It’s difficult to gauge the health of the retail side of the van business, especially when you include used, which isn’t reflected in monthly numbers supplied by the likes of the SMMT. Whilst we see bullish advertisements which make us think that dealers are rushed off their feet with queues of eager customers outside the door together with glowing social media posts, particularly on LinkedIn which also are written to convey a busy and healthy market, is this a true reflection as to how things are?
An industry friend with a large LinkedIn following of van dealer and broker staff posted a poll on the site recently, asking what sort of level of activity (customer interest and enquiry levels) they were seeing, the question being worded ‘How is the ‘job’ at the moment?’ The beauty of LinkedIn polls is that only the author can see who has voted and how, so people can confidently post their thoughts knowing that ‘the boss’ or competitors won’t see it.
The results are quite interesting. Of 68 respondents, 44% said that ‘the job’ was either ‘On fire’, or ‘Just OK’, 37% that things were ‘slow’, and 19% telling us that things were ‘dire’. I’m told by the author that whilst there were few surprises in the positive votes, some leading, well known and vocal industry figures are not having a great time at the moment, despite the public persona conveying the exact opposite. But, overall, perhaps a result that could have been predicted. There will always be those finding things tough whilst others make hay, and maybe things could reverse as time goes by.
It’s Showtime!
The IAA Transportation Show (or IAA in short) is almost certainly the biggest exhibition of all things commercial vehicle in Europe, and it’s happening this year from the 17th to the 22nd September in Hannover, Germany. It’s often used for product launches and previews and this year is no exception. I’ve picked up a few snippets of what we’re likely to see, and it’s quite exciting stuff.
The time when we see Kia vans on our roads is getting ever closer, and at the IAA we’ll see two of the electric PBV (Platform Beyond Vehicles) in the metal for possibly the first time. The PV5 (scheduled for launch in 2025) and PV7 will be on the stand and could well be the stars of the show. Given the success the brand has had in the passenger car market, we can only assume that the company will be tackling the electric van sector head on with some great products.
Maxus will be showing Europe the eDeliver5, a van familiar to us here in the UK having already been launched. But, almost certainly drawing crowds to the stand will be the eTerron9, a stunning looking electric pickup which, with its dual motor, all-electric 4WD drivetrain will appeal to those who have so far been reluctant to opt for the T90EV’s two wheel drive arrangement. Maxus states that the eTerron9 is a ‘performance pickup’ which promises passengers luxury and comfort. We can’t wait to see (and eventually drive) it.
Remember the announcement from Hyundai and Iveco, where the two companies pledged to work together to bring a new electric van to market in Europe? Well, they certainly don’t hang about when they put their minds to it, and the Iveco stand at the IAA will display the fruits of their labours. Like Kia, this could be something that could give sleepless nights to some of the more established players in the UK LCV market. The next couple of years could be very interesting indeed…
