As I used to be threading the 2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter alongside the LA area’s ever-congested Interstate 405, amongst its dozen or extra lanes in our path, passing plenty of business vans with tailpipes, the thought occurred to me: These might practically all be electrical. They usually quickly can be.
Giant vans have at all times been a kind of open canvas for companies—permitting them to successfully grow to be something firms want, from supply wagons to shuttles or cellular workshops. However up till now, that canvas because it applies to electrical vans has appeared overly constrained, both by limitations on the battery dimension affecting how extensively they could be used, or by packaging limitations
With the eSprinter, companies small and huge, and the fleet managers who oversee the automobiles, are going to expire of excuses. Whether or not pondering purely about working value, in regards to the functionality, or by way of the way it drives, diesel’s dwelling on borrowed time for any sort of metropolis or major-metro use.
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
Final-mile supply has been an electric-van emphasis for a couple of years; however the 2024 eSprinter, which is arriving now at dealerships within the U.S., is skipping previous that crowd. The eSprinter—significantly because it’s being bought within the U.S.—is exhibiting that it has larger aspirations, and can solely be bought right here with its largest battery pack, providing a usable vary of 113 kwh.
Whereas the eSprinter can be supplied in a wider vary of variations and fashions in Europe, all U.S.-bound variations of it will likely be on this long-wheelbase cargo van type, with the excessive roof and the large pack.
It quantities to a automobile that’s 280 inches lengthy, using on a 170-inch wheelbase, and amounting to an total peak of 107.1 inches. That’s simply above 8-foot-11 in the event you’re watching out for these peak indicators in parking buildings.
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
On this configuration, the eSprinter can maintain 488.1 cubic toes of cargo, in keeping with Mercedes, with a most payload of two,624 kilos and gross automobile weight as much as 9,370 kilos. It’s additionally good to tow 4,200 kilos.
The largest alternative for these constructing an eSprinter, as of but, is energy. Base variations of the eSprinter begin at $74,181 for the 100-kw model, whereas the 150-kw model begins at $77,611—each together with a $2,295 vacation spot payment. That equates to 134 hp or 201 hp, though Mercedes says that both model will ship 295 lb-ft of torque for a minimum of 30 seconds.
Working by the numbers, Mercedes guarantees higher effectivity than what I noticed in a fast drive assessment of the Ford E-Transit over a 12 months in the past—or what’s claimed by Ford. The eSprinter’s seats and trip high quality are additionally higher than that of the E-Transit. And the eSprinter goes farther, on much less power, than the Rivian EDV700. Though Rivian claimed a 201-mile EPA vary from earlier variations, its swap to an LFP pack seems to have yielded a 153-mile vary.
Mercedes lists the eSprinter as having a 273-mile vary within the beneficiant WLTP cycle, assuming a light-weight load. EPA assessments do not formally apply to such vans, they usually’re sometimes solely consultant of hypermiling and excessive techniques—though learn on, as a result of some outcomes I noticed proved me flawed on that assertion.
At current, the E-Transit begins at $51,890, whereas the Rivian vans begin at $83,000. Ram hasn’t but priced its ProMaster Electrical Van household, which seems to be prefer it slots extra towards that last-mile focus and the E-Transit.
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
Effectivity and vary is what sells it
What the eSprinter sells higher to America than another electrical van I’ve pushed is an abundance of driving vary, enabled by what seems to be higher effectivity than any comparable automobile.
However first, I needed to see if that effectivity would maintain when pushed like we so usually see cargo vans pushed in major-metro areas—briskly and, at instances, up towards their limits. So over a 62-mile drive from LAX to Newport Seashore, stopping on the Port of Lengthy Seashore, we drove largely like a supply driver in a rush, utilizing largely the eSprinter’s Consolation mode that makes full energy simpler to faucet into.
Mercedes put a 440-pound load within the check eSprinters—partly to button down the trip, which generally is a bit choppier in empty vans, but in addition to underscore its influence for effectivity, braking, dealing with, and extra.
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
On that extra exuberant journey—together with a route that included a spread of congested roads, a minimum of one full-throttle begin plus some foot-to-floor driving on the 405 and a quick time pegged on the 75-mph limiter, we averaged 1.9 miles per kwh in keeping with the journey laptop. That’s sufficient to go 215 miles on a full cost, with out making any concessions to effectivity.
We used only a small sliver of vary, with battery capability dropping from about 85% at our begin to 66% on the vacation spot.
Later, on a virtually 35-mile loop together with a mixture of slower-moving coastal visitors plus faster-moving driving on some very hilly suburban roads—plus a stint on an expressway, reaching about 65 mph—it averaged 2.4 mi/kwh.
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
Multiplied out with the battery pack’s 113 kwh usable, that’s primarily matching the eSprinter’s 273-mile WLTP vary. I’ve by no means come near WLTP rankings in a automobile with out driving so slowly I’m a street hazard—and right here I used to be shifting kind of with the pace of visitors.
And sure, the thought occurred to me that regardless of having roughly double the frontal space of some compact crossover EVs, this big van was going simply as far per kwh.
I did three issues on that run. I turned off the local weather management completely, dialed again the regenerative braking to coast to glide extra, and engaged the Most Vary mode.
