Mercedes eSprinter EV Charging Cable

Two generations that arrive at the same number

The 2019 to 2023 eSprinter came with 35 kWh and 47 kWh batteries and, contrary to what most people assume about commercial vehicles, no faster AC option at all: its charger is single phase only at 7.2 to 7.4 kW. That turns out to be good news, because a single phase supply gives the van its entire rating.

The 2023 eSprinter moved to 56 kWh and 113 kWh batteries and an 11 kW three phase charger. On one phase that becomes 7.4 kW. So both generations draw about the same from an ordinary supply, and a 32A cable is right on either.

Where the two differ is DC, and it is a big difference

On the 2019 van, DC rapid charging was 20 kW as standard with 80 kW as an option. On the 2023 van it is 50 kW as standard with 115 kW optional. For a vehicle doing multi-drop work that is the difference between a lunch break being useful and being decorative.

It also changes how much weight to put on the Type 2 cable. On an older eSprinter with the base DC option, the overnight AC charge is doing nearly all the work, so the cable is core equipment rather than a spare.

How long a full charge takes

The calculation is the battery over the delivered kW, uplifted 13 per cent for charging losses, quarter hour rounded. Range added per hour assumes a year round 3.5 miles per kWh rather than a best case figure. Columns are the larger 2019 battery and the two 2023 ones. The 113 kWh van is a seventeen hour charge on a single phase supply and about eleven and a half on three phases, which for a depot is the argument for an industrial connection.

Which length for an eSprinter

The port is at the front. We have not been able to confirm which side from a source we trust, so look at the van rather than take our word for it.

An eSprinter is between 5.9 and 7.4 metres long depending on body. At that size 5 metres is not a realistic choice for anything except a van that always noses straight up to the charge point. Ten metres is the working default and 15 or 20 metres is normal on a yard where vans park where they fit. The honest way to choose is to measure the real parking position and allow two metres spare.

How these cables are built

IEC 62196-2 construction, CE marked, IP55 sealed and tested from -30C through to +50C.

The three pin cable is built to IEC 62752, CE marked, sealed to IP67 and rated from -30C to +60C. Two year warranty from the manufacturer, free next day delivery in the UK, 30 day returns.

Also from Mercedes: Mercedes EQA EV Charging Cable. The full range of Mercedes charging cables is on one page.

Mercedes eSprinter charging cable questions

What cable does an eSprinter need?

A 32A Type 2 to Type 2 cable on either generation, and 10 metres or more given the size of the van.

Does the older eSprinter charge more slowly on AC?

No. It is single phase only at 7.2 to 7.4 kW, and a single phase supply delivers all of that. The 2023 van's 11 kW three phase charger also gives 7.4 kW on one phase, so the two are alike at an ordinary supply.

How long does the 113 kWh van take?

About seventeen hours from empty on a single phase supply, or about eleven and a half on a three phase depot connection. That gap is the case for an industrial supply if you run several vans.

What DC charging does it have?

20 kW standard and 80 kW optional on the 2019 to 2023 van; 50 kW standard and 115 kW optional on the 2023 one.