Mercedes-Benz at the CV Show

Saving the planet need not cost the Earth – that's the message Mercedes-Benz took to the 2011 Commercial Vehicle Show after an absence of three years, as it demonstrated yet again a determination to produce cleaner and more economical commercial vehicles.

"We were the last to withdraw when the recession struck and the first to sign up again," Ian Jones, the MD of Commercial Vehicles for Mercedes-Benz UK, said: "Britain needs trucks and vans, and can't manage without them – and with growing concerns over the environment, we need to make sure our industry impact continues to diminish, with the ultimate goal of an emissions-free transport future."

Visitors to the NEC saw at first hand the remarkable Mercedes-Benz Vito E-CELL, which offers a tantalising glimpse of an emissions-free future. The world's first battery-powered van to be built at a mainstream production facility, the whisper-quiet Vito E-CELL was presented both in complete form and as a stripped down chassis, allowing the ground-breaking electric driveline to be viewed in close detail.

Still on the 'green' theme, Mercedes-Benz also exhibited a Euro 5-engined 113CDI from the recently launched Vito range in eco-friendly BlueEFFICIENCY trim, and a natural gas-powered Sprinter 316 NGT with factory-fitted dropside bodywork that emits practically no particulate emissions and has an exceptionally low carbon footprint when run on liquid biomethane produced from organic waste