The everyday work van — short-wheelbase capacity, full-day comfort, real payload.

Medium vans — the Ford Transit Custom, Vauxhall Vivaro, Volkswagen Transporter, and Mercedes-Benz Vito — are the backbone of UK commercial vehicle use. Roughly 1,000 to 1,400 kg payload, six to eight cubic metres of load space, two Euro-pallets through the rear doors, and comfortable enough to drive all day. The trade-off versus a large van is manoeuvrability and fuel use — easier in cities, easier to park on residential streets, easier on a tank.

First-fix carpenters, fit-out crews, mobile electricians and plumbers, locksmiths, mobile mechanics, and small-removals operators — the trades and service businesses who carry a structured load between three or four sites a week. Multi-drop B2B delivery businesses and couriers stepping up from a small van also land here when the round outgrows a Transit Connect. SMEs running two or three vans usually standardise on this class.

For an established trades business with steady year-round work, long-term hire (12 to 36 months) usually wins on monthly cost. Flexi hire is the better answer when work is project-driven, when the business is under two years old, or when a vehicle is needed to cover downtime on an owned van. Where a fleet is being run for a known multi-year contract, contract hire with fully bundled maintenance often beats both.

Electric Transit Custom, e-Expert, e-Vivaro, e-Vito are widely available through independent suppliers in 2026. They work for fixed urban routes — the route is repeatable, the depot has charging, real-world range comfortably covers a day. They work less well for long inter-city legs or unpredictable provincial work. We will be honest about regional availability and payload reduction before we make the introduction. Looking specifically at EV? See the [electric van page](/vehicle-types/electric-vans/).