Mercedes-Benz is developing a U.S. variant of the eSprinter commercial van built on a new electric platform.
The new eSprinter will consist of a front module, an underbody module and a rear module, Mercedes-Benz Vans sales and marketing boss Klaus Rehkugler told German media on Tuesday.
The design will allow for two body sizes and three battery options, the largest of which would top 100 kilowatt-hours, according to Automobilwoche, a German-language sibling publication of Automotive News. In addition to the panel van, a flat-bed body also is possible.
Automotive News reported on Monday that Mercedes plans to begin selling the eSprinter in the U.S. as early as the third quarter of 2023.
The U.S. version of the eSprinter could be powered by up to a 120-kWh battery, sources told Automotive News. That would be a significant upgrade over the 55-kWh battery in the current European version and that of a competing electric van expected from Ford Motor Co. next year.
Offering the model in multiple configurations allows Mercedes to spread development costs across a wider customer base.
And building the new eSprinter on a dedicated EV platform eliminates the cost and complexity of adapting an architecture designed for the internal combustion engine.
A Daimler spokesman in the U.S. declined to comment on Tuesday.
Mercedes began selling the eSprinter, a battery-powered version of the boxy Sprinter van, in Europe this year. The company has hesitated to bring the EV to the U.S. because of a limited driving range and the high cost of homologation.
But the competitive landscape is changing. Emerging demand for electric delivery vans from logistics companies, tightening emissions regulations and new rivals are spurring Mercedes to bring the eSprinter to the automaker’s second-largest market, the people said.
The U.S. electric commercial van market is still undeveloped, but it’s likely to become a battlefield in the next few years as industry heavyweights General Motors and Ford launch new products.
Ford will offer a battery-electric version of the Transit cargo van in the U.S. and Canada for the 2022 model year. And GM will begin production of an electric van, code-named BV1, in September, according to AutoForecast Solutions.
Guidehouse Insights forecasts battery-powered light-commercial vehicle sales in the U.S. will reach about 623,000 in 2030, up from about 56,000 this year.
The 2023 timing for the eSprinter’s U.S. debut hits a sweet spot, said Jeff Schuster, president of global forecasting at LMC Automotive. The Sprinter model line is also due for a freshening in 2023.
“It’s going to take a bit of time to convince the commercial-vehicle segment that EVs make sense,” Schuster said. “And it allows for the marketing efforts to kick in ahead of the launch.”