The new Mercedes eSprinter is to be launched in the USA and Canada in the second half of the year. In Europe, the first variant of the van will be launched at the end of the year. In total, the vehicle with new technology in the familiar body will be available in around 60 markets.
The new panel van is equipped with a battery with a usable capacity of 113 kWh and will have a range of up to 400 kilometres according to WLTP. According to the manufacturer, it can even travel up to 500 kilometres in urban areas. During a test drive in October 2022, the eSprinter covered the 475-kilometre distance from Stuttgart to Munich and back on one battery charge.
The electric motor is integrated into the rear module. It is available in two power levels, 100 and 150 kW peak, and offers a torque of up to 400 Nm.
The revised eSprinter is based on a new concept consisting of three modules: The front module, the underbody with a high-voltage battery and the rear module. According to the manufacturer, this enables “the development and design of various conversions and superstructures previously only known from the conventionally powered Sprinter.” For example, the electrically driven rear axle makes it possible to offer open models in addition to the classic panel van.
The open model as well as other battery variants will be available successively after the introduction of the first panel-van variant at the end of the year. With 113 kWh, the first of the available battery variants is also the largest in the range. In the long term, the eSprinter will also be available with batteries with a usable capacity of 56 or 81 kWh. The lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cell chemistry makes it possible to keep the battery variants free of cobalt and nickel, and an active thermal management system to ensure maximum efficiency.
With 113 kWh and a range of up to 400 kilometres, the possible uses for the eSprinter should also expand significantly. The current generation, which with an almost identical body can hardly be distinguished visually from the model now presented, was available either with 41 kWh (gross, 35 kWh net) or with 55 kWh (gross, 47 kWh net) – and thus virtually only suitable for short-distance use in the delivery sector.
The load volume of the first variant is 14 cubic metres, and the permissible gross weight is up to 4.25 tonnes. According to Mercedes, the high-voltage battery in the underbody between the axles ensures a low centre of gravity. And for some customers, an equally important innovation: in future, the eSprinter will also be able to tow a trailer. Depending on the body and drive variant, the towing capacity will be up to two tonnes, according to Mercedes-Benz Vans.
From mid-2025 onwards, Mercedes-Benz intends to launch only purely electric van models on the market. For this purpose, the company is relying on its new electric platform, which will initially be used in production on three continents.
Keyword: Mercedes presents the new eSprinter