While plenty of people express interest in having plug-in electric vehicles, the reality is that the market segment where batteries are likely to have their first big impact is in commercial vehicles. Vans like the Ford Transit Connect and Mercedes-Benz Vito are often used by businesses and typically have a relatively small operating radius and limited hours. That makes them well-suited to being plugged in at a central depot at the end of a work day.
As the winter test season wraps up in northern Sweden this month, the all-electric Vito has completed its first cold-weather endurance test. The Vito has to go through all of the same testing as any other vehicle in the Mercedes lineup so, as the frozen lakes begin to melt around Arjeplog, the electric Vito will be heading south to the Alps and then on to Spain for high temperature testing. Through the winter, the Vito has apparently been averaging 80 miles on a charge.
Battery powered Mercedes-Benz Vito passes cold weather endurance test originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.