Mercedes-Benz is presenting its new
portfolio of emergency vehicles, including police cars and ambulances, at the
General Police Equipment Exhibition & Conference, in Frankfurt, Germany,
between February 18 and 20.
A total of 15 vehicles are on display,
covering most segments, albeit with an eco-twist. One of the stars of the
exhibition is the EQC, which has tried on the German police livery for the
first time. The electric SUV is equipped with the typical equipment required
from a cruiser and features the brand’s latest driving assistance systems.
Joining it on set is the GLC F-Cell, which
is already in service with the Hamburg police. The hydrogen-powered version of
the premium compact SUV stands next to the E 300 de Estate, a plug-in hybrid
powered by a diesel engine that combines the best of both worlds: zero-emission
driving around town with the ICE that’s suitable for long journeys. The EV mode
is activated via the route-based operating strategy that calculates the route,
taking into account things such as traffic conditions, topography, speed limits
and navigation data to save fuel.
The Vito mid-size van is represented by 8
examples, in different guises, all of them modified for police work. The
vehicle is presented in the three wheelbases available, with front-, rear- and
all-wheel drive, in different conversion variants and boasts a special ‘police
seat’. Developed by Mercedes-Benz Vans and assessed by the Fraunhofer Institute
at the University of Stuttgart, it has flattened cushions for the driver and
front passenger that enhance ingress and egress. The seatbelt buckle is longer
and flexible, making it easier to be fastened and unfastened when the occupants
wear the full police equipment, and the robust seat cover, head restraints and
adjustable lumbar support round up the offering.
Heading to the outdoor exhibition,
visitors will see the Arocs 2543 L 6×2 heavy-duty truck, with the long
ClassicSpace cab finished in the color of the Federal Police. It can be used
both on- and off-road and is powered by a 10.7-liter six-pot that develops 428
PS and 2,100 Nm of torque. The police Arocs are
made at the Mercedes plant in Worth and converted by F&B
Nutzfahrzeug-Technik in the same area.
