Factory campers will be part of new E-van platform
Brand wants 20 percent of its vans to be electric by 2026
Mercedes-Benz is expanding its van offerings in North America. The automaker will introduce new electric vans as well as factory-built camper versions. Benz made the announcement earlier this week, along with plans for an all-new dedicated electric van platform.
The company didn’t delve far into its camper van plans, but with the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter incredibly popular with the growing van life segment, it seems a natural fit. On top of the body-in-white vans and chassis it sends to outfitters and RV companies, Benz will do some of its own.
Van.EA | Photo: Mercedes-Benz
Benz will build midsize and full-size (ie. Sprinter) vans on its new Van.EA dedicated electric architecture. The company says that it wants to “define the new industry standard” and says that it will work with existing camping business partners around the world. This is similar to what van rival Volkswagen already offers in other markets with the highly space-efficient California versions of its own vans.
Van.EA, Benz’s working name for the Van Electric Architecture will arrive in 2026. Using one platform for mid and full-size vans will reduce complexity for the company. Benz says it will reduce variants by more than half compared with its gas vans.
Mercedes-Benz Vans_With VAN.EA – a modular and scalable purpose-built EV architecture
The new vans will have three modular blocks. The front block has the electric powertrain and front axle and will e the same in all Van.EA variants. The center block determines the length of the van and holds different-sized batteries. The rear module will be offered with an electric motor for AWD or without for FWD.
Mercedes said the vans should have a range “of well over 500 km” on the luxury versions aimed at passenger duties. Commercial-grade models will be even more module and scalable so they can be used by package delivery services, as ambulances, as work vans, and the dozens of other van use cases.
Mercedes-Benz vans will be electric before that new platform. While the company has already launched some eSprinter variants, there will be even more this year. Benz says it will have electric vans in every segment. Benz has already sold more than 40,000 electric vans in Europe and plans to expand this to have 20 percent of its vans electric by 2026 and half by 2030.
