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You probably don't want to hire your little one as your apprentice just yet, but it might be useful to know if you can put a car seat in a van and safely (and legally) drive your loved one.
The rules around car seats are quite confusing, mainly because there are so many situations in which it could be deemed necessary to have a child in a vehicle without a child seat - namely in an emergency.
But, we're not going to dwell on that, this is a guide to when and how you should legally have a car seat in a van for regularly transporting children.
We'll answer important questions about the rules on child seats in vans, as well as look a a few other commonly asked questions about seating and seat belts in a van.
This article will explain details around car seats for a van with a front row of passenger seats only. If you have a double cab van with a second row of seats it's common practice to put children in the rear seats. Here you will often find ISOFIX (or LATCH - Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) systems that securely and easily fix child seats into vehicles.
The guidelines below are taken from the UK government website and correct at the time of writing, they are also applicable to cars as well as vans. There's no differentiation between the rules on child seats for a car or a van, the only difference here is that we are assuming your van has no second row of seats.
Yes. There's no reason why a child seat cannot go in the front of a van. How you position the child seat and when a child can safely and legally travel in the front of a van, however, depends on two things.
For very young babies they must travel in a rear facing car seat until the age of 15 months. The most important thing here is to know that the passenger airbag must be deactivated when using a rear-facing baby seat in the front seat of a van or car.
If they're over 9kg, however, it is possible to put them in a forward-facing baby seat.
Below is a table, taken from the government website on child seat rules explaining the different seats you can use for a child's weight.
| Child weight | Group | Seats |
|---|---|---|
| 0kg to 10kg | 0 | Lie-flat or โlateralโ baby carrier, rear-facing baby carrier, or rear-facing baby seat using a harness |
| 0kg to 13kg | 0+ | Rear-facing baby carrier or rear-facing baby seat using a harness |
| 9kg to 18kg | 1 | Rear- or forward-facing baby seat using a harness or safety shield |
| 15kg to 25kg | 2 | Rear- or forward-facing child car seat (high-backed booster seat or booster cushion) using a seat belt, harness or safety shield |
| 22kg to 36kg | 3 | Rear- or forward-facing child car seat (high-backed booster seat or booster cushion) using a seat belt, harness or safety shield |
These are the rules for weight-based car seats, there are also height-based seats known as i-Size seats.
The most commonly asked question about car seats in vans is...
Yes, you can have a child seat in a Transit van which must be securely fastened using the adult seat belt. If using a rear facing child seat the front passenger airbag must also be deactivated.
A child can sit in the front of a van from any age providing they have the correct seat for their age, size and weight.
To sit in the front seat without a child seat or booster seat, children must be 12 years old or over 135cm tall.
Children under 12 years of age or 135cm must use a high-backed booster seat or booster cushion in conjuncton with the seat belt or harness.
For small children, under three years of age, a forward or rear facing car seat must be used in most cases.
Babies under 15 months must always be sat in a rear facing child seat suitable for their age.
Yes, a two year old can sit in the front of a van providing they are in an appropriate car seat or booster.
As with every rule there are some exceptions:
A child aged 3 or older can travel in a back seat without a child car seat and without a seat belt if the vehicle doesnโt have one, however, in most cases, children under 3 must always be in a child car seat.
If travelling in a taxi or minicab and there are no available child seats, children can travel without the correct child seat.
Also, if the child is on an unexpected journey, for example in an emergency situation.
The rules about where you can sit in a van don't just extend to children, though. Many people think that due to the size of a van and that there's space in the rear loadspace it's ok to use that for people.
No. The loadspace of a van is not designed for people to sit in. It is illegal to carry passengers in the rear of a van without proper seating.
Youโre also only allowed one person in each seat fitted with a seat belt. No sharing seats.
There are pretty hefty fines if you break the law on wearing a seat belt in a van. You can be fined up to ยฃ500 if you do not wear a seat belt when youโre supposed to.
The same rule applies to children, who are also not allowed to sit in side facing seats.
No, kids can't sit in the loadspace of a van. It might be fun for them to stumble around in the dark but it's also really dangerous and you can be fined up to ยฃ500 if a child under 14 is not in the correct car seat or wearing a seat belt while youโre driving.
Learning to drive is a big deal, the provisional licence, the lessons, the pressure of a test that will give you the ultimate freedom at the end of it, but despite the pressure of learning to drive, thereโs a lot of anxiety around driving a van as well.
Whether youโre a new driver or really experienced behind the wheel, getting into a van can be a nerve-racking experience. Understandably the size of a van is different to a car, and thereโs also no rear window to see out of, but those differences aside thereโs little else to be concerned about.
In fact, vans are so car-like these days that for the small vans youโd barely notice the difference between driving one and a regular family hatchback. Likewise a medium van is no different to your average SUV.
Weโll answer some of the most common questions people have about driving a van, learning to drive a van or how to drive a van.
This is easily the most commonly asked question about driving a van. The simple answer is no, itโs definitely not difficult to drive a van.
From a simple how-to perspective, thereโs no difference between a car and a van. Many have manual gearboxes with up to six gears, thereโs a steering wheel and all the same controls youโll find in a car.
But youโre not worried about the act of driving, youโre concerned about the size or what itโs like to thread a van down a narrow street. Well, from this point of view we donโt find it any different to a car. In fact, in many ways driving a van is even easier and hereโs why.
With a car you have a long bonnet with the engine way out front. You often sit really low in the seat to give a sporty feel and thereโs all manner of fancy dials and screens to divert your attention. Vans donโt suffer from any of these issues.
A vanโs engine is usually tucked up right under the windscreen to ensure thereโs a really short overhang to improve manoeuvrability. That means itโs much easier to see where the front of the van is and judge distance to obstacles in front.
