Posts Tagged ‘van leasing’

Why It Is A Good Idea To Protect Your Van

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

Vans are definitely one of the most versatile and practical modes of trasport available today. Mainly they are used for businesses and for commercial purposes, but more private individuals are showing a preference for a van over a car.

Attractive commercial van leasing deals that make paying for your van cheaper than an equivalent saloon are one of the reasons for this increased popularity. Flexibilty is one of the attibutes of the van. If you have a sporting life and need to carry around alot of specialist equipment, then a van is a great way to move this stuff around to wherever you wish to go.

But if you own a van, for work or pleasure, it is worth remembering that they can be a magnet for thieves. When your van is left unattended you have to take the most appropriate precautions. It is probably wise that you leave nothing in your van and ensure that the doors are properly locked.

You will be tempting fate if you decide to leave valuable equipment and tools in your van. It can be a pain to have to move all your tools out of your van each day, only to have to reload the next day. If you take the time and trouble to do so, you could save lots of hassle and ultimately money. You can’t rely on putting a sticker in your van announcing ‘no tools are kept in the van’, as this doen’t work nowadays. Thieves will break into your van through a window for the hell of it just to check whether anything is worth stealing.

Van finance alongside insurance which is essential. You will definitely need a commercial insurance policy if you use your van primarily for business purposes. And always shop around as there are some very competitive insurance deals available these days. The value of insurance policies vary according to the type of vehicle - an example of this would be: pick up truck leasing or larger model vans

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History of the Volkswagen

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

It was Ferdinand Porsche who was the founder of Volkswagen.

It is said that he was indeed a technical genius and was employed by a large number of car companies eg Austro-Daimler, Mercedes, Daimler-Benz to name but a few.

In 1930 he decided to open his own design bureau. In 1931 he asked his team of staff to start designing a car with a water cooled 3 cylinder engine. This should have independent suspension and be able to accommodate four adults. The main aim was to keep the costs as small as possible to make it affordable to the masses.

In 1932 he found a partner in Zundapp. Originally three prototypes were produced  using his original design which was equipped with a new engine. Unfortunately however the engine had a severe overheating problem and melted after ten minutes of running. Zundapp decided to opt out of the project.

NSU a motor cycle manufacturer decided to join forces and a completely new cooled 4 cylinder engine was built. The engine was placed in the rear to avoid the traditional transmission with a separate gear box, drive shaft and rear axle. Unfortunately due to the economy in Germany at the time NSU decided to withdraw and Porche was once again on his own.

In 1933 at the Berlin Motor Show Adolf Hitler announced his plan to produce a small car for the people of Germany. Porche and Hitler were to join forces and a consequently a contract was signed in 1934. The prototypes were to be built by RDA, which was the German Auto Manufacturers Association. RDA were soon to realise that this project had a chance to be successful and this they did not want. They deliberately delayed the project which made Porsche miss his deadline and thus made him lose his contract. However Hitler realised this and placed the entire project under government supervision. The three prototypes were delivered in October 1936.

To this day the VW has remained just about identical in design. It has a reputation for being a highly reliable car and indeed Volkswagen van leasing is a very popular choice as they have such a solid history behind them.

van lease

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The History of Louis Renault

Thursday, November 26th, 2009

Louis Renault was born in 1877. The youngest of five he had a very priviledged childhood and developed an interest in mechanics early on in life. It was in a shed that the young Louis set up his first workshop.

By 20 years old he converted his bicycle into a four wheeled car and added his new invention, the very first gear box.

His two brothers Fernand and Marcel established the Renault Brothers company in 1899.

It was through racing that the brothers became famous with Louis and Marcel doing the racing. They won many races one of the most important of which being the Paris to Vienna race won by Marcel in 1902.

Their sales in cars accelerated rapidly and they were sold at 3,000 francs each which is equal to 10 years average salary at that time. By 1902 they introduced the first saloon car and later that year the first Renault engine with four cylinders and 24 horse power. Not long after the first turbo engine was patented.

