Mercedes-Benz will add a luxurious mid-size electrical van to its U.S. lineup, the automaker stated on Tuesday.
Mercedes’ native lineup presently has two vans within the type of the mid-size Metris and full-size Sprinter, although each are stripped-out business choices. The posh van can be geared toward personal consumers, equivalent to huge households, tenting followers, and presumably even RV consumers.
The van can be primarily based on a brand new devoted EV platform being developed to underpin all future vans at Mercedes. Dubbed Van.EA, the platform is scheduled to spawn its first mannequin in 2026. Timing for any Van.EA merchandise within the U.S., together with the posh van, hasn’t been introduced.
The Van.EA platform contains a three-module design that enables it to be simply tailored to numerous car sizes. A entrance module homes high-voltage energy management {hardware} and an electrical motor, and is frequent to all automobiles primarily based on the platform. A middle module out there in numerous lengths and becoming numerous battery configurations determines the scale of the automobiles primarily based on the platform. A rear module comprises the rear axle, both with a motor for all-wheel drive or with out for front-wheel drive.
Subsequent-generation Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
An early model of this idea is discovered within the platform of the 2024 eSprinter full-size electric van that begins gross sales within the U.S. within the second half of 2023.
For the posh van, consumers can count on related options to what Mercedes affords in its luxurious automobiles and SUVs. This can embody automated self-driving know-how, as much as Stage 3 on the SAE scale of self-driving capability.
Mercedes has already had some success within the U.S. with van gross sales. The automaker stated it doubled its U.S. van market share from 8% in 2018 to 16% in 2022. Mercedes additionally stated it goals to have electrical vans account for 20% of its whole van gross sales by 2026 and 50% by 2030.
Earlier than the posh van arrives, Mercedes will replace its present mid-size van line, which incorporates the Metris and a luxurious possibility known as the V-Class that is bought abroad and consists of an EQV electric variant. The replace of the present mid-size van line is scheduled for this summer season. It is rumored the Metris can be dropped from Mercedes’ U.S. lineup following the introduction of the replace.
