Mercedes-Benz eSprinter electric van has 150km range

Mercedes-Benz has just released details of its new all-electric van, unveiled earlier this year with its Sprinter line-up.

The eSprinter will have a 150km range and carry up to 1000kg, and will enter the market in 2019 as a follow-up to the e-Vito released last year.

The mid-size high roof panel van has been available to order for a number of months, and the first examples will be delivered in the second half of this year, Daimler says. “Over the next few years Mercedes-Benz Vans will also offer every commercial model range as an electric variant.”

Two battery pack options are available for the eSprinter, a 55kWh for the 150km range and 41kWh for a 115km range.

The 3.5 tonne van has a 10.5 cubic metre load capacity, is 5.932 metres long and has a 3.924m wheelbase, the company says.

“The eSprinter has sufficient space for a wide range of transport requirements…from passengers to goods,” Daimler adds.

“Electrification of the commercial fleet follows our conviction that the future belongs to electric drive systems, especially in inner-city traffic,” Mercedes-Benz Vans head Volker Mornhinweg says.

“We have already shown with the eVito that we are serious about the implementation. Now we are going a step further with the eSprinter. Our electric drive systems are also competitive in larger vehicle segments – especially regarding the total cost of ownership which is important for our commercial customers.”

The battery pack feeds an electric motor with “an output of 84kW and a torque of up to 300Nm with a limited top speed of 80km/h to maximise range, or 120km/h otherwise”.
Pricing has not yet been confirmed.

“The total operating costs must be at the level of a comparably equipped vehicle powered by a diesel engine – the eSprinter and the eVito meet this basic requirement,” Mercedes-Benz Van eDrive@Vans head Benjamin Kaehler says.

“Electric models can only be competitive in commercial operations if using them makes economic sense. The higher procurement costs are offset by lower energy and maintenance costs, as well as tax savings.”

Mercedes-Benz Vans says it’s investing 150 million euros in commercial fleet electrification during the next few years.