Ultimate glamping solution: Mercedes bringing luxury electric camper van to the US
For those of you looking for the ultimate glamping experience, Mercedes-Benz is about to have the solution for you. Mercedes revealed its new dedicated Vans Electric Architecture (VAN.EA) to expand its EV van lineup, and for the first time, the automaker will introduce private luxury midsize electric vans to the US and China, including camper versions.
Although Mercedes-Benz is already a leader, selling over 40,000 electric vans globally, the company aims to expand its position.
Mercedes has launched fully electric variants in every segment, including small to midsize and large vans in Europe and China, and earlier this year with the purely electric eSprinter for North America.
The German automaker has also introduced fully electric camper vans to satisfy the growing “van life” trend. Last January, Mercedes revealed a camper version of its EQV electric van, following it up with the electric EQT Marco Polo, a “practical solution for camping fans.”
Beginning in 2026, Mercedes is planning for a new generation of electric vans. Based on its new VAN.EA architecture, the automaker will offer electric vans for commercial use, versatile all-rounders, private luxury vans, and even RVs.
Mercedes introduces new electric vans, including a camper
Mercedes says the next generation of electric vans will focus on efficiency and performance.
The dedicated VAN.EA electric architecture will serve as the foundation for Mercedes planned expansion. Mathias Geisen, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, explained:
Starting 2026, we will introduce our purpose-built EV architecture VAN.EA. This enables us to consolidate our midsize and large vans down to only one architecture and significantly reduce the complexity of our product portfolio. Maximum added value for customers with sustainable profitability at the same time: VAN.EA clearly underscores our aspiration to be ‘Lead in Electric’.
Mercedes is focusing on four critical aspects with its new EV van architecture to optimize range and reduce costs, including aerodynamics, drivetrain, tires, and chassis.
To streamline production, Mercedes’s new architecture is a scalable solution with three modules. The front module stays the same in all VAN.EA variants consisting of the electric powertrain and front axle.
Meanwhile, the center module dictates the length of the vehicle, while the rear module will be available with an electric motor (for AWD) or without (FWD).
Based on the various combinations, Mercedes will offer different versions for private and commercial customers. VAN.EA-P (for privately positioned) is designed for those looking for a mobile office, family activity vehicle, or business partner (such as a VIP shuttle) for example.
The VAN.EA-C (for premium commercial vans), on the other hand, is for the courier, express, and parcel delivery vehicles to ambulances and camper vans with added cargo space and functionality.
Mercedes already offers fully electric van variants in all segments but with the VAN.EA platform, the van division aims to achieve 50% EV sales share by 2030.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
China just laid out a plan to roll out over 100,000 ultra-fast EV charging stations by 2027 – and they’ll all be open to the public.
The National Development and Reform Commission’s (NDRC) joint notice, issued on Monday, asks local authorities to put together construction plans for highway service areas and prioritize the ones that see 40% or more usage during holiday travel rushes.
The NDRC notes that China’s ultra-fast EV charging infrastructure needs upgrading as more 800V EVs hit the road. Those high-voltage platforms can handle super-fast charging in as little as 10 to 30 minutes, but only if the charging hardware is up to speed.
China had 31.4 million EVs on the road at the end of 2024 – nearly 9% of the country’s total vehicle fleet. But charging access is still catching up. As of May 2025, there were 14.4 million charging points, or roughly 1 for every 2.2 EVs.
To keep the grid running smoothly, China wants new chargers to be smart, with dynamic pricing to incentivize off-peak charging and solar and storage to power the charging stations.
To make the business side work, the government is pushing for 10-year leases for charging station operators, and it’s backing the buildout with local government bonds.
The NDRC emphasized that the DC fast chargers built will be open to the public. This is a big deal because a lot of fast chargers in China aren’t. For example, BYD’s new megawatt chargers aren’t open to third-party vehicles.
As of September 2024, China had expanded its charging infrastructure to 11.4 million EV chargers, but only 3.3 million were public.
Read more: California now has nearly 50% more EV chargers than gas nozzles
If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Tesla is starting to experience some consequences for misleading Full Self Driving customers – at least that’s the finding of one arbitration ruling that has Tesla refunding one customer $10,000 plus legal fees for failing to deliver on their promises. Find out more on today’s legally challenging episode of Quick Charge!
An arbitration “court” found that Tesla misled customers with its Full Self Driving product, and has now been forced to refund at least one person’s $10,000 payment (plus legal fees) for the not-quite autonomous driving software. France, too, is piling on claims of deceptive business practices – but there’s some good news for FSD fans! If you’re still willing to pay for it, Tesla will thrown in 0% financing on a brand new Cybertruck.
Check out the relevant links, below, to learn more.
Source Links
Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.
New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news.
Got news? Let us know!
Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike