Peugeot’s research has found that 7% of van drivers were found to exceed their payload limit by 15% to 30%, placing themselves and other road users in significant danger, as overloading increases braking distances, compromises vehicle handling and accelerates wear and tear on safety critical components including suspension, brakes and tyres.
The French light commercial vehicle’s award-winning innovative Overload Indicator has been developed to ensure drivers avoid overloading their vans. The two-stage system is available on the award-winning Peugeot Partner and warns drivers when they are within 10% of the maximum gross vehicle weight, and providing a second alert if they exceed the vehicle’s limit.  The alerts flash up at the rear of the van and on the i-Cockpit display to ensure drivers have maximum visibility when both loading the van and when they are about to set off.
| To showcase the simplicity of its Overload Indicator, Peugeot challenged a team of plumbers and a team of electricians to load a Partner van as close to its maximum payload as possible with a variety of trade materials, including paint pots, roofing supplies and tiles without setting off the Overload Indicator. |
The electricians came out on top, getting closest to the 983kg payload of the Peugeot Partner GRIP BlueHDi 100 S&S 5-speed manual used in the challenge, by packing 917kg of goods inside – including the three-strong team.
To watch the Peugeot Tradesman Challenge, as the plumbers and electricians show how easy it is to overload a light commercial vehicle, click here. This is the second time Peugeot has recruited teams of trade experts to showcase the technology available on the Partner van. Last year the original Tradesman Challenge put the Surround Rear Vision camera technology to the test.