NEWS ANALYSIS: Counting down to the CV Show

Date: Wednesday, April 10, 2019 | Author: James Dallas

Modul System Unit

Modul-System

A big focus for the racking specialist in 2019 is to raise the payload capacities of its customers’ light commercial vehicles through the use of lightweight materials.

The firm, which rebranded from Tevo to Modul-System on 1 April, will launch a lightweight workbench at the CV Show based on the sandwich design of its Modul-Floor.

It claims the workbench will be 60% lighter than a wooden equivalent, weighing 7kg and offering a weight saving of 12kg on a 1.5m bench.

“The ultimate aim is to make the product lighter but to retain its strength,” said key account manager Danielle Bennett.

Another new addition to the range will be a set of roof-mounted accessories, such as roof bars and pipe carriers, and there will also be a Multi-Box that enables box stacking and a trolley to ease deliveries, which can be stowed within the racking.

Modul-System will also reveal upgrades to its Modul-Connect electrical system to enable van electrics and interior and exterior lighting to be operated by a smartphone or Bluetooth. The company claims that it will reduce wiring and preserve the manufacturer’s warranty through reducing the need to drill holes in the vehicle’s bodywork.

Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi Motors in the UK is to unveil the winner of a competition held within its dealer network to design a bespoke L200 pick-up truck.

The ‘Truck King Battle’ was opened to UK dealership staff across the Mitsubishi network in January, giving all dealer staff the chance to design their own one-off Mitsubishi Series 5 L200 pick-up. The finalists’ designs were then professionally rendered in a digital form and voted for on the importer’s digital media channels.

Mitsubishi will create a bespoke truck from the winning design, which visitors will be able to see at the NEC.

A facelifted L200 will arrive in the UK in the summer but will not be at the NEC. However, the Mitsubishi stand will host a Shogun Sport Commercial and provide a platform for the show debut of the PHEV Outlander Commercial. Mitsubishi expects to sell up to 400 PHEV LCVs in the next year, with interest coming from local authorities and SMEs operating in urban areas.

Thermo King & Frigoblock

Refrigeration specialists Thermo King and Frigoblock will launch their Thermo King E-200 electric temperature control unit at the show, which will be displayed on a Tesco supermarket van converted by bodybuilder Solomons. The companies say a new controller allows the refrigeration unit to adapt capacity based on need and available power.

A spokesman told What Van? a hold-over system would keep the temperature constant if there is a drain on the battery and added the unit is compatible with electric vans. With low-emission zones to comply with, he said: “We have to be power-conservative.”

He claimed that tests on home-delivery fleets showed the E-200 cut range by just eight miles over a day.

On diesel vans with stop/start, the E-200 kicks in when the engine cuts out to keep the power feed to the fridge constant. Previously, if the stop/start was not disabled the compressor would stop turning, the spokesman said.

With telematics built in, operational efficiency is improved and temperature information can be relayed to the fleet manager, according to the spokesman.

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