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NEWS
Electric motorhome on the cards
Battery-powered motorhomes as soon as two years away with next-generation Mercedes van to get electric driveAlmost silent motorhomes that run on battery power rather than fossil fuel are a real possibility in the near feature with Mercedes-Benz hinting its first all-electric vehicle sold in Australia will be based on a Sprinter van.
Mercedes-Benz has previously confirmed it will debut its first-ever all-electric van in 2018, spelling an end to the stereotype of loud, smelly, sooty commercial offerings.
Expected to be inspired by the futuristic Mercedes-Benz Vision Van concept that broke cover at the 2016 Paris motor show (pictured), the Sprinter EV will be an attractive proposition to fleet buyers including big motorhome rental operators like Tourism Holdings, which owns the Britz and Maui brands.
The boss of Mercedes-Benz Vans Australia, Diane Tarr, indicated that strong interest from Aussie fleet buyers means the Sprinter EV van is almost certain to be sold here.
"We've already got strong interest from a lot of fleet customers in EVs, and we're working with them in terms for what their requirements will be and we'll certainly look at it," she said.
Sources in Europe revealed that the company's first electric van will command a premium of between 10 and 20 thousand Euros over regular models.
Nevertheless, silent, fossil fuel-free electric propulsion in a delivery van or motorhome holds significant appeal for several fleet buyers in Australasia, who are serious about reducing their carbon footprint by adopting EV fleets.
"There's a lot [of interest]. Australia Post Star Track is a very keen adopter of EVs and THL, one of our big customers in the tourism space, is also looking at electric vehicles,” Tarr said.
While Aussie passenger car buyers have shunned electric cars, often due to higher prices and range anxiety, commercial vehicles could be the catalyst for EV adoption and help spur EV infrastructure like fast-charge points in public places.
"It's going to be strongly driven by our customers and their demand for it," said Tarr of the EV van.
Never having to visit a petrol station is one of the key benefits of an EV van but Mercedes experts say packaging advantages arise too, with more cargo space available.
The current, diesel-powered Mercedes-Benz workhorse is already a popular choice with Australian motorhome buyers, with conversion companies including Jayco, Paradise and Trakka offering a variety of models based on the Sprinter platform
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Written byFeann Torr
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