A REPORT from Nissan has helped dispelled the myth that all white van drivers are a breed apart….

The official launch of the Nissan Van Report says they do actually care about how they drive, and it came as Nissan debuted their 100 per cent electric eNV200 at the CV Show in Birmingham. The report gives an insight into the modern day professional driver and shows that they’ve got more in common with other motorists than we might have thought.

Facts published in the 2013 Nissan Van Report include how van drivers are better drivers when their van is clean, their favourite radio station is Radio 2, a packed lunch is their food of choice, some take a nap when they are stuck in a traffic jam and the majority of van drivers are over 45 years old.

For fleet managers, the Van Report shows managing rising fuel prices, vehicle purchase and running costs and protecting vans from future regulation are all key priorities.

The survey shattered some van driver stereotypes. How many motorists have seen vans with ‘clean me’ etched into the dirt and grime? The research shows van cleanliness is not a laughing matter with 92 per cent of drivers saying they feel better when driving a clean vehicle (just as most of the rest of us do) and three out of four (72 per cent) believe it actually makes them a better driver.

Nearly half of drivers questioned (48 per cent) are driving 100 miles or less per day, which is good news for Nissan. It reinforces the fact  they could successfully use a Nissan eNV200 van without having to compromise their daily delivery routines. 26 per cent of drivers said they drove more than 200 miles every day.

For fleet managers, one half (51 per cent) of respondents said driver training is the most popular measure to reduce fuel use, along with technological interventions such as speed limiters (37 per cent) and telematics (35 per cent).

Costs are clearly a big driver for respondents adding vans to their fleet, with whole life costs (25 per cent) and front-end prices (18 per cent) major considerations. Contract hire monthly rates and strong residuals were also important but vehicle reliability was only listed by seven per cent of fleet managers.

“Our research gives an insight into what modern day van drivers and fleet managers are thinking and the challenges they face as part of a modern van fleet,” said Nissan’s Jon Pollock.

“With almost half of van drivers questioned driving less than 100 miles a day, the research further supports our decision to build an electric van.”