Göppingen Savings Bank has created a mobile branking branch to bring its services directly to its customers. The mobile branch is housed in an upfit Sprinter 316 CDI with a high-torque four-cylinder diesel engine delivering 163 hp. 

The Sprinter offers the Adaptive ESP handling control system. This brings together anti-lock braking, acceleration skid control, electronic brake force distribution, and brake assist, and supplements them with a driving stability assist function.

The special low-frame chassis used by the mobile bank branch was originally developed by Mercedes-Benz and AL-KO for applications in the motorhome industry. The floor of the chassis, which sits 205 mm lower than in a normal Sprinter, is positioned at a convenient height for people to access the mobile bank's customer service area, according to the automaker.

Frankfurt-based company Berger Fahrzeugbau GmbH, a certified VanPartner by Mercedes-Benz, was responsible for building the special-purpose body for the bank. Berger Fahrzeugbau has many years of experience in this field, having already produced around 800 specially modified vehicles, according to the automaker. 

The bank's employees are protected by armored bullet-proof body that incorporates special high-security materials. They can directly access the cash office through an alarmed door in the back wall of the cabin. The vehicle has inbuilt CCTV and the police can track it using its GPS locator. A satellite on the roof ensures a reliable connection to the data processing center at the main branch in Göppingen. This means the mobile staff can offer exactly the same service that customers would expect from a staionary branch. The employees even have use of an integrated bathroom unit with a wash basin and toilet, according to the automaker.

To access the mobile bank customers enter the service area on the other side of the bullet-proof glass using a push-button-operated swiveling door and the same kind of retractable access steps that are used in buses. An intercom system and a steel drawer for passing items back and forth mean that customers with restricted mobility can also use the branch. The mobile bank branch is also eco-friendly. Its lithium-ion batteries that charge overnight power all the office and communications technology as well as the lighting and air conditioning, all day long and without the need for an additional generator, according to the automaker.