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Mercedes-Benz to Release New Van

Monday, February 6th, 2012

There looks to be a new Mercedes-Benz van on the horizon, and it goes by the name of the ‘Citan’. The name was revealed at the Mercedes-Benz Design Centre in Sindelfingen during a conference on brand competence and city logistics.

It is thought that this funky new name is a combination of the words “city” and “titan”. A powerful name, and clear statement of intent, for what Mercedes hope will boost sales significantly.

Market Share and Confidence

Mercedes are hoping that they will claim around 4-5% of the market share in the small van segment in Europe. This is a segment that has, in recent times, grown to around 700,000 units in Europe. So, if Mercedes can claim 5% of that market, they will see sales of around 35,000 units or so, which is a huge amount by any standards.

The Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, Volker Mornhinweg, is confident that the Citan will be an overwhelming success. He has been quoted saying: “We will take advantage of the trend toward city vans, which our brand will be able to exploit thanks to its attractively priced vehicles and the high quality of our products and services. Our typical Mercedes-Benz reliability, 24/7 service, and, last but not least, our great brand image are key selling points as far as our commercial customers are concerned.”

When the Citan is launched insurance companies will certainly expect to see an influx of commercial van insurance quotes for the new Mercedes-Benz.

Citan Specifications

The new van will be offered not only as a panel van, but a mini-bus amongst others, and it will also be available in a variety of lengths and weights. It also promises to be very durable and robust and will also offer a large cargo space despite its rather compact dimensions.

The Citan will also offer a range of low-emission, fuel-efficient diesel and gasoline engines and will also include a BlueEFFICIENCY package too. Mercedes-Benz are also planning to release an electric drive version of the van to further add to their range.

Tags: commercial van insurance, Commercial Van Insurance Quotes, Mercedes Vans, Mercedes-Benz Citan
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Diesel Particulate Filters and Vans

Wednesday, 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

Monday, 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?

Friday, 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 Commercial Vans

Wednesday, 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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Top Tips for Saving Money on your Van Insurance

Friday, December 30th, 2011

As the new year beckons many of us will be making new year’s resolutions, and on top of most people’s list you can probably expect to find “save more money!” Yes we would all like to save a little more money next year and save up for something special, and so we thought it would be the perfect time to give you some advice on how you can save money on your van insurance policy:

Payment

It may seem annoying at the time, but one of the main ways in which you can save on your van insurance is to pay it off all in one go. It is tempting to spread the cost over the year, but by doing this you will incur interest and end up paying a considerable amount more.

It will be a big upfront cost to pay it off in one go, but this way you will avoid the interest and the rest of the year you don’t have to worry about paying it, which will mean your month outgoings for 11 months of the year will be lower, giving you more money to save!

Excess

Another way in which you can save money on your van insurance premium is to increase the excess on the policy. The more you are willing to pay out in the event of a crash the less the insurer has to and so will give you a lower premium rate.

Of course this can be a risk as you will have to pay out in the event of a crash, but if you can stay claim free you will have saved yourself a few quid and also improved you no claims bonus in the process, which will also help reduce your insurance premium!

Security

One of the simplest ways to save money on your commercial van insurance is to make it so that it is less likely your van will be stolen, which will make it less likely that the insurer has to pay out, which means they can give you a lower premium.

It sounds obvious, but there are many easy ways of protecting your van that many people miss. Parking in a garage as opposed to on a street, adding a steering lock, having an alarm fitted or using a tracker can all prevent theft and in doing so can reduce your insurance premiums.

So there you have it, a few easy ways to protect your commercial vehicle and save some money on your van insurance in 2012.

Tags: commercial van insurance, Van Insurance Guide, Van Insurance Help, Van Insurance Tips
Posted in commercial vehicle insurance | No Comments »

Vauxhall Swap Scheme Extended

Friday, December 23rd, 2011

Vauxhall has announced that it will extend its scheme to allow owners of Vauxhall vans to swap their old vehicles for newer models in order to help avoid the London Low Emission Zone (LEZ). They have offered between £3,000 and £7,500 off a new Vauxhall Commercial Vehicle for all Vauxhall customers who own a van that was registered as new before 1st January 2002.

New Regulations

This is indeed a rather generous offer from Vauxhall, and it will undoubtedly be welcomed by Vauxhall owners across the UK. The prospect of having to pay full price for a new van, and a new van insurance quote, would certainly be a bit of a stressful situation for anyone, especially at the start of a New Year. Such savings are therefore likely to assist owners with their commercial van insurance payments while also reducing the initial payment on a wonderful new van.

The LEZ comes in at the start of the New Year and from 3rd January, commercial vehicles that weigh 3.5 tonnes GVW or below, that are registered as new before 1st January 2002, will have to comply with the daily LEZ charges.

Vauxhall Vans Included

The savings on the range of Vauxhall’s includes a lovely £3,000 off a brand new Corsavan, which is a very popular little van! Those that need bigger space requirements will be able to get £7,500 off the price of a new Movano when swapping an old van.

Further models that will allow owners to make great savings include the Astravan, Combo and Vivaro as well as all panel vans and chassis cabs. The Vivaro 9 Seat Combi is also included.

The discounts are running until 30th March 2012, so, if you are eligible, it might be a great idea to head down to your local Vauxhall dealer to have a look at some cracking new vans.

With so much fantastic competition out there these days, certain commercial vehicle manufacturers really are finding new ways to try to set themselves apart from the others. This could now prove to be a great marketing scheme by Vauxhall.

Tags: commercial van insurance, Vauxhall, Vauxhall Commercial Vehicles, Vauxhall Vans
Posted in commercial vehicle insurance | No Comments »

Sprinter Vans Targeted by Thieves

Friday, December 16th, 2011

Van drivers are being told in Durham to guard their vehicles carefully over coming weeks following a number of catalytic converter thefts in the area. However, it seems that one particular model is being targeted by thieves: the Mercedes Sprinter van.

