With the CV Show just around the corner, it’s a busy time for David Hanna, Head of Fleet at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. But he took five minutes out of his busy schedule for coffee with Transport News Brief and chat about the brand’s strong start to the year and the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
How has 2019 been so far?
We’ve had a very strong start to the year and delivered a fantastic set of results for Q1. In fact, it was a record-breaking quarter for Van Centre sales in the UK.
This mirrors what’s been happening worldwide, with the brand enjoying its strongest ever first quarter for van sales globally, with deliveries up almost 10%.
What’s behind such a strong performance in the UK?
You could probably build a case for many different factors having a positive influence, but I can only speak for what we’re seeing across our network. That is that there’s a really buoyant market for SMEs investing in their vans and their businesses and that, in turn, is driving strong retail sales.
Are you looking forward to the CV Show?
This is going to be a very exciting CV Show for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. We already have a long list of customer appointments booked in and we’re really looking forward to meeting new and existing customers, showing them our upcoming products and finding ways to meet their diverse requirements.
Can you give us a preview of what you’ll have at the show?
We’re going to be showing a full range of electric vehicles this year and so we’re expecting an awful lot of interest. We are already having many discussions with customers about our electrified vehicles and I think that’s going to be one of the big talking points for us at this year’s show.
Talking of electric vehicles, what’s the latest?
We’re currently gearing up for our first EV launch – the electric Caddy – which will go on sale in the UK by the end of 2019.
But we are already seeing the anticipation building for our new electrified range. We’re delighted by the excitement of our customers, staff and Van Centres to work with us to prepare themselves for the arrival of these new vehicles and the enthusiasm with which all parties are embracing this important change in our industry.
Is it all about electrification at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles moving forward?
Of course that’s a big focus, but not the only one! We’ve just been finding out more about the T6.1, the next iteration of our iconic Transporter van. We’ve just seen the first images and details and are really excited about the new safety, connected and comfort technologies that will come with the vehicle next year.
Finally, what’s your assessment of the picture overall?
The pace of change in our industry is unprecedented. The introduction of new technologies, powertrains and digitalisation open up new opportunities for businesses and customers. We’re delighted to see the excitement which exists for these changes and how keen customers and dealers are to find out about them and embrace them. As ever, legislation will be the ultimate driver of the pace of adoption but the improvements are here to stay. We’re going to enjoy the ride!
