Much of diesel’s recent popularity has been due to its superior fuel economy, but now that it is so much more expensive than petrol (14p/litre more at my local garage) the differences in fuel economy have become much less impressive.

For example:

Diesel car/van travels 40 miles at 40mpg: Fuel cost £4.75 (£1.079/litre)

Petrol car/van travels 40 miles at 30mpg: Fuel cost £5.50 (£0.939/litre)

Although the petrol vehicle still costs more to fuel, the difference is much smaller than it was - especially when you factor in the greater purchase and maintenance costs of diesels.

New figures from GE Capital Solutions’ Fleet Services division suggests that the swing back to petrol might already be underway in the fleet car market - albeit in its early stages.

10.7% of those surveyed reported that there had been an increase in the number of petrol-engined vehicles in their fleet over the last 12 months - against only 3% for diesel.

These figures aren’t yet backed up by new registration figures, which show that fleet registrations of diesel cars are up this year, from 486,000 in the first ten months of 2007 to 511,000 in the same period this year.

However, I do believe that the balance of fuel choice will tip back towards petrol a little over the next few years. Not entirely - modern diesels are very practical for high-mileage applications - but for lower mileage drivers at least.

Source: Fleet News

Based in Goole, it offers a wide range of self-drive hire vans which range from Ford Transit-sized panel vans up to 7.5 tonne lorries. Luton vans with tail lifts are also available - ideal for anyone planning a DIY house move.

Dominic & Son is a family business that was founded by Stephen Dominic, a former police officer. It specialises in serving the Goole, Doncaster, Selby and York area and offer full storage and removal services in addition to self-drive van hire.

For a free, no-obligation van hire quotation, you can contact Dominic & Son Removals direct 0800 328 7804 or via the contact form on its website.

In this article I’ll take a look at some of the new van models that have received their first public airing at October’s IAA Hannover Commercial Vehicle show. Popular trends seemed to be electric and hybrid versions of existing models but there were a smattering of all-new designs.

New Fiesta Van

Ford is pressing ahead with revamping each of its primary car model ranges and the Fiesta is next on the list. As in the past, there will be a dedicated van model of the Fiesta with a panelled out/windowless rear section.

Available in the UK from spring 2009, the new Fiesta Van will have a load length of around 1300mm with a loadspace of at least 1 cubic metre. Engines will be similar to the car variant - 1.25l petrol along with 1.4TDCi and 1.6TDCi diesels.

Nissan Determined To Increase CV Market Share

Nissan have announced it plans to dramatically increase its share of the LCV (light commercial vehicle) market from 2009 onwards.

The first part’s of this offensive are a new small van, to be introduced worldwide next year. It’s based on the NV220 concept vehicle that received widespread publicity when it was first shown thanks to its custom configuration for a marine biologist - including mobile office and dive gear storage.

The real version is likely to be toned down a bit but should still be a modern, high-quality vehicle, if Nissan’s other offerings are anything to go by. (Although I must admit that all the pictures I’ve seen remind me somewhat of the current Nissan Primastar, better known as the Renault Trafic.)

On the hybrid front, the Cabstar Hybrid is also due to be introduced in 2009. Nissan estimate that in a typical urban environment, its hybrid, stop-start technology will reduce CO2 emissions by around 30%.

Mercedes & VW Go Green with Blue

Both Mercedes and VW are now producing models with badges including the word ‘Blue’. This is a reference to the exhaust additive AdBlue, one of two methods available to help diesel engines meet Euro 5 emissions criteria through a process called Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR).

Although lorries using AdBlue have to fill up regularly, car (and I believe van) AdBlue tanks are designed to be large enough to last from one service to the next, sparing the vehicle’s owner from having to fill up with AdBlue.

Mercedes’ has chosen the BlueEfficiency moniker for their SCR vehicles and its latest offering, debuted at Hannover, is the Vito BlueEfficiency. In addition to its SCR system, it also features aerodynamic improvements and Merc’s latest Stop-Start system, which together are claimed to reduce carbon emissions by 40g/km and fuel consumption by a typical 1.5l/100km.

