There is no denying that most vans look quite similar. They look dull, nondescript and are usually painted in white. Manufacturers don’t bother making vans look “beautiful” or stylish. After all; their primary use is to transport cargo, and not to compete for any style awards.

But it seems that one van maker is hoping to change the way we perceive vans and make them look more modern, stylish and impressive to see! Iveco is a van maker. The Fiat subsidiary has recently announced a concept called “VISION.”

Its concept van hopes to broaden our horizons when it comes to van technology and style.

What is the Iveco VISION?

Most people know that vans aren’t too eco-friendly. And most are pretty noisy and smelly too! But Iveco wants to revolutionize the van world and take it by storm with its VISION concept.

The first step to its goal begins with what it calls its “Dual Energy technology system.” In a nutshell, its Dual Energy technology comprises a hybrid powertrain. The first half of this powertrain is electric.

Its electric half of the powertrain offers zero emissions. It also means that the van is almost silent on the road. The problem with today’s vans is that they have high amounts of environmental and noise pollution. Iveco believes the future of van motoring will be vehicles that don’t suffer from either problem.

The other half of the VISION powertrain is a hybrid thermoelectric one. This part of the Dual Energy system is suited to longer journeys, such as out-of-town destinations. Iveco claims this will reduce consumption and CO2 emissions by as much as 25%!

How the two halves of the powertrain work together

The powertrain includes a “transfer unit” that connects the system to the transmission. Iveco state that the van will “self-adapt” itself, based on the journey conditions.

That means it will use the full electric mode for urban journeys and produce no harmful emissions. While the hybrid mode outputs as few carbon emissions as possible for long journeys.

Futuristic design

As you can see from the concept picture on this page, the Iveco VISION incorporates a futuristic design. The body shape is streamlined to be more aerodynamic. Drag is a significant problem for vans because of their square chassis.



image via smoothgroover22 / flickr

The front pillars are semi-transparent. The idea is to make it easier for drivers to see out of the VISION van. Roy from vanwisegroup.co.uk made a good point about how van drivers cannot see what’s behind them that well.

With the Iveco VISION, it’s no longer a problem thanks to the “rear sight camera” that gets displayed on a panoramic screen. The screen is fitted to the top of the windshield. It amazes me how most van drivers can reverse their vans without hitting something. After all, they can’t see what’s immediately behind them!

Six-spoke alloy wheels and curved front and rear lights add to the stylish appearance of the van. All in all, the Iveco VISION promises a radical shake-up of the van world with its futuristic and eco-friendly concept.