If youโre worried about the width of a van think of its mirrors as cats whiskers. Ok, ripping off a mirror isnโt a great plan, but they really do act like physical width detectors. The best thing about vans is that theyโre also flat sided. There are no curves or flared wheelarches. If your mirrors fit, the van will fit, and even if you need to get really tight to something, as long as you can keep the van in a straight line from front to tail youโll be ok.
Finally, vans are fairly simple things, there arenโt that many distractions โ unlike in passenger cars. We love the simplicity of a van. Some dials and a radio with few other distractions.
Most now come with parking detectors and even cameras, though. So if you take it nice and slowly โ especially when manoeuvring โ there really is nothing to be worried about. Itโs certainly not difficult to drive a van.
Vans do require commercial vehicle insurance, but thereโs no reason you canโt drive a van with the third-party insurance cover than many fully comprehensive car insurance providers give you.
If youโve bought a van, you will need to get a van-specific insurance policy, and it can be more expensive than car insurance. Thatโs because van insurance takes into consideration the fact that vans carry goods and tools which area appealing to thieves. Not all policies cover the contents of a van, so be mindful of that when you are buying it.
For more information on van insurance look at our what you need to know about van insurance guide.
Thereโs no specific category on your licence to say that you can drive a van. If youโve got a full driving licence (thatโs to say a B Category) then you are able to drive any van up to 3.5 tonnes.
For more information on driving licences read our article โ Can you drive a van with a normal car licence?
That means you can start driving a van as soon as youโve passed your driving test.
In fact, we know several people who learnt to drive in a van, which leads us onto the next question.
Yes, of course you can. Driving a van is just like learning to drive in a car so that will mean youโll need to be accompanied by someone over 21 who has had a full licence for more than three years. Youโll need to be insured and youโll need to display L-plates.
Apart from that youโre absolutely fine to drive a van on a provisional licence.
Whether youโre moving house, helping with drive the local football teamโs minibus or thinking of a job as a home delivery courier it helps to know what steps you need to take to drive a van. Vans might seem big and intimidating which is why so many people often ask โCan you drive a van with normal car licence?โ when actually many of them are no harder or complicated to drive than a large car.
If youโve ever wondered โcan I drive a van?โ then this is the guide for you. Weโll answer questions like โdo you need a special van driving licence?โ or โwhat licence do you need to drive a van?โ.
Weโll explain everything there is to know about van driving licences, driving a van and any restrictions for driving a van.
The simple answer is yes, but that will depend on what van you are looking to drive.
Most vans are 3.5 tonnes or under, which puts them in the same class as a car. All youโll need to drive a van under 3.5 tonnes (or 3,500kg) is a full car driving licence โ also known as Category B.
Fortunately thatโs pretty much every van out there except some of the very biggest. So if youโre worried about driving a Ford Transit Connect or a Citroen Berlingo then donโt. Same goes for medium-size vans like the UKโs best selling van, the Ford Transit Custom or everyoneโs favourite van the Volkgwagen Transporter and itโs camper sibling the Volkswagen California.
So, thatโs the simple rules for anyone with a full driving licence.
But, as always things can get a little more complex, and not necessarily in a bad way.
For anyone who passed their driving test before January 1997 they have something called โGrandfather Rightsโ which should mean that you have an additional category on your licence in addition to your B Category.
Grandfather Rights will give you a C1 category on your licence. This enables you to drive vans up to 7.5 tonnes (7,500kg) โ which also includes the really small kind of trucks.
It's possible to check your licence details on the gov.uk website. Youโll need your licence number, National Insurance number and the postcode where your licence is registered to. Of course if you have all that, you're probably looking at your driving licence in which case... turn it over.
On the back of your driving licence you will see wide range of categories.
We've listed them below:
| Licence Type | Meaning |
|---|---|
| AM | Moped |
| A1 | Low power motorbike |
| A2 | Medium powered motorbike |
| A | Full motorbike |
| B1 | Quadricycle (under 400kg, 550kg if an LCV) |
| B | Full Car and Van |
| C1 | Vans and Trucks up to 7500kg |
| C | Rigid Trucks (3 axles) |
| D1 | Passenger vehicles up to 7500kg |
| D | Full Coach and Bus |
| BE | Car with trailer over 750kg |
| C1E | C1 category with trailer 750kg |
| CE | C category with trailer (ie. articulated truck) |
| D1E | D1 category with trailer |
| DE | D category passenger vehicle with trailer |
As you can see there are plenty of different licence types to get qualified for but to simply drive a van all you need is a full B Category licence.
If you want to tow with a van you are allowed to tow a trailer up to 750kg, but anything over that will require a BE Category licence.
For more information on towing visiting the towing capacity pages for individual model information on vans that can tow.
As previously mentioned, you can drive any van, of any size, on a normal car licence, but there is a restriction on the weight.
A few of the larger vans have a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of more than 3,500kg. These are generally vans with twin rear wheels and they will usually have a tachograph in there as well.
Itโs likely that even the largest vans you can hire will all be under 3.5-tonnes and any decent van rental company will tell you that youโre hiring a van thatโs over 3500kg as theyโll want to check you have the relevant licence.
Specifying a Luton van might be the right van to help you move house, but these in particular should be built on a higher GVW chassis. So be careful when hiring any large van if you donโt have a C1 category licence.
Every single make of large van has a version that is 3.5-tonnes. These are the ones that can all be driven on a car licence.
Of course they then make even larger vans that are usually used as chassis for larger bodybuilder projects like very big motorhomes, hospitality vans, welfare vans and tippers. They are nearly always extra-long wheelbase and if they are a panel van, extra high roof models.
