Electric vehicles will be coming in all shapes and sizes, including vans. Production is now underway of the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter. The electric van is being made at the plant in Dusseldorf, Germany. Mercedes has been building vans in Dusseldorf since 1962. Production of the new combustion powered Sprinter began in 2018.
The eSprinter is intended for urban mobility, so the range is not what we’re seeing from some other EV’s grabbing headlines lately. The electric van has an output of 114 horsepower and 221 lb. ft of torque going to the front wheels. The eSprinter comes with battery options. The 55 kWh battery has an estimated range of 104 miles, while the 35 kWh battery can run for an estimated 71-miles. Mercedes says the maximum loading volume is 371 cubic feet, the same as the Sprinter with a combustion engine.
Mercedes is also transforming how it’s producing vans. Their plan calls for manufacturing fully electric vehicles along with gas and diesel powered vans on a single production line. They say this will result in “enormous flexibility and the ability to meet both customer and market requirements”. They’re also working on a “green production strategy” with 100% renewable sources only powering the Dusseldorf plant beginning in 2022. We’ll be watching for word as to whether the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter is coming to the U.S.
