It’s time to drive the all-new 2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter all-electric van. Mercedes sold approximately 500,000 Sprinter vans in the United States since its introduction in 2001. Now, the company offers more choices with this electric cargo van.
We already wrote about the starting price of this new eSprinter and its payload capability. It has a starting price of around $72,000, and the price increases close to $80,000 with all luxurious options and a more powerful motor output. The maximum payload is set at just over 2,600 lbs.
Mercedes invited me to the first drive event of the eSprinter in Southern California, and I jumped at the chance. Mainly, I wanted to see how comfortable it is to drive and what the real-world range is. I drove it from LAX to Newport Beach, CA via a 62-mile route. I average around 30 MPH in mixed driving. I was very pleasantly surprised that I used just 25% of the battery for this trip. There were two of us in the van, and we were carrying a 440 lbs payload.
It means that the maximum driving range of this van (in city driving) could be up to 248 miles. Yes, the range will go down if driven at consistent highway speeds of 65-75 mph. We will have to do more testing soon! This is a class-leading range for a 500 cu-ft cargo volume all-electric van that we have tested or know of.
I also took note of how quiet the eSprinter cabin was (with a partition separating the driver’s cabin from the cargo area). The seats are comfy and the power delivery is very smooth. I drove the more powerful variant of the eSprinter with about 200 horsepower delivered by the rear-mounted motor. The van has three driving modes: Comfort, Economy, and Maximum Range. It has plenty of oomph in Comfort mode. The Economy mode limits the power output to around 134 horsepower. The Maximum Range further reduces power to save energy.
It also has five regenerative braking modes: one-pedal driving (“-“), standard mode, less regen (“+”), free coasting mode (“++”), and an “Auto” mode. These modes are adjusted using the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. I prefer using the max regen “one-pedal” driving mode, but I understand why other modes are offered.
The eSprinter is currently available in one body style. It has a longer 170-inch wheelbase and a high-roof configuration. You can have it with a solid partition or a walk-through sliding door (with a passenger jump seat).
Take a look at our TFLev Youtube channel for the full video review.
