2026 Mercedes-Benz VLE: Next-gen EV people mover takes shape

Mercedes-Benz Vans has commenced “pre-series production” of the all-new VLE at its plant in Vitoria, Spain, ahead of the new electric luxury people mover’s premiere in the first half of 2026.

The 2026 Mercedes-Benz VLE is the replacement for the current EQV – the all-electric version of the V-Class premium people mover – and will debut a “newly developed, modular and scalable van architecture” wrapped in a design inspired by the Vision V concept from this year’s Shanghai motor show.

Further details around the German automaker’s so-called Van Electric Architecture (VAN.EA) are still to be announced, though Mercedes-Benz has previously stated that VAN.EA vehicles will have a 800V electrical system and be available with front- or all-wheel drive layouts offering up to 500km of range.

In comparison, the existing EQV, which is based on the combustion-engined V-Class, offers only a 150kW single-motor front-drive powertrain fed by a 90kWh battery, making it good for up to 418km on the older NEDC test cycle. It also has a limited DC fast-charging capacity of just 110kW.

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Mercedes-Benz says the Vitoria plant has been “comprehensively modernised” to accommodate production of VAN.EA vehicles.

The Spanish facility is claimed to be sustainable, maintaining a net carbon-neutral rating for Mercedes-Benz Vans production processes.

Staff will also be upskilled in the integration of new technologies, materials and IT standards.

“In Vitoria a PV system that generates green electricity itself was installed for sustainability purposes. The plant also uses geothermal energy to heat the buildings and uses the waste heat generated during vehicle painting,” said the company.

Mercedes-Benz says “over 90 per cent” of the required construction to update the Vitoria plant has already been completed, and that “more than 160 different training offers” made available to about 5000 employees at the location.

As previewed by the Mercedes-Benz Vision V show car, the VLE will offer “limousine-like driving behaviour with MPV-like versatility”.

The production model will offer up to eight seats, and feature the German luxury marque’s latest in-car infotainment and driver assistance technologies.

In fact, it will be the first series-production van in the Benz range to offer the new Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS), which has already been seen in the next-generation CLA and GLC with EQ Technology.

Mercedes-Benz has also confirmed that after initially being offered as an EV, the VLE will spawn a version with “a state-of-the-art combustion engine”, produced in the same factory.

It’s understood the combustion-powered version of the VLE, and other ICE vans from Mercedes-Benz, will be based on the automaker’s new Van Combustion Architecture (VAN.CA).

Stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest news on the new VLE during the early stages of 2026.

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