As luck would have it, I got scheduled right into a weekend with the 2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter exactly once I needed it.
The third wettest Spring on record in Southeastern Wisconsin flooded my mom’s basement. Prior to moving from a condo to a house three years ago, I stashed numerous my very own clutter downstairs at her place to streamline my life, and three years before the death of my niece’s father had already stockpiled other 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% charge on the battery and an indicated 199 miles of estimated range. An official range hasn’t been released, however the 2024 eSprinter has 273 miles of range on the more lenient European WLTP cycle.
I have to admit to having just a little range anxiety. I figured the roundtrip can be about 140 miles, and I didn’t wish to risk running out of charge mid-trip. Seems I didn’t should worry. My mom’s home is 42 miles away to the north and west, while my niece’s home is just a little greater than 14 miles away to the south and east, which might account for about 112 miles for the day. That left numerous wiggle room between the actual efficiency and the eSprinter’s real-world range, which appears to be no less than 200 miles.
My tester was the identical as all 2024s: a high-roof model with the 170-inch wheelbase and bigger 113-kwh (usable) battery (the 2025 eSprinter also offers a brief roof, a shorter 144-inch wheelbase, and a smaller 81-kwh battery). The tester also had the more-powerful 201-hp motor that spins up the identical 295 lb-ft of torque because the 151-hp base version.
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
As a giant empty box with a really generous 488.1 cubic feet of cargo volume, the eSprinter arrived with a 48x48x28-inch picket box mounted in the course of its cargo floor, in addition to a pair of spare tires mounted in front of it. The box contained 440 kilos of weight that combined with the spare tires to assist settle the ride when empty the identical way pickup owners use sand bags in an unladen bed. That big box of nothing was going to rob me of possibly vital space to maneuver a life and a half.
Well, it wasn’t exactly a full life and half. It was more just like the leftovers of two lives, the stuff that you wish to keep but don’t need regular access to. The box provided a natural divider between my model cars, magazines, and automotive books and his guitars, amps, and survivalist gear. With the whole lot loaded, there was still loads of room left over.
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
The load didn’t have a noticeable effect on the eSprinter’s range or limited power. The 83.9-mile trip to mom’s and back, half loaded and half not, used 48% of the range, and the trip computer indicated I had between 85 and 98 miles of range remaining, depending on driving style and climate control usage. With the A/C running and most of those miles on the freeway at 70 mph to the highest speed of 75 mph, I understand why it barely underperformed its expected range.
The van had no problem maintaining with traffic in the town or getting as much as freeway speeds. Nonetheless, laden or not, highway passing proved a challenge. This powertrain is tuned to work as needed in the actual world and offer little beyond that.
One other 28.7 miles to my niece’s and back, again totally on the freeway, took the trip total to 112.6 miles and left the eSprinter with 73-85 miles of estimated remaining range and the battery with 37% of remaining charge. All told, the van averaged 1.7 miles per kwh for the trip, which seems perfectly reasonable given it amounts to a giant beast cutting through the wind like a brick wouldn’t.
2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
After I recharged the van overnight on my Level 2 home charger the trip computer indicated 192 miles of range with a 100% charge. The system obviously learns how the van is being driven and adjusts its range estimate based on essentially the most recent miles. A lighter load and slower speeds will surely increase the range estimate.
The 2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter strikes me as a sensible selection for fleet buyers. Priced at $77,611 with $3,430 for the larger motor, it’s about $16,000 greater than a gasoline model. It has enough range for a full day on the job and its electric power will make it less expensive to operate, though it’s going to take quite a while and lots of miles to up for that price premium. It is going to be loads cleaner to make use of, too.
It’s especially helpful when one is obtainable to you only when mom needs your crap moved out of her basement.
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2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
Base price: $74,181, including $2,295 destination
Price as tested: $77,611
Powertrain: 201-hp motor, 113-kwh battery, rear-wheel drive
EPA efficiency: Estimated 200-220 miles of range
The hits: Barely enough power, a number of cargo room, efficient for a fleet
The misses: Power ends where the speed limit ends, big and cumbersome, much pricier than gas version
This Article First Appeared At www.greencarreports.com
