It can be hard to think about eating a Magnum bar or popsicle when a winter coat, hat, and gloves are necessary to go outside, but British upfitter Whitby Morrison is already preparing for next summer by ordering 55 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans to convert into ice cream trucks. The company continues to have a high demand for the overhauled vans.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, setting up an ice cream truck at festivals or fairs is no longer possible. Instead, the vans’ operators are increasingly becoming more mobile and taking their frozen treats to residential areas.
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Most customers order their Whitby Morrison ice cream truck using the 3.5-tonne variant of the Sprinter. Although, the company can even build them on the 5.0-tonne chassis. The business exports the vans to clients in over 60 countries around the world. The color vehicles are sure to grab the attention of kids and adults who are in search of a cool snack.
“Our vehicles are synonymous with the highest quality and meet all of the individual requirements that our customers have,” Operations Director Ed Whitby said.
Mercedes debuted a major refresh for the Sprinter in early 2018 that slightly tweaked the exterior design to change the grille and headlights. There was also a new front-wheel-drive powertrain option. Inside, the company installed the MBUX infotainment systems with special settings for fleet managers to monitor the vehicle. There were also added camera systems and an improved air conditioning system.
In 2019, Mercedes introduced an electric version of the Sprinter to the lineup. It had 55 kilowatt hour or 41 kWH batteries. With the higher capacity, the van offered 104.4 miles (168 kilometers) of range and a payload capacity of 1,964 pounds (891 kilograms). The cargo capacity was the same as combustion-powered versions of the van.