Daimler is betting big on electric mobility, not only for its passenger cars, but also regarding its light commercial vehicle line up. Under the eDrive@VANs programme, all commercial model series are to be electrified in the coming years, starting with the eVito, available in the second half of 2018.
The eSprinter is the next van to go ‘e’, 2019. In the meantime, Mercedes will start testing prototypes of a fuel-cell powered Sprinter, called F-Cell. Like the GLC with the same suffix, it draws electricity from either the hydrogen stored in cylindrical tanks in the underbody, or a small battery pack that can be charged externally.
That makes this Sprinter F-Cell the first ‘plug in hybrid’ zero-emission van ever, combining electricity produced in the fuel cell with current stored in the battery pack.