The price of owning a van in 2024
For many businesses and trades, the daily use of a van is essential for carrying out normal business activities, from transporting tools and equipment onto site, to delivering goods and even delivering machinery to customers doors, for many companies, their van or fleet of commercial vehicles really is the heart and soul of the business.
Of course, operating a van or a fleet of commercial vehicles can be costly, especially when you start to consider additional running costs such as commercial vehicle insurance, fuel costs, maintenance costs and even repair costs. There’s also the initial outlay of the vehicle too, whether this is purchased outright or on a finance package, van ownership for small businesses can be expensive, that’s why in this article, we’re going to break down some of those costs to help business owners like you to better understand how much a van cost in 2024.
The best vans in 2024
What Car? One of the UK’s biggest car and van buying brands issues awards to the best vans on the market in the UK. 2024 was no exception to this, with prizes awarded for:
- Van of the year 2024
- Small van of the year 2024
- Medium van of the year 2024
- Large van of the year 2024
- Small electric van of the year 2024
- Medium electric van of the year 2024
- Large electric van of the year 2024
As well as other awards for the best pick-up truck, the best van-based MPV and the best campervan.
Next, we’ll have a look at the winners of each category as well as some key facts. We’ll also explore costs for road tax and fuel. Prices quoted are correct as of June 2024 and are subject to fluctuations due to fuel prices and changing markets. At the time of writing, the average UK price per litre for diesel is 149.53p. For electric vehicles, the average cost of electricity per kWh stands at 24.50p.
Van of the year 2024
The Ford Transit Custom has taken the coveted title of van of the year and is a standout winner for What Car? Let’s take a look at some of the key facts about this vehicle:
- Priced from: £32,350 (Excl. VAT)
- Economy: 34mpg
- CO2 emissions: 178g/km
- Load space: 5.8 – 6.8m3
- Payload: 1100 – 1350kg
- Power: 108 – 167bhp
- Torque: 228 – 286lb ft
- fuel cost per 20 miles: £4.02
- 12-months road tax: £600.00
Small van of the year 2024
Next up is the prize for small van of the year, which has been awarded to the Renault Kangoo. This is a compact van which is perfect for tradespeople who need a small commercial vehicle to move tools around. Here’s some of the key facts:
- Priced from: £21,150 (Excl. VAT)
- Economy: 50.4 – 53.3mpg
- CO2 emissions: 139 – 147g/km
- Load space: 3.3 – 4.3m3
- Payload: 850 – 987kg
- Power: 94 – 114bhp
- Torque: 192 – 199lb ft
- fuel cost per 20 miles: £2.63
- 12-months road tax: £335.00
Medium van of the year 2024
The Ford Transit Custom has been awarded the prize for medium van of the year, as well as overall van of the year. There’s probably a reason that the Ford Transit is the UK’s best-selling van, although with prices starting from £32,350 for a brand-new model, it could be a pricey option for small businesses.
Large van of the year 2024
The award for Large van of the year considers bigger commercial vehicles such as long-wheelbase models and wide bodies vehicles that are designed for moving goods and heavy payloads around the country. Large vans are great for businesses that deliver products or need to transport machinery and equipment to customers. Ford comes out on top again in 2024, with the prize for large van of the year awarded to the Ford E-Transit, an electric van that sneaks into the category that is normally reserved for diesel powered vehicles – that’s because according to What Car? the Ford E-Transit is a more compelling alternative to any of it’s rivals. Here are some of the key facts:
- Priced from: £48,045 (Excl. VAT)
- Range: 196 miles
- CO2 emissions: 0g/km
- Load space: 15.1m3
- Payload: 1758 – 2091kg
- Power: 181 – 265bhp
- Torque: 317lb ft
- electricity cost per 20 miles: £2.00 – £2.20
- 12-months road tax: £0.00
Electric commercial vans
Now, let’s explore the winners from the electric van categories for small, medium and large electric van of the year 2024.
Small electric van of the year 2024
It’s a clean sweep across the small van categories for Renault, with the Renault Kangoo E-Tech taking the prize for small electric van of the year 2024. Here are some of the key facts:
- Priced from: £33,055 (Excl. VAT)
- Range: 186 miles
- CO2 emissions: 0g/km
- Load space: 3.9 – 4.9m3
- Payload: 600 – 800kg
- Power: 121bhp
- Torque: 221lb ft
- electricity cost per 20 miles: £2.13
- 12-months road tax: £0.00
Medium electric van of the year 2024
The medium electric van of the year prize for 2024 has been awarded to the Vauxhall Vivaro Electric, a previous winner of the overall van of the year award. Here are some of the key facts for this electric vehicle:
- Priced from: £40,355 (Excl. VAT)
- Range: 205 miles
- CO2 emissions: 0g/km
- Load space: 5.3 – 6.1m3
- Payload: 1226 – 1392kg
- Power: 134bhp
- Torque: 192lb ft
- electricity cost per 20 miles: £2.00 – £2.20
- 12-months road tax: £0.00
Large electric van of the year 2024
You guessed it, the award for best large electric van of the year goes to the Ford E-Transit which sweeps two prizes in this years’ What Car? van and commercial vehicle awards, making it four awards in total across four categories for the Ford Transit.
Other winners of the What Car? van and commercial vehicle awards
- Best pick-up truck: Ford Ranger
- Best van-based MPV: Volkswagen ID Buzz
- Best campervan: Mercedes V-Class Marco Polo
Tips for reducing commercial vehicle running costs
The key facts shared earlier should give you an insight into some of the running costs associated with owning commercial vehicles. The rise of electric vehicles means that business owners may be able to reduce expenses by not needing to pay road tax but do bear in mind that electric vans have a shorter range than their diesel counterparts and that to operate them effectively, drivers must rely on a relatively sparse electric vehicle charging network in the UK.
Overall, if your business doesn’t require vans that regularly need to travel more than 150 miles at a time, there’s a great range of electric vans available to you that could be perfect for your business – running an electric fleet could keep costs down in the long run, with zero road tax and more affordable mileage costs when compared to diesel.
Other tips for reducing the running costs of your van or fleet of commercial vehicles includes:
- Regular cleaning and maintenance of your vehicles to save on repair costs in the future.
- Reducing vehicle mileage to reduce fuel costs and preserve the re-sale value of your vehicles.
- Keep a record of all servicing and MOTs to help preserve the re-sale value of your vehicles.
- Reduce load weight as much as possible to improve efficiency and reduce stress on working parts of the vehicles.
- Look after tyres, ensure they are changed regularly and are kept inflated to the correct pressure, this not only improves efficiency but keeps the vehicle safe for its driver and other road users.
- You should speak to an insurance broker to help arrange your commercial vehicle insurance, this may help you keep costs down by helping you to find suitable cover for your van or fleet of commercial vehicles.
Commercial vehicle insurance experts
If you wish to discuss insurance for your business vehicle or fleet, speak to our experts at Premierline who can review your needs to find you the best cover. Whilst it might seem easier to set up a van insurance policy online, many businesses leave themselves exposed to underinsurance which could prove to be disastrous in the event of a claim. Don’t risk it – get in touch with our team today who will help review your insurance needs and ensure your business and most importantly your commercial vehicle fleet is protected.
Nathan is a content writer at Premierline with over 5 years’ experience, specialising in news and current affairs which impact small businesses across various industries. Nathan is passionate about discussing topics that affect the workplace, covering everything from human resources, to emerging and disruptive technologies. In the past, Nathan has written for a number of different businesses, working within a wide range of industries from financial technology to hospitality and even men’s fashion.
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