The Mercedes-Benz Vito E-CELL is making its mark thanks to an innovative concept and high-performance drive system. A fully functioning van for everyday applications, it has a maximum payload of around 900kg and a load compartment with no restrictions on use. This means it can assume all the usual transportation duties of a vehicle in its class and makes it an ideal choice for courier and parcel services.
Post Expo held for the first time in Stuttgart
Last year, the Vito E-CELL wowed experts at the Post Expo in Copenhagen, picking up the ‘Innovation of the Year Award’ as a transport for courier and parcel services.
The Post Expo is a major international trade fair for the logistics industry that takes place every year in a different location.
This year, the most innovative and cutting-edge logistics solutions can be seen at Stuttgart Exhibition Centre from 27 to 29 September. Mercedes-Benz is offering exclusive road tests in the Vito E-CELL so that potential customers can experience this pioneering technology at first hand.
Several package delivery companies have already included the Vito E-CELL in their fleets in Germany and are delighted with its performance.
State-of-the art drive technology, high-performance lithium-ion battery
The Vito E-CELL’s powerful, high-tech batteries are located in the underfloor unit, and so do not take up valuable load space. They have a combined capacity of 36 kWh, which is sufficient for a range of around 130 kilometres. The electric motor powering the Vito E-CELL has an output of 60 kW, with 280 Nm of torque. And because electric motors are able to deliver full torque right from the start, the Vito E-CELL can pick up speed incredibly quickly. The maximum speed is capped at 80 km/h in view of the vehicle’s typical applications and maximum range.
Vito E-CELL: electric drive for quiet, local zero-emission driving
The zero-emission drive system of the Mercedes-Benz Vito E-CELL, the first purely electric-powered van to be introduced ex works by any automobile manufacturer, makes it ideally suited to logistics applications in city centres and other environmentally sensitive areas.
The first Vito E-CELL vans have already been handed over to customers: by the end of 2010, a total of 100 had been delivered in Berlin and Stuttgart, and plans are in place for the staggered delivery of a further 2000 units across Europe. Providing a range of approximately 130 kilometres, the Vito E-CELL is capable of meeting typical customer requirements for vans making frequent short journeys. The load space can be used without any restrictions whatsoever, and with a maximum payload of around 900kg, the Vito E-CELL really is a fully functioning van for courier, express and parcel services.
High-capacity lithium-ion drive batteries
The batteries housed under the loading floor are durable, high-performance lithium-ion units. Thanks to intelligent technology, the charging times can be specified in accordance with how the vehicle is used. This means each Vito E-CELL can be charged at precisely those times when energy providers supply ‘green’ power or off-peak electricity. The batteries are also charged while driving through regenerative braking, which converts the vehicle’s braking energy into electricity.
Source: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2011, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
