Electric vehicles are a part of the automotive future, and one area where they make sense is in delivery vehicles. Aging fleets of diesel-powered vans and trucks bring into question the future of delivery vehicles and the like. Mercedes-Benz has answered this call with their new eSprinter, an all-electric version of their already popular Sprinter van.
Vans are nothing new to Mercedes-Benz. The first generation Sprinter debuted in 1995 and has been used as light commercial vehicles, RVs, ambulances, mobile workshops/garages, limousines, and much more. There have even been off-road versions of Sprinter vans over the years. There is basically no limit to what their use can be.
Autoblog.com, the popular automotive news and review website, recently reviewed the new eSprinter. They seemed to enjoy the fact that it was quiet, usable, and didn’t feel much different or out of place compared to a standard diesel-powered Sprinter, which is good. For companies and people to start adopting an electric van into their workflow, they will need it to be as good as the standard van without trying to over-promise.
The starting price of the base 134 horsepower model is $74,181, while the 201 horsepower eSprinter has an MSRP of just $77,611. Both models have 295 lb-ft of torque available for a maximum of 30 seconds and can travel up to 75 mph.
Mercedes-Benz says they completed a 275-mile journey in the eSprinter from Las Vegas to Long Beach, CA, on a single charge. That’s remarkable when you think about the mileage delivery vans do in a single day, which can be about 200 or so miles. The eSprinter will be able to utilize DC fast chargers to go from 10-80 percent battery life in 45 minutes.
One of the things that Autoblog remarked on is how the vehicle makes sense and works well, saying, “It's utterly sensible without any superfluous novelty. Considering its efficiency and capabilities, this is an excellent choice for a variety of businesses and would make perfect sense for city-bound, high-mileage use.”
The eSprinter is available with a partition for specific use cases, and this challenged Mercedes-Benz to create a solution and also to engineer one-pedal EV driving that works properly for such a large van: “Visibility is great, so long as you're looking forward or to the sides. The partition between the driver and cargo area blocks any rearward view, which makes the optional virtual rearview mirror a necessity. You can select one of five brake regeneration levels with the paddles on the steering wheel and one-pedal driving is available. One addition in this area is an automatic regen mode that takes into account traffic and topography.”
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To give confidence to those buying the new eSprinter, all models have a 4-year, 100,000-mile warranty with complimentary maintenance for all four years, plus an 8-year, 100,000-mile warranty just for the battery. If the battery falls below 70% of its capabilities in that time, then Mercedes-Benz will replace it free of charge. You can also add an extra 85,000 miles to the warranty coverage.
At Mercedes-Benz of Plano, we take great pride in offering the best service to our customers. With hundreds of new and pre-owned vehicles to choose from, our incredible sales team and finance department will work to get you the best price possible. Our fantastic service department will work tirelessly to ensure your vehicle stays in the absolute best condition possible.
We look forward to working with you soon.
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