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Mercedes-Benz plans to introduce a mid-size luxury electric passenger van for the US and China for the first time, along with a factory-built RV, it was revealed on Tuesday.
The announcement is part of the company’s most comprehensive look yet at its next-generation “.EA” electric architecture. All of these Mercedes-Benz electric vans will be built on a common set of components and modules that will underpin a range of future mid-size and large electric vans that the company will release from 2026—though they haven’t been finalized yet. end date for the internal combustion vans that will continue to be built.
The company hopes to see 20% of its vans go electric by 2026 and 50% by 2030. Mercedes says it is doubling its share of the US van market from 2018 to 2022—from 8% to 16% of the market.
Mercedes electric van advances
The leading-edge electric van will be built on the VAN.EA platform, aiming for manufacturing scalability, efficiency and simplification, and completely eliminating legacy internal combustion features such as the fuel cap cover and transmission shaft tunnel. It also, according to the company, “guarantees long-term profitability.”
Vehicles built on the .EA platform will have a wider range of body styles and design attributes, compared to those built on the ICE platform. That said, there will be fewer core build differences; Mercedes aims to reduce the number of variants by more than 50% compared to the current van, while covering the same use cases.
Mercedes-Benz says that the VAN.EA platform follows a modular strategy that allows “a clear distinction between vans for commercial and personal use—with maximum synergy.”
VAN.EA consists of three modular blocks. The front block is the same on all vehicles and includes the electric powertrain and front axle. The center block scales the length of the vehicle and accommodates battery packs of different sizes depending on needs. And the rear module is offered with or without an electric motor.
That means the VAN.EA will only be available in front-wheel- or all-wheel-drive configurations, with no plans for a rear-wheel-drive configuration. That would mark a complete turnaround versus the rear-drive eSprinter van that will be built in South Carolina for delivery starting later this year, but returns to the front-drive layout of the first-generation eSprinter not sold in the US That eSprinter is also being developed around the idea of three core modules—only in his case, around rear-wheel drive.
Van.EA – cargo and passenger
Mercedes is breaking down the types of electric vans it can build with the VAN.EA into two types: VAN.EA-P and VAN.EA-C.
The VAN.EA-P offering will include a luxury private van positioned to offer a range of over 310 miles (driving cycle not disclosed)—building on the eSprinter’s already outstanding efficiency and range. Mercedes says they can cater to the needs of VIP shuttle service, larger active families, or as a “local CO2 emission-free mobile office”.
The VAN.EA-C van will be aimed at the upper end of the delivery market, he said, with specific “factory-built” vans aimed at courier, express, and parcel (long-distance delivery) use — as well as grocery vans, ambulances, or recreational vehicle.
Mercedes’ VAN.EA plans also include an electric RV, he said, with factory-built mid-size and large vans on the way, based on this platform. The company hasn’t confirmed a camper van for the US — but such a version could satisfy buyers waiting for the VW ID.Buzz camper van.
Van.EA electric camper van
VAN.EA will share approximately 50% of its core modules, as well as interior and exterior components plus next-generation safety and automated driving features with Mercedes’ Car.EA. It will also share features from the upcoming MB.OS operating system.
Mercedes claims that this model will be ready for SAE Level 2 assisted driving at launch and Level 3 automation (allowing the driver to direct attention elsewhere in some driving conditions) by the end of the decade. Commercial versions may be Level 4 automation ready, meaning pedals or steering may not even be available in some situations.
It’s electric RV ready on the software front with a specially customized navigation system that accommodates the extra size and charging needs, company advice, and logs an intelligent charging and cargo management system developed with and for Deutsche Post DHL.
Test the range and efficiency of the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
Those synergies can pay off big, with a line-up of cars, SUVs and vans that feel more distinct individually but share the same components underneath. Worldwide, Mercedes says that 80% of its dealerships service passenger vehicles and vans, and the two divisions share IT and back-end systems. Vans are paired with passenger vehicles as part of the company’s split in early 2022 into two companies: Mercedes-Benz (cars and vans) and Daimler Trucks (trucks and buses).
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