Mercedes-Benz is now taking orders in the
United Kingdom for the eSprinter, the zero-emission version of its panel van. Joining
the likes of the eVito, eVito Tourer and eCitan, the eSprinter is offered in
two versions, with DC 20 kW and DC 80 kW charging, which charges the battery
from 10 to 80% in 120 and 30 minutes, respectively.
With a driving range of up to 154 km, the eSprinter has a starting price of £51,950 ($67,917), which excludes
tax and the OLEV grant of up to £ 8,000 (US$ 10,459). According to a research
conducted by the automaker, the average daily van mileage across Europe is 97 km, thus the EV is “ideal for applications including last-mile
delivery and urban operations”.
Mounted under the floor so that they do
not affect the load space, the four parallel high-voltage battery blocks can be
replaced individually in case they get damaged. They’re offered with an
eight-year (160,000 km) warranty and they’re said to retain at
least 70% of their capacity after eight years. The 114 HP output and 295 Nm of torque produced by the electric motor is
delivered to the front wheels.
Standard gear includes air conditioning,
DAB radio, Bluetooth connectivity, USB port, heated driver’s seat with armrest,
dual passenger seating, overhead control panel, height and rake adjustable
steering wheel, wooden floor and 26-foot (8-meter) charging cable.
The Active Brake Assist, Attention Assist,
Crosswind Assist and Emergency eCall are included as well, whereas the Mercedes
Pro Connect integrated digital connectivity system, which eases the fleet
ownership experience, is free for the first two years.
