Commercial vehicle round-up – Derry motoring with Jim McCauley
Good news has eventually come for the alternatively fuelled light commercial vehicle (AFLCV) sector last week as legislation was approved for those weighing up to 4.25 tonnes to be freed from tachograph regulations from June 1.
It means that electric vans weighing between 3.5 and 4.25 tonnes will no longer be treated like heavy goods vehicles for testing and tachograph rules.
The change will allow these vehicles to be aligned with equivalent petrol and diesel vans of 3.5 tonnes or less, rather than pulling them into heavier vehicle rules simply because of battery weight.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has long called for the measure, and sees it providing a shot in the arm for zero emission van registrations.
Although this sector has seen a modest increase of 9.4% of the market in April, it is still less than half the 24% share which the UK government has mandated for the year.
The importance of keeping vehicles regularly serviced and off the road only for short periods is highlighted in a Mercedes-Benz Vans survey which highlights the operational and human impact of vehicle downtime.
The study was conducted among 500 senior decision makers in UK businesses, which rely on vans for their daily operations, and reveals that the average firm loses £1,172.20 for every day a van is out of action.
It was found on average that businesses faced six-and-a-half days of disruptions over the previous twelve months at a time when vehicle reliability is becoming increasingly critical for fleet operators
Four in 10 (41%) business leaders said downtime causes stress among staff, 33% said it disrupts workflow and 29% said it results in employees working longer hours.
The findings also show a quarter (24%) of businesses have faced customer complaints, 24% also missed performance targets, while 18% worry about losing contracts.
Additionally, nearly two in ten (17%) say they experience frustrated or abusive customers, while 16% report a loss in wages.
Maintaining its reputation, the Isuzu D-Max has been recognised as ‘Best Pick-Up’ for the fourteenth consecutive year by industry magazine ‘Trade Van Driver’.
With a payload of over one tonne on both diesel and electric models and 3.5 tonne towing capacity the model range addresses tax and VAT legislation. An optional single cab specification is available on the 2.2 diesel.
Isuzu regard the D-Max as a vehicle ‘For those who work in acres, not hours’ and the new smaller engine is more refined than the original maintaining its reputation as a reliable workhorse. It also has the option of a 6-speed automatic gearbox.
Extending its range of wheelchair accessible vehicles, Kia has announced a segment-first side-entry wheelchair-accessible configuration to the small van segment, which enables direct kerbside access for wheelchair users.
The layout is optimised for urban mobility use cases, including private transport, taxi services and shuttle operations.
A two-step manual ramp system is designed to accommodate varying road and pavement conditions. The centrally positioned wheelchair space creates a more integrated cabin environment for occupants. Seating configurations for the PV5 WAV Side Entry include a 2-0-3 layout for standard passenger use, or a 2-0-1 layout that also accommodates a wheelchair user. A 60:40 split, tip-up third-row seat allows a companion to travel alongside the wheelchair user.