VW’s latest SCR offering is the Crafter BlueMotion. Featuring VW’s latest Euro 5 SCR engines, the Crafter BlueMotion promises to deliver 3.5 tonne van functionality with combined fuel consumption of 31mpg - not bad going.

LDV Going Maxus

LDV’s Maxus van model has been a steady success across a variety of markets. It offers good value, short lead times and a choice of factory conversion options.

The success of the Maxus brand has led LDV owner’s GAZ to state that they will shortly be re-branding the whole company as Maxus, losing the LDV branding (derived from Leyland Daf Vehicles) altogether.

The IAA Show also saw the debut of the Maxus Electric - a factory-built all-electric version of the Maxus. It is currently undergoing trials and promises not to compromise on payload or loadspace thanks to its batteries being installed between the chassis rails, under the floor.

LDV are also planning the introduction of a smaller van to replace the not-much-lamented LDV Cub of a few years ago. It seems likely that the new van will either be built in partnership with another manufacturer or will be purchased from another company.

To save this happening again, the force have now invested £4,000 on misfuelling prevention equipment that should prevent further misfuelling incidents.

I’ve talked about the cost of misfuelling before and back in August misfuelling prevention company DDN scored an impressive £250,000 investment on Dragons’ Den with their MPD (Misfuelling Prevention Device).

I’m not sure whether this is the device that Essex police have used - but when faced with a repair bill like this, preventative measures certainly make good sense.

Day trip returns (1 car and up to 9 passengers) are available from £24 including taxes and passengers will also get 6 free bottles of Kumala Red or White wine thrown in as well (over 18s only, I expect).

To ensure you don’t go hungry, P&O are also running a Buy One Get One Free offer on main meals during this time as well - meaning that you can get either breakfast or a main meal for half price if two of you are travelling.

To get an online quote or book now, click here.

This offer is valid for all bookings made before 1st December 2008 for travel before 18th December 2008.

Funny coincidences notwithstanding, those good people at Europcar have produced a guide to help you avoid the perils of driving-related stress - of which there are many.

Here’s a run down of their best advice. In all seriousness, I would heartily endorse most of this. Road rage and its offspring are extremely dangerous, not to mention bad for your blood pressure. Although written for cars, these tips apply just as much to driving vans - which are bigger, heavier and require correspondingly more car than cars.

So sit back, knock 5mph off your speed, put some decent tunes on and chill out. You’ll get there happier and safer and probably just as fast. You’ll also save money on fuel:

• Ensure you’ve had adequate rest before setting off on your journey – and that everyone has gone to the loo!  There’s nothing worse than getting caught short.
• Don’t exceed the speed limit and notice how much calmer you feel
• Ensure your seating position is comfortable
• Turn off your phone – then you won’t be tempted to answer it if it rings
• Work out your route, as getting lost will increase the risk of stress. Europcar offers Sat Nav units to rent from all its branches
• Department for Transport advise driver to take a 15-minute break every two hours on a long journey
• Say thank you and apologise if you make a mistake
• Sing along to favourite songs or listen to an audio book
• Consider renting a larger car for long journeys to give everyone room

Breathing and relaxation in a traffic jam:

• Inhale through your nose for a count of five, then exhale for a count of eight. Stretch your hands out in front of you with fingers interlaced and palms facing outward. Hold the stretch for five seconds
• Curl your toes and tighten for a count of 10. Release
• Flex your foot (arching toes upward) and hold for a count of 10. Release and extend feet, hold for 10 and release.
• Move up through your body tensing each area for 10 and then releasing.
• When you reach the hands, tense and release, first with fingers splayed outward and extended, then with the hands balled into a fist.
• Scrunch face and then release. Prepare for funny looks from other drivers

If you aren’t familiar with the i Miev (and I wasn’t), it’s a small thing that looks a bit like a 4-door Smart car. The current model has a 600cc turbo-charged petrol engine - just like a Smart car (sorry, I couldn’t find a copyright-free photo).

