Mercedes makes big promises about the next electric V-Class with the Vision V

The Vision V is intended to give a preview of the luxury version, which will be launched on the market under the abbreviation VLS, with the ‘S’ as a reference to the Mercedes S-Class. The VLS is therefore to be positioned as a luxury van with an enormous amount of space, but with a wood and leather interior as a kind of VIP shuttle or luxury office on wheels. The VLE, on the other hand, as an E-Class model, is to be a flexible but still high-quality family van with premium aspirations. In this way, Mercedes wants to be able to better serve the different customer requirements. The days of the old EQV are definitely numbered.

“By expanding the top-end of its model portfolio, Mercedes‑Benz Vans is defining a unique segment of its own that bestows true greatness to automotive luxury,” the company wrote in the press release. The Vision V provides a glimpse of the exclusive top-end variant. An automatically opening ‘portal’ door provides access to the interior, while a retractable and illuminated step is intended to help with entry. The interior itself is designed in the style of a ‘private lounge’ – the driver’s area can be partitioned off using an intelligently switchable glass wall. If desired, the glass can be changed from transparent to opaque, either completely or in sections.

The lounge itself is characterised by white nappa leather, silk and open-pore burl wood. The shelves on the sides are designed in the style of a sideboard or display cabinet. The seats are, of course, “first-class seats,” which are designed to offer the “best ergonomics” and “first-class travelling comfort.” They can be reclined to a comfortable lying position.

In addition, the ‘Private Lounge’ with a 65-inch 4K cinema screen and 42 loudspeakers will offer a special digital experience, as Mercedes emphasises. “As soon as the passengers are inside and the doors are closed, it glides up as if by magic from a console designed with burr wood and Nappa leather. Through the transparent slats in the floor, passengers can watch as the display extends and separates the ‘Private Lounge’ area from the cockpit,” writes the Stuttgart-based company.

In the press release for the show car, Mercedes emphasises the luxury features of the new van, particularly the interior features. The manufacturer does not comment on the drive technology. We were able to take a ride in a prototype of the VAN.EA last year. The upcoming electric vans from Mercedes rely on 800-volt technology, are equipped with a 22 kW AC charger and are expected to have a range of more than 500 kilometres with batteries with an energy content of over 100 kWh. And because it is equipped with the new MB.OS operating system for infotainment on a par with the S-Class and assistance systems that can be upgraded to autopilot.

The VAN.EA itself is based on a design consisting of three modules per vehicle: the front module is the same for all variants, a centre module scales the vehicle length and accommodates different battery sizes in standardised housings, and the rear module is available as a tag axle or with a second motor for the overdue electric all-wheel drive. This is intended to increase the number of identical parts, although greater differentiation between the private customer vans and the commercial vans is possible. However, this only applies to the electric models: Mercedes has since announced that it will develop a Van Combustion Architecture (VAN.CA) for corresponding combustion models.

mercedes-benz.com, jesmb.de (model naming)