A test model of a battery – driven van based on the Vito Van has been unveiled by Mercedes-Benz at an European Union meeting in Spain.

Fitted with lithium-ion battery technology and a 90kW electric motor, the new arrival give an average range of 80 miles between recharges . Top speed is restricted to 50mph and it is to be a standard production model rather than a special conversion .

During the current year Mercedes plans over 100 electric Vitos will be built and delivered to 20 fleet operators and public bodies with a requirements to transport items in environmentally sensitive zones. A further 2,000 look set to be manufactured thereafter. The EU meeting involved European ministers discussing the economic viability of future technologies.

Not to be outdone , Ford will be launching an electric Transit Connect in the USA later this year . Not to be confused with the one developed by Smith Electric Vehicles, it is likely to be marketed on this side of the Atlantic from 2011 onwards.

Smith is providing ten of its electric Ford Transit-based Edisons to Ford of Europe. They’re required for a assignment to examine the potential environmental benefits of the use of battery powered commercial automobiles to the city of Cologne. Seven of the Edisons are vans, two are minibuses while the third is a chassis cab.

Germany hopes to have 1m zero-emission vehicles on its roads by 2020. The project will help forecast how electric LCVs could impact on this plan.

Now a days , more than ever, the success of a company depends on its ability to work effectively and react flexibility . With this in mind, the Vito provides an impressive range of options , a wide spectrum of applications and many trend-setting technical solutions which makes it ideally qualified to fit your usage profile, your business and your specific transport requirements .

Vito is available at attractive Van Leasing deals from Swiss Leasing

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