Gas Engine New Sprinter

rockymtnb

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2014
Posts
550
Mercedes previewed their third generation Sprinter chassis today, and disclosed that U.S. market Sprinters will be available with a gasoline engine.

According to Volker Mornhinweg, head of Mercedes-Benz commercial vans unit:

The new Sprinter, Mercedes’ flagship van, will debut in February, but sales won't start until later in 2018. U.S. deliveries will begin closer to the end of next year. Other markets, including the U.S., will follow. This model will be the third generation since its introduction in 1995. The company has sold more than 3.3 million globally since its introduction, including a record 142,000 through the first nine months of this year.

Globally, the new van will have options for front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. It will be offered as a regular cab or crew cab, as a bus or panel van. Mercedes will sell it with right- or left-hand-drive depending on the market. There will be four different body lengths and three roof heights.

Specifications for the U.S. market are still to be announced, but Mornhinweg did offer some details. It will be sold with a gasoline engine in the U.S. for the first time. The current model only has diesel engine choices. Only the rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive models will be offered. The low- and high-roof models will be offered in the U.S. The mid-roof van is limited to other markets. The new version will have some of autonomous safety features such as adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking of Mercedes passenger cars.
 
Last edited:
They are probably offering Gas to the USA due to Diesel being outlawed in parts of Europe. So the writing is probably on the wall here also?
 
They will offer a gas engine for meeting the competition in the USA where gasoline is dominant. Our service station structure is oriented to gasoline for the most part. Canada has more integrated diesel options at the service stations than the USA and when we traveled England the options of diesel and gasoline were about equally convenient. They will still offer the diesels. The assembly plant in South Carolina will just make options more flexible.
 
.

In Canada, just about every gas station also sells diesel.
But I do not see more diesel cars in Canada than in the US.
 
They are probably offering Gas to the USA due to Diesel being outlawed in parts of Europe. So the writing is probably on the wall here also?
No Diesel is not outlawed in Europe, far from it. In some Cities they want to ban ICE. Vehicles on some days.Push for Electric Vans etc. as delivery vehicles.
Gas engines will not be offered outside NA, maybe Electric versions as an option in Europe.
 
No Diesel is not outlawed in Europe, far from it. In some Cities they want to ban ICE. Vehicles on some days.Push for Electric Vans etc. as delivery vehicles.
Gas engines will not be offered outside NA, maybe Electric versions as an option in Europe.

Among the recent flurry of anti-ICE announcements from Europe are several diesel-specific bans coming up, mostly at the city-level. E.g.:

Four major cities move to ban diesel vehicles by 2025 - BBC News

Happily, ICE in all forms appears to be not long for this world. I doubt that we will see much R&D money spent on it.
 
No Diesel is not outlawed in Europe, far from it. In some Cities they want to ban ICE. Vehicles on some days.Push for Electric Vans etc. as delivery vehicles.
Gas engines will not be offered outside NA, maybe Electric versions as an option in Europe.

Sorry but not so, in the UK Diesel will be extinct by 2040 by law, so people are not buying so many new diesels, so the writing will be on the wall in other parts of Europe also
 
Sorry but not so, in the UK Diesel will be extinct by 2040 by law, so people are not buying so many new diesels, so the writing will be on the wall in other parts of Europe also

So will Petrol/ Gas engines in the Cities. It is not just Diesel. Concern about Diesel is more a US thing where only 2% of vehicles are Diesel compared to 40% in Europe. Petrol/ Diesel is more about banning both in European cities by 2040-2050.
Meanwhile BMW , Mercedes Benz with it's new CLK or S have introduced new diesels . Not in the US but elsewhere
I suggest doing a Google search about a particular Automaker and put in " new diesel" in the search terms.
Daimler estimates that probably 25% of vehicle production will be EV's by 2050
75% will be Petrol/ Gas and Diesel. VW's commitment to Diesel as well as investing in EV production link below
https://www.express.co.uk/life-styl...missions-Volkswagen-Frankfurt-Motor-Show-2017
 
Last edited:
.

THere is no need to ban diesel or gas or whatever...

when the electric cars start to take hold,
which is anytime soon,
the switchover will be swift.

New techs are introduced every day.
All the complaints and reservations you have about today's batteries
will be gone tomorrow -- cost, weight, charge time, temp limitations, etc., will quickly become a distant memory.

Before you knew it, just like the automatic transmission, air conditioner, and power windows,
everybody's got it.
 
.

THere is no need to ban diesel or gas or whatever...

when the electric cars start to take hold,
which is anytime soon,
the switchover will be swift.

New techs are introduced every day.
All the complaints and reservations you have about today's batteries
will be gone tomorrow -- cost, weight, charge time, temp limitations, etc., will quickly become a distant memory.

Before you knew it, just like the automatic transmission, air conditioner, and power windows,
everybody's got it.
I look at the Daimler timetable and break up ICE versus EV production as more realistic by 2050
 
just a question-is an electric truck viable currently? these trucks and vans weigh more and needed more power.

I'm sure putting electric in a truck/van can be done-but how FAR can it go with current technology.

Having to go to a recharging station every 3 hours seems a pain
 
just a question-is an electric truck viable currently? these trucks and vans weigh more and needed more power.

I'm sure putting electric in a truck/van can be done-but how FAR can it go with current technology.

Having to go to a recharging station every 3 hours seems a pain

Would they have to do that? If it was a city delivery truck, wouldn't the brakes help to charge the batteries like they do in the Prius?
 
when the electric cars start to take hold,
which is anytime soon,
the switchover will be swift.

The changeover in what's being offered to new car buyers might happen fairly quickly, but overall the change will be more gradual. The average age of automobiles in the US is 11.6 years. So even after they stop selling new ICE cars, it will take a long time for the existing ones to go away. I know even if the RV makers all switched over to selling electric vehicles it will be a long time before I get rid of my gas-powered Roadtrek.
 
just a question-is an electric truck viable currently? these trucks and vans weigh more and needed more power.z

I'm sure putting electric in a truck/van can be done-but how FAR can it go with current technology.

Having to go to a recharging station every 3 hours seems a pain
Basically not very far, that is their Achilles heel
 

Try RV LIFE Pro Free for 7 Days

  • New Ad-Free experience on this RV LIFE Community.
  • Plan the best RV Safe travel with RV LIFE Trip Wizard.
  • Navigate with our RV Safe GPS mobile app.
  • and much more...
Try RV LIFE Pro Today
Back
Top