Due to higher delivery demand in densely packed urban areas, Utilimaster, has engineered a lean new Class 3 walk-in van called the Velocity M3, purpose-built on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter cab and chassis. The announcement was made at the 2020 Work Truck Show in Indianapolis.
According to the company, a go-to-market brand of Spartan Motors, Inc., the diesel-powered Velocity is lighter, more fuel efficient and has a better payload than the 8-year-old Reach platform. This new option was engineered to have the maneuverability of a cargo van while maintaining a capacity closer to a traditional walk-in. The payload is 5,300 lb., while the 12-footer has a capacity of 590 cu. ft. and 735 cu. ft. for the 14.5-foot version.
The Velocity, slated to be production ready in Q3 2020, is also outfitted with high tech safety features including blind spot detection, 360-deg. cameras and a 9-in. display. An optional 12.3-in. panoramic monitor can hold two feeds, such as GPS and the camera view, so a driver “won’t have to sacrifice safety over directions,” noted Eric Fisher, vice president and general manager at Utilimaster.
With the delivery drivers’ safety and comfort in mind, engineers programmed the hazard lights to turn on and extra-wide cab door to open when the driver exits the van so they can easily grab parcels.
“When someone is making 150 stops, you have to think of the fatigue — opening and closing a door 300 times a day,” Fisher said.
The driver also wears an RFID wristband paired to that specific vehicle that signals for the door to close and lock to prevent theft while dropping the package off.
“Only that wristband will open that door,” Fisher said. “It’s not like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth that you can hack.”
Other key features include:
- extra quiet cab
- glide-off elevated seats
- lower body fiberglass cladding for improved durability
- aerodynamic design leading to 18 MPG
- wheelbase range of 144 to 170 inches for better turn radius
Utilimaster also displayed the Reach EV, revealed last year and going into production Q2 2021, and a Ford Transit upfit package for utility and telecommunications customers.
The Veoclity M3 will have an electrified version ready sometime in 2021.
“As the first-to-last-mile delivery segment expands alongside the growing direct-to-consumer market, our vehicles must continue to evolve to meet the needs of our customers and their evolving routes,” said Chad Heminover, president of Spartan Fleet Vehicles and Services.
