Vauxhall Finds Fleets Favoring ADAS
Fleet managers are budgeting for ADAS in their vehicle choices as the cost savings of adequate safety features increasingly affect the business bottom line.
That’s the findings of UK carmaker Vauxhall that unveiled the second generation of its Vivaro light commercial vehicle at the CV Show 2019. Speaking to TU-Automotive, Brad Miller brand manager commercial vehicles Vauxhall, stressed the importance of ADAS technology in its new fleet offering. He said: “This is the most significant vehicle for us since the launch of the first Vivaro in 2001 that was a quantum change from where we were at the time. Being built on the EMP2 passenger car platform, it has the benefits of a comprehensive suite of ADAS safety features.”
Most of the top ADAS features in the new vehicle are found in the two range-topping versions with the Elite model boasting lane departure warning, speed limit information, adaptive cruise control, driver attention alert Level Three and blind spot detection. Miller said: “We are seeing some of our fleets going through the deliberation over wanting a certain level of safety equipment and needing to walk up to the two higher specification models to get them. We have found that once a fleet has trialed some of these safety features, such as adaptive cruise of City Braking (emergency braking assist), you can’t then just give them up from a due diligence and a driver protection point of view.”
Miller said the biggest risk of not electing for the best ADAS suite available involves the potential loss of productivity in the event of collisions. He added: “We do have a number of the bigger fleets that do the analysis based on a rich data pool to make a business case for the value in reducing employee time lost through accident and injury.”
Electrification
It was clear speaking to Vauxhall representatives at the show that there was some frustration that the new Vivaro will not yet offer a full BEV powertrain unlike the offerings being displayed on its sibling Peugeot brand stand with all-electric Partner and Boxer vans. Instead the British LCV will launch with a 1.5-liter diesel engine in 98bhp and 118bhp power outputs claiming a sector leading payload of up to 3,282-lbs.
Looking forward to electrification, Miller said: “We would have loved to have launched electric Vivaro now but within 12 months we shall see one as a full battery electric vehicle. Our research shows that is what the fleets are waiting for. They don’t want a PHEV for cities like London because you need that pure battery vehicle with a proper range to get in and out of the city.
“Ours will be a factory built powertrain and not a third-party conversion and we believe this will coincide with a quantum change in the acceptance of electric vehicles. This is because it’s a must better solution for fleets getting in and out of big cities with low emission zones.”
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in London. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_
