Mercedes readies eSprinter in 2 body sizes, 3 battery options

The next generation of the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter is headed to the U.S. and Canada and will be developed on a new 350 million euro ($424 million) electric vehicle platform.

The commercial van, built on Mercedes’ new Electric Versatility Platform, will be offered with three battery options and various body configurations, the German automaker confirmed Wednesday.

“This will ensure we meet the requirements of our customers across multiple sectors … while offering the advantages of locally emission-free electric drive,” Marcus Breitschwerdt, head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, said in a statement.

On Monday, Automotive News reported Mercedes planned to begin selling the eSprinter in the U.S. as early as the third quarter of 2023. Mercedes did not say when the eSprinter would be available for sale in North America.

Mercedes began selling the eSprinter, a battery-powered version of the boxy Sprinter van, in Europe this year. The company has hesitated to bring the EV to the U.S. because of a limited driving range and the high cost of homologation.  

Range should not be an issue with the next version.

The next eSprinter will be offered with a 60 kWh, 80 kWh, or 120 kWh battery, giving it a top range of 224 miles (360 km), based on preliminary estimates. The projected range would give the Mercedes EV a significant upgrade over the 55-kWh battery in the current European version and the 67-kWh battery in a competing electric van expected from Ford next year.

The rear-wheel-drive eSprinter will be available in two wheelbases and can be configured as a delivery van, flatbed truck, people mover and ambulance, Mercedes said Wednesday.

Daimler’s modular platform approach will increase the appeal of the new eSprinter across a wider range of fleet customers, said Conrad Layson, an analyst with AutoForecast Solutions.

“Fleet managers can order vehicles tailored to their needs from the automaker, saving upfitting costs,” Layson said. “That kind of flexibility sells well in this vertical.”

Building the eSprinter on a dedicated EV platform eliminates the cost and complexity involved in adapting an architecture designed for the internal combustion engine.
 

Emerging demand for electric delivery vans from logistics companies, tightening emissions regulations and new rivals spurred Mercedes to bring the eSprinter to the automaker’s second-largest market.

The U.S. electric commercial van market is still undeveloped, but it’s likely to become a battlefield in the next few years as industry heavyweights such as General Motors and Ford launch new products.

Ford will offer a battery-electric version of the Transit cargo van in the U.S. and Canada for the 2022 model year. And GM will begin production of an electric van, code-named BV1, in September, according to AutoForecast Solutions.

Guidehouse Insights forecasts battery-powered light-commercial vehicle sales in the U.S. will reach about 623,000 in 2030, up from about 56,000 this year.

The 2023 timing for the eSprinter’s U.S. debut hits a sweet spot, said Jeff Schuster, president of global forecasting at LMC Automotive. The Sprinter model line is also due for a freshening in 2023.

“It’s going to take a bit of time to convince the commercial-vehicle segment that EVs make sense,” Schuster said. “And it allows for the marketing efforts to kick in ahead of the launch.”