A #VanLife Icon Goes Electric. Is It Ready to Be a Camper?

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has built quite a legacy in its 30 years of existence. After redefining the commercial van market in Europe upon its launch in 1995, it then made its way to the U.S. in the early 2000s and, alongside its fleet bonafides, became a top choice for road-trippers interested in a premium camper van conversion. Over the years, the van has been badged not only as a Mercedes-Benz, but also a Freightliner, Dodge and even a Volkswagen Crafter — and its many names have only increased its legend.

Now, the Sprinter has gone electric. As with its gas-powered predecessor, the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter debuted across the pond a few years ago, eventually making it stateside this year. There are other EV competitors — with the Ford Transit and Ram ProMaster both going electric, and Rivian leaning heavily on commercial vans along with their consumer vehicles — and all of the haulers offer various arguments for business-minded buyers. But can the electrified Sprinter also succeed as a camper van?

Vehicle2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter

Trim Tested113-kWh battery / long wheelbase

Starting Price$61,250 (for ’25 models)

Price of Model Tested$75,316

Vehicle TypeElectric cargo van

MotorSingle-motor EV, 134-hp or 201-hp output, 295 lb-ft torque

RangeEstimated 273 miles, realized 200-210 miles

That’s what I set out to determine when a friend and I took the eSprinter on a 200-mile voyage to the Oregon Coast and back. We didn’t kit it out with sleeping bunks and gear compartments — Mercedes-Benz wanted it back in the same shape as they loaned it out — but the road trip gave me some insight into the adventure potential for this electric van and its ilk.

The Sprinter Goes Electric

For those who haven’t dabbled in this type of vehicle, it’s important to remember what the eSprinter is: a large cargo van. It’s not going to be particularly peppy or exciting to drive, but that’s not the point. It’s meant to haul things, and the cavernous interior here means you can haul a hell of a lot. The long-wheelbase, large-battery model I tested has a payload capacity of 2,624 pounds, but getting anywhere near that weight means sacrificing range and performance.

My 2024 model year tester came equipped with a 113-kWh battery on a 170-inch wheelbase. For 2025, there’s also a shorter 144-inch wheelbase version that has a higher maximum payload of up to 3,516 pounds. Company-estimated range for the long-wheelbase version I tested is around 270 miles, although I only achieved 210 miles at maximum charge during my real-world testing.

In order to simulate the everyday cargo-hauling experience, Mercedes added a 440-pound box in the cargo hold of my eSprinter along with a couple of spare wheels and tires. While that weight presumably improved the driving experience of a big box on wheels, it also contributed to the diminished range.

What surprised me was how easy it was to drive something that’s 280 inches long (from tip to tail) and almost nine feet high. As long as I made the usual adjustments for the vehicle’s footprint, the eSprinter almost drove like any other van. Big hills were never a problem and the acceleration was impressive, especially compared to the humble chug of a diesel engine. There is also an assortment of well-placed and crystal-clear cameras that made parking and maneuvering in tight spaces much easier.

Despite the decreased mileage available, we had no real issues with range or charging during the 200-mile trip. We made two stops to charge and both were relatively quick through the fast-charging port. Like other Mercedes-Benz EVs, the eSprinter has access to a growing charging network that includes ChargePoint, Electrify America and EVgo, a fact that will be a boon to those interested in an electric camper, whereas most fleet buyers will probably have their own charging infrastructure to support everyday use. Meanwhile, the fairly intuitive infotainment system will be familiar to most late-model Mercedes owners, using many of the same steering wheel and touchscreen controls found across the German maker’s ecosystem.

EV Camper Vans Cometh…Eventually

Although the best business case for the eSprinter is in the commercial market, there’s a natural segue into the cultural fit of adventure vans. The Sprinter (in its various forms) is one of the top three or four models in the field of camper conversions, and there will likely be interest in the years to come for kitting out an electric model in the same way you would an ICE-powered van.

In the current market, the eSprinter has the most available range of any fully-electric van. The Ford eTransit tops out at 159 miles and the Ram ProMaster EV at 162; Rivian is also in that ballpark with a lower top payload. As with any EV, the more weight you put in, the less range you have, so the 1,500 to 2,000 pounds of added weight a camper conversion would require would, in my estimation, effectively decrease the eSprinter’s range to shorter adventuring in the 100- to 150-mile range. That’s a far cry from the 350 to 475 miles between fill-ups that a gas- or diesel-powered Sprinter can manage.

So the masses will not be rushing to convert eSprinters just yet, but I did call around to a few Pacific Northwest outfitters and all confirmed that there is some interest out there in electric van conversions, but not enough to move the needle at this point in time.

Although the current electric drivetrain isn’t ideal for hauling that much extra weight over long trips, the builders said there wouldn’t be much difference in outfitting the two types of vans. The cost of a buildout is relatively comparable and there’s actually more workable space in the cargo box of EVs because there’s no transmission tunnel. Mercedes actually has an existing list of upfitter partners who convert Sprinters, with some of them working on the electric model as well.

An Everyday Competitor

That leaves us to consider what the eSprinter can be for both its target and aspirational markets.

For the commercial market, it’s a compelling fleet choice. The driving experience is solid, the fast charging is indeed speedy and pricing is competitive, as an eSprinter starts more than $10,000 less in some cases compared to an electric van from Rivian or Ford. It’s not a huge jump in pricing from traditional Sprinters either; for 2025, those start as low as $50,900 while the eSprinter starts at $61,250.

For adventure van conversions, the overall package isn’t quite there yet. The biggest obstacle remains range, which will need to exceed 300 miles on a fully built-out rig to begin to be competitive. Buyers want that security and peace of mind that comes with being able to go off-grid knowing they’ll have enough juice to make it back to a charging station.

This is in addition to the ongoing struggle to add more fast chargers across the country. Mercedes is set to adopt the same Tesla NACS plug starting next year, and it’s almost a sure bet this will find its way to the company’s van lineup. For now, there’s not enough availability of fast, reliable charging near popular outdoor destinations, and that lack is even more acutely felt in far-flung locales.

That said, the eSprinter will certainly be an excellent shell to build out a camper van once range and charging get there. It’s a quiet, sturdy ride, and there will most certainly be an appetite for those qualities to be front and center as tastes evolve in the conversion market. And if there’s an EV charging corridor between your home and your favorite national park, and you’re happy to take additional rest stops, well, you could certainly be the first eSprinter #vanlife influencer.