Dry cleaner Blanc has acquired two electric Mercedes-Benz eSprinter vans from dealer Rossetts Commercials.
The West London-based company says it will return to the same dealer for another two before the end of the year and then replace one of its smaller electric vans with a fifth Mercedes-Benz as soon as possible after this.
Introduced late last year, the 3.5-tonne eSprinter is powered by a 114hp electric motor that drives the front wheels.
It will travel 95 miles on a single charge, which is ample for the majority of urban delivery and last mile applications; recuperative energy recovered when decelerating supplements the batteries’ output.
The 55 kWh high-voltage battery pack is securely mounted beneath the vehicle’s body, so does not impinge on the cargo area.
As a result, the high-roofed, medium-length L2 eSprinter’s 11m3 volume carrying capacity is identical to its diesel-engined, front-wheel drive stablemate, and half a cubic metre larger than its rear-wheel drive equivalent.
Key to the eSprinter’s appeal for Blanc is the 2,079mm height of its load bay.
Head of Operations at Blanc Evan Charalampous said, “We clean a lot of longer garments, particularly evening dresses. Its high roof means these can be transported on rails in the eSprinter, something it’s not possible to do in smaller electric vans.
“The Mercedes-Benz vehicle’s cargo space therefore allows us to run a distribution operation that is efficient as well as sustainable.
“Our customers are environmentally friendly too. They like to see us using fully electric vans that produce no harmful tailpipe emissions.
“The eSprinter is beautifully smooth and comfortable to drive. Its range is more than sufficient for our purposes, while because electric vehicles are exempt from the Congestion Charge each van is potentially saving us £12.50 per day.”