• Mercedes-Benz plans to launch all-electric passenger vans in North America.
• The automaker also intends to introduce electric recreational vehicles.
• The vehicles will be built on the company’s new VAN.EA electric architecture.
Mercedes-Benz has confirmed plans to introduce all-electric passenger vans and even recreational EVs to the North American market. This is notable because the company has never marketed an electric passenger van here. The first product to come will be a midsize luxury van, the company says.
The new EVs to come will be built on the brand-new VAN.EA architecture the company is developing, and which will be used for midsize and full-size luxury passenger cans starting in 2026. That platform is a modular configuration, with the front block remaining the same across all vehicle formats. The centre block determines the actual length of the vehicle and houses its battery pack, while the rear portion of the modular platform houses a powertrain (in the case of AWD configurations).
The VAN.EA platform also comes in two forms, C and P, for Commercial and Private. The former is self-explanatory, but the latter refers to vehicles destined for private customers for leisure use, but also as mobile offices or VIP shuttles, for instance.
Mercedes also plans to use the C version of the new platform to underpin electric recreational vehicles. The automaker is not yet confirming that North America will see those RVs, but we refer you to the Volkswagen ID.Buzz as proof that carmakers see that format as a viable option for the New Continent.
Recall that Mercedes-Benz has set a goal to reach 50 percent of North American sales consist of EVs by 2030; a line of electric commercial and passenger vans will obviously help it reach that goal.