It could have been a strong competitor to the Ford E-Transit.
The Mercedes eSprinter was launched in Europe last year. It’s currently being sold in the Old Continent since six months. The electric cargo hauler is a great vehicle for fleet use, with two options of batteries – 41 kWh or 55 kilowatts. It has even attracted the attention of Amazon Europe, a giant company.
But there’s a problem. The Mercedes Sprinter electric version isn’t coming to the United States – at least, not soon. Why is this? The eSprinter doesn’t meet the requirements of U.S. regulations. It is also not compliant with Germany’s Automobilwoche reports. These reports are relayed to Automotive News.
According to the source of the publication, the safety and performance specifications for the Mercedes eSprinter don’t conform to U.S. standards. According to a German source, the components of the electric drive system don’t meet Daimler’s internal standards for crash testing that exceed legal requirements. Daimler does not want to transform the van for the U.S., so this would be an expensive decision.
Automotive News also noted that the eSprinter’s range of 104.4 miles (168 km) for the larger battery is sufficient for European use but not for US usage, as driving distances in the former are longer.
The 2022 Ford E-Transit can travel up to 126 miles (203 km) on a single charge, compared to the 2022 Ford E-Transit in low-roof cargo version that’s equipped with a 67-kWh battery.
Daimler doesn’t rule out the possibility of bringing in the eSprinter at some point in the future. Mercedes spokesperson stated in the Automotive News report that they are “constantly observing market developments” and are in close contact to customers to adjust their product portfolio to meet the needs of other markets.