We might be in the quiet months of the summer break, but there is still plenty going on for van fleets of all types. Firstly, there is the news that Iveco has been acquired by JLR’s owner Tata Motors, an announcement that did not come as much of a surprise. Since the formation of Stellantis and Iveco’s separation from its old parent Fiat, it hasn’t been clear how Iveco could survive on its own. The obvious solution was selling to either an Indian or Chinese manufacturer, since other European truck manufacturers were already aligned or part of other groups. Now we know which. It will be interesting to see how this affects the future of the Daily van range and also the plans to source lighter models from Stellantis.

With a number of new entrants to the UK electric van market, contributor Matt MacConnell takes a look at what we can expect from them in the coming months. They are not all from China, as you can read further on, with European manufacturers bringing products to market too. While we are on the subject, we have only driven the Farizon SV from Geely on a test track so far, but at the beginning of September I shall be participating in an EV Rally and driving the SV on the road. We shall bring you the story in a future edition.

Back in this issue, we have driven some new off-roaders. With the government’s introduction of new tax rules for pickup trucks earlier this year, it makes 4x4 van conversions a more attractive proposition for those who can make use of them. We have driven examples of each, with the Ford Ranger PHEV and new Toyota Landcruiser Commercial both covered in this edition. If you need off-road or towing capability, these two are serious contenders.