Police have stated that there have been, in the last fortnight alone, around 20 separate thefts of catalytic converters from Mercedes Sprinter vans. That is a rather staggering amount, and something that needs to be avoided.

Dual Catalytic Converters

It is thought that the reason thieves are attacking Sprinter vans as opposed to any other vans, is because they have dual catalytic converters, rather than the standard single issue converters. This makes the catalytic converter from the Mercedes Sprinter worth a whole lot more money which thieves will then try to sell on at dealers or recycling yards.

Thieves often know exactly where to go in order to find someone who won’t ask too many questions regarding the stolen goods. This is one highly immoral practice!

It has also been reported that almost all of the thefts have taken place over night whilst the vehicle has been parked on a road or in someone’s driveway.

Lock it up in a Garage

Paul Gray, Detective Sergeant of Durham Constabulary, has been commenting on the issue: “There is of course a cost implication, as catalytic converters cost several hundred pounds to replace. But Mercedes Sprinter vans are commercial vehicles, which means the victims of these thefts are also suffering major disruption to their livelihoods.” Whilst some commercial van insurance policies may cover the cost, the van driver is still left unable to work for a certain amount of time until the vehicle is put right. Hence the disruption Mr Gray speaks of that can be caused to van drivers livelihoods.

Mr Gray added: “We are making regular visits to yards and asking owners to report any instances of someone bringing in these items. In the meantime, we would urge anyone who owns one of these vans to keep it stored in a garage if possible, and to call us if they think their vehicle has been tampered with.”

Wise words and ones that should be followed! If a scrap yard were to accept the stolen item without reporting it, then they are proving to be just as irresponsible in this instance.

Tags: commercial van insurance, Durham, Mercedes Sprinter, Van Insurance
Posted in Van Insurance | 1 Comment »

The 2012 Van of the Year is…

Friday, December 9th, 2011

The ‘Van of the Year 2012’ has already been announced, and it is the Renault Kangoo Z.E. A panel of twenty two journalists that specialise in commercial vehicles decided the winner. It’s a great result for the French manufacturer and it is also the first time an electric vehicle has won the coveted prize. This simply emphasises the magnitude of the triumph by Renault.

Worthy Winner

The Kangoo was up against some very stiff competition, including the likes of the Volkswagen Caddy, the Fiat Ducato, and Iveco Daily. The Renault scored a total of 104 points out of a possible 168.

The Director of the Renault Light Commercial Vehicle division, Jean-Marie Hurtiger, has expressed his joy and pride at winning the prestigious award: “This prize rewards the work of the people at Renault who have worked for several years on the Kangoo Van Z.E., one of Renault’s four electric vehicles to be launched in the next ten months. All of the company’s functions were involved in the adventure, including the design office, the Maubeuge plant and sales.”

He went on to add further praise: “They met the challenge in a remarkable manner, showing determination, creativity and – above all – an excellent team spirit that has now produced results.”

Great Value

The Kangoo Z.E. is available in two body lengths, both of which come with the same internal dimensions as the diesel powered version. The electric van can also carry the same weight in the back and is also relatively cheap. It starts at just £16,990 plus VAT, which isn’t bad value for money! However, the batteries are not included as these have to be “hired” from the manufacturer.

Electric vehicles are also known for lowering insurance premiums, and so it is likely that you will save money in the long run on a commercial van insurance quote. All in all the electric Kangoo looks to be a brilliant little package, and Renault are confident that consumers will be making their way to their local dealerships in due course.

Tags: commercial van insurance, electric Vans, electric vehicles, Renault Kangoo, Renault Vans, Van Insurance
Posted in Van Insurance, commercial vehicle insurance | 2 Comments »

Tyre checks essential as winter approaches

Thursday, November 3rd, 2011

As the winter weather approaches, drivers who rely on their vehicles to make a living should be preparing for all eventualities over the next 5 months now. Figures provided by motoring breakdown organisations such as the RAC and AA report every year that the biggest cause of call outs are related to tyres. Van insurance companies who provide breakdown insurance in their policies agree, and point out that although almost every driver is aware that tyres are required to meet legal limits, very few drivers know exactly what the requirement is.

What is required?

The law requires a driver to ensure the vehicle he is driving has tyres that have a minimum of 1.6millimetres of tread across the central ¾ width of tread throughout the whole circumference of the tyre. There should be no cuts, tears, lumps or bulges in other parts of the tyre and the tyre must be inflated to the set requirements noted in the vans handbook and in various places on the vehicle.

Many factors detrimental to tyre wear

The average life of a tyre is said to be around 30,000 miles but experienced drivers will know that this really is an average, and a driver with commercial van insurance really can’t afford to take anything for granted. Drivers should realise that there are two main types of tyres and never the twain should meet. Meaning that radial and cross ply tyres should never be fitted to the same axle, it is illegal. Hauliers and couriers will know that overloading their vans is not only illegal but can damage a tyre and will certainly reduce its life span, as will potholes, speed humps if they are taken too fast and small stones and nails if they are allowed to remain in the tyre for any length of time. Braking hard and accelerating excessively will also curtail the life of most tyres. It is sometimes difficult to find time to check your tyres if you are working to a busy schedule, but it is a task worth doing at the start of every working week.

The price you will pay

The penalties for driving with tyres that don’t fit legal requirements is a fine up to £2,500 per tyre and three points on your licence. Of course for some the penalty is much higher. Faulty tyres cause death on the roads every year and the majority of these can be stopped by doing a simple weekly check.

Tags: commercial van insurance, tyre care, tyres, Van Insurance, weather, winter
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