What makes it interesting to us van users are two things:

1. Mitsubishi are soon to launch a small van version
2. Mitsubishi are soon to launch an all-electric version, designed for low-mileage urban use

Sounds tasty, says you. Where can I get one?

Well, first of all, soon means 2010 for the electric launch and 2011 for the UK van import.

Then there’s the availability (assuming they take off). Mitsubishi UK are expecting to sell 2,000-3,000 of the all-electric model in the UK, according to Car Magazine, but production volumes could be limited initially if battery production can’t keep up.

If you’re still attracted - and for a modern, city-based business in need of a small van they will make sense - then zero-emission heaven can be yours for around £12,000 - about £3,000 more than the current petrol model.

As I mentioned last week, the UK government is putting serious money on the table to encourage the development of low-emission commercial vehicles, especially vans. The arrival of the i Miev van could be perfectly-timed for an upswing in demand.

We live in interesting times…

Citroen’s C-Crosser SUV has been out for a year or so now and Citroen have just released a novel variation on this ’soft roader’ model.

Instead of having a rear seat and a boot, the whole of the rear has been converted to a van - complete with panelled out windows.

Except…

On the outside, the windows remain - in limo tint privacy glass.

So it looks like a car - it still has rear passenger doors - and it drives like a car, but it’s actually a capable small van with a 734kg payload, a 2.3 cubic metre load compartment and part-time 4WD.

So if your neighbours turn their noses up at your white van and demand something a little more respectable - or you fancy giving yourself a treat and becoming more anonymous, get yourself down to your local Citroen dealer and ask for a C-Crosser Enterprise.

Prices start at £16,995 +VAT (it is a van, after all) and this van version of the C-Crosser is powered by a frugal 2.2HDi diesel engine that returns almost 48mpg. What’s not to like?

This money is part of a £100m program to develop the infrastructure and technology needed to make widespread use of electric and hybrid vehicles a reality.

Transport secretary Geoff Hoon told the Guardian that the program was a response to the knowledge that “Van emissions are rising more than any other mode of road transport”. The government are hoping that this program will help “kick-start the market [for low-carbon vans]” as there is not currently a suitable model available.

With range and recharging facilities still an issue for all-electric vehicles, my reading of this initiative is that the main goal is self-sufficient, low-emission hybrid vehicles - perhaps along the same lines as the Chevrolet Volt, which has an all-electric powertrain but carries a small petrol engine on board to charge its batteries when needed.

To learn more, see this article in the Guardian and this article on the Fleet News website.

In other words, around a third of drivers who are killed in crashes aren’t wearing a seatbelt.

According to the Department for Transport, nearly 300 lives would probably have been saved by wearing a seatbelt in 2007. You are twice as likely to die in a crash if you are not wearing a seatbelt.

Just in case you are not convinced, here’s the latest TV advert from the Department for Transport’s Think! seatbelt safety campaign. You may not want to watch this if you are eating:

According to the Institute of Advanced Motorists, seatbelt wearing rates are lower among young drivers than older drivers. That means that young drivers (who have grown up with seatbelts always being required) are deliberately deciding that they don’t need to bother.

This is madness.

The need to be wearing a seatbelt will come out of the blue. It may be your fault, it may be the other driver’s - but you cannot possibly guarantee to avoid it.

As Neil Greg, of the IAM says, “When you wear a seatbelt you ‘switch on’ three decades of engineering research and allow your car to give you the full protection it was designed to deliver. It is probably the single most important safety feature in a modern car.”

The fact that seatbelts are required by law is almost incidental - they are such a powerful safety feature that to decide not to use your seatbelt is just incredibly stupid. And selfish.

Seatbelts can make the difference between being killed and walking away from a crash.

What else matters?