Briefly describe your business
SPM is a commercial print and communications company based in London. We service central London and the Home Counties. We have been established for 20 years and have extremely strong environmental credentials and policies.

Why did you purchase the vehicle?
Our existing van had come to the end of its lease so we decided to look into what LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) was all about and to see if it had real benefits.

Why did you choose this particular model?
Because of its reliability and the vehicle size, which is better for deliveries in central London than our previous van.

What model were you using before?
We were using a Mercedez Sprinter LWB.

Did you look at any other similar vehicles?
We looked at a Citroen, but we weren’t sure about the size.

What features do you particularly like about it?
It’s a perfect length for the work that we carry in terms of pallet loading, but it’s also good when driving in town and dropping off small parcels.

Is there anything that you dislike?
Only that the rear doors don’t pin back and hold.

Is there anything that you wish it had that it doesn’t have?
No, not really. Only possibly a sat nav system, but that can be added and would probably be cheaper using a portable device than factory fitted.

How fast is it?
When you have small parcels on, it is nippy around town, but it’s a little sluggish when fully loaded

How reliable is it?
So far, so good – it’s only two-months-old.

How green is it?
Very green. Unlike diesel engines there are practically no particulate emissions from LPG engines

Are there any issues over finding fuel stations with LPG pumps?
There are plenty of filling points in our region.

How does the price of the fuel stack up against petrol?
LPG is approximately half the price of petrol.

Would you say that it has saved you any time or money?
We have saved £8 per day, five days a week in congestion charging alone. In terms of fuel costs we’ve saved approximately £125 per month.

Would you say that it offers value for money?
Yes.

Based on your own experience of using it would you recommend it to somebody else?
Yes, we already have.

Under what circumstances would you buy another?
If our work load dictated and we needed another vehicle we would certainly buy another.

---

CONCLUSION
User’s verdict
Speed 4/5
Reliability 5/5
Green credentials 5/5
Value for money 4/5

Supplier’s response
Andrew Poole, director at LPG Fleet Solutions in Cheshire says: "LPG is a green fuel and it’s one way of negating the congestion charge. That’s obviously a critical factor for SPM because it was costing them a fortune going in and out of London."

Price
Vans can be leased from £250 per month upwards depending on model and supplier

Contact
LPG Fleet Solutions 01925 530111