Safety is top of the agenda for Iveco’s latest LCV mainstay, says Matt MacConnell.
Iveco will equip every model in its MY24 Daily and eDaily van range with GSR-B (General Safety Regulation) active and passive safety systems as standard. Passive systems include regular items such as driver and passenger airbags, along with new fuel tanks, a revised front crashbox and reinforcing to the chassis.
Active systems are based on the installation of radar and various sensors around the vehicle. They make possible a range of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems), including those for vulnerable road user protection. They also allow Autonomous Drive Level 2 technology.
Among the ADAS on offer are traffic jam assist, advanced lane centring, adaptive cruise control with stop & go, intelligent speed assist and traffic sign recognition. The latest Daily also comes with AEBS & city brake, turn assist and a blind spot warning system, along with rear cross traffic braking and door opening warning.
The updated Daily vans come with a restyled dash with a 10.25-inch digital cluster as standard. A 10-inch colour display for the infotainment is standard on eDaily and an option on diesel models, which otherwise boast a 7-inch central screen. Options include keyless entry and go, smartphone and tablet holders in the cab, a 15W wireless phone charging system and USB A and C connectivity.
All Daily models now come with five years of connected services. The Start Pack includes access to the Iveco ON portal for fleet managers, with uptime monitoring and management, along with the Easy Daily app for drivers. Electric models also get eRange Assurance and eRemote Control. Additional connectivity services are available for purchase in a range of bundled packages, including a Productivity Pack, a Safety Pack and a Driver Assistance Pack.
As the transport industry transitions to electric vehicles, Iveco is well-placed to deliver the eDaily range. Couriers were early adopters, followed by supermarkets – and utilities and municipalities are expected to be next in line. These are all Iveco sectors, making it easier to transition to electric.
“We’re already positioned in these markets that are opening up to EV,” said Iveco UK business line director Mike Cutts.
Supermarket Tesco recently ordered more than 200 of the electric chassis cabs for its home delivery business. These are 4,250kg models with two battery packs, a Solomons body and a Thermo King fridge unit. Courier business UPS has also ordered eDaily vans recently, in both 4,250kg and 7,000kg gross weights.
Although the Government needs to finally sort legislation surrounding the use of 4,250kg GVW electric vans on a B car licence, Iveco is now able to offer a 7,000kg train weight across the full eDaily range. That means that while a 3,500kg eDaily can pull a 3,500kg trailer, the 4,250kg eDaily can now tow up to 2,750kg, making it a more attractive option for utility customers in particular. Cutts admits that towing at full weight can reduce driving range by as much as 40%, but he believes that the ability to choose one, two, three, or now four battery packs on the longest chassis, will allow customers to tailor the vehicles to their specific mission.
With 60% of Iveco’s UK Daily sales based on chassis cabs, the Driveaway pre-bodied range is an important part of the business. There are 13 Driveaway vehicles available and they are currently being offered on a four-year 0% finance deal, primarily aimed at SME customers. Iveco is now offering a factory-built eDaily minibus, with up to 23 seats, available on 7,000kg models, while the Scottish Ambulance Trust is having an eDaily-based ambulance built by WAS on a 7,000kg chassis.
“We’ve had significant success this year with Driveaway, as it packages everything up nicely for the customer,” reports Cutts.
Looking to the future, the company is working with Hyundai on a fuel cell-powered version of the eDaily, which should make an appearance with customers over the coming years.
“It won’t be too long before we see hydrogen vehicles on UK roads,” confirms Cutts.