenting below.

Images credited to © GM Company

Big Reveals

One of the most visited exhibitions was the UK debut of the Ford Transit Custom, which will be going on sale later this year. The Transit Custom has updated features which are proving to be very attractive to fleet owners. One commercial fleet manager commented, “It looks like a stylish, much more aerodynamic new van, but the biggest feature for us is the ability to carry a three-metre length of pipe inside. We’ve had to switch from the current Transit for carrying lengths of copper pipe on the roof as a lot of thefts have occurred. This new design will mean that we can go back to the Transit, and have a more secure load that will also help lower our CO2 fleet average.”

Fleet Truck and Van Awards Shortlist

Motor Transport announced the shortlist for their prestigious Fleet Truck and Fleet Van awards for 2012. The shortlist was selected by registered readers of Motor Transport. Editor of the digital and print magazine, Steve Hobson said, “The Motor Transport Fleet Truck and Fleet Van of the Year awards are highly valued by the manufacturers because they are chosen by the people who really matter, the operators”.

Fleet Van of the Year shortlist: Ford Transit; Iveco Daily; Mercedes-Benz Sprinter; Renault Kangoo ZE; and the Volkswagen Crafter.

Fleet Truck of the Year shortlist: Daf CF; Iveco Stralis; Mercedes-Benz Actros; and the Volvo FH.

The winners will be announced on the 13th June.

What’s on Offer

Other exhibitions and features at the show include a Workshop (forum car and commercial vehicle maintenance and repair business) and numerous businesses specialising in areas such as vehicle technology, environmentally friendly vehicles, tyres, engines and parts, and vehicle dealerships.

Tomorrow is the final day of the show before it closes up shop for another year. So anyone interested and involved in the industry should definitely make the most of this annual experience. If the products and shiny new vehicles aren’t enough to keep you entertained, some novelty exhibit freebies never fail to excite the most cynical of event goers.

Since its debut in 1969, the show has been a regular feature of generation upon generation of children’s television. The gang of 4 and their cowardly Great Dane went on countless adventures, hunting bitter people in creepy fancy dress and running through suspiciously repetitive corridors. Each episode however would not be possible without the support of their trusted, psychedelically painted van, known as the Mystery Machine. Racking up countless miles and mishaps, one would hope they protected their getaway van with good van insurance.

Mystery Machine Inspiration

The show left a lasting impression with many adults today as it is not difficult to find numerous pictures of super fans that have redesigned their vans to look just like the mystery machine. For those interested in creating a quality replica, the first stage of making your own Mystery Machine is to find a van that has a similar body and design.

You could liken the Machine to any van that features sliding doors, two roof racks, spare tyre on the grill of the van and the capacity to carry up to 6 passengers, with spacious room in the rear similar to a VW bus. However as the show was created in the late 1960s and reached its peak throughout the 1970s, vans made during this time are more likely to have inspired the animators. Most have likened it to the Chevrolet G-Series Third Generation Van while some van enthusiasts who examined the car more closely saw it as a hybrid of multiple vans. It includes the front of a VW bus, the body of a Citroen Camionette and the rear of a Chevrolet Van.

Super Fan Stats

One fan of the show has gone to great lengths to assess the qualities of the fictional vehicle. After conducting extensive research, this fan determined the following features of the van:

Engine Size: 6 Cylinder
Height: 6ft 2in
Width: 6ft 1in
Length: 14ft 2in
Max Speed: 60mph

After watching numerous episodes, this fan then calculated the following statistics on the vans overall performance (or lack of):

Flat Tyres: 10%
Flat Tyres on a Deserted Country Road: 30%
Overheated Radiator: 10%
Overheated Radiator near a Haunted House: 23%
Headlight Problems: 5%
Headlight Problems while Travelling Through Fog: 29%
Steering Problems: 3%
Steering Problems when Daphne is driving: 65%
Brakes Failing: 8%
Drive Away with a Zoom in the Nick of Time: 80%

Looking at these detailed statistics it is clear that strong opinions still remain over our favourite childhood vehicles. Do you agree with the Mystery Machine being the best cartoon van, or perhaps you know of a better one? Let us know!