Mercedes-Benz VLE Full-Electric Passenger Van Flaunting Rear-Wheel Steering

Primed to replace both the EQV full-electric passenger van sometime in 2026, the all-new VLE has been recently teased by Mercedes-Benz AG under camouflage on a long trip from Stuttgart to Rome. Both prototypes featured temporary lights, but on this occasion, the carparazzi have spied the long-awaited VLE with production-intent exterior lighting.
 

Equipped with aero-conscious alloy wheels and two sliding rear doors, the heavily camouflaged prototype in these pictures also shows that rear-wheel steering is coming to the zero-emission people carrier. The curvaceous front bumper is complemented by headlights with the starry DRL motif we know from the redesigned CLA, a motif that will carry over to the rest of the Mercedes lineup.
 
For this prototype, Mercedes decided on Continental EcoContact 7 tires for battery-electric vehicles. The front tires read 235/50 by 20 inches on their sidewalls, along with 109 for the load index (1,030 kilograms or 2,271 pounds) and T for the speed rating (up to 190 kilometers an hour or 118 miles an hour). In other words, the forthcoming VLE is heavy and has no sporting pretense whatsoever.
 

The upright rear end shows three brake lights, namely two taillight clusters and the high-mounted third brake light. Over in the United States of America, where Mercedes-Benz AG will be selling the VLE beginning with the 2027 model year, third brake lights became mandatory in 1986 for new passenger vehicles and 1994 for new light-duty trucks.
 
VLE availability was also confirmed for the Canadian and Chinese markets, and up to eight seats are in the offing. This passenger van will spawn a cargo van that will replace the current eVito, and later on, a luxury-oriented passenger van dubbed VLS will be added to the range. The Stuttgart-based manufacturer says the VLS will be define a unique segment in the van space, which sounds like marketing hyperbole.
 

Both full-electric passenger vans boast 800 volts and 22-kW charging on alternating current. Based on the VAN.EA platform, the VLE and VLS are front-wheel drive by default and all-wheel drive by choice. Mercedes-Benz AG’s new electric van architecture is highly scalable, and VAN.EA will further be modified to support internal combustion.
 
VAN.CA allegedly borrows 70 percent of the VAN.EA’s hardware. Mercedes will build VAN.EA and VAN.CA vans on the same assembly line. Over 500 kilometers or 310 miles on a full charge is what Mercedes-Benz AG promises from the most efficient member of the VAN.EA-P family, with P standing for luxury private vans in Mercedes vernacular.
 
SAE Level 2 partial autonomy is a sure bet, as is MB.OS to support a new infotainment suite and future autonomous driving features. The German automaker offers Level 3 conditional autonomy in the EQS Sedan and S-Class, meaning that VAN.EA models could easily be updated to L3 capabilities. By decade’s end, the folks at Mercedes expect to crank things up to Level 4 high driving automation.