Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - August 2023 - 31

ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT
Mathias Geisen,
head of
Mercedes-Benz vans.
" Electrification goes
hand-in-hand with
simplification. "
on a single modular and scalable architecture, "
she stressed.
VAN.EA is short for Van, electric architecture.
The design of the VAN.EA
platform encompasses three modules.
" The front module consists of the electric
powertrain and front axle. The module
is the same in all VAN.EA variants,
which is part of our optimized common
parts strategy, " Schmitz said. " The differentiation
as it relates to the customer
takes place in the other two modules.
The center module scales the vehicle's
length. This is also where the standardized
battery case is placed. "
There will be several variants of batteries
available with different capacities
depending on customer needs. Schmitz
also explained that the rear module will
be available in two versions: one with
an electric motor for all-wheel drive
variants, or without a driven axle for
front-wheel drive variants. " Based on
these three modules, VAN.EA allows for
clear differentiation between privately
and commercially used vans, " she said.
The two main variations of the architecture
will be VAN.EA-P, designating a
van design intended for private-sector
uses such as a camper or other personaluse
cases. The VAN.EA-C moniker designates
the version that will underpin commercial
vans in midsize and large segments.
No additional powertrain details
were given during the presentation, but
Mercedes-Benz did declare a planned
range for all versions of more than 500
kilometers (310 miles).
TRUCK & OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING
By 2039, Mercedes-Benz aims to achieve carbon neutrality from its van fleet over the entire
lifecycle of the vehicle.
Series production of
the eActros 600 is set
to launch in 2024.
Short circuits
Though Mercedes-Benz's development of
the VAN.EA platform seems to be on
track, there have been a few bumps in the
road. In September of 2022, it was announced
that Rivian had entered a joint
development partnership with MercedesBenz
to produce electric vans in Europe.
The original plan reportedly was that
the two companies would build and operate
a factory in Europe that produced
vans for both brands. The location of the
factory was not revealed at the time,
though Mercedes-Benz did confirm that
it would be in either central or eastern
Europe. It also was reported that the
partnership was just a " memorandum of
understanding " and was still subject to
approval from the EU.
However, in December of that year,
news broke that Rivian had backed out of
the agreement. " At this point in time, we
believe focusing on our consumer business,
as well as our existing commercial
business, represent the most attractive
near-term opportunities to maximize value
for Rivian, " CEO RJ Scaringe said in a
statement. Mercedes-Benz stated that the
" ongoing reprioritization " at Rivian was
the cause of the deal falling through.
Despite the partnership with Rivian
not coming to fruition, Mercedes-Benz
pushed on with the development of its
own EV van platform and production
facility. During the presentation, it was
revealed the company had selected a
location for a dedicated VAN.EA factory;
according to Mercedes-Benz, all VAN.
EA-based vehicles will be produced at a
new production facility in Jawor, Poland.
Going long with eActros 600
Mercedes-Benz has made it clear that
its holistic strategy for electrification is
August 2023 31

Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - August 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - August 2023