Mercedes has unveiled its second generation eSprinter panel van, and this time the electric commercial will be built and sold in North America. European van fans have been able to buy an eSprinter since 2019, but it was seriously short on range thanks to its small batteries. Entry-level 41 kWh models were limited to 71 WLTP miles (115 km) and even the longest-legged 55 kWh version could only manage 150 km before needing to find a charging socket, meaning it was only good for short urban trips. North America declined to import the eSprinter as a result, but its far more practical successor will be on U.S. and Canadian roads in the second half of 2023, and eventually built at Mercedes’ South Carolina plant, though initially all examples will be produced at the Düsseldorf facility in Germany.

It’s not hard to see why the North American MB team had a change of heart for 2024 when you look at the numbers. The new van is rated at up to 400 km of WLTP range for combined driving, and 500 km in city operation, when equipped with the biggest battery available. European buyers will again get multiple battery options: 56 and 81 kWh packs for city users, and the 113 kWh battery for those doing distance work. All versions employ a special lithium/iron phosphate (LFP) cell chemistry that allows them to be made without cobalt and nickel and there’s an 11 kW on-board charger plus and the option to chow down 115 kW at fast charging points. That’s means the 56 kWh battery can be filled to 80 percent in 28 minutes, with the bigger 113 kWh pack requiring 14 minutes more.

 

Mercedes says the e-van will also be available with a choice of 134 hp and 201 hp motors, though we suspect only the bigger of those will make it to the U.S., where the only body style at launch will be a long wheelbase, high-roof panel van fitted with the biggest battery pack. That van can swallow 14 cu m and has a gross permissible weight of 4.25 tonnes. European sales kick off with the same configuration at the back end of 2023, but other battery options and body styles should follow in 2024. Images from Mercedes also show a short-wheelbase panel van, a box van and a flatbed truck Although a three-pointed star on the grille in no-way guarantees S-Class-levels of luxury inside a Mercedes van, the eSprinter’s interior does benefit from an infotainment system running the latest generation of MBUX software and “Hey Mercedes” voice control, plus a navigation system designed to give accurate range precautions based on the route.