Mercedes-Benz has found a sizeable customer for its eVito electric van, as Northgate Vehicle Hire commits to taking delivery of 350 models during 2022.

Thanks to its partnership with Mercedes, Northgate will be the first rental company in the UK to offer the new eVito to its customers, with the first vans arriving within the next few weeks.

The new Mercedes-Benz eVito improves significantly on the original, offering a range of up to 162 miles, while rapid charging allows the battery to be topped up from empty to 80% in just 35 minutes.

The switch to electric hasn’t affected the Vito’s capabilities significantly, with a gross vehicle weight of 3,200kg and a payload of up to 807kg.

Mercedes-Benz eVito Van interior

Neil McCrossan, Northgate’s sales and marketing director, said: “After the huge success onboarding electric panel vans with our customers in 2021, we are continuing to grow our eLCV fleet with the provision of 350 new Mercedes eVito vans. We are proud to be the first mobility solutions provider to offer these state-of-the-art electric vans in the UK.

“The ongoing analysis of the mileage data produced across our customers’ fleets proves that the range provided by the eVito is more than practical for their daily usage. With a good payload and six cubic metres of available load space the eVito is already proving a popular choice with companies looking to onboard their first EVs to their fleets.”

Northgate’s large eVito order forms part of its wider drive towards fleet electrification, entitled Drive to Zero. The plan was developed to ease the transition to electric LCVs and includes a fleet suitability analysis, the provision of turnkey charging solutions including infrastructure management – via its charging sister company ChargedEV – as well as servicing, maintenance, and driver training support.

Phil Huff
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