The Director of a London-based firm whose sustainable flat-pack buildings were first seen on Channel 4’s Grand Designs is now visiting customers and transporting materials in a zero-emission Mercedes-Benz van supplied by Dealer Rossetts Commercials.
U-Build employs a modular timber construction system that is, according to Nick Newman: “Reusable, environmentally responsible and incredibly cost-efficient, with no sacrifices in terms of quality.”
The concept was developed and the business established in 2020 by award-winning architects Studio Bark. U-Build’s precision-cut components are quickly and easily slotted together, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle – given the company’s eco-friendly ethos, the eSprinter is an equally perfect fit.
U-Build purchased its new eSprinter from the Aldershot branch of Rossetts Commercials, which represents the Mercedes-Benz Vans brand in North Hampshire, Surrey and Sussex. The vehicle is powered by a 114 hp electric motor that drives the front wheels, and the 55 kWh high-voltage battery pack is securely mounted beneath the body, so does not impinge on cargo carrying space.
Indeed, the load volume offered by the L2 (medium length), H2 (high roof) eSprinter’s is key to its appeal. The vehicle offers a cargo area of 11m3, which is identical to its diesel-engined, front-wheel drive stablemate, and half a cubic metre more than its rear-wheel drive equivalent.
Crucially for a new-start business such as U-Build, not only does the eSprinter make environmental sense but it adds up from a financial perspective too. Acquired with the assistance of an £8,000 grant from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), the new van is proving significantly cheaper to run than its predecessor, thanks to the lower cost of electricity relative to diesel.
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