The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is one of the largest vans on the market and if you look at the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter dimensions guide youโll see there is a dizzying array of options which include vans of 5, 6 or 7-tonne vans. The same is true of the Ford Transit, Volkswagen Crafter, MAN TGE, and the Iveco Daily.
The Iveco Daily is actually the largest GVW van on sale at the moment with the biggest vans going up to 7.2-tonnes as a chassis.
Our advice is to check the vehicle plate โ which is either a metal plate or sticker located inside the passenger door frame or under the bonnet.
It wouldnโt be government legislation without a few exceptions. These of course have come about over time and are now focused on electric vans.
Yes. Because the batteries in an electric van are heavy, an additional allowance has been added to let you drive them.
For B Category licence holders they are allowed to drive a 4.25-tonne van if it is electric. This is to make the payload comparable between electric and diesel.
Great, I hear you shout. Butโฆ at the time of writing thereโs a catch. The driving licence rules might say you can drive the van, but you will fall into all the requirements for larger vehicles (like trucks) over 3.5 tonnes. That could mean tachographs, o-licences, six-weekly inspection schedules and drivers hours/working time directive. If youโre doing all of this driving for personal usage then thereโs an argument that you fall between the crack.
But, if you are driving a van over 3.5-tonnes either diesel or electric for hire or reward then youโll need to think about treating it as a truck rather than a van. Itโs a total minefield at the moment.
For any electric van over 4.25 tonnes youโll still need a category C1 on your licence and all of the above headaches definitely apply.
Yes, all you need is a regular B Category licence which will allow you to drive a passenger van or minibus with up to 16 passengers. As with the above electric van, if you are doing it for hire or reward thatโs a different matter.
When it comes to loading up your van, do you really know how much weight youโve got in there? Vans are the most frequently overloaded vehicles on the roads, and according to research it is self employed tradesmen and daily rental vans that are flouting the rules the most.
Builders in particular are major culprits, with a large amount of equipment, heavy materials and in the winter months, water, leading to hundreds of dropside and tipper vans being massively overweight.
If youโre using your own vehicle for day-to-day work, there is very little excuse for not knowing the gross vehicle weight (GVW) of your van or the maximum weight it allows you to carry.
Ignorance is not an excuse, and just because there is some space in the back, does not mean you can cram in some more stuff. But, if youโve picked up a rental van, knowing how much you can transport might be a little harder to figure out.
The only sure-fire way to know is to find the plated-vehicle weights which should be clearly printed on a plate or sticker placed on the vehicle. These can usually be found somewhere under the bonnet, or on the passenger or driver door frame. It will tell you the GVW and gross train weight (GTW, the maximum combined weight or towing capacity with a trailer), as well as maximum front and rear axle weights.
It is a driverโs responsibility to ensure that their vehicle is safe to drive, and an overloaded van is extremely dangerous.
Not only will stopping distances increase, but tyres are also under more strain โ increasing the chance of a blow-out. Brake pads wear quicker and become less efficient, steering can be impaired and stability may become a problem. Roads are also more easily damaged by heavier vehicles.
If an enforcement officer from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) stops your vehicle and you are found to be overloaded, it will almost certainly result in you being issued with a prohibition notice.
This will prevent you from continuing your journey until the issue has been corrected. Whilst they have you at the road side, they will also check the rest of the road-worthiness of the vehicle and all of your documentation, so you had better be sure everything is as it should be.
If the overloading is corrected (eg. the load is repositioned to correct an overweight axle), ย the prohibition may be lifted and you will be allowed to continue your journey. The officer may also insist that any excess weight is removed before lifting the prohibition, or issue a "direction to drive notice" which allows you to drive to a specified place to off-load.
Employers have a duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1999 to ensure the safety of their workers, but ultimately if a vehicle is found to be overweight, it is the driver that will face the force of the law initially, and a maximum fine of up to ยฃ5,000 for each offence could be issued.
That could mean ยฃ5,000 for being overweight on the front axle, ยฃ5,000 for being overweight on the rear, and another ยฃ5,000 for the total weight being too much. Thatโs an expensive mistake, but it could get worse.
If you are grossly overloaded, you could be charged with dangerous driving which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison. Refusing to allow your vehicle to be weighed is also an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 and again carries a fine of ยฃ5,000.
Worst case scenario, if you are involved in an accident and someone is killed as a result, both you and your employer could face charges of Manslaughter or Death by Dangerous Driving.
Knowing how much weight you can carry is key to not being overloaded. The plated weights will help you with this, but youโll notice that they donโt tell you a specific payload allowance.
The handbook or manufacturers brochure or website may help with this, and provide you with an indicative answer, either as a payload allowance or more likely through publishing the kerbweight of the vehicle (payload = GVW - kerbweight) but when determining the load you must factor in the weight of the driver and any passengers, as well as your load and any tools.
Published weights also do not take into account any racking systems or safety equipment that might have been installed.
If you are delivering multiple items be sure that the load does not become imbalanced when off-loading โ this could result in either instability or too much weight on the front or rear axle.
Lastly, if you're in the courier business, donโt always believe weights on delivery slips or invoices.
If you have to move a consignment and you are not sure of the weight, or think it might push you over the limit then donโt take the risk. Get the item weighed or weigh your van as soon as possible.
When towing a small trailer or mechanical unit, you need to know the maximum gross train weight (GTW) of your vehicle.
This is the total weight of your vehicle plus the load it is pulling. Do not confuse the GTW with the gross vehicle weight (GVW), as the GTW can be as much as twice the amount โ this could result in you being seriously overloaded and a real danger.