However in 1903 Marcel was killed during a race from Paris to Madrid. He was only 31 years old. This was the end for Louis and it made him give up racing for good.

By 1919 the motor car in France was regarded as a luxury and was heavily taxed. Louis changed his business and started to manufacture everything that had an engine from cars, vans, light commercial vehicles, buses, trucks etc. He managed to aquire his own foundries which enabled him to reduce his dependence on other companies although he did buy components when they were cheaper than he could manufacture himself.

In 1998 Renault celebrated its centenary by the opening of two major sites.
The Renault Technocentre near Paris was the driving force accommodating Renaults 6500 engineering and design personnel.
The Scenic assembly plant based in Brazil is a huge complex including a powertrain plant and also a light vehicle assembly plant.

I wonder if Renault could ever have imagined right at the start when he converted his tricycle that his empire would grow into such a large industry. Nowadays it is often more viable to lease vans and indeed in years to come Renault van leasing companies would be spread worldwide.

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Van Leasing - How to Get the Best Deal

Sunday, September 20th, 2009

59% of people financed their new vehicle with a bank loan and only 27% leased a vehicle. Thos statistics have changed quite rapidly now. Ever since these statistics were released the amount of people investing in van leasing has rapidly increased and we are now in the realm of an all time high in van leasing. Several market researchers have said that leasing a vehicle is simply so much cheaper than it would be to get a bank loan or even get vehicle finance out from the dealer himself.

It sounds odd and too good to be true however when DesRosiers says that 46.8% cent of all new-vehicle transactions were on a lease. The steady increase in interest rates will largely explain the recent increase in many people investing in leasing a van rather than any straight purchase. Steady payments into the industry are what the economy needs right now to help it stabilise.

Many people across the UK and many parts of the world have been affected by the infamous credit crunch so that will subsequently mean that people would want to spend less money throughout the month. Keeping monthly payments as low as possible is a high priority and commercial vehicle leasing companies have reported a steady increase in leasing sales.
This will then give companies who offer cheap volkswagen van leasing or LDV Van Leasing for example, the edge and could expect to make some real money in this current trend. Is this too much hype over nothing? Is it really more viable to take a care out on a lease rather than buy it straight up? So what are the obvious advantages in getting a motor out this way. There is a constant warranty on a lease vehcile so you are always benefiting from a van leasing contract rather than a straight up purchase. So, if anything breaks or does not function properly, it will automatically be replaced within no time at all. New car purchases only normally last a year or two at the most and there is far more benefit getting a lease. If you think about it, it is far more suitable to get a van lease as you are much more covered from a point of view of insurance.

There are plenty of advantages into getting a lease rather than a straight purchase and they are worth exploring. I would recommend considering it over buying a new car as you never know how much money you could save yourself!

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Commercial Advantages of Vehicle Leasing

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

Many businesses traditionally support their transportation needs by purchasing vehicles from local dealers. Being local means that they are ideally located to support servicing and maintenance. Business will usually negotiate a significant discount due to the quantity of vehicles required and the ongoing business they will be providing to the supplier.

But the challenging economic climate is forcing many businesses, big and small, to rethink the way in which they finance their transportation needs.

Business accountants want to cut transportation costs, but this must be achieved without risking profitability. Lots or businesses are rethinking the provision of company cars. Instead of providing their executives and sales people with their own dedicated company car, bought from the local dealer, many are turning to company car leasing arrangements. Some are choosing to use a car pool of leased automobiles that can be used by any member of staff who needs a vehicle.

It has been estimated that the leasing approach is saving businesses between 20 and 60% when compared to their previous transport costs.

The leasing approach has been taken by many companies who rely on their commercial vehicles and vans. Leasing vans and trucks is not new to business but was previously primarily used by larger organizations. Many business are resorting to automobile leasing as a way to cut their regular transportation costs during the current recession.

