What Van Magazine

Staying one step ahead of professional criminals intent on stealing tools from vans is becoming increasingly difficult for van operators. No sooner is a new van launched then criminal gangs get busy working out ways to overcome its security systems. Ian Curtis, vehicle risk assessment team leader at Thatcham Research, which is funded by the insurance industry, told What Van?

Sales of compact vans were hit hard in October as intense economic pressure continued to depress the overall new LCV market. Sales of minivans weighing less than 2.0-tonnes fell 23.4% to 523 year-on-year, while sales of vans weighing from 2.0 to 2.5-tonnes slumped 41.2% to 3,347 units. During the first 10 months of the year, registrations in the respective sectors were down 10.8% to 7,722 and 21.7% to 43,426 compared to the same period in 2024.

Telematics giant Geotab has acquired the commercial operations of Verizon Connect’s telematics business in Europe, including the UK, and Australia. Geotab said the deal, which does not include Verizon Connect’s product, engineering, and other non-sales focused teams, significantly expanded its global footprint and strengthened its market share, particularly within the small to mid-sized fleet segments across key international markets.

Maxus importer the Harris Group has appointed Sean Smith to the newly created role of head of fleet for Maxus UK. As part of a strategy to raise its profile in the fleet sector across the UK, Harris Maxus has also taken on three regional fleet sales managers who will report to Smith. Maxus says the new team will support its fleet operation while maintaining close links with its expanding UK dealer network.

The new LCV market declined by 2.1% year-on-year in the plate-change month of September with 47,418 units registered, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The drop in sales continued the year’s downward trend but was 2025’s smallest monthly decline, the SMMT said. New LCV sales in the first nine months of the year fell by 9.8% to 241,264 units.

Courier company 7 Days has agreed a new vehicle supply partnership with Vanaways. 7 Days is targeting 25% growth during its current year in business, with an overall fleet of 300 vans. It has delivery contracts around London and South East England with companies including Amazon, Hived, DX, and UPS. The partnership has begun with the rental of 30 Citroen Dispatch vans, funded by Grosvenor.

New research commissioned by Europcar has investigated reasons why electric van adoption is lagging behind cars in the UK. The research has been published by the rental company in the white paper ‘Van electrification: understanding barriers, identifying solutions’.

Dacia has unveiled a new LCV version of its Duster SUV. Badged the Duster Cargo, it is a successor to previous Duster Commercial models. The Duster Cargo is created via a full factory conversion which replaces the rear seats of the SUV with a flat wooden load floor, a mesh bulkhead, four lashing points, a full-length removable load cover, and opaque rear windows. The resulting load space measures 1,149 litres, and there is a 430kg payload.

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has appointed David Boot as its new UK director of public affairs and policy. Boot, whose appointment will take effect on 29 September, is said to bring nearly 20 years of experience in public affairs, policy and stakeholder engagement across the transport, science and education sectors to the role. He joins the RHA from London North Eastern Railway, where he headed the company’s stakeholder team.

There is now just a fortnight remaining until entries close for the What Van? Awards 2026. Once the 29 September deadline has passed, entries will be assessed by an experienced panel of independent judges, with the awards then presented during a ceremony at the Hilton, London Bankside, on 3 December 2025. Entries should be submitted via the forms available at https://awards-wv.whatvan.co.uk/entry-process/, and should be emailed to awards@whatvan.co.uk.