While 2021 will be yet another year which we won’t fondly remember in future, for the commercial vehicle sector, there have been reasons to look forward with more optimism, as production began to bounce back.
Compared to 2020, UK commercial vehicle production expanded by 11.3%, with 73,600 of the latest vans, trucks, taxis, buses and coaches leaving factory lines. While this is still some way below pre-pandemic levels (-14.4%, to be precise), manufacturers have shown incredible resilience in the face of supply chain shortages. We’re not out of the woods yet, with semiconductor availability still a factor, along with spiralling energy costs – but with the right support, we can use our fundamental strength to build back.
Building back may also mean vehicles start to look a little different. From the end of February, updates to the Masses and Dimensions regulations will allow for changes in the length of vehicles to accommodate the fitting of aerodynamic devices. In essence, the front of cabs can have a more aerodynamic shape, looking more van-like, and the rear of bodies, including trailers, can be fitted with so called foldable “boat tail” devices.
The benefit is that with a shape that creates less drag, fuel and/or energy consumption can be reduced. This is another important step in making vehicles more efficient. If you would like to find out more about this and other measures, please go here.
