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      Ex-NASA surveillance van with retractable roof cameras goes on sale

      news.movim.eu / ArsTechnica · Wednesday, 30 August, 2023 - 16:52 · 1 minute

    A grey Ford Econoline E-250 van

    Enlarge / $27,000 is a lot to pay for a 2006 Ford Econoline, but this one is not your average van. (credit: Chicago Motors)

    Yesterday afternoon, I came across a rather intriguing bit of government surplus, courtesy of the fine people at the Autopian . Normally, a Ford Econoline E-250 van would not be the sort of thing to warrant even a cocked eyebrow. But this particular gray van is not your average Econoline—it's a fully kitted-out surveillance wagon. However, it's not one of those vans that sometimes shows up in a list of SSIDs . Its time in government service was spent surveilling stuff for NASA.

    For sale in Chicago , the 2006 Econoline E-250 has remarkably few miles on the odometer—just 1,863. The $26,795 asking price is a lot higher than price guides suggest for an example of that vintage, but those price guides don't consider the retractable cameras, radios, audio and video recorders, and monitors that take up much of this van's interior.

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    (credit: Chicago Motors)

    Per a manufacturer's plate, the van was converted by Innovative Surveillance Technology in Florida on behalf of NASA's Protective Services division. NASA's website explains that among its duties, Protective Services enforces "state and federal laws and administrative regulations, providing emergency medical care, fire and rescue services, and providing an appropriate incident response to any situation."

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      Cargo, passengers, even campers—Mercedes-Benz has a new EV van platform

      news.movim.eu / ArsTechnica · Tuesday, 16 May, 2023 - 12:45

    a still from a Mercedes-Benz video showing a concept of how its modular van platform could give rise to a camper

    Enlarge / We know you love the idea of electric camper vans, and it seems so does Mercedes-Benz Vans. (credit: Mercedes-Benz)

    Mercedes-Benz Vans is on the verge of launching its next big thing. On Tuesday, the luxury carmaker’s Vans division detailed a new fully scalable electric vehicle architecture, called Van.EA, which is expected to bear fruit in 2026. From midsize luxury vans to full-size cargo and camper vans, Mercedes-Benz says Van.EA will provide extremely versatile bones.

    "We will merge our midsize and large vans onto one platform," Mathias Geisen, head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, told reporters during a press conference on Monday. "That wasn't possible in the past."

    How will that work? Basically, Van.EA will consist of three main parts. Up front, a common axle and electric drive unit will be shared across all Van.EA vehicles. The middle section will be the most flexible, with different lengths and battery sizes depending on the type of van. Finally, two rear-end options will be offered: one with an electric drive motor, for a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive setup, and one without this extra power unit, for front-wheel-drive vehicles.

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