Mercedes began selling the eSprinter, a battery-powered version of the boxy Sprinter van, in Europe this year. The company has hesitated to bring the EV to the U.S. because of a limited driving range and the high cost of homologation.
But the competitive landscape is changing. Emerging demand for electric delivery vans from logistics companies, tightening emissions regulations and new rivals are spurring Mercedes to bring the eSprinter to the automaker’s second-largest market, the people said.
The U.S. electric commercial van market is still undeveloped, but it’s likely to become a battlefield in the next few years as industry heavyweights General Motors and Ford launch new products.
Ford will offer a battery-electric version of the Transit cargo van in the U.S. and Canada for the 2022 model year. And GM will begin production of an electric van, code-named BV1, in September, according to AutoForecast Solutions.
Guidehouse Insights forecasts battery-powered light-commercial vehicle sales in the U.S. will reach about 623,000 in 2030, up from about 56,000 this year.
The 2023 timing for the eSprinter’s U.S. debut hits a sweet spot, said Jeff Schuster, president of global forecasting at LMC Automotive. The Sprinter model line is also due for a freshening in 2023.
“It’s going to take a bit of time to convince the commercial-vehicle segment that EVs make sense,” Schuster said. “And it allows for the marketing efforts to kick in ahead of the launch.”
