This year’s CV Show takes place at the NEC Birmingham on 24-26 April, and it is once again set to be an excellent place to visit if you are involved in the procurement or operation of accessible minibuses
Operators of small PCVs, and particularly those in the accessible sector, will find much to their liking at this year’s CV Show. It is held at the NEC Birmingham on 24-26 April.
A variety of vehicle OEMs, bodybuilders and converters will be there, as will suppliers in many other fields that are relevant to the carriage of passengers.
Although freight is dominant at the CV Show – and minicoaches and minibuses will again see a strong showing at this year’s Euro Bus Expo – fleet and transport managers at local authorities value the opportunity to view vehicles from various sectors all in one place.
Additionally, specialists in other fields will be well-represented. So whether it’s heaters and climate control, lifts, seats, telematics or tyres, there will be something there for your organisation.
Vehicles in vogue
Vehicle manufacturers and converters exhibiting at the CV Show include Euromotive, Gowrings Mobility, Iveco, LDV UK and Ireland, MAN, Mellor, O&H, Stanford Coachworks, Treka Bus, and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. As is customary, a number of those will be part of the Eberspächer stand (5F80).
Mellor will display the Orion. It escribes as its “star model,” and the fully low-floor minibus is available in standard, Orion Plus and Orion Extra models and can carry a maximum of five wheelchair users or 22 seated passengers. Mellor will also share much other news with show attendees, including details of the expansion to its Rochdale plant, news from its European dealer network, and further updates on the rest of its model range.
Fellow Woodall Nicholson subsidiary Treka Bus will show an example of its high-capacity 22-seat Mercedes-Benz Sprinter conversion, for London Hire.
On its own stand (5F111), Treka will display another conversion. It will also show a coachbuilt Treka 16, again based on the Sprinter, and it advises that availability of base vehicles will remain good for the rest of 2018.
LDV UK and Ireland (5F120) will exhibit a 14-seat Mini B minibus. Available in brown, grey, or silver, the Mini B is offered in a standard specification, or to a customised layout.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (4G10) will again show its New Crafter. Although no passenger-carrying variants will be present, the manufacturer continues to work towards offering them. It now has four established converter partners, among whom are GM Coachwork, Minibus Options and TBC.
VW is also working with its dealer network to increase their understanding of passenger vehicles and operators’ requirements, and it is also exploring the opportunity to carry out factory conversions.
In a similar vein, MAN Truck and Bus UK (5F10) will show the TGE. Built in the same plant in Poland as the New Crafter, MAN’s plans for PCV models are outlined on p10.
Accessible suppliers
PLS (5D120) has a significant show ahead of it. Four products will be on its stand. An automatic platform extension version of its cassette lift to facilitate hands-free operation (with the exception of handrail deployment) will be on display, and PLS will also show a new powered fold-over ramp that is the lightest in its class and designed for urban low-floor vehicles.
A new i-Class inboard lift will also be launched. It is designed to compete in the cost-effective area of the market. Joining it will be an Easy Access Lite inboard lift, aimed at heavier-duty requirements. Both will include a new Doorsafe device, which will debut at the CV Show.
Seat supplier Cogent (5H144) will be present and it will display examples of its extensive range. Additionally, Phoenix Seating – while not taking a stand – will have products present in various vehicles.
Wheelchair restraint specialist Unwin (5F100) will add to the accessible products on display with various examples of its line-up. Among them will be the BraunAbility A- and Q-Series lifts. The former is designed for the public transport market, while the latter is an inboard unit that is designed to be quiet in operation. It offers a choice of fixed- or split-platform layout.
Unwin will also show its Innotrax flooring system, along with lockables, rear-mounted ramps, and wheelchair restraints and occupant tie-downs.
Koller (4K58) will present not only its range of wheelchair and user restraint products, but it will also promote its training service.
Buyers who take up its offer of on-site product familiarisation can rest assured in the knowledge that their staff are using items correctly, it points out.
Heating, cooling, cleaning
Regular show supporter Eberspächer’s extensive stand will include much more than just vehicles with its heating and climate control products, although they are naturally a key part of its display.
Its Airtronic D2 and D4 air heaters have been revised to deliver reduced power consumption and a lower weight, along with an extended service life, and they will be on display.
Eberspächer continues to work with Mellor on its zero-emission Orion E battery-powered minibus, and the climate control specialist says that electric vehicles form an ever-expanding part of its forward thinking.
Webasto (5D10) will also have a large stand, with seven vehicles on it showcasing a variety of its products; Stanford Coachworks is among those partnering with it.
