The eight-seat Vito E-CELL Traveliners are driven by the concierge team, who make dozens of journeys each day from Westwood, on the outskirts of Coventry, to the Tile Hill railway station less than a mile away.
Also available as a panel van, the Vito E-CELL is the world’s first battery-powered light commercial vehicle to be built on line at a mainstream production facility. An 82hp electric motor drives the front wheels and the E-CELL employs a regenerative system which captures the energy that would otherwise be lost in braking. As well as increasing range, this is used to power the heating and ventilation system and standard-fit heated seats.
The vehicle will cover an average of 80 miles between recharges and to maximise operating range, it has an electronically limited top speed of 56 mph. Mercedes-Benz say a completely empty battery can be recharged from a 380/400 volt input in a maximum of six hours.
Network Rail’s vehicles were supplied by Mercedes-Benz UK Corporate Sales, and are the subject of a CharterWay contract hire agreement with Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. They will be maintained by workshop staff at Coventry dealer Midlands Truck & Van, using established Star Diagnosis and other servicing systems.
Head of Westwood, David Williams, explained: ‘Rail is a very “green” form of transport and we were keen to reflect this in the vehicles we use to collect our guests from the local station and return them at the end of their stay with us.
‘We’re very proud of our new Mercedes, which tick all the boxes from an environmental standpoint. They are also a pleasure for the team to drive and have been exceptionally well received by delegates attending professional skills development courses, graduate training programmes and leadership conferences here at Westwood.’