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Mercedes-Benz introduced the all-electric EQV in 2020, based on the V-class van-based MPV, itself a derivative of the Vito van. UK models seat seven and thanks to a large 90kWh battery pack, offer a claimed range of more than 200 miles regardless of trim level.
The EQV is very much towards the upper end of electric people-movers, as you might expect from the Mercedes brand. New models start at more than £70,000, which makes some of the savings available on pre-owned examples look much more appealing.
The market for people-moving EVs is growing year on year, with many of the major van manufacturers now offering alternatives. If you don’t need the full utility of a van, SUVs like the Tesla Model X and Kia EV9 seat seven, or for a five-seat (and much more stylish) electric MPV, there’s also the Volkswagen ID.Buzz.
The Mercedes-Benz EQV is aimed more at high-end business and taxi use than family buyers, combining badge appeal with the utility of the Mercedes V-Class, and the benefits of a pure electric vehicle - such as exemption from city-centre emissions-based tolls, zero-rate road tax, and smooth, silent running.
The EQV is very expensive new, starting at more than £70,000, but its specification and features go some way to justifying that. It’s among the most luxurious electric people-movers available, with plenty of equipment and a quality feel to the cabin.
It’s also absolutely enormous - at 5.3 metres long it’s longer than a standard wheelbase S-Class, and there’s more than 1000 litres of boot space even with all the seats in place. It’s a seven-seater rather than the eight available in a combustion-powered V-Class, but that’s only likely to be an issue for a small number of potential owners.
Even the standard V-Class is very refined and the EQV naturally takes that a step further. Performance is brisk and with more than 200 miles of claimed range, it should have sufficient reach for the kind of jobs premium MPVs like this are used for.
Several brands now offer van-based MPVs and electric ones at that, such as the Peugeot e-Traveller and the Ford E-Tourneo Custom, though these don’t quite have Mercedes’ image. The more car-like Volkswagen ID.Buzz is the most stylish electric MPV on sale but is currently offered as a five-seater only, while seven-seat SUV options include the Tesla Model X and Kia EV9 - though neither is anything like as practical as the Mercedes.
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There’s only one powertrain in the EQV, and even though there’s a small variance in range depending on the trim level you go for, it’s probably not enough to notice in real world driving. So choosing an EQV comes down to specification. While the entry-level Sport is already better equipped than most vans, we’d suggest looking for a Sport Premium model, which adds CarPlay and Android Auto to the standard touchscreen, upgrades the parking camera to a 360-degree around-view one, and has privacy glass to help keep the cabin cooler in hot weather - which may help reduce range-sapping air conditioning use.
‘Sport’ possibly isn’t the first word that comes to mind when talking about a van-based MPV (unless it’s the way you’re getting a sports team from place to place) but all EQV trim levels are based off the entry-level Sport trim, adding progressively more luxurious features. It’s certainly more car-like than van-like.
The Mercedes-Benz EQV’s dimensions are:
The Mercedes-Benz EQV’s boot size is:
The van itself might be expensive but tax won’t be, as being an all-electric vehicle the EQV currently enjoys zero-rate VED - plus the benefits already mentioned, such as exemption from London’s ULEZ and a discount for driving in the Congestion Charge zone.
With the EQV’s expense and with electric vehicles generally costing a little more than combustion ones to insure, it’s not too surprising that the EQV sits in the maximum group 50 for insurance. A Peugeot e-Traveller, for comparison, covers groups 37-39.