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The all-electric, zero-emission Mercedes-Benz Vito E-CELL has
won the coveted accolade of “Most energy efficient light
commercial vehicle (in production)” at the 2011 RAC Future Car
Challenge. |
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Entrants in electric and hybrid vehicles,
and others powered by hydrogen fuel cells, were challenged to use as
little energy as possible to complete a 60-mile route, with the Vito
E-CELL proving the most efficient in its class.
The Mercedes-Benz contender was one of 65
low- and zero-emission vehicles taking part in the second Brighton to
London Future Vehicle Challenge, which seeks to promote the latest
low-energy vehicle technology. |
The Vito E-CELL was a joint entry by
The Hyde Group and Elektromotive, with support from Mercedes-Benz UK. It
completed the route with a recorded 28% of its charge still unused.
An estimated crowd of 250,000 people
lined the route as vehicles reached the capital and made for the finish
in Waterloo Place, Pall Mall, home of the Royal Automobile Club.
Steven Bridge, Van Sales & Marketing
Director for Mercedes-Benz UK, declared: “This is a fantastic
accomplishment for the Mercedes-Benz Vito E-CELL. As a full factory
built and supported vehicle, we know it has a great deal to offer
operators. This event has proved that the vehicle has a useable range
and is very capable in terms of its low energy consumption.”
The Mercedes-Benz Vito E-CELL was the
first battery-electric van to be introduced ex factory by any automobile
manufacturer, opening a new chapter in drive technology for light
commercial vehicles. With its emission-free drive system, it is ideally
suited to operation in inner-cities and environmentally sensitive areas.
The Vito E-CELL produces no emissions
and is almost silent, yet imposes no restrictions on the operator in
terms of load capacity and payload. Production of this groundbreaking
model began in July 2010 and 2000 units are planned for a worldwide
market in 2011.
Tom Shaw, Development Project Manager
for Hyde, said: “Hyde has been at the forefront of the sustainable
building design agenda for over a decade. We have a five year plan to
become the sector leader in environmental sustainability, reducing our
reliance on natural resources and being prepared for the future climate.
Hyde’s investment in electric vehicle infrastructure in Brighton & Hove
is one of a number of sustainability initiatives which will be delivered
through the regeneration of the city’s “Open Market” site. The Electric
Vehicle club proposed to be set up with our partner City Car Club will
enable Hyde residents, local people and businesses to live and trade
more sustainably.”
Elektromotive, the UK’s leading
provider of electric vehicle (EV) recharging posts, has been chosen to
meet the recharging infrastructure requirements for Brighton’s first
electric car club. The company will supply a Rapid Charge Elektrobay
which can charge the battery of a compatible EV to 80 per cent of its
capacity in just 20 minutes, compared to around seven hours if using a
conventional domestic power supply. The first vehicle planned to join
the new club fleet will be a fully-electric Mercedes-Benz Vito E-CELL
van, which will be made available to traders operating in Brighton.
Calvey Taylor-Haw, Managing Director of
Elektromotive, commented: “Sustainable developments such as these will
be accompanied hand-in-hand by a rise in sustainable transport.
Innovative, pioneering schemes like this show how the EV charging
infrastructure could develop organically, and how electric vehicles can
work for consumers and commercial owners alike.”
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