The Mercedes EQV Concept is a sleek but simple van design that, honestly, is hard to understand why it’s only a concept and not a production car already. Its 100 kWh battery capacity is supposed to be able to shuttle eight people 249 miles with electric-only propulsion.
Mercedes-Benz Vans is promising a production version of this van soon, that’s supposed to make its debut at the this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show. Which, suddenly, I’m excited for because I kind of love this thing.
Maybe I’m being seduced by the laser-glossy retro-futuristic School Picture Day aesthetic of these promotional pictures, but I think this is a damn fine-looking van.
The press release doesn’t go exceedingly deep on technical details (for instance, it doesn’t mention that it suuuuuure looks like a Mercedes Metris from the outside), but it is stated that the concept has an electric drivetrain on the front axle generating 201 HP and that “the electric motor, the transmission with fixed transmission ratios, the cooling system and the power electronics form a compact and integral unit.”
Claimed top speed is an almost Autobahn-worthy 99 mph, and the interior can be configured to hold seven or eight people. Mercedes hasn’t mentioned anything explicitly about a cargo variant, but I can imagine it would be too hard to remove the seats and make a work van or a short-range camper out of this.
The charging system is supposed to be able to get to “a range of 62 miles within just 15 minutes.”<
I could imagine this vehicle being great at airport taxi duty, trade work or delivery jobs. But I bet it would also be a solid family van if you have a big flock. Somebody’s going to have to pee every couple hundred miles anyway, so having to stop and charge wouldn’t be the end of the world.