The cream of Britain’s van fleet industry met at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London for the presentation of the second Fleet Van Awards.
Fleet managers, manufacturers and service companies vied for the range of awards on offer and the trophies were presented by Jon Lawes, managing director of Hitachi Capital Commercial Vehicle Services, which sponsored the event.
Fleet Van editor Trevor Gelken commented: “It never ceases to amaze me how many dedicated and totally professional people there are in our industry. I would like to have given an award to each and every individual and company that entered – every one was deserving of a prize. But there can only be one winner of each award – and the people who won here represent they very best in the industry.”
Stephen Briers, editor of Fleet News, added: “Cost reduction is top of the agenda and that has seen van fleets target accident rates, vehicle utilisation, mileage and fuel costs.
“They have also been addressing environmental concerns, recognising that improvement here also have a positive impact on overheads.
“Meanwhile, replacement cycles have lengthened for many companies. This, together with reductions in fleet size, has seen demand for vans fall by almost 44% this year.
“In such a challenging market, it makes the performance of our winners all the more impressive. They have maintained the incredibly high standards expected in this industry throughout the toughest market conditions in decades.”
Manufacturer awards winners:
Van manufacturer of the year: Ford.
The judges had a detailed debate about every brand in the industry, but each time they kept coming back to the same name. Already a winner in the city van category, Ford was competitive in every sector, just missing out on top honours by a whisker on a couple of occasions.
Ford has an enviable breadth of product range and a comprehensive dealer network that provides outstanding customer service and the judges were unanimous in their verdict.
City van: Ford Fiesta Van (Highly commended – Citroen Nemo, Fiat Fiorino)
The competition in this sector was hot, but the judges finally voted for the new Ford Fiesta Van. They said: “Fiesta Van has low emissions and good fuel economy coupled with driver appeal, driveability and an excellent dealer network.”
Van of the year: Citroen Berlingo
Citroën achieved the double when the Berlingo was voted van of the year for the second year running. The top title was chosen from the winners in the other sectors and the judges felt that despite its diminutive size, as an all-round fleet package the Berlingo was a van which just couldn’t be beaten, even by the bigger contenders.
Small van: Citroen Berlingo (Highly commended – Ford Transit Connect, Renault Kangoo)
It was a tough-fought decision but the Berlingo carried off the title for the second year. The judges said: “Although it was a close fought battle, no other van did enough to knock the Berlingo from the top spot. It has good payload, low emissions, high fuel efficiency and can take 30% biodiesel.”
Medium panel van: Volkswagen Transporter (Highly commended – Ford Transit 2.6-2.8, Mercedes-Benz Vito)
Atough sector indeed, in which the judges argued long and hard about the merits of three extremely strong contenders. Any one of the three vehicles featured here could have easily won but in the end the judges favoured the Volkswagen Transporter and said: “In the used vehicle market it’s a clear winner with astonishing residual values, even in a recession.
“It excels on quality, durability, reputation and image and has real driver appeal.”
Large panel van: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (Highly commended – Ford Transit 2.8-3.5, Iveco Daily)
Could there ever have been a doubt about the winner in this category?
The sector-leading Ford Transit and the Iveco Daily were worthy contenders but none could match the might of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, which has built up an awesome reputation for driveability, reliability and residual values.
The judges said: “Having its own breakdown service is a real plus point, and the Sprinter has a major focus on the environment with its stop/start system and the CNG (compressed natural gas) version. It just beat the Transit – the key was having the dealer network now aligned to the truck network which is perfect for fleets moving down from 7.5-tonne trucks.”
Most improved manufacturer: Fiat
This award was created to recognise one company’s efforts. The judges felt Fiat had made huge strides forward in terms of fleet support and back-up through its dealer network while its strong model line-up and understanding of the needs of fleets is sure to see it go from strength to strength.
Green van (conventional fuel): Renault Kangoo (Highly commended – Citroen Nemo SensoDrive)
The winner has very low CO2 emissions and the judges also liked the manufacturer’s well thought-out approach to reducing its environmental impact beyond the production line.
They said: “On the submission to the judges, the Kangoo wins – CO2 per tonne, GVW and the manufacturer’s approach to reducing the environmental impact, which includes manufacturing and recycling, make the Renault Kangoo a winner.”
Green van (alternative fuel): Iveco CNG
Until recently compressed natural gas was not a viable alternative for Britain’s fleet operators. But thanks to massive investment in technology by companies such as Iveco, this clean fuel has suddenly come to the forefront.
The judges had no doubts at all about the winner in this category and said: “Iveco has made a huge investment to bring something new to the market. The fuel is totally green, coming from landfill sites and gives a range of 300 miles. It’s quick to refuel and gives real-world operation that really benefits fleets.”
See the Fleet News Service Awards.
See the Fleet Manager awards.
See the judging panel.
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