Mercedes-Benz recently unveiled its new generation of eSprinter electric trucks. It has created efficiency and flexibility among its core focus points to be able to line up for many last-mile deliveries and a future in which trucks—and vanlife—with gasoline engines and diesel will stop working.
The company boasts that it is the market leader in Europe, with a share of about 30% of the electric truck market having moved beyond the shorter range, front-wheel drive eSprinter, but now the company is move from there and target North America—by ramping up the longest and longest-range versions of the new electric trucks first.
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
The new eSprinter is built around a three-module concept and is built for ease of production while offering a wide range of variations and potential use cases. There is a front module under the hood that houses the built-in charger, high voltage components, battery cooler and air conditioner. At the rear, there’s a new electrified rear axle that allows for 134 hp or 201 hp, with up to 295 lb-ft of torque. In the middle, the flat pin sits between the axes and supports the center of gravity. Across the product line, the front and rear modules are exactly the same for ease of manufacture, differing only in the battery size.
New battery type, more driving range
The eSprinter will be offered in several lengths, with three different batteries in Europe—56 kwh, 81 kwh, and 113 kwh—though the US will only receive medium and larger sized packages. They all use cobalt and nickel free lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry, in prismatic cell form from CATL. Mercedes says they are ideal for commercial use because there is less degradation after each driving cycle.
Check out the range and efficiency of the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
Mercedes-Benz teased that its trucks can lead in efficiency and real-world reach. It says that with that largest 113-kwh package, in the combined European WLTP cycle—more optimistically than the EPA cycle—its range will be up to 249 miles (400 km). And just looking at the city portion of the cycle, its range extends to the beginning of 311 miles (500 km). Mercedes bases these numbers on assuming 30-35% of maximum load.
charge times
The US versions will charge at up to 9.6 kw with the 240 volt wall case, and the eSprinter can charge at up to 115 kw using the CCS fast charge connector, allowing 10-80% charge in about 42 minute.
That might not be good enough for cross-state deliveries, touring bands, or cross-country vanlife and camper vans, but it’s still there for longer trips.
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
Mercedes-Benz boasts that Autonomous Recovery, based on technology shared with Mercedes passenger cars, can significantly increase range using sensor inputs that assist the driver as well as information. map and terrain information from the navigation system to adjust regenerative braking at any given time. moment. For example, when going uphill, it will essentially allow downhill if the driver lifts the accelerator, however when approaching a roundabout, it will accelerate to reduce the need for friction brake pads. Mercedes also says that it includes a route planner that will help optimize charging stops.
To that effect, the company has also worked on improving underbody aerodynamics, choosing tires with low rolling resistance and adding a heat pump as part of a system that also uses waste heat from the vehicle. transmission system.
eSprinter will have pre-heating and pre-conditioning as standard, allowing time to start the car, when both the cabin and battery pack will be warm, even when the vehicle is not plugged in—a particularly important detail. for the truck’s LFP cells.
Since the drive motor is located in the center of the rear axle, the company says chassis models can be used and fitted more easily—including models such as shuttle buses, ambulances or even trucks. flat, beyond the expected patterns focus on the delivery market.
With. Other battery electric trucks
Ford is also positioning E-Transit . electric truck for relevance, but it is doing so with a focus on another part of the market. With a 68-kwh battery pack that runs 126 miles on EPA cycles and a 115-kw CCS charge, it’s aimed at fleets that don’t need to travel far every day.
Another opponent, likely, is Rivian EDV700, has so far only been delivered to Amazon. It has a 135 kWh battery pack and front-wheel drive; The company says that results in a 201-mile range on EPA cycles, though Amazon versions are limited to a 150-mile range.
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
The eSprinter’s US debut will be a very long van, even by American standards: 280 inches long, on a 170-inch wheelbase and a high-top version with a cargo volume of 488 feet. block.
This will be the first time for the oldest automaker, which will begin building a new product overseas before making it to the domestic market. With production due to begin in the summer of 2023 in Charleston, South Carolina, deliveries to the United States and Canada should arrive in the second half of 2023. After that, the European market launch will follow later in the year. , with factories in Ludwigsfelde and Dusseldorf, Germany, adding production to about 60 potential global markets.
Mercedes Van.EA Platform
Despite all this, the company has been working on three dedicated EV platforms, including one called “Van.EA” that will serve as the foundation for medium and large trucks and will mark the beginning of a full transition to electric trucks. While this eSprinter incorporates many of the collective intelligence features from Mercedes passenger cars, those future models can take a modular packaging approach to the next level—and enable live electric vanlife really take off.
