Enercon Canada partners with Mercedes-Benz, adds Sprinter 4x4s to fleet

by Sonia Straface

SMITHVILLE, Ont. – A new partnership was celebrated today at a Niagara Region wind farm in Smithville, Ont.

Hans-Jörg Mehl, vice-president and CFO of Mercedes-Benz Canada, Michael Weidemann, executive vice-president of Enercon Canada and Volker Kendziorra, global head of service of Enercon, gathered to announce the company’s new partnership that saw 20 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 4x4s added to the fleet of service vehicles that support Enercon’s wind farms across Canada.

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(L-R) Michael Weidemann, Hans-Jörg Mehl and Volker Kendziorra.

The partnership initially began in 2014 with a single 4×4 prototype based on a standard rear-wheel drive Sprinter built to Canadian specifications in Düsseldorf, Germany. From there, Enercon tested the prototype for six months from Nova Scotia to Quebec and Ontario.

Weidemann told Truck News that Enercon and Mercedes-Benz have formed partnerships in other countries, but today marks the first day the partnership has expanded into the Canadian market.

“We see today’s announcement as a great first step towards a long term relationship in this part of the world,” Weidemann said.

Enercon representatives said choosing the Sprinter 4×4 was a no-brainer for the company that wanted a fuel-efficient vehicle with the payload capacity to accommodate a full complement of equipment.

“For many years, Enercon has used Mercedes-Benz vans to serve our company’s wind turbines around the world. We found that the Canadian climate and topography demanded certain requirements, and are pleased to say that the Sprinter 4×4 has met all of them,” explained Kendziorra.

The Sprinters were also a smart choice for Enercon because it needed vehicles to service wind farms that are often located away from main, paved roads. As well, Enercon said, it wanted vehicles that their employees would love to drive.

“We wanted to give our people a better van with a more roomy working space and payload and we think it’s a better van for us at the end of the day,” Weidemann said.

“The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter was the pioneer of the modern van movement, and today this model continues to trail blaze as the only 4×4 commercial van in Canada,” added Mercedes-Benz’s Mehl. “Our agreement with Enercon underscores the increasing importance of fuel efficiency to global corporations, an area in which the Sprinter leads the pack. This advantage, coupled with its best-in-class payload and cargo volume – not to mention its remarkable interior height of over 2.2 metres – make for an unbeatable combination.”


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