For more information on towing, read our best vans for towing guide or visit the towing section for specific details on individual van models and their towing capacities.
The penalties for overloading a car or van range from a fine to points or even a court appearance.
A ยฃ5,000 penalty is the maximum you could face under the current laws, but that is in extreme cases. If you are found to be overloaded, the below fines may be more applicable, depending upon your situation. A margin of 5% is allowed by the authorities, but in a 3.5 tonne van that is only 175kg, meaning it is all too easy to stray beyond the rules.
Not only is it illegal, it will also cause excessive wear on your van and increase the risk of damage, breakdown or even a serious accident.
If the police or the DVSA (Driver Vehicle Standards Agency, formerly VOSA) see you with an overloaded van, above the legal payload you will be stopped and prosecuted.
| Severity | Endorsable | Fixed penalty amount |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 10% | No | ยฃ100 |
| 10% up to but not including 15% | No | ยฃ200 |
| 15% - 30% | No | ยฃ300 |
| More than 30% | Yes | Court Summons / ยฃ5,000 |
The moment you overload your van you're liable to be prosecuted. A ยฃ100 penalty will be given for a 0% to 9.99% overload, but DVSA examiners will allow a 5% leeway before issuing a fixed penalty or prohibition, unless the relevant weight has been exceeded by 1 tonne or more.
Normally, a fixed penalty would be inappropriate for serious cases of overloading - for example when the vehicle is overloaded by 30% and over, or the excess weight is 5 tonnes - so a court summons would be issued instead.
Penalties become endorsable - penalty points can be issued - when multiple or severe infrigements are found. How many penalty points you will get for overloading will depend on the circumstance but 3 points is a minimum
As with almost every instance in the law, just because you don't know the rules doesn't mean you're exempt from them.
Hwoever, ignorance is sort of a "get out of jail free card" as long as it is a genuine mistake.
Government guidance says that "in genuine cases of ignorance e.g. moving house, and where the offence is unlikely to be repeated, a prohibition should be issued, and an overloading guidance leaflet handed to the driver".
And goes on to say that "to take into account the Public Interest Test, no Fixed Penalty Notice should
be issued in these circumstance". We think that means it is at the discretion of the enforcement officer to judge just how serious your overloaded van offence is.
1: Look at the badges on the van โ numbers down the side or below the model name such as 35 or 350 can often indicate your vehicle is a 3.5 tonne van.
2: Find the chassis plate โ these are usually found under the bonnet or on the door frames. The plate will tell you the GVW, GTW and individual axle weights.
3. Official guidance on overloading can be found from the DVSA
Medium vans are the lifeblood of the van world so it makes sense that you want to know what are the best medium electric vans on the market.
As we make the transition away from diesel to electric vans itโs increasingly important to get the facts and find out which is the model that best suits you. Thatโs why weโve compiled a list of some of the best electric vans on the market. Itโs not in any particular order, although you could be forgiven for thinking that the first ones that pop into your head may well be the best medium sized electric vans on sale at this moment in time.
So hereโs a run down of some of our favourites.
If anyone is going to get bums on seats in the electric van market itโs going to be Ford. The eagerly-anticipated electric version of the UK's best-selling van didnโt disappoint when it was launched either. The Ford E-Transit Custom comes with a choice of electric motors options giving it either 136hp, 217hp or 285hp. Power goes to the rear wheels and is fed from a 64kWh usable battery giving it an official range of up to 203 miles depending on which motor and trim level you choose. Thereโs also a crazy fast (and madly modified) Ford E-Transit Custom MS-RT version to really quicken the pulse.
Charging using an 11kW home charger takes around 6.7 hours, or a 10-80% charge can be done in as little as 39 minutes using a 125kW DC charger.
The rear load bay dimensions of the E-Transit Custom are the same as those on offer from the diesel model, with a lower load floor than the previous Ford Transit Custom for improved access. The Ford E-Transit Custom towing capacity is also up to 2,300kg.
All E-Transit Customs come as standard with a 13-inch infotainment touchscreen and thereโs a 12.5-inch driver display.
EV forward and reverse 'gear' selection is via a stalk by the steering wheel which gives more space in the centre seat should you need to travel three-abreast.
Mercedes will probably admit that itโs Mercedes-Benz eVito isnโt the best medium sized van on the market but theyโve been finessing the product for a while. The latest version is often called the mid-range Mercedes-Benz eVito as it gets a 66kWh battery, allowing a range of up to 162 miles on the official WLTP cycle. That was a big upgrade from the 80-odd miles youโd get out of the first generation van.
So, why is it in the list of best medium sized electric vans? Well, itโs based on a really capable product and thanks for fast charging itโs now a very usable mid-sized van. An 80% charge can be added in just 35 minutes using a DC rapid charger, making it a versatile worker.
One of the better aspects of Mercโs electric vans is the driving modes and functionality. It has a single-speed forward gear transmission that comes with three driving modes: C (comfort), which offers the most power; E (efficiency), which reduces a bit of the power but improves economy; and E+ (efficiency plus), which provides the most range but significantly reduces performance and cuts back on air conditioning performance.
For those that really like to feel in charge of their van thereโs also a choice of regenerative braking settings. The least aggressive at one end of the scale is D+ which allows the vehicle to coast with no retardation. At the other end of the scale is D-which is as close to one-pedal driving as youโll get in the eVito.
Thereโs a choice of Progressive and Premium trim levels - the latter of which adds equipment including air-conditioning, a reversing camera, parking sensors, a heated driver's seat and cruise control.
It is also available in either L2 and L3 body lengths which offer load volumes of 6.0m3 and 6.6m3.
Itโs definitely the driverโs choice amongst the best medium sized electric vans.
