As luck would have it, I obtained scheduled right into a weekend with the 2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter precisely once I wanted it.
The third wettest Spring on file in Southeastern Wisconsin flooded my mother’s basement. Previous to transferring from a condominium to a home three years in the past, I stashed quite a lot of my very own muddle downstairs at her place to streamline my life, and three years earlier than the dying of my niece’s father had already stockpiled different possessions down there.
The flooding meant the time had come to maneuver all that crap out to clear room for contractors to work.
I took possession of the eSprinter with a 99% cost on the battery and an indicated 199 miles of estimated vary. An official vary hasn’t been launched, however the 2024 eSprinter has 273 miles of vary on the extra lenient European WLTP cycle.
I need to admit to having somewhat vary nervousness. I figured the roundtrip can be about 140 miles, and I didn’t need to danger operating out of cost mid-trip. Seems I didn’t have to fret. My mother’s home is 42 miles away to the north and west, whereas my niece’s home is a bit more than 14 miles away to the south and east, which might account for about 112 miles for the day. That left quite a lot of wiggle room between the precise effectivity and the eSprinter’s real-world vary, which seems to be no less than 200 miles.
My tester was the identical as all 2024s: a high-roof mannequin with the 170-inch wheelbase and bigger 113-kwh (usable) battery (the 2025 eSprinter additionally presents a brief roof, a shorter 144-inch wheelbase, and a smaller 81-kwh battery). The tester additionally had the more-powerful 201-hp motor that spins up the identical 295 lb-ft of torque because the 151-hp base model.
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
As a giant empty field with a really beneficiant 488.1 cubic toes of cargo quantity, the eSprinter arrived with a 48x48x28-inch picket field mounted in the midst of its cargo ground, in addition to a pair of spare tires mounted in entrance of it. The field contained 440 kilos of weight that mixed with the spare tires to assist settle the trip when empty the identical means pickup house owners use sand baggage in an unladen mattress. That large field of nothing was going to rob me of probably very important house to maneuver a life and a half.
Properly, it wasn’t precisely a full life and half. It was extra just like the leftovers of two lives, the stuff that you simply need to preserve however don’t want common entry to. The field supplied a pure divider between my mannequin automobiles, magazines, and automotive books and his guitars, amps, and survivalist gear. With all the pieces loaded, there was nonetheless loads of room left over.
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
The load didn’t have a noticeable impact on the eSprinter’s vary or restricted energy. The 83.9-mile journey to mother’s and again, half loaded and half not, used 48% of the vary, and the journey laptop indicated I had between 85 and 98 miles of vary remaining, relying on driving type and local weather management utilization. With the A/C operating and most of these miles on the freeway at 70 mph to the highest pace of 75 mph, I perceive why it barely underperformed its anticipated vary.
The van had no drawback maintaining with site visitors within the metropolis or getting as much as freeway speeds. Nevertheless, laden or not, freeway passing proved a problem. This powertrain is tuned to work as wanted in the actual world and supply little past that.
One other 28.7 miles to my niece’s and again, once more totally on the freeway, took the journey whole to 112.6 miles and left the eSprinter with 73-85 miles of estimated remaining vary and the battery with 37% of remaining cost. All advised, the van averaged 1.7 miles per kwh for the journey, which appears completely affordable given it quantities to a giant beast slicing via the wind like a brick wouldn’t.
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
After I recharged the van in a single day on my Stage 2 dwelling charger the journey laptop indicated 192 miles of vary with a 100% cost. The system clearly learns how the van is being pushed and adjusts its vary estimate based mostly on the latest miles. A lighter load and slower speeds will surely enhance the vary estimate.
The 2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter strikes me as a sensible alternative for fleet consumers. Priced at $77,611 with $3,430 for the bigger motor, it’s about $16,000 greater than a gasoline mannequin. It has sufficient vary for a full day on the job and its electrical energy will make it less expensive to function, although it’s going to take fairly a while and plenty of miles to up for that worth premium. It will likely be quite a bit cleaner to make use of, too.
It is particularly useful when one is obtainable to you simply when mother wants your crap moved out of her basement.
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2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
Base worth: $74,181, together with $2,295 vacation spot
Worth as examined: $77,611
Powertrain: 201-hp motor, 113-kwh battery, rear-wheel drive
EPA effectivity: Estimated 200-220 miles of vary
The hits: Simply sufficient energy, plenty of cargo room, environment friendly for a fleet
The misses: Energy ends the place the pace restrict ends, large and cumbersome, a lot pricier than fuel model
