Ambulance Trust upgrades fleet with £15m order for Mercedes Sprinters06 March 2014

The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust has taken the first deliveries from a £15 million order for 147 new vehicles, in a fleet upgrade covering six counties.

Supplied by dealer Orwell Truck & Van, the vehicles are based on a 5-tonne Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 519 CDI chassis, and fitted with purpose-designed box bodies by German specialist WAS. All are scheduled to go into operation by the end of this year.

Most will replace older vehicles in the 283-strong fleet covering Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, but 27 additions will bring the fleet size to 310.

"The 5-tonne Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is well proven in operation and offers the combination of performance, reliability, safety and carrying capacity that allows us to provide a high-quality service to patients," says John Hole, the Trust's head of fleet.

The Sprinters are powered by 190bhp V6 common-rail turbodiesel engines, and equipped with Telma electro-magnetic engine retarders to reduce wear and tear and enhance braking performance.

The Trust has also specified air conditioning, adjustable steering wheels, an outside temperature gauge, halogen fog lamps, Comfort seats for driver and front-seat passenger, and an airbag for the passenger (the driver's bag is standard).

Key to the model's appeal is the availability of a fully automatic gearbox, adds Hole: "This makes life a lot easier for our drivers, particularly when they're on a 'blue light' call, as it leaves them free to concentrate fully on the road."

Author
Laura Cork

Related Companies
Mercedes Benz Uk Limited

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