WITH all the new emissions regulations and clean air zones springing up around the country it’s increasingly difficult, and costly, for business operating one or more vans in our towns and cities. Luckily there is some good news with the announcement that Mercedes-Benz plan to electrify their entire commercial van range, starting with the Mercedes eVito.

To be clear this isn’t going to happen until the second half of 2018 but that isn’t as far as away as it may sound. If you know you are going to be replacing your van in the next 12 months this could be a direction worth exploring.

The Mercedes eVito will be fitted with a 41.4 kWh battery that will give provide a range of around 90 miles. Even in unfavourable conditions such as low outside temperatures and with a full load, it will still have a range of around 60 miles. The aim is to build a mid-size van that is perfect for city-centre use by delivery companies, tradespeople, and public transport providers.

The battery can be fully charged in around six hours and customers can choose between two top speed options: A maximum speed of 50mph for use in city traffic and urban areas, which helps to conserve energy and increase the range, or if more speed is needed you can choose a model capable of up to 75mph. The trade off between range and speed will ultimately depend on the intended use and operating area.

The new Mercedes eVito is designed to carry a payload of up to 1,000kg and has a load space of more than six cubic metres so it’s well placed for the most common uses of a mid-sized van. Installing the battery under the floor means practical, unrestricted access to the entire load area. It also means a lower centre of gravity which should improve comfort and handling as well.

The new eVito electric van will be the first based on Mercedes-Benz Vans electric mobility strategy.

This is a five step approach that not only considers the van itself but also the the area it will operate in, the purpose for which the van is intended, costs and commercial feasibility, customer feedback (or “co-creation” as Mercedes like too call it), and the transfer of technology across the Mercedes-Benz group as a whole. The idea is to create an electric van that works in the real world as well as on paper.

The Mercedes eVito electric van will be followed in 2019 by the eSprinter. The line-up will then be rounded off by the Citan. Once the electric van range is fully developed it will cover all requirements from people moving to goods transport.

“We are convinced by the necessity of electric drive in our vans, especially in city centre applications. That said, electrification of the commercial fleet is not an end in itself, but follows the same principles as a classic drive when it comes to commercial feasibility. The eVito is the starting point and will be followed by our new-generation Sprinter as well as the Citan”, says Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans.

Talk of electric vans has been around for a while now but It looks like the reality is going to arrive sooner rather than later.

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