As the 2025 Commercial Vehicle Show gets underway, Matt Dillon, head of commercial vehicles at Ayvens, looks at the most important CV insights, challenges and innovatory developments. Q.
As the 2025 Commercial Vehicle Show gets underway, Matt Dillon, head of commercial vehicles at Ayvens, looks at the most important CV insights, challenges and innovatory developments.
The commercial vehicle sector finds itself at a pivotal point of transition; this is arguably one of the most complex and fast-moving periods for us in recent memory. With new legislation, growing pressure to decarbonise and meet ZEV mandate targets, and constantly evolving technology, fleet operators must adapt swiftly, often without the help of tried-and-tested roadmaps.
The practical challenge of selecting the right vehicle for the right operational need is one which all operators face. A greater choice of vehicles makes decision-making for the fleet more complex, and as new technology and legislation continues to be rolled out, what is best for performance and overall efficiency continues to change.
The adjacent challenge is the infrastructure puzzle. Fleet electrification requires a robust charging network to support the acquisition of new vehicles, whether that be at depots, on the road, or at drivers’ homes. Each fleet faces its own unique set of challenges and there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution.
More than anything, it’s important to take a considered and data-informed approach to best tackle these challenges. Understanding the specific operational needs of each fleet can be reached through an audit of daily demands, commercial routes, vehicle utilisation and duty cycles – all of which our Consultancy Team at Ayvens is primed to manage.
Operational readiness for your fleet hinges largely on proactive maintenance. Downtime remains a major disruptor; even a single vehicle off the road can send a ripple across the business, frustrating drivers and co-ordinators alike. Consequently, downtime must be managed rather, than reacted to, in order to sustain productivity. At Ayvens, we’re heavily invested in solutions to help our customers reduce unplanned vehicle off-road time. Our VOR (Vehicle Off Road) and uptime solution provides a live portal and dashboard that gives fleet managers a complete overview and allows them to monitor and respond to maintenance issues in real time to keep vehicles road ready. In essence, if you’re not managing your downtime, it’s managing you.
Beyond technical considerations, the practical, human side of fleet management remains just as impactful for monitoring the wellbeing of your fleet model. Depot walkarounds, in-person toolbox talks and one-to-one check-ins with lone drivers are easy ways to show a clear duty of care that will foster a safety-first culture and benefit the workforce.
Despite broader market challenges, there are encouraging signs of progress in EV transition. According to the March data from Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), whilst overall van registrations are down 10.6% year-to-date, battery electric van (BEV) registrations have risen significantly (up 31.4%) and now represent 7.6% of the market, up from 5.2% this time last year.
Despite this, diesel does remain very dominant, accounting for 86.3% year-to-date of the current market. This gives us a clear message: the move towards electrification is gaining momentum thanks to promising developments in the EV space, but there is still a considerable way to go in the transition before electrification is adopted as the standard choice of commercial vehicle.
There’s plenty to get excited about. Among the most anticipated developments are some new purpose-built models from manufacturers such as Flexis, Farizon and Kia, which all seek to push the envelope on performance, efficiency and charging capability.
On the Ayvens stand, we’re looking forward to unveiling the new Volkswagen Transporter T7, a model that characterises the market’s response to the need for practical, high-performance solutions in the space. We’re also showcasing our ‘TCO+’ solution (Total Cost of Operation) that offers a comprehensive suite of tools & reports providing clear visibility into fleet selection, cost analysis and performance insights. All of which are helping fleets to make informed data led decisions, whilst providing the confidence you’ve assessed all aspects of your operation to ensure the best outcome for your fleet.
Additionally, our team at Ayvens are currently conducting a battery health trial led by my colleague, Russ Boulton, and he’s available at the stand to discuss the insights of the trial and how they can be used to support more confident EV decision-making.
