British Gas has chosen a pair of electric Mercedes-Benz people carriers to ferry employees between the company’s network of offices around West London.
The seven-seat Vito E-Cell Traveliners represent the latest stage of the company’s plan to replace at least 10% of its fleet of 13,000 vans with EVs. The minibuses have been brought in to provide a shuttle service between the eight British Gas buildings in Staines, as well as carrying staff to and from other offices in Windsor, and nearby railway stations.
As a leading provider of EV charging points in the UK, British Gas said the investment in the E-Cell underlines a commitment to reducing its own environmental impact.
British Gas Electric Vehicle Specialist James Rooney said: “We’re committed to reducing our carbon emissions and minimising the impact of our operations on the local environment. These new vehicles, which produce no pollutants and are also exceptionally quiet in operation.
“We chose these Vito E-Cells because Mercedes-Benz is often regarded as a leader in emerging technologies. We also know from experience that Mercedes-Benz vehicles are superbly reliable – we have seven Sprinter minibuses in operation already and have just introduced several minibuses with automatic transmissions at a site in Leicester.”
The E-Cell offers the same volume and payload capacities of standard Vito vans. Its 82hp (60kW) electric motor, stored beneath the load floor, drives the front wheels and is capable of covering an average of 80 miles between charges.
