Mercedes-Benz has said up until now that its future vans would be based on a dedicated electric architecture, but on Thursday it confirmed plans for a new internal-combustion van architecture as well.
Electric vans based on the new Van.EA platform will still debut in 2026, as previously discussed. They’ll now be joined by other fuel-burning models based on a “second variant of the architecture” called Van.CA, for Combustion Architecture, Mercedes said in a press release.
Mercedes-Benz van architectures
Combustion and electric vans will share 70% of parts, according to Mercedes, and will be produced on the same assembly lines. That commonality will help the automaker achieve economies of scale and allow more flexibility as demand for a given powertrain type ebbs and flows. Currently, Mercedes offers both gasoline and diesel vans in the U.S., as well as in Europe and other markets.
Just a few months ago, Mercedes was saying that all of its future medium and large vans would be based on the Van.EA basis. That leaves out smaller vans, but there was no mention in the release of the Van.CA being specific to a given vehicle size. And the emphasis on parts commonality implies similar vans, with only the powertrains being different.
Teaser for Mercedes-Benz Van.EA concept
This wouldn’t be the first time that Mercedes has made has changed course on electric vans. It once had a deal with Rivian to make electric vans for Europe, but is now relying solely on the in-house Van.EA platform. A concept vehicle based on that platform will debut this spring, heralding production models that will arrive next year.
Meanwhile, the current Mercedes-Benz eSprinter is built on the same chassis as combustion vans. And looking ahead Mercedes appears to be committing to lots of tailpipes and fuel tanks rather than a future of all-electric vans.
