On the 25th anniversary of the CV Show, a new era began with the first organised by the Nineteen Group in association with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and Road Haulage Association (RHA). The Nineteen Group has plans to grow its scale and scope after it was revealed that it had acquired the event.
This year saw more than 300 exhibitors attending, a raft of new product launches and insightful conference sessions across the three days, with new and emerging trends and issues at the top of the agenda.
In his keynote speech, Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), says in 2024, the number of light commercial vehicle (LCV) registrations grew by 3%, but heavy goods vehicle (HGV) registrations fell by 2.7%.
He explains the commercial vehicle market is facing challenges as it transitions towards net zero and, in particular, the market will be impacted by the government’s change of taxation for double cab pickups. Hawes adds the UK is lagging behind the mandate for zero-emission vehicles and urged the government to ease the charging gridlock for trucks and vans.
To meet growing challenges, he highlights three calls to action to accelerate the switch to zero-emission commercial vehicles – prioritise grid connections for transport depots and charging infrastructure, a simplified and nationally consistent planning permission for ZEV transport, and action to drive down energy costs.
Hawes notes the importance of addressing infrastructure and energy costs to support the transition to zero-emission vehicles, while emphasising the need for government support and industry investment in the transition.
DECARBONISE NOW
There is not enough of a commercial incentive for an operator to switch from diesel to battery-electric on a large scale – this was one of the key takeaways from a session called ‘Decarbonisation – Don’t Waste the Next Decade’.
Amy Stokes, head of e-mobility at Volvo Trucks, says: “Registration for battery-electric trucks has been really small and we are not seeing the growth year on year since we started in 2019 that shows that we’re going to hit that target of 73% of the market by 2035.”
According to Stokes, it will not be possible to achieve the uptake of these vehicles without addressing some of the levers in the total cost of ownership model that will drive market demand.
“That comes down to all the things that feed into the total cost of ownership, including the upfront purchase of a truck, which is supported by the Plug-in Truck Grant and ZEHID programme,” she continues. “The longevity of those incentives is really important in giving operators some stability and long-term confidence.”
AN AUTONOMOUS FUTURE
Autonomous buses require certain technologies that do not currently exist in the marketplace, according to Chris Gall, group engineering director at Alexander Dennis.
Speaking at a session called ‘Vehicles Getting Smart – self driving technologies’, he says: “There are some dual redundant braking systems that are a number of years away, so there are some adjacent technologies that need to be developed before autonomous trucks and buses can be deployed.”
Commenting on the current legislative landscape, Gall believes the UK is leading the charge. “If you look at the rest of the world, particularly in North America, the legislation is a long way behind. There are lots of regions around the world looking at the UK to see how we deploy these vehicles.”
DIGITISING MAINTEANCE
Digital defect reporting has proven to be a real game-changer in the way maintenance is being carried out at Darcica.
Speaking during a session called ‘No Time for Downtime: the changing face of vehicle maintenance’, director and founder Anthony Tattersall explains how the company can better respond to any issues that arise.
“Digital defect reporting allows drivers to take photos which can be analysed in the office and in the workshops on the spot. Having this system allows us to plan for the start of the day, rather than waiting for the driver to provide a defect sheet at the end of their shift,” he says.
A digital system can also record the time that a driver takes to carry out a walk-around check. “This allows you to identify drivers who are just ticking boxes versus those who are taking the time to do the checks properly,” Tattersall adds.
BOX: LAUNCHPAD FOR NEW TECHNOLOGY
Kia UK pulled back the curtain on its PV5 electric van, which is designed to deliver space and mobility in a robust body. It comes with sliding side and twin rear doors, providing practicality and easy access for loading and unloading.
It will come with two body lengths and will be available with a hybrid option for the longer body, giving a cargo volume of up to 5.1m³ and have the lowest rear step height of 419mm and a payload of up to 805kg. Built on a dedicated EV modular option, PV5 will come with a choice of two battery options: a 51kWh battery delivering a range of up to 181 miles, and a larger 71kWh battery providing up to 247 miles.
Chinese manufacturer Farizon launched its SV electric van, which comes with five body configurations and covers a wide spread of the medium to large van market.
Kate McLaren, head of marketing & sales operations at Jameel Motors, the UK distributor of Farizon, says: “The combination of drive by wire and cell to battery technology frees up space under the floor, giving the SV a vast carrying capacity. It can carry loads from 6.95m³ to 13m³ in the L3/H3, here.”
Renault Group debuted its three future electric van models as it looks to strengthen its market lead with a new generation of electric LCVs. All three models – Trafic, Goelette and Estafette – were developed by Flexis and are the first Renault models to receive the Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) architecture and operating system created by Ampere.
Each vehicle uses the same new all-electric skateboard platform that can be adapted to a variety of body styles. Each van will feature 800V technology allowing for charges of 15 to 80% to be achieved in under 20 minutes for a potential range of up to 280 miles.
Supertracker showcased an innovation that comes in response to demand as fleet operators and workshops seek a reliable solution for the wheel alignment of trucks, buses and trailers.
A computerised commercial wheel aligner featuring advanced CCD (charge-coupled device) sensor technology, the STR420 T is designed to cover all aspects of adjustability within the modern vehicle chassis, including electric vehicles. Its flexible specification makes it suitable for a range of commercial vehicle applications.
Rhino Products showed off its new range of black powder-coated LCV accessories with its latest offering of the KammBar Black and matching KammRoller.
The KammBar Black, a black powder-coated version of Rhino’s KammBar Pro, is the follow-up to the KammRack Black and VanLadder Black, launched last year. The matching KammRoller comes with a strengthened design in both silver and black finishes to complement the new KammBar Black.
