The coolest ride in town is England’s first electric ice cream truck

The fully electric Whitby Morrison ice cream van, built on the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter, photographed in Crewe, England. The “world’s leading ice cream truck manufacturer” has released its first fully electric ice cream truck, which is already in operaiton, and it says it’s open for orders for more. Whitby Morrison bills itself as “the world’s leading ice cream truck manufacturer,” supplying converted vans as ice cream trucks to drivers worldwide. And now it has taken a big step into the modern age delivering its first fully electric ice cream truck to Hocking’s dairy in North Devon, England. The truck has been operating since July, through the course of one “ice cream season.” It reportedly covered more than 100 miles a day and has done days serving up to 12 hours at a time. It’s built on a standard Mercedes eSprinter, so it’s not retrofitted from the diesel vans that make up most of Whitby Morrison’s other offerings. The eSprinter comes in a “chassis cab” configuration which comes with just the chassis and cab, and lets upfitters build whatever they want onto the back end of the vehicle. In this case, it also got some pretty extensive (and a little over-the-top) art all around the vehicle, highlighting the van’s electric operation. (Battery-powered soft-serve machine needs no engine/generator running) The ice cream truck maker, Whitby Morrison, says this is the “world’s first fully certified electric ice cream truck.” We’re not sure what sort of international certifications are required for an ice cream truck so we’ll take their word for it, but we have seen a Rivian EDV turned into a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream truck, complete with side window, and a concept electric ice cream truck as far back as 2019. So it’s certainly not the very first time this idea has been had, at least. And it is a good idea. As with school buses, ice cream trucks are vehicles that children are likely to congregate around. Having a stinky old truck spewing emissions just a few feet away from those kids’ lungs is the sort of thing that can expose them to a life of health problems… and we might as well not stack that on top of the sugar addiction we’re teaching them to have (hey, at least they have to get outside to chase the truck down, so they’re getting some physical activity out of it, right?) It also opens up more possibilities for operators to serve at events where having a diesel truck running might not be reasonable, like in enclosed spaces or where quiet might be appreciated (this came up when we went to Harbinger Motors’ factory opening, where local food trucks were in attendance, inside the large factory building, and made the air quality noticeably worse). Whitby Morrison says it’s taking orders both in the UK and overseas, with US orders just opening. To learn more, head on over to its website. Charge your electric vehicle at home using rooftop solar panels. Find a reliable and competitively priced solar installer near you on EnergySage, for free. They have pre-vetted installers competing for your business, ensuring high-quality solutions and 20-30% savings. It’s free, with no sales calls until you choose an installer. Compare personalized solar quotes online and receive guidance from unbiased Energy Advisers. Get started here. – ad* FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.