Lift installation and servicing business Morris Vermaport has taken delivery of 12 Mercedes Citan vans, eight of which have replaced petrol-electric hybrid cars for its mobile engineers.
Supplied by dealer Mertrux, the Citan 111 CDIs are powered by 110bhp diesel engines.
The Chilwell, Nottinghamshire-based operator initially chose hybrid cars to minimise fuel consumption, but has found the cost of vehicle tax to be prohibitive.
"The rates on the Citans were much lower," says Andrew Waddell, operations director for Morris Vermaport.
"There's not a lot to choose between the two vehicles in terms of mpg returns – the hybrids are good around town but less so on longer runs, or when fully loaded, which is when the Citan really shows its class."
Long-bodied versions of the van are being used by mobile engineers, while four extra-long variants are used by the installation team.
All are supplied with Mercedes Service Care packages, with all routine servicing, parts and labour covered by a single monthly payment.
