Mercedes-Benz at the CV Show 2011
Saving the planet need not cost the Earth – that’s the message Mercedes-Benz will be taking to the CV Show 2011, as it demonstrates yet again its determination to produce cleaner and more economical commercial vehicles.
Visitors to the NEC event (12-14 April) will be able to see at first hand the remarkable Mercedes-Benz Vito E-CELL, a vehicle that offers a tantalising glimpse of an emissions-free future.
The world’s first battery-powered van to be built on line at a mainstream production facility, the whisper-quiet Vito E-CELL will be presented at the NEC (12-14 April) in complete form and as a stripped down chassis, so the ground-breaking electric driveline can be viewed in close detail.
Still on the ‘green’ theme, Mercedes-Benz is also exhibiting a Euro 5-engined 113CDI from the recently launched Vito range in eco-friendly BlueEFFICIENCY trim, and a natural gas-powered Sprinter 316 NGT with factory-fitted dropside bodywork that emits practically no particulate emissions and has an exceptionally low carbon footprint when run on liquid biomethane produced from organic waste.
Meanwhile, the Mercedes-Benz Trucks division is showing a 2443LS 6x2 tractor unit with small-wheeled mid-lift axle and low-roofed sleeper cab, from the new Axor range, which is just starting to reach Britain’s roads.
Like its smaller sibling the new Mercedes-Benz Atego – the reigning International Truck of the Year – the Axor range of distribution and construction rigids, and distribution tractor units, has undergone a significant makeover.
Both Axor and Atego have received a fresh new ‘face’ which incorporates the bold grille treatment already seen on premium specification Actros tractor units and rigids, as well as a host of new and improved in-cab features.
A three-time winner of the International Truck of the Year trophy and recently voted ‘Truck of the Decade’ by readers of Truck & Driver magazine, the Actros is sure to be a star of the show once again. Pumping out no less than 600hp and with its towering, flat-floored MegaSpace cab, the mighty 4x2 Actros 1860LS on parade in Birmingham would be any professional’s dream drive.
With the clock now well and truly ticking down to September 2014 – by when anyone driving a vehicle with a gross weight of 3.5 tonnes or more must be in possession of a valid Driver Certificate of Professional Competence – Mercedes-Benz leads the field in the delivery of high value courses that will deliver the requisite 35 hours of approved training. Also on its stand will be a 6x2 Actros 2546 MegaSpace from the Mercedes-Benz Driver Training Team’s fleet of specially converted vehicles.
Operators seeking to cut their carbon footprints often incur penalties in terms of higher vehicle running costs or reduced productivity. Not so, though, with the new and much improved Euro 5 (EEV-approved) Fuso Canter light truck range, which is sold and supported in the UK by Mercedes-Benz and its dealers, and which allows customers to reduce their outgoings as well as their emissions. Presented at the CV Show will be a Canter 7C15D seven-man crewcab with a tipper body.
Augmenting the vehicle line-up will be a number of service and information counters providing CV Show visitors with detailed information packs on Mercedes-Benz CharterWay, finance and leasing options and Daimler FleetBoard vehicle fleet management and telematics solutions, as well as a full range of vehicle product and service brochures. A number of technical experts will also be on hand to discuss individual operator requirements.
Ian Jones, Managing Director Commercial Vehicles for Mercedes-Benz UK, declared: “Britain needs trucks and vans, and can't manage without them – and with growing concerns over the environment, we need to make sure that our industry impact continues to diminish, with the ultimate goal of an emissions-free transport future.”
