eSprinter passes the test for callout duty

An interesting roadside assistance pilot programme caught my eye this week. In the UK at Northside Truck & Van the test period with an electric Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has been finished successfully.

The eSprinter was based in Bradford for two months and covered Leeds and York. It attended 160 roadside callouts and was operated on a 24-hour shift rotation.

Gavin Hewitt, aftersales director at Northside Truck & Van, said: “Participating in this trial proved everything we know about the eSprinter. Its power and reliability allowed us to continue to meet our targets when it came to roadside assistance and we look forward to adding more to our Service24h fleet in the future.”

The van’s 202-mile (325 kilometres) range allowed it to operate in line with Mercedes-Benz’ national targets for roadside assistance and proved to be enough for the majority of Northside’s callouts. Mercedes-Benz chose to mount the eSprinter’s 113kWh battery underneath the body, allowing the cargo bay to retain useful volume for a workspace and sufficient spare parts.

A Mercedes-Benz Vans UK spokesman added: “Growing our electric footprint in our Service24h vehicles is something we’re proud of. We know our customers expect the best from the three-pointed star, especially when it comes to aftersales and our extensive assistance programme and our electric vehicles are proven to meet those standards.”