Mercedes-Benz Launches the eSprinter Electric Commercial Vehicle
With many European countries promising to ban internal combustion engines (ICEs) in the near future, German carmaker Mercedes-Benz looks hell-bent to meet what will likely be massive demand for electrified vehicles. So far, the luxury brand is on-track to meet its tall goal of electrifying its entire lineup by 2022, and it moves closer to that goal with the announcement of the eSprinter commercial van.
Larger than the eVito, the eSprinter comes in two battery options, the base 41 kWh battery pack and a larger 55 kWh. The former provides a range of 115 kms and 1,040 kgs payload capacity, while the latter delivers 150 kms of range and the ability to carry close to 900 kgs of cargo. All the variants allow for 10,500 liters of loading space.
The 55 kWh equipped variant is able to meet its maximum 150 km range even under full load and low environmental temperatures. The batteries have a charging time of eight hours with a maximum recharging power of 7.2 kW.
Both battery capacities allow for fast-charging at a DC (direct current) station. After 45 minutes, both batteries will be charged to 80 percent of their range.
Regardless of the battery, the eSprinter’s electric motor makes 114 hp and up to 300 Nm of torque. The vehicle employs a front-wheel drive configuration, and comes in three top speed options—buyers can choose whether their eSprinter maxes out at 80, 100, or 120 kph.
"Electrification of the commercial fleet follows our conviction that the future belongs to electric drive systems, especially in inner-city traffic", says Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans. “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.”
Appearing as a panel van with high roof, the vehicle has an overall length of 5,932mm, a wheelbase of 3,924mm, and permissible gross vehicle weight of 3,500 kgs.
The eSprinter also come with four different types of regenerative braking that enables the vehicle to convert kinetic energy produced during braking, deceleration or downhill running back to electrical energy, pushing the vehicle’s range even further.
Mercedes-Benz is also offering potential buyers a unique set of online tools to collect trip information from their commercial fleets to see how an EV fleet could improve cost efficiency. These tools also allow companies to compute their charging needs depending on how many eSprinters they want for their fleet.
