A PROJECT by the fleet industry's electronic commerce consortium Fleetnet to create a universal code for every type of car on the road has been expanded to include vans. Over the last five years more than 23,000 23-digit codes have been given to models and derivatives of cars, with the aim of making electronic communication and transactions between companies as simple and risk-free as possible.

Now 1,500 light commercial vehicles have also been coded under the project, which is being developed by CAP Motor Research on behalf of the Fleetnet. The aim is to enable paperless, electronic communication and transactions between companies to be carried out with the minimum chance of misunderstandings or error as vehicle ranges and derivatives expand.

Due to Fleetnet's co-operative nature the codes are also designed to be of equal benefit to CAP's commercial competitors, such as Glass's and David Henley Systems, and their customers. CAP is building in what it describes as 'future-proof' features into the code system in order to ensure it can keep up with changes in the automotive industry. The codes, therefore, have been designed to take account of likely future changes in engine and fuel systems.