Businesses can take advantage of the many advantages that leasing can provide. There are tax advantages for most businesses and the fixed monthly payments help accountants to budget their transport costs.

One of the main disadvantages is that the business never actually owns the vehicles which remain the property of the leasing company. A potentially significant disadvantage is the requirement to stipulate the anticipated annual mileage when the contract is agreed.

If you are a business, of any size, you would do well to research how much you could potentially save and the advantages that vehicle leasing could bring to your business.

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French Distrbutor Orders 100 Electric Vans from Modec

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

Modec, a Coventry based van company announced yesterday that they had sealed a £3m van contract with a French distributor. This news closely followed the announcement that their urban delivery van was the first to gain EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval. This means that Modec can sell the van to any EU country without having to be restricted by further vehicle testing.

The electric van manufacturer has benefitted from business from Tesco’s, UPS, FedEx and Center Parcs just to name a few. They can now add ElecTruckCity to their client list because they made a deal of £3m for 100 vehicles.

ElecTruckCity is a van dsitribtor based in France, they are now going to be the first French Modec distributor. Chief executive of Modec, Bill Gillespie, said this about the announced deal: “International demand for Modec is extremely strong. ElecTruckCity has taken the lead by setting up a distribution network in France and we are very excited about the future of the French market.”

The vans that were bought by ElecTruckCity were the popular urban delivery vans. There are currently 150 of these vehicles based in the UK cities belonging to customers like Tesco’s. These Modec delivery vans are becoming ever more popular because they have been design for the city. The Modec van can travel 100 miles on the lithium battery at only 15p per mile, whereas a petrol powered van would cost around 37p per mile.

The vans also save more than 9 tonnes of CO2 each year, this helps companies like FedEx and UPS reduce their emmissions considerably, aswell as improve their corporate image.

As these Modec vans become ever more popular, it appears that the common vans that you see around like Citroen vans or Nissan vans will have alot of competition as more and more companies want to get greener.

Modec are also entering into the tipper van market with their new electric tipper van. This new vehicle has been designed for councils refuce collection. These are most likely going to become popular as we see an increase in councils becoming greener.

I also wouldn’t be surprised if we started to see an increase in van leasing companies that are investing in Modec vans as alot of companies that are currently leasing their vans may be interested in a cheaper, more greener alternative.

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3 Most Important Things To Check When Leasing a Van

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

More people than ever are choosing to lease vans, both privately and commercially. The credit crunch has seen van drivers move away from buying their vans new to opting for a less risky option. Whilst this is a very sensible option, there have been a number of reports of people getting stung by these companies by being charged for damage to the vans that they were not responsible for. The way round this of course is checking the vehicle thoroughly before hiring it, but what are the most important things to check?

Body work. Have a good look around the body work both inside and out before van leasing. You’re looking for dents, scratches, holes, rust etc. Simply any damages that could potentially be blamed on you. Take a photograph of any damage that you might spot and submit a list of all items to the leasing company before you drive the van away.

Suspension. This can be very expensive to fix if it goes wrong so test it well first. Pull down on each rear corner of the van in tern to engage the suspension.  When rocking the van the suspension should be smooth and quiet. If you notice any loud noises or the movement does not feel fluid, get the leasing company to take a look at it priory to paying for it. You should also do the same for the front suspension and test it extensively if you are Citroen van leasing as these vans often use hydraulic suspension which is even more expensive to put right

Engine. This one is a difficult think to test if you haven’t much experience with engines. Getting the engine running for a start and get the revs high. You are hearing out for any misfiring, spluttering, unresponsiveness or excessive smoke either from the engine or the exhaust.  If in any doubt take someone along who knows a bit or go for Ford van leasing as these vans are the most reliable.

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Credit Crunch affects Coloured Van Production

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

Everyone is aware of the reputation that a white van man carries, but how about a red van man? Well because of the European wide shortage of red vans, down to the credit crunch, these could soon die out.

