GCL Group, the concrete frame contractor, has commissioned its first zero-emission vehicles with an order of four Mercedes-Benz eVito vans and two nine-seater eVito Tourers from Rygor Commercials. The new vehicles are due for delivery before the end of the month and come under a Mercedes-Benz Finance contract hire agreement.

They will join a fleet of more than 100 commercial vehicles at the company, which includes diesel Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans that were also sourced from Rygor Commercials.

The long-bodied L2 eVito, commissioned by GCL Group, has a 41 kWh battery securely mounted in a protective housing beneath the floor, offers up to 6.0m3 of cargo space and has rear doors that open to 180 degrees and sliding load doors on both sides. The vehicle offers an average range on a full battery charge of 91-92 miles, WLTP combined.

“We wanted to put a marker down by adopting and working with EV technology as early as possible. Our investments in these fully-electric Mercedes-Benz vans reflect the fact that we’re a responsible company that’s committed to operating in an environmentally sensitive manner,” said GCL Group transport manager Danielle Middlemass.

“We also work for some very big companies that have been asking all of their suppliers what they’re doing to reduce their emissions. In this respect the eVito represents a big ‘tick in the box’ for GCL Group.”

The company’s Heathrow branch provided eVito panel van and Tourer demonstrators for GCL to trial.

“We had a week with each and they were both very impressive. The contract hire agreements are competitively priced and afford us the twin benefits of predictable fixed costs and dealer maintenance. They will also protect us against product obsolescence. There’s every likelihood that the technology will have moved on considerably by the time we reach the end of the terms, so it’s reassuring to know that if we wish to do so we can just hand the vehicles back and move on to the next generation,” concluded Danielle.