North west Mercedes Benz dealership e-Star held a conference coupled with a ride and drive electric truck and van event for its customers, reports Tim Blakemore.
THIS INDUSTRY will change more in the next five years than it has in the past 50. When seasoned truck and van fleet operators, unsurprisingly preoccupied with the unrelenting everyday challenges of their job, hear such bold forecasts they may be forgiven for treating them with a generous pinch of salt.
Yet when Steve Bridge said exactly this at the opening of the ‘Experience Electric’ event he was hosting recently at the Bolton Wanderers FC stadium in Greater Manchester the reaction from his 150-plus audience, fleet managers in the main, was far from sceptical.
That surely must be something to do with Steve’s well-earned reputation as a straight talking Bolton lad who knows the UK commercial vehicle industry inside out. He spent 22 years working for Daimler truck and van divisions here, including seven as managing director of Mercedes-Benz Vans UK, and preceded by managerial posts at big, independent leasing and rental operations.
