First Look: The Mercedes-Benz eSprinter Goes FULLY Electric and Packs Really Cool Surprises!

It may look like a normal Sprinter, but there's a lot of change under the skin

We’re finally getting the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter: a purely electric version of the brand’s Ford Transit rival.

European buyers have been able to get their hands on an eSprinter for a few years. Now, though, it’s time for the brand’s all-electric Sprinter variant to come stateside, and the automaker’s even going to build them right here in South Carolina. The 2024 model gets a host of noteworthy updates for the occasion, and will officially go on sale later this year. Prior to today’s announcement, Mercedes actually flew Tommy over to Stuttgart to check out the updated eSprinter firsthand.

At first glance, it doesn’t look like any major changes are afoot. It just looks like a Sprinter, and it still packs the same sort of usable space that you’d get in the gas-powered version. What really matters here is what’s going on under the skin, thanks to the eSprinter’s electric drivetrain.

In the U.S. market, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter will only be offered with a 113-kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery kit. That supplies power to a rear-mounted electric motor, putting out up to 204 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. According to Eurpoean WLTP testing standards, the range comes in at a respectable 248 miles, though that will vary substantially depending on your payload. EPA ratings are typically far less optimistic in those terms too, so expect a U.S. figure somewhere in the low-200-mile ballpark.

However, that is still a more noteworthy range than the Ford E-Transit, which packs a 68-kWh battery and can travel just 126 miles between trips to the plug. When you do need to charge the 2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter, the battery pack can accept up to 115 kW DC fast-charging. Mercedes says that’s good enough to replenish the battery from 10% to 80% state-of-charge in about 42 minutes. Mind you, as Tommy points out, these vans typically fill last-mile delivery duty. As such, they usually operate as part of a commercial fleet or small business that travels relatively short distances and can recharge their eSprinters overnight.

Check out more of the new eSprinter’s capability and some cool surprises in the TFLEV video below: