Door Industry Journal - Spring 2012

Also online at: www.doorindustryjournal.co.uk 59 THE door industry journal spring 2012 motoring & transport FORD FUEL ECONOMY STRIDES PROTECT STRETCHED BUDGETS Ford can offer motorists some good Budget news with the announcement of a new Ford Fiesta capable of returning over 85mpg. The latest Ford Fiesta ECOnetic model now on sale emits just 87g CO 2 /km - meaning free road tax and no London Congestion Charge for the car - while sipping diesel fuel at the rate of just 85.6mpg (combined). The top-selling Ford Fiesta leads a car range which has reduced its average fleet CO 2 to 134g/km today from 154.5g/km in 2006 according to independent analysis by Clean Green Cars (cleangreencars.co.uk) . As market leader in the UK, selling more cars and vans than any other manufacturer, Ford’s low-CO 2 technology has the greatest impact in shielding stretched budgets from the effect of rising fuel prices. And British expertise and brain power are behind Ford’s drive towards ever more fuel-efficient motoring - a team of more than 2,000 Essex based engineers lead on the development of the company’s latest fuel-sipping petrol and diesel engines. Six years ago the best a Ford Fiesta could achieve was 65.1mpg, a Ford Focus could do no more than 51.4mpg and the Ford Mondeo 44.1mpg. Today, alongside Ford Fiesta’s 85mpg, this year’s Ford Focus ECOnetic is also road tax and congestion charge-exempt at 83.1mpg (88g CO2/km) and a 65.6mpg (114g) Ford Mondeo is available as both a five-door and estate. All these models are diesel, featuring Ford’s acclaimed 1.6-litre TDCi engine assembled at Dagenham at the site’s high-tech wind-powered plant. For petrol fans, Ford’s new 125 and 100PS 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine debuting in the Ford Focus achieves up to 58.9mpg (and as low as 109g CO 2 ), which still saves on road tax in the first year. MERCEDES-BENZ DEALER ENZA SHAPES UP FOR CHESHIRE MOULDINGS When St Helens-based Cheshire Mouldings needed a pair of new trucks, local Mercedes-Benz dealer Enza was able to supply two very different vehicles that fitted the profile perfectly. One is an 18-tonne Mercedes-Benz Axor 1824, the other a 3.5-tonne Fuso Canter 3C13 – the popular Fuso light range is sold and supported by the German manufacturer’s franchised network in the UK. Truck Craft, of Stalybridge, fitted the Axor with a curtainside body with flush-fitting rear doors, and the Canter with a 14ft aluminium dropside body with A-frame cover. Both vehicles were funded with support from Mercedes-Benz Financial Services and will be serviced at Enza’s Warrington headquarters – the Axor is the subject of a six-year Mercedes-Benz repair and maintenance contract. Cheshire Mouldings manufactures and supplies an extensive range of stair parts and moulded timber profiles, in both traditional and contemporary styles, as well as a variety of wooden decking products. Deliveries, most of which are made to builders’ merchants and DIY stores, have previously been entrusted solely to the company’s six Axor rigids, a combination of 18- and 26-tonners. But its first Canter has now added extra flexibility to Cheshire Mouldings’ transport operation. Office Manager Jacquie Capper explained: “We wanted something smaller, for ‘panic’ deliveries and visits to sites, and also for delivering point-of-sale marketing materials to some of the retail outlets we supply. The Canter was competitively priced, as well as being easy to drive and very practical – had we chosen a box van we would have severely restricted in the length of items we could carry, whereas the Canter chassis is able to take a much longer body. It also has a reputation for being economical to run and extremely reliable. Our Axors, meanwhile, have served us very well over the years,” she continued. They’re well-liked by our drivers, cost-effective to operate, and project a smart, professional image when out on the road or delivering to our customers. Having sourced all of our Mercedes-Benz trucks from Enza, we have developed a strong working relationship with the dealership team – our vehicles are always delivered on time and in perfect condition, and the overall service is extremely professional.” www.cheshire-mouldings.co.uk