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Test Drive: 2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter

From Los Angeles to Huntington Beach, CA on a mix of city streets and highways

Evan Orensten

7 February 2024

The new eSprinter is a major step toward Mercedes-Benz’s commitment to a fully electric future of mobility, and is certain to be an increasingly important segment of their van market. Though we are more frequently behind the wheel of the brand’s passenger vehicles, given the importance of this product in the commercial and fleet space (and very likely consumer space too) we wanted to experience it first-hand and had the opportunity to drive it from Los Angeles to Huntington Beach, CA on a mix of city streets and highways.

While quite large (it’s 170″ long with a high roof and can hold 488 cu ft of cargo up to 2,634 lbs and tow up to 4,200 lbs.), it’s actually very easy to drive, and more comfortable than other products in the segment that we’ve experienced. Other than its electric powertrain, the eSprinter is nearly identical to its non-electric twin, and the latest MBUX infotainment system is an available option. Not surprisingly, it drives like a van, specifically one made with cities in mind. As with all electric vehicles, torque is immediately available, so you can easily accelerate to merge into traffic or as needed. It’s not an AMG, and is obviously not made for athletic performance. It’s limited to 70 mph, adequate for nearly every use. Because of the electric motor the interior is noticeably quieter.

“The new Mercedes-Benz eSprinter underlines our claim to ‘Lead in Electric’ and kicks off the next stage of our electrification strategy. Its versatility and flexibility make the new eSprinter the ideal vehicle for a wide range of applications,” says Mathias Geisen, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans. The gasoline-powered range includes several models, and it’s likely that we’ll see more eSprinter models added to the portfolio over the next few years. While currently more expensive than its gasoline powered twin, starting at $74,181 (which includes destination fees) the savings over using diesel fuel add up quickly, and of course there’s the marketing desire / opportunity to use and share that the company uses electric vehicles. It may also provide more access to certain city areas or lanes dedicated for EV use.

This is a workhorse, designed for small businesses, delivery and service fleets, and mobile workshops. Most customers will take delivery in a standard “panel” configuration, but other options are available. The conversion market has been anxiously awaiting its arrival with plentiful options for sport, camping and mobile offices coming soon. The eSprinter is new to the US and China, and will be made in the company’s North Charlston, SC plant in the US, and their Düsseldorf and Ludwigsfelde plants in Germany.

The eSprinter sits on a new platform, called VAN.EA (Van Electric Architecture), that will support all upcoming electric models. Its battery pack sits under the van’s floor between its axles, and its 286 lb permanent magnet synchronous electric motor, delivering 295 lb feet of torque (available in either 100 or 150 kw variants), sits alongside the electric rear axle. The batteries are LFP (lithium ferro-phosphate) and nickel- and cobalt-free. Drivers can select three driving modes—comfort, eco and extended range, and one of five energy recuperation modes. Estimated range is 273 miles, which varies based on driving style, weather, etc. AC and DC charging is supported, and the ports are accessed behind the Mercedes-Benz star in the grille. Specified maintenance is included for the first four service visits over four years, or up to 100,000 miles.

Learn more at Merceds-Benz Vans.

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BMW’s iX Flow Color-Changing Exterior

Wrapped in E Ink, the vehicle’s color can shift at the driver’s command

Josh Rubin

5 January 2022

Just unveiled at a virtual CES press conference, the BMW iX Flow is a proof of concept for a color-changing exterior. Using their electric iX as the base, the car is clad in E Ink and can switch between black and white in an instant. While we were excited to see this innovation in-person, BMW (like so many other brands) chose to present at CES virtually this year; however, the video below does a great job of showing the innovation in action.

The same technology found in most eReaders, E Ink is a micro-thin laminate that holds tiny capsules filled with negatively charged white pigment and positively charged black pigment. When hit with a brief electric pulse the color swaps. For the iX Flow, BMW designers molded panels of this display technology to wrap the car. “This gives the driver the freedom to express different facets of their personality or even their enjoyment of change outwardly, and to redefine this each time they sit into their car,” says Stella Clarke, Head of Project for the BMW iX Flow.

A color-changing exterior has functional value as well. Darker colors absorb heat and lighter ones deflect it so when used in concert with the car’s interior climate control greater efficiencies in battery power usage can be gained. It’s noteworthy that the electricity used is minimal given that it’s only needed to change the color—once complete there’s now power going to the E Ink panels.

Thinking beyond this concept it’s easy to imagine more creative design applications using selective panel segments or eventually different color pigments. And then there’s a future fantasy where the car’s exterior cameras read the environment and trigger colors and patterns on the exterior as a response to it.

iX Flow is a concept so BMW did not comment on whether this will be an option in the future and if so how much it would cost, but the technology here is actually quite basic and the complexity is in the craftsmanship of its application—so we wouldn’t be surprised to see it on the streets in coming years.

Images and video courtesy of BMW

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Japanese Professor Invents “Taste The TV” Lickable TV Screen

Watching future episodes of your favorite cooking show may include licking your TV

Evan Orensten

24 December 2021

Reuters reports that professor Homei Miyashita of Japan’s Meiji University has created a working prototype of a television that viewers can lick. The Taste the TV (TTTV) allows for a desired flavor profile to be programmed, which then activates ten different canisters in a carousel to spray a combination onto a thin layer of hygienic film that can be licked.

It’s a union of remote learning (cooking, wine tasting, etc) and entertainment (cooking shows that enable participants to vote after tasting samples)—and it’s easy to see how this kind of technology could be used in a practical way. “The goal is to make it possible for people to have the experience of something like eating at a restaurant on the other side of the world, even while staying at home,” Professor Miyashita says.

Miyashita-san noted that he built the prototype himself over the last year and that a commercial version could be constructed for around $875 a unit.

Image courtesy of Reuters

The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine is More Important Than Ever

A non-profit library supporting more than 400 billion archived web pages, the Internet Archive turns 25 this year. While new content appears every second, much of the internet also continues to disappear through shut downs, updates, transformations and changing culture. Thus, the archive’s Wayback Machine has become an even more important tool. It’s not only about design preservation, but also fundamental to protecting the history of the internet as events unfurled and facts were shared. Further, “anyone can be a citizen archivist and preserve history,” Fast Company reports. Read more about the necessity of saving internet history there.

Image courtesy of tussik13/iStock 

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GM Announces Zero Light-Duty Vehicle Emissions by 2035 + Carbon Neutrality by 2040

An industry leading stand on climate friendly product and manufacturing

Evan Orensten

29 January 2021

General Motors continues its aggressive program to introduce zero emission light-duty vehicles—currently targeted for 30 all-electric models by 2025—by accelerating timelines and increasing investment. Their goal is to be emission free by 2035 and have all of their products and facilities—globally—achieve carbon neutrality by 2040. To do so, the brand is allocating more than half of its investment and dedicating more than half of its product development team to get there.

The company had one electric-only option in the market in 2020 (the Chevrolet Bolt EV) and it represented less than 1% of its total sales by volume. With the recent announcements of the all-electric Hummer EV, arriving later this year, the Cadillac Halo personal electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle (eVTOL) concept and the Lyriq SUV arriving next year  (with its interior inspired by the 2016 Escala concept car) and what appears to be an all-electric model with a Corvette badge among those in the works, the future looks bright for consumers seeking zero emissions vehicles.

Photo by Steve Fecht for General Motors