Rightโฆ first things first, because of the way Stellantis does vans this little overview could equally apply to any of the other Stellantis medium vans. Weโve chosen the Vauxhall Vivaro Electric as itโs the most popular in the UK, but like the others itโs also recently been updated.
In the case of the Vivaro this included a front-end styling update to incorporate Vauxhall's 'Vizor' fascia but across the board thereโs been a more significant update to the Vivaro Electric's powertrain.
Thereโs a 75kWh battery provide a WLTP range of up to 217 miles (which is 12 miles more than the previous version).
Charging speeds let you charge from 5-80% in under 45 minutes, while power comes from a 136hp motor.
An updated interior includes a pair of 10-inch screens, and wireless smartphone connectivity. Thereโs a total of 18 ADAS features available.
The Vivaro Electric comes in two lengths - 4.98m and 5.33m - and as a panel van, crew van and platform-chassis. It is also available with a choice of Prime and Pro trim levels.
Three levels of regenerative braking can be chosen from steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, and an ePTO (electric power take-off) unit is available to power auxiliary equipment or fridge units from the traction battery.
Renault has been in the electric van game since day one but the Renault Trafic E-Tech is the most recent of their conventional range to get electrified.
It features a 52kWh battery that delivers a range of up to 186 miles on the WLTP cycle - although Renault claims this can get close to 230 miles if the van is solely used on urban routes.
It has a 90kW (122hp) motor which has 245Nm of torque and offers an Eco mode and a 'Long Range' mode that limits speed to 56mph - increasing the WLTP range to a claimed 200 miles.
The Trafic E-Tech line-up is available in two lengths 5,080mm or 5,480mm - and two heights 1,967mm or 2,498mm. Load volumes range from 5.8m3 to 8.9m3 and it has a maximum load length of 4,150mm. Itโs also no slouch on payload either with a best payload across the Trafic E-Tech range of up to 1,100kg.
Connectivity is provided through the MyRenault App which enables drivers to schedule battery charging, monitor battery state of charge remotely, pre-heat the cab and identify charging points on route.
Charging speeds range around 40 minutes for a 15% to 80% recharge or as long as 12 hours using a standard single phase charger.
Renault also says a 22kW AC charger will deliver an 80% charge in around one hour 25 minutes.
Is the Maxus eDeliver 5 really one of the best medium electric vans? Itโs hard to tell if it really is even a medium van at all. It certainly looks like one but the size of it also crosses over into the realms of smaller vans.ย
Whatever your thoughts itโs worth a mention here because itโs a very good little package. The 64kWh battery gives it enough for a 208 mile range according to the WLTP test cycle. Its electric motor is also fairly powerful with 120kW and 240Nm of torque.
The reason for the speculation about its status as a medium or small van is its considerable size with 6.6m3 up to 7.6m3 cargo space certainly makes it a mid-size van. Itโs also got a stonking payload. Thereโs payload capacity for up to 1200kg in the eDeliver 5. Which is a lot whatever size you say it is.ย
It may sounds like a simple question to ask who owns Peugeot, but as one of Europe's oldest car manufacturers there are lots of interesting facts associated with the history of Peugeot ownership.
Answer the question....
The current owner of Peugeot is Stellantis, the combined company of PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles created on 16 January 2021.
If you want to know more about the owners of Peugeot, then there's a seperate article all about this new global automotive powerhouse, called Who is Stellantis? in our advice section.
The Peugeot name is steeped in history. Life began making coffee grinders and bicycles, using the family expertise in making cog-based items the natural step was to bring that knowhow into gears for a car. In 1896 Armand Peugeot branched out from the family business to set up a new car company with the same name. The rest, as they say, is history, as Peugeot Cars became a roaring success
Peugeot grew into one of the largest car manufacturers riding out storm of two world wars to become France's best-loved manufacturer.
Peopele often get confused about the nature of how Peugeot and Citroen became a duo.
The marriage between France's two biggest auto makers happened in December 1974 when Peugeot bought a 38.2% share of Citroen.
Less than two years later, in April 1976 they took a controlling stake of 89.95% when Citroen went bankrupt.
This brought about the formation of PSA Group, which is short for Peugeot Sociรฉtรฉ Anonyme. Henceforth, and up until the merger with Fiat Chrysler it was then known as PSA Peugeot Citroรซn.
The first Peugeot van dates back to the time of the formation of the Peugeot automotive business with the Type 13 delivery van, offering a 500kg payload and a motorised alternative to a horse and cart.
After WW1 the Peugeot van range began on its path towards the vans we know and love today with its first "car-derived" van - that's to say it was a car with no back seats and therfore suitable for carrying load items.
Later pre-war models took on the appearance of a pick-up truck with a flat load bed and boxy cabin for two occupants.
It was only after WW2 that the typical van dimensions started to take shape with the first front-wheel-drive panel vans. The D3A became the D4, the D7 and then then J7 and J9.
Into the 80s and the Peugeot model names that we now associate with their range started to appear. The Peugeot Boxer made its first apperance, offering a considerable upgrade in carrying capacity over the previous vans. It's also where the association with co-developed Citroen vans began as the two companies shared this new model, known as the Sevel van ((Sociรฉtรฉ Europรฉenne de Vรฉhicules Lรฉgers SA and Societร Europea Veicoli Leggeri-Sevel S.p.A.) because of its partnership with Fiat.
Flexis is the new collaboration between two huge names in commercial vehicles โ Renault Group and Volvo Group. It is a new electric light commercial vehicle platform which will have dedicated EV platforms for commercial vehicles. Thereโs also telematics and scope for smart cities and autonomy.
