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Mercedes Drops Electric Van Program
Daimler AG tells Car and Driver it has stopped selling Vito E-Cell electric delivery vans in Europe because of a lack of demand.
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Daimler AG tells Car and Driver it has stopped selling Vito E-Cell electric delivery vans in Europe because of a lack of demand.
Volker Mornhinweg, who heads the company's Mercedes-Benz van unit, tells the magazine the EV program is in "hibernation mode" because Daimler has been able to sell only a few hundred electrified Vitos in seven European test markets since 2011.
Daimler makes the midsize Vito as a two-seat delivery van and seven-seat passenger vehicle. The electrified version is powered by a 60-kW motor and 36-kWh lithium-ion battery installed beneath the floor. The van can travel 80 miles per charge, hit an electronically limited top speed of 55 mph and tote a payload of 850 kg (nearly 1,900 lbs).
Daimler reportedly will rely on such technologies as clean diesels, lighter materials and stop-start systems to boost the efficiency of the next-generation Vito.
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