The Next-Generation Mercedes-Benz eSprinter Has Reportedly Already Been Delayed

Photo: Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz has reportedly delayed its next-generation eSprinter commercial van. According to Automotive News, a source who was briefed on the delay claims that instead of production in the U.S. beginning in late 2026, it will instead begin sometime in the summer of 2028.

European production will reportedly begin earlier than the U.S., but it’s still been delayed, as well. Mercedes’ factory in Dusseldorf, Germany will start building the redesigned eSprinters in the first quarter of 2028, not May 2026 as originally planned. Meanwhile, the electric-only van factory in Jawor, Poland won’t begin eSprinter production until the summer of 2027.

No reason has been given for the delay so far, and when Automotive News reached out to Mercedes for more information on the decision, the spokesperson declined to comment.

It’s also important to point out that this reported production delay is for the eventually redesigned version of the eSprinter, not the van that was officially revealed today. As far as we know, the 2023 eSprinter is still on track to reach U.S. dealerships later this year. At least that’s what the press release said as of this morning.

When it gets here, the new Mercedes-Benz eSprinter will only be available in long-wheelbase, high-roof, big-battery form, although it’s likely that other variants will be introduced after the initial launch. It will have the same 488-foot cargo capacity as the combustion-engine Sprinters in the same configuration.

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While its range has yet to be tested by the EPA, Mercedes says that using the European WLTP test cycle, the eSprinter should get up to 311 miles in the city and 249 miles on the highway. A pre-production prototype also recently completed a 295-mile trip on a single charge. Mercedes didn’t say whether or not the van it tested was hauling any cargo, though, so it’s probably safe to assume it was empty. Adding stuff in the back would probably reduce that range, but we still expect the eSprinter to be a useful vehicle for delivery drivers and tradespeople, especially in denser urban areas.