Flexis was launched as a 50:50 endeavour between Renault Group and Volvo Group in 2023, however in April 2024 it was announced that CMA CGM Group had acquired a 10% stake within Flexis SAS. CMA CGM (a French logistics company) will invest up to โฌ120 million by 2026. The resulting structure will see Renault Group and Volvo Group both take a 45% stake in the new Flexis business.
Flexis headquarters are based in France. Flexis will also use existing Renault Group facilities to manufacturer the all-electric vans. These will be based on connected electronic platforms that will be produced in the Renault Group Sandouville plant in France.
Flexis is a joint venture between Renault Group and Volvo Group, but Flexis models will be sold under the umbrella of Renault (cars and vans) by Renault Group and in Renault Trucks dealership under the Volvo Group company.
Flexis will be a standalone brand in its own right. The new company is pitching itself as an entirely new product offering in the market that will operate concurrently with the current brand of Renault-made vans.
That means that the existing Renault Master E-Tech, Renault Trafic E-Tech and Renault Kangoo E-Tech will not be affected by the arrival of Flexis. Renaultโs current crop of vans โ which are also sold on licence by Renault Trucks โ will actually become competitors to the Flexis models. Thatโs despite some of the vans sharing the same production facility.
Thereโs no sign of a Flexis logo just yet, but the press conference was bathed in purple light. Could that be a hint for the colour scheme for the eventual Flexis logo? Only time will tell.
In fact, the vehicles themselves may not actually take the Flexis name. At the launch event, Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo reiterated that Flexis was currently only the name of the joint venture business, and not the hard and fast name for the finished van products.
"Flexis is the legal name of the thing, we will have to see if we take this as a commercial name or we change it," de Meo states.
The Flexis CEO is Philippe Divry a Volvo Group executive with a background in heavy trucks. Divry has formerly been MD of Volvo India and SVP of Truck Joint Ventures within Volvo Group. Most recently, Divry was senior vice president of group trucks strategy at Volvo before taking up the position of Flexis CEO.
Divry says: "This platform has been designed as being only electric, itโs not like you take an existing ICE vehicle and trying to electrify it. That gives you the ability to optimise it much more, make it shorter for the same cargo capacity. All those things come with having a native EV design. It can be expanded and make variants on it. Itโs a robust skateboard with a lot of variants."
Krishnan Sundararajan holds the position of chief operating officer at Flexis having been project director of Renault's FlexEvan electric van project.
Flexis will make a range of electric vans using a skateboard platform. This will enable Flexis to offer a high degree of modularity. There are expected to be an initial line-up of up to three new models โ if the teaser image is anything to go by โ and there will be further derivatives with different body types to suit vocational needs, such as home delivery and parcel courier.
The vans will use an 800v architecture for faster charging and improved performance.
At launch, de Meo said: "โItโs a family of products. Lego-like customisation. [It will be a] really unique product which you will see doesnโt exist, designed for last mile delivery. Itโs very tall and very short, the size of a Kangoo small van, the cargo capacity of a mid-van and it turns like a car because you donโt have an engine in the front."
The first vehicles from Flexis are expected to be in production by 2026.
Initially the intention is for Renault and Renault Truck dealers to sell the vans in their existing dealership. Volvo Group President and CEO Martin Lundstedt implied that Volvo Trucks would not play any part in the sales process (however, that may change in the future) while de Meo, who sits on the board of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, said they will use their position in the alliance to offer a white label product to Nissan and other brands, in the same way that it currently does with its van range for Nissan and Mercedes.
"We are in discussion with Nissan, they already take Kangoo, Trafic and Master and we will maybe take advantage of that. We will also have a white label," de Meo says.
The creation of Flexis is estimated to create as many as 550 jobs in the next four years. Production resources will be shared with the existing Renault manufacturing facility but additional output will require more staff.
Flexis is also expected to run as an entirely independent division from the three owners.
Yes, in a way the Flexis vans have sort of already been revealed as concepts.
The Renualt EZ-FLEX looks to be an early example of what the Flexis vans may eventually become.
The EZ-FLEX is a smart, electric, concept vehicle designed to meet the future needs of urban deliveries.
Created with compact dimensions in mind, the EZ-FLEX measured 3.86m long, 1.65m wide and 1.88m high, giving it a total volume of 3m3. It also has a turning circle of 4.5m.
Loading and unloading can be done through side doors with an ergonomic loading height of 76cm.
The concept also had a range of up to 150 km.
Stellantis is one of the worldโs largest car manufacturers, created in 2021 with the 50:50 merger of PSA Group Peugeot-Citroen and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. They are amongst the largest vehicle manufacturers in the world with ambitions to become the largest.
As a result of the Stellantis buyout, the newly formed Stellantis company suddenly found itself with a lot of different owners including majority shareholders of both previous companies โ namely the Peugeot family of France and the Agnelli family from Italy.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) was largely owned by the Agnelli family and as such took a majority stake in the new company through its business, Exor. As majority owners of PSA Group (Peugeot-Citroen), the Peugeot family also took a sizeable share in the business, as well as investment arms for the French government, Bpifrance. Additional shareholders include Chinese vehicle manufacturer Dongfeng Motor Corporation.
The resulting company was listed on the Milan and Paris Stock Exchanges as well as in America on New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) where it uses the ticker $STLA for trading.
Stellantis is technically registered and headquartered in The Netherlands. Officially, the business headquarters of Stellantis NV is located in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, with its corporate office in Taurusavenue 1, 2132 LS, Hoofddorp, The Netherlands.