The credit crunch is the reason for the lack of coloured vans. Because money is tight and the sales of vans has been affected by the credit crunch, the overall amount of vans being produced has been reduced. More classic colours like white are being produced instead and as for companies that rely on red vans, they might have to change their van colours to something more traditional.

It seems to be an odd situation to be in, manufacturers are sending less coloured vans into production, but the coloured ones are the ones that are in demand.

If some businesses end up changing the colour of their van fleet, it may be good because they may end up choosing a safer colour. This may sound strange but there have been studies carried out that show that white vehicles are the safest and are in the least amount of accidents. There have been various studies that looked at the colours of cars, one being a study that found a white car was the safest during a lightning storm. Another study found that a white fire engine is far less likely to be involved in a collision than a red one.

We should start trying to claim cheaper car insurance for a white car because according to the RAC, white is the safest car colour.

If you run a business that is in need of colour specific vans, maybe you should start considering van leasing as an option? There are a huge number of different vans available for lease all in different colours, from minibus leasing to tipper van leasing, there are vans for every purpose and every requirement.

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Vauxhall Vivaro Wins Best Medium Sized Van 2009

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

The Vauxhall Vivaro has managed to climb it’s way to the top spot once again this year for the seventh time since it’s release in 2001 to win the Best Medium Van 2009 award at the Van Fleet World Awards.

The awards themselves are in their 10th year and the Vivaro has dominated the Medium Van awards for a total of 7 years making it the most successful Van Fleet World winner in it’s class.

Since it’s release in 2001, the Vauxhall Vivaro has become as favorite with the customers aswell as the judges, this is down to a number of factors. The major reasons are due down to the huge amount of space that the van has to offer. In both the back and the front of the van there is a huge amount of storage space which means you can fit everything you need and have a comfortable ride while doing so.

Whether the van is full or empty, you will be able to enjoy the ride all the way due to the quiet engines and most comfortable driving positions available on the market.

And after winning the award for a total of 7 out of 10 years, it shows that the Vivaro really is a quality van to have. “Fleet managers would not hesitate to specify the Vauxhall Vivaro for their fleet” claimed the chairman of judges, George Emmerson.

If you are after upgrading or buying for the first time a Vauxhall Vivaro for your business but you are concerned about the costs then maybe you should consider the other options. Van leasing has to be the best way to supply your business with the newest model vans. No matter what type of van you are after, whether you are after a box van lease contract or a tipper van leasing contract, there are a huge number of different vans out there to suit the needs of your business.

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Is a Refrigerated Van for your business?

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

If you run any kind of business in the food industry, then you will know the importance of keeping all your goods fresh and cool. But how is it possible to keep your products cool when you are delivering them around the country, especially during the summer?

Well, if you are still struggling with this problem, maybe it’s time you got a refrigerated van. A refridgerated van is a vehicle that is fitted out to keep products cool or even frozen on the go, they are generally used to keep food goods cool.

Most modern refrigerated vans come with added bonus features, for example, the majority of vans come with a backup battery in the event of one battery breaking to ensure your products are keep at the correct temperature. The majority of vans also come with a GPS tracker installed which would allow you and your customers to find out where the van is every step of the journey.

There are a huge number of uses for refrigerated vans, whether your business is within the food industry and needs to keep your goods cool while you distribute it. Or maybe you have to keep cooked food goods fresh for your catering business while on the way to your destination.

Even if you don’t have a business to use a van, you can still benefit from one for recreational purposes. If you enjoy camping during the summer and often spend weeks on end within the country, a refrigerated van can be used to make sure that all your food is kept cool and secure during the summer days.

No matter what your requirements are, there will be a model for your needs. However, searching for this model is not an easy task, you have to ensure that you have the right one for your business. You may be wondering, once you find the perfect van for you, how much will it cost and can the business afford it, well, there’s a way around that aswell. Refrigerated van leasing may be the perfect answer for your business needs. By choosing van leasing you can get the latest model vans and you may not have to pay as much as it would cost to buy one for yourself.

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