Vantastic CV show ahead

Van firms Ashwood Automotive, Citroën, Fiat, Ford, Hyundai, Isuzu, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault, Smith Electric, Supertrucks, Tata and Volkswagen are among over 350 exhibitors already signed up for April’s CV Show.  The organisers say this year’s event is on course for success at Birmingham’s NEC from 12-14 April 2011.

For three days, the CV Show, and the associated Workshop show, will be the focus of the industry, with exhibitors using it as the main platform to launch lots of new products and services.  Most of the van makers will have new metal on their stands, with models making UK, European and in some cases, world debuts.

There will be a CV Show debut for Ashwood’s innovative hybrid drive system on stand 4D10.  The firm’s Hybrid Transit offers operators a retrofit system meaning that they can green their fleets without the need to buy new vehicles.  The system can cut fuel use and emissions by 15-20% and pay for itself in as little as three years.

Citroën will launch its new Nemo light van on stand 5D130 and will show a Supertruck-bodied 22m3 panel, van on a Citroën Relay 35 chassis with a back-to-back cab.  This is bound to be one of the biggest capacity 3.5 tonne panel vans in the Show and will be a must see for anyone moving light, bulky goods and keen to keep clear of Operator Licence bureaucracy.  The new model has optional rear air suspension that drops the floor height to 370 mm.

Ford’s new Ranger pick-up will make its UK debut on stand 4C20.  The firm says this important new model has exceptional towing capacity of up to 3.3 tonne.  It also has a host of other clever ideas, including Adaptive Load Control and Trailer Sway Control and a rear-view camera system.  The new Ranger will be on sale in the late autumn.

Ford will also show the Transit Connect Electric.  This is an all-electric version of the very successful Transit Connect and makes its UK debut.  Power comes from a 28kWh lithium ion battery pack and 55kW eclectic motor.  With a range of up to 80 miles and top speed of 75 mph, the vehicle is developed by Ford’s US-based electric vehicles partners Azure Dynamics.  It is already collecting orders with deliveries due to start in the summer.

Hyundai UK makes its CV Show debut and will promote its iLoad range, showing a panel van and crew van on stand 4E140.

Isuzu will be on stand 4E50 and says its Rodeo pick-up relies on its truck-based origins to deliver reliable hard work, backed by an aftersales network that offers support when you need it rather than when it’s convenient for the dealer.  Isuzu’s recent tie-up with JCB dealers is an example of this approach at work, helping to keep the wheels turning.

Mercedes-Benz will use its stand 5B20 for the UK exhibition debut of its Vito E-Cell.  Power comes from a 36 kWh capacity lithium ion battery pack driving through a 70kW electric motor.  The vehicle has a range of around 130 km, can carry a payload of up to 900 kg and its top speed is limited to 80 km/h.  The firm will also show two Sprinter vans, a natural gas powered model and a Blue Efficiency model, which comes with lots of clever ideas to cut fuel use

Smiths, on stand 5C60, will use the Show for the debut of its crew-cab electric Transit van, the latest addition to its all-electric van and light truck range.  The new model comes with a 40 or 51kwh battery pack to give ranges of 80 to 100 miles.  There are panel van, chassis-cab and minibus models available, from 3.5 to 4.6t.

The Tata Ace is the most popular light commercial vehicle in India and a full electric vehicle derivative is to be launched on stand 4F140 at the CV Show.  The Tata Ace EV offers the practicality of a small half-tonne chassis cab, with the benefits of a low-cost, highly efficient all-electric drivetrain.  The vehicle has been developed in the UK by a team of technicians and engineers from Tata Motors European Technical Centre plc.  It will be assembled in the Midlands, complying with UK Construction and Use Regulations and allowing full registration as EU Category N1

Volkswagen will be back to the Show with a bang for the UK launch of its double-cab Amarok pick-up.  The new four-door, four-wheel- drive pick-up will be the star of the firm’s stand 5E20, supported by nine other VW vans and minibuses, including Caddy and Caddy Maxi panel vans, Transporter kombi and panel van models as well as Crafter panel vans and chassis cabs and the Transporter shuttle and Caravelle people carriers.

As well as the vans, there will be a huge range of supporting products and services on show, from Ratcliff Palfinger’s new range of light van tail lifts on stand 5B110, spray-on linings for vans and pick-ups from Linex (stand 4C90) and an all-makes van parts range from Multipart on stand 5G120.  Polybilt, stand 4D84, will show the plastic bodies whose 20% weight saving is helping the firm break into the weight-conscious supermarket home delivery market while Eminox will take bookings for its LEZ clinics on stand 5H80, where it will help van operators to plan for the next and toughest yet round of London Low Emission Zone restrictions.

Mix Telematics on stand 4G124 says its new Mix Track web-based system shows how vehicle tracking should work; it is easy to access from anywhere, offering operators a simple way to increase efficiency and save cash.

These are just a few of the huge range of supporting products and services at the CV Show to help you get the best out of your new van.

The Show has also attracted truck makers DAF, Hino, MAN and Mercedes-Benz as well as Iveco dealer Guest Trucks and firms offering a huge range of supporting products and services.  And there is Workshop 2011 which will run alongside the CV Show as the only national shop window for the all-important UK car and commercial vehicle maintenance and repair business in 2011.

The Shows’ websites - cvshow.com and workshopshow.co.uk - carry all information about the Shows, exhibitors with their stand numbers and how to get to the NEC, as well as all the latest news.  The CV Show at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, will be open from 08:30 to 17:30 on Tuesday 12 to Thursday 14 April inclusive.  Entry, as always, is free.

The Commercial Vehicle Show is owned by the CV Show LLP, comprising the Road Haulage Association, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and IRTE Services Ltd, the trading company of the SOE (Society of Operations Engineers).  Crystal Communications will manage the Show organisation, stand sales and marketing.