The Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV) revolution is well underway for consumer cars in many parts of the world. However, commercial vehicles have been noticeably slower to adopt this technology, with only 60,000 electric vans on UK roads compared to over 1 million electric cars. While electric vans have found favor for last-mile delivery in urban areas, their limited range has restricted their usefulness in other settings. Mercedes-Benz aims to change this with their latest eSprinter van, which boasts a massive battery and impressive capabilities. I had the opportunity to test drive the eSprinter at its launch in California.
At first glance, there's nothing outwardly different about the eSprinter that would indicate it's an electric vehicle. It looks like a regular Mercedes-Benz van, apart from the big lettering on the side. But if you examine the tires closely, you'll notice they are designed for optimal EV efficiency. Overall, this is a standard panel van available in two body sizes (panel van and chassis) and two lengths (L2 and L3 load lengths). The version I drove was an L3, measuring over 7.1 meters long.
