The CV Show will be held at the NEC Birmingham towards the end of April. Some of its exhibitors are active in the passenger sector. Consider a visit if you haven’t done so already; it’s free to attend
The CV Show will be held at the NEC Birmingham on 24-26 April. Various OEMs, bodybuilders and converters will be present, as will suppliers in many other fields relevant to the passenger-carrying sector.
Vehicle manufacturers exhibiting include Euromotive, Gowrings Mobility, Iveco, LDV UK and Ireland, MAN, Mellor, O&H, Stanford Coachworks, Treka Bus and Volkswagen.
Mellor will display its low-floor Orion minibus on the Eberspächer stand (5F80). The Rochdale coachbuilder describes the Orion as its “star model”, and it is available in standard, Orion Plus and Orion Extra forms. It can carry up to five wheelchair users or 22 seated passengers.
Treka Bus will also exhibit on Eberspächer’s stand, showing a high-capacity 22-seat Mercedes-Benz Sprinter conversion for London Hire. On its own stand (5F111), Treka will exhibit another conversion along with a coachbuilt Treka 16, also based on the Sprinter.
LDV UK and Ireland (5F120) will display the 14-seat Mini B minibus conversion on the V80 base vehicle, while MAN Truck and Bus UK (5F10) and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (4G10) will show the TGE and New Crafter respectively, albeit not in passenger-carrying form.
Accessible products
Unwin (5F100) will be among the accessible product suppliers present. Among its exhibits will be the BraunAbility A- and Q-series lifts. The former is aimed at the public transport market, while the latter offers a choice of fixed- or split-platform layout and is exceptionally quiet in operation. Unwin will also show its Innotrax flooring system, along with lockables, rear-mounted and wheelchair ramps, and occupant tie-downs,
Cogent Seating (5H144) will display its range, and while Phoenix Seating will not have a stand of its own, its products will be viewable in various vehicles present.
PLS (5D120) has a significant show ahead of it. An automatic platform extension of its cassette lift to facilitate hands-free operation (except handrail deployment) will be displayed, while it will also show a new powered fold-over ramp designed for urban low-floor vehicles.
PLS will also launch a new i-Class inboard lift, targeted at the cost-effective end of the market. Joining it will be an Easy Access Lite inboard lift that is aimed at heavier-duty applications. Both are compatible with a new Doorsafe device, which will be unveiled at the show.
Koller (4K58) will present its range of wheelchair and user restraint products, and it will also promote its training services.
Heat, cool, clean
Eberspächer’s stand will include its own products as well as vehicles. The Airtronic D2 and D4 air heaters have been revised to deliver reduced power consumption and a lower weight along with an extended service life. Webasto (5D10) will also have a stand with vehicles on it; Stanford Coachworks will be among those partners.
Columbus UK (4E114) specialises in vehicles washing systems and it will display a product that allows almost 100% of water to be recycled. As a member of the water technology list, the wash is eligible for the enhanced capital allowance scheme, delivering cost-effectiveness.
Another wash supplier, Wilcomatic, (4D71) will show cleaning solutions including rainwater harvesting and waste water reclaim systems. Its products also include jet and brush wash units.
Fleet management tools
Many technology suppliers will be present at the CV Show. Intelligent Telematics (4H70) will launch a multi-camera vehicle solution that identifies exactly what happens during a collision.
The product does not use ‘real time’ data transmission. Instead, it records a pre-set amount of time before and after the incident.
Centrad (3A61) already has a significant presence among coach and bus operators and it will be present at the show. Provision (4H120) will demonstrate a camera-based product in the form of its Command Centre, which allows vehicle tracking and easy footage retrieval.
Smartwitness (4G80) will launch a range of products to combat driver distraction, and alcohol detection specialist Alcolock UK (4H04) will also be present.
CheckedSafe (4E112) will unveil its fleet management and Earned Recognition (ER) dashboard. It allows documentation to be stored electronically, and the ER element generates the KPIs required by DVSA as part of the scheme’s administration.
r2c Online (5J40) is set to launch perhaps one of the most radical product at the CV Show. Its Smart Inspect headset maximises productivity for vehicle technicians by delivering what the creator describes as ‘smart eyewear’ and voice control to direct them.
Questions are read out, and engineers enter the relevant data by speaking into the headset’s microphone. Voice recognition transfers that to a recording system.
And don’t forget…
Many other suppliers, including tyre manufacturers, DPF cleaners and others, will be represented at the CV Show, and this listing is just a taster of those who are active in the PCV sector.
Fleet and operations managers, particularly in the accessible minibus sector, will find much there that is relevant to them, and for those looking towards Earned Recognition, several exhibitors will be able to help them to advance.
Registration is free, and the show is open from 0830-1730hrs on all three days. A show map can be found on the CV Show website, as can a full list of exhibitors.
