What's the difference?
The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter range of vans and cab-chassis models competes for buyers in the Light Duty (3501-8000kg GVM) segment of Australia’s highly competitive Heavy Commercial vehicle market.
In 2024 the German manufacturer expanded its diverse turbo-diesel van range by launching a full-electric variant called the eSprinter, which for the first time offered local buyers the opportunity to drive with zero tailpipe emissions.
We recently spent a working week with this unique offering to assess how competently it could fulfil the diverse job requirements of private tradie buyers and fleet operators.
Jayco is Australia’s most prolific builder of camper-trailers, caravans and motorhomes. Many of its models are the cheapest options in their class and represent decent value for money.
The company’s cheapest little camper-trailer – the Swift – is the perfect example of that: functional, versatile, packed with features and it costs less than $20,000.
With the convenience of back-to-base charging the eSprinter would be well suited to last-mile logistics or other urban delivery roles, as its driving range is ample for many of these urban tasks with the added benefit of zero tailpipe emissions. However, at more than $100K it is a big spend (like its full-electric rivals) so only a thorough cost-benefit analysis can decide if it’s the right choice for your business.
Overall, the Swift is pretty good value. It’s got a sensible layout, a clever process to set up and offers quite a lot of comfort within a cosy package.
Given the price and the layout, it’s worth considering if you’re also shopping for a forward-fold camper-trailer, which likewise offers an internal living area.
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