Meet the Green Drivers Enjoying Van Life

A pair of mates from Southend are currently living their best lives in a van.

Now, they’re encouraging you to do the same. 

If you’re a user of Instagram, you may already be aware of the van-loving Southend duo.

Their page “themtbvanlife” has amassed nearly 13 and a half followers (as of this moment).

Their purpose is to try to inspire people to go on adventures with minimal items — for example, just their van and electric bikes. 

They are also setting a good example.

Their van has been modified to include solar panels, making it easier to get their e-bikes charged, and the van to run more efficiently.

You gotta love it when we’re kinder to the planet, don’t ya?

The men, who are in their late twenties, work in the IT sector.

Since converting the van to be a good runner, and a decent place to live in as they travel.

They have travelled all over the UK and even into Europe (mainland). 

Their main goal isn’t to promote vehicle use (unless you’re exceptionally eco-friendly).

Instead, they encourage exploring by e-bike once you reach your destination.

Sensible, we think, especially as the bikes continue to be charged in the super van.

Being off-grid is what appeals to the lads: Sam Rook and Luke Dokic.

And they seem to be doing it very well, as their Instagram following suggests.

What do you reckon?

Could you go off-grid with just a van and bike as a means for travel?

Then again, if you compare the environmental impact of a plane to this, it’s probably much better.

Susan from next door doesn’t think she could do it.

But then she does have her budgies to think about.

But if you feel like this is certainly something you could consider, then we would highly recommend you follow the boys’ feed.

Lots of pleasing van stuff, too. 

Oh, and Sam and Luke, if you’re reading this…

Did you know we could save you a load on your van insurance?

In fact, we can save any van owner a bunch.

It’s a mere matter of completing this quick 3-minute form, and you’ll be on your way.

White Van Man Goes Green

We have said it before and we will say it again – you bunch never cease to surprise us.

News this week is that the typical white van man of all the social stereotypes is seemingly a thing of the past.

Replaced by a newer, greener van man (or woman) of the future.

It seems that a huge 91% of you believe that we should all be as environmentally friendly as possible.

Two-thirds of you support government initiatives for fewer vehicle emissions on the roads.

A huge 84% of you think companies should be running environmentally-friendly vehicles.

And 35% of you are considering an electric van when the time comes to upgrade your motor. 

The survey, commissioned by Fiat, to launch its new electric van the E-Ducato,

also found that many of you are not as beloved of the beer and fry-up’s diet as stereotypes may suggest.

In fact, one in five van drivers are either vegetarian or vegan,

and most prefer a cereal bar or bagel to bacon and eggs to get you going in the morning. 

You’re also a sensitive bunch too, with two-thirds of you claiming to be offended that other motorists consider van drivers to be aggressive on the road.

The majority claim to take pride in their vans, keeping them clean and tidy at all times.

And are often to be found foot tapping along to the gentle sounds of Radio 2’s greatest hits, rather than blasting out beats whilst cutting up other road users.

Whether you’re a devotee or diesel, a die-hard petrolhead or an electric eco-warrior, you all deserve the recognition that you deserve for keeping us going through lockdown.

But you also deserve the easiest way to renew your van insurance, whatever type of vehicle you drive.

And that’s why we are here for you – just a few moments using our free quote tool can deliver the best van insurance deals to your inbox, so you can get back to your spirulina smoothie.

Every Little Helps?

We hate to be harbingers of doom in a gloomy November, with a cold snap on the horizon for all of us, but more bad news this week for many van drivers, thanks to the PM, Boris Johnson, who has announced that he is bringing forward plans to see Britain go all electric with vehicles from 2030.

While this is a blow to motorists, some of the hardest hit maybe you, the humble van drivers of the UK. While electric cars cost a packet, (and many government critics are saying the move to electric vehicles will prevent the poorest people of the UK from being able to afford a car), the case is worse for van drivers, with the cost of a new electric van coming in at around £20k for the most basic models. 

Not to mention, of course, that you have to find somewhere to charge the thing, which is bad news if you live in a flat or somewhere with no off-street parking. (As if worrying about van security isn’t bad enough). And if you’re a delivery driver, there’s the added stress of worrying about electric automated drop-off vans, drones and robots coming to take your jobs. 

While many big businesses with van fleets appear to be in favour of the move, they are of course, failing to consider, you, the little guys, who depend on the fuel efficiency of diesel or the reliability of a petrol van to get you from A to B without needing to stop off and charge up a vehicle you possibly can’t even afford. 

As always, it seems that the little guys are going to be the hardest hit. While we can’t do much more than voice our concern and suggest that the government needs to consider implementing substantial subsidies to help van drivers of the UK make the switch to electric vehicles, we can, as always, ensure you get the best deals on your van insurance. It isn’t much, but it’s something. And right now, as a famous supermarket once said, ‘every little helps.

UK’s Most Polluted Places Revealed:

Sometimes after a hard day behind the wheel, you may get home, wash your face or blow your nose and be shocked by the amount of black gunk that shows up. Or maybe your lungs feel a little heavier than usual and you’re struggling to breathe. And no, we aren’t just talking about London drivers.

You’ve been hit by the van driver’s inevitable enemy – pollution. 

Incredibly, recent research from the University of Birmingham shows that London isn’t the worst offender when it comes to the black stuff. The study, which compared pollution in 146 places around England, Scotland and Wales showed that you don’t have to be in one of the bigger cities to be affected by high levels of pollution. In fact, it was Luton which was worst affected by the highest concentration of nitrogen oxide, (that’s exhaust fumes, to you and me), relative to its size, traffic and population. 

London still had the overall highest levels of pollution, but thanks to so many using public transport rather than cars and vans, there was much less nitrous oxide lingering in the air, compared to the more polluted towns and cities. So for all that moaning about the congestion charge, apparently it is actually quite a good thing. 

In fact, the study showed that it was the towns and cities with the densest population and the poorest public transport (where most people used cars to get from A to B), which were the most affected. Because of the smaller area than larger conurbations like London, the amount of pollution was densified and more intense than in more spread out cities with better public transport and fewer cars on the road. 

Some would be expected, such as those cities around London, like Gatwick and Stevenage, but others you would expect to see, like Manchester and Birmingham, fared better than expected.

As electric vans start to become a practical solution, maybe now is the time to start considering making your next trade in a hybrid or at least a model with technology that harnesses energy more efficiently to help do your bit. Either way, it seems that the days are numbered for the old, battered, high emission vans and instead, we’re seeing the start of quiet, efficient fleets to better suit the healthier lifestyles you are all adopting too. It can pay off when it comes to your van insurance too – many insurers offer discounts or incentives to greener drivers. Fill out our super fast, low-emission form for the most competitive van insurance quotes, and see what a greener model may do for your next renewal. 

Lists in full – Places where pollution was better than expected:

  1. Milton Keynes
  2. Stoke-on-Trent 
  3. Weybridge
  4. Aldershot 
  5. Macclesfield
  6. Livingston
  7. Swansea
  8. Manchester
  9. High Wycombe 
  10. Birmingham

Places where pollution was worse than expected:

  1. Luton
  2. Crawley
  3. Leamington Spa
  4. Cardiff
  5. Coventry
  6. Stevenage
  7. Tamworth
  8. Worcester
  9. Oxford 
  10. Bradford     

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