Functionally, there are actually several bases of operation including Milan, Paris and Detroit. This is a result of the merging of many of the corporate entities into Stellantis and their own headquarters. Considerable cost-cutting, however, has seen a number of premises sold or the leases lapse. Perhaps most famous of all is the Lingotto building, once the headquarters of Fiat. Lingotto is most famous for its rooftop test track, immortalised in The Italian Job film. The Lingotto test track is now closed, but it is still walkable on foot. A portion of the rooftop is now used as an outside dining area for a restaurant. The iconic banked section of the Lingotto roof top test track is, however, still used for advertising and commercials. Stellantis no longer owns the Lingotto building.
The Stellantis companies are the merged parts of the PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler Automotive.
Under the merger of the two companies a huge number of iconic names came together. The full number of Stellantis brands now totals 14 car companies, with many other names consigned to the history books. So, what brands are Stellantis? The current Stellantis brands of active car companies is Arbarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroen, Dodge, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, RAM and Vauxhall. There are also additional non-manufacturing brands related to finance and mobility. These are Free2move and Leasys.
The Stellantis logo, unveiled at the launch of the company, is the world Stellantis in capital letters. The A in the centre of the word is surrounded by a circular sea of stars, while the central horizontal line of the A is also missing which makes the converging lines look like a road. The name is said to come from the Latin verb โstelloโ which means adorned with stars.
The Stellantis CEO is Carlos Tavares. Tavares (pictured) is an accomplished automotive sector businessman, having previously been PSA Group CEP and President of the managing board. Tavares is known to be a shrewd businessman with a keen key for cost cutting and leveraging economies of scale. There have inevitably been a few Stellantis layoffs as a result of the merging of functions under the new company.
The Stellantis Chairman is John Elkann, heir to the Agnelli empire and a notable Italian businessman and industrialist. He is the CEO of Exor, part-owner of Stellantis, with controlling stakes in Ferrari, CNH Industrial (makers of Case New Holland tractors) and Iveco Group (makers of Iveco vans and trucks).
Announced in 2023, Stellantis Pro One is the collective name for the commercial vehicle brands within the Stellantis group of companies. Stellantis Pro One brands include Citroen, Fiat Professional, Opel, Peugeot, RAM and Vauxhall. Stellantis Pro One builds vans and other light commercial vehicles including pick-up trucks, software solutions for telematics and vehicle tracking, as well as manufacturing white label products for partners like Toyota vans.
Stellantis currently makes more than 100 individual models in Europe alone with many more in markets across the world. Stellantis brands are sold in more than 130 countries.
Stellantis has the largest van product range of any automotive manufacturer. You've come to the right place to find out about them all too. The vans that Stellantis make currently includes the Citroen Berlingo, Fiat Doblo, Opel Combo, Peugeot Partner, Vauxhall Combo, Citroen Dispatch, Citroen Jumper, Fiat Scudo, Opel Vivaro, Peugeot Expert, Vauxhall Vivaro, Citroen Relay, Citroen Jumpy, Fiat Ducato, Opel Movano, Peugeot Boxer, RAM Promaster and Vauxhall Movano. There are also electric versions of each of those models, as well as passenger van versions of the car-derived vans, chassis cabs, Luton vans and other derivatives.
No. But, one of the Stellantis owners does. Ferrari was part of the Fiat empire owned by the Agnelli family. Its historic name, however, carried so much clout that it was separated from the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group of companies in order to strengthen it and increase profits. Therefore, Stellantis does not own Ferrari, but Stellantis shareholder Exor (run by Stellantis Chairman John Elkann) does. ย
Yes. Jeep was one of the Chrysler brands brought into the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group when the Detroit manufacturer hit the skids in the global financial crisis of 2008.
Yes. Dodge was another one of the Chrysler-owned names that Fiat acquired when it bailed out the American giant and took it out of Chapter 8 bankruptcy.
Yes. Maserati has long been part of the Fiat Automobile Group and along with its famous Italian sibling Alfa Romeo was part of the companies merged into the creation of Stellantis.
Yes. Stellantis owns Fiat as part of the new structure of the combined companies of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Peugeot-Citroen.
Yes, Chrysler became a part of Stellantis as part of the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group.
No. Despite a significant number of its sales, production and even brand names being of American origin, the Stellantis company is technically Dutch and is incorporated in The Netherlands. Stellantis does contain American car brands Dodge, Jeep, RAM and Chrysler.
Stellantis has production sites in 29 countries, and sells vehicles in more than 130 countries. The number of employees on the payroll is said to be in the region of 400,000 people.
If you drive or operate a van to support a business, the chances are youโre often on the go โ time is money, after all. In many cases, a van is a critical asset to allow businesses to reach and serve their customers. Itโs vital, therefore, that you take the time to ensure your tyres are safe and suitable for the task at hand.ย
Is there a difference between car and van tyres?
Put simply, yes. Although they may look similar at a glance, a van tyre is specifically engineered for the work it needs to carry out. Not only could it be unsafe to fit a car tyre to a van, but it could also be illegal.
A major difference between car and van tyres relates to operating requirements which include the tyreโs load rating โ the gross weight that the tyre has been graded to support, durability in both mileage and robustness and inflation requirements. In many cases, the whole purpose of an LCV is to carry heavier, bulkier payloads than would be suitable for a car. The exact same should be said for a vanโs tyres, too.
A dedicated van tyre is optimised for performance and efficiency in what is a very specific use case. Some have sidewall protection built in, as well as different tread compounds and pattern designs with usually greater original tread depths to help operators extract the maximum service life from the tyre. Others have been developed for maximum economy for drivers covering high miles. This tyre uses an innovative rubber compound to combine wet performance with low rolling resistance.ย ย
What should I be doing to look after my tyres?
