Mercedes to spend $59M to build eSprinter in S.C.

Mercedes will build the battery-electric Sprinter commercial van in three factories, including a site in South Carolina, starting in the second half of 2023.

The automaker on Tuesday said it will invest about €50 million ($59 million) at plants in North Charleston, S.C., Düsseldorf and Ludwigsfelde, Germany, as part of the production expansion.

The U.S. is the second-largest market for Sprinter vans, after Germany. Demand for electric delivery vans from logistics companies is surging and industry heavyweights such as General Motors and Ford are readying new models.

“The future of mobility is electric in the transport sector, especially in the last mile delivery segment,” Marcus Breitschwerdt, head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, said in a statement. “With production of the next generation of the eSprinter in the USA and in Germany, we ensure market-oriented production.”

U.S. deliveries of the eSprinter could begin as early as the third quarter of 2023, Automotive News reported in December.

More than 200,000 Sprinter and Metris vans have been assembled in North Charleston since 2006. A few years ago, Mercedes converted the facility from what had been a kit factory into a full-fledged vehicle assembly operation.

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 next generation eSprinter, built on Mercedes’ new electric versatility platform, will be offered with three battery options and various body configurations.

The van will be offered with a 60 kWh, 80 kWh or 120 kWh battery, giving it a top range of 224 miles (360 km), based on preliminary estimates.

The projected range would give the Mercedes EV a significant upgrade over the 55-kWh battery in the current European version and the 67-kWh battery in a competing electric van planned by Ford.

The rear-wheel-drive eSprinter will be available in two wheelbases and can be configured as a delivery van, flatbed truck, people mover and ambulance.