Electrical contractor Sparkx has purchased three new Mercedes-Benz Sprinters – including a UK first – and an X-Class pickup after switching from renting vans to owning its own fleet.
Dealer Rygor Commercials is also preparing to deliver another five Sprinters to Sparkx’s headquarters in Wendover, Buckinghamshire.
One of the vans already in service is the first in the UK to be fitted with a VTL-145-F access platform by Versalift. Offering a maximum working height of 14.6m and an outreach of 9.2m, this features an optional ‘limited working envelope’ function, which allows the operative to work at full height over the back of the vehicle without having to deploy stabilisers. The result is increased overall productivity and set up speed at a site.
Meanwhile, Sparkx’s first pickup is Sparkx’s managing director, Chris Rogers’ personal vehicle. “I was driving a Sprinter previously, but as the business continues to develop there’s less need for me to be ‘on the tools’,” he said. “The X-Class makes perfect sense – it can carry plenty of materials or equipment if required but is also supremely comfortable. It looks very professional too, and is ideal for travelling to the client meetings, site surveys and customer visits that take up most of my time these days.”
Sparkx’s new vans have replaced rented vehicles from the previous Sprinter model generation. These vehicles are used to provide a range of services, including installing and maintaining street and festive lighting system, across the Home Counties area.
“We’ve always owned a small core of vehicles but to cope with growing customer demand had been relying on rented vans to make up the numbers,” explained Rogers. “Having tried vehicles by several manufacturers we’ve found that the Sprinter copes better than any other with a tough working life in a harsh environment – nothing else is as robust or reliable.”
Like all Mercedes-Benz vans, Sparkx’s new vehicles are backed by three-year, unlimited mileage manufacturer’s warranties, and came with MobiloVan cover, which includes free round-the-clock emergency roadside assistance.
The van fitted with Versalift’s access platform is a 143hp 314 CDI variant with rear-wheel drive. Also on the road are two more 3.5-tonners, another 314 CDI van, and a 163hp 316 CDI chassis cab with tipping body by Ingimex of Telford. “The Sprinter makes a superb base for our application because it’s so customisable,” said Rogers. “We’ve been able to tailor the build of these vehicles to our exact requirements. They adapt very well to the Versalift conversion, and we’ve been able to specify a host of extras like air-conditioning and automatic headlights.”
