UK experiencing delays in new van deliveries
If you’re hoping to lay your hands on a new van in the UK, chances are, you’ve got a bit of a wait ahead of you. And with London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expansion, many trades face an extra daily cost, on top of already high fuel prices.
The word is that orders for new vans are backing up, especially for Ford, who stopped taking orders for their Transit Custom - the best selling van in the UK - to run down stock of diesel vans and make way for the ULEZ friendly PHEV (plug-in hybrid) van.
Meanwhile, VW hit some serious supply issues, massively hampering roll out of their new stock.
With TfL offering up to £7,500 to scrap a van and replace it with an electric one, we expect waiting lists to get longer before they get shorter.
What does this mean for you?
Frankly, if you don’t have a Euro 6 compliant van and regularly head into Greater London - or any of the other UK cities with a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) - you’re facing extra costs.
Depending how often you find yourself in a CAZ, you might already have decided to splash out on a new hybrid or electric van. Especially if you look after a fleet, where that extra daily cost can quickly mount up.
However, with the delays mentioned above, it could be 18 months before you get your CAZ compliant van. And that’s going to mean putting your hand in your pocket. A lot.
So, what can you do about it?
The good news is, Euro 6 conversions are available. Plus, if you’re hit by London’s ULEZ expansion, there’s a £5,000 grant you can apply for from TfL.
The bad news, according to the Energy Saving Trust, is that vans (and van derived minibuses) “were one of the last vehicle categories to adopt the Euro 6 emissions standard.”
This means there are a lot of Euro 5 diesel vans kicking about the streets. Added to the fact that “retrofit solutions can be relatively high in cost,” the Energy Saving Trust suggests it could be cheaper to get a new van. We suggest you shop around before making any big decisions.
The Energy Saving Trust has a list of Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS) approved suppliers, with a register of CAZ compliant companies and emission reduction systems, to help you find the right solution for your van.
As they say on their website, “You will need to check your van has an approved solution available.”
Then you need to check your options. Very carefully.
Renovate your van
Whether you bite the bullet and buy that shiny new CAZ compliant van, you find a Euro 6 conversion that keeps you ahead of the game, or you’re lucky enough not to need either, there are plenty of other ways to keep on top of these ever-increasing costs.
It starts with being more organised. After all, a better organised van can help keep costs down in several ways:
The easier it is to lay your hands on the tools, parts and equipment you need, the quicker and more efficiently you’ll work.
Better visibility of stock levels means you’re less likely to make unscheduled trips to the supplier, saving time and fuel - both of which mean a bigger bottom line.
And a better organised van means you’ll lug less stuff about. If you only pack the tools, parts and equipment you need for the day ahead, you’ll have less weight in the back of your van, which means lower fuel costs.
Now, we know most of our customers wait to get a new van before splashing out on racking. And that makes sense - the last thing you want is to waste money on racking for a van that you’ll replace after 18 months.
What you might not know is, it only takes a few hours to swap racking from one van to another. In fact, we can have your racking transferred and your new van back on the road in the time it takes to have a cuppa and deal with some customer questions.
“Your productivity is definitely, definitely up there once you’ve got it.”
We’ll transfer your racking for free
All of which means, you don’t have to wait for a new van to get yourself organised and start saving money. If you’re looking at CAZ charges, there’s no time like the present to get your van kitted out with van racking. And if you get your new van within the next 18 months, we’ll transfer your racking over for free*.
So, whatever CAZ costs you’re facing, (or even if you’re not facing them at all), find out how van racking can help you save time and money, by helping you work more efficiently….
*Free transfers only apply to like-for-like van racking into a comparable van. It does not include extras, such as electrical or heating systems.
