Mercedes has joined the ranks of van manufacturers offering scrappage schemes to incentivise the replacement of older, more polluting vans with newer, cleaner models.
However, in a slight twist, Mercedes is also launching a van ‘swappage’ scheme as well.
UPDATE: We’ve now got full details of the discoutns, and it’s more complicated than we thought…
What’s the difference between Mercedes van scrappage and van swappage?
The Mercedes van scrappage scheme is aimed at particularly polluting older vans – those that only meet Euro 1 to Euro 3 (EU1-EU3) levels of emissions regulation. Vans traded in under the Mercedes scrappage scheme will be scrapped, removing them from the road altogether.
The Mercedes van swappage scheme targets Euro 4 to Euro 5 (EU4-EU5) vans – the trade-ins here won’t be destroyed, but they will still give you a substantial discount towards a new model.
All the new Mercedes vans involved in the offer meet the latest Euro 6 emissions regulations.
Can I really swap my old van for a new one?
Not quite – this is more a case of a big discount than a direct swap.
Interestingly, the swappage offer is open to both retail customers – typically buyers of single vans – and small fleets, allowing up to 24 old vehicles to be ‘swapped’ for new ones.
What are the deposit contributions Mercedes is offering?
For scrappage the additional deposit contribution given in exchange for your old van ranges from £1,000 to £5,600 – excluding VAT – depending on the model of Mercedes you’re looking at.
For swappage, the value ranges from £2,000 to £5,100 – again ex VAT – depending on model.
However, the amount of discount also varies depending on whether you’re buying with cash on finance.
As you’d probably expect, the smallest discounts are on the Citan, the largest on the Sprinter, with the Vito coming in between.
You can also save money on Euro 6 approved used Mercedes vans, but this is a flat rate discount of £1,000.
Is this really about the environment?
We’d argue, no, it’s really about van sales – which are flagging due to the current post-Brexit vote political and economic uncertainty. However, the Mercedes scheme has been implemented in a manner designed to make upgrading to a newer, cleaner van more affordable. Which is hardly a bad thing.
As with most other van scrappage schemes, Mercedes’ new offers run until 31 December 2017.
Also read:
Van scrappage scheme round-up – on Parkers Vans
