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New eSprinter perfect for last-mile logistics, says Mercedes
First all-electric, volume-production large van makes complete sense for many inner-city roles, says Daimler vans chiefAustralia may be lagging behind many parts of the world when it comes to the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs), but the global Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, Volker Morhinweg, says the emissions-free format is ideal for a variety of city-based work.
Speaking at the world debut of the new third-generation Sprinter in Duisberg (Germany) last week, Morhinweg said the electrification of the Sprinter platform was ideal for 'plannable' metro work, which would suit certain companies and certain applications.
eLCV spearhead
Mercedes-Benz opened the order books for the smaller eVito late last year and will commence deliveries from mid-2018, while deliveries of the larger eSprinter will follow in 2019.
The two all-electric vehicles will essentially see Mercedes-Benz and its parent company, Daimler, spearhead electric drivetrains in the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) world, while the flexible nature of the production facility in Dusseldorf will allow production of eSprinters to be ramped up or down as required.
Production of multiple variants of the new Sprinter in panel van and minibus form will take place on a single production line in Dusseldorf that can accommodate numerous drivetrain, GVM, wheelbase and trim combinations, while cab/chassis models will continue to be built at the Ludwigsfelde facility, near Berlin.
"Last-mile delivery is usually 70 to 80km, under normal conditions – that's what they have to drive and it's also extremely important they know exactly how many kilometres or miles they have to drive the next day, and the next, and so on," Morhinweg told Trucksales in Germany last week.
"We decided we would go for that [a full electric drivetrain] and then we can fulfil our customers' demand for inner-city work – it is for parcel delivery, it is for services and for some extent for people-movers."
And the demand for fully electric LCVs, in Europe at least, seems promising. A pilot project with Hamburg-based courier giant, Hermes, will see 1500 Mercedes-Benz EV commercials added to its fleet by 2020.
Hybrid ruled out
While a hybrid drivetrain might initially seem like a valuable interim step on the way to LCV electrification, especially for a nation like Australia where distances are generally greater and the rollout of EV infrastructure is to date quite limited, Morhinweg said there were a number of factors that guided the brand to pursue full electrification.
"We had to look at our huge markets and examine the circumstances there, and we saw that if we went with a hybrid it would be quite expensive," he said.
"[A hybrid] means you have two powertrains on board and that means we lose payload for our customers, and for big cities hybrids do not make sense … because you could say that this [large cities] is our home field, the 'last mile' delivery."
Morhinweg also cited ever-tougher emissions regulations as a barrier to hybrid vehicles, while a full electric drivetrain brought with it the benefit of scalability – the eSprinter's long wheelbase makes it ideal for adding more batteries if greater range is required.
Mercedes-Benz is yet to offer any detailed specifics regarding the eSprinter's performance, such as payload, effective range or acceleration. However, Morhinweg made it clear that Mercedes-Benz Vans was ideally positioned to capitalise on the opportunities that the eVito and eSprinter represent, thanks in no small part to the work it has previously undertaken in this field.
EV experience
Mercedes-Benz initially dabbled with an electric Vito back in 2012, but the uptake of the technology at that time was not high.
"[Back then] there was a lot of discussion out there [about EVs] and that was the reason we introduced the zero-emissions product," Morhinweg said.
"But after a while we recognised that it was more 'talk, talk, talk', with less pull from the market. This time, with the discussion from governments, all the guys responsible for regulations and the press, it will be more sustainable – there is upcoming demand, which is why we again stepped into electric driven technology.
"We will still go for gasoline and diesel also has a very solid basis for a powertrain, no doubt about it, but we are really hopeful [for EVs] and the opportunities they might open up for us."
Building electric expertise
Developed by a specialist team of Mercedes-Benz engineers based in Mannheim, near Stuttgart – the same team responsible for today's eVito and eSprinter – around 1000 examples of the first electric Vito were employed in Europe, giving the firm a solid insight into various aspects of crucial EV technology, such as batteries.
"The [Mercedes-Benz] passenger car guys had already developed batteries for hybrids with Cummins at that company's battery facility here in Germany, and so we could take three or four of them together," said Morhinweg.
"That dramatically sped up our market introduction."
Mercedes-Benz Vans says it also incorporated EV requirements into the development of the Sprinter's engine bay in recent years.
"We always thought that in the LCV business it [electrification] might be a good probability, even higher than in passenger cars," he said.
"So we put a small team together and we gave them a lot of freedom and full responsibility, and they had it done [the eVito and eSprinter] in a very short space of time."
Comparable costs
Mercedes-Benz Vans says its electric LCVs will incur "operating costs at roughly the same level as for comparable models with a diesel engine", although pricing and servicing details for the pair are yet to be announced.
The company has also said it will work with operators to design in-house charging infrastructure to support the rollout of its electric LCVs.
"For sure, it [the eVito and eSprinter] will not fit each industry but for many it will be an appropriate approach," said Morhinweg.
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Written byRod Chapman
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
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