Mercedes does indeed think you will pay £70,000 for an electric van. No not you, sitting on the couch reading this article on your mobile phone. But the other you, the you who has an executive taxi fleet or the you who is a businessman person-type-thing. Mercedes employs many skilled individuals who do lots of calculations, thought experiments. They have come to the conclusion that there is a target market for a £70,000 electric van.

And the marketing people, who generally do marijuana after a hard day’s work of pure marketing-type-things, become the messengers. Their job is to convince you that you do indeed need a £70,000 electric van. They even use sophisticated nomenclatures like “Sport” and “Sport Premium Plus” to extract even more money from your Covid-19 ravaged bank account.

The seven-seat Mercedes-Benz EQV is now available to order with prices starting from £70,665 for the EQV 300 Sport, £72,895 for EQV 300 Sport Premium and £77,145 for the EQV 300 Sport Premium Plus. The EQV is the second Mercedes-Benz from the all-electric EQ brand. 

The entry level Sport model line comes as standard with 17-inch alloy wheels; LED Multibeam LED headlights; Driving Assistance package; MBUX with Navigation Plus; reversing camera; electric sliding doors; easy-pack tailgate; ambient lighting; and eight metre charging cable.

Thanks to its 90 kWh battery, the EQV’s electric motor can generate 204 hp and 364 Nm. It has a range of up to 213 miles and can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in only 45 minutes using a rapid DC charger. EQ-optimised navigation can also be set via MBUX, which bases its calculation on the fastest route taking into account the shortest charging time. It also informs the driver of nearby charging points.