Mercedes vans to join the electric van revolution

Mercedes vans have announced that they will be joining the electric van market with three new vans and a five stage electric van strategy!

Mercedes vans - five stage electric strategy

Mercedes vans have outlined their new strategy at a Mercedes eDrive@vans workshop in Berlin by announcing three new electric van models and using what they described as a "holistic electric drive strategy." The strategy is not just aimed at delivering new electric versions of the Mercedes vans range, but also delivering a "technological ecosystem tailored specifically to customers' business needs."

In layman's terms, Mercedes vans have the plan to assist you in making the best decision about what kind of electric van set-up will be best for your particular requirements.

What are the new electric Mercedes vans models?

Mercedes vans has announced three new electric vans:

eVito - based on the current Mercedes Vito van and will be available from 2018

eSprinter - based on the next-generation Mercedes Sprinter van and will be available from 2019

Citan - we'd expect this to be named eCitan for obvious reasons, however further details are limited at this stage. Confusing somewhat that the new van will be last on the list of Mercedes vans, with the Mercedes Citan being based on the Renault Kangoo which already has an electric version

Mercedes eVito

With the electric version of the Mercedes Vito being the first of the three new vans to launch, naturally we have the most details about this model. The new eVito will contain a 41.4kWh battery pack and Mercedes have claimed the new eVito will have a driving range of approximately 93 miles on a single charge and will still be able to manage 62 miles in low temperatures when fully loaded. Mercedes vans believe this should suffice for daily urban use.

The new van will have a charging time of six hours, with the electric motor producing an impressive 300Nm of instant torque, you can limit speed to 50mph to maximise range or 75mph for improved performance. The new van will have a maximum payload of 1,037kg and will have 6.6 cubic metres of load capacity.

Mercedes eSprinter

It was revealed at the Mercedes-Benz Experience Live 2017 event in June this year that the Mercedes eSprinter will have a maximum payload of 1,250kg and a range of 68 miles, however further details are limited at this time.

What is the electric mobility strategy from Mercedes vans?

In order to encourage the adoption of electric vans, which Mercedes vans believes will become progressively more important in towns and cities in the near future, they have highlighted five "cornerstones":

1. Holistic ecosystem

2. Sector focus

3. Commercial feasibility

4. Co-creation

5. Technology transfer

Mercedes vans on finance

So it'll be a little while until we see the electric versions of the new Mercedes vans range, but at Vansdirect we have the whole range of existing models in stock with flexible van finance options available including: van leasing, contract hire and hire purchase. Call Vansdirect on 0845 021 0444 or submit your details online for a free no obligation quote, we now also offer cars!