Zero-emission final mile delivery company Gnewt Cargo has ordered three additional electric vans from Mercedes-Benz.

The Vito E-Cell vans are assigned to the award-winning company’s contract with TNT Express, and are now operating primarily within London’s Congestion Zone.   

Gnewt – the name is an acronym for Green NEW Transport – was launched in 2009 and utilises a fleet of electric cargocycles and minivans to provide deliveries and collections across Central London.

Co-founder Sam Clarke said: “Our customers include third-party logistics companies, large retailers and other forward-thinking organisations who recognise that freight can be moved around cities in more efficient, cost-effective and environmentally-friendly ways.

“Our service, vehicles and micro consolidation hubs are precision-targeted to each client’s needs and locations, we create fulfilling work for local people, and best of all we have been independently verified to cut CO₂ emissions per parcel delivered by upwards of 62%.”

Supplied by sealer S & B Commercials, Gnewt Cargo’s Vito E-Cells are the subject of CharterWay contract hire agreements with Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, for which the operator receives funding support via the government’s Plug-in Van Grant. Two charging points by Charging Solutions, part of Chargemaster, have been installed at the company’s base in the City.   

Key to the vehicle’s appeal for Sam Clarke and his colleagues, is its size and carrying capacity. “We have a lot of electric vans by other manufacturers but they are much smaller and can’t match the Vito E-Cell in terms of load volume and payload potential,” he explained.  

“The Mercedes-Benz is a genuinely practical proposition with a very respectable range, while the feedback from those at the wheel has been brilliant too. Jose Britto drives our first E-Cell and he loves it for its comfort and high specification – it’s a proper van, and there’s nothing bigger when it comes to fully electric drivelines.”