There are some easy steps any vehicle owner or driver can take to look after their tyres. First and foremost, a regular visual inspection cannot be underestimated. Look for damage, especially to the sidewalls, and check for anything embedded in the tread grooves. Spotting a screw, nail or other puncture-creating object early could be the difference between an inexpensive repair or a replacement tyre. Itโs also vital to check your tread depths. If your tyre tread is below 1.6mm, the tyre is not road-legal and must be changed.
A major contributing factor to premature tyre failure is underinflation. You should regularly check that your tyres are inflated to the manufacturerโs recommended pressures. Donโt just rely on your vehicleโs in-built tyre pressure monitoring system to warn you theyโre low, either. Even a few PSI short of the recommendation can have an impact on tyre reliability and fuel economy.
What are the consequences of poor tyre maintenance?
As mentioned, low tyre pressures can cause a reduction in fuel economy and cause premature damage to a tyre. It also makes them more susceptible to picking up a puncture. These are just tyre-related issues โ think about the cost and business implication of taking the vehicle off the road at short notice and potentially having to let customers down.
Continuing to use a damaged tyre may not only be illegal, but it will significantly increase the risk of a tyre blowout. A blowout happens when there is a sudden depressurisation of the tyre โ a bit like popping a balloon. The forces exerted from the explosion can cause fatal injuries to anyone standing in proximity to the tyre and can easily cause a loss of vehicle control if itโs heavily loaded and travelling at speed.
How do I know which van tyre is right for me?
Weโd recommend speaking to your trusted tyre partner or retailer. Explain to them how you typically use your vehicle, and they should be able to provide you with a recommendation.
How to calculate van running costs, and minimise the outgoings in your van operation.
Knowing the cost of owning and running a van is essential for an operator to be able to work efficiently, yet few operators have a true idea of what their actual costs are.
One common way of establishing the costs of a vehicle operation is through cost tables, which deal with each of the classes of standing and running costs and usually contain realistic specimen costs.
Cost tables are a good starting point, but they can be overtaken by rapid changes in cost โ particularly fuel prices โ and they may make some assumptions which are simplistic or which do not apply to every operator.
These are the costs which have to be borne before the vehicle can start operation โ they remain essentially fixed whether the vehicle is moving or not.
The standard cost tables show that for all but the highest-mileage van operators, standing costs outweigh running costs. However, establishment costs (see below) and depreciation are greatly susceptible to changes in accounting practice, and may even be ignored in some cases.
For heavy goods vehicles fuel is the major cost, but it soon becomes clear that for almost all van operators, the driver is by far the largest single element of cost โ and anything that can reduce the driverโs unproductive time could save money. An expensive item of manual handling equipment might look much less expensive if it allows the driver to make two more drops in a day. The cost of the driver is usually easy to establish, but it is important not to neglect extras such as NI payments.
This is a catch-all term to cover overheads such as property rent and rates, power and other utilities and administration costs. It is probably the element which varies the most between companies, and it may not be appropriate to include it in all calculations.
The cost of van insurance and any additional business liability cover. Insurance premiums vary widely from fleet to fleet, and it may be worth establishing measures to cut them: approved driver training (such as the governmentโs SAFED scheme) or a driver incentive scheme for incident-free driving.
How much is my van road tax or the cost of vehicle excise duty for the vehicle in question. Clearly this is not negotiable, but it may be useful to calculate whether a vehicle in a lower VED band like an electric van would save significant cost.
This may be calculated in many ways, and may include an element of van finance costs. Whichever method is used to calculate depreciation, it represents a large proportion of the overall cost โ indeed, for a low-mileage vehicle it may be a larger annual cost than fuel.
But there are measures which can improve vehicle residual values: broadly, the wider the market for a vehicle, the better its residuals โ so an unmarked white medium-wheelbase panel van with a mid-range diesel engine will command proportionally better residuals than a high-spec, signwritten van fitted with specialist equipment.
This does not just apply to vehicles which have been bought outright: for vehicles on leasing schemes or contract hire, a lower residual value means higher monthly rental payments.
These are the costs which vary directly according to the usage of the vehicle, and are dominated by fuel: typically, this represents three-quarters or more of the running cost, dwarfing the figures for tyres, lubricants and maintenance โ and with the cost of fuel increasing faster than the rate of inflation, this trend will only continue.
Nevertheless, it is important not to neglect the other elements of running costs, and these can often be made predictable through cost management schemes.
With the high cost of fuel, there is no excuse not to manage its use carefully. Operators should make use of fuel cards โ these offer detailed management reporting of fuel purchase โ along with systems to monitor vehicle use: a simple daily check and record of the mileage is a good way to detect unusual patterns of fuel use.
The choice of van itself, the van specification and weight, has an effect on fuel consumption, of course. There is now official websites giving fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures for most vans but remember that this information is comparative only.
The largest variable in fuel consumption, however, is the driver; additional driver training can show substantial gains in fuel economy, while some fleets offer bonuses or prizes for the most economical drivers on the fleet. However, this can be difficult to judge unless all drivers cover near-identical routes and times.
Increasingly vans are available with automatic or automated gearboxes: these make life easier for the driver, and may improve fuel economy in stop-start urban driving, so the additional cost may be worthwhile. If you're using a van for towing that will also have an impact on costs.
More fleets are adopting tyre or lubricant management contracts, which outsource the supply and maintenance of these items (usually to the tyre or oil manufacturers). This keeps costs predictable, and can help prevent premature failures โ tyre maintenance contracts typically include regular inflation checks (themselves useful to maintain fuel economy) and visual inspections of the tyres for damage.
Similarly, many operators are turning to repair & maintenance contracts, usually provided by the manufacturer and often part of a contract hire package. Again, this keeps an element of the cost completely visible and predictable.
