EV Mercedes-Benz vans and people-movers here from 2022

Mercedes-Benz will join the Australian electric vehicle commercial segment in 2022.

The German brand will add the mid-size eVito panel van and the eVito Tourer and EQV people-movers to its local line-up in the second  half of 2022. It has also confirmed it will add a larger eSprinter van when the next generation becomes available around 2024.

The confirmation of Benz’s move into the commercial EV space follows on from Ford’s announcement it will launch the E-Transit van here in mid-2022.

But both brands are trailing Fuso, which launched the first electric truck onto the Australian market when it rolled out the eCanter – a direct rival for the E-Transit and eSprinter – in April 2021.

Benz will continue to sell internal combustion engine Vito commercial vehicles alongside the electric models. It says it will switch fully to electric “when customer and market demand determines it“.

Currently it offers the Sprinter panel van, minibus and cab chassis; Vito panel van and crew cab; Valente and V-Class people-movers and Marco Polo recreational vehicle.

“This is a very exciting step towards a more sustainable future for Mercedes-Benz Vans and our customers in Australia,” said Diane Tarr, Managing Director of Mercedes-Benz Vans Australia/Pacific.

“We are confident that the electric drive will gain more prevalence here over the coming years. As it does, we will be ready with a strong customer-centric electric product portfolio, which offers the potential to assist customers with lowering their operating costs and reducing their environmental impact.

While local pricing and specifications aren’t available for any of the four vans, Benz has used European EQV and eVito Tourer specs to give an idea of what to expect.

Pitched at family buyers, the EQV comes with a 100kWh lithium-ion battery pack (90kWh usable) that supplies electricity to the front wheels via a 150kW/362Nm e-motor. The claimed WLTP range is 356km and has a top speed of 160km/h.

It takes 10 hours to recharge from 0-100 percent using an 11kW AC wallbox and 45 minutes to recharge from 10 to 80 percent using DC fast charging at a maximum rate of 110kW.

Measuring up at 5140mm long and 3200mm wide, the EQV can seat seven and consume 1030 litres of luggage.

The eVito Tourer has the same battery and drivetrain details, but claims a slightly higher combined WLTP maximum range of 361km. It comes in 5140mm and 5397mm lengths and has up to nine seats.