Columbus UK (4E114) specialises in vehicle washing systems and it will display a Wasserschmidt BioClassic product. It allows almost 100% of water to be re-used, and as a member of the water technology list, the wash is eligible for the enhanced capital allowance scheme, delivering cost-effectiveness.
Wilcomatic (4D71) will also show vehicle cleaning solutions, including rainwater harvesting and waste water reclaim systems; its products also include jet and brush wash units.
Driver technologies
As would be expected, technology will be at the forefront of many exhibitors’ stands. Some of it is relevant to drivers, and it can be used to coach their performance and identify those that are not up to scratch.
Intelligent Telematics (4H70) will launch a multi-camera vehicle solution at the CV Show.
It uses cameras mounted at the front, rear and sides of the vehicle to identify exactly what happens in a collision, and it will also be able to access accurate engine telematics.
The product does not use ‘real time’ transmission of camera data. Instead, it is configured to record a pre-set amount of time before and after the incident, and Intelligent Telematics aspires to expand its presence in the PCV market; it is already well established in London’s taxi trade.
Centrad (3A61) has a significant presence among coach and bus operators, and its range of CCTV solutions will be on show.
Provision (4H120) will also show a camera-based product in the form of its Command Centre, which it says allows vehicle tracking and the easy retrieval of footage.
Smartwitness (4G80) will launch a range of products to reduce driver distraction. One uses a camera that includes infrared imaging and artificial intelligence machine learning to detect mobile phone usage at the wheel, and it also identified tiredness and fatigue.
SmartEye checks for lane deviation, vehicle distance, and nearby pedestrians and cyclists, and it sends alerts to the driver to help them avoid incidents. Also relevant to drivers is alcohol detection, and Alcolock UK (4H04) markets devices that test the user’s breath before the vehicle engine can start.
Fleet and filters management
As an indicator of the number of exhibitors specialising in fleet management, Chevin Fleet Solutions (4E41) will show a variety of its products. One that simplifies the operator’s life is a driving licence checking service. Chevin’s has recently been upgraded, and it performs automated batch verification once the driver has signed either a paper consent document or an e-form.
Chevin will also show its touch-screen workshop management product, along with FleetWave Forms. The latter is a customisable mobile data collection solution that allows information to be transmitted safety back the fleet management platform, FleetWave.
CheckedSafe (4E112) will unveil a fleet maintenance and Earned Recognition dashboard. In the former, each vehicle has a dedicated digital file, in which all documentation is stored, and it also allows upcoming dates related to inspection and maintenance to be viewed, streamlining the fleet management process.
The Earned Recognition dashboard generates the KPIs required by the scheme, reducing the amount of paperwork and time involved in compliance.
Perhaps one of the most radical product launches at the CV Show will be by r2c Online (5J40).
Its Smart Inspect invention uses a headset to maximise productivity for vehicle technicians, by delivering what the creator describes as ‘smart eyewear’ and voice control to direct them while they are carrying out inspections.
Questions are read out to them, and they enter the relevant data by speaking into the headset’s microphone. Voice recognition technology transfers that to recording systems, and the company says that it reduces workflow disruption while collecting inspection data.
r2c Online will also show its other fleet and workshop management tools and software.
An important part of the management of Euro 6 vehicles is the cleaning of diesel particulate filters. Ceramex (4D120) specialises in that process and for smaller PCVs it offers a service via a number of motor factors, Kwik-Fit and Halfords Auto Centres.
Cleaning can be carried out on a consign-and-return basis or via service exchange, and Ceramex says that its cleaning method means that filters last longer. Correct cleaning can also have a positive impact on fuel consumption, it adds.
Tyres: Don’t forget
All of the major tyre manufacturers are represented at the CV Show. In particular, Goodyear (5C100) is focusing on smaller commercial vehicles such as Sprinter-sized models, and it is promoting its full-service offering to operators.
Various payment options, including pence-per-kilometre, are available, and just as a number of other tyre suppliers have already disclosed, Goodyear is seeing raised interest in all-season casings as a means of avoiding the need for separate summer and winter sets.
This listing is just a taster of what will be on display at the CV Show. Fleet and operations managers will find much there that will make both theirs and their drivers’ lives easier, and for those looking towards the DVSA’s Earned Recognition scheme, a number of exhibitors will be able to help them advance.
Registration to attend the CV Show is free, and it is open from 0830-1730hrs on all three days. A comprehensive show map can be found on its website, as can a full list of all exhibitors.