New 2022 Mercedes eVito on sale now with bigger battery and longer range

Mercedes has announced a range of upgrades to its eVito medium-sized electric van for the 2022 model year. Chief among them is an increase in the size of its battery from 41 to 66kWh, resulting in claimed range in official testing improving from 93 to 162 miles. The revised range starts from £43,600, excluding VAT and before the government's £5,000 plug-in van grant has been deducted. Orders are being taken now for deliveries beginning in March 2022.

In addition to the larger battery, the 2022 eVito offers 80kW rapid charging, allowing for 10-80% top in just over half an hour from a public point. Recharging fully at 11kW from a domestic or commercial premises with three-phase electricity will take six-and-half hours, while using a regular domestic power socket extends the time taken to around 20 hours.

The eVito's regenerative braking system has also been improved; drivers can still select how strong they want the regenerative effect to be themselves, but there's now also a 'D Auto' mode that allows the van to determine the most appropriate setting for the current road and driving conditions.

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Maximum power and torque outputs from the eVito's electric motor are unchanged by the 2022 update, remaining at 114bhp and 360Nm respectively. As before, the maximum payload is 807kg and maximum load volume is 6.6 cubic metres. Euro NCAP has rated the latest eVito 'Gold' for safety, thanks to the 2022 model getting active braking assistance with pedestrian recognition technology, along with driver drowsiness monitoring and adaptive cruise control, all as standard.

Other standard equipment on the eVito includes a seven-inch touchscreen with smartphone integration and a three-year subscription to the Mercedes me app's connectivity services. The entry-level Progressive trim (available in L2 and L3 body lengths for £43,600 and £44,130 respectively) gets air-conditioning, a heated driver's seat, a reversing camera and a DAB radio.

The more prestigious Premium grade (available in the L2 length only for £46,900) adds metallic paint, colour-coded bumpers, 17-inch alloy wheels, a chrome grille, a leather-covered steering wheel, parking sensors, front foglights, power-folding door mirrors and lumbar support for the seat. Four option packages are available, starting from £432. These are the 'Load Area Package', 'Technology Package PLUS', 'Comfort Package PLUS' and 'Driver Assistance Package'.

The eVito is a rival for mid-sized electric vans like the Citroen e-Dispatch, Fiat e-Scudo, Peugeot e-Expert, Toyota Proace Electric and Vauxhall Vivaro-e. It sits in the middle of the Mercedes zero-emissions van range, above the smaller eCitan but below the larger eSprinter.