Crew and combi van leasing

Choose a layout around the busiest working day

Start with the number of people who genuinely need to travel together. Then add their bags, protective clothing and the equipment for the job. A layout that works with an empty rear seat may not work when the full team is travelling.

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If the extra seats are rarely needed, compare a medium panel van against the actual travel arrangements before giving up cargo space. Compare electric vans if the crew routes are predictable and charging is available, and start from our van leasing overview for every body type.

Crew van model routes

Start with the body version rather than treating every vehicle within the range as a crew van. These are useful existing routes for a specification discussion; IVF must confirm current supply of the required derivative.

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Ford’s Double Cab-in-Van page describes the seating row and fixed bulkhead. Volkswagen lists Transporter Panel, Shuttle and Kombi separately. Use those distinctions when comparing a quotation.

Protect the load space you actually need

A second row changes how a van is used, not just how many people fit inside. Equipment needs a secure place that does not obstruct passengers, seat movement, doors or the driver’s view. Check the arrangement with the team’s normal equipment present.

Describe the racking or storage that stays in the vehicle and any long or unusually shaped items. Ask for the usable cargo dimensions after the agreed fit-out, together with the payload calculation for the completed version. Confirm what the manufacturer’s weight figure includes so occupants or equipment are neither omitted nor counted twice.

• Record the seat count needed with the van at work, rather than an occasional maximum.
• Measure cargo with all required seats in their intended positions.
• Explain how tools and bags will be restrained and separated from occupants.
• Agree any seat, bulkhead or storage changes before the vehicle is supplied.

Check the exact vehicle’s tax and insurance position

A crew, combi or commercial label does not decide every tax or insurance question. Tell your accountant and insurer the exact vehicle and how it will be used, including any private use or passenger transport. A business rental excluding VAT does not itself establish whether VAT can be recovered.

Do not order on the assumption that adding seats leaves the treatment unchanged from a panel van. Ask for the vehicle specification and classification documents needed for advice on your circumstances. This is general selection guidance, not tax advice.

Make the quotation match the working vehicle

Business contract hire covers use of the agreed vehicle for a set term and mileage. Compare written quotations on the same basis, including the exact version and any equipment fitted.

• At the start: check the initial rental, subsequent rentals and payment schedule, VAT, the £295 plus VAT administration fee, and any additional charges.
• During the agreement: confirm the treatment of delivery and road tax, warranty start date, servicing, tyres, maintenance and insurance. Do not assume optional packages are included.
• When the contract ends: contract hire normally means returning the vehicle, without an option to own it. Ask for the mileage charge, return-condition standard, equipment-removal requirements and any collection or end-of-contract charges. Early termination can carry a charge.

For a crew or combi van, record any permitted seating or storage changes as part of the agreement. Confirm the required return configuration before fitting or removing equipment. Finance remains subject to status and the chosen funder’s assessment.

Crew vans compared on published figures

These dated manufacturer figures are reference comparisons, not confirmed specifications for every vehicle currently listed. Match the model year, body, powertrain, battery, trim, wheels and fitted equipment to the actual IVF derivative before relying on a figure. Range and charging results depend on test conditions, temperature, load and charging equipment; do not combine maxima from different versions.

The figures below are the manufacturers’ own published UK specifications, checked on 6 September 2026 and listed with their sources at the end of this section. Figures vary by version, equipment and model year, and some manufacturers publish different numbers on different pages, which is noted where it applies. Confirm the exact vehicle on the written quotation before relying on any of them.

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Check the plated weight and the driver

Check usable cargo length with every required seat occupied, plus the completed payload and plated weights. Standard category B covers up to eight passenger seats; more seats require a separate minibus check.

GOV.UK guidance for Great Britain allows a standard car licence to cover vans up to 3,500kg and zero-emission electric or hydrogen vans up to 4,250kg. Check the individual driver’s entitlement, restrictions and any trailer. Northern Ireland and overseas use need the applicable local rules. See the driving-a-van guidance.

Driver entitlement is separate from operator licensing. Goods vehicles over 3,500kg gross plated weight normally require a goods vehicle operator-licence assessment, subject to exemptions. Trailer combinations and international work can have different thresholds. Confirm the requirements for the vehicle and journeys before committing. Check operator licensing.

Tax, VAT and road tax: check the actual vehicle

Tax and operating guidance checked 28 September 2026. Confirm the actual vehicle classification and your circumstances with a qualified accountant; a commercial label does not decide every tax. Later annual charges can change.

For 2026/27, the company van benefit is £4,170 where the van benefit charge applies; employer-provided private fuel can add a £798 taxable benefit. These are taxable benefit values, not the tax bill. Qualifying restricted private use can be exempt, and zero-emission vans have a nil van benefit charge. Later van benefit amounts must be checked for each tax year; the company car percentage path is a different system. Read the HMRC van benefit figures.

VAT recovery depends on VAT registration, taxable business use, private use and the applicable vehicle rules. Keep the VAT basis consistent across quotations and ask your accountant to confirm recovery. The tax definition of a van can differ from the vehicle’s road-traffic category, especially with crew seating or a heavier conversion.

For 1-50g/km in the first two years shown, the range bands are 130 miles or more, 70-129, 40-69, 30-39 and under 30 respectively. These are tax bands, not claims about a listed vehicle’s range. Above 50g/km, use the exact CO2 band and any applicable diesel supplement; the cap is not every vehicle’s rate. The taxable benefit uses the actual derivative’s P11D value and percentage, then your income tax rate. See the company car tax guide.

For 2026/27, the standard light-goods VED class TC39, for vehicles registered from 1 March 2001 with revenue weight up to 3,500kg, has a £360 single annual payment, including zero-emission vehicles. Other classes and exemptions differ. Confirm the registered class and how road tax and future increases are handled in the quotation. Check the GOV.UK vehicle-tax table.

The Expensive Car Supplement is a car-tax rule, not an addition to the standard light-goods rate above. Where car VED rules apply, the thresholds are list price over £40,000 for non-zero-emission cars and over £50,000 for zero-emission cars, with registration-date conditions; the current supplement is £440 for five years from the second taxation. Confirm the exact tax class. A pickup being a car for benefit in kind does not by itself change its VED treatment.

The government plans electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) from April 2028 for electric and plug-in hybrid cars. Vans, buses, coaches and HGVs are outside its announced scope at introduction. Check the registered category for a passenger derivative or conversion, and recheck the final arrangements before the lease crosses that date. Read the government’s eVED scope.

Questions before you choose

How many people, and what travels with them?

Tell us the normal team size and the equipment that must go with them. We can compare the right layouts and prepare written options for your working day.