Mercedes-Benz Vans has received another major order and will deliver 600 Mercedes-Benz Sprinters to Belgium. The contract was awarded by Brussels-based Belgacom, Belgium’s leading provider of telecommunications and Internet services as well as digital TV. One of the largest companies in Belgium, Belgacom has almost 17,000 employees and maintains a fleet of more than 8.000 cars, vans, and trucks. The first Mercedes-Benz Sprinter was delivered to the customer in December 2009. Over the next two years, Mercedes-Benz Vans will deliver some 25 vehicles per month to Belgacom.
Mercedes-Benz Vans was awarded the contract for two reasons: On the one hand, the vehicles meet the highest technical standards and also scored well regarding the customer’s wishes for special features. On the other hand, the customer was also impressed by the fact that Mercedes-Benz Vans offered the lowest total cost of ownership.
Belgacom ordered a total of 600 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 519 CDI panel vans of 5.0 tons GVW. A special feature of the vehicles is their three-part body, which consists of a driver’s cab, a mobile workstation equipped with the latest in information and telecommunications technology, and a cargo area for cables and tools. The Sprinter can also pull a 3.0-ton trailer, enabling it to take a small excavator to repair sites, for example. All the vehicles are equipped as standard with the latest version of the ESP stability program, which determines the weight and position of the freight and optimally adjusts the controlled braking operations. The Sprinters are also equipped as standard with adaptive brake lights that flash rapidly during emergency braking. This provides an additional warning signal to following motorists and can therefore help reduce the number of rear-end collisions. All of the vehicles are equipped with clean Euro 5-compliant engines.
The contract also encompasses a comprehensive service package from Mercedes-Benz CharterWay, which will be responsible for the maintenance and vehicle management of all 600 Sprinters.
