There is a gap in the market for European commercial vehicles in New Zealand according to one leading firm in the import trade.
Autohub’s general manager, Europe, Joe Barnett notes that with the current demand for commercials at an all time high, there is a distinct shortage of used stock in the sector.
“For years New Zealand has been starved of diesel light commercial vehicles, with very few options to buy used examples except from the domestic fleet, meaning price competition has been almost non-existent,” Barnett explains.
For the European brands, Barnett notes the return of vans from Renault and Peugeot to the new vehicle market means backing for some of the less familiar vehicles that can be available for import.
“This benefits the used trade two-fold:- market acceptance of the model and parts availability, two things that are always focussed on by buyers,” he notes.
“The profile of importing from the UK has now become mainstream, not in major volumes like Japan, but in specific profiles of vehicles, ones not available from Japan, these include high-end diesel prestige cars and SUV’s and increasingly LCV’s,” Barnett says.
Autohub does not sell vehicles in its own right, but can connect dealers with a number of different sources, while Barnett – who has many years experience in the UK vehicle trade – can provide additional guidance.
The company also operates the BuyUKcars.com site – an aggregator of vehicles that may be suitable for the New Zealand market, alongside its logistics packages, which include Ministry of Primary Industries and NZ Transport Agency pre-screening onshore in the UK.
“The wide of choice of models and specification of LCV’s in the UK makes model knowledge very important, but all of the info can be gained from the internet and means that we are able to provide more selection for customers, without expensive secondary modification,” Barnett explains.
One major advantage of buying LCV’s from the UK is that unlike many cars, the majority of LCV’s are VAT qualifying, meaning that if you deal with a compliant dealer or buy through a UK VAT registered company and follow the guidelines, then the 20% VAT which is levied in the UK can be re-claimed.
Barnett says most LCV’s in the UK are due for disposal from their first owner anytime up until 4 years old, so good quality low mileage examples are available of most popular models.
Sources vary, from auction, to buying from specialist LCV yards. The larger of these yards are normally owned by lease companies, daily rental companies and large fleet operators and the standard of the vehicles can vary, generally dependant on who the end user of the vehicle has been.
“For instance a van that has been delivering pharmaceuticals, will probably have high mileage, but be in good condition due to the nature of its work, where as a van used for transporting road maintenance equipment, will generally have a lower mileage but be considerably more worn,” Barnett says.
Autohub have a dedicated team to directly put you in touch with UK sellers and also assist with you shipping from the European market, for more information, contact:
Danny Knight – danny@autohub.co.nz 027 444 3433
Joe Barnett – joe@autohub.co.nz 027 777 5616.