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter – EV interface
Consolation mode permits all 150 kw from the propulsion system; Eco permits 100 kw, and Max Vary simply 80 kw. Local weather operation can be decreased considerably in Eco and extra considerably in Max Vary.
The eSprinter’s steering-wheel paddles deliver you plenty of selections—5 in all—for brake regeneration, or recuperation. It spans from D–, which is the strongest, though nonetheless not fairly a one-pedal mode, all the way in which to D++, which coasts and has no recuperation in any respect. D+ most likely extra carefully parallels what driving a gasoline or diesel van is like. A protracted press on the correct paddle brings D Auto, taking inputs from the radar sensors, hills, and different mapping data, but it surely doesn’t take into impact driving fashion.
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
Prepared for zero-emissions work of all types
Mercedes has made clear that with the eSprinter it’s aiming to concentrate on the supply market.
But it’s clear that Mercedes has designed the eSprinter to doubtlessly be kitted out for greater than supply. The permanent-magnet motor weighs simply 286 kilos, and with all the opposite propulsion-related elements positioned below the hood, it mounts in a manner in order to not get in the way in which of the flat flooring mandatory for chassis fashions or upfits—each attainable, Mercedes says, within the type of fashions like airport shuttle buses, ambulances, and even flatbed gear haulers.
It’s all a part of a method with this eSprinter to conceptualize the electrical van as three modules: the entrance one with high-voltage elements, the center one with the built-in flat battery weighing simply over 1,000 kilos, and the rear with the single-motor system.
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
As delivered in U.S. type, the eSprinter might be fitted with shelving, workbenches, or heavy-duty wood flooring to assist heavy masses or flip it right into a cellular workshop.
The eSprinter might be optioned with a model of Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment system that permits cloud-based companies along with navigation, leisure, and detailed shows in regards to the propulsion system. It gives a ten.3-inch touchscreen show, voice activation, and steering-wheel controls with a mixture of haptic and bodily inputs—primarily the identical as you’d encounter in Mercedes passenger fashions. I appreciated the quantity of knowledge on faucet by the middle display, whereas Mercedes opted to maintain the gauge cluster show itself easy.
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter – EV interface
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
Additional choices on the eSprinter embody a heated windshield, a heated steering wheel, power-folding mirrors, computerized local weather management, and an alarm system.
One different additional, the digital rearview mirror, we’d take into account a should if ordering both a single one or a fleet of those. I’m usually not a fan of digital rearview mirrors and the impact they’ve on subject of focus, however right here it was a welcome instrument, because it expands the sphere of view broad and offers you a a lot better concept how shut you’re to the again of a parking spot. And let’s be sincere, it is a automobile that’s going to be simply barely becoming into spots.
LFP battery pack is a great method to comply with diesel
The battery pack incorporates a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry that’s freed from cobalt and nickel—in prismatic cells from CATL. Mercedes has pointed to the cells as being perfect for business use and permitting much less degradation per driving cycle, particularly in fleet use which may embody common charging to 100%.
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
The U.S. eSprinter comes with a 9.6 kw onboard charger, permitting a full cost in a single day with a 240-volt wallbox for many enterprise makes use of. It additionally has CCS DC quick charging—50 kw customary, however with its optionally available 115-kw peak it permits a 10-80% cost in about 42 minutes.
Mercedes is overlaying the battery for 70% of its unique capability for 8 years or 100,000 miles. In what looks as if an assuring nod towards energy customers accustomed to diesels, an “optionally available battery certificates” can prolong that to eight years or 185,000 miles—because it assumes a median of 445 miles per week year-round.
The eSprinter does include each battery warming and preconditioning that may permit each the cabin and battery pack to be warmed—both for charging, or for setting out on very chilly mornings. It’s a mandatory element for the LFP cells, which might be extra sluggish in cold-weather extremes.
Officers wouldn’t say precisely when the Tesla-based NACS cost port would possibly present up in these electrical vans, but it surely received’t be within the first 12 months or two.
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
Previewing electrical passenger vans, RVs, and extra
The eSprinter is being constructed at three world places—in Germany, at Ludwigsfelde and Düsseldorf, and within the U.S. at North Charleston, South Carolina. U.S.-market eSprinters are all attributable to be U.S.-built.
This eSprinter is in impact a stopgap, albeit an essential one. Subsequent-generation electrical vans constructed on the Van.EA structure will begin to debut in 2026, providing a wider vary of drive configurations—together with all-wheel drive. Not like this era, they’ll be supposed to finally absolutely change combustion-engine vans.
These are essential steps for Mercedes’ to attain its targets of 20% of its van gross sales to be electrical by 2026 and 50% by 2030. With Van.EA, Mercedes has already stated that it plans to supply “all-electric midsize luxurious vans” within the U.S. and China, plus “a brand new mannequin line of electrical RVs.”
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
Because it has finished with its passenger EVs, together with the EQE and EQS, Mercedes-Benz seems to be underpromising on vary in its claimed numbers—and that’s a very good factor.
The eSprinter is launching with some very favorable numbers, and an American-sized method in all respects. After driving it, it’s clear that the electrical vanlife is close to.
For numerous small companies and supply functions across the nation, this matches the invoice proper now. And shortly